When do NHL playoffs start? 2026 bracket, standings, clinching scenarios
When do NHL playoffs start? 2026 bracket, standings, clinching scenarios
Mike Brehm, USA TODAYSun, April 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM UTC
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When do NHL playoffs start? 2026 bracket, standings, clinching scenarios
The Buffalo Sabres have ended their 14-season playoff drought and the Tampa Bay Lightning clinched a postseason berth for the ninth consecutive season.
The Montreal Canadiens can join those teams in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket on Sunday, April 5.
Also Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes can clinch the Metropolitan Division title, and the Colorado Avalanche can clinch the Central Division and Western Conference titles.
The Eastern Conference bracket could also see some big changes. The Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers (88 points each) and the Washington Capitals (87) are in action.
The Senators currently hold the second wild-card spot in the East on a tiebreaker and could be passed by the other three teams. The Flyers could move past the idle New York Islanders (89) into third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders would drop out of a playoff spot if both the Flyers and Capitals win.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, who can clinch today and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
1 / 0NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota
Who can clinch an NHL playoff berth today? -
The Montreal Canadiens will clinch a playoff berth if they get at least one point vs. the Devils or if the Red Wings or Senators lose.
The Carolina Hurricanes will clinch the Metropolitan Division title if they get at least one point vs. the Senators or the Penguins fail to win in regulation.
The Colorado Avalanche will clinch the Central Division and Western Conference titles if they defeat the Blues.
NHL games today (Sunday, April 5)
All times Eastern.
Minnesota at Detroit, 1, TNT
Florida at Pittsburgh, 3
Boston at Philadelphia, 3:30, TNT
Carolina at Ottawa, 5
New Jersey at Montreal, 7
Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7, ESPN
St. Louis at Colorado, 9:30, ESPN
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
After April 4 games. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Metropolitan Division
x-Carolina Hurricanes (104)
Pittsburgh Penguins (94)
New York Islanders (89)
Atlantic Division
x-Tampa Bay Lightning (102)
Montreal Canadiens (100)
x-Buffalo Sabres (100)
Wild card
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Boston Bruins (96)
Ottawa Senators (88)
Sitting out of playoff position: Detroit Red Wings (88), Philadelphia Flyers (88), Columbus Blue Jackets (88), Washington Capitals (87), New Jersey Devils (81), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-Florida Panthers (77), z-New York Rangers (73)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
After April 4 games. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Central Division
x-Colorado Avalanche (110)
x-Dallas Stars (102)
x-Minnesota Wild (98)
Pacific Division
Edmonton Oilers (87)
Anaheim Ducks (87)
Vegas Golden Knights (86)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (86)
Nashville Predators (81)
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (81), San Jose Sharks (79), Winnipeg Jets (78), St. Louis Blues (76), Seattle Kraken (75), Calgary Flames (72), z-Chicago Blackhawks (70), z-Vancouver Canucks (52)
NHL playoffs if they started todayNHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 4:
Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. N.Y. Islanders (M3)
Tampa Bay (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Montreal (A2) vs. Buffalo (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 4.
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Edmonton (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Anaheim (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
More: Vegas Golden Knights fire coach Bruce Cassidy, hire John Tortorella
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
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 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoffs standings, latest bracket, today's clinching scenarios
Source: “AOL Sports”
