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Through 98.5 percent of NHL schedule, no 1st-round matchup decided

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

No one's got a clue.

The NHL pointed out Friday that heading into the final weekend of the regular season - every team is in action Saturday - nothing has been decided. While 14 of 16 teams have clinched playoff spots, no team knows its first-round opponent, and there are only 18 games left to play.

That's remarkable. It speaks to parity in the league, thanks especially to points awarded for shootout losses. It also means that eight very good hockey teams are going to be going home after the first round of the playoffs.

There's a lot to be decided Saturday:

It's true: The Stanley Cup's the hardest championship to win.

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