The Buffalo Sabres completed the road portion of the 2024-25 regular season schedule with a 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. The Sabres can point to many reasons why their playoff drought is now 14 straight seasons, but their woeful record away from Key Bank Center is near or at the top.

The Sabres ended up with a record of 13-24-4 on the road (the fourth-worst record in the NHL), with only Boston, Nashville, and Chicago having more regulation losses than Buffalo. That was a decline from their .500 record on the road last year (18-18-5) and pretty much negated any success they achieved at home, where they have gone 13-2 in their last 15 games and have climbed to 17th in the NHL with a 22-14-3 record.

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Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?The Buffalo Sabres are currently focused on finishing off the 2024-25 season on a positive note after most of the campaign being dominated by the negative. The club is looking to win their third game in a row in Utah on Thursday after a shootout win over Vegas on Saturday and an overtime victory in Boston on Monday. Barring an incredibly successful final 16 games, the Sabres are likely to finish in the bottom five of the NHL standings, and with a number of questions that will need to be addressed in the offseason. Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The AthleticThe Buffalo Sabres season began with the hope of ending their long playoff drought and will end on April 17th with a 14th consecutive year outside of the postseason. There are a number of contributing factors to the club’s struggles, but according to an article in the Athletic that surveyed fans from every NHL club, Sabres owner Terry Pegula is ranked last among the 32 owners. Dahlin Refutes Assertion Of Wanting Out Of BuffaloAs if the Buffalo Sabres do not have enough drama with the club heading for their 14th consecutive season outside of the playoffs, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin refuted a report from TNT panelist and Spittin Chiclets co-host Paul Bissonette that the Sabres team captain met with GM Kevyn Adams and wants out of Buffalo if the club does not improve quickly.

“We lost puck battles, got on the wrong side of the puck, and (were) poor defensively,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the loss. “When you can match their energy, you have to take care of the puck. You look at a couple goals, we’ve got the puck, and don’t execute, and it turns into a goal for them.”

The club’s defensive play is an obvious issue that contributed to the Sabres issues on the road. In 41 games, they finished 8th in the NHL with 125 goals scored (3.04 goals per game), but they were tied for 30th in goals allowed with 154 (3.76 GAA). This can partly be attributed to starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen not matching his performance from the second half last year, but for a club that was supposed to be more focused on being more efficient defensively, Buffalo under Ruff has been unable to clean things up in their own end that is essential to playing a winning brand of hockey.

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The New York Rangers play the Florida Panthers on Monday night and while there are no playoff implications to be excited about, there are still a couple things to watch out for. 

First off, with Braden Schneider out due to an upper-body injury, Peter Laviolette confirmed that Matthew Robertson will finally make his NHL debut. 

The Rangers drafted Robertson in the second round in 2019. He hasn't been able to crack the Rangers’ roster as he’s spent the entirety of the past four seasons in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack. 

Now, the 24-year-old defenseman will get a chance to prove himself in the NHL. This season, Robertson has recorded one goal, 24 assists, and 25 points in 60 games. 

Meanwhile, Gabe Perreault will slot back into the lineup. 

The 19-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on Mar. 31 and played three games before getting scratched for three consecutive games. 

Brennan Othmann is also expected to play after he’s been benched for the past two games.

On Sunday afternoon, New Jersey Devils' Paul Cotter received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head against New York Islanders' Adam Pelech. 

The incident occurred at the six-minute mark of the second period. Following the hit, a bloody and visibly angry Pelech left the game and did not return. 

"That is the kind of hit we don't like," Islanders' head coach Patrick Roy told NewYorkIslanders.com on Sunday. "The kind of hit we don't want to see happen for any team."

Cotter played 5:42 and finished the game with one shot on goal, one blocked shot, and two hits. 

Hours after the Devils' 1-0 loss to the Islanders, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Cotter would have a hearing on Monday. 

It was announced Monday afternoon that Cotter has been suspended for two games.

New Jersey has two regular-season games remaining before the playoffs. On Tuesday, the team will play the Boston Bruins at TD Garden and host the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday at Prudential Center. 

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average NHL salary, Cotter will forfeit $8,072.92. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Before his incident, the native of Canton, Michigan, had no prior history with the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

Cotter is concluding his first season with the Devils after being acquired in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29, 2024, for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid. The 25-year-old has appeared in 79 games for the Devils and has 22 points (16 goals, six assists). 

