The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Tuesday night to complete the 4-0 series sweep and advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The win is the latest feat by the expansion franchise who becomes the first franchise in NHL history to sweep a series in its inaugural season, excluding the total-goals series prior to the 1936-37 season.
Golden Knights are the 3rd team from the NHL, NBA and MLB to complete a four-game sweep to win their first-ever playoff series. The Penguins did so in 1970 (vs. Oakland Seals) and the MLB's Boston Braves did so in 1914 (vs. Philadelphia Athletics).
Fleury's 0.65 GAA in Rd1= 3rd best by a goalie winning each game in a 4-game sweep + 6th best by a goalie winning all 4 games of any single series (since NHL began official goalie stat tracking in 1955-56) https://t.co/mupvK2ekwJ
As for the Kings the series was historic for all the wrong reasons. The club scored just three goals, setting a franchise record for the fewest in a playoff series of at least three games.
With the Philadelphia Flyers' first goal of the series in Game 2, the Pittsburgh Penguins netminder saw his playoff shutout streak snapped at 225:49 - or nearly the equivalent of four full games.
Shayne Gostisbehere fired a power-play goal past Murray with just 37 seconds left in the first period Friday, marking the first time the 23-year-old has given up a playoff goal since Viktor Arvidsson of the Nashville Predators scored in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Murray's streak still stands as the best in franchise history, but with a shutout in Game 2, he could have set a record for the most consecutive playoff shutouts in NHL history.
With just one game left on the NHL schedule, the Hart Trophy race should be all but done, but let's be honest: it's still anyone's trophy at this point.
New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall has made it clear he should be among the favorites, but with so many incredible performances to choose from, we're no closer to knowing the winner now than we were a month ago.
Nevertheless, let's have a look at the five names likely to receive the most consideration, plus a few honorable mentions:
5. Anze Kopitar
Kopitar may have had one of the quietest near-MVP seasons in recent memory, but that doesn't mean he's any less deserving of the award.
He set career highs in goals (35) and points (92), shattering his career high by 11. Incredibly, he scored 31 more points than Dustin Brown who finished second in team scoring.
Besides his offensive contributions, Kopitar averaged 2:10 of shorthanded ice-time per game, good enough for 19th among forwards. He did it all for the Kings this year, and a postseason return is the fruit of that labor.
4. Claude Giroux
On the back of an incredible second half, Giroux nearly stole the Art Ross Trophy away from Connor McDavid.
The Philadelphia Flyers captain finished just six points back of McDavid to sit second in league scoring after 45 points in his final 33 games.
Giroux became the first Flyer to post a 100-point season since Eric Lindros in 1995-96. The 30-year-old was moved to the wing this season from center and the adjustment has him in the Hart Trophy discussion.
3. Connor McDavid
We'd be having a different conversation if the Edmonton Oilers were a playoff team, but alas, they're not. So here we stand with McDavid unlikely to repeat as Hart Trophy winner despite being every bit worthy. It's a complicated system, if that wasn't already clear.
Nevertheless, McDavid's had an incredible season, besting his league-leading numbers from last season with 41 goals and 108 points and an NHL-best 1.32 points per game. His point total is the most in a season since Evgeni Malkin put up 109 in 2011-12.
He also put up 38 more points than teammate Leon Draisaitl, which is just nutty.
2. Nathan MacKinnon
What MacKinnon was able to do this season was nothing short of spectacular.
Leading a Colorado Avalanche team, that finished the 2016-17 season with the worst record in the salary-cap era, to a playoff berth just one year later was no easy feat.
The 22-year-old obliterated his previous career highs in goals and points by 15 and 34, respectively, in eight fewer games to finish with 39 goals and 97 points - good enough for fifth in league scoring.
He was the key reason for the team's turnaround, as proven by his league-leading 12 game-winning goals. The question now is: how far can he take his team in the playoffs?
He put together a league-best 26-game point streak and concluded the year with a point in 36 of his final 40 games, which is just ridiculous.
He recorded at least a point against every team except the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators, and if his value to his team wasn't obvious enough, he recorded 41 more points than the next closest Devil (Nico Hischier).
He also helped lead the Devils to their first playoff appearance in six years.
Honorable Mentions
Nikita Kucherov
For the majority of the season, Kucherov looked like he'd run away with the award, but a handful of players caught up to him in the scoring race, rendering his season slightly less impressive.
His 100-point campaign was remarkable, but unfortunately in his case, he has the luxury of playing alongside many greats including Steven Stamkos, something many other nominees can't boast.
