The hockey world had a tremendous moment over the weekend when Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. And now, it’s time to hone in on the remaining playoff races.
Ten games populate the NHL calendar on Tuesday, all of which will have some impact on either playoff positioning or the draft lottery standings.
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Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres7 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Hurricanes appear all but completely locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division (and a first-round matchup against the Devils). Meanwhile, the Sabres’ recent heater — they’ve gone 7-3-0 in the past 10 — has pushed them down to No. 9 in the draft lottery order, at the bottom end of a group of six teams in the 71- to 74-point range.
Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens7 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Red Wings lost a few too many games in the month of March, and their playoff hopes are dim but flickering. A win here against the team they’re chasing would go a long way. The Habs are six points ahead of Detroit, though the Wings have one game in hand.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers7 p.m. (ESPN)
Although these two teams were tight in the standings in recent weeks, a skid by the Panthers coupled by an 8-1-1 span by the Leafs have yielded the possibility that they could match up in the first round — as division title winner vs. wild-card team. So this game could have meaning long beyond the final horn on Tuesday night, should they meet again in the postseason. As far as the standings, Toronto carries a four-point lead on Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic into this matchup, and they are six ahead of Florida. The Panthers have a two-point cushion on the current first wild-card team, the Senators.
Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils7 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Bruins were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention in the last week and sit fifth in the draft lottery order, among the bunched group of six between 71 and 74 points. The Devils are likely to finish in the No. 3 spot in the Metro Division, and face the Hurricanes in Round 1 but could theoretically still pass them to earn the No. 2 seed (and home-ice advantage in the series).
Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Ottawa is one of the NHL’s hottest teams, and it allowed zero goals in two victories over the weekend. The gap between the Senators and third-place Florida is down to two points, though they are two behind in the regulation wins column. As for the Blue Jackets, they begin this game eight points behind Montreal for the final wild-card position, and they will need this W along with a lot of help to surpass the Canadiens.
Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins7 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Blackhawks are four points behind San Jose for the top spot in the draft lottery, and have five additional regulation wins if the two teams finish tied after 82 games. The Penguins — mathematically eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend — sit eighth in the draft order right now.
New York Islanders at Nashville Predators8 p.m. (ESPN+)
While Ovechkin scored historic goal No. 895 on Sunday, it was the Islanders who won the game, maintaining a shred of hope that they can rally into a playoff spot. They enter this game seven points behind the Canadiens. Nashville is headed for a top-3 spot in the draft lottery order, although likely no higher than No. 3 given the gap between them and the Blackhawks at No. 2.
Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars8 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Canucks’ playoff hopes have faded precipitously of late, and every game is essentially a must-win at this point — they enter this game eight points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final spot, with five games remaining. Dallas has its sights set on the Winnipeg Jets for the No. 1 seed in the Central, as the team in that position earns a first-round matchup against the Wild (as opposed to the Avalanche).
Seattle Kraken at Utah Hockey Club9 p.m. (ESPN+)
The NHL’s two youngest franchises square off in this one. Seattle enters the game in the No. 6 position in the draft lottery order, but that spot can fluctuate down the stretch as they are in the 71- to 74-point club with six other teams. The Hockey Club’s playoff chances have taken a nosedive, and it officially needs to run the table (and have Minnesota lose the rest of its games) to qualify for the playoffs.
Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
For those willing to stay up late on a school night, the NHL saved the best game for last on Tuesday’s slate! The Golden Knights are well on their way to another Pacific Division title, and the Avalanche seem pretty well locked in as the Central’s No. 3 seed. But, this is certainly a potential preview of the 2025 Western Conference finals, given the star power on both of these rosters — and their recent postseason successes.
