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The race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is really heating up. There's just a handful of games left for each team to play as everyone is vying for a chance to win the cup and the seeding in each conference could be very interesting this year.

In the East, only three teams have locked up playoff berths. The real drama in that conference is the race for the second wild card spot. The Montreal Canadiens have a narrow two-point edge over the New York Rangers and a four-point advantage over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings.

In the West, the top three Central Division teams have clinched with the Colorado Avalanche joining the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night. The top of that division will be a battle for home-ice advantage in the last handful of games. The Vegas Golden Knights have also clinched in the Pacific.

The playoff picture will likely change on a daily basis, so CBS Sports will have you covered with our NHL playoff race tracker. It will be updated daily to show where each potential playoff team sits in the standings as the postseason draws near.

Reminder: Here's how the NHL playoff seeding works

  • The top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs.
  • Each conference has two wild-card spots.
  • The top division winner in each conference will play the second wild card team, and the other division winner will play the first wild card team.
  • The second and third-place teams in each division will match up with one another in the first round.

*Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker, and regulation plus overtime wins are the second tiebreaker. Shootout wins are not counted in regulation plus overtime wins. X denotes clinched playoff berth.

Eastern Conference playoff picture

Atlantic Division

1. Toronto Maple Leafs | 46-25-4 | 96 points - X

Points percentage: .640
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 45
Current first-round matchup: Ottawa Senators

2. Tampa Bay Lightning | 44-26-5 | 93 points

Points percentage: .620
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers

3. Florida Panthers | 44-27-4 | 92 points

Points percentage: .613
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning

Metropolitan Division

1. Washington Capitals | 49-18-9 | 107 points - X

Points percentage: .704
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Montreal Canadiens

2. Carolina Hurricanes | 46-25-4 | 96 points - X

Points percentage: .640
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: New Jersey Devils

3. New Jersey Devils | 40-29-7 | 87 points

Points percentage: .572
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes

Wild Card

WC1. Ottawa Senators | 40-29-6 | 86 points

Points percentage: .568
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs

WC2. Montreal Canadiens | 36-30-9 | 81 points

Points percentage: .540
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals

New York Rangers | 36-32-7 | 79 points

Points percentage: .527
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 35

Columbus Blue Jackets | 34-31-9 | 77 points

Points percentage: .520
Regulation wins: 24
Regulation plus overtime wins: 28

Detroit Red Wings | 35-33-7 | 77 points

Points percentage: .513
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32

New York Islanders | 33-32-10 | 76 points

Points percentage: .507
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31

Western Conference playoff picture

Central Division

1. Winnipeg Jets | 52-20-4 | 108 points - X

Points percentage: .711
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 51
Current first-round matchup: Minnesota Wild

2. Dallas Stars | 50-21-4 | 104 points - X

Points percentage: .693
Regulation wins: 41
Regulation plus overtime wins: 48
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche

3. Colorado Avalanche | 47-26-4 | 98 points - X

Points percentage: .636
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars

Pacific Division

1. Vegas Golden Knights | 45-22-8 | 98 points-X

Points percentage: .653
Regulation wins: 42
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: St. Louis Blues

2. Los Angeles Kings | 43-23-9 | 95 points

Points percentage: .633
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 42
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers

3. Edmonton Oilers | 434-26-5 | 93 points

Points percentage: .620
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings

Wild Card

WC1. St. Louis Blues | 42-28-7 | 91 points

Points percentage: .591
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights

WC2. Minnesota Wild | 41-29-7 | 89 points

Points percentage: .578
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets

Calgary Flames | 36-27-12 | 84 points

Points percentage: .560
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32

Vancouver Canucks | 34-28-13 | 81 points

Points percentage: .540
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 31

Utah Hockey Club | 34-30-12 | 80 points

Points percentage: .526
Regulation wins: 26
Regulation plus overtime wins: 33