Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres has a disagreement with Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Things got heated — and potentially dangerous — on the ice between Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on Thursday.
Late in the first period of the Sabres’ 5-1 win, Malkin was given a match penalty for slashing after he and Dahlin battled for position in front of the net.
Dahlin gave Malkin some hard cross-checks, which then prompted the 20-year NHL veteran to turn around and swing his stick, hitting Dahlin, 25, in the side of the head and the neck.
Evgeni Malkin was assessed a game misconduct for slashing Rasmus Dahlin in the head with his stick. pic.twitter.com/fAGxWy3bm3
Malkin, 39, then dropped his glove and tried to fight further, but Dahlin grabbed his neck in pain before anything else happened.
Dahlin was issued two minutes for cross-checking, and Malkin got two minutes for cross-checking, along with a five-minute major penalty for slashing.
Malkin was also issued a game misconduct, resulting in his immediate ejection.
It is still unclear whether Malkin will face further discipline from the NHL.
Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres has a disagreement with Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins on March 5. NHLI via Getty Images
Across his lengthy career, Malkin has built himself a history of suspensions and NHL discipline, most recently being sidelined for four games during the 2022 season for cross-checking Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki across the face.
In 2019, Malkin was suspended for one game by the NHL for “an intentional stick swing with force for the purpose of retaliation” to Flyers forward Michael Raffl.
It is still unclear whether Malkin will face further discipline from the NHL for the play. Sportsnet on X
He was fined in that same season for high-sticking Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau and slashing Jets defenseman Logan Stanley.
Across 45 games played this season, Malkin has racked up 13 goals and 34 assists, where he now has an increased role for the Penguins as the team’s leading scorer, Sidney Crosby, is recovering from a lower-body injury sustained during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
As of Thursday night, the Penguins currently sat in second in the Metropolitan Division, trailing the Hurricanes by nine points.
Playing with four call-ups from the Milwaukee Admirals, fresh off four trades and without their top center, the Nashville Predators were led by their youth, seeing Matthew Wood score twice in a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
"Nothing, they do what really surprises me," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "Right from our leaders, grabbing it and our young kids brought some energy, and it was a good synergy tonight. I'm proud of the group.
"It's been an emotional week for a lot of guys and we stuck together like we have all year."
The Predators were also without Ryan O'Reilly, who was day-to-day with an upper-body injury after he was nicked in the eye by Charlie Coyle's stick in Tuesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In response, Nashville called up Ryan Ufko, Reid Schaefer and Fedor Svechkov from the Admirals on Wednesday night. "They (the call-ups) brought so much energy," Roman Josi said. "It's been a hard week to see that many guys go and it's a big opportunity for a lot of young guys to get in the lineup, to have a bigger role, play more minutes. We saw tonight that they want to grab it." Joakim Kemell was a late call-up on Thursday afternoon. It was a quick turnaround for Kemell as he landed in Nashville at 6:26 p.m. and arrived at Bridgestone Arena a little after 7 p.m.
Despite missing warmups, Kemell was dressed and ready for puck drop. In his first NHL game since October, he logged 16 shifts for 12:24 of ice time and recorded two shot blocks.
"To jump into those little circumstances, I thought he showed very well. Especially in the early parts of the game, for him to come and do that is hard, and it's a credit to him. He wants it. He wants to play and he showed it."
Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins Mar 5, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Nic Hague opened the scoring, sneaking in a one-time slap shot from the point through the five-hole of Joonas Korpisalo to make it 1-0. It was his first goal since Jan. 3 and his third of the season.
Wood notched his first of the night shorthanded in the second period, scoring on a drop pass from Nick Perbix, who intercepted a David Pastrnak pass to spark the breakaway opportunity.
"I was very fortunate and he (Perbix) made an unbelievable play," Wood said on the goal. "I don't know how he saw me, but I'm glad he did. It was a great pass. I probably won't get many shorties in my career, but there's the first one."
Boston responded on the power play, but Erik Haula restored a two-goal lead, tipping in a shot from Brady Skjei to make it 3-1.
Filip Forsberg extended the lead on a wrist shot on the power play. It was his eighth power play goal of the season and 28th of the year. Ufko also recorded his first point as a Predator on a secondary assist.
Wood found the net for the second time on the night, tipping in a shot from Josi. Thursday was his second career multi-goal game. The first was a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Nov. 10, where he recorded his first career hat trick.
