There’s no shortage of star power taking the ice tonight, with 10 games scheduled across the National Hockey League. My NHL player props will focus on Connor McDavid, Rickard Rakell, and Brandon Hagel.
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Our best NHL player props for Tuesday, March 31
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Connor McDavid Over 1.5 points
-135 at BET99
Connor McDavid leads the NHL with an astounding 124 points. He’s cashed the Over in three straight appearances, and the Edmonton Oilers superstar has notched three points in back-to-back games. McDavid has eight points during this span.
The Oilers face the Kraken tonight, and McDavid has registered six points against them across three meetings, scoring four and assisting two.
Edmonton is also at home for this contest, where the three-time Hart Trophy winner has 65 points in only 36 games. He’ll deliver.
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: KHN, SNW
Prop #2: Rickard Rakell anytime goal
+205 at BET99
I took Rickard Rakell to find the back of the net in Monday’s picks, and he delivered, scoring twice.
The 32-year-old has been on fire, scoring nine of his 19 goals on the season in March. Rakell has found the back of the net in four of his last six, and he has a pair of multi-goal games during that run.
The Pens take on the Red Wings tonight, and Rakell has already scored once against them in 2025-26 across two matchups. The Wings also just allowed five goals in their last game, and the Pens are thriving offensively, with Rakell playing a key part.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FDSN DET, SN-PIT
Prop #3: Brandon Hagel Over 0.5 assists
+120 at BET99
Brandon Hagel is an integral piece for the Stanley Cup-chasing Tampa Bay Lightning, serving as one of their top producers. He’s scored 35 goals and tallied 38 assists this season, and Hagel has notched an impressive 18 helpers this month.
The 27-year-old has cashed the Over in assists in six of his last eight, and he had a helper in three straight before scoring a goal instead in Sunday’s win over the Nashville Predators.
The Bolts face the Montreal Canadiens tonight, and while he’s yet to register an assist against them across two meetings, Hagel is red-hot.
When they do produce offensively, he’s often involved. He’s also hit the Over in three in a row at home.
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.
If the Montreal Canadiens swept their season series against the Carolina Hurricanes, their results have been far less satisfying against Tuesday night’s opponents, the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the first two duels between the two sides this season, the Habs have been beaten by a combined score of 11-5. Once with Jakub Dobes in the net and the other with Jacob Fowler between the posts.
The Bolts now sit atop the Atlantic Division with 98 points, the same total as the Buffalo Sabres, but the Florida outfit has a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are still in third place with 94 points, and they also have a game in hand on the Sabres. Montreal now has a six-point lead over the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference and an eight-point lead over the ninth-place team, the Ottawa Senators. While the Sainte-Flanelle has yet to clinch a playoff spot mathematically, Moneypuck now gives Martin St-Louis and his men a 99% chance of making the spring dance.
Neither team has confirmed who will be manning their net tonight, but all signs point to Jakub Dobes being back in the crease for the Canadiens. The Czech netminder has started two games against Jon Cooper’s men but has a 0-1-0 record with an 8.80 goals-against average and a .727 save percentage. While these are far from reassuring numbers, the Dobes that is playing for the Habs now is very different from the one who struggled at times this season. Since the trade deadline, he has a 6-2-0 record, a 1.88 GAA, and a .937 SV. Meanwhile, Fowler has a 0-0-1 record with a 3.77 GAA and a .810 SV.
At the other end of the ice, it would be surprising if Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn’t between the posts. The Russian netminder has an excellent record against the Canadiens with a 16-3-2 record, a 2.08 GAA, and a .931 SV. As for backup Jonas Johansson, he’s 4-2-0 when facing Montreal with a 3.79 GAA and a .875 SV.
The Canadiens had a day off yesterday, so there’s no indication as to what their lineup could look like on Tuesday night, but they will hold a morning skate at 11:30. While Martin St-Louis no longer divulges his lineup ahead of games, we’ll at least know if Josh Anderson is over his virus if he is present. The Habs also called up Adam Engstrom on Monday, and he joined the team in the evening. The Canadiens announced on Tuesday morning that Alexandre Carrier would be out for two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, which explains the move. Montreal has now used two of its five available call-ups for the rest of the season. It will be interesting to see who plays between Arber Xhekaj and Engstrom.
Brendan Gallagher is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the Bolts with 19 points in 39 games, but none of those points came this season. Phillip Danault has 14 points in 28 games, and Nick Suzuki wraps up the top three with 13 points in 20 games. The team’s top scorers against Tampa this season have, however, been Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov, who both notched three points in two games.
As for Cole Caufield, he has seven points in 14 duels with Tampa, but he is on fire right now and is eyeing the 50-goal mark and perhaps even a Rocket Richard Trophy win. The sniper now has 46 goals on the season and only trails Nathan MacKinnon by three goals since the Colorado Avalanche superstar added a 49th goal to his tally in the Avs’ 9-2 triumph over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Victor Hedman leads the Lightning with 51 points in 52 games against the Canadiens, but he stepped away from the team for personal reasons on March 25, and he has yet to return. Nikita Kucherov is not far behind with 48 points in 40 games, but he has missed the last two games with an illness. Should he be unable to suit up, the Canadiens certainly wouldn’t complain, as he also has four points in two games against them this season. Brayden Point comes in third with 27 points in 31 games, and the top line center is healthy and ready to go.
