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It’s a typically light Wednesday schedule in the NHL this evening, with only three games on the slate. One of them pits a team that just clinched a playoff berth — the Toronto Maple Leafs, who appear destined for a first-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning — against one that is trying to claw its way back into a wild-card spot, the Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+).

Heading into the game, the Panthers are three points behind — and four regulation wins ahead — the Pittsburgh Penguins for wild card No. 2, and six points and two regulation wins behind the New York Islanders for wild card No. 1.

Following Wednesday night’s clash with the Leafs, it’s a string of lottery teams — at the Montreal Canadiens, at the Columbus Blue Jackets, then home for the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators before a game at the Washington Capitals. Following that quintet of games, they’ll close out at home against the Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes, both of whom are already well set in their playoff positions.

Will they pull it off? FiveThirtyEight’s model is skeptical, giving the Panthers a 26% chance of making the playoffs, compared to 90% for the Isles and 71% for the Penguins.

As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2023 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s games
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC2 Pittsburgh Penguins
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 New York Islanders
M2 New Jersey Devils vs. M3 New York Rangers

Western Conference

C1 Minnesota Wild vs. WC1 Seattle Kraken
C2 Colorado Avalanche vs. C3 Dallas Stars
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC2 Winnipeg Jets
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers


Wednesday’s games

Note: All times Eastern. All games not on ESPN, TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).

Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
New York Islanders at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m. (TNT)


Tuesday’s scoreboard

Watch “In the Crease” on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.

Nashville Predators 2, Boston Bruins 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Carolina Hurricanes 0
Detroit Red Wings 7, Pittsburgh Penguins 4
New York Rangers 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
Philadelphia Flyers 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
St. Louis Blues 6, Vancouver Canucks 5 (OT)
Dallas Stars 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Calgary Flames 2, Los Angeles Kings 1
Edmonton Oilers 7, Vegas Golden Knights 4
San Jose Sharks 3, Winnipeg Jets 0


Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 119
Regulation wins: 49
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 132
Next game: vs. CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 109
Next game: vs. FLA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 101
Next game: vs. WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 88
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 26%
Tragic number: 14

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 87
Next game: vs. NYR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 6%
Tragic number: 14

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 85
Next game: vs. PHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 4%
Tragic number: 12

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 72
Next game: vs. FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E


Metropolitan Division

Points: 103
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 116
Next game: @ DET (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 111
Next game: vs. NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 109
Next game: @ NJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 93
Next game: @ WSH (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 90%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 91
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 71%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 84
Next game: vs. NYI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 2%
Tragic number: 11

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 79
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 7

Points: 53
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 60
Next game: @ BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E


Central Division

Points: 95
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 105
Next game: @ COL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 106
Next game: vs. MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 104
Next game: @ ARI (Friday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 93
Next game: vs. DET (Friday)
Playoff chances: 56%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 21%
Tragic number: 16

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82
Next game: @ CHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 73
Next game: vs. DAL (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 60
Next game: vs. STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E


Pacific Division

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 109
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 106
Next game: @ EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 95
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 104
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 88
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 99
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 98%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 91
Next game: @ VAN (Friday)
Playoff chances: 25%
Tragic number: 13

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. CGY (Friday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 56
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 62
Next game: @ SEA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 55
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 61
Next game: vs. VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Y — Clinched division; X — Clinched playoff berth; E — Eliminated from playoff contention


Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team might move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Connor Bedard, who has been lauded as a generational talent.

Points: 53
Regulation wins: 15

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 16

Points: 55
Regulation wins: 15

Points: 56
Regulation wins: 13

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 29

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 31

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 28

*Notes on traded picks impacting the top 16:

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Manfred eyes ‘short’ time for Ohtani investigation

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Manfred eyes 'short' time for Ohtani investigation

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday the league is committed to its investigation of the scandal surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and hopes it will take a “short” time to resolve.

Last week Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired after questions surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from the superstar’s bank account to a bookmaking operation.

Ohtani claims his close friend Mizuhara repeatedly took money from his accounts to fund his illegal sports gambling habit. Ohtani also says he was completely unaware of the “massive theft,” as his lawyers termed it, until Mizuhara confessed to him and the Dodgers last week in South Korea, where the team opened its regular season against the Padres.

“Given the way the story unfolded, it’s important in assuring our fans about the integrity of the game that we verify the things that Mr. Ohtani said, it’s really that simple,” Manfred said on Major League Baseball Network’s “High Heat with Chris Russo” on Thursday.

