It was a great day for the Alex Ovechkin and Washington Capitals, who made the playoffs after a wild night of NHL action.
Alas, one team’s fortune is another team(s) pain, as Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby and John Tortorella won’t be heading into the post-season. Here are five who we would have liked to have seen qualify:
Patrick Kane
The 35-year-old, who underwent hip resurfacing surgery, almostΒ dragged the Red Wings into the playoffs by scoring 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games. Unfortunately, his Showtime magic only went so far as Detroit’s playoff drought reached eight seasons. The good news is that Kane seems re-energized and there is already talk of him returning for another season or two. The question is, will it be in Detroit?
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Patrick Kane has seen the lowest of lows and the highest of highs in his 17 years in the league, so this comment is compelling. pic.twitter.com/02mXwLWb4u
— Emmaπ (@catboyseider) April 17, 2024
Sidney Crosby
For the second straight year, Crosby won’t be in the playoffs. Which is a shame, because his play certainly deserved it. Having scored 42 goals and 92 points in 81 games, some were questioning whether the Penguins captain should receive consideration for the Hart Trophy. Instead, with Crosby’s contract set to expire in the summer, talk will now inevitably turn to whether the 36-year-old could be on his way out of Pittsburgh.
Sucks that we wonβt get to see more of Sidney Crosbyβs onslaught. Feel like he had something cooking for a playoff run.
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) April 17, 2024
John Tortorella
A month ago, Torts seemed like the odds-on favorite to win the Jack Adams Trophy. That’s how much the Flyers head coach had overachieved this year. If not for a late-season collapse, where Philadelphia finally came down to earth, can you imagine how many more post-game press conferences we would have been treated to, like this one?
John Tortorella: "I'm proud of the team. They fought to the end."#Flyers pic.twitter.com/97CbW9CsIP
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) April 17, 2024
Jeff Skinner
With Buffalo missing out again, the Sabres have now failed to make the playoffs for an NHL-record 13 seasons. For Skinner, who has never played in the post-season, the drought is even longer. He’s now gone 14 years without a playoff berth. That’s 1,006 games. three more years remaining on his contract, the next Sabres head coach needs to get it right β and soon.
Jeff Skinner, everyone. pic.twitter.com/reQ3ZDMiAZ
— Matthew BovΓ© (@Matt_Bove) April 17, 2024
Arizona Coyotes
If this was the last season for the NHL in Arizona β and it certainly is looking like it will be β then it couldn’t have been more inconsequential. One last ‘White Out’ would have been a nice sendoff for a team riding off into the sunset. But the Coyotes were never really in the mix for a playoff spot. They didn’t have a top-30 scorer or a top-end rookie worth any Calder Trophy votes. Tonight, they play their final home game in a 5,000 seat arena. Let’s see if they can sell out the place.
Live tweeting my final Arizona Coyotes game tonight and decided I wanted to participate in the fun with my own whiteout at home in South Carolina
For one last time, itβs Coyotes game day tonight at Mullett Arena at 10 ET/7 MST against the Edmonton Oilers #yotes pic.twitter.com/wboQENEzWO
— Haynes P. Evans (@HaynesPEvans) April 17, 2024
News Summary:
- Crosby, Kane and the Coyotes: the Playoffs Would Have Been Even Better Had These Five Qualified
- Check all news and articles from the latestΒ NHLΒ updates.