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NHL playoff watch: What’s at stake in each Monday matchup
The 2025-26 NHL regular season is approaching its final day, and for many of the teams playing on Monday, their fate vis-a-vis the postseason has been sealed — whether with a playoff spot, or a guaranteed entry into the 2026 NHL draft lottery taking place on May 5.
But, there are many seeds that have yet to be locked in ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs beginning on ESPN this Saturday, and the draft lottery order has yet to be finalized as well.
So without any further preamble, let’s get to what’s at stake in each of Monday’s 10 games. Jump ahead to clinching scenarios.


Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning
7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Lightning remain in the thick of the battle for the top seed in the Atlantic Division, which would earn a matchup with the Bruins or Senators in Round 1. If they finish second or third, they’ll take on the Sabres or Canadiens. All three teams have either 104 or 106 points, and the Sabres have an edge by one in the regulation wins column. Detroit was eliminated from postseason possibilities with a loss to the Devils on Saturday, and their first-round pick belongs to the Blues. Currently that pick is 14th overall, but these last two games (and the draft lottery) will determine where it ultimately lands.

New York Rangers at Florida Panthers
7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Speaking of the draft lottery, the Rangers moved up into third with the Flames’ win on Sunday (based on tiebreakers). However, that is as high as they can get, as the Blackhawks have 70 points (to the Rangers’ 75) with two games left. The Panthers are seventh in the draft lottery order with two games to go, one back of the Kraken and two back of the Maple Leafs in fifth.

Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers
7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Unsurprisingly, the Hurricanes have locked in yet another Metro Division title, and are closing in on clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference. A win of any kind or an overtime/shootout loss gets it done. The Flyers, surprisingly, charged their way into a playoff spot in recent weeks. A win for them of any variety clinches their spot in the playoffs, and a first-round series against the Penguins. An OT/shootout loss knocks out the Blue Jackets. A regulation loss for Philly makes the Capitals-Blue Jackets game on Tuesday very interesting, and makes the Flyers’ game against the Canadiens a must-win.


Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Dallas is locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Central Division, with home-ice advantage against the Wild in Round 1; based on what we saw in the two teams’ matchup last week, this is going to be a great series! The Maple Leafs are in a captivating spot; their 2026 first-round pick will be shipping up to Boston… unless it lands in the Top 5. They are currently fifth in the draft lottery order, so if nothing changes (and no teams jump into the first five picks due to the lottery), they keep it. If they earn some points with wins or OT/shootout losses down the stretch, they might lose it. (And Maple Leafs fans might “lose it,” too.)


Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues
8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Wild are locked in as the No. 3 seed, skating against the Stars in Round 1, and don’t have a shot to break their franchise record in points, either; the current title holder there is the 2021-22 team that racked up 113. The Blues are right in the middle of the draft lottery order right now, in eighth position with 80 points and 30 regulation wins; based on their final three games — and those of the teams near them — they can finish as high in the lottery order as fifth, or as low as 11th.


San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators
8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Sharks have very little wiggle room to make a courageous run into the playoffs. In order to land ahead of the Kings and Predators, they either need five points in their final three games with L.A. and Nashville getting none in its final slate; or, three wins in three games if Nashville or L.A. subsequently loses one of its final two games in OT/shootout. They’ll control their own fate here against the Preds, but the Kings play the three worst teams in the Pacific in their final three. With 86 points banked, the Predators have a slightly better shot to earn the wild card, but again… L.A. faces Seattle, Calgary and Vancouver.


Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks
8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Sabres are currently top dog in the Atlantic, and control their own destiny in staying there. On the other side, the Blackhawks are locked in to the No. 2 position in the draft lottery order, meaning they will pick no worse than No. 4 overall in June’s first round.


Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Avs clinched the Presidents’ Trophy — and home-ice advantage as long as they remain in the playoffs — last week, and will skate against the Western Conference’s second wild card (L.A., Nashville, San Jose or Winnipeg). The Oilers dropped out of the top spot in the Pacific over the weekend, but can get back on top if they make up one point on the Golden Knights, as they hold the regulation wins tiebreaker.


Los Angeles Kings at Seattle Kraken
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Despite some shakiness earlier this season, the Kings have put the pedal to the metal in recent play, going 6-1-3 in their last 10 to take control of the second wild card in the West. A win here eliminates both the Jets and the Sharks — what a West Side story that would be — and if Nashville loses in regulation to San Jose, the wild-card spot would be clinched for L.A. If not, the Kings get another chance to clinch on Tuesday, against the Canucks.


Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights
10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
The Jets are in a similar spot to the Sharks when it comes to making a run into the playoffs; they need to win here and then a lot of help elsewhere to pull it off. The Golden Knights are heating up at the right time, and are undefeated in regulation since hiring John Tortorella to replace Bruce Cassidy. A win here combined with an Oilers’ loss to the Avalanche would clinch the Pacific; if both of those things don’t happen, we’ll have to wait until Wednesday (and maybe Thursday) to learn the identity of the division champ.
Every team has three or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes on Thursday, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Buffalo Sabres vs. WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Montreal Canadiens vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Ottawa Senators
M2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers
Western Conference
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Los Angeles Kings
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Utah Mammoth
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Anaheim Ducks
Today’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
New York Rangers at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers, 9:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Seattle Kraken, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
Clinching scenarios
The Flyers clinch a playoff spot (No. 3 seed in the Metro), and would be locked in to a playoff series against the No. 2 seeded Penguins if they beat the Hurricanes in any fashion.
The idle Ducks will secure a playoff ticket if the Sharks beat the Predators in any fashion.
The Kings earn their spot in the postseason if they beat the Kraken in any fashion, and the Sharks defeat the Preds in regulation.
The Hurricanes clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference if they win or lose in overtime/shootout to the Flyers, or if the Blackhawks defeat the Sabres in any fashion.
The Sabres clinch the Atlantic Division title if:
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They beat the Blackhawks in regulation, and with any result in Lightning-Red Wings other than a regulation win for the Lightning
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They beat the Blackhawks in OT/shootout, and the Red Wings beat the Lightning in any fashion
Last night’s scoreboard
Washington Capitals 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
Montreal Canadiens 4, New York Islanders 1
Boston Bruins 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
New Jersey Devils 4, Ottawa Senators 3 (OT)
Vancouver Canucks 4, Anaheim Ducks 3 (OT)
Calgary Flames 4, Utah Mammoth 1
Expanded standings
Note: An “x” with a team’s name means the club has clinched a playoff spot; a “y” means that they have clinched the division; a “z” indicates that they have clinched the best record in the conference; a “p” means they have clinched the top overall seed. An “e” means that the club has been mathematically eliminated. Teams clinch a playoff spot when their magic number reaches zero and are mathematically eliminated when their tragic number reaches zero.
Atlantic Division
Metro Division
Central Division
Pacific Division
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Atop draft boards for this summer is Gavin McKenna, a forward for Penn State.
*Note: The Maple Leafs’ pick belongs to the Bruins, unless it lands in the top five. The Panthers’ pick belongs to the Flames, unless it lands in the top 10. The Red Wings’ pick belongs to the Blues, unconditionally.
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CBS, NBC & ABC Evening News Ratings Show Big Swings
What To Know
- All three major evening news programs—ABC, NBC, and CBS—saw week-over-week declines in both total viewers and the key demo.
- ABC World News Tonight maintained its lead in both total viewers and the 25-54 demo.
- CBS Evening News continued to lag behind its competitors, experiencing the largest weekly declines in both total viewers and the demo.
The evening news ratings are in for the first full week of May, and it was a week of declines across the board for CBS, NBC, and ABC.
According to AdWeek, citing national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir held onto the top spot in both total viewers and the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic for the week beginning May 4.
The show averaged 8.183 million total viewers and 976,000 demo viewers. This was down 1 percent in total viewers and down 3 percent in the key demo compared to the previous week. However, numbers were up year over year, with a 13 percent increase in total viewers and a 1 percent rise in the demo compared to the same period in 2025.
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas remained in the No. 2 spot, averaging 6.125 million total viewers and 903,000 demo viewers. Compared to the week before, the show was down 2 percent in total viewers and down 3 percent in the demo. However, much like World News Night, the program was up from 2025, with a 9 percent increase in total viewers and a 14 percent bump in the demo.
Meanwhile, CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil trailed its competition, averaging 3.702 million total viewers and 473,000 demo viewers. The show was down 4 percent in total viewers and down 13 percent in the key demo compared to the week prior.
Evening News, which has made headlines in recent weeks for dropping below 4 million viewers, was up 2 percent among total viewers compared to the same period last year. However, the program dropped 6 percent in the 25-54 demo.
Dokoupil took over as Evening News anchor on January 5 after he was promoted from CBS Mornings by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
CBS Evening News, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, CBS
NBC Nightly News, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, NBC
ABC World News Tonight, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, ABC
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Britney Spears’ ‘Ruff’ Dinner Turns Heads at L.A. Restaurant
8:21 AM PT — A rep for Britney tells TMZ … “This is completely blown out of proportion. Britney was enjoying a quiet dinner with her assistant and bodyguard. She was simply telling the story about how her dog was barking at the neighbors.”
They continue, “At no point did she put anyone in danger with a knife. She was cutting her hamburger in half. This constant attack on everything that she does and this is exactly what happened 20 years ago when the media tried to depict Britney as a bad person. This is ridiculous and it needs to stop now.”
Britney Spears enjoyed a night out with friends at a Los Angeles area restaurant … but TMZ has learned things got erratic fast — with barking, yelling and even a knife involved.
Here’s the deal … sources tell us the Princess of Pop grabbed a corner table with a man and a woman at Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks Wednesday night … and quickly started causing a scene.
We’re told Britney was raising her voice, screaming, and even barking at times … with witnesses describing the vibe as chaotic and “kind of sad” … though she still looked cute.
At one point, a restaurant patron tells us Britney walked by their table holding a knife, sparking fear she might accidently stab someone. The witness says they believe Britney may have simply forgotten to put it down at her table.
We’re also told the singer lit a cigarette inside near the door … prompting staff to intervene and ask her companion to have her put it out.
As for food, we’re told Britney ordered a burger and fries but barely ate, mostly picking at the fries. Plenty of food was left behind, along with what appeared to be orange juice.
We’re told Britney and the man she was with were feeding each other and she told him, “I love you” … though it’s unclear whether she meant it or was just being playful.
The aftermath wasn’t pretty either … one guest said the area under her table looked “like a toddler had been there.”
TMZ obtained a photo from the table after Britney left … showing a crumpled, folded-up menu left behind amid the messy scene.
Despite all the commotion, we’re told most diners didn’t even realize it was Britney until after she left — at which point it became the talk of the restaurant, with people saying it was something that would “only happen in L.A.”
Our sources say Britney was taken home by her security.
As you know, it was less than 2 weeks ago Britney got her March DUI charge dropped after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors, which allowed the charge to be reduced to a “wet reckless.” In her deal, she agreed to be on probation for 12 months and only possess drugs she is prescribed.
She’s also ordered to continue with mental health and substance abuse treatment, including meeting with a psychologist once a week and a psychiatrist twice a month.
We broke the news — the pop superstar went to rehab at Borden Cottage in Camden, Maine, a rural facility that provided her with substance abuse and mental health services following her DUI arrest.
She has since announced she is on a “spiritual journey” which has her learning how to be kind to herself.
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Does Angelina Pivarnick Have a Baby? Fertility Journey Updates

