The Stanley Cup playoffs are just days away, with the 2024-25 NHL regular season’s final games taking place Thursday night.
The Presidents’ Trophy for best regular-season record has already been clinched by the Winnipeg Jets, who are hoping an excellent campaign carries on into the postseason. In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals — once Alex Ovechkin broke the all-time NHL goal-scoring record — have secured the No. 1 seed.
However, the NHL playoffs are notoriously unpredictable, and a higher seed promises only expectations. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are looking to win the East for a third consecutive season, while the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning could all make deep runs. Over in the West, the Colorado Avalanche loom as a serious threat, as do the Vegas Golden Knights among others.
Here’s what to know about the NHL playoff bracket heading into the final day of the regular season:
From NHL.com:
With no changes possible to the bracket in the final day of regular-season play, here’s how the first-round playoff matchups would look based on the current standings in the Eastern Conference:
With no changes possible to the bracket in the final day of regular-season play, here’s how the first-round playoff matchups would look based on the current standings in the Western Conference:
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will start on Saturday, April 19. The Stanley Cup Final does not have a set start date, given that multiple rounds of playoff hockey have to playout, but the championship series is scheduled to conclude no later than June 23.
