LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored the only goal of the shootout in the second round, and the Los Angeles Kings tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.
Los Angeles has played extra time in seven of its last 10 games — and 32 this season.
Joel Armia opened the scoring for the Kings and Scott Laughton made it a 2-1 lead in the second period. Jared Wright has an assist in a career-best three straight games.
Steven Stamkos tied it at 1-all for the Predators and Roman Josi knotted it at 2 early in the third.
Anton Forsberg made 29 saves in the win for the Kings. Saros made 26 saves for the Predators.
The Kings won 58.3% of the faceoffs in the game.
All three series matchups this season went to a shootout, including a 5-4 victory for the Predators in Los Angeles last Thursday.
The Nashville Predators have gotten the best of the Los Angeles Kings in the shootout twice this season, but couldn't get it done in their final meeting of the regular season.
Adrian Kempe scored the lone goal of the shootout in the second round, giving the Los Angeles Kings a critical 3-2 win over the Predators.
With the two points, the Kings move into the final Wild Card spot with 73 points and five games remaining. Nashville trails Los Angeles by a point with 72.
Turnovers haunted Nashville, which allowed two goals in regulation. A turnover by Tyson Jost in the neutral zone led to a Kings rush the other way and a goal by Joel Armia to put LA up 1-0 in the first period.
The Predators responded in the second off a 5-on-3 power play goal from Steven Stamkos, a one-time shot to tie the game. It's his 39th goal of the season and 12th power play goal on the year.
Scott Laughton gave the Kings the lead back in the second period, off a Ryan Ufko neutral zone turnover that ended with Jared Wright feeding Laughton into the slot for the quick wrist shot.
Roman Josi tied the game in the early third period as a Filip Forsberg missed shot caromed off the end boards and Josi slammed home the rebound.
Nashville and LA tied in shots, two apiece in overtime. In the shootout, Ryan O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista all failed to convert.
Juuse Saros made 26 saves on 28 shots. The Predators had a clean sheet, taking no penalties.
The Predators have two more games left in this road trip, taking on Anaheim on Tuesday and Utah on Thursday. They'll then return to Nashville on Saturday for a three-game homestand to end the regular season.
In what was the biggest game of the season for the Los Angeles Kings (32-26-19), they came up big with a gritty victory over the Nashville Predators (36-31-10) in a 3-2 shootout.
LA turned to its goaltending to get the win, led by Anton Forsberg, who stopped three clutch shots from the Predators in the shootout. The Kings were also great in the faceoff, winning 58.3% and forcing 18 giveaways from the Predators.
The game began with the Kings finally starting off strong to open the first period. It was the first time in over a week that Los Angeles scored a goal in the opening period and avoided the slow start.
It all started less than six minutes into the period, with Joel Armia forcing the turnover on defense, following up on offense by skating behind the net, and scoring an unassisted goal, giving LA the early 1-0 lead.
LAK Goal - Now THAT is how you start a game.
Forechecking has been aggressive early and the third line opens the scoring. Armia with a great shift to stay hot against Nashville, 1-0 Kings.
Los Angeles showed up this time around in the opening period with its excellent forechecking and outshot the Predators 12-4 after an amazing 20 minutes of hockey.
Five minutes into the second period, Los Angeles got called for a penalty after a Scott Laughton's hooking was called, and Mikey Anderson for a high-sticking right after the faceoff, giving Nashville the 5-on-3 advantage.
The Predators would capitalize on that 5-on-3 advantage, scoring on the power play after forward Steven Stamkos converted on the one-timer, left circle, to tie the scoreboard 1-1.
A pretty even period, other than those penalties; the Kings were hanging around and making this game interesting. The Kings only attempted four shots on goal in the next nine minutes before they regained the lead again.
With another turnover by the Predators, Jared Wright led the way with his impressive speed, blazing down the ice past Nashville's defenders and passing the puck to Laughton, finishing in front to give the Kings back their lead.
Laughton has now scored five goals for the Kings since the trade, and Wright continues to show he belongs on this team, adding a point in three consecutive games.
LAK Goal - There's that line again!
Wright with blazing speed down the wing, Laughton finishes in front. 53 continues to impress. 2-1 Kings.
Give credit to both teams for adjusting in the second period, especially the Predators, who had a measly four shots in the first period, finished with 19 in the second, outshooting the Kings 19-11.
Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg was also great in the second period, getting the start tonight over Darcy Kuemper, who didn't disappoint. The 33-year-old got two massive saves to bail out the Kings' turnovers, holding Nashville to one goal after 40 minutes.
The defense from both teams started to pick up in the final period. Everything was so tough, and neither team could get a good shot up in the early parts of the final frame.
We were nine minutes into the period, and both teams combined for just three shots: LA with two and the Predators with just two shots. Both teams were waiting for an opening to gain momentum, but nothing could go their way.
The rest of the final frame would end with both teams struggling to get a score up, and we would head to overtime, the fourth consecutive game that Los Angeles would play in extra periods.
Alex Laferriere had a great chance to win the game with under 35 seconds left after a nice defensive stop, but a clutch save by goaltender Juuse Saros would force the second overtime in the three meetings that LA and Nashville have faced off against one another.
In overtime, the Kings had several chances to win this game, including Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield getting a few close shots up, but Saros remained strong under the crease to force the shootout.
The shootout saw Adrian Kempe score the goal in round two, while Forsberg stood strong and stopped all three shots by the Predators to win the game in a shootout.
Key Stats
Anton Forsberg, the hero of the game with his clutch saves on defense, finished with 29 saves on 31 shots, continuing to make a huge case to be the permanent starter for the Kings moving forward.
Scott Laughton continues to show why he was a big pickup for the Kings, finishing with 1 goal and 1 point and bringing energy night in and night out for Los Angeles.
Jared Wright and Joel Armia were also very great tonight, sparking energy with their speed and defense. Armia notched one goal and one point, while Wright recorded an assist and a point in the Kings' victory.
Huge win for Los Angeles, arguably the biggest game of the season, and they win, but still don't have the tibreaker over the Predators, so things could get interesting. The Kings now hold the final wild card spot in the playoffs and have a one-point lead over Nashville and a two-point lead over San Jose in the playoff race.
The Kings' next matchup will be against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at 7:30 PM PT.
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Will Smith earned his 100th NHL point with a third-period goal, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Smith scored the winning goal on a wrist shot 3:28 into the third, assisted by Collin Graf and Macklin Celebrini, putting the Sharks on top 3-1.
William Eklund had a goal and assist and Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Sharks.
Ryan Donato and Frank Nazar each scored for the Blackhawks.
Connor Bedard earned his 200th career point with an assist on Donato’s first-period goal. Bedard has four assists in his last three games.
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 shots in the win for the Sharks. Spencer Knight had 20 saves for the Blackhawks.
The Sharks won 69.2% of the faceoffs in the game.
Up next
Blackhawks: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks faced off for the second of three meetings this season on Monday. The Blackhawks won the first back on February 2nd at the United Center, and the San Jose Sharks returned the favor with a 3-2 victory on Monday night at SAP Center.
With the win, the San Jose Sharks keep pace in the Western Conference postseason picture. Earning the second Wild Card spot is still very much in play for them, but they must keep collecting points.
The Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead in this game thanks to a goal scored by Ryan Donato. He buried a Frank Nazar rebound after Connor Bedard did some dancing to set up the shot.
With an assist on Donato's goal, Bedard collected his 200th career NHL point in his 215th career NHL game. The ironic stat is that Patrick Kane reached his 200th career point in the same number of games.
San Jose scored three unanswered goals from there to take a 3-1 lead late into the game. The Chicago power play netted one in the third period, thanks to Frank Nazar, but they fell just short of tying it with Spencer Knight on the bench.
It wasn't for a lack of chances, as multiple Blackhawks players had looks at San Jose's goal with the final seconds running off the clock.
This was one of those games that the Blackhawks lost, but it came with some positives to look at from their game. For one, their power play unit was exceptional.
They technically went 1/3, but Donato's goal was right as the penalty to San Jose was expiring. For all intents and purposes, it was a power play goal. The goal by Nazar, of course, was a goal that counted as a man-advantage tally.
Whether it was Connor Bedard using his legs, Frank Nazar using his crafty abilities, or Anton Frondell unleashing his incredible one-time shot, they looked great moving the puck. This five-forward top unit has been dangerous in recent games.
This performance against the Sharks was the best the Blackhawks have had in a long time. If they move the puck and shoot the way they did on this night all next season, they will have a top-ten power play.
