Tuesday's NHL Playoff Games: Nine Matchups With Everything Still to Play For

Monday night was chaos. The Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings punched their tickets to the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, which means the bubble officially burst for five other teams fighting for survival. But here's the thing: Tuesday's season finale is going to be just as wild. Nine games are on the schedule, and 10 teams are closing out their regular seasons. The playoff bracket isn't fully locked. The draft lottery order is still shifting. Let's break down what actually matters in each matchup.

The Wild Card Battle in the East

New Jersey vs. Boston at 7 p.m. ET is huge for the Bruins. A win clinches the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and sets up a first-round date with the Sabres. Lose, and they're sweating out what the Senators do on Wednesday against Toronto. The second wild card will face the Hurricanes in Round 1, so there's real separation happening here.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they already locked up the No. 1 seed in the East after that shootout loss on Monday. Carolina at New York at 7 p.m. ET is basically a nothing-burger for them in terms of playoff seeding, but personal stats and momentum still matter when you're heading into the postseason as the conference's top dog.

Atlantic Division Home Ice and the Final Metro Game

Montreal and Philadelphia both made the playoffs, but the Canadiens are fighting for something Philly isn't. The Flyers are locked into the No. 3 seed in the Metro and will face Pittsburgh no matter what. Montreal, though, is tied in standings points with Tampa Bay and needs to finish ahead of them to earn home ice in the first round. The Lightning close out their season against the Rangers on Wednesday, so Montreal can't afford to slip up at 7 p.m. ET.

Washington at Columbus at 7 p.m. ET becomes Alex Ovechkin's final regular season game, with his future beyond 2025-26 still a complete mystery. It won't have the playoff implications it could've had if Philly lost in regulation, but it's still worth your attention.

The Ducks Are Back, and the Pacific Still Has Chaos

Anaheim's return to the playoffs is official after some tight moments down the stretch. With two games left, they're sitting third in the Pacific with 90 points and 25 regulation wins through 80 games. They could finish anywhere from first to fourth in the division when this is all said and done at 8 p.m. ET against Minnesota.

It's a packed Tuesday night. Strap in.

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