CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dylan Cozens scored a power-play goal 6:33 into the third period to snap a tie and lift the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.
Brady Tkachuk found Cozens alone in front and he beat Devin Cooley on the blocker side to give the Senators a 2-1 lead. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto added empty-netters for the final score. Lars Eller also had a goal as the Senators, who are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, moved within four points of the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Eller’s goal ended a 34-game goalless drought. His last goal came on Oct. 30 against Calgary.
Linus Ullmark made 19 stops to improve to 8-0-3 in his last 11 decisions.
Martin Pospisil scored his first goal of the season for Calgary and Cooley made 33 saves.
Ottawa has been strong of late with the man advantage, entering the game 5 for 12 over its previous five games. The Senators finished 1 for 4 against Calgary.
Down 2-1, the Flames got a power play of their own with just over three minutes to go in the third period. But Stutzle intercepted Yegor Sharangovich's pass and scored into the empty net to put the game on ice.
Stutzle extended his point streak to 11 games (seven goals, eight assists).
The loss dropped the Flames to 31st overall in the league standings, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary is 0-3-1 in its last four games.
The Calgary Flames dropped a 4–1 decision to the Ottawa Senators Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, in a game where strong goaltending kept Calgary within reach but Ottawa capitalized when it mattered most.
The Senators pushed the pace early, applying pressure in the opening minutes, but Flames goaltender Devin Cooley held firm. He turned aside all eight shots he faced in the first period and came up with a key pad save in the final minute to keep the game scoreless.
Calgary broke through late in the frame. Rookie Matvei Gridin tracked down a loose puck and slid it across to Martin Pospisil, who tucked it past Linus Ullmark at 17:04 for his first goal of the season.
The Flames carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission.
The remainder of the period featured tight checking and solid goaltending at both ends, sending the teams into the third period deadlocked.
Special teams made the difference in the final frame.
After drawing multiple penalties, Ottawa converted on their second power-play opportunity. During a battle along the boards, Brady Tkachuk dug the puck free and spotted Dylan Cozens alone in the slot. Cozens quickly picked his corner and snapped the puck past Cooley at 6:33 to give the Senators their first lead of the night.
With Calgary pressing late and the net empty, Tim Stützle sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, extending his point streak to 11 games and Shane Pinto scored again into the empty net securing the 4–1 Ottawa win.
Even in a loss, Devin Cooley looked composed and confident, making 35 saves. The Flames netminder made several timely saves and kept Calgary within striking distance throughout the game. Performances like this suggest he could be pushing for a larger role moving forward, and the Saddledome crowd responded to his effort like he’s quickly becoming a fan favourite.
2. Youth movement on the power play
The Flames’ first power-play unit featured young talent on the blue line, with Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin handling duties at the point. It’s a glimpse of the organization’s future as Calgary begins leaning more on its developing prospects.
3. Trade deadline uncertainty
With the NHL trade deadline approaching, Thursday’s game could potentially mark the final appearance in a Flames sweater for veterans Nazem Kadri or Blake Coleman. After the Weegar trade, Calgary’s roster could see more movement in the coming day.
Dylan Cozens snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period as the Senators went on to defeat the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Thursday night in the second game of their four-game Western road swing.
The victory looked nothing like Ottawa’s previous stop in Alberta. Two nights earlier in Edmonton, the Senators lost 5-4 in overtime after squandering a 4-2 third-period lead.
Thursday’s game in Calgary was the polar opposite as the Sens outshot the Flames 37-20.
Calgary opened the scoring late in the first period when Martin Pospisil capitalized on an Ottawa turnover. Senators defenceman Nick Jensen accidentally over-skated the puck in his own zone, allowing Calgary to pounce. Pospisil finished the play for his first goal of the season, sending the Flames to the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
Ottawa answered midway through the second period, and the goal ended a lengthy drought for Lars Eller. Eller snapped home a shot off a beautiful feed from Ridly Greig to tie the game at 1. The goal was Eller’s third of the season and his first since October 30.
The game remained tight heading into the third period before the Sens finally broke through on the power play.
At 6:33, Cozens ripped a wrist shot past Calgary goaltender Devin Cooley, the game's first star with 35 saves. The goal gave Ottawa its first lead and it stood up as the game-winner.
The finish wasn’t without a little drama.
Artem Zub was called for a penalty with just over three-and-a-half minutes to play, giving Calgary a late power-play opportunity. The Flames pulled their goaltender to create a 6-on-4, but this just in, the Flames don't have the Oilers' power play and Ottawa’s much-maligned penalty kill held firm.
Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto put the game away with a pair of empty net goals. Stutzle's was a shorthanded effort, while Pinto’s goal was meaningless but welcome. He had entered the game with just three goals in his last 26 games.
Stützle was held off the scoresheet for most of the night before his late goal, but for the second straight game he may have been Ottawa’s best player, consistently driving play and creating chances.
