Top 5: Jared Bednar sent to the hospital in the middle of a game

Mathis Therrien
Top 5: Jared Bednar sent to the hospital in the middle of a game
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

After a Friday night off for the entire National Hockey League, only two teams were not in action yesterday.

It was therefore a very busy day in the NHL, as the playoff picture became even clearer with the various results.

Here's a recap of the day's hockey action.

1. Jared Bednar sent to the hospital during the game

The Vegas Golden Knights officially clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night with a 3-2 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche.

However, that wasn't really what grabbed everyone's attention in this game.

Instead, it was the health of the Colorado Avalanche's head coach that took center stage, as Jared Bednar was hit in the face by a puck during the game.

Here's another camera angle.

That must have really hurt Bednar, as he was taken to the hospital for further testing as a precaution.

After the game, we learned that he was conscious and doing well, pending further updates.

2. The Red Wings are eliminated

The Detroit Red Wings had no choice but to win yesterday to stay alive in the playoff race, but they fell 5-3 at home to the New Jersey Devils.

And with this loss, the Red Wings are officially eliminated from the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season, which is now the longest such streak, as the Sabres ended their own 15-season run.

This is very bad news for the Red Wings, and it speaks volumes about how the team collapsed, despite being in the top 3 of the Atlantic Division for virtually the entire season.

In fact, the Red Wings set a record for mediocrity with their elimination, as they are the first team in the salary cap era to miss the playoffs after being in the top three in the NHL after 50 or more games.

You can understand the fans' frustration.

3. Bruins and Senators Officially Qualified

With the Red Wings' elimination, two other teams benefited, as the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins officially qualified for the playoffs as the two wild-card teams.

The Sens shut out the New York Islanders 3-0, and the Bruins fell 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It remains to be seen which of the Sens and the Bruins will finish 7th, as Ottawa overtook Boston last night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

4. Porter Martone keeps the Flyers in good shape

The only remaining playoff spot up for grabs in the Eastern Conference is third place in the Metropolitan Division.

It's currently held by the Philadelphia Flyers, and they're not about to give it up—especially not easily.

The Flyers have made quite a climb up the standings, and let's just say that the arrival of Porter Martone, the sixth overall pick in the last draft, has helped a lot.

The 19-year-old has seven points in seven games since arriving in Philadelphia.

He also scored the first goal of the game yesterday in the Flyers' 7-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

5. The Caps Stay Alive Thanks to Ilya Protas

Speaking of the race for the final playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Washington Capitals are still chasing the Flyers.

And last night, the Caps stayed alive thanks to a three-point performance from their new young prodigy, Ilya Protas.

Aliaksei's brother was playing in his second NHL game, and he scored his first goal in the league while adding two assists, including one on his brother's goal.

The Caps remain in the playoff race thanks to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.


Overtime

– A very emotional final regular-season home game for Anze Kopitar.

– Here are yesterday's results.

– Here are yesterday's top scorers.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On the schedule today in the NHL: six games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
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