In a brutal showing tonight where nothing seemed to go right, the Colorado Avalanche got absolutely stomped by the Pittsburgh Penguins by a final score of 7-2. After a lackluster showing in Winnipeg this wasn’t the homecoming Colorado wanted in their return to Ball Arena.

Let’s look at all the action from tonight.

First Period

Before ESPN could even broadcast the game as three goals were scored within the opening five minutes. First Evgeni Malkin would get the Penguins on the board first with just an insane backhand shot, which didn’t look all that dangerous to begin with, but Scott Wedgewood was caught off guard by it, and it was 1-0 Penguins three minutes into the first period.

One minute later Colorado responded as Nathan MacKinnon would get his 45th goal of the year next, tying the game at 1-1, off a beautiful feed from Martin Necas, who was able to break into the zone on his own and find MacKinnon all alone in the slot.

That satisfaction only lasted 23 seconds before Anthony Mantha would score next and give Pittsburgh the lead back, as he managed to get into the Avs’ zone all alone and scored on the breakaway.

Malkin would tack on his second goal of the night next and make it 3-1 Penguins. No Colorado player was able to puck him up in the slot, and he made no mistake burying the puck from right in front of the net. Scott Wedgewood’s night was done after this goal as it wasn’t his best showing but the defense and coverage wasn’t doing him any favors. Bednar likes to change up the goalies in hopes of finding a spark for his team.

And that spark with Mackenzie Blackwood in net lasted all of 43 seconds before Elmer Soderblom would make it 4-1 in Pittsburgh’s favor after that, leaving Colorado searching for answers.

A sign of life emerged as Colorado would get one back before the period ended, however, as Brent Burns made it 4-2 , as he was able to let a shot rip from the blue line, which ended up beating Silovs and gave Colorado a glimmer of hope going into the first intermission. Gavin Brindley was briefly freed from the fourth line and earned the primary assist on this play but that didn’t buy him any more opportunity for the rest of the game.

Second Period

By the midpoint of the second period things weren’t going much better and Erik Karlsson would make it 5-2 Penguins about halfway through the second frame, as he fired a puck from the blue line, and it deflected off a player in front of the net and in.

Bryan Rust would then make it 6-2 on, stop me if you’ve heard this one before, a breakaway goal on the power play, and the Avs would be down by four goals heading into the third period.

Third Period

It was all over by this point as both teams were eager to wrap things up. There was a brief tussle between Jack Drury and Connor Clifton after Noel Acciari scored the seventh and final goal for the Penguins about halfway through the third, for the 7-2 final.

Takeaways

Well, the good news is Colorado didn’t lose the three-point lead they had on Dallas for the division lead, as the Stars also lost tonight against the Utah Mammoth. The bad news is, your game on Wednesday now matters a thousand times more than it did already after this showing. Especially after the loss to Winnipeg, where Colorado played well but just could not finish to save their lives, you hoped that they would play well tonight as well and carry some of that momentum over from the Winnipeg game. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened in this game, obviously. The Avs ended up down 4-1 in the first period before Burns scored Colorado’s second goal of the night, and were never able to recover after that deficit. As stated earlier, you didn’t lose your lead on Dallas for the division, as they also lost tonight, so that’s all well and good, but again, this outcome makes Wednesday’s game against the Stars matter so much more than it already did, and it already mattered quite a bit. Hopefully, the Avs head into that game motivated after tonight’s showing and get both points out of that game.

Upcoming

The Dallas Stars come to Denver on Wednesday night for a massive Central Division matchup. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. MT nationally televised on TNT.

DENVER (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored twice in a four-goal first period and added an assist in his return from a five-game suspension for slashing, sparking the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-2 victory over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.

Malkin's punishment from the NHL was for raising his stick and striking Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on the helmet and shoulder during their game on March 5. The 39-year-old Malkin has been suspended three times in his career.

Anthony Mantha, Elmer Soderblom, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Noel Acciari also scored for the Penguins, who matched their season high for goals on just 20 shots while playing for the 11th straight game without star center Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh's leading scorer, who sustained a lower-body injury while playing for Canada in the Winter Olympics last month, has been skating with the team during this five-game trip that wraps up Wednesday.

Karlsson added two assists and has three goals and 11 assists in his last 10 games for the Penguins, who moved two points ahead of the New York Islanders for sole possession of second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Nathan MacKinnon and Brent Burns scored for the Avalanche, who matched their most goals allowed in a game this season. Scott Wedgewood, the league leader in save percentage and goals-against average, was pulled 13 minutes in after falling behind 3-1 on five shots. Wedgewood was replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 11 saves.

