Current:Home > NewsRangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs -Golden Summit Finance
Rangers clinch NHL's top record, Islanders get berth, last playoff spot still up for grabs
View
Date:2025-04-20 07:45:19
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! (92647)
Related
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- CeeDee Lamb injury update: Cowboys WR exits vs. Falcons with shoulder injury
- 2024 MLB Gold Glove Award winners: Record-tying 14 players honored for first time
- Federal Reserve is set to cut rates again while facing a hazy post-election outlook
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Mountain Dew VooDew 2024: Halloween mystery flavor unveiled and it's not Twizzlers
- 2024 MLB Gold Glove Award winners: Record-tying 14 players honored for first time
- Lionel Messi's MLS title chase could end in first round. There's no panic from Inter Miami
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Kamala Harris and Maya Rudolph's Saturday Night Live Skit Will Have You Seeing Double
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- On Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn, How Environmental Activism Plays Out in the Neighborhood
- Sotheby's to hold its first auction for artwork made by a robot; bids could reach $180,000
- Massachusetts firefighters continue to battle stubborn brush fires across state
- Bodycam footage shows high
- 2025 NFL draft order: Updated list after early slate of Week 9 games
- Texas Sued New Mexico Over Rio Grande Water. Now the States are Fighting the Federal Government
- Harris won’t say how she voted on California measure that would reverse criminal justice reforms
Recommendation
What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
Mountain Dew VooDew 2024: Halloween mystery flavor unveiled and it's not Twizzlers
Is it legal to have a pet squirrel? Beloved Peanut the squirrel euthanized in New York
Apple's AI update is here: What to know about Apple Intelligence, top features
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
New Reports Ahead of COP29 Show The World Is Spinning Its Wheels on Climate Action
Arkansas chief justice election won’t change conservative tilt of court, but will make history
Voters Head to the Polls in a World Full of Plastic Pollution. What’s at Stake This Year?