After opening their four-game homestand on an offensive tear with 10 goals in two wins, the Golden Knights ran into a buzzsaw Tuesday night.
Buffalo, the league's hottest team since Dec. 9, stayed red hot with its 10th win in 11 games since the Olympic Break, winning 2-0.
It was Vegas' third shutout loss of the season and its first at home.
While Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves to keep his stat line clean, the Golden Knights misfired on 22 shots
"I thought we got lots of pucks there, some rebounds," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We just misfired on them. I thought Mitch (Marner) had a chance late. (Nic) Dowd had a rebound with an open net that ended up off net. (Mark) Stoney had a rebound on the power play.
"There were some rebounds there that we just didn't finish."
KEY MOMENT
With 16:35 left in the game, Pavel Dorofeyev took a pass from Marner and fired a wicked wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle, but was stymied by Luukkonen, setting the tone for a resilient finish by Buffalo's netminder, who improved to 6-1 since Jan. 22.
KEY STAT
0 for 3 ... For the fourth time in five games the Golden Knights couldn't score a power-play goal. From Jan. 31 through March 6, the Golden Knights ranked tied for fifth in the NHL with their 33.3% power-play clip. Since then, the Knights rank 26th with a 13.3% conversion rate.
WHAT A KNIGHT
Goalie Adin Hill allowed one goal after turning in another strong performance, outside of the lone goal he let in. After Hill failed to clear the puck behind the net, Buffalo's Josh Doan fired his shot off the back of the Knights' netminder's right pad and the puck ricocheted into the net. Otherwise, Hill was the best Knight on the ice, stopping 23 shots.
The Golden Knights conclude their four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday.
PHOTO CAPTION:Â Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against Buffalo Sabres center Noah Ostlund (86) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 27 shots to record his first shutout of the season and eighth in his NHL career, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
Josh Doan and Josh Norris scored for Buffalo (42-20-6), who have surged to a 10-1-0 record since returning from the Olympic break. With the win, the Sabres are now tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Carolina, however, holds a game in hand after a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Adin Hill stopped 23 shots in the loss for Vegas (31-23-14), snapping a two-game winning streak. The Golden Knights fell to third place in the Pacific Division, trailing the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks by a single point. Edmonton, which has played one more game, defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Tuesday.
Josh Doan scores for the Sabers.
The game's opening goal came late in the first period. At 18:02, Doan capitalized on a miscue behind the net by Hill, banking a shot off the goaltenderâs right pad to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead. Norris sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third period, finalizing the 2-0 scoreline.
With Luukkonenâs standout performance and the Sabresâ continued dominance post-Olympics, Buffalo is asserting itself as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference heading down the stretch.
The Sabers were coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Jack Quinn was the hero for the Buffalo Sabres in that game, scoring the game-tying goal in the second period and delivering another crucial goal in the shootout.
In the shootout, Quinn started wide on the right wing before cutting to the middle and firing a precise wrist shot under Joseph Wollâs blocker to open the scoring for Buffalo.
Owen Power also contributed a goal in regulation, while Alex Lyon made 16 saves to secure the win for the Sabres.
Alex Tuch added a goal in the shootout, with Lyon coming up big by stopping one attempt and forcing another to miss the net, sealing the victory for Buffalo.
The Golden Knights, however, have been struggling as of late as they've dropped seven of their last 10 games.
The Vancouver Canucks have their second win in their past three games, having taken a 5â2 win against the Florida Panthers tonight. Elias Pettersson led the way with two power play goals, Marco Rossi scored in his third-straight game, and Aatu Räty and Drew OâConnor also found the back of the net. In goal, Kevin Lankinen recorded his first win since January 21, stopping 21 shots on 23 faced.
One of a few positive outcomes from tonightâs game was the fact that the Canucks broke a four-game goalless streak on the power play by scoring two on the man-advantage thanks to Pettersson. Both of the forwardâs goals came as a result of hard shots fired from the faceoff dot, with the first flying powerfully past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and the second trickling behind him on a similar shot.
âIt was nice to get a bounce to go the right way, but Iâm trying to play the right way. I know I still have a lot to do to be where I want to be, but definitely nice to see it go in tonight,â Pettersson said after the win.
