NHL playoff watch standings update: Race for seeding continues in the East

We know the identity of the NHL's eight Eastern Conference playoff teams -- and have for some time, albeit unofficially until recently. But in what order will they finish? Thursday night's games will give us another set of clues.

The Florida Panthers take on the Detroit Red Wings (7 ET on ESPN+, Hulu), though they are far enough ahead that even a shocking loss wouldn't ding their chances of finishing first in the conference by too much. A more captivating matchup pits the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Tampa Bay Lightning (8 ET on ESPN), as these two are currently poised to square off in the No. 2 vs. No. 3 series in the Atlantic.

However, the Boston Bruins are only one point behind the Lightning, so a win Thursday coupled with a Lightning loss would vault them into the matchup against the Leafs. The team Boston is facing -- the Pittsburgh Penguins -- is tied with the Washington Capitals for the No. 3 position in the Metro Division. The team that wins out in that race squares off with the New York Rangers (the current No. 2 seed) or the Carolina Hurricanes (should the Rangers overtake them). The team that doesn't earns a wild card and could face either the Panthers or the Metro winner.

Oh, and the Rangers (7:30 ET vs. the New York Islanders) and the Hurricanes (7 ET vs. the Winnipeg Jets) are also in action. These teams are tied in standings points for the Metro lead, but the Canes have a one-win lead in the regulation wins column (the first tiebreaker).

Got all that?

As we enter the final stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, it's time to check in on all the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2022 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta of the NHL.

Jump ahead:br/>Current playoff matchupsbr/>Wednesday's gamesbr/>Tuesday night's scoresbr/>Expanded standingsbr/>Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Thursday's games

Note: All times Eastern. All out-of-market games available to stream on ESPN+.

Wednesday night's scoreboard

Watch In the Crease on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.

Expanded standings

Note: x = clinched playoff spot; z = clinched best conference record; e = eliminated

Atlantic Division

x - Florida Panthers

Points: 116