With the New York Rangers on the verge of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs entirely, the already deafening noise around head coach Peter Laviolette is beginning to reach a fever pitch.

Laviolette’s Rangers had led the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 and 4-3 on Wednesday night before eventually falling 8-5, virtually eliminating them from playoff contention.

One individual, a name that the Rangers are already intimately familiar with, appears to be gaining traction as a potential Laviolette replacement.

When on the topic of Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw, with just over a minute left in the first period of Wednesday night’s Rangers game, broadcaster John Davidson subtly dropped a key piece of information regarding former Flyers head coach John Tortorella, who was relieved of his duties on March 27.

“By the way, John Tortorella said he wants to coach again because he’s got energy, he loves teaching,” Davidson said. “So, good luck, Torts! We had him in Columbus, and he did a great job for us.”

When Tortorella first took the Flyers’ head coaching job in 2022, he claimed that Philadelphia would be his last stop as an NHL head coach.

But, the 66-year-old likely did not have getting axed with less than a dozen games remaining in his third season on his bingo card. That was sure to leave a sour taste in Tortorella’s mouth, especially knowing the amount of pride he has in his work.

Taking Davidson’s comments one step further, one NHL insider already believes that a Rangers reunion makes the most sense for both Tortorella and the team.

Making a guest appearance on the FlamesNation podcast, TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger says he feels the Rangers are the only logical option for the stoic American coach.

"For me, the New York Rangers are the only team that, right now, makes sense. And the reason I feel like that, and no disrespect to Peter Laviolette, it's because I know that James Dolan, the owner of the New York Rangers, loves John Tortorella,” Dreger postulated.

"That owner has a ton of clout. Let's see what happens. If they miss the playoffs in New York, all bets are off. Maybe Chris Drury has some vote of confidence that he's coming back as general manager, but I can't be sure of that. I don't know that to be certain.

"What I do know is you've got a very hands-on, volatile owner who is not going to sit back and say 'Yeah, okay, status quo, that works. I'm comfortable with the way things are.' He does like John Tortorella, so that would be a scenario that does make some sense."

Tortorella, of course, began his NHL head coaching career with a four-game stint as an interim head coach with the Rangers in 2000, and previously coached parts of five seasons in New York as a full-time head coach, guiding the Rangers to a 171-118-1-29 regular-season record and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance during his time.

If the two-time Jack Adams Award winner is looking for a veteran team with established stars and a full-circle moment to close out his career, there’s no better place to do it than in New York with the Rangers.

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The Winnipeg Jets will play their final road game of the regular season against the 31st-ranked Chicago Blackhawks.

The Jets have defeated the Blackhawks in their two previous meetings this season, winning the first matchup 2-1 in overtime and the second 4-2. The Central Division foes haven't played one another since Dec. 7, 2024.

The Jets enter tonight's game after dominantly beating the Dallas Stars and are now just a point away from clinching the Central Division and first place in the Western Conference. A win or an overtime loss will confirm their spot. 

If the Jets can clinch their spot at the top, they likely won't know their opponent until the final game of the regular season. The St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild are tied with 93 points, each with two games remaining. The Wild currently hold the tiebreaker with two more regulation wins, meaning if the standings do not change, the Jets will face the Blues in the opening round of the playoffs. 

The Blackhawks are once again one of the worst teams in hockey. They have the second-worst goal differential (-71) and the second-fewest wins. Tonight's opportunity is one that needs to be taken by the Jets. 

Puck drop is at 6:00 PM CST at the United Center.

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

Foerster buries a few more goals as Flyers beat Islanders in shootout originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyson Foerster stayed hot with two goals and the Flyers picked up a 4-3 shootout win Saturday afternoon over the Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center.

Bobby Brink won it in the skills competition after four Flyers came up empty.

The Flyers lost a 3-2 lead when Bo Horvat scored with 1:01 minutes left in regulation.

Jakob Pelletier also found the back of the net for the Flyers. His goal tied the game at 2-2 in the third period. The 24-year-old has recorded a point in six of the last seven games.

Foerster then delivered the go-ahead 3-2 goal. He has five goals through the last two games after scoring a hat trick Wednesday night in the Flyers’ 8-5 win at Madison Square Garden.

Owen Tippett collected assists on the two third-period goals Saturday.

“I thought we had a good team effort there in the third,” Foerster said.

The Flyers (33-37-9) improved to 5-1-0 under interim head coach Brad Shaw, a stretch in which they’ve scored 28 goals. They have three games to go.

The Flyers went to overtime for the 21st time this season. They’re 12-9 after regulation.

They split their four-game regular-season series with the Islanders (34-33-12).

• Foerster’s first goal was on the power play and it opened the game’s scoring in the second period.

The 23-year-old winger has eight markers in the last six games and 24 on the season after putting up 20 as a rookie last year.

“I like how he earns his success, I like how he doesn’t cheat to get his success,” Shaw said. “That’s not an easy thing to do on a regular basis. A real good sign from a young guy that’s showing he’s going to be a good pro and a good player for a long time.”

Matvei Michkov registered an assist on Foerster’s power play tally, giving him a 60-point rookie season.

More: How Michkov embraced a ‘boring process’ to become an even greater scorer

• Samuel Ersson saw his first start since last Saturday and converted 37 saves on 40 shots.

The 25-year-old denied Horvat, Maxim Tsyplakov, Simon Holmstrom, Tony DeAngelo and Kyle Palmieri in the shootout.

“I thought he was good all game,” Shaw said. “I loved him in the shootout, he had a little bit of swagger. I like that, when we see that from Sam, it usually bodes well for how many pucks he’s going to stop.”

New York erased a 1-0 deficit with second-period goals from Anders Lee and Noah Dobson. Lee’s marker came on the power play as Cam York was hit with a high-sticking penalty. Dobson’s tally was after the Flyers turned the puck over entering the offensive zone.

Islanders netminder Marcus Hogberg stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 22 shots.

• With the win, the Flyers moved a point ahead of the Kraken and into No. 6 for the 2025 NHL draft lottery odds. Seattle has two games left, with one late tonight at home against the Blues.

The Flyers are one point back of the Sabres, who visit the Panthers tonight.

• The Flyers are right back at it Sunday when they visit the Senators (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

They’ve had a nightmarish time in the second game of back-to-back sets, going 1-10-1 while being outscored 52-29. 

Foerster buries a few more goals as Flyers beat Islanders in shootout originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyson Foerster stayed hot with two goals and the Flyers picked up a 4-3 shootout win Saturday afternoon over the Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center.

Bobby Brink won it in the skills competition after four Flyers came up empty.

The Flyers lost a 3-2 lead when Bo Horvat scored with 1:01 minutes left in regulation.

Jakob Pelletier also found the back of the net for the Flyers. His goal tied the game at 2-2 in the third period. The 24-year-old has recorded a point in six of the last seven games.

Foerster then delivered the go-ahead 3-2 goal. He has five markers through the last two games after scoring a hat trick Wednesday night in the Flyers’ 8-5 win at Madison Square Garden.

“You can tell he’s a goal scorer,” Samuel Ersson said. “You see that he’s one of the toughest guys to stop in practice.”

Owen Tippett collected assists on the two third-period goals.

“I thought we had a good team effort there in the third,” Foerster said.

The Flyers (33-37-9) improved to 5-1-0 under interim head coach Brad Shaw, a stretch in which they’ve scored 28 goals. They have three games to go.

“I think for everybody, we’re still trying to work on our own games, trying to get better, I think that’s a huge part of it,” Ersson said. “As a team, having some pride, playing for the Flyers’ logo and knowing that we’re trying to do something good here with the games we have left.”

The Flyers went to overtime for the 21st time this season. They’re 12-9 after regulation.

They split their four-game regular-season series with the Islanders (34-33-12).

• Foerster’s first goal was on the power play and it opened the game’s scoring in the second period.

The 23-year-old winger has eight markers in the last six games and 24 on the season after putting up 20 as a rookie last year.

“I like how he earns his success, I like how he doesn’t cheat to get his success,” Shaw said. “That’s not an easy thing to do on a regular basis. A real good sign from a young guy that’s showing he’s going to be a good pro and a good player for a long time.”

Matvei Michkov registered an assist on Foerster’s power play tally, giving him a 60-point rookie season.

More: How Michkov embraced a ‘boring process’ to become an even greater scorer

• Ersson saw his first start since last Saturday and converted 37 saves on 40 shots.

The 25-year-old denied Horvat, Maxim Tsyplakov, Simon Holmstrom, Tony DeAngelo and Kyle Palmieri in the shootout.

“I thought he was good all game,” Shaw said. “I loved him in the shootout, he had a little bit of swagger. I like that, when we see that from Sam, it usually bodes well for how many pucks he’s going to stop.”

New York erased a 1-0 deficit with second-period goals from Anders Lee and Noah Dobson. Lee’s marker came on the power play as Cam York was hit with a high-sticking penalty. Dobson’s tally was after the Flyers turned the puck over entering the offensive zone.

Islanders netminder Marcus Hogberg stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 22 shots.

• With the win, the Flyers moved a point ahead of the Kraken and into No. 6 for the 2025 NHL draft lottery odds. Seattle has two games left, with one late tonight at home against the Blues.

