NHL Games Today March 14: Schedule, Previews & Scores | 2026

The NHL games today deliver one of the biggest Saturday slates of the 2025-26 season — 14 matchups spanning from a 1 PM ET opening faceoff all the way through a pair of 10 PM puck drops on the West Coast. The headliners? Nathan MacKinnon and the league-leading Avalanche rolling into Winnipeg, a heavyweight Eastern Conference clash between the Hurricanes and Lightning in Tampa, and the Sabres hosting a Maple Leafs team that just lost Auston Matthews for the rest of the year. We’ve also got Macklin Celebrini nine points from teenage history, Matthew Schaefer four goals from a record that’s stood since 1989, and the Stars carrying a 14-game point streak into a date with Detroit. Check below for complete NHL scores today, game previews, broadcast info, and everything you need for tonight’s action.

Fourteen games. Playoff implications everywhere. And a Saturday afternoon start on ABC to kick things off. This is about as packed as the NHL schedule gets outside of opening night.

NHL Games Today — Complete Saturday Schedule

Here’s every game on the board for March 14, 2026, with start times (all Eastern) and broadcast info:

Two nationally televised games in the United States — Bruins-Capitals on ABC at 3 PM, and five games airing on Canadian national broadcasts. The 7 PM ET window is absolutely stacked with six simultaneous matchups.

Top 5 Must-Watch Matchups Tonight

1. Avalanche at Jets — 4:00 PM ET

This one’s a mismatch on paper, and the recent form backs it up. Colorado (44-11-9, 97 points) sits five points clear of Dallas atop both the Central Division and the entire NHL standings. Nathan MacKinnon dropped a four-point night Thursday in a 5-1 demolition of Seattle — including his league-leading 44th goal — and Nazem Kadri buried his first goal since the trade deadline reunion with the Avalanche.

The Avs have won six of their last seven. They’re the best team in hockey by any metric you want to use.

Winnipeg (26-28-10) is the polar opposite. The Jets have lost two straight, allowed 10 goals in those two defeats, and sit 12th in the Western Conference. This was a team that opened the season on a historic heater and has completely fallen apart. Colorado should roll here, but the Jets are desperate — and desperation can make for ugly hockey.

2. Hurricanes at Lightning — 7:00 PM ET

The best game of the night on paper. Carolina (41-18-6, 88 points) leads the entire Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay (40-20-4, 84 points) sits third in the East and second in the Atlantic — just two points behind Buffalo.

Nikita Kucherov just became the 100th player in NHL history to reach 1,100 career points, doing it in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over Detroit. He’s at 106 points this season (34G, 72A) and very much in the Art Ross conversation. Seth Jarvis leads the Canes with 28 goals and Carolina has gone 7-3-0 over their last 10 games, averaging 3.8 goals per contest.

This is a potential first-round playoff preview. Both teams know it.

3. Maple Leafs at Sabres — 7:00 PM ET

The story here isn’t the matchup. It’s the absence.

Toronto (28-27-11) plays its first game without Auston Matthews, who was ruled out for the rest of the season Friday with a Grade 3 MCL tear suffered on Radko Gudas’ knee-on-knee hit Thursday. The Leafs are 1-6-2 in their last nine games, sit third-to-last in the Eastern Conference, and now face a Buffalo team that’s having the best season in franchise history.

The Sabres (40-20-6) lead the Atlantic Division by two points and are on track to end a 14-year playoff drought. Their eight-game winning streak snapped Thursday with a 2-1 loss to Washington, but they should have no trouble with a depleted Toronto roster. This feels like a statement game for Buffalo and an ugly one for the Leafs.

4. Bruins at Capitals — 3:00 PM ET (ABC)

The afternoon national TV game features a Boston team in free fall on the road. The Bruins (36-23-6) hold the second Eastern Conference Wild Card by a single point over Columbus, but they’ve gone 0-3-4 in their last seven away games. That’s brutal for a team trying to lock down a playoff spot.

David Pastrnak is doing his part — 78 points (24G, 54A) in 60 games with a four-game point streak — but he’s getting very little help on the road. Washington (33-27-7) is 20-11-3 at home and sits five points behind Boston. A Capitals win here closes that gap significantly. The Wild Card race in the East runs directly through this game.

5. Sharks at Canadiens — 7:00 PM ET

Macklin Celebrini is the reason to watch this game. The 19-year-old Sharks phenom has 91 points (33G, 58A) in 63 games and sits nine points from becoming the sixth teenager in NHL history to hit 100 points in a season. The last teenager to do it? Sidney Crosby in 2006-07 with 120 points.

Celebrini’s seven-game point streak is the longest active run in the league by a teenager, and he reached 90 points in the third-fewest games in NHL history — trailing only Crosby (54 games) and Wayne Gretzky (56 games). San Jose (31-26-6) has become one of the most fun teams in hockey purely because of this kid.

Montreal (36-18-10) won’t make it easy at home, but this is Celebrini’s stage. Every game is a chance to etch his name alongside the greatest teenagers to ever play.

Rookie Watch: Schaefer and Celebrini Chase History

Two of the best rookie seasons in recent memory are happening simultaneously, and both players have games tonight.

Yes, Celebrini is technically a second-year player (he played 24 games as an 18-year-old last season), so he’s Calder-ineligible. But Schaefer is very much in the Calder Trophy conversation — and the 18-year-old defenseman’s chase of Brian Leetch’s 1988-89 record of 23 goals by a rookie blueliner is one of the best stories in hockey right now. He needs four more goals with roughly 19 games remaining. Tonight’s matchup against Calgary gives him another chance.

Key Takeaways for Tonight’s NHL Slate

• 14 games on the schedule — the busiest Saturday of March, with action from 1 PM to well past midnight ET.
• MacKinnon leads the league with 44 goals after a four-point night Thursday. Colorado’s 97 points are the most in the NHL.
• Kucherov hit 1,100 career points Tuesday and has 106 points this season. The Art Ross race is heating up between him, MacKinnon, and Celebrini.
• The Leafs play their first game without Matthews — and they’re facing the Atlantic Division leaders in Buffalo. Toronto’s 13.8% playoff odds just got worse.
• Dallas carries a 14-game point streak (13-0-1) into the Red Wings game. Jason Robertson has 78 points (36G, 42A) and is scorching hot with 15 points in his last 10.
• JT Miller is expected back for the Rangers against Minnesota after missing five games with an upper-body injury. Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin remain out indefinitely.
• The Eastern Conference Wild Card race could shift tonight — Boston (73 pts) leads Columbus (72 pts) by one point, and the Bruins are on the road where they can’t win.

Last Night’s NHL Scores — March 13 Results

Before we get to tonight, here’s what happened across the league on Thursday:

• Toronto 6, Anaheim 4 — The Leafs snapped an eight-game winless streak, but lost Matthews to a season-ending knee injury on a Gudas hit. Gudas received a five-game suspension Friday.
• Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 1 — Kucherov recorded two assists to reach 1,100 career points. The Lightning moved into sole possession of third in the East.
• St. Louis 3, Edmonton 2 (OT) — Robert Thomas scored with nine seconds left in overtime on a wrist shot. The Oilers have now lost two of three.
• Los Angeles 3, NY Islanders 2 — Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 26th goal. The Kings improved to 26-23-15 with Panarin continuing to gel.
• Colorado 5, Seattle 1 — MacKinnon’s four-point night (1G, 3A) powered the Avs. Kadri scored his first goal since the deadline trade return.

Check back later tonight for updated NHL scores today as all 14 Saturday games wrap up.

Other Games Worth Watching Tonight

Red Wings at Stars — 8:00 PM ET

Dallas (41-14-10, 92 points) is riding the second-longest point streak in franchise history at 14 games (13-0-1). Jason Robertson matched his single-game career high with a four-point night (2G, 2A) against Edmonton on Wednesday, pushing his season total to 78 points (36G, 42A). He’s surpassed last year’s 35-goal total with 17 games still remaining. Detroit (36-23-7) is solid this year and fighting for a playoff spot, but the Stars at home during this kind of streak are a tough ask for anyone.

