How the first 17 games of the Stanley Cup playoffs will influence the rest of the first round
The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have delivered all the requisite thrills that fans have come to expect from the greatest postseason in sports.
But through the first 17 games — three for Boston Bruins–Toronto Maple Leafs, and two for every other series — we’ve also learned some lessons about each club, whether it’s new information coming to light or confirmation of our pre-playoff thoughts.
To help sort through all of that new data — and identify which trends will continue to influence the rest of the first round and beyond — ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski present their takeaways from the first wave of first-round games.
The Rangers’ variety of victories
In order to win the Stanley Cup, a team needs to be able to win in a variety of ways. Some nights are tough defensive battles. Some nights are shootouts. Some nights are going to be disjointed, penalty-filled affairs where physicality reigns. What’s been impressive about the New York Rangers so far against the Washington Capitals is, well, the range.
Their Game 1 win saw them dominate in 5-on-5 play, which felt like a 60-minute response to analytic skepticism about their even-strength play. Their Game 2 win was a grueling, nasty affair in which the teams both scored twice on the power play but the Rangers’ penalty kill — third best in the league this season — scored the game-winner.
Eleven different Rangers have notched a point in the first two games, including all three members of their checking line — Matt Rempe, Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow — that could become one of those cult hero trios for a championship team.
“All year it’s been that way,” coach Peter Laviolette said of his depth. “We’ve relied on a lot of people. I think it’s helpful in the course of the playoffs that when the bump and grind comes into it, and hopefully the longevity of the playoffs, it’s good to have it.” — Wyshynski
What’s next for the Stars, down 0-2?
How much have the Dallas Stars struggled against the Vegas Golden Knights recently? Game 2’s defeat makes six straight losses, and they’ve also lost nine of their last 11 combined regular-season and playoff games to Vegas.
Last year’s Western Conference finals saw the Stars fall into an 0-2 series after two overtime games. They’d fall into a 0-3 hole before winning two games to force Game 6, then suffering a season-ending loss to the Golden Knights.
They face another 0-2 deficit, and must figure out how to recover quickly against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Stars coach Peter DeBoer said after the Game 2 loss that he felt like the Golden Knights carried the play last season, whereas he believes both teams now “are a lot more evenly matched.”
This season saw the Stars finish tied for a league-high 26 road wins. Stars forward Tyler Seguin said the goal is to now parlay that success on the road into something that could help them climb back into the series.
“I don’t know if you can be too physical in playoffs, but maybe we’re almost being frustrated by last year by knowing how good of a team we are,” Seguin said, while referencing how the Stars finished with 53 hits. “Especially 5-on-5. We’ll take a day tomorrow and reset and get excited for this challenge ahead of us.” — Clark
Playoff Bob’s save of the year
Sergei Bobrovsky is an accomplished regular-season goalie, with two Vezina Trophies to his credit and great stats this season for the Florida Panthers (36-17-4, .915 save percentage, six shutouts). But in the postseason, he becomes Playoff Bob. And Playoff Bob can do magical things.
Against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2, Bobrovsky made one of the most remarkable saves of this or any postseason: Robbing Matt Dumba with his back facing the Lightning defenseman, his left arm extended to allow the puck to bounce off his forearm and keep the game tied. The Panthers would eventually win in overtime to take a 2-0 series lead, with Playoff Bob making 21 saves.
“It was desperation, I tried to throw as much body as possible and was able to make the save,” he said.
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Sergei Bobrovsky makes unbelievable save to deny Lightning
Check out this sensational save from Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 2 vs. the Lightning.
It was the kind of save that instantly goes viral. The kind of save that’s already inspired a T-shirt featuring Bobrovsky stretching across the crease with the words “The Bobbery” above it. The kind of save that coach Paul Maurice believed could inspire young fans in South Florida to take up the crease.
“There’s probably a number of kids in the driveway this weekend, they all want to play goal for the first time, right? For me, that’s how it happens. They see something kind of magical, and they all go and try it,” he said.
The Lightning have their hands full with their state rivals for a lot of reasons, and one of them is Playoff Bob, who is second in the postseason with a 1.95 goals-against average, playing behind the Panthers’ league-best team defense. — Wyshynski
There’s been no official word on what ails William Nylander. But there’s no doubt his absence is having an effect on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs’ winger tends to come alive in the postseason, with consistent production (he’s tallied 40 points in 50 playoff games to date) and Toronto’s usually potent offensive attack has been dulled without Nylander in the mix. Credit to Boston there too, of course; the Bruins have been stingy offering up scoring opportunities.
