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

The Vegas Golden Knights are welcoming back Shea Theodore, but will be without Alex Pietrangelo as he is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The new injury status comes as a surprise, with no prior sense that Pietrangelo has been dealing with any injury.

The 35-year-old has played in 67 games this year, scoring four goals and 32 points. He's averaging 22:29 of ice time, the lowest of his Golden Knights tenure. 

With Pietrangelo out, Kaedan Korczak will remain in the lineup, skating alongside Nicolas Hague on the third pairing. It'll be his 14th consecutive game in the Golden Knights lineup, continuing his solid play despite limited minutes. 

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.

Unlike the other major North American sports leagues (MLB, NBA, and the NFL), the NHL has codified fighting into its game. Five-minute majors for fighting and two-minute minors for instigating are right there in the rulebook and have been for a long time.

While there has been endless debate about whether fighting belongs in the game, most hockey fans seem to enjoy a good tilt between a couple of heavyweights from time to time. 

Even better? A goalie fight! The very thought of two netminders skating all the way out to center ice to “chuck the knucks” can send typical NHL crowds into a frenzy. 

On March 23rd, Crypto.com Arena fans came very close to witnessing the very rare goalie fight when the Kings’ Darcy Kuemper and the Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman left their creases and made their way to center ice. 

However, to the disappointment of many, both players were separated by officials before anything could get started. 

Jeremy Swayman and Darcy Kuemper were so close to fighting. 👀 pic.twitter.com/PjFhePaNh9

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 24, 2025

Sportsnet analyst Elliotte Friedman literally booed the decision on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, asking “why are you ruining our entertainment?”. To drive the point home even more, the title of the episode is “Let The Goalies Fight.”

LA Kings’ head coach Jim Hiller, on the other hand, seemed relieved that his number one goalie was stopped from trading blows with Swayman:

“I was thinking that somebody should have grabbed him (Kuemper). I’m glad it turned out the way it did,” remarked Hiller during the postgame media availability. 

And who could blame him? Kuemper is having a Vezina Trophy type of season for the Kings. His GAA of 2.13 is good for second in the league and his SV% of .918 is tied for second as well. Losing him for any reason, let alone for an injury sustained in a goalie fight, would be catastrophic for a team intent on finally changing their playoff narrative this season. High performing number one goalies with Cup winning experience are hard to come by in this league, so one can understand why coaches and GMs are loath to see them fighting. 

The last NHL goalie fight took place on February 1st, 2020, between Calgary's Cam Talbot (ex-King) and Edmonton's Mike Smith during the pandemic bubble. In recent LA Kings’ history, the last fight goes back to Felix “The Cat” Potvin and Ottawa goalie Jani Hurme on December 20th, 2001. As a testament to how much the league’s tolerance for goalie fights has changed, Potvin and Hurme were allowed to fight for close to two minutes that night. This would be unthinkable now in 2025.

In addition to the Kuemper near fight, Pheonix Copley left his crease to challenge Anaheim’s John Gibson on February 17th, 2023, but the guys in stripes once again deprived the fans of a goalie scrap.

Does the entertainment value of a goalie fight outweigh the injury risks? When cooler heads prevail, most NHL fans would probably prefer not to lose their starting goalie to some broken knuckles or a wrist sprain due to dropping the gloves.

Thus, it is probably the right decision for the league to crack down on goaltender brawls, but it will never stop the fans from wanting to see it. And that isn’t going to change any time soon.

We witnessed maybe the biggest hockey crime there is, breaking up a goalie fight.https://t.co/4NTDWVVXddpic.twitter.com/TbAphVxBMf

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 25, 2025

Another benching for York as Flyers are routed by Maple Leafs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

John Tortorella benched Cam York early in a 1-1 game Tuesday night and the Flyers went on to lose, 7-2, to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

The Flyers (28-36-9) have dropped six straight, matching their season-worst skid. Their other six-gamer was in October.

Even worse, they’ve lost 11 of their last 12 games (1-10-1) and have been outscored 52-21 over that span. Tortorella’s club has won just six times in its last 25 games (6-16-3).

