The Nashville Predators (27-42-8, 62 points) look to avoid a seventh straight loss when they host the New York Islanders (36-34-7, 78 points) Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville is coming off a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, while the Islanders' last game was a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals that saw Alexander Ovechkin score his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL record.

How the Predators Lined Up vs. New York

Bunting-O'Reilly-Evangelista
Forsberg-Stamkos-L'Heureux
Vrana-Svechkov-Marchessault
Smith-McCarron-Wood

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Englund-Oesterle

Annunen
Saros

Extra: Sissons (WTW)
IR: Lauzon, Wilsby, Josi

Jonathan Marchessault, who missed Nashville's last four games with an upper-body injury, returns to the lineup against the Islanders.

Matthew Wood, the Predators' first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, will appear in his second NHL game after making his debut with Nashville Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Predators announced prior to Tuesday's game that forward Kieffer Bellows and defenseman Spencer Stastney had been reassigned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.

Predators vs. Islanders: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 2, NYI 2)

The Islanders took an early 1-0 lead when Simon Holmstrom deflected a Ryan Pulock shot from the top of the right circle past Justus Annunen at the 4:16 mark.

Ryan O'Reilly cleaned up a rebound on a Michael Bunting shot in front of the Islanders' net for a quick Nashville response at the 6:44 mark to tie the game at 1-1.

Saw his shot & took it 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/v17VTN6RJZ

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 9, 2025

O'Reilly's goal was his 18th of the season and the 300th of his career. 

Filip Forsberg gave the Predators their first lead of the game five minutes later with his 30th goal of the season – an unassisted shot from the top of the left circle at the 11:45 mark.

The tally gave Forsberg the fifth 30-goal season of his career, the most by a single player in franchise history. 

That's 30 for Filip Forsberg 😌 pic.twitter.com/b5N93GzsMO

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 9, 2025

Bo Horvat deflected an Adam Pelech shot past Annunen to tie it up for the Islanders at the 16:12 mark.

The Predators and Islanders carried a 2-2 tie into the first intermission, with the shots 12-8 in favor of Nashville.

Second Period (NSH 4, NYI 4)

New York retook the lead on Holmstrom's second goal of the night early in the second period. Holmstrom received a pass in front of the net from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and roofed a shot that beat Annunen to put the Islanders on top, 3-2.

Nashville once again had the answer, this time on the power play. A Tony DeAngelo holding penalty gave the Predators their first chance on the man advantage, and Steven Stamkos made it count with a clapper from the top of the left circle to tie the game at 3-3.

It's Stammertime 7️⃣ seconds into the power play pic.twitter.com/Lwyd58FPrA

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 9, 2025

New York took the lead once again at the 12:09 mark of the second period when Maxim Tsyplakov lifted the puck over Annunen's left shoulder to give the Islanders their fourth goal on 10 shots.

It took just over a minute for the Predators to tie it back up, as Michael McCarron deflected a Brady Skjei shot and punched in his own rebound at the 13:25 mark of the period to make it 4-4.

*Scores off his own rebound* pic.twitter.com/Y3hHEnGjGw

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 9, 2025

Third Period (NSH 4, NYI 4)

Marcus Hogberg replaced Ilya Sorokin in goal for the Islanders at the start of the third period.

As has been the case for much of the season, Pittsburgh Penguins players keep dropping like flies.

And yet another injury has forced their hand for a call-up situation.

With forwards Philip Tomasino (concussion) and Blake Lizotte (lower-body injury) both out of the lineup for Tuesday's rematch tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Penguins recalled forward Matt Nieto from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) on an emergency basis.

Nieto - who was waived by Pittsburgh on Feb. 26 and subsequently re-assigned to WBS - has a goal and three points with the Penguins this season. In 15 games with WBS, he has three goals and seven points. He skated with fourth line during the morning skate Tuesday alongside Joona Koppanen and Noel Acciari. 

Penguins Eliminated From Playoff Contention In 3-1 Loss To Blackhawks Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they will be hitting the links early for the third consecutive season.

"He's a great pro," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "A terrific person, a great pro. He understands that he has a professionalism about him. He's been around the game a long time. He understands that he brings the right intentions, the right effort, the right energy, whether he's here or he's in Wilkes-Barre. He's handled it extremely well."