And then there’s a trickle-down effect through the rest of Toronto’s top nine without Nylander available, from slotting rookie Matthew Knies onto the second line to keeping Nick Robertson — a healthy scratch on a number of occasions during the season — on the third line. Their lack of experience doesn’t give Toronto the same obvious advantage having Nylander on the ice would offer (although Knies did score Toronto’s opening marker in Game 3, off a pretty pass from Mitch Marner).
Plus, the Leafs’ listless power play would benefit from a Nylander boost — Toronto entered Game 3 having gone 1-6 with the extra man, and the Leafs immediately added to their own disappointment with five scoreless power plays in Wednesday’s outing. Timothy Liljegren is no replacement there for what Nylander does. The Leafs need their 40-goal scorer back, badly. — Shilton
Was the Avs’ performance in Game 2 a breakthrough or a blip?
A first-period deficit overcome. A second period in which the Colorado Avalanche scored four goals from four different players. A solid performance from Alexandar Georgiev, stopping 28 of the 30 shots he faced just days after he allowed seven goals in a Game 1 loss.
All of that led to a 5-2 Avs win, tying their series against the Winnipeg Jets. Could those trends play a role in the Avs reversing their fortunes against a Jets team that’s given them significant problems throughout the season?
Part of the narrative entering this series was how the Jets were 3-0 against the Avs in the regular season, outscoring them by a 17-4 margin. That includes a 7-0 loss back on April 13, an acute cause for concern in Colorado.
That’s what made Game 1 so fascinating. On one hand, the Avs scored more goals in one game against the Jets than they did in three games in the regular season. On the other hand, the Jets scored seven goals for a second straight game against Colorado.
So does Game 2 mean the Avs have found an answer — or are at least closer to finding an answer against the Jets? Or was Game 2 an outlier against a Jets team that might strike back with an offensive outburst in Game 3? — Clark
0:38
Connor Hellebuyck’s epic blunder leads to an Avalanche goal
Connor Hellebuyck comes out of the crease but slips on the ice, leading to a Colorado goal.
The Lightning’s depth is due to shine
If there’s one thing that’s helped drive the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s success in recent seasons, it’s depth. The Lightning have prioritized adding players at the deadline who enhance — and complement — their core stars, and GM Julien BriseBois did that again grabbing Anthony Duclair and Matt Dumba in March.
But Tampa Bay isn’t repeating the rewards of a deep roster yet in their series against the Florida Panthers … yet. The Lightning are in an 0-2 hole after scoring only four goals (and only two at 5-on-5) through two games — a pair from Steven Stamkos, one from Brandon Hagel and another from Brayden Point.
The Lightning have looked top-heavy, and that’s not necessarily a recipe for success when the Panthers have three lines that can do damage (and Florida has already shown a killer instinct when it comes to scoring timely goals).
Now, if it weren’t for The Save by Sergei Bobrovsky on Dumba in Game 2, this could be an entirely different conversation. But as it is the Lightning will be desperate for offense going into Game 3 of a series where they have yet to hold a lead. That in itself is a tough pill to swallow. — Shilton
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner and Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot were both not very good in Game 2. But Talbot made a few key saves in the Kings’ win, including a breakaway stop on Ryan McLeod and two huge saves on Leon Draisaitl on a late second-period power play, while Skinner did not.
“They’re getting some good puck luck right now. And the puck luck wasn’t on my side tonight,” Skinner said after the 5-4 overtime loss on Wednesday night. “Every shot that they take seemed to go off a guy’s stick or a guy’s skate.”
No one expects Skinner to dominate in the postseason. He had an .883 save percentage and a 3.68 goals-against average in 12 starts last postseason. He’s the classic “you don’t have to win us a series, but you can’t lose us a series” goaltender behind a strong contending team.
Through two games against Los Angeles, he has an .857 save percentage, having given up nine goals on 63 shots. Both games had their share of funky deflections and defensive breakdowns in front of Skinner, but Game 2 was close to that “don’t lose us the series” concern.
“Any time he’s had an off game, he’s been able to play very well for us,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said.
The coach noted a game back in Dec. 2023 when Skinner gave up five goals on 22 shots to the Lightning. He would go on to win 12 of his next 13 games, giving up only one goal in six of those victories.