Two Vancouver Canucks prospects will be making their NHL debuts against the San Jose Sharks. Both goaltender Nikita Tolopilo and defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev will be in the lineup on Monday as the Canucks play their second to last game of the 2024-25 season. Tolopilo is on the roster in place of Thatcher Demko, while Kudryavtsev is expected to take injured Derek Forbort's spot in the lineup.

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Listed at 6'6", 229 lbs, Tolopilo is an undrafted goaltender who has impressed since signing with the organization. This season in the AHL, he has an 18-14-2 record, along with four shutouts. Tolopilo's last start came on April 6, when he made 35 saves in a 4-3 victory over the Laval Rockets.

"I think he's a big goalie, so something there," said Rick Tocchet after practice on Sunday. "I think last year, he knows that the work ethics got to get a little bit higher. He's got to really work on his craft. You're a big goalie. Can he work on his movements? Can he get stronger in his hip areas and core? Can his pushes off the like, these are the things. I'm not a goalie coach, but this is the sort of stuff that you want this guy to work at because he's got the frame. A big goalie that can move, those are the kind of the guys you want. Like a Thatcher Demko, big guy that can move."

As for Kudryavtsev, he was a seventh-round pick by Vancouver back in 2022. The left-shot defenceman is in his first pro season, and has 26 points in 63 games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Once Kudryavtsev steps on the ice, he will become the first player drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft to play in an NHL regular-season game.

"Means a lot," said Kudravtsev after morning skate on Monday. It was a quick phone call yesterday, so really excited. It's my first game. I know it probably doesn't mean much for the standings for the NHL team, but it means a lot for me and for Tolo (Tolopilo)."

The Canucks wrap up their season series with the Sharks on Monday night. Vancouver is 3-0 against their Pacific Division rivals, and will have their eyes on the season sweep. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, born in Sundbyberg, Sweden, set a new career high with his 35th goal on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. 

With his latest tally, Rakell tied fellow Swede Tomas Sandström, who scored 35 during the shortened 1995-96 season. In 58 games that season, Sandström set the franchise record for most goals (35) and points (70) by a Swedish-born skater in Penguins history. 

Heading into the season finale, Rakell has 35 goals and 34 assists for 69 points, one shy of tying Sandström's record. Against the Washington Capitals, the Penguins' next opponent, Rakell, has scored four goals with ten assists for 14 points in 23 career games. 

Last season, Rakell became only the second Swedish player to record a 60-point season, scoring 28 goals and 32 assists. Now, with 69 points, he becomes the only one from the Scandinavian country to record two 60-point campaigns.

 

Rakell Sets New Career-High In 'Slow' 4-1 Loss To BruinsHeading into a Sunday matinee matchup with the Boston Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins hoped to take advantage of a team in free fall and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

As mentioned, Sandström owns the franchise record for most goals in a single season among Swedish players with 35. Meanwhile, Erik Karlsson owns the top totals regarding assists. During his first season in Pittsburgh, 2023-24, he recorded 45 assists to surpass Dick Tärnström, who had 36 in 2003-04 to break Sandström's top total of 35. 

Karlsson is up to 42 assists with one game left this year, becoming the only Swedish player with more than one 40-assist season in a Penguins sweater. 

At this time, Rakell (179 points) is the second-highest-scoring Swede in franchise history, chasing two-time Stanley Cup champion Patric Hornqvist, who had 264 points in 407 games. Meanwhile, Karlsson already ranks fifth with 109 points in 163 games. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks.

Jack Eichel, Alex Pietrangelo, Nicolas Hague, Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov all returned to the Vegas Golden Knights' practice today.

Every rostered player besides Adin Hill participated in practice today. Hill was in goal on Saturday during the Golden Knights' 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators. The 28-year-old is likely taking a maintenance day to rest after playing in his 50th game this season. 

Eichel has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury, missing the previous three games. The 28-year-old has set new career highs in assists and points, looking to be on track to return for the playoffs. 

Pietrangelo has had a difficult month, sustaining an injury before returning and dealing with an illness. The Golden Knights have been patient with his health, wanting to give the 35-year-old every opportunity to rest and return for the playoffs as close to 100% as possible.

Hague and Olofsson have been affected by the same illness as Pietrangelo, forcing them to miss several games. The pair of depth pieces will be important to the Golden Knights' success in the playoffs, albeit in different ways. Olofsson will attempt to provide depth offence, and Hague will need to use his size to be a strong defender. 

Samsonov has been out since Mar. 29, last playing on Mar. 23. His injury is an upper-body ailment, and the Golden Knights will be hoping to get him into a game before the beginning of the playoffs, just in case his services are needed. 

