The Columbus Blue Jackets and Vegas Golden Knights play this season for the second and final time.

Columbus Blue Jackets (70 pts) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (83 pts) Game PreviewThe Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into Nationwide Arena on Thursday. The Blue Jackets won their only meeting of the season in Vegas back on Jan. 30 in OT

Projected Lineup **Lines Subject to Change 

Dmitri Voronkov - Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko

Kent Johnson – Boone Jenner – Mathieu Olivier

James van Riemsdyk – Justin Danforth – Luke Kunin

Zach Aston-Reese - Sean Kuraly – Christian Fischer

Zach Werenski - Dante Fabbro

Denton Mateychuk - Ivan Provorov

Jake Christiansen - Damon Severson

Starter: Elvis Merzļikins

Scratches: Jordan Harris, Jack Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov

Injuries

• Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16 (61 Games)
• Sean Monahan (upper body) is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (23 Games)
• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and out for the season (8 Games)

• Cole Sillinger is day-to-day with an upper body injury (5 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 274

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

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The Chicago Blackhawks were busy sellers leading up to the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Since Jan. 24, they have sent Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the three-team deal involving Mikko Rantanen's ill-fated move to the Hurricanes. They also shipped Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a multi-player move and dealt Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith to the Detroit Red Wings for Joe Veleno.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno told reporters the team is more cohesive after trading away “some distractions.” 

Following the trade deadline, GM Kyle Davidson told the media it was time to shift from making moves for draft picks and prospects for deals that bring in players. He didn't rule out drawing on his stockpile of picks to swing a major trade during the off-season.

Davidson spent the past two seasons adding veterans via trades and free agency, but most were past their prime. What the Blackhawks need are players in their twenties who are also in their playing prime, including a winger who can play alongside young franchise center Connor Bedard. 

NHL Rumor Roundup: What Could The Off-Season Hold For The Sabres And Flyers?The Buffalo Sabres made one of the notable moves leading up to last Friday's NHL trade deadline, shipping center Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators for center Josh Norris. 

Turning to the Montreal Canadiens, GM Kent Hughes made no moves during the trade deadline. He said he wasn't worried about losing David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak to free agency this summer, saying he felt it was best to keep them so his younger players could lean on their experience and leadership as they jockey for a wild-card berth down the stretch. 

Hughes didn't attempt to shop for a second-line center to replace the sidelined Kirby Dach, saying the trade deadline wasn't necessarily the best time to fill that position. He said he spoke with other GMs to “spitball” some ideas, including those involving players who didn't appear in the rumor mill before the trade deadline. 

Dach's injury history makes finding a second-line center a priority this summer for Hughes. He could go the free-agent route, but it's likelier he'll attempt to address that issue in the trade market, finding a player in his mid to late twenties who could fit into the Canadiens' long-term plans.

Joel Armia was out for the game against the Seattle Kraken. That hurt, but it happens and there’s no timetable for his return. Patrik Laine was the player who was back in the lineup and that was a positive but all of these changes to the lineup are tough on a team. 

Armia remains questionable for Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers. If the Canadiens stay in the race, they must beat Florida. Getting one point at this time of the year isn’t that much of a benefit especially if it’s against a team you’re chasing. The Canadiens aren’t chasing Florida but they are chasing the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

I cover the Flyers too and last season they missed the playoffs on the last day of the season. It went a bit further than I thought and that is what I’m seeing for the Canadiens. Unless you can win 5-7 in a row and have the teams you’re chasing lose regulation games, the math becomes the enemy.

Next Tuesday the Canadiens play the Senators at home. They can’t lose that game. Even an overtime loss would be costly. They play them again on April 11th in Ottawa. The hope is that the game means something. The Canadiens are done with the Blue Jackets. 

I always say the NHL schedule maker works with math geniuses to get these kinds of races because of the loser point. That’s what creates a lot of this. The NHL Is never boring and they do get that part right.

Minten made his Providence debut against the Marlies on Wednesday night in Toronto.

When Fraser Minten rolled into Coca-Cola Coliseum on Wednesday, he was in a different dressing room, with new teammates, wearing a jersey quite distant from his usual one.

The 20-year-old was making his debut with the Providence Bruins in Toronto, five days after being traded from the organization he was now going up against.

"It was very weird, but it was fun," Minten told The Hockey News on Wednesday night after falling 4-2 to his former team.

"It’s weird to be on this side of the ice, these benches, this side of the dressing room. But cool to get to compete against those guys and tough loss that’ll be talked about for a long time by those guys," he added with a smile.

Five days after being traded to Boston, Fraser Minten is back in Toronto facing the #Marlies with Providence. pic.twitter.com/MCHRfK48wN

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) March 12, 2025

Were any chirps exchanged?

