Saturdays during the NHL regular season are typically a heavy day on the schedule, and this week is no exception.

While the playoff races (for both spots and positioning) play out, an 11-game slate is on hand. Here’s a guide to each game, including the stakes for both teams.

Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers
1 p.m., NHL Network

A push for the playoffs is a bit of a stretch when describing these two clubs. While technically not eliminated, both are more likely to win the draft lottery than make a miraculous run to the postseason. But draft position is important, too, and the loser of this game will have pushed its opponent down that inverse leaderboard.

New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning
2 p.m., ESPN+

Both of these teams need this game. For the Islanders, it’s a chance to make moves on the final Eastern wild card. For the Lightning, an Atlantic Division title remains in reach.

St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche
4:30 p.m., ESPN+

Two of the hottest teams in the league square off, as Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar get to wave hello to 4 Nations Face-Off teammate Jordan Binnington before attempting to put several pucks past him. The Avs are all but locked in to the No. 3 seed in the Central, while the Blues are ably fending off the masses behind them — and could overtake the Wild as the West’s first wild-card team if their winning ways continue.

New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild
6 p.m., ESPN+

Whereas the Avs and Blues are on heaters, the Devils and Wild are treading water, hoping they can maintain their postseason tickets. The Devils enter the day as the Metro’s No. 3 seed, nine points ahead of the Islanders. The Wild are two points ahead of the Blues as the first Western wild card, with the Canucks and Flames both within 10 points behind them.

Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators
6:30 p.m., ESPN+

Jonathan Marchessault‘s old teammates are in town for this matchup, and the two clubs’ paths couldn’t be more divergent; the Golden Knights are charging toward another Pacific Division crown (and hoping to put more distance between themselves and the Kings) while the Predators are in the bottom three, though likely at No. 3 exactly given that they are 11 points ahead of the Blackhawks.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Ottawa Senators
7 p.m., ESPN+

If the Blue Jackets are going to solidify their playoff position, a “four-point game” like this one cannot be wasted — earning them those points in the standings and denying the points to the Sens. Columbus enters this game in the second wild-card spot, and eight points back of Ottawa for the first.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings
7 p.m., ESPN+

The West Coast swing continues for Toronto in what could be a Stanley Cup Final matchup if the Kings can manage to get past the Oilers in the first round (on their fourth try) and the Leafs can get to the Final for the first time since 1967. Toronto remains in a battle with the Panthers and Lightning for the Atlantic title, while L.A. begins the day seven points back of Vegas for first in the Pacific.

Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings
8 p.m., ABC/ESPN+

The playoffs look less and less likely by the day for these Original 6 teams — but the chances aren’t entirely gone. But one of them will need to move quickly; Detroit (3-7-0 in its last 10) and Boston (2-7-1) are losing any buffer to make a miraculous run into the postseason. Will this game be a pivot point?

Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers
10 p.m., ESPN+

This is the final Battle of Alberta matchup this regular season, after the teams split a pair of contests in the fall. Will they meet again in the playoffs? The Oilers are doing their part, sitting third in the Pacific. Calgary has work to do, as it is six points behind St. Louis and eight points behind Minnesota, who are each in wild-card position.

New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks
10:30 p.m., ESPN+

Actual roller coasters are jealous of the peaks and valleys that the 2024-25 Rangers have navigated. Nevertheless, the Rangers are right in the mix for the second wild-card spot in the East. To say that anything less than two points from this game would be devastating would be accurate. As for the Sharks, they hold a two-point edge at the bottom of the standings ahead of the Blackhawks.

Dallas Stars at Seattle Kraken
10:30 p.m., ESPN+

Can the Stars catch the Jets to be the top seed in the Central Division? They are six points back with 10 games remaining, so it’s not entirely unreasonable to think so — particularly with another matchup against Winnipeg on April 10. Obviously, a win is expected here over the Kraken, who are jockeying for draft lottery position with the Sabres, Flyers, Bruins and Penguins.

There are less than three weeks left until April 17 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 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

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

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Saturday’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 Philadelphia Flyers, 1 p.m. (NHLN)
New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning, 2 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche, 4:30 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild, 6 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators, 6:30 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m.
Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+)
Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.
New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Seattle Kraken, 10:30 p.m.

