NHL Previews Today

Buffalo at 47-23-8 with 102 points is one of the best stories in the entire NHL this season, and if you told Sabres fans two years ago that their team would be rolling into Madison Square Garden in mid-April as -155 moneyline favorites with a legitimate shot at home ice throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, they would have called you delusional. But here we are. This franchise has endured over a decade of misery, lottery picks that didn't pan out, coaching changes that went nowhere, and a fanbase that was running on fumes. Now they're sitting second in the Atlantic Division with 102 points, and every game down the stretch is about building momentum for what could be the most meaningful playoff run in Buffalo since the glory days. The Sabres have earned every single one of those points, and the confidence this group is playing with right now is palpable.

New York at 33-36-9 with 75 points has been officially eliminated, and the Rangers are playing out the string in what has been an overwhelmingly disappointing season for a franchise that came into the year with legitimate Cup aspirations. The Garden faithful have watched this team underperform all year, and the atmosphere inside MSG for these final games has a strange mix of frustration and nostalgia, like a fanbase that knows the offseason is going to bring significant changes. The +130 moneyline reflects the reality that New York still has enough individual talent to steal games, but the Rangers' inconsistency has been their defining trait this season. One night they look like a team that could compete with anyone, and the next they're getting outworked by teams with half their payroll.

The 6.5 total with the over at +110 and the under at -130 tells you the market expects a game that could go either way on the scoring front, and that makes sense given the dynamics at play. Buffalo has been generating offense at an impressive clip all season, and their top line has been one of the most productive units in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres' power play has been clicking at a strong rate, and if the Rangers take penalties, Buffalo has the personnel to make them pay. On the other side, New York's offensive talent hasn't disappeared just because they're eliminated. The Rangers' top players are still capable of putting together stretches of dominant hockey, and there's always a pride factor when you're playing at home in front of the MSG crowd, even in a lost season.

The puck line at BUF -1.5 (+170) is the fascinating number in this game because it's asking whether Buffalo can win by two or more at the Garden, and the answer depends entirely on which version of the Rangers shows up. If it's the apathetic, going-through-the-motions version that's been on display for chunks of this season, then the Sabres have more than enough firepower to win comfortably. But if the Rangers decide to play spoiler, to send a message to their own front office that the core still has fight, then this becomes a much more competitive game than the moneyline suggests. Buffalo's been one of the most consistent teams in hockey all year, and that consistency is what separates good regular season teams from great ones. The Sabres aren't going to take this one lightly just because the opponent is eliminated.

Washington at 39-30-9 with 87 points is right on the wild card bubble, and every game from here until the end of the regular season is a must-win situation for the Capitals. At 87 points, Washington is fighting for playoff positioning alongside Edmonton and several other teams in what has become one of the tightest wild card races in recent memory. The Capitals have been a good but not great team all season, the kind of squad that can beat anyone on a given night but also drop games they shouldn't. That inconsistency is exactly why they find themselves in this position heading into the final week, needing to win on the road against an eliminated Toronto team that has nothing to play for except pride.

Toronto at 32-31-14 with 78 points has been eliminated from playoff contention, and this has been a season that Maple Leafs fans would rather forget entirely. The loss of Mitch Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in July 2025, left a massive hole in the Toronto lineup that the organization never adequately filled, and the ripple effects of that departure have been felt all season long. Marner's playmaking ability, his hockey IQ, and his production were irreplaceable, and without him, the Leafs' offensive identity has been searching for direction all year. The +130 moneyline makes Toronto a moderate home underdog, and that number reflects both the talent gap and the motivation gap between these two teams right now.

The 6.5 total with the over at -105 and the under at -115 is essentially a coin flip in the eyes of the market, and that's reasonable for a game that features a desperate team visiting an apathetic one. Washington's offense has enough weapons to push toward four goals against a Toronto defense that hasn't been especially stingy, and the Capitals' urgency factor should translate to a high-tempo, attacking style from the opening faceoff. Toronto, for their part, still has skilled forwards who can create chances and goaltending that can keep games close. The question is whether the Leafs care enough to compete at full intensity, and based on what we've seen from eliminated teams down the stretch, the answer is usually mixed at best.

Here's what makes this game fascinating from a hockey perspective: Washington needs these two points more than almost any other team in the league needs their two points tonight. The Capitals are staring down the barrel of missing the playoffs entirely, and for a franchise with the history and expectations that Washington carries, that's an unacceptable outcome. You can expect the Caps to come out with playoff-level intensity, throwing everything they have at Toronto from the moment the puck drops. Scotiabank Arena won't have the same electricity it would if the Leafs were in the hunt, and that should work in Washington's favor. The -155 moneyline is the right side of this one, and the Capitals' desperation should be the defining factor in a game where one team needs to win and the other is already thinking about golf.