After the Kings tied the series 1-1 on Anze Kopitar‘s overtime goal, Skinner sounded like someone confident that he can rebound for the Oilers.
“Games like this, where you feel like the universe is against you and the puck’s not working well for you, it’s part of life. It’s part of playoffs too. I’m sure I’ll feel this again at some point,” he said. “The takeaway from tonight is to just wash it out. I know my game and I know who I am.” — Wyshynski
The Predators’ new playoff identity
Blocking 30 shots in their series-tying 4-1 win Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks is just the latest example of the defensive identity the Nashville Predators have established during Andrew Brunette’s first season in charge.
His time as the interim coach of the Panthers and as an assistant with the New Jersey Devils saw those teams score goals at a furious rate with Brunette behind the bench. While the Preds finished 10th in goals per game this season (3.24), there was also an emphasis on defense that Brunette preached throughout the season. The message he relayed to the Predators’ players was to operate as a five-player unit that could eventually thrive in situations that saw them play without the puck.
Game 2 might have been the strongest example of how the Preds found success without needing the puck. Natural Stat Trick’s metrics show the Canucks had a 74.42 shot share percentage, which meant they controlled the puck for nearly three-fourths of the game but struggled to score due in part to the Preds blocking 30 shots.
Getting in the way of all of those shots allowed them to create less work for Juuse Saros, who saved 17 of the 18 that got through. It’s also the first time all season that Saros finished a game with fewer than 20 saves that didn’t involve him getting pulled. — Clark
Have the Islanders learned their lesson?
There are some positives the New York Islanders can take from their two games against the Carolina Hurricanes. They played the Canes evenly through two periods in Game 1. They built a 3-0 lead in the first 23:54 of Game 2. But they lost both games in the third period — and in an extremely painful manner in that Game 2 loss, as the Hurricanes scored the game-tying and winning goals just nine seconds apart.
“This one’s long from over, but right now, this one hurts the gut,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said after the 5-3 loss in Raleigh in Game 2. Coach Patrick Roy said the team stopped winning one-on-one battles. Defenseman Noah Dobson said the Islanders tried to sit on a lead rather than continue pushing. That manifested in a 110-to-28 shot attempt advantage for Carolina in the game.
So it becomes gut-check time for the Islanders in Game 3 on Thursday night. They’ll swap out goalie Semyon Varlamov in favor of Ilya Sorokin. They’ll try to feed off their home fans like Carolina did theirs. And as star forward Mathew Barzal said a few times on Wednesday, they’ll try and stay in the right mindset for a rally.
“We were pissed off. There’s no hiding that. There wasn’t a ton of smiles after that,” Barzal said. “But this is the playoffs. We’re in good spirits here, regardless of the [series] score. We have a chance now at an epic comeback.” — Wyshynski
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Alden Gonzalez
The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t just a baseball team these days. They are a symbol. For fans of the other 29 major league clubs, they are a source of either indignation or longing. For rival owners — and the commissioner who answers to them — they exemplify a widening payroll disparity that must be addressed. For players, and the union that represents them, they are a beacon, embodying all the traits of successful organizations: astute at player development, invested in behind-the-scenes components that make a difference and, most prominently, eager to pump their outsized revenues back into the roster.
The Dodgers employ seven players on nine-figure contracts, with five of those deals reached over the past 15 months. They also have the strongest farm system in the sport, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. Their lineup is loaded and their rotation is decorated, but also their future looks bright and their resources seem limitless. And yet their chief architect, Andrew Friedman, isn’t ready for a victory lap.
“It just doesn’t really land with me in that way,” Friedman, entering his 11th year as the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, said in a recent phone conversation. “I think once I get fired, once there’s like real distance between being mired in the day-to-day and when I’m not, I will be able to look back at those things. But for us right now, it all feels very precarious.
“We’ve seen a lot of really successful organizations that fall off a cliff and take a while to build back. We don’t take any of it for granted.”
Nothing lasts forever. Every empire has fallen, every dynasty has faded. But what the Dodgers have built feels uniquely sustainable. A glaring reminder came last month, when Major League Baseball’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, was asked whether outrage over the Dodgers’ spending reminded him of how fans felt about the star-laden New York Yankees teams of the early 2000s, commonly referred to as “The Evil Empire.”
