Daily Nuggets: Player Poll Honors Golden Knights; Fleury’s Final Tribute

Good morning, folks. The Vegas Golden Knights wrap up their regular season on Wednesday in Vancouver against the Canucks. It’s on TNT, so it’ll be a late puck drop; make sure you caffeinate. I can’t imagine it’ll be a spirited event; the Golden Knights will likely focus on making it through the game unscathed. The NHLPA released their annual Player Poll on Tuesday, and the Golden Knights’ ice received top marks.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, we know all but one Stanley Cup Playoff first-round matchup. The Golden Knights will face the Minnesota Wild and old friend Marc-André Fleury. The Wild sent Fleury in for overtime on Tuesday, and he recorded his 575th regular season win. The Department of Player Safety hit Darnell Nurse with a light suspension, and two NHL veterans are preparing to hang up their skates.

Golden Knights News

The Golden Knights played their penultimate game of the regular season on Tuesday. They played well enough to win but goaltending let them down. They still secured a point in the standings to clinch home-ice against every team but the Winnipeg Jets in their 5-4 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

The Golden Knights are locked into a playoff matchup. They’ll face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The NHLPA released their highly-anticipated Player Poll on Tuesday. For the fourth year in a row, players voted T-Mobile Arena into the top five for best ice. 

The Athletic ($): Dom ​​Luszczyszyn dives into the metrics of the last 15 Stanley Cup-winning rosters. How do the Golden Knights measure up?

Playoff Clinches & Eliminations

Two teams entered Tuesday’s slate of games with their season on the line. The Columbus Blue Jackets won to keep their season alive. The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues won, clinching a playoff berth and eliminating the Calgary Flames from playoff contention.

Teams that can be eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday: Columbus Blue Jackets

Teams that can clinch a playoff berth on Wednesday: Montreal Canadiens

Official Playoff Matchups

Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche
Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild
Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers

Washington Capitals vs WC2
Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: The Minnesota Wild punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs when Joel Eriksson Ek dramatically tied the game late. In overtime, the Wild tapped Marc-André Fleury for one final dance. Fleury made five saves, killed a penalty, and recorded his 575th regular season win.

Sportsnet: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety hit Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse with a one-game suspension after his crosscheck to the back of Quinton Byfield’s head.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: An Islanders fan favorite said farewell to UBS Arena on Tuesday. Matt Martin skated in his final home game before retirement. Postgame, the Washington Capitals honored Martin, and he spoke to the media about how much being an Islander meant to him.

San Jose Hockey Now: Sharks captain Logan Couture is stepping away from hockey due to a deep groin issue. He’ll be remembered for his playoff performances—Golden Knights fans will remember the 2019 series, in which Couture scored six goals and recorded eight points in seven games.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The NHLPA’s Player Poll came out on Tuesday. Even at 37, Sidney Crosby still commands the respect of his peers.

Colorado Hockey Now: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could return to the NHL for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s the talk of the league.

NHL History: On April 16th, 2019, the Columbus Blue Jackets swept the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning.

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