NHL playoff race tightens
With about two weeks left in the NHL regular season the playoff picture is razor‑close — several Western wild‑card spots remain up for grabs and tiebreaker scenarios are in play. Analysts have updated bracket projections and are tracking key games that could decide wild‑card seeding. (espn.com)(nhl.com)
Utah Mammoth lead the Western wild‑card group with 82 points through 74 games, followed by the Nashville Predators (77 points, 73 GP), Los Angeles Kings (76), Seattle Kraken (75), Winnipeg Jets (74) and San Jose Sharks (73) as the wild‑card chase tightens. (espn.com) The NHL’s official tiebreaking order starts with fewer games played (points percentage), then regulation wins (RW), then regulation-plus-overtime wins (ROW), total wins, head‑to‑head points, goal differential and finally goals scored. (nhl.com) Los Angeles had a concrete path to move up after matchups on April 1 — the Kings could leapfrog if they beat St. Louis or if Anaheim beat San Jose in regulation, scenarios flagged by NHL.com’s April 1 notes. (nhl.com) NHL.com’s “If the playoffs started today” bracket shows Utah filling the first Western wild‑card slot and Nashville the second in current projections, producing first‑round matchups with the Pacific and Central division seeds. (nhl.com) Goal differential is already shaping late math: Utah’s +23 goal differential gives it a stronger late‑season cushion in deeper tiebreakers, while San Jose’s −38 differential leaves the Sharks at a measurable disadvantage if points and win‑type tiebreakers line up. (espn.com) The NHL regular season is scheduled to finish on April 16, 2026, with the Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin shortly after in mid‑April (the postseason is slated to start April 18 in current calendars). (nhl.com)
