The Calgary Flames will look to play spoiler when they visit the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena tonight.
My top Flames vs. Red Wings predictions and NHL picks are headlined by promising Calgary rookie Matvei Gridin.
Flames vs Red Wings prediction
Flames vs Red Wings best bet: Matvei Gridin Over 1.5 shots (-130)
Calgary Flames winger Matvei Gridin is receiving a late-season audition in an offensive role and has recorded 2+ in 10 of his past 13 games while piling up an impressive 61 attempts.
The 2024 first-round selection averaged a healthy 2.78 shots per game during his AHL stint this season, and the high-volume shooting dates back to putting up 4.21 per game in the QMJHL while making the CHL All-Rookie Team last year.
Finally, the Detroit Red Wings have allowed a healthy 28.1 shots per game out of the Olympic break, too.
Flames vs Red Wings same-game parlay
The Flames have scored the fewest goals per road game (2.18), and the Red Wings have only averaged 2.33 per game out of the Olympic break, so I’m expecting the two teams to continue their trends of low-scoring tilts tonight.
Turning to the final leg of this SGP, Calgary starter Dustin Wolf sports an elite .933 SV% and 2.17 GAA across his past five road starts, and the Flames have allowed 29.2 shots per game since the NHL Trade Deadline.
Flames vs Red Wings SGP
Under 5.5
Dustin Wolf Over 25.5 saves
Matvei Gridin Over 1.5 shots
Flames vs Red Wings odds
Moneyline: Flames +155 | Red Wings -180
Puck Line: Flames +1.5 (-155) | Red Wings -1.5 (+135)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125) | Under 5.5 (+105)
Flames vs Red Wings trend
The Flames have cashed the Under in 11 of their last 14 road games for +7.70 units and a 49% ROI, and the Red Wings have played to the Under in 15 of their last 25 games for +6.40 units and a 23% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Red Wings.
How to watch Flames vs Red Wings
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Monday, March 16, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-Detroit, Prime Video
Flames vs Red Wings 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 end of the NHL regular season is one month away, and there is a lot of be decided.
No team has clinched and no team has been officially eliminated, though the Vancouver Canucks are getting close.
The scoring race looks like it might come down to the wire.
And the playoff field has a chance to look radically different from last season.
As of the morning of Monday, March 16, eight teams that are sitting in a playoff position – the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth and San Jose Sharks – had missed the postseason in 2024-25. Some of the those teams are looking to end lengthy playoff droughts.
Here are questions to be answered before the 2025-26 regular season ends on April 16:
Can the Buffalo Sabres end their playoff drought?
It sits at 14 seasons, an NHL record, but the Sabres lead the Atlantic Division with 15 games left. The closest non-playoff team is nine points back. It would take a major collapse for Buffalo to miss the playoffs again, but the Sabres show little sign of doing that, going 30-6-2 since Dec. 8. A big reason for the turnaround was the firing of general manager Kevyn Adams and the promotion of Jarmo Kekalainen on Dec. 15. The new general manager took steps at the trade deadline to keep the run going. After defenseman Colton Parayko vetoed a trade, Kekalainen pivoted to defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, plus forward Tanner Pearson. Schenn and Pearson have won Stanley Cup titles, important for a core making a rare step into postseason play.
Can the Detroit Red Wings end their playoff drought?
Their situation is precarious. They hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but have played one more than game than their closest pursuers. The Columbus Blue Jackets are surging since making a coaching change to Rick Bowness and sit one point back. The Red Wings are in a 1-3-2 slide and are without forwards Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp. Eight of their final 15 games are against non-playoff teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 7. Detroit, which last made the playoffs in 2016, added David Perron and Justin Faulk at the deadline.
Can the Anaheim Ducks end their playoff drought?
Their drought is seven seasons but they're first in the Pacific Division. They have a good mix of youngsters and veterans, including trade deadline acquisition John Carlson, and an experienced coach in Joel Quenneville. They'll be without suspended defenseman Radko Gudas for another three games after his knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews. But forward Troy Terry has returned from an injury.
