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The Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Montréal Canadiens tonight at 7 PM. 

Montréal Canadiens - 47-22-10 - 104 Points - 9-1-0 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 2nd in the Atlantic

Columbus Blue Jackets - 39-28-12 - 90 Points - 2-7-1 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 5th in the Metro  

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• Columbus split the first two games of its three-game road trip with a 4-3 SO win at Detroit on Tuesday and 5-0 loss at

• Buffalo on Thursday. The club concludes its road portion of the regular season at Montreal on Saturday.

• CBJ play their 16th and final back-to-back set of the season (18-7-5, .683) on Saturday (at Montreal) and Sunday (vs. Boston).

• The team has earned points in 11 of its last 16 road games, ranking sixth-T in the NHL in points pct. since Jan. 11 (10-5-1, .656).

• The Jackets have also earned points in 26 of their past 35 contests overall since Jan. 11 (21-9-5, 47 pts.).

• The Blue Jackets play all four of their games this week against the Atlantic Division (1-1-0). The club has earned points in 19 of its last 24 games against the division dating back to Apr. 8, 2025 (14-5-5).

• Columbus leads the NHL with a franchise-record 58 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (58-135-193, 79 GP).

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Charlie Coyle has tied his single-season career high in assists and tied for the second-most points of his 14-year NHL career with 18-38-56 in 79 games this season.

• Adam Fantilli has set single-season career highs in assists and points with 23-33-56 in 79 contests this season.

• Jet Greaves has earned points in 16 of his last 21 starts since Jan. 11 (13-5-3, 2.44 GAA, .910 SV% in 22 GP), ranking eighth among NHL goaltenders in GAA and ninth-T in SV% over that stretch (min. 6 GP).

• Kirill Marchenko has posted assists in four of the past six games (1-5-6) and is the fifth player in Blue Jackets history with 25-plus goals in consecutive seasons (31 in 2024-25; 26 in 2025-26).

• Mason Marchment has collected assists in four of his past five contests (1-5-6) and has 2-6-8 in his last eight games. He ranks second on the team in goals since making his CBJ debut on Dec. 20, 2025 (14-15-29 in 36 GP).

• Zach Werenski set a new single-season franchise record with his 26th multi-point effort on Tuesday (1-1-2). He has recorded 22-58-80 in 72 games in 2025-26 and is the third American-born defenseman in NHL history with consecutive 80-point campaigns (Brian Leetch, 1990-91 - 1991-92 with NYR; Phil Housley, 1991-92 - 1992-93 with WPG).

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.2% - 22nd in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.2% - 28th in the NHL
• Goals For - 238 - 17th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 244 - 22nd in the NHL   

Canadiens Stats

• Power Play - 23.2% - 11th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 78.1% - 20th in the NHL
• Goals For - 271 - 7th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 241 - 17th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheCanadiens

• Columbus is 22-18-1-5 all-time, and 10-11-1-3 all-time in Montréal.
• CBJ have recorded points in three of the last four meetings (2-1-1) and 12 of the past 18 since Mar. 28, 2019 (9-6-3).
• Montreal has won the last five home games in the series (CBJ; 0-4-1) since a three-game road win streak for Columbus from Feb. 2, 2020-Feb. 12, 2022.
• Each of the last four games have been decided by a single goal. Prior to that, seven-of-eight from Apr. 13, 2022-Nov.16, 2024, were decided by multiple goals.
• The winning team has scored four-plus goals in 11 of the past 16 games since Nov. 19, 2019 (including SO goals).
• The teams have combined for six or more goals in four out of the last five meetings and nine of the past 12.
• CBJ have scored a power play goal in two out of the last three games of the series (2-of-6; 33.3 pct.).
• The teams have combined for 60 shots or less in seven of the past ten meetings (57.0 avg.).

Who To Watch For TheCanadiens

• Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 38 goals and 78 points.
• Rasmus Dahlin leads Buffalo with 52 assists.
• Goalie Alex Lyon is 20-10-4 with a SV% of .907.

CBJ Player Notes vsCanadiens

• Boone Jenner has 15 points in 26 games vs. the Sabres.

