The 2025 NHL playoffs are on the horizon. The 2024-2025 regular season will end in less than two weeks with the final games being played on April 17.
While the playoffs bring a high level of excitement on their own, this year feels different. The Western Conference has been competitive, but the playoff push in the Eastern conference is a bloodbath. Just under two weeks left in the regular season and five teams have been eliminated from playoff contention in the West.
In the East? None.
With every team in the Eastern Conference still alive as of Friday, April 4, the next two weeks of hockey will be must-watch with every game becoming more and more important.
Here is an updated look at the 2025 wild-card standings.
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NHL wild-card standings 2025
Standings updated through games on April 3.
Eastern Conference wild-card standings
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Senators | 75 | 40-29-6 | 86 |
| 2 | Canadiens | 75 | 36-30-9 | 81 |
| Rangers | 75 | 36-32-7 | 79 | |
| Blue Jackets | 74 | 34-31-9 | 77 | |
| Red Wings | 74 | 34-33-7 | 75 | |
| Islanders | 74 | 32-32-10 | 74 | |
| Penguins | 76 | 30-34-12 | 72 | |
| Flyers | 76 | 31-36-9 | 71 | |
| Sabres | 74 | 32-36-6 | 70 | |
| Bruins | 76 | 30-37-9 | 69 |
Western conference wild-card standings
| Seed | Team | Games | Record | Points |
| 1 | Blues | 77 | 42-28-7 | 91 |
| 2 | Wild | 76 | 41-28-7 | 89 |
| Flames | 75 | 36-27-12 | 84 | |
| Canucks | 75 | 34-28-13 | 81 | |
| Utah | 76 | 34-30-12 | 80 | |
| Ducks – E | 75 | 33-34-8 | 74 | |
| Kraken – E | 76 | 32-38-6 | 70 | |
| Predators – E | 76 | 27-41-8 | 62 | |
| Blackhawks – E | 75 | 21-44-10 | 52 | |
| Sharks – E | 75 | 20-45-10 | 50 |
X = clinched playoff
E = eliminated
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NHL playoff bracket
Eastern Conference
(A1) 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) Minnesota Wild
(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Colorado Avalanche
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) St. Louis Blues
(P2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (P3) Edmonton Oilers
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NHL playoff tiebreakers
Here is how the NHL handles tiebreakers in regular season standings.
Tie-Breaking Procedure
If two or more clubs are tied in points during the regular season, the standing of the clubs is determined in the following order:
1. The fewer number of games played (i.e., superior points percentage).
2. The greater number of games won, excluding games won in Overtime or by Shootout (i.e., ‘Regulation Wins’). This figure is reflected in the RW column.
3. The greater number of games won, excluding games won by Shootout. This figure is reflected in the ROW column.
4. The greater number of games won by the Club in any manner (i.e., ‘Total Wins’). This figure is reflected in the W column.
5. The greater number of points earned in games against each other among two or more tied clubs.
- For the purpose of determining standing for two or more Clubs that have not played an even number of games with one or more of the other tied Clubs, the first game played in the city that has the extra game (the ‘odd game’) shall not be included.
- When more than two Clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any ‘odd games’) shall be used to determine standing.
6. The greater differential between goals for and against (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the DIFF column.
7. The greater number of goals scored (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the GF column.
NOTE: In standings, a victory in a shootout counts as one goal for, while a shootout loss counts as one goal against.
NHL clinching scenarios today
With only three games on the slate, there are no clinching scenarios on the table Friday.
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When do the NHL playoffs begin?
- Start date: Saturday, April 19
The 2024-2025 regular season will end on Thursday, April 17.
The first round of the NHL playoffs is expected to start on Saturday, April 19, but this is subject to change by the league.
How will the 2025 NHL playoffs work?
Sixteen teams qualify for the NHL playoffs, eight from each conference. The top three teams in each division will get the top six seeds in their respective conference’s playoff bracket. The remaining two spots in each conference will be filled with the next two highest-placed finishers, regardless of division. So, theoretically, one division could send five teams to the playoffs while the other sends only three.
In the first round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will face the worst wild-card team. Then, the teams that finished second and third in their division will face off. The winners from those games will play each other in the second round. Those winners will duke it out in the conference finals, sending one representative to the Stanley Cup Finals from each conference. Each round of the playoffs is best-of-seven, so the first team to win four games will advance.
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