Steve Mason channeled his last name and built a brick wall.https://t.co/LROLxq0wxI
— NHL (@NHL) March 31, 2016
Every point counts for teams in a playoff race.
Steve Mason ensured his Philadelphia Flyers picked up an extra one in Wednesday's shootout win over the Washington Capitals, out-waiting Evgeny Kuznetsov to make a brilliant, sprawling glove save.
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For the first time in 46 years, there will be no Stanley Cup playoff hockey north of the border.
After a Philadelphia win over Washington on Wednesday, the Ottawa Senators were officially eliminated from postseason contention, meaning the NHL's Canadian hockey teams will be preparing for the draft rather than fighting for hockey's greatest prize.
A rare occurrence indeed, as this will mark only the second time in NHL history where every Canadian team will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs, with 1970 being the other.
This will be the first time since 1970 that there will be no Canadian teams in the #NHL playoffs 🇺🇸 @SBNationNHL pic.twitter.com/LvayKmhxdi
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) March 31, 2016
Don't forget that only Toronto and Montreal represented Canada in the NHL back in those days.
Despite a win for Ottawa in Winnipeg, no Canadian team ranks higher than 21st in the overall standings:
Fittingly, this year's top prospect is American-born Auston Matthews.
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.@ovi8 snipes one and gives the @washcaps the lead in the 3rd!#WSHvsPHI https://t.co/mkW6hPmsEn
— NBCSN (@NBCSN) March 31, 2016
Vintage Alex Ovechkin.
The game's premier goal-scorer scored his league-leading 44th of the season, from the exact part of the ice where so many of his goals have come during his career with the Washington Capitals.
And don't miss that ridiculous pass from countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Ovechkin entered Wednesday's game against Philadelphia having scored only three times in 14 games this month, but he now holds a five-goal advantage over Patrick Kane and Jamie Benn in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy.
He's also moving up the all-time ranks.
.@ovi8 scored his 519th career goal (44th this season) to move past Dale Hawerchuk (518) into sole possession of 35th place in NHL history.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 31, 2016
Another first-place finish in goals would mark Ovechkin's fourth-straight season winning the award, and sixth overall.
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Mark Stone, meet Dustin Byfuglien.
The Ottawa Senators forward was absolutely rocked by the Jets defenseman on a seemingly clean, yet devastating, body check Wednesday in Winnipeg.
Byfuglien wasn't penalized for the hit, but earned two minutes in the box for slashing in the ensuing melee.
Somehow, Stone was able to return to the bench shortly after leaving for examination. During the second intermission, however, it was announced he sustained a chest injury and wouldn't return.
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WATCH THIS: @NHLJets prospect @blemieux22 scores a natural hat-trick in 2min for @SpitsHockey #OHLPlayoffs #KITvsWSR pic.twitter.com/thNMEmdSq1
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 31, 2016
The son of a Conn Smythe Trophy-winner is lighting up the the OHL playoffs.
Windsor Spitfires forward Brendan Lemieux recorded a natural hat trick in two minutes of play Tuesday against the Kitchener Rangers.
Lemieux's 3 goals are the fastest in team history, breaking Bill Bowler's record. March 5, 1994. 2:56 at Owen Sound.
— Windsor Spitfires (@SpitsHockey) March 31, 2016
Drafted in the second round in 2014 by Buffalo, the 19-year-old - whose father is Claude Lemieux, winner of the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy with the New Jersey Devils - was acquired by the Winnipeg Jets as part of last season's Evander Kane trade.
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Charlie Coyle's nose was no worse for wear following an ugly stick-swinging incident Tuesday, one that he rightfully sees no place for in hockey.
The Minnesota Wild forward briefly left a game against Chicago with a slashed nose after Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith swung a stick at his face.
A day later, and relatively unscathed, he still can't believe it happened.
"I was just stunned that it happened," he told reporters. "You don't expect that ever in a game.
"No matter what happens in a game, you should never swing your stick at someone's face like that. Obviously there's no room for that and I'm sure he wants to take that back."
Meanwhile, Keith has been offered an in-person hearing by the NHL's Department of Player Safety, signaling a suspension of five games or more.
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The St. Louis Blues paid it forward in a big way Tuesday.
After their game Feb. 6, forward Vladimir Tarasenko - who scored a power-play goal that night - handed his stick over the glass to 11-year-old Noah Kleinlehrer.
The thing is, the youngster didn't keep it.
"I was going down to high-five the players just after the three stars, and Tarasenko reaches up and gave me his stick," Noah told Chris Pinkert from the Blues website. "I thought 'Wow! He actually did that!' But then I went down and saw a little boy, who I saw earlier in the game. I overheard his father say it was his first game, so I went down to give him a good memory."
Made aware of Kleinlehrer's good deed, the Blues invited him and his family to Tuesday's win over Colorado,
Remember the young fan who gave that stick to someone else? We surprised him last night: https://t.co/Jco8MARema pic.twitter.com/IVT0XgyZmT
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 30, 2016
It's a happy ending to an already great story, one that will likely "stick" in the memories of all involved.
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