Category: NHL

The Central Division and Metropolitan Division title races have been settled but the other two NHL division races are tight.

After games on Tuesday, April 7, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens are tied atop the Atlantic Division with 102 points each. In the Pacific Division race, the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are tied with 88 points and the Anaheim Ducks are one point back at 87.

So which team has the edge for the division title and which would finish second and have home-ice advantage in the second round?

That comes down to tiebreakers.

Here's an explanation of NHL tiebreakers and how they will affect the 2026 playoff races:

NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?

If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:

1. Regulation wins
2. Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
3. Total wins
4. Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
5. Goal differential
6. Total goals

How NHL tiebreakers affect the Atlantic Division race

The Lightning and Sabres entered Wednesday's game tied with 39 regulation wins, so that would go to the second tiebreaker. Tampa Bay leads 44 to 42 in ROW, giving it the division lead. The Canadiens have only 32 regulation wins and can't catch the other two teams in that category, so they'd have to finish ahead of the Lightning and Sabres in points to finish first or second in the division.

Buffalo plays on Wednesday and Thursday, April 9, while Tampa Bay visits Montreal on Thursday.

How NHL tiebreakers affect the Pacific Division race

Edmonton leads Vegas 30-28 in regulation wins and in ROW 39-35, so the Golden Knights will have to finish with more points or regulation wins than the Oilers to win the division. Anaheim has only 24 regulation wins.

How NHL tiebreakers affect the race for the Eastern Conference top seed

The Carolina Hurricanes have 106 points, but if the Lightning or Sabres can catch them, they have three more regulation wins than the Hurricanes.

How NHL tiebreakers affect the Eastern Conference wild-card race

The Boston Bruins (96 points) and Ottawa Senators (92) hold the two spots, with four other teams within five points of Ottawa. The Senators have the most regulation wins in that group (35) with only the Washington Capitals (33) able to catch them in that category, but they're five points back. Ottawa would take the first wild-card slot if they and Boston are tied in points at season's end.

How NHL tiebreakers affect the Western Conference wild-card race

The Utah Mammoth (88 points) are trending toward finishing with the first wild-card spot. The Nashville Predators (84) are sitting in the second wild-card spot, but they have played one or two more games than their closest pursuers: the Los Angeles Kings (83), San Jose Sharks (81), Winnipeg Jets (80) and St. Louis Blues (78).

The Kings currently have only 19 regulation wins, so they'd lose out in the event of a tie. The Predators have 27, the Sharks have 25, the Jets have 27 and the Blues have 29. The Sharks have the most ROW at 35 if it comes down to a second tiebreaker.

Nashville and Winnipeg are currently tied in regulation wins and ROW, but the Predators have three more total wins. If it comes down to a fourth tiebreaker between those teams. the Jets have the edge in the season series.

How NHL tiebreakers affect the second seed in the Central Division

The Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild first-round series is the only one that is set, but home-ice advantage hasn't been determined. The Stars lead by two points and by an insurmountable five regulation wins, so the Wild can't win a tiebreaker. They would get home ice only if they finish with more points.

The teams play in Dallas on Thursday, April 9.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How NHL tiebreakers could affect 2026 playoff bracket, standings

This is it for the Los Angeles Kings; we're now in the final week of the regular season as they prepare for their final five games, starting Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. 

The Mammoth and Golden Knights continue to stack up victories and are the two hottest teams in the Western Conference playoff race, each winning four straight games. 

Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks continue to slide, now losers of six straight, and have dropped from the No. 1 seed to the third seed in the division. If Los Angeles can defeat the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday and Anaheim loses to San Jose, the Kings will be just two points back for the third seed. 

Teams like Nashville, LA, and even San Jose are putting pressure on Anaheim because of its recent skid, and with a much tougher schedule in its last four games, Anaheim can make things interesting in the final week of the regular season. 

But Los Angeles still has to take care of business in its final five games to be playoff-bound and determine where it will finish in the standings. 

Here’s a look at the current playoff standings in the middle of the divisions:

Central Division:

4. Utah Mammoth - 41-30-6, 88 points

5. Nashville Predators - 37-31-10, 84 points

6. Winnipeg Jets - 34-31-12, 80 points

Pacific Division:

3. Anaheim Ducks - 41-32-5, 87 points

4. Los Angeles Kings - 32-26-19, 83 points

5. San Jose Sharks - 37-32-7, 81 points

With the Ducks, Predators, and Mammoth holding the tiebreakers over the Kings, Los Angeles is going to have to catch them with more points if they want to surpass them in the standings. 

