How Saturday's results clarified who the Nashville Predators might face in NHL playoffs

Late Saturday night, the identity of the Nashville Predators' first round opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs became a little clearer.

First, the Predators' 6-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets put Nashville close to clinching the first wild card position in the Western Conference.

One point gained by Nashville against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the season finale Monday, or one point lost by the Vegas Golden Knights in any of their final three games, means the Predators take home the top spot.

Then, the Vancouver Canucks won 3-1 over the Edmonton Oilers. This gives the Canucks 107 points and full control of the Pacific Division. Edmonton would need to win all three of their remaining games, and Vancouver would have to lose their final two, in order for the Oilers to pass the Canucks.

This means that the Predators are likely to face the Canucks in the first round when the playoffs begin on April 20.

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The first wild card team faces the No. 2 seed in the conference, while the second wild card team faces the No. 1 seed. The Dallas Stars have a firm hold of the No. 1 seed, sitting atop the Central Division with 111 points with one game to play.

According to Sport Club Stats, as of Saturday, Nashville has a 63% chance of facing Vancouver in the first round.

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Nothing is confirmed yet, however. There's still a 28% of facing Edmonton and a 9% chance of facing Dallas.

The Predators conclude the regular season at Pittsburgh. The Penguins still have a chance to clinch a playoff spot, while the Predators will likely be resting players ahead of the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Latest on Nashville Predators' first-round NHL playoffs path