The Vancouver Canucks (37-29-13) kick off their final homestand of the season when they battle the Minnesota Wild (43-30-7) on Saturday night. While Vancouver has already been eliminated from playoff contention, they could deal a significant blow to the Wild's post-season chances if they can defeat Minnesota in regulation. Through two games this season, the Canucks are 1-0-1 against the Wild, which includes a 3-1 win at Rogers Arena back in early March.

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While he isn't scheduled to start, Saturday will be an opportunity for fans in Vancouver to honour one of the greatest goalies in NHL history, Marc-André Fleury. "Flower" is scheduled to retire at the end of the year, which would conclude a historic 21-season career. A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, do not be surpised if the Canucks players line up to shake his hand at the end of the game.

Players to Watch:

Kiefer Sherwood:

Saturday night could be a historic one for Kiefer Sherwood. He is four hits away from becoming the first player in NHL to throw 450 hits in a season and a goal away from his first 20-goal campaign in the NHL. One of the best signings by any team from the 2024 off-season, fans should expect to see a feisty Sherwood on the ice Saturday night.

Kirill Kaprizov:

After missing the majority of the season due to an injury, Kirill Kaprizov is back and ready for the playoffs. Minnesota's first-line winger has 55 points in 39 games and has developed into one of the most dangerous wingers in the NHL. With his team fighting for a playoff spot, do not be surprised if Kaprizov puts together an offensive performance to remember against Vancouver.

Vancouver Canucks (37–29–13):
Last 10: 5–4–1

Quinn Hughes: 16–58–74
Brock Boeser: 25–24–49
Conor Garland: 19–30–49
Jake DeBrusk: 26–20–46
Pius Suter: 24–21–45

Minnesota Wild (43–30–7):
Last 10: 3-5-2

Matt Boldy: 26-45-71
Marco Rossi: 24-36-60
Kirill Kaprizov: 25-30-55
Mats Zuccarello: 18-33-51
Frédérick Gaudreau: 18-19-37

Game Information: 

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT 
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

In a season full of lows for the Pittsburgh Penguins, there have been some bright spots.

And their top players have one of them.

On Friday, the Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit and scored four unanswered goals to defeat the New Jersey Devils, 4-2. And their top players led the way.

Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two points, Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner, and Bryan Rust set a new career-high when he scored his 29th goal of the season on the empty net in the waning minutes of the third period. Newly recalled forward Valtteri Puustinen also added a power-play goal.

It was quite the night for the big guys. And Rust continues to prove why he's one of the more underrated wingers in the game.

"For me, it's special," Rust said of setting his new career-high in goals. "Obviously, the team success is first, and you want to win games, win championships. But, second to that is personal success, so anytime you can hit new milestones and get new career-highs - especially after 10 years - that kind of means you're probably doing something right."

The Devils got off to a great start in this one. They scored their first goal just 15 seconds into the game, when forward Erik Haula managed to get behind the Penguins' defense for a breakaway opportunity and didn't miss. They went up 2-0 just six minutes later on an Ondrej Palat goal just after the expiration of a Devils' power play.

"We didn't have the start that we wanted," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "That's hockey. What I loved about tonight was the resilience, or the certain resolve, where we didn't let it snowball. And it could have."

But, as Sullivan said, it didn't snowball - and a lot of that had to do with the Penguins' power play. 

Penguins' Crosby On Pace To Become Sixth Player To Score 90 Points At 37 Or OlderPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on the cusp of NHL history (again). With 87 points in 77 games, he's just three points shy of 90 for the season, possibly three consecutive seasons of reaching the plateau.

After Malkin cut the Devils' lead to one before the end of the first period, the Penguins got a quick power play opportunity at the beginning of the second when Devils defenseman Brett Pesce went off for hooking. Following some solid movement on the man advantage, Malkin threw the puck toward the net, and it hit Puustinen on the way in. That goal tied the game at 2-2. 

Then, in the third period, Crosby took advantage of a high-sticking penalty by former Penguin Cody Glass, who was dealt to New Jersey at the trade deadline. Solid, simple puck movement was, again, at the forefront of the tally, as power play quarterback Matt Grzelcyk distributed a crisp pass to Rust, who found Crosby on the back door to give the Penguins the 3-2 lead. 

