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Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios: April 9

Wednesday, 04.09.2014 / 11:39 AM / Expert Picks

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Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios: April 9
Clinching scenarios: Red Wings and Blue Jackets can clinch Stanley Cup Playoffs berths tonight, while Ducks can clinch Pacific Division title.

The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets can clinch Stanley Cup Playoffs berths Wednesday, while the Anaheim Ducks can clinch the Pacific Division title. Here are the scenarios:

DETROIT RED WINGS

The Red Wings would clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they get at least one point against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

The Blue Jackets would clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they defeat the Dallas Stars in any fashion.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

The Ducks would clinch the Pacific Division title if they defeat the San Jose Sharks in any fashion. That result also would clinch a first-round matchup between the Sharks and Los Angeles Kings, with the Sharks having home-ice advantage.

NOTE: A loss by the Red Wings in any fashion would clinch a first-round matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, with home-ice advantage to be determined.

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY ...

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers have already qualified for the playoffs. The St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild have locked down a spot in the postseason from the Western Conference.

As has been the case since 1979-80, 16 teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This season, however, the format is a set bracket that is largely division-based with wild cards.

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

In the First Round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record; the wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner.

The teams finishing second and third in each division will meet in the First Round within the bracket headed by their respective division winners. First-round winners within each bracket play one another in the Second Round to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals.

Home-ice advantage through the first two rounds goes to the team that placed higher in the regular-season standings. In the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, home-ice advantage goes to the team that had the better regular-season record -- regardless of the teams' final standing in their respective divisions.

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