It wasn’t too long ago when Mark Messier, along with popular actor Danny DeVito, Isaac Chera of Crown Acquisitions, and more, unveiled the GAME 7 apparel collection to the NHL world. GAME 7 is a multi-platform sports and entertainment brand that, along with the NHL, works with the NBA for officially licensed apparel. 

 GAME 7 was also a five-part docuseries on Amazon Prime that received Emmy nominations and was directed by Connor Schell. They got the initial opportunity to work with the NHL and New York Rangers during their Centennial year and help design the patch they would wear on their jerseys. 

After initially expanding with NBA apparel, it partnered with the NHL in December for an officially licensed NHL collection of nine NHL teams, those being the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and the Florida Panthers.

Now, alongside a partnership withCentric Brands, they are introducing new apparel to six additional teams: the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Colorado Avalanche.

Here are some of the new pieces of merchandise they are offering for the Avalanche:

With the heightened energy of the Stanley Cup playoffs right around the corner, there is no better time for them to release a new line for some teams that are looking to make a deep run this season. We could very much see a second round that includes the Avalanche versus the Stars, with the winner facing the Oilers in the Conference finals and potentially the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The NHL itself is covered in fashion, and we see it every day when players enter the arena before warm-ups. With the league dropping the formal dress code, players can express themselves more and wear what they see as “fashionable”. From the standard suit-and-tie style we see many adopt, we also see more outgoing styles worn by David Pastrnak, William “Willy Styles” Nylander, and Patrick Laine.

Highlights Of NHL Fashion In The First Half Of The Season With the formal NHL dress code a thing of the past, players have had more freedom in their gameday outfits, and a few players have taken the freedom to fully spread their wings in what they wear to arenas this season.

To see the full Colorado Avalanche and NHL collection from GAME 7, you can head to their Amazon storefront HERE.

The NHL has finally announced the start times for Game 1 of the eight first-round series.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators will open up the postseason with a 3 p.m. showdown Saturday at Lenovo Center and streamed on both FanDuel Sports Network and ESPN.

Parking lots and team store will open at noon that day and there will also be a pregame plaza party beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The arena will open its doors at 1:30 p.m., with warmups set to take place at 2:30 p.m.

The Dallas Stars/Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins/Philadelphia Flyers will follow up that game on Saturday, with puck drops scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins/Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth/Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche series will all then kick off on Sunday at still to be determined times.

Finally, the Pacific #2/#3 series (which has yet to be decided) will start on Monday.

No other game information has been released yet, but the NHL will apparently announce the full first-round schedule after the regular season officially concludes tonight.

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Macklin Celebrini breaks Joe Thornton's Sharks record for most points in season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

At just 19 years old, Macklin Celebrini just cemented one of the greatest individual seasons in Sharks history.

By earning his 115th point of the 2025-26 NHL season in the Sharks’ regular-season finale on Thursday night, Celebrini overtook Joe Thornton’s franchise record from 2006-07 for points in a single campaign.

The teenage phenom — who ironically lives with Thornton — scored a goal early in the third period for his third point of San Jose’s game against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.

Macklin's record-breaking moment 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Y1l5c2XfRC

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 17, 2026

The goal is Celebrini’s 45th of his remarkable second NHL season and gave the Sharks a commanding 6-1 lead in the regular-season finale.

Celebrini entered Thursday’s game needing three points to break Thornton’s record, and he recorded a pair of assists in the first period to match the mark.

JUMBO, YOU'VE GOT COMPANY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/crBxYxzXaN

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 17, 2026

With 45 goals and 70 assists, Celebrini has twice as many points as the Sharks’ second-highest scorer this season; Will Smith is next with 59 points after a goal and assist in Thursday’s game.

Celebrini is one of just three Sharks in franchise history and six teenagers in NHL history to cross the 100-point threshold. But he now has entered even more rarified air — trailing only Wayne Gretzky (137) and Sidney Crosby (120) for points in an age-19 season or earlier.

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft accrued an impressive 63 points in 70 games as an 18-year-old rookie last year. Still, Celebrini has catapulted himself into superstar territory with his superb second season.

A SEASON FOR THE AGES 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7RY69fEpPB

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 17, 2026

Though San Jose narrowly missed out on the Stanley Cup playoffs, the future appears very bright — or teal, if you will — thanks in large part to Celebrini’s emergence.

The only question that remains is whether Celebrini’s historic campaign is enough to win the Hart Trophy for the NHL’s most valuable player, and it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t this season.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

The Pittsburgh Penguins are bound for the playoffs, ending a three-year drought.

