With the trade deadline fast approaching, now seems like a good time to look back at some of the trades that have had a big impact on the Montreal Canadiens’ franchise, and Tuesday was the 19th anniversary of such a trade. When Bob Gainey traded Craig Rivet to the San Jose Sharks for a stay-at-home defenseman and a first-round pick at the upcoming draft on February 25, 2007, he probably didn’t think it was a trade that would allow the organization to land one of the cornerstones of the franchise eventually.
Of course, the blueliner was a good friend of the Canadiens’ captain at the time, Saku Koivu, as evidenced by the fact that he injured him in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2006 while play-fighting at the team’s hotel, and he was important for the team, but he wasn’t untouchable. He had become a mainstay on the Habs’ blueline in the previous seasons, setting career-highs in points and assists in his last complete season wearing the Sainte-Flanelle, when he put up 7 goals, 27 assists, and 34 points. That performance convinced the Sharks to include their first-round pick in the deal, but at that point, nobody knew for sure where that pick would land.
The Sharks ended up making the playoffs, while the Canadiens didn’t, and San Jose’s first-round pick turned out to be the 22nd pick overall. Gainey and co. used it to select American winger Max Pacioretty out of the USHL, where he had picked up 63 points in 60 games.
After the draft, he played one season at the University of Michigan, scoring 39 points in 37 games, then moved to the AHL for the following campaign and even played 34 games with the Habs that very year. He split the next two seasons between the AHL and the NHL before coming into his own during the 2011-12 season, putting up 65 points in 79 games. Pacioretty blossomed into a reliable goal scorer for the Canadiens, posting five seasons of 30+ goals, and was even voted team captain in September 2015.
As for Josh Gorges, he spent parts of eight seasons in Montreal, playing 464 career games with the Canadiens. He recorded 13 goals, 75 assists, 88 points, 606 hits, 1.042 blocks, and a plus-34 rating. His steadying presence on the blueline and his leadership made him an important player for the Habs, and he was an alternate captain for two seasons before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the summer of 2014 for a second-round pick after blocking a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
If that were all the Canadiens got in the Rivet trade, it would still have been a good return, but when the organization decided to move on from Pacioretty and the Vegas Golden Knights came knocking, Marc Bergevin got Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 second-round pick in return. While Suzuki wasn’t the player Bergevin was after, he wanted Cody Glass; he ended up being a fantastic acquisition.
Four years later, Suzuki was named the 31st captain in Canadiens history, and three and a half years after that, he wore the Maple Leaf at the Milano-Cortina Olympics. Playing for Team Canada and filling in for Sidney Crosby after he was injured, he showed the world just how complete a player he is on the greatest stage of them all. Last season, after being snubbed for the 4 Nations Face-Off, he carried the Canadiens to the playoffs, and he’s now on pace for having the best season of his career. He’s become the driving force behind the Canadiens’ surge in the standings. No one has played a bigger part in the Habs entering the next stage of their rebuild, and it still feels like the best has yet to come for Suzuki.
The captain is currently in the fourth year of his eight-year contract. If this new iteration of the Canadiens is to end their 33-year Stanley Cup Championship drought, Suzuki will be the one to raise the Cup above his head first and finally send a new championship banner to the Bell Centre rafters. Who would have thought the Habs would get that kind of player from the Rivet deal?
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Joel Quenneville’s 1,000th career victory as an NHL head coach was so dramatic that he almost had to be reminded of the milestone when the clock finally hit zeros on the Anaheim Ducks’ 6-5 comeback win.
When Quenneville stood at center ice with his wife, his daughter and his entire team for a postgame photo moments later Wednesday night, he allowed himself a moment out of the hockey grind to appreciate history.
“I wasn’t prioritizing the number,” Quenneville said after joining Scotty Bowman in the most exclusive hockey coaching club. “I just wanted to play well tonight and find a way to win. That was the motivation, and it turned out to be a very special one as well.”
His Ducks rallied to beat two-time defending conference champion Edmonton in their return from the Olympic break, overcoming a pair of two-goal deficits and another one-goal deficit during their frenetic four-goal third period.
Cutter Gauthier scored the winner with 1:14 to play, and Anaheim hung on for its NHL-leading eighth multigoal comeback win during its first year under Quenneville, whose players all gathered at the bench to mob their coach after the whistle.
“It was an important game for us in a lot of ways,” said Quenneville, who has the second-place Ducks in the Stanley Cup playoff race for the first time since 2018. “They had the puck a lot more than we did, but at the same time, I thought we found a way to win a game. It had other meanings, but to me it was the importance of where it put us in the standings, and coming out of the break, the momentum that we could get off a win like tonight.”
The 67-year-old Quenneville received some fine bottles of wine and cigars among his postgame gifts, but he planned to celebrate just with a beer.
The second member of the 1,000-win club took a long time to join Bowman, who got his 1,000th with the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 8, 1997 — just a month after Quenneville coached his very first game with the St. Louis Blues.
Quenneville reached the mark in his 1,825th game of a career highlighted by three Stanley Cup championships with the Chicago Blackhawks. Bowman finished his career in 2002 with 1,244 victories in 2,141 regular-season games, also winning nine Stanley Cup titles as a coach.
“He’s from a different league when I look at his company,” Quenneville said about Bowman, who was a senior advisor of hockey operations to his son, general manager Stan Bowman, during the Blackhawks’ successful run under Quenneville.
“I think he’s lonesome up there, the number he’s at,” Quenneville added. “I had Scotty and Stan in Chicago together. We had some great wins, and he’s got a lot of Cups. He’s been very successful in the game. ... I’m happy to be getting the opportunity back in the game and be around a team like we’ve got now.”
Quenneville has made a successful return to the NHL this season in Anaheim after a four-year absence from the league following his resignation from the Florida Panthers in late 2021 over his inaction during the Blackhawks’ sexual abuse scandal 11 years earlier.
Quenneville’s NHL ban was lifted in July 2024, and the Ducks hired him one year later to take over a struggling franchise with no playoff appearances in seven consecutive seasons. Anaheim (31-23-3) has vaulted into the thick of the Western Conference playoff race in its first season under Quenneville, who has led his teams to the playoffs in 20 of the 22 NHL seasons he finished behind a bench.
When asked if there were times when he wondered whether he would have a chance to reach 1,000 wins, Quenneville replied: “It’s something that I don’t think about. I think my motivation, my goals were always once you win a Cup one time, you can’t wait to do it again. It’s always been the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
After playing 13 NHL seasons as a sturdy defenseman with the signature bristly mustache he has sported for his entire adult life, Quenneville has been an NHL head coach for parts of 26 seasons, and he has won at every stop.
He led the Blues to seven consecutive playoff appearances before his firing. Quenneville then lasted just three seasons in Colorado despite producing two playoff teams.
He replaced Denis Savard behind the Blackhawks’ bench in 2008 and led the Original Six franchise to eight straight playoff appearances and three championships — including the 2010 Stanley Cup, which ended the NHL’s longest active drought at 59 seasons.
Quenneville joined the Panthers in April 2019, but his third season in Florida ended abruptly when the NHL banned him along with Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac “as a result of their inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the club’s video coach,” the league said.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman determined Quenneville had showed remorse for his inaction on the allegations that surfaced during Chicago’s playoff run to a Stanley Cup title. Quenneville said he also worked with advocacy groups to study the proper ways to lead in such situations.
Quenneville remained intently focused on the NHL during his four years away from the bench, watching games every night on television from his home in Florida and staying in contact with his countless friends in the game. Those friends included Pat Verbeek, his former teammate with the Hartford Whalers and the Ducks’ general manager.
Verbeek fired Greg Cronin and persuaded owner Henry Samueli to take the potential risk and the definite public-relations hit of hiring Quenneville. The move has worked out splendidly on the ice so far, with the Ducks dramatically improving their record with a talented young core gaining another year of experience.
Bowman and Quenneville could be joined in the 1,000-win club by two more veteran coaches within the next few seasons.
Paul Maurice, who won the past two Stanley Cup titles with the Panthers, has 945 career victories with five teams. Lindy Ruff earned his 933rd career victory Wednesday night with the Buffalo Sabres’ 2-1 win over New Jersey.
The NHL season has resumed after the Olympic break and if a game is tied after 60 minutes, there will be a 3-on-3 overtime, followed by a shootout.
Just like the Olympics.
But when the NHL rolls around to the playoffs, it will switch to a 5-on-5 overtime.
The Olympics doesn't do that, though. It goes from a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime in the preliminary round, plus a shootout if necessary, to 10 minutes and a potential shootout in the knockout rounds up to the bronze medal. Even though the gold medal game's overtime lasts for however long it takes for the first goal to be scored it's still 3-on-3.
"It’s not a format we would have chosen, but we respect the rules of the tournaments we participate in," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told USA TODAY Sports.
When Jack Hughes scored in the Feb. 22 gold-medal game to give the USA its first gold since 1980, it was done at 3-on-3.
"You take four players off the ice, hockey's not hockey anymore," Canada coach Jon Cooper said after that game. "There's a reason overtime and shootouts are in play. It's all TV driven to end games. So there's not a long time. There's a reason it's not in the Stanley Cup Finals or playoffs because it gets ended in five."
He backtracked later in the news conference.
"All the teams know the rules going into these beforehand. So you can't come up here and say we're the losing team because we lost in a 3-on-3 and that's not fair," he said. "We knew the rules coming in. We won a game in this tournament 3-on-3 (against Czechia), so that's not the way it is."
Here's a look at the impact of 3-on-3 overtime at the Olympics:
Why was 3-on-3 overtime adopted?
The NHL has been using 3-on-3 (changed from 4-on-4) in the regular season since 2015-16 in an attempt to cut down on the number of games that go to a shootout.
It's incumbent early in the Olympics to have games not last forever because up to three games a day are played at the same arena.
The International Ice Hockey Federation kept a shootout for all games until recently, and a few gold medal games went to a shootout. The 1994 Swedish men's team won on the famed Peter Forsberg move. The 2018 USA women's team beat Canada in a shootout. Overtime was played at 4-on-4 in that year and the 2010 gold medal overtime won by Canada.
"The IIHF has tried various formats over the years – some years ago it was decided to align all overtime formats into (3-on-3) and as such it was also used for the Olympics," said IIHF spokesperson Noémi Villamarin.
When did 3-on-3 overtime start at the Olympics?
The 2022 Olympics were the first to use 3-on-3 overtimes and to drop the shootout for the gold medal game.
The NHL originally was scheduled to send players to the Beijing Games but backed out to make up league games postponed by COVID.
Despite the 3-on-3, three men's games went through a full overtime to a shootout, including the USA's loss to Slovakia in the quarterfinals and Russia's semifinal win against Sweden. Two preliminary round games were settled in overtime, one after two minutes and the other after four minutes.
Overtime at the 2026 Olympics
The 3-on-3 overtime in 2026 drew notice because NHL players – and therefore elite skill – were on the ice for the first time since 2014.
The longest men's overtime lasted 3 minutes, 27 seconds when the USA's Quinn Hughes, Jack's brother, scored to defeat Sweden in the quarterfinals.
"That's as nervous as I've been ever in a hockey game," said Dylan Larkin, who had scored in regulation. "Just the way 3-on-3 goes, it's really just being opportunistic. Someone could fall, some puck could bounce, anything could happen, especially with the ice out there."
The USA took advantage the wider-open ice of 3-on-3 in the gold medal game. Jack Hughes pushed the puck past Canada's Cale Makar, Zach Werenski fought off a defensive play and fed Hughes for the winning goal at 1:41.
"It's still skilled players out there making skilled plays," Cooper said. "And the U.S. team has some skilled players – as do we. They made one more play than we did in overtime."
What's next for best-of-best hockey overtime?
The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off was the start of a commitment of the NHL to best-on-best international tournaments.
The Buffalo Sabres were expected to be a team in the seller category after starting the season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but the Sabres surge since December has them in position to end their 14-year playoff drought, which has made GM Jarmo Kekalainen re-evaluate the club’s options.
Based on the Sabres position in the top three of the Atlantic Division, it seems highly unlikely that they will deal pending unrestricted free agent winger Alex Tuch, but in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline on March 6, there are a number of potential trade options on the table for Kekalainen that make sense.
One potential option floated in a piece in The Athletic earlier this week is a trade for Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy. The 32-year-old is a 13-year NHL veteran who started his career in Arizona and has spent the last nine seasons with the Hawks, but Murphy is a pending UFA making $4.4 million. With the inconsistent availability of Michael Kesselring and the injury to Conor Timmins, it would make sense for the Sabres to be seeking reinforcements on the right side of their blueline.
The piece speculates that Murphy, who has 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 57 games, would cost the Sabres a 2027 second-round pick, but the cost for right-shot blueliners tends to increase as the deadline approaches. The Sabres interest in someone like Murphy would only make sense if they are not confident that Kesselring can stay healthy, or that Timmins will not return before the end of the season.
The Edmonton Oilers will look to snap a four-game losing streak when they face the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, February 26.
My top Oilers vs. Kings predictions and NHL picks are calling for Edmonton backup Connor Ingram to see more than enough rubber to clear his modest saves total tonight.
Oilers vs Kings prediction
Oilers vs Kings best bet: Connor Ingram Over 23.5 saves (-130)
The Kings average 28.2 shots per home game and tilt the ice in their favor at five-on-five with a fifth-ranked 54.0 Corsi For percentage, and the Oilers are playing their second road game in consecutive nights.
While there’s nothing flashy about Ingram’s .895 save percentage, he doesn’t need to be flashy to clear this total with the Kings ranking among the league’s best possession teams.
Oilers vs Kings same-game parlay
There have been at least seven goals in each of the past eight games the Oilers have played, and Edmonton has scored 37 times while allowing 48 during the high-scoring stretch.
With Los Angeles also playing the second leg of a back-to-back set, I’m anticipating plenty of goals again tonight.
The final leg of this same-game parlay targets Oil winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and he’s picked up an assist in five of his past seven games while skating in a go-to role alongside superstar Connor McDavid. I like the duo to stay hot, considering they’ve been on the ice for a sizzling 6.77 goals per 60 minutes this season.
Oilers vs Kings SGP
Over 6.5
Connor Ingram Over 23.5 saves
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Over 0.5 assists
Oilers vs Kings odds
Moneyline: Oilers -105 | Kings -115
Puck Line: Oilers -1.5 (+215) | Kings +1.5 (-270)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-115) | Under 6.5 (-105)
Oilers vs Kings trend
The Edmonton Oilers have hit the Over in six of their last eight games (+6.00 Units / 62% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Kings.
How to watch Oilers vs Kings
Location
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Puck drop
10:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Oilers vs Kings latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Ottawa Senators return to action this evening as they play host to the Detroit Red Wings at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Ottawa has work to do to climb the standings, and my Red Wings vs. Senators predictions expect netminder Linus Ullmark to turn away his fair share of rubber.
Read more in my NHL picks for Thursday, February 26.
Red Wings vs Senators prediction
Red Wings vs Senators best bet: Linus Ullmark Over 22.5 saves (-110)
The Detroit Red Wings average 28.4 shots per game, while Ullmark has been strong at home, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.37 GAA across 13 starts.
With both teams returning from a multi-week layoff, expect looser defense and a barrage of shots headed Ullmark’s way tonight.
Red Wings vs Senators same-game parlay
In addition to Ullmark’s strong numbers at home, the Senators are tough defensively at the Canadian Tire Centre, allowing the fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five.
Detroit ranks 23rd in goals per road game, averaging just 2.86.
Looking at Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot, he’s recorded two or more shots in 11 of his past 15 games, totaling 31 shots on 63 attempts, while logging a solid 21:09 of ice time per game.
Red Wings vs Senators SGP
Under 5.5
Linus Ullmark Over 22.5 saves
Thomas Chabot Over 1.5 shots
Red Wings vs Senators odds
Moneyline: Red Wings +135 | Senators -155
Puck Line: Red Wings +1.5 (-180) | Senators -1.5 (+155)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)
Red Wings vs Senators trend
Detroit has only hit the Over in nine of its last 25 games (-6.80 Units / -25% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Red Wings vs. Senators.
How to watch Red Wings vs Senators
Location
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Date
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN DET, TSN5
Red Wings vs Senators latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Matchup: Detroit Red Wings (33-19-6) Ottawa Senators (28-22-7) Date: Feb. 26, 2026 Puck Drop: 7 pm Location: Canadian Tire Centre TV: TSN5, RDS2 Radio: TSN1200.ca Season Series: Detroit leads 2-0
Following a long Olympic break, it’s back to work for the Senators on Thursday night when they host the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre. When we last checked in with the Senators, they were on a roll, winning five of their last six games before the Olympic break. The Wings were mild, losing four of five (1-3-1) before the break.
Travis Green's game day availability before the Senators post-Olympics opener against visiting Detroit.
Ottawa enters the game with a record of 28-22-7. With 63 points, the Sens are tied with Toronto, two points behind Columbus, four points behind Washington, six behind Boston (Wild Card 2) and nine behind Detroit (Wild Card 1).
As you can see, with just 25 games to play, even the smallest slump now might take the Senators completely out of contention. So the upcoming five-game road trip after this game doesn’t come at the best of times.
The Hot Ones
This is the third of four meetings between the Senators and Wings, with Detroit taking the first two games back in January. In Ottawa on Jan. 5, the Wings jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead and held on to win 5-3. On Jan 18 in Detroit, the Sens jumped out to a 2-0 lead then lost 4-3 in overtime with former Senator Alex DeBrincat scoring the OT winner.
Jan 5, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Nick Cousins (21) celebrates a goal scored against Detroit Red Wings goalie John Gibson (36) that was recalled on a challenge in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
American Express
It will be interesting to see what Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson have left in their physical and emotional tanks. They returned to Ottawa yesterday, and while most of the Senators got plenty of rest through the break, Tkachuk and Sanderson were in Game 7 mode for much of the past week, winning an Olympic goal in Milan, followed by the whirlwind celebration tour.
It will also be interesting to see how they’re welcomed. Based on social media, their visits to the White House to celebrate with President Trump weren't appreciated by everyone.
Wings captain Dylan Larkin is in the same boat as he suddenly squares off against two men he spent the past few days partying with.
Rust Never Sleeps
For those who got a full three-week break from games, there’s also the uncertainty of how that will affect players as they enter the most important stretch of the season.
“Well, that's a good question,” Green said at his pre-game media availability on Thursday. “You know, any time you take that big a break, as a coach, you are a little worried about where your game is at. There's not going to be a coach in the league that's not. We've tried to prepare our team as best we can to be ready for this game, and I think we are.”
Stutzle is Sick (and also not feeling well)
It’s always concerning when a player returning from the Olympics is absent from his team's first game back. Sens’ top scorer Tim Stutzle missed the game day skate on Thursday morning and hasn’t practiced with the Sens since his Olympics ended eight days ago. The Senators say he’s ill and will be a game-time decision.
David Perron (sports hernia surgery) is getting close to a return, and Green has said he may be available sometime during the Senators' four-game stretch out west next week.
Green also says Linus Ullmark will start for Ottawa. Before the break, Ullmark played two games after a month-long personal leave of absence for his mental health, then missed the Sens pre-Olympic finale in Philadelphia due to a last-minute illness. That means Ullmark enters this game having appeared in only two NHL games since December 27.
This is the last Senators home game before the NHL trade deadline, so after this game, there may be some changes to Ottawa's lineup the next time they're back in town.
The Chicago Blackhawks are officially back in action on Thursday night. After a couple of weeks away via the Olympic Break, they are ready to pursue a strong finish to the 2025-26 season.
The healthy Blackhawks who didn’t go to Milan to represent their country had a little mini-camp to prepare for their return. Although they are unlikely to be a playoff team, there is a lot that Jeff Blashill wants to work on with this group before they break for summer vacation.
Not everyone on the roster will make it to the end of the season in Chicago. Next Friday’s trade deadline is sure to shake things up. Before then, the Blackhawks have four games (all on the road) to manage ahead of their big pending decisions.
The first game of the trip is a match against the Nashville Predators. This is the third of three matchups between the two clubs. Chicago is 1-1-0 against them so far.
Scouting Nashville
The Nashville Predators have not played as poorly this season as they did last season, despite all the nice additions they made to their roster in free agency. Still, they were a lousy 3-4-3 in their final ten games before the break, so they sit four points below the playoff line.
The good news for Nashville is that they only have two teams to jump at this point in time. One of them, the Los Angeles Kings, has the same number of points. Anything can happen, but this game against Chicago is an opportunity to earn a home win against one of their biggest rivals.
Preds lines at non-Olympian practice:
Evangelista-O’Reilly-Stamkos
Forsberg-Haula-Marchessault
Bunting-McCarron-Wood
Smith-Jost-Wiesblatt
Barron-Josi
Skjei-Wilsby
Hague-Perbix
Saros
Annunen
The Predators have talent that helps them win games, but a lot of it comes in the form of older veterans like Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, Filip Forsberg, and Roman Josi. The youth that NHL teams need to be elite is not there in bunches.
In goal, Jusse Saros is a game-time decision. He played very well in the Bronze Medal Game, but it is unclear if he will face the Hawks on Thursday. If he can't go, it will be justus Annunen.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks have 25 games remaining. Between now and the end of the year, there is a lot to learn and work on. There is also an opportunity for players like Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Tyler Bertuzzi, and others to reach certain milestones that will boost their confidence.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Moore-Nazar-Bertuzzi
Teravainen-Foligno-Slaggert
Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Vlasic-Crevier
Murphy-Rinzel
Grcelzyk-Levshunov
Knight
Spencer Knight is going to start in goal for the Blackhawks against the Predators. He was just outside being named to the United States Olympic team, so now is his chance to begin his quest to be on the team in 2030.
Connor Bedard, as reported over the course of the break, is ready to take faceoffs again. Having the ability to perform all of the roles of a center allows Frank Nazar to move down and drive the second line.
Teuvo Teravainen is back with a Bronze Medal, and now he has a chance to be the facilitator on a third line with Nick Foligno and Landon Slaggert.
Artyom Levshunov was on a development program ahead of the break that had him watch a few games from the press box without being sent down to the AHL. Now, he's ready to hop back into the lineup and play.
Kevin Korchinski is with the big club while Wyatt Kaiser works his way back from an injury, but he is not likely to dress unless there is another injury before Kaiser returns. Colton Dach and Sam Lafferty are the scratches for this one up front.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it is available on CHSN locally. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 7:00 PM CT.
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.
"I'm watching hockey every night. I check in to see how the guys are doing," Dobson said to begin his answer. "[Schaefer] has stepped into the league, and it's looked like a seamless transition from junior. It's been super impressive. As an 18-year-old defenseman, it's not an easy league to come into that young. Especially as a defenseman, to see what he's doing, it's been great. And obviously, he's given the team a big boost. So it's been cool to see for him."
“It was special to be an Islander, just the history they have there, being part of such a great group of guys. I’m thankful for them drafting me and believing in me. I’m extremely grateful for everything they’ve done for me.”#Isles@TheElmontershttps://t.co/bn5yqMJH1F
Dobson broke into the NHL with the Islanders at the age of 19 after being selected 12th overall in 2018. He went through his ups and downs during his development.
After six seasons on Long Island, Dobson, a pending restricted free agent, was dealt to the Canadiens for the Habs' 16th and 17th selections in the 2025 NHL Draft, along with forward Emil Heineman.
The Islanders turned those picks into forward Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.
Dobson signed an eight-year extension worth $9.5 million annually and has 38 points (10 goals, 28 assists) in 57 games this season. Heineman signed a two-year extension worth $1.1 million annually.
Heineman has set career highs in goals with 15 and points with 23, tying his career high with eight assists through 58 games on Long Island.
The Penguins went into the Olympic break on a high note after a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5 and will try to carry that momentum into the stretch run of the 2025-26 season.
They will play a struggling Devils team that has lost four in a row and will be on the second half of a back-to-back. They fell to the Sabres 2-1 on Wednesday night and are now 11 points out of a playoff spot.
The Penguins and Devils have split their two meetings this season, with the Penguins winning the most recent one, 4-1, on Jan. 8. This will be the third of four games between the two teams this year.
Despite a tough season, the Devils still have some great talent, including Jack Hughes, who recently scored the golden goal for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. His goal gave Team USA its first Gold Medal in men's hockey since 1980.
Hughes has compiled 12 goals and 37 points in 37 games this season. Jesper Bratt has been solid again this season, racking up 13 goals and 42 points in 58 games. Nico Hischier also has 42 points in 58 games, 19 of which are goals.
This is a Devils team that still has Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer up front as well. Goaltender Jake Allen started on Wednesday, meaning Jacob Markstrom is in line to start on Thursday.
The Penguins' lines will look a tad different without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. Crosby will be out for a minimum of four weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered during the Winter Olympics.
Rickard Rakell will center the top line with Bryan Rust and Avery Hayes as his wingers.
Here's a look at the full projected lineup for Thursday's game:
Forwards
Hayes-Rakell-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Arturs Silovs will start in goal after he was the first goaltender off during the morning skate.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
As the Olympic season wraps up, the Boston Bruins sit at 57 games played, and the Trade Deadline incoming at them at distressing speeds. The NHL season’s truncated schedule to make room for Team USA and Team Canada’s all-timer tournaments has now created a dead heat of a last two months that will test the Boston Bruins in ways they have only rarely been tested before.
Now, let’s check in with the Boston Bruins, and discuss what they need to do next in this blisteringly paced season.
The Basics
The Boston Bruins are 32-20-6 in 57 games played, have 69 points in the standings, have scored 195 goals and let in 176 goals. Their home record is 17-8-3, their away record is 15-11-3, and at the end of the break they had a 6-3-0 record through their last ten games; their most recent one a controversial overtime loss to the Florida Panthers due to general Panthers behavior of the sort you’d imagine they get up to.
Their leading scorer is Morgan Geekie at 32 goals through 56 games played, and their leader in points is David Pastrnak with 71 points in 52 games.
The Analytics
In terms of offense, The Boston Bruins are 16th in the NHL in Corsi-For per 60 minutes; which is a measurement of shot attempts over the course of a 60 minute hockey game; this sits at 57.55. They are 19th in Fenwick-For per 60 minutes, which is a measurement of unblocked shot attempts over the course of a 60 minute hockey game. This sits at 40.97. They are 22nd in the NHL at Expected-Goals for per 60, which sits at 2.51, and is a measure of what we can call “shot quality”. They are 12th in the league at High Danger Goals-For per 60 minutes, which sits at 1.31.
From this, we can at least determine that while the Bruins do not have the puck very often and are letting the game come to them rather than the other way around, when they do have the puck, they usually score when they’re close to the net. This tracks based on what we can see about finishing data from HockeyViz.com.
Defensively, the Boston Bruins are quite a far cry from where they were years ago. They are 27th in the league at Corsi-against per sixty with 60.17. Fenwick-against per sixty is 24th in the league at 49.07, and they are 29th in Expected-Goals Against per 60 at 2.9. This suggests they are letting up a lot of shots, many of whom are pretty good ones at that.
Definitely gonna call that a “needs improvement”.
The things that work…
David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie are putting in heroic work!
For a good six weeks last year, the Bruins became the Pasta and Geekie show as they began to rapidly overtake just about everybody else on the depth chart in terms of NHL Scoring. To the delight of fans, that hasn’t gone away; if anything it’s actually improved quite a bit.
Pastrnak has developed a much more rounded playmaking addition to his game game in response to what I am sure is someone making it abundantly clear to him that he is probably the most well rounded player left on the team, and he put his best effort forward into becoming more than just a really good slapshot from the circles, and the team is better off for it.
Meanwhile, Morgan Geekie, of all people, is playing like he’s going to be a Rocket Richard finalist. That’s going to happen. We’re all here to watch that now.
What part of this is playing with great talent, what part of this is the power play being good, what part of this is him shooting like crazy (currently sitting at 24%), it’s hard to assign credit where it’s due on his game, but make no mistake, he is a blast to watch here.
Pleasant surprises abound in the depth!
Part of what’s made the Bruins sudden return to being watchable is that, for the most part, the depth has actually started to come alive!
Lots of flowers go to Fraser Minten, as he was an inexpensive add last year who showed a lot of promise, and has truly flourished in his role on the third line, but he’s hardly the only one! Viktor Arvidsson looks like he belongs after a slow start! Hell, it looks like he’s finally found his scoring touch again! Pavel Zacha has once again found the ability to potentially end up a 20+ goalscorer again! Marat Khusnutdinov has been the perfect chaotic addition to Pasta and Lindholm’s line! Lindholm himself seems to have found twine a little more which helps his case a lot! And hey, even Casey Mittelstadt seems to be finding a scoring touch against the right teams.
This was a hallmark of Marco Sturm teams in the AHL in that yes, they do have obvious stars, but they do tend to have a crop of players who start following in those stars wake to carve some goals out for themselves, and in an NHL this deep across the board it never hurts to have anyone who’s willing to step up.
Sturm’s Team never quits.
Even if the Bruins are not great, and sometimes they can lay an egg through at least 20 minutes of play…they are not out of it. Something in the locker room gets said, the team locks in, and the game changes. Not always for the better, but they do make something happen.
If there is one major positive that Marco Sturm has imparted upon these guys, that I think contributed to some early frustration within the team, is that they know they are never out of it, and relish the opportunity to be something special.
According to MoreHockeyStats.com, a fantastic resource for the kind of niche stat that this is; the Boston Bruins are 9th in the league in winning games in which they are behind by the third period. They’re in a multi-man tie for third if they’re only down a goal! Part of that of course is probably the power play; which is not just good, but actively great at 3rd in the entire league, but it does come down to effort. It makes for a genuinely fun watch even if they’re playing like garbage to start the game because yes; anyone can go be the hero if they want to be, and there are enough talented guys in the NHL now that it doesn’t just have to be Pasta or Geekie.
Given where we started with this team? I will take that one thousand times over. No contest.
…and the stuff that needs improvement.
The Bruins are in dire need of help up the middle.
So there’s two ways to look at this; the non analytics way and the analytics way. In the interest of fairness, I will address both.
From a more surface level side of things, just about every Center on the team is…fine. It’s a little weird that Mark Kastelic has the highest faceoff percentage of all
From an analytical side of things…
Well…It’s a good thing Sean Kuraly and Fraser Minten are having good seasons and Zacha is a fantastic power play guy, because this is kind of a rough place to be right now with your top six centers looking like this.
I’m not gonna hold Pavel Zacha’s draft acumen against him; he’s still a very good player and he’s third in goals on a team that has largely let two guys do all of the scoring for them, and even if he’s not exactly living entirely up to the level of ice time he gets through on-ice impact, results are there. They may be
Lindholm however…Lindholm I no longer feel any passion, fury or concern with. I know what he is, and he is not a 1st line center in the NHL. He might be a good 3rd C! That’d be a good spot for him at this point! But he’s not a 1st liner anymore and he is here for what feels like forever unless cooler heads prevail and the Bruins do something to get him outta here. It is by the grace of god that he gets to play with two players who can mask a lot of the busy nothing he does out there, and that should be cause for concern. This kind of thing becomes painfully apparent in the playoffs, and unless Lindholm has one last masterclass season in him, I think his usage on this team needs to be rethought immediately.
We do need to talk about Mason…
At the beginning of the season, we set what I think was a very reasonable goal for Lohrei to meet; just be A Guy this year.
Do not cause too much trouble and break even on defense this year. This was largely attainable for him; Lohrei’s ranginess, shot, and skating talent are undeniable qualities in his favor as a skater, particularly in a defense corps that still has a lot of trouble trying to leave the zone themselves. When he is at his best, you can absolutely see why the team wants him to remain an NHL skater and on their team.
He has however, largely failed to meet that lofty goal of “be boring”.
What is increasingly a problem for the Bruins is that his play recognition and game “sense” is routinely far behind the rest of his skillset, and it remains a major fault in his game that usually becomes his teammates’ problems in short order. Mason Lohrei has done something at least once in all of the contests he’s been a part of that drew attention to this particular flaw of his game, and usually dragged his defense partner into that boondoggle. It didn’t always end in a goal-against, but Lohrei’s consistent struggles to make good decisions with and without the puck inevitably end up dragging out defensive zone time for a team that already struggles with that.
Lohrei’s ability is constantly hampered by a decision-making that would have him out of the league were it not for the macrophilic tendencies of the organization trying to find something for him to do. This was a recurring problem with his defense partners in the past, and on some level the team tried to mitigate it by ensuring he had stoic partners who wouldn’t screw up nearly as badly, but it is absolutely unacceptable for a player they keep trying to dip into first pairing minutes.
Really, the worst part is that we know good performances for Lohrei are entirely possible and can happen. It is something he can be not just once every ten games but every game if he puts the effort forward and isn’t trying to force plays with the confidence of Icarus turning his wings sun-ward. Mason Lohrei is a good hockey player when he is focused! The problem is that focus seems to wander consistently, and that leads to trouble that people notice. Him getting benched and the team’s ability to at least stay ahead of opponents improving dramatically has only made it
Of course, he’s far from the only one.
…But he’s just the tip of the iceberg of a pretty poor defense.
I really cannot overstate how Lohrei’s large, flamboyant disaster shifts are just the loudest parts of a defense that is in dire need of anyone to recognize what they’re doing. If you are a fan who reconnected with the team back in the 2009-10 season, what you see on the ice feels spiritually incorrect… and yet, here we are, with a defense that is frankly pretty bad all around.
Lohrei’s issues are well known, but there’s a little bit of everything across this lineup when the defense is off it’s game: baffling decision-making with the puck, slow skating in just about every direction, criminal lack of play recognition leading to puck watching, whiffing on checks, over committing on checks, baubling the puck when you have it in the offensive zone…if I pointed at one name as the culprit, two more I didn’t would follow it up by doing the same things. It’s a unique problem that now follows this squad; Everybody’s struggling to get the puck out of their own end at the moment, and it will continue to be an issue until Marco Sturm adjusts something drastically with his staff, or there are adjustments made to the people putting that system into place on-ice.
And let’s not just leave it at the defensemen! Let us make it abundantly clear that the forwards are not helping much whatsoever in this defense and it does not matter who they are in the slightest! Pasta? Already not known for his defense but his impact has lessened, Kuraly? Pure offense guy now. Lindholm? Active liability. Jeannot? Nope. Mark Kastelic? Surely he’s good at this right? Not even close. Everybody shares some blame for this.
Are there positive points? Sure! Charlie McAvoy has once again found his game and while he may not be the most defensively sound player, he’s still getting the puck moving in the right direction! Nikita Zadorov has tried his damnedest into being a reasonable , and has slowly worked himself up into being a sort of ideal 2ndish-1stish pairing defender you can trust with most assignments! Jordan Harris has otherwise been a phenomenally talented player who seems to like playing close to home because he’s one of the very few Bruins defenders who is above water when it comes to possession, and frankly he is sorely missed! Hampus Lindholm when he wasn’t injured definitely seemed like he was a net positive!
But that’s not making up for the fact that this is a unit that needs an overhaul across the board, and it’s not going to
…And some things we still haven’t learned yet.
The Boston goaltending position is…getting there????
So here’s the thing: Both Joonas Korpisalo and Jeremy Swayman have played some strong hockey for the Bruins this year. They have put together genuinely strong games coming into and more than likely out of the Olympic Break. They have also put up some spectacular clunkers that have forced the team to play outside of their comfort zone when they just don’t have it. But if there can be said to be a positive, then having one goaltender who is at the absolute least, slightly above 2025-26’s average SV% must be it.
Jeremy Swayman was due for a return to form. While fans were ready at the drop of a hat to find a reason to get rid of him the minute ink hit paper on his very big contract that he spent a lot of time out with, the reality is that the Bruins #1 goaltender was probably not his 24-25 disaster season; if only by reasoning that there were too many things playing against him; the team’s offense was spluttering, their ability to hold the puck was non-existent, and their defense was an utter nightmare. Now, he has goal support and the defense in front of him has progressed to merely bad, so at the very least we can say that his contract did not in fact sap him of all of his capacity to be a good goaltender.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his specific concerns.
I have dubbed this the “Swayman thing”, because calling an effort thing is wrong and calling it a quirk cheapens it’s impact on games, and here it is; he is usually due for at least two goals against. They’re going to make you slap your head in exasperation. They’re gonna be awful. And then he locks in; that third goal-against becomes a herculean task that requires sustained pressure and a real great shot to beat him that third time. Most of the time, Swayman gives the Bruins a chance to win with that thing. It’s a big part of what made him so valuable to the team in the first place. But in a season where the defense is so routinely awful, even he has his limits, and the thing goes from cute but annoying to actively aggravating. It’s hard to put the most blame on either the defense in front of him or Swayman himself, but it’s something that the team desperately needs to get control of. When he’s on, he’s great! But that can be changed at the drop of a hat.
Joonas Korpisalo has also seen a lot of improvement which started at “effectively unplayable unless you were actively looking for a shot at the Mathew Schaefer sweepstakes” and is now just barely under the League’s average SV% of .893. He’s even got a shutout to his name! The problem of course, is that if you’re putting up .893, the real issue is consistency, and even between him and Swayman, the rubber-band results are kind of hard to ignore. There are some games back to back that make you wonder if he’s finally turning a corner…and then boom, sub-.800 SV%.
All of this leaves the Bruins goaltenders in a weird spot. We know the defense is bad. We know that both of these guys surely can’t be as bad as their previous season, but just how much better when your eccentricities are single-handedly geared towards making your team look bad and you look worse even if long-term you can probably win with them if you support them? What happens if you genuinely improve the skaters in front of them and they just stay like this or get worse? Are you really in a position to try and fix it when you keep giving out talent to other teams at this position, even if they themselves may never do this again?
The goalies, like they always are, remain an enigma. A frustrating one.
What the hell is the Atlantic Division and the NHL in general this year?
It seems the big word for sports in 2025 and going into 2026 is “uncertainty”.
Go take a look at the standings. Really. Go look at them.
Vegas and Edmonton are in a heated battle for the Pacific with just about half their division. The Pittsburgh Penguins, those Pittsburgh Penguins, are in a dead heat to try and catch the Hurricanes. The Stanley Cup champions are down with New Jersey and NYR at the bottom of the eastern conference. The only bastion of normalcy this year has been the Central Division, and even then the Colorado Avalanche have begun faltering, allowing Minnesota and Dallas a chance to catch up.
Like we all expected, right?
Parity has at long last hit the NHL like a bomb and I regret to inform you that it has genuinely produced some pretty solid hockey. It has also produced at least three divisions that are absolutely rife with the inability to truly seize a spot in the wildcard, and it’s meant checking the standings has gone from a thing maybe two teams maximum do to something just about everybody does in rapid succession because they now change that fast. Sure, there are some true dorks who want to know who’s “really good” and all that, and I say “That’s what the playoffs are for” and “Didn’t you say you don’t care about made-up numbers?”, but right now I can say with delight that the NHL season is truly unpredictable now.
Does that mean I don’t think it can hurt Boston any? Oh my, no.
If anything, I think we can agree that Boston may be one of the most vulnerable teams in this rat race because they are only just in the playoffs at this point. Sure, 69 points looks pretty nice now, but are you gonna count on the Jackets beefing it enough to get some distance? You really think the Caps are gonna stay in this weird mushy middle period before one of those russians decides to go on a heater? You think the Islanders are gonna be third in the Metro forever? There are a lot of teams looking for space in this wildcard right now, and the only one I think who has a good shot right now of keeping it is the goddamn Buffalo Sabres of all teams. The Sabres! And I could be totally wrong about that because this season has had nothing but shocking swerves!
This position they’re in is one they need to put a good foundation under quickly or they’re gonna find out how fun it is to float a house.
Do you stay the course on a steady re-tool? Or go and add big-time in pursuit of more of “The Juice”?
The Bruins were probably not supposed to be here this year.
But give ‘em credit! They’re healthy-ish, the stars are meeting the moment most nights, they acquired players who found specific niches for themselves, and made some decent bets that have for the most part paid off. Being back in a wildcard spot after last year? That feels like you’re well ahead of schedule!
Yeah, funny thing about that. Sometimes you can get so ahead of yourself you forget the details. Like hit the train in front of you.
They still need to put a lot of work into meeting the Lightning, the Red Wings, and the Habs where they are right now. That will take time, and it will take extremely careful adjusting of the roster to get there. They still need to get younger, they definitely need to get faster, and they need to get deeper. Nothing less will do. The teams around them are already there. They need to play catch up and fast.
But…“The Juice” beckons.
This phrase; “The Juice”, haunts this team like a wraith.
Ever since Jim Montgomery correctly identified that he didn’t have nearly as good a team as he wanted using that phrase, and that coaching could only get you so far without this one phrase; a heady mix of talent and want-to that he tried his damnedest to get out of the roster…I really think he pissed off somebody above him in a way that feels distinctly personal. Just about every single decision made at the beginning of the year and offseason felt like it was in direct service to proving Montgomery wrong. In fairness? It has started to show some fruit!
But they do need more. This isn’t close to enough and I think the team is aware of that…but I do fear that somebody, can’t say who, couldn’t pick who they are out of a lineup, who gets to make decisions about this team, is still fuming about that comment. The rumors of Justin Faulk and Rasmus Ristolainen reek of that kind of nonsense; looking for a “fire” in the room where talent won’t be given a wick to light.
Spite can become poisonous if left too long in the bloodstream. I’m a little concerned it may force them to do something rash.
…So, what do they do?
Well, let’s just say the taking stock period is either well underway or actively coming to a close. We have at least some idea of what this team is, and its issues are pretty clear.
Were it me in charge, I think the goal looks like this:
Get a 1C
Admittedly more a long term goal and one that maybe Hagens or Letournneau can fill as they’ve been having excellent seasons in college puck, but for the here and now it’s clear that top 6 center talent is going to need to be a priority going forward.
Make a painful decision on defense.
Somebody you like is probably gonna have to go alongside someone you don’t if the B’s want to improve their game on the blueline. Might mean Lindholm, may end up being Aspirot, could even mean Zadorov, but we can’t sit here and act like this is ignorable. Something needs to give, and in order to get something you’re gonna have to hold your nose and think about a championship future and defensemen are something the Bruins have at least a few of.
Just please don’t get Rasmus Ristolainen or Justin Faulk; we’re not cavemen and this team doesn’t need another old guy or a big guy who hits but doesn’t defense well; they have enough of those.
Weaponize your reputation.
Sweeney’s best deal of last deadline was explicitly using the Boston Bruins brand against a GM and staff who didn’t do the reading, and got a pick and Fraser Minten out of it. As such, it is the solemn duty of both the team and the coach to gin up a player in just such a way that a GM who is Not Intelligent buys it hook, line, and sinker. Unfortunately due to the way the Leafs are playing, that is unlikely to be Brad Treliving a second time. You may have to move on to Patrik Allvin.
Keep getting draft picks.
They’ve already got a pair of firsts for 2026 and 2027. James Hagens and Will Zellers are coming alive, and Dean Letournneau is starting to show the promise of his 25th overall selection in the 2024 draft. That’s a good start. Your cupboard went from last to about middle of the pack to close to the top ten in under a few years, but the B’s should not take this lightly. Even one graduation to the league next year would be a boon for them now, but take a name out of their prospect pool; something that is still quite thin. Whatever you do this deadline season, make sure an early round pick is thrown in for it.
The season will go by faster than you think, and with this retool moving much faster than anticipated, we can only hope now that the Bruins are seeing this year with clear eyes, and see that the future has needs that must be met here in the present.
But until then? Let’s see how far we can take this.
Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Adam Engstrom will be out of action for at least four weeks, the Laval Rocket announced on Wednesday. The Swedish blueliner was injured in Saturday’s game against the Utica Comets and is dealing with an upper-body injury. His absence is a big blow to the organization. Granted, the Canadiens currently have seven defensemen on the NHL roster, but should an injury occur, Engstrom would have been first on the call-up list.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old was enjoying a great season in the AHL, and his pairing with David Reinbacher was the team’s best. In 40 games with the Rocket, Engstrom put up 33 points. He also skated in 11 games with the Habs this season, and while he didn’t pick up any points in the process, he didn’t look out of place at all.
A third-round pick at the 2022 draft, the Swede has developed into a good puck-moving defenseman with smooth skating and puck-handling skills; he can even be physical when the situation calls for it. With so many left-shot defenseman in the organization, decisions will eventually have to be made. Engstrom has NHL potential, but he’s stuck behind Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Jayden Struble, and Arber Xhekaj. At the very least, he could have been a good asset to move by the trade deadline if the Canadiens felt they couldn’t make room for him in the NHL eventually.
As for the Rocket, he plays a significant role on their blueline and will be sorely missed. Laval currently sits atop the North Division with 71 points. Pascal Vincent and his men have a six-point lead over the Syracuse Crunch, but the Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate does have three games in hand.
The Rocket played its first game without Engstrom on Wednesday and suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Marlies. It was a tumultuous game, and Vincent was ejected with a couple of minutes left after voicing his displeasure with the officiating. David Reinbacher and Samuel Blais were also assessed 10-minute misconduct penalties by the officials.
Nazem Kadri always brings his best against the San Jose Sharks, averaging 4.3 shots on goal and 1.2 points over the last 14 meetings.
My Flames vs. Sharks predictions expect the well-rested veteran to put forth another strong offensive showing tonight.
Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Thursday, February 26.
Flames vs Sharks prediction
Flames vs Sharks best bet: Nazem Kadri Over 2.5 shots on goal (-135)
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri has recorded at least three shots on goal in nine of the past 10 head-to-head meetings with the San Jose Sharks, including two of three this season.
Kadri has recorded 24 attempts over three games against the Sharks. He attempted 6+ in each of them.
That’s a sweet spot for Kadri to clear this line. He’s gone Over this line in 22 of 29 games (76%) this year when attempting 6+ shots.
The Sharks have allowed the second-most shots to centers over their last 10, so the volume should remain strong.
Flames vs Sharks same-game parlay
Kadri hit the scoresheet in 11 of his last 14 games against the Sharks, tallying 17 points in total. He should be able to build on those outputs given they rank Bottom 4 in both shots and goals allowed.
Matt Coronato has seven points over his last six games vs. teams that sit Bottom 10 in goals against and skates on the top power play with Kadri.
Flames vs Sharks SGP
Nazem Kadri Over 2.5 shots on goal
Nazem Kadri Over 0.5 points
Matt Coronato Over 0.5 points
Flames vs Sharks odds
Moneyline: Calgary +105 | San Jose -125
Puck line: Calgary +1.5 (-230) | San Jose -1.5 (+190)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)
Flames vs Sharks trend
Nazem Kadri has averaged 4.8 shots on goal over his last 10 games against San Jose. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Sharks.
How to watch Flames vs Sharks
Location
SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA
Date
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSCA, SN1
Flames vs Sharks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
As the Olympic season wraps up, the Boston Bruins sit at 57 games played, and the Trade Deadline incoming at them at distressing speeds. The NHL season’s truncated schedule to make room for Team USA and Team Canada’s all-timer tournaments has now created a dead heat of a last two months that will test the Boston Bruins in ways they have only rarely been tested before.
Now, let’s check in with the Boston Bruins, and discuss what they need to do next in this blisteringly paced season.
The Basics
The Boston Bruins are 32-20-6 in 57 games played, have 69 points in the standings, have scored 195 goals and let in 176 goals. Their home record is 17-8-3, their away record is 15-11-3, and at the end of the break they had a 6-3-0 record through their last ten games; their most recent one a controversial overtime loss to the Florida Panthers due to general Panthers behavior of the sort you’d imagine they get up to.
Their leading scorer is Morgan Geekie at 32 goals through 56 games played, and their leader in points is David Pastrnak with 71 points in 52 games.
The Analytics
In terms of offense, The Boston Bruins are 16th in the NHL in Corsi-For per 60 minutes; which is a measurement of shot attempts over the course of a 60 minute hockey game; this sits at 57.55. They are 19th in Fenwick-For per 60 minutes, which is a measurement of unblocked shot attempts over the course of a 60 minute hockey game. This sits at 40.97. They are 22nd in the NHL at Expected-Goals for per 60, which sits at 2.51, and is a measure of what we can call “shot quality”. They are 12th in the league at High Danger Goals-For per 60 minutes, which sits at 1.31.
From this, we can at least determine that while the Bruins do not have the puck very often and are letting the game come to them rather than the other way around, when they do have the puck, they usually score when they’re close to the net. This tracks based on what we can see about finishing data from HockeyViz.com.
Defensively, the Boston Bruins are quite a far cry from where they were years ago. They are 27th in the league at Corsi-against per sixty with 60.17. Fenwick-against per sixty is 24th in the league at 49.07, and they are 29th in Expected-Goals Against per 60 at 2.9. This suggests they are letting up a lot of shots, many of whom are pretty good ones at that.
Definitely gonna call that a “needs improvement”.
The things that work…
David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie are putting in heroic work!
For a good six weeks last year, the Bruins became the Pasta and Geekie show as they began to rapidly overtake just about everybody else on the depth chart in terms of NHL Scoring. To the delight of fans, that hasn’t gone away; if anything it’s actually improved quite a bit.
Pastrnak has developed a much more rounded playmaking addition to his game game in response to what I am sure is someone making it abundantly clear to him that he is probably the most well rounded player left on the team, and he put his best effort forward into becoming more than just a really good slapshot from the circles, and the team is better off for it.
Meanwhile, Morgan Geekie, of all people, is playing like he’s going to be a Rocket Richard finalist. That’s going to happen. We’re all here to watch that now.
What part of this is playing with great talent, what part of this is the power play being good, what part of this is him shooting like crazy (currently sitting at 24%), it’s hard to assign credit where it’s due on his game, but make no mistake, he is a blast to watch here.
Pleasant surprises abound in the depth!
Part of what’s made the Bruins sudden return to being watchable is that, for the most part, the depth has actually started to come alive!
Lots of flowers go to Fraser Minten, as he was an inexpensive add last year who showed a lot of promise, and has truly flourished in his role on the third line, but he’s hardly the only one! Viktor Arvidsson looks like he belongs after a slow start! Hell, it looks like he’s finally found his scoring touch again! Pavel Zacha has once again found the ability to potentially end up a 20+ goalscorer again! Marat Khusnutdinov has been the perfect chaotic addition to Pasta and Lindholm’s line! Lindholm himself seems to have found twine a little more which helps his case a lot! And hey, even Casey Mittelstadt seems to be finding a scoring touch against the right teams.
This was a hallmark of Marco Sturm teams in the AHL in that yes, they do have obvious stars, but they do tend to have a crop of players who start following in those stars wake to carve some goals out for themselves, and in an NHL this deep across the board it never hurts to have anyone who’s willing to step up.
Sturm’s Team never quits.
Even if the Bruins are not great, and sometimes they can lay an egg through at least 20 minutes of play…they are not out of it. Something in the locker room gets said, the team locks in, and the game changes. Not always for the better, but they do make something happen.
If there is one major positive that Marco Sturm has imparted upon these guys, that I think contributed to some early frustration within the team, is that they know they are never out of it, and relish the opportunity to be something special.
According to MoreHockeyStats.com, a fantastic resource for the kind of niche stat that this is; the Boston Bruins are 9th in the league in winning games in which they are behind by the third period. They’re in a multi-man tie for third if they’re only down a goal! Part of that of course is probably the power play; which is not just good, but actively great at 3rd in the entire league, but it does come down to effort. It makes for a genuinely fun watch even if they’re playing like garbage to start the game because yes; anyone can go be the hero if they want to be, and there are enough talented guys in the NHL now that it doesn’t just have to be Pasta or Geekie.
Given where we started with this team? I will take that one thousand times over. No contest.
…and the stuff that needs improvement.
The Bruins are in dire need of help up the middle.
So there’s two ways to look at this; the non analytics way and the analytics way. In the interest of fairness, I will address both.
From a more surface level side of things, just about every Center on the team is…fine. It’s a little weird that Mark Kastelic has the highest faceoff percentage of all
From an analytical side of things…
Well…It’s a good thing Sean Kuraly and Fraser Minten are having good seasons and Zacha is a fantastic power play guy, because this is kind of a rough place to be right now with your top six centers looking like this.
I’m not gonna hold Pavel Zacha’s draft acumen against him; he’s still a very good player and he’s third in goals on a team that has largely let two guys do all of the scoring for them, and even if he’s not exactly living entirely up to the level of ice time he gets through on-ice impact, results are there. They may be
Lindholm however…Lindholm I no longer feel any passion, fury or concern with. I know what he is, and he is not a 1st line center in the NHL. He might be a good 3rd C! That’d be a good spot for him at this point! But he’s not a 1st liner anymore and he is here for what feels like forever unless cooler heads prevail and the Bruins do something to get him outta here. It is by the grace of god that he gets to play with two players who can mask a lot of the busy nothing he does out there, and that should be cause for concern. This kind of thing becomes painfully apparent in the playoffs, and unless Lindholm has one last masterclass season in him, I think his usage on this team needs to be rethought immediately.
We do need to talk about Mason…
At the beginning of the season, we set what I think was a very reasonable goal for Lohrei to meet; just be A Guy this year.
Do not cause too much trouble and break even on defense this year. This was largely attainable for him; Lohrei’s ranginess, shot, and skating talent are undeniable qualities in his favor as a skater, particularly in a defense corps that still has a lot of trouble trying to leave the zone themselves. When he is at his best, you can absolutely see why the team wants him to remain an NHL skater and on their team.
He has however, largely failed to meet that lofty goal of “be boring”.
What is increasingly a problem for the Bruins is that his play recognition and game “sense” is routinely far behind the rest of his skillset, and it remains a major fault in his game that usually becomes his teammates’ problems in short order. Mason Lohrei has done something at least once in all of the contests he’s been a part of that drew attention to this particular flaw of his game, and usually dragged his defense partner into that boondoggle. It didn’t always end in a goal-against, but Lohrei’s consistent struggles to make good decisions with and without the puck inevitably end up dragging out defensive zone time for a team that already struggles with that.
Lohrei’s ability is constantly hampered by a decision-making that would have him out of the league were it not for the macrophilic tendencies of the organization trying to find something for him to do. This was a recurring problem with his defense partners in the past, and on some level the team tried to mitigate it by ensuring he had stoic partners who wouldn’t screw up nearly as badly, but it is absolutely unacceptable for a player they keep trying to dip into first pairing minutes.
Really, the worst part is that we know good performances for Lohrei are entirely possible and can happen. It is something he can be not just once every ten games but every game if he puts the effort forward and isn’t trying to force plays with the confidence of Icarus turning his wings sun-ward. Mason Lohrei is a good hockey player when he is focused! The problem is that focus seems to wander consistently, and that leads to trouble that people notice. Him getting benched and the team’s ability to at least stay ahead of opponents improving dramatically has only made it
Of course, he’s far from the only one.
…But he’s just the tip of the iceberg of a pretty poor defense.
I really cannot overstate how Lohrei’s large, flamboyant disaster shifts are just the loudest parts of a defense that is in dire need of anyone to recognize what they’re doing. If you are a fan who reconnected with the team back in the 2009-10 season, what you see on the ice feels spiritually incorrect… and yet, here we are, with a defense that is frankly pretty bad all around.
Lohrei’s issues are well known, but there’s a little bit of everything across this lineup when the defense is off it’s game: baffling decision-making with the puck, slow skating in just about every direction, criminal lack of play recognition leading to puck watching, whiffing on checks, over committing on checks, baubling the puck when you have it in the offensive zone…if I pointed at one name as the culprit, two more I didn’t would follow it up by doing the same things. It’s a unique problem that now follows this squad; Everybody’s struggling to get the puck out of their own end at the moment, and it will continue to be an issue until Marco Sturm adjusts something drastically with his staff, or there are adjustments made to the people putting that system into place on-ice.
And let’s not just leave it at the defensemen! Let us make it abundantly clear that the forwards are not helping much whatsoever in this defense and it does not matter who they are in the slightest! Pasta? Already not known for his defense but his impact has lessened, Kuraly? Pure offense guy now. Lindholm? Active liability. Jeannot? Nope. Mark Kastelic? Surely he’s good at this right? Not even close. Everybody shares some blame for this.
Are there positive points? Sure! Charlie McAvoy has once again found his game and while he may not be the most defensively sound player, he’s still getting the puck moving in the right direction! Nikita Zadorov has tried his damnedest into being a reasonable , and has slowly worked himself up into being a sort of ideal 2ndish-1stish pairing defender you can trust with most assignments! Jordan Harris has otherwise been a phenomenally talented player who seems to like playing close to home because he’s one of the very few Bruins defenders who is above water when it comes to possession, and frankly he is sorely missed! Hampus Lindholm when he wasn’t injured definitely seemed like he was a net positive!
But that’s not making up for the fact that this is a unit that needs an overhaul across the board, and it’s not going to
…And some things we still haven’t learned yet.
The Boston goaltending position is…getting there????
So here’s the thing: Both Joonas Korpisalo and Jeremy Swayman have played some strong hockey for the Bruins this year. They have put together genuinely strong games coming into and more than likely out of the Olympic Break. They have also put up some spectacular clunkers that have forced the team to play outside of their comfort zone when they just don’t have it. But if there can be said to be a positive, then having one goaltender who is at the absolute least, slightly above 2025-26’s average SV% must be it.
Jeremy Swayman was due for a return to form. While fans were ready at the drop of a hat to find a reason to get rid of him the minute ink hit paper on his very big contract that he spent a lot of time out with, the reality is that the Bruins #1 goaltender was probably not his 24-25 disaster season; if only by reasoning that there were too many things playing against him; the team’s offense was spluttering, their ability to hold the puck was non-existent, and their defense was an utter nightmare. Now, he has goal support and the defense in front of him has progressed to merely bad, so at the very least we can say that his contract did not in fact sap him of all of his capacity to be a good goaltender.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his specific concerns.
I have dubbed this the “Swayman thing”, because calling an effort thing is wrong and calling it a quirk cheapens it’s impact on games, and here it is; he is usually due for at least two goals against. They’re going to make you slap your head in exasperation. They’re gonna be awful. And then he locks in; that third goal-against becomes a herculean task that requires sustained pressure and a real great shot to beat him that third time. Most of the time, Swayman gives the Bruins a chance to win with that thing. It’s a big part of what made him so valuable to the team in the first place. But in a season where the defense is so routinely awful, even he has his limits, and the thing goes from cute but annoying to actively aggravating. It’s hard to put the most blame on either the defense in front of him or Swayman himself, but it’s something that the team desperately needs to get control of. When he’s on, he’s great! But that can be changed at the drop of a hat.
Joonas Korpisalo has also seen a lot of improvement which started at “effectively unplayable unless you were actively looking for a shot at the Mathew Schaefer sweepstakes” and is now just barely under the League’s average SV% of .893. He’s even got a shutout to his name! The problem of course, is that if you’re putting up .893, the real issue is consistency, and even between him and Swayman, the rubber-band results are kind of hard to ignore. There are some games back to back that make you wonder if he’s finally turning a corner…and then boom, sub-.800 SV%.
All of this leaves the Bruins goaltenders in a weird spot. We know the defense is bad. We know that both of these guys surely can’t be as bad as their previous season, but just how much better when your eccentricities are single-handedly geared towards making your team look bad and you look worse even if long-term you can probably win with them if you support them? What happens if you genuinely improve the skaters in front of them and they just stay like this or get worse? Are you really in a position to try and fix it when you keep giving out talent to other teams at this position, even if they themselves may never do this again?
The goalies, like they always are, remain an enigma. A frustrating one.
What the hell is the Atlantic Division and the NHL in general this year?
It seems the big word for sports in 2025 and going into 2026 is “uncertainty”.
Go take a look at the standings. Really. Go look at them.
Vegas and Edmonton are in a heated battle for the Pacific with just about half their division. The Pittsburgh Penguins, those Pittsburgh Penguins, are in a dead heat to try and catch the Hurricanes. The Stanley Cup champions are down with New Jersey and NYR at the bottom of the eastern conference. The only bastion of normalcy this year has been the Central Division, and even then the Colorado Avalanche have begun faltering, allowing Minnesota and Dallas a chance to catch up.
Like we all expected, right?
Parity has at long last hit the NHL like a bomb and I regret to inform you that it has genuinely produced some pretty solid hockey. It has also produced at least three divisions that are absolutely rife with the inability to truly seize a spot in the wildcard, and it’s meant checking the standings has gone from a thing maybe two teams maximum do to something just about everybody does in rapid succession because they now change that fast. Sure, there are some true dorks who want to know who’s “really good” and all that, and I say “That’s what the playoffs are for” and “Didn’t you say you don’t care about made-up numbers?”, but right now I can say with delight that the NHL season is truly unpredictable now.
Does that mean I don’t think it can hurt Boston any? Oh my, no.
If anything, I think we can agree that Boston may be one of the most vulnerable teams in this rat race because they are only just in the playoffs at this point. Sure, 69 points looks pretty nice now, but are you gonna count on the Jackets beefing it enough to get some distance? You really think the Caps are gonna stay in this weird mushy middle period before one of those russians decides to go on a heater? You think the Islanders are gonna be third in the Metro forever? There are a lot of teams looking for space in this wildcard right now, and the only one I think who has a good shot right now of keeping it is the goddamn Buffalo Sabres of all teams. The Sabres! And I could be totally wrong about that because this season has had nothing but shocking swerves!
This position they’re in is one they need to put a good foundation under quickly or they’re gonna find out how fun it is to float a house.
Do you stay the course on a steady re-tool? Or go and add big-time in pursuit of more of “The Juice”?
The Bruins were probably not supposed to be here this year.
But give ‘em credit! They’re healthy-ish, the stars are meeting the moment most nights, they acquired players who found specific niches for themselves, and made some decent bets that have for the most part paid off. Being back in a wildcard spot after last year? That feels like you’re well ahead of schedule!
Yeah, funny thing about that. Sometimes you can get so ahead of yourself you forget the details. Like hit the train in front of you.
They still need to put a lot of work into meeting the Lightning, the Red Wings, and the Habs where they are right now. That will take time, and it will take extremely careful adjusting of the roster to get there. They still need to get younger, they definitely need to get faster, and they need to get deeper. Nothing less will do. The teams around them are already there. They need to play catch up and fast.
But…“The Juice” beckons.
This phrase; “The Juice”, haunts this team like a wraith.
Ever since Jim Montgomery correctly identified that he didn’t have nearly as good a team as he wanted using that phrase, and that coaching could only get you so far without this one phrase; a heady mix of talent and want-to that he tried his damnedest to get out of the roster…I really think he pissed off somebody above him in a way that feels distinctly personal. Just about every single decision made at the beginning of the year and offseason felt like it was in direct service to proving Montgomery wrong. In fairness? It has started to show some fruit!
But they do need more. This isn’t close to enough and I think the team is aware of that…but I do fear that somebody, can’t say who, couldn’t pick who they are out of a lineup, who gets to make decisions about this team, is still fuming about that comment. The rumors of Justin Faulk and Rasmus Ristolainen reek of that kind of nonsense; looking for a “fire” in the room where talent won’t be given a wick to light.
Spite can become poisonous if left too long in the bloodstream. I’m a little concerned it may force them to do something rash.
…So, what do they do?
Well, let’s just say the taking stock period is either well underway or actively coming to a close. We have at least some idea of what this team is, and its issues are pretty clear.
Were it me in charge, I think the goal looks like this:
Get a 1C
Admittedly more a long term goal and one that maybe Hagens or Letournneau can fill as they’ve been having excellent seasons in college puck, but for the here and now it’s clear that top 6 center talent is going to need to be a priority going forward.
Make a painful decision on defense.
Somebody you like is probably gonna have to go alongside someone you don’t if the B’s want to improve their game on the blueline. Might mean Lindholm, may end up being Aspirot, could even mean Zadorov, but we can’t sit here and act like this is ignorable. Something needs to give, and in order to get something you’re gonna have to hold your nose and think about a championship future and defensemen are something the Bruins have at least a few of.
Just please don’t get Rasmus Ristolainen or Justin Faulk; we’re not cavemen and this team doesn’t need another old guy or a big guy who hits but doesn’t defense well; they have enough of those.
Weaponize your reputation.
Sweeney’s best deal of last deadline was explicitly using the Boston Bruins brand against a GM and staff who didn’t do the reading, and got a pick and Fraser Minten out of it. As such, it is the solemn duty of both the team and the coach to gin up a player in just such a way that a GM who is Not Intelligent buys it hook, line, and sinker. Unfortunately due to the way the Leafs are playing, that is unlikely to be Brad Treliving a second time. You may have to move on to Patrik Allvin.
Keep getting draft picks.
They’ve already got a pair of firsts for 2026 and 2027. James Hagens and Will Zellers are coming alive, and Dean Letournneau is starting to show the promise of his 25th overall selection in the 2024 draft. That’s a good start. Your cupboard went from last to about middle of the pack to close to the top ten in under a few years, but the B’s should not take this lightly. Even one graduation to the league next year would be a boon for them now, but take a name out of their prospect pool; something that is still quite thin. Whatever you do this deadline season, make sure an early round pick is thrown in for it.
The season will go by faster than you think, and with this retool moving much faster than anticipated, we can only hope now that the Bruins are seeing this year with clear eyes, and see that the future has needs that must be met here in the present.
But until then? Let’s see how far we can take this.
The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Islanders finally resume their respective seasons as they meet on Thursday, February 26, at Bell Centre. This marks the first meeting of 2025-26 between these two Eastern Conference teams.
My Islanders vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest that Nick Suzuki will continue his torrid offensive pace after a solid showing in Milan with Team Canada, while Noah Dobson makes his mark in his first game against his former club.
Islanders vs Canadiens prediction
Islanders vs Canadiens best bet: Nick Suzuki 1+ assists (-155)
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the biggest goal of his career in Milan, so it's easy to forget that assists account for 73% of his point total this season.
He ranks 11th in the NHL in helpers, and had 11 in his last 10 games before the break.
Suzuki's racked up a helper in nearly every game against a Top-10 defense since January 1, including the Stars, Wild (twice), and top-ranked Avalanche.
He's eighth in assists since January 4. The 26-year-old won't miss a beat and should still lance through a solid New York Islanders defense.
Islanders vs Canadiens same-game parlay
For the first time in his career, Noah Dobson will suit up against the Islanders.
He's riding a five-game point streak (one goal, seven points) and is on pace for his second-best offensive season.
The last 10 meetings between these teams have an average of 5.6 goals per game. Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes entered the break winning eight of his last 10 starts and hasn't lost in regulation since December 9.
He and Ilya Sorokin should limit the scoring tonight.
Each of the last four meetings between Montreal and New York has required extra time. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Islanders vs Canadiens
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSGSN, TSN2
Islanders vs Canadiens latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
