24/7 LivePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaNew JerseyDelaware

SPORTS

NHL playoff watch standings update: Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes take center stage

ByTim Kavanagh ESPN logo

Thursday, March 24, 2022

With a short slate on Wednesday night, there wasn't much movement in the playoff races (or the "race" for the draft lottery). But Thursday night promises to be quite different.

A 10-game schedule on Thursday night will require the need for multiple screens again, given that seven of those 10 will go off at 7, 7:30 or 8 p.m. ET. But one of those contests has particularly piqued our interest: the Dallas Stars visiting the Carolina Hurricanes.

Dallas has a tenuous hold on the second wild-card position in the West, one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights (with four games in hand); three ahead of the Winnipeg Jets (with two games in hand); and three ahead of the Vancouver Canucks (with three games in hand). Thursday's game isn't a must-win -- given the games advantage -- but anything to boost that cushion would be helpful. On the other side, the Hurricanes are atop the Metropolitan Division, with a two-point and two-game edge on the Pittsburgh Penguins; they're knotted at 90 points with the Florida Panthers for the No. 1 overall seed in the East, and have four additional regulation wins for that tiebreaker.

As interconference foes, the two teams played just once previously this season, a 4-1 victory for the Stars in Dallas behind a hat trick from Roope Hintz. The Canes come in losing four of their past five, while the Stars have won three of their past four.

As we enter the post-deadline stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, it's time to check in on all the playoff races -- along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2022 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta of the NHL.

Jump ahead:br/>Current playoff matchupsbr/>Today's gamesbr/>Expanded standingsbr/>Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Boston Bruins

>A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs

>M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Washington Capitals

>M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 New York Rangers

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Dallas Stars

>C2 St. Louis Blues vs. C3 Minnesota Wild

>P1 Calgary Flames vs. WC1 Nashville Predators

>P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Today's games

Note: All times Eastern. All out-of-market games available on ESPN+

Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.

>Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.

>Dallas Stars at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

>Detroit Red Wings at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

>Philadelphia Flyers at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

>Vancouver Canucks at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.

>Ottawa Senators at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m.

>San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m.

>Nashville Predators at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.

>Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. (ESPN+)

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Florida Panthers

Points: 90

>Regulation wins: 32

>Playoff position: A1

>Games left: 20

>Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 84

>Regulation wins: 30

>Playoff position: A2

>Games left: 20

>Next game: @ BOS (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 85

>Regulation wins: 34

>Playoff position: A3

>Games left: 19

>Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Boston Bruins

Points: 83

>Regulation wins: 31

>Playoff position: WC1

>Games left: 19

>Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 59

>Regulation wins: 15

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 19

>Next game: @ NYI (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 17

Buffalo Sabres

Points: 54

>Regulation wins: 17

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 18

>Next game: vs. WSH (Friday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 10

Ottawa Senators

Points: 49

>Regulation wins: 18

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 19

>Next game: @ WPG (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 7

Montreal Canadiens

Points: 44

>Regulation wins: 12

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 19

>Next game: vs. FLA (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 2

Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 90

>Regulation wins: 36

>Playoff position: M1

>Games left: 19

>Next game: vs. DAL (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 88

>Regulation wins: 32

>Playoff position: M2

>Games left: 17

>Next game: @ NYR (Friday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

New York Rangers

Points: 85

>Regulation wins: 34

strong>Playoff position: M3

>Games left: 18

>Next game: vs. PIT (Friday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Washington Capitals

Points: 80

>Regulation wins: 27

>Playoff position: WC2

>Games left: 17

>Next game: @ BUF (Friday)

>Playoff chances: 98%

>Tragic number: N/A

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 67

>Regulation wins: 22

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 18

>Next game: @ WPG (Friday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 23

New York Islanders

Points: 63

>Regulation wins: 25

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 21

>Next game: vs. DET (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 1%

>Tragic number: 25

Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 51

>Regulation wins: 16

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 19

>Next game: @ STL (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 9

New Jersey Devils

Points: 51

>Regulation wins: 16

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 18

>Next game: @ WSH (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 7

Central Division

Colorado Avalanche

Points: 95

>Regulation wins: 37

>Playoff position: C1

>Games left: 18

>Next game: vs. PHI (Friday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 79

>Regulation wins: 32

>Playoff position: C2

>Games left: 20

>Next game: vs. PHI (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 98%

>Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 78

>Regulation wins: 28

>Playoff position: C3

>Games left: 21

>Next game: vs. VAN (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 98%

>Tragic number: N/A

Nashville Predators

Points: 78

>Regulation wins: 30

>Playoff position: WC1

>Games left: 18

>Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 94%

>Tragic number: N/A

Dallas Stars

Points: 73

>Regulation wins: 23

>Playoff position: WC2

>Games left: 20

>Next game: @ CAR (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 77%

>Tragic number: N/A

Winnipeg Jets

Points: 70

>Regulation wins: 26

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 18

>Next game: vs. OTT (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 16%

>Tragic number: 33

Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 55

>Regulation wins: 15

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 18

>Next game: @ LA (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 18

Arizona Coyotes

Points: 44

>Regulation wins: 15

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 19

>Next game: @ CGY (Friday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 9

Pacific Division

Calgary Flames

Points: 84

>Regulation wins: 33

>Playoff position: P1

strong>Games left: 19

>Next game: vs. ARI (Friday)

>Playoff chances: >99%

>Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 78

>Regulation wins: 27

>Playoff position: P2

>Games left: 17

>Next game: vs. CHI (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 88%

>Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 75

>Regulation wins: 29

>Playoff position: P3

>Games left: 18

>Next game: vs. SJ (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 79%

>Tragic number: N/A

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 72

>Regulation wins: 28

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 16

>Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 35%

>Tragic number: 31

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 70

>Regulation wins: 25

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 17

>Next game: @ MIN (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: 15%

>Tragic number: 31

Anaheim Ducks

Points: 65

>Regulation wins: 18

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 16

>Next game: @ SJ (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 24

San Jose Sharks

Points: 64

>Regulation wins: 19

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 19

>Next game: @ EDM (Thursday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 29

Seattle Kraken

Points: 46

>Regulation wins: 17

>Playoff position: N/A

>Games left: 18

>Next game: @ LA (Saturday)

>Playoff chances: <1%

>Tragic number: 9

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order at the top of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here.