The NHL playoffs are heating up, and the race for the final spots is intense. The Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets are battling it out for seeding, with the winner taking on one of the wild-card teams. The Canes hold the Metro Division's first seed, but are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the East. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are four points behind the Boston Bruins for the first wild-card spot and two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for second in the Metro. Every point earned in the final stretch is crucial, especially against fellow Eastern teams. With 10 or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes on April 16, the playoff picture is far from set. The Hurricanes are projected to edge out the Lightning for first in the conference, while the Blue Jackets are falling just short of both a Metro spot and the wild card. The Maple Leafs earned a dramatic victory over the Ducks in overtime, and the Penguins' Anthony Mantha lit the lamp. The Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal, and the Sharks' Macklin Celebrini became the sixth teenager in NHL history with a 100-point season. The race for the No. 1 pick is also intense, with only 11 teams eligible for the draw. The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, and the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery. The top draft board for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State. The playoff picture is far from set, and every game matters in the final stretch.