Whether it's the Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini story, Anton Frondell vs Michael Misa, or simply two up-and-coming teams battling hard, this is a developing rivalry that should provide incredible NHL entertainment for the next decade or more.
With this loss away from home, the Blackhawks will finish their road schedule with a 15-20-6 record.
The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action on Thursday night when they return to home ice for the final four games of the season. The first of these four will come against the Carolina Hurricanes, who are trying to lock up the top spot in the Eastern Conference postseason picture.
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jason Zucker tipped in Bowen Byram’s shot for the go-ahead goal 7:38 into the second period, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Monday night, further tightening the race for the Atlantic Division title.
Jack Quinn, with an assist from goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, sealed the win by scoring into an empty net with 1:54 left. Josh Norris and Alex Tuch also scored. Buffalo snapped a minor 2-3-2 slump to tie the Lightning atop the division with 102 points, and two ahead of idle Montreal entering the final 10 days of the season.
Luukkonen stopped 23 shots to improve to 10-2-1 in his past 14 appearances and strengthen his hold on the starting job.
Jake Guentzel, with a goal and assist, and Nikita Kucherov also scored, and the Lightning lost in regulation for just the third time in 14 games (9-3-2). Kucherov became the NHL’s eighth Russian-born and second Lightning player to score 400 goals, and also tied Connor McDavid for the points lead with 126.
JETS 6, KRAKEN 2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice, and Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist each to lead Winnipeg to a victory over Seattle.
Brad Lambert and Vladislav Namestnikov, into an empty net, also scored for the Jets, who have collected points in seven of their last nine games.
Mark Scheifele registered three assists, while Josh Morrissey provided a pair. Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the win.
Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann scored for the Kraken, who extended their losing streak to five games and have lost nine of their last 10.
SHARKS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Will Smith earned his 100th NHL point with a third-period goal, and San Jose beat Chicago.
Smith scored the winning goal on a wrist shot 3:28 into the third, assisted by Collin Graf and Macklin Celebrini, putting the Sharks on top 3-1.
William Eklund had a goal and assist and Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Sharks.
Ryan Donato and Frank Nazar each scored for the Blackhawks.
KINGS 3, PREDATORS 2, SO
LOS ANGELES (AP) —Adrian Kempe scored the only goal of the shootout in the second round, and Los Angeles tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a win over Nashville.
Los Angeles has played extra time in seven of its last 10 games — and 32 this season.
Joel Armia opened the scoring for the Kings and Scott Laughton made it a 2-1 lead in the second period. Jared Wright has an assist in a career-best three straight games.
Steven Stamkos tied it at 1-all for the Predators and Roman Josi knotted it at 2 early in the third.
Anton Forsberg made 29 saves in the win for the Kings. Saros made 26 saves for the Predators.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice, and Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist each to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Monday night.
Brad Lambert and Vladislav Namestnikov, into an empty net, also scored for the Jets, who have collected points in seven of their last nine games.
Mark Scheifele registered three assists, while Josh Morrissey provided a pair. Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the win.
Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann scored for the Kraken, who extended their losing streak to five games and have lost nine of their last 10.
Seattle starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game with an undisclosed injury in the second period after allowing three goals on 18 shots. Joey Daccord entered in relief and made 10 saves.
The loss dealt a devastating blow to Seattle’s bid for a playoff spot, costing the club an opportunity to close the gap in the Western Conference wild-card race.
Scheifele registered his 900th career NHL point with his secondary assist on Connor’s second-period goal.
The Buffalo Sabres picked up a massive 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. With it, the Sabres are now tied with the Lightning in points with 102. This is certainly big news for the Sabres.
Alex Tuch played a role in the Sabres' win, as he scored the game-opening goal for Buffalo. With this goal, the 6-foot-4 winger now has 30 goals and 62 points in 75 games this season with the Sabres. It has simply been another strong year for the 29-year-old forward.
With how clutch Tuch is continuing to be this season with the Sabres, it is clear that the Atlantic Division club must sign him to a contract extension. The Syracuse, New York native would be such a major loss for the Sabres if he signs with another team this summer. With this, the Sabres must work hard to get him signed to a new deal.
Besides making a major impact with his offensive contributions, Tuch is also an important player for the Sabres because of his leadership skills. There is no question that the Sabres would miss him in this aspect if he signs elsewhere this offseason as well.