The current Dodgers, Manfred said, “are probably more profitable on a percentage basis than the old Yankees were, meaning it could be more sustainable, so it is more of a problem.”
The word “problem” depends on one’s perspective. Dodgers fans certainly wouldn’t describe it as such. As the team prepares to begin its season on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs in Japan — a country in which they are revered, in a series sponsored by their ownership group — it’s worth understanding how the Dodgers got here.
It was the result of their process, but it also required several monumental steps over the past dozen years.
Below is a look at their biggest leaps.
Jan. 28, 2013: They signed a media megadeal
At the start of 2013, the Dodgers, less than a year into Guggenheim’s ownership, landed a massive local-media deal spanning 25 years and valued at $8.35 billion, or $334 million annually on average. But for the rest of that decade, it qualified as a massive headache. A stalemate between AT&T and Charter Communications meant more than half the Southern California market was unable to access the team’s channel, SportsNet LA, from 2014 to 2020.
As the impasse continued and tensions escalated, the Dodgers’ media deal came to symbolize a growing clash between sports channels that demand higher fees and content distributors wary of making customers pay for content they do not consume. Now — five years after the two sides finally struck a deal, airing Dodgers games on AT&T video platforms and nearly doubling the number of households to more than 3 million — it exemplifies a growing disparity that is rattling the industry.
The Dodgers’ local-media deal runs longer than most and is more expensive than any other, but here’s the kicker, according to a source familiar with the deal: While most regional sports networks are set up as subsidiaries underneath a corporate entity, leaving them in the lurch when they fall into hard times — like Diamond Sports Group, a former Sinclair subsidiary that was forced into bankruptcy when debt mounted and subscribers fell off — the Dodgers have complete corporate backing from Charter, a massive media conglomerate.
So not only do the Dodgers generate far more in local media than any of their competitors, but at a time when the linear-cable model is drying up and teams face increasing uncertainty with RSN contracts that represent about 20% of revenues, their deal is relatively iron-clad. That is especially valuable considering they’re in a division where three teams — the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies — have lost their local media deals.
Dec. 21, 2018: They swung a trade that streamlined their payroll
Four days before Christmas in 2018, the Dodgers executed a rare salary dump. Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer and cash were sent to the Cincinnati Reds for Homer Bailey, who was promptly released, and two young players who would later help trigger blockbuster acquisitions, Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray. The prospect component was secondary; the real benefit was the money saved, which gave the Dodgers additional wiggle room under the luxury-tax threshold and helped them remain debt-service compliant the following year.
In a bigger sense, it was the culmination of a multi-year effort by the front office to rid the Dodgers of bloated contracts and streamline a payroll that ultimately became burdened by massive deals for players like Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Adrián González. The Dodgers’ luxury-tax payroll dropped by about $50 million from 2017 to 2019, by which point only two players — A.J. Pollock and Kenta Maeda — were signed beyond the next two years. In Friedman’s mind, the Dodgers were now free to be aggressive.
“For our first four to five years, it was as much about trying to be as competitive as we could be while getting our future payroll outlook in a better spot,” he said. “At the end of the 2019 season was the first time we had reached that point and were in position to be more aggressive at the top of the free-agent class.”
Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon headlined that offseason’s free-agent class. The Dodgers didn’t come away with either of them.
They would soon make up for it.
Feb. 10, 2020: Mookie Betts became available — and they pounced
The Dodgers engaged in initial trade conversations around Betts leading up to the trade deadline in 2019, but then the Boston Red Sox won five of seven against the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees near the end of July, and suddenly Betts was unavailable. A tone was set nonetheless.
“We knew, with him going into his last year of control, that there was a chance they would look to trade him going into that offseason,” Friedman recalled. “There was a switch in their baseball-operations department, and Chaim Bloom was hired, who I have a good relationship with. I spent a lot of time talking to him in the beginning. For him, it was about getting his feet on the ground and understanding the organizational direction of what they were doing. And it wasn’t until January where he opened the door to engage.”
Friedman, who gave Bloom his first front-office job in Tampa, ultimately landed Betts and David Price for Alex Verdugo, Downs and another position-player prospect in Connor Wong on Feb. 10, 2020. Friedman had long coveted Betts not just for his supreme talent, but for his work ethic and competitive edge and how those qualities seemed to elevate those around him. Within five months, Betts agreed to a 12-year, $365 million extension, eschewing free agency.