Updated Pacific Division/Wild Card standings pic.twitter.com/1AePY0VOFX

— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) April 8, 2026

Let’s take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who Kings fans should be rooting for.

Wednesday

Oilers At Sharks

San Jose, winners of five in their last six games, have been hot, especially Macklin Celebrini, fighting for a playoff spot, so expect them to give a full effort at home against the Oilers. Meanwhile, Edmonton is tied with Vegas for the top seed in the division after losing two straight games, so they will also give a full-on effort on the road to stay on top. 

Thursday

Predators At Mammoth

Two teams that the Kings are fighting with to make the postseason. Utah has been on a heater recently, winners of four in a row, while the Predators hold the final wild card spot over Los Angeles. Expect this game to be a dogfight, with Utah trying to separate itself from Anaheim and Nashville. 

Golden Knights At Kraken

Expect the Golden Knights to win five in a row since firing their head coach. Seattle has lost six games in a row and no longer has any desire to win, as they've fallen too far behind in the playoff picture. 

Sharks At Ducks

If the Kings want to move into that third seed in the Pacific Division and avoid the Avalanche, they'll root for the Ducks to lose their seventh straight game to the Sharks. But, at the same time, there's a dilemma. If the Sharks win, they will move closer to the Kings; this game will determine whether Kings fans would rather see Colorado or potentially Edmonton or Vegas in the first round of the postseason. 

Saturday

Wild At Predators

The Minnesota Wild have already clinched a postseason spot and will face the Dallas Stars in the playoffs. If they want home ice advantage in that first round matchup over the Stars, they'll do everything they can to win this game. 

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Each NHL team has had a player revealed as a nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, and it comes as a shock to no one that the Los Angeles Kings' representative is Anze Kopitar.

The Bill Masterton Trophy is awarded "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey." The Professional Hockey Writers' Association votes on who should win this award.

Not only has Kopitar shown those qualities throughout his career, but this season is particularly appropriate.

The Kings' captain is in his final NHL season, announcing before the season that this will be his last year in the NHL before retirement.

He's shown his dedication to hockey in so many ways, but what could make Kopitar a finalist for this award is how long he's played in the NHL and that he's about to tie a bow on what has been an incredible career.

Family, Golf And F1 Races: Kings' Kopitar Reveals His Retirement PlansWith just a sliver of the 2025-26 season and Anze Kopitar's NHL career remaining, the Los Angeles Kings captain was asked about his plans for retirement in a recent interview with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

This is Kopitar's 20th season in the NHL - two decades of lacing up his skates for Los Angeles. In that span, he's cemented himself as arguably the best King to ever play the game, and the stats speak for themselves.

He leads the franchise in games and seasons played, has the most assists in Kings history, and earlier this season, Kopitar became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. 

On March 14, Kopitar scored a pair of goals against the New Jersey Devils, which saw him surpass Marcel Dionne on the Kings' all-time scoring list.

In addition to Kopitar's talents and all the accolades he's collected in his career, there is another aspect to him as a leader and athlete that also ties into his dedication to hockey.

Kings' Kopitar Proving He's Not Hanging Up His Skates Without An Honest FightLos Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is retiring at the end of this year. But with the way he's been playing lately, he's not interested in letting his career end without a fight to get into the post-season.

Though the 38-year-old has dealt with a couple of knocks and injuries that forced him to miss 15 games this season, his ability to remain healthy and available for the Kings throughout his career has been impressive.

Before this 2025-26 campaign, Kopitar went on an eight-year stretch of only missing a total of four regular-season contests.

Along with the two Stanley Cups, two Selke Trophies, three Lady Byng Trophies, 1,516 games played and 1,314 points scored, Kopitar has certainly exemplified perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey and the NHL.

Only three Kings have ever won the Bill Masterton Trophy. Butch Goring in 1978, Bob Bourne in 1988 and the latest winner was Dave Taylor in 1991.

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With a packed NHL slate of games on Tuesday, the Western Conference playoff picture saw several changes, and unfortunately for the Winnipeg Jets, the results were not in their favor. 

As of Wednesday, the Jets sit four points out of a playoff spot behind the San Jose Sharks, who have 81 points, the Los Angeles Kings with 83 points, and the Nashville Predators, who currently hold the second wild card spot in the West with 84 points.