Therefore, the Sabres need to get Tuch signed to a contract extension. He has been a perfect match in Buffalo since his arrival, and it will be interesting to see if he ends up staying put beyond this season from here.
The Dallas Stars banned a fan from the American Airlines Center, according to the Dallas Morning News. The ban comes one week after a video went viral on social media which showed a group of fans performing what looked to be a Nazi salute during a home game in December.
Per the Dallas Morning News, the Stars were only able to identify the one fan who had purchased the ticket out of the four seen in the video. He was not identified publicly, but a team spokesman told the Dallas Morning News that the individual had received an indefinite ban from all American Airlines Center events.
#USA - Dallas Stars fans sparked controversy after a video appeared to show them making a nazi salute during a game.
According to the woman who filmed it, the gesture was repeated after every goal. She reported the situation to arena staff, but no immediate action was taken.… pic.twitter.com/amMxzh73aH
The Stars will also reportedly increase in-arena messaging about the fan code of conduct and how fans can report violations, and provide additional training to arena staff to recognize and handle these situations as they come up.
“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena," the team spokesman told the Dallas Morning News. "Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”
The video — which first blew up on Reddit before being reshared to other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter — shows the group of white male fans sitting in the upper deck and timing the gesture to the rhythm of "Puck Off" by Pantera, the Stars' goal song. The user who first posted the 18-second clip wrote that the group allegedly repeated the salute every time Dallas scored and that they sent the video to arena management, but no immediate action was taken as the team was unable to identify the group.
The Montreal Canadiens have been hot down the stretch, as they have won eight out of their last nine games. This surge undoubtedly has come at a good time for the Canadiens, as they are now very close in the standings to both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.
Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes has certainly been a big reason for the Habs' success this season, as he has been very good overall. In 39 games with the Canadiens this season, the 24-year-old goaltender has a 27-8-4 record, a 2.73 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage. Yet, what's important to note is that he has been only getting better as the season rolls on.
Dobes has been on fire for the Canadiens down the stretch, as he has had a .926 save percentage or better in each of his last seven appearances. This included him stopping 35 out of 38 shots against the New Jersey Devils in his most recent start. He has also had a 7-1 record over that span.
With the way Dobes has played for the Canadiens during this final portion of the season, it is hard not to feel excited about his future in Montreal. The Canadiens found themselves a good goalie in the youngster, and it will be intriguing to see how he continues to improve his game from here.
Outside noise from fans and media is part of the reality of playing professional sports, and the players and coaching staff are aware of it.
However, the Detroit Red Wings say they are determined not to let outside noise affect them as they enter the final five games of the season - games that will determine their postseason fate.
Following their heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday afternoon, the fading playoff chances for the Red Wings were dealt another serious blow.
Starting games on time has recently been an issue for the Red Wings. Although they scored on their first shot of the contest, they managed only three shots in the opening 20 minutes.
By the end of the second period, with the team trailing 4–1, they had recorded just eight total shots.
J.T. Compher, who scored Detroit's third goal, once again echoed what several of his teammates have said in recent weeks - they need to play with full intensity right from the opening puck drop.
“We need to play like we did in the third period for more of the game,” he said afterward. "We gave ourselves a chance. I think if we start better, it makes it a little easier on us, but the way we played in the third is the way we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”
Not only did the Red Wings have trouble getting any kind of sustained offensive pressure for the game's first 40 minutes, but a careless line change opened the door for Minnesota's fourth goal late in the second.
“A horrendous change by two defensemen at the same time, and all of a sudden it’s four (goals against)," head coach Todd McLellan noted. "Then you can feel the energy go from excitement in the building to disappointment in the building."
The Red Wings have five games left in their schedule, beginning with a Tuesday night tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, like Detroit, are trying to stake their claim on the second and final Wild Card playoff position.
Despite their precarious position, the Red Wings insist they're not finished yet.
"We’re going to come with the most amount of intensity and jam that we can bring on Tuesday," said Andrew Copp. "We’re not six feet under yet."
They have no choice but to do exactly that.
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DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars have banned a person from attending games at American Airlines Center after they bought tickets for a group of spectators seen celebrating a goal with a Nazi salute.