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation returned with its final MTV season on May 7, and Angelina Pivarnick dropped a bombshell on Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi. She revealed that she was single and having unprotected sex with multiple men.
“I would definitely welcome a pregnancy in my life right now,” Angelina admitted. “It’s something I always wanted in my life. I always wanted to be a mom, and I want to start my own family because I don’t have my own family.”
In fact, Angelina was so ready for a pregnancy, that she even purchased donor sperm and began the early consultation stages for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The episode ended with Angelina taking a pregnancy test in the bathroom of Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s daughter’s first birthday party, and a previous Jersey Shore preview showed her holding up a positive pregnancy test.
This episode was filmed more than a year ago in March 2025. So, did Angelina have a baby? Scroll down for everything we know.
Does Angelina Pivarnick have a baby?
No, Angelina has seemingly not had a child. She has given no indication that she had a baby and did not appear to be pregnant in photos from after the March 2025 episode was filmed.
In September 2025, Angelina posted photos on her Instagram Story that appeared to be taken at a doctor’s office or fertility clinic, which seems to hint that she continued with her fertility journey, but a pregnancy and/or baby have not been confirmed at this time.
Angelina also confirmed in another Instagram post that she “became pregnant” at some point, but did not specify what happened with this pregnancy. She also revealed that Vinny Tortorella was not the father of that baby.
There will likely be updates on Angelina’s pregnancy and fertility journey on this season of Jersey Shore, so keep checking back for more.
Are Angelina Pivarnick and Vinny Tortorella back together?
Angelina and Vinny seemingly got back together in spring 2025. He began posting photos and videos of her on Instagram again in May, and in December 2025, she shared a photo dump with images of them in Salem. There have been no relationship updates since then, but the two still follow each other on Instagram.
The pair got engaged in November 2022, but she confirmed their breakup during the Season 7 Jersey Shore reunion in January 2025. The split was seemingly quite brief, as they were back together just months later.
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, Season 9, Thursdays, 8/7c, MTV
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