With the Flyers in full-on rebuild mode to finish this season, they’re just one point ahead of the Sabres for the Eastern Conference’s worst record. Buffalo has played three fewer games.

Ryan Poehling and Sean Couturier provided the Flyers’ goals Tuesday night.

The Flyers have been dominated by the Maple Leafs (43-25-3). They’re 1-9-2 in their last 12 matchups with Toronto. The lone victory came last season when Scott Laughton recorded the game-winning goal.

• Tortorella is not exactly helping his cause here.

The last two games, the Flyers were outworked, outplayed and outscored a combined 14-6.

But on top of that, the head coach benched his young, top-pair defenseman Tuesday night. Tortorella played York only 3:50 minutes, sitting him for the rest of the night after the Maple Leafs scored a game-tying goal in the first period. York quickly lost a puck battle behind the net before John Tavares’ shot went off his leg and past Samuel Ersson.

As York was stapled to the pine, Toronto went on to score five more goals before the Flyers finally answered.

In 2022-23, their first season together, Tortorella really pushed York. He sent him 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.

But this season has not gone well. York missed 13 games because of a shoulder injury and had been healthy scratched twice before Tuesday night’s in-game benching.

“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 said two weeks ago. “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.”

Tortorella is challenging York again, but the timing of this simply isn’t good. Not only are the Flyers losing games by lopsided scores as they stumble to the finish line, but York is also in a contract year and due for a considerable raise. And he’s getting benched? This can’t be helping negotiations for the summer.

It’s just not a good look at all for Tortorella. But he’s sticking to his word. He’s not going to care about optics.

• The Flyers faced Laughton for the first time since he was traded to the Maple Leafs earlier this month.

Laughton, after spending parts of 12 seasons in Philadelphia, is playing a depth role for Toronto. He’s still looking for his first point with the Maple Leafs, but he had five hits and a blocked shot against his old club.

• Ersson gave up the seven goals on 30 shots.

The Flyers were not sharp in front of him. They were outshot by double digits and Toronto had five more blocked shots.

Two days ago, the Flyers lost to the Blackhawks, 7-4, with Ivan Fedotov in net.

Anthony Stolarz, a former Flyers goaltender, made 17 saves on 19 shots for the Maple Leafs.

• Garnet Hathaway (undisclosed) and Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) remained out.

Aleksei Kolosov was recalled from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but did not suit up. Fedotov was Ersson’s backup.

• After going 0-4-1 on their road trip, the Flyers return home for a matchup Thursday against the Canadiens (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The end of the regular season brings the yearly tradition of out-of-town scoreboard watching. This season, Vancouver Canucks fans will be keeping a careful on what happens around the league, especially when it comes to the St. Louis Blues. Tuesday will be no different as Canucks fans will shed their blue and green for red and blue as they will be hoping the Montréal Canadiens can do them a massive favour. 

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At 5 pm PT, the Canadiens will take the ice at the Enterprise Center to face the Blues. Both teams are currently involved in playoff races, with each occupying the final Wild Card spot. While a win either way wouldn't clinch a berth in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it would ensure that each team remains above the playoff bar, at least for the night.

As mentioned, this game has a significant impact on Vancouver's playoff hopes. According to MoneyPuck.com, if St. Louis wins in regulation, their playoff percentage jumps to 62.6%. If they lose regulation, the Blues would drop to 40.6%, which would be good news for the Canucks who currently sit three points behind St. Louis. 

St. Louis versus Montréal is not the only game fans in Vancouver need to watch. At 6:00 pm PT, the Calgary Flames will take on the Seattle Kraken from the Scotiabank Saddledome. A regulation win by Calgary would see their playoff odds jump to 37%, while a regulation loss would drop them to 20.7%. 

Almost every night between now and the end of the 2024-25 season will be tense for Canucks fans. Not only does Vancouver need to go on a long winning streak, but fans also need to hope for long losing streaks from the Blues, the Flames, and the Utah Hockey Club. With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs less than a month away, all four teams will be under pressure on a nightly basis, with the smallest slip-up potentially being the difference between securing a playoff berth and entering the off-season early.