• Zach Werenski has 19 points in 21 games.
• Charlie Coyle has 24 points in his career against Buffalo.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 41 Games IR - OUT FOR THE SEASON
• Damon Severson - Missed 7 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
• Dmitri Voronkov - Missed 6 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
• Mathieu Olivier - Missed 5 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 206

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

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• The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (40-36-3) @ Detroit Red Wings (41-29-9)
• The Time: 5:00 pm EST
• The Broadcast: MSGSN, Devils Hockey Radio

Last Devils Game

This week, the Devils had back to back games against the two NHL team from Pennsylvania, the Penguins and Flyers. In their usual 2025-2026 fashion, the Devils came up short in both games. On Thursday night, the Devils lost to the playoff bound Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. It was the second game in a row that the Devils have let up 5 goals against after Jacob Markstrom pulled out a miracle on Sunday, securing his first shutout of the season. One step forward, two steps back. With the season now officially over, and the Devils eliminated from playoff contention, Sheldon “flip a coin on if I’ll be here next year” Keefe decided to play Jacob Allen in net. Allen, trying to do his best Jacob Markstrom imitation, let up a goal less than 5 minutes into the first period to put the Devils in a 1-0 hole. The Devils showed some life in the 2nd period, with goals from Paul “thanks for the memories NJ” Cotter and Jack Hughes scoring goals, to help the Devils get within 1 goal by the end of the second period at 3-2. The Penguins would put the game out of reach for the Devils in the 3rd period with an early goal from Evgeni Malkin at 6:50 followed later by an empty net goal from Erik “how old is this guy?” Karlsson to seal the victory 5-2.

Last Red Wings Game

On Thursday, the Red Wings got a much needed win, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3. The Red Wings currently sit 3 points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card spot, with only 3 games to play. The desperation felt by Detroit is mostly self inflicted at this point. With their victory on Thursday, it marked only their 5th win in their last 15 games. John Gibson got the start in net against the Flyers, and will most likely get the start tonight against the Devils. Why, you ask? Gibson has now started an insane 16 of the last 17 games for Detroit. Barring injuries, it’s a safe bet that Detroit rides Gibson for the last 3 games of the regular season.

Dylan Larkin scored an interesting hat trick for Detroit, getting a power play goal, short handed goal and an even strength goal. I’m not sure if there’s a name for that, but it’s something that’s fun to see either way. Moritz Seider added a career best night for the Red Wings, with a 5 point night (1g, 4a). After the first period ended tied at 1-1, Detroit took control in the 2nd period and never looked back, scoring 3 goals, less than 5 minutes into the period. The Flyers knocked the lead down to 4-2 before the end of the period. However, the Red Wings would add 2 more goals less than 5 minutes apart in the third to put the game officially out of reach for Philadelphia.

Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.

In case you missed it, Luke Hughes is done for the season, for his yearly off season surgery.

Grimace’s Prediction and 2025-2026 Record Tracker

Grimace secured his first hole-in-one yesterday while playing golf, which is hopefully a good sign for his predictions and the Devils next year. He was in such a good mood, that he’s decided to make one final prediction for this season. The Devils will win tonight, 4-2. You heard it here first.

Grimace’s 2025-2026 Season Prediction record currently stands at 13-14-0.

Your Take

I don’t generally get much joy out of my favorite team playing spoiler. As I’ve said, it’s a sad consolation prize for not making the playoffs. However, I have to be honest here at the same time. Looking at Detroit’s record, and how they’ve only won 5 times in their last 15 games, and that they’re fighting for their playoff lives right now, I would definitely find joy in the Devils helping to put a nail in the coffin of their playoff dreams. Call me immature, but if my team isn’t going to make the playoffs, then the next best thing is Red Wings fans sharing our collective misery too. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and thanks for reading!

In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my brand new podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. 🙂

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On Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks held a ceremony to honor those who were named to the inaugural Blackhawks Hall of Fame.

The class of 2026 includes the 9 players who had their numbers retired before the 2025-26 season, two players who were voted in, and Troy Murray, who passed away in March. 

The two players voted in came from two categories. The first was the “modern alumnus ballot” and the second was the “heritage alumnus ballot”. 

Every player selected was a special part of the franchise’s first 100 years. Each player had something incredible about them that earned them this prestigious honor. Here is one thought per player that details why they are in the position that they’re in: 

Troy Murray

Troy Murray embodied what it meant to be a Chicago Blackhawks player, alumnus, broadcaster, and ambassador. He was not born in Chicago, but he ingratiated himself as well as any athlete the town has ever seen. 

Murray lost his long, hard-fought battle with cancer in March. Since then, the tributes, prayers, and love have been pouring in from the entire hockey community and beyond. There has been no shortage of proof of how special he was. 

He is going in as a builder, which makes him the first builder to enter the Blackhawks Hall of Fame. Pat Foley said it best: he was never the best player on his team, but he was always one of the most important. Wearing a letter at every stop proves that. 

With that said, Murray was also a very good player in all three zones. When he retired, very good would be an understatement when describing his impact on the franchise. 

Glenn Hall

Glenn Hall is one of the greatest goaltenders in Blackhawks history. He didn't earn the nickname "Mr. Goalie" by accident. Hall passed away earlier this season at the age of 94, and the Blackhawks community has felt the outpouring of love and support. 

Hall won the Calder Trophy as a rookie, the Vezina Trophy three times, the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks once, and had 502 consecutive goalie starts, an NHL record that holds to this day. 

Pierre Pilote

Pierre Pilot was a defenseman for the ages during his time. Before a guy named Bobby Orr came around, Pilot was one of the standards for offensive defensemen. He won the Norris Trophy in three straight seasons from 1963 to 1965. He followed that up with two straight second-place finishes in 1966 and 1967. 

In the final stretch of the original six days, Pilot helped the Blackhawks achieve a lot, including winning a Stanley Cup with them in 1961. 

Keith Magnuson

Keith Magnuson didn't have the longest career of all time, but he played a key role on the team as a shutdown guy during the entire 1970s decade. Sometimes, it isn't about racking up all of the points, even back then. Magnuson was a winning hockey player who helped the Blackhawks transition into the post-Original Six era. 

Chris Chelios

You know a guy was great for a franchise when he played with them for seven years, but wasn't his first team, and then moved on to play with their biggest rival for ten years after that. That was the case for Chris Chelios, who was one of the greatest defenseman in not only Blackhawks history, but NHL history. 

With the Blackhawks, Chelios won two of his three Norris Trophies. Although his three Stanley Cups came away from Chicago, He was a big part of some incredible Western Conference powerhouses during his time with the Blackhawks. 

In recent years, Chelios has returned to the Blackhawks to be around a lot more. His number was retired, and the fanbase fell back in love with this all-time great player, despite how his playing career with the Hawks ended. Being a Chicago kid certainly helps his case. 

Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull is the greatest goal scorer in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. A handful of players have come through and given him a run for his money in terms of pure offense, but his 604 career goals stand alone by a long shot. 

Hull passed away in 2023, but the man known as "The Golden Jet" will always be remembered as an all-time great player. 

Denis Savard

Denis Savard won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1990s, but his career was mostly spent with the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Over 1000 of his 1338 points were in a Blackhawks sweater, making him one of the most prolific forwards in franchise history. The man known as "Savvy" was never a winner of an individual award, but he was one of the most entertaining players of his era. 

In terms of pure "must-see-TV", Savard is near the top in the history of the franchise. When the puck was on his stick, you knew something amazing was going to happen. 

Stan Mikita

Stan Mikita stands alone as the all-time leading scorer in Chicago Blackhawks history with 1467 points. His career was as decorated as any in the earlier days of the franchise. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1961, as did many of the players on this list, but his accolades don't end there. 

Mikita won the Art Ross as the league's leading scorer four times, the Lady Byng twice, and the Hart Trophy once. For over two decades, with Chicago, Mikita was a consistent player. Despite having over 1400 points, he never had over 100 in a season, but you knew he would be one of the best players in the league every single year.  

Tony Esposito

Tony Esposito played 13 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1968-69, but he carried his rookie status into the following season, where he won the Calder Trophy as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. 

From there, "Tony-O" never played a game for another team. His career went for another 15 years, all with Chicago. That included three Vezina Trophies and five all-star appearances. He was truly one of the greatest that the game has ever seen, especially for his time. 

Marian Hossa

Marian Hossa was the greatest free agent signing in the history of Chicago sports. They already had a good team that was in the Western Conference Finals when he arrived, and he pushed them over the edge.

After losing in the final twice with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, Hossa came to Chicago and won three Stanley Cups, solidifying him as one of the greatest two-way wingers that the game has ever seen. 

Marian Hossa's game was like if you took Patrick Kane's offensive skills and combined them with the two-way prowess of Jonathan Toews. He sacrificed a little bit of offense to be a responsible player in all three zones, which made him a winning player. 

Duncan Keith

Duncan Keith was elected with the "Modern" ballot, and rightfully so. He is the greatest defenseman to ever suit up with the Blackhawks. He played all but one of his NHL seasons with Chicago before riding off into the sunset with the Edmonton Oilers. 

