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Tag: Stanley Cup Playoffs

  • Kings end long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

    Kings end long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — While a throng of purple-clad visiting fans were already celebrating, De’Aaron Fox was watching from the bench as the moments ticked down in Sacramento’s 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

    For Fox, drafted by the Kings in 2017, the wait was finally over. Sacramento clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

    “We want to do bigger things, but 16 years — that’s a long time,” Fox said.

    Fox finished with 18 points in the victory, which also gave the Kings home-court advantage. The team’s 16-year playoff drought was the longest in NBA history and the longest active postseason dry spell among teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball.

    “Definitely with this team, I think you’re just playing for a higher purpose,” Fox said. “And I think we have a team that’s capable and we know that we can continue to get better.”

    The last time the Kings made the playoffs, Fox was 8 years old.

    Kings rookie Keegan Murray made his 188th 3-pointer of the season with 6:44 to go in the third quarter to set the NBA record, passing Donovan Mitchell’s mark of 187 set in 2017-18. Murray, who flashed an understated grin after the shot fell, finished with 13 points.

    Malik Monk finished with 19 points off the bench and Kevin Huerter added 17. The Kings fans at Portland’s Moda Center celebrated with the team’s rallying cry, “Light the Beam!”

    “For all the support they’ve given us over the years, continuing to come to the arena, heartbreak, frustration and disappointment season after season,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “To finally get this moment for them, it’s everything.”

    The Kings (46-30) sit in third in the Western Conference. The first-place Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies, who sit three games back, had already clinched.

    Rookie Shaedon Sharpe had 30 points for the Blazers, who have lost four straight and 10 of their last 11 games. The loss to the Kings eliminated Portland from playoff contention.

    Portland was depleted with regular starters Damian Lillard (right calf), Jusuf Nurkic (right knee), Anfernee Simons (right foot) and Jerami Grant (left quad) all nursing injuries. It got a bit worse for Portland on Wednesday when Keon Johnson, who had 20 points in a loss to New Orleans on Monday, broke a finger in shootaround. Only seven Blazers played.

    The Kings are 23-14 on the road this season, third-best in the NBA. And they’ve avoided extended losing streaks: The team’s longest came at the start of the season when the Kings opened with four straight.

    “Our guys are excited about it,” Kings coach Mike Brown said about finally reaching the playoffs. “They’re excited about the way that they played tonight and the accomplishments that they’ve had so far. They were excited for Keegan. But in the same breath, and not to downplay anything, they expect more.”

    Portland had a 20-19 edge after the first quarter, but the Kings took over, going up 44-32 on Huerter’s 3-pointer with 3:51 to go before halftime. Portland closed the gap to 50-46 at the break.

    The Kings went on to lead by as many as 40 points in the second half. Domantas Sabonis finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

    “Biggest difference was in the second half, they started making 3s, and they’re that type of team,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “They’re going to play the same way. They’re going to shoot a lot of 3s, and miss or make, they’re going to play that way. We just couldn’t keep up.”

    PRAISE FOR MURRAY

    Murray’s milestone was not lost on Brown in the midst of the celebrating.

    “Breaking any type of records at the highest level in anything you do is absolutely amazing. And to see Keegan do that tonight, with the way he’s played all year and how hard he’s worked, was an amazing feat,” Brown said. “You don’t take that for granted. That is hard to do when you’re talking about something in the history of something.”

    TIP-INS

    Kings: The Kings were also in a position to clinch Monday, but they fell to Minnesota 119-115. … “I think every experience that we’ve gone through this year can help translate (to the playoffs),” Brown said before the game. “But I’m telling you, we’ll experience it in the playoffs at another level. And every round you advance in the playoffs, it’s going to even take it up another notch.”

    Trail Blazers: It will likely be the second straight season the Blazers have missed the postseason. … Forward Justise Winslow had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle. He is expected to be ready to play next season.

    UP NEXT

    The Kings and the Trail Blazers play again Friday night at the Moda Center.

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    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Capitals’ playoff hopes take another hit with loss to Blues

    Capitals’ playoff hopes take another hit with loss to Blues

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    WASHINGTON — Sammy Blais scored twice, Joel Hofer made 33 saves in his season debut and the St. Louis Blues dealt the Washington Capitals a significant blow in their long-shot bid for a playoff spot with a 5-2 victory Friday night.

    The Capitals missed an opportunity to make up ground in the race for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot against an opponent long out of it in the West. They trail the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders by five points with 12 games left to play.

    “We have no wiggle room,” winger Conor Sheary said. “The fact that we weren’t able to come out and be ready for this one and try to move up the standings is unfortunate. So, at this point, we got to get rolling, and if we don’t it’s going to end quickly for us.”

    Their odds of making it would have been even slimmer if not for a comeback victory in a shootout against Buffalo on Wednesday, but each regulation loss makes the climb more difficult. Coming up empty in a listless, mistake-heavy loss to St. Louis does just that.

    “Sometimes you get a nice comeback like last game, but it’s too hard,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. “It’s too hard in this league to just chase every game. It’s not doable.”

    There was plenty of blame to go around for Washington.

    Trade deadline pickup Rasmus Sandin — one of two additions amid a selloff — was on the ice for four goals against, and some poor puck management all around gave the Blues quality chances. Darcy Kuemper allowed at least one soft goal among the four he gave up on 21 shots behind a defense missing Nick Jensen because of injury.

    At the other end, the Capitals got third period goals from Martin Fehervary and Nicklas Backstrom against Hofer, a rookie playing just his third NHL game after starter Jordan Binnington was suspended for throwing a punch in the Blues’ last game.

    “It was fun. I had a blast out there,” Hofer said. “There’s obviously a lot of uncertainties with being in the (American Hockey League) all year and the first game in a long time, but I thought the guys played really well in front of me and kind of kept them to the outside. It’s super nice to get the win.”

    St. Louis again got contributions from all three reclamation projects acquired in deals prior to the deadline: the goals from Blais and one from Kasperi Kapanen and an assist from Jakub Vrana on Jordan Kyrou’s team-leading 31st of the season. Brayden Schenn sealed it with a long-distance empty netter with 1:39 left.

    Vrana, who was drafted by the Capitals and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2018 and was traded to Detroit in 2021, has five points in six games since joining the Blues from the Red Wings earlier this month.

    Now with six goals since going back to the Blues from the New York Rangers, Blais has outscored longtime Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko since the trade.

    “It’s been feeling good being back here and finding my confidence back a little bit,” Blais said. “Just happy it’s been working out well.”

    UP NEXT

    Blues: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night.

    Capitals: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Sunday afternoon.

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    Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Capitals tie it late, come back to beat Sabres in shootout

    Capitals tie it late, come back to beat Sabres in shootout

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    WASHINGTON — A little more than a minute away from their already slim playoff hopes fading a whole lot further, Tom Wilson scored arguably the biggest goal of the Washington Capitals’ season.

    After making it through overtime, Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie scored in the shootout to give Washington a 5-4 comeback victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night that may have saved the Capitals’ season.

    “There was some desperation out there that you typically see in the postseason, some big goals out of our big guys,” said Oshie, who also scored in regulation. “Every game has to kind of be a playoff mentality for us, and there’s no time like playoffs when you’re down goals and able to fuel comebacks.”

    It’s still a major uphill climb for Washington to make the playoffs after selling at the trade deadline and dealing with a growing list of injuries. But this win pushed the Capitals three points back of the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 games to play.

    “When you look back at the game, you can see the urgency in our game and just the compete level and just the will — the will to win,” said goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who stopped Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson in the shootout after making 23 saves in regulation and overtime. “For us to come back and win the way we did, this might be the best-feeling win all year.”

    It was only possible after Kuznetsov scored early in the third period and Alex Ovechkin cut the deficit to one with under 10 minutes left in regulation. Then Wilson’s scored a 6-on-4 goal with Lindgren pulled for an extra skater with 1:08 left on the clock.

    It was Washington’s first tying or go-ahead goal in the final two minutes this season.

    After getting Ovechkin back from missing the game Tuesday at the New York Rangers because of a lower-body injury, the Capitals lost defenseman Nick Jensen in the third period. Coach Peter Laviolette said there was no update on Jensen’s status.

    The team got a scare late in the second when trade pickup Rasmus Sandin took a slap shot off his left knee and departed the game, before returning in the third.

    “When he goes down and comes back it’s a good feeling for our team,” said Dylan Strome, who had two assists.

    The feelings were mostly bad in the visiting locker room for the Sabres, who have lost seven of nine to hurt the chances of ending the franchise’s 11-season postseason drought, which is by far the longest in the NHL. But Buffalo’s playoff hopes are still alive after picking up a point, and it has extra games left to play compared to other teams in the race, including the Capitals.

    “Down the stretch, every point matters, so it’s huge and everyone realizes this in the locker room,” Buffalo’s Tyson Jost said. “We care so much and want it and that’s good to see and we’ve just got to keep pushing and focus on the next game and keep putting together wins here.”

    Still, the OT loss represented a missed opportunity after goals in regulation by Ilya Lyubushkin, JJ Peterka, Jost and Zemgus Girgensons and 35 saves in net by Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen, who lost his stick in the corner before Wilson tied it on a goal Tuch blamed himself for allowing.

    “We had the lead for the whole game and then a couple bad mistakes — mine in particular,” Tuch said. “It’s unacceptable. I’m not a rookie. I’ve been in this league a couple years now and I know time management. I felt like I let the team down.”

    UP NEXT

    Sabres: Visit Philadelphia on Friday night.

    Capitals: Host St. Louis on Friday night.

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    Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Rangers, Bruins among winners at close of NHL trade deadline

    Rangers, Bruins among winners at close of NHL trade deadline

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    The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins loaded up for a potential Stanley Cup run, making bold moves to add talented players in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline.

    Coincidentally, the contenders face off Saturday afternoon in Boston.

    The Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers were not as aggressive, seemingly stuck in rebuilds that have relegated them to being sellers this time of year.

    Some of the franchises that appeared to win — and lose — over the last month as NHL teams completed 65 deals with a flurry early and a trickle closer to the deadline on Friday afternoon:

    WINNERS

    New York Rangers: The franchise’s quest to hoist the Cup for the first time since 1994 got a boost with the additions of three-time champion Patrick Kane and four-time All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko. New York has a secure spot in the postseason as the Metropolitan Division’s third-place team, with a comfortable cushion over Pittsburgh and the Islanders, but its chance to advance just got better with a new pair of goal-scorers.

    Boston Bruins: The 2011 Stanley Cup champions have an NHL-high 101 points and clearly are not content. Boston acquired defensemen Dmitry Orlov, who helped Washington win it all five years ago; forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who scored 30 goals for Detroit last season, and depth-enhancing forward Garnet Hathaway.

    Ottawa Senators: Determined to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the Senators added one of the top players available. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun had 28 points in 36 games this season for the Arizona Coyotes and may produce even more with better players and and a motivated team.

    Toronto Maple Leafs: After losing six straight opening postseason series, general manager Kyle Dubas seemed to improve the franchise’s chance to advance. Toronto traded for St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly to add scoring depth up front behind Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

    New Jersey Devils: Most players added before the deadline are eligible for unrestricted free agency, but 26-year-old winger Timo Meier is not one of them. If the on-the-rise Devils like what they see, they will have an edge over the potential competition to retain the restricted free agent. Meier has developed into a point-per-game player.

    New York Islanders: Beating buyers to the punch, the team may have essentially sealed a wild card in the stacked Eastern Conference playoffs by acquiring 30-goal-scorer Bo Horvat from Vancouver more than four weeks before the deadline. Shortly after the deal, the Islanders signed him to an eight-year contract worth $68 million.

    LOSERS

    Detroit Red Wings: After general manager Steve Yzerman recently confirmed his hunch that the Red Wings still aren’t ready to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, he dealt two key players he didn’t view as part of the team’s long-term plans. Yzerman did acquire a pair of first-round picks in exchange for Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek, but it will take years for those selections to possibly pan out.

    Philadelphia Flyers: The team knows it might lose James van Riemsdyk for nothing in free agency this summer, and still could not move him for desperately needed help. The Flyers will not make the playoffs for a third straight year, their longest drought in three decades and the latest misstep is not a good sign.

    Vancouver Canucks: A franchise that will miss the playoffs for the third straight year and seventh time in eight years should not be giving up talent like Horvat or a first-round pick, especially for a player such as Hronek. The 25-year-old defenseman is having the best year of his career and has a year left on his contract, but the price paid for him seems steep.

    Chicago Blackhawks: Despite having an attractive asset in Kane, the Blackhawks had no leverage because of his no-movement clause. The best Chicago could do was a conditional 2023 second-round draft pick and a fourth-rounder in 2025 from the Rangers, whose conditional pick turns into a first-round selection if the they return to the conference finals.

    Buffalo Sabres: Seeking to end an NHL-record 11-season playoff drought, the team was in on talks to trade for Chychrun. The asking price, though, was too high for a franchise that can’t afford to deal assets in the draft in the latest phase of its rebuild.

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    AP Hockey Writers Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow contributed.

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Red Wings beat Capitals 3-1 for 6th win in 7 games

    Red Wings beat Capitals 3-1 for 6th win in 7 games

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    WASHINGTON — After reeling off a recent winning streak, Detroit Red Wings players are feeling plenty confident. Just not confident enough to see how quickly they’re climbing the standings.

    “I’m not checking every morning when I get up,” Pius Suter said.

    Beating the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Tuesday night behind two goals from Suter put the Red Wings one step closer to ending their six-year playoff drought. They’ve won six times in their past seven games and moved ahead of perennial contender Washington in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

    “We know we can win in this league, and we have the team that can win,” said goaltender Ville Husso, who stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced for the victory. “It’s just day by day, have fun and move on.”

    Washington lost a fifth in a row in regulation — its longest stretch without a point since January 2014, the last time the team missed the postseason.

    “There’s no time to hang our heads here,” said winger Tom Wilson, who scored the Capitals’ only goal. “It’s not easy to win in this league. We got to find a way here.”

    Detroit kept rolling despite Dylan Larkin getting ejected 12:43 in for cross-checking T.J. Oshie in the face. Larkin, a pending free agent and the Red Wings’ captain, had been their best player during this run with seven goals and six assists in six games since the NHL All-Star break.

    Coach Derek Lalonde hopes Larkin avoids a suspension for the play, calling it not malicious and pointing out Larkin has no history of supplemental discipline.

    “We already lost him for an entire game, basically,” Lalonde said.

    No Larkin, no problem, with defenseman Robert Hagg scoring for the first time since Oct. 25, 2021 — two teams ago — and Suter getting one goal short-handed in the first period and another at even strength in the third.

    Washington’s Darcy Kuemper allowed three goals on 25 shots, and former Red Wings winger Anthony Mantha was knocked out of the Capitals lineup in the second period with an undisclosed upper-body injury.

    Jakub Vrana, traded to Detroit from Washington for Mantha at the 2020 deadline, got a video tribute and a standing ovation in his first time playing in his old home arena.

    “Felt good to win here, especially,” Vrana said. “I had a lot of flashbacks in the arena, of course, but once the puck dropped it was all business. I’m happy that we got the win.”

    Vrana, who helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, played a game for the Red Wings for the first time since Oct. 15 after going into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and getting waived and sent to the minors.

    “I think a great step in the right direction for him,” Lalonde said.

    Alex Ovechkin missed a fourth consecutive game for the death of his father. The Capitals got fourth-line center Nic Dowd back after missing more than a month, but that didn’t help their offensive woes as they scored two or fewer goals for the fifth time in six games.

    “We’re pressing, pressing, pressing,” Dowd said. “We had so many pucks that were sitting right in the crease and on the goal line and you’re kind of thinking, ‘Can we not get a bounce here?’ I think everything is magnified at this point in the season. Where we are in the standings, everything.”

    UP NEXT

    Red Wings: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

    Capitals: Continue their three-game homestand against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

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    Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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