The Chicago Blackhawks had three players participate in the NCAA Tournament, but none of them reached the Frozen Four. John Mustard, Julius Sumpf, and Providence were eliminated by Quinnipiac during their Regional Semi-Final, and Adam Gajan's Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs were defeated by Michigan in their Regional Final.  

Gajan, a goaltender, played a key role in stopping Gavin McKenna from advancing further in the tournament. Now, McKenna is next in line to be the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft. 

Scott Powers of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Mustard is going to return to Providence for another year in 2026-27. He then speculated that he could sign and get in some NHL games at the end of the same season. Sumpf's future is still to be determined. 

Blackhawks forward prospect John Mustard plans to return to Providence for his junior season. There was a chance he would turn pro after his college season ended. I imagine he's a candidate to sign late next season and play in some NHL games.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) April 8, 2026

As for Gajan, he signed with the Blackhawks shortly after his season ended in a somewhat surprising transaction. He is going to play in the AHL for a while in an attempt to earn his first NHL look. 

Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Denver remain and will play their semi-final games on Thursday. 

Wisconsin will battle North Dakota at 4 PM CT while Michigan takes on Denver at 7:30. These games will take place at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. 

With no Blackhawks involved, scouts will have their eyes focused on other things. The most important player for them to keep an eye on is Keaton Verhoeff of North Dakota. He is the only player on any of the four teams projected to be a top-five draft pick, which is where the Blackhawks are likely to end up. 

Potential decisions made with some of their current defensemen will influence whether or not a skilled right-shot blue-liner will be high on their draft board, but this is a chance to watch him on the biggest stage. Kyle Davidson and his staff need to leave no stone unturned.  

Although his backwards skating could use some work, he moves well for a player of his stature (6'4", 212 lbs). He has an accurate shot (wrist or slap) and has a high-end hockey IQ that allows him to make smart decisions with the puck. 

When Verhoeff reaches the NHL, it may not be long before he is able to quarterback a top power play unit. The Blackhawks have a few "solid" players who can do so, but they have had better success with five forwards for a reason. A defenseman like Verhoeff may allow them to have success with a more traditional top unit. 

If North Dakota finds a way to beat Wisconsin, which is a wonderful story in their own right, that likely means that Verhoeff played over 20 minutes, used his puck skills to his advantage, and played well enough when forced to defend. 

Like most offensive defensemen at this age, Verhoeff does have some work to do in his own end, especially on the rush. The pro game will teach him how to take the defensive side of the game to create offense with his skillset, in other words, "playing the right way". 

The winner of this North Dakota vs Wisconsin will play the winner of the high-octane Michigan squad and this Denver team, which is on the precipice of becoming a college hockey dynasty.

Blackhawks scouts must also be watching to see which other players show something, in case the chance to draft or sign them comes along. Collin Graf was undrafted back when Quinnipiac won the National Championship, and the San Jose Sharks nabbed him. Now he is a 20-goal scorer in the NHL. Is another version of Graf out there? The Frozen Four will give insight into that on the big stage. 

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The final four-game homestretch begins tonight for the chief combatants in the Eastern Conference lower-seeds playoff race. With 78 games down, the Islanders (89 pts.) host the Leafs, the Blue Jackets (90 pts.) visit the Sabres, the Senators (92 pts.) host the Panthers, and the Flyers (92 pts.) are in Detroit (89 pts.).

Technically, the Washington Capitals are also in this picture, winning last night to match the Islanders at 89 points but with one fewer game to go.

For the Islanders, whether this season sees playoffs or not, tonight is a significant one due to Pete DeBoer’s debut as their head coach.

