Current NHL Playoff Matchups as of the games of March 24,2015 from ESPN.GO.COM

Here are the first-round playoff matchups, based on today's standings. The top three teams in each division earn berths in the playoffs. The next two teams in terms of total points in the conference, regardless of division, earn the wild-card spots. This provides a total of eight teams from each conference.

The top seed in each division plays one of the wild-card teams in its conference. The division leader with the most points plays the wild-card team with the fewest points. The second and third seeds in each division face each other in the first round.

Eastern Conference
CURRENT MATCHUP
	Montreal (46-20-8, 100 points) Games remaining: 8 (4 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 7
	Ottawa (37-24-11, 85 points) Games remaining: 10 (5 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. East: 10
Regular season series (Senators lead 3-1-0)
Dec 20, 2014 Ottawa 1, Montreal 4 Jan 15, 2015 Montreal 1, Ottawa 4 Feb 18, 2015 Montreal 2, Ottawa 4 Mar 12, 2015 Ottawa 5, Montreal 2
CURRENT MATCHUP
	Tampa Bay (46-21-7, 99 points) Games remaining: 8 (3 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 7
	Detroit (39-21-12, 90 points) Games remaining: 10 (6 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 8, vs. East: 8
Regular season series (Lightning lead 3-0-0)
Nov 9, 2014 Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 3 (SO) Jan 29, 2015 Detroit 1, Tampa Bay 5 Mar 20, 2015 Detroit 1, Tampa Bay 3 Mar 28, 2015 Tampa Bay at Detroit
CURRENT MATCHUP
	NY Rangers (46-19-7, 99 points) Games remaining: 10 (4 home, 6 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. East: 8
	Washington (39-24-10, 88 points) Games remaining: 9 (5 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. East: 8
Regular season series (Rangers lead 2-0-0)
Dec 23, 2014 Washington 2, New York 4 Mar 11, 2015 New York 3, Washington 1 Mar 29, 2015 Washington at New York Apr 11, 2015 New York at Washington
CURRENT MATCHUP
	NY Islanders (44-25-5, 93 points) Games remaining: 8 (5 home, 3 away) vs. quality teams: 4, vs. East: 6
	Pittsburgh (40-22-11, 91 points) Games remaining: 9 (4 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 3, vs. East: 7
Regular season series (Islanders lead 3-1-0)
Oct 18, 2014 New York 1, Pittsburgh 3 Nov 21, 2014 New York 5, Pittsburgh 4 (SO) Nov 22, 2014 Pittsburgh 1, New York 4 Jan 16, 2015 Pittsburgh 3, New York 6 Apr 10, 2015 New York at Pittsburgh

In The Hunt
	Boston (36-25-12, 84 points) Trailing Ottawa by 1 point Games remaining: 9 (4 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. East: 8
	Florida (33-26-14, 80 points) Trailing Ottawa by 5 points Games remaining: 9 (5 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 9
	Philadelphia (29-29-16, 74 points) Trailing Ottawa by 11 points Games remaining: 8 (6 home, 2 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 6
	New Jersey (31-31-11, 73 points) Trailing Ottawa by 12 points Games remaining: 9 (3 home, 6 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. East: 8
	Columbus (34-35-4, 72 points) Trailing Ottawa by 13 points Games remaining: 9 (5 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 7

Eliminated
	Carolina (26-36-10, 62 points) Trailing Ottawa by 23 points Games remaining: 10 (5 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 10
	Toronto (27-41-6, 60 points) Trailing Ottawa by 25 points Games remaining: 8 (5 home, 3 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. East: 8
	Buffalo (20-46-7, 47 points) Trailing Ottawa by 38 points Games remaining: 9 (5 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 4, vs. East: 5

Western Conference
CURRENT MATCHUP
	Anaheim (46-22-7, 99 points) Games remaining: 7 (3 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 4, vs. West: 4
	Minnesota (42-25-7, 91 points) Games remaining: 8 (5 home, 3 away) vs. quality teams: 8, vs. West: 6
Regular season series (Ducks lead 3-0-0)
Oct 17, 2014 Minnesota 1, Anaheim 2 Dec 5, 2014 Anaheim 5, Minnesota 4 Mar 13, 2015 Anaheim 2, Minnesota 1
CURRENT MATCHUP
	Vancouver (43-26-4, 90 points) Games remaining: 9 (5 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. West: 9
	Calgary (40-27-6, 86 points) Games remaining: 9 (3 home, 6 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. West: 9
Regular season series (Series tied 2-2-0)
Oct 8, 2014 Vancouver 4, Calgary 2 Dec 20, 2014 Calgary 2, Vancouver 3 (OT) Jan 10, 2015 Calgary 1, Vancouver 0 Feb 14, 2015 Vancouver 2, Calgary 3
CURRENT MATCHUP
	St. Louis (46-21-7, 99 points) Games remaining: 8 (6 home, 2 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. West: 7
	Winnipeg (38-24-12, 88 points) Games remaining: 8 (5 home, 3 away) vs. quality teams: 8, vs. West: 6
Regular season series (Blues lead 3-0-1)
Nov 23, 2014 St. Louis 4, Winnipeg 2 Feb 26, 2015 St. Louis 2, Winnipeg 1 (SO) Mar 10, 2015 Winnipeg 4, St. Louis 5 Mar 19, 2015 St. Louis 1, Winnipeg 2 (SO) Apr 7, 2015 Winnipeg at St. Louis
CURRENT MATCHUP
	Nashville (45-21-8, 98 points) Games remaining: 8 (4 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 8, vs. West: 6
	Chicago (44-22-6, 94 points) Games remaining: 10 (5 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. West: 7
Regular season series (Blackhawks lead 3-1-0)
Oct 18, 2014 Nashville 1, Chicago 2 (OT) Oct 23, 2014 Chicago 2, Nashville 3 Dec 6, 2014 Chicago 3, Nashville 1 Dec 29, 2014 Nashville 4, Chicago 5 (SO)

In The Hunt
	Los Angeles (36-23-14, 86 points) Trailing Winnipeg by 2 points Games remaining: 9 (3 home, 6 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. West: 8
	Dallas (35-28-10, 80 points) Trailing Winnipeg by 8 points Games remaining: 9 (3 home, 6 away) vs. quality teams: 8, vs. West: 9
	Colorado (33-27-12, 78 points) Trailing Winnipeg by 10 points Games remaining: 10 (5 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 7, vs. West: 9
	San Jose (35-30-8, 78 points) Trailing Winnipeg by 10 points Games remaining: 9 (3 home, 6 away) vs. quality teams: 5, vs. West: 6

Eliminated
	Edmonton (20-40-13, 53 points) Trailing Winnipeg by 35 points Games remaining: 9 (5 home, 4 away) vs. quality teams: 9, vs. West: 9
	Arizona (22-44-8, 52 points) Trailing Winnipeg by 36 points Games remaining: 8 (3 home, 5 away) vs. quality teams: 6, vs. West: 5

Glossary

• Tiebreaker: In the event teams are tied in the standings, the following tiebreakers are applied to determine which team receives the higher seeding.
• • 1. The fewer number of games played (i.e., superior points percentage).
  • 2. The greater number of games won (not including games won in a shootout).
  • 3. The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs. If two clubs are tied, and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, points earned in the first game played in the city that had the extra game shall not be included. If more than two clubs are tied, the higher percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, and not including any "odd" games, shall be used to determine the standing.
  • 4. Goal differential.
• Quality team: Team that has more points than games played.