Not only did Keith win the Stanley Cup three times as Chicago's number one defenseman, but he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs in 2015. Those awards complement his two Norris Trophies very well. 

When the Blackhawks were down a goal late, up a goal late, on the power play, or on the penalty kill, Keith was on the ice. He could play for half the game without breaking a sweat, and had a bit of nastiness to his game when he needed it. 

The Blackhawks had a lot of firepower up front during their dynasty, but they would have won nothing without making Keith their second-round pick (54th overall) in 2022. 

Steve Larmer

A wise man once said, "Retire 28." Although Steve Larmer's number is not being retired, at least not yet, he was the elected player from the "Heritage Ballot". It's fair to call him one of the most underrated players in franchise history. 

Larmer was an outstanding Blackhawks player for a long time. He spent the first 13 years of his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks before a quick two seasons with the New York Rangers, where he would win the Stanley Cup in 1994. 

Steve Larmer played in 1006 NHL games and had 1012 points, including 441 goals. In his first full season, he won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, and that was the first of 10 straight seasons in which he played all 80 games. 

Sometimes, being a consistently great player who can play with other great players is the most valuable key to being a top NHL producer. Larmer was a great player who deserves all of the praise he is getting for the career that he had. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The Florida Panthers will close out the road portion of their schedule on Saturday night against a division rival also having a frustrating season.

Florida has dropped each of the first four games of this five-game roadie and will try to salvage a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

To be fair, while yes, the players on the ice will absolutely be pushing to end their weeklong expedition with a hard-earned victory, when looking at the bigger picture, it would actually more benefit the Panthers if they lost the game. In regulation.

The big reason why its better for Florida not to win at this point of the season, after being eliminated from playoff contention, is that if the Panthers finish in a position where they end up with a top-10 selection in this summer’s NHL Draft, they get to retain the pick despite having traded it to Chicago in last year’s Trade Deadline deal that brough Seth Jones to Sunrise.

Whether Florida keeps the pick or trades it, the higher that selection ends up being, the better.

When looking at the standings, the Panthers and Maple Leafs each have 78 points through 79 games, sitting as the sixth and seventh-worst teams in the league. Florida is seeded higher because they have more regulation wins.

In terms of lottery odds, this game holds pretty heavy implications.

The Seatle Kraken are one point behind the Cats and Leafs with a game in hand. They host the Calgary Flames on Saturday after beating the Vegas Golden Knights in a shootout Friday night,

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s visit to Ottawa:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich

Jesper Boqvist – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer

Tomas Nosek – Cole Schwindt - Noah Gregor

Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza

Gus Forsling – Mike Benning

Donovan Sebrango – Marik Alscher

Tobias Bjornfot – Ludvig Jansson

Photo caption: Jan 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Troy Stecher (28) battles for the puck with Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

Last year in the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens were manhandled by the Washington Capitals. For most of the young Canadiens, it was a first taste of the playoffs and one they weren’t ready for. On Thursday night, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which came to town intending to do exactly the same, the Sainte-Flanelle stood tall and refused to bow down.

The referees handed out 126 penalty minutes in that game, 71 of which were given to the Lightning. The Canadiens pushed back after every aggression, but they had the discipline not to go too far over the line. They played with physicality, but they remained in control.

Josh Anderson was flying out there and always ready to stand up to the opponents. He handed up, dropping the gloves with Declan Carlile and giving the 25-year-old a correction. He even ended up getting in Nikita Kucherov’s head with stealthy slashes, and Tampa’s ace took himself out of the game for two minutes when he tried to reciprocate.

We’ve been used to seeing a fast, high-scoring team this year, but the Canadiens showed they can play a different game, one that is highly suited to playoff hockey, and they did it against a team that has won more than its fair share of Stanley Cups over the recent years.

It might have only been one game, but to limit the Bolts to 18 shots and one goal while playing that kind of hockey was rather impressive. The talk of the town on Friday morning in Montreal wasn’t just Cole Caufield’s 50th goal; it was also the type of game the Canadiens played, and some even thought that the proverbial window of opportunity might be open for Martin St-Louis and his men now.

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Who:  Washington Capitals (40-30-9, 89 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (41-22-16, 98 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 3:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: National broadcast on ABC, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: Today is the final home game of the regular season (but not the last home game of the season, now that the Pens have clinched a playoff spot with Thursday’s 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils). The Penguins are headed to D.C. tomorrow to complete the home-and-home back-to-back with what could be the final matchup between Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin recently said he will wait until after the season to confirm whether he is retiring from the NHL, which caused ticket prices to spike ahead of the matchup in D.C. The Pens then get a day off before wrapping up the season on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.

