It’s April, which means that the Calder Cup Playoff races are in full bloom.

FloSports will be breaking down the playoff races as the regular-season schedule counts down to its conclusion April 20. Who’s in? Who’s out. Who might be in? Who’s in trouble?

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The American Hockey League also publishes a handy Playoff Primer during the stretch drive to the Calder Cup Playoffs with all of the statistical breakdown, schedule, strength of schedule, and much more. A full look at the ins and outs of playoff qualification rules is here as well.

Who Is In

Eastern Conference

Charlotte Checkers

Hershey Bears

Laval Rocket

Providence Bruins

Rochester Americans

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Western Conference

Abbotsford Canucks

Chicago Wolves

Colorado Eagles

Grand Rapids Griffins

Milwaukee Admirals

Ontario Reign

Texas Stars

Who Can Clinch Tonight

Eastern Conference

None

Western Conference

None

In The Hunt

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Monsters

Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Springfield Thunderbirds

Syracuse Crunch

Toronto Marlies

Western Conference

Bakersfield Condors

Calgary Wranglers

Coachella Valley Firebirds

Rockford IceHogs

San Jose Barracuda

In Trouble

Eastern Conference

Belleville Senators

Western Conference

San Diego Gulls

On The Brink

Eastern Conference

Hartford Wolf Pack

Henderson Silver Knights

Iowa Wild

Utica Comets

Eliminated

Eastern Conference

Bridgeport Islanders

Manitoba Moose

Tonight's Games With Key Playoff Implications

Charlotte Checkers at Providence Bruins – 7:00 p.m. ET

A little more than a week ago in Charlotte, it was the Checkers who swept back-to-back games against the P-Bruins in the teams' first meetings this season by decisions of 6-3 and 5-2.

The Checkers are three points off the Atlantic Division pace set by the Hershey Bears. Providence is fourth in the division, three points behind the Checkers and yielding a game in hand. In between the Checkers and P-Bruins are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Charlotte saw a swap of blueliners this week as Jaycob Megna moved up to the Florida Panthers while Tobias Bjornfot returned to the Checkers. Bjornfot, 23, is 2-14-16 in 43 games for the Checkers while also dressing for 14 games with Florida.

Providence has added forward Dalton Bancroft on an ATO. The Cornell forward, who is the son of long-time defenseman Steve Bancroft, signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins on Friday morning before joining the P-Bruins. He had 15-12-27 in 36 games with Cornell this season.

Both teams face a packed weekend. The Checkers visit Bridgeport on Saturday night while the P-Bruins are at Utica. Charlotte and Providence will then re-convene at Amica Mutual Pavilion for a Sunday matinee.

Toronto Marlies at Syracuse Crunch – 7:00 p.m. ET

The playoff race has tightened considerably on the Marlies lately, especially after two bad home losses to the Bridgeport Islanders and Utica Comets in the past week.

Three points separate the third-place Marlies (76 points) from the fifth-place Cleveland Monsters (73 points) in the North Division. In fourth place are the Crunch at 74 points, who are coming off a key win this past Wednesday night at Belleville.

The teams will finish their home-and-home series Saturday afternoon at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

What's At Stake

In the Atlantic Division, the first- and second-place finishers will receive a first-round bye and avoid a best-of-three series.

In the North Division and Central Division, the first-place finisher will receive a first-round bye and avoid a best-of-three series. The second- and third-place finishers advance to a best-of-five match-up. The fourth- and fifth-place finishers will stage a best-of-three series for the right to face the first-place finisher in a best-of-five match-up.

And in the Pacific Division, the first-place finisher will also receive a first-round bye and avoid a best-of-three series. However, the second- through seventh-place finishers will all play a best-of-three series (second versus seventh, third versus sixth, fourth versus fifth). The winners of those series will advance to the next round to play best-of-five series.

The Hershey Bears are attempting to become the first team to win three consecutive Calder Cup championships since Springfield did it between 1960-62. They defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds in each of the past two Calder Cup Finals.

If The Calder Cup Playoffs Started Today

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Springfield Thunderbirds

Providence Bruins –  Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Cleveland Monsters – Syracuse Crunch

Grand Rapids Griffins – Rockford IceHogs

Ontario Reign – Tucson Roadrunners

Abbotsford Canucks – San Jose Barracuda

Coachella Valley Firebirds – Calgary Wranglers

all series best-of-three

Hershey Bears – TBD

Charlotte Checkers – TBD

Laval Rocket – TBD

Rochester Americans – Toronto Marlies

Milwaukee Admirals – Chicago Wolves

Colorado Eagles – TBD

all series best-of-five

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