It’s almost impossible to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race

The playoff race in the Eastern Conference is getting tighter and tighter as the 2025-26 regular season winds down. Only five points separate the Boston Bruins — who currently hold the No. 1 Wildcard spot — and the Ottawa Senators, with both the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets in between.

With teams earning points nearly every night, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be left standing.

On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss where teams stand in the East and how it feels like no one is gaining any ground.

Tyler Yaremchuk: The Eastern Conference is just so wildly competitive right now. The Senators are just scratching and clawing, getting points in nine of 10 games, and not gaining ground. Patrick Roy talked about the New York Islanders win last night: He was asked about the teams who pick up wins, and he said “I think they see us winning every night, too. That’s the way it is.”

If you look at this playoff picture, no one is really losing hockey games.

Carter Hutton: That’s the biggest issue, too. That’s why it’s so important to keep pace. I remember being on a Nashville Predators team that sat in the 10 spot, and we went 4-1-0. We looked at the standings and we didn’t even move.

Right now in the East, it seems like no one wants to blink. Montreal picks up a big win last night, the Islanders got a big win on St. Patty’s Day in Toronto. But that being said, it’s going to be a dog fight. It feels like there’s some must-win hockey going on right now; you can’t wait until later in the year or at game 80, because your desperation level needs to be high.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…