The New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

It was the first game for the Islanders following their elimination from playoff contention.

Ilya Sorokin returned to the crease following his injury in the Islanders' 7-6 loss to the Nashville Predators on April 8. 

Jacob Markstrom made his first start since April 8 when he conceded seven goals on 23 shots in a loss to the Boston Bruins.

Here’s how it happened:

Penalties by Casey Cizikas and Nathan Bastian gave both teams a power play in the first half of the period, but neither capitalized.

The Islanders nearly opened the scoring at 11:01, but it was deemed not to be a goal.

Around the 13:30 mark, Pierre Engvall fired a wrist shot off the post, followed by Hudson Fasching’s rebound attempt, which was turned aside by Markstrom.

The Devils outshot the Islanders 10-8 in the period.

A Paul Cotter elbow to Adam Pelech at the 6:00 mark resulted in a five-minute major and match penalty. This was the second time Cotter has been ejected from a game for an illegal hit to the head, the last time coming in 2023.

The hit left Pelech with blood gushing from his nose as he left the ice:

Paul Cotter gets ejected for going up high to #Isles Adam Pelech. pic.twitter.com/tTsLbhwJlP

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 13, 2025

He did not return.

The Islanders had one shot on goal and did not score during the five-minute power play.

Bo Horvat found the game’s first goal in the final minute when he intercepted a Timo Meier pass before sniping Markstrom glove-side:

Horvat. 1-0. That was easy. pic.twitter.com/oBfpSEuByI

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 13, 2025

This was Horvat’s 28th goal of the season and fourth in his past six games.

The Devils outshot the Islanders 6-5 in the period.

It was an uneventful third period that saw neither side generate much offense.

Sorokin turned aside all 23 shots faced for the shutout and Horvat found the game's lone goal as the Islanders earned their 35th win of the season.

UP NEXT: The Islanders battle the Washington Capitals on Tuesday at 7:30 EST.

The Chicago Blackhawks earned a point in their shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. That was their 57th standings point of the season, which ranks 31st in the National Hockey League. 

The Nashville Predators currently sit in 30th with 66. Chicago only has two games left, so it is impossible to catch them. The San Jose Sharks, who currently rank 32nd with 51 points, can no longer catch Chicago now that they are up to 57. 

That means that Chicago locked itself into the second-best draft lottery odds by being the second-to-last place team in the league. They will have a 13.5% chance of winning the first overall selection. 

This upcoming draft isn't like other drafts in the sense that there isn't one guy standing out as a lock to be picked first. There is no Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, or Connor Bedard ready to change a franchise right away. 

Instead, there is a clear-cut top four who could go in any order. That is for Chicago scouts to figure out once the results of the lottery are revealed. 

This makes it three years in a row that the Blackhawks will have top-three draft lottery odds. Of course, they selected Connor Bedard first overall in 2023 and Artyom Levshunov second overall in 2024. Here in 2025, they'd love to add another franchise pillar. 

The lottery will take place during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2025 NHL Draft will start on June 27th and go through June 28th. 

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

Flyers up to 31 goals under Shaw, but lose to Senators in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers saw another game go to overtime Sunday afternoon and lost to the Senators, 4-3, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.

Nicolas Deslauriers, Noah Cates and Garnet Hathaway provided the Flyers’ goals. All three gave the Flyers a lead.

But the Senators responded each time.

Ottawa netted the OT winner on the power play after Travis Sanheim was whistled for interference 19 seconds into the bonus session. Nick Seeler and Cam York both had a gutsy blocked shot before Tim Stutzle scored from the circle.

The Flyers (33-37-10) dropped to 5-1-1 under interim head coach Brad Shaw with two games left. They’ve scored 31 goals through those seven games. Prior to Shaw taking over for the fired John Tortorella, the Flyers went 1-10-1 in their last 12 games and scored just 21 goals.

Over a quarter of the Flyers’ season has featured overtime. Sunday afternoon was the team’s 22nd time in OT. The Flyers dropped to 12-10 after regulation.

Shaw’s club was coming off a 4-3 shootout win Saturday afternoon over the Islanders. The Flyers had a nightmarish time in the second game of back-to-back sets this season, going 1-10-2 while being outscored 56-32.

The Senators (44-30-6) are headed to the playoffs. The Flyers went 1-1-1 against them.

• Ivan Fedotov finished with 21 saves on 25 shots.

In the second period, just 53 seconds after Deslauriers opened the game’s scoring, Stutzle went around Egor Zamula to tie things back up.

Ottawa tied it twice in the third period. Fabian Zetterlund made it 2-2 from the slot as a pass snuck by Jamie Drysdale. On Thomas Chabot’s 3-3 goal, Fedotov lost his stick.

Senators netminder Anton Forsberg stopped 29 of the Flyers’ 32 shots.

• The Flyers ended the weekend with the sixth-best odds in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

But the standings are tight.

The Flyers are narrowly ahead of the Kraken via the tiebreaker of fewer games played and they’re not far behind the Sabres, Penguins and Ducks, who are all in action Sunday.

