It's amazing to think about, but hockey icon Jaromir Jagr -- who turned 53 years old in February -- is still playing competitve hockey. But in this 2012 cover story, Jagr spoke exclusively to THN about his decision to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers -- the arch-enemy of his longtime Pittsburgh Penguins team:

MAN OVER MYTH

By Adam Proteau

The gap between perception and reality never seems bigger than it is when it comes to Jaromir Jagr. In his three years playing in the Russian-based Konti-nental League, some imagined he had lost a step and wouldn’t thrive again upon his return to the NHL. Others, who heard the urban legends about him and interpret his easygoing nature as a sign of weakness or lack of determination, just assumed he would never return and instead go on a world tour dating Czech supermodels. Others still thought that if and when he did return to North America, he would be fully intent on signing with Pittsburgh, where he won two Stanley Cups, and wouldn’t in a million years even dream of joining the Penguins’ hated rivals in Philadelphia.

But with his 40th birthday coming up in February and splashes of grey in his hair and facial stubble, Jagr is his own man. He doesn’t fritter away the days worrying about anyone’s perception of him. He long ago was resigned to the fact he can’t control the pictures painted by gutter Picassos. And now, as the elder statesman on a Flyers team that has been a perfect fit for him thus far, he’s intent on sucking the marrow out of every moment he has left in the NHL.

When Jagr departed for Russia in the summer of 2008, he was regarded as a depreciating asset. Over his final two years playing for the New York Rangers, his point production dropped an average of 26 points (from 123 in 2005-06 to 96 in ’06-07 to 71 in ’07-08). He finished off his Blueshirts career with an impressive five goals and 15 points in 10 playoff games, but when no contract offer was made to keep him in a Rangers jersey, he signed a two-year, $10-million deal to star for Avangard Omsk in Siberia.

That’s right – Siberia. The symbolism of him going from the most popular city on the planet to one of Earth’s most remote locations was overwhelming. But you’ll never get him to utter a discouraging word about his time there. Jaromir Jagr doesn’t do regret. “If you compare what you’re doing with your life to something else, what you’re comparing it to could be only your imagination,” Jagr said when asked whether he’d have preferred to stay in the NHL. “If you think it could be better somewhere else, you’re never going to be satisfied. But if you say, ‘it could be a lot worse if I didn’t do what I’m doing now,’ then you’re always happy. That’s what I’ve learned – whatever you’re doing, that’s the best thing you could do. It’s up to you how you’re going to control your brain.”

Although few of his NHL fans ever saw a minute of his KHL career, Jagr was in full control of his craft there as well. Omsk named him captain midway through his first season in Russia and instead of returning to the NHL last year, he re-signed for a third season. In 155 KHL games, he amassed 66 goals and 145 points. And when he represented his Czech Republic homeland at the World Championship the past two years, Jagr posted eight goals and 16 points in 18 games.

If he did miss anything, it was the smaller North American ice surface that allows him to take full advantage of his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and legendary ability to control and protect the puck. But the larger Russian ice surfaces were a benefit to him in another regard – one that made his readjustment to the ever-increasing pace of NHL hockey that much easier. “On the big ice, one thing that helped me was the skating,” Jagr said. “In three years there you skate a lot. It’s tough to score goals there because everything’s so far away. But I like to play on the small ice – you beat guys 1-on-1 in the corner and you have a scoring chance. Over there, when you beat guys 1-on-1 in the corner, you still don’t have a scoring chance. There’s somebody else you have to beat.”

In many respects, the only person Jagr worries about beating these days – other than the goalie, checking forwards and defensemen he faces on any given night – is Father Time. And that brings us to another flat-out falsehood about No. 68: that he’s played 18 NHL seasons and continues to excel strictly because of his supernatural abilities. In fact, the opposite is true. He takes great pains to keep himself in optimal physical condition. But because he’s Jaromir Jagr, he does it his way.

Whereas almost all NHLers are used to hitting the weight room each day after practice, Jagr operates differently. He doesn’t believe that, simply because the hockey world is accustomed to a typical training schedule, he has to abide by it if it doesn’t work for his body. So he’ll show up at the Flyers practice facility late at night to work out and/or skate. He’ll go for an 11 p.m. run the night before a game.

And when you hear him explain why he does it that way, it makes all the sense in the world. “Why I work at night is for one reason – if I go on ice in the morning and do a little bit off the ice, I cannot do a lot more because I’m already tired from the practice where I give 100 percent,” said Jagr, who also continues to use ankle weights and weight vests when he practices. “I always believe if you give 100 percent, your body only has an hour and 30, an hour and 45 maximum (at that level). So then you take a rest, wait eight or nine hours, then do it again. If I’m just gonna do it after practice just because someone told me to do it and I don’t feel fresh, it doesn’t make sense.”

Jagr’s approach to conditioning has rubbed off on the Flyers young players, including budding star James van Riemsdyk and fellow Czech Jakub Voracek, Jagr’s closest friend on the team. And it is one of the ways he’s become a leader in short order in the dressing room. Jagr won’t be making any Herb Brooks-style motivational speeches, but that’s not what he brings to the table. He has given his teammates an exceptional example of what a world-class work ethic looks like. And more importantly, he brings that famous smile of his to the office every single day to keep the room loose and positive.

You remember that smile, the one that’s as wide as the talent gulf that once existed between him and all but maybe two or three other players on the planet. He’s still got full wattage on it and you can see it on his face at a morning skate in Buffalo in early December. Indeed, his grin is by far the biggest of all the Flyers players on the ice that morning. He flips a puck into the back of unassuming Flyers defenseman Kevin Marshall, just to get a giggle out of him. He messes around with linemate and emerging superstar center Claude Giroux. Really, it doesn’t matter who he’s around for the beaming face to come out.

And while that might be in part a product of Philadelphia’s early-season success in the standings, it doesn’t go unappreciated by the men who made the decision to bring him into Philly in the first place. “His smile is infectious – in the room, on the ice, with everybody in the organization,” said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, who believes Jagr remains one of the toughest players to knock off the puck. “I don’t know if he’s exceeded expectations or just picked up where he left off when he was in the NHL. He was a great player when he left, a great player in the Russian league and he’s been great for us since coming back. We’ve been extremely pleased with his performance. He’s come here with a terrific attitude, his work ethic has been excellent and he’s been a fantastic influence on our young players.”

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, who signed Jagr to a one-year, $3.3-million contract on the first day of unrestricted free agency, echoed Laviolette’s praise. “Right from the first day with us in training camp, Jaromir’s preparation and professionalism have really stood out,” Holmgren said. “I can’t say enough how pleased I am. He’s been a real blessing for us.”

