Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2026 NHL postseason.
There are 12 days left in the regular season and the races for playoff spots and seeding are heating up. The top three teams in each of the four divisions and the next two highest-place finishers in each conference reach the playoffs.
Here is a look at the NHL standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.
Clinching scenarios
EASTERN CONFERENCE
The Montreal Canadiens will clinch a playoff berth:
If they get at least one point against the New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSGSN)
OR
If the Minnesota Wild defeat the Detroit Red Wings in any fashion (1 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360)
OR
If the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Ottawa Senators in any fashion (5 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, FDSNSO)
The Carolina Hurricanes will clinch the Metropolitan Division title:
If they get at least one point against the Senators
OR
With any result in the Florida Panthers-Pittsburgh Penguins game (3 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SCRIPPS) other than a Penguins regulation win
WESTERN CONFERENCE
The Colorado Avalanche will clinch the Central Division and Western Conference titles:
If they defeat the St. Louis Blues in any fashion (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN)
On Tap
There are seven games on the NHL schedule Sunday, all with playoff implications:
Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings (1 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360)
The Red Wings (40-28-8) remain on the outside looking in after a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. Detroit is tied in points with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, but the Senators hold the tiebreaker in regulation wins (33-29). The Wild (43-21-12), who clinched a playoff berth with their 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, are third in the Central Division.
Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins (3 p.m. SN-PIT, SCRIPPS)
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers (37-36-3) won’t get the chance to three-peat after they were eliminated with a 9-4 loss to the Penguins on Saturday. The Penguins, (39-22-16) who have missed the playoffs the past three seasons, strengthened their hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division, where they’re five points ahead of the third-place New York Islanders.
