The NHL enters the final abbreviated week of the regular season with some playoff seeding decided and much still to be nailed down.
Decided: The Presidents’ Trophy (Winnipeg Jets), top Eastern Conference team (Washington Capitals), Pacific Division (Vegas Golden Knights), Central Division (Jets) and Metropolitan Division (Capitals) titles, second and third seeds in the Central and Metropolitan and the first wild-card spot in the East (Ottawa Senators)
Undecided: Atlantic Division title, the order of the first three seeds in that division, who finishes second and third in the Pacific, two wild-card spots in the West and the second wild-card slot in the East.
Series decided: Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers (home-ice advantage TBD) and Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils. The remaining series will fill in, possibly as early as Tuesday.
Here’s a look at what’s at stake with the NHL regular season ending Thursday:
Atlantic Division
The Maple Leafs (104) lead the Lightning (100) in the division title race with two games left apiece. The Panthers (98) can’t clinch the division title but can finish ahead of the Lightning for home-ice advantage if that ends up being the first-round series.
What Toronto needs: It needs one point over the next two games to clinch the division title. It would face Ottawa in the first round.
What Tampa Bay needs: It needs two wins (at least one in regulation) and two Toronto regulation losses to clinch the division title and a meeting with Ottawa. Toronto would face Florida.
If Toronto gets the title, Tampa Bay needs one win or a Florida loss to clinch home-ice advantage vs. the Panthers. The teams play Tuesday in Tampa.
What Florida needs: Because of tiebreakers, the Panthers will need to finish ahead of the Lightning in points to claim home ice. They play Monday and Tuesday. A regulation win Tuesday at Tampa will be crucial. Regardless of what Florida does, it will need to hope for a Lightning loss on Thursday.
Pacific Division
The No. 2 Kings (101) and No. 3 Oilers (99) are headed toward a fourth consecutive first-round meeting. Edmonton won the previous three series, and home-ice advantage is important because of Los Angeles’ 31-5-4 home record.
What Los Angeles needs: Edmonton can’t win a tiebreaker, so the Kings just need to finish with the same number of points as the Oilers. A win Monday in Edmonton would wrap up home ice. The Oilers will be without Connor McDavid (precautionary) and injured Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm in the game. Ekholm miss the first round of the playoffs.
What Edmonton needs: A regulation home win Monday then a win Wednesday at the last-place San Jose Sharks. Even then, it would have to hope the Kings lose their final two games (at least one of them in regulation).
Second wild-card spot in the East
The Montreal Canadiens (88) and Columbus Blue Jackets (85) are in the running for the position. Each has two games left. The winner faces the Capitals.
What Montreal needs: It needs one victory or one Columbus loss over the final two games. Montreal can wrap it up Monday night with a win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
What Columbus needs: If Columbus wins its final two games and Montreal loses two in regulation, the Blue Jackets clinch. If Montreal picks up a point and the teams finish with 89 points, Columbus will need to have won both of its games in regulation to advance.
Final two wild-card spots in the West
The Wild (95), Blues (94) and Flames (92) are in the hunt. Minnesota and St. Louis have one game left and Calgary, with two games left, potentially could pass both teams in points to make the playoffs. All three teams play Tuesday and Calgary also plays Thursday. The top wild-card seed plays Vegas and the second wild-card team plays Winnipeg.
What Minnesota needs: At least one point on Tuesday or a Calgary loss over the last two games would clinch it. A Blues loss would also get the Wild into the playoffs.
What St. Louis needs: A victory on Tuesday would clinch a berth. So would a Calgary regulation loss, as would a Blues win and a Wild regulation loss.
What Calgary needs: The Flames’ best bet to make the playoffs is to win its final two games and hope Minnesota loses in regulation or St. Louis loses its finale.
