It appears that the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin’s party are once again going to be discussing a contract extension — something that recently seemed like it might not happen until the end of the season.

Following Sunday’s 5-0 win vs. the Vegas Golden Knights, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was on TNT’s NHL Postgame and said that Malkin and the organization are set to “talk this week.”

“They talked last week, they’re supposed to talk again this week,” Friedman said. “Malkin had some frustration yesterday after their game that things weren’t more secure for next year, but they’re supposed to talk again next week.”

After Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers, Malkin spoke at length about his status and not having a contract for next year. As it stands, Malkin is set to become a free agent in July if a contract extension isn’t reached.

“We talked a little bit with JP a couple days ago and he just say like, wait to end of season and see what’s going on,” Malkin said. “Nothing we can say right now. It’s not my job to talk to Kyle or somebody. I just play my game and just wait. Sid has injury, I want to help the team win, of course. Like no crazy news. I’m just waiting. And I think my agent tell me, like, wait to end of season.”

Shortly after Malkin spoke, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported that before he left the locker room, Malkin said a chat might still take place next week, specifically mentioning Monday.

“It’s clear that no negotiations have taken place yet, that the bigger decision is whether he’s invited back,” Yohe said. “I doubt the money would be hard to figure out.”

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

The losing streak is snapped: Goals from Timo Meier, Dougie Hamilton and Nico Hischier helped to push the Devils to a 3-1 win over the Blues on Saturday. [Devils NHL]

Luke is back:

Just a few hours after the Blues game, Jack appeared on Saturday Night Live:

A bit more here on the logistics of getting Jack from St. Louis to New York in short order: “After cruising at 49,000 feet and cramming for the ‘SNL’ appearance by reading the script, Hughes landed in Teterboro, N.J., at 10:01 p.m. He jumped on a helicopter at Teterboro and flew to W30th Pier from 10:08 p.m. to 10:18 p.m. There, a car was waiting to hustle the traveling party to 30 Rock, where they arrived at the ‘SNL’ loading docks at 10:32 p.m — 58 minutes before the show’s cold open. So, in all, it took Hughes 2 hours and 59 minutes from game’s end in St. Louis to get to his final destination.” [The Athletic ($)]

Can anyone help me understand if this is good:

“We’re less than a week away from the NHL trade deadline, a time of year that most anticipated the New Jersey Devils to be buyers at. However, given the scope of the season – the Devils are nearly cemented as a non-playoff team – it’s likely that New Jersey will be selling. Let’s talk about some names that could be shipped out ahead of the trade deadline:” [Infernal Access ($)]

Hockey Links

The Kings have fired Jim Hiller:

“Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin is being ruled out for the rest of the NHL regular season and postseason, which will allow the team to use all of his $9.85 million in salary cap space before next Friday’s trade deadline, an NHL source confirmed on Friday.” [ESPN]

“Florida is sitting eight points back of the cutoff line right now, which will force it to make some tough decisions leading up to the trade deadline. If the Panthers were to get in, they would certainly still be threatening, especially if Barkov returns, but to spend assets at the deadline in a season that may be too far gone doesn’t make a lot of sense. Instead, the Panthers could use this as an opportunity to reload for what will no doubt be a much more competitive and healthier team next year.” [Sportsnet]

A wild moment in Saturday’s UConn-UMass game:

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins wrapped up another back-to-back set on Sunday, returning home to host the Vegas Golden Knights. The day before, they let the game get away from them in New York, escaping with a loser point, but the team, led by Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, and others, shutout Vegas to earn two big points. [Recap]

The big off-ice news over the weekend centers around Evgeni Malkin and his seemingly never-ending quest to get a contract extension with the only team he has ever played with. Malkin made it known that his agent, J.P. Barry, will discuss a potential contract extension with the team following the season. [Trib Live]

News and updates from around the NHL…

The Los Angeles Kings fired coach Jim Hiller on Sunday after losing five of their past six games and falling out of playoff position. [Associated Press via TSN]

The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Alec Regula on waivers. [TSN]

Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson was benched late in the team’s 5-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, with head coach Adam Foote saying the forward “has to be better.” [Sportsnet]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on life support, and the plug may soon be pulled on this season. Captain Auston Matthews called his team’s 5-2 weekend loss to the Ottawa Senators “embarrassing,” after a tough stretch has left their playoff hopes quickly fading. [Sportsnet]

Chicago Blackhawks (23-28-9, in the Central Division) vs. Winnipeg Jets (23-26-10, in the Central Division)

Winnipeg, Manitoba; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Winnipeg Jets after Teuvo Teravainen's two-goal game against the Utah Mammoth in the Blackhawks' 4-0 win.

