Greg Lahr ’26

by Greg Lahr ’26 on April 16, 2026

The NHL Playoff race is heating up, and it is almost certain that we will not know specific matchups until the last day of the regular season. Looking at the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators locked up the last two wildcard spots on Saturday, April 11. The Ottawa Senators clinched their second consecutive playoff berth after blanking the New York Islanders on the road 3–0. Despite losing 2–1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bruins clinched a playoff berth with help from the Senators and the New Jersey Devils. Boston needed the Devils to win in regulation against the Detroit Red Wings and have the Senators beat the Islanders in regulation as well. Unfortunately for Detroit, they have now missed the postseason for 10 straight years and hold the NHL’s longest active playoff drought, after the Buffalo Sabres ended its 14-year drought this season. The Red Wings sat in a playoff spot for 148 days during the regular season, just to experience another late-season collapse that has plagued the organization over the last couple of years.

After Saturday’s slugfest of games, which left open only one postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, four teams in the Metropolitan Division will have to battle it out until the regular season concludes on Tuesday, April 14. The No.3 spot in the Metropolitan Division is currently held by the Philadelphia Flyers (96 pts), who steamrolled the Winnipeg Jets 7–1 Saturday night and boosted their playoff odds to 63.9 percent. However, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders are dueling it out with Philadelphia trying to claim third place in the division.

Columbus kept their postseason hopes alive with a gritty 5–2 win on the road in Montreal against the Canadiens, who are one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division. Washington also picked up two critical points, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6–3 in Pennsylvania. The Islanders’ postseason chances took a major hit after losing to the Senators at home. As it stands before Sunday’s slate, Columbus has a 24 percent chance of getting into the postseason (92 pts), Washington has an 8.4 percent chance (91 pts), and New York has a measly 3.7 percent (91 pts).

Now, with only two games left for each team, it is possible someone will clinch as early as Monday, April 13. The Flyers control their own destiny entering their last two games. If they win out, they will end their five-year postseason drought and have a matchup against their in-state rivals, the Penguins. The maximum points for each team are as follows: Flyers can get 98, Blue Jackets can get 96, Islanders can get 95, and the Capitals can get 95. The Flyers and Islanders both end their seasons against the Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes, teams that have already secured their postseason spots. The Blue Jackets finish their season against the Bruins and Capitals, while the Capitals finish with the Penguins and Blue Jackets. Washington, Columbus, and New York all play on Sunday, April 12, and if each of them loses in regulation, Philadelphia will have a chance to clinch with a win or overtime/shootout loss Monday night, April 13, against the Hurricanes, finally bringing postseason hockey back to South Philadelphia.