Predators Beat Blackhawks 5-2 to Win Central Division Crown Kings Finish Disappointing Season with Win Over Knights
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25 Sports Monday, April 8, 2019 Predators beat Blackhawks 5-2 to win Central Division crown Kings finish disappointing season with win over Knights NASHVILLE: Viktor Arvidsson completed the come- 45th goal for a career-high 98th point, and Kucherov back-and set a franchise record in the process-as host scored his personal-best 41st goal as the visitors Nashville scored five unanswered goals to beat scored four straight to erase a 2-0 deficit. Kucherov, Chicago 5-2 on Saturday night and claim the top spot who added an assist, finished with an NHL-leading 128 in the Central Division on the final night of the regular regular-season points-the most by a Russian-born season. The Predators (47-29-6, 100 points) will face player in league history. the Dallas Stars in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They are on a roll, having won eight of CANADIENS 6, MAPLES LEAFS 5 (SO) their last 11 games down the stretch to claim a second Ryan Poehling scored three goals in regulation, consecutive division crown. Arvidsson-with his 34th including the tying goal in the third period in his NHL goal of the season, a new standard for a Predators debut, then added the winner in a shootout as Montreal skater-broke a 2-2 deadlock with a power-play goal ended its season by defeating visiting Toronto. Jordan 3:33 into the third period. As the Predators rushed up Weal and Andrew Shaw each had a goal and an assist the ice, Arvidsson received a cross-ice pass inside the for the Canadiens, who had been eliminated from the blue line and wired a shot that ended up the game win- playoffs. Nicolas Deslauriers and Artturi Lehkonen ner. Late goals by Colton Sissons, his into an empty net, each added two assists. Zach Hyman had a goal and an and Nick Bonino rounded out the scoring for Nashville, assist for Toronto. Jake Gardiner, Trevor Moore, William which received a 31-save performance from goalie Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen also scored for the Pekka Rinne. Maple Leafs, who will face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. JETS 4, COYOTES 2 Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor collected a goal BLUE JACKETS 6, SENATORS 2 and an assist as visiting Winnipeg posted a win over Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice as Columbus Arizona in both teams’ regular-season finale at defeated host Ottawa in the regular-season finale. The Glendale, Ariz. Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Jacob Blue Jackets, who had already clinched one of the Trouba also tallied, and Connor Hellebuyck made 19 Eastern Conference’s two wild-card playoff berths, saves for the Jets (47-30-5, 99 points), who recorded hoped to gain the top wild-card slot and avoid Tampa MONTREAL: Max Domi #13 of the Montreal Canadiens skates after the puck against Auston Matthews #34 of the just their second win in their last seven games (2-4-1). Bay in the first round of the postseason. But those Toronto Maple Leafs during the NHL game at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Winnipeg, which finished second in the Central hopes were dashed when Carolina beat Philadelphia to Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in a shootout. — AFP Division, will have home-ice advantage when it faces St. edge the Blue Jackets (47-31-4, 98 points) by one point Louis in the first-round of the playoffs. Nashville’s vic- in the standings. Markus Nutivaara, Alexandre Texier, the second consecutive contest, Brock McGinn notched Stanley Cup playoffs as the seventh seed in the West. tory over Chicago earlier on Saturday ended the Jets’ Oliver Bjorkstrand and Riley Nash also scored for the a pair of assists and Curtis McElhinney made 28 saves Dallas won five of its final seven games and will play bid to claim the Central title. Blue Jackets, and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 27 in the win. Nashville, the Central Division champion, in the first saves. round, with the schedule to be determined. The Wild KINGS 5, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2 RANGERS 4, PENGUINS 3 (OT) (37-36-9, 83 points) won only four of their final 14 Ilya Kovalchuk scored two goals and Anze Kopitar SABRES 7, RED WINGS 1 Ryan Strome scored on a wrist shot from the left dot games and missed the playoffs for the first time in had a goal and an assist to lead host Los Angeles to Jeff Skinner scored twice to reach the 40-goal mark at 2:09 of overtime to give visiting New York a win seven seasons. Minnesota was shut out 11 times this victory over Vegas. Jeff Carter and Matt Roy also and Buffalo closed out its season with a thumping of over Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh’s playoff lot came down to season and managed only 24 shots in the loss. scored goals for Los Angeles, which finished last in the host Detroit. Rasmus Dahlin supplied a goal and an Saturday’s results on the final night of the regular sea- Western Conference for the first time since 2007-08 assist. Sam Reinhart, Conor Sheary, Zemgus Girgensons son. The Penguins (44-26-12, 100 points) finished third OILERS 3, FLAMES 1 with 71 points and a 31-42-9 record. Dustin Brown and Brandon Montour also scored for the Sabres (33- in the Metropolitan Division and will be the road team Leon Draisaitl’s 50th goal of the season was over- added a pair of assists. Jonathan Quick finished with 29 39-10, 76 points). Linus Ullmark made 23 saves. in a first-round series against the New York Islanders. shadowed by Connor McDavid sustaining an injury saves to pick up his 309th career victory, fourth best Skinner reached the 40-goal mark for the first time in Brendan Smith, Brady Skjei and Vladislav Namestnikov early in the second period as visiting Edmonton beat among U.S. born goaltenders in NHL history. Quick, his nine-year career. He also had 32 even-strength also scored for the Rangers, who are out of the playoffs Calgary. McDavid was driving to the net when he was pulled after giving up seven goals on 25 shots in a 7-2 goals this season. That gave him the most even-strength and finished 32-36-14 for 78 points. Goaltender tripped up by Flames captain Mark Giordano and loss to Calgary in his previous start on April 1, finished goals by a Sabre since Alexander Mogilny (49) in the Alexandar Georgiev made 36 saves. went crashing into the post, his left shin taking the the season with a 16-23-7 record. 1992-93 season. brunt of the force. He remained on the ice for several ISLANDERS 3, CAPITALS 0 minutes and didn’t put any weight on his leg as he BLUES 3, CANUCKS 2 (SO) DEVILS 4, PANTHERS 3 (OT) Valtteri Filppula, who missed the previous eight was helped to the dressing room. Giordano was Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron scored goals in a Travis Zajac scored a power-play goal 56 seconds games due to injury, scored twice and goalie Robin assessed a tripping penalty on the play. Edmonton shootout as host St. Louis beat Vancouver. The Blues into overtime as New Jersey defeated host Florida. Lehner stopped all 29 shots he faced as New York took advantage of the ensuing power play with Alex (45-28-9, 99 points) briefly moved into first place in the Nathan Bastian, a 21-year-old who was New Jersey’s clinched home-ice advantage in the playoffs for the first Chiasson netting his 22nd goal of the season. Flames Central Division, but the Predators wound up as divi- second-round pick in 2016, scored twice for the Devils time in more than 30 years with a win over host goalie Mike Smith couldn’t contain Oscar Klefbom’s sion winners for the second straight season after and now has three career goals in seven NHL games. Washington. With the win, the Islanders (48-27-7) point shot, and Chiasson pounced on the loose puck defeating Chicago. St. Louis was in last place in the Pavel Zacha scored New Jersey’s other goal, and 22- locked up third place in the Metropolitan Division for the eventual game-winning goal. NHL on Jan. 3 but finished in third and has become the year-old rookie Mackenzie Blackwood made 37 saves. and home ice against Pittsburgh for a first-round hottest team in the league since then. They will face The Panthers got goals from Jonathan Huberdeau and postseason series. It is the first time New York has SHARKS 5, AVALANCHE 2 second-place Winnipeg (47-30-5, 99 points) in the first Mike Hoffman in the final four minutes to send the game held home ice since the 1987-88 season, which was Even before the opening faceoff of its road loss to round of the playoffs. The Canucks, who will miss the to overtime. Aleksander Barkov also scored for the the longest active home drought among the four San Jose, Colorado knew its fate as hopes of claiming playoffs for the fourth straight year, completed 2018-19 Panthers. It marked his 35th goal of the season, and he major North American sports leagues. The shutout the first of two Western Conference wild-card playoff with a 35-36-11 mark for 81 points. set the franchise record with his 95th point to break the also ensured the Islanders would allow the fewest berths were dashed when Dallas defeated Minnesota previous record set by Pavel Bure (94) in the 1999- goals in the league after allowing the most last sea- earlier in the evening.