Two weeks from Thursday, the NHL will conclude its regular season. Despite the proximity of that date, much remains to be determined as it relates to the field for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While each club has less than 10 games left to play, only two have made the playoffs. However, that number could increase by the end of Thursday’s 14-game slate.
buffalo saber Attempting to end the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 14 years. It appears that they are well on the way to do thatAnd with the magic number of two, the easiest way to get the job done is to win. ottawa senators (7pm ET, ESPN+). The Senators are one of the teams vying for wild-card status — they enter Thursday tied for last in the standings points detroit red wings And philadelphia flyersWho coincidentally are also face to face on Thursday (7pm ET, ESPN+).
In Metro Division, carolina storm It also has a magic number of two, and is thus in the same scenario as Buffalo: win and you’re in! Given that either the Flyers or Red Wings will win that game, there is no scenario in which the Sabers and Canes lose (in either regulation, overtime, or a shootout).
in the west, minnesota wildThe magic number is one, so they have more options to punch their ticket to the dance. The Wild hosted it vancouver canucks (8 PM ET, ESPN+), requiring either a win or a loss in overtime/shootout to secure their spot.
Will there be three more teams with an X next to their names in Thursday night’s standings? It is going to be an exciting upcoming season for hockey fans.
Every team has nine or fewer games remaining before the regular season ends on April 16, and we’ll help you keep track of it all every day on NHL Playoff Watch. We’ll provide details on all of the playoff races as we move through the final stages – 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 buffalo saber vs wc1 boston bruins
A2 tampa bay lightning vs a3 montreal canadiens
M1 carolina storm vs wc2 columbus blue jackets
m2 pittsburgh penguins vs m3 New York Islanders
western conference
C1 colorado avalanche vs wc2 Los Angeles Kings
C2 dallas stars vs c3 minnesota wild
P1 anaheim ducks vs wc1 utah mammoth
P2 edmonton oilers vs p3 vegas golden knights
thursday games
Note: All times are ET. Not all games are on TNT or NHL Network Available to stream on ESPN+ (Local blackout restrictions apply).
buffalo saber But ottawa senatorsat 7 pm
pittsburgh penguins But tampa bay lightningat 7 pm
boston bruins But Florida Panthersat 7 pm
montreal canadiens But New York Rangersat 7 pm
detroit red wings But philadelphia flyersat 7 pm
columbus blue jackets But carolina stormat 7 pm
washington capitals But New Jersey Devils7:30 pm (ESPN+/Hulu)
winnipeg jets But dallas stars8 pm
vancouver canucks But minnesota wild8 pm
chicago blackhawks But edmonton oilers9 pm
calgary flames But vegas golden knights10 pm
Toronto Maple Leafs But san jose sharks10 pm
utah mammoth But seattle kraken10 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu)
Nashville Predators But Los Angeles Kings10:30 PM
wednesday night scoreboard
vancouver canucks 8, colorado avalanche 6
Los Angeles Kings 2, st louis blues 1 (OT)
san jose sharks 4, anaheim ducks 3
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 berth 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.
