The Vegas Golden Knights have a hard battle to keep their playoff streak alive and a secret on their hands.
After ESPN reported last week that goaltender Robin Lehner would have season-ending surgicaltreatment, coach Peter DeBoer rejected that. Sunday, he stated that the strategy was to have the goalie back up Logan Thompson throughout that night’s important videogame versus the San Jose Sharks.
“Logan is beginning tonight based on efficiency,” DeBoer informed pressreporters.
Lehner missedouton a 3rd successive practice on Sunday. DeBoer formerly stated it was for upkeep factors.
“If Robin gowns, the strategy is that he’s going to be here and part of our tandem,” the coach stated. “If he’s dressed, he’s readilyavailable to play.”
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Lehner, who missedouton time with injury earlier this season, was pulled after one duration in an ultimate win versus the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in the Golden Knights’ last videogame. The videogame priorto, he made a secret error in a loss to the New Jersey Devils.
The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final their veryfirst season in 2017-18 and reached the playoffs every year because. They have a long shot to make it by clinching 3rd in the Pacific Division (seven points back), however their more mostlikely course is a wild-card berth (four points back). If they win their 4 staying videogame, they’re in.
The NHL routine season, for all intents and functions, ends on April 29, with a Seattle Kraken-Winnipeg Jets makeup videogame on May 1 having no effect in the playoff race.
Here is some of what is still up in the air:
Who gets the West’s last areas?
The Los Angeles Kings (96 points), who have won 4 in a row, will clinch a playoff area Sunday if the Golden Knights lose to the Sharks in policy.
The Nashville Predators (95) likewise will clinch a area Sunday if they beat the Minnesota Wild in policy and the Sharks win in policy.
The Vancouver Canucks (87) might be removed Sunday after following a six-game winning streak with an 0-2-1 stretch. The last area might fall to the Golden Knights or the Dallas Stars, who have 93 points with 3 videogames left after ending a three-game losing streak. The Golden Knights (89), who have 4 videogames left and lead in the veryfirst tiebreaker of guideline wins, see the Stars on Tuesday.
Who will win the Metropolitan Division title?
The Carolina Hurricanes lead the New York Rangers by 4 points after Sunday’s win versus the New York Islanders. Carolina has the edge in policy wins and has 2 videogames left. But the Hurricanes, currently without goalie Frederik Andersen, lost Antti Raanta to a lower-body injury on Sunday. The Rangers needto win Tuesday’s house videogame vs. the Hurricanes to have a possibility.
Who gets home-ice benefit inbetween the Wild and Blues?
That will be essential since both groups are playing very well and might usage an edge in their first-round series. Minnesota utilized its videogame in hand Friday night to take a two-point lead in the race with a 6-3 win versus the Seattle Kraken. Kirill Kaprizov hit 100 points in that videogame and Kevin Fiala had 5 helps to extend his point streak to 9 videogames, though Mats Zuccarello left the videogame early with a lower-body injury. St. Louis connected it up Saturday with a triumph versus the Arizona Coyotes. Both are in action Sunday. After Sunday, the Wild wrap up the season with a three-game homestand. The Blues, who lead in guideline wins, surface versus Colorado and Vegas.
Who wins veryfirst total?
The Colorado Avalanche have lost 3 in a row after a nine-game winning streak ended Monday, permitting the Florida Panthers (13-game winning streak) to pass them in the Presidents’ Trophy race. Florida must surface the season No. 1 total.
Who prevents a first-round match versus Florida?
The Panthers covered up the Eastern Conference title and will face the 2nd wild-card group. There are 5 points inbetween the fifth-place Lightning (104), 3rd in the Atlantic Division, and eighth-place Washington Capitals (99). The Pittsburgh Penguins (101), 3rd in the Metropolitan, and Boston Bruins (101) are inbetween them.
All 4 are in action on Sunday. The Lightning would help their cause with a triumph versus the Panthers. The Penguins are at Philadelphia, the Bruins checkout Montreal and the Capitals host Toronto. The Penguins and Bruins got secret gamers back Saturday. Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin scored twotimes in his return from a four-game suspension. Boston’s David Pastrnak had a objective and help after an eight-game injury lack and Hampus Lindholm played more than 24 minutes after missingouton the previous 7 videogames.
