NHL’s 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Race Intensifies With 2 Weeks To Go

With two weeks to play in the NHL's 2025-26 regular season, the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators have tenuous holds on the second wild-card spot in their respective conferences. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images) NHLI via Getty Images With 14 days left on the NHL regular-season schedule, the 16-team field for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs remains very much a work in progress. After 14 games were played on Thursday night, three teams are tied in points for the final wild-card spot in both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.

With a light two-game Good Friday schedule, this is a good time to take a closer look at the contenders and pretenders as the season gets down to the wire. Eastern Conference Playoff Picture In the East, the Ottawa Senators snapped an 0-2-1 losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres to climb back into the final playoff position with 88 points. They knocked out the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost to the Carolina Hurricanes for the second-straight game.

Suddenly cold after a stunning 19-3-4 run following the hiring of Rick Bowness as their new coach on Jan. 12, the Blue Jackets are now 0-4-1 in their last five games. Though tied in points with the Ottawa Senators, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings are out of a playoff spot as of Apr.

3, 2026. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) Getty Images Also in the mix: the Detroit Red Wings, who reached 88 points with their 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. That’s just the second win in the last six games for Detroit.