The Calgary Flames ensured themselves of the top spot in the Pacific Division with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
It's the Flames' eighth division title in franchise history and only their third in the last 27 years.
Calgary is 48-20-10 with four games left in their regular-season schedule. Their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, occupy second place and sit 10 points back with a game in hand.
The Flames have completely transformed themselves under head coach Darryl Sutter. The previously moribund Calgary squad went 15-15-0 last season after hiring the veteran bench boss and improved further in 2021-22.
Only the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche - the No. 1 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively - have produced a better goal differential than the Flames this season.
Calgary has also been one of the best road teams in the NHL, going 24-11-3 away from the Saddledome.
Copp then completed the natural hat trick off a pass from Ryan Strome.
COPP AGAIN! Andrew Copp finishes off the natural hat trick, trickling home Strome's wonderful return pass at the back post! Three goals in the first, what a period!
Copp became only the third Rangers player ever to net three goals in the first period, joining Kelly Kisio in 1986 and Don Raleigh in 1948. No Rangers skater had scored a natural hat trick in the first period since Raleigh did it 74 years ago.
Unfortunately for the current New York forward, he left the game in the third period. The Rangers said postgame that he sustained a lower-body injury and that they will issue an update Friday, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
Hobey Baker Award winner Dryden McKay will accept a six-month period of ineligibility handed down by the USADA for an anti-doping rule violation.
The goaltender confirmed his decision so he'll be allowed to play in October. McKay recently completed his senior year at Minnesota State-Mankato and can now sign with an NHL team.
McKay, who was an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team ahead of the Beijing Games, tested positive for ostarine on Jan. 23. He could've been banned from competing for four years, but he ultimately proved the positive result came from a contaminated vitamin D supplement.
The USADA notified the 24-year-old of a provisional suspension on Feb. 1, according to McKay.
McKay said he immediately sent all of his supplements to an independent lab upon learning of the positive test. The lab then identified an opened bottle of D3 immune booster as the source. He added he was taking the vitamin for its anti-viral benefits to decrease the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on the advice of a trainer.
An independent arbitrator lifted the ban on Feb. 3, which enabled McKay to continue playing until the USADA rendered its final decision.
The netminder excelled in his senior year at MSU-Mankato, setting an NCAA record for goaltending wins while leading the Mavericks to the national championship game, which they lost to Denver.
Earlier in April, McKay won the Hobey Baker Award, which the NCAA hands out annually to its top men's hockey player.
McKay will get credit for serving part of the provisional suspension from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. He can begin practicing with a team on Aug. 25 and play in games as of Oct. 11, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The Illinois-born goalie told Friedman he'll be honest with NHL teams when they ask about the incident.
"I’m just going to tell them, 'I accept the risk that I took the non-certified supplement,'" McKay said. "That’s something I can’t hide from. At the same time, I’m not a cheater. I’m not someone who is trying to get an advantage. I was trying to take care of my body, avoid COVID and stay healthy so I could play the rest of the season. There was no intent."
McKay said on Twitter he's looking forward to starting his pro career in the fall.
Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek defended Trevor Zegras when asked about the young forward's lacrosse-type goals.
Verbeek acknowledged the phenom's skillful individual plays wouldn't have gone over well when the GM was a player, but the executive has changed his stance on the issue.
"From my perspective, if you would have done that in my era, it's frowned upon. Right? Very frowned upon," Verbeek told The Athletic's Eric Stephens on Tuesday.
"So, I think there's still a little bit of that mentality out there. Now, we've gotten a lot of feedback. A lot of people (think) it's a positive thing. I think people light up when you watch (Connor) McDavid run through and totally undress players. ... Through the neutral zone with the speed and the skill. The ability to be able to handle the puck with speed and do that. For me, people love that. I love watching that.
"Now, when I watch Trevor, this is just another unreal skill set and creative way to score goals. I guess what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to really stick up for my player in the sense that there's people that really think this is hot-dogging, or it's not respecting the game. I don't feel that way anymore."
Verbeek added: "He respects the game, and he respects the traditions of the game."
Zegras has captivated the hockey world with his on-ice ingenuity, but not everyone approves.
Arizona Coyotes broadcaster and former NHL enforcer Tyson Nash was criticized for essentially saying Zegras deserved the cross-check he received from Coyotes veteran Jay Beagle late in a game in early April. Zegras scored a lacrosse-style goal earlier in that contest.
"That's the problem sometimes with these young players," Nash said during the incident, in which Beagle also initiated a fight with Ducks youngster Troy Terry. "You want to embarrass guys? You wanna skill it up? You better be prepared to get punched in the mouth."
The broadcaster later tried to clarify his comments during a podcast interview but doubled down on his original opinion. Nash admitted he should have said "hot dog" instead of "skill it up." However, he added that he didn't like the way Ducks players smiled and smirked after scoring goals and said the Coyotes' response in that game "is what you have to be prepared for."
Zegras called it "humiliating" that Beagle went after and pummelled Terry, the Ducks' leading scorer.