He will try to help the Penguins get revenge on Chicago from Sunday's 3-1 loss, which officially eliminated Pittsburgh from the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The team knows they need much more energy from the jump if they are going to come out on top in this one.

"We didn't have our best game when we played them last time," forward Rickard Rakell said. "Fortunately, we have the chance to redeem ourselves tonight, and that should just be enough motivation for us to put a better game on the ice."

He also acknowledged the mindset that the group needs to have the rest of the way, given the fact that they are officially out of the race.

"We play for each other," Rakell said. "You're in this organization, and you've got to play with some pride... just do everything you can to play your best game every night."

Tristan Jarry will get the start in goal Tuesday, as Alex Nedeljkovic faced Chicago Sunday and turned in a pretty good effort, stopping 28 of 30 shots faced. In his last start, Jarry stopped 21 of 24 shots in a 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars, and he's 5-3-2 in his last 10 games. 

Crosby's Hat Trick Powers Penguins 5-3 Win Over StarsThere is a certain NHL winger about to break Wayne Gretzky's goal record who is - rightfully - garnering a ton of attention across the league.

Here is the rest of the starting lineup for the Penguins:

Rutger McGroarty - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Rickard Rakell - Evgeni Malkin - Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar - Kevin Hayes - Danton Heinen
Matt Nieto - Joona Koppanen - Noel Acciari

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

Entering Tuesday's game, Rakell and Rust are both sitting on career-highs in goals, with 34 and 28, respectively. Sidney Crosby is also riding a 13-game home point streak, which is the second-longest active such streak in the NHL.

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The defending Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers are resting some veteran players despite falling behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Panthers, which lost their last five games, are six points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Maple Leafs and four behind the Lightning. The Ottawa Senators, which sit in the first wild-card spot, are only two points behind Florida.

This has all led to the suggestion that the Panthers would be better off sinking in the Atlantic to set up a first-round series with the Maple Leafs instead of facing the Lightning, which won Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and improved from last season.

From this writer’s perspective, we think that’s inaccurate and disrespectful to a Maple Leafs team currently sitting second in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the NHL.

Yes, the Maple Leafs have a pattern of early exits in the playoffs. A similar thing can be said about the Colorado Avalanche, which didn’t make it out of the second round in 10 post-seasons between 2002-03 and 2020-21 before they won a Cup in 2021-22. The Leafs, meanwhile, are at 11 straight post-seasons without a Conference final appearance.

Eventually, many teams figure out how to win in the post-season. This year's Leafs could well be one of those teams.

Let’s remember, the Maple Leafs have two above-average goalies in Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, the best defense corps in recent franchise history, a “Core Four” of star forwards that remains very dangerous and a Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube. 

Of course, like every team, the Leafs are flawed, but assuming they will fall on their face again is ill-advised. The stakes are sky-high for Toronto, but that pressure could power them to finally produce a lengthy playoff run this year.

Even with the Panthers’ injuries factored in, the way they’re playing right now – going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and 4-8-1 since March 8 – makes us think some teams should hope they avoid the Leafs and instead play the Panthers when the playoffs kick off. It's not easy to just flip a switch when the post-season begins, and we think Florida could be in trouble if and when they get back to full strength.

As for the Maple Leafs, if they face the Senators or Montreal Canadiens in the first round, they should and will be favored to win that series. 

Toronto isn’t a lock to go far this year, but the notion that teams should be maneuvering to set up a series against the Leafs is bordering on preposterous. The Leafs are a very good team with something to prove – and anyone betting against them is playing with Blue and White fire.

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The Philadelphia Flyers cut and subsequently assigned Olle Lycksell to the AHL after he cleared waivers Tuesday, officially ending his time in the NHL this season.

Because the Flyers already used their fourth and final post-trade deadline call-up on rookie goalie Aleksei Kolosov, Lycksell, 25, cannot return to the NHL this season barring an injury that creates an "emergency" situation that prevents the Flyers from dressing 12 forwards.

Lycksell hadn't played for the Flyers since featuring in a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on March 31 despite having assists in each of the two games prior to that.

But, as a pending free agent and a "prospect" who turns 26 years old before the start of next season, Lycksell was running out of time.

