Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Lightning, Avalanche can clinch berths

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2025 NHL postseason.

There are 15 days left in the regular season and the races in each of the four divisions are tight. The top three teams in each of the four divisions and the next two highest-place finishers in each conference reach the playoffs.

Here is a look at the NHL standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.

Here are the Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios for April 3:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

The Tampa Bay Lightning will clinch a playoff berth:

If they defeat the Ottawa Senators in any fashion (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, FDSNSUN)

OR

If they get one point against the Senators AND either of the following occurs:

The Montreal Canadiens lose to the Boston Bruins in any fashion (7 p.m. ET; RDS, SN, NESN)

The Columbus Blue Jackets lose to the Colorado Avalanche in any fashion (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, ALT)

OR

If both the Canadiens and Blue Jackets lose in regulation

WESTERN CONFERENCE

The Colorado Avalanche will clinch a playoff berth:

If they defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in any fashion

OR

If they get one point against the Blue Jackets AND the Calgary Flames lose to the Anaheim Ducks in any fashion (9 p.m. ET; SN1, KCOP-13, Victory+)

OR

If the Flames lose to the Ducks in regulation

On Tap

There are nine games on the NHL schedule for Thursday, all with playoff implications:

Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, SN, NESN): The Canadiens (35-30-9) have won two in a row, sweeping a home-and-home set with the Florida Panthers, after losing five straight (0-3-2). They enter Thursday tied in points with the New York Rangers for the second wild card in the East with a game in hand. The Bruins, who have lost six in a row, are last in the Eastern Conference, 10 points behind the Canadiens and Rangers.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators (7 p. m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, FDSNSUN): The Lightning (44-25-5) look to win their fifth straight and move to within one point of the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. The Senators (39-29-6) are five points ahead of the Canadiens and Rangers for the first wild card in the East.

Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, ALT): The Blue Jackets (34-30-9) enter Thursday two points behind the Canadiens and Rangers for the second wild card in the East with a game in hand on Montreal and two on the Rangers. The Avalanche (46-26-4) play the second of a back-to-back set after a 3-2 shootout win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. They are third in the Central Division, six points behind the second-place Dallas Stars.

Pittsburgh Penguins at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, SN-PIT): The Blues (41-28-7) will look to win their 11th straight game, which would match a St. Louis record (11 straight, 2018-19) and re-break a tie with the Minnesota Wild for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. They currently are the second wild card in the West because of the regulation-wins tiebreaker (33-30). The Penguins (30-34-11) are eight points behind the Canadiens and Rangers for the second wild card in the East.

Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, Victory+): The Stars (49-21-4) look to extend their winning streak to seven games and draw closer to the Winnipeg Jets in the race for the Presidents' Trophy and the Central Division. They are four points behind the Jets, who are one point ahead of the Washington Capitals for the Presidents' Trophy. The Predators have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Los Angeles Kings at Utah Hockey Club (9 p.m. ET; FDSNW, Utah16): The Kings (42-23-9) will look to expand their two-point lead on the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division. They likely will play the Oilers in the first round for the fourth straight year, with the second-place team having home-ice advantage. Utah (34-29-12) is nine points behind the Wild and Blues for the two wild card spots in the West.

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, KCOP, Victory+): The Flames, (35-27-12), who have lost three of their past four games (1-2-1), are seven points behind the Wild and Blues for the two wild card spots in the West with two games in hand. The Ducks (33-33-8) will be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose in any fashion.

Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCIPPS, TSN3): The Jets (51-20-4) will look to heat up again following a 4-1 loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Prior to that loss, the Jets had won three straight and seven of nine (7-2-0). They lead the Stars by four points for first place in the Central Division and Western Conference and have a one-point lead on the Washington Capitals in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. The Golden Knights (45-21-8) are first in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Kings.

Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SNW): The Oilers (43-26-5) go for their third straight win with a chance to move back into a tie with the Kings for second place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks have been eliminated from playoff contention.

If playoffs started Thursday

Eastern Conference

(1A) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators

(2A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3A) Florida Panthers

(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens

(2M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3M) New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Minnesota Wild

(2P) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3P) Edmonton Oilers

(1C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues

(2C) Dallas Stars vs. (3C) Colorado Avalanche

About last night

There were five games on the NHL schedule Wednesday, all with playoff implications:

New York Rangers 5, Minnesota Wild 4 (OT): Vincent Trocheck scored 24 seconds into overtime and the Rangers (36-32-7) moved back into a tie for points with the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the East. The Canadiens have a game in hand. The Wild (41-28-7) moved back into a tie with the St. Louis Blues for the first wild card in the West. The Wild own the regulation wins tiebreaker on the Blues (33-30).

Carolina Hurricanes 5, Washington Capitals 1: Alex Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal to move three away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894, but the Hurricanes (46-24-4) clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the win. The Capitals (48-18-9) are nine points ahead of the Hurricanes for first in the Metropolitan Division and remained one point behind the Winnipeg Jets in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 2: Mitch Marner broke a tie at 10:50 of the third period and the Maple Leafs (46-25-4) clinched a berth in the playoffs for the ninth straight season. The Maple Leafs lead the Atlantic Division by three points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have a game in hand, and by four points on the Panthers (44-27-4), who are 0-2-1 in their past three games.

Colorado Avalanche 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (SO): Martin Necas scored with 11 seconds left in the third period to force overtime, and Artturi Lehkonen scored the winner in the shootout for the Avalanche (46-26-4), who moved seven points ahead of the Wild and Blues for third place in the Central Division and within six points of the Stars for second place. The Blackhawks have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Seattle Kraken 5, Vancouver Canucks 0: Joey Daccord made 24 saves for the Kraken (32-38-6), who won for the second time in seven games (2-4-1). Thatcher Demko made 14 saves for the Canucks (34-28-13), who have lost three games in a row (0-2-1) and five of their past seven (2-3-2) and are eight points behind the Wild and Blues for the last two playoff spots in the West.