"He's probably, through the middle of the ice, our best player," Brunette said of Wood. "With his deceptiveness, speed and range, he makes plays, and I'm a big proponent of speed through the middle of the ice.
"I know he hasn't played (center) in a few years. I think he was excited to get that opportunity. I thought he's looked really good so far."
Boston made a push in the third period, getting goals from Charlie McAvoy and Viktor Arvidsson to make it a two-goal game.
Luke Evangelista added an empty net goal with 2:27 left in the game.
This was the Predators' final game before the trade deadline, which will occur on Friday at 2 p.m. CST. Nashville has traded away all of its pending unrestricted free agents except for two: Haula and Tyson Jost.
Nashville is on the road on Saturday, taking on the Buffalo Sabres at 4:30 p.m. CST.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins played in their final game prior to the NHL Trade Deadline against the Buffalo Sabres. Going into it, they were second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points, and they were less than 24 hours away from the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Friday.
Early in the second period with the score tied, 1-1, Penguins' foward Evgeni Malkin got tied up with Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin near Buffalo's goal line. The two exchanged cross-checks, and in frustration, Malkin slashed his stick at Dahlin's jaw area.
The result of the altercation was matching cross-checking minors and a five-minute slashing major for Malkin as well as a game misconduct.
Since Malkin has had a history of stick infractions, it would not be surprising to see supplemental discipline handed to him by the Department of Player Safety. Forward Bryan Rust was suspended three games earlier this season for a hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
Pittsburgh next plays Saturday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, which comes one day after the NHL trade deadline. Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said Wednesday that he may look to add a forward and a defenseman, and since the Penguins could possibly be without both Malkin and Sidney Crosby - week-to-week with a lower-body injury - for a length of time, it may force his hand to add a center by 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
On trade deadline eve, the Winnipeg Jets hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in an inter-conference tilt at Canada Life Centre.
The game was the second of Winnipeg's eight-game homestand and proved to be its fifth-straight registering at least a point, as the Jets took care of the Lightning by way of a 4-1 final.
Photo by James Carey Lauder
Thanks to a strong second period that saw goals from Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele, the Jets pulled to within seven points of the Seattle Kraken for the final spot in the Western Conference Wild Card playoff run.
Prior to puck drop, the Jets announced the recall of defenceman Isaak Phillips from the AHL. Neither Logan Stanley nor Luke Schenn came out for warmup, signifying the team's interest in protecting the two players in advance of Friday's trade deadline.
With Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk and Colin Miller already injured and out of action, the Jets dressed a defensive corps that included Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, Dylan DeMelo, Haydn Fleury, Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips.
“It’s not fun. That’s the business," Scheifele said. "Obviously, I don’t think I’ve been through that in a long time. Something I had to do was refocus before the game. But I was really happy for this group. Philly and Ville, both coming in and playing awesome. Guys stepped up. Fleurs stepped up, Salo has been great. Samby and Smoke stepped in and played awesome, so that was good to see.”
The Jets kept the Bolts in check through the first period, actually maintaining an 8-5 shot lead through 20 minutes of play.
It was in the second period where they took the lead, blowing the shot chart wide-open, pulling ahead to a 1-0 lead and a +12 differential in shots.
Barron's ninth of the season came late in the period, to which he rebounded home a perfect shot-pass from Cole Koepke on a rush up ice, opening the scoring 35:31 in.
Then, with just 18 seconds left, Scheifele hammered home his 29th of the season. With Kyle Connor executing a perfect forecheck, he dished the puck to Alex Iafallo, who set Scheifele up for the one-time strike.
Through 40 minutes of play, Winnipeg led 2-0 and held a 22-10 shot advantage.
The third period began slowly for the hosts, which gave up eight-straight shots on goal to start the frame, including Tampa's first of the game - a Brayden Point power play marker, just seven seconds into a Salomonsson high sticking minor.
But the Jets responded with Gustav Nyquist's first goal of the season. Although taking significantly longer to earn his first marker with the Jets than he would have liked, Nyquist picked up the puck off a hard-working shift from Tanner Pearson and Jonathan Toews, who assisted on his first in Winnipeg 5:34 into the third period.
"I mean, it feels great, obviously for the support there," Nyquist said of the cheers after his goal. "I know it's been a long time coming. So, overall, I thought we played a good, really good game all throughout. And then obviously they came out with a push in the third and got the early goal on the power play. And then, so it's nice to put that goal in for 3-1."
Five minutes later, Kyle Connor thought he had the Jets up 4-1, but his goal was called back due to his linemate Scheifele skating in offside before he carried the puck into the Bolts' zone and ripped it past Andrei Vasilevskiy, negating the goal.
