Canucks can find out their first-round playoff opponent tonight
The Vancouver Canucks are heading back to the playoffs as Pacific Division champions. The team beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 last night to clinch their first division title since the 2012-13 season.
With two days left on the NHL’s regular season calendar, the team’s first-round opponent is still up in the air, although they could find out as soon as tonight.
The Canucks are currently two points behind the Dallas Stars with the same number of games played. If the Stars get at least a point from their game tonight against the St. Louis Blues, they will clinch the Western Conference and solidify the first-round playoff matchups.
If the Stars lose in regulation tonight, that opens the door for the Canucks to surpass them by earning two points in their game against the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow. The Canucks own the tiebreaker between the two teams, so they would be the top seed despite having the same number of points.
The Western Conference standings (NHL.com)
The team that finishes second, which will be the Canucks if the Stars manage a single point tonight, faces off against the Nashville Predators in the first round.
The @DallasStars will clinch the Western Conference’s top seed with one point tonight, which would also lock-in a First Round matchup between the @Canucks and @PredsNHL.
#NHLStats: https://t.co/5AoUnAvfbG pic.twitter.com/VyObHVEaSd— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 17, 2024
The team that wins the Western Conference will play the lower seed of the Vegas Golden Knights or Los Angeles Kings. The Golden Knights have a one-point lead, and both teams have one game remaining.
The bottom of the Western Conference playoff race (NHL.com)
Despite the Predators occupying the top Wild Card spot, there are some who feel they are the weakest possible first-round playoff opponent. The Canucks swept the Predators in their season series this year. Therefore, winning the Western Conference title may not be as important to the club as it could be otherwise.
It’s still not clear if the Stars and Canucks will rest star players in their final game or if they will ice their best roster.
The Canucks will likely start their first-round playoff series on either Sunday or Tuesday, no matter the opponent. It’s their first time hosting a postseason game at Rogers Arena since 2015.
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