NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Zucker scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied to beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Zucker slid his 24th goal past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin at 7:14 after teammate Alex Tuch had tied the contest with his 31st at 5:50 of the third.
Zach Benson scored twice and Ryan McLeod added a goal for the Sabres, who will participate in the postseason for the first time since 2010-11.
The Sabres won their 48th game in a dramatic turnaround from last year, when they had 79 points and missed the playoffs for a 14th straight season. Buffalo is 22-6-3 in its last 31 games, including a league-best 16 wins and 34 points since the Olympic break.
Alexis Lafreniere scored twice and Adam Fox also scored for the Rangers in their home finale. Shesterkin had 22 saves.
New York finished with five wins in a seven-game homestand but just 14 wins in 41 home games overall.
McLeod opened the scoring at 4:40 of the first. Benson then beat Shesterkin at 8:58.
Lafreniere answered on the power play at 19:21, then scored his second of the night and 24th this season at 2:57 of the middle period.
Fox put the Rangers ahead at 14:44 of the second before the Sabres rallied.
Benson completed the scoring with his 12th goal into an empty net at 18:44.
The Rangers will miss the playoffs for a second straight season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 when they had 114 points and 55 wins, including 30 at home.
Buffalo, under Lindy Ruff who also coached the team when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, has 104 points — two more than Tampa Bay and Montreal in the Atlantic Division.
Up Next
Rangers: Visiting Dallas Stars on Saturday to start season-ending three-game trip.
Sabres: Hosting Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
During this past off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2 million contract. This was after the left-shot defenseman had one goal, seven points, and a minus-10 rating in 55 games with the Boston Bruins during the 2024-25 season.
When the Penguins signed Wotherspoon, the expectation was that he would be a depth defenseman for them. Instead, the 6-foot-1 blueliner has been having a breakout year with the Penguins and has emerged as one of their most important defenseman in the process.
Wotherspoon has been excellent for the Penguins this season, and the truth is in his stats. In 78 games this season with Pittsburgh, he has set new career highs with three goals, 26 assists, 29 points, and 160 blocks. With numbers like these, he has been a major pickup for the Penguins.
Due to how well he has played, Wotherspoon has found a home on the Penguins' top pairing with Erik Karlsson this season. He has also become a key part of their penalty kill.
With all of this, there is no question that Wotherspoon has turned out to be quite the gem for the Penguins and has been a notable reason for their major turnaround this season.
The Senators made an interesting move on Wednesday morning, sending defenseman Carter Yakemchuk down to the minors.
Yakemchuk, Ottawa’s seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, was up with the big club for four games before suffering an apparent concussion last Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. In his NHL debut on March 24, Yakemchuk made an immediate impression, recording a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The call-up was never really part of the original plan for this season. It was born out of necessity, if not emergency, with Ottawa’s blue line decimated by injuries.
Now, with Jake Sanderson back and Dennis Gilbert nearing a return, the Senators needed to create roster space. Yakemchuk becomes the odd man out.
It’s certainly a defensible decision. The last thing Ottawa wants is for its top prospect to be dropped right into the middle of a ferocious playoff race where every mistake is magnified ten times over.
But he is a seventh overall pick who's now in his second season since being drafted. It would be one thing if he were losing his spot to established NHL players. But the Sens are content to roll with Cam Crotty and Lassi Thomson, who have 31 career NHL games between them. Those players don't have Yakemchuk's skill, but they do play it safe, which is all Travis Green wants out of his 5-6-7 guys right now.
Now cleared after his concussion, Yakemchuk can be assigned to Belleville, where he’ll help the B-Sens close out their final five games of the season. Belleville sits eight points out of a playoff spot with five to play, so this will be more about development than helping in a late push.
His time is coming. It's just not now.
Thomas on Track: Chabot’s Return Gaining Steam
Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot took another step toward returning to the lineup.
The injured left-shot defenceman surprised many by skating Tuesday for the first time since suffering a forearm injury just over two weeks ago. He wore a non-contact jersey at that session, but on Wednesday morning, he was in a regular white jersey during an optional skate.
If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t have guessed he was coming off an injury. Chabot was moving well, handling the puck cleanly, making crisp passes, and even getting involved in some net-front battle work.
