The Stanley Cup Playoffs
Regular hockey season ends for all the NHL teams by the second week of April. Then, the best part of hockey starts - the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The next week’s regular games will determine the final standings, which teams play against who. The current standings are very tight, every game is a must win for the lower ranked teams, as a regular game loss could mean elimination from the playoffs or the pairing against a much tougher team. At the moment the top 2008 teams for each conference and division are:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
- Atlantic - New Jersey Devils (with the Penguins 1 point away)
- Northeast - Montreal Canadiens (with Ottawa right on their heels)
- Southeast - Carolina Hurricanes
WESTERN CONFERENCE
- Central - Detroit Red Wings
- Northwest - Minnesota Wild
- Pacific - San Jose Sharks
Some of the conferences are way too close to call. Let’s see how this plays out over the next 2 weeks.