His most recent stint with the Flyers was an audition, either for the Flyers themselves or for other NHL teams, and the Flyers have decided to cut that short despite there being just five games remaining and being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

This fate was not for a lack of opportunity, either, as Lycksell played up and down the lineup in various roles and situations.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers' most common line combinations including Lycksell at 5-on-5 were the following:

Olle Lycksell, Sean Couturier, and Matvei Michkov; Nick Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols, and Olle Lycksell, and Olle Lycksell, Ryan Poehling, and Bobby Brink.

The line with Couturier and Michkov did not produce a single goal and was not on the ice for a goal against in 32:02 together, but the line with Deslauriers and Abols was out-attempted 27-25, out-scored 3-1, and out-chanced 17-13.

Curiously, the line with Lycksell, Poehling, and Brink was the best of the three, out-attempting opponents 18-15, out-scoring opponents 2-0, and narrowly out-chancing opponents 8-7.

It is worth noting, of course, that Poehling has five goals and seven points in his last five games and seven goals and 10 points in his last 10 games.

The 26-year-old former first-round pick is arguably the hottest player on the Flyers since the middle of March.

In respect to their similar ages, the difference between Lycksell and Poehling is ultimately that former first-round picks have to prove they can't play, while later draft picks like Lycksell have to prove that they can.

Based on this latest roster move, Lycksell has not proved to the Flyers that he can, at least consistently enough, leading to what could very well be the end of his Flyers career.

From the Flyers' perspective, it might make sense to offer Lycksell a contract in free agency and keep him around as a prospective 13th or 14th forward whom they can depend on in a pinch, particularly in case of injury.

From Lycksell's perspective, if the Swede is determined to make the NHL permanently, he could find a better opportunity to do so elsewhere.

The Flyers' top-nine is already stocked with players like Michkov, Brink, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, and Travis Konecny, leaving little opportunity to carve out a role other than one as a fourth-line grinder.

Standing at just 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, the odds are against Lycksell making a career out of such a role, especially this late in his development.

The good news is that, in the interim, Lycksell will join a Lehigh Valley Phantoms team that just clinched its third playoff berth in as many years.

With 17 goals and 41 points in 40 games with the Phantoms this season, Lycksell is the AHL club's leading scorer and ranks third on the team in goals, trailing only Jacob Gaucher and Alexis Gendron, who have scored 20 times apiece.

A strong Calder Cup playoff campaign could go a long way for Lycksell, who will be a Group-6 unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He'll be free to stay with the Flyers, if he wants, or choose another team, on Day 1 of free agency on July 1.

Ivan Demidov has had a busy day. A few hours (if that) after reaching an agreement with his former team, SKA St. Petersburg, to part ways before the end of his contract on May 31, the right winger signed his ELC with the Montreal Canadiens.

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Unlike Tyler Thorpe and Jacob Fowler, the Russian wonder’s ELC starts this season, meaning he’ll burn his first year. However, you won’t see anyone complain about that in town, as the city is already abuzz with the news of his signing, and everyone is eager to find out when he’ll play his first game with the Sainte-Flanelle.

Media members tried to get a press availability with Kent Hughes before the game against the Detroit Red Wings. Still, the Canadiens’ communication department replied that the GM and Jeff Gorton were working on all the details to bring Demidov over.

However, word to the wise: Hughes will be interviewed on TSN during the first intermission, an appearance that has been planned for weeks. Talk about great timing for the network. We are still awaiting confirmation of when the GM will be available for a full press conference.

i🆅an de🆆idov#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/h2qqbVBxUY

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 8, 2025

There’s no word yet about Demidov's timeline for joining the team or indication about when he’ll play his first game, but in an exclusive interview with RG.org, he said he will most likely have time to play in the regular season. Understandably, he also added that his goal was to adapt to this new style of hockey as soon as possible and show what he could do.

The three-year pact has a $941,000 cap hit and a value of 2.82 M. As expected, there is a signing bonus for each year and performance bonuses he can also hit. As I said earlier this week, the future is now Habs fans, so enjoy it!

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The Maple Leafs have four games in the next six nights, against the Panthers, Lightning, Canadiens, and Hurricanes.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to get as much rest as possible before the playoffs begin.

After having the day off on Sunday, the team opted for an optional practice on Monday. Several players got onto the ice and worked with Toronto's development staff, including injured players David Kampf and Jake McCabe.

The two won't be available for the pair of games in Florida. Kampf and McCabe's status beyond the back-to-back games is undetermined.