The win was an important one for the Senators as they try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Ottawa not only picked up two points in Calgary, but also got some help out of town. The Nashville Predators defeated the Boston Bruins 6-3 on Thursday night, tightening the Eastern wild-card race.
With 21 games still to play, the Senators now sit four points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot and six points back of the Montreal Canadiens, who hold the first wild card.
With the trade deadline less than a day away (Friday at 3 pm), Thursday's results won't necessarily push general manager Steve Staios into full buyer mode, but the Sens still have every reason to believe they can claw their way back in the race.
For the first time since early January, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost back-to-back games in regulation.
While, on the surface, this doesn't seem like the worst thing, there are other potential ramifications from Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres that could - quite frankly - alter the course of the Penguins' season and playoff hopes.
In addition to their loss to the Sabres - which kept them in a second-place tie in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Islanders for the time being - they also lost forward Evgeni Malkin, who was assessed a game misconduct for a slash to the head of Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin early in the second period.
The Sabres scored on the ensuing power play via a low-slot shot from Josh Norris, and the call was upheld after yet another failed goaltender interference challenge by Penguins' head coach Dan Muse.
And even Penguins' players admit that things may have snowballed after the Malkin sequence and another goaltender interference call failing to go their way.
"It's not easy," said goaltender Arturs Silovs, who was dealt a tough hand Thursday and stopped 21 of 25 Buffalo shots on goal. "We get [a] five-minute major we have to kill. I think we did a good job. But, sure, one of the top players leaving, it's not the best. It's like, one of the top [players in] our offense. So, it's not easy to regroup, but we tried to."
Things started off a bit sloppy for the Penguins, as Ryan McLeod scored his league-leading fifth shorthanded goal of the season on a breakaway after a tricky play at the offensive blue line to elude Penguins' defenseman Kris Letang and put the Sabres up, 1-0.
However, the Penguins responded with a shorthanded goal of their own less than three minutes later, when Bryan Rust performed his signature power move around Norris and across the net-front for his 21st goal of the season to tie the game.
Then, the second-period shenanigans with Malkin ensued, and the Sabres were up, 2-1. Two minutes after Norris's go-ahead goal, the Penguins were on a power play but found themselves in the defensive zone, where they took a penalty. On the delayed call, Alex Tuch buried his 25th goal of the season to put the Sabres on top, 3-1, and Owen Power added one just past the midway point of the second period to make it 4-1.
Mattias Samuelsson added an empty-net goal late in third period to bury the Penguins for good and secure the 5-1 win.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this emotional loss:
- I'll get to Malkin in a second because I won't have many thoughts numbers-wise, but I sure have plenty of thoughts. And let's start with this goaltender interference.
And, yes, this was clearly goaltender interference.
The Penguins challenged the Sabres' 2nd goal of the game for goaltender interference but the ruling was good goal 🫣 pic.twitter.com/nc4xpnEGAp
I have not agreed with all of Muse's challenges for goaltender interference so far this season, but this one seemed clear as day. Josh Doan ventured to the blue paint unimpeded initially and made contact with Silovs before Letang made contact with him. And, even if Letang did make what was very little contact, it seemed inconsequential, as Doan made no ensuing effort to get out of the way of Silovs.
This was goaltender interference. I know it. Most of the internet knows it. Analysts know it. Silovs knows it, too.
"For sure," Silovs said. "You know, it's like... I think it was clearly goalie interference. Like, I don't know. Other guy gets a little touch, doesn't count. It was blatant. He didn't even try to avoid me. Went through me, and what am I supposed to do? Yeah, I don't think the refs tried to help us at all today."
Muse also knew it. In fact, he was sure about it.
"My view on it is goalie interference because their player skated in the blue paint, made contact with our goalie, which affected the play. Which is the rule," Muse said. "He came in and made contact. Afterward, there is a little bit of a push. He initiated the contact in there. By the rules, I thought it was goalie interference. I still feel like it's goalie interference. And it seems like it changes day to day right now.
"People are again going to maybe question some of the challenges I've made. There's been lower percentage [challenges]. This one, I thought, was pretty clear."
So, if I was sure of it, the internet was sure of it, analysts were sure of it, Silovs was sure of it, and Muse was sure of it, why aren't NHL officials sure of it?
There is a disconnect with what this rule actually constitutes now, and it needs to be addressed. Especially since the loser of the challenge is punished with a penalty.
Just an egregious one to miss tonight. I don't understand it.
This is a 39-year-old franchise legend who badly wants another contract with the Penguins. That situation has become pretty public in the past week or so, even if Dubas prefers to keep negotiations private between he, Malkin, and agent J.P. Barry.
Your team is hanging onto second place in the Metro with the Islanders right on your heels in third and the surging Columbus Blue Jackets getting closer in the rearview. Your team is without its best player in Sidney Crosby for a few weeks, you have a guantlet of a schedule in March that is the hardest in the league, and despite this adversity, your team continues to battle and win most hockey games.
It's the time of year where pretty much every game is a must-win, but especially the game before the NHL trade deadline, when your GM just spoke about looking to add to the team on the forward front and defensive front to shore everything up for both a playoff run and the future.