Rust added the insurance empty-netter after, but it was the power play - now ranked seventh in the league after scoring in six straight games - that earned the Penguins the clean two points.

The man advantage has been another bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season from the Penguins. 

 "I think we're just playing really simple," said Grzelcyk, whose two points on the night put him just two shy of hitting 40 on the season. "We're really effective moving the puck, and we kind of don't really have one set play that we like to run. We're getting all five guys involved. And I thought we did a good job of that tonight, just kind of spreading them out, getting them on the run a little bit... and then plays open up from there."

It also helps the power play when the team's stars are shining through. And, despite the situation the Penguins find themselves in - missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season - every guy in the room knows that the team has a lot to play for.

And it starts with the collection of future hall-of-famers in that locker room.

"We're not onto the playoffs, but we have a lot of pride on the line," Grzelcyk said. "We want to build something for years to come. There's so many great players who have played here for a long time, and we owe to them to keep battling and not give up on the season. I think we've done a good job of that ever since we've been eliminated."

Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.

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The final homestand of the regular season continues on Saturday for the Florida Panthers.

So far, Florida has reeled off a pair of victories against two solid clubs, the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs and playoff hopeful (but not likely) Detroit Red Wings.

Now the Cats will prepare to face a Buffalo Sabres squad that, while already eliminated from playoff contention, has been playing their best hockey of the season.

Buffalo’s loss in Columbus on Thursday snapped a season-best five-game winning streak. The Sabres are 8-2-0 over their past 10, with both defeats coming on the road.

In fact, Buffalo’s last six losses have all come away from home. Their last loss on home ice was all the way back on March 4.

It was a hell of a run that pulled the Sabres out of the Eastern Conference basement and pulled them in with the teams on the outside of the playoff race.

The effort will end up being filed in the too little, too late department, but perhaps the young Sabres will be able to use their strong finish to show up in the fall with a more inspired start to next season.

Surely a win against the defending Stanley Cup Champions would help fuel that kind of mindset, but the Panthers are also playing well of late.

Despite only winning their past two, Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice has made it clear that he’s been pleased with how his team has been performing over the past several weeks.

That should be particularly pleasing for Panthers fans due to the amount of players in and out of the lineup lately.

Don’t be surprised to see that kind of roster management continue as Maurice has said he’s prioritizing getting his team healthy for the playoffs.

Additionally, Florida closes out the regular season with three games in four nights, so load management should be expected.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday's dustup with Detroit:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Tomas Nosek – Evan Rodrigues

A.J. Greer – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist

Gus Forsling – Nate Schmidt

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Jaycob Megna – Uvis Balinskis

Scratches: Sam Bennett, Jonah Gadjovich, Jesse Puljujarvi, Dmitry Kulikov, Rasmus Asplund, Matt Kiersted

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The San Jose Sharks skated as well as they could with the Edmonton Oilers but lost their eighth straight game 4-2 on Friday night.

Edmonton lost Mattias Ekholm and Zach Hyman to injuries during the game. Evan Bouchard, Ty Emberson, Connor Brown and Corey Perry scored for the Oilers, and Connor McDavid had four assists. Calvin Pickard made 22 saves.

Will Smith scored his fifth goal in the last five games, and Henry Thrun scored for the Sharks. Jan Rutta returned from a 27-game injury absence, and Georgi Romanov made 30 saves.

San Jose's penalty troubles failed them once again as they gave up two power-play goals and took five penalties overall.

Bouchard gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 6:47 of the first period.

Bouch be bombin' 💣 #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/iiG04zVOmy

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 12, 2025

Emberson made it a 2-0 lead with a goal against his former team at 15:41.

Edmonton goal!

Scored by Ty Emberson with 04:19 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.

Edmonton: 2
San Jose: 0#SJSvsEDM#LetsGoOilers#TheFutureIsTealpic.twitter.com/j21g8Rue1A

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 12, 2025

Smith cuts the lead in half with a wrist-shot through Pickard at 17:13.

Beautiful, beautiful play. 👌 pic.twitter.com/tQESNCzz7J

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 12, 2025

Thrun throws a puck to the front, and the puck deflects off Darnell Nurse and into the net at 5:42 of the second period to make it 2-2.

