PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored twice, Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Sunday.
Rakell scored his first goal for the Penguins with 48 seconds left in the first period on the power play, assisted on by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. His second came with 1:52 left in the second period.
Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom also scored for the Penguins. Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Schwindt each scored for the Panthers.
Pittsburgh's Arturs Silovs stopped 29 shots after tandem mate Stuart Skinner was ruled out with an upper-body injury. Daniil Tarasov allowed five goals on 23 shots in defeat.
Up next
Penguins: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Panthers: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
MONTREAL, CANADA - FEBRUARY 08: Dawson Mercer #91 of the New Jersey Devils and Juraj Slafkovsky #20 of the Montreal Canadiens skate against each other during the third period at the Bell Centre on February 8, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (39-34-3) versus the Montreal Canadiens (45-21-10)
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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 05: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal with Evgeni Malkin #71 against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins use the same lineup from yesterday — including in net with Arturs Silovs playing. Taylor Gauthier got the quick call up from Wheeling last minute to serve as backup, Stuart Skinner was unavailable with an upper body injury.
Pittsburgh strikes first, Tarasov clears the puck to the wall but unfortunately for him it serves as a pass almost straight to Elmer Soderblom. Soderblom accepts the gift and quickly fires it back into the unguarded cage.
Pittsburgh is able to answer right back 35 seconds later. Sidney Crosby shows off the jets streaking down the left side and scores from distance. 2-1, Pens back in front.
Parker Wotherspoon and Matthew Tkachuk drop the gloves in a fight, Tkachuk picks up an extra minor penalty and the Pens score a back-breaking goal before the end of period to extend their lead to 3-1. Rickard Rakell takes a feed from Crosby and whips it into the net.
WELCOME TO RAK CITY.
Rickard Rakell is riding an eight-game point streak (9G-3A) with goals in five straight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Mn803paAd9
Most of this period looked like a continuation from yesterday, a very good thing for the Penguins to keep taking care of business.
Second period
The teams go up and back the ice, in a way going through the motions while still bringing some level of chippiness. Rakell stays red hot and scores another goal late in the period, taking a pass from Evgeni Malkin and adding to the lead to 4-1.
The Pens tack on another, why not. Crosby makes a spinning backhand pass that isn’t particularly good but Bryan Rust has plenty of time and space to spin around and receive it. Rust then gets to the net and scores. 5-1.
Connor Clifton takes his second penalty of the period and the Panthers make them pay. Carter Verhaeghe makes his stats for the end of the season look a little better with the late goal. 5-2.
The offensive production right now is just electric with 30 goals in the last five games, the first stretch for the franchise since the ‘Score Lords’ days of 1996 with Lemieux, Francis and Jagr. The wild thing about the current run is it’s not star-driven, it’s been incredibly balanced with every line pitching in and consistent contributions from all over the place.
That being said, the big boys are starting to get it going. Malkin followed up his hat trick yesterday with two assists today. Crosby looked the best he has in a long while since dealing with his dual leg injuries of the last few months. Three-point night, which is great, seeing the captain showcase the skating ability and finishing touch to score from distance was an even better sign.
Rakell, too, has been unbelievable lately. Go play center? No problem. Rakell has scored 10 goals in the last 10 games, and he has at least one goal in eight of the last 10 games.
The goalie situation might have just gotten interesting. Skinner was able to serve as backup yesterday but apparently something happened recently that wasn’t allowing him to dress today. The team reportedly didn’t have enough time to physically get Sergei Murashov from Wilkes-Barre to Pittsburgh in time for the 3pm start, so they went somewhat local to bring Taylor Gauthier up from Wheeling to serve as something of a professional EBUG for the day. According to Josh Yohe at The Athletic, Murashov would be coming to Pittsburgh if Skinner is going to miss more time. That’s an area worth watching in the coming days, though since the next game isn’t until Thursday, there is some time to figure things out and see where it goes.
Interestingly though, Silovs was decent enough today, certainly his best performance in a long while. It’s been well-documented that goalies see a drop off in stats when they’re asked to play two days in a row. But it’s goalies, right? So of course someone like Silovs who has struggled lately actually ends up playing his best game in a while on his second day in a row.
Great weekend for the Pens to take care of business and win two relatively drama-free games against an eliminated opponent. Pittsburgh’s playoff magic number is down to just 2, and there’s a pretty good chance that the next time they take the ice on Thursday in New Jersey that they will have already officially clinched a playoff berth due to the outside results over the next few days.
The Florida Panthers wrapped up their weekend back-to-back in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately for the Cats, the back-end of the weekend doubleheader didn’t go any better than the opener, as Florida fell again on Sunday by a final score of 5-2.
The Penguins picked up the game’s opening goal, and it came after a turnover off the stick of Florida’s goaltender.
Daniil Tarasov came up toward the slot to try and clear a loose puck, but a stick-check by Connor Dewar caused Tarasov to partially whiff on his clear. The puck then went straight toward Elmer Soderblom, who smartly one-timed the puck back toward the vacated net, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead exactly 11 minutes into the game.
Florida would get the equalizer at the 16:15 mark after a Gus Forsling keep at the Penguins blue line and a spinning pass by Vinnie Hinostroza led to a slot shot by Cole Schwindt for his fourth goal of the season.
The game didn’t stay tied for long, though.
Sidney Crosby netted his 29th of the year to put the Pens up 2-1, and then Rickard Rakell scored for the second day in a row to send Pittsburgh into the first intermission with a two-goal advantage.
That’s how the score would remain until late in the middle frame, with Rakell picked up his second of the night when a friendly bounce off the back boards gave him a high-danger look from the low slot, beating Tarasov over the glove.
Bryan Rust got in on the fun early in the third period, taking a pass from Crosby and going in along on Tarasov before firing a backhand that was stepped up Tarasov but still found a way to bounce into the net, making it 5-1 Penguins.
It wasn’t until late in the game, but Florida finally found a way to stop the bleeding thanks to a power play goal by Carter Verhaeghe with 5:45 to go.
Florida wouldn’t get any closer than that.
They depart Pittsburgh having been outscored 14-6 while visiting the Pens.
Photo caption: Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Daniil Tarasov (40) makes a save against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. (Mark Alberti-Imagn Images)
Former Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy was dismissed by the New York Islanders on Sunday, a decision that, while not entirely unexpected, still arrives at a striking point late in the season with only four games remaining.
A Sudden Ending In Long Island
Roy’s departure follows a difficult stretch for the Islanders, who have gone 3–7–0 in their last 10 games and are currently clinging to playoff positioning. A four-game losing streak appears to have accelerated the organization’s decision-making process, ultimately leading to the mid-April coaching change.
While the timing of the move is notable, speculation surrounding Roy’s future had been building for some time. Even early in the season, questions persisted about his long-term fit with the club. Despite that, the Islanders entered the year with Roy behind the bench, and at one point appeared positioned to return to the postseason.
Roy initially helped stabilize the franchise after taking over midway through the 2023–24 campaign, guiding the Islanders to an unexpected playoff berth. That success, however, was followed by a disappointing 2024–25 season, which placed him firmly on the hot seat entering this year. Although the Islanders showed stretches of improved play during the current campaign, inconsistency in the second half ultimately proved costly.
Roy’s Avalanche Tenure And Coaching Arc
Roy’s firing in New York also brings renewed attention to his earlier coaching tenure with the Colorado Avalanche, where he made a significant impact both on and off the ice.
Hired in 2013, Roy immediately turned the Avalanche into one of the league’s most competitive teams, earning the Jack Adams Award in his first season as head coach. Under his leadership, Colorado captured the Central Division title and posted a 52-win season in 2013–14, a dramatic turnaround from the year prior.
Roy as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.
However, his time with the Avalanche came to an abrupt and unexpected end in 2016 when Roy resigned from his position, citing differences in organizational philosophy and a lack of input on personnel decisions. At the time, his departure caught the hockey world off guard, as detailed in reporting from ESPN, which noted Roy’s desire for a greater role in hockey operations alongside coaching responsibilities.
Roy’s resignation marked the end of a highly visible and at times volatile tenure in Colorado, where his intense coaching style and strong opinions on roster construction were both assets and sources of internal tension.
New Leadership In New York
In the wake of Roy’s dismissal, the Islanders moved quickly to appoint Peter DeBoer as his replacement. DeBoer, most recently the head coach of the Dallas Stars, brings extensive NHL experience and a track record of postseason success.
DeBoer is also familiar to Avalanche fans, having led the Stars to a seven-game victory over Colorado in a hard-fought first-round playoff series last season. He was also behind the bench when the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Avalanche in the second round in 2021. His arrival in New York sets the stage for a new direction behind the Islanders’ bench, particularly as the franchise looks to stabilize its late-season performance and secure a playoff berth.
With the Islanders’ playoff hopes still alive, the organization is hoping the coaching change provides a late boost in performance. For Roy, the dismissal adds another chapter to a coaching career that has been marked by both early success and abrupt transitions.
As the offseason approaches, Roy’s name is likely to surface in connection with future NHL coaching vacancies, though it remains to be seen where his next opportunity will come.
While NHL conversations often center around iconic offensive pairings like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, or Nikita Kucherov alongside Brayden Point, one of the league’s most productive duos continues to operate with far less attention in Winnipeg.
For much of the season, the offensive chemistry between Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor has quietly matched, and in some cases surpassed, the headline combinations that dominate league-wide discussion. Yet outside of Winnipeg, the pairing still rarely receives the same spotlight.
That lack of recognition persisted even after the Winnipeg Jets delivered the best regular season in franchise history, capturing their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy after finishing atop the NHL standings.
Winnipeg’s consistency throughout the year made them one of the league’s most complete teams, but much of the attention still landed elsewhere.
Now, Scheifele and Connor are once again making a strong case for greater recognition. The longtime linemates have factored in on 60 goals together this season, the highest total by any duo in the NHL.
That number reflects not only individual talent, but also a connection built through years of playing together and understanding each other’s tendencies in all areas of the offensive zone.
Their chemistry has become one of Winnipeg’s defining strengths. Connor remains one of the NHL’s most reliable finishers, while Scheifele continues to drive play with his vision and ability to create scoring chances under pressure. When one produces, the other is often directly involved, a pattern that has become familiar for Jets fans over several seasons.
Even with that production, Winnipeg often remains overlooked in league-wide conversations, particularly when compared with larger markets or teams built around more publicly celebrated stars.
Jets fans, however, have long recognized that Scheifele and Connor belong in any serious discussion of the NHL’s elite offensive tandems.
If hockey fans did not fully notice them during a Presidents’ Trophy season, they may not be able to ignore them much longer.
As another strong campaign continues, Winnipeg’s top duo is once again proving that one of the league’s very best partnerships plays in Manitoba, even if the rest of the hockey world is slow to admit it.
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DETROIT (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov completed the sixth hat trick of his NHL career on the power play with 1:51 remaining to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.
The Wild led 4-1 before allowing Detroit to score three times in the third period and tie it. A penalty on Patrick Kane paved the way for Kaprizov to score his third goal of the game.
The Red Wings led the Atlantic Division and were tied for the most points in the Eastern Conference the morning of Jan. 25, with a 12-point playoff cushion. They've lost 12 of 20 games since to fall out of a spot with five left to play.
Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello each had an assist on the go-ahead goal. Vladimir Tarasenko and Boldy each scored for the Wild after Albert Johansson had a goal in the first.
J.T. Compher, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Kane scored on Filip Gustavsson to rally back. Gustavsson finished with 18 saves, while Detroit's Cam Talbot allowed five goals on 20 shots.
Up next
Wild: Host the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.
Red Wings: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Stuck in their first four-game losing streak of the season at a critical point in an unexpected playoff chase, the New York Islanders fired Patrick Roy as head coach and replaced him with Pete DeBoer.
It was shocking in that it came on Easter Sunday, and amid their first sustained struggle in a season where external (if not internal) expectations were limited, and DeBoer now has just six games in this regular season to make some sort of impact.
But with the way the Islanders had played lately, and the degree to which they’ve relied on superlative performances by rookie Calder favorite Matthew Schaefer and Vezina contender Ilya Sorokin, it was common to wonder how long into this summer or next season Mathieu Darche would stick with Roy. The Islanders just began a rare four-day break in their game schedule, so if Darche was thinking of a late-season change for a while, this was the window.
DeBoer, of course, has a long track record of regular season success and long post-season runs, including an odds-defying 9-0 in Games 7. But he’s also had a short, burn-hot-and-fast shelf life in several of his previous stops. His last firing, by the Dallas Stars, came after mounting tension between him and players, including the goalie he threw under the bus after a playoff elimination.
DeBoer is 662-447-152 in 1,261 regular-season games for the Florida Panthers, Devils, San Jose Sharks, Golden Knights and Stars, and 97-82 in 179 Stanley Cup Playoff games while also guiding San Jose to the 2016 Final, a six-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. His teams have advanced to at least the third round of the playoffs each of his past six seasons qualifying for the postseason, and in eight of his 10 overall.
Roy finishes his Islanders tenure with a record of 97-78-22 in 197 games. His lone playoff appearance was when he. replaced Lane Lambert on their way to a traditional five-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. His press conferences and media scrums, if not his on-ice structure, will be missed.
Saturday was an historic day for the Buffalo Sabres, as the club qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 15 years after the Detroit Red Wings lost 4-1 to the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, but the Sabres recent struggles continued, as they fell two points behind Tampa Bay for top spot in the Atlantic and into third place following a 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.
Buffalo fell behind 3-0 less than six minutes into the game, with Alex Lyon being pulled in favor of rookie Colten Ellis. The Sabres narrowed the gap to 3-2 by the end of the first, but the Capitals re-established a two-goal cushion in the middle frame and pulled away with a pair of third-period goals.
The loss marked the Sabres first pair of consecutive regulation losses since before GM Kevyn Adams was fired in early December and the fifth loss in the last seven games (2-3-2). It was also the third straight subpar outing for Lyon, who allowed six goals on 33 shots in an overtime loss to Anaheim on March 22 and four goals on 19 shots against Detroit on March 27.
The Lightning pulled into a two-point lead for top spot with a 3-1 win over Boston on Saturday, and Montreal tied the Sabres with 100 points and into second place based on having a game in hand and a one-game lead in regulation/overtime wins after a 4-3 shootout win in New Jersey. Monday’s matchup against Tampa Bay takes on even more meaning for Buffalo, as it is a must-win to keep their chances of winning the division alive. The Sabres could be two points behind the Habs by that time, since Montreal and the Devils face each other in the second of a home-and-home at the Bell Centre on Sunday night.
Monday's matchup against Tampa is a must win if the Sabres hope to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke after the game:
Thoughts on the slow start in the loss:
We can't defend as poorly as we did on those first couple goals. I mean, we left two guys wide open. Coverage wasn't good, and ends up in the back of the net. We've taken a lot of pride. Our defensive play has been a big reason why we got to where we got. We can't take that for granted. (We took the timeout and) I talked about our defensive zone coverage. Just talked about, we've got to get back, got to stop inside. We were circling. I thought we fought our way back to 3-2, if you look at the second period, we have a two-on-one, we don't execute, would have made the game 3-3, and that two-on-one turned into a two-on-one the other way, and and they finished it (and) made it 4-2, and then now we're chasing the game again.
