The penultimate night of the NHL regular season features 15 games — and most, if not all, of the playoff picture will be finalized upon the conclusion of play on Thursday.
The 16-team field has been set, but plenty still remains up in the air when it comes to seeding.
Here’s a look at all the games affecting the playoffs on Thursday.
Carolina at Florida, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
The Hurricanes need a win to guarantee a Metropolitan Division title, which would be the team’s third consecutive division crown.
The Panthers need a win to overtake the New York Islanders for the first wild-card spot, which would mean avoiding the league-leading Boston Bruins in the first round.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday he would play a full lineup if the game could have any impact on the standings for his team.
New Jersey at Washington, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
The Devils are one point behind the Hurricanes for top spot in the Metro and have the tiebreaker, meaning they still have a shot at the division crown if Carolina loses.
If the Devils do overtake Carolina, it would prevent a much-anticipated New Jersey-New York Rangers first-round series.
Winnipeg at Colorado, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
The Jets are locked into the final wild-card spot and could face the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights in the first round — more on that later.
The Avalanche are one point behind the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division, but Colorado has two games left while Dallas has one.
Dallas does own the tiebreaker, however, meaning the reigning Stanley Cup champs might have to win out — they face the eliminated Nashville Predators on Friday — to guarantee a division title.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
The Stars can put the pressure on the Avalanche by completing a sweep of the Blues in a home-and-home series. The surging Stars have won five in a row.
San Jose at Edmonton, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, Sportsnet West, SN NOW
The red-hot Oilers, winners of eight in a row, need a victory over the lowly Sharks and a Golden Knights regulation loss to the Seattle Kraken to take the top seed in the Western Conference and the Pacific Division title. That would mean a first-round series with Winnipeg.
Anything other than that means the Oilers will meet the Los Angeles Kings or Kraken in the first round — and locks the Jets into a first-round clash with the Golden Knights in a rematch of the 2018 West Final.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
The Kings need one point to guarantee third in the Pacific Division and a first-round matchup with either Vegas or Edmonton.
Vegas at Seattle, 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT
A Golden Knights point guarantees Vegas the top seed in the West.
The Kraken need a win and a Kings regulation loss to get third in the Pacific.
