The Carolina Hurricanes will look to extend their point streak to 12 games on Saturday night as they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to the Lenovo Center.
Two of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference by points percentage square off, as both clubs come in having won their first game back from the Olympic break.
The Hurricanes are more or less in cruise control toward their first regular season division championship since the 2022-23 season with an eight-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins with 24 games to the finish line.
Detroit, on the other hand, is working through a gauntlet of an Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the way, but the Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres are all looking like quality playoff teams.
While all of those squads look like safe bets to make the playoffs, the jockeying for positioning down the stretch will be one of the most compelling stories in the league.
These two teams played an entertaining game in the Motor City on January 12 when the Hurricanes forced overtime with a late goal before the Wings took the win in overtime on a goal that featured a controversial no-call on a possible interference infraction right in front of the Carolina net.
If this game is anywhere near as compelling as that one, the fans are in for a treat.
Here’s how to check out the action…
Time: 7:00 PM
TV: FanDuel Sports Network. Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play alongside Tripp Tracy doing color. Hanna Yates will provide off-ice reports as well as host pregame starting at 6:00 and postgame that will run for about 30 minutes after the conclusion.
Streaming:FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas. Outside of the area, the ESPN app has you covered as they have every out-of-market hockey game available to watch.
Radio: The pregame on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6:30. At 7:00 PM the Hurricanes Radio Nework (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) picks up the FDSN feed. You can also stream the call on the Hurricanes app.
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson (16) tries to score against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
With two of five games in a seven day stretch now behind them, it’s safe to assume that the Colorado Avalanche were looking forward to the weekend.
This afternoon, the visiting Chicago Blackhawks will make their only regular season appearance in Denver, as the Avs face their third consecutive Central Division opponent in four days.
Colorado Avalanche (38-10-9)
The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (22-27-9)
Time: 4:00 P.M. MST/6:00 P.M. EST
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Broadcast Area), CHSN (Blackhawks Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche currently sport a .500 record for the month of February, going 2-2 in that time frame. This would sound a lot more alarming if it weren’t for the extended Olympic pause that led to playing only four games through the month. A victory today would keep them from posting their second consecutive sub-500 month of hockey, and would certainly provide a lift after losing 5-2 to the visiting Minnesota Wild this past Thursday. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 of 34 shots in a contest that featured an impressive goalie duel between him and Filip Gustavsson—who stopped 45 of 47 shots in his own right—only to be overshadowed by questionable judgement (see Brent Burns launching the puck into the crowd during an Avalanche penalty kill that was already down not one, but two skaters) and officiating (poke checks are penalties now?).
Coach Jared Bednar lamented his team’s inability to widen the gap on both Minnesota and the idle Dallas Stars. “It’s the standings at the end of the year is what matters, right? So, that [game] was a missed opportunity; that’s what that was. Nine points if we win, two games in hand, that’s a long road to try and catch you, and now it’s tight. Five [points] with two [games] in hand, and there’s lots of hockey to be played. We’ve just got to take care of our business.”
The loss allowed Minnesota—playing in a first game of a back to back pair of their own—to leapfrog over Dallas to second place in the Central Division, closing to within five points of the Avs. However, just like the Avs, Minnesota failed to seize the moment in their second half of back to back games, as they lost to the Utah Mammoth by a score of 5-2 at Delta Center on Friday evening. The loss prevented them from closing to within three points of the Avalanche, who can now restore their seven point cushion with a win this afternoon.
Hockey giveth, and hockey taketh away.
Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup against Minnesota for the first time since returning from the Olympics, and while he did not add to his NHL goal scoring total—he remains at a League best 40 goals—he did reach the 95 point plateau (Edmonton’s Connor McDavid leads all skaters with 100 points). Martin Nečas, who scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season on Thursday evening, trails Brock Nelson (30) for third place in team scoring, and is three goals shy of tying his career high (28). While the loss to Minnesota may look lopsided by box score alone, Blackwood’s play to keep his team close for the majority of the contest ought to merit a return to the crease today.
