Story by
NHL playoff tiebreakers 2026: How procedures decide standings, bracket
- Story by
- NHL playoff tiebreakers 2026: How procedures decide standings, bracket
The Central Division and Metropolitan Division title races have been settled but the other two NHL division races are tight.
After games on Tuesday, April 7, the Tampa Bay Lightning , Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens are tied atop the Atlantic Division with 102 points each. In the Pacific Division race, the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are tied with 88 points and the Anaheim Ducks are one point back at 87.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
So which team has the edge for the division title and which would finish second and have home-ice advantage in the second round?
That comes down to tiebreakers.
Here's an explanation of NHL tiebreakers and how they will affect the 2026 playoff races:
April 29: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) checks Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26).
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
Jeff Malott of the Los Angeles Kings and Jack Drury of the Colorado Avalanche fight during the first period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 26, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
April 22: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) checks Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) in Game 3.
(Eric Hartline, Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres and Andrew Peeke of the Boston Bruins fight during the third period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center on April 21, 2026, in Buffalo, New York.
(Joe Hrycych, Getty Images)
Tensions rise as Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) fights with Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) in the second period of Game 4.
(Marc DesRosiers, Imagn Images)
April 13: The Seattle Kraken's Melanson and Los Angeles Kings' Samuel Helenius fight during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena.
(Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images)
April 11: The New York Rangers' J.T. Miller fights with the Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
April 5: The New York Rangers' Noah Laba (42) fights with the Washington Capitals' Hendrix Lapierre during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
(Danny Wild, Imagn Images)
April 4: The New York Rangers' Will Cuylle fights the Detroit Red Wings' Ben Chiarot during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
(Danny Wild, Imagn Images)
March 30: Anaheim Ducks' Radko Gudas and Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Domi fight during the first period at Honda Center.
(Ric Tapia, Getty Images)
March 27: The Chicago Blackhawks' Sacha Boisvert (12) fights with the New York Rangers' Will Borgen during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
March 25: Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres players get into a scrum after the whistle during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
March 21: San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves (75) fights against Philadelphia Flyers left wing Garrett Wilson (10) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose.
(Robert Edwards, Imagn Images)
March 14: The Vegas Golden Knights' Jeremy Lauzon (5) fights the Chicago Blackhawks' Tyler Bertuzzi during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
March 10: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) collides with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram (39) after being hit by Darnell Nurse.
(Ron Chenoy Imagn Images)
March 8: Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Corey Perry (10) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Beck Malenstyn (29) fight during the second period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
March 2: The LA Kings' Taylor Ward (52) checks the Colorado Avalanche's Sam Malinski into the boards during the second period at Crypto.com Arena.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
(Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images)
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars' Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images)
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars' Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images)
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
(Jeff Curry, Imagn Images)
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
(Bob Frid, Imagn Images)
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
(Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images)
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
(Eric Canha, Imagn Images)
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
(Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images)
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
(John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
(Dennis Schneidler, Imagn Images)
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
(Rob Gray, Imagn Images)
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
(John Jones, Imagn Images)
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
(Aaron Doster, Imagn Images)
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
(Aaron Doster, Imagn Images)
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
(James Carey Lauder, Imagn Images)
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
(Bob DeChiara, Imagn Images)
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
(Russell LaBounty, -Imagn Images)
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
(Sergei Belski, Imagn Images)
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
(James Carey Lauder, Imagn Images)
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
(Robert Edwards, Imagn Images)
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images)
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
Oct. 7: Chicago's Nick Foligno fights with Florida's A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
(Carmen Mandato, Getty Images)
1
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 29: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) checks Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26).
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
1
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 29: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) checks Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26).
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
2
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jeff Malott of the Los Angeles Kings and Jack Drury of the Colorado Avalanche fight during the first period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 26, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
3
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 22: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) checks Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) in Game 3.
(Eric Hartline, Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
4
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres and Andrew Peeke of the Boston Bruins fight during the third period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center on April 21, 2026, in Buffalo, New York.
(Joe Hrycych, Getty Images)
5
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Tensions rise as Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) fights with Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) in the second period of Game 4.
(Marc DesRosiers, Imagn Images)
6
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 13: The Seattle Kraken's Melanson and Los Angeles Kings' Samuel Helenius fight during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena.
(Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images)
7
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 11: The New York Rangers' J.T. Miller fights with the Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
8
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 5: The New York Rangers' Noah Laba (42) fights with the Washington Capitals' Hendrix Lapierre during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
(Danny Wild, Imagn Images)
9
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 4: The New York Rangers' Will Cuylle fights the Detroit Red Wings' Ben Chiarot during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
(Danny Wild, Imagn Images)
10
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 30: Anaheim Ducks' Radko Gudas and Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Domi fight during the first period at Honda Center.
