Get your popcorn ready, because it's officially playoff time.
While some NHL postseason matchups have been known for a while, many were decided on the final night of the regular season. Here's a look at all eight:
Eastern Conference
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Atlantic Division
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Tampa Bay Lightning (A1)
Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2)
Drawing the Presidents' Trophy winners in Round 1 was probably not what Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen envisioned when he went all-in prior to the trade deadline. The Lightning emphatically swept the season series 3-0, outscoring Columbus 17-3.
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Boston Bruins (A2)
Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)
The Maple Leafs and Bruins will meet in Round 1 for a second straight year after Boston's seven-game series victory in 2018. The Bruins were much stronger down the stretch and won the season series 3-1, which could give them a leg up.
Metropolitan Division
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Washington Capitals (M1)
Carolina Hurricanes (WC1)
The Hurricanes don't qualify for the playoffs often, but they usually make the most of it. Carolina reached the conference finals in its last postseason appearance in 2009, and the team earned trips to the Stanley Cup Final in each of its two playoff berths prior (2006 and 2002). The Canes will be in tough against the defending champs, as the Capitals swept the season series 4-0.
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New York Islanders (M2)
Pittsburgh Penguins (M3)
The Islanders will be hosting a playoff series for the first time since 1988, but it'll be no easy task against a Penguins squad that's getting healthier. Defensive mastermind Barry Trotz slowed down Pittsburgh's offense during Washington's second-round victory a year ago, but can he do that in two straight series?
Western Conference
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Central Division
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Nashville Predators (C1)
Dallas Stars (WC1)
Take the under in this series. The Predators-Stars matchup is the only one in which both teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in scoring. The two squads made the postseason through stingy defense and stellar goaltending.
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Winnipeg Jets (C2)
St. Louis Blues (C3)
The Jets lugged their way into the postseason, and they could have their hands full against the Blues, a club that was dead last in the NHL on Jan. 2 before a miraculous second half of the season. The Jets took the season series 3-1, but these teams haven't met since Dec. 7.
Pacific Division
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Calgary Flames (P1)
Colorado Avalanche (WC2)
There aren't many question marks tied to the Flames, but the one that does exist is a doozy: Which goalie will lead the way in the playoffs? Mike Smith and David Rittich posted both hot and cold streaks during the season, but neither took the job and ran with it. The same can't be said for the Avs, as Philipp Grubauer's .956 save percentage over his final 14 regular-season contests has him entrenched as the club's No. 1 netminder despite playing fewer games than Semyon Varlamov.
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San Jose Sharks (P2)
Vegas Golden Knights (P3)
The Golden Knights sunk the Sharks 4-2 in the second round in 2018, but thanks to the fall of the Ottawa Senators, both teams have added significant reinforcements. Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson are game-changers, and whoever has a greater impact on this series could determine the winner.
With a little under four minutes gone in the second period, McDavid made a hard rush to the net and Flames defenseman Mark Giordano sprawled to stop his approach. That upended McDavid, sending him barreling into the net at top speed.
McDavid remained on the ice for several minutes while training staff attended to him. Teammates then helped him to the dressing room, and McDavid couldn't put any weight on his injured left leg.
X-rays after the game came back negative indicating he does not have a broken leg, the team announced. He will return to Edmonton and undergo an MRI.
McDavid entered the game second in the league with 116 points. With the Oilers missing the playoffs for the second straight year, Saturday's game was his final NHL contest of the season. However, it was believed a healthy McDavid would play for Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championships.
The Nashville Predators clinched first place in the Central Division for the second straight season Saturday after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Preds will now face the Stars in Round 1 following Dallas' victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Scoring could be tough in the Stars-Predators series. Both teams rank in the bottom half of the league offensively and are also two of the stingiest defensive clubs.
Nashville's win guarantees a first-round matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, though the location of Game 1 is yet to be determined.
Nikita Kucherov can now lay claim to the most productive campaign by a player from his homeland.
The Tampa Bay Lightning superstar recorded an empty-net helper to notch his 128th point of the season in Saturday's victory over the Boston Bruins, eclipsing Alexander Mogilny's previous record for most in a single campaign by a player of Russian origin. Kucherov tied the record earlier in the game with his 41st goal of the year.
Mogilny piled up 127 points with the Buffalo Sabres in 1992-93.
Kucherov ranks 21st all time on the career points list among Russian skaters with 462 in 447 games. Alex Ovechkin became the all-time leader on that list in February.
Mikko Rantanen won't play in his club's regular-season finale, but his head coach is optimistic that the star forward will be back for the postseason.
Colorado Avalanche bench boss Jared Bednar told reporters Saturday he's "hopeful" Rantanen will feature for the team in the playoffs, according to The Athletic's Ryan Clark.
The 22-year-old winger will miss his eighth straight game when the Avalanche wrap up their regular-season schedule Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. He's been out since March 21 with what the club classified as an upper-body injury.
Rantanen had been enjoying an even better campaign than his 2017-18 breakout, as he racked up 31 goals and 87 points in 74 contests before suffering the injury. He produced 29 goals and 84 points in 81 games last season.
Erik Karlsson will return to the San Jose Sharks lineup Saturday night versus the Colorado Avalanche for one final tune up before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed.
Karlsson hasn't played since Feb. 26 due to a groin injury suffered just five games after returning from a month-long absence with a similar ailment. The 28-year-old missed 17 games this time around, and stated he'd "100 percent" be ready for the playoffs in early March.
In 52 appearances in his first season on the West Coast, Karlsson has notched 45 points. His return comes at a welcome time for the Sharks, who have stumbled down the stretch with a 2-7-1 record in their last 10 games.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are officially heading back to the postseason after defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 in a shootout.
Friday's result also officially eliminates the Montreal Canadiens from playoff contention for the third time in four years.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen went all-in at the trade deadline to bolster his team's odds at advancing deeper into the playoffs. The Blue Jackets remain the only NHL club without a postseason series victory.
Columbus has now reached the playoffs in three consecutive seasons after making it just twice over its first 15 campaigns.
