With the NHL regular season entering its final stretch, more teams have begun to lock in postseason spots.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens have now clinched, tightening the focus on seeding and the remaining wild-card races.
Attention now shifts to division positioning, particularly in the Atlantic, where three teams remain within reach of finishing first. At the same time, multiple teams in both conferences are still battling for the final playoff spots.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres — 7:00 p.m. ET
A key Atlantic Division matchup between two playoff teams battling for the top seed in the division.
Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews looks up the ice during a game against the Los Angeles Kings in the first period at Canada Life Centre.James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
(James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)
Seattle Kraken at Winnipeg Jets — 7:30 p.m. ET
Winnipeg remains on the edge of the Western wild-card race, while Seattle’s playoff hopes are nearly out of reach.
Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks — 10:00 p.m. ET
San Jose looks to stay in the wild-card hunt, while Chicago remains positioned near the top of the draft lottery.
Nashville Predators at Los Angeles Kings — 10:30 p.m. ET
Both teams are tied in points for a Western wild-card spot, making this a critical head-to-head matchup.
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) during a stoppage of play.Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
(Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)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 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 — 95 pts
WC2: Ottawa Senators — 90 pts
Philadelphia Flyers — 90 pts
New York Islanders — 89 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 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.