Stanley Cup Playoff Push 2026: The Final Rumble

This is it, folks! We are down to the final five days of the NHL's regular season! The final pieces of the puzzle will be put together. It's around that time that we solely focus on what's left to figure out in this year's Stanley Cup Playoff races, and there really isn't too much left to decipher. 13 of the 16 Stanley Cup Playoff spots are all filled in, but here's what else we know so far:

We know that the Colorado Avalanche are the Presidents' Trophy winners; the overall #1 in the league. We know that the Carolina Hurricanes are champions of the Metropolitan Division, and it looks like they'll be the Eastern Conference's #1 seed. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the Metro's #2 seed. The Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins will be the East's Wild Cards. The Utah Mammoth will be the West's #1 Wild Card, and finally, we have one series set, as one Central Division Semifinal match up will feature the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild.

As for what's left:

Atlantic Division

The Atlantic Division race is truly coming down to the wire! The Buffalo Sabres, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Montréal Canadiens are all separated by two points (at one point, they were in a three way tie). With five days left, the Sabres in the lead in that division, and their magic number to win the Atlantic is three points. Tampa Bay's magic number to finish 2nd in the division is at four points. If the Sabres do finish first in the Atlantic, they'll most likely face the #1 Wild Card in the East, and we would get the Lightning and Canadiens in their first playoff meeting since the 2021 Cup Final.

Metropolitan Division 3rd Place

There is one spot left in the Eastern Conference, and it's the Metropolitan #3 spot, third place in the Metro. When the Senators defeated the Islanders in regulation, it eliminated the Islanders, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Washington Capitals from the Wild Card race. For those three teams, it's the Metro's #3 spot or nothing. Right now, the Philadelphia Flyers currently hold that spot by two points over Columbus, and by three points over the Isles and Caps. Philly is three points away from clinching third place in the Metro, and could get it as early as Monday.

Pacific Division

The Pacific Division: the division nobody wants. With five days left, it's the Vegas Golden Knights in the lead... barely. A one point lead over the Edmonton Oilers, who themselves are ahead of the Anaheim Ducks by one. Even the Los Angeles Kings have some semblance of a shot at the division, as they are actually two points behind the top 3. It should be interesting to see who finishes on top in that faulty division, especially since it's so close.

West 2nd Wild Card

Finally, there's the 2nd Wild Card race in the West, and it's finally getting tamed. It had been quite the logjam for a long time, but with the Blues and Kraken finished, it's down to four teams for that one spot. The Los Angeles Kings, against all odds, are in the lead for that spot, and according to the team's own announcers, they are four points away from getting in. The Nashville Predators are close behind, but as for the Winnipeg Jets and the San Jose Sharks, they have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. For the Sharks, it's a good season either way, but it's a downgrade for the Jets. Last year, the Jets won the Presidents' Trophy. This year? Winnipeg could be eliminated as early as Monday.

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Five days left and so much to be decided. I wouldn't be shocked if the final day Thursday is needed to get the final pieces in. Either way, we are in for a thrilling race to the finish line!