And he has some changes in store, it seems: Mathew Barzal will be back at center and Max Shabanov will get a real chance. And in alignment with what I assumed but did not see when he was acquired, Brayden Schenn will skate on the wing, though you wonder if he’ll take more of the faceoffs than Barzal.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• Quotes and rationale from DeBoer on his lineup and line choices, with heavy existing-staff input. [THN]
• DeBoer brings a sense of urgency to these final four games, that was somehow missing from the preceding ones. [Newsday | Post]
• DeBoer was optimistic Tony DeAngelo would return tonight, not a sentiment you always hear. [Post]
• That would put DeAngelo back on a pair with Adam Pelech. [Isles]
• Previewing tonight: It will be regular season game 1,262 for DeBoer as an NHL head coach. [Isles]

Elsewhere

• The Leafs hobble in with three more injuries: Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo and Dakota Joshua were all hurt Wednesday and will not suit up tonight. The Isles will face Artur Akhtyamov in net, making his first NHL start. [Sportsnet]
• The durability of Stolarz, signed to a contract extension by Brad Treliving that hasn’t even kicked in yet, is a major concern for the Leafs. [Sportsnet]
• Welp, James Hagens has signed with the Bruins, may make his debut Saturday. [NHL]
• Ron Francis will leave the Kraken, which he currently serves as president. The founding GM of the franchise, has he delivered or is this an overdue “thoughtful transition?” [NHL | TSN]
• Looking at some of this summer’s top draft prospects and their NHL comparables. [NHL]
• Here are all the Masterton nominees. [Sportsnet]

A win tonight against the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins will qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2022. There are other clinching scenarios for the Penguins should they not be able to defeat the Devils later this evening, but if they can take care of business themselves in Newark, there won’t be any need to rely on help from other teams. On top of locking down a playoff spot, a victory tonight also aides the Penguins in keeping a tight grip on that second spot in the Metro division which guarantees them home ice advantage in the first round.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.

Pens Points…

Nominees for the Masterson Trophy were announced on Wednesday and Anthony Mantha was chosen to represent the Penguins for the 2025-26 season. Coming off a major knee injury, Mantha signed with the Penguins in the offseason and rebounded to post career highs across the board. [Penguins]

When Mantha tore his ACL early in the 2024-25 season, there were real questions about how much of a future he had in the game of hockey. Turns out, his hockey future is still bright after his reemergence with the Penguins has proven he still has a lot left to give on the ice. [PPG]

Some good news in the injury department for the Penguins as it was announced on Wednesday that goaltender Stuart Skinner will travel with the team to New Jersey following a successful practice session as he works his way back from taking an errant puck to the face over the weekend that forced him out Sunday. [Trib Live]

Before the season started, Pensburgh ran an article asking if the Penguins making the playoffs or finishing in last place was a bigger surprise to come from this season. We believed a lot was going to need to break the Penguins way for a playoff appearance, but lo and behold, that’s how the season played out. [Pensburgh]

After a small bump in the road, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have returned to their winning ways, having stacked six straight victories with a weekend sweep of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as they enter the final five games of the AHL season still comfortably in second place. [Pensburgh]

Sticking with the Baby Pens, there will be some fresh faces on the roster the next time they take the ice. Promising prospect Mikhail Ilyin has made his way over from the KHL and will join WBS along with 2025 draftees Quinn Beauchesne and Ryan Miller. [The Hockey News]

NHL News and Notes…

Alex Ovechkin let it be known on Wednesday that he will discuss his NHL future with his family following the season, meaning this weekend could be the final time Ovechkin not only plays in Pittsburgh, but it could also be the final chapter of his rivalry with Sidney Crosby. [NHL]

The Boston Bruins and 2025 first round pick James Hagens agreed to a three-year entry level contract that is set to begin right away. Hagens played six games with the Providence Bruins in the AHL after signing a tryout deal following the conclusion of his collegiate season with Boston College. [NHL]

Tempers finally spilled over Tuesday night in what had been a razor-tight battle between the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars—and now the NHL is stepping in to clean up the fallout.

Tensions Finally Spill Over In Overtime

On Wednesday, the league announced that Flames forward Ryan Strome has been fined $5,000—the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement—for a cross-check delivered to Stars forward Jason Robertson in overtime.

The play unfolded just 45 seconds into the extra frame of Dallas’ eventual 4–3 win, a moment that quickly shifted the tone from tense to chaotic. Robertson, one of the Stars’ most dangerous offensive weapons, was forced to leave the game following the hit. Strome, meanwhile, was handed a double-minor for high-sticking on the play.

But the frustration didn’t come out of nowhere.

Earlier in the night, Strome was driven awkwardly into the boards from behind by Dallas defenseman Tyler Myers. The officials initially assessed Myers a five-minute major—a call that suggested serious concern—but after review, it was controversially wiped away entirely. No penalty. No further discipline. That sequence appeared to linger, simmering beneath the surface as the game wore on.

By the time overtime arrived, it felt like something was bound to give—and it did.

Strome, 32, has been a noticeable addition since arriving in Calgary at the trade deadline in March. In just 16 games with the Flames, he’s already produced five goals and six assists, quickly surpassing the nine points he recorded across 33 games earlier this season with the Anaheim Ducks. His impact has been immediate—but so, now, are the consequences.

For Calgary, it’s another frustrating chapter in a season that’s been defined as much by missed opportunities as it has been by moments like this—where emotion boils over and control slips away at the worst possible time.

The end finally came into focus Tuesday night for the Calgary Flames—not with a bang, but with the kind of quiet inevitability that has followed them all season.

A 4–3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars, paired with a dominant 5–0 win by the Nashville Predators over the Anaheim Ducks, officially slammed the door on Calgary’s playoff hopes. They join the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks as the Western Conference teams sent packing early.

On paper, the numbers tell a bleak but unsurprising story: seventh in the Pacific Division, 30th overall, and a 32-36-9 record through 77 games. But this season was never just about the standings—it was about a franchise caught in the middle of something bigger, and frankly, deeper than one bad year.

What Went Wrong for the Flames?

This wasn’t a collapse—it was a continuation.

The Flames entered the year already trending toward a reset. Trade rumors surrounding core pieces like Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri surfaced early, and by midseason, management leaned fully into that direction. Andersson was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, while Kadri—along with MacKenzie Weegar—was moved at the deadline, with Kadri returning to the Colorado Avalanche and Weegar landing with the Utah Mammoth.

Those moves made sense long-term. In the short term, they stripped down an already thin roster.

But even before the sell-off, the problems were obvious—especially offensively.

Calgary spent much of the year struggling to generate consistent scoring. Early in the season, they were averaging just 2.17 goals per game—worse than even a slumping New York Rangers squad that had its own issues finishing chances. The Flames have since improved marginally to 2.57 goals per game, but that still ranks near the bottom of the league.

Even more telling? Four players are tied for the team lead with just 41 points—and one of them is Kadri, who was traded back to the Avalanche more than a month ago.

And if you zoom out, the roots of this go back even further—to a franchise-altering move that simply hasn’t aged well.

A Blockbuster Trade That Backfired Badly

When the Flames traded Matthew Tkachuk, part of the urgency came from the reality that he didn’t want to stay in Calgary long-term. In return, they acquired Jonathan Huberdeau, who was coming off a monster season—30 goals, 85 assists, 115 points—and looked like a cornerstone piece.

Instead, Calgary is locked in what could arguably be considered the worst contract in the NHL at this point. At the very least, it's a bona fide contender for a top two finish. 

Huberdeau signed an eight-year, $84 million extension shortly after arriving—$10.5 million annually in a hard-cap league. Four years in, he hasn’t come close to replicating his Florida production. This season, he managed just 25 points in 50 games (10 goals, 15 assists), a steep drop-off that’s impossible to ignore.

In a league built around cap efficiency, that kind of contract doesn’t just hurt—it echoes through the entire lineup. When that much money is tied up in underperformance, something else inevitably gives.

To put it bluntly: when you’ve got the NHL version of Anthony Rendon eating up cap space, the ripple effects are unavoidable.

This isn’t about one player being solely responsible—but it is about how one contract can quietly limit flexibility, depth, and ultimately competitiveness.

What’s Next

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Flames are positioned to reshape their future—if they get it right.

They currently hold the third-best odds heading into the draft lottery on May 5, with a chance to land a franchise-changing talent. And in a draft class headlined by names like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Keaton Verhoeff, the opportunity is there to find a true centerpiece.

Calgary also owns Vegas’ first-round pick and holds four second-round selections, giving them volume as well as upside. This isn’t just one swing—it’s multiple chances to accelerate a rebuild.

Beyond the draft, the organization will turn its attention to a growing prospect pool. Players like Jonathan Castagna, Samuel Honzek, Zayne Parekh, and Matvei Gridin represent the next wave, and development will be everything.

The timeline also aligns with a bigger organizational milestone: the opening of Scotia Place in 2027–28. The expectation isn’t just to be better by then—it’s to be relevant again.

There’s no sugarcoating a season like this. But for the Flames, this wasn’t about falling short—it was about arriving exactly where the trajectory was always pointing.

Now comes the hard part: turning all of this into something that actually works.

The Colorado Avalanche have already locked up the top seed in the Western Conference, leaving just one box left to check before the postseason begins: securing the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice advantage all the way through the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They’re within striking distance, too. Just two more points over their final five games would seal it, and their first opportunity comes Thursday night against the Calgary Flames on home ice.

Colorado (51-16-10, 112 points) punched its ticket to the top of the conference with a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. It’s been a long time coming—the Avalanche have held the NHL’s best record since Dec. 1—and the only team still within reach is the Carolina Hurricanes, who sit six points back with four games remaining. Colorado also holds the edge in the season series, going 1-0-1.

“We set our goals at the start of the year, and we wanted to be on top,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said after the win in St. Louis. “That's a big step. We know it doesn't mean anything come playoff time, other than we get an extra game at home every series.”

Injury Concerns Surface Despite Win

As dominant as Tuesday’s win looked on paper, it didn’t come without a cost. Nazem Kadri exited after blocking a shot late in the second period, suffering a finger injury that will sideline him for an undisclosed period. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Wednesday on Altitude Radio that Kadri will miss time, though no timeline has been set.

Kadri, who was dealt from Calgary to Colorado on March 6, still leads the Flames in scoring with 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists). Since joining the Avalanche, he’s chipped in nine points (four goals, five assists) over 16 games.

Colorado has also been without star defenseman Cale Makar, who has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 30—ironically suffered against Calgary. The good news: he’s expected to return before the regular season wraps up.

Kadri is no stranger to playing through adversity. During the 2022 Stanley Cup run, he underwent thumb surgery in the second round but still managed to return for the final three games of the Final.

On the other side, Calgary (32-36-9, 73 points) is playing out the string after being officially eliminated from playoff contention following a win by the Nashville Predators on Monday. Still, the Flames didn’t roll over in Dallas on Tuesday, pushing the Dallas Stars to the brink before falling 4-3 in overtime.

Calgary had built a 3-1 lead early in the third period before the Stars stormed back to steal the extra point.

“I liked our game,” Flames coach Ryan Huska said. “There was a lot of our game where I thought we played hard. We did a good job away from the pucks, thought we had some lengthy shifts in the offensive zone. ... At the end of the night, again, you're taking penalties against a very good power play. That's tough.”

The Flames also took an injury hit of their own, as defenseman Kevin Bahl logged just two shifts before leaving with a lower-body issue. No update was provided postgame.

Thursday’s matchup marks the second meeting in a condensed stretch, with the two teams set to face off three times in just nine games. After not seeing each other at all earlier this season, they’ll wrap up the series Tuesday in Calgary.

TORONTO (AP) — Logan Thompson made 21 saves to register his third shutout of the season as the Washington Capitals breathed life into their fading playoff hopes with a 4-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary, with a goal and an assist each, Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson scored for Washington, which sits three points back of the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot with three games left on the schedule.

Anthony Stolarz suffered a lower-body injury early in the first period after stopping the second of two shots he faced for Toronto.

Joseph Woll finished with 14 saves in just over 57 minutes of work for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Alex Ovechkin — Washington’s leader with 31 goals and 61 points — announced Wednesday he won’t make a decision on his playing future until after the season.

The 40-year-old broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal mark of 894 last April and has found the back of the net at least 30 times in 20 of his 21 NHL campaigns.

Ovechkin has 45 goals and 35 assists for 80 points across 64 regular-season games against Toronto.

Capitals forward Ilya Protas made his NHL debut on a line with older brother Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson. The bruising trio — Wilson is the smallest at 6-foot-4, while the siblings each stand 6-foot-6— tips the scales at a combined 700 pounds.

Up next

Capitals: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

Maple Leafs: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday.

___

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

The Rangers successfully limited their opponent’s offense, fostered chemistry and closed out games during this lengthy homestand that concluded Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

When push came to shove against a hungry Buffalo team, however, the Blueshirts reverted to their old ways on home ice.

They didn’t just allow three unanswered goals — including an empty-netter — in the third period to fall 5-3 to the playoff-bound Sabres.

The Rangers were held without a single shot on goal for over 18 of the final 20 minutes.

“I don’t know if we sat back a little too much with the lead, but we had a couple good shifts to start the period, didn’t get anything on net, and they kind of controlled the play there through the middle part,” captain J.T. Miller said. “And then we pushed again at the end. That’s obviously not good enough. I look at it as a bigger sample size over the last little while. We’ve played a lot of good hockey and we know we want to end the season strong. So we’re excited to get back on the road, spent a lot of time at home. I have a lot of faith we’re going to end the season in a good way and feel good.”

Finishing their season at the Garden with a 14-20-7 record, the Rangers capped an otherwise tumultuous campaign on home ice with an encouraging 5-2 stretch.

Scoring goals was no longer the bane of their existence. Stacking wins lightened a beat-up locker room.

It’s breathed a competitive life back into the Rangers that hasn’t been there since the 2024 playoffs.

Alexis Lafrenière scored his first of two goals by redirecting an Adam Fox shot from the point, notching his 23rd goal of the season and his career-high 13th point on the power play.

With 39 seconds left in the first period, the goal cut the Sabres’ lead in half, 2-1, going into the first intermission.

The net-front role has been a revelation for Lafrenière, whose 22 points since March 1 rank third on the Rangers. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

Sniping one past Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen early in the second period, Lafrenière tied the game 2-2 for the Rangers as part of his third multi-goal game of the 2025-26 season.

The home team then earned its first lead of the night off its second power-play goal.

Fox cashed in from the slot and pulled within one of his career-high six power-play goals, which begs the question of what the 28-year-old could have accomplished if he hadn’t missed 27 total games due to injuries.

The goal extended Fox’s point streak to eight games, over which he has collected four goals and 11 assists.

“Obviously it was a struggle for us to win games early on,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “You look at the first 20 games of the season, there were a lot of games that we felt pretty good about our overall game from a process standpoint, and we struggled to score goals for whatever reason, in particular at home. … Our guys care deeply about playing in front of the home crowd and the people that support us. We have a sincere appreciation for that. And so sometimes that becomes a challenge in and of itself, because you’re trying so hard to try to win at home, sometimes it gets in the way of your instincts …

“I feel this second half, it started to go in the net for us. Most recently, we’re scoring a fair amount of goals. It’s not like we changed our game plan. We’ve got back to a pretty consistent team game.”

Matthew Robertson was named as the Rangers nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.”

The nomination is decided by members of the Rangers chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The winner is selected by a poll of the PHWA as a whole.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Zucker scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied to beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Zucker slid his 24th goal past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin at 7:14 after teammate Alex Tuch had tied the contest with his 31st at 5:50 of the third.

Zach Benson scored twice and Ryan McLeod added a goal for the Sabres, who will participate in the postseason for the first time since 2010-11.

The Sabres won their 48th game in a dramatic turnaround from last year, when they had 79 points and missed the playoffs for a 14th straight season. Buffalo is 22-6-3 in its last 31 games, including a league-best 16 wins and 34 points since the Olympic break.

Alexis Lafreniere scored twice and Adam Fox also scored for the Rangers in their home finale. Shesterkin had 22 saves.

New York finished with five wins in a seven-game homestand but just 14 wins in 41 home games overall.

McLeod opened the scoring at 4:40 of the first. Benson then beat Shesterkin at 8:58.

Lafreniere answered on the power play at 19:21, then scored his second of the night and 24th this season at 2:57 of the middle period.

Fox put the Rangers ahead at 14:44 of the second before the Sabres rallied.

Benson completed the scoring with his 12th goal into an empty net at 18:44.

The Rangers will miss the playoffs for a second straight season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 when they had 114 points and 55 wins, including 30 at home.

Buffalo, under Lindy Ruff who also coached the team when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, has 104 points — two more than Tampa Bay and Montreal in the Atlantic Division.

Up Next

Rangers: Visiting Dallas Stars on Saturday to start season-ending three-game trip.

Sabres: Hosting Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

During this past off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2 million contract. This was after the left-shot defenseman had one goal, seven points, and a minus-10 rating in 55 games with the Boston Bruins during the 2024-25 season.

When the Penguins signed Wotherspoon, the expectation was that he would be a depth defenseman for them. Instead, the 6-foot-1 blueliner has been having a breakout year with the Penguins and has emerged as one of their most important defenseman in the process. 

Wotherspoon has been excellent for the Penguins this season, and the truth is in his stats. In 78 games this season with Pittsburgh, he has set new career highs with three goals, 26 assists, 29 points, and 160 blocks. With numbers like these, he has been a major pickup for the Penguins. 

Due to how well he has played, Wotherspoon has found a home on the Penguins' top pairing with Erik Karlsson this season. He has also become a key part of their penalty kill. 

With all of this, there is no question that Wotherspoon has turned out to be quite the gem for the Penguins and has been a notable reason for their major turnaround this season. 

The Senators made an interesting move on Wednesday morning, sending defenseman Carter Yakemchuk down to the minors.

Yakemchuk, Ottawa’s seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, was up with the big club for four games before suffering an apparent concussion last Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. In his NHL debut on March 24, Yakemchuk made an immediate impression, recording a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

The call-up was never really part of the original plan for this season. It was born out of necessity, if not emergency, with Ottawa’s blue line decimated by injuries.

Now, with Jake Sanderson back and Dennis Gilbert nearing a return, the Senators needed to create roster space. Yakemchuk becomes the odd man out.

It’s certainly a defensible decision. The last thing Ottawa wants is for its top prospect to be dropped right into the middle of a ferocious playoff race where every mistake is magnified ten times over.

But he is a seventh overall pick who's now in his second season since being drafted. It would be one thing if he were losing his spot to established NHL players. But the Sens are content to roll with Cam Crotty and Lassi Thomson, who have 31 career NHL games between them. Those players don't have Yakemchuk's skill, but they do play it safe, which is all Travis Green wants out of his 5-6-7 guys right now.

Now cleared after his concussion, Yakemchuk can be assigned to Belleville, where he’ll help the B-Sens close out their final five games of the season. Belleville sits eight points out of a playoff spot with five to play, so this will be more about development than helping in a late push.

His time is coming. It's just not now.

Thomas on Track: Chabot’s Return Gaining Steam

Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot took another step toward returning to the lineup.

The injured left-shot defenceman surprised many by skating Tuesday for the first time since suffering a forearm injury just over two weeks ago. He wore a non-contact jersey at that session, but on Wednesday morning, he was in a regular white jersey during an optional skate.

If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t have guessed he was coming off an injury. Chabot was moving well, handling the puck cleanly, making crisp passes, and even getting involved in some net-front battle work.

The next key step will be Thursday’s game-day skate ahead of Ottawa’s matchup with Florida. If he’s a full participant there, his return could be right around the corner.

Belleville Signs Wheat Kings Star

Down in Belleville, the B-Sens have signed forward Luke Mistelbacher to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the AHL season.

The 20-year-old put up a team-leading 88 points this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings and added four points in four playoff games. Prior to that, he spent three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, where he totalled 205 points in 257 games.

With Belleville’s playoff hopes all but gone, it's a chance to give a fine junior player a quick audition at the pro level and see what they might have.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:  

Ullmark Describes Masterton Trophy Nomination As Bittersweet
Sens Explode For Five Third-Period Goals In 6-2 Win Over Tampa Bay
'A Superstar Moment:' The Senators Goal Everyone Is Talking About
Sens Sign Two Of Their Drafted NCAA Prospect
20 Goals: Former Senator Now Exceeding All Expectations

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoff race is tightening up as postseason play begins April 18.

With the regular season at its end come April 16, some teams on the outskirts of the playoffs are already prepping for their offseason while others are still fighting for their Stanley Cup hopes.

In the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings are chasing a wild card spot, hoping to overtake the Nashville Predators, who sit in the second and final wild card spot.

It will come down to the final regular-season games.

Through 77 games, the Kings are 32-26-19 (83 points). The Sharks are right under them; through 76 games, they have a 37-32-7 record (81 points).

San Jose has a Wednesday night game against the Edmonton Oilers. That's important for many reasons.

After an unexpected coaching change, a week of high-intensity practices and an unwelcome result elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, the Islanders are ready to return to the ice — and fight for their postseason lives.

The Isles — following a 6-2 Senators thrashing over the Lightning — are three points off the second and final wild-card spot entering Thursday’s pivotal clash against the Maple Leafs.

And one of the team’s longest-tenured players knows exactly what’s required in that matchup against Toronto — the Isles’ first game since they lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday.

“It’s got to be all energy ahead,” defenseman Ryan Pulock told The Post. “I think as much as you make changes, it’s still just a game. And we need to bring that energy. We’re at home, there’s no excuses there. You need every guy on board, finding a little extra.”

On the third day of what new head coach Pete DeBoer has dubbed his “late-season training camp” — following his hiring over the weekend with just four regular-season games remaining — there was an urgency during the session at Northwell Health Ice Center.

Ilya Sorokin shone with some impressive glove work in net, DeBoer continued to feed his players instructions from a whiteboard and the coach was once again pleased with the buy-in from his new group.

“I feel like they’re optimistic,” DeBoer said of his players. “I feel a real good energy out there. The feedback’s been good, the conversations have been good. I think we all know the situation we’re in, but the mindset of the group is really good.

“I think they’re sick of my late-season training camp. I think they’re done with it. And I’ll be honest, I’ve never run a training camp in April. So I think we’re all ready to play some games.”

It was only Sunday that players were met with the news of Patrick Roy’s surprise firing.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

But with their playoff predicament — Hockey Reference gives the Isles just a 22.1 percent chance of making the postseason after a poor 3-7 stretch — there was little time for them to brood.

“When you first find out, there is some sadness,” Pulock said. “I think you build relationships with people, and you work together for a while, and when you hear that, it sucks for a minute.

“And then you can sit on it for a minute, and you get ready, you look forward, and you get excited about what’s ahead.”

Roy’s successor has also been heartened by the response he’s seen from his new players.

“I think anytime a coach loses his job, if you’ve got good character like we have in that room, they feel bad about it,” DeBoer said. “And I think they’re looking to respond in the right way and handle this the right way.”

The Islanders may have to sweep their upcoming slate against the Leafs, Senators, Canadiens and Hurricanes — and get help elsewhere, too — to sneak into the postseason.

But following a late-season slump and this week’s rare mini-break, the first order of business is clear: Beat Toronto.

