NHL MORNING SKATE FOR MONDAY

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps

NY Rangers 3, PHILADELPHIA 0

ARIZONA 4, Minnesota 0

PITTSBURGH 3, Carolina 1

Columbus 4, BUFFALO 0

DETROIT 6, Boston 3

Calgary 5, SAN JOSE 3

THREE HARD LAPS: QUICK HITS FROM SUNDAY

* The Flames triumphed over the Sharks to clinch first place in the Western Conference standings.

* The first matchup of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs was confirmed by virtue of the Flames’ 5-3 win.

* The Blue Jackets blanked an opponent for the third time in their last five games to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

FLAMES CLINCH FIRST PLACE IN WESTERN CONFERENCE . . .

The Flames (49-23-7, 105 points) defeated the Sharks and clinch first place in the Western Conference standings. Calgary will conclude a season atop its conference for the fourth time in franchise history; the previous instances were when the Flames secured three consecutive first place finishes in the Clarence Campbell Conference from 1987-88 to 1989-90.

* Calgary will become the 10th team and second in as many years to conclude a season atop its conference after not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs during the previous campaign (since 1974-75 when teams realigned into conferences).

* The Flames captured their seventh division title in franchise history and first since 2005-06, when they finished the season with a 46-25-11 (103 points) record to clinch top spot in the Northwest Division.

* Calgary moved within one victory of reaching the 50-win mark for the second time in franchise history and first since 1988-89, when it had 54 en route to capturing the Stanley Cup (54-17-9, 117 points). The Flames’ 105 points in 2018-19 are tied for their second-most in a season, behind only their total of 117 in 1988-89.

SHARKS TO FACE GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN 2019 FIRST ROUND

By virtue of the Flames’ win, the Sharks (44-26-9, 97 points) will face the Golden Knights (42-30-7, 91 points) in the First Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* Both teams met in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a six-game triumph by Vegas in the Second Round. The Golden Knights will become the first team to face the same opponent in each of their first two trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the Wild faced the Ducks in the 2003 Conference Finals and 2007 Conference Quarterfinals.

BLUE JACKETS EXTEND WIN STREAK, CLIMB EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside all 38 shots he faced to help the Blue Jackets (45-30-4, 94 points) blank the Sabres and extend their win streak to five games, tied for the longest active run in the NHL (w/ DET). Columbus leapfrogged Carolina (43-29-7, 93 points) for the first Wild  Card spot in the Eastern Conference standings as it pursues a third consecutive postseason berth.

* Bobrovsky concluded the month of March 9-4-0 with a 1.74 goals-against average, .940 save percentage and four shutouts, including a 5-0-0 record in his last five appearances (0.80 GAA, .971 SV%, 3 SO). He matched his career high for most shutouts in a calendar month during the regular season, a mark set in March 2017.

* Bobrovsky (36-23-1; 2.55 GAA, .914 SV%, 9 SO) recorded his ninth shutout of 2018-19 overall to move within one of matching the franchise record for most in a season, a mark set by Steve Mason in 2008-09 (10). He has accounted for 36 of Columbus’ 45 wins in 2018-19 (80.0%).

* Bobrovsky recorded his 21st regular-season shutout since the beginning of the 2016-17 campaign, five more than countryman Andrei Vasilevskiy (16) for the most among NHL goaltenders in that span.

PENGUINS, COYOTES TRIUMPH IN PIVOTAL INTRACONFERENCE SHOWDOWNS

The Penguins (43-25-11, 97 points) and Coyotes (38-33-8, 84 points) each triumphed in pivotal showdowns against interconference opponents. Pittsburgh strengthened its grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division standings, while Arizona moved within one point of Colorado (36-29- 13, 85 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

* Matt Cullen (1-1—2) scored his second game-winning goal over the last seven days (also March 25 at NYR) to help the Penguins defeat the Hurricanes. Cullen (born Nov. 2, 1976), who  captured the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006, became the first player to score multiple game winning goals in a season at age 42 or older since Florida’s Jaromir Jagr in 2016-17 (2).

* Darcy Kuemper turned aside all 39 shots he faced as the Coyotes defeated the Wild to extend their point streak to three contests (2-0-1) on the heels of a five-game slide (0-3-2). Kuemper improved to 2-0-1 in his last three appearances with a 0.65 goals-against average, .979 save percentage and two shutouts in that span.

QUICK CLICKS

* Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha records five points in win

* Bruins forward Brad Marchand scores 26th shorthanded goal

* Calumet Colosseum Named Kraft Hockeyville USA 2019

* Sharks forward Joe Thornton fined for high-sticking

* Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves fined for high-sticking

SNEAK PEEK AT MONDAY’S ACTION

2018-19 SEASON ENTERS FINAL WEEK

Two division titles, six berths in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and seven of eight First Round matchups are to be decided as the 2018-19 regular season enters its final week with 96% of games now completed (1,220 of 1,271). The season is set to conclude following a 15-game day on Saturday where 30 of 31 teams are in action; only the Ducks will be idle.

AVALANCHE AIM TO STRENGTHEN GRIP ON FINAL WILD CARD SPOT

The Avalanche (36-29-13, 85 points) aim to strengthen their grip on the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference standings when they visit the Blues (42-28-8, 92 points) at Enterprise  Center. Colorado will face Western Conference opponents in each of its remaining four games (also April 2 vs. EDM, April 4 vs. WPG and April 6 at SJS).

* Contributing to Avalanche’s push for a second straight postseason berth has been the play of Philipp Grubauer, who went 7-2-1 through 11 appearances in March with a 1.48 goals-against average, .955 save percentage and two shutouts. His save percentage was the second-highest by an Avalanche/Nordiques goaltender in a calendar month during the regular season (min. 5 GP), behind only a mark set by Peter Budaj through seven appearances in December 2009 (5- 3-2; 1.32 GAA, .957 SV%, 1 SO).

* St. Louis, meanwhile, is 3-0-0 through three of its four games against Colorado this season (COL: 0-1-2). The Blues can sweep a season series with the Avalanche/Nordiques (min. 2 GP) for the fifth time in franchise history and first since 1991-92 (2-0-0).

LIGHTNING LOOK TO REACH 60-WIN MARK

The Lightning (59-15-4, 122 points) look to become the third team in NHL history to reach the 60-win mark in a season when they visit the Senators (28-44-6, 62 points) at Canadian Tire Centre.

* If the Lightning go 4-0-0 through their remaining four games, it would mark the second time in the last three years that a major North American professional sports team set a single-season wins record in their respective league. The Golden State Warriors went 73-9 in 2015-16 to establish an NBA record for most wins in a season, eclipsing the previous high of 72 set by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in 1995-96 (72-10).