2017–18 NHL Playoff Standings Overview
The 2017–18 NHL playoff standings reflected the culmination of the 2017–18 regular season, with thirty teams competing for sixteen postseason berths. This evergreen explainer details the final conference and division rankings, wild-card qualifiers, tiebreak procedures, and the playoff format used that year. Because these standings are historical and not subject to ongoing change, this status clarifier focuses on verified outcomes and context that remains useful for understanding how the postseason shape was determined in 2018.
Conference Standings and Playoff Qualification
Each conference—Eastern and Western—sent eight teams to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Division winners were seeded one through three within their conference based on points; the next two wild-card teams per conference were seeded four and five; and the remaining three teams in each conference filled seeds six through eight based on point totals. The structure ensured intraconference matchups in the first two rounds, with conference championship winners meeting in the Finals.
Eastern Conference Final Standings (Top 8)
Teams were ordered by points, with regulation and overtime wins (ROW) serving as the first tiebreaker, then total wins, then points in head-to-head games. The Metropolitan and Atlantic division structures shaped the bracket, with Pittsburgh and Washington earning high seeds, while Columbus and New York teams filled wild-card and lower-seeded slots.
Western Conference Final Standings (Top 8)
The West featured defending Presidents’ Trophy winners and deep playoff contenders. Top seeds included teams from the Central and Pacific, with point totals and tiebreaks determining whether wild-card teams entered above or below division champions in the seeding order.
| Metric | 2017–18 Value | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Total Teams in Playoffs | 16 (8 per conference) | Official NHL |
| Division Winners per Conference | 3 | Official NHL |
| Wild-Card Teams per Conference | 2 | Official NHL |
| Playoff Format | 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th (within conference), all best-of-seven | Official NHL |
| Tiebreak Priority (simplified) | POINTS → ROW → TOTAL WINS → Head-to-head points → Fewer games in season schedule | Official NHL 2017–18 rules |
Division and Wild-Card Breakdown
Each conference contained two divisions. Within divisions, teams faced each other more frequently, making divisional performance influential. Wild-card teams were not reseeded in the first round, preserving bracket stability. The standings after the final regular-season game determined home-ice advantage for eligible rounds.
Key Tiebreak Scenarios
In tight races, teams could be separated by as little as a single point or a handful of regulation wins. Head-to-head points and the fewest games played in common schedules were decisive in rare instances where teams finished with identical points totals. Understanding these tiebreaks clarifies why certain teams held higher seeds despite equal points.
Notable Standings Features
- Central Division races often involved multiple teams within a few points.
- Metropolitan and Atlantic wild cards frequently came down to late-season form.
- In the West, the Pacific and Central produced deep playoff fields, with wild cards sometimes matching division winners in the first round.
Playoff Bracket Structure and Seeding
Seeding directly influenced matchups: the conference’s top team played the lowest remaining seed, while higher-seeded teams advanced to face progressively weaker opponents. This design rewarded regular-season success and made early-round upsets less likely but still possible. By the second round, remaining teams often had similar point totals, reflecting competitive balance within each conference.
Historical Context and Relevance
Although the 2017–18 season concluded years ago, its standings illustrate foundational NHL playoff mechanics that persist into modern seasons. Points systems, tiebreak hierarchies, and conference-based seeding are durable concepts. Teams finishing near the cutoff demonstrated how close races can shape playoff access, offering evergreen reference points for evaluating future seasons’ standings.
FAQ
Reader questions
How many teams made the 2018 NHL playoffs?
Sixteen teams advanced: eight from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference.
What was the tiebreaker used if teams were tied on points in 2018?
The primary tiebreaker sequence began with regulation and overtime wins (ROW), followed by total wins, then points in head-to-head matchups, and finally fewer games played in common matchups.
Did wild-card teams get reseeded in the first round in 2018?
No. Wild-card teams entered the bracket based on their regular-season point totals but were not reseeded after the first round draw.
How were division winners seeded in 2018 playoffs?
Division winners were automatically seeded one through three in their conference based on their point totals, ahead of wild-card qualifiers.
Why is the 2017–18 playoff structure still relevant?
It exemplifies the enduring elements of NHL playoff design—conference play, division seeding, and tiebreak procedures—that inform current and future seasons.