After the Ottawa Senators' 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, Sens goalie Linus Ullmark was, predictably, made available to the local media.

Ullmark probably wasn't in the best of moods after the loss, particularly after the winning goal by Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov. The third-period goal stood up as the winner, frustrating Senators fans, many of whom vented about it on social media.

While Ullmark deserves credit for being available after a tough game, it was clear he wasn't going to be particularly forthcoming with his answers.

TSN 1200's Gord Wilson asked about it being a disappointing result, given the circumstances and the playoff atmosphere in the building.

"Yep!" Ullmark said. "Spot on. Very much."

Wilson tried again, falling back on a reference that Ullmark has used in the past that comes from the TV show Ted Lasso. Wilson asked about the importance of forgetting the result quickly and maintaining a short memory like a goldfish.

"Yeah. Spot on, once again," Ullmark said with a smile and a sideways glance.

TSN's Claire Hanna then gave it a go, asking for Ullmark's thoughts on the Canadiens' winning goal and what he saw.

"Nothing, really," Ullmark said. "I mean, he does a good job of shooting it through, and I feel like I have it. But the puck bounced their way at the end."

At that point, things went quiet.

Ullmark looked to his left and his right, smiling, and assumed more questions were coming. But reporters, who were either frustrated or fresh out of questions, were content to leave 25 seconds after the media availability began.

Ullmark's post-game presser tonight. 30 seconds. #GoSensGo

I want this guy to succeed so badly that I'm almost angry at him for struggling. Feel bad but what else can you say?? A really good team has been sunk by one thing. pic.twitter.com/PcnWwLBPiK

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) March 12, 2026

Ullmark's interactions with the Ottawa media have proven unpredictable at times. Last season, his first with the club, he was asked by a reporter about something unrelated, then shoehorned this comment into the conversation:

"I think it's just the media who've been doing their job and not doing their job. Writing things and saying things that haven't totally been the truth."

When Julian McKenzie from the Athletic asked him to elaborate on that, he wouldn't.

"Nope. That's for you to think about."

It is nice when players give you something to think about. But that certainly wasn't the case in the 25-second gathering on Thursday night, in what was surely the shortest media availability in Sens history.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was originally published at The Hockey News. For more Senators news, analysis, and features, visit the Ottawa Senators site at The Hockey News.

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- There’s No Replacing Jake Sanderson, But Senators Must Step Up In His Absence
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Stay up to date with the latest Senators coverage at The Hockey News – Ottawa Senators.

Flyers rally for shootout win over Wild, gain ground in playoff race originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers picked up a signature win Thursday night with a come-from-behind, 3-2 shootout decision over the Wild at Grand Casino Arena.

Travis Konecny won it as the lone scorer in the skills competition.

Emil Andrae and Owen Tippett found the back of the net for the Flyers in regulation. Tippett’s goal tied the game at 2-2 when the Flyers were killing off a penalty in the third period.

Rick Tocchet’s club improved to 8-3 in the shootout. It went to overtime for the 22nd time.

The Flyers (31-23-11) have earned at least a point in nine of their last 12 games (7-3-2). They took both games of a back-to-back set after beating the Capitals, 4-1, Wednesday night at home.

Minnesota dropped to just 27-0-4 when holding a lead entering the third period.

The Flyers swept the Wild (38-16-12) in their two-game regular-season series. They took the first meeting back in October with a 2-1 overtime finish.

• After their 6-2 home loss Monday night to the Rangers, the Flyers felt they owed Dan Vladar a much better effort.

They gave it to him in Minnesota.

Vladar converted 21 saves on 23 shots and made a great stop on Matt Boldy in the shootout. The Flyers were more structured and connected compared to three nights ago against New York.

Through 40 games, Vladar is 21-11-6 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.

The Wild’s big boys started rolling in the second period. The Flyers surrendered their fifth power play goal over the last three games when Boldy erased their 1-0 lead. Kirill Kaprizov then put Minnesota ahead with 2:10 minutes left in the middle stanza.

