NHL playoff watch: Checking in on the Presidents’ Trophy race
As noted in the March 23 episode of the playoff watch this season, winning the Presidents’ Trophy doesn’t guarantee a team will win the Stanley Cup (though it’s not a curse, as some still claim). One thing it does guarantee: home-ice advantage for as long as the winner continues playing, which is no small thing.
So where does the race stand heading into Wednesday’s action?
The New York Rangers are atop the league, with 104 points and 39 regulation wins. They have a game forthcoming against the rival New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET, TNT), a continuation of a series of games that have been feisty for the past few decades. The Rangers face just one more team currently in playoff position the rest of the way, but they have two more games against their other big rival, the New York Islanders, who are battling hard in an attempt to get back into a wild-card spot. Stathletes projects the Rangers to finish with 113.9 standings points, which is the most in the league.
Somewhat under the radar, the Dallas Stars are just a point behind the Rangers, but with three fewer regulation wins. The Stars have a theoretically more difficult opponent on Wednesday in the Edmonton Oilers (9:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+), and also face the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets down the stretch. The projection for the Stars is 112.3 points, which is second most.
The Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks are on the Arizona State campus Wednesday for a matchup against the Arizona Coyotes (10 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+). The Canucks sit at 100 points, but they have 40 regulation wins, an important edge if there’s a tie atop the points column at season’s end. The Canucks have the most challenging remaining schedule of these three clubs, with showdowns against the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, Oilers and Jets coming in the season’s final weeks. Stathletes projects Vancouver to finish with 109.9 points, which is fifth most (also behind the Avs and the Carolina Hurricanes).
But what about the Atlantic leaders? The idle Boston Bruins (103 points, 34 regulation wins) and Florida Panthers (99, 38) are obviously still a threat to make a final push for the regular-season points title. But the Stathletes model doesn’t like their chances quite as much, with Florida projected for 109.7 points and Boston 109.4.
As we traverse 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
Clinching scenario
Wednesday’s schedule
Tuesday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
A2 Florida Panthers vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers
Western Conference
C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC2 Los Angeles Kings
C2 Colorado Avalanche vs. C3 Winnipeg Jets
P1 Vancouver Canucks vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Vegas Golden Knights
Clinching scenario
The Toronto Maple Leafs can clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning or if they lose in an overtime or shootout to the Lightning.
Wednesday’s games
Note: All times ET. 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).
Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars, 9:30 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Los Angeles Kings, 9:30 p.m (TNT)
Vancouver Canucks at Arizona Coyotes, 10 p.m.
Tuesday’s scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres 6, Washington Capitals 2
Montreal Canadiens 5, Florida Panthers 3
Pittsburgh Penguins 6, New Jersey Devils 3
New York Islanders 2, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Boston Bruins 3, Nashville Predators 0
Minnesota Wild 3, Ottawa Senators 2
Anaheim Ducks 5, Calgary Flames 3
Vegas Golden Knights 6, Vancouver Canucks 3
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 111
Next game: @ CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 99
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 107
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 95
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 105
Next game: vs. TB (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 99
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 90
Next game: vs. NYR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 45.9%
Tragic number: 14
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 83
Next game: vs. PHI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0.7%
Tragic number: 7
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 78
Next game: vs. FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 4
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 78
Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 4
Metropolitan Division
Points: 104
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 114
Next game: vs. NJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 101
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 110
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 90
Next game: @ BUF (Friday)
Playoff chances: 54.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 91
Next game: vs. PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 52.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 89
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 34.0%
Tragic number: 13
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 86
Next game: @ WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 10.2%
Tragic number: 11
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 83
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 1.5%
Tragic number: 8
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 68
Next game: vs. NYI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Central Division
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 113
Next game: vs. EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 100
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 109
Next game: @ MIN (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 105
Next game: vs. CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 98
Next game: vs. STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 98.4%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 5.8%
Tragic number: 11
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 90
Next game: vs. COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 3.8%
Tragic number: 10
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 74
Next game: vs. VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 54
Next game: vs. DAL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 100
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 109
Next game: @ ARI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 95
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 107
Next game: @ DAL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 101
Next game: @ ARI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 96
Next game: vs. SEA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 92.4%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 83
Next game: @ LA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 4
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 81
Next game: @ WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 2
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 58
Next game: vs. SEA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 42
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 47
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
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: 42
Regulation wins: 13
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 16
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 29
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 31
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 30
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 29
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 29
* The Penguins’ first-round pick was traded to the Sharks as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. However, it is top-10 protected.
