The NHL regular season is slowly moving toward the finish line, and there are still some big moves by teams both inside and out of the playoff race.
This week on The Hockey Show, co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork started things off by discussing the major changes made by the Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Vegas fired Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, and replaced him with John Tortorella with just eight games remaining until the playoffs.
Toronto, meanwhile, fired General Manager Brad Treliving, furthering a frustrating run of futility for a franchise that had made the playoffs nine straight years.
In addition to those topics, the boys also chatted about the Seattle Kraken’s attempt at making the playoffs.
To help dive into all things Kraken, and the PWHL’s Seattle Torrent, Roy and Dave welcomed Alison Lukan to the show.
This week’s wins and fails of the week included a third goal fight in as many months, a Goal of the Year candidate from Matthew Tkachuk, a rough night for the other Tkachuk brother and a costly overreaction to a big hit.
You can check out this week’s full show and interview in the videos below:
The Vancouver Canucks have officially secured the best odds for first overall for the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. Vancouver will have a 25.5% chance at picking first overall this year after securing 32nd overall for the 2025-26 season. While the Canucks have the best odds, fans in the market should be concerned, as history has proven to go against those who finish last in the standings.
If Vancouver drops out of first overall, the farthest they can fall is to third. The Canucks will have an 18.8% chance of picking second, while their odds of picking third overall sit at 55.7%. Here is a look at how the lottery has gone since 2016.
2016
Toronto Maple Leafs- Retained 1st Selection
Winnipeg Jets- Moved from 6th to 2nd
Columbus Blue Jackets- Moved from 4th to 3rd
2017
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 5th to 1st
Philadelphia Flyers- Moved from 13th to 2nd
Dallas Stars- Moved from 8th to 3rd
2018
Buffalo Sabres- Retained 1st Selection
Carolina Hurricanes- Moved from 11th to 2nd
Montréal Canadiens- Moved from 4th to 3rd
2019
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 3rd to 1st
New York Rangers- Moved from 6th to 2nd
Chicago Blackhawks- Moved from 12th to 3rd
2020
New York Rangers- Moved from (8th - 15th) to 1st
Los Angeles Kings- Moved from 4th to 2nd
Ottawa Senators- Retained 3rd Selection
2021
Buffalo Sabres- Retained 1st Selection
Seattle Kraken- Moved from 3rd to 2nd
2022
Montréal Canadiens- Retained 1st Selection
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 5th to 2nd
2023
Chicago Blackhawks- Moved from 3rd to 1st
Anaheim Ducks- Moved from 1st to 2nd
2024
San Jose Sharks- Retained 1st Selection
Chicago Blackhawks- Retained 2nd Selection
2025
New York Islanders- Moved from 10th to 1st
Utah Mammoth- Moved from 14th to 4th
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 5, 2026. The team that wins the lottery can move up a maximum of 10 slots in the draft. The lottery will be broadcast on Sportsnet.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Braeden Cootes is selected as the 16th overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Unfortunately, they were unable to continue whatever momentum they had from those games into this one.
After leading 2-1 heading into the second period, the Penguins allowed five consecutive Tampa Bay goals and were defeated by the Lightning, 6-3. With the win - and in combination with a loss by the Buffalo Sabres - the Lightning took over first place in the Atlantic, while the Penguins were pretty much unaffected standings-wise by the regulation loss.
Even if the score indicates otherwise, the Penguins actually played very well for the first half of this game.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring a little more than five minutes into the first period when Anthony Cirelli beat Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner for his 21st of the season. But, the Penguins responded less than two minutes later when the red-hot Rickard Rakell took a Sam Girard feed at the goal line, kicking the puck behind himself and straight to the blade of his stick before burying his 21st goal of the season to tie the game.
And with less than four to go in the opening frame, Egor Chinakhov - playing on Sidney Crosby's left wing for the third consecutive game - used his speed to break into the offensive zone and down the right side before he placed a perfect backhander over Andrei Vasilevskiy to give the Penguins the lead.
The Penguins were on the back legs of a power play opportunity to begin the second period, and they attempted to gain the zone off the opening draw. However, a misfired puck and misplays by both Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust led to a Cirelli breakaway that he capitalized on for a shorthanded goal, and it all went downhill from there, even if the Penguins pushed back a few times in the second.
Later in the period, Brayden Point and Zemgus Girgensons scored big goals for the Bolts to give their team a two-goal lead, and Nikita Kucherov scored the back-breaker in the third period with a tough-angle shot from the bottom of the right circle near the wall to make it 5-2 and, essentially, put the game out of reach at that point.
The Penguins pulled Skinner with a little more than five minutes remaining in regulation, and Cirelli scored his hat trick goal on the empty net to put the game away for good. Chinakhov did add a second goal on a late Penguins' power play with 0.8 seconds on the clock - his 20th of the season, an absolute top-shelf scorcher - but the Penguins had quite literally run out of time by that juncture.
All things considered, it was a game the Penguins could afford to lose, and they will turn their focus to the Florida Panthers, who they play back-to-back home games against on Saturday and Sunday.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from Thursday's loss:
- Again, this loss didn't really mean too much in the grand scheme of things. As dominant as the Penguins looked in their games against the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, it was highly unlikely they'd sweep the remaining seven games of the regular season, and Tampa Bay was going to be their most formidable opponent within those seven games.
So, again, the focus is on the Panthers, who the Penguins need to take care of business against. With other teams in the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division races continuing to lose, banking points in the front half of the final six games would be ideal. The Penguins are currently still four points clear of the playoff cutoff line, but creating more separation before playing a New Jersey Devils team that they typically struggle against despite their record this season and desperate Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues teams would be in their best interest.
Besides: The earlier they can clinch, the earlier they have the options to rest some of their stars, should they choose to. More on that later.
- Ben Kindel started the game centering a second line of Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak. And, well, that didn't last long.
After committing the defensive zone turnover that led to Cirelli's first goal, he and Rakell swapped, and that's the way it stayed. Rakell was, initially, centering Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau on the third line, a combination that worked well against the Islanders Monday. Unless my eyes were deceiving me, I believe Kindel was benched for just a few shifts after that one, too.
