Playoff pucks will drop Saturday night, but not everything is locked into place.

Though eight games on Monday night went a long way toward deciding exactly who'll be in the NHL's 16-team postseason picture, there are still some loose ends to tie up across the three nights still left on the 2023-24 schedule.

A division title is still undecided. Only two of the eight first-round playoff series (Winnipeg vs. Colorado and Carolina vs. the New York Islanders) have been locked in, leaving six matches to be made. And four teams are still vying for one remaining wild-card position.

Confused? That's where the B/R hockey team comes in.

We've officially switched into 24/7 mode this week to provide all the pertinent information on the upcoming tournament, including would-be matchups, possible dream series and the most applicable tiebreaker situations as of Tuesday morning.

Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought or two in the comments.

How Things Look in the Eastern Conference

How the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture Looks Right Now

Atlantic 1: Boston Bruins vs. Wild Card 1: Tampa Bay Lightning

Atlantic 2: Florida Panthers vs. Atlantic 3: Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan 1 (No. 1 seed): New York Rangers vs. Wild Card 2: Washington Capitals

Metropolitan 2: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Metropolitan 3: New York Islanders

What Is Still Up for Grabs

The Atlantic Division: Boston had a chance to clinch Monday night but dropped a 2-0 decision to Washington, leaving Florida just a point behind with a game to play for each. If the Panthers win the division, they would open the playoffs with Tampa Bay while the Bruins would start the tournament with Toronto.

Second Wild Card: The Capitals' win over Boston kept them in the coveted "control your own destiny" seat, meaning a win at Philadelphia in the Tuesday finale for both teams locks things for Washington. But a loss to the Flyers leaves the door open wide enough for Detroit, Pittsburgh or Philadelphia to sneak through.

Tiebreaker Scenarios

The Capitals and Red Wings reached Tuesday tied with 89 points and maintaining that two-team tie would be good news for Washington, which has four more regulation wins.

However, it's not inconceivable that either three or even all four of the still-eligible teams could wind up even at 89 points. That would swing the pendulum to Pittsburgh, and the Penguins' 32 regulation wins would win out over the Capitals, Red Wings and Flyers.

If it's Washington, Detroit and Philadelphia that end up knotted, though, it'd go all the way to points earned in the season series between the Capitals and Flyers, and the City of Brotherly Love would celebrate thanks a 4-3 edge,

Got all that? Good.

Matchup Wish List

1. New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders. It'll require a significant (though not inconceivable) first-round upset to set it up, but what more compelling series is there than a duel for the affections of metropolitan New York? They've not met in the playoffs since a first-round series in 1994, when the Rangers won in a sweep on the way to a title.

2. Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning. While we're on geographic rivalries, why not orchestrate a duel to determine the bellwether of the Sunshine State? It could happen instantly if the Panthers overtake the Bruins in the Atlantic, otherwise we'll have to wait for the second round and require the Lightning to handle Boston first.

3. Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs. You want Original Six nostalgia and individual star power? This one would have both and a lot more. The Bruins could slot in against Toronto immediately if they falter in the division race, or this one's on deck for a second-rounder should Boston play to seed and Auston Matthews & Co. beat the Panthers.

4. Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes. Unless you're assigned to the Obscure Stats Department, we'll bet you didn't know Alex Ovechkin has scored more points (104) against the Hurricanes than any other NHL team. That includes five in four games this season. And don't think for a second the league wouldn't want "The Great 8" to make a deep run.

How Things Look in the Western Conference

How the Western Conference Playoff Picture Looks Right Now

Central 1 (No. 1 seed): Dallas Stars vs. Wild Card 2: Vegas Golden Knights

Central 2: Winnipeg Jets vs. Central 3: Colorado Avalanche

Pacific 1: Vancouver Canucks vs. Wild Card 2: Nashville Predators

Pacific 2: Edmonton Oilers vs. Pacific 3: Los Angeles Kings

What Is Still Up for Grabs

The Pacific Division: It's probably done, but it's not official. Vancouver leads Edmonton by three points with two games remaining for each team, meaning the Oilers would have to win twice by any means and the Canucks lose twice in regulation to change the position. The division winner draws No. 1 wild card Nashville in the first round.

Third in the Pacific: It's down to Los Angeles and Vegas for the third spot and a first-round date with either Edmonton or Vancouver. The Kings are a point up (97-96), but they only have one game left while the Golden Knights have two. The "loser" of the two heads to Dallas to open the playoffs.

Tiebreaker Scenarios

A tie atop the Pacific between the Canucks and Oilers goes to Vancouver thanks to its four more regulation wins entering Tuesday. Edmonton will need to engineer a full four-point swing across the final two games to win its first division title of any kind since 1987.

Any wild-card tie involving Nashville goes to the Predators regardless of what team (or teams) it's with. A deadlock with Los Angeles is theirs by the second tiebreaker, regulation plus overtime wins (ROW), while the discussion with Vegas ends thanks to Nashville's superior regulation wins.

It remains possible that Los Angeles and Vegas could end up even at either 97 or 98 points and the Kings would win in both instances thanks to regulation wins. The only way the Golden Knights get past the Kings is to pass them in the standings. No ties will suffice.

Matchup Wish List

1. Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights. Last spring, they went six games to determine which Western team (Vegas) would play for the Stanley Cup. This spring, it could happen right out of the gate as a 1-8 matchup. It'd be a confidence boost for the Stars to quickly KO the defending champs, but the Golden Knights did sweep the season series.

2. Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche. You can go ahead and sign Edmonton fans up for this one right away because it would mean the Oilers have reached the conference finals. It would also give them a rematch with the team that bounced them from that round in 2022. And it would match last season's MVP with the guy who should win it this year.

3. Winnipeg Jets vs. Los Angeles Kings. It would probably surprise no one to learn that the Jets allowed the fewest goals in the Western Conference. But it may be a bit of a stretch to say you knew the Kings—with Cam Talbot and David Rittich carrying the flag—were next-best in that category. Putting them together could result in a low-scoring classic.

4. Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks. There's optimism to spare these days in Smashville, where the Predators rode a 16-0-2 streak into a wild-card position. And it's equally exciting in Vancouver, where the Canucks (probably) scored a first division title since 2013. The season series was one-sided but Juuse Saros can swipe four games on his own.

Looking Ahead to the Stanley Cup Final

Which Team Will Have Home-Ice Advantage?

Imagine a seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final taking place amid the city-that-never-sleeps madness in midtown Manhattan. That's what could happen if the New York Rangers play to their billing as the league's top overall seed, which they wrapped up Monday with a defeat of visiting Ottawa. The Rangers last hung a championship banner 30 years ago, and the President's Trophy win this season could indicate another deep run is imminent.

Matchup Wish List

1. Edmonton Oilers vs. New York Rangers. Speaking of the Rangers, can you imagine that winner-take-all scenario with the league's consensus top player, Connor McDavid, involved? No. 97 hasn't gotten a real sniff of the postseason big time since arriving in 2015, so what better place to be indoctrinated than Madison Square Garden?

2. Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks. These two teams put on quite a show when they last met in the playoffs 13 years ago, with the Bruins finally snapping a 39-year title drought after a seven-game classic that ended in British Columbia. The Canucks went from a playoff miss to a (more than likely) division title this season, and they've got big goals still in mind.

3. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Florida Panthers. Anyone for a 2023 rematch? These two teams met last spring with Vegas skating off with its first title, but the Panthers would be a favorite here considering their strong follow-up season. The Golden Knights have some work to do to get all the way to the title round, but they've got a lot of guys who know the way.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Canada. C'mon, it's been 57 years. Haven't the fans of the True North's largest city suffered enough? Having the league's premier goal scorer provides plenty of reason for optimism, and a title series with the Maple Leafs opposite a Canadian team (there are three legitimate threats in the West) would stretch the internet to its limits.

5. Colorado Avalanche vs. Carolina Hurricanes. Here's one for the late, great World Hockey Association. Though the names have changed, old-school WHA fans will watch this one and see the Quebec Nordiques and New England Whalers, two of the four that made the jump to the NHL in 1979. Note: The Oilers and Winnipeg Jets can sub in if the Avs can't make it.