The Flyers could finish the season anywhere from the fourth-best odds to the ninth-best odds.

More: The latest NHL standings

• Nikita Grebenkin wasn’t needed in the Flyers’ lineup after being called up from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley under emergency conditions. Following warmups, he was loaned back to the Phantoms.

The 21-year-old winger has recorded five points (three goals, two assists) over nine games with Lehigh Valley after being acquired by the Flyers in the Scott Laughton trade.

• The Flyers have their final home game of the season Tuesday when they welcome the Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

CHICAGO - Patrick Maroon announced his retirement in March. He did so to Darren Pang during a warmup interview ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks' game against the St. Louis Blues. Maroon is a St. Louis native, and he won the Stanley Cup there, so it was a fitting ending. 

Due to his age and contract situation, there has been speculation about Alec Martinez's future, but he has refused to acknowledge it for a long time. 

Finally, he did precisely what Maroon did and told Pang that he'd retire at the end of this year. The only difference was that he waited until his final game to say something. 

Each player was in the starting lineup for Chicago, who ended up losing to the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 in a shootout. Each of them got their own special video tribute to go with a standing ovation at different points of the game. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xcongrats to the one and only Pat Maroon on an incredible career👏Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xcongratulations to the legendary Alec Martinez on a phenomenal career!👏

Imagine telling a Chicago sports fan 10 years ago that Patrick Maroon and Alec Martinez would receive incredible love from a Blackhawks crowd at their retirement. 

After the game was over, the Jets stayed out to offer handshakes and well wishes to these two players before they hit the showers. Hockey is great for a lot of reasons, but this level of sportsmanship is one of the reasons it's the best. 

NHL (@NHL) on XAll class from the @NHLJets as they pay their respects to Pat Maroon and Alec Martinez. 👏 The two of them announced that tonight would be their final NHL games.

Both Martinez and Maroon won the Stanley Cup three times in their career. Before ending up together in Chicago, their teams had some intense battles over the years in the Western Conference. Now, they were happy to hang them up together. 

"I'm so happy that I got to share with Marty tonight," Maroon said on retiring alongside Martinez and being celebrated by the hometown crowd. 

Coming in, Maroon's retirement was the only topic on everyone's mind when it came to players leaving the game for good. Martinez changed that narrative right before puck drop. 

"If we both have to hang them up, it's pretty cool we could do it together," Martinez said when asked the same question about sharing this night with Maroon. 

The mutual respect between these two teammates is off the charts. It is evident by their embrace right before they left the ice following the kind gesture by Winnipeg.

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xgoodnight Hawks fans❤️

"They're just awesome human beings," said interim head coach Anders Sorensen on Patrick Maroon and Alec Martinez after the game was over. This came after joking about them being in the plans to go during the shootout. You'd have to assume that the shootout went pretty deep if either of them took a shot.  

The Blackhawks have two more games but they are both on the road. Maroon and Martinez will not participate in those matches. Closing out their high-end careers at the same time in front of the home crowd was their loud exit. 

"The future is bright," Maroon said of the Blackhawks going forward. He played a key role in helping some of the young players grow their games both on and off the ice. Having veteran mentors like that is important which made Maroon an important piece to this team. He excelled in that role. 

It's hard to predict Alec Martinez's future in hockey beyond playing. However, it is almost a lock that Maroon will be around the game a lot. Whether that is in hockey ops somewhere or the media side of things, don't worry about never seeing him again. 

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

The New York Rangers announced they have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. 

Robertson recorded one goal and 24 assists in 60 games with Hartford this season. 

The 24-year-old has been a key cog on the Hartford blue line for four seasons, totalling 11 goals and 80 points in 250 career AHL games. 

A second round pick of the Rangers in 2019, Robertson was a highly touted prospect who was never able to crack the Rangers roster despite being recalled multiple times. 

UPDATE: #NYR has recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. pic.twitter.com/giG1uugTFV

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@WolfPackAHL) April 13, 2025

The Edmonton, Alta., native will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. 

The Rangers were officially eliminated from NHL playoff contention yesterday and the Wolf Pack are going to miss the Calder Cup Playoffs, allowing Robertson to gain some experience and make his NHL debut in a low stakes environment. 

Check out The Hockey News' New York Rangers site for more updates on the team. 

The Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon in their 80th game of the season. As of Saturday night, the Sens are pretty much locked in as the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card playoff qualifier. 

After the Montreal Canadiens’ 1-0 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the best the Habs can do is tie Ottawa in the final standings, but they can't catch the Senators in regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker. The Sens can still catch the Panthers for third place, but they'd need to win their last three while Florida wins their last two in regulation.

So, beyond continuing good habits and playing the right way, the Senators have nothing to play for in their final three games. But for winger Nick Cousins, it’s about getting back up to speed. He’s expected to play on Sunday for the first time since his knee injury in January.