If he’s been a boon to the Flyers, Jagr has been a particularly strong influence on two young players. After his development stalled in Columbus, the 22-year-old Voracek is on course to set a career high in points with 55. And then there’s Giroux. The 23-year-old was just finding his NHL footing when Jagr was finishing up with the Rangers and has since blossomed like few others from his generation, going from 27 points in 42 games in 2008-09 to 47 points in his first full season of 2009-10 to 76 points last season. But this season, playing alongside Jagr and Scott Hartnell, Giroux is making those numbers look small. With 16 goals and 37 points in 27 games, the Hearst, Ont., native was on pace for a 49-goal, 112-point campaign.

With all due respect to Hartnell, Jagr’s influence clearly has given Giroux a performance boost. Jagr missed four of those first 27 games with lower-body injuries, but in the 23 games the dynamic duo did spend together, Jagr was nearly a point-per-gamer (nine goals, 22 points) and a guy delighted to have someone like himself who can see and think about the game at the most elite of levels. “His hockey sense is one of the best I’ve seen – no, make that the best I’ve seen,” Giroux said of Jagr, with whom he had chemistry on and off the ice since the first day of training camp. “That’s one of his best attributes – being able to communicate and getting everyone on the same page. Every day he’s happy to be at the rink. It’s not a job for him, it’s more about having fun with the boys.”

Jagr thinks so much of Giroux, who helped him break the 1,600-career-NHL-points plateau, he believes the youngster is already in the highest echelon of hockey’s elite. But it’s what’s inside Giroux’s ears that truly sets him apart and has made Jagr’s readjustment to NHL life that much easier. “He could be No. 1 shooter in the league eventually,” Jagr said of Giroux. “He’s gonna have a good challenge with (Sidney) Crosby, but you never know. One thing I like about him is he’s very smart. He’s 23 and he’s going to be better physically, but in the brain he’s 35. That’s why Crosby is so good. With their brain they beat their age by 15 years.”

One of the reasons Giroux and Jagr can display their offensive wizardry is the league’s crackdown on obstruction, something that wasn’t around during Jagr’s peak years as a Penguin in the mid-to-late ’90s. While he wasn’t as vocal about the NHL’s clutch-and-grab issues as former teammate Mario Lemieux, Jagr is pleased to see the steps that have been taken to give the game back to its best players.

“The league is doing a very good job listening to the fans, giving them what they like,” Jagr said. “People don’t want to see 1-0 games. Probably they don’t want to see 9-8 games either. But six, seven goals a game, I think that’s fair for the fans and the league did a great job to realize that. For a long time, the league was stuck in the same spot and when skilled players like Mario and Wayne (Gretzky) wanted to change it, the league didn’t listen. But then they started listening and the league is more popular than it’s ever been.”

One place where Jagr is not more popular than he’s ever been is Pittsburgh, where Penguins devotees saw his joining the Flyers as a treasonous move whose equivalent would be Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signing with the Eagles. But again, the perception of the Pens’ interest in Jagr was entirely different from the reality he describes.

As Jagr sees it, he was unfairly linked to a return to the Penguins and raised the hopes of Pens fans because his heart was described as being “in Pittsburgh.” His agent, former NHLer Petr Svoboda, was the one who used that phrase, but those words never came out of Jagr’s mouth. And the notion he would accept Pittsburgh’s one-year, $2-million offer simply because of his history with the team was fatally flawed.

“Before I signed with anybody, I didn’t talk to any media,” Jagr said. “Whatever was written, I cannot control it. If someone writes my heart is in Pittsburgh, I would not go to Pittsburgh just because they wrote that. I didn’t talk with anybody and I didn’t say that. But when you go back, I was reading the newspapers and if you look at what was written one month before I even signed with Philly, I don’t think the (Penguins) coaches or GM, or the organization, wanted me to go there. They never talked about signing me at the (2011) World Championship. They were there and they saw me play. If they were really interested, they would talk to me there. So why all of a sudden are they upset one month later when I choose Philly?”

Indeed, when you look at the character assassination that routinely takes place when an elite player leaves his team for unrestricted free agent riches or in a trade (just ask former Flyers captain Mike Richards or current Flyers starting goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, both of whom were pilloried after leaving Philly and Phoenix), it becomes obvious the image of a Penguins organization truly forlorn after being spurned by Jagr was a public relations exercise in pleasing the team’s bitter fan base, not an indication of genuine interest in making the most of his services.

Although he makes it clear how many great memories he has of Pittsburgh, Jagr isn’t one to romanticize his glory days to the point of delusion and accept a role that likely wouldn’t have been as large as the one he currently enjoys in Philly. If that makes him the villain in Pittsburgh when he makes his first appearance there as a Flyer on Dec. 29 – and check out some Internet message boards to see precisely how loathed he’s become in the Steel City – he’s OK with that. He knows he’ll have the bad-guy moustache superimposed over his image by media types as he gets closer to that game, but he’s been around long enough to know how the news business works and what it says about the nature of people in general.

“It’s pretty tough to change people’s opinion about you, not just in this situation, but in general,” Jagr said. “I don’t think I did anything bad and if people see it differently, I cannot change it. But it’s your choice to like someone or not, so I don’t listen to any of that. You have to understand that people who are saying and writing that, they’re giving people what they want to hear. People want to hear bad news. That makes them happy. The media are not stupid – they know what articles people are reading the most. I don’t react to that because I know they’re only doing it to satisfy their fans and keep their jobs.”

Jagr lives in the moment as much as any hockey legend ever has. He’s never been married or had kids, but talks like someone who sees himself with a family sometime in the relative near future. He’s unsure what his post-career life will entail, although it’s safe to say you’re not going to see him follow Wayne Gretzky’s lead and decide to become an NHL coach one day.

He also confirmed plans to play at least one season in his Czech homeland before hanging up his skates for good and awaiting first-ballot induction into multiple halls of fame. But right now and for the remainder of this season, his sole goal is to bring a championship to a Pennsylvania-based NHL team and its long-suffering fans, just as he did for a different Pennsylvania-based team and their supporters two decades ago. “I’m having a lot of fun,” Jagr said. “The important thing here is the coaches and management find a way to make us enjoy the hockey and not make it just work. You work hard, but when you’re having fun, you work even harder.”

