Serious calculations are on. How many wins are needed? How many points will clinch the playoff berth? Yes, it’s that time of the NHL season. When basic addition skills become as relevant as in-game tactics. And with only a week away from the first playoff match, we can already see the postseason bracket taking shape. In the quest for the 2025 Stanley Cup, 16 teams are supposed to progress from the regular season to the playoff stage, after which it’s successive 4 rounds of best-of-seven series till 1 team wins the final. But how many so far have secured their place for the playoffs? Let’s have a look.

The Stanley Cup playoff berths are almost filled

First things first, so far, 11 teams out of the 32 have already been eliminated from playoff contention. So, that leaves 21 teams fighting for 16 precious spots. But it’s not exactly like that. We know that the top 3 teams from each division make it to the playoffs. For the remaining 4 spots, it’s 2 from each conference (East and West) based on the points won over the course of the regular season.

Since wild card (WC) spots are decided by how many points a team has in the overall conference (across divisions), there have been instances when one division of a conference has sent 5 teams. That is, both WC teams come from 1 division because of superior points tally of the 4th and 5th placed team in that division when compared to the points of the respective 4th and 5th placed teams from the corresponding division of the same conference.

As a result, the other division of that conference only sends the top 3 teams as automatic playoff qualifiers. Hopefully, the wildcard thing was clear enough. Keeping those rules in mind, the teams have been fighting it out for playoff spots. And so far, from the Atlantic Division, 4 teams have qualified for the postseason playoffs. The high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs are progressing from the regular season, courtesy of their 100 points already from 78 games.

So are the Tampa Bay Lightnings (97 from 78), the Florida Panthers (96 from 79), and the Ottawa Senators (90 from 78) because of their much superior points tally in the Eastern conference. On the other hand, the Washington Capitals (109 points from 78 games), Carolina Hurricanes (97 from 78), and New Jersey Devils (89 from 78) are joining as the teams from the Metropolitan Division. One thing’s for sure. The Capitals are taking the #1 spot in the Conference. So, out of the 8 spots dedicated for the Eastern Conference, 7 are taken.

In the Western Conference, the scene is a little less complicated. The top 3 of the Central Division are already confirmed, viz. Winnipeg Jets (110 from 78), Dallas Stars (106 from 78), and the Colorado Avalanche (100 from 79). The playoff spots are still up for grabs, and so is the third confirmed spot of the Pacific Division. Yes, only 2 teams are secured of a place in the postseason so far. Which are they? Vegas Golden Knights (103 from 78) and Los Angeles Kings (97 points from 77).

That makes 12 teams already known who will be there come April 19. Some matches have already been decided, while other teams await the confirmation of their opponents. It all comes down to the spots taken in the table and the points won, the intricacies of which decide who plays whom in the knockouts.

So, positions in the table matter. Some positions give more favorable outcomes than others, and that exact point has made some people question if the Florida Panthers were deliberately losing matches to get an easier opponent in the playoffs. Well, were the defending Stanley Cup winners doing something like that? Their recent wins say otherwise, though.

Panthers’ wins negate conspiracy theory talks

The Atlantic Division doesn’t yet have a division winner. But the Toronto Maple Leafs look set to take the top spot. And Florida Panthers would settle for a wildcard entry as long as they are in the playoffs. After that, it’s a best of 7 against their opponents, one round at a time. A wildcard team plays against the Division leaders while the 2nd and 3rd-placed teams clash with each other for a place in the playoff 2nd round.

Would the Panthers prefer to play Toronto over the 2nd-placed Tampa Bay Lightning? That’s what former Canadian star Paul Bissonnette was getting at! After 5 losses on a trot, BizNasty was smelling a conspiracy cooking. And he was having none of it: “This is an inside job. Gary Bettman needs to look into it.” Well, there was not much time for the NHL commissioner to look into anything. Against Toronto only, they reversed their losing streak. Even the Panthers were tired of being on the wrong end of it, as shared by defenseman Gustav Forsling after the win against Toronto: “We don’t like losing, so obviously it’s a great feeling getting this win.”

And they have got their 2nd win on the trot, thrashing the Red Wings 4-1. What conspiracy? The Defending Champs are keeping it business as usual. Just because they are winning doesn’t mean anything. In fact, 36-year-old left winger Brad Marchand wants to look at the performance: “We’ve lost some games lately, but if you look at the way we’re losing, we’re playing strong hockey.”

Tampa Bay Lightning or Toronto Maple Leaf – the Panthers say bring it on. They are the 2024 champions for a reason.