The two clubs have split the season series so far. The Flyers took the first meeting, earning a 5–4 overtime win in November. The Senators rebounded with a 5–2 victory in Philadelphia last month. 

The Senators won a feisty 5-2 contest at home on Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens. Shane Pinto scored twice and cracked the 20 goal mark for the second time in his career. Pinto, Ridly Greig, and Michael Amadio, have been fantastic of late on both sides of the puck.

The Sens home record is 25–11–2, and everybody's working for the weekends. They're on a run of 14–2-1 on Saturdays and Sundays. 

The Flyers are enjoying the so-called new coach bump. With a 4–3 shootout win over the New York Islanders on Saturday, they’re 5-1 since the firing of John Tortorella. Brad Shaw has been running the bench in the interim and making a good first impression on GM Daniel Briere. Notably, as a player, Shaw remains the only person to have ever captained both the Ottawa 67s and the Ottawa Senators.

Former Habs first-rounder Ryan Poehling is suddenly playing out of his mind with 13 points in his last 10 games, including 9 since the coaching change.

With the Senators all but clinched as the Wild Card 1 team, they will play the winner of the Atlantic Division and that will now be either Toronto or Tampa Bay. If the Leafs beat Carolina on Sunday night and Tampa loses to Buffalo, we’ll officially have our first Battle of Ontario playoff series in 21 years.

Sunday’s faceoff with the Flyers is at 1 pm.

- Brady Tkachuk: 'I Don’t Think I’d Ever Miss An Opportunity To Play In The Playoffs
- The Five Core Ottawa Senator Players Most Ready To Finally Experience Playoffs
- David Perron Chosen As Ottawa Senators 2025 Masterton Trophy Nominee
- CLINCHED: Ottawa Senators Officially Clinch First Playoff Spot In Eight Years
- From Another November Struggle To The Verge Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Former Ottawa Senators Assistant GM Ray Shero Passes Away At Age 62

NHL Bets to look at following recent news like Hurricanes and Habs getting top prospects, Avalanche to get back Gabe Landeskog

The NHL season is almost over with few games mattering as the playoff picture takes shape and makes great values, harder to find than ever. As we anxiously await the start of the postseason, there is some news around the league that we can look to and find a potential play within the story.

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

Top Prospect Alexander Nikishin joins the Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes have hit a rough patch recently with four straight losses but fans shouldn't worry as they've called for backup. Carolina will get their 2020 third-round pick into the lineup for the first time and the 23-year-old defenceman should make an impact. Over the last three seasons in the KHL, Nikishin has flourished into a must-see talent with impressive offence from the backend that totalled 45 goals and 112 assists for 157 through 193 games.

The 6-foot-4 blueliner has also proven to be a difference-maker when it counts, playing with physicality that should translate to the Stanley Cup playoffs, while also adding subtle offence with 12 points over his last 25 KHL playoff games.

Alexander Nikishin has a lethal one-timer #hockey #boom #carolinahurricanesundefined

Carolina has the second-highest odds to win the East at +330 and once Nikishin makes his impact felt, I predict they will be rolling through their final four games and will drop their odds closer to the top ranked Panthers, who sit with +310 odds.

The Hurricanes bring a wealth of playoff experience, having won a playoff series in each of the past six seasons and securing multiple series victories in two of those years.

Carolina to beat the injury-plagued Devils at -250 is a free win but we would also suggest an early shot at an Eastern Conference championship as the Capitals may be out of gas after helping captain Alex Ovechkin break the all-time goal record plus the Atlantic teams like the Panthers, Bolts and Maple Leafs may feed on each other before making the Conference Finals. Don't wait on the Canes as Nikishin will make sure they look like nothing but Stanley Cup favourites.

Habs Get Russian Superstar Ivan Demidov Early, Expected to Maker Debut Monday Versus Chicago

The Habs have been blazing hot with a 14-5-5 record since the Four Nations break. They've managed to leapfrog several contenders and put themselves in the last Eastern Wild Card spot. Montreal is set up for a first round matchup versus the top seed in the East with the Washington Capitals.

Canadiens top prospect Ivan Demidov terminated his KHL deal & signed with Montreal 👀 (via KHL_eng/X)Canadiens top prospect Ivan Demidov terminated his KHL deal & signed with Montreal 👀 (via KHL_eng/X)✔️ Subscribe to ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/✔️ Get the E...

This could set up for a massive series back in Russia as Ovechkin will line up against the next big Russian star in Montreal's Ivan Demidov, who is joining the team to finish off the season. The 19-year-old winger was the Habs' first round pick this past year, where he was selected fifth overall. He went back to play in Russia's KHL for SKA St. Petersburg, where he recorded almost 50 points in 65 games.

Some experts are calling him the best prospect out of Russia since Ovechkin himself and would make the first round series between Montreal and Washington must-see tv. Demidov's role hasn't been lined out just yet but if he makes his debut Monday, he should be able to take advantage and get on the scoresheet at least once against a Blackhawks defence, that has the second-worst goals against average at 3.57 this season.

