After the Nashville Predators, stuck on 91 points, wasted a trio of chances to punch their ticket into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this week, the Presidents' Trophy champions stepped up and did it for them.
Nashville has officially qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season and ninth time in franchise history as a result of the Washington Capitals' 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
The rest of the night's results will contribute to the Predators likely finishing where they currently stand, slotted in the Western Conference's first wild-card position. The Chicago Blackhawks won, tightening their grip on the third postseason seed in the Central while the Minnesota Wild lost in Detroit, keeping them four points back with just three games left.
The Predators have four games left on the schedule before likely opening second-season play against the Pacific Division winner.
Colorado remains alive, despite the loss, but missed its opportunity to close to within three points of the final wild-card spot.
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Tom Wilson has taken another victim.
The Washington Capitals bruiser knocked defender Nikita Zadorov out of Friday's game with a crushing open-ice hit behind the Colorado Avalanche net. There's some debate as to whether or not the hit was clean, but while Wilson had speed, and the blow appeared somewhat predatory, he didn't pick up his feet or target the defender's head. In fact, he appeared to adjust his path, leaning down, to avoid such contact.
Zadorov stayed down for several moments, but was able to glide off the ice under his own power. The Avalanche later confirmed he suffered a head injury.
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Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane hit the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career, and made up important ground in his crusade toward a first triple-digit scoring campaign in Friday's overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets.
With an assist on an Artemi Panarin goal to go along with his 40th, the Hart Trophy favorite pushed his season total to 96 points. He will achieve a triple-digit total should he score at a point per game over his remaining four starts.
The NHL hasn't had more than one 100-point scorer since 2009-10. Jamie Benn, who hit the 40-goal mark Thursday night, won the scoring title with 87 points last season.
Kane's milestone marker also saw him become the first 40-goal man in club history since Tony Amonte in 1999-2000.
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Tyler Seguin openly pulling for the Boston Bruins?
The injured Dallas Stars scorer - traded out of Boston after earning a Stanley Cup ring with the organization - shared fleeting support for his former club, which he was watching cling to a third-period lead over the St. Louis Blues - hard-charging in the Central Division - on Friday night.
Little bit of a weird thing to say but come on Bruins!
— Tyler Seguin (@tseguinofficial) April 2, 2016
The Bruins scored on a power play a few moments later, which eventually stood as the game winner.
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Hundreds of former NHL players - including Paul Kariya, Alex Mogilny, and Darcy Tucker - have received workers compensation in California for head injuries suffered in their playing careers, TSN's Rick Westhead reports.
Westhead cites a document under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act detailing that a total of 431 NHL players have been compensated since 2008 - 86 percent of which for head trauma.
The latest turn in the ongoing concussion lawsuit against the league came this past week when unflattering emails involving NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as well as other high-ranking officials and influential industry types were released to the public.
This latest information published by Westhead is further evidence of the omnipresence of head injuries in hockey.
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