Even Vancouverâs second-unit power play got some good looks. During the Canucksâ third man-advantage of the game, Linus Karlsson got some good tip-attempts off on Bobrovsky. While the goal didnât technically take place on the power play, as it had just expired prior to it, OâConnor scored Vancouverâs fifth of the game to tie a career-high in goals with 16 on the season.
Vancouverâs third goal of the first period came off a lapse in defensive coverage for the Panthers. An ill-timed pinch left Rossi all alone in the slot in front of Bobrovsky, with the Canucks centre making a quick move before flicking the puck past the goaltenderâs blocker. Rossi and his line of Brock Boeser and Liam Ăhgren had yet another solid game, with the former two each registering three points and all three putting up at least one.
Despite having a solid response to Vancouverâs performance in the first period, Floridaâs defensive lapses took place yet again on Vancouverâs fourth goal of the game. This time it was Räty who managed to work his way into Floridaâs slot, not giving his shot a second thought as he put it past Bobrovsky to put the Canucks up 4â2.
When Vancouver needed him most in order to secure the win, Lankinen shut things down excellently. He made a flurry of saves with the Panthers fighting to invade the crease and made some big stops on Florida during their third-period power play. Even within the final minute, with the Panthers crowding him in an attempt to score their third, Lankinen stood tall.
âI was just happy to keep the puck out of the net,â Lankinen said after the game. âObviously, I thought our team as a whole played a great game. Petey, Brock, Marco â they stepped up in a big way and led the way, and it was fun to watch.â
One other aspect of tonightâs game that should be noted is the teamâs willingness to stand up for one-another. On multiple occasions, such as when Florida prodded at Lankinen after whistles or Zeev Buium was tripped up, the Canucks â particularly young players like Räty, Nils HĂśglander, and defenceman Elias Pettersson â werenât afraid to go after the Panthers. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote spoke on the change in energy around his team's room through the past few games.
âThe last four or five games, weâve been right there [...] Iâd say we are consistent the last four or five, you feel the momentum change, you feel in the locker room, itâs different. The energy on the ice at practice is different."
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32), defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) battle for the loose puck with Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Kevin Lankinen takes part in his 200th career NHL game
Canucksâ record on March 17 increases to 10â4â0
Elias Pettersson scores his 200th career NHL goal
Marco Rossi increases his goal-streak to three-straight games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
3:49 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (14) from Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser (PPG)
11:41 - FLA: Matthew Tkachuk (9) from Carter Verhaeghe
13:40 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (15) from Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi (PPG)
17:46 - VAN: Marco Rossi (9) from Brock Boeser and Liam Ăhgren
2nd Period:
11:28 - FLA: Sam Bennett (25) from Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe
14:27 - VAN: Aatu Räty (4) from Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson (D)
3rd Period:
14:25 - VAN: Drew OâConnor (16) from Linus Karlsson and Tom Willander
Up Next:
With the Canucks now halfway through their eight-game home stand, their next match will take place on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) â Elias Pettersson scored twice, including the 200th goal of his NHL career, and the Vancouver Canucks held on for a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
The Swedish center opened the scoring at the 3:49 mark of the first period, blasting a one-timer in from inside the faceoff circle during an early power play. It was his 14th tally of the season and his first goal in 21 games.
Marco Rossi also scored and contributed a pair of assists for the Canucks, who rebounded from a lopsided 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Vancouver center Aatu Raty and Drew OâConnor also scored and Brock Boeser added three assists. Kevin Lankinen â playing in his 200th NHL game â stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced for his first win since Jan. 21.
The Panthers got a goal and an assist from Matthew Tkachuk. Sam Bennett also scored and Carter Verhaeghe had two assists.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who lost their second straight game.
Panthers defenseman Seth Jones returned to the lineup after missing 26 games with an upper-body injury. Bennett also played after an undisclosed ailment kept him out of Floridaâs 6-2 loss to the Kraken in Seattle on Sunday.
Winger Nolan Foote played his first game for the Panthers after getting called up from the AHLs Charlotte Checkers on Sunday. His dad is Canucks head coach Adam Foote.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) â Max Jones and Zach Hyman scored third-period goals, Adam Henrique had a pair of assists, and the Edmonton Oilers rallied without star forward Leon Draisaitl for an important 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Murphy and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 5-2-1 in March and moved into a tie with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division.
