THE RACE TO THE CUP STARTS HERE

Leaguewide parity produces intriguing first-round matchups in NHL playoffs

In a finish that supports Commissioner Gary Bettman’s claims about parity ruling the NHL, the final Stanley Cup playoff spots and matchups weren’t determined until the final weekend of the season.

The Nashville Predators finished No. 1 in the Western Conference and in the league, but the Vegas Golden Knights became the biggest surprise by finishing first in the Pacific Division in their first season. The Kings got back in as a wild-card team a year after their miss led to the dismissal of coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi, and the Ducks and San Jose Sharks joined them in the playoffs for a California trifecta.

In the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning skidded to the finish but got the No. 1 seeding when the Boston Bruins lost to the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The New Jersey Devils qualified for the first time since their 2012 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Kings, and the Philadelphia Flyers joined them after missing out last season. The two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins reached the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the NHL.

The team with the best record in each conference plays the wild-card team with the fewest points, and the other division winner faces the other wild-card team. The second- and third-place teams within each division face each other.

The first-round winners within each bracket will meet to determine the four conference finalists. Shown below, the winners across the top and across the bottom will face each other in a conference semifinal. Those winners will meet in the conference final.

A look at the matchups: