Ottawa ‘hams’ it up after playoff-clinching victory
Ottawa used its super-sized record down the stretch and a “Hamburglar” to order up a playoff berth.
Needing just one point for the playoffs in the season finale, the Senators wrapped up their sizzling second-half rally with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“Here we are at the end of the year, we made an unbelievable run for the past 30 games,” Senators captain Erik Karlsson said.
Headed toward a spot in the NHL draft lottery two months ago, the Senators finished 23-4-4 over their final 31 games to storm into the postseason.
The Senators hope they can play deep into the postseason behind goalie Andrew Hammond. Nicknamed the “Hamburglar,” Hammond went from a borderline AHL goalie to posting a 20-1-2 record since he was recalled in the second half.
“I’ve never had a stretch of hockey like this in my life,” Hammond said. “It’s something I don’t think anyone can really explain.”
N.Y. Rangers 4, Washington 2: Kevin Hayes and Dominic Moore each had a goal and an assist, Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 shots and the New York Rangers capped their stellar regular season with a 4-2 win over the Capitals.
The Rangers (53-22-7), winners of the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top team in the regular season, set franchise records for wins and points (113) in a season.
Winnipeg 5, Calgary 1: Lee Stempniak had a goal and assist and the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets set a franchise record for points in a 5-1 rout of the Flames Saturday.
Drew Stafford, Michael Frolik, Adam Lowry and Matt Halischuk also scored for the Jets.
The win gave the Jets 99 points, two more than the Atlanta Thrashers earned in 2006-’07 before their relocation to Winnipeg in 2011.
St. Louis 4, Minnesota 2: Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen returned from injuries with two points apiece, helping the Blues finish the regular season strong with a 4-2 victory over the Wild.
L.A. Kings 4, San Jose 1: Brayden McNabb and Marian Gaborik scored third-period goals, and the Los Angeles Kings wrapped up their season with a 4-1 victory over the Sharks.