After a wild night on the ice on Tuesday, we have games for four NHL Eastern Conference playoff series.
Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders
The Capitals clinched the final playoff spot with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers thanks to TJ Oshie's empty-net goal with three minutes remaining. Strange scenario.
A Bruins-Leafs contest could lead to a nightmare for Toronto fans. The Bruins beat the Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round series in 2013 after rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the third period and also beat Toronto in the 2018 and '19 playoffs.
For weeks, it looked like the Leafs would face the Florida Panthers, but Florida's win over Toronto on Tuesday combined with Boston's loss to the Ottawa Senators flipped the script.
Meanwhile, the defending runner-up Panthers will face the Lightning in their third all-Florida series in the last four years. Tampa eliminated Florida in 2021 and '22.
Meanwhile, the Capitals face the top-seeded Rangers for the sixth time in the past 20 seasons — making them their most common playoff opponent in the previous two decades.
The Islanders battled the Hurricanes for the second year in a row. Carolina won six first-round games last year.
In the West, the only series locked in is the Colorado Avalanche vs. Winnipeg Jets, with the latter team gaining home-ice advantage on Tuesday.
The final two days of the season will decide the remaining three matches.
