WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists — and a rare fighting major in the second period — to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.

Kyle Connor, Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored for Winnipeg, which snapped a five-game home skid against Vegas.

Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves to snap his six-game winless streak against the Golden Knights.

Colton Sissons scored the lone goal on the power play for Vegas. Adin Hill stopped 17 shots.

Scheifele dropped the gloves with Brett Howden late in the second period in just his 10th career fight in his 15th NHL season. Scheifele capped the scoring for the Jets with his 32nd goal, an empty-netter with 1:18 left.

Early in the second period, Iafallo and Perfetti scored just 118 seconds apart, giving the Jets a commanding 3-0 lead.

Sissons made it 3-1 in the second when he scored on the power play, the third straight game in which Vegas converted with the man-advantage.

Connor’s first-period goal gave him a point in 30 home games, extending his NHL-leading mark for the most home games with at least one point this season.

Up next

Golden Knights: Start a four-game homestand against Edmonton on Thursday.

Jets: Host Colorado on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

DALLAS (AP) — Jack Hughes scored twice in New Jersey’s four-goal first period, and the Devils handed Dallas consecutive losses in regulation for the first time in two months, beating the Stars 6-4 on Tuesday night.

Jesper Bratt and Connor Brown also had goals as the Devils put four of their first five shots past Jake Oettinger to end the Dallas goalie’s career-best point streak at 14 games. Oettinger was pulled after the first period.

Wyatt Johnston had two goals to reach 40 for the first time in his career, and Jason Robertson scored his 39th for Dallas, which hadn’t lost two in a row in regulation since dropping three straight from Jan. 13-18.

Johnston’s second goal was his NHL-leading 24th on the power play, extending his franchise record set two nights earlier in a 3-2 loss to Vegas.

Playing for the first time since clinching a Western Conference playoff spot, the Stars lost to an East also-ran and fell seven points behind NHL-leading Colorado, their Central Division rival.

Hughes beat Oettinger one-on-one for both his goals, the latter when Luke Hughes connected with him on a two-line pass for a breakaway and a 4-1 lead 17:19 into the first.
Hughes has eight goals in eight games after going without one in his first five games following the gold medal-winning goal for Team USA against Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Johnston tied his career high with his 38th assist when Robertson got Dallas within a goal midway through the second period.

New Jersey’s Timo Meier and Mavrik Bourque of Dallas traded third-period goals before an empty-netter from Dougie Hamilton.

Casey DeSmith replaced Oettinger and gave the Stars a chance late by stopping the first 12 shots he faced. Jake Allen had 23 saves for the Devils.

Up next

Devils: At Nashville on Thursday on the fourth game of a five-game trip.

Stars: At the Islanders on Thursday to start a four-game trip.

The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the game but they were unable to hold the lead or light the lamp again as the Montreal Canadiens defeated them, 5-2 on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

The Hurricanes played well enough, they outshot the home team 42-19, but they could not finish nor could they solve goalie Jakub Dobes, who picked up the win.

Nikolaj Ehlers got the scoring started just two minutes and change into the game when he rocketed a shot on goal that deflected in off a Montreal player to make it 1-0. It was a powerplay goal, giving Carolina four powerplay goals in the last two games.

Jordan Staal found himself all alone in front of the opposing net and made no mistake to make the score 2-0 and the Canes were cooking. It was Staal’s 18th of the season.

The Hurricanes did an outstanding job limiting Montreal’s shots though the home team scored on a deflected goal as they were outshot, 16-4 in that opening period.

The Habs picked up their play in the second as they scored twice to make it 3-2 at the second intermission.

While the Canes had some chances, including a couple of breakaways, they could not score again.

Montreal put the game away later in the third when the puck got past K’Andre Miller and Ivan Demidov scored on his breakaway attempt to make it 4-2.

The Canadiens later scored an empty-netter to close out the scoring.

Alexander Nikishin played over 20 minutes in this affair for the first time in awhile, (20:49). He led the team with four blocked shots.

The game did not help Fred Andersen’s save percentage as he allowed four goals on the 18 shots he faced.

It was reported that Charles Alexis Legault was recalled for the game in case a defenseman could not go. (Someone was not feeling well). He was returned to Chicago when he was not needed.

The Canes returned home and will take a day or two off as they prepare to face the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS021121.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES021121.HTM

Interviews – https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/05wvrgg8gbn0tiv6w28ep/AG818xVqb1PfRF1aN_gv_rs?rlkey=k73i5zdzwnypdgj0idhxkxojm&e=1&st=92fdo9f2&dl=0

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Erik Cernak scored a tiebreaking goal with 2:53 left in the third period when Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson misplayed a carom off the end boards and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Wild 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Cernak scored his second of the season after Charle-EdouardD’Astous' pass traveled the length of the ice and bounced off the end boards toward Gustavsson, who failed to control the puck with his glove. The puck went between Gustavsson's legs into the crease and Cernak pounced, sending it into the open net.

Tampa Bay rallied from a two-goal deficit, scoring three goals in the second period and five unanswered overall over the second and the third to win for the fourth time in five games and fifth time in seven.

Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel also scored, while Brandon Hagel and Pontus Holmberg added an empty-netter goals in the final minutes. Andrei Vasilevskiy had an assist and made 20 saves to win his fourth straight start. Guentzel's goal was his 32nd of the season and the 300th for his career.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist, and Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber also scored for the Wild, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gustavsson stopped 19 of the 23 shots that he faced.

Minnesota jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first and a 3-1 lead in the second before Tampa Bay bounced back. Raddysh and Guentzel scored in approximately a three-minute span of the second to tie the game at 3. Cernak, Hagel and Holmberg completed the scoring in the third for Tampa Bay.

The Wild had a potential go-ahead goal disallowed with 1:18 left in the second period after Tampa Bay challenged. After a review, it was decided that Raddysh was knocked to the ice and into the crease, prohibiting Vasilevskiy from a possible save.

For Minnesota, Joel Eriksson Ek was back in the lineup after missing three games with lower-body injury and Kirill Kaprizov returned after missing two games, also with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Wild: At the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Lightning: Host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

There's no bait to be taken by the Nashville Predators from the Sharks as they picked up their 14th straight win over San Jose, 6-3, on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena. 

 Wild Card Standings Update

• WC1: Utah - 80 PTS (vs. Edmonton)
• WC2: Nashville - 77 PTS (vs. San Jose, W 6-3)
• 1. Los Angeles - 74 PTS (at Calgary, L/SO 3-2)
• 2. Seattle - 72 PTS (at Florida, L/SO 5-4)
• 3. Winnipeg - 72 PTS (vs. Vegas, W 4-1)
• 4. San Jose - 70 PTS (at Nashville, L 6-3)

Red hot start 

One of the most criticized aspects of the Predators' season has been their starts, as they've either been outshot or given up the first goal in the majority of their matchups.

That was not the case against the Sharks as the Predators netted five goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, tying a franchise record for most goals scored in the first period.

 The record was originally set in an 8-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 28, 2009.

"I really liked our mindset in the 1st period," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We got off on the right foot. We've had so many of these conversations in this room about not starting right. We started on time, and we got to our game pretty quickly." 

Filip Forsberg was a massive part of that effort, recording a goal and an assist in that first period. He'd add a primary assist on a Steven Stamkos power play goal in the second period for three points on the night.

Did we mention Fil's on a heater?! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jnOC7YVWeQ

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 25, 2026

Forsberg now has 12 points (5 goals and seven assists) in five games and was named the NHL's 2nd Star of the Week on Monday. With 11 games left, he's eyeing a third straight 70-plus point season, recording 62 so far. 

"Everyone came ready to play," Forsberg said. "Obviously, we're getting rewarded, which is nice. We did a lot of the right things, got on their defensemen and got pucks back. It set the tone for the rest of the time." 

Matthew Wood, Roman Josi, Luke Evangelista and Brady Skjei all got involved in the scoring as well in the first frame. Skjei scored just his second goal of the season and first since Dec. 9. 

"I've had some looks and just haven't gone in this year," Skjei said on his scoring. "We're just talking about hopefully, the floodgates will open a little bit here at the end of the season." 

A push from Marchy 

Jonathan Marchessault's production has risen as of late, after inconsistent play throughout the season. 

The 35-year-old forward has 25 points in 51 games, but eight of them have come in just March alone. Against the Sharks, he had three assists and now has seven points in the last five games. 

"I'm playing better hockey and part of a team that's trying to make a push for a playoff spot," Marchessault said. "Everybody has a great mentality and is in a great spot in the lineup. We're playing good hockey right now." 

A lot of credit for Marchessault's production spike goes to a new line centered by Wood and Forsberg, opposite Marchessault on the wing. The trio has generated five goals over the last five games. 

"It makes a big difference," Marchessault said. Fil (Forsberg) is an amazing world-class player, but Woody is the one who facilitates a little bit of everything for Fil and me. He's low and slow in the middle, always available, and we have a lot more possession in the pocket." 

Staying in the race 

Nashville jumps to 77 points after winning its fourth straight game, now eyeing a first Wild Card spot, within three points of the Utah Mammoth. 

While the Predators are in a very different place than they were at the beginning of the year, Brunette still references last season and how the team's mindset has not changed since then. 

Nearing the playoffs, the Predators are not so much viewing themselves as underdogs as a squad out to prove they are finally living up to the potential promised last season. 

"Our mindset from the end of last year to today has been the same," Brunette said. "You can always get the results, but we were out to prove that last year was a little bit of an apparition, that we're better than what we showed. Full credit to the group when the waters got a little rough there early. We dug in even deeper, and we stayed with it, and we didn't abandon ship." 

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In a game with major postseason stakes against a shorthanded opponent, the Detroit Red Wings fell short of rising to the occasion on home ice. 

The Ottawa Senators, who entered the contest trailing Detroit by a single point in the standings, leapfrogged them with a 3-2 victory at Little Caesars Arena. 

Final pic.twitter.com/uFiWQBa78z

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 25, 2026

The Senators, who are 8-2 in their last 10 games, now have 85 points on the season compared to Detroit's 84. 

The Red Wings entered the contest on the outside looking in at the postseason, with a 51 percent chance of advancing at puck drop. A regulation win would have raised those odds to 66 percent, but the loss dropped them to 37 percent.

Making the setback even more difficult to stomach for the Red Wings, who welcomed back team captain Dylan Larkin after a seven-game absence, the Senators had played the night before in Manhattan, and were also missing top defensemen Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot. 

Instead, it was a rookie by the name of Carter Yakemchuk who made his NHL debut a memorable one. 

Yakemchuk picked up his first NHL point by assisting on Brady Tkachuk's power-play goal, giving the Senators a 1-0 lead in the first period just minutes after the Red Wings had a would-be power-play goal of their own disallowed after replays showed they were offside. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Yakemchuk then tallied his first NHL goal early in the second period, beating goaltender John Gibson through a screen after the Red Wings failed to clear the puck.