The Oilers were without Draisaitl, who is fourth in league scoring, after it was announced earlier in the day that he is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury.
Dmitry Orlov, Pavol Regenda and Kiefer Sherwood scored for the Sharks, who have lost five of their last seven.
Connor Ingram had 27 saves for Edmonton, while Alex Nedeljkovic made 32 stops for San Jose.
The game was tied 3-3 after two. The Oilers went up 5-3 with 11:48 to play in the third period as Hyman picked up a rebound in front and lifted a backhand shot into the net from his knees for his 29th goal in just 50 games this season.
San Jose's Macklin Celebrini had his nine-game point streak halted and was held without a point for the first time since the Olympic break. He had 14 points during the streak and remains five points from becoming the sixth teenager in NHL history to register 100 points.
Edmonton's Evan Bouchard picked up an assist to give him 26 points and a plus-22 rating in 18 career games against the Sharks. He has 32 points in his last 21 games overall.
Edmonton now has nine consecutive home wins over the Sharks.
The road trip started there last Tuesday, resulting in a 5-4 shootout loss for the Penguins. It looked like the Penguins weren't going to get a point out of that game until they scored two goals in the final three minutes of regulation to send it to overtime. They stole a point, even though they had chances to win the game in overtime.
Since that loss, the Penguins have won two of their last three games on the trip, including Monday's 7-2 thrashing of the Colorado Avalanche. They're 2-1-1 and have earned five points heading back to Raleigh, with a chance to reach seven on Wednesday.
Going into the trip, five points seemed reasonable given several players were missing. Sidney Crosby and Sam Girard have missed all four games, while Malkin and Brazeau each missed three before returning on Monday.
Despite the injuries and the suspension of Malkin, the Penguins have stayed in a playoff spot and have a lot of players to thank, especially defenseman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson has been excellent all season, but has gone nuclear since the NHL players returned from the Olympics.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) celebrates his goal in the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
In 11 games since the end of the Olympic break, Karlsson has recorded three goals and 14 points. He finished Monday's game in Denver with a goal and two assists, and was a menace all over the ice. He was a one-man breakout and also made some simple, yet very effective plays along the boards in his own zone. He finished the game with 21:43 at all situations and controlled 54.7% of the expected goals. He's been the Penguins' best player since Crosby went down.
Anthony Mantha has also been on another level during this road trip, racking up three goals and five points in four games. He has 26 goals and 52 points this season, both of which are career highs. He's been an unbelievable free agent signing by Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas and is shaping up to get a big payday this offseason.
Both goaltenders (Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner) have continued to push one another. The Penguins feel confident with either goaltender in the crease, and will have a tough decision to make in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they make it.
Bryan Rust continues to be a big game player for the Penguins and now has 25 goals and 53 points in 60 games this season. Four of those goals and seven points have come via this road trip so far.
The vibes continue to be through the roof with this team going into the final 15 games of the regular season, and no matter what happens on Wednesday, the Penguins will be in second place in the Metropolitan Division at the end of the trip. They have put themselves in a good position heading into a stretch in which they will play four of five games at home, starting on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. They control their own destiny to make the playoffs, which is all you can ask for during a playoff race.
What was originally seen as a fearful road trip has only fueled this Penguins team further.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) â Ryan OâReilly scored the lone goal in the shootout to lift the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
OâReilly beat Connor Hellebuyck to the glove side in the first round of the shootout. Predatorsâ netminder Juuse Saros secured the win by stopping Gabriel Vilardi, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
Matthew Wood, Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula scored in regulation for Nashville. Jonathan Marchessault chipped in with two assists. Saros made 36 saves.
Jonathan Toews forced overtime for Winnipeg, tying the game 3-3 with 1:01 left in the third period.
Josh Morrissey and Vilardi also scored in regulation for the Jets. Connor contributed three assists to extend his point streak to four games, while Scheifele assisted on the game-tying marker. Hellebuyck stopped 20 shots.
The contest was officiated by a single referee, Brandon Schrader, after Chris Lee was unable to attend due to travel issues.
The Chicago Blackhawks welcomed the Minnesota Wild to the United Center on Tuesday night for some St. Patrick's Day hockey. That also meant a return for Nick Foligno, who was traded just a couple of weeks ago.
