by Aleena Khan

3/21/23

With a little less than a month left in the NHL regular season, there is still much to be decided for the 2023 playoffs. Locally, the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and New York Rangers are all in playoff position. For the first time in more than two decades, all three local teams are on track to make the playoffs. This is wonderful for local hockey fans.

The other Eastern Conference teams currently in playoff position are the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Florida Panthers. If the season ended today, the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs would be the following: 

Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins 

New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes 

New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 

For local hockey fans, the New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils would be quite the series. The two teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 2012. The New York Islanders must beat a top team in the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. If the Islanders were to beat the Hurricanes, the Devils and Rangers would be thankful.

As the NHL regular season comes to an end, these matchups could very well be slightly altered. The joy (and stress) of the NHL playoffs will begin on April 17th. Until then, enjoy the remainder of the regular season.