Soon they'll have limitations on the size of the goalies, themselves.

 

You could be right. The heck with defense and tremendous goalie play, they want more goals!

"The NHL Department of Player Safety announced it has suspended Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout for one game for sucker-punching Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov."

 

NHL rumors: Latest buzz, news from around the league | SI.com

 

Too bad Prout is with the Blue Jackets. Had he been a Boston Bruin, that sucker punch would just be deemed incidental contact.

Things are shaping up as the season winds down.

 

In the East ...

 

* Washington leads Pittsburgh and the NY Rangers, in the Metro Division, by 19 points with only 10 games left for both the trailing clubs.

 

* With Florida and Boston losing over the weekend, Tampa Bay moves back into second, 2 points behind the Panthers in the Atlantic.

 

* The Flyers trail the Red Wings by 3 points for the last Wild Card spot and are 5 points behind the Islanders for the other.

 

In the West...

 

* Chicago finds themselves in 3rd place in the Central, trailing the Blues by 2 points and Dallas by 4.

 

* In the Pacific, LA became the second club to clinch a playoff spot and lead the Ducks by 4 points, San Jose by 5.

 

* Minnesota trails Colorado by 1 point for the last Wild Card spot. Nashville leads the Avalanche by 5 points to hold the other spot.

 

Note that no Canadian club is close to qualifying for the playoffs at this time. Ottawa is 7 points behind the last Wild Card spot in the East and Calgary trails the Avs by 12 in the West.

The Bolts are back in a tie for first place with Florida and Boston after beating the Red Wings 6-2, Tuesday night. Boston had now lost 4 straight, Florida 2 straight.

 

Detroit, though tied in points with the Flyers, is now on the outside looking in for the last Wild Card spot in the East.

 

Washington has clinched the Metropolitan Division with 109 points. There is no way for the Rangers to catch them with 92 points and only 8 games remaining.

 

Nothing has changed in the Central, except Chicago is getting further behind.

 

Same goes for the Pacific, as everybody has lost so far this week.

 

Interesting match-up tonight. The Flyers are in Colorado. The Avs are sitting one point behind Minnesota for the last Wild Card spot in the West. The Flyers need to at least a point to help stay in the last spot in the East.

Today the NHL fined Josh Manson the maximum for this throat slash gesture made toward Maple Leaf's forward Nazem Kadri.

 

Lightning beat the Islanders 7-4 last night. The Bolts are finally televised here (been a while) and what do I do? Fall asleep during the second intermission. I missed five goals, 4 by the Lightning. :ohbrother: :no:

Lightning beat the Islanders 7-4 last night. The Bolts are finally televised here (been a while) and what do I do? Fall asleep during the second intermission. I missed five goals, 4 by the Lightning. :ohbrother: :no:

 

I was at a USF baseball game and was following the Lightning game on twitter. In the first period, with the score 1-0 Islanders, the Bolts scored 2 goals in the span of 9 seconds.

 

I got home in time to see the 3rd period, though. With a little over 9 minutes to go and the score tied 4-4, the Lightning did it again. Tyler Johnson scored off a rebound. 23 seconds later, Jason Garrison scored.

 

Victor Hedman got an empty net goal to end the scoring.

Boston plays in New Jersey, tonight, and they could use a win. The Red Wings have pulled to one point behind the Bruins for 3rd place in the Atlantic Division. Both have 6 games remaining. The way things are shaking out, right now, the Atlantic is only getting their top 3 teams in the playoffs.

 

The Flyers, though tied in points with the Red Wings, still hold the edge over the Wings for the last Wildcard spot.

 

Also this evening...

 

Chicago takes their 2 game winning streak to Minnesota, who've won 5 in a row and are trying to hold off Colorado for the last Wildcard spot in the west. Nashville is at Dallas and the Avs are in St. Louis. If the Wild win and Colorado loses, the Fat Lady in Denver can start warming up.

The Lightning won their last home game of the regular season, beating the Devils 2-1. Steven Stamkos is still out with some kind of upper body injury. The game was a struggle, especially in the penalty kill. We got a taste of what it will be like if Stammer is not resigned and he is lost to free agency.

 

The Bolts play their last 5 games on the road, because Amalie Arena is hosting the NCAA Frozen Four April 7 and 9.

The Lightning won their last home game of the regular season, beating the Devils 2-1. Steven Stamkos is still out with some kind of upper body injury. The game was a struggle, especially in the penalty kill. We got a taste of what it will be like if Stammer is not resigned and he is lost to free agency.

