Oilers Knock Down Utah, Avalanche Roar — Bubble Watch Tightens

Edmonton's 5-2 win over Utah is the headline: a timing punch in the West's clustered picture, and Colorado's 6-2 rout of Pittsburgh underlines how seeding is starting to separate the locks from the chasers. Below: scores, what changed for the playoff math, and the next games that matter for the bubble teams.

March 25

• EDM (80–90%Exact) def. UTA (90–100%Exact) 5-2. Edmonton's road victory narrows the momentum gap; Edmonton stands at 80–90%Exact while Utah remains the safer bet at 90–100%Exact. The result makes the Oilers' push toward a top-three West finish more palpable and forces Utah to protect margin in remaining games.
• ANA (90–100%Exact) def. VAN (0–10%Exact) 5-3. Anaheim's win seals nothing new in Anaheim's projections — they're locked at 90–100%Exact — while Vancouver sits at 0–10%Exact and effectively exits contention after another loss.

March 24

• OTT (60–70%Exact) def. DET (40–50%Exact) 3-2. Ottawa's close victory leans the balance toward the Sens at 60–70%Exact and pushes Detroit deeper into must-win territory at 40–50%Exact. Tight, late-game finishes like this swing practical control of the Atlantic bubble to Ottawa.
• MTL (90–100%Exact) def. CAR (90–100%Exact) 5-2. Montreal's 5-2 win is a statement against a locked-in Carolina; MTL sits at 90–100%Exact and gains separation in projected points, while Carolina's 90–100%Exact status keeps its seeding safe for now.
• FLA (0–10%Exact) def. SEA (20–30%Exact) 5-4. Florida's win is a one-off lifeline — FLA remains at 0–10%Exact despite the victory — while Seattle stays a distant 20–30%Exact and can't afford many more slip-ups.
• CHI (0–10%Exact) def. NYI (40–50%Exact) 4-3. Chicago's upset keeps their tiny hope alive at 0–10%Exact; the Islanders fall to 40–50%Exact and now face pressure to convert chances into points to climb out of the mid-40s.
• CBJ (80–90%Exact) def. PHI (10–20%Exact) 3-2. Columbus's win boosts confidence for a team at 80–90%Exact while Philadelphia at 10–20%Exact is slipping toward elimination if this level of inconsistency continues.
• COL (90–100%Exact) def. PIT (70–80%Exact) 6-2. Colorado's 6-2 blowout is seed-protecting surgery: COL is locked at 90–100%Exact and project points are rising, while Pittsburgh sits at 70–80%Exact and needs steadier results to keep pace with the top West clubs.

Playoff implications — straight to the point

• Locks: Colorado (90–100%Exact), Carolina (90–100%Exact), Anaheim (90–100%Exact) — their recent wins simply reinforce their positions.
• Bubble movers: Montreal (90–100%Exact) and Columbus (80–90%Exact) strengthened their cases; Edmonton (80–90%Exact) gained tangible ground on Utah (90–100%Exact) with a signature win.
• On thin ice: Detroit (40–50%Exact) and New York Islanders (40–50%Exact) are running out of margin for error; Ottawa (60–70%Exact) now holds clearer control of its climb.
• Longshots and out: Florida (0–10%Exact), Chicago (0–10%Exact) remain longshots despite wins, and Vancouver (0–10%Exact) is out of the race.

What's next

• Edmonton (80–90%Exact) vs. Utah (90–100%Exact) rematch implications — head-to-head swing potential for seeding.
• Pittsburgh (70–80%Exact) needs steadiness to keep pace with locked Colorado (90–100%Exact) in remaining divisional games.
• Detroit (40–50%Exact) faces must-win opportunities against playoff-adjacent clubs like Ottawa (60–70%Exact) to survive the bubble.
• Islanders (40–50%Exact) and Philadelphia (10–20%Exact) must string wins before the calendar runs out; every point matters.