While 14 of the 16 playoff spots have been sewn up in the NHL, not one of the first-round matchups has been finalized going into the final weekend of the regular season.
There are likely matchups in the playoff bracket, but the variables are plenty.
The biggest questions involve the Detroit Red Wings (93 points), the Boston Bruins (93 points) and the Philadelphia Flyers (92 points). Two of those three teams will play postseason hockey while the third dusts off the golf clubs and prepares for a summer vacation. Going into the final games, the Flyers are in ninth place in the NHL standings and out of the playoff structure.
The Red Wings go to Madison Square Garden Saturday to face the New York Rangers. If the Red Wings win in regulation or overtime, they would clinch third place in the Atlantic Division. However, if they lose the game or win in a shootout, the Bruins could earn that spot if they get an ROW victory at home over the Ottawa Senators.
Both the Bruins and Red Wings will play their games at 12:30 p.m. ET, so neither will have the advantage of knowing what the other did.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
NHL Playoff Standings 2016: Bracket Picture Before Final Regular-Season Games
April 9th, 2016 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
Advertisement