The NHL regular season has ended, with the Anaheim Ducks and LA Kings among the teams that secured playoff spots. The Kings head into the playoffs after defeating the Seattle Kraken 5-3 in their recent game. Adrian Kempe scored his 35th goal of the season for LA, while Alex Laferriere netted the 5-3 goal.
For Seattle, Adam Larsson scored his seventh goal of the season. LA Kings will face the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames in their final two regular season games before the playoffs begin. The Kings have been eliminated in the first round in each of their previous four playoff appearances, but their qualification this year extends Anze Kopitar's final NHL season.
It's a shitty feeling, that's all I can say.
Meanwhile, several teams were eliminated from playoff contention, including the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, and Winnipeg Jets. The Predators lost 2-3 to the Sharks, with William Eklund and Alexander Wennberg each recording an assist for San Jose. According to Hockeysverige, Nashville's Luke Evangelista described the elimination as a disappointing feeling.
The Philadelphia Flyers were also among the winners as the regular season concluded. Specific playoff matchups for the first round and the final regular season standings have not been announced. It remains unclear which other teams besides Anaheim, LA, and Philadelphia secured playoff spots, how many teams total qualified, and the exact date of the first playoff games.