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NHL Stanley Cup playoff bracket: Final league standings, first-round matchups

The NHL regular season is over, with 16 teams knowing their first round playoff opponent and the remaining 16 knowing their draft lottery odds.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche wrapped up the Central Division title on the final day with a victory against the Nashville Predators, while the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Buffalo Sabres and improved their odds of getting the No. 1 overall pick and generational talent Connor Bedard. The record-setting Boston Bruins have the top overall seed while the Vegas Golden Knights are tops in the West.

USA TODAY Sports is here with everything you need to know about the NHL postseason, including when the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final are scheduled to start:

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NHL POSTSEASON: 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs first round schedule

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet in the first round for the second year in a row.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet in the first round for the second year in a row.

Final NHL standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(complete standings can be found here. p-clinched Presidents' Trophy, x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title)

Metropolitan Division

y-Carolina Hurricanes

x-New Jersey Devils

x-New York Rangers

Atlantic Division

p-Boston Bruins

x-Toronto Maple Leafs

x-Tampa Bay Lightning

Wild cards

x-New York Islanders

x-Florida Panthers

Out of the playoffs

Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo Sabres

Ottawa Senators

Detroit Red Wings

Washington Capitals

Philadelphia Flyers

Montreal Canadiens

Columbus Blue Jackets

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

y-Colorado Avalanche

x-Dallas Stars

x-Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

y-Vegas Golden Knights

x-Edmonton Oilers

x-Los Angeles Kings

Wild card

x-Seattle Kraken

x-Winnipeg Jets

Out of the playoffs

Calgary Flames

Nashville Predators

Vancouver Canucks

St. Louis Blues

Arizona Coyotes

San Jose Sharks

Chicago Blackhawks

Anaheim Ducks

Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers

Western Conference playoff bracket

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild

When do the Stanley Cup playoffs begin?

They're scheduled to begin on Monday, April 17. ESPN, ABC, TNT and TBS will broadcast the games in the United States.

What is the tentative starting date of the Stanley Cup Final?

The scheduled starting date is June 3, though that's subject to change. TNT will air the games in the United States.

Who won the Stanley Cup in 2022?

The Colorado Avalanche won for the first time since 2001. They defeated the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

CONNOR BEDARD WATCH: Which NHL team has best draft lottery odds?

When is the NHL draft?

The NHL draft is June 28 (first round) and June 29 (Rounds 2-7) at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. The NHL draft lottery will be held at 7 p.m. ET on May 8 among the 16 non-playoff teams. Teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the two drawings. Only the bottom 11 teams will have a chance to draft Bedard at No. 1 overall. The Regina (Saskatchewan) Pats center led the Western Hockey League during the regular season with 143 points and 71 goals in 57 games and had 20 points in seven games as the Pats lost their first-round series. The Ducks finished last and have 25.5% draft lottery odds to end up with the top pick, followed by the Blue Jackets (13.5%) and Blackhawks (11.5%).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket 2023 updates: Standings, schedule for postseason