THE Stanley Cup playoffs are set to begin on Tuesday, April 30 after the lockout-shortened season and the postseason matchups are in order after the final game of the season on Sunday between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden that was a makeup for the game that was supposed to be played on the Monday of the Boston Marathon.
The New York Rangers clinched the playoffs after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes earlier in the week and despite getting off to a slow start this season, the Rangers clinched the sixth seed and a matchup with the Washington Capitals in the first round of the postseason. New York was in the eighth seed for most of the second half of the year, but after going 10-3-1 to finish the season, the team made it into the sixth seed after the Senators lost three of the past four games before playing Boston. The Western conference matchups are all set and the Blues won to give them the home advantage against the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, who are the fifth seed.
The Chicago Blackhawks got off to a historic start this season and clinched the number one seed against the Minnesota Wild in the eighth spot. The Wild are back in the playoffs for the first time in five years and battled with the detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets for the final two spots in the conference. The Blue Jackets were left out of the postseason, while the Red Wings made it into the seventh seed and a matchup with the Anaheim Ducks in the two spot. The Red Wings were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in two decades and the three-four matchup will be between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks. Last season the Blues and Kings went up against each other with LA coming out on top and the Blues would love to get some revenge.
Minnesota finished with the same amount of points as the Blue Jackets, but ended up with two more wins, giving them the eighth spot in the conference behind Detroit. The Red Wings kept their two decade long playoff streak alive and are the seventh seed behind San Jose after nearly missing out on the postseason. The Ducks were second in the conference with 66 points, while Vancouver came in on the third seed after winning the division. The East will likely go through the Penguins, while the Rangers have been the hottest team in the conference after winning 10 of its last 14 games.
