The Buffalo Sabres have ended their 14-season playoff drought and the Tampa Bay Lightning clinched a postseason berth for the ninth consecutive season.

The Montreal Canadiens can join those teams in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket on Sunday, April 5.

Also Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes can clinch the Metropolitan Division title, and the Colorado Avalanche can clinch the Central Division and Western Conference titles.

The Eastern Conference bracket could also see some big changes. The Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers (88 points each) and the Washington Capitals (87) are in action.

The Senators currently hold the second wild-card spot in the East on a tiebreaker and could be passed by the other three teams. The Flyers could move past the idle New York Islanders (89) into third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders would drop out of a playoff spot if both the Flyers and Capitals win.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, who can clinch today and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:

Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?

Eastern Conference: Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo

Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota

Who can clinch an NHL playoff berth today?

• The Montreal Canadiens will clinch a playoff berth if they get at least one point vs. the Devils or if the Red Wings or Senators lose.
• The Carolina Hurricanes will clinch the Metropolitan Division title if they get at least one point vs. the Senators or the Penguins fail to win in regulation.
• The Colorado Avalanche will clinch the Central Division and Western Conference titles if they defeat the Blues.

NHL games today (Sunday, April 5)

All times Eastern.

• Minnesota at Detroit, 1, TNT
• Florida at Pittsburgh, 3
• Boston at Philadelphia, 3:30, TNT
• Carolina at Ottawa, 5
• New Jersey at Montreal, 7
• Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7, ESPN
• St. Louis at Colorado, 9:30, ESPN

NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26

After April 4 games. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated

Metropolitan Division

• x-Carolina Hurricanes (104)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (94)
• New York Islanders (89)

Atlantic Division

• x-Tampa Bay Lightning (102)
• Montreal Canadiens (100)
• x-Buffalo Sabres (100)

Wild card

• Boston Bruins (96)
• Ottawa Senators (88)

Sitting out of playoff position: Detroit Red Wings (88), Philadelphia Flyers (88), Columbus Blue Jackets (88), Washington Capitals (87), New Jersey Devils (81), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-Florida Panthers (77), z-New York Rangers (73)

NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26

After April 4 games. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated

Central Division

• x-Colorado Avalanche (110)
• x-Dallas Stars (102)
• x-Minnesota Wild (98)

Pacific Division

• Edmonton Oilers (87)
• Anaheim Ducks (87)
• Vegas Golden Knights (86)

Wild card

• Utah Mammoth (86)
• Nashville Predators (81)

Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (81), San Jose Sharks (79), Winnipeg Jets (78), St. Louis Blues (76), Seattle Kraken (75), Calgary Flames (72), 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 4:

• Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2)
• Pittsburgh (M2) vs. N.Y. Islanders (M3)
• Tampa Bay (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
• Montreal (A2) vs. Buffalo (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 4.

• Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
• Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
• Edmonton (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
• Anaheim (P2) vs. Vegas (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

More: Vegas Golden Knights fire coach Bruce Cassidy, hire John Tortorella

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.
5. Goal differential
6. 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.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoffs standings, latest bracket, today's clinching scenarios

The Ottawa Senators are going cold at exactly the wrong time. On Saturday afternoon, they lost for the fourth time in five games (1-3-1), falling 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild at Canadian Tire Centre.

The good news is that the teams around them in the wild card race, Columbus, Detroit, and the Islanders, all lost in regulation as well. So the Sens are still holding down the final wild-card spot with six games left to play.

The other bit of good news was the return of Jake Sanderson, who missed 13 games with a shoulder injury.

But that's where the silver-lining playbook ends.

The Sens didn't seem overly inspired by their top defenseman's return on Saturday, and also learned that Tyler Kleven would be out indefinitely after being struck by a puck on the side of his head in Thursday's win over Buffalo.

Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves, but probably deserved a shutout. The Sens had some looks, but many of their 33 shots were from the perimeter or with no one at the net. Drake Batherson scored with under four minutes left in the game, chipping a puck into the net while lying on the ice.

It's the second time in three games that Batherson has been a shutout buster. He scored Tuesday in Florida, where the Sens were down 5-0. And on a day when the Sens' good news seemed to be rolled up with bad news, Batherson's goal was no different. He was struck by a shot on the play and headed down the tunnel afterward.

As for Minnesota, they jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on some good fortune.

Skating down the left wing midway through the first, Jonas Brodin drifted a light wrist shot on net, which Linus Ullmark normally would have steered out of harm's way. But it took a funny skip off the ice, then off Ullmark, straight into traffic, off Nikolas Matinpalo’s skate and into the net.

The next goal was more of a gift. Jordan Spence coughed it up at the offensive blue line for a 2-on-0 that was finished off by Ryan Hartman for a 2-0 Minnesota lead. Hartman is the guy who was suspended for eight games last year for slamming Tim Stutzle's face off the ice, showing a brutal misunderstanding of what a face-off means.

On Saturday, metaphorically at least, Hartman did that to the Senators again, scoring twice to lead the charge.

After the game, head coach Travis Green talked about the loss and took issue with a reporter describing the team as having a lack of urgency.

"When you ask if we played with enough urgency, I think it feels like you are asking if we tried hard enough," Green said. “That’s just easy to say when you lose. Our guys want to win. They want to win bad. Some guys didn’t have the best game, and that would have gone a long way for us to win.”

Green said there were three or four players in particular who didn't play well, but obviously didn't identify them. That's absolutely not his style, nor does he like to gush too long over individual players who have great games.

Despite the flat performance, the Senators, along with the Red Wings, Blue Jackets, and Flyers, will begin another day on Sunday, tied at 88 points. Ottawa will have the tiebreaker with a substantial lead in regulation wins.

The Sens will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday at 5 pm in a battle of two teams on short rest. The 'Canes were busy doing Ottawa a huge favour on Saturday night with a 4-3 regulation victory over the Islanders.

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:  

Senators Get Hard-Fought Win, But Lose Yet Another Defenseman To Injury
Senators and Bell Media Announce New Long-Term Rights Extension
Sens Sign Two Of Their Drafted NCAA Prospects On Monday
TSN Analyst On Linus Ullmark: 'What He Did Was Completely Unacceptable'

If you looked at the standings on Sunday morning, you might have wondered if someone got confused when typing them up. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres both have clinched their playoff berth with 102 and 100 points, respectively. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens, which are second in the Atlantic Division with 100 points ahead of the Sabres, haven’t.

Simply put, the Habs are ahead of the Sabres because they have a game in hand; if they didn’t, Montreal would be third based on regulation wins. Buffalo has 38 regulation wins while Montreal only has 32. That’s also the reason why Montreal hasn’t clinched yet. The Ottawa Senators, currently in the second wild card spot, have 88 points with six games left to play, meaning they can still reach 100 points. If they did and the Habs didn’t get another point until the end of the season, they would qualify because they have 33 regulation wins to Montreal’s 32.

Canadiens Play With Fire But Escape With The Two Points
Canadiens Winger Flying Under The Radar While Having A Great Season
Canadiens’ Dobson Is Not Just About The Offense

Now, that won’t happen; it would take an unmitigated disaster for Montreal to go without another point by the end of the season. However, their low number of regulation wins may cost them home-ice advantage. Even if they win their six remaining games in regulation, they won’t have more regulation wins than the Sabres. If both teams ended up with 38 regulation wins, the next tie breaker would be the most wins, excluding shootout wins, reflected by the “ROW” column in the standings. As things stand, Montreal has the edge on Buffalo with 42 ROW to 41, but there’s still time for that to change.

In any case, there are three ways that the Canadiens can clinch a playoff birth on Easter Sunday: if the Detroit Red Wings lose to the Minnesota Wild in their 1:00 PM tilt, or if the Senators lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in their 5:00 PM duel, or if the Canadiens get at least one point against the New Jersey Devils.

With six games to play, the Canadiens have all but qualified, and it’s just a matter of mathematically qualifying. In other words, Montreal doesn’t have much to worry about, but they won’t be able to take it easy since they could still end up winning the division or even the conference. While getting home-ice advantage remains the goal, it’s interesting to note that Montreal has gotten 54 of its 100 points on the road and 46 at home. Still, having the last change and playing a game seven at home in the playoffs would be better than not having those advantages.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The Islanders have four days now to figure this thing out, four days they must take advantage of before getting back into action Thursday at home against the Maple Leafs.

The extended break is something of a makeup after a schedule that has been condensed all year, and will allow other teams to make up games in hand. That means by Thursday, there is a very good chance the Islanders — currently third in the Metro despite their 4-3 loss to Carolina on Saturday night — will be out of a playoff spot.

