The Pittsburgh Penguins held their first pre-playoff practice on Thursday, and it came with some good news.

Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar were full participants during practice and took contact. Lizotte's been out for the last month with a hand injury, while Dewar has been out for the last four games with a lower-body injury. 

Assuming both players get through Friday's practice with no problems, they should be in the lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Dewar and Lizotte were back in their usual places on the fourth line with Noel Acciari. Here's what the full lines looked like:

Forwards

Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust

Novak-Rakell-Malkin

Soderblom-Kindel-Mantha

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton 

- Both Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs got a lot of work during practice, but it'd be a surprise if Skinner wasn't the Game 1 starter. He has played in many massive playoff games for the Edmonton Oilers over the last two years and has been better than Silovs down the stretch of this season. 

- Lizotte spoke for the first time since suffering his hand injury back in March and is excited for the Penguins to open the playoffs against the Flyers. 

"I think it's great," Lizotte said about playing the Flyers. "They've been playing great hockey for them to get in (the playoffs) their last month of the season, so it's going to be a tough matchup. They've got a good team, and I think everyone kinda wanted the Battle of PA, and I think all the players included. I think both teams are really looking forward to this one."

His return will really help the penalty kill, which has dipped a little bit over the last month. It's still one of the best penalty kills in the NHL, but it's not fully the same without Lizotte on it. He's so good at winning puck battles along the boards, blocking shots, and getting clears. 

- Speaking of the penalty kill, it got some work against the Penguins' power play during practice. Both units will have to be on their game if the Penguins want to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

- The vibes were great for Thursday's practice, which ran for a little over an hour. Everyone was having fun on the ice and looked ready for Game 1 on Saturday.

The team will practice again on Friday before Saturday's game starts at 8 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN. 

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According to PuckPedia, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman Matt Dumba on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

With this move, Dumba is not required to report to the AHL playoffs with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In addition, with Pittsburgh's regular season over, he will not be losing any money with this contract termination. 

Dumba played in 11 games this season with Pittsburgh, where he had one goal, three points, 16 hits, and a minus-5 rating. In 27 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after clearing waivers, the right-shot defenseman had six goals, 14 assists, 20 points, and a plus-3 rating. 

The Penguins acquired Dumba from the Dallas Stars with a 2028 second-round pick in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok. 

As Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin debates whether to retire or return for a 22nd NHL season, he has two big supporters for the second option.

"My kids are already asking me, 'Dad are you staying or not?'" he told reporters at his end of season media session. "I tell them, "We'll see.

"They're excited. They want me to come back because they love the city, they love the team, they love the boys."

The NHL's all-time leading scorer said on Thursday, April 16, that he hopes that the season-ending win in Columbus won't be his last game.

But he said he will have to talk to the team and to family before making a decision. He didn't give a timeline.

"If I'm going to come back, it would have to be a decision, first of all, are we going to make the playoffs and are we going to fight for a Cup?" he said.

The Capitals missed the playoffs by four points, just the fifth time Ovechkin hasn't been in the postseason. He thought he and his line were inconsistent at times and noted that the game has become a lot faster.

Still, at age 40, he played all 82 games and scored 32 goals, giving him an NHL-record 929. He's excited about the team's youngsters, particularly Ryan Leonard and late-season signee Cole Hutson.

Asked specifically what he'd like to hear when he meets with general manager Chris Patrick to discuss the team, he joked, "We want you for two more years. This is the contract. Sign it."

Asked if the free agent would consider signing with another NHL team, Ovechkin said, "Probably not. No."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Capitals' Alex Ovechkin says his kids want him to play, not retire

Game 1 of the Carolina Hurricanes first round series against the Ottawa Senators is set to take place in less than 48 hours, but so far, it looks like the Canes aren't quite yet decided on who'll start in net.

At least, that's what Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour told the media at Thurday's practice.

"We'll get to that when we have to," Brind'Amour said. "We have another practice and then we'll figure everything out after that. They both played really well in the last stretch there. Gave us exactly what we wanted and so we have a decision to make."

