The stage is set for a dramatic finish to the NHL regular season. With the final puck drop tonight, the last two playoff matchups will be locked in, completing the bracket for the chase for the Stanley Cup. While six of the eight first-round series are already determined, the Pacific Division is serving up a classic late-season scramble.

The Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings are all in a nail-biting race that will be settled on the ice tonight. Their final positions are fluid, with each team capable of finishing as the Pacific's second or third seed, or falling into the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The stakes are high: the second-place finisher earns home-ice advantage for the start of a divisional showdown, while the second Wild Card team would face the daunting task of taking on the conference-leading Colorado Avalanche.

Adding an extra layer of intrigue is the potential for a heavyweight first-round rematch. There's a very real possibility that the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings could meet in the postseason for an incredible fifth consecutive year, a rivalry that has become a must-watch spring tradition.

As the hockey world holds its breath for tonight's results, here’s a breakdown of the clinching scenarios and tiebreaker procedures that will decide the final puzzle pieces of the 2025-26 playoff picture. The quest for the Cup officially begins this Friday, April 18.