A loss to Columbus in the final game of the regular season has dimmed Toronto's playoff outlook considerably.Whereas a single point would have set up a first-round series with the Ottawa Senators, the Maple Leafs will now go head-to-head with the Washington Capitals, who enter the postseason as the best team in the NHL and with the most serious of Stanley Cup aspirations.It'll serve as a tough test for the young club, admits head coach Mike Babcock."We're going to find out what playoff hockey is in a hurry," Babcock said Sunday, per Mark Masters of TSN. "I'll do my best the next couple days to explain what's going to happen. They're not going to believe me."Still, that Toronto is in this position after a 30th-place finish a year ago is wildly encouraging.

Patrik Laine was phenomenal. Auston Matthews was a little bit better - and a little bit luckier.Matthews was held scoreless in a very costly final-game loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there's no taking away from his spectacular rookie season. He finishes with a rookie-best 40 goals - four more than Laine and tied for second-most in the NHL - and 29 assists. Matthews' 69 points were tops among all freshman, and he's only 19 years old.Laine played 73 games for the Winnipeg Jets to Matthews' 82, as the American was able to stay healthy all season. Laine's 0.88 points-points-per game average ends up slightly higher than Matthews' 0.84.Here are the top rookie scorers, with Matthews surrounded by his teammates.RankRookieTeamGPGoalsAssistsPoints1MatthewsLeafs824029692LaineJets733628643Mitch MarnerLeafs771942614William NylanderLeafs812239615Sebastian AhoHurricanes812325486Matthew TkachukFlames761335487Zach WerenskiBlue Jackets781136478Brayden PointLightning681822409Brady SkjeiRangers795343910Mikko RantanenAvalanche7520193911Connor BrownLeafs8220163612Nikita ZaitsevLeafs824323613Anthony ManthaWings60171936*Some player stats are not updated to include Sunday's actionMatthews set Maple Leafs records for goals and points, wowing on a regular basis under the microscope in Toronto. Only Sidney Crosby scored more goals. Matthews is also the only player to record a shot on goal in each of the 82 games he played in. Fair to say his first overall selection was justified.And with Toronto securing a surprise playoff berth, its first in a full season since 2004, Matthews is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. But there isn't much between Matthews and Laine, and the Finnish sniper winning the Calder shouldn't come as a surprise, if it does end up happening. In the end, they're both deserving.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell flat in their opportunity to climb up the standings Sunday night, falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2 in regulation - ultimately setting up a first-round meeting with the Washington Captials next week.With the result, the Ottawa Senators will face the Boston Bruins.Toronto needed just one point to jump into the third seed in the Atlantic Division, and looked to be in the driver's seat early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on two goals from James van Riemsdyk. However, the Blue Jackets roared back with three goals in the second period, the dagger coming on a shorthanded tally from Cam Atkinson.Both Toronto and Boston finished the regular season with 95 points, but by virtue of regulation and overtime wins (ROW), the Bruins' 42 outweigh the Leafs' 39.Toronto posted a record of 1-1-1 versus the Presidents' Trophy winning Capitals during the regular season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In an age where NHL teams earn points for losing, the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche have proven to be the most inept.Since the adoption of the shootout coming out of the 2004-05 lockout, no team has finished with fewer than the 48 points amassed over 82 games by the Avalanche this season.If we include the lockout-shortened 2013 season, Colorado's .296 point percentage also ranks dead last, a feat sealed by Sunday's loss to St. Louis that dropped their record to 22-56-4.The next worst seasons were recorded by the Buffalo Sabres in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and it's no secret those rosters were not built to succeed, with a view to securing the best available talent through the draft.Colorado, however, appeared to have aspirations of at least challenging for a playoff spot this year, even after head coach Patrick Roy decided to walk away and was replaced with Jared Bednar, who had won an AHL championship with the Lake Erie Monsters last season.Now, the long-term futures of core players like Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene are up in the air after much trade talk prior to this year's deadline, while president and general manager Joe Sakic will look to build around Nathan MacKinnon, Tyson Jost, and Mikko Rantanen, with the latter's 21 goals as a rookie serving as a lone bright spot.The Avalanche did score more goals than those Buffalo teams, but also allowed more, meaning there's much to be done in the offseason to bring this team back to competitiveness.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

DETROIT - Riley Sheahan had two goals and Henrik Zetterberg scored in his 1,000th NHL game, helping the Detroit Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 Sunday in a party-like atmosphere for the final game at Joe Louis Arena.Zetterberg put Detroit up 3-0 midway through the second period following Sheahan's and Tomas Tatar's goals in the first. Sheahan didn't have a goal in his first 79 games this year but scored his second of the game with 2:33 left to bring fans to their feet, where they stayed for the game.Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots for the Red Wings, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1990 to end a postseason streak that tied for the third longest in league history.Cory Schneider made 31 saves for the Devils, who haven't earned a spot in the postseason since advancing to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals.New Jersey's John Moore scored early in the third and teammate Taylor Hall had a goal overturned later in the period.It didn't look or sound as if nothing was at stake for the former NHL powers in the regular season finale for both teams.Fans were fired up hours before the puck dropped and didn't stop cheering even when the final horn sounded.The Red Wings rolled out a red carpet for current and former players leading into the arena, and thousands of people showed up.Fans arriving early enough pressed up against a red velvet rope to get autographs and take selfies with Zetterberg and former favorites such as Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom and tough-guy, fan-favorite Darren McCarty. Those who didn't get there in time for a prime location settled for being perched up on adjacent steps that climb up to the arena and standing on both sides of Steve Yzerman Drive on a sunny, windy and warm afternoon.''We missed the playoffs and we still have this kind of support from the fans,'' defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. ''It gives me goosebumps.''NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who was among the 20,000-plus people in the arena, also seemed to be touched by the aura.''What an amazing atmosphere here for the last game, typical of a crowd at The Joe,'' Bettman wrote in an email during the game. ''The end of one era. And, we look forward to the beginning of another at Little Caesars Arena.''The Red Wings, who have played at Joe Louis Arena since the 1979-80 season, will move to a new facility nearby next season that they will share with the Pistons near the home of the Lions and Tigers.After the game, Detroit's players skated to center ice and raised their sticks. The fans, in turn, pointed commemorative sticks they were given toward the banner-filled rafters that recognize 11 Stanley Cup titles and retired jerseys of some of the game's greats, such as Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman.A postgame celebration was planned later in the evening on the ice, and it appeared that most of the fans planned to stick around.NOTES: The Red Wings (four) and Devils (three) combined to win seven Stanley Cups between 1995, when New Jersey swept Detroit, and 2008. ... Sheahan avoided the dubious distinction of being the first NHL forward to be held scoreless with at least 100 shots in a season.UP NEXTDevils: The front office, coaching staff and players have to figure out how to bring the once-proud franchise back to respectability after finishing eighth in a division for the first time and having an Eastern Conference-low 70 points.Red Wings: A new arena will not fix the team's problems. Detroit needs more talent to surround Zetterberg, who was its best player this season even though he's 36.---More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Roberto Luongo thought he had a friend in Sergio Garcia.After Garcia won the 81st Masters in a playoff Sunday, finally earning the major title that's eluded him throughout his career, the Florida Panthers goalie lamented the loss of the Spaniard from an, uh, exclusive group:

Finally, Vladimir Sobotka has come back to St. Louis.In his first game with the Blues in almost three years, the Russian forward found the back of the net, banging a Jori Lehtera pass into the Colorado Avalanche net.Sobotka returned from his KHL hiatus earlier this week, signing a three-year contract extension that will kick in next season.In the meantime, he could prove to be a valuable and unexpected contributor in the postseason.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tragic.Both the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning won their final games of the season Sunday, giving each 94 points, meaning both teams end up missing the playoffs by a single point.The Islanders finished the season with six straight wins, going 7-3 over their final 10 games. Tampa Bay won three in a row to close out its season, and the Lightning finished even hotter, at 8-1-1 in their final 10 games.The Toronto Maple Leafs rendered Sunday's Isles and Lightning games meaningless after clinching the Eastern Conference's and NHL's final playoff spot Saturday night.One point. Each game, each shootout loss, they all matter.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning's season didn't end the way the club wanted it to, but Victor Hedman deserves some love.With a goal and an assist Sunday in Game 82, a 4-2 Lightning win over the Buffalo Sabres, Hedman put the finishing touches on a career season that saw him score 16 goals and record 56 assists in 79 games. Only Brent Burns had more than Hedman's 72 points, finishing with 76.Hedman's two-point effort gave him one more point than Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, who was limited by injury late in the season. Karlsson finished with 71 points in 77 games.The Lightning ended up missing the playoffs by one point, so Hedman's not going to be celebrating, but it was a remarkable season for the 26-year-old. His previous career high in points was 55, in 2013-14, and he bested that mark in helpers alone.It's too bad NHLers aren't going to the 2018 Olympics, because a Hedman-Karlsson one-two punch on the blue line would have been something for Sweden.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Still got it.Playing in his 1,000th career game as well as Joe Louis Arena's swan song, Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg found the back of the net, accepting a sweet Gustav Nyquist pass and depositing the puck past New Jersey's Cory Schneider.Related: Red Wings honor Zetterberg ahead of captain's 1,000th gameThe goal was Zetterberg's 17th this season, 326th of his career, and 193rd at the Joe during the regular season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello has proven to be adverse to players growing facial hair over the years, but team president Brendan Shanahan has made it clear the team can indeed grow playoff beards after officially clinching their spot.Or attempt to, at least."They're allowed to," Shanahan confirmed, according to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. "The question is, can they?"Someone mustache the question, with several rookies set to get their first taste of the NHL postseason.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Lindy Ruff gathers his belongings to end a disappointing final season in Dallas, it's unlikely Stars brass will prolong any sort of going away party.That's not out of disrespect to Ruff, who won't have his contract extended for a return next season, the club announced Sunday. Instead, general manager Jim Nill has already made it clear he's not after a rebuild, rather a quick fix for a talented core one season removed from winning the Central Division.Nill will spend his summer looking for a new personality behind the bench, but perhaps an unemployed familiar face can fit the bill.Ken Hitchcock learned first hand this season that sometimes a new coach is needed to galvanize a team, as he was let go by the St. Louis Blues in February in favor of Mike Yeo, who got the club back on track after a prolonged slump.Hitchcock, who owns the fourth most coaching wins in league history, commanded the Stars for seven seasons, and led the franchise to its only Stanley Cup in 1999, then a second final a year later. He may need to be convinced, as he was set on retiring after this season at 65 years old, but there's no way a midseason firing is how he imagined things would end.Dallas only managed 79 points this season, a result of putrid defense, goaltending, and special teams. The Stars managed the 30th-ranked penalty kill (73.9 percent), the second most goals allowed (260), and the worst team save percentage (89.35 percent) in all situations.Now, Hitchcock can't stop the puck - neither can Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi, apparently - but his notoriously demanding coaching style could surely aid the Stars in terms of tightening up as a unit, especially when it comes to special teams.A quick fix as Nill demands likely rules out the possibility of a new coach, and when it comes to experienced bosses in the open market, Hitchcock is definitely toward the top of the list. Former Panthers coach Gerard Gallant is available, but Las Vegas needs a coach, too.Whether Hitchock wants to return to the game remains to be seen, but a core of forwards featuring Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin seems highly enticing from the outside looking in. Not to mention, quality, young blue-liners Esa Lindell, John Klingberg, and Julius Honka in the fold.The framework for a contending team in Dallas is in place, the Stars just need someone to lead the renovation, and Hitchcock could be exactly that.