The Flyers are one point back of the Sabres, who visit the Panthers tonight.

• The Flyers are right back at it Sunday when they visit the Senators (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

They’ve had a nightmarish time in the second game of back-to-back sets, going 1-10-1 while being outscored 52-29. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been getting a lot of help from the hockey gods lately.

The first time they faced elimination, they pulled out a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres to stay alive. Then last night, they got the help they needed—thanks to the Ottawa Senators beating the Montreal Canadiens, they're still in it.

But staying alive another day also means facing elimination again.

Here’s the scenario for today:

The Canadiens will clinch a playoff spot and eliminate the Blue Jackets if any of the following happen:

(a) They beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in regulation (b) They win in overtime or a shootout and the Blue Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals (c) They collect a point and the Blue Jackets lose (d) They win in overtime or a shootout and the Blue Jackets lose in overtime or a shootout

There’s a lot of moving parts here, but the simplest path is this: the Blue Jackets need to beat the Capitals, and hope the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens.

If everything goes their way, they'll live to fight another day—and get a rematch with the Capitals tomorrow with their season still alive.

Columbus Blue Jackets (81 pts) vs. Washington Capitals (109 pts) Game PreviewThe Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the first of back-to-back games this weekend, today at 12:30 PM. Columbus Blue Jackets Lines, Defensive Pairings, & Scratches For Tonight's Game vs. Washington Capitals The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the first of back-to-back games this weekend, today at 12:30 PM. Columbus Blue Jackets Injury UpdateJust when the Columbus Blue Jackets thought they had turned the corner in terms of injuries, the injury bug has bitten again. 

After taking on the Ottawa Senators on Friday, the Montreal Canadiens will jump back into the action on Saturday night when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The hosts should be well rested, as they played their last game on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, they will need all their energy since they may be forced to play with only five defensemen.

Three Takeaways From A Missed Opportunity
Canadiens: Demidov Has Landed And May Be Perfect For St-Louis
Canadiens: Where Does Demidov Slot In?

With Jake McCabe already injured, Craig Berube confirmed after practice on Friday that Oliver Ekman-Larsson would miss Saturday night’s game against the Habs. The Toronto outfit will be forced to play a defenseman down, thanks to roster limitations and cap rules.

Saturday night’s duel will be the fourth and final matchup between the two teams; the Canadiens won the first game 1-0 in October, while Toronto won 4-1 in November and 7-3 in January. The Leafs have also won seven of the last ten meetings and three of their previous four games, while the Canadiens are still reeling from their first loss in seven games.

Samuel Montembeault was in the net last night, and Martin St-Louis has already confirmed that Jakub Dobes will be facing the Leafs for the first time in his young career. In 15 games this season, the youngster has a 7-4-2 record with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

As for the Leafs, Anthony Stolarz is 3-2-0 in 5 games with a GAA of 2.78 and a .910 SP versus the Canadiens, while Joseph Woll has never lost against the visitors; he’s 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA and a .942 SP.

If you were still hoping to see Ivan Demidov take his first strides as a Canadiens against the Leafs, forget it. The coach has already said it’s not happening. It will be interesting to see if St-Louis does make some changes to his lineup, given Friday night’s 5-2 loss and the fact that this is the tail end of a back-to-back. He should, however, put on the Canadiens’ jersey for Saturday morning’s optional skate.

Canadiens with 34+ points in a 22-game span since 1960:

— Nick Suzuki (active)
— Stéphane Richer (1990)
— Steve Shutt (1976)
— Guy Lafleur (1975, 1976)
— Bernie Geoffrion (1961)

Elite company. pic.twitter.com/EPUcwlmCAV

— Canadiens Muse (@Canadiens_Muse) April 11, 2025

It will be interesting to see if St-Louis tinkers with his lineup. Michael Pezzetta had a tough fight on Friday night and looked worse for wear. Perhaps an opportunity to bring Emil Heineman back in the lineup if he’s ready to go after the injury that made him day-to-day. It could be a good idea for Arber Xhekaj to reintegrate the defense corps. The Leafs aren’t overly physical, and some of their forwards can think twice before engaging in brutal board battles.

The Canadiens will have another opportunity to book their playoffs spot on Saturday night, but if they hope to, they’ll need a better contribution from their top line. In 27 games against the Leafs, captain Nick Suzuki has 22 points to his name, second only to Brendan Gallagher, who has 23 in 46 duels. Josh Anderson takes the third spot with 17 points in 36 tilts, while Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine have 13 points in 15 and 14 games, respectively. Suzuki currently has a seven-game point streak; he’s put up 13 points in that span.

As for the Leafs, John Tavares leads in points production against Montreal with 51 points in 58 games, followed by captain Auston Matthews, who has 46 points in 36 games, Mitch Marner with 38 points in 39 games, and William Nylander, who has 31 in 35 duels. Needless to say, the Canadiens need to stop the big four to win.

Montreal will need to have a good start if they want to prevail. Toronto is quite stingy in the first period, allowing only 68 games this season. Their worst defensively is the third, in which they’ve given up 84 goals on the year, which is good news for Martin St-Louis’ men who usually have a strong third.

The Habs have played 384 games in Toronto and have a 139-194-45-6 record away from home against the old enemy. With an assist tonight, Suzuki could join Chris Chelios as the 36th most prolific passer in franchise history with 237. Speaking of the former blueliner, Lane Hutson remains on the verge of breaking his record for most points by a Canadiens rookie defenseman. Meanwhile, with three games left to play, sniper Cole Caufield is on 37 goals, while the team’s main objective remains to qualify for the playoffs, getting the right winger to 40 lamplighters would be quite the milestone, something Montreal hasn’t seen since Vincent Damphousse did it in 1993-94.

The Canadiens will head back home after the game. They have a date with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night for what should be Demidov’s NHL debut. Something tells me the Bell Centre crowd will be deafening for that rookie lap.

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

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Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

As the Toronto Maple Leafs inch closer to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s cautious optimism surrounding the status of the return of defenseman Jani Hakanpaa — but no guarantees.

The 6-foot-7 blueliner, who hasn’t played an NHL game since November 16 against the Edmonton Oilers, continues to skate with the team and move forward in his recovery from a lingering knee injury. On Friday, Hakanpaa took reps with the third defensive pair at practice, replacing the absent Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe.

“Pretty good spot right now, been making some good improvements. Getting back out there with the guys has been good,” said Hakanpaa after practice. “Slowly working our way towards playing again here.”

#Leafs lines during practice Apr. 11/25

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Jarnkrok-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Robertson
Holmberg-Laughton-Lorentz
Pacioretty

Rielly-Carlo
Benoit-Tanev
Hakanpaa (LTIR)-Myers
Absent: OEL, McCabe (injuired)

Stolarz, Woll@BodogCA

— David Alter (@dalter) April 11, 2025

Hakanpaa was filling the void at Friday’s practice, but the Leafs are forced to go with five defensemen on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs do not have any salary cap room ($195,333) to call up an additional player with Jake McCabe (undisclosed) injured and forward David Kampf still out with an upper-body injury – as well as the new undisclosed injury to Ekman-Larsson.

The 33-year-old underwent minor knee surgery earlier this season in hopes of returning for the second half. He was officially placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on December 2, and despite steady progress over the past month – skating before or with the Leafs at practice – he remains ineligible to return.

Why The Maple Leafs Will Dress 5 Defensemen Against The Canadiens On SaturdayThe Toronto Maple Leafs will likely dress one player short when they host the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

Asked if he could suit up come playoff time, Hakanpaa remained hopeful but noncommittal.

“That’s a tough one to kind of say anything really,” Hakanpaa explained. “It’s been trending really good in the gym and on the ice, off the ice, everything. Hopefully, we'll get there; we’ll see.”

Head coach Craig Berube offered little clarity when asked about the status of both Hakanpaa and forward Max Pacioretty, who is also recovering from an injury, for the postseason.

“That I don’t know. I don’t have that answer for you. They’re still working away through things, so that’s all I know on that,” said Berube.

Back on April 1, Berube was slightly more optimistic about the outlook, noting that both players were actively working toward being healthy.

“It’s good that they’re out there,” Berube said at the time. “They’ve been working with our development crew and people back here skating and trying to get healthy. Hopefully, they can get healthy and be part of the team at some point.”

‘It’s Good That They’re Out There’: Max Pacioretty, Jani Hakanpaa, Return To Maple Leafs Practice Amid Long-Term Injury Absence The Toronto Maple Leafs returned to practice at Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday following their three-game California road trip, preparing for a divisional matchup against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

Hakanpaa has had an up-and-down year, only suiting up for two games with the Maple Leafs this season and logging two conditioning stints with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies — going pointless in all four outings. He was initially named to Team Finland’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off but was forced to withdraw due to his recovery progress.

“It’s been up and down, highs and lows. It has the good parts to it, too,” said Hakanpaa of the season. “You just have to enjoy the little victories every day. Something feels really good; you can improve on something and really take a lot of joy in that.”

“Obviously, it’s been trying, but just trying to keep that positive mindset and cheer the boys on as much as I can when they’ve been here,” he added.