The Bolts are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are on a two-game winning streak, while the Canadiens are 7-3-0 and have a five-game regulation winning streak going. The Bolts have won seven of the last ten games between the two sides, including the last three tilts, and the Canadiens’ last win in Tampa dates back to December 29, 2024.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on The Spot, TSN2, and RDS. Jean Hebert and Brandon Blandina will officiate, while Jonny Murray and Jonathan Deschamps will be the linemen. The Habs and Bolts will meet one last time this season on April 9 in Montreal.
ELMONT, NY -- On Monday night, in the New York Islanders' first game of their back-to-back, starting netminder Ilya Sorokin was chased from his goal after allowing seven goals on 29 shots in an eventual 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He played 47:54.
The loss was a damning one, given that the Islanders could have padded their lead for second place in the Metropolitan Division to three points with seven games to go.
Instead, the Islanders watched the Penguins leap over them in the standings by one point and a game in hand, dropping them to third place, with the Columbus Blue Jackets just one point back in the second wild-card spot.
Sorokin had only been pulled once this season, in the finale of a three-game road trip, a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, March 21.
He allowed six goals on 26 shots through 50:47 minutes.
That game was also the first of a back-to-back, with Roy citing that pulling Sorokin was to keep him fresh for a pivotal Sunday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The move paid off as Sorokin stopped all 26 shots that came his way for a critical 1-0 shutout win.
Will Roy do the same against a Buffalo Sabres team that has just one win in their last four games?
That's likely -- but not confirmed.
"We're going to talk about this one and see where we're at," head coach Patrick Roy said postgame. "I mean, I haven't talked with Sergei (Naumovs) or even Ilya after the game just to see how he feels and what their thought are. We'll let you know tomorrow who will play against Buffalo."
If the Islanders had beaten the Penguins, one would think David Rittich would have received the start for Buffalo, potentially his last start of the season, with Sorokin getting both games of the back-to-back -- Philadelphia on Friday at home and then Carolina in Raleigh on Saturday.
This Buffalo game is a tremendous opportunity for the Islanders to rebound from what was an atrocity of a second period at UBS Arena. That includes Sorokin, who probably doesn't want to sit three days before getting another crack at it.
"We know what we did. We know what's wrong. We know what we need to do to play the right way. And that's regrouping mentally for tomorrow," Ryan Pulock said postgame. "That's all that matters right now, is regrouping for tomorrow. Understand what went wrong. Understand what we did. I feel like that's not us. Obviously, it was a big game, and we didn't do it the right way, but tomorrow's a chance to make up for it."
We'll be talking with Roy at 5:35 to get the latest on his starting goaltender and any lineup changes ahead of their 7 PM ET puck drop.
The Islanders are 9-3-1 on the second legs of back-to-backs this season. Sorokin is 5-1-0 and has not faced the Sabres this season.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Canucks struggled to generate scoring chances in this game. At even-strength, the Golden Knights held a 34-11 scoring chance advantage while also winning the high-danger scoring chances battle 11-9. Ultimately, it was the Kevin Lankinen show for Vancouver as he kept his team in the game until the end.
The heat map from this game shows Vegas' willingness to fire pucks from all over the ice. The Canucks big issue was the second period, where they were outshot 14-6 at even strength. It is hard to explain why the second period has been such an issue for Vancouver this season, as the Canucks are giving up goals in the middle frame almost every night.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, March 30, 2026, Natural Stat Trick.
To wrap this game up, Tom Willander led the team with an xGF% of 51.55. Vancouver also held an 11-8 shots advantage during his 21:01 of even-strength time. Willander is making the most of his opportunities late in the season and is showing he can develop into a solid top-four defender in the NHL.
The Canucks will start a back-to-back on Wednesday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche. These teams have played twice already this season, with the Avalanche picking up two victories. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 pm PT.
Mar 30, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) makes a save against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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The Buffalo Sabres have several pending free agents heading into the summer. Due to this, let's look at four specific players who the Sabres could end up signing to a contract extension.
Alex Tuch
The Sabres' biggest contract extension candidate to watch is Alex Tuch. The star winger is this year's best pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), but if the Sabres have it their way, they will get him locked up before he hits the market.
Tuch is due for a major raise, as he has been one of Buffalo's top forwards for several years now. In 71 games this season, he has recorded 29 goals, 30 assists, and 59 points.
Zach Benson
Zach Benson is a pending restricted free agent (RFA), as he is in the final year of his entry-level deal. The 20-year-old forward is having a nice third season in the NHL, as he has 10 goals and has set new career highs with 26 assists and 36 points.
With Benson being one of the Sabres' most exciting young players, he should land himself a nice new contract from the Atlantic Division club.
Peyton Krebs
The 2025-26 season has certainly treated Peyton Krebs now, as he is having the best year of his career. In 74 games, he has scored 10 goals and has set new career highs with 25 assists, 35 points, and 173 hits. With numbers like these, the Sabres should certainly be looking to keep the pending RFA around.
Logan Stanley
Logan Stanley is a pending UFA who the Sabres could look to keep around beyond this season. The 6-foot-7 defenseman has played in 10 games since being acquired by the Sabres, where he has recorded two assists, 10 hits, and 22 penalty minutes.
With playoff teams always valuing big defenseman who play with an edge, it could make sense for the Sabres to keep Stanley around at the right price. This is especially so when noting that he is right in his prime at 27 years old.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home for the final of three straight games in the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena. This game features the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes - 46-21-6 - 98 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Lost 1- 1st in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-24-12 - 88 Points - 5-3-2 in the last 10 - OTL 1 - 4th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets have earned points in 13 of their last 14 home games (9-1-4) as well as in 17-of-19 contests played at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (12-2-5, .763 points pct.). The club ranks in the top-10 at home in the calendar year in goals-for per game (2nd, 4.00), wins (3rd-T), points pct. (4th) and goals-against per game (7th, 2.74).
The club has earned points in 25 of its last 30 contests (20-5-5, 45 pts) to lead the league points pct. (.750), rank second in wins (tied), points and goals against per game (2.47) and eighth in goals-for per game (3.43) since Jan. 11.
Columbus has allowed two goals or less in eight of the last 11 games since Mar. 10 (2.00 GA/GP, 3rd in NHL].
The Jackets lead the NHL with a franchise-record 55 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (55-132-187, 74 GP].
CBJ has collected points in 10 of the last 11 games against Metropolitan Division opponents since Jan. 4 (8-1-2).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli, who leads the club in scoring in March with 6-9-15 in 16 games, has set a single-season career high in assists and points (tied) with 21-33-54 in 74 contests.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 15 of his last 17 starts since Jan. 11 (12-2-3, 2.26 GAA, .915 SV% in 18 GP), ranking fourth among NHL goaltenders in GAA and SV% (min. 6 GP].
Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 13 starts since Jan. 11 (8-3-2, 2.54 GAA in 14 GP].
Boone Jenner has registered 2-3-5 in the last seven games, including scoring a goal in his 800th career contest on Sunday vs. the Bruins (210-207-417, 800 GP].
Mason Marchment notched his sixth multi-point game as a Blue Jacket on Sunday (1-1-2). He ranks second on the team in goals since making his CBJ debut on Dec. 20, 2025 (14-11-25 in 32 GP].
Zach Werenski has notched 21-56-77 and 25 multi-point efforts in 66 games in 2025-26 to lead NHL blueliners in multi-point efforts and shots on goal (229) and sit second in points and points-per-game (1.15) and third in goals.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.2% - 17th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.3% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 231 - 14th in the NHL
Goals Against - 224 - 20th in the NHL
HurricanesStats
Power Play - 23.7% - 9th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 80.2% - 13th in the NHL
Goals For - 253 - 6th in the NHL
Goals Against - 213 - 7th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheHurricanes
Columbus is 30-31-0-5 all-time, and 17-14-0-2 at home vs. Carolina.
The home team has won eight-straight meetings and 12 of the last 14 games dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.
Columbus has won four consecutive games at Nationwide Arena and five of the past seven in Ohio since Jan. 7, 2023.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals in each of the past seven contests (including SO goals) and 15 of the past 17 since Oct. 23, 2021.
The winning team has also scored four or more goals in each of the last ten at Nationwide Arena (including SO goals).
The winning team has won by three-plus goals in six of the past eight meetings overall with Columbus earning two shootout victories in the other two.
CBJ have scored a power play goal in three-straight home games vs. the Canes (4-of-13; 30.8 pct.) and seven of the past ten meetings at Nationwide Arena (9-of-35; 25.7 pct.).
The Blue Jackets have registered four shutouts and hat tricks in the all-time series.
Who To Watch For TheHurricanes
Seth Jarvis leads the Canes with 30 goals.
Sebastian Aho leads the team with 49 assists and 74 points.
Goalie Brandon Bussi is 27-6-1 with a SV% of .896.
CBJ Player Notes vsHurricanes
Boone Jenner has 13 points in 25 career games against Carolina.
Zach Werenski has 16 points against the Hurricanes.
Mason Marchment has 8 points in 10 games vs. Carolina.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 36 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
Damon Severson - Missed 2 Games - Upper Body - Week-to-week
Dmitri Voronkov - Upper Body - Left game early against San Jose
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 185
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on ESPN+ & HULU featuring John Buccigross. 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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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves the puck in front of Michael Rasmussen #27 of the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Detroit Red Wings (39-26-8, 86 points, 6th place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (37-21-16, 90 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and FanDuel Sportsnet Detroit, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Pens are headed to Tampa Bay to pay the Lightning on Thursday before returning home for a back-to-back set against the Florida Panthers on Saturday and Sunday.
Opponent Track: The Red Wings most recently let the Philadelphia Flyers back into the playoff race on Saturday, when Detroit started out the matchup by giving up four straight goals to Philadelphia. A late comeback push of three goals in three minutes wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit, and now the Flyers are officially part of the late-season race for a Wild Card spot.
Season Series: The Penguins are looking to sweep the season series after claiming back-to-back wins (a 4-3 OT win and a 4-1 victory padded by two empty-netters) in a home-and-home set on Jan. 1 and Jan. 3.
Hidden Stat: Monday’s win over the New York Islanders marked the first time the Penguins have had 15 different players record a point in a game since March 27, 2022, per NHL Stats. That game, coincidentally, took place against the Red Wings.
Getting to know the Red Wings
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Emmitt Finnie – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat – Andrew Copp – Patrick Kane
David Perron – J.T. Compher – Carter Mazur
James Van Riemsdyk – Marco Kasper – Mason Appleton
DEFENSEMEN
Simon Edvinsson / Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot / Justin Faulk
Albert Johansson / Jacob Bernard-Docker
Goalies: John Gibson (starting), Cam Talbot
Potential scratches: Michael Rasmussen (injured), Travis Hamonic, Michal Postava
Injured Reserve: None
The Red Wings are mixing things up after Saturday’s loss to the Flyers. Here’s what the lines looked like during that game. The changes could be an effort to mix up a bottom six that struggled during Saturday’s loss to the Flyers.
I don’t see James van Riemsdyk out there
DeBrincat Copp Kane Compher Larkin Raymond Finnie Kasper Mazur Perron Shine Appleton
John Gibson is slated to make his 12th straight start tonight against the Penguins. He’s seeking redemption, both after getting pulled for allowing four goals on 21 shots last Saturday against the Flyers and giving up two early goals in his last meeting with the Pens on Jan. 3.
The Red Wings had wildly different results in their most recent back-to-back set, following a 5-2 win over the usually-dominant Buffalo Sabres with their collapse against the Flyers. That game was a hugely disappointing swing for a team that traded a package including a first-round pick in order to acquire Justin Faulk ahead of a hopeful playoff push.
Slow starts
Detroit has overall had trouble building much momentum since returning from the Olympic break. This team hasn’t put together a three-game win streak since January.
Part of the reason why could be a lingering issue with slow starts, which showed in Saturday’s loss to the Flyers. The Red Wings have overall been outscored 54-43 (and outshot 663-595) in first periods this season, per Hockey Reference.
Both of their recent losses that have weakened the team’s playoff position— a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators last Tuesday and the Saturday defeat by the Flyers— involved the Red Wings giving up three straight goals to start the game.
The Penguins would love to put up some early goals against this team, which is 15-21-6 when their opponent scores first (5-10-4 on the road).
The Red Wings, who have lost three of their last four and know exactly what playoff implications are on the line here, will be similarly motivated to strike first. As Lucas Raymond said after his team’s loss to the Flyers, “we’ve got to play with a lot more desperation and jump if we want to win hockey games” (h/t The Athletic’s Max Bultman).
Playoff implications
Tonight is another game with major implications for the Eastern Conference playoff race, per MoneyPuck. The Pens could take another step toward clinching a playoff spot with a win, while the Red Wings’ postseason hopes would plummet with a loss.
Checking in on the East’s Wild Card race, via NHL.com. The Red Wings are two points back of the Wild Card line, the same position as the Ottawa Senators and Flyers. All three teams have a game in hand over the current WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines (from Monday’s game)
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha – Rickard Rakell – Justin Brazeau
Tommy Novak – Ben Kindel – Avery Hayes
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner (Arturs Silovs started yesterday)
Potential Scratches: Evgeni Malkin* (injured), Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty
IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
Dan Muse did some line-shuffling last night, including placing Chinakhov on the first line and shuffling Tommy Novak to the third. Mantha and Brazeau looked good together on the second line, but that could change if Evgeni Malkin is able to return.
Speaking of Malkin: He was a full participant in practice the day before Monday’s game, so it seems there is at least a possibility he returns for tonight’s home matchup. In that case it could be Avery Hayes drawing out of the lineup as Rickard Rakell slides back to wing.
Elmer Soderblom is reuniting with his former team after coming one assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick last night in his best game as Penguin so far.
The Penguins seem to know the playoff implications of a win tonight, based on their reaction to last night’s victory:
No celebrating in the Penguins locker room. Not even many smiles.
"Time to get ready for the Red Wings," Bryan Rust said.
Sidney Crosby is the eighth player in NHL history to reach this mark, and just the second ever to record 1,100 assists with one franchise, after Ray Bourque with Boston. https://t.co/Nf6yIgsPx6
ELMONT, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a second period goal against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on March 30, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins got a big boost last night towards earning a playoff spot with a massive win against the New York Islanders.
Headed into the Penguins’ game against the Islanders, second place was up for grabs in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division and Pittsburgh took full advantage with an 8-3 road win over the Islanders.
With the win, the Penguins sit in second place in the division and according to MoneyPuck, the Penguins now have an 83.3% chance of making the postseason for the first time since 2022.
The Penguins can get another boost tonight with their game against the Detroit Red Wings, who currently sit two points outside of the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot.
If the Penguins win tonight in regulation, their chance of making the playoffs moves up to 91.6%, according to MoneyPuck.
The modeling at Hockeystats.com is even more favorable, their numbers already have the Penguins with 91% odds of qualifying for the playoffs entering today’s game. It has the opportunity to rise even higher with a win tonight. The Red Wings should be a desperate team, their season is slipping away and a loss tonight narrows their odds even further.
The Penguins have eight games remaining this season, only one of which is against a current playoff team when Pittsburgh will travel to Tampa Bay to face the Lightning on Thursday night.
While the Penguins have their own business to handle, scoreboard watching can be helpful too.
If the Islanders lose to the Sabres tonight in regulation, their playoff chance drops from 70.3% down to 43.9%, according to MoneyPuck. If the Blue Jackets lose to the Hurricanes in regulation, their playoff chance drops from 63.6% to 35.8%, according to MoneyPuck.
