The eight teams that have qualified for the 2024 National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs have been determined. Joining the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche on Friday night were the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.
How did the Golden Knights qualify?
Vegas is Stanley Cup Playoff bound after clobbering the Minnesota Wild by a score of 7-2. The Golden Knights had an offensive balanced attack. Seven different Golden Knights scored in the contest. They were Pavel Dorofeyev of Nizhny Tagil, Russia, Jack Eichel of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Nicolas Roy of Amos, Quebec, Tomas Hertl of Prague, Czech Republic (first with the Golden Knights since being traded at the deadline), William Karlsson of Marsta, Sweden, Keegan Kolesar of Brandon, Manitoba, and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault of Cap-Rouge, Quebec. Meanwhile, Chandler Stephenson of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan led the Golden Knights in scoring with four points as he had four assists.
East is Crazy
All the excitement at the moment is in the Eastern Conference. The teams that have already qualified are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Carolina Panthers. However, there are five teams still battling for two final playoff spots. They are the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals.
The Islanders are in the best position at the moment. They have a record of 37 wins, 27 regulation losses and 15 losses in extra time for 89 points. The Islanders have three games left, including a game on Saturday against the New York Rangers.
The Penguins are in eighth place with 86 points and have a big game on Saturday against the Boston Bruins. The Penguins are coming off an emotional 6-5 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Red Wings, Flyers and Capitals are all at 85 points, and one point back of Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot.
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