With Andrei Vasilevskiy on the bench for the extra attacker, Scheifele made it up to his linemate, handing him the puck on the doorstep, where he sealed the deal into the wide open net, finishing off the visitors with the 4-1 strike.
“There was no chance I was shooting another puck the rest of the game," Scheifele laughed post-game.
"I was going to do everything in my power to get him that goal back because I was so mad at myself. I was very angry with myself there. That is a loss of focus. You should never go offside in that situation - you should never go offside in general, really. I’m going to hear about that one from Oatsie and from a lot of my buddies, trust me. It won’t be a fun conversation or text I’ll be getting from some of the guys. But yeah, I wasn’t going to shoot another puck until KC got one.”
Hellebuyck finished the night with 26 stops on Tampa Bay's 27 shots, while Vasilevskiy turned aside just 26 of Winnipeg's 29 shots on goal.
Next up for Winnipeg is a test with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in a 6:00 PM central Hockey Night in Canada spectacle.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Logan Mailloux sat at his locker inside Centene Community Ice Center recently, still catching breath after a good, hard practice for the St. Louis Blues and had this calming ease about him.
He sits down, knows questions are coming, happy to answer them, even though there's gear to sweaty sling off, shower, change and head to the airport for the next road trip.
Remember when the Mailloux-for-Zack Bolduc trade was dubbed the steal of the century for the Montreal Canadiens before allowing these two young 2021 first-round picks to grow into their respective games? Seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it?
Regardless, it's been a challenging, at times arduous, sometimes tough and exhausting, and definitely moments of learning of the past half year since the defenseman arrived in St. Louis, after being dealt to the Blues by the Canadiens on July 1, 2025.
We're not anointing the 22-year-old as the next Pronger clone here by any means, but things are certainly looking brighter for the 31st pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Has Mailloux, who scored in his second straight game on Wednesday in a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken, turned the corner? He's still got plenty of growing to do, but little by little, he's figuring things out, and quite honestly, he's taken some really nice steps here despite having a way to go. But if you're a Blues fan and the organization for that matter, you have to be pleased with what you've seen from the right-handed blueliner.
With Colton Parayko missing his third game Wednesday because of back spasms, someone had to step up and grab a bigger bite of the apple. Mailloux not only bit it but has inhaled it. He played in a career-best 22:52 on Wednesday and has surpassed 20 or more minutes in all three games playing alongside Cam Fowler.
Unlike earlier in the year when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders -- and they still in a sense may be -- and when confidence was scarce, that confidence is growing with each shift, with each touch of the puck, with each defensive play and with more added responsibilities. And with more experience comes more assertiveness, a sense of calm, understanding what to do and staying within himself.
Believe it when Mailloux understood what he was coming into here. He was the guy replacing a budding, young, fan favorite that Blues fans were gravitating towards, and when things weren't going right and even having to leave the team and go refine himself for a bit in Springfield of the American Hockey League, hearing and reading comments that the trade was a disaster because Bolduc had scored in each of his first three games with the Canadiens and was off to a roaring start was naturally on the mind of Mailloux. It's easier to see, hear and read with the world of social media and what the naysayers were were feeling.
"You couldn't let it get to you," Mailloux said. "I knew who I was coming in here for and how passionate these fans are, I've come to see it. You had to block out the noise, put your head down and continue to work. I've come to realize these fans here appreciate hard work and an honest effort every night."
And work he's done as well as put in the effort. Not that it wasn't there before but the execution of it all just didn't come together. But that was then and this is now. How times have changed.
"It's been a roller-coaster year, but I feel like I've been building in the right direction, especially the last couple months," Mailloux said. "I feel bit by bit, I've been growing my game and feeling good about my game for sure."
Why wouldn't he?
In his first five games as a Blue, Mailloux was a minus-9 and really had no real sense of direction of of what to become of himself, and all that is because simply a lack of games played.
The Blues were saying all the right things, including coach Jim Montgomery, who said before the season started that Mailloux was "NHL-ready."
That was wishful thinking obviously. Sure you want to talk yourself into believing it, but the Blues knew they had a project on their hands. But it's safe to say the steps to being NHL ready are finally developing before their very eyes, and it's a pleasant sight to see the confidence starting to shine.
"I feel like I am," Mailloux said. "Obviously confidence is huge. I feel like whether it's with the puck or without the puck, if you're feeling better you're just going to kill more plays, so I think I've just felt pretty good out there.