ELMONT, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Matthew Schaefer #48 of the New York Islanders shoots on Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at UBS Arena on March 30, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Trailing 3-1 in the second period and looking as if the wheels were coming loose, the Pittsburgh Penguins found their game at the perfect moment and stormed back with seven unanswered goals to secure a crucial two points over the New York Islanders on Monday night with a 8-3 victory on Long Island. [Pensburgh]
Now the focus must shift immediately to the Detroit Red Wings who are in town for a showdown with the Penguins later this evening as PPG Paints Arena. Right now, Detroit sits in a perilous spot, two points out of a playoff spot with two teams ahead of them in the standings. They will be desperate, and the Penguins will have to match that desperation if they hope to sweep this back-t0-back set.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
Last night was undoubtedly a big game for the Penguins, by far the biggest this season, but it was just the start of what is another massive week for the Penguins and their playoff hopes. There is another game tonight, then a trip to Tampa, then a weekend back-to-back with the Florida Panthers still on tap. [Pensburgh]
Officiating has not been in the Penguins favor seemingly at all this season and the team’s frustration with the situation is now spilling into the public view. Dan Muse has not won a goaltender interference challenge all season, but that’s just a small part of what has been angering the Penguins. [The Athletic $$]
Down on the farm, the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins agreed to an American Hockey League deal with former Ohio State defenseman Broten Sabo. This past season, Sabo led all Ohio State defenseman with 19 assists and 21 points. The contract will begin with the 2026-27 season. [WBS]
NHL News and Notes…
Jakub Dobes put the Montreal Canadiens on his back last week and helped backstop them ever closer to another playoff berth. For that, Dobes was named the First Star of the Week by the NHL. Joining Dobes as honorees for last week are Pavel Zacha of Boston and John Carlson of Anaheim. [NHL]
In a shocking turn of events, the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday, replacing him with John Tortorella. Despite being in a playoff position, recent struggles pushed the Golden Knights to make the stunning move in hopes of reinvigorating the team for the playoff run. [NHL]
On Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
Neither team looked particularly motivated in the first period. The Golden Knights outshot the Canucks 10-7, but Vancouver generated more scoring chances.
The Canucks broke the ice at 12:19 in the first. Jeremy Lauzon pinched, but couldn’t corral the fluttering puck; Jake DeBrusk took it back the other way on a 2-on-1 against Rasmus Andersson. DeBrusk got the pass across, and Evander Kane went forehand-backhand to score in his 1000th NHL game.
“We looked nervous in the first period,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 win. “We were slow. The second period was night and day.”
In the second period, the Golden Knights cleaned things up and took control of the game. They outshot the Canucks 15-10, and generated 20 scoring chances while holding Vancouver to just five. This manifested in a three-goal period.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 7:48 in the second after a hardworking shift by the third line. Kevin Lankinen made the save on Noah Hanifin, but Tomáš Hertl made a strong play on the rebound. Hertl found Rasmus Andersson driving the net, and Andersson had an empty net to shoot into.
Hanifin with the shot, Hertl with the play off the rebound. Rasmus Andersson snuck down infield the right circle and had a wide open net to shoot into. No staredown, though.
The Canucks took the lead once more on the power play at 12:17 in the second. Filip Hronek fired a shot from the point, and Brock Boeser tipped it home from the high slot.
The Golden Knights answered back five minutes later. Ivan Barbashev won a battle along the boards and found Shea Theodore all alone in the slot. Theodore picked his corner and beat Kevin Lankinen blocker-side for his ninth goal of the season.
Weird break for Vegas. Barbashev wins a battle along the wall, and Shea Theodore is allllll alone in the slot.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night at 18:34 in the second. Brayden McNabb fired a shot-pass and found Reilly Smith backdoor, and Smith was able to elevate the shot over Kevin Lankinen’s outstretched glove.
What a pass from Brayden McNabb, what a finish from Reilly Smith.
The third period dragged on with very little action. Both teams generated just two high-danger scoring chances.
The Canucks, who were eliminated from playoff contention over a week ago, had very little to play for, and it showed. They pulled Kevin Lankinen for the extra attacker, but Cole Smith beat out an icing before scoring his first goal as a Golden Knight into the empty net.
It wasn’t perfect. But tonight, the Golden Knights didn’t need perfection– they just needed a win.
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. John Tortorella began his tenure in Vegas with the lines the Golden Knights had used for the past five games. That didn’t last long. Before the end of the first period, the top six had a very different look.
“I switched the centers,” said Tortorella postgame. “I thought we looked stale offensively… We just looked tentative. I liked the way the lines progressed as we went through the game. I thought there was some chemistry there, and I thought everybody chipped in.
Tortorella singled out Mitch Marner as a player he wanted to continue experimenting with.
“ I like Mitchy; I move Mitchy around quite a bit onto different lines. I think that’s something I may try a little bit more and bounce him around on different lines.”
2. All eyes in the hockey world are upon John Tortorella, who replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach with just eight games remaining in the regular season. Tonight, he gave the people what they wanted, becoming the fourth head coach in franchise history to win his first game as head coach. It was his first time behind the bench as an NHL head coach since March 25th, 2025.
“There was some rust,” Tortorella said postgame. “I think, for half the game— and the boys let me do it— I was calling Dowd by a different name. I didn’t realize I was doing this. I’m sure you’ll hear about that eventually from these guys. But, yeah, it wasn’t too bad once I got a good feel for the lines… I’ve leaned on the coaching staff quite a bit. They’ve been great for me.”
3. The Golden Knights’ power play went 0-for-2 tonight against the 32nd-ranked penalty kill in the league. That in and of itself isn’t a major concern– nights like that happen over an 82-game season. However, in their last eight games, the Golden Knights are 4-for-26 on the power play. Three of those four goals came from the second power play unit.
Their power play was their biggest strength earlier this season, and they’re still tied for 5th in the NHL. Five of their seven remaining games are against playoff hopefuls. The Golden Knights need their power play to return to form if they want to keep their foot on the gas heading down the stretch.
The St. Louis Blues, who put themselves in the fight for the playoffs in the Western Conference once again with a 10-1-2 run in March, had one more big game to close out the month, a third matchup against the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
The first two games went to the Blues, winning each in overtime, including this past Thursday in St. Louis (2-1). A third seemed destined to go to extra time after the Blues fought back from a two-goal deficit with a pair of power-play goals. But as has happened often this season, a late goal not only took a precious point away from the Blues but gave the Sharks two when former Blue Adam Gaudette scored with 21.7 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Blues a stinging defeat, 5-4, at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
The Blues (31-31-11), who had their four-game winning streak end, were in position to gain valuable ground on those teams above them, including the Nashville Predators, who currently hold the second wild card in the West by four point on the Blues, who had two games in hand on them, one of which was on Monday.
But instead, it was the Sharks (34-31-7) who gained the two points, moved two points ahead of the Blues and within two points of Nashville with two games in hand.
It was in fact a crushing defeat for the Blues, who had been playing so well since the return from the Olympics at 11-2-2 coming into this game.
Let's dive into the game observations:
* Last goal simply shouldn't happen on multiple fronts -- It all starts with Robert Thomas losing a face-off to Zack Ostapchuk, of all people, a fourth-liner who played 11:58 in this game. But the face-off isn't where this play broke down.
It breaks down when the five guys on the ice (Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux) didn't manage the situation properly. Coach Jim Montgomery had been praising the team's ability to manage games since the break, and it's been a key contributor to their recent success.
Once that face-off is lost, all five guys needed to be back in position to make sure, without the puck, at the very least, that game gets to overtime, each team grabs a point and duke it out for the second.
Mailloux, who had his run of 20-plus minute streak end at 13 games on Saturday when he finished a second below 20 minutes (19:59), will be seeing that film quite a bit. Instead of aggressively trying to play a bouncing puck that wound up hopping past him after fumbling possession that turned into a 2-on-1, stay back in position and keep any rushing forwards from coming through you.
It was a tough game for the 22-year-old, who had really found his stride, but you have to remember, it's still his first full NHL season; he's going to make mistakes and learn from them. Unfortunately, that one came at the most inopportune time.
But also, I need a save there from Joel Hofer, who also had been playing so well, going 7-0-2 with a league-leading 1.29 goals-against average and league-leading .959 save percentage since the Olympic break. That's one he needs to have, a shot from the left dot that went right through him. Gaudette didn't even pick a corner.
Yes, you can't give up a 2-on-1 in that situation, that late in the game. The coaching staff will talk to Mailloux and show him that clip moving forward as a teaching tool, but I need my goalie to come up with a pretty routine save there that he has been making during his sleep during this run.
Defense and goaltending have been a staple for the Blues, who were No. 1 since the break allowing just 1.42 goals per game. That all went out the window Monday, and fittingly, in that fashion.
* Frittering away too many points late or blowing big leads -- Add Monday's crushing defeat to a plethora of games this season if the Blues ultimately don't make the playoffs, they can only blame themselves.
Here is a list of games this season the Blues could have/should have earned themselves at least a point, if not two points. Here's the list, aside from Monday's at least one point, if not two:
* Oct. 25, led the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 late in the second period, lost 6-4.
* Nov. 8, led the Seattle Kraken 3-2 but allowed the tying goal (which I will take to my grave that it was a bogus goalie interference call not given) with under two seconds left in regulation, lost 4-3 in overtime.
* Nov. 14, led the Philadelphia Flyers by two goals twice (3-1 and 5-3) before falling apart and losing 6-5 in overtime.
* Jan. 23, tied 2-2 with the Dallas Stars but allow the game-winner with 1:00 remaining in regulation to fall 3-2.
* Jan. 27, tied 3-3 with the Stars again but allow the game-winner with 1:07 remaining in regulation to fall 4-3.
* Feb. 2, led the Predators 5-1 in the second period with full control of that game, succumb from middle of game on and fall 6-5 in regulation.
* Feb. 4, tied 4-4 late again with the Stars, allow a Jamie Benn goal with 23 seconds left in regulation and fall 5-4.
* March 10, led the New York Islanders 3-0 but don't put the game away and ultimately, give up two third-period goals before falling 4-3 in overtime.
So when the Blues fall short of making the playoffs this season, they can point to any number of these games where points were frittered away.
* Penalty kill big letdown -- The Blues seemed to right one season-long bad since the Olympic break when they got their penalty kill on track, going 37-for-42, which was good for 88.1 percent and No. 1 in the league since Feb. 26.
But on this night, the Sharks scored three power-play goals, including two by Alexander Wennberg and one by Macklin Celebrini. One was an unfortunate pinball carom that lastly hit Mailloux, but the Blues' penalty killers were getting beat at the net in this game.
When you allow three power-play goals in a single game, something done only one other time this season (Jan. 7 in a 7-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks), you don't tend to win those games.
The Blues finished 1-for-4 on the kill. That won't get it done.
* Game management in first half of game was poor -- Managing the game and pucks has been so crucial for the Blues' latest run of strong games.
Not on this night.
Too many fumbled passes, turning pucks over, bad line changes enabled San Jose to get out to a 17-5 edge on the shot clock at one point that's been so uncharacteristic as of late.
* Tremendous fight back from deficit, power play instrumental -- The Blues were able to stay in this game despite scoring on two of their first three shots of the game, the first when Theo Lindstein scored his first NHL goal to give the Blues their only lead at 1-0 at 5:28 of the first period:
Who is happier about Theo Lindstein's first NHL goal?
