The Colorado Avalanche have become the seventh NHL team to join the 2025 postseason party, but there will be no invitations on Friday.
Despite the lack of clinching scenarios, there’s plenty to watch in the three-game schedule.
Most notable is the Washington Capitals hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Capitals star Alex Ovechkin needs three goals to top Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals. He has one hat trick in his career against the Blackhawks, and it came in a milestone game in which he recorded his 800th career goal.
Also Friday, the Minnesota Wild, visiting the New York Islanders, will try to move back into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The St. Louis Blues moved past the Wild Thursday night while extending their winning streak to 11 games, tying their franchise record from their 2018-19 championship season.
The NHL playoff standings are a jumble with many teams in contention. Here’s a look at the playoff picture:
Who’s in the NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference: Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights
Who can clinch today?
No teams can clinch a playoff berth on Friday.
NHL games today (Friday, April 4)
- Carolina at Detroit, 7
- Chicago at Washington, 7, NHL Network
- Minnesota at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2024-25
(as of April 3)
Metropolitan Division
x-Washington Capitals (105 points)
x-Carolina Hurricanes (96)
New Jersey Devils (87)
Atlantic Division
x-Toronto Maple Leafs (96)
Tampa Bay Lightning (93)
Florida Panthers (92)
Wild card
Ottawa Senators (86)
Montreal Canadiens (81)
Sitting outside playoff position: New York Rangers (79), Columbus Blue Jackets (77), Detroit Red Wings (75), New York Islanders (74), Pittsburgh Penguins (72), Philadelphia Flyers (71), Buffalo Sabres (70), Boston Bruins (69)
NHL Western Conference standings 2024-25
(as of April 3)
Central Division
x-Winnipeg Jets (108)
x-Dallas Stars (104)
x-Colorado Avalanche (98)
Pacific Division
x-Vegas Golden Knights (98)
Los Angeles Kings (95)
Edmonton Oilers (93)
Wild card
St. Louis Blues (91)
Minnesota Wild (89)
Sitting outside playoff spot: Calgary Flames (84), Vancouver Canucks (81), Utah Hockey Club (80), z-Anaheim Ducks (74), z-Seattle Kraken (70), z-Nashville Predators (62), z-Chicago Blackhawks (52), z-San Jose Sharks (50)
x-clinched playoff spot; z-eliminated
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended April 3:
- Washington (M1) vs. Montreal (WC2)
- Carolina (M2) vs. New Jersey (M3)
- Toronto (A1) vs. Ottawa (WC1)
- Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Florida (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended April 3:
- Winnipeg (C1) vs. Minnesota (WC2)
- Dallas (C2) vs. Colorado (C3)
- Vegas (P1) vs. St. Louis (WC1)
- Los Angeles (P2) vs. Edmonton (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 17, with seven games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 19.