March 17, 2022: Freddie Freeman became a surprise free agent addition
When Freeman hit free agency after winning the 2021 World Series with the Braves, Friedman assumed he would simply return to Atlanta. So did everyone else — Freeman included. He was a homegrown star poised to someday get his number retired and have a statue outside Truist Park. But initial conversations barely progressed, and the Dodgers saw an opening.
On the afternoon of Dec. 1, moments before the sport would shut down in the midst of a bitter labor fight, Dodgers players, coaches and executives gathered for Betts’ wedding in L.A. Friedman, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and then-third baseman Justin Turner briefly stepped away to call Freeman. They wanted to leave a lasting impression before an owner-imposed lockout would prohibit communication between teams and players. They wanted to be the last club he heard from.
The message, essentially: Don’t forget about us.
Friedman said he “got off the call feeling like it was incredibly unlikely” that the Dodgers would land Freeman. But when the lockout ended on March 10, the Braves and Freeman’s then-agent, Casey Close, still couldn’t bridge the gap, either on length or value. Four days later, the Braves traded for another star first baseman in Matt Olson, leaving Freeman stunned. Three days after that, he pivoted to the Dodgers, coming to terms on a six-year, $162 million contract.
2022-23 offseason: They sat out the shortstop market
When Corey Seager became a free agent at the end of the 2021 season, the Dodgers had a ready-made replacement in Trea Turner, who had been acquired with Max Scherzer the previous summer in a deal that sent Gray and three other minor leaguers to the Washington Nationals. But when Turner himself became a free agent a year later, the Dodgers did nothing to shore up one of the sport’s most important positions.
Turner became part of a historic class of free-agent shortstops, along with Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson. The Dodgers didn’t pursue any of them, even though they didn’t have a clear replacement. The Dodgers could have avoided years of uncertainty at this position by locking in a proven star, but doing so was hardly entertained.
The reason is now obvious.
“With where we were commitment-wise,” Friedman said, “and with Shohei [Ohtani] coming up the next offseason, it was just a higher bar to clear for us to do something that would have any negative ability for us to pursue Shohei.”
Dec. 11, 2023: Ohtani chose them
By the time Ohtani became a free agent in November of 2023, the Dodgers’ roster was loaded but their payroll was manageable, with only Betts and Freeman guaranteed beyond the next two seasons. The Dodgers could boast a contending team — with two franchise pillars and a wealth of young talent — but also pitch Ohtani on the promise of adding other impact players around him, regardless of his monstrous contract. It worked.
Now, Dec. 11, 2023, stands as one of the most monumental dates in Dodgers history. Ohtani not only joined the Dodgers that day, but he agreed to defer more than 97% of his 10-year, $700 million contract. The Dodgers have become infamous for their propensity to defer money, a mechanism to provide players with a higher guarantee but, given the ability to invest deferred commitments, is mostly beneficial to the Dodgers (though perhaps not as much as one might think).
Ohtani’s deal was followed by the addition of two frontline starters — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who landed a contract worth $325 million, and Tyler Glasnow, who was acquired via trade and subsequently signed a five-year extension worth close to $140 million. Ohtani didn’t pitch in 2024, but he put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in baseball history, starting the 50/50 club and becoming the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP.
Just as important, from the Dodgers’ perspective: He generated massive amounts of revenue.
Ohtani had MLB’s top-selling jersey by a wide margin. With him on the roster, the Dodgers struck sponsorship agreements with 11 different Japanese companies during the 2024 season. Two Ohtani bobblehead giveaways prompted fans to line up outside Dodger Stadium up to 10 hours before the first pitch. Japanese guided tours through the ballpark — a twice-a-day, four-day-a-week addition — never relented. The gift shops frequently had lines out the door.
The Dodgers won’t disclose how much additional revenue they generated from Ohtani last year, but team president Stan Kasten has repeatedly said it blew away even their most optimistic projections.
Oct. 9, 2024: They survived Game 4 of the NLDS
It’s amazing, given the space the Dodgers currently occupy, that five months ago they carried a reputation as, well, chokers. Their championship at the end of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season had been thoroughly dismissed for its unconventionality. More prevalent in the general public’s mind was 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, seasons that ended with talented teams getting eliminated early by inferior opponents.
