After 79 games and 106 shots on goal, Riley Sheahan is finally on the board.
The Detroit Red Wings forward has endured an inexplicably long goal drought, but, in the final game ever to be played at Joe Louis Arena, Sheahan finally scored his first goal of 2016-17, roofing the puck past New Jersey goaltender Cory Schneider.
Sheahan's last goal came exactly one year ago, in the season finale against the New York Rangers on April 9, 2016.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello has proven to be adverse to players growing facial hair over the years, but team president Brendan Shanahan has made it clear the team can indeed grow playoff beards after officially clinching their spot.
As Lindy Ruff gathers his belongings to end a disappointing final season in Dallas, it's unlikely Stars brass will prolong any sort of going away party.
That's not out of disrespect to Ruff, who won't have his contract extended for a return next season, the club announced Sunday. Instead, general manager Jim Nill has already made it clear he's not after a rebuild, rather a quick fix for a talented core one season removed from winning the Central Division.
Nill will spend his summer looking for a new personality behind the bench, but perhaps an unemployed familiar face can fit the bill.
Ken Hitchcock learned first hand this season that sometimes a new coach is needed to galvanize a team, as he was let go by the St. Louis Blues in February in favor of Mike Yeo, who got the club back on track after a prolonged slump.
Hitchcock, who owns the fourth most coaching wins in league history, commanded the Stars for seven seasons, and led the franchise to its only Stanley Cup in 1999, then a second final a year later. He may need to be convinced, as he was set on retiring after this season at 65 years old, but there's no way a midseason firing is how he imagined things would end.
Dallas only managed 79 points this season, a result of putrid defense, goaltending, and special teams. The Stars managed the 30th-ranked penalty kill (73.9 percent), the second most goals allowed (260), and the worst team save percentage (89.35 percent) in all situations.
Now, Hitchcock can't stop the puck - neither can Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi, apparently - but his notoriously demanding coaching style could surely aid the Stars in terms of tightening up as a unit, especially when it comes to special teams.
A quick fix as Nill demands likely rules out the possibility of a new coach, and when it comes to experienced bosses in the open market, Hitchcock is definitely toward the top of the list. Former Panthers coach Gerard Gallant is available, but Las Vegas needs a coach, too.
Whether Hitchock wants to return to the game remains to be seen, but a core of forwards featuring Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin seems highly enticing from the outside looking in. Not to mention, quality, young blue-liners Esa Lindell, John Klingberg, and Julius Honka in the fold.
The framework for a contending team in Dallas is in place, the Stars just need someone to lead the renovation, and Hitchcock could be exactly that.
The Detroit Red Wings will host their final game at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday, ending a run of 38 years in the building named after the former heavyweight champion boxer.
The Joe is one of only two NHL arenas without a corporate sponsorship name, the other being Madison Square Garden in New York. Soon to be replaced by Little Caesars Arena, it has provided the setting for many a memorable moment since 1979, with these five serving as some of the best in recent years.
Fight night at the Joe
In a game that would have made the arena's namesake proud, the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche settled some scores in one of the most memorable regular-season games of all time.
It all started the previous spring, when Claude Lemieux drilled Kris Draper into the boards from behind in Game 6 of the Western Conference final, a series won by Colorado en route to a Stanley Cup win.
The following season, in the final meeting between the two clubs, all hell broke loose.
Detroit won the game in overtime, and later credited it for bringing them together as a team on the path to what was soon to come.
June 7, 1997
After a 42-year drought, the Red Wings finally climbed back to the top of the heap, capping a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in the Cup Final.
Darren McCarty's game-winning goal was really quite something, as was the smile on Steve Yzerman's face when he hoisted the Cup for the first of his three Cups as team captain.
Bowman's last stand
The 2001-02 Red Wings roster was loaded with Hall of Fame talent, beginning with head coach Scotty Bowman.
After Detroit defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Cup Final, Yzerman handed the Cup to the legendary bench boss, who had just won his ninth championship as a coach.
Bowman skated the Cup around the Joe Louis ice, and subsequently announced his retirement.
End of a great run
While this one didn't end in Detroit's favor, Game 7 of the 2009 Cup Final was one of the great climactic tilts in hockey history and was capped by Marc-Andre Fleury's ridiculous save off the stick of Niklas Lidstrom in the dying seconds.
This marked the first Cup win for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin era, and the end of a long run of success for the Red Wings, who'll hope to carve out a new legacy in the new rink.
Mr. Hockey's public visitation
Almost a year ago, family, friends, and fans flocked to Detroit's Joe Louis Arena for Tuesday's public visitation for Gordie Howe, who passed away on June 10, 2016 at age 88.
The entry line began forming in the wee hours of that morning, and the folks who came to pay their respects to Mr. Hockey flowed in and out of the rink for almost 13 hours.