The cross-checks? Sure. They happen dozens of times per game. Matching cross-checks are one thing, but slashing the head of an opponent with your stick is another, and it comes at a time when this Penguins' team is trying to hold on without its captain.
Composure needs to be kept there. This is not Malkin's first rodeo with a stick infraction, so he's almost certainly going to miss some time. Not having Crosby AND Malkin could quite literally derail what has been a magical, expectation-defying season for this team, and it would all be the result of a selfish, heat-of-the-moment decision by a player this team counts on.
There is never a time and place for what Malkin did. But it was especially bad considering the circumstances around this team, this season, and this contract negotiation.
If the Penguins miss the playoffs, they can point to several things. But this would be looked back on as the catalyst to the collapse.
So, for Malkin's sake - assuming that he misses some time and that Crosby won't be back for at least another week - his team better find a way to ride out the storm.
- All that said, Muse offered a pretty strong statement to his team after the game.
I asked him what the message was to the team after a couple of regulation losses in a row - the first time that's happened since Jan. 10-11. This was an emotional loss, and the last time the Penguins had a condensed schedule was December, when an emotional loss against the Anaheim Ducks snowballed into an eight-game losing streak.
So how do the Penguins avoid that this time around?
"You can say the schedule... I think it's just this league in general this time of year, too," Muse said. "Like, be pissed off. I don't want anybody walking out of today seeing this as okay. You also gotta be quick to turn the page. So, you get home, you get some sleep, you get to the rink tomorrow, we've got to look at ways that we can be better, we've got to quickly turn the page, and we've got to be ready for this next game.
"That's where we're at, and that's an important part is you don't let things continue to build. And I'd say the same thing if we had a game that we really liked. You've got to be ready for the next one because these are all turning fast."
We'll see what happens. In any case, Dubas is not - contrary to some panicked belief on Twitter - going to suddenly pivot and have a fire sale.
No. This team deserves to be rewarded. They've earned that. And they're still in a divisional playoff spot. Dubas must stay the course, whatever that means.
So, buckle up, Penguins' fans. This is going to be a very interesting 24 hours.
The Winnipeg Jets are sending defenseman Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to the Buffalo Sabres in a package deal, according to insider Frank Seravalli.
The move helps Buffalo’s in their efforts to strengthen its blue line as the Sabres explored a trade for Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, but the deal ultimately fell through when Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause on Thursday. With that option off the table, Buffalo appears to have had the Winnipeg duo as their backup plan with the return package not yet known.
Stanley, 27, has emerged as one of Winnipeg’s most productive defensemen this season. The Kitchener, Ontario native is in the midst of a career year, recording nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 59 games.
Not that he needs it, but confirming Chad’s reporting - #GoJetsGo are completing a deal to send both LD Logan Stanley and RD Luke Schenn to #Sabrehood in one package deal, pending trade call. https://t.co/TtXdk5WEpl
His breakout campaign has made him an appealing trade target around the league, particularly given his ability to handle significant minutes while playing under a very manageable cap hit. Stanley is averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million. Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 261 games with 14 goals and 43 assists.
Schenn, 36, could also be part of the discussions according to early rumours surrounding the negotiations. This season he has recorded one goal and seven points in 46 games while providing a physical presence through hits and shot blocking. The veteran defenseman brings a wealth of experience, including two Stanley Cup championships across a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL games.
Buffalo already had one of the deepest defense cores with Stanley and Schenn joining the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, Michael Kesselring, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Bowen Byram.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Lafreniere scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection in the third period, and the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 on Thursday night to pick up their first regulation win at home in more than three months.
It was the Rangers’ 19th game at Madison Square Garden since defeating St. Louis on Nov. 24. They had lost 13 of 18 since, with the only victories during that stretch coming in overtime or a shootout.
Falling behind 13 seconds in, they rallied to win for just the eighth time in 28 home games all season.
Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first career NHL goal a few minutes after Lafreniere put the Rangers up, bringing some joy to the team and crowd at the three-quarter mark of a season that long ago went off the rails.
Playing on the eve of the trade deadline, who was not in uniform for New York and Toronto to safeguard them from injury was just as notable if not more notable than who was on the ice.
The Rangers scratched centers Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick. The Maple Leafs for a second consecutive night opted not to dress defenseman Oliver Ekman Larsson and forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. Roster management was the reason given.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan McLeod and Alex Tuch scored short-handed goals and Buffalo beat Pittsburgh.
McLeod now has a league-best five short-handed goals this season. Josh Norris added a power-play goal, Owen Power scored and Mattias Samuelsson scored an empty-net goal for the Sabres, who won their fifth straight game.
Tage Thompson established a career-best, nine-game point streak with an assist. Buffalo has points in 10 straight road games, matching the longest road point streak in franchise history.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots for the Sabres, who are 11-2-1 in their last 14 games.
Bryan Rust scored a short-handed goal for the Penguins, who lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time since Jan. 10-11.
BLUE JACKETS 4, PANTHERS 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jet Greaves made 26 saves, Mathieu Olivier scored twice and Columbus dealt another blow to Florida’s playoff hopes with a victory.
Two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15. Ten points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the East, the Panthers have lost the first four games of a trip that ends Friday night in Detroit.
Defenseman Ivan Provorov had a goal and two assists and Boone Jenner also scored to help Columbus, fighting for a wild-card spot in the East, win its third straight. The Blue Jackets were coming off a back-to-back sweep, beating the Rangers 5-4 in overtime in New York on Monday night and Nashville on Tuesday night to open a four-game homestand.
Defenseman Niko Mikkola and Sam Bennett scored for Florida in a 5:36 span of the third period.
Gustav Forsling appeared to tie it with 2:55 to go, but Columbus successfully challenged for goaltender interference. Olivier then put it away with an empty-netter with 1:42 left.
MAMMOTH 3, FLYERS 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vitek Vanecek stopped 16 shots in his 100th career win and Dylan Guenther assisted on two Utah goals as it beat Philadelphia.
Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller scored in the second period for the Mammoth, and Michael Carcone added an empty-net goal at 18:12 of the third.
Vanecek earned his first shutout of the season and the 11th of his career. The 30-year-old had four shutouts during the 2021-22 with the Washington Capitals.
Utah has won two straight games and five of its last seven while completing a two-game season sweep of the Flyers.
Dan Vladar made 20 saves for Philadelphia and slipped to 19-10-6. The Flyers had their three-game winning streak halted.
After a scoreless first period, the Mammoth outshot the Flyers 14-7 in the second period and took a lead they never relinquished.
PREDATORS 6, BRUINS 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Matthew Wood scored twice to lead Nashville to a victory over Boston.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, Nicolas Hague, Erik Haula and Luke Evangelista also scored for the Predators. Juuse Saros made 20 saves for Nashville, which snapped a three-game losing streak. The Predators trail the Seattle Kraken for the Western Conference’s second wild card by three points.
Charlie McAviy and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal and an assist and Morgan Geekie also scored for Boston. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves for the Bruins, who have lost two of their last three games. Boston is one point ahead of Columbus for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card.
Hague scored the game’s first goal at 13:53 of the opening period on a slap shot between Korpisalo’s pads.
Wood made it 2-0 at 1:24 of the second with a short-handed goal.
JETS 4, LIGHTNING 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves, Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist and Winnipeg beat Tampa Bay.
Morgan Barron, Gustav Nyquist and Kyle Connor, into an empty net, also scored for Winnipeg. The Jets improved to 25-26-10, extending their home winning streak against Tampa Bay to five games.
Nyquist scored his first goal in 41 regular-season games dating to last season. He gave Winnipeg a 3-1 lead at 5:34 of the third period.
Brayden Point scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots. The Lighting have lost four straight to fall to 38-18-4.
Point scored at 1:52 of the third period to spoil Hellebuyck’s shutout bid. Jake Guentzel picked up his 39th assist, matching his total last season.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves, Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Thursday night.
Morgan Barron, Gustav Nyquist and Kyle Connor, into an empty net, also scored for Winnipeg. The Jets improved to 25-26-10, extending their home winning streak against Tampa Bay to five games.
Nyquist scored his first goal in 41 regular-season games dating to last season. He gave Winnipeg a 3-1 lead at 5:34 of the third period.
Brayden Point scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 26 shots. The Lighting have lost four straight to fall to 38-18-4.
Point scored at 1:52 of the third period to spoil Hellebuyck’s shutout bid. Jake Guentzel picked up his 39th assist, matching his total last season.
Playing with four call-ups from the Milwaukee Admirals, fresh off four trades and without their top center, the Nashville Predators were led by their youth, seeing Matthew Wood score twice in a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
"Nothing, they do what really surprises me," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "Right from our leaders, grabbing it and our young kids brought some energy, and it was a good synergy tonight. I'm proud of the group.
"It's been an emotional week for a lot of guys and we stuck together like we have all year."
The Predators were also without Ryan O'Reilly, who was day-to-day with an upper-body injury after he was nicked in the eye by Charlie Coyle's stick in Tuesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In response, Nashville called up Ryan Ufko, Reid Schaefer and Fedor Svechkov from the Admirals on Wednesday night. "They (the call-ups) brought so much energy," Roman Josi said. "It's been a hard week to see that many guys go and it's a big opportunity for a lot of young guys to get in the lineup, to have a bigger role, play more minutes. We saw tonight that they want to grab it." Joakim Kemell was a late call-up on Thursday afternoon. It was a quick turnaround for Kemell as he landed in Nashville at 6:26 p.m. and arrived at Bridgestone Arena a little after 7 p.m.
Despite missing warmups, Kemell was dressed and ready for puck drop. In his first NHL game since October, he logged 16 shifts for 12:24 of ice time and recorded two shot blocks.
"To jump into those little circumstances, I thought he showed very well. Especially in the early parts of the game, for him to come and do that is hard, and it's a credit to him. He wants it. He wants to play and he showed it."
Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins Mar 5, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Nic Hague opened the scoring, sneaking in a one-time slap shot from the point through the five-hole of Joonas Korpisalo to make it 1-0. It was his first goal since Jan. 3 and his third of the season.
Wood notched his first of the night shorthanded in the second period, scoring on a drop pass from Nick Perbix, who intercepted a David Pastrnak pass to spark the breakaway opportunity.
"I was very fortunate and he (Perbix) made an unbelievable play," Wood said on the goal. "I don't know how he saw me, but I'm glad he did. It was a great pass. I probably won't get many shorties in my career, but there's the first one."
Boston responded on the power play, but Erik Haula restored a two-goal lead, tipping in a shot from Brady Skjei to make it 3-1.
Filip Forsberg extended the lead on a wrist shot on the power play. It was his eighth power play goal of the season and 28th of the year. Ufko also recorded his first point as a Predator on a secondary assist.
Wood found the net for the second time on the night, tipping in a shot from Josi. Thursday was his second career multi-goal game. The first was a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Nov. 10, where he recorded his first career hat trick.
"He's probably, through the middle of the ice, our best player," Brunette said of Wood. "With his deceptiveness, speed and range, he makes plays, and I'm a big proponent of speed through the middle of the ice.
"I know he hasn't played (center) in a few years. I think he was excited to get that opportunity. I thought he's looked really good so far."
Boston made a push in the third period, getting goals from Charlie McAvoy and Viktor Arvidsson to make it a two-goal game.
Luke Evangelista added an empty net goal with 2:27 left in the game.
This was the Predators' final game before the trade deadline, which will occur on Friday at 2 p.m. CST. Nashville has traded away all of its pending unrestricted free agents except for two: Haula and Tyson Jost.
Nashville is on the road on Saturday, taking on the Buffalo Sabres at 4:30 p.m. CST.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins played in their final game prior to the NHL Trade Deadline against the Buffalo Sabres. Going into it, they were second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points, and they were less than 24 hours away from the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Friday.
Early in the second period with the score tied, 1-1, Penguins' foward Evgeni Malkin got tied up with Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin near Buffalo's goal line. The two exchanged cross-checks, and in frustration, Malkin slashed his stick at Dahlin's jaw area.
The result of the altercation was matching cross-checking minors and a five-minute slashing major for Malkin as well as a game misconduct.
Since Malkin has had a history of stick infractions, it would not be surprising to see supplemental discipline handed to him by the Department of Player Safety. Forward Bryan Rust was suspended three games earlier this season for a hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
Pittsburgh next plays Saturday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, which comes one day after the NHL trade deadline. Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said Wednesday that he may look to add a forward and a defenseman, and since the Penguins could possibly be without both Malkin and Sidney Crosby - week-to-week with a lower-body injury - for a length of time, it may force his hand to add a center by 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
On trade deadline eve, the Winnipeg Jets hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in an inter-conference tilt at Canada Life Centre.
The game was the second of Winnipeg's eight-game homestand and proved to be its fifth-straight registering at least a point, as the Jets took care of the Lightning by way of a 4-1 final.
Photo by James Carey Lauder
Thanks to a strong second period that saw goals from Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele, the Jets pulled to within seven points of the Seattle Kraken for the final spot in the Western Conference Wild Card playoff run.
Prior to puck drop, the Jets announced the recall of defenceman Isaak Phillips from the AHL. Neither Logan Stanley nor Luke Schenn came out for warmup, signifying the team's interest in protecting the two players in advance of Friday's trade deadline.
With Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk and Colin Miller already injured and out of action, the Jets dressed a defensive corps that included Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, Dylan DeMelo, Haydn Fleury, Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips.
“It’s not fun. That’s the business," Scheifele said. "Obviously, I don’t think I’ve been through that in a long time. Something I had to do was refocus before the game. But I was really happy for this group. Philly and Ville, both coming in and playing awesome. Guys stepped up. Fleurs stepped up, Salo has been great. Samby and Smoke stepped in and played awesome, so that was good to see.”
The Jets kept the Bolts in check through the first period, actually maintaining an 8-5 shot lead through 20 minutes of play.
It was in the second period where they took the lead, blowing the shot chart wide-open, pulling ahead to a 1-0 lead and a +12 differential in shots.
Barron's ninth of the season came late in the period, to which he rebounded home a perfect shot-pass from Cole Koepke on a rush up ice, opening the scoring 35:31 in.
Then, with just 18 seconds left, Scheifele hammered home his 29th of the season. With Kyle Connor executing a perfect forecheck, he dished the puck to Alex Iafallo, who set Scheifele up for the one-time strike.
Through 40 minutes of play, Winnipeg led 2-0 and held a 22-10 shot advantage.
The third period began slowly for the hosts, which gave up eight-straight shots on goal to start the frame, including Tampa's first of the game - a Brayden Point power play marker, just seven seconds into a Salomonsson high sticking minor.
But the Jets responded with Gustav Nyquist's first goal of the season. Although taking significantly longer to earn his first marker with the Jets than he would have liked, Nyquist picked up the puck off a hard-working shift from Tanner Pearson and Jonathan Toews, who assisted on his first in Winnipeg 5:34 into the third period.
"I mean, it feels great, obviously for the support there," Nyquist said of the cheers after his goal. "I know it's been a long time coming. So, overall, I thought we played a good, really good game all throughout. And then obviously they came out with a push in the third and got the early goal on the power play. And then, so it's nice to put that goal in for 3-1."
Five minutes later, Kyle Connor thought he had the Jets up 4-1, but his goal was called back due to his linemate Scheifele skating in offside before he carried the puck into the Bolts' zone and ripped it past Andrei Vasilevskiy, negating the goal.
With Andrei Vasilevskiy on the bench for the extra attacker, Scheifele made it up to his linemate, handing him the puck on the doorstep, where he sealed the deal into the wide open net, finishing off the visitors with the 4-1 strike.
“There was no chance I was shooting another puck the rest of the game," Scheifele laughed post-game.
"I was going to do everything in my power to get him that goal back because I was so mad at myself. I was very angry with myself there. That is a loss of focus. You should never go offside in that situation - you should never go offside in general, really. I’m going to hear about that one from Oatsie and from a lot of my buddies, trust me. It won’t be a fun conversation or text I’ll be getting from some of the guys. But yeah, I wasn’t going to shoot another puck until KC got one.”
Hellebuyck finished the night with 26 stops on Tampa Bay's 27 shots, while Vasilevskiy turned aside just 26 of Winnipeg's 29 shots on goal.
Next up for Winnipeg is a test with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in a 6:00 PM central Hockey Night in Canada spectacle.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Logan Mailloux sat at his locker inside Centene Community Ice Center recently, still catching breath after a good, hard practice for the St. Louis Blues and had this calming ease about him.
He sits down, knows questions are coming, happy to answer them, even though there's gear to sweaty sling off, shower, change and head to the airport for the next road trip.
Remember when the Mailloux-for-Zack Bolduc trade was dubbed the steal of the century for the Montreal Canadiens before allowing these two young 2021 first-round picks to grow into their respective games? Seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it?
Regardless, it's been a challenging, at times arduous, sometimes tough and exhausting, and definitely moments of learning of the past half year since the defenseman arrived in St. Louis, after being dealt to the Blues by the Canadiens on July 1, 2025.
We're not anointing the 22-year-old as the next Pronger clone here by any means, but things are certainly looking brighter for the 31st pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Has Mailloux, who scored in his second straight game on Wednesday in a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken, turned the corner? He's still got plenty of growing to do, but little by little, he's figuring things out, and quite honestly, he's taken some really nice steps here despite having a way to go. But if you're a Blues fan and the organization for that matter, you have to be pleased with what you've seen from the right-handed blueliner.
With Colton Parayko missing his third game Wednesday because of back spasms, someone had to step up and grab a bigger bite of the apple. Mailloux not only bit it but has inhaled it. He played in a career-best 22:52 on Wednesday and has surpassed 20 or more minutes in all three games playing alongside Cam Fowler.
Unlike earlier in the year when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders -- and they still in a sense may be -- and when confidence was scarce, that confidence is growing with each shift, with each touch of the puck, with each defensive play and with more added responsibilities. And with more experience comes more assertiveness, a sense of calm, understanding what to do and staying within himself.
Believe it when Mailloux understood what he was coming into here. He was the guy replacing a budding, young, fan favorite that Blues fans were gravitating towards, and when things weren't going right and even having to leave the team and go refine himself for a bit in Springfield of the American Hockey League, hearing and reading comments that the trade was a disaster because Bolduc had scored in each of his first three games with the Canadiens and was off to a roaring start was naturally on the mind of Mailloux. It's easier to see, hear and read with the world of social media and what the naysayers were were feeling.
"You couldn't let it get to you," Mailloux said. "I knew who I was coming in here for and how passionate these fans are, I've come to see it. You had to block out the noise, put your head down and continue to work. I've come to realize these fans here appreciate hard work and an honest effort every night."
And work he's done as well as put in the effort. Not that it wasn't there before but the execution of it all just didn't come together. But that was then and this is now. How times have changed.
"It's been a roller-coaster year, but I feel like I've been building in the right direction, especially the last couple months," Mailloux said. "I feel bit by bit, I've been growing my game and feeling good about my game for sure."
Why wouldn't he?
In his first five games as a Blue, Mailloux was a minus-9 and really had no real sense of direction of of what to become of himself, and all that is because simply a lack of games played.
The Blues were saying all the right things, including coach Jim Montgomery, who said before the season started that Mailloux was "NHL-ready."
That was wishful thinking obviously. Sure you want to talk yourself into believing it, but the Blues knew they had a project on their hands. But it's safe to say the steps to being NHL ready are finally developing before their very eyes, and it's a pleasant sight to see the confidence starting to shine.
"I feel like I am," Mailloux said. "Obviously confidence is huge. I feel like whether it's with the puck or without the puck, if you're feeling better you're just going to kill more plays, so I think I've just felt pretty good out there.
"The more plays you kill, the more times you're going to have the puck on your stick and stuff like that. I feel like if I can kill plays as quick as I can and do my responsibility in the D-zone, then the more times I get the puck, I'm going to be skating with it more and making more plays."
Mailloux, who has taken it upon himself to be a defensive-minded player to fuel other parts of his game, has shown the knack of taking the stick, being properly positioned and as he mentioned earlier, killing plays. In doing so, the puck's on his stick more, which allows him to make plays.
"He's more assertive and it's just confidence," Montgomery said. "With Parayko out, he's getting more ice time. I don't know how much his ice time has jumped up, I don't know if it's four minutes, if it's more than that, he's getting penalty killing reps. You're just into the rhythm of the game and when you're going right5 back out there, you don't have time to get in your own head about something that might have gone wrong.
"He's starting to take off the same time Bolduc took off last year. Not to be comparable to the trade, but that's what happens. Not everybody comes to this league and is [Macklin] Celebrini. It just doesn't happen. It's the best league in the world, and good players, really talented young players like Logan Mailloux, they're going to figure it out because they're that talented and that competitive."
Teammates see it too.
"Obviously confidence does a lot to a player," captain Brayden Schenn said after Wednesday's game. "Obviously you get rewarded with a few goals, all of the sudden you start seeing the ice differently or making different plays. He's a guy that has lots of skill and talent, the full package. As you get more opportunity, more minutes, you always have to take advantage of it, and right now, he is."
And how the tides have turned. Bolduc hasn't scored in his past 22 games, even being a healthy scratch on Feb. 26, and Mailloux is now played 19 or more minutes in each of the four games after the Olympic break. But this stronger play was coming even before that. However the fan bases look at it, each player is still so young, allow them to grow at their own merits. And Mailloux is figuring out how.
"It's the consistency that you have to bring, whether it's every day in practice or in the games, I feel like you can't take a day off at all," Mailloux said. "You've got to take care of yourself and be ready to go, whether it's every practice day or every game day. I feel like just being able to be consistent kind of night in, night out is definitely the main thing I think.
"When you're playing more minutes, if you ask a lot of guys, it's easier to kind of get into the flow of things and stuff like that. But when you lose a guy like Colton, it kind of takes a committee to replace a guy like that. I don't think it's one guy. It's all of us that have been stepping up and I feel like I've had a bunch of great help from all the guys around here."
Mailloux, who has three goals and two assists in 46 games, is also taking his game back to the offensive side where it was prior to the season. He has 48 shots on goal on the season, but 13 of them have come in the past four games. So not only is he honing in on the defensive side that's leading to more offense, but he's not deferring pucks as often as perhaps earlier in the season
"I've definitely taken more of a shooting mindset," Mailloux said. "I feel like that's one of my assets is my shot. I'm going to try and use it. If I get the opportunity, I've got to take it."
Despite the 13 shots in four games, Montgomery said he can still shoot the puck more.
"Yes he can. He can. He needs to be shot-ready even more," Montgomery said. "He's got a really good one-timer, but he only used the one-timer when he's up. We want him to pound it when he's on his strong side as a defenseman even more. Kind of like you see [Justin] Faulk do.
"I think it's just not having practiced it enough, not understanding what that shot gives the team offensively. In junior hockey, American (Hockey) League, you have more time to get that puck and walk middle, stick-handle and let it go. In this league if you do that, the lane's closed and now you've got to throw it back behind the goal line."
Mailloux credits having a mentor-type in Fowler as his partner, someone with over 1,100 games' worth of experience that's guided him through the trials and tribulations of growing into the player he can be.
"He's the best," Mailloux said. "I really like him. I really like playing with him. I feel like he controls the game so well. He can slow it down, speed it up and I just am kind of able to bounce ideas off of him, what he saw or what he thinks. He's definitely been big for me."
Even though it's a sample size that Mailloux and the Blues would like to see more of, he's not going to be content. There's still plenty of work -- and learning -- left.
"Just put my head down and continue to work hard, keep gaining confidence and keep plugging away," Mailloux said. "It does feel like I'm absorbing things more cleaner and better now. I just have to working at it and put that effort in.
"The one thing I've learned is you can't look back. Just put your head down and put your best foot forward, and that's what I'm going to try and keep doing."
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The Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres are reportedly discussing a deal that could send defenseman Logan Stanley to Buffalo, with veteran blueliner Luke Schenn potentially included in the package. According to early reporting from Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta, the two teams are engaged in advanced discussions.
The potential move would align with Buffalo’s recent efforts to strengthen its blue line as the Sabres explored a trade for Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, but the deal ultimately fell through when Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause on Thursday. With that option off the table, Buffalo appears to be evaluating other defensemen who could provide size and stability to its back end.
Things happen fast… quick update. Per sources, Sabres are working on a trade to acquire BOTH Schenn and Logan Stanley from Winnipeg. https://t.co/BFEoSyfFVF
Stanley, 27, has emerged as one of Winnipeg’s most productive defensemen this season. The Kitchener, Ontario native is in the midst of a career year, recording nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 59 games.
His breakout campaign has made him an appealing trade target around the league, particularly given his ability to handle significant minutes while playing under a very manageable cap hit. Stanley is averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million. Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 261 games with 14 goals and 43 assists.
Schenn, 36, could also be part of the discussions according to early rumours surrounding the negotiations. This season he has recorded one goal and seven points in 46 games while providing a physical presence through hits and shot blocking. The veteran defenseman brings a wealth of experience, including two Stanley Cup championships across a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL games.
Despite the growing speculation, no official confirmation has emerged from league insiders or the teams themselves. However, with the deadline rapidly approaching, trades involving Stanley and Schenn will likely materialze before Friday's trade deadline.
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The New Jersey Devils announced on Thursday that they had placed Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers.
Dadonov, who signed a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1, 2025, has played 17 games this season without recording a point.
After being drafted 71st overall in 2007, Dadonov has played for six NHL teams, totaling 634 NHL games.
Glendening has appeared in 52 games with the Devils. The right winger has four points – all assists so far. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 7, 2025, after he joined the team for training camp on a professional tryout.
The undrafted 36-year-old has been in the NHL for 13 seasons. He has played 916 NHL games for four teams.
Tsyplakov has appeared in 36 games this season with the Devils and New York Islanders, earning two points, one goal, and one assist. He has appeared in nine games with the Devils this season.
The undrafted 27-year-old has played 113 NHL games over two seasons.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vitek Vanecek stopped 16 shots in his 100th career win and Dylan Guenther assisted on two Utah goals as the Mammoth beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night.
Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller scored in the second period for the Mammoth, and Michael Carcone added an empty-net goal at 18:12 of the third.
Vanecek earned his first shutout of the season and the 11th of his career. The 30-year-old had four shutouts during the 2021-22 with the Washington Capitals.
Utah has won two straight games and five of its last seven while completing a two-game season sweep of the Flyers.
Dan Vladar made 20 saves for Philadelphia and slipped to 19-10-6. The Flyers had their three-game winning streak halted.
After a scoreless first period, the Mammoth outshot the Flyers 14-7 in the second period and took a lead they never relinquished.
Schmaltz opened the scoring at 1:38 of the second with a power-play goal on a shot from a tough angle to the right of Vladar. Guenther and Sean Durzi assisted on Schmaltz’s 24th goal of the season.
About seven minutes later, Keller stretched the lead to two goals with his 19th of the season. Guenther picked up his 25th assist when his feed from along the boards sent Keller in all alone, and he beat Vladar with a shot between the pads from close range at 8:03.
Keller leads the Mammoth in points with 61 (19 goals, 42 assists). Schmaltz is next with 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points, followed by Guenther's 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists). The Mammoth have scored 94 goals away from home this season.
Veteran defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who was acquired by Utah from Calgary on Wednesday, was not available due to visa processing. The Mammoth recalled defenseman Dmitri Simashev from Tucson of the AHL.
The Flyers were without Forward Travis Konecny (upper-body injury) and defenseman Nick Seeler (lower-body injury).
Up next
Mammoth: At Columbus on Saturday in the third game of a five-game trip.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jet Greaves made 26 saves, Mathieu Olivier scored twice and the Columbus Blue Jackets dealt another blow to Florida's playoff hopes with a 4-2 victory over the Panthers on Thursday night.
Two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15. Ten points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the East, the Panthers have lost the first four games of a trip that ends Friday night in Detroit.
Defenseman Ivan Provorov had a goal and two assists and Boone Jenner also scored to help Columbus win its third straight and move within a point of Boston. The Blue Jackets were coming off a back-to-back sweep, beating the Rangers 5-4 in overtime in New York on Monday night and Nashville on Tuesday night to open a four-game homestand.
Defenseman Niko Mikkola and Sam Bennett scored for Florida in a 5:36 span of the third period.
Gustav Forsling appeared to tie it with 2:55 to go, but Columbus successfully challenged for goaltender interference. Olivier then put it away with an empty-netter with 1:42 left.
Provorov scored on a power play at 5:08 of the first, firing in a wrist shot from the blue line. Olivier struck on a tip with 9:10 left in the second, and Jenner beat goalie Daniil Tarasov from close range at 1:41 of the third. Jenner returned after missing a game because of a lower-body injury.
Mikkola scored on a tip at 9:08 of the third, and Bennett pulled the Panthers within one on a power play with 5:16 left.
Tarasov stopped 23 shots.
A day ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Panthers sent 38-year-old defenseman Jeff Petry to Minnesota for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2026.
