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NHL Playoffs 2020: Examining Round-Robin Format, Predicting Final Bracket

The top four teams in the NHL's Eastern and Western Conferences will not be thrust into the win-or-go home format the other 16 franchises face in the Canadian hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.

As eight teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup qualifying round, the top four sides in each conference will play round-robin games to determine their seeding for the round of 16.

The Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers in the East and St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in the West earned the top four positions through having the best points percentages in their respective conferences.