After losing four straight games, a season high, and looking completely overwhelmed by the Hurricanes on Saturday, the break is at least coming at a decent time.

A mental reset certainly seems to be something this team needs right now. So does some practice time.

“We have some time off, the holiday. See family, spend some time,” Scott Mayfield said. “We’ll think about this one on the way home, wash it. It’s all about the next game. We gotta start getting some points to stay in our position.

“I don’t know what the other scores are but you can’t drop games like this. We haven’t done four in a row I think all season. It’s not a good week to do that but you can’t change that now.”

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Matthew Schaefer’s late assist on Anders Lee’s goal gave him the record for most points ever by an 18-year-old defenseman, passing Phil Housley’s 57.

---

Roy’s move to insert Max Shabanov into the lineup for just his third game since the Olympic break paid off when Shabanov scored for the first time since Dec. 27.

Isaiah George also drew in for the Islanders, with Adam Boqvist and Kyle MacLean coming out as healthy scratches.

---

Perhaps the only good news for the Islanders on Saturday came on the out-of-town scoreboard. The Red Wings, Senators and Blue Jackets all lost, though the Capitals did climb into the outer fringe of the playoff race with a win and the Penguins now seem out of reach after their victory over Florida.

The bad news is that the Islanders still do not control their own destiny, leading Detroit, Columbus, Ottawa and Philadelphia all by a point with one extra game played.

The Florida Panthers are officially not going to three-peat.

When the dust settled on Saturday’s NHL games, including the Panthers’ rough 9-4 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida found itself with an unwanted addition to their label in the standings.

The “e” next to Florida’s name stands for “Eliminated,” meaning there is nothing they can do with their remaining six games that will get them into the postseason.

As a result, Florida’s six-year playoff streak, the longest in franchise history by a wide margin, will come to an end.

There won’t be a fourth straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida’s players will not have to play the hardest hockey there is (Stanley Cup Playoff hockey) well into the month of June.

The good news is that there is no reason to worry that the Panthers won’t get right back to competing for the Stanley Cup next season.

Florida’s biggest issue this season was that there were so many key players who missed extended time with injury, including superstars Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.

Barring any unforeseen offseason injuries, the Panthers will arrive for training camp in September with a championship-caliber roster and a decent-sized chip on their shoulder.

Remember, the majority of Florida’s roster is locked up with long-term deals.

Barkov, Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Gus Forsling, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell and Niko Mikkola are all signed through at least the end of the decade.

Additionally, Evan Rodrigues, Eetu Luostarinen, Cole Reinhardt and Jesper Boqvist will each have one year left on their respective deals while Jonah Gadjovich, Uvis Balinskis and Dmitry Kulikov are all signed through the summer of 2028.

Now you may have noticed that among all those players’ names you just went through, there weren’t any goaltenders included.

Both of Florida’s netminders from this season, Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov, are set to become unrestricted free agents when July 1 arrives.

The Panthers and Bobrovsky have already been discussing a contract extension, and the expectation is that the veteran puck-stopper will remain with Florida for what could end up being the rest of his career.

Bobrovsky is currently wrapping up his 16th NHL season and will be 38 years old when Opening Night arrives in October.

It’s also worth noting that since its inception, Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department has consistently targeted goalies who have performed well under Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice and within his defensive systems.

According to PuckPedia, the Panthers are expected to have just over $15.5 million in salary cap space to work with, thanks in-part to the cap rising from $95.5 million this year to $104 million next season.

Considering the stacked roster that Panthers General Manager Bill Zito will only be adding to this summer, it seems reasonable to expect that Florida will be able to re-take their place among the NHL’s top squads.

There is also one other element that hasn’t been mentioned yet in this story that could play a big part in Florida being a better squad when next season arrives.

In addition to the cash Zito has to work with this summer, he may also have a previously-traded first-round pick to play with at this Jume’s NHL Draft.

The first-round pick that Florida sent to Chicago in the Trade Deadline deal that brought Seth Jones to the Panthers is top-10 protected. That means if the Panthers finish low enough in the standings that they receive a selection anywhere in the top 10, they would keep this year’s pick and instead send their 2027 first rounder to the Blackhawks.

Depending how high that pick ends up – the top of this year’s draft has some serious talent to offer – it will be interesting to see what Zito and his colleagues ultimately decide to do with that selection.