Although Foligno would never get quite the ovation that a guy like Jonathan Toews got as a former captain, the organization and its fans are clearly happy with him for the way he conducted himself while playing an important leadership role during the rebuild.
Right after the TV timeout in which Foligno was honored, a different former Blackhawks player found the back of the net. Brock Faber and Kirill Kaprizov made a nice play to set up Ryan Hartman in front of the net to make it 1-0 at 6:17.
Just over a minute later (7:58), Marcus Johansson made it 2-0 Wild. At that point, it looked like the Wild were going to end their losing streak in a big way.
Louis Crevier, who leads the NHL in shots over 100 mph, had something to say about that. After Frank Nazar sent him into the attacking zone, he blasted a 102 mph shot past Filip Gustafsson to get the Blackhawks on the board at 10:47.
Crevier's shot was the fastest to find the back of an NHL net this season of any player on any team. He is becoming a true weapon in all three zones.
The Wild were awarded a power play chance late in the opening frame, and Vladimir Tarasenko took full advantage. He has scored a lot of big goals at the United Center, and this one put his team back up by two. Tarasenko's snipe came as the result of a brilliant passing play by Marcus Johansson and Brock Faber.
That 3-1 score held in favor of Minnesota through the first intermission. They played much better and walked into the dressing room with a well-deserved lead.
In the second period, the Wild and Blackhawks played a mostly even period. Shots were 11-10 in favor of Chicago, which was an incredible improvement over the 16-7 advantage that Minnesota had in the first. The Wild somewhat continued their good play early in the middle frame, but the Blackhawks got back on track in the second half of the period.
One of those second-period shots went in for the Blackhawks. Ryan Greene scored at the net-mouth thanks to some digging by Connor Bedard. Louis Crevier also collected an assist on the goal. The 3-2 score went to the second intermission.
In the third period, Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson left the game for an undisclosed reason. He was replaced by Jesper Wallstedt, but then Gustavsson came back in to finish the game. Wallstedt only played for 3:27.
Late in the third period, Artyom Levshunov made a nice play to spring Connor Bedard, who had Frank Nazar with him. Bedard made a perfect pass to Nazar for him to tie it up at 3 at 18:20 of the third period. Like the previous two matchups between the two clubs this season, it went to overtime, tied at three.
The future was on display with this goal, with three first-round picks who are pillars of the franchise combining to tie the game.
In overtime, Mats Zuccarello scored after the Wild possessed the puck for almost the entire extra frame. All three matchups between the two clubs this year have ended with the Wild winning 4-3 in extra time.
It's another example of the young Blackhawks showing good fight, but failing to finish the job in the end.
A positive takeaway for Chicago is that the one point collected by the game reaching overtime is their 62nd of the season, which eclipses last year's total with 14 games remaining on the schedule. It won't be a drastic improvement, but still an improvement despite the team getting even younger.
The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Thursday. They will take on the Minnesota Wild in the second leg of a home-and-home. Like with the Utah Mammoth last week, the young Blackhawks have a chance to get a similar feel to playing the same opponent over and over, like the playoffs.
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TORONTO â For all the pregame hype around Matthew Schaefer playing his first game in Toronto, it was the Islandersâ other area-native rookie, Cal Ritchie, who scored in his first game back home Tuesday.
And for all the consternation about the Islandersâ power play all year long, the 5-on-4 unit finally looks like itâs heating up, scoring twice for the second time in four games.
That all added up to a fairly straightforward 3-1 win against a Maple Leafs side that looks painfully aware of how poor a season theyâre having.
Brayden Schenn celebrates with Matthew Schaefer after scoring a goal during the Islandersâ 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 17, 2026 in Toronto. NHLI via Getty Images
Two points here was a box the Islanders had to check on this road trip that heads next to Ottawa, with a razor-tight playoff race affording little margin for error.
Coach Patrick Roy was asked afterward â and after the Blue Jackets dispatched Carolina â about watching Columbus and Pittsburgh, the Islandersâ two chief opponents in the race, win seemingly every night.
âI think they see us winning every night too,â Roy said.
His team, a winner in four of five, filled its end of the bargain here in workmanlike fashion. The Islanders led from 4:15 in and put on a clinic in defending a lead: controlling possession, putting the puck deep, keeping Toronto to the outside. It was far from the most entertaining game of the season, but the two headliners â Ritchie and the power play â carry serious implications if what happened Tuesday can last.
