The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames won on Sunday and get to live another day, or two in the case of the Flames.
The Blue Jackets swept the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals during the weekend to stay alive. But Columbus will have to do some scoreboard watching of the Montreal Canadiens game Monday night to learn whether it avoids elimination. Also Monday, the Los Angeles Kings will visit the Edmonton Oilers with home-ice advantage on the line in their upcoming playoff series (see below).
The Winnipeg Jets clinched the Presidents’ Trophy (top regular-season team) Sunday, guaranteeing home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. But Calgary’s win prevented the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues from clinching the Western Conference’s final two berths. That could happen as soon as Tuesday.
Here’s a look at the NHL playoff picture through games of April 13:
Who’s in the NHL playoffs?
- Eastern Conference: Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators
- Western Conference: Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers
Who can clinch Monday?
- The Canadiens will clinch the Eastern Conference’s second-wild berth if they beat the Blackhawks. Montreal would face the Capitals in the first round if it wins.
- The Kings will clinch home-ice advantage in their first round playoff series vs. the Oilers if they beat Edmonton.
NHL games today (Monday, April 14)
- Chicago at Montreal, 7
- Dallas at Detroit, 7 | NHL Network | Fubo | Sling
- N.Y. Rangers at Florida, 7
- Utah at Nashville, 8
- Los Angeles at Edmonton, 10 | NHL Network | Fubo | Sling
- San Jose at Vancouver, 10
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2024-25
(as of games April 13; x-clinched playoff berth; y-clinched division title; z-eliminated from postseason contention)
Metropolitan Division
- y-Washington Capitals (109 points)
- x-Carolina Hurricanes (99)
- x-New Jersey Devils (89)
Atlantic Division
- x-Toronto Maple Leafs (104)
- x-Tampa Bay Lightning (100)
- x-Florida Panthers (98)
Wild card
- x-Ottawa Senators (94)
- Montreal Canadiens (88)
Sitting outside playoff position: Columbus Blue Jackets (85), z-New York Islanders (82), z-Detroit Red Wings (81), z-New York Rangers (81), z-Pittsburgh Penguins (78), z-Buffalo Sabres (77), z-Philadelphia Flyers (76), z-Boston Bruins (75)
NHL Western Conference standings 2024-25
(as of games April 13; p-clinched Presidents’ Trophy; x-clinched playoff berth; y-clinched division title;z-eliminated from postseason contention)
Central Division
- p-Winnipeg Jets (114)
- x-Dallas Stars (106)
- x-Colorado Avalanche (102)
Pacific Division
- y-Vegas Golden Knights (107)
- x-Los Angeles Kings (101)
- x-Edmonton Oilers (99)
Wild card
- Minnesota Wild (95)
- St. Louis Blues (94)
Sitting outside playoff spot: Calgary Flames (92), z-Vancouver Canucks (88), z-Utah Hockey Club (87), z-Anaheim Ducks (78), z-Seattle Kraken (76), z-Nashville Predators (66), z-Chicago Blackhawks (57), z-San Jose Sharks (51)
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 after games on April 13:
Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card
- Washington (M1) vs. Montreal (WC2)
- Carolina (M2) vs. New Jersey (M3) This series has been confirmed.
- Toronto (A1) vs. Ottawa (WC1)
- Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Florida (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth.
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended after games on April 13:
Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card
- Winnipeg (C1) vs. St. Louis (WC2)
- Dallas (C2) vs. Colorado (C3) This series has been confirmed
- Vegas (P1) vs. Minnesota (WC1)
- Los Angeles (P2) vs. Edmonton (P3) This series has been confirmed, home-ice advantage TBD
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth.
What is the tiebreaker procedure for the NHL playoffs?
If two or more teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers (how tiebreakers affect the playoff races):
- Regulation wins
- Regulation and overtime wins
- 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.
- Goal differential
- Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 17, with seven games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 19.