But Tippett had another excellent game and drew the Flyers even in the third period on a big-time blast. Over this back-to-back set, the 27-year-old winger had two goals, an assist and 12 shots.

Wild netminder Jesper Wallstedt stopped 24 of the Flyers’ 26 shots.

Andrae, back in the lineup after a couple of healthy scratches, gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at first intermission.

• With the Bruins’ 4-2 loss to the Sharks, the Flyers moved to within five points of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.

The Flyers have 17 games to go and still need to make a significant push. As a team that hasn’t won more than three straight in over two years, the Flyers still have to prove they can make a run.

But they’ve kept themselves in it.

• Tippett has a team-leading three shorthanded goals after coming into the season with none in his career.

You can see why it was really intriguing early last season when the Flyers tried Tippett on the penalty kill.

• The Flyers didn’t face their old friend Bobby Brink, who was out with an upper-body injury.

Brink was traded to the Wild a little under a week ago. The 24-year-old winger has a goal and a plus-2 mark through three games with Minnesota.

“Bobby was very popular, a great guy to coach,” Tocchet said Wednesday morning. “It’s a business. He was one of the best guys to coach, he was very receptive.”

• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they host the Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

If NHL 26 has any say in the matter — and Avalanche fans should hope it doesn’t — the Colorado Avalanche are in for a frustrating night in Seattle. A simulation of Thursday’s matchup projects a 4–2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, a result Avalanche supporters will be perfectly happy to see proven wrong once the real puck drops.

You can watch the full simulation here.

Goals from Nazem Kadri and Gavin Brindley accounted for Colorado’s offense, while Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 17 saves.

Seattle received goals from Frederick Gaudreau, Kaapo Kakko, Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. Adam Larsson, Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers each recorded two points, while Philipp Grubauer turned aside 29 shots.

First Period 

Seattle wasted no time setting the tone.

Just 27 seconds into the opening frame, McCann deflected a Larsson point shot past Blackwood to give the Kraken an immediate 1–0 lead.

The early pressure continued. A little more than four minutes later, Kakko doubled the advantage when a relatively harmless shot from the slot slipped past Blackwood, who appeared to misplay the puck as it slid over the goal line to make it 2–0.

Colorado responded midway through the period. After Nicolas Roy poked the puck free from Jacob Melanson behind the net, he quickly fed Brindley in the slot. The rookie made no mistake, snapping a shot past Grubauer to cut the deficit to one.

After 20 minutes, Seattle held a 2–1 lead, though Colorado carried a slight 9–8 edge in shots.

Second Period

Trouble began early in the middle frame.

Less than two minutes in, Nathan MacKinnon was sent off for holding Vince Dunn, forcing Colorado onto its first penalty kill of the night. The Avalanche successfully killed that penalty, but moments later Roy was called for interference after colliding with Dunn, giving Seattle another opportunity with the man advantage.

This time, the Kraken capitalized.

Eberle redirected a shot past Blackwood on the power play, pushing the lead to 3–1.

The Avalanche netminder’s difficult stretch continued shortly after. Gaudreau fired a shot that appeared to glance off Blackwood’s glove before trickling across the line, extending Seattle’s lead to 4–1.

Colorado was handed its first power play of the night when Stephenson was penalized for holding Brock Nelson. The opportunity, however, failed to generate much momentum. Sloppy puck management limited Colorado to just a single shot on goal.

By the end of the period, the Avalanche faced a three-goal deficit heading into the third.

Third Period

Colorado caught a fortunate break early in the final frame.

Kadri was credited with a goal after a bizarre sequence in front of the net. His wrist shot from the top of the right circle deflected off Grubauer’s glove, and when Beniers attempted to clear the loose puck, he inadvertently knocked it into his own net, trimming the deficit to 4–2.

The comeback hopes didn’t gain much traction afterward.

Later in the period, Martin Necas was penalized for holding, sending Seattle back to the power play and further eating into Colorado’s remaining time.

Then came perhaps the most “video game” moment of the night.

Just past the midway point of the period, MacKinnon delivered a cross-check to Ryan Lindgren. In a moment that perfectly summarized the quirks of the Frostbite engine, MacKinnon’s stick somehow appeared to pass directly through Lindgren’s chest.