(Ric Tapia, Getty Images)
11
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 27: The Chicago Blackhawks' Sacha Boisvert (12) fights with the New York Rangers' Will Borgen during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
12
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 25: Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres players get into a scrum after the whistle during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
13
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 21: San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves (75) fights against Philadelphia Flyers left wing Garrett Wilson (10) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose.
(Robert Edwards, Imagn Images)
14
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 14: The Vegas Golden Knights' Jeremy Lauzon (5) fights the Chicago Blackhawks' Tyler Bertuzzi during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
15
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 10: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) collides with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram (39) after being hit by Darnell Nurse.
(Ron Chenoy Imagn Images)
16
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 8: Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Corey Perry (10) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Beck Malenstyn (29) fight during the second period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
17
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 2: The LA Kings' Taylor Ward (52) checks the Colorado Avalanche's Sam Malinski into the boards during the second period at Crypto.com Arena.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
18
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
19
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
(Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images)
20
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars' Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
21
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images)
22
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars' Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
23
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images)
24
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
(Jeff Curry, Imagn Images)
25
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
(Bob Frid, Imagn Images)
26
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
27
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
(Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images)
28
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
(Eric Canha, Imagn Images)
29
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
30
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
(Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images)
31
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
32
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
(John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)
33
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
34
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
35
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
36
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
(Dennis Schneidler, Imagn Images)
37
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
38
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
39
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
40
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
(Rob Gray, Imagn Images)
41
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
(John Jones, Imagn Images)
42
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.
43
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
44
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
45
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
46
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
(Aaron Doster, Imagn Images)
47
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
(Aaron Doster, Imagn Images)
48
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
49
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
(James Carey Lauder, Imagn Images)
50
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
(Bob DeChiara, Imagn Images)
51
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
52
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
53
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
(Russell LaBounty, -Imagn Images)
54
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
55
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
56
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
(Sergei Belski, Imagn Images)
57
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
58
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
(James Carey Lauder, Imagn Images)
59
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
(Robert Edwards, Imagn Images)
60
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images)
61
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
62
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
63
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
64
/64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 7: Chicago's Nick Foligno fights with Florida's A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
(Carmen Mandato, Getty Images)
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
-
Regulation wins
-
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
-
Total wins
-
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
-
Goal differential
-
Total goals
How NHL tiebreakers affect the Atlantic Division race
The Lightning and Sabres entered Wednesday's game tied with 39 regulation wins, so that would go to the second tiebreaker. Tampa Bay leads 44 to 42 in ROW, giving it the division lead. The Canadiens have only 32 regulation wins and can't catch the other two teams in that category, so they'd have to finish ahead of the Lightning and Sabres in points to finish first or second in the division.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Buffalo plays on Wednesday and Thursday, April 9, while Tampa Bay visits Montreal on Thursday.
How NHL tiebreakers affect the Pacific Division race
Edmonton leads Vegas 30-28 in regulation wins and in ROW 39-35, so the Golden Knights will have to finish with more points or regulation wins than the Oilers to win the division. Anaheim has only 24 regulation wins.
How NHL tiebreakers affect the race for the Eastern Conference top seed
The Carolina Hurricanes have 106 points, but if the Lightning or Sabres can catch them, they have three more regulation wins than the Hurricanes.
How NHL tiebreakers affect the Eastern Conference wild-card race
The Boston Bruins (96 points) and Ottawa Senators (92) hold the two spots, with four other teams within five points of Ottawa. The Senators have the most regulation wins in that group (35) with only the Washington Capitals (33) able to catch them in that category, but they're five points back. Ottawa would take the first wild-card slot if they and Boston are tied in points at season's end.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
How NHL tiebreakers affect the Western Conference wild-card race
The Utah Mammoth (88 points) are trending toward finishing with the first wild-card spot. The Nashville Predators (84) are sitting in the second wild-card spot, but they have played one or two more games than their closest pursuers: the Los Angeles Kings (83), San Jose Sharks (81), Winnipeg Jets (80) and St. Louis Blues (78).
The Kings currently have only 19 regulation wins, so they'd lose out in the event of a tie. The Predators have 27, the Sharks have 25, the Jets have 27 and the Blues have 29. The Sharks have the most ROW at 35 if it comes down to a second tiebreaker.
Nashville and Winnipeg are currently tied in regulation wins and ROW, but the Predators have three more total wins. If it comes down to a fourth tiebreaker between those teams. the Jets have the edge in the season series.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
How NHL tiebreakers affect the second seed in the Central Division
The Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild first-round series is the only one that is set, but home-ice advantage hasn't been determined. The Stars lead by two points and by an insurmountable five regulation wins, so the Wild can't win a tiebreaker. They would get home ice only if they finish with more points.
The teams play in Dallas on Thursday, April 9.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How NHL tiebreakers could affect 2026 playoff bracket, standings