The Golden Knights have two games remaining, and both will be played on the road against the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks. With the Pacific Division locked up, the Golden Knights will likely use load management to their advantage, and it's why Jonas Rondbjerg joined the team at practice today. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Cassidy Has Good Reason To Consider Load Management For Certain Knights In Last Two Games LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights are Pacific Division champs, they'll host a Wild Card team starting Easter Sunday and barring a casualty in the first round, will host a second-round series, too. Kolesar, Hill, Howden Honored With Annual Team Awards After Home FinaleLAS VEGAS -- Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar was honored with his first team award in his fifth NHL season with the franchise.

Another day, another elimination scenario for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tonight marks the third time the Blue Jackets could be knocked out of playoff contention — this time if the Montreal Canadiens win their game against the Chicago Blackhawks. But the key detail here is that Montreal must win in regulation. An overtime or shootout loss won’t be enough to clinch.

If the Canadiens fail to close it out tonight and Columbus beats the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, the Blue Jackets will move within just one point of Montreal for the final Wild Card spot in the East.

That would set the stage for a thrilling final game of the regular season on Thursday against the New York Islanders.

Jet Greaves Named As One Of The NHL's Three StarsJet Greaves is on fire! Blue Jackets Sweep Weekend Series Against Washington; Stay Alive In Playoff RaceZach Werenski(22), Adam Fantilli(28, 29), and Dmitri Voronkov(22) scored the goals for Columbus, while Jet Greaves was fabulous, stopping 29 Washington shots. 

The playoffs are so close you can taste it.

For the Edmonton Oilers, that means it's decision time. With so many players injured, it's been hard to get a handle on their playoff lineup. They got some clarity on that front on Monday morning, as Kris Knoblauch issued a slew of injury updates after the morning skate. Buckle up, this one's a doozy.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

The big one concerns defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who reaggravated his nagging injury on April 11th against Dallas. Knoblauch confirmed that Ekholm is ruled out for the first round of the playoffs and could be out for quite a while longer. 

"Mattias will be out for a while, and he won't be returning any time soon," Knoblauch told the media. By all appearances, it seems Ekholm may not return at all during the playoffs.

The other news wasn't quite so grim. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will return to the lineup on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings after missing the past three games with an illness, while Troy Stecher will be out after leaving Sunday's game with an injury.

Connor McDavid, after picking up nine assists in three games since returning from injury, will also sit out on Monday for precautionary reasons. 

"With us playing three games in four days and a back to back, we feel there's too much to lose there, so we're playing that extremely safely," Knoblauch said on Monday.

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Everyone else--Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Jake Walman, and Trent Frederic--is officially day-to-day. Draisaitl and Walman are questionable for the final game of the regular season on Wednesday and ready for game one of the playoffs, while Hyman is likely in the same boat as a precautionary measure. Frederic, meanwhile, is questionable for the start of the playoffs as his timetable continues to get pushed back.

Finally came the big event: Evander Kane's first media availability since the beginning of training camp. Kane, who's been skating with the team for weeks now, seems ready to go for sometime in the first round, which will be his first game action since game two of the Stanley Cup Final. 

"I'm really excited to get going here," Kane said. "As soon as we get to 100%, which should be pretty soon."

Kane also opened up about his recovery journey, describing the January knee surgery that kept him out for longer than expected. Kane's absence was originally due to a double hip adductor surgery he underwent in September.

"It was very weird. Probably ten days after surgery, I just felt [my knee] was stuck, it was sticking every day," Kane said on Monday. "So we got an MRI, and there was a benign mass kind of wrapped around my ACL and PCL, and we were able to get that removed."

The Oilers play against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night and close out their regular season on Wednesday in San Jose. The Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Saturday, April 19th.

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Now that the home portion of the Chicago Blackhawks' schedule is complete, they have two more road games before they call it a year. That starts with a visit to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. There is some excitement surrounding this game for both sides. 

For the Blackhawks, this will mark the NHL debut for Ryan Greene. After losing the National Championship with Boston University, they got him signed up to his entry level deal and now he’s ready to start his pro career. 

"The fact that it's here, it's pretty nerve-wracking," Greene said of making his NHL debut. "But it's also just really exciting. Even being in the locker room with a lot of these guys is so cool. I'm honored to be here."

