NHL playoffs: Who can finish where?
By the time 15 games have been completed in the National Hockey League on Saturday, who finishes where and who plays whom will be decided.
Here’s how things can still work out, according to NHL.com:
New York Rangers can finish first overall in the NHL with a win over Washington. They have already clinched the East.
Boston Bruins are locked into the second seed.
Florida Panthers need one point against Carolina to wrap up the Southeast Division and the third seed.
Pittsburgh Penguins are locked into fourth, Philadelphia Flyers are locked into fifth and the New Jersey Devils have sixth place assured in the East.
Ottawa Senators can wrap up seventh with a single point at New Jersey.
Washington Capitals need a win and a regulation loss by Florida to win the Southeast and move into the 3rd seed, or a win and a regulation loss by Ottawa to move into seventh and avoid the Rangers.
Vancouver Canucks need one point against Edmonton to clinch the West, but need a win and a New York Rangers loss of any kind to take the Presidents' Trophy as tops in the NHL and the extra home game in the final if needed.
St. Louis Blues can finish first in the West by beating Dallas and having the Canucks lose in regulation.
Phoenix Coyotes can win the Pacific Division and the third seed in the West with a victory at Minnesota. A regulation loss will drop them to seventh, and picking up just one point could lead to a complicated tie-breaking formula that may come down to goals for and against with Los Angeles, if the Kings beat San Jose.
Nashville Predators would wrap up fourth place with one point against Colorado. It may not matter, however, if Detroit loses.
Detroit Red Wings can still finish fourth and have home-ice advantage in the opening round with a win over Chicago and a loss by Phoenix.
Chicago Blackhawks will finish fifth with a regulation win over the Wings, anything else means sixth place.
Los Angeles Kings can finish third overall or seventh or eighth. Beating San Jose and a Phoenix loss means the third seed. A win and a Coyotes win equals seventh. A win and the Coyotes picking up only one point means the calculators come out at head office. A loss drops the Kings to eighth.
San Jose Sharks are in the same situation. Win and a Coyotes loss means third, a win and Phoenix loses and it’s seventh, a loss and it’s eighth.
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