"You try not to look or listen because you’ll just start laughing," he said. "But yeah, just funny chirps."

Minten was traded to the Boston Bruins on Friday, the NHL trade deadline, along with a 2026 conditional first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick for Brandon Carlo. Funny enough, when Boston acquired the young forward, the Marlies were in Providence to take on their AHL squad.

"It was a bit stressful, to be honest," Minten said of the entire day.

The center was having a strong season with the Marlies. He played in all situations, and crucial moments in the game. He even had a brief stint with the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and four points in 15 games.

Minten admitted that he had an inkling something could happen before the deadline. He's a young, developing player with a lot of upside, and is likely to play a key role on an NHL team sooner than later.

"You can go on PuckPedia and see (the Leafs) don’t got that many assets, so you know it’s possible," Minten said.

"You’re kind of just refreshing your phone all day waiting. And yeah, a stressful day, but after you get the news, you just try to get your stuff together as quick as you can, make lots of phone calls, answer lots of texts, and move on to playing hockey and helping another team."

Minten was blown away by the number of messages he received after being traded away from Toronto: "Honestly, everyone reached out," he said.

"It was really cool to see guys from the Leafs, all the staff, like, all across — everybody. It was cool to see that there was that many people who were sad to see me go and it’s nice to have those relationships."

This wasn't a regular trade, though. Rarely do we see divisional rivals—especially teams like Boston and Toronto—make a deal where each team helps the other.

But after being drafted by the Maple Leafs in the second round (38th overall) in 2022, and witnessing the rivalry first-hand last spring, what was it like for Minten to put the yellow and black jersey rather than the blue and white?

"Ah, I mean, I love the Bruins. That’s my first thought," he said with a cheeky grin.

"It’s pretty special to get the opportunity to play pro hockey, so whatever team wants to believe in me, give me that chance, I’m going to do everything I can to help them win."

Since being drafted, Minten has spent a lot of time in Toronto, with development camps, training camps, and for a brief time last season, a stint in the NHL, before turning full-time pro this year.

Maple Leafs' Fraser Minten Wires Home First Career GoalWatch as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Fraser Minten blasts a feed from William Nylander past Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill for his first NHL goal ...

When asked what he'll miss most about Toronto, he immediately said the Maple Leafs' fan base, which he got to play in front of this year.

"I think it’s an amazing, amazing place to play hockey. I think that the amount of attention you get is quite a privilege and makes it really cool to play every night," he said.

"People care about the team, people talk about the team. I think that’s something that you don’t get everywhere. And luckily, I think Boston’s pretty into that too. But, it’s cool to play a game that people care about."

Minten joins the Bruins organization with plenty of opportunity. He's projected to develop into a third line center and Boston will need that. He and Matthew Poitras, drafted in the same year, make up some of the organization's up-and-coming prospects.

As for expectations of when that NHL chance could come again, Minten isn't focusing on that. Instead, the young forward will let his work speak for itself, allowing him to put a Bruins jersey over his head when the team believes he's ready.

"Whatever happens with that stuff, like, I don’t really think about that," Minten said.

"Just practice, games, do everything I can, do my process to get better, and the staff there, just like the staff (in Toronto), they know when you’re ready. So you put in the work and your time will come if you do the right things over and over."

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The Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into Nationwide Arena on Thursday. The Blue Jackets won their only meeting of the season in Vegas back on Jan. 30 in OT

This game is important for Columbus, there's no doubt about that. Thursday's game is the first of a four-game homestand that concludes next Thursday against Florida. 

Vegas is 7-2-1 in their last 10 and is atop the Pacific Division, but they've lost their last two games against LA and Pittsburgh. 

The Golden Knights are an elite team but are just 14-12-4 on the road. The Jackets are very good at home, so look for this game to be a barnburner. 

Golden Knights Stats

• Power Play – 28.9% - 2nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 76.2% - 23rd in NHL
• Goals For – 214 – 6th – 3.34 GPG – 5th
• Goals Against – 175 – 8th – 2.73 GPG – 9th

Series History vs. The Golden Knights

• Columbus is 4-1-1 at home and 7-5-1 in 13 all-time meetings vs. Vegas.
• The Jackets are 3-2-1 in the last six games.

Who To Watch For The Golden Knights

• Jack Eichel leads the VGK with 58 assists and 78 points.
• Tomas Hertl leads Vegas with 27 goals.
• Goalie Aiden Hill is 23-11-4 with a .904 SV%.
• Ilya Samsonov is 15-8-3 with a .889 SV%.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Golden Knights

• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 11 games vs. Vegas
• Kirill Marchenko has 4 points in 4 games.
• Elvis Merzļikins is 3-1 with a .930 SV% vs. the Golden Knights.

