N H L - National Hockey League

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Byfuglien's late goal lifts Jets past Sharks

 

Defenseman scores with 9.9 seconds remaining; San Jose will finish third in Pacific

 

by Eric Gilmore / NHL.com Correspondent

20 minutes ago

SAN JOSE -- Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored with 9.9 seconds left in the third period to give the Winnipeg Jets a 5-4 victory against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Thursday.

The loss assured that the Sharks will finish third in the Pacific Division and open their Western Conference First Round series on the road against the Los Angeles Kings or Anaheim Ducks.

Byfuglien's shot from the right point deflected off Sharks defenseman Brent Burns' stick in the slot and went past goaltender Martin Jones. Mark Scheifele scored two goals for the Jets; Andrew Copp and Blake Wheeler had goals late in the second period.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-defeat-san-jose-sharks/c-280197962?tid=280161004

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Blue Jackets defeat Sabres rookies

 

Columbus handles Buffalo, which had three players make NHL debut

 

NHL.com

9:38 AM

Nick Foligno and Dalton Prout scored 2:09 apart late in the second period, and the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 at First Niagara Center on Friday.

Foligno beat rookie goaltender Jason Kasdorf from the left circle at 15:16 to break a 1-1 tie. Prout made it 3-1 at 17:25, beating Kasdorf from the top of the left circle.

Matt Calvert and Brandon Saad scored, and Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves for the Blue Jackets (33-40-8). Saad reached 30 goals for the first time in his four-season NHL career. He and Boone Jenner each has 30; it's the first time the Blue Jackets have had two 30-goal scorers.

"I didn't know. Actually someone came and told me after it happened, and it's exciting," Saad told the Blue Jackets website. "I know when Boone got it, it's an exciting moment for him, and to get that and then create the history here for the franchise, it's definitely something I'll remember forever."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/blue-jackets-defeat-sabres/c-280210048?tid=280161006

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Bruins lose to Senators, then eliminated

 

Boston won't make playoffs after Philadelphia victory

 

by Matt Kalman / NHL.com Correspondent

6:14 AM

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins were left to sit and watch to see if they would make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They won't.

Boston lost to the Ottawa Senators 6-1 at TD Garden on Saturday, a result that put the Detroit Red Wings into the playoffs and left the Bruins needing the Philadelphia Flyers to get only one point in their final two games. But the Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 to earn the second Eastern Conference wild card and knock the Bruins from contention.

The Bruins (42-31-9), who played without No. 1 goaltender Tuukka Rask because of illness, missed the playoffs last season for the first time in eight years and went 3-8-1 in its last 12 games this season.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/senators-bruins-recap/c-280216520?tid=280201932

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Red Wings lose to Rangers but make playoffs

 

Detroit earns postseason berth with Boston loss to Ottawa

 

by Dan Rosen @drosennhl / NHL.com Senior Writer

6:39 AM

NEW YORK --- The news wasn't official until the Detroit Red Wings were back in the visitors dressing room at Madison Square Garden, taking off their gear following what could have been a disheartening and potential season-ending 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

With help from the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, the Red Wings clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 25th consecutive season. Ottawa's 6-1 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden was what the Red Wings needed to lock up third place in the Atlantic Division.

"It was not the most fun walk I had from the ice to the locker room," Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg said, "but the turnaround was pretty sweet."

Detroit (41-30-11) will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round. The playoffs begin Wednesday. The Lightning eliminated the Red Wings in a seven-game first-round series last season.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/red-wings-lose-to-rangers-but-clinch-playoffs-berth/c-280216300?tid=280201934

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Flyers defeat Penguins to make playoffs

 

Philadelphia clinches Eastern wild card, eliminates Boston

 

by Adam Kimelman @NHLAdamK / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

8:35 AM

PHILADELPHIA -- Even at their lowest moments, the Philadelphia Flyers never felt their season was lost.

They capped a second-half turnaround with a 3-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday that clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"From Day One we believed in the group," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "We believed in the character and the work ethic of the group. From there, it's all the players in terms of those guys digging in, sticking together, pushing each other to be better, and in terms of the regular season, it culminates with a good win that puts us into the playoffs."

