Edmonton (dpa) – With their 44th win of the season in the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers have taken a big step towards participating in the playoffs.
The team around national ice hockey player Leon Draisaitl defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 and moved past the Kings in the Pacific Division table to second place. The two teams are separated by a point.
Draisaitl helped make it 1-0 with an assist from Evander Kane. Connor McDavid scored the second and now, like Draisaitl, has 300 career NHL goals. The Canadian did it in the 563rd game, only two pros were faster.
Victories for Grubauer and Stützle
Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken cemented their position en route to the playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. However, national goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer was not used.
Tim Stützle, on the other hand, was instrumental in the Ottawa Senators’ 5-4 overtime win once morest the Philadelphia Flyers with a goal and an assist. The Senators are four points behind the last wild card spot with seven games left. The Detroit Red Wings, for their part, still hope for that playoff ticket and fulfilled their obligation with the 3:2 once morest the Carolina Hurricanes. National player Moritz Seider came up with an assist.
The Boston Bruins have long been safe in the playoffs, and with the 2-1 win following extra time once morest the Columbus Blue Jackets, they already have an award: The team is already the team with the best points in the league and receives the Presidents’ Trophy for it.