For a few hours, the Anaheim Ducks were Winnipeg Jets fans. Now the Los Angeles Kings get to root for the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
(Hey, it shouldn’t be too hard, with beloved former Kings winger Justin Williams playing for the Capitals ...)
The reasoning is simple. The Jets beat the Kings via a shootout on Saturday night, thwarting Los Angeles’ attempt to lock down the Pacific Division title.
Note: Jonathan Quick gave the Kings a legit shot at winning, however.
Los Angeles is now at 102 standings points with zero games left while the Ducks are at 101 with one game remaining, that contest against the Capitals on Sunday. Luckily, we don’t need any long division or tiebreaker gymnastics to figure this one out. Instead, it comes down to this:
If the Ducks win in any fashion, they take the Pacific.
If the Capitals win in any fashion, the Kings win the Pacific instead.
Easy, right?
It should be a fun time, and it gives Sunday’s funky, final day of the regular season that much more meaning. The Pacific winner takes on the Nashville Predators while the second-place team faces the San Jose Sharks in round one.
Neither one of those scenarios are necessarily “easy,” but winning the division brings with it some perks, most obviously being better access to home-ice advantage.
Get the popcorn ready for tomorrow, everyone.