NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 23: New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer (91) and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) share a laugh in warm ups before a game between the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils on March 23, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Matchup The New Jersey Devils (41-36-3) versus the Ottawa Senators (43-27-10)
The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN2; Radio — Devils Hockey Network
The End
Happy final Sunday of the 2025-26 New Jersey Devils season. This is our final home game until September, and the Devils are giving us a real treat to mark the end of this season: the last use of the “Jersey Jersey” designed like a crossover of a Los Angeles Kings jersey with a linesman uniform.
I am glad to see the Jersey Jersey go away. Maybe it’s just associating the Devils with an uptick in losing since their record-setting 52-win season, and maybe it’s the goaltender the team traded for and signed to a bad extension saying he cannot see the puck through the jersey pants. But I enjoy seeing the Devils wear red at home, or at least white throwbacks, or green. The idea of a black alternate was always intriguing, but the execution here was poor. If this is the last time I see it on the ice, I would be pretty happy.
Nico Daws to Start, Topias Vilen to Play
While the Devils called up two more from the Utica Comets to play at the end of the season, neither were on the ice yesterday. Jake Allen played a very solid game in net, to his credit, while Dennis Cholowski continued to play on a pairing with Johnny Kovacevic. Tim recapped that game for us, and while Cholowski actually did his job pretty well (a rarity since his first NHL appearance of the season against the Kings), it should be his last game in a Devils uniform.
Topias Vilen will make his NHL debut on Sunday, and play again in Boston.
He will take warmups tomorrow but won’t play. #NJDevils
Nico Daws, meanwhile, should be getting the second half of this back-to-back. Since being relegated to the AHL for the most part at the start of the 2024-25 season, Daws has a .945 save percentage and 1.49 goals against average in seven NHL games. That’s pretty good! I would think that, if he was so out of his depth in the NHL, he would be sitting a bit lower than a .945 save percentage over scattered use. Jumping from the AHL to the NHL is not easy with the differences in speed and the quality of shooters, but the AHL has its own problems for goaltenders with the proliferation of grinders and poorer defense.
I am excited to see Daws share the ice with Vilen, and I hope they give the 23-year old defenseman a good pairing to work on. As Tim mentioned last night, the Dillon-Nemec pairing has been a really tough watch. He wrote:
Dillon and Nemec are one of the worst positional D pairs I have ever seen. Both routinely over commit at both blue lines and get burned for odd mans the other way. I am going to write about personnel for next season, and I think I’ve had enough of both of them. I realize Dillon is a great dude and has an element we lack, but if you’re going to be a “defensive defenseman” than maybe do it. It’s like the are actively trying to sabotage each other.
I have thought about this as well. I think the Dillon-Hamilton pairing worked so well last season because it was effectively chaotic. If an opponent skater did not keep their head up, Brenden Dillon might blow them up at center ice. But go the other way, and they had 6’7” Dougie Hamilton in their business. Those two were made for quick strikes back at the other team, with Dougie’s slap shot and Dillon’s eagerness to rush up the ice. But Simon Nemec is not Dougie Hamilton. He does not use a 6’7” frame to seal off the wall and reach out to disturb puck carriers. He’s smaller, slower, and plays more like a rover. He totally lacks physicality away from the net, too, so pairing him with a defensive guy like Dillon who plays his best defense by jumping the play before it happens is a recipe for disaster more often than not.
Tonight, I think a Vilen-Nemec second pairing and a Dillon-Kovacevic third pairing would be a smart choice. The Devils have nothing to gain in the standings by winning, so holding the veterans up for more ice time is unnecessary. I would much rather see what Vilen and Nemec can do against guys like Brady Tkachuk than I want to see Vilen play 10 minutes against Lars Eller and Nick Cousins. In the AHL, Vilen has arguably been Utica’s steadiest defenseman since Kevin Bahl graduated to the NHL, and he has done so while being a decent point producer. He might have shown more promise at a younger age in that area, but he has not fallen to pure shutdown levels of offense.
Different Bottom Six Look, Please
While this does not really matter, I am really not seeing what there is to be gained out of giving Marc McLaughlin and Brian Halonen more looks with Paul Cotter. I do not think that line has really worked much at all, and I would rather see Maxim Tsyplakov in the lineup so he can get an actual chance on the third line with Cody Glass and Lenni Hameenaho. Nick Bjugstad is still a good enough player to have in the bottom six, but I would rather see Tsyplakov-Glass-Hameenaho and Cotter-Bjugstad-Halonen/McLaughlin than the paradigm Keefe has been running with lately.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? Will you be watching? What do you think of Vilen and Daws? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
The Montreal Canadiens are right back in action on Sunday, April 12, as they head south of the border to face the New York Islanders. The Isles are hanging onto playoff hopes by a thread, while the Canadiens are fighting for the Atlantic Division crown along with home ice advantage.
My Canadiens vs. Islanders predictions and NHL picks suggest fans may be treated to a high-scoring thriller in Long Island, with some of the Habs' usual suspects eager to right the ship after a tough loss at home last night.
Canadiens vs Islanders prediction
Canadiens vs Islanders best bet: Juraj Slafkovsky o0.5 Assists (+110)
Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky has emerged as one of the game's premier power forwards. The young Slovak has 10 assists in his last 12 games and 13 in his last 16. He has four helpers across an active three-game streak.
This matchup is right up Slaf's alley, as he torched the Islanders with two goals and four points on March 21.
Canadiens vs Islanders same-game parlay
The Canadiens' blue line took a massive hit last night as Noah Dobson will likely miss extended time with an injury.
Cue Lane Hutson, who already ranks second in the NHL in blocked shots since the last time these teams played, as he'll be expected to step up in Dobson's absence.
The sophomore blueliner has blocked 25 shots in his last 11 games.
Although the Isles rank 24th in goals scored, they've actually hit the Over in five of their last seven. Furthermore, these teams have hit the Over in three straight and in eight of their last 10 meetings.
The Over has hit in three straight meetings, and in eight of the last 10. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Islanders.
