The Penguins did their part, but they didn’t get the help they needed to get back into the NHL Eastern Conference playoff picture. Pittsburgh beat Nashville, 4-2. The Pens got first period goals from Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson to offset two disallowed goals that were nullified by goaltender interference. Reilly Smith scored in the second period and Emil Bemstrom added a goal in the third.
Coach Mike Sullivan says the Penguins surge into playoff contention has been fueled by a dedication to creating traffic in front of the opposing net.
Sullivan says the Pens were resilient after Nashville drew close with two scores in the second period, each one pulling them to within a goal of the lead.
Sidney Crosby scored his 42nd goal and assisted on Karlsson’s goal. Sullivan says Crosby shows every night why he’s the Penguins’ MVP.
Both Washington and Detroit won last night. The Capitals held on to the Eastern Conference second wild card with a 2-0 shutout of the Bruins while the Red Wings beat Montreal, 5-4 in overtime. If either the Caps beat the Flyers or Red Wings beat the Canadiens tonight in their season finales, the Penguins will miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Islanders beat the Devils last night, 4-1 to clinch third place in the Metro Division and close the door on the Pens’ chance to claim that playoff slot. The Pen close the regular season tomorrow night against the Islanders in New York.
The New York Rangers shut out the Ottawa Senators last night, 4-0. New York wins the Presidents Cup with 114 points, the most in the NHL this season.
NHL
The NHL’s executive committee, comprised of 10 team owners, gas approved the move of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah. The next step in the process is a vote by the Board of Governors, which includes all 32 teams. The Coyotes will be sold to the NHL and then the league will sell them to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith. The team name, logos and trademark will remain with current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, who hopes to bring the team back as an expansion franchise.
