The Colorado Avalanche fought their way back to the top of the NHL power rankings the hard way.

Colorado faced adversity in consecutive divisional matchups, trailing 3–1 against the Dallas Stars and later falling behind 2–1 against the Minnesota Wild. In both contests, the Avalanche refused to fade, rallying late to secure pivotal victories against their NHL Central Division rivals.

Thought the Avalanche had the Central Division wrapped up? Think again — the race is wide open once more.

Since securing those key wins, the Avs have stumbled slightly, dropping two of their last three games. Meanwhile, the Stars have surged at exactly the right time. Dallas has won four straight, including a 3–2 victory Saturday night over the Detroit Red Wings on home ice.

Thomas Harley - Dallas Stars (6)
OT Winner pic.twitter.com/ohwzrRr3c7

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 15, 2026

As a result, the Stars (42-14-10, 94 points) now sit just three points behind the Avalanche (44-12-9), tightening the Central Division race as the regular season begins its final stretch.

Dallas Inches Closer To Colorado

Thomas Harley delivered the decisive moment just over two minutes into overtime, lifting Dallas to a dramatic 3–2 victory over Detroit. The goal not only secured the win but also allowed the Stars to tie a franchise record with a 15-game point streak.

Harley struck 2:06 into the extra period after collecting the puck in the neutral zone and accelerating past the Detroit defense for a breakaway. With open ice ahead of him, the young blueliner snapped a shot past the goaltender to end the game and send the home crowd into celebration.

The overtime heroics came only after Detroit forced extra time late in regulation. Lucas Raymond tied the game 2–2 with 3:26 remaining in the third period when a rebound deflected off his torso as he drove hard to the front of the net, slipping past the Dallas goaltender and erasing what had been a two-goal Stars lead.

“There's a lot of open ice out there,” Harley told reporters. “Speed and skill are the forefront of it. It’s pretty positionless out there and I like to play offense. (Overtime) fits me very well. I felt like I had a step on them and you never know. Put it on net and see what happens. Winning is fun. It’s a shame we blew our two-goal lead. But two points is two points.”

The victory pushed Dallas’ remarkable run to 15 straight games with at least a point (14-0-1), matching a franchise mark originally set from Dec. 6, 1998, to Jan. 6, 1999. That earlier stretch went 12-0 with three ties. The current surge also featured a franchise-record 10-game winning streak that was snapped in a 5–4 shootout loss to Colorado on March 6.

Throughout the streak, Dallas has received contributions from across its lineup — a key factor in maintaining momentum during one of the most demanding stretches of the schedule.

“I thought we played a good game tonight,” Dallas forward Matt Duchene said. “I don’t know how many scoring chances we gave up, I don’t think it was many. This is a grind of a schedule. We’re playing a lot of good teams.

“I think maybe we got a little tired in the third, too, but found a way to get it done. Big goal by [Harley] there. We’ve got different guys stepping up at different moments for us right now and that’s why we’re going like we are.”

Kadri Acquisition Helps Colorado

Colorado’s late push has been energized by the dramatic return of Nazem Kadri. Reacquired in the final hour before the trade deadline, Kadri received a thunderous standing ovation in Denver ahead of Colorado’s 3–2 shootout victory over Minnesota on March 8.

His presence has already injected new life into the Avalanche lineup, providing veteran experience, physicality, and offensive depth as the postseason race intensifies.

WHAT A PASS FROM NAZEM KADRI

WE ARE SO BACK 🥹 pic.twitter.com/vTYvN21lEa

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 8, 2026

Still, if the past few weeks have proven anything, it’s that the battle for the Central Division crown is far from settled.

The Stars have 16 games remaining on their regular season schedule, while the Avalanche have 17. Each team will play once more before they meet Wednesday night in a highly anticipated showdown at Ball Arena.

Colorado hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, the same night Dallas faces the Utah Mammoth.

The Avalanche are currently without captain Gabriel Landeskog, who continues to recover from a lower-body injury. Forward Logan O'Connor, who underwent a second hip surgery after a season complicated by lingering issues, is also nearing a return.

Injury updates from Bednar on @AltitudeSR

- Said looking at Lehkonen, Landeskog, LOC potentially returning around same time. Mentioned “couple” weeks and back before playoffs. Not sure on Colton yet.

- Wants to get Kadri back at C, mentioned maybe trying Lehkonen with him.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) March 11, 2026

Dallas has dealt with its own injury challenges throughout the season and is awaiting the return of star forward Mikko Rantanen — a longtime Avalanche standout — who suffered a lower-body injury during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

With the division lead tightening and a head-to-head matchup looming, the stage is set for what could be one of the defining stretches of the season.

It’s all coming down to the wire.

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Tim Stutzle has been a shooting machine when facing weak defensive teams, and he draws one this afternoon against San Jose.

My Sharks vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks expect him to take full advantage, as he did the last time these two teams met.

Sharks vs Senators prediction

Sharks vs Senators best bet: Tim Stuzle Over 2.5 shots (+125)

The San Jose Sharks rank 31st in shots on goal allowed per game. That’s good news for Tim Stutzle, who's feasted on poor shot suppression teams all season.

Stutzle has averaged 3.5 shots on target and cleared his line 71% of the time against Bottom-10 shot suppression sides

The numbers are even more eye-popping on home ice, where Stutzle has generated 4.1 shots per game.

