Postseason action begins in the National Basketball Association with the start of the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament. We also have more regular-season action to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And, of course, there will be MLB games to tune into. Here are the biggest North American sporting events taking place on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026.
NHL
New Jersey Devils @ Boston Bruins at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN+.
The 16 teams are set for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, we just need to figure out seeding. The Devils have been out of postseason contention for a while, but the B's still have a lot at stake, with this being their last regular-season game of the season. If Boston wins, they’ll be locked into the first Wild Card spot and have a date with the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs. If the Bruins lose, then they'll have to see how the Ottawa Senators fare against the Maple Leafs tomorrow before finding out who their first postseason opponent is. But that will all be a moot point if Boston doesn’t win tonight.
One question that will be answered: With nothing to play for, will the Devils hold the Bruins to fewer than three goals, which is what Boston has averaged each game since March 1st?
Montreal Canadiens @ Philadelphia Flyers at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN+.
Both of these squads have qualified for the postseason, and the Flyers are set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Canadiens' opponent has yet to be determined. Montreal is tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning at 106 points apiece. Should the Habs win, they'll move ahead of Tampa and potentially have the home-ice advantage over the Lightning in the playoffs. That postseason matchup will depend on what Tampa does on Wednesday, but if the Canadiens can't take care of business tonight, then Tampa will almost certainly be the home team in their playoff series.
One question that will be answered: Considering the Flyers and Canadiens rank second and fifth in the league in goals allowed per game since March 1st (2.45 and 2.64, respectively), will three goals be enough for one of these teams to win?
Anaheim Ducks @ Minnesota Wild at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN+.
The Wild are set to go against the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Ducks' postseason matchup is still up in the air. With two games left on their regular-season schedule, Anaheim can finish anywhere from first place to fourth place in the Pacific Division. Since the top-four Pacific teams are all within four points of each other, this game will have a massive impact on who faces whom in the Western Conference Playoffs.
One question that will be answered: Will Anaheim's seventh-ranked offense (3.09 goals per game since March 1st) or Minnesota's 12th-ranked goaltending (2.86 goals allowed per game since March 1st) prevail tonight?
MLB
Miami Marlins @ Atlanta Braves at 7:15 p.m. EDT on MLB.TV.
The race for the NL East is heating up now that the Braves and Marlins are both over .500. Yesterday, Miami schellacked Atlanta 10-4 to take the first contest in this three-game series. With a win tonight, the Marlins will overtake the Braves for first place in their division. However, Atlanta will be sending out one of its best starting pitchers when Reynaldo López takes the mound, his first expected start since he was suspended for the benches-clearing brawl between the Braves and the Los Angeles Angels last week.
One question that will be answered: Can Reynaldo López continue his stellar start to the season (1.15 ERA) against a Braves squad that leads the MLB in hits (160)?
Seattle Mariners @ San Diego Padres at 9:40 p.m. EDT on ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV.
After the Athletics' loss yesterday, the Padres are in sole possession of the longest active winning streak in the Majors (five games). San Diego is desperately trying to catch the Dodgers, who are two games ahead of them for the best record in baseball. Meanwhile, the Mariners need another win if they want to get back to .500 for the first time since April 3rd. Seattle helped itself with a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros. Now, they'll have to prove their mettle against the second-best team in the NL.
One question that will be answered: Will Seattle's Bryan Woo and his 1.50 ERA (tied for 11th in the MLB) be too much for San Diego's 11th-ranked offense (74 runs scored)?
Texas Rangers @ Athletics at 9:40 p.m. EDT on MLB.TV.
The Rangers made a big statement with the 8-1 drubbing they put on the Athletics yesterday. That game quickly got out of hand after the A's gave up three runs in the top of the first inning. Texas will be turning to arguably its best pitcher in MacKenzie Gore as he looks to improve on his team-leading 2.76 ERA. However, the Athletics come into tonight's game prepared with their best starter, Jeffrey Springs, taking the mound. His 1.47 ERA is good for tenth in baseball right now.
One question that will be answered: In a battle between two pitchers who have gotten off to hot starts, will the Rangers and Athletics combine for at least two runs through the first three innings of this game?
New York Mets @ Los Angeles Dodgers at 10:10 p.m. EDT on MLB.TV.
Things are NOT going well for the Mets to kick off the 2026 season. As a team with championship aspirations, they're 7-10 and riding the second-longest active losing streak in the MLB at six games. After getting blanked by the Dodgers last night, they'll have an even tougher task today going against reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The good news is that New York's 24-year-old ace, Nolan McLean, and his 2.70 ERA get the start tonight for the Amazins.
One question that will be answered: Will Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch at least six innings tonight, even if he allows the Mets to score multiple runs?
NBA
2026 NBA Play-In Tournament: # 10 Miami Heat @ #9 Charlotte Hornets at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Amazon Prime Video.
For a chance to keep their seasons alive, the Hornets and Heat will face off for the fifth time this year. The winner will advance to the next round of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, where they’ll face the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic matchup for the last playoff spot in the East. Unfortunately, the losing team's season will end in disappointment as they fall short of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. We'll have a better understanding of how the postseason will look after the Heat and Hornets play tonight.
One question that will be answered: Can Miami's 28th-ranked defense (125.7 rating since April 1st) do enough to contain Charlotte's ninth-ranked offense (121.7 rating since April 1st)?
2026 NBA Play-In Tournament: Portland Trail Blazers @ Phoenix Suns at 10:00 p.m. EDT on Amazon Prime Video.
Later tonight, on the other side of the United States, either Phoenix or Portland will clinch a playoff berth as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. It could be the Trail Blazers, who are 7-3 in their last ten games. Then again, the Suns have a better record and are 3-2 in their last five outings. Regardless, one of these teams will have a date with the San Antonio Spurs when the NBA Playoffs officially begin on Saturday.
One question that will be answered: With Portland scoring the fewest points in the league since April 1st (589) and Phoenix ranking 28th in the NBA in that category (652), will 100 points be enough for one of these teams to win this game?
