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NHL playoff watch standings update: Southern-fried contender clash between Florida Panthers, Nash...

ByTim Kavanagh ESPN logo

Saturday, April 9, 2022

Three weeks from Saturday, all eight first-round matchups in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be set.

At this point, the Florida Panthers have clinched a spot (and are on their way to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference), while the Nashville Predators are in possession of the first Western Conference wild-card spot. So in theory, the game Saturday night between the two clubs is a potential Stanley Cup Final preview. How likely would this matchup be? Well, thanks to FiveThirtyEight, we have some projections: The Panthers have a 24% shot at reaching the Cup Final, while the Preds' Cup Final chances are 6%.

Whether they play in June or not, there is the Saturday matchup to ponder. The two teams met once previously this season, a 6-4 win for the Predatorsin Sunrise, with Mikael Granlund scoring the game-winner with 5:31 remaining in the third period. Will we get that much offense and that close of a game Saturday evening in Smashville? We'll be keeping an eye on this one.

As we enter the final stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, it's time to check in on all the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2022 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta of the NHL.

Jump ahead:br/>Current playoff matchupsbr/>Today's gamesbr/>Last night's scoresbr/>Expanded standingsbr/>Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals

>A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Boston Bruins

>M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning

>M2 New York Rangers vs. M3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Dallas Stars

>C2 St. Louis Blues vs. C3 Minnesota Wild

>P1 Calgary Flames vs. WC1 Nashville Predators

>P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Today's games

Note: All times Eastern. All out-of-market, non-NHL Network games available on ESPN+

New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars, 2 p.m.

>Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins, 3 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+)

>Florida Panthers at Nashville Predators, 6 p.m.

>Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.

>Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m.

>Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.(NHLN)

>Calgary Flames at Seattle Kraken, 7 p.m.

>Anaheim Ducks at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m.

>New York Islanders at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.

>Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.

>San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.

>Arizona Coyotes at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.

Last night's scoreboard

Watch In the Crease on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.

Boston Bruins 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 1 (OT)

>Florida Panthers 4, Buffalo Sabres 3

>New York Islanders 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1

>St. Louis Blues 4, Minnesota Wild 3 (OT)

>Colorado Avalanche 5, Winnipeg Jets 4 (OT)

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

x - Florida Panthers

Points: 106

>Regulation wins: 37

>Playoff position: A1

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ NSH (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 100%

>Tragic number: N/A

Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 98

>Regulation wins: 39

>Playoff position: A2

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. MTL (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Boston Bruins

Points: 95

>Regulation wins: 35

>Playoff position: A3

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ WSH (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 94

>Regulation wins: 32

>Playoff position: WC1

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. BUF (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 65

>Regulation wins: 17

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. CBJ (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 1

e - Buffalo Sabres

Points: 63

>Regulation wins: 20

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 9

>Next game: @ TB (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

e - Ottawa Senators

Points: 58

>Regulation wins: 22

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 12

>Next game: @ NYR (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

e - Montreal Canadiens

Points: 51

>Regulation wins: 14

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ TOR (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

Metropolitan Division

x - Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 100

>Regulation wins: 40

>Playoff position: M1

>Games left: 10

>Next game: vs. ANA (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

New York Rangers

Points: 98

>Regulation wins: 38

>Playoff position: M2

>Games left: 10

>Next game: vs. OTT (Saturday)

strong>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 92

>Regulation wins: 33

>Playoff position: M3

>Games left: 10

>Next game: vs. WSH (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Washington Capitals

Points: 86

>Regulation wins: 29

>Playoff position: WC2

>Games left: 12

>Next game: @ PIT (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 98%

>Tragic number: N/A

New York Islanders

Points: 75

>Regulation wins: 31

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 12

>Next game: @ NSH (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 2%

>Tragic number: 13

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 72

>Regulation wins: 23

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 10

>Next game: @ DET (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 6

e - Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 57

>Regulation wins: 18

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. ANA (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

e - New Jersey Devils

Points: 54

>Regulation wins: 16

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ DAL (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

Central Division

x - Colorado Avalanche

Points: 108

>Regulation wins: 42

>Playoff position: C1

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ EDM (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 100%

>Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 92

>Regulation wins: 37

>Playoff position: C2

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. NYI (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 92

>Regulation wins: 31

>Playoff position: C3

>Games left: 12

>Next game: vs. LA (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Nashville Predators

Points: 86

>Regulation wins: 34

>Playoff position: WC1

>Games left: 12

>Next game: vs. FLA (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 97%

>Tragic number: N/A

Dallas Stars

Points: 84

>Regulation wins: 26

>Playoff position: WC2

>Games left: 12

>Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 88%

>Tragic number: N/A

Winnipeg Jets

Points: 77

>Regulation wins: 26

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 10

>Next game: @ OTT (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 13

e - Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 59

>Regulation wins: 15

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. DAL (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

e - Arizona Coyotes

Points: 49

>Regulation wins: 16

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ VGK (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Calgary Flames

Points: 95

>Regulation wins: 38

>Playoff position: P1

>Games left: 11

>Next game: @ SEA (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 89

>Regulation wins: 33

>Playoff position: P2

>Games left: 10

>Next game: vs. COL (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 97%

>Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 86

>Regulation wins: 29

>Playoff position: P3

>Games left: 9

>Next game: @ MIN (Sunday)

>Playoff chances: 70%

>Tragic number: N/A

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 82

>Regulation wins: 31

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 10

>Next game: vs. ARI (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 43%

>Tragic number: 18

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 78

>Regulation wins: 27

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 10

>Next game: vs. SJ (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 6%

>Tragic number: 14

Anaheim Ducks

Points: 68

>Regulation wins: 19

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 10

>Next game: @ PHI (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 4

San Jose Sharks

Points: 67

>Regulation wins: 20

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 12

>Next game: @ VAN (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 7

e - Seattle Kraken

Points: 52

>Regulation wins: 20

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 11

>Next game: vs. CGY (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: 0%

>Tragic number: E

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order at the top of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here.