He works harder when he’s having fun? That’s not something you heard much about during most of his career. But what you hear about Jaromir Jagr isn’t often what you get when you talk to the man and those who know him. That’s why, whether or not jaded Penguins fans care to admit it, an NHL with Jagr in it – in any uniform – is an NHL that’s richer for having him.

“You can tell he cares about the game, about playing well, about the team,” said Flyers center Max Talbot. “Everything he does is to be better and I think people are realizing he just didn’t come back (to the NHL) for nothing. He came back to play good and to win.”

Hockey’s a high-speed, physical game, so injuries in the NHL are virtually unavoidable. But not all injuries are created equal.

Some are easier to play through with the help of doctors and therapists, while others can force even the most determined athlete to the sidelines.

Now that we’re into the last month of the NHL’s 2024-25 regular season, injury news takes on extra importance. It also catches fans’ attention when top stars, such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, are out of action — especially without much explanation about their status or return date.

Here’s an overview of where the teams with playoff aspirations are sitting, injury-wise, as of Wednesday, March 26.

Atlantic Division

The seeding here is wide open for the defending Stanley Cup champs and two serious challengers.

The Florida Panthers are hoping that Matthew Tkachuk and newcomer Brad Marchand will be able to step in seamlessly when they get the doctors’ thumbs-up and are expecting Dmitry Kulikov to return before the playoffs begin. Marchand could play as soon as Friday against the Utah Hockey Club.

For the moment, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs’ rosters are looking pretty complete. None of the Lightning’s key players has missed more than a handful of games this year, although big defenseman Erik Cernak left Tampa Bay’s 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the first period on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Division

The seeding is probably set for the Metro’s top three teams. The Washington Capitals should face the second wild-card team in Round 1, while the Carolina Hurricanes currently hold home-ice advantage against the New Jersey Devils. 

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe will be hoping his team can stay alive long enough for Dougie Hamilton to get back into action — possibly after the first round. Jonas Siegenthaler could return after the end of the regular season, but Jack Hughes is ruled out after his shoulder surgery. Also, Jacob Markstrom hasn’t been his usual self since coming back from his MCL sprain in early March. He’s now 1-5-1 since rejoining the team.

The Hurricanes dodged a bullet when Seth Jarvis avoided injury after crashing hard into the boards in Los Angeles on Saturday. Andrei Svechnikov has now missed seven games with an upper-body injury, but the good news is he skated as an extra forward on Tuesday. 

Eastern Conference Wild Cards

The Ottawa Senators look reasonably safe in the first wild-card spot. They’re also pretty healthy, and Brady Tkachuk continues to perform at a high level.

For the second wild card, it looks like a five-horse race. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets saw Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson return to action in their 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Monday. 

The Islanders are still without Semyon Varlamov, who has been sidelined since November. They’re hoping Mat Barzal can return soon after a two-month absence due to a knee issue.

The Detroit Red Wings’ head of steam seemed to evaporate around the same time Andrew Copp headed for surgery in late February. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson is also now out of action, and trade acquisition Petr Mrazek left Monday's game against Utah with an injury as well.

That leaves the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens as the healthiest of the bunch. Kirby Dach remains sidelined, but Kaiden Guhle is with the Habs on their current road trip. He could be back in action soon.

Central Division

Like the Metro, the Central Division seeding looks pretty set. While the Winnipeg Jets battle the Capitals for the Presidents’ Trophy, the Dallas Stars have the inside track on home-ice advantage in the ‘Rantanen’s Revenge’ first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Jets have missed Neal Pionk since he went down two weeks ago and are now without Gabriel Vilardi as well. Both players are classified as week-to-week.

And while the Stars will most likely have to wait until the playoffs begin before Miro Heiskanen can get back to action, they were lucky that Roope Hintz missed just a handful of games and that Rantanen was just bruised and swollen after he got hit in the face by a puck on Monday.

The Avs are also now missing a key defenseman, with Josh Manson sidelined until late in the regular season. But what a boost it would be for Colorado if Gabriel Landeskog really is able suit up for the first time since he was handed the 2022 Stanley Cup.

Pacific Division

The Edmonton Oilers may benefit from taking a conservative approach to McDavid and Draisaitl’s injuries, if it means they’ll be fresher for a deep playoff run. But that caution needs to be balanced with more immediate concerns. 

Now seven points behind Vegas, first place is probably out of reach. But the Los Angeles Kings have been crushing their opponents ever since Drew Doughty got back into the lineup in January, and they now hold home-ice advantage as they look to flip the script in the playoffs’ most enduring matchup. 

The Kings are the best team in the league in their own barn, and have established their team chemistry. But Alex Turcotte missed Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury, and Tanner Jeannot took just one shift after a brief fight with Matt Rempe late in the second period. 

Meanwhile, the Oilers will be waiting at least another 10 days to get their first look at new acquisition Trent Frederic. Evander Kane could also make his first appearance of the year in the post-season. 

On Tuesday, the Golden Knights got Shea Theodore back into the lineup for their 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. But they lost their leading goal-scorer, Tomas Hertl, to a shoulder ailment after he went hard into the boards on Sunday, and his timeline’s unclear. Veteran Alex Pietrangelo, who declined Team Canada’s 4 Nations invitation due to ongoing health issues, also missed Tuesday’s game with what’s being called a lower-body issue.

Western Conference Wild Cards

The Wild have endured some of the worst injury luck in the league this year and now hold just a two-point lead over the St. Louis Blues after two straight losses. Jonas Brodin is now back in the lineup, and coach John Hynes indicated Tuesday that Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov are expected to start skating soon, which is good news. Marcus Foligno is also dealing with an upper-body issue that has kept him out for five games.

Despite losing Colton Parayko to injury, the St. Louis Blues are starting to look like playoff shoo-ins.

Behind them, the Calgary Flames are close to getting captain Mikael Backlund back after a two-week absence, and Utah is fully manned after dealing with several long-term injuries on the blueline earlier in the season. 

But the Vancouver Canucks can’t seem to maintain any positive momentum. Quinn Hughes appears to have raised his game to another level despite dealing with multiple injuries this year, and Thatcher Demko looked good in his return against the Devils on Monday. But Elias Pettersson (the $11.6-million forward) and Nils Hoglander were knocked out of Saturday’s loss against the New York Rangers. They went back to Vancouver for treatment as the Canucks continued their Eastern road swing.

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Breaking up some of the negativity, the Philadelphia Flyers announced Wednesday that they have signed defense prospect Ty Murchison to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins with the 2025-26 season.

Murchison, 22, was the Flyers' fifth-round pick, 158th overall, back in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the unheralded prospect is actually a bigger addition than most realize.

To start with the obvious, the Flyers simply do not have many left-shot defense prospects in their prospect pool at this time.

Emil Andrae has seemingly graduated to the NHL level, which leaves Adam Ginning, now 25 years old, and Hunter McDonald as the only two left-shot prospects on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Ginning and McDonald will both become free agents at the end of next season, and in the former's case, he is running out of time to a.) make the NHL, and b.) prove that he should stay in the NHL.

Among the Flyers' unsigned defense prospects is lefty Brian Zanetti, a 6-foot-3 Swiss defenseman and a former fourth-round pick who has spent the last two years playing for the SCL Tigers after two seasons of CHL hockey with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

The 22-year-old is under contract with HC Lugano for the 2025-26 season, according to EliteProspects, and the Flyers will lose his signing rights if the two sides cannot agree to a contract by June 1.

That leaves only Murchison left for the Flyers, who is now importantly under contract with the team and will not be seeing his own signing rights expire in the summer.

So, now that this has been signed, sealed, and delivered, what is Murchison all about? What can, or will, he offer to the Flyers organization?

Assessing Ty Murchison's play style, ceiling

The 6-foot-2 Murchison has spent the last four seasons playing NCAA hockey for Arizona State University, for whom he appeared in 145 games, scoring nine goals, 14 assists, and 23 points, as well as piling up 279 penalty minutes.

The two things that stand out from the raw numbers are the lack of points, and the wealth of penalty minutes.

Murchison is not adept with the puck on his stick whatsoever, but he's adequately mobile at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. The Corona, Calif., native is a violent player, always looking to take the body and eliminate his opponents from the play as early and as often as possible.

Murchison excels with a physical game, whether it's throwing bone-crushing hits or going all out to block a shot. 

The Flyers' former fifth-round pick was just named the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year, and there's no question his ASU-record and NCHC-leading 98 blocked shots played a big part in that, too.

To quickly sum that up, the Flyers have the reigning NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year in Murchison, as well as the reigning NCHC Forward of the Year in Alex Bump.

Murchison could reasonably become a bottom-pair NHL defenseman, especially if matched with a more offensive-minded player. Think of a player like Brenden Dillon as a high-end example of this.

Murchison's NHL comparison

One Flyers defenseman known for throwing hits and blocking shots is none other than Nick Seeler, a fellow former collegiate defenseman who has a near-identical build (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) to Murchison.

Seeler, of course, has never been a big-time producer at any level, having last scored 20 or more points in a season in his last year of high school competition, which was way back in 2010-11.

The 31-year-old will turn 32 before the start of next season, and he won't be getting any younger.

Seeler's rugged, physical style will inevitably take a toll on his body, though not all bumps and bruises are the same.

Between Murchison and McDonald, the Flyers have ensured they have an heir apparent for Seeler in the building and under contract with the organization developing with the team's pro staffs.

We can expect Murchison to kick off his pro career in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, as it will take him at least a year to adapt to a faster pro game with his limited puck skills.

Beyond that, though, the Flyers have filled out some organizational gaps to afford other players, like Andrae, the extended opportunities they have earned.

AHL teams lining up against Murchison, McDonald, and the Phantoms better start investing in some ice packs ahead of next season, because they'll need them.

The Anaheim Ducks look to rebound from a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. They'll face the Boston Bruins, who have lost six consecutive games. The Bruins are coming off a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Mar. 23.

"We gotta play our game," Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said when asked to combat a Bruins team that is desperate to get back in the win column. "We have moments when we're very consistent and predictable in the way we play, we kind of flirt with that. I thought the first period and a half against Carolina, we were on our heels a bit, trying to change the mentality, so we're on our toes the whole game. There are moments where we can dominate games, like in the last half of the Dallas game––I thought we were terrific. Third period against Carolina, I thought we dominated. As a staff, we're trying to find a way to get our guys to play at that level for 60 minutes."

Sam Colangelo is expected to return to the lineup after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury, slotting in for Brett Leason on the fourth line. Colangelo said that the injury was something that he's been dealing with the entire season.

"It's something that I've dealt with all year," he said. "Kind of happened before training camp, battled through it all of training camp. Kind of went away for a few months and came back every now and then. (It) came back during the Utah game a little bit––I was alright to play during the game, not an excuse for my play during the game. A day or two later, it really sparked up and I had to get off the ice for a bit.

"I feel good, ready to be back. Been chomping at the bit the last few days here. Back on the ice for about five or six days now. It's tough to be out, especially when I'm trying to continue the momentum that I had there for a bit. I didn't love my game in Utah, but I was playing through a little something there. I feel good now and I'm ready to be back."

The Ducks' Power Play ConundrumA Taylor Hall hat trick and a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes were the least of the Ducks’ worries on Sunday night. They went 0-for-6 on the power play and mustered just six shots on goal on the man advantage, with the Hurricanes also creating several breakaway attempts while shorthanded.

This will be the first time that Colangelo plays against the Bruins, the team he grew up rooting for. Colangelo is from Stoneham, just 10 miles away from TD Garden. "It's the team I've rooted for my whole life. I think it's kind of full circle once you go back and play in your hometown, but even the first one at home against your hometown team is a cool feeling and something that I talked a little bit about with my parents. I'm really excited and it's a dream come true.

"They're gonna come out hard. I think we just gotta play our game from the drop of the puck. Wins or losses in the past don't really matter, it's about the game tonight. They've been on a little bit of a skid, so I'm sure they're gonna come out ready to go. We just gotta match that and play better than them."

Isac Lundeström and Pavel Mintyukov were both absent from Tuesday's practice due to illness, but both are expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Bruins. John Gibson starts for Anaheim and is just three wins away from tying Jean-Sébastien Giguère for the most wins by a goaltender in franchise history.

Ducks Projected Lines

Cutter Gauthier - Leo Carlsson - Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Troy Terry
Nikita Nesterenko - Mason McTavish - Trevor Zegras
Jansen Harkins - Isac Lundeström - Sam Colangelo

Jackson LaCombe - Radko Gudas
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson

John Gibson (confirmed)

Bruins Projected Lines

Marat Khusnutdinov - Casey Mittelstadt - David Pastrňák
Morgan Geekie - Pavel Zacha - Fabian Lysell
Cole Koepke - Elias Lindholm - Fabian Lysell
Jakub Lauko - John Beecher - Patrick Brown

Parker Wotherspoon - Henri Jokiharju
Mason Lohrei - Andrew Peeke
Michael Callahan - Ian Mitchell

Joonas Korpisalo (confirmed)

The Chicago Blackhawks need to make more big moves in the offseason and swing for the fences. This is an Original Six team with Connor Bedard and a lot of other talented young players and top picks. The turnaround hasn't happened yet, and adding a big piece to the mix will really help in advancing that goal of winning.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team the Blackhawks have to target for a couple of reasons. Reason one is Mitch Marner. Reason two is Matthew Knies. These are two impact players that need contracts and Chicago has more than enough cap space to bring one of them in. It isn't going to be both.