Whatever the odds are for a Demidov point, I would suggest taking it as he should have an explosive NHL debut.

Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog On Verge of NHL Return after Long Battle with Injuries

The Aves haven't had their captain in the lineup since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 and since they've struggled without his leadership with one playoff series win over the last two seasons.

Landeskog, 32, has finally returned to the ice this past week after being sidelined for nearly three years with a severe knee injury that require multiple surgeries to repair it.

Some thought he may never play again but he prevailed despite all odds and is now at the AHL with the Colorado Eagles on a conditioning assignment to get the longtime Avalanche captain back up to speed. Colorado is slated for a first-round matchup with the Dallas Stars and should make for a stellar series between the third and fifth-best teams in the West.

The odds are dead even for the series with each team having -110 odds to advance to the second round but when Landeskog makes his return, it'll ignite a fire in the Avalanche locker room that many teams may not be able to handle. It may be wise to get in on them early as they have +500 odds to Western Conference and +850 odds to win the Cup. 

The Florida Panthers sent their faithful followers home happy on Fan Appreciation Night.

Hosting the Buffalo Sabres and missing several key players, Florida showed up well and defeated the visitors 3-2 in a shootout.

It’s been a recurring theme of late for the Panthers to hold players out of the lineup as the team aims to have as healthy of a roster as possible when the postseason begins in about a week.

That hasn’t stopped the Cats from maintaining an overall strong level of play and, more recently, reeling off a few wins in a row.

On that note, let’s get to Saturday’s takeaways:

GOOD WITH WIN

It’s a strange time of the season.

Playoff-bound squads like Florida are prioritizing postseason health and preparedness over going all out for a few more regular season points in the standings.

On the other hand, there are also teams like Buffalo who may be peaking a bit too late, already eliminated from playoff contention but still trying to build some positivity for next season.

The Sabres certainly put up a strong fight on Saturday, but it’s nice for the Panthers that they’ve been able to pile up some points in addition to playing the game the right way.

“We are kind of winding up for the playoffs,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Buffalo was 8-2 coming into this game, they won eight of their last 10 games, and they’ve got lots of offense, so I liked how serious the guys were. It wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but they took their job seriously tonight. I like the professionalism.”

IMPACTFUL NIGHT FOR GADJO

Forward Jonah Gadjovich isn’t generally on the roster every game, and when he does suit up, his ice time is limited as a fourth line player.

That means when he does hear his number called, Gadjovich knows he needs to be consistent to his particular brand of hockey.

Lately, Gadjovich has tapped more frequently as the Panthers have been leaning more on their depth forwards over the past few weeks.

His average ice time has gone up from 7:22 per game in March to 10:34 in six April contests.

On Saturday, Gadjovich made sure to influence the game in his own way, first catching the attention of everyone on either team when he lit up Sabres forward Jiri Kulich with a crushing center ice hit.

Jonah Gadjovich NAILS Jiri Kulich in open ice and the Sabres go after him 😳💥 pic.twitter.com/qrPOhRyzdW

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 12, 2025

Not long after, Buffalo forward Alex Tuch challenged Gadjovich to a fight looking for retribution for the hit, and it did not go well for Tuch.

That’s what Gadjo can do for the Cats. While he may not end up on the scoresheet but finds way to positively effect the game in Florida’s favor.

“Well first of all, he's a tank of a man,” said Maurice. “You run into him, you're going to feel it. He's been a very impactful player here for about a month with our injuries. He's kept the game in a peaceful manner a lot of nights, because he's pretty well respected in league.”

Jonah Gadjovich and Alex Tuch drop gloves after Gadjovich's huge hit earlier in the game 👊 pic.twitter.com/wN1TRXEouH

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2025

PULJUJARVI KEEPS IMPRESSING

Forward Jesse Puljujarvi is turning some heads during his first games in a Panthers sweater.

The former fourth overall pick was signed to an AHL PTO (pro tryout) contract by Florida’s American League affiliate in Charlotte back in early February.

He quickly acclimated himself to Florida’s physically aggressive, defensive systems and in less than a month, earned a two-way deal with the Panthers.

After being called up to the Cats last week, Puljujarvi has played three games with Florida and by all accounts, has fit in extremely well.

The 26-year-old picked up his first goal as a Panther on a sweet one-handed deflection Saturday, and over the three games, he has logged 11 shots and 23 hits while averaging over 13 minutes of ice time.

NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) on XJesse Puljujarvi - Florida Panthers (4)

“He’s a very interesting player,” said Maurice. “I think he's big, clearly he's not afraid to hit. He’s had a whole bunch of them, but not running around for it. He's playing the game, as well. There's some offensive instinct in him. We believe that there's an impactful player there.”

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Things are never easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs, nor should they be. But wherever the Toronto Maple Leafs end up in the standings, their reward will be a first-round opponent who has dummied them this season.

