The final three days of the NHL regular season will be reserved for playoff jockeying.
The Los Angeles Kings locked up the final spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 5-3 road win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
The Kings charged into the playoffs after promoting former assistant coach D.J. Smith to interim head coach at the start of March following the firing of Jim Hiller.
It will be Smith’s first appearance in the playoffs as a head coach after he didn’t make it during four-plus seasons with the Ottawa Senators.
It marks the fifth consecutive playoff appearance for the Kings, who have lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round the past four years. A rematch with the Oilers is still possible, depending on how seeding in the Pacific Division shakes out.
The Kings haven’t won a playoff series since they captured the Stanley Cup in 2014.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday with all games on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Here are this year’s playoff teams, with final seeding still to be determined.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
Wild Card
Boston Bruins
Ottawa Senators
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights
Edmonton Oilers
Anaheim Ducks
Wild Card
Utah Mammoth
Los Angeles Kings