Buffalo, Carolina, Minnesota All One Win Away From Clinching Tonight: Here's What's at Stake
Two weeks from Thursday, the NHL regular season wraps. With fewer than 10 games left for every team, you'd think the playoff picture would be locked in by now. You'd be wrong. Just two teams have clinched so far, but that number could jump to five by the end of tonight's 14-game slate, and the tension is real.
The Sabres and Hurricanes Are One Victory Away
The Buffalo Sabres are trying to snap the longest playoff drought in NHL history, a brutal 14-year stretch. They're close. Real close. With a magic number of two, tonight's matchup against the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ is the easiest route to the dance. Win and they're in. It's that simple.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiDown in the Metro Division, the Carolina Hurricanes are in an identical spot with their own magic number of two. Same deal: victory locks them into the playoffs. A loss, whether in regulation or a shootout, doesn't get it done.
Here's the wrinkle, though. The Detroit Red Wings are facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ tonight, and they're tied in standings points with the Senators. One of those teams has to win. Because of that, there's no scenario where a loss gets Buffalo or Carolina where they need to be on Thursday night.
Minnesota Has the Most Flexibility
Out West, the Minnesota Wild are sitting pretty with a magic number of just one. That gives them options. They're hosting the Vancouver Canucks at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and they can punch their ticket with a win of any kind or even a loss in overtime or a shootout. That's the kind of flexibility you want when you're this close.
The Final Stretch Starts Now
Every team has nine games or fewer left before the regular season ends April 16. The playoff races are tightening, and the next two weeks will determine who dances and who goes home. Tonight, we could see three more teams secure their spots. Tonight is the night hockey fans have been waiting for.
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