Hockey headlines for March 31, 2019

Sunday, March 31, 2019

Islanders beat Sabres, clinch playoff berth (New York Newsday)
Sharks clinch home ice in first round of playoffs (San Jose Mercury News)
Canes power past Flyers 5-2, edge closer to goal (Raleigh News & Observer)
Canadiens soar to desperate 3-1 win over Jets (Montreal Gazette)
Cam Atkinson, Jackets power past Predators (Columbus Dispatch)
Alex Ovechkin reaches — and surpasses — 50-goal milestone in Capitals’ win over the Lightning (Washington Post)
Arizona Coyotes sign center Nick Schmaltz to seven-year contract extension (Arizona Republic)
Red Wings set to extend coach Jeff Blashill for two years in coming days (Detroit News)
Longtime NHL Powers Adjust to the View From the Bottom (New York Times)
Shootouts make an easy target, but is there a better solution to ending NHL regular-season games? (Arizona Republic)
Lundqvist finds himself in unfamiliar territory (New York Newsday)
Drew Doughty praises interim coach Willie Desjardins (Los Angeles Daily News)
Markstrom perfect in shootout after Dallas storms back late (Vancouver Province)
Austin Wagner gives Kings a boost in 3-2 overtime victory over Chicago (Los Angeles Times)
Blues score with 2.8 seconds in overtime to edge NJ Devils (NorthJersey.com)
Not much goes Predators' way in loss to Blue Jackets (The Tennessean)
Dunn, Blues beat Devils in OT (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Flyers fall to Carolina and are eliminated from playoff race (Philly.com)
Senators upset Maple Leafs again (Toronto Sun)
Slow start once again an issue in Lightning’s loss to Capitals (Tampa Bay Times)
Oilers are sitting Ducks for an understaffed, injured Anaheim team (Edmonton Sun)
Sluggish Jets mark another loss (Winnipeg Sun)
Stars can't seize moment against Canucks, inch tantalizingly closer to clinching playoff spot (Dallas Morning News)
Season sweep by last-place Kings puts Blackhawks 1 game away from elimination (Chicago Sun-Times)
Bruins flat in blowout loss to Panthers (Boston Herald)
Golden Knights fall to Sharks in overtime, 4-3 (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Victor Hedman leaves Lightning-Capitals matchup during first period (Tampa Bay Times)
Byfuglien's return fails to spark Jets (Winnipeg Free Press)
Travis Dermott returns to give Leafs’ blue line a boost (Toronto Star)
Dante Fabbro starts for Predators in NHL debut (The Tennessean)
Alex Ovechkin scores 50 goals in a season for the eighth time in his career (Washington Post)
Islanders coach thrilled clincher came at 'great vibe' Coliseum (New York Post)
How the Colorado Avalanche got their Stanley Cup mojo back (Denver Post)
Penguins searching for offense as season winds down (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Evgeni Malkin returns to Penguins practice, takes a subtle dig at Robert Bortuzzo (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
How Tyson Barrie is a catalyst of Avalanche playoff push (Denver Post)
Why Ryan Strome believes he's on a hot streak now (New York Post)
Andersson's commitment to fitness leads to bigger role with Flames (Calgary Sun)
Prospect Ty Smith won’t be joining the Devils this season (NJ.com)