It's unfortunately set in stone: the Calgary Flames will not be part of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It became official when St. Louis beat Utah 6-1 during the second intermission of the Flames' own game with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Earlier, Minnesota took the other wild-card spot by getting a point after forcing overtime in the final minute of their game against Anaheim.

The Flames season was highlighted by the coming of rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf, who is in the running for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. Other young stars that made an impact include Connor Zary and Matt Coronato.

Calgary still has one more regular season game left. It is a Thursday away encounter against the Los Angeles Kings. Considering the elimination, another highly touted prospect, Zayne Parekh, could make his debut in that game.

Toronto has clinched the division title for the first time since the 1999-00 season.

With a 4-0 win on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres, the Toronto Maple Leafs clinched the Atlantic division title, their first divisional title since 2000.

The Maple Leafs secured the North division crown in 2021 during the COVID-19 season, but this was clearly different. With a fresh head coach who implemented new systems, Toronto found a way to stand ahead of the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I think it's a goal that you set out at the end of the year to claim that. It's a good step for our group," Auston Matthews, who scored his 400th career goal, said on Tuesday.

"Obviously, a lot of work to be done, but a good little checkmark for us."

here we see a great thing, and Auston Matthews scoring his 400th NHL goal pic.twitter.com/HnxyIdNDn0

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 16, 2025

Toronto's division-clinching win now sets up one of the most anticipated playoff matchups this year: the Battle of Ontario.

The Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators haven't battled in the playoffs since 2004, when Toronto eliminated them in seven games. Since then, the Maple Leafs have won just one playoff series (against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023) but are looking to strike again.

"Yeah, I'm excited. Bring it on," Steven Lorentz said before reminiscing about the Battle of Ontario as a child.

"It's exciting for the fans, obviously. There's a lot of passion in both organizations. But I grew up watching this series when I was a kid a few times, so I've got fond memories and to be able to play in it now is just special, and I'm looking forward to it."

His favorite memory against the Senators in the playoffs?

"I remember the two back-to-back goals, the one five-hole on [Patrick Lalime]. Joe Nieuwendyk, if I remember correctly. But yeah, I just remember being a little kid, having a mini stick net right in front of the TV, and in the TV timeout, I'd fire the ball in the net," Lorentz said.

"Now, to be able to do this, I still feel like I'm that eight-year-old kid watching on TV, but I get to sit on the bench with the big boys and put my effort in out there."

Nieuwendyk gets two soft goals against LalimeWatch as Joe Niewendyk scores two identical soft goals back-to-back against Patrick Lalime in the game clincher against Ottawa in the 2004 playoffs.---------...

It'll be Lorentz's first playoff series wearing blue and white, but Matthews and Mitch Marner have had their fair share of battles in the postseason. They've played the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning, to name a few, but never the Senators.

"Yeah, it'll be cool. I mean, it's been a long time. Obviously, they're a good young team. They're hungry," Matthew said.

"They've taken steps as well, so I think it's going to be great. It's going to be fun. It's good for hockey. Obviously, it's going to be intense, so I think we're looking forward to it."

Anthony Stolarz, who secured his third shutout in the last eight games, has played the Senators twice this season. The Maple Leafs have lost both times, but Stolarz has put together a .908 save percentage in that span.

After Toronto's win against Buffalo, Stolarz sits first in the NHL with a .926 save percentage. While it remains uncertain who gets Game 1 against Ottawa, Stolarz will be ready if he gets the nod.

"It'll be fun for sure. I think they're a hungry team. They haven't made the playoffs in a couple years here," Stolarz said. "We feel good about our game and it's going to be a blood bath; it's going to be a little bit of a war, so we'll be ready."

Toronto has one final game — against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday — before the playoff fun begins.

---

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Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles Kings (47-24-9) face the Seattle Kraken (35-40-6)  in a season series winner-take-all match at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA on Tuesday, April 15. 

Both the Kraken and the Kings won two games apiece during the 2024-2025, and notably the last time the LA Kings played the Kraken on home ice, they were shocked with a 2-1 loss on Monday, April 7.  With the Las Vegas Golden Knights clinching the Pacific Division, though the Kings play these games with the intent to maintain their second place standing which affects seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Notably, many of the Kings' best stars including defenseman Drew Doughty, defenseman Mikey Anderson, center Anze Kopitar, right wing Quinton Byfield, and defenseman Joel Edmundson are out in order to rest them with the playoffs right around the corner. 