The Lightning, Bruins and Capitals have 3 videogames left after Sunday and the Penguins have 2. The Bruins have the most policy wins and the Capitals have the least regulation-overtime wins, the 2nd tiebreaker.
Who gets last general?
The last-place group has an 18.5% to win the May 10 draft lotto and take Kingston (Ontario) center Shane Wright veryfirst total. The dropping Coyotes’ point from an overtime loss to the Blues leaves them and the plunging Canadiens connected at 51 points. Both have 3 videogames left. Montreal has less policy wins.
Who will win MVP?
This will be tight. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won last year when he controlled the reduced season and colleague Leon Draisaitl won in 2020 by winning the scoring title while McDavid was hurt. Both are having strong seasons and might split the vote. Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau has a shot to win the scoring title and the Presidents’ Trophy. Toronto’s Auston Matthews, the NHL’s objective leader at 58, is back from a small injury and will get first-place votes if he strikes 60 objectives. Johnny Gaudreau has topped 100 points and assisted Calgary go from missingouton the playoffs to Pacific Division champ. There even hasactually been talk of assistance for Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who leads the league in goals-saved above anticipated, according to moneypuck.com, and fits the Hart Trophy’s meaning of most important to his group.
Who will win the Norris Trophy?
It’s inbetween Nashville’s Roman Josi and Colorado’s Cale Makar, who have set franchise records for points in a season by a defenseman. Josi leads in points (90-85) and Makar leads in objectives (27-21), consistingof 6 game-winners. The 2 will will face each other on Thursday. Josi won the award in 2020.
Who will win the Vezina Trophy?
Shesterkin appears to have the goaltending award covered up.
Who will win the Calder Trophy?
Toronto’s Michael Bunting, 26, has the novice points lead, however he left Saturday’s videogame with an injury. Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras hasactually revealed plenty of imagination. Detroit’s Moritz Seider, who simply turned 21, is showing plenty of maturity for a young defenseman. That might sendout votes his method.
This shortarticle initially appeared on USA TODAY: NHL standings, schedule lookahead: Who wins playoff, award races?
.
The Vegas Golden Knights have a hard battle to keep their playoff streak alive and a secret on their hands.
After ESPN reported last week that goaltender Robin Lehner would have season-ending surgicaltreatment, coach Peter DeBoer rejected that. Sunday, he stated that the strategy was to have the goalie back up Logan Thompson throughout that night’s important videogame versus the San Jose Sharks.
“Logan is beginning tonight based on efficiency,” DeBoer informed pressreporters.
Lehner missedouton a 3rd successive practice on Sunday. DeBoer formerly stated it was for upkeep factors.
“If Robin gowns, the strategy is that he’s going to be here and part of our tandem,” the coach stated. “If he’s dressed, he’s readilyavailable to play.”
SPORTS NEWSLETTER: Sign up now for everyday updates sentout to your inbox
Lehner, who missedouton time with injury earlier this season, was pulled after one duration in an ultimate win versus the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in the Golden Knights’ last videogame. The videogame priorto, he made a secret error in a loss to the New Jersey Devils.
The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final their veryfirst season in 2017-18 and reached the playoffs every year because. They have a long shot to make it by clinching 3rd in the Pacific Division (seven points back), however their more mostlikely course is a wild-card berth (four points back). If they win their 4 staying videogame, they’re in.
The NHL routine season, for all intents and functions, ends on April 29, with a Seattle Kraken-Winnipeg Jets makeup videogame on May 1 having no effect in the playoff race.
Here is some of what is still up in the air:
Who gets the West’s last areas?
The Los Angeles Kings (96 points), who have won 4 in a row, will clinch a playoff area Sunday if the Golden Knights lose to the Sharks in policy.
The Nashville Predators (95) likewise will clinch a area Sunday if they beat the Minnesota Wild in policy and the Sharks win in policy.
The Vancouver Canucks (87) might be removed Sunday after following a six-game winning streak with an 0-2-1 stretch. The last area might fall to the Golden Knights or the Dallas Stars, who have 93 points with 3 videogames left after ending a three-game losing streak. The Golden Knights (89), who have 4 videogames left and lead in the veryfirst tiebreaker of guideline wins, see the Stars on Tuesday.