Having an optional skate allowed players to either step on the ice and feel the puck for a bit or remain off the ice and get some rest. It was a chance for the team to get a reset before entering the final stretch of their schedule.

"We got two sets of back-to-backs coming up here, starting tonight, and one on the weekend, so it’s a lot of hockey," Maple Leafs head coach Berube said. "Rest is important, and that’s one way we could do it."

One player, however, who is usually on the ice for long stretches after practices but wasn't skating on Monday, was John Tavares.

He took advantage of the day off to work on areas of his game away from the ice.

"I think you look at the big picture and the small picture, and you try to balance both," Tavares said on Tuesday, ahead of their game against the Florida Panthers.

"No doubt with the travel coming here, the back-to-back games we have in front of us, and then what’s coming on the weekend, and too, the last week next week, I felt personally it was just a good time to take the extra day, do some things off the ice."

‘I Want To Keep Everything Internal’: Why Maple Leafs' Steven Lorentz Didn’t Visit His Former Panthers Teammates In Return To FloridaToronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is drawing the line in the sand ahead of the club’s clash with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. 

Toronto has six games remaining in the regular season. Four matchups are on the first or second half of a back-to-back, and five of the six teams are divisional opponents. The playoffs begin on April 19, and their first-round opponent is still in the balance.

These final games are crucial for deciding who they get in the opening round and whether they secure home-ice advantage.

If the post-season began today, Toronto would play the Ottawa Senators in the first round. However, they're two points back from the Panthers for third in the Atlantic division. As of now, whoever finishes in the first wild-card spot faces the Maple Leafs.

"I think we've been playing meaningful games for quite some time now," Berube added. "Going into tonight, it's another meaningful game, and the next day. Those are important, in my opinion, going into the playoffs."

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Denver, Colo. - The Colorado Avalanche have four games remaining in their regular season. They begin this stretch by returning home for the first of two times left before playoffs start to play the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Most of this year's playoff attendees have already been determined, and the point of the season where teams will begin clinching home ice has begun. In tonight's game, for example, the Golden Knights can secure home ice in the first round if they earn at least a point against the Avalanche. 

Seeing as the Dallas Stars also have a chance to secure home ice for themselves, this is a game the Avalanche want to come out on top of in regulation if they want any chance of catching up to their rivals and want better odds down the playoff stretch.

While Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said a few weeks ago that he doesn't pay much attention to the standings, Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy said this morning that it is something he likes to look at, especially at this point in the season.

We definitely keep an eye on it. I think coaches are our guys that look at the standings a lot. I don't talk to our players much about the standings all year. Now, you have to address it, because there is something on the line and at this time of year, I think players are looking toward the finish line. I think it's human nature after six long months. So, we have to keep focused in the day-to-day and remind them what's at stake. Now is probably when we discuss it a little more.

- VGK head coach Bruce Cassidy on paying attention to the standings.

Morning Skate Updates for the Avalanche

Optional morning skate for the #GoAvsGo ahead of tonight game vs. the Vegas Golden Knights.

🏒 Scott Wedgewood is in the starter’s crease
🏒 Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson wearing 1st line practice sweaters (subject to change)
🏒 Sam Girard is the only one here from… pic.twitter.com/hV5WKPiDU9

— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) April 8, 2025

Coach Bednar confirmed following today's optional morning skate that Scott Wedgewood will start tonight against the Golden Knights. Since joining the Avalanche, Wedgewood is 11-4-1. In his last 10 starts, the netminder is 7-2-1.

During his morning presser, Bednar also mentioned that none of the injured guys who he considers day-to-day (Martin Necas, Jonathan Drouin, Josh Manson, Sam Girard) will play in tonight's game, but he still expects them to make a lineup appearance at some point this week. The team has another home game on Thursday, and then they head to Los Angeles for a game on Saturday.

Players to Keep an Eye On:

Nathan MacKinnon, 115 points, is currently tied with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov for first in the league in points. He's recorded at least one point in his last 25 games at home, earning a total of 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 total points. He currently holds a seven-game point streak, tied for the second-longest active streak in the league.

Cale Makar currently rides a four-game point streak with 3 goals and 4 assists. In Colorado's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, Makar became the first defenseman since Mike Green in the 2008-09 season to hit 30 goals in a single season. On the season, Makar is currently at 91 total points on the season, with 61 assists complementing his 30 goals.

Cale Makar can do it all. #GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/jbWcyEgBX9

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 4, 2025

Brock Nelson is one goal away from 300 career goals. In 15 games with the Avalanche since being traded from the New York Islanders, the forward has 4 goals and 7 assists. He's been a prominent presence on the power play and has slotted into the center spot on the second line since arriving in Colorado.

Where/How to Watch the Game

Puck Drop: 7:45 pm Mountain Time

T.V. Broadcast: ESPN (national)

Radio Broadcast: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 (Colorado), Vegas Golden Knights Radio Network 98.9 (Vegas)

It’s been such a long time coming. The Ottawa Senators can officially clinch their first playoff spot in 8 years on Tuesday night as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second time in as many games.

The Senators still have five games left in their season, and all they need to secure their Stanley Cup playoff ticket is one more point. However, thanks to the New York Rangers loss on Monday night, the Senators could also clinch a playoff berth if:

They defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in any fashion (7 p.m. TSN5, RDS2); OR the Red Wings lose in any fashion Tuesday at Montreal; OR the Senators lose in regulation while the Red Wings earn one point or less against the Canadiens.

Team captain Brady Tkachuk has missed the last four games due to an upper-body injury and did not travel with the team to Columbus. In a game a week ago Sunday, he was hurt in a neutral zone collision with Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves.

The Senators have performed very well without Tkachuk, winning their last three games and allowing just one goal in the process. Meanwhile, winger Nick Cousins is on the trip. He has been out with a knee injury since January 25th after a collision with Toronto Maple Leafs center Jacob Quillan. Cousins skated with the team on Tuesday morning, filling in on defence alongside Dennis Gilbert, who was Ottawa’s 7th defenseman for the practice.

As he often does, Travis Hamonic skated at practice in place of the very banged up Nick Jensen. With the playoff spot nearly secured, it will be interesting to see if Jensen gets some rest and recovery time during the final nine days of the regular season.

The Senators will start goalie Anton Forsberg, who has been outstanding in his last two games, allowing zero goals in regulation. He took the loss on March 30th in a 1-0 OT defeat to Pittsburgh, then on Sunday, he made 37 saves in a 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers.

Beyond Ullmark getting the night off, which may be the norm down the stretch, the Senators will go with the same lineup they had in their 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets on Sunday. Elvis Merzlikins is starting in goal for Columbus. He zipped things up for the Jackets on Sunday following Daniil Tarasov's early exit after just 5 minutes.

Head coach Travis Green says the Sens will likely need to be even better on Tuesday than they were on Sunday.

"It's an important two points for us. It's going to be an important two points for Columbus," Green told the Ottawa media. "We're going to play a desperate team that's very good in this building. And anytime you play a team two times in a row, if you want to win the second game, you're going to have to be better than you were the first one.

Senators projected lineup (NHL.com)

Fabian Zetterlund - Tim Stutzle - Claude Giroux
David Perron - Dylan Cozens - Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio
Matthew Highmore - Adam Gaudette - Angus Crookshank

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot - Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven - Nikolas Matinpalo

Anton Forsberg
Linus Ullmark

Injured: Nick Cousins (knee), Brady Tkachuk (upper body)

Blue Jackets projected lineup

Boone Jenner - Sean Monahan - Kirill Marchenko
James van Riemsdyk - Adam Fantilli - Kent Johnson
Dmitri Voronkov - Cole Sillinger - Mathieu Olivier
Zach Aston-Reese - Sean Kuraly - Justin Danforth

Zach Werenski - Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk - Ivan Provorov
Jake Christiansen - Erik Gudbranson

Elvis Merzlikins
Daniil Tarasov

Zetterlund has just 2 assists in 15 games for the Senators, still seeking that first goal for Ottawa. On Saturday, Matthew Highmore got his first goal in 34 games; On Sunday, Adam Gaudette scored his first in 25, and Nik Matinpalo got the first of his career. Zetterlund hopes his turn is next.

Ottawa's last playoff game was May 25, 2017.  Whether it's Tuesday night or later in the week, there isn't a fan base in the league that's more excited to stop being playoff wallflowers and get back to the dance.

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St. Louis Blues star Robert Thomas has been a massive reason for the team's immense success over the last several weeks. The 25-year-old has been on fire with the Central Division club, posting four goals and 16 assists in his last nine games alone. 

Thomas' dominant stretch of play has been going on for quite a while, though, as he has an impressive 40 points in his last 27 contests. With this, he has been one of the NHL's best offensive players down the stretch, and the Blues have been benefitting from it significantly. 

Thomas now has 21 goals, 55 assists, 76 points, and a plus-17 rating in 67 games for the Blues this campaign. It has easily been one of his best seasons, and he is now nearing a major milestone because of it. 

Thomas needs only nine more points to record the 400th of his career. When noting that he is only 463 games into his NHL career right now, it is certainly impressive that he is already closing in on point No. 400.

Former Blues Star Struggling With New TeamDuring this past off-season, former St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. This was after he appeared in 76 games split between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers last season, posting 23 goals and 55 points in 76 games. He also won his second career Stanley Cup with Florida that spring.

The Blues have three games remaining this season, so the clock is ticking for Thomas to get his 400th point before it's over. However, when looking at how excellent he has been playing, the possibility of him hitting 400 career points before the campaign is finished should not be ruled out. Let's see if he can do just that from here. 

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Top NHL prospect Ivan Demidov is coming to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadiens and Demidov agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning this season and lasting through 2026-27.

Canadiens fans followed KHL St. Petersburg all season because of Demidov, their fifth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft. With St. Petersburg’s season ending early in the playoffs just a few days ago, the watch was on to see if the super-prospect would head to North America to finish this season.

While there were many reports that Demidov was staying in Russia until June 1, when his contract officially expired, and was set to join the Habs in the fall, plans changed. 

St. Petersburg said goodbye to its 19-year-old leading scorer.

“SKA (St. Petersburg) and Ivan Demidov have taken a joint decision, which will see the forward join the Montreal Canadiens this season,” the team said in an X post. “His KHL rights will remain with SKA. He will return to Saint Petersburg if he doesn’t gain a foothold in the NHL.”

NHL clubs cannot legally negotiate early releases from KHL clubs, which means Demidov’s representation did that. Although St. Petersburg released his rights, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes still had to work out an entry-level contract with Demidov and his agent. That's now completed.

There was some tension because although Demidov was clear in his desire to come to North America when his contract expired, his KHL club consistently said it felt his best development situation was to stay with SKA.

Demidov had 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 65 games this year, recording the most points in a season by a U-20 player in KHL history. He played in just six playoff games, notching five points for St. Petersburg before its elimination in the first round of the playoffs. 

Demidov is the No. 1 ranked prospect in The Hockey News' Future Watch issue after asking a scout, director of player personnel or GM from each NHL team.

Top 25 NHL Prospects In Future Watch 2025Some players make the NHL as teenagers, but many prospects take three, four or even five years to break through.

Routinely their most dynamic skater, Demidov’s relationship with coach Roman Rotenberg seemed strenuous, to say the least. He’s mentioned many times that he feels like Demidov has plenty to learn still and that Russia is where he can learn that. He’s limited Demidov’s ice time a number of times, including twice playing him under 10 minutes in the playoffs. 

Demidov, can join the Canadiens' run toward the playoffs and possibly give them a secret weapon offensively. His dynamism and skill are unmatched on the Habs roster.

Demidov should be suiting up in a Habs sweater soon enough.

'I Try To Take His Mamba Mentality': Canadiens' Ivan Demidov Ready To Be a Game-BreakerIvan Demidov's sporting idol is Kobe Bryant. He wants to be the difference-maker the Montreal Canadiens need with the Mamba Mentality. And he feels ready – when the time comes.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is drawing the line in the sand ahead of the club’s clash with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. 

The 28-year-old who won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers just last season has made it clear that he’s putting his friendships with former teammates aside for now, keeping his circle tight and inside the Maple Leafs locker room ahead of the postseason. 

“We wouldn't hold it against a guy if he's going to see someone on the other team. But I think just at this time of year, I want to keep everything internal,” said Lorentz after Tuesday’s morning skate. “You want your group to be as tight as possible. Like I said, this is our group, so I'm going to keep it inside the group.”

'In The Playoffs, That's Going To Be Huge': Steven Lorentz Scores Fourth Game-Winning Goal Of Season In Maple Leafs' Win Over Ducks Lorentz had two goals in the playoffs last spring with Florida, one of which was a game-winner.

When asked whether he had tried to catch up with any former Panthers teammates during his time in Florida, Lorentz was direct.

“Not really. No, try to keep it internal. Obviously, there's no secret what's going on in the standings and stuff. So it's a battle right now. Like I said, it's a new season. So we're trying to win,” said Lorentz.

The Waterloo, Ontario, native signed a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Leafs in the offseason, leaving the Panthers in NHL free agency after their championship run. Through 74 games this season, Lorentz has posted seven goals, 10 assists, and 17 points. With the playoffs on the horizon, Lorentz is locking in ahead of two crucial games in Florida on Tuesday and Tampa Bay on Wednesday. 

“Yeah, good memories (here). That's in the past. We've got a job to do, so that's the focus right now. I know it's obviously what's happened to happen, but again, we've been on a new team all season, and this is where my heart's at right now, and this is where we want to win. So that's where my mind is,” said Lorentz. 

'It Was Definitely Worth The Wait': Maple Leafs' Steven Lorentz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, And Anthony Stolarz Receive Stanley Cup Rings From Panthers Ahead Of Game Against Former ClubLorentz, Ekman-Larsson, and Stolarz are all expected to be in the lineup for Toronto on Wednesday evening in Florida.

With only six games left in the regular season, Toronto is fighting for seeding in a tight race with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Panthers, and the up-and-coming Ottawa Senators. The Leafs hold a two-point lead over Tampa and a six-point advantage over Florida, making the two-game stretch in Fort Lauderdale critical.

The Leafs defeated the Panthers less than a week ago at Scotiabank Arena, 3-2, with Tuesday's game being the final regular season meeting between the two this year. With the standings so tight, every point matters at this point, and Lorentz isn’t allowing off-ice distractions to get in the way.

“This means a lot for a lot of different reasons. Again, obviously coming back here. But at the same time, standings-wise, it's obviously a tight race with these guys and the Lightning. Ottawa is us catching up, too. So it's tight all over the NHL,” Lorentz explained. “There's spots to be made up and places to be earned. And teams are going to get jumped. There's going to be a lot of movement, but we just have to focus on ourselves one day at a time.”

‘There’s Still A Lot On The Line’: Maple Leafs Strengthen Atlantic Division Grip With Crucial Win Over Panthers, Secure Ninth Straight Playoff BerthThe Toronto Maple Leafs took another step forward towards securing the top spot in the Atlantic Division on Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.

Balancing Act

The situation resonates with all members of the Maple Leafs, but that does not mean that every player is taking the same avenue. Teammate John Tavares, while respecting Lorentz’s mindset, has a slightly different perspective on how to navigate the final stretch of the regular season – with a more balanced approach heading into the playoffs.

The 34-year-old, who has been a pillar of leadership for the Leafs since he arrived in Toronto in 2018, understands the need to be focused on the ultimate goal while also having an appreciation for the moment – labeling it as a “balancing act.”

‘All These Points Matter’: Maple Leafs Separate Themselves In Atlantic Division Race With Win Over Ducks, Successful California Road TripThe Toronto Maple Leafs capped off a successful California road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night. The club secured five of a possible six points, going 2-0-1 in three games and creating some breathing room at the top of the Atlantic Division. 

“I think we know playoffs are coming and what that time of year is all about and what it means. But I think trying to switch, flip a switch, so to speak, I think you want to just build yourself throughout the year. So to me, it's just been a constant build on how we've been playing and the style of hockey that's played at the time of year that it is. I wouldn't say that all of a sudden we just decided to get a real seriousness or intense... But I think there's a recognition of where we're at this season and the way we want our team trending and how we're approaching everything on a daily basis, but also trying to make sure you're enjoying yourself and appreciating the opportunity and making the most of it,” said Tavares. 

“So that's always the balancing act of trying to make sure having fun, but that's a competitive intensity that's needed on a nightly basis. But certainly, at this time of year, it's at the forefront.”

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Stanley Cup Playoffs start April 19 with few value bets left ahead of first round

The NHL Playoffs are fast approaching and despite the first round not being set just yet we can already starting taking bets for what we think will happen.

All season, we've been looking at future bets for the Stanley Cup, each conference and division as well as awards to be handed out.

We now finally get to add to it with some predictions on how the first round will go. We explore who will go on a potential run and who will bow out early in disappointing fashion. 

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: Safe Bets to Close Out the NHL Season: Top Picks for Parlays and Futures

Edmonton Oilers to Win 1+ Playoff Series (-156)

The Kings have been rolling this season with a 44-24-9 record that has them slated to have home-ice in their first round matchup likely versus the Edmonton Oilers. 

The defending Western Conference Champions have been missing key players down the final stretch like superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as well as top pair defenceman Mattias Ekholm. They will be rested and hopefully healthy heading into a matchup against a Kings team that is very home-dependant. 

LA is tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the best home record in the NHL at 29-5-4 but this overshadows the Kings abysmal 15-19-5 road record. This places them behind the likes of the Flames, Canucks and Utah Hockey Club, who are all expected to miss the playoffs.

The Kings have won just once in their last eight trips to Edmonton and could prevent them from moving on to the second round. 

More NHL: Expect Canadiens To Clinch Final Eastern Wild Card Spot

The Oilers have bonfied stars that carried them to a 7-6 road record last postseason. Because of this and the lack of star power for LA, I expect the Kings to struggle in at least one home game that Edmonton should be able to edge out and take a stranglehold of the series. 

Toronto Maple Leafs to Win 1+ Playoff Series (-122)

Expecting that Toronto would get past the first round used to be a tall order but after years of troubleshooting and putting together a solid roster full of star talent, this is the best chance to win ever.

The amount of mythbusters being surpassed by this group is starting to create a feeling like the Leafs can finally do real damage for once. They are pegged to get a first round matchup easier than most against an inexperienced Ottawa Senators team. 

Linus Ullmark Gifts One To Auston Matthews 😱#NHL #Hockey #shorts #NHLshorts #NHLhighlights #MapleLeafs #Leafs #TorontoMapleLeafs #Toronto #Senators #OttawaSenators #Ottawa

Facing off against the tenth-youngest team in the league should give Toronto a confidence-building series that as a franchise, they could really use.

Ottawa has downed the Maple Leafs four straight times this season but playoff hockey is a different atmosphere with Toronto simply having far more experience. 

More NHL:Blues Enter Stanley Cup Playoffs As Dark Horse Contender

This team has dealt with the heartbreak of multiple hard losses and will be more motivated to get the job done against a red hot Senators team that is due for a cool off. The confidence built during this round will play the biggest factor in how challenging the second round will be. 

Toronto Maple Leafs to Win 2+ Playoff Series (+310)

The current assumption is that the Battle of Florida will take the most out of both the Panthers and Lightning with each side having a sizeable amount of playoff experience and should make for a captivating series. 

The biggest hope for the Maple Leafs is that this chips away at the already beat up Florida Panthers, who have missed many key players lately in captain Aleksander Barkov as well as star forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart.

Lightning's Kucherov Ejected After Knee-On-Knee Collision With TkachukWatch as Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov is thrown out of the game in the first period against the Florida Panthers following a knee-on-knee collision ...

If the Cats can make it out of Tampa, it'll be likely without one of their stars and this should bold well for the Leafs. 

More Betting:March Madness on Ice: Predictions, Betting Strategies, Best Values on 2025 NCAA Frozen Four

If the Bolts prevail, the Maple Leafs should enter with more confidence as they will be able to say they beat Tampa Bay the last time they squared off in the playoffs plus beat them three straight matchups this season.

A Toronto team making the conference Finals isn't out of the question so long as all the chips fall the right way for the Maple Leafs.

The Calgary Flames announce today that they have recalled defenseman Zayne Parekh from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.

The Parekh-to-Flames rumors began when the Spirit were eliminated by the Erie Otters in the OHL playoffs, and it seem they have proven to be correct.

The ninth overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft played in 61 games for the Spirit in 2024-25, posting 107 points from 33 goals and 74 assists with a rating of +42, bettering his draft year performance of 96 points where he won the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman, while being named the CHL's Defenseman of the Year, enroute to helping Saginaw capture the Memorial Cup. In both seasons, he led all OHL defensemen in scoring, as well as scoring the most goals with 33.

The Nobleton, Ontario-native will be a much-needed addition to the Flames as they pursue the Minnesota Wild for the second wild-card spot.

The 19-year-old could make his Flames debut tomorrow evening against the Anaheim Ducks.