Playoff Countdown: Kings, Blackhawks in rematch

Saturday, April 11, marks the conclusion to the 2014-15 regular season. Yet, much remains to be decided in the frantic run to the finish line, including playoff positioning and numerous individual accomplishments and milestones. To celebrate the countdown to the end of the season and the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 15, NHL.com will provide a piece of playoff-related content each day.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues can clinch a berth in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday while the Los Angeles Kings continue their playoff push in a rematch of the 2014 Western Conference Final.

The Kings (37-24-14) face the Chicago Blackhawks (45-24-6), who they defeated in seven games last spring en route to their second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons.

While the Blackhawks are closing in on a seventh consecutive postseason berth, the Kings enter one point behind the Calgary Flames for third place in the Pacific and two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the playoffs from the West. They have a game in hand on each of those teams.

This is the conclusion of a five-game road trip for the Kings, who won the first three before losing to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

The Lightning (46-23-7) can clinch by either defeating the Montreal Canadiens (47-21-8) or gaining a point through an overtime or shootout loss. The Lightning will be aiming for a five-game season sweep of the Canadiens, who they trail by three points for first place in the Atlantic Division.

There are multiple scenarios in which the Blues (46-22-7) can get in; the easiest involves them defeating the Vancouver Canucks (43-27-5) in either regulation or overtime. If the Blues defeat the Canucks in a shootout, or lose in overtime or a shootout, they would need help. The Canucks need the two points as they continue their playoff push; they're second in the Pacific Division with 91 points, two ahead of the Flames and three up on the Kings. If the Canucks lose in any fashion, the Anaheim Ducks will clinch the Pacific Division title.

The Flames (41-28-7) can guarantee they're still occupying a playoff spot at the end of the night with a road win against the Dallas Stars (37-29-10), who are in desperation mode at six points out. Ditto the Colorado Avalanche (35-28-12), who are eight points out as they host the Edmonton Oilers (22-40-13).

Here's a closer look at the action Monday:

Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens (7:30 p.m. ET; SUN, RDS, SNE)

Vancouver Canucks at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; SNP, FS-MW)

Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVA Sports, SNO, CSN-CH)

Calgary Flames at Dallas Stars (8:30 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-SW)

Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; SN1, ALT)

Buffalo Sabres at Arizona Coyotes (10 p.m. ET; MSG-B, BELL TV, FS-A PLUS)

The top three teams in each division will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots are filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season points and regardless of division. It is possible for one division to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends just three.

Seeding of the wild-card teams within each divisional playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The division winner with the most points in the conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the fewest points; the division winner with the second-most points in the conference will play the wild-card team with the second-fewest points.

The teams finishing second and third in each division will play in the first round of the playoffs. There is no reseeding as the tournament moves to the second round and winners of that series advance to the conference championship series and the right to play in the Stanley Cup Final.