Bruins, Leafs ready to hit a higher gear
A new-look roster was still competing for the Atlantic Division title until losing three of the Bruins' final four regular-season games, including the last two to the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators earlier this week.
The past is the past now.
A new season begins Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit Boston to begin the journey of best-of-sevens in the Eastern Conference first-round series.
"The worst thing you could possibly do is go into the playoffs and think that anything you did during the season matters," Bruins captain Brad Marchand said.
"We started (on Thursday) getting prepared for Saturday, looking at what we need to do and the things that (the Maple Leafs) do and we'll keep building from that."
The same sentiment also goes for Boston's four-game sweep of its divisional rival during the regular season, which included goaltender Jeremy Swayman posting matching 4-1 wins during a home-and-home in early March.
Of course, the Bruins learned a painful lesson in the complete newness of the "second season" last April, losing their seven-game opening series to the Florida Panthers after a record-setting run to the Presidents' Trophy.
Coach Jim Montgomery rode the near-even split between Swayman and Linus Ullmark throughout this season and has indicated no plans to move away from it come playoff time.
When asked about the team's Game 1 goalie, general manager Don Sweeney nor Montgomery would commit to a starter for Saturday or beyond, but cited continued confidence in the position.
"Performance and results will dictate some of this, but we know what the plan is going in, and so do they," Sweeney said. "And we're comfortable with it."
The Maple Leafs will not only look to erase their own four-game skid to end the regular season, but also a drought of losing all six playoff series against the Bruins in the NHL's expansion era. This will mark the fourth series matchup between the Original Six rivals in an 11-year span.
Before the Bruins' season-ending losses helped Florida clinch the division title, it looked like the first-round playoff matchups would feature Boston vs. Tampa Bay and Toronto vs. Florida.
Either way, both teams know the challenge that lies ahead.
"We've got to be aware of their top-end forwards," Montgomery said. "We can't give up odd-man rushes and we gotta make them defend.
"Probably the same thing they're saying about us. It all comes down to execution."
Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner is eager to start the playoffs.
"I think regardless of whoever we were going to play, it was going to be a competitive matchup and now, obviously, we are excited for that," he said.
In a 6-4 loss Wednesday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Auston Matthews was unable to extend his franchise-record goal total for a single season to 70, despite recording his second-highest shot count in a game this season with 12.
While Matthews fell short of a milestone that hasn't been achieved since 1993, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe knows that his star center's recent level of play shouldn't go unnoticed.
"The way he's played these last two games, give him those types of chances and those types of shots, and he could have had 75," Keefe said.
Matthews -- who is the only Leafs player to score 40 goals in five straight seasons -- quickly turned his focus to the upcoming series.
"The most important thing is the team's success, and making sure that I'm pulling my weight and doing what I can as a leader to help the team win as we go into the postseason," Matthews said.
Surging Hurricanes brace for playoff rematch vs. Islanders
Game 1 is Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
Carolina won the series opener 2-1 against New York last season and captured the series in six games. The Hurricanes advanced to the conference finals before being swept by the Florida Panthers.
Both teams enter the postseason playing well, albeit at less than 100 percent.
The Hurricanes won seven of their final nine games to finish second in the Metropolitan Division, one spot lower in the standings and two points fewer than last season.
"We've got a team that believes we can win it all," Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. "It's going to be a dogfight and it's not going to be easy. There's going to be ups and downs, and hard games. It's just a matter of pushing through and finding a way."
Carolina will be without its playoff goal-scoring leader from a year ago when the series begins.
Jesper Fast suffered an upper-body injury when he slid into the end boards in the regular-season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. He missed practice on Thursday and Friday.
"That's the part that just makes you sick, to be honest with you," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "You're just trying to get through the game without having that (happen)."
The Islanders ascended to third place in the Metro following an 8-0-1 run to end the season, but they also lost a forward to injury during the finale on Wednesday.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau left in the first period of the 5-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins because of a lower-body injury. He's day-to-day after missing practice Friday.
Pageau had 11 goals and 22 assists while playing all 82 games during the regular season.
On the positive side, Islanders coach Patrick Roy confirmed that defenseman Noah Dobson is ready to return after missing the past three games due to an upper-body injury.
Dobson finished second on the team with 70 points and first with 60 assists, which also was sixth in the NHL among defensemen.
The Hurricanes and Islanders split their four meetings this season with each side winning once in overtime.
"It's going to be tough," Islanders forward Brock Nelson said. "They play hard, they play fast, they've got a lot of skill. They're in your face, they play the man-on-man system. We've got to be ready to go and we're excited for the challenge."
Carolina forward Jordan Martinook expects the Islanders to be motivated and well prepared as well.
"They're a veteran team that plays well within their structure," he said. "They're really not going to make mistakes. You're going to have to push them into deep water."
Until the regular-season finale Tuesday, when No. 3 goalie Spencer Martin made his first start since Feb. 29, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov rotated starts for 20 consecutive games.
Brind'Amour wouldn't tip his hand whether he'll continue a rotation in the playoffs.
"I think everything is on the table," he said. "Health is going to be a big question, staying fresh and all of that."
Semyon Varlamov will start Game 1 in goal for the Islanders.
He's 6-4-4 in his career against the Hurricanes with a 2.46 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
NHL roundup: Kings KO Blackhawks 6 seconds into OT
Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals, including the game-tying tally during six-on-four play with 1:21 left, and he added an assist for the Kings, who leapfrogged the Vegas Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division.
Kempe, Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist, Phillip Danault had three assists and Cam Talbot made nine saves for Los Angeles, which will face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for a third straight season.
Tyler Johnson, Joey Anderson and Ryan Donato scored five minutes apart early in the third period to give Chicago a 4-3 lead. Donato finished with two points. Lukas Reichel also scored and Arvid Soderblom made 30 saves for the Blackhawks, who ended the season on a six-game losing streak and with the second-fewest points in the NHL.
Ducks 4, Golden Knights 1
Frank Vatrano scored a hat trick and Lukas Dostal stopped 32 of 33 shots as Anaheim beat host Vegas.
The Golden Knights' defeat, coupled with the Los Angeles Kings' 5-4 overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks, dropped Vegas down to the second Western Conference wild card. Vegas will open the playoffs against the top-seeded Dallas Stars.
Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist, Ryan Strome registered two assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 32 shots for the Ducks. Jack Eichel scored and Adin Hill finished with 19 saves for the Golden Knights, who had a six-game home winning streak snapped.
Avalanche 5, Oilers 1
Valeri Nichushkin scored twice in Colorado's four-goal first period, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to reach 140 points and the Avalanche beat Edmonton in Denver.
MacKinnon, who finished second in scoring in the NHL, set the franchise record for points in a season, topping Peter Stastny's 139 points in 1981-82 with the Quebec Nordiques. Mikko Rantanen, Josh Manson and Zach Parise scored and Justus Annunen made 25 saves for Colorado.
Dylan Holloway scored and Calvin Pickard turned away 13 shots in relief of Stuart Skinner, who logged nine saves on 13 shots in the first period for the Oilers.
Jets 4, Canucks 2
Nikita Chibrikov scored the game-winner in his NHL debut as host Winnipeg earned its eighth victory in a row, defeating Vancouver.
The Jets' Cole Perfetti scored twice and Gabriel Vilardi added a goal. Laurent Brossoit made 18 stops for the Jets, who will host the opener of their first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Conor Garland had a goal and an assist and Elias Lindholm also tallied for the Canucks, who had gone 3-0-1 in their previous four games. Thatcher Demko turned aside 22 shots for Vancouver, which will host the Nashville Predators to open the postseason on Sunday.
Flames 5, Sharks 1
Calgary enjoyed a milestone night as it concluded the season with a home-ice victory over San Jose.
Adam Klapka scored his first NHL goal, Blake Coleman reached 30 goals for the first time in his career in a two-point game and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar hit 20 goals for the first time. Kevin Rooney and Oliver Kylington also scored for the Flames, who missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Fabian Zetterlund notched a power-play goal with 8.9 seconds remaining for the Sharks.
Kraken 4, Wild 3
Tye Kartye scored the go-ahead goal with 2:40 remaining and Seattle held on to beat Minnesota in the season finale for both teams in Saint Paul, Minn.
Yanni Gourde scored two goals for Seattle, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Matty Beniers added a goal, while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Tanev each had two assists. Joey Daccord stopped 21 of 24 shots.
Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber scored one goal apiece for the Wild. Matt Boldy logged two assists, and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 23 of 26 shots.
Kings nip Knights as NHL playoff matchups are set
The Golden Knights (45-29-8, 98 points) could have sealed third in division with a win over the long-eliminated Anaheim, but the Ducks emerged with a 4-1 victory at Las Vegas.
That gave the Kings a chance to move up, and they took advantage by rallying for a 5-4 overtime win against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. Los Angeles, needing just one point to move past Vegas, trailed Chicago 4-3 before Viktor Arvidsson scored on a power play with 1:21 to go.
Once the game went to OT, the Kings were assured of third place in the Pacific. However, they ended their night on a high note when Adrian Kempe scored six seconds into the extra session, tying for the fastest overtime goal in NHL history.
The results set up Los Angeles for a first-round postseason series against the Pacific's second-place team, the Edmonton Oilers (49-27-6, 104 points). The teams are meeting in the opening round of the playoffs for the third season in a row, after Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in both 2022 and 2023.
The Golden Knights will go up against the West's No. 1 seed, the Central Division champion Dallas Stars (52-21-9, 113 points), in a rematch of last season's conference finals. Vegas downed Dallas in six games last year en route to winning its first Stanley Cup.
The Pacific champion Vancouver Canucks (50-23-9, 109 points) will square off with the Nashville Predators (47-30-5, 99 points). The matchup of the second- and third-place teams in the Central will feature the Winnipeg Jets (52-24-6, 110 points) and the Colorado Avalanche (50-25-7, 107 points).
The Presidents' Trophy-winning, the New York Rangers (55-23-4, 114 points), will oppose the Washington Capitals (40-31-11, 91 points) in an all- Metropolitan Division matchup. The Carolina Hurricanes (52-23-7, 111 points), who came in second in the Metro, will face the division's third-place team, the New York Islanders (39-27-16, 94 points).
The Florida Panthers (52-24-6, 110 points) won their last four games to steal first place in the Atlantic Division from the Boston Bruins (47-20-15, 109 points). Florida will open the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning (45-29-8, 98 points) in an intrastate clash, while Boston will meet the Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10, 102 points).
Game 1 of the Islanders-Hurricanes and Maple Leafs-Bruins series will open the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday. The Lightning-Panthers, Capitals-Rangers, Avalanche-Jets and Predators-Canucks series begin on Sunday, with the Golden Knights-Stars and Kings-Oilers matchups starting on Monday.
Jaromir Jagr tops Gordie Howe as hockey's oldest scorer
Jagr, who is 52 years, 63 days old, returned to action for the Kladno Knights in the Czech Republic, and he scored his first goal of the season in the second game of a series against Vsetin that will determine relegation.
Jagr is in his 36th pro season and owns the Knights, his hometown squad. He had his No. 68 retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season after leading the franchise to two Stanley Cup titles.
Howe was 52 years, 11 days old when he played his final NHL game, in the playoffs for the Hartford Whalers. He scored his last goal two days earlier. Howe also played one shift with the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League at age 69 in 1997.
Jagr played 24 years in the NHL, was an eight-time All-Star and led the league in points five times. He finished his career with 766 goals (fourth in NHL history), 1,155 assists (fifth) and 1,921 points (second) in 1,733 games (fourth).