This would have been the year for the Leafs to face the Tampa Bay Lightning since they are 4-0-0 against them, but there's no way that is going to happen now. Whether they finish first or second in the Atlantic Division, they're guaranteed to face either the Florida Panthers or Ottawa Senators. (The Senators could still conceivably catch the Panthers for third in the division if they win out in regulation and the Panthers lose both their remaining games in regulation.)

The problem is, they haven't been particularly good against either of those teams this season. With the exception of a 5-1 blowout loss to the Panthers in November, the Leafs have played both teams pretty closely but have only one win to show for it.

They do have home-ice advantage regardless of whom they face. And they'll need it.

Here's more in today's video column:

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.

Much of the discussion surrounding the 2024-25 Anaheim Ducks has centered on their significant jump in the standings from the previous two seasons.

With three games remaining on their schedule, they have a 35-36-8 record and 78 points in the standings, a 19-point jump from their 2023-24 total and a 20-point jump from their 2022-23 total.

The Ducks are destined to miss out on the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, soon to be the third-longest such streak in the NHL, but this season’s point total has given some hope for the short-term future outlook of the organization.

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report - 04/12

The Ducks acquired Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers on Dec. 6 to boost the on and off-ice culture of the club and provide another veteran presence in a locker room littered with young, exciting talent.

Trouba (31) had spent the previous five seasons as a member of the New York Rangers, only missing the playoffs once and leading them to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, once with an “A” on his chest in 2021-22 and once with a “C” as the organization’s captain a year ago.

He’s been in the playoffs more often than not throughout his 12-year NHL career, split between the Winnipeg Jets, Rangers, and now the Ducks. He is one of a handful of players in the Ducks’ dressing room who understands the lengths it takes a team to realize their ultimate goal of building a sustainable brand of Stanley Cup-contending hockey.

The Ducks lost 6-1 in their most recent matchup with their closest rival, the Los Angeles Kings, on Thursday evening in LA, a game where they were outmatched for the vast majority in all three zones. Following the game, Trouba was asked if his team had turned a corner and was heading in the right direction.

“I don’t know,” Trouba said. “It’s a pretty far back corner if that’s the corner we’re trying to turn. I think there’s a lot more to be had and a lot more we can strive for.”

He was then asked a follow-up question regarding the difference between themselves and a Kings team that sits firmly in second place in the Pacific Division and had just dominated the special teams matchup by scoring three power play goals on six opportunities while surrendering zero to the Ducks on four opportunities.

“The special teams are a big part of that, but I think the battle level,” Trouba continued. “That’s something we can continue to get better at. I think it has gotten better, but there’s still another level we gotta get to.”

As a whole, the Ducks have improved the details of their game this season when compared to seasons past. There haven’t been nearly as many defensive lapses, blown assignments, miscommunications, etc., but they’re still spending far too much time in their own end of the ice where they’re consistently getting hemmed for extended stretches, bleeding shot attempts, and expelling their energy reserves necessary to manufacture counter attacks.

They’re still one of the younger teams in the NHL and their most talented players are all under 25 years old, so winning the amount of games they did will have a natural positive effect on the team’s morale. However, if they truly intend to turn a corner and build on the efforts and strides they’ve taken this season, some significant surgery may be required to their on-ice process to create a more sustainable environment and a style more conducive to the strengths of their brightest talents.

Numbers suggest that with league-average goaltending this season, the Ducks would have suffered a third consecutive season near the bottom of the NHL standings. They also suggest that with the goaltending they did receive coupled with league-average play at 5v5 and on special teams, they’d have been firmly in the playoff picture.

Trouba’s postgame comments on Thursday were one of the few times this season where a member of the Ducks organization has questioned the results and their place in the standings, rebuking the notion that they have turned a corner on their rebuild.

The upcoming offseason will be truly telling on whether the Anaheim front office shares Trouba’s view or whether they bought into the standings jump the team made this season.

Report: Rumored Zegras to Canadiens Trade at 2024 Draft Clarified

Anaheim Ducks Prospect Spotlight: Six Prospects Advance in CHL Playoffs

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the final game of their season series on Sunday. 

On Saturday, the Columbus Blue Jackets dismantled a shorthanded Capitals team missing many of its regulars. The assumption is that Washington will send out its full roster today against Columbus to get complete retribution against the CBJ for the 7-0 drubbing at Nationwide Arena yesterday. 

Although we shouldn't expect the Capitals to put themselves in any situations to cause injuries or suspensions, I fully expect them to come out and hit everything that moves wearing a Columbus jersey. Adam Fantilli should be especially cautious after putting a big, legal hit on Caps rookie Ryan Leonard. The hit sent Leonard to the ice, where he would kneel on all fours as Fantilli would go back down the ice and score. 

With yesterday's win and the Canadiens OT loss, the Jackets were able to stay alive in the wild card race for one more day. With any kind of loss today, though, that dream would be over. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.7% - 22nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 25th in NHL
• Goals For - 254 - 10th - 3.22 GPG - 10th
• Goals Against - 265 - 25th - 3.35 GPG - 27th

Capitals Stats

• Power Play – 23.5% - 13th in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 81.7% - 6th in NHL
• Goals For - 280 – 1st – 3.59 GPG – 1st
• Goals Against – 219 – 9th – 2.72 GPG – 9th

Series History vs. The Capitals

• Columbus is 9-14-4 on the road and 20-26-11 in 57 all-time meetings vs. the Capitals.
• The Jackets are 9-9-4 in the last 22 games vs. Washington.

Who To Watch For The Capitals

• Dylan Strome leads the team with 51 assists and 77 points.
• Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 42 goals. 
• Charlie Lindgren is 19-13-3 with a SV% of .893. 

CBJ Player Notes vs. Capitals

• Boone Jenner has 12 points in 34 career games against Washington.  
• Zach Werenski has 10 points in 24 games.  
• Sean Monahan has 17 points in 23 games against the Capitals. 

Injuries

• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and is out for the season (21 Games) 
• Elvis Merzļikins (upper body) has missed 1 game. 
• Jake Christiansen (upper body) has missed 2 games. 

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 315

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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Will the next few days really mark the end of Brock Boeser’s time with the Vancouver Canucks?

Earlier this week, the sharp-shooting winger who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 updated Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre on the low odds that he’ll re-up with the team that drafted him in 2015. 

“Honestly, it's unlikely at this point,” Boeser said. “It sucks, it's unfortunate.”

The 28-year-old also admitted that he’s currently not in contact with his agent, Ben Hankinson, because he’s trying to concentrate on his game and avoid distractions. 

So he may not be aware of the nugget that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dropped during his Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, saying that the sticking point between the Canucks and Boeser’s camp was term. That may or may not mean that it’s still possible to find common ground, but it does sound like negotiations are ongoing.

At this stage of Boeser’s career, it’s understandable that he’s looking for security. All three of his previous contracts have been three-year durations, and he settled for a relatively small raise on July 1, 2022, when he went from $5.875 million to $6.65 million at a time where he could have elected to file for arbitration and potentially reach UFA status one year sooner than he is.

Just a few months into that deal, both sides were thinking about cutting ties. But a trade never materialized and Boeser went on to have the best year of his career in 2023-24 — hitting 40 goals in the regular season and lighting up the playoffs with a point per game before a blood clot sidelined him for the critical Game 7 of Vancouver’s second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers.

This season, along with nearly everyone on his team, Boeser has dealt with still more adversity. His came in the form of a concussion that sidelined him for seven games and the trade of his long-time center, J.T. Miller.

“Millsy’s such a good playmaker,” Boeser said last fall. “I just go to the net and try to get open.”

Boeser put up 16 goals and 33 points in the 43 games he played with Miller this season. During the eight games that Miller missed due to his personal leave of absence in November, he was also solid, with seven points in eight games. But since Miller’s late-January trade, Boeser has dipped to nine goals and 16 points in 30 games. 

Against the Minnesota Wild at Rogers Arena on Saturday, he was quiet. He logged more than 20 minutes but finished with just three shot attempts, which were all blocked. 

The Canucks are now dealing with so many injuries that they’re making call-ups to replace the call-ups. Down the middle, the original Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil have both been shut down for the year. AHL replacements Nils Aman and Max Sasson were both unavailable for Saturday’s game. So with Pius Suter, Aatu Raty and Teddy Blueger handling duties down the middle, an emergency call had to be placed to Abbotsford on Saturday to summon 22-year-old Ty Mueller, a first-year pro who was drafted in the fourth round in 2023.

For his NHL debut, Mueller slotted straight into the top six, centering Boeser and Jake DeBrusk in what became a 3-2 comeback win in overtime for the Wild.

“We didn’t really help him too much as a line, me and Brock,” DeBrusk candidly admitted after the game. “I wish I could have done more for him, in terms of generating chances.”

Famously, Boeser’s first-ever NHL game also came against the Minnesota Wild, his hometown team. On March 25, 2017, Boeser joined Daniel and Henrik Sedin as part of the starting lineup at Xcel Energy Center. Then, in the second period, he scored his first NHL goal on a tap-in after a rush by Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat.

This day in #Canucks history, March 25, 2017:

Making his NHL debut at home in Minnesota, Brock Boeser scores his first career goal.

🎥: First NHL Goals / YouTube pic.twitter.com/O4JlxrFko6

— Vancouver Canucks History (@canuckshistoryx) March 25, 2025

This season, Boeser hit multiple milestones: 500 games as a Canuck, 400 points and 200 goals. He sits eighth in goals in franchise history, sandwiched between Henrik Sedin and Horvat, and is also eighth in goals among the highly regarded 2015 draft class — impressive for a player who was selected 23rd overall. 

Because Boeser has had one foot out the door so often before, it’s still possible to imagine him finding common ground with the Canucks again. Right now, though, this feels different. 

His status is just one big question that the Canucks will need to work to resolve soon after the curtain drops on this season on Wednesday. 

Rick Tocchet’s future is also up in the air — but Friedman also reported on Saturday that both sides are looking to come to a resolution quickly after the season’s end. And after Quinn Hughes spoke passionately about the positive influence that Tocchet and Adam Foote have had on his game earlier this week, perhaps that bodes well for long-term stability going forward.

That would be a welcome outcome after such a tumultuous year.

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Toronto can win the Atlantic division with a win against Carolina and a Lightning loss on Sunday.

As Mitch Marner fired the puck past Jakub Dobes in overtime on Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the game and clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

After Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki's chance to end the game was stopped by Anthony Stolarz 20 seconds into overtime, Toronto went the other way with numbers.

Marner hopped on for Brandon Carlo, received the puck in Montreal's zone, and found the back of the net for his 98th point of the season.

MAGIC MITCH BREAKS THE ICE IN OVERTIME 🧊

Mitch Marner scores the Subway Canada OT clincher to win it for the Maple Leafs pic.twitter.com/mNNQ3sjMwc

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2025

As this group has often discussed, individual accolades are significant, but team success is paramount. And when the Maple Leafs walk into Carolina's PNC Arena, they're one step closer to locking up the Atlantic division.

With the Tampa Bay Lightning (three games left) and Florida Panthers (two games left) four points behind Toronto in the standings, a Maple Leafs win and a Lightning loss on Sunday would clinch them the division.

"You want to be home as much as you can for the playoffs so it will be great," Marner said Saturday. "It’s always exciting in this barn when playoffs come around."

If both teams win, Toronto can beat one of the Buffalo Sabres or Detroit Red Wings next week to win the Atlantic. For now, though, they'll have home-ice versus whoever they play (likely Ottawa) in the first round.

"I think it’s important to have home ice, but we’re not done yet," head coach Craig Berube said. "We got games yet so we gotta focus on the next game, but it’s a great job by our guys."

Brandon Carlo, although happy to play in Toronto more in the first round, shared a similar sentiment.

"When you’re playing at home, you have a good opportunity, especially going into the later games of the rounds," the defenseman said.

"But overall, you have to have the same mindset regardless that each game matters. It’s not really where it’s played. It’s just taking it one game at a time and focusing on the process rather than the outcome."

There are several reasons why a team would want home-ice advantage. You're at home for longer periods, and you'll have the fans on your side, two of the more important things.

Being on the road, however, can be useful because players can put everyday distractions in the rear-view mirror. Knowing your schedule in round one is key, but the next step is figuring out the opponent, which should come soon.

"I think any time you can lock up, it’s massive, especially going into whoever we’re going to play," Max Domi said on Saturday. "It’s going to be a heck of a battle in the first round, so hopefully our fans are ready to go because we will be for sure."

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LAS VEGAS -- Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar was honored with his first team award in his fifth NHL season with the franchise.

Demonstrating a consistent commitment to the community, the 27-year-old was named the Vegas Strong Service Award winner after Saturday's 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators.

The award is given annually to the player most involved in serving and giving back to the Vegas community, as Kolesar joins the likes of Jack Eichel, Reilly Smith, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore as past recipients of this honor.

Good guy… good guy 😁🔑#VegasBornpic.twitter.com/Mmht6elbMQ

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 13, 2025

"It means a lot," Kolesar said. "This is my second year working with Adams Place. The first year, I just kind of wanted to do something for myself, it wasn't about getting it out there. This year, I think someone caught wind of it, and the message was spread. So, I'll see the positives in that sends a message out to people that this organization is here and kids, maybe, need a little bit of help.

"I'm trying to do is just change someone's life, and for a positive way."

Just before Christmas at the team’s morning skate at City National Arena, Kolesar hosted approximately 50 guests from Adam’s Place, a local Las Vegas non-profit that supports children, teens and families experiencing loss through Camp Cope peer support groups, education and training.

Kolesar, who lost his father to COVID-19, donated two season tickets to allow Adam’s Place members to attend every game at T-Mobile Arena this past season.

He also participated in the design and construction of a KABOOM! Playground, funded by the VGK Foundation at the Donna Street Community Center in North Las Vegas. Kolesar regularly spends time with members of the community at ball hockey clinics or meeting with them after practices or games. He's been a consistent presence at the team’s Holiday Knights of Giving initiatives in December.

Goaltender Adin Hill brought home the team's First Star Award, an honor that came down to Saturday's home finale. Hill won the award after being named one of the game’s three stars 10 times at T-Mobile Arena, including four First Stars. The 28-year-old went 20-6-2 in 28 home starts this season, setting a franchise record for home victories. In just his third season with Vegas, Hill established career bests with 50 games played, 32 wins, a 2.47 goals-against average and four shutouts.

THIS LUCKY FUN IS TAKING ADIN HILL’S JERSEY HOME!! 😄 #VegasBorn | @CircaSportspic.twitter.com/fCbylCKBc1

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 13, 2025

Finally, Brett Howden was awarded the Seventh Player Award, which is given to the player who most exceeded expectations on the ice.

Howden, who was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2016 and has appeared in 429 career games, showed exactly how he's exceeded expectations on Saturday night, continuing a career-best campaign with his 23rd goal of the season. Howden, who also had an assist in the win, matched the total number of goals he had collectively in his first three seasons with the Golden Knights. His 39 points are 16 more than his previous career high. His goal total ranks tied for fourth on the team, while his +15 rating is tied for fourth among Vegas forwards. He also ranks third on the team with 118 hits, second among forwards, another career-high mark.

"I think I gained some confidence, and I just kind of kept rolling with it," Howden said. "I was given a lot of opportunities. With that comes confidence from the coach and I think, I've said it all the time, we're surrounded by such good players here that no matter where you play in the lineup or who you're playing with, you're playing with good players.

"I think it opened my eyes a lot this year to see what I can accomplish."

🎥 Howden: We're surrounded by such good players here, that no matter where you play in the lineup or who you're playing with, you're playing with good players. pic.twitter.com/tIuAPNY2L5

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 13, 2025

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After missing their first opportunity to confirm a playoff berth against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens had another chance against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, but they couldn't seal the deal once again. 

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Kaiden Guhle’s physicality

After the 5-2 defeat in Ottawa, many hoped to see Arber Xhekaj in the Canadiens’ lineup on Saturday night. The gritty blueliner has a knack for landing bone-crushing hits, and the Leafs’ stars are not particularly fond of that style of play. However, lineup decisions are all up to Martin St-Louis and he elected not to use him.

Kaiden Guhle's big hits on McMann and Tavares. #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/WAl3e7G5ar

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 13, 2025

Thankfully for St-Louis, though, Kaiden Guhle was in fine form and was throwing his body around with a purpose. In a single shift, he managed to rock two Leafs players, including John Tavares. That didn’t sit well with Toronto, and Max Domi took exception. After coming on the ice, he went straight to Guhle to ask him to dance instead of getting involved in the play. Both men got fighting majors, but Domi got a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Canadiens couldn’t score on the man advantage, but it was still a good night for Guhle, who bounced back after a tough outing on Friday.

Shooting Is Good But…

The Great One once said that 100% of the shots you don’t take don’t go in, and he was right. The same goes for 100% of the shots you take that don’t make it to the net. After 40 minutes of action, the Canadiens only had seven shots, but they had 37 shot attempts. Some missed the net, some were blocked, but the bottom line is that opening shooting lanes is important.

Even though only seven of those attempts made it on net, according to Natural Stat Trick, scoring chances were 15-8 Montreal, and high-danger shot attempts were 8-6 for them as well through 40 minutes, but the Maple Leafs also had 14 shot blocks. This was a Toronto side playing with only five blueliners, which made it even more impressive.

About Lane Hutson

Much has been written about the rookie defenseman’s offensive game, but tonight, we got yet another example of just how good he can be defensively. In the third frame, he was dispossessed at the Toronto blueline, but he back-checked perfectly, keeping the positioning on Matthew Knies and neutralizing what could have been a scoring chance.

In a tight game with a top team, Hutson played just under 23 minutes tonight, and he was not shielded, just like he hasn’t been all year. He keeps playing big minutes against the best players, and he still finds a way to be a factor.

Jakub Dobes had a fantastic game. He stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced. It wasn’t always pretty, but he was efficient. At one point on the penalty kill, the Leafs were skating around the zone and testing the youngster, who actually spun on himself in the crease, looking very much like a Wayne Gretzky tabletop hockey goaltender.

Jakub Dobes is standing on his head for the Habs tonight 🤯

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/HqZe6mrj1T

— NHL (@NHL) April 13, 2025

The more shots he got, the more confident he looked and I like how aggressive he is in net. He’s not as positionally sound as Carey Price was, far from it, but when he’s on his game, there’s no hesitation in his play. Sometimes, that means he overcommits, and the net can get pushed off its moorings, but nobody should complain as long as the puck stays out.

Despite the loss, this was a great game for the Canadiens. They battled hard, stuck with it, and overcame quite a bit of adversity, including a five-on-three penalty kill that shouldn’t have been, as the coach clearly stated in his post-game presser.

Mike Pezzetta played his 200th game in the NHL last night, and as much as everyone loves the human, it's time to get the player out of the lineup. If there's any kind of accountability under St-Louis, he has to scratch him after the bad holding the stick penalty he took in the third frame. The Leafs couldn't capitalize on the man-advantage, but still enough is enough and with a lineup spot being needed for Ivan Demidov, the gritty forward just made the coach's job easier by putting himself on the chopping block. 

Thanks to the one point collected from that overtime loss, the Detroit Red Wings are now officially eliminated, meaning the Columbus Blue Jackets are the only team that can still catch Montreal. The Habs have a five-point lead over the Jackets, but the Ohio outfit has a game in hand. They will play on Sunday against the Washington Capitals, whom they destroyed 7-0 on Saturday. However, not everyone was dressed for the Caps.

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