Sharks' playoff hopes: Do they have a chance at Stanley Cup Playoffs?
· Yahoo Sports
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoff race is tightening up as postseason play begins April 18.
With the regular season at its end come April 14, some teams on the outskirts of the playoffs are already prepping for their offseason while others are still fighting for their Stanley Cup hopes.
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In the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings are chasing a wild card spot, hoping to overtake the Nashville Predators, who sit in the second and final wild card spot.
It will come down to the final regular-season games.
Through 77 games, the Kings are 32-26-19 (83 points). The Sharks are right under them; through 76 games, they have a 37-32-7 record (81 points).
San Jose has a Wednesday night game against the Edmonton Oilers. That's important for many reasons.
Sharks' remaining games and playoff outlook
San Jose next plays the Edmonton Oilers, who are atop the Pacific Division, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights at 88 points but holding the tiebreaker edge. The Oilers can lead outright by gaining at least a point against the Sharks in their Wednesday matchup.
If Edmonton loses in regulation, it will fall to second in the division, getting leaped by the Golden Knights. As for San Jose, its wild card hopes will still be alive and well.
The Sharks have won five of their previous six games, including a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, April 6. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have contributed to the team's success in major ways.
They are the key components to a productive young core that needs to keep it up in their remaining six games, which includes meetings with the Anaheim Ducks and a last-place Vancouver Canucks team. To conclude the season, the Sharks face the Predators in a huge matchup and the Blackhawks again, then the Winnipeg Jets.
But with the Kings still narrowly ahead, it'll be a tough task for San Jose, a team that hasn't had a postseason appearance since 2019.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can San Jose Sharks make 2026 NHL playoffs?