NHL playoff picture
A look at the NHL playoff picture heading into the Friday night games:
Playoff format -- The top three teams from each division make the postseason, joined by the two teams with the next-best point totals in each conference. (x-clinched playoff berth; y-clinched division title; p-won Presidents' Trophy that goes to the team with the most points)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
T1. x-Tampa Bay Lightning, 110 points, two games remaining (vs. Buffalo on Friday, at Carolina on Saturday)
T1. x-Boston Bruins, 110 points, two games remaining (vs. Ottawa on Saturday, vs. Florida on Sunday)
3. x-Toronto Maple Leafs, 103 points, one game remaining (vs. Montreal on Saturday)
4. Florida Panthers, 92 points, two games remaining (vs. Buffalo on Saturday, at Boston on Sunday)
Boston and Tampa Bay are battling for first place while Toronto is locked in at No. 3. Florida is on the verge of elimination, needing two wins plus a Philadelphia regulation loss to sneak into the postseason.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
1. y-Washington Capitals, 103 points, one game remaining (vs. New Jersey on Saturday)
2. x-Pittsburgh Penguins, 98 points, one game remaining (vs. Ottawa on Friday)
T3. x-Columbus Blue Jackets, 97 points, one game remaining (at Nashville on Saturday)
T3. x-New Jersey Devils, 97 points, one game remaining (at Washington on Saturday)
5. Philadelphia Flyers, 96 points, one game remaining (vs. New York Rangers on Saturday)
Columbus and New Jersey both clinched playoff berths Thursday, and they are still battling Pittsburgh for second place. Philadelphia needs just a single point to wrap up a postseason spot.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION
1. p-Nashville Predators, 115 points, one game remaining (vs. Columbus on Saturday)
2. x-Winnipeg Jets, 112 points, one game remaining (vs. Chicago on Saturday)
3. x-Minnesota Wild, 99 points, one game remaining (at San Jose on Saturday)
4. Colorado Avalanche, 93 points, one game remaining (vs. St. Louis on Saturday)
5. St. Louis Blues, 92 points, two games remaining (at Chicago on Friday, at Colorado on Saturday)
Winnipeg and Minnesota will meet in the first round of the playoffs. Either Colorado or St. Louis will earn the second Western Conference wild-card berth and a first-round matchup against Nashville.
PACIFIC DIVISION
1. y-Vegas Golden Knights, 109 points, one game remaining (at Calgary on Saturday)
2. x-San Jose Sharks, 100 points, one game remaining (vs. Minnesota on Saturday)
3. x-Los Angeles Kings, 98 points, one game remaining (vs. Dallas on Saturday)
4. x-Anaheim Ducks, 97 points, two games remaining (vs. Dallas on Friday, at Arizona on Saturday)
San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim are battling to avoid a first-round matchup with Vegas. With the Ducks having two non-playoff foes on the schedule, they could escape the wild-card position.
FRIDAY GAMES (all times Eastern)
Ottawa at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. -- The Penguins would wrap up home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs with a win over the Senators, who are 2-8-0 in their past 10 games.
Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. -- A game against the league-worst Sabres would appear to be the dream matchup for the Lightning, who have to hit the road for their final game Saturday.
St. Louis at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. -- If the Blues beat the Blackhawks, then St. Louis would need a win, an overtime loss or a shootout loss against Colorado on Saturday to make the playoffs. If the Blues lose to the Blackhawks (in regulation, overtime or a shootout), then the Blues-Avalanche finale would be a winner-take-all affair.
Dallas at Anaheim, 10 p.m. -- The Ducks would leapfrog the Kings into third place in the Pacific Division if they can post their fourth consecutive win.
--Field Level Media
