Canucks at Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers already secured home ice for the first round of the postseason but have an opportunity to do so throughout the Pacific Division playoffs when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Edmonton, which ended a 10-season playoff drought, needs another win over the Canucks and a regulation loss by Anaheim against Los Angeles to win the division title.
The Oilers clinched at least second place in the Pacific by edging the Canucks 3-2 in Vancouver on Sunday in the opener of their season-ending home-and-home series. They will face San Jose in the first round if they remain second in the division and Calgary should they capture the Pacific crown. Connor McDavid has locked up the Art Ross Trophy as he owns a nine-point lead and needs two Sunday to hit the century mark. Vancouver looks to end a disappointing season on a high note as it attempts to halt a seven-game losing streak. The Canucks, who scored a total of nine goals during the slide, rank last in the Pacific but can escape the basement by earning at least one point.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (30-42-9): Henrik Sedin notched a pair of assists Saturday, giving him five over his last two games. The captain now has 50 points on the season thanks to the late surge but was in danger of finishing below that mark for the first time in a full campaign since he registered 42 in 2003-04. Defenseman Alex Edler had been kept off the scoresheet for five games before scoring a goal on Saturday, which gave him 300 points for his career.
ABOUT THE OILERS (46-26-9): McDavid notched his 100th career assist Saturday to extend his point streak to 13 games - the longest run in the NHL this season. The 20-year-old captain collected seven goals and 16 assists during the streak as he hasn't been kept off the scoresheet since March 12 against Montreal. Milan Lucic's three-game goal-scoring run came to an end against the Canucks, but the rugged forward brings a four-game point streak into the season finale after notching an assist Saturday.
OVERTIME
1. Oilers RW Zack Kassian needs two points to reach 100 for his career.
2. Saturday's loss was Vancouver's 12th in a row at home (0-9-3), breaking the franchise record for the longest winless streak set in 1970-71.
3. Edmonton eclipsed the 100-point plateau for the first time since 1986-87, when it earned a league-best 106.