NHL Playoff Picture 2019: Latest Conference Standings, Seeds and Predictions

Two of the 16 NHL playoff berths have already been handed out, and more are expected to be dished out in the coming days.

As they have all season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are running away with the Presidents' Trophy race, sitting 19 points ahead of their closest competition. 

Calgary earned the first playoff spot in the Western Conference, and it will be followed soon by San Jose, who is one point back in the Pacific Division.

The most contentious battles will come at the wild-card spots, with a wide array of franchises still alive in both conferences.

NHL Playoff Standings

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay - 114 points

2. Boston - 95

3. Toronto - 91

Metropolitan Division

1. New York Islanders - 91

2. Washington - 91

3. Pittsburgh - 88 

Wild-Card Race

1. Carolina - 85

2. Columbus - 84

3. Montreal - 81

4. Philadelphia - 78

5. Florida - 76

6. Buffalo - 71 

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Winnipeg - 88 

2. Nashville - 87

3. St. Louis - 82

Pacific Division

1. Calgary - 95

2. San Jose - 94

3. Vegas - 85 

Wild-Card Race

1. Dallas - 80 

2. Arizona - 78 

3. Minnesota - 77 

4. Colorado - 74

5. Chicago - 73

6. Edmonton - 71 

7. Vancouver - 70

8. Anaheim - 69 

Predictions

Carolina Takes 3rd In Metropolitan With Long Homestand

Carolina finds itself in a great position to move from the first wild-card spot into third place in the Metropolitan Division in the next week. 

The Hurricanes can immediately pick up ground on the Pittsburgh Penguins in their head-to-head showdown Tuesday. 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

After that, the Hurricanes welcome Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Montreal to PNC Arena during their four-game homestand. 

In fact, Carolina plays six of its next seven games at home, which is a boost for a team that is 19-11-4 in its own building. 

During the same time Carolina enjoys the spoils of its home arena, Pittsburgh has to go on a four-game road trip that also includes stops at Nashville, Dallas and New York. 

If the Hurricanes take advantage of the next few weeks, like they should, they'll give themselves a strong chance of avoiding the chaos of the wild-card race during the last week of the regular season. 

West Wild-Card Race Comes Down to 3 Teams 

We should receive more clarity in the Western Conference wild-card race over the next seven days.

At the moment, seven teams are within 10 points of each other, with Dallas and Arizona on top. 

A gap between the top three teams in the wild-card race and the other contenders is already starting to appear, and it will get larger come Tuesday when Minnesota welcomes Colorado at home. 

Paul Battaglia/Associated Press

By beating the Avalanche, the Wild open up a five-point gap in the standings that will be hard to overcome with so few regular-season games remaining. 

Dallas can strike a further divide in the wild-card standings by knocking off the Avalanche Thursday at home. 

The victories over the next week by Dallas, Arizona and Minnesota will set up an epic race to the finish line that could conclude with the winner of the Stars-Wild regular-season finale getting the last playoff spot. 

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