2018-2019 Closeout: Playoffs And Awards
STANLEY CUP
The San Jose Sharks are your 2018-19 Stanley Cup champions! The Sharks blasted through Edmonton in 4 straight, went to seven games against the Kings, beat the Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets in five, and then got the brooms out again in the finals, dispensing with the Boston Bruins 4-0. Both the Cinderella stories (Tampa and New Jersey) ended in the first round, but Columbus represented the underdog community by knocking off the #2 Rangers and #1 Pens before losing to Boston in the Eastern Conference Final.
CALDER CUP
Tacoma got past their first-round matchup 3 games to 1, but then got bounced in the second round 4-2 against the Rochester Americans. Rochester then went on to lose to the Chicago Wolves in seven in the final.
PLAYER AWARDS
Hart: Phil Kessel, RW, Pittsburgh - 40-63-103, +42, 10 PIM, 18.8% shooter
Norris: Brent Burns, San Jose -- 23-42-65, +24, 55 PIM, 8.7% shooter
Vezina: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg -- 68 GP, 43-16-7, 11 SO, 2.05 GAA, .929 save percentage
Calder:
Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Seattle-- 78 games, 30-31-61, +0, 18 PIM, 13.6% shooter
Conn Smythe: Martin Jones, G, San Jose -- 20 GP, 16-3-1, 4 SO, 1.54 GAA, .949 save percentage
Lady Byng: Phil Kessel, RW, Pittsburgh
Masterton: Jacob Trouba, D, Winnipeg
Selke: Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston
Lindsay: Phil Kessel, RW, Pittsburgh
AUTOMATIC (stats-based) AWARDS
Art Ross: Phil Kessel, LW, Pittsburgh -- 103 points
Maurice Richard: Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago -- 53 goals
William Jennings: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg -- 179 goals against
DRAFT LOTTERY/TOP 10
1. Arizona
2. Vancouver
3. Washington
4. Buffalo
5. Colorado (via Ottawa)
6. Detroit
7. Florida
8. Anaheim
9. Toronto
10. Dallas
Seattle will be picking 11th.
NOTABLE RETIREMENTS (> 500 GP)
David Booth, Zdeno Chara, Jason Chimera, Matt Cullen, Johan Franzen, Brooks Laich, Ryan Malone, Patrick Marleau, Dominic Moore, Brooks Orpik
Fairly small batch of retirees. And surprisingly, Jarome Iginla isn't on the list.