Naturally, the officials assessed a penalty.

Two minutes for cross-checking… and possibly an additional game misconduct for manslaughter?

EA… come on, man.

Colorado pulled Blackwood for the extra attacker in the final minute, but despite a few late opportunities, the Avalanche couldn’t close the gap. The simulation ended with a 4–2 Seattle victory.

Thankfully for Colorado, this was only a video game.

Real life, as always, has the final say.

When the St. Louis Blues traded Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings, they received a package that included a 2026 first-round pick. 

While the first-round pick was the sought-after target, Dmitri Buchelnikov is quietly a potential great addition. The 22-year-old winger had an impressive 2024-25 season in the KHL, posting 15 goals and 54 points in 65 games. 

This season hasn’t been as successful for Buchelnikov, scoring 13 goals and 23 points in 41 games, but the talent remains. He’ll have the opportunity to rebound, as he signed an extension to his contract in the KHL. 

The former Red Wings second-round pick (52nd overall) in the 2022 NHL draft has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moskva, meaning he’ll remain in Russia until May 31, 2027. 

Standing 5-foot-10, 163 pounds, Buchelnikov isn’t the biggest player you’ll find, but his speed and skill more than make up for his lack of size. 

The Red Wings thought very highly of Buchelnikov, and it’s no wonder why the Blues wanted him involved in the deal. There are concerns that he may not be interested in coming to the NHL, but signing just a one-year extension should give the Blues confidence that he will come to North America.  

Although it is unfortunate for the Blues, there could have been opportunities for him to earn an NHL roster spot out of training camp, or at the very least start the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds and earn a call-up.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tom Dundon has sold a portion of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes to three new minority owners.

The team announced Thursday that Brett Jefferson, Marc Grandisson and retired hockey player Bobby Farnham had joined the ownership group.

“Brett, Marc and Bobby are accomplished business executives whose experiences and knowledge will help us continue to grow our team’s success and impact,” Dundon said. “Brett lives in the (area) and Marc will soon relocate to Raleigh, so their influence will be locally-based. As a former NHL player, Bobby is uniquely positioned to help our ownership group as we move forward.”

The Hurricanes did not disclose financial terms. Sportico reported last week that Dundon had agreed to sell 12.5% at a valuation of $2.66 billion for approximately $332.5 million.

Dundon last summer led a group that bought the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers from Paul Allen’s estate. Dundon has been Carolina’s majority owner since 2018 and took sole possession of the club in 2021 when he bought out the remaining stakes held by Peter Karmanos and others.

Jefferson founded an asset management firm. Grandisson, now retired, worked as an executive in the insurance industry. Farnham, who's just 37 years old, played 67 NHL games before going into the private investment business.

The Hurricanes said they would be introduced prior to their home game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Vancouver Canucks have made their fair share of interesting trades throughout the past few seasons. One could argue that the J.T. Miller trade flopped for both sides, while fans have soured on the trade that sent a 2025 first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

A trade that has stood out as of late is Vancouver’s decision to move on from former first-round pick Vasily Podkolzin, who they sent to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft — the very pick that was sent back to Edmonton in exchange for Evander Kane a little less than a year later. 

Podkolzin was drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2019 but spent three seasons playing for the Canucks. During this span of time, he scored 18 goals and 17 assists in 137 games. With Vancouver, he never quite got back to his previous career-high of 14 goals and 12 assists in 79 games during his rookie NHL season. 

Since joining the Oilers, Podkolzin has put up back-to-back 20-point seasons and has already surpassed his previous career-high this year. Through 65 games in 2025–26, he’s scored 15 goals and 14 assists. This ties him with Vancouver’s current goal-scoring leader, Drew O’Connor. Were he still on the Canucks now, he’d be tied for the fourth-most points on the team. Podkolzin has also scored the Oilers’ lead in game-winning goals with five. 

Looking past his offensive capabilities this season, the forward has developed into a more well-rounded player for Edmonton, as he’s been killing penalties for the Oilers while also skating on lines with high-end players like Leon Draisaitl. As it stands, he currently has a +/- rating of +14 (third-highest on the Oilers) and has averaged 15:09 minutes played per game. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Welcome to another night of Bruins hockey, folks!

We have a California crew in town once again tonight, as the Los Angeles Kings headed out and the San Jose Sharks moved in.

Every game is a big game if you believe in yourself, but for the Sharks, points are at a premium as they cling to playoff hopes.

While the Bruins aren’t exactly super secure in a playoff spot at the moment, San Jose is outside of the picture for now and has lost three games in a row — though two of those losses have come beyond regulation.

These young Sharks are an entertaining team to watch, so we probably shouldn’t expect another round of three-shot periods like we saw on Tuesday night.

Bruins! Sharks! On planet Earth!

Discuss.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play the second game of their five-game road trip on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

This will be the second of two meetings against the Golden Knights this season after the Penguins won 5-0 back on Mar. 1. It's one of their most complete performances of the season. 

They'll take on a Golden Knights squad that continues to struggle. They have lost three in a row and four of their last five games since the Mar. 1 game. They're still in a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but are really going through it.

Despite that, they still have some great high-end talent led by Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Eichel is a force in all three zones, compiling 23 goals and 72 points in 57 games. Marner has been a great fit in his first season with the team, racking up 18 goals and 65 points in 64 games. 

Mark Stone has also been one of their best players, but hasn't played since that first game against the Penguins. He did participate in Thursday's morning skate and hasn't been ruled out for the game. 

Don't forget about Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev, either. Hertl and Dorofeyev have combined for 54 goals this season and can strike at any time. 

Adin Hill will start in goal for the Golden Knights. He's having a really tough season, winning only six games with an .859 save percentage. He gave up five goals in the first matchup.

The Penguins are set to run with the same lineup from Tuesday's game in Raleigh, except for in net. Arturs Silovs will be the starting goaltender for Thursday's game. 

Here's a look at the projected lineup:

Forwards

Chinakhov-Rakell-Rust

Mantha-Novak-Koivunen

Soderblom-Kindel-A. Hayes

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Shea-Letang

Solovyov-Clifton

Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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The NHL has told Nathan MacKinnon that they have rescinded his major penalty, the goalie interference against the Edmonton Oilers Connor Ingram. It’s a notable action, as if you get two major penalties in a certain number of games, it will be an automatic suspension along with a hefty fine. 

#Avs Nathan MacKinnon said the NHL rescinded his major penalty.

If you get two in a certain amount of games, it’s an automatic suspension. So he’s back to zero for those purposes.

— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) March 12, 2026

Why? Well, because a familiar situation happened to former Avalanche Mikko Rantanen, where in one week he was called for two major penalties, both being boarding, and since they were so close to each other, the NHL automatically suspended him for one game under Rule 23.6, which is;

“Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties in the “Physical Infractions Category”, before playing in 41 consecutive regular season League games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.”

Nathan MacKinnon has received a five-minute major following a scary collision with Connor Ingram.

Tristan Jarry has entered the game for Ingram. pic.twitter.com/3QgcDbKu18

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 11, 2026

This raises the issue that the internet has been all over it, which was, was MacKinnon's action warranted a five-minute major or a simple two-minute one, and it's clear, even the NHL agrees it should have been two minutes.

The initial review was justified. I like it when referees call a five-minute penalty so they can take a closer look at the play to determine whether it warrants a 5-minute penalty and automatic ejection, or a simple 2-minute penalty, with the help of the NHL’s Centralised Situation Room.

MacKinnon Ejection Raises Familiar Questions About NHL Officiating ConsistencyNathan MacKinnon’s controversial ejection in Tuesday’s Avalanche–Oilers game once again exposed the NHL’s ongoing struggle to apply goaltender interference consistently.

The problem with this is that major penalties are called and reviewed by the on-ice officials, referees Kelly Sutherland and Brandon Schrader, who officiated that game. 