Injuries

• Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16 (61 Games)
• Sean Monahan (upper body) is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (23 Games)
• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and out for the season (8 Games)
• Cole Sillinger is day-to-day with an upper body injury (5 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 274

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

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

The Montreal Canadiens got some reinforcements to take on the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night, as Patrik Laine was back in the lineup. Unfortunately, Joel Armia had to pull out because of an injury sustained in Tuesday’s game. As a result, Martin St-Louis had to shuffle his cards a bit. Laine took Michael Pezzetta’s spot with Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson, while Pezzetta joined Jake Evans and Emil Heineman.

Reinbacher Sitting Is Precautionary
Canadiens: Must Win Battle In Seattle
Juraj Slafjkovsky Is Taking a Step This Season

Not Every Goaltender Is a Third Defenseman

The NHL has seen its fair share of goaltenders who were so good around their net that they were almost an extra defenseman on the ice. Martin Brodeur and Carey Price are the two names now coming to mind. Jakub Dobes didn’t look like that kind of goalie on the game's first goal.

He came out of the net and attempted to clear the puck, sending it up on the boards, but Jordan Eberle had no trouble intercepting the attempted clearance and setting up Brandon Montour for the goal. After that, the young netminder looked nervous and often deported to one side in his net. Puck tracking was also an issue, and the Kraken hit at least three posts in the first frame, on top of dominating 15-5 on the shot clock.

He made 14 saves, but he wasn’t as confident as usual. Saturday, he was the calm and steadying presence at the back, but not Wednesday night. The Kraken second goal also came from the youngster's attempt to handle the puck behind his net.

A One Trick Pony?

Brandon Montour's penalty was a bright ray of sunshine in a game heavily dominated by Seattle. It allowed the Canadiens to get back in the game and on his return to play, Laine scored from his office.

Back in the lineup and back on the board. 🚀

That's Patrik Laine's 12th power-play goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/gZefmsjXlB

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

The big Finn might not be very effective at five-on-five, but he’s a fantastic weapon on a man-advantage or four-on-four, as evidenced by his great feed straight on Alex Newhook’s blade to score the equalizing goal.

Patrik Laine puts a perfect pass into the (very) low slot, and Alex Newhook ties this game up for the #Habs. pic.twitter.com/c2CSiYKavs

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 13, 2025

After 40 minutes, Laine only had eight shifts and 7:39 minutes of ice time (Roy had two more seconds), but he was the spark plug that led to the game flipping on its head. The Canadiens had a surprising 3-2 lead at the end of the second frame. The sniper finished the game with 10:08 spent on the ice while Roy played 10:38 and Pezzetta 9:25.

Bouncing Back

While the first period must have been hard to watch for Canadiens’ fans and for St.-Louis, his players showed that they could bounce back. After being outrageously dominated in the first period, Montreal shook it off and got to work.

Back in October, this team was utterly unable to do that. When things were going badly, they couldn’t stop the bleeding, and that’s how Seattle beat them 8-2 in the first month of the season.

This is something contending team can regularly do and part of what this young Canadiens team still has to learn, being able to do it in the race to the playoffs certainly is valuable experience.  

Montreal really clawed its way back into the game, finishing the night with a respectable 25 shots and managing to take the lead against all odds. Some will say that Juraj Slafkovsky's second goal should have been waived off because the puck had been touched too high, but like any sports involving referees, you win some calls and you lose some. This was the young Slovak's 100th career-point. 

However, contending teams are able to pull the win off, which the Canadiens couldn't because of their own lack of discipline. Arber Xhekaj received three minors over the 60 minutes of regulation, and Seattle scored on the last one, before adding another power play marker on a David Savard penalty to tie up the game and send it to extra time. 

So close and yet so far for the Sainte-Flanelle who lost 5-4 in overtime, after just five seconds or extra time. The point allows the Canadiens to remain ninth in the Eastern Conference, but the extra point would have given them as many as the Columbus Blue Jackets. This defeat stings now and could sting even more if they miss the playoffs by a single point...

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The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Mar. 7.

The 26-year-old from St. Catharines, ON was initially a second round pick (32nd overall) of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017 Draft. In 144 career games, the right-handed defenseman has five goals and 34 assists for 39 points.

Connor Timmins, acquired by PIT, is a third pairing defenceman who puts up good underlying numbers in small minutes. Maybe the most Dubas defenceman of all time. #LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/tIlqynGCuT

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 7, 2025

Here are three things to know about the newest member of the Penguins.

One International Invite, One Gold Medal

Timmins has represented Canada at only one international event, the 2018 World Junior Championships, where he won the Gold Medal.

Conor Timmins 6-1 Goal - Canada vs Switzerland 2018 WJC 1.2.18Conor Timmins 6-1 Goal - Canada vs Switzerland 2018 WJC 1.2.18Subscribe for more videos. On this channel you will see every goal from team Canada and the Tor...

Besides his success in the medal round, including an assist on the Golden Goal, Timmins was named a WJC Top 3 Player on Team and led the entire tournament with a plus-15 rating. In seven games, he had a goal and four helpers. 

Dominated in the OHL

Timmins skated three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds, serving as an alternate captain during his final season in 2017-18. 

Maple Leafs' Conor Timmins Scores His First NHL Goal With Point Shot vs. FlyersWatch as Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Conor Timmins scores his first goal as a Maple Leaf, and his NHL career to double the lead against the Flyers.-------...

His best season came in 2016-17, when he was almost a point-per-game player, scoring 61 points (7G, 54A) in 67 games, the best statistical season of his hockey career.

Overall, Timmins scored 19 goals and collected 96 assists in 163 OHL games to finish with 115 points, good enough for a .71 points-per-game average. He played in the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2017.

Last NHL Goal Came Against...Pittsburgh

Five days before Timmins pulled on a black and gold jersey, he scored his first goal in 35 games in a wild 6-5 win over the Penguins on Mar. 2.

GOAL DROUGHT... OVER ✅

Conor Timmins scores his first goal in 35 games! pic.twitter.com/vQRkThPlSN

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 2, 2025

Timmins has scored only five goals in his career, including his first against the Philadelphia Flyers (Jan. 8, 2023), followed by lamplighters against the Chicago Blackhawks (Feb. 15, 2023), New York Rangers (Dec. 12, 2023), and the Montreal Canadiens (Nov. 9, 2024).

Interestingly, Timmins has goals against three of the Original Six teams, just missing the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Maple Leafs. 

Despite playing with the Arizona Coyotes (eight games) and Colorado Avalanche (33 games), all of Timmins' goals have come with Toronto (101 games). 

The Calgary Flames (30-24-10) couldn't hold off a defiant Vancouver Canucks team, who rallied in the third period and got two goals in the shootout to prevail in a tightly contested game at the Saddledome on Wednesday night, 4-3.

The win propells the Canucks (71 points) into a tie with the Flames (71 points) for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

Every game is a must-win moving forward, so what are some takeaways regarding tonight's deflating loss?

Huberdeau Shows Up in Crucial Contest

During the first two seasons of Jonathan Huberdeau's tenure with the Flames, the fanbase had a love/hate relationship with the star player. No one was sure that Calgary would see the 115-point player he was with the Florida Panthers.

However, all season long, Huberdeau has had big moments for the Flames, scoring game-opening and winning goals. He's been their goal or point leader for most of the campaign, and in one of the year's biggest contests, he scored two goals, one shorthanded and one on power play.

Jonathan Huberdeau was the only one on the ice who knew this puck went in 🤷‍♂️

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/oqdwJLIZLp

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

On national TV, in a crucial game, Huberdeau led the Flames to a 3-1 lead, doing everything he could to get those two points in the standings.

Even though the home team lost in the shootout, with Huberdeau failing to score on his attempt, he proved earlier in the contest that he was up to leading Calgary down the stretch towards a potential playoff spot.

Wolf Can Only Do So Much

Dustin Wolf finished his night with 28 saves on 31 shots, stopping two of four shots in the shootout. As a top candidate for the Calder Trophy, he must have wondered how the Flames could have blown a two-goal lead and found themselves on the wrong end of a one-goal game (again).

According to NHL.com game statistics, the Cauncks blocked 24 shots on Wednesday, which means the Flames didn't go enough to get pucks through to Kevin Lankinen, who finished with 20 saves. Meanwhile, Calgary did half the job, finishing with 11 blocked shots.

Dustin Wolf makes a couple big saves!

🎥: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames#Canuckspic.twitter.com/4klLEFjovL

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 13, 2025

Overall, the Flames scored more than their usual 2.56 goals a game, but were not strong enough to prevent a team from scoring three in regulation and another pair in the shootout. 

Ultimately, they didn't need to rely on Wolf to steal the show. They needed to play as a unit in the final 20 minutes to get two points, again failing their goalie, who worked hard to keep things close.

Missed Opportunities

Let's set the stage. Vancouver comes into the Saddledome, one point behind the Flames with one less game left on their schedule. They arrive late at night, having lost to the Montreal Canadiens 24 hours prior. 

At first glance, it appeared the Canucks would be easy pickings on Wednesday night, instead they turned into a trap game for the Flames. 

Usually, a team enters the second night of a back-to-back sluggish out of the gate and sometimes never regains its footing as the game progresses. 

However, Vancouver continued to press and got better as the game continued. They were outshot 19-12 after two periods, but found a new gear in the third, dominating the Flames 17-4 in shots, plus 1-0 on the scoreboard.

Calgary had their chances in the first two periods and it was their only moment to bury the Canucks, which they failed to do. Riding all the momentum into overtime, Vancouver registered the only two shots of the extra period, before their shooters found spots and won the game in a shootout.

Ultimately, the Flames had the opportunities but failed to take advantage of them, leading to a crushing defeat at the hands of a rival team now tied for a playoff spot.

Every win matters in the wild, wild Western Conference. Especially when arguably your biggest opponents, Vancouver and Calgary, end their game in a 4-3 shootout.

With Utah moving just two points behind the aforementioned teams after its 3-2 win against Anaheim, the impending matchup with Vancouver on Sunday, March 16, carries more weight than ever.

But before worrying about any future games and its playoff implications, Utah needed to take care of business against the Ducks first.

Thankfully for Utah, Mikhail Sergachev is on its team:  

HUGE SKATE SAVE BY SERGACHEV ⛸️

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3Tpic.twitter.com/m95ONK5SQh

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

With Vejmelka coming out of the net, anticipating a shot from Ducks' forward Ryan Strome, a quick move with the puck gave Strome an open lane right behind Vejmelka. Despite being tangled with Anaheim's Alex Killorn, Sergachev saw that Strome was about to have a wide-open net.

Just as Strome was getting what looked to be a surefire goal, Sergachev kicked his right skate out at the last second to keep Utah's lead intact. 

"Really nice save by him there in the second," said Dylan Guenther. "I think he's just a big leader for us off the ice. When he talks, everybody's listening. He's the backbone of our team, and it's great to have him." 

Though the play happened midway through the second period when Utah was up only 1-0, Sergachev's skate proved to be the difference, keeping Utah from playing in its third consecutive overtime. 

While two back-to-back penalties from Sergachev eventually led to a game-tying goal from Anaheim early in the third, he didn't let the mistakes get to his head and later assisted on what became the game-winning goal for Guenther.

ELECTRIC FACTORY 🔋

Gunner gives Utah a 3-2 lead. pic.twitter.com/aUWwXkYSAR

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) March 13, 2025

"When I saw [Anaheim] was low, I wanted [Keller] to go up to [Sergachev], and then he gave it over to me," said Guenther. "So, it was just good recognition. I feel like we've gotten pretty good chemistry as we've continued to play together."

While the goal from Gunner proved to be all Utah needed to secure the win, it also gave Sergachev a significant accolade, giving him his 300th assist of his career.

It wasn't just Sergachev who reached an important milestone in this game. Utah's Jack McBain also achieved a personal milestone, tying his career-high mark of 12 goals with Utah's first goal of the night.

McBain gets us on the board first 💪 pic.twitter.com/7UsJhDrZ5t

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) March 13, 2025

With Alexander Kerfoot scoring Utah's other goal—his first since signing his extension—Utah avenged its 5-4 shootout loss to Anaheim back in December.

"Definitely a huge win, huge home stand," said Barrett Hayton. "Obviously, it would have been really nice to get all four points, but the way we were able to fight back in that Toronto game and get a point, it's huge for us."

With an upcoming road trip against Seattle, Vancouver, and Edmonton, securing tonight's win could go a long way for Utah in its hunt for the playoffs.

But with head coach André Tourigny emphasizing that every game is a playoff game for this team, Utah will treat every matchup with the utmost priority.

But considering the team 'love[s] each other' and 'fight[s] for each other,' in the words of Tourigny, Utah should be ready for any adversity coming its way. 

Report: Utah HC's Connor Ingram Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance ProgramThe National Hockey League Players’ Association and the National Hockey League announced today that goaltender Connor Ingram of the Utah Hockey Club will be unavailable to his team for an indefinite period while he receives care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Seattle, WA - Jani Nyman, the 20-year-old right winger from Finland, made his NHL debut on Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena as the Seattle Kraken hosted the Montreal Canadiens.

Standing at 6'2", Nyman, who was recalled from the Coachella Valley Firebirds earlier in the week, scored his first career NHL goal in the third period, cutting Montreal’s lead to 4-3. Nyman’s thrilling debut earned him the title of First Star of the Game.

Seattle Kraken (Bot) (@notseattlekraken.bsky.social)NYMAN GETS HIS FIRST @NHL GOAL IN HIS FIRST NHL GAME 🥹

The Kraken stunned Canadiens fans in attendance, taking the lead late in the third period with a tying goal from Matty Beniers, which sent the game into overtime.

Brandon Montour also had a spectacular evening, recording two goals and two assists.

Nyman's family (who arrived overnight from Helsinki) were seen on the jumbo tron exuberantly cheering throughout the evening. After the Kraken’s victory, Nyman spoke with Piper Shaw just off the ice, smiling as he shared, “This is very special for me and my family. Thank you.”

The Kraken continue their homestand on Friday night as they host the Utah Hockey Club for Women in Hockey Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7PM PST.

Related

Pair Of Forwards Set To Make Kraken DebutMichael Eyssimont and Jacob Melanson are set to make their Seattle Kraken debuts tonight against the Nashville Predators. 

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DETROIT—At 10:23 local time Wednesday night, the Detroit Red Wings' six-game losing streak officially ended, as the horn sounded on a sorely needed 7–3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.  It would've ended sooner if it weren't for a third period ground to a halt by a turn toward the extra-curricular with the game's outcome no longer in reach, resulting in 73 penalty minutes each way in the third alone. 

When the horn sounded at last, the Red Wings, or at least those of them that hadn't been dismissed early thanks to the late-game carnage, streamed to the ice to congratulate goaltender Petr Mrazek (23 saves on 26 shots) on his first win in his first game back in Detroit.

Wednesday's result doesn't make the remaining schedule any easier, nor can it compensate for the ground given up in the standings during the skid, but it does precisely what Detroit had to take from the evening's game: the weight of the losing streak off their backs. 

"We needed the win," said Patrick Kane after the game.  "It didn't matter how it came.  Obviously, it's nice to put up seven, but we needed the win tonight."

According to coach Todd McLellan, Detroit hadn't played as sound a game as it did two nights earlier in a losing effort in Ottawa, lauding his team's work in attack while suggesting it had to be tighter defensively, before adding, "I remember some of my mentors telling me never critique a win, especially when you haven't won much lately."  The biggest reason the Red Wings got to seven and got the win was Kane, who finished the night with his fourth career five-point game (two goals and three assists).

Detroit suffered an early wobble in the form of Tage Thompson's opening goal 7:38 into the night, one Mrazek perhaps should have done better with and one which came after Alex DeBrincat appeared to score the game's first goal only for it be ruled out for goaltender interference.  Kane, back at his orchestral best, made sure that inauspicious start didn't fester with two assists and then authoritative power play goal, skating downhill and wiring a shot over Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's glove then dropping to a knee for an emphatic fist pump that conveyed the desperation of the Red Wings' circumstances, before the end of the period.

"I think in my mind, that's called leadership," said McLellan of Kane's performance. "That's called experience: When you have the toolset that he has, and you bring it on a night where the team's pretty desperate, and he delivers."

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"Sometimes these kind of nights happen, and sometimes nights like Ottawa happen, where you have 49 shots and nothing goes in," said a self-effacing Kane, when asked to describe his own role in the victory, but of course, "these kind of nights" don't just happen for everybody the way they do for 'Showtime' Kane.

After Buffalo cut the Red Wings lead to 4–3 late in the second, Kane again made sure his team stopped the bleeding there with a power play goal 1:36 into the third.  Detroit wasn't done scoring either, with Marco Kasper netting his second of the game four minutes later (with another Kane assist) and Moritz Seider adding the extra point to the Red Wings' touchdown nine minutes after that.

From there, the hockey gave way to something more reminiscent of professional wrestling.  After the biggest scrum of the evening, referee Frederick L'Ecuyer saved time by streamlining the penalty announcement: "Detroit's gonna have a minor for roughing, and all the other guys gonna have a misconduct," he said, twirling his finger for emphasis.

Of the brawling, Kane said, "It's great seeing everyone stick together."  It is that sort of togetherness the Red Wings will need if they are to persevere through the league's most difficult schedule to reverse the results of their losing streak and return to the postseason. 

Kane paved the path to victory Wednesday, but as McLellan alluded to, it will take more than individual heroics for Detroit to force its season to its desired conclusion.  It will take a collective.

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The Atlantic Division is turning out to be a dogfight with three serious contenders for the top seed. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers remain the leaders but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning aren't far behind. 

With less than 20 games remaining for each team, if moves are going to be made it's soon as the window is closing on some current values presented.

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A value that will quickly go away is the Leafs to win the Atlantic at +170 odds on Bet365. These odds quickly fluctuate with them being as high as +260 within the last few days as the Leafs are starting to gain ground. 

Florida and Toronto face off on Thursday night with the Leafs having a chance to surpass the Panthers with a win. Florida has 83 regular season points due to a 40-22-3 record while Toronto has a similar record with just one fewer win and 81 points. 