Evgeni Malkin
Malkin also put up a monster season, but - like Kucherov - was fortunate to play alongside some great players, like Phil Kessel and the NHL's most stacked power-play unit.
He's in the running, and his 98 points are nothing short of amazing, but other names seem more worthy of the award.
Alex Ovechkin
Ovechkin deserves considerable praise for winning his seventh Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, but he isn't quite in the conversation for his fourth Hart Trophy. His 18-point bounce-back, after just 33 goals and 69 points a season ago, was impressive, but on a well-oiled Washington Capitals team, his value, unfortunately, gets diluted.
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman will both return for the 2018-19 season, team president John McDonough said, according to Eric Lear of Blackhawks TV.
"We're not tethered to the past," McDonough said, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "This has been a very disappointing year and our expectations are incredibly high. We're not going to deviate from those expectations. But I believe both Stan and Joel are the guys that are going to bring this back."
Quenneville's job was rumored to be in jeopardy with the Blackhawks set to miss the playoffs for the first time during his 10-year tenor with the club. One knock against the coach is he isn't believed to be great at coaching young players, but McDonough feels that is no longer the case.
"I know at one point, that was kind of a knock on Joel, that he wasn't proficient at coaching young players," McDonough said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
Quenneville is still under contract for two more seasons in which he will earn $12 million.
As for Bowman the announcement means he will return for his 10th season as the club's GM next year, after being promoted from assistant GM in July 2009.
With 76 points this season, the Blackhawks currently sit 17 points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
This season has been a rarity of sorts for NHL bench bosses.
For the first time since 1966-67, not a single coach has been fired midseason. The men who occupy the 31 head coaching spots should see it as an accomplishment, but general managers might just be taking their time before pulling the trigger.
Several dominoes could fall once the regular season comes to an end. There are as many as a half-dozen coaches on the hot seat as the final week of the regular season wraps up:
Bill Peters
Peters' time with the Carolina Hurricanes could very well come to an end in roughly a week's time.
Peters' biggest knock is the fact he's been with the club for four years and has not been able to reach the postseason.
The club is already looking for a new GM, and it makes sense for a new coach to follow suit. There is also a chance the new GM will look to bring in his own coach, it's not uncommon. On the other hand, there is the potential for Peters to walk, as sources have reportedly told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Peters has an "out" in his contract, one he can exercise in the first week after the season ends.
All that considered, it seems more likely than not that Peters will be out in Carolina.
Alain Vigneault
There could soon be a job opening in the Big Apple.
After five seasons with the Rangers and four postseason appearances, Vigneault's tenure in New York could be coming to an end.
After leading his club to the Stanley Cup Final in his first year with the team and an appearance in the conference final the following campaign, Vigneault then saw mixed results with losses in the first and second rounds, before missing the postseason completely this season.
The Rangers announced their intention to rebuild back in February, and with the team seemingly turning a new leaf as they look toward the future, it would not come as a surprise if the next step in that process included a new coach.
Such was the case during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Vigneault got his club close to a Cup victory, but not close enough.
Glen Gulutzan
Gulutzan has only been behind the Calgary Flames' bench for two seasons, but each has been miserable in its own way.
Last season, the Flames were swept in the first round at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks after finishing with the first wild-card spot in the West. This year, after the team retooled in the offseason acquiring Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith, the club saw an even worse fate, missing the playoffs outright.
According to Friedman, players approached Gulutzan last season suggesting they would prefer a more calm approach, but obviously he hasn't taken that completely to heart.
Barry Trotz
You can't argue with the success Trotz and the Washington Capitals have had during the regular season over his four years with the club, but his playoff accolades are a different story.
Including the 2017-18 year, Trotz has led the Capitals to three straight division titles, two straight Presidents' Trophy wins, and picked up the Jack Adams in the 2015-16 season. However, under Trotz, the Capitals have failed to go any further than the second round of the playoffs, and let's be honest, this is a results-driven league.
No decisions will be made on his future until after the Capitals season concludes, meaning Trotz could very well be playing for his job this spring.
Todd McLellan
Some might call this season a one-off for the Edmonton Oilers, but whatever it is, it hasn't been pretty.
After reaching the conference finals last year, the Oilers have taken a nose dive, and are now set to finish among the 10 worst teams in the league. Very few could have seen this type of regression, but nevertheless, here we are.
There are many fingers being pointed as to why the club sits where it does, and one that can't be ignored is the one directed at McLellan. Sure, he's at the mercy of what GM Peter Chiarelli has given him, but, his club's home penalty kill - which ranks as the worst in NHL history since the stat started being tracked - is under a microscope.