The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. Coming into this afternoon’s game, they have a game in hand on Dallas (who will be in action at American Airlines Center tonight against the Nashville Predators), and three games in hand on Minnesota.
Today’s game is the second in the three game series with Chicago. The Avs won the previous matchup on November 23, a 1-0 decision.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Gabe Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson Joel Kiviranta* – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Kiviranta, who was injured during the second period after taking a hit from Minnesota’s Zach Bogosian, is uncertain for today’s game at the time of this writing.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago had a great start to 2026, winning five of their first six games in January. However, they followed up that effort by losing nine of their next twelve games prior to the Olympic break. Currently occupying seventh place in the Central Division standings with 53 points, they remain two points ahead of last place St. Louis (51). They kicked off a five game road trip prior to the Olympics, with their most recent effort being a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday evening.
Like Colorado, Chicago also representation in Italy at the Olympics, but to a significantly smaller scale. Center Teuvo Teravainen won the bronze medal alongside Kiviranta as a member of Finland’s roster. The notable absence is center Connor Bedard, who was not invited to participate as a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Bedard, who scored his twenty-fourth goal of the season against Nashville on Thursday night, currently leads all Chicago skaters in assists (30) and points (54), and ranks second to left wing Tyler Bertuzzi in goals (26).
While Bedard’s solid sophomore campaign led many to believe that he was on the short list to be selected to the Olympics by Hockey Canada, he was ultimately left off the roster once the final selections were announced. Bedard missed twelve games with an upper body injury sustained in a literal last second face-off sequence against St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn back in December, leading many to speculate if the injury was a key factor in leaving Bedard off the Canadian Olympic roster.
Goaltender Spencer Knight is three wins away from tying his career high (19) in his first full season with Chicago. He will likely start today against Colorado. Despite leading all Chicago goaltenders in wins (Arvid Soderblom has five wins on the season and Drew Commesso has one), Chicago has given up more than two goals in fourteen of ninteen games played in since the start of the New Year. That has contributed to the third worst goal differential (-33) in the NHL; only St. Louis (-52) and Vancouver (-62) rank lower.
Today’s match-up against Colorado marks their only regular season visit to Denver, and marks the first game of a back to back weekend. They will finish the weekend in—where else?—Salt Lake City against the Mammoth on Sunday afternoon. The season series against Colorado will conclude on home ice at United Center on March 20.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi Ryan Donato – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev Teuvo Teravainen – Nick Foligno – Landon Slaggert
Defense: Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier Connor Murphy – Sam Rinzel Matt Grzelcyk – Artyom Levshunov
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 29: Pavel Zacha #18 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his first period goal with David Pastrnak #88, Jonathan Aspirot #45, and Morgan Geekie #39 against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden on January 29, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by China Wong/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
With a 3 PM start, you’re getting the rare “Preview/Public Skate” combo!
Hold onto this post, it may be worth money someday.
I say “3ish” for the start time, as these ABC national games always seem to kind of just start whenever they want. 3:01, 3:12, 3:99…you decide.
The Flyers beat the Rangers in OT last time out, a 3-2 road win on Thursday.
With that win, the Flyers are still hanging around the very fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff race: they’re eight points behind the Bruins for the second wild card spot, with three teams between them and the B’s.
Similar to Thursday night’s game, the Bruins fill be facing a team attempting to chase them down in the standings, so it goes without saying that this is a pretty big game for both sides.
(I should probably stop saying that in general, as that will be the case for every game unless a team is completely out of contention. Cliches are fun though.)
One of the reasons the Flyers have been hanging around: the play of former Bruin Dan Vladar, who has been a great signing for Philly.
Vladar is 17-9-6 on the season with a 2.46 GAA and .905 save percentage. He has stumbled a bit lately though, posting a 1-3-3 record in his last seven starts.