They will face off two more times after Thursday, which will play a pivotal role in the race but besides that the Leafs have the 12th-easiest remaining strength of schedule while the Panthers have the 13th-hardest. 

Both teams will have nine road games left with Toronto playing easier competition like San Jose, Anaheim and Buffalo while Florida will have to play much tougher teams like the Lightning, Capitals and Blue Jackets. 

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The odds and trends are all pointing towards Toronto and the tide is quickly turning so you don't want to miss out. If you even wait until after Thursday's highly-anticipated matchup, you may be too late. 

Thursday features a crucial matchup for playoff seeding when the visiting Florida Panthers travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs with the Atlantic Division lead up for grabs. 

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 8-6 record on our last 14 picks and our 15-6 record on our last 21 underdog picks. 

All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs:

• Under 5.5 goals (+105)
• Maple Leafs ML (-110)

Both teams are looking for a much-needed win as they gave up multi-goal leads in their last outings with the Panthers more recently blowing a 2-0 lead in the third period versus the Bruins on Tuesday. They now have to travel and play a Leafs team that could overthrow them as the top team in the Atlantic with a win at home. 

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The Cats have allowed 16 goals over their last five road games and have dropped both of their previous two road games versus Toronto. The Maple Leafs have also struggled defensively with 28 goals allowed over their last seven games, which is fourth-most in the NHL during that span. 

This game has an over written all over it yet the line is still down at 5.5 which means that something else is affecting the line and the sportsbooks know something. We should be seeing a line at 6.5 with each team's recent trends but it could result of their history against each other with fewer than six goals in eight of their last 12 matchups. 

If we are continuing to go by history, the home team has won in this matchup five straight times and I would rather count on the Maple Leafs showing up rather than a Panthers team coming off a brutal loss like the one they took on Tuesday versus Boston. 

TSN (@TSN_Sports) on XTHE FLORIDA PANTHERS HAVE ELIMINATED THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS IN 5 GAMES!

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The Cats have been red hot and are long overdue for a few losses plus Tuesday's game will be stop two of a six-game road trip that should make the Cats look more human starting with a loss on Thursday. 

Home-ice advantage is a real thing for a handful of NHL teams, especially when seeing how ugly their results are on the road.

As the 2024-25 regular season continues to unfold, there are some truly Jekyll-and-Hyde performances between teams that thrive at home and struggle on the road. Five clubs, in particular, are either pushing for a playoff spot or home-ice advantage for the first round and need much better showing away from home to achieve those goals. 

Let’s look at those five teams, in alphabetical order.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes entered the season as a favorite to be the top team in the Metropolitan Division, but they’re 12 points behind the Washington Capitals. The reason why they’re a distant second is that although they’re 26-7-1 at home, they’re 13-15-3 on the road. Five of their last six wins came in Carolina, while five of their last six losses came on the road.

Carolina ranks 23rd on the road in points percentage, and much of their issues come from a drop in offense. They have the second-most goals-for per game at home, with 3.74, and the 23rd-most away, at 2.61. Their special teams are also slightly worse on the road, and they allow more shots against than they do at home.

Ten of Carolina’s remaining 17 games will be away from home. If the Hurricanes can’t improve their road record, they better hope the New Jersey Devils don’t go on a hot streak and make up the six-point difference to take away Carolina’s home-ice advantage. But thanks to the Hurricanes’ success at home, they will likely be at Lenovo Center to start the post-season.

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Columbus Blue Jackets

The underdog Blue Jackets have an impressive home record of 20-6-4, but away from home, they’re a brutal 11-19-4. Since Feb. 1, the Jackets have gone 5-6-1. Five of those losses came on the road, while four of those wins happened at home.

Columbus has the best offense in the NHL at home with 4.07 goals-for per game. But they’re 20th on the road at 2.68 goals per game. 

Their power-play success rate at home is the second-best, at 29.4 percent, but it’s 12.4 percent on the road, which is second-worst. 

Zach Werenski not only leads all NHL defensemen in points at home, but he ranks second among all players. That is remarkable when considering he has the 18th-most points overall.

The good news for Columbus is that 11 of its final 18 games will be at home. If they can at least squeeze one point out of games at home, even if they lose in overtime, they will not only solidify their spot in a wild-card position but challenge New Jersey for third spot in the Metro – and a probable first-round showdown with Carolina.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have been phenomenal at home, going 21-3-4 so far. But it’s an entirely different story for them on the road, where they’ve posted a 13-17-5 mark. The difference between their home and road records is striking, and it has real consequences for how the rest of L.A.’s season could play out.

