ELMONT, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Matthew Schaefer #48 of the New York Islanders shoots on Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at UBS Arena on March 30, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Trailing 3-1 in the second period and looking as if the wheels were coming loose, the Pittsburgh Penguins found their game at the perfect moment and stormed back with seven unanswered goals to secure a crucial two points over the New York Islanders on Monday night with a 8-3 victory on Long Island. [Pensburgh]
Now the focus must shift immediately to the Detroit Red Wings who are in town for a showdown with the Penguins later this evening as PPG Paints Arena. Right now, Detroit sits in a perilous spot, two points out of a playoff spot with two teams ahead of them in the standings. They will be desperate, and the Penguins will have to match that desperation if they hope to sweep this back-t0-back set.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
Last night was undoubtedly a big game for the Penguins, by far the biggest this season, but it was just the start of what is another massive week for the Penguins and their playoff hopes. There is another game tonight, then a trip to Tampa, then a weekend back-to-back with the Florida Panthers still on tap. [Pensburgh]
Officiating has not been in the Penguins favor seemingly at all this season and the team’s frustration with the situation is now spilling into the public view. Dan Muse has not won a goaltender interference challenge all season, but that’s just a small part of what has been angering the Penguins. [The Athletic $$]
Down on the farm, the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins agreed to an American Hockey League deal with former Ohio State defenseman Broten Sabo. This past season, Sabo led all Ohio State defenseman with 19 assists and 21 points. The contract will begin with the 2026-27 season. [WBS]
NHL News and Notes…
Jakub Dobes put the Montreal Canadiens on his back last week and helped backstop them ever closer to another playoff berth. For that, Dobes was named the First Star of the Week by the NHL. Joining Dobes as honorees for last week are Pavel Zacha of Boston and John Carlson of Anaheim. [NHL]
In a shocking turn of events, the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday, replacing him with John Tortorella. Despite being in a playoff position, recent struggles pushed the Golden Knights to make the stunning move in hopes of reinvigorating the team for the playoff run. [NHL]
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the New York Islanders after the Sabres beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 in a shootout.
Buffalo is 45-21-8 overall and 23-10-4 at home. The Sabres are 10th in the league serving 9.6 penalty minutes per game.
New York has a 42-28-5 record overall and a 21-15-3 record in road games. The Islanders have a 30-7-3 record when scoring at least three goals.
Tuesday's game is the third time these teams square off this season. The Sabres won 5-0 in the previous matchup. Jason Zucker led the Sabres with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Rasmus Dahlin has 17 goals and 50 assists for the Sabres. Jack Quinn has five goals and three assists over the past 10 games.
Matthew Schaefer has 22 goals and 34 assists for the Islanders. Mathew Barzal has one goal and six assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-2-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.3 assists, 4.2 penalties and 9.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
Islanders: 5-5-0, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.9 assists, 2.9 penalties and 8.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
INJURIES: Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Justin Danforth: out (lower body), Noah Ostlund: day to day (upper-body).
Islanders: Alexander Romanov: out (shoulder), Pierre Engvall: out for season (ankle), Tony DeAngelo: out (lower body), Semyon Varlamov: out for season (knee), Kyle Palmieri: out (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
On Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
Neither team looked particularly motivated in the first period. The Golden Knights outshot the Canucks 10-7, but Vancouver generated more scoring chances.
The Canucks broke the ice at 12:19 in the first. Jeremy Lauzon pinched, but couldn’t corral the fluttering puck; Jake DeBrusk took it back the other way on a 2-on-1 against Rasmus Andersson. DeBrusk got the pass across, and Evander Kane went forehand-backhand to score in his 1000th NHL game.
“We looked nervous in the first period,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 win. “We were slow. The second period was night and day.”
In the second period, the Golden Knights cleaned things up and took control of the game. They outshot the Canucks 15-10, and generated 20 scoring chances while holding Vancouver to just five. This manifested in a three-goal period.
The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 7:48 in the second after a hardworking shift by the third line. Kevin Lankinen made the save on Noah Hanifin, but Tomáš Hertl made a strong play on the rebound. Hertl found Rasmus Andersson driving the net, and Andersson had an empty net to shoot into.
Hanifin with the shot, Hertl with the play off the rebound. Rasmus Andersson snuck down infield the right circle and had a wide open net to shoot into. No staredown, though.
The Canucks took the lead once more on the power play at 12:17 in the second. Filip Hronek fired a shot from the point, and Brock Boeser tipped it home from the high slot.
The Golden Knights answered back five minutes later. Ivan Barbashev won a battle along the boards and found Shea Theodore all alone in the slot. Theodore picked his corner and beat Kevin Lankinen blocker-side for his ninth goal of the season.
Weird break for Vegas. Barbashev wins a battle along the wall, and Shea Theodore is allllll alone in the slot.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night at 18:34 in the second. Brayden McNabb fired a shot-pass and found Reilly Smith backdoor, and Smith was able to elevate the shot over Kevin Lankinen’s outstretched glove.
What a pass from Brayden McNabb, what a finish from Reilly Smith.
The third period dragged on with very little action. Both teams generated just two high-danger scoring chances.
The Canucks, who were eliminated from playoff contention over a week ago, had very little to play for, and it showed. They pulled Kevin Lankinen for the extra attacker, but Cole Smith beat out an icing before scoring his first goal as a Golden Knight into the empty net.
It wasn’t perfect. But tonight, the Golden Knights didn’t need perfection– they just needed a win.
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. John Tortorella began his tenure in Vegas with the lines the Golden Knights had used for the past five games. That didn’t last long. Before the end of the first period, the top six had a very different look.
“I switched the centers,” said Tortorella postgame. “I thought we looked stale offensively… We just looked tentative. I liked the way the lines progressed as we went through the game. I thought there was some chemistry there, and I thought everybody chipped in.
Tortorella singled out Mitch Marner as a player he wanted to continue experimenting with.
“ I like Mitchy; I move Mitchy around quite a bit onto different lines. I think that’s something I may try a little bit more and bounce him around on different lines.”
2. All eyes in the hockey world are upon John Tortorella, who replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach with just eight games remaining in the regular season. Tonight, he gave the people what they wanted, becoming the fourth head coach in franchise history to win his first game as head coach. It was his first time behind the bench as an NHL head coach since March 25th, 2025.
“There was some rust,” Tortorella said postgame. “I think, for half the game— and the boys let me do it— I was calling Dowd by a different name. I didn’t realize I was doing this. I’m sure you’ll hear about that eventually from these guys. But, yeah, it wasn’t too bad once I got a good feel for the lines… I’ve leaned on the coaching staff quite a bit. They’ve been great for me.”
3. The Golden Knights’ power play went 0-for-2 tonight against the 32nd-ranked penalty kill in the league. That in and of itself isn’t a major concern– nights like that happen over an 82-game season. However, in their last eight games, the Golden Knights are 4-for-26 on the power play. Three of those four goals came from the second power play unit.
Their power play was their biggest strength earlier this season, and they’re still tied for 5th in the NHL. Five of their seven remaining games are against playoff hopefuls. The Golden Knights need their power play to return to form if they want to keep their foot on the gas heading down the stretch.
The St. Louis Blues, who put themselves in the fight for the playoffs in the Western Conference once again with a 10-1-2 run in March, had one more big game to close out the month, a third matchup against the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
The first two games went to the Blues, winning each in overtime, including this past Thursday in St. Louis (2-1). A third seemed destined to go to extra time after the Blues fought back from a two-goal deficit with a pair of power-play goals. But as has happened often this season, a late goal not only took a precious point away from the Blues but gave the Sharks two when former Blue Adam Gaudette scored with 21.7 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Blues a stinging defeat, 5-4, at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
The Blues (31-31-11), who had their four-game winning streak end, were in position to gain valuable ground on those teams above them, including the Nashville Predators, who currently hold the second wild card in the West by four point on the Blues, who had two games in hand on them, one of which was on Monday.
But instead, it was the Sharks (34-31-7) who gained the two points, moved two points ahead of the Blues and within two points of Nashville with two games in hand.
It was in fact a crushing defeat for the Blues, who had been playing so well since the return from the Olympics at 11-2-2 coming into this game.
Let's dive into the game observations:
* Last goal simply shouldn't happen on multiple fronts -- It all starts with Robert Thomas losing a face-off to Zack Ostapchuk, of all people, a fourth-liner who played 11:58 in this game. But the face-off isn't where this play broke down.
It breaks down when the five guys on the ice (Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux) didn't manage the situation properly. Coach Jim Montgomery had been praising the team's ability to manage games since the break, and it's been a key contributor to their recent success.
Once that face-off is lost, all five guys needed to be back in position to make sure, without the puck, at the very least, that game gets to overtime, each team grabs a point and duke it out for the second.
Mailloux, who had his run of 20-plus minute streak end at 13 games on Saturday when he finished a second below 20 minutes (19:59), will be seeing that film quite a bit. Instead of aggressively trying to play a bouncing puck that wound up hopping past him after fumbling possession that turned into a 2-on-1, stay back in position and keep any rushing forwards from coming through you.
It was a tough game for the 22-year-old, who had really found his stride, but you have to remember, it's still his first full NHL season; he's going to make mistakes and learn from them. Unfortunately, that one came at the most inopportune time.
But also, I need a save there from Joel Hofer, who also had been playing so well, going 7-0-2 with a league-leading 1.29 goals-against average and league-leading .959 save percentage since the Olympic break. That's one he needs to have, a shot from the left dot that went right through him. Gaudette didn't even pick a corner.
Yes, you can't give up a 2-on-1 in that situation, that late in the game. The coaching staff will talk to Mailloux and show him that clip moving forward as a teaching tool, but I need my goalie to come up with a pretty routine save there that he has been making during his sleep during this run.
Defense and goaltending have been a staple for the Blues, who were No. 1 since the break allowing just 1.42 goals per game. That all went out the window Monday, and fittingly, in that fashion.
* Frittering away too many points late or blowing big leads -- Add Monday's crushing defeat to a plethora of games this season if the Blues ultimately don't make the playoffs, they can only blame themselves.
Here is a list of games this season the Blues could have/should have earned themselves at least a point, if not two points. Here's the list, aside from Monday's at least one point, if not two:
* Oct. 25, led the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 late in the second period, lost 6-4.
* Nov. 8, led the Seattle Kraken 3-2 but allowed the tying goal (which I will take to my grave that it was a bogus goalie interference call not given) with under two seconds left in regulation, lost 4-3 in overtime.
* Nov. 14, led the Philadelphia Flyers by two goals twice (3-1 and 5-3) before falling apart and losing 6-5 in overtime.
* Jan. 23, tied 2-2 with the Dallas Stars but allow the game-winner with 1:00 remaining in regulation to fall 3-2.
* Jan. 27, tied 3-3 with the Stars again but allow the game-winner with 1:07 remaining in regulation to fall 4-3.
* Feb. 2, led the Predators 5-1 in the second period with full control of that game, succumb from middle of game on and fall 6-5 in regulation.
* Feb. 4, tied 4-4 late again with the Stars, allow a Jamie Benn goal with 23 seconds left in regulation and fall 5-4.
* March 10, led the New York Islanders 3-0 but don't put the game away and ultimately, give up two third-period goals before falling 4-3 in overtime.
So when the Blues fall short of making the playoffs this season, they can point to any number of these games where points were frittered away.
* Penalty kill big letdown -- The Blues seemed to right one season-long bad since the Olympic break when they got their penalty kill on track, going 37-for-42, which was good for 88.1 percent and No. 1 in the league since Feb. 26.
But on this night, the Sharks scored three power-play goals, including two by Alexander Wennberg and one by Macklin Celebrini. One was an unfortunate pinball carom that lastly hit Mailloux, but the Blues' penalty killers were getting beat at the net in this game.
When you allow three power-play goals in a single game, something done only one other time this season (Jan. 7 in a 7-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks), you don't tend to win those games.
The Blues finished 1-for-4 on the kill. That won't get it done.
* Game management in first half of game was poor -- Managing the game and pucks has been so crucial for the Blues' latest run of strong games.
Not on this night.
Too many fumbled passes, turning pucks over, bad line changes enabled San Jose to get out to a 17-5 edge on the shot clock at one point that's been so uncharacteristic as of late.
* Tremendous fight back from deficit, power play instrumental -- The Blues were able to stay in this game despite scoring on two of their first three shots of the game, the first when Theo Lindstein scored his first NHL goal to give the Blues their only lead at 1-0 at 5:28 of the first period:
Who is happier about Theo Lindstein's first NHL goal?
And when Pavel Buchnevich netted his 17th to tie the game 2-2 at 16:39 of the first, it gave the Blues reason to continue to push despite the lackluster execution in the early going:
Trailing 4-2 late in the second, the Blues were able to get the opposite side of their special teams going, and when Philip Broberg made it a one-goal game at 4-3 with 26 seconds left in the second, there was life:
The Blues started playing below the goal line in the offensive zone, something missing in the first half of that game. Whether it was taking too many penalties and having to spend too much time on the kill, or the simple mis-management of the game, something had to change and Broberg's goal gave this group life.
And when Cam Fowler tied it with his own power-play goal at 12:53 of the third period to tie the game 4-4, it came on the heels of a strong push by the Blues the entire period:
Unfortunately for them, the fight back was all for naught with that crushing ending, and aside from a miracle in the final nine games, likely end their playoff aspirations.
“Proud of the way we fought back and tied it up but at the end of the day it’s a big game… just have to be better.”
After notching four of a possible six standings points on their three-game Western Canadian road trip, the Anaheim Ducks returned to Orange County to host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game that had a surprising amount of built-up tension heading in.
The biggest storyline before the puck dropped was how the Leafs were going to respond to their lack of physical response following the injury to their captain, Auston Matthews, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at the hands of Ducks captain Radko Gudas a few weeks ago.
This interconference game didn’t have much standings implications, as the Ducks entered having had their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday by the Edmonton Oilers. They sat with a three-point lead in the Pacific Division standings.
Toronto entered with the sixth-best odds to win the NHL Draft Lottery and were coming off a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
Radko Gudas exited the Ducks’ 3-2 OT win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday with a lower-body injury, forcing him to miss the team’s previous game, but he returned for this one. Pavel Mintyukov also missed the Ducks’ last game against the Oilers with a lower-body injury and returned on Monday. Nathan Guacher, Frank Vatrano, and Drew Helleson served as healthy scratches.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Viel-Poehling-Gauthier
McTavish-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Zellweger-Gudas
Ville Husso got the start in this game for the Ducks and saved 23 of the 28 shots he faced. Former Ducks backup netminder Anthony Stolarz opposed him in the Toronto net and stopped 28 of 32.
“Reminds me of exactly what happened in Toronto,” Joel Quenneville said. “We had a comfortable lead, we were in a good spot, and they’re dangerous off the rush. We turn pucks over, and they’re gone. That was their recipe there.”
Game Notes
This game was sloppy between the whistles and resembled a playoff game after them. The emotions mentioned earlier gave way to scrums and altercations, halting game flow and leading to multiple man-advantage opportunities for each side.
Radko Gudas received a ten-minute misconduct after participating in an opening faceoff fight with Toronto forward Max Domi. He only saw 7:10 TOI in this game. Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier left the game in the first period after scoring a goal to extend the Ducks’ lead to 2-0. He only played 3:20.
Ducks center Leo Carlsson gave a scare after colliding with Troy Terry and William Nylander simultaneously, sending him briefly to the locker room. He wound up playing 18:51 in this game.
This one only saw 37:25 of 5v5 action. The Ducks won the possession battle in those minutes with 57.14% of the shot attempts, despite generating 48.48% of the shots on goal, and wound up with 52.55% of the expected goals.
Power Play: The Ducks converted on one of their six power play chances, including a failure to convert on a two-minute 5v3 in the opening two minutes of the contest. Their 5v4 chances were more cohesive and dangerous than their long 5v3. While on the 5v3, they collapsed on the Leafs’ triangle in an attempt to shorten passes and get Stolarz moving, but could open any seams.
At 5v4, they were utilizing their net front and bumper to disrupt Toronto’s penalty killing structure, and added some creative wrinkles, including banking flank shot-passes off the endboards to find the net front forward on the back post.
Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke is one of the most volatile NHL rookies in recent memory, and learning how to mitigate his mistakes while amplifying the aspects of his game that make him special will be a challenge throughout the early parts of his career.
He can singlehandedly create scoring opportunities from his own goal line, as displayed by the Ducks’ third goal, where he cuts back on an aggressive pursuer and sends a picturesque sauce outlet to Jackson LaCombe 120 feet away, in the neutral zone.
He can also cost his club points here and there with careless offensive zone turnovers. He’s making ambitious decisions to create opportunities when simple plays are available. He turned a puck over at the offensive blueline on a cycle that sprung Nylander on a breakaway and allowed Toronto to tie the game late.
He didn’t see the ice following that play at the 10:14 mark of the third period or in the overtime frame. If the coaching staff had played him, perhaps the Ducks would have come away with the extra point, but at this stage in the season, they viewed the lesson as more important than the standings point.
Leo Carlsson: When Carlsson briefly exited the game, the air was sucked out of Honda Center. Upon his return, halfway through the third period, he was back to generating scoring chances at will, both off the rush or cycle.
He displayed a few aspects of his game that, if they become more consistent, will help round out his attacking ability and add to his repertoire as a 200-foot impact player. He manufactured a number of turnovers with clever defensive angles and stick lifts, which he then turned up ice into quick offense.
He was also more willing to engage puck carriers through their hands, getting his 6-foot-3 frame between them and the puck, to muscle possession away. With these added elements, he can continue his climb into the conversation of the NHL’s elite centermen.
The Ducks will hit the road for a brief trip to Northern California to face their division rival San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, as the Sharks find themselves within striking distance of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference playoff picture.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — John Tavares redirected a shot from Morgan Rielly into the net with five seconds left in overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Anaheim Ducks in a fight-marred game Monday night.
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.
But Leo Carlsson, who hobbled to the locker room after taking a hard hit and falling to the ice in the first minute of the third, gathered a loose puck near the left circle and flicked a shot past Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz to make it 4-4 with 1:39 left.
Tavares added a first-period goal, and Stolarz stopped 28 of 32 shots for Toronto, which took the ice about 1 ½ hours after general manager Brad Treliving was fired near the end of his third season, with the Maple Leafs on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier scored in the first 10 minutes, and John Carlson scored his first goal for the Ducks. Gauthier, who leads the Pacific Division-leading Ducks with 38 goals and 65 points, suffered an upper-body injury on a cross-check late in the first and did not return. Husso had 22 saves.
Ducks captain Radko Gudas, slowed by a lower-body injury, insisted on playing in the rematch of a March 12 game in which his knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews led to a season-ending injury for the Toronto captain and a five-game suspension for Gudas.
It took three seconds for the Leafs to exact some revenge, Toronto forward Max Domi and Gudas dropping the gloves and exchanging punches as soon as the puck dropped.
That set the tone for a hard-hitting game that featured a combined 85 penalty minutes, numerous scuffles and game misconducts incurred by Toronto’s Michael Pezzetta and Domi in the second.
The San Jose Sharks were back in action on Monday night as they faced the St. Louis Blues for the second time in less than a week.
The Sharks started their fourth line, who immediately brought some energy, and Adam Gaudette got an early scoring chance, hitting the post. The returning Yaroslav Askarov was forced to make a save at the other end of the ice moments later, denying Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours on back-to-back shots on goal.
It was a very high-energy game early on, with quite a few chances coming in transition for both teams. Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein would break the deadlock with his first career goal just 5:29 into the first period, giving St. Louis a very early 1-0 lead.
Robert Thomas took the first penalty of the night at 7:11 in the first period when he cleared the puck over the glass. Alex Wennberg scored on the man advantage, marking his 15th goal of the season, tying things up at a goal a piece.
Dalibor Dvorsky gave the Sharks their second power play of the night when he was called for interference at 12:39. Macklin Celebrini would quickly get a goal for his second point of the night, and 100th of the season.
Pavel Buchnevich tied things up with his 17th goal of the season late in the first period, making it a brand new hockey game. It was short-lived, though, as Macklin Celebrini scored his second of the night and tied Erik Karlsson for the second-most points in a season in Sharks history with less than a minute remaining in the period, restoring the Sharks’ lead.
Shakir Mukhamadullin was the first Shark sent to the penalty box when he was called for delay of game early in the second period. The Blues’ power play was short-lived, though, as Pius Suter was penalized for high-sticking 32 seconds later. Nothing came of either abbreviated power play, but the Sharks got another opportunity when Barclay Goodrow drew a hooking penalty nearly halfway through the period. The Sharks once again took full advantage of the power play, as Alex Wennberg scored his second of the night to make it a 4-2 game.
Shakir Mukhamadullin was called for hooking with less than a minute remaining in the middle frame, and the Blues didn’t take long to get back on the scoreboard. Philip Broberg scored the Blues’ third goal of the night, cutting the Sharks’ lead to a single goal.
The Sharks were applying quite a bit of pressure early in the third period as they looked to restore their two-goal lead. Joel Hofer was making some big plays, and even made a very dangerous, but effective play behind the net to cut off the Sharks’ attack. Around the midway point of the period, the Blues started generating some chances of their own forcing Askarov into action a couple of times.
Askarov tripped up Dylan Holloway behind the Sharks’ net with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation, giving the Blues an important power play late in the game. The penalty was served by Will Smith.
Cam Fowler tied things up with 7:07 remaining in the period, putting the Sharks in a difficult situation. The Blues had won both prior games in the season series in overtime; as a result, the Sharks needed to score as quickly as possible if they wanted to leave with two points.
With 21 seconds remaining, Adam Gaudette fired a shot from the faceoff dot, which trickled past Hofer and into the net, giving the Sharks a late lead and forcing the Blues to call a timeout.
The Sharks found a way to win after a hard-fought battle from both sides, earning the two points and preventing the Blues from getting even one.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Adam Gaudette scored with 21 seconds left, Alexander Wennberg and Macklin Celebrini each had two goals and an assist, and the San Jose Sharks beat St. Louis 5-4 on Monday night to snap the Blues' three-game winning streak.
On the rush, Gaudette flicked a wrist shot from near the left faceoff spot that trickled between the legs of goalie Joel Hofer.
Yaroslav Askarov made 22 saves for the Sharks (34-31-7), who have 75 points — tied with Seattle and two behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild card. Los Angeles has 76 points, while St. Louis (31-31-11) has 73.
Theo Lindstein, Pavel Buchnevich, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler scored for the Blues, and Jake Neighbours had two assists. Hofer finished with 24 saves.
Fowler scored a power-play goal to make it 4-all with 7:07 left when he took a wrist shot from the right side that beat Askarov to the glove side and slipped inside the left post.
The 19-year-old Celebrini, the No. 1 selection in the 2024 draft, has 38 goals and 63 assists — making him the sixth different teenager in NHL history with at least 100 points in a season.
The Vancouver Canucks lost for the sixth-straight time as they fell 4-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Evander Kane scored in his 1,000th career game while Brock Boeser found the back of the net on the power play. As for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced in the defeat.
Despite a decent start, the Canucks could not find a way to snap the losing streak. The second period was once again the difference, as Vancouver was outscored 3-1 in the middle frame. While the Canucks did add yet another loss to their total, a positive was that the team kept pushing to the end and had a chance to tie it up until the Golden Knights scored into the empty net with just over a minute to go.
A special moment from this game was Kane scoring in his 1,000th career game. He joins Markus Näslund as the only two players in franchise history to score while playing in their 1,000th regular-season game. Overall, Kane had one of his strongest games of the season as he led the team with five shots while logging 14:42 of ice time.
Vancouver's fighting streak also continued in this game as Teddy Blueger dropped the gloves in the second period. The Canucks have registered a fight in three straight games, which is the longest streak of the season. Vancouver's players have become a bit feistier as of late and are now up to 11 fights on the campaign.
As for Vegas, Monday marked John Tortorella's first game behind the bench. Tortorella was hired on Sunday after the Golden Knights elected to part ways with Bruce Cassidy. The win was a much-needed one for Vegas as the Golden Knights have been slipping in the standings since returning from the Olympic break.
Lastly, Lankinen had a strong bounce-back game for the Canucks. The goals he allowed were the result of blown coverage and not necessarily his fault. It was unfortunate that Vancouver's offence could not score more than twice, as he is now 1-12-1 in his last 17 games.
While there were some mistakes, the Canucks played a decent game on Monday night. They still, however, struggled in the second period, which feels like a lost cause at this point of the season. In the end, it was another successful tank game as Vancouver can now clinch 32nd overall as early as Tuesday.
Stats and Facts:
- Canucks allow at least three goals in the second period for the 13th time this season
- Brock Boeser ties Todd Bertuzzi for the fifth-most power play goals in franchise history with 79
- Filip Hronek ties Dale Tallon for 25th all-time in franchise history for power play assists among defencemen with 27
- Elias Pettersson becomes the first forward this season to record 100 blocked shots
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
12:19- VAN: Evander Kane (13) from Jake DeBrusk
2nd Period:
7:48- VGK: Rasmus Andersson (15) from Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin 12:17- VAN: Brock Boeser (18) from Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson 17:17- VGK: Shea Theodore (9) from Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone 18:34- VGK: Reilly Smith (13) from Brayden McNabb
3rd Period:
18:50- VGK: Cole Smith (7) from Jeremy Lauzon and Nic Dowd (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks will start a back-to-back on Wednesday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche. These teams have played twice already this season, with the Avalanche picking up two victories. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 pm PT.
Mar 30, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Colton Sissons (10) fights Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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The Islanders didn’t give Ilya Sorokin much of a chance in their 8-3 loss to the Penguins on Monday at UBS Arena.
Now, will Patrick Roy give his Vezina Trophy candidate an immediate chance at redemption?
“We gotta talk about this one and see where we’re at,” coach Patrick Roy said ahead of Tuesday’s game in Buffalo.
Sorokin, who was repeatedly stranded by his teammates as he allowed a career-worst seven goals, said he was physically ready to play in back-to-back games.
Mentally, he was already there.
“It happens,” Sorokin said. “It’s hockey. It’s just one game.”
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders reacts after allowing a goal during the third period at UBS Arena, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Earlier in the day, Roy sounded eager to see his star take on a heavy workload in the regular season’s final two weeks. Sorokin, who made his 12th appearance in 13 games, has made back-to-back starts just once this season, but had one of his best performances of the season in the second game of that set, recording his league-leading seventh shutout in a crucial 1-0 win over Columbus on March 22.
After Tuesday, the Islanders have two days off. Then, they start another back-to-back set, hosting Philadelphia on Friday, then traveling to face Carolina on Saturday. Another back-to-back begins on April 11, when the Islanders host Ottawa before facing Montreal in the penultimate game of the regular season. The finale — against the Hurricanes — will be their third game in four days.
“He hasn’t played a lot of volume games until now,” Roy said. “I think we’ve been managing this very well. Right now the urgency is to play game-by-game. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Worry about today.
Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders defends the net during the second period at UBS Arena, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“The mind is a lot weaker than the body. The body can take a lot more than you think. It’s the mind you need to convince. I think that’s all it is. He’s been a force for us. He’s been playing so well. Every mistake that we make, he’s there to cover for them. Would I like to not give up turnovers and not give up breakaways, yes, I would love to, but that’s why we have one of the best in the game.”
Mathew Barzal broke a nine-game drought without a goal, scoring his 19th of the season. … Cal Ritchie recorded a pair of assists, extending his point streak to five games … The Islanders went 1-for-2 on the power play — after converting one of their previous 12 attempts — but also surrendered a power-play goal for the first time in five games.
Defenseman Tony DeAngelo (lower-body injury) missed his third straight game and has not yet begun skating … Defenseman Alexander Romanov (shoulder) participated in Monday’s morning skate in a noncontact jersey.
Rangers left wing Will Cuylle (50) reacts after defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) scores a goal past New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25).
In a season of lows and rock bottoms, the Rangers are in danger of hitting another one.
With a loss to the Devils on Tuesday in the Battle of the Hudson, it would mark the first time that the Blueshirts were swept by both New Jersey and the Islanders in the same season — a brutal indictment of the hockey hierarchy in New York City. The Rangers and Islanders met in the Battle of New York for the first time in October 1972. The Blueshirts and the Devils started their rivalry a decade later, when New Jersey joined the league.
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They were already swept by the Islanders before February and the trade deadline even arrived, failing to manage a goal during their first pair of matchups before dropping a back-to-back at the end of January. That’s when the Islanders — revived by rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer — secured the sweep for the first time since 2017-18, which doubled as a campaign when the Rangers managed just one win against the Devils.
Tuesday’s match at the Garden will mark their third game against the Devils this month, and both of their previous losses, as has been the case in the Jack Hughes era, were shaped by Team USA’s Winter Olympics hero. He collected a hat trick during New Jersey’s 6-3 win March 7. He added another goal — one that ruined any comeback attempt by the Rangers in the third period — and a pair of assists 11 days later, giving him 20 goals and 35 points in just 25 career games against the Blueshirts.
Rangers left wing Will Cuylle (50) reacts after New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) scores a goal pass New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) during the first period when the New York Rangers played the New Jersey Devils Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Sometimes, especially this time of year, these rivalry games have stakes attached to them. Ramifications in the divisional standings. But the Devils are well outside the postseason picture. The Rangers, even after their consecutive wins entering Tuesday, are still in the basement of the Eastern Conference. If there’s a representative from the New York City area in the postseason tournament, it’ll be Patrick Roy’s group on Long Island.
But for one night, the Rangers are trying to avoid an ignominious conclusion to their local slate.
After managing just one goal through his first 43 games of the season, Conor Sheary has collected four across his last 11 — including one Sunday while the Rangers were short-handed.
It hasn’t been anything close to the season Sheary was supposed to have after making the roster out of training camp, as he turned a professional tryout contract into a full-time spot. He missed 15 games while on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
“It helps when the puck goes in I think,” Sheary said. “I thought early in my season it was just bad puck luck here and there, and the chances I was getting, I was either missing or getting a big save against. Obviously, with my line, I’ve been getting a little bit more opportunity and a few more chances, and like I said, the puck started to go in for me.”
The Rangers have scored 55 goals since March 2, which is tied for the most in the NHL across that stretch, according to the team.
Throughout the course of an NHL season, there are a few games that every team, player, coach, and fan circles on their calendar a bit more meaningful than some of the others.
That was the case when the Pittsburgh Penguins barged onto Long Island to take on the New York Islanders in a standings-critical Monday night matchup. The game was consequential for both teams, as the winner would gain a discernible playoff-contending advantage on the other regardless of the outcome, and everyone knew it going in.
And, in what was - arguably - their biggest game in at least two years, the Penguins delivered big-time.
Anthony Mantha and Rickard Rakell scored twice, and Sidney Crosby notched two NHL all-time milestone assists in his return from injury, to lead the Penguins to a decisive, dominant 8-3 victory over the Isles. The win allowed Pittsburgh to leapfrog the Islanders by one point for second place in the Metropolitan Division, and the Penguins still have a game in hand over the Islanders to work with.
There is no dancing around the fact that this win was massive, especially since an Islanders' regulation win would have put them ahead of the Penguins by three points and nullified the game in hand the Penguins had on them.
After a strong start by the Islanders in the opening half of the first period, the Penguins really came to life in the back end of it. Goaltender Arturs Silovs made some nice saves early on for Pittsburgh, and they earned a power play opportunity within the final minute of the period that carried over into the second.
However, the Islanders gained some momentum after a poor power play from the Penguins, and Anders Lee scored on a man advantage of their own after 27 seconds of four-on-four play to give the Isles the 1-0 lead. Mathew Barzal added another tally a minute and a half later - after a nice shift by the Penguins’ third line - and it appeared the Penguins and Silovs were being caught a little bit flat-footed.
But Pittsburgh responded yet again with some good shifts, and Elmer Soderblom finally cashed in less than four minutes after the Barzal goal to cut the Isles’ lead in half. However, Brayden Schenn capitalized on yet another Penguins’ turnover off the rush less than three minutes after that, and Pittsburgh was back down by two.
After Noel Acciari took a tripping penalty following the Schenn goal, the Penguins desperately needed a kill from their PK unit. But they ended up getting more than that. Nearing the end of the Islanders’ power play opportunity, Rakell created a shorthanded chance on the rush, and he initiated a give-and-go with Bryan Rust. Rust fed it back to Rakell - who was breaking toward the net - for a redirection that resulted in the first shorthanded goal of Rakell’s 14-year NHL career and the deficit being cut to one again at 3-2.
After that, the Penguins came in waves. Ryan Shea scored his fifth of the season on a one-time bomb from the top of the left circle less than two and a half minutes later to tie it, and a little more than a minute after that, Anthony Mantha was sprung on a breakaway by Justin Brazeau, and he buried it on a smooth deke to his backhand - as we’ve seen many a time this season - to give the Penguins their first lead of the evening.
And less than three minutes after that, Mantha drove the middle and went to his backhand again for his 29th goal of the season - which is now the team lead in goals over Crosby - to give the Penguins a 5-3 lead heading into second intermission and capping off a string of four goals in six minutes and 17 seconds.
The third period was set to be the biggest period of their season, as they had a precious two-goal lead heading into it. And, somehow, the third was arguably better than the second, as the Penguins kept the Islanders at bay defensively and kept tacking on. Avery Hayes - playing in his first NHL game since Mar. 14 - finished off a strong individual effort by Ben Kindel by picking up the loose change at the net front and putting it in the net a little more than six minutes into the final frame for a 6-3 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Brazeau found his center, Rakell, breaking to the net once again, and he fed Rakell a seam pass that he buried for his 19th of the season to make it 7-3. Bryan Rust added one in the waning minutes of the third on a rocket from the slot for good measure, and the Penguins headed back to Pittsburgh happy and determined to be ready for their tilt at home against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Sidney Crosby is now just the eighth player in NHL history to record 1,100 assists.
Only Wayne Gretzky (706) and Paul Coffey (1,300) reached this milestone in fewer games than Crosby (1,414) 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1Esg6RsHZF
Egor Chinakhov - the only Pens’ forward who did not end up on the scoresheet at the end of the game - flanked Crosby’s left, while Rust stayed on his right. Meanwhile, Rakell - who has been playing a lot of center and has been impressive down the stretch - centered his own second line with Mantha and Brazeau, and Kindel centered Tommy Novak and Hayes on the third line.
As it turns out, every single line found chemistry, and head coach Dan Muse was able to roll all four without issue. The lineup clicked on all cylinders, even if it was a risk to shuffle things around so drastically ahead of the Penguins’ biggest game of the season.
Credit goes to Muse for that bold decision, as it worked wonders and made all the difference in this game.
Every single skater on the ice for the Penguins on Monday aside from Chinakhov, Erik Karlsson, and Connor Clifton earned at least a point. The Penguins also received goals from Soderblom, Hayes, and Shea - which was the “depth scoring” that I was referencing.
Lineup depth is such a key advantage for the Penguins this season, and they showed the value of said depth on Monday.
Mar 30, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Avery Hayes (85) celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders with centers Ben Kindel (81) and Tommy Novak (18) and defensemen Connor Clifton (75) and Ryan Shea (5) during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
- He may have been held off the scoresheet, but Karlsson was still phenomenal in this game. He was making key defensive plays up and down the ice, thwarting chances, and making plays happen in the offensive zone - including the lead-up to the Soderblom goal.
Karlsson continues to be such an integral part of the Penguins’ attack. And, folks, this version of Karlsson is the one that the team needs if it is going to make the playoffs or go on any type of run.
He has truly been on another planet this month, and he still has a chance to make some history with a few points on Tuesday.
- This wasn’t a great game for Silovs, all things considered. He did make a scorpion-eqsue save near the end, and he was lights-out in the beginning.
But he definitely would have wanted both the Barzal and the Schenn goals back. I have no idea what the Penguins will do with their goaltending moving forward, but he and Stuart Skinner need to be much more consistent so the Penguins don’t have to score four goals in almost every game in order to win.
And the thing is, they won't really be able to "ride the hot hand." They play three back-to-backs in their final eight games, which will make that tough. I assume that Skinner will get the start on Tuesday.
- Soderblom was excellent on Monday, and he was only an assist away from the Gordie Howe hat trick. He fought heavyweight Scott Mayfield in the final frame - and beat him pretty decisively, showing a physical and emotional side to his game that was lacking with Detroit.
I mean, there’s only so much you can do when you challenge a 6-foot-8, 240-pound giant. Mayfield definitely found that out quick.
- These Penguins are a resilient, impressive bunch.
I mean, what else can I say about them? They ride into the biggest, most consequential game of their season and go down 2-0 - looking a bit dead in the water for a brief second - before regrouping, completely taking over a must-win game against a division rival, and never looking back.
This team is fun. This team is special. And, hopefully, they can continue this dominance heading into their matchup against the playoff-hungry Red Wings on Tuesday.
They played their biggest game of the season against the New York Islanders and dismantled them handily, 8-3. They were down 3-1 at one point in the second period and roared back to score seven unanswered goals and take two crucial points in the standings.
The Penguins now have 90 points and are in sole position of second place in the Metropolitan Division heading into Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Sidney Crosby returned from his brief one-game absence, and his impact was felt right away. Early in the first period, he hit the post on a breakaway and nearly scored a couple of shifts later when his line was pressuring in the offensive zone.
He factored in on two goals, giving him 514 multi-point games for his career. His 514 multi-point games rank third in NHL history, behind Jaromir Jagr (540) and Wayne Gretzky (824). Crosby was tied with Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne with 513 multi-point games before breaking it.
Those two assists also give Crosby 1,100 assists for his career, making him the eighth player in NHL history to accomplish that feat. He only needed 1,414 games to do it.
Crosby did all of this against a team that he loves tormenting. Those two assists give him 142 points against the Islanders, and he has more points against them than any other team, including the Philadelphia Flyers. He has 139 career points against the Flyers.
He's nine assists away from tying Joe Thornton for seventh on the all-time assists list. There's a very good chance he'll do that over the next couple of weeks before the regular season ends.
Sidney Crosby is now just the eighth player in NHL history to record 1,100 assists.
Only Wayne Gretzky (706) and Paul Coffey (1,300) reached this milestone in fewer games than Crosby (1,414) 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1Esg6RsHZF
Crosby could potentially hit another milestone on Tuesday against the Red Wings. He's currently eighth all-time in NHL history with 1,753 points and is two points away from tying Steve Yzerman for seventh.
It would be something else to see him tie/pass Yzerman on the all-time points list when his Wings are in town. Crosby also idolized Yzerman growing up, so it would be even sweeter.
Crosby would then set his sights on Marcel Dionne, who is sixth on the NHL's all-time points list with 1,771. If he doesn't pass Dionne by the end of this season, he certainly will during the beginning of the 2026-27 season.
Crosby currently has 66 points in 62 games and needs four more to hit at least 70 points for the fifth-straight season. He's been a model of consistency since coming into the NHL during the 2005-06 season, and that's not changing.
He's trying to help the Penguins return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when they lost to the New York Rangers in seven games. This has been a season that nobody saw coming from the Penguins, and now, they're likely only a few more wins away from an improbable playoff berth.
After Tuesday's game against the Red Wings, the Penguins will head south to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third and final time this season on Thursday. The two teams have split the first two games of the season series.
After that, they'll play the Florida Panthers at home on Saturday and Sunday. It's rare to play the same team at home two days in a row, but that's how the schedule shook out this season. The Penguins beat the Panthers in Sunrise 5-3 back on Oct. 23.
NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Mantha had two goals and an assist, Rickard Rakell scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to defeat the New York Islanders 8-3 on Monday night in a crucial game in the competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Penguins trailed 3-1 midway through the second period before scoring four times in less than 6 1/2 minutes to take over. Their seventh goal on their 28th shot eight minutes into the third chased Ilya Sorokin, who was done in by porous defense in front of him and relieved by backup David Rittich.
Pittsburgh with the regulation victory leapfrogged New York into second place in the Metropolitan Division, 90 points to 89. The Penguins have eight games left in the regular season compared to seven for the Islanders, who could find themselves outside a spot as early as Tuesday night depending on results of their next game and others in contention in the East.
Returning from a one-game injury absence, Sidney Crosby was one of 15 skaters on his team to register a point in a significant bounce back from losing at home to Dallas without him on Saturday. Longtime running mate Evgeni Malkin missed a fourth consecutive game and is considered day to day.
AVALANCHE 9, FLAMES 2
DENVER (AP) — Nazem Kadri scored twice on the power play against his former team as part of a 26-shot, five-goal first period and the Colorado cruised to a win over Calgary.
The 26 shots is tied for second-most in a period in franchise history. The Avalanche finished with 49 shots — tied for their season high — as they increased their lead to eight points over Dallas in the race for the NHL’s top mark.
Jack Drury kicked off the scoring spree 2:31 into the game, followed by back-to-back power play goals from Kadri over a 66-second span. Captain Gabriel Landeskog and Parker Kelly also added goals before the first-period horn sounded.
Nathan MacKinnon added his 49th goal in the second period, along with two assists in the third. Martin Necas, Sam Malinski and Artturi Lehkonen each scored in the final period. The nine goals tied a season high.
Cale Makar notched three assists before leaving the game with an upper-body injury.
Scott Wedgewood made 27 saves for Colorado.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, CANUCKS 2
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Adin Hill made 22 stops and Vegas opened the John Tortorella era with a win over Vancouver.
One day after the Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy, who led the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2023, they treated Tortorella to a come-from-behind victory.
Rasmus Andersson, Shea Theodore, Reilly Smith and Cole Smith each scored for Vegas.
Evander Kane and Brock Boeser scored for the Canucks, while Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves.
MAPLE LEAFS 5, DUCKS 4, OT
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — John Tavares redirected a shot from Morgan Rielly into the net with five seconds left in overtime to lift Toronto to a come-from-behind victory over Anaheim.
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.
But Leo Carlsson, who hobbled to the locker room after taking a hard hit and falling to the ice in the first minute of the third, gathered a loose puck near the left circle and flicked a shot past Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz to make it 4-4 with 1:39 left.
Tavares added a first-period goal, and Stolarz stopped 28 of 32 shots for Toronto, which took the ice about 1 ½ hours after general manager Brad Treliving was fired near the end of his third season, with the Maple Leafs on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier scored in the first 10 minutes, and John Carlson scored his first goal for the Ducks. Gauthier, who leads the Pacific Division-leading Ducks with 38 goals and 65 points, suffered an upper-body injury on a cross-check late in the first and did not return. Husso had 22 saves.
SHARKS 5, BLUES 4
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Adam Gaudette scored with 21 seconds left, Alexander Wennberg and Macklin Celebrini each had two goals and an assist, and San Jose beat St. Louis to snap the Blues’ three-game winning streak.
On the rush, Gaudette flicked a wrist shot from near the left faceoff spot that trickled between the legs of goalie Joel Hofer.
Yaroslav Askarov made 22 saves for the Sharks (34-31-7), who have 75 points — tied with Seattle and two behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild card. Los Angeles has 76 points, while St. Louis (31-31-11) has 73.
Theo Lindstein, Pavel Buchnevich, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler scored for the Blues, and Jake Neighbours had two assists. Hofer finished with 24 saves.
You could call it a “revenge game” for Nazem Kadri as he takes on his former team, the Calgary Flames, but it was really a beatdown. Outshot 25-8, which led to the Flames being down 4-0 after the first period, it was all but over for the Flames, but for the Colorado Avalanche, it doesn't come without pain, as they worry about Calar Makar's injury and the severity of it after their 9-2 win.
Period 1:
Just over two minutes in, Jack Drury opens the scoring as he capitalizes on a rebound that bounces off the endboard from Parker Kelly's shot, his 10th goal of the year, making it 1-0. Brayden Pachal is called for unsportsmanlike conduct when he lays a heavy late hit to Drury after the whistle. Shortly into the power play, Blake Coleman slashes Martin Necas's stick in half and is called for it, sending the Avalanche to a 5-on-3.
Just over 20 seconds into the 5-on-3, it's a beautiful tic-tac-toe power-play goal: Cale Makar to Necas to Nazem Kadri, who finishes it to make it 2-0. With one more power play remaining, it's Kadri again as he buries a loose puck rebound that came off Brock Nelson's one-timer; his second goal of the night now makes it 3-0.
Over 1:40 after the Kadri goal, Gabriel Landeskog on the rush slips a shot five-hole, making it 4-0. With that goal, Dustin Wolf is pulled, and in comes Devin Cooley.
Colorado’s dominant period continues, and they show no remorse for Cooley as Kelly tips Makar’s shot from the blueline in, making it 5-0. The Avalanche showed what might have been their best period yet, finishing the first with 25 shots on goal while only allowing the Flames eight.
Period 2:
The Avalanche were a bit on cruise control to start the second period, and a turnover from Sam Malinski lets John Beecher wrap around the net, and Brennan Othmann crash the net for the loose puck rebound to make it 5-1.
Brett Kulak is called for high-sticking, but the Avalanche kills off their first penalty. Zach Whitecloud trips Landeskog, who almost had a great scoring attempt on the odd-man rush.
It’s Nathan MacKinnon as he receives a feed from Makar and rifles a one-time blast from the hashmarks into the net to make it 6-1 on the power play, their third power play point of the night as they enter the third period up 6-1.
Period 3:
At the start of the period, Makar was not on the bench, and later in the period, Avs PR confirmed he suffered an upper-body injury and will not return to the game. His last shift was late into the second period.
Matt Coronato is called for delay of game as he sends the puck over the glass, but the Avalanche can’t convert on their fourth power play. MacKinnon got his hands on the puck following a Flames turnover behind the net and fed Necas, 7-1. Not too long after Kelly feeds Malinski, crashing the net, forehand-backhand, 8-1
Despite the game being a blowout, Scott Wedgewood has made some terrific saves throughout, which might not have given the Flames much of a push for a comeback. They were tremendous glove and pad saves that show how much of a heater he is on.
Yegor Sharangovich’s initial stop is saved, but he manages to recover the puck and sets up Ryan Strome with a pretty neat backhand pass that stuns Wedgewood to make it 8-2. Though not too long after, MacKinnon finds his own loose puck off a rush shot attempt and finds Arturri Lehkonen crashing the net and buries it to make it 9-2.
