Since dropping their second game in a week to the Anaheim Ducks earlier in March and losing their spot atop the Pacific in the process, the Los Angeles Kings have looked nearly unstoppable.
The Kings have retaken their division lead with a five-game point streak (4-0-1), including a pair of commanding wins on back-to-back nights. They beat the reigning Cup champion Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday, before a 5-2 win against the West-leading Stars on Tuesday.
#LAKings now 10-4-2 versus the Central Division.
— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) March 16, 2016
Captain Anze Kopitar and newcomer Kris Versteeg led the way for the Kings, with three points each over the past two games. Jonathan Quick shut out Kane, Toews and Co. on Monday, before Jhonas Enroth led the way with a 24-save performance against the Benn- and Seguin-led Stars.
Related: VIDEO: Kings' Kopitar dances around Kris Russell, scores
Despite their dominating past two nights, those wins may not have been their most impressive in the past week. Jeff Carter provided the overtime-winner on Wednesday to beat the Washington Capitals 4-3, after the league's top team scored three third-period goals to send the game into extra time.
With their recent run of high-powered offense and impressive goaltending against the league's top teams, it's hard not to consider the Kings as Stanley Cup favorites if the season ended today.
But if they plan to take on the Blackhawks, Stars, or even the Capitals in a future seven-game series, they'll need to figure out a way to beat the red-hot Ducks. The final regular-season meeting between the crosstown rivals is scheduled for April 7 at Staples Center.
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The Philadelphia Flyers now sit just one point shy of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot after picking up a 4-3 win Tuesday against the team currently sitting in the second wild-card position, the Detroit Red Wings.
Michael Raffl recorded the second multi-goal game of his career - both coming against the Red Wings. Wayne Simmonds scored his 25th goal of the season, while a backhand from rookie phenom Shayne Gostisbehere would serve as the eventual game-winner.
Gostisbehere can't help but score goals. #FlyersTalk https://t.co/8WgJZUnlt1
— Comcast SportsNet (@CSNPhilly) March 16, 2016
Steve Mason now has a personal five-game point streak in the Flyers' net, making 34 saves on the night to pick up his 17th win of the year. He's 4-0-1 with only 10 goals against in his current run.
Red Wings netminder Petr Mrazek was even busier, allowing only two goals in a first period that saw the Flyers outshot 23-3. He finished the night with 42 saves.
Andreas Athanasiou, Pavel Datsyuk, and Tomas Tatar provided the goal-scoring for Detroit.
The Flyers now have two games in hand as they sit just one point behind Detroit in the standings, but will face two tough tests later in the week. They visit the Blackhawks on Wednesday, before hosting the Penguins - who currently hold the other wild-card spot in the East - on Saturday.
The Red Wings next three games all come on the road, including stops in Columbus, Florida, and Tampa Bay.
| Rnk | Team | GP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penguins | 69 | 82 |
| 2 | Red Wings | 70 | 79 |
| 3 | Flyers | 68 | 78 |
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The Washington Capitals became the first team in the NHL to clinch a postseason berth after Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation.
The Capitals were in need of just one point Tuesday to reach the playoffs.
More to come.
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Jakub Voracek might be the most invested spectator Tuesday between his Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings.
That's because the Flyers are on a roll, and with two games in hand on Detroit, Voracek believes they're well on their way to making up the three-point difference between the clubs in the race for a wild-card playoff spot.
"The way we’re playing, they’ve got to be more worried about not making the playoffs than us," Voracek said Tuesday. "Because they way we play, everybody knows how good we play right now and everybody watches the games."
The Flyers have a 7-2-1 record over the past 10 games as compared to 5-4-1 for the Red Wings, and Tuesday marks the first of two remaining games between them.
Voracek has missed the past seven games with a foot injury and said there's no chance he plays against Detroit, but he hopes to return soon.
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The NHL's general managers aren't wasting any time.
During the morning session of the annual meetings taking place in Boca Raton, Fla., it's reportedly been decided that blue line cameras will be installed in the boards of all 16 arenas that will host playoff games this spring, according to Jonas Siegel of The Canadian Press.
The hope is this will ensure the right ruling is made when a coach challenges a goal scored on a seemingly missed offside call.
Also on the docket is a discussion in regards to whether on-ice officials should make this call, or if it should be reviewed and decided in the league's Toronto-based war room.
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Auston Matthews' unique journey toward the NHL is almost complete, and while it looks to have been an overwhelming success, it certainly didn't get a storybook ending overseas.
The 18-year-old's season with the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League came to an end Thursday after his top-seeded club was swept by No. 8 seed SC Bern.
Bern stuns Zurich w/ a 1st Rd playoff sweep, 4-0. Wins 3-0 in Gm 4 to clinch today. Auston Matthews 0-3-3, 13 shots, in 4 plyoff gms
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) March 10, 2016
The season as a whole, however, allowed Matthews to prove he can be dominant even while playing against much older - and larger - competition.
The Arizona native capped off his season with 24 goals and 46 points in 36 regular-season games, the most ever by a teenager in the NLA.
The Switzerland experiment was quite arguably a success for Matthews. Potential inspiration for future elite NA guys to try pro hockey.
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) March 10, 2016
Matthews is widely expected to be selected with the No. 1 pick at the NHL Entry Draft. He ranked first in NHL central scouting's midterm rankings among all European skaters.
The teenage standout is expected to represent the United Sates at the upcoming World Championship in Russia this May, if he so chooses.
That's where teams and fans alike might get their last glimpse of Matthews before his name is called this June.
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There's simply too much at stake in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The NHL is reportedly planning to install cameras "inside the crossbar, looking down" and "along the blue line" in time for the postseason, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman's latest "30 Thoughts" column.
"The plan is to install (blue-line cameras) in the 16 arenas that will host postseason games," Friedman writes. "On the penalty box side, they will be set along the surface. The players' bench is trickier, so the mount will be above the ice."
Offside reviews have been a point of contention this year, as the NHL works out the kinks of its first year with video replay.
As for cameras inside goalposts, Friedman adds that the NHL "is not as bullish as it once was" about the idea. "Too much is obstructed."
The playoffs are scheduled to begin Wednesday, April 13.
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