How the Atlantic Division Operates
The Atlantic Division works in the same manner as all other divisions of the NHL. Every division sends the best three teams to the playoffs, where they compete against each other for the coveted Stanley Cup.
There are an additional four teams, the so-called wild cards. Two are sent from the Eastern, and two from the Western Conference. These wild cards are always the next two highest-placed finishers from their conference, regardless of the division. The points they scored are what matters.
This is what happens every season and has been the case since 1979. Due to the wild card system, it’s quite possible for one division to send five teams to the playoffs while the other sends only three.
Now, every season starts the same. First, the pre-season games are played. These games are only exhibition matches and don’t count towards the standings in the division. They are useful for teams to evaluate their current form, capabilities of new players, and more.
When the actual season starts, every team needs to play home and away against every other team in the division. On top of that, they play against the teams from the other division in the same conference. In total, every team plays 82 regular-season games.
The games last from October to April and every team gains points based on the games played and won, goals scored, and more. The points are tallied, and the three top-ranked teams from the division go to the playoffs, plus the wild cards, as we already mentioned.