It should be noted though that Frederik Andersen had a crease to himself on Thursday — the prototypical starter's net — and if I were to make a bet, I'd say he has the best odds of starting Saturday.

Despite weak regular season numbers, the veteran netminder is an experienced goaltender who's proven that he can deliver in the postseason.

The Danish goalie is heading into his 10th year of playoff hockey and over the course of his career, he's been pretty reliable, with a career postseason record of 46-35 along with a 0.914 save percentage, 2.40 goals against average and five shutouts.

Andersen also looked much more like himself in the final weeks of the regular season, a promising sign.

"I like where my game's at," Andersen said on Thursday. "I've just been trying to build every day and continue to work on good habits. I know what it feels like when I'm playing well, so I'm just continuing to stretch for that every day."

And even if Andersen starts Game 1, there's no guarantee that he's the guy all the way.

"There's a likelihood that you'll see both, probably," Brind'Amour said.

Rookie netminder Brandon Bussi has had quite the year in Carolina, putting together the best numbers out of any Hurricanes goalie.

Bussi started the most games for the Canes this year, posting an outstanding 31-6-2 record.

However, he had just a 0.894 save percentage, a number that started to really slip post Olympic break.

Heading into the Olympics, Bussi had a 0.906 save percentage and looked to be the guy for Carolina. However, he struggled out of the break, posting just a 0.864 save percentage in that span.

But as Brind'Amour pointed out, Bussi had a good close to the year, stopping 50 out of the 53 shots he faced in back-to-back games, and overall, he probably has the higher ceiling between the two goaltenders at this point.

"I feel good," Bussi said. "I think over the course of the year, I've learned a lot. I've also learned that there's a lot about my game that I like. When I do those things right, I have success."

And even though he hasn't ever experienced NHL playoff hockey, he isn't a stranger to high-stakes games.

"I'm just really excited," Bussi said. "Obviously it's a little new, first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I've been in the American Hockey League playoffs, junior hockey playoffs, college, the one-and-done environments, so I'm not gonna say I'm used to it, it's going to be a little different, but I feel pretty prepared for situations like this."

Many fans have also been curious about the possibility of even seeing Pyotr Kochetkov in net, but it doesn't sound like the team is really considering him at this point.

The Russian netminder hasn't seen NHL action since Dec. 20 and has only seen 60 minutes of total game action of any kind following his surgeries thanks to a short conditioning stint down in the AHL earlier this month.

"We were hoping to get him in for that last game, but we had that little mishap there and weren't able to see where he's at," Brind'Amour said. "He's certainly healthy, but I wouldn't call him an option yet. But it looks like he could if we had to. You never know if you're gonna need that, but it's nice to know that if you get into a jam and guys do get hurt, we have some options."

So it's going to be between Andersen and Bussi and we probably aren't going to get any confirmation on that until Saturday.

"You'll get one of those two guys, I'll guarantee that," Brind'Amour said with a smirk.

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It wasn’t too long ago when Mark Messier, along with popular actor Danny DeVito, Isaac Chera of Crown Acquisitions, and more, unveiled the GAME 7 apparel collection to the NHL world. GAME 7 is a multi-platform sports and entertainment brand that, along with the NHL, works with the NBA for officially licensed apparel. 

 GAME 7 was also a five-part docuseries on Amazon Prime that received Emmy nominations and was directed by Connor Schell. They got the initial opportunity to work with the NHL and New York Rangers during their Centennial year and help design the patch they would wear on their jerseys. 

After initially expanding with NBA apparel, it partnered with the NHL in December for an officially licensed NHL collection of nine NHL teams, those being the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and the Florida Panthers.

Now, alongside a partnership withCentric Brands, they are introducing new apparel to six additional teams: the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Colorado Avalanche.