Mizuhara incurred the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation, multiple sources told ESPN. How he came to lose his job started with reporters asking questions about the wire transfers.

“It’s really difficult for the federal authorities to cooperate with us fully when they have their own ongoing investigation so I think this is one where we’ll have to proceed on our own,” Manfred said. “We never have the kind of authority that law enforcement people have but we manage to get these investigations done and find the facts and I’m sure we will on this one.

“I hope [it’s] short, but I just don’t know.”

Ohtani’s camp initially said Ohtani transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara’s debt and presented Mizuhara for an interview with ESPN, during which he laid out the process in detail. The following day, a statement from Berk Brettler LLP, the law firm representing Ohtani in the matter, instead said the two-way star “has been the victim of massive theft.” Mizuhara then told ESPN that Ohtani had no knowledge of his debt and that Ohtani had not transferred the money.

Ohtani’s representatives declined again Tuesday to answer ESPN’s questions about which authorities they have contacted to report their allegation of theft against Ohtani’s former interpreter.

ESPN has been asking repeatedly for the information since Ohtani’s lawyers first issued a statement last week alleging that “Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities.”

When asked Tuesday to provide proof that Ohtani or his representatives have reported the theft to an investigating agency, a spokesperson for Ohtani declined to comment.

ESPN received no confirmation from any of the likely local, state or federal agencies that could investigate allegations of theft that they received a report from Ohtani’s camp.

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Nats’ Strasburg, in retirement impasse, put on IL

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Nats' Strasburg, in retirement impasse, put on IL

CINCINNATI — Pitcher Stephen Strasburg was put on the 60-day injured list by the Washington Nationals ahead of Thursday’s opener at Cincinnati.

The 2019 World Series MVP has not pitched since June 2022 because of injuries that have derailed his career. He still has three seasons left on a seven-year, $245 million contract.

Strasburg, 35, decided in late August to retire, but the Nationals announced in September that there would be no retirement news conference. Owner Mark Lerner said in a statement at the time that the team looked forward to seeing Strasburg at spring training.

The right-hander did not report to the Nationals’ facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The only practical impact of him being on the roster is it takes up a protected spot for the Rule 5 draft in December.

Strasburg gets $35 million annually, with $11,428,571 per year deferred at 1% interest. The deferred money is payable in equal installments of $26,666,667 on July 1 in 2027, 2028 and 2029, with an interest payment of $3,999,974 on Dec. 31, 2029.

Restructuring the money Strasburg is owed could be part of a retirement agreement.

Washington also selected the contracts of right-handers Matt Barnes and Derek Law along with outfielders Eddie Rosario and Jesse Winker from Triple-A Rochester. Barnes, Rosario and Winker get $2 million salaries while in the major leagues, and Law gets $1.5 million.

The Nationals also placed right-handers Cade Cavalli and Mason Thompson (Tommy John surgery) and left-hander Jose Ferrer (left lat strain) on the 60-day injured list and outfielder Stone Garrett (recovery from left ankle reconstruction surgery) on the 10-day injured list, a move retroactive to Monday.

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Yanks put Cole on 60-day IL due to injured elbow

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Yanks put Cole on 60-day IL due to injured elbow

Any dreams of a speedy return to the mound for reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole were dashed Thursday when the New York Yankees moved the right-hander to the 60-day injured list due to elbow inflammation.

On March 16, Cole said he wouldn’t throw for three to four weeks in an effort to heal his ailing throwing elbow, telling reporters that nerve irritation and edema were the source of his problem, with rest and recovery the prescription.

The Yankees finalized their Opening Day roster Thursday morning, also moving right-handers Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation) and McKinley Moore (right knee bursitis) to the 15-day IL and infielders DJ LeMahieu (right foot contusion) and Oswald Peraza (right shoulder strain) to the 10-day IL. All four moves were retroactive to Monday.

New York added newly acquired infielder Jon Berti to the active roster, recalled right-hander Luis Gil from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and signed right-hander Nick Burdi to a major league contract and selected him to the roster.

Cole, 33, pitched just twice this spring, once in a Grapefruit League game on March 1 and then in a simulated game six days later. He subsequently was shut down and underwent medical tests.

Cole has been one of the most durable pitchers in the majors, making at least 30 starts in every season since 2017 except for the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Cole is coming off a season in which he went 15-4 while leading the AL in ERA (2.63) and innings pitched (209). He struck out 222 and walked 48.

The Yankees open the 2024 season at the Houston Astros. Nestor Cortes will start for the Yankees against Framber Valdez in a matchup of left-handers.

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