Around the NHL: Playoff Picture Taking Shape

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

With one week left in the regular season, the Stanley Cup Playoff picture is starting to take shape with more and more teams clinching their spots by the day.

As the season hits the final week, let's go around the NHL and see what has been happening of late.

Vegas, Washington Clinch Division Titles

So far, only two teams can claim to locking up a division title and one of the top two spots in their conference for the playoffs.

The tremendous story of the Vegas Golden Knights continued on Saturday when they clinched the Pacific Division in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks in their final home game of the regular season.

The win was capped off by what may be the goal of the year in the NHL. William Karlsson scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period on a shorthanded breakaway, going between his legs and lifting a shot over Martin Jones.

Vegas did get company on Sunday when the Washington Capitals clinched the Metropolitan Division with a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The game held extra special meaning to Alex Ovechkin. It was the 1,000th NHL game for the Washington captain, all coming with the Capitals of course. 

Nashville Nearing President's Trophy

The reigning Western Conference champions have been on a roll all season and that has them nearing a President's Trophy title. The Nashville Predators scored their 51st win of the season on Sunday night, bringing them to 113 points in the standings with three games remaining.

By virtue of Boston's loss in overtime to the Flyers on Sunday afternoon as well as getting win No. 51 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Predators have a six-point margin over all teams in the West and now a three-point margin on the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins.

On the Bubble

The Eastern Conference playoff picture received more clarity on Sunday when virtually every team fighting for a playoff spot won. The Flyers overtime win against Boston and the Devils win in regulation in Montreal widened the gap back to Florida, the only team outside the playoff picture that is still mathematically alive.

Florida's tragic number is down to four — the Flyers clinch with three points, the Devils clinch with four — so it seems the frantic push down the stretch by the Panthers is running out of gas.

The Atlantic Division playoff spots are all virtually locked up as well. Boston has a magic number of five to clinch the division. That would put the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs.

The rest of the Eastern Conference will still be jostling for position to the very end of the regular season to set the other three first-round matchups.

Only Columbus, Philadelphia and New Jersey have yet to clinch playoff spots in the East.

In the West, it's very much the same scenario, only much closer.

As mentioned earlier, Vegas has already clinched the Pacific Division. San Jose and Anaheim currently hold second and third in the Pacific with the Los Angeles Kings just one point behind Anaheim for third in the first wildcard position.

Nashville's magic number to clinch the Central Division is at one, so they will go on to hold the top spot in that division with Winnipeg comfortably holding onto second. The Minnesota Wild are third with 96 points.

Colorado is three points behind that in the second wildcard spot and they hold just a one point lead on the St. Louis Blues, the only team outside the West playoff picture still mathematically alive in the race.

The Blues have a tragic number of eight, so this race is far from over with four games remaining for St. Louis and Minnesota and three remaining for Colorado, Los Angeles and Anaheim.

The West is a little more wide open for now. Minnesota, San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Colorado are currently holding playoff spots and have not clinched, but only one team could take the spot away, so it is six teams battling for five available spots.