The Washington Capitals are Metropolitan Division champions for the fourth consecutive year after defeating the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Washington has put itself in an excellent position to make a run at back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. The Caps have guaranteed themselves home-ice advantage through the first two rounds and will open the playoffs against the first wild-card seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals have now racked up a dozen division titles, including nine over the last 12 seasons.
The Pittsburgh Penguins officially clinched a playoff berth for a league-best 13th consecutive season with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Pittsburgh turned things around following a sluggish start to its season, posting a record of 29-14-5 since Dec. 19.
Sidney Crosby will have another opportunity to continue his ascent up the all-time playoff scoring charts. The two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner sits tied for 10th with 185 postseason points and is just six back of the top seven.
The Penguins have won five of their last six opening-round series and captured back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2017 and 2018.
Sather will still reportedly be an advisor to the executive chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Company, James Dolan, but will not be involved in the day-to-day operation of the team.
The news was first reported by TSN's Bob McKenzie, who added that the decision is entirely up to Sather.
Sather joined the Rangers organization in 2000 as the club's president and general manager. The 75-year-old also assumed head coaching duties during parts of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.
Following the 2014-15 season, he stepped down from his GM role and was replaced by the team's current GM, Jeff Gorton.
On the eve of his 40th birthday Thursday, Florida Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo is still undecided on whether he'll continue to man an NHL crease beyond the current campaign.
"I don't really want to make any decisions over the course of a season," Luongo said, according to The Associated Press. "Obviously, there's a lot of emotions involved with that and you want to make sure that you make the right decision for all parties involved. I still love to play the game, and we'll see where it goes."
Luongo still has three years remaining on his contract, and his team-leading 2,286 minutes between the pipes this season may indicate that the veteran has some gas left in the tank.
Known for his humorous social media presence, the five-time All-Star took to Twitter on Monday to poke some fun at the press for suggesting that recent injury concerns could lead to his retirement.
Luongo took a more serious approach when speaking with the media on the matter, noting that he doesn't appreciate what he perceives as falsified reporting.
"The only thing that I don't really enjoy is when you see something that's completely fabricated," Luongo said. "That's the part that sometimes you're not too happy about. But that being said, I've been through it many times. I handled it the best way that I could by making a joke out of it, and I'm moving on from there."
Luongo was selected fourth overall at the 1997 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders. Over his career, he's spent one season on Long Island, eight with the Vancouver Canucks, and 11 with the Panthers.
The Montreal native ranks second in NHL history in games played among goalies and third in wins with 489. Should he decide to continue his playing career, Luongo will have a chance to join Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy as the only netminders in NHL history to win 500 career games.
"We'll see what (coach Gerard Gallant) wants," Fleury said Wednesday, according to NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. "But at least the last one. Hopefully maybe tomorrow too."
The 34-year-old netminder has missed the team's last nine contests with an undisclosed injury. The Golden Knights play against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday before closing out the season against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Fleury was sensational between the pipes for Vegas before his injury, winning his previous six starts and conceding just five goals in the process. Though he's relieved by the timing of his recovery, Fleury admits there's no way to simulate the pace and intensity of a real NHL game.
"I find you can do a lot in practice, a lot in the gym, but it's never like a game," Fleury said. "So I think it would be good to get out there and get into traffic, try to find pucks, and get used to the speed of the game a bit again. So, it'll be good."
The three-time Stanley Cup champion was an essential part of the Golden Knights' magical run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season last year. Fleury posted a record of 12-3 with a .947 save percentage and four shutouts through the first three rounds of the 2018 playoffs.
It appears "The Great Eight" has his sights set on The Great One's all-time goal record.
Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin has collected 658 career tallies over 14 NHL seasons and needs 237 goals to break Wayne Gretzky's mark of 894. The 33-year-old understands that he'll have to stay in prime condition if he's going to eclipse Gretzky's famed record.
"I have to be healthy. I have to be in good shape," Ovechkin said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I'm going to try to do it, but you don't know what's going to happen in the future."
The 6-foot-3 sniper became just the third player in NHL history to record eight 50-goal campaigns - after Gretzky and Mike Bossy - this season. With Ovechkin playing for one of the league's elite teams and showing no signs of slowing down, Gretzky knows his record isn't safe.
"He's a good athlete, he plays in a great organization, he plays with good players, which you have to do, and there's no question he has a legitimate chance," Gretzky said. "Good for him. … If he does, I'll be the first guy to shake his hand. I think it's great for the game."
Ovechkin - a seven-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner - is on pace to lead the league in goals for a record eighth time. He currently holds a four-goal advantage on John Tavares and Leon Draisaitl with two games remaining.
It's been a difficult season for Phil Housley and the Buffalo Sabres, and frustrations boiled over following the team's 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
The Sabres appeared to tie the game at two early in the second period after Conor Sheary banged home a rebound during a Predators delayed penalty. However, referees deemed Pekka Rinne's initial save as possession for Nashville, causing the goal to be rescinded.
"It's frustrating because we got screwed," Housley said in his postgame press conference, via the team's website. "… The call that's sort of mind-boggling to me is the delayed penalty call. The ref's sitting right in the corner. It's unfortunate because of what we've been through. Guys played hard tonight, and they get screwed."
The contest also began in controversial fashion, as Nashville's Craig Smith appeared to score with an illegal high stick. The goal stood after video review, with officials ruling there was no conclusive evidence that Smith's stick made contact with the puck.
"They should be pissed off. We're all pissed off. But we have to, again, garner that and bring that same effort, because if we play like that, we're going to win. It's just unfortunate that we do play like that and we get screwed."
The Sabres have now lost eight straight and 15 of their last 16 games. They'll meet the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and close their season out in Detroit against the Red Wings on Saturday.
The San Jose Sharks may be getting some reinforcement on the blue line come playoff time.
Erik Karlsson - who's missed 27 games this season with a couple of separate groin injuries - believes he's on track to join his teammates for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I said a month ago I was going to be ready for the playoffs and that's still the case," Karlsson said, according to NHL.com's Kevin Woodley.
The 28-year-old insists he's not worried about his current groin issue hindering his ability to play at a high level once he hits the ice.
"... That's not going to be an issue, so for the head space there, it feels good," Karlsson said.
Battling injury-related adversity is nothing new for the veteran defenseman. Karlsson suffered a laceration to his Achilles as a member of the Ottawa Senators in February 2013, but he was able to make a late-season return and help the Senators win the opening round of the postseason.
"I have played through enough to know that as long as it's possible I am going to go and you are going to deal with whatever you have to deal with after the year and this is the case again. I'm not worried about re-injuring (his groin) or getting another injury; that's not the way I approach the game, especially this time of year."
Karlsson has contributed three goals and 45 points in 52 games during his first season with the Sharks.