Winnipeg has five games left in the season, the same as the Kings, while the Sharks have an advantage with six games remaining. Nashville is looking to finish strong with just four games left. Despite being behind in points, the Jets surprisingly have the best goal differential among the group and have been playing well recently. 

They have gone from being completely out of the playoff race to firmly in contention. The Jets have collected points in ten of their last 13 games, including six wins in their last eight. Maintaining this momentum will be crucial as the playoff race remains razor thin.

Winnipeg’s final five games are on the road against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, followed by a home matchup Saturday versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Their last three games next week are against the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, and San Jose Sharks. To secure a playoff spot, the Jets must stay hot and win all of these remaining games.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs look to play spoiler again when they host the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, April 8.

Washington still has a slim chance of punching a postseason ticket, so my top Capitals vs. Maple Leafs predictions and NHL picks are calling for the Caps to pepper Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz with shots tonight.

Capitals vs Maple Leafs prediction

Capitals vs Maple Leafs best bet: Anthony Stolarz Over 25.5 saves (-125)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are 5-10-5 out of the Olympic break while allowing the most shots per game (34.9) and ranking last in Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5, so with the Washington Capitals still battling for a playoff spot, I expect the Caps to carry the play while caving the Leafs in for sustained chunks of time.

Of course, Toronto starter Anthony Stolarz has also been solid with a .910 save percentage and 8.71 goals saved above expected across nine games during the highlighted slump, so he stands to face enough rubber to clear this saves total tonight.

Capitals vs Maple Leafs same-game parlay

I’m expecting Stolarz to play well enough to cash the Under. Toronto ranks 31st in expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 across the noted 20-game stretch, and Washington is 19th, so these are both below-average offenses.

Still, the Maple Leafs have seen a spark since rookie Easton Cowan has climbed to the No. 1 line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Cowan has marked the scoresheet in three straight, and Nylander has three or more shots in three consecutive games, while they’ve clicked with Tavares and have been on the ice for 9.63 goals per 60 minutes.

Capitals vs Maple Leafs SGP

• Under 6.5
• Easton Cowan Over 0.5 points
• William Nylander Over 2.5 shots on goal

Capitals vs Maple Leafs odds

• Moneyline: Capitals -150 | Maple Leafs +130
• Puck Line: Capitals -1.5 (+155) | Maple Leafs +1.5 (-180)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-115) | Under 6.5 (-105)

Capitals vs Maple Leafs trend

The Washington Capitals have won 14 of their last 25 games (+3.75 Units / 13% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Maple Leafs.

How to watch Capitals vs Maple Leafs

Capitals vs Maple Leafs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Anthony Mantha got recognized for his monster season by earning the Penguins’ nomination for the NHL’s Masterton Trophy. The award goes to the NHL player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey”. After signing an incentive-laden contract after suffering a major knee injury in 2024-25, Mantha has set career-highs in goals, assists and points this season with Pittsburgh.

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Anthony Mantha embodies it all.

Read more: https://t.co/nkdbd1H0wnpic.twitter.com/Sovnh2efrn

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 8, 2026

From the team:

“I think it’s the first time I got nominated for something in the NHL. So, obviously, that’s awesome,” Mantha said.

“There were some doubts (I could get here). I was kind of mentally preparing myself for a PTO (professional tryout contract). When it happens, and you play 13 games, and Calgary was kind of a prove-it deal – that’s kind of where the head goes to. And I knew I still had some in me. Obviously, I knew I was going to work to get back. And here we are.”

Initially, the prognosis wasn’t bad. Mantha did an MRI, which showed no swelling. The team told Mantha he might be out for a week.

“And then when they hit you with, ‘yeah, you’re done for the year,’ that’s probably the low point,” Mantha said. “And then after that, it takes couple weeks to kind of refocus and get your head right and get to work, get to rehabbing. Just working to find a deal, get a deal, and have a career year.”

Mantha has been vocal about working with Toronto-based mental coach Matt Caldaroni for the last several years. It started when he underwent shoulder surgery during the 2021-22 season, which Mantha spent with Washington. He had the procedure that November and returned to action in March.

At that point, Mantha said he had “kind of lost the passion, maybe, for hockey. I was getting injured every other year, and it was just taking a toll mentally and physically. We kind of worked on loving the game again.”

So, when this most recent injury happened, Mantha was constantly communicating with Caldaroni throughout the entire process.