Kings top Blackhawks in OT, will face Oilers in 1st round
Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals, including the game-tying goal during six-on-four play with 1:21 left, and he added an assist for the Kings (44-27-11, 99 points), who leapfrogged the Vegas Golden Knights (45-29-8, 98 points) for third place in the Pacific Division.
Kempe, Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist, Phillip Danault had three assists and Cam Talbot made nine saves for Los Angeles, which will face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for a third straight season.
Tyler Johnson, Joey Anderson and Ryan Donato scored five minutes apart early in the third period to give Chicago a 4-3 lead.
Lukas Reichel also scored and Arvid Soderblom made 31 saves for the Blackhawks (23-53-6, 52 points), who ended the second on a six-game losing streak and with the second-fewest points in the NHL.
Reichel scored on a partial breakaway to give Chicago a 1-0 lead at 15:39 of the first period.
After the Kings outshot the Blackhawks 14-4 in the first period, they outscored Chicago 11-3 in the second.
Danault chased down a dump-in behind the Chicago net, circled around and fed Arvidsson for a one-timer from the left circle that squeezed through the pads of Soderblom to tie it 1-1 at 4:37 of the second.
The Blackhawks appeared to score short-handed with 7:45 left in the second period when Jason Dickinson put in his own rebound. After a league-requested review, however, it was determined Dickinson scored with a distinct kicking motion.
Byfield ended a 19-game goal drought when he redirected a pass from Danault to move the Kings ahead 2-1 at 16:04. He became the fifth 20-goal scorer for the Kings this season.
Danault won another puck on the forecheck and passed it to Arvidsson, who made a touch pass to Moore for the one-timer that stretched the lead to 3-1 at 17:24.
Chicago, which played with 13 forwards and five defensemen, cut it to 3-2 at 1:28 of the third when Johnson scored with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle while on a power play.
Anderson scored with a backhand off the rush to tie it 3-3 at 3:42.
Donato then lifted his stick to redirect a point shot from MacKenzie Entwistle that moved Chicago ahead 4-3 at 6:28.
The Blackhawks were called for delay of game with 1:42 left when Philipp Kurashev chipped the puck over the glass and Talbot was pulled for a two-man advantage when Arvidsson scored from the slot to tie it 4-4.
Frank Vatrano's hat trick carries Ducks past Knights
It was the sixth career hat trick and third of the season for Vatrano, who finished with a team-leading 37 goals, including seven in the final five games.
Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist and Ryan Strome added two assists for Anaheim (27-50-5, 59 points), which won its team-record third straight game against the Golden Knights.
Jack Eichel scored for Vegas (45-29-8, 98 points), which had a six-game home winning streak snapped. Adin Hill finished with 19 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, who will face either the Dallas Stars or the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead at 4:25 of the second period on a power-play goal by Vatrano. He blasted a one-timer from the top of the right circle that hit the bottom of Hill's glove and caromed into the net.
Vegas tied it 1-1 at 18:47 of the middle period on a power-play goal by Eichel. He fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that deflected off the stick of Anaheim's Isac Lundestrom and into the top right corner for his 31st goal. It was Eichel's team-leading 11th power-play goal of the season.
Anaheim then took a 3-1 lead with two goals in the span of 29 seconds to start the third period.
LaCombe got the first 51 seconds into the period when he snapped a wrist shot from the left circle under Hill's right arm for his second goal. Hobey Baker Award finalist Cutter Gauthier, making his NHL debut, picked up the primary assist for his first NHL point.
Vatrano followed by snapping a wrist shot from the left circle over Hill's left shoulder at 1:20.
Anaheim's Troy Terry picked up a hooking penalty with 2:04 remaining and the Golden Knights pulled Hill for a six-on-four advantage, but Vatrano sealed the win with an empty-netter with 14.1 seconds left.
Nathan MacKinnon reaches 140 points as Avs crush Oilers
MacKinnon, who finished second in scoring in the NHL, set the franchise record for points in a season, topping Peter Stastny's 139 points in 1981-82 with the Quebec Nordiques.
Mikko Rantanen scored, Zach Parise had a goal in his final regular-season game, Josh Manson also scored and Justus Annunen had 25 saves for Colorado (50-25-7, 107 points), which opens the playoffs at Winnipeg on Sunday night.
Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin left the game late in the second period with a lower-body injury and didn't return.
Dylan Holloway scored and Calvin Pickard turned away 13 shots in relief of Stuart Skinner, who had nine saves on 13 shots in the first period for Edmonton (49-27-6, 104 points).
With their playoff seed set, the Oilers opted to rest many of their stars, including their top five scorers -- Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were all healthy scratches.
Colorado played all of its healthy players except for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who will now have a week off between his last start of the playoffs.
The Avalanche took quick advantage of Edmonton's fill-in lineup. Nichushkin scored 1:19 into the game when he buried a one-timer on a pass from Artturi Lehkonen. Rantanen's 42nd goal of the season at 5:48 of the first period gave Colorado a 2-0 lead.
Nichushkin scored his second of the game and 28th of the season with a power-play goal at 7:37. MacKinnon and Cale Makar were credited with the assists. That gave MacKinnon the franchise scoring record while Makar became the 12th defenseman in NHL history to reach 90 points.
Manson's eighth goal of the season at 10:17 made it 4-0 but Holloway's power-play goal at 15:22 of the first got Edmonton on the board. It was his sixth of the season.
Parise got the only goal of the second period, his fifth of the season, at the 12-minute mark.
Flames light up Sharks in finale
Adam Klapka scored his first NHL goal, Blake Coleman reached 30 goals for the first time in his career in a two-point game and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar hit 20 goals for the first time. Kevin Rooney and Oliver Kylington also scored for the Flames (38-39-5, 81 points), who missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Dustin Wolf, the AHL's two-time top goaltender, made 16 saves for the victory.
Fabian Zetterlund spoiled Wolf's shutout bid by scoring a power-play goal with 8.9 seconds remaining.
Sharks starting goalie Devin Cooley surrendered five goals on 23 shots before being mercifully pulled. Georgi Romanov stopped 14 shots in relief.
The Sharks (19-54-9, 47 points) finished last in the league and have missed the playoffs in five consecutive seasons.
While little mattered in the standings, the Flames reached some important personal marks.
Klapka, playing in his sixth NHL game, opened the scoring at 12:13 when he stole the puck in the high slot and ripped a top-shelf offering.
Coleman extended the lead at 14:40. Left alone at the side of the net, he converted a tap-in set up by Connor Zary.
The game turned into a rout with a trio of second-period goals, started by Kylington's third of the campaign at 3:53 of the frame. With a screen set, Kylington's long shot found the mark to make it 3-0.
Rooney also notched his third of the season two minutes later, ripping a shot from the slot during another flurry of action.
Then Weegar made it a five-goal game with his milestone marker, a long shot through the screen. Of his 20 goals, Weegar has scored 17 at even strength.
Nikita Chibrikov nets winner in debut as Jets top Canucks
Winnipeg's Cole Perfetti scored twice and Gabriel Vilardi added a goal. Laurent Brossoit made 18 stops for the Jets (52-24-6, 110 points), who will host the opener of their first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Conor Garland had a goal and an assist and Elias Lindholm also tallied for Vancouver (50-23-9, 109 points), which had gone 3-0-1 in its previous four games. Thatcher Demko turned aside 22 shots for the Canucks, who will host the Nashville Predators to open the postseason on Sunday.
Chibrikov broke a 2-2 tie at 5:18 of the third period. He scored off a quick release after a nice touch pass by Nino Niederreiter in tight.
Perfetti got his second of the game into the empty net off a long shot from the Jets' defensive zone with 2:05 remaining to seal the outcome.
The Canucks got the first goal of the game 5:22 into the first period when Garland deflected in a puck after a failed clearing attempt by Dylan DeMelo.
Brad Lambert, also making his NHL debut for the Jets, recorded an assist as Winnipeg tied the game at 11:26 f the first.
Lambert dumped the puck in behind the net along the boards after winning a battle, allowing Alex Iafallo to chip the puck up to Vilardi. Showing patience, Vilardi outlasted Demko and popped it into the net.
The Jets got their first lead of the game 55 seconds into the second period. Mason Appleton got ahold of the puck at the red line and found Perfetti in the slot, and he scored glove side.
The Canucks evened the game 2-2 on a power play with 2:49 remaining in the middle frame. Lindholm had the final touch on a bouncing point shot from Quinn Hughes.
Late surge lifts Kraken to win over Wild
Yanni Gourde scored two goals for Seattle (34-35-13, 81 points), which snapped a four-game losing streak. Matty Beniers added a goal, while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Tanev each had two assists.
Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord stopped 21 of 24 shots to finish 19-18-11.
Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber scored one goal apiece for Minnesota (39-33-10, 87 points). Matt Boldy logged two assists.
Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 23 of 26 shots.
Kartye tipped in a shot by Bjorkstand to put Seattle on top in the final three minutes. It was the 11th goal of his rookie season.
Gourde added an empty-netter to make it 4-2 with 1:46 remaining, his second goal of the game and 11th of the season.
Hartman finished the scoring on the power play with 1:05 to go.
Minnesota opened the scoring on a power play 4:04 into the first period.
Kaprizov fired a rising wrist shot from the left circle for his 46th goal of the season and his fourth in the past three games. The fourth-year veteran finished one goal shy of his career-high goal total, which he set during the 2021-22 campaign.
Seattle responded with a power-play goal with nine minutes remaining in the second period.
Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz threw a long shot at the net, and Beniers deflected the puck into the net for his 15th goal of the season.
Seattle took a 2-1 lead on a short-handed goal 6:38 into the third period. Gourde got the puck on a breakaway and beat Fleury.
The Wild pulled even at 2-2 with 8:47 remaining when Zuccarello scored on a breakaway for his 12th goal.
Sidney Crosby plans to talk extension with Penguins
Crosby, who turns 37 on Aug. 7, has played 19 seasons with the Penguins after they selected him No. 1 overall in the 2005 draft.
"Obviously, I'm going to talk to [general manager Kyle Dubas] and have a conversation with him," the two-time Hart Trophy winner and eight-time All-Star told reporters Thursday. "We'll see. I think it's just something that I'll have conversations with him about."
Crosby, who posted 94 points (42 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games this season, sparked the Penguins' late playoff push that came up just short. The future Hall of Famer shows no signs of slowing down as he tied Wayne Gretzky with his 19th season of averaging a point per game.
"It's disappointing, especially with the way we finished the year. We were playing good hockey," Crosby said. "You look, when you miss by a margin that we've had the last couple years, there's so many games that you look at plays and things you want to redo. It's a fine line. Unfortunately, we've been on the wrong side of that the last couple years."
Under Crosby's leadership, the Penguins have won three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017) while he's compiled 1,596 points (592 goals, 1,004 assists) in 1,272 games. Only Mario Lemieux (1,723) has more points in Penguins history.
Among the many other accolades of his legendary career, Crosby has won both the Rocket Richard Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy twice. He's also been the Ted Lindsay Award recipient three times and played in six All-Star Games.
Sale of NHL's Coyotes, relocation to Utah approved
Utah will be considered a new franchise, will change the existing name of the team and begin playing in Salt Lake City next season.
The NHL confirmed the deal in a brief social media post Thursday afternoon that read "The stage is set for #NHLinUtah!" with an accompanying highlight video during which commissioner Gary Bettman says, "The NHL is thrilled to be coming to Utah."
Bettman said soon after in an NHL release: "As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. We are also delighted to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah. We thank them for working so collaboratively with the league to resolve a complex situation in this unprecedented and beneficial way."
