10 days to determine…

* Five playoff spots (three in the West, two in the East)

* All eight First Round matchups

* The Presidents’ Trophy winner

* The No. 1 seed in both conferences

* The No. 1 seed in all four divisions

* Home ice in the First Round for five clubs

* An Art Ross Trophy winner in a race that features a trio of 130-point scorers

* A Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner with a 65-goal scorer as the frontrunner

* A William M. Jennings Trophy winner in a race that includes two clubs with fewer than 200 goals against

***

7 Eastern Conference teams separated by 6 points (5 divided by 2 points)…

* New York Islanders (3rd in Metropolitan) – Seeking fifth trip to Stanley Cup Playoffs in six seasons and the first in franchise history following an in-season coaching change (Patrick Roy hired in January).

* Detroit Red Wings (Wild Card 2) – Aiming to end their longest postseason stretch in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68; tied with 7-season stretch from 1970-71 to 1976-77).

* Pittsburgh Penguins (tied in points w/ DET) – Trying to become the first team in League history to overcome a nine-point deficit in its final 11 games to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* Washington Capitals (1 point out) – Faced a standings deficit as high as eight points this season but are one of five teams to hold Wild Card 2 since Wednesday.

* Philadelphia Flyers (1 point out) – Trying to end their longest playoff stretch in 30 years (three seasons).

* New Jersey Devils (5 points out) – Faced a standings deficit as high as eight points this season but now sit five points back as they vie for consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in 14 years.

* Buffalo Sabres (5 points out) – Faced a standings deficit as high as 12 points this season but now sit five points back.

***

5 Western Conference clubs in the running for 3 playoff spots…

* Los Angeles Kings (3rd in Pacific) – Were a top-three team in their division for more than half the season but named Jim Hiller as their new head coach at the All-Star break after slipping into Wild Card territory.

* Nashville Predators (Wild Card 1) – Spent nearly a month outside the playoffs starting in late January but rallied with a franchise-record 18-game point streak sparked by missing a U2 concert and shaking it off with help from their hit, “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.”

* Vegas Golden Knights (Wild Card 2) – Reigning Stanley Cup winners seeking second championship in their first seven NHL seasons.

* St. Louis Blues (5 points out) – Trying to secure an 11th playoff berth in 13 seasons. To do so, they must become the second team in NHL history to rally from a five-point deficit in its final four games (1958-59 Maple Leafs).

* Minnesota Wild (9 points out) – Will need to stage an unprecedented rally in order to clinch – the largest deficit faced in the last five games by a playoff team is seven points (1958-59 Maple Leafs) and the largest in the expansion era (since 1967-68) is five points (1986-87 Maple Leafs & 1987-88 Devils).

***

10 days to hit 140 points, 100 assists and 70 goals…

* For the first time in more than 30 years, three players have 130+ points in the same season as NikitaKucherov (136 points; 5 GR), Nathan MacKinnon (133 points; 4 GR) and ConnorMcDavid (130 points; 6 GR) battle for the Art Ross Trophy. There have been three seasons in the past 30 years in which the Art Ross Trophy winner claimed the award by breaking a tie or climbing the rankings on the final day of the regular season (2014-15, 2002-03 and 1994-95) – which could happen when MacKinnon and McDavid meet April 18.

* Kucherov and McDavid are both on pace for 140-plus points, while MacKinnon is tracking for 139. McDavid won his fifth Art Ross Trophy in 2022-23 with a 153-point campaign and now can join Wayne Gretzky (11 from 1980-81 to 1990-91) and Mario Lemieux (2 from 1988-89 to 1989-90) as the third player in League history with consecutive 140-point seasons. Gretzky’s run that ended in 1990-91 also marked the last time the NHL as a whole witnessed consecutive 140-point seasons by any of its players.

* McDavid has 99 assists which would give him an advantage of at least 10 against every end-of-season NHL leader since 2007-08. However, McDavid’s assists lead stands at six ahead of Kucherov (93) as the two can become the second set of players in NHL history to have 100-plus assists in the same season – Gretzky and Lemieux each had 114 in 1988-89 and are two of three players who have had 100 assists in any NHL season (also Bobby Orr).

* The Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner could be a 70-goal scorer for the first time in its history (award established in 1998-99) as leader Auston Matthews sits five goals shy of becoming the ninth 70-goal scorer in NHL history and first in more than 30 years. No active player has scored more goals in a season than Matthews has to date in 2023-24 (65 matches Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 for the highest single-season total among active players).

* Ten players are scoring at a 100-point pace (after 11 hit the mark in 2022-23), while 16 have already hit 40-plus goals (after 19 did so last season). The 108 hat tricks are the second most since the start of the 1990s (behind 1992-93: 112) and among the top 10 in League history as player performances contributed to a $500,000 donation by AstraZeneca to Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation.

***

Tuesday, April 9 – Eastern Conference playoff race takes ESPN spotlight
* Capitals at Red Wings (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) – Washington would overtake Detroit with a win as the two teams clash while all but one of the seven clubs vying for an Eastern Conference playoff spot hit the ice.

* Hurricanes at Bruins (7 p.m. ET on BSSO, NESN) – Two of the five teams separated by six points atop the NHL standings, ranking fourth and third, respectively. Boston will try to clinch its division while Carolina will try to stay in the hunt for theirs.

* Rangers at Islanders (7 p.m. ET on MSGSN, MSG 2) – One of two remaining regular-season meetings between the rivals, who could meet in the First Round (which would be their first playoff meeting in 30 years). The League-leading Rangers can clinch their division.

* Jets at Predators (8 p.m. ET on BSSW, TSN3) – Nashville can clinch a playoff spot and needs a regulation win to keep its hopes alive for moving up higher than a Wild Card spot.

***

Wednesday, April 10 – McDavid, Oilers take aim at division title

* Golden Knights at Oilers (8:30 p.m. ET on TNT, MAX, SN1, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW, SCRIPPS) – A rematch of the 2023 Second Round and a potential opening-round series this year will begin with Connor McDavid sitting at 99 assists and among the top three in the Art Ross Trophy race. A win by the Oilers could put them three points back of the Canucks (who host the Coyotes) for first place in the Pacific Division before going head-to-head Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. Vancouver has been the No. 1 seed since Dec. 21 as it pursues its first division title since 2012-13 and will try to fend off Edmonton, who have not claimed a division title since 1986-87.

***

Thursday, April 11 – Every team in Eastern Conference playoff race plays

* Red Wings at Penguins (7 p.m. ET on SNP, SNW, SNE, TVAS, SN-PIT, BSDET) and Capitals at Sabres (7 p.m. ET on MNMT, MSG-B) – All teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race will be in action on the same night for the final time this year, including four involved in head-to-heads. It will be the third straight game Detroit plays against a team they are battling for seeding, the last such contest for Buffalo and penultimate for Washington (April 16 at PHI) and Pittsburgh (April 17 at NYI).

***

Friday, April 12 – Western Conference Wild Card race could be Friday’s focus

* Pending results through the week, this could be a crucial night for the Western Conference playoff picture as the Predators (Wild Card 1), Golden Knights (Wild Card 2), Blues (first team outside the bracket) and Wild (second team outside the bracket) all are in action. Connor McDavid and the Oilers host the Coyotes as they vie for home ice and a shot at the No. 1 seed in the division, ahead of their Hockey Night in Canada matchup with the Canucks, the current first place club.

***

Saturday, April 13 – Presidents’ Trophy race gets ABC/ESPN+ Tripleheader Treatment

* Each game of the ABC/ESPN+ tripleheader involves a team that is currently among the top three in the NHL standings – as well as two that are battling for two remaining Eastern Conference playoff spots – while the Hockey Night in Canada slate features two marquee matchups.

* Also part of Saturday’s slate is a potential First Round matchup between the Jets and Avalanche as the clubs could battle for home ice while Nathan MacKinnon challenges for his franchise’s single-season points record.