"The more plays you kill, the more times you're going to have the puck on your stick and stuff like that. I feel like if I can kill plays as quick as I can and do my responsibility in the D-zone, then the more times I get the puck, I'm going to be skating with it more and making more plays."
Mailloux, who has taken it upon himself to be a defensive-minded player to fuel other parts of his game, has shown the knack of taking the stick, being properly positioned and as he mentioned earlier, killing plays. In doing so, the puck's on his stick more, which allows him to make plays.
"He's more assertive and it's just confidence," Montgomery said. "With Parayko out, he's getting more ice time. I don't know how much his ice time has jumped up, I don't know if it's four minutes, if it's more than that, he's getting penalty killing reps. You're just into the rhythm of the game and when you're going right5 back out there, you don't have time to get in your own head about something that might have gone wrong.
"He's starting to take off the same time Bolduc took off last year. Not to be comparable to the trade, but that's what happens. Not everybody comes to this league and is [Macklin] Celebrini. It just doesn't happen. It's the best league in the world, and good players, really talented young players like Logan Mailloux, they're going to figure it out because they're that talented and that competitive."
Teammates see it too.
"Obviously confidence does a lot to a player," captain Brayden Schenn said after Wednesday's game. "Obviously you get rewarded with a few goals, all of the sudden you start seeing the ice differently or making different plays. He's a guy that has lots of skill and talent, the full package. As you get more opportunity, more minutes, you always have to take advantage of it, and right now, he is."
And how the tides have turned. Bolduc hasn't scored in his past 22 games, even being a healthy scratch on Feb. 26, and Mailloux is now played 19 or more minutes in each of the four games after the Olympic break. But this stronger play was coming even before that. However the fan bases look at it, each player is still so young, allow them to grow at their own merits. And Mailloux is figuring out how.
"It's the consistency that you have to bring, whether it's every day in practice or in the games, I feel like you can't take a day off at all," Mailloux said. "You've got to take care of yourself and be ready to go, whether it's every practice day or every game day. I feel like just being able to be consistent kind of night in, night out is definitely the main thing I think.
"When you're playing more minutes, if you ask a lot of guys, it's easier to kind of get into the flow of things and stuff like that. But when you lose a guy like Colton, it kind of takes a committee to replace a guy like that. I don't think it's one guy. It's all of us that have been stepping up and I feel like I've had a bunch of great help from all the guys around here."
Mailloux, who has three goals and two assists in 46 games, is also taking his game back to the offensive side where it was prior to the season. He has 48 shots on goal on the season, but 13 of them have come in the past four games. So not only is he honing in on the defensive side that's leading to more offense, but he's not deferring pucks as often as perhaps earlier in the season
"I've definitely taken more of a shooting mindset," Mailloux said. "I feel like that's one of my assets is my shot. I'm going to try and use it. If I get the opportunity, I've got to take it."
Despite the 13 shots in four games, Montgomery said he can still shoot the puck more.
"Yes he can. He can. He needs to be shot-ready even more," Montgomery said. "He's got a really good one-timer, but he only used the one-timer when he's up. We want him to pound it when he's on his strong side as a defenseman even more. Kind of like you see [Justin] Faulk do.
"I think it's just not having practiced it enough, not understanding what that shot gives the team offensively. In junior hockey, American (Hockey) League, you have more time to get that puck and walk middle, stick-handle and let it go. In this league if you do that, the lane's closed and now you've got to throw it back behind the goal line."
Mailloux credits having a mentor-type in Fowler as his partner, someone with over 1,100 games' worth of experience that's guided him through the trials and tribulations of growing into the player he can be.
"He's the best," Mailloux said. "I really like him. I really like playing with him. I feel like he controls the game so well. He can slow it down, speed it up and I just am kind of able to bounce ideas off of him, what he saw or what he thinks. He's definitely been big for me."
Even though it's a sample size that Mailloux and the Blues would like to see more of, he's not going to be content. There's still plenty of work -- and learning -- left.
"Just put my head down and continue to work hard, keep gaining confidence and keep plugging away," Mailloux said. "It does feel like I'm absorbing things more cleaner and better now. I just have to working at it and put that effort in.
"The one thing I've learned is you can't look back. Just put your head down and put your best foot forward, and that's what I'm going to try and keep doing."
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The Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres are reportedly discussing a deal that could send defenseman Logan Stanley to Buffalo, with veteran blueliner Luke Schenn potentially included in the package. According to early reporting from Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta, the two teams are engaged in advanced discussions.