The $1.2 billion purchase to bring hockey to Salt Lake City began as what Smith said last week were discussions about being considered for an expansion team.
But without a stadium to call home until at least 2027 based on not-yet-approved plans and outlines in Phoenix, the conversation jumped to purchasing the Coyotes for relocation.
That deal was first approved by the NHL's executive committee last week and ends the public seesaw that included outright denials about the move from Bettman as recently as Tuesday at a public appearance in Los Angeles.
Alex Meruelo received $1 billion for selling the team, according to reports, with the other $200 million split among the NHL teams. Meruelo keeps the name, intellectual property of the Coyotes, now an inactive franchise. He has five years to attempt to build an arena and put a team in Arizona, ESPN reported.
Arizona has been a franchise in limbo since Meruelo purchased the team. Meruelo unveiled a plan to buy a 110-acre site in Phoenix and build a privately funded arena as the second season of playing home games at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz., wrapped up this week.
In May 2023, a third stadium referendum was rejected by voters in Arizona, setting the wheels in motion for Meruelo to divest of the franchise he purchased in 2019 for $300 million. Bettman said at the time the NHL was "terribly disappointed" to be facing the outcome due to limited local support for the stadium plan.
Houston and Atlanta were considered in initial relocation studies by the NHL. But sliding north to Utah likely proved to be the least-complicated option for the NHL, allowing the Coyotes to remain in the same division and walk into a readymade, full-time home facility in Vivint Arena.
Bettman said this week a new stadium in Arizona would've been on a three- to five-year timeline.
Canucks sign F Vasily Podkolzin to two-year contract
The Canucks did not disclose the specifics but TSN reported the deal carries a $1 million average annual value.
Podkolzin, 22, had two assists in 18 games with the Canucks in 2023-24. He added 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 44 games with Abbotsford of the American Hockey League.
"We are happy with how hard Vasily has worked on his game to try and become a more consistent player," general manager Patrik Allvin said in a news release. "While there is still room for him to grow, starting the year in Abbotsford and working his way back up to Vancouver shows the type of commitment and dedication we want in all our players. Our group looks to forward to helping Vasily continue to improve and get better."
Podkolzin has tallied 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 136 career NHL games since Vancouver drafted him 10th overall in 2019.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter retires
Carter, 39, totaled 851 points (442 goals, 409 assists) in 1,321 games across 19 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and Penguins. Carter won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012 and 2014 and a gold medal with his native Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
"I'm going to be a dad. You miss a lot being a hockey player, you're in and out in a way," Carter said following the Penguins' 5-4 loss at the New York Islanders on Wednesday. "My family sacrificed a lot for me to live out my dream. I'm going to be home and be a dad, and then figure it out from there."
Carter scored a goal at 10:56 of the third period to tie Wednesday's game at 4-4.
"That was really nice. When (coach Mike Sullivan) put me out there, I knew I wasn't leaving the net," Carter said. "... Pretty special moment to get one there at the end. Something I'll remember, for sure."
Carter had 15 points (11 goals, four assists) in 72 games this season with Pittsburgh.
"He's got so much poise, a lot of experience. He's won everything there is to win -- Calder Cup, Stanley Cup, Olympics. He's had an amazing career," Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby said. "... A great guy to have -- he brings it every single night. He's just a winner."
Little on line as Avs, Oilers close regular season
The Colorado Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night as both teams get ready for the postseason.
Colorado (49-25-7, 105 points), which is stumbling down the stretch, is locked into third place in the Central Division and will start the playoffs at Winnipeg. Edmonton (49-26-6, 104 points), assured of second place in the Pacific Division, is set to host Game 1 against either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Los Angeles Kings.
The only thing on the line in the Thursday game is which team would be the higher seed if they meet in the Western Conference finals. Edmonton recalled two forwards from AHL Bakersfield, Adam Erne and Sam Gagner, on Wednesday, and they likely will play in the regular-season finale.
Colorado has lost two in a row and is 3-5-2 in the past 10. The Avalanche have earned only three wins over playoff-bound teams since the start of March and have faltered in big matchups.
The Avalanche lost home games to the Dallas Stars, 7-4 on April 7, and the Jets, 7-0 on Saturday, as they have been unable to build momentum going into the postseason. Winnipeg has won seven straight, and it swept the three-game season series from Colorado.
"We got a taste of what it's going to be like going against them in the playoffs," Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano said. "From a lot of different angles, it wasn't good enough."
One thing the Avalanche do know is captain Gabriel Landeskog won't be back anytime soon. Landeskog has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2022, and he had cartilage replacement surgery in his right knee last summer.
He has been skating, but coach Jared Bednar said he is not close to playing.
The Oilers will be playing the second of back-to-back games after falling 5-2 to the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday in Tempe, Ariz. The contest was almost certainly the hosts' farewell to the Phoenix area before an expected move to Salt Lake City.
Edmonton star Connor McDavid participated in his second game back after missing three in a row due to a lower-body injury. He had one helper against the San Jose Sharks on Monday night to become the fourth player in NHL history to log 100 assists in one season.
Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player with 100 assists in a season when he reached the milestone on Wednesday. Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr were the other three players to accomplish the feat.
"It means a lot," McDavid said. "(Gretzky, Lemieux and Orr) are obviously three of the greatest players to ever play. To share a little something with them, it means a lot to me."
Winning the Stanley Cup would mean more for McDavid and Edmonton. The Oilers came close two years ago, reaching the Western Conference finals before being swept by Colorado. Early this season it looked as if they would struggle to reach the postseason, but a coaching change turned things around.
Edmonton is 46-17-5 since Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12.
"It has been a different type of year, but everybody stuck with it and we've put ourselves in a good spot heading in to when it matters most," McDavid said.