These two teams met at TD Garden back in late January, a 6-3 win for the Bruins that saw the home team get goals from six different scorers.
Spreading the wealth, etc.
It remains to be seen if Jeremy Swayman will draw back in for the Bruins today. You could make a pretty convincing argument that Joonas Korpisalo deserves another start after Thursday’s performance, but I guess we’ll see.
Michael DiPietro was sent back to Providence on Friday, an indication that Swayman will at least be available to dress.
Other than that, not much has changed since Thursday for the black and gold.
Bobby Brink has seen his shot volume increase since Tyson Foerster went down with an injury.
My Bruins vs. Flyers predictions expect that trend to continue in a favorable shooting matchup against Boston.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Saturday, February 28.
Bruins vs Flyers prediction
Bruins vs Flyers best bet: Bobby Brink Over 1.5 shots on goal (-170)
Bobby Brink’s shot volume has risen noticeably without Tyson Foerster, especially at home.
Before Foerster’s injury, Brink averaged 1.5 shots on 2.5 attempts in Philadelphia. He has since produced 1.8 shots, 3.6 attempts, and gone Over 1.5 shots 62% of the time.
The boost is more noticeable in favorable matchups. In five home games against Bottom-10 shot suppression teams, Brink has averaged 2.6 shots on 4.4 attempts. He cleared this line in each.
The volume should remain strong against the Boston Bruins, who’ve allowed the third-most shots to wingers over their last 10 games.
Bruins vs Flyers same-game parlay
Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett has averaged 3.6 shots on 6.6 attempts over his last 10 home games, going Over in eight of them.
The lone Unders were against stingy shot suppression teams like the Senators and Kings — which the Bruins are certainly not.
Projected starters Jeremy Swayman (fourth) and Dan Vladar (15th) both rank near the top of the league in Goals Saved Above Expected, meaning it should be difficult to translate those shots into goals.
Bruins vs Flyers SGP
Bobby Brink Over 1.5 shots on goal
Owen Tippett Over 2.5 shots on goal
Under 6.5
Bruins vs Flyers odds
Moneyline: Boston -105 | Philadelphia -115
Puck line: Boston +1.5 (-250) | Philadelphia -1.5 (+205)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)
Bruins vs Flyers trend
The Flyers have hit the Under in each of their last five games (+5.00 Units / 90% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Flyers.
How to watch Bruins vs Flyers
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Puck drop
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Bruins vs Flyers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It’s a busy Saturday evening across the National Hockey League, with a total of 13 games on the schedule. That means there’s lots of value in the NHL player props, and I’ll include Brayden Point, Matthew Schaefer, and Macklin Celebrini.
Read more in my NHL picks for Saturday, February 28.
Best NHL player prop bets today
Player
Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal
-120
Schaefer anytime goal
+475
Point Over 0.5 assists
+115
img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 with the BET99 promo code COVERSNHL" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/promo-articles/bet99nhlcreative2526.jpeg"Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL. (not available in Ontario)
Our best NHL player props for Saturday, February 28
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Macklin Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal
-120 at BET99
Macklin Celebrini just lit it up with Team Canada at the Winter Olympics, proving to the world he’s already one of the NHL’s elite. He never has any issues creating chances, averaging 3.48 SOG per contest.
The Sharks star didn’t get on the scoresheet in his first game back from the Olympics, but Celebrini did register five shots on target. He’s cashed the Over in SOG in three of his last four games.
He’ll get pucks on net against the Oilers tonight.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, SN
Prop #2: Matthew Schaefer anytime goal
+475 at BET99
Matthew Schaefer’s rookie season has been one for the ages. The first overall pick has collected 41 points overall, and that includes 18 goals.
He’s given the Islanders a boost on both ends of the rink.
The youngster bagged two goals in his first game since the break on Thursday against the Canadiens, and he’s found the back of the net in four of his last six appearances.
