2024 NHL playoff race tracker: Projected first-round matchups, standings as regular season enters final weeks

The NHL is in the home stretch of the 2023-24 regular season. That means playoff races are healing up atop divisions and on the wild card bubble.

Throughout the last 15 or so games, every point will be crucial as team’s battle for playoff positioning. Fans will be doing a lot of scoreboard watching over the next month, and they’ll be checking the updated standings every month.

The playoff picture may change on a nightly basis, so CBS Sports has you covered with our NHL playoff race tracker. It’ll be updated daily to show where each playoff hopeful stands as the postseason gets closer and closer.

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.

Eastern Conference playoff picture

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins | 43-17-15 | 101 points

Points percentage: .673
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 39
Current first-round matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Bruins have recently struggled with three losses over their last five games. However, they did slip past the Capitals in a shootout over the weekend to get back on track.

2. Florida Panthers | 47-22-5 | 99 points

Points percentage: .669
Regulation wins: 38
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs

Much like the Bruins, the Panthers have been struggling lately, but did bounce back with a shootout win against the Red Wings this past weekend. This team is too talented to let this tailspin spiral out of control.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs | 42-22-9 | 93 points

Points percentage: .637
Regulation wins: 30
Regulation plus overtime wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Florida Panthers

The Maple Leafs have been the third team in the Atlantic Division for most of the season, but that spot is far from guaranteed. The Lightning continue to creep up on the Leafs over the final month of the regular season.

Metropolitan Division

1. New York Rangers | 50-20-4 | 104 points

Points percentage: .703
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Philadelphia Flyers

The Rangers are red hot with five consecutive wins, and have supplanted the Bruins as the top team in the Eastern Conference. It should prove to be a back-and-forth affair down the stretch to see who earns the top seed.

2. Carolina Hurricanes | 47-21-7 | 101 points

Points percentage: .703
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 47
Current first-round matchup: Washington Capitals

The Hurricanes have thrived since landing the likes of Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the trade deadline. Carolina looks like a juggernaut in the East after outscoring the Red Wings and Canadiens 7-0 over their last two games.

3. Washington Capitals | 36-27-10 | 82 points

Points percentage: .562
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: Carolina Hurricanes

The Capitals have come out of nowhere to take the third playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division for the time being. The Alex Ovechkin of old appears to be back as he’s tallied eight goals over the last two weeks.

Wild Card

WC1. Tampa Bay Lightning | 41-25-7 | 89 points

Points percentage: .610
Regulation wins: 33
Regulation plus overtime wins: 38
Current first-round matchup: Boston Bruins

The Lightning are likely the team that no one wants to face in the opening round of the postseason. Tampa Bay has won eight of its last nine, and Nikita Kucherov continues to be electric.

WC2. Philadelphia Flyers | 36-27-9 | 81 points

Points percentage: .563
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: New York Rangers

Sean Couturier appears to be out of head coach John Tortorella’s doghouse for now, but the Flyers just wrapped up a rough stretch. The arrival of goaltender Ivan Fedotov is tremendous for Philadelphia, but they can’t drop games to teams like the Blackhawks this late in the season.

Detroit Red Wings | 36-30-8 | 80 points

Points percentage: .541
Regulation wins: 25
Regulation plus overtime wins: 34
Current first-round matchup: N/A

The Red Wings have taken a complete nosedive over the last month with just three wins since Feb. 29. The electrifying play of Patrick Kane may not be enough to get Detroit in the playoffs at this point.

New York Islanders | 31-27-15 | 77 points

Points percentage: .527
Regulation wins: 23
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
Current first-round matchup: N/A

The Islanders are fading with just two victories in their last 10 games. Head coach Patrick Roy may fall short of reaching the postseason in his first year on Long Island.

New Jersey Devils | 36-34-4 | 76 points

Points percentage: .514
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: N/A

The Devils have actually turned things around lately, including four wins over their last six games. Deadline acquisition Jake Allen has been solid since his arrival for a team that was in desperate rate need of goaltending help.