And when Pavel Buchnevich netted his 17th to tie the game 2-2 at 16:39 of the first, it gave the Blues reason to continue to push despite the lackluster execution in the early going:
Trailing 4-2 late in the second, the Blues were able to get the opposite side of their special teams going, and when Philip Broberg made it a one-goal game at 4-3 with 26 seconds left in the second, there was life:
The Blues started playing below the goal line in the offensive zone, something missing in the first half of that game. Whether it was taking too many penalties and having to spend too much time on the kill, or the simple mis-management of the game, something had to change and Broberg's goal gave this group life.
And when Cam Fowler tied it with his own power-play goal at 12:53 of the third period to tie the game 4-4, it came on the heels of a strong push by the Blues the entire period:
Unfortunately for them, the fight back was all for naught with that crushing ending, and aside from a miracle in the final nine games, likely end their playoff aspirations.
“Proud of the way we fought back and tied it up but at the end of the day it’s a big game… just have to be better.”
After notching four of a possible six standings points on their three-game Western Canadian road trip, the Anaheim Ducks returned to Orange County to host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game that had a surprising amount of built-up tension heading in.
The biggest storyline before the puck dropped was how the Leafs were going to respond to their lack of physical response following the injury to their captain, Auston Matthews, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at the hands of Ducks captain Radko Gudas a few weeks ago.
This interconference game didn’t have much standings implications, as the Ducks entered having had their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday by the Edmonton Oilers. They sat with a three-point lead in the Pacific Division standings.
Toronto entered with the sixth-best odds to win the NHL Draft Lottery and were coming off a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
Radko Gudas exited the Ducks’ 3-2 OT win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday with a lower-body injury, forcing him to miss the team’s previous game, but he returned for this one. Pavel Mintyukov also missed the Ducks’ last game against the Oilers with a lower-body injury and returned on Monday. Nathan Guacher, Frank Vatrano, and Drew Helleson served as healthy scratches.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Viel-Poehling-Gauthier
McTavish-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Zellweger-Gudas
Ville Husso got the start in this game for the Ducks and saved 23 of the 28 shots he faced. Former Ducks backup netminder Anthony Stolarz opposed him in the Toronto net and stopped 28 of 32.
“Reminds me of exactly what happened in Toronto,” Joel Quenneville said. “We had a comfortable lead, we were in a good spot, and they’re dangerous off the rush. We turn pucks over, and they’re gone. That was their recipe there.”
Game Notes
This game was sloppy between the whistles and resembled a playoff game after them. The emotions mentioned earlier gave way to scrums and altercations, halting game flow and leading to multiple man-advantage opportunities for each side.
Radko Gudas received a ten-minute misconduct after participating in an opening faceoff fight with Toronto forward Max Domi. He only saw 7:10 TOI in this game. Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier left the game in the first period after scoring a goal to extend the Ducks’ lead to 2-0. He only played 3:20.
Ducks center Leo Carlsson gave a scare after colliding with Troy Terry and William Nylander simultaneously, sending him briefly to the locker room. He wound up playing 18:51 in this game.
This one only saw 37:25 of 5v5 action. The Ducks won the possession battle in those minutes with 57.14% of the shot attempts, despite generating 48.48% of the shots on goal, and wound up with 52.55% of the expected goals.
Power Play: The Ducks converted on one of their six power play chances, including a failure to convert on a two-minute 5v3 in the opening two minutes of the contest. Their 5v4 chances were more cohesive and dangerous than their long 5v3. While on the 5v3, they collapsed on the Leafs’ triangle in an attempt to shorten passes and get Stolarz moving, but could open any seams.
At 5v4, they were utilizing their net front and bumper to disrupt Toronto’s penalty killing structure, and added some creative wrinkles, including banking flank shot-passes off the endboards to find the net front forward on the back post.
Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke is one of the most volatile NHL rookies in recent memory, and learning how to mitigate his mistakes while amplifying the aspects of his game that make him special will be a challenge throughout the early parts of his career.
He can singlehandedly create scoring opportunities from his own goal line, as displayed by the Ducks’ third goal, where he cuts back on an aggressive pursuer and sends a picturesque sauce outlet to Jackson LaCombe 120 feet away, in the neutral zone.
He can also cost his club points here and there with careless offensive zone turnovers. He’s making ambitious decisions to create opportunities when simple plays are available. He turned a puck over at the offensive blueline on a cycle that sprung Nylander on a breakaway and allowed Toronto to tie the game late.
He didn’t see the ice following that play at the 10:14 mark of the third period or in the overtime frame. If the coaching staff had played him, perhaps the Ducks would have come away with the extra point, but at this stage in the season, they viewed the lesson as more important than the standings point.
Leo Carlsson: When Carlsson briefly exited the game, the air was sucked out of Honda Center. Upon his return, halfway through the third period, he was back to generating scoring chances at will, both off the rush or cycle.
He displayed a few aspects of his game that, if they become more consistent, will help round out his attacking ability and add to his repertoire as a 200-foot impact player. He manufactured a number of turnovers with clever defensive angles and stick lifts, which he then turned up ice into quick offense.
He was also more willing to engage puck carriers through their hands, getting his 6-foot-3 frame between them and the puck, to muscle possession away. With these added elements, he can continue his climb into the conversation of the NHL’s elite centermen.
