NHL Playoffs And Awards Watch: There's A New Pacific Leader
The Edmonton Oilers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the Pacific Division on Saturday.
And yet, they fell to second in the division.
Their 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Anze Kopitar's final regular-season home game meant the Oilers needed help to clinch on Saturday. The Philadelphia Flyers got the Oilers a playoff spot when they beat the Winnipeg Jets 7-1.
Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Looks Back At Rivalry With Sidney Crosby: 'It's History'
Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby may be playing each other for the last time in the NHL this weekend. As Ovechkin and his teammates say, it's a historic rivalry that won't ever be recreated.
Eastern Conference Playoff Race
- No team in the East can clinch a playoff spot on Sunday.
- The only playoff spot left up for grabs in the East is third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flyers (idle) are in that spot with 94 points and two games left. They can finish with up to 98 points.
The Columbus Blue Jackets (6 p.m. ET versus Boston) have 92 points with two games left. Winning both games would bring them to 96 points.
The Washington Capitals (3 p.m. ET versus Pittsburgh) have 91 points with two games left. The most they can finish with is 95 points. A loss in regulation on Sunday would eliminate them from playoff contention. Since Alex Ovechkin said he would decide whether to play another NHL season during the off-season, this could be the final home game of his career.
The New York Islanders (6 p.m. ET versus Montreal) also have 91 points with two games left. They have six fewer regulation wins than Washington. That said, as long as they don't lose in regulation on Sunday, their playoff hopes are technically still alive.
'Another Total Collapse': Social Media Reacts To Red Wings' Playoff Drought Reaching 10 Years
The Detroit Red Wings now have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL. Hockey fans on social media discussed the team's drop in the standings, who's to blame and what could come next.
- The Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins booked their place in the post-season on Saturday.
The Senators shut out the Islanders, and although the Bruins lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Detroit Red Wings ended up losing to the New Jersey Devils in regulation. That was enough for Ottawa and Boston to clinch the wild-card spots, meaning Detroit will miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season.
Ottawa actually passed Boston in the wild-card standings with the win. They each have 96 points, but the Senators hold the tiebreaker with six more regulation wins.
If Ottawa beats the Devils on Sunday, and Boston loses to the Blue Jackets in regulation, they will remain in the first and second wild-card spots, respectively. If the standings hold, Ottawa would play the Buffalo Sabres, and Boston would face the Carolina Hurricanes.
Buffalo's Back, Baby!
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) March 23, 2026
Our 2026 Playoff Special features the @BuffaloSabres!
Plus we visit with Dominik Hasek in Czechia, and commemorate the Rangers' centennial by counting down their top 100 players of all-time: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/41d8ZtRZNa
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy Race
1. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado: 52 goals, three games left (Colorado is idle)
2. Cole Caufield, Montreal: 51 goals, two games left (Montreal plays NY Islanders at 6 p.m. ET)
3. Connor McDavid, Edmonton, 47 goals, two games left (Edmonton is idle)
Art Ross Trophy Race
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton: 133 points, two games left
2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay: 128 points, two games left (Tampa Bay is idle)
3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado: 126 points, three games left
Rookie Scoring Race
1. Ivan Demidov, Montreal: 61 points, two games left
2. Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim: 60 points, three games left (Anaheim plays Vancouver at 8 p.m. ET)
3. Matthew Schaefer, NY Islanders: 59 points, two games left (New York plays Montreal at 6 p.m. ET)
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News
This story was originally published April 12, 2026 at 11:08 AM.