Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

We’re fast approaching the final couple of weeks of the NHL regular season, and the playoff races are at a boiling point.

If there’s one thing that’s clear now, it's that the battle for a wild-card spot is shrinking by the day. 

The Eastern Conference is still more competitive, while the Western Conference playoff race has come down to only a few teams. But in the cases of both conferences, the final playoff seeds won’t be decided until the final days of the season. That means there will be much more drama in the next month and intense contests from here on out.

As it stands, there are a handful of teams that did challenge for a playoff spot earlier this season but are more or less now out of the playoff mix, according to moneypuck.com odds. We’re talking about the Utah Hockey Club (0.8 percent chance of making the playoffs), the Detroit Red Wings (3.9 percent) and Columbus Blue Jackets (16.8 percent). A minor miracle will have to happen for just one of these teams to make it into the post-season, let alone all three teams.

Utah started to make things really interesting earlier in March but is 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, falling to 10 points behind the red-hot St. Louis Blues. The Blue Jackets and  Red Wings are a hot streak away from getting back into the race, but considering Columbus is 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and Detroit is 3-7-0, it’s not looking great despite only being two and three points behind the Montreal Canadiens, respectively.

In the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames (18 percent) and Vancouver Canucks (19.2 percent) have a better shot at making the playoffs than Utah but need almost everything to go right in their final games.

Their fate is not entirely in their own hands, because the two teams currently above the Flames and Canucks are both looking likely to make the playoffs.

The surging Blues (73.1 percent) and Minnesota Wild (92 percent) are looking like safe bets to make it into the playoffs. One of them would need to totally fall apart to open up the door for Calgary or Vancouver to get in.

Although the Wild fell out of the top three in the Central Division because of injuries to star left winger Kirill Kaprizov and center Joel Eriksson Ek, they’re still two points ahead of St. Louis, seven ahead of Vancouver and eight ahead of Calgary.

St. Louis won eight games in a row to get to this point – they were out of a playoff spot two weeks ago but now have a five-point cushion with two more games played than Calgary. 

There is even less certainty in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The first wild-card spot is coming into focus. The Ottawa Senators lead the Canadiens by six points and sit eight points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division, so they look pretty set to end their seven-season playoff drought and face the top team in the Atlantic. Funny enough, as of March 28, MoneyPuck gives the Senators a slightly higher chance of making the playoffs (98.6 percent) than the Edmonton Oilers (97 percent).

One On One: General Manager Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators general manager Steve Staios deserves credit for the players he has brought in over the last calendar year.

The Canadiens, New York Rangers and New York Islanders are still in the thick of things. Montreal holds the second wild-card spot by one point over the Islanders and Rangers, but the Blueshirts played one more game. 

MoneyPuck currently gives the Habs the best shot of earning a playoff spot at 34 percent, followed by the Rangers (26.1 percent) and the Isles (22.8 percent). These teams – and Columbus or Detroit if they turn red-hot for a final push at the post-season – should give NHL fans a thrilling finish to the regular season.

NHL Power Rankings: Jets Take Back No. 1 As Worst Clubs Near The Chopping BlockWelcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

Another valuable site, tankathon.com, ranks the teams with the most difficult remaining schedules. The Red Wings have the toughest schedule, so they’re not getting much help at all. 

After that, the Islanders have the third-toughest schedule, the Canucks’ is fourth-toughest, the Blue Jackets’ is ninth-toughest and the Blues’ is 10th-toughest. 

At the opposite end of that spectrum, the Senators have the fourth-easiest schedule, only playing three teams currently in a playoff position in their final 11 games.

In any case, there could be some upsets ahead, and the other big battle – for positioning at or near the top of the four NHL divisions – will also come down to the wire.

You can say what you will about the league’s points system, but you can’t argue that it doesn’t do what it’s tasked to do – to keep as many teams in the playoff hunt for as long as possible. 

We’ll have to wait a while longer before the post-season picture is complete, but until then, we’ll be treated to high-stakes hockey virtually every night. That will make for high drama from now right through the Cup final.

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The Buffalo Sabres and other NHL clubs will be getting some of their draftees signed to contracts as their clubs in the NCAA and Europe reach the end of their seasons. On Friday, the club signed goalie Topias Leinonen to a three-year entry-level contract that begins in 2025-26.