NHL roundup: Nikita Kucherov's 100th assist lifts Lightning
In the regular-season finale for both teams, Kucherov, who has 144 points (44 goals, 100 assists) also scored. He reached the century mark in helpers when he set up Brayden Point's goal at 17:05 of the second, a marker that lifted Tampa Bay to a 4-1 lead.
Wayne Gretzky (on 11 occasions), Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Connor McDavid are the only other players in NHL history to rack up 100 assists in a single season. McDavid joined that club here in 2023-24.
For the Lightning (45-29-8, 98 points), Nicholas Paul, Anthony Duclair and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist. Tanner Jeannot also scored. Steven Stamkos posted two assists and goaltender Matt Tomkins stopped 34 shots as Tampa Bay finished 25-11-5 at home.
Stars 2, Blues 1 (SO)
Jake Oettinger made 25 saves as Dallas earned a shootout victory over visiting St. Louis to clinch the top Western Conference playoff seed.
Oettinger's best save came in overtime, when he reached his stick back to stop Robert Thomas' elevated shot toward the open side of the net. Mason Marchment scored the regulation goal for the Stars, and Jason Robertson netted the shootout winner.
Thomas scored for the Blues, and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves.
Islanders 5, Penguins 4
Simon Holmstrom roofed a shot for the go-ahead goal at 14:27 of the third as New York topped Pittsburgh in Elmont, N.Y.
Holmstrom, Brock Nelson and Samuel Bolduc each had a goal and an assist and Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders, who begin a playoff series Saturday against Carolina. New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 40 saves.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist and Rickard Rakell, Valtteri Puustinen and Jeff Carter also scored for the Penguins. Sorokin made a save on a penalty shot by Sidney Crosby with 30 seconds left.
Coyotes 5, Oilers 2
Dylan Guenther scored once and added an assist to end the Coyotes' season, and likely the franchise's time in Arizona, with a victory over Edmonton in Tempe, Ariz.
Liam O'Brien, Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse and Sean Durzi also scored for the Coyotes, who are expected to relocate to Salt Lake City. Goaltender Connor Ingram made 28 saves.
Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele had the goals for the Oilers, and goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 19 shots. The Oilers are 1-2-1 in their past four games.
Coyotes down Oilers in likely Arizona send-off
Liam O'Brien, Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse and Sean Durzi also scored for the Coyotes (36-41-5, 77 points), who are expected to relocate to Salt Lake City. Goaltender Connor Ingram made 28 saves.
Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele had the goals for the Oilers (49-26-6, 104 points), and goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 19 shots. The Oilers are 1-2-1 in their past four games.
Edmonton, which will conclude the regular season on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, will finish second in the Pacific Division and have home-ice advantage against either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
O'Brien's fifth goal of the season opened the scoring 2:18 into the clash. A dumped-in puck ricocheted off an official and right to O'Brien as he cut to the net for the golden chance.
Carrick replied at 13:06 of the first period, deflecting Mattias Ekholm's shot-pass for his 10th goal of the season.
Maccelli restored Arizona's lead at 15:05 of the second period when he was sprung on a breakaway and neatly lifted a backhanded shot for his 17th of the campaign.
Crouse extended the lead to 3-1 at 4:55 of the third period. Crouse was sprung by a pass from Vladislav Kolyachonok as he headed to the net, and he converted a backhand shot for his 23rd of the season.
Foegele reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his seven-year career to again make it a one-goal game with 11:59 remaining in regulation, burying a top-shelf effort from the slot.
However, Guenther provided Arizona another two-goal lead with a power-play maker. He unleashed a perfect shot from the slot with 5:33 to go, giving him 18 goals in only 45 games this season.
Durzi's empty-net goal with 4:15 to go iced the game for the Coyotes, who relocated to the desert from Winnipeg in 1996.
Ryan Smith appears to confirm Coyotes' move to Utah
Speaking at the World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles, Smith said, according to Sports Business Journal, "There's no secret on what's out there online. Normally, not everything on the internet is true, but in this case, it's pretty true."
Sportsnet reported that the NHL's Board of Governors will meet on Thursday to approve the team's sale and relocation.
Smith spoke at the Los Angeles event a day after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman did so.
On Tuesday, Bettman said of the Coyotes, per SBJ, "We're exploring options as to how to deal with (the arena situation) because, particularly for the players, it isn't an ideal circumstance. I know there's a lot of rumors and speculation and, when we have something to announce, we'll do it. But we are exploring our options."
Multiple media outlets reported last week that the franchise was about to be sold ahead of a move to Utah.
On Wednesday night, the Coyotes concluded their second season of playing home games at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz.
Earlier this month, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo unveiled a plan to buy a 110-acre site in Phoenix and build a privately funded arena. However, Bettman acknowledged that the timeline for that potential venue to be ready was prompting the NHL to explore other options for the club.
The league is prepared to buy the team from Meruelo for $1 billion before reselling it to Ryan Smith and his wife, Ashley Smith, for $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, according to SBJ. The amount above $1 billion would be split among the other teams as a relocation fee, per the report. Meruelo also reportedly would receive a chance to purchase an expansion team when the Phoenix arena is operational.
Stars top Blues in shootout, seal No. 1 spot in West
Oettinger's best save came in overtime, when reached his stick back to stop Robert Thomas' elevated shot toward the open side of the net.
Mason Marchment scored the regulation goal for the Stars (52-21-9, 113 points), and Jason Robertson netted the shootout winner.
Thomas scored for the Blues (43-33-6, 92 points), and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves.
The contest was the regular-season finale for both teams. Dallas earned its 12th win in 14 games, while St. Louis ended its season on a 3-1-1 run.
Marchment tied the game 1-1 at 5:11 of the third period. Esa Lindell threw a point shot into heavy traffic, and Marchment converted the carom.
The Stars controlled the first 10 minutes of the first period while outshooting the Blues 8-1. Their best opportunities were Matt Duchene's rush up the right wing, which Binnington stopped, and Robertson's shot from the slot, which missed wide.