Rangers at Wild — 6:00 PM ET

JT Miller is expected to return to the lineup after five games on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He’ll slot back in alongside Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault on the top line. But the Rangers are still without Adam Fox (indefinite) and Igor Shesterkin (indefinite) — two franchise cornerstones — making every game an uphill battle. Minnesota is fighting for positioning in a packed Central Division.

Ducks at Senators — 1:00 PM ET

The day’s first game features an Anaheim team leading the Pacific Division by one point over Vegas and two over Edmonton — but playing without Radko Gudas, who begins his five-game suspension for the Matthews kneeing incident. The Ducks (36-26-3) haven’t won a division title since 2016-17, and every game without Gudas on the blue line matters. Beckett Sennecke (51 points) leads the Calder Trophy race for the Ducks.

Late-Night Action

The West Coast window brings Seattle at Vancouver (10 PM ET) in a Pacific Division matchup with playoff implications for both clubs, and Chicago at Vegas (10 PM ET) where the Golden Knights need every point they can get in a tight Pacific race. Pittsburgh visits Utah at 9 PM ET in a game between two teams on opposite sides of the playoff bubble.

Tonight’s Playoff Race Implications

Almost every game on tonight’s NHL games today schedule carries playoff weight. Here’s where things stand heading into Saturday:

Eastern Conference:

• Atlantic: Buffalo (86 pts) leads Tampa Bay (84 pts) by two. Tonight’s CAR-TBL game could shake up the seeding. Toronto (67 pts) is essentially eliminated.
• Metropolitan: Carolina (88 pts) is running away with it. The Islanders (79 pts) are locked in a battle with Columbus, Philadelphia, and New Jersey for positioning.
• Wild Card: Boston (73 pts) clings to the second spot by one point over Columbus (72 pts). The Bruins can’t afford another road loss — especially on national TV.

Western Conference:

• Central: Colorado (97 pts) is untouchable. Dallas (92 pts) is locked into second. Winnipeg (62 pts) has fallen completely out of contention.
• Pacific: Anaheim (75 pts) leads Vegas (74 pts) and Edmonton (73 pts) in the tightest division race in hockey. One loss can flip the entire standings.

What’s Next — Sunday’s NHL Schedule

After tonight’s marathon, the NHL takes a slightly lighter approach on Sunday with a smaller slate. But the playoff races won’t slow down — every point matters from now until April. Keep checking back for updated NHL scores today as results roll in throughout the evening, and follow all the storylines from tonight’s 14-game Saturday on nhltraderumorstalk.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What NHL games are on today March 14?

There are 14 NHL games on Saturday, March 14, 2026. The slate begins with Anaheim at Ottawa at 1 PM ET and wraps up with Seattle at Vancouver and Chicago at Vegas, both at 10 PM ET. Key matchups include Colorado at Winnipeg, Carolina at Tampa Bay, and Toronto at Buffalo.

What time do NHL games start today?

The first puck drops at 1:00 PM ET (Ducks at Senators), followed by the national TV game on ABC at 3:00 PM ET (Bruins at Capitals). The bulk of games begin at 7:00 PM ET, with late-night action starting at 9:00 and 10:00 PM ET.

What channel are NHL games on today?

Bruins at Capitals airs on ABC at 3 PM ET. Maple Leafs at Sabres is on NHL Network and CBC. Multiple games stream on ESPN+. Regional sports networks carry the remaining matchups, including Sportsnet broadcasts for Canadian audiences.

What were last night’s NHL scores?

March 13 results: Toronto 6, Anaheim 4 (Matthews injured); Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 1 (Kucherov 1,100 career points); St. Louis 3, Edmonton 2 in OT; Los Angeles 3, NY Islanders 2; Colorado 5, Seattle 1 (MacKinnon 4-point night).

Is Auston Matthews playing tonight?

No. Matthews was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on Friday after suffering a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion from a knee-on-knee hit by Anaheim’s Radko Gudas on Thursday. Toronto plays at Buffalo without their captain tonight.