Once inside, the multi-generational crowd filed up to the stage, offering their condolences to the Howe family and their own personal tributes to the hockey legend.
The Red Wings will host the Devils in the final game, and will look to make another lasting memory for the Detroit faithful.
The Dallas Stars will have a new head coach next season as Lindy Ruff won't be brought back, the club announced.
Ruff - in the final year of a four-year contract - is coming off his worst season with the Stars. The team concluded their campaign Saturday, finishing the regular season with just 79 points, 30 fewer than a season ago.
"I want to personally thank Lindy for his commitment and professionalism over the four years that he served as our head coach in Dallas," general manager Jim Nill said in the announcement. "Lindy is not only a highly respected coach, he more importantly is a great person and an outstanding family man whom I have the utmost respect for on and off the ice."
Ruff concludes his time with the Stars with a 165-122-41 record and standing fourth in franchise wins.
The team announced it will begin the process of finding Ruff's successor immediately.
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.
Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for the six-game main slate beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, April 9 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
LW Chris Kreider (52K) & C Mika Zibanejad (61K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): The Penguins have given up 62.18 shot attempts per 60 minutes since March 9. They rank 29th in Corsi For percentage during the past month and their 3.12 expected goals allowed per 60 minutes is the worst in the league. They'll be resting some stars for Sunday's regular season finale.
LW Nick Foligno (46K) & RW Cam Atkinson (46K), Blue Jackets (at Maple Leafs): The Maple Leafs were the final team to clinch their playoff spot, Saturday, and they'll have their first opportunity to rest some of their most used players in Sunday's finale. Several Blue Jackets players spoke about an upsetting loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Saturday, and the need to make the corrections before the playoffs.
C Bo Horvat (53K) & Brock Boeser (33K), Canucks (at Oilers): The Oilers have allowed the most opponent scoring chances per 60 minutes over the past month at 10.91. Sunday's starting goalie is yet to be announced but it would make sense to provide additional rest for oft-used Cam Talbot. Boeser and Horvat have a positive Corsi rating when on the ice together.
(Photo courtesy Action Images)
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Braden Holtby (98K), Capitals (vs. Panthers): Holtby is priced in the middle of the pack with a slew of backup goalies starting Game 82 of the regular season. He hasn't played since shutting out the Rangers, Wednesday. The Panthers have an xGF60 of just 2.50 over the past month.
FADE - Jake Allen (87K), Blues (vs. Avalanche): Allen is very reasonably priced and has an extremely safe matchup. Still, Colorado's low shot totals make him a dangerous play with even a goal or two allowed.
CONTRARIAN - Antti Raanta (114K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): The Penguins poor defense has been covered up by their elite offense this season. Despite a negative Corsi rating, Pittsburgh still averages 9.44 scoring chances per 60 minutes. Raanta may give up a couple goals, but he should still grab the bonus for the victory.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)
Bargain Plays
C Matt Cullen (26K), Penguins (at Rangers): Cullen has been centering RW Phil Kessel with C Evgeni Malkin out of the Penguins' lineup. He has topped 13 minutes of ice time in three of his past four games, picking up a goal and an assist in his past two outings, respectively. He could see more ice time if C Sidney Crosby plays a little less to end the regular season.
LW Teuvo Teravainen (34K), Hurricanes (at Flyers): Teravainen played 19:25 in Saturday's shootout loss to the Blues. He has gone point-less in five games in April, but he topped 18 minutes in three of the five. He has 11 shots on goal this month with multiple SOG in four of the five outings.
RW Pavel Buchnevich (32K), Rangers (vs. Penguins): Buchnevich plays on the right side of the aforementioned line with Kreider and Zibanejad. He has gone two games without a shot on goal but maintains a high usage.
(Photo courtesy Action Images)
Top Fades
C Ryan Getzlaf (77K), Ducks (vs. Kings): Getzlaf has the worst matchup of the high-priced centers. While the Kings are out of the playoffs, they'll still want to beat their state rival. Getzlaf has three SOG in three of his past four games, but the Kings are among the best at limiting opponent shot attempts.
LW Jonathan Huberdeau (49K), Panthers (at Capitals): Huberdeau is coming off a two-goal game with six SOG in 19:01 of ice time. His matchup becomes drastically more difficult with Holtby starting for the Capitals. Safer options exist within this salary tier.
RW Jarome Iginla (38K), Kings (at Ducks): Iginla has gone goal-less in four consecutive games since a three-game scoring streak. He had two shots on goal in each of his past two outings, but he played less than 15 minutes in two of his past three games.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, it eliminated the Lightning from postseason contention. For players who opted to watch the Leafs-Penguins game, like defenseman Victor Hedman, seeing the Leafs ice their victory with an empty net goal was extremely painful.
The club made a valiant effort to reach the postseason, going 7-1-1 in their last nine games. But in the end, it just wasn't enough.
The fact that they rallied down the stretch of the regular season when many had already written them off certainly says something about the team's character. However, it also marks the second consecutive season in which they dug themselves a hole in the first half of the season.
As for why the team struggled in the first half of the season, Defenseman Anton Stralman wasn't shy about sharing his opinion.
"I think it's a matter of coming together as a team and playing for one another instead of as individuals," Stralman said. "The main reason we had success as of late, we played as a team.
"Even though we won games early on I don't think we were playing good hockey. And that kind of gives you false comfort. You win games and you think you're doing well and then you get in the mode where you're still playing the same way and start losing, that's when when it spirals downwards."
The team started off 13-7-1, but wound up with a sub .500 record of 22-24-6 in early February.
"There has to be more urgency," said forward Alex Killorn, referring to the team's poor first half.
If the Lightning can play with urgency next season, they could be a forced to be reckoned with.
The team managed to stay in playoff contention despite not having Steven Stamkos for the majority of the season. The two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner played just 17 games before suffering a torn lateral meniscus.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy proved he can be a legit No. 1 guy, Jonathan Drouin enjoyed a breakout year, and Brayden Point thrived in his rookie campaign. Both Hedman and Nikita Kucherov had the best seasons of their career. If this can carry over to 2017-18 - with a healthy Stamkos - Tampa could find themselves back in Stanley Cup contention.
During a stoppage in play midway through the third period against the St. Louis Blues, the crowd showered Bickell with thunderous applause before chanting his name.
Bickell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November and, after a lengthy absence, returned to the Hurricanes' lineup April 4. On Saturday, he announced he will retire from hockey at the conclusion of the season.
The Hurricanes will close out the regular season Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't make it easy on themselves or their fans during the final week of the season, but with a heroic comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night they finally punched their ticket to the playoffs.
The achievement in itself - regardless of how the team actually performs in the postseason - is nothing short of remarkable given the expectations of the season and considering the club finished with the league's worst record just one year ago.
Maple Leafs: second team in NHL’s "salary cap" era (since 2005-06) to go from worst record to making the playoffs. (Flyers, 2007-08)
As has been well documented over the past couple weeks thanks to the plethora of rookie records broken, the majority of the team's success can be attributed to the outstanding contributions of the trio of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.
However, these three fine gentlemen are far from the only reason why the Maple Leafs sit where they are. The season has been a success to date, though the Auston Matthews' of the world will say they still have unfinished business to take care of.
That being said, here are three unheralded reasons why the Maple Leafs are heading back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign:
The other rookies
It's been a great year for the trio of rookies mentioned above, but they aren't the only ones who deserve some praise. Let's start with the guy who scored Saturday's game-winner.
In almost any other season, Connor Brown would be getting a ton of credit for his play, but he's been overshadowed due to his rookie counterparts.
He's contributed 20 goals and 36 points while becoming one of the Maple Leafs' most reliable defensive forwards, playing the third-most shorthanded minutes among the team's forwards.
The other rookie who has been a pleasant surprise is defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.
Coming over from Russia, the 25-year-old has quickly become one of the club's go-to blue-liners, quarterbacking the power play while also playing top minutes again the opposition's best players.
His play has not gone unnoticed by the Maple Leafs brass, as his team-leading 36 points among defenders is just one of the many reasons the club is reportedly close to signing him to a seven-year extension.
'Steady' Freddy Andersen
That five-year contract doesn't look so bad anymore, does it?
Many were skeptical this offseason after the Maple Leafs acquired Frederik Andersen and immediately signed him to a five-year contract extension before he played a single game for the club - and who could blame them.
We've seen this move before from the Maple Leafs, throw a presumed strong backup goalie into a starting role only to watch him struggle behind a porous defense.
However, Andersen has been different - and thankfully so. He's been solid, turning in 33 wins, the most by a Maple Leafs goalie in a season since Andrew Raycroft (yes, Andrew Raycroft) tied a franchise record with 37 wins during the 2006-07 campaign.
He's been arguably the team's most valuable player and, with the playoffs about to kick off, he's sure to be relied on heavily.
Stellar special teams
It's pretty safe to say that had the Maple Leafs' special teams not been as dependable as they were this season, the team would not be celebrating a playoff berth.
With one day remaining on the schedule, the Maple Leafs boast the second-best power play in the league and the ninth-ranked penalty kill.
Their 58 power play goals this season are the third-most in the league and make up nearly 23 percent of the team's total offense.
These rankings also point to a huge improvement, as the club was 29th with the extra man last season and 13th in terms of penalty killing.
Of course, Babcock has credited having a more talented squad at his disposal for the improvement on the power play, but, nevertheless, the Maple Leafs' special teams have been crucial this year and will need to continue to be heading into next week.