The Isles face the Blue Jackets tonight, and that’s good news for Schaefer. He’s lit them up in 2025-26, already scoring twice across two meetings. Schaefer will score No. 19 this evening.
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MSGSN, FDSN OH
Prop #3: Brayden Point Over 0.5 assists
+115at BET99
Brayden Point has missed substantial time this season due to injury, but his numbers are still impressive.
In 39 games, he’s scored 14 goals and registered 21 helpers. The Canadian has hit the ground running since the NHL returned from the Olympic break, too.
The 29-year-old has notched assists in back-to-back games, setting up a goal on Wednesday against the Maple Leafs. He also had another helper in Thursday’s loss to the Hurricanes.
The Lightning welcome the Sabres to town tonight, and Point has collected 11 assists in 18 home contests.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Ottawa Senators are currently in a tough spot. At the time of this writing, they trail the Boston Bruins by seven points for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Senators are also behind the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets, so they have a lot of work to do to try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Yet, with the Senators' playoff hopes not looking the best, a former Philadelphia Flyers star has now entered the rumor mill.
In a recent article for The Athletic, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun wrote that the Senators could make former Flyers captain Claude Giroux available if they struggle in their games leading up to the deadline.
"Giroux has a full no-move clause, and Ottawa is his home. But he’s also never won a Cup. My sense is Giroux would rather stay put because he thinks they can still make the playoffs. But if the Sens struggle over the next week and dig a hole, that could make him think about things," LeBrun wrote.
If the Senators make Giroux available and the longtime Flyer is open to a trade, there is no question that he should generate a lot of interest. Even at 38 years old, the former Flyer is still an impactful forward in the NHL. His stats this season demonstrate this, as he has 11 goals, 28 assists, 39 points, and a plus-15 rating in 58 games with Ottawa.
With the Flyers being below the Senators in the standings, a reunion with Giroux at the deadline won't be happening. However, there should be plenty of playoff teams interested in him, as he is exactly the kind of veteran forward that contenders love to add.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Senators end up moving Giroux from here.
After losing to the New York Islanders in overtime on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens will get one last chance for revenge against the Washington Capitals this season. Spencer Carbery’s men eliminated the Habs last spring and beat them twice already this season: 8-4 in the first duel in November with Jakub Dobes in net and 3-2 in January with Samuel Montembeault in net.
The Caps were in action at home on Friday night, beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, and will therefore be playing the second game of a back-to-back against the Habs. Washington is currently on the outside looking in of the playoff picture, sitting in ninth place of the Eastern Conference with 69 points, two points behind the Boston Bruins. However, Boston has three games in hand because the Caps have already played 61 games, leaving them with very little room for error. They’re on a three-game winning streak and have a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games.
As for the Canadiens, they were overtaken in the standings by both the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres in the last two days. Both teams have 74 points, one point ahead of the Habs, but the Sainte-Flanelle has a game in hand. With Thursday night’s loss, Montreal has a 6-2-2 record in its last 10 games and needs to start winning in regulation in a hurry. Every point given to the opponents in a tight playoff race matters.
Since Montembeault got the start on Thursday, and Martin St-Louis has already said that both goaltenders would get a game this week, Dobes will be in the net tonight. The Czech netminder has a 1-1-0 record against the visitors with a 3.71 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage. As for Montembeault, he’s 2-3-1 with a 3.63 GAA and a .891 SV.
Meanwhile, Charlie Lindgren will get the start against his former team since Logan Thompson was in the net on Friday. Lindgren has a 4-1-0 record against the Canadiens with a 2.83 GAA and a .889 SV. As for Thompson, he’s 2-0-1 against the Habs with a 2.58 GAA and a .900 SV.
Up front, it will be interesting to see whether St-Louis sticks with the same lineup or if Zachary Bolduc returns. Nick Suzuki is Montreal’s most productive forward against the Caps with 20 points in just 17 games, followed by Brendan Gallagher with 16 points in 32 games and Mike Matheson with 15 points in 29 games. It’s also worth noting that Cole Caufield has 14 points in just 13 games against Washington. As for Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson, they’ve been on fire since they were put on the same pairing. Hutson has a five-game point streak with six points over that span, while Dobson has a six-game point streak with nine points, including three goals.