Wayne Simmonds scored two goals, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had one for Philadelphia (40-27-14). Steve Mason made 18 saves.

The win eliminated the Boston Bruins, who lost 6-1 to the Ottawa Senators, from playoff contention. The Flyers are the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and will play the Washington Capitals in the first round; they split four games this season.

"I think we played some really great hockey against them," Philadelphia defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said of Washington. "They're the best team in the League for a reason; they're very good. We have a good test on our hands there."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/flyers-in-playoffs-after-defeating-penguins/c-280221478?tid=280201936

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Ducks defeat Avalanche, keep division hopes alive

 

Anaheim can win Pacific by defeating Capitals on Sunday

 

by Rick Sadowski / NHL.com Correspondent

1:06 PM

DENVER -- Jakob Silfverberg scored twice and Corey Perry had three assists to help the Anaheim Ducks defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 at Pepsi Center on Saturday.

Anaheim (45-25-11) can win the Pacific Division with a victory at the Washington Capitals on Sunday. The Ducks trail the Los Angeles Kings by one point; the Kings lost to the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in a shootout Saturday in their regular-season finale.

The game Sunday was rescheduled from Jan. 22 because of a snowstorm.

Anaheim goalie John Gibson made 29 saves Saturday.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/ducks-avalanche-recap/c-280224868?tid=280202084

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Flames score two late goals to defeat Wild

 

Minnesota enters Stanley Cup Playoffs on five-game losing streak

 

by Dan Myers / NHL.com Correspondent

12:24 PM

Sieloff's first NHL goal CGY@MIN: Sieloff breaks tie with first NHL goal

4/9/16: Patrick Sieloff's backhand deflects off a stick and takes a wicked bounce that finds the net for his first NHL goal and a late 2-1 lead

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- There was nothing on the line for the Minnesota Wild when they played the Calgary Flames at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, but the result left plenty of questions as they prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Brandon Bollig and Patrick Sieloff scored 31 seconds apart late in the third period, and goaltender Niklas Backstrom made 35 saves to rally the Flames past the Wild 2-1.

Minnesota dominated much of the game, outshooting Calgary 31-11 through two periods. However, the late surge by the Flames, who were eliminated from postseason contention two weeks ago, was enough to send the Wild to their fifth consecutive loss.

"We played well tonight. Obviously the third wasn't what we wanted. But we played fast, we were generating shots and opportunities," Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk said. "[backstrom] played great. If you continue to play like that game after game after game, you get rewarded. But that's our identity."

The Wild, the second wild card from the Western Conference, will open against the Central Division champion Dallas Stars.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/calgary-flames-defeat-minnesota-wild/c-280230104?tid=280202086

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Galchenyuk, Canadiens top banged-up Lightning

 

Montreal forward has two goals and an assist; Tampa Bay's Johnson left in first period with upper-body injury

 

by Sean Farrell / NHL.com Correspondent

1:16 PM

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens celebrated having two 30-goal scorers after sweeping the season series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had little to cheer after losing yet another key player to injury during a 5-2 loss at Bell Centre on Saturday.

Lightning center Tyler Johnson left the game at 15:53 of the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return after a cross-check by Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn into the end boards.

"There's lots of concern. Lots of concern," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "If we were in a playoff game (Johnson) wouldn't have come back. So that's where he's at."

Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin scored in the third period, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves for Tampa Bay (46-31-5), which finished second in the Atlantic Division.

"After (Johnson) went down and everyone was concerned, I think the whole tide of the game changed after that," Cooper said.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/lightning-lose-johnson-against-canadiens/c-280229450?tid=280201938

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Panthers wrap up historic season with victory

 

Purcell's two points, Luongo's 25 saves help Atlantic champs defeat Carolina

 

by Alain Poupart / NHL.com Correspondent

11:34 AM

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers used a quick start to wrap up the best regular season in their history with a victory at BB&T Center on Saturday.