“It’s a little sprint here, where we know our backs [are] against the wall,” Pulock said, “and it’s [an] exciting time to just try to win one hockey game.”

TORONTO (AP) — Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Capitals early in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto starter was hurt after stretching out his left leg to get a pad on Cole Hutson’s shot from distance.

Stolarz immediately collapsed to the ice and pulled off his mask before one of the referees blew the play dead.

The 32-year-old was attended to by a trainer and had to be helped off the ice by teammates before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.

Coach Craig Berube announced after the 4-0 loss that Artur Akhtyamov will be recalled from the American Hockey League and make his first NHL appearance Thursday when the Maple Leafs visit the New York Islanders.

“I’ve really liked him right from camp,” Berube said of the 24-year-old Russian selected 106th overall at the 2020 NHL draft. “Great personality. He’s played well down there. He’s a competitor and he’s really got fast reflexes."

The Maple Leafs also lost forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (lower body) to injuries later in the game against Washington.

Berube said Luke Haymes and William Villeneuve will join Akhtyamov as AHL call-ups. Haymes is also slated to make his NHL debut Thursday for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

___

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

In a lacklustre game against the Vegas Golden Knights that saw the Vancouver Canucks put up only 11 shots on goal, only one line was able to find the back of the net: that of Max Sasson, Teddy Blueger, and Linus Karlsson. 

The trio has presented themselves well in the past few games, having found some offensive chemistry a little while after first being put together on March 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes. They were broken apart for a short period of time at the end of March but were reunited in Vancouver’s 8–6 rout of the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. It was a speedy dash by Sasson and Blueger that helped the Canucks break the ice during this game. Sasson’s Tuesday night goal reflected the same kind of speed and hard forecheck that this line has produced since then. 

But what has made this group so noticeable as of late? 

“They work together. They play the system, they forecheck as one. Really disciplined, and they’re able to generate a lot of more offensive zone time, and they play in heavy structure. They work well together. They’re a very predictable and dependable line,” Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote said of the Sasson – Blueger – Karlsson line after the team’s 2–1 loss to Vegas on Tuesday. 

Sasson’s goal on Tuesday night marked the sixth Canucks goal scored with this line factoring into the play, with five of these goals being scored directly from members of the line themselves. Four of these goals were produced with this trio breaking into the O-zone. 

According to Sasson, this has been a point of practice for this group. 

“We work on 3-on-2 rushes daily, so I know exactly how Teddy likes to move it and when,” he said, speaking on his goal after Tuesday’s loss to Vegas. 

There’s a reason why the recipe has been able to produce as of late, according to the players involved. For Blueger, that comes from his wingers’ abilities to forecheck hard and put some pressure on the opposition.   

“I’ve enjoyed playing with them a lot. They work extremely hard, they compete, they battle, so they’re easy to play with. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. They want to do well. They want to succeed. It’s honestly super enjoyable to play with guys like that, and we’re on the same page, as far as what we need to do to be successful, and they’re easy to talk to. Communication is good, so we’re learning from each other.” 

“He’s solid. He’s so good defensively, he plays a simple game. That’s what I like — where the puck goes and you can read after that, and [he’s] a great leader. I really enjoy playing with him. He’s a great guy, and I just love to play with him for sure,” Karlsson added of having Blueger as a centre.  

Pair two no-quit wingers with a defensively responsible centre in Blueger, and just like that, you’ve got a line that has earned not only their coach’s trust, but also the highest minutes as a line on their team. While Tuesday against Vegas was technically a ‘down’ night for them, Sasson, Blueger, and Karlsson still played 8:28 minutes together. This was the first time since their reunion on April 1 that the trio did not lead Vancouver in 5-on-5 minutes played by a line, as they held the team leads in their games against the Utah Mammoth (9:37), Minnesota Wild (10:51), and Avalanche (11:01).    

With this trio, like Foote says, you know what you’re going to get. Hard workers, solid defence, and energetic forechecking. The recent push in offence doesn’t hurt, either. 

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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