NHL East Playoffs Teams Officially Set

The 8 NHL East ‘offs participants have essentially been known for quite a while. There is still major uncertainty involving the positions, however, the eight teams are known.

Five of the eight have won The Stanley Cup since 2006 (The T.B. Lightning having won the last two, Pittsburgh Penguins won in both ’16 and ’17 as well as ’09, the “Wash” Capitals won their first and only crown as recently as 2018, the Boston Bruins won it in 2011 and the Carolina Hurricanes took the title in 2006.

The other 3 East ‘offs qualifiers have won but one title in 133 possible seasons (’68-2021 with no season in ’05, the Panthers’ first season was ’94) since the Toronto Maple Leafs won one in 1967. (As stated here before, the late Alex Trebek narrated that year’s Stanley Cup highlights film).

That crown was won by the New York Rangers, a 2022 surprise team that is battling Carolina for the “reg” Metropolitan Division title and the 2 seed, behind the Florida Panthers in the East, having done so in “same calendar” 1994.

Florida has never even won a Cup Final game having been swept out by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 final. Do not look now, (I will look at the West down the road) but the ‘Lanche and Panthers will almost certainly be conference top seeds, which however, has meant very little in terms of ‘offs success.

Joe Sakic, pictured years back as a player, helped lead the ‘Lanche to titles in ’96 and ’01 and is now a team executive.