play0:41Cole Caufield scores 50th goal of the season for CanadiensCole Caufield scores 50th goal of the season for Canadiens
play0:48Calum Ritchie gives the Islanders a sizable advantage lateCalum Ritchie is able to boost the Islanders lead with a power-play goal.
play0:49Jason Robertson recaptures the lead for the StarsJason Robertson recaptures the lead for the Stars
play0:39Berkly Catton’s shootout goal seals win for KrakenBerkly Catton helps the Kraken stave off elimination with his winning goal in the shootout against the Golden Knights.
Dylan Larkin nets a hat trick for the Red Wings (1:45)Dylan Larkin completes the hat trick to bury the Flyers. (1:45)
Cole Caufield scores 50th goal of the season for CanadiensCole Caufield scores 50th goal of the season for Canadiens
Calum Ritchie gives the Islanders a sizable advantage lateCalum Ritchie is able to boost the Islanders lead with a power-play goal.
Berkly Catton’s shootout goal seals win for KrakenBerkly Catton helps the Kraken stave off elimination with his winning goal in the shootout against the Golden Knights.
Berkly Catton helps the Kraken stave off elimination with his winning goal in the shootout against the Golden Knights.
ESPN staffApr 11, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
Two weeks from Saturday, the opening faceoff of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs will occur on the networks of ESPN. As of now, nine spots have been clinched — including the No. 1 overall seed in the league and the Metro Division title — but that leaves seven more up for grabs.
But with 15 games on the schedule today, hockey fans are calling it “Supreme Saturday,” with the possibility of a handful of more spots being locked in before the final buzzer of the evening.
So what’s at stake in each game? Here’s a snapshot of each matchup, from the first puck drop at 12:30 p.m. ET all the way until the last game, which gets underway at 10 p.m. ET.
Although the Lightning have clinched a playoff spot, they can improve their position in the Atlantic Division bracket, sitting two points behind the Canadiens for second and four points behind the Sabres for first. If they win the division title, their first-round matchup could be against the first wild card, which could be these very same Bruins. Boston clinches a playoff spot with a win; a loss of any stripe makes it a little more interesting throughout the rest of the day.
Having been eliminated this week, the Flames are keeping close tabs on the draft lottery order; they enter play in third, with 73 points and 25 regulation wins behind Chicago’s 70 points and 21 RW. The Kraken are hanging on to playoff hopes by just a sea troll hair, but are simultaneously fifth in the draft lotto order. They begin play Saturday two behind the Rangers for fourth, and four back of the Flames for third.
Of the two teams, the Golden Knights clearly need a win here more, with a one-point deficit in the Pacific Division race and just a tiebreaker lead over the Ducks in the 2-vs.-3 seeding. But despite having clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket, the Avs know that this is a team they could see down the road in the Western Conference finals. Might there be some message sending in this one?
Every team has four or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes on Thursday, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. 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; a “y” means that they have clinched the division; a “z” indicates that they have clinched the best record in the conference; a “p” means they have clinched the top overall seed. 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.
Cole Caufield scores 50th goal of the season for Canadiens
Cole Caufield scores 50th goal of the season for Canadiens
Calum Ritchie gives the Islanders a sizable advantage late
Calum Ritchie is able to boost the Islanders lead with a power-play goal.
Jason Robertson recaptures the lead for the StarsJason Robertson recaptures the lead for the Stars
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.
The Sens are currently in possession of the second wild-card spot, with a three-point edge on the Islanders. A win doesn’t win them the spot — the Red Wings could still catch them, pending their result Saturday — but it would mean the Islanders would not be the ones doing so. However, New York does have another way into the playoffs: the Metro Division’s No. 3 seed. The Islanders enter Saturday one point back of the Flyers, but with four additional regulation wins should the two teams tie in points by season’s end.
Will this be the last time Alex Ovechkin plays against the Penguins in Pittsburgh? We won’t know that perhaps until the summer. But, there are playoff stakes in play here, too. The Penguins are locked in to the No. 2 seed in the Metro. (The Flyers can catch up in points, but lose the RW tiebreaker.) On the other side, the Caps essentially need to win out and get some help from the opponents of the teams ahead of them. They are three points back of Philly heading into this game but also have two teams between them and the Flyers.
It’s unlikely that these two teams would play one another for a fifth straight first round but not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Edmonton enters this one atop the Pacific Division, with a one-point lead on the Golden Knights and Ducks (and an edge of three and six RW, respectively); they can clinch a playoff berth with a win here and some help. The Kings are five points back of the Oilers, and currently in possession of the second Western wild card, one point ahead of the Predators and three up on the Jets. Earning points in every game is crucial for L.A., as the team has just 20 regulation wins, which will be fewer than any other possible playoff team with which they would need a tiebreaker.
If the Devils were in the Western Conference, they’d be two back of the Kings for the wild card. As it stands, they’re mathematically eliminated and trying to play spoiler. Simultaneously, they are 11th in the draft lottery order, meaning they are in the final spot that could jump up to No. 1 should they win the draw. The Red Wings are still battling for the final playoff spot in the East, but opportunities are running out. They enter this game three points back of the Senators — and six back in the RW column, meaning they’ll need to jump over them outright to earn the ticket.
Last season, these two clubs staged an epic showdown in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. This season … well, things didn’t exactly go as planned for either side — although Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk won Olympic gold with Team USA. The Leafs and Panthers enter play with 78 points, tied with St. Louis in the draft lottery order, and one behind fifth-place Seattle. As we know, if Toronto lands in the top five, they can retain their pick; if they don’t, it goes to Boston thanks to the trade for Brandon Carlo last season.
Speaking of the Flyers, their turnaround has been remarkable, from a team some thought was still rebuilding to currently the No. 3 team in the Metro. As the saying goes, they control their own destiny with three games remaining and a one-point margin over the peloton chasing them. The Jets are three points back of the Kings for the second Western wild card but do hold a substantial edge in regulation wins should they tie by season’s end. Can Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor pull off the Olympic-Stanley Cup double?
For a while there, it looked like the Sharks were going to pull off a wild, basement-to-playoffs run this season. That’s looking more unlikely by the day, although the door remains slightly ajar, with a four-point deficit to make up on the Kings in the final week. As for the Canucks, it became clear early on that this team was not going to be too dangerous this season, and Vancouver clinched the worst record in the league over a week ago. The Canucks will draft no worse than third overall in the first round this June as the front office works to put a more competitive team on the ice next season.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins, 12:30 p.m. (ABC) Ottawa Senators at New York Islanders, 1 p.m. Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins, 3 p.m. (ABC) Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings, 4 p.m. New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings, 5 p.m. St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks, 5 p.m. Minnesota Wild at Nashville Predators, 5 p.m. New York Rangers at Dallas Stars, 5 p.m. Carolina Hurricanes at Utah Mammoth, 5 p.m. Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. Philadelphia Flyers at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m. Calgary Flames at Seattle Kraken, 7 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche, 8 p.m. (ABC) Vancouver Canucks at San Jose Sharks, 10 p.m.
Dylan Larkin nets a hat trick for the Red Wings (1:45)Dylan Larkin completes the hat trick to bury the Flyers. (1:45)
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins 12:30 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins 3 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)