After a convincing win over the San Jose Sharks Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers can clinch a seventh straight trip to the playoffs while idle on Thursday.
The Oilers are one of four teams who could clinch a postseason berth, along with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and Utah Mammoth. The Colorado Avalanche can also secure the Presidents’ Trophy on Thursday as they face the Calgary Flames.
The Oilers need a perfect parlay of three games to come together to punch their ticket. Edmonton will clinch if the Anaheim Ducks defeat the Sharks in any fashion, the Utah Mammoth defeat the Nashville Predators in regulation and if Winnipeg Jets fail to defeat the St. Louis Blues in regulation.
Edmonton would become the fourth team in the Western Conference - and first in the Pacific Division - to clinch if it all comes together, joining the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. The Central Division’s Mammoth will clinch with a regulation win over the Predators and a Ducks win over the Sharks in any fashion.
The Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division entering play Thursday, have the simplest path into the playoffs, needing a win over the New Jersey Devils in any fashion.
The Penguins can also clinch with a point against the Devils and Buffalo Sabres win in any fashion over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Pittsburgh could also clinch with a regulation loss if the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the New York Islanders in any fashion and Buffalo beats Columbus in regulation.
The Boston Bruins, who currently sit in the top wild-card spot in the East, can clinch while idle Thursday if the Maple Leafs top the Islanders in regulation and the Philadelphia Flyers defeat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation and the Sabres beat the Blue Jackets in regulation.
The Eastern Conference playoff picture currently has the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens with their spots confirmed.
The Avalanche, who could only be caught by the Hurricanes in the Presidents’ Trophy race, will secure it for the first time since 2021 with a win over the Flames, or a point against Calgary and a Chicago Blackhawks win in any fashion over Carolina, or if the Blackhawks defeat the Hurricanes in regulation.
