NHL playoff scramble tight
As of Sunday’s update, NHL.com reported seven of 16 playoff spots unclaimed and only days remaining in the regular season, making seeding and wild‑card races highly unsettled. (nhl.com) CBS Sports noted specific Western‑conference paths still open for teams like Anaheim and Los Angeles while the Detroit Red Wings were already eliminated after recent losses. (cbssports.com)
The National Hockey League playoff race is still open with days left in the regular season, and seven of the 16 postseason spots were unclaimed as of Sunday, April 12. (nhl.com) National Hockey League.com said five days remained in the 2025-26 regular season on April 12, with races for playoff spots and seeding still active across both conferences. A separate league roundup published April 11 said two division titles were also still unsettled. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The Eastern Conference had already closed one door: CBS Sports reported the Detroit Red Wings were eliminated after recent losses, while the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders entered Sunday trying to avoid the same fate. (cbssports.com) (nhl.com) In the Western Conference, the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings were among the teams still working through clinching paths on Sunday, according to CBS Sports. National Hockey League.com also listed the Ducks as a team that could secure a berth that day. (cbssports.com) (nhl.com) This late-season squeeze is not only about getting in. The league said seeding was still moving, which means home ice and first-round matchups were still changing in the final week. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The National Hockey League standings format helps explain the chaos. Teams earn two points for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and division leaders are seeded ahead of wild-card teams. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) When teams finish tied on points, the first tiebreaker is regulation wins, followed by regulation-plus-overtime wins, total wins, head-to-head points, and goal differential. In a crowded race, one result in regulation can matter more than a shootout win. (nhl.com) The calendar is amplifying every swing. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18, leaving only a handful of games for teams near the cut line to gain ground or protect position. (bleacherreport.com) (nhl.com) Sunday’s six-game slate was part of a closing stretch that league coverage described as “heating up,” and that is the clearest way to read the standings now: not as a bracket set in place, but as one still moving almost every night. (nhl.com)
