HeadlinesBriefing favicon HeadlinesBriefing.com

NHL playoff race: Tuesday's critical matchups

ESPN NHL •
×

With just 10 days left in the 2025-26 NHL regular season, 20 teams battle for playoff positioning. Tuesday's slate features 11 games, but six matchups stand out as critical to the postseason picture. Teams jockey for seeding while others fight for playoff lives in what promises to be an intense night of hockey.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings face off in a virtual elimination match, with both needing points to keep faint wild-card hopes alive. Nashville Predators battle Anaheim Ducks for Western playoff positioning, while Oilers visit Utah Mammoth with Pacific Division implications on the line.

The Flyers-Devils showdown impacts Metro standings, while Boston travels to Carolina in a game that could alter first-round matchups. Seven teams have already secured playoff spots, but with so many still mathematically alive, every remaining game carries significant weight as the regular season concludes.