NHL Playoffs And Awards Watch: Most Western Conference Series Still Undecided
The gates to the Stanley Cup playoffs are completely shut, but like on Tuesday, there are still other aspects to look forward to.
For instance, not every team that has clinched a post-season berth knows who they will face in the first round.
The Art Ross Trophy race, Rocket Richard Trophy race and rookie scoring leaders are updated daily as well, although after Tuesday's matchups, we're getting a clearer picture of who will finish on top of those.
How Golden Knights Match Up Against 5 Potential Playoff Opponents
It's been a roller coaster of a season for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference Playoff Race
In contrast to the uncertain finish in the Western Conference, every first-round series in the Eastern Conference is confirmed.
- With a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Boston Bruins locked themselves in the first wild-card spot in the conference, setting them up to face the Buffalo Sabres in the opening round of the post-season.
- Boston's result means the Ottawa Senators will face the top team in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes. Ottawa's last game of the season comes on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they can't improve in the standings regardless.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens were a confirmed matchup before Tuesday's fixtures. But Montreal's 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 82 helped Tampa Bay secure home-ice advantage for that series.
Lightning Clinch Home-Ice Advantage for First-Round Series vs. Canadiens
It's official: the Tampa Bay Lightning will have home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens.
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy Race
1. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado: 53 goals, one game left (Colorado is idle)
2. Cole Caufield, Montreal: 51 goals, no games left
3. Connor McDavid, Edmonton: 48 goals, one game left (Edmonton is idle)
Art Ross Trophy Race
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton: 134 points, one game left
2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay: 130 points, one game left (Tampa Bay plays NY Rangers at 7 p.m. ET)
3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado: 127 points, one game left
Rookie Scoring Race
1. Ivan Demidov, Montreal: 62 points, no games left
2. Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim: 60 points, one game left (Anaheim is idle)
3. Matthew Schaefer, NY Islanders: 59 points, no games left
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 9:09 AM.