A team as in win-now mode as the Panthers are might be wise to flip that pick ahead of the draft for someone at the NHL level who can join what Florida has going on in the present.

We’ll see how things play out in the coming weeks and months, but the bottom line is that despite the frustrating season, there are still plenty of things to be excited about in Pantherland.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

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Photo caption: Mar 28, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice coaches against the New York Islanders during the first period at UBS Arena. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

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Brock Nelson has piled up the chances of late, but not necessarily enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

My Blues vs. Avalanche predictions and NHL picks see Nelson’s scoring prowess returning in an advantageous matchup against St. Louis.

Blues vs Avalanche prediction

Blues vs Avalanche best bet: Brock Nelson anytime goalscorer (+185)

Brock Nelson has generated 8.56 expected goals over his past 19 games but scored only three times.

Of the 16 players with 8.5 xG or more in that span, Nelson is the only one with fewer than six goals.

He's converted on just 6.5% of his shots. That’s less than half of his career finishing rate (14.6%), and a little more than a third of his shooting percentage since joining the Colorado Avalanche (18.7%).

The Blues rank 22nd in goals against, 22nd in save percentage, and 28th in PK%, making this a natural regression spot.

Blues vs Avalanche same-game parlay

Sam Malinski has three points and 19 shot attempts over two games without Cale Makar. He appears ready to pop in an expanded role.

Playing big minutes at 5-on-5 and quarterbacking the top power play with Nelson, there's a real correlation between the two players.

We’ll back Colorado on the moneyline to round out the SGP. They’re the league’s best team, and the St. Louis Blues have struggled mightily on the road, winning only 14 times in 38 tries.

Blues vs Avalanche SGP

• Brock Nelson anytime goalscorer
• Sam Malinski Over 0.5 points
• Avalanche moneyline

Blues vs Avalanche odds

• Moneyline: Blues +190 | Avalanche -230
• Puck Line: Blues +1.5 (-125) | Avalanche -1.5 (+105)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5

Blues vs Avalanche trend

Brock Nelson has scored in 13 of his last 30 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Avalanche.

How to watch Blues vs Avalanche

Blues vs Avalanche latest injuries

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In a fatal four-way death match for the final Wild Card berth in the East, the Ottawa Senators try to break the deadlock of teams stuck at 88 points when they host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight.

Ottawa currently holds the final spot, but Detroit, Philly, and Columbus are all tied with the Senators at 88 points.

My Hurricanes vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks target the total, as Ottawa will need to keep up with Carolina's high-octane offense.

Hurricanes vs Senators prediction

Hurricanes vs Senators best bet: Over 6.5 (+105)

The Ottawa Senators lost 4-1 last night and it won't get any easier as they host the Carolina Hurricanes, a team that’s ripped off four wins in its last five.

The Canes are fourth in the league in scoring at better than 3.5 goals per game.

Meanwhile, Ottawa and its opponent have combined to score 7+ goals in nine of its last 12 games on the second night of a back-to-back. 

Hurricanes vs Senators same-game parlay

Tim Stutzle is in a bit of a scoring slump, going goalless in each of his last seven games, so the visiting Canes should help. Stutzle is the lone Senator who has scored in the two previous games against Carolina this season.

Brady Tkachuk ripped seven shots on net against Minnesota in the last game, and he’s got a generous total of 2.5 shots for today’s contest.

The Senators captain has registered 3+ shots on goal in eight of his last 10 games.

Hurricanes vs Senators SGP

• Over 6.5
• Tim Stutzle anytime goalscorer
• Brady Tkachuk Over 2.5 shots

Hurricanes vs Senators odds

• Moneyline: Hurricanes -125 | Senators +105
• Puck Line: Hurricanes -1.5 (+195) | Senators +1.5 (-240)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5

Hurricanes vs Senators trend

The Senators have won each of their last nine home games on the second leg of a back-to-back. Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Senators.

How to watch Hurricanes vs Senators

Hurricanes vs Senators latest injuries

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The Montreal Canadiens head back to the Bell Centre to host the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, April 5.

The Canadiens took a 4-3 nailbiter via shootout at the Prudential Center last night and will look to win their ninth consecutive game.

My Devils vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest that Cole Caufield will remain a shooting machine in search of that elusive 50th goal, and his line will continue to push this team amidst a tight Atlantic Division playoff race.

