It was nearly one year ago when popular Russian forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ahead of his first game against the Maple Leafs on Monday, Grebenkin spoke to reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters, to reflect on his time in Toronto.
He also revealed that well after the trade to Philadelphia—which saw Grebenkin and a first-round draft pick go to the Flyers in exchange for forward Scott Laughton—he had to shut down his Instagram account because of all the Leafs fans sending him messages.
“I like to speak and talk to people and I don’t like if a guy texts me [and] I [can't respond] to him, but it’s hard always; 100 messages and I don’t use this now," he explained.
Selected by the Maple Leafs at 135th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, Grebenkin got off to a great start with the Toronto Marlies, recording 10 points in his first 13 games. During his preseason debut in September of 2024, he got into a fight with then-Ottawa Senators forward Adam Gaudette. Immediately after the scrap, Grebenkin called for noise from the crowd, and they certainly showed the love back.
Grebenkin was among the final cuts during 2024 Leafs camp, joining the veteran players for their annual late preseason trip to Muskoka. He became an instant favorite for his personality. “Off the ice, he’s a lot of fun to be around, likes to joke around. He’s not shy... He’s definitely been making a lot of friends,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said of Grebenkin at the time.
Grebenkin made his NHL debut on Nov. 20, 2024, and after the game, he delivered a now-viral postgame moment. "Team spoke to me: Backcheck, forecheck, and paycheck,” he said of the advice he received. The response got a massive laugh from everyone in attendance, including himself, and the delivery of the quote became a classic that immediately endeared him to the Leafs fanbase.
On March 7, 2025, Grebenkin was traded to Philly, thus ending his tenure in Toronto. Earlier in the season, when the Leafs visited the Flyers, Grebenkin politely declined to be interviewed as he was looking to be more serious and focused on performing well with his Flyers team. It was understandable, given he wanted to ensure he made a good impression in his first full season with his new club.
Mar 3, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Cody Glass (12) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Arseny Gritsyuk, Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass, Dawson Mercer and Simon Nemec all scored as the Devils took a 5-1 win over the Panthers on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
Tom Fitzgerald is still running the show this deadline, for some reason:
“On the surface, Hamilton’s 2025-26 season looks like an outright disaster, like the reality has finally caught up with the perception that has always held him back. But a closer look through all of the chaos in New Jersey shows he has the juice to contribute in a top-four capacity.” [The Athletic ($)]
Someone’s likely on the move:
Some interesting tidbits out this morning for the #NJDevils.
Elliotte Friedman reporting that NJ has several defensemen out there, not including Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, or Brett Pesce.
Chris Johnson reporting that Nick Bjugstad is a likely candidate to get moved again.
A look at potential destinations for Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass, Jonas Siegenthaler, Dawson Mercer, Evgenii Dadonov and Paul Cotter: [New Jersey Hockey Now]
A signing:
#NEWS: We’ve signed F Matyas Melovsky to a two-year, entry-level contract.
GM’s are describing the NHL landscape as a “buyers market”. Tons of players in play. Keep an eye on the Buffalo Sabres. Sources say talks between Buffalo and St Louis involving Robert Thomas are heating up.
The Blues appear ready to move on from Jordan Binnington. 16 team no trade list is in play but feels like a move is a forgone conclusion at this stage with where @StLouisBlues heading in the near term.
