Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers shoots the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights. The two ... More Pacific Division rivals meet again in Las Vegas on April 1, 2025 ahead of the NHL Playoffs. (Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images) NHLI via Getty Images As the calendar flips to April, the playoff push is on for Stanley Cup contenders with less than 10 games remaining in the NHL regular season. The top teams are positioned for a postseason run to the Stanley Cup finals, but the race for the final playoff spots and wild cards in the Eastern and Western Conference are tight. Key Games In April That’s especially true in the Eastern Conference. The top of the Atlantic Division is tight with a trio of teams battling for the top spot. The Toronto Maple Leafs (94 points), Tampa Bay Lightning (91) and defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers (91) are engaged in the closest division race in the National Hockey League. The Lightning and Panthers have nine games remaining and one-game in hand on the Maple Leafs. The next nine days includes key games with the Maple Leafs and Panthers playing each other twice and Toronto also at Tampa Bay on April 9 following their game at Florida April 8. The Panthers conclude the regular season at Tampa Bay April 15. The Washington Capitals have an Eastern Conference-best 47 wins and 103 points leading the Metropolitan Division over the Carolina Hurricanes (94) and New Jersey Devils (94), who are likely opening round playoff opponents. The wild card race for the two final playoff spots in each conference will be decided by these teams with key games and points as of April 1. Ottawa is in great position for the top wild card in the East, but it’s a wide open race for the final playoff spot between five contending teams. MORE FOR YOU NYT Mini Today: Hints, Clues And Answers For Tuesday, April 1 South Korean Actor Kim Soo-hyun Denies Underage Dating Allegations Women’s Final Four In Tampa Set, AT&T Brings The Energy Ottawa Senators (84) - 4/3 TB, 4/5 FLA, 4/11 MON Montreal Canadiens (77) - 4/1 FL, 4/11 at OTT, 4/12 at TOR NY Rangers (77)-4/5 at NJ, 4/7 TB, 4/10-14 at NYI,CAR,FLA COL BlueJackets (75)-4/5 at TOR, 6-8 CAR 2x, 12-13 WSH 2x DET Red Wings (74)-4/4 CAR, 4/6 FLA, 8-11 at MON,FL,TB NY Islanders (74)-4/1 TB, 4/6 WSH, 4/10 NYR, 4/13 at NJ The Senators have just one road game remaining at Columbus April 8. The Blue Jackets have 10 games remaining in April, most in the NHL. The Rangers have lost 5-of-7 games entering April and the Islanders 5-in-a-row, which will disappoint many New York-based FanDuel bettors if either team fails to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. Minnesota Wild (88) - 4/6 DAL, 4/11-12 at CAL, VAN St. Louis Blues (87) - 4/7 COL, 4/7-9 at WIN, EDM Calgary Flames (82) - 4/5 & 15 VGK, 4/11 MIN, 4/17 LA VAN Canucks (81) - 4/6 & 16 VGK, 4/8 at DAL, 4/10 at COL The Wild have lost 4-of-5 entering April and begin the month on the road against the Rangers and Islanders. The Blues have won 9-straight games and begin April with 3-straight home games agains the Red Wings, Penguins and Avalanche before two tough road games at Winnipeg and Edmonton. The Flames host Vegas twice in April and have three road games against West teams out of the playoffs before finishing the regular season at Los Angeles. The Canucks have lost 4-of-6 but start April at home against the Kraken, Ducks and Golden Knights. Two road games at Dallas and Colorado could seal their playoff fate if they lose before Vancouver finishes the season with 3-straight home games including Vegas in the season finale. Points are at a premium for playoff-chasing teams, and the Flames picked up 2 big points with an overtime win at Colorado to close March after trailing the Avs 2-0 midway through the 3rd period. Some key games headline the start of April including the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets visiting Vegas to skate with the Golden Knights, who have opened up a 7-point advantage over the LA Kings in the Pacific Division. Winnipeg is battling Dallas for the Central Division title and President’s Trophy race with Washington. Injuries will play a key role in some teams performances and games ahead and during the playoffs. Watch the updates as teams push towards the playoffs, including the Vegas Golden Knights with their leading goal scorer Tomas Hertl sidelined this week with injury. Hertl’s 14 power play goals is a Golden Knights record, and he’s a key player on Vegas’ NHL-best power play at 30.8 percent. President’s Trophy Odds That’s a nice award as the team with the best record, but only 8-of-38 President’s Trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup, and none since the 2012-13 Chicago Black Hawks in a season cut short by a lockout. The Detroit Red Wings (115 points) are the last team to win the President’s Trophy over a full season and capture the Cup in 2008. Last year the New York Rangers (114 points) edge the Dallas Stars (113) for the President’s Trophy, but both teams lost the final three games in the conference finals to lose in 6-games. The Florida Panthers beat Edmonton Oilers in 7-games to win the 2024 Stanley Cup one year after the Vegas Golden Knights overcame the odds to win the Stanley Cup in 5-games over the Panthers. The Boston Bruins had a record-breaking season wit 135 points in 2022-23 but lost in the opening round of the playoffs to the Panthers. The Bruins fired head coach Bruce Cassidy prior to that season, and the Golden Knights hired him 1-week later and he guided Vegas to victory as Stanley Cup champions the next season. This season’s President’s Trophy winner will be either the Washington Capitals (103 points) or the Winnipeg Jets (106) and now Dallas Stars (102) on a late-season surge towards the top. FanDuel sportsbook had the Capitals favored last week, but now the Jets (-140) are favored ahead of the Capitals (+185) and Stars (+550). NHL Standings And Playoff Picture The National Hockey League playoff format has each division winner play one of the two Wild Cards from each conference in the opening round. The second and third place finishers in each division are the other playoff matchups in 7-game series. Eastern Conference Divisions, playoff position, points and current Stanley Cup odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds as of April 1 before games that night. Toronto Maple Leafs (94): +1700 Florida Panthers (91): +500 Tampa Bay Lightning (91): +1000 One week ago on March 25, the Panthers led the division by 2-points over the Maple Leafs, who have won 3-of-4 since. The Panthers Stanley Cup odds remain unchanged as of April 1, and Florida is just 3-4 since winning at Toronto March 13. The Lightning won 3-straight at home to close March, and begin April with a 4-game East Coast road trip. Metropolitan Washington Capitals (103): +1100 Carolina Hurricanes (94): +1000 New Jersey Devils (88): +3500 Despite leading the NHL in points much of the season and a big lead over the Hurricanes in the division, the Capitals actually have longer odds than the Hurricanes to win the 2025 Stanley Cup. Washington plays at Carolina April 2 in a key game with a rematch in D.C. April 10. The Capitals other seven remaining games are against Eastern Conference teams on the outside of the playoff picture. The Hurricanes play 4-straight East Coast teams starting April 4 and finish the regular season with a game against Toronto and two games in Canada vs. Montreal and Ottawa. The Capitals 3.61 goals per game leads the NHL, and their +67 goals differential is just ahead of Tampa Bay (+65) for best in the East. Wild card teams Stanley Cup odds: Ottawa (+5000), Rangers (+5000), Blue Jackets (+24000), Islanders (+24000), Canadiens (+37000), Red Wings (+48000). Western Conference Winnipeg Jets (106): +1100 Dallas Stars (102): +600 Colorado Avalanche (94): +850 The Jets have retaken the lead for the President’s Trophy and best record in hockey currently with 51 wins entering April. Winnipeg has won 7-of-9 games including 3-in-a-row entering April with a 3-game road trip at LA, Vegas and Utah a tough start to the month as they try to stay on top. Dallas is delivering at crunch time with 6-straight wins entering April. The Stars +65 goal differential trails only the Jets (+85) in the West. Vegas Golden Knights (98): +950 Los Angeles Kings (91): +2300 Edmonton Oilers (89): +950 The Golden Knights are riding a 6-game winning streak into April with all wins by 2-goals or more to cover puck lines (-1.5). Vegas tops the Pacific Division in goal differential at +57, and VGK hosts Edmonton and Winnipeg at The Fortress April 1 and 3. Three games at Calgary, Vancouver and Colorado follow with letdown and potentially less motivation something to watch along with key injuries as the Knights close in on the division title and opening round playoff matchup against the No. 2 wild card. The Oilers were the unanimous consenus Cup favorites to start the season, and now trail the Kings for opening round home ice advantage to start the playoffs. Edmonton begins April with four straight road games against Pacific Division opponents in Vegas and California. The Kings have the best home record in hockey (27-4-4), and won 7-straight home games in March before losing to Toronto March 29. Los Angeles hosts Winnipeg April 1 and Edmonton April 5 and plays six of their final nine games on home ice at Crypto.com Arena. Wild card teams Stanley Cup odds: Wild (+3700), Blues (+6000), Canucks (+17000), Flames (+39000). Final Thoughts And Longshots Over the final two weeks of the regular season, the wild card teams will be pushing especially hard to make the playoffs. Daily FanDuel picks and props are worth watching and wagering on with more key games and inflated odds on favorites. No position in the playoffs is secure to advance to the nexxt round. Recall that two season’s ago, the Florida Panthers were the No. 8 seed as wild card and beat the best regular season team Boston Bruins on their way to making the Stanley Cup finals before losing to Vegas. Last year the Golden Knights were an 8-seed and took the No. 1 seed Dallas Stars to 7-games before losing in the opening round. So plenty of teams to consider including big longshots as wild cards ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The flowers are blooming and spring has arrived, which means it’s time for The Masters Tournament and golf at Augusta National in Georgia. While the top players drive, approach, chip and putt in their pursuit of a Green Jacket, leading NHL players push towards the playoffs and skate, shoot and score in search of the greatest silver trophy in sports and the Stanley Cup. You can bet on it. 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