The New Jersey Devils return to the postseason for the first time since losing in the 2011-12 Stanley Cup finals and face quite a challenge when they visit the Atlantic Division champion Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Thursday. The Devils started the season 9-2-0 before stringing together an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) late in the campaign to seal a spot in the playoffs, and don’t plan to change their disciplined style.

The Boston Bruins were the best team in hockey for a long stretch of the season but with their playoff destiny and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in their hands, they stumbled in the finale on home ice. Instead of opening the playoffs against the No. 8 seed, the Bruins will face a much more dangerous opponent when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

Few teams can match the regular-season success of the Washington Capitals over the past few years, but Alex Ovechkin and company are more concerned with erasing a lengthy history of playoff flops. Coming off its third consecutive Metropolitan Division title, Washington will face a familiar rival when it hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night in Game 1 of their first-round series.

The Nashville Predators have just completed the best season in franchise history, with a Presidents' Trophy guaranteeing coach Peter Laviolette's club home-ice advantage throughout playoffs. The Predators are bidding to make some noise in Music City as they vie for their 11th consecutive victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series.

The Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks were heading in opposite directions as the regular season came to a close, and the Pacific Division rivals will cross paths in the postseason for only the second time as they face off at Honda Center on Thursday in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series. Anaheim ended the campaign with a five-game winning streak to overtake slumping San Jose for second place and home-ice advantage.