There have been several changes to the Eastern Conference playoff teams over the past few weeks buffalo saber, tampa bay lightning And carolina stormWho appear to be quite stable in their positions at the top of the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions respectively.
There are two teams riding the teacup pittsburgh penguins And New York Islanders.
The ship has probably sailed on any club catching the Canes for the No. 1 seed in the division, but both are in the mix for the No. 2 and 3 seeds; And if the pair reaches those spots, they will advance to the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The final match of the regular season between the clubs is on Monday (7 p.m. ET, NHL Network), and they have split the season series up to this point. So this final game will have a big impact on the standings.
Heading into Monday’s game, the Isles will be in the No. 2 position with 89 points and 28 regulation wins through 74 games; The Penguins are ranked No. 3 with 88 points and 29 regulation wins in 73 games. What are the chances of their matchup in Round 1?
According to Statlets’ projections, there is a 27.03% chance of Penguins-Islanders being one of the first matchups in the 2026 bracket. But it’s more likely that there’s a third metro team in the mix – the columbus blue jackets –takes place of islands; Statletts projects the Penguins-Blue Jackets first-round series to occur in 33.34% of simulations.
Given the small margin, the expectation is that this race will come down to the final days of the regular season.
Each team has no more than 11 games remaining before the regular season ends on April 16, and we’ll help you keep track of it all on the NHL Playoff Watch every day. We’ll provide details on all of the playoff races as we cross the final stretch – as well as the teams vying for a spot in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.
Note: Playoff odds are through statelets.
Proceed:
Current playoff matchups
today’s program
last night’s score
extended position
race for the number 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
eastern conference
A1 tampa bay lightning vs wc2 columbus blue jackets
A2 buffalo saber vs a3 montreal canadiens
M1 carolina storm vs wc1 boston bruins
m2 New York Islanders vs m3 pittsburgh penguins
western conference
C1 colorado avalanche vs wc2 Nashville Predators
C2 dallas stars vs c3 minnesota wild
P1 anaheim ducks vs wc1 utah mammoth
P2 edmonton oilers vs p3 vegas golden knights
today’s games
Note: All times are ET. Not all games are on TNT or NHL Network Available to stream on ESPN+ (Local blackout restrictions apply).
pittsburgh penguins But New York Islanders7pm (NHLN)
calgary flames But colorado avalanche8:30 pm
vancouver canucks But vegas golden knights10 pm
Toronto Maple Leafs But anaheim ducks10 pm
st louis blues But san jose sharks10 pm
last night’s scoreboard
New York Rangers 3, Florida Panthers 1
tampa bay lightning 3, Nashville Predators 2
montreal canadiens 3, carolina storm 1
boston bruins 4, columbus blue jackets 3 (SO)
New Jersey Devils 5, chicago blackhawks 3
philadelphia flyers 2, dallas stars 1 (OT)
extended position
Note: “x” next to the team name means the club has clinched a playoff spot. The “E” means the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero, and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.
Atlantic Division
metro division
Central Division
Pacific Division
Race for number 1 selection
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes last is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the drawing for the No. 1 pick. Full details of the process can be found here. Topping the draft boards this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward from Penn State.
*Note: The Maple Leafs have a favorite over the Bruins unless they finish in the top five.