There have been moments this season when Ritchie has seemed to waver in confidence, and as recently as a couple of weeks ago, it felt like the Islanders were pushing for more out of the 21-year-old. Heâs continued to have ups and downs, as expected from any rookie, but the move to the wing is going well. So is his move to the goal-line spot on the power play, which heâd never played before the Islanders assigned it to him.
âYou watch a lot of clips,â Ritchie said. âGot a lot of really good players on this team that I can learn from. Iâm trying to take it all in, trying to learn every day.â
Calum Ritchie celebrates at the bench after scoring a goal during the Islandersâ road win over the Maple Leafs. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
It was only right, too, that Brayden Schenn â whom the Isles have assigned to mentor Ritchie â scored his first Islanders goal on an assist from the rookie, and it was a beauty, with Ritchie in the middle of a tic-tac-toe power-play goal that started with Mathew Barzal and ended with a Schenn one-timer for a 1-0 lead.
âWe talked a lot,â Schenn said. âHeâs working at it, and heâs getting rewarded for it, which is cool to see.â
It was the first of two goals the power play scored in the first period, and the second was all Ritchie, stuffing in his own rebound just nine seconds after Brandon Carlo went for a high stick. That made it a perfect homecoming for Ritchie, who said he got chills standing on the blue line for the national anthem.
That ought to boost Ritchieâs confidence plenty. Just as important: The power play suddenly seems potent, having won the Islanders a game in St. Louis last week â another two-point game for Ritchie â and having gotten them out to an early lead Tuesday.
Toronto center Jacob Quillan (26) battles with defenseman Carson Soucy (4) in front of goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) during the third period of the Islandersâ road win over the Maple Leafs. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
At this point in the year, itâs likely too late to rescue the Islandersâ woeful ranking at 5-on-4, but they can certainly render it meaningless. Finally, there appear to be signs of a breakthrough.
âIt wasnât anything pretty,â Bo Horvat told The Post. âWe just took pucks to the net, and Ritch did a great job taking the puck to the net, especially on his goal. And a great feed over to Schenner on his.
âWeâre not trying to overcomplicate things. Itâs just moving the puck fast and doing it well.â
For all that, plus Barzal notching a three-assist night for the first time since January 2024, one would think this game had plenty more excitement than it did.
Aside from the odd moment, though â Morgan Rielly dropping gloves with Kyle MacLean, Emil Heinemanâs one-timer that made it 3-1 off a suffocating top-line shift â the game stayed in a sort of stasis. The Leafs, with little energy in front of a quiet home crowd, never really forced the issue, and the Islanders were plenty content with that equilibrium.
All told, it was one of the more forgettable 60 minutes of the season. If its trends can last, though, it may be one of the more significant.
TORONTO (AP) â Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist on a pair of first-period power plays as the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since being acquired from St. Louis ahead of the trade deadline, and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.
Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for New York, and Mathew Barzal had three assists.
Steven Lorentz scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll stopped 31 shots.
The Leafs fell to 2-1-1 since losing captain Auston Matthews for the season to a knee injury â a run on the heels of an ugly 0-6-2 slide that all but cratered their playoff hopes.
New Yorkâs Matthew Schaefer picked up an assist to move within one point of becoming the fourth rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 50 in a season. The 18-year-old is looking to join Stefan Persson (56 in 1977-78), Denis Potvin (54 in 1973-74) and Vladimir Malakhov (52 in 1992-93).
Schenn scored on the gameâs first power play at 4:15 of the first. Ritchie doubled New Yorkâs lead at 9:43, also with the man advantage.
Toronto entered Tuesday with the NHLâs third-best penalty kill at 83.5 percent. New Yorkâs power play was 29th at 15.9 percent.
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 17: Tanner Jeannot (84) of the Boston Bruins wrestles with Alexandre Carrier (45) of the MontrĂŠal Canadiens during the second period of the NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens on Mar 17, 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was dĂŠja vu all over again for the Bruins, as for the second night in a row, they gave away a lead and lost late in overtime.
This time, it was a Cole Caufield goal with 22 seconds left in the extra session that sank the Bâs, giving Montreal an important 3-2 win in this Atlantic Division showdown.
Pavel Zacha scored both Bruins goals, while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves in defeat.
The Bruins had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in this game, only to see the Habs respond about eight minutes later in each case.
After a scoreless third period, Montreal emerged on top after a back-and-forth OT that saw the teams trade a few chances.
Overall, this was a pretty evenly played game, but one that ends with further frustration for the Bâs as they squandered a point for the second time in 24 hours.
Zacha got the scoring started with a power play goal two minutes into the game, making it 1-0 Bruins.
That would remain the score through the third period and until late in overtime, when Cole Caufield scored with 22 seconds left to win the game for Montreal.
I suppose you can look on the bright side and say that the Bruins took four points out of a possible six on this three-game road trip, but it doesnât really feel like a âglass half fullâ vibe at the moment. In a vacuum, this was a tight game that game down to Montreal making one extra play, but it becomes more frustrating when paired with last nightâs unraveling in New Jersey.
The Bruins could have used more from their power play tonight, as they were given four opportunities with the man advantage, a rarity for a road game in Montreal. While they cashed in on one of those, the first half of a double minor early in the first period, they came up empty the rest of the way.
I know 3-on-3 OT usually ends up in a chaotic mix of guys swirling around, but Iâm not sure the decision to let Caufield set up camp all alone in the crease was the best decision. Just a suggestion for the future.
Zacha had a chance for a fairy tale ending in this one, as he was sprung for a breakaway in OT about a minute before Caufieldâs winner.
That winner was Caufieldâs 40th goal of the season, the first time he has hit that mark in the NHL.
While he ultimately takes the loss, Swayman played well for the Bruins in this one. Iâm not sure how you fault him for any of the three Montreal goals.
While a point certainly doesnât hurt the Bruins, things got a little tighter near the wild card spots thanks to Columbusâs 5-1 pasting of Carolina.
The Bâs currently find themselves in the first wild card spot due to a regulation wins tiebreaker over Detroit, with Columbus just a point back of both teams.
The Bruins will be off on Wednesday before hosting the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden on Thursday night. A huge game against the Red Wings in Detroit will follow on Saturday night.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 17: Brayden Schenn #10 celebrates scoring a goal against the New York Islanders with his teammates during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 17, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Unsurprisingly in the lead up to this game, all the media attention for the New York Islanders was on rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer, who is from Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up going to Toronto Maple Leafs games. Blah, blah, youâve heard it all before. But it would be a different rookie from the Toronto area who dominated the scoresheet tonight, as Cal Ritchie, also playing in his first game against the Maple Leafs (or should I say the St. Pats?) in Toronto, picked up a goal and an assist in the first period, both coming on the power play.
Ritchie set up Brayden Schennâs first as an Islander before scoring what would be the eventual game winner himself, showing off in front of his family and friends. And Schaefer picked up an assist on Ritchieâs game winner, while Mathew Barzal, noted Leaf killer, assisted on all three goals, and heâs now up to 25 points in 21 games against the Maple Leafs.
Big win, and a solid start to a Canadian road trip, since Columbus won yet again and Boston picked up a point against Montreal.
William Nylander had a chance early that Ilya Sorokin saved after an Islanders giveaway.
After Cal Ritchie took a light slash on a developing 2 on 1, the Islanders went to the power play. On that power play, Mat Barzal passed the puck off to Ritchie, who went for a behind the back pass to Brayden Schenn, who scored his first goal as a New York Islander.
Adam Pelech took a hooking penalty on John Tavares, but the Islanders were the more dangerous team on the Leafs PP, as Simon Holmstrom had a short handed chance saved by Joseph Woll, and as the penalty expired, Holmstrom set up JG Pageau for a great chance that was saved by Woll as well.
Anthony Duclair was high sticked by Brandon Carlo, putting the Isles on the power play again. And again, theyâd score quickly, as Barzal set up Ritchie in front. Ritchie picked up his own rebound and made it 2-0 batting the puck in past Woll.
Later, Sorokin made a big save on Mattias Maccelli to maintain the two goal lead.
Second Period
Bo Horvat hit the post on a good chance in front of Woll, and Nylander had a shot saved by Sorokin. Pelech was called for his second penalty of the game for slashing Nylander on that play.
