Current:Home > FinanceRangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs -TradeGrid
Rangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs
View
Date:2025-04-16 23:40:47
The New York Rangers set a franchise record, won the Eastern Conference title and also a Presidents’ Trophy that comes with mixed blessings.
Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-0 in New York's season finale and give the Rangers a 55-23-4 record and franchise-best 114 points.
The Rangers clinched their fourth Presidents' Trophy (top regular-season record) in franchise history, which guarantees them home-ice advantage through the playoffs. But it also comes with a postseason jinx.
The last Presidents' Trophy winner to also win a Stanley Cup title was the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. Last season's winner, the record-setting Boston Bruins, were upset in the first round by the Florida Panthers.
Only eight teams have won the regular-season title and Stanley Cup in the same year. The Rangers did it in 1994 after having a league-best 112 points. They lost in the conference finals during their 113-point season of 2014-15, the record that the current team broke on Monday night.
Islanders clinch playoff spot
The New York Islanders downed the New Jersey Devils 4-1 to clinch both a playoff spot and the third seed in the Metropolitan Division. They’ll face the No. 2 Carolina Hurricanes in the first round.
Coach Patrick Roy, who returned to the NHL after a long absence as a midseason replacement for fired Lane Lambert, made the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14 with the Colorado Avalanche. The Hall of Fame goaltender won four Stanley Cup titles as a player.
Roy has gone 19-12-5 and the Islanders are on a 7-0-1 run.
"We played some very good hockey down the stretch and they were resilient," Roy told reporters. "They worked together. I think we learned how to win."
Capitals, Red Wings, Penguins all win: What that means
The Detroit Red Wings' 5-4 overtime win was the most dramatic because they trailed the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in the third period. Detroit's Lucas Raymond tied the game with 1:17 left and scored at 4:35 of overtime.
The Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 2-0 and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2.
All three teams are still alive in the battle for the final playoff berth, the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. So are the idle Philadelphia Flyers.
The Capitals will clinch the berth if they beat the Flyers in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The Red Wings clinch if they win in Montreal on Tuesday and the Flyers beat the Capitals.
The Flyers clinch if they beat the Capitals in regulation, the Red Wings lose in regulation and the Penguins lose to the Islanders in regulation on Wednesday.
The Penguins will clinch if they beat the Islanders and the Capitals and Red Wings lose in regulation.
Connor McDavid hits rare milestone as Oilers stay alive in division race
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid became just the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season. He joined Wayne Gretzky (11 times) and Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr (once each) when he set up Zach Hyman's goal in the 9-2 victory.
The win kept alive the Oilers' long-shot chance of winning the Pacific Division. The Vancouver Canucks hold a three-point lead and each team has two games left.
Bruins miss chance to clinch Atlantic Division title
The loss to the Capitals kept them one point ahead of the Florida Panthers. The Bruins have another chance Tuesday against the Senators. If they lose and the Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida clinches the title.
Kings lose: What that means
The Kings are at 97 points after falling to the Minnesota Wild and have one game left, against the Chicago Blackhawks. That means the Vegas Golden Knights (96) can move up to the third spot in the Pacific Division if they win their final games against the Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks.
veryGood! (32)
Related
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Can homeless people be fined for sleeping outside? A rural Oregon city asks the US Supreme Court
- Megan Fox Breaks Silence on Love Is Blind Star Chelsea's Comparison to Her and Ensuing Drama
- Shohei Ohtani interpreter allegedly stole $16M from MLB star, lost $40M gambling: What to know
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Masters 2024 highlights: Round 2 leaderboard, how Tiger Woods did and more
- Learn more about O.J. Simpson: The TV, movies, books and podcasts about the trial of the century
- Evacuation notice lifted in Utah town downstream from cracked dam
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- In-N-Out makes price pledge with California minimum wage law, as others raise rates, slash staff
Ranking
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate plans to fight payout to the families of Brown and Goldman
- Maine governor signs bill restricting paramilitary training in response to neo-Nazi’s plan
- Guilty plea by leader of polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border is at risk of being thrown out
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- O.J. Simpson died from prostate cancer: Why many men don't talk about this disease
- Heinz wants to convince Chicago that ketchup and hot dogs can co-exist. Will it succeed?
- 1 dead after shuttle bus crashes at a Honolulu cruise ship terminal
Recommendation
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
Eleanor Coppola, Emmy-winning filmmaker and Francis Ford Coppola's wife, dies at 87
Faced with possibly paying for news, Google removes links to California news sites for some users
Executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate plans to fight payout to the families of Brown and Goldman
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Tennessee governor signs bill requiring local officers to aid US immigration authorities
Fracking-Induced Earthquakes Are Menacing Argentina as Regulators Stand By
JoJo Siwa Addresses Claim She “Stole” Her New Song “Karma” From Miley Cyrus and Brit Smith