NHL playoff watch: Where the wild cards stand on Sunday
Why it matters: The final NHL playoff spots are being decided, with teams battling for crucial points and tiebreakers ahead of the April 16 deadline.
- Nashville Predators seized the final Western wild-card spot with 81 points and 26 regulation wins after a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, maintaining a 7-3-0 streak.
- Los Angeles Kings are tied with the Predators at 81 points but trail significantly in regulation wins (19), making it difficult to pass Nashville without an outright points lead.
- San Jose Sharks are two points behind the Predators and Kings but hold a game in hand and an edge in regulation and overtime wins (34-31) if tiebreakers are needed.
- Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers are all tied at 88 points in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, with the Flyers being the hottest team on a 7-3-0 run.
- Washington Capitals have surged back into contention with a 6-2-2 record, sitting just one point behind the 88-point cluster and boasting a strong 33 regulation wins, which could be a crucial tiebreaker.
The NHL playoff picture intensified Saturday with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres clinching spots, while the Nashville Predators reclaimed the Western Conference's final wild card. The Eastern Conference race remains a tight battle, with four teams tied at 88 points vying for the second wild-card spot, and the Washington Capitals just a point behind.