'I Don't Have A Timeline': Jani Hakanpaa Will Not Play For Finland At 4 Nations Sparking More Questions About His NHL FutureHakanpaa hasn't played since Nov. 16 and had a second knee procedure in early December.

As for how he’s feeling now, the Finnish defender says it’s a mix of good days and ongoing issues still preventing him from returning to full speed.

“It’s a little bit of both,” Hakanpaa admitted. There are a few things still there that I’d like to be a little better feeling on the ice, and other than that, just stringing good days together. Adding a little more load every day, adding a little more here and there, and then trying to string those good days, and make them good weeks into good months.”

Whether Hakanpaa gets a shot at playoff action remains to be seen. For now, he remains on the outside looking in, but seems to be trending in the right direction. However, a clear timeline has yet to come to the surface.

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

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the first of back-to-back games this weekend, today at 12:30 PM.

The Blue Jackets survived another day after the Montréal Canadiens were beaten by the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. 

Today, the CBJ and Caps will play the first game of a home-and-home back-to-back, and the Jackets need to win the games. The Canadiens play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, so if the Jackets can get past the Caps, and the Leafs can beat the Habs, the CBJ will survive until Sunday. 

Just win, baby! 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.7% - 22nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 25th in NHL
• Goals For - 247 - 11th - 3.17 GPG - 11th
• Goals Against - 265 - 26th - 3.40 GPG - 27th

Capitals Stats

• Power Play – 23.7% - 12th in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 81.6% - 6th in NHL
• Goals For - 280 – 1st – 3.59 GPG – 1st
• Goals Against – 212 – 8th – 2.72 GPG – 9th

Series History vs. The Capitals

• Columbus is 10-12-6 at home and 19-26-11 in 56 all-time meetings vs. the Capitals.
• The Jackets are 8-9-4 in the last 21 games at Capital One Arena. 

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 33 career games against Washington.  
• Zach Werenski has 9 points in 23 games.  
• Sean Monahan has 15 points in 22 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 Merzlikins (upper body) has missed 1 game. 

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 312

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on ABC, ESPN+. Sean McDonough will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on  93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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After a couple of days off, the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. They had an opportunity to officially punch their ticket for the Spring dance and sweep their Ontarian rivals. Unfortunately for Martin St-Louis, it became apparent that neither would happen early on.

Canadiens: Demidov Has Landed And May Be Perfect For St-Louis
Canadiens: Where Does Demidov Slot In?
Jacob Fowler Wins Richter Award

Learning To Win Is One Thing, But Learning To Be Ready Is Just As Important

The Canadiens had six wins in a row before Friday night’s game, but there’s one part of their game that they can never seem to get right: being ready for puck drop. St-Louis won’t complain that his team has developed a knack for third-period comebacks, but he must be fuming about those late starts as evidenced by his use of the word "unacceptable" when asked about yet another late start.

So far this season, the Canadiens have scored 64 goals in the first period and given up 82. They've given up 81 in the second and 83 in the third, so the issue is not how many they give up but how many they score. They put up 78 in the second and 84 in the third. Whatever the problem is, it must be addressed, and the sooner, the better. Since their previous game in Ottawa in February, the Canadiens have been outscored 17-7 in the first frame and only once they managed to keep their opponent from scoring in the first 20 minutes. 

The fact that they were unable to pull off the third-period comeback against the Sens is not a bad thing. It is much better to get this stern warning in the regular season than in the playoffs, which they will likely make, even though they could not seal the deal in this game. The coach often tells us that a considerable part of his job is selling his game plan to the players; this 5-2 loss will be a good selling point.

The Captain Since The Break

Since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Nick Suzuki has scored 35 points in 23 matches, four game-winning goals, at least two points in 11 of the 23 games, and has contributed to 47% of the Canadiens’ goals.

In Friday’s game, he scored his 29th goal of the season, leaving him one short of hitting 30 for a second season in a row. His career high is 33, which he hit last year. While he did end the game with a minus-three rating, and his line was dominated by Shane Pinto's unit, it's hard to criticize Suzuki, given how he has carried this team on his back for the last couple of months.

Séquence de 7 matchs avec au moins un point pour Nick 🔥

7-game point streak#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/O8uV9qDWKq

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 12, 2025

The fact that he went to his GM to plead the team’s case as the trade deadline was approaching shows great leadership. He will have earned even more respect from his teammates by not only doing this but also rising to the challenge given by Kent Hughes.

Time For A Change?

With this loss, perhaps it’s time for St-Louis to reintegrate Arber Xhekaj into the lineup. Sometimes, a big hit can bring a team to its senses. We’ll never know if it could have made a difference tonight, but we know that the gritty defenseman is eager to return.

