Six big losers from NHLs biggest happiest night yet

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And lo, my friends, there was much joy in the hockey world Thursday night.
Winnipeg gets to watch playoff hockey for the first time since 1996! Na sau Coliseum gets one more playoff ride! Twenty-four straight years for Detroit! The Flames, in spite of math and Mark Giordanos triceps, pulled it off!The Senators are close to doing the same with a guy who spent Yogi Berra Jersey most of the season as the worst goalie in the AHL! Everything is happening!
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Its not all good, though. With joy comes sadne s; on the biggest night of the regular season so far, there were bound to be losers, and losers there were.
1. BruinsIn a sea of hypothetical heres what might happen pieces projecting the last few days of the Adam Ottavino Jersey season were thinking not many counted on the Bruins failing to squeeze so much as a point out of the Panthers. Thats exactly what happened.
In the proce s, Boston let the Penguins, rightfully left for dead earlier in the week, off the hook and decreased their own chances of making the postseason from 66 percent to, oh, 15-ish. Now they need to beat Tampa Bay to have a shot at anything and wish things like Buffalo beats Pittsburgh into reality. Thats not where you want to be. They blew Dellin Betances Jersey it. Hoo, boy, did they blow it.
"Weve been a group, a proud group thats always wanted to do things on our own. Now were looking for help, , according to The Boston Globe.
Now, as was the case in the last few minutes of Game 7 against the Maple Leafs in 2013, Claude Julien and Peter Chiarellis jobs may well be on the line. It might not be fair, but its reality just like the Bruins ugly cap situation. They knew the summer was going to be brutal, and its on the verge of starting much sooner than they wouldve liked.
2. KingsThe defending champs, officially, are done. The reason they rank behind Boston here, though, is that the Oh,man, this is happening moment came Tuesday, when they lost to Edmonton. That Brett Gardner Jersey greased the wheels for Thursday night. LA couldve stayed alive with a point against the Flames; they didnt manage.
And really, its weird; until the Oilers lo s, their presence in the postseason seemed like a given. Theyre the Kings. This is what they do. And then they ran out of gas.
after the game (per @lakingsinsider) was sad:"depre sing, embarra sing, unfulfilled, upset." At least he's not nauseous or itchy.
3. PenguinsDespite a bailout from the Bruins, the Penguins who will play five defensemen again Fridayagainst the Islanders,by the way somehow couldve been in even better shape had Ottawa not beaten the Rangers. Instead, theyll have to settle for a 96.6 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason. If Masahiro Tanaka Jersey the Bruins dont get a point against Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh could play zero defensemen and it wouldnt matter.
4. BlackhawksThe Blues clinched the Central Division by beating Chicago on Thursday. Now, the Blackhawks will have to deal with Nashville, Anaheim or St. Louis in the first round. Calgary and Winnipeg are off the table; fun as those teams are, theyre also easier first-round Paul O'Neill Jersey matchups. Without Patrick Kane, thats relevant to Chicagos interests.
5. Maple Leafs and OilersTheyre on the verge of being the only two Canadian NHL cities not hosting playoff games this season. It might be a while until that changes.
6. SabresWith the Isles clinching a spot, the dream of the McEichel double-up is dead. Buffalo gets the Islanders first-round pick in June. Had the Islanders fallen into the lottery, it wouldve been po sible.
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John Short, Jr