The next key step will be Thursday’s game-day skate ahead of Ottawa’s matchup with Florida. If he’s a full participant there, his return could be right around the corner.
Belleville Signs Wheat Kings Star
Down in Belleville, the B-Sens have signed forward Luke Mistelbacher to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the AHL season.
The 20-year-old put up a team-leading 88 points this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings and added four points in four playoff games. Prior to that, he spent three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, where he totalled 205 points in 257 games.
With Belleville’s playoff hopes all but gone, it's a chance to give a fine junior player a quick audition at the pro level and see what they might have.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
With the regular season at its end come April 16, some teams on the outskirts of the playoffs are already prepping for their offseason while others are still fighting for their Stanley Cup hopes.
In the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings are chasing a wild card spot, hoping to overtake the Nashville Predators, who sit in the second and final wild card spot.
It will come down to the final regular-season games.
Through 77 games, the Kings are 32-26-19 (83 points). The Sharks are right under them; through 76 games, they have a 37-32-7 record (81 points).
San Jose has a Wednesday night game against the Edmonton Oilers. That's important for many reasons.
If Edmonton loses in regulation, it will fall to second in the division, getting leaped by the Golden Knights. As for San Jose, its wild card hopes will still be alive and well.
The Sharks have won five of their previous six games, including a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, April 6. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have contributed to the team's success in major ways.
They are the key components to a productive young core that needs to keep it up in their remaining six games, which includes meetings with the Anaheim Ducks and a last-place Vancouver Canucks team. To conclude the season, the Sharks face the Predators in a huge matchup and the Blackhawks again, then the Winnipeg Jets.
But with the Kings still narrowly ahead, it'll be a tough task for San Jose, a team that hasn't had a postseason appearance since 2019.
After an unexpected coaching change, a week of high-intensity practices and an unwelcome result elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, the Islanders are ready to return to the ice — and fight for their postseason lives.
The Isles — following a 6-2 Senators thrashing over the Lightning — are three points off the second and final wild-card spot entering Thursday’s pivotal clash against the Maple Leafs.
And one of the team’s longest-tenured players knows exactly what’s required in that matchup against Toronto — the Isles’ first game since they lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
“It’s got to be all energy ahead,” defenseman Ryan Pulock told The Post. “I think as much as you make changes, it’s still just a game. And we need to bring that energy. We’re at home, there’s no excuses there. You need every guy on board, finding a little extra.”
On the third day of what new head coach Pete DeBoer has dubbed his “late-season training camp” — following his hiring over the weekend with just four regular-season games remaining — there was an urgency during the session at Northwell Health Ice Center.
Ilya Sorokin shone with some impressive glove work in net, DeBoer continued to feed his players instructions from a whiteboard and the coach was once again pleased with the buy-in from his new group.
“I feel like they’re optimistic,” DeBoer said of his players. “I feel a real good energy out there. The feedback’s been good, the conversations have been good. I think we all know the situation we’re in, but the mindset of the group is really good.
Veteran defenseman Ryan Pulock said the Islanders have to play with full energy down the stretch to make the playoffs. NHLI via Getty Images
“I think they’re sick of my late-season training camp. I think they’re done with it. And I’ll be honest, I’ve never run a training camp in April. So I think we’re all ready to play some games.”
But with their playoff predicament — Hockey Reference gives the Isles just a 22.1 percent chance of making the postseason after a poor 3-7 stretch — there was little time for them to brood.
“When you first find out, there is some sadness,” Pulock said. “I think you build relationships with people, and you work together for a while, and when you hear that, it sucks for a minute.
New Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer talks with the media on April 6, 2026. Howie Kussoy / NY Post
“And then you can sit on it for a minute, and you get ready, you look forward, and you get excited about what’s ahead.”
Roy’s successor has also been heartened by the response he’s seen from his new players.
“I think anytime a coach loses his job, if you’ve got good character like we have in that room, they feel bad about it,” DeBoer said. “And I think they’re looking to respond in the right way and handle this the right way.”
The Islanders may have to sweep their upcoming slate against the Leafs, Senators, Canadiens and Hurricanes — and get help elsewhere, too — to sneak into the postseason.
But following a late-season slump and this week’s rare mini-break, the first order of business is clear: Beat Toronto.
“It’s a little sprint here, where we know our backs [are] against the wall,” Pulock said, “and it’s [an] exciting time to just try to win one hockey game.”
Chris Drury made sweeping changes to the player personnel and scouting departments when he was named president and general manager of the Rangers just under five years ago.
Since then, there haven’t been many significant adjustments.
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The Rangers brought back Kevin Maxwell in the same director of pro scouting role he held for 11 seasons in New York, adding director of player personnel to his title, the team announced Wednesday before their final home game of the 2025-26 season.
It’s not exactly a brand-new voice, considering Maxwell worked for the Rangers for 14 seasons from 2008-09 to 2021-22. But Maxwell is an experienced (re)addition to a Blueshirts front office that can use an alternative perspective as they head into a pivotal offseason.
With over 30 years in an NHL front office/scouting department, Maxwell is tasked with helping guide this Rangers retool in the right direction. The Rangers need to get more out of their organizationally grown prospects, but also must improve on their free agent/trade/waiver targets.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been any success on that front. Vladislav Gavrikov has been a home run free-agent signing so far. Deadline acquisitions Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano and Niko Mikkola have all gone on to establish themselves with their respective teams.
There have also been some colossal swings and misses. Signing Patrick Nemeth to a three-year deal was questionable in July 2021 and just plain awful now upon reflection. So were the one-year deals for Ryan Carpenter (2022), Nick Bonino (2023) and Tyler Pitlick (2023).
When Drury first joined the Rangers front office as director of player development in 2015, Maxwell had already been with the organization for seven seasons. He began as a pro scout in 2008-09 before working his way up to director of professional scouting in 2011-12.
Kevin Maxwell of the St. Louis Blues arrives for the game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on November 23, 2024. Getty Images
Maxwell most recently worked for the Blues, serving as a pro scout and general manager of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, for the past four seasons.
Working alongside John Lilley — the Rangers director of amateur scouting and player personnel since Drury came in — once again, Maxwell will return to overseeing the pro side of player personnel, just like he did when Lilley was first hired in 2021.
Lilley will continue to be in charge of the amateur side.
Rangers held their rookie training camp Thursday, September 12, 2024 at Madison Square Garden Training Center. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Since Lilley’s first draft in 2021, the Rangers have had seven picks make their NHL debut with the team. Five players came up this season alone, a majority of whom only got looks amid the organization’s struggles and retooling announcement.
Two — Brennan Othmann (No. 16 overall in 2021) and Victor Mancini (No. 159 overall in 2022) — have been traded away.
The Rangers have 11 picks in this year’s draft, which is the most they’ve had since they made 13 selections in 2004.
Jed Ortmeyer has served as the organization’s director of player development since 2017-18. Jamie Herrington started with the club as an amateur scout in 2016-17 before becoming director of NCAA scouting in 2021-22.
The trio of Garth Joy (director of player personnel and director of pro scouting), Andrew Schneider (director of North American amateur scouting) and Ari Vuori (director of European scouting) all started during the 2022-23 season.
While Tanner Glass began his post-playing career as a development coach for the Rangers in 2019-20, the 42-year-old became an assistant director of player development in 2020-21.
The Rangers then added Marc Staal as a development assistant last season.
When Drury spoke after trading Artemi Panarin to the Kings before the Olympic break, the 49-year-old fielded questions about the direction of his retool. Asked by The Post if he had plans to make changes to scouting and development, the 49-year-old expressed how important those two departments are.
“The draft and development, organizations need to make good draft picks, obviously, and they need those draft picks to develop and get to the big club and impact the lineup,” Drury said at the time. “Again, those are two important parts of the organization, along with scouting and a number of other departments that we’re always looking at and seeing if we can tweak things, seeing what we can learn from other organizations that have gone through this before, and always looking for ways in both those departments to be better.”
TORONTO (AP) — Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Capitals early in the first period with a lower-body injury.
The Toronto starter was hurt after stretching out his left leg to get a pad on Cole Hutson’s shot from distance.
Stolarz immediately collapsed to the ice and pulled off his mask before one of the referees blew the play dead.
The 32-year-old was attended to by a trainer and had to be helped off the ice by teammates before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.
Coach Craig Berube announced after the 4-0 loss that Artur Akhtyamov will be recalled from the American Hockey League and make his first NHL appearance Thursday when the Maple Leafs visit the New York Islanders.
“I’ve really liked him right from camp,” Berube said of the 24-year-old Russian selected 106th overall at the 2020 NHL draft. “Great personality. He’s played well down there. He’s a competitor and he’s really got fast reflexes."
The Maple Leafs also lost forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (lower body) to injuries later in the game against Washington.
Berube said Luke Haymes and William Villeneuve will join Akhtyamov as AHL call-ups. Haymes is also slated to make his NHL debut Thursday for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
In a lacklustre game against the Vegas Golden Knights that saw the Vancouver Canucks put up only 11 shots on goal, only one line was able to find the back of the net: that of Max Sasson, Teddy Blueger, and Linus Karlsson.
The trio has presented themselves well in the past few games, having found some offensive chemistry a little while after first being put together on March 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes. They were broken apart for a short period of time at the end of March but were reunited in Vancouver’s 8–6 rout of the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. It was a speedy dash by Sasson and Blueger that helped the Canucks break the ice during this game. Sasson’s Tuesday night goal reflected the same kind of speed and hard forecheck that this line has produced since then.
But what has made this group so noticeable as of late?
“They work together. They play the system, they forecheck as one. Really disciplined, and they’re able to generate a lot of more offensive zone time, and they play in heavy structure. They work well together. They’re a very predictable and dependable line,” Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote said of the Sasson – Blueger – Karlsson line after the team’s 2–1 loss to Vegas on Tuesday.
Sasson’s goal on Tuesday night marked the sixth Canucks goal scored with this line factoring into the play, with five of these goals being scored directly from members of the line themselves. Four of these goals were produced with this trio breaking into the O-zone.
According to Sasson, this has been a point of practice for this group.
“We work on 3-on-2 rushes daily, so I know exactly how Teddy likes to move it and when,” he said, speaking on his goal after Tuesday’s loss to Vegas.
There’s a reason why the recipe has been able to produce as of late, according to the players involved. For Blueger, that comes from his wingers’ abilities to forecheck hard and put some pressure on the opposition.
“I’ve enjoyed playing with them a lot. They work extremely hard, they compete, they battle, so they’re easy to play with. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. They want to do well. They want to succeed. It’s honestly super enjoyable to play with guys like that, and we’re on the same page, as far as what we need to do to be successful, and they’re easy to talk to. Communication is good, so we’re learning from each other.”
Apr 7, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Teddy Blueger (53) and forward Linus Karlsson (94) and forward Max Sasson (63) celebrate Sasson’s goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
“He’s solid. He’s so good defensively, he plays a simple game. That’s what I like — where the puck goes and you can read after that, and [he’s] a great leader. I really enjoy playing with him. He’s a great guy, and I just love to play with him for sure,” Karlsson added of having Blueger as a centre.
Pair two no-quit wingers with a defensively responsible centre in Blueger, and just like that, you’ve got a line that has earned not only their coach’s trust, but also the highest minutes as a line on their team. While Tuesday against Vegas was technically a ‘down’ night for them, Sasson, Blueger, and Karlsson still played 8:28 minutes together. This was the first time since their reunion on April 1 that the trio did not lead Vancouver in 5-on-5 minutes played by a line, as they held the team leads in their games against the Utah Mammoth (9:37), Minnesota Wild (10:51), and Avalanche (11:01).
With this trio, like Foote says, you know what you’re going to get. Hard workers, solid defence, and energetic forechecking. The recent push in offence doesn’t hurt, either.
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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SAN JOSE – Time is running out for the Sharks to make a big run to end their long Stanley Cup playoff drought following their 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday at SAP Center.
It was a costly defeat for the Sharks, as they entered the night with a shot at narrowing the gap between themselves and the Nashville Predators, who currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
With five games to go, there is no more margin for error. San Jose has 81 points, two behind the Los Angeles Kings and three behind the Predators.
The Sharks basically need to run the table against the likes of the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Nashville, Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets. Three of those five – the Ducks, Blackhawks and Jets – are all games that San Jose should be favored in.
It won’t matter much who they play unless the Sharks clean up some of the ugliness from Wednesday, like penalties, missed opportunities and an inability to get much going offensively – San Jose attempted only 14 shots compared to 26 for Edmonton.
The Oilers returned the favor two minutes later when Connor McDavid’s power-play goal – earning him his NHL-leading 129th point – tied the game at 1-1.