Colorado has lost three of four and leads Dallas in both the Central Division and overall NHL standings by three points. The Avalanche have one game in hand on the Stars.

Up next

Pittsburgh plays at Carolina on Wednesday.

Colorado hosts Dallas on Wednesday.

___

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

It wasn’t going to be easy getting back in the win column for the Colorado Avalanche, going up against a hot Pittsburgh Penguins team, but no one would have expected the outcome the way it did. Bad defense, not great goaltending, mistakes everywhere led to a brutal night of hockey as the Avalanche fell 7-2.

Period 1:

Thirty seconds in, Evgeni Malkin is called for tripping, but the Avalanche couldn't capitalize on the early power play. Just over 10 seconds out of the box, Malkin with a nice spin-o-rama backhand shot beats Scott Wedgewood to make it 1-0 on their first shot of the game. Though it's Martin Necas who finds Nathan MacKinnon trailing, and he toe-drag riles a shot, beating Artur Silovs and tying the game 1-1.

The Dogg gets it done. pic.twitter.com/skyjAFcbcd

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 17, 2026

The Avalanche defense is caught lacking as Erik Karlsson fires a cross-ice pass to Anthony Mantha, as he finds himself behind the defense and scores on the breakaway, making it 2-1. Ville Koivunen is called for cross-checking, sending the Avalanche to the power play, and it does look much better than their first opportunity. Jack Drury is called for interference, sending the Penguins to their first power play, but the Avalanche does a good job killing it off.

Again, it's the Avalanche defense making it too easy for the Penguins as Josh Manson gets beat to the puck and Nick Blankenburg drifts way too far over, leaving Malkin all alone, making it 3-1. With that goal, Wedgewood's night is over as he lets in three goals on five shots, and Mackenzie Blackwood comes in. It's not a great start for Blackwood as he stops his first shot seen, but Devon Toews is out bodied in front by Elmer Soderblom, and he's able to score the rebound, 4-1.

Burns late in the period sends a shot from the blueline and is tipped by Mantha, and in making it 4-2 heading into the second period. That goal helped him pass Bobby Orr and now ranks 7th among defensemen in NHL history for goals.

Period 2:

Mantha is called for holding, but the Avalanche's power play goes nowhere. Set up in the offensive zone, Karlsson’s shot from the blueline is tipped by Noel Acciari and in, making it 5-2. Silvos goes for the poke check, but trips Roy in turn and is called for it, but the Avalanche penalty goes 0/4 in the turn.

Ilya Solovyov’s First NHL Goal Remains a Special Memory From His Time in DenverEven months after leaving Denver, Ilya Solovyov still remembers the thrill of scoring his first NHL goal during his brief stint with the Avalanche.

Roy is called for tripping, but the Avalanche continue to hold strong on the penalty kill, though right as they kill off the penalty, they are immediately called for too many men. They get a good scoring chance on the pk with a 3-on-2, but they turn it over, and it's Bryan Rust waiting for the breakaway to make it 6-2 as the period ends.

Period 3:

Soderblom with his best Malkin impression of the spinorama pass, and it bounces off Acciari’s skate and in 7-2. Drury dropped the gloves against Connor Clifton and was pretty much out of the third period.

It was an ugly game, to say the least, but the one positive was that the Dallas Stars lost to the Utah Mammoth 6-2 tonight, so no ground was lost.

Though it's going to be a key matchup when they face them on Wednesday, March 18, at home.

The NHL’s Overtime Format Stinks — It’s Time for a ChangeDo Avalanche fans agree?

Apologies in advance, a power outage has put a damper on the night at Pensburgh HQ but nothing could slow the Penguins on this night. Pittsburgh went into the NHL’s best team’s barn and took a monster 7-2 win.

There were a couple changes in the lineup; Evgeni Malkin returned from suspension, as expected. Less expected was Justin Brazeau’s quick return from injury, helping to spell for Blake Lizotte leaving the lineup for this game due to an injury of his own.

https://x.com/penguins/status/2033757253736468767?s=46&t=F9heTkWtNC7aYX_AqwPvxA

It was a classic Evgeni Malkin night, as only he could do it. Malkin took an offensive zone penalty on his first shift, only to score that beauty with a spinning backhander almost immediately after getting out of the penalty box. That set the tone for the game, even though Nathan MacKinnon quickly answered that first goal, the Pens sprung Anthony Mantha for his breakaway goal as a response to the response. From there, the Pens were off to the races, scoring early and often within the first couple of periods. We’ll have much more tomorrow in response to a massive statement game for Pittsburgh. They’re up to 2-1-1 during a very daunting and challenging road trip, playing as dangerous as ever, and all without Sidney Crosby.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been getting production from up and down their lineup during a 2025-26 season in which they've exceeded expectations, and they find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. 

And one winger - new to the Penguins this season - continues to build on what has been the best year of his NHL career.

In Monday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, winger Anthony Mantha set a new career-high in goals when he potted his 26th of the season on a breakaway during the first period. Mantha's goal was Pittsburgh's second of the game and, at the time, put the Penguins up, 2-1.

And, with the goal, he continues to build on a new career-high in points (52) as well.

The 31-year-old was signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in the offseason by Penguins' GM/POHO Kyle Dubas after playing just 13 games last season for the Calgary Flames. Mantha tore his ACL, which ended his 2024-25 season prematurely. 

He is just one goal shy of tying captain Sidney Crosby - still out with a lower-body injury - for the team lead in goals. 

Penguins Call Up Defender & Send Another To AHLThe Penguins have made some roster moves ahead of their contest against the Avalanche.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

DALLAS (AP) — Jack McBain’s tie-breaking shorthanded goal early in the third period began a four-goal outburst and led the Utah Mammoth to a 6-3 win over Dallas on Monday night, ending the Stars’ point streak at a franchise-record 15 games.

Clayton Keller, Kailer Yamamoto, Michael Carcone, Lawson Crouse and defenseman Nate Schmidt also scored for the Mammoth, who hold the Western Conference’s first wild-card position by five points. Vitek Vanecek, making his 16th start of the season, stopped 27 shots.

Wyatt Johnston, Sam Steel and Adam Erne scored for the Stars, who lost in regulation for the first time since Jan. 22, going 14-0-1. Dallas also had a 15-game streak in its 1998-99 Stanley Cup season (12-0-3).

McBain gained possession just outside Utah’s blue line following a turnover by Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Skating in alone, McBain lifted a backhander past Casey DeSmith at 4:16 of the third period for a 3-2 lead.

DeSmith made 16 saves and saw a personal four-game win streak end.

Dallas has the second-most points in the league (94) and will play its next two games, both on the road, against the teams just ahead of them (Colorado) and just behind them (Minnesota) in the Central Division.

Yamamoto added an insurance goal almost four minutes later followed by Carcone’s power-play goal and Crouse’s empty-netter in the final minutes.

It was McBain’s seventh goal of the season, ending a 20-game goal drought that began Jan. 15.

Schmidt ended a 15-game goal drought since he had two goals and four points on Jan. 17.

It’s Keller’s sixth 20-goal season, fifth consecutive.

Dallas’ power play, second best in the NHL, went 0 for 3 and allowed a short-handed goal, failing to score for the first time in 13 games.

Up next

Mammoth: Visit Vegas on Thursday.

Stars: Visit Colorado on Wednesday.

___

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

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes had three assists to extend his productive run since scoring the gold medal-winning goal for the U.S. at the Olympics, and the New Jersey Devils dented the Boston Bruins’ playoff chances by beating them 4-3 in overtime Monday night.

Hughes set up Connor Brown’s goal to become the fastest player in franchise history to 400 career points. He also had a hand in Jesper Bratt’s goal and assisted on Paul Cotter’s winner with 6.2 seconds left in 3-on-3 overtime to reach 402 in his 414th regular-season game. Hughes has 12 points in 10 games since returning from Milan.

Cotter also scored early in the third period to give New Jersey a 3-2 lead before David Pastrnak tied it 1:42 later.

Pastrnak scored twice, including a highlight-reel masterpiece that made it 3-all, but he and the Bruins blew a two-goal lead and the chance for their first back-to-back victories since Jan. 27 and 29. Pavel Zacha also scored his 20th of the season against his old team, while Joonas Korpisalo allowed four goals on 34 shots as Boston kept up a pattern of alternating wins and losses since the NHL season resumed from the Olympic break.

The Bruins are clinging to the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after getting passed by Detroit when the Red Wings beat Calgary on Monday night. With 15 games left, Boston has 81 points, two ahead of Columbus and four up on Ottawa.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 19 shots for the Devils. The teams combined to take 10 penalties, including a pair of fighting majors in the final 11 minutes of regulation.

Up next

Bruins: Visit Atlantic Division-rival and likely playoff-bound Montreal on Tuesday night.

Devils: After finishing a seven-game homestand, they play their first of five in a row on the road Wednesday night at the New York Rangers.

DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane scored twice for Detroit to move into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time goals list for NHL players born in the U.S. and lead the Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Kane has 504 career goals, trailing Mike Modano (561), Keith Tkachuk (538) and Jeremy Roenick (513). The 19th-year veteran entered the night tied with Joe Mullen (502). Earlier this season, Kane passed Modano to become the highest-scoring American-born player in league history. Kane now has 1,383 career points in 1,355 games.

Emmitt Finnie, Moritz Seider and Dominik Shine also scored and Alex DeBrincat had three assists for the Red Wings, who started a four-game homestand by stopping a three-game losing streak.

J.T. Compher added two assists and John Gibson made 25 saves for Detroit, which moved into a tie with Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have two games in hand on the Red Wings, who currently occupy the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Morgan Frost scored late in the first period to put the Flames on the board first, but Detroit scored three times in a span of 5:34 early in the second period to take control. Kane had the first and third goals in that surge.

Matt Coronato added a goal and an assist and Dustin Wolf made 20 saves for Calgary, which finished a five-game road trip through the Eastern Conference at 1-4. The Flames, who have the NHL’s second-worst record ahead of only Pacific Division rival Vancouver, are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.

DEVILS 4, BRUINS 3, OT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes had three assists to extend his productive run since scoring the gold medal-winning goal for the U.S. at the Olympics, and New Jersey dented Boston's playoff chances by beating them in overtime.

Hughes set up Connor Brown’s goal to become the fastest player in franchise history to 400 career points. He also had a hand in Jesper Bratt’s goal and assisted on Paul Cotter’s winner with 6.2 seconds left in 3-on-3 overtime to reach 402 in his 414th regular-season game. Hughes has 12 points in 10 games since returning from Milan.

Cotter also scored early in the third period to give New Jersey a 3-2 lead before David Pastrnak tied it 1:42 later.

KINGS 4, RANGERS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Laferriere had a goal and two assists to lead Los Angeles to a win over New York.

Drew Doughty, Mikey Anderson and Trevor Moore also scored for Los Angeles, which has won three of five.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 shots.

Despite 22 saves from Igor Shesterkin, New York’s four-game winning streak ended.

Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal 2:29 into the third period spoiled Kuemper’s bid for his third shutout of the season.

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It was a game the Detroit Red Wings needed to have, and in the end, they got the job done. 

Future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane scored twice on St. Patrick's Day Eve, helping Detroit pick up a 5-2 victory at Little Caesars Arena over the visiting Calgary Flames, the 31st-ranked team in the NHL. 

#REDWINGS WIN! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/yy18MBDtbi

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 17, 2026

With the win, the Red Wings are now tied with the Montreal Canadiens with 82 points apiece, but remain in the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Bruins, who were beaten in overtime by the New Jersey Devils, are in the WC2 spot with 81 points.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

It was the Flames who capitalized in the opening 20 minutes of play, getting a goal from Morgan Frost at the 17:35 mark. 

However, Detroit didn't have to wait long to knot the score once the second period began. Kane scored the 503rd goal of his career at 1:03, beating goaltender Dustin Wolf on a breakaway after taking a feed from Alex DeBrincat. 

It was another milestone marker for Kane, who passed Joe Mullen for the fourth-most goals scored by a U.S.-born player in NHL history. 

Detroit would soon strike twice in short order, starting with a tally from rookie Emmitt Finnie; he capitalized on a pretty three-way passing play from Lucas Raymond and Albert Johansson and had a tap-in at the side of the net. 

Just 1:31 later, Kane finished another nifty feed from DeBrincat, redirecting the pass on his backhand past Wolf for career goal No. 504. 

While Calgary got a fortunate bounce when Matt Coronato's pass on a two-on-one rush deflected off defenseman Moritz Seider past John Gibson, the 2022 Calder Trophy winner soon got the last laugh.

Seider restored Detroit's two-goal lead with a laser of a wrist shot past the blocker of Wolf while on the power-play for his ninth goal of the season. 

Dominik Shine, who dropped the gloves during the first period and had tallied the first NHL goal of his career in last week's win over the Devils, capped the scoring with his second NHL goal while Wolf was on the bench for an extra attacker. 

Gibson finished with 25 saves, while Wolf countered with 20 saves. 

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The issue, Mike Sullivan said in the aftermath, was one that kept popping up all season. The Rangers needed to change lines on the team’s terms — not on the individual players’ terms. Long changes have burned them before and morphed into an ongoing conversation, and after points in eight of nine games following the Olympic break and a four-game winning streak, it served as a glaring reminder Monday that the Rangers were back. 

As the Kings carried the puck into their zone less than five minutes into the second period, the Blueshirts had only three skaters back. When Adam Edstrom wiped out along the boards, that became two. The Kings had five. And when Igor Shesterkin allowed a rebound after Los Angeles’ initial shot, Mikey Anderson stood unmarked by the far post to deposit the rebound into the net and give the Kings a two-goal lead in the Rangers’ eventual 4-1 loss Monday at the Garden, where the return of Artemi Panarin following his trade last month was just about all that Blueshirts fans had to cheer for. 

It was part of a second period that Adam Fox called “some of the worst hockey, I think, of our season.” The Rangers were outshot 16-3. Booing from fans followed the frame. And if the last three weeks served as the Rangers teasing that they might’ve somehow, finally, in the most too-little-too-late way possible, turned a corner, this loss — encapsulated by the second period — served as a reality check. 

“We have two guys go to the bench and change in the middle of the neutral zone and we don’t have the puck,” Sullivan said. “I feel like that’s a conversation that we’ve had all year, and we’re still learning a hard lesson.” 

It was fitting, in a way, that all this unfolded with Panarin back on Broadway for the first time since becoming the major domino to fall after The Letter 2.0. Rangers fans cheered for him at the end of warmups, when, from near center ice, he flipped a puck into the Kings’ net and then the Rangers’ net and then veered toward the tunnel. They gave him an ovation again during the first timeout, when a tribute played on the scoreboard to welcome back the former franchise cornerstone who arrived as a marquee free agent in 2019 and then matched expectations for the next six-plus seasons. 

Panarin even picked up an assist on the first goal of the game when Drew Doughty’s shot from the point found its way through a cluster of traffic and past Shesterkin with 6:31 remaining in the first period. 

The Rangers had their chances, even if the shot attempts didn’t rack up and they failed to score three goals in a game for the first time this month. Gabe Perreault nearly ripped a shot past Darcy Kuemper in the opening frame. Jaroslav Chmelar made a strong move toward the net with his backhand and had open space, but he lifted it wide. 

Eventually, the Kings, suddenly in the middle of a playoff race in the Western Conference and fueled by their recent pickup, found a way to add to their lead. Anderson flipped the rebound past Shesterkin. Alex Laferriere whacked home another rebound just 11 seconds into a power play and 28 seconds after Anderson’s goal when Vincent Trocheck was called for high-sticking. 

“I think we could’ve done a better job just answering with a little bit of pushback to some of the adversity,” Sullivan said. 

Trocheck finally got the Rangers on the board 2:27 into the third when he tipped a Fox shot from the point on the power play that dribbled five-hole past Kuemper. Perreault, with just over eight minutes left, hit the post and crossbar on the same shot, nearly giving the Blueshirts a second goal. Urho Vaakanainen flung a puck toward the net that slowly slid untouched across the crease behind Kuemper, but the Rangers couldn’t convert. J.T. Miller felt they could’ve easily tied the game during that final frame. 

By that point, the Rangers had regressed to the mean of their season, returning to the form currently occupying the basement of the Eastern Conference. One goal wasn’t enough to save them. Too many of the mistakes that haunted them throughout the season had already reappeared. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

“The second kinda got away from us,” Miller said. “They outplayed us in the second period. Wasn’t our best. But I thought the response in the third was really good again. … The body of work’s been good lately. I don’t think tonight was a step back by any means.”

The Calgary Flames saw a strong start slip away Monday night, falling 5–2 to the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. A physical opening period and an early Calgary lead were erased by a dominant middle frame from Detroit, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

Physical Opening Sets the Tone

The first period featured plenty of intensity as both teams established a physical edge. Early in the frame, Flames prospect Hunter Brzustewicz was driven hard into the boards along the wall, prompting teammate Martin Pospisil to immediately respond. Pospisil dropped the gloves with Dominik Shine who was responsible for the hit, energizing the Flames bench and setting the tone for a chippy contest.

Calgary carried that momentum onto the scoreboard later in the period.

With the Flames pushing in the offensive zone, Matvei Gridin skated into the slot and showed patience with the puck. After a subtle fake to freeze the defence, Gridin slid a crisp pass across to a streaking Morgan Frost, who redirected the puck past John Gibson to give Calgary a 1–0 lead.

Red Wings Explode in the Second

The momentum swung quickly in the second period, and the Red Wings took full advantage.

Just 1:03 into the frame, Alex DeBrincat spotted Patrick Kane slipping behind the Calgary defence on a broken play. DeBrincat delivered the puck into Kane’s path, and the veteran forward smoothly controlled the pass between his legs before skating in alone and beating Dustin Wolf to tie the game 1–1.

Detroit grabbed the lead a few minutes later. After killing off a Calgary power play, the Red Wings transitioned quickly up ice. Lucas Raymond moved the puck to Albert Johansson, who delivered a one-touch backhand pass across the slot to Emmitt Finnie. Finnie tipped the puck past Wolf at 5:06, giving Detroit a 2–1 advantage.

The Red Wings kept pressing. At 6:37, Kane drove hard to the net and redirected a well-placed feed from DeBrincat past Wolf, extending Detroit’s lead to 3–1.

Coronato Responds for Calgary

The Flames pushed back shortly afterward.

At 7:23 of the period, Matt Coronato carried the puck up ice during an odd-man rush. Attempting to pass across the slot, the puck deflected off the skate of Moritz Seider and slid past Gibson, cutting the deficit to 3–2. The goal ended a 15-game drought for Coronato and gave Calgary a brief spark.

However, Detroit regained control late in the period.

With the Red Wings on the power play at 11:45, Seider drifted in from the blue line and waited for traffic to form in front of the net before unleashing a pinpoint wrist shot that found the top corner. The goal restored Detroit’s two-goal lead at 4–2 heading into the third.

Detroit Seals It Late

Calgary pushed in the final frame but couldn’t solve Gibson again. The Red Wings eventually put the game away with an empty-net goal from Shine in the closing minutes, securing the 5–2 victory.

Three Takeaways

1. Coronato Finally Breaks Through

Matt Coronato snapped his 15-game goalless stretch with his second-period marker. The winger has been consistently generating chances and staying active around the puck, and this time the effort was rewarded.

2. Second Period Collapse

The middle frame proved decisive. Detroit scored four times in the period, turning a 1–0 Calgary lead into a multi-goal deficit the Flames couldn’t recover from.

3. Young Defence Gets a Look

Flames fans got a glimpse of the future as Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz dressed in the same game. With Yan Kuznetsov out of the lineup, both young defenders saw time on the power-play units.

The Los Angeles Kings (28-24-15) end their five-game road trip with a bounce-back 4-1 win over the New York Rangers (28-31-8), snapping New York's four-game win streak, after suffering that disappointing loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. 

The opening period began with Drew Doughty snapping an impressive long-range shot through traffic to give LA the early 1-0 lead. The Kings once again played great defense to start, frustrating the Rangers on offense despite New York not drawing a penalty; they still struggled to score and generate shots on goal, holding the Rangers to just six. LA outshot the Rangers 8-6 during the quiet offensive period. 

That's ✌️, baby!#GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/1VOjjjHT9X

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 17, 2026

The second period began with the Kings remaining hot, scoring two goals in a span of 28 seconds in the first four minutes of the second period to hold a commanding 3-0 lead. It all began with Mikey Anderson putting in the rebound after Alex Laferriere was fed by Quinton Byfield in the slot. LA took advantage and cleaned up the shot on the 4-on-2 rush. 

A few seconds later, the Rangers got called on their first power play of the game, and this time Alex Laferriere was able to get the shot up himself and put it through the net to give Los Angeles a 3-0 lead. 

LAK Goal - Jersey Kid, New York Goal.

Laferriere scores early on the power play to put the Kings ahead by three. Byfield with his second helper of the night. 3-0 Kings.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 17, 2026

Artemi Panarin also returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time since being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. The fans gave him a standing ovation, a much-deserved honor for the four-time All-Star. 

Panarin finished the game with one assist and one point, while Alex Laferriere finished with one goal, one assist, and two points. Los Angeles also got help from their defenseman Mikey Anderson, who scored one goal, one assist, and two points, while Quinton Byfield had a nice night spreading the wealth with two assists and two points. 

The dominance began in the second period, with the Kings outshooting the Rangers 16-3, once again putting in that defensive effort under D.J. Smith as interim head coach. 

The second period would end with the Kings leading 3-0, in the perfect position to win this game. 

New York did score on a power play goal to cut the deficit to 3-1 two minutes into the final frame, but couldn't generate goals. Despite outshooting the Kings by a big margin, 13-2, the Rangers had one chance to score and cut the deficit to 1, but hit the crossbar and never got back in the game.

With under two minutes remaining in the final period, the Kings sealed the deal with Trevor Moore capitalizing on the empty-netter to close out the Rangers 4-1 in MSG.

Trevor Moore picks the empty net.

The @LAKings will get the two points at MSG and head home with a 3-1-1 record on their five-game trip.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 17, 2026

Overall, it was a great bounce-back win for the Kings in a must-win situation after dropping to sixth over the weekend. Los Angeles is now tied with Seattle for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

LA ends their five-game road trip with a 3-1-1 record and stays in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Kings will return to Crypto.com Arena on Thursday to host the Philadelphia Flyers at 7:30 PM PT. 

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DENVER — It was a rough night at the office. 

Pittsburgh Penguins received a statement performance from Evgeni Malkin in his return to the lineup, as the veteran tallied two goals and an assist in a commanding 7–2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Monday night.

Suiting up for the first time after serving a five-game suspension for slashing Rasmus Dahlin in a March 5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Malkin looked sharp from the opening shift and drove Pittsburgh’s offense throughout the night.

Erik Karlsson added a goal and two assists, while Bryan Rust, Elmer Söderblom, and Noel Acciari each recorded a goal and an assist. The Penguins (34-18-15) have now won two straight and improved to 2-1-1 through the first four games of their five-game road trip. In net, Artūrs Šilovs made 25 saves.

For Colorado, Nathan MacKinnon and Brent Burns scored, but the Avalanche (44-13-9) dropped their second straight and third in the last four.

It was a difficult night in goal. Scott Wedgewood was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in the opening 13 minutes. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 12 shots in relief, but Pittsburgh controlled the pace from start to finish.

Jared Bednar “That start is not on Wedgie at all.”

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) March 17, 2026

First Period

The opening frame was chaotic from the outset, filled with early penalties, odd-man rushes, and a quick momentum swing in Pittsburgh’s favor.

Just 48 seconds in, Malkin was whistled for tripping Devon Toews, giving Colorado an early power play that failed to generate anything.

Moments after exiting the box, Malkin made an immediate impact. Rust found him in stride, and he slipped a backhand past Wedgewood at 3:01 to open the scoring.

Colorado answered quickly. Off a clean breakout led by Cale Makar, Martin Nečas carried the puck into the zone before feeding MacKinnon, who wired a shot past Šilovs to tie the game 1–1.

The deadlock lasted just 15 seconds.

Brock Nelson was quick to come to the defense of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood in tonight's 7-2 loss:

"I'm sure people are saying goaltending with a number like that, but there's none of them that are on them. We have to be better in front."

Full postgame presser ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XrDehKMbP4

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 17, 2026

Karlsson launched a stretch pass to Anthony Mantha, who broke in alone and restored the lead with a backhand finish.

Colorado’s power play struggled to find rhythm, failing again after a cross-checking penalty to Ville Koivunen.

Midway through the period, Pittsburgh extended the lead. On a 2-on-1, Parker Wotherspoon fed Malkin, who snapped home his second of the night to make it 3–1.

That goal ended Wedgewood’s night, prompting head coach Jared Bednar to turn to Blackwood.

The change didn’t help.

On the first shot he faced, Söderblom buried a rebound off a shot from Connor Dewar to push the lead to 4–1.

Burns responded late in the period, blasting a point shot over Šilovs’ glove with 5:09 remaining to cut the deficit to 4–2.

Despite being outshot 17–7, Pittsburgh capitalized on its chances and carried a two-goal lead into intermission.

Second Period

Colorado had opportunities early but couldn’t solve its power-play issues.

Mantha was called for holding Josh Manson just 3:30 into the period, but the Avalanche came up empty again.

At 10:36, Karlsson fired a shot through traffic that beat Blackwood to make it 5–2. At that point, Pittsburgh had scored five goals on just 10 shots.

Brock Nelson was quick to say that the did not do enough to support their goaltenders. Said their checking game was not good enough and they gave Pittsburgh too many easy looks.

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) March 17, 2026

A tripping penalty to Šilovs—served by Egor Chinakhov—gave Colorado another chance, but the power play continued to sputter, dropping to 0-for-4.

Moments later, Pittsburgh got its own opportunity when Nic Roy was sent off for hooking Ryan Shea. Colorado killed that penalty but immediately took another for too many men, extending the Penguins’ advantage.

That sequence proved costly.

Rickard Rakell intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and fed Malkin, who quickly sent Rust in alone. He finished the breakaway to make it 6–2, capping a clinical stretch for Pittsburgh.

Third Period

The Avalanche showed some push early in the third, generating pressure and attacking the net.

Nazem Kadri led the charge with a strong zone entry and a spinning shot, but Šilovs turned it aside.

At 9:06, Pittsburgh added one more. Söderblom delivered a spinning pass that deflected off Acciari and into an open net, with Gavin Brindley and Nick Blankenburg unable to clear the puck.

Sam Malinski on tonight's game:

"Frustrating is probably the best word."

Sam Malinski | Full postgame presser ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/f19rc8SFRO

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 17, 2026

That made it 7–2 and effectively put the game out of reach.

Notables

Bednar said the injured players will be evaluated at the end of the week to see about their availability for the upcoming eight-day road trip. Those players include Gabriel Landeskog (Upper-Body), Artturi Lehkonen (Upper-Body), Ross Colton (Upper-Body), and Logan O'Connor (Upper-Body). 

Next Up

The Avalanche wrap up their homestand Wednesday against the Dallas Stars at 7:30 p.m. MT. The game will air on TNT, HBO Max, and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.

TORONTO — It’s been over three months since the Islanders were out of a playoff spot, allowing for the illusion of security.

This Islanders team is, plainly, much better than the last two that made the playoffs and which took until Games 81 and 82 to secure passage into the tournament, respectively, before bowing out quietly in the first round. Nevertheless, it may take this year’s outfit just as much time to clinch a spot.

As they flew north to start a three-game road trip with stops in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal on Monday, the Islanders were mired in a five-team race for four spots — two in the Metropolitan Division and both wild-card spots — with the Penguins, Blue Jackets, Bruins and Red Wings.

With 81 points, the Islanders were one spot below the Penguins, who started the day with just as many points before playing the Avalanche, but guaranteed to stay ahead even with a loss, as they have four more regulation wins. Columbus was two points back and out of a spot; the Bruins and Red Wings were both on 80 points and occupying the two wild-card spots. Montreal, it’s worth noting, could easily fall into this race as well; currently, the Canadiens are in third in the Atlantic Division, but just two points ahead of Boston and Detroit.

The most important teams for the Islanders to watch are the Penguins and Blue Jackets, as whoever finishes first of those three will have home-ice advantage in the first round. In that respect, the Islanders do have a schedule advantage.

Pittsburgh — which has been without the injured Sidney Crosby since the Olympic break, though he is on the Penguins’ current road trip and could return soon — has the hardest remaining strength of schedule out of any team in the league. The Blue Jackets have the third toughest and, just for good measure, the Bruins are in between them.

It’s not all good news though. The Islanders are right behind that trio with a .595 remaining strength of schedule.

The Red Wings, at .575, have by far the easiest strength of schedule out of the quintet, but they’re also dealing with the toughest injury situation. Their top two centers, captain Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, both got hurt right after the trade deadline and were expected to miss at least two weeks.

Remaining strength of schedule, though, does omit a key bit of context: once they get back from Canada, the Islanders have just two road games in their last 12 to close out the season. So, yes, they’ll face some tough opposition, but given the frantic pace of their travel schedule since January, the Isles are probably OK with the trade-off. Their remaining games against the Blue Jackets (March 22) and Penguins (March 30) are also both at UBS.

Even going into this road trip, the Islanders had the most remaining home games left in the league, a considerable advantage, if they can just get through their last few road games unscathed.

If the Islanders do close out strong and make the playoffs, the ideal scenario is anything that gets them home ice in the first round. Beyond that, the Blue Jackets might be the opponent they’d most like to face, though there’s certainly no such thing as an easy matchup.

Pittsburgh has played the Islanders tough in two games they’ve split, plus Crosby would be an intimidating first-round opponent, especially with the potential of this being Evgeni Malkin’s last season. Carolina beat the Islanders in 2019, 2023 and 2024 — there’s no way the Islanders want any part of the ’Canes and a raucous Lenovo Center in another first-round series.

Buffalo doesn’t have any playoff experience, a plus for any potential opponent, but the Sabres are red-hot and being on the Atlantic side of the bracket, with Tampa or Montreal looming in the second round, isn’t exactly ideal.

The Isles are 2-1 against Columbus through three games and it’s been six years since the Blue Jackets have been in the playoffs. That wouldn’t be an easy series either, but it’s one the Isles could reasonably expect to get through.

First, though, they have to actually make it.