“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena,” the team said Monday in a statement. “Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”
Stars fan Courtney Ripley told WFAA-TV in Dallas that she took a 12-second video at a game against Toronto in late December. It showed four fans reacting to a goal by appearing to raise and extend their right arms with a straightened right hand facing downward.
The team conducted an investigation that identified the individual who bought the tickets, who was informed of the indefinite ban.
“Additionally, we are increasing in-arena messaging regarding the Fan Code of Conduct and how our fans can report violations, along with prioritizing staff training to identify and handle situations that arise,” the team said.
Fan codes of conduct are prominent throughout the NHL. Every team has a scripted segment that is shared on their video boards, through their public address system or both, telling fans about their respective codes of conduct.
The NHL also has a multipoint fan code of conduct that opens by stating, “The best hockey experiences happen in environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful."
Remember when the Rangers didn’t score a single goal on home ice until their fourth game of the season at Madison Square Garden?
That set the tone for the 2025-26 campaign, and not in the way the Blueshirts wanted.
For a majority of the season, the Garden was a playground for opposing teams who ventured to the World’s Most Famous Arena to embarrass, bully and tease the Rangers like kids in a schoolyard. Clubs had their way with the insecure Rangers, and reveled in it.
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They were shut out two more times before capturing their first win on home ice in their eighth game. Their 0-6-1 start at MSG was the worst in franchise history, while their winning record on the road looked like it belonged to another team.
But it was so much more than the disparity in wins and losses. The Rangers could barely put up a fight at home. Offense wasn’t just hard to come by, it was painstakingly difficult to generate amid their one-and-done entries into the zone, a lack of energy and an overarching dysfunction.
The Rangers became the first team in NHL history to suffer six shutout losses through 17 home games.
It was bad. Really bad. It weighed on everybody. The futility at home hovered over the team all season long and acted as a sort of premeditated expectation. Fans booed incessantly, and who could blame them considering the prices they paid to be there only to not hear the goal song once?
Rangers right wing Jaroslav Chmelar (49) reacts after he scores the first goal of his NHL career during the third period. The New York Rangers defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
This current season-long homestand, however, has been the polar opposite of what everyone had come to expect from the Rangers at MSG.
“You get the sense of what the Garden is like when you compete hard,” head coach Mike Sullivan said amid his team’s 5-1 stretch entering their final home game of the season Wednesday night against the playoff-bound Sabres. “And the fan base, and they value and appreciate your work ethic and your competitive spirit out there.”
To put it in perspective, the Rangers mustered only four regulation wins through the first 34 home games of the season. They are already up to five in this seven-game homestand.
This encouraging streak — filled with rookie milestones and moments — has ensured the Rangers avoid tying the 2003-04 team’s record for the fewest home-ice wins in a season of 80 or more games.
The Rangers couldn’t buy a goal through the first couple of months of the season, but they’ve scored three or more in each of their most recent wins to outscore opponents 27-8 over the past six games. Their one loss was a one-goal defeat to the Canadiens.
Rangers left wing Adam Sykora (C) celebrates his goal with his teammates past Florida Panthers in the third period at Madison Square Garden. New York, USA, Sunday, March 29, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Certain rookie additions to the lineup — such as Adam Sykora, Jaroslav Chmelar and Gabe Perreault — have bolstered the offense in more ways than one.
Perreault posted his first career NHL hat trick this past weekend in his 49th game, becoming the fourth Rangers rookie in the past 30 years to score a hat trick and one of five NHL rookies this season to record one. His three multipoint games are tied for the second most among all NHL rookies, whom he has led in points (17) and goals (7) since March 17.
After Will Cuylle recorded his first hat trick Sunday, the day after Perreault, the Rangers had a player score a hat trick in two consecutive games for the first time since 2016 and on consecutive days for the first time since 1982.
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin makes a save while teammate New York Rangers defenseman Drew Fortescue (C) protects the net from Florida Panthers left wing Nolan Foote in the first second at Madison Square Garden. New York. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The last time the Rangers had hat tricks in consecutive games was Matt Puempel (Dec. 29, 2016, at Arizona) and Chris Kreider (Dec. 31, 2016, at Colorado).
Sunday’s 8-1 win over the Capitals at MSG was their largest of the season.
Oh, and a riveting Igor Shesterkin goalie fight was mixed in with all this rare home success.
The Rangers are doing what they can to salvage the pride of Madison Square Garden this season.