Will we see another Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final?
The Edmonton Oilers are in a good position for a third consecutive run to the Final. They currently sit in a playoff spot, though Leon Draisaitl left Sunday's game with an injury. He was hit by Nashville Predators' Ozzy Wiesblatt, came back for one shift and didn't feel well so he missed the rest of the game.
Who will win the Central Division title?
Early in the season, the answer was easy: the Colorado Avalanche. They had only two regulations losses on Jan. 1 and that figure is up to 12. Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen are out with injuries. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars are on a franchise-record 15-game point streak and are three points back. The teams meet Wednesday, March 18, in Denver (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Both teams beefed up at the trade deadline.
Who will win the scoring title?
There are three 100-point scorers: Edmonton's Connor McDavid (114), Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (109) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov (106). Kucherov, who won the last two titles, is the hottest player with 55 points since Jan. 1 (McDavid has 44 and MacKinnon has 39). But the eight-point gap might be hard for Kucherov to make up until McDavid's point totals are affected by the injury to Draisaitl.
Who will have the best draft lottery odds?
The Vancouver Canucks are last in the league with 48 points and the 31st overall Calgary Flames have 59. But the 2025 draft lottery showed that might not have matter as the Islanders moved up from 11th to first and selected Matthew Schaefer. Utah won the second drawing and moved up to fourth. Penn State's Gavin McKenna and Sweden's Ivar Stenberg are expected to be the top two picks.
Mike and Dan recap a week of good and bad for the Islanders, and set up what could be a massive Canadian road trip and a home game against the Blue Jackets next Sunday.
A contest in St. Louis with a lot of weird connections ended being the most Rangers-like win we’ve seen in some time, using two late powerplay goals to complete a shocking overtime comeback victory. A return home meant a deflating loss to the LA Kings that saw no comeback happen, then a victory over Calgary that almost got a way from them. Overall, the games showed what the Islanders still lack: a definitive executable structure on the ice and a set line-up that maximizes everyone’s strengths. There’s a difference between stopgaps and solutions, and right now the Islanders seem to have more of the former than the latter.
With games against the very beaten down Maple Leafs, the surging Senators and the stumbling Canadiens, the Islanders have a chance to pick up points. And they better, because next Sunday’s game at UBS Arena against Columbus could mean the season. Once again, they are the mercy of their schedule and their opponents’ schedules, so the time for experimentation is over. They need to treat these games like they’re the playoffs. If they don’t, they might miss them altogether.
We also get into Mathieu Darche’s longterm plan for the club, what the hell has happened to the Flyers, the struggles of the Carson Soucy-Scott Mayfield pairing and the hope that next week is finally Schenn Week.
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MacKinnon and Necas hold the team's top two slots in 5-on-5 points by a wide margin. Playing alongside them will raise Nichushkin's floor and ceiling.
Nichushkin has averaged more than two points per 60 with MacKinnon, and that trio has posted an encouraging 72% xG share through 18 minutes.
Penguins vs Avalanche same-game parlay
MacKinnon and Nichushkin both rank Top-3 on the Avalanche in 5-on-5 shot rate. Necas? 9th. He is much more selective as a shooter, giving him high assist equity on this line.
The Avalanche have outscored opponents by 1.64 goals per game at home following a day of rest. The Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed 3+ goals in six straight and are unlikely to stop the bleeding in this matchup.
The Colorado Avalanche have covered the Puck Line in 15 of their last 25 games at home (+4.70 Units / 16% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Avalanche.
How to watch Penguins vs Avalanche
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Monday, March 16, 2026
Puck drop
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Penguins vs Avalanche 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.
Jack Hughes ranks second on the New Jersey Devils in assists despite missing more than 20 games, and hasn’t gone back-to-back games without a helper since the beginning of January.
My Bruins vs. Devils predictions and NHL picks see Hughes having another productive night as a facilitator on home soil.