The 2024 season was quickly headed in that direction. On Oct. 9, the Dodgers trailed a Padres club that was widely considered more well-rounded two-games-to-one in the best-of-five National League Division Series. Their depleted rotation had run out of starters. They would stage a bullpen game with their season on the line. And they would survive. The Dodgers shut out the Padres in Game 4, shut them out again in Game 5, then cruised past the New York Mets and Yankees to capture their first full-season championship since 1988.
What followed was a second straight offseason in which the Dodgers added practically every player they wanted. That included a frontline starter (Blake Snell), two corner outfielders (Teoscar Hernandez and Michael Conforto), three premium bullpen pieces (Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen), two fan favorites (Clayton Kershaw and Kiké Hernández) and one of the most alluring pitching prospects in a generation (Roki Sasaki). A key utility player (Tommy Edman) was also extended. The cost: another $466.5 million in guaranteed money, immediately after an offseason in which they guaranteed close to $1.4 billion in signings and extensions.
Roberts, fresh off a record-setting extension, has talked about how he might have been fired had he not navigated his Dodgers past the Padres last fall. Friedman acknowledged that the Dodgers probably don’t spend as much if they don’t win the World Series and generate the extra revenue that comes from it, though he called that “a lazy guess.”
Still, when asked how often he has thought about how life would be different if the Dodgers hadn’t won Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS, Friedman said: “Zero minutes.”
“We have been on the good side of those games and on the bad side of those games,” he added, “and I’ve spent zero minutes thinking about what the world would look like if the outcome had been different.”
All that matters now is a reality that exhilarates their fans and infuriates everyone else: The Dodgers look about as insurmountable as a franchise can be in this sport.
The Boston Bruins‘ approach to the trade deadline indicated that perhaps management thought this wasn’t their year, and they would add some future assets for a quick reload this offseason.
But as the chips fall on Monday, the Bruins still have a chance to make the playoffs.
That all begins with a game against the lottery-bound Buffalo Sabres Monday night (7 p.m., ESPN+). A win in that one closes the gap between Boston and the current first wild card, the New York Rangers. The Rangers have 72 points and 30 regulation wins through 68 games, while Boston is at 68 and 23 through 68.
After Buffalo, it’s a road trip through Nevada and California (Golden Knights on Thursday, Sharks on Saturday, Kings on Sunday and Ducks on Wednesday, March 26). All told, the Bruins will play teams currently in playoff position in six of the final 13 games after the matchup with the Sabres; the final five, in particular, could be a spot to make up ground, with two against the injury-struck Devils along with single games against the Sabres, Blackhawks and Penguins.
To be clear, this would be a long shot; in addition to going on a hot streak, the Bruins will need to jump ahead of four teams (which would all need to get cold, in this hypothetical). Stathletes isn’t so sure all of that will fall into place, giving the Bruins a 2.4% chance of making the postseason. But stranger things have happened in recent seasons!
There is a lot of runway left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings
Monday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Calgary Flames at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
Sunday’s scoreboard
Detroit Red Wings 3, Vegas Golden Knights 0
Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 3 (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 3, New York Rangers 1
New York Islanders 4, Florida Panthers 2
St. Louis Blues 7, Anaheim Ducks 2
Utah Hockey Club 3, Vancouver Canucks 1
Winnipeg Jets 3, Seattle Kraken 2 (OT)
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: vs. PHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 98.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 88.2
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 20.2%
Tragic number: 32
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: @ WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 5.3%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. BUF (Monday)
Playoff chances: 2.4%
Tragic number: 25
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 73.2
Next game: @ BOS (Monday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 21
Metro Division
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 14
Points pace: 94.1
Next game: @ CBJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 95.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 14
Points pace: 86.8
Next game: vs. CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 53.2%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 87.0
Next game: vs. NJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 16.7%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 84.5
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 6.4%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 78.4
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.8%
Tragic number: 21
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 77.2
Next game: @ TB (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0.5%
Tragic number: 21
Central Division
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 118.2
Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 108.1
Next game: vs. ANA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 96.7
Next game: vs. LA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 91%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 88.0
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 32.5%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 86.9
Next game: @ EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 17%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 72.1
Next game: vs. STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 18
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 60.0
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7
Pacific Division
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 100.4
Next game: vs. UTA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ MIN (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 89.3
Next game: vs. WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 41.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 89.6
Next game: @ TOR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 18.7%
Tragic number: 33
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 79.6
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 23
Points: 63
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 76.0
Next game: @ CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 19
Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 1
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 No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 63
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
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