Not long after that, veteran Lars Eller increased Ottawa's lead to 3-0, beating Gibson glove side from in close. At that point, boos began to rain down from the increasingly restless sellout crowd of Red Wings fans. 

They soon had a reason to cheer, as Dominik Shine redirected a pass from Simon Edvinsson past Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark, giving them a spark of hope. 

Larkin buried a power-play goal early in the third period, bringing Detroit back to within a goal and bringing the energy back into the venue. 

Unfortunately, it's as close as they would get. Not only did Detroit fail to convert on a critical power-play opportunity late in regulation, but they also had three prime scoring chances denied by Ullmark in the waning moments. 

Detroit struggled to gain the zone on the ensuing power play, which came after Ridley Greig leveled rookie Emmitt Finnie along the half-wall. Finnie remained down on the ice for several moments and needed assistance from trainer Piet VanZant to get off; he was subsequently placed in concussion protocol.

There are still 11 games remaining in the regular season for the Red Wings, who now head on the road for a fourth straight divisional matchup, this time against the first-place Buffalo Sabres, the NHL's hottest team and biggest surprise story since mid-December. 

While there is still a path for the Red Wings to break their playoff drought, their margin of error continues to shrink by the day. 

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The Winnipeg Jets have found another win. Thanks to goals from Kyle Connor, Alex Iafallo, Cole Perfetti and Mark Scheifele, the Jets took care of the visiting Vegas Golden Knights thanks in large part to a strong performance from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. 

“We always say as a team, bend, don't break," Perfetti said post-game.

"So other teams are going to get chances. They're going to get sustained o-zone time. But as long as we don't break and stay within our system and everyone's still pulling in the same direction, we're going to get out of it and we'll be fine. And I think tonight was a good example of that.”

The Jets needed a full 10 minutes to find their first shot on goal of the game, falling behind Vegas 9-0 in the early stages.

But somehow it took until the 17-minute mark for either team to actually find the twine. And believe it or not, despite being heavily outshot in the frame, it was Winnipeg that got on the board first.

Connor blasted home his 32nd of the season following a strong offensive play on the blueline from defenceman Josh Morrissey. After shaking his defender, Morrissey found Connor all alone, cross-ice, who one-timed the puck past Adin Hill for the 1-0 marker. 

The Jets did trail the visitors on the shot chart after 20 minutes, but hung onto the late goal to remain ahead where it mattered most.

The middle stanza saw an offensive explosion from Winnipeg, which got two more goals in the frame.

The first came off the stick of Iafallo, who capitalized on a brutal Shea Theodore turnover, putting the puck past Hill, top corner 2:08 in.

Then, just 1:58 later, it was Perfetti who tapped home a perfect saucer pass from linemate Gabe Vilardi on a two-on-one. This time it was Vilardi who flicked the puck over the sprawling Theodore, making it 3-0 Winnipeg just 4:06 into the second period.

With Iafallo in the box for removing the helmet of Jeremy Lauzon, the Vegas power play finally got on the board. Colton Sissons was the last Golden Knight to touch the puck before it trickled past Hellebuyck, cutting Winnipeg's lead to two goals.

Late in the period, Scheifele took exception to a hit by Oakbank's Brett Howden on linemate Kyle Connor. He dropped the gloves in defence of his teammate for just the 10th time of his career.

“Obviously, you don't want a guy like Scheif fighting very often," Perfetti said of his teammate.

"But when the opportunity presents itself like that, Howden takes a pretty good run at KC and Scheif’s right there. I mean, he's obviously not afraid to jump in and that shows a lot about him and our team and our culture. And we're all in this together. We're sticking with it. We're a team. We're a family in here. No matter the score, the outcome, where we are in the standings, whatever it is, we're going to be in this fight together. And I think when one of your best players does that, it really shows that.”

The Golden Knights remained ahead 21-16 in shots entering the third period. 

Brad Lambert had the best chance of the first half of the third period, to which his strong net drive resulted in a heavy collision with Hill and the puck rattling off the crossbar and out of harm's way, keeping the teams stuck at the two-goal differential. 

With Dylan Samberg in the box for high sticking, the Golden Knights pulled Hill for the extra attacker, but the Jets managed to hold off the six-on-four disadvantage, with Connor finding Scheifele for the empty-net marker as time ticked down on the clock, sealing the deal for Winnipeg. 

Hellebuyck turned aside 26 of the 27 pucks sent his way by Vegas, while Adin Hill made 17 stops on 20 Winnipeg shots on goal. 

Next up for Winnipeg is the first of two-straight games against the league leading Colorado Avalanche in the Thursday night home test. 

As the road trip continues, the Colorado Avalanche made a stop in Pittsburgh to get revenge on the Penguins for the ugly 7-2 loss from a week ago. This game was neatly the exact opposite of that game as the Avalanche scored early and often to take a 6-2 win in Pittsburgh.

Prior to the contest it was a day of roster movement as both Ross Colton and Logan O’Connor entered the lineup in return from injury, with the latter making his 2025-26 season debut. Because the infirmary is always a revolving door, Nicolas Roy was a surprise late scratch with an upper-body injury.

Game 7️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/uRi9854c71

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The Game

A fast start is what the Avalanche needed and received as Nathan MacKinnon completely undressed Parker Wortherspoon on the blueline and deposited a breakaway goal over Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs. That lead didn’t last long, however, as Samuel Girard setup Egor Chinakhov for Pittsburgh on a long shot that Brent Burns tipped snuck by Scott Wedgewood.

Any thought that this game would be hotly contested soon evaporated as the Avalanche scored three goals in the last five minutes of the first period. First, Sam Malinski broke his 38-game scoreless drought to give Colorado the lead. Then Martin Nečas co to Jed his power play prowess with a one-timer goal from his new spot at the left circle. Finally, with Nazem Kadri centering the third line and in a hard-working shift Parker Kelly scored the fourth and final Avalanche goal of the period 35 second later. A 4-1 lead at the first intermission made quite the statement.

In the second period it appeared there was a sign of life for Pittsburgh when Justin Brazeau scored but Devon Toews collided with a Penguin right into the crease and disturbed Wedgewood. Jared Bednar challenged for goaltender interference and actually won, taking the goal off the board.

The second period was actually very low-event with only 11 shots generated between the two teams. One of Colorado’s six shots, though, was Martin Nečas continuing his tear and netting his second goal of the night just before the second intermission to put Colorado up 5-1.

Someone said the third period still had to be played, which it did. Colorado killed a 5-on-3 for over a minute. Pittsburgh did get their second goal late in the period from Rickard Rakell when the puck took a big bounce behind the net and then Cale Makar helped sent it out to the net front and Rakell pounced on the loose puck. That momentum was short-lived as Ross Colton found the empty net to make it a 6-2 final for Colorado.

Takeaways

Surprisingly Logan O’Connor didn’t get eased back into action as he played just over 15 minutes in this contest. It was nice having him available for the penalty kill and he picked up an assist on Parker Kelly’s goal but it will be worth monitoring how O’Connor holds up over the next several games.

Upcoming

One final game on the road, back to visit the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday March 26th at 6 p.m. MT.

The Chicago Blackhawks had a lot of hype and excitement surrounding their Tuesday night matchup against the New York Islanders. The reason for that was the pending NHL debut of their top prospect, Anton Frondell. 

Due to the morning skate, we knew that Frondell would start on the first line and top power play unit. His play in the SHL (and World Junior Championships) earned him a reputation that warrants that type of respect.

Head coach Jeff Blashill started that top line against the Islanders, and Connor Bedard let Anton Frondell take the opening face-off. His NHL career was officially underway from that moment on. 

The first shift of the game didn't go as anyone wanted, however, as the Islanders scored right away. Matthew Schaefer, who went first overall two picks before Frondell in the 2025 NHL Draft, took a shot that was deflected in by Anders Lee. 

New York's lead lasted for just over half a period, however, and that was it. Nick Lardis tied it at 12:46 of the first. After Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi failed to convert a 2-0 breakaway, the former found Lardis in the slot for the goal. 

At 18:06, a special hockey moment took place, as Anton Frondell earned his first career NHL point with an assist on an Ilya Mikheyev goal. Frondell made a solid defensive play, used Connor Bedard as a decoy, and sprung Mikheyev, who didn't miss his chance.

Bedard grabbed that puck and kept it for Frondell to keep as a memory forever. It's a moment that he'll never forget, but it also put his incredible skills that he has on display. 

first NHL point 🤝 first NHL win
big night for Anton Frondell pic.twitter.com/vEaxF0sAao

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 25, 2026

Before the period ended, Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 29th of the season to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead. He did what he does best and made good work of his net-front presence to jam the puck home. 

That score held through the first period, and the Blackhawks scored the only goal of the second period. Nick Lardis, who was already working on a two-point night, won a puck battle on a strong forecheck, fed Frank Nazar, and watched the puck go in the net. 

This play probably should have been icing on the Blackhawks, but Lardis's hustle forced the linesman to make a bad non-call. He made his own luck on the play with his effort, and Nazar was the beneficiary. Putting them together on the second line appears to be a Jeff Blashill masterclass. 

With a 4-1 lead for the Blackhawks entering the final frame, things got a little scary for them. The Islanders scored twice to make it 4-3, and they had a power play with under two minutes left and the goalie on the bench. 

Arvid Soderblom stood tall in the final moments of the match, and he was incredible again all game. After facing 49 shots in the loss on Friday against the Colorado Avalanche, he faced 47 on this night against the Islanders. He made 44 saves on those 47 shots to preserve the win. 

Hanging onto late leads has been a sore spot for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, but they prevailed in this one. This young group will have opportunities to play spoiler as the season winds down, and they did that to the Islanders, who are trying to lock down a postseason berth. 

More On Anton Frondell

In addition to his first career NHL point, Frondell had two blocks, two shots, one hit, and 0 giveaways in 15:43 of ice time. He broke up plays, generated offense, and improved the overall makeup of the forward group right away. It won't be long before he is one of the most impactful forwards on the entire team. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

Nick Lardis 🫵YOU🫵 get a goal (in back-to-back games!!) pic.twitter.com/87RISJZFR2

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2026

Ilya goal ✅
Anton assist ✅ pic.twitter.com/sEFwr8NRbq

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2026

🫨 SO MUCH IS HAPPENING 🫨

and here is Bert's goal: pic.twitter.com/P4d4vpTTtO

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2026

in the words of Frank Nazar,

"LET'S GOOOOO" pic.twitter.com/WuDBZAOGfr

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 25, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action again on Thursday night when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers in game two of their four-game road trip. Anton Frondell made his NHL debut in Tuesday night's game, and Sacha Boisvert will make his in Thursday night's game. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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DETROIT (AP) — Carter Yakemchuk scored a second-period goal and also had an assist in his NHL debut as the streaking Ottawa Senators edged the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Yakemchuk, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 draft, had been playing for the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators. He was called up earlier in the day with defensemen Thomas Chabot, Dennis Gilbert, Nick Jensen, Jake Sanderson and Lassi Thomson sidelined by injuries.

