What a thrill ride for hockey fans this year. Not only are there going to be some classic matchups in this years quest for Lord Stanley (Montreal vs. Boston for one) but it took all 82 games of the regular season to determine who plays who.
The schedule is as follows:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins (starts Thursday)
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators (Wednesday)
Philadelphia Flyers vs Washington Capitals (Friday)
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers (Wednesday)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit Red Wings vs Nashville Predators (Thursday)
Calgary Flames vs San Jose Sharks (Wednesday)
Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche (Wednesday)
Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars (Thursday)

I predict the Montreal Canadiens will win the Northeast Division.

Oh, wait, that already happened. Montreal blanked the Ottawa Senators 3-0 on Tuesday to clinch the division title. The Central (Detroit Red Wings) and Pacific (San Jose Sharks) have also been decided. The Pittsburgh Penguins have all but wrapped up the Atlantic.

The drama is concentrated in the Southeast, where the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Tuesday to tie Carolina for first at 90 points with two games remaining. The Hurricanes have the tiebreaker, leaving Washington in ninth place in the East, one point out of a playoff spot. It could be either feast or famine for both these clubs.

Strength of schedule won’t matter, since each team is playing the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers at home to finish the season. It’s only two games, so Carolina has to be the smart choice to win the division just because of the tiebreaker.