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.

 

Utah Hockey Club forward Dylan Guenther recorded his 100th career NHL point last night against the Detroit Red Wings.

Guenther has played just 137 NHL games, and with his milestone point, he is producing at a 0.729 points-per-game rate. If he were to maintain this pace over 1,000 games, he would finish with 729 points—an impressive mark for a first-round draft pick.

Utah HC Give Up 5 Unanswered Goals in 5-1 Loss to Red Wings After scoring a combined 11 goals in its past two home games, with the recent Tampa game being one of its most electric performances this season, Utah ran out of steam against the Detroit Red Wings. 

He is the seventh player from the 2021 NHL Draft to reach 100 career points, but he is the fastest to do so.

It’s a significant milestone, especially considering some had labeled him a potential bust heading into the 2024-25 season.

Andre Tourigny Among Many Supporting Ryan Smith and the New Utah OwnershipOn Monday, March 17, James Mirtle of the Athletic put out an article ranking every NHL owner from 1-32, based on surveyed responses from over 4000 readers, including fans of every NHL team.

The Nashville Predators (26-36-8, 60 points) visit the Carolina Hurricanes (43-23-4, 90 points) for the teams' second and final meeting this season Tuesday at Lenovo Center.

The Predators beat the Hurricanes, 5-2, on Dec. 23 at Bridgestone Arena behind a three-point performance from Jonathan Marchessault. 

Nashville is coming off a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, and the Predators are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Carolina is coming off a 5-2 defeat of the Anaheim Ducks and has just one loss in the last 10 games.

Tuesday's game marks Nashville's first time facing Mark Jankowski since trading him to the Hurricanes at the March 7 NHL trade deadline. Since arriving in Carolina, Jankowski has six goals in seven games.

Juuse Saros will start in goal for the Predators in Raleigh, while Pyotr Kochetkov will tend the twine for Carolina.

How the Predators Lined Up vs. Carolina

Forsberg-O'Reilly-Evangelista
 Bunting-Stamkos-Marchessault
Smith-Svechkov-Sissons
L'Heureux-McCarron-Bellows

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Oesterle-Stastney

Saros
Annunen

Extra: Englund, Vrana
IR: Josi, Lauzon, Wilsby

Predators at Hurricanes: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 1, CAR 0)

The Predators earned the first power play chance in the game when Dmitry Orlov was whistled for high-sticking against Michael Bunting just over three minutes into the first period. Nashville's top power play unit struggled early, allowing Carolina's penalty killers to generate multiple shorthanded chances in the first minute of 5-on-4.

The Predators' second power play unit cashed in, however, when Bunting found a loose puck behind the pad of Kochetkov and tucked it in to give Nashville a 1-0 lead over the Hurricanes at the 5:14 mark of the first period.

Bunting's goal was assisted by Kieffer Bellows, who earned his first helper as a member of the Predators, and Brady Skjei, who was playing in his first regular-season game at Lenovo Center as a member of the opposing team after spending parts of the last five seasons with the Hurricanes.

When the opportunity strikes, Bunts is there 👍 pic.twitter.com/eVCQFsjLoo

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 25, 2025

Bunting has now scored two power-play goals in his last three games, both against his former teams. His last came on Saturday in the Predators' 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played for two seasons from 2021-23.

Bunting signed with Carolina in free agency before the 2023-24 season, and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins later that year in the deal that sent Jake Guentzel to the Hurricanes. Nashville acquired Bunting from the Penguins in the week leading up to this year's trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Luke Schenn and Tommy Novak to Pittsburgh.

Second Period (NSH 2, CAR 1)

Luke Evangelista widened Nashville's lead to 2-0 just over four minutes into the second frame. Filip Forsberg received a stretch pass from Marc Del Gaizo along the boards and chipped it to Evangelista entering the zone, and Evangelista deked on Kochetkov for the score.