Put it to the net and good things happen. 👏#TheFutureIsTealpic.twitter.com/sZ309MEwJd

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 12, 2025

Perry's power-play goal at 7:32 of the third period gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead.

17 for Scorey 🪱 #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/GzeX7df2Tx

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 12, 2025

Brown added an empty net goal with 25.5 seconds left to close it out.

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The Ottawa Senators were in full prevention mode on Friday night. They prevented the Montreal Canadiens from extending their six-game winning streak, from clinching a playoff spot, and from sweeping their season series four straight.

With the building half full of Canadiens fans, it was a satisfying result for the Ottawa faithful. 

The Senators defeated the Canadiens 5–2 at Canadian Tire Centre. Shane Pinto led the way with a goal to open the game and another to end it.

"Yeah, I thought we just got on them quick," Pinto told the media. "We got behind them, forechecked their D. I think that's been our M.O. all year and got 2 quick goals from it and it obviously set us up for a pretty good game."

The Senators outshot the Canadiens 33–22 on the night. The other goals came from Ridly Greig, Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. Michael Amadio had two assists.

The Senators got busy early in this one—just 28 seconds into the game. Pinto parked himself in front of Montreal's net and buried a nice centering pass from Greig. Both Greig and Amadio did some great forechecking to set up the opportunity. That line was outstanding all night.

Less than four minutes later, Cozens scored his first goal in 10 games, going hard to the net and burying a rebound after a shot from the point by Nikolas Matinpalo.

At that stage of the game, Brendan Gallagher decided it was a good time to settle old scores with Tim Stützle, whom he once very publicly accused of diving. The 5-foot-9 Gallagher tried to goad Stützle into a fight, but the young German wasn't having it. For his antics, Gallagher did nothing more than force his teammates to kill off a penalty.

The Sens struck again in the second. This time it was Greig parked in front of Montreal’s net. He took a pass from Amadio and buried it to make it 3–0 Ottawa.

The Senators, however, had a hard time making a three-goal lead stick on this night. Just over a minute later, Christian Dvorak got the Canadiens on the board. Tyler Kleven got too aggressive, pinching in the neutral zone while his partner, Matinpalo, was going off for a change. Dvorak took advantage, got a breakaway pass, and beat Linus Ullmark.

Batherson restored the lead, tipping home a shot from Thomas Chabot—but it was short-lived. Nick Suzuki picked up a loose puck in the slot after it was mishandled by Matinpalo. Suzuki, with 12 points in his last six games, was the wrong guy to give the right chance. He beat Ullmark to cut the lead to 4–2.

Ottawa didn’t get much offensive zone time in the third, but they also did a good job of limiting any chances around Ullmark. The Habs had just 4 shots in the final period.

With the goalie pulled, Lane Hutson sent an errant pass to the front of Ottawa’s net, right onto Nick Jensen’s stick. Jensen banked a long lead pass off the boards that Pinto caught up to and buried into an empty net for the dagger—ensuring Montreal would not clinch a playoff spot on this night, nor would they sweep the Senators this season.

The victory all but clinches the first wild-card spot for the Senators, who are now five points ahead of the Canadiens with just three games left. Ottawa’s next game will be Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM, as they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from two goals down and beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Friday night.

Bryan Rust also had a goal and an assist, Valtteri Puustinen also scored and Matt Grzelcyk had two assists for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry finished with 27 saves as Pittsburgh won for the third time in four games.

Erik Haula and Ondrej Palat scored for the Devils, and Jake Allen had 17 saves. The Devils have lost two straight after a three-game win streak.

Haula got the Devils on the scoreboard on a breakaway just 15 seconds into the game, and Palat made it 2-0 at 6:17.

Malkin scored for the Penguins with 3:50 remaining in the first, his 30th career goal against the Devils. It was also No. 514 for his career, passing Jeremy Roenick for 42nd place in NHL history.

Puustinen tied it with a power-play goal at 1:05 of the second, Crosby’s power-play goal with 6:39 to play in the third put the Penguins ahead, and Rust added an empty-netter with 36 seconds remaining.

Takeaways

Penguins: Pittsburgh went 2 for 4 on the power play, scoring with the man advantage for the sixth straight game — the team’s longest streak since a 10-game run in 2022.

Devils: New Jersey entered the game third in the NHL on the power play, but went 0 for 3 while managing just four shots in those chances.

Key moment

Crosby gave the Penguis the lead in the third period as he scored his 32nd goal of the season from one knee after he took a pass from Rust at the right post, where he was unguarded.

Key stat

Jarry stopped 19 straight shots after giving up two goals in the first period.

Up next

Penguins host Boston on Sunday, and Devils host the New York Islanders to finish a five-game homestand.

Against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, the Chicago Blackhawks dressed six defenseman who are all 23 years old or younger. Louis Crevier, 23, was the oldest player to play defense for Chicago in this one. 

The Frozen Four semi-finals were going on at the same time as this game. One of the teams, Western Michigan, dressed six defenseman who had an older average age than the Blackhawks had vs the Bruins. The commitment to youth is on full display for Chicago. 

One of the defenseman in the lineup, Sam Rinzel, is playing well beyond his years. He is one of the 20-year-olds that the Hawks had on defense. You'd think that he would be one of the guys sheltered on the third pair, but he was the number one for the entire game. 

Rinzel had an assist, but it was more of his defensive work that was noticeable. He can make an impact with his play in all three zones. In his sixth NHL game, he led the Blackhawks in ice time by playing 24:54.

That is almost three minutes more than Alex Vlasic who played 22:07 which was the second most on the team. Vlasic has been this team's number one all year long until Rinzel came around. Now, they form a wonderful pair that Anders Sorensen is comfortable putting in any situation.

Rinzel had flashes of this when he was at the University of Minnesota but you never know if it is going to translate at the game's highest level. It did for Rinzel and it only took a couple of weeks. 

How is Rinzel going to be when he's 25-28 years old? It's scary to think about the level of impact that he could make when he is in the prime of his career.

After the game, a 5-2 victory for the Blackhawks over the Bruins, interim head coach Anders Sorensen spoke highly of his young defense unit dressed in that game.

 “Give them a lot of credit,” Sorensen said when asked about them being so young together. He knows it can be difficult to be impactful at this level with such a limited amount of experience. 

“Yeah, that’s a young D-core," Sorenson continued on his group. "I think they held together well. It’s not easy to come in here and play against [Pastrnak] and some of these guys. They did a good job, they hung in there”. 

There is a lot of growth still coming with this group. They won't continue to dress six defensemen under 23, but a good veteran or two will help them grow. 

The fact that Sam Rinzel is already capable of leading a blue line in the NHL speaks volumes about how well he can play. His ability to shut down the opposition and make waves in the offensive zone is the best on the team at this time. 

If Levshunov can match Rinzel's level of play, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Tons of other young defensemen are right there with them in the organization. Good times are ahead for Chicago. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Hayden Hodgson from their AHL affiliate Belleville Senators, he is expected to be in the lineup for the team's game against the Montreal Canadiens tonight.

Hodgson has five goals, 11 points, and 153 penalty minute in 43 games with Belleville this season. 

The 29-year-old has one goal and three points in seven career NHL games, he last played in the league in Oct. 2022 with the Philadelphia Flyers. 

In 223 career AHL games the Windsor, Ont., native has recorded 36 goals, 72 points, and 460 penalty minutes. 

"That's probably the last time I'll ever play against that guy. Not really much of a player, so I'll leave it at that."

Mark Stone on Hayden Hodgson's hit. 👀

(via @VinceSapienza) pic.twitter.com/5MvpxvQIxH

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 28, 2023

Hodgson plays a heavy, agitating game and is certainly no stranger to dropping the gloves, it will be interesting to see what kind of mayhem he can cause in his return to the NHL. 

Check out The Hockey News' Ottawa Senators team site for more roster updates. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.  

The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into Newark, New Jersey with a bit of a different look for their forward group.

After some season-ending injuries for a group of forwards - including Noel Acciari, Blake Lizotte, Matt Nieto, Tommy Novak, and Rutger McGroarty - the Penguins will turn to younger faces who have been up and down between the NHL and AHL levels this season.

Forwards Vasily Ponomarev, Emil Bemstrom, and Valtteri Puustinen were recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - on Friday, and they all figure to slot into the lineup when the Penguins square off against the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Ponomarev sees the value in his time spent in the AHL, and he looks forward to the opportunity to show that players can transition well to the NHL from that level.

"I just want to show that the AHL is a good league where you can develop and turn into an NHL player," Ponomarev said.

Head coach Mike Sullivan wants to see Ponomarev play to his strengths, which includes a simplistic, energy-driven game. 

"We just want him to bring the game that sets him up for success," Sullivan said. "He's a good energy guy. I think has the potential to be tough to play against, he's gritty, he's an effort-driven guy, and when he plays with energy, plays a simple, smart game, I think he can be an effective player."

Tristan Jarry will get the start in goal against the Devils. Here is the rest of the lineup for the Penguins:

Ville Koivunen - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell
Connor Dewar - Kevin Hayes - Valtteri Puustinen 
Joona Koppanen - Vasily Ponomarev - Emil Bemstrom

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang 
Conor Timmins - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves - Ryan Shea

Even In Passing, Shero Leaves Legacy On Penguins OrganizationIt's hard to talk about the Sidney Crosby-era Pittsburgh Penguins without talking about former general manager Ray Shero.

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The Devils have clinched a postseason berth after missing last season with a heavily depleted roster, and they currently sit third in Metropolitan Division behind the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes. They are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, which have been without star forward Jack Hughes and top defenseman Dougie Hamilton, both out for the rest of the regular season.

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Games between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens are almost always soap operas.

Take the Jan. 18 game, for example. The Maple Leafs gave up the first three goals of the game in the first period before roaring back to score seven unanswered goals in a 7-3 victory. 

As a direct result of that rollercoaster game, even first-year Leafs have had the Canadiens rivalry imprinted indelibly on their minds, even with a small chance of a first-round matchup between the two Original Six squads.

“Obviously, two big teams going head-to-head, big markets, and there’s not a lot of love between the teams,” Leafs left winger Steven Lorentz said Friday. “Going back to when we were down three (goals) and coming back in the Bell Centre, I’ll never forget that game for the rest of my life.

“That was so cool. It’s cool being out there, and they’re belting out the anthem, the place is going nuts, and they’re booing you. It’s just the best. It’s extra special being able to win there.”

The Canadiens won six-straight games ahead of Friday’s contest against the Ottawa Senators and Saturday’s matchup with the Maple Leafs. That hot streak has helped them solidify their hold on the second wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. 

Toronto’s 2-1-0 record against Montreal so far this season indicates the Habs are no longer going to be a pushover for any opponent, let alone a hated rival in the Maple Leafs.

Leafs players and coaches acknowledged the steps they’ve seen the Canadiens take to be a likely playoff team this year.

“They’re playing really well,” Leafs left winger Bobby McMann said. “I think any time we play them and they’re playing well, they're playing fast, they’re really good on the forecheck, they can chip pucks in and get behind you and then make plays off the rush. So they’re so fast through the middle of the ice – we’ve got to make sure we’re picking guys up.”

Added Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube: “It’s been a rivalry for a long time, and they’re always pretty exciting games, big games. Their young players are growing, and I think the core of their team is growing together, their young guys. They’ve had pretty solid goaltending here down the stretch, which always helps. They're a good team. They've got a lot of fast players and skilled guys.”

Which Version Of The Montreal Canadiens Will We See In The Playoffs?The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the hottest teams in the league in the past week-and-a-half. 

There’s an outside chance the Canadiens will push further up the Eastern standings and unseat the Senators for the first wild-card spot. If that happens and the Leafs hang on to top spot in the Atlantic Division, that would create a Toronto and Montreal first-round series that would add another dramatic chapter to their long and storied history. But if Saturday’s matchup is it between the two teams this season, it should be a dramatic finale.

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The path to the Buffalo Sabres for Zach Benson has been similar to many of the club’s high draft picks, with limited or no time in the minors before being pressed into duty in the NHL. The talented and speedy winger played in a depth role as an 18-year-old, and late in his second season with the Sabres, he is making up for his lack of stature with a high level of effort.

"(Zach) he's always around the net making plays and doing his thing, winning battles," Sabres forward Peyton Krebs said of Benson late last month. "It's good to see. That's how we want to build guys coming into our organization with those foundational details and if we continue to do that, we're going to have success."

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Benson took advantage of an injury to Matthew Savoie at the Sabres 2023 development camp and impressed enough in the pre-season to make the club and burn the first year of his entry-level contract instead of returning him to Wenatchee of the Western Hockey League. His rookie season was streaky, but the youngster ended up with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists), playing mostly in a third and fourth line role.

The Chilliwack, BC native filled a similar role, drifting up and down the lineup until last month, when Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff placed Benson on the top line with rookie Jiri Kulich and leading scorer Tage Thompson. In spite of being goalless in 13 games, the 19-year-old has been effective at being a facilitator and doing some of the dirty work down low against bigger players and helped Buffalo in their recent success.

"I think his tenacity on the puck. He's a little rat. I love the way he plays. He's hard working. He moves his feet. Doesn't matter the size of the guy, he's going against, he's going to come out with the puck," Thompson said. "When I'm playing with him, I just try to put it in areas where he's going to be able to get it...... He's got really good hands and vision. So pair that with his work ethic, he's a lot of fun to play with."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens – the two Eastern Conference Wild Card holders who've been cranky with each other all season – will face off on Friday night at Canadian Tire Centre in a game with heavy playoff implications.

A regulation win would secure the Canadiens' first playoff berth since 2021, the year they made a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final. But there’s more than just their ticket to the postseason on the line: Montreal also has a chance to gain ground on the Sens, who hold a three-point lead on the Canadiens for the top wild card spot in the East.

A good chunk of both fan bases is buzzing about the idea and entertainment value of a first-round showdown against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Friday’s outcome could bring the winner closer to that. 

A win for Ottawa would pretty much nail down the top Wild Card spot, extending their lead over Montreal to five points with three to play. It would also prevent the Canadiens from completing a season sweep of the Senators, who have dropped the first three meetings between the two clubs.

Sens centre Shane Pinto was unable to pinpoint why the Canadiens have played them so well this season, describing their 0-3 record against them as "annoying."

"Yeah, they're a good team with a lot of skill players," Pinto told the media on Friday.  "Every game we play against them, I feel like it's been highly competitive, and it's a bit of a rivalry. But they're just a good team. I feel like they play us well, and hopefully, we turn those tables and get a win. But no specific reason. I think they've just kind of had our number this year, but hopefully, that changes tonight."

Ottawa will once again be without captain Brady Tkachuk, who's sidelined with an injury suffered nearly two weeks ago in Pittsburgh. On Thursday, he said he expected to resume skating on Friday. If he did, it wasn't at Friday’s optional skate. 

The Senators are still without forward Nick Cousins, who hasn’t played since January. Cousins practiced fully for a second straight day without the non-contact jersey, but the team says he won’t dress for Friday’s game.

At the last full practice on Thursday, head coach Travis Green gave his top two forward lines a hard reboot, but wouldn't commit the same combos against the Habs.

Tim Stutzle centred one line with David Perron and Drake Batherson, while Dylan Cozens slotted in on the second line alongside Claude Giroux and Fabian Zetterlund. The third and fourth lines remained unchanged, with Shane Pinto centering Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio, and Adam Gaudette likely to skate with Matthew Highmore and Angus Crookshank.

"I wouldn't read too much into (the changes)," Green cautioned after Thursday's practice. "Timmy and Drake played together before in the past. They played the other night together after the first (in Columbus).

Cozens, acquired at the trade deadline, got off to a strong start in Ottawa with eight points in his first nine games, but his production has cooled in the past two weeks—he has just two assists in his last eight appearances. 

Jake Sanderson has now recorded points in each of his last six home games. He’s now one game away from becoming just the third defenseman in franchise history to register a seven-game point streak on home ice, joining Erik Karlsson (eight games) and Filip Kuba (nine).

Montreal, meanwhile, continues to surge at the right time. Nick Suzuki has helped lead the way with six goals and 12 points in the past six games.

Adding to the excitement in Montreal these days is the late season arrival of KHL star Ivan Demidov, Montreal’s first-round pick in the 2024 Draft. While he is expected to join the Canadiens before the end of the regular season, his NHL debut will not be on Friday in Ottawa. 

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (RDS, SNE, SNO, SNW).

