NHL Games on Today: Daily Schedule & How to Watch

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NHL Games on Today

All times ET

Thursday, April 9

Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Islanders — 6:45 PM — ESPN Unlimited, Hulu, ESPN+, MSG Sports Network

The New York Islanders (42-31-5, 89 pts) host the Toronto Maple Leafs (32-32-14, 78 pts) in a game the Islanders need to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff race. New York sits in the thick of the wild-card hunt at 89 points while Toronto was eliminated from contention earlier in the season and arrives in full spoiler mode. The Islanders cannot afford to stumble against an opponent playing without postseason pressure, and the atmosphere at UBS Arena figures to reflect the urgency of the moment. A New York win tonight would keep the heat on the teams above them in the standings with only a handful of games remaining.

Pittsburgh Penguins at New Jersey Devils — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, MSG Sports Network, SportsNet Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-16, 96 pts) visit the New Jersey Devils (40-35-3, 83 pts) in a Metropolitan Division clash that carries playoff elimination stakes for New Jersey. The Devils could be knocked out of postseason contention tonight if they lose in regulation and Ottawa earns at least one point against Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh is comfortably locked into a playoff spot in second place in the Metropolitan and arrives as the steadier and more confident team. New Jersey’s desperation at Prudential Center gives this game the weight of a postseason elimination scenario even in the regular season.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens — 7:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, Scripps, Hulu

The Tampa Bay Lightning (48-24-6, 102 pts) and Montreal Canadiens (46-22-10, 102 pts) are locked at 102 points in the Atlantic Division with Buffalo leading at 104, making this one of the most consequential games on tonight’s slate. Tampa currently holds the tiebreaker edge over Montreal, and a road win at the Bell Centre would strengthen the Lightning’s grip on their playoff seeding with the regular season nearly finished. The Canadiens have made the Bell Centre a difficult building for opponents this season and have genuine playoff ambitions after a strong resurgence. Both teams understand this game functions as a de facto playoff audition with everything still to be decided in the Atlantic.

Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings — 7:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, Hulu, NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports Detroit

The Philadelphia Flyers (40-26-12, 92 pts) have been one of the NHL’s best stories since the 2026 Winter Olympics, going 14-6-1 in that stretch to climb to third in the Metropolitan Division. They visit the Detroit Red Wings (40-29-9, 89 pts), who are also in playoff contention but sitting three points back of Philadelphia with few games left to close the gap. A Detroit win tonight would trim that margin to one point and add real pressure on the Flyers heading into the final days of the regular season. This interconference matchup carries the weight of a seeding battle, with both clubs knowing that points are nearly exhausted.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Buffalo Sabres — 7:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, MSG Sports Network, FanDuel Sports Cincinnati, FanDuel Sports Ohio

The Buffalo Sabres (48-23-8, 104 pts) lead the Atlantic Division and host the Columbus Blue Jackets (39-27-12, 90 pts) at KeyBank Center with Buffalo focused on tightening their grip on first place. Columbus arrives in rough form, having lost six straight games and gone 1-6-1 in its last eight outings, raising real questions about the team’s readiness for a playoff push despite sitting at 90 points. The Sabres are coming off a 4-2 win over Tampa Bay earlier this week and carry momentum into the stretch run. Buffalo is a heavy favorite at home against a Blue Jackets team that is clearly struggling at the worst possible time in the calendar.

Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators — 7:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, Scripps

The Ottawa Senators (41-27-10, 92 pts) host the Florida Panthers (37-37-4, 78 pts) in a game with major Eastern Conference playoff ramifications on multiple fronts. Ottawa is fifth in the Atlantic and needs wins to fend off Detroit and the Islanders pushing from below, and a Senators point tonight would also factor into the New Jersey elimination scenario. The Panthers, back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, have had a stunning fall this season, sitting at .500 with 78 points and on the outside of the playoff picture after a year marked by injuries and inconsistency. A loss here could effectively end the defending champions’ postseason hopes.

Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues — 8:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, NHL Network, FanDuel Sports Midwest/Kansas City

The Winnipeg Jets (34-31-12, 80 pts) visit the St. Louis Blues (33-32-12, 78 pts) in a Central Division matchup where both teams are on the outside of the playoff picture with little margin remaining. Winnipeg holds a slim two-point edge on St. Louis but both clubs are well off the pace set by the Central leaders, and this game amounts to a battle for standings position in the waning days of the regular season. The Jets have struggled with inconsistency all year despite the talent on their roster, and a loss tonight would put St. Louis within a single point with just a few games left. Enterprise Center gives the Blues a home-ice advantage in what is effectively a jockeying game for finishing position.

Carolina Hurricanes at Chicago Blackhawks — 8:30 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports South, Chicago Sports Network

The Carolina Hurricanes (50-22-6, 106 pts) lead the Metropolitan Division and visit the Chicago Blackhawks (28-36-14, 70 pts), who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this month. Carolina has been the East’s dominant team all season and is chasing Colorado in the Presidents’ Trophy race while also working to lock up home-ice advantage throughout the playoff bracket. The Hurricanes have every reason to maintain their edge as they build depth and rhythm for a postseason run. Chicago will use these final games to develop younger players as the organization continues its rebuild toward future contention.

Nashville Predators at Utah Mammoth — 9:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Network, NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports South, Scripps

The Utah Mammoth (41-30-6, 88 pts) host the Nashville Predators (37-31-10, 84 pts) in one of the most consequential wild-card showdowns on tonight’s Western Conference slate. Utah holds the first wild-card spot with 88 points while Nashville sits four points back and must win to keep its postseason hopes alive with only a few games remaining. A Predators road win in Salt Lake City would be a major statement in a race where every remaining point counts, and Utah knows a stumble at home could tighten the picture significantly. The urgency of this matchup gives it the intensity of an early playoff game even though the regular season is not quite finished.

Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars — 9:00 PM — ESPN Unlimited, Hulu ESPN+, Victory+, FanDuel Sports North

The Dallas Stars (46-20-12, 104 pts) host the Minnesota Wild (45-21-12, 102 pts) in the Central Division’s most important game of the week, with the two clubs separated by just two points as the regular season enters its final days. Dallas and Minnesota are both legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, and this head-to-head game at American Airlines Center could go a long way toward determining home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Stars hold the home advantage tonight but the Wild have matched them nearly stride for stride all season in one of the West’s best divisional races. A Dallas win would open meaningful breathing room with only a handful of games left on the schedule.

Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche — 9:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, Altitude Sports and Entertainment

The Colorado Avalanche (51-16-10, 112 pts) are the NHL’s top team by a wide margin and host the Calgary Flames (32-36-9, 73 pts) at Ball Arena with the Presidents’ Trophy firmly in their sights. Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche have been dominant all season and are focused on health and building momentum as the postseason approaches rather than chasing milestones. Calgary sits well outside the playoff picture with 73 points after a disappointing season and is playing out the string with an eye on the offseason. Colorado is a heavy favorite at home in what amounts to a final tune-up before the playoffs begin.

San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks — 10:00 PM — ESPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, Nexstar, Victory+, NBC Sports California

The Anaheim Ducks (41-32-5, 87 pts) host the San Jose Sharks (37-33-7, 81 pts) in a California rivalry game with genuine playoff stakes for both clubs. Anaheim has been one of the West’s biggest surprises this season, sitting in a playoff spot after years of rebuilding, and a win over a divisional rival would strengthen their hold on postseason positioning. San Jose has 81 points and is pushing for one of the West’s final wild-card spots, needing wins and favorable results elsewhere to stay alive. This rivalry matchup carries added urgency with both teams competing for the same limited postseason real estate in the Pacific Division.

Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken — 10:00 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Network, NHL Center Ice, TEGNA, Amazon Prime Video, Scripps

The Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-16, 88 pts) visit the Seattle Kraken (32-34-11, 75 pts) at Climate Pledge Arena with Vegas clinging to wild-card positioning in the West at 88 points. The Golden Knights have been inconsistent all season but remain in playoff contention and cannot afford stumbles against eliminated opponents this late in the schedule. Seattle has been out of the race for some time and enters this one as a spoiler with nothing at stake in the standings. Vegas needs to take care of business on the road to keep its postseason berth secure against teams chasing from below in the Pacific.

Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings — 10:30 PM — SPN Unlimited, NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports West

The Los Angeles Kings (32-26-19, 83 pts) close the night by hosting the Vancouver Canucks (22-47-8, 52 pts) at Crypto.com Arena in a game the Kings essentially must win to stay viable in the Western Conference wild-card picture. Los Angeles has compiled 83 points in a season defined by overtime losses and needs wins in these final days to hold off the Golden Knights and Sharks pursuing the same playoff spots. Vancouver has had a season to forget, owning the worst record in the Pacific Division and sitting 31 points out of wild-card contention. The Kings are heavy favorites at home but cannot afford a slip against a Canucks team playing loose with nothing to lose.

Where to Watch NHL Games

There are plenty of places to make sure you don’t miss a moment of your favorite NHL team’s season. Here’s where to watch NHL hockey games on TV today and all season long:

• REGIONAL SPORTS LINEUP (only available in some areas)
• TNT – 245
• ESPN – 206
• ABC –Check local listings
• NHL Network
• NHL® CENTER ICE®*

*currently available for satellite customers

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