The team may elect to give him another shot since wisdom would argue the team isn't nearly as bad as its play would suggest, but regardless, McLellan's seat is awfully warm these days.
Joel Quenneville
While any of the men above could certainly be canned in the coming weeks, the name garnering the most speculation is Quenneville.
The Chicago Blackhawks bench boss has been with the club for the past 10 years and will miss the playoffs for the first time in his tenure this season.
He still has two years remaining on his contract that sees him owed $12 million, but with the team set to miss the postseason and some apparent animosity between him and Stan Bowman - reportedly over the firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen last summer and the Artemi Panarin trade - it would come as no surprise if Quenneville was fired or if he elected to leave himself.
The belief around the hockey world is that if Quenneville became available, several teams might fire their head coach for the chance to bring in the 59-year-old. His resume speaks for itself. With that, Quenneville could be the domino that starts the postseason firing carousel.
History. It's something Connor McDavid has been making, yet it's the very thing that might be standing between him and his second straight Hart Trophy.
With his fourth three-plus-point performance in the last seven games Tuesday night, McDavid eclipsed the 100-point plateau for the second straight season, becoming the first player in eight years to achieve the feat. In his last 10 games, he's put up an outrageous 21 points.
In any other season, it'd be hard to argue against McDavid winning the Hart Trophy. This is where history comes into play. Not since the 1987-88 season - when Mario Lemieux paced the league with 70 goals and 168 points in 77 games on a Penguins team that finished one point out of a playoff spot - has a player on a non-playoff team won the Hart Trophy. In fact, it's only happened four times in the award's history.
Changing a precedent that has stood for 30 years is no simple task, and with as many as a half-dozen other suitable candidates, it'll be hard for McDavid to push the needle.
But what makes this all the more interesting is that McDavid is having himself a better season - at least statistically - than he did last year, when he won the Hart Trophy. Here's a look at the numbers:
102: The number of points McDavid has put up this season with five more games to go - two more than his season total last year.
40: The number of goals he has tallied, which is 10 more than he had last year, and tied for fourth overall.
7: The number of game-winning goals McDavid's put up - one more than last season.
7: Number of players, now including McDavid, to record multiple 100-point seasons before their 22nd birthday.
15.4: McDavid's shooting percentage this season, up from his 12 percent total last season.
34: Number of even-strength goals he has scored, which is up from 26 last year and leads the league.
104: Number of takeaways McDavid has had this season. It leads the league and is 14 more than Jeff Skinner, who sits second overall.
43: McDavid's blocked shots, which, surprisingly, leads all Oilers forwards.
46.36: Percentage of Oilers goals he has factored in on, which is up from 41.15 percent last year.
6.3: Number of even-strength minutes per game McDavid has played with Leon Draisaitl, which is actually down from 8.2 minutes last season.
1.35: McDavid's points-per-game average (with a minimum 50 games played), which ranks third in the NHL and is up from his league-leading 1.22 from last year.
The NHL's Board of Governors has approved the changes to Rule 78.7 (ii) regarding coaches' challenges of goaltender interference calls, the league announced Tuesday.
The changes will see the NHL Situation Room (which will include a former referee) make the final decisions regarding goaltender interference reviews.
The change to the rule was one of the recommendations made by the league during last week's GM meetings in Florida. Previously, the on-ice officials would make final interference calls on scoring plays.
The topic of goalie interference and how it pertains to video review has been a season-long debate that has seen several head coaches, including Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock, openly critical of inconsistent calls.
The new rule will be implemented for games starting Wednesday.
After battling to a 4-4 score that 3-on-3 overtime couldn't solve, Mark Scheifele scored the lone shootout goal and Connor Hellebuyck turned away all three Predators shooters for the win.
This will be the Predators' fourth consecutive playoff appearance and the 11th in their 19-year history.
Nashville now sits comfortably with a four-point cushion in the Presidents' Trophy race at 104, and is just six points away from matching the franchise record of 110 set during the 2006-07 campaign.
Last season, the Predators came within two wins of capturing the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup, ultimately falling short in Game 6 of the final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Minnesota Wild blue line got some crushing news on Wednesday.
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon will miss at least four weeks after suffering a partial tear of his right hamstring during Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, the team announced.
The timeline for the injury means that Spurgeon will miss the remainder of the regular season and potentially the start of the postseason if the Wild are able to secure a playoff berth.
Spurgeon had been on pace to eclipse his previous career highs in goals (11) and points (38), having put up nine and 37 respectively in 61 games.
