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.

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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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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

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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.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal with 2:29 to play and Jake Allen made 27 saves as the New Jersey Devils edged the Los Angeles Kings 6-4 on Saturday night.

Hughes put the Devils ahead 5-4 in the seesaw game with a power-play goal. Nico Hischier scored twice and Cody Glass, Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier — with a last minute empty-netter — also scored.

Anze Kopitar scored twice for Los Angeles — to establish a Kings franchise points record — and Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored.

Ward had put the Kings ahead 3-2 at 11:43 of the middle period after Kopitar and Panarin scored in less than two minutes as Los Angeles battled back from an early 2-0 deficit.

But Gritsyuk tied the contest just 25 seconds into the third.

Hischier’s second goal put New Jersey ahead at 12:42 of the third before Kopitar scored to tie it again.

Glass scored his career-best 15th goal at 7:56 of the first, beating Anton Forsberg with a fluttering shot. Hischier made it 2-0 at 11:04. Forsberg had 22 saves.

Kopitar scored at 4:15 of the second to narrow the deficit to 2-1.

With his second of the game, the 38-year-old Slovenian forward has 450 career goals and 858 career assists for 1,308 points, moving him ahead of Marcel Dionne. Dionne scored 550 goals with Los Angeles. Luc Robitaille leads with 557.

The Kings captain and a two-time Stanley Cup winner said he will retire after this season.

Panarin tied the contest at 2-2 at 6:03 with his third goal since he was acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

Los Angeles is battling San Jose, Seattle and Nashville for the last Western Conference playoff berth.

Up Next

Devils: Host the Boston Bruins on Monday night.

Kings: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday night to conclude five-game road trip.

NEW YORK (AP) — Simon Holmstrom scored twice and the New York Islanders raced to an early lead and held on to beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Saturday.

Casey Cizikas also scored for New York and David Rittich made 30 saves as the Islanders won for the third time in four games.

Mikael Backund and Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, which slipped to 2-5-1 in its last eight games. Devin Cooley started in the net for the Flames and allowed three goals on 10 shots in the first period. Dustin Wolf replaced Cooley to start the second period and finished with 17 saves.

Holmstrom gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead with his first goal of the game when he collected a pass from Luke Schenn and scored on a shot over Cooley’s blocker at 16:35 of the first. It was Schenn’s first assist at UBS Arena since being acquired by the Islanders from St. Louis at the trade deadline.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau set up Holmstrom for a short-handed goal in the final minute of the first period, extending the Islanders’ lead to 3-0.

Backlund and Coleman scored during a 6:11 stretch of the third period to pull Calgary within a goal.

Up next

Flames: At Detroit on Monday in the finale of a five-game trip.

Islanders: Open a three-game trip at Toronto on Tuesday.

The Carolina Hurricanes are back in the win column thanks to a 4-2 Saturday night win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was as good of a road game as you can hope for against one of the league's best, as the Hurricanes did a really strong job of locking things down defensively and pushing play the other way.

The Canes outshot the Bolts 35-19 overall, while also outchancing them 54-30 at 5v5.

The victory was also special as it came on Rod Brind'Amour's 600th career game behind the bench. He's coached all them with the Carolina Hurricanes and he also holds the record for the most wins by a head coach in their first 600 games (367).

Carolina struck first in rapid fashion as Andrei Svechnikov was sprung on a breakaway. While the Russian winger didn't convert on that chance, he drew a call and on the delayed penalty sequence, Sebastian Aho found Svechnikov in the slot for the go-ahead goal.

"That goal to start the game, it just set the tone," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "That was a tough game out there and I thought everyone really contributed. That's how we win. It was special plays here and there from every line and that's how we got to get it done."

That first period was also probably one of the more chaotic we've seen too as after that Svechnikov goal, we had three separate penalty kills, a few big hits, Seth Jarvis fought Zemgus Girgensons (his first NHL tilt), and then to cap it all off, the Canes scored again in the final minutes of the period.

