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We’ve entered the final week of the 2022-23 NHL regular season. While some playoff spots continue to be contested, we have seen enough of all 32 teams to distill their performances during this campaign down to one word.

So for this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings — the final set for this season — we offer the last word on each club’s 2022-23 regular season.

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors rates teams against one another — taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule — and those results are tabulated to produce the list featured here.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the most recent edition, published March 31. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.

Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 81.41%
Remaining games: vs. NJ (Apr. 8), @ PHI (Apr. 9), vs. WSH (Apr. 11), @ MTL (Apr. 13)

Last word: Unforgettable. Boston has collected accolades, broken records and reached elite benchmarks in a thoroughly dominant regular-season performance. Like every team, the Bruins care more about what happens when the calendar flips to playoff time, but no one inside — or outside — that organization should soon forget what Boston achieved this season.

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 69.87%
Remaining games: @ BUF (Apr. 8), @ OTT (Apr. 10), vs. DET (Apr. 11), @ FLA (Apr. 13)

Last word: Thriving. Carolina proved last season’s 116-point effort was no fluke. The Hurricanes passed the 100-point mark again this season with steady, effective contributions across the board. This is a team living its best life now, and it’s an era of prosperity in which Carolina deserves to revel.

Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 68.35%
Remaining games: @ BOS (Apr. 8), vs. BUF (Apr. 11), @ WSH (Apr. 13)

Last word: Astonishing. New Jersey showcased the season’s best glow-up by going from a recent underachiever to startling playoff contender. And what fun these Devils have been to watch. The way New Jersey’s young talent came into its own during the regular season suggests there is plenty more special years ahead for this team.

Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 66.03%
Remaining games: vs. MTL (Apr. 8), @ FLA (Apr. 10), @ TB (Apr. 11), @ NYR (Apr. 13)

Last word: Successful. Toronto was supposed to have a good regular season. And it did. The Leafs will finish with more than 100 points and appear to have set themselves up to strongly compete in the playoffs. That is really what the regular season is for anyway, a tune-up toward the only task that matters for Toronto: winning a postseason series.

Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 67.09%
Remaining games: @ DAL (Apr. 8), vs. SEA (Apr. 11), @ SEA (Apr. 13)

Last word: Resilient. Vegas had another regular season filled with obstacles (including those pesky, self-imposed, salary cap related ones). But this time, the Golden Knights found a way to come out on top. Despite injuries and other issues, Vegas kept betting on itself and proved to be a satisfying wager.

Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 64.10%
Remaining games: vs. VGK (Apr. 8), @ DET (Apr. 10), @ STL (Apr. 12), vs. STL (Apr. 13)

Last word: Energizing. Dallas didn’t just get star turns from its younger performers — Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Jake Oettinger, etc. — coming further to life this season. The Stars also enjoyed a renaissance of sorts for veterans Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, contributing like they haven’t in years. Whatever the Stars have cooking, it’s been great for the team’s new and old guard.

Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 65.82%
Remaining games: @ CBJ (Apr. 8), vs. BUF (Apr. 10), vs. TOR (Apr. 13)

Last word: Beneficial. New York didn’t shy away from big swings (hello, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane) or learning big lessons (chemistry takes time to build). New York should be a more complete playoff team because of how it used the regular season to troubleshoot, experiment and get real about what could take them on another deep postseason run.

Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 64.94%
Remaining games: @ LA (Apr. 8), @ ANA (Apr. 9), vs. EDM (Apr. 11), vs. WPG (Apr. 13), @ NSH (Apr. 14)

Last word: Tenacious. Colorado didn’t look like the reigning Stanley Cup champion for much of the early regular season (and losing captain Gabriel Landeskog for the year was a tough blow). But the Avalanche got back on track with impressive turns from Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. No one should be hoping for a matchup in the Mile High City this spring.

Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 62.82%
Remaining games: vs. STL (Apr. 8), @ CHI (Apr. 10), vs. WPG (Apr. 11), @ NSH (Apr. 13)

Last word: Determined. Minnesota started the season slowly after a low-key offseason where GM Bill Guerin couldn’t improve his roster amid ongoing salary cap issues. No matter. Minnesota stayed the course, and its top players like Kirill Kaprizov, Marc-Andre Fleury and — most recently — Matt Boldy proved Guerin right for trusting his group to succeed.

Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 65.19%
Remaining games: @ SJ (Apr. 8), @ COL (Apr. 11), vs. SJ (Apr. 13)

Last word: Star-powered. Edmonton’s regular season deserves a two-word hyphenate for its two superstars (that’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, of course), whose performances defined the Oilers’ campaign to date. Is there a ceiling one or both of them can’t break through? Talk about elevating those around them, too.

Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 63.29%
Remaining games: vs. COL (Apr. 8), vs. VAN (Apr. 10), @ ANA (Apr. 13)

Last word: Unsung. Los Angeles might be having the strongest, most unacknowledged regular season of any club. The Kings weathered early-season issues and said goodbye to franchise legend Jonathan Quick. They also didn’t hesitate to add at the trade deadline and have been a beacon of consistency in the wild, wild West. L.A. deserves more flowers.

Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 63.29%
Remaining games: @ OTT (Apr. 8), vs. TOR (Apr. 11), vs. DET (Apr. 13)

Last word: Archetypal. Tampa Bay’s season is playing out as usual: The Lightning have gone through uniquely dominant stretches, followed by patches that beg the question, “Is Tampa Bay finally tired?” And before you know it, the Lightning answer critics with more crisp execution. Of course there was a little drama mixed in with trade deadline moves and a star or two being benched. Never a dull moment!

Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 57.05%
Remaining games: vs. NSH (Apr. 8), vs. SJ (Apr. 10), @ MIN (Apr. 11), @ COL (Apr. 13)

Last word: Maddening. Winnipeg is a good team. Maybe a great one. So why have the Jets made so much of this season unnecessarily difficult? Connor Hellebuyck has backstopped this group with a Vezina Trophy-worthy campaign, but elsewhere the Jets are infuriatingly up and down. That might not ultimately cost them a playoff spot, but there had to be an easier path for such a talented club.

Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 61.54%
Remaining games: vs. CHI (Apr. 8), @ ARI (Apr. 10), @ VGK (Apr. 11), vs. VGK (Apr. 13)

Last word: Breakthrough. Seattle experienced the opposite of a sophomore slump. The NHL’s newest team struggled last season, but this season the Kraken checked in as one cohesive, opportunistic unit. Seattle’s had its difficulties — mainly with establishing good goaltending — but there’s no doubt the Kraken emerged better than before.

Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 56.33%
Remaining games: @ VAN (Apr. 8), vs. NSH (Apr. 10), vs. SJ (Apr. 12)

Last word: Choppy. Calgary’s season had all the makings of a dominant campaign that didn’t quite take flight. Newcomers Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri needed time to click, Jacob Markstrom‘s game was inconceivably inconsistent and coach Darryl Sutter wasn’t always pushing the right buttons. Will that roller coaster lead to a stronger Flames’ team in 2023-24?

Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 56.33%
Remaining games: vs. PHI (Apr. 8), @ WSH (Apr. 10), vs. MTL (Apr. 12)

Last word: Sensible. New York doesn’t generally make waves. But the Islanders are resolutely reasonable. Struggling to score? Trade for — and extend — Bo Horvat. Have an exceptional goaltender in Ilya Sorokin? Ride him, with support from strong team defense. It’s not flashy. But the formula might work well to put New York in the postseason.

Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 56.33%
Remaining games: @ WSH (Apr. 8), vs. TOR (Apr. 10), vs. CAR (Apr. 13)

Last word: Turbulent. Florida hasn’t looked like the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners for most of this season. The Panthers couldn’t find a rhythm until the promise of a postseason push began bringing out their best. The lengthy ebbs and flows may have hardened the Panthers to prepare for this final stretch, but it will be tough to swallow if they miss out on the playoffs altogether.

Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 55.70%
Remaining games: @ DET (Apr. 8), vs. CHI (Apr. 11), @ CBJ (Apr. 13)

Last word: Perplexing. Pittsburgh committed to its veteran core without adding much around it. That led to a strange season of Penguins’ hockey. Pittsburgh was at times unbeatable and at others unrecognizable. The Penguins persisted through injuries, scoring slumps and poor goaltending in what’s become an uphill battle to stay in the postseason picture.

Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 53.90%
Remaining games: vs. CAR (Apr. 8), @ NYR (Apr. 10), @ NJ (Apr. 11), vs. OTT (Apr. 13), @ CBJ (Apr. 14)

Last word: Encouraging. Buffalo battling for a playoff spot into April? That scenario alone makes this season a wild success and an excellent sign for the future of this rising young club. The season came with trials and growing pains, but those lessons rubbed off well on the Sabres as Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin exploded into stardom. Regardless of where Buffalo finishes in the standings, there’s hope that next season — and beyond — will be increasingly positive.

Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 56.41%
Remaining games: @ WPG (Apr. 8), @ CGY (Apr. 10), vs. MIN (Apr. 13), vs. COL (Apr. 14)

Last word: Frustrating. Nashville was primed to build off last season’s great results. But the Predators’ offense never clicked the same way, injuries to top players piled up from there and suddenly they were back to relying on Juuse Saros to save them. It wasn’t a winning combination, even if the Predators’ final stretch revealed some inspiring performances. But it all might be too little, too late.

Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 51.27%
Remaining games: vs. TB (Apr. 8), vs. CAR (Apr. 10), @ BUF (Apr. 13)

Last word: Exasperating. Ottawa has all the tools. The Senators just couldn’t stay healthy long enough to get everyone in the same lineup. What if Ottawa had been, though? What if Alex DeBrincat immediately excelled? What if Cam Talbot was able to be that true every night, No. 1 goaltender? Yes, Ottawa played meaningful hockey into April. But still, there’s so many questions around what could have been for the Sens.

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 49.36%
Remaining games: vs. FLA (Apr. 8), vs. NYI (Apr. 10), @ BOS (Apr. 11), vs. NJ (Apr. 13)

Last word: Surprising. Washington went from maximizing its closing contender window, to watching Alex Ovechkin break historic NHL records, to slumping so hard that GM Brian MacLellan opted to trade players away instead of adding at the deadline. Who saw that twist coming? The Capitals appear headed in a new direction now that’s come about quicker than we expected.

Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 51.27%
Remaining games: @ MIN (Apr. 8), vs. DAL (Apr. 12), @ DAL (Apr. 13)

Last word: Substandard. St. Louis has set a high bar for itself in recent seasons. The Blues didn’t find their way to it this season. Despite rising stars like Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou in the fold, St. Louis’ poor start, aging defense and overall inconsistencies couldn’t be overcome. No one appeared more rattled by that than the team itself.

Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 51.28%
Remaining games: vs. PIT (Apr. 8), vs. DAL (Apr. 10), @ CAR (Apr. 11), @ TB (Apr. 13)

Last word: Disappointing. Detroit had a goal in mind to make the playoffs and fell short. This was despite GM Steve Yzerman loading up on offseason weapons that wound up being hit — like with goaltender Ville Husso — and miss. The Red Wings did extend captain Dylan Larkin, but they were trading players away at the deadline. Detroit’s desire for another postseason chance will have to wait.

Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 49.36%
Remaining games: vs. CGY (Apr. 8), @ LA (Apr. 10), @ ANA (Apr. 11), @ ARI (Apr. 13)

Last word: Dramatic. Vancouver went through it all this season, making headlines as often for its mediocre on-ice play as well as the interesting front office ethos that ultimately led to an in-season coaching change. All that swirling outside noise didn’t help Vancouver produce like it wanted, and now the Canucks have several months ahead to sit on what went wrong.

Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 45.51%
Remaining games: @ NYI (Apr. 8), vs. BOS (Apr. 9), vs. CBJ (Apr. 11), @ CHI (Apr. 13)

Last word: Poor. Philadelphia’s faithful had to hope for better than what the Flyers were able to give. That shockingly good start dwindled away into so many tough nights that GM Chuck Fletcher was let go, and Rangers fans were able to take over Philadelphia’s building. You know that’s something the Flyers never want to see happen again.

Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 42.41%
Remaining games: vs. ANA (Apr. 8), vs. SEA (Apr. 10), vs. VAN (Apr. 13)

Last word: Promising. Arizona isn’t riddled with stars but the Coyotes work hard. That came through all season, whether through individual performances or full-team efforts that saw Arizona unexpectedly win a few games against top contenders. There’s plenty to look forward to from this desert-dwelling club.

Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 38.46%
Remaining games: vs. EDM (Apr. 8), @ WPG (Apr. 10), @ CGY (Apr. 12), @ EDM (Apr. 13)

Last word: Unsatisfactory. San Jose never flourished this season. Even at their best, it felt like the Sharks were lacking the spark to truly reach a consistent, winning trajectory. The fact that Erik Karlsson rebounded into his Norris Trophy-caliber form is about the best thing San Jose can claim this season.

Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 43.04%
Remaining games: @ TOR (Apr. 8), @ NYI (Apr. 12), vs. BOS (Apr. 13)

Last word: Presumptive. Montreal wasn’t meant to take huge strides. Not when GM Kent Hughes seemed more committed to a slow rebuild. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield used the first two-thirds of their seasons to showcase why the organization’s future is so bright, though. When they’re both healthy and thriving, it will go a long way in making Montreal great again.

Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 35.90%
Remaining games: @ SEA (Apr. 8), vs. MIN (Apr. 10), @ PIT (Apr. 11), vs. PHI (Apr. 13)

Last word: Calculated. Chicago knew what it wanted going into this season: Connor Bedard. How do the Blackhawks get him? By not winning games — painful as that is. That’s not to say. The Blackhawks didn’t make it interesting at times with a hot streak here and there. But Chicago has done what’s necessary to give itself a great chance in the 2023 draft lottery.

Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 35.90%
Remaining games: vs. NYR (Apr. 8), @ PHI (Apr. 11), vs. PIT (Apr. 13), vs. BUF (Apr. 14)

Last word: Painful. Columbus’ train wreck of a season was derailed by injuries so severe and to so many key players it was almost laughable. Only the situation isn’t all that funny. The Blue Jackets are hard to even define or assess given how infrequently they could ice a consistent lineup. Whatever the offseason holds, it has to be fueled by the outright agony of what’s been endured the past eight months.

Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 35.90%
Remaining games: @ ARI (Apr. 8), vs. COL (Apr. 9), vs. VAN (Apr. 11), vs. LA (Apr. 13)

Last word: Faltering. Anaheim took a step back. There was ample promise in its ranks during last season’s showing that didn’t translate often during this campaign. GM Pat Verbeek clearly has a path in mind that’s taking the Ducks back through some dark times. If they can come out of it as stronger competitors though, it’ll be worth a little suffering now. The young pieces are certainly there.

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Larson wins at Bristol; Keselowski, Truex ousted

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Larson wins at Bristol; Keselowski, Truex ousted

Just minutes after Kyle Larson crossed the finish line on the most dominating victory ever for a Hendrick Motorsports driver, his team rushed his 9-year-old son to the winning Chevrolet.

Owen Larson was placed on the window, half in the car, half out, as his dad drove a victory lap around Bristol Motor Speedway with his son holding the No. 1 finger in the air. He later joined his dad atop the car during Saturday night’s victory lane celebration.

“We had a little boys’ weekend here this weekend,” Larson said. “We’ll bring some hardware home tonight, too.”

Larson dominated the first elimination race of NASCAR’s 10-race playoff portion of the season by leading all but 38 of the 500 laps at the track in Bristol, Tennessee — the most laps led ever in a race by a Hendrick driver. It easily moved him into the second round of the playoffs, while former NASCAR champions Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr., as well as Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton, were eliminated from the 16-driver field.

“I’ve had a lot of good cars since I’ve come to Hendrick Motorsports, but man, that was just great execution all weekend by the team,” Larson said. “We dominate a lot of races but we might not close them all out, so it feels really good to close one out here.”

The first of three elimination races in the 10-race playoffs began with Denny Hamlin, Truex, Keselowski and Burton all below the cutline and facing elimination from the 16-driver field.

Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner with four career wins at Bristol, was never really worried and finished fourth.

“My aspiration was winning,” Hamlin said. “It’s as good as what we’ve been here the last couple times. It’s all offense from this point forward.”

Burton, who used a surprise win at Daytona last month to qualify for the playoffs in the final few weeks before he loses his seat with Wood Brothers Racing, was doubtful to recover enough to advance and finished 35th. Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion, and 2017 champion Truex had a better shot at salvaging their playoffs but both came up empty.

Truex was penalized for speeding on pit road, taking him out of contention to advance, and Keselowski just didn’t have the pace. Joe Gibbs Racing had two of its four cars eliminated from the playoffs as Ty Gibbs was also penalized for speeding.

“That was just unfortunate there,” said Gibbs, who finished 15th. “Speeding penalty is on me. It’s my fault.”

Keselowski finished 26th and lamented the lack of speed in his RFK Racing Ford.

“Didn’t have the pace we wanted. We ran as hard as we could, there just wasn’t anything there,” Keselowski said. “Just got to be faster.”

Truex is retiring from full-time racing at the end of the season.

“That kind of screws up your whole season,” Truex said of the speeding penalty. “It’s on me. It was my mistake. Just really sad for my guys. We had a really good car. I hate I screwed it up, would have at least tried to see what we could do.”

Larson, meanwhile, led 462 of 500 laps, the most since Cale Yarborough led 495 laps in 1977. Larson’s laps led is the most by a Hendrick driver and marked the fifth win of the season for the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet.

It’s an impressive stat considering the Hendrick team has fielded cars for Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Jr., among others.

“That’s pretty awesome because there’s been some legendary Hall of Famers race for Hendrick Motorsports, and we’ve all grown up watching Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominate,” Larson said. “So pretty cool to get my name on another record at Hendrick Motorsports.”

Daniel Suarez, who finished four laps down in 31st, squeezed out the final spot into the second round of the playoffs by 11 points over Gibbs.

