MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield became the first Montreal player to score 50 goals in a season in more than three decades and Juraj Slafkovsky scored a tiebreaker with just over a minute remaining as the Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a fight-filled game Thursday night.
Slafkovsky scored his 30th at 18:56 of the third period and Nick Suzuki had two assists to raise his season total to 70 for Montreal (47-22-10). Jakub Dobes made 17 saves for his seventh consecutive win.
Darren Raddysh scored for Tampa Bay (48-25-6), which lost its third straight game. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots.
Caufield beat Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot at 6:29 of the second period for the milestone goal in front of a frenzied crowd at the Bell Centre that included Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Caufield became the seventh Canadiens player to hit the 50-goal mark, and the first since Stéphane Richer in 1989-90.
Raddysh tied the game with 1:51 remaining in the third period with the goalie pulled before Slafkovsky scored with 64 seconds left on a pass from Suzuki.
The Canadiens, Lightning and Buffalo Sabres are locked in a three-way race for first place in the Atlantic Division with three regular-season games remaining for Montreal and Tampa Bay, and two left for Buffalo. Montreal moved two points ahead of Tampa Bay and two behind Buffalo for the division lead.
The game featured several scrums after the whistle, a spirited fight between Montreal’s Josh Anderson and Tampa Bay’s Declan Carlile, and seven 10-minute misconducts — culminating in 126 penalty minutes. The second period alone had more than 100, with players packing in to both penalty boxes.
Up next
Lightning: At the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
Canadiens: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Fabian Zetterlund scored a pair of goals and the Ottawa Senators moved closer to securing a playoff berth with a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
The Senators hold the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, leading the New York Islanders by three points with three games remaining. Ottawa plays at New York on Saturday. The Senators are two points back of Boston for the first East wild card.
With their third straight win, the Senators (42-27-10) wrapped up their five-game homestand with a 4-1-0 record, with the lone loss coming against Minnesota.
Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Girot also scored for Ottawa, and Linus Ullmark made 21 saves. Jesper Boqvist scored for the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Ottawa added reinforcement to its blueline, with Thomas Chabot returning exactly two weeks after having surgery for a broken arm. Chabot was initially expected to miss four to eight weeks.
Ottawa took a 3-0 lead 3:03 into the third period. Zub grabbed a rebound of a shot by Jake Sanderson and snapped a shot to the far side to beat Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 25 shots.
The Panthers finally solved Ullmark at 14:17 of the third. A.J. Greer found Boqvist at the top of the slot and Boqvist squeezed a shot under Ullmark’s right arm.
Giroux added an empty-netter with 3:17 remaining to put any hope of a comeback out of reach. Nineteen seconds later, Zetterlund scored his second of the game.
The Senators have outscored opponents 17-6 during their three-game winning streak.
Florida recalled defensemen Marek Alscher and Ludvig Jansson from their American Hockey League affiliate. The two made their NHL debuts.
Up next
Panthers: At Toronto on Saturday.
Senators: Visit the Islanders on Saturday as they seek to solidify their playoff position.
NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Schaefer tied the NHL record for goals by a rookie defenseman, and the Islanders defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Thursday night in Peter DeBoer’s first game as New York’s coach.
Cal Ritchie had a goal and an assist, and Ilya Sorokin finished with 13 saves as the Islanders snapped a four-game skid. Brayden Schenn, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman also scored, and Tony DeAngelo added two assists.
DeBoer was hired Sunday after the Islanders fired Patrick Roy amid a late-season slide that saw the team lose seven of 10 games. New York remains in contention for a wild-card playoff spot, trailing Ottawa by three points with three games left.
Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto. Artur Akhtyamov made 39 saves for the Maple Leafs, who lost their fifth straight.
Schaefer’s goal midway through the second period was his 23rd of the season to match Hall of Famer Brian Leetch’s record for a rookie defender, set in 1988-89 for the New York Rangers. His shot through Akhtyamov’s legs put the Islanders ahead 3-2.
Heineman scored late in the second for a two-goal advantage, and Ritchie added a power-play goal midway through the third period to put the game out of reach.
New York scored twice in the first five minutes to open the DeBoer era.