Winnipeg is 6-7-3 against the Central Division and 23-26-10 overall. The Jets have given up 182 goals while scoring 167 for a -15 scoring differential.

Chicago is 23-28-9 overall with an 8-6-2 record against the Central Division. The Blackhawks have a 6-7-4 record in one-goal games.

The matchup Tuesday is the third meeting between these teams this season. The Blackhawks won 2-0 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Scheifele has scored 27 goals with 43 assists for the Jets. Adam Lowry has five assists over the past 10 games.

Tyler Bertuzzi has 26 goals and 19 assists for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has five goals and two assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jets: 3-3-4, averaging 2.1 goals, four assists, 2.7 penalties and 5.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Blackhawks: 2-6-2, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.6 assists, 2.7 penalties and 5.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Jets: None listed.

Blackhawks: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

After three Penguins failed to score on Igor Shesterkin during the shootout in the Rangers victory Saturday, the star Russian netminder’s .738 save percentage in the skills competition is the best in franchise history.

Stopping 62 of the 84 shootout attempts he’s faced in his seven-year NHL career, Shesterkin is No. 5 in the league since making his debut during the 2019-20 season.

He trails only Juuse Saros (.806), Elvis Merzlikins (.747), Jordan Binnington (.705) and Jake Oettinger (.739).

“It’s comforting, I’m not gonna lie,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of having Shesterkin in net for a shootout. “I think he’s the best goalie in the game. Just this compete level. He’s an elite player, and so it’s comforting to have him between the pipes, whether it be in the shootout or anytime, for that matter. He has the ability to change the outcome of a game.”

Saturday was Shesterkin’s second game back in goal after a 13-game absence due to a lower-body injury.

He has stopped 52 of 57 shots since returning to the crease, bringing his season save percentage to .913.

These are also Shesterkin’s first days around the Rangers without Artemi Panarin, who has been his teammate in New York since his first recall in January 2020.

“He’s one of the best players in the league,” Shesterkin said of his compatriot. “Of course, it’s pretty tough for us to lose a player of that caliber. I hope he enjoys the trade. We wish him all the best.”

Asked how much Shesterkin is going to play over these final 23 games, Sullivan insinuated it would be decided in collaboration with the 30-year-old.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

“We’ll talk with Shesky, and we’ll manage it together,” the veteran coach said. “But, obviously, he feels really good right now. He feels strong. He worked hard in the return-to-play process that he went through. But as far as what his workload looks like moving forward, I don’t know that I can give you a definitive answer yet. He’s going to play, I can tell you that.”

The 76.9 faceoff win percentage the Rangers posted in Saturday’s win was the club’s highest in a game since the NHL began tracking draws in 1997-98.

It is tied for the 10th highest single-game percentage in the league, as well as the highest since the Oilers posted a 79.6 percent mark in March 2024.

The Rangers were off Sunday before facing the Blue Jackets on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Riding two emotional comeback victories since the return to NHL action after the Olympic break, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Calgary Flames on Sunday evening at Honda Center.

The Ducks were technically undefeated in the month of February, going 4-0-0, looking to extend their winning streak to five games, and hoping for their 12th win in their last 14 games.

Game #59: Ducks vs. Flames Gameday Preview (03/01/26)

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-4 OT Win over the Jets

The Flames were playing their second game of a back-to-back, as they lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

With Frank Vatrano (upper body), Ryan Strome (under the weather), Troy Terry (upper body), and Mikael Granlund (upper body) still out of the lineup, this is how the Ducks’ lined up in this one:

Kreider-Carlsson-Gauthier

Viel-McTavish-Sennecke

Killorn-Poehling-Harkins

Johnston-Washe-Moore

LaCombe-Trouba

Zellweger-Gudas

Mintyukov-Helleson

Lukas Dostal got the start in net for the 10th time in the Ducks’ last 11 games. He stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced in regulation and overtime. He was opposed by Devin Cooley, who saved 34 of 36.

Game Notes

Once again, as has been a theme since the NHL’s return, the Ducks allowed a myriad of chances early, mostly due to late reactions to open seams and soft ice in the defensive zone. Dostal kept the game close early, and the remaining 45-50 minutes were dictated by Anaheim. Calgary proved pesky, diligent, and tenacious. They’re a team that is likely better than their record indicates, but their finishing ability this season has cost them games and points in the standings.

