The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-1, Wednesday night to clinch first place in the league for the regular season and the Presidents' Trophy.
The Blackhawks dominated the Oilers all night long to earn their victory. The win ensures they will finish the season with at least 75 points, one more than the maximum the Pittsburgh Penguins could earn if they win their final two games.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Wednesday night, a new scoring champion was crowned, the Red Wings moved back into the playoffs, and Mike Smith continued to own the San Jose Sharks. Read on for details.
All The NHL Scores
Get caught up on Wednesday's NHL scores with recaps from our network of SB Nation team blogs. Here's a quick glance at the full evening of action:
Maple Leafs 2, Lightning 5
Blackhawks 4, Oilers 1
Five Answers
Prior to Wednesday's games, we presented five burning questions regarding the day's action. Here are your cool, soothing answers.
1. Will the Chicago Blackhawks clinch the Presidents' Trophy?
The Blackhawks are your 2012-13 Regular Season Champions.
2. Will the Detroit Red Wings reclaim the eighth seed?
The Wings moved back into playoff position and dropped the Blue Jackets down into ninth with a win over the Kings.
3. Will the home team continue to own the season series between the Maple Leafs and Lightning?
It did indeed, with the Lightning winning the contest, 5-2. Martin St. Louis had a hat trick and passed Sidney Crosby to become the league's new leading scorer.
4. Will Los Angeles and San Jose stay on pace for the fourth seed?
Both teams lost and remained tied in points at 57, one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues.
5. Will the Phoenix Coyotes officially be eliminated from the playoffs?
They're out.
Impact Moment
What moment from Wednesday night's games will be making headlines in the coming days?
Ray Emery has been a star in net for the Blackhawks this season, so when he leaves the game with an injury it's a pretty big deal.
Stat of the Night
The Coyotes are going to miss the playoffs, thanks in part to Shane Doan.
Shane Doan has 0 points in last 7 games as his team battles for a playoff spot. I get the feeling this would be a story If he were Russian.
— Dimitri Filipovic (@SoYoureAnExpert) April 25, 2013
Post to Post
- The Pittsburgh Penguins could be getting some stars back just in time for the playoffs.
- So the Carolina Hurricanes called up Jared Staal, youngest brother of Eric and Jordan, who also play for the team. That's awesome, sure, -- but is he any good?
- There's a petition to turn Toronto's CN Tower into a giant goal light for the playoffs.
- Finally, since we now have our Presidents' Trophy winners, it's a good time for a reminder that teams that win that trophy also win the Cup a lot -- just not all the time.
More in the NHL:
• A day in the life of an off-ice official
• On being wrong about the Blue Jackets