NHL field set, seeding tight

All 16 National Hockey League playoff spots were locked up Monday night, but the bracket is still moving with two days left in the regular season. (nhl.com) (usatoday.com) Carolina entered Tuesday with 110 points and could secure the Eastern Conference’s top seed with at least one point against Philadelphia on Monday, or if Chicago beat Buffalo in any fashion. Buffalo led the Atlantic Division with 106 points, while Tampa Bay and Montreal were tied at 104. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) In the Metropolitan Division, Pittsburgh had 98 points and Philadelphia had 94 after 80 games, with Washington at 91 and Columbus at 92 still chasing position before the schedule ends Thursday, April 16. In the West, Colorado had already clinched the Presidents’ Trophy with 115 points, while Dallas had 108 and Minnesota 102 in the Central Division. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The National Hockey League playoff format sends the top three teams from each division to the postseason, then adds two wild cards in each conference. Those seeds matter because the division winner with the better record draws the lower wild card, and home ice follows the standings. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) If teams finish tied on points, the league breaks the tie first with regulation wins, then regulation-and-overtime wins, then total wins, then head-to-head points. That keeps late-season games meaningful even after a team has already clinched a berth. (nhl.com) (usatoday.com) Philadelphia’s spot was one of the last to come into focus. NHL.com said before Monday’s games that a Flyers win over Carolina would clinch both a playoff berth and a first-round series against Pittsburgh, ending a five-season postseason drought. (nhl.com) Anaheim and Los Angeles were also part of Monday’s final push in the Western Conference, with the Ducks idle at 89 points and the Kings at 87 before late games settled the field. USA Today reported that the last three berths were clinched Monday, filling out the 16-team bracket. (nhl.com) (usatoday.com) The regular season ends Thursday, April 16, and the playoffs are scheduled to open Saturday, April 18. By then, the field will be set on paper too, not just in number. (nhl.com)