Only three of the eight Eastern Conference playoff positions are still to be determined on the final day of the NHL season.In the Western Conference, there's a whole lot more up for grabs. In fact, there's not one single position that's been determined out West, so let's just run through this team-by-team.
Vancouver (109 pts, 42 Regulation + OT Wins): The Canucks control their destiny for the No. 1 seed in the West. With a single point in Edmonton against the Oilers, they'll clinch the top-seed. If they lose, the Blues can pass them in the standings via tiebreaker situations.
Vancouver can also win the Presidents' Trophy depending on what the New York Rangers do in their game vs. the Washington Capitals.
St. Louis (107 pts, 44 ROW): The Blues have clinched at least the No. 2 seed, but fell out of contention for the Presidents' Trophy with their loss to Phoenix Friday night. They need a Vancouver loss and a win of their own over Dallas to have a chance at the No. 1 seed. St. Louis holds the tiebreaker if the teams end up tied.
Nashville (102 pts, 42 ROW): They can finish in either the No. 4 spot or the No. 5 spot. With a single point vs. the Avalanche, the Predators will clinch home-ice against either the Red Wings or Blackhawks in Round 1, but with a regulation loss, the Preds could fall to the No. 5 seed should Detroit win their game against Chicago. If the Wings fail to beat the Hawks, Nashville will clinch the No. 4 seed.
Detroit (101 pts, 39 ROW): The Red Wings can finish anywhere between fourth and sixth. If Nashville earns a point, Detroit will be eliminated from contention for the No. 4 seed, thus making the Saturday showdown between the Wings and Blackhawks a battle for the No. 5 seed.
If Chicago wins in regulation, the teams would finished deadlocked in points and ROW but the Blackhawks would win the second tiebreaker as winners of the season series. If Detroit grabs one point, they'll clinch at least the fifth spot.
Chicago (99 pts, 38 ROW): Chicago is fighting for the No. 5 seed and the right to travel to Nashville for the first round, although finishing sixth and playing the eventual Pacific Division winner might be the ideal scenario for them. The Blackhawks need two points in regulation to pass Detroit via tiebreaker for the No. 5 seed. Otherwise, they'll finish sixth.
Phoenix (95 pts, 35 ROW): The Coyotes' win over St. Louis on Friday night kept them in the running for the Pacific Division title and the No. 3 seed. With two points vs. Minnesota Saturday, Phoenix will clinch the division, thus forcing Los Angeles and San Jose into a battle for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.
Since the Sharks and Kings play each other head-to-head, one of them is guaranteed to finish with 96 points, meaning that Phoenix will lose their shot at the division championship if they fail to get at least a point vs. the Wild. If they only grab a single point, tiebreaker scenarios will come into play.
The Coyotes have already clinched the tiebreaker over the Sharks, but it's a little more dicey with the Kings. An L.A. shootout win would give Phoenix the Pacific via the ROW tiebreaker, but if L.A. were to beat San Jose in regulation or overtime, the Kings would tie Phoenix in both points and ROW, pushing it to the second tiebreaker. Los Angeles earned eight points in six games vs. Phoenix this season compared to seven points in those games for the Coyotes, thus giving the Kings that tiebreaker.
Los Angeles (94 pts, 34 ROW): With a loss to San Jose in any form, the Kings will finish in the No. 8 spot. They need a win and help from Phoenix to keep hope for the Pacific Division title alive. There's hope via the tiebreaker if Phoenix earns one point, but if the Coyotes grab two, the Kings and Sharks will be playing for seventh and eighth on Saturday night.
San Jose (94 pts, 33 ROW): The Sharks face the same situation. A loss means they finish in eighth place, but even with a win they need help the Minnesota Wild to beat Phoenix in regulation to have a shot at the Pacific crown.
Vancouver (109 pts, 42 Regulation + OT Wins): The Canucks control their destiny for the No. 1 seed in the West. With a single point in Edmonton against the Oilers, they'll clinch the top-seed. If they lose, the Blues can pass them in the standings via tiebreaker situations.
Vancouver can also win the Presidents' Trophy depending on what the New York Rangers do in their game vs. the Washington Capitals.
St. Louis (107 pts, 44 ROW): The Blues have clinched at least the No. 2 seed, but fell out of contention for the Presidents' Trophy with their loss to Phoenix Friday night. They need a Vancouver loss and a win of their own over Dallas to have a chance at the No. 1 seed. St. Louis holds the tiebreaker if the teams end up tied.
Nashville (102 pts, 42 ROW): They can finish in either the No. 4 spot or the No. 5 spot. With a single point vs. the Avalanche, the Predators will clinch home-ice against either the Red Wings or Blackhawks in Round 1, but with a regulation loss, the Preds could fall to the No. 5 seed should Detroit win their game against Chicago. If the Wings fail to beat the Hawks, Nashville will clinch the No. 4 seed.
Detroit (101 pts, 39 ROW): The Red Wings can finish anywhere between fourth and sixth. If Nashville earns a point, Detroit will be eliminated from contention for the No. 4 seed, thus making the Saturday showdown between the Wings and Blackhawks a battle for the No. 5 seed.
If Chicago wins in regulation, the teams would finished deadlocked in points and ROW but the Blackhawks would win the second tiebreaker as winners of the season series. If Detroit grabs one point, they'll clinch at least the fifth spot.
Chicago (99 pts, 38 ROW): Chicago is fighting for the No. 5 seed and the right to travel to Nashville for the first round, although finishing sixth and playing the eventual Pacific Division winner might be the ideal scenario for them. The Blackhawks need two points in regulation to pass Detroit via tiebreaker for the No. 5 seed. Otherwise, they'll finish sixth.
Phoenix (95 pts, 35 ROW): The Coyotes' win over St. Louis on Friday night kept them in the running for the Pacific Division title and the No. 3 seed. With two points vs. Minnesota Saturday, Phoenix will clinch the division, thus forcing Los Angeles and San Jose into a battle for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.
Since the Sharks and Kings play each other head-to-head, one of them is guaranteed to finish with 96 points, meaning that Phoenix will lose their shot at the division championship if they fail to get at least a point vs. the Wild. If they only grab a single point, tiebreaker scenarios will come into play.
The Coyotes have already clinched the tiebreaker over the Sharks, but it's a little more dicey with the Kings. An L.A. shootout win would give Phoenix the Pacific via the ROW tiebreaker, but if L.A. were to beat San Jose in regulation or overtime, the Kings would tie Phoenix in both points and ROW, pushing it to the second tiebreaker. Los Angeles earned eight points in six games vs. Phoenix this season compared to seven points in those games for the Coyotes, thus giving the Kings that tiebreaker.
Los Angeles (94 pts, 34 ROW): With a loss to San Jose in any form, the Kings will finish in the No. 8 spot. They need a win and help from Phoenix to keep hope for the Pacific Division title alive. There's hope via the tiebreaker if Phoenix earns one point, but if the Coyotes grab two, the Kings and Sharks will be playing for seventh and eighth on Saturday night.
San Jose (94 pts, 33 ROW): The Sharks face the same situation. A loss means they finish in eighth place, but even with a win they need help the Minnesota Wild to beat Phoenix in regulation to have a shot at the Pacific crown.