FIRST PERIOD

Los Angeles have deployed the B-squad to face the Kraken tonight, with goaltender David Rittich starting for the Kings. The first period begins with the Kings' B squad and the Kraken vying for control of the puck.

x - LA Kings (@LAKings) on XGo time in the Emerald City! 🏙️ @SimonLawGroup | #GoKingsGo

LA commits the first penalty of the night - defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov with a hooking penalty. Seattle begin the first period with a free power play against the B-squad. The Kraken make no use of the power play, but neither team has much offensive momentum at the moment. 

As the former half of the first period comes around, both teams play relatively clean hockey and Seattle surprisingly has made an impressive amount of shots at the Los Angeles net -- 11 shots compared to the Kings' 3 shots. So far, neither team has broken through, despite some excellent stick play by both teams. 

AS I SPEAK, THE RINK HAS WOKEN UP AS KINGS CENTER SAMUEL HELENIUS, WITH THE ASSIST BY GAVRIKOV TO REDEEM HIMSELF, 1-0

BIG SAMMY GETS US STARTED! pic.twitter.com/sIYItUYWnh

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 16, 2025

Los Angeles has jolted their offensive momentum during this first period, even with many bench players getting to shine on the hockey rink tonight. Meanwhile, Seattle commits their first penalty --- tripping against LA King left wing Trevor Moore ---, granting the Kings their first power play.

AS I WRITE THAT, ALEX TURCOTTE TIPS IN ANOTHER GOAL FOR THE KINGS, WITH LEFT WING KEVIN FIALA AND RIGHT WING ADRIAN KEMPE SCORING A POWER PLAY GOAL, 2-0 

TURCY DAY! pic.twitter.com/W0KbHKbx05

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 16, 2025

The Kings' B-squad so far during the first period has kept the same offensive prowess the team is known for, peaking at the right time as the Stanley Cup Playoffs round the corner. 

SECOND PERIOD

The second period starts and so far both teams vie for control of the puck. Kraken defenseman Vince Mann has been penalized orignally for slashing Kuzmenko, but now he has been docked another penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Kings' B-squad players, granting LA a power play.

The Kings get nothing out of their second power play. 

As the period progresses, Seattle has gotten fairly aggressive in their shots. Kraken left wing Tye Kartye scores the first goal for his team with his own unassisted "I'm the man" shot into the LA net to keep the Kraken within one score, 2-1. 

Los Angeles defenseman Kyle Burroughs commits the second penalty -- high sticking ---, granting the Kraken another power play. Ultimately, the Kraken are unable to break through the Kings' defense, which burned time off the clock despite the Kraken's brazen amount of shots to the LA net. 

Now, the Kings are giving away power plays left and right, as center Phillip Danault get penalized for tripping. As a result, Seattle defenseman Brandon Montour scores another goal for the Kraken, tying the game2-2. 

So far in the second period, both goals made by Seattle were capitalized on through power plays and mistakes made by the Kings' B-squad. At the 7:00 minute mark, the Kraken have also outhit the Kings 21-8, despite the Kings not being afraid to put some hits onto the Seattle roster on ice. 

Adrian Kempe has now made history for himself, scoring 400 points throughout his National Hockey League career. 

AND WITH THAT IN MIND, KINGS LEFT WING WARREN FOEGELE SCORES ANOTHER GOAL FOR THE KINGS WITH A BACKHAND SHOT TO PUT THEM AHEAD AGAIN, 3-2

FAST HANDS FOEGS! pic.twitter.com/ZEdTdvJzVf

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 16, 2025

OH MY, NOW THE KINGS HAVE GONE BACK-TO-BACK WITH RIGHT WING ALEX LAFERRIERE HITTING A SNAP SHOT TO EXTEND THE KINGS' LEAD, 4-2

LaFOURriere pic.twitter.com/5cHnEzHOhx

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 16, 2025

Los Angeles have redeemed themselves this second period with their offensive bounce back, but the penalties they have made which at one point kept the Kraken in the game linger.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dylan Strome scored three times, and the Washington Capitals beat the New York Islanders 3-1 on Tuesday night.

It was Strome's third career hat trick. Charlie Lindgren made 33 saves for Washington, which had dropped two in a row.

Hudson Fasching scored in the third period for New York, and Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots.

The Islanders have dropped four of five going into their season finale at Columbus on Thursday night. They will miss the playoffs for the second time in four seasons.

The Capitals are preparing for the playoffs after winning the Metropolitan Division.

Strome completed the hat trick at 18:49 of the third period with an empty-net goal.