The Blues gained momentum later in the period and applied pressure with their power play. However, Oettinger dove to his right to stop Scott Perunovich's shot from the slot.
Dallas put 13 shots on goal in the second period, but Binnington stopped them all. He denied Wyatt Johnston's blast from the right wing on a two-on-one rush, then Miro Heiskanen's shot from the right faceoff dot.
Johnston led another two-on-one break and passed to Jamie Benn on right wing, but Benn shanked his one-time shot attempt.
Blues winger Brandon Saad had multiple scoring chances in the middle period, but Oettinger stopped his shots from the slot and right wing.
Thomas put the Blues up 1-0 with 2:41 left in the second. He took a drop pass from Zack Bolduc just inside the blue line, cut to the right circle and beat Oettinger over the goalie's right shoulder.
The Stars stepped up their pressure in the third period. Binnington gloved Robertson's power-play shot from the slot shot, then stopped Roope Hintz from the slot before Marchment's tying goal.
Simon Holmstrom's goal helps Islanders top Penguins
Holmstrom, Brock Nelson and Samuel Bolduc each had a goal and an assist, and Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders, who finished the regular season 39-27-16. They begin a playoff series Saturday against Carolina.
New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 41 saves. Sorokin made a save on a penalty shot by Sidney Crosby with 29.5 seconds left.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist; Rickard Rakell, Valtteri Puustinen and Jeff Carter also scored; and Crosby and Michael Bunting each had two assists for the Penguins, who finished 38-32-12 after being eliminated from playoff contention a night earlier.
Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves.
Nelson gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 4:56 of the first on a backdoor play set up by Holmstrom.
At 18:29 of the first, Rakell tied it for the Penguins on a blast from near the top of the left circle.
Malkin scored career goal No. 498 on a power play at 6:14 of the second for a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead. A pass from Crosby went in off him. There was a review to ensure that Malkin did not kick the puck in.
At 7:05 of the second, Puustinen beat Sorokin on a short breakaway, but the Islanders successfully challenged that he was offside.
Cizikas tied it 2-2 at 13:19 of the second on a deflection of a shot by Alexander Romanov.
Puustinen got one that stood 1:18 later for a 3-2 Penguins' lead. He stole the puck in the slot and shot it over Sorokin's glove.
A power-play goal by Palmieri withstood a Penguins challenge with 15.5 seconds left in the second for another tie.
Bolduc got a power-play goal at 1:36 of the third for a 4-3 New York lead when his shot went in off Pittsburgh's Ryan Shea.
On a power play, Carter deflected the puck in at 10:56 of the third for a 4-all tie.
Nikita Kucherov gets assist No. 100 as Lightning drop Leafs
In the regular-season finale for both teams, Kucherov, who has 144 points (44 goals, 100 assists) also scored. He reached the century mark in helpers when he set up Brayden Point's goal at 17:05 of the second, a marker that lifted Tampa Bay to a 4-1 lead.
Wayne Gretzky (on 11 occasions), Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Connor McDavid are the only other players in NHL history to rack up 100 assists in a single season. McDavid joined that club here in 2023-24.
For the Lightning (45-29-8, 98 points), Nicholas Paul, Anthony Duclair and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist. Tanner Jeannot also scored.
Steven Stamkos posted two assists and goaltender Matt Tomkins stopped 34 shots as Tampa Bay finished 25-11-5 at home.
Toronto (46-26-10, 102 points) got a goal apiece from Ryan Reaves, TJ Brodie, Pontus Holmberg and John Tavares, plus two assists from both David Kampf and Connor Dewar. Martin Jones made 26 saves, but the Leafs lost their fourth straight (0-3-1).
NHL goal leader Auston Matthews failed to reach the 70-goal plateau, finishing his incredible season with 69, as the Leafs ended 24-11-6 on the road.
Matthews registered a game-high 12 shots.
With the focus on Matthews and Kucherov, Duclair made the first fine play of the night when he saucered a diagonal pass to Paul, who chipped in his 24th tally of the season at 3:58 of the first period.
Kucherov got in on the action at 6:14 when he gathered his own rebound and popped in goal No. 44 past Jones for a 2-0 lead.
But the physical Reaves ripped a one-timer from above the right circle at 13:18, only the fourth time the winger has hit the back of the net this season.
Duclair scored his 24th marker at 6:37 of the second before Kucherov made history by feeding Point.
Hagel pushed the margin to 5-1 with his 26th tally at 17:57.
In the third, Jeannot, Brodie , Holmberg and Tavares all scored.
Kings look for momentum in clash with Blackhawks
The Kings (43-27-11, 97 points) clinched a playoff berth for the third straight season a week ago and have split their two games since.
Los Angeles can still finish third in the Pacific Division if it can beat Chicago and the Vegas Golden Knights lose in any fashion to the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
The third-place finisher in the Pacific will face the second-place Edmonton Oilers in the first round. A difficult team to beat, no doubt, but so are the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks, who will play the two wild-card finishers in the Western Conference
"I don't think it matters who we play," Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson said. "Anyone that's making the postseason is a really good team. Whoever it is, we need to be ready to play."
The Kings weren't happy with their intensity in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Minnesota Wild on Monday. Their effort wasn't much better in a 3-1 win against the Ducks last Saturday.
"Sometimes, maybe, it's a relief you get in (the playoffs), but at the same time you can't be taking steps back," Anderson said. "We've got to keep building, because you don't get any time after the year to build your game up, you're jumping right into it. So, just making sure we're ready to go. We've got one more try at it before you need to be ready."
Los Angeles interim coach Jim Hiller isn't satisfied with how the Kings have played the past few games, but he's not concerned the lack of intensity will leak into the playoffs.
He'd like to see his players lock in on Chicago, just to get their minds off who they'll be facing in the first round of the playoffs.