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Greg Wyshynski
After the New Jersey Devils saw their season end in double overtime Tuesday night, goaltender Jacob Markstrom wanted to express his frustration via his stick. He thought about boomeranging it to the boards. Instead, he swung it hard against his goalpost, breaking it in half.
Sebastian Aho‘s goal at 4:17 of the second overtime in Game 5 gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 5-4 win and a 4-1 series victory over the Devils. It was the first puck Markstrom had fly by him in 37 consecutive shots on goal, dating to the second period. That included 18 saves he made in overtime, as Carolina marauded a short-handed and exhausted Devils defense but couldn’t solve the 35-year-old goalie.
“That was one of the better goaltending performances that I’ve witnessed,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Markstrom, who finished with 49 saves. “He let in a few early that he’d like to have back. But once he got dialed in, you’re thinking it’ll have to bank off somebody, because we’re not beating him.”
Markstrom’s frustration wasn’t just with the overtime goal. The Devils built a 3-0 lead in the first period. Carolina scored three times in the first 5:40 of the second period to erase it. New Jersey responded with a Nico Hischier goal, only to have Aho knot the score at 4 moments later.
“We put up four goals on the road,” Markstrom said. “We should have brought it home. It should have been enough.”
But as his teammates noted, Markstrom’s effort in the overtimes should have been enough to win Game 5.
“We were under siege. He was outstanding. We were reeling,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.
“He played unbelievable. Marky kept us in that first overtime,” Hischier said. “I feel bad for him because he battled his ass off.”
Markstrom was acquired by the Devils last offseason in a high-profile deal with the Calgary Flames that was intended to fix the team’s goaltending, which ranked 30th in 2023-24. He won 26 times in 49 games with a .900 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. He was outstanding, for the most part, in the playoffs: .911 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average in five games.
But Markstrom couldn’t overcome two things in the postseason for the Devils. The first were their injuries. Already without star center Jack Hughes, who had season-ending shoulder surgery, the Devils saw defensemen Luke Hughes, Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon leave the series with injuries, with defensemen Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton playing at less than 100%.
“We had a few guys go down in the series. A few guys step up and battle. We’ve got to get better. We don’t like the result,” forward Timo Meier said.
The other factor was the Devils special teams. Their power play was officially 0-for-15. Their penalty kill allowed six goals on 19 Carolina power plays.
“That’s why we lost the series for sure. We couldn’t get the power play going. That’s on those guys, including me, that are on the ice. That’s definitely frustrating,” Hischier said.
But the Devils gutted out the series, pushing Carolina to double overtime in an elimination game despite those deficiencies.
“There’s a lot of will in this room,” Markstrom said. “It sucks right now.”
ARLINGTON, Texas — Everything came together in the same game for two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers batters.
Texas had a much-needed offensive breakout while deGrom struck out seven over six scoreless innings for his first win in more than two years, though he had pitched well enough to win in several other starts this season.
“When was the last one, ’23? Yeah, it’s been a while,” deGrom said after the Rangers’ 15-2 win over the Athletics on Tuesday night.
“He earned it. He had great stuff tonight, he kept us on our toes,” second baseman Marcus Semien said. “We were just talking about how the time of possession was. You know, we were hitting for a long time and he’s getting quick outs. So usually that’s a good recipe.”
