NHL Playoff Watch: Key Thursday Matchups That Could Reshape the Postseason Picture

NHL Playoff Watch: Thursday's High-Stakes Showdowns

As the NHL regular season enters its final stretch, every game carries heightened importance—whether for playoff seeding, wild-card positioning, or draft lottery odds. Here’s a breakdown of Thursday’s 10-game slate and what’s at stake for each team involved.

Eastern Conference Battles

Chicago Blackhawks at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Two Original Six franchises with their eyes on the future. Chicago (2nd in draft lottery odds) and Boston (4th) are playing for better draft positioning, not playoff spots.

Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Detroit’s playoff hopes hang by a thread—a regulation loss eliminates them. Meanwhile, Florida looks to gain ground in the tight Atlantic Division race, where they trail Toronto and Tampa Bay.

Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Buffalo’s late-season surge (8-2-0 in last 10) is too little, too late, but they could improve their draft position. Columbus faces elimination with another loss.

Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+)

• A potential playoff preview. Washington has locked up the Metro’s top seed, while Carolina needs one point to clinch 2nd over New Jersey.

New York Rangers at New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• The Battle of New York lacks its usual playoff implications, with both teams likely headed for the draft lottery.

Western Conference Showdowns

Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• A potential Western Conference Finals preview. Winnipeg leads Dallas by 4 points for the West’s top seed—this game could decide home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Vancouver Canucks at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Colorado looks to solidify its Central Division standing while Vancouver plays for pride and draft position.

Nashville Predators at Utah Hockey Club (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Nashville (3rd in draft lottery) faces a Utah team that showed late-season promise but fell short of the playoffs.

Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

• Vegas aims to maintain its Pacific Division lead while Seattle eyes a top-10 draft pick.

Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+)

• The Freeway Faceoff takes on added importance as LA tries to close the gap on Vegas for the Pacific’s top spot.

Playoff and Draft Lottery Implications

With just days remaining in the regular season:

• Playoff races: Several division and wild-card spots remain up for grabs
• Draft lottery: San Jose leads the race for the No. 1 pick, but Chicago, Nashville and others are close behind
• Seeding battles: Home ice and first-round matchups are still being determined

Follow all the action with our NHL Playoff Watch as we track every crucial result down the stretch.