Current:Home > NewsRangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs -CapitalEdge
Rangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs
View
Date:2025-04-17 02:35:25
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! (8323)
Related
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Erica Lee Carter, daughter of the late US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, will seek to finish her term
- Rapper Enchanting's Cause of Death Revealed
- A child was reported missing. A TV news helicopter crew spotted him on the roof playing hooky
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Here's What Judge Mathis' Estranged Wife Linda Is Seeking in Their Divorce
- Ronda Rousey's apology for sharing Sandy Hook conspiracy overdue but still timely
- Fire hits historic Southern California baseball field seen in Hollywood movies
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Coal Baron a No-Show in Alabama Courtroom as Abandoned Plant Continues to Pollute Neighborhoods
Ranking
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Murderer's Ex-Wife Breaks Cold Case Wide Open After 35 Years in Girl on the Milk Carton Preview
- TikTok Organization Pro Emilie Kiser’s Top Tips & Must-Have Products for a Clean, Organized Life
- The EPA can’t use Civil Rights Act to fight environmental injustice in Louisiana, judge rules
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Why Sabrina Carpenter Fans Think Her New Album References Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
- Senators demand the USDA fix its backlog of food distribution to Native American tribes
- Fire hits historic Southern California baseball field seen in Hollywood movies
Recommendation
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
An attack at a festival in a German city kills 3 people and wounds 4 seriously, police say
Meet Virgo, the Zodiac's helpful perfectionist: The sign's personality traits, months
Prosecutor says ex-sheriff’s deputy charged with manslaughter in shooting of an airman at his home
Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
Why TikToker Jools Lebron Is Gagged by Jennifer Lopez Embracing Demure Trend
You'll Flip for Shawn Johnson and Andrew East's 2024 Olympics Photo Diary
Mail thieves caught after woman baits them with package containing Apple AirTag: Sheriff