NHL playoff picture nears completion, stars hit milestones, veteran ref Devorski retires
The NHL’s Eastern Conference playoff picture is going right down to the wire with four teams battling for three spots, while the Kings chances for a Stanley Cup repeat look awfully slim in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, several players like Sidney Crosby, Carey Price and Erik Karlsson all reached career milestones this week.
Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford made hockey headlines as did veteran referee Paul Devorski, who called his final NHL game.
These headlines and more made up this the week´s five biggest NHL stories.
1. NHL playoff picture: Wings, Bruins, Penguins and Senators battle for playoff spots in the east, Kings nearly out in the west
With most teams have played all but two contests in the regular season, the NHL’s playoff picture is becoming clearer. In the Eastern Conference though, things still are still a bit murky.
Currently Detroit has 97 points, Pittsburgh has 96, Boston has 95 and Ottawa has 95. All four teams have played 80 games. The league’s cinderella story has easily been the Senators, who most recently capped off an improbable three-goal comeback against the Penguins with an intense and exciting overtime winner by forward Mark Stone.
Meanwhile in the Western Conference, the league’s reigning Stanley Cup champions took a huge dent in their repeat chances after a 4-2 loss to Edmonton on Tuesday night. That same night the Winnipeg Jets beat the Blues 1-0, jumping into the final wildcard spot.
The Calgary Flames have 95 points, the Minnesota Wild have 98 points and the Jets now have 96 points. Looking in from the outside are the Kings, with just 93 points. All four teams have two games left.
2. Stars hit milestones: Crosby, Price, Jagr and more all hit career highs
This past week was plentiful for several star players in the NHL, like Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, Henrik Sedin, Jaromir Jagr, Roberto Luongo and Erik Karlsson.
In Pittsburgh, Crosby reached 300 goals in his career when he scored on the Philadelphia Flyers last Wednesday night. He became the fifth player in Penguins history to do so.
Meanwhile on Monday night, Canucks forward Henrik Sedin notched his 700th-career assist when he set up a goal by, appropriately enough, his twin brother Daniel.
Florida Panther Jaromir Jagr tied Ron Francis for fourth in career points with 1,798 on Thursday night. To get there he assisted on a Brandon Pirri goal and added a goal of his own against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 43-year-old Jagr has 14 points in 16 games since joining the Panthers.
Also against the Hurricanes, Jagr’s teammate Roberto Luongo recorded his 400th career win after he made 31 saves in the Panthers victory.
In Montreal, goalie Carey Price tied the team’s record for most wins in a season for a goalie, with 42. As NHL PR wrote in its tweet, both Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden also posted the feat between 1955 and 1976.
In Ottawa, Senators captain Erik Karlsson recorded his 300th point during Ottawa’s 4-3 win over Washington on Saturday. The defenseman posted two assist to reach the milestone and became the fastest d-man in 17 years to do it, needing 393 games. Former Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov took just 354 games to reach the milestone, the quickest in the NHL’s history.
3. Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford elected to HHOF board of governors
Former Toronto mayor is back in the news again, this time in a positive sense. As the Canadian Press reported earlier this week, Ford, now a city councillor, was appointed to the Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum’s board of directors.
A museum spokesman said that Ford was elected to the board for the first time at a member’s meeting on March 25.
“When people call me they know they’re getting someone that’s experienced,” Ford told the Canadian Press. “I’ve got season tickets to the Leafs and I’m obsessed with hockey and obviously football but hockey’s my number one sport and I’m going to try to just keep pushing it.”
Ford said he had already had his first meeting with the board and is ready to get to work.
“Some people like the prestige of it, I like the action. I like rolling up my sleeves and showing up to meetings and getting it done,” he said. “What I don’t like is when people sign up and want to go to these boards and commissions and they don’t show up.”
4. Veteran referee Paul Devorski calls it quits
Longtime NHL referee Paul Devorski announced his retirement this past week according to NHL.com. The veteran of nearly 1,600 games officiated his final game Sunday in Philadelphia when the Penguins visited the Flyers.
The 56-year-old is retiring after serving as a referee for 26 years. He worked the game Sunday with his brother, Greg, a linesman.
“You know what, I never thought I’d last this long, but it’s so fast out there and it’s time to go before you embarrass yourself,” Devorski told NHL.com following his final game. “It’s so fast out there now. It’s time to go.”
Devorski also worked 197 Stanley Cup Playoff games and the Olympics in 2006 and 2010.
“He was probably one of the greatest communicators the game has ever seen relative to officiating,” said NHL Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom.
5. Signings: Canucks ink Dorsett, Sbisa to extensions, Jagr likely to re-sign in Florida
The Vancouver Canucks re-signed two pieces to their club on Wednesday, while the Panthers look favourable to re-up their veteran forward Jagr.
In Vancouver, the Canucks announced the signing of both Derek Dorsett and Luca Sbisa, Dorsett got four years added onto his contract while Sbisa received three extra years.
TSN’s Bob Mackenzie reported that Dorsett´s contract is worth $2.65 million per season while Sbisa´s is worth $3.6 million, according to Sportsnet´s Dan Murphy. Both teammates are role-players, with Dorsett notching seven goals and 25 points in 77 games, and Sbisa recording three goals and 11 points in 74 games.
Meanwhile over in Florida, it appears that Jagr’s days with the Panthers may be plentiful still. During a recent interview with a Czech-based publication, Jagr indicated that staying with the Panthers next season seems likely.
#FlaPanthers F Jaromir Jagr in interview for Czech Daily Sport: "The chances that I will sign new contract with Florida are pretty good."
— Roman Jedlicka (@jedli) April 7, 2015
This season Jagr has scored 16 goals and 43 points in 75 games.
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