At 5v5, the Ducks finished with an even 50% of the shot attempt share, 48.98% of the shots on goal share, and 49.69% of the expected goals share.

Lukas Dostal: As mentioned, Lukas Dostal didn’t steal this game for Anaheim, but he kept the score close in the first period when the game easily could have gotten out of hand. With a lot of east/west puck motion and counterattacks, Calgary opened seam after seam early in this game, but Dostal was there to answer, making himself as big as possible in tight and making difficult saves look easy.

The standout aspects of his game when he’s performing like this are his puck tracking and anticipation skills. He can read plays through traffic and push out toward the shooter to eliminate any potential angles. The Ducks have also begun to utilize him in overtime as an extra defenseman and puck handler. When they run into trouble, especially at the offensive blueline, they’ll simply regroup 120 feet, reset, and get a change if needed.

Building Attacks: Calgary’s roster, four lines and three pairs deep, but especially the forwards, are one of the more disruptive teams without the puck in the NHL. They backcheck with good angles, read developing plays, and time their stick challenges perfectly at the lines to manufacture turnovers and attempt counters. They’re a coach’s dream, but just lack the finishing touch that would allow them to win games like this.

Chris Kreider: Kreider isn’t necessarily a play-driver or forechecking specialist, but similar to Alex Killorn and Ryan Strome, his knowledge of reading, absorbing, and manipulating pressure to open up lanes for teammates is an underrated quality. An entertaining aspect to the Ducks’ breakouts has been Kreider finding clever ways to slip passes to Leo Carlsson in full stride after receiving an outlet on the wall.

Power Play: The Ducks generated several quality looks on the power play. The coaching staff and personnel seemed to have found optimal spots for their most talented players and have devised wrinkles with player and puck motion throughout the zone.

On the top unit, after entry, Carlsson is utilized as a rover from the bumper, supporting the puck until pressure is established. Sennecke has been popping out from the net front to the bottom of the circle and corner, then replaced by Kreider. Depending on how Sennecke moves after receiving, Carlsson either finds soft ice in the bumper if Sennecke moves high, or he presents himself as an option on the left flank as an out. These sequences running through Carlsson or Sennecke can open up lanes to LaCombe at the point, Kreider backdoor, or Gauthier at the far side flank.

The Ducks will look to extend their winning streak to six games with a tall task on Tuesday, when they’ll host the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche in the rubber match between these two Western Conference foes.

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-5 Win over the Oilers

Jackson LaCombe Discusses Olympic Experience, Winning Gold, Ensuing Events

Ducks’ Dostál, Gudas on Their 2026 Olympics Experience

The Calgary Flames battled but ultimately fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Anaheim Ducks Sunday night at the Honda Center.

It was a tightly contested matchup from start to finish, with Devin Cooley making 34 saves in regulation and overtime to earn his club a point. Morgan Frost and Yegor Sharangovich provided the offence for Calgary, but the Ducks edged ahead in the shootout to secure the extra point.

Fast Start in Anaheim

The opening period was played at a fast pace, with both teams generating quality chances. Shots were even at 14-14 after 20 minutes as Cooley and Lukas Dostal traded saves.

Calgary struck first at 9:41. Ryan Lomberg carried the puck over the blue line and found Joel Farabee driving the net. Farabee redirected the pass past Dostal for his 13th goal of the season, giving the Flames an early 1-0 advantage.

Ducks Respond, Flames Answer Back

Anaheim evened the score midway through the second period in unconventional fashion. Cutter Gauthier hacked at a loose puck three times in tight — Cooley turned aside each attempt — but a sharp-angle try from behind the net deflected off the goaltender, popped into the air and dropped behind him before bouncing in to tie the game 1-1 at 11:14.

The Flames responded on the power play late in the frame. After Frost dove to keep the puck in at the blue line, Kevin Bahl quickly moved it across to Sharangovich. The winger stepped into the high slot and snapped a wrist shot off the crossbar and in for his 12th of the year, restoring Calgary’s lead at 2-1 with 3:50 remaining in the second.

Anaheim drew even again in the third, capitalizing with the man-advantage. Crisp puck movement from Jackson Lacombe set up Gauthier for a one-timer that beat Cooley for his 28th goal of the season, tying the contest 2-2.

Both clubs had chances in 3-on-3 overtime, including a late Ducks power play in the final 20 seconds. The Flames’ penalty kill stood tall, highlighted by a glove save from Cooley at the buzzer to force a shootout.

Shootout Drama

Leo Carlsson opened the shootout by slipping a backhand past Cooley. Frost was denied by Dostal, while Beckett Sennecke was turned aside by Cooley on a between-the-legs attempt.

Nazem Kadri answered with a patient move, slowing up before beating Dostal blocker side to extend the contest. Mason McTavish restored Anaheim’s lead with a slow approach and five-hole finish. Matvei Gridin had a chance to prolong it for Calgary but rang his attempt off the post, sealing the Ducks’ 3-2 victory.

Three Takeaways

1. Penalty Kill Remains Reliable

Despite surrendering a third-period power-play goal, Calgary’s penalty kill continued to show its strength. Ranked seventh in the NHL at 82.5 percent entering the night, the PK killed four of five opportunities, including a crucial late overtime sequence.

2. Cooley Delivers Again

Cooley was sharp throughout, stopping 34 shots and giving his team every chance to win. Flames goaltending has been steady all season, carrying a combined .900 save percentage into the game — tied for fourth best in the league.

3. Bahl’s Grit on Display

Kevin Bahl left the game after taking a puck to the face but returned in the third period sporting stitches above his mouth. His assist on Sharangovich’s power-play goal and willingness to battle through adversity highlighted a resilient effort on the back end.

The road has not been kind to the St. Louis Blues this season. In fact, it's been so unkind, that they haven't been able to celebrate a win in 2026 as of yet.

Until now.

The Blues ended their 10-game road losing streak with a finely-crafted 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn. on Sunday.

Pavel Buchnevich scored the eventual game-winning goal with 3:39 remaining and had an assist, Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist in his first game since Jan. 10 and Logan Mailloux scored for the Blues (22-29-9), who last won a road game on Dec. 20, 2025, 6-2 against the Florida Panthers. Joel Hofer had himself another sharp performance with 22 saves for the Blues, who had lost four of five, including 3-1 at home against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday but have won two of three out of the Olympic break.

Let's look at Sunday's game observations:

* Robert Thomas -- Sunday's game was a prime example of why if you're the Blues' management, you don't even listen to all the trade noise surrounding your No. 1 center.

Thomas, who missed 13 games after having a right leg procedure and was away from the team since Wednesday for personal reasons, had his hands all over this game in a positive way for the Blues.

 You want to talk about a 200-foot goal, this is it when a puck is in the D-zone corner, Thomas gets in there, eventually wedges out a Wild skater and wins a puck, outlets to Brayden Schenn, who transitions out of the zone, but Thomas follows the play, gets it in stride through the neutral zone and into the O-zone, drops a pass to Mailloux and takes defenseman Quinn Hughes with him to give Mailloux enough of a lane to wire a shot past Filip Gustavsson with 1:55 left in the second period to tie the game 1-1:

LO-GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WXlrmoCoFP

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 1, 2026

It came not long after Kirill Kaprizov gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 16:09with a power-play goal that never should have been a power play when Jack Finley was wrongfully called for a high stick when it was Daemon Hunt's stick that caught Kaprizov with friendly fire. But it was a response goal that was really needed for a team playing the second of a back-to-back with travel against a rock solid side.

And when the Blues needed to put the game on ice, Thomas not only wins the face-off with the goalie pulled but deposits the puck into the empty net with 25 seconds remaining for the 3-1 win.

Thomas, who was on the ice for all three Blues goals and was a plus-3, had six shot attempts (three on goal) and won eight of 14 face-offs (57 percent) in 17:08 of ice time.

Listen, I understand anything can happen between now and Friday. Maybe Thomas and his camp go to Blues GM Doug Armstrong and ask out, maybe he doesn't. But in talking to him recently, this didn't sound like a player who was looking to move on when he was talking about going on a run to end the season.

Twenty-six-year-old No. 1 centers don't just pop in your lap. 

It's obvious that Thomas wasn't 100 percent all season. Maybe he won't be completely himself again until after a full off-season of working the kinks out of surgery and playing in rhythm again, but it's obvious that if you surround a player like this with the right pieces, whether it's a veteran or nurturing your young core (Jimmy Snuggrud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Justin Carbonneau(?), and so forth), you have a player here that impacts the game in so many different ways.

Now if you're Armstrong and someone comes to you with a ransom offer, of course you listen, and even consider it, but it would take that -- for me -- to even consider it.

Again, if you watched today's game, you know why this is a player you don't part away from, not unless you want to separate yourself from being relevant again for, say, 4-5 years down the road. A player under contract with five more years of term left? Hard pass on shedding that from my roster. But we'll see. 

* Logan Mailloux is coming into his own -- Remember the famous words of Hockey and Blues Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, who had quite the candid conversation with me regarding Mailloux earlier in the season when he said (among other things), "I don’t have a message to the people, it’s patience." 

That was in mid-October when Blues fans were ready to crucify the 22-year-old and call the trade with the Montreal Canadiens that sent fan-favorite Zack Bolduc to his home province.

In three games coming out of the Olympic break, Mailloux is a plus-4 and after playing a season-high 20:35 in the loss to the Devils, he followed it up with 20:32 on Sunday and was a plus-2 in the game. But it's the small details in his game that seem to really be coming along playing with Cam Fowler.

On Sunday, he was defending the front of the net again, breaking up plays, plays meant for the crease area and/or front of the net, and he seems to be shooting more pucks (I still think he can shoot it more) with three more shots on goal Sunday (nine the past three games) and by my count, six passes defended.

Colton Parayko (back spasms) missed his second straight game, and it's no coincidence that Mailloux had to be more of someone to grab a bigger role, including getting some shifts here of late on the penalty kill and he was used Saturday with an extra attacker role.

"Playing more minutes and stuff, I think me and Cam have started to play better together, whether it's the last 15-20 games like that. I feel like we've been progressing in the right direction. I just try to take it as it comes."

And when Blues coach Jim Montgomery said that Mailloux's last two practices before last Thursday's 5-1 win against the Seattle Kraken "were his best two practices of the year," and that players earn their ice time. We're seeing why Mailloux is earning more ice time of late.

* Buchnevich's offense finally breaking through -- Some of you may be saying, "Where has this best all year?" I get it. I'm one of them, and who would have thought that a move to the center ice position would finally unleash some of the veteran's offensive potential?

With a goal and an assist, it's a five-game point streak (five goals, three assists), goals in four of the past five games and 13 points (six goals, seven assists) the past 10 games.

It was the second game-winner of the season and 23rd of his career, but the goal that put the Blues ahead late in the third was a beauty that started with Snuggerud winning a puck off a wall battle, makes a nifty little backhand for Buchnevich to saunter into a shot that was pegged for the top left corner:

Buchy BOMB 💥 pic.twitter.com/aVeCYFSgNg

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 2, 2026

And of course late, Buchnevich is on the ice with Thomas and feeds him for the empty-netter.

Buchnevich, Jake Neighbours and Jordan Kyrou have been a constant line as of late for the Blues, with Buchnevich running the middle.

* Hofer save on former Blue -- The game was hanging in the balance, and Hofer, who already made one good save on Kaprizov breaking in on a play in the first period, made one of those 10-bell stops that was the difference between winning and losing when he gloved Vladimir Tarasenko from the slot with 31.7 seconds left in a 2-1 game:

More like Joel NOfer amirite? pic.twitter.com/rGNmgIUNUV

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 2, 2026

That's now back-to-back games for Hofer allowing just one goal in a game, including the 5-1 win against the Kraken on Thursday; he has stopped 45 of 47 shots with a .957 save percentage.

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The Islanders pulled off a third consecutive two-goal comeback win and this time they didn’t even need overtime, though Anders Lee’s winner was practically that, coming with 32 seconds left in regulation on a stunning individual play by the captain.

Oh, also: Matthew Schaefer had another two-goal game, ho-hum, to bring his rookie season goal total to 20 goals at age 18.

It was a wild, back-and-forth affair that saw the teams enter the third period tied 3-3 after the Isles erased a 0-2 deficit and then Bo Horvat erased a 3-2 lead with a terrible-angle shot on Sergei Bobrovsky late in the second period.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Schaefer scored to give the Isles a 4-3 lead midway through the first period, shooting through legs again but this time benefiting from a couple helpful deflections. To leave him this wide open with time to pick a spot at the top of the slot is both criminal and very welcome:

The Islanders weren’t too bad trying to see out the game with a one-goal lead, but they allowed far too much traffic to develop through the slot once the Panthers pulled Bobrovsky for a sixth attacker. Sam Reinhart tied it with 1:58 to go, and there were some close calls around David Rittich’s net after that to hint this game might not make it to overtime.

But the script flip came on the Islanders’ side, again, after they escaped some bad turnovers and consecutive icings. It started with a bouncing pass to the neutral zone from Tony DeAngelo. Lee not only handled the pass but batted the puck once out of the air as he cut across the neutral zone from left to right. Simon Holmstrom crossed with him, staying on side but mixing up the Panthers’ top D pair just enough to give Lee some daylight down the right wing.

His sweeping power move took Bobrovsky by surprise — or at least, the Panthers goalie sold out completely to face the backhand — and Lee was able to slam it home after carrying around the Panthers goalie and Aaron Ekblad. Gustav Forsling was just a foot short with his emergency reach.

Love Lee’s reaction, acting like it was nothing special, though he and the whole gang it was damned special indeed.

Up Next

That’s three consecutive wins and six points to kick off the post-Olympic period.

Those are kind of a big deal because now the Islanders head west for a pretty tough string that starts with back-to-back in southern California Wednesday and Thursday night before the trade deadline.

The Islanders’ stirring run of comebacks from two-goal deficits incredibly continued Sunday night against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

And this one mostly was about their budding superstar defenseman.

Just as they’d done in Montreal and Columbus earlier this week — albeit this time without the need for overtime — rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer and the surging Isles stormed back from a 2-0 hole again before posting their fifth straight victory bridging the Olympic break with a rousing 5-4 decision over the Panthers at UBS Arena.

Florida’s Sam Reinhart evened the score with just under two minutes to play, but Isles captain Anders Lee’s forehand move with 30.9 seconds left in regulation improved the Isles to 35-21-5 overall ahead of a West Coast trip beginning Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif.

“These are some big games,” said the 18-year-old Schaefer, who scored twice to become the first Isles defenseman of any age to reach 20 goals since Denis Potvin in 1985-86. “A couple of big days, obviously, a couple of overtimes. … The last couple of games we’ve been down by a couple of goals and just fought back. It’s a team effort.”

Schaefer’s second goal of the night and 20th already of his first professional campaign with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation snapped a 3-3 tie.

After the Isles forced a turnover in the Florida zone, Ondrej Palat found Schaefer, who whistled a wrister off a Panthers player and between the legs of veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to spark loud chants of the rookie’s name multiple times.

“I have to stay dialed in, but when I hear that from the crowd, it gets me super fired up,” Schaefer said. “It’s so fun. I want to hear that every night.”

Sandis Vilmanis and Sam Bennett had staked the Panthers to a 2-0 advantage against Isles backup goalie David Rittich before the 15-minute mark of the opening session.

Schaefer, who also broke Phil Housley’s league mark Thursday in Montreal for goals by an 18-year-old blueliner, fired in a pinball goal with a slapper from the right circle that hit a Florida defenseman, then the crossbar and then the back of Bobrovsky before settling across the goal line for a 2-1 game with less than two minutes left before intermission.

”I don’t know how many times I’ve said the word ‘impressive,’ ” Isles coach Patrick Roy said of Schaefer. “But he’s doing things that are very special out there.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

Before the game, two-time Cup-winning coach Paul Maurice added himself to the growing list of admirers of the dynamic rookie, who now stands just three goals behind Rangers legend Brian Leetch’s 23 for the all-time NHL mark for rookie defenders.

“It’s just awesome,” the Panthers’ bench boss said. “When they’re 18, and they can do that — like pure 18 and step in the league and be an impact player at that age — he’s just going to get better and better and better. But he’s not afraid to shoot the puck, not afraid to get up the ice.

“He’s smart, like, not all offense regardless of the situation. He’s got a really good balance, like, he’s played in the league for a whole bunch of years. He knows when to go and when not to go. So the Islanders got a cornerstone for their franchise for probably 20 years.”

Carson Soucy buried the equalizer with a 4-on-4 goal barely seven minutes into the middle period after Schaefer’s interference penalty had negated an Isles power play.

It was Soucy’s second in nine games with the Isles since a late-January trade from the Rangers and his fifth overall this season.

Bennett buried his second of the game with a backhander off the rush around the 12-minute mark of the second, but Bo Horvat made it a 3-3 game with a hard-angle shot from the left wall past Bobrovsky with just under three minutes to play before intermission.

“I hope it’s not something we do every night,” Roy said of the comeback run. “But I love the fact we don’t change our game and stay focused and do what we have to do.”

The Florida Panthers opened a critical four-game road trip on Sunday night as they continue to fight for a playoff spot.

A strong start by the Cats would not be enough as the host New York Islanders picked up their third straight win in which they were down by multiple goals, taking down Florida 5-4 at UBS Arena.

The Panthers didn’t waste any time in getting their road trip off on the right foot.

After getting a friendly bounce on a clear by Sergei Bobrovsky, A.J. Greer found a streaking Sandis Vilmanis heading into the Islanders’ zone.

Vilmanis sent a backhand toward the net that found its way past David Rittich at the 3:44 mark, giving the Cats a 1-0 lead.

The first power play of the game came late in the opening period, when Ryan Pulock was called for hooking Matthew Tkachuk.

Directly off the ensuing faceoff, Sam Bennett played a quick pitch and catch with Aaron Ekblad, getting the puck back, walking into the left circle and wiring a wrist shot past the glove or Rittich.

Islanders’ rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer picked up his 19th goal when a long shot went of a pair of Panthers’ skates, the goal post and the back of Bobrovsky before bouncing into the net with just under two minutes left in the period.

Carson Soucy completed the two-goal comeback for the Islanders 7:28 into the second period, snapping a loose puck over Bobrovsky’s glove while the teams were skating four-on-four.

About five minutes later, Matthew Tkachuk picked up a loose pick along the boards in the defensive zone and sent a backhand across the ice and to Bennett, who was heading toward Rittich with speed.

Bennett sent a backhand against the grain that handcuffed Rittich and put Florida back in front with 7:56 to go in the middle frame.

A goal by Bo Horvat another five minutes after that sent the game into the third period knotted at three, and a second goal by Schaefer that, like the first one, deflected off a Panthers play before skipping past Bobrovsky, gave the Islanders their first lead of the night with 9:31 to go.

From that point on, Florida put on a strong fight to even the score back up, and they would get rewarded for their efforts with Bobrovsky on the bench for a sixth attacker.

Sam Reinhart somehow found a way to get a wrist shot through from the point to the net, beating Rittich over the blocker with 1:58 to go, seemingly sending the game to overtime.

Anders Lee had other thoughts, driving with the puck around Aaron Ekblad and past Bobrovsky with a backhand forehand move that came with 30.9 on the clock.

At a time where Florida needs every point they can get, that’s pretty inexcusable.

On to New Jersey.

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Photo caption: Mar 1, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers during the first periodat UBS Arena. (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Michael Misa scored 1:40 into overtime, and the San Jose Sharks topped the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Sunday for their second straight win.

Misa scored for the second straight game when he drove down the slot before beating Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. It was the fourth goal of the season for the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s NHL draft.

Will Smith also scored for San Jose, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 shots. The Sharks had lost five in a row before Saturday’s 5-4 victory over Edmonton.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg, and Hellebuyck finished with 31 saves. The Jets lost for fourth time in five games.

PENGUINS 5, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel and Justin Brazeau each had a goal and an assist, helping Pittsburgh beat Vegas.

Rickard Rakell and Egor Chinakhov also scored as Pittsburgh improved to 10-1-3 in its last 14 games. Erik Karlsson had two assists, and Arturs Silovs made 22 saves in his first shutout since opening night on Oct. 7 at the New York Rangers.

Vegas goaltender Adin Hill stopped 17 shots. The Golden Knights dropped to 4-7-2 in their last 13 games.

Vegas captain Mark Stone left late in the first period with an undisclosed injury. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang gave Stone a seemingly harmless shove to the left arm with his stick in the neutral zone, though it may have caught him in the gap between his elbow and shoulder pads. Stone grimaced in pain, went down to one knee and skated off.

BLUES 3, WILD 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Pavel Buchnevich scored late in the third period and St. Louis snapped a 10-game road losing streak by beating Minnesota.

Logan Mailloux and Alexey Toropchenko also scored for St. Louis, and Joel Hofer stopped 22 shots.

Kirill Kaprizov scored to tie Marian Gaborik for the most goals in Wild franchise history with 218. Filip Gustavsson made 21 saves, but Minnesota lost its second straight after six straight wins. The Wild lost 5-2 Friday in Utah.

It was the first time in 42 games this season that Minnesota lost when allowing three or fewer goals in regulation.

With the game tied at 1, Buchnevich scored with 3:39 remaining. He took a backhand pass from Jimmy Snuggerud and beat Gustavsson with a wrist shot from near the right dot, extending his scoring streak to five games.

BLACKHAWKS 4, MAMMOTH 0

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Teuvo Teravainen scored twice, Arvid Soderblom made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout and Chicago beat Utah to end a three-game losing streak.

Nick Foligo, and Landon Slaggert also scored to help the Blackhawks win for just their second win in 10 games. Chicago had allowed at least three goals in eight straight games.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 24 shots for Utah. The Mammoth were shut out for the first time at home this season and the fifth time overall.

Teravainen opened the scoring on a power play with 55 seconds left in the first period. He controlled the puck off a blocked shot and snapped it around Vejmelka’s side.

Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Boris Katchouk is on the move again.

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have acquired Katchouk from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Roman Schmidt. 

Katchouk started this season with the Tampa Bay Lightning after signing with them during this past off-season. Katchouk was then traded to the Wild back in late December in exchange for Michael Milne. Now, after spending a little over two months with the Wild organization, Katchouk is heading to Philly. 

Katchouk has primarily played in the AHL this season, where he has recorded five goals, eight assists, and 13 points in 29 games split between the Syracuse Crunch and Iowa Wild. He also played in three games for the Lightning this season before being traded to Minnesota, where he was held off the scoresheet. 

In 117 games over three seasons with the Blackhawks from 2021-22 to 2023-24, Katchouk recorded 11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points, and 176 hits. He was acquired by the Blackhawks ahead of the 2022 NHL trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Brandon Hagel to the Lightning. 

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For the first time in a decade, the Detroit Red Wings have positioned themselves as buyers rather than sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline, which is just five days away (Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET).

Although Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is known for keeping his cards close to the vest, the club has been linked to several high-profile names, most notably Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks and Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues.

It's because of the recent trade history between the Red Wings and the Blues that a deal involving Thomas could make sense in the eyes of noted NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman. 

"I do think the conversations around him have intensified in the last few days," Friedman said on Sunday afternoon during a guest appearance on the NHL on TNT. "I think the Red Wings have been around there, and St Louis and Detroit have done deals before." 

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Earlier this week, Friedman indicated that Thomas being traded from the Blues could happen before Friday afternoon's deadline.

“I think it actually could potentially happen (before Friday’s deadline), and I have to say, I’m a bit surprised about that,” Friedman said. “I think it’s heated up around him a bit.”

In fact, Thomas isn't the only Blues player that the Red Wings could have eyes for. Because they are reportedly in the market for another right-handed defenseman, Justin Faulk fits that bill. 

The veteran blue liner, who has already tallied 11 goals with 32 points so far this season, is under contract through the end of next season and carries a $6.5 million cap hit. 

Meanwhile, Thomas is signed through 2031 and has an $8.125 million cap hit. In order to facilitate a trade for either player, the Red Wings would likely request that the Blues retain a portion of their cap hits. 

In recent years, Yzerman has made multiple deals with the Blues, not the least of which was the 2022 acquisition of defenseman Jake Walman, forward Oskar Sundqvist, and a 2023 second-round pick in return for Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski.

Detroit's 2019 acquisition of Robby Fabbri in exchange for checking forward Jacob de la Rose became one of their more underrated moves, as Fabbri was a regular contributor when healthy. 

Additionally, Yzerman acquired goaltender Ville Husso from the Blues later that summer in return for the 73rd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. 

Armed with multiple prospects, draft capital, and ample salary-cap space, Detroit has the necessary pieces to put together a trade package for one of Thomas or Pettersson. 

Given his Stanley Cup-winning experience and his knack to produce timely offense, the Red Wings will not be alone when it comes to bidding for his services. 

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Recently, The Hockey News Montreal Canadiens looked at a few potential targets for the Habs from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Now, in this latest edition of the Canadiens trade targets series, let's take a look at the Winnipeg Jets. 

Logan Stanley

If the Canadiens want to add another potential option for their bottom pairing, Jets defenseman Logan Stanley could be worth pursuing. The 6-foot-7, 231-pound blueliner would not only provide the Canadiens with another tough defenseman, but would also give them more offense from the point. His stats this season show this, as he has set career highs with nine goals, 11 assists, and 20 points in 57 games.

Stanley's contract also adds to his appeal, as he has an affordable $1.25 million cap hit for the remainder of the season. With this, he would be a valuable player for the Canadiens to add to their defensive depth. 

Luke Schenn 

Luke Schenn could be another defenseman for the Canadiens to consider if they want to improve their depth on the right side. If they added Schenn, he would give them another option to work with for their bottom pairing or seventh defenseman role. Furthermore, he would give them a good mentor for their younger players and a defenseman who has won the Stanley Cup twice. 

In 44 games this season with Winnipeg, Schenn has recorded one goal, seven points, and 137 hits.