After Edmonton got goals from Jack Roslovic and Vasily Podkolzin to take a 3-1 advantage, Kiefer Sherwood’s tip-in goal cut the lead in half.
McDavid, a seven-time NHL All-Star, put the icing on the cake for Edmonton with his third goal of the night that put the Oilers in front 5-2.
Here are the takeaways from Wednesday’s loss:
Rough One For Nedeljkovic
Alex Nedeljkovic had been playing fairly steady defense over the past week before the Oilers got to the Sharks goalie for a pair of power-play goals in the first period.
There wasn’t much Ned could do about McDavid’s wrist shot that got the Oilers their first goal. He has been doing that to the rest of the NHL all season.
Edmonton’s second goal, though, was a heartbreaker. Edmonton forward Podkolzin got between two defenders in front of the crease, then poked the puck between Nedeljkovic’s legs for the score.
McDavid had a similar goal in the second period that got between Nedeljkovic’s legs and into the net.
Their Own Worst Enemy
The Sharks faced a stiff challenge as it was, but San Jose made the task much more difficult due to the rash of penalties it racked up.
Edmonton took full advantage of it all, scoring its first three goals on power plays.
Even when they didn’t score, the Oilers – playing on consecutive nights – kept pushing the pace and pressure in the man-advantage situations. The Sharks’ defense just couldn’t keep up.
It’s Good To Be The Mack
The Sharks have had some great and memorable players in their history. When it’s all said and done, Celebrini might end up at the top of that illustrious list.
Still just 19 years old, Celebrini got SAP Center rocking early with his team-leading 42nd goal of the 2025-26 NHL season that capped a solid surge by the Sharks.
San Jose was in Edmonton’s zone for several moments and took a few shots before Celebrini found an opening from the left circle and scored.
Within a few seconds of Celebrini’s goal, the crowd broke into MVP chants. It’s not the first time this season that the teenager has heard chorus from the home crowd. It won’t be the last, either.
This will be the first chance for the Penguins to clinch their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are set to begin on Apr. 18. Any type of win gets the Penguins in the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
All healthy players were present and accounted for at practice, including Anthony Mantha and Stuart Skinner. Mantha missed Tuesday's optional practice due to illness. Skinner looked good during Wednesday's session after a puck hit near his eye during Saturday's game against the Florida Panthers. The injury forced him to miss Sunday's second half of the back-to-back against Florida.
Sergei Murashov was also present at practice after he was officially recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday. He got some work, but Skinner and Arturs Silovs took most of the reps during drills.
Head coach Dan Muse told reporters after practice that all three goaltenders will travel to Newark for Thursday's game.
Here's what the full lines looked like:
Forwards
Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust
Novak-Rakell-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Soderblom-Dewar-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Dallas Stars center Justin Hryckowian (49) moves the puck behind the Penguins net as Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) defends during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ryan Shea, who has enjoyed a career season this year, knows that the Penguins have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday and is super fired up about it.
"I think we've had jump in every game since the East playoffs standings have been so tight. You have to have jump at this time of year," Shea said after practice. "You're fighting to get into probably the best playoffs in all of sports, and obviously, I haven't been in the playoffs yet, but just watching growing up as a little kid, and then now you're here, you're so close that I think it's just everyone's giving it their all."
"The motivation is at an all-time high, but also the confidence is at a high. We're not playing with, I guess you can call it, stupid motivation. We're playing with confidence, and we're playing in our structure. I think everything will take care of itself. Obviously, we know that another two points will clinch it, and we're going into a building that's tough to play in. They (the Devils) obviously have high-end skill, but if we play like we've been playing, then I think our work ethic will overcome their skill."
Avery Hayes, who's been up and down between the Penguins and WBS for the last couple of months, is also excited about the opportunity.
"Yeah, it's amazing," Hayes said. "That's the goal, right? You want to play playoff hockey, every team, you gotta get there just to get into the dance, and you never know what's going to happen. To be that close and kinda taste it, it's a great feeling."
The Penguins will face a Devils team that was eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday night following their 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It came one day after the Devils parted ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald.
Even though the Devils aren't playing for anything on Thursday, this is still a team that can hurt the Penguins. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have been fantastic as of late and can impact the game each time they're on the ice. The Penguins have also really struggled in Newark over the years.
