What's at Stake in the NHL's Final Weekend of Season

Entering the final weekend of the NHL season, three teams remain in contention for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but none of them should be there.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a just season out from a full-blown tank job and a 30th overall finish, Tampa Bay has been without its captain since November and traded its All-Star goaltender at the deadline, and the New York Islanders were sitting third last in the league when they fired their coach in January—leaving several AHL and KHL teams with better odds of making the playoffs than the Isles.

Yet, on the backs of some energetic and talented rookies, the emergence of Nikita Kucherov as an elite goal scorer, and a masterful coaching job by head coach Doug Weight, all three clubs still have life and, at least, a fighting chance at the league's last remaining postseason bid.

Toronto, which still controls its own fate despite blowing a chance to clinch in each of its last two games, can secure a postseason berth with a win in either of its remaining contests against Columbus or Pittsburgh. If the Leafs manage to earn just a single point over their final two contests, the Islanders and Lightning will have to go perfect the rest of the way just to have a chance.

For Tampa Bay, a regulation or overtime win in each of its final two games against the Canadiens and Sabres combined with Toronto earning no more than a single point over its final two games would put the Bolts even with the Maple Leafs, but earn them the spot as they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Toronto after that big win on Friday.

The Islanders, like usual, have to make everything difficult. If the Maple Leafs can only salvage one point and the Isles can win out in regulation, New York will get through on the first tiebreaker (regulation and overtime wins). The Islanders can also afford to go 1-0-1 as they hold the second tiebreaker (head-to-head points) over the Leafs, too.

In the case that both the Islanders and Lightning leapfrog the Maple Leafs and sit tied for the final spot at season's end, the Islanders would edge the Lightning out on the first tiebreaker. If Tampa Bay can gain a single overtime or regulation win on the Isles, though, then the Bolts would get in on the second tiebreak after winning all three matchups with the Islanders this season.

Unlike this spectacular clusterfuck in the East, the West has been set for quite some time now. With a little more clarity over on the left coast, we can take a look at the likely matchups in the Central and Pacific Divisions.

Edmonton vs. San Jose:The Oilers are back in the playoffs for the first time in a decade, while the Sharks are coming off their first Stanley Cup Final appearance after falling to Pittsburgh last spring. Both clubs are led by superstars who are in search of postseason hardware in Connor McDavid (Hart Trophy) and Brent Burns (Norris). Edmonton took the season series with 3-1-1 record.

St. Louis vs. Minnesota: The Blues are making their fifth straight playoff appearance after falling in the conference finals to the Sharks in 2016, while the Wild are also in the dance for the fifth consecutive year. Blues head coach Mike Yeo could face the team that fired him just last season, and his club had a 2-2-1 edge in the regular-season series.

Anaheim vs. Calgary:The Flames are in the postseason for just the second time since 2009, while the Ducks are in for the fifth consecutive season. The Ducks would have home-ice advantage in what would certainly not an ideal matchup for the Flames, who dropped four out of five to the Ducks this season and haven't won in Anaheim in an astounding 25 games.

Chicago vs. Nashville: The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups since 2010 and haven't missed the postseason since 2008, while the Predators have qualified the past two seasons, making it three straight in 2017. The Blackhawks took four of five in the regular season, and will have home ice for the playoffs after going 26-10-5 at the United Center this campaign.

Montreal vs. New York (Set): The Atlantic Division champion Canadiens return to the playoffs after missing out a year ago, while the Rangers have played into the spring in each of the past seven seasons. Promising to be a goalie battle between two of the best in the world, Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price, the Habs were a perfect 3-0-0 against the Blueshirts this season.

Pittsburgh vs. Columbus (Set): The defending Stanley Cup champions from Pittsburgh have won two Cups since 2009 and haven't missed the playoffs since Sidney Crosby's first season in 2005-06, while Columbus is making just its third postseason appearance in franchise history. The series features two of the league's (likely) Hart Trophy nominees in Sergei Bobrovsky and Crosby, while CBJ took five of a possible eight points in a tight season series.

Ottawa vs. Boston: Despite a whole bunch of adversity to deal with this year, the Senators are back in the dance for the second time in three years, while the Bruins return to the playoffs after a two-season hiatus. The regular-season series was all Ottawa, as the Sens went undefeated and outscored the Bruins 12-6 in four contests.

Washington vs. TML/TBL/NYI: Whichever team slips into the last spot in the East will likely be rewarded by having to face the NHL's regular-season champs in Washington. Any matchup against the Leafs, Lightning or Islanders should lean in the Capitals' favour, if not for the playoff demons haunting a franchise which hasn't escaped the second round despite winning seven regular-season division titles since 2007-08.

Let's just get this shit started already.