“Some NHL teams told ESPN that they’re frustrated by the impact that the league’s expedited salary cap rules have had ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. The new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHLPA, which was announced in July, begins Sept. 16. The league, however, moved up a handful of new rules governing the salary cap to the 2025-26 season and only briefed its general managers about those changes last September.” [ESPN]
“‘It’s going be great for the city of Calgary.’ That, from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who landed in the Stampede City Tuesday to get a first-hand look at construction efforts at Scotia Place. Bettman toured the site Tuesday morning and in a media availability Tuesday afternoon at the Scotibank Saddledome, expressed his excitement at the progress being made on Calgary’s new hockey home, slated to open its doors in the fall of 2027.” [NHL Flames]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 3: Casey Mittelstadt #11 of the Boston Bruins scores against Stuart Skinner #74 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at the TD Garden on March 3, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins shipped up to Boston on Tuesday night. The Penguins fell 2-1 to the B’s after taking an early lead from an Erik Karlsson goal but surrendering two fast first-period goals, and despite late pressure, they couldn’t find the equalizer. Next up is Buffalo on Thursday night. [Recap]
Most Penguins fans would likely agree that their team has sort of flown under the radar for much of the 2025-26 season, and many national pundits have seemed surprised at Pittsburgh’s success thus far, despite strong statistical outputs and elevated play. Why is that? Perhaps because of originally low preseason expectations and a recent lack of playoff success. [PensBurgh]
News and updates from around the NHL…
The NHL is closing in on naming a host city for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, but commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that a decision isn’t ready yet and could come in the next few weeks as the league reviews submitted bids. [Sportsnet]
The Buffalo Sabres are buyers?! It appears so. Talks are rapidly progressing between the Sabres and St. Louis Blues involving forward Robert Thomas, according to a report from NHL insider Darren Dreger. [TSN]
Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk, who is signed through the 2030-31 season at a cap hit of $5.5 million, said he isn’t comfortable being part of the team’s rebuild. While there have been no reported interested buyers, he and a few other Canuck players are names to watch ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. [TSN]
Gonna be a lot of orange tonight. | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders and their five-game win streak touched down in California and got their skating legs going at practice Tuesday. A back-to-back begins tonight in Anaheim, which will be playing its own back-to-back after losing at home last night to the Avalanche.
After an orange-heavy kickoff, this trip includes Los Angeles tomorrow and San Jose on Saturday before concluding next week in St. Louis, where the Blues sound on the verge of a big sellof.
Practice updates: David Rittich will get his second consecutive start, and Ryan Pulock took a maintenance day and is a question mark along with (still) Jonathan Drouin. [Isles | Post]
Previewing tonight: The Ducks just had their five-game win streak cut by Colorado, but they remain in second in the Pacific. [Isles]
Andrew Gross on trade deadline targets (Conor Garland?) and UFAs who’ve made cases not to be sold. [Newsday]
Hear more of that in podcast form at Island Ice. [SoundCloud]
Mat Barzal’s game and maturity has evolved as he approaches 600 games. [Post]
Alex Jefferies discusses his path to the AHL, where Bridgeport is having its best season in a while. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Last night’s scores were many, including Pittsburgh losing in regulation, Columbus winning — and of note, the Devils may have just finished off the Panthers.
The Predators selloff has begun…sort of? They dealt Michael McCarron (to Minnesota) and Cole Smith (to Vegas) for picks. [NHL]
The Flyers are still firmly rebuilding and not shopping for any rentals. [NHL]
Oilers management sounds aware (but helpless to fix?) that the team’s overall defense needs work. [Sportsnet]
Mar 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) moves the puck againt Anaheim Ducks center Jansen Harkins (24). Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Late Tuesday night the Colorado Avalanche completed a successful Southern California back-to-back in their 5-1 disposal of the Anaheim Ducks. It capped off a stretch of five games in seven nights following the Olympic break and the Avalanche now get two days of rest before the trade deadline.
The Game
Colorado got the scoring going early and often with Cale Makar landing on the scoresheet first in this contest. The opening period also saw a new trick in the Avalanche arsenal — a power play goal. Utilizing the brilliant idea of having Martin Nečas take the one-timer from the left side worked again as the Avalanche entered the first intermission with a 2-0 lead.
A bit of drama in this game came from the Ducks early in the second period when Cutter Gauthier took advantage of a scramble in the Avalanche zone to cut the lead. By the end of the period, however, order would be restored on the first of two Parker Kelly goals on the night and a 3-1 Avalanche lead at the second intermission.
The third period was largely academic as the Avalanche were not going to give up their lead. Gabe Landeskog overachieved by finding the back of the net on a great feed from Nathan MacKinnon for the latter’s 100th point on the season. Parker Kelly added another insurance goal at the midpoint and Colorado secured the 5-1 victory.
Takeaways
It was announced prior to the game that Artturi Lehkonen is out week-to-week with the upper-body injury suffered in Los Angeles. In his place Jason Polin was recalled from the Colorado Eagles and played eight minutes on the fourth line.
