The Kraken Are Done, and These Final NHL Games Are About Everything Else

The 2025-26 NHL regular season is down to fewer than 14 days, and teams are playing with 10 or fewer games left on the board. That means every single night matters now, but some matchups are going to move mountains in the playoff picture and draft lottery standings. ESPN's updated power rankings highlight exactly which games are going to define the stretch.

The West Is Already Decided (Sort Of)

The Colorado Avalanche locked up a playoff spot first and are staring down the No. 1 overall seed. They're sitting at a 73.0% points percentage and their most important remaining game comes April 4 at Dallas. The Stars are the next closest team in the West, so the Avs know that beating Dallas pushes them even closer to their ultimate regular-season goal. Colorado plays seven games in the next week: at Dallas on April 4, home against St. Louis on April 5, at St. Louis on April 7, and home against Calgary on April 9.

Dallas isn't going anywhere either. Ranked 4th in the power rankings at 67.1%, the Stars have their own April 9 matchup against Minnesota that could be everything. Sure, it's unlikely the Wild actually catch Dallas for home-ice advantage in what would probably be their first-round series, but the Stars aren't taking chances. Message-sending games are real in this kind of situation.

The Atlantic Division Is Still Wide Open

Carolina sits 2nd in the rankings (68.0% points percentage) and their April 7 matchup against Boston is the headline game. These two teams battled through seven games in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, and they could meet again in the first round if things break the right way down the stretch. The Canes play five games in seven days: New York Islanders on April 4, at Ottawa on April 5, Boston on April 7, and at Chicago on April 9.

Buffalo is locked at 3rd (65.8% points percentage) with their April 6 showdown against Tampa Bay serving as the marquee matchup. Remember the Sabres' 8-7 win over the Lightning back on March 8 that put Buffalo in first place and got the league's attention? Expect this final regular-season meeting to have the same fire.

Tampa Bay rounds out the top five at 66.7% points percentage, and their April 9 game against Montreal is the one to circle. If Tampa ends up as the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic and faces Montreal in the first round, this game becomes a Stanley Cup Final rematch from 2021.

Montreal's Run Down the Stretch

The Canadiens are 6th in the power rankings at 65.3% points percentage. Their most important game is April 11 against the Blue Jackets. Montreal finishes their Atlantic Division schedule with a homestand against the Devils, Panthers, and Lightning from April 5-9, then closes out with three Metro Division teams.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.