Devils vs Canadiens prediction

Devils vs Canadiens best bet: Cole Caufield Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+105)

While Cole Caufield missed the opportunity to score his 50th, fittingly on a Saturday night, he'll have another shot in front of a home crowd. He's racked up 23 shots in his last five games, hitting the Over four times.

He pestered five shots on goal last night, and seven the game before. The New Jersey Devils did well to keep him from reaching the half-century mark last night, but that didn't stop the Wisconsin native from firing at all angles.

Expect more of the same tonight, and perhaps he'll become the first Montreal Canadiens player to score 50 goals since Stephane Richer in 1989-90.

Devils vs Canadiens same-game parlay

The Habs' top line has served as an envoy for the team's sudden push for the Atlantic Division crown, and a big part of that is Juraj Slafkovsky.

The Slovak has racked up nine assists in his last 12 games and has a helper in three of his last four. Yet, a Slaf assist astoundingly remains at plus-odds.

Lane Hutson has 74 points, but has also made strides on the other side of the puck. He's blocked two or more in seven of his last eight, and once again faces a Devils team that ranks fourth in shots on goal. 

Devils vs Canadiens SGP

• Cole Caufield Over 3.5 SOG
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 assists
• Lane Hutson Over 1.5 blocked shots

Devils vs Canadiens odds

• Moneyline: Devils +130 | Canadiens -150
• Puck Line: Devils +1.5 (-180) | Canadiens -1.5 (+155)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115)

Devils vs Canadiens trend

Montreal snapped a five-game losing streak versus New Jersey on Saturday, and have won just two of the last nine against them. Find more NHL betting trends for Devils vs. Canadiens.

How to watch Devils vs Canadiens

Devils vs Canadiens latest injuries

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Alexis Lafreniere is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and he has the numbers to back it up.

My Capitals vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks expect the former No. 1 overall pick to have another productive showing on home soil.

Capitals vs Rangers prediction

Capitals vs Rangers best bet: Alexis Lafreniere Over 0.5 points (-125)

Alexis Lafreniere has piled up 23 points over the last 22 games and shown the ability to move the needle offensively, even without Artemi Panarin.

He draws a Washington Capitals squad ripe for the picking at 5-on-5. They rank 23rd in expected goals and 27th in shot attempts allowed per 60 over the past 10 games.

The Capitals used starter Logan Thompson against the Sabres last night. That means they’ll turn to a worn-out goaltender for his 11th straight start (and third in four days), or Charlie Lindgren, who owns a poor .886 save percentage.

Either way, Lafreniere is primed to produce.

Capitals vs Rangers same-game parlay

Adam Fox is reminding us he’s still one of the most impactful blueliners in the NHL. He has picked up a point in 13 of his last 15 games and tallied 15 helpers along the way.

He plays a ton of minutes and facilitates a lot for the New York Rangers, making him a prime candidate to make noise in this matchup.

If top line and top pairing players like Lafreniere and Fox can take advantage of this struggling Capitals defense — and goaltending situation — there’s a good chance the Rangers come out on top. Igor Shesterkin generally doesn’t need much run support.

Capitals vs Rangers SGP

• Alexis Lafreniere Over 0.5 points
• Adam Fox Over 0.5 assists
• Rangers moneyline

Capitals vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Capitals -110 | Rangers -110
• Puck Line: Capitals -1.5 (+220) | Rangers +1.5 (-275)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5

Capitals vs Rangers trend

The Rangers have won four of their last five home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Rangers.

How to watch Capitals vs Rangers

Capitals vs Rangers latest injuries

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The second-last Sunday of the NHL regular season features seven games and nearly 12 hours of action.

My NHL player props today feature the league’s top two goal scorers, Nathan MacKinnon and Cole Caufield, as well as star blueliner Quinn Hughes.

Find the details below in my NHL picks for Sunday, April 5. 

Best NHL player prop bets today

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(not available in Ontario)

Our best NHL player props for Sunday, April 5

Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.

Prop #1: Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal 

-120 at BET99

Nathan MacKinnon added to his NHL-leading goal total on Saturday with one of two Colorado Avalanche tallies in Colorado’s 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars.

The Avs superstar has 51 goals this season as he looks to claim his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, with five of those markers coming in his last five games.

