NHL playoff watch: What’s at stake on the season’s final day

The saying goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” It’s relevant relating to the 2025-26 NHL common season after Thursday night time’s video games, the final six of the marketing campaign.

But one more reason for hockey followers to smile: the “second season” — ie the Stanley Cup playoffs — begins Saturday.

All 16 groups have been decided for the postseason, however there are three groups in the Pacific Division nonetheless battling it out for seeding. And over on the non-playoff workforce facet, there are nonetheless some unresolved spots in the draft lottery order forward of that occasion on May 5.

Here’s a rundown of what’s on the line in every of Thursday’s six video games:

St. Louis Blues at Utah Mammoth
7:30 pm ET (ESPN)

The Mammoth clinched the first wild-card spot earlier this week, and so they discovered the identification of their opponent Wednesday: the Golden Knights, who clinched one other division title.

The Blues are presently tenth in the draft lottery order. But with a loss right here, they transfer forward of the Panthers (as a result of the third tiebreaker), and will transfer forward of the Sharks if San Jose beats Winnipeg.

Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators
8 pm ET (ESPN+)

The Ducks held down the prime spot in the Pacific for a large portion of the season, which is spectacular contemplating they completed 16 factors again of the wild card final season. They’re presently third in the division however can transfer as much as second with a win of any form and a regulation loss by the Oilers.

Nashville’s bid for a wild-card spot ended this week, and it enters play in eleventh in the draft lottery order. A win of any form places them twelfth, an additional time/shootout loss retains them eleventh, and a regulation loss paired with a Blues win in any style strikes them up a spot to tenth.

San Jose Sharks at Winnipeg Jets
8 pm ET (ESPN+)

The Sharks made a valiant effort this season on the again of an MVP-caliber efficiency by Macklin Celebrinihowever they dropped too many video games this spring and can simply miss out on the postseason. The Jets had been alive till this week too, however their fall from grace is fairly dramatic on condition that they completed with 116 factors final season, the most in the NHL.

Winnipeg enters the night seventh in the draft lottery order, with San Jose ninth. If the Jets win in regulation, the Sharks transfer as much as seventh and the Jets transfer down one spot to eighth. If the Jets win in OT/shootout, they maintain their spot, however the Sharks might transfer down (pending the outcomes of the Blues-Mammoth sport).

Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames
9 pm ET (ESPN+)

The Kings have the final motivation heading into this sport. They are presently slated to face the Avalanche juggernaut in Round 1, however with a win — and a few assist — they’ll transfer out of that slot and take on considered one of their Pacific Division foes. Alas, their regulation wins whole (22) places them at a big drawback on the subject of tiebreaks.

They start the day tied in standing factors with Anaheim, and one again of Edmonton. They can transfer up all the option to second place with a win of any form, a regulation loss by the Oilers and a lack of any form by the Ducks. They can transfer as much as third by getting yet another level than Anaheim. Unfortunately, both of those eventualities would give them a matchup in opposition to the Oilers, who’ve overwhelmed them in the first spherical for the previous 4 years. Maybe the fifth time is the appeal?

With the Rangers’ win Wednesday, the Flames moved as much as third in the draft lottery order. A lack of any selection retains them there; a win of any form places them again into fourth.

Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
9 pm ET (ESPN+)

It’s pretty easy for the Oilers; with a one-point benefit in factors and an insurmountable lead in RW over the Ducks and Kings, they only want one level right here to clinch the No. 2 place in the Pacific. A regulation loss might drop them all the way down to No. 3 and even the wild-card spot if each the Kings and Ducks win.

It’s even less complicated for the Canucks; their consequence right here won’t affect their spot in the standings. They clinched the NHL’s worst file — and the No. 1 spot in the draft lottery order — weeks in the past.

Seattle Kraken at Colorado Avalanche
10 pm ET (ESPN)

The season closes out with a sport between two groups firmly entrenched of their positions. The Avalanche clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as the workforce with the finest regular-season file on April 10. They may have home-ice benefit this postseason for so long as they’re alive.

The Kraken are locked in to the No. 6 place in the draft lottery order. The previous a number of No. 6 picks have been a blended bag of superstars and gamers who’ve didn’t launch: Porter MartoneTij Iginla, Dmitri SimashevDavid Jiricek, Simon Edvinsson, Jamie Drysdale, Moritz SeiderFilip Zadina, Cody Glass and Matthew Tkachuk.

Jump forward:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Note: Teams in daring are locked in to that place.

Eastern Conference

A1 Buffalo Sabers vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens

M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators
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

Today’s video games

Note: All instances ET. All video games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (native blackout restrictions apply).

St. Louis Blues at Utah Mammoth7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators8 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Winnipeg Jets8 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames9 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers9 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Colorado Avalanche10 p.m. (ESPN)

Last night time’s scoreboard

Dallas Stars 4, Buffalo Sabers 3 (SO)
New York Rangers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
Florida Panthers 8, Detroit Red Wings 1
Ottawa Senators 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Chicago Blackhawks 5, San Jose Sharks 2
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Seattle Kraken 1

Expanded standings

Note: An “x” with a workforce’s identify means the membership has clinched a playoff spot; a “y” implies that they’ve clinched the division; a “z” signifies that they’ve clinched the finest file in the convention; a “p” means they’ve clinched the prime total seed. An “e” implies that the membership has been mathematically eradicated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic quantity reaches zero and are mathematically eradicated when their tragic quantity reaches zero.

Atlantic Division

Metro Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Race for the No. 1 decide

The NHL makes use of a draft lottery to find out the order of the first spherical, so the workforce that finishes in final place isn’t assured the No. 1 choice. As of 2021, a workforce can transfer up a most of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so solely 11 groups are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 decide. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer time is Gavin McKenna, a ahead for Penn State.

*Note: The Maple Leafs’ decide belongs to the Bruins, until it lands in the prime 5. The Panthers’ decide belongs to the Flames, until it lands in the prime 10. The Red Wings’ decide belongs to the Blues, unconditionally.