Matvei Michkov tallies goal vs. Islanders (0:48)
Two weeks from Saturday, the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs will begin. As play begins, however, just four teams have punched their ticket to the postseason bracket.
The NHL schedule makers have blessed us with 15 games throughout the course of the day, an event that has been dubbed Statement Saturday.
There are playoff or draft lottery implications in each game, so here's a guide on what to watch in each contest:
Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers 12:30 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
A win Thursday kept the Wings even with the Senators in standings points -- though they remain four back in the regulation wins column. So Detroit is looking for a victory at Madison Square Garden, and then will be rooting for the Wild. The Rangers enter play Saturday in the No. 4 position in the draft lottery, a point back of the Flames for third and three back of the Blackhawks for second.
The Wild clinched their spot in the dance Thursday night, but they are still battling to earn home-ice advantage in their likely series against the Stars -- they begin play six points back. The Senators denied the Sabres a clinching party Thursday, and simultaneously took over as the second wild card. They are tied in points with the Red Wings and Blue Jackets, but hold the edge in regulation wins if all three remain locked at season's end.
These two clubs authored the best first-round series of the 2025 playoffs, and though they probably won't meet in that round this season, there could be a rematch in Round 2. The Avs' magic number to clinch the Presidents' Trophy and top overall seed in the playoffs is four, so they could earn it with a win here and a regulation loss by the Hurricanes. As for Dallas, its likely opening-round matchup against Minnesota still needs a top seed, so its result here helps determine that outcome.
If the standings remain ordered as they do Saturday, this would be a first-round matchup, with the Lightning as Atlantic champs and Bruins as the first wild card. Tampa Bay is tied in standings points and regulation wins with the Sabres, but has gotten to that point in one fewer game so it holds the edge right now; that race might well go down into the final contest for both teams. As for the Bruins, they begin play four points and one RW back of the Canadiens for the No. 3 spot in the Atlantic, with a six-point edge on the Sens, Wings and Blue Jackets in the wild-card race.
With six games left, it appears quite likely that the Penguins will be returning to the playoffs, with Stathletes putting their chances at 97.3%. They will not be catching the Hurricanes for the top seed in the Metro but hold a three-point edge on the Isles for the No. 2 seed and home-ice advantage in that potential matchup. On the other end of the spectrum are the Panthers, who will not be making a fourth straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final (or winning a third straight Cup). They begin the day in ninth in the draft lottery order, at the low end of a batch of teams between 75 and 77 points.
Montreal Canadiens at New Jersey Devils 7 p.m. ET (NHL Network)
With another few wins earlier this season by New Jersey, this game would've had quite the playoff implications for both teams -- as the Devils have gone 7-3-0 in their past 10 while the Habs have gone 8-2-0. As it stands, Montreal is two points behind Buffalo and Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic, and four points ahead of Boston; any points the Canadiens can get here will help. New Jersey is currently 12th in the draft lottery standings, a point behind both the Kings and Predators to move into the all-important top 11 (teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots if they win the draft lottery).
The Sabres missed a chance to clinch their first playoff spot since 2011 on Thursday night, so their magic number remains two heading into Saturday. By the time of opening puck drop, they might have qualified. But if not, they can earn a spot with a win against the Capitals. Washington's hopes are dwindling, but a spot remains possible either as the wild card (the Caps are three back of the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets), or as the No. 3 seed in the Metro -- the Isles are four points up on Washington.
Carolina joined the ranks of clinchers Thursday and is closing in on another Metro Division title; its magic number for doing so is two. The Isles, meanwhile, are in the thick of the battle for playoff positioning. They enter the day in the third spot in the Metro but have Columbus and Philadelphia one point behind, and Washington four points behind.
Speaking of the Blue Jackets, a recent cold spell has lessened their wagon tendencies; can they snap a five-game losing streak against the Jets? Winnipeg has battled back from a rough early-season patch to be within three points of the second Western wild card. On the other ledger, they are in the No. 6 spot in the draft lottery, one point back of the Kraken.
Unlike the three teams ahead of them in the Central Division, the Mammoth's playoff future is not guaranteed. But it is trending in that direction, and another two points here pushes their magic number down to seven. The Canucks' playoff future was clinched long ago; they will be watching them on TV, and they clinched the worst record in the league this week. Now, it's just up to the draft lottery balls.
It's a rematch of the 1993 Western Conference finals! Yes, Toronto was once in the Western Conference, and if it was still there, a playoff berth would still be in play; the Maple Leafs' 77 points are just two back of the Sharks for the second wild card. Instead, Toronto is looking like a lottery pick team ... unfortunately, their pick belongs to the Bruins unless they land in the top 5 (in which case they retain it, and send a future first to Boston). As for the Kings, their 79 points are tied with San Jose and Nashville, but their regulation win total (19) puts them at a significant disadvantage if the teams remain tied by season's end.
The top three seeds in the Pacific Division very much remain in play, and there is a scenario where these two clubs meet again in Round 1. However, as the standings sit heading into Saturday, the Oilers have the No. 1 seed via tiebreakers over the Ducks. The Golden Knights are third, three back in the points column, and four back of Edmonton in the regulation wins tiebreaker.
Speaking of the Ducks, games against non-playoff competitors like the Flames are vital opportunities to bank some points. As noted above, Anaheim needs all the points it can get, especially because its regulation win total (24) is behind both Edmonton's (30) and Vegas' (26). Calgary remains in a battle within the top 5 of the draft lottery order; the Flames' 70 points are two behind the Blackhawks for No. 2 overall, and one ahead of the Rangers at No. 4.
A first-round matchup against the juggernaut Avalanche awaits the team that earns the second Western wild card. This game -- between two of the teams vying for the honor -- will be a vaunted "four-point swing" (provided it's decided in regulation). Both clubs have 79 standings points, Nashville is one regulation win ahead (25 to 24), but San Jose has played one fewer game. Looking ahead, the Sharks went 1-2-0 against the Avs this season, while the Preds went 2-2-0.
Seattle's playoff chances are dwindling; with 75 points through 74 games, it is four off the pace of the Predators, Sharks and Kings, so getting a W over a lottery-bound Blackhawks team is crucial. Chicago enters the contest second in the draft lottery order, two points ahead of Calgary. Notably, the Blackhawks have four fewer regulation wins than the Flames, and two fewer than the Rangers (in fourth place), if it comes down to that tiebreaker.
Every team has eight or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes April 16, and we'll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch every day. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Jump ahead: Current playoff matchups Today's schedule Last night's scores Expanded standings Race for No. 1 pick
A1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC1 Boston Bruins A2 Buffalo Sabres vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Islanders
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 San Jose Sharks C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Edmonton Oilers vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth P2 Anaheim Ducks vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers, 12:30 p.m. (ABC) Minnesota Wild at Ottawa Senators, 1 p.m. (ESPN+) Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 3 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+) Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 5 p.m. Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins, 5 p.m. Montreal Canadiens at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. (NHLN) Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. Winnipeg Jets at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. Utah Mammoth at Vancouver Canucks, 7 p.m. Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m. Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. Nashville Predators at San Jose Sharks, 10 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken, 10 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers 4, New York Islanders 1 St. Louis Blues 6, Anaheim Ducks 2
Note: An "x" with a team's name means the club has clinched a playoff spot. An "e" means that the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero, and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State.
*Note: The Maple Leafs' pick belongs to the Bruins, unless it lands in the top five.