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings will host their final game at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday, ending a run of 38 years in the building named after the former heavyweight champion boxer.The Joe is one of only two NHL arenas without a corporate sponsorship name, the other being Madison Square Garden in New York. Soon to be replaced by Little Caesars Arena, it has provided the setting for many a memorable moment since 1979, with these five serving as some of the best in recent years.Fight night at the JoeIn a game that would have made the arena's namesake proud, the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche settled some scores in one of the most memorable regular-season games of all time.It all started the previous spring, when Claude Lemieux drilled Kris Draper into the boards from behind in Game 6 of the Western Conference final, a series won by Colorado en route to a Stanley Cup win.The following season, in the final meeting between the two clubs, all hell broke loose.Detroit won the game in overtime, and later credited it for bringing them together as a team on the path to what was soon to come.June 7, 1997After a 42-year drought, the Red Wings finally climbed back to the top of the heap, capping a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in the Cup Final.Darren McCarty's game-winning goal was really quite something, as was the smile on Steve Yzerman's face when he hoisted the Cup for the first of his three Cups as team captain.Bowman's last standThe 2001-02 Red Wings roster was loaded with Hall of Fame talent, beginning with head coach Scotty Bowman.After Detroit defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Cup Final, Yzerman handed the Cup to the legendary bench boss, who had just won his ninth championship as a coach.Bowman skated the Cup around the Joe Louis ice, and subsequently announced his retirement.End of a great runWhile this one didn't end in Detroit's favor, Game 7 of the 2009 Cup Final was one of the great climactic tilts in hockey history and was capped by Marc-Andre Fleury's ridiculous save off the stick of Niklas Lidstrom in the dying seconds.This marked the first Cup win for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin era, and the end of a long run of success for the Red Wings, who'll hope to carve out a new legacy in the new rink.Mr. Hockey's public visitationAlmost a year ago, family, friends, and fans flocked to Detroit's Joe Louis Arena for Tuesday's public visitation for Gordie Howe, who passed away on June 10, 2016 at age 88.The entry line began forming in the wee hours of that morning, and the folks who came to pay their respects to Mr. Hockey flowed in and out of the rink for almost 13 hours.Once inside, the multi-generational crowd filed up to the stage, offering their condolences to the Howe family and their own personal tributes to the hockey legend.The Red Wings will host the Devils in the final game, and will look to make another lasting memory for the Detroit faithful.(Photos courtesy Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars will have a new head coach next season as Lindy Ruff won't be brought back, the club announced.Ruff - in the final year of a four-year contract - is coming off his worst season with the Stars. The team concluded their campaign Saturday, finishing the regular season with just 79 points, 30 fewer than a season ago."I want to personally thank Lindy for his commitment and professionalism over the four years that he served as our head coach in Dallas," general manager Jim Nill said in the announcement. "Lindy is not only a highly respected coach, he more importantly is a great person and an outstanding family man whom I have the utmost respect for on and off the ice."Ruff concludes his time with the Stars with a 165-122-41 record and standing fourth in franchise wins.The team announced it will begin the process of finding Ruff's successor immediately.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for the six-game main slate beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, April 9 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):Dynamic Duos

Days have been brighter in Tampa Bay.When the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, it eliminated the Lightning from postseason contention. For players who opted to watch the Leafs-Penguins game, like defenseman Victor Hedman, seeing the Leafs ice their victory with an empty net goal was extremely painful."After that empty net goal, an empty feeling. Season is over," Hedman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.The club made a valiant effort to reach the postseason, going 7-1-1 in their last nine games. But in the end, it just wasn't enough.The fact that they rallied down the stretch of the regular season when many had already written them off certainly says something about the team's character. However, it also marks the second consecutive season in which they dug themselves a hole in the first half of the season.As for why the team struggled in the first half of the season, Defenseman Anton Stralman wasn't shy about sharing his opinion."I think it's a matter of coming together as a team and playing for one another instead of as individuals," Stralman said. "The main reason we had success as of late, we played as a team."Even though we won games early on I don't think we were playing good hockey. And that kind of gives you false comfort. You win games and you think you're doing well and then you get in the mode where you're still playing the same way and start losing, that's when when it spirals downwards."The team started off 13-7-1, but wound up with a sub .500 record of 22-24-6 in early February."There has to be more urgency," said forward Alex Killorn, referring to the team's poor first half.If the Lightning can play with urgency next season, they could be a forced to be reckoned with.The team managed to stay in playoff contention despite not having Steven Stamkos for the majority of the season. The two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner played just 17 games before suffering a torn lateral meniscus.Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy proved he can be a legit No. 1 guy, Jonathan Drouin enjoyed a breakout year, and Brayden Point thrived in his rookie campaign. Both Hedman and Nikita Kucherov had the best seasons of their career. If this can carry over to 2017-18 - with a healthy Stamkos - Tampa could find themselves back in Stanley Cup contention.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes crowd gave Bryan Bickell one final, touching send-off Saturday.During a stoppage in play midway through the third period against the St. Louis Blues, the crowd showered Bickell with thunderous applause before chanting his name.Related: Canes all wearing No. 29 on helmets in Bryan Bickell's final home gameBickell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November and, after a lengthy absence, returned to the Hurricanes' lineup April 4. On Saturday, he announced he will retire from hockey at the conclusion of the season.The Hurricanes will close out the regular season Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

They did it.The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't make it easy on themselves or their fans during the final week of the season, but with a heroic comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night they finally punched their ticket to the playoffs.The achievement in itself - regardless of how the team actually performs in the postseason - is nothing short of remarkable given the expectations of the season and considering the club finished with the league's worst record just one year ago.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen won't play Sunday in the club's final regular-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Mike Babcock confirmed, according to David Alter of the Athletic.That said, the news surrounding Andersen - who left Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury - appears good as Babcock stated he showed "no symptoms of a concussion."Babcock said Andersen should be well enough to return to practice Monday and is expected to start Game 1 of the playoffs, according to Alter.The 27-year-old was forced from the playoff-clinching game mid-way through the second period after a collision with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tom Sestito.In turn, Curtis McElhinney - who picked up the win - will get the start against his former team.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jets winger Mathieu Perreault didn't shy away from discussing his team's glaring weakness between the pipes."There’s no team making the playoffs that isn’t getting saves so we are going to definitely need some saves too," Perreault told Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun.Well, the cat's out of the bag. He isn't wrong, though.The Jets have a team save percentage of just .900, which ties them for the third-worst in the NHL. Between Connor Hellebuyck, Michael Hutchinson, Ondrej Pavelec, and Eric Comrie, nobody was able to solidify the Jets' play between the pipes.This is in spite of a very solid D-core. Tyler Myers missed all but 11 games this season, but the Jets still had anchors like Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Toby Enstrom, and Josh Morrissey on the back end.The Jets only allowed the 13th-most scoring chances against per 60 minutes at five-on-five this season, per Corsica.Hockey. Even though they were average at preventing scoring chances, they allowed the NHL's fourth-most goals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the first time since the 2005-06 season, the Sedin twins won't finish first and second on the Canucks in scoring.Bo Horvat leads the squad with 51 points, while Henrik Sedin sits right behind him with 50 and Daniel clocks in with 43. Though the Sedins likely have no issue passing the torch to a youngster like Horvat, their own production is something with which they can't live."There's no doubt in my mind we'll put up better numbers next year," Henrik told Jeff Paterson of TSN 1040. "We'll have to prove a lot of people wrong."That they will.If the Sedins fail to pick up a point in Vancouver's final game, their combined point total will sit at 93, which would be their lowest since the 2002-03 (excluding 2012-13's lockout-shortened season).Age won't favor the twins, as they turn 37 on Sept. 26. Their own decline is a major reason for their regression, but the club hasn't been able to find a stable linemate for them this season.The Loui Eriksson experiment failed miserably. Head coach Willie Desjardins tried putting veteran Jannik Hansen on their right wing before he was dealt to San Jose. He has also fiddled with youngsters like Markus Granlund, Michael Chaput, and Nikolay Goldobin in that role. Nothing has worked. Maybe Anson Carter would come out of retirement?The Sedins will be unrestricted free agents following the 2017-18 season, so if they fail to bounce back next season, it wouldn't be surprising if they called it quits.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Saturday marked an emotional conclusion to the regular season for Shane Doan.The Arizona Coyotes captain picked up an assist in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, but after the game remained undecided if the contest was his last in the NHL."I love the game. I love to play, and I want to keep playing," Doan said, according to Sarah McLellan of azcentral sports. "But I also gotta understand things move on and it's sometimes better to leave when people think you can still play."Other times it’s better to play until they drag it off your back. I go back and forth on that."Doan wasn't the only player dealing with the emotions, which Wild forward - and Doan's former teammate - Martin Haznal admitted."I was a little emotional," he said. "Spent some time here."Hanzal gave Doan a big hug as the game concluded, an indication what his former captain means to him."I just said I love him," Hanzal said. "That’s it."Postgame, Doan admitted his plans have changed several times over the last few weeks, making it clear his future is still up in the air.Whether Saturday was Doan's curtain call, there's no arguing that the 40-year-old has had an outstanding career as he holds the franchise lead in games played, goals, assists, and points.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock was pretty candid when speaking about his 19-year-old rookie sensation and No. 1 center Auston Matthews."Obviously he is a special talent. More importantly, Matthews is a special person," Babcock told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "That's going to allow him to be a good leader because he does it right every day. In the end, that'll allow him to drive a franchise and it'll allow him to win."The Maple Leafs, of course, clinched their first playoff spot since 2012-13 - and their first in a full 82-game season since 2003-04 - with a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night.Matthews potted his 40th goal of the season in the closing seconds of the game on an empty net. He has been remarkably consistent for the Leafs all season long, as the only player in the league to record a shot on net in every single game his team has played. He also been exceptional down the stretch, recording nine goals and five assists in his last 12 games.Yet, what's perhaps most impressive is that Matthews was able to a lead a rookie-filled team to the playoffs after the Leafs finished dead last in the NHL a year ago.With regards to the captaincy, Matthews is the obvious choice. It's seemingly more of a question of when rather than if.Aside from all of his on-ice accomplishments, Matthews carries himself differently than most 19-year-olds. He has displayed impressive maturity in his handling of the media, which is never an easy thing to do in the hockey-crazed Toronto market.If Matthews does end up being named captain to begin next season, he would be the first Maple Leaf to don the "C" since Dion Phaneuf, who was the Leafs captain from 2010-2016.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bob Miller and the Los Angeles Kings could not have scripted a better send-off than the one witnessed on Saturday night.The veteran broadcaster called his final home game on Saturday as the Kings hosted the Chicago Blackhawks and it was something to behold.

