The Western Conference road to the Stanley Cup has to go through the Saddledome. The Calgary Flames locked up the top spot in the Western Conference with a 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night. Out in the East, Alex Ovechkin netted his 50th goal of the year against Tampa Bay on Saturday. Check out those and other top stories from around the NHL.
FIRST IN THE WEST, CLINCHED! pic.twitter.com/4rRublOD7j
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 1, 2019
The Calgary Flames have proved it all year long and now it’s official, they are the top team in the West. However, while the playoff seeding is nice, the journey to the Stanley Cup is just beginning.
TOP STORIES
- Flames top Sharks 5-3, clinch conference, division crowns | Washington Post
- Ovi has 8th 50-goal season, joins Gretzky, Bossy | ESPN
- Who stands between the Lightning and 63 wins? | Tampa Bay Times
- NHL adds bookmaker William Hill as partner | ESPN
- Sharks will play Golden Knights in first-round Western Series | NHL
5️⃣0️⃣ for Alex Ovechkin! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zA8sJssCyx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 31, 2019
Alex Ovechkin has joined some very elite company as only a few players have amassed eight 50-goal seasons.
The Lightning is four wins from a new NHL wins record. https://t.co/9WspRXQcwe
— Diana C. Nearhos (@dianacnearhos) March 29, 2019
The Lightning are on the verge of history, but a few teams are still in their way. Which teams do the Lightning still play? Does Tampa Bay have an edge in those games?
The sportsbook operator William Hill will get promotional media in NHL markets under the agreement, the two sides said in a joint statement.
— KSNV News 3 (@News3LV) March 28, 2019
With a team in Las Vegas and the Supreme Court legalizing gambling, it was only a matter of time before the NHL teamed up with a sportsbook. Other leagues already have sportsbook partnerships so this seemed to when a when-not-if scenario.
There's a genuine dislike amongst the Golden Knights & Sharks players, and their rivalry is blossoming just in time for a thrilling playoff series.
Full story with quotes from Reaves and company after tonight's intense game in San Jose-https://t.co/UAbMwjL0Ul #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/PLNgkI77Wy
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) March 31, 2019
Rivalries are always fun for sports. The Golden Knighs, being an expansion team, didn’t have a rivalry initially as rivalries often take some time to truly develop. However, tensions are starting to heat up between San Jose and Las Vegas and that’s good news for the Western Conference playoffs. If these two have a heated-competitive series, the rivalry will only intensify and that will likely make for some exciting hockey in years to come.
