NHL Playoffs Buzz: Penguins, Islanders meet with 2nd in Metro on the line

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

There are 18 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.

Clinching scenario 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

The Minnesota Wild (idle) will clinch a playoff berth if the Vancouver Canucks defeat the Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNP) in any fashion AND the St. Louis Blues defeat the San Jose Sharks (10 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, NBCSCA+) in regulation.

On Tap

There are five games on the NHL schedule Monday, all with playoff implications:

Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSGSN, NHLN, TVAS)

Will Sidney Crosbyreturn for a huge game? Crosby took full contact in practice and traveled with the Penguins on Sunday after missing a 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday with a lower-body injury. Coach Dan Muse called him day to day. Evgeni Malkin also took full contact Sunday after being sidelined three games with an upper-body injury. Muse called him day to day too, but the team announced he won't play Monday. The Penguins (36-21-16) are third in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind the Islanders (42-27-5). The Penguins have a game in hand. The are tied in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hold the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche (8:30 p.m. ET; ALT, Prime)

Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 48 goals and is looking to win the Rocket Richard Trophy as the League’s goal-scoring champion for the first time. The Avalanche (48-14-1) are six points ahead of the Dallas Stars for first in the Central Division and eight ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy. They have a 10-game point streak against the Flames at Ball Arena in Denver. The Flames (31-34-8) are seven points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Vancouver Canucks at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNP)

John Tortorella will debut as coach of the Golden Knights after Bruce Cassidy was fired Sunday. Cassidy led Vegas to the Stanley Cup in 2023, and the Golden Knights (32-16-16) are in a playoff spot with eight games to go. But they’re third in the Pacific Division, four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, the first team below the cut line in the West, and have gone 8-15-4 since Jan. 19. Tortorella won the Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and ranks ninth in NHL history with 770 wins. The Canucks (21-43-8) have been eliminated from postseason contention.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; Victory+, KCOP-13, SNO, TVAS)

The Ducks (41-28-4) are first in the Pacific, three points ahead of the second-place Edmonton Oilers. The Maple Leafs (31-30-13) are 13 points behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild card in the East. But Toronto has won six straight against Anaheim dating to 2022-23. The Maple Leafs will be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to the Ducks in regulation and the Islanders get at least one point against the Penguins.

St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks (10 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, NBCSCA+)

Macklin Celebrini has 98 points (36 goals, 62 assists) in 71 games for San Jose. The 19-year-old needs two points to become the sixth teenager to reach 100 points in a season, joining Crosby (120 in 2006-07) and 102 in 2005-06), Wayne Gretzky (137 in 1979-80), Jimmy Carson (107 in 1987-88), Mario Lemieux (100 in 1984-85) and Dale Hawerchuk (103 in 1981-82). The Sharks (33-31-7) and Blues (31-30-11) each are four points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the West. The Sharks have three games in hand on the Predators; the Blues have two.

If playoffs started Sunday

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. (3C) Minnesota Wild

Eastern Conference

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

About last night

There were six games on the NHL schedule Sunday, all with playoff implications:

Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Nashville Predators 2

Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists as the Lightning (46-21-6) improved to 6-0-2 in their last eight. They tied the Sabres for first in the Atlantic and the Hurricanes for first in the East, but they hold a tiebreaker on each. The Predators (34-31-4) lost their third straight. They remained one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and two points ahead of the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card in the West. Los Angeles has a game in hand; Seattle has two games in hand.

Boston Bruins 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 3 (SO)

The Bruins rallied from a three-goal, third-period deficit. Pavel Zacha, who had two goals and an assist, tied the game with 11 seconds left in regulation. Boston (42-24-8) holds the first wild card in the East, four points ahead of Columbus (38-24-12), which holds the second. The Blue Jackets are two points ahead of the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers, each of whom has a game in hand.

Montreal Canadiens 3, Carolina Hurricanes 1

Nick Suzuki had two goals and an assist as the Canadiens (42-21-10) won their fifth straight. They are third in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the Bruins. The Hurricanes (46-21-6) have lost two of their past three and are first in the Metropolitan Division, nine points ahead of the Islanders.

Philadelphia Flyers 2, Dallas Stars 1 (OT)

Trevor Zegras scored with 1:33 remaining in overtime, and the Flyers (37-24-12) pulled within two points of the Blue Jackets for the second wild card in the East. They are 8-1-1 in their past 10 games and tied with the Senators and Red Wings. Each has a game in hand on the Blue Jackets. The Stars (44-18-12) are 1-3-2 in their past six but secure in second in the Central Division, six points behind the first-place Avalanche and six ahead of the third-place Wild.

New Jersey Devils 5, Chicago Blackhawks 3

Jack Hughes had two goals and two assists, including the winning goal and an empty-netter, and the Devils (38-33-2) came back from a 3-2 third-period deficit. They are 6-2-0 in their past eight and 10 points behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild card in the East. The Blackhawks (27-34-13) have lost three in a row and are 10 points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the West.

New York Rangers 3, Florida Panthers 1

Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves, and the Rangers (30-35-9) scored three goals in the third period to win their second straight game. They have been eliminated from postseason contention. The Panthers (35-35-3) have lost three in a row and are 15 points behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild card in the East.