After beating the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in the final game of the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning officially finished the season at third place in the Atlantic Division with 115 points in 82 games, and locked their first-round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Stamkos led the Bolts with three goals in the final game of the regular season.
Stamkos hat trick leads Lightning over Islanders, 6-4 https://t.co/zrr9oF9Ph0
— X – Raw Charge (@RawCharge) April 30, 2022
The regular season isn’t officially over as the Seattle Kraken and the Winnipeg Jets will face each other in the very last game of the regular season on Sunday, but since that game have no impact on playoff seeding, the NHL have already released the full schedule for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The defending Stanley Cup champs start their potential three-peat campaign on Monday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto:
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Monday, May 2: Lightning at Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)
Wednesday, May 4: Lightning at Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)
Friday, May 6: Maple Leafs at Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)
Sunday, May 8: Maple Leafs at Lightning, 7 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)
*Tuesday, May 10: Lightning at Maple Leafs, TBD
*Thursday, May 12: Maple Leafs at Lightning, TBD
*Saturday, May 14: Lightning at Maple Leafs, TBD
*if necessary
It will be the first-ever playoff matchup between the Bolts and the Leafs in NHL history. The Leafs haven’t won a single playoff series since 2004, when they beat the Ottawa Senators in the Conference Quarterfinals and were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the next round, while the Lightning have won eight playoff series in a row, winning two last Stanley Cups. Over this regular season the Lightning and the Leafs faced each other four times, with each team winning twice. The Lightning defeated the Leafs 8-1 in their previous meeting.
Lightning Links
The Syracuse Crunch clinched a home ice in the North Division Semifinals after beating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last night.
Ben Groulx is now our winningest coach in franchise history ☑️
We’ve clinched home ice in the North Division Semifinals ☑️
We’ve set a new franchise record with a 12-game home winning streak ☑️
📝: https://t.co/tM7GwETSOW pic.twitter.com/Y8RF4Yu0Ac
— x – Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 30, 2022
Hockey News
The full Stanley Cup playoffs bracket:
THE 2021-22 #StanleyCup PLAYOFFS ARE LOCKED. 🔒
Register NOW for the #NHLBracket Challenge ➡️ https://t.co/ANERgXeSNC pic.twitter.com/kFAOV5MHvB
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2022
The time is here – it’s the moment every hockey fan has been waiting for…
The First Round schedule for the 2022 #StanleyCup Playoffs is set. Find your team, fill your calendar, get your bracket ready and let the mayhem begin.#NHLStats: https://t.co/iobl99wjdo pic.twitter.com/XzIbFnUr40
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 30, 2022
A Friday night was quite eventful in the NHL.
Friday featured 104 goals, the most-ever in a single day in League history. 🤯#NHLStats: https://t.co/REG94MYk9d pic.twitter.com/XMFvWqRStI
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 30, 2022
The Anaheim Ducks were forced to bring in emergency backup goalie Tom Hodges after both John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz suffered injury in the game. Hodges, who had just one professional game before, made two saves, but his team still lost to the Dallas Stars, who clinched the first wild card spot in this game.
EBUG ALERT!! 🚨
Tom Hodges has laced them up and is now in net for the @AnaheimDucks! pic.twitter.com/B2ZjbEjWgP
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2022
He battled for us.
We battled for him.
Thank you, Tom Hodges!🧡 this team. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/yarDMTHw1K
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 30, 2022
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Florida Panthers 10-1 in their last game of the regular season. Carey Price recorded his first and only win of this regular season.
On fini sur une belle note!
Finishing on a high note!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/a3DFEvKNdn
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 30, 2022
The Nashville Predators blew a three-goal lead over the Arizone Coyotes, losing first wild card spot in Western Conference to the Dallas Stars. The Preds will face the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.
What. A. Finish. 😎
The @ArizonaCoyotes complete the comeback by scoring FIVE UNANSWERED GOALS! It’s all in the @GuaranteedRate Replay! pic.twitter.com/iuvN2iy8uL
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres’ Malcolm Subban in a very unusual role.
MALCOLM SUBBAN JUST CRUSHED THE U.S. NATIONAL ANTHEM! 🤭
The reactions are priceless. pic.twitter.com/cYEOfE7bdw
— NHL (@NHL) April 29, 2022