Luke Evangelista made this one look easy!@PredsNHL | #Smashville | #NHLTonightpic.twitter.com/6UtqTR13Fc

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 26, 2025

With the primary assist on the play, Forsberg recorded his 22nd career five-game point streak and passed Roman Josi (21) for the most in Predators history.

Michael McCarron committed the Predators' first penalty of the game less than a minute later with a cross-check on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Carolina made them pay. Taylor Hall received a pass from Seth Jarvis, entered the zone with speed and buried the puck down low on the backhand for a highlight-reel goal to cut the Hurricanes' deficit to 2-1 at 6:02 of the second period.

TAYLOR HALL LOVES PLAYING FOR THE CAROLINA HURRICANES pic.twitter.com/SGVE0Md0xW

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 26, 2025

Hall's goal was his third power-play tally in his last four games with the Hurricanes.

The Predators were fortunate to come out of the second period with a one-goal lead after being outshot, 27-9, through the first 40 minutes of play. The Hurricanes held Nashville to just two shots in the second period alone as the Predators failed to take care of the puck and struggled to keep up with Carolina's speed.

The St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens face off Tuesday with two of the NHL’s most valuable players since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Blues center Robert Thomas and Canadiens center Nick Suzuki are largely responsible for their teams' rise in the standings to a wild-card spot in the past month. Both players are among the NHL’s top 10 scorers since the 4 Nations tournament, but their contributions, in particular, have led to some massive results.

The Blues occupy the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a three-point lead on the Vancouver Canucks. St. Louis was eight points behind Vancouver during the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

While it’s unfair to the team to say only Thomas carried them to where they are today, he has done much of the heavy lifting. Since Feb. 20, Thomas posted 14 assists and 19 points in 16 games. He got at least one point in 13 of those games, and he posted two or more points in four of them. The 25-year-old now has 42 assists and 60 points in 60 games this season. 

A Blues team that’s 16th in the league in goals-for per game (2.97) would be well out of a playoff spot were it not for Thomas’ contributions on offense. His point-per-game average is well above any other Blues player, considering he missed some time due to an injury this season.

While he’s still somewhat of a hidden gem outside of St. Louis, Thomas is doing everything asked of him. He’s a high-value performer at an average salary of $8.125 million per season.

In the Eastern Conference, the eighth-place Canadiens also are getting terrific contributions from captain Suzuki. Since Feb. 20, he has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 13 games. The 25-year-old has also put up at least one point in 10 of those games, and six of them are multi-point nights. 

The Habs are 13th in goals-for per game, so Suzuki’s point production is necessary to where they are today. And his salary of $7.875 million also makes him a great bang-for-his-bucks type of player. 

The Blues and the Canadiens aren’t anywhere close to locking up a playoff spot. That means they’re almost certainly going to need more out of Thomas and Suzuki. But the good news for Montreal and St. Louis fans is that both players are ready, willing and able to drive offensive production and take the heat off the rest of the lineup.

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.

After blowing a two-goal lead to the Florida Panthers en route to a 4-3 shootout loss Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to rebound against the other team residing in the sunshine state.

On Tuesday, the Penguins will take on ex-Penguin Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who took the first two games of their season series. And Pittsburgh's captain has a chance to make NHL history.

Captain Sidney Crosby is just two points shy of Wayne Gretzky's point-per-game seasons record, which is currently set at 19. Clinching the record at 20 seems perfect for Crosby, who is, arguably, the most consistently dominant player in NHL history.

"It's so impressive to be doing it for, what, 20 times?" forward Rickard Rakell said. "He's one of the best to have ever played this game, so... he shows why. I mean, it's such a hard game, and for him to do it every year, it's pretty nuts."

While Crosby chases the NHL record books, the Penguins will be chasing two points, as they are now in desperation mode in terms of the NHL playoff picture. They currently sit six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and Montreal has three games in hand. 

They are aware of the hill that they would need to climb, as they only have 10 games remaining. But they're going to fight for every inch of ice they can get.

And that's always tough against a goaltender like Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has been one of the best goaltenders in hockey for the last decade.

"He's been, obviously, one of the elite goaltenders in the league ever since [2016]," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's one of the premiere goaltenders in the league. The workload that he's been able to endure season-in and season-out... these guys have played a lot of hockey. They've gone deep into the playoffs, they've had a number of playoff runs, and he's played hard hockey. In a lot of ways, there aren't a lot of goaltenders that carry the workload he carries in today's game."

Vasilevskiy will be opposed by Tristan Jarry, who is red-hot for the Penguins. Jarry has a .924 save percentage in his six starts since returning to the Penguins from the AHL on Mar. 3, and - including Tuesday's game - will have started seven of the last eight for Pittsburgh.

As for the lineup, forward Evgeni Malkin will miss Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury. Forward Emil Bemstrom will slot back in.

Here are the lines and pairings for the game, which features Erik Karlsson on the left side next to Conor Timmins on the second defensive pairing:

Tonight's lineup in Tampa.

Evgeni Malkin (upper body) will not play tonight. pic.twitter.com/NgzadEILjJ

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 25, 2025

Tampa Bay currently occupies the third spot in the Atlantic Division. They have lost two consecutive games and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. 

Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has two goals and six points in the last five games.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

For years, Jakob Chychrun has been linked to the Los Angeles Kings in some form or fashion. 

His father, Jeff, played 26 games for the Kings in 1991-92. Years later, when Jakob became a pro, his name kept popping up as a potential trade target for Los Angeles. The connection was never more intense than in the Winter and Spring of 2023 when a trade between LA and Arizona seemed imminent. 

Sounding like a Jakob Chychrun @LAKings@ArizonaCoyotes trade centered around 2021 8th overall pick Brandt Clarke. #RealKyperandBourne

— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) February 12, 2023

Lots of smoke connecting #LAKings with Jakob Chychrun, but no confirmed fire yet. And so, we wait.@DailyFaceoff

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 12, 2023

It did not come to fruition, however. With the hole on the left side of their defense still unfilled, the Kings pivoted to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Vladislav Gavrikov.

We've acquired defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goaltender Jonathan Quick, a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.#GoKingsGo

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 1, 2023

Fast forward to today…

Chychrun signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with the Washington Capitals that begins next season and has an average annual value of $9 million. And while this may officially close the door on any potential union with the Kings, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Chychrun has stopped impacting the Kings. Like him, Gavrikov is seeking a new deal and the Kings would prefer to get him signed before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. 

We’ve previously speculated on what retaining Gavrikov long-term may cost the Kings, but with Chychrun signing a massive deal, the market for defensemen may have been reset. 

Some underlying numbers would have given us a little pause at our projection and this #MaxTerm deal is a little higher than we projected. Generally, the Capitals should expect Chychrun to be a solid top-4D offensive producer with iffy-to-average defensive impacts. #ALLCAPShttps://t.co/Vl9ylgAp3Ppic.twitter.com/ec45ZGK2B8

— AFP Analytics (@AFPAnalytics) March 25, 2025

To clarify, Gavrikov and Chychrun are far from direct comparables. Chychrun is 3 years younger and is on pace to eclipse the 20-goal and 50-point marks, both potential career highs. He is also a fixture on the Capitals’ power play and can be deployed in any situation.

Gavrikov, on the other hand, is an elite defender that will likely top out at 30 points. NHL GM’s will always put a premium on offensive production, but in Gavrikov’s case, his value to the Kings is more significant than his value around the league.

Gavrikov the #1 defenceman seems to be going very well early on. https://t.co/rcOTFri0QPpic.twitter.com/HWOGp9tzag

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) October 27, 2024

Vladislav Gavrikov from the Los Angeles Kings has been amazing this season. But it's a contract year for him. Maybe it's a fluke? I believe there will be a team that will overpay him in the off-season if he plays at this level all season. pic.twitter.com/6OheRcQuI9

— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) January 7, 2025

According to AFP Analytics, Gavrikov’s projected contract is 5 years, $5.4 million. For that to be a reality, Gavrikov would have to take a pay cut. Not likely. It stands to reason that he would be looking for at least a $1 million raise on the $5.8 million he is currently making. Add to that the projected $7.5 million increase in the NHL’s salary cap ceiling, and the Kings may be looking at long-term deal for Gavrikov with an AAV exceeding $7 million.

That may sound rich, but the reality for the LA Kings is that they need to re-sign Gavrikov. There are no viable internal options to replace him, and with Chychrun off the board, most external options would be a downgrade. The bigger challenge for the Kings will be the length of the contract, as players of Gavrikov’s ilk do not historically age well.  

The Ottawa Senators will continue their pursuit of an Eastern Conference playoff spot on Tuesday night in Buffalo, facing a Sabres team that's given them nothing but trouble this season.

Barring a miracle finish, the Sabres are wobbling toward an NHL record 14th consecutive season without making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they could have fooled Ottawa. Buffalo has had the Senators' number this season, defeating them 5-1 in November and 4-0 in January.

The Sens have had a couple of days off, but none of the Eastern wild-card hopefuls in the gooey clump behind them in the standings was able to cut into their lead. As they were after Saturday’s 3-2 win in New Jersey, the Senators are five points above the current playoff cut line in the East. The Montreal Canadiens are the second wild card, four points behind Ottawa.

Tuesday will be a homecoming for Sens centre Dylan Cozens, playing in Buffalo for the first time since being traded to the Senators on deadline day. Cozens told the media he expected it will be "a little weird," but he’s trying to treat it as just another game.

The Workhorse from Whitehorse was traded with defenceman Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round draft pick for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Bernard-Docker waited 15 days before finally making his Sabre debut on Saturday in Minnesota. He then posted two assists on Sunday, a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, marking the first multi-point game of JBD's NHL career.

As for Norris, he’s missed the last five Buffalo games due to an undisclosed injury and will be out again on Tuesday against his former team. His homecoming, if they can put him back together by then, could come on April 1st when the Sabres visit Ottawa.

Norris’ injury after just three games as a Sabre has only served to amplify the immediate concerns Buffalo fans had about the trade. According to TSN1200, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed to the media on Tuesday that Norris brought this injury with him from Ottawa.

That won't do much to tone down the grumbling.

Acquiring a long-term, expensive player who has been as injury-prone as any player in the NHL would usually come with the belief/hope that the player’s injury troubles are behind him. In this case, the Sabres appear to have taken on Norris, knowing he wasn’t healthy at the time of the trade.

On the bright side, Norris says he’s starting to feel better, though he couldn’t put a timeline on a return date.

"It’s slow progress, but yeah, feeling better, and hopefully I’ll be back soon," Norris told the media on Tuesday. "It’s just something I’ve been dealing with for a little while this year, and I kind of re-aggravated it. So, I’m just being smart about it."

Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams clearly made this deal for next season and beyond. With just 13 games left in a lost season, they'd be well served to shut Norris down until the fall.

The Senators held an optional game day skate on Tuesday morning, and as per TSN 1200, only a few players participated: goalie Linus Ullmark, who will back up Anton Forsberg on Tuesday night; Artem Zub; Dennis Gilbert; Nick Jensen; and Brady Tkachuk.

Jensen and Tkachuk have both been dealing with nagging injuries for some time. Jensen hasn’t played since March 13th against the Boston Bruins, while Tkachuk played on Saturday in New Jersey. However, his ice time was well below his season average, and he was held out of practice on Monday.

Forsberg will start against James Reimer, who was fantastic on Sunday against the Jets. Optimus Reim has also given the Senators fits over the years with a record of 17-6-4 and a .924 save percentage.

Senators Projected Lineup (NHL.com)

• Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stutzle – Fabian Zetterlund
• David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson
• Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Claude Giroux
• Matthew Highmore – Adam Gaudette – Michael Amadio

Defence

• Jake Sanderson – Travis Hamonic
• Thomas Chabot – Artem Zub
• Tyler Kleven – Nikolas Matinpalo

Goalies

• Anton Forsberg
• Linus Ullmark

Scratched

• Dennis Gilbert

Injured

• Nick Cousins (knee)
• Nick Jensen (lower body)

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Sabres Projected Lineup

• Zach Benson – Jiri Kulich – Tage Thompson
• JJ Peterka – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
• Jason Zucker – Peyton Krebs – Alex Tuch
• Beck Malenstyn – Tyson Kozak – Isak Rosen

Defence

• Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
• Bowen Byram – Connor Clifton
• Owen Power – Jacob Bernard-Docker

Goalies

• James Reimer
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Scratched

• Jacob Bryson

Injured

• Jordan Greenway (lower body)
• Josh Norris (middle body)
• Sam Lafferty (groin

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore has been activated from the long-term injured reserve and is in line to make his return to the lineup against the Minnesota Wild. 

HC Bruce Cassidy announced that Theodore would be a game-time decision tonight, and whether he plays or not is completely up to him. He's participated in multiple practices with contact and took line rushes alongside his usual partner, Brayden McNabb. 

Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Raphael Lavoie had been removed from the Golden Knights roster, indicating he was sent down to the Henderson Silver Knights. 

Doing so opens a roster spot for Theodore and paves the way for him to slide back into the lineup. 

The 29-year-old hasn't played an NHL game since Feb. 8 and hasn't played since Feb. 12, when he sustained the injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

His return means Kaedan Korczak will likely exit the lineup. The 24-year-old had done a serviceable job in Theodore's absence, playing in 13 games. Korczak is averaging 14:41 of ice time this season, recording eight assists in 31 games. 

The expectation is for Theodore to return to his spot on the Golden Knights' No.1 power play unit and take advantage of offensive situations. 

Tonight's fixture is a potential first-round matchup, and it should allow Theodore to get back into the mental state of preparing for the playoffs. 

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they have assigned OHL prospect Luca Pinelli to the AHL, where he will join the Cleveland Monsters.

Pinelli, 19, has spent the last four seasons in the OHL with the Ottawa 67's. Now that his junior career has come to an end, he will transition to the AHL.

In 246 games with the 67's, he recorded 128 goals and 124 assists for 252 points, along with 209 penalty minutes, 45 power-play goals, 838 shots on goal, and a cumulative +26 plus/minus rating.

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He has the potential to develop into a strong middle-six forward for the Blue Jackets in the future. His NHL debut could come as early as next season if he impresses at training camp and earns a roster spot.

Pinelli is known for his ability to get under his opponents' skin. Once he senses he has struck a nerve, he keeps pushing until he draws a penalty. That agitator style is exactly the kind of presence the Blue Jackets could use in the years ahead.

Blue Jackets Halt Six Game Skid; Roy and His Players Have Strong Words For The Officials Adam Fantilli(22), Boone Jenner(2-SHG), and Kirill Marchenko(26) scored the goals for Columbus, and Elvis Merzļikins made 30 saves, including all three Islanders shootout attempts, to beat New York on Long Island in comeback fashion. 

The Buffalo Sabres return home after splitting a four-game road swing with a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets to take on some familiar faces, as former Sabres Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert, and Linus Ullmark and the Ottawa Senators visit Key Bank Center on Tuesday.

Even though his name was frequently mentioned in trade rumors all season, the four-player deal on deadline day that brought center Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Sabres still came as a bit of a surprise to Cozens, who was in his fifth season in Buffalo.

"My name was out there for a while, and I thought a lot of it was just kind of talk, rumors and stuff. I never really thought it would actually happen, so when I found out that it was real, it still did kind of come as a shock," Cozens said on Tuesday morning. “I wanted to be here. I committed to being here. I wanted to be part of the solution. It was sad that it didn't work out."

After a career-high 31 goals in 2023, the 24-year-old center struggled to recapture his offensive chops in Buffalo, dropping to 18 goals last season and 11 goals in 61 games this year, but thus far his scoring touch has bounced back with the Sens, with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in eight games. Gilbert, who played 25 games for his hometown team before being dealt, has played only once since the trade and is not expected to be in the lineup for Ottawa.

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The Sens are in a good position for making the playoffs for the first time since 2017, as they hold the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with 79 points, four points up on Montreal, and five points ahead of the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Ullmark, who was acquired in a trade from Boston last summer, has bounced back from four straight losses after returning from injury, going 8-2-1 in his last 11 starts.

Head coach Lindy Ruff provided an update on Jordan Greenway, who did not return after being injured in the first period on Sunday. Ruff said it was a day-to-day situation but that it was not as a result of a blocked shot. After a 33-shot victory over the Jets, James Reimer was in the starter’s net for the morning skate on Tuesday, but Ruff would not confirm his starting goalie.

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For most of the last four decades, the Philadelphia Flyers have been the poster child for mediocre-to-poor goaltending.

This year is no exception.

In their first full season without goalie Carter Hart since 2018-19, the Flyers are again near the bottom of the standings and again getting mostly subpar goaltending. Hart, who left the team about 14 months ago, is awaiting trial next month for an alleged sexual assault in 2018, and his lawyers say he will plead not guilty. The Flyers did not give Hart a qualifying offer last summer, and he became a UFA.

Samuel Ersson, 25, and Ivan Fedotov, 28, have had some spurts of impressive play, but for the most part, they and their defense have contributed to another disappointing season. The Flyers (28-35-9) will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season, matching a franchise record for futility.

To point fingers solely at the goaltending and defense would be unfair.  The offense has been awful: 25th out of 32 teams in goals scored (2.71 per game) and 30th on the power play (13.8-percent success rate).

The goaltending has been even worse. Flyers goalies are last in the NHL in save percentage (.880) and 28th in goals against (3.39 per game).

'Heartbeat' Of The Team

Flyers coach John Tortorella wasn’t using hyperbole when he said goaltenders are the “heartbeat” of a team’s success.

“It’s the water in Philly or something happens that everything gets screwed up,” Tortorella said earlier this season. “No one expected Carter leaving and forcing 'Ers' into this situation. Then it’s just a domino effect with these other guys… I’m not sure where it all goes, but it is what it is. We have to deal with it.”

So what in the name of Bernard Marcel Parent is the reason the Flyers have been a goalie graveyard for so long?

For every Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh (whose career was cut short by his tragic death) or Ron Hextall, there were dozens of flops. And when they did find a goalie with elite potential – hello, Sergei Bobrovsky – they traded him in arguably the worst deal in franchise history.

The goalie carousel looked like it had finally stopped when Hart arrived in 2018-19. He brought stability and confidence to the team. As a rookie, he equalled an NHL record for most consecutive wins (eight) while under 21. He had a 2.83 GAA and .917 save percentage that season. In his first six years, he was mostly solid despite having a weak team in front of him.

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The Issue Begins

When Hart left the team midway through last season – he was 25 at the time – goaltending became an issue for the Flyers.

Ersson, thrust into the No. 1 goalie spot, played gallantly in 2023-24 before being worn down by his extensive use. This year, he has been extremely inconsistent (3.00 GAA, .886 save percentage), looking more like a No. 2 goaltender than a reliable No. 1.

Fedotov, a 6-foot-7, 214-pounder, has been given a chance to show his Olympic success – he led Russia to a silver medal in 2022 – and strong KHL play would translate to the NHL. He hasn’t taken advantage of the opportunity, however. Witness his 3.21 GAA and .877 save percentage in 24 games this season.

So the Flyers’ rebuild has taken a significant step backward.

Oh, there are some promising goaltender prospects in the system, but they aren’t ready, and the fans are getting restless. That might cause GM Danny Briere to add a veteran goaltender in free agency, someone who can steady the ship as the team tries to become relevant.

Jake Allen, Frederik Andersen, Anton Forsberg, Ilya Samsonov, David Rittich, and Matt Murray are some of the veterans that are expected to be UFAs this summer.

Maybe Briere goes that route. Or maybe he stays with his unproven goaltenders and tries to spend money on free-agent centers, such as Sam Bennett or Ryan Donato, who also plays wing.

Whatever the Flyers do, they must soon find a goaltender – at some point – who is capable of avoiding the long losing streaks that have plagued them during their playoff-drought years.

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