With 8.5 seconds to go, Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith sent scoreboard watchers into a frenzy.
Him and his perennial juggernaut of a team had to play an unfamiliar role on Wednesday night as they have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
“They’re a good team and they’re fighting for a playoff spot right now,” Chicago forward Alex DeBrincat told Mark Lazerus ahead the first of two games they will play against the St. Louis Blues this week. “We’re not going out there and just letting them take it. We want to crush their hopes.”
He wanted to crush their hopes.
Midway through the game it looked to be an empty threat. The Blues had a 3-1 lead before giving up a short-handed goal to Blake Hillman (his first goal of his career) but still led by one heading into the final frame, having outshot their opponents 29-15.
An almost guaranteed situation to walk away with at least one point, especially considering this was a Blues team that controlled its own playoff destiny.
But the Blackhawks were not going to roll over and die. No, they wanted to crush the Blues’ playoff dreams.
And true to his word, DeBrincat took the puck off the sideboards, blew by Joel Edmundson and fired a rather weak shot through the arms of Blues goalie Jake Allen. The Blackhawks attack persisted and Keith blasted home the game-winning goal with 8.5 seconds to go after one-timing a pass from, you guessed it, DeBrincat.
St. Louis was crushed as the Blackhawks smacked the Blues’ playoff destiny out of their hands. They now remain one point back of the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild-card spot, each with two games remaining. The Blues finish off the season with another game against the Blackhawks and, fittingly, a Saturday night final game against the Avalanche. Plan accordingly.
In the aftermath of the game, the Los Angeles Kings officially clinched a playoff spot, the Anaheim Ducks would too if they beat the Minnesota Wild later Wednesday night (which they did) and the Colorado Avalanche picked up the Blues’ playoff destiny, dusted if off and held it in their own hands.
Their twitter accounts responded like such:
Dear @NHLBlackhawks,
In-N-Out on us next time you're in town. We owe ya!
,
Your friends at the #NHLDucks. pic.twitter.com/jBUnQkuR21— x – Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 5, 2018
Sabres first 31st
The Buffalo Sabres became the first team in NHL history to finish 31st in the league.
Only because this is the first year there are 31 teams, but after their 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, Buffalo ensured that it would finish dead last in the league with a maximum of 64 points and guarantee the best odds at winning the draft lottery for the upcoming off-season.
While it’s their first time at No. 31, the Sabres aren’t strangers to the basement bedroom of the NHL mansion. They last held the low spot back in 2014-15 after they went 23-51-8 to finish with 54 points. One year earlier they also finished in 30th with just 52 points.
While they do hold the best chances (in relation to any other team) at securing the top pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, those last two times they held the statistical edge Aaron Ekblad went to Florida and Connor McDavid (ouch) went to the Edmonton Oilers.
Don’t give up on Duchene
When the Senators acquired Matt Duchene from the Avalanche earlier in the season, the move was thought to give the former Eastern Conference finalists a big step up. Unfortunately it did not pan out that way as Ottawa currently sits in the second-to-last spot in the East with just 67 points.
Duchene got off to a terribly slow start with his new team, posting just six points through his first 24 games. Since then, however, it has been a completely different narrative. He picked up his 27th goal of the season against the Sabres and now has 42 points in his last 42 games.
He is now two points shy of his third 60-plus point season. Not such a lopsided trade as many were claiming early on.
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