Playoff disappointment came to the Penguins, Flyers, and Red Wings this week, but sometimes those clouds part quickly.

Pittsburgh is out for the second straight year in the Sidney Crosby era, and the New York Islanders squeaked in as the No. 3 team in the Metropolitan Division. The same scenario happened in 1990, but Pittsburgh's short-term disappointment turned into a franchise-altering opportunity.

In that Islanders era, the team was trying to rekindle the magic of its run of four consecutive Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s and reinstalled coach Al Arbour behind the bench midway through the previous season.

"We were just a young team, just trying to figure ourselves out," says Glenn Healy, who was in his first season with the Islanders and is now the president and executive director of the NHL Alumni Association. "We were all trying to make the league or stay in the league."

New York still had a chance to make the playoffs on the final day. The Islanders took care of their business by beating Philadelphia 6-2 to reach 73 points in the standings. If Buffalo, riding in second place in the Prince of Wales Conference, could pull out a win against Mario Lemieux's Penguins, who had 72 points, New York would be in. Islanders players crammed into the bowels of the Nassau Coliseum to watch their fate unfold on TV.

"We didn't have your vaulted television rooms where you can watch team videos and watch tape," Healy says. "We were in this tiny room. It, maybe, sat six comfortably. It had a couch, a chair, and a coffee maker."

He guesses there were about 27 grown men crowded together, hanging on every play. The anticipation and tension were palpable.

The game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation after Lemieux scored early in the third period. With no shootout back then, a tie would've been enough to put Pittsburgh into the playoffs.

"Both teams were mailing it in," Healy says. "The season was basically over for both. The clock was ticking and our hopes were going with it."

A minute into overtime, seemingly out of nowhere, Buffalo defenseman Uwe Krupp put a shot on net from just inside the blue line. Shockingly, it got by Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso.

"The entire room erupted," Healy says. "Imagine the euphoria of 27 guys all in a room, jumping up and down. We were a playoff-bound team. It was the first time for a lot of those guys to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs."

The Islanders lost in Round 1 against the Rangers, but they had reversed their recent decline that saw them finish with the fewest points in the NHL in 1988-89. It was a pyrrhic victory, though. They didn't know it then, but the biggest twist was still to come.

That overtime loss to Buffalo may have pushed the Penguins out of the playoffs, but it also moved them ahead of the Islanders in the draft order. Only five teams missed the playoffs in the 21-team NHL, so Pittsburgh had the fifth pick while the Islanders had the sixth.

The Penguins used the selection on another generational player to skate alongside Lemieux. Jaromir Jagr went on to play 1,733 NHL games, make seven All-Star appearances, and win two Stanley Cups. The Islanders, meanwhile, selected Scott Scissons, who played just three games due to injuries.

"That's why you tune in, right?" Healy says. "It's not wrestling. I kind of know at the end of Titanic, the ship gets hit with an iceberg. I don't even need to watch the movie, I figured that out. But sports isn't that way."

Jolene Latimer is a features writer at theScore

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Playoff disappointment came to the Penguins, Flyers, and Red Wings this week, but sometimes those clouds part quickly.

Pittsburgh is out for the second straight year in the Sidney Crosby era, and the New York Islanders squeaked in as the No. 3 team in the Metropolitan Division. The same scenario happened in 1990, but Pittsburgh's short-term disappointment turned into a franchise-altering opportunity.

In that Islanders era, the team was trying to rekindle the magic of its run of four consecutive Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s and reinstalled coach Al Arbour behind the bench midway through the previous season.

"We were just a young team, just trying to figure ourselves out," says Glenn Healy, who was in his first season with the Islanders and is now the president and executive director of the NHL Alumni Association. "We were all trying to make the league or stay in the league."

New York still had a chance to make the playoffs on the final day. The Islanders took care of their business by beating Philadelphia 6-2 to reach 73 points in the standings. If Buffalo, riding in second place in the Prince of Wales Conference, could pull out a win against Mario Lemieux's Penguins, who had 72 points, New York would be in. Islanders players crammed into the bowels of the Nassau Coliseum to watch their fate unfold on TV.

"We didn't have your vaulted television rooms where you can watch team videos and watch tape," Healy says. "We were in this tiny room. It, maybe, sat six comfortably. It had a couch, a chair, and a coffee maker."

He guesses there were about 27 grown men crowded together, hanging on every play. The anticipation and tension were palpable.

The game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation after Lemieux scored early in the third period. With no shootout back then, a tie would've been enough to put Pittsburgh into the playoffs.

