Current:Home > MyRangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs -CapitalTrack
Rangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs
View
Date:2025-04-25 00:23:10
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! (61634)
Related
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- October Prime Day 2024: Fetch the 29 Best Pet Deals & Score Huge Savings on Furbo, Purina, Bissell & More
- Supreme Court rejects R. Kelly's child sexual abuse appeal, 20-year sentence stands
- Jets' head coach candidates after Robert Saleh firing: Bill Belichick or first-time hire?
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Tropicana Field transformed into base camp ahead of Hurricane Milton: See inside
- When is an interview too tough? CBS News grappling with question after Dokoupil interview
- 2 plead not guilty to assaulting ex-NY governor. Defense says they aimed to defuse conflict
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- These Amazon Prime Day Sweaters Are Cute, Fall-Ready & Start at $19
Ranking
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Robert Saleh was reportedly 'blindsided' by being fired as Jets head coach
- Proof Taylor Swift Is a Member of Travis Kelce's Squad With His Friends
- South Carolina death row inmate told to choose between execution methods
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- TikToker Taylor Rousseau Grigg Shared Heartbreaking Birthday Message One Month Before Her Death
- Education Pioneer Wealth Society: Empowering the Future, Together with Education Pioneers
- SEC, Big Ten leaders mulling future of fast-changing college sports
Recommendation
Could your smelly farts help science?
How voting before Election Day became so widespread and so political
Boxer Ryan Garcia gets vandalism charge dismissed and lecture from judge
How AP uses expected vote instead of ‘precincts reporting’ when determining a winner
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Vermont’s capital city gets a new post office 15 months after it was hit by flooding
Watch hundreds of hot air balloons take over Western skies for massive Balloon Fiesta
Tennessee nurse and his dog die trying to save man from Hurricane Helene floods