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The National Hockey League (NHL) is comprised of thirty teams that are divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western) of fifteen teams each. Those two conferences are further divided into three divisions of five teams. Eight out of fifteen teams from each conference make the playoffs. The 2008 NHL playoff schedule is determined by the points gained by each team in the regular season.

In the NHL regular season each team plays eighty-two games. A regulation regular season game is played for sixty minutes divided into three 20-minute periods. If the teams are tied they then play a five minute overtime (OT) session. If neither team scores in OT a shootout is then used to determine a winner. Teams accumulate points by winning games or by being tied at the end of a regulation game. A game won whether in regulation, OT, or by shootout is worth two points. A tie at the end of regulation with either a shootout or OT loss is worth 1 point.

The top eight teams with the highest point totals from conference are then seeded 1-8 with the division leaders automatically being 1-3 regardless of points. In other words the 2nd thru 5th place teams from one division can't be seeded ahead of any division winner even if they have more points than that team. If two or more teams are tied in points the following procedures are used to break the tie. (1) Wins (2) Points earned in games against each other (3) The difference between goals for and against during the entire regular season

The qualifying teams from each conference will then play against each other using the following playoff format: 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5. Each contest then plays a best-of-seven series with the higher seed having home ice advantage. In a best-of-seven series a team needs four wins to advance to the next round. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If a game is tied the teams continue to play 20 minute periods until one team scores to break the tie and end the game. In the conference semi-finals the highest seed will play the lowest seed. The winner from the Eastern Conference then plays against the winner from the Western Conference with the team having the highest regular season point total gaining home ice advantage. These two teams play to win the Stanley Cup and become the 2008 NHL Champions.

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