Tortorella Excited to Move Forward and Tackle Unique Challenge With Golden Knights
A coaching change this late in the year is extremely rare for an almost certainly playoff-bound team. Thus, John Tortorella isn’t looking to make drastic changes to the Vegas Golden Knights’ system with just eight games remaining in the regular season.
This is something Tortorella said repeatedly when he met with the media for the first time following the coaching change.
“We’re not going to make many changes,” said Tortorella. “I’m not going to upset and fill the players with information. I have a few points of emphasis that we’ll go over as a team— just did this morning in our first meeting, just about mindset and odds and ends that I’ll just keep with the team for now.”
Before the start of the season, analysts and pundits viewed the Golden Knights as favorites to contend for the Stanley Cup. At the Olympic break, they led the Pacific Division. Now, with just eight games left in the regular season, they’re at risk of dropping into the wild card race.
So, on Sunday, the Golden Knights announced that they’d relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach. In the same statement, they named Tortorella as the fourth coach in franchise history.
Tortorella began his coaching career with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2001. Since then, the 67-year-old, two-time Jack Adams winner has been an NHL mainstay, spending time with the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, and most recently served as the bench boss for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2024-25 season. Tortorella also had two separate stints as a studio analyst for ESPN and one brief stint with the NHL on TSN.
Tortorella said that because of the situation, he’s going to lean on the rest of the coaching staff. However, he also brings his own ideas to the Golden Knights for this final stretch of the season.
“I’d just like to see us play faster,” said Tortorella. “Everybody wants to play fast, right? It’s an easy word to say, but I think that comes down to mindset, also. So yeah, we’ll pick away at it. But I am not going to overthink this. I am not going to overload them and paralyze them. We’ve got some quality people here. I want to come in here and try to help.”
After 74 games, the Golden Knights are second in the league in time spent trailing in games with 1901:44. Tortorella isn’t ready to diagnose the problem, but he emphasized the importance of being mentally ready to play.“
I’ll tell you what, the biggest part of hockey now, I don’t think it’s the X’s and O’s. I do think it’s your mind, that’s a readiness. I think they’ve been told a few times about their starts… We’ll remind them, but also respect them. They know where they’re at here now in the standings.”
This is the second time in as many years that Tortorella’s world has shifted with less than ten games remaining in the regular season. Last year, the Philadelphia Flyers relieved him of his duties as head coach with nine games left; now, he finds himself in the exact opposite position.
“In this business here, whether you’re a player or a coach, I think you need to have the ability to accept the challenge, right? You know, I got bombed out of Philly with nine games left last year. Now, I come here with eight games left in a new job. It’s a couple of crazy situations I’ve never been involved in,” Tortorella said. “But that’s the league, that’s pro sports. I think as coaches and players, when you get to this level, the highest level of the game, you need to be prepared to handle that stuff.
“I’m very fortunate to get the opportunity to work with this management group, because the organization is so well respected. I don’t want to let them down,” continued Tortorella. “I am going to prepare myself each and every day to be the best I can be, the best version of me, to help the team. But I think the important thing is that we need to do it together, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Tortorella said that he reached out to Cassidy on Sunday night.
“I was texting with Butchy last night when I was flying in here, and thanked him for having the team the way it is right now,” said Tortorella. “Just remember, the guy that left here? Pretty [expletive] good coach. So, I feel very fortunate coming into this situation.”
Neither Tortorella nor Kelly McCrimmon discussed the timeline of the conversations leading up to the coaching change.
“We’re going to move forward,” Tortorella said. “As I said, I felt I needed to reach out to [Bruce Cassidy] last night. We had a good conversation, and that’s where it stops for me. I wanted to thank him, and now my sight is set on this game here. I talked to the players about that, also.
“It’s a big change for them too, right? We just want to move forward here with kind of a really crazy situation with only eight games left. So, we need to start thinking ahead and just take this day here against Vancouver and move to the next one.”
Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames (6:30 p.m.)
Nazem Kadri’s return to the Colorado Avalanche was so seamless, it feels like it happened forever ago, but really, it’s only been 24 days since Calgary dealt Naz back to his old club in exchange for Victor Olofsson, Max Curran, a 2028 2nd, and 2027 first. Just a few weeks later, Kadri will face his former teammates and coaches of the Calgary Flames tonight at Ball Arena.
Colorado suffered defeat at the hands of Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets, but were winners of four straight ahead of that contest. The Flames are at the bottom end of a Pacific Division that’s been described as “a pillow fight.”
Can the Avalanche assert its will, or does Calgary rise to the occasion?
Colorado Avalanche: 48-14-10
The Opponent: Calgary Flames (31-34-8)
Time: 6:30 p.m. MT
Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
I don’t think the Avalanche need to trigger a rebuild after losing to Winnipeg, but the style of play, and the eventual outcome can yield some lessons.
It does appear that, although the hockey landscape has changed over the years, the best approach to beating the Avalanche (albeit the most boring) is to establish an early lead and hunker down/muddy up the neutral zone to limit clean entries and effective possession.
Couple that with stout goaltending, and you just might hang on and beat this Avalanche squad.
The strategy described above isn’t new, but this version of the Avalanche is likely the deepest it’s been since the 2022 team that broke through and captured ultimate glory.
There are subtle differences between the two teams, with the 2022 juggernaut having that same competitive advantage on the back-end with decent net-minding, and the 2026 Avalanche harbouring great net-minding but less of an overarching advantage on the back-end.
Let’s see if Calgary attempts to implement the strategy we saw from Winnipeg, but some teams are much better at executing this approach than others.
The downside to this approach? You risk getting down early and might have to abandon it altogether if things get out of hand.
Projected Lineup:
Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Artturi Lehkonen
Valeri Nichushkin — Brock Nelson — Martin Necas
Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Logan O’Connor
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Joel Kiviranta
Brett Kulak — Cale Makar
Devon Toews — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Scott Wedgewood
MacKenzie Blackwood
Calgary Flames
The Flames did Naz a solid with likely plenty of suitors on the open market, and they landed him in Colorado. The mutual interest in having him move on stemmed from the lack of playoff potential in Calgary. Kadri is nearing the end of his career, and the Flames are in no position to fulfill Stanley Cup aspirations any time soon.
That doesn’t mean the Flames aren’t working toward something. They will have 5 picks in the top 3 rounds of this upcoming and next year’s NHL Draft. We know firsthand how that sort of capital can thrust a team into the limelight.
Projected Lineup:
Blake Coleman — Mikael Backlund — Joel Farabee
Matvei Gridin — Morgan Frost — Matt Coronato
Yegor Sharangovich — Ryan Strome — Victor Olofsson
Brennan Othmann — Tyson Gross — Adam Klapka
Kevin Bahl — Zach Whitecloud
Olli Maatta — Hunter Brzustewicz
Brayden Pachal — Zayne Parekh
Dustin Wolf
Devin Cooley
Evander Kane’s 1000th NHL Game: From Vancouver To The Canucks
Evander Kane’s hockey career has always pointed towards Vancouver.
Being born and raised in the city quickly turned to skating at the ever-popular North Shore Winter Club. That, in turn, evolved into playing for Vancouver’s WHL team, the Vancouver Giants, before he was ultimately drafted fourth-overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009.
After nearly 20 years in the NHL, Kane finally ended up making his way back to Vancouver via trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Now, he’s only a couple of hours away from playing in his 1000th NHL game.
Kane’s first-ever NHL game came on October 3, 2009 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, during which he registered his first NHL point after assisting on a goal by Rich Peverley. It didn’t take him long to score his first NHL goal after that, as he potted what would ultimately be the game-winner in a match against the St. Louis Blues the game after. He finished his rookie season with 14 goals and 12 assists in 66 games played.
After two seasons in the NHL, Kane found himself heading to Winnipeg after the Thrashers were sold and relocated back to Canada. In his first season as a member of the new Winnipeg Jets, Kane registered his career-high in goals (30) and assists (27). He played with the Jets for three more seasons after that before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres.
From there, Kane spent three seasons with Buffalo, playing as a member of the Sabres from 2015 to 2018. During this span of time, he scored 68 goals and 50 assists in 196 games. It was here when he notched his first 100+ penalty-minute season, racking up 113 during the 2016–17 season.
Kane was traded once again in February of 2018, this time heading to the San Jose Sharks. Shortly after, he played in his first NHL playoff game, as neither Atlanta, Winnipeg, or Buffalo had made the post-season in any of Kane’s years there. In his first playoff run, which only lasted two rounds and nine games, Kane scored four goals and one assist.
Soon after this playoff run, the Sharks signed Kane to a seven-year deal worth $49M. In his first full season with San Jose, Kane nearly surpassed his career-highs, tying his record in goals but falling short by one assist. He did, however, set a new personal record for penalty minutes, registering 153 in 75 games.
Things soured with Kane and the Sharks after the forward violated the league’s COVID-19 protocol, resulting in a 21-game suspension from the NHL and later a contract termination. This was just one of a few instances through his career in which Kane was embroiled in controversy.
This contract termination led Kane to sign a deal with the Edmonton Oilers through the 2021–22 season. Putting up 22 goals and 17 assists in 43 regular-season games, as well as 13 goals and four assists in 15 playoff games, led the Oilers to sign him to a four-year extension paying slightly over $5M annually.
While Kane did put up 24 goals and 20 assists during the 2023–24 season, a variety of factors contributed to the Oilers eventually moving on from him. Injuries sidelined the forward for the entire 2024–25 regular season, while the emergence of none-other than former Canuck Vasily Podkolzin made Kane expendable. As a result, Edmonton traded Kane to his hometown team during the 2025 off-season.
Kane’s NHL career has taken him to many different places. While things haven’t quite gone according to plan with the Canucks — reports have indicated he was on the market ahead of the trade deadline — the forward will skate in his 1000th NHL game with none-other than the team whose city he first found hockey in.
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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Canucks To Face Former Coach On Monday As Golden Knights Make Coaching Change
8 Players Who Skated In Their 1000th NHL Game With The Vancouver Canucks
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Could Bruce Cassidy Be A Good Fit As Nashville Predators Head Coach?
One of the most shocking firings of the season could possibly be a gain for the Nashville Predators.
On Sunday, it was announced that the Vegas Golden Knights had fired their head coach, Bruce Cassidy and had hired John Tortorella for the final eight games of the regular season.
In addition to the Golden Knights being third in the Pacific Division, still very much competing for the top spot, Cassidy had posted a 178-99-43 record over four seasons with Vegas, guiding the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2023.
He had also won the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL's top coach, during the 2019-20 season as the Boston Bruins head coach. Cassidy also took the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019.
With such a decorated coach getting an unexpected boot, the possibility opens up that he could step into the head coaching role in Nashville.
Andrew Brunette has been with the Predators for three seasons, sleepwalking into the playoffs in 2024, posting one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2025, and trying to get Nashville into the playoffs as the final Wild Card in 2026.
Through 238 games coached, Brunette has a 111-105-22 record, and this season has helped the Predators rise from the bottom of the standings. After starting out the year at 6-12-4, Nashville has turned things around and is battling for a playoff spot in the final games of the regular season.
While it looks like Brunette saved himself from being fired early in the season, Nashville is still struggling to find consistency and playing below expectations with star players like Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly, and Jonathan Marchessault.
General Manager Barry Trotz has also "stuck his neck out" multiple times for Brunette, advocating to keep him on after the disastrous 2024-25 season and staying with him after the Predators returned from Sweden with a 6-10-4 record.
That being said, Trotz will retire once the search for a new GM concludes. His limited time as GM doesn't mean he's shying away from "big decisions" as he traded off four players at the deadline for draft picks.
A handful of other coaches have been fired around the league this season in better scenarios than the Predators were in.
Jim Hillar was fired by Los Angeles after a 21-24-14 start and had spent two and a half seasons with the Kings. The Blue Jackets fired Dean Evason after just a season and a half, and a 19-19-7 record.
Nashville was at sub-500 for 27 games and opted to stay with Brunette. While the Predators are playing better now, it's unknown if it'll actually pay off. As of March 30, the Predators have lost three straight games and are at risk of losing their Wild Card spot with no action until Thursday.
Meanwhile, after the Blue Jackets fired Evason and Rick Bowness took over, they have propelled themselves to the top of the Metropolitan Division standings, fighting for a top-2 spot.
The Predators aren't necessarily struggling, but neither were the Golden Knights. Vegas has a very "cut-throat" approach to its organization, but made a risky move that opens the door for Nashville to bring in a proven coach.
As for Brunette, he's stayed in his position longer than most head coaches have in his situation. If he doesn't get this team into the playoffs, and even then if they don't have a good showing, it may be time to make a change.
The Predators have a chance to make a move toward the future, whether that's Trotz making one last move to put the team in a position for success or a new GM proving things will be different.
And if it's worth anything, Cassidy would get the chance to reunite with a pair of former players in Jonathan Marchessault and Nic Hague.
Crosby's Status Up-In-The-Air For Biggest Game Of Season Against New York Islanders
If the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to make the playoffs - or make any kind of run in the playoffs - it would serve them well to get healthy as soon as possible.
And they may have their best player back for the biggest matchup of their season on Monday night.
Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby - who sustained a lower-body injury during Pittsburgh's 4-3 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday - skated with the team on Monday morning and, according to head coach Dan Muse, is still being evaluated as an option for their standings-critical game against the New York Islanders later the same day.
Forward Evgeni Malkin - day-to-day with an upper-body injury - was ruled out for the game, while Muse didn't want to give any specifics on other players such as Bryan Rust and Noel Acciari, who also skated Monday but missed Sunday's team practice for "maintenance" reasons.
"I still have to have conversations with the medical staff, so in regards to everybody, I'm not going to comment right now," Muse said after the morning skate. "I'm just waiting until I have some final conversations with the medical staff in regards to the game lineup."
The Penguins did call up forward Avery Hayes as insurance before their game against the Islanders, who are one point above the Penguins - who sit in the third place - in the Metropolitan Division standings as of now. They will still have a game in hand on the Isles after their Monday matchup, so a regulation win would go a long way in giving them a higher chance of making the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins At New York Islanders Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To WatchThe Pittsburgh Penguins will try to earn two massive points in the standings on Monday. The Penguins have nine regular season games remaining, and they also play the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. They will conclude their 2025-26 with six games against teams that are currently out of the playoff picture.
In addition to Crosby and Malkin, the Penguins have also been playing without the services of Blake Lizotte, who is a key part of their bottom-six and has missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury. He is currently set to be re-evaluated during the final week of the regular season.
Penguins Notebook: Crosby, Malkin Return To Practice Ahead Of Monday's Massive Game On Long IslandThe Pittsburgh Penguins got two of their best players back at practice on Sunday.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Montreal Canadiens Call Up Promising D-Man From AHL
The Montreal Canadiens have made a roster move, as they have recalled defenseman Adam Engstrom from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Engstrom has played in his first 11 NHL games this season with the Canadiens, where he has recorded zero points, four hits, five blocks, six penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating. Now, after landing this latest call-up to the Canadiens' roster, he will be looking to make an impact.
Engstrom has certainly shown promise this season with Laval, as he has had a strong season with the AHL club. In 45 games with Laval this campaign, he has 10 goals, 24 assists, 34 points, and a plus-14 rating. This is after he had five goals, 22 assists, 27 points, and a plus-14 rating in 66 games for the AHL club during this past season.
Engstrom was selected by the Canadiens with the 92nd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old blueliner has the potential to become a solid NHL defenseman as he continues to gain more experience.
In 111 career AHL games over two seasons, Engstrom has 15 goals, 46 assists, 61 points, and a plus-28 rating.
Blackhawks Hold Mini-Practice To Work On Defending Themselves
On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks had a scheduled day off from practice. This is very typical following a long road trip. Chicago went 1-3-0 out east and didn’t play particularly well in any of those games, even the one in which they earned a victory.
One of their issues as a team, since the trade deadline, has been team toughness. They sent a lot of that mentality out when they traded Colton Dach, Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, and Jason Dickinson.
On Monday, they took a step toward addressing that problem. Alex Vlasic, Louis Crevier, Sam Rinzel, Ethan Del Mastro, Sacha Boisvert, and Landon Slaggert showed up at Blackhawks Ice Center to practice their fighting.
These are Chicago’s biggest players in stature, but only Boisvert has ever publicly expressed his desire to fight, and he’s three games into his NHL career. Jeff Blashill and the organization clearly see it as a skill worth developing as they work towards becoming a winner.
This could be a bit of a Tampa Bay Lightning/Florida Panthers effect on the league, as they have won four of the last six Stanley Cups through being a tough, skilled team. There is a lot of skill on those rosters, but there is plenty of “sandpaper” to go with it.
According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, it was Blackhawks pro scout Wade Brookbank who taught these players a thing or two about NHL fighting during this practice. This is not a skill that every one of these players is going to master through one session, but it’s a mentality step that the Blackhawks are clearly taking.
I was told this wasn't a fighting instructor, but actually Blackhawks pro scout Wade Brookbank who was brought in to teach some of the young players how to defend themselves. https://t.co/nttqyjpzG2
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 30, 2026
Earlier in the season, Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks kneed Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews is out for the season as a result of this hit, and Gudas is already back from suspension. At the time of the hit, none of Matthews’ teammates did a single thing about it for the sake of their captain, and it was a horrific look for the team.
The Blackhawks have been better than the Leafs when it comes to standing up for teammates, but it isn’t good enough, according to management. This practice wouldn’t have happened otherwise. When JT Miller hit Artyom Levshunov into the boards on Friday night at MSG, it took the Blackhawks a couple of shifts to do anything about it.
There are enough stars on the team now for this to be a necessary thing, and the young players who attended this fight practice have to take over for the veterans who were shipped out. They don’t have to become one of the league’s heavyweights, but having enough courage to stand up for teammates through fighting or playing a physical game is always important for a certain portion of the lineup.
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Underperforming Golden Knights ‘Lost Their Spirit,’ Says McCrimmon Following Cassidy Firing
All year, the Vegas Golden Knights have struggled to live up to preseason expectations. The results speak for themselves– this will be the first season in franchise history that the team will finish with more losses than wins. And with a 5-10-2 record since returning from the Olympic break, it was time to do something drastic.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. On Sunday, the Golden Knights announced that they’d relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties and named John Tortorella head coach.
Firing a head coach with eight games remaining in the regular season isn’t unprecedented, but it is highly irregular. But this is a business that prioritizes results, and the Golden Knights weren’t getting the results they needed. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said so himself when he spoke to the media on Monday following the coaching change.
Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon coaching change press conference 3/30/2026
“We went into the Olympic break in first place,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “We’d been in first place for 96 days. Since then, we’re 5-10-2. We’ve gone from first to second to third to fighting for a playoff spot. We waited as long as we could on this; we see lots of positive signs in spurts in our game. But we just felt that we needed to bring a different person in to lead our team at this time.
“If we didn’t have the expectations and the belief in our team that we do, we probably would’ve let this thing ride out,” McCrimmon finished. “We like our team a lot. We think our team has a chance to win, and we needed to make this change to help that happen.”
McCrimmon attested that he didn’t speak to the players before making the change, and shut down the idea that Cassidy ‘lost the room.’
“You know, ‘lost the room’ is something I’ve been seeing and reading, but no, I don’t think that. I think that the energy level, for me, wasn’t there,” said McCrimmon. “I think somewhere along the way, we lost our spirit. And we lost our energy as a team.”
McCrimmon feels that the Golden Knights are a better team than their results would show, but reiterated that this is a ‘results business.’ And, historically, this is a team that only accepts the best results.
“You need to make hard decisions,” McCrimmon said. “And the easiest thing in the world to do is nothing, right?”
Western Conference Standings Watch: Will The Predators And Golden Knights Keep Losing?
The Kings have had a rough week and a half, losing five of their six games. However, the teams above them have also struggled: the Predators lost three straight after winning five in a row, and the Golden Knights fired their coach after losing six of their seven games, including three in a row.
Kings’ Season Hinges On Crucial 7-Game Homestand Amid Playoff PushThe Kings head back home after playing seven of their last nine games on the road, where they will look for answers and confidence. So, while LA has been terrible over its last six games, the race still remains tight for a possible playoff berth.
Here’s a look at the current teams in the hunt and the wild card positions in the middle of the conference:
Vegas Golden Knights - 32-26-16, 80 points
Nashville Predators - 34-31-9, 77 points
Los Angeles Kings - 29-26-18, 76 points
Seattle Kraken - 32-29-11, 75 points
Winnipeg Jets - 31-30-12, 74 points
San Jose Sharks - 33-31-7, 73 points
The Golden Knights have only a four-point lead over the fourth-place Kings in the Pacific Division; every other team in this race is separated by just one point, making for a very tight finish to the regular season.
If Vegas and Nashville continue to lose, it'll put pressure on LA and the rest of the teams in the hunt to capitalize on their struggles, which hasn't happened yet for any team in the Pacific Division's laughing stock.
Anything can still happen, so let's take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who Kings fans should be rooting for.
Monday
Canucks at Golden Knights
The Golden Knights will probably end their cold streak after they play Vancouver. The Canucks have no chance of winning, unless a miracle win over an already struggling Vegas team doesn't show up with pride after firing its head coach.
Blues at Sharks
Both these teams have been trending in different directions; the St. Louis Blues have won four straight games and are right in the middle of the playoff hunt, while the San Jose Sharks snapped their six-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams are tied with 73 points, so it doesn't matter who wins this game for Los Angeles, but the red-hot Blues are in a good position to steal this road game over the struggling Sharks.
Tuesday
Jets at Blackhawks
Like the Blues, Winnipeg is another team that's in the hunt for a playoff spot, only three games back of Nashville, and can move within one point of the Predators when they beat Chicago, where the Blackhawks have no incentive to win this game.
Kraken At Oilers
Despite the injuries to the Oilers, Edmonton is still finding a way to win, just three points behind the No. 1 seed, the Anaheim Ducks, in the Pacific Division. This is the one time Kings fans will root for Edmonton to win, especially since Seattle has lost five of its last six games and this game is in Edmonton, where the Oilers will have a good chance to win.
Wednesday
Ducks at Sharks
Anaheim is trying to hold on to that No. 1 seed, especially with the Oilers finding a way to win with their injuries. With San Jose struggling, they don't have much firepower to compete with the Ducks, even at home.
Thursday
Jets at Stars
Dallas has lost five of their last six games. The Jets, meanwhile, are fighting for their playoff lives, and this could be a big momentum boost if they somehow steal this game on the road.
Flames at Golden Knights
Another game, Vegas should win at home, but Calgary has been playing well over the last week and a half, winners of five in their last six games. This could be a trap game for Vegas.
Mammoth at Kraken
After Los Angeles got embarrassed at home by Utah, you know, the last thing they want is to root for the Mammoth, but that's exactly what they should want. Utah keeps climbing in the standings, and beating Seattle will help the Kings try to create separation in the Pacific Division.
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Lineup Notes: Lankinen Starts, Kane Hits 1,000 As Canucks Battle The Golden Knights
The Vancouver Canucks continue their road trip on Monday when they battle the Vegas Golden Knights. Monday will be a historic game for Evander Kane, who will play his 1,000th regular-season game in the NHL. Here are the lineup notes for March 30, 2026.
In net for the Canucks will be Kevin Lankinen, who will be making his 39th start of the season. This will be the seventh straight game Lankinen plays in, with six of those being starts. So far this season, Lankinen has played in 42 games, with a record of 8-25-5 and a save percentage of .876.
As for the skaters, only one change is expected on the blue line. Pierre-Olivier Joseph will be coming out of the lineup, while Elias Pettersson returns after being healthy-scratched. The other healthy scratch will be Max Sason as the forward lines are not expected to change.
Projected Lineup:
Öhgren-Pettersson-Karlsson
O'Connor-Rossi-Boeser
Kane-Blueger-DeBrusk
Douglas-Räty-Höglander
Buium-Hronek
M. Pettersson-Willander
E. Pettersson-Mancini
Lankinen
Tolopilo
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: T-Mobile Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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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The Latest on Nic Roy
DENVER — Nicolas Roy will not be in the lineup tonight when the Colorado Avalanche face the Calgary Flames, but there is growing optimism his absence will be short-lived.
Encouraging Update on Injury Status
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar confirmed that Roy is expected to return to skating this week and should be back in game action well before the start of the playoffs. The update offers a positive outlook after Roy exited the lineup with an injury on March 22 against the Washington Capitals.
Roy has appeared in just nine games since joining Colorado, providing an immediate offensive spark with three goals over that span. His production has mirrored flashes of the scoring touch he showed earlier in his career, particularly after being acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights, where he spent several seasons before moving on from the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a sign-and-trade involving Mitch Marner.
Originally selected 96th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, Roy’s career path included time in the AHL before establishing himself as a reliable NHL contributor in Vegas. He also brings championship pedigree to Colorado, having been part of the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup-winning roster.
The Avalanche, sitting at 48–14–10, continue to pace the league standings and have already secured a playoff berth. With ten regular-season games remaining, they are focused on maintaining their lead in the Central Division over the Dallas Stars, who trail by six points. Falling into second place could alter their first-round matchup, potentially setting up a series against the Minnesota Wild.
Colorado will look to stay on track Monday night against the Flames, even as they remain without Roy for the time being.
Since being acquired by Avalanche on March 5 in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Roy has recorded three goals in nine games with Colorado—nearly matching his total output from his entire tenure with Toronto. He finished with five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 59 games with the Maple Leafs this season.
Ducks Radko Gudas to Play Monday against the Maple Leafs, Expecting "Intense Game"
Heading into Monday, the Anaheim Ducks have nine games left on their schedule as they chase down their first playoff appearance since 2017-18 and potentially their first division title since 2016-17.
They have a three-point lead and a game in hand on the Pacific’s second-place team, the Edmonton Oilers, who are surging, having won each of their last three games. Relatively, the Ducks have one of the easier remaining schedules in the NHL, but with how unpredictable the team’s play style is, taking two points for granted is a fool’s errand.
Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 OT Win over the Flames
Ducks Forward Prospect Nathan Gaucher Recalled from AHL
Per the league standings, Monday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is a game the Ducks should win, as the Leafs are having their worst season since they entered their playoff-contending window in 2016-17. They have 75 points through 74 games this season, sit eighth in the Eastern Conference standings, and 24th in the overall NHL standings.
For the Leafs, they have eight games left on their schedule before their season will mercifully conclude. However, none of their remaining games will have the emotional charge as Monday’s against Anaheim.
The previous time the Ducks and Leafs met was on March 12 in Toronto, a 6-4 win for the Leafs that would be overshadowed by the events that led to and took place after their franchise player and captain, Auston Matthews, was forced out of the game after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks captain Radko Gudas.
“I think it’s going to be an intense game,” Gudas said after Monday’s morning skate. “(It’s) one of the reasons I wanted to play. You know, address things.”
The hit caused a grade-three tear of Matthews’ MCL and a quad contusion. He’s since had surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. His expected recovery time is 12 weeks from March 19, the date of his surgery.
Gudas received a five-game suspension and returned to the Ducks lineup on March 24. Many questioned the NHL Department of Player Safety’s sentence, feeling that reckless of a play and severe injury to a star player deserved a longer suspension.
Another factor playing into Monday’s game that dates back to the seconds following the hit was the Leafs’ apparent lack of physical response to losing their captain in such a devastating way.
Typically, when a star player is seemingly wronged or is on the receiving end of a sizable hit, whether clean or not, the hitting player is typically forced to answer with pushes, face washes, punches, etc. from the other four skaters on the ice. Gudas didn’t receive such a response and left the ice unscathed.
“I don’t have a comment on this,” Gudas said. “It’s very hard for them to react. They don’t know what happened.”
The score at the time of the hit was 3-2 in favor of Anaheim. Toronto answered on the scoreboard with two tallies on the ensuing five-minute power play they were awarded, leading to them earning the two points, but still leaving many with a sour taste in their mouths.
The Leafs physically engaged Anaheim after and between whistles for the remainder of the game. However, many are expecting the physicality to continue and even ramp up on Monday when the two teams face off for a final time this season.
Typically, Gudas would be at the receiving end of much of the ire from the Leafs’ players, but many roster players, including the youngest and most talented, could face some of the repercussions as well.
“That’s another thing, standing behind my own mistakes,” Gudas continued. “I want to address it myself. That’s one of the reasons, 100%.”
Gudas sustained a lower-body injury in the Ducks in the second period of the Ducks 3-2 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday, forcing him from the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Oilers. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported Gudas would play on Monday “no matter what.”
Gudas was a full participant in the Ducks’ morning skate on Monday and said he’s “good to play.”
It’s also been reported that the head of the Department of Player Safety, George Parros, will be in attendance in Anaheim for Monday’s tilt, in an apparent attempt to oversee what transpires throughout.
Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Win over the Canucks
Islanders Keep Forward Lines Intact, Adjust Power Play for Pivotal Penguins Matchup
ELMONT, NY -- For a fifth straight game, the New York Islanders are rocking with the same forward group as they continue their push toward a postseason berth.
#Isles morning skate lines are brought to you by Bull Smith's Tavern:
— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) March 30, 2026
Lee-Horvat-Heineman
Ritchie-Schenn-Barzal
Palat-Pageau-Holmstrom
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
E: Duclair, Shabanov
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-Soucy
Mayfield-Boqvist
E: Romanov-George
Sorokin
Rittich
The Islanders, who are holding down the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, battle the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, the team that sits just a point behind them.
However, there is one change: The power play.
Mathew Barzal, who had been manning the left flank on the top power-play unit, will fill that role on the second unit while Simon Holmstrom takes No. 13's spot.
This shouldn't come as a shock.
Last game against the Florida Panthers, at 13:40 of the second period, defenseman Gustav Forsling tripped Barzal.
With Barzal having just been out there, working hard down low, head coach Patrick Roy elected to throw Holmstrom out there in his spot.
It was a quick decision that worked right away as Holmstrom scored the go-ahead goal with a simple point shot at 14:52 of the second in a 5-2 win:
92 Holmström🚨3-2 #Islespic.twitter.com/1t1I73PsEL
— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) March 28, 2026
Holmstrom earned the opportunity to remain there on Tuesday night, at least to start.
"I mean, I think it gives a different look, and sometimes teams have to play differently," Roy said. "This gives us two very good power plays. But I mean, they scored last game, and I'm curious to see how they play tonight."
The Hockey News asked about Barzal's breather panning out.
"Fortunately for us, we scored," Roy said after admitting he was giving Barzal a quick breather. Simon's playing so well for us. He deserves this as well. So, the power play has been playing well, and we just want to continue that and show with different things. And like I said, we're gonna try a lot of things. All year, you're trying different things. And sometimes it pays off at the right time, because guys...they know, and they are used to trying those different things. So, I'm comfortable with that."
The Islanders' power play, which is 1 for their last 11, currently ranks second-worst in the NHL at 16.4 percent.
Martone draws spectators, has Flyers excited about young forwards
Martone draws spectators, has Flyers excited about young forwards originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
VOORHEES, N.J. — A contingent of fans and television cameras lined up along the glass Monday morning at Flyers Training Center.
This was not your typical skate for a handful of Flyers on an off day for the team.
The force behind the crowd: Porter Martone.
Just two days after his freshman season at Michigan State ended with a loss in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament, the 19-year-old was on the ice with some of his new Flyers teammates.
“Ever since you were a kid, this is the dream,” Martone said Monday. “It’s kind of surreal that it’s here.”
The Flyers’ top prospect signed his entry-level contract Sunday afternoon, officially turning pro and joining the big club for its final two-plus weeks of the season. The night before, Martone and the Spartans were upset in overtime, 4-3, by Wisconsin.
“I felt like we really created a brotherhood there at Michigan State, I love that place so much,” Martone said. “But then when I woke up in the morning, you get thinking of what’s the next step. To have the opportunity to come here with the Flyers and help them in a playoff push I think was a no-brainer for me. I’m really excited to be here.”
Martone, sporting No. 94 on his helmet, went through his on-ice workout with Tyson Foerster, Garrett Wilson, Noah Juulsen and a fill-in goalie. Martone departed before the rest of the players, perhaps a sign that his NHL debut is coming Tuesday when the Flyers visit the Capitals (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). But that is not a definite, at least not yet publicly.
“We’re not closing down the window for Tuesday, assuming that everything goes according to plan,” general manager Danny Briere said Sunday. “There’s paperwork to be done, there’s a doctor’s appointment to be done, as well. We’re hopeful that Tuesday could be a game, but we’ll see. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.”
Martone, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, had a standout season at Michigan State. The 6-foot-3 winger put up 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 35 games. He had no points in just six of those 35 games. He finished with 15 multi-point games, 124 shots and a plus-24 rating.
“It was a good stepping stone for him,” Briere said. “We feel he has developed nicely both physically and mentally and is close to almost being ready to be in the NHL. We’ll see in the next few weeks.”
A reason why Martone left junior hockey to play collegiately was the opportunity to gain strength and face older competition. He had high praise for the Spartans’ staff and head coach Adam Nightingale. Martone said his InBody scans this season showed he went from around 198 pounds to 210 and he lost three percent body fat.
“I think I just really found my identity as a player and who I need to be to be successful,” Martone said. “Coach Nightingale really forced on me to play below the hash marks, play in front of the net. Another thing that he told me when I got there, and it was the truth, was that if I want to play at the NHL level, I’m going to have to play at a faster pace, I’m going to have to get faster. That was something that I really worked on there.”
The Flyers had Martone and 2025 second-rounder Shane Vansaghi to watch at Michigan State. The club was in consistent contact with the prospects, from director of player development Riley Armstrong to special advisors John LeClair and Patrick Sharp and player development coach Chris Stewart.
“The Flyers were great with me when I was there,” Martone said. “The whole development staff, I think they made probably 10 different trips to see me and Shane play there. I did video with Riley Armstrong every single week, just kind of what they wanted to see, what they wanted me to improve on. I think both sides, the Michigan State Spartans and Philly, did a great job for my development.”
Martone joins a Flyers team that is fueling a playoff push with some of its best hockey. The Flyers entered Monday just two points back of both third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. They’ve gone 12-3-1 over their last 16 games and have nine games to go.
“Other than on TV, I’ve never really seen him play, but there’s a lot of hype around him, it’s exciting to have him around,” Sean Couturier said Sunday. “To have a young, talented guy like that that’s going to help us in the future and can help us right now is huge.”
The Flyers on Monday started to get Martone up to speed. He knows his transition to the highest level will require work.
“I’m going to have to keep an open mind and continue to learn every single day,” Martone said. “I’m coming into a room full of NHL players, NHL coaches, so I don’t think it’s just going to happen overnight. I think I’m going to have to learn and I think that this group is going to be perfect for me to kind of teach me the ropes.”
The Flyers will need more answers down the middle of the ice. Time will tell if some of their prospects turn into difference-makers or if Briere finds it necessary to get creative for addressing the center position.
But the GM sounded intrigued by his team’s outlook up front. Just on the wing, the Flyers have Martone, Foerster, Matvei Michkov, Denver Barkey, Alex Bump and Nikita Grebenkin all under the age of 25.
“You look at the development of Barkey and Bump lately — being honest, we didn’t think they’d give us as much as they’ve given us lately, so that’s encouraging,” Briere said. “Martone in the future. Tyson Foerster we’ve barely seen this year, another big piece of the future, on top of the guys that are already playing. There’s no doubt that our group of forwards is an exciting one.
“We’ll tinker and try to fill out all positions. Almost all the teams in the NHL, everybody has holes somewhere that they’d like to improve. We know what ours are and we’ll try to tinker with that along the way.”