NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: April 3, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

NHL Playoff Picture & Star Performances

The race for the postseason heated up considerably this week as the Minnesota Wild secured their berth following a victory over the Canucks, marking their first guaranteed trip to the playoffs since 2015. While Minnesota clinched, the Philadelphia Flyers' path remains precarious, needing a win on Friday coupled with significant outside help, as updated projections reflected the intensity of the final stretch across the league. Meanwhile, the California contingent faces uncertainty, with the Ducks, Sharks, and Kings all in action Wednesday as the playoff chase tightened, while the league's top offensive talents continued to shine, most notably Nathan MacKinnon achieving the 50-goal milestone first this season after beating Vancouver's Kevin Lankinen early Wednesday.

Injury Updates & Roster Shakes

Several teams battled significant personnel setbacks as the regular season winds down, evidenced by the Blue Jackets losing defenseman Severson for the remainder of the year following shoulder surgery performed Thursday. The injury bug also bit the Avalanche, who will be without star blueliner Cale Makar for several games due to an upper-body ailment sustained earlier this week against Calgary. In better news for Vegas, goaltender Carter Knight returned successfully from IR, stopping 19 shots in a 6-3 Thursday victory over Calgary in his first start since suffering a left leg injury on January 8, providing a much-needed boost to the Golden Knights' defensive corps.

Goalie Drama & Veteran Milestones

Goaltending produced rare theatrics and notable individual achievements across the league slate. In a bizarre mid-game confrontation between division rivals, Rangers starter Igor Shesterkin engaged in a lengthy fight with Devils counterpart Jacob Markstrom during the third period of New York's 4-1 victory. Separately, Alex Ovechkin extended his own record by recording his 20th career 30-goal season Tuesday night, contributing two goals in Washington’s 6-4 defeat of the Flyers. Furthermore, Hurricanes rookie sensation Brandon Bussi, enjoying a record-setting debut year, continues to draw inspiration from his brother Dylan as he maneuvers through his first NHL campaign as he pushes for postseason success.

League Conduct & League Post-Mortems

Off-ice matters drew attention this week, as the Dallas Stars initiated an inquiry into four fans who reportedly made what appeared to be a Nazi salute during a game played back in December at the American Airlines Center. In analysis of current league issues, Hall of Famer Chris Pronger offered his perspective on the recent hit against Auston Matthews and discussed the evolving standards enforced by NHL Player Safety officials. With the regular season nearing its conclusion, the latest 1-32 power rankings were released, emphasizing the critical nature of the remaining schedule for every franchise vying for playoff positioning or better lottery odds. Finally, a minor altercation resulted in injury when Sabres center Sam Carrick sustained a left arm injury after trading punches with Islanders captain Anders Lee during Tuesday's contest.