NHL Playoffs Buzz: Wild, Bruins look to move up in respective races

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2026 NHL postseason.

There are 20 days left in the regular season and the races for playoff spots and seeding are heating up. The top three teams in each of the four divisions and the next two highest-place finishers in each conference reach the playoffs.

Here is a look at the NHL standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.

On Tap

There are 15 games on the NHL schedule Saturday, all with playoff implications:

Minnesota Wild at Boston Bruins (5 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, NHLN, NESN)

The Wild (41-20-12) are third in the Central Division, three points behind the Dallas Stars for second. They would love to catch the Stars and secure home-ice advantage for the likely matchup in the Western Conference First Round. The Bruins (40-24-8) are in the thick of a tight playoff battle. They hold the first wild card in the East, one point ahead of the Islanders, and are two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division. 

Ottawa Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning (1 p.m. ET; The Spot, TSN5, TVAS)

The Senators (38-24-10) are on a five-game point streak (4-0-1) and enter Saturday one point behind the New York Islanders for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference with a game in hand. They are also tied in points with the Detroit Red Wings. The Lightning (44-21-6) are two points behind the Buffalo Sabres for first in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand.

Florida Panthers at New York Islanders (1 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MSGSN, SN360)
The Islanders (41-27-5) hold the second wild card in the East, one point ahead of the Senators and Red Wings. They're also one point behind the Boston Bruins for the first wild card. They're tied in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are third in the Metropolitan Division and have played one fewer game, and they're one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are second in the division. The Panthers (35-33-3) have lost four of their past six (2-4-0) and are 14 points behind the Islanders for the second wild card in the East.

Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers (3:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, Victory+, KTTV)

The Ducks (41-27-4) are five points ahead of the Oilers (36-28-9) atop the Pacific Division. While the Oilers are trying to catch the Ducks, they also must worry about the Vegas Golden Knights, who are two points behind in third place.

Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins (5 p.m. ET; Victory+, SN-PIT)

The Stars (43-18-11) are second in the Central, trying to hold off the Wild for home ice in the first round. The Penguins (36-20-16) are second in the Metropolitan, trying to hold off the Blue Jackets and Islanders, each of whom are one point behind. Pittsburgh defeated Ottawa 4-3 in a shootout Thursday after captain Sidney Crosby left early in the second period because of a lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes (5 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MSGSN)

The Hurricanes (45-20-6) are first in the Metropolitan, eight points ahead of the Penguins, and tied with the Sabres for first in the East with two games in hand. They've had three days of rest after a three-game road trip that ended with a 5-2 loss at Montreal on Tuesday. The Devils (37-32-2) are 11 points behind the Islanders for the second wild card in the East, but they've won five of their past six games (5-1-0).

San Jose Sharks at Columbus Blue Jackets (5 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NBCSCA+)

The Blue Jackets (38-23-11) are third in the Metropolitan, one point behind the Penguins for second and tied in points with the Islanders, who have played one more game. They're only one point ahead of the Senators and Red Wings, who are the  first teams below the cut line in the East. The Sharks (32-31-7) have lost six straight (0-5-1) and fallen six points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the West.

Seattle Kraken at Buffalo Sabres (5:30 p.m. ET; KHN/Prime, KONG, MSG-B)

The Kraken (32-29-10) are coming off a 4-3 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday that ended a four-game skid (0-3-1). They are three points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the West with a game in hand. The Sabres (44-21-8), who lost 5-2 at home to the Red Wings on home, are two points ahead of the Lightning for first in the Atlantic but have played two more games.

Toronto Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues (7 p.m. ET; KMOV-TV, Matrix-MW, FDSNMW, SNP, SNO, CBC)

The Maple Leafs (31-29-13) are 12 points behind the Islanders for the second wild card in the East. The Blues (30-30-11) are six points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the West with one game in hand.

Montreal Canadiens at Nashville Predators (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SNE, CITY, TVAS)

The Canadiens (40-21-10) have won three in a row and are third in the Atlantic, four points behind the second-place Lightning. They also are two points ahead of the Bruins, who hold the first wild card in the East, with a game in hand. The Predators (34-29-9) hold the second wild card in the West, three points behind the Utah Mammoth for the first wild card with a game in hand, and one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. Predators forward Steven Stamkos has scored in each of his past four games and will look to extend that goal streak to five games for the 13th time in his career, which would tie Mike Gartner for the fourth most in NHL history behind Mario Lemieux (17), Alex Ovechkin (16) and Wayne Gretzky (16).

Winnipeg Jets at Colorado Avalanche (7 p.m. ET; ALT, SNW)
The Avalanche (48-13-10) are nine points ahead of the Stars in the NHL, Western Conference and Central Division standings. They have already clinched a playoff berth. The Jets (30-30-12) are 2-2-2 in their past six games and five points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the West. Forward Mark Scheifele, who 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in his past 16 games, is two points shy of 90 on the season and can become the third-fastest player in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history to reach the mark, following Ilya Kovalchuk (70 GP in 2005-06) and Marian Hossa (71 GP in 2006-07).

Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings (8 p.m. ET; ABC)

The Flyers (35-24-12) are 6-1-1 in their past eight games and five points behind the Islanders for the second wild card with two games in hand. The Red Wings (38-25-8) are one point behind the Islanders for the second wild card with a game in hand. 

Utah Mammoth at Los Angeles Kings (9 p.m. ET; FDSNSC, Utah16, KCAL)
Trying to make the playoffs for the first time in their second season in Utah, the Mammoth (37-30-6) just went 1-3-0 during a four-game homestand that ended with a 7-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. But they hold the first wild card in the West, three points ahead of the Predators. The Kings (29-25-18) are one point behind the Predators for the second wild card, and three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division.

Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY)

The Flames (30-34-8) are nine points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the West. The Canucks (21-42-8) were the first team in the West eliminated from playoff contention.

Washington Capitals at Vegas Golden Knights (10:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MNMT)

The Golden Knights (32-26-15) are third in the Pacific, two points behind the second-place Oilers and three points ahead of the fourth-place Kings. The Capitals (36-28-9) are six points behind the Islanders for the second wild card in the East.

If playoffs started Saturday

Western Conference

(1P) Anaheim Ducks vs. (WC1) Utah Mammoth
(2P) Edmonton Oilers vs. (3P) Vegas Golden Knights
(1C) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC2) Nashville Predators
(2C) Dallas Stars vs. (3P) Minnesota Wild 

Eastern Conference

(1A) Buffalo Sabres vs. (WC1) Boston Bruins 
(2A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3A) Montreal Canadiens 
(1M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) New York Islanders
(2M) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3M) Columbus Blue Jackets

About last night

There were two games in the NHL last night, both with playoff implications.

Red Wings 5, Sabres 2: John Gibson made 28, Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists, Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, and Moritz Seider had two assists for the Red Wings, who broke a two-game skid and moved to within one point of the New York Islanders for the second wild card in the East with game in hand. The Sabres remained two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the Atlantic Division, but have played two more games.

Rangers 6, Blackhawks 1: The Blackhawks lost for the sixth time in eight games (2-4-2) to remain 10 points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the West.  Dylan Garand made 27 saves for his first NHL win, and Adam Sykora scored his first NHL goal for the New York Rangers, who have been eliminated from playoff contention