Five Minute Major

*Photo from The Athletic*     Even in the last game of the regular season, there is truly anything that can happen. Thomas Harley scored, Joel Hanley scored, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Anaheim Ducks with a 4-2 victory on Friday night in Dallas.    With the win, the Stars have closed out the regular season on a high note. Besides clinching a playoff berth, the Stars went 3-0-1 in their final 4 regular season games. With a Nashville Predators loss, the Stars also jumped into the first wild card spot in the western conference. Now the focus shifts towards the playoffs.    Dallas forward Radek Faksa said that "It's the playoffs, everyone will be ready. That's what you play the whole season for. It's tough to get into the playoffs. So excited to play playoffs, and it's the best thing you can play in hockey, Stanley Cup Playoffs."    The lone goal of the first period came from Max Comtois, giving the Ducks a 1-0 lead 7:33 into the game. In t...

*Photo from Sportsnaut*     Not that they needed any more validation as one of the elite teams of the NHL, the Florida Panthers just got some more. Sam Bennett scored, Carter Verhaeghe scored twice, and the Panthers shut out the Ottawa Senators with a 4-0 victory on Thursday night in Ottawa.    The win improves the Panthers record to a really good looking 58-17-6 on the season. They are first in the Atlantic Division and the whole Eastern Conference, and are poised for a matchup with the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.    But it's not just their division and conference that the Panthers are first in. With their shutout win and the Colorado Avalanche OT loss to the Nashville Predators, the Panthers have officially clinched the presidents trophy for the best record in the NHL. It's the first time in team history the Panthers have gotten the trophy, and they'll have home ice advantage for as long as they're in the playoffs.   ...

*Photo from NHL.com*     Despite another bad season in Arizona, they are still a team that won't go down without a fight. Anton Stralman scored, Travis Boyd scored the game winner, and the Arizona Coyotes rallied to defeat the Dallas Stars with a 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday night in Dallas.    It's been another season to forget for the Coyotes, who sit at a 24-50-7 record with just one game left to play in the regular season, and their last home game at Gila River Arena, before relocating to the Arizona State 5,000 seat arena. But the Coyotes still want the season to end well, they're still trying.    Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton said of ending the season right that "The key is just the compete and desire. I think it gets to be a grind, been playing some real strong playoff teams lately. I think just embracing that, competing, obviously wanting to play those complete games and taking a lot of pride in our game at the same time. I think that's reall...

*Photo from Matchsticks and Gasoline*     If the hockey world is treated to this as a 7 game first round series, we're in for a treat. Matthew Tkachuk scored late in regulation, Elias Lindholm scored the winning goal, and the Calgary Flames defeated the Nashville Predators with a 5-4 overtime win on Tuesday night in Nashville.    The way that the standings are currently aligned, the Predators, who are the top wild card team, would face the Flames, the top team in the Pacific Division, in the first round of the playoffs, beginning next week. It was a playoff like atmosphere all game long, with tension and physicality and scoring at every corner, including Tkachuk's goal within the last second of regulation.    Flames forward and NHL veteran Milan Lucic said that "I'd have to say, I've played over 1,000 games now, and that's probably a top-five game that I've been a part of with the goals, the hits, the fights, the emotion, crowd. So it was a great game ...

*Photo from the Chicago Sun Times*     It was a battle of eliminated from contention NHL teams, but it still provided something to watch. Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist, Alex DeBrincat scored, and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers with a 3-1 victory on Monday night in Chicago.    The win helps to snap a two game losing streak for the Blackhawks, who had also lost 4 out of their last 5 games. DeBrincat's goal was his 41st, tying his career high in goals set in 2018-2019. DeBrincat also has a career high in points this season.    Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King said that "Yeah, the guys battled. They worked. Lankinen played well, we did some good things. We got a little risky at times, but the fans like it. I don't like it all the time, but I think Kane should've had about another 10 assists tonight. He was feeling it, but it was just good to get a win, especially at home."    Chicago got on the boar...

*Photo from YebScore*     The night celebrating Ryan Getzlaf did not end the way it was planned to. Ivan Barbashev had a 3 point game, Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist, and the St. Louis Blues defeated the Anaheim Ducks with a 6-3 victory on Sunday night in Anaheim.    Getzlaf, the Ducks captain, announced his retirement earlier in the season, and played his final game on Sunday night. He had one assist in his final game, finishing with 1,019 career points in 1,157 games. He's the only player in Ducks history to score at least 1,000 points and appear in at least 1,000 games, coming in 17 NHL seasons.    Blues forward and fellow Saskatchewan native Tyler Bozak, said of Getzlaf that "He's someone that I've looked up to my whole life, from a young age. A guy that I played against a bit growing up. He set the standard in Regina for being a hockey player. He was far and away the best player in the city and the province, and someone that everybody tried...