The Coyotes weren't the first in the hockey community to take issue with Zegras. Former NHL head coach John Tortorella questioned whether the Ducks star's "Michigan" goal was good for the game after Zegras pulled it off for the first time in the NHL back in December.
Verbeek racked up 522 goals and 541 assists over 1,424 games in his 20-year playing career, which ended in 2001-02.
The winningest bench boss in NCAA hockey history is calling it a career.
Jerry York retired Wednesday after 50 seasons in Division I coaching. He guided Boston College for the last 28 campaigns after spending 15 with Bowling Green and seven at Clarkson.
The 76-year-old set the record for coaching wins in 2012 and leaves the game with 1,123 victories, including an all-time best 41 in the NCAA tournament. York led Boston College to four national championships (2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012) after claiming his first with Bowling Green in 1984. The late Michigan head coach Vic Heyliger holds the record for most national men's hockey titles with six.
York is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to win national titles at two different schools.
The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted him as a builder in 2019.
Congratulations, Coach York, on an incredible career and for being such a tremendous ambassador for the Boston hockey community. Good luck in your retirement! pic.twitter.com/fiTtB1s3Rm
Two Massachusetts-based college hockey powerhouses are now in need of new leadership behind the bench. Boston University said in late March that Albie O'Connell won't return after four seasons at the helm.
The injury-plagued Vegas Golden Knights finally have their captain in the lineup for the first time since February.
Mark Stone is playing against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night after missing nearly one-third of the 82-game schedule with a back injury.
The star Golden Knights winger collected eight goals and 20 assists over 28 contests before sustaining the ailment.
Vegas moved goaltender Laurent Brossoit along with forwards William Carrier and Nolan Patrick to injured reserve, clearing enough cap space to activate Stone. The Golden Knights moved the trio to LTIR to facilitate the move, according to CapFriendly.
That brings the team's current number of players on LTIR to seven, the most by any NHL club in a season simultaneously since at least 2015.
This is the most simultaneous players a team has had on LTIR since our inception in 2015.#VegasBorn currently has 7 players on LTIR.
Stone's usual linemate and fellow star forward, Max Pacioretty, came back Saturday after missing the last 12 games himself. The Golden Knights have had a slew of players out with both short- and long-term injuries this season. It's forced them to battle for a playoff spot down the stretch that they may have already secured otherwise.
Crosby became the seventh-fastest player in NHL history to notch 1,400 points, and he accomplished the feat in his 1,100th game.
1️⃣4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ NHL POINTS!
Sidney Crosby becomes the seventh-fastest player to reach 1,400 points in @NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (580 GP), Mario Lemieux (691 GP), Marcel Dionne (1,022 GP), Phil Esposito (1,070 GP), Jaromir Jagr (1,086 GP), and Steve Yzerman (1,093 GP). pic.twitter.com/ipXkUdmtfY
The Penguins superstar also passed Jari Kurri for 22nd on the NHL's all-time points list when he assisted on Jason Zucker's third-period marker. Kurri collected 1,398 points in 1,251 games played.
Crosby posted three points in Sunday's victory. He opened the scoring off a feed from Rakell just under five minutes into the contest.
Crosby became the seventh-fastest player in NHL history to notch 1,400 points, and he accomplished the feat in his 1,100th game.
1️⃣4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ NHL POINTS!
Sidney Crosby becomes the seventh-fastest player to reach 1,400 points in @NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (580 GP), Mario Lemieux (691 GP), Marcel Dionne (1,022 GP), Phil Esposito (1,070 GP), Jaromir Jagr (1,086 GP), and Steve Yzerman (1,093 GP). pic.twitter.com/ipXkUdmtfY
The Penguins superstar also passed Jari Kurri for 22nd on the NHL's all-time points list when he assisted on Jason Zucker's third-period marker. Kurri collected 1,398 points in 1,251 games played.
Crosby posted three points in Sunday's victory. He opened the scoring off a feed from Rakell just under five minutes into the contest.
The 19-year-old is expected to practice with Seattle on Monday and travel with the club on its upcoming road trip to Western Canada.
The Kraken selected Beniers second overall in last year's entry draft. The Massachusetts-born forward was named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award last month after racking up 20 goals and 23 assists over 37 games in his sophomore season with Michigan.
Beniers' NCAA career ended Thursday when the eventual national champion Denver Pioneers defeated his Wolverines in overtime.
The skilled two-way player has already represented the United States at the World Junior Championship, the World Championship, and the Olympics. He came up in the U.S. National Team Development Program.
The Hart Trophy race has featured a crowded field for much of this NHL campaign. But as the league nears the end of the regular season, the MVP chase is now more competitive than it's been throughout 2021-22.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Cale Makar warrant some consideration. However, they haven't been as critical to their ultra-deep teams' success as the players on this list. Alex Ovechkin was in the mix all season long until recently, as his contributions have diminished along with his ice time in the second half.
Here are our top five Hart candidates as we approach the playoffs, with a pair of American dynamos at the forefront:
5. Roman Josi
David Berding / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
68
19
68
25:16
51.91
Makar is the Norris Trophy favorite over Josi, but - as noted in our Norris rankings - the Nashville Predators defenseman deserves more Hart consideration because he's provided superior value. His team would be lost without him.
Josi is on a ridiculous tear from a production standpoint, and he has a legitimate shot at cracking 100 points this season. A blue-liner's done that only 14 times in NHL history and a rearguard hasn't completed the feat since 1991-92. Even if he's not a front-runner, it'll be difficult to exclude Nashville's captain from the MVP discussion if he hits that benchmark.
The 31-year-old is doing more than just piling up points, too. He's among the league leaders in average ice time. Josi has done a good chunk of his damage on the power play, but his five-on-five numbers are commendable considering his heavy workload. The Swiss veteran boasts favorable expected goals for,scoring chances for,and expected goals against percentages.
Josi has notched a point on more than one-third of the Predators' goals in 2021-22 (37.7%), and he leads all Nashville skaters in assists and points by wide margins. All of these numbers illustrate how important Josi has been to his team's success. The Preds wouldn't be battling for a playoff spot if not for his performance, especially lately.
4. Igor Shesterkin
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
Record
SV%
5-on-5 GSAx
5-on-5 GSAA
47
33-10-4
.935
20.46
19.38
Shesterkin declined a bit since our last edition, but the New York Rangers goaltender still deserves consideration for more than just the Vezina Trophy.
We've previously talked at length about why he belongs in the MVP conversation, and those reasons still apply. He's excelling despite the Rangers' inability to control the share of scoring chances and expected goals at five-on-five and their reliance on an elite power play.
The netminder allowed at least four goals in a game three times in March after not letting that happen once since Dec. 29. However, he still holds a .918 save percentage in the 12 contests since our last edition, and his season-long numbers speak for themselves.
Shesterkinleads the entire NHL - including skaters - in wins above replacement and tops every netminder in GSAA in all situations (36.88) by a ridiculous margin of 12.36. Aside from Chris Kreider's unexpected offensive explosion, Shesterkin's rock-solid play is why the Rangers are a surprise contender.
3. Connor McDavid
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
71
42
66
22:10
58.93
McDavid is still a prime candidate to claim the Hart for several reasons. The Edmonton Oilers captain sits on top of the league in the Art Ross Trophy raceand leads all skaters in points per contest. He also boasts a 15-game point streakin which he's racked up 29 since March 9.
The 25-year-old has registered at least a point on 43.2%of the Oilers' goals, exceeding the other three skaters on this list. McDavid also has a superior primary points per game rate (1.169) than two of those three counterparts, and he ranks among the NHL leaders in both even-strength goals and even-strength points.
Production isn't everything, and the 25-year-old continues to prove his worth in other areas. As usual, McDavid possesses excellent underlying numbers with superb xGF% and SCF% figures. The reigning MVP also ranks among the game's best skaters in both WAR and GAR. Those trends reinforce his overall value.
Leon Draisaitl's gaudy offensive numbers could dissuade some voters from taking McDavid, but the two-time winner deserves to remain firmly in contention regardless of his teammate's output.
2. Johnny Gaudreau
Gerry Thomas / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
71
34
65
18:21
59.85
Gaudreau's line has been one of the NHL's best, but the Calgary Flames star is providing ample evidence that he deserves MVP buzz for his personal exploits.
The 28-year-old American is among the league's points leaders, but his contributions go far beyond that. Gaudreau leads the NHL in even-strength points by nine, and his total in those situations (78) accounts for a remarkable 78.8% of his output.
While McDavid's performance and workload are impressive, Gaudreau's production is even more notable considering he gets far less ice time - an average that ranks 80th among forwards.
The gifted Flames winger's underlying numbers are also stellar. In addition to his favorable possession figures, Gaudreau sits second in the NHL in both WAR and GAR.
1. Auston Matthews
Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
66
56
41
20:30
63.19
Matthews is dominating at both ends of the ice to a greater degree than any other NHL player this season, leaving no doubt that he remains the most valuable. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar is on track to repeat as the "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner, and he's amassed his impressive goal total in fewer games than any of the others in the hunt.
Matthews became the first player since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 to net 46 goals over 47 regular-season contests. He's also averaging the most goals per game (0.85)by anyone since Lemieux's pristine mark of 0.99 in that same campaign, and he set two other records Thursday night.
Matthews leads the NHL in even-strength goals by eightand ranks second in even-strength points. And the 24-year-oldhas more primary points per game (1.227) than any skater on this list.
His underlying numbers show he's far more than just an ultra-potent scorer in 2021-22. Matthews leads all NHL skaters in WAR, GAR,expected wins above replacement, and expected goals above replacement. Only Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand hold higher xGF% rates at five-on-five among those who've played at least 700 minutes in those situations,and Matthews has logged nearly 300 more minutes than both of them.
The Toronto center sits second only to Bergeron in SCF% with that same criteria.Matthews has also been a puck-stealing machine. He ranks first among NHL forwards and second overall in total takeaways, as well as second in takeaways per 60 minutes among skaters who've played at least 50 games.
