NHL Last Day Observation Guide



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With all the Stanley Cup playoffs to 16 teams already defined, there is no as well a lot of team dramas as the last day of the NHL's regular season draws near, although some seeds remain unresolved.

But, with 15 games on the list for Saturday – including a huge four streaming on ESPN + – there are still some intriguing intrigues to follow. Here's what's online and what we're going to watch:

Thanks to Vince Masi from ESPN Stats & Information.


Seed mix

Only two of the eight playoff games are fully defined. The Boston Bruins will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in a match that would seem inevitable for months, while the San Jose Sharks will face off against the Golden Knights of Vegas. After that, it's a total jamming.

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Everyone knew that Tampa Bay would be one of the best teams in the NHL this season. But they also proved to be one of the biggest winners in the league. The Westgate SuperBook Las Vegas opened the season with a 107.5-point gain for the Lightning. They can finish up to 20.5 points higher – the highest differential in the league.

And although the Lightning can not set the NHL record with 63 wins, it has a chance to tie the Red Wings of 1995-1996 with 62 losses. The 132 points record (Montreal Canadiens 1976-1977) is also out of reach. Tampa Bay can reach No. 4 overall with a win today against the Bruins.

Please note, Lightning fans: one of these teams won the Stanley Cup, the other was withdrawn early.

Looking for milestones

Nikita Kucherov is not only the best player of an excellent team, he has also had one of the best seasons of the last two decades. AP Photo / Chris O 'Meara

Nikita Kucherov is 126 points. If he scores just one last goal in the last match of the Lightning against the Bruins, he'll tie Jaromir Jagr (1998-99 Penguins) for the highest points total in a season over the last 20 seasons. Of course, at the pace that Kucherov scored, he has a totally exceed the legend to boil.

2 related

Edmonton Oilers striker Leon Draisaitl needs a goal to join Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's only scorer with 50 goals this season. (Toronto's John Tavares is 47 before the Leafs final against Montreal). Draisaitl is only 23 years old; the most recent players to reach the 50-goal plateau at age 23 or under? Steven Stamkos in 2011-2012, Sidney Crosby in 2009-2010, Alex Ovechkin (three times) and Ilya Kovalchuk in 2005-2006. Prior to that, Paul Kariya was the previous player in 1995-1996.

Another note if Draisaitl turns 50: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no team has had two separate players, one having scored 50 goals, the other one with 75 assists and the team having missed the playoffs. In fact, with Connor McDavid already having 75 assists for the Oilers, the last team to have a 75-assists player who failed to participate in the playoffs was … the Oilers in 1995-96 (Doug Weight).

Five players have already reached the 100 points club, but Sidney Crosby (98), Johnny Gaudreau (98), Nathan MacKinnon (98) and Steven Stamkos (97) are knocking at the door. This is potentially nine scorers of 100 points; there were only five seasons of 100 points over the previous three seasons combined. If Crosby is 100, he will join Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Joe Sakic as the only players in the last 30 years with six seasons of 100 points.

A last hooray?

Scott Gordon did an admirable job as acting coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, but he could be sent back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL after the season.

Willie Desjardins will certainly not come back with the Los Angeles Kings after Saturday's final.

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We've already said that, but is this the last time we will see the legendary Ken Hitchcock behind an NHL bench? (Whoever calls GM in Edmonton may choose to go in a different direction).

It could also be the last goodbye of 35-year-old Jason Spezza at the Dallas Stars' center, and an NHL farewell to Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo, who's just turned 40 and fought several health problems.

The season has been tough for 15-year-old Chris Kunitz (nine points in 54 games), and he could also think about his retirement. Jason Pominville (35), Niklas Kronwall (37) and Joe Thornton (38) are all in the final year of their contract. you will however have the opportunity to see more of Thornton in the playoffs.

Islanders looking for an edge on their rink

The Islanders will return to the Nassau Colisseum in the first round of the playoffs. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

The season has been crazy so far for the New York Islanders, who have seen their captain, John Tavares, go free investment … then exceed all expectations by improbably winning a playoff spot, with a defensive structure and guards significantly improved.

The story can be even sweeter with a win in Saturday's final against Capitals of Washington. The Caps had already won a title in the Metropolitan Division, but with one win, the Islanders would take advantage of the country's advantage in the first round for the first time since 1998. This is a considerable advantage for this base fans who had a nomadic season. (The Islanders will play their first-round series at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum, if they advance, all subsequent rounds will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn).

The islands will face the Carolina Hurricanes or the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. If the Islanders get a point, they will have their best point in a season since 1983-84 (104), the season of their fifth straight Stanley Cup final.

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