There are three weeks left in the NHL regular season and the musical chairs scramble for playoff seats is about to hit high gear. Though Pittsburgh may be running away with the Atlantic Division, and possibly the top overall seed, the other divisions are getting cut-throat down the stretch.

The Northeast Division is providing some drama with Montreal and Boston revisiting some Original Six rivalry magic atop the standings. Toronto might be in the rear view mirror to the Bruins and Canadiens, but as the quote at the bottom of said mirror goes, “Maple Leafs may be closer than they appear”. Toronto has lost only one regulation game in its last ten and is finally feeling the weight of their playoff drought lifting from their collective shoulders.

The Southeast division winner is in no danger of being awarded the President’s Trophy. The resurgent Washington Capitals have taken over the top spot in the division that no one seems to want to win. Winnipeg may be on the outside (of the playoffs) looking in but they are still only two points out of third place in the conference. Washington has a game in hand on the Jets, but the race for the division crown promises to be a good one.

Here’s a glance at how the Eastern Conference playoffs line up if the season ended today.

1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 8) New York Islanders

The top seeded Penguins look to be in the drivers seat for the number one seed. Even with captain Sidney Crosby out with a broken jaw, and Kris Letang out with a “lower-body injury”,  the Penguins have enough talent to hold the top spot. The Islanders have always been a thorn in the Penguins’ side and are filled with a blend of young talent and seasoned veterans. John Tavares is the best player you have never heard of and elevates the play of everyone around him. Matt Moulson has emerged as an elite goal scorer and Evgeni Nabokov can steal a game at any time.

2) Montreal Canadiens vs. 7) New York Rangers

This matchup could be tagged the overachievers (Montreal) against the underachievers (New York). The Rangers were the sexy pick in the preseason with the roster they had on paper. Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist leads a Teflon-tough defense while captain Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards and Rick Nash are still looking to get their collective scoring chemistry down in time for the postseason. Carey Price will certainly get a nod as a candidate for the Vezina Trophy this season. Along with Norris Trophy front-runner P.K Subban the Canadiens have had a stingy defense with some timely scoring  to be the surprise story in the east.

3) Washington Capitals vs. 6) Ottawa Senators

The Washington Capitals seem to live with a feast or famine philosophy. Are the Capitals this good? Is Alexander Ovechkin back? The fact that Ottawa are still even in the playoff picture is a small miracle considering they have been without their two best players for most of the year. Jason Spezza could return for the playoffs after back surgery and provide a big spark for the Senators. The Capitals look tough to beat with the way they have been rolling lately. A full(ish) season from goalie Braden Holtby could serve them well headed into the playoffs.

4) Boston Bruins vs. 5) Toronto Maple Leafs

I really hope that these two hold their current place in the Eastern Conference standings. With the passion from both fan bases sure to be at a fever pitch, this series could be the best of the bunch. Toronto has a roster with little to no playoff experience. Boston is only one year removed from lifting the Stanley Cup and has a roster full of players that know what it takes to get there. Tyler Seguin, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand lead the Bruins. Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri, Dion Phaneuf and James Van Riemsdyk counter for Toronto. This series will come down to the play of the goalies. Neither have much, if any playoff experience. Tuukka Rask took over for Tim Thomas in Boston this season, while James Reimer will try to prove that he can be the man in Toronto.