Here are some of the new pieces of merchandise they are offering for the Avalanche:

With the heightened energy of the Stanley Cup playoffs right around the corner, there is no better time for them to release a new line for some teams that are looking to make a deep run this season. We could very much see a second round that includes the Avalanche versus the Stars, with the winner facing the Oilers in the Conference finals and potentially the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The NHL itself is covered in fashion, and we see it every day when players enter the arena before warm-ups. With the league dropping the formal dress code, players can express themselves more and wear what they see as “fashionable”. From the standard suit-and-tie style we see many adopt, we also see more outgoing styles worn by David Pastrnak, William “Willy Styles” Nylander, and Patrick Laine.

Highlights Of NHL Fashion In The First Half Of The Season With the formal NHL dress code a thing of the past, players have had more freedom in their gameday outfits, and a few players have taken the freedom to fully spread their wings in what they wear to arenas this season.

To see the full Colorado Avalanche and NHL collection from GAME 7, you can head to their Amazon storefront HERE.

The NHL has finally announced the start times for Game 1 of the eight first-round series.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators will open up the postseason with a 3 p.m. showdown Saturday at Lenovo Center and streamed on both FanDuel Sports Network and ESPN.

Parking lots and team store will open at noon that day and there will also be a pregame plaza party beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The arena will open its doors at 1:30 p.m., with warmups set to take place at 2:30 p.m.

The Dallas Stars/Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins/Philadelphia Flyers will follow up that game on Saturday, with puck drops scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins/Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth/Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche series will all then kick off on Sunday at still to be determined times.

Finally, the Pacific #2/#3 series (which has yet to be decided) will start on Monday.

No other game information has been released yet, but the NHL will apparently announce the full first-round schedule after the regular season officially concludes tonight.

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Recent Articles

Why This Year Could Be Different For Carolina

Biggest Areas Of Concern For Carolina Hurricanes Heading Into Playoffs

Carolina Hurricanes To Face Ottawa Senators In First Round Of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

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Macklin Celebrini breaks Joe Thornton's Sharks record for most points in season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

At just 19 years old, Macklin Celebrini just cemented one of the greatest individual seasons in Sharks history.

By earning his 115th point of the 2025-26 NHL season in the Sharks’ regular-season finale on Thursday night, Celebrini overtook Joe Thornton’s franchise record from 2006-07 for points in a single campaign.

The teenage phenom — who ironically lives with Thornton — scored a goal early in the third period for his third point of San Jose’s game against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.

Macklin's record-breaking moment 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Y1l5c2XfRC

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 17, 2026

The goal is Celebrini’s 45th of his remarkable second NHL season and gave the Sharks a commanding 6-1 lead in the regular-season finale.

Celebrini entered Thursday’s game needing three points to break Thornton’s record, and he recorded a pair of assists in the first period to match the mark.

JUMBO, YOU'VE GOT COMPANY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/crBxYxzXaN

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 17, 2026

With 45 goals and 70 assists, Celebrini has twice as many points as the Sharks’ second-highest scorer this season; Will Smith is next with 59 points after a goal and assist in Thursday’s game.

Celebrini is one of just three Sharks in franchise history and six teenagers in NHL history to cross the 100-point threshold. But he now has entered even more rarified air — trailing only Wayne Gretzky (137) and Sidney Crosby (120) for points in an age-19 season or earlier.

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft accrued an impressive 63 points in 70 games as an 18-year-old rookie last year. Still, Celebrini has catapulted himself into superstar territory with his superb second season.

A SEASON FOR THE AGES 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7RY69fEpPB

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 17, 2026

Though San Jose narrowly missed out on the Stanley Cup playoffs, the future appears very bright — or teal, if you will — thanks in large part to Celebrini’s emergence.

The only question that remains is whether Celebrini’s historic campaign is enough to win the Hart Trophy for the NHL’s most valuable player, and it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t this season.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

The Pittsburgh Penguins are bound for the playoffs, ending a three-year drought.

The team clinched a spot in the playoffs during its April 9 game against the New Jersey Devils.

