Who Is In The NHL Playoffs Right Now?

The NHL playoffs are in full swing and there are plenty of great matchups to watch. But who is in the playoffs right now? Check out our latest blog post to find out!

Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference playoff picture is starting to take shape as the regular season comes to a close. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals have all clinched playoff spots, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of clinching. The picture is less clear in the East, where the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers are all still in the hunt.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team has been in existence since 1924, making them the third-oldest active franchise in the NHL, and the oldest to be based in the United States.

As of 2019, the Bruins have won six Stanley Cup championships, tied for fourth most of any US-based NHL team and tied for ninth most of any NHL team. Those victories are encompassed by two separate winning streaks: from 1929 to 1939, and again from 1969 to present.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The Lightning play their home games at Amalie Arena.

Washington Capitals

As of April 18th, 2020, the Washington Capitals are in 1st place in the Eastern Conference and are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. The Capitals have won the Stanley Cup before, in 2018.

Toronto Maple Leafs

As of right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference with 92 points. They have played well recently, winning 6 out of their last 10 games. The Maple Leafs are led by young stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. If they can keep up their level of play, they could be a dangerous team in the playoffs.

Western Conference

As of April 19th, 2020, the NHL playoffs are still ongoing. The Western Conference teams that have qualified are the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Vegas Golden Knights.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Predators began play as an expansion team in the 1998–99 season. They play their home games at Bridgestone Arena.

In late 1995, a group led by Craig Leipold made an application to the NHL for an expansion franchise. When they received word that their bid had been successful, Leipold immediately selected Nashville as his franchise’s home. The city of Nashville was awarded an NHL franchise on June 25, 1997, which was officially named the Nashville Predators on September 25 that year.

Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets: The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at Bell MTS Place.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The franchise began play in the 2017–18 NHL season, becoming the first major professional sports team in Las Vegas, followed by the National Football League’s Raiders in 2020. The Golden Knights play their home games at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Golden Knights were founded by Bill Foley, an American businessman, who is also a majority owner, along with his family and a consortium of other investors. The team’s name was revealed on November 22, 2016, after a trademark filing by Foley’s group. An expansion fee of $500 million was paid to the NHL as required by league rules.

The Golden Knights are widely considered one of the most successful expansion teams in professional sports history; they set numerous league and franchise records during their inaugural season and won their first division title and Western Conference championship that year before ultimately losing to the Washington Capitals during their Stanley Cup Finals debut.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Sharks compete in SAP Center at San Jose, which they have called home since 1993. The Sharks were founded in 1991 as an expansion team and have made the playoffs in 22 of their 27 seasons to date.

The Sharks have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals five times, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016, and to the Chicago Blackhawks twice (2010 and 2015). They have won the Presidents’ Trophy once as the NHL’s top regular season team (2015–16) but have yet to win a Stanley Cup championship. The franchise has outscored its opponents by more than 1,000 total goals over its first 27 seasons.