Schenn opened the scoring at 2:08 of the first period, finishing a feed from Ritchie on a delayed penalty. Pageau added a goal later in the period, depositing his own rebound to extend the Islanders’ lead to 2-0.
The Florida Panthers put up a good fight against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, but the playoff-hungry Sens were just too much for the Cats to handle.
What ended up as a 5-1 defeat was frustrating for Florida everywhere but in the standings, where the Panthers continue to trend toward finishing in a spot that will give them a top-10 draft pick.
Ottawa got the scoring started early in the first thanks to Gus Forsling tripping penalty.
A long shot by Jake Sanderson was heading wide of the net, but the puck deflected off the legs of Drake Batherson and past Sergei Bobrovsky at the 6:49 mark.
Later in the period, Lars Eller found Fabian Zetterlund alone in the slot and he made a quick move to his forehand before sending a wrist shot past Bobrovsky’s glove.
Florida played a much better middle frame, outshooting Ottawa 8-5, but the score remained 2-0 after 40 minutes.
The Senators kept the pressure on once the third period arrived.
Similarly to their first goal, this one also came on a shot by Sanderson that missed the net.
This time, the puck bounced off the back boards and came right back out in front, allowing defenseman Artem Zub to come down from the point and blast a one-timer by the blocker of Bobrovsky.
Zub’s fifth goal of the season gave Ottawa a 3-0 lead at the 3:03 mark of the third period.
Florida finally got on the scoreboard late in the third, ending Linus Ullmark’s shutout bid.
An excellent backhand pass by A.J. Greer found Jesper Boqvist in the slot, and a hard wrist shot tricked through Ullmark with 5:43 to go.
Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice pulled Bobrovsky with 4:05 on the clock to attempt a late comeback attempt.
A giveaway in the neutral zone by Mackie Samoskevich to Claude Giroux led to the latter scoring from his side of the red line, and then 17 seconds later with Bobrovsky back in the net, Zetterlund scored his second of the game to make it 5-1 Senators.
On to Toronto for the last road game of the season.
Photo caption: Apr 9, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) scores against Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored as part of his two-point game, Sidney Crosby set up two goals and Kris Letang had an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched a playoff spot by defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday night.
The Penguins are playoff-bound for the first time since 2022, ending a three-year drought that followed a streak of qualifying 16 seasons in a row. Crosby, Malkin and Letang have been around for all of it, including Stanley Cup runs in 2009, ‘16 and ’17.
Bryan Rust, who was part of the back-to-back championships, scored his 29th goal of the season on Pittsburgh’s first shot of the game.
Newcomers helped make the latest bid possible, including winger Egor Chinakov, who had a goal and two assists, and netminder Stuart Skinner, who made 19 saves and was serenated by “STUUUU” chants from visiting fans in attendance. Each player was acquired by trade in December.
Skinner stopped all seven shots he faced and got a fortunate break with a puck off the post before Rust gave the Penguins the lead. He turned aside former Edmonton teammate Connor Brown later in the first, before allowing a pair of goals in the second.
Tommy Novak also had a goal for the Penguins, and Erik Karlsson sealed it with an empty-netter.
U.S. Olympic hero Jack Hughes scored, and Jake Allen made 26 saves in net for the Devils. The team announced earlier Thursday the decision to shut down young defenseman Luke Hughes for the remainder of the season so he could undergo a procedure to address a lingering undisclosed injury and be ready for training camp in September.
Up next
Devils: Visit Detroit on Saturday in another crucial game for the Red Wings in their playoff chase.
Penguins: Host the Capitals on Saturday in the first half of a home-and-home series that could be the final two games between Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 09: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his goal during the second period of the game against the New Jersey Devils on April 9, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins are without the services of Connor Dewar (undisclosed lower body injury, day-to-day) so Avery Hayes slots back into the lineup. The Penguins do get Stuart Skinner back from his eye injury and he starts.
Their opponents, the Devils, are working with these players and lines for the night, sans Luke Hughes who was shut down for the rest of this season to get ready for next year.
Pittsburgh strikes first 4:53 into the game, it’s Bryan Rust with his 29th goal of the season. Egor Chinakhov freezes everyone from the middle of the ice looking for his big shot but he dishes off to Rust.