*Photo from TSN*     The game is never over until the final horn sounds. The Carolina Hurricanes are the perfect example of that. Brady Skjei scored, Seth Jarvis scored the winning goal, and the Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils with a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday afternoon in Newark.    Marred in a dogfight with the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division, the games are still important for the Hurricanes, who have won 3 straight games. With the win and Rangers loss on Saturday, the Hurricanes are in sole possession of first place in the Metro, having been tied entering play on Saturday.    Skjei said of his second period goal that "That's kind of what we're taught as a team. As defensemen, we want to get as many pucks to the net as we can, even if it's not on net. You never know what'll happen, if it goes off the leg or someone tips it."    After a scoreless first period, Yegor Sharangovich got the Devils on the...

*Photo from Zoma Canadian News*     It was a game characterized as tight checking, a battle, and even ugly, but those happen sometimes. Brady Tkachuk scored, Tim Stutzle added the game winning goal, and the Ottawa Senators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 2-1 win in a shootout on Friday night in Columbus.    This win for the Senators didn't have flash or style to it, but every win is important for a young team such as Ottawa. They're on a little bit of a run too, having a 4-1-1 record in their last 6 games, including two shootout wins. With Tkachuk's goal, he now has at least one point against the other 31 NHL teams in his career.    Ottawa defenseman Michael Del Zotto said of the game that "It was an ugly game, to be honest with you. They had a great forecheck. We weren't able to exit our zone, cleanly or efficiently. We allowed them to sustain those zone times and we weren't able to have much time in overtime, and Gustavsson obviously h...

*Photo from LA Kings insider*     With the playoff chase as a dogfight, every win for a team that hasn't clinched a playoff spot is pivotal. Phillip Danault scored, Andreas Athanasiou scored, and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks with a 4-1 victory on Thursday night in Los Angeles.    The Kings won their 3rd straight game, maintaining pace in the Pacific Division race, moving 5 points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for 3rd place, and are just two points behind the Edmonton Oilers for second place. Danault's goal marked the 5th straight game he has scored, and continued his point streak to 7 games, both career highs.    Asked about the win, Athanasiou said that "Obviously the guys have been battling hard all year and put us in a position where we're in a good spot right now. And with these last few games, we really got to dial in and secure that place for the playoffs and just take it one game at a time."    The only goal of ...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*     Win or go home is the mentality now, and they're not dead yet. Evgenii Dadonov scored, Shea Theodore scored the winning goal, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Washington Capitals with a 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.    It's the 3rd OT goal of the season for Theodore, who has set career highs in goals with 14, and points with 48 this season. The Golden Knights ended a two game skid with the loss, and are sitting two points back of a wild card spot, and 3 points back of the Los Angeles Kings for 3rd place in the Pacific Division.    Theodore said of the game's importance that "At this point of the season we need to win, we need to win out I think to give ourselves a chance. Hopefully, that’s just a momentum boost on how we have to play in that third period going forward and give ourselves the best chance at making the postseason."    The scoring started early in the first...

*Photo from Wingin it in Motown*     Yeah, the Detroit Red Wings may be all but out of the playoff race, but they still play hard, and it's a look at things that lie ahead. Lucas Raymond scored, Jakub Vrana scored two goals, and the Red Wings defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 4-3 win on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay.    The win was a nice change of pace for the Red Wings, who picked up the two points. Detroit's offense in particular, which had been outscored 10-1 by their opponents in the last two games, picked up 4 goals in the win. They also played spoiler to Tampa Bay, who is now just one point ahead of the Boston Bruins for 3rd place in the Atlantic Division.    Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said of Vrana's two goal game that "He played as complete a hockey game as he's played all year for us. I thought he was excellent in every facet of the game. He checked great, he worked hard, he won battles, he was good on the wall."    After...

*Photo from the Norman Transcript*     One of the most exciting players in hockey is currently in Seattle. Victor Rask scored, Matty Beniers scored, and the Seattle Kraken defeated the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 victory on Monday night in Seattle.    The Kraken won their second straight game, holding the Senators to a season low 14 shots in the victory. The rookie Beniers, who is playing in just his 3rd career NHL game after signing an entry level contract out of Michigan, scored in his second straight game, and has two goals and an assist since signing his entry level deal on April 10.    Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol said of Beniers's game that "We didn't have any hard matchups tonight for him and his linemates. We had a couple of matchups we were looking more for the Gourde line. Matt and his linemates played pretty much against everybody. Gave him a little bit extra towards the end of the game and the D-zone, an extra half shift. Just a continuat...