A win and a regulation loss by the Flyers on Thursday would also clinch home ice for the Penguins in the first round. They'd have second place in the Metropolitan Division all locked up.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
They can take a step toward that on Wednesday, April 8. If the Sabres (102 points) pick up at least a point against the New York Rangers, they will break their three-way tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
But if they lose in regulation, they will drop to third place in the division based on points percentage.
The same thing applies in the Pacific Division. The Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights at 88 points and hold the tiebreaker edge. They can lead outright by gaining at least a point against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. If they lose in regulation, they will fall to second in the division.
The Sharks need the win because they trail the Nashville Predators by three points in the race for the second wild-card spot in the West. Wednesday will be one of their two games in hand.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
Eastern Conference: Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Montreal
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota
Who can clinch an NHL playoff berth today?
No team can clinch a playoff berth today.
Today's NHL games (Wednesday, April 8)
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 7, TNT
Washington at Toronto, 7
Edmonton at San Jose, 10, TNT
NHL playoff standings
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
After April 7 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Metropolitan Division
y-Carolina Hurricanes (106)
Pittsburgh Penguins (96)
Philadelphia Flyers (92)
Atlantic Division
x-Tampa Bay Lightning (102)
x-Buffalo Sabres (102)
x-Montreal Canadiens (102)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (96)
Ottawa Senators (92)
Sitting out of playoff position: Columbus Blue Jackets (90), Detroit Red Wings (89), New York Islanders (89), Washington Capitals (87), z-New Jersey Devils (83), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-Florida Panthers (77), z-New York Rangers (75)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
After April 7 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Central Division
y-Colorado Avalanche (112)
x-Dallas Stars (104)
x-Minnesota Wild (102)
Pacific Division
Edmonton Oilers (88)
Vegas Golden Knights (88)
Anaheim Ducks (87)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (88)
Nashville Predators (84)
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (83), San Jose Sharks (81), Winnipeg Jets (80), St. Louis Blues (78), Seattle Kraken (75), z-Calgary Flames (73), z-Chicago Blackhawks (70), z-Vancouver Canucks (52)
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 7:
Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3)
Tampa Bay (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Buffalo (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
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 7.
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Edmonton (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Vegas (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:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
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.
Goal differential
Total goals
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 are scheduled to begin on April 18.
ROCHESTER, NY - APRIL 04: Providence Bruins forward James Hagens (12) skates during warm ups prior to the AHLD game between the Providence Bruins and Rochester Americans on April 4, 2026, at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY. (Photo by Jerome Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After a short stint in Providence where he got to show what he could do against professionals, the Bruins announced on Wednesday afternoon that they’ve signed James Hagens to his entry-level contract (ELC).
The three-year ELC begins with the current (2025-2026) season and carries a cap hit of $975,000 at the NHL level.
With his amateur tryout now over and his ELC signed, Hagens is free to join the B’s at the NHL level, should they determine there’s a spot for him on the NHL roster.
That part is likely a formality, as the Bruins probably wouldn’t bother having him sign a contract if they didn’t intend to get him some game time at the NHL level.
It’s worth remembering that the 23-man roster limit is lifted after the trade deadline, so the Bruins don’t technically have to send anyone down to make space for Hagens.
However, they do still need to be cap compliant, so it’s possible that there’s a corresponding move coming. That will likely come down to the extremely detailed, daily salary cap number crunching that I won’t pretend to understand.
Hagens ended up playing six games with the Providence Bruins, recording a goal and three assists for four points.
The stretch beginning today always seemed like the most likely time for the B’s to pull the trigger on this move, as Hagens would (in theory) have two full days of practice with the NHL team prior to Saturday’s game against the Lightning.
In addition, while a playoff spot isn’t officially locked up, the B’s do have a little margin for error in the standings that might make them more willing to throw a rookie into the mix.
With the offense stagnating in recent games (though things went OK in Carolina last night), it makes sense to see if Hagens can provide a bit of a spark, whether it’s with playmaking abilities, skating, or whatever else.
The Bruins will practice at Warrior Arena at 11 AM on Thursday morning; presumably, Hagens will be there.
Marco Sturm will address the media after practice, so we’ll likely get some more details on the team’s immediate plans for Hagens at that time.
Ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Colton Dach and Jason Dickinson to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a 2027 conditional first-round pick.
While Dickinson was the main piece in this trade for the Oilers, Dach has the potential to be a solid player for them. He undoubtedly demonstrated that during the Oilers' most recent contest against the Utah Mammoth.
After missing a month of action due to injury, Dach had a strong return to the lineup for the Oilers against Utah. At the 2:09 mark of the third period, Dach scored his first goal as an Oiler, and it was a nice one. After having his one-timer stopped by Karel Vejmelka, Dach picked up the rebound and beat the Utah goaltender with a great snapshot.
This goal gave the Oilers a 5-4 lead over the Mammoth, but Utah ended up winning the contest in overtime. While the Oilers lost, this was certainly a good moment for Dach. This is especially so when noting that he is looking to cement himself as a regular in Edmonton's lineup.
In four games with the Oilers since the trade, Dach now has one goal, one assist, and 11 hits. This is after the former Blackhawks forward has three goals, nine points, and 189 hits in 53 games this season with Chicago before the trade.
The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are not far away, with the first series set to begin on Saturday, April 18.
The league is on track for the biggest postseason turnover in history, with the potential for half the field — eight of the 16 spots — to be teams that did not qualify a year ago. There will be a new champion and no three-peat after the Florida Panthers were derailed by injuries following three consecutive trips to the final.
The regular season runs through Thursday, April 16, a day after Eastern Conference teams wrap up.
Who's in the playoffs
WEST: Central Division rivals Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota are in, with the top-seeded Avalanche on track to win the Presidents' Trophy and ensure home ice throughout the playoffs. Five spots remain open.
The top three teams in each of the four divisions division make the playoffs. The other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division.
The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild-card plays the other division winner. Teams that finish second and third in their division play each other in the bracket headed by their respective division winner. The second round thus carries a higher prospect of division foes matching up ahead of the conference finals.
All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven; the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.
The first-round matchups so far:
— Dallas vs. Minnesota.
The favorites
Colorado is the 3-1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup, followed by Tampa Bay at 9-2, Carolina at 5-1 and Dallas at 10-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
How to watch
Every playoff game will be nationally televised in the U.S on an ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.
After three rounds of seven-game series, the final starts in early June. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could go as late as June 21.
Who to watch
— Colorado, with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon and star defenseman Cale Makar, has been hockey's best team since October.
— Connor McDavid and Edmonton lost in the Cup Final the past two years but are playing better defense and should have Leon Draisaitl for the playoffs.
— Tage Thompson was a big part of the U.S. winning Olympic gold and the Sabres' leading scorer finally gets to the postseason.
— Nikita Kucherov is right there with MacKinnon and McDavid in the NHL scoring race and has steadied the Lightning through months of injuries.
A woman went into labor and gave birth inside Rogers Place in Alberta, Canada, last week during the Las Vegas, Knights’ victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
“Breaking news: We have word that someone has gone into labor here tonight,” play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels said during the second period on the Sportsnet broadcast. “There’s a baby being born on the seventh floor at Rogers Place as we speak.”
“So someone’s going to have a great story to tell,” Michaels added, before joking, “It would be nice to have the mother join us on After Hours to describe what’s happened, but that could be asking a bit much.”
The mother, who has yet to be publicly identified, did not appear on the sports network’s post-game show.
“Someone’s going to have a great story to tell,” a play-by-play announcer said (Getty Images)
Details about the mother and newborn have not been released, and it remains unclear whether medical personnel assisted with the delivery.
The Independent has contacted Rogers Place for comment.
While details on the birth itself are slim, fans on social media had big reactions to the once-in-a-lifetime event.
“At least someone is delivering, [Connor] McDavid sure ain't,” one X user wrote, referring to the Oilers’ center and captain.
“They better get season tickets for life,” another person suggested.
Others offered up their baby name ideas.
“Did she make it back for the 3rd period? And what's the kid's name? Rogers, Connor, or Seven (any Seinfeld fans?)?” one person asked.
“I think they name the baby Roger. Roger’s Place,” another said.
The Golden Knights defeated the Oilers 5-1, ending Edmonton’s five-game winning streak in a game that also saw a fan struck by a puck and a late on-ice fight, just weeks before the NHL regular season wraps April 16 and the playoffs begin.
