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The race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is really heating up. There’s just a handful of games left for each team to play as everyone is vying for a chance to win the cup and the seeding in each conference could be very interesting this year.
In the East, only three playoff spots remain up for grabs after the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers clinched on Saturday. The real drama in that conference is the race for the second wild card spot. The Montreal Canadiens have a narrow four-point edge over the New York Rangers, which will make the last handful of games that much more intense for both clubs.
In the West, there are also three playoff spots left now that the Los Angeles Kings have joined the Vegas Golden Knights as the two Pacific Division teams to seal playoff berths. The wild card race is getting very interesting now that the Minnesota Wild have sputtered, leaving the door open for teams like the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
The playoff picture will likely change on a daily basis, so CBS Sports will have you covered with our NHL playoff race tracker. It will be updated daily to show where each potential playoff team sits in the standings as the postseason draws near.
Reminder: Here’s how the NHL playoff seeding works
- The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
- Each conference has two wild-card spots.
- The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
- The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.
*Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker, and regulation plus overtime wins are the second tiebreaker. Shootout wins are not counted in regulation plus overtime wins. X denotes clinched playoff berth.
Eastern Conference playoff picture
Atlantic Division
1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 47-25-4 | 98 points – X
Points percentage: .645
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators
2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 44-26-6 | 94 points – X
Points percentage: .618
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers
3. Florida Panthers | 44-28-4 | 92 points – X
Points percentage: .605
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals | 49-18-9 | 107 points – X
Points percentage: .704
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens
2. Carolina Hurricanes | 46-26-4 | 96 points – X
Points percentage: .632
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: New Jersey Devils
3. New Jersey Devils | 41-29-7 | 89 points
Points percentage: .578
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes
Wild Card
WC1. Ottawa Senators | 41-29-6 | 88 points
Points percentage: .579
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 40
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs
WC2. Montreal Canadiens | 37-30-9 | 83 points
Points percentage: .546
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 35
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals
New York Rangers | 36-33-7 | 79 points
Points percentage: .520
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 35
Detroit Red Wings | 35-33-7 | 77 points
Points percentage: .513
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Columbus Blue Jackets | 34-33-9 | 77 points
Points percentage: .513
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus overtime wins: 28
New York Islanders | 33-32-10 | 76 points
Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31
Western Conference playoff picture
Central Division
1. Winnipeg Jets | 52-21-4 | 108 points – X
Points percentage: .701
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 51
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild
2. Dallas Stars | 50-22-4 | 104 points – X
Points percentage: .684
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche
3. Colorado Avalanche | 47-27-4 | 98 points – X
Points percentage: .628
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars
Pacific Division
1. Vegas Golden Knights | 46-22-8 | 100 points-X
Points percentage: .658
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 45
Current first-round matchup: St. Louis Blues
2. Los Angeles Kings | 44-23-9 | 97 points – X
Points percentage: .638
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 43
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers
3. Edmonton Oilers | 44-27-5 | 93 points
Points percentage: .612
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings
Wild Card
WC1. St. Louis Blues | 43-28-7 | 93 points
Points percentage: .596
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights
WC2. Minnesota Wild | 41-29-7 | 89 points
Points percentage: .578
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Flames | 36-27-13 | 85 points
Points percentage: .560
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Vancouver Canucks | 35-28-13 | 83 points
Points percentage: .546
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Utah Hockey Club | 35-30-12 | 82 points
Points percentage: .532
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 34
