The Dallas Stars clinched the Western Conference's top seed on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jeff Carter retired after 19 seasons, Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov got his 100th assist and Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews had 12 shots but couldn't get his milestone 70th goal of the season.
The Arizona Coyotes also got a win at Mullett Arena in what is their final game in the Phoenix area. The NHL board of governors on Thursday approved the sale and relocation of the team to Salt Lake City.
There are six games remaining on the final day of the regular season. Two of those games will decide the final two matchups of the 2024 playoffs as the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings determine their first-round opponents.
Here's where the playoff races stand:
Who's in the NHL playoffs?
The New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals have clinched in the East.
The Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings have clinched in the West.
Who will clinch a playoff seed today?
The Golden Knights, who lead the Kings by one point, will clinch the third seed in the Pacific Division if they beat the Anaheim Ducks. Other options: They get a point and the Kings lose; or the Kings lose in regulation.
The Kings will clinch the third seed if they beat the Chicago Blackhawks and the Golden Knights lose. Another option: Los Angeles gets a point and Vegas loses in regulation.
The team finishing third will face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. The other team will drop to the second wild-card seed and face the Stars.
NHL games today
- Seattle Kraken at Minnesota Wild, 7
- Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets, 8
- San Jose Sharks at Calgary Flames, 9
- Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche, 9:30
- Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights, 10
- Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles, 10:30
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2023-24
Metropolitan Division
p-New York Rangers (114 points)
x-Carolina Hurricanes (111)
x-New York Islanders (94)
Atlantic Division
y-Florida Panthers (110)
x-Boston Bruins (109)
x-Toronto Maple Leafs (102)
Wild card
x-Tampa Bay Lightning (98)
x-Washington Capitals (91)
Eliminated teams
Detroit Red Wings (91), Pittsburgh Penguins (88), Philadelphia Flyers (87), l-Buffalo Sabres (84), l-New Jersey Devils (81), l-Ottawa Senators (78), l-Montreal Canadiens (76), l-Columbus Blue Jackets (66)
p-clinched Presidents' Trophy; x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division title; l-draft lottery team with chance of moving up to the No. 1 pick.
NHL Western Conference Standings 2023-24
Central Division
c-Dallas Stars (113)
x-Winnipeg Jets (108)
x-Colorado Avalanche (105)
Pacific Division
y-Vancouver Canucks (109)
x-Edmonton Oilers (104)
x-Vegas Golden Knights (98)
Wild card
x-Nashville Predators (99)
x-Los Angeles Kings (97)
Eliminated teams
St. Louis Blues (92), Minnesota Wild (87), l-Calgary Flames (79), l-Seattle Kraken (79), l-Arizona Coyotes (77), l-Anaheim Ducks (57), l-Chicago Blackhawks (51), l-San Jose Sharks (47)
x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division title; c-clinched conference title; l-draft lottery team with chance to move up to the No. 1 pick
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket will look:
- New York Rangers (M1) vs. Washington Capitals (WC2)
- Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs. New York Islanders (M3)
- Florida Panthers (A1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (WC1)
- Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended April 17:
- Dallas Stars (C1) vs. Los Angeles Kings (WC2)
- Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3) this series is set
- Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs. Nashville Predators (WC1) this series is set
- Edmonton Oilers (P2) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: P - Pacific Division. C - Central Division. WC - wild card
NHL: Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov join exclusive club with 100-assist season
What is the tiebreaker procedure for the NHL playoffs?
If two or more teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
- Regulation wins
- Regulation and overtime wins
- Total wins
- Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
- Goal differential
- Total goals.
Note: If the Golden Knights and Kings finish tied in points, Los Angeles has the edge in regulation wins.
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season will end on Thursday with six games.
When do the Stanley Cup playoffs begin?
They'llbegin on April 20. The last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final is June 24.