Yakemchuk, a 20-year-old defenseman from Alberta, had 10 goals in 50 games with Belleville.

Brady Tkachuk scored his 20th goal of the season for the Senators, who have won four straight and nine of their last 11 games. Lars Eller scored the other goal for the Senators. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves as the Senators continued their late push for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, BRUINS 2

BOSTON (AP) — Matthew Knies scored a pair of goals and Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Boston.

Max Domi and William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs and John Tavares had three assists as Toronto outshot Boston 35-20 and avoided a three-game season sweep in the Original Six rivalry. Anthony Stolarz finished with 18 saves.

Elias Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy scored for Boston, which still holds the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Jeremy Swayman had 31 saves for the Bruins, who lost at home for just the second time in their last 16 games.

CANADIENS 5, HURRICANES 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his 44th goal of the season and Jakub Dobes made 41 saves as Montreal held off Carolina.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov had a goal and an assist each, and Oliver Kapanen also scored as Montreal erased a two-goal deficit for its second consecutive win.

Jake Evans buried an empty-net goal with 1 minute left in regulation and Caufield added an assist for a two-point night.

Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal scored for Eastern Conference-leading Carolina, which lost for the first time in four games.

PANTHERS 5, KRAKEN 4, SO

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida gave up a three-goal, third-period lead but recovered for a shootout win over Seattle on Vinnie Hinostroza’s goal.

The Panthers led 4-1 on Noah Gregor’s goal with 7:39 to play, but Seattle’s Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann scored in a span of 2:21 to force overtime. Eberle and McMann scored just 14 seconds apart.

Seattle, which has lost eight of 10, has not won since beating the Panthers 6-2 at home on March 15.

Nolan Foote, Eetu Luostarinen and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers with Sergei Bobrovsky making 22 saves.

Ryker Evans also scored a third-period goal for Seattle and Joey Daccord had 20 saves.

BLACKHAWKS 4, ISLANDERS 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Anton Frondell had an assist in his NHL debut, Nick Lardis and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist and Chicago defeated the New York.

Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi also had goals for the Blackhawks, who scored four straight goals and snapped a two-game skid. Arvid Soderblom made 44 saves.

Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders, who lost for the third time in four games. David Rittich allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Ilya Sorokin, who made 11 saves.

BLUE JACKETS 3, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zach Werenski continued his torrid scoring pace with a goal and an assist as Columbus defeated Philadelphia.

Columbus scored a pair of goals 1:44 apart to start the second period. The Blue Jackets outshot the Flyers 6-0 in the opening three minutes of the period.

Mathieu Olivier scored the first goal 44 seconds into the second period, taking a pass from Werenski on a 3-on-2 rush and snapping a shot over the glove of Philadelphia goalie Dan Vladar to tie the score 1-1.

On his next shift, Werenski came out of the corner and worked his way into the high slot. He took a pass from Damon Severson and beat Vladar with a snapshot.

Werenski now has 77 points this season, second-most among NHL defensemen.

AVALANCHE 6, PENGUINS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Martin Necas scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon poured in his NHL-leading 46th goal and the Colorado breezed past the Pittsburgh.

Necas, Sam Malinski and Parker Kelly scored within a 1:55 span late in the first period to break it open as the Avalanche atoned for one-sided loss to the Penguins last week in Denver by returning the favor in Pittsburgh. Cale Makar picked up the assist on Necas’ first goal, boosting his career point total to 499. Ross Colton scored an empty-netter late.

Scott Wedgewood stopped 27 shots for the NHL-leading Avalanche, who have won the first three games of a four-game road swing that finishes up in Winnipeg on Thursday.

Egor Chinakov and Rickard Rakell scored for Pittsburgh. Kris Letang picked up the secondary assist to become the 21st defenseman in league history to reach the 800 career points when he picked up a secondary assist on Chinakov’s career-high 17th goal of the season.

LIGHTNING 6, WILD 3

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Erik Cernak scored a tiebreaking goal with 2:53 left in the third period Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson misplayed a carom off the end boards and Tampa Bay beat the Wild.

Cernak scored his second of the season after Charle-EdouardD’Astous’ pass traveled the length of the ice and bounced off the end boards toward Gustavsson, who failed to control the puck with his glove. The puck went between Gustavsson’s legs into the crease and Cernak pounced, sending it into the open net.

Tampa Bay rallied from a two-goal deficit, scoring three goals in the second period and five unanswered overall over the second and the third to win for the fourth time in five games and fifth time in seven.

Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel also scored, and Pontus Holmberg added an empty-netter in the final half-minute. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves to win his fourth straight start. Guentzel’s goal was his 32nd of the season and the 300th for his career.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist, and Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber also scored for the Wild, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gustavsson stopped 19 of the 23 shots that he faced.

BLUES 3, CAPITALS 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud and Otto Stenberg scored, Joel Hofer made 21 saves and St. Louis beat Washington.

Jordan Kyrou scored his team-leading 17th goal into an empty net with 41 seconds remaining to seal the win for Hofer, who earned his sixth shutout of the season and the eighth of his career.

St. Louis, which has won two in a row, has gone 9-2-2 since returning from the Olympic break.

Logan Thompson made 24 saves for Washington, which had not lost in regulation in its previous five games.

PREDATORS 6, SHARKS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and assisted on two others to lead Nashville to a victory over San Jose in a matchup of teams headed in opposite directions in the standings.

Matthew Wood, Roman Josi, Luke Evangelista, Brady Skjei and Steven Stamkos also scored and Juuse Saros made 27 saves for Nashville, winners of a season-high five consecutive games. Jonathan Marchessault had three assists.

Will Smith scored two goals, Adam Gaudette had one and Alex Nedeljkovic made 13 saves for the Sharks, who lost their fifth straight game.

DEVILS 6, STARS 4

DALLAS (AP) — Jack Hughes scored twice in New Jersey’s four-goal first period, and the Devils handed Dallas consecutive losses in regulation for the first time in two months.

Jesper Bratt and Connor Brown also had goals as the Devils put four of their first five shots past Jake Oettinger to end the Dallas goalie’s career-best point streak at 14 games. Oettinger was pulled after the first period.

Wyatt Johnston had two goals to reach 40 for the first time in his career, and Jason Robertson scored his 39th for Dallas, which hadn’t lost two in a row in regulation since dropping three straight from Jan. 13-18.

JETS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists — and a rare fighting major in the second period — to lead the Winnipeg to a victory over Vegas.

Kyle Connor, Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored for Winnipeg, which snapped a five-game home skid against Vegas.

Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves to snap his six-game winless streak against the Golden Knights.

Colton Sissons scored the lone goal on the power play for Vegas. Adin Hill stopped 17 shots.

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his 44th goal of the season and Jakub Dobes made 41 saves as the Montreal Canadiens held off the Carolina Hurricanes for a 5-2 win on Tuesday night.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov had a goal and an assist each, and Oliver Kapanen also scored as Montreal erased a two-goal deficit for its second consecutive win.

Jake Evans buried an empty-net goal with 1 minute left in regulation and Caufield added an assist for a two-point night.

Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal scored for Eastern Conference-leading Carolina, which lost for the first time in four games.

Frederik Andersen stopped 14 shots.

The Canadiens sit third in the Atlantic Division with 88 points. The New York Islanders, who lost on Tuesday and are the top team outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, trailed by three points.

Ehlers opened the scoring on the power play 2:36 into the first period when Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson deflected his pass intended for Seth Jarvis into the Canadiens’ net. Staal doubled the lead at 7:09, beating Dobes glove side.

Kapanen tipped in Struble’s point shot at 12:11 to give the Canadiens some life before Montreal struck twice in the second period.

Caufield trails Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon by two goals for the league lead. No Canadien has led the NHL in goals since Guy Lafleur in 1977-78.

The Canadiens secured their 24th comeback win of the season, tying for the most in a single season in franchise history (1992-93, 1975-76).

Up next

Hurricanes: Host New Jersey on Saturday.

Canadiens: End a three-game homestand against Columbus on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

With multiple teams pushing for a playoff spot they are letting slip away, the Islanders wasted a golden opportunity to keep pace against a bottom-five team that has nothing to play for but the pretense that next season will be better.

The Isles got out to a decent start and 1-0 lead in the first minute on Anders Lee’s 16th of the season, but the Chicago Blackhawks stormed back with three goals in a seven-minute span of the first, capitalizing on a Mat Barzal turnover to get on the board and then a contagious series of more turnovers and sloppy play.

A 3-1 deficit after 20 minutes is completely reversible against a “fragile” team — and Ilya Sorokin took over for David Rittich after that first period but the Isles were the ones to crumble after an obvious icing was not called. Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield acted like they’d never played together as they coughed up the puck behind the Isles net, Mayfield getting bodied off and then flailing away. The Blackhawks pounced, Frank Nazar converted and the lead was 4-1 just six minutes into the second period.

The Isles squandered a full power play late in the second period to bring that three-goal deficit into the third. They eventually got going and made it close, but they couldn’t dig out of the hole, causing Thomas Hickey to lament at the post-horn cut to break, simply: “It’s a shame.” A shame that basically 10 minutes of brain farts wasted the opportunity, made worse and harder-to-overcome with an equally shameful brainfart following the blown icing non-call.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Adding to the fun: Tony DeAngelo was lost after the first period, status undeclared, but it looks like it’s not just a game. This comes after Ryan Pulock was out again, with enough concern there for the Isles to call up Isaiah George as an extra before the game.

Figure George to be needed next game, as will Adam Boqvist, who handled himself pretty well in 17:57.

Tony DeAngelo was hurt on the Chicago goal

Clip below. #Islespic.twitter.com/lENi1Uxsoy

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) March 24, 2026

Overall, there weren’t a lot of individual goats throughout the game; once the hole was dug, they did the right things to try to get themselves back in the game (including, of course, running Matthew Schaefer out there again and again, for a total of 31:59 of TOI and 14 attempted shots, 7 of which reached goal).

But the hole was too big, there wasn’t enough home karma and fortune to bail them out, and damn not only what a shame, but what a waste.

Up Next

This was the one they needed to bank. They’ve got a game every other night the rest of the week with the Stars, Panthers and Penguins, who are the first opponent in a back-to-back that concludes in Buffalo.