Takeaways

Capitals: Martin Fehervary left in the first period after blocking a Bo Horvat wrist shot with the inside of his left foot. He later returned — a positive sign for Washington, which can’t afford to lose another defenseman ahead of the playoffs.

Islanders: Veteran forward Matt Martin was an alternate captain for the first time in his career with New York. It was likely his final home game with the Islanders, after spending 14 of his 16 NHL seasons with the team.

Key moment

Lindgren made two critical stops on Pierre Engvall and Noah Dobson at 14:53 of the first period during an Islanders power play.

Key stat

Washington star Alex Ovechkin recorded his 28th assist this season and No. 726 for his career — part of a milestone season in which he surpassedWayne Gretzky atop the NHL’s career goals list.

Up next

The Capitals close out the regular season on Thursday at Pittsburgh.

The Islanders finish their season against the Blue Jackets.

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Ottawa Senators in Canada's capital on Tuesday night. That marks the final game of the 2024-25 season for Chicago. 

Connor Bedard kicked things off with his 22nd goal of the season to make it 1-0 Chicago. With this goal, Bedard matched his total from his Calder Trophy-winning season in 2023-24. 

Joe Veleno then gave the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead at the 6:13 mark of the opening frame. They weren't able to hold that two-goal lead for long, however, as Nick Cousins put Ottawa on the board at 6:56. 

Early in the second frame, Thomas Chabot scored a power play goal to tie the game up at 2. It looked like the Senators may take over from there as they were outshooting the Blackhawks badly, but the Hawks stayed in the game. 

Just over a minute later, Connor Bedard scored his second goal of the game to give Chicago the lead again. Now, Bedard has more goals and points than in his memorable rookie year. Being a teenager with 45 career goals is nothing to look past. 

Later in the middle frame, Drake Batherson tied the game right back up. Once again, it was easy to think the Senators were going to run away with it. After the second period was over, Chicago was being outshot by Ottawa 31-9. 

The third period was much more even as they tied in shots with six. Despite this, no goals were scored in the third. The game required overtime. 

Frank Nazar ended Chicago's season after Connor Bedard set him up for a beautiful shot. Nazar's third goal in as many games gave Chicago their final win of the season.

Nazar had five total points and a shootout winner in that span as well, which ends his season about as strong as he could want. 

With the assist on Nazar's goal, Bedard's three-point night ended his season on a high as well. He finishes with 23 goals and 44 assists for 67 points in 82 games. 

One other player who deserves extra praise in this game is Spencer Knight. He made 34 saves on 37 shots in the overtime win. His GAA for the game was 2.96, and his save percentage was .919. Knight was under duress all night, but he stayed composed. The Blackhawks won because of him. 

So that's it for Chicago. They will now move on to getting this roster into a more competitive state with free agency and the draft. At 25-46-11, Chicago has the second best odds of winning the lottery and a ton of cap space. 

Next time they play, they will be kicking off their centennial season, which is sure to come with tons of great celebrations. Expect the team to be better as well. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Timo Meier had one goal and two assists, and the New Jersey Devils jumped back into the win column with a 5-4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday.

Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes had two assists for the Devils. Jake Allen made 20 saves on 24 shots. 

Meier gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 7:25 of the first period on a slap shot from the circle. Defensemen Brett Pesce and Hughes were credited with the assists. 

Morgan Geekie tied it 1-1 for Boston at 8:43. David Pastrnak gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead 29 seconds into the second period. 

Stefan Noesen tied the game while the Devils were on the power play at 4:07. The 32-year-old has a career-high 22 goals. Less than one minute later, defenseman Simon Nemec extended New Jersey's lead to 3-2. 

Dawson Mercer scored his 18th goal on the power play for a 4-2 Devils lead. It was the 23-year-old's first goal since Mar 26, 2025. 

Red Bank, New Jersey native John Farinacci scored his first career NHL goal late in the middle frame to bring the Bruins within one goal. Boston center Marat Khusnutdinov's snap shot beat Allen five minutes into the third period to tie the game at 4-4. 

Defenseman Brian Dumoulin scored the overtime winner 1:30 into overtime. It was his first goal as a Devil and was assisted by Mercer and Meier. 

The Devils will return to New Jersey and host the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night to conclude the 2024-25 regular season. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

BOSTON (AP) — Brian Dumoulin scored 90 seconds into overtime to lead the New Jersey Devils past Boston 5-4 on Tuesday night and end the Bruins' first season without a playoff berth since 2016.

Timo Meier had a goal and two assists, and Jake Allen made 20 saves for the Devils, who had already clinched a postseason matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist for New Jersey.

David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for Boston and led the team with 106 points — his third straight 100-point season. Jeremy Swayman stopped 21 shots for the Bruins, who finished with the worst record in the Atlantic Division — and perhaps the Eastern Conference.

Former Harvard hockey captain John Farinacci made his NHL debut and scored his first career goal, cutting the Bruins deficit to 4-3 late in the second period.

Takeaways

The Devils snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Bruins look ahead to the draft lottery: They could finish anywhere between fourth and eighth from the bottom of the NHL standings.

Key moment

Stefan Noesen and Simon Nemec scored 30 seconds apart early in the second period for New Jersey to turn a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead. The Devils never trailed again.

Key stat

The Bruins were 25-30-7 for interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over on Nov. 19 when Jim Montgomery was fired. Montgomery, who led the Bruins to the greatest regular season in NHL history two years ago, was hired five days later by the St. Louis Blues.

Up next

The Devils finish the regular season on Wednesday night at home against the Red Wings.

The Bruins are done for the season; they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The Florida Panthers wrapped up their regular season schedule on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay.

Locked into third place in the Atlantic Division, Florida rested several of their key players in preparation for the battles to come in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tampa Bay, on the other hand, still had a shot at the division title, so they were going all out, and that led to a lopsided 5-1 final score.

It didn’t take long for the Lightning to strike first.

Yanni Gourde sent a cross-ice pass to Brayden Point as he crossed into Florida’s zone, and Point fired a quick shot that beat Vitek Vanecek glove side and put the Bolts up 1-0 just 92 seconds into the game.

A Conor Geekie one-timer and a shorthanded goal by Jake Guentzel less than three minutes apart sent Tampa into the first intermission riding high and leading 3-0.

Things got worse for Florida early in the second period when Nikita Kucherov was the recipient of a pretty passing play.

A failed zone clear by Seth Jones led to Point finding Yanni Gourde who quickly fed Kucherov at the side of the net.

His 37th goal and 120th point extended Tampa’s lead to 4-0.

Florida finally got on the board thanks to newcomer Brad Marchand.

Taking a neutral zone pass from Carter Verhaeghe, Marchand wired a shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy’s glove to get the Cats going.

Kucherov picked up point 121 when he assisted on a 5-on-3 power play goal by Darren Raddysh late in the third after a round of penalties that started with an illegal check to the head by Jesse Puljujarvi.

These teams will meet again, soon and often.

On to the playoffs.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Florida and Tampa will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

Marchand played in his 1,100th NHL game on Tuesday.

He’s now got two goals and three points over his past four games.

Verhaeghe closed out the regular season on a five-game point streak, racking up three goals and six points during the run.

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During the St. Louis Blues' April 15 contest against the Utah Hockey Club, top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first career NHL goal. It was a significant one, too, as it gave the Blues a 3-0 lead in the first period. 

JIMMY SNUGGERUD!

That's his first NHL goal! 💥 pic.twitter.com/c5SvDSiI3y

— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2025

Snuggerud certainly worked hard to score his first NHL goal, as the 2022 first-round pick jammed in front of the net before getting the puck past Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka.

Before this goal, Snuggerud already was making an impact in this contest against Vegas. Earlier on in the first period, the promising youngster was denied on a breakaway attempt, but Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich scored on the rebound. As a result, Snuggerud recorded an assist on this play. 

Snuggerud is one of the Blues' most exciting young players, and he certainly showed off his offensive potential against Utah with this multi-point game. 

Exciting Blues Goalie Prospect Continuing To ThriveSt. Louis Blues goalie prospect Colten Ellis is enjoying an excellent season down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Springfield Thunderbirds. In 41 appearances, the 24-year-old netminder has a 22-13-3 record, a 2.62 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage.  However, what's more encouraging about Ellis' strong play is that he is only continuing to thrive as the campaign carries on. In his last appearance against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on April 12, he stopped 40 out of 43 shots, which equates to a .930 save percentage. Furthermore, he has had a .900 save percentage or better in six out of his last seven appearances. This includes a 36-save shutout against the Iowa Wild on March 28. Blues Star Is Heating Up In A Big WaySt. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich is one of the team's most important players. When playing at his best, the 29-year-old is a big difference-maker because of his high offensive skill.  Former Blues Star Struggling With New TeamDuring this past off-season, former St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. This was after he appeared in 76 games split between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers last season, posting 23 goals and 55 points in 76 games. He also won his second career Stanley Cup with Florida that spring.