Teddy Purcell had a goal and an assist when the Panthers scored three times in the opening 7:40, and the Atlantic Division champions defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in the season finale.

The Panthers (47-26-9), whose 47 victories and 103 points are the most in their history, will face the New York Rangers or New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"It was a great year, there's no doubt," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "To finish the season with 103 points, if I would have told you that at training camp, I think you would have laughed. I thought the season went real well for our team. For the most part, we performed real good. But we'll worry about that in the summer and we've got to move forward and keep playing real good now."

Goalie Roberto Luongo made 25 saves for his 35th win, matching the Panthers single-season record he set in 2005-06.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/panthers-defeat-hurricanes-in-season-finale/c-280229564?tid=280202088

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Elias scores in possible Devils farewell

 

Veteran has goal, two assists; Palmieri, Henrique reach 30 against Maple Leafs

 

by Pat Pickens / NHL.com Correspondent

10:03 AM

NEWARK, N.J. -- If Saturday marked the end of Patrik Elias' time with the New Jersey Devils, he went out in style.

Elias had a goal and two assists, and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 at Prudential Center.

The Devils' all-time leader in several categories scored with 16 seconds remaining, his 408th goal in 1,240 games with New Jersey. The 39-year-old unrestricted free agent played the final three games of the season after being sidelined with a knee injury since Dec. 19.

"If you asked me before I stepped on the ice, I would be probably more than a 50 percent chance I probably am not coming back," Elias said. "With these three games, I just felt way better than I anticipated. I don't feel any issues after the games, so we'll see."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/new-jersey-devils-defeat-toronto-maple-leafs-patrik-elias/c-280230214?tid=280202090

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Blue Jackets rally to defeat Blackhawks in overtime

 

Columbus' Hartnell scores 300th NHL goal, winner; Chicago's Kane becomes first U.S.-born player to win Art Ross

 

by Craig Merz / NHL.com Correspondent

12:59 PM

Hartnell's game-winner CHI@CBJ: Hartnell deflects puck for game-winner in OT

4/9/16: Cam Atkinson fires a shot that Scott Hartnell deflects past Corey Crawford for the game-winner in overtime

 

COLUMBUS -- If the Chicago Blackhawks were ever going to squander a three-goal, first-period lead and lose in overtime, Saturday at Nationwide Arena was the time and place.

With third place in the Central Division already secured, the Blackhawks were defeated 5-4 by the Columbus Blue Jackets when Scott Hartnell scored his second of the game at 2:28 of overtime

The Blackhawks (47-26-9) will play the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Despite the loss, Patrick Kane wrapped up the first Art Ross Trophy by an American-born player in style with two goals and an assist. Kane scored the first and fourth goals for Chicago and finished the season with NHL career-highs in goals (46), assists (60) and points (106).

"It's going to be a great series," Kane said. "They're a hard, physical team. For awhile here they've been trying to get over the hump. I know they have that in the back of their minds too. I know they have a lot of motivation to do that."

"He's been the best player in the League," Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford said. "Points-wise he's really shown it. He's been really smart, too, knowing when to take chances and when to be smart in the right areas. His game is evolving so much."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/patrick-kane-wins-scoring-title-blue-jackets-defeat-blackhawks/c-280228478?tid=280201940

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Islanders lose in OT, playoff opponent still unknown

 

Point in loss to Sabres means New York can still finish third in Metropolitan Division

 

by Brian Compton @BComptonNHL / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

11:42 AM

Gionta's game-winning goal BUF@NYI: Gionta puts it past Gibson to win it in OT

4/9/16: Mark Pysyk feeds Brian Gionta in front, who beats Christopher Gibson glove side, giving the Sabres a 4-3 win in overtime

 

NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders will have to wait one more day to find out their first-round opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Brian Gionta scored his second goal of the game with 2:14 remaining in overtime to give the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 win against the Islanders at Barclays Center on Saturday.

By getting a point, the Islanders (45-26-10) won't know who they'll face in the playoffs until the conclusion of their regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. Should the Islanders defeat the Flyers, they will finish third in the Metropolitan Division and face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference First Round. A loss of any kind means they'll face the Florida Panthers as the first wild card from the Eastern Conference.

"Whatever we get, it's two incredibly good teams, tough teams," Islanders center Frans Nielsen said. "I don't really know who fits better, but we'll play [sunday] and see who we get."

The Islanders were 1-2-1 against the Penguins this season, including a 5-0 loss at Barclays Center on April 2, and 1-1-1 against Florida. They scored three goals in the final 10 minutes to defeat the Panthers 3-2 at home on March 14.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/buffalo-sabres-top-new-york-islanders-in-overtime/c-280230882?tid=280201942

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Holtby ties record with Capitals win against Blues

 

Gets 48th victory to match Brodeur, Ovechkin scores 50th on hat trick

 

by Louie Korac / NHL.com Correspondent

12:20 PM

ST. LOUIS -- Goalie Braden Holtby tied the NHL record for wins in a season, Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick to reach 50 goals for the third straight season, and the Washington Capitals defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-1 at Scottrade Center on Saturday.

Holtby made 19 saves for his 48th win in his 66th game (48-9-7). He tied Martin Brodeur, who was 48-23-7 with the New Jersey Devils in 2006-07. Brodeur, the Blues assistant general manager, was in attendance Saturday.

"It's not an individual thing," Holtby said. "When you come back for alumni things years in the future, you can share it with the same guys that have been a part of it, look back on it together. It will be pretty neat."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/braden-holtby-alex-ovechkin-hit-marks-as-capitals-defeat-blues/c-280232090?tid=280201970

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Spezza hat trick lifts Stars to Central title

 

Dallas defeats Nashville, earns No. 1 seed in West

 

by Steve Hunt / NHL.com Correspondent

11:43 AM

Spezza's goal delivers hat trick NSH@DAL: Spezza secures hat trick on top-shelf goal

4/9/16: Jason Spezza fires past two defenders to score top-shelf with a minute left in regulation, earning the hat trick

 

DALLAS -- Jason Spezza scored his seventh NHL hat trick, and Antti Niemi made 28 saves to help the Dallas Stars win the Central Division with a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Dallas (50-23-9, 109 points) will be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars will play the Minnesota Wild, the second wild card into the playoffs from the West, in the best-of-7 first round.

It is the Stars' first division title since 2005-06, when they won the Pacific Division, and their first time as the No. 1 seed in the West since 2002-03.

"It's a heck of an accomplishment," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "First, to finish on top of this division, there weren't a lot of people that picked us to be there. To be honest, I didn't think we could get there ourselves, but as the year went on, I thought we had a chance."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-beats-nashville-earns-first-seed-in-west/c-280231760?tid=280202092

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Canucks use shootout to defeat Oilers in finale

 

Etem scores winner for Vancouver; teams finish 28th, 29th

 

by Kevin Woodley / NHL.com Correspondent

2:23 PM

VANCOUVER -- Emerson Etem helped the Vancouver Canucks finish a disappointing season on a high note. He also improved his chances of being back next season.

Etem scored in the third period and had the winning goal in the seventh round of the shootout to give the Canucks a 4-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena on Saturday.

Etem, who was acquired from the New York Rangers on Jan. 8, had four goals and an assist in his final five games after scoring three times his first 34 games with the Canucks. The 23-year-old will be a restricted free agent on July 1.

"It took me a little bit obviously," Etem said. "I kept that in the back of my mind, for sure, as motivation to stay. There are a lot of decisions to be made, but all I felt I could do was work hard and, hopefully, get rewarded for it. That's kind of what happened."

Jacob Markstrom made 35 saves through overtime and stopped five of seven attempts in the shootout for the Canucks, who blew two leads in the third period.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/canucks-defeat-oilers-recap/c-280239230?tid=280201972

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Kings lose to Jets, fail to clinch Pacific

 

Winnipeg rallies from down three to prevent L.A. from wrapping up first division title in 25 years

 

by Curtis Zupke / NHL.com Correspondent

12:58 PM

LOS ANGELES -- The Winnipeg Jets finished their season as spoilers in dramatic fashion and put the Los Angeles Kings back in limbo.

Mark Scheifele scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Jets a 4-3 win at Staples Center on Saturday, preventing the Kings from clinching the Pacific Division title in their season finale.

"The frustrating part is that we didn't get the job done tonight," Los Angeles center Anze Kopitar said. "We certainly had every opportunity to win the division, and the bottom line [is] we didn't do it."

Scheifele beat Kings goalie Jonathan Quick with a snap shot in the second round, and Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec made a save against Tyler Toffoli to seal the comeback win.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/kings-cant-clinch-pacific-lose-to-jets/c-280238782?tid=280202232

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Sharks edge Coyotes, await first-round opponent

 

Pavelski scores in third period, Jones makes 20 saves

 

by Eric Gilmore / NHL.com Correspondent

2:49 PM

SAN JOSE -- Joe Pavelski scored in the third period, Martin Jones made 20 saves and the San Jose Sharks ended the regular season with a 1-0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes at SAP Center on Saturday.

The Sharks will have to wait until Sunday night to find out their opponent in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. San Jose (46-30-6) finished third in the Pacific Division and will open on the road against the Los Angeles Kings or Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks will play Los Angeles if Anaheim wins Sunday at the Washington Capitals.

"We're ready," Pavelski said. "We've been ready, I think. A lot of work to get back here. A lot of guys had great years so far. But now the real season starts. We've got to get back on it. We don't want to change anything, the way we've been playing. There's a certain formula to it. We need everybody to contribute at times and we've got to find ways to win."

Jones earned his sixth shutout of the season and 13th of his career. He bounced back from a rough game against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday when he gave up five goals on 26 shots in a 5-4 loss.

"I think more important than the result, we just wanted to play well heading into the playoffs," Jones said. "Did some good things, got the big power play goal and played really solid defensively."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/san-jose-sharks-top-arizona-coyotes/c-280239224?tid=280201974

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Loss to Flyers drops Islanders to wild card

 

New York will play Florida in Eastern Conference First Round

 

by Brian Compton @BComptonNHL / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

9:53 AM

NEW YORK -- It took all 82 games for the New York Islanders to find out who they would face in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now they know.

With a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in their regular-season finale at Barclays Center on Sunday, the Islanders (45-27-10) will face the Florida Panthers as the first wild card from the Eastern Conference.

Playing their fifth game in seven nights, the Islanders opted to sit several key players, including captain John Tavares. Thomas Greiss started in goal but was relieved by Christopher Gibson to start the second period. Nikolay Kulemin and Matt Martin had first-period goals.

The Islanders could have passed the New York Rangers and finished third in the Metropolitan Division with a win, which would have meant a first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Evgeny Medvedev, Michael Raffl, Scott Laughton and R.J. Umberger scored for Philadelphia (41-27-14), which clinched a playoff berth Saturday and will face the Washington Capitals in the first round as the second wild card from the East.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphia-flyers-defeat-new-york-islanders/c-280252428?tid=279670748

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Ducks blank Capitals to win Pacific Division

 

Andersen makes 24 saves; Anaheim will play Nashville to start playoffs

 

by Katie Brown / NHL.com Correspondent

14 minutes ago

Ritchie's tip-in goal ANA@WSH: Ritchie deflects Santorelli's shot into net

4/10/16: Mike Santorelli takes a shot from a tough angle, and Nick Ritchie redirects the puck into the net for his second goal of the season

 

WASHINGTON -- The Anaheim Ducks clinched their fourth consecutive Pacific Division title by defeating the Washington Capitals 2-0 on Sunday at Verizon Center.

Corey Perry and Nick Ritchie scored in the second period for Anaheim (46-25-11), and Frederik Andersen made 24 saves in his sixth NHL shutout. Andersen played for the first time since sustaining a concussion on March 30.

The Ducks finished one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. They will play the Nashville Predators in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves for Washington (56-18-8). The Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals rested several of their regulars in a game that was rescheduled from Jan. 22 because of a snowstorm.

Perry made it 1-0 at 4:34 of the second period. Ryan Garbutt sent a behind-the-back pass to Perry behind the net and Perry scored on a wraparound for his 34th of the season.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/anaheim-ducks-defeat-capitals-win-pacific-division/c-280253348?tid=277729312

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Playoff Snapshot Complete East and West matchups set

 

NHL.com

27 minutes ago

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Clinched: Washington Capitals (No. 1), Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Clinched: Dallas Stars (No. 1), St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild

LATEST UPDATE:

Rangers finished third in the Metropolitan Division and will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round after Islanders lost to Flyers Sunday. Islanders are first wild card and will play the Florida Panthers

Ducks beat Capitals, clinch first in the Pacific Division and will play the Nashville Predators in the first round, while the Kings finish second and will play the San Jose Sharks.

 

IN THE EAST:

WASHINGTON CAPITALS (118 pts)
Clinched Metropolitan Division and home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup Playoffs
First-round opponent: Second wild card in East (PHI)

FLORIDA PANTHERS (101)
Clinched Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage in first round
Possible first-round opponents: First wild card in East (NYI, NYR)

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (104)
Clinched second place in Metropolitan Division and home-ice advantage for first round
Possible first-round opponents: Third place in Metropolitan Division (NYI, NYR)

NEW YORK RANGERS (101)
Third place in Metropolitan Division
First round opponent: Second place in Metropolitan Division (PIT)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (97)
Clinched second place in Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage for first round round
First-round opponent: Third place in Atlantic Division (DET)

DETROIT RED WINGS (93)
Clinched third place in Atlantic Division
First-round opponent: Second place in Atlantic Division (TBL)

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (100)
First wild card
First-round opponent: First place in Atlantic Division (FLA)

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (96)
Clinched second wild card
First-round opponent: WSH

BOSTON BRUINS (93)
Eliminated from playoffs

IN THE WEST:

DALLAS STARS (109 pts)
Clinched Central Division and home-ice advantage for Western Conference playoffs
First-round opponent: Second wild card in West (MIN)

ST. LOUIS BLUES (107)
Clinched second place in Central Division and home-ice advantage for first round
First-round opponent: Third place in Central Division (CHI)

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (103)
Clinched third place in Central Division
First-round opponent: Second place in.Central Division (STL)

ANAHEIM DUCKS (103)
First place in Pacific Division, have clinched home-ice advantage for first round
First-round opponent: First wild card in West (NSH)

LOS ANGELES KINGS (102)
Second place in Pacific Division
First-round opponent: Third place in Pacific Division (SJS)

SAN JOSE SHARKS (96)
Clinched third place in Pacific Division
Possible first-round opponents: Second place in Pacific Division (ANA, LAK)

NASHVILLE PREDATORS (96)
Clinched first wild card
First-round opponent: Pacific Division winner (ANA, LAK)

MINNESOTA WILD (87)
Clinched second wild card
First-round opponent: Central Division winner (DAL)

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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

 

Zatkoff pushes Penguins past Rangers in Game 1

 

New York goalie Lundqvist injured; Hornqvist has hat trick for Pittsburgh

 

by Wes Crosby / NHL.com Correspondent

April 14th, 2016

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Jeff Zatkoff received a text message from Marc-Andre Fleury on Tuesday informing him of his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut the following night.

Zatkoff made the most of the opportunity with 35 saves Wednesday in a 5-2 win against the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round Series at Consol Energy Center.

Patric Hornqvist had a hat trick and an assist for the Penguins, who took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 2 is here Saturday (3 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

Zatkoff started in place of Fleury, who was said to be a game-time decision with a concussion that caused him to miss his sixth straight game. The text from Fleury and a phone call from goaltending coach Mike Bales gave Zatkoff time to digest the news.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/penguins-rangers-game-1-nhl-playoffs-henrik-lundqvist-patric-hornqvist/c-280297750?tid=280160686

Edited April 14, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Lightning strike first against Red Wings

Kucherov scores twice, assists on Killorn's goal in Game 1 win

by Corey Long / NHL.com Correspondent

April 14th, 2016

TAMPA -- Alex Killorn scored 8:52 into the third period to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Tampa Bay has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series with Game 2 here Friday (7 p.m. ET; CNBC, FS-D, FS-F, CBC, TVA Sports).