He registered four shots on eight attempts in his previous meeting with the Sharks, who happen to rank dead last in shots allowed to centers over their last 10.

Sharks vs Senators same-game parlay

Drake Batherson has posted higher assist rates when playing with Stutzle and Claude Giroux than any other combination of forwards.

Given Stutzle’s shot-generation prowess, particularly against bad defensive teams, Batherson should rack up plenty of potential assists.

The Senators have won 10 of their last 13, with all three losses coming against teams comfortably in playoff position. They should handle a Sharks team playing its fourth road game in six nights.

Sharks vs Senators SGP

• Tim Stutzle Over 2.5 shots
• Drake Batherson Over 0.5 assists
• Senators moneyline

Sharks vs Senators odds

• Moneyline: Sharks +175 | Senators -215
• Puck Line: Sharks +1.5 (-130) | Senators -1.5 (+110)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5

Sharks vs Senators trend

Tim Stutzle has recorded 3+ shots on goal in three of the last four games against San Jose. Find more NHL betting trends for Sharks vs. Senators.

How to watch Sharks vs Senators

Sharks vs Senators latest injuries

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The New York Islanders held on to a 3-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night to earn point 81. And it's a good thing they closed that game out, given the out-of-town scoreboard. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their point streak to nine games (6-0-3) as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in a shootout to remain just two points back of the Islanders with one game in hand. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-3 to earn their 81st point of the season and remain ahead of the Islanders, who have one game in hand. 

The first-place wild-card Boston Bruins also won, beating the Washington Capitals 3-2 to earn their 80th point of the season, while the Detroit Red Wings earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars to collect their 80th point. 

Teams had crossed the 65-game mark in the past week and are roaring towards 70 games in the 2025-26 NHL season. It’s moving fast now as the league crunches in games to catch up from the Olympic pause. In the Eastern Conference, a high-stakes game something akin to musical chairs is developing for playoff spots. Five teams are separated by two points as of today, fighting for just four playoff spots.

At the top of the conference, Carolina, Buffalo (!!), Tampa and (for now) Montreal are above the fray due to the points they have. The race at the bottom is truly on. The Ottawa Senators are lingering back and trying to catch up, which they may well accomplish in the next few weeks, but for now the allure has been the race between the Columbus Blue Jackets trying to catch a Wild Card team from the Atlantic (Boston and Detroit), if not a Metropolitan Team in Pittsburgh or the NY Islanders.

The Blue Jackets are making progress, having gone 5-0-4 in their last nine games, including completing a 2-0-1 road trip this week. On the other side, Detroit is fading away having only won one of their last six games (1-3-2).

The Penguins, for their part, have mostly been in a ‘hang on and survive’ mode lately, attempting to weather injury to Sidney Crosby, suspension to Evgeni Malkin and a nasty-strong March schedule that would be enough to make any team pause. The results have been uneven, but the worst could be behind them — Malkin is set to be back for the next game, Crosby won’t be that far behind him, and they’ve almost made it to what could be a place to clean up in April, where the Penguins end the season with six-straight games against non-playoff opponents who could all be sputtering to the finish line in the meaningless final games of their season (Florida x2, New Jersey, Washington x2, St. Louis).

The other bit of good news for the Pens — their 28 regulation wins put them in a very strong situation for the first tiebreaker against the teams they are directly competing with for a playoff spot. Boston (27) is close, all the other teams in the mix (Detroit 25, NYI 24, Columbus 23) are some level of overtime/shootout merchants that haven’t won consistently in regulation as much as Pittsburgh has. If the standings come down to a tie at the end of the year, the first tiebreaker is looking favorable for Pittsburgh, which essentially means a tie is as good as a lead right now for the Pens. These other teams are going to have to move past them, if it comes to that, by putting up more points, not just catch up to the same number as them.

For now, the race goes on. Five teams vying for four places when the music stops. Things may be trending up in Columbus, down in Detroit and sideways in Pittsburgh at the moment, but the moment will pass and the next twist in the story could be coming down the pike. Whatever trends up is sure to pull back to the pack and whatever lagging behind (hello again, Ottawa?) could draw back closer as the schedule moves on.

These teams have going on 15 games left to figure out who will get into the postseason dance and who will be the disappointed one still standing when the music stop. As always, there are more playoff hopefuls than there are spots available. The East has some quality teams with Carolina, Tampa and Buffalo playing very well this season, yet the depth in the mid-levels has been impressive as well. 70 points is good enough for a playoff spot today in the Western Conference, 70 points in the East gets a team 13th place. The East has been surprisingly strong and is tracking towards team needing 95+ points to qualify for the playoffs, with the emphasis possibly on the “+” given how few regulation losses we’re seeing out of the teams in the chase lately.

The Boston University Terriers men's hockey team made Chicago Blackhawks prospect Sacha Boisvert a healthy scratch on Wednesday night in their Hockey East first-round matchup against Vermont. 

BU won that game, so they moved on to Saturday's quarterfinal round, where they were matched up against UConn. The Terriers lost the game 5-3, ending their 2025-26 season with a whimper. 

Boisvert took his spot back in the lineup for the loss, but that decision won't go forward without dialogue surrounding it. 

Regardless, Boisvert, who the Blackhawks made a first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft, is free to sign his first pro contract now that his NCAA season is complete.  

Although another year of college may do his development some good, the expectation is that he will turn pro. Eventually, time with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs is likely, but he could finish out this year in the NHL with the Blackhawks. 

Boisver's potentially final college season ends with 3 goals, 14 assists, and 17 points in 26 games. Injuries and inconsistencies made it a very disappointing year for him, especially after being one of the best freshmen in the nation one year prior as a member of the University of North Dakota. 

There are expected to be some work visa issues when he first signs his contract with Chicago, but he could get pen to paper before the weekend is even over.

If that's the case, Tuesday or Thursday against the Minnesota Wild start looking like potential days for his NHL debut. Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche is also a possibility. 

There will be eyes on Boisvert to see how he competes once he reaches the NHL level. If he brings his A-effort every night, what does that look like on all three zones? It won't be long now until some of that is learned, but full development will take multiple years. 

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The Philadelphia Flyers have only one post-NHL trade deadline call-up remaining, and it is becoming increasingly clear which prospect they are going to use it on come the final days of the season.

For as long as they remain maddeningly inconsistent, and incapable of winning multiple games in regulation, the Flyers are playoff longshots at best.

At the time of this writing, the Flyers are six points out of a playoff spot with 16 games remaining, and tiebreakers won't be kind to them since they have the second-fewest regulation wins in the Eastern Conference (20) and the fewest regulation and overtime wins (ROW, 23) in the conference.

With that all in mind, the Flyers are overwhelmingly likely to bring in one more prospect for a look at the end of the season, and that is going to end up being none other than David Jiricek, their prized trade acquisition in the Bobby Brink swap deal on trade deadline day.

Jiricek, 22, is already thriving in his new environment with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, having quickly racked up a goal, three assists, and four points in just three games.

Flyers' Connections Can Help Them Land Top KHL Free AgentAfter missing out on Maxim Shabanov in the summer, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> could dip right back into the KHL free agent pool this coming offseason.

Each of his three assists -- 5-on-5, 6-on-5, and power play -- came in the Phantoms' 4-3 dramatic comeback overtime win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday night, and Jiricek's only goal with the Phantoms thus far also came on the power play.

The Flyers and their dreaded 32nd-ranked power play can use all the help they can get as they continue to helplessly fail with their playoff hopes on the line.

Notably, Jiricek has already produced half of the offense he had all season coming into his new NHL home.

In 49 games between the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild, Jiricek managed only two goals, eight assists, and 10 points and had a -15 rating.

Flyers' David Jiricek Experiment Will Require PatienceJiricek scored in his Phantoms debut, but made a costly blunder that resulted in a goal against.

So far with the Phantoms? It's a small sample size, but Jiricek is holding strong defensively with a neutral +0 rating while doing a little bit of everything at the other end of the ice.

In the last week, right-shot veteran Noah Juulsen ceded his place in the lineup to the diminutive Emil Andrae, who has rewarded head coach Rick Tocchet with points in consecutive contests.

If the Flyers continue that theme as their playoff hopes wane, Jiricek could quickly find himself jumping into the NHL lineup in place of a veteran like Nick Seeler or Rasmus Ristolainen.

It would be unwise to label Jiricek a future first-pairing defenseman already, especially until his agility and four-way mobility improves, but his talent is undeniable and is immediately jumping off the page for the Flyers organization.

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Just when it seemed that the Detroit Red Wings were down and out, destined for another regulation loss, they demonstrated some major fortitude that they hope will ultimately pay off down the road. 

Despite ultimately falling by a 3-2 final score in overtime to the Dallas Stars on Saturday evening, the Red Wings managed to score twice in the third period to salvage a badly-needed point in the standings. 

Goals from Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond made Detroit's comeback possible, and as a result, they now have a total of 80 points on the season and are still in the second Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference. 

Their comeback effort is something they'll take into their next game.

“It’s a huge point, for sure," said Raymond afterward. "We wanted to get two, but it’s tight this time of the year. They’re a good team over there. Obviously, we put ourselves in a lot of bad spots, especially on the penalty kill, and then didn’t really get it done on the power play."

"We’ll take the one point and move on.”

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Saturday also featured the Red Wings season debut of David Perron, who was re-acquired last week from the Ottawa Senators for his second tenure with the club.

Red Wings Fall To Stars In OT, But Gain Huge Point Thanks To Third Period ComebackThe Detroit Red Wings fell to the Dallas Stars 3-2 in overtime, but earned a huge point in the standings thanks to a third-period comeback effort.

Perron skated in 13:46 of ice time and had a shot on goal, later saying that he liked the club's resolve from their early deficit. 

“A good battle back, lots going on recently, obviously, but we found a way and kept pushing," Perron said. "It was nice to get rewarded as a group to have one point there.”

The Red Wings will return home for a pair of crucial matchups against the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens. 

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The Golden Knights continued their offensive prowess for a second straight game, as Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals and had one assist in a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

Just as important, at the other end of the ice, goaltender Adin Hill registered his first shutout of the season after stopping all 21 shots he faced.

Rasmus Andersson and Keegan Kolesar also scored for the Knights, who were fresh off Thursday's 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The win moved Vegas, which had slipped to third place last week, back into first place with 76 points, one point in front of the Anaheim Ducks. The Edmonton Oilers are one back of the Ducks, who have a game in hand on both teams.

The Ducks lost 2-0 at Ottawa earlier in the night, while Edmonton was idle.

KEY MOMENT

The staredown! Andersson's 12th goal of the season - and second with the Knights - resulted in the Rasmus staredown. The goal, which came 11:35 into the first period, gave the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead. The staredown, though, sent a message.

KEY STAT

5 ... After struggling to take early leads and lose the first period, it marked the fifth consecutive game the Knights didn't allow a goal in the first period.

"We've changed our pregame routine a little bit, our morning skate we've done a little bit differently," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I don't know if that has any effect ... to be honest, it's just something to get their attention. Obviously, we are doing something better. I think the players have better focus; maybe those tweaks have helped them focus.

"We're not chasing the game as much, and it's a lot easier to play that way."

WHAT A KNIGHT

Dorofeyev is an easy candidate after his second consecutive three-point night, but the nod goes to Hill, after turning in his first shutout of the season.

In starting for the fourth consecutive game, Hill turned in his best performance of the season.

It was Hill's first shutout in more than a year, his last coming on March 13, 2025, when he blanked Columbus in, ironically, a 4-0 win.

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights continue their four-game homestand against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Vegas Golden Knights in the second of two games on the West Coast, in between games at the United Center. 

The Blackhawks won the first one, an overtime victory against the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City. With a difficult Golden Knights team looming, Chicago knew that it needed their best effort to compete.  

From the puck drop on, however, things did not go well for the Blackhawks. They were outshot by Vegas 32-21, and were shut out on the scoreboard 4-0. 

Early in the game, when the Blackhawks were going through the early storm, Jeff Blashill used up his timeout. From that point forward, they competed a bit better, but it was far too late. 

It is hard enough to beat a heavy team like Vegas without spotting them a 3-0 lead early in the match. It's almost impossible to come back when down by multiple goals against them.

Adin Hill and the Knights have been looking for more consistent play this season, and the Blackhawks made them look like that Cup-contending team that everybody knows they can be. 

Spencer Knight started in goal for the Blackhawks, his second start of the road trip following his three-game absence due to illness. It wasn't his best performance, but the team in front of him did not take care of their assignments the way that they are expected to. 

The Blackhawks saw both Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Mangiapane hit the post, Connor Bedard had his share of chances, and an Artyom Levshunov goal was waved off due to a missed stoppage of play (hand-pass). No, that doesn't help them on the scoresheet, but they found chances despite Vegas controlling almost the entire game. 

Once or twice a month, for most teams in the NHL, a game comes along where you get thoroughly outplayed. It's emphasised when you're a bottom team like the Blackhawks, but the message will simply be to throw it away and move on. The players know this was an improper effort, and it will be corrected by the next time they hit the ice. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

The Chicago Blackhawks did not score a goal in this match, so there are no videos to share for this one. 

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Tuesday night, St. Patrick's Day. This will be a matchup against the Minnesota Wild, who defeated them in a shootout back on January 27th. This is a home-and-home for these two teams, so it's another opportunity for the Blackhawks to play the same team twice in a short time, mimicking some aspects of a playoff series. 

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With every other team in the Eastern Conference who is a threat to their playoff hopes winning on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins really needed to find a way to get at least a point - but, preferably, two - when they took on the Utah Mammoth later the same day. 

And just like they have so many times in this tumultuous 2025-26 season, they somehow managed to get the job done. 

After going down 2-0, the Penguins stormed back with authority to beat the Mammoth, 4-3, in regulation, securing their 28th regulation win of the season and allowing them to hold onto second place in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Islanders - who are right on their heels in third place with the same number of points with 81 - won in regulation, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins both won in a shootout, so getting the two points in regulation was critical since it’s the first tiebreaker and the Pens have more regulation wins than any of those teams.

The team’s ability to fight back when they’re down and out has been a theme since losing both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and they’re now 2-1-2 in the five games without them.

Things started off rough for the Penguins, who had one of their worst periods of the season in the first. Like they did in the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, they were turning pucks over left and right, resulting in goals against.

A Blake Lizotte turnover led to the first goal of the game by Dylan Guenther, who rifled it past Stuart Skinner on a save attempt he’d probably like to have back. Then, just a minute and a half later, the Mammoth got a questionable power play opportunity after a scrum in which only Anthony Mantha was called for cross-checking, and Guenther capitalized again to make it 2-0. 

But after that first 10 minutes, the Penguins started to wake up a bit. And they took over in the second period.

Mantha picked his spot and cashed in on a five-on-three power play opportunity for the Penguins with a little more than five minutes to go in the middle frame for his 25th of the season, tying a career-high. Then, less than three minutes later, Tommy Novak notched his 15th of the year from the bottom of the right circle to tie the game at 2-2.

Mo making it happen and tying his career best of 25 goals in a season 👏 pic.twitter.com/cEFTvNUq6B

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

The Penguins got a carryover power play opportunity in the third, and Bryan Rust scored the go-ahead goal less than a minute and a half in. Utah responded a few minutes later when ex-Penguin Ian Cole capitalized after yet another Penguins’ turnover to knot things back up, but the Penguins clapped right back with a Noel Acciari garbage goal off a rebound at the net front - and from his knees - to make it 4-3 and give the Penguins the win.

NOEL 👏 ACCIARI 👏 pic.twitter.com/WjuoAEIXwA

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

Skinner was brilliant in the back half of the game, ultimately 26 of 29 and making some key saves in the last few minutes to help the Penguins survive and earn the win in regulation.

---

Here are a few thoughts and takeaways from this one:

- The Penguins do not quit. They just don't. I've talked about it a million times at this point, but this is a defining characteristic of this group. And it's a marvel to witness.

They have a horrible start to this game, and they were punished for it by going down 2-0. But - like we've seen so many times this season - they didn't fold. Instead, they put on their work boots and fought their way back. 

I can't say enough about this team's resilience. If they do make the playoffs, it's going to make them a tough out for any opponent. They will not go down quietly, and that never-die mindset is such a good one to have when the games matter most. 

- Despite the win, this was another sloppy game for the Penguins. They were turning pucks over left and right, and - once again - two goals were direct results of turnovers.

With both Crosby and Malkin out, pretty much everyone has had to pull more weight and overcompensate. It's possible that some fatigue is beginning to set in, even after a long Olympic break. It also just tends to happen down the stretch run of the season where guys are simply running on fumes because they're giving 200 percent effort in all 60 minutes of every game, especially when they're in playoff contention.

But, nevertheless, the Penguins aren't the only team dealing with the same thing. I think what a lot of it boils down to is the fact that they know they have to generate more offense from different sources without 87 and 71, and they're taking more risks because of that.  

Whatever the reason, it's something they need to clean up if they hope to make the playoffs and get anywhere if they do make it. 

- Rust and Acciari have been scoring some big goals for the Penguins this season. Rust was the one to score the tying goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. And Acciari was the one to score the penultimate goal, both of which were with the goaltender pulled.

Then, against the Mammoth, Rust scores the initial go-ahead goal, and Acciari pots the game-winner. 

Both are leaders on this team, and - in addition to all of the other players I've praised during this stretch without the two stars - they've played a huge part in the Penguins continuing to collect points.

- Skinner did not have the strongest start to this game. He could have made a save on Utah's first goal by Guenther, and he looked a bit uncomfortable in the crease early on. 

But, man, did he look better as the game went on - and he secured the win for the Penguins with some brilliant saves. Both Skinner and Arturs Silovs have been a bit hot and cold as of late, and consistency at the goaltending position would greatly benefit the Penguins.

But Skinner pretty much earned them two points with his effort in the third - even stopping a breakaway opportunity while the Pens had the 4-3 lead.

- For a moment, it looked like Utah forward and Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley had a bad injury. He crashed into the net, went down awkwardly, and could not put any weight on his left leg as he left the ice.

But, he returned a few shifts later, and he appeared to be okay.  Glad he is, because he's a heck of a hockey player and a huge reason why the Mammoth are in playoff contention. 

- The Penguins' road trip doesn't get any easier from here, but the good news is that they'll have at least one of their big guys back in the lineup on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, as Evgeni Malkin will have served his five-game suspension. 

As for Crosby? The Penguins have not had the luxury of any practice days on this trip, as they play every other day and need to designate the off-days for travel. This makes it difficult for Crosby to make tangible progress, even if he has joined their morning skates.

But, if they can get both of them back Monday, I don't think I need to take the time to describe how big that would be for this team, who managed to stay afloat without them but could certainly use them back in the lineup. 

---

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Pregame

The Penguins don’t make any lineup changes from last game besides giving Stuart Skinner his turn in net.

How we’re lining up in Utah.#LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/cUJypGSIwD

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

They faceoff against the Utah Mammoth, who have this lineup.

How we’re lining up ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/2McsS2PXxI

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 15, 2026

First period

Sloppy start for the Penguins, Blake Lizotte can’t handle a pass out of the zone and passes it back under pressure, turns out to be a bad idea that Dylan Guenther jumps on and snaps a low shot by Skinner. 1-0 Utah early.

What a steal! What a goal!

Gunner makes it 1-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/C3N01856mr

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 15, 2026

There’s a scrum in front of the Pittsburgh net, Anthony Mantha escalates things by going after a Utah player and Mantha takes a penalty for it. Utah capitalizes on the power play, a shot bounces off the end wall and Barrett Hayton smacks at it. The Pens lunge to pull the puck off the goal-line but Guenter comes crashing into the crease and knocks the puck in for his second goal of the game.

Gunner tallies ✌️

2-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/GYntm3AYFB

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 15, 2026

Parker Wotherspoon holds onto a puck to let his teammates complete a line change and creates an opportunity when he gets slashed to earn the first Pittsburgh power play. They get some zone time out of it but not much more.

Pittsburgh plays a little better in the second half of the period compared to the first, not that it’s saying much considering how poor they were early on. Shots end up 12-8 Utah after 20 minutes with them also carrying a 2-0 lead.

Second period

A few penalties go for the early part, Ilya Solovyov stops moving his legs and uses his stick to latch onto a Mammoth player to take a penalty but then Hayton slashes a Penguin to make it 4v4. That leads to a tough development for Logan Cooley, who crashes into the post with his leg in a similar way to an injury he suffered last season.

Penalties cycle through, amazingly Cooley is able to return to the game after the nasty collision with the post.

Later on, the Pens get another power play, then Rickard Rakell gets upended and Pittsburgh gets 1:27 of a 5v3 power play with 5:48 to go in the period. The moment is big, Dan Muse uses his timeout to rest his top players and gameplan something for the opportunity. It works, Mantha finds space on the right side and fires a shot up and over Karel Vejmelka on the short-side to make it a 2-1 game.

Mo making it happen and tying his career best of 25 goals in a season 👏 pic.twitter.com/cEFTvNUq6B

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

The Pens keep surging, the Ben Kindel line produces a great shift to tilt the ice, Tommy Novak’s line is out next. Novak goes low-to-high with a pass to Wotherspoon at the point, Wotherspoon puts it on net. The puck gets jammed into the mess of bodies and pops back to Novak who flips a fluttering puck into the net. 2-2.

IT'S TOMMY TIME ‼️ pic.twitter.com/5mqeuULigX

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

Bryan Rust sets Rakell up for a goal in front of the net, Ian Cole has to hook Rakell to stop the goal, the Pens to a power play with 15 seconds left.

It wasn’t a pretty period, but it was effective and badly needed for the Pens to score two goals and tie the game. They didn’t have much going on until the 5v3 seemed to invigorate them and they found a way to pull themselves back into a game that they weren’t looking very competitive in for the first 35 minutes or so.

Third period

Much of the carryover power play looks disjointed for the Penguins, who struggle with keeping the puck in the zone. Finally, the luck turns and the puck clicks off a pair of Mammoth players and lands within reach of Bryan Rust. Rust fires it into the net. Pittsburgh takes their first lead of the night, 3-2.

A PPG for PGH 🚨@MShakeFactory, get those half-off Rustys shakes ready for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/pKJlXMbQF3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

That lead doesn’t last long, Rust toepicks and coughs up a puck, Utah finds Ian Cole as a trailing player on the rush, the defense is out of sorts and Cole scores on a wrist shot. 3-3.

Ian Cole with the equalizer! pic.twitter.com/RueK4JwWzF

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 15, 2026

The Pens keep at it, Noel Acciari wins a puck back from John Marino down low and passes to the point. Wotherspoon does his thing and gets the puck to the net. Acciari’s stick is tied up but he wills his way to tapping the puck into the net with it anyways. 4-3 Pittsburgh back in front.

NOEL 👏 ACCIARI 👏 pic.twitter.com/WjuoAEIXwA

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2026

With power plays on the night at 6-2 PIT and Utah down on the scoreboard, wouldn’t ya know it’s the Pens who take a penalty with 8:41 to play. The Pens survive.

Michael Carcone flies the zone and gets a breakaway with about 2:30 left, puck goes off the crossbar and out of play.

The Mammoth pull their goalie soon after and then take their timeout with 1:25 to go. Utah keeps winning faceoffs and pumping shots Skinner’s way, he’s able to battle the way his team has all night. Fittingly, it’s not the prettiest or smoothest sequence with some rebounds left around but he gets the job done well enough until time runs out to secure the victory.

Some thoughts

• “Playing connected” is an en vogue catchphrase these days for NHL teams to describe how they aspire to play cohesively as a unit in smooth, fluid control with one another as a group. The Penguins have not been playing connected lately and the trouble is it’s applying up and down the board. When a player as typically reliable as Blake Lizotte is creating trouble with a decision or Anthony Mantha is taking an unnecessary post-whistle penalty, it’s a tough watch right now. There’s a lot to figure out in terms of decision making right now all across the lineup.
• For the faults, weaknesses and mistakes, the Penguins never really go away or stop trying though. Gotta give them that if nothing else. They’ll keep battling and working to attempt to atone for the mistakes and go after the next one. This night wasn’t a one-off considering the recent comeback efforts against Boston and Carolina earlier this week, that certain spirit and ability to soldier on has been working.
• Falling behind early has been a big problem on this road trip, this was the third game on it and it was the third time the Pens fell down 1-0 somewhat early in the first period. This game and last game against Vegas it was 2-0. That’s not a way to live in the NHL being in a hole and playing from behind. The Pens have been one of the best first period and score first teams in the league this season but the starts have been another area on the fritz lately.
• Things didn’t get much better in the second, the Pens only managed two shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the second period prior to Anthony Mantha’s 5v3 goal. They started scoring after that but still never really played very consistently or in a textbook manner. At this point, however, the style points don’t matter, only the results.
• Effective night for Wotherspoon, the scoresheet recorded both his shot attempts as officially being ‘blocked’, yet both times the puck ended up in the net due to a teammate in close putting in the loose puck. It’s simple yet proved effective to get bodies to the net and then send the puck in to see what could come out of any chaos created….And now the official scorer has taken away one of the shot attempts.
• Unfriendly night across the league for the Pens; the Bruins, Islanders and Blue Jackets all won their respective games and the Red Wings picked up a point with an OT loss. This was one that the Pens badly needed to keep the pace with all those teams in the playoff chase (where one will be left out) and in a bottom line business, they did. Wasn’t the cleanest game or most pleasing way to go about it, but at this point in the year and given the lineup – a win is a win is a win.

The Pens up their record to 1-1-1 on the road trip to keep hanging around. They’ll have one Hall of Fame center back for Monday against Colorado with Evgeni Malkin returning from suspension. Hopefully soon they’ll add a second one too as Sidney Crosby continues his rehab from his Olympic injury.

For most of his NHL career, Simon Holmstrom’s success has been tied at the hip to Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

For whatever reason, the winger seems to have an innate chemistry with Pageau as his center — something the Islanders have been happy to indulge, but a fact that’s sometimes prevented Holmstrom from moving up in the lineup, and which has sometimes stopped coach Patrick Roy from tinkering with his lineup the way he might like.