"Both teams were mailing it in," Healy says. "The season was basically over for both. The clock was ticking and our hopes were going with it."

A minute into overtime, seemingly out of nowhere, Buffalo defenseman Uwe Krupp put a shot on net from just inside the blue line. Shockingly, it got by Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso.

"The entire room erupted," Healy says. "Imagine the euphoria of 27 guys all in a room, jumping up and down. We were a playoff-bound team. It was the first time for a lot of those guys to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs."

The Islanders lost in Round 1 against the Rangers, but they had reversed their recent decline that saw them finish with the fewest points in the NHL in 1988-89. It was a pyrrhic victory, though. They didn't know it then, but the biggest twist was still to come.

That overtime loss to Buffalo may have pushed the Penguins out of the playoffs, but it also moved them ahead of the Islanders in the draft order. Only five teams missed the playoffs in the 21-team NHL, so Pittsburgh had the fifth pick while the Islanders had the sixth.

The Penguins used the selection on another generational player to skate alongside Lemieux. Jaromir Jagr went on to play 1,733 NHL games, make seven All-Star appearances, and win two Stanley Cups. The Islanders, meanwhile, selected Scott Scissons, who played just three games due to injuries.

"That's why you tune in, right?" Healy says. "It's not wrestling. I kind of know at the end of Titanic, the ship gets hit with an iceberg. I don't even need to watch the movie, I figured that out. But sports isn't that way."

Jolene Latimer is a features writer at theScore

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin made a rather startling revelation about Brock Faber as he met with the media Friday for the final time this season.

"Brock's been playing with fractured ribs for two months," Guerin said. "That's the type of kid he is. He never complained ... he could've been out of the lineup a number of times, and he just wasn't."

"I'll take him with one rib," Wild head coach John Hynes joked.

Earlier on Friday, Faber told reporters he's skipping the upcoming World Championship due to injuries.

Faber excelled as a rookie despite the injury. He led all players in the class in average ice time, logging 24:58 per contest - three and a half minutes more than fellow Calder Trophy contender Luke Hughes. Faber tied Connor Bedard for first among rookies in assists (39) and matched Hughes for second among the group in points (47).

Guerin praised the 21-year-old Wild blue-liner Friday for earning a critical role in his first NHL campaign.

"He has emerged as a top-pairing defenseman - he was our top defenseman this year," the GM said. "That is an unbelievably good thing for our organization going forward."

The Wild acquired Faber from the Los Angeles Kings along with a first-round pick (which they used to select Swedish forward Liam Ohgren) for winger Kevin Fiala in June 2022. The Kings drafted him 45th overall two years earlier.

Faber was born in the Wild's home state and played three seasons at the University of Minnesota, captaining the team in 2022-23 and leading it to the NCAA championship game.

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This is the 14th edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign and the first for the playoffs. Check back after Round 1 for updated rankings.

In this edition, we rank the 16 postseason teams.

1. New York Rangers (55-23-4)

Previous rank: 1

Yes, we know about the Presidents' Trophy curse. Only eight teams have ever won the Stanley Cup after holding the mantle as the league's best regular-season squad, and we all saw what happened to the Bruins last year. However, putting the Rangers anywhere else just didn't make sense thanks to the sheer amount of star power and depth they have.

2. Dallas Stars (52-21-9)

Previous rank: 2

The Stars are riding high after winning 12 of their last 14 games to claim the top seed in the West. They're one of the NHL's most complete teams, but their chances of success likely live and die with Jake Oettinger. Dallas will need the goalie to be better than he was last spring to win it all.

3. Florida Panthers (52-24-6)

Previous rank: 9

Florida snatched the Atlantic Division crown thanks to a four-game heater to end its schedule. The Panthers fully look the part of a contender with stingy defense, strong goaltending, offensive game-breakers, and a tenacious play style that can drive opponents wild throughout a series.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (52-23-7)

Previous rank: 4

The Hurricanes lost out on a division title but are rightfully overwhelming favorites for their first-round clash against the Islanders. Carolina is an elite defensive team and has benefitted greatly from some late-season roster reinforcements. The club is 15-4-1 since adding Jake Guentzel - who has 25 points in that span - while goaltender Frederik Andersen is 9-1-0 with a .951 save percentage since returning to the crease.

5. Winnipeg Jets (52-24-6)

Previous rank: 8

Life is pretty good right now for the Jets. They're entering the playoffs on an eight-game win streak and finished second in the Central, their highest placement since 2019. Winnipeg's reward? A first-round meeting with the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Avalanche. Luckily for the Jets, they have Connor Hellebuyck, the likely Vezina Trophy winner, between the pipes.

6. Edmonton Oilers (49-27-6)

Previous rank: 6

The Oilers' putrid start to the regular season feels like a lifetime ago, and they've been one of the league's best teams since Kris Knoblauch took over. It's difficult imagining Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl taking a step back from their usual playoff dominance, and Edmonton has a favorable draw in the Pacific Division. If goaltending holds up, this group is tough to beat.

7. Vancouver Canucks (50-23-9)

Previous rank: 7

The Canucks are back in the playoffs sooner than many expected, but they limped to a division title down the stretch with an 8-6-2 record after Thatcher Demko got hurt. If he's fully healthy, Vancouver's certainly a threat in the West, but only having two games under his belt before ramping up to playoff intensity gives us pause.

8. Boston Bruins (47-20-15)

Previous rank: 3

Boston finished this season with 26 fewer points than in 2022-23. That sounds bad, but the Bruins were just freakishly good last year. They still managed to finish with over 100 points this campaign despite the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Boston will undoubtedly be hungry to avenge last spring's upset at the hands of the Panthers.

9. Colorado Avalanche (50-25-7)

Previous rank: 5

After winning the Central for two straight seasons, the Avalanche had to settle for third place this time. Much of that is down to Alexandar Georgiev's occasionally shaky goaltending, which remains their biggest weakness. Colorado might get captain Gabriel Landeskog back, but last time we checked, he isn't a goalie.

10. Vegas Golden Knights (45-29-8)

Previous rank: 11

The Golden Knights haven't quite looked like themselves for the past few months, but doubting the reigning Stanley Cup champions doesn't feel wise at all. Vegas has been steamrolled by injuries, but if it can get fully healthy with captain Mark Stone back, then it'll certainly pose a problem for a Stars team looking to make a deep run.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-26-10)

Previous rank: 10

The Maple Leafs enter the playoffs on a four-game skid, allowing 22 goals over that span. Perhaps Auston Matthews' pursuit of 70 goals was a distraction from the team's overall game, but Toronto will have to tighten up quickly if it's to have any hope of beating a Boston team that convincingly swept the regular-season series.

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (45-29-8)

Previous rank: 13

The Lightning don't boast strong even-strength metrics but can swing any game thanks to a top-ranked power play and fifth-ranked penalty kill. Tampa also has arguably the ultimate playoff X-factor in Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Bolts aren't the same team that went to three straight finals but shouldn't be taken too lightly.

13. Nashville Predators (47-30-5)

Previous rank: 14

The Predators don't strike the average fan as a Cup contender, but they've been one of the Western Conference's best teams in 2024. They've accrued the same number of wins (27) as their first-round adversary in the Canucks. Nashville has a supremely talented core, a capable goalie, and strong five-on-five metrics, all of which they'll need to reach Round 2.

14. Los Angeles Kings (44-27-11)

Previous rank: 12

The Kings ran out of steam after a blistering start to the regular season and will have their hands full against the Oilers for the third straight opening round. Maybe the third time's the charm for Los Angeles, but goaltending is a huge question mark, and the talent disparity largely favors Edmonton.

15. New York Islanders (39-27-16)

Previous rank: 16

New York improved slightly under new head coach Patrick Roy, which was enough to finish in third place in the Metropolitan. However, the Islanders are set to meet Carolina in the first round for the second straight year. The Hurricanes took care of business in six games last spring.

16. Washington Capitals (40-31-11)

Previous rank: 18

Look, it's admirable that the Capitals scratched and clawed their way into the postseason, but their time in the playoffs will probably be short-lived. The Rangers pose a daunting challenge for Washington and its minus-37 goal differential.

(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)

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The playoffs are here! The Canucks fall to Winnipeg in Game 82, but fans and players alike were already looking ahead to Game 1 versus the Predators on Sunday. Matt and Blake look at the form of Thatcher Demko after his second and final tuneup game, Quinn Hughes sewing up the defencemen scoring title, and the Lindholm line finding its stride. 

Canucks legend Ryan Kesler joins the guys to walk down memory lane on his series vs the Preds in 2011, he weighs in on the current Canucks including his fondness for JT Miller, and whether number 17 should be in the Ring of Honour.

Frank Seravalli is set to cover the Canucks series but before that he joins the guys to give his prediction of the series and the rest of the western conference, he previews many of his NHL award votes, and gets into the latest around the NHL’s arrival in Utah. Plus, being Friday, more feedback from you in “To the People We Go." Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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