As the NHL regular season heads down the home stretch, it's time to focus our eyes on the postseason and the implications that every remaining game has on the Stanley Cup playoffs. While far from set in stone, the playoff picture is coming into focus more with each passing day, so here's where we'll keep tabs on what postseason matchups are looking likely, as well as which teams are set for early summer vacations.

Format

The Stanley Cup playoffs feature 16 total teams, with eight qualifiers from each of the league's two conferences. The top three teams from each division automatically qualify, plus two wild cards from each conference. The playoffs feature three rounds of conference play before the Stanley Cup Final, with every series from start-to-finish being a best of seven. As such, the eventual Stanley Cup champion will need to win 16 total postseason games in order to hoist the Cup.

When do the playoffs start?

The NHL regular season will end on April 6 and the playoffs typically begin a few days later. An official schedule has not been released yet, but the playoffs tend to run from early-to-mid April until mid-to-late June.

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Eastern Conference standings

Western Conference standings

1 Flames 82 GP, 107 PTS 2 Sharks 82 GP, 101 PTS 3 Predators 82 GP, 100 PTS 4 Jets 82 GP, 99 PTS 5 Blues 82 GP, 99 PTS 6 Golden Knights 82 GP, 93 PTS 7 Stars 82 GP, 93 PTS 8 Avalanche 82 GP, 90 PTS 9 Coyotes 82 GP, 84 PTS 10 Blackhawks 82 GP, 84 PTS 11 Wild 82 GP, 83 PTS 12 Canucks 82 GP, 81 PTS 13 Ducks 82 GP, 80 PTS 14 Oilers 82 GP, 79 PTS 15 Kings 82 GP, 71 PTS

Eastern Conference playoff seeding

(p = clinched Presidents' trophy, y = clinched division, x = clinched playoff berth)

Atlantic Division

p-Tampa Bay Lightning x-Boston Bruins x-Toronto Maple Leafs



Metropolitan Division

x-Washington Capitals x-New York Islanders x-Pittsburgh Penguins

Eastern Conference Wild Cards

x-Carolina Hurricanes x-Columbus Blue Jackets

Western Conference playoff seeding

Central Division

x-Nashville Predators x-Winnipeg Jets x-St. Louis Blues

Pacific Division

x-Calgary Flames x-San Jose Sharks x-Vegas Golden Knights

Western Conference Wild Cards

x-Dallas Stars x-Colorado Avalanche

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic 1) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (WC 2)

Boston Bruins (Atlantic 2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Atlantic 3)

Washington Capitals (Metro 1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (WC 1)

New York Islanders (Metro 2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Metro 3)

Western Conference

Nashville Predators (Central 1) vs. Dallas Stars (WC 1)

Winnipeg Jets (Central 2) vs. St. Louis Blues (Central 3)

Calgary Flames (Pacific 1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (WC 2)

San Jose Sharks (Pacific 2) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific 3)