SAN JOSE – For weeks, particularly after losses, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky has cautioned his players about needing to bring a different level of play to the rink.
“That’s how the playoffs are going to be,” Warsofsky said frequently.
With the 2025-26 NHL regular season winding down, it seems as if the Sharks have bitten fully into what Warsofsky has been feeding them.
Two days after a gut-wrenching loss to the Nashville Predators that threatened to derail San Jose’s playoff hopes, the Sharks returned to SAP Center and beat a mediocre Chicago Blackhawks team 3-2.
The score was a lot closer than the game actually was. After a somewhat slow start, San Jose got its offense rolling behind William Eklund and kept the fans at the Tank smiling and clapping all night.
“We all know much these points matter and how tight of a race it is,” said Will Smith, who notched the 100th point of his NHL career. “(The vibe has) definitely picked up speed, and we know how important it is.”
The Sharks had high expectations during the offseason, but most were in agreement that the team would need a year or two of development before being considered a true contender.
With players like Smith, Eklund, star Macklin Celebrini and a solid goal-tending tandem of Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic, however, the timetable has been sped up.
They obviously still need some seasoning, both as individuals and as a collective, but the heart within the locker room is beating as strong as ever.
“The young core has kind of learned how to win these games,” Eklund said. “Today everything wasn’t perfect, but we won a game.”
That, in essence, is all that matters, especially at this time of the season.
There’s no value in style points. Just wins and losses. Celebrate the W’s, and learn from the L’s.
“I think we’ve had a lot of growth in individuals and as a team,” Warsofsky said after Monday’s win. “An example tonight, I thought (Michael) Misa was really good. He was skating, he was on the puck. It comes and goes with inconsistencies with that individually, but from a group there’s a lot of good communication and effort to play the right way. …
“The details that we need to play with in certain situations, we’ve seen some real growth for sure.”
Islanders head coach Patrick Roy and players on the bench react during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Mathew Barzal is familiar with the business.
Nearly a decade removed from making his NHL debut with the Islanders, the 28-year-old forward has played games under five head coaches.
Jack Capuano was fired midseason, months after leading the franchise to their first playoff series victory in 23 years. Doug Weight was gone after less than two full seasons. Barry Trotz was fired one year after the Islanders made their second consecutive run to the conference finals. And Lane Lambert was let go before finishing his second season with the team.
What could surprise Barzal now?
“When [John Tortorella] got hired in [Las] Vegas the other week, I kind of laughed, [coming] with eight games left,” Barzal said Monday. “And then this happens. There was no sense of that.”
The shock of Patrick Roy’s firing was still evident after Monday’s practice on Long Island, less than 24 hours after the head coach was dismissed with four games remaining in the regular season.
Islanders players staunchly defended Roy, denying he had lost the locker room near the tail end of his third season in charge, shouldering the blame for the season-worst four-game losing streak that has put the team’s playoff hopes in jeopardy.
“We all love Patty and wish that we could have done better over the last 10 days,” Barzal said. “You look in the mirror and there’s chances that I missed … As competitors, you feel disappointment, just thinking you could have done more.
“The biggest thing I’ll take away from Patrick is just the accountability and the honesty within the room … He was so honest in discussion, and the way he looked you in the eye and was completely honest with you. Never told a lie. And that’s something you really appreciate out of a coach.
Islanders head coach Patrick Roy and players on the bench react during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“But I think at this time of the year you can’t let anything linger too long. You move on as a player. You ride with what you’re given. You wake up this morning and you’re excited to give everything you’ve got.”
It was time to move on because there is so little time left in the season, so little time to become acquainted with new coach Pete DeBoer and the basics of a structure that has allowed him to lead four different teams to the conference finals.
“He was being honest with us about what we can do better,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said following Monday’s practice. “He’s had a lot of success everywhere he’s been and we’ll listen to everything he has to say. It’s not gonna be a problem to buy into his system. It’s exciting to have that little reset and fresh start.”
New Islanders coach Peter DeBoer hits the ice. New York Islanders/Kathryn Howell
Star rookie Matthew Schaefer shared similar enthusiasm, speaking of the opportunity to learn from the accomplished coach.
And despite the sudden change, the team’s mindset remains the same.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position to expect to make the playoffs,” captain Anders Lee said. “We can go out there and get this thing done.”
A coach can only do so much, center Brayden Schenn said:
