The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2020 NHL Return to Play. We’ll break down the NHL playoff games today with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
• The Flyers took the top seed in the East, while the Lightning settle for the second and lost Victor Hedman to injury.
• Meanwhile, the Golden Knights beat the Avalanche in overtime to take the West top seed.
• In case you missed it, five playoff series ended on a wild Friday of NHL action.
• Also note that Phase 2 of the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery takes place on Monday (6 p.m. ET - NBCSN).
NHL GAMES TO DETERMINE FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS TODAY
Round-robin: Bruins vs. Capitals, 12 p.m. ET, NBCSN; livestream: The winner earns the third seed, and will face the Islanders. Meanwhile, the loser sinks to fourth, and draws the Hurricanes. The Bruins already stomached the indignity of being a Presidents’ Trophy winner not getting the top seed in their conference; will they fall to fourth? How much will each team put into this game as experienced squads dealing with some injury headaches? We’ll see. Maybe it hinges on how much each team would prefer the Islanders vs. Hurricanes as opponents.
Round-robin: Blues vs. Stars, 3 p.m. ET, NBC; livestream: It’s a lot like the East situation. By winning, the Blues or Stars get the third seed, and would face the Flames. Meanwhile, the loser sinks to fourth in the West, and draws the Canucks. We’re in a situation where the Blues could finish fourth despite boasting the most standings points of the West, depending upon how things go. Strange times.
Game 5: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 8 p.m. ET; livestream: Speaking of strange times, it sure didn’t look like we’d see a Game 5 of what could be remembered as a classic series. How will the Blue Jackets respond after coughing up a late 3-0 lead in the third period of Game 4? Did the Maple Leafs set the stage for a different type of heartache? Will the Lightning face the explosive Maple Leafs in a star-studded series, or face a rematch against the Blue Jackets after they swept Tampa Bay during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Expect high drama, and maybe some twists and turns. The past two games of Maple Leafs - Blue Jackets went to overtime, so could this happen again in Game 5?
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Updated NHL Round-robin standings; Some matchups now set for 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs
EAST
Top seed: Flyers (3-0-0, 6 points) Philadelphia will face Canadiens in First Round
Second seed: Lightning (2-1-0, 4 points) Tampa will face winner of Game 5 CBJ - TOR
Capitals (0-1-1, 1 point)
Bruins (0-2-0, 0 points)
• Philadelphia will play Montreal in the First Round.
• Tampa will play the winner of Toronto/Columbus series.
• Winner of BOS/WSH will be #3 seed and play the Islanders; the loser will be #4 and play Carolina.
WEST
Top Seed: Golden Knights (3-0-0, 6 points); Vegas faces Blackhawks in First Round
Second Seed: Avalanche (2-0-1, 5 points); Colorado faces Coyotes in First Round
Blues (0-2-0, 0 points)
Stars (0-2-0, 0 points)
• Vegas will play Chicago, while Colorado will play Arizona in the First Round.
• Winner of STL/DAL will be #3 seed and play Calgary; the loser will be #4 and play Vancouver.
MORE:
• 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers schedule
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
