The San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings may have clinched a playoff spot well before Thursday's game ended, but they certainly didn't play like it. It was a hard-fought battle right to the final horn and then some, with the Sharks narrowly edging their divisional rivals 6-5 in a shootout.

But don't let the high score fool you into thinking there weren't any big defensive plays. Why, Ryane Clowe's pokecheck on Jarrett Stoll with 3 minutes to go in the 3rd period stands out, and not just because it broke up a very threatening-looking 3-on-2 rush and potentially saved a game-winning goal. It was also the fact that Clowe was on the bench at the time:

Two things: First, this is the best use of waving red arrows in the history of waving red arrows. Second, let no one ever again claim the Sharks don't do what it takes to win. Ryane Clowe straight up cheats. Not since Wacky Races have I seen such dastardly behavior.

When asked about the play, Clowe responded, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Needless to say, Stoll was shocked, gesticulating to the officials the moment he was separated from the puck. This should have been a two-minute minor. But almost as shocking as Clowe's bench pokecheck was the fact that all four officials managed to miss it.

The pokecheck may very well loom large. Had the Kings scored there or on the powerplay and gone on to win the game in regulation, they would have clinched the Pacific Division title. Instead, the game headed to overtime and then a shootout, where it was won by the Sharks.

Said Kings governor Tim Leiweke, "It's a shame that a guy can cheat and get away with it in a game this important.''

Now both teams are tied at 94 points apiece with one game remaining.

That game is a rematch between the two teams Saturday. It should be a much tighter game than the one on Thursday night, especially considering it's now apparently legal to stickcheck from the bench.

UPDATE: No fine or suspension for Clowe; find out why here.

Follow Harrison Mooney on Twitter at @HarrisonMooney

Cam Atkinson (Getty)

No. 1 Star: Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets

Atkinson registered his 1st career hat trick in his 26th NHL game, scoring once in each period as the Blue Jackets ended the Avalanche's slim playoffs hopes with a 5-2 win. Rick Nash scored twice as well. Steve Mason made 35 saves in the win and picked up the only assist on Atkinson's empty-netter to ice the hat trick.

No. 2 Star: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

With the Dallas Stars desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, Rinne was an emotionless and uncaring beast, refusing to allow even a single goal over 28 shots against. Rinne picked up his 5th shutout of the season in the Predators' 2-0 win, eliminating the Stars and leapfrogging the Detroit Red Wings for 4th place in the West.

Getty

There's still the little matter of seeding to deal with, so don't think you can go to bed early on Friday and Saturday (I'm talking to you, biased East Coast media), but after Thursday night's action, the Western Conference playoff picture is officially set.

The Dallas Stars' hopes of earning a playoff berth ended Thursday with their 4th consecutive defeat, a loss to the Nashville Predators. The Stars needed at least a point to stay alive in the West, but they couldn't put any of their 28 shots past Pekka Rinne, falling 2-0.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche were eliminated with a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets (although one assumes they had already accepted their elimination, what with the way they got routed by the Blue Jackets). Their playoff berth was a longshot; now it's a mathematically impossibility, like paying off the U.S. National Debt, or Spongebob Squarepants's pineapple house.

With the losses, the San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, and Los Angeles Kings can all rest easy.

Unlike in the Eastern Conference, however, where the playoff matchups are already beginning to take shape, the West could see some major shuffling over the coming days. At the time of this writing, not a single seed is set in stone.

With the Vancouver Canucks' loss to the Calgary Flames, the St. Louis Blues can win the West with victories in their final 2 games. Nashville can still be passed by Detroit for 4th, and Detroit can still be passed by Chicago for 5th.

The Pacific Division title is still up for grabs as well, which means the 3rd, 7th, and 8th seeds won't be known until the weekend.

In short, there's still plenty of intrigue in the West. Just not as much as there was this morning.

Follow Harrison Mooney on Twitter at @HarrisonMooney

John Tortorella had plenty to be upset about after the New York Rangers' 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday. It was an ugly defeat, and with it, the Rangers made it possible for the Vancouver Canucks to take over 1st in the NHL with just a game remaining in the regular season.

But Tortorella was especially upset about a knee-on-knee hit to Derek Stepan delivered by Penguins' blueliner Brooks Orpik in the game's final five minutes:

Did Orpik hang the knee? Tortorella certainly thought so. When asked about the collision in the postgame presser, Tortorella went off on both the hit, the Penguins' organization in general, and their stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (though not by name).

Said Tortorella:

"It's a cheap, dirty hit. I wonder what would happen if we did it to their two whining stars over there. I wonder what would happen. So I'm anxious to see what happens with the League over this. Just no respect among players. None. It's sickening."

"It's one of the most arrogant organizations in the league. They whine about this stuff all the time, and look what happens."

"It's ridiculous. But they'll whine about something else over there, won't they, starting with their two (expletive) stars."

Thank God he was wearing his stretchy purple shorts before Hulking out.

Back in December, the Chicago Blackhawks released a video of Blackhawk-themed Christmas carols, one of which was Deck Jamal and You'll Be Sorry. This is especially true if done via headbutt, a lesson Minnesota Wild defenseman Nate Prosser is now in a position to learn.