Did you pull Lyon to change momentum?
Yeah, for sure. He wasn't out there covering those guys that were wide open. He was trying to.
All of a sudden, you are in third place, which seems kind of shocking given on where the club has been for weeks:
You just have to refocus. You look at some of those plays that we made in our own end that weren't good enough. If you start cheating a little bit on offense, it hurts you, and I thought a couple times we got on the wrong side of the puck, and it hurt us. (Turning things around) starts with breaking the puck out. We haven't broke the puck out well enough. I think the first or second goal when (Byram) had it, it should be a play we're breaking the puck out. We turn that over and turnovers like that. When we have the puck, our players are automatically starting to head the other direction. So everything's connected. Break the puck out better, buy a little more time for your defense going back.
The New York Rangers appear to be locked in on utilizing three goaltenders to close out the 2025-26 season.
On March 20, the Rangers recalled Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, with Jonathan Quick dealing with an upper-body injury.
Through Quick’s seven-game absence, Garand played in two games, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.
Since Garand notched his first NHL win on March 27, we haven’t seen him play in a game, which begs the question: Will the Rangers keep him around for the remainder of the season?
As of right now, it does not appear that the Rangers have any intention of sending Garand down to the AHL, but Sullivan hasn’t given confirmation whether or not Garand will get another start.
“Would we like for Dylan to get another start? Potentially, yes,” Sullivan said. “We'll see how it goes moving forward. We have a game plan for him.”
Having three goaltenders up at the same time creates some complications in terms of finding opportunities for all three of them.
Garand served in a backup role behind Shesterkin for much of Quick’s absence, being a healthy scratch for the past two games upon Quick’s return to practice.
Each goalie has been a participant in practice, but it’s difficult to split the repetitions equally, with Shesterkin and Quick receiving most of the work.
Through conversations with Rangers president and general manager Chris Dury as well as goaltending coach Jeff Malcolm, Sullivan has formulated a plan to navigate the three-goalie rotation.
“We have a game plan,” Sullivan said of the Rangers’ three-goalie rotation. “Chris Drury and I have had a conversation around this, so we're very much on the same page on what we think is best and why. That was a lengthy discussion. It's not a decision that we make lightly. I've talked to Shesty, Quickie and Dylan around a tentative game plan on what we think this whole thing might look like...
“Sometimes certain guys go out before practice, and they get repetition. Sometimes it's after practice. Certain guys split the net during the formal practice, depending on what that looks like. The point is, the logistical aspect of that (Jeff Malcolm) and I have had discussions around.”
Sullivan has made clear that, despite the Rangers being eliminated from playoff contention, Shesterkin is still the starting goaltender.
The Rangers have five games remaining this season, and with no back-to-backs in store, it’s possible Shesterkin starts every game to close out the 2025-26 campaign.
Even with the lack of opportunity to get game action at the NHL level, Sullivan believes there is value in keeping Garand with the Blueshirts and allowing him to learn under Shesterkin and Quick.
“I think Quickie and Shesty have been great mentors for Dylan Garand right now,” Sullivan emphasized. “I can see that relationship developing. The example that those two guys set for a guy like Dylan, it's great for Dylan to be around these guys... I think a guy like Dylan right now being around these guys, I think there's huge value in that, and a huge benefit in that.”
The Rangers’ backup goaltending position is up for grabs come next season, and given Garand’s breadth of experience in the AHL and the fact that Quick’s one-year, $1.55 million contract will expire on July 1, it isn’t far-fetched to assume that Garand could take over the position backing up Shesterkin and replace Quick.
The dilemma Sullivan seems to have on his hands is wanting to offer Garand more opportunities in order to see what the organization truly has in him, while also giving Quick the respect he deserves, who could very well be playing in his final NHL season at 40 years old.