From the TNT panel to the Sportsnet panel, a lot of analysts agreed that MacKinnon was simply making a scoring play. Slow-motion shots showed his skates were pointed outward to try to dodge around Ingram after his play, and, at most, if he did come into contact, it wouldn't be as gruesome as it originally was.

This brings in Darnell Nurse, trying to make a play for the puck, who plowed headfirst into MacKinnon's hips and smashed MacKinnon into his own goalie. A lot of discussion came up about why, after review, it should have been at least a two-minute penalty, because there was contact, but his own defensemen was a major part of why the contact was that bad.

Often, after a game in which such a call is made and spirals out of control on social media, there are no “take-backs”; the game is over, and the winning and losing teams have to get ready for their next game. 

This now raises the rare moment, to say the least, that the NHL offices didn’t agree with the original on-ice call or the one made after video review.

Bednar Rips Officials After MacKinnon Ejection In Avalanche Loss To OilersNathan MacKinnon was ejected after a controversial collision with Connor Ingram, and Jared Bednar didn’t hold back after the Avalanche’s 4–3 loss to the Oilers.

William Eklund scores potential goal of the NHL season in Sharks' win vs. Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

William Eklund might have scored the goal of the 2025-26 season for the Sharks, if not the entire NHL, in Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

With San Jose already up 3-0 about midway through the third period, Eklund found himself in a 1-on-1 in the offensive zone.

What happened next? Just watch and enjoy:

WHAT A GOAL FROM EKY 😱 pic.twitter.com/wk1oTHb6l6

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 13, 2026

Is this the goal of the season??? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gApEnkWAPe

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 13, 2026

In a postgame interview with NBC Sports California’s Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda, it seemed as though the fifth-year winger still was trying to process his incredible goal.

“I tried to get around him. It was late in the shift, too; it bounced up in the air, and I just tried to get some of the stick on it. It was nice,” Eklund told Hahn and Remenda. “I don’t know. It was just nice to get a goal, to be honest.”

The quality of the goal was noteworthy enough, but it broke an long drought for Eklund, too. Before Thursday, he hadn’t scored since his overtime winner against the Los Angeles Kings all the way back on Jan. 7 — 20 games ago.

Furthermore, Eklund was a game-time decision in the first place with a lower-body injury. Coach Ryan Warsofsky had high praise for the gritty 23-year-old in the locker room.

“He plays through injuries. He’s a tough kid. He wants to be out there,” Warsofsky told reporters. “He wants to make a difference for his team, and I give him a lot of credit. That’s a heck of a goal. … I mean, that’s a goal that you’ll see on highlight reels for a long, long time. That’s one of the nicest goals I’ve seen.”

While Eklund’s aerial finish reminded some of Bobby Orr’s famous “flying goal” to win the 1970 Stanley Cup Final — which also took place in Boston — both the scorer and his Massachusetts-native coach were hesitant to agree with the comparison.

Nevertheless, it’s a goal the Sharks certainly hope will bolster Eklund’s play over the final 19 games of the regular season.

“I’ve been working really hard, you know, to get those apples [assists] in,” Eklund told Hahn and Remenda. “But I can score goals, too, and it’s nice to get those going.”

Speaking of assists, which Eklund hasn’t struggled to pick up lately, he tallied another earlier in the night on the Sharks’ beautiful first goal via Michael Misa.

Misa and Eky combine to score a BEAUTY 😍 pic.twitter.com/Gla4uhGZY3

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 12, 2026

This puck movement >>>>> 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/xmzikvFHIm

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 12, 2026

Thursday’s win moved San Jose back into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. And with the Stanley Cup playoffs around the corner, a productive Eklund could go a long way to getting the Sharks there.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

With yet another notch in the injury department for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team is taking more measures to offset some of their losses and keep legs fresh.

And they made another move to address that on Thursday. 

With recently acquired blueliner Sam Girard out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the Penguins shuffled a few things around with their defensive corps ahead of their matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday evening. They recalled 6-foot-4, 230-pound left defenseman Alexander Alexeyev from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - and sent Ryan Graves to the AHL on a conditioning loan.

Alexeyev, 26, has yet to appear for the Penguins in an NHL game this season, and he has three goals and seven points to go along with a plus-4 and 15 penalty minutes at the AHL level this season. The former first-round pick (31st overall in 2018) was signed to a one-year deal this offseason by the Penguins after spending parts of four NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals.

Penguins Provide Injury Updates On Several PlayersThe Pittsburgh Penguins provided a few injury updates on Tuesday.

In 80 career regular season games, he has one goal and eight points, and he also appeared in 10 playoff games for the Capitals last season, registering no points and coming in at a minus-2.

Graves, 30, is in the third season of a six-year contract that pays him $4.5 million annually. He has appeared in only 19 games at the NHL level this season for Pittsburgh after getting waived following training camp, and he has not played since Jan. 21 against the Calgary Flames. 

4 Penguins Who Have Stepped Up Big Without Crosby, MalkinOne look at the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' schedule in the month of March was enough for a whole lot of people to question whether or not a team that was - according to outside noise - supposed to be a lottery team would be able to sustain playoff-level hockey.&nbsp;

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According to The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers' goaltending situation is beyond not pretty. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but to see them ranked 31st out of 32 teams might be a bit of a shocker. 

A recent article that ranked all NHL goalie tandems examined several factors while also weighing changes over time. For example, because the NHL is tracking shots differently -- and NHL shooters are just more skilled -- the leaguewide average save percentage this season is down to .896, the lowest it has been in 33 years. 

One would think that an overall lowering of save percentages, even among the NHL's elite backstops might help the average goalie. That didn't help the Oilers, however. 

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The New York Islanders ranked at the top of the list with the best goaltending tandem. Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich were seen as the cream of the crop. At the bottom were the Ottawa Senators. Jesse Granger, the author of the article, wrote: "Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meriläinen have combined for -36.3 GSAx. Not only is that the worst in the NHL, but it’s also more than twice as bad as the next closest tandem."

The Oilers? They ranked just above the Senators. 

Pre-game Stats: Oilers At Stars32-25-8 | 72 PTS

Granger writes:

"The Oilers have started four different goalies this season, and none have a save percentage north of .900 or positive goals saved above expected. Edmonton’s defending certainly plays its part in that, but the goalies haven’t played well enough themselves either."

The goaltenders Granger speaks of are Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, Tristan Jarry, and Connor Ingram. 

Skinner was traded because the Oilers felt he couldn't be relied upon to get them through a grueling playoff run. Pickard's numbers were so poor at the start of the season, he was eventually placed on waivers and went unclaimed. Jarry came in as part of the Skinner trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ingram was traded for when the Utah Mammoth decided to move on because personal off-ice health issues led to the need for a fresh start. 

Granger adds, "Since he was traded to Edmonton, Tristan Jarry has posted a .900 save percentage or better in only four of his 14 starts. For comparison, he did it eight times in 14 starts with the Penguins prior to the trade."

This isn't all on the goalies. The Oilers' defense has been hideous for much of the season. It's been an issue the team has tried to address with the additions of Connor Murphy and a strong defensive forward in Jason Dickinson. Edmonton even brought former assistant coach Paul Coffey back to help right the ship on the blue line. 

Unfortunately, until all that is sorted out, the Skinner-for-Jarry swap hasn't looked like a win for the Oilers. Skinner has played well in Pittsburgh: interestingly, they ranked 18th on this list. 

Does this 31st-place ranking feel fair? Or is the goaltending better than that in cities like Vancouver, where Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen have struggled? What about in St. Louis, where Joel Hofer has played OK, but Jordan Binnington has been the subject of trade rumors most of the season?

It certainly has to be better than the mess in Toronto, where Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll, and Dennis Hildeby have contributed to a disaster of a season for the Maple Leafs. 

One thing is clear: if the Oilers don't get better goaltending and Jarry and Ingram don't find another gear, seeing the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final for a third-straight season is likely a pipe dream. 

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The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Calle Rosen to a two-year, two-way contract extension.

The deal will see Rosen paid $850,000 at the NHL level and  $500,000 at the AHL level in 206-27, and then $900,000 in the NHL  and $500,000 in the AHL during the 2027-28 season. 

The 32-year-old had spent three seasons with the Blue organization, then played the 2024-25 season with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL, and began the 2025-26 season with the Hershey Bears. The Blues acquired Rosen in a trade with the Washington Capitals on Nov. 3, 2025. 

Since returning, Rosen has scored seven goals and 26 points in 47 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Swedish defender has become a trusted leader for the Thunderbirds, bringing NHL and SHL experience, as well as Calder Cup-winning experience, having taken home the coveted AHL championship in the 2017-18 season with the Toronto Marlies.

Rosen has accumulated 93 games of NHL experience, scoring 11 goals and 31 points. 73 of those 93 games came with the Blues. 

Rosen was set to become a UFA at the end of the season, but his contract extension will keep him with the club through 2028, when he will be 34. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Mammoth are going to play each other for the second time in under a week. This is also the third matchup since the Olympics ended. Both games ended in victory for Chicago, including a 3-2 overtime win on Monday night. 

For the Blackhawks, it is two straight games against the Mammoth, who played against the Minnesota Wild in between on Tuesday night. The Mammoth suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Wild, so they will return home with extra hunger to get back on track. 

Scouting Utah 

The Utah Mammoth is going to play its first game since the announcement of a new contract extension for former Blackhawks first-round pick Nick Schmaltz. He has become quite a good NHL forward, and he plays with a ton of great talent around him.

The lines look a bit different for Utah as they are switching some things up after losing a couple in a row. 

Keller - Schmaltz - Crouse

Peterka - Cooley - Guenther

McBain - Hayton - Carcone

Kerfoot - Stenlund - Yamamoto

Sergachev - Weegar

Schmidt - Marino

Cole - Durzi

Vejmelka

Instead of having Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Dylan Guenther on a super top line, Guenther and Lawson Crouse have switched spots. With Logan Cooley and JJ Peterka on the second line with Guenther, there is some nice depth in their top-six with these combinations. 

Karel Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice for Utah at their morning skate, so he will start in goal for them as the league's leader in goalie wins. It was Vitek Vanecek in goal on Monday at the United Center. He played very well, despite the loss, but they will be going back to their number one in this game. 

Unlike their first matchup and the last handful of games for Utah, they will have Mikael Sergachev back in the lineup. Paired with the newly acquired Mackenzie Weeger on the top pair, there are defensemen on this team who can make an impact. 

Don't expect to see the same performance out of the Utah Mammoth in Thursday's game as they showed on Monday. With a playoff berth on the line for them, every point is crucial. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Blackhawks had an optional morning skate on Thursday in Salt Lake City, but the lines aren't expected to change very much. 

There is the possibility that they go 11/7 instead of the traditional lineup of 12/6, in which case Ethan Del Mastro will dress on defense instead of Sam Lafferty at forward, but that won't be known until warmups. 

Arvid Soderblom is set to start for Chicago. He earned a shutout victory for the Blackhawks last time they were in Utah, and he is looking for a big performance again. 

Drew Commesso started in goal for the Blackhawks on Monday, but he was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs in response to Spencer Knight's return. Knight will back up in this game and then likely face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. 

Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky

Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teravainen

Mangiapane-Donato-Mikheyev

Lardis-Lafferty-Slaggert

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Rinzel

Grzelcyk-Levshunov

Soderblom

Vitek Vanecek robbed Connor Bedard at point-blank range a couple of times on Monday, but Bedard had one of his best games of the season. Despite that, he walked away with just one assist.

Learning to accept that this is the reality of the NHL sometimes is part of Bedard's development, and he handles it well. Look for him to get on the scoresheet in this one as a response. 

Nick Lardis is likely with the team for good now, but he is still on the fourth line at the moment. Playing well and finding the back of the net when his name is called will be his path to more ice time.  

On defense, Alex Vlasic, Artyom Levshunov, and Sam Rinzel are seeing a post-trade deadline increase in role, and they are mostly thriving. On the road against a good Mammoth team, they will be tested again. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on CHSN locally. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 8:00 PM CT. 

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

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.