With the regular season ending April 17, we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:Current playoff matchupsToday’s scheduleYesterday’s scoresExpanded standingsRace for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa SenatorsA2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida PanthersM1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal CanadiensM2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota WildC2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado AvalancheP1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis BluesP2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Tuesday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
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Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m. (ESPN)Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m.Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.New York Islanders at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.Seattle Kraken at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday’s scoreboard
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, New York Rangers 1Winnipeg Jets 3, St. Louis Blues 1Anaheim Ducks 3, Edmonton Oilers 2Seattle Kraken 2, Los Angeles Kings 1Calgary Flames 3, San Jose Sharks 2
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Playoff Hockey Challenge
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Points: 98Regulation wins: 39Playoff position: A1Games left: 6Points pace: 105.7Next game: @ FLA (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96Regulation wins: 39Playoff position: A2Games left: 5Points pace: 102.2Next game: vs. TOR (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 92Regulation wins: 35Playoff position: A3Games left: 5Points pace: 98.0Next game: vs. TOR (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 90Regulation wins: 33Playoff position: WC1Games left: 5Points pace: 95.8Next game: @ CBJ (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 99.9%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 85Regulation wins: 28Playoff position: WC2Games left: 5Points pace: 90.5Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 79.2%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79Regulation wins: 28Playoff position: N/AGames left: 6Points pace: 85.2Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 5.4%Tragic number: 6
Points: 74Regulation wins: 27Playoff position: N/AGames left: 6Points pace: 79.8Next game: vs. CAR (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0.1%Tragic number: 1
Points: 71Regulation wins: 24Playoff position: N/AGames left: 4Points pace: 74.6Next game: @ NJ (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Metro Division
Points: 107Regulation wins: 42Playoff position: M1Games left: 5Points pace: 114.0Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96Regulation wins: 41Playoff position: M2Games left: 6Points pace: 103.6Next game: @ BUF (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89Regulation wins: 36Playoff position: M3Games left: 5Points pace: 94.8Next game: vs. BOS (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 99.9%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79Regulation wins: 32Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 84.1Next game: vs. PHI (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 8.5%Tragic number: 5
Points: 78Regulation wins: 27Playoff position: N/AGames left: 6Points pace: 84.2Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 2.5%Tragic number: 5
Points: 77Regulation wins: 24Playoff position: N/AGames left: 6Points pace: 83.1Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 4.5%Tragic number: 4
Points: 74Regulation wins: 21Playoff position: N/AGames left: 4Points pace: 77.8Next game: vs. CHI (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Points: 71Regulation wins: 20Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 75.6Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Central Division
Points: 110Regulation wins: 42Playoff position: C1Games left: 4Points pace: 115.6Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 105Regulation wins: 41Playoff position: C2Games left: 5Points pace: 111.8Next game: vs. VAN (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 98Regulation wins: 39Playoff position: C3Games left: 4Points pace: 103.0Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93Regulation wins: 31Playoff position: WC1Games left: 3Points pace: 96.5Next game: @ EDM (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 99.5%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 91Regulation wins: 33Playoff position: WC2Games left: 4Points pace: 95.7Next game: vs. SJ (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 86.4%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82Regulation wins: 27Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 87.3Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0.2%Tragic number: 1
Points: 62Regulation wins: 23Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 66.0Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Points: 54Regulation wins: 19Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 57.5Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 102Regulation wins: 43Playoff position: P1Games left: 5Points pace: 108.6Next game: @ COL (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 97Regulation wins: 39Playoff position: P3Games left: 5Points pace: 103.3Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)Playoff chances: 100%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93Regulation wins: 32Playoff position: P2Games left: 5Points pace: 99.0Next game: vs. STL (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 99.9%Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87Regulation wins: 28Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 92.7Next game: @ ANA (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 12.6%Tragic number: 6
Points: 83Regulation wins: 27Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 88.4Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 1.4%Tragic number: 2
Points: 76Regulation wins: 24Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 80.9Next game: vs. CGY (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Points: 74Regulation wins: 28Playoff position: N/AGames left: 4Points pace: 77.8Next game: @ UTA (Tuesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Points: 50Regulation wins: 14Playoff position: N/AGames left: 5Points pace: 53.2Next game: @ MIN (Wednesday)Playoff chances: 0%Tragic number: E
Note: An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
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The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place 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 No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 50Regulation wins: 14
Points: 54Regulation wins: 19
Points: 62Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71Regulation wins: 24
Points: 71Regulation wins: 20
Points: 74Regulation wins: 27
Points: 74Regulation wins: 21
Points: 74Regulation wins: 28
Points: 76Regulation wins: 24
Points: 77Regulation wins: 24
Points: 78Regulation wins: 27
Points: 79Regulation wins: 32
Points: 79Regulation wins: 28
Points: 82Regulation wins: 27
Points: 83Regulation wins: 27
Points: 87Regulation wins: 28