The Sabres selected Leinonen in the second round (41st overall) at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal after choosing three centers in Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich in the first round.

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Similar to fellow Finn Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the 6’5″, 225 lb. netminder is the physical package that NHL clubs are looking for, but after putting up excellent numbers in Junior (2.28 GAA and .916 save percentage) and playing internationally for Finland at the Under-18’s in 2022, he struggled the next two seasons at the junior, second-level pro Mestis, and pro-level SM-Liiga with injuries and inconsistency.

The big 21-year-old played just eight games between his Liiga club (JyP) and KeuPa in the second-level Mestis league last season and opted to play in Sweden this year. That decision paid off for Leinonen, as he thrived with Mora IK as their primary starter in the second-level HockeyAllsvenskan, with a 13-10-0 record, 2.31 GAA, .910 save %, and four shutouts during the regular season, and played well in a six-game loss to Djurgarden in the first round of the playoffs.

 

Vilken räddning av Topias Leinonen 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kX2MuvndeK

— TV4 Hockey (@TV4_Hockey) March 18, 2025

Leinonen joins Luukkonen, Devon Levi, and 2023 draftee Scott Ratzlaff in the Sabres system, as well as unsigned prospect Ryerson Leenders in the club’s goaltending pipeline.

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York takes ‘full responsibility' for actions, ‘learned a lot' from Tortorella originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

VOORHEES, N.J. — Cam York and the Flyers are moving past a reported incident that kept the defenseman on the bench Thursday night for the entire game at the Wells Fargo Center.

The 24-year-old was in uniform as the Flyers beat the Canadiens, 6-4, but he didn’t log a second of ice time. Brad Shaw said it was because of a “disciplinary issue.” The interim head coach wouldn’t comment any further on the matter.

“I’m not going to get into the details of it,” York said Friday after practice. “I will say this, I take full responsibility for my actions. It has been addressed here in the locker room. It’s something that I’m going to put behind me and move on from. We’ve got eight games left here and that’s my focus right now, so we’ll leave it at that.”

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported Friday that an incident occurred between York and John Tortorella in Toronto on Tuesday night when the Flyers were blown out by the Maple Leafs, 7-2. York was benched by Tortorella after Toronto’s first goal and finished the game with only 3:50 minutes.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Friday that the incident was a heated verbal exchange between the player and coach.

Tuesday night’s loss was Tortorella’s final game as the Flyers’ head coach. He was fired Thursday morning.

“I felt it was time,” general manager Danny Briere said. “It’s not one thing, it’s a series of things that have happened, probably a little bit more in the last three weeks, it escalated since probably around the trade deadline, right after that.”

Tortorella has always been a fiery coach who will challenge his players. Going back to his days in Tampa Bay, where he won a Stanley Cup, a verbal spat was not unordinary.

Tortorella heard about York’s great potential in 2022-23, their first season together, so he coached him hard. He had York go to the minors before the Flyers even reached their final cuts of training camp. Since then, York had been one of the Flyers’ most improved players.

“I’ll admit, when I sent him down, I tried to pick a fight with him when I sent him down, I was so upset with his camp,” Tortorella recalled earlier this month. “I think he went to Lehigh, he put the time in, I felt he had a chip on his shoulder coming back here, mainly at me. I was so proud of him as far as where he brought his game to; there is no reason why I can’t still look for that. And I’m going to continue to look for that.”

York felt bad that the Flyers had to play with five defensemen for most of Tuesday’s game and all of Thursday’s game.

“You never want to put your teammates in a situation like that,” he said.

When asked about Tortorella, York expressed an appreciation for the coach’s work and tough love.

“I have nothing bad to say,” he said. “He taught me a lot of really good things. … He’s a good coach, he gets a lot out of his players. I learned a lot from him and I’m going to use a lot of what he taught me down the road.”

York had to suit up Thursday to give the Flyers a full lineup. Their extra skaters were out with injuries and the team had already made its four permitted call-ups for after the March 7 trade deadline. A disciplinary reason does not allow for an emergency call-up.

Shaw expects York to play hard and be effective Saturday when the Flyers host the Sabres (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

“We have lots of young guys that are sort of on different tracks as far as how mature they are and where they’re going to get to,” the interim head coach said. “You learn through the good and the bad. Hopefully he’s a better person at the end of the day for what happened. It’s over now and we’ve dealt with it and we’re going to move forward.”

York will be a restricted free agent this offseason. The bumps this season haven’t changed his view on the Flyers.

“This is where I want to be, I’ve stated that,” York said. “I love what’s going on here, I love what we’re building. It hasn’t been our best of best years, but it’s here, this is where I want to be. I’m looking forward to the future.”

In their last three games - all losses - against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Buffalo Sabres, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been outscored, 17-7.

Even though they're not yet mathematically eliminated, this has, effectively, ended their season and any hopes of a playoff run.

And now, the organization turns to the future.

On Friday, the Penguins recalled top forward prospects Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - to the NHL club, using up their final two call-ups of the season.

McGroarty - who turns 21 on Sunday, when the Penguins take on the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh - has 14 goals and 39 points in 60 AHL games this season, including eight goals and 18 points in his last 19 games. The developmental process was there for him all along this season, and the production finally started to catch up in the latter half of the season. 

Koivunen - the 21-year-old Finnish forward who came over last spring as part of the Jake Guentzel trade - has registered 21 goals and 55 points in 62 AHL games this season, leading all rookies in scoring and sitting at sixth in overall AHL scoring. He also leads WBS in scoring this season. This is all quite impressive for a player's first season in North American professional hockey.

If folks haven't been paying attention, WBS is on quite the run this season. With one of the youngest rosters they have had in quite some time, the team clinched a Calder Cup playoff berth with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday.

WBS Penguins Clinch Playoff Berth With Thrilling 4-3 Overtime Win Over HartfordHeading into a massively important game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had led the season series 5-0 and had outscored Hartford, 24-5.

What WBS is doing this season is special. They have scored more goals than anyone in the AHL other than the Colorado Eagles and the San Jose Barracuda. They are tied for sixth in the league in terms of points percentage at .645. And they are 5-2-3 so far this season against the Hershey Bears, the reigning Calder Cup champs who are currently atop the division.

After the trade deadline, Penguins POHO and GM Kyle Dubas stressed the importance of the organization's prospects building a winning culture and playing meaningful games together. And with the certainty of the Calder Cup playoffs a lock, that is still going to happen.

In other words, there is absolutely no hurt in calling up McGroarty and Koivunen to close out the regular season with the NHL club - and it was absolutely the right call.

Beyond the fact that the timeline adds up - Pittsburgh's regular season ends on Apr. 17 against the Washington Capitals and WBS's ends on Apr. 19 against the Cleveland Monsters, making it fair to assume both players will remain in the NHL through the end of the season - there is something to be said about the decision to reward two young prospects for their performance.

‘We’ll Begin To Shift To The Execution’: With Assets Collected, Dubas Eyes The Next Phase For Penguins HockeyPittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas knew that the decision to shift to the future a year ago with the Jake Guentzel trade to Carolina wasn’t going to be a popular one. 

WBS will have a good shot at a long playoff run regardless, and both players will be back in time for that run. So this decision doesn't harm that mentality of the young players "winning together" that Dubas and the organziation values. But what it does do is signal to the young players that they will, in fact, be rewarded when they've earned it.

This isn't a small thing for an organization attempting a rebuild on-the-fly, especially with so many prospects on the verge of being NHL-ready. With several pending free agents on the NHL roster - unrestricted and restricted - it's reasonable to assume that some of these prospects will be vying for full-time spots on the NHL roster next season.

When factoring in guys like McGroarty and Koivunen, the Penguins will have a good mix of higher-end veteran talent, youth potential, and rostered placeholders to give youth a good amount of runway to learn and develop at the NHL level. Allowing these two players to remain on the roster for the final eight games of the regular season for the NHL club will give management - and fans - a bit of a preview of what to expect in 2025-26.

Of course, it would have been nice to see prospects like Owen Pickering, Avery Hayes, Vasily Ponomarev, and perhaps even Harrison Brunicke - who was re-assigned to WBS Friday after the conclusion of his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers - get a late-season NHL opportunity as well.

But, unfortunately, the Penguins had just two of their four post-deadline recalls remaining, and they prioritized those final two slots for two players who not only earned the opportunity but also figure to be a large part of the organization's rebuild plan moving forward.

Confidence is crucial for young players. It's important for them to feel like their hard work is being noticed and, again, getting rewarded. That is exactly what has happened here, and McGroarty and Koivunen will be better for it when they attempt to become full-time NHLers next season.

---

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The Buffalo Sabres continued to roll on home ice, flattening the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 in the finale of a brief two-game homestand at Key Bank Center on Thursday. The game featured a five-goal Buffalo offensive outburst that chased Pittsburgh starting goalie Tristan Jarry, the third win in a row from veteran goalie James Reimer, and contributions from Sabres youngsters getting an opportunity in the final month of the season.

Jiri Kulich scored the game-winner and added a second tally in the middle frame, fourth liner Tyson Kozak scored his third goal of the year and added a helper on Alex Tuch’s 28th goal of the year, and rookie Isak Rosen notched his first NHL point, assisting on Mattias Samuelsson’s fourth goal of the year. Rosen, who leads the AHL Rochester Americans with 27 goals, has been recalled on numerous occasions this season, but really has not been given much of a chance to make an impact with the big club, but on Thursday he played 19 shifts alongside Peyton Krebs and Tuch, and registered an assist in his 12th NHL game.

"I think Rosen made two or three plays that we haven't seen. I thought you skated well, and there was a lot to like about his game," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "I look at the play he made with maybe three or four minutes left, a play on the wall where he spun around and got a great exit to our guy in the middle of the ice. That's a play that says to me that he's committed to making the right play and feels comfortable with where that guy was on his back and to protect it and get it in the right place."

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The 22-year-old winger will have a large role for the Amerks in the Calder Cup Playoffs, but the Sabres will be looking for Rosen to show he is capable of stepping up in the final 11 games of the regular season to show that he can earn a spot on the NHL roster next year.

The club practiced on Friday before heading to Philadelphia for the first of a three-game road trip against the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon. Buffalo is playing back-to-back matinees and will take on Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Sunday, which means that starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will see his first action since a 4-1 loss to Minnesota last Saturday.

Sabres Prospect Update – 2023 Draftees – Part 1Here is a quick update on the players selected in 2023:

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that forward Josh Dunne has been re-assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Dunne was just called up by the Sabres on March 25. Now, after a few days on the Sabres' roster, the 26-year-old forward is heading back to Rochester. 

Dunne played in the Sabres' March 27 contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins during his call-up. In the matchup, the 6-foot-4 forward had a minus-1 in 6:55 of ice time. 

Dunne has appeared in two games this season with the Sabres, posting zero points, five hits, and a minus-3 rating. With the Amerks this season, he has nine goals, 26 points, 44 penalty minutes, and a plus-11 rating in 58 contests. 

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ST. LOUIS -- The Jimmy Snuggerud watch, or when he will turn pro, is officially on for the St. Louis Blues.

The end result for the No. 23 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft wasn't what the forward envisioned when he returned to the University of Minnesota for his junior season, but Thursday's surprising 5-4 overtime loss to Massachusetts in the first round of the Fargo (N.D.) Regional ended the Gophers' -- and Snuggerud's -- season sooner than many, including themselves, had expected.

Now becomes the question of when -- not if -- will he sign his first pro contract and how quickly will he join the Blues?

Could it be as early as today? And will he be in Denver for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game against the Colorado Avalanche and be in uniform? 

That's a lot to ask at this point, but it's not totally out of the realm of possibility since both general manager Doug Armstrong and GM-to-be Alexander Steen were in attendance to see the Blues' latest in high-end prospects.

Snuggerud scored twice, once to put the Golden Gophers ahead 1-0 in the first period, then again late in regulation to tie the game 4-4; he finished the season with 51 points (24 goals, 27 assists) in 40 games and 135 points (66 goals, 69 assists) in 119 games spanning three seasons.

Here's the point the Blues (39-28-7), who have won eight straight and are 15-2-2 the past 19 games, have to address: how do they handle the utilization of Snuggerud if/when he joins?

Do they insert him into the lineup immediately, or do they take how they're going with the Dalibor Dvorsky (No. 10 pick, 2023) route?

You see what the Blues are doing with Dvorsky, who did make his NHL debut last Sunday in a 4-1 win against the Nashville Predators. They played him, then have kept him on the sidelines the past two games to watch, grow and learn what being an NHL pro is all about.

Here's what Blues coach Jim Montgomery said on that on Thursday:

"Every day he can grow, he’s so young and learning just how to travel on the road, what this building looks like, how do you get here,” Montgomery said. “All those little things and then the extra work he gets to do and the pace of our practices is really going to benefit him.

“(He's) very inquisitive. He has a thirst for knowledge. It’s awesome.”

It would be very tempting to take Snuggerud and insert him and his dangerous offensive prowess, and his most dangerous attribute being his shot, into the lineup if the Blues were just plodding along. But they're not plodding along. They're roaring like a freight train, and will that mess with the chemistry in the room with the guys that have gotten them to this point if someone comes out and Snuggerud goes in? And how will the on-ice chemistry make an immediate impact without the 20-year-old (who will turn 21 on June 1) having any ice time with the current players?

These are all tough decisions that need to be made, and even though the Blues would be burning the first year of Snuggerud's entry-level deal when he signs once he plays, that will not influence whether/when he plays or not this season.

Part of what makes Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record so compelling is that the two players are polar opposites in some ways yet stunningly similar in others. 

Gretzky played 1,487 career NHL games, finishing with 894 goals. After being held off the scoresheet in Minnesota on Thursday, Ovechkin has played 1,482. He’s at 889.

As far as the differences go — besides hailing from opposite sides of the world, Ovechkin is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, a big hitter as well as a powerful shooter.

Gretzky’s biggest asset was his brain. Slippery and cerebral, he checked in at six-feet and 185 pounds, often with an enforcer like Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley on his wing to help create open ice for him.

While Gretzky’s goal-scoring record has stood up for more than a quarter-century, scoring was really just a sideline for The Great One.

His true calling card was his setup ability. Gretzky’s 1,963 career assists are more than 50 percent higher than second-place Ron Francis (1,249) and nearly double the NHL’s active leader, Sidney Crosby (1,058), who’s currently 10th all-time. 

Here's more on the distinct paths that Ovechkin and Gretzky have taken up the NHL’s goal-scoring mountain.

Gretzky: Younger

After starting in the WHA as a 17-year-old, Gretzky was 18 years and eight months old when he made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 10, 1979.

He wrapped up on April 14, 1999, at 38 years and nearly three months. 

As for Ovechkin, his Sept. 17 birthday made him one of the oldest players in his 2004 draft class. He was born two days too late to qualify for the famed class of 2003. 

Then, the 2004-05 full-season lockout eliminated any opportunity for Ovechkin to play in the NHL as a 19-year-old. He was 20 years and two weeks old when he finally made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005 — almost two full years older than Sidney Crosby, who played his first game on the same day.

Ovechkin started this season at age 39 and is showing no sign of slowing down. His 36 goals rank him fourth in the NHL in 2024-25.

Ovechkin's Chances Of Breaking NHL Goals Record Against Crosby Are HighAlex Ovechkin is nearly the NHL’s top goal-scorer ever – and the likelihood he cements that status against Sidney Crosby continues to grow.

Ovechkin: Quicker

Ovechkin introduced himself in his very first game, scoring twice in the Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. By the 15-game mark, he was already up to 12 goals and had five two-goal games. He finished his rookie season with 52 goals and won the Calder Trophy.

Gretzky’s reputation preceded him thanks to his 110-point year in the WHA, but he didn’t log his first NHL goal until his third game — a 4-4 tie against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 14, 1979. 

His first multi-goal night came against the New York Islanders in his 10th game, and at Game 15, he was sitting at six goals. But Gretzky picked up steam as the year went on, finishing with 51 goals in 78 games and tying Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings for the league lead in points. Because he had already played a pro season, Gretzky was ruled to be ineligible for the Calder Trophy.

Gretzky: Streakier

In his third NHL season in 1981-82, Gretzky set the single-season record with 92 goals in 80 games. That record still stands, and the closest challenger was – Gretzky again, with 87 goals in 1983-84. Then comes Brett Hull at 86.

Gretzky’s goal-scoring slowed significantly in the later part of his career. He won five goal-scoring titles, all during his time with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s, and scored at least 40 goals in each of his first 12 seasons. 

After that, the closest he came was 38 goals in 1993-94. That’s the year he passed Gordie Howe with his record-setting 802nd goal. He played five more seasons before hanging up his skates at No. 894.

Ovechkin: Steadier

Ovechkin also peaked in his third season, with 65 goals – tied for 24th all-time. While he didn’t match Gretzky’s dizzying heights early in his career, he has only dipped below 30 goals once – and that was the 56-game 2020-21 season, his 16th year. 

All told, Ovechkin has 19 seasons with at least 30 goals, 13 with more than 40 goals, and nine goal-scoring titles. Both players have had five 50-goal seasons, but Gretzky cracked 60 goals five times, while Ovechkin only did it once.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen from their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Koivunen has 21 goals and 55 points in 62 games this season, leading all AHL rookies. 

The 21-year-old led Finland's Liiga in rookie scoring and won a silver medal at the World Junior Championship in 2022. 

A second round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021, Koivunen was acquired last season in a trade for Jake Guentzel. 

McGroarty has 14 goals and 39 points in 60 AHL games and is pointless in three NHL games in what is his first professional season. 

The 20-year-old made the Big Ten First All-Star Team and was a Hobey Baker Nominee for the University of Michigan Wolverines and won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championship last season.

The 2022 14th overall selection was acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets in August for 2023 14th overall selection Brayden Yager. 

With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins having clinched a playoff spot this will be a good chance for these two players to get NHL experience before returning for the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

Keep an eye on The Hockey News Pittsburgh for more updates. 

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

The 49-19-4 Winnipeg Jets are set to host the 38-28-7 New Jersey Devils from snowy Manitoba on Friday night.

Doused with 15 centimetres of snow over the past 24 hours, Winnipeg's Canada Life Centre will host the first game of the season that truly doesn't matter for the Jets' initial playoff chances.

We say 'initial' because every game matter in terms of final standings, finishing placements and season series', but as of Winnipeg's 3-2 overtime victory on Tuesday, the Jets are in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They enter the night one point behind Washington for first overall, while having played the same amount of games as the Capitals. 

But more concerning for the Jets are the red-hot Dallas Stars who sit just four points behind Winnipeg, as well as the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues, who have combined for a 27-3-3 record in their last 33 games played, combined. 

With injuries to Gabe Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari, Alex Iafallo has positioned himself on the top line, while David Gustafsson draws back into the fold on the fourth grouping. The second and third lines have see some adjustments as well. Logan Stanley continues to dress on the blueline over Haydn Fleury.

Connor Hellebuyck will get the nod between the pipes as the Jets look to become the first team to hit 50 wins on the season.

Winnipeg Jets' expected line combinations for Friday, March 28 vs. New Jersey:

Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo

Ehlers-Lowry-Appleton

Niederreiter-Namestnikov-Perfetti

Gustafsson-Barron-Tanev

Morrissey-DeMelo

Samberg-Schenn

Stanley-Miller

Hellebuyck

Goalies are the most critical players on the ice.

Scoring goals is nice – but it doesn't mean anything if your netminder is not up to snuff.

Former Detroit Red Wings goalie James Reimer has had a strange season. He started with the Buffalo Sabres, was put on waivers, claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, placed on waivers again, and finally claimed by the Sabres.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Although Reimer hasn't played much this year, he's started four consecutive games. Despite starting the year terribly, things are turning around for him.

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He's posted a save percentage (SV%) of .900, .917, .938, and .920 with a 3-1 record in four consecutive starts.

He’s hovering around league average for the season. In 17 games, Reimer has a record of 5-8-2, a 2.94 goals against average (GAA) and a .901 SV%. 

Digging into MoneyPuck numbers gives us a few more observations. Reimer leads all Sabres goalies in Goals Saved Above Expected with 8.1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi have GSAx of -5.6 and -8, respectively.

Amongst all NHL goalies who have played at least 15 games, Reimer ranks 26th in GSAx. The only Red Wings goalie who has done better in this metric is Cam Talbot, who ranks 22nd with 10.6. 

In his last season with the Red Wings, he had similar numbers. Reimer boasted an 11-8-2 record with a 3.11 GAA, a .904 SV%, and two shutouts.

While it wasn’t a mistake to let Reimer go, his recent hot streak is proof that he still has some game to bring to the table. But, just like all things, it probably won’t last very long.

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