Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Carolina Hurricanes
The Montreal Canadiens picked up the 16th and final playoff place in the NHL following a 4-2 home win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Kaiden Guhle put the hosts in front 3:50 into the game. The Canes got an equaliser six minutes later through Taylor Hall to make things interesting.
A pair of goals later in the second period put Montreal up 3-1. Nick Suzuki gave the lead back to the Habs before Guhle scored his second of the game to put the Habs two goals in front. Tyson Jost then got Carolina's second, giving the home fans at the Bell Centre a scare with a little less than six minutes left. But, the Canadiens were able to close off the game as Jake Evans added an empty-netter.
Montreal will now finish eighth at the expense of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who miss out on the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. The victory ended a three-game losing streak and could be something to give the Habs confidence heading into the postseason. The Hurricanes will finish fourth in the Eastern Conference regardless of their result on Thursday.
Winnipeg Jets 2-1 Anaheim Ducks (OT)
The Winnipeg Jets can enjoy topping the NHL with the most points in the regular season. They wrapped things up with a 2-1 overtime success over the Anaheim Ducks.
It took the hosts until 13:49 in the second period via Neal Pionk. That was their only goal in regulation, despite taking a total of 64 shots throughout.
Anaheim did find an equaliser 5:45 into the third, as Troy Terry tied things up. Despite missing out on the playoffs, the Ducks did put a good effort in what was their last game of the season. In the end, the Jets found their winner 71 seconds into overtime as Mark Scheifele hit the back of the net.
The Jets end the regular season with seven wins from their last 10 games, finishing five points ahead of the Washington Capitals for the President's trophy. The Ducks close their 2024/25 campaign with four losses in a row.