*Photo from The Olympian*     That hockey team in Minnesota just keeps on chugging. Kevin Fiala scored, Jared Spurgeon scored the game winning goal, and the Minnesota Wild defeated the San Jose Sharks with a 5-4 overtime win on Sunday evening in St. Paul.    By getting the game to overtime, the Wild secured a playoff berth. It's the 3rd straight season that they've made the playoffs, and the 9th time in 10 years they've secured a berth in the playoffs. But they weren't happy with just overtime and securing a berth, they wanted the win to top it all off. They got it.    Fiala said of clinching a playoff spot that "It's a tough league. It's the hardest league in the world. You want to do it every year, so it's just great. Just great for us to make it. That was our goal from the beginning, and we're here right now, but it's nothing. It's regular season and we have still seven more to go. And still the second place, still the home advantage ther...

*Photo from TSN*     The Edmonton Oilers are hot, and at just the right time. Kris Russell scored, Warren Foegele scored, and the Oilers shut out the Vegas Golden Knights with a convincing 4-0 victory on Saturday night in Edmonton.    Russell's first period goal was a monumental one, as it was the first goal that he has scored in 3 years, 126 games to be exact, with his last goal coming on March 17 of 2019, also against Vegas. The Oilers are 5 points behind the Calgary Flames for the Pacific Division lead, and have won 8 of their last 10 games.    Oilers interim head coach Jay Woodcroft said that "We got contributions for up and down the lineup. Different people are finding ways to contribute, and that's what good teams have, a lot of contributing and productive players. The way we're asking our players to play is not an easy style, but our players are putting the work in and it's fun to see them execute."    Getting the start in goal for the...

*Photo from the Miami Herald*     It appears as if the Florida Panthers won't stop losing games. Gustav Forsling scored two goals, Jonathan Huberdeau scored two goals and added an assist, and the Panthers cruised to a 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night in Sunrise.    The 3 point night from Huberdeau gave him 78 assists this season, extending his NHL record for assists by a left wing in a season. He extended his Panthers single season point record by getting up to 108. It's indicative of a strong team the Panthers have, with a 10 point lead on first place in the Atlantic Division.    Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said that "I know we're in a good position. I just expect everybody's going to win. And we've got to keep winning and more importantly we were a little unhappy with our group there a little bit for some of those games, even though we came back, but I thought we tightened some things up here the last week or so. And I think ...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*     Don't try to tell the Pittsburgh Penguins that their playoff window is closing, they won't take it. Sidney Crosby scored, Jake Guentzel scored two goals, and the Penguins defeated the New York Islanders with a 6-3 win on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.    With the win, the Penguins have clinched a spot in the playoffs. They've clinched a playoff spot for 16 consecutive seasons now, which is the longest active playoff streak in the NHL. The Penguins are 2-0-1 in their last 3 games, and are 5 points back of the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division.    Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan said that "I think it's a remarkable accomplishment. It's hard to make the playoffs. Half of the League doesn't make it every year. There's a lot of good teams every season that don't make it. The fact that this organization has done it 16 consecutive years in a row, in my mind, is a remarkable achiev...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*     The Colorado Avalanche just keep setting records. Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored two goals, Nathan MacKinnon rattled off a hat trick, and the Avalanche routed the Los Angeles Kings with a convincing 9-3 win on Wednesday night in Denver.    With the hat trick and two assists, MacKinnon tied his single game point record of 5 points. The Avalanche picked up their 53rd win of the season and 29th at home, setting team records for wins in a season and home wins. The Avalanche resumed their lead in the entire NHL for the presidents trophy, with 112 points.    Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that "I loved our first period. We were the aggressors, we were on our toes, our forecheck was rolling. O-zone play, we were seeing what we talked about this morning, and what we wanted to do on the defending side of it, we were tight."    The Avalanche came out rolling in the first period, with Aube-Kubel scoring 2:...

*Photo from the Sun Sentinel*     Back and forth, all night long, until Jonathan Huberdeau took matters into his own hands. Anthony Duclair picked up two goals, Huberdeau scored the winning goal, and the Florida Panthers defeated the Anaheim Ducks with a 3-2 win in overtime on Tuesday night in Sunrise.    With the win, the Panthers have opened up a double digit lead in the Atlantic Division, moving 10 points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic, with 9 games in the regular season remaining. Duclair scored goals 29 and 30 on the season tonight, well shattering his previous best of 23 goals.    Asked about the new best, Duclair said that it's an "Awesome feeling. Credit goes to my teammates and coaching staff, putting myself in that situation playing with some really good players, elite players. It's something I'm not going to take for granted. I'm just really excited about it."    The lone goal of the first period c...