Unfortunately, Kindel also committed a neutral zone turnover that led to Point's goal, too - among other poor plays that led up to the game-winning tally.
He's been fantastic all season long, especially for an 18-year-old playing center at the NHL level - which is a rarity itself. That said, this was a night to forget for him.
- Speaking of nights to forget, Karlsson and Parker Wotherspoon were off in this one as well. I didn't like how Karlsson defended the Girgensons goal, as he puck-chased below the goal line when Wotherspoon was already there, leaving the net-front completely undefended. He was also making some bad decisions with the puck - especially on the power play.
And Wotherspoon just looked uncomfortable, was handling the puck like a grenade throughout the game, and lost a whole lot of puck and turnover battles.
These two have been absolutely excellent for the Penguins this season, so there's no reason for concern with them. Like Kindel, this just wasn't their night.
- Keeping to the theme, the Penguins' first line was - simply put - not working in this game. And Crosby and Bryan Rust stuck out like sore thumbs, even if Chinakhov still played pretty well individually.
They were hemmed in their own zone at Yanni Gourde's and the rest of his third line's will for most of the night, as - according to data from Moneypuck - they only generated a 10.7 percent expected goals share.
Crosby isn't himself right now. Maybe that injury sustained against the Ottawa Senators is still nagging. Maybe he's still getting re-acclimated after missing some significant time for the first time in years. Maybe his chemistry with Rust is fading a bit. Or, maybe, he's just in the midst of a cold streak, which is a common occurrence for him when he's close to a major milestone (tying Steve Yzerman on the all-time points list at 1,755.
In any case, I have a feeling Crosby will bounce back in a big way this weekend. But, if he doesn't, I'd consider trying the Chinakhov-Crosby-Rakell combination again, which had some great looks against Detroit.
- Now, about Chinakhov: We all know he has wrist and snap shots that are probably better than any forward's wrist and snap shot in the NHL.
But that backhand was nuts, too. As was his casual, angry, "Well, I'll leave you with this, I guess" snipe at the very end of the game to clinch his first 20-goal season at the point where it meant nothing for the Penguins' chances of winning the game.
Can someone provide a logical reason as to why this guy isn’t on the first power-play unit?
Since 87 has come back and Chinakhov got bumped to PP2, the Pens have had 22 opportunities through eight games. They are 3/22 (one on a 5 on 3). 13.6%.
This guy is incredible, and he has an incredibly rare gift in his shot - no matter what form it comes in. With each passing game, it increases my belief that the Penguins could have a star forward on their hands.
- Even if Karlsson and Wotherspoon weren't very good in this game, Sam Girard and Kris Letang were very good for the third-straight game. Girard, especially.
He was everywhere. He was the one who made Rakell's goal happen, as he carried the puck into the zone on his own, went down low, and made a nice play to get the puck to Rakell. He also saved a goal in the first period in the blue paint.
They have been legitimately good for three games now, and it's largely because Girard is clearly more comfortable within the Penguins' system and with the puck on his stick. It's also largely because Letang is generally letting him do all that while hanging back in a more stay-at-home capacity, recognizing when Girard activates.
If this pairing can get going, it would be a massive development for the Penguins. Their blue line and goals-against numbers have been a problem lately, and they were major culprits. If they can keep this up, the Penguins are much-better positioned going into the playoffs, should they get there.
- All that said, the Penguins have two major weaknesses right now: Special teams and goaltending.
As far as special teams, the penalty kill didn't surrender anything Thursday but has gone from first in the NHL all the way down to seventh in a short span. As has the power play, which has dropped from top-five down to eighth since the Olympic break.
Again, the penalty kill looked much better and more structured Thursday, so maybe that was a step in the right direction. But the power play, in particular, has been off. I asked Rust about the power play last week after the loss to the Dallas Stars, and he did point out that they had scored in consecutive games. He also said they are still probably passing up too many good looks.
This is certainly true. They are also too stagnant, and they are giving up far too many opportunities against right now. They've been money on five-on-three power plays, but that hasn't so much been the case five-on-four. They need to get back on track soon, whether that's changing up personnel or just getting back to basics.
- And about the goaltending: This is a major concern that the Penguins will need to address as soon as possible, whether it's through improved performance by the two guys they already have or by bringing in a different face from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to help them clinch - and, maybe, help beyond that.
The Penguins were not good defensively in this game and gave up far too many grade-A looks, but Skinner wasn't very good, either. I didn't like the Kucherov goal at all - as sneaky as it was - and I didn't love Point's goal, either, although that was a near-perfect shot from close range.
Skinner and Silovs will go out and have a great game that makes you say, "Alright, he's the guy right now," only to struggle in the next start. Then, the cycle repeats. One of them has to break that cycle before the playoffs. Otherwise - and I was against this before - it absolutely would not hurt to give Sergei Murashov a look, especially if the Penguins clinch early.
This is one loss. It didn't really matter all that much, and a loss or two somewhere in the final stretch should be expected. But, if the Penguins are going to make the playoffs and get anywhere in them, they need more consistency from whoever mans the goal.
Montreal Canadiens’ blueliner Kaiden Guhle has had a tough season from his own account, but he has really upped his game lately, so much so that he hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against in seven games. Over the course of those seven games, he has a plus-nine rating.
Even though he only got on the scoreboard in one of those seven games, he got a goal and two assists against the New York Islanders on March 21; he has had a huge impact on the games.
In that seven-game span, he has landed 21 hits, including eight in the 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24, and has blocked 18 shots. Guhle’s game took a turn for the better when he was put on a pairing with Alexandre Carrier on March 17, in a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins. That combination worked very well for the Canadiens’ last season.
For the last two games, though, since Carrier is dealing with an upper-body injury, Guhle has played alongside Arber Xhekaj, and his game has stayed at the same high level. That’s a testament to how well Xhekaj has done since being put back on the blueline, keeping his game simple and playing the right way.
There’s no denying that since the Canadiens started their seven-game winning streak, they’ve had better goaltending than they’ve had through most of the season, but they’ve also had much better play from Guhle, and that makes a difference as well.
In just 35 games this season, the Albertan has put up 10 points, which projects to 23 points in a full 82-game season. Of course, points production is not Guhle’s forte, but getting secondary scoring is never a bad thing for any team.
It’s impossible to deny that having Guhle in the lineup and performing to the best of his potential is a huge plus for the Canadiens. If he could manage to stay healthy and play a full season, it would definitely stabilize the Habs’ defense corps and make Montreal an even better team.
The Ducks kick off a five-game homestand with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues. The Ducks are coming off one of their worst losses of the season in which they conceded two goals in the final two minutes of the third period, falling 4-3 to the San Jose Sharks. The Blues are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
“It hurt,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said of the late collapse. “I thought we were doing a lot of good things in that game. I thought we checked well. I thought we played with the lead with a purpose and then all of a sudden, you give up a late, late goal, and then they do it again before the buzzer ends. So that hurt, leaving a point or two on the board. But we've been fortunate to be on the other side of that equation almost all year, so it's a good lesson.”
“A couple of breakdowns at the end of the game,” Alex Killorn said. “Other than that, it was a pretty good game. But those breakdowns obviously hurt us. Today’s a new day.”
2022 first-round pick Nathan Gaucher made his NHL debut in that game, totaling 7:08 in ice time. He centered the fourth line, flanked by Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano.
“He gives us some size,” Quenneville said. “A (right-handed) shot, jumping in on the faceoff now and again. Had a couple opportunities to maybe put the puck in the net as well. First game, I thought he did a good job.”
“(The game) goes fast,” Gaucher said. “Everyone’s on task. The structure of both teams are always on points. You can't really make mistakes out there because it's going to go in the back of your net.”
With almost 200 AHL games under his belt, Gaucher is grateful for the opportunity he’s been given. His latest stretch prior to being called up saw him score 14 points in 18 games.
“All the hard work you put in is for that reason, you want to play in the NHL,” he said. “You want to play with the best of the best, so I was just so grateful, so excited. I worked hard for that. I was excited to get started with this team.”
After losing their last three games, the Ducks are now tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first in the Pacific Division, with the Ducks currently having a game in hand. Third-place Vegas is just three points back as well.
“It's the most exciting time of the season,” Killorn said. “As you get older, you want to make the most of these moments. These playoffs are so important. It's great for these young guys to get a taste of playoffs, but I think with the way our team's been going, there's a lot that can be done in the playoffs as well. So it's an exciting time for everyone and it's an exciting time for the fans, too. They’ve been waiting for this for a while.”
Ducks forward Alex Killorn speaks to the media after their morning skate at Honda Center.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry Alex Killorn - Tim Washe - Mikael Granlund Jeff Viel - Ryan Poehling - Beckett Sennecke Mason McTavish - Nathan Gaucher - Frank Vatrano
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Ian Moore - John Carlson Olen Zellweger - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Blues Projected Lines
Dylan Holloway - Robert Thomas - Jimmy Snuggerud Jake Neighbours - Pavel Buchnevich - Jordan Kyrou Otto Stenberg - Dalibor Dvorský - Jonatan Berggren Alexey Toropchenko - Jack Finley - Pius Suter
Philip Broberg - Logan Mailloux Theo Lindstein - Colton Parayko Cam Fowler - Justin Holl
Just under two weeks until the playoff fates of every NHL club have been decided. The same can also be applied to your fantasy hockey team, if you've been fortunate enough to make it this far.
You're almost there. Stay positive. And keep it going by considering some of the following players.
(Rostered rates as of Apr. 3)
Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen, COL (Yahoo: 50%): Lehkonen returned from an 11-game absence last Thursday and eventually slotted back onto his usual even-strength line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. He's been relegated to the Avs' second power play, but has still posted three points and five shots over the four outings with all of the latter players during the last two. As long as Lehkonen remains within the top six, he's bound to keep producing.
Mikael Granlund, ANH (Yahoo: 41%): Any active forward who's in the upper-half of the depth chart on a strong offense and lead PP represents a solid fantasy addition for most formats. That goes for Granlund, who also happens to qualify in Yahoo at all three positions. His coverage has recently skyrocketed thanks to a string of four contests in which he potted seven goals, including four PPGs. Granlund's stock is also boosted from averaging just under 20 minutes the last couple of weeks to go with 17 shots and 55 faceoff wins.
Lawson Crouse, UTA (Yahoo: 18%): Crouse isn't generally associated with being a scorer, though he's been known to go on a run every now and again. He's currently on one of those, having racked up four goals and two assists in addition to 17 shots, 25 hits and 22 PIM through the last eight matchups. This stretch also coincides with Crouse skating beside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz at five-on-five. Even if he drops off that trio, there's still enough cross-category output for him to fit on any roster.
Alexander Wennberg, SJ (Yahoo: 10%): Wennberg is only eight points away from matching a career-high. And if we go by recent production and placement, there's decent odds he does it. After all, Wennberg has reeled off four goals, three helpers and seven shots across five appearances with four of those points coming while up a man on a unit featuring Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. He's also top-25 in the league for average forward ice time (20:31). Based on all those indicators and with the Sharks trying to claim a postseason berth, Wennberg shouldn't be available in nine of every 10 Yahoo leagues.
Jack Quinn, BUF (Yahoo: 10%): Even though Quinn's minutes are similar to recent years, he's already blown way past his previous scoring peak. He registered his first NHL hat-trick on March 10 and then moved up to Buffalo's lead power play where he's managed four PPPs in the last five games in addition to 19 shots and eight hits. That type of overall involvement needs to be on more fantasy lineups.
Matthew Coronato, CGY (Yahoo: 7%): The Flames' fire sale wasn't as drastic as some predicted. The remaining talent looks to be thriving, with Coronato no exception. He has three goals, six assists, three PPPs and 22 shots on 16:33 a night from nine outings. With Coronato a key part of Calgary's future, he'll be provided as many opportunities as he can handle. Pick him up as a solid complementary scorer — just prepare for the inevitable plus-minus hit.
Porter Martone, PHI (Yahoo: 6%): Martone signed a pro contract soon after Michigan State was eliminated in the Frozen Four regionals and made his Philly debut on Tuesday as he logged 16:54 — 3:17 of that on the backup PP — and fired five pucks on net. He then collected his first NHL point — an assist — Thursday where he skated more than 18 minutes. It'll be favorable for the Flyers to have a player who racked up 50 points through 35 contests against NCAA opposition, especially with the team in a playoff race. Even as a teenager, Martone's offensive skills can only help the organization and your fantasy squad.
Calum Ritchie, NYI (Yahoo: 1%): A couple of lower-body issues didn't keep Ritchie out for long, and he was obviously too good against minor-league competition while at the same time wasn't going to be rushed with the Isles. Ritchie, the main tangible piece from the Brock Nelson trade at the 2025 deadline, recorded his first point with his new organization during Game 11. Ritchie has steadily improved to where he's a regular on the lead man-advantage — albeit, one who only succeeds at a 17.0% rate — and has found the scoresheet in five straight. Low-risk, possibly high-reward. Take a chance.
Defensemen
Sam Malinski, COL (Yahoo: 28%): Cale Makar's upper-body injury probably won't be risked for the remainder of the regular season with the Avs close to clinching top spot overall. That's left Malinski to fill in as Colorado's lead right-sided defender and main power-play quarterback. He already was enjoying a career campaign before Makar's absence and is now at 37 points, with eight of those coming in the last five alongside 11 shots and eight blocks. Expect Malinski to keep piling on the offense.
Parker Wotherspoon, PIT (Yahoo: 10%): It's been a long — and mainly AHL-filled — career for Wotherspoon after he was drafted in 2015 and then wasn't getting a regular big-league look until 2023-24. The Pens saw enough promise from him last season with Boston to sign him for two years. Wotherspoon has repaid their trust by appearing in all 76 games while delivering three goals, 26 assists, 156 hits and 108 blocks. He's also been solid the last 11 contests with nine helpers, 22 hits and 11 blocks. Wotherspoon may not participate on the man-advantage yet is well-positioned at even-strength alongside Erik Karlsson.
Charle-Edouard D'Astous, TB (Yahoo: 6%): What started off as a great story has turned into a revelation, as D'Astous is taking the most of an enhanced role by continuing to contribute. Going back to March 14, he's notched nine points, 10 shots, 19 hits and 11 blocks. The ice time may not be plentiful, though D'Astous has done the most with it while carrying a secondary PP spot. As Victor Hedman isn't set to return anytime soon, D'Astous remains a worthy addition for anyone looking to boost their blueline scoring stats.
Jordan Spence, OTT (Yahoo: 6%): Ottawa's dwindling defense corps was brought up last week when discussing Carter Yakemchuk, who's since gotten hurt. Spence was expected to assume more responsibilities after arriving from LA in June, yet many healthy scratches came early on. There wasn't much in the way of power-play involvement before Jake Sanderson's injury, which only increased after Thomas Chabot went down. Spence is currently operating on the Sens' top PP and has totaled two goals, seven assists — two of those PPAs — and 19 shots from the last 10 matchups on 24:05 a night, including a whopping 30:48 (!!) on Wednesday.
Goaltenders
Jordan Binnington, STL (Yahoo: 48%): The Blues surprisingly are still in the playoff hunt, only five points out of a wild-card spot. Joel Hofer has been touted here twice this season. And before allowing five goals on Monday, he impressed across nine appearances by posting a 7-0-2 record alongside a 1.29 GAA and .955 save percentage. Despite previously struggling, Binnington has done well since returning from the Olympics with a 1.74/.925 line through seven outings. If St. Louis wants to maximize its chances of advancing, it will need to rely on both goalies, which means Binnington should earn enough starts the rest of the way.
Yaroslav Askarov, SJ (Yahoo: 34%): San Jose's also part of a congested Western Conference postseason picture of getting the club to the next stage for the first time since 2018-19. Askarov hasn't been the most consistent netminder overall and was recently hurt. Even though he gave up seven goals during his last two matchups, both ended up in wins with a few key saves that either protected a lead or spurred the Sharks to go ahead. Alex Nedeljkovic performed admirably while Askarov was out, though also conceded at least five goals three times from March 17 to 24. Might as well give Askarov a chance to keep his momentum going.
The Buffalo Sabres were the hottest club in the National Hockey League for more than three months, but as they near clinching a post-season berth for the first time since 2011, the club has returned to the world of mere mortals, falling out of first place in the Atlantic Division after a 4-1 loss to Ottawa on Thursday.
The Sabres won three straight on a Western road swing late last month, but since have lost four of their last six games (2-2-2). All four losses have come against clubs (Anaheim, Boston, Detroit, and Ottawa) who are battling for a playoff spot or positioning, while Buffalo can clinch a playoff spot with a single point or a loss by the Red Wings any one of their remaining games.
The odds are still in the Sabres favor of finishing with home ice advantage in the first round. According to Moneypuck.com, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 52.8% chance of winning the Atlantic (with a game in hand over Buffalo), while the Sabres have a 32.9% chance. Both clubs play on Saturday, with Buffalo in Washington and Tampa hosting the Bruins, before they face off in their final meeting of the season on Monday.
Big matchup between the Sabres and Lightning on Monday
Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson scored his career-high 13th goal of the season to open the scoring in the second period, but former Sabre Dylan Cozens tied it for the Senators late in the middle frame, and the home club took over the game in the third, outshooting Buffalo 12-7, scoring the game-winner from Lars Eller and adding a pair of empty-netters.
Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke after the game:
Was it tough to find open ice in the contest?
I don't know if it was tough or they took over the game last two periods. I thought they outskated, they out-competed. Their desperation level was just higher than us. As simple as that.
The game was tied going into the third, which is where you wanted to be:
I thought they were better than us. Simple as that, their compete was better. They won more battles. You look at the empty net, even the fourth goal. We had four guys in the corner. They have one and they're gonna come out and score an empty net goal. We dump it in and we just give them a breakaway on the six and five. We weren't good. We weren't good enough to win the game.
What was said in the room after the second?
(We) talked about winning more battles. Didn't feel like we were coming out of the corners with any puck, and a lot of the wall battles were going their way.
How disappointing was it that you could not take advantage of the Senators depleted defense?
That's all we talked about was they were down to five and and we didn't stress them out enough. I just felt didn't generate enough high-quality opportunities, and the game was sitting there, and they took it over.
Holmstrom, who has 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 73 games this season, sustained an upper-body injury in their 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. He did not play in their 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
Forward Anthony Duclair played in his spot on the team's second line alongside Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal. While Roy wouldn't divulge who would be coming out of the lineup if Holmstrom was able to play, one would think Duclair would come out.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Flyers comes your way at 7 PM ET.
The Vancouver Canucks are 75 games into their 2025–26 NHL season and have officially clinched 32nd overall for the 2025–26 season. With this result, they have secured the best possible odds to select first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Vancouver has seven games remaining in their 2025–26 NHL season; here’s how they stack up to the rest of the league at this point in the year.
Team Stats
Vancouver Canucks team stats, 75 games into 2025-26.
Vancouver became the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoffs last week, though this week, they officially locked themselves into 32nd overall in the NHL. Around the league, other teams have only just begun to find themselves being eliminated from post-season contention, as the Chicago Blackhawks (31st), New York Rangers (29th), and Toronto Maple Leafs (25th) are now out of the running. Having said that, all three teams still currently have over 65 points on the season, with Chicago registering 68 in 76 games, New York putting up 71 in 76, and Toronto averaging slightly over a point per game with 77 in 76.
The Canucks’ lone saving grace stats-wise is their power play, which has found some success throughout the season but not as much as it appears to be having now in relation to the team’s place in the standings. Vancouver currently ranks 17th in the NHL in power play percentage with a success rate of 20.2%, with the Canucks having scored power play goals in four consecutive games. They’ve scored a total of nine power play goals in their past 10 games.
Individual Skater Stats
Vancouver Canucks individual skater stats, 75 games into 2025-26.
Vancouver finally has their first 20-goal scorer of the season, as Brock Boeser hit this mark after his hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. Now at a season total of 21 goals, he’s tied for the 92nd-most goals in the NHL alongside Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen (who has been injured), and Kiefer Sherwood. Prior to this, Sherwood had retained the Canucks’ lead in goals despite not playing for the team since the start of January.
When it comes to the team’s overall lead in points, Elias Pettersson’s 48 currently sits at the top of the Canucks but is tied for 119th in the NHL. Ironically enough, 48 points is the current lead for power play points by a player in the league, with this being held by Connor McDavid. Pettersson also has the Canucks’ lead in power play points with 21.
Goaltending Stats
Vancouver Canucks goaltending stats, 75 games into 2025-26.
It’s not exactly a good sign when the goaltender who holds your team-high in SV% and GAA hasn’t played in months, but with the season the Canucks have had, it almost feels expected. Thatcher Demko remains the Canucks’ leader in SV% (.895%) and GAA (2.90), and has remained at the top for the better-half of this season. The next highest Canucks goaltender in both of these stats is Nikita Tolopilo, who is tied for 52nd in the NHL in SV% (.886%) and ranks 68th in GAA with 3.57. Having said that, Demko’s previous team-high of eight wins has finally been surpassed, as Kevin Lankinen notched his ninth win of the season against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Lankinen has taken the bulk of Vancouver’s starts since Demko was declared out for the remainder of the season, though he’s played much more as of late. While he’d started in five consecutive games, the goaltender has played in every game but one (April 2) since March 17. This has been reflected in his personal stats, as he currently ranks 23rd in the NHL in overall minutes played (2404:27), 21st in shots faced (1181), and 14th in high-danger shots faced (359).
Apr 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) scores on Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Vancouver will wrap up their 2025–26 season with three games at home and four on the road. They’ll face the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights in Vancouver on April 4 and 7 respectively, before heading to California to take on all three of the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks will play their final home game against the Kings on April 14, but will wrap their season up in Alberta against the Edmonton Oilers.
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ELMONT, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders checks Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at UBS Arena on March 30, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Penguins lost to Tampa last night but still remain incredibly well-positioned to secure a playoff spot this season.
Here’s the relevant standings for them as of now.
While there could be other avenues with a Wild Card spot, for now we’ll keep it simple on the most straight-forward path available to Pittsburgh: finishing in the top-3 of the Metropolitan Division.
To ensure that, the Penguins simply must not be surpassed by two of: the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Regulation wins is the first tiebreaker if a team ends up with the same number of points, and that’s good news for the Pens since their 31 RW is unlikely to be overtaken by anyone they’re in competition with (the Caps have a case, but being seven points back with six games to go it’s highly unlikely they will be able to pull into a tie with Pittsburgh).
Since Carolina is 10 points ahead of the Pens, the realistic best case scenario for Pittsburgh is the second spot in the Metro, which easily enough accomplished by keeping all the teams currently behind them that way at the end of the season.
Here’s a breakdown for that:
First glance might look scary, but the maximum totals are not going to be anyone’s final outcome, and shifting down all the time. The Islanders and Flyers play each other tonight, if that games ends in regulation then someone’s max is being reduced by two points (if it ends in OT, it goes down by one for the losing side). A team like the Caps had a max of 99 yesterday before their loss to New Jersey, same story for Columbus who had their max reduced from 102 to 100 as a result of losing last night to Carolina.
Cut and dry, as of now, a good base-line magic number for the Pens’ is 8. Any combination of eight points earned by PIT or lost by Columbus and Philadelphia is going to lock up a Pittsburgh playoff spot. To secure second place, the magic number is 9 and focus shifts to the Islanders. In that regard, and in a hard-and-fast outlook, if the Pens win four of their last six games then they don’t even need any outside help and will sew things up all by themselves.
What could that mean? Let’s look at the remaining schedules for the remaining teams in the hunt and even forecast their paths in a somewhat conservative way.
(Green represents projected, hypothetical wins, yellow for an OT/SO loss and white for a regulation loss)
Games have been impossible to predict ahead of time, a team like NYI lost to Chicago and defeated Dallas last week, most would have figured those results being reversed. We’ll split the middle and more or less project 3-2-1 records for everyone, a little above average but nothing extreme. This could be generous considering teams like NYI (3-5-0 in last eight) and CBJ (1-5-1 in their last seven) aren’t exactly setting the world on fire. Could a team like Philadelphia out-perform their projection? Absolutely. Even so, tack a couple more points on and — barring a team going on a ridiculous run — the projected totals seem pretty realistic and viable as a base that likely could have a tolerance of 1 or 2 points in either direction.
This kind of outlook shows how strongly the Pens’ position is. They would need two wins in their last six games to get to 96 points and likely clinch second place if the teams behind them have a semi-realistic finish. If something zany happens – like NYI wins Game 82 vs Carolina because the Hurricanes bench their star players — then that simply becomes Pittsburgh needing three wins to secure second place and home ice advantage.
Who should Penguin fans root for, aside from the obvious for NYI, CBJ and PHI to lose as much as possible in regulation? Game-by-game you can go above for that. Hold your nose, but if the main focus is on second place you’d want the Flyers to win tonight in regulation against the Islanders and then definitely lose their next game against Boston. If the results are reversed and NYI beats the Flyers tonight, the good news for the Pens is that helps the cause for Pittsburgh’s overall playoff number. There’s some bittersweetness and dual feelings on either end of the result, more than anything the preference would be for NYI/PHI to simply not end up going to overtime.
Generally speaking, you’d also like for Atlantic Division teams like Buffalo, Montreal, Detroit and Boston to do well in their multiple games remaining against the Metropolitan Division. Toronto could also play spoiler, though count on that at your own risk. Carolina could also do Pittsburgh a solid by taking care of business in their three games against NYI and PHI. The Winnipeg Jets are out there too with games against CBJ and PHI, the Jets could perform a service with some wins there to bring further momentum out of those two would-be contenders.
The good news is the math is very much in the Penguins’ favor. If they get even 4, 5 or 6 points in the remaining six games to play then they will be in very good shape to make the playoffs. If they play above .500% down the stretch and gain 7+ points, which isn’t a huge ask, the likelihood of securing the Metro2 playoff spot becomes all but elementary.
Unexpected outcomes can happen — that’s why they play the games to find out who actually wins them — but the current positioning of being up 3-4 points on their opponents (while holding the first tiebreaker) with only six games to go represents a huge edge for Pittsburgh right now. More than anything at this point, for the Pens it’s not about the desperation of going on a big run at the end of the year so much as playing well and being prepared to hit the postseason in good form and with momentum.
The Colorado Avalanche are as close to a ‘cup or bust’ team as you’ll see.
They got their guy in Nazem Kadri, look like Presidents Trophy and Central Division winners, and have a litany of players who have or will set career highs, including some unexpected achievements— looking at you, Parker Kelly.
Captain Gabe Landeskog is back, Nathan MacKinnon somehow keeps getting better, Martin Necas has proved plenty capable, and Cale Makar (although banged up) is still the top dog defender.
The goalkeeping-by-committee approach has obviously worked during the regular season.
Still, after some shaky starts from Blackwood and unfortunate outcomes, some pundits and fans are calling for head coach Jared Bednar to pick a guy heading into the playoffs.
The winningest Boston Bruins team ever is the best and among the most clearly comparable case studies to look to now that these questions have begun in the press room at Ball Arena.
Both positioned themselves firmly as the clear cup favorite as the calendar turned to April.
Unexpected Outcome
So how did the winningest (regular-season) team ever finish?
A Bruins team that lost only 12 games in regulation over 7 months and all 82 regular-season games lost four games in 13 days to the Florida Panthers in round one of the playoffs, and didn’t even play in May.
Did they stick with the goalie by committee come playoff time?
Nope, they started Ullmark in 6 of 7 games, with game 7 going to Swayman.
Beasts of Burden
I think it’s relatively common knowledge that humans are creatures of habit.
Now, enter a human who’s decided to play goalie in the NHL, and you have some of the most routine-oriented, borderline obsessive creatures of habit ever to have walked this planet.
Why?
Because, as my dad told me growing up, half of what it means to be a great goalie happens in the six inches between their ears.
The mentality and confidence of a goaltender are qualities to be fostered and nurtured, and the approach we are seeing right now has brought out the best in Wedgewood and allowed Blackwood to get back to form at a slower, more comfortable pace.
Imagine if the Avalanche didn’t have an option like Wedgewood.
Not having your starter for training camp and the first three weeks of the regular season usually isn’t the start of a story about a historically successful regular-season team.
I’d argue that’s why we’ve seen these two goalies grow close in their short stay so far in Colorado. The two netminders have each other’s back and don’t seem to have any issue with the current approach.
We know it typically takes two goalies to win a cup, and Colorado right now has the league’s best goalie by SV% in Scott Wedgewood and a fail-safe that proved (to end last season) to be a bona fide starter in MacKenzie Blackwood.
Does losing to the league’s worst team, the Vancouver Canucks, by a score of 8-6, pain the eyes?
Absolutely.
Is it reason to pull the plug on what’s gotten you to the top of the NHL and positioned you for a deep cup run?
Mar 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) in the first period against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Isaiah J. Downing/Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
DENVER — Brent Burns took a wayward stick to the face while playing for San Jose in October 2013 that ended up costing him teeth and time on the ice.
Since his return — Nov. 21, 2013, to be precise — he’s been a permanent fixture in every lineup. Burns, now 41 years old and with the Colorado Avalanche, is set to play in his 1,000th straight regular-season game Saturday at Dallas.
The bearded blueliner has skated through the bumps and bruises that come with delivering checks and deflecting slap shots. So much so that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar can’t wait to one day sit down with Burns and discuss all the ailments that may have kept many a player sidelined for days, weeks and maybe even months.
“He plays through them like it’s not a big deal,” said Bednar, whose team currently owns the NHL’s top seed with eight games remaining, including the pivotal contest with the Stars (six points back). “(The streak) is an incredible accomplishment. It’s hard to believe.”
Burns still going strong at 41
Burns, who turned 41 on March 9, joined the Avalanche on a one-year deal this season to chase the only thing missing from his résumé — a Stanley Cup title.
He’s become another leader/mentor on the Avalanche. He still chips in goals, too, on a high-scoring team that boasts Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas. Burns has 11 tallies this season, joining Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom as the only defensemen in league history to notch double-digit goals at 40 or older.
But Burns’ specialty remains putting his 6-foot-5, 228-pound frame to good use on opponents who venture into his territory. That’s what makes his streak so remarkable — all the punishment he dishes out and takes. He’s closing in on the all-time ironman streak held by forward Phil Kessel, who played in 1,064 consecutive regular-season games from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023.
“It’s the same guy that we’ve been watching for a decade-plus, doing the exact thing,” Bednar said. “To have guys with these ironman streaks get to a certain point ... that’s an unbelievable career and accomplishment just to get that as a player total, never mind in a row.”
Respect for the streak
It’s a streak Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog fully appreciates. Landeskog missed three full regular seasons after helping the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup title because of a lingering knee injury.
“He comes to the rink with a great attitude,” Landeskog explained. “He wants to be here. He’s excited to come to work.”
Burns also arrives to the rink lugging around his military-style backpack that’s stuffed with everything necessary to keep him on skates. There’s a cloud of mystery surrounding the precise contents of the heavy pack, though. Whatever it may contain — rumors of recovery gear to his own coffee setup — there’s no denying it’s become a healing elixir. Burns is in his 22nd NHL season and about to play in his 1,572nd career contest. The 2016-17 Norris Trophy winner is still averaging nearly 19 minutes a game and has 83 blocked shots this season.
The streak certainly impresses goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
“In my position alone, you’ll do something one game and your hip locks up a little bit,” Wedgewood said. “It’s like, ‘Thank God, I’m not playing the next one. It feels like crap right now.’
“That happens 15 times a year, just on me, let alone taking body checks and slap shots. Playing as much as he does now at that age, keeping that body fresh and everything? He probably wouldn’t be the one to tell you, but he’s probably played through thousands of different nuances.”
Burns starts streak on Nov. 21, 2013
Burns made his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 2003, with Minnesota after being a first-round pick by the Wild. He spent seven seasons with Minnesota, 11 in San Jose and three more in Carolina before joining Colorado.
His lone appearance in the Stanley Cup final was in 2016 with the Sharks, where they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Burns has played in 135 career playoff contests.
His current games streak started Nov. 21, 2013 — he played right wing that season — when he returned from his injury and promptly scored a goal. In his 999th straight game against Vancouver, he delivered a goal and an assist to become the fifth different defensemen to notch a 30-point season while in their 40s.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Makar said of the streak before suffering an upper-body injury against Calgary that will keep him out a few games. “For him to be able to go out there every night and make an impact, and not just float around and do the minimum, is pretty spectacular, especially at his age.”
Former NHL defenseman Ty Wishart calls in from an Australian beach to talk about his globe-spanning playing career and his 21 games with the Islanders in the eventful 2010-11 season.
Drafted 16th overall by the Sharks and traded to Tampa Bay in the deal for Dan Boyle, Ty Wishart got a quick education in the business of hockey. After a few years in a minors, he was traded again, this time to the Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson. Wishart joined what looked to be an up-and-coming squad, and what they lacked in talent, they made up for in youthful energy. He scored his first NHL goal in a wild road game, and was scratched while his new teammates got into a legendary melee with a division rival before going back to the minors. But that was just the beginning of Ty Wishart’s incredible hockey career.
Ty tells us some great stories, from throwing up in exhaustion at the NHL Combine to sharing a locker room with guys like Zenon Konopka and Trevor Gillies to playing in Romania and elsewhere. A charity tournament first took him to Australia, where he now lives and plays for the Melbourne Mustangs of the Australian Ice Hockey League. He also served as the team’s Director of Hockey Operations during their 2023 championship season. At 37, he still plays for love of the game and still carries memories and mementos from his time as an Islander. And he tells us all of this from a sunny, beautiful beach down under that made Mike and Dan very jealous.
We can’t thank Ty enough for coming on and giving us so much. It took a while and required a lot of email back-and-forth, but it was worth it. To keep up with the Mustangs and the rest of the AIHL, you can check out their website or subscribe to AIHL TV. The 2026 season starts on April 17th.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL
Before being involved in a notable trade for the Islanders, Ty Wishart was involved in a notable trade for the Sharks, one that saw fellow Weird Islander Brad Lukowich and spiritual Weird Islander Dan Boyle go from Tampa to San Jose.
A few years later, the Lightning needed serious goalie help and they found it in 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson. On New Years Day, 2011, Garth Snow sent Roloson to Tampa for Wishart, straight up. Although that version of the team was a mess, the trade had a lot of elements that Dom dissected here. Wishart’s numbers at the end of the season were pretty solid.
Wishart’s only NHL goal came in an amazing game we’ve talked about before, a wild 7-6 win in Buffalo in which Michael Grabner scored a hat trick and Al Montoya picked up the win.
Wishart re-signed with the Islanders that offseason but only played one game for them in 2011-12. All told, he spent three seasons in Bridgeport, occasionally scoring goals like this:
He was waived in 2013 and signed with the Schwenninger Wild Wings of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). It was also around this time that he visited Australia with Team Canada to play in the Douglas Webber Cup games against Team USA.
After years traversing the globe playing hockey, Wishart decided to stay in Melbourne and make the AIHL his home. He’s been very successful there with the Mustangs, winning a Goodall Cup championship in 2023. All told, he’s played over 800 games in 10 countries.
His journey to Australia has been told before. He’s a cool video from 2024 that shows what a day in his life is like:
BONUS to the BONUSES: Here’s a snippet of the Coliseum Referendum rally featuring a live performance by the one-and-only Blue Öyster Cult:
What makes a “Weird Islander?”
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Moritz Seider #53 of the Detroit Red Wings defends against Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It is really easy to be a prisoner of the moment in sports and overreact to things, both positively and negatively. Not every win means you are a championship team. Not every defeat means your season is over. Hot streaks happen for below average players, cold streaks happen for great players. It is a long season, and over the course of it the full body of work means a lot more than small sample sizes throughout it.
That brings me to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov. As of Friday he has only played 36 games with the Penguins, and that is by any reasonable definition a fairly small sample size of games. But it has been so impressive, and so impactful, that is really hard not to say that he looks like he has a chance to be a star going forward for this team.
In fact, he might already be one. Or at least on track to becoming one. He scored two more goals on Thursday night, bringing his total to 20 goals for the season and already 17 in 36 games with the Penguins. The overwhelming majority of those goals with the Penguins have come during 5-on-5 play, an area he has usually excelled when given an opportunity. Since the start of the 2023-24 season there have been 408 forwards to log at least 1,000 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time. Chinakhov’s 1.26 goals per 60 minutes in this situations is seventh in the entire NHL (oddly enough, Anthony Mantha is one of the six players ahead of him) and there is little to suggest that it is unsustainable.
He does have a 17.9 percent all-situations shooting percentage, which is fairly high, but he also has one of the best shots in hockey. It is also not so high that it seems like an unsustainable number, especially when he has shot over 14.5 percent previously in his career and is over 12 percent overall. He is seeing a little bit of a boost, but it is not fraudulent. With his shot, it is not out of the question to think he can sustain something over 14 or 15 percent on a somewhat regular basis.
When the Penguins acquired Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December it was always an intriguing move. They paid a steep price given what he had accomplished in his career and the way things were going with him in Columbus this season, but the talent was always there.
On Thursday night I stumbled upon this post from long-time Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline from the day of the trade
Trade call pending between #CBJ and #LetsGoPens regarding Yegor Chinakhov. Waiting on the specifics of the picks.
Chinakhov has enormous potential, but was a lost soul here, it seemed. Perhaps a change of scenery will set him free. If so, #CBJ could lament trading in the Metro.
Seems accurate. Everybody knew the talent was there. The issues were always staying healthy and convincing the coaching staff and organization in Columbus that he was worthy of a real look and a bigger opportunity. He rarely got both. We are seeing the enormous potential. It also seems quite likely that the change of scenery has in fact set him free.
Chinakhov’s calling card has always been his shot and just how ridiculously hard and quick it is, and it has been consistently on display with the Penguins. Along with that, there are so many other elements of his game that stand out and are significantly better than advertised.
At the top of the list is his speed. He is lightning fast, and on so many occasions with the Penguins has simply blown by defenders to create his own chances or goals. He just seems to get on defenders so quick, catch them flat-footed, and power around them. He sort of did that on Thursday with his first goal, which then came on an incredible, perfectly placed backhand shot that beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy over his shoulder.
He is also a significantly better player away from the puck than we were led to believe.
I am not going to say he is going to win a Selke Trophy at any point in his career, but the way he hunts down pucks, creates turnovers, and uses that speed to overwhelm players is an extremely pleasant surprise and positive development. We saw that on display in the game against the Boston Bruins in early March when he forced a turnover in overtime that led to Tommy Novak’s game-winning goal.
He just looks like a player. A really good player. An important player. Give him some real power play time on the top unit and you might unlock even more goal-scoring potential.
As much as the Penguins prospect pool and young talent has improved over the past year-and-a-half (and it has, quite a bit) the one big knock has been the lack of a truly high-end player that can be a star. Maybe Ben Kindel has that sort of upside. Chinakhov might as well, and perhaps even more than that. The Penguins needed to find a guy like this, and they may have done it. The emergence and development of those two players has played a significant role in the Penguins push for a playoff spot. It is also a significant development for the long-term outlook of the team and organization. Whether it is good luck, good scouting, or a combination of the two it is very important and a great year for the Kyle Dubas front office.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — On a day where a near-magnitude-five earthquake was the most interesting thing happening around the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club fell 4-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The loss officially eliminated Toronto from participating in the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
It had been evident for a while that the club wasn’t destined to be competing in the league’s greatest showcase. But what is less evident—and what made Craig Berube a bit more contemplative—is the way the regular season has gone. One thing he’s been unhappy about all season? The team is not shooting enough.
“I think we don’t look to shoot enough, personally. I mean, there’s a lot of times where it’s just a simple shot. It’s not our first instinct, in my opinion,” Berube said. “Even from the back end when we get pucks, like, we could move our feet quicker and get them through. I think it’s a mindset more than anything”.
I asked Berube if he felt it has something to do with his team being a little selfless, trying to get it to their teammates.
“Sometimes. In the second period there, there was opportunities where just, we’re right there and we’re trying to pass it into the net. And, you know, we’ve got to get that out of our system. You know, we’ve got to put more pucks at the net,” Berube explained. “You know, simple shots—like in the third, Max shoots one and hits the post. I mean, it’s from a ways out. But those are the types of things, like, and, you know, I can go back and look at when we shoot the puck, we recover it probably 80% of the time”.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2016. pic.twitter.com/SEoP3dys8v
Berube seems to feel that even low-quality shots would generate better chances for the Leafs on rebounds. That might be the case, but it’s also clear the club hasn’t bought into it, continuing to play the way they do.
While the Sharks were desperate for the win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Leafs now face a different reality. Now that they face the mathematical reality of being out, it’ll be interesting to see if they use their last call-up to bring in another defenseman just to change things up.
On the same day the Leafs were eliminated, Mitch Marner—who departed the Leafs after being a part of Toronto’s previous nine seasons of consecutive playoff appearances—recorded his first hat trick with the Vegas Golden Knights. Meanwhile, forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann each scored a goal for the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken, respectively. Both players were traded for picks as the Leafs shifted from Stanley Cup contenders at the start of the season to a team looking for its identity and a path for the future.
The Leafs will see Laughton and the Kings on Friday to close out their four-game road trip out West.
How The Math Worked For Elimination
Although the Maple Leafs are 11 points out with six games remaining behind the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, who are in a three-way tie for the second wild-card spot at 88 points, Toronto could still finished with 89 points. However, Detroit and Columbus have a game against each other remaining on the schedule. Because one of those teams is guaranteed to win that game and collect an additional two points in the standings, Toronto was technically 13 points out instead of 11, and thus eliminated from the postseason.