Jayden Struble was the blueliner with the least ice time in the game and was guilty of two giveaways. If St-Louis does decide to make a change, he’ll be the most likely candidate for a night off. David Savard could probably use the rest, but his role on the penalty kill is crucial, and until the playoff spot is official, I wouldn’t be surprised if the coach felt he had to keep him.

While Michael Pezzetta has some limitations as a hockey player, he has none in the heart and dedication department. For a second time this week, he dropped the gloves to wake his team up. He struggled at the start of the fight but came out on top, doing what he could to pump up his teammates.

If Emil Heineman is ready for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he should be inserted into the lineup. He applies excellent forecheck and can also contribute offensively.

The Habs will need to turn the page quickly and, as the coach often says himself, focus on what’s next.

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

The Vancouver Canucks (37-29-13) kick off their final homestand of the season when they battle the Minnesota Wild (43-30-7) on Saturday night. While Vancouver has already been eliminated from playoff contention, they could deal a significant blow to the Wild's post-season chances if they can defeat Minnesota in regulation. Through two games this season, the Canucks are 1-0-1 against the Wild, which includes a 3-1 win at Rogers Arena back in early March.

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While he isn't scheduled to start, Saturday will be an opportunity for fans in Vancouver to honour one of the greatest goalies in NHL history, Marc-André Fleury. "Flower" is scheduled to retire at the end of the year, which would conclude a historic 21-season career. A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, do not be surpised if the Canucks players line up to shake his hand at the end of the game.

Players to Watch:

Kiefer Sherwood:

Saturday night could be a historic one for Kiefer Sherwood. He is four hits away from becoming the first player in NHL to throw 450 hits in a season and a goal away from his first 20-goal campaign in the NHL. One of the best signings by any team from the 2024 off-season, fans should expect to see a feisty Sherwood on the ice Saturday night.

Kirill Kaprizov:

After missing the majority of the season due to an injury, Kirill Kaprizov is back and ready for the playoffs. Minnesota's first-line winger has 55 points in 39 games and has developed into one of the most dangerous wingers in the NHL. With his team fighting for a playoff spot, do not be surprised if Kaprizov puts together an offensive performance to remember against Vancouver.

Vancouver Canucks (37–29–13):
Last 10: 5–4–1

Quinn Hughes: 16–58–74
Brock Boeser: 25–24–49
Conor Garland: 19–30–49
Jake DeBrusk: 26–20–46
Pius Suter: 24–21–45

Minnesota Wild (43–30–7):
Last 10: 3-5-2

Matt Boldy: 26-45-71
Marco Rossi: 24-36-60
Kirill Kaprizov: 25-30-55
Mats Zuccarello: 18-33-51
Frédérick Gaudreau: 18-19-37

Game Information: 

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT 
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650

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In a season full of lows for the Pittsburgh Penguins, there have been some bright spots.

And their top players have one of them.

On Friday, the Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit and scored four unanswered goals to defeat the New Jersey Devils, 4-2. And their top players led the way.

Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two points, Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner, and Bryan Rust set a new career-high when he scored his 29th goal of the season on the empty net in the waning minutes of the third period. Newly recalled forward Valtteri Puustinen also added a power-play goal.

It was quite the night for the big guys. And Rust continues to prove why he's one of the more underrated wingers in the game.

"For me, it's special," Rust said of setting his new career-high in goals. "Obviously, the team success is first, and you want to win games, win championships. But, second to that is personal success, so anytime you can hit new milestones and get new career-highs - especially after 10 years - that kind of means you're probably doing something right."

The Devils got off to a great start in this one. They scored their first goal just 15 seconds into the game, when forward Erik Haula managed to get behind the Penguins' defense for a breakaway opportunity and didn't miss. They went up 2-0 just six minutes later on an Ondrej Palat goal just after the expiration of a Devils' power play.

"We didn't have the start that we wanted," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "That's hockey. What I loved about tonight was the resilience, or the certain resolve, where we didn't let it snowball. And it could have."

But, as Sullivan said, it didn't snowball - and a lot of that had to do with the Penguins' power play. 

Penguins' Crosby On Pace To Become Sixth Player To Score 90 Points At 37 Or OlderPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on the cusp of NHL history (again). With 87 points in 77 games, he's just three points shy of 90 for the season, possibly three consecutive seasons of reaching the plateau.

After Malkin cut the Devils' lead to one before the end of the first period, the Penguins got a quick power play opportunity at the beginning of the second when Devils defenseman Brett Pesce went off for hooking. Following some solid movement on the man advantage, Malkin threw the puck toward the net, and it hit Puustinen on the way in. That goal tied the game at 2-2. 

Then, in the third period, Crosby took advantage of a high-sticking penalty by former Penguin Cody Glass, who was dealt to New Jersey at the trade deadline. Solid, simple puck movement was, again, at the forefront of the tally, as power play quarterback Matt Grzelcyk distributed a crisp pass to Rust, who found Crosby on the back door to give the Penguins the 3-2 lead. 

Rust added the insurance empty-netter after, but it was the power play - now ranked seventh in the league after scoring in six straight games - that earned the Penguins the clean two points.

The man advantage has been another bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season from the Penguins. 

 "I think we're just playing really simple," said Grzelcyk, whose two points on the night put him just two shy of hitting 40 on the season. "We're really effective moving the puck, and we kind of don't really have one set play that we like to run. We're getting all five guys involved. And I thought we did a good job of that tonight, just kind of spreading them out, getting them on the run a little bit... and then plays open up from there."

It also helps the power play when the team's stars are shining through. And, despite the situation the Penguins find themselves in - missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season - every guy in the room knows that the team has a lot to play for.

And it starts with the collection of future hall-of-famers in that locker room.

"We're not onto the playoffs, but we have a lot of pride on the line," Grzelcyk said. "We want to build something for years to come. There's so many great players who have played here for a long time, and we owe to them to keep battling and not give up on the season. I think we've done a good job of that ever since we've been eliminated."

Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.

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The final homestand of the regular season continues on Saturday for the Florida Panthers.

So far, Florida has reeled off a pair of victories against two solid clubs, the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs and playoff hopeful (but not likely) Detroit Red Wings.

Now the Cats will prepare to face a Buffalo Sabres squad that, while already eliminated from playoff contention, has been playing their best hockey of the season.

Buffalo’s loss in Columbus on Thursday snapped a season-best five-game winning streak. The Sabres are 8-2-0 over their past 10, with both defeats coming on the road.

In fact, Buffalo’s last six losses have all come away from home. Their last loss on home ice was all the way back on March 4.

It was a hell of a run that pulled the Sabres out of the Eastern Conference basement and pulled them in with the teams on the outside of the playoff race.

The effort will end up being filed in the too little, too late department, but perhaps the young Sabres will be able to use their strong finish to show up in the fall with a more inspired start to next season.

Surely a win against the defending Stanley Cup Champions would help fuel that kind of mindset, but the Panthers are also playing well of late.

Despite only winning their past two, Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice has made it clear that he’s been pleased with how his team has been performing over the past several weeks.

That should be particularly pleasing for Panthers fans due to the amount of players in and out of the lineup lately.

Don’t be surprised to see that kind of roster management continue as Maurice has said he’s prioritizing getting his team healthy for the playoffs.

Additionally, Florida closes out the regular season with three games in four nights, so load management should be expected.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday's dustup with Detroit:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Tomas Nosek – Evan Rodrigues

A.J. Greer – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist

Gus Forsling – Nate Schmidt

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Jaycob Megna – Uvis Balinskis

Scratches: Sam Bennett, Jonah Gadjovich, Jesse Puljujarvi, Dmitry Kulikov, Rasmus Asplund, Matt Kiersted

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The San Jose Sharks skated as well as they could with the Edmonton Oilers but lost their eighth straight game 4-2 on Friday night.

Edmonton lost Mattias Ekholm and Zach Hyman to injuries during the game. Evan Bouchard, Ty Emberson, Connor Brown and Corey Perry scored for the Oilers, and Connor McDavid had four assists. Calvin Pickard made 22 saves.

Will Smith scored his fifth goal in the last five games, and Henry Thrun scored for the Sharks. Jan Rutta returned from a 27-game injury absence, and Georgi Romanov made 30 saves.

San Jose's penalty troubles failed them once again as they gave up two power-play goals and took five penalties overall.

Bouchard gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 6:47 of the first period.

Bouch be bombin' 💣 #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/iiG04zVOmy

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 12, 2025

Emberson made it a 2-0 lead with a goal against his former team at 15:41.

Edmonton goal!

Scored by Ty Emberson with 04:19 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.

Edmonton: 2
San Jose: 0#SJSvsEDM#LetsGoOilers#TheFutureIsTealpic.twitter.com/j21g8Rue1A

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 12, 2025

Smith cuts the lead in half with a wrist-shot through Pickard at 17:13.

Beautiful, beautiful play. 👌 pic.twitter.com/tQESNCzz7J

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 12, 2025

Thrun throws a puck to the front, and the puck deflects off Darnell Nurse and into the net at 5:42 of the second period to make it 2-2.