The Penguins (86 points) and Bruins (86) each lost tonight in regulation, and at least Ottawa (85) knocked off Detroit (85) in regulation, so that’s a few potential extra points taken out of the system. And Montreal climbed to 88 with a regulation win over Carolina. If the Isles fall short, we’re going to look back at tonight as one of the critical unforced errors that did them in.

Anton Frondell had an assist in his NHL debut, Nick Lardis and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi also had goals for the Blackhawks, who scored four straight goals and snapped a two-game skid. Arvid Soderblom made 44 saves.

Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders, who lost for the third time in four games. David Rittich allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Ilya Sorokin, who made 11 saves.

Lee opened the scoring in the first minute of play, deflecting Mathew Schaefer’s shot past Soderblom. But the Blackhawks responded with four goals, including three in the first period.

Nazar and Bertuzzi failed to convert on a two-on-none breakaway, but Nazar quickly grabbed the loose puck and found a darting Lardis to even the score at 1.

Frondell, the third overall selection in the 2025 NHL draft, set up Mikheyev at 18:06 of the first period to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.

Bertuzzi deposited a rebound in the final minute of the opening period to extend the Blackhawks’ lead to 3-1.

Holmstrom and Ritchie each scored in the third to trim the Islanders’ deficit to one goal, but New York was unable to tie it despite getting 23 shots in the final period.

Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo left with an upper-body injury in the second period and did not return. Ryan Pulock did not play for New York for the second straight game.

Up next

Blackhawks: Visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Islanders: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Pregame

No Evgeni Malkin tonight due to an undisclosed upper body injury, Ville Koivunen back in the lineup like he never left (though he did for a few days). Arturs Silovs in net.

Tonight's lineup vs. Colorado.#LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/1Ld2deTRVI

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 24, 2026

The visiting Colorado Avalanche bring this lineup to the table tonight.

Game 7️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/uRi9854c71

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

First period

Colorado gets on the board first, 4:57 into the game. Nathan MacKinnon pressures Parker Wotherspoon, gets the better of him and then is off to the races. Not going to catch that guy. MacKinnon gives Silovs a shoulder shake to throw the goalie off balance then snaps a perfectly placed high shot to finish the individual effort.

THE DOGG STRIKES FIRST 🐶#ULTRAMoments | @MichelobULTRApic.twitter.com/6Di5Q1y7U8

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The Penguins find a tying goal, who else but Egor Chinakhov? His latest sets a career-high with 17 goals on a long-range shot. 1-1.

CHINNY LEVELS UP! 📈

Egor Chinakhov hits a new career high in goals with 17. pic.twitter.com/QGbncVwMRk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 24, 2026

Sam Malinski gets two shots, the second goes off the post and in. Traffic in front for Silovs was too much with all the puck movement. 2-1 COL back in front.

Malinski from way downtown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fTxJcf0vt1

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

Noel Acciari trips a player 200 feet away from his net, it gets called. It only takes the Avalanche five seconds to strike off the opening faceoff. Cale Makar feeds Martin Necas who hammers it home. 3-1 game.

Five seconds on the power play 🚨 pic.twitter.com/dT9NEkeaxZ

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The tough period continues, a quick pass from behind the net hits Parker Kelly in front for a quick shot. Silovs is off his angle and gets beat to the far side. 4-1.

Calling this play The Pitt because it was SURGICAL 😷 pic.twitter.com/zTrRQ1KYLz

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The Avs weren’t messing around that period. They smelled blood and ruthlessly converted. Sometimes it was players like MacKinnon or Makar showing why they’re among the league’s best, sometimes it was just situational. Either way a tough go early for the Penguins.

Second period

It appears the Penguins claw back a little on a great effort by Justin Brazeau to fully extend and use all his reach to swing a puck into the net. Colorado challenges for goalie interference and, well, another call against the Pens in this department. There’s the slightest contact at the beginning of the sequence but nothing that seems to prevent the goalie from playing his position and then further contact outside of the crease. Who knows anymore.

The Penguins have their 2nd goal waved off for goaltender interference 😬 pic.twitter.com/aDAlZaJ8pv

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 25, 2026

Pittsburgh gets a four minute power play when Nazem Kadri high sticks Tommy Novak but it’s not going their way tonight, passes without scoring and the Avs even have a rush the other way.

Late in the period, Colorado sends another dagger. Devon Toews bombs a shot in off an offensive zone draw, Silovs lets the rebound thud off the middle of his pad and Necas gets to it first. 5-1.

Right place right time. pic.twitter.com/txuZ3Kw1Rl

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 25, 2026

Deflating period for the Pens to not get yet another GI call go their way. Even then the score would have been 4-2 and still in a major hole but without it the game is elementary at this point.

Third period

By league rule a third period must be played, game sputters along. Colorado gets a long power play and some 5v3 time for a chance for MacKinnon to pad stats and get back in the scoring race but he and they can’t score.

The Pens’ first line gets on the board to at least get Sidney Crosby a point. Bryan Rust’s forechecking effort ends up having the clearing attempt flutter right to Crosby in front of the net. Crosby uses his skate to settle the puck, kicks it to his stick and bumps a pass over for Rickard Rakell to finish off from in tight. 5-2 game.

Rusty ➡️ Sid ➡️ Raks pic.twitter.com/j7aNFncWbP

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 25, 2026

It’s into ‘pull the goalie cuz who cares’ territory, Colorado doesn’t waste much time to hit the open open. 6-2.

