Saturday delivered the drama NHL fans crave in the final stretch of the regular season. Multiple teams punched their tickets to the playoffs while others saw their hopes extinguished. Heading into Sunday, one spot remains in the Eastern Conference and two in the West, with seeding battles heating up across both conferences.[1][2]
The Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins secured the Eastern wild cards after the New Jersey Devils’ regulation win over the Detroit Red Wings eliminated Detroit. In the West, the Vegas Golden Knights clinched with an overtime victory against the Colorado Avalanche, leapfrogging into first in the Pacific, while the Edmonton Oilers locked in a spot despite a loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken were knocked out in the process.
With every team having three or fewer games left before Thursday’s finale, Sunday’s slate could reshape the bracket significantly. Here’s a breakdown of the key developments and what’s on the line.
Saturday’s results and major shifts
Saturday’s games clarified much of the playoff picture. The Lightning edged the Bruins 2-1, Senators blanked the Islanders 3-0, and Capitals routed the Penguins 6-3. Out West, Kings shut out Oilers 1-0, Devils crushed Red Wings 5-3, and Golden Knights prevailed 3-2 in OT over Avalanche.
These outcomes triggered clinchings and eliminations. Ottawa and Boston now hold the East wild cards, with tiebreakers favoring Ottawa if points tie. Vegas’s win not only secured their playoff berth but also Pacific Division lead, while Edmonton’s spot came courtesy of other results.
St. Louis fell 5-3 to Chicago, and Seattle lost 4-1 to Calgary, ending their seasons. Nashville beat Minnesota 2-1, Dallas topped Rangers 2-0, and Carolina handled Utah 4-1. Full scores include Florida 6-2 over Toronto, Columbus 5-2 vs. Montreal, Philly 7-1 against Winnipeg, and Vancouver 4-3 in SO over San Jose.
For more on Saturday’s action, check ESPN’s playoff watch.[1]
Current first-round matchups
The bracket is taking shape, though Sunday could alter seeds.
Eastern Conference:
- A1 Buffalo Sabres vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
- A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
- M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Boston Bruins
- 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 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth
- P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Anaheim Ducks
These project the most likely pairings, but wild card seeding matters—WC1 likely faces the top division winner, WC2 the Central champ.[3]
Pittsburgh is locked as Metro No. 2. Buffalo eyes Atlantic crown, but Montreal lurks with regulation wins as a hurdle.
Sunday’s key games and stakes
Five games highlight Sunday’s action, all with playoff implications.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (3 p.m. ET, TNT): Caps stay alive with any win or OT loss; regulation loss eliminates them. Penguins are set at Metro No. 2 after Saturday’s defeat.
Montreal Canadiens at New York Islanders (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+): Islanders mirror Caps’ scenario for Metro No. 3. Montreal aims high in Atlantic but needs points edge over Sabres and Lightning due to low regulation wins (33).
Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets (6 p.m. ET, NHL Network): Jackets chase Flyers for third Metro; loss doesn’t eliminate but tightens noose. Bruins’ wild card seeding vs. Ottawa hinges on tiebreakers.
Ottawa Senators at New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+): Sens secure but seeding open. Devils, after upsetting Detroit, hunt standings climbers.
Vancouver Canucks at Anaheim Ducks (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+): Ducks clinch with win or OT loss. They vie for Pacific title but lose RW tiebreakers. Canucks locked for high draft pick.
Utah Mammoth at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+): Mammoth nears WC1 clinch with win; crucial for facing Pacific champ vs. Avalanche. Flames eye draft lottery position. See the full NHL schedule.[4]
Remaining races and tiebreakers
East’s final Metro No. 3 spot pits Capitals, Islanders, and Blue Jackets against Flyers. West wild cards and Pacific seeding (Vegas leads, but Ducks, Edmonton jostle) remain fluid.
Anaheim and Montreal chase division titles but falter on tiebreakers. Boston vs. Ottawa wild card order affects Round 1 foes: Atlantic champ or Hurricanes.
Playoff chances via Stathletes guide projections. Magic numbers drop daily; eliminations loom for bubble teams.
With Thursday’s end nearing, every point counts. Follow CBS Sports for updated brackets.[3]
Draft lottery watch
Non-playoff teams battle for odds. Vancouver locked No. 1 lottery spot (No. 3 pick min). Calgary could swing from second to outside top 5.
Gavin McKenna tops boards. Lottery caps jumps at 10 spots; details here.
Sunday won’t shift lotteries much, but final games will.
The regular season’s end promises chaos. Clinches, eliminations, and seeds will finalize soon, setting a thrilling postseason. Fans should tune in—stakes couldn’t be higher as the Stanley Cup chase intensifies.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.