The Canadiens will need to keep a close eye on Alexander Ovechkin, who is the Caps’ top point producer against the Tricolore with 74 points in 62 games. The Great Eight has not found the back of the net in his last seven games, and a meeting with Montreal might be just what the doctor ordered for the sharpshooter who has four points in two duels so far this season.
John Carlsson is Washington’s second most productive skater with 28 points in 46 games, followed by Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has 23 points in 27 games. The Quebecer has five points in three games since returning from an abdominal surgery that sidelined him for four months. Surprisingly, fourth-liner Ethan Frank has seven points in three duels with the Habs, including six points in the two games played so far this season.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on TVAS, CITY, SNE, and MNMT. Jake Brenk and Cody Beach, a former St. Louis Blues draft pick who never made the NHL as a player, are set to officiate, while Devin Berg and Travis Toomey will be the linemen.
Adam Fox is one of the best offensive defensemen in the sport. Despite the down year for New York, he is once again producing at a 70+ point pace over a full schedule.
My Penguins vs. Rangers predictions see Fox playing a key role offensively in this Metro Division battle.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Saturday, February 28.
Penguins vs Rangers prediction
Penguins vs Rangers best bet: Adam Fox Over 0.5 points (-115)
Injuries and the New York Rangers’ underwhelming play have obscured the fact Adam Fox has produced 28 points through 31 games.
Fox started slow but has hit the scoresheet in 10 of his last 15, including against high-end opponents like Tampa (x2), Carolina, and Colorado.
It's par for the course with Fox, who has nine points over his past nine against Top-10 teams in goals allowed. That bodes well for his chances against the Pittsburgh Penguins (seventh-most goals against)
He also QBs the No. 1 power play, and New York is 3-for-7 on the man advantage against Pittsburgh this season.
Penguins vs Rangers same-game parlay
Fox has a strong shooting history against the Penguins, generating multiple shots in seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings.
Fox has averaged 5.1 attempts over his past 10 home games, taking 4+ in nine of them. He has 2+ shots on target in 69% of games this season when attempting four shots or more.
J.T. Miller is skating on the top line and shares the ice with Fox on the No. 1 power play unit, making him a strong correlation play.
Penguins vs Rangers SGP
Adam Fox Over 0.5 points
Adam Fox 1.5 shots on goal
J.T. Miller Over 0.5 points
Penguins vs Rangers odds
Moneyline: Pittsburgh -115 | New York -105
Puck line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+215) | New York +1.5 (-270)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)
Penguins vs Rangers trend
Adam Fox has points in seven of his past 10 games against Pittsburgh. Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Rangers.
How to watch Penguins vs Rangers
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Puck drop
12:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Penguins vs Rangers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Andoni Iraola: “It’s a team that has played really well this season,” he said of today’s visitors. “Starting from the goalkeeper - he has been very, very good for them. He has a really long kick so it puts you under pressure really early. Every free-kick and every set-piece situation, they put a lot of pressure on you, they manage the situations very well.”
Regis Le Bris: “We are in a tough league – a young team with injuries, suspensions and different events,” said Sunderland’s head coach, upon being asked about his side’s run of three league defeats. “We expected that a bit earlier [in the season]. It is not the best period from a results perspective. We are learning a lot, and it is often in these tough phases that you are learning more.”
New York Islanders - 33-21-5 - 71 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 3rd in the Metro.
Columbus Blue Jackets - 29-21-7 - 65 Points - 8-2-0 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro.
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus had its season-high seven-game win streak snapped in the first game following the Olympic Break with a 4-2 loss at Boston on Thursday.
The Blue Jackets, who open a stretch of five-of-six games played at home on Saturday, have won four consecutive home games since Jan. 22 and earned points in eight-of-nine contests at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (7-1-1).
Since Dec. 22, the Blue Jackets have gone 15-6-1 (31 pts, .705 points pct.) and are among NHL leaders in team save percentage (.910/3rd-T), points (5th-T), goals-against per game (2.59, 5th), penalty kill pct. (83.3 pct./5th-T), points pct (6th-T) and goals-for per game (3.41/12th).
The club has scored the opening goal in 11 of the past 13 games and has scored the first goal in 35 contests (24-7-4), tied for third-most in the NHL in 2025-26.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle ranks sixth-T in the NHL in scoring since Jan. 24 with 5-7-12 and four multi-point efforts in seven games.
Adam Fantilli posted his eighth multi-point effort of the season with 1-1-2 on Thursday and has totaled 2-6-8 in the past seven contests. He has set a single-season career high in assists with 14-24-38 in 57 games in 2025-26.
Boone Jenner (207-203-410, 784 GP), who is the club's all-time leader in games played and ranks third in goals and points, is one assist from tying David Vyborny (204) for third-most in CBJ history.
Mason Marchment collected his third multi-point outing as a Blue Jacket with two assists on Thursday. He has totaled 9-6-15 in 15 games since making his debut with the club on Dec. 20.
Zach Werenski helped Team USA capture a Gold Medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics (1-5-6, 6 GP). He collected an assist on Thursday to tie his career-high points streak at eight games (2-9-11) originally set from Nov. 15-Dec. 1, 2024 (5-11-16). He also has points in 21 of his past 23 games played since Dec. 11 (11-22-33, 10 multi-point efforts).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.6% - 19th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.2% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 176 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 180 - 17th in the NHL
IslandersStats
Power Play - 16.1% - 28th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 81.5% - 9th in the NHL
Goals For - 169 - 22nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 160 - 4th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheIslanders
Columbus is 28-23-1-7 all-time, and 19-7-1-4 at home vs. New York.
The home team is 11-3-1 in the last 15, and 5-0-1 in the last 6.
The CBJ have killed off 9 of 10 NYI power plays.
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last nine meetings overall, including five-straight at Nationwide Arena.
Each team has recorded a 2-0 shutout victory over the past five contests played at Nationwide Arena.
The Jackets have killed off 9-of-10 Islanders power play attempts over the last five contests played in Ohio (90 pct.).
CBJ have recorded five shutouts in the all-time series (MR: Merzlikins, 26 saves in 2-0 W at CBJ on Oct. 30, 2024).
The teams have averaged a combined 58.5 shots on goal in the past six meetings of the series.
Who To Watch For TheIslanders
Bo Horvat leads the team with 24 goals
Mathew Barzal leads NYI with 35 assists and 52 points.
Ilya Sorokin is 21-13-2 with a SV% of .915.
David Rittich is 12-8-3 with a SV% of .900
CBJ Player Notes vs.Islanders
Zach Werenski has 15 points in 25 career games vs. the Islanders.
Boone Jenner has 16 points in 34 games.
Mason Marchment has 5 points in 10 games against New York.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 19 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 156
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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The San Jose Sharks may have acquired forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks just last month, but the gritty forward is right back in the rumor mill.
If the Sharks end up shopping Sherwood, let's look at three teams that could make sense as landing spots for the 30-year-old winger.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are having a great year, as they are at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. With this, they will be buyers at the deadline, and one of their needs is another impactful winger in their middle six. Due to this, it would not be surprising at all if they made a serious push for Sherwood. He would not only give them a skilled forward with an edge but also would come at an affordable price for the Bolts.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche were often connected to Sherwood before the Sharks acquired him from the Canucks. Due to this, it would make sense if the Avalanche pursued him again leading up to the deadline. Sherwood would give the Avalanche's forward group a nice boost and would provide them with another player who is built for the playoffs.
Ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline, one Eastern Conference team has been blowing up the Philadelphia Flyers' phones more than others.
As it turns out, Flyers forward Owen Tippett, who will have minor trade protection kick in on his contract this summer, has a group of admirers in the northeast.
On Friday, Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco reported that the Boston Bruins are a team that has called about Tippett "several times this season."
"One name the Bruins have checked in on several times this season is winger Owen Tippett, who is under contract for six seasons beyond this one at an AAV of $6.2 million," Di Marco wrote.
"The Flyers aren’t looking to move the 27-year-old winger by any means but are open to discussions, though the price to get him out of Philadelphia would have to be significant. The Bruins feel like Tippett brings a different style of game and a versatility that they are lacking."
On the other side of the equation, Di Marco mentioned Bruins center prospects Matt Poitras and Dean Letourneau as players of interest to the Flyers, as well as left-shot defenseman Mason Lohrei.
Given the Flyers' logjam at the winger position, it would appear, on the surface, to be a no-brainer to move someone with Tippett's value to acquire players at other positions of need.
Letourneau, a 6-foot-7 center and 2024 first-round pick, was absolutely awful for Boston College last season, scoring just three assists in 26 games.
This year, however, has been a completely different story, and the 20-year-old has exploded for 19 goals, 15 assists, and 34 points in only 31 games.
It's been well-documented how the Flyers have loved to draft for size over the last two drafts, and Letourneau would certainly fit right in. Size aside, he's also a decent skater and has real puck skills to boot.
As for Poitras, the 22-year-old former second-round pick already has 69 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, scoring seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points.
He's the least attractive option of the two centers, but Poitras does have the skill the Flyers need down the middle.
Lohrei, 25, was notably selected by the Bruins (58th) after the Flyers had selected Emil Andrae (54th) in the 2020 NHL Draft, and now the American blueliner could very well find himself tapped to replace his Swedish draft classmate.
Andrae's 5-foot-9 size does not appear to jive with what the Flyers are trying to do with their defense corps in the long-term, while Lohrei, who is 6-foot-5 and has 69 points in 171 games, can move the puck equally well while being capable of doing more physically.
As Di Marco noted, Lohrei carries a $3.2 million cap hit and could be jettisoned in an effort to create further cap space for the Bruins.
From the Flyers' perspective, Lohrei is an RFA again in the 2027 offseason, so there aren't going to be any significant financial or long-term commitments they're bound by if things don't work out in Philadelphia.
If the Flyers can swap Tippett for any combination of these players, especially given that Porter Martone will arrive soon and Tyson Foerster will eventually return from injury, the organization will be setting themselves up nicely to ice a much more well-rounded and competitive roster in the near future.
In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman discussed the Montreal Canadiens and mentioned that they have been exploring options on defence. The insider said:
“You know the Canadiens, I do think they’ve looked at some of those Ds guys like Ristolainen or guys like that.”
Friedman failed to mention who else would fit into the “guys like that” category, but looking at Ristolainen, I struggle to see how the Philadelphia Flyers would be a viable option for the Canadiens. Of course, he’s a right-shot defenseman, and he’s big at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, but he doesn’t play big. In just 21 games this season with the Philadelphia Flyers, he has landed a total of 21 hits. That’s hardly the kind of contribution they’d need in the playoffs.
Furthermore, the last time he played a full 82-game season was back in 2015-16 with the Buffalo Sabres. He’s suffered multiple right triceps tendon ruptures, which have led to multiple surgeries over the years, and this season, he didn’t start playing until mid-December.
The Canadiens already have a couple of defensemen on their books who are very good on paper but have sustained more than their fair share of injuries on the ice: Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher. Do they need a 31-year-old who has another season to go with a $5.1M cap hit? Unless they have concerns about Reinbacher and think he needs more time in the AHL, it would be a puzzling move for the Canadiens’ brass.
I believe if the Canadiens move before the deadline, it will once again be a Kent Hughes surprise move, one that seems to come out of left field and that wasn’t in any of the rumours. The Habs have always been a tight-lip organization, and I’d be surprised if that changed anytime soon.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 06: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins checks Vincent Trocheck #16 of the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden on December 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (30-15-12, 72 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ New York Rangers (22-29-7, 51 points, 8th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: National broadcast on ABC
Pens’ Path Ahead: Things are about to get busy for the Pens, who are back home for a 1 p.m. ET matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow and then go on to play five games over the next nine days.
Opponent Track: The Rangers are still looking for their first win since the Olympic break after blowing a 2-0 lead in what became a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Season Series: The Pens and Rangers split this series early in October (the Penguins won 3-0 in New York before losing 6-1 at home five days later) before the Pens just barely held off the Rangers from a comeback in a 6-5 win at home on Jan. 31.
Hidden Stat: The Rangers are tied for the fewest home points (17) and fewest home wins (six) of any team in the NHL after going 6-15-5 at Madison Square Garden so far this season. (The Pens rank sixth for road wins after compiling a 16-7-5 record in away games).
Getting to know the Rangers
Projected lines
FORWARDS
J.T. Miller – Mika Zibanejad – Gabriel Perreault
Will Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafrenière
Conor Sheary – Noah Laba – Brendan Brisson
Tye Karate – Sam Carrick – Taylor Raddysh
DEFENSEMEN
Vladislav Gavrikov / Adam Fox
Braden Schneider / Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson / Vinent Iorio
Goalies: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Squick
Potential scratches: Urho Vaakanainen, Jonny Brodzinski, Scott Morrow
Injured Reserve: Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe
The Rangers sent Brennan Othmann back to the AHL yesterday after claiming Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Kartye was a regular healthy scratch in Seattle, but he’ll see if he can get back to the form that saw him post 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 77 games of his 2023-24 rookie campaign with the Kraken. He could be making his Rangers debut today against the Pens.
Kartye could be poised to get more opportunities given the number of trade rumors surrounding the selling Rangers. Players including Braden Schneider, Vladislav Gavrikov and Vincent Trocheck have been popping up in the rumor mill lately.
Both Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox, who had each been sidelined since early January, returned to the Rangers’ lineup Thursday. So was Sheary, who had missed 15 games with a lower-body injury.
Despite his team’s overall struggles this season, Shesterkin ranks top-10 in both save percentage (.912) and goals against average (2.47) among goalies who have made at least 20 appearances this season.
The Rangers are without their leading producer this season after trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month.
Even with 34-year-old Panarin playing on the West Coast, the Rangers are being led by their veterans. Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, all 32, lead the Rangers in points without Panarin.
Alexis Lafrenière ranks fourth on the active roster with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 58 games. His 0.52 career points-per-game rate is the fourth-lowest among former No. 1 picks with at least 400 NHL games played, per ESPN.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard (?) / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
Sam Girard, who missed Friday’s practice while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, is traveling to New York with the team.
Stuart Skinner has a career 5-1-1 record against the Rangers, although he was in net as the Pens narrowly avoided blowing a late lead against the Blueshirts back on Jan. 31.
The Penguins are 13-3-3 since acquiring Egor Chinakhov in December, a 19-game stretch over which Chinakhov has recorded 13 points (nine goals, four assists).
Kris Letang is heading into today’s game just two points shy of 800. He could be the 21st defenseman and fourth active blueliner after Brent Burns, teammate Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman to reach the milestone.
Champion will face Rico Verhoeven for WBC belt in May
‘I respect people who reach the very top in their sport’
Oleksandr Usyk, who has not fought since a fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley in July, will defend his WBC heavyweight title against a kickboxer at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The bout with Rico Verhoeven on 23 May, dubbed “Glory in Giza”, will be the first title fight held in Egypt, according to The Ring magazine, and will be streamed live on Dazn.
Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal
Schaefer anytime goal
Point Over 0.5 assists 
