NHL Playoff Picture 2023: Updated Standings, Matchups After Penguins Eliminated
The New York Islanders are going fishing for the Stanley Cup.
The Isles are back in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2021, clinching a playoff berth with a 4-2 win over the Montréal Canadiens on Wednesday night at UBS Arena.
New York will be one of the Eastern Conference's wild-card teams alongside the Florida Panthers.
New York's win also eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from playoff contention. The last time the Pens missed the postseason was 2006, and they had held the longest playoff streak in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.
It also marks the first time since 2006 that the playoffs will not include superstars Sidney Crosby of the Penguins or Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.
While some of the matchups have yet to be determined, here's a look at the current Stanley Cup playoffs field following the Isles' victory.
2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket
Atlantic Division
- Boston Bruins: 64-12-5, 133 points
- Toronto Maple Leafs: 49-21-11, 109 points
- Tampa Bay Lightning: 45-30-6, 96 points
The Bruins have locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage throughout the entirety of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Maple Leafs and Lightning are locked into a first-round matchup.
Metropolitan Division
- Carolina Hurricanes: 51-21-9, 111 points
- New Jersey Devils: 51-22-8, 110 points
- New York Rangers: 47-21-13, 107 points
The Rangers are locked into the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division and will be on the road in the first round to face the No. 2 seed, which will be either the Hurricanes or Devils.
Eastern Conference Wild Card
- New York Islanders: 42-31-9, 93 points
- Florida Panthers: 42-31-8, 92 points
The Panthers can lock in the No. 1 wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Hurricanes on Thursday.
Central Division
- Dallas Stars: 46-21-14, 106 points
- Colorado Avalanche: 49-24-7, 105 points
- Minnesota Wild: 46-25-10, 102 points
None of these positions have been locked up. The Wild and Stars each have one regular-season game remaining, while the Avalanche have two games remaining.
Pacific Division
- Vegas Golden Knights: 50-22-9, 109 points
- Edmonton Oilers: 49-23-9, 107 points
- Los Angeles Kings: 46-25-10, 102 points
The Kings are locked into the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division and will be on the road in the first round of the playoffs to face the No. 2 seed, either the Golden Knights or Oilers. Vegas will clinch the division with a win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
Western Conference Wild Card
- Seattle Kraken: 46-27-8, 100 points
- Winnipeg Jets: 46-32-3, 95 points
Both of these teams are locked into their current positions.
Projected Matchups After April 12
Eastern Conference
A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC2 Florida Panthers
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 New York Islanders
M2 New Jersey Devils vs. M3 New York Rangers
Western Conference
C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC1 Seattle Kraken
C2 Colorado Avalanche vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC2 Winnipeg Jets
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings
The 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs are slated to begin on April 17.
The Bruins are currently the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup at +350 (bet $100 to win $350), per DraftKings Sportsbook. The Avalanche have the next-best odds at +650.
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