Pittsburgh Penguins | 32-30-11 | 75 points

Points percentage: .514
Regulation wins: 27
Regulation plus overtime wins: 30
Current first-round matchup: N/A

The Penguins somehow dominated the Hurricanes, then followed it up with a win over the Blue Jackets. However, Pittsburgh fell to Columbus in a shootout over the weekend, and that’s a game that they just can’t lose.

Western Conference playoff picture

Central Division

1. Dallas Stars | 47-19-9 | 103 points

Points percentage: .687
Regulation wins: 36
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Los Angeles Kings

The Stars have grabbed the lead in the Central thanks to a seven-game winning streak. Goaltender Jake Oettinger may finally be turning his season around as he’s allowed two or fewer goals in each of his last five starts.

2. Colorado Avalanche | 47-21-6 | 100 points

Points percentage: .676
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 45
Current first-round matchup: Winnipeg Jets

Nathan MacKinnon continues to make a Hart Trophy push with his sensational season. After dropping back-to-back games for the first time in over a month, the Avalanche bounced back with a win over the Predators.

3. Winnipeg Jets | 44-24-6 | 94 points

Points percentage: .635
Regulation wins: 39
Regulation plus overtime wins: 44
Current first-round matchup: Colorado Avalanche

The Jets are going through a big-time slide as they’re currently on a six-game losing streak. They’ll need to right the ship quickly if they want to hang onto the No. 3 playoff spot in the Central Division.

Pacific Division

1. Vancouver Canucks | 46-20-8 | 100 points

Points percentage: .676
Regulation wins: 40
Regulation plus overtime wins: 46
Current first-round matchup: Nashville Predators

The Canucks hold a sizable lead in the Pacific Division, and they’ve won four of their last six games. There’s really no reason to panic with goaltender Thatcher Demko out of the lineup. 

2. Edmonton Oilers | 45-23-4 | 94 points

Points percentage: .653
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 43
Current first-round matchup: Vegas Golden Knights

Connor McDavid and the Oilers previously looked to be locked into second place, but the Golden Knights are making a late-season charge. Edmonton is going to want to have a home-ice advantage if the opening round, so wins will be paramount down the stretch.

3. Vegas Golden Knights | 41-25-8 | 90 points

Points percentage: .608
Regulation wins: 31
Regulation plus overtime wins: 37
Current first-round matchup: Edmonton Oilers

The Golden Knights are getting hot at the right time as they’ve earned back-to-back wins against the Jets and Wild. Vegas definitely is playing some of their best hockey with five wins over its last six contests.

Wild Card

WC1. Nashville Predators | 43-27-4 | 90 points

Points percentage: .608
Regulation wins: 35
Regulation plus overtime wins: 41
Current first-round matchup: Vancouver Canucks

The Predators were one of the hottest teams in the NHL, but have lost back-to-back games. Even still, Filip Forsberg is on a nine-game point streak, and is playing his best hockey of the season.

WC2. Los Angeles Kings | 38-24-11 | 87 points

Points percentage: .596
Regulation wins: 32
Regulation plus overtime wins: 36
Current first-round matchup: Dallas Stars

The Kings have fallen out of the No. 3 spot in the Pacific Division, and have dropped back-to-back games after previously going on a four-game winning streak. It could be a back-and-forth between the Kings and Golden Knights the rest of the way.

St. Louis Blues | 39-31-4 | 82 points

Points percentage: .554
Regulation wins: 29
Regulation plus overtime wins: 35
Current first-round matchup: N/A

The Blues certainly aren’t out of the playoff picture, but they need to start stringing wins together to catch the Kings for that final Wild Card spot.

Minnesota Wild | 35-29-9 | 79 points

Points percentage: .541
Regulation wins: 28
Regulation plus overtime wins: 32
Current first-round matchup: N/A

The Wild are currently eight points behind the Kings for the final Wild Card spot in the West. Minnesota needed to defeat Vegas over the weekend, but chose to pull their goaltender late in the game, and it backfired in a big way in a loss.