“Our sole focus was to be the best version of myself this year, and that was from Day 1 of rehabbing all the way to the start of this year,” Mantha said. “And obviously, I think I’m there right now. Obviously, best results of my career for stats-wise, but I think just also as a person and as a dad of three now. So, it’s pretty cool.”

What also figures to be cool for Mantha is that he is the highest goalscoring impending free agent and is in-line for a healthy contract in 2026-27. Whether or not that will be with the Penguins or somewhere else remains to be seen, but the Pens have benefited immensely Mantha’s dedication and perseverance to get a career year out of him this season.

While Jacub Dobes started the season occupying the Montreal Canadiens’ backup chair, slowly but surely, he was able to take that chair, and he didn’t steal it; he earned it. With four games to go in the regular season, the rookie netminder has already played 40 games and earned 28 of the Habs’ 46 wins. As things stand, he has a 28-8-4 record with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

However, since the Habs made Marco Marciano their goaltending coach, the youngster has a 12-3-1 record in 16 games with a 2.44 GAA and a .916 SV. There’s no denying that his arrival has had a big impact on Dobes, but so has the fact that the Canadiens finally decided to give him the net and put their trust in him.

Flat Canadiens Find A Way To Overcome Depleted Panthers
Zharovsky Picked Canadiens’ Prospect Who Had The Most Promising Season
Canadiens’ Laine May Not Play, But He Supports The Team

On Tuesday, NHL Network analyst Mike Kelly shared a stat showing just how much of a difference Dobes has made for the Canadiens’ season. This year, the Canadiens are second in goals saved above average, with 17, second only to the New York Islanders, who have 22. Of the Habs’ 17 GSAE, 11 belong to Dobes, four to Jacob Fowler, and only two to Samuel Montembeault.

The NHL has a goalie award for lowest team goals against, which is a combination of team defence and goaltending.
What if there was an award for goalie impact on wins?
The Islanders would take it with 22 'Goalie Steals' this season. Sorokin leads all goalies with 15. pic.twitter.com/iE7WUwDNuL

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) April 7, 2026

Furthermore, Dobes is clutch when it’s crunch time. Since January 12, he has a .942 SV in the third frame and in overtime, and a .887 SV on shots from the lower slot; in both departments, he is third in the NHL.

While the netminder may not get many votes in the Calder Trophy polls this season thanks to Matthew Scaefer’s dominance and a tight rookie scoring race between teammate Ivan Demidov, Beckett Sennecke and Schaefer himself, he stands out above all other rookie netminders. He has seven more wins than Yaroslav Askarov, is second amongst rookie goalies who have played at least 30 games in GAA and in SV amongst the same group.

It’s also worth mentioning that last season, Calgary Flames netminder Dustin Wolf, who finished second in the Calder Trophy voting, only had 29 wins, one more than what Dobes has so far, and chances are, he will either tie him or even surpass him. Furthermore, the Czech netminder has led his team to the playoffs, something Wolf failed to do in his rookie season or his sophomore one, for that matter.

More importantly, though, Dobes brings confidence and swagger to the net. When his teammates look at him behind the post, they see a netminder who believes in himself and who will give them an opportunity to win regardless of who the opponent is, and that’s priceless.

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The St. Louis Blues announced on Wednesday a leadership change for its American Hockey League affiliate in Springfield that features assistant general managers Ryan Miller and Tim Taylor each adding the title of Thunderbirds Co-GM's on a permanent basis moving forward.

The immediate change in management structure follows the departure of former Thunderbirds GM Kevin Maxwell, who is expected to moved on to the New York Rangers in a management position.

In their dual roles for the Blues and Thunderbirds, Taylor will continue to oversee player personnel while Miller will manage contract negotiations, compliance, and various hockey operations functions.

“Kevin played an instrumental role in the development of our prospects and strengthening of our relationship with the Springfield organization during his three-plus years with our management team and we wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career,” Blues GM Doug Armstrong said in a team release. “Building on the success from their previous roles within the Blues organization, Ryan and Tim have proven to be an effective team with complementary talents over their two years as assistant general managers in support of me and Alexander Steen. As we move forward with them sharing the developmental and operational responsibilities of players throughout all levels of our organization, their partnership will ensure efficient communications and decision making between our staffs in St. Louis and Springfield.”

