With just over a week remaining before the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, movement across the standings continues to shape the postseason picture.
Saturday brought limited shifts in the standings, but the Western Conference’s wild-card race still features multiple contenders, while the Eastern Conference race is as tightly packed as it can be with multiple teams separated by tiebreakers.
Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings — 1:00 p.m. ET
Detroit looks to hold position in a crowded wild-card race, while Minnesota continues pushing for playoff seeding.
Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins — 3:00 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh aims to secure home-ice advantage, while Florida was eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday.
Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers — 3:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia continues its push in the wild-card race, while Boston looks to maintain their big lead at the top of it.
Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators — 5:00 p.m. ET
Ottawa holds a wild-card spot due to tiebreakers and faces a potential first-round opponent, while Carolina continues leading the division.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (35) celebrates with his teammates.Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
(Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens — 7:00 p.m. ET
Montreal remains in the race for division positioning, while New Jersey tracks toward draft lottery placement.
Washington Capitals at New York Rangers — 7:00 p.m. ET
Washington continues climbing back into the wild-card race, while New York remains focused on draft positioning.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche — 9:30 p.m. ET
Colorado continues pushing toward the league’s top seed, while St. Louis remains on the edge of the Western playoff race.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) reacts at Enterprise Center.Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
(Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)Projected Stanley Cup Playoff matchupsEastern Conference
A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Montreal Canadiens vs. A3 Buffalo Sabres
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators
M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Islanders
Western Conference
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Nashville Predators
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 — 94 pts
WC2: Ottawa Senators — 88 pts
Detroit Red Wings — 88 pts
Philadelphia Flyers — 88 pts
Columbus Blue Jackets — 88 pts
Washington Capitals — 87 pts
Western Conference
WC1: Utah Mammoth — 86 pts
WC2: Nashville Predators — 81 pts
Los Angeles Kings — 81 pts
San Jose Sharks — 79 pts
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.