NHL: Teams ready for Stanley Cup Playoffs

Sixteen teams are ready to start the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL has yet to announce dates and times for all games in the conference quarterfinals, but the first round will begin on April 11 and the match-ups are set as follows, with the top seeded team of each match having home-ice advantage:

Eastern Conference

Buffalo Sabres (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)

Ottawa Senators (4) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5)

New Jersey Devils (2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7)

Atlanta Thrashers (3) vs. New York Rangers (6)

Western Conference

Anaheim Ducks (2) vs. Minnesota Wild (7)

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. Dallas Stars (6)

Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Calgary Flames (8)

Nashville Predators (4) vs. San Jose Sharks (5)

Going into the final day of the regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were ahead of the Islanders by one point and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but an Islanders win moved them a point ahead of the Leafs and secured their spot into the playoffs. Last year's champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, became the third team to win a Stanley Cup and fail to reach the playoffs the following season.

Having the best regular season record in the league, the Sabres took home the Presidents' Trophy. The Sabres earned 113 points from 53 wins, 22 losses, and 7 overtime losses. The Red Wings won the Western Conference crown with 113 points from 50 wins, 19 losses, and 13 overtime losses.