MacKinnon enters Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Blues on a three-game goal streak, and he always seems to love playing against the division rival. He’s scored in three straight meetings vs. the Blues, and he posted four points in their last meeting on December 31.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN, Sportsnet

Prop #2: Quinn Hughes Over 0.5 assists 

-160 at BET99

Quinn Hughes has been a perfect fit since joining the Minnesota Wild in December, collecting a ridiculous 47 assists and 50 points in 45 games with the club.

The Minnesota blueliner has picked up at least one apple in three straight outings, and five of his last six, while the Wild have averaged a solid 3.60 gpg over their last five contests.

This afternoon’s matchup should favor Hughes and the Wild as the Detroit Red Wings have struggled in the home stretch. Detroit is 2-5-0 over its last seven games while allowing 3.57 gapg during that span.

The Wild will score three or four, and Hughes will factor in at least one.

• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, Sportsnet 360

Prop #3: Cole Caufield anytime goal 

+115 at BET99

There has not been a better goal scorer in the NHL than Cole Caufield since players returned from the Olympic break. Hard to believe that the Montreal Canadiens sniper was a snub for Team USA, isn’t it?

Caufield has 17 goals in his last 18 games and has tickled the twine in nine of his last 12 outings.

He didn’t score against the New Jersey Devils yesterday, but he was all over the puck with five shots on net.

Jacob Markstrom likely starts for the Devils, and he’s allowed 3+ goals in eight of his last nine starts.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RDS, TSN2, MSGSN

These props are available now at BET99, one of our best betting sites.

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Travis Konecny has feasted on the Boston Bruins this season, putting together multi-point performances in both meetings thus far.

Well rested and likely to face a backup netminder, my Bruins vs. Flyers predictions and NHL picks expect Konecny to make his way onto the scoresheet once again.

Bruins vs Flyers prediction

Bruins vs Flyers best bet: Travis Konecny Over 0.5 points (-150)

Travis Konecny has been a model of consistency for the Philadelphia Flyers, producing a point in 65% of his appearances this season. That number jumps to 75% following one day of rest.

He should build on those totals against the Boston Bruins, who will likely turn to backup Joonas Korpisalo after starting Jeremy Swayman on Saturday.

Also helping the cause is a good set of linemates. Konecny is skating with Christian Dvorak and highly touted rookie Porter Martone, and the early returns on that trio are strong.

They’ve controlled 63% of the expected goals at 5-on-5 through three games.

Bruins vs Flyers same-game parlay

Porter Martone has shot the lights out since stepping into the NHL. He's averaged five shots on seven attempts and cleared this line in two of three games. The Bruins are a poor shot-suppression team and played yesterday, so we should expect Martone to generate volume.

Martone correlates with Konecny, making him a natural selection to pick up a point. He also skates on a power-play unit featuring the likes of Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov, which served as the top group in usage last time out.

Bruins vs Flyers SGP

• Travis Konecny Over 0.5 points
• Porter Malone Over 2.5 shots
• Porter Malone Over 0.5 points

Bruins vs Flyers odds

• Moneyline: Bruins +115 | Flyers -135
• Puck Line: Bruins +1.5 (-215) | Flyers -1.5 (+175)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5

Bruins vs Flyers trend

Travis Konecny produced multiple points in both games against the Bruins this season. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Flyers.

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At the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres traded Isak Rosen to the Winnipeg Jets as part of the deal that landed defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. With the Sabres' forward group being too deep for Rosen to regularly crack the lineup, it made sense that Buffalo moved on from the 23-year-old. 

Rosen may be getting more consistent NHL playing time with the Jets, but the 2021 first-round pick is certainly off to a slow start in Winnipeg. 

In 15 games with the Jets since being acquired, he has just two goals. He also has just one point in his last 12 games for Winnipeg, so there is no question that the young forward is struggling offensively right now.

Rosen had a decent season with the Sabres before being traded to Winnipeg, as he had three goals and seven points in 16 games. He also lit up the AHL with the Rochester Americans this campaign before the trade, posting 25 goals and 43 points in 37 games.

With this, Rosen does have some offensive upside. While he has struggled with the Jets early on during his tenure with the Central Division club, the potential of him breaking out with his new team should not be ruled out. 

On Saturday, rookies Maxim Shabanov and Isaiah George drew into the New York Islanders lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Despite a 4-3 loss, the Islanders' fourth straight loss at the worst time, the two played pretty well for guys who had to wait a bit to get into game action.

