NHL Playoff Watch: Tight Race for Eastern Conference Wild Card Spots
The race for the Eastern Conference wild card spots is heating up with just weeks remaining in the 2026 NHL season. As of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins currently hold the two wild card positions, but several teams are within striking distance.
Current Playoff Matchups
Here’s a look at the current projected playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference:
- A1 Buffalo Sabres vs. WC1 Detroit Red Wings
- A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Montreal Canadiens
- M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Boston Bruins
- M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Islanders
Wednesday’s Schedule
Two games are scheduled for Wednesday, March 11, 2026:
- Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
- Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Tuesday’s Scores
Here are the results from Tuesday, March 10, 2026:
- Boston Bruins 2, Los Angeles Kings 1 (OT)
- Buffalo Sabres 6, San Jose Sharks 3
- Montreal Canadiens 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
- Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
- Florida Panthers 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
- New York Rangers 4, Calgary Flames 0
- Carolina Hurricanes 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 4 (SO)
- New York Islanders 4, St. Louis Blues 3 (OT)
- Dallas Stars 2, Vegas Golden Knights 1
- Minnesota Wild 5, Utah Mammoth 0
- Anaheim Ducks 4, Winnipeg Jets 1
- Edmonton Oilers 4, Colorado Avalanche 3
- Nashville Predators 4, Seattle Kraken 2
Expanded Standings (as of March 11, 2026)
Atlantic Division
| Team | Points | Regulation Wins | Playoff Position | Games Left | Points Pace | Playoff Chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 86 | 34 | A1 | 17 | 108.5 | 99.5% |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 30 | A2 | 19 | 106.7 | 99.9% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 24 | A3 | 19 | 104.1 | 84.2% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 79 | 25 | WC1 | 17 | 99.7 | 51.7% |
| Boston Bruins | 78 | 27 | WC2 | 18 | 99.9 | 71.8% |
| Ottawa Senators | 73 | 26 | N/A | 19 | 95.0 | 68% |
Metro Division
| Team | Points | Regulation Wins | Playoff Position | Games Left | Points Pace | Playoff Chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | 88 | 30 | M1 | 18 | 112.8 | 99.9% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 79 | 27 | M2 | 18 | 101.2 | 65.7% |
| New York Islanders | 79 | 23 | M3 | 17 | 99.7 | 61.3% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 76 | 23 | N/A | 18 | 97.4 | 65.9% |
| Washington Capitals | 71 | 27 | N/A | 17 | 89.6 | 18% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 69 | 19 | N/A | 19 | 89.8 | 5.7% |
Teams with the Edge in Remaining Schedule
- Red Wings: 17 games remaining, 8 against current playoff teams.
- Bruins: 18 games remaining, 8 against playoff clubs.
- Blue Jackets: 18 games left, including 11 against teams currently in a postseason spot.
- Senators: 18 games beyond Wednesday, 10 of which are against playoff teams.
- Capitals: 16 games left, with 8 against playoff teams.
- Flyers: 18 games remaining, with 10 against playoff clubs.
Playoff Chances
According to Stathletes, the Canadiens have the best overall playoff chances (84.2%), followed by the Bruins (71.8%), Senators (68%), Blue Jackets (65.9%), Capitals (18%) and Flyers (5.7%).
The final stretch of the season promises to be exciting as teams battle for playoff positioning.