Hockey’s NHL playoff teams are clear before the final round of the regular season. Next, let’s get excited about the playoffs and whether we will see puck stars in the WC bowls in May.
Representing the Dallas Stars in the NHL Miro Heiskanen close to Finnish NHL history the night before Thursday in a match against the St. Louis Blues.
Heiskanen scored two goals and shared the single-season point record of Finnish defenders together Reijo Ruotsalainen with. At the same time, Heiskanen set the single-season point record for Dallas defenders. He has played 78 matches this season and has now hit 11+62=73.
Heiskanen was promoted to Dallas’ first baseman for this season, when the Swedish defender John Klingberg transferred to the Anaheim Ducks. Ditto in Dallas hit club history this season (you switch to another service) Jason Robertson praises Heiskanen’s successes.
– It’s a big deal when you get to the top spot. Then you find the link in that chain, the chemistry. It takes a while, but the five of us (power players) have been together all season, so chemistry is definitely part of the game, Robertson says On the NHL website (you will switch to another service).
Heiskanen passed the club’s points record Sergei Zubovwhose game number has been frozen by Dallas.
– Impressive. Zubov’s shirt is frozen for a reason, so good luck to him (Heiskanen), Robertson continued.
Reijo Ruotsalainen, season 1984–85, Rangers, 80 games, 28+45=73 points
Miro Heiskanen, 2022–23, Dallas, 78, 11+62=73
Reijo Ruotsalainen, 1982–83, Rangers, 77, 16+53=69
Pekka Rautakallio, 1981–82, Calgary, 80, 17+51=68
Risto Siltanen, 1981–82, Edmonton, 63, 15+48=63
Also the Dallas head coach Peter DeBoer beamed Heiskas. According to him, the Finnish defenseman’s season is comparable to the NHL’s top defensemen, such as Cale to Makari, to Adam Fox and to Erik Karlsson.
– He is an elite defender and belongs in the same sentence (with top defenders). “He’s been efficient without affecting his defensive game,” DeBoer said.
In the match of the night, Dallas beat St. Louis 5-2. The team has one game left in the regular season, so Heiskasen still has a chance to become the top scorer of all time among Finnish defenders.
The attacker was also successful in the match Roope Hintz, who finished his team’s 3–2 winning goal in the second period. Dallas is now at the top of their own division with 106 points, while the Colorado Avalanche, who have played one game less, are one point away.
See the NHL standings at this link.
Pittsburgh’s historic streak broken
The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years when the New York Islanders defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in the nightcap. The Islanders grabbed the NHL’s last playoff spot with 93 series points, while Pittsburgh, who still plays one regular season game, can collect a maximum of 92 points.
Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. At the same time, the team’s historic playoff streak in the NHL was broken. No other club has reached the playoffs in 16 consecutive years.
Pittsburgh Canadian captain Sidney Crosby has played in the playoffs every year with his team, except for his rookie season. Hero players Yevgeni Malkin and Kris Letang missed the playoffs for the first time in their NHL career.
Will Leijonat get Granlund to the World Cup?
The last round of the NHL season will be played the night before Friday Finnish time. At the same time, Crosby ends his season, who can now go to the World Cup in the Canadian team if he wants to. Crosby last captained his national team at the 2015 World Cup, when Canada won the title.
Also a two-time World Cup gold medalist by Mikael Granlund the season ends. Granlund, who also represents Pittsburgh, last played for the Finnish men’s national hockey team in Leijon in the championship year 2022. At that time, the 31-year-old forward scored 5+6=11 in nine games. The Men’s Ice Hockey World Cup starts on May 12.
Other Finnish players left out of the playoffs include forwards Matias Maccelli and Patrick Lainedefenders Olli Määttä and Rasmus Ristolainen and goalkeepers Juuse Saros, Kevin Lankinen and Ville Husso.
For example, Maccelli, who played 63 games in Arizona this season, is in second place on the NHL rookie market with 11+37=48 power points. He has not played in the adult World Cup before.
NHL round of the night
NY Islanders–Montreal 4–2 (2–1, 1–1, 1–0)
St. Louis–Dallas 2–5 (2–2, 0–3, 0–0)
D: Roope Hintz 1+0, Miro Heiskanen 0+2.
Calgary–San Jose 3–1 (0–1, 1–0, 2–0)
S: Kaapo Kähkönen 46/48 saves.
C: Nikita Zadorov 3+0.
NHL playoff teams and Finns