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Good Morning NHL: Duncan Keith deals blow to Blues playoff hopes, Kings and Ducks clinch

By Dave Stevenson

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 4: Duncan Keith #2 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts after scoring a goal abasing the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center on April 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 4: Duncan Keith #2 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts after scoring a goal abasing the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center on April 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Blackhawks got a sweet victory of the St. Louis Blues thanks to a Duncan Keith goal, the Ducks and Kings clinched spots in the postseason, and more from around the NHL

Wednesday night was a pretty crazy night in the NHL. So grab your morning beverage and join us at Puck Prose as we walk you through all of the action! The Stanley Cup Playoffs are coming up and last night’s events caused joy for some and agony for others.

Let’s take a look at everything that happened around the league, as well as what to watch for in tonight’s action.

Nightly Recap

4. 94. Final. 3. 99

The St. Louis Blues came into Wednesday night needing a win to improve their place in the standings. A win would have put them in the second wild-card spot over the Colorado Avalanche. However, the Avs got some help from their division rivals, as the Chicago Blackhawks came back from a 3-1 deficit to win. Duncan Keith scored his first goal of the season with under 10 seconds left to give Hawks fans something to cheer about.

It’s weird seeing the Blackhawks do something that helps the Los Angeles Kings, but their win over the Blues ensures the Kings will make the postseason after a one-year hiatus.

91. Final. 2. 12. 4

For the third time in five seasons, the Buffalo Sabres will finish with the worst record in the NHL. They are also the first team in league history to finish in 31st place. The Senators got goals from Max McCormick, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, and Alexandre Burrows. Sabres fans have to be happy about Casey Mittelstadt, who now has three assists in his first four games. Not bad, kid.

But the biggest storyline was who didn’t play – Ottawa’s captain Erik Karlsson. He’s likely done for the season. Karlsson now faces a long offseason filled with trade rumors. Duchene can definitely relate to that, so he’ll probably comfort his teammate.

98. Final. 3. 105. 1

The Anaheim Ducks were the lone road team to win last night. It’s a huge one for them, as they clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Ducks overcame a ton of injuries in the first half and have fought their way back in the postseason. This is their sixth consecutive playoff appearance. The Ducks got goals from Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, and Andrew Cogliano.

Playoff Picture

Eastern Conference

  1. Boston Bruins (110 points)*
  2. Washington Capitals (103 points)*
  3. Tampa Bay Lightning (110 points)*
  4. Toronto Maple Leafs (103 points)*
  5. Pittsburgh Penguins (96 points)*
  6. Columbus Blue Jackets (96 points)
  7. New Jersey Devils (95 points)
  8. Philadelphia Flyers (94 points)

*clinched a playoff spot

IN THE HUNT: Florida Panthers (90 points, three games remaining)

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The Blue Jackets can clinch a postseason spot if they pick up at least one point against the Penguins tonight. Meanwhile, the Devils can lock up their place in the playoffs with a win over the Maple Leafs. The Flyers can’t lock up a spot even if they get a win against the Hurricanes. But obviously, getting two points would help.

Also, the Panthers can be eliminated tonight if they don’t get at least one point against the Bruins, the Flyers win, the Blue Jackets win, and the Devils win. The maximum number of points Florida can get is 96. Should the Panthers win out and avoid shootouts, they’ll have 41 regulation and overtime wins, which would give them an advantage in a tiebreaker.

Western Conference

  1. Nashville Predators (113 points)*
  2. Vegas Golden Knights (109 points)*
  3. Winnipeg Jets (110 points)*
  4. Minnesota Wild (98 points)*
  5. San Jose Sharks (98 points)*
  6. Anaheim Ducks (97 points)*
  7. Los Angeles Kings (96 points)*
  8. Colorado Avalanche (93 points, two games remaining)

*clinched a playoff spot

IN THE HUNT: St. Louis Blues (92 points, two games remaining), Dallas Stars (90 points, two games remaining)

The Stars aren’t dead yet, but they’re on life support. They must win out in order to have a chance at making the playoffs. The Stars face the Ducks on Friday and the Kings on Saturday. Oh, and Dallas has won just three of their last 10 games.

Colorado can knock the Stars out of the playoff hunt if they pick up at least one point against the Sharks on Thursday. The Avalanche have 40 regulation and overtime wins while the most Dallas can get is 39, so they’d win any tiebreaker against them. Should Colorado win against San Jose, that makes the Blues game against the Blackhawks on Friday a must win.

It’s likely the last wild-card spot will be determined by Saturday’s match between St. Louis and Colorado. So buckle up.

What To Watch Tonight

IF YOU LIKE GOOD HOCKEY: 

  • Predators at Capitals, 7:00 PM ET, NBCSN

IF YOU’RE TRUSTING THE PROCESS:

  • Rangers at Islanders, 7:00 PM ET, MSG, MSG +2
  • Canadiens at Red Wings, 7:30 PM ET, FS-D, TSN2, RDS
  • Coyotes at Canucks, 10:00 PM ET, SN360, SNE, SNO, SNP, Fox-Sports Arizona PLUS

The Coyotes and Canucks game is the most fascinating of the duo. Though the Rangers and Islanders both actively trying to lose is going to be hilarious to watch, the game between Arizona and Vancouver has huge lottery implications. The Coyotes have 69 points while the Canucks have 70. If Arizona wins, they’re out of the top three spots and unless there’s a shootout, would pass Vancouver in points.

However, don’t sleep on the Canadiens versus Red Wings game. Montreal has 69 points while Detroit has 72. The Canadiens are currently tied for the third-fewest points in the NHL. Combined, the two teams are 4-15-1 over their last 20 games (10 games each).

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

  • Leafs at Devils, 7:00 PM ET, MSG+
  • Hurricanes at Flyers, 7:00 PM ET, NBCS Philadelphia, Fox Sports-Carolina
  • Penguins at Blue Jackets, 7:00 PM ET, Fox Sports-Ohio, ATTSN-PIT
  • Bruins at Panthers, 7:30 PM ET, TVAS, Fox Sports-Florida, NESN
  • Avalanche at Sharks, 10:30 PM ET, NBCS California+, Altitude TV

Devils can clinch with two points. Flyers can clinch with two points. Blue Jackets can clinch with at least one point. Panthers might need two points to stay alive, depending on how the Flyers, Blue Jackets, and Devils do. Avalanche can knock the Stars out if they pick up two points.

KIND OF PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

  • Bruins at Panthers, 7:30 PM ET, TVAS, Fox Sports-Florida, NESN
  • Vegas at Edmonton, 9:00 PM ET, SN1, ATTSN-RM
  • Calgary at Winnipeg, 8:00 PM ET, TSN3, SNW

Next: Every NHL Team's Mount Rushmore

Boston and Winnipeg each need at least one point to stay alive in the President’s Trophy race. Vegas needs two points to do so. Winnipeg is also still in the hunt for the Central Division title.

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