 

The Bolts play their last 5 games on the road, because Amalie Arena is hosting the NCAA Frozen Four April 7 and 9.

Stamkos will miss 1 to 3 months with a blood clot near his right collarbone, and is scheduled to have surgery Monday to repair it. It's called effort thrombosis, the same problem goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had during the summer that made him miss part of the early season.

 

Lightning captain Stamkos out 1-3 months

There are 3 games left for teams fighting for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

 

In the Atlantic Division, only Florida has clinched a playoff spot, but can still be caught for the division lead by Tampa Bay. Detroit has moved past Boston for 3rd place in the division, leaving Boston one game behind Philadelphia for the last Wildcard spot. However, Boston could still win out and Tampa Bay lose out leaving the Bruins in a possible 2-3 matchup with either the Bolts or the Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs. Lots of other possibilities, too.

 

Tonight, Tampa Bay is at the NY Rangers and Boston hosts Carolina. If the Bolts win, they clinch, regardless of what Boston does. The Bolts would have 97 points. Even if Boston wins, they'll only have 92, with 2 game left. 5 points needed with 4 points available. Worst case for TB would be 3rd place in the Atlantic, guaranteeing them a playoff spot.

 

If Boston loses, same scenario.

 

If Boston wins and the Bolts lose or send the game into overtime, things start getting interesting.

 

In the West, everything regarding the playoffs has been decided except the last Wildcard spot. Minnesota leads Colorado by 5 points. The Wild would have to lose both of their final 2 games and the Avalanche would have to, at least, win 2 of the their final 3 and send the third into overtime to have a chance. I believe the Avs have the first tiebreaker over the Wild, should they end up even.

 

Tonight Minnesota host San Jose and Colorado is in Nashville.

I thought Minnesota was dead in the water back in February. This last month would've been fun. Makes me wish I hadn't ditch NBC Sports Network late last year.

Tampa Bay lost, but Boston only got 1 point in their shootout loss to Carolina. Therefore, the Bolts clinch a playoff spot. :ylsuper:

 

Florida won thereby clinching first place in the Atlantic Division. They will play the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs.

 

Boston is still in play for 3rd place in the Atlantic, currently held by the Red Wings, or the last Wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, currently belonging to the Flyers. A 3 team race for 2 playoff spots. All 3 of these teams have 91 points. Philadelphia has 4 games left, compared to 3 for Detroit and 2 for Boston. Right now, Detroit holds the first tie breaker over both. The Flyers are in Detroit, tonight. The Wings are in Boston, Thursday night.

 

By winning out, Detroit could still overtake Tampa Bay for 2nd place in the Atlantic and get home ice for the first round with the Bolts. That's providing the Lightning lose out, though.

 

Minnesota clinched the last playoff spot in the Western Conference even though they lost to San Jose, last night. That's because Colorado lost to Nashville.

 

Now it's just a battle for position between the Stars and the Blues, in the Central Division, and Anaheim and LA in the Pacfic. The winner between Dallas and St. Louis gets Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. The loser gets Chicago. Whoever wins the Pacific will get Nashville, the loser, San Jose.

The Bolts beat the Devils this evening. With Boston defeating Detroit, tonight, TB has locked up home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

 

Philadelphia lost in OT to Toronto allowing Boston to pass them for the last Wildcard spot in the East.

 

The Rangers lost to the Islanders and the Penguins beat the Capitals. These events clinched 2nd place in the Metro for the Pens giving them home ice in the first round. The Islanders, slid past the Rangers into 3rd, leaving the Rangers in the upper Wildcard position.

 

One game to go for most teams after tonight.

2 games left in the regular season and both affect positioning for the playoffs.

 

The Flyers are at the Islanders. Philadelphia plays Washington in the first round, win, lose, or draw. If the Islanders win, they will clinch third place in the Metropolitan division and play Pittsburgh in the first round. The Rangers would pay Florida. A loss, regulation or OT, gives 3rd place to the Rangers and the Islanders would open the playoffs in Miami.

 

Anaheim is at Washington. Washington has home ice though-out the playoffs with the best record in the NHL. They basically have nothing to play for. Anaheim must win to clinch 1st place in the Pacific division. Otherwise, LA is 1st and Anaheim hosts San Jose in the first round. Nashville will play the winner of the Pacific division.