NHL Playoff Implications: Saturday Results and Sunday Preview

This weekend saw an intense 13-game slate in the NHL, concluding with significant results that impact the playoff race.

The Saturday Recap

Saturday’s games featured several key matchups, including:

• New Jersey Devils: 4, New York Rangers: 0
• Ottawa Senators: 3, Florida Panthers: 0
• Pittsburgh Penguins: 5, Dallas Stars: 3
• Vancouver Canucks: 6, Anaheim Ducks: 2
• Los Angeles Kings: 3, Edmonton Oilers: 0
• Boston Bruins: 5, Carolina Hurricanes: 1
• Buffalo Sabres: 3, Tampa Bay Lightning: 2 (Shootout)
• Toronto Maple Leafs: 5, Columbus Blue Jackets: 0
• Montreal Canadiens: 3, Philadelphia Flyers: 2
• St. Louis Blues: 5, Colorado Avalanche: 4
• Vegas Golden Knights: 3, Calgary Flames: 2 (Overtime)
• Seattle Kraken: 5, San Jose Sharks: 1

Looking Ahead to Sunday

Sunday presents a smaller lineup of games, all of which carry playoff implications:

• Washington Capitals at New York Islanders: 12:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
• Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild: 3:00 p.m. ET (TNT)
• Columbus Blue Jackets at Ottawa Senators: 5:00 p.m. ET
• Florida Panthers at Detroit Red Wings: 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
• Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres: 6:00 p.m. ET
• Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks: 6:00 p.m. ET
• Montreal Canadiens at Nashville Predators: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks: 10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Playoff Picture Update

With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season—ending on April 17—teams are positioning themselves for the playoffs and the draft lottery. Currently, the playoff contention landscape is as follows:

Eastern Conference Matchups

• A1: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1: Ottawa Senators
• A2: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3: Florida Panthers
• M1: Washington Capitals vs. WC2: Montreal Canadiens
• M2: Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3: New Jersey Devils

Western Conference Matchups

• C1: Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2: Minnesota Wild
• C2: Dallas Stars vs. C3: Colorado Avalanche
• P1: Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1: St. Louis Blues
• P2: Los Angeles Kings vs. P3: Edmonton Oilers

Draft Lottery Implications

Teams that fall further behind in standings are shifting focus towards improving their draft lottery positioning. The current favorites for the No. 1 pick include teams that have struggled throughout the season. The draft lottery system allows for movement within the top picks, with teams having varied chances based on their final standings.

Notable Teams in the Race for No. 1 Pick

• San Jose Sharks: Points: 50, Regulation Wins: 14
• Chicago Blackhawks: Points: 52, Regulation Wins: 18
• Nashville Predators: Points: 62, Regulation Wins: 23
• Philadelphia Flyers: Points: 71, Regulation Wins: 20

Further Engagement

For further updates and detailed analysis, fans and followers are encouraged to download the ESPN app and enable notifications for the latest NHL news.