Thursday's slate of 14 games carries the weight of finalizing the 2025-26 playoff field. Pittsburgh Penguins sit two wins away from locking the Metro Division’s No. 2 seed and can clinch with a win over New Jersey or by a combination of losses by Columbus and New York. Boston, idle Thursday, also needs the same two outcomes to secure its berth.

Colorado eyes the league’s top honor. A victory against Calgary would hand the Colorado Avalanche the Presidents’ Trophy, while a Chicago win over Carolina could also deliver the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, Seattle teeters on the brink of elimination; a win over Vegas paired with a Nashville loss to Utah is the only path to stay alive, otherwise the Seattle Kraken exit the race.

Every club has five or fewer games left before the regular season wraps on April 16, and the standings will crystallize quickly. ESPN’s playoff watch will track the shifting magic numbers, the draft lottery race, and the final bracket that launches on April 18, confirming which teams will compete for the Stanley Cup.