The team clinched a spot in the playoffs during its April 9 game against the New Jersey Devils.

Now, they'll take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, with the first game set to take place on the Penguins' home ice. It's Pittsburgh's first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 season as the city looks to capture its first Stanley Cup since 2017.

Here's a look at how they got to the playoffs and the upcoming schedule.

Flyers vs. Penguins playoff schedule

While the matchup is set, the NHL has yet to release any scheduled dates for the Flyers-Penguins series. The schedule likely will be released once the regular season concludes on April 16.

When is the Penguins' first playoff game?

The Penguins' playoff schedule hasn't been released yet, but the team is scheduled to play a 2-2-1-1-1 format against their intrastate rivals. They'll start on home ice since the Penguins have home-ice advantage, and Games 2, 5 and 7 will also take place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh if necessary.

How to watch Penguins vs. Flyers in NHL playoffs

While a TV schedule has yet to be revealed, 2026 NHL playoff games will be broadcast on ESPN, TNT and ABC as well as regional networks like SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Games can be streamed using ESPN+, Hulu and Max or via live TV services like Fubo TV and DirecTV Stream.

When to get Penguins playoffs tickets

Penguins playoff tickets aren't on sale yet through the team's website, but they can be purchased on third-party sites like SeatGeek and StubHub.

Penguins vs. Flyers playoff history

The Penguins and Flyers have a lengthy and notable playoff history.

This will be the eighth meeting between the cross-state rivals, with the last matchup taking place in 2018 when the Penguins defeated the Flyers in six games in the first round.

In 2008, the Pens beat the Flyers in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Red Wings. The following season, they defeated the Flyers in the conference quarterfinals before winning the Stanley Cup.

The Flyers were victorious in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 2012, 2000 and in 1997, when the team lost to the Red Wings in the Cup Finals.

The first matchup came during the 1989 Patrick Division Finals, which the Flyers won in seven games.

Penguins vs. Flyers stats

The Penguins finished the season 41-24-16, clinching the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, while the Flyers finished third in the division at 42-27-12.

The two teams split the season series 2-2. Here's a look at the previous matchups:

• Oct. 28: Flyers 3, Penguins 2 (shootout)
• Dec. 1: Penguins 5, Flyers 1
• Jan. 15: Penguins 6, Flyers 3
• March 7: Flyers 4, Penguins 3 (shootout)

Last time Penguins made the playoffs

The Penguins were on a 16-year streak of being in the running for the Stanley Cup the last time they were in the playoffs in 2022. They were knocked out of the running during the first round in Game 7 against the New York Rangers.

The team won the Stanley Cup two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017, beating the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, respectively, for their titles.

The last time the Flyers made the playoffs was in the 2019-20 season.

How the Penguins clinched a 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff spot

The Penguins secured a spot in the playoffs during their April 9 game against the New Jersey Devils, with Bryan Rust scoring his 29th goal of the season on Pittsburgh's first shot of the game.

Over the course of the game, which the Penguins won 5-2, Evgeni Malkin scored, Sidney Crosby set up two goals and Kris Letang had an assist.

Penguins highlights from playoff-clinching game

NHL 2026 playoffs

Playoffs are set to begin April 18, and the regular season ends on April 16. The date and times for each matchup have yet to be announced and are expected to come once the standings are set.

NHL playoff bracket

For the latest NHL playoff matchups, you can find the bracket at nhl.com/playoffs/2026/bracket.

Penguins stats

The Penguins are led by center Sidney Crosby (74 points – 29 goals, 45 assists) and defenseman Erik Karlsson (66 points – 15 goals, 51 assists). Their points leader among wingers is Bryan Rust (65 points – 29 goals, 36 assists).

Goalie Artus Silovs was 19-12-8 with a 3.07 GAA and .888 save percentage during the regular season, while goalie Stuart Skinner was 12-9-5 with a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage.

If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: When do the Penguins play the Flyers? NHL playoff schedule release date

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The playoff pushes for the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets both came up short, and the two teams will hit the ice with nothing on the line in their season finale at the Canada Life Centre on Thursday, April 16.

My top Sharks vs. Jets predictions and NHL picks expect a low-scoring game tonight.

Sharks vs Jets prediction

Sharks vs Jets best bet: Under 6.5 (-125)

The Winnipeg Jets have played to the Under in 10 of their past 15 home games, with their 7.1 team shooting percentage at five-on-five the second-lowest mark in the league.

So, with San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic winning four of his past five starts with a respectable .906 save percentage and 3.35 goals saved above average, I’m expecting Winnipeg to continue to have difficulty scoring tonight. 

I also expect Winnipeg star Connor Hellebuyck to show up and play well in the season finale given his .919 SV% on home ice the past three years.

Sharks vs Jets same-game parlay

It’s been a career year for Winnipeg star Mark Scheifele, and he enters the season finale scorching hot to the tune of five goals, 15 assists and eight multi-point showings across his past 11 games.

The Sharks have allowed the second-most goals per game (3.73) on the road, too.

Sharks vs Jets SGP

• Under 6.5
• Mark Scheifele Over 1.5 points

Sharks vs Jets odds

• Moneyline: San Jose +135 | Winnipeg -155
• Puck Line: San Jose +1.5 (-180) | Winnipeg -1.5 (+155)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)

Sharks vs Jets trend

The Winnipeg Jets have hit the Under in 10 of their last 15 games at home (+5.85 Units / 35% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sharks vs. Jets.

How to watch Sharks vs Jets

Sharks vs Jets latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Six of the NHL's eight playoff series are set, and the last two will be determined on the final day of the 2025-26 regular season.

The Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, who are playing other opponents, can finish in either the second or third seed in the Pacific Division or the second wild card spot in the West.

The second-place team would host the third place team in the first two games of the first round, while the second wild team would visit the No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche.

There's a possibility that the Oilers and Kings would face each other for the fifth year in a row in the first round.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, Wednesday's clinching scenario and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season before the postseason begins on April 18:

Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?

Eastern Conference: Carolina, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Boston, Ottawa

Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, Utah, Los Angeles

Who can clinch an NHL playoff seed today?

Here are some of the permutations for determining the final Pacific Division seedings:

• The Edmonton Oilers would clinch second in the Pacific if they beat the Vancouver Canucks or if they get one point and the Ducks and Kings lose. They would finish third if they lose in regulation, the Ducks win and the Kings lose. They would finish in the second wild card if they lose in regulation and the Ducks and Kings win.
• The Anaheim Ducks would clinch second place if they beat the Nashville Predators and the Oilers lose in regulation. They would finish third if the Oilers get at least one point and Anaheim gains one more point than the Kings during the night. They would get the second wild card if they lose and the Kings win.
• The Kings would clinch second place if they beat the Calgary Flames, the Oilers lose in regulation and the Ducks lose. They would finish third if they win, the Oilers get a point and the Ducks lose. They would stay in the second wild-card spot if they lose in regulation or if they gain the same number of points or fewer points than the Oilers and Ducks during the course of the night.

Today's NHL games

• St. Louis at Utah, 7:30, ESPN
• Anaheim at Nashville, 8
• San Jose at Winnipeg, 8
• Los Angeles at Calgary, 9
• Vancouver at Edmonton, 9
• Seattle at Colorado, 10, ESPN

NHL playoff standings

NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26

After April 15 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.

Metropolitan Division

• y-Carolina Hurricanes (113) Eastern Conference winner
• x-Pittsburgh Penguins (98)
• x-Philadelphia Flyers (98)

Atlantic Division

• y-Buffalo Sabres (109)
• x-Tampa Bay Lightning (106)
• x-Montreal Canadiens (106)

Wild card

• x-Boston Bruins (100)
• x-Ottawa Senators (99)

Out of the playoffs: z-Washington Capitals (95), z-Detroit Red Wings (92), z-Columbus Blue Jackets (92), z-New York Islanders (91), z-New Jersey Devils (87), z-Florida Panthers (84), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-New York Rangers (77)

NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26

After April 15 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.

Central Division

• y-Colorado Avalanche (119) - Presidents' Trophy winner
• x-Dallas Stars (112)
• x-Minnesota Wild (104)

Pacific Division

• y-Vegas Golden Knights (95)
• x-Edmonton Oilers (91)
• x-Anaheim Ducks (90)

Wild card

• x-Utah Mammoth (92)
• x-Los Angeles Kings (90)

Out of the playoffs: z-Nashville Predators (86), z-St. Louis Blues (84), z-San Jose Sharks (84), z-Winnipeg Jets (82), z-Seattle Kraken (79), z-Calgary Flames (75), z-Chicago Blackhawks (72), z-Vancouver Canucks (58)

NHL playoffs if they started today

NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 15:

• Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2) This series is set
• Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3) This series is set
• Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1) This series is set
• Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3) This series is set

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card

NHL Western Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 15.

• Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2)
• Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3). This series is set
• Vegas (P1) vs. Utah (WC1) This series is set
• Edmonton (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card

NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?

If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:

1. Regulation wins
2. Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
3. Total wins
4. Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
5. Goal differential
6. Total goals

In the Pacific Division, the Oilers have the most regulation wins, followed by the Ducks and Kings.

When does the NHL regular season end?

The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.

When do the NHL playoffs start?

The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 18. There are three openers on Saturday, four on Sunday and one on Monday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, scenarios and tiebreakers

Thursday marks the conclusion of the Vancouver Canucks' disappointing 2025-26 season. Regardless of what happens in the final game of the campaign, Vancouver will finish 32nd overall and have the best odds at first overall for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. A campaign that no one saw coming, 2025-26 will go down as one of the worst seasons in franchise history. 

Just because Tuesday's game will not impact the Canucks' place in the standings doesn't mean it has no stakes. In fact, the result will determine how the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will look. Simply put, the Edmonton Oilers desperately need to collect points; otherwise, it could create a less-than-ideal matchup in the first round. 

If Vancouver beats Edmonton in regulation, the Oilers will finish the season with 31 regulation wins at 91 points. As of writing, that would leave them as the second seed in the Pacific. The problem is that the two teams below them in the standings, the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings, would have the chance to leapfrog the Oilers and push them into the Wild Card. 

For this scenario to happen, the Ducks and Kings would both have to win while Edmonton would have to lose in regulation. Anaheim faces the Nashville Predators in their season finale, while Los Angeles takes on the Calgary Flames. Both the Predators and Flames are out of the playoff race and are currently fighting for draft lottery position. 

If both the Ducks and Kings pick up wins while the Oilers fall in regulation, that would mean Edmonton goes from facing a California team to the Colorado Avalanche. Yes, the Presidents' Trophy-winning, 119-point Avalanche. Sounds less than ideal for an Oilers team that is already dealing with a key injury to Leon Draisaitl. 

The Canucks will wrap up their season on Thursday against Edmonton. This season, Vancouver has beaten Edmonton just once in three attempts. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Russian Machine isn’t ready to shut it down just yet.

Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, gave a peek into his mindset at the end of his 21st NHL season as rumors swirl around potential retirement for the Capitals winger.

“To be honest with you, I’m pretty sure it’s not my last game. I hope it’s not my last game, against Columbus,” he said Thursday, two days after Washington’s season finale, a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.

“I have to make a decision to see where we’re at. The team, family. The kids are already asking me, ‘Dad, are you staying or no?’ And I tell them, ‘We’ll see.’ They want me to come back. They love the city, they love the team, they love the boys.”

Ovechkin, 40, completed the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million extension, and proved he can still contribute. While he may no longer be the consistent 50-goal scorer of earlier in his career, he posted 32 goals and 64 points over 82 games for the Caps (43-30-9) as they finished three points shy of the second wild card spot in the East.

The Russian superstar, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of 895 goals against the Islanders on Apr. 6, 2025, and currently stands alone atop of the NHL’s leaderboard with 929 of his own in 1,572 games.

He brought a Stanley Cup to the Capitals — and followed it with an epic summer-long party — and if he calls it a day stateside, would retire with 12 All-Star nods, three Hart Trophies and three Pearson trophies as league MVP, nine Rocket Richard trophies as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, one Art Ross as the top point-getter and Rookie of the Year honors for 2005-06.

As for his other options, Ovechkin made it clear the Capitals would be his only North American team — a possibility he said he’ll have to discuss with Washington GM Chris Patrick — or potentially return home to play in Russia’s KHL.

The in-and-out grind will be a determining factor.

“In the summer, you have to work your ass off to get better and be in shape,” he said. “When you’re 20, it’s no big thing. When you’re 40, it’s harder and harder.”

Teams hedged their bets down the stretch, with players and fans attempting to say goodbye in what might’ve been their last glimpse of the man known as “Ovi.”

In what was a potentially telling sign, when longtime rival Sidney Crosby had his Penguins teammates ready to give him a handshake line sendoff, Ovechkin simply waved them off.

“Because I don’t decided yet,” he said . “I don’t know. Thanks for them to wait out there, but I’m going to see Sid right now after interview and [Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin]. We’ll talk.”

While we continue to wait for the release of the full first round schedule, the NHL announced this afternoon that the Bruins and Sabres will begin their series on Sunday in Buffalo.

Sunday afternoon? Maybe. Sunday evening? Could be! Sunday night? Anything is possible.

But hey, at least we know: Sunday.

The league didn’t announce any broadcast information along with that date, so their news release was about as little help as it could possibly be, but it’s something.

If you follow the usual cadence for these series, we’d probably be looking at something like Sunday-Tuesday-Friday-Sunday, but there are occasionally extra days in between some of these games depending on availability.

The Celtics already have home playoff games scheduled for TD Garden on Sunday, Tuesday, and (if necessary) Tuesday, April 28, and Sunday, May 2.

With those dates in mind, the B’s home schedule for Games 3 and 4 shouldn’t conflict with the NBA at all.

At this point, it’s a little strange that the league hasn’t released a full schedule, especially in the Eastern Conference, when all of the match-ups are set.

I can understand maybe not releasing a full schedule with exact times and broadcast channels, as that will likely depend on how the Western Conference match-ups shake out.

However, you know who is playing who in the East, so it really shouldn’t be that hard to fill those dates.

I guess it’s easy to get impatient when you’ve waited a year to get back in the playoffs, eh?

If you’re interested in the other teams’ schedules for their respective series openers:

Saturday, April 18

• Senators at Huricanes, 3 PM
• Wild at Stars, 5:30 PM
• Flyers at Penguins, 8 PM

Sunday, April 19

• WC2 at Avalanche, TBD
• Canadaiens at Lightning, TBD
• Bruins at Sabres, TBD
• Mammoth at Golden Knights, TBD

Monday, April 20

• Pacific #3 at Pacific #2, TBD

The first round of the playoffs is always fun, as there seem to be two or three games on every night for like a week, so we’ll have a chance to get our hockey fix.

After an unusually long wait, the Philadelphia Flyers have their date and start time for Game 1 of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Thursday afternoon, the Flyers announced that they will play the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. Saturday night, with ESPN carrying the national game coverage.

As for local coverage, NBC Sports Philadelphia and 97.5 The Fanatic will have Flyers fans covered for Game 1.

Here's how the Flyers lined up for their first practice ahead of Saturday's spite match with the Penguins:

Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Alex Bump/Owen Tippett

Young Flyers Stars Dominate Season Finale vs. CanadiensThe Flyers, led by Martone, Michkov, and Bonk, are on fire at the best possible time.

Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone

Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov

Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway

Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York - Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler - Emil Andrae

Goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason was called up by the Flyers on Thursday morning to help out with practice; if Dan Vladar or Sam Ersson were injured, they'd have gone with a more experienced option like Aleksei Kolosov.

The Flyers split the season series 2-2 with the Penguins, taking both of their wins in the shootout.

The NHL has announced that the Senators will open the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Saturday, April 18 – Game 1, with Networks

3 p.m. ET, Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes; ESPN, SN, TVAS

5:30 p.m. ET, Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars; ESPN, SN, TVAS

8 p.m. ET, Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins; ESPN, SN, TVAS

Sunday, April 19 – Game 1

Time/TV TBD, +Western Conference Wild Card #2 at Colorado Avalanche

Time/TV TBD, Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning

Time/TV TBD, Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

Time/TV TBD, Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights

Monday, April 20 – Game 1

Time/TV TBD, +Pacific Division #3 at +Pacific Division #

The complete First Round schedule will be announced when finalized, following the conclusion of the regular season on Thursday night.

Although the 25-26 season came to a disappointing end, the Columbus Blue Jackets, they actually had some team stats that were impressive. They also had some that were not so impressive. 

Let's take a look at the team stats for the 2025-26 CBJ. 

Team Notes Per CBJ PR 

• Columbus finished the 2025-26 season with a 40-30-12 record, notching 40 wins for the second-straight season and in consecutive campaigns for the first time since 2017-18 (45-30-7) and 2018-19 (47-31-4).
• The club has posted a winning season for consecutive campaigns (40-33-9, 89 pts. in 2024-25) for the first time since the four-straight from 2016-20.
• The club’s 92 points this season are the fifth-highest point total in club history and the first time the team has topped 90 points and not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
• The Blue Jackets ended the campaign with a 20-13-8 record at Nationwide Arena, posting 20 wins on home ice for the 13th time in franchise history and for consecutive seasons.
• It is also only the fourth time in franchise history the club finished with 20 or more wins both at home and away in a season in franchise history (2013-14, 2016-17, 2018-19).
• Head Coach Rick Bowness posted a 20-10-5 record behind the bench for the Blue Jackets after being hired on Jan. 12 and tied the NHL record for fewest games to 10 wins with a franchise (11 games – 7th time, MR: Scott Arniel, Winnipeg in 2024-25).
• The Jackets scored the first goal of the game for the 50th time this season (32-11-7), tying Washington for the most instances in 2025-26.  It was also tied for the most in a single season in franchise history (2013-14 & 2016-17).
• The club scored first 29 times at Nationwide Arena (18-8-3) this season, setting a new franchise record (27 in 2024-25).

