Atlantic Division NHL Playoff Picture: A Tight Race to the Finish

The NHL playoff races are intensifying as the regular season nears its end. In the Atlantic Division, while it`s widely anticipated that the top three teams will make the playoffs, their final ranking is still uncertain.

The stakes are high: the division winner will face a wild-card team in the first round, likely the Ottawa Senators. The second and third-place teams will compete against each other, with the second seed gaining home-ice advantage.

Currently, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the division with 92 points. The Florida Panthers are close behind with 91 points but have played one game less than the Tampa Bay Lightning, who also have 91 points.

Regulation wins are the primary tiebreaker. As it stands, the Lightning have a slight edge with 37 regulation wins, followed by the Leafs with 36 and the Panthers with 35.

Looking ahead, the Florida Panthers will play next against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue their road trip against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, and the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

The Panthers have key games remaining against the Leafs and Lightning in April. The Maple Leafs will also face the Lightning in their remaining schedule.

Analyzing the remaining strength of schedule, the Maple Leafs face the toughest opponents, while the Lightning have the easiest path. The Panthers` schedule difficulty falls in between.

Statistical projections favor the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the division with a 44.5% chance, followed by the Panthers at 33.9% and the Leafs at 21.6%.

Will these projections hold true? The final standings are yet to be decided as the season progresses.

With less than three weeks remaining until April 17th, the focus is on the playoff push and the NHL draft lottery for teams not in contention.

Current Playoff Matchups

A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Florida Panthers vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Sunday`s Games

Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers, 1 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals, 3 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets, 3 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Chicago Blackhawks, 4 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins, 5 p.m.
New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Anaheim Ducks, 8 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m.

Saturday`s Scoreboard

Philadelphia Flyers 7, Buffalo Sabres 4
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, New York Islanders 3
St. Louis Blues 2, Colorado Avalanche 1
New Jersey Devils 5, Minnesota Wild 2
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Nashville Predators 1
Ottawa Senators 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Los Angeles Kings 1
Detroit Red Wings 2, Boston Bruins 1
Edmonton Oilers 3, Calgary Flames 2 (OT)
New York Rangers 6, San Jose Sharks 1
Dallas Stars 5, Seattle Kraken 1

Expanded Standings

Atlantic Division

Metro Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Note: An `x` means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An `e` means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 Pick

The NHL Draft Lottery determines the first-round draft order, giving the last-place team a chance at the No. 1 pick but not guaranteeing it. A team can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery. Matthew Schaefer is currently ranked as the top prospect.