Now, they'll take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, with the first game set to take place on the Penguins' home ice. It's Pittsburgh's first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 season as the city looks to capture its first Stanley Cup since 2017.

Here's a look at how they got to the playoffs and the upcoming schedule.

Flyers vs. Penguins playoff schedule

While the matchup is set, the NHL has yet to release any scheduled dates for the Flyers-Penguins series. The schedule likely will be released once the regular season concludes on April 16.

When is the Penguins' first playoff game?

The Penguins' playoff schedule hasn't been released yet, but the team is scheduled to play a 2-2-1-1-1 format against their intrastate rivals. They'll start on home ice since the Penguins have home-ice advantage, and Games 2, 5 and 7 will also take place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh if necessary.

How to watch Penguins vs. Flyers in NHL playoffs

While a TV schedule has yet to be revealed, 2026 NHL playoff games will be broadcast on ESPN, TNT and ABC as well as regional networks like SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Games can be streamed using ESPN+, Hulu and Max or via live TV services like Fubo TV and DirecTV Stream.

When to get Penguins playoffs tickets

Penguins playoff tickets aren't on sale yet through the team's website, but they can be purchased on third-party sites like SeatGeek and StubHub.

Penguins vs. Flyers playoff history

The Penguins and Flyers have a lengthy and notable playoff history.

This will be the eighth meeting between the cross-state rivals, with the last matchup taking place in 2018 when the Penguins defeated the Flyers in six games in the first round.

In 2008, the Pens beat the Flyers in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Red Wings. The following season, they defeated the Flyers in the conference quarterfinals before winning the Stanley Cup.

The Flyers were victorious in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 2012, 2000 and in 1997, when the team lost to the Red Wings in the Cup Finals.

The first matchup came during the 1989 Patrick Division Finals, which the Flyers won in seven games.

Penguins vs. Flyers stats

The Penguins finished the season 41-24-16, clinching the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, while the Flyers finished third in the division at 42-27-12.

The two teams split the season series 2-2. Here's a look at the previous matchups:

• Oct. 28: Flyers 3, Penguins 2 (shootout)
• Dec. 1: Penguins 5, Flyers 1
• Jan. 15: Penguins 6, Flyers 3
• March 7: Flyers 4, Penguins 3 (shootout)

Last time Penguins made the playoffs

The Penguins were on a 16-year streak of being in the running for the Stanley Cup the last time they were in the playoffs in 2022. They were knocked out of the running during the first round in Game 7 against the New York Rangers.

The team won the Stanley Cup two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017, beating the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, respectively, for their titles.

The last time the Flyers made the playoffs was in the 2019-20 season.

How the Penguins clinched a 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff spot

The Penguins secured a spot in the playoffs during their April 9 game against the New Jersey Devils, with Bryan Rust scoring his 29th goal of the season on Pittsburgh's first shot of the game.

Over the course of the game, which the Penguins won 5-2, Evgeni Malkin scored, Sidney Crosby set up two goals and Kris Letang had an assist.

Penguins highlights from playoff-clinching game

NHL 2026 playoffs

Playoffs are set to begin April 18, and the regular season ends on April 16. The date and times for each matchup have yet to be announced and are expected to come once the standings are set.

NHL playoff bracket

For the latest NHL playoff matchups, you can find the bracket at nhl.com/playoffs/2026/bracket.

Penguins stats

The Penguins are led by center Sidney Crosby (74 points – 29 goals, 45 assists) and defenseman Erik Karlsson (66 points – 15 goals, 51 assists). Their points leader among wingers is Bryan Rust (65 points – 29 goals, 36 assists).

Goalie Artus Silovs was 19-12-8 with a 3.07 GAA and .888 save percentage during the regular season, while goalie Stuart Skinner was 12-9-5 with a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage.

If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: When do the Penguins play the Flyers? NHL playoff schedule release date

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The playoff pushes for the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets both came up short, and the two teams will hit the ice with nothing on the line in their season finale at the Canada Life Centre on Thursday, April 16.