Record - 40-30-12 - 92 points - Metro: 5th - East: 11th - League: 16th

Goals For - 246 - 18th in the NHL - They had 267 in 24-25

Goals Allowed - 251 - 19th in the NHL - They had 267 in 24-25

Goals For Per Game - 3.00 - 19th in the NHL - They had 3.26 in 24-25

Goals Allowed Per Game - 3.06 - 17th in the NHL - They had 3.26 in 24-25

Power Play % - 18.9% - 22nd in NHL - 19.5% in 24-25

Penalty Kill % - 76.0% - 28th in NHL - 77% in 24-25

Shots Taken Per Game - 29.4 - 6th in NHL - 29.0 in 24-25

Shots Allowed Per Game - 28.8 - 11th Most in NHL - 29.9 in 24-25

Faceoff Win % - 50.6 - 13th in NHL - 47.8 in 24-25

Goaltending Team Save % - .899 - 12th in NHL - 20th in 24-25 at .896

Shutouts For - 3 - 15th

Expected Goals Against Per 60 - 2.42 - 13th fewest

Expected Goals For Per 60 - 2.62 - 10th most in NHL

Quality Starts Per HockeyReference.com - 48

• Jet Greaves - 35
• Elvis Merzlikins - 13

Really Bad Starts Per HockeyReference.com (Starts with a SV% under 85%) - 17

• Elvis Merzlikins - 9
• Jet Greaves - 8

Shutouts Against - 4

Penalty Minutes Take Per Game - 7.9 - 14th fewest

Penalty Minutes Drawn Per Game - 7.42 - 5th fewest

High Danger Shots For - 192 - 3rd most in NHL

High Danger Shots Against - 163 - 16th Fewest in NHL 

Takeaways From Other Team - 352 - 2nd Most in NHL

Giveaways To Other Team - 1135 - 11th Most in NHL

Defensive Zone Giveaways - 556 - 8th Most in NHL

Blocked Shots - 1104 - 10th Most in NHL

Hits Given - 1505 - 12th fewest in NHL

Hits Taken - 1412 - 3rd fewest in NHL

As you can see, the stats are all over the board. Despite missing the playoffs, the team had a decent year and finished ahead of last season, though only by a few points. 

The "What-ifs?" of this season will linger for a long while. What if the Jackets had not blown all those third period leads early in the season? Had they not, they wouldn't have Rick Bowness, that's for sure. His future has seemingly been decided, as reports are out that he has signed with Columbus. 

Next Up For Columbus: Don Waddell and Rick Bowness will talk to the media on Thursday. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks' 2025-26 season came to an end on Friday with their 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. The Blackhawks finished the campaign with a 29-39-14 record and at the bottom of the Central Division standings. With this, they did not qualify for the playoffs, and their offseason is now here.

This will be an interesting offseason for the Blackhawks as they continue their rebuild. They have some decisions to make when it comes to their roster, and there is a chance that two of their veteran players won't be back in 2026-27. Let's discuss each of them now.

Sam Lafferty

The Blackhawks reunited with Sam Lafferty this past offseason when they acquired him from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. However, the 31-year-old was barely used by the Blackhawks this campaign, as he played in just 29 games and was scratched far more often than not. 

In his 29 appearances with Chicago this season, Lafferty had one goal, one assist, and 35 hits. Given how little the Blackhawks used him this season, it would not be surprising if they decided to let Lafferty leave through free agency this summer.

Matt Grzelcyk 

Grzelcyk is another pending UFA who the Blackhawks could decide to move on from this summer. The Blackhawks have plenty of promising young defensemen in their system, and there simply may not be a fit for Grzelcyk on the Blackhawks' roster next season because of it. 

Grzelcyk was a decent pickup for the Blackhawks this season. In 69 games this season, the 32-year-old had zero goals and 12 assists. However, given the Blackhawks' defensive depth, the Massachusetts native might not be back next season.