It was almost a carbon copy of the first goal, but just reversed, as Aho was stopped on a breakaway by Andrei Vasilevskiy, but then Svechnikov found the loose puck off the rebound and fed Aho at the backdoor for the immediate response. 

Things looked pretty good for Carolina heading into the second period, but as has been the case over the last few games, the second frame was not very kind to them.

It's not like the Hurricanes were bad by any means in the second though. Sure, the Lightning were certainly generating a bit more zone time in the middle period, but their best chances came off of two broken plays caused by an overaggressive move by the Hurricanes' defense.

The first goal against came at the hands of a Yanni Gourde partial breakaway after the Canes got caught a little too high in the offensive zone and then less than two minutes later, the Lightning struck twice to tie the game after they sprung themselves on a 3-on-1.

Yes, Carolina has certainly had problems in second periods as of late, but this was more so a couple of bad breaks rather than the team not playing well.

And the Hurricanes got right back to it in the third period as they put their foot down on the gas. Carolina kept coming in waves, but it was a Jordan Martinook sling from the half-wall that wound up catching Vasilevskiy, who played a tremendous game for Tampa Bay, a bit unaware.

The Canes kept up the pressure from there, and although the Lightning didn't get too many chances, there were still a few close calls, with Sean Walker having to make a tremendous kick save with Brandon Hagel having basically an empty net and Frederik Andersen also shutting the door a few times on Nikita Kucherov.

"That was the one shift in the third where we were in one,' Brind'Amour said. "Freddie made a big save and then it was a tap-in, empty netter and Walks... You're never out of a play. That's what we always say and it's the old kick save and a beauty. We'll take it."

 "A couple of huge blocks by the guys in front," Andersen said. "Chatty had a good one in the first and then obviously Walks on that late on right before we scored."

But eventually, Logan Stankoven would hit the empty netter to carry the team through that final Lightning push.

"I thought we were really good," Brind'Amour said. "Had a couple mistakes that they ended up capitalizing on, but really, I felt that throughout the game we were solid. A couple of big saves, a couple of special plays from guys. Overall, a great effort."

The win also gives the Hurricanes a tie-breaker advantage over Tampa Bay, as they now hold the head-to-head matchup edge (2 wins: 1 loss).

The NHL tiebreaker format goes points, regulation wins, total wins and then head-to-head, so it would take some things breaking a certain way, but nonetheless, it's a good card to hold.

Carolina will continue to road trip with a stop in Columbus on Tuesday.

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The Islanders wanted to start strong.

They wanted to take a lead and play with a lead.

They wanted to stop digging themselves a hole in the first period, something they’d done in seven of their first eight games following the Olympic break.

Check, check and check on Saturday night, when a 3-0 first period powered a 3-2 win over the Flames at UBS Arena.

It remains to be seen if they can keep it up Tuesday night in Toronto, but here was proof positive that the Islanders can do plenty in the first period.

“We had a really good first period,” coach Patrick Roy said. “We had good jump. … Was pretty pleased with the way we came out. Part of what we talked [about] before the game, we want to have a good start, and we had the good start we were looking for.”

The playing with a lead bit, admittedly, may need some work, as the Islanders let Calgary back into the game in a third that got way too close for comfort.

Dustin Wolf, who relieved Devin Cooley after the latter coughed up a three-goal first, was simply excellent for Calgary, giving the Flames a chance to come back.

The warning signs started to blare 2:17 into the third, when Mikael Backlund tipped in Olli Maatta’s shot to make it 3-1.

Wolf pulled out a showstopper on Cal Ritchie shortly thereafter — his second terrific save off a rebound after robbing Matthew Schaefer late in the second — to keep it that way.

Then at the 8:28 mark, Blake Coleman took advantage of a poorly timed change to cut the lead to 3-2.

The Flames didn’t let up from there.

The Islanders successfully defended their lead in the end, but it would be hard to claim they played a good 60 minutes.

It took everything, right down to David Rittich’s 30th and final save of the night on Zayne Parekh with 17 seconds to go, to keep the Islanders from being on the wrong end of the comeback effort.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

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“It’s a combination of everything,” Brayden Schenn told The Post. “We’re on a back-to-back, they’re fresh, they’re coming at us. That side of it. But I think we can manage the puck a little bit better. Put pucks to the goal line. Wear them down. Don’t let them keep on coming at us in waves. So that’s something we have to clean up.”

With that caveat, Saturday had plenty of good, starting with proof that Simon Holmstrom does not need Jean-Gabriel Pageau centering him to impact the game at a high level.

Coach Patrick Roy finally broke up the duo that had played all but two games together since Jan. 6, usually on the third line with Anders Lee, to put Holmstrom on the right side of Schenn on Saturday, with Anthony Duclair back in to complete the second line.

That allowed Ritchie to go to the third line with Lee and Pageau, while Ondrej Palat played on the fourth line, where he finished Friday’s loss to the Kings, with Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean.

The almost innate chemistry Holmstrom has with Pageau has always been the implicit argument against this sort of move.

Schenn, though, is not too dissimilar of a player to Pageau, and found himself in the sort of spot Pageau often is at 16:35 of the first: feeding Holmstrom on the rush for a goal that made it 2-0 Islanders.

Holmstrom got on the board again just a few minutes later, this one shorthanded and — as per usual — from Pageau after the latter had started the rush when Yegor Sharangovich fumbled a puck.

“It certainly gives us four very good lines, having [Holmstrom] playing with Schenn,” Roy said. “I thought that was giving us scoring from that line, A, and then, B, feeling comfortable that they could defend very well. And that’s what they did.”

The pair of late goals belied a first period in which the Islanders had played excellent hockey, and in which the aforementioned lineup changes paid dividends.

Cizikas jammed one in at the front of the net to open the scoring 10:06 in, and all four lines — including the Emil Heineman, Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal trio that had accounted for both goals Friday night and was unchanged from the second half of that game — had it rolling.

“Casey’s line, they really got us going,” Holmstrom said, echoing the sentiment around the room.

The win ensured the Islanders would end the night no worse than third in the Metropolitan Division, though the exact placement depended on the Penguins’ result against Utah in Salt Lake City.

Scoreboard watching, of course, is much less stressful when the Islanders take care of business adequately.

It was thanks to their start that they did just that.

Los Angeles Kings star Anze Kopitar will retire after this season as the team's all-time leading scorer.

He scored career points No. 1,307 and 1,308 on Saturday, March 14, to move past Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne's team record.

Dionne was a fixture on the Triple Crown line of the 1970s and 1980s and scored 1,307 points in 921 games in Los Angeles between stints with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.

Kopitar, drafted No. 11 overall in 2005, has been with the Kings his entire career and achieved the feat in 1,505 games. He helped Los Angeles win Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014 and has been captain since the 2016-17 season.

The Slovenia native tied Dionne with a power play goal in the second period against the New Jersey Devils and broke the team record with another power play goal in the third period. Teammates poured onto the ice to congratulate him.

ANZE KOPITAR IS NOW THE ALL TIME LEADING SCORER IN LA KINGS HISTORY 👑

1,308 POINTS PASSING DIONNE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/frpFknknt8

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 15, 2026

Kopitar said during training camp that he would retire after the 2025-26 season. He said he was announcing that early so it wouldn't be a distraction if the team were in the playoff hunt.

The Kings entered Saturday's game holding the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the San Jose Sharks moved one point ahead with a victory and the Kings' 6-4 loss.

If the Kings make the playoffs, Kopitar also has a chance to set team playoff records. He trails Wayne Gretzky by two goals, three assists and five points.

Anze Kopitar, Marcel Dionne stats with Kings

Games: Kopitar 1,505; Dionne 921

Goals: Dionne 558; Kopitar 450

Assists: Kopitar 858; Dionne 757

Points: Kopitar 1,308; Dionne 1,307

Even strength points: Dionne 828; Kopitar 825

Power play points: Dionne 461; Kopitar 455

Busy season for records

This has been a busy season for career records. The Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele passed Blake Wheeler, the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby passed Mario Lemieux and the Detroit Red Wings' Patrick Kane passed Mike Modano to become the top U.S.-born scorer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anze Kopitar passes Marcel Dionne, becomes Kings' top all-time scorer

On Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, Anze Kopitar surpassed Los Angeles Kings legend, Marcel Dionne, to move into first in Kings franchise history for points.

Kopitar notched a pair of power-play goals in Los Angeles' contest against New Jersey. To tie Dionne's record, Kopitar scored the Kings' first goal of the game off a nice feed from defenseman Brandt Clarke. Left winger Artemi Panarin provided the secondary helper on that tally.

To officially break the record, Kopitar scored the Kings' fourth goal of the game, equalizing the score. This power-play marker was orchestrated by the same two players, Panarin and Clarke.

Clarke shuffled the puck to Panarin on the half-boards, who made a one-touch pass to Kopitar. The Kings' captain finished it off, putting the puck through Devils' goaltender Jake Allen.

Los Angeles' bench was cleared as all of Kopitar's teammates went on the ice to celebrate the legendary milestone with him.

Kopitar's Legacy

Kopitar has been with the Kings his entire career, and when you think of the Kings, he is the first name that comes to mind for his loyalty and longevity. Kopitar was drafted 11th overall by the Kings in 2005. He made his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks, scoring two goals in his first game. 

From there, Kopitar played a major role in the Kings' Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014. In his career, Kopitar has won two Stanley Cups, two Selke awards, and three Lady Byng Trophies. Kopitar, throughout his career, has been a symbol and an Icon for the Kings organization from 2005 to today, 2026.

Kopitar announced earlier this season that he would retire at the end of the 2025-2026 season, which will seewill see one of the NHL's greats leave the game. Throughout his career, Kopitar demonstrated himself to be a very clean player, and some fans argued that the Lady Byng should be renamed the Kopitar award. 

Overall, with Kopitar passing Marcel Dionne to become the Kings' franchise point leader, it cemented his legacy as not only one of the Kings' franchise greats but also one of the greatest NHL players in history. 

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The Colorado Avalanche spent most of Saturday afternoon trying to catch up but came up short in a 3–1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.

Winnipeg took control early in the second period and never really let go, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped nearly everything Colorado sent his way. Martin Nečas finally got the Avalanche on the board late in the third period, but the comeback push came too late.

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up an assist on the goal. Veteran defenseman Brent Burns also reached a milestone, playing in his 990th straight NHL game and moving past Keith Yandle for the second-longest ironman streak in league history.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 saves on 17 shots in the loss.

For Winnipeg, Kyle Connor scored to reach 30 goals for the eighth time in his career. Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored, while Hellebuyck finished with 28 saves.

First Period

The first period was a slow start offensively, with both teams feeling each other out and combining for just 13 shots.

Midway through the period, Brock Nelson was called for roughing after a stick battle along the boards with Iafallo. Nelson shoved him to get his stick free and was sent to the penalty box.

Colorado’s penalty kill did its job, holding the Jets without a single shot during the power play.

Late in the period, the Avalanche earned a power play when Mark Scheifele wrapped up Devon Toews while racing for the puck along the boards. Officials called the penalty with just over 20 seconds left in the period.

The horn sounded before the power play could start, so Colorado carried 1:40 of man-advantage time into the second period. After 20 minutes, the Avalanche held an 8–5 edge in shots, but the game remained scoreless.

Second Period

Winnipeg didn’t take long to grab the lead.

Just over two minutes into the period, the Jets scored shortly after killing off Colorado’s power play. Scheifele stepped out of the penalty box, picked up the puck in the neutral zone, and spotted Connor rushing into the offensive zone. He sent a pass to the left circle, where Connor snapped a shot past Blackwood to make it 1–0.

The Jets added another midway through the period. A shot from Scheifele at the point hit Iafallo in the slot. The puck dropped right to him, and he quickly fired it past a screened Blackwood to make it 2–0.

Colorado tried to answer by pushing harder around the net. A little later, Makar moved across the blue line and fired a shot toward the net, but Hellebuyck caught it cleanly with his glove.

The Avalanche almost got on the board at the end of the period. Nelson was alone at the side of the crease with the puck bouncing on his stick, but his quick attempt slid across the goalmouth and out of the zone.

The miss kept Winnipeg in front 2–0 heading into the third.

Third Period

Colorado got an early power play when Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Bryson was called for high-sticking Parker Kelly.

Even with the chance, the Avalanche had trouble breaking through against Hellebuyck and the Jets’ defense.

They finally got one late in the game. With Blackwood pulled for an extra attacker, MacKinnon slid the puck across the ice to Nečas, who blasted a one-timer into the net to cut the lead to 2–1. It was Colorado’s first regular-season goal at Canada Life Centre since Jack Johnson scored there on December 16, 2023.

Any comeback hopes ended soon after.

MacKinnon lost control of the puck in the neutral zone, and Winnipeg quickly moved the other way. Perfetti picked up the loose puck and scored into the empty net to seal the 3–1 win.

Next Game

The Avalanche (44-12-9) host Sam Girard and the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-18-15) on Monday at 7:30 p.m. MT on ESPN and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.

Anze Kopitar became the Kings' all-time leading scorer on Saturday, passing Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne with a third-period goal in a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

Kopitar, who said he will retire at the end of the season, has 1,308 points — one better than the 1,307 points Dionne had in his 12 seasons with the Kings from 1975 to 1987.

Kopitar, 38, has a franchise-best 858 assists. With 450 career goals, he trails only Luc Robitaille (557) and Dionne (550) on the team’s all-time list.

The Kings captain tied Dionne's mark on a power-play goal in the second period against the Devils. He broke the record on his 10th goal of the season, tying the score 4-4 with 6:18 left in the third period.

New Jersey's Jack Hughes scored about four minutes later to put the Devils back into the lead before Timo Meier put the game away with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored for the Kings (27-24-15), who are battling the San José Sharks, Seattle Kraken and the Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings fell out of the final wild-card spot Saturday after San José's 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Kopitar ranks 38th in NHL scoring history and is one of nine players in league history to have played in 1,500 games with one team.

“It’s amazing,” Kings general manager Ken Holland said earlier this month. “The league’s been around a hundred and something years. You’re watching one of nine that played 1,500 games with one team. I think it speaks to his passion. It speaks to he does it right every day.

Read more:Anze Kopitar reflects upon his decision to retire at end of season

“To play 1,500 games in the National Hockey League, lots of times when players get to a certain age the league starts to go by them because it gets hard. It’s hard during the summer, all the sacrifices you have to make in the summertime. Going to the gym and family sacrifices.

“He plays 200 feet. He plays a hard game. He’s one of the premier two-way centermen of his time. First-ballot Hall of Famer. It’s amazing what he’s accomplished. It just speaks to his passion, determination, love of the game, sacrifices. He’s an amazing player that the fans of the L.A. Kings have got to watch for a long time.”

History. Made. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/vjBwwbOtV5

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 15, 2026

Kopitar, a Slovenian native, was selected 11th overall by the Kings in the 2005 NHL draft. He scored twice in his Kings debut a year later. A five-time All-Star, Kopitar won the Stanley Cup twice with the Kings in 2012 and 2014. He's also the longest-serving captain in franchise history.

The Kings hope to make Kopitar's final season in Los Angeles a memorable one after four consecutive playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

MONTREAL (AP) — Igor Chernyshov's return to the San Jose Sharks lasted less than 30 seconds.

The 20-year-old rookie took a hit from Montreal's Mike Matheson in the neutral zone just after the start of Saturday night's game. Chernyshov slid across the ice, then twice got up onto his skates only to fall back down. He was eventually helped up and left the game. The Sharks later announced he wouldn't return.

This was Chernyshov's 16th NHL game and his first since he was recalled from San Jose of the AHL earlier in the week. He was slotted onto the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl