The battle for the Western Conference`s last wild-card playoff berth is intensifying, especially with the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks facing off this Thursday. Both teams are currently tied in points for that coveted position.
The Vancouver Canucks, currently holding the wild-card spot with 75 points and 25 regulation wins over 68 games, will play against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues also have 75 points and 25 regulation wins, but they`ve played one more game (69 games).
While the Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club are still in contention, this Thursday`s game between the Blues and Canucks is crucial. They have already split their season series and will not play each other again before the playoffs.
Looking ahead, the Blues will face playoff teams in five of their remaining 12 games. The Canucks, though they have one more game to play, have a tougher schedule with seven of their last 13 games against playoff teams, including five of their final six.
Statistics site Stathletes gives the Blues a slightly better chance of making the playoffs at 56.8%, compared to the Canucks at 26.3%.
With the regular season concluding on April 17th, the NHL playoff race is heating up. We will continue to provide updates on the playoff scenarios and the teams vying for a better position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Current Playoff Matchups
Eastern Conference
- A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
- A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
- M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
- M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
- C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
- C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
- P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
- P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings
Clinching Scenarios for Washington Capitals (Thursday Night)
- Capitals win against Flyers in regulation, and Islanders do not win against Canadiens in regulation.
- Capitals win against Flyers in overtime or shootout, and Islanders lose to Canadiens in any manner.
- Capitals lose to Flyers in overtime or shootout, and Blue Jackets lose to Panthers in any manner AND Islanders lose to Canadiens in regulation.
Thursday`s Games
All times Eastern Time.
- Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
- Calgary Flames at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m.
- Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
- Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
- Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
- Montreal Canadiens at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
- Vancouver Canucks at St. Louis Blues, 7:30 p.m.
- Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
- Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
- Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m.
- Buffalo Sabres at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.
- Boston Bruins at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
- Carolina Hurricanes at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday`s Scoreboard
- Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Colorado Avalanche 1
- Minnesota Wild 4, Seattle Kraken 0
Expanded Standings
Atlantic Division
| Team | Points | Regulation Wins | Playoff Position | Games Left | Points Pace | Next Game | Playoff Chances | Tragic Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Panthers | 85 | 35 | A1 | 14 | 102.5 | @ CBJ (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 85 | 33 | A2 | 14 | 102.5 | @ NYR (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 83 | 34 | A3 | 15 | 101.6 | @ DAL (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Ottawa Senators | 77 | 27 | WC1 | 15 | 94.2 | vs. COL (Thursday) | 97.3% | N/A |
| Montreal Canadiens | 73 | 24 | WC2 | 15 | 89.3 | @ NYI (Thursday) | 36.5% | N/A |
| Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 24 | N/A | 14 | 84.4 | @ VGK (Saturday) | 5.1% | 26 |
| Boston Bruins | 69 | 23 | N/A | 13 | 82.0 | @ VGK (Thursday) | 2.4% | 23 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 60 | 21 | N/A | 16 | 74.6 | @ UTA (Thursday) | ~0% | 20 |
Metro Division
| Team | Points | Regulation Wins | Playoff Position | Games Left | Points Pace | Next Game | Playoff Chances | Tragic Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | 98 | 38 | M1 | 14 | 118.2 | vs. PHI (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 86 | 36 | M2 | 15 | 105.3 | @ SJ (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 33 | M3 | 13 | 95.1 | vs. CGY (Thursday) | 96.9% | N/A |
| New York Rangers | 72 | 30 | N/A | 13 | 85.6 | vs. TOR (Thursday) | 25.5% | 26 |
| New York Islanders | 70 | 25 | N/A | 15 | 85.7 | vs. MTL (Thursday) | 23.8% | 28 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 70 | 23 | N/A | 15 | 85.7 | vs. FLA (Thursday) | 12.4% | 28 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 66 | 19 | N/A | 12 | 77.3 | vs. CBJ (Friday) | 0.1% | 18 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 64 | 17 | N/A | 13 | 76.1 | @ WSH (Thursday) | 0.1% | 18 |
Central Division
| Team | Points | Regulation Wins | Playoff Position | Games Left | Points Pace | Next Game | Playoff Chances | Tragic Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Jets | 98 | 38 | C1 | 13 | 116.5 | @ EDM (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Dallas Stars | 89 | 35 | C2 | 15 | 108.9 | vs. TB (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Colorado Avalanche | 85 | 35 | C3 | 13 | 101.0 | @ OTT (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Minnesota Wild | 83 | 31 | WC1 | 13 | 98.6 | vs. BUF (Saturday) | 92.6% | N/A |
| St. Louis Blues | 75 | 25 | N/A | 13 | 89.1 | vs. VAN (Thursday) | 56.8% | 27 |
| Utah Hockey Club | 71 | 22 | N/A | 14 | 85.6 | vs. BUF (Thursday) | 8.6% | 25 |
| Nashville Predators | 58 | 21 | N/A | 15 | 71.0 | vs. ANA (Thursday) | ~0% | 14 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 49 | 17 | N/A | 14 | 59.1 | vs. LA (Thursday) | ~0% | 3 |
Pacific Division
| Team | Points | Regulation Wins | Playoff Position | Games Left | Points Pace | Next Game | Playoff Chances | Tragic Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | 86 | 36 | P1 | 15 | 105.3 | vs. BOS (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Edmonton Oilers | 84 | 29 | P2 | 14 | 101.3 | vs. WPG (Thursday) | 99.9% | N/A |
| Los Angeles Kings | 81 | 31 | P3 | 16 | 100.6 | @ CHI (Thursday) | 99.3% | N/A |
| Vancouver Canucks | 75 | 25 | WC2 | 14 | 90.4 | @ STL (Thursday) | 26.3% | N/A |
| Calgary Flames | 73 | 25 | N/A | 15 | 89.3 | @ NJ (Thursday) | 16.5% | 29 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 66 | 21 | N/A | 14 | 79.6 | @ NSH (Thursday) | 0.1% | 20 |
| Seattle Kraken | 65 | 24 | N/A | 12 | 76.1 | @ EDM (Saturday) | 0.1% | 15 |
| e – San Jose Sharks | 45 | 13 | N/A | 14 | 54.3 | vs. CAR (Thursday) | 0% | E |
Note: An `e` means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 Pick in NHL Draft
The NHL Draft Lottery determines the first-round order, giving even the last-place team a chance at the top pick. A team can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery. Matthew Schaefer is currently projected as the No. 1 pick.
| Rank | Team | Points | Regulation Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | San Jose Sharks | 45 | 13 |
| 2. | Chicago Blackhawks | 49 | 17 |
| 3. | Nashville Predators | 58 | 21 |
| 4. | Buffalo Sabres | 60 | 21 |
| 5. | Philadelphia Flyers | 64 | 17 |
| 6. | Seattle Kraken | 65 | 24 |
| 7. | Pittsburgh Penguins | 66 | 19 |
| 8. | Anaheim Ducks | 66 | 21 |
| 9. | Boston Bruins | 69 | 23 |
| 10. | Columbus Blue Jackets | 70 | 23 |
| 11. | Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 24 |
| 12. | New York Islanders | 70 | 25 |
| 13. | Utah Hockey Club | 71 | 22 |
| 14. | New York Rangers | 72 | 30 |
| 15. | Calgary Flames | 73 | 25 |
| 16. | St. Louis Blues | 75 | 25 |