Shorthanded, Matthew Schaefer set up a 3 on 2, but Holmstrom was knocked down, and Dakota Joshua was called for holding. There were chances exchanged during the 4 on 4, but neither team scored.
And then shortly after, the Leafs cut the Isles lead in half when Steven Lorentz made it 2-1. The Leafs looked much stronger this period, but a few minutes later, Emil Heineman restored the two goal lead, making it 3-1 off a pass from Tony DeAngelo. Barzal also picked up his third assist of the game on the goal.
Casey Cizikas was called for hooking, but the Islanders killed that.
Kyle MacLean made slight contact with Woll while skating across the ice near the crease, and Morgan Rielly cross checked him and then they exchanged punches. Both players got five minute majors, and Rielly also picked up the extra 2 minutes for cross checking, sending the Isles to the PP.
Horvatâs stick broke on a one timer chance, and he had to get back with a new stick off the bench to help defend a shorthanded chance from the Leafs, and the Leafs killed the penalty.
Third Period
Sorokin saved Calle Jarnkrokâs shot but left a big rebound, and Jacob Quillan put the puck wide as Sorokin was getting across.
That was the most dangerous chance for a while, but then Tavares took a four minute high sticking double minor. The four minute power play was pretty dangerous, but the Isles didnât score on it. The Leafs pulled Woll as soon as they got possession, while still on the penalty kill, but they couldnât score anything, and the Islanders would close out the 3-1 win.
Up Next
Next, the Islanders head to Ottawa to take on the Senators on Thursday night. The Senators are just hanging on in the wild card mix with a couple extra games to play, so this will be another important game with playoff implications as the Isles try to maintain their 3rd seed in the Metro Division.
The story of the U.S. menâs hockey team winning the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics features a twist.
You know about Jack Hughesâ teeth, two of them knocked out before he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada to secure the gold medal.
But do you know about the missing puck?
Specifically, the puck Hughes shot past Canada goalie Jordan Binnington for the game-winning goal, which gave the U.S. hockey team its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team.
So whereâs the âgolden goalââ puck? Did somebody get that puck? That's what former NHL player Tony Granato asked Hughes Feb. 26 during an interview on TNT.
"I honestly don't know where that puck went,ââ Hughes said. âI know who doesn't have it is me. I sure as hell don't have it.ââ
Who has Jack Hughes' 'golden goal' puck?
A day after that interview, a spokesperson for the International Ice Hockey Federation told Sportico the puck was "designated for archival preservation with the (Hockey Hall of Fame) to ensure its long-term safekeeping and historical recognition."
Hughes, back in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, is not celebrating the decision like he did the golden goal.
"I'm trying to get it,ââ Hughes said of the puck in an exclusive interview with ESPN Tuesday, March 17. âLike, that's (b.s.) that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?"
That puck, along with the puck Megan Keller shot and scored in overtime that secured a gold medal for the U.S. womenâs hockey team, are part of an "Olympics '26" display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, according to ESPN.
But not permanently. If Hughes can help it.
"I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks," Hughes told ESPN, explaining that his father has collected hockey memorabilia during the careers of Jack and his two brothers. "I wouldn't even want it for myself. I'd want it for my dad. I know he'd just love, love having it."
TORONTO -- Calum Ritchie recorded a goal and an assist, while Matthew Schaefer added an assist in their hometown debuts, helping the New York Islanders to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.Â
Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves to earn the 150th win of his NHL career.Â
Here's how the game unfolded:
Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since joining the Islanders ahead of March 6th's NHL Trade Deadline. He received a nifty Ritchie feed on the power play at 4:15 of the first period:
Ritchie casually sets up Schenn as if theyâve been playing on the power play together, forever.đ¨ #Isles 1-0 pic.twitter.com/E8P9LG8sFM
Ritchie doubled the Islanders' lead to 2-0 at 9:43 of the first period. Barzal, stationed on the left half-wall, fed Ritchie down low before the rookie cut to the top of the crease:
Ritchie creates a great target along the goal line and makes a great move to the inside. đ¨2-0 #Islespic.twitter.com/lMKpiJu0uV
Steven Lorenz got the Maple Leafs on the board at 4:40 of the second, but the Islanders responded at 11:57 of the third after Emil Heineman wired a Tony DeAngelo one-time feed for his 19th of the season:
