With the second to last night of fixtures in the regular NHL season, only three games were played, and the Anaheim Ducks played their last game of the 2018/19 season.
Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Rangers
3-2 (SO)
The Columbus Blue Jackets clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season with 3-2 shootout victory over the New York Rangers.
Columbus are one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the first wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference, with each team having one game remaining.
The Blue Jackets can finish in that first wild card position if they beat the Ottawa Senators and the Hurricanes lose in any fashion at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
They can also secure that first wild card if they get a point against the Senators and Carolina lose in regulation. As it stands now Columbus would play the Presidents’ Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina would face reigning champions, the Washington Capitals.
Ryan Dzingel and Artemi Panarin scored in regulation, with the latter getting the lone goal in the second round of the shootout. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves.
Chris Kreider scored and Alexander Georgiev made 39 saves for New York, who were already eliminated from playoff contention.
Kreider‘s goal was his 28th of the season, tying his NHL career hight set in 2016/17.
Bobrovsky saved the only shot he faced in overtime and the three attempts in the shootout, clinching the win and a playoff berth with a save on Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo in the third round.
SHOOTOUT
Up Next:
Blue Jackets v Senators – Saturday, April 6 (7pm)
Rangers v Penguins – Saturday, April 6 (7pm)
Dallas Stars v Chicago Blackhawks
1-6
The Dallas Stars failed to secure the first wild card spot with a 6-1 defeat at the Chicago Blackhawks.
Joel L’Esperance scored, and Anton Khudobin made 26 saves for Dallas, who are 4-1-1 in their last six games and remain a point ahead of the Colorado Avalanche, who hold the second wild card. Both teams have clinched a postseason berth and have one regular-season game remaining.
Alexander Radulov, who had the secondary assist on Dallas’ goal, has 11pts (5g, 6a) in a seven-game point steak and needs just one more for 300 in the NHL. Tyler Seguin had the primary assist.
Patrick Kane scored twice for the Blackhawks, becoming the second player in franchise history to have at least 108pts in a season; Denis Savard did it four times. Kane‘s previous NHL career high was 106pts in 2015/16.
Dominik Kahun, Chris Kunitz, Dylan Strome and Slater Koekkoek also scored for the Blackhawks, and Jonathan Toews had two assists to reach 80pts in the NHL for the first time.
It’s the first time Chicago have had two players with at least 80 points in a season since Steve Larmer (101) and Jeremy Roenick (94) in 1990/91.
Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford left the game at 6:47 of the second period with a groin injury after making nine saves on nine shots. Cam ward made 25 saves in relief, it was his 700th NHL game.
After the game Chicago recalled goalie Kevin Lankinen from Rockford of the AHL on an emergency basis.
Up Next:
Wild v Stars – Saturday, April 6 (8pm)
Blackhawks v Predators – Saturday, April 6 (8pm)
Los Angeles Kings v Anaheim Ducks
2-5
John Gibson made 44 saves as the Anaheim Ducks ended their season with a 5-2 win over the L.A. Kings.
Carter Rowney, Korbinian Holzer, Daniel Sprong, Sam Steel and Jakob Silfverberg all scored for the hosts, who finished the season on a three-game winning streak and went 5-1-1 in their final seven games.
Silfverberg had 19pts (8g, 11a) in the final 17 games, and Sam Steel had eight points (5g, 3a) in the last seven for Anaheim, who avoided finishing with fewer than 80 points in an 82-game season for the first time since 2003/04 (76pts).
Michael Amadio and Carl Grundstrom scored, and Jack Campbell made 28 saves for the Kings, who need just one point against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday to avoid finishing with fewer than 70pts in an 82-game season for the first time since 2006/07, when they finished with 68.
Up Next:
Knights v Kings – Saturday, April 6 (10:30pm)
Ducks season has ended
KEY
ALL TIMES U.S EASTERN
Artistry of Sport 
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