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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Fans would love to see a change in the format of the NHL playoffs, but there has been some significant pushback.<\/p>\n
The NHL<\/a> playoff picture is finally moving from mathematically possible to officially locked in. Meanwhile, several teams are still scratching and clawing for those final wild-card spots. The top of the bracket is starting to take shape<\/a>. This gives fans a first look at the playoff matchups coming in less than two weeks.<\/p>\n The Central Division Lockdown<\/p>\n The biggest news out of the Western Conference is that we officially have our first confirmed playoff series. The Dallas Stars<\/a> and Minnesota Wild<\/a> are set to face off in the first round<\/a>. Additionally, the Colorado Avalanche<\/a> are continuing their dominant run and have clinched both the Central Division and Western Conference titles<\/a>. As a result, the Stars and Wild are locked into the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds.<\/p>\n This is a great matchup for fans of physical, defensive hockey. Dallas has relied on its veteran poise and depth all year, while Minnesota has ridden a massive second-half surge behind a Hart Trophy-caliber season from Kirill Kaprizov. The only thing left to decide is who gets home-ice advantage, as the two teams are separated by just two points with only a few games remaining.<\/p>\n Chaos in the Atlantic and Metropolitan<\/p>\n While the Central is settling, the Atlantic Division is still wide open. The Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a>, Buffalo Sabres<\/a>, and Montreal Canadiens<\/a> are all currently sitting at 102 points. Buffalo\u2019s 4-2 win over Tampa on Monday officially ended their 15-year playoff drought<\/a>. In addition, it put them in a position to potentially take the division.<\/p>\n In the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> have also clinched the title. They needed just one point against the Boston Bruins<\/a> last night to secure the top seed. Behind them, the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> and Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> are on track for a \u201cBattle of Pennsylvania\u201d first-round series. This would be the first time the two rivals have met in the postseason since 2018.<\/p>\n The Wild Card Scramble<\/p>\n The race for the final spots is where things get interesting. In the East, the Ottawa Senators<\/a> hold a slim lead for the second wild-card spot. However, the Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a>, Detroit Red Wings<\/a> and Washington Capitals<\/a> are still within reach.<\/p>\n In the West, the Utah Mammoth<\/a> have all but secured the first wild-card spot in their second season, which is a pretty big deal for the league\u2019s newest market. The final spot is still up for grabs between the Los Angeles Kings<\/a> and the Nashville Predators<\/a>, who are separated by a single point.<\/p>\n With teams having just five or fewer games remaining in their respective seasons. This weekend coming up will go a long way in determining where teams will place<\/a> and who they will face in the first round.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSpencer Lazary<\/a> Spencer Lazary is a contributor at Heavy.com and has five years of experience covering the NHL. Before contributing to Heavy, he has written for publications like, Fansided, NHL Trade Talk\u00a0and The Hockey News. He also currently writes for The Hockey Writers alongside his Heavy coverage.
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