NHL playoff watch: Who will emerge from the Eastern wild-card chaos?

The final day of the regular season is exactly two weeks away, but the race for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot remains open for five contenders.

Editor's Picks Why Ovechkin is 'nearly impossible' to stop: Opponents, teammates explain his shot 16h Ryan Clark Six theories on why penalties (and power plays) are dramatically down this NHL season 6d Greg Wyshynski NHL Power Rankings: Latest updated poll, plus each team's strength of schedule 6d ESPN Staff Two of those teams are in action Thursday night.

The Montreal Canadiens host the Boston Bruins ( 7 p.m.

ET, ESPN+ ), and the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Colorado Avalanche ( 7:30 p.m.

ET, ESPN+ ).

As play begins Thursday, the Canadiens hold the second wild card with 79 points and 25 regulation wins through 74 games; the New York Rangers are tied in standings points (and ahead in RW, with 32), but have played more games.

The Blue Jackets are two behind in points, and one behind in regulation wins.

The idle Detroit Red Wings (75 points, 26 RW) and New York Islanders (74 points, 25 RW) round out the quintet.

The Stathletes projection model likes the Canadiens' chances to make the playoffs the most, at 51.7%, followed by the Blue Jackets (25.5%), Rangers (19.0%), Islanders (3.1%) and Red Wings (2.3%).

How will this all shake out? Thursday's pair of games featuring these teams will provide our next set of clues.

With the regular season ending April 17, we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch.

As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead: Current playoff matchups Today's schedule Yesterday's scores Expanded standings Race for No.

1 pick Current playoff matchups Eastern Conference A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs.

WC1 Ottawa Senators A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs.

A3 Florida Panthers M1 Washington Capitals vs.

WC2 Montreal Canadiens M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs.

M3 New Jersey Devils Western Conference C1 Winnipeg Jets vs.

WC2 St.

Louis Blues C2 Dallas Stars vs.

C3 Colorado Avalanche P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs.

WC1 Minnesota Wild P2 Los Angeles Kings vs.

P3 Edmonton Oilers Thursday's games Note: All times ET.

All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

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Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens , 7 p.m.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators , 7 p.m.

Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets , 7:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins at St.

Louis Blues , 8 p.m.

Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars , 8 p.m.

Los Angeles Kings at Utah Hockey Club , 9 p.m.

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames , 9:30 p.m.

Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights , 10 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks , 10:30 p.m.

(ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+) Wednesday's scoreboard New York Rangers 5, Minnesota Wild 4 (OT) Carolina Hurricanes 5, Washington Capitals 1 Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 2 Colorado Avalanche 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (SO) Seattle Kraken 5, Vancouver Canucks 0 Expanded standings Atlantic Division Playoff Hockey Challenge Pick the winners and crown your Stanley Cup champion! Create A Bracket x - Toronto Maple Leafs Points: 96 Regulation wins: 38 Playoff position: A1 Games left: 7 Points pace: 105.0 Next game: vs.

CBJ (Saturday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A Tampa Bay Lightning Points: 93 Regulation wins: 38 Playoff position: A2 Games left: 8 Points pace: 103.1 Next game: @ OTT (Thursday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A Florida Panthers Points: 92 Regulation wins: 35 Playoff position: A3 Games left: 7 Points pace: 100.6 Next game: @ OTT (Saturday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A Ottawa Senators Points: 84 Regulation wins: 30 Playoff position: WC1 Games left: 8 Points pace: 93.1 Next game: vs.

TB (Thursday) Playoff chances: 98.6% Tragic number: N/A Montreal Canadiens Points: 79 Regulation wins: 25 Playoff position: WC2 Games left: 8 Points pace: 87.5 Next game: vs.

BOS (Thursday) Playoff chances: 51.7% Tragic number: N/A Detroit Red Wings Points: 75 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 83.1 Next game: vs.

CAR (Friday) Playoff chances: 2.3% Tragic number: 13 Buffalo Sabres Points: 70 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 77.6 Next game: vs.

TB (Saturday) Playoff chances: 0.1% Tragic number: 8 Boston Bruins Points: 69 Regulation wins: 23 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 75.4 Next game: @ MTL (Thursday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 5 Metro Division x - Washington Capitals Points: 105 Regulation wins: 41 Playoff position: M1 Games left: 7 Points pace: 114.8 Next game: vs.

CHI (Friday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A x - Carolina Hurricanes Points: 96 Regulation wins: 41 Playoff position: M2 Games left: 8 Points pace: 106.4 Next game: @ DET (Friday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A New Jersey Devils Points: 87 Regulation wins: 35 Playoff position: M3 Games left: 6 Points pace: 93.9 Next game: vs.

NYR (Saturday) Playoff chances: 99.8% Tragic number: N/A New York Rangers Points: 79 Regulation wins: 32 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 86.4 Next game: @ NJ (Saturday) Playoff chances: 19% Tragic number: 15 Columbus Blue Jackets Points: 77 Regulation wins: 24 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 9 Points pace: 86.5 Next game: vs.

COL (Thursday) Playoff chances: 25.5% Tragic number: 17 New York Islanders Points: 74 Regulation wins: 25 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 82.0 Next game: vs.

MIN (Friday) Playoff chances: 3.1% Tragic number: 12 Pittsburgh Penguins Points: 71 Regulation wins: 20 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 77.6 Next game: @ STL (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0.1% Tragic number: 7 Philadelphia Flyers Points: 71 Regulation wins: 20 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 6 Points pace: 76.6 Next game: @ MTL (Saturday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 5 Central Division x - Winnipeg Jets Points: 106 Regulation wins: 40 Playoff position: C1 Games left: 7 Points pace: 115.9 Next game: @ VGK (Thursday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A x - Dallas Stars Points: 102 Regulation wins: 40 Playoff position: C2 Games left: 8 Points pace: 113.0 Next game: vs.

NSH (Thursday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A Colorado Avalanche Points: 96 Regulation wins: 38 Playoff position: C3 Games left: 6 Points pace: 103.6 Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A Minnesota Wild Points: 89 Regulation wins: 33 Playoff position: WC1 Games left: 6 Points pace: 96.0 Next game: @ NYI (Friday) Playoff chances: 93.7% Tragic number: N/A St.

Louis Blues Points: 89 Regulation wins: 30 Playoff position: WC2 Games left: 6 Points pace: 96.0 Next game: vs.

PIT (Thursday) Playoff chances: 96.9% Tragic number: N/A Utah Hockey Club Points: 80 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 87.5 Next game: vs.

LA (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0.7% Tragic number: 6 e - Nashville Predators Points: 62 Regulation wins: 23 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 67.8 Next game: @ DAL (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E e - Chicago Blackhawks Points: 52 Regulation wins: 18 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 56.9 Next game: @ WSH (Friday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E Pacific Division x - Vegas Golden Knights Points: 98 Regulation wins: 42 Playoff position: P1 Games left: 8 Points pace: 108.6 Next game: vs.

WPG (Thursday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A Los Angeles Kings Points: 93 Regulation wins: 37 Playoff position: P3 Games left: 8 Points pace: 103.1 Next game: @ UTA (Thursday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A Edmonton Oilers Points: 91 Regulation wins: 31 Playoff position: P2 Games left: 8 Points pace: 100.8 Next game: @ SJ (Thursday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A Calgary Flames Points: 82 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 90.9 Next game: vs.

ANA (Thursday) Playoff chances: 6.4% Tragic number: 10 Vancouver Canucks Points: 81 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 88.6 Next game: vs.

ANA (Saturday) Playoff chances: 2.4% Tragic number: 7 Anaheim Ducks Points: 74 Regulation wins: 23 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 82.0 Next game: @ CGY (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: 2 e - Seattle Kraken Points: 70 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 6 Points pace: 75.5 Next game: @ SJ (Saturday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E e - San Jose Sharks Points: 50 Regulation wins: 14 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 55.4 Next game: vs.

EDM (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth.

An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No.

1 pick Top stories of the week from Get exclusive access to thousands of premium articles a year from top writers.

Our final NBA MVP poll: SGA or Jokic? What'd we get wrong in MLB Rank? MBB: Best 50 players in transfer portal More ESPN+ content The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No.

1 selection.

As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No.

1 pick.

Full details on the process are here .

Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No.

1 on the draft board .

1.

San Jose Sharks Points: 50 Regulation wins: 14 2.

Chicago Blackhawks Points: 52 Regulation wins: 18 3.

Nashville Predators Points: 62 Regulation wins: 23 4.

Boston Bruins Points: 69 Regulation wins: 23 5.

Seattle Kraken Points: 70 Regulation wins: 26 6.

Buffalo Sabres Points: 70 Regulation wins: 26 7.

Philadelphia Flyers Points: 71 Regulation wins: 20 8.

Pittsburgh Penguins Points: 71 Regulation wins: 20 9.

Anaheim Ducks Points: 74 Regulation wins: 23 10.

New York Islanders Points: 74 Regulation wins: 25 11.

Detroit Red Wings Points: 75 Regulation wins: 26 12.

Columbus Blue Jackets Points: 77 Regulation wins: 24 13.

New York Rangers Points: 79 Regulation wins: 32 14.

Utah Hockey Club Points: 80 Regulation wins: 26 15.

Vancouver Canucks Points: 81 Regulation wins: 26 16.

Calgary Flames Points: 82 Regulation wins: 26.

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