There was just one game on the NHL schedule on Monday, but to make up for it there are 15 on the docket Tuesday!
Whether it’s a matter of playoff positioning or jockeying for position in the draft lottery standings, each contest has stakes on the line for both clubs.
Here’s a game-by-game guide to each of the 15 matchups:
Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Bruins are right in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild-card race — and are even with the Canadiens for the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic based on standings points (the Habs get the tiebreak thanks to having a game in hand). Coincidentally, Boston has extra motivation in games against Toronto, given that the Leafs traded their 2026 first-rounder to the B’s at last season’s trade deadline. Should the pick land in the top five, it rolls over to a future draft, but that just means Boston would love nothing more than having Toronto earn the No. 6 overall pick.
Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Speaking of the Canadiens, there is a scenario in play where their first-round opponent would be the very same team they are welcoming to le Centre Bell on Tuesday. That would take a bit of a heater for the other possible wild cards and a slight slump for Montreal, but perhaps this game will include a bit of message-sending. On Carolina’s side, it enters play on Tuesday as the No. 1 seed in the East, a point ahead of Buffalo, and is 10 points clear of Pittsburgh for first in the Metro. Could the Hurricanes catch Colorado for the Presidents’ Trophy and first overall seed in the playoffs? The Avs have a six-point edge and a game in hand.
Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
The Senators, with 81 points through 69 games, are hoping to avoid sliding out of the playoffs after making their return in 2025. The Red Wings, with 84 through 70, are hoping to get back into the postseason for the first time in their new arena, which opened for the 2017-18 season. Both clubs are on the outside looking in right now, and these points are critical to their pursuits.
Seattle Kraken at Florida Panthers
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Coincidentally, both of these teams have 71 points through 69 games. But although the Panthers’ playoff dreams are hanging on by a minuscule mathematical thread, the Kraken’s are very much alive thanks to the “pillow fight” going on in the Pacific Division, as Oilers center Connor McDavid put it on Saturday. Seattle enters Tuesday four points back of the second Western wild card and six points back of McDavid’s Oilers for third in the Pacific. Florida finds itself in the top 10 of the draft lottery standings but can move up based on the coming weeks.
Chicago Blackhawks at New York Islanders
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Despite some flashes earlier this season, the Blackhawks are lottery-bound for another year; they enter Tuesday in the top three of the lottery standings, and holy smokes this team is going to be loaded when all of these high draft picks hit their strides together in another few years. The Isles are hanging on to a wild-card spot at the moment but are just a tiebreaker behind the Blue Jackets for third in the Metro and a point behind the Penguins for second.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers
7 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu)
Columbus has been one of the NHL’s hottest teams of late and has earned itself a playoff position heading into this one; it’s currently a point behind Pittsburgh for second in the Metro, a tiebreaker ahead of the Isles for the second Eastern wild card, and a point behind Boston for the first (just to confuse things). Philly is in the chase pack peloton in the East, with five points to make up on the Blue Jackets and Isles.
Colorado Avalanche at Pittsburgh Penguins
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
And here we all were in the preseason thinking that Sidney Crosby would need to join his Nova Scotia friend Nathan MacKinnon on the Avalanche in order to make the playoffs. As it stands now, both clubs will be in the dance — it’s just a matter of where. Pittsburgh is the lead team in the Metro mix, a point ahead of the Blue Jackets and Islanders and six ahead of the Flyers. The Avs are the NHL’s top overall team, five points clear of the Stars for the Central and overall standings lead. And yes, this is the Stanley Cup Final matchup in one possible future world!
Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning
7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Speaking of Stanley Cup Final possibilities, this would certainly be a fun one — particularly given the Team USA lineage on the Wild (GM Bill Guerin, coach John Hynes, Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber) vs. the Team Canada cohort for the Lightning (coach Jon Cooper and Brandon Hagel, along with Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, who missed the Olympics due to injury). Beyond that storytelling aspect, the Lightning are looking to chip away at the division-leading Sabres’ five-point lead, while the Wild are hoping to do the same to the Stars for the No. 2 spot in the Central.
Washington Capitals at St. Louis Blues
8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Is this Alex Ovechkin’s final season in the NHL? Is it Jordan Binnington’s final one for the Blues? Both questions will be answered this offseason. For now, the Caps remain on the fringes of the Eastern wild-card hunt, six points back of the Isles and with three other teams to leapfrog. The Blues’ playoff chances are dwindling quickly, but they currently hold a top-five spot in the draft lottery standings just two points “behind” the Rangers, Blackhawks and Flames.
San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators
8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Could this be the first of many trips to the Stanley Cup playoffs for Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and the rising Sharks? Could this be a return trip for Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly and the veteran-laden Predators? Nashville currently possesses the second Western wild card, with 75 points through 70 games. The Sharks are five back with two games in hand, so a win here would do wonders.
New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars
8 p.m. (ESPN+)
What would this Devils season have looked like if Jack Hughes had been healthy the entire way? The current version is on a bit of a heater, having gone 7-3-0 in its past 10, though the playoffs seem like just a distant dream. On the other side of this matchup — a rematch of the 2000 Stanley Cup Final, for the trivia buffs out there — the Stars were the second team to clinch a playoff berth and are now looking to chase down the Avs for the NHL’s top overall seed … and a much easier first-round opponent.
Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets
8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Thanks to the relative down year in the Pacific, the Golden Knights’ 78 points through 71 games has them in second place, four behind the Ducks for first. The Jets, who you’ll recall won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team in 2024-25, are five points back of the Preds for the second Western wild card; simultaneously, they are sixth in the draft lottery standings, so there is a positive way to spin all of this if things don’t get a lot better soon!
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames
9 p.m. (ESPN+)
If the Kings are going to make another playoff run in Anze Kopitar’s final campaign in the NHL, this is the type of game they must win. They enter play Tuesday two points back of the Preds for the second wild card and four back of the Oilers for third in the Pacific. The Flames, who are certainly looking to 2026-27 and beyond after trading away Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri this season, are part of the three-way tie for second in the draft lottery standings; with one of the more talent-laden prospect pipelines in the league, better days are ahead.
Edmonton Oilers at Utah Mammoth
9:30 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu)
Thanks to deft management and coaching — as well as several key players leveling up this season — the Mammoth appear well-positioned to make their Stanley Cup playoff debut this spring. They currently hold the first wild-card position, with 80 points through 71 games, but are 12 behind the Wild for third in the Central; one of those postseason pathways seems a bit more likely than the other. As for Edmonton, McDavid & Co. have some work to do to hold off the Kings, Kraken and Sharks behind them. But, a hot streak could also put them atop the Pacific, as they enter this game five points behind the Ducks.
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks
10 p.m. (ESPN+)
The two bookends of the Pacific Division link up for this one. The Ducks, as mentioned above, hold the No. 1 seed in the Pacific and await a first-round matchup against the Mammoth if they hold on to that position; they are four points ahead of Vegas and five ahead of Edmonton as play begins Tuesday. A whole host of things went wrong for the Canucks this season, and trading away Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers and others was the result of the front office turning the page. With 50 points through 69 games, they are 15 points “ahead” of the field for the top spot in the draft lottery standings, which would guarantee the club a top-three pick this June.
Every team has fewer than 15 games remaining before the regular season concludes April 16, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch every day. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Buffalo Sabres vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 New York Islanders
M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 Columbus Blue Jackets
Western Conference
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Nashville Predators
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Anaheim Ducks vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth
P2 Vegas Golden Knights vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Today’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu)
Colorado Avalanche at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Washington Capitals at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at Utah Mammoth, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu)
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.
Last night’s scoreboard
Ottawa Senators 2, New York Rangers 1
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 95
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 109.7
Next game: vs. BOS (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 13
Points pace: 108.2
Next game: vs. MIN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 13
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: vs. CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 87.2%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 12
Points pace: 100.7
Next game: vs. TOR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 69.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 98.4
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 38.2%
Tragic number: 23
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 97.2
Next game: @ DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 68%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 84.4
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 12
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: @ BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 8
Metro Division
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 12
Points pace: 112.5
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 100.7
Next game: vs. COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 83.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 12
Points pace: 99.6
Next game: @ PHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 85.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 98.2
Next game: vs. CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 50.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 95.1
Next game: vs. CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 10.6%
Tragic number: 21
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 91.2
Next game: @ STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 6.6%
Tragic number: 16
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 85.6
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 13
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 75.1
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 2
Central Division
Points: 102
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 13
Points pace: 121.2
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 97
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 113.6
Next game: vs. NJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 106.3
Next game: @ TB (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 92.4
Next game: vs. EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.3%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 87.9
Next game: vs. SJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 37.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 3.3%
Tragic number: 19
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 79.6
Next game: vs. WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 4.6%
Tragic number: 18
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 76.1
Next game: @ NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.2%
Tragic number: 14
Pacific Division
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 12
Points pace: 96.1
Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 90.1
Next game: @ WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 88.9
Next game: @ UTA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 79.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 85.5
Next game: @ CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 45.4%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 84.4
Next game: @ FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 3.5%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 84.4
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 27.3%
Tragic number: 23
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 76.1
Next game: vs. LA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 14
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 59.4
Next game: vs. ANA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 1
Note: An “x” with a team’s name means the club has clinched a playoff spot.
Race for the No. 1 pick
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 draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State.
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 27
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 18
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 30
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 31
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 27
*Note: The Maple Leafs’ pick belongs to the Bruins, unless it lands in the top five.
