Latest 2025 NHL Playoff Picture, Stanley Cup Bracket, Odds and Picks
The Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders continued to put the pressure on in the Eastern Conference wild-card race on Friday.
Detroit knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes and the Islanders defeated the Minnesota Wild.
The two results put five teams within five points of each other in the wild-card race going into the weekend.
The Montreal Canadiens can answer the pressure with a home win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Montreal will be one of many teams under the microscope during Saturday's 13-game slate.
Over in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers will do battle in a vital Pacific Division matchup could go a long way in deciding which team hosts their potential first-round matchup.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
- Toronto - 96 points
- Tampa Bay - 93
- Florida - 92
Metropolitan Division
- Washington - 107
- Carolina - 96
- New Jersey - 87
Wild-Card Race
- Ottawa - 86
- Montreal - 81
- New York Rangers - 79
- Columbus - 77
- Detroit - 77
- New York Islanders - 76
The Islanders and Red Wings clawed themselves closer to the Canadiens with victories on Friday.
Those two teams and the other pair of chasers still need Montreal to slip up over its final seven games to get into the postseason.
Montreal is currently -130 to make the playoffs at DraftKings Sportsbook. It plays Philadelphia and Nashville this weekend before a Tuesday trip to Detroit.
Both of those games should be won by the Canadiens. An upset or two needs to happen in order for the chasers to gain ground.
Columbus and the Rangers have tough road tests on Saturday against Toronto and New Jersey.
The Rangers are +200 to make the playoffs, while Columbus is up to +650. The Red Wings and Islanders' playoff odds are over +1000.
Columbus owns the mathematical advantage with one extra game left to play, but after Saturday, it has two matchups with Ottawa and Washington.
The Rangers don't have an easy finish, either, with two games against Tampa Bay, one win the Islanders and clashes with New Jersey and Carolina in the final seven. The only easy game on paper is against Philadelphia.
The first wild-card team is in line to play the Maple Leafs at the moment. The Leafs are -245 to win the Atlantic Division ahead of matchups against Florida and Tampa Bay in the next week.
Tampa Bay is +370 and Florida is +600 to win the Atlantic. Florida plays Toronto on Tuesday, while the Lightning get their final shot at the Leafs on Wednesday.
Predictions
Montreal vs. Washington
Ottawa vs. Toronto
New Jersey vs. Carolina
Florida vs. Tampa Bay
Western Conference
Central Division
- Winnipeg - 108
- Dallas - 104
- Colorado - 98
Pacific Division
- Vegas - 98
- Los Angeles - 95
- Edmonton - 93
Wild-Card Race
- St. Louis - 91
- Minnesota - 89
- Calgary - 84
- Vancouver - 81
- Utah - 80
Minnesota failed to make up ground on St. Louis on Friday night, but the Wild are still -600 to make the playoffs.
St. Louis owns even stronger odds to qualify for the postseason at -2000.
Calgary (+340) and Vancouver (+2200) are long shots to make the field of eight teams, despite having two more games left to play compared to St. Louis and Minnesota.
Calgary needs to get something from its home game versus Vegas on Saturday to create more momentum heading into a four-game stretch that features two games against San Jose and one each versus Anaheim and Minnesota.
However, Minnesota also has one game left against both San Jose and Anaheim, so the Flames' path to the second wild-card spot will be tough.
Los Angeles will be rooting for Calgary on Saturday so that it can potentially close the Pacific Division gap. The Kings face an Edmonton team without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on Saturday afternoon.
The Kings are +450 to win the Pacific. Vegas is a -425 favorite, even though the gap to first place is just three points.
Vegas owns the easier remaining schedule. The Kings have two left with Edmonton and one game left with Colorado, while the Golden Knights only play teams beneath them in the standings.
Predictions
Minnesota vs. Winnipeg
St. Louis vs. Vegas
Colorado vs. Dallas
Edmonton vs. Los Angeles
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