That’s why moving Holmstrom up to play on Brayden Schenn’s line raised an eyebrow ahead of Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Flames.

And that’s why it’s extra meaningful for Holmstrom to have scored twice in a strong all-around performance with Schenn on his left side instead of Pageau.

“Just from watching him the past couple games, obviously he’s very talented at both ends of the ice. Honestly, I had no idea what type of player he was when I walked in here,” Schenn told The Post. “He surprised me a lot. Very talented, very skilled with the puck, very good both ends of the ice and he can skate. Definitely a 200-foot player and fun to play with.”

Schenn, who already bought Holmstrom a Rolex watch as payment for taking the No. 10 — Holmstrom switched to 92 — got him another gift Saturday with a feed off the rush for his first goal.

His second, ironically, came from Pageau when the Islanders were shorthanded late in the first — Roy didn’t split the pair on the penalty kill — but there was plenty to be encouraged about with the Schenn-Holmstrom duo, whose line was completed by Anthony Duclair, at 5-on-5 as well.

“Anthony Duclair had a good game, I love the way he played in his own zone,” Roy said. “… Simon had a nice play with Schenner.”

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Realistically, Roy will probably end up going back to Pageau and Holmstrom at some point before the playoffs, if only because the safe bet all year has been that the lines will change, and because the duo is so reliable.

Knowing he doesn’t need to be wedded to that option, though, could be key going into the playoffs.

“It definitely helps to build chemistry with the guys you’re playing with,” Holmstrom said. “I think everyone here, we have such a tight group, we can all play together. So I don’t think it makes that big of a difference [to move things around], but takes some time to develop chemistry as well.”

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Saturday was David Rittich’s first career win against the Flames, the team he spent the first five seasons of his career with.

“About time,” Rittich said. “I know my record against them since I left Calgary, it’s not great. It was terrible. So I’m glad I finally got a win against them.”

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The shorthanded Detroit Red Wings appeared headed for another damaging regulation loss on Saturday evening against the Dallas Stars, having registered just eight shots on goal and trailing 2–0 through 40 minutes.

However, what followed was a gutsy comeback effort that, while it did not ultimately result in a victory, is something Detroit can feel good about as they return home.

Goals from Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond knotted the score for the Red Wings in the third period, helping them gain a huge point in the standings.

But they couldn't quite complete the comeback effort, as Stars defenseman Thomas Harley ripped a shot past goaltender John Gibson, giving Dallas a 3-2 overtime win at American Airlines Center. 

Headed home with a point out of this one pic.twitter.com/TTVsrgkWSy

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 15, 2026

The Red Wings are still in the second Wild Card position with 80 points; the Boston Bruins, who defeated the Washington Capitals on Saturday, also have 80 points but are in the first Wild Card spot. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Already playing without Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, the Red Wings announced on Saturday morning that both Michael Rasmussen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård would be unavailable. 

However, veteran David Perron made his second debut with Detroit since being re-acquired last week from the Ottawa Senators after being activated from Injured Reserve. 

The Red Wings were rather listless through 40 minutes, as the Stars got goals from both Wyatt Johnston and the newly-acquired Michael Bunting. 

Detroit showed signs of life in the third period, and got a gift when Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger accidentally knocked the puck through his own five-hole while trying to cover up a rebound from Simon Edvinsson's shot a moment earlier. 

Minutes later, with time becoming a factor for Detroit, Lucas Raymond tied the score after he capitalized on a nifty backhand feed from Emmitt Finnie and knocked the puck out of the air into the net. 

The comeback effort fell just short thanks to Harley's overtime goal seconds after Oettinger stopped chances from both Moritz Seider and Marco Kasper.

Gibson finished with 21 saves, while Oettinger stopped 22 shots. 

The Red Wings will return home for critical matchups beginning Monday against the Calgary Flames and then the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

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The Los Angeles Kings (27-24-15) put together a valiant effort in the second period, scoring three goals after trailing 0-2, but came up just short against the New Jersey Devils (33-31-2), falling 6-4 on Saturday. 

Anze Kopitar once again made history today, officially surpassing Marcel Dionne for the most points scored in the Kings' franchise history with 1,308, but still couldn't win the game. 

CROWN HIM 👑

Anze Kopitar passes Marcel Dionne in his final NHL season to become the @LAKings' all-time points leader! pic.twitter.com/X9aiKdctHQ

— NHL (@NHL) March 15, 2026

After trailing in the first period 0-2, the Kings came back in the second period and took a 3-2 lead, looking to be in control heading into the final period. Despite improved defensive and offensive efforts the rest of the way, LA ran out of steam down the stretch. 

LA lost key face-off moments in the clutch and gave up two power-play goals in the closing minutes of the final frame, a recurring problem for them all season. 

Devils Strike Early

It was a hot offensive start for the Devils early on. Devils forward Cody Glass finished a play from the slot after receiving a backhand pass from Arseny Gritsyuk at 12:02, beating Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg for the one-timer shot to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

Just over three minutes later, New Jersey extended their lead 2-0, after Nico Hischier finished the rebound, cleaning off the Kings' attempt to get on the boards. The Devils outshot the Kings 14-11 in the opening frame. Despite trailing, Los Angeles was still in it, but was making costly errors. 

Although the Kings were competitive in the period, unforced turnovers and failed clears allowed the Devils to capitalize early. New Jersey to hold their commanding 2-0 lead. 

King's Storm Back

The Kings immediately looked much better on offense and defense to start the second period. 