The potential move would align with Buffalo’s recent efforts to strengthen its blue line as the Sabres explored a trade for Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, but the deal ultimately fell through when Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause on Thursday. With that option off the table, Buffalo appears to be evaluating other defensemen who could provide size and stability to its back end.
Things happen fast… quick update. Per sources, Sabres are working on a trade to acquire BOTH Schenn and Logan Stanley from Winnipeg. https://t.co/BFEoSyfFVF
Stanley, 27, has emerged as one of Winnipeg’s most productive defensemen this season. The Kitchener, Ontario native is in the midst of a career year, recording nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 59 games.
His breakout campaign has made him an appealing trade target around the league, particularly given his ability to handle significant minutes while playing under a very manageable cap hit. Stanley is averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million. Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 261 games with 14 goals and 43 assists.
Schenn, 36, could also be part of the discussions according to early rumours surrounding the negotiations. This season he has recorded one goal and seven points in 46 games while providing a physical presence through hits and shot blocking. The veteran defenseman brings a wealth of experience, including two Stanley Cup championships across a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL games.
Despite the growing speculation, no official confirmation has emerged from league insiders or the teams themselves. However, with the deadline rapidly approaching, trades involving Stanley and Schenn will likely materialze before Friday's trade deadline.
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The New Jersey Devils announced on Thursday that they had placed Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers.
Dadonov, who signed a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1, 2025, has played 17 games this season without recording a point.
After being drafted 71st overall in 2007, Dadonov has played for six NHL teams, totaling 634 NHL games.
Glendening has appeared in 52 games with the Devils. The right winger has four points – all assists so far. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 7, 2025, after he joined the team for training camp on a professional tryout.
The undrafted 36-year-old has been in the NHL for 13 seasons. He has played 916 NHL games for four teams.
Tsyplakov has appeared in 36 games this season with the Devils and New York Islanders, earning two points, one goal, and one assist. He has appeared in nine games with the Devils this season.
The undrafted 27-year-old has played 113 NHL games over two seasons.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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For the first time in 102 days, the Rangers won a game on home ice in regulation.
A 6-2 beating of the Maple Leafs Thursday night snapped a 19-game streak without a regulation victory at Madison Square Garden, a stretch dating back to a Nov. 24 win over the Blues, just before Thanksgiving.
In a clash between two of the most disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers prevailed while sitting two players — Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick — for “roster management purposes.”
“Obviously, tough,” said Will Cuylle, who scored the Rangers’ first goal of the game and their last into an empty net. “I mean, you don’t know what’s going to happen with them. Just try to focus on the game and try to get a win.”
With his 14th goal of the season, Alexis Lafrenière gave the Rangers their first lead of the night just over 5 ½ minutes into the third period.
Toronto had taken the lead on two separate occasions, once in the first and again in the second, but the Blueshirts answered every time.
The final 20 minutes saw the Rangers put the game far out of reach with a four-goal period.
The organization capped its centennial theme nights by honoring those who were a quintessential part of the 15 postseason appearances since 2004.
The Rangers celebrate a goal during their March 5 win against the Maple Leafs. Charles Wenzelberg
Glen Sather, Henrik Lundqvist, Sean Avery, Marian Gaborik and so many more were acknowledged in a pregame ceremony.
It made for a joyous start to the night, but then the puck was dropped. Just 13 seconds later, the Blueshirts were already trailing. Matias Maccelli had Toronto on the board before the home team even realized the game had started.
“I thought it was a tough start to the game,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I wish I had an answer for that, but I also understand. It’s not an easy circumstance. We don’t play Troch or Sam. All of this happens today. These guys are a close-knit group, they’re friends, they’re teammates and it affects people. We’re trying to do our best to focus on the task at hand. I thought we grabbed ahold of it after that.”
The Rangers were able to regroup and tie it up not too long after.
Will Cuylle, who later scored an empty-net goal, got a stick on Braden Schneider’s shot to tie the game at 1-1.
Alexis Lafrenière celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of the Rangers’ March 5 win. Charles Wenzelberg
Just under 5 ½ into a much more evenly matched second period, the Maple Leafs regained the lead off a goal from Easton Cowan. The lead did not last long, however, with the Rangers responding approximately two minutes later.
Vladislav Gavrikov buried a long rebound on the power play for his 11th goal of the season. Offensively, the Russian defenseman has been a revelation for the Blueshirts. His 11 goals rank him among the top 15 in scoring among blueliners in the NHL.
The Rangers broke the game open with three unanswered goals in the third period.
While Lafrenière notched the game-winner, Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first NHL goal at the 10:25 mark of the final frame. He took it himself on an odd-man rush and had a massive smile on his face after seeing the puck go in.
Mika Zibanejad later added another, recording his 25th goal of the season.
“I mean, I can’t really describe how it felt right now,” Chmelar said. “I think it’s gonna take me a couple hours. I don’t know if I’m gonna sleep tonight.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Lafreniere scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection in the third period, and the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 on Thursday night to pick up their first regulation win at home in more than three months.
It was the Rangers’ 19th game at Madison Square Garden since defeating St. Louis on Nov. 24. They had lost 13 of 18 since, with the only victories during that stretch coming in overtime or a shootout.
Falling behind 13 seconds in, they rallied to win for just the eighth time in 28 home games all season.
Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first career NHL goal a few minutes after Lafreniere put the Rangers up, bringing some joy to the team and crowd at the three-quarter mark of a season that long ago went off the rails.
Playing on the eve of the trade deadline, who was not in uniform for New York and Toronto to safeguard them from injury was just as notable if not more notable than who was on the ice.
The Rangers scratched centers Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick. The Maple Leafs for a second consecutive night opted not to dress defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. Roster management was the reason given.
Toronto, which traded center Nicolas Roy to Colorado earlier Thursday, lost its sixth game in a row coming out of the Olympic break. The Leafs’ longest-active playoff streak is well on its way to ending at nine.
The Rangers are on the way to missing in back-to-back years, with a retool on the way. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the backbone of the organization for the foreseeable future, made 29 saves in a glimpse of what the future could look like if general manager Chris Drury can successfully recalibrate the roster.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vitek Vanecek stopped 16 shots in his 100th career win and Dylan Guenther assisted on two Utah goals as the Mammoth beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night.
Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller scored in the second period for the Mammoth, and Michael Carcone added an empty-net goal at 18:12 of the third.
Vanecek earned his first shutout of the season and the 11th of his career. The 30-year-old had four shutouts during the 2021-22 with the Washington Capitals.
Utah has won two straight games and five of its last seven while completing a two-game season sweep of the Flyers.
Dan Vladar made 20 saves for Philadelphia and slipped to 19-10-6. The Flyers had their three-game winning streak halted.
After a scoreless first period, the Mammoth outshot the Flyers 14-7 in the second period and took a lead they never relinquished.
Schmaltz opened the scoring at 1:38 of the second with a power-play goal on a shot from a tough angle to the right of Vladar. Guenther and Sean Durzi assisted on Schmaltz’s 24th goal of the season.
About seven minutes later, Keller stretched the lead to two goals with his 19th of the season. Guenther picked up his 25th assist when his feed from along the boards sent Keller in all alone, and he beat Vladar with a shot between the pads from close range at 8:03.
Keller leads the Mammoth in points with 61 (19 goals, 42 assists). Schmaltz is next with 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points, followed by Guenther's 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists). The Mammoth have scored 94 goals away from home this season.
Veteran defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who was acquired by Utah from Calgary on Wednesday, was not available due to visa processing. The Mammoth recalled defenseman Dmitri Simashev from Tucson of the AHL.
The Flyers were without Forward Travis Konecny (upper-body injury) and defenseman Nick Seeler (lower-body injury).
Up next
Mammoth: At Columbus on Saturday in the third game of a five-game trip.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jet Greaves made 26 saves, Mathieu Olivier scored twice and the Columbus Blue Jackets dealt another blow to Florida's playoff hopes with a 4-2 victory over the Panthers on Thursday night.
Two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15. Ten points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the East, the Panthers have lost the first four games of a trip that ends Friday night in Detroit.
Defenseman Ivan Provorov had a goal and two assists and Boone Jenner also scored to help Columbus win its third straight and move within a point of Boston. The Blue Jackets were coming off a back-to-back sweep, beating the Rangers 5-4 in overtime in New York on Monday night and Nashville on Tuesday night to open a four-game homestand.
Defenseman Niko Mikkola and Sam Bennett scored for Florida in a 5:36 span of the third period.
Gustav Forsling appeared to tie it with 2:55 to go, but Columbus successfully challenged for goaltender interference. Olivier then put it away with an empty-netter with 1:42 left.
Provorov scored on a power play at 5:08 of the first, firing in a wrist shot from the blue line. Olivier struck on a tip with 9:10 left in the second, and Jenner beat goalie Daniil Tarasov from close range at 1:41 of the third. Jenner returned after missing a game because of a lower-body injury.
Mikkola scored on a tip at 9:08 of the third, and Bennett pulled the Panthers within one on a power play with 5:16 left.
Tarasov stopped 23 shots.
A day ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Panthers sent 38-year-old defenseman Jeff Petry to Minnesota for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2026.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 05: Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres has a disagreement with Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins get Blake Lizotte back from injury and give Arturs Silovs his turn in net, otherwise it’s same as it has been when in the Crosby-less times.
The first period is defined by four penalty calls; two on each team. The early two, first a Penguin power play then later a Sabre PP, are largely uneventful.
The last two feature a shorthanded goal by each team. The Pens get what might have been a kiss of death when Anthony Mantha attempted a low-percentage chance through the middle that got picked off. Later on, Ryan McLeod played the puck off the board and rocketed by Kris Letang. Even if Letang had abandoned his position and started backpedaling he was probably already cooked given how fast McLeod is and his propensity for taking advantage of shorthanded opportunities. McLeod makes easy work of his fifth SH goal of the season with a backhand deke. 1-0 Buffalo.
It looks like the situation might have gotten worse for Pittsburgh when they took a penalty, but a nice team effort first from Connor Clifton then from Ben Kindel gets the puck to Bryan Rust. Rust takes off, drives to the net and scores on a deke of his own while shorthanded 1-1 game.
Shots are 7-6 Buffalo after one, with the ever-rare two shorthanded goals in a period to set the score at 1-1.
Second period
Angry Geno shows up early in the second. After taking a crosscheck from Rasmus Dahlin, Malkin responds with his stick to use it to slash down on Dahlin’s head. Malkin drops his glove in anger but eases up seeing Dahlin is hurt. The refs review the call and toss Malkin from the game with a five-minute major and game misconduct for his actions.
The Pens stand strong for a while on the extended penalty kill, they finally score when a rebound comes to Josh Norris and he follows up with it. However, Josh Doan was in the blue paint and bumps into Silovs. Pittsburgh challenges the goal for goalie interference. The refs take a look but rule a slight shove by Letang contributed to the contact and allow the goal to stand.
That means a delay of game penalty for Pittsburgh, who face 1:28 of a 5v3. While that is going on, Buffalo takes a penalty. Then the refs put an arm up for another delayed call on Pittsburgh and the Sabres score to make it 3-1.
The Pens are way on their back foot now, Owen Power skates up from his defensive position to take a cross-ice pass and fires a puck through Silovs. 4-1 game, still 9:32 to go in the period.
The Pens get their best offensive zone shift of probably the whole game, and even that ends in disaster when Brock Malenstyn sends Parker Wotherspoon head-first into the boards. Wotherspoon slowly scrapes himself off the ice, Malenstyn only gets two minutes on the call. Egor Chinakhov sends a puck off the post.
Well, this one spiraled out of control in the second. Awful decision by Malkin and the team got put into a hole they kept falling deeper into against a quality opponent who had plenty of chances to take advantage.
Third period
The nastiness continues, the refs blow a play dead for offsides but Justin Brazeau weakly shoots it at the goalie anyways. Buffalo players gets in his face and Avery Hayes delivers a little shot to Tuch from behind, felling Tuch for a bit. The temps are getting warmer and playoff intensity is almost here!
Ben Kindel pins a Buffalo player’s stick to his body and clamps down, drawing the ire of the refs. The Pens kill this one off.
Pittsburgh draws a penalty and then pull the goalie with over 7 minutes to play to gain a 6v4 advantage. Gotta love it! Doesn’t pay off, finally with 3:07 remaining Buffalo gets their next shot on goal, a long-distance one that finds the target. 5-1.
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Some thoughts
Malkin should expect to hear from the league office for his actions. The slow motion replay, as ever, loses some context and makes the play look even worse but there’s still no excuse to respond to a cross-check by hacking a guy in the head. That’s a suspendable action. Malkin was last suspended in 2022, technically he won’t be a “repeat offender” for disciplinary purposes since it’s been more than 18 months since his last suspension. In 2017, Radko Gudas received a 10-game suspension for slashing on arguably a more savage event during the course of play. Who knows how that might compare or apply to this situation but either way it’s likely going to be a multi-game absence for Malkin coming up.
