NHL Playoff Picture 2019: Current Matchups, Standings and Seeds
![](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MDA3Mzc0NDIyMjIyMjA4/nhl-playoffs-matchups-standings-seedsjpg.jpg)
The NHL regular season ends on Saturday, April 6 and the Stanley Cup playoffs will start just a few days later.
An official playoff schedule has yet to be released, but the postseason typically runs from early April to mid-June.
Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences will advance to the playoffs to make up the 16-team field.
The top three teams in each division automatically earn a playoff berth, and the other two receive wild card bids. After three rounds of conference play, the final two teams remaining will face off in the Stanley Cup final.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets have all clinched a playoff spots.
Here are the current projected playoff matchups (last updated on Saturday, April 6):
Eastern Conference:
• Tampa Bay Lightning* (62-16-4, 128 points) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets* (47-31-4, 98 points)
• Boston Bruins* (49-24-9, 107 points) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs* (46-28-8, 100 points)
• Washington Capitals* (48-26-8, 104 points) vs. Carolina Hurricanes* (46-29-7, 99 points)
• New York Islanders* (48-27-7, 103 points ) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins* (44-26-12, 100 points)
Eliminated: New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens
Western Conference:
• Calgary Flames* (50-25-7, 107 points) vs. Colorado Avalanche* (38-30-14, 90 points)
• San Jose Sharks* (46-27-9, 101 points) vs. Vegas Golden Knights* (43-32-7, 93 points)
• Winnipeg Jets* (47-30-5, 99 points) vs. St. Louis Blues* (45-28-9, 99 points)
• Nashville Predators* (47-29-6, 100 points) vs. Dallas Stars* (43-32-7, 93 points)
Eliminated: L.A. Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes
* indicates teams that have clinched a playoff spot