2024 NHL Playoffs: Bracket, standings, playoff picture ahead of regular-season finales

The Dallas Stars will try to wrap up the top record in the Western Conference on Wednesday.

All 16 spots in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs have been locked up. All that’s left to decide in the regular-season finales across Wednesday and Thursday are which Western Conference teams will play each other.

Ten total NHL games remain in the regular season, and the only first-round matchup set in the West is the Winnipeg Jets – who finished second in the Central Division – and the Colorado Avalanche – who finished third in the Central.

Division winners Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars are both still vying to clinch the top spot in the conference. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings can bump the Vegas Golden Knights out of the top three of the Pacific Division and into a wild-card spot with a win and Golden Knights loss Thursday.

From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.

Here’s how things stand in the NHL playoff picture as of Wednesday.

Who’s in 2024 NHL playoffs? Tracking standings, playoff bracket, tiebreakers, scenarios

NHL playoff standings

The top three teams in each division make the playoffs. The first- and second-best records in the conference outside of the top teams in each division earn a berth as a wild card team.

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

NHL news: Minnesota Wild sign goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to one-year extension

How does the NHL playoffs bracket work?

From NHL.com:

First Round:

• The division winner with the best record in each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record.
• The wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner.
• The teams finishing second and third in each division will meet within the bracket headed by their respective division winners.

NHL Eastern Conference bracket

Here’s how the first round of the playoffs would shake out in the East if the season ended after Tuesday.

• A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
• A2 Boston Bruins vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
• M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
• M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New York Islanders

NHL Western Conference bracket

Here’s how the matchups look with the current standings in the Western Conference.

• C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC2 Los Angeles Kings
• C2 Winnipeg Jets vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
• P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
• P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights

When do the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs start?

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs begins April 20. The Stanley Cup Final has a tentative start date of June 3, but that could be moved up depending on how quickly earlier rounds are decided.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 NHL Playoffs: Bracket, standings, playoff picture ahead of regular-season finales