Saturday in the NHL regular season is traditionally packed with games, and this week is no different. With the playoff races intensifying, an exciting lineup of 11 games is scheduled. Here`s a guide to each game, highlighting what`s at stake for each team.
Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers
1 p.m., NHL Network
Playoff contention is a distant prospect for these teams. While mathematically still in the running, both are more likely focused on the draft lottery than a postseason push. However, draft positioning is crucial, and the loser of this matchup will improve their opponent`s lottery odds.
New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning
2 p.m., ESPN+
This is a crucial game for both sides. The Islanders are vying for the final Eastern wild card spot, while the Lightning are still in contention for the Atlantic Division title.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche
4:30 p.m., ESPN+
Two of the league`s hottest teams clash. Colorado, likely to secure the Central`s No. 3 seed, faces a Blues team that`s holding off challengers and could potentially overtake the Wild for the West`s first wild-card spot.
New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild
6 p.m., ESPN+
In contrast to the Avs and Blues, the Devils and Wild are looking to maintain their playoff positions. The Devils are currently the Metro`s No. 3 seed, while the Wild hold the first Western wild-card spot, with several teams close behind.
Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators
6:30 p.m., ESPN+
The Golden Knights aim to solidify their lead in the Pacific Division, while the Predators are near the bottom of the league standings, focusing on draft positioning.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Ottawa Senators
7 p.m., ESPN+
For the Blue Jackets to secure a playoff spot, winning crucial games like this against a team they are competing with is essential. Columbus is currently in a wild-card position, trailing Ottawa.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings
7 p.m., ESPN+
This matchup could be a Stanley Cup Final preview. Toronto is battling for the Atlantic title, while the Kings are trying to close the gap in the Pacific Division.
Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings
8 p.m., ABC/ESPN+
Playoff hopes are fading for both of these Original Six teams. Both Detroit and Boston are struggling recently and need to turn things around quickly to make a playoff push. This game could be a turning point for one of them.
Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers
10 p.m., ESPN+
The final Battle of Alberta in the regular season. The Oilers are comfortably in a playoff spot in the Pacific, while the Flames are trying to climb into a wild-card position.
New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks
10:30 p.m., ESPN+
The Rangers are in the hunt for a wild-card spot in the East and desperately need a win against the Sharks, who are near the bottom of the league standings.
Dallas Stars at Seattle Kraken
10:30 p.m., ESPN+
The Stars are chasing the Jets for the top spot in the Central Division and are expected to win against the Kraken, who are focused on the draft lottery.
With the playoffs approaching on April 17, we`re tracking all the key developments in the NHL playoff race and the teams vying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
- Current Playoff Matchups
- Saturday`s Games
- Friday`s Scoreboard
- Expanded Standings
- Atlantic Division
- Florida Panthers
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Ottawa Senators
- Montreal Canadiens
- Detroit Red Wings
- Boston Bruins
- Buffalo Sabres
- Metro Division
- x – Washington Capitals
- Carolina Hurricanes
- New Jersey Devils
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New York Rangers
- New York Islanders
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Central Division
- x – Winnipeg Jets
- Dallas Stars
- Colorado Avalanche
- Minnesota Wild
- St. Louis Blues
- Utah Hockey Club
- e – Nashville Predators
- e – Chicago Blackhawks
- Pacific Division
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Los Angeles Kings
- Edmonton Oilers
- Vancouver Canucks
- Calgary Flames
- Anaheim Ducks
- Seattle Kraken
- e – San Jose Sharks
- Race for the No. 1 Pick
- 1. San Jose Sharks
- 2. Chicago Blackhawks
- 3. Nashville Predators
- 4. Buffalo Sabres
- 5. Philadelphia Flyers
- 6. Seattle Kraken
- 7. Pittsburgh Penguins
- 8. Boston Bruins
- 9. Anaheim Ducks
- 10. Detroit Red Wings
- 11. New York Islanders
- 12. New York Rangers
- 13. Montreal Canadiens
- 14. Utah Hockey Club
- 15. Calgary Flames
- 16. Vancouver Canucks
Current Playoff Matchups
Eastern Conference
- A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
- A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
- M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets
- M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
- C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
- C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
- P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
- P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Saturday`s Games
Note: All times ET. Games not on TNT or NHL Network are available on ESPN+ (blackout restrictions apply).
- Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers, 1 p.m. (NHLN)
- New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning, 2 p.m.
- St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche, 4:30 p.m.
- New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild, 6 p.m.
- Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators, 6:30 p.m.
- Columbus Blue Jackets at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
- Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m.
- Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+)
- Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.
- New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
- Dallas Stars at Seattle Kraken, 10:30 p.m.
Friday`s Scoreboard
- Florida Panthers 2, Utah Hockey Club 1 (OT)
- Carolina Hurricanes 4, Montreal Canadiens 1
- Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Vancouver Canucks 6 (SO)
- Winnipeg Jets 4, New Jersey Devils 0
- Vegas Golden Knights 5, Chicago Blackhawks 3
- Anaheim Ducks 5, New York Rangers 4 (OT)
Expanded Standings
Atlantic Division
Florida Panthers
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 103.6
Next game: vs. MTL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Toronto Maple Leafs
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ LA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 10
Points pace: 101.4
Next game: vs. NYI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Ottawa Senators
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 99.6
Next game: vs. CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Montreal Canadiens
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: @ FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 28.0%
Tragic number: 21
Detroit Red Wings
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. BOS (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 2.3%
Tragic number: 18
Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 77.5
Next game: @ DET (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 13
Buffalo Sabres
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 76.2
Next game: @ PHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 14
Metro Division
x – Washington Capitals
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 117.3
Next game: vs. BUF (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Carolina Hurricanes
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 104.8
Next game: vs. NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
New Jersey Devils
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 92.0
Next game: @ MIN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 97.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 86.6
Next game: OTT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 28.7%
Tragic number: N/A
New York Rangers
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 84.3
Next game: @ SJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 18.7%
Tragic number: 19
New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 85.5
Next game: @ TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 24.7%
Tragic number: 22
Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 76.5
Next game: vs. OTT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 11
Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 74.2
Next game: vs. BUF (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 9
Central Division
x – Winnipeg Jets
Points: 104
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 116.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Dallas Stars
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 111.6
Next game: @ SEA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Colorado Avalanche
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 104.5
Next game: vs. STL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Minnesota Wild
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 97.7
Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 96.5%
Tragic number: N/A
St. Louis Blues
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 94.2
Next game: @ COL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 89.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Utah Hockey Club
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: @ CHI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.6%
Tragic number: 10
e – Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 70.6
Next game: vs. VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e – Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 57.3
Next game: vs. UTA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 109.3
Next game: @ NSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Los Angeles Kings
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: vs. TOR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Edmonton Oilers
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 99.1
Next game: vs. CGY (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 95.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Vancouver Canucks
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 91.0
Next game: @ WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 6.4%
Tragic number: 16
Calgary Flames
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 91.2
Next game: @ EDM (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 10.8%
Tragic number: 17
Anaheim Ducks
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. TOR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 8
Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 76.4
Next game: vs. DAL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 2
e – San Jose Sharks
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 56.6
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: `x` – clinched playoff berth. `e` – eliminated from contention.
Race for the No. 1 Pick
The NHL Draft Lottery determines the first-round order, not last place. Teams can move up 10 spots max in the lottery, limiting No. 1 pick eligibility to 11 teams. Matthew Schaefer, OHL Erie Otters defenseman, is currently the top prospect.
1. San Jose Sharks
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
2. Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
3. Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
4. Buffalo Sabres
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
5. Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 18
6. Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
8. Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
9. Anaheim Ducks
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
10. Detroit Red Wings
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25
11. New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
12. New York Rangers
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 31
13. Montreal Canadiens
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
14. Utah Hockey Club
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
15. Calgary Flames
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 26
16. Vancouver Canucks
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
