Los Angeles Kings interim head coach Willie Desjardins won't be back behind the bench next year, the team announced Sunday.

"Today we thanked Willie Desjardins for his effort and dedication while serving as our interim head coach," general manager Rob Blake said in a statement. "We wish Willie and his family nothing but the best going forward. The process for hiring our next head coach is underway and we look forward to conducting a thorough search for the right person to lead our team."

Desjardins took over for John Stevens just 14 games into the season and couldn't right the ship, compiling a 27-34-8 record. The Kings finished with both the second-worst offense and overall record in the NHL.

The former head coach was also publicly criticized by Ilya Kovalchuk after making the high-paid forward a healthy scratch.

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The Florida Panthers are moving quickly in their quest to replace Bob Boughner behind the bench and have reportedly received permission from the Chicago Blackhawks to speak to Joel Quenneville about the vacancy, a source told ESN's Greg Wyshynski.

The Panthers have offered Quenneville a multi-year deal worth more than $6 million per season with bonuses, Wyshynski added. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is the league's highest-paid coach at around $6.25 million annually.

The Panthers fired Boughner on Sunday after two seasons without making the playoffs, while Quenneville was let go in November after 11 seasons with the Blackhawks. He has one season remaining on his contract with Chicago at $6 million.

Quenneville has a long relationship with Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, winning the Stanley Cup together with the Blackhawks in 2010. Tallon joined the Panthers' front office that same year, while Quenneville went on to win two more championships in Chicago.

In a statement, Tallon said the Panthers want a "transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree," to right the ship in Florida.

Quenneville is by far the most experienced coach available on the open market with 22 years behind an NHL bench. He also ranks second all-time with 890 wins.

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The Florida Panthers fired Bob Boughner on Sunday after two seasons as the club's head coach, the team announced.

"We made a tough decision today and have relieved Bob Boughner of his duties as head coach," president of hockey operations and general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. "We didn't meet expectations this season and share responsibility for that fact. After careful evaluation, we have determined that this is a necessary first step for our young team and we will seek to identify a transformative, experienced head coach with Stanley Cup pedigree to lead our team going forward. We're grateful to Bob, Paul, and their families for their hard work and their dedication to the Panthers organization and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors."

The Panthers registered 86 points this season and missed the playoffs for the third straight year. They did receive strong performances, however, from Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, who each eclipsed 90 points.

Florida's struggles came between the pipes, as it ranked 28th in the league with 273 goals against.

In March, Tallon said the club plans to be aggressive in free agency, which can be made possible with the over $17 million in projected cap space it has next season, according to Cap Friendly.

The next Panthers head coach will be the franchise's sixth since 2013. Anaheim, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Philadelphia, and St. Louis also have vacancies behind the bench.

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The schedule for the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs was announced Sunday. Below are the dates and start times of all eight matchups, which get started Wednesday, April 10.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2)

Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)

Metropolitan Division

Washington Capitals (M1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (WC1)

New York Islanders (M2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M3)

Western Conference

Pacific Division

Calgary Flames (P1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (WC2)

San Jose Sharks (P2) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (P3)

Central Division

Nashville Predators (C1) vs. Dallas Stars (WC1)

Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. St. Louis Blues (C3)

*If necessary
TBD: To be determined

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The 2018-19 NHL regular season came to a close Saturday, making official the league leaders in a number of notable statistical categories.

Here's a look at the top five in goals, points, save percentage, and more.

Goals

Assists

Points

Plus/Minus

Wins

Goals Against Average

Save Percentage

Shutouts

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Get your popcorn ready, because it's officially playoff time.

While some NHL postseason matchups have been known for a while, many were decided on the final night of the regular season. Here's a look at all eight:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Drawing the Presidents' Trophy winners in Round 1 was probably not what Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen envisioned when he went all-in prior to the trade deadline. The Lightning emphatically swept the season series 3-0, outscoring Columbus 17-3.

The Maple Leafs and Bruins will meet in Round 1 for a second straight year after Boston's seven-game series victory in 2018. The Bruins were much stronger down the stretch and won the season series 3-1, which could give them a leg up.

Metropolitan Division

The Hurricanes don't qualify for the playoffs often, but they usually make the most of it. Carolina reached the conference finals in its last postseason appearance in 2009, and the team earned trips to the Stanley Cup Final in each of its two playoff berths prior (2006 and 2002). The Canes will be in tough against the defending champs, as the Capitals swept the season series 4-0.

The Islanders will be hosting a playoff series for the first time since 1988, but it'll be no easy task against a Penguins squad that's getting healthier. Defensive mastermind Barry Trotz slowed down Pittsburgh's offense during Washington's second-round victory a year ago, but can he do that in two straight series?

Western Conference

Central Division

Take the under in this series. The Predators-Stars matchup is the only one in which both teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in scoring. The two squads made the postseason through stingy defense and stellar goaltending.

The Jets lugged their way into the postseason, and they could have their hands full against the Blues, a club that was dead last in the NHL on Jan. 2 before a miraculous second half of the season. The Jets took the season series 3-1, but these teams haven't met since Dec. 7.

Pacific Division

There aren't many question marks tied to the Flames, but the one that does exist is a doozy: Which goalie will lead the way in the playoffs? Mike Smith and David Rittich posted both hot and cold streaks during the season, but neither took the job and ran with it. The same can't be said for the Avs, as Philipp Grubauer's .956 save percentage over his final 14 regular-season contests has him entrenched as the club's No. 1 netminder despite playing fewer games than Semyon Varlamov.

The Golden Knights sunk the Sharks 4-2 in the second round in 2018, but thanks to the fall of the Ottawa Senators, both teams have added significant reinforcements. Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson are game-changers, and whoever has a greater impact on this series could determine the winner.

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Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was helped off the ice after crashing leg first into a post against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

With a little under four minutes gone in the second period, McDavid made a hard rush to the net and Flames defenseman Mark Giordano sprawled to stop his approach. That upended McDavid, sending him barreling into the net at top speed.

McDavid remained on the ice for several minutes while training staff attended to him. Teammates then helped him to the dressing room, and McDavid couldn't put any weight on his injured left leg.

X-rays after the game came back negative indicating he does not have a broken leg, the team announced. He will return to Edmonton and undergo an MRI.

McDavid entered the game second in the league with 116 points. With the Oilers missing the playoffs for the second straight year, Saturday's game was his final NHL contest of the season. However, it was believed a healthy McDavid would play for Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championships.

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The Nashville Predators clinched first place in the Central Division for the second straight season Saturday after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Preds will now face the Stars in Round 1 following Dallas' victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

Scoring could be tough in the Stars-Predators series. Both teams rank in the bottom half of the league offensively and are also two of the stingiest defensive clubs.

Nashville's win guarantees a first-round matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, though the location of Game 1 is yet to be determined.

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