The 2023-24 NHL regular season concludes on Thursday, and just one of the 16 playoff berths remain available. That would be the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and it could be captured Tuesday night. Four teams are in contention for the position, but the Washington Capitals have the inside track as a victory over the Flyers in Philadelphia earns them the opportunity to face the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the first round of the postseason.

However, the Detroit Red Wings can grab the spot with a road win against the Montreal Canadiens and a loss by Washington. The Pittsburgh Penguins will be watching the scoreboard very closely, as they can swoop in and capture the wild-card berth. Losses by the Red Wings and Capitals would allow Pittsburgh to qualify for the postseason with a victory at the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

Philadelphia appeared to be on track for the playoffs before a massive collapse that began in mid-February severely damaged its chances. The Flyers recorded only seven wins over a 25-game span and now need to defeat Washington in regulation and have Detroit and Pittsburgh both lose in the same fashion.

Two first-round matchups already are set, one in each conference. In the East, the Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Islanders, while the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche will square off in the West. The Boston Bruins are one point ahead of the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division with one game remaining for each team. The division winner will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning and the second-place club takes on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida and Toronto do battle on Tuesday.

Much more is uncertain in the West, even though all eight playoff berths have been determined. The Dallas Stars will earn the No. 1 seed with a loss in any fashion on Tuesday by the Vancouver Canucks, who will finish first in the Pacific Division by earning at least one point against the Calgary Flames. Vancouver has two games remaining while Dallas has just one, so the Canucks still can overtake the Stars for the top spot in the conference.

The Edmonton Oilers still are alive for the Pacific title, as they trail Vancouver by three points with two games left for both clubs. The second-place finisher in the division will battle either the Los Angeles Kings or the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who are fighting for third. Vegas has two games remaining and Los Angeles has one.

The team that misses out on third place in the Pacific will finish in a wild-card spot along with the Nashville Predators, whose season concluded with Monday's loss at Pittsburgh. 

Now, we'll jump into the power rankings as we begin Week 28 of the 2023-24 NHL season. These rankings are based on the current state of the teams that have either already qualified for the postseason or remain in contention, with their overall performance in several categories also factored in. 

Which teams hold surprising spots in the NHL power rankings for Week 28? And which ones are lower than expected? ... Join SportsLine right now to see the NHL Week 28 power rankings from the expert who has covered the league and the sport of hockey for more than 20 years!