It's almost the most wonderful time of the year.There's just one more 10-game slate before the Stanley Cup Playoffs, kids, and here's what you need to know about the finish line.Mission 100Edmonton Oilers phenom and soon-to-be-crowned Art Ross Trophy champion Connor McDavid picked up an assist Saturday night against the Canucks to give him 98 points on the season.The 20-year-old is riding a 13-game point streak (seven goals, 16 assists) and needs two more points to hit the century mark in only his second campaign in the NHL. Kid's good.The good news: McDavid's Oilers are up against the Canucks again, this time at home.Prediction: He's hitting 100. Probably 101. It's Vancouver, after all.Capitals or Senators?The Toronto Maple Leafs clinched a playoff berth - there's something you don't write every year - with a game to spare, but No. 82 matters. Like, a lot.A Toronto win or overtime/shootout loss Sunday means the Maple Leafs finish third in the Atlantic Division, setting up another postseason series with the Ottawa Senators, their provincial rivals.Fact: Toronto has never lost to Ottawa in the playoffs.A regulation-time loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets means Toronto gets the NHL-best Washington Capitals in the first round. No bueno.Columbus has lost six in a row. It wants and needs to stop the bleeding before Game 1 on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And while a playoff spot ensures the Maple Leafs' season is a success, Toronto must avoid Washington at all costs if it wants to do something special - why not? - with its spring.There's more: Toronto's No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen's status is up in the air after he was Tom Sestito'd Saturday. It may be Curtis McElhinney against the team that waived him earlier this season. That enough drama for you?Sun sets on the PacificThe Pacific Division is still up for grabs as the sun sets on the regular season.Not only is young McDavid going for 100 points, he's looking for another win.Here's the deal: If the Oilers win in any fashion and the Anaheim Ducks lose to the Los Angeles Kings in regulation, Edmonton wins the Pacific and gets the Calgary Flames at home in the first round. (Yes, please!)If Anaheim gets a point, it wins the Pacific for the fifth straight season and gets the Flames, meaning an Oilers-San Jose Sharks first-round series.There's a bloody lot to play for Sunday.So long, Joe LouisThe Detroit Red Wings would have preferred to say goodbye to Joe Louis Arena during the postseason, but everything ends, even 25-year playoff streaks.Sunday is the final game at iconic Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, and, sorry PETA, there will be octopuses. The Red Wings are moving to Little Caesars Arena next season.The Devils are in town. A favor, if we may, New Jersey: Please let Riley Sheahan score. The 25-year-old is goalless through 79 games. He's put 106 pucks on net. We know the hockey gods are unfair, but this is now bordering on cruel.Wouldn't it be something if Sheahan scored the final goal at the Joe?Zetterberg's 1,000thA little more intrigue to the Joe Louis finale.Sunday's affair is Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg's 1,000th regular-season game. The Swede, drafted a remarkable 210th overall in 1999, is a Stanley Cup champion, the face of the Red Wings and everything they stand for, and the pride of the red and white. How's that for timing?"I couldn't have picked a better game to have my 1,000th," Zetterberg said, according to MLive.com's Ansar Khan. And we wholeheartedly agree.Detroit and its exceptional captain deserve a win as the curtain falls on its storied barn. Sorry, New Jersey, it's nothing personal, and surely you understand.GoodbyesBryan Bickell plays his final NHL game Sunday, his career over after a multiple sclerosis diagnosis last November. He'll be remembered as a champion, and a fighter.The Colorado Avalanche play Game 82 on Sunday, and thank god for that. What a disaster. The best - we use the term as lightly as possible - the club can do is finish with 50 points. Fifty! Keep Jared Bednar in your thoughts this offseason.Say it ain't so, Jarome. Sunday could also be Jarome Iginla's final game in the NHL, though we refuse to believe that's the case. While he was mercifully traded by Colorado at the deadline, it was unfortunately to Los Angeles, on the outside of the playoff picture. It should have been you, Calgary.Enjoy the final day of the regular season. The best is yet to come.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Oilers will begin their quest for the Stanley Cup in Edmonton.With a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, the Oilers assured themselves at worst a second-place finish in the Pacific Division. They can still win the division, provided they beat Vancouver again Sunday and the Anaheim Ducks lose in regulation to the Los Angeles Kings.The Oilers and Ducks head into Game 82 with 42 regulation and/or overtime wins apiece, which account for the first tiebreaker. Edmonton has the head-to-head advantage.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Darcy Kuemper stopped 20 shots, Martin Hanzal scored in his return to the desert and the Minnesota Wild set a franchise record with their 49th win by beating the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 on Saturday night.The Wild already clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs and the victory over the Coyotes gave them a franchise record 105 points.Erik Haula and Eric Staal scored in the first period. Hanzal scored in the third in his first game in Arizona since being traded with Ryan White to Minnesota on Feb. 26Brendan Perlini scored for the Coyotes and captain Shane Doan had an assist in what may be the final game of his 21-year NHL career.Mike Smith stopped 41 shots his 312th game with the Coyotes, passing Bob Essensa for most in franchise history.Doan contemplated retirement last season after leading the Coyotes with 28 goals, deciding over the summer to play at least one more season. Doan's production fell off this season - six goals - but said before the final game of the season that he's not sure if it will be the last one of his career.Saturday's game was No. 1,540 for Doan, tying him with John Bucyk for 14th on the NHL's all-time list.Arizona played without All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who traveled back home following the death of his mother in Sweden. The Wild jumped on the Coyotes early without their best defenseman, scoring two goals by the midpoint of the first period.Both came on mistakes by Smith.On the first, Smith tried to pass it out front to Jordan Martinook in front of his own crease. Instead, Jason Pominville intercepted the puck and fed it to Haula, who one-timed it into an empty net.Staal scored his 28th goal on a power play midway through the first period, ripping a one-timer past Smith after the Coyotes goalie reached down to recover his stick after dropping it earlier.Perlini scored on a rebound early in the third period, but Hanzal gave the Wild a two-goal lead again a few minutes later.NOTES: The Arizona Coyotes honored minor leaguer Craig Cunningham and had him drop the ceremonial puck before the game, five months after he collapsed on the ice before a Tucson Roadrunners game and nearly died. ... Hanzal reached 20 goals for the first time in his 11-year career. ... Minnesota has a 14-game points streak against Arizona (11-1-2).UP NEXTWild: Open the playoffs at home next week.Coyotes: Will have a high draft pick in this year's NHL draft for the second straight season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

