NHL Playoff Picture 2019: Breaking Down Standings and Current Postseason Bracket

There won't be a lack of drama during the final week of the NHL regular season. 

Five postseason berths are still up for grabs, including the two wild-card spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences. 

Home-ice advantage in the Central and Metropolitan Divisions has yet to awarded, and there's an outside chance one of the top wild-card teams makes a push to finish third in their respective divisions.

One of the few certainties regarding the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs is Tampa Bay and Calgary have locked up home ice in their respective conferences as the No. 1 overall seeds. 

NHL Eastern Conference Standings

Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay: 122 points

2. Boston: 103

3. Toronto: 97

Metropolitan Division

1. Washington: 102

2. New York Islanders: 99

3. Pittsburgh: 97

Wild-Card Race

1. Columbus: 94

2. Carolina: 93

3. Montreal: 92

Let's start with the simple part of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Tampa Bay is the No. 1 overall seed. Boston is likely to be the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Division, and it's in line to face Toronto in the first round. 

The races for the top three spots in the Metropolitan Division and the two wild-card spots are more complicated and could come down to the final day of the regular season. 

Alexander Ovechkin and the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals can secure the top spot in the Metropolitan with wins over Florida and Montreal, which would take the pressure off Saturday's clash with the New York Islanders. 

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Islanders will likely need to beat the Capitals Saturday in order to fend off Pittsburgh for the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan. 

Pittsburgh has one of the easiest schedules of the week, as it plays Detroit twice and closes the regular season against the New York Rangers. 

If the Islanders drop points to Toronto, Florida or Washington, the Penguins could slide in and take second place in the Metropolitan. 

The most drama in the Eastern Conference will come from the wild-card race, as Columbus, Carolina and Montreal are separated by two points. 

Columbus should face a challenge from Boston Tuesday, but it closes against the Rangers and Ottawa, while Carolina finishes the regular season against eliminated sides New Jersey and Philadelphia. 

The relatively easy schedules of the Blue Jackets and Hurricanes combined with the deficit it faces could doom Montreal, who faces a brutal final week with games vs. Tampa Bay, Washington and Toronto.

Even if one of their three opponents decides to rest players, the Canadiens might have a hard time picking up six points and gaining ground on Columbus and Carolina. 

NHL Western Conference Standings

Central Division 

1. Winnipeg: 94

2. Nashville: 94

3. St. Louis: 92

Pacific Division

1. Calgary: 105

2. San Jose: 97

3. Vegas: 91

Wild-Card Race

1. Dallas: 89

2. Colorado: 85

3. Arizona: 84

4. Minnesota: 81

5. Chicago: 79

Just like the Atlantic Division in the East, the Pacific Division playoff lineup is close to being set, with Calgary earning the top seed and San Jose set to face off with Vegas in the first round. 

That means all of the attention in the West will be centered on seeding in the Central Division and the wild-card hunt. 

Entering Monday, Winnipeg looks like the favorite for the No. 1 seed in the Central, as Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Co. hold a game in hand on second-place Nashville. 

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

But in order to clinch home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the postseason, the Jets have to win four games on the road in six days. 

The Jets will also play a role in deciding the wild-card teams, as they visit Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado. 

Compared to Winnipeg, Nashville has an easy finish with a road trip to Buffalo Tuesday and home games against Vancouver and Chicago Thursday and Saturday. 

St. Louis could even jump into the mix for the top spot in the Central because it has a game in hand on Nashville and plays three of its final four games at home. 

The Blues are expected to receive a stiff challenge from Colorado Monday as the Avalanche look to stay in the second wild-card spot, but that is St. Louis' lone game against a playoff foe this week.

Barring a collapse in its final three games, Dallas should secure the top wild-card position and land a matchup with the Central Division champion.

That means the second wild-card spot is likely down to Colorado and Arizona, but neither team faces an easy finish, while the same can be said for Minnesota, who needs plenty of help to make up a four-point deficit in the final three games.

The Avalanche have a game in hand and a one-point advantage over the Coyotes, but with St. Louis, Winnipeg and San Jose still on their schedule, the Avalanche are far from a lock for the second wild-card spot. 

Arizona finishes the regular season with Los Angeles, Vegas and Winnipeg, and although it only has to make up a one-point difference in the standings, there's no guarantee it will with the Golden Knights and Jets on tap to close the week. 

Minnesota still holds an outside chance of earning the second wild-card spot, but it needs Colorado and Arizona to lose out and it needs to beat Winnipeg, Boston and Dallas, which is one of the toughest tasks imaginable. 

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