Opponent Track: The Philadelphia Flyers’ loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night didn’t just help the Pens clinch home ice advantage— it also kept the Capitals’ hopes of sneaking into the third spot in the Metro alive. The Caps have a path to the postseason if they can win out their final three games, starting with this back-to-back set against the Pens, as long as the Flyers, New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets keep losing. If the Caps lose today to the Penguins, however, their playoff odds drop to next to nothing. Per MoneyPuck:

Season Series: The Penguins blew an early three-goal lead with Arturs Silovs in net, but rallied with a late power-play goal from Bryan Rust to secure a 5-3 win over the Caps in these teams’ last meeting in Pittsburgh on Nov. 6.

Hidden Stat: This game is set to mark the 75th time Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have played one another, according to Penguins PR. Crosby and the Penguins have gone 43-27-4 in those previous 74 matchups.

Hidden Stat II: This weekend could potentially mark the end of an era that has shaped both franchises. The Ovechkin/Crosby era has last for just over 40 percent of the Capitals’ franchise history and more than a third of the Penguins’ history (h/t WashingtonCaps.com’s Mike Vogel).

Getting to know the Capitals

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier

Aliaksei Protas – Ilya Protas – Tom Wilson

Connor McMichael – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Ryan Leonard

Brandon Duhaime – Justin Sourdif – Ivan Miroshnichenko

DEFENSEMEN

Martin Fehervary / Rasmus Sandin

Jakub Chychrun / Trevor van Riemsdyk

Cole Hutson / Matt Roy

Goalies: Logan Thompson, Mitchell Gibson

Potential scratches: Hendrix Lapierre, Ethen Frank, David Kampf, Declan Chisholm, Dylan McIlrath, Timothy Liljegren, Charlie Lindgren (upper body)

Injured Reserve: None

• Ilya Protas, the 19-year-0ld brother of Caps winger Aliaksei Protas, made his NHL debut on Wednesday. The Capitals are currently running both brothers, who each measure in at 6’6” on either side of Tom Wilson (6’4”). The trio weighs more than 300 pounds combined.

• Ilya Protas isn’t the only young Capital making his NHL debut down the stretch. Nineteen-year-old defenseman Cole Hutson has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 11 games since making his NHL debut in March.
• Goaltender Charlie Lindgren was a full participant in practice Friday and is traveling with his team to Pittsburgh, Caps coach Spencer Carbery told reporters. Logan Thompson, who most recently backstopped the Caps to a 4-0 shutout of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is likely to get the start today in Pittsburgh, but having Lindgren back for Sunday could determine who starts the latter half of the back-to-back.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• Tom Wilson is one goal shy of hitting the 30-goal plateau for the second time in the NHL career. Ovechkin already hit that mark in 75 games to mark his NHL-record 20th season with at least 30 goals.
• Is this Ovechkin’s last game in Pittsburgh? The Washington captain recently announced he won’t be deciding whether to return for another NHL season until after the Caps’ run this season is over. How soon fans find out could depend at list in part on whether the Pens are able to play spoilers for the Capitals’ playoff chances today at PPG Paints. The Caps are at the very least honoring his last home game of the season by giving out special rally towels to fans in attendance on Sunday in D.C.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Tommy Novak – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Elmer Soderblom – Noel Acciari – Avery Hayes

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov

Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Connor Dewar (day-to-day)

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

• Connor Dewar missed Thursday’s win over the New Jersey Devils with what the Penguins described as a day-to-day lower-body injury. The team didn’t practice Friday, so an update on his injury status will come today.
• The Penguins could also potentially decide to rest some players now that the team has been locked in as the No. 2 seed, although this could still be a first-round preview if the Caps win out while the Flyers, Jackets and Isles spiral.

The NHL's busy 15-game schedule on Saturday, April 11 could provide more clarity in the playoff race.

Five more NHL teams − the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights and idle Anaheim Ducks − can clinch a postseason berth, joining the nine teams that have already made it. The Ducks would end a seven-season playoff drought if they clinch.

The Pacific Division lead is in play with the leading Oilers and second-place Golden Knights in action. The second wild-card seed in the Western Conference could change hands again if the Nashville Predators win and the Los Angeles Kings lose.

In non-playoff news, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin will face each other for the 100th time. That game is being nationally broadcast on ABC.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, Saturday's clinching scenarios and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season: