NHL Scores & More: Stars, Avalanche, Sabres Eliminate Themselves From Playoffs

The match between the two division rivals was already set to be highly anticipated. The officiating upped the ante, playing a major role in how the game panned out. About halfway through the game, it was as if the officials were looking to trade calls, missing many legitimate infractions. They would then have a few moments where they decided to make their presence felt before fading away again, to put it gently. The officials’ presence was certainly noticeable in the third period, when both teams traded four straight power play goals, two by each team. The final set of calls in regulation that resulted in a 5-on-3 man advantage for L.A. tied the game up.

Evidence exists to prove that Clowe was, in fact, on the bench, and stuck his stick on the ice to poke the puck away:

The Rangers would get an opportunity to draw even on the power play, but Fleury and his penalty killers protected the 2-1 lead through the first period.

Smelling blood in the water after the goal, the Penguins would hammer Biron relentlessly, racking up 25 shots on goal by the end of the second period, while the Ranger offense a strong effort of their own, registering 17.

“It’s not fun, but we did it to ourselves well before this game,” the netminder said. “We didn’t put ourselves in a strong position to make playoffs so we had to chase. Not a good feeling. Pretty embarrassing.”

Philadelphia swept all four games over Buffalo this season, giving them their fifth season sweep over Buffalo and first since 2008-09.

In the East, the Florida Panthers fell to the Washington Capitals, leaving the Southeast Division title up for grabs. However, thanks to the Buffalo Sabres, who fell to the Flyers in Philadelphia, both Florida and Washington clinched playoff spots.

The Bruins’ 3-1 victory over Ottawa was likely a snapshot of what could be a quick playoff series between the two Northeast Division foes. The Bruins are locked into the No. 2 seed in the East, and the Senators need just one point in their final game to clinch the No. 7 seed, which means the two teams will almost certainly renew a series that Boston took by a 5-1 count in the regular season in the postseason’s first round.