Also advancing were Chase Elliott, who finished second, Christopher Bell, who finished fifth, regular-season champion Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Austin Cindric and Alex Bowman.

Hendrick’s entire four-car Chevrolet lineup advanced, as did all three Ford drivers from Team Penske. But Toyota lost a pair of JGR entries, and Ford lost two cars in Keselowski and Burton.

LaJoie’s final ride Corey LaJoie had already been told by Spire Motorsports it was not bringing him back next year, which gave him the rest of this season to finish out strong.

Then Spire threw him a lifeline with an unusual driver swap with Rick Ware Racing that will move Justin Haley into the Spire No. 7. LaJoie will replace Haley at RWR starting next week at Kansas Speedway.

While Haley’s deal guarantees him the seat in 2025, LaJoie will have to earn the RWR ride. But in the meantime, he wanted one final good finish with Spire. He qualified ninth and was running 11th when he was involved in a crash that essentially ended his career with Spire.

Up next: NASCAR opens the second round of the playoffs at Kansas Speedway, where Reddick won last fall and Larson won in May. Bell takes a six-point lead over Larson into Kansas.

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Custer wins at Bristol to seal Xfinity Series title

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Custer wins at Bristol to seal Xfinity Series title

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Cole Custer won the final race of the Xfinity Series regular season to seal the regular season championship, as well.

Custer’s win Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway gave him the driver championship over Justin Allgaier and bonus points to carry into the playoffs.

“Huge gift of momentum because our confidence was really going down the last month,” Custer said of his second win of the season.

Custer is the reigning Xfinity Series champion and although Stewart-Haas Racing is closing at the end of the season, team owner Gene Haas is keeping one Cup Series charter to run Custer next year.

Sheldon Creed finished second for the 11th time in three seasons as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver remained winless in his Xfinity Series career.

Chandler Smith finished third and was followed by Jesse Love, Ryan Truex and Sam Mayer.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., in what might be his final NASCAR national series race until at least 2026, had an issue with the radio in his headset the entire first stage. He had no access to team communication and needed to pit for four fresh tires “and a new helmet” when Earnhardt made his stop.

The helmet exchange was far from smooth — Earnhardt’s eyeglasses were pulled off his face inside the first helmet and handed to the crew without anyone realizing he didn’t have his spectacles. And, his radio fell, which caused a volume adjustment that was so loud the Hall of Famer told his spotter it was hurting his ears.

At least he doesn’t have to do it every week.

Earnhardt’s deal with sponsor Hellman’s Mayonnaise for JR Motorsports requires him to run an Xfinity Series race a year and Bristol on Friday night fulfilled the obligation. The clause doesn’t exist in 2025, and Earnhardt, who turns 50 later this year, doesn’t expect another Xfinity Series race before 2026.

He finished seventh.

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Bowman secures pole for playoff race at Bristol

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Bowman secures pole for playoff race at Bristol

Alex Bowman, who just two weeks ago was desperately trying to debunk rumors his seat was in danger, will start the first elimination race of NASCAR’s playoffs from the pole.

Bowman turned a lap at 126.720 mph Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee to earn the fifth pole of his career. Bowman heads into Saturday night’s elimination race ranked fourth in the Cup Series standings — best of all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

Bowman made the playoffs by winning the street race at Chicago in a victory that probably saved his seat in the No. 48 Chevrolet. Now in the playoffs, he’s untouchable and under contract at Hendrick through 2025.

Even so, he has been dogged by rumors he’ll be out of a seat at the end of the year, which Hendrick vehemently denied ahead of the start of the playoffs.

In qualifying, Bowman bested all three of his Hendrick teammates. Kyle Larson qualified second and will start Saturday night next to Bowman. William Byron qualified third.

Martin Truex Jr. of Joe Gibbs Racing was fourth and followed by Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing and points leader Christopher Bell of Gibbs. Non-playoff driver Carson Hocevar was seventh, Denny Hamlin of Gibbs was eighth, non-playoff driver Corey LaJoie was ninth and Chase Elliott of Hendrick completed the top 10.

None of the Ford drivers made the top 10. The playoff drivers who didn’t qualify inside the top 10 were Ty Gibbs (13th), Tyler Reddick (15th), Joey Logano (20th), Ryan Blaney (22nd), Brad Keselowski (23rd), Austin Cindric (27th), Harrison Burton (34th) and Daniel Suarez (35th).

The bottom four in the standings headed into elimination are Hamlin, Keselowski, Truex and Burton. The loss of three-time Daytona 500 winner Hamlin or 2012 champion Keselowski and 2017 champion Truex would take some of NASCAR’s top names out of the title chase.

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