play1:07Anthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads Lightning to victoryAnthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads Lightning to victory
play0:51Andrei Svechnikov nets power-play goalAndrei Svechnikov tallies goal for Carolina Hurricanes on the power play
play0:24Luke Evangelista seals shootout win in 8th round for PredatorsAfter seven scoreless shootout rounds, Luke Evangelista nets the puck and wins it for the Predators.
Mitch Marner caps Golden Knights’ comeback with hat trick (1:31)Mitch Marner caps Golden Knights’ comeback with hat trick (1:31)
Anthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads Lightning to victoryAnthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads Lightning to victory
Andrei Svechnikov nets power-play goalAndrei Svechnikov tallies goal for Carolina Hurricanes on the power play
Luke Evangelista seals shootout win in 8th round for PredatorsAfter seven scoreless shootout rounds, Luke Evangelista nets the puck and wins it for the Predators.
After seven scoreless shootout rounds, Luke Evangelista nets the puck and wins it for the Predators.
play0:49Collin Graf scores goal vs. Maple LeafsCollin Graf lights the lamp
Whether the Philadelphia Flyers make the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, there will be a number of positive takeaways from this season, particularly the play of new additions Dan Vladar and Trevor Zegras.
But Flyers fans would certainly be a lot more happy if they do earn a spot in the postseason bracket.
Philly enters play Friday two points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final wild-card position in the East, three points behind the New York Islanders for the No. 3 seed in the Metro, and six points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for No. 2. The good news is they skate against the Isles on Friday (7 p.m. ET, NHL Network); the bad news is this is the Flyers’ final game against any of those teams.
After Friday’s matchup, Philly plays six more games, three of which are against current playoff teams (Boston, Carolina, Montreal), and one of which is against another wild-card contender, Detroit.
It will be a tough road, and Stathletes gives the Flyers a 27.7% chance to pull it off, projecting them to finish with 94.8 points, 1.3 points behind the projected total of the wild-card winning Senators.
Every team has eight or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes April 16, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch every day. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Jump ahead: Current playoff matchups Today’s schedule Last night’s scores Expanded standings Race for No. 1 pick
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Note: An “x” with a team’s name means the club has clinched a playoff spot. An “e” means that the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero, and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.
Anthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads Lightning to victory
Anthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads Lightning to victory
Andrei Svechnikov tallies goal for Carolina Hurricanes on the power play
Luke Evangelista seals shootout win in 8th round for Predators
Collin Graf scores goal vs. Maple LeafsCollin Graf lights the lamp
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State.
Mitch Marner caps Golden Knights’ comeback with hat trick (1:31)Mitch Marner caps Golden Knights’ comeback with hat trick (1:31)
A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1 Boston Bruins A2 Buffalo Sabres vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Islanders
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 San Jose Sharks C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Anaheim Ducks vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights
*Note: The Maple Leafs’ pick belongs to the Bruins, unless it lands in the top five.
Ottawa Senators 4, Buffalo Sabres 1 Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 3 Florida Panthers 2, Boston Bruins 1 Montreal Canadiens 3, New York Rangers 2 Detroit Red Wings 4, Philadelphia Flyers 2 Carolina Hurricanes 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 New Jersey Devils 7, Washington Capitals 3 Dallas Stars 3, Winnipeg Jets 0 Minnesota Wild 5, Vancouver Canucks 2 Edmonton Oilers 3, Chicago Blackhawks 1 Vegas Golden Knights 6, Calgary Flames 3 San Jose Sharks 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1 Utah Mammoth 6, Seattle Kraken 2 Nashville Predators 5, Los Angeles Kings 4 (SO)
Mitch Marner caps Golden Knights’ comeback with hat trick (1:31)
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. (NHLN) St. Louis Blues at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.