With just over a minute to go in the second period, Blackhawks' forward Jamal Mayers fired a shot on Josh Harding, then drove to the goalmouth. After Harding froze the puck, a scrum developed at the side of the goal, and Prosser went helmet to face on Mayers:

Mayers had opened the scoring earlier in the frame, and Prosser was partly to blame for the goal, losing his check. Was this frustration boiling over?

Either way, the headbutt cost Prosser a 5 minute major and a game misconduct, and according to Mike Russo, it may have cost Mayers some teeth.

It seems an outright certainty that this will see a lengthy suspension. Back in November, Patrick Kaleta received a 4-game ban for a headbutt on Jakub Voracek. Prosser's is a little more egregious, but he doesn't have the history of headbutting that Kaleta had. Will he garner more games? Fewer? The same? Let's set the over/under at 4.5 games. What do you think?

One thing is for sure: With only one game remaining in the Wild's season after Thursday night, Prosser will likely be serving this suspension into 2012-13. After all, considering the current climate of the NHL, the headbutt has to be about the stupidest thing you can do right now. It's not just a headshot -- it's two headshots.

Follow Harrison Mooney on Twitter  at @HarrisonMooney

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

Jeff Deslauriers (Getty)

I'm 78% sure those are prop legs and Jeff Deslauriers is standing in a hole in the floor.

Preview: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. ET

Before the Sabres left for their two-game road trip to end the season, their fans said, If you don't come home with a playoff berth, don't come home at all. It could all end Thursday. A regulation loss for the Sabres and a win for the Capitals shuts down the miracle run before we even reach the weekend. However, the opposite outcome puts them in the driver's seat going forward. The Sabres are still without Tyler Myers and Christian Ehrhoff, they've surrendered 14 goals in their last 3 games, and the Flyers are the league's second-highest scoring team. Furthermore, Ilya Bryzgalov is back in the net for Philly after surrendering 5 goals on 24 shots in his last outing. I'd expect this to be a high-scoring affair.

Preview: Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

The Panthers only need one point to clinch their first Southeast Division ever, which is good, since they've gotten only one point in 5 of their last 8 games. But one suspects they'll be out for much more, as a regulation win would put the Capitals at risk of missing the playoffs and Brooks Laich at risk of looking less like a clairvoyant than some are hoping. This one has awesome drama, as Jose Theodore gets the start for Florida, his first against his former team. If you're reaching for optimism, Capitals fans, your team has never lost a home game to the Florida Panthers in April. Also: 1 million Puck-points to anyone that gets a photo of Ted Leonsis in a rally poncho. Note: Puck-points are not officially recognized as points.

Hockey Hugs is a feature that celebrates the best in hugging from around the NHL, because who doesn't love a good hug now and then? Seen a particularly good hug photo lately? Send it to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or tweet @HarrisonMooney.

Buffalo Sabres goalie hug (Getty)

And so we come to the final Hockey Hugs of the 2011-12 regular season. Here you go, friends. (I call you "friends" because I assume that that's what we all are now. I mean, I've shared just shy of 100 hugs with you this season. You can't share that many hugs and not be considered friends, amirite? Let's all go to Denny's after this.)

Florida Panthers hockey hug (Getty)But please don't think hockey hugs is over. The playoffs start next week. That's where all the best hugs will come from. As I've been saying all along, as the games become more meaningful, so too do the hugs.

Consider the Buffalo Sabres, who make two appearances today. They're playing nothing but big games right now, which is why Derek Roy followed up his overtime winner by going on a full-blown hugging spree, like some affectionate postal worker. First he leapt into the arms of Marcus Foligno like Foligno had just returned home from being lost at sea. Then, he treated Ryan Miller to the sweetest dip since Lik-M-Aid.

Two hugs in one goal? Yeah, it must be April.

I mean, look at Jason Garrison and Stephen Weiss bringing it in over at the right. That's not even after a goal. The puck is being worked down low. But, as Garrison skated past Weiss, he whispered, "Hey, we're gonna make the playoffs." And Weiss was, as you can see, overcome with emotion.

That's hockey hugs for you. So are these:

noribsforyou

Sunday afternoon's 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins made the Philadelphia Flyers a perfect 5-0-0 at the Consol Energy Center, a fact Peter Laviolette addressed in the postgame. The secret: delectable ribs.

"We buy ribs from DeeJays in Weirton after the game and have them delivered to the plane," Laviolette said, "And those ribs seem to be doing the trick. It went back to last year, too. Whenever the ribs are ordered, we win. I want to thank DeeJays."

Unfortunately, DeeJays doesn't want to thank Laviolette. Dewey Guida, the owner of the West Virginia restaurant, immediately came under fire from Penguins fans wondering why he was feeding the Flyers' success -- literally. In response, Guida, a diehard Penguins fan, has cut off all rib service to the Flyers.

"No more ribs for them," Guida told the Steubenville Herald-Star. "And I pray, I hope, that the Penguins beat their skates off."

Guida and Laviolette have been friends for years, first getting to know each other when Laviolette