Five minutes into the period, Anze Kopitar scored for LA on the power play, tying Marcel Dionne's record for most points in Kings history, immediately shifting the momentum to Los Angeles' favor. 

Less than two minutes later, the Kings continued to build on their momentum, this time Artemi Panarin taking it himself, skating around the back of the net and creating open space on the slot to tie the game 2-2. 

LAK Goal - Tie game!

Panarin with a terrific effort, great patience in the offensive zone, buries his shot through traffic. 2-2,.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 15, 2026

Los Angeles continued to play excellent defense in the period, holding the Devils to just four shots. Brandt Clarke provided energy by doing the dirty work, with three assists and three points, including one to Taylor Ward, who scored on a one-timer to give the Kings their first lead. 

The Kings flipped the switch in this period, dominating the second and looking like the much better team after that slow start.

Los Angeles had a chance to extend its lead to 4-2 after a 2-on-1 led by Panarin and Kopitar, but Kopi's shot just rang off the crossbar, and the lead would remain 3-2, ending the second. 

Devils Clutch It Out

The Devils responded very quickly in the final frame, just 25 seconds in after the puck dropped in the third period. Arseni Gritsyuk tied the game 3-3 after a great pass by  Lenni Hämeenah, bringing the Devils back into it. 

Hischier would get it going again, scoring his second goal of the day as the Devils converted on the power play, regaining the lead for New Jersey. The Kings were having trouble again winning faceoffs and stopping the power play. 

NJD Goal - Power-play goal for the Devils puts the hosts ahead with 7:18 on the clock. 4-3.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 15, 2026

But the Kings had one more push, and Kopitar delivered once more, finishing off the assist from Panarin and Clarke to pass the franchise record for most points in Kings history. 

The play was immediately stopped, as the entire Kings bench swarmed the ice for Kopitar, hugging him and congratulating him for making history. 

1,308.

Anze Kopitar is officially the @LAKings all-time leading scorer.

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 15, 2026

But all of that didn't mean a thing to the Devils, who weren’t concerned at anything but winning the game.

After a penalty was called against the Kings, the Devils capitalized on another power play, this time from Jack Hughes, who scored at 2:29, restoring New Jersey’s lead at 5-4. 

All the great energy and effort the Kings had built was an afterthought as they looked drained in the final minutes of the final frame. 

Los Angeles tried to get another run, but an empty-net goal scored by the Devils capped off the 6-4 victory for New Jersey, holding off late. 

Key Stats

Kopitar finished with two goals and set the record for the most points scored in the Kings' history. 

Panarin recorded a goal, three points, and two assists, while Clarke contributed three assists in one of his most productive playmaking games of the season.

Not a good loss for the Kings because the San Jose Sharks won today and are now one point ahead of Los Angeles. The Kings had an opportunity to move closer to the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights, but failed to capitalize late. 

The Kings will end their five game road trip on Monday at 4:00 PM PT against the New York Rangers. 

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The Calgary Flames mounted a late push but couldn’t overcome a rough opening period, falling 3–2 to the New York Islanders on Saturday night in Long Island.

The opening frame belonged almost entirely to the Islanders, who jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back. At 10:36 of the first period, Casey Cizikas opened the scoring after battling for the puck along the boards. The veteran forward pulled it free from the corner, circled out from beside the net, and jammed the puck past Flames starter Devin Cooley for his eighth goal of the season to make it 1–0.

New York doubled its lead later in the period. At 16:35, Simon Holmstrom joined the rush and took a feed from newly acquired Brayden Schenn before snapping a shot past Cooley. The goal, Holmstrom’s 15th of the season, gave the Islanders a 2–0 advantage.

The Islanders weren’t done there. Late in the period, while shorthanded, Jean‑Gabriel Pageau moved the puck ahead to Holmstrom, who was driving up the ice. Holmstrom slipped the puck through Cooley’s five-hole at 19:35, giving New York a commanding 3–0 lead heading into the intermission.

The Flames made a change to start the second period, bringing in Dustin Wolf in relief of Cooley. The move helped stabilize Calgary defensively as the Flames tightened things up and prevented further damage.

Despite generating a few chances, neither team found the back of the net in the middle frame, leaving the Flames with a three-goal deficit heading into the third period.

Calgary finally broke through early in the third.

Kevin Bahl helped start the play before Olli Maatta fired a shot toward the net. Flames captain Mikael Backlund got a piece of it in front, tipping the puck past David Rittich to spoil the shutout bid and cut the lead to 3–1.

Calgary kept pushing, and midway through the period they pulled even closer. Yan Kuznetsov sent a pass ahead to Blake Coleman, who streaked in from the blue line. Coleman protected the puck beautifully, moving from backhand to forehand before sliding it past Rittich to make it 3–2.

The Flames pressed for the equalizer late, but the Islanders held on to secure the win.

Three Takeaways

1. Backlund Climbs the Record Book

Backlund’s goal was the 230th of his career and his 15th of the season, moving the Flames captain into fourth place on Calgary’s all-time goals list.

2. Slow Start Costly

The first period proved decisive. Calgary was outplayed early and forced to chase the game after surrendering three goals, including one shorthanded.

3. Veteran Leadership Sparked the Comeback

Backlund and Coleman led the Flames’ third-period push, providing both goals and driving the offensive pressure as Calgary attempted to erase the deficit.