The weather is getting warmer, and that means the action on the ice is heating up as well.
The NHL regular season is in its final stretch, with the start of the playoffs coming up this weekend. While the postseason picture is beginning to take shape for the top contenders, there are a plethora of teams looking to make a late push for the final spots.
There is just one spot available in the playoffs. The Western Conference field is set, but there is one more opening in the Eastern Conference, and four teams remain in the hunt for it.
In addition, only two playoff matchups are locked in. The Jets and Avalanche are guaranteed to meet in the first round for the Western Conference, while in the East, it will be the Hurricanes and the Islanders in a rematch of last year’s first-round series.
MORE: Panthers top latest 2024 Stanley Cup odds
The race to the postseason is shaping up to be an exciting one. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
NHL playoff bracket, matchups 2024
Here’s what the Eastern Conference and Western Conference playoff matchups look like through April 15.
Bolded matchups mean locked in for playoffs
Eastern Conference
(A1) Panthers vs. (WC1) Lightning
(A2) Bruins vs. (A3) Maple Leafs
(M1) Rangers vs. (WC2) Capitals
(M2) Hurricanes vs. (M3) Islanders
Western Conference
(C1) Stars vs. (WC2) Kings
(C2) Jets vs. (C3) Avalanche
(P1) Canucks vs. (WC1) Predators
(P2) Oilers vs. (P3) Golden Knights
NHL standings 2023
Eastern Conference
(As of games concluded on April 15)
Atlantic Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Y – Panthers | 82 | 52-24-6 | 110 |
| 2. | X – Bruins | 82 | 47-20-15 | 109 |
| 3. | X – Maple Leafs | 81 | 46-25-10 | 102 |
Metropolitan Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | * – Rangers | 82 | 55-23-4 | 114 |
| 2. | X – Hurricanes | 82 | 52-23-7 | 111 |
| 3. | Islanders | 81 | 38-27-16 | 92 |
Wild Card
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | X – Lightning | 81 | 44-29-8 | 96 |
| 2. | X – Capitals | 82 | 40-31-11 | 91 |
| — | E – Red Wings | 82 | 41-32-9 | 91 |
| — | E- Penguins | 81 | 38-31-12 | 88 |
| — | E – Flyers | 82 | 38-33-11 | 87 |
| — | E – Sabres | 82 | 39-37-6 | 84 |
| — | E – Devils | 82 | 38-39-5 | 81 |
| — | E – Senators | 82 | 37-41-4 | 78 |
| — | E – Canadiens | 82 | 30-36-16 | 76 |
| — | E – Blue Jackets | 82 | 27-43-12 | 66 |
* = clinched Presidents’ Trophy
Y = clinched division
X = clinched playoff berth
E = eliminated from playoffs
Western Conference
(As of games concluded on April 14)
Central Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Y – Stars | 81 | 51-21-9 | 111 |
| 2. | X – Jets | 81 | 51-24-6 | 108 |
| 3. | X – Avalanche | 81 | 49-25-7 | 105 |
Pacific Division
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Y – Canucks | 81 | 50-22-9 | 109 |
| 2. | X – Oilers | 80 | 49-25-6 | 104 |
| 3. | X – Golden Knights | 81 | 45-28-8 | 98 |
Wild Card
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | X – Predators | 82 | 47-30-5 | 99 |
| 2. | X – Kings | 81 | 43-27-11 | 97 |
| — | E – Blues | 81 | 43-33-5 | 91 |
| — | E – Wild | 81 | 39-32-10 | 87 |
| — | E – Flames | 81 | 37-39-5 | 79 |
| — | E – Kraken | 81 | 33-35-13 | 79 |
| — | E – Coyotes | 81 | 35-41-5 | 75 |
| — | E – Ducks | 81 | 26-50-5 | 57 |
| — | E – Blackhawks | 81 | 23-53-5 | 51 |
| — | E – Sharks | 81 | 19-53-9 | 47 |
Z = clinched best record in conference
Y = clinched division
X = clinched playoff berth
E = eliminated from playoffs
When do the NHL playoffs start?
- NHL Playoffs: Saturday, April 20
The 2023-24 NHL regular season will end Thursday, April 18.
The first round of the NHL playoffs is expected to start Saturday, April 20. It was originally expected to start on Monday, April 22, but the league moved the date up two days.
How will the 2024 NHL playoffs work?
There are four rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs — the first round, the second round, the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the first round, the top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team. The other division winner takes on the other wild-card team. In the rest of the first-round series, the No. 2 team from each division plays the No. 3 team from the same division.
After that, the teams do not get reseeded in the second round. Rather, the winner of the series between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for a division plays the winner of the series between their division winner and the wild card team.
For example, if the Bruins finished first in the Atlantic and won their first-round matchup, they would play the winner of the series between the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the Atlantic.
After the second round, the last two teams in each conference square off in the conference finals. The Eastern and Western Conference winners then fight for the Stanley Cup in the finals.
Each series features a best-of-seven format played in a 2–2–1–1–1 style.
In terms of home-ice advantage, that means the team with the better record plays Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 at its home arena, while its opponent hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. Only the first four games in the series are guaranteed, with Games 5, 6 and 7 only played if necessary.