The one piece of good news is Dahlin returned to the game and apparently didn’t pick up an injury out of it. That’s going to be a positive factor in Malkin’s favor for whatever decision is made.
Dan Muse still hasn’t won a goalie interference challenge this season, but I can’t blame him too much for this challenge (unlike some in the past). This was a good opportunity to have the refs take a look at the play, we’ve seen goals across the league taken away for less. It backfired, but given the situation to potentially bring the score back to 1-1, can’t knock the decision making this time around. And that said, all in all, Letang did push Doan which may/may not have been the deciding factor, sometimes gotta chance that it’ll go your way.
Wotherspoon is a tough customer and fortunately was able to keep playing on. He took a nasty lick, if we’re going to review penalties that certainly could have warranted an extra look. Kinda crazy this is a league where you can nearly paralyze a guy and receive the same punishment as flipping the puck out of play in the defensive zone or send an extra player out there too soon.
Wotherspoon did come back after that hit, but only skated three shifts for 3:06 icetime in the third period. It’ll be worth watching what happens with him moving forward, the Pens really can’t afford to lose him for an extended amount of time.
Teams are scoring so much at 6v5 this season in late-game situations when pulling the goalie, why not pull the goalie with all the time in the world left while down three goals and on the power play? Gotta get creative and try new things, there’s some statistical school of thoughts that say NHL teams should be much more aggressive at pulling their goalie. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and let’s be honest down that many goals with time starting to go away it’s a good time for a drastic decision.
Well, that was forgettable. The Pens move on for two more home games this weekend, starting on Saturday.
Veteran Senators winger David Perron is heading back to the Detroit Red Wings. The Senators dealt Perron to Detroit for what will probably be either a third or fourth-round draft pick.
After acquiring Warren Foegele from Los Angeles earlier in the day, the Senators needed to clear some cap and roster room. Perron will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and as a 37-year-old at $4 million per season, who's had a hard time staying healthy, he likely wasn't in the plans for next fall.
Travis Green recently told the media that Perron might be able to return from sports hernia surgery at some point in this Western road trip. But the Wings obviously wanted some health assurances, working some conditions into the deal.
If Perron plays in a game before the end of the regular season or during the playoffs, the Red Wings will give the Senators the Columbus Blue Jackets' fourth-round pick, which was acquired in a previous trade.
If the Red Wings advance to the second round of the playoffs and Perron appears in 50% of the first-round games, the Red Wings will instead give up their own third-round pick to the Senators.
If Perron doesn't play another game this season, the Sens, presumably, get nothing.
Perron has spent the past two seasons with the Senators, appearing in 92 regular-season games with the team, putting up 41 points. He returns to Detroit where he spent two seasons before signing as a free agent in Ottawa.
With the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline now less than 24 hours away, the Detroit Red Wings have made their first move, and it involves a familiar face.
The Red Wings have re-acquired veteran forward David Perron, who played for them from 2022 through 2024, from the Ottawa Senators.
In return, they've sent Ottawa a conditional 2026 conditional fourth-round draft pick.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have acquired David Perron from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional fourth round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/MS7X96BeHu
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 6, 2026
The pick conditions, per #sens: If Perron plays a game before the end of the regular season or during the playoffs, Ottawa receives a 2026 4th-rounder.
If the Red Wings advance to second round and Perron appears in 50% of the first-round games, Ottawa receives a 2026 3rd
However, he hasn't played since Jan. 20 after undergoing sports hernia surgery. His initial tentative timeline for a return to the ice was between five and seven weeks.
Perron, one of the key elements in the Stanley Cup victory by the St. Louis Blues in 2019, signed a free-agent contract with Detroit in 2022 and instantly became one of the club's top veteran voices both on the ice and in the dressing room.
Following the 2023-24 season, Perron signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Senators and helped them reach the postseason, during which they put a scare into the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Perron scored twice and added an assist in the six-game series.
A pending unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, Perron carries a $4 million salary cap hit and has scored 10 goals with 15 assists for the struggling Senators so far this season.
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Malkin had been cross-checked by Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin 38 seconds into the second period by the Sabres net. Malkin responded with an attempted slash then connected with another slash to the side of the defenseman's face. He grabbed Dahlin by the helmet and dropped his gloves as Dahlin bent over.
The Penguins center received two minutes for cross-checking and also five minutes and a game misconduct for slashing. Dahlin got two minutes for cross-checking.
Buffalo got one goal on the five-minute power play to take a 2-1 lead.
