The 2017-18 NHL regular season is winding down to a close. The inaugural season for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights could not have gone any better as they secured the Pacific Division title. In doing so, they shattered the record for the best season by an expansion team in any sport. While that division has been decided, there is still a lot to play for in the other divisions as teams make their final push for the playoffs. Below is a look at what's at stake over the final games in each division.
Atlantic
The Boston Bruins have taken over the division lead as the young team has refused to lose over the second half of the season.
In the rare event that they do take a loss, the team has managed to get to overtime, collecting valuable points that are the difference right now over the Tampa Lightning.
With a two-point lead and a game in hand, it is the Bruins' division to lose right now. Tampa has announced that they are sitting star player Steven Stamkos until the playoffs as he recovers from a minor injury so they may have resigned themselves to the No. 2 seed in the division.
Metropolitan
The Washington Capitals have all but clinched the division, but the race for spots two through five is still anyone's to claim. Only three points separate Pittsburgh, Columbus, New Jersey, and Philadelphia in the standings, with each team still having three games to play.
Two of these teams will face off as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the division, while the remaining two will be the likely Wild Card teams. The most likely scenario sees Pittsburgh and Columbus facing off while New Jersey and Philadelphia pick their poison of division winners in the first round.
Central
Oh, how the mighty have fallen as Chicago sits in last place of the division.
The Nashville Predators are showing last season was no fluke as they are about to clinch the President's Trophy for the best record in the league.
Behind them, the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild are on a collision course for the first round of the playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues are still alive and battling for the final Wild Card spot.
With a game in hand, the Blues might have enough left in the tank to steal the final spot.
Pacific
The Vegas Golden Knights have already set the hockey world on fire this season. Making the playoffs was a feat unto itself. Clinching the division has been icing on the cake. The young team isn't satisfied though and is looking to make the most of the historic season.
San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim are battling for the two spots behind Vegas, with only three points separating the teams. The odd team out will likely find themselves playing Vegas in the first round as a Wild Card team.
Wild Cards
The Wild Card races seem to be just about set, minus the final seeding. In the east, Florida is clinging to life to try and break into one of the two spots, but with only three games remaining, their recent losses might have put them out of reach for good. Over in the West, Dallas is looking at the same fate as they have not been able to keep pace with Colorado over the last few weeks and the five-point gap is likely too much to overcome.