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Friday’s scoreboard

Florida Panthers 2, Utah Hockey Club 1 (OT)
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Montreal Canadiens 1
Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Vancouver Canucks 6 (SO)
Winnipeg Jets 4, New Jersey Devils 0
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Chicago Blackhawks 3
Anaheim Ducks 5, New York Rangers 4 (OT)

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Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 103.638888888889
Next game: vs. MTL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ LA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 10
Points pace: 101.361111111111
Next game: vs. NYI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 93.5492957746479
Next game: vs. CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 85.4166666666667
Next game: @ FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 43.7%
Tragic number: 21

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. BOS (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 4.5%
Tragic number: 18

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 77.5068493150685
Next game: @ DET (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 13

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 76.225352112676
Next game: @ PHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 14

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Metro Division

Points: 103
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 117.305555555556
Next game: vs. BUF (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 104.777777777778
Next game: vs. NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 91.972972972973
Next game: @ MIN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 86.6197183098592
Next game: OTT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 18.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 84.2465753424658
Next game: @ SJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 18.1%
Tragic number: 19

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 85.4647887323944
Next game: @ TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 18.4%
Tragic number: 22

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 76.4594594594595
Next game: vs. OTT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 11

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 74.2432432432432
Next game: vs. BUF (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: 9

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Central Division

Points: 104
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 116.821917808219
Next game: vs. VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 111.611111111111
Next game: @ SEA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 104.465753424658
Next game: vs. STL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 97.7260273972603
Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 90.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 94.1891891891892
Next game: @ COL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 80.3%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 85.3698630136986
Next game: @ CHI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 4%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 70.6111111111111
Next game: vs. VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 57.2876712328767
Next game: vs. UTA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

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Pacific Division

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 109.333333333333
Next game: @ NSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 102.788732394366
Next game: vs. TOR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 99.0833333333333
Next game: vs. CGY (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 90.986301369863
Next game: @ WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 10.4%
Tragic number: 16

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 91.2394366197183
Next game: @ EDM (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 16.9%
Tragic number: 17

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. TOR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 8

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 76.3835616438356
Next game: vs. DAL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 56.5915492957746
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Note: An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

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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: 49
Regulation wins: 14

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 18

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 31

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26

LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts watched his drive sail over Dodger Stadium’s left-field fence late Friday night, and the emotions spilled out of him as if he had delivered a walk-off in October, not March. An emphatic raised finger was followed by a forceful fist bump, then an emphatic toss of his helmet and a deafening roar as he pranced toward his teammates at home plate.

Betts hadn’t just sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-5, come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Tigers on the same day their World Series rings were distributed. He hadn’t just given the Dodgers their first 4-0 start to a season since 1981. He had done so in the wake of a debilitating illness that caused him to shed almost 20 pounds and often made him wonder if he could muster the energy to provide moments like this.

“That was super special,” Betts said. “I know it sounds super selfish, but more for me. I was really proud of myself for coming in and playing underweight. Not that it’s a big deal playing underweight, but just the fight that I’ve kind of been through — the ups and downs, and the nights I’m just crying because I’m sick, and my wife’s there holding me. That’s where the emotion comes from.”

As the Dodgers prepared to fly to Japan and begin their season last week, Betts, who had spent the past four months pouring himself into the arduous task of becoming an everyday shortstop, struggled to keep food down.

He didn’t play in either of the team’s first two regular-season games against the Chicago Cubs from Tokyo Dome and was instead sent home early. He was supposed to play in the Dodgers’ exhibition opener against the Los Angeles Angels the ensuing Sunday, but he was a late scratch. Vomiting persisted. By that point, Betts’ weight had dropped from 175 pounds to 157.

But a day later, Betts started to turn a corner. He played five-and-a-half innings in the Dodgers’ exhibition finale Tuesday, then faced live pitching during the off day Wednesday. By the time the home opener came around roughly 24 hours later, Betts was back to feeling like his normal self. And on Friday, he made his presence felt.

With one out in the sixth, Betts recorded just the second hit off former Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, then came around to score on Freddie Freeman‘s tying two-run homer. In the bottom of the eighth, he hit what would have been the game-winning home run had the Tigers not come back to tie the score in the top of the ninth.

In the 10th, Betts capped a five-run inning by coming up with runners on second and third and the score tied, working the count full against Beau Brieske, then turning on a low changeup and sending it 376 feet.

“Just given what he’s been under the last couple weeks, and still to go out there and be ready, and not be 100 percent, and still give us everything he has, coming up huge — I can’t say enough about Mookie,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Betts is just the second player to hit multiple go-ahead homers in the eighth inning or later since the franchise moved to L.A. 67 years ago, according to ESPN Research. The other was Andre Ethier, who did the same on Aug. 2, 2015 — at about four inches taller and roughly 50 pounds heavier.

