The North Division playoff matchups have been set after the Winnipeg Jets beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-0 Tuesday to clinch third place in the division.
As a result, the top-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs will host the fourth-seeded Montreal Canadiens, while the No. 2 seed Edmonton Oilers will host the Jets.
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Both series carry plenty of historical significance. The Original Six matchup between Toronto and Montreal will be the 16th such series but the first one since 1979, when the Canadiens swept the Maple Leafs on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. Overall, the Canadiens have won eight of the 15 prior series but the Maple Leafs have won four of the seven times when the teams met in the championship round.
The Oilers and original Jets rivalry has plenty of playoff history as well. The Oilers and Jets both entered the NHL in 1979-80 and would go on to meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times over the next 10 years. The rivalry was very one-sided, however, with the dynasty Oilers winning all six series and the Jets only winning four games, three of them in the final series in 1990. Now these teams will get a chance to write a new playoff chapter with their first meeting since Atlanta re-located to Winnipeg 10 years ago.
The North Division playoffs will begin next week with all games broadcast on Sportsnet and SN Now.
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