With 10 days remaining in the NHL’s regular season, the playoff picture continues to tighten as more teams secure their spots while others fight to stay alive. Division races and wild-card positioning remain unsettled in both conferences.
Recent results have shifted the Western wild-card race again, while the Eastern Conference remains tightly packed with multiple teams separated by narrow margins and tiebreakers.
Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens — 7:00 p.m. ET
Montreal has already clinched and continues pushing for Atlantic positioning, while Florida plays out the season after its elimination from postseason contention.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators — 7:00 p.m. ET
Ottawa looks to strengthen its wild-card position, while Tampa Bay continues battling for the top spot in the Atlantic.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit Red Wings — 7:00 p.m. ET
Both teams sit just outside a playoff spot, making this a critical head-to-head matchup in the Eastern race.
Philadelphia Flyers at New Jersey Devils — 7:00 p.m. ET
Philadelphia holds a playoff position but faces pressure from teams behind, while New Jersey nears elimination.
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes — 7:00 p.m. ET
Carolina looks to maintain conference positioning, while Boston continues building on its postseason seeding in the East.
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler.Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
(Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images)
Colorado Avalanche at St. Louis Blues — 8:00 p.m. ET
Colorado continues to lead the Western Conference, while St. Louis remains on the edge of the Western playoff race.
Calgary Flames at Dallas Stars — 8:00 p.m. ET
Dallas continues to hold its position near the top of the Central, while Calgary remains in the draft lottery picture.
Seattle Kraken at Minnesota Wild — 8:00 p.m. ET
Minnesota has secured its playoff spot and continues focusing on seeding, while Seattle’s chances continue to fade.
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (39) reacts after scoring a goal.Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
(Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
Edmonton Oilers at Utah Mammoth — 9:30 p.m. ET
Both teams remain in position for a potential first-round matchup, with division seeding still undecided.
Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks — 10:00 p.m. ET
Vegas continues competing for Pacific positioning, while Vancouver remains focused on the draft lottery.
Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks — 10:00 p.m. ET
Nashville remains in a tight wild-card race, while Anaheim continues pushing for the division title.
Projected Stanley Cup Playoff matchupsEastern Conference
A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Buffalo Sabres vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators
M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers
Western Conference
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Los Angeles Kings
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Edmonton Oilers vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth
P2 Anaheim Ducks vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights
NHL’s Wild-Card RacesEastern Conference
WC1: Boston Bruins — 95 pts
WC2: Ottawa Senators — 90 pts
Philadelphia Flyers — 90 pts
New York Islanders — 89 pts
Columbus Blue Jackets — 88 pts
Detroit Red Wings — 88 pts
Washington Capitals — 87 pts
Western Conference
WC1: Utah Mammoth — 86 pts
WC2: Los Angeles Kings — 83 pts
Nashville Predators — 82 pts
San Jose Sharks — 81 pts
Related: Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard Sends Confident Message Before Sharks Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.