All the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders wanted was for Sunday to matter. It won't.Both clubs were eliminated from postseason contention Saturday night after the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 to claim the NHL's final playoff spot.Jon Cooper and Doug Weight's teams played excellent hockey - Nikita Kucherov and Jaroslav Halak, in particular - down the stretch, but it wasn't enough.

Rather than hang 'em up, Shawn Thornton opted to throw 'em out.After announcing that Saturday's game would be his last, the Florida Panthers tough guy tossed his skates in the trash after unlacing them for the final time.

Dude was supposed to be on the bench.Toronto Maple Leafs backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney was forced into action Saturday in the second period after Frederik Andersen was injured. Andersen left the game and didn't return after he was hit in the head by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tom Sestito as the forward cut atop the crease.Fast forward to the third period.After a wild sequence that saw Pittsburgh go ahead 3-2 on a devastating Maple Leafs own goal, Toronto would tie it up, take a 4-3 lead, and then need McElhinney to make the save of the season - against Sidney Crosby.Here's some ref-cam action:

The Toronto Maple Leafs appear optimistic that goaltender Frederik Andersen avoided serious injury after making an early exit from Saturday's playoff-clinching win over Pittsburgh.So much so, in fact, head coach Mike Babcock isn't ruling Andersen out of Sunday's regular season finale in Columbus.

Auston Matthews' empty-netter Saturday night did more than help seal the Toronto Maple Leafs' berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs.The long-range tally was Matthews' 40th of the season, making him just the fourth rookie in NHL history to reach the plateau before turning 20-years-old, per NHL Public Relations.Matthews' company on the exclusive list? You may have heard of them: Dale Hawerchuk, Pierre Turgeon, and Mario Lemieux.Not bad.The 2016 No. 1 overall pick also joined Sidney Crosby and Nikita Kucherov as the only 40-goal scorers in the NHL this season with one day left on the schedule.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The playoff picture is getting clearer.The Nashville Predators, after a 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets in their final game, are locked into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the postseason.

The Stanley Cup playoffs will feature the Toronto Maple Leafs for only the second time in the shootout era.The Maple Leafs clinched their first playoff appearance in a full season since 2004 with a win over the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.It's a development few expected after a 30th-place finish last season, but made possible thanks to the infusion of high-end talent via the draft and trades, as well as the dedication and leadership exemplified by veterans who've experience the highs and more frequent lows over the past several years.Toronto's last playoff appearance, of course, resulted in a seven-game, opening-round loss to the Boston Bruins, highlighted by a near impossible comeback by the latter in the final game. One gets the sense this group is ready to exorcise those demons once and for all.What's left to be determined is Toronto's first-round opponent, as well as the status of goalie Frederik Andersen, who left the clinching win with an apparent head injury.For now, Toronto will celebrate, with a final regular-season game against Columbus on tap Sunday. If the Maple Leafs get a point, they'll face Ottawa in the first round. If not, Toronto will have a date with the Washington Capitals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kasperi Kapanen is on the board, and it could not have come at a better time.With his Toronto Maple Leafs down a goal in the third period of a fairly huge game, the rookie - originally drafted by Pittsburgh - buried the puck past Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for the first goal and point of his career.

The St. Louis Blues picked up two points Saturday night in a shootout win, and that means two things: They're locked into third in the Central Division, and they'll face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs.The Wild have home ice.Mike Yeo, now head coach of the Blues after Ken Hitchcock was relieved of his duties earlier in the season, will face his former team. Yeo spent four-and-a-half years behind the Wild bench, from 2011 to 2016.

NEWARK, N.J. - Jaroslav Halak made 37 saves, Anders Lee scored twice and the New York Islanders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.Adam Pelech and Jason Chimera also scored as the Islanders won their fifth straight game - all with Halak in goal. He is 6-1-0 since being recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL on March 23.Whether New York gets to the playoffs will be determined by the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Maple Leafs win either of their final two games - home against Pittsburgh on Saturday night and home vs. Columbus on Sunday night - they get the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and eliminate the Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.The regular season ends on Sunday.Beau Bennett scored twice for the Devils, who have three wins in their last 23 games (3-16-4).Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's huge game against the Pittsburgh Penguins after being bumped in the crease by Tom Sestito.The collision came two weeks after Andersen was pulled by a concussion spotter in Buffalo and forced to miss the team's next game after a similar incident.Sestito received a two-minute minor for goalie interference on the play.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles is saluting Bob Miller.The voice of the Kings is calling his final game Saturday night.He's hanging up the microphone due to health issues. Miller, 78, has been the man behind the mic in L.A. since 1973.

It's Bryan Bickell's night.The forward is skating in the final home game of his NHL career with the Carolina Hurricanes, announcing earlier Saturday that he's retiring at the end of the season after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last November.