Stars, Golden Knights, Jets & Canadiens

In this edition of “NHL Talk,” these are the top hockey stories with quotes from players, coaches, managers, and more. Check Tom Pepper’s profile every day for a new edition of the “NHL Talk” column.

Jets’ Comrie Earns First Shutout of NHL Career

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie earned the first shutout of his NHL career in a 4-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. He stopped all 35 shots he faced in the game, picking up his first win since March 25. After playing no more than three games in each of the last five seasons, he has played 18 games (15 starts) this season with a strong .921 save percentage (SV%).

“It feels really good,” Comrie said. “It’s a happy moment for myself. A lot of hard work went into that, but a lot of hard work from the guys tonight. They played a fantastic game and made it real easy for myself to see the puck and make a lot of easy saves because they were playing as good as they could.”

Canadiens End Nine-Game Losing Streak With Late Goal

The Montreal Canadiens ended a nine-game losing streak with a 4-3 win at the New York Rangers on Wednesday. The two teams were tied, 2-2, before Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry found the back of the net with 31 seconds remaining in the third period to take the lead, and ultimately win the game. It marks Montreal’s first victory since a 7-4 win at the New Jersey Devils on April 7.

“We stopped the bleeding tonight, that’s for sure,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said. “It feels good. If we can find a way to play a hard [in the] last game (against the Florida Panthers on Friday), which I think we will because it’s going to be the last one, it’s going to be at home, then we can finish on a good note and get away from the game a little bit, hit the reset button for next year. Any kind of year like that you just can’t wait to hit the reset button. That’s what we need.”

Golden Knights Miss Playoffs for First Time in Franchise History

The Vegas Golden Knights were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in franchise history after a 4-3 shootout loss at the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. It was the third consecutive game that the Golden Knights played and lost in a shootout, going 0-for-17 in three tiebreakers. After qualifying for the postseason in each of its first four seasons, Vegas will watch the playoffs from afar in its fifth year.

“You don’t hate your game in those games, but at the same time you didn’t do enough to win them in regulation or overtime to make sure that there’s no question marks,” Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty said. “There’ll be a lot of regret this summer, a lot of reflection but … I never lost hope. Right now, it makes it even more difficult to digest.”

Stars Clinch Playoff Berth With Overtime Loss

The Dallas Stars clinched a berth in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs after earning a point in a 4-3 overtime loss against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. The Stars are one point ahead of the Nashville Predators for the first wild card in the Western Conference, with the Predators having one game in hand. Dallas is the final team to book its ticket to the playoffs, with 16 teams now set for postseason action.

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“It’s a big point, and a playoff berth is what we were fighting for,” Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. “It’s huge for our organization, our team, all the guys what they’ve done all year. Since I’ve been here (acquired in a trade with the Coyotes on March 20) it’s been a tough battle. You’re obviously upset losing the game when you can get another point in the [wild card] race, but it takes a lot of pressure off Friday for just [staying] alive, which we are now. Just win a game on Friday and see what happens.”

Tom Pepper is a columnist at The Hockey Writers since June 2020. He writes the “NHL Talk” column every day and Anaheim Ducks features every week.