Bruins vs Devils prediction
Bruins vs Devils best bet: Pick (ODDS)
Jack Hughes has picked up a helper in 16 of his last 24 games, good for a 67% clip. Only once did he go back-to-back games without an assist — and he failed to record one last time out against Los Angeles.
He has a nice matchup to get right back on the horse. The Boston Bruins rank 28th in shot suppression, tied for 18th in goals against, and have won only 12 of 31 road games.
Excluding Top-10 goal suppression teams, Hughes has an assist in 58% of his contests this season. That hit rate jumps to 77% following one day of rest.
Bruins vs Devils same-game parlay
Dougie Hamilton has averaged 3.0 shots on 6.3 attempts against Bottom-16 shot suppression teams this season. He's gone Over this total in 68% of such matchups, and 72% when playing on home soil.
The New Jersey Devils rank fourth in shot attempts generated over the last 10 games. That means plenty of blocked shot opportunities for a minute-muncher like Charlie McAvoy, who has picked up at least two in 67% of his road dates.
Jack Hughes has assists in three of his last four meetings with the Bruins. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Devils.
How to watch Bruins vs Devils
Location
Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
Date
Monday, March 16, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Bruins vs Devils 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.
Ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, the New York Islanders acquired 34-year-old centerman Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues for the Colorado Avalanche's 2026 first-round pick, the New Jersey Devils' 2026 third-round pick, forward Jonathan Drouin, and goaltender prospect Marcus Gidlof.
In the four games since the trade, the Islanders are 3-1-0, with Schenn recording two assists, his first of the two coming up against St. Louis, dropping the puck to Mathew Barzal before No. 13 scored the overtime winner:
The former Blues captain has averaged 16:40 minutes per game, a second short of what he'd averaged over his 61 games in St. Louis. He's won 53.5% of his face-offs (23-40), with four blocks and nine hits.
Looking at his advanced metrics, when Schenn has been on the ice at 5-on-5 (47:58), the Islanders have been outshot 23-13 and outscored 4-2.
Schenn has had five scoring chances for himself, three of which were considered high-danger.
Over these four games, Schenn has played with Calum Ritchie, Simon Holmstrom, Antony Duclair, Mathew Barzal, and Ondrej Palat, as head coach Patrick Roy tries to figure out the best combinations.
Schenn has two seasons left at $6.5 million annually.
Tuesday night's Vancouver Canucks game may have just gotten a bit more interesting. On Sunday, the Florida Panthers called up forward Nolan Foote, who just happens to be the son of Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote. Nolan was a healthy scratch for the Panthers' last game, but is projected to be on the NHL roster when the two clubs battle on Tuesday.
During Footes WHL days, he was actually coached by his dad. The two were part of the Kelowna Rockets during the 2018-19 season. Foote played `195 regular-season games in the WHL, where he scored 83 goals and recorded 171 points.
While Foote has spent the majority of his career in the AHL, he does have 30 NHL games under his belt. This is the 25-year-old's first season with Florida and first call-up of the season. This season in the AHL, Foote has 14 goals and 32 points in 54 games.
Sep 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Nolan Foote (25) takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
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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WINNIPEG, CANADA - MARCH 14: Martin Necas #88 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates his third period goal against the Winnipeg Jets. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
The Avs have been featured in a couple pretty amazing outdoor games. [The Hockey News]
Avalanche expect Landeskog, Lehkonen and O’Connor back before the playoffs. [Sportsnet]
Avalanche signs NCAA free agent Gustav Stjernberg to a 2-year deal. [NHL]
Inside Nazem Kadri’s return to the Avalanche and the trade that made it happen. [NY Times]
Avalanche forward MacKinnon has game misconduct rescinded by NHL. [Toronto Star]
News Around the League
Ontario junior hockey team ends season with 0-50 record. [Global News]
John Tortorella’s confusion over Matthews signals a league prioritizing code over star safety. [Hockey Patrol]
Player safety, or playing it safe? McDavid calls out league over Gudas sentence. Oilers’ captain troubled by length of suspension issued to the player who ended Auston Matthews’ season. [Edmonton Journal]
Multi-brawl game that drew 572 penalty minutes a ‘black eye’ on N.L. hockey: official. [Soo Today]
Maple Leafs pushed for longer Gudas suspension. [Sportsnet]
Mar 14, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate a win at the horn to end the game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
As the Pittsburgh Penguins begin to enter the homestretch of the regular season, the team appears poised to return to the NHL’s postseason for the first time since 2022.
With sixteen games left to play in the season, the Penguins sit tied with the New York Islanders for second place in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division with 81 points.
It’s a tight heat in the Eastern Conference as Boston and Detroit sit one game behind the Penguins and Islanders with Columbus, Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Washington all in the hunt for wild card spots.
The Penguins don’t have the easiest of finishing stretches for their remaining games with the Avalanche, Hurricanes, Jets, Senators, Stars, Islanders, Red Wings, Lightning, Panthers, Devils, Capitals, and Blues on the schedule.
Six of the Penguins’ sixteen remaining games are against current playoff teams with several others against teams in the hunt to try and claw into playoff position.
Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby returned to practice with the team over a week ago as he continues to rehab the injury he suffered while playing for Team Canada at the Olympics.
There’s no timeline yet on his potential return, but the team has managed to tread water in his absence, going 4-3-3 since the NHL returned from its Olympic break.
With Malkin and Crosby both out of the lineup, the Penguins went 2-1-2.
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 04: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins collides with Valeri Nichushkin #13 of the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on March 4, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (33-18-15, 81 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Colorado Avalanche (44-12-9, 97 points, 1st place Central Division)
When: 9:30 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The end of the road trip is within sight, the Pens return to Raleigh on Wednesday for one more game after tonight, then on Thursday/Friday the team gets their only two non-game days of March before things pick back up with a weekend afternoon homestand against Winnipeg on Saturday and those familiar Hurricanes on Sunday.
Opponent Track: Colorado is 5-2-0 in the last seven games, but by their standards it’s not been going tremendously well lately. They’ve lost two out of their last three games, including a 3-1 loss in Winnipeg on Saturday in the most recent outing. In the last five games, the Avs are only 3-2-0 with two of those wins coming in shootout decisions, it hasn’t been the most convincing last 7-10 days for them.
Season Series: The Avalanche make their yearly visit to Pittsburgh next Tuesday (March 24th) to complete the two-game set.
Hidden Stat: The 81 points the Penguins have in the standings in 66 games has already surpassed the 80 that they recorded in 2024-25.
Getting to know the Avalanche
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Nazem Kadri – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Joel Kiviranta – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Nicolas Roy
Zakhar Bardakov – Gavin Brindley
DEFENSEMEN
Devon Toews / Cale Makar
Josh Manson / Brent Burns
Brett Kulak / Sam Malinski
Nick Blankenburg
Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood
Potential scratches: none
Injured Reserve: Logan O’Connor, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen
Dare you say it, but right now just might be a good time to face Colorado. Recent injuries to Landeskog and Lehkonen have thrown the team into a bit of disarray from having nice supporting pieces removed. O’Connor has missed all season so far coming off hip surgery. All three are expected back before playoffs, moving the already formidable lineup above into juggernaut territory.
The lack of that depth has resorted to the Avs virtually rolling three lines in their last game, Bardakov only skated six shifts all game (for 3:48 total ice time) and Brindley only got sent out for seven shifts (5:26 played on the night). The Pens should definitely plan on seeing a heavy batch of MacKinnon, Necas, Nichushkin, Nelson and Kadri; all five of those workhorse forwards logged between 22-26 minutes in Saturday’s game against the Jets (not to mention Makar logging 25 minutes, as per usual).
Kadri has one goal, one assist (plus a shootout goal) in his second stint of duty in Colorado after being picked up at the recent trade deadline. Prior to now, the last time he was in an Avs sweater was skating with the Stanley Cup in 2022. Undoubtedly the Avs are hoping the reunion will produce the same results this year.
Brent Burns skated in his 990th straight game on Saturday, passing Keith Yandle for the second longest ironman streak ever. First place remains Phil Kessel (1,064 games, and I guess technically still kinda active since I don’t believe Kessel has ever formally bothered to submit his retirement paperwork — a truly classic Phil move). Burns, who turned 41 last week, is the oldest current NHL player. His career is so long he played in an NHL world that didn’t have a salary cap back in 2003-04. Burns is still looking for his elusive first drink out of the Stanley Cup.
The man they call The Dogg is in top form these days. It’s tough to believe the 30-year old MacKinnon doesn’t have an Art Ross scoring title under his belt in his career considering he’s scored 111, 140 and 116 points in the last three seasons. Thus is the burden of living in the era of Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov. 2025-26 could finally be MacKinnon’s time, though he has some work to do. McDavid has 114 points, MacKinnon is behind him at 109 — and Kucherov isn’t too far behind them with 106 points of his own. It looks like that should be the familiar three-man race for the scoring title over the last few weeks of the season. MacKinnon did win the Hart and Ted Lindsay MVP trophies in 2024, he’s making a very strong case to be in contention for that again this season. No matter how one parses the word “value”, MacKinnon certainly either No. 1 or a close No. 2 in terms of being the most dynamic offensive players in the game today by any definition.
Kulak has been on the ice for six 5v5 goals for and zero 5v5 goals against in his Colorado stint following the trade from Pittsburgh. A lot of Penguin fans, understandably and reasonably, were happy that the Avs tossed in a future second round pick in the trade that sent Kulak west for Sam Girard. While it may be a high price (in part to include the benefit of clearing Girard’s $5.0 million cap hit off Colorado’s books after they found a suitable replacement in Sam Malinski), the Kulak add for Colorado might be a sneaky good one come playoff time and one that Colorado was better off making in the short-term.
The stars in Colorado will catch your eye, but keep a look out for No. 17 Parker Kelly. The undrafted 26-year old has set a single-season high in goals, assists and points with modest enough totals but he is pushing towards a 20-goal season. Kelly won’t stand out every game but is one of the ‘common players’ that adds to a great team as far as a depth option who can flash at times and help move the needle. The big boys will be counted on to lead the way but players like Kelly, Kulak and Ross Colton will be invaluable if the Avs go on a deep playoff run.
Key to the Game: Yeah…Um, good luck
The Colorado offense this year is in a class by themselves in terms of both top-of-class process and results to match, a truly impressive machine. MacKinnon’s relentlessly dominant personality has rubbed off on the club that plays extremely hard and piles up the scoring chances and goals. It presents a monster for any opponent to try and deal with, the Pens will definitely have their work cut out for them tonight no matter how you slice it.
To make matters worse — as if you could even make matters worse from that — the Dallas Stars have won four-straight games to get within three points of the Avs (though Colorado does have a game in hand). As noted above, the Avs haven’t been particularly impressive over the last week or so, they definitely have a lot to play for tonight to build momentum and maintain their lead in the ridiculously competitive Central Division that houses COL, DAL and the Minnesota Wild as three teams that rank in the top-5 currently in points in the whole league. Colorado won’t want to fall into that first round 2 vs. 3 slugfest, so they ought to have every incentive tonight to grab the two points.
This should be a game that to the world the Penguins lose more often than not. They’re on the road, mired in a long trip, somewhat depleted and going up against a stacked opponent that has been the NHL’s top team all season long. In that way, there’s a freeing element where there’s almost nothing to lose. Might as well go out there, give it a best effort and see how the game unfolds.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Anthony Mantha – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Avery Hayes
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea / Kris Letang
Ilya Solovyov / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Sam Girard (injured), Ryan Graves (AHL conditioning stint), Kevin Hayes, Justin Brazeau (out injured week to week), Alex Alexeyev
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany (conditioning stint)
Evgeni Malkin is back! We’re taking a wild stab at the lines, the Pens didn’t practice yesterday during their travels to Denver, so we’ll see how things might look on the ice during the gameday skate. An important note to keep in mind is that Ville Koivunen was recalled under emergency conditions, unless there’s been an additional and yet unannounced injury to an NHL forward, those emergency conditions now no longer exist since Malkin returns from suspension. The Pens could easily elect to move Koivunen’s recall to a normal one instead of an emergency (and thereby use one of their five post-deadline recalls) and keep him, elsewise they will have to send Koivunen back to the AHL today.
Also unknown is whether or not Crosby and/or Girard can get back into the lineup following their respective injuries. Crosby will be four weeks post-incident on Wednesday – with an important notation he did not begin to formally rehab his knee for a few days after that as he attempted to play a few days later and then traveled back to Pittsburgh following the injury. Crosby has been skating in recent game day skates, there’s been no official announcement of when he is going to be cleared for contact and then make a return, so we’ll wait and see for now.
King Karl
I really don’t think you can credit Erik Karlsson enough for his impact, game control and at times being the sole spark of offense for the Penguins over the five games that both Crosby and Malkin have been out. It’s not to say Karlsson has been the singular player to come through — Anthony Mantha, Bryan Rust and Egor Chinakhov also have been making major impacts lately, just a matter of Karlsson’s own skills rising to the forefront. The team has lost two big stars, yet they still have had one elite player able to raise his game in their absence. The Pens have needed Karlsson in this stretch more than ever, he’s held up his end of the bargain by being incredibly active and productive.
Erik Karlsson's last 5 games:
– 7 points (1G-6A) – 2nd in NHL scoring behind only Nikita Kucherov (10) – 3 multi-point games – Averaging 26+ minutes a night (26:22)
In addition to the points and crushing a ton of minutes, Karlsson has a whopping 42 total shot attempts in the last five games. Chinakhov (32) is the only other Penguin with more than 22 in this stretch. Karlsson’s style is that of a maestro when he’s on his game and these days he’s been in his element with the puck on his stick and looking to make good things happen for the Penguins.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 18: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 18, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
When Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin received his five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin a week-and-a-half ago, the timing of it could not have possibly been worse. The Penguins were already playing without their captain and best player, Sidney Crosby, were in the middle of a tough and increasingly close playoff race, and were entering what was going to be by far the toughest part of their schedule. That stretch of games included the start of a five-game road trip that would see them play nothing but potential playoff teams and Stanley Cup contenders.
It could have been a major turning point in the season.
Instead, the Penguins mostly got through it.
In the five games without Malkin and Crosby, the Penguins went 2-1-2 and earned six out of a possible 10 points. That is good enough.
So far in the 10 games without Crosby they are 4-3-3. That is above .500 hockey, which is probably what they needed to do.
Now they go into this week still in a playoff spot, knowing they will get Malkin back on Monday night and potentially Crosby as well.
It is hard to ask for anything more given the circumstances.
Keep something in mind, back on March 5 when the Penguins dropped that game to the Sabres and learned the Malkin suspension news, they were three points clear of the Columbus Blue Jackets and tied with the New York Islanders.
During the time without Malkin they really did not lose much ground to anybody. Here is a look at what the Penguins points leads and deficits were with the other bubble teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and how much ground they lost or gained on every team during Malkin’s suspension.
This is another remainder as to how difficult it is to make up points this late in the regular season.
The only team that gained more than one point on them is the Ottawa Senators, who remain four points back.
The New York Islanders gained no ground.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins gained only one point each.
The Penguins actually gained a point on the Washington Capitals and gained three points on the Detroit Red Wings.
It would have been great to get those overtime points against Philadelphia and Carolina, especially with full two-minute power plays in overtime to work with, but every point during this stretch mattered. If somebody told you on March 5 that they would get six out of the next 10 points, regardless of the manner in which they were earned, you probably would have signed up for that and taken it.
They still hold a playoff position. They still have the tiebreaker over every team on this list, which is important.
Now they have some help on the way.
The week begins on Monday with what might be their toughest game of the season, on the road at the NHL’s best team, the Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado does everything well, has star-power all over the lineup and got even better at the trade deadline with the addition of Nazem Kadri, giving them a powerhouse trio of centers with Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson and Kadri down the middle. They have only lost 12 games in regulation all season, and only five on home ice. Getting even a point out of that game would be huge.
The Penguins then conclude this five-game road trip on Wednesday night where it began in Carolina. This time they should be somewhat closer to having a full lineup, while also getting the Hurricanes on the second half of a back-to-back, as they will be playing in Columbus on Tuesday night. There is a little bit of a schedule boost there. The Penguins have actually held their own against the Hurricanes this season, earning three out of a possible four points in the games against them. Their first game against them, a 5-1 win in Pittsburgh, came when the Hurricanes were coming in on the second half of a back-to-back. Maybe they can be vulnerable there.
The Penguins then finally return home during the weekend with a back-to-back set of games against the Winnipeg Jets and the Hurricanes again.
Winnipeg has been one of the worst teams in the NHL this season, but is trying to cling to some slim playoff hopes in the Western Conference and has been playing a little better recently. As long as Connor Hellebuyck is in the lineup, they are going to be a formidable opponent, but it is not a particularly good team overall. This might be the most winnable game of the week.
Then they get their fourth and final game with the Hurricanes this season to complete the back-to-back. This time, however, the Penguins will be the team playing the second half of the back-to-back while Carolina is coming in rested.
This is going to be a challenging week. Perhaps even more daunting than the previous week, even with a potentially better lineup. Pretty much every game for the next two or three weeks is going to be this way. They are going to lose some of these games. They just are. But so are a lot of the teams they are competing with. Columbus and Boston both play almost equally hard schedules. Detroit is dealing with major long-term injuries to its top-two centers. Philadelphia and Washington are just so far back and in a spot where it is going to be really difficult to make up that many points in the stanidngs.
The Penguins do not need to finish ahead of all of these teams, they just need to finish ahead of a few of them. That is not an overly high bar.
Eight more wins gets them to 97 points. They might be enough.
If they can get two of those wins this week, or some combination of results that gets them at least four or five points, that would be a good path to start their way there. Having their two best players back, or even just one of them (Malkin) would be really, really helpful for that.
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 04: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins faces off against Jack Drury #18 of the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on March 4, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
It appears the Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned defenseman Alex Alexeyev back to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. He was recalled to the NHL on Thursday, but did not dress for the NHL club in either contest he was available for. [Trib Live]
Forward Connor Dewar has become a strong fit for the Penguins since arriving in a trade last season, staying healthy and appearing in every game while setting career highs in goals, assists, and points this season. His ability to play a well-rounded two-way game has helped the team fight for a playoff spot well into March. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
San Jose Sharks forward Igor Chernyshov left Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after a scary collision and fall involving Mike Matheson, less than 30 seconds after puck drop. The 20-year-old winger slid headfirst along the ice and bloodied his face before attempting to stand twice and losing his balance both times. He was later evaluated and is traveling with the team. [TSN]
One King reigns above them all: Anze Kopitar scored two goals to pass Marcel Dionne for the franchise record in career points during the Kings’ 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. [NHL]
The Toronto Maple Leafs pushed for a longer suspension for Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas after his knee-on-knee hit injured and ultimately ended the season of captain Auston Matthews. The hit left Matthews with a Grade 3 MCL tear. [Sportsnet]
An investigation into a Newfoundland junior hockey game that led to three brawls, 572 penalty minutes, and the game being called early due to several ejections has resulted in large-scale suspensions, with league officials calling the incident a “black eye” for hockey in the Canadian province. [TSN]
I like defeated butts and I cannot lie | Getty Images
The Islanders begin their last road “trip” of the regular season as they head north of the border for visits to tanking Toronto and still playoff-holding Montreal and playoff-hopeful Ottawa.
After this trip, they’ll finish with 10 of 12 games at home and only single-game trips to make up those two away games in Buffalo and Carolina. They can induce karmic damage to the Leafs, depress the Senators’ playoff hopes, and do likewise to the suddenly-not-safe Canaadiens.
As things stand today, the Eastern Conference playoff race is incredibly tight, with the Isles and Penguins in the 2-3 seed of the Metro tied at 81 points, while Boston and Detroit tenuously hold the wild card slots with 80 points, and surging Columbus (79 points) and Ottawa (77 points) not far behind.
So, much to play for from the opponents on this trip, except for the Leafs, who are without Auston Matthews and have a pretty good incentive to tank harder so they can keep the top—five protected pick that is otherwise headed to Boston.
Islanders News
Getting solid goaltending from their backup is refreshing, and should help the playoff push. [Newsday]
Brayden Schenn “had no idea” what kind of player Simon Holmstrom was when he arrived on Long Island and he’s been pleasantly surprised by the skill and 200-foot game. [Post]
Speaking of which, it was a third “Iron Man Mask” award for Holmstrom. [Isles]
The Isles were pleased to be the one jumping to a 3-0 lead for once. [Post]
The Skinny: “Matthew Schaefer has drawn 32 penalties this season, more than any other NHL defenseman, and tied-2nd in the NHL (behind Connor McDavid and tied with Macklin Celebrini).” [Isles]
Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores included Montreal losing late at home in regulation, while Toronto and Ottawa each picked up wins.
Leon Draisaitl scored in an Oilers win, but he left after receiving a big hit. [NHL]
Man, what could’ve been. Jared Spurgeon is playing his 1,000th game in a Wild uniform. He was drafted by the Garth Snow Isles but left unsigned, at a time when the team signed similarly undersized Aaron Ness and Mark Katic. (Such mistakes can happen, but man we had one commenter BCISLESMAN who was singing Spurgeon’s praises pre-draft and for the whole two years we had his rights). [Athletic]
Connor McDavid is one star saying NHL player safety discipline needs review. [Sportsnet]
Cole Hutson leaves BU to sign his ELC with the Capitals. [NHL]
Buffalo Sabres (41-20-6, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (31-22-14, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Buffalo Sabres after Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals in the Golden Knights' 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Vegas is 31-22-14 overall and 16-10-7 at home. The Golden Knights are 30-6-8 in games they score three or more goals.
Buffalo is 19-11-3 on the road and 41-20-6 overall. The Sabres are third in the league with 231 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).
Tuesday's game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Sabres won 3-2 in the previous matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has scored 24 goals with 50 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has one goal and eight assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 34 goals and 36 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has scored six goals and added three assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-6-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 5.1 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Sabres: 9-1-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.5 assists, 4.9 penalties and 13.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.
Sabres: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Minnesota Wild (38-18-12, in the Central Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (25-30-11, in the Central Division)
Chicago; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild aim to end their three-game slide with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago is 10-6-4 against the Central Division and 25-30-11 overall. The Blackhawks have a 9-10-6 record in games they have more penalties than their opponent.
Minnesota is 38-18-12 overall with an 11-6-3 record against the Central Division. The Wild have scored 222 total goals (3.3 per game) to rank eighth in NHL play.
Tuesday's game is the third meeting between these teams this season. The Wild won 4-3 in a shootout in the last matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Donato has scored 14 goals with 13 assists for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.
Quinn Hughes has six goals and 61 assists for the Wild. Matthew Boldy has six goals and seven assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blackhawks: 3-5-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.7 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
Wild: 4-4-2, averaging three goals, 4.8 assists, 3.9 penalties and 9.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Blackhawks: None listed.
Wild: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