Marner is a UFA and even though he's having a great season and finishing out the year as a Maple Leaf, the risk of losing him becomes higher with every passing day, especially after the team reportedly approached him about a trade to Carolina. This indicates Toronto has thought about life without Marner moving forward as a possibility.

As for Knies, he is a RFA, but without a contract for next season, is at risk of being offer sheeted. There is a lot of money on the books in Toronto and it will be extremely difficult for the Maple Leafs to pay Marner what he likely wants and give Knies a contract he is worthy of now and down the line. If it reaches the point where teams can offer sheet Knies, it will most definitely happen and force Toronto's hand. Expect the Blackhawks to be one of those teams and potentially offer the most.

Marner will likely get around $13.5-$14 million AAV on his next contract, becoming the highest paid winger in the NHL. He has proven he's worth that money in the regular season at least. Recently on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Jason Bukula said that "It could go to $9 million...Sign Knies first and see what's left over...because he's going to get offer sheeted."

Blackhawks Give A Tough Jason Dickinson Update After PracticeThe Chicago Blackhawks held practice on Tuesday. They are preparing for Wednesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils at United Center. 

Marner is more proven and can consistently put up over a point-per-game, but he has been questionable at times in the playoffs or big games. The 4 Nations Face-Off definitely helped his case for more money, not hurt it. Knies is five years younger, bigger and more physical, and can score goals. They are very different players and will require different sums of money to get.

The problem with sending an offer sheet and having it accepted and not matched is the Blackhawks would be sending some good draft picks back to Toronto while Chicago is still at the bottom of the league. If this move pulls them from the depths of the NHL immediately, then that matters much less.

There aren't a ton of options out there for the Blackhawks to make a splash in an offseason they must do so, but Toronto is a team that Chicago has to have their sights set on.

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

Here's your latest look at the NHL from a betting and fantasy hockey lens on The Hockey News Cheat Sheet.

Which NHL Rookie's Making The Best Calder Trophy Case? by The Cheat Sheetundefined

Here's what George Nassios and Andrew McInnis discussed this week:

0:00: Will Connor Hellebuyck become the first goaltender since Carey Price to win the Hart Trophy?

4:15: Which rookie has made the best case in the second half of the season to win the Calder Trophy?

11:38: With the St. Louis Blues’ recent winning streak, is it worth betting on them to make the playoffs at +104?

14:19: Do the Washington Capitals deserve to have such strong odds of being successful in the playoffs?

18:23: Would you rather bet on the San Jose Sharks or the Chicago Blackhawks to finish last in the standings?

21:42: Should the Toronto Maple Leafs be favorites or underdogs to win a playoff series this season?

27:32: Are the Vegas Golden Knights flying under the radar as potential Western Conference final winners?

31:21: Is any other player capable of winning the Conn Smythe on a losing team this season?

34:28: Best adds and drop for the first round of fantasy hockey playoffs

Subscribe to The Hockey News Cheat Sheet on your preferred platform and come back on Wednesdays for the latest episodes.

It’s been over two years since the Vancouver Canucks traded their former captain, Bo Horvat, to the New York Islanders. Since being moved, Horvat has faced his former team four times, with tonight’s game being his fifth. Let’s take a look at how he has fared against the team that drafted him. 

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As a refresher, Horvat was traded to the Islanders on January 30, 2023, and suited up for his first game with New York on February 6 (though he represented the Islanders at NHL All-Star weekend). During the 49 games that he played with Vancouver during this season, he matched his career-high of 31 goals at the time, and put up 23 assists. He later broke both of these personal records in the 2023–24 season. His trade came as a result of J.T. Miller’s contract signing during the 2022 offseason, which left the team with the option to trade Horvat ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. 

The former Canucks captain’s first game against Vancouver took place two games after his Islanders debut, on February 9. Vancouver took a 6–5 win with a game-winning goal from Anthony Beauvilier, one of three pieces that came back to the Canucks for Horvat. In 21:12 minutes played, Horvat scored a goal and grabbed an assist off a goal by Noah Dobson. He had four shots on net and won 10 of the 18 faceoffs he took. Interestingly enough, in each of his games against the Canucks, Horvat has faced off against a different goaltender. In this game, he played Collin Delia. 

Horvat’s next game against the Canucks didn’t come until November 15, 2023, in his first match back at Rogers Arena since being moved. Despite some comments that upset Vancouver fans during the Islanders’ playoff run in April 2023, the fans welcomed him back as if he were still a Canuck. Though he scored a goal against former teammate Thatcher Demko, Vancouver took the game 4–3 in overtime with a goal from the new and current captain Quinn Hughes. In the loss for his team, Horvat put up three shots, a faceoff win rate of 35.7%, one hit, one block, and one takeaway in 22:16. 

The next time Vancouver and New York played, the Canucks headed to Horvat’s new home rink at UBS Arena. Consistent with the rest of their games against the Islanders, Vancouver won yet again in a 5–2 effort backstopped by former Canuck Casey DeSmith. This time, Horvat went without a point, but registered one shot and a 65% faceoff win percentage. He played 18:46 of the game. 

On November 14, 2024, New York won their first game against Vancouver since acquiring Horvat. They took a decisive 5–2 victory against Kevin Lankinen and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, the latter of which scored his first NHL goal during this game. Horvat had two assists in this effort, coming off goals from Scott Mayfield and Anders Lee. He also put up two shots and seven wins on 11 draws in 17:53. 

Both the Islanders and the Canucks are in compromising positions right now, as are most other teams at this time of the year. Vancouver is five points back of a playoff spot with two games in hand, while the Islanders are one point back. With how intense every game has been in the past week, you won’t want to miss the action tonight. Catch the game on Sportsnet at 4:30 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Vegas Golden Knights thrashed the Minnesota Wild 5-1 thanks to a hat trick from Jack Eichel and a milestone-setting goal from Brett Howden. 

Eichel and Tomas Hertl have not only been two of the hottest players on the Golden Knights, but two of the hottest players in the NHL. With Tomas Hertl out for at least a week, the Golden Knights were in search of more goal-scoring, and Eichel stepped up.

Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev lead the team with 30 goals, and Eichel looks poised for a late push to steal that crown. The 28-year-old opened the scoring in the first period, finishing off a neat behind-the-back pass by captain Mark Stone. 

He'd added his second of the game in the third period with his patent shot from the half wall on the power play. Very few players in the NHL can load up a one-timer like Eichel can, but on this goal he didn't need to. He corralled the puck and fired a wrist shot into the top corner. 

With the Golden Knights up 4-1, Eichel was sprung on a 2-on-1 and beat former Golden Knights Marc-Andre Fleury through the legs to complete the hat trick, bringing him up to 26 goals, now just four back of the team lead. 

HAVE A NIGHT, EICHEL‼️

Jack Eichel registers his first hatty of the season!

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @astrazenecauspic.twitter.com/1n6CE3MmjZ

— NHL (@NHL) March 26, 2025

"He's just a good player, he stands out every night," said HC Bruce Cassidy. "There was a little fatigue a month ago coming out of the tournament, and he seems to have found his rhythm again."

Eichel deservedly took the headlines, but Howden's second-period tally did not go unnoticed. The former 2016 first-round pick has obliterated his previous career-highs and has reached the 20-goal milestone for the first time in his career. 

His 34 points ranked eighth on the team, and his 20 goals are equal with Ivan Barbashev for the fourth most. 

The 26-year-old was drafted into the NHL for his two-way game and high work ethic, but also for his point production in the juniors. He was never able to carve out a role with the New York Rangers, but things began to click for Howden when he joined the Golden Knights.

He found his spot playing in the bottom six, providing energy and speed to go along with his defensive acumen at 5-on-5 and the penalty kill.

"That's good for Howie," said Cassidy. "We use everywhere in the lineup, and he doesn't always get the glory offensive spots and o-zone starts, he doesn't get any power play time, so good on him. It was a hard-working goal and that tends to be a lot of his goals."

Multiple key contributors exited the organization in the previous offseason, which opened up space for Howden to garner a larger role. 

His 14:51 of ice time is the highest of his Golden Knights tenure, and Cassidy has trusted Howden to play up and down the line, as well as in the middle of the ice or on the wing. He's become an indispensable player for the Golden, and it's why he was given a five-year contract. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

The New York Islanders just one point back from Montreal Canadiens for second wild card spot in Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference Playoff picture is pretty much locked up with only remaining spots being the two wild card spots. 

The Ottawa Senators occupy the first wild card spot with a four-point lead over the next closest team in the Montreal Canadiens, who sit in the second wild card spot. The race behind them is very tight with the two New York teams in the Rangers and Islanders just one point behind them with 74 points a piece. 

The Islanders, up until recently, looked dead in the water but thanks to a 7-3-3 record since late February, their hopes are alive once again. 

First as an Islander—DeAngelo Clutch in OT! 🚨🔥Tony DeAngelo nets his first goal as an Islander in overtime, firing home a long pass from Bo Horvat over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s glove to seal the win against ...

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However, with the third-hardest remaining strength of schedule, they may have a hard time reaching their goal as they are headed towards matchups against the Rangers, Hurricanes and Wild as well as a pair of matchups versus the Bolts and Capitals.

Things won't be easier for the Rangers as they also have tough matchups ahead with the same list of upcoming opponents with the Panthers instead of the Capitals. The Blueshirts will also have to overcome both the Habs and Islanders having two games in hand over them. 

Fan favorite Matt Rempe may be in some part responsible for the Rangers recent losing skid with 15 penalty minutes over his last eight games in which New York has gone 3-5-0 with seven power play goals allowed. This comes as a surprise for a Rangers team that has the second-best net penalty kill in the NHL, operating at 88.4 per cent.

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It's believed by many that it's simply Rempe's reputation that is warranting the calls but the downward spiral of what was once a strong suit for the team makes me not as interested in an investment with the Rangers unless they find their game once again. 

It appears the best case is being made for the Habs as they have the easiest remaining schedule of the three teams with several layup opportunities like matchups versus slumping teams like the Bruins and Blackhawks as well as two games versus the Flyers.

All but one of the games will be at home and should provide easy points for a Habs team that has to turn things on after losing their last three straight. 

Luckily for us, Montreal is still listed at a great value with +180 odds to make the postseason. The time to take this is now as the Habs next matchup is against a Philadelphia team that has lost six straight games. A win would keep them ahead of the pack and certainly drag down the odds in the process. 

More NHL:NHL Insider Hints to Stanley Cup Contender Getting Former All-Star Back From Injury

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Wild Wednesday Rewind looks at March 26, 1986, when Neal Broten set an NHL record for players born in the United States.

It went down in a Minnesota North Stars victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, when Broten recorded two assists. He ended up with a career-high campaign in scoring.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.      

The Buffalo Sabres responded from a slow start and early penalty trouble in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Key Bank Center on Tuesday. The game marked the return of former Sabre Dylan Cozens, who assisted on Brady Tkachuk’s opening power-play goal, but after responding twice to Ottawa goals, Tage Thompson scored the game-winner early in the third period, and the Sabres held on for their second straight victory with backup James Reimer in goal.

Cozens and Dennis Gilbert (who was scratched for the game) received a video tribute and applause from the crowd, but his setup of Tkachuk was his high point of the evening, as he finished -2 on the night in just over 17 minutes. The Sabres response had an ironic feel to it, as Ottawa native Jack Quinn tied the game in the first after a JJ Peterka goal was ruled offsides, and former Sen Jacob Bernard-Docker tied the game with his first in a Buffalo uniform.

The win also marked a milestone for head coach Lindy Ruff, who notched his 600th victory with the Sabres.

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"I've been blessed to have unbelievable opportunity and the support throughout the years from different owners, different GMs, from the Knox family, and the ownership after that, Darcy (Regier) as the GM, and all through the years," Ruff said after the game. "(This season) is like driving in a car you haven't driven for a while, maybe a little bit of an older car, but you get under the hood and you get to look at it, you get to feel what you need to get the car running really good. I'm a guy that, from day one is always think I can fix everything, and I haven't been able to fix everything this year. It's been a disappointment for me from day one."

The Sabres moved to 29-35-6 with the win and have been playing better of late, but the club has never been able to recover from the disastrous downturn in late November and December, when they went 0-10-3 during a 13-game winless skid. Since then, Buffalo has taken permanent residence at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

“If we could take the 13 games out of the season, just split that in half, because before we got to the 13 games, we were like 11-9-2. The games after that were three or four games over .500. That segment of games killed our club and I feel personally responsible. There were games that were right there that could have turned it and got it the other way, and we didn't get it done," Ruff said. "(I) really want to get this right."