ABC/ESPN+ Tripleheader

* Islanders at Rangers (12:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS) – Artemi Panarin could challenge for the Rangers’ single-season points record as they vie for their fourth Presidents’ Trophy, while the Islanders continue their playoff push.

* Kraken at Stars (3 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN360) – Dallas is pushing for its first Presidents’ Trophy in 25 years after back-to-back wins in 1997-98 and 1998-99. They are among a group of eight teams to win the Presidents’ Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season.

* Bruins at Penguins (8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+) – Boston can finish first overall in consecutive seasons for the first time in more than 50 years while Pittsburgh continues its push to become the first team in League history to overcome a nine-point deficit in its final 11 games to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Hockey Night in Canada

* Red Wings at Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET on CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, BSDET) – Detroit continues its push for a Wild Card spot while Auston Matthews could take another shot at the first 70-goal season since 1992-93.

* Canucks at Oilers (10 p.m. ET on SN, CBC, CITY, TVAS2) – First place in the Pacific Division standings could be up for grabs pending results throughout the week.

***

Sunday, April 14 – Past two Stanley Cup champions to meet in MultiVersus NHL Face-Off

* Avalanche at Golden Knights (3:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, truTV) – The past two Stanley Cup champions will go head-to-head on national television in the U.S. which will include a real-time animation alternative telecast dubbed the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off (available on truTV and Max’s B/R Sports Add-on).

* Also Sunday is the final home game of Connor Bedard’s rookie season. With 59 points to date, Bedard has a shot at becoming the eighth player in NHL history with 65-plus points in a season as an 18-year-old – a feat only one active player has accomplished (Sidney Crosby: 39-63—102 in 2005-06; 81 GP).

***

Monday, April 15 – Pivotal playoff seeding at stake entering final four days

* Only the Flyers are idle among teams in the hunt for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, while current Art Ross Trophy race leader Nikita Kucherov plays the penultimate game of his franchise-record setting campaign. If the Wild are still alive in the Western Conference playoff race, their matchup with the Kings on ESPN (9:30 p.m. ET) will be crucial – and is likely to impact seeding regardless of Minnesota’s status.

***

Tuesday, April 16 – ESPN could be airing First Round preview from Sunrise

* Capitals at Flyers (7 p.m. ET on MNMT, NBCSP, SNP, SNW) – Both clubs will contest their regular-season finale, as will the Red Wings.

* Maple Leafs at Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, TSN4) – This could be a First Round preview and/or determine seeding as Toronto opens a season-ending back-to-back in the state of Florida.

***

Wednesday, April 17 – Final day of play for Eastern Conference clubs

* Penguins at Islanders (7 p.m. ET on SN-PIT, MSGSN, TVAS-D) – The final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference could be determined on the last day of play for that conference.

* Maple Leafs at Lightning (7 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, truTV, SN, TVAS) – This game opens a national doubleheader in both the U.S. and Canada as Auston Matthews could make his last bid for a 70-goal season and NikitaKucherov will try to round up his point total in pursuit of his second Art Ross Trophy.

* Blues at Stars (9:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, truTV, TVAS-D) – This could be a decisive matchup in the Western Conference playoff race – and even a First Round preview if St. Louis makes a charge – and could also determine whether Dallas finishes as the No. 1 seed in its conference or NHL standings.

* Oilers at Coyotes (10 p.m. ET on SN, TVAS, SCRIPPS) – Connor McDavid and the Oilers contest the first half of their two-game road trip to end the regular season.

***

Thursday, April 18 – The West will be decided, as will an Art Ross Trophy winner

* The final bracket for the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is likely to come down to the 1,312th and last game of the regular season (Blackhawks at Kings, 10:30 p.m. ET on SN360, BSW, NBCSCH), while the winner of the Art Ross Trophy could be determined when Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid go toe-to-toe when the Avalanche host the Oilers on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports (9:30 p.m. ET).