"We're in a playoff race, that's the way I see it," Hiller said. "That can be the only way you approach it, because you've got to play, you've got to want to win every game and that's what you're doing and then you'll let the chips fall where they may. Different things can happen, who knows, but for us, the focus is on us."
The Kings outscored the Wild 13-3 in their first two meetings this season before losing Monday.
Los Angeles has had the same success against the Blackhawks through two games, outscoring them 11-2 when they met twice over four days in March.
The Blackhawks (23-53-5, 51 points) went 7-7-0 in March, but haven't been as consistent in April, dropping their past five games in regulation.
Chicago most recently lost 3-1 in Las Vegas on Tuesday, allowing the Golden Knights to overtake the Kings for third place.
One of the bright spots in the loss against Vegas was the play of center Frank Nazar, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft who was playing in his second NHL game.
"(Nazar) understands his position as a centerman, especially in the defensive zone (when) we're breaking the puck out," Chicago defenseman Seth Jones said. "He's got a lot of speed. He took a couple big hits he didn't need to take on the rush, just holding it a little bit longer than he should've."
Plenty at stake for Golden Knights in season finale vs. Ducks
Vegas (45-28-8, 98 points) enters the contest with a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings (43-27-11, 97 points) for third place in the Pacific Division.
A win over the Ducks and the Golden Knights can pack their bags for a Western Conference first-round playoff matchup against Connor McDavid and the second-place Edmonton Oilers. A loss and either a Los Angeles win or an overtime loss to visiting Chicago will drop Vegas into the second wild-card spot and an opening-round playoff series at Central Division winner Dallas because the Kings hold the regulation-wins tiebreaker.
Either way, the Golden Knights are looking forward to getting a chance to defend their title.
"The best time of the year is coming," center Nicolas Roy said after sealing a 3-1 victory over Chicago on Tuesday with an empty-net goal. "We're trying to get our game in the best spot possible. I don't think it was our best game tonight, but I think defensively we did a great job, enough to win. There's a great mood around the team, for sure."
Vegas brings a three-game winning streak into the contest with Anaheim and has won six in a row at T-Mobile Arena. A win over the Ducks would give them 100 points for the second straight season and for the third time in the franchise's seven seasons.
"I think guys are feeling good about our game," said forward Michael Amadio, who scored the game-winner against the Blackhawks. "It shows obviously with three straight wins. I think it's about consistency and bringing the same game every night."
Anaheim (26-50-5, 57 points) will finish seventh in the Pacific Division, one spot higher than in 2022-23. The Ducks, who are just 2-7-2 in their past 11 games and have lost two in a row, have had a four-day layoff since losing 3-1 at Los Angeles on Saturday.
"It's one game left and it can be easy to maybe check out," forward Troy Terry said, according to The Sporting Tribune. "But just making sure we feel good about how we ended and getting ready for that game and making sure we're going out there and competing."
One Ducks player who shouldn't have any trouble getting fired up to play is forward Cutter Gauthier, who will be making his NHL debut after signing a three-year entry-level contract on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Gauthier, obtained in a Jan. 8 trade from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick, was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He scored 38 goals for Frozen Four finalist Boston College, including an NCAA-best 10 game-winning goals, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the nation's top collegiate player.
"I'm pretty pumped," said Gauthier, who practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Ducks. "It's been a dream for my whole life. Just getting here I've gotten chills, getting into the airport and meeting all the guys. It's been a real cool experience so far. I can't wait until Thursday comes."
Wild face Kraken, aim to end season on winning streak
Minnesota (39-32-10, 87 points) is facing a long offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. The Wild have continued to play hard despite being eliminated from postseason contention, coming off back-to-back wins over the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.
Meanwhile, Seattle (33-35-13, 79 points) also hopes to end its season on a positive note even though it will not compete in the playoffs. The Kraken have dropped four straight against the Sharks, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.
Kraken rookie Tye Kartye said he and his teammates have to play with maximum effort in their season finale. Kartye, 22, has 10 goals and nine assists in 76 games.
"We've got to just keep playing for each other," Kartye said. "Obviously, every game matters. It doesn't matter what game it is. It's important to us, so we want to just try and fight back. We did (in our last game), but we just fell a little bit short."
Seattle will face Wild veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
The 39-year-old Fleury was set to become a free agent this offseason, with questions swirling around about his future in recent weeks. Fleury and the team put an end to those questions when the netminder signed a one-year, $2.5 million extension for the 2024-25 season on Wednesday.
Fleury is 17-14-5 with a 2.98 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in 39 games (35 starts) this season. He ranks second all-time with 561 career victories, and he is one of only four goaltenders to appear in at least 1,000 games.
"All good stuff. All cool," Fleury said. "But at the same time, though, I've always played not for me, not for my stats. It's about winning, and it's disappointing to miss (the) playoffs. That's the one thing that's top of my mind first about this year is missing it.
"It's the best time of year, right? You want to battle in the playoffs every year, and that's always the goal. So that's what's tough about it."
Fleury has faced the Kraken seven times in his career. He is 5-1-1 with a 1.98 GAA and a .935 save percentage in those contests.
Seattle could turn to Joey Daccord (18-18-11, 2.45 GAA) or Philipp Grubauer (14-16-2, 2.85 GAA) in net.
Daccord has faced Minnesota twice in his career. He is 0-2-0 with a 4.52 GAA and a .842 save percentage in those games.
Grubauer has gone up against the Wild 17 times. He is 9-7-0 with a 2.95 GAA and a .894 save percentage.
This is the third meeting between the teams this season. The Wild won the first two contests on the road -- a 3-0 win on Dec. 10 and a 5-2 victory on Feb. 24.
Kraken forward Jared McCann needs one more goal to reach 30. The ninth-year veteran has surpassed that mark once in his career, when he scored 40 last season.
Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizov will look to add to another impressive statistical campaign. Kaprizov leads the team with 95 points (45 goals, 50 assists) in 74 games.