The Ducks will hit the road for a brief trip to Northern California to face their division rival San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, as the Sharks find themselves within striking distance of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference playoff picture.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — John Tavares redirected a shot from Morgan Rielly into the net with five seconds left in overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Anaheim Ducks in a fight-marred game Monday night.
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.
But Leo Carlsson, who hobbled to the locker room after taking a hard hit and falling to the ice in the first minute of the third, gathered a loose puck near the left circle and flicked a shot past Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz to make it 4-4 with 1:39 left.
Tavares added a first-period goal, and Stolarz stopped 28 of 32 shots for Toronto, which took the ice about 1 ½ hours after general manager Brad Treliving was fired near the end of his third season, with the Maple Leafs on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier scored in the first 10 minutes, and John Carlson scored his first goal for the Ducks. Gauthier, who leads the Pacific Division-leading Ducks with 38 goals and 65 points, suffered an upper-body injury on a cross-check late in the first and did not return. Husso had 22 saves.
Ducks captain Radko Gudas, slowed by a lower-body injury, insisted on playing in the rematch of a March 12 game in which his knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews led to a season-ending injury for the Toronto captain and a five-game suspension for Gudas.
It took three seconds for the Leafs to exact some revenge, Toronto forward Max Domi and Gudas dropping the gloves and exchanging punches as soon as the puck dropped.
That set the tone for a hard-hitting game that featured a combined 85 penalty minutes, numerous scuffles and game misconducts incurred by Toronto’s Michael Pezzetta and Domi in the second.
The San Jose Sharks were back in action on Monday night as they faced the St. Louis Blues for the second time in less than a week.
The Sharks started their fourth line, who immediately brought some energy, and Adam Gaudette got an early scoring chance, hitting the post. The returning Yaroslav Askarov was forced to make a save at the other end of the ice moments later, denying Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours on back-to-back shots on goal.
It was a very high-energy game early on, with quite a few chances coming in transition for both teams. Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein would break the deadlock with his first career goal just 5:29 into the first period, giving St. Louis a very early 1-0 lead.
Robert Thomas took the first penalty of the night at 7:11 in the first period when he cleared the puck over the glass. Alex Wennberg scored on the man advantage, marking his 15th goal of the season, tying things up at a goal a piece.
Dalibor Dvorsky gave the Sharks their second power play of the night when he was called for interference at 12:39. Macklin Celebrini would quickly get a goal for his second point of the night, and 100th of the season.
Pavel Buchnevich tied things up with his 17th goal of the season late in the first period, making it a brand new hockey game. It was short-lived, though, as Macklin Celebrini scored his second of the night and tied Erik Karlsson for the second-most points in a season in Sharks history with less than a minute remaining in the period, restoring the Sharks’ lead.
Shakir Mukhamadullin was the first Shark sent to the penalty box when he was called for delay of game early in the second period. The Blues’ power play was short-lived, though, as Pius Suter was penalized for high-sticking 32 seconds later. Nothing came of either abbreviated power play, but the Sharks got another opportunity when Barclay Goodrow drew a hooking penalty nearly halfway through the period. The Sharks once again took full advantage of the power play, as Alex Wennberg scored his second of the night to make it a 4-2 game.
Shakir Mukhamadullin was called for hooking with less than a minute remaining in the middle frame, and the Blues didn’t take long to get back on the scoreboard. Philip Broberg scored the Blues’ third goal of the night, cutting the Sharks’ lead to a single goal.
The Sharks were applying quite a bit of pressure early in the third period as they looked to restore their two-goal lead. Joel Hofer was making some big plays, and even made a very dangerous, but effective play behind the net to cut off the Sharks’ attack. Around the midway point of the period, the Blues started generating some chances of their own forcing Askarov into action a couple of times.
Askarov tripped up Dylan Holloway behind the Sharks’ net with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation, giving the Blues an important power play late in the game. The penalty was served by Will Smith.
Cam Fowler tied things up with 7:07 remaining in the period, putting the Sharks in a difficult situation. The Blues had won both prior games in the season series in overtime; as a result, the Sharks needed to score as quickly as possible if they wanted to leave with two points.
With 21 seconds remaining, Adam Gaudette fired a shot from the faceoff dot, which trickled past Hofer and into the net, giving the Sharks a late lead and forcing the Blues to call a timeout.
The Sharks found a way to win after a hard-fought battle from both sides, earning the two points and preventing the Blues from getting even one.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Adam Gaudette scored with 21 seconds left, Alexander Wennberg and Macklin Celebrini each had two goals and an assist, and the San Jose Sharks beat St. Louis 5-4 on Monday night to snap the Blues' three-game winning streak.
On the rush, Gaudette flicked a wrist shot from near the left faceoff spot that trickled between the legs of goalie Joel Hofer.
Yaroslav Askarov made 22 saves for the Sharks (34-31-7), who have 75 points — tied with Seattle and two behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild card. Los Angeles has 76 points, while St. Louis (31-31-11) has 73.
Theo Lindstein, Pavel Buchnevich, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler scored for the Blues, and Jake Neighbours had two assists. Hofer finished with 24 saves.
Fowler scored a power-play goal to make it 4-all with 7:07 left when he took a wrist shot from the right side that beat Askarov to the glove side and slipped inside the left post.
The 19-year-old Celebrini, the No. 1 selection in the 2024 draft, has 38 goals and 63 assists — making him the sixth different teenager in NHL history with at least 100 points in a season.
McDavid Over 1.5 points 
Rakell anytime goal 
Hagel Over 0.5 assists 
