NHL Playoffs: Western Conference Brackets on the Line

0:00On April 16th, the NHO playoffs are heating up, but the Western conference first-round matchups are still up in the air heading into the final day of. The regular season on Thursday, East is locked in with Carolina, versus Ottawa, Buffalo against Boston, Tampa Bay taking on Montreal and Pittsburgh facing Philadelphia. Vegas clinched the Pacific top spot in Willbato, Utah, the first wildcard, while Dallas draws Minnesota. Over in the West, it's all riding on three key games. Thursday, Edmonton against Vancouver, Anaheim hosting Nashville and Los Angeles at Calgary. The Oilers, Ducks and Kings are jockeying for second in the Pacific or the second wildcard spot, with tie-breakers favoring regulation wins. Fans are buzzing about wild possibilities, like Connor McDavid's Oilers squaring off against Nathan McKinnon's Avalanche in Round 1 or Edmonton, rematching the Kings for a fifth straight year. Current standings points to Oilers, Ducks and Kings Avalanche, but one regulation loss for Edmonton plus wins for the others flips it to.

1:05Edmonton, Colorado. Speaking of those stars, McDavid has the Art Ross Trophy wrapped up at 134 points with one game left, while McKinnon leads the. Rocket Richard Grace with 53 goals, one game to go. Montreal's Cole Caulfield sits at 51 goals, and Edmonton's McDavid has 48. Rookie race is tied to, with Montreal's Ivan Dmitov at 62 points, Anaheim's Becca Senakee chasing at 60 with one game left. Thursday's action will settle the brackets and trophies, so tune in for the drama unfolding out West. Stay locked in with NHL News today, AI-powered updates.