#Isles In Waiting Room With Season On The Line: Playoff Math Explainedhttps://t.co/IjzrsKTpTY

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 5, 2026

Maxim Shabanov, who had only played two games since the Olympic break, last playing on March 13, skated alongside Brayden Schenn and Calum Ritchie.

He recorded a goal, his first since Dec. 28 and fifth of the season, on a gorgeous individual effort from Ritchie to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead at the 2:15 mark of the second period:

Ritchie doing Ritchie things and Shabanov sneaks one in. #Islespic.twitter.com/SRPWjlsl1f

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 5, 2026

Shabanov ended his night with a goal on one shot with two attempts in 13:35. 

For George, it was his third game of the season and first since being recalled on  March 24. 

He looked confident and aggressive in all three zones. He didn't lose many board battles and showed off his mobility and hockey IQ. 

Early in the first period, off the rush, his wrister led to a rebound try for Ondrej Palat, who hit the post. 

He recorded that one shot on goal, with a block and a takeaway in 10:21.

Now, both these guys were out on the ice for a goal against, Carolina's 2-2 tying goal at 11:15 of the second. After an Islanders turnover, Shabanov got caught floating in the high slot, with Blake getting behind him.

George tried to save the day but couldn't get there in time:

Stank with the pass 🤝 Blaker with the score pic.twitter.com/9Qc3sXYSoB

— x - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 5, 2026

Overall, it was a solid and important performance for both guys, as they looked to showcase to head coach Patrick Roy and general manager Mathieu Darche that they can be effective players for this organization going forward. 

 "I thought Shabanov played really well," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He scored a nice goal and went to the net. I thought that line played well. I thought they had some, a few good looks, and no, I was pretty happy with the way he played. George was good, too. I mean, he made a really nice play on that scoring chance in the first period when the puck went through the legs of their goal. He hit the back post on Palat's rebound. But I thought he played well. I mean, it's not easy coming into a situation like this, but I thought that he did a really nice job."

The Islanders, who somehow remain in the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, are now off until Thursday, before they kick off four games in six nights to conclude the regular season.

We'll see whether the injured Tony DeAngelo (lower body) can return by then, which would certainly impact George. 

Although the buck stops at Brad Treliving, there could be more changes afoot for the Toronto Maple Leafs as their season winds down.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) president and CEO, Keith Pelley, held a Zoom meeting with members of the hockey operations department after the dismissal of Treliving.

"And just from talking to a few people after it was over and in the last couple of days, it's pretty clear that they are expecting major change," Friedman reported.

It’s time for this week’s Saturday Headlines with none other than @FriedgeHNIC 📰 pic.twitter.com/bFx6XLJobY

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 5, 2026

"Now, I asked, like, 'Did Pelley say anything specifically about change in there?' And it wasn't so much the word. It's about how he talked," continued Friedman. "And, you know, one of the things he kind of mentioned was, we are going to use our resources to the fullest capacity we can. And they were kind of left with the impression that he felt that they hadn't been doing that.

"And so that's why I think a lot of people are expecting that there's going to be even more changes than the one we already saw. And so we'll see how that plays out to the end and after the season."

Friedman added that, as of now, Toronto hasn't asked for permission to speak to anyone who's under contract with another team. That includes Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues, who's in the final year of his role as GM with the team.

"It just doesn't seem like the timing is right for the Blues and the Maple Leafs for Doug Armstrong," added Friedman. "So, you know, anything can change, and I reserve the right that I could be right now and then wrong later. But it just doesn't seem like the timing is right for Doug Armstrong and the Maple Leafs."

During Pelley's media availability on Tuesday, he expressed that the next head of hockey operations for the Maple Leafs needs to be data-centric. And there are plenty of names you could look at who fit that bill throughout the NHL.

One name that's gotten many people talking is Sunny Mehta, assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers. Mehta has been with Florida since 2020 and has served as head of analytics for the Panthers since 2023.

Report: Maple Leafs 'More Likely' To Hire General Manager Than Multiple PositionsTSN's Darren Dreger reports that it was suggested to him on Thursday that Toronto could hire just a general manager.

He has a unique background, going from being a professional poker player to a senior data scientist at Zeus Analytics, to the director of hockey analytics (where he headed the first full-time analytics department in the NHL) with the New Jersey Devils from 2014-15 to 2017-18, before joining the Panthers.

