Stanley Cup Playoffs: Atlantic Division Will Steal the Show in the East

The Atlantic Division is the strongest division in the NHL this season, and it will have four representatives in the playoffs. The top three seeds in each conference go to the winners of each division, so the Atlantic division will most likely take the first, fourth, fifth and sixth seeds in the East.

The way the seeding is determined for the playoffs is fair because there should be some reward for winning a division. The problem is that the dominant teams of the Atlantic Division are seeded in order to take each other out.

While it does seem unfair that teams with higher points totals would have to start the playoffs as lower seeds, the seeding will create matchups in the playoffs well worth watching.

It's almost a sure bet that the Atlantic Division will take the fourth and fifth seeds, so that would be the only Atlantic Division matchup in the first round. Fourth and fifth-seeded matchups are usually tight contests, and with two divisional rivals like the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers, this series would be a must-watch.

The Devils are a strong team. The team hit some rough patches early on, but would be a hard matchup for any team in the playoffs. The Devils' points total will most likely keep them as the fourth team in the Atlantic Division and the seventh seed in the playoffs.

If the Devils get past the first round and the lower seeds lose, there is a good chance that the Devils would face the top-seeded team in the East. If the current seeding holds up, the Devils will be playing their neighbor, the New York Rangers. The Ranger and Devils have the classic New York/New Jersey rivalry which would make another great series that all hockey fans would watch.

With four teams representing the division in the playoffs, it is very likely that the Eastern Conference Finals will have two Atlantic Division rivals facing off.

Regardless of which teams make it, if the conference finals have two Atlantic Division rivals, the series will be a classic. It will have all the excitement and passion of the conference finals, along with the added intensity of a divisional rivalry.

The seeds are not finalized, and they can still change by the time the season ends. Regardless of how the matchups turn out, the teams from the Atlantic Division will be a must-watch in the playoffs.