How to watch Canadiens vs Islanders
Location
UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Puck drop
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN2
Canadiens vs Islanders latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive on Saturday with a 6-3 victory against an undermanned Pittsburgh team.
My Penguins vs. Capitals predictions see Washington sweeping the home-and-home and surviving at least one more day.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Sunday, April 12.
Penguins vs Capitals prediction
Penguins vs Capitals best bet: Capitals moneyline (-160)
Pittsburgh sat out a handful of key players on Saturday, and Washington took full advantage, earning a 6-3 victory while controlling 60% of the expected goals and 72% of the shots on target.
It’s possible the Penguins reinsert some of those players into the lineup Sunday, but I wouldn’t expect a different result.
The arrivals of Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas have made the Capitals a more dynamic team. They are also playing for their season, while the end result legitimately means nothing to the Penguins.
The extra motivation should pay dividends for the Capitals on Sunday.
Penguins vs Capitals same-game parlay
Aliaksei Protas was a force in the first leg of the back-to-back, generating a game-high five scoring chances — four of which were high-danger.
He found the back of the net and added an assist while posting strong 5-on-5 numbers alongside his younger brother and Tom Wilson. He’ll be relied upon heavily again in this contest.
Cole Hutson has hit the scoresheet in four of his last five games and has already established himself as the clear option quarterbacking PP1. No other defenseman got a shift on the man-advantage Saturday.
The Washington Capitals have hit the Moneyline in 10 of their last 13 games at home (+7.35 Units / 45% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Capitals.
How to watch Penguins vs Capitals
Location
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Puck drop
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT
Penguins vs Capitals latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The New York Islanders entered Saturday with a roughly 35-40% chance to make the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. New York sat in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
They trailed the Philadelphia Flyers by just one point for third in the Metropolitan Division and the Ottawa Senators by three points for the final wild-card spot.
24 hours later, the Islanders sit 12th in the conference, trail Philadelphia by three points, and the Senators have an "x" next to their name, signifying they're clinched for the playoffs.
The rough odds to make the playoffs sits below 5%.
Officially, the season's not over. But, it'd take a lot for the Islanders to break into the playoffs now.
Then, the Philadelphia Flyers would need to lose both of their games to the Canadiens and Hurricanes, with at least one loss coming in regulation, to pass them.
If both Columbus and Washington win on Sunday, the Islanders are eliminated from playoff contention no matter what happens.
This is because the Blue Jackets hold 92 points to the Islanders' 91, while the Capitals also have 91, but have clinched the regular-season tiebreaker over the Islanders.
Columbus and Washington square off on Tuesday night, and if both sides win on Sunday to move to 94 and 93 points respectively, the Islanders are mathematically eliminated, no matter what happens with Philadelphia or themselves.
One of the two is guaranteed two additional points, thus eliminating the Islanders.
So, to make the playoffs, the exact scenario is one of two paths:
1. The Islanders sweep the Canadiens and Hurricanes, one of which in regulation to clinch the tiebreaker against Columbus.
2. The Philadelphia Flyers gain no more than 1 total point from their remaining two games (Monday v CAR, Tuesday v MTL)
3. The Blue Jackets win against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, while the Capitals must lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in any fashion. Then, the Capitals must defeat the Blue Jackets in any fashion.
OR
3. The Capitals win against the Penguins in any fashion on Sunday, while the Blue Jackets lose in any fashion to the Bruins. Then, the Blue Jackets must defeat the Capitals in any fashion on Tuesday night.
The second clear path begins the same way.
1. The Islanders go 1-0-1 against the Canadiens and Hurricanes, picking up exactly three points in the standings.
2. The Philadelphia Flyers must gain zero total points (0-2-0) from their remaining two games (Monday v CAR, Tuesday v MTL).
3. The Blue Jackets AND Capitals lose on Sunday, with at least one of the two teams losing in regulation. Then, whoever loses in regulation on Sunday MUST win on Tuesday against the other.
To make that clearer, let's say Columbus loses to Boston on Sunday in regulation, while the Capitals lose in overtime to Pittsburgh. Then, Columbus must defeat the Capitals on Tuesday in any fashion.
OR
If the Capitals lose in regulation on Sunday, while the Blue Jackets lose in overtime/shootout, then the Capitals must beat Columbus in regulation Tuesday night for the Islanders to get in
OR
If the Capitals lose in regulation on Sunday while the Blue Jackets defeat the Boston Bruins in any fashion, then the Capitals must beat Columbus in regulation on Tuesday night for the Islanders to get in.
These are the only remaining paths for the Islanders into the playoffs. Mathematically, it's not impossible. But, as the odds will tell you, it's exceedingly unlikely.
After snapping a 4-game losing streak, the Vancouver Canucks look for consecutive wins on back-to-back nights as they visit the Anaheim Ducks tonight.
My Canucks vs. Ducks prediction and free NHL picks are targeting the total, with plenty of goals on the menu in Anaheim on Sunday, April 12.
Canucks vs Ducks prediction
Canucks vs Ducks best bet: Over 6.5 (-125)
Vancouver is hoping to string together consecutive wins for the first time since Dec 19 and 20.
Anaheim put the brakes on a 6-game slide, beating the Sharks 6-1, but this team is in danger of falling out of the Pacific Division’s Top 3.
If they do, the Ducks can look at their shaky 3.51 goals against, the 4th-worst mark in the NHL. They’ve allowed four or more goals in six of seven.
The Over has cashed in five of the last seven between these teams, and I expect that trend to continue on Sunday.
Canucks vs Ducks same-game parlay
Drew O’Connor hasn’t scored in eight straight games, but he’s in a prime position to tally, as he’s scored in all three previous games against the Ducks this season. The last time he scored was against Anaheim on March 24.
Jake DeBrusk notched his 20th goal of the year against the Sharks and registered eight shots on goal. He’s got a generous 2.5 shot line Sunday, considering he’s cruised by the total in each of the last two against the Ducks, totalling 10 shots on goal.
Canucks vs Ducks SGP
Over 6.5 goals
Drew O’Connor anytime goal
Jake DeBrusk Over 2.5 shots on goal
Canucks vs Ducks odds
Moneyline: Canucks +260 | Ducks -330
Puck Line: Canucks +1.5 (+115) | Ducks (-135)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5
Canucks vs Ducks trend
Vancouver has won eight of the last 10 against Anaheim. Find more NHL betting trends for Canucks vs. Ducks.
How to watch Canucks vs Ducks
Location
Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet Pacific
Canucks vs Ducks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Toronto Maple Leafs fell to the Florida Panthers 6-2 in a game that will be remembered by absolutely nobody, except perhaps for the players who made their NHL debut, such as Leafs defenseman William Villeneuve. With both teams firmly out of the playoffs, there was little to play for; the race for a better draft pick was the only thing on the minds of fans from both sides.
Crucial to Maple Leafs fans is finishing with a top-five draft pick. That is the only way the team can retain its selection at the 2026 NHL Draft, due to a trade that sent a conditional first-round pick and forward Fraser Minten to the Boston Bruins in exchange for veteran defenseman Brandon Carlo.
Thanks to this loss and the Seattle Kraken’s 4-1 defeat by the Calgary Flames, Toronto moved into the fifth-worst spot in the NHL. This puts them right on the “bubble” of where they need to be to retain the pick. The term “bubble” is appropriate because the NHL holds a lottery for the top two selections, meaning one or two teams could potentially bump the Leafs from No. 5 to either No. 6 or No. 7. Should that happen, the selection would revert to Boston.
Moving to the fifth spot tremendously improves Toronto’s chances of keeping their 2026 pick. When they entered the night with the sixth-worst record in the league, Toronto had only a 15.4 percent chance of finishing with a top-five pick following the NHL Draft lottery. By moving into the No. 5 spot on Saturday, that chance improved to 41.9 percent.
While there is still a better chance than not that they fall to either No. 6 or No. 7 given how lottery odds are distributed, this is a much better situation for the franchise. There remains a very slim chance Toronto could finish with the third-worst record in the NHL, which would fully guarantee they keep the pick.
NHL Standings courtesy of NHL.com
Reaching that spot would require some help. The New York Rangers are three points behind Toronto, with both teams having two games remaining. The Calgary Flames are five points back from the Leafs but have three games remaining. If the Flames earn five more points than Toronto in their final three games compared to Toronto’s final two, they could conceivably pass the Leafs. In that scenario, the Flames would hold the first tiebreaker (regulation wins).
If you are a Leafs fan wanting the team to keep its pick, you should be cheering for the Flames to defeat the Utah Mammoth on Sunday evening.
After an intense battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre on Saturday, and the visitors were desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
For a third game in a row, veteran Brendan Gallagher was watching the game from the press gallery, joined by sophomore Zach Bolduc for a second game in a row. As for Kaiden Guhle, he remained out of the lineup, meaning that Adam Engstrom, Arber Xhekaj, and Jayden Struble were all still in the lineup.
With their playoff lives on the line, the Blue Jackets came out strong and stormed the Canadiens’ zone early on. Less than two minutes in, they were up by one and had four shots on net. Five and a half minutes later, they were up by two and just looked like they wanted it more.
While one might think well, that’s normal since they haven’t booked their playoff spot, it’s a bit worrying. At this stage of the season, teams should be playing playoff-like hockey every day. Montreal did a good job of it against Tampa Bay, but on Saturday night, they looked like they weren’t ready.
A week from now, when the puck drops on the playoffs, every game is going to be a must-win game, and every team will be fighting for its life. Montreal needs to be ready for that right out of the gate, and those last three games against teams fighting for a playoff spot are a perfect rehearsal that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Missing Guhle
With Guhle missing a third game in a row, the fact that the Canadiens are missing him dearly had never been so obvious. Struble had many hard shifts and committed four giveaways through 40 minutes. One of them was particularly costly when he got rid of the puck in a hurry in the defensive zone, even though he was under no pressure to do so whatsoever. Still, he coughed it up to Kent Johnson, who fed it to Sean Monahan, who scored Columbus’ fourth goal in a flash, which was a gut punch for the Canadiens.
To make matters worse, Noah Dobson also left the game after blocking a shot with the inside of his hands, where there isn’t much padding… The Canadiens will hope that it’s not a serious injury with the playoffs right around the corner. Being without him to start the spring dance will be disastrous for the Habs, he plays a lot of minutes and a significant role for the team.
On The Bright Side Of Things…
Cole Caufield scored his 51st goal of the season from an almost impossible angle and, unsurprisingly, Nick Suzuki got an assist on the play, giving him his 99th point of the season. With two games left to play, the captain will have every opportunity to reach the historic milestone and become just the sixth player in Canadiens history to achieve the feat.
There was a worrying moment in the third frame when Zach Werenski checked him by the boards with the puck nowhere near him. The blueliner got a two-minute interference penalty, but the Russian rookie, who crashed into the boards face-first, had to leave the game momentarily. Thankfully, he was able to come back and looked no worse for wear, taking a couple of hard shots in the last few minutes. Still, the Jackets got a 5-2 win, and it was the first time since March 3 that Jakub Dobes allowed five goals or more.
The Canadiens will now take on the New York Islanders on Sunday at 6:00 PM and the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Both teams are in a race to the finish, battling for the last playoff spot in the East with the Jackets. Meanwhile, the Canadiens find themselves in third place in the Atlantic Division since the Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 to get to 104 points and have more regulation wins than the Habs.
The Philadelphia Flyers are leaving Winnipeg with a sweet 7-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets, and some guys are going to be able to enjoy the victory on a personal level, too.
With an assist on a shorthanded goal by Noah Cates, veteran Flyers forward Christian Dvorak, who has proven to be an excellent fit as a free agent signing back on July 1, has reached 300 career points.
Dvorak, 30, is already in the midst of a career year that's seen him rip off 51 points, and he only needs one more goal to set a new career-high there as well.
In his 10-year NHL career, the former second-round pick has 146 points in 302 games with the Arizona Coyotes, 103 points in 232 games with the Montreal Canadiens, and now 51 points in 79 games with the Flyers.
Cates, Dvorak's partner in crime, deserves a shoutout as well.
The 27-year-old expanded on his own career year with a three-point effort against the Jets and is now up to a rather impressive 18 goals and 46 points in 80 games this season, which far exceed expectations for the two-way maven.
At this point in the season, Flyers GM Danny Briere's offseason moves are looking more and more shrewd by the day.
Dvorak, alongside Dan Vladar and Trevor Zegras, have almost single-handedly led the Flyers' turnaround and subsequent charge to a playoff spot this year.
Head coach Rick Tocchet felt Dvorak had more offense to give heading into the season, and was he ever right about that one.
It shows Rogie Vachon, left hand tucked into a pocket of his bell-bottom jeans and a cigar wedged between two fingers of his right hand, which rests on the hood of a new Mercedes in an empty parking lot outside the Forum. His open V-neck shirt has huge lapels, his hair hangs down to his shoulders and a bushy mustache creases his smiling face, leaving Vachon looking more like the bassist for Spinal Tap than an NHL goaltender.
And that was the point.
Hockey was a bruising, inelegant sport played in the frozen tundra of Canada and the upper Midwest when Vachon was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Kings in the winter of 1971. The NHL had expanded to California four seasons earlier, yet even taken together the Kings and California Seals weren’t drawing enough fans to merit the word “crowd.”
“We were the punchline of a bad joke for a lot of years,” said Mike Murphy, who played with Vachon on those early Kings teams.
Rogie Vachon was the first player to have his jersey number retired by the Kings following his retirement. (Bruce Bennett Studios / Getty Images)
Hockey was wilting in the sun. If the sport was going to survive in the desert it needed stars, it needed personalities and it needed a cultural makeover — especially in Los Angeles, where the box-office draw was everything.
That’s where Vachon, a small-town farm boy from French-speaking Quebec, came in.
“It was really a culture shock,” he said. “In Montreal we won three [Stanley] Cups in four years. And then I come to L.A.; it’s sunny every time we go to practice or the game. Not a whole lot of people in the stands. Our team was pretty lousy too.
“So yeah it was a hell of a culture shock.”
Which brings up back to that 1975 photo, with the long-haired Vachon and his ferret-sized mustache looking fabulous in front of the Forum.
The clean shave and conservative haircut he had been forced to wear in Montreal were gone and Vachon was all Hollywood cool, as if Central Casting had created a West Coast hockey player — one with an unforgettable French-Canadian name full of soft vowels and voiced fricatives — and dressed him in a purple-and-gold No. 30 jersey.
And it worked.
“I think the fans really adopted me when I got there, probably because of my style,” said Vachon, who stretched out to 5-foot-8 if he stood on his tippy toes, but had a heart bigger than his body. “I was pretty quick. Small, but you know the style I was playing was very aggressive.
By the end of his third full season in L.A., Vachon had become Southern California’s first hockey star and the face of a franchise that badly needed one. He was not just a crowd favorite, NHL All-Star and the team’s first Vezina Trophy finalist, but he started the Kings on a streak that would see them qualify for the playoffs nine straight times, still a franchise record.
Not even Wayne Gretzky could match that.
“He was very popular,” said Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller, who began calling Kings games in Vachon’s second season in L.A. “He was very approachable. He was so dynamic and friendly. He made people want to come out and see games.”
Vachon, 80, did more than help the Kings survive, he helped them thrive. As a player he led the team to its first winning record, then returned to become the general manager who traded for Gretzky and drafted Hall of Famers Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake. He also had a winning record in three stints as an interim coach, making him the only man in franchise history to serve as a player, assistant coach, head coach and general manager.
Kings goaltender Rogie Vachon tries to avoid a collision with Chicago's Stan Mikita and the Kings' Dave Hutchison during a game in March 1977. (Fred Jewell / Associated Press)
In his last five seasons as the Kings’ goaltender, Vachon ranked in the top five in wins four times. In 1974-75, he led the NHL in save percentage (.927), had a career-best 2.24 goals-against average and finished 14 points behind Bobby Clarke in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the league’s MVP award.
In many ways it remains the best regular season in franchise history, with the team earning a record 105 points and a .656 winning percentage in an 80-game season. It lost just 17 times, also a team record for a full season.
By the time Vachon left after seven seasons, the Kings were a perennial playoff contender. The Seals, who never found their star, went through four name changes and three ownership groups before moving to Cleveland.
Did Vachon save hockey in Southern California, and by extension open the NHL to a wave of expansion that has seen the league grow to 32 teams, some in warm-weather markets such as Miami, Tampa, Dallas, Anaheim and Las Vegas?
Well, he certainly didn’t hurt it.
“If it weren’t for him, maybe the Kings wouldn’t exist,” said Robitaille, the team’s all-time leading goal-scorer and its president since 2017. “He was a superstar. He brought people in, kept the Kings alive.
“It’s a pretty amazing record when you think about it.”
During his playing days, Vachon’s home was the 46 square feet directly in front of his team’s goal. Today his home is an eight-acre ranch in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, about 45 miles south of Missoula.
“It’s nice and calm and we have mountains all over the place,” he said.
The nearest town, Hamilton, isn’t much bigger than the one where Vachon grew up in rural Quebec. Back then the farm he lived on had more than a dozen dairy cows, plus sheep, pigs and plow horses, since his family didn’t have a tractor. In retirement, he’s gone back to that childhood, mucking the stalls and helping care for a menagerie that includes two horses, 10 mini goats, two mini pigs, a pair of horses and a bunch of chickens and dogs and cats.
“The idea of coming out and getting a little bit of land and getting some animals, he liked that idea,” Vachon’s son, Nick, remembered. “But he said no cows. He might have been traumatized by the early mornings and milking twice a day.”
One of eight children — four boys and four girls — Vachon played his first hockey games at age 5 on a makeshift rink on the farm, and it wasn’t long before the neighborhood kids were taping department store catalogs to his legs for goalie pads and pushing him in front of the net — ostensibly for his safety since he was always the smallest kid on the ice.
He would never leave the crease, proving so comfortable there he was playing against grown men when he was just 12.
Montreal sent a regional scout named Scotty Bowman — who went on to become the winningest coach in NHL history — to scout him and he liked what he saw, so much so he convinced Vachon’s parents to let their teenage son sign with the Canadiens. Shortly after his 21st birthday, Vachon was in the NHL, making his debut without a mask and recording his first save on a breakaway by Hall of Famer Gordie Howe.
Montreal made the Stanley Cup Final in each of Vachon’s first three seasons, winning twice. But when he lost the starting job in goal to rookie Ken Dryden early in his sixth season, Vachon requested a trade and the Canadiens obliged, banishing him to L.A., then the NHL’s version of a warm-weather Siberia.
The Montana ranch where he lives now, surrounded by fir and pine trees, the shadows of the Bitterroots and silence, is the perfect retirement home, although it’s one Vachon found more by accident than design.
Vachon was still living by the beach in Southern California in 2016 when his wife, Nicole, whom he married less than a month after his trade to the Kings, died of brain cancer. Four years later, Vachon approached Nick, who was working as general manager of the L.A. Junior Kings/L.A. Lions, with the idea of uniting the family under one roof again.
Montreal goalie Rogie Vachon looks for the puck next to defenseman Serge Savard during a game against the St. Louis Blues in November 1969. (Fred Waters / Associated Press)
“I was living in a big house in Venice all by myself,” he said. “This sort of put into my mind that we should sell our houses in L.A. and move in together.”
So father and son rented a motor home, and along with Nick’s wife, Renee, and daughter Chloe, now 16, headed to Montana, where they found a home big enough for two horses, allowing Chloe, who grew up near the ocean in Redondo Beach, to train to become a barrel racer in the rodeo.
“We were definitely not horse people. Like what is a barrel racer? We had no idea,” said Nick Vachon, who followed his father into the NHL, playing one game with the New York Islanders — against the Kings — in 1996.
“She just loves animals. She’s kind of our resident vet. She helped deliver our baby goats and she does all the horse stuff.”
The elder Vachon hasn’t faced a puck in anger since his second and final season with the Boston Bruins in 1982. He says he’s just 15 pounds over his playing weight of 165 pounds, pretty fit for a guy limited by two knee replacements.
The once-famous dark mane has gone white and is neatly cropped and the bushy mustache is now just a brush of hair below his nose. But the cigars remain as do the memories, which are rekindled by the letters and autograph requests that still arrive regularly in the mailbox.
His Hall of Fame jacket, which Vachon says he hasn’t won since his induction a decade ago, sits on a hanger in a closet and just a few framed jerseys and photos hang on the walls of his five-bedroom farmhouse.
“He’s got some stuff,” Nick Vachon said. “But he’s pretty humble. He doesn’t like to put up too much.”
Vachon became one of the NHL’s top goaltenders in Los Angeles, so when he left as an unrestricted free agent after the 1977-78 season, he commanded what was then the top salary in history at his position, a five-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings worth $1.9 million. But he had two miserable seasons there, giving up more than 3½ goals a game, before being traded to Boston, where he did little better.
Still, when he retired in 1982, Vachon ranked among the top six all time in games and wins by a goalie. More than four decades later only Jonathan Quick has played or won more games for the Kings, who made Vachon’s No. 30 the first to be retired by the franchise.
However, there would be a second act for Vachon’s hockey career and naturally it would unfold in Los Angeles.
A year after his retirement, Vachon returned to the Kings as a goaltender coach, but before that first season was over he had been promoted to coach, then general manager, a position for which he had no experience, yet one he would hold for eight years, guiding the team to seven straight playoff berths and three trips to the division finals.
Those years proved consequential for other reasons as well since Vachon was the general manager who finalized the 1988 trade that brought Gretzky to L.A. Soon the Kings were the talk of the town, with President Reagan and wife Nancy even sitting rinkside.
The franchise had come a long way since Vachon’s early playing days, when those rinkside seats would sit empty.
Vachon was also the one who took Robitaille with the 171st pick, in the ninth round of the 12-round 1984 draft — and even then it was considered a gamble. But it was one that quickly paid off with Robitaille recording 191 points in his final junior season, then scoring 45 goals and winning the Calder Trophy in his first NHL campaign.
“The scouts were not quite as high on him as my dad was,” Nick Vachon said. “Finally he forces the scout at the table; he’s like ‘we’re picking Luc this round. I don’t care what you guys say.'"
“I owe him a lot,” Robitaille said of Vachon.
Robitaille, who also spent more time as an executive with the Kings then he did as a player with the team, said the transition from the ice to the front office can be a difficult one. Yet it’s one Vachon mastered quickly.
Luc Robitaille shakes hands with Rogie Vachon as Kings greats Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor look on before a pregame ceremony at the Forum in October 1998. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“When you’re a player, you live the moment. All that matters is that day,” Robitaille said. “When you get into management, you’re trying to win tomorrow but at the same time you’ve got a plan for next season and sometimes two, three years ahead.”
In retirement, however, Vachon doesn’t have to think any further ahead than the next sunset.
“He’s such a nice man but at the same time he’s got a ton of character,” Robitaille said. “Every time I talk to him, he just sounds so happy. That’s what life is about, isn’t it?”
Vachon’s son agrees. Because while the long hair, the mustache and the Mercedes are all gone, a broad smile still creases the old goalie’s face.
“When we first moved out here, he’d go out every day and just take in the air,” Nick Vachon said. “He just sits outside and enjoys the fresh air and so yeah, he’s super happy.”
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals and Ryan Graves #27 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battle for position during a game at Capital One Arena on January 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (41-23-16, 98 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Washington Capitals (41-30-9, 91 points, 5th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 3:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Nationally televised game on TNT, streaming on HBO Max
Pens’ Path Ahead: Only one more to go in the regular season after this! The Penguins jet over to St. Louis to play the Blues on Tuesday and then the real fun begins next weekend with Pittsburgh hosting a Game 1 on Saturday or Sunday.
Opponent Track: It’s about the end of the line for the Capitals, they finish up in Columbus on Tuesday and then start planning for next season, barring a collapse by the Flyers.
Season Series: There were only three PIT/WSH games this season, today being the third. Yesterday was the second, which kinda a bummer to only play Washington one time in the first 79 games. That ended up being a 5-3 Penguin win in Pittsburgh way back on November 6th. Next season the NHL will have an 84-game schedule that ensures all division opponents play four times per year.
Getting to know the Capitals
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Anthony Beauvillier – Dylan Strome – Alex Ovechkin
Connor McMichael – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Ryan Leonard
Aliaksei Protas – Ilya Protas – Tom Wilson
Brandon Duhaime – Justin Sourdif – Ivan Mirshinchenko
DEFENSEMEN
Martin Fehervary / Rasmus Sandin
Jacob Chychrun / Trevor van Riemsdyk
Cole Hutson / Matthew Roy
Goalies: Logan Thompson and Mitchell Gibson
Potential scratches: David Kampf, Hendrix Lapierre, Ethen Frank, Declan Chisholm, Dylan McIlrath, Charlie Lindgren
Injured Reserve: none
There’s a lot to like in the lineup with young players like Leonard and Sourdif taking steps forward this year and the emergence of Hutson, I. Protas and Mirshinchenko. The Caps won’t be playoff-bound this year but still have some nice young pieces starting to matriculate to the NHL.
The long-term injury to Dubois, who missed 55 games this year, ended up being a season killer. Dubois put up 66 points last season and helped both special teams units, it was an absence surely missed down the middle that a young player like Hendrix Lapierre just couldn’t fill.
A lotta beef on that third line that goes 6’6” 250, 6’6” 225 and 6’4” 225. Also has the rarity of two brothers playing on the same line, which is pretty cool and hasn’t happened professionally with Aliaksei being six years old than his ‘little’ brother. (Hard to call any 6’6”, 225 pound 19-year old ‘little’, isn’t it?)
The Caps might have to double dip and play Thompson for a second day in a row to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.
Season stats via hockeydb (not including yesterday’s game)
There’s a changing of the guard in Washington, John Carlson is out via a trade and Cole Hutson is in as the potential next top puck moving, point producing defenseman for the team. Hutson has looked the part, jumping straight into the NHL after his college season ended and already has five power play points in his first 11 career games. He’s still a teenager but it already looks clear that he will be a quality player for a long time to come.
Veteran center Nic Dowd was also traded for futures and there’s a spot for young Ilya Protas (62 points in 66 AHL games as a 19 year old!) to make a move up the depth chart at that position. Somehow I. Protas fell to 75th overall in the 2024 draft, he too looks like he will be a keeper and is way ahead of the development curve of where his big brother was at the same age.
Ovechkin leading the Caps in goals is nothing new or strange, but him being their top point getter this year is indicative of some of the problems. That team needed the supporting cast to step up and move past the aging star.
Chychrun has 45 goals since the start of 2024-25. Only Cale Makar (50) and Zach Werenski (45) are even in the same neighborhood across the NHL as being consistent and very real goal-scoring weapons from the blueline.
Charlie Lindgren went from secret weapon (appearing in 50 games with a .911 save% in 2023-24) to an outright liability this season. He’s locked in for the next two seasons at a $3.0 million cap hit, the Caps are going to have to hope for a bounce-back next season. Thompson can certainly handle things as the clear franchise goalie but the backup position and caliber of play was a big sore spot on the season.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Rickard Rakell – Ville Koivunen
Anthony Mantha- Tommy Novak – Justin Brazeau
Rutger McGroarty – Kevin Hayes – Avery Hayes
Elmer Soderblom – Joona Koppanen – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Sam Girard / Jack St Ivany
Ryan Graves / Ilya Solovyov
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Blake Lizotte (injured), Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel, Erik Karlsson, Parker Wotherspoon, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust
IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)
Since the Penguins pulled the plug on most of their top players yesterday at home, no reason to think any of them are going to come back for today’s game. Now that Mantha appeared in his 80th game and secured his last performance bonus, maybe he even joins them.
Thought it was funny that the team didn’t even bother to list temporary alternate captains for the day. Rakell, Kevin Hayes and Acciari would have made good ones as a little reward for playing.
One last time for Ovi vs the Pens?
Alex Ovechkin has punted an official decision on any playing next season until the summer. He got a nice ovation from the crowd in Pittsburgh yesterday and the Caps were sure to swoop up the puck from the officials after Ovechkin’s empty net goal yesterday. That might have been a “just in case” move, but it’s crazy to think that could have potentially been his final goal in the NHL.
Winnipeg Jets (35-32-12, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (37-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets after the Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime.
Vegas has gone 18-12-9 at home and 37-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights are 35-6-11 in games they score at least three goals.
Winnipeg has a 16-17-6 record in road games and a 35-32-12 record overall. The Jets have allowed 239 goals while scoring 223 for a -16 scoring differential.
Monday's game is the third time these teams square off this season. The Jets won the previous meeting 4-1.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 36 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has six goals and two assists over the last 10 games.
Mark Scheifele has 34 goals and 65 assists for the Jets. Kyle Connor has scored seven goals and added four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-1-3, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Jets: 7-3-0, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.9 assists, 3.2 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
Jets: Gustav Nyquist: day to day (undisclosed), Morgan Barron: out (lower-body), Colin Miller: out (knee), Elias Salomonsson: out (concussion).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Buffalo Sabres (49-23-8, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (28-38-14, in the Central Division)
Chicago; Monday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit the Chicago Blackhawks after Josh Doan scored two goals in the Sabres' 5-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chicago has a 13-18-8 record in home games and a 28-38-14 record overall. The Blackhawks have a 9-13-6 record in games they have more penalties than their opponent.
Buffalo is 49-23-8 overall and 23-13-4 in road games. The Sabres have a +39 scoring differential, with 275 total goals scored and 236 allowed.
The matchup Monday is the second time these teams play this season. The Sabres won 9-3 in the last meeting. Doan led the Sabres with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tyler Bertuzzi has 32 goals and 25 assists for the Blackhawks. Ilya Mikheyev has five goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 38 goals and 41 assists for the Sabres. Jack Quinn has scored four goals with three assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blackhawks: 2-7-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.1 assists, 2.4 penalties and 5.1 penalty minutes while giving up 4.1 goals per game.
Sabres: 5-3-2, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.4 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Blackhawks: Shea Weber: out for season (ankle), Frank Nazar: day to day (face), Ethan Del Mastro: day to day (undisclosed), Artyom Levshunov: out for season (hand), Oliver Moore: out (lower body), Matt Grzelcyk: out for season (upper-body).
Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Alex Lyon: out (lower body), Justin Danforth: out (lower body), Noah Ostlund: out (upper-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The San Jose Sharks hosted their final regular season home game on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Sharks looked competitive right out of the gate, with some big hits and some quality scoring chances in the opening minutes. Macklin Celebrini had a breakaway attempt denied by Kevin Lankinen roughly seven minutes into the game. After Lankinen made the save, Vancouver launched an attack of their own and forced Yaroslav Askarov to make a save at the other end of the ice.
Askarov had a bit of an issue with one of his pads as it came completely off his leg following the save, causing a short delay in action.
Igor Chernyshov opened the scoring with 3:41 remaining in the first period after he beat Lankinen from close range to make it a 1-0 game. The Sharks carried that lead into the first intermission.
As time expired though, Chernyshov showed his value to the Sharks in another form. Celebrini was hit hard by Victor Mancini as the period came to an end.
Zack Ostapchuk drew the first penalty of the game just over three minutes into the second period, as Zeev Buium sat for hooking. Shortly after the penalty expired, the Canucks evened things up with a strange goal.
Askarov attempted to play the puck, and as he rushed back to his crease, he pulled the net along with him. Although he pulled the net to the ice, the puck crossed the goal line before he did so, making it a 1-1 game with the goal credited to Marco Rossi, his 11th of the season.
Chernyshov nearly restored the Sharks’ lead eight minutes into the middle frame, but his shot from point-blank range went wide of the goal. Tyler Toffoli would be the one to give the Sharks their next lead, breaking an 11-game goal drought in the process to make it 2-1.
Dmitry Orlov would take the Sharks’ first penalty of the night with just over four minutes left in the second period after he tripped up Drew O’Connor. Jake DeBrusk would even things up off a rebound right before the penalty expired.
The Sharks challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but the call stood. As a result, Will Smith went to the penalty box, and the Sharks were back on the penalty kill right after giving up a power play goal. San Jose killed off the penalty, and the game went into the third period tied at two goals apiece.
William Eklund nearly put the Sharks back in front early in the third period, but his shot deflected off the post and went behind Lankinen, then through the crease. Chernyshov had a chance on an open net just over five minutes into the period, but fanned on the shot. He got a follow-up shot off, but it was saved by Lankinen.
Chernyshov scored his third of the night with 7:16 left in regulation, giving the Sharks a 3-2 lead with limited time remaining.
Vincent Desharnais went to the penalty box with just under five minutes remaining for a hook on Nils Hoglander, giving the Canucks a key opportunity to tie things up. Teddy Blueger did just that, as he scored Vancouver’s third goal of the night with just one second remaining on the Desharnais penalty.
60 minutes wouldn't be enough to decide a winner, as the game went into overtime. Alex Wennberg drew a tripping penalty which saw DeBrusk heading to the penalty box with just 2:17 remaining in overtime.
Smith had the winner on his stick with just 40 seconds remaining and a wide-open net in front of him, but his shot deflected out of play.
Eklund was called for interference with 28 seconds remaining, as expected, the call was not well-received in the SAP Center. The Sharks were able to kill of the Canucks' very abbreviated power play though, sending the game to a shootout.
After a lengthy shootout, Linus Karlsson eventually won it for the Canucks.
In Kevin Lankinen’s return to the lineup, the Vancouver Canucks put together a strong 4–3 shootout win effort against the San Jose Sharks. Jake DeBrusk scored his 20th goal of the season, while Marco Rossi and Teddy Blueger also found the back of the net. While Linus Karlsson scored the shootout winner, it was Lankinen who showed up most by stopping 28 of 31 shots faced as well as five of six shootout attempts.
In his first game since April 1, having missed the past week due to an upper-body injury, Lankinen put together a strong outing. He faced a handful of high-danger chances for San Jose in the first period, standing tall on chances from both Sharks stars Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Lankinen continued his strong play throughout the game, stopping two massive chances in-tight from Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli in the third period.
Celebrini continued his dominance over his hometown team, first by putting in the extended effort to get the puck to Igor Chernyshov on the Sharks’ first goal. He also assisted on Chernyshov’s second goal of the game and scored in the shootout. The forward is now up to three goals and 10 assists in six games against his hometown team as well as a five-game point streak against the Canucks. Tonight also marked his fifth-career multi-point game against Vancouver.
Tonight’s game featured an unexpected play in net. Victor Mancini rimmed the puck along the boards in his own zone, though nobody was able to collect it before it slid behind San Jose’s net. Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov went out to play it, though the puck bounced off the boards and into the possession of Rossi. Making a quick decision knowing he wouldn’t be able to get back into the crease in time, Askarov pulled the net down to try and negate the goal, though Rossi shot the puck and appeared to have gotten it in the tipping net. Regardless, the goal counted for the centre.
Vancouver’s power play remained hot in tonight’s game, scoring on their first opportunity thanks to DeBrusk. While they did have some issues breaking in on their first man-advantage, once they were able to set up, the Canucks had an easier time connecting their passes and getting the shot on net for DeBrusk to tip-in. While they didn’t score on their second opportunity, Blueger’s goal on the third man-advantage tied things up for Vancouver late in the third period. The Canucks are now up to 11 power play goals in the past 10 games that they’ve had at least one power play in.
By far the Canucks’ hero past regulation was Lankinen, who ended up facing a 4-on-3 power play for the Sharks during overtime. During this sequence of chances for San Jose, Lankinen stopped a massive near open-net chance for Smith, helping send Vancouver to the shootout. While Lankinen managed to stop Chernyshov to extend his shootout save streak to 18, it was Celebrini who managed to find the back of the net. Tonight’s shootout went six rounds, with the results increasing Lankinen’s numbers to 22 saves on 23 shootout chances faced.
With the win, the Canucks have snapped a four-game losing streak and made a substantial dent in the Sharks’ playoff chances. They also very nearly avoided being swept by the Sharks in a season series for the first time since 2016–17, as Vancouver previously dropped their three other games against San Jose earlier this year.
Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) defends against San Jose Sharks left wing Igor Chernyshov (92) during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Jake DeBrusk becomes the second Canuck to score 20 goals this season
Vancouver records 40+ shots on goal for the second time in 2025–26
Teddy Blueger is now up to three goals and three assists in his past six games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
16:19 - SJS: Igor Chernyshov (6) from Macklin Celebrini
2nd Period:
5:56 - VAN: Marco Rossi (11) from Victor Mancini
9:02 - SJS: Tyler Toffoli (19) from Sam Dickinson and Michael Misa
17:37 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (20) from Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson (PPG)
3rd Period:
12:44 - SJS: Igor Chernyshov (7) from Macklin Celebrini and Dmitry Orlov
17:01 - VAN: Teddy Blueger (9) from Linus Karlsson (PPG)
Overtime:
No Scoring.
Shootout Winner:
VAN - Linus Karlsson
Up Next:
Vancouver is back at it right away with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow at 5:00 pm PT. This game will mark the end of their current road trip, with this being their last multi-game road trip of the 2025–26 season. The Canucks currently lead the season series 2–1, but dropped their most recent game by a score of 5–3 on March 24.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Going into the first game of their home-and-home series against the Washington Capitals on Saturday - and the final home game of the regular season - the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to be pretty shorthanded.
Having already clinched a playoff berth with a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Penguins had a plethora of players nursing some injuries that they decided to hold out of the lineup - despite the possibility that it could be Alex Ovechkin's final game in Pittsburgh.
Well, the Penguins looked like a team that was missing a whole lot of regulars from their lineup - and Washington's young guys delivered in a must-win game for the Capitals.
The Caps defeated the Pens, 6-3, With Ovechkin scoring the empty-net goal near the end of the contest to cap off the win. Ryan Leonard scored twice, each Protas brother - Aliaksei and Ilya - got on the board, and Tom Wilson registered his second-consecutive 30-goal season for the Caps en route to the win.
Penguins' netminder Arturs Silovs stopped 25 of 30 Washington shots on goal, while Pittsburgh only registered 12 shots of its own over the entire course of the game.
There was no score after the first period, where the Capitals outshot the Penguins, 10-1, but Silovs stood tall. But the second period got pretty crazy quickly. Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring just a minute and half into the middle frame, but Penguins' leading goal-scorer Anthony Mantha cashed in just 26 seconds later to knot the game up at 1-1 with his 32nd of the season.
However, the Caps answered four minutes later with consecutive goals by Leonard and Wilson to gain a two-goal lead. Noel Acciari put home his 13th for the Penguins a little past the midway point, but Leonard found the back of the net for his second of the game and 20th of the season to make it 4-2.
But immediately following a Penguins' penalty kill, Ryan Shea sprung Kevin Hayes from the box with a perfect neutral-zone pass, and Hayes came down the left side and put a perfect finish on it to bring the Penguins to within one.
The Caps didn't go away, though, and there were ultimately able to get goals from Ilya Protas and Ovechkin in the third - with Ovi's empty-net goal sealing the deal. Anthony Mantha was awarded a penalty shot in the third period, too, but he was unable to execute.
While the Penguins are unable to budge in the standings for the remainder of the regular season, the Capitals' win was huge for them, as they were able to stay within the conversation for a playoff spot. The New York Islanders fell earlier in the day, while the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets each won their respective games later, and the Metropolitan's third position is now the only pathway for any of those four teams to make the playoffs.
Washington trails Philadelphia - currently in that third spot - by three points.
The Capitals and Penguins will face off again on Sunday in Washington for the second half of a home-and-home, and it may be a similar lineup to the one the Penguins put out there on Saturday. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, Parker Wotherspoon, and Kris Letang are all considered day-to-day and did not play.
"I mean, obviously, they made a ton of changes to their lineup right before the game, and those games can be tough sometimes," Wilson said. "So, we knew we had to keep it simple and not give them anything. For the most part, we did a pretty good job. I think they got a couple good looks, but for the most part, we were dumping pucks, getting them back, forechecking, keeping it simple, using our legs.
"You don't want to get into a back-and-forth game on this type of night, so obviously, we've got one tomorrow, too."
Ovechkin got a nice ovation from the Pittsburgh faithful, too, in preparation for the fact that this could very well have been his last game in Pittsburgh, as both the Capitals' playoff hopes and his future are undecided at this point.
But Oveckhin appreciated the gesture from the crowd, and he said it's a sign of mutual respect between the two teams.
"Yeah, it was nice. It was a show of respect," Ovechkin said. "All that time that we spend on rivalries, playoffs, other good seasons... yeah. It shows respect."
And Penguins' players sure have a lot of respect for what Ovechkin has done over the years, too, and they are happy to have been a part of it for however long they've had the opportunity.
"Yeah, I mean, it's always special," Rickard Rakell said. "You've always got to be aware of where he's at on the ice because, I mean, he's... everybody knows about his shot. He's on for such a long time.
"I've had the pleasure to play against him for a long time, and you know when he's scoring on you. But, he's a fun player to watch."