It would make sense if his name came up in Toronto's search, and according to Friedman, "I do think he's going to be a factor."

Other names reported to be in the mix are Mike Gillis, as well as Chris Pronger, according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.

The Maple Leafs have five games remaining in their schedule before their season ends on Apr. 15. Pelley said he'd like to have the new leadership in place by the NHL Combine at the end of May or by the NHL Draft in late June at the latest.

The Montreal Canadiens put the finishing touch on their five-game road trip when they took on the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Saturday night. There was no surprise in the Habs’ lineup, at least on the ice. Jakub Dobes was in the net, but Samuel Montembeault was acting as backup, a first since Jacob Fowler was recalled from the Laval Rocket on March 11. His presence on the bench doesn’t mean he’s out of the doghouse, though. With the two teams meeting again on Sunday night, it was reported that the Tricolore had sent Fowler back to Montreal to rest before he starts Sunday’s game.

While Fowler was heading back to Montreal, a lot of Canadiens fans did the opposite. There were a lot of Habs fans in the stands when warm-up started, with Cole Caufield being on the verge of scoring his 50th goal of the season. Fans were hungry to see him accomplish the feat in person, and they didn’t want to risk missing it if it happened away from the Bell Centre.

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Another Strong Game For Dobes

With the former first-string goalie watching from the bench, Dobes played yet another great game and as has become a habit, he kept Montreal in the game in the first frame. After the first 20 minutes, Sheldon Keefe’s men had the upside in shots with 14 to Montreal’s nine, but once again, it was the visitor who held a 1-0 lead, nonetheless.

Since Eric Raymond has been dismissed and replaced by Mario Marciane, the Czech netminder has been looking much more confident and poised in net, and it has paid off. He doesn’t overcommit anymore, but he remains aggressive in net, knowing when to move forward to cut the angles or to use a poke check when an opponent is too daring. Wherever the shot comes from, he’s ready. In the second frame, he made a cracking save on a one-timer from the slot off the stick of Simon Nemec.

When the Canadiens struggled on a four-minute power play, he made a big save on an odd-man rush, but when the Habs gave up another one in quick succession, he couldn’t neutralize that one. Still, on a four-minute power play, he made three saves while Jake Allen only needed to make one.

While he gave up three goals in regulation for the first time since March 14, Dobes cannot be faulted for the Devils tying up the game. On that third goal, Kaiden Guhle provided the perfect screen in front of his own goaltender.

Granted, he made the overtime somewhat scary by coming out of his net, but in the end, he managed to fix his own mistakes.

Caufield The Passer

While everyone was waiting to see Caufield’s 50th goal of the season, he treated them to a couple of nice assists instead. He had the primary assist on the first goal of the game as he fed Jayden Struble for a very Caufield-like shot that beat Allen. On the second goal of the game, he had the puck in his office on the power play. Still, instead of going for the shot, he saw a perfect passing lane to Ivan Demidov, who was sneaking in towards the goal, and he took it, allowing the Russian rookie to notch his 60th point on the season.

Perhaps the Habs were just as keen as the fans to see Caufield get his 50th goal, though. When they got the four-minute power play at the end of the second frame, you could see them try to get the puck to the sniper. After giving up an odd-man rush, the Habs tried to feed Caufield, who was waiting on the offensive blueline, but the pass was off target, which led to another odd-man rush, and that one was costly.

Caufield still found the back of the net, but it was in the shootout and therefore doesn't count as number 50. With the next four games at home, you can expect the Bell Centre to erupt if/when he finds the back of the net. 

Huit d'affilée et on est enchantés

Eight straight, and we're feelin' great
#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/HtTBK5IFcM

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 5, 2026

It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

With a 3-0 lead and a four-minute power play, it looked like the Devils were dead and buried, but they weren’t. The Canadiens' inability to generate much on that power play was a turning point in the game and nearly cost them their win streak.

This will serve as a reminder to a young Habs team that might have felt invincible on a seven-game winning streak that it is not. However, they did win it in the end, thanks to an Oliver Kapanen goal in the shootout. On Sunday night, both teams will be at it again, and it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens have learned their lesson.

KAPPY OFFRE LA VICTOIRE AU TRICOLORE EN TIRS DE BARRAGE

KAPPY WINS IT IN A SHOOTOUT#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/TJwBqIcYiZ

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 5, 2026

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