The 36-year-old deGrom (1-1) had gone 737 days since also beating the A’s on April 23, 2023, then made only one more start in his debut season with Texas before Tommy John surgery.
He scattered four singles and didn’t walk a batter in a 65-pitch outing (47 strikes). It was only that short since the right-hander didn’t return after an eight-run outburst in the Rangers sixth that matched their previous season high for runs in an entire game and put them up 12-0.
So just how efficient was deGrom? The right-hander honestly thought he was “probably in the 70s or something to 80,” as did catcher Jonah Heim.
“A lot a strikeouts that I feel like he just overpowered a lot of hitters, which is who he is. He’s got that electric fastball,” Heim said.
“My mechanics were pretty good,” said deGrom, a meticulous worker who was feeling good after a side session the day before the game. “I’m constantly trying to perfect it and get in the best positions that I can get based on performance and health.”
Texas entered the night last in the majors with 91 runs scored, and only 12 combined the previous six games. DeGrom had gotten only nine runs of support in his first five starts.
The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak while setting season highs for runs, hits (18) and walks (nine). They had three bases-clearing doubles in the same game for the first time in team history – Adolis García and Wyatt Langford each had one during a four-batter stretch in that big sixth, and Kyle Higashioka added his three-run double in the eighth.
Their offensive outburst came after the full squad was required to be on the field for batting practice before the game.
“Good to see you guys break out and have a good game. … Some success, it’s contagious,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “You’re hoping this is something these guys can build on, build some confidence.”
For deGrom, he improved to 3-1 with a 2.55 ERA in his 15 starts for the Rangers since signing a $185 million, five-year contract in December 2022. He is 85-58 in 224 career starts, the first 209 with the New York Mets from 2014-2022.
“He was really good tonight. You know, I said when season started, it’s just going to get better with him as he builds up his strength and stamina,” Bochy said. “Really good command tonight, really good stuff. And it’s just getting better with him.”
BALTIMORE — The New York Yankees became the first team in major league history to open a game with three consecutive home runs more than once in a season when Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge and Ben Rice went deep off Baltimore‘s Kyle Gibson in the first inning Tuesday night.
New York started the bottom of the first of its March 29 game against Milwaukee with three homers in a row. In that game, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Judge needed only three pitches to hit three homers.
The Yankees added a fourth home run later in the first inning of both that game and Tuesday’s game, making them the first team to belt four in the first inning twice in a season.
On Tuesday night, the Yankees hit three of the game’s first five offerings out to right field.
“Grish got it going for us and set the tone for us early on,” Judge said after the 15-3 win. “When he goes up there and … sends one to Eutaw Street, it’s pretty impressive and gets you going.”
It was an ugly return to the majors for the 37-year-old Gibson, who made 30 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals last season before Baltimore signed him to a $5.25 million, one-year contract in late March. He’d been working in the minors since then before being called up before Tuesday’s game. He was finally pulled with two outs in the fourth after allowing nine runs and 11 hits.
“He gave up four homers in the first inning. That’s kind of a telling sign,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “At that point I’m just trying to figure out how we’re going to get through the game.”
After Rice’s home run made it 3-0, Gibson retired Goldschmidt on a grounder before Bellinger also homered. Anthony Volpe‘s RBI double made it 5-0 before the first inning was over.
Rice homered again in the second to make it 6-0. Austin Wells hit New York’s final home run — all six came with nobody on — with two outs in the ninth.
“It just shows that we’ve got a lot of depth in the lineup,” Rice said.
Not all the news was great for the Yankees, however. Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game with right flank discomfort in the first inning.
Chisholm, who is hitting .181 with seven home runs this season, appeared to have hurt himself while he was batting. After being checked on, he stayed at the plate and hit a double, advancing to third on an error by right fielder Ramon Laureano.
Chisholm said he wasn’t worried about needing to go on the injured list.
“I’m really not as concerned as everybody else,” Chisholm said. “I tore my oblique before. I know it’s not torn or anything.”
The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
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