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The hockey world had a tremendous moment over the weekend when Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. And now, it’s time to hone in on the remaining playoff races.

Ten games populate the NHL calendar on Tuesday, all of which will have some impact on either playoff positioning or the draft lottery standings.

Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres
7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Hurricanes appear all but completely locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division (and a first-round matchup against the Devils). Meanwhile, the Sabres’ recent heater — they’ve gone 7-3-0 in the past 10 — has pushed them down to No. 9 in the draft lottery order, at the bottom end of a group of six teams in the 71- to 74-point range.

Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens
7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Red Wings lost a few too many games in the month of March, and their playoff hopes are dim but flickering. A win here against the team they’re chasing would go a long way. The Habs are six points ahead of Detroit, though the Wings have one game in hand.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers
7 p.m. (ESPN)

Although these two teams were tight in the standings in recent weeks, a skid by the Panthers coupled by an 8-1-1 span by the Leafs have yielded the possibility that they could match up in the first round — as division title winner vs. wild-card team. So this game could have meaning long beyond the final horn on Tuesday night, should they meet again in the postseason. As far as the standings, Toronto carries a four-point lead on Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic into this matchup, and they are six ahead of Florida. The Panthers have a two-point cushion on the current first wild-card team, the Senators.

Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils
7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Bruins were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention in the last week and sit fifth in the draft lottery order, among the bunched group of six between 71 and 74 points. The Devils are likely to finish in the No. 3 spot in the Metro Division, and face the Hurricanes in Round 1 but could theoretically still pass them to earn the No. 2 seed (and home-ice advantage in the series).

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

Ottawa is one of the NHL’s hottest teams, and it allowed zero goals in two victories over the weekend. The gap between the Senators and third-place Florida is down to two points, though they are two behind in the regulation wins column. As for the Blue Jackets, they begin this game eight points behind Montreal for the final wild-card position, and they will need this W along with a lot of help to surpass the Canadiens.

Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins
7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Blackhawks are four points behind San Jose for the top spot in the draft lottery, and have five additional regulation wins if the two teams finish tied after 82 games. The Penguins — mathematically eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend — sit eighth in the draft order right now.

New York Islanders at Nashville Predators
8 p.m. (ESPN+)

While Ovechkin scored historic goal No. 895 on Sunday, it was the Islanders who won the game, maintaining a shred of hope that they can rally into a playoff spot. They enter this game seven points behind the Canadiens. Nashville is headed for a top-3 spot in the draft lottery order, although likely no higher than No. 3 given the gap between them and the Blackhawks at No. 2.

Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars
8 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Canucks’ playoff hopes have faded precipitously of late, and every game is essentially a must-win at this point — they enter this game eight points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final spot, with five games remaining. Dallas has its sights set on the Winnipeg Jets for the No. 1 seed in the Central, as the team in that position earns a first-round matchup against the Wild (as opposed to the Avalanche).

Seattle Kraken at Utah Hockey Club
9 p.m. (ESPN+)

The NHL’s two youngest franchises square off in this one. Seattle enters the game in the No. 6 position in the draft lottery order, but that spot can fluctuate down the stretch as they are in the 71- to 74-point club with six other teams. The Hockey Club’s playoff chances have taken a nosedive, and it officially needs to run the table (and have Minnesota lose the rest of its games) to qualify for the playoffs.

Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche
9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

For those willing to stay up late on a school night, the NHL saved the best game for last on Tuesday’s slate! The Golden Knights are well on their way to another Pacific Division title, and the Avalanche seem pretty well locked in as the Central’s No. 3 seed. But, this is certainly a potential preview of the 2025 Western Conference finals, given the star power on both of these rosters — and their recent postseason successes.

With the regular season ending April 17, 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 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

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

Tuesday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Monday’s scoreboard

Tampa Bay Lightning 5, New York Rangers 1
Winnipeg Jets 3, St. Louis Blues 1
Anaheim Ducks 3, Edmonton Oilers 2
Seattle Kraken 2, Los Angeles Kings 1
Calgary Flames 3, San Jose Sharks 2

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 105.7
Next game: @ FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: vs. TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 98.0
Next game: vs. TOR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 95.8
Next game: @ CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 90.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 79.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 85.2
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 5.4%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 79.8
Next game: vs. CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 1

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 74.6
Next game: @ NJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Metro Division

Points: 107
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 114.0
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 103.6
Next game: @ BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 94.8
Next game: vs. BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. PHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 8.5%
Tragic number: 5

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 84.2
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.5%
Tragic number: 5

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 4.5%
Tragic number: 4

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 77.8
Next game: vs. CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 75.6
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Central Division

Points: 110
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 115.6
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 105
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 111.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 103.0
Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 3
Points pace: 96.5
Next game: @ EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: vs. SJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 86.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 87.3
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.2%
Tragic number: 1

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 66.0
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 57.5
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Points: 102
Regulation wins: 43
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: @ COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 103.3
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 99.0
Next game: vs. STL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 92.7
Next game: @ ANA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 12.6%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 88.4
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 1.4%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: vs. CGY (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 77.8
Next game: @ UTA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 53.2
Next game: @ MIN (Wednesday)
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.

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: 50
Regulation wins: 14

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 28

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Canadiens handle Bruins in Original 6 fight fest

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4 hours ago

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December 24, 2025

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Canadiens handle Bruins in Original 6 fight fest

  • Associated Press

Dec 23, 2025, 10:03 PM ET

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins put up a pretty good fight against the rival Montreal Canadiens — for one period.

Boston’s Tanner Jeannot and Montreal’s Josh Anderson dropped the gloves at the opening faceoff of Tuesday night’s game. Another first-period fight helped set the tone for the Bruins, who had beaten Montreal in eight of the previous 10 meetings.

But after falling behind 2-1, the Canadiens scored five straight goals — four of them in a five-minute span in the third period — to win 6-2 and put some distance between the two Original Six teams who are jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Bruins lost the past four games on their homestand after winning five of their previous six. They have three days off before heading to a five-game road trip.

“We all recognized it was the last game before break — against the Habs, at the Garden,”Bruins forward Alex Steeves said. “We were down early, but we bounced back. Energy was good. And then it just got away from us.”

Five weeks after starting a fight from the opening faceoff in Montreal, the teams did it again. Jeannot, who has 53 goals and 435 penalty minutes in his career, and Anderson, who has 154 goals and 582 penalty minutes, fought for about a minute while teammates on both benches banged their sticks against the boards in approval.

The Bruins forward landed several blows before his Canadiens counterpart went to the ice, drawing a big roar and a chant of “U-S-A!” from the TD Garden crowd. Midway through the first period, it happened again, with Boston’s Nikita Zadorov and Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj dropping their gloves off a faceoff in the Bruins’ end.

“It had everything to me: Guys winning fights; guys laying their body on the [line],” Bruins forward David Pastrnak said. “It’s easy to get into the game when you have guys like this.”

In all, there were nine penalties for 30 minutes in the first, with Boston taking a 2-1 lead on Steeves’ power-play goal with 18 seconds left in the period.

“It gives the whole building energy — not just us players,” Steeves said. “Some guys on the bench just said it was the loudest we’ve heard the building. So it’s awesome. Those guys lay their bodies on the line every night. It’s up to us as a team to galvanize around that and really use that.”

But the penalties in the third were costly, with the Canadiens twice capitalizing on 5-on-3 advantages to pull away. Montreal ended the night with 45 points, four more than Boston and good for third in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins are currently out of playoff position.

“I still can’t believe that the game actually ended 2-6,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “Even after the first period, guys came ready to play today. They were very excited.”

The Bruins had won eight of the past 10 matchups between the teams, including a 3-2 win in Montreal on Nov. 15. That game also featured several scuffles, including a fight at the opening faceoff. But the bigger problem for the Bruins had nothing to do with the fisticuffs: Star defenseman Charlie McAvoy was hit in the face by a slap shot, which could make him miss almost a month.

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ECHL players on verge of strike with CBA impasse

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7 hours ago

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December 24, 2025

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ECHL players on verge of strike with CBA impasse

  • Associated Press

Dec 23, 2025, 02:50 PM ET

Members of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association are on the verge of staging a strike in the ECHL if the union and the league cannot come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The PHPA announced Monday that its ECHL membership has served a strike notice that would be effective Friday, when play is scheduled to resume following the holiday break. Players voted Friday to authorize their bargaining committee to call for a strike, executive director Brian Ramsay said Monday.

“Our members have made it very clear that they’ve had enough,” Ramsay said on a video call with reporters. “Unfortunately, this is a league that would rather bully us than bargain.”

The sides appeared no closer to a resolution Tuesday based on an update from Ramsay, even after he said the PHPA offered the option of reaching a settlement through mediation or arbitration.

“The ECHL responded within minutes, rejecting any interest in this solution and demanding ‘significant movement’ and concessions from the players,” Ramsay said in a released statement. “This approach continues to align with the increased threats our membership has faced over the past 18 hours.”

CBA talks began in January, with Ramsay accusing the league of unfair bargaining practices, including most recently contacting players directly with proposals, which have been reported to the National Labor Relations Board.

“This is a league that has taken almost a year to concede that we should be entitled to choose helmets that properly fit us and are safe,” Ramsay said. “This is the league that still supplies our members with used equipment. This is a league that shows no concern for players’ travels and in fact has said the nine-hour bus trip home should be considered your day off. We have had members this year spend 28 hours-plus on a bus to play back-to-back games on a Friday and Saturday night, only to be paid less than the referees who work those very same games.”

The ECHL posted details of its latest proposal on its website Monday, saying it calls to raise the salary cap 16.4% this season, with retroactive pay upon ratification, and increases in total player salaries in future years to pay players nearly 27% more than the current cap. The league said it has also offered larger per diems, mandatory day-off requirements and a 325-mile limit for travel between back-to-back games.

“Our approach will continue to balance the need to best support our players and maintain a sustainable business model that helps ensure the long-term success of our league so it remains affordable and accessible to fans,” the ECHL said, adding that the average ticket price is $21. “Negotiations have been progressing but not as quickly as we would like.

“We have reached a number of tentative agreements and remain focused on reaching a comprehensive new agreement that supports our players and the long-term health of every team in our league.”

Taking issue with the ECHL’s offer numbers, Ramsay said inflation would have players making less than the equivalent amount in 2018, prior to the pandemic. The league said a work stoppage would result in some games being postponed and players not being paid and losing housing and medical benefits that it pays for.

Ramsay called threats of players losing their housing if there’s a strike an unfair labor practice in itself.

“Consistently in the last six or eight weeks, teams trying to intimidate and bully our members, threaten our members with their jobs, with their housing, with their work visas if they’re from out of country — different tactics like that,” Ramsay said.

Jimmy Mazza, who played several seasons in the ECHL and is now on the negotiating committee, argued that owners do not know what it’s like to travel 29 hours in a bus or to be given a used helmet.

“The top level, you know that those players aren’t being treated that way, so why are they treating us that way?” Mazza said. “To us, it’s a little bit of a slap in the face with the way these negotiations have gone for a year, when only five days ago, we get a little bit of movement on a helmet issue when it should have been done a year ago.”

The ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League and now going just by the acronym, is a North American developmental league that is two levels below the NHL, with the American Hockey League in between. There are 30 teams, 29 of which are in the U.S. and one in Canada in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

The AHL and PHPA have been working under the terms of their most recent CBA, which expired Aug. 31. An AHL spokesperson said the sides are very close to a new agreement.

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association earlier this year ratified a deal that ensures labor peace through 2030.

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Treliving backs Berube, Maple Leafs end skid at 3

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7 hours ago

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December 24, 2025

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Treliving backs Berube, Maple Leafs end skid at 3

  • ESPN News Services

Dec 23, 2025, 09:16 PM ET

TORONTO — Max Domi scored the winner with 8:25 remaining to snap a 23-game goalless streak and added an assist to end the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ three-game slide with a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Domi danced around Pittsburgh newcomer Brett Kulak for the deciding goal, a few hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence for the second time this season.

“I support Craig fully. When you go through rough stretches, that’s part of the business,” he said. “There isn’t a disconnect. We all need to be better, we all recognize that, but I think we got a really good coach.”

Treliving spoke a day after the club fired assistant coach Marc Savard following two losses in two days over the weekend.

“The players have responsibility and this doesn’t absolve anybody. This is not we throw somebody out and blame that person,” he said. “It’s a change that we could make to change the dynamic, change maybe a little bit of the play.”

William Nylander scored twice and added two assists, and Matias Maccelli and Steven Lorentz also scored for Toronto. Bobby McMann added an empty-netter to give Toronto its third win this season against the Penguins.

Bryan Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, who have lost nine of their last 10.

Nylander scored the icebreaker for his first in 11 games, midway through the first period. But Rust drew the Penguins even 44 seconds later, getting behind Nicolas Roy and Chris Tanev for a successful breakaway.

Tanev returned after a 23-game absence. He was stretchered off the ice after a collision on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia.

Toronto fired 31 shots on goal while the Penguins registered 32, with Joseph Woll picking up his sixth win in 11 starts. Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner has yet to win in three starts, with 12 goals against since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15.

Savard steered the Maple Leafs to the NHL’s worst power play (12 for 90 with four short-handed goals against), and on Tuesday, Toronto went 0 for 2 against Pittsburgh. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde has been tasked with fixing the team’s power-play struggles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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