“I didn’t lose much strength, relative for my weight,” said Betts, who has since regained eight pounds but would still like to add another eight more. “I’m still pretty strong. But obviously as you add on more weight you can add on more strength. Right now I’m just having fun hitting 160-pound homers.”

Betts’ homer capped an epic two-day stretch for a Dodgers team that opened its season more than 5,000 miles away and is still coming off the high of its first full-season championship since 1988.

On Thursday, iconic rapper Ice Cube drove a Dodger Blue Chevy Bel-Air along Dodger Stadium’s foul territory with the World Series trophy strapped to the passenger seat, then brought it onto the field with the team lined up along the third-base line. On Friday, each of the Dodgers’ coaches and players walked onto a makeshift stage by the pitcher’s mound to receive gaudy championship rings decorated with 343 diamonds and 129 sapphires.

Amid all the pomp and circumstance, the 2025 Dodgers, seen as one of the most talented teams ever assembled, continued to win. They breezed past the Cubs in Japan without Betts and Freeman, then came back to the United States and snuck past the Tigers thanks in large part to a pitching staff that stranded 11 baserunners. On Friday, they fell behind twice and kept coming back.

“It kind of feels like we’re just picking up where we left off last year,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “There’s still a whole lot of fight on this team. There’s no give up.”

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings in a ceremony Friday night.

“There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles hosted the Detroit Tigers.

A choir in the left field pavilion sang “We Are the Champions” to open the ceremony hosted by actor Anthony Anderson.

“Nobody was like us last year and I have a feeling that nobody will be like us this year,” said Anderson, a Dodgers fan.

The Big Three Champs. pic.twitter.com/sD15j4mrAd

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 29, 2025

Ohtani, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman and Roberts received some of the loudest cheers walking a blue carpet to a circular stage between home plate and the mound.

Ohtani waved to the fans. When it was Freeman’s turn, they chanted “Freddie! Freddie!”

The stars were greeted with hugs from owner Mark Walter, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, president and CEO Stan Kasten and general manager Brandon Gomes, who presented the coaching staff and players with blue boxes.

An injured Kershaw didn’t pitch in the postseason last year, which culminated in the Dodgers’ five-game victory over the rival New York Yankees in the World Series. Ohtani’s Japanese countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Austin Barnes were busy warming up in the bullpen and had a clubhouse manager accept their rings.

The Dodgers unveiled their World Series championship flag in center field and a championship emblem on the right-field suite level before a 5-4 win over the Tigers in Thursday’s home opener.

“This is the final piece,” Roberts said. “Just to kind of have the fans here to kind of enjoy this with us and close the book on 2024.”

Roberts had not seen the ring ahead of time.

“It’s a symbol for me,” he said, adding that he doesn’t wear rings other than a wedding band.

Roberts said he keeps his World Series rings from 2004 (as a player with Boston) and 2020 (as manager with the Dodgers) in a home safe.

It’s all in the details. 😍 pic.twitter.com/FskW3IsNDG

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 29, 2025

The handcrafted rings by Jostens contain 14-karat yellow gold, diamonds and genuine sapphires.

Inside the box’s lid, a video plays highlights of the World Series. Using a specialized hinge mechanism, the top of the ring opens to reveal Dodger Stadium displayed in detail and features the Commissioner’s Trophy with one diamond to mark the victory. Eight diamonds represent each of the team’s World Series titles and the years 1883 and 2024 mark the franchise’s 142 seasons.

The left side of the ring top interior includes a piece from the bases used in the World Series. Encircling the base are 34 sapphires honoring the Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died days before the World Series began.

In a personal touch, players’ signatures are on the interior palm of the ring.

Former Dodger Jack Flaherty started for the Tigers on Friday night, so he’ll receive his ring Saturday.

“We can go beat him up today and give him the ring tomorrow,” Roberts joked.

Flaherty, a native of nearby Burbank, California, started Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series, both at Dodger Stadium, where he attended games as a kid. He joined the Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline and provided stability to a starting rotation rocked by injuries.

“He was the right person at the right time for our club,” Roberts said. “He delivered.”

Utilityman Kiké Hernández got out of his sick bed to participate in the ceremony after missing the home opener a day earlier.

“He’s feeling much better,” Roberts said.

The team gathered behind the mound waiting for everyone to cross the stage and then posed for photos, smiling and admiring the bling on their fingers. A brass band broke into “Not Like Us.”

“I hope it fits,” Roberts said. “If it ends up on my pinkie, we’ll be in trouble.”