The Buffalo Sabres can help their playoff cause and hurt another team on Friday, March 27.
The Sabres are hosting the Detroit Red Wings and can move past the idle Carolina Hurricanes into the top spot of the NHL‘s Eastern Conference playoff standings with a victory or an overtime loss.
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The Red Wings desperately need a win, sitting three points below the playoff line.
Both teams are trying to end lengthy playoff droughts. The Sabres’ drought sits at an NHL-record 14 seasons. The Red Wings are at nine seasons.
But the teams are going in opposite directions. The Sabres are 33-6-4 since turning their season around on Dec. 9. The Red Wings are 3-5-2 in their last 10.
Here’s what to know about the NHL standings, tiebreaker procedures and playoff field for the 2025-26 season:
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 24: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick for defenseman Brett Kulak.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 24: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick for defenseman Brett Kulak.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 4: The Los Angeles Kings acquired left wing Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Liam Greentree and conditional third-round (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 4: The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 27: The New York Islanders acquired left wing Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 26: The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 20: The San Jose Sharks acquire forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks for second-round picks in 2026 and 2027, plus defenseman Cole Clayton.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 19: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-rounder in 2028.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 16: The Anaheim Ducks acquire winger Jeffrey Viel from the Boston Bruins for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Anaheim will give up the better of the fourth-rounder previously acquired from Philadelphia and Detroit.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 8: The San Jose Sharks acquire goaltender Laurent Brossoit, defenseman Nolan Allan and a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for defensemen Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong and a 2028 fourth-rounder.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 29: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2027 third-rounder.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 19: The Montreal Canadiens acquire center Phillip Danault, right, from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 second-round pick.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 19: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 12: The Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 12: The Edmonton Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.
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NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Oct. 24: The Vancouver Canucks acquire forward Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Who’s in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: None
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Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas
Who can clinch today?
No team can clinch a playoff berth today, but the Sabres can move into the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
NHL games today (Friday, March 27)
All times p.m. and Eastern
Detroit at Buffalo, 7, NHL Network
Chicago at N.Y. Rangers, 7
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
As of March 26. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Metropolitan Division
Columbus Blue Jackets (87)
Atlantic Division
Wild card
Sitting out of playoff position: Ottawa Senators (86), Detroit Red Wings (84), Philadelphia Flyers (82), Washington Capitals (81), New Jersey Devils (76), Toronto Maple Leafs (75), Florida Panthers (73), z-New York Rangers (65)
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NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
As of March 26. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Central Division
x-Colorado Avalanche (106)
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights (78)
Wild card
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (76), Seattle Kraken (74), Winnipeg Jets (72), San Jose Sharks (71), St. Louis Blues (71), Calgary Flames (68), Chicago Blackhawks (67), z-Vancouver Canucks (50)
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 26.
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Carolina (M1) vs. N.Y. Islanders (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Columbus (M3)
Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 26.
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Anaheim (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Edmonton (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card
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NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, schedule and tiebreakers