“Shesty is an important guy to us. He's the number one guy here, and arguably the best goal in the game. We've had a lot of conversations lately about Quickie and what he means to the New York Rangers,” Sullivan said. “Just his body of work, and certainly, we are respectful of that. We're trying to do the right thing by all of our guys.”
Sullivan has continued to be tight-lipped regarding this three-goalie rotation, so it remains a mystery how it will evolve over these last remaining games.
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 03: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 3, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Mar 30, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy and players on the bench react during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at UBS Arena.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Patrick Roy was fired as coach of the New York Islanders on Sunday, another late-season change in the NHL that comes with the team in the middle of a spring tailspin that has put its playoff chances in jeopardy.
First-year general manager Mathieu Darche announced the abrupt decision to part ways with Roy and name Peter DeBoer his replacement with four games left in the season. The Islanders have lost four in a row and seven of their past 10 games, going from comfortably in a playoff spot to needing help down the stretch in a competitive Eastern Conference race.
Getting outshot 40-16 and losing 4-3 at division-leading Carolina on Saturday night in another must-win game was the final straw for Darche, who took over last summer and decided at the time to keep Roy behind the bench.
Roy is the second head coach fired over the past eight days. The Vegas Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy and hired John Tortorella on an interim basis a week ago.
This is not an interim move. DeBoer is taking the job full time.
The 57-year-old is fresh off serving as an assistant on coach Jon Cooper’s Canada’s staff at the Milan Cortina Olympics, serving as an advanced scout and helping a talented group reach the final before losing to the U.S. in overtime.
“More of preparation was just when everybody arrived here and you’ve got basically three days to prepare, that a lot of the grunt work is done,” DeBoer said in Milan. “I was involved in the scouting selection process. That was totally different for me and an exciting kind of wrinkle in what we usually normally do as coaches.”
DeBoer has taken two teams to the Stanley Cup Final and most recently coached the Dallas Stars to three consecutive trips to the Western Conference final before being fired last year following their latest exit.
Internationally, DeBoer was an assistant for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year and has filled that role at multiple world championships. He called it a great opportunity for learning and perspective, even if being a head coach suits him better.
“Oh yeah, I’m a head coach,” DeBoer said. “I’m a short-term assistant coach. ... You always come back a better head coach for, I think, doing that.”
Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender considered one of the best to ever play the position, was hired by former GM Lou Lamoriello in January 2024 as a midseason replacement for fired coach Lane Lambert. Sparked by his arrival, the team made the playoffs that year and lost in the first round to Carolina. Regression has followed since, though players in recent days still had praise for Roy.
“He cares about the guys in the room,” captain Anders Lee said last week. “I think his messaging this season has been on point and he’s been able to read the room in a really good place and done his best to continue us on this journey of an 82-game hockey season.”
Roy did not make it to game No. 82, nor did he have the kind of public outbursts during games that were part of his first NHL gig with Colorado.
“I heard (about) his temper and stuff, or I’ve seen it over the years, like everybody,” said winger Ondrej Palat, who joined New York in a trade from New Jersey in late January. “He seems very calm. On the bench, he could get heated with all the circumstances that happen in a game. But in the room and around the boys, he’s pretty calm and positive.”
Parting ways with Roy comes at crucial point for the organization. Rookie of the year front-runner Matthew Schaefer has been a revelation in his first NHL season at the age of 18, and several other top prospects are on their way.
Roy was in his second job running a team in the league, following a three-year tenure with the Avalanche from 2013-16 that included winning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year and abruptly resigning in the middle of the summer. They hired Jared Bednar, who then coached them to the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Darche and the Islanders are hoping for the same trajectory after making this change.
The postseason buzz felt real on Easter Sunday in South Philadelphia.
The Flyers climbed into playoff position with a 2-1 win over the Bruins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Porter Martone scored his first career NHL goal to win it in OT.
Christian Dvorak gave the Flyers an early lead. Dan Vladar was excellent in net.