Los Angeles also has a tougher time scoring on the road at home, but the defensive numbers really stand out. They’ve allowed only 2.11 goals against per game at Crypto.com Arena but have conceded 3.06 goals per game everywhere else.

The Kings have 13 of their remaining 19 games at home. While they probably won’t catch the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot in the Pacific Division, the Kings can challenge the Edmonton Oilers for second place – they’re only one point behind them with a game in hand. Considering that L.A. has finished third in the Pacific in each of the past three seasons – taking on the Oilers in the first round in each of those three years – switching things up by securing home-ice advantage could prove to be huge for the Kings. 

The challenge is obvious, and the Kings have control of their future, so continuing to play well at home is crucial for them this season.

Who Remains In The NHL's Western Wild-Card Battle?The NHL’s Western Conference wild-card battle is heating up after the trade deadline.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are an imposing 23-8-2 at home, but on the road, they’re a thoroughly average group with a 14-15-2 record. 

Since Feb. 4, they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the league with a 10-3-0 mark, and seven of those 10 wins came in Tampa Bay. Before that hot streak, they were 7-9-2, and they even fell out of a playoff spot briefly. They were 2-7-1 on the road during that span.

The Lightning are still battling to move up the ranks of the Atlantic Division. They’re currently in third spot largely because of their home record, where they have the third-most goals-for per game (3.67) and third-fewest goals against per game (2.27) with the fifth-best penalty-kill success rate (85.1 percent). Away from home, the Lightning only rank 19th in goals-against average (3.13) and penalty-kill rate (77.6 percent).

Ten of their final 18 games are on the road, including a visit to Dallas, Utah and Vegas. They’re only three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division, but they’ll need to stay strong at home and tighten up on the road to have a proper chance of taking home-ice advantage in the first round.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights lead the Pacific Division by five points now, which makes their road record almost confusing.

Vegas is 24-7-3 at home and 14-12-4 on the road. They’ve got 11 road games still to play, including an upcoming three-game road trip in the Eastern Conference. They also play Pacific Division rivals Calgary and Vancouver twice on the road in April.

Interestingly, the Golden Knights have the NHL’s best power-play success percentage on the road, at 31.4 percent, while it’s 23.8 percent at home. But their penalty kill is a league-worst 71.4 percent on the road, 

Vegas likely won’t fall lower than second place in the Pacific, so its home record is a good harbinger of what’s to come in the post-season. But obviously, they’ll have to play road games no matter where they finish in the Pacific, so any loss at home in the playoffs could be costlier than expected if they don’t improve slightly elsewhere.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins may find themselves in the bottom fifth of the NHL standings, but the opposite is happening in the AHL, where the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are one of the league's top teams.

Ahead of their matchup against the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night, the Penguins will look to inch closer to 200 goals, as they are pacing the league with 193 lamplighters, just a goal ahead of the Rochester Americans, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Calgary Wranglers.

Meanwhile, two valuable points are on the line tonight as the Bears lead the Penguins 75 to 70 points for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. 

With a 31-16-7-1 record, the Penguins have the ninth most victories in the AHL, ranking fifth in points. Every team is chasing the Laval Rocket, who are 37-15-2-1 with 77 points. 

Even though the Colorado Eagles have the league's best goal differential, plus-52, the Penguins have scored the most (193) and given up the eighth fewest, 156, good enough for a goal differential of plus-37. 

31 shots, 31 saves 🧱

Filip Larsson records his FIFTH SHUTOUT tonight against the Crunch, which once again ties him first in the league in shutout victories. pic.twitter.com/EeLLLsQhqL

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 1, 2025

In addition to the AHL's best offense, the Penguins come into Wednesday night with the league's second best power-play statistics with a success rate of 22.5%, just shy of the San Jose Barracuda, who are at 23.1%.

Surprisingly, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has achieved their successes with limited opportunities. With only 182 power-play chances (25th in the AHL), they have tallied 41 goals, which ties them for the seventh most.

However, when on the power-play, they haven't slowed down opponents, who have tallied nine shorthanded goals against the Penguins, which is the sixth most in the AHL.

Interestingly, the Penguins are not just dominant on the power-play; they are elite penalty killers with an 85.0% success rate, which is good enough for fifth.

They have surrendered just 28 goals shorthanded, which ranks them 28th in the league, ahead of the Charlotte Checkers (28), Rochester Americans (28), Hershey Bears (27), and Coachella Valley Firebirds (26). 

With only one month left in their season, the Penguins have positioned themselves for a good spot ahead of the Calder Cup playoffs. Meanwhile, this season's successes should eventually transition to the NHL when these prospects are ready to make an impact in Pittsburgh.