Greene is going to start on a line with captain Nick Foligno and Oliver Moore. Like Greene, Moore signed his ELC after being eliminated from college, so they have that in common. Playing together with an elder statesman like Foligno may be a great experience for them.

Ahead of the game, interim head coach Anders Sorensen said that Greene is a "really good skater" and "really reliable defensively". Those two attributes are what an NHL coach looks for the most. With the step that Greene took offensively at BU this year, he's set up to be a solid pro right away. 

The rest of the lineup will look like this:

Donato - Bedard - Mikheyev 

Teravainen -Nazar - Bertuzzi

Foligno - Greene - Moore

Slaggert - Veleno - Reichel

Vlasic - Rinzel

Murphy - Crevier

Kaiser - Levshunov

Once again, the Blackhawks have an incredibly young defensive core. Murphy is the only true veteran among them. Sam Rinzel continues to play with Alex Vlasic on the top pair, which is a duo who will be hard to play against for a long time coming. 

All of the forwards listed here are guys who will be competing for a job next year. Some of them are more locked in than others, but everyone wants to finish strong so they can feel good about their game going into 2025-26. 

Arvid Soderblom will make his final start of the 2024-25 season. It was a breakout year for him. Coming into camp, he thought that he'd be splitting time in Rockford. Instead, injuries led to opportunity, and he ran with it. Being Spencer Knight's backup in 2025-26 is a real possibility for him, thanks to how he played. 

Greene isn't the only player making his NHL debut in this match. You may remember when the Blackhawks had the number two overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. There was a solid debate as to whether they should draft Artyom Levshunov or Ivan Demidov.

They went with the defenseman over the forward. Demidov ended up falling to the Montreal Canadiens at five, mostly because of his KHL situation. Well, Montreal's risk has paid off. Now he's with them in the NHL. 

It is fitting that Demidov will make his debut against the Hawks, the first team to pass on him. He will skate as a trio with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia, which is a perfect line for him to start on. 

Demidov is a wildly talented forward who can make big plays using his shiftiness, speed, and skill. It will be entertaining to see him go at the NHL level. 

Montreal can clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win over Chicago in any fashion. They would be locking up the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by doing so. For being game 81 for both sides, there is a lot of intrigue. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been named the NHL's third star of the week.

The 31-year-old posted a 3-0-0 record, as well as a .931 SV% and a 1.62 GAA. He recorded his eighth shutout of the season against the Dallas Stars and was stellar when the Jets defeated the red-hot St. Louis Blues. 

He currently leads the NHL in wins (46), save percentage (.924), goals against average (2.02) and shutouts (8). 

Hellebuyck will likely win back-to-back Vezina Trophies but may also find himself very high on the Hart Trophy ranking, expected to receive a fair share of first-place votes.

Here's what NHL.com had to say about Hellebuyck's extraordinary week.

"Hellebuyck went 3-0-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and one shutout the help the Jets (55-22-4, 114 points) clinch their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history. He denied 14 shots as Winnipeg halted the St. Louis Blues’ franchise-record 12-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory April 7. Hellebuyck then earned his League-leading eighth shutout of the campaign with 25 saves in a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars April 10. He finished the week by stopping 28 shots, and turning aside two of three shootout attempts, in a 5-4 triumph versus the Chicago Blackhawks April 12. The 31-year-old Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, paces the NHL (minimum: 25 GP) in wins (46), goals-against average (2.02), save percentage (.924) and shutouts (8) through 62 total appearances this season. Only four goaltenders in League history have recorded more wins in a single campaign: Martin Brodeur (48 in 2006-07 w/ NJD), Braden Holtby (48 in 2015-16 w/ WSH), Bernie Parent (47 in 1973-74 w/ PHI) and Roberto Luongo (47 in 2006-07 w/ VAN)."

Finishing ahead of Hellebuyck as the NHL's first star of the week was Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves, posting three wins, a shutout and a .962 SV%, and Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, recording nine assists in three games. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Jets stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Montreal Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov is poised to put together a breakout performance versus Chicago Blackhawks Monday

Monday night is the ultimate opportunity for NHL fans, with a loaded slate of thrilling matchups that fans eagerly anticipate. The game that sticks out is one with the Montreal Canadiens, who are looking to bounce back after a tough 1-0 loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday and clinch their first playoff berth since losing in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. 

They will take on a Chicago Blackhawks team that can't wait for the season to end after finishing with the second-worst record in the league at 23-46-11 and the second-worst defence with a 3.58 goals against average.

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 9-3 record on our last 12 picks and our 17-6 record on our last 23 underdog picks.