Taylor, 57, first joined the Blues as director of player development in 2011 before elevating to his most current role as assistant general manager and director of player personnel. During his tenure, Taylor has made a substantial impact on the organization through his efforts to assess, develop and guide Blues prospects at all levels. His efforts played a key role in helping the Blues capture the 2019 Stanley Cup championship. As a player, Taylor enjoyed a 13-year NHL career, including stints with Detroit, Boston, the New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay. As a player, he was a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, winning with Detroit in 1997 and Tampa Bay in 2004.

Miller, 42, came to the Blues in 2010 as the team’s director of hockey administration before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2020 after helping the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup title. In his role, Miller negotiates contracts, ensures compliance under the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap, and prepares for players who might opt to file for salary arbitration, along with a wide range of other responsibilities. 

With an affiliation agreement that began in 2021, the Blues and Thunderbirds announced an extension of that partnership through the end of the 2030-31 season in October of 2024 that further solidified the long-term future of the AHL in Springfield, one of the league’s charter cities.

Currently led by Head Coach Steve Ott, former Blues player and an assistant coach on the Blues’ 2018-19 Stanley Cup championship team, Springfield currently holds the sixth and final playoff position in the AHL’s Atlantic Division. Overall, 33 players have skated in games for both teams during the affiliation agreement, including current Blues players Dalibor Dvorsky, Joel Hofer, Matthew Kessel, Theo Lindstein, Jake Neighbours, Logan Mailloux, Otto Stenberg, Alexey Toropchenko, and Tyler Tucker.

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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen has been named the organization’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Nominees for this award are decided on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, with the award going to a player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.”

Lankinen, who is currently dealing with an upper-body injury, is in his second season with the Canucks after putting up career numbers in 2024–25 with 25 wins and four shutouts. This season has not gone nearly as well due to a variety of other factors including injuries to his fellow goaltenders and multiple different trades, with Lankinen having played in 44 games thus far. 

Other nominees for the Masterton Trophy in 2025–26 include Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets, Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators, and Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche. Previous winners include Sean Monahan (2025), Connor Ingram (2024), and Kris Letang (2023). 

The Canucks' Masterton Trophy nominee in 2025 was Dakota Joshua, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had surgery during the off-season before making his return to the lineup in November. Prior to that, Vancouver’s past nominees include Noah Juulsen (2024), Brock Boeser (2023), and Luke Schenn (2022). 

The full list of nominees for 2026 can be found below. 

• Anaheim Ducks: Ville Husso
• Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy
• Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Dahlin
• Calgary Flames: Devin Cooley
• Carolina Hurricanes: Taylor Hall
• Chicago Blackhawks: Spencer Knight
• Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner
• Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn
• Detroit Red Wings: Dominik Shine
• Edmonton Oilers: Connor Ingram
• Florida Panthers: Brad Marchand
• Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar
• Minnesota Wild: Jesper Wallstedt
• Montreal Canadiens: Mike Matheson
• Nashville Predators: Ozzy Wiesblatt
• New Jersey Devils: Brenden Dillon
• New York Islanders: Kyle Palmieri
• New York Rangers: Matthew Robertson
• Ottawa Senators: Linus Ullmark
• Philadelphia Flyers: Garrett Wilson
• Pittsburgh Penguins: Anthony Mantha
• San Jose Sharks: Laurent Brossoit
• Seattle Kraken: Jordan Eberle
• St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington
• Utah Mammoth: Clayton Keller
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Darren Raddysh
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
• Vancouver Canucks: Kevin Lankinen
• Vegas Golden Knights: Akira Schmid

• Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin
• Winnipeg Jets: Jonathan Toews

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Tuesday night’s Eastern Conference results were not great for the Islanders as the Ottawa Senators beat the Atlantic-leading Tampa Bay Lightning (with a five-goal third period!) in regulation and the Red Wings and Blue Jackets had a three-point game, with Detroit falling via shootout.

But at least we know where everyone stands with four games to go, as those results consumed the final games in hand hanging over the Isles’ heads:

• Philadelphia begins the day in the Metro’s third spot with 92 points on just 25 regulation wins
• Ottawa occupies the second wild card spot, also with 92 points but 35 regulation wins
• Below the playoff line, Columbus has 90 points (27 regulation wins), while Detroit and the Islanders each have 89 points (29 and 28 regulation wins, respectively)

Today is Pete DeBoer’s third and final day of trying to orient the team before the games resume Thursday against the Leafs. It’s only three days and it’s only four games, but it will be fascinating to see what DeBoer does with the structure and the lineup.