Put it to the net and good things happen. 👏#TheFutureIsTealpic.twitter.com/sZ309MEwJd

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 12, 2025

Perry's power-play goal at 7:32 of the third period gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead.

17 for Scorey 🪱 #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/GzeX7df2Tx

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 12, 2025

Brown added an empty net goal with 25.5 seconds left to close it out.

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The Ottawa Senators were in full prevention mode on Friday night. They prevented the Montreal Canadiens from extending their six-game winning streak, from clinching a playoff spot, and from sweeping their season series four straight.

With the building half full of Canadiens fans, it was a satisfying result for the Ottawa faithful. 

The Senators defeated the Canadiens 5–2 at Canadian Tire Centre. Shane Pinto led the way with a goal to open the game and another to end it.

"Yeah, I thought we just got on them quick," Pinto told the media. "We got behind them, forechecked their D. I think that's been our M.O. all year and got 2 quick goals from it and it obviously set us up for a pretty good game."

The Senators outshot the Canadiens 33–22 on the night. The other goals came from Ridly Greig, Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. Michael Amadio had two assists.

The Senators got busy early in this one—just 28 seconds into the game. Pinto parked himself in front of Montreal's net and buried a nice centering pass from Greig. Both Greig and Amadio did some great forechecking to set up the opportunity. That line was outstanding all night.

Less than four minutes later, Cozens scored his first goal in 10 games, going hard to the net and burying a rebound after a shot from the point by Nikolas Matinpalo.

At that stage of the game, Brendan Gallagher decided it was a good time to settle old scores with Tim Stützle, whom he once very publicly accused of diving. The 5-foot-9 Gallagher tried to goad Stützle into a fight, but the young German wasn't having it. For his antics, Gallagher did nothing more than force his teammates to kill off a penalty.

The Sens struck again in the second. This time it was Greig parked in front of Montreal’s net. He took a pass from Amadio and buried it to make it 3–0 Ottawa.

The Senators, however, had a hard time making a three-goal lead stick on this night. Just over a minute later, Christian Dvorak got the Canadiens on the board. Tyler Kleven got too aggressive, pinching in the neutral zone while his partner, Matinpalo, was going off for a change. Dvorak took advantage, got a breakaway pass, and beat Linus Ullmark.

Batherson restored the lead, tipping home a shot from Thomas Chabot—but it was short-lived. Nick Suzuki picked up a loose puck in the slot after it was mishandled by Matinpalo. Suzuki, with 12 points in his last six games, was the wrong guy to give the right chance. He beat Ullmark to cut the lead to 4–2.

Ottawa didn’t get much offensive zone time in the third, but they also did a good job of limiting any chances around Ullmark. The Habs had just 4 shots in the final period.

With the goalie pulled, Lane Hutson sent an errant pass to the front of Ottawa’s net, right onto Nick Jensen’s stick. Jensen banked a long lead pass off the boards that Pinto caught up to and buried into an empty net for the dagger—ensuring Montreal would not clinch a playoff spot on this night, nor would they sweep the Senators this season.

The victory all but clinches the first wild-card spot for the Senators, who are now five points ahead of the Canadiens with just three games left. Ottawa’s next game will be Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM, as they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from two goals down and beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Friday night.

Bryan Rust also had a goal and an assist, Valtteri Puustinen also scored and Matt Grzelcyk had two assists for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry finished with 27 saves as Pittsburgh won for the third time in four games.

Erik Haula and Ondrej Palat scored for the Devils, and Jake Allen had 17 saves. The Devils have lost two straight after a three-game win streak.

Haula got the Devils on the scoreboard on a breakaway just 15 seconds into the game, and Palat made it 2-0 at 6:17.

Malkin scored for the Penguins with 3:50 remaining in the first, his 30th career goal against the Devils. It was also No. 514 for his career, passing Jeremy Roenick for 42nd place in NHL history.

Puustinen tied it with a power-play goal at 1:05 of the second, Crosby’s power-play goal with 6:39 to play in the third put the Penguins ahead, and Rust added an empty-netter with 36 seconds remaining.

Takeaways

Penguins: Pittsburgh went 2 for 4 on the power play, scoring with the man advantage for the sixth straight game — the team’s longest streak since a 10-game run in 2022.

Devils: New Jersey entered the game third in the NHL on the power play, but went 0 for 3 while managing just four shots in those chances.

Key moment

Crosby gave the Penguis the lead in the third period as he scored his 32nd goal of the season from one knee after he took a pass from Rust at the right post, where he was unguarded.

Key stat

Jarry stopped 19 straight shots after giving up two goals in the first period.

Up next

Penguins host Boston on Sunday, and Devils host the New York Islanders to finish a five-game homestand.