The regular season is almost over.

If you didn't know that already, you could tell from the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings' game on Monday night. The game was long on penalties and short on action, with just 16:48 of the first two periods occurring at five-on-five. The injury-depleted Oilers lost 5-0, officially ceding home-ice advantage to the Kings in their upcoming first-round series.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.

Key Player Grades

Calvin Pickard: B-

Five goals on 36 shots is obviously not good, but Pickard was in the trenches all night. The Kings went 2/8 on the powerplay, peering Pickard with at least ten shots in each period. Without him, this could have easily been an 8-0 game by the end of the second period.

Calvin Pickard keeps this a two goal game with this clutch save!

🎥: Sportsnet | #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/nVOXYJNJZ7

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) April 15, 2025

Trending Oilers Articles

Messier Would Love Oilers To 'Bring It Full Circle'EDMONTON – “It was incredible to be in the rink in Game Six last year.”

Oilers Banking On Skill With New Prospect

Oilers Evander Kane & Fiancee Make Big Announcement

Oilers Injury Update: Ekholm and Kane's Playoff Status

Oilers Projected Lineup Today: Quinn Hutson Makes NHL Debut

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Messier On Oilers, Budweiser, His Future & MoreEDMONTON – Mark Messier loves Edmonton.

Darnell Nurse: D

Nurse was fine in his limited ice time, but his night was cut short in the second period when he received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Quinton Byfield:

Darnell Nurse was issued a major penalty and a game misconduