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NHL Games on Today
All times ET
Thursday, April 2
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, MSG Sports Network
The Buffalo Sabres (46-21-8, 100 pts) have reached 100 points for the first time since 2009-10, leading the Atlantic Division behind Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch as the offensive cornerstones. The Ottawa Senators (38-26-10, 86 pts) are on a three-game losing skid and sitting just outside the Eastern Conference wild card picture despite holding the most regulation wins of any bubble team. Ottawa has been losing at the worst possible time. Linus Ullmark will need to be sharper than his .886 save percentage suggests as the Senators desperately need two points to stay relevant in the hunt with roughly 10 games remaining.
Detroit Red Wings at Philadelphia Flyers — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings (39-27-8, 86 pts) and Philadelphia Flyers (37-25-12, 86 pts) are deadlocked in the standings and chasing the same Eastern Conference wild card spots. Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit at 78 points but the Red Wings have dropped four of their last five, and John Gibson has been pulled in back-to-back starts. Travis Konecny anchors the Flyers at 62 points and Philadelphia had won six of seven before stumbling recently. These teams play again in Detroit next week, effectively making this a two-game knockout series within the wild card chase.
Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, NESN, Scripps
The Boston Bruins (roughly 90 pts, WC1 East) carry a four-point cushion into a road game at Florida, where the Panthers have been eliminated from contention after a brutal second half defined by injuries: Sam Reinhart shut down for the season, Aaron Ekblad nursing a hand injury and Dmitry Kulikov out after taking a puck to the face. The 2024 Stanley Cup champions are playing with nothing but pride at this point, which makes this a genuine trap game for a Boston team that cannot afford a stumble with the wild card race compressed behind them. The Bruins enter without notable injuries and need to handle business on the road.
Montreal Canadiens at New York Rangers — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, MSG Sports Network
Cole Caufield is in the middle of one of the most remarkable individual stretches in recent NHL history: 10 goals in 10 games, an NHL-leading 11 game-winning goals and 47 total on the season, putting him two behind Nathan MacKinnon for the scoring lead while chasing the first 50-goal campaign by a Canadien since Stephane Richer in 1989-90. The Montreal Canadiens (43-21-10, 96 pts, 3rd Atlantic) have won six straight and are pushing Tampa Bay for second in the division. The New York Rangers (71 pts) have been officially eliminated and are in spoiler mode at Madison Square Garden, where they beat the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime earlier this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports South, FanDuel Sports Cincinnati, FanDuel Sports Ohio
The Columbus Blue Jackets (38-25-12, 88 pts, WC2 East) have lost four straight and are watching Ottawa, Detroit and Philadelphia close in on their playoff spot at an alarming rate. The Carolina Hurricanes (47-21-6, 100 pts, 1st Metro) are locked in as Metro champions and are playing for first-round home-ice advantage, with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov leading the offense and Carolina posting a 26-10-2 record at home. Columbus needs to snap this slide immediately, and a road game against the Metro’s best team is about as difficult a test as the Blue Jackets could face.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning — 7:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, SportsNet Pittsburgh, Scripps, Hulu
The Pittsburgh Penguins (90 pts, 2nd Metro) are one of the East’s feel-good stories. The preseason win-total over/under on them was just 77.5 and they have surpassed it by more than 12 wins, powered by Sidney Crosby’s return from a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics. The Tampa Bay Lightning (~98 pts, 2nd Atlantic) are on a seven-game homestand fighting for Atlantic Division seeding and trying to stay ahead of a surging Montreal team. A Penguins win on the road in Tampa would be a genuine statement as Pittsburgh builds momentum heading toward the playoffs.
Washington Capitals at New Jersey Devils — 7:30 PM — ESPN Unlimited, Hulu, ESPN+, MSG Sports Network, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
The Washington Capitals (85 pts, 38-28-9) have played their best hockey of the season with a 6-1-2 run over their last nine games, though the math makes a playoff berth unlikely at this stage. Alex Ovechkin continues to draw attention regardless of the standings, with Tom Wilson and Jakob Chychrun as key contributors alongside him. The New Jersey Devils (~78 pts) are realistically playing for draft positioning after a middling season, though they enter having gone 10-5-0 in their last 15 games and lead the season series 2-1 over Washington. David Kampf makes his Capitals debut after visa delays following his acquisition from Vancouver.
Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars — 8:00 PM — Victory+, NHL Center Ice
The Winnipeg Jets (32-30-12, 76 pts) are in the middle of one of the NHL season’s most dramatic turnarounds: They were 10 points out of a playoff spot at the start of March and went 9-4-3 in the month to get back into the race, with Mark Scheifele producing nine points over a recent four-game streak for 92 on the season. The Dallas Stars (44-19-12, 100 pts) have long since clinched and are playing for seeding, having won all three previous meetings against Winnipeg this season. The Jets trail Nashville by one point for the final wild card spot and cannot afford a loss, making this a must-not-lose road game in what is otherwise a lopsided matchup on paper.
Vancouver Canucks at Minnesota Wild — 8:00 PM — NHL Network, NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports North
The Minnesota Wild (41-21-12, 94 pts, 3rd Central) have long since clinched a playoff berth and are focused on health and seeding in the home stretch of the regular season. The Vancouver Canucks (22-44-8, 52 pts) are last in the Western Conference, losers of six straight and allowing nearly four goals per game. Vancouver is using the final weeks of the season as development time, while Minnesota fine-tunes its roster ahead of what the Wild hope will be a deep playoff run.
Chicago Blackhawks at Edmonton Oilers — 9:00 PM — NHL Network, NHL Center Ice, Chicago Sports Network
The Edmonton Oilers (38-28-9, 85 pts, 2nd Pacific) are playing through significant adversity: Leon Draisaitl, who had 52 goals and 106 points in 71 games, is out for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury and is expected back for the playoffs. Connor McDavid has responded by leading the NHL in scoring with 125 points, and Edmonton has won four consecutive games entering this home matchup. The Chicago Blackhawks (27-34-14, 68 pts) are out of playoff contention and have lost four straight, making this a favorable spot for the Oilers to extend their winning streak and shore up second place in the Pacific.
Toronto Maple Leafs at San Jose Sharks — 10:00 PM — NHL Network, NHL Center Ice, NBC Sports California
The San Jose Sharks (35-31-7, 77 pts) are tied with Nashville for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference and trying to end a seven-year playoff absence, among the longest active droughts in hockey. Macklin Celebrini, who has surpassed 100 points this season, gives San Jose a legitimate star presence as they push for the postseason in the final weeks. The Toronto Maple Leafs are out of the playoff picture and their first-round pick goes to Boston unless it falls in the top five, creating draft lottery angles for a Toronto team playing out the string. A Sharks win, combined with a Kings loss later tonight, would improve San Jose’s position in the standings.
Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights — 10:00 PM — NHL Center Ice, Scripps
The Vegas Golden Knights (33-26-16, 82 pts, 3rd Pacific) are fighting to hold their playoff position ahead of the Kings and Sharks in the wild card race, and a home game against the eliminated Calgary Flames (31-35-8, 70 pts) is a prime opportunity to build separation. Calgary has historically struggled at T-Mobile Arena, going 2-12 all time at the venue, and is playing out the string with no postseason stakes. Darcy Kuemper gives Vegas a reliable presence in net with a 2.67 GAA on the season as the Golden Knights look to lock up a playoff berth in the final stretch.
Utah Mammoth at Seattle Kraken — 10:00 PM — ESPN Unlimited, Hulu, ESPN+, TEGNA, Amazon Prime Video, Scripps
The Utah Mammoth (38-30-6, 82 pts, WC1 West) arrive in Seattle on a three-game road winning streak that included a 6-2 demolition of the Kings on Saturday, and they have won both previous meetings against the Seattle Kraken this season by scores of 5-3 and 6-3. Seattle (32-30-11, 75 pts) has stumbled through a 1-3-2 stretch on a recent road trip and is three points out of the second wild card with roughly nine games remaining. Clayton Keller leads Utah with 73 points and Karel Vejmelka has been solid in net at 33-19, making the Mammoth tough to beat even on the road.
Nashville Predators at Los Angeles Kings — 10:30 PM — NHL Center Ice, FanDuel Sports West, FanDuel Sports South
The Nashville Predators (34-31-9, 77 pts) hold a one-point edge over Winnipeg and are tied with San Jose, but have lost three straight and scored two or fewer goals in four of their last five. That’s a dangerous cold streak at the worst possible time. The Los Angeles Kings (30-26-18, 78 pts) got a crucial 2-1 overtime win over St. Louis on Wednesday and host this game at Crypto.com Arena, with projection models giving LA a slight edge to finish in the playoff field. Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly power Nashville while Adrian Kempe leads the Kings offense, and the loser faces enormous pressure with roughly nine games remaining.
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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Frequently asked questions
When does the 2025-2026 NHL season start?
The NHL season begins on October 7, 2025.
When does the 2025-2026 NHL season end?
The NHL season ends on April 16, 2026.
Who won the NHL Stanley Cup Final last season?
The Florida Panthers won the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final.
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