My top Sharks vs. Jets predictions and NHL picks expect a low-scoring game tonight.

Sharks vs Jets prediction

Sharks vs Jets best bet: Under 6.5 (-125)

The Winnipeg Jets have played to the Under in 10 of their past 15 home games, with their 7.1 team shooting percentage at five-on-five the second-lowest mark in the league.

So, with San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic winning four of his past five starts with a respectable .906 save percentage and 3.35 goals saved above average, I’m expecting Winnipeg to continue to have difficulty scoring tonight. 

I also expect Winnipeg star Connor Hellebuyck to show up and play well in the season finale given his .919 SV% on home ice the past three years.

Sharks vs Jets same-game parlay

It’s been a career year for Winnipeg star Mark Scheifele, and he enters the season finale scorching hot to the tune of five goals, 15 assists and eight multi-point showings across his past 11 games.

The Sharks have allowed the second-most goals per game (3.73) on the road, too.

Sharks vs Jets SGP

• Under 6.5
• Mark Scheifele Over 1.5 points

Sharks vs Jets odds

• Moneyline: San Jose +135 | Winnipeg -155
• Puck Line: San Jose +1.5 (-180) | Winnipeg -1.5 (+155)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)

Sharks vs Jets trend

The Winnipeg Jets have hit the Under in 10 of their last 15 games at home (+5.85 Units / 35% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sharks vs. Jets.

How to watch Sharks vs Jets

Sharks vs Jets latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Six of the NHL's eight playoff series are set, and the last two will be determined on the final day of the 2025-26 regular season.

The Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, who are playing other opponents, can finish in either the second or third seed in the Pacific Division or the second wild card spot in the West.

The second-place team would host the third place team in the first two games of the first round, while the second wild team would visit the No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche.

There's a possibility that the Oilers and Kings would face each other for the fifth year in a row in the first round.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, Wednesday's clinching scenario and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season before the postseason begins on April 18:

Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?

Eastern Conference: Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Boston, Ottawa

Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, Utah, Los Angeles

Who can clinch an NHL playoff seed today?

Here are some of the permutations for determining the final Pacific Division seedings:

• The Edmonton Oilers would clinch second in the Pacific if they beat the Vancouver Canucks or if they get one point and the Ducks and Kings lose. They would finish third if they lose in regulation, the Ducks win and the Kings lose. They would finish in the second wild card if they lose in regulation and the Ducks and Kings win.
• The Anaheim Ducks would clinch second place if they beat the Nashville Predators and the Oilers lose in regulation. They would finish third if the Oilers get at least one point and Anaheim gains one more point than the Kings during the night. They would get the second wild card if they lose and the Kings win.
• The Kings would clinch second place if they beat the Calgary Flames, the Oilers lose in regulation and the Ducks lose. They would finish third if they win, the Oilers get a point and the Ducks lose. They would stay in the second wild-card spot if they lose in regulation or if they gain the same number of points or fewer points than the Oilers and Ducks during the course of the night.

Today's NHL games

• St. Louis at Utah, 7:30, ESPN
• Anaheim at Nashville, 8
• San Jose at Winnipeg, 8
• Los Angeles at Calgary, 9
• Vancouver at Edmonton, 9
• Seattle at Colorado, 10, ESPN

NHL playoff standings

NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26

After April 15 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.

Metropolitan Division

• y-Carolina Hurricanes (113) Eastern Conference winner
• x-Pittsburgh Penguins (98)
• x-Philadelphia Flyers (98)

Atlantic Division

• y-Buffalo Sabres (109)
• x-Tampa Bay Lightning (106)
• x-Montreal Canadiens (106)

Wild card

• x-Boston Bruins (100)
• x-Ottawa Senators (99)

Out of the playoffs: z-Washington Capitals (95), z-Detroit Red Wings (92), z-Columbus Blue Jackets (92), z-New York Islanders (91), z-New Jersey Devils (87), z-Florida Panthers (84), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-New York Rangers (77)

NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26

After April 15 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.

