NHL Playoff Picture 2018: Latest Standings and Odds for Stanley Cup

The NHL playoff races took yet another turn Thursday, as first place in the Atlantic Division changed hands and a few teams moved up in the wild-card competitions.

As the weekend begins, four teams from the Metropolitan Division are fighting for the two spots beneath Washington, as well as the pair of Eastern Conference wild-card positions.

Over in the Western Conference, the free-for-all that is the wild-card race could shift again Friday, as two massive clashes take place in Pacific Division arenas.

Below is an updated look at the standings after Thursday ahead of what should be another frenetic weekend.

Standings

Eastern Conference

Metropolitan Division:

1*. Washington: 99 points

2. Pittsburgh: 94

3. Columbus: 93

Atlantic Division:

1*. Boston: 106

2*. Tampa Bay: 105

3*. Toronto: 99

Wild-Card Race:

1. Philadelphia: 92

2. New Jersey: 89

3. Florida: 86

4. Carolina: 79

Western Conference

Central Division:

1*. Nashville: 111

2*. Winnipeg: 104

3. Minnesota: 96

Pacific Division:

1*. Vegas: 103

2. San Jose: 98

3. Los Angeles: 93

Wild-Card Race:

1. St. Louis: 91

2. Anaheim: 91

3. Colorado: 90

4. Dallas: 86

*clinched playoff berth

Stanley Cup Odds

Odds via OddsShark

Tampa Bay (+600; bet $100 to win $600) 

Vegas (+600) 

Nashville (+700)

Pittsburgh (+700) 

Boston (+800)

Winnipeg (+1100) 

Toronto (+1100)

Washington (+1400)

Anaheim (+1800)

Dallas (+2200)

St. Louis (+2500)

Minnesota (+2800)

San Jose (+2800)

Philadelphia (+2800)

Calgary (+3300)

Los Angeles (+3300)

New Jersey (+4000)

Columbus (+5000)

Colorado (+6600)

Carolina (+7500)

Florida (+7500)

Bruins on Inside Track to Earn No. 1 Seed in East

The Boston Bruins took control of the Atlantic Division and the No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference Thursday, as they knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2.

The contest ended with a Brad Marchand empty-net goal, which featured an "It's over" remark from the Bruins forward, per WEEI's Ty Anderson:

Tim Schaller and David Pastrnak got the Bruins off to a fast start with a goal each in the first period, while Patrice Bergeron and Marchand found the back of the net in the third period.

What makes Boston such a dangerous team is its well-rounded attack that features 10 double-digit goal scorers, with Marchand and Pastrnak atop the chart with 34 and 32 tallies, respectively.

Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy noted the attacking depth as a factor that makes his team so strong, per NBC Sports Boston's Joe Haggerty:

In addition to the wide array of scorers, Boston has 13 players with 10 or more assists, including nine with 20 or more helpers.

Marchand, Pastrnak and Bergeron are the stars of the franchise, while Danton Heinen, Riley Nash and Jake DeBrusk are among the players adding depth to one of the most dangerous lineups in the league.

The Bruins also possess a strong netminder in Tuukka Rask, who has a goals-against average of 2.31 from 49 games.

While Thursday's win was massive to get them over the Lightning, the Bruins still have work to do in order to secure the top spot in the East.

After hosting the Florida Panthers Saturday, the Bruins visit Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Florida in a five-day span, a trip that serves as preparation for the rigors of the postseason.

Tampa Bay already has Tuesday's clash at Amalie Arena circled, but if the Bruins come out on top, they should be safe atop the Atlantic.

Pair of Massive Clashes Await Friday in Western Conference

Another shakeup in the Western Conference standings is expected Friday, as two critical games take place in Anaheim and Las Vegas.

The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks square off in a clash that has Pacific Division and wild-card implications.

Over in Vegas, the Golden Knights attempt to open up their gap at the top of the Pacific over San Jose, while the St. Louis Blues try to steal a point on the road in the tight wild-card race.

In the California showdown at Honda Center, a win by the Kings would give them a five-point advantage over the Ducks with two weeks left in the regular season.

Harry How/Getty Images

Conversely, an Anaheim victory throws another wrench into the chaotic West playoff race in which no one knows who is going to qualify for the pair of wild-card positions.

Anaheim boasts a strong home record of 22-10-5, but the Kings are one of the NHL's top road teams at 22-14-4.

Vegas defended its home fortress well throughout the regular season, but one of its toughest tests comes in the form of the on-fire Blues.

St. Louis storms into Nevada on a six-game winning streak that's put it on top of the wild-card race with 91 points.

Goalie Jake Allen is one of the reasons why the Blues have been so successful of late, as he's stopped all but one of the 42 shots faced in the third period and overtime, per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic St. Louis:

Allen's performance down the stretch is huge for the Blues, who have conceded 198 goals, since goals against is one of the tiebreakers used if teams are tied on points, wins and a few other stat categories.

Winning in Vegas is vital for the Blues in order to keep their momentum up heading into a Saturday trip to Arizona before returning home for two games against Washington and Chicago.

If they keep their winning streak through the next four games, the showdown on the final day of the regular season with Colorado might not mean much.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NHL.com.