Connect with us

Published

11 months ago

on

  • Tim Kavanagh, ESPN.comMar 12, 2024, 06:30 AM ET

    Close

      Tim Kavanagh is a senior editor for ESPN digital editorial. He’s a native of upstate New York.

We are 37 days away from the end of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. Is it too early to start projecting the Stanley Cup Final matchups we’d like to witness? No!

One of those enticing matchups will take place tonight, as the Florida Panthers visit the Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). The two teams are leading their respective divisions heading into tonight’s showdown, and each made smart moves leading up to the trade deadline; the Stars landed playoff-ready defensive defenseman Chris Tanev, while the Panthers nabbed scoring winger Vladimir Tarasenko and veteran forward Kyle Okposo.

The teams met on Dec. 6, with the Panthers sending their fans home happy with a 5-4 victory. Both teams enter this matchup on relatively hot streaks, as the Panthers are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and the Stars are 6-3-1. The eyes of the hockey world will be on this one tonight as the two juggernauts continue their path to the postseason.

As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2024 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

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

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC2 Detroit Red Wings
A2 Boston Bruins vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 New York Rangers vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers

Western Conference

C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
C2 Winnipeg Jets vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. WC2 Vegas Golden Knights
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Tuesday’s games

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

Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Florida Panthers at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Arizona Coyotes at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken, 10 p.m.

Monday’s scoreboard

St. Louis Blues 5, Boston Bruins 1
New York Rangers 3, New Jersey Devils 1
Winnipeg Jets 3, Washington Capitals 0
Los Angeles Kings 3, New York Islanders 0

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 116
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 111
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 105
Next game: @ PHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 93
Next game: vs. NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 88.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 29%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 4.9%
Tragic number: 27

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 74
Next game: vs. CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 22

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 71
Next game: vs. PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 22

Metropolitan Division

Points: 88
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 113
Next game: @ CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 108
Next game: vs. NYR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 93
Next game: vs. SJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 51.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ BUF (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 69.7%
Tragic number: 36

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 90
Next game: @ EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 41.7%
Tragic number: 35

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 83
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 11.7%
Tragic number: 28

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 83
Next game: @ OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 3.6%
Tragic number: 30

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 69
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 18

Central Division

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 111
Next game: vs. FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 112
Next game: vs. NSH (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 107
Next game: @ CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 97
Next game: @ WPG (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 89.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 87
Next game: vs. LA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0.8%
Tragic number: 28

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 87
Next game: vs. ARI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 13.8%
Tragic number: 28

Points: 57
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 72
Next game: @ MIN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 16

Points: 39
Regulation wins: 12
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 49
Next game: vs. ANA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 113
Next game: vs. COL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 105
Next game: vs. WSH (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 99
Next game: @ STL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 89.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 96
Next game: @ SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 88.7%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 87
Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 12.1%
Tragic number: 30

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 86
Next game: vs. COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 6%
Tragic number: 28

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 63
Next game: @ CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 39
Regulation wins: 12
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 51
Next game: @ PHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 2

P — Clinched Presidents’ Trophy; 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 can 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 Macklin Celebrini, a freshman at Boston University.

Points: 39
Regulation wins: 12

Points: 39
Regulation wins: 12

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 57
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 14

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 21

* The Penguins’ first-round pick was traded to the Sharks as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. However, it is top-10 protected.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Sports

11-year-old rejects big haul for rare Skenes card

Published

2 hours ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

11-year-old rejects big haul for rare Skenes card

  • Associated Press

Jan 24, 2025, 06:28 PM ET

The young collector who scored a one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes has turned down a trade offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Topps announced Friday that the 11-year-old from the Los Angeles area had declined the deal and instead was going to put the card — which features Skenes’ autograph and a patch from a game-worn jersey — up for auction.

The Pirates had put together a package that included 30 years’ worth of season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park and the chance to play a softball game on the field in exchange for the card.

Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne, also offered the card’s owner the opportunity to take in a game with her in a luxury suite at the ballpark during one of Skenes’ starts.

While the collector wrote in a journal entry shared by Topps that nabbing the card was a “dream come true,” that dream apparently did not include spending the next three decades attending games at PNC Park.

The team posted on X after the decision that it was “bummed” but offered to have the fan at a game sometime during the 2025 season.

Fanatics Collect, which will handle the auctioning of the card in March, said it would donate its proceeds from the sale to fire relief funds in the Los Angeles area.

The card could hold pretty high value considering the potentially bright future ahead for the 22-year-old Skenes, who finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting after an outstanding rookie season.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 amateur draft made his major league debut in May and put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. Skenes was selected as the NL’s starting pitcher in the All-Star Game after only 11 starts and finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 games.

Skenes said over the weekend he hasn’t thought about the potential of signing a long-term contract to remain in Pittsburgh, saying instead that his focus is on helping the Pirates take a step toward contending in 2025. He is eligible for free agency after the 2029 season.

Continue Reading

Sports

Notre Dame safety Watts to enter NFL draft

Published

4 hours ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

Notre Dame safety Watts to enter NFL draft
Jan 24, 2025, 04:19 PM ET

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Two-time All-America safety Xavier Watts will enter the NFL draft rather than return to Notre Dame for a sixth season.

Watts made the announcement on social media Friday, four days after the Irish lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game in Atlanta.

Watts is the No. 4 draft-eligible safety in 2025, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

Watts began his college career as a receiver in 2020 and moved to defense his second season. He had 13 interceptions over the past two seasons, most by any player in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He picked off six passes this season, running one back 100 yards to help Notre Dame seal its win against Southern California. He was voted to the Associated Press All-America first team for two straight years.

Watts, whose hometown is Omaha, Nebraska, could have returned to Notre Dame to use the extra season granted by the NCAA to athletes who were active during the 2020 pandemic season. Most draft analysts project Watts to be selected late in the first round or in the second.

“As I embark on the next chapter of my football journey, I’m filled with pride as I look back on the many memories and people that I’ll forever cherish,” Watts wrote on X. “I hope that my time in the Irish uniform has helped continue the tradition of those that came before me.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Jones, ex-Huskers star and NFL RB, dies at 54

Published

4 hours ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

Jones, ex-Huskers star and NFL RB, dies at 54

  • Associated Press

Jan 24, 2025, 11:20 AM ET

OMAHA, Neb. — Calvin Jones, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in three seasons at Nebraska and was with the Green Bay Packers when they won the Super Bowl after the 1996 season, has died. He was 54.

Police said Jones’ body was found in the basement of a house in north Omaha on Wednesday night. Police have not confirmed a cause of death pending an autopsy.

A friend of Jones, Jo Dusatko, told the Omaha World-Herald that carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected. She said the furnace in the home was not working and that Jones was using a generator in the basement.

Jones was a high school All-American at Central High School before he went to Nebraska, where he rushed for 3,166 yards and 40 touchdowns and was an All-Big Eight pick in 1992-93.

Jones and Derek Brown formed the tandem called the “We-Backs,” a nod to the Cornhuskers’ I-back position, with Jones the backup to Brown in 1991. Jones’ breakout that season came when he ran 27 times for a Big Eight freshman-record 294 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in a 59-23 victory over Kansas. His rushing total against the Jayhawks ranks No. 2 on the Nebraska single-game rushing chart.

Jones declared for the NFL draft in 1994 and was a third-round selection of the Raiders. He appeared in 15 games over two seasons with the Raiders and had a total of 27 carries for 112 yards and two catches for 6 yards. He appeared in one game for the Packers in 1996 but had no carries.

Continue Reading

Trending