NHL Recap: Kings Knock Out Sharks, Predators; Lightning, Golden Knights Eye Division Titles

Kings celebrate

NHL Actions: Kings eliminate the Sharks and Predators from playoff contention, Lightning and Canadiens battle for second in the Atlantic, Golden Knights lead the Pacific race, and Jonathan Quick plays his final game. Plus milestone nights for Patrick Kane, Mark Scheifele, and Mavrik Bourque.

NHL Scores & playoff implications, Stars, Blues, Avalanche win; Quick retires, Kane hits 1,400 points...

Sabres secure first Atlantic Division crown in 16 years.

The Buffalo Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division on Monday, their first title since the 2009-2010 campaign. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers sealed a playoff berth with a three-goal comeback win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Sabres rout Blackhawks to seal division, hit 50-win mark

Tage Thompson scored his 39th and 40th goals of the season to power the Sabres to their first division title in 16 years.

Buffalo limited the Blackhawks to only 16 shots on goal and killed all five Chicago power plays.

They’ll now draw either the Boston Bruins or the Ottawa Senators in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with both clubs still jockeying for seeding.

The victory also gave Buffalo 50 wins for just the third time in franchise history, joining the 2005 and 2006 teams.

Flyers rally past Hurricanes in shootout to clinch playoff spot

After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, the Flyers responded with two second-period goals to force overtime.

With neither side scoring in OT, Tyson Foerster netted the lone shootout goal to secure the final Eastern Conference playoff berth for Philadelphia.

Philly now meets the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round for another chapter of the ‘Battle of Pennsylvania.’

Kings shut down Kraken to grab final West Wild Card, extend playoff streak

The Kings secured the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference by blanking the Kraken for their 35th win, marking a fifth straight trip to the playoffs after four consecutive first-round exits.

Quinton Byfield scored twice to lift his season total to 22 goals, while Anze Kopitar picked up his 25th assist of the year.

Kings win eliminates Sharks, Predators from playoff race

It was a tough night for both clubs, as the Kings’ victory officially knocked the Sharks and Predators out of playoff contention and effectively ended their seasons.

Had the Kings lost, Nashville would sit just one point back and San Jose three points back with games in hand. The Predators have one game left, while the Sharks have two.

Macklin Celebrini scored twice to push his season total to 44 goals for San Jose.

Panthers spoil Quick’s farewell as Rangers rally falls short

In a game with no playoff implications, goalie Jonathan Quick played his final NHL contest after announcing his retirement. Quick ends his career as a three-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner.

He retires as the all-time leader among U.S.-born goalies in wins with 410 and shutouts with 65.

After the Rangers battled back to tie it 2-2, Cole Reinhardt scored his second goal of the game and eighth of the season in the third period to secure the win for Florida.

Kucherov OT winner lifts Lightning into tie for second after Red Wings rally

With the Sabres locking up the Atlantic, the Lightning now sit tied with the Montreal Canadiens for second in the division at 106 points apiece heading into their final games.

The Red Wings erased a 3-1 deficit to force overtime, but Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov buried his 44th goal of the season to seal the win and add to Detroit’s frustration after being eliminated from playoff contention for a 10th straight year.

The Red Wings’ lone bright spot came when Patrick Kane notched his 1,400th career point with an assist on Alex DeBrincat’s tying goal that forced overtime.

Tampa Bay wraps up the regular season against the Rangers, while the Canadiens face the Flyers.

Blues score five unanswered to down Wild in late-season win

The St. Louis Blues rattled off five straight goals to beat the Wild, with just one game left in their season.

Minnesota had already clinched a playoff spot, so the Blues were playing for pride as they picked up their 35th win of the year.

Bourque nets first hat trick as Stars edge Maple Leafs in finale tune-up

Mavrik Bourque provided a spark in an otherwise meaningless game, recording his first career hat trick to push his season total to 19 goals.

Dallas has already secured a playoff spot in the West, while the Maple Leafs were previously eliminated in the East.

MacKinnon clinches shootout as Avalanche hold off Oilers in Pacific race

The Oilers failed to make up ground in the Pacific Division after a shootout loss to the Avs, who converted on all three shootout attempts and got the game-winner from Nathan MacKinnon.

Both clubs have already secured playoff spots, with Colorado locking up the No. 1 seed in the West, but Edmonton remains in a three-team fight for the Pacific title alongside the Vegas Golden Knights with 93 points and Anaheim Ducks with 90 points.

The division winner will be decided on the final day of the regular season.

Golden Knights pull ahead in Pacific, Scheifele hits 100 points in Jets loss

The Golden Knights moved into first in the Pacific Division with 93 points, ahead of the Oilers and Ducks. A win in their final game against the Seattle Kraken would clinch the division title.

Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele became just the second player in franchise history to reach 100 points in a season, joining Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers era, after posting a goal for 35 on the year and an assist for 66.