Alex Ovechkin had three goals to reach 50 for the seventh time, while Braden Holtby won his 48th game to tie the NHL single-season record as the Washington Capitals dashed the St Louis Blues’ Central Division title hopes with a convincing 5-1 victory on Saturday night.
Vladimir Tarasenko started the scoring with his 40th after getting the tying and winning goals in an overtime victory on Thursday night at Chicago. The Blues did little else in their regular-season finale and finished with the third seed in the Western Conference, pitting them against the Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs.
Washington, the runaway President’s Trophy winners and Eastern Conference champions, are set to open against the Flyers.
STARS 3, PREDATORS 2
In Dallas, Jason Spezza scored three times, including the winner with 1 minute remaining, as Dallas beat Nashville to clinch the Central Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Spezza’s second of two goals in the second period was No. 300 for his career. It was his second hat-trick of the season and the seventh of his career.
Dallas are to open the playoffs against Minnesota following their first division title since the 2005-2006 season. The Stars finished with the most points in the West for the first time since 2002-2003.
RANGERS 3, RED WINGS 2
In New York City, Kevin Hayes scored with 5 minutes, 38 seconds remaining and Antti Raanta made 31 saves, leading New York over Detroit.
Even with the loss, the Red Wings reached the playoffs for a 25th consecutive season when the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins 6-1.
Detroit clinched third place in the Atlantic Division and are to play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
Dan Boyle scored in the first period for the Rangers, who finished the regular season with 101 points and still do not know who they will meet in the playoffs, which start on Wednesday.
ETS 4, KINGS 3
In Los Angeles, the Kings blew a three-goal lead and their chance to clinch the Pacific Division title, losing to the Winnipeg Jets on Mark Scheifele’s shootout goal.
Blake Wheeler scored the tying goal on a pass from Scheifele, and the Jets closed another non-playoff season with a stirring rally for their fourth-straight victory.
Jonathan Quick made 27 saves for the Kings, who could have clinched just the second division title in the franchise’s 48-season history.
In other NHL action, it was:
‧ Sharks 1, Coyotes 0
‧ Senators 6, Bruins 1
‧ Panthers 5, Hurricanes 2
‧ Flyers 3, Penguins 1
‧ Ducks 5, Avalanche 3
‧ Flames 2, Wild 1
‧ Devils 5, Maple Leafs 1
‧ Canucks 4, Oilers 3, SO
‧ Blue Jackets 5,
Blackhawks 4, OT
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
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