- Brady Tkachuk: 'I Don’t Think I’d Ever Miss An Opportunity To Play In The Playoffs
- The Five Core Ottawa Senator Players Most Ready To Finally Experience Playoffs
- David Perron Chosen As Ottawa Senators 2025 Masterton Trophy Nominee
- CLINCHED: Ottawa Senators Officially Clinch First Playoff Spot In Eight Years
- From Another November Struggle To The Verge Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Former Ottawa Senators Assistant GM Ray Shero Passes Away At Age 62

Going into the New York Rangers rookie camp in September, the main guys to watch for were Brennan Othmann and Adam Edström. 

However, this 5 '9'’ speedy forward by the name of Brett Berard seemed to take over rookie camp by storm.

His impressive speed and silky offensive skills were on full display, looking like the Rangers’ most impressive prospect on the ice during rookie camp. 

That gave Berard an opportunity to fight to make New York’s opening night at training camp where he continued to thrive. 

Despite starting the season in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Berard was called up by the Rangers in November, getting a 19-game audition in the NHL.

Not only did the 22-year-old forward show that he belonged in the big leagues, but he proved how dynamic and explosive he could be. 

After recording three goals, four assists, and seven points in 19 games, Berard was sent back down the Wolf Pack, but it wouldn’t be long before he rejoined the Rangers. 

While the young forward has been scratched out of the lineup on a couple of occasions through his second stint in the NHL this season, he’s shown a level of maturity and professionalism. 

When talking to Berard, he’s always calm, cool, and collected with the feeling he’s wise beyond his years. 

His play has also remained steady. Berard’s size doesn't seem to be an issue as he plays a hard-nosed, physical game. 

On top of his speed, Berard is always hustling, which has allowed him to go from a fifth-round pick to one of the Rangers’ most promising young players. 

On Thursday night against the New York Islanders, Berard recorded two goals, his first multi-goal game of his NHL career. 

Following the game, Berard opened up about how surreal it’s been for him to play for the Rangers. 

“Every time you get to put on the Rangers jersey and play in the NHL, it’s super special,” Berard said. “I still don’t think it’s hit me to the full extent. Every time I get to put on the jersey, I try to treat it like it’s my first game. It’s super fun, It’s super special, it’s a dream that every kid dreams of to play in this league.”

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are fast approaching, records are being broken, and The Hockey Show is here for all the fun!

This week, hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork welcomed Los Angeles Kings TV analyst and former player Jim Fox to the show.

He discussed LA’s upcoming playoff series with the Edmonton Oilers and why this season could be different for the Kings after being knocked out of the playoffs by Edmonton in each of the past three years.

Jim was also asked about being part of the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup Playoff history, the Miracle on Manchester, and also about his experience working on the hockey movie Mystery, Alaska in a very famous scene with Mike Myers.

Roy and Dave also got into their weekly wins and fails, which included an amazing play by Quinton Byfield and an epic collapse by the Dallas Stars.

And of course, the show got into Alex Ovechkin becoming the NHL’s goal scoring king.

You can check out the full show in the video below:

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The Nashville Predators have announced that they have signed forward Navrin Mutter to a one-year, two-way contract extension for the 2025-26 season.

Mutter, 24, has spent each of the last three seasons with the Predators organization but has yet to make his NHL debut. Instead, he has played primarily with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He also played in 33 games with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL in 2023-24, posting five goals, 11 points, and 63 penalty minutes.

Mutter has spent all of this season with the Admirals, recording one goal, three assists, 87 penalty minutes, and a minus-5 rating in 37 contests. In 116 games with Milwaukee over three seasons, the 6-foot-3 forward has four goals, 18 points, and 223 penalty minutes.

Overall, there is no harm in the Predators keeping Mutter around in their system. He will continue to provide the Admirals with plenty of toughness and grit from here. 

Recent Predators News 

Former Predators Forward Done For The SeasonPittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has announced that former Nashville Predators forward Tommy Novak will be out for the rest of the season.  Nashville Predators Sign Goalie To Multi-Year ExtensionThe Nashville Predators have announced that they have signed goaltender Matt Murray to a two-year, two-way contract extension. At the NHL level, he will carry a $775,000 cap hit.