Like the wildcard races at the Eastern Conference, there is a lack of close teams, but the West Derby is not that wild. Sunday’s action provides yet another clue as to who will win the final place in half the postseason bracket.
Heading towards Sunday’s Slate, the Minnesota Wilds look rather trapped in their first wildcard spot, winning 79 points and 29 regulations in 67 games. But who will get the second one?
Editor’s Pick
2 Related
For now, the Vancouver Canucks have 73 points and 24 RW in 66 games. They are participating in the Utah Hockey Club on Sundays (8pm, ESPN+). After that game, they play the final 15 eight games against the playoff team.
Next up is Calgary’s flame, with 71 points and 24 RW in 65 games. They will be idle on Sunday and will face teams currently in playoff positions in nine of their last 17 contests.
The St. Louis Blues also have two behind the Canucks in Point, with 67 games starting at 23 RW. Jordan Binnington & Company will host Anaheim Ducks (6pm ET, ESPN+) and play only four of the final 14 with the team in the playoff spot.
Speaking of UHC, seven of the remaining 15 games will be against clubs in the current playoff position, following Sunday’s match against the Canucks.
Sta Threat gives Kanak the best playoff chance in the group (31.1%), followed by the Blues (30.2%), Hockey Club (22.4%) and Flame (20.2%). The “award” of the team that won this race is probably the first round matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, but confusion happens!
There will be plenty of runways until April 17th, the final day of the regular season. We’ll help you track everything with the NHL Playoff Watch. As you cross the final stretch, we will provide details of all the playoff races along with teams jogging for a position in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery.
Note: The potential for the playoffs is via Sta Threat.
Jump destination:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s score
Expanding ranking
No. 1 pick race
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Florida Panthers vs WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 Washington Capitals vs WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jet vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
C2 Dallas Star vs C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Sunday Game
Note: All Times et. All games that are not on a TNT or NHL network can be streamed on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
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Vegas Golden Knights at Detroit Red Wings, 1pm (TNT)
Dallas is Colorado Vallanche star, 3:30pm (TNT)
St. Louis Blues Anaheim Ducks at 6pm
Edmonton Oilers of the New York Rangers at 7pm
Florida Panthers on New York Island, 7:30pm
Utah Hockey Club at Vancouver Canucks at 8pm
Seattle Kraken Winnipeg Jets at 9pm
Saturday Scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 (So)
Pittsburgh Penguin 7, New Jersey Devils 3
Washington Capitals 5, San Jose Sharks 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Boston Bruins 2
Ottawa Senator 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Montreal Canadian 3, Florida Panthers 1
Carolina Hurricane 5, Philadelphia Flyers 0
New York Rangers 4, Columbus Blue Jacket 0
St. Louis Blues 5, Minnesota Wild 1
Los Angeles Kings 1, Nashville Predators 0 (OT)
Vancouver Canucks 6, Chicago Blackhawks 2
Expanding ranking
Atlantic Division
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 104.0
Next game: @nyi (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 100.6
Next Game: vs. Phi (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 81
Regulation victory: 31
Playoff position: A3
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 100.6
Next Game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 77
Regulation victory: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 95.7
Next game: @mtl (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 98.8%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 88.2
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chance: 10.4%
Tragic number: 32
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 84.5
Next Game: vs. VGK (Sunday)
Playoff chance: 7.4%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 14
Point Pace: 82.0
Next Game: vs. Buf (Monday)
Playoff chance: 8.8%
Tragic number: 25
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 17
Point Pace: 73.2
Next game: @bos (Monday)
Playoff chance: ~0%
Tragic number: 21
Metro Division
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M1
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 117.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 105.3
Next game: @SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M3
Left game: 14
Point Pace: 94.1
Next game: @cbj (Monday)
Playoff chances: 97.5%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 88.1
Next Game: vs.EDM (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 43.2%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 87.0
Next game: vs. NJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 21.9%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 17
Point Pace: 83.3
Next Game: vs. FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chance: 9.3%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 13
Point Pace: 78.4
Next Game: Vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chance: 0.8%
Tragic number: 21
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 14
Point Pace: 77.2
Next game: @TB (Monday)
Playoff chance: 2.1%
Tragic number: 21
Central part
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 117.5
Next game: @Sea (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Left game: 17
Point Pace: 108.5
Next game: @col (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 101.6
Next Game: vs. Dal (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 96.7
Next Game: vs. LA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 96.5%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 86.9
Next game: vs. ANA (Sunday)
Playoff chance: 30.2%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 85.7
Next game: @van (Sunday)
Playoff chance: 22.4%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 72.1
Next Game: vs. STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chance: 0.1%
Tragic number: 18
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 60.0
Next game: Against the Sea (Tuesday)
Playoff chance: ~0%
Tragic number: 7
Pacific Sector
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 106.9
Next game: @det (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 81
Regulation victory: 31
Playoff position: P2
Left game: 17
Point Pace: 102.2
Next game: @min (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.7%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 80
Regulation victory: 27
Playoff position: P3
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 99.4
Next game: @nyr (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 73
Regulation victory: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 90.7
Next Game: vs. UTA (Sunday)
Playoff chance: 31.1%
Tragic number: n/a
Points: 71
Regulation victory: 24
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 17
Point Pace: 89.6
Next game: @tor (Monday)
Playoff chance: 20.2%
Tragic number: 33
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 16
Point Pace: 80.8
Next game: @stl (Sunday)
Playoff chance: 0.1%
Tragic number: 25
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 15
Point Pace: 75.9
Next Game: vs. WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chance: ~0%
Tragic number: 20
Points: 45
Regulation victory: 13
Playoff position: n/a
Left game: 14
Point Pace: 54.3
Next game: Cars against (Thursday)
Playoff chance: ~0%
Tragic number: 1
No. 1 pick race
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The NHL uses draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so teams finishing at the last place are not guaranteed to choose No. 1. As of 2021, teams can raise up to 10 spots if they win the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the first place pick. Click here to learn more about the process. Matthew Schaefer, the defender of OHL’s Erie Otters, is number one on the draft board.
Points: 45
Regulation victory: 13
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71
Regulation victory: 24