Islanders News

• Among those lineup things…putting Mat Barzal back at center? He and Brayden Schenn could stay together but alternate roles, perhaps. [Newsday | Post]
• Kyle Palmieri is the team’s Masterton nominee, and he does not rule out returning in the playoffs (if they get there). [Newsday | Post]
• DeBoer and Bo Horvat on working together at the Olympics. [Isles]
• Other practice updates: maintenance day guys back on the ice. [Isles]
• Anders Lee on what’s changing under DeBoer. [Po$t+]
• Remembering the Lighthouse Project, and why it never happened. [Newsday]

Elsewhere:

Alex Ovechkin will decide this summer whether to continue. Won’t we all. [Sportsnet]

A goalfest between Utah and Edmonton could be a playoff preview. [Sportsnet]

Thought about holding it off for the official clinching of a playoff ticket by the Penguins, but it’s an off day and close enough. Here’s a doozy to revisit from only seven months ago in mid-September, though it seems so much longer ago now. The Pensburgh article is entitled: “Bigger surprise for Penguins: playoffs or last place?” Now that we know how the season played out, it’s fun to see.

“In actuality, there probably won’t be 15 elements of best case scenario to all hit, one after another.”

Is how the article wrapped up, and it still feels fairly unbelievable that just so much went right for the Penguins. In fact, you can even find 15 scenarios that worked out as just about the best possible way.

• Anthony Mantha has 31 goals and 61 points, scoring an eye-popping 2.62 points per 60 at 5v5
• Erik Karlsson has been playing at about a Norris caliber level, particularly in the second half of the season
• Dan Muse is in the conversation for the Jack Adams award
• Egor Chinakhov appeared out of thin air and has 17 goals and 33 points in 40 games with the Pens, producing at an almost unheard of 2.92 5v5 P/60 rate
• Ben Kindel did what almost never happens as a non top-10 draft picking stepping into the NHL at draft+1 and often being one of the better players on the ice as an 18-year old
• Parker Wotherspoon went from NHL bargain bin free agent signing to legitimately solid first pair defenseman
• Ryan Shea continued his progression into a steady and confident player
• Evgeni Malkin increased his statistical output from age-38 (50 points in 68 games) to his age-39 season (59 points in 54 games), taking his 5v5 P/60 from 1.65 in 2024-25 (a career-low) back up to 2.49 this year, his highest rate since 2019-20
• Justin Brazeau (17) set a career-high in goals, more than doubling his career total of 16 goals that he entered the season
• The fourth line became a massive positive difference maker; Connor Dewar notched highs in goals (14) and points (30), Acciari got back to double-digit goals for the first time since 2022-23, Blake Lizotte has been amazing when healthy.
• Tommy Novak shrugged off a bad 2024-25 and got back to his 2022-24 levels of a 40+ point season
• Sidney Crosby remained Sidney Crosby, even at age 38 (72 points in 66 games)
• The power play sits at 6th in the NHL at 24.7%, essentially holding status quo from finishing 6th last season (25.8%)
• Penalty kill is 8th in the NHL at 81.7%, after spending much of the season in the top-5, improving from 18th in 2024-25

OK, that’s 14, but you get the idea. Maybe in the preseason it could be hoped for a few of those bullet points working out, though some are beyond the realm of even dreaming up and counting on happening. Turns out, every single one of them did. That’s how a team becomes a shocking success story when so many over-perform realistic expectations.

Let’s see just how much the bright side hit, from the preseason prognostication:

On the bright side: Dan Muse’s coaching helps tightened up the defense a little better than the pure personnel would suggest, and that in turn helps Tristan Jarry have a bounce-back. Maybe the team even gets a surprise when Arturs Silovs figures things out at the NHL level and becomes a capable 1B type of goalie. The roster gets managed to the point where struggling veterans of the past (Kevin Hayes, Noel Acciari, Ryan Graves, Danton Heinen, etc) see their roles drastically reduced, if not taken off the NHL roster entirely via trades or waivers, and in their place young players like Owen Pickering, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes all form a 2016-ish type of wave of new talent to help the stars. And the stars shine, Sidney Crosby plays like Sidney Crosby, but the big surprise is that Evgeni Malkin doesn’t go gentle into the night and plays/produces more than last season. It also helps that across the division that none of the Islanders, Flyers or Blue Jackets are better than expected and the Rangers’ strife continues.

