Senators Eye Wild-Card Spot Amid Tight Playoff Race
The Ottawa Senators are chasing a wild-card playoff spot as they face the New York Rangers. With a challenging schedule ahead, their postseason hopes remain uncertain.
On Monday, the NHL schedule features only one game as the Ottawa Senators prepare to battle the New York Rangers at 7:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network. Despite still having a mathematical chance at the playoffs, the Rangers have not been in contention for weeks. The Senators, however, are still vying for a postseason berth.
Currently, the Senators are four points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Boston Bruins for the first wild card, and five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the third seed in the Atlantic Division.
The Senators have 12 games left this season, with seven of those against teams currently in playoff positions. Their only meeting with the Islanders, Bruins, or Canadiens will be on April 11 in Long Island. In comparison, the teams they are chasing have their own challenges ahead: the Canadiens have 13 games left with eight against playoff teams, the Bruins have 12 games with eight against playoff contenders, and the Islanders have 11 games with six against such teams.
According to Stathletes' projections, the Canadiens are expected to finish with the highest point total (101.0), securing the third spot in the Atlantic, while the Bruins (98.4) and Senators (98.0) are projected to snag the wild-card spots over the Islanders (96.0).
Should the Senators secure a wild-card position, they may pose a threat to the teams leading the Eastern Division. This season, they have struggled against these top teams: they lost both games to the Buffalo Sabres, won their only matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and lost both games to the Carolina Hurricanes, with one game left to play against each.
As the regular season approaches its conclusion on April 16, all teams have 15 or fewer games left. Regular updates on playoff races and teams competing for the 2026 NHL draft lottery will be provided.