The NFHL Game of the Day

 
Kings Burnt!!

Just don't lose! A win.  Even just a point. And you can go to the playoffs.  That is all the LA Kings had to do on the last day of the regular season.  Take at least a point from the Calgary Flames, the team at the bottom of the conference standings and you had taken 3 of the 4 previous games this season.  Just get a point and you were in the playoffs.  They did not get a point. Calgary smothered them, playing the role of spoiler to perfection.  They limited Columbus to just 24 shots on net and didn't allow an even-strength goal in their 3-1 win.  Chris Tamer, Darby Hendrickson and Brian Rolston each had a goal and assist for the Flames who, despite the win, finish with the worst record in the Campbell Conference and 3rd worst overall. Josef Stumpel scored the only LA goal, that coming early in the 3rd period on a power play.  The Kings finish 9th in the conference, just one point back of Columbus but with the same number of wins.

With the final day of the regular season comes the final Skater and Goalie of the Week as well as the final Skater and Goalie of the Month.  The Skater of the Week was Quebec's Claude Lemieux.  He only played in 2 games, but he made his mark with 5 goals on 10 shots.  He had 3 hits and a +3 rating in those games to win Quebec a cool $100,000. Winnipeg's Brendan Shanahan, Philly's Phil Housley and Tampa Bay's Stephane Morin were also considered.  The Goalie of the Week was Felix Potvin of the Detroit Red Wings.  Appearing in 2 games, Potvin was a perfect 2-0, stopping all but 2 of the 50 shots he faced for a .960 save percentage and $100,000 for the Red Wings.  He edged out Calgary's Olaf Kolzig and Florida's Ed Belfour for the prize.

The final Skater of the Month was a choice between several New Jersey Devils.  In the end, it was Peter Bondra.  Bondra played in 15 games, registering 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points.  He had a +19 rating with 49 shots and 23 hits while his team was on a 14-game winning streak.  He was considered alongside teammates Peter Zezel and Dave Andreychuk, as well as Boston's Zigmund Palffy for the $250,000 prize.  The Goalie of the Month was also, unsurprisingly, from the Devils.  Kirk McLean took home the honours with a 10-1 record in 11 games with a .912 save percentage on 248 saves from 272 shots.  Allan Bester of the Jets and Boston's Dominik Hasek were also in talks.

 

Three Stars of the Day

Carey Wilson (FLA) - 3 Goals (39), +3, 5 Shots
Rob Brown (PHI) -  2 Goals (16), 1 Assist, +2, 3 Shots, 1 Hit
Ron Francis (COL) - 1 Goal (34), 2 Assists, +3, 1 Shot, 4 Hits