Central Division

• y-Colorado Avalanche (119) - Presidents' Trophy winner
• x-Dallas Stars (112)
• x-Minnesota Wild (104)

Pacific Division

• y-Vegas Golden Knights (95)
• x-Edmonton Oilers (91)
• x-Anaheim Ducks (90)

Wild card

• x-Utah Mammoth (92)
• x-Los Angeles Kings (90)

Out of the playoffs: z-Nashville Predators (86), z-St. Louis Blues (84), z-San Jose Sharks (84), z-Winnipeg Jets (82), z-Seattle Kraken (79), z-Calgary Flames (75), z-Chicago Blackhawks (72), z-Vancouver Canucks (58)

NHL playoffs if they started today

NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 15:

• Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2) This series is set
• Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3) This series is set
• Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1) This series is set
• Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3) This series is set

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card

NHL Western Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 15.

• Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2)
• Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3). This series is set
• Vegas (P1) vs. Utah (WC1) This series is set
• Edmonton (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card

NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?

If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:

1. Regulation wins
2. Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
3. Total wins
4. Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
5. Goal differential
6. Total goals

In the Pacific Division, the Oilers have the most regulation wins, followed by the Ducks and Kings.

When does the NHL regular season end?

The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.

When do the NHL playoffs start?

The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 18. There are three openers on Saturday, four on Sunday and one on Monday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, scenarios and tiebreakers

Thursday marks the conclusion of the Vancouver Canucks' disappointing 2025-26 season. Regardless of what happens in the final game of the campaign, Vancouver will finish 32nd overall and have the best odds at first overall for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. A campaign that no one saw coming, 2025-26 will go down as one of the worst seasons in franchise history. 

Just because Tuesday's game will not impact the Canucks' place in the standings doesn't mean it has no stakes. In fact, the result will determine how the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will look. Simply put, the Edmonton Oilers desperately need to collect points; otherwise, it could create a less-than-ideal matchup in the first round. 

If Vancouver beats Edmonton in regulation, the Oilers will finish the season with 31 regulation wins at 91 points. As of writing, that would leave them as the second seed in the Pacific. The problem is that the two teams below them in the standings, the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings, would have the chance to leapfrog the Oilers and push them into the Wild Card. 

For this scenario to happen, the Ducks and Kings would both have to win while Edmonton would have to lose in regulation. Anaheim faces the Nashville Predators in their season finale, while Los Angeles takes on the Calgary Flames. Both the Predators and Flames are out of the playoff race and are currently fighting for draft lottery position. 

If both the Ducks and Kings pick up wins while the Oilers fall in regulation, that would mean Edmonton goes from facing a California team to the Colorado Avalanche. Yes, the Presidents' Trophy-winning, 119-point Avalanche. Sounds less than ideal for an Oilers team that is already dealing with a key injury to Leon Draisaitl. 

The Canucks will wrap up their season on Thursday against Edmonton. This season, Vancouver has beaten Edmonton just once in three attempts. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Russian Machine isn’t ready to shut it down just yet.

Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, gave a peek into his mindset at the end of his 21st NHL season as rumors swirl around potential retirement for the Capitals winger.

“To be honest with you, I’m pretty sure it’s not my last game. I hope it’s not my last game, against Columbus,” he said Thursday, two days after Washington’s season finale, a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.

“I have to make a decision to see where we’re at. The team, family. The kids are already asking me, ‘Dad, are you staying or no?’ And I tell them, ‘We’ll see.’ They want me to come back. They love the city, they love the team, they love the boys.”

Ovechkin, 40, completed the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million extension, and proved he can still contribute. While he may no longer be the consistent 50-goal scorer of earlier in his career, he posted 32 goals and 64 points over 82 games for the Caps (43-30-9) as they finished three points shy of the second wild card spot in the East.

The Russian superstar, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of 895 goals against the Islanders on Apr. 6, 2025, and currently stands alone atop of the NHL’s leaderboard with 929 of his own in 1,572 games.

