Daily Nuggets: Golden Knights’ Path to Victory; Ovi Ties Record

Good morning, folks. The Vegas Golden Knights are back in action on Saturday in Calgary against the Flames. They’ll look to bounce back from Thursday’s lifeless performance against the Winnipeg Jets. The battle for the Pacific Division ramps up, and the three teams contending for the title are all active on Saturday. Looking ahead to the postseason, the Golden Knights might not be the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but they have an easier path to get there.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, Friday was a tad boring on the news front. Ryan Leonard scored his first NHL goal, but that’s pretty much it.

Why, did something else happen?

Oh, right. That. Alex Ovechkin recorded his 14th 40-goal season and tied Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. Let’s think about that– at age 39, just a few months removed from a broken leg, Ovechkin posted a two-goal game to tie Gretzky’s goal record. And he did it in one fewer game.

Not to be overshadowed, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will take a big step in his recovery on Saturday. The Philadelphia Flyers are excited to play spoiler, and the NHLPA will meet to discuss the LTIR payoff salary cap issue.

Golden Knights News

On Friday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman echoed Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic’s statement that the Golden Knights organization isn’t worried about Tomáš Hertl. So, with that in mind, should a fully healthy Golden Knights team be favored to come out of the West? It’s not that crazy– and here’s why.

It’s a big day in the battle for the Pacific Division title. The Los Angeles Kings are gaining ground and are now just three points behind the Golden Knights in the standings. The Kings play the Edmonton Oilers at 1 p.m. on Saturday; the best-case scenario for the Golden Knights is that the game ends in regulation.

The Athletic ($): With the Stanley Cup Playoffs just two weeks away, The Athletic staff updated their power rankings. The Golden Knights hold firm at fourth.

Playoff Clinches & Eliminations

Teams that can be eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday: Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins

Teams that can clinch a playoff berth on Saturday: Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning 

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: On Friday night, nearly the entire hockey world sat glued to their TVs, watching Alex Ovechkin make hockey history. He didn’t complete the hattrick– he didn’t want to score the record-breaking goal into an empty net– but Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record.

The Athletic ($): The NHLPA will meet this week in New York to discuss the CBA, and it sounds like the LTIR playoff salary cap issue will be on the agenda.

Colorado Hockey Now: Things are trending up for the Avalanche. Captain Gabriel Landeskog, who hasn’t played an NHL game since June 26th, 2022, will join the Colorado Eagles for their morning skate on Saturday. His return is a matter of when, not if.

Chicago Hockey Now: What does Alex Ovechkin making hockey history look like from the opposing bench? Greg Boysen has all the ins and outs of the Washington Capitals’ 5-3 victory over the Blackhawks.

Philly Hockey Now: This time of year is hard for teams that have been all but eliminated from playoff contention. The Flyers have very little to play for, but they can play spoiler in nearly all of their remaining games.

San Jose Hockey Now: Who’s ready for some international hockey? The 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championships begin May 9th, and Sharks’ head coach Ryan Warsofsky will coach Team USA.

NHL History: On April 5th, 1970, Bobby Orr became the first defenseman to lead the league in scoring.

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