The Devils get the first power play of the game when Anthony Mantha clears the puck over the glass.
The teams skate back and forth for rest of the period, New Jersey catches Pittsburgh pinching a couple of times for odd man rushes the other way, nothing Skinner can’t handle.
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 9, 2026
The Pens get a flurry of chances near the net at the end of the period but Sidney Crosby can’t quite get the puck in.
Good start, shots are 15-10 PIT after one period and they’re out in front.
Second period
Game ambles on, Pittsburgh has a 5-1 shot advantage in the first 10 minutes of the period and then New Jersey scores on their second shot of the period. Paul Cotter hangs behind the Pens’ defense, an elevated pass springs him on a breakaway. Cotter makes some moves, dekes to the backhand and tucks it past Skinner.
Pittsburgh answers back within two minutes to re-take the lead. It’s their turn for an odd-man rush up the ice, Erik Karlsson makes a pass to Evgeni Malkin who quickly dishes over for Tommy Novak. Novak makes no mistake quickly whipping a puck to the top shelf. 2-1 game.
Eight seconds after that goal, the Pens strike again. Ryan Shea does basically what NJ did to score their goal when he lifts a puck way up in the air and lets Chinakhov skate into it. Chinakhov catches up to it and quickly hacks the rolling puck past Jake Allen. 3-1 game, out of nowhere.
Jack Hughes gets in on the goal-scoring action, winding up around the zone and snapping a shot that deflects off Parker Wotherspoon in front and dips into the net. 3-2
Game opened up a bit in the second, the Penguins are able to leave it the same way they entered: up by a goal.
Third period
New Jersey gets a good chance and Skinner makes a big save. That proves to be huge because Pittsburgh finds the next goal soon after, while in the midst of a line change. Chinakhov makes a great pass over for Crosby, he can’t score on the backhand but throws it back to try and bank it off the goalie. Then Malkin roars off the bench and crashes the net to swoop in and take care of it. Big swing to extend the lead to 4-2.
Elmer Soderblom gets tripped to the point where the refs can’t ignore it and they make their first penalty call of the game besides the automatic call on Mantha from the first. No dice on the power play.
The Devils pull Allen with 3:45 to go for an extra attacker. Crosby and Malkin miss the empty net, Erik Karlsson does not. That’s the dagger to set the final score at 5-2 .
Some thoughts
This game wasn’t quite preseason/exhibition pace but there wasn’t a ton of players finishing their checks or going excessively hard physically at one another. Hits were officially just 11-7 in favor of NJD, that 11 looks mighty generous too. There were hardly any post-whistle scrums (aside from Noel Acciari and Nico Hischier getting cross with each other at the end of the second period). The Devils are one foot into the offseason and the Penguins were just fine at not making the game any harder than it needed to be. Pittsburgh only blocked nine shots as a team, partially because of how the game unfolded and partially because it wasn’t needed. There only one penalty called all game (considering the Mantha infraction was an automatically enforced rule violation).
That makes it tough to have a lot of thoughts or observations, it’s not like both teams were completely phoning it in or going through the motions but the intensity naturally wasn’t raging either. Lots of forwards cheating on defense and hanging back for home run passes on both sides, almost like the most skilled beer league game you’ve ever seen. Just kinda a game that needed to happen because it was already on the schedule.
It was good to see Skinner show no ill effects from his eye injury. Definitely had to see the puck and plays getting tested early with some very good chances. He got beat on a breakaway but stopped his fair share of odd-man rushes and also made a big save up 3-2 in the third period, just before his team scored and really put the game out of reach. Situtationally the team just needs that steady play and making that one key save, Skinner did his part of that tonight.
Tommy Novak came into the game on a 12-game goal drought as practically the only Penguin forward who isn’t red hot right now, he made that a thing of the past. Always nice to see that end, Novak tends to get his goals and points in bunches so who knows, maybe he’ll be the next one to get on a hot streak.
Getting hot hasn’t been a problem for Chinakhov who put three more points in the bank with a goal and two assists. With his wheels and shot, he can do it all.