Some thoughts

• The first Pittsburgh goal had a lot going on, Kris Letang (finally) recorded his 800th career point after sitting on 799 since March 1st. Sam Girard notched his 200th career assist. And Chinakhov set his new career-high for goals in a season with 17.
• Noel Acciari’s penalty with the catalyst to spiral this game out of control. The broadcast didn’t like the call against Pittsburgh (shocker) and it was unfortunate that was the only penalty of the period, considering it didn’t create or deny a scoring chance or even alter possession too drastically. It’s a play sometimes the refs don’t always call, but it’s an obvious trip in the offensive zone by a player reaching. That’s more on Acciari for putting himself in the position than the refs to ring him up for it.
• The other really big swing was the reversed goal in the second. This summer during the offseason, I swear I’m going to find a bunch of clips that the league reviewed (Pittsburgh goals and around the NHL) and then leave it up to the reader to decide if it was deemed a good goal or no goal. At this point, you might as well flip a coin. The process is subjective and by nature never going to be perfect but the discrepancy from night to night on what’s permitted and what’s not has had zero consistency.
• An old hockey saying goes ‘you can’t give a good player a bad pass’ and let’s just say Ben Kindel gave Ville Koivunen a bad pass on a 2-on-1 in the second period. Kindel did have to lift the puck off the ice to get it over a stick to get there but it didn’t look like a knee-high grenade when it got to Koivunen. Tough play if the puck bobbled a little as it got to him but in this league that’s one a player has to handle (especially when the recipient is known for making skilled plays with his hands).
• One player where there’s no doubt about quality is Chinakhov. For a player whose reputation was one of inconsistency coming into the team, it’s funny but that’s actually been a very positive element for him. He shows up every game, and more often than not he’s finding the scoreboard via a goal or assist more often than not.
• In the big picture, the Penguins get two points out of four from Colorado this season, a team that looks like they are on their way to winning the Presidents Trophy. You can do worse than that. It was also somewhat of a ‘no harm, no foul’ kind of night, since three of Pittsburgh’s biggest rivals at the moment for playoff spots (NYI, BOS, DET) also lost in regulation and all lost to teams out of the playoffs, no less. Definitely were worse outcomes on the night, though it could have been better since Columbus defeated Philadelphia and CBJ passes the Pens for second place in the division. That’s largely ceremonial aside from home ice, seeing Chicago upset the Islanders and the Bruins drop a game to Toronto are welcome sights at this point.
• More damaging than the loss itself could be the underlying problems displayed. The broadcast was harping on fatigue but every team is playing a lot this season. The Penguins have now surrendered 48 goals in the last 11 games (4.36 GA per game). That’s not fatigue as an over-arching factor, that’s a goal suppression problem via team defense and goaltending woes. It’s a glaring issue at the moment.

The immediate path ahead doesn’t get easier, the Pens have to head to Ottawa to face a hot Senators team that always seems to give them troubles anyways.

The Florida Panthers were back on home ice Tuesday as their tumultuous season continues to wind down.

Despite holding two separate three-goal leads during the third period, Florida had to take the game to a shootout, picking up a 5-4 victory over the visiting Seattle Kraken.

The game remained scoreless into the second period, but that’s when the Panthers took advantage of an odd-man rush to strike first.

Noah Gregor, who had just been called up by Florida from AHL Charlotte the day before, led a 2-on-1 into the Kraken zone with Nolan Foote.

A nice saucer pass from Gregor led Foote to the net, and his quick forehand shot tricked through Joey Daccord to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 2:32 mark of the middle frame.

That’s how the score would remain until early in the third period.

A backhand shot by Vinnie Hinostroza deflected off Eetu Luostarinen on its way toward the net, and the puck trickled through Daccord and into the net to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead with 14:44 to go.

Just over two minutes later, Carter Verhaeghe lost the puck while trying to make a move past Daccord, only to retrieve it below the goal line and fire a shot that deflected off the goalie’s pad and into the net to make it 3-0 Florida.

On the very next shift, a long shot by Ryker Evans from just inside the Panthers blue line went wide of Sergei Bobrovsky’s net, but the puck hit off the back boards and went directly back where it came from.

The quick, unorthodox rebound went right back into the goal crease, deflecting off the skate of Bobrovsky and into the net, cutting Florida’s lead to 3-1 with 11:50 on the clock.

Another odd-man rush led to another goal by the Panthers’ fourth line.

This time, Gregor’s cross-zone pass deflected off Kraken defenseman THISGUY and past a sliding Daccord, restoring Florida’s three-goal lead with 7:39 to go in the game.

Once again, the Kraken responded quickly.

Less than two minutes after Gregor’s goal, Seattle star Matty Beniers cut toward Bobrovsky and dangled around an attempted poke-check by the Cats’ tendy, popping the puck into the yawning cage and cutting Florida’s lead to 4-2 with 5:43 remaining.

Jordan Eberle made it a one-goal game just over two minutes after that, beating Bobrovsky over the glove on a breakaway to make it 4-3, and then on the ensuing shift, Bobby McMann tied the game on an almost identical breakaway shot with 3:22 still to play in the third period.

Both goals were unassisted.

The game ended up going to overtime, but five minutes of 3-on-3 wasn’t enough to find a winner.

Hinostroza scored a pretty goal and Bobrovsky stopped all three Kraken shots as Florida picked up the bonus point in the shootout.

On to the Wild.

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Photo caption: Mar 24, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Nolan Foote (25) celebrates after scoring against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)