Who will win the Metropolitan Division title?
The Carolina Hurricanes lead the New York Rangers by 4 points after Sunday’s win versus the New York Islanders. Carolina has the edge in policy wins and has 2 videogames left. But the Hurricanes, currently without goalie Frederik Andersen, lost Antti Raanta to a lower-body injury on Sunday. The Rangers needto win Tuesday’s house videogame vs. the Hurricanes to have a possibility.
Who gets home-ice benefit inbetween the Wild and Blues?
That will be essential since both groups are playing very well and might usage an edge in their first-round series. Minnesota utilized its videogame in hand Friday night to take a two-point lead in the race with a 6-3 win versus the Seattle Kraken. Kirill Kaprizov hit 100 points in that videogame and Kevin Fiala had 5 helps to extend his point streak to 9 videogames, though Mats Zuccarello left the videogame early with a lower-body injury. St. Louis connected it up Saturday with a triumph versus the Arizona Coyotes. Both are in action Sunday. After Sunday, the Wild wrap up the season with a three-game homestand. The Blues, who lead in guideline wins, surface versus Colorado and Vegas.
Who wins veryfirst total?
The Colorado Avalanche have lost 3 in a row after a nine-game winning streak ended Monday, permitting the Florida Panthers (13-game winning streak) to pass them in the Presidents’ Trophy race. Florida must surface the season No. 1 total.
Who prevents a first-round match versus Florida?
The Panthers covered up the Eastern Conference title and will face the 2nd wild-card group. There are 5 points inbetween the fifth-place Lightning (104), 3rd in the Atlantic Division, and eighth-place Washington Capitals (99). The Pittsburgh Penguins (101), 3rd in the Metropolitan, and Boston Bruins (101) are inbetween them.
All 4 are in action on Sunday. The Lightning would help their cause with a triumph versus the Panthers. The Penguins are at Philadelphia, the Bruins checkout Montreal and the Capitals host Toronto. The Penguins and Bruins got secret gamers back Saturday. Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin scored twotimes in his return from a four-game suspension. Boston’s David Pastrnak had a objective and help after an eight-game injury lack and Hampus Lindholm played more than 24 minutes after missingouton the previous 7 videogames.
The Lightning, Bruins and Capitals have 3 videogames left after Sunday and the Penguins have 2. The Bruins have the most policy wins and the Capitals have the least regulation-overtime wins, the 2nd tiebreaker.
Who gets last general?
The last-place group has an 18.5% to win the May 10 draft lotto and take Kingston (Ontario) center Shane Wright veryfirst total. The dropping Coyotes’ point from an overtime loss to the Blues leaves them and the plunging Canadiens connected at 51 points. Both have 3 videogames left. Montreal has less policy wins.
Who will win MVP?
This will be tight. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won last year when he controlled the reduced season and colleague Leon Draisaitl won in 2020 by winning the scoring title while McDavid was hurt. Both are having strong seasons and might split the vote. Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau has a shot to win the scoring title and the Presidents’ Trophy. Toronto’s Auston Matthews, the NHL’s objective leader at 58, is back from a small injury and will get first-place votes if he strikes 60 objectives. Johnny Gaudreau has topped 100 points and assisted Calgary go from missingouton the playoffs to Pacific Division champ. There even hasactually been talk of assistance for Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who leads the league in goals-saved above anticipated, according to moneypuck.com, and fits the Hart Trophy’s meaning of most important to his group.
Who will win the Norris Trophy?
It’s inbetween Nashville’s Roman Josi and Colorado’s Cale Makar, who have set franchise records for points in a season by a defenseman. Josi leads in points (90-85) and Makar leads in objectives (27-21), consistingof 6 game-winners. The 2 will will face each other on Thursday. Josi won the award in 2020.
Who will win the Vezina Trophy?
Shesterkin appears to have the goaltending award covered up.
Who will win the Calder Trophy?
Toronto’s Michael Bunting, 26, has the novice points lead, however he left Saturday’s videogame with an injury. Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras hasactually revealed plenty of imagination. Detroit’s Moritz Seider, who simply turned 21, is showing plenty of maturity for a young defenseman. That might sendout votes his method.
This shortarticle initially appeared on USA TODAY: NHL standings, schedule lookahead: Who wins playoff, award races?
.