Now the focus turns to the upcoming trade deadline before the team’s next game. How many players have played their last game in an Avalanche uniform?
Upcoming
Another important Central Division game in a showdown with the Dallas Stars on Friday, March 6th. Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m. MT in the Lone Star State.
The last time the Colorado Avalanche faced the Anaheim Ducks was on Jan 21, when they fell 2-1 in the shootout. Though no extra time was needed here, as despite a rough start to the game, it was Avalanche hockey all the way, just how they wanted it, and they continued their win streak with a 5-1 victory over the Ducks.
Period 1:
The action starts early for the Ducks as Beckett Sennecke, off a failed Brent Burns clear, gets an early chance, but Scott Wedgewood flashes the glove to make the early save. Both Ross Colton and Martin Necas get called for interference, but the Avalanche can kill off both penalties.
It would be Cale Makar to open the scoring. He wraps around the net, makes Lukas Dostal bite hard on a fake shot attempt, then sends a wrister that beats him glove side as he shimmies into the shooting lane, 1-0 after a rocky start.
Jacob Trouba is called for tripping, and it's Martin Necas with a one-timer from the circle to make it 2-0. Brock Nelson set up Necas with a great diagonal pass when he was at the opposite circle. Despite a rough start to the first period, the Avalanche came out on top in shots, with them being 8-7 as period one came to an end.
Period 2:
Chris Krieder almost makes it 2-1 but is called for goaltender interference as he collides with Wedgewood in the blue paint. Wedgewood is a bit uncomfortable as the team's medical staff checks him, but he is fine and remains in the game.
Another issue with trying to clear the puck leads to Pavel Mintyukov setting up Cutter Gauthier for a one-timer from the circle, making it 2-1. Josh Manson is called for holding, but the Avalanche kills off the penalty. Parker Kelly does his best Necas impression as he finds some room and walks into a wrist shot from past the hashmarks to make it 3-1.
Period 3:
It was all Avalanche in the third period, controlling the pace to their style and limiting the Ducks on numerous chances and puck control. Landeskog makes it 4-1 when he receives a great pass from MacKinnon on the rush.
MacKinnon, with that assist, reaches the 100-point mark in 56 games and becomes the first player in Avalanche/Nordique history to reach 100 points before their 60th game of the season. Last done by Peter Statsny in 1981-82 (60GP)
Kelly doubles up in the game to make it 5-1 as he capitalizes on Dostal losing the puck and scrambling to reposition, leaving Kelly with a wide-open net with the pass coming from Jack Drury. With his second goal of the game, it is his second multi-goal game of the season. Brett Kulak was handed the secondary assist, and that is now his first point as an Avalanche.
Through his first 5 games with the Avalanche, Brett Kulak has not been on the ice for a single goal against at even strength and the Avs are controlling 58% of the shot attempts with him out there.
The Ducks manage to generate some chances, but Wedgewood has been great all night, and the Avalanche secure the 5-1 win over the Ducks, and with the win, they move to 91 points, the first team in the NHL to do so this season.
The Avalanche are back in action on Friday, March 6, against the Dallas Stars as they try to end their 11-game winning streak in a major divisional matchup.
The San Jose Sharks continued their homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. With both teams fighting for a playoff spot in their respective conference, it was an important game all around.
The Canadiens controlled the puck quite a bit in the opening minutes, forcing Sharks netminder Yaroslav Askarov to make a couple of saves. He couldn’t save them all, though, as 6:18 into the first period, Oliver Kapanen scored his 19th of the season and gave the visitors an early lead on their third shot of the night. Meanwhile, it took the Sharks nearly half of the first period to record their first shot on goal.
Vincent Desharnais drew the first penalty of the night when Nick Suzuki was sent to the box for interference. While the Sharks got a couple of chances on the power play, nothing came of the man advantage.
With 4:28 remaining in the period, the Sharks were finally able to get on the board. Collin Graf scored his 16th of the season when he found himself in front of the net with quite a bit of space. Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini got the assists on the play.
Celebrini nearly gave the Sharks the lead moments later when he intercepted an errant pass and immediately fired the puck on net. Jakub Dobes was positioned perfectly, though, and made the save.
The Sharks were generating quality chances late in the period, but were unable to break through the Montreal defense. Eventually, the game would head into the first intermission, tied at a goal apiece.
Collin Graf tripped up Lane Hutson just over two minutes into the middle frame, giving Montreal their first power play opportunity of the night. When Montreal started to carry the puck into the offensive zone, the SAP Center crowd started a loud “Go Habs Go” chant, which was quickly drowned out by a chorus of boos from the Sharks faithful.
The Sharks’ penalty kill was successful, but Phillip Danault scored shortly afterward to restore the Canadiens’ lead. Moments later, Askarov made a massive cross-crease save to deny Kapanen his second goal of the night, keeping it a one-goal hockey game.
Celebrini would get a hooking penalty 6:55 into the period, giving the Canadiens a prime opportunity to extend their lead. Askarov again denied what seemed like a sure-fire goal during the ensuing penalty kill, fully extending to make the save. The Sharks faced some heavy pressure, but once again, they killed off the penalty.
Michael Misa continued his hot streak, scoring in his third straight game. Moments after the goal, Kapanen went to the penalty box for Montreal after he was called for slashing. The power play was short-lived, though, as Alexander Wennberg was penalized for taking down Jake Evans in the corner less than halfway through Kapanen’s penalty.
Macklin Celebrini gave the Sharks their first lead of the night with a shot from inside the faceoff circle. The goal was Celebrini’s 30th of the season. Just 25 seconds later, Alexander Wennberg would make it 4-2. With the assist on Wennberg’s goal, Kiefer Sherwood recorded his first point as a member of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks would go on to carry that lead into the second intermission.
Early in the third period, two Canadiens were penalized for roughing, while Mario Ferraro was also sent to the box. Ultimately, the Sharks ended up with a power play.
Will Smith scored a power play goal three and a half minutes into the third period to make it 5-2 for the Sharks. Celebrini found him with a perfectly placed pass, and Smith was able to direct the puck past Dobes. As a result, all three members of the Sharks’ first line had scored.
Shortly after the goal, Vincent Desharnais was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking Kirby Dach. Montreal then got a power play goal of their own, as Ivan Demidov was able to beat his countryman Askarov, making it a 5-3 hockey game. 18 seconds later, Alex Newhook made it a one-goal game, and the Canadiens were right back in it.
The momentum had completely shifted in Montreal’s favor, and the Sharks were on their back foot. They had roughly 15 minutes remaining to maintain their lead, something that they’ve struggled with at times this season. Zach Ostapchuk created a quality scoring chance for himself just under 8 minutes into the third, but was denied by Dobes.
Sam Dickinson hauled down Demidov with 11 minutes remaining, sending the Sharks back to the penalty kill at a crucial point in the game. The Canadiens took advantage of the man advantage, as Newhook netted his second of the night with two seconds remaining on Dickinson’s penalty. In under eight minutes, it had gone from a 5-2 Sharks lead, to a tied game.
Adam Gaudette and Kirby Dach got offsetting penalties with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, resulting in some four-on-four hockey late in the game. Both penalties would expire without a goal being scored.
With time running down, the Canadiens were penalized for too many men on the ice, giving the Sharks a chance to regain their lead. The Sharks went on to score on the power play, with Kiefer Sherwood scoring his first as a Shark. Adam Gaudette went on to score an empty-net goal, making it 7-5.
Despite heavy pressure by the Canadiens, Sherwood's goal would inevitably be the game-winner as the Sharks held onto the lead, winning 7-5. They'll be back on the ice at the SAP Center on Friday, when they host the St. Louis Blues.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cale Makar had a goal and two assists, Nathan MacKinnon secured his fourth consecutive 100-point season with a third-period assist, and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche snapped the Anaheim Ducks' five-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory Tuesday night.
Parker Kelly scored two goals and Scott Wedgewood made 27 saves for the Avs, who have won three straight and four of five since the Olympic break. Martin Necas got his 27th goal and Gabriel Landeskog also scored to complete Colorado's back-to-back sweep of the Southern California clubs.
Cutter Gauthier scored his 29th goal and Lukas Dostal stopped 21 shots for the Ducks, whose eight-game home winning streak since Jan. 2 also ended.
Anaheim would have moved into first place in the Pacific Division with a point, but the loss kept Vegas one point ahead. The Ducks are in a playoff race down the stretch for the first time since 2018.
After two fruitless Ducks power plays in the opening minutes, Makar put the Avs ahead from the slot with his 18th goal.
Necas added his seventh power-play goal of the season 2 1/2 minutes later, beating his Czech Olympic teammate with a high shot. The goal was just the second on the power play in the last 12 games for the Avalanche, who inexplicably have the NHL's worst man-advantage unit despite their overall excellence.
Gauthier hammered home a one-timer early in the second after a superb cross-ice pass from Jackson LaCombe, but Kelly got his 14th goal later in the period.
Landeskog then scored a goal in his second straight game, connecting early in the third on a one-timer from MacKinnon, who got his 59th assist to go with his NHL-leading 41 goals.
Up next
Avalanche: At Dallas on Friday night.
Ducks: Host New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
LOS ANGELES -- The New York Islanders are looking to push their win streak to five games when they battle the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday night.
A win would be monumental for the Islanders in the standings, given what transpired on Tuesday night.
With the Pittsburgh Penguins falling 2-1 to the Boston Bruins in regulation, an Islanders' win would have them ahead of Pittsburgh for sole posession of second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Not only that, but a win would also widen the gap between New York and the Washington Capitals to seven points. The Capitals fell 3-2 to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.
The Islanders will have a game in hand on Washington after Wednesday's contest.
The team to watch is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, after beating the New York Rangers 5-4 in overtime and the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, find themselves just five points back of the Islanders with a game in hand before Wednesday.
The Islanders are looking to bolster their top-six ahead of Friday's 2026 NHL Trade deadline. They have had serious talks with the Vancouver Canucks regarding right winger Conor Garland.
They are also believed to still be in talks with the St. Louis Blues regarding Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl had two goals and three assists, Evan Bouchard scored on a power play at 1:50 of overtime and the Edmonton Oilers rallied to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Tuesday night.
With Brady Tkachuk in the penalty box for tackling Connor McDavid in overtime, Edmonton got it back to Bouchard and he blasted in his 18th of the season.
Zach Hyman tied it for the Oilers with 1:25 remaining in the third period with goalie Connor Ingram of for an extra attacker. Hyman tipped Draisaitl's pass under Linus Ullmark for his 25th goal of the season.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored and Ingram made 17 saves for the Oilers in their first home game in a month. They had lost five of their previous six.
Drake Batherson had two goals for the second consecutive game and Dylan Cozens and Michael Amadio also scored for Ottawa. The Senators are 6-1-2 in their last nine games.
The Ottawa Senators looked like they had a W in the bank on Tuesday night but the Edmonton Oilers had other ideas. Down 4-2 in the third, the Oilers blew past the Senators for a 5-4 overtime win.
With Brady Tkachuk off for pretty much tackling Connor McDavid to prevent an odd man rush in overtime, Evan Bouchard's one-timer from the top of the circle gave Edmonton the win.
Leon Draisaitl was in all the scoring with five points, two goals and three assists. His countryman Tim Stutzle was the best player for the Sens with two assists. Drake Batherson scored twice for the Sens, who were outshot 37-21. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves.
The two clubs traded a pair of goals each in a fast-paced first period. Dylan Cozens opened the scoring 3:34 into the game with a fierce wrist shot. But less than 90 seconds later, after Ullmark coughed up a puck that looked like he had smothered, Leon Draisaitl capitalized to tie the game.
Just over 90 seconds after that, Batherson restored Ottawa’s lead with a perfect wrist shot high to the glove side. However, the Oilers tied it again at the 16:48 mark on a bizarre play. Batherson tried to clear a loose puck out of harm’s way, but his attempt bounced off teammate Nick Jensen and into the Ottawa net. Draisaitl was credited with the goal.
Batherson quickly atoned early in the second period, scoring his second of the night on another excellent wrist shot at the 4:30 mark. Just 41 seconds later, after a wild goalmouth scramble, the puck squirted out to Jensen, who made a clever pass to Michael Amadio. His quick snapshot made it 4–2 Senators.
From there, as the Oilers pushed to get back into the game, the Senators seemed to sit back and not stick with what had made them successful.
In the first minute of the third period, Shane Pinto gift-wrapped an opportunity for the Oilers to climb back into the game when, completely unforced, he lobbed the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. The Oilers made them pay, cutting the lead to 4–3.
It initially appeared that Leon Draisaitl had deposited his hat-trick goal into an open net, but the puck actually caromed off the skate blade of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
In the dying moments, with the Oilers’ goalie pulled, Edmonton benefited from a very suspect icing call that should have been waved off. The faceoff came back into the Ottawa zone with tired Senators on the ice, and Zach Hyman scored the tying goal right in his office battling near the crease.
In three-on-three overtime, Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk failed to capitalize on a 2-on-1 rush and both were caught up ice. The Oilers broke out the other way and Tkachuk was called for holding on Connor McDavid. On the ensuing four-on-three power play, Evan Bouchard’s point shot beat Ullmark, who was caught deep in his net.
Losing the extra point was big because the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets both won their games on Tuesday night, leaving the Senators six points out of a wild card spot.
The Senators continue their road trip Thursday night when they visit the Calgary Flames.
After a dominant effort against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins travelled to Boston to take on the Bruins Tuesday night, a team they had lost three straight games to.
Unfortunately, they walked away with the same result.
The Penguins struggled in the first period, and despite finding their game in the latter two periods, the Bruins bested them, 2-1. All three goals were scored in the first period of play, with Erik Karlsson opening the scoring for Pittsburgh just 42 seconds into the game and Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scoring both of Boston's goals by the six-minute mark of regulation.
The rest of the game was a tight-checking goaltending battle, and Penguins' netminder Stuart Skinner was solid early on and throughout, stopping 26 of 29 Bruins' shots. However, Boston's Jeremy Swayman put on a stellar performance - especially in the third period, when the Penguins were piling on an onslaught - allowing just one goal on 35 shots.
Even though they were completely out of sorts in the first period and were lucky to be down by only one, the Penguins really found their game in the second and third periods. It just wasn't enough, and they earned their fourth-straight loss against a Boston team that always seems to give them finishing fits.
- Swayman was brilliant in this game. He made some ridiculous saves in the final frame to preserve his team's lead, and he never lost his composure, even as the Penguins were very heavily pressuring.
Skinner was good, too, especially on an opening sequence in which he was forced to make a few nice stops prior to Karlsson's goal. The two goals against were primarily a result of the Penguins' defense breaking down in front of him.
Gotta love a good goaltending battle, even if that comes at the expense of scoring.
- There's no going around how sloppy the Penguins were early on, and I haven't seen them play that way since the holiday break. Their forwards were completely losing track of guys in the high-danger areas. The defensemen were caught puck-watching and with feet of stone.
After Boston's second goal - which was just 50 seconds after the first - head coach Dan Muse used the Penguins' sole timeout. Whatever he said must have worked because the Penguins were buzzing for most of the rest of the game.
But those first six minutes killed them. And I'm sure they'd want both plays back.
- On a positive note, Karlsson, the lone goal-scorer, was on a whole other level Tuesday.
He finished with a team-high six shots and 16 shot attempts. He was generating offense at will, continuing his excellent work on the penalty kill, running a smooth power play, aiding the team in transition, and making a few key defensive plays throughout.
Against pretty much any other team, Karlsson probably has about four goals. But he, like his teammates, simply couldn't crack Swayman as the game progressed and got better for him.
Without Crosby, the Penguins will be relying on Karlsson to generate a lot of offense. I thought he was the game's best player, and it wasn't particularly close.
- I continue to be a bit baffled by the Penguins' refusal to use Ben Kindel and/or Egor Chinakhov on their first power play unit and in six-on-five situations.
Kindel was very good again on Tuesday, and he has, arguably, been their best player for the better part of this post-holiday run. If he hasn't been their very best player, he's certainly been their most consistent on a night-in, night-out basis. His vision and puck distribution skills - especially from down low - could be weapons in either situation.
And then there's Chinakhov. Here's a guy who has 10 goals in his last 21 games - and, indisputably, the best shot on the team - and he's not out there with the game on the line? Given Chinakhov's defensive play and puck skills with the Penguins, too, there's really no reason to exclude him in situations where the team needs to score a goal.
Rickard Rakell is a good player. So is Anthony Mantha. So is Bryan Rust. But I'd swap out two of those three for the other two without hesitation on the power play and at least one of them during six-on-five.
- Faceoffs are a legitimate problem for the Penguins right now, and it's especially hurting them on key offensive zone draws that require possession to be established.
The Penguins were just 16 of 48 (33 percent) on faceoffs Tuesday, and they've gone 68 of 207 for an abysmal faceoff win percentage of 32.9 percent. And, according to Penguins' historian Bob Grove, Sidney Crosby had taken a whopping 38.6 percent of all Penguins' faceoffs (1,171 of 3,030 this season before his injury.
The next closest player? Kindel, who had taken 428 going into Tuesday's game.
Before being hurt, Sid had taken 38.6% of all Pens' faceoffs this season (1,171 of 3,030).
- The NHL trade deadline is Friday, Mar. 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Crosby is injured, Blake Lizotte is day-to-day, and the injury statuses of Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander remian unclear at this point.
The Penguins badly need a center, and the reality is that this season, they may have to seek options externally. This will definitely be a storyline to monitor this week.
The Chicago Blackhawks closed out their four-game road trip with a visit to Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets. With a chance to make it a .500 trip, they knew they had an opportunity to win against a reeling Jets team.
Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele made a brilliant play early to set up a goal scored by Dylan Samberg. His first of the season and 10th of his career was a snipe, but he was the beneficiary of the two superstars.
From there, the Blackhawks started to take over the game with their pace, speed, and tenacity. With under two minutes remaining in the first period, the Blackhawks tied the game.
Teuvo Teravainen stayed hot, as did the power play, as he scored his 13th of the season. It was a struggle to score power-play goals leading into the Olympic break, but they seem to have it worked out now.
Nobody scored in the middle frame, but the Blackhawks mostly controlled play. Connor Hellebucyk looked like the goalie everyone knows him to be, which kept his team alive.
Just 32 seconds into the third period, Ryan Greene scored to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. Connor Bedard collected his second assist of the game on this goal. Leading up to the goal, Greene was having a sensational game, and he eventually was rewarded for his efforts. It's nice to play with Connor Bedard, too.
The Blackhawks played extremely well again to begin the third period. It looked like they'd add that third goal and skate out of Winnipeg with a win. Then, a switch flipped as the game came to a close.
For the final half of the third, the Blackhawks became a shell of themselves. Winnipeg started to possess the puck and control play in their attacking zone.
Eventually, and deservedly so, the Jets tied it up at 2. With Hellebucyk on the bench for the extra attacker, fresh off a timeout, Cole Perfetti scored with a perfect shot that beat Spencer Knight.
In overtime, Mark Scheifele continued his Blackhawk domination with the game-winning goal at 2:06. That's now 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points in his career against the Blackhawks, including three points on Tuesday.
For the Hawks, they let a great road showing slip away in the final minutes of regulation and overtime. Coming out of the break, there was a lot of chatter about holding onto leads late, but that wasn't on display in this one.
Every year, a young team is going to have a handful of losses that hurt more than others. This is one of them for the Blackhawks. After dominating for 50 minutes and having a late lead on the road, it was all for naught because they couldn't hold on for one more minute.
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 3 : Dougie Hamilton #7 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game against the Florida Panthers at the Prudential Center on March 3, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The New Jersey Devils may indeed be pulling out of the three-month slump that sank their season. Or the Devils’ very modest two-game winning streak might just be what it appears to be on its surface – a couple of wins over two teams that are somehow even worse off than the Devils. And make no mistake, that’s exactly what the Blues and Panthers are.
How bad of a season has it been for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs? Well, Florida was pretty stoked to get Tomas Nosek back in the lineup for the first time since last summer’s Cup-clincher. The Panthers were also thrilled to have Dmitry Kulikov in the lineup for just the fourth time this season.
Neither was much help against the Devils though.
New Jersey got goals from five different players and Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 of 21 Florida shots Tuesday night as the Devils put a major dent in Florida’s plans to defend its Cup with a 5-1 win over the Panthers at Prudential Center.
New Jersey went back over NHL .500 with the win. At 30-29-2 the Devils have 62 points and are 11 points back of the final wild card spot. Florida’s 63 points have them 10 back of Boston, which beat Pittsburgh Tuesday night, and the Panthers, or at least head coach Paul Maurice, seem to know that the end is near.
Down 3-1, Maurice was desperate enough he pulled goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with more than four minutes to play leading to empty netters by Dawson Mercer at 16 minutes, 23 seconds of the third and Simon Nemec at 19:20.
For just the third time in their last 10 games, the Devils scored the game’s first goal. Arseny Gritsyuk snapped a shot over Bobrovsky’s blocker at 12:10 of the opening period after Connor Brown sprung Gritsyuk and Jack Hughes on a two-on-one.
The Panthers evened it up on an Anton Lundell goal 2:27 later, but couldn’t make the Devils pay for a double minor taken by Brendan Dillon with less than a minute to play in the period. And when Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was called for hooking early in the second, it was the Devils who took advantage of the extra ice, getting a Dougie Hamilton goal while the teams skated four aside.
Markstrom was solid for a second straight game, picking up second star honors in the win, and Mercer and Nemec buried the Panthers with empty netters in the game’s final minutes.
Up Next
No rest for the Devils, who take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m., Wednesday, at Prudential Center in another nationally televised game, this one on Hulu. The Leafs (27-24-10) are just a couple of points ahead of the Devils, who are looking to win three in a row for the first time since the western Canada road trip in late January. Toronto lost to the Flyers on Monday and is just 3-6-1 in its last 10 games.
Your Thoughts
So the Devils are whatever. … It’s hard to read anything into these games from a Devils’ perspective, but wow was that a terrible showing from the Panthers. Soft. Gutless. It was a dead ringer for the kind of non-effort the Devils have been putting out since December when the ugly reality of how many teams they had to leapfrog became clear and they completely tuned out Sheldon Keefe. They’ll get a Leafs team in very similar straits to the Panthers Wednesday night, so they might be looking at three in a row. Then again, it’s a back-to-back, and we all know how good the Devils are on short rest. But if they somehow get a win then there’s a terrible Rangers team up next on Saturday. … Does anyone think these games count and they have a chance at making a run?
The Nashville Predators front office is staying busy, making their second trade of the night to send Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for defenseman Christoffer Sedoff and a 2028 3rd round draft pick.
This is the second transaction the Predators have made on Tuesday night as they sent Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a 2028 2nd-round draft pick.
The Predators now have nine picks in the 2028 NHL Draft: two in the second and third rounds, one in the first round, and rounds four through seven.
"We're going to miss two great people," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said on McCarron and Smith getting traded. "Two big parts of our culture and what they bring every day. They're wonderful people and kind of like family. It's sad to see them go, but I'm hoping for the best. They both have a good opportunity to go on a long run.
"We're going to miss them. It's a sad day here today."
Smith's trade was written on the walls as he played just three seconds in the Predators' 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, likely due to the trading rule. Smith was originally scratched alongside McCarron.
The 30-year-old, 6-foot, 3-inch center signed with the Predators out of college in 2020 and has 271 games with the team. This season, Smith had 10 points (6G, 4A) in 41 games and 31 penalty minutes, skating on Nashville's fourth line.
He is in the final year of a 2-year, $2 millon contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
Sedoff, a 24-year-old, 6-foot, 2-inch defenseman, was signed by the Golden Knights to a 3-year, entry-level contract in 2023, worth $2.61 million, which will expire at the end of this season.
Sedoff has yet to play an NHL game, spending three seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights. This season, in 38 games, Sedoff has no goals, four assists and 15 penalty minutes.
This is the third transaction the Predators have made with the Golden Knights since July 2024, after signing Jonathan Marchessault and trading for Nic Hauge.
The Predators have about $30 million in cap space at the deadline, with seven contracts expiring this offseason.
Michael Bunting, Erin Haula, Tyson Jost and Nick Blankenburg will all be unrestricted free agents.
Justin Barron and Zach L’Heureux will be restricted free agents.