The off days look like they treated Malkin well. He had a lot of burst and energy out there, resulting in a multi-point game (1G+1A). Fittingly enough, Crosby (2A) and Karlsson (1G+1A) also ended up with multiple points on the playoff clinching night for all the big boys to double dip and bring the production.
There wasn’t a huge celebration for the team on the ice, a fairly business-like acknowledgement of the goalie and each other and then right off the ice. Doesn’t look like a team that’s content simply to be qualified for the dance, as it should be really. They’ve had a great year and have earned the right to be happy but today isn’t any sort of finish line for them.
As of press time, the Flyers are losing 5-2 in the third period to Detroit. Should Philadelphia go onto lose that game, Pittsburgh will secure the second spot in the division and be able to totally treat these final three games of the regular season as a tune up for what comes next.
And what comes next, for the first time since 2022, will be postseason hockey in Western Pennsylvania. The Pens punched their ticket in typical fashion by scoring a ton tonight and riding that offense to a victory.
Calgary Flames defenceman Olli Maatta is set to reach a major career milestone on Thursday night, skating in his 800th National Hockey League game as the Flames take on the Colorado Avalanche.
The veteran blueliner enters the contest with 208 points (44 goals and 164 assists) over 799 career games, a testament to both his durability and steady presence on the back end.
Originally selected 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft, Maatta quickly established himself as a reliable defender at the NHL level. He played a key role in Pittsburgh’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, adding championship pedigree to his resume early in his career.
Internationally, the Jyväskylä, Finland native has also won two Olympic bronze medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
Over the course of his NHL career, Maatta has suited up for the Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, the Utah Mammoth, and now the Flames.
The Anaheim Ducks announced on Wednesday that the Ducks’ chapter of the PHWA has nominated goaltender Ville Husso for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Trophy. The Masterton is annually awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
The winner will be selected at the end of the 2025-26 by all 32 chapters of the PHWA.
“It’s a couple of injuries a couple of years ago, and it took me a while to feel good and feel confident in net again,” Husso said on his journey to this nomination. “Ever since I came here, in Anaheim and San Diego, it’s been good stuff, and just trying to enjoy it.
“The hockey goes fast. Seasons go fast. So, just try to enjoy every day, every moment, and just have fun.”
Husso (31) was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of the 2024-25 NHL trade deadline, on Feb. 25, in exchange for future considerations. He had the remainder of the season on his contract and was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025.
He was brought in as a veteran third-string option for the Ducks who could receive NHL minutes, which was necessary down the stretch last season, given John Gibson’s nagging ailments at the time.
General manager Pat Verbeek and the Ducks’ front office were impressed enough with his performance that they signed Husso to a two-year contract extension with a $2.2 million cap hit.
“It’s very nice to be a part of the Ducks right now, and we’re in a good spot as a team too,” Husso said. “The team is going in the right direction and playing meaningful games this time of year. It’s what you want as a hockey player.”
Husso had a breakout season with the St. Louis Blues in 2021-22, ending the season with a 25-7-6 record, a .919 SV%, and three shutouts. That offseason, his signing rights were traded to the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick. He assumed the role as Detroit’s apparent starter of the future, and they signed him to a three-year contract with a $4.75 million AAV.
In his first season with Detroit, he started 56 games, notched a 26-22-7 record, an .896 SV%, and four shutouts. In his next two seasons in Detroit, he dealt with injuries, unfavorable results, and was eventually passed on the Red Wings depth chart by goaltenders like Alex Lyon, James Reimer, and Cam Talbot.
He started the 2024-25 season on waivers, went unclaimed, and was eventually traded to the Ducks’ organization. His Detroit tenure ended with 84 games played, a .892 SV%, and four shutouts.
Husso’s game was reinvigorated after his trade in late Feb. 2025, both with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL and Anaheim Ducks in the NHL. To finish his campaign, Husso played nine games with the Gulls, posting a 7-2-0 record, a .907 SV%, and two shutouts.
He was recalled to Anaheim on two occasions last season, and finished with a 1-1-1 record in four games and a stellar .925 SV%.
He began the 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he was excellent again and was recalled to Anaheim for good when it was announced that then-backup Petr Mrazek would be unavailable for the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury.