The veteran bench boss has a year remaining on a two-year deal, and based on his comments after the game and the fact that he is seven wins away from 900 career victories, it is almost a guarantee he will be returning next season.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

We’ve got our second NHL playoff clinch with the Winnipeg Jets, which defeated the Washington Capitals in overtime on Tuesday.

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks were the first to be eliminated, while the Nashville Predators avoided being the third team with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken are next on the chopping block unless they can win their next couple of games, with the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins likely to follow. Should the Bruins get eliminated, their eight-season post-season streak – tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the longest current streak – will end. 

Who gets in, however, will likely be determined in the final day of the regular season. This season has been wildly unpredictable, and as many as five teams from last year’s playoffs – Predators, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Bruins – might miss the cut. Most egregious of all are Presidents’ Trophy Rangers, and also the Canucks and Bruins, both of which finished in the top four in their conferences.

1. Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4, +77. Previous: 2)

The Jets take back the top spot after beating the Caps in overtime after Nikolaj Ehlers was sprung on a breakaway during an untimely line change by the Caps. Ehlers is scoring at a point-per-game pace this season, and one wonders how many more points he could score if he was averaging more than 16 minutes per game. 

2. Washington Capitals (47-15-9, +75. Previous: 1)

Tuesday’s loss to the Jets was only the Caps’ third loss in March with a power play that converted on less than 10 percent of its chances. That’s pretty wild considering who’s on their top unit, though it didn’t stop Alex Ovechkin from getting one goal closer to Gretzky’s record.

3. Colorado Avalanche (44-25-3, +38. Previous: 4)

The Avalanche have lost only once in regulation in March, making them the best team this month. A slight cause for concern is Mackenzie Blackwood’s recent play – entering Tuesday’s game against the Red Wings, Blackwood had a .895 SP in March.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4, +37. Previous: 3)

Impressive wins against the Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined 8-3 score were undone by losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Preds by a combined 10-3 score. There’s just always something about the Hurricanes that holds them back from being considered a serious Cup contender.

5. Dallas Stars (45-21-4, +55. Previous: 5)

When the Stars made the trade for Mikko Rantanen, it effectively put a huge target on their backs… or is a target on their face, considering how many of them have been hit by pucks? The Stars have just two regulation wins over the past two weeks, but no one’s panicking.

6. Los Angeles Kings (40-21-9, +28. Previous: 9)

Darcy Kuemper is quietly having a really solid season, and the Kings have risen from the dead following a five-game losing streak to go 9-1-0. Claiming second place in the Pacific in a first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers would be huge because neither team is particularly good on the road, especially the Kings, who are 14-18-5.

7. Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8, +51. Previous: 10)

The Knights have won four in a row averaging five goals per game, pushing them from sixth to fourth in goals-for per game. They’re a perennially good team, but it’s easy to forget that their offense isn’t usually this good, and it’s even more surprising considering the talent they lost over the past few seasons. The last time the Knights finished the season with a top-five offense was in the 2020-21 shortened campaign. Before that was in 2017-18 when they made the final.

8. Edmonton Oilers (41-24-5, +26. Previous: 8)

It’s going to be a tough week without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they face a tough test Wednesday against the Stars. After a tough stretch where they lost five in a row in late February, the Oilers went 7-3-1 and lost only one game by more than one goal… to the Ducks, surprisingly enough.

Can The Oilers Prove They Are More Than A Two-Man Team? This Is Their ChanceOver the next couple of games at least, the Edmonton Oilers have a real shot at proving they are a lot more than just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5, +59. Previous: 7)

Connor Hellebuyck could be a unanimous winner for the Vezina, but note Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only other goalie with a save percentage above .920 with at least 20 starts. The Lightning are 34-19-3 when he’s in net and 7-6-2 when he’s not.

10. Florida Panthers (43-25-3, +36. Previous: 6)

A tough road trip for the Panthers, which went 2-4-0 with only one regulation win, though at least it was in a key battle against a divisional rival. It’s worth mentioning again just how important it is to win the Atlantic, avoiding a first-round matchup against the Leafs or Lightning and facing a wild-card team instead.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3, +21. Previous: 13)

The good news is the Leafs bounced back after a horrible loss to the Preds with a 7-2 win against the Flyers. The bad news is they have a pretty tough path to clinch the division with a road trip to California, playing seven of their remaining 11 games on the road and facing the Panthers two more times.

Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann Succeeded Where Many Undrafted College Free Agents FailedToronto Maple Leafs left winger Bobby McMann's accomplishments stand out at this time of year.

12. St. Louis Blues (38-28-7, +15. Previous: 15)

Shades of 2019? The Blues have a ton of momentum with seven straight wins and now sit four points clear in the second wild-card spot, breezing through the easiest part of their remaining schedule. They have one more road game in Nashville on Thursday before it gets tough, facing the Avs twice and the Jets one more time before the end of the season.

13. Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9, -23. Previous: 11)

Their confidence may be high and their offense excellent, but remain incredibly streaky. After going 3-0-1 with wins over the Panthers and Sens, they go 0-1-2 with 15 (!) goals allowed. They have to start getting better on the road – they’ve only had one road trip where they’ve won more than they’ve lost, and started their four-game road trip with a 6-1 loss to the Blues on Tuesday.

14. Ottawa Senators (37-28-5, +1. Previous: 12)

The 5-1 loss to the Avalanche showed just how far away the Senators are from really competing, but as long as their recent 1-3-0 slide doesn’t continue, I foresee playoffs in the Sens’ future. They’ve overcome a fascinating up-and-down season from Linus Ullmark, who can be brilliant in one stretch but disastrous in the next. He went 7-0-1 in December with only eight (!) even-strength goals allowed to 0-4-0 in February with a 4.35 GAA and then back on track with a 7-2-1 record in March.

15. Minnesota Wild (40-27-5, -8. Previous: 16)

No matter what happens to the Wild, the big positive is they’re playing with house money because no one expected them to be this good. We were robbed of a potentially extraordinary season from Kirill Kaprizov, and the Wild offense has suffered immensely, ranking 17th in goals prior to Kaprizov’s last game and 32nd since.

