The Buffalo Sabres clinched first place in the Atlantic Division after their 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
Buffalo winning its first division title since 2010 also locks in a Round 1 matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. Tampa Bay and Montreal are currently tied for second place in the Atlantic with one game remaining each, although the Lightning hold the tiebreaker with more regulation wins.
With the Carolina Hurricanes already securing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres will face the better of the two wild-card teams - Boston Bruins or Ottawa Senators - in Round 1.
Monday's victory was the Sabres' 50th of the season, marking only the third time they've reached the milestone in franchise history, following 2006-07 (53) and 2005-06 (52).
Tage Thompson led the way offensively for the Sabres on Monday, scoring a pair of goals, including his 40th of the season. Alex Tuch also contributed two points, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 15 saves in net.
The Lightning and Canadiens last met in the playoffs in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, which Tampa Bay won in five games.