This year, in one of the NHL’s worst on-ice environments for goaltenders, the Ducks’ tandem of Lukas Dostal and Husso backing him up has been a stabilizing presence and is one of the more significant factors to their rise to playoff contention in 2025-26.
“The guys have been very nice here, and it’s nice to be a part of this group,” Husso continued. “A guy like Dosty, following him every day, makes you even five percent better, too. Very nice to be part of this organization and team.”
With four games remaining on the Ducks’ schedule, Husso, thus far, has started 18 games, made 19 appearances, notched a 9-8-2 record, an .887 SV%, and has saved -.87 goals above expected.
Though the numbers are unspectacular, Husso grabbed hold of an opportunity in Dec, when Dostal was sidelined with an upper-body injury, offering a steadying performance at a time when the Ducks’ season could have been derailed.
When he’s in net, he does all one can ask of a backup goaltender: he makes the saves he has to and gives the team in front of him a chance to win. He’s not the most athletic goalie in the NHL, nor is he the best game manager. However, his knowledge of his angles, puck tracking, and decision-making on when to challenge or make an aggressive effort shines when he’s in net.
Husso has one more year on his contract with Anaheim that carries a $2.2 million cap hit, and will likely remain Dostal’s backup for the 2026-27 season.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield is the first Montreal Canadiens player to score 50 goals in a season in more than three decades.
Caufield scored his 50th against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night to hit the mark last reached by Stephane Richer in 1990, 35 seasons ago.
"Whenever he has a chance to shoot it, there’s a high chance it’s going in," captain Nick Suzuki said last week. “He’s just playing the right way, doing the right things and he’s getting rewarded for it.”
The 25-year-old from Wisconsin is the seventh player in franchise history to score 50 goals. Guy LaFleur did it six times, Richer twice and Maurice Richard, Steve Shutt, Bernie Geoffrion and Pierre Larouche once each.
Caufield is right there with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon in the NHL goal-scoring race for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. His 86 points in his first 77 games were already 16 clear of his previous career high, and his play is helping Montreal cruise into the playoffs.
“We’re focused on our team game and winning games, and I think individual stuff comes with that,” Caufield said, echoing a refrain from coach Martin St Louis, a Hall of Fame player. “But doing the right things, you get more chances and opportunities.”
The Colorado Avalanche extended their Frostbite winning streak with a 3–2 win in their latest NHL 26 simulation.
Goals from Gabe Landeskog, Josh Manson, and Martin Nečas powered Colorado, while Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 22 shots. Adam Klapka and Matt Coronato scored for Calgary.
To reiterate, this was not real. A video of the actual simulation is here.
First Period
Valeri Nichushkin stayed red hot early, skating end-to-end before circling the net and finding Manson for a one-timer from the top of the right circle to open the scoring at 3:54.
Connor Zary drove much of Calgary’s offense in the opening frame, generating multiple chances, but Blackwood held firm with a series of strong saves. He denied Zary with a blocker stop midway through the period, then flashed the glove moments later on a chance from John Beecher.
The Flames eventually broke through. After an offensive-zone faceoff win, Yegor Sharangovich tied up Brock Nelson, allowing Klapka to jump on a loose puck from the right wing. He fired a backhand on goal and buried his own rebound to tie the game.
After one period, the score was 1–1, with Calgary holding a 12–10 edge in shots.
Second Period
Colorado came out flying in the second, firing three quick shots to start the frame, but Calgary’s defense and goaltending held up.
The Avalanche took a hit at 2:57 when Sam Malinski blocked a shot and was forced to leave the game with an apparent injury, later ruled out for the remainder.
Parker Kelly was assessed a cross-checking penalty, giving Calgary its first power play, but Colorado’s penalty kill stood tall.
Blackwood delivered one of his best saves of the night shortly after, robbing Ryan Strome with a spectacular split save and blocker stop.
Despite Colorado outshooting Calgary 10–3 in the period, the game remained tied 1–1 heading into the third.
Third Period
Calgary grabbed the lead just 1:14 into the third when Coronato capitalized on a broken play. He held the puck patiently before beating Blackwood top shelf to make it 2–1.
Colorado responded after Yan Kuznetsov was sent to the box for holding. On the ensuing power play, Nečas finished off a setup from Nathan MacKinnon, who won a race to the boards and slipped a quick pass into the slot for the tying goal.
The Avalanche controlled much of the play down the stretch but struggled to break through—until the final moments.
With just 35 seconds remaining, Landeskog scored on the backhand to give Colorado a 3–2 lead, sealing the win.
P.S.
Sam Malinski's character model on NHL 26 looks nothing like Sam Malinski at all.
The Vancouver Canucks will be missing Evander Kane when they begin their three-game California road trip on Thursday. After morning skate, Head Coach Adam Foote confirmed that Kane did not make the trip and said, "He's going through some stuff. He's been fighting through it. Along with that, and us wanting to go with some young guys."
While Foote has mentioned a few times that Kane has been dealing with an injury, no specifics have been released. This includes what the injury is and when exactly Kane suffered it. Kane has missed three of the last four games for Vancouver and has skated in 71 of the team's 77 games this year.
With Kane out for the road trip, the question now is whether or not he will play again this season. The Canucks have only five games left, with the final regular-season game scheduled for April 16. Kane is an unrestricted free agent this season and ranks sixth on Vancouver's roster with 31 points.
The Canucks kick off their California road trip on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. Thursday is a must-win game for the Kings, as they look to secure a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm PT.
Mar 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) skates with the puck during the third period against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
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Mar 31, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view as members of the Calgary Flames against the Colorado Avalanche face off in the third period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Calgary Flames would more than likely prefer to forget what happened the last time they met the Colorado Avalanche.
The 9-2 final score painted the picture of a blowout loss, but a closer look reveals that the Avalanche scored five goals in the first five minutes of the game, so just calling it a blowout kind of comes up short.
Well, the theme of the regular season has been the revenge game, and Calgary has a chance to follow the rule and steal one from Colorado at Ball Arena.
Can they pull off the upset, or will the Avalanche once again be too much for the team from Cowtown?
Colorado Avalanche: 51-16-10
The Opponent: Calgary Flames (32-36-9)
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche have won the West and Central Division while still seeking the Presidents’ Trophy, but will their home-ice struggles come back to bite them yet again?
Colorado is 3-1-6 at home since returning from the Olympic break, which is kind of ironic, considering the Avalanche’s reward for regular-season success is home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Avalanche will be without Nazem Kadri, who left during the second period of Colorado’s victory over St. Louis. Just when they finally got to ice their full arsenal of forward talent.
#Avs coach Jared Bednar didn't have an official update on Nazem Kadri, but did say it could be a pain tolerance situation as to whether or not he'll play in the next game or if he needs to sit.
Bednar made sure to note they still need one more win to clinch home ice completely.
The Flames did test the Dallas Stars their last time out but fell 4-3 in OT. This does display a capability to steal one, and after what we saw from Colorado on home ice against Vancouver on April Fools Day, anything is possible.
CHICAGO (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield was scratched for Thursday night's game at Chicago because of an unspecified injury.
Chatfield took just two shifts in the third period of Tuesday night's 6-5 overtime victory over Boston. He has two goals and a career-high 15 assists in 71 games this season.
“You're always concerned when guys are missing,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I hope it's not anything that's going to drag on, but put it this way, he's not 100 percent so he's not playing.”
The Hurricanes clinched the Metropolitan Division title with their win against the Bruins. They were on top of the Eastern Conference going into Thursday's action, two points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres.
Defenseman Jaccob Slavin and forwards Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov also were scratched for the matchup with the Blackhawks. The reasons for their absences were undisclosed.
“We got a couple guys (that) got nicked up the other night," Brind’Amour said before the lineup was announced.
Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault and forwards Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau and Josiah Slavin were active one day after they were recalled from Carolina's American Hockey League affiliate.
Skyler Brind’Amour is the coach's son, and Slavin is the younger brother of Jaccob Slavin. Skyler Brind’Amour scored a goal in two games with the Hurricanes last April, and Josiah Slavin had an assist in 15 games with the Blackhawks during the 2021-22 season in his only previous NHL action.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 08: Brenden Dillon #5 of the New Jersey Devils and Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins fight during the first period of a NHL game at Prudential Center on November 8, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
