Saturday`s 11 NHL games clarified the playoff picture, with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders officially out of playoff contention. The Columbus Blue Jackets are now the only team chasing the Montreal Canadiens for a playoff spot in the East.
In the Western Conference, the St. Louis Blues` shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken kept the Calgary Flames` hopes flickering. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights secured their division titles with wins.
As the regular season concludes on Thursday, here`s a look at what`s at stake in Sunday`s nine games:
Sunday`s Games with Playoff Implications
Philadelphia Flyers at Ottawa Senators, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Senators have clinched the first wild-card spot in the East and will face the top Atlantic team in the first round. The Flyers are currently fifth in the draft lottery, two points behind the Boston Bruins and one ahead of the Kraken.
New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils, 1 p.m. ET (TNT)
The Islanders were eliminated from playoff contention after a Saturday shootout loss and are 10th in the draft lottery, two points behind the Ducks and Penguins, and one ahead of the Rangers and Red Wings. The Devils are locked into the Metro`s No. 3 seed and will start the playoffs on the road against the Hurricanes.
Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins, 3:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Both teams are out of playoff contention this year. Boston is currently No. 4 in the draft lottery, two points ahead of Philadelphia and three ahead of Seattle. The Penguins are eighth, one point behind the Sabres, tied with the Ducks, and two ahead of the Islanders.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
These teams could potentially meet in the Eastern Conference finals. Toronto leads the Atlantic Division by four points over the Lightning and Panthers and will clinch the division title today with a win and a Lightning loss. The Hurricanes will be either second or third in the Metro and will play the Devils in the first round.
Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Lightning are still in contention for the Atlantic Division title and need to win their remaining games. The Sabres are currently No. 7 in the draft lottery but have been playing well recently, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
This is a rematch of Saturday`s game, which Columbus won 7-0. Columbus is five points behind Montreal for the final wild-card spot with a game in hand. The Capitals have clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but their Presidents` Trophy hopes are slim, trailing the Jets by five points with three games left.
Edmonton Oilers at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Oilers have clinched a playoff spot and will face the Los Angeles Kings in the first round for the fourth straight year. Home-ice advantage is still to be determined, with the Kings four points ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific Division. The Jets are locked in as the West`s No. 1 seed and await their first-round opponent: either the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, or Calgary Flames.
San Jose Sharks at Calgary Flames, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Flames are a long shot for the playoffs, needing to overtake the Blues and Wild. The Sharks have clinched the No. 1 spot in the draft lottery.
Colorado Avalanche at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Avalanche are locked into the Central`s No. 3 seed and will face the Dallas Stars in the first round. The Ducks are likely a year away from playoff contention and are currently ninth in the draft lottery.
Current Playoff Matchups
Eastern Conference
- A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
- A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
- M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
- M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
- C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
- C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
- P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
- P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Saturday`s Scores
Philadelphia Flyers 4, New York Islanders 3 (SO)
Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Washington Capitals 0
Carolina Hurricanes 7, New York Rangers 3
Los Angeles Kings 5, Colorado Avalanche 4
Florida Panthers 3, Buffalo Sabres 2 (SO)
Toronto Maple Leafs 1, Montreal Canadiens 0 (OT)
Winnipeg Jets 5, Chicago Blackhawks 4 (SO)
Utah Hockey Club 5, Dallas Stars 3
Minnesota Wild 3, Vancouver Canucks 2 (OT)
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Nashville Predators 3
Seattle Kraken 4, St. Louis Blues 3 (SO)
Race for the No. 1 Pick
The NHL Draft Lottery determines the first-round order. A team can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery. Matthew Schaefer is currently ranked No. 1 on the draft board.
Top Teams in the Draft Lottery
- San Jose Sharks (51 Points)
- Chicago Blackhawks (57 Points)
- Nashville Predators (66 Points)
- Boston Bruins (73 Points)
- Philadelphia Flyers (75 Points)
- Seattle Kraken (76 Points)
- Buffalo Sabres (77 Points)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (78 Points)
- Anaheim Ducks (78 Points)
- New York Islanders (80 Points)
- New York Rangers (81 Points)
