We had a good feeling about Monday's NHL calendar providing quite a bit of clarity in the playoff races, and it delivered.
The Montreal Canadiens clinched the final North Division playoff spot, and now they'll battle with the Winnipeg Jets for the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds. The Boston Bruins' overtime thriller over the New York Islanders cemented their hold on the No. 3 East Division seed, so it'll be the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Isles and the Washington Capitals vs. the B's in Round 1; the latter series begins Saturday following their regular season-ending tilt tonight.