16. Calgary Flames (34-25-11, -20. Previous: 19)

What a show of resilience by the Flames, who have won four straight – all comeback wins. For a team that had a hard time scoring, they’re not having much trouble now with Nazem Kadri at the heart of it, scoring consecutive overtime-winners against the Isles and Kraken.

17. New Jersey Devils (37-28-7, +24. Previous: 14)

Sheldon Keefe sounded so frustrated in his press conference, he might’ve driven the bus that ran over Johnathan Kovacevic. They’ve lost four of their last five, though they’re not in danger of missing the playoffs with a seven-point cushion over the Islanders. Stranger things have happened, and there’s no jinx here, but Jacob Markstrom is now 1-5-1 with a .843 SP in March.

18. Utah Hockey Club (32-28-11, -13. Previous: 17)

Utah squandered Monday’s game against the Wings even though the two teams were trending in different directions, putting Utah three points behind the Canucks. They’ll need to come away with at least two wins in their upcoming road trip to stay in the race, which means they must win one game against the Panthers and Lightning in their upcoming back-to-back with only one goalie they trust.

19. New York Rangers (34-32-6, -2. Previous: 20)

Saturday’s win against the Canucks was such a misnomer because they were thoroughly outplayed by a tired, banged-up team playing a road game at 10 a.m. in their home time zone. Otherwise, it would be five straight losses and nine in their last 11 games. Without Igor Shesterkin, this is a lottery team.

20. Vancouver Canucks (33-26-12, -16. Previous: 18)

The injury to center Elias Pettersson couldn’t come at a more inopportune time as the Canucks fight for their playoff lives. Quinn Hughes is superhuman, but even he cannot accomplish this alone. Thatcher Demko’s return provided a spark in a 4-3 shootout win against the Devils, but they have three more road games on their six-game trip and sit five back from the red-hot Blues.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-29-9, -8. Previous: 21)

Sean Monahan notched two assists in his return to play, and it was not a coincidence the Jackets also managed to stop their six-game losing streak. They needed some luck (and help from the referees) to beat the Islanders, and it’s kept their playoff hopes alive. They host the Canucks on Friday in a key game for both teams with major playoff (and power rankings) implications.

22. New York Islanders (32-28-10, -16. Previous: 22)

The Isles are giving up valuable extra points losing in overtime to the Flames and in a shootout to the Blue Jackets. Those two extra points had they won would’ve put them in a wild-card spot, a situation hardly imaginable for a team that can barely win three games in a row. Ilya Sorokin deserves a lot of credit – since Semyon Varlamov’s last game on Nov. 29, Sorokin, Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy are tied with 38 starts apiece, and no goalie has faced more shots than Sorokin.

23. Detroit Red Wings (33-32-6, -22. Previous: 23)

Since their seven-game winning streak, the Wings are 5-11-1 with the second-worst (!) points percentage in the NHL. Their play has dropped off so much that they went from holding a wild-card spot to being last among the five teams vying for that spot. Their goaltending is again a mess with trade-deadline acquisition Petr Mrazek suffering an injury.

24. Buffalo Sabres (29-35-6, -26. Previous: 27)

Impressive win over the Jets, and they ruined Dylan Cozens’ homecoming in a 3-2 win, but at this point, who cares, right? The Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season, and since their last playoff appearance in 2011, they have the league’s worst points percentage and the fewest goals-for per game.

25. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-33-11, -53. Previous: 25)

Well, I see we’re back to Tristan Jarry’s old ways! Not that the Pens had much of a chance of making the playoffs anyway, but there was a glimmer of hope during his four-game winning streak. He was pulled Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning, and Alex Nedeljkovic didn’t fare any better.

26. Seattle Kraken (30-36-6, -20. Previous: 24)

Fatigue must be a factor again for Joey Daccord, who passed last season’s career high in starts (46) and has a .877 SP in March, the second straight month where his save percentage has dipped significantly. He did something similar last season when his save percentages peaked in December and January and kept dropping over the final few months of the season. 

27. Anaheim Ducks (30-32-8, -33. Previous: 26)

The Ducks looked like they were trending up in February but have now lost seven of their last 11, including two games where they allowed seven goals. They are, however, on pace to post their best points percentage in six seasons.

28. Nashville Predators (27-36-8, -47. Previous: 29)

Two surprising wins against the Leafs and Hurricanes overshadow the bad news that Roman Josi will not return this season. They’re on pace for their fourth-worst points percentage in an 82-game season and the highest goals against per game in franchise history.

29. San Jose Sharks (19-42-9, -77. Previous: 31)

For a team that loses more games than anyone else, there’s still a lot of positive vibes. The latest is Luca Cagnoni, who earned an NHL call-up during an outstanding rookie season in the AHL as an undersized offense-first defenseman, the type that’s been all the rage following Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson’s success.

30. Boston Bruins (30-33-9, -46. Previous: 28)

How did we get here? With a six-game losing streak and Jeremy Swayman doing his best Jordan Binnington impersonation – he really does live rent-free in Boston, doesn’t he – in an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Kings, the Bruins have to really think about where this team’s headed next season and beyond. Their eight-season post-season streak is in real danger.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (21-41-9, -61. Previous: 32)

A 7-4 win against the Flyers saves the Hawks from being at the bottom again. It’s still kind of amazing to me the Hawks have managed to win three consecutive games just once this season.

32. Philadelphia Flyers (28-36-9, -52. Previous: 30)

Zero regulation wins in March. Zero. They have three more chances to avoid that dubious honor with a three-game homestand, but who’s hopeful? They’ve allowed 14 goals in their last two games and a goaltending tandem that – wait, they have goalies?!

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The New Jersey Devils will be without Cody Glass on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

The trade deadline acquistion has appeared in eight games with the Devils and has six points (two goals, four assissts) and has a +6 plus/minus rating. 

Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to NJD.TV that the 25-year-old did not travel with the team, but it is possible that he joins the team at a later date. 

"He is a good player and helps us in all areas of the game, it is another loss for us but another opportunity for other guys to fill in and we have lots of bodies here," he said. 

Keefe confirmed that Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian would return to the lineup after missing their team's last game against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Wednesday night is a must-win for the Devils as the Blackhawks are the second-worst team in the NHL behind the San Jose Sharks with 51 points. Chicago has two players who have scored 20-plus goals, while the Devils have three active players who have reached that milestone. 

2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard leads the way with 56 points and has four points over his last four games, but he has not earned a point against the Devils in three career games. 

Simply put, leaving United Center with anything less than two points would be a wasted opportunity with a difficult back-to-back against the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild on the horizon. 

Puck drop between the Devils and Blackhawks will be at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch on TNT or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

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