The Stanley Cup playoff picture is becoming clearer

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The NHL playoff image is coming into focus

With three nights left within the common season, 15 of the 16 playoff entries at the moment are set, whereas the races for some main particular person awards are near being resolved. Here is a glance and what’s settled and what’s nonetheless up within the air after an eventful Tuesday night time:

Vegas is hanging by a thread. Essentially the most impactful end result final night time was Vegas’ 3-2 shootout loss at Dallas. It left the Golden Knights, a top-three Stanley Cup favorite earlier than the season, 4 factors behind the Stars for the ultimate wild-card spot within the Western Convention with two video games to play. Vegas must beat Chicago and St. Louis and have Dallas lose dwelling video games to lowly Arizona and Anaheim in regulation — a state of affairs with a 1.5 per cent likelihood of occurring, in accordance with MoneyPuck’s playoff odds. The Knights’ failure to beat Dallas final night time additionally moved a number of items of the playoff image into place, as you may see beneath.

Solely three of the seven Canadian groups shall be within the playoffs. Regardless of final night time’s 5-2 win over Seattle, the Vancouver Canucks have been formally eradicated from post-season rivalry when Dallas beat Vegas. Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa have been already out. That leaves Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton because the three groups with an opportunity to deliver the Stanley Cup to Canada for the primary time since Montreal gained it in 1993.

Edmonton will play Los Angeles within the first spherical. Toronto and Calgary’s opponents are nonetheless TBD. The Vegas loss ensured the idle Kings will end third within the Pacific Division. They’re going to face the Oilers, who clinched second place (and home-ice benefit vs. the Kings) by beating Pittsburgh final night time. Pacific champion Calgary is locked into the No. 2 seed within the Western Convention and can meet the higher of the 2 wild playing cards — both Dallas or Nashville, which clinched a wild card final night time with the Vegas loss. (If Vegas in some way makes it, they’re going to be the decrease wild card and face Colorado, which has clinched the No. 1 seed.) Toronto will end second within the Atlantic Division and have home-ice benefit towards its first-round opponent. That may possible be the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, although Boston (three factors again with two to play) can nonetheless catch them.

In addition to Edmonton vs. L.A., the one playoff matchup set in stone is Minnesota vs. St. Louis. They’re going to end second and third within the Central Division, however the order (and residential ice benefit) continues to be up within the air as these groups are tied in factors.

The Presidents’ Trophy continues to be up for grabs. It is a two-horse race between Colorado and Japanese Convention high seed Florida, who’re nearly neck and neck. The Avalanche closed the hole to 2 factors final night time by beating St. Louis whereas the Panthers misplaced to Boston. Each groups have two video games left, however Florida has the softer opponents: Ottawa and Montreal, in comparison with Nashville and Minnesota for the Avs.

The race to the underside may come right down to the wire too. The mirror picture of the Presidents’ Trophy battle can also be a two-team race. Montreal and Arizona are the one two golf equipment in rivalry to complete useless final within the league, which implies one of the best odds of successful the draft lottery. The Canadiens are definitely doing their “finest” to land high prospect Shane Wright (a centre with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs), dropping 9 straight to fall two factors behind the Coyotes. Nevertheless, ending final nonetheless provides you simply an 18.5 per cent likelihood of successful the Could 10 draw.

Two main particular person awards have been just about determined final night time. Auston Matthews all however sewed up his second straight Maurice Richard Trophy by scoring his 59th and sixtieth objectives in Toronto’s 3-0 win over Detroit. The 24-year-old is each the primary Maple Leaf and the primary U.S.-born participant to attain 60 in a season. He is the primary participant from wherever to do it since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12. Matthews now has a five-goal lead over Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who has two video games left.

Draisaitl’s teammate Connor McDavid put a stranglehold on the Artwork Ross Trophy race by racking up 4 factors in final night time’s 5-1 win over Pittsburgh. With 122 factors, McDavid is seven up on Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau, who has solely two video games remaining. The following three guys within the race are all from Canadian groups: Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau (113), Draisaitl (109) and Matthews (106). If McDavid wins, it’s going to be the fourth scoring title in six years for the 25-year-old. The one gamers with at the least 4 Artwork Ross Trophies of their whole careers are Wayne Gretzky (10), Gordie Howe (6), Mario Lemieux (6), Phil Esposito (5), Jaromir Jagr (5) and Stan Mikita (4).

Whereas the Artwork Ross and Rocket Richard trophies seem settled, the Hart stays anybody’s guess. Matthews, McDavid and New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stand out, however Gaudreau, Huberdeau, Draisaitl and 93-point Nashville defenceman Roman Josi are within the combine too. Learn concerning the seven high candidates for the Hart right here.

Shortly…

Canada clinched a playoff spot on the blended doubles curling world championship. At present’s 6-2 win over England improved Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant to 6-1. With two video games left of their round-robin slate in Switzerland, the Canadians are assured of a top-three end in Group B and a spot within the six-team playoffs. Their solely loss got here to 7-0 Scotland, which is on observe to win the group and earn a bye to the semifinals. The groups that end second and third within the two teams must play their method into the semis. Canada completes its round-robin schedule on Thursday vs. Australia (3-4) and the USA (4-3). The playoffs begin Friday, and the ultimate is Saturday. Peterman and Gallant are attempting to turn into the primary Canadian staff to take the title within the 14-year historical past of the blended doubles worlds. Learn extra about as we speak’s win and watch highlights right here.

The CFL made some guidelines tweaks to spice up scoring. Beginning this yr, the hashmarks shall be moved nearer to the center of the sector to present offences extra of the sector to work with. Additionally, groups will take the ball on the 40-yard line following a discipline purpose or single (it was once the 35), kickoffs shall be moved again 5 yards, and all no-yards penalties shall be 15 yards as an alternative of 5. The league is trying to get greater numbers on the board after a uneven 2021 season that noticed Winnipeg end because the top-scoring staff regardless of averaging solely 23 offensive factors per sport. Another minor rule adjustments have been additionally launched as we speak, and you’ll read about all of them right here.

And eventually…

Clue: This Canadian lady is now among the many high 10 earners in Jeopardy! historical past. Right response: Who’s Mattea Roach? The 23-year-old, who grew up in Halifax and now lives in Toronto, gained her sixteenth consecutive sport on final night time’s airing of the TV quiz present. That is the longest-ever win streak by a Canadian, and the eighth-longest by anybody. She has an extended method to go to catch Ken Jennings’ document 74-game run from 2004, however Roach now ranks tenth in regular-season winnings with $368,981 US. She wants three extra victories to seize a share of the sixth-longest successful streak, and 4 extra to match the second-longest ever by a girl. The ladies’s document belongs to Amy Schneider, whose 40-game streak led to January. Learn extra about Roach right here.

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