He brought a Stanley Cup to the Capitals — and followed it with an epic summer-long party — and if he calls it a day stateside, would retire with 12 All-Star nods, three Hart Trophies and three Pearson trophies as league MVP, nine Rocket Richard trophies as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, one Art Ross as the top point-getter and Rookie of the Year honors for 2005-06.

As for his other options, Ovechkin made it clear the Capitals would be his only North American team — a possibility he said he’ll have to discuss with Washington GM Chris Patrick — or potentially return home to play in Russia’s KHL.

The in-and-out grind will be a determining factor.

“In the summer, you have to work your ass off to get better and be in shape,” he said. “When you’re 20, it’s no big thing. When you’re 40, it’s harder and harder.”

Teams hedged their bets down the stretch, with players and fans attempting to say goodbye in what might’ve been their last glimpse of the man known as “Ovi.”

In what was a potentially telling sign, when longtime rival Sidney Crosby had his Penguins teammates ready to give him a handshake line sendoff, Ovechkin simply waved them off.

“Because I don’t decided yet,” he said . “I don’t know. Thanks for them to wait out there, but I’m going to see Sid right now after interview and [Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin]. We’ll talk.”

While we continue to wait for the release of the full first round schedule, the NHL announced this afternoon that the Bruins and Sabres will begin their series on Sunday in Buffalo.

Sunday afternoon? Maybe. Sunday evening? Could be! Sunday night? Anything is possible.

But hey, at least we know: Sunday.

The league didn’t announce any broadcast information along with that date, so their news release was about as little help as it could possibly be, but it’s something.

If you follow the usual cadence for these series, we’d probably be looking at something like Sunday-Tuesday-Friday-Sunday, but there are occasionally extra days in between some of these games depending on availability.

The Celtics already have home playoff games scheduled for TD Garden on Sunday, Tuesday, and (if necessary) Tuesday, April 28, and Sunday, May 2.

With those dates in mind, the B’s home schedule for Games 3 and 4 shouldn’t conflict with the NBA at all.

At this point, it’s a little strange that the league hasn’t released a full schedule, especially in the Eastern Conference, when all of the match-ups are set.

I can understand maybe not releasing a full schedule with exact times and broadcast channels, as that will likely depend on how the Western Conference match-ups shake out.

However, you know who is playing who in the East, so it really shouldn’t be that hard to fill those dates.

I guess it’s easy to get impatient when you’ve waited a year to get back in the playoffs, eh?

If you’re interested in the other teams’ schedules for their respective series openers:

Saturday, April 18

• Senators at Huricanes, 3 PM
• Wild at Stars, 5:30 PM
• Flyers at Penguins, 8 PM

Sunday, April 19

• WC2 at Avalanche, TBD
• Canadaiens at Lightning, TBD
• Bruins at Sabres, TBD
• Mammoth at Golden Knights, TBD

Monday, April 20

• Pacific #3 at Pacific #2, TBD

The first round of the playoffs is always fun, as there seem to be two or three games on every night for like a week, so we’ll have a chance to get our hockey fix.

After an unusually long wait, the Philadelphia Flyers have their date and start time for Game 1 of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Thursday afternoon, the Flyers announced that they will play the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. Saturday night, with ESPN carrying the national game coverage.

As for local coverage, NBC Sports Philadelphia and 97.5 The Fanatic will have Flyers fans covered for Game 1.

Here's how the Flyers lined up for their first practice ahead of Saturday's spite match with the Penguins:

Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Alex Bump/Owen Tippett

Young Flyers Stars Dominate Season Finale vs. CanadiensThe Flyers, led by Martone, Michkov, and Bonk, are on fire at the best possible time.

Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone

Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov

Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway

Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York - Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler - Emil Andrae

Goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason was called up by the Flyers on Thursday morning to help out with practice; if Dan Vladar or Sam Ersson were injured, they'd have gone with a more experienced option like Aleksei Kolosov.

The Flyers split the season series 2-2 with the Penguins, taking both of their wins in the shootout.