Killorn tipped the puck past Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard after Tyler Johnson sent it to the net from outside of the slot. Nikita Kucherov set up the play by winning a loose puck behind the net.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/lightning-defeat-red-wings-in-game-1/c-280296528?tid=280283716

Edited April 14, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

 

Backes' OT goal lifts Blues in Game 1

 

Elliott makes 35 saves against Chicago in first playoff start since 2013

 

by Louie Korac / NHL.com Correspondent

April 14th, 2016

Backes' overtime-winner CHI@STL, Gm1: Backes' pass deflects in for OT winner

R1, Gm1: David Backes centers a pass that deflects off Trevor van Riemsdyk's skate and past Corey Crawford, giving the Blues a 1-0 overtime win

 

ST. LOUIS -- It wasn't the way David Backes drew it up, but the St. Louis Blues' captain will gladly take it.

Backes scored 9:04 into overtime to give the Blues a 1-0 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series on Wednesday night at Scottrade Center.

Backes' centering feed from the lower left circle caromed off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and went through the legs of goalie Corey Crawford to give the Blues a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. It was Backes' first playoff overtime goal.

"That's an ugly goal," Backes said. "I specialize in those and rightfully so. The first shot of the game I think for me too.

"It was a team victory. We knew it was going to take a team effort. ... We put this in perspective. It's one game, start 0-0 again on Friday and do it all over again."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/st-louis-blues-top-chicago-blackhawks-in-overtime/c-280301276?tid=280284500

Edited April 14, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

 

Holtby shutout lifts Capitals past Flyers in Game 1

 

Goalie makes 19 saves; Carlson, Beagle score for Washington

 

by Katie Brown / NHL.com Correspondent

10:02 AM

 

WASHINGTON -- Braden Holtby made 19 saves when the Washington Capitals shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Verizon Center on Thursday.

Although Holtby didn't see a lot of work after the first period -- he faced eight shots in the final two -- he said he didn't have trouble concentrating on the rest of the game.

"You're just focused on stopping that next puck," Holtby said. "That's a mindset I've taken, and hopefully I can keep growing it."

Holtby's third NHL playoff shutout helped the Capitals take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 2 is at Verizon Center on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CNBC, CBC, CSN-PH, CSN-DC, TVA Sports).

"He's been great all year," Capitals forward Jay Beagle said. "He's been standing on his head, winning us games and stealing us games. With a bunch of PKs, you have to rely on the goaltender quite a bit. He obviously stood on his head again tonight. We had momentum coming (out of) the first."

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/capitals-defeat-flyers-in-game-1/c-280313136?tid=280285220

Edited April 15, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots

[Guns of the Patriots]

Credits NHL.com

 

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

 

Tavares, Islanders defeat Panthers in Game 1

 

New York goalie Greiss makes 42 saves in playoff debut

 

by Alain Poupart / NHL.com Correspondent

12:25 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The New York Islanders kept fighting back in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round series against the Florida Panthers, and their captain led the way.

John Tavares tied the game in the final minute of the second period and set up Kyle Okposo's goal early in the third to help the Islanders defeat the Panthers 5-4 at BB&T Center.

"You knew it was going to be a battle, they would come out hard, and they did," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "At the end of the day, we didn't quit and were resilient. We got some timely goals tonight."

Okposo broke a 3-3 tie at 2:33 when Tavares stole the puck from defenseman Brian Campbell and fed Okposo at the left circle before he beat goalie Roberto Luongo with a shot high to the blocker side.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/islanders-defeat-panthers-in-game-1/c-280314378?tid=280285222

Edited April 15, 2016 by Guns of the Patriots