Nhl playoffs

• The playoff participants may be set, but the contention for where the team will land and who they will face off against has come down to the last night of the season.
(Bleacherreport.com)
• The Canadiens, who had made the playoffs in each of the last four years, finished the season in last place in the Eastern Conference. Tomas Plekanec and Max Paciorietty gave Montreal a 2-0 lead through two periods and Budaj kept the Canadiens in front.
(United Press International)
• Columbus lost its first eight games this season and was never a factor in the race for the playoffs. The Blue Jackets won five of their last seven, but still finished with the fewest number of victories (29) in the NHL.
(United Press International)
• They open the playoffs next week against either Ottawa or Washington. Brad Boyes scored twice for the Sabres, had already been eliminated from the playoff race.
(YAHOO!)
• They open the playoffs next week against either Ottawa or Washington NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice, Stephen Gionta broke a third-period tie with his first NHL goal and New Jersey beat Ottawa for its sixth straight win.
(NHL.com)
• Hockey fans can tune into the NHL Network on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET as the League unveils the schedule for the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The show also will be streamed on NHL.com and will be available on the NHL Network in Canada.
(NHL.com)
• Heres a look at the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs—half of it, at least—and how the matchups came to be; only one was set before Saturdays games.
(Sporting News)
• PITTSBURGH -- If the NHL playoff format were more rational, two of the top five teams would not be meeting in the first round.
(Fresno Bee)
• Stephen Weiss - whos headed to the playoffs for the first time after making his NHL debut with the Panthers 10 years ago - also scored for Florida, which clinched the No. 3 seed and will play sixth-seeded New Jersey in the opening round.
(San Francisco Gate)
• Stephen Weiss-- whos headed to the playoffs for the first time after making his NHL debut with the Panthers 10 years ago -- also scored for Florida, which clinched the No. 3 seed and will play sixth-seeded New Jersey in the opening round.
(ESPN)