Lightning Strikes Maple Leafs – NHL Roundup For April 25th

UNDATED (AP) — Right now the Toronto Maple Leafs are sitting in fifth place in the NHL Eastern Conference, and are on track to open next week's playoffs against arch-rival Montreal. Leafs fans are hoping their team puts on a better showing next week.

Tampa Bay, with the next-to-worst record in the East, whacked the Maple Leafs 5-2 less than a week before the playoffs are to start. Steven Stamkos notched his 29th goal, two behind NHL scoring leader Alex Ovechkin of Washington. Martin St. Louis (mar-TAN' san loo-EE') had the hat trick.

In other NHL action:

__ Jordin Tootoo netted the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Johan Franzen scored on a power play with 6:26 left in the Detroit Red Wings' 3-1 win over the L.A. Kings and into eighth place in the Western Conference. Detroit is one point ahead of Columbus and one behind seventh-place Minnesota with two games left.

— The Chicago Blackhawks, top seed in the Western Conference, warmed up for the playoffs with a 4-1 win over Edmonton. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews (tayvz) each scored his 22nd goal. That secured the Presidents' Trophy for the Blackhawks for the first time in 22 years. Chicago is assured of the best record in the regular season.

— Phoenix nipped playoff-bound San Jose 2-1. Mike Smith made 33 saves between the pipes for the Coyotes, who are out of the playoff hunt.