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: NHL Betting Roundup: Demidov and Nikishin To Make Debut, Landeskog Return

Chicago Blackhawks vs Montreal Canadiens Best Bets:

• Ivan Demidov anytime goal (+230)
• Ivan Demidov Over 1.5 shots on goal (-160)
• Habs -1.5 (-114)
• Nick Suzuki Over 0.5 assists (-162)

One of the hottest players in the NHL right now is Habs captain Nick Suzuki with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points over his last 24 games since the Four Nations break. He has helped carry Montreal into a playoff spot as they've managed a 14-5-5 record during his hot streak. 

They are on the verge of securing a playoff berth and have called in the reinforcements to get the job done. Top prospect Ivan Demidov will be making his NHL debut Monday with many comparing him to the new all-time leading goal scorer in Alex Ovechkin. 

More Betting: Early Stanley Cup Playoffs Bets to Explore Before First Round is Set

Demidov, 19, is coming off a season where he dominated in Russia's KHL while playing with SKA St. Petersburg and recorded 49 points in 65 games. He started skating with Montreal this past weekend and was impressive to say the least, making through the legs moves and stride dekes to get past some of NHL level defencemen.

He is expected to slot into the third line alongside centre Alex Newhook and winger Joel Armia, who are both due for a goal. 

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I'm expecting a shining welcome party for the young superstar as Demidov will be playing in his first NHL game against a very vulnerable Blackhawks backend that the Habs have been able to regularly dominate with a 4-1-0 record and 17 goals scored over their last five games versus Chicago.

Montreal should be able to get the job done and secure their playoff spot in an easy win. 

More NHL:Blues Enter Stanley Cup Playoffs As Dark Horse Contender

Jet Greaves is on fire!

The 24-year-old goalie from Cambridge, Ontario, was just named as one of the NHL's three stars of the week. Greaves was given the honor of being the league's first star.

Greaves was called up last week on an emergency recall and was immediately named the starter against the Buffalo Sabres. He beat the Sabres by allowing just two goals and had a .951 SV%.

Then came this past weekend. He was called upon to be the starter against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, and all he did was stop 22 shots and earn his first career NHL shutout in route to a 7-0 Columbus win. 

The following night, against those same Washington Capitals, he was again put in the net in a must-win situation for the CBJ. He gave up a goal to Alex Ovechkin on the first shot of the game but then shut down the Caps after that. He made 29 saves to pick up his third win in 4 nights. 

Greaves went 3-0 with a .968 SV% and gave up just a single goal. That one goal came against the NHL's new all-time goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin. You can't really complain about that one. 

It remains to be seen if Greaves will start the season's final two remaining games, but I would put money on it that Greaves does. 

Up Next: The Blue Jackets travel to Philadelphia to play the Flyers on Tuesday in the final road game of the season and the penultimate game of the season. 

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

Blue Jackets Sweep Weekend Series Against Washington; Stay Alive In Playoff RaceZach Werenski(22), Adam Fantilli(28, 29), and Dmitri Voronkov(22) scored the goals for Columbus, while Jet Greaves was fabulous, stopping 29 Washington shots.  Blue Jackets' Prospect Skates For First Time Since April 5th 2024The Columbus Blue Jackets received some good news today. Their first-round draft pick, Cayden Lindstrom, joined the scratches and skated with them ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers’ second-round game tonight. Blue Jackets' Goalie Prospect Signs ATO With Cleveland MonstersThe Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate has announced that they have signed goaltender Evan Gardner to an amateur tryout contract.

The Winnipeg Jets earned their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history on Sunday. 

Although Winnipeg lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, the Washington Capitals lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning they can’t catch the Jets.

The Jets led the Western Conference since Jan. 14, dominating the regular season with a 55-22-4 record with one more game remaining. Although Winnipeg and Washington raced for the top spot for most of the season, the Jets separated themselves.

That means the Jets are the first Canadian team to win the Presidents' Trophy in 13 years.

The Vancouver Canucks were the last Canadian team to finish on top of the NHL, accomplishing the feat in 2012. They also won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2011, when they lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Boston Bruins.

Since the award was introduced in 1986, a Canadian team has won the Presidents’ Trophy only eight times. Winnipeg is the fifth Canadian club to win it, with three Canadian franchises winning multiple times. Before the Canucks won, the Ottawa Senators clinched the trophy in 2003.