A lot of that came to pass, starting with Muse who infused a new energy and freshened up the place. Silovs has had his ups and downs but as technically still an NHL rookie (by league classification) he’s done well. Goaltending for the Penguins has been better than the previous year, but it’s really not carrying them or a leading reason they had a successful season. It’s been an offensively-led club, Pittsburgh’s 3.55 goals/game ranks second in the NHL and while everyone could see that the Pens had some quality forwards it would have been fairly crazy to predict they’d be a top-five goal generating team in the league this year, until it happened.

The Penguins may have collected bad contracts but the nuance is that they didn’t play bad players K. Hayes saw his games go from 64 in 2024-25 to just 25 this year, Dumba, Graves and Heinen were all waived. Acciari, as he’s destined to do, soldiered one and rightfully kept a spot in the NHL lineup through his play. Connor Clifton also settled into a regular spot when picked up for nothing.

The young player glow-up didn’t come from expected ways. Koivunen and McGroarty both disappointed, Pickering hasn’t been seen in the NHL. It took Kindel, Chinakhov, Avery Hayes and Elmer Soderblom to give the lineup some youthful flourishes. But the team didn’t succeed mainly because of youth, it remained older players in key roles. Malkin had a solid season, Sidney Crosby is Sidney Crosby. Bryan Rust has 64 points in 70 games, Rickard Rakell missed time with injury but still managed 24-goals and 48 points in 54 games. Mantha exploded, Karlsson played like a Hall of Famer. That’s the backbone of the team and besides the fading Kris Letang, almost every single 30+ year old veteran had incredibly awesome seasons (well, Graves is 30 too but everyone has long since given up hope for him, so you get the idea).

The other unknown element from September would be how Kyle Dubas would improve the team. Tristan Jarry started hot, but as he always does, plays worse in the second half of the season than the first and has now lost his starting job in Edmonton. Getting Stuart Skinner wasn’t a massive upgrade, but it did give a steadier goalie, plus Brett Kulak, who became Sam Girard. The Chinakhov find deserves every bit of praise and joy it gets, adding Soderblom also looks like a good call. Dubas has had that managerial magic touch lately where all his moves seemingly hit.

Here was our worst case scenario at the other end of the spectrum:

And the darker outlook: Dan Muse is Mike Johnston 2.0 as a coach who proves to be better at developmental levels than the NHL. The defensive personnel plays to their talent level, which is not a pretty picture. The goaltending doesn’t have much of a chance, but doesn’t prop the team much up either. Then either through practical purposes or slow markets, the Pens aren’t willing/able to make sweeping changes and drop multiple under-performing veterans, so the Graves/Hayes/Acciari class of players continues to amble along with uninspiring NHL play, blocking younger players to the minors for much of the season. The best players on the team, all 30+, have some injuries in their ranks and players like Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell can’t replicate career-best seasons from last year. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang’s play continues to diminish. It’s a long, cold winter in Pittsburgh and when it breaks they’re at the bottom of the division and among the lowest-performing teams in the league. That leads to a 7-9% chance of winning the lottery, but they don’t and draw the sixth overall pick

You never know the impact of a coach, it’s safe to say Muse has past the test to show a level of competency in his first season, to say the least. The other main element that you have to put yourself in shoes from seven months and almost 80 games ago is the defense. It did look horrible; Karlsson was spinning his wheels, Wotherspoon and Shea hadn’t earned trust or demonstrated their competency, Girard wasn’t even a trade rumor, etc. The defense still even might not be great, but well above passable compared to the perception it had coming into the year.

Not too much of the pessimistic case hit. Letang’s decline hasn’t been graceful but that’s about the single area that fits – besides Koivunen, McGroarty and Pickering all being in Wilkes-Barre for most the season. That says more about their own personal development at this point, unfortunately, than it does about being blocked by middling vets who don’t have any business blocking them out of NHL opportunities.

Add it all up and it was an unpredictable year of massive success for the Penguins. Their playoff spot is all but confirmed as they rocket along towards what looks like a second place finish in the division. It took a year of surprises and best case scenarios playing out to get to one of the more exciting and fulfilling seasons this team has had in a long time.

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Braden Schneider has been a blocked shot machine for New York, eating multiple pucks in eight of his last 10 games.

My Sabres vs. Rangers predictions expect his prowess in that area to be on full display in a pace-up spot against Buffalo.

Read more in my NHL picks for Wednesday, April 8.

Sabres vs Rangers prediction

Sabres vs Rangers best bet: Braden Schneider Over 1.5 blocked shots (-135)

Braden Schneider is a fearless shot blocker who has ramped it up a notch since the New York Rangers traded multiple players at the deadline, including fellow defensive defenseman Carson Soucy.

Schneider has blocked 35 shots over his last 16 games, clearing his 1.5 line 13 times. Only six defensemen have stepped in the way of more rubber during that time.

The matchup against the Buffalo Sabres should lead to multiple blocks once again. They rank 11th in shot attempts since the deadline and play at a very fast pace, creating a high-event game environment.

Sabres vs Rangers same-game parlay

The Rangers are working on two days of rest, which greatly benefits the team’s biggest minute-muncher.

Playing fresh has made a difference as Adam Fox attempted 4+ shots in all eight games after a couple of days off, averaging 5.6. He also had four shots on eight attempts in his only meeting with the Sabres this season.

New York has allowed just six goals over the last six games, Igor Shesterkin is in great form, and the Sabres sit fourth in team save percentage. Strong goaltending at both ends should lead to a lower-scoring affair.

Sabres vs Rangers SGP

• Braden Schneider Over 1.5 blocked shots
• Adam Fox Over 1.5 shots on goal
• Under 6.5

Sabres vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Buffalo -145 | New York +125
• Puck line: Buffalo -1.5 (160) | New York +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)

Sabres vs Rangers trend

The Sabres have only hit the Over in 8 of their last 25 away games (-9.60 Units / -35% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Rangers.

How to watch Sabres vs Rangers

Sabres vs Rangers latest injuries

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It is Wednesday, my dudes.

There are a few different ways of looking at the current state of the Boston Bruins:

• They’ve lost four games in a row.
• They’re on a two-game point streak.
• They’re a point or two away from clinching a playoff spot.
• They’re not looking terribly convincing at the moment.

The good news is that all of those things can be true at once, and last night’s 6-5 OT loss in Carolina was kind of a microcosm of all of them.

The Bruins looked OK early last night against Carolina, holding leads of 1-0 and 3-2 in the first period.

Then the wheels kind of fell off, with the Canes scoring three straight goals and, at times, skating circles around the Bruins.

However, the B’s bounced back, and while they ultimately lost, they left Raleigh with a point.

Your highlights from last night:

In the “good” column, Morgan Geekie broke his scoring drought in resounding fashion, recording a hat trick and pushing his season total to 37 goals.

Pavel Zacha also hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career, while David Pastrnak reached the 70-assist mark for the first time as well.

In the “bad” column, Jeremy Swayman got yanked in the second period after allowing five goals on 23 shots, though his removal was less about his individual performance and more about sparking the team in front of him.

Joonas Korpisalo played well again in relief, allowing just one goal on 17 shots (though that came in OT, so….).

If you look at last night’s game, I think you can be happy with some of the effort, concerned with some of the gaps, but ultimately, a point in Carolina isn’t a bad thing.

The B’s end their four-game road trip taking just two points out of a possible eight, leaving their playoff spot up in the air when it could have been done and dusted by now.

Ottawa, Columbus, and Philadelphia won last night, with Ottawa looking particularly impressive in scoring five times in the third period to beat Tampa.

Montreal won as well, meaning the Bruins can pretty much forget about any hopes of chasing a divisional playoff spot — it’ll be wild card or bust.

As of Wednesday morning, the B’s are in the WC1 spot, four points ahead of Ottawa in WC2.

In terms of falling out of the playoff picture, the B’s are six points ahead of Columbus (four games left) and seven points ahead of Detroit and the New York Islanders (four games apiece left).

While the B’s will now enjoy a nice stretch of three days without a game before they host Tampa on Saturday, they can clinch a playoff spot depending on other results.

Columbus plays Buffalo on Thursday, Detroit plays Philadelphia, and the Islanders play Toronto.

If all three of Columbus, Detroit, and the Islanders lose in regulation, the Bruins will clinch a playoff spot. That’s not likely to happen, but hey, it’s a scenario.

Basically, it boils down to this: if the Bruins get two points (in any fashion) over their last three games, they’ll be in.

The Red Wings and Islanders can’t get more than 97 points, and while Columbus can get 98 and equal the B’s in the first tiebreaker (regulation wins), they can’t catch the B’s in the second tiebreaker (regulation and OT wins).

My head hurts, and someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

Just get a couple of more points and save us all the trouble.

In other news, Charlie McAvoy was announced as the B’s nominee for the Masterton Trophy this morning, a deserved nod after he lost around 93 teeth over the course of the season.

What else is on tap for today?