国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

Sports / NHL

Blackhawks, Penguins, Avalanche join playoff party

By Reuters in Miami (China Daily) Updated: 2014-04-02 08:39

The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche all qualified for the playoffs over a busy weekend as the NHL's regular season entered its final two weeks on Monday.

With the regular season ending on April 13, only seven of 16 playoff spots are spoken for with the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks having also clinched.

Pittsburgh claimed a spot with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday while Colorado earned its first playoff berth since 2010 with Saturday's 3-2 win over the Sharks.

The Blackhawks also joined the party on Saturday without having to play, courtesy of the Minnesota Wild's win over the Phoenix Coyotes.

There is still much to be decided in the Eastern Conference where only the Penguins and red-hot Bruins have secured two of the eight playoff berths.

The Bruins, who top the Atlantic and are the only team confirmed as a division champion, are storming towards the playoffs after posting a club record ninth straight road win on Sunday with 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Boston improved to 15-0-1 in its past 16 games.

The weekend began with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs in a dead heat for the two East wild-card spots.

Detroit defeated Toronto and Tampa Bay to move into pole position in the wild-card race with 84 points, followed by Columbus (82), Washington (81) and the Maple Leafs (80), whose playoff hopes took another hit after an eighth straight loss.

The top three teams from each of the NHL's four divisions earn automatic playoff berths while the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, regardless of division, advance as wild cards.

In the West, the Ducks won on Monday to build on their lead atop the Pacific Division and keep pressure on the conference-leading Blues.

The Ducks defeated the Winnipeg Jets in overtime and moved to within a point of idle St. Louis in the battle for the West's top seed while at the same time opening a three-point gap over the Sharks in the Pacific Division.

The Blackhawks have clinched but look likely to limp into the postseason with two of their top players injured.

With Patrick Kane already sidelined with a lower body injury, Chicago received more bad news when captain Jonathan Toews took a crunching hit from Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik on Sunday during the second period of a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh.

Toews appeared to be holding his left arm and did not return to the game.

"It was a big hit," said Chicago forward Patrick Sharp.

"You could tell he was trying to hit him hard ... it's tough when you see your captain get hit like that."

 Blackhawks, Penguins, Avalanche join playoff party

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty keeps the puck as he's flattened by Minnesota Wild winger Matt Cooke in the Wild's 3-2 victory on Monday in Los Angeles. Gus Ruelas / Associated Press

(China Daily 04/02/2014 page24)

Most Popular
What's Hot
Highlights
Special
...
盈江县| 肇源县| 绍兴县| 大渡口区| 丰台区| 唐山市| 辽宁省| 辉南县| 华安县| 黑龙江省| 富裕县| 冀州市| 军事| 伽师县| 科尔| 伽师县| 伊宁县| 太白县| 大埔县| 垦利县| 富锦市| 泊头市| 澄城县| 沙洋县| 辉南县| 新和县| 汝南县| 苏州市| 尼木县| 连江县| 民和| 齐齐哈尔市| 松溪县| 中卫市| 东明县| 门头沟区| 沾益县| 灵寿县| 唐河县| 苗栗县| 涪陵区|