NHL Playoff Picture 2015: Analyzing Postseason Races, Standings and Bracket

With only nine teams alive for a playoff spot in each of the NHL's two conferences, much of the postseason picture has been determined, but it looks as though nothing will be finalized until the final day of the 2014-15 campaign.

Not only can teams currently outside the playoffs potentially fight their way in, but there is also a possibility that the current seedings will be shaken up by the time the regular season ends as well. A lot can happen over the course of a couple games, and that is what makes the playoff race so exciting.

As the 2014-15 season reaches its latter stages, here is a rundown of the current standings as well as a look at what the first-round playoff matchups would be if the season ended today.

Current Playoff Standings

Place	Team	Division	Points	W	L	OT	Games Remaining
Atlantic Division
1	Montreal Canadiens	A	106	48	22	10	2
2	Tampa Bay Lightning	A	104	48	24	8	2
3	Detroit Red Wings	A	97	42	25	13	2
Metropolitan Division
1	New York Rangers	M	111	52	21	7	2
2	Washington Capitals	M	101	45	25	11	1
3	New York Islanders	M	98	46	28	6	2
Wild Card
1	Pittsburgh Penguins	M	96	42	26	12	2
2	Boston Bruins	A	95	41	26	13	2
In the Hunt
3	Ottawa Senators	A	95	41	26	13	2

Place	Team	Division	Points	W	L	OT	Games Remaining
Pacific Division
1	Anaheim Ducks	P	107	50	24	7	1
2	Vancouver Canucks	P	97	46	29	5	2
3	Calgary Flames	P	95	44	29	7	2
Central Division
1	St. Louis Blues	C	105	49	24	7	2
2	Nashville Predators	C	104	47	23	10	2
3	Chicago Blackhawks	C	102	48	26	6	2
Wild Card
1	Minnesota Wild	C	98	45	27	8	2
2	Winnipeg Jets	C	96	42	26	12	2
In the Hunt
3	Los Angeles Kings	P	93	39	26	15	2

Current Playoff Matchups

Series	Away Team	Home Team
W1 vs. A1	Pittsburgh Penguins	Montreal Canadiens
A3 vs. A2	Detroit Red Wings	Tampa Bay Lightning
W2 vs. M1	Boston Bruins	New York Rangers
M3 vs. M2	New York Islanders	Washington Capitals

Series	Away Team	Home Team
W1 vs. C1	Minnesota Wild	St. Louis Blues
C3 vs. C2	Chicago Blackhawks	Nashville Predators
W2 vs. P1	Winnipeg Jets	Anaheim Ducks
P3 vs. P2	Calgary Flames	Vancouver Canucks

Key Players to Watch in Playoffs

Alexander Ovechkin

The Washington Capitals have a reputation for falling flat when the games matter most, but this year's team has a different vibe under head coach Barry Trotz. One thing that is very much the same, however, is the play of superstar winger Alexander Ovechkin.

Ovi is in the midst of another spectacular season with 52 goals to his credit, which has put him in some elite company over the course of NHL history, according to Sportsnet Stats:

The electric sniper is already a three-time Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, and he has a legitimate chance to win that award for a fourth time, which would put him in an exclusive group with Eddie Shore, Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky.

The big question relates to whether the Caps can have playoff success, though. Their style hasn't always translated to postseason play, but that could very well change this year due to the coaching of Trotz and the overall talent and compete level of the team.

Per Chuck Gormley of CSNWashington.com, The Great Eight and the Capitals as a whole are singularly focused on hoisting the Stanley Cup:

If Washington is going to accomplish that lofty goal, then Ovechkin will need to carry his current level of play over into the playoffs.

That is a tall order, but there is no doubt that he has the ability to make it a reality.

Steven Stamkos

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

They may not be mentioned as Stanley Cup contenders as much as teams such as the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, but there is no reason why the Tampa Bay Lightning can't enter that conversation as well.

Tampa is an extremely young and dynamic team led by the scoring exploits of forward Steven Stamkos. The 25-year-old star is enjoying another excellent season with 42 goals, although he hasn't had to do it all on his own thanks to contributions from the likes of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat and Ryan Callahan.

When the games matter most, though, the Bolts need Stamkos to be at his best. He is one of the few players in the NHL who can strike from anywhere at any time, and that is what makes the Lightning so dangerous.

Stamkos hasn't been immune to struggles this season, however, as he recently suffered through a seven-game goal-scoring drought, but he was able to maintain a positive attitude, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times:

Things won't always go perfectly for Stamkos and the Bolts during the playoffs, so having a similar outlook could go a long way toward helping the team have success.

Scoring in the playoffs can be a difficult thing due to the tight-checking nature of the game, but Stamkos doesn't need much room to make something happen, and that will make him extremely dangerous during the postseason.

John Tavares

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The New York Islanders have been among the NHL's most pleasant surprises this season, but if they are going to have any type of success in the playoffs, then they need superstar center John Tavares to play at an elite level.

With 36 goals and a career-high 83 points on the season, Tavares has done precisely that. The Isles have been struggling to some degree compared to their early-season output, though, which means there isn't a ton of optimism regarding their ability to make a deep run.

New York does possess more offensive firepower than most other teams in the Eastern Conference, but that doesn't always manifest itself in the playoffs. The Islanders could also be hurt by their penchant for defensive lapses at times.

As pointed out by Daniel Friedman of WFAN, the Isles and Tavares specifically tend to shine brightest when they don't try to do too much:

Razzle-dazzle usually doesn't get teams too far in the postseason, which is why New York must focus on solid, fundamentally sound play.

That starts with Tavares, and if he is able to demonstrate that style, then it is quite likely that the rest of the team will follow.

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