The Oilers were the first team to capture the Presidents' Trophy, taking it home in 1986 and 1987. After that, the Calgary Flames were the best team in the regular season in 1988 and 1989. The Oilers followed their Presidents’ Trophy win in 1987 with the Stanley Cup championship, while the Flames did the same in ’89.

However, winning the Presidents' Trophy does not often lead to Stanley Cup success. The last team to be the champion of the regular season and playoffs were the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2012-13 season.

In recent years, it has been more likely for teams to win the Stanley Cup one or two seasons after winning the Presidents' Trophy.

The Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Capitals are all recent examples of this. Florida won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 and the Cup in 2024. The Avalanche won the Cup in 2022, one year after being regular-season champs, while the Lightning captured back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021 after finishing first in the 2019 regular season. The Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2016 and 2017 before winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

The Jets, meanwhile, haven’t had plenty of playoff success lately. In their last two playoff campaigns, they lost in the first round in five games. They hope things will be different this year with a Presidents' Trophy under their belt.

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"It's very disappointing seeing where we were and now where we're at," said Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin Sunday afternoon following practice.  The evening prior, the Red Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention, though the "e" next to their name in the standings felt like a formality after limping through the month of March to the end of season with playoff hopes that existed as a mathematical possibility more than as any offshoot of their performances on the ice.  For the ninth season in a row, Detroit will not have representation in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Now, Monday night against the Dallas Stars, the Red Wings will play their final game at Little Caesars Arena of the 2024-25 season, a jewel of a venue opened in 2017 that's yet to host a Stanley Cup Playoff game.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

"There's always something to play for in this league," said Larkin.  "There's always someone watching.  There's always opportunity."  But on this particular Monday, it's difficult to identify just what that something might be.

"We're out.  What else can I say?  We're out," said coach Todd McLellan Sunday.  "We're not happy.  There are different moments throughout the season that you can point to, different aspects of our play that point to being out.  And that's where we are right now.  All that does is tell us we've got a lot more work to do, and we've got to get after it."

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"You could tell the spirit wasn't the same in practice," the coach admitted.  "I get it.  But they gotta come and work tomorrow.  I'm counting on them, and they should count on each other to do that."  McLellan used the word "reputation" to describe what was on the line for his team individually in three remaining games that lack collective stakes.

When asked what needs to improve for 2025-26, McLellan named the penalty kill, defending in all situations, five-on-five offense and defense, and becoming heavier as growth areas "off the top of my head real quick."  In short, there's a lot of work left to do in Detroit.

Where to Watch

Monday night's game (a 7pm puck drop) will air on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit in the Detroit market and the NHL Network elsewhere.  97.1 The Ticket will handle the radio broadcast, per usual.

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At the beginning of the season, the Montreal Canadiens were expected to finish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division for the fourth-straight season. 

Entering the final week of the campaign, the Canadiens are on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time since their improbable run to the Stanley Cup final four years ago.

Montreal has set a torrid pace with a 6-1-1 record and an NHL-best 13 points since March 30, pulling away from the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and New York Islanders. But this weekend, a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators and a 1-0 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday prevented the Canadiens from punching their ticket to the post-season.

"I thought our effort was there the whole time,” Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said Saturday. “Coming in on a back-to-back is tough. I thought we kept it pretty simple, trying to go north, (we) defended well, our penalty kill did a helluva job. It's a point. We might need that, so we'll take it."

The only club still able to catch Montreal is the equally surprising Columbus Blue Jackets, which registered back-to-back wins over the Washington Capitals to stay alive. With two games left, the Canadiens have 88 points and lead Columbus by three points for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Canadiens' Suzuki Itching For Playoff Hockey In Sold-Out Bell CentreMontreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish this season before it began.

The Habs need a single point in their final two games against Chicago on Monday and Carolina on Wednesday to eliminate the Blue Jackets and lock up their first-round matchup against the Capitals. 

The matchup against Washington would mark the first time that the two clubs met since 2010. The Capitals would be the overwhelming favorite in the series as they were 15 years ago, but Montreal did upset top-seeded Washington in seven games behind the stellar goaltending of Jaroslav Halak. 

“(We have to) just stay the course,” Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis said Saturday. “Play the game that’s in front of you, like we did (against Toronto), and things will work out. I’m really proud of the way the guys played tonight.”

Last year’s first-round pick, Ivan Demidov, took to the ice for the first time with his new teammates at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. There had been speculation that the speedy 19-year-old Russian could make his NHL debut against the Blackhawks on Monday, but that could be in jeopardy based on the fact that Monday’s contest has playoff implications.

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