The Flyers (39-26-12) now hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division with five games to go. They took advantage of a busy Saturday going completely in their favor while they watched from home.
“It doesn’t happen all the time, the fortune went our way,” Rick Tocchet said before the game. “But we’ve been trying to not worry about what’s happening on the scoreboard. Obviously you look at it, but to me, some of that doesn’t matter if you don’t win hockey games. This is a big game for us.”
Tocchet’s club played like it, continuing its surge down the stretch. The Flyers won for the 14th time in their last 20 games (14-5-1) and have a real chance to end their five-year playoff drought (more on that below).
They went to overtime for the 27th time this season. They’re 15-12 after regulation.
The Flyers took two of three games from the Bruins (43-26-9) in their regular-season series.
In the division race, the Flyers are also battling the Blue Jackets and Capitals. Columbus has 88 points and was idle Sunday. Washington has 87 points and visits the Rangers tonight. The Flyers have a game in hand on the Capitals.
The Flyers entered the day in a four-way tie with the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Detroit lost in regulation to the Wild. Ottawa is currently playing the Hurricanes.
As of right now, the Flyers can focus on the division race. But we’ll update the latest on the wild card here when the Senators-Hurricanes game goes final.
• Vladar did his job once again, denying 18 of 19 shots.
The 28-year-old has given up just two goals over the last two games.
Boston cracked Vladar in the opening minute of the third period when Pavel Zacha scored a power play goal. Carl Grundstrom was in the penalty box for interference toward the end of the season period.
Bruins netminder Joonas Korpisalo stopped 29 of the Flyers’ 31 shots.
Dvorak struck just 4:19 minutes into the game. Martone sprung him with a crafty touch pass. The 19-year-old winger has not played like a teenager since signing his entry-level deal. He looks like he belongs.
Martone had a couple of looks with under five minutes left in regulation, but he couldn’t beat Korpisalo. Not long after denying Martone twice, Korpisalo turned away Tyson Foerster at the doorstep.
But Martone got Korpisalo in OT.
• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they visit the Devils (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
At one point, Kopitar was asked if there were a time in his career when he thought he wouldn't be a King.
"Honestly, I didn't, no," Los Angeles' captain said confidently. "I felt like L.A. was my team, it's where I belong, and it didn't really cross my mind to where I'd go somewhere else."
While Kopitar admitted he wouldn't want his career to pan out any other way in terms of what his home has been for the past 20 years, he played the hypothetical game.
"(If) I really have to pick… probably Montreal," he admitted to Friedman. "I don't know, I just enjoy the city, I enjoyed playing there. Yeah, if I had to pick one, it'd probably be the Canadiens."
While it's not possible for Kopitar to switch teams at this point in the season - nor would he even entertain the idea - but he'd be a great fit for the Habs right about now.
Jake Evans and Anze Kopitar (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)
The Canadiens are doing just fine as they're second in the Atlantic Division and are hovering around being a top-five team in the NHL at this stage of the season. But one weakness they have is the hole on the second line at the center position.
It would be fun for Habs fans to fantasize about having the Kings' all-time point scorer on their roster, but Kopitar wouldn't trade his time in Los Angeles for anything else.
And because he knows he's calling it quits at the end of this season, why not play around with some hypothetical scenarios as he looks back on his incredible NHL career?
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This decision comes after the Islanders dropped four straight games, in which they played anything but competitive hockey, with the 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes the worst from a game-play perspective.
Roy, who replaced Lane Lambert halfway through the 2022-23 season, failed to make the playoffs in each of his first two seasons behind the Islanders' bench.
The Islanders went 88-76-20 under Roy.
DeBoer, who was relieved of his duties as the Dallas Stars head coach after pulling Jake Oettinger just 7:09 into the game following two goals on two shots in Game 5 of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, has 18 years of NHL coaching experience.
The grizzled veteran head coach has term on his new deal. Roy had two seasons left.
The Islanders battle the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
