FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2019, file photo, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek (34), of the Czech Republic, blocks New York Rangers right wing Jesper Fast, of Sweden, with Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) slowing Fast during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C. Carolina was one of two teams (along with Tampa Bay) that voted against the current playoff format, which doesn't reward it for being in a playoff spot when the season was paused. But the Hurricanes shouldn't need emergency goaltender David Ayres anymore with Mrazek and James Reimer healthy in net. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

The NHL’s regular season is over and the chase for the Stanley Cup is on if hockey returns this summer.

The league settled on a 24-team postseason format that Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano supported back in March as the coronavirus was shutting down sports.

“You can’t eliminate teams who are out on points percentage or stuff like that,” Giordano said. “I think you go 12 and 12. More teams get in this year, maybe a couple of byes at the top and play it out.”

The top four teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences get byes into the final 16 except for a handful of round-robin games to determine seeding. That’s Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia in the East and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas in the West.

The top seeds would face the winners of these eight opening-round, best-of-five series:

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 5 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 Montreal

Penguins captain and three-time champion Sidney Crosby didn’t mind going directly into playoffs given the limited timing. His reward is a matchup against elite goaltender Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens, who had 15 fewer points than Pittsburgh when the season was halted.

No. 6 Carolina vs. No. 11 New York Rangers

Carolina was one of two teams (along with Tampa Bay) that voted against this playoff format. The Hurricanes shouldn’t need emergency goaltender David Ayres anymore with Petr Mrazek and James Reimer healthy and Dougie Hamilton ready to return on defense.

No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida

This is a rematch of a 2016 series, but basically everything has changed for these teams since. Barry Trotz has put his stamp on the Islanders, and three-time Cup-winning coach Joel Quenneville is in his first season with high-flying Florida.

No. 8 Toronto vs. No. 9 Columbus

If Toronto is to bring the Cup home for the first time since 1967, Auston Matthews and Co. first have to deal with the pesky Blue Jackets who eliminated the top-seeded Lightning in the first round last year.

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 5 Edmonton vs. No. 12 Chicago

Connor McDavid gets just his second taste of the playoffs in his fifth season. No. 97, who had 97 points in the regular season, gets to ride alongside NHL leading scorer Leon Draisaitl against an aging Blackhawks opponent.

No. 6 Nashville vs. No. 11 Arizona

Nashville and Arizona each made a major in-season move. The Predators replaced coach Peter Laviolette with John Hynes and the Coyotes traded for 2018 MVP Taylor Hall. Only one of them will get into the final 16.

No. 7 Vancouver vs. No. 10 Minnesota

The Canucks get goalie Jacob Markstrom back from a knee injury, and he has had the benefit of skating at home in Sweden during the pause. Minnesota interim coach Dean Evason gets a chance to show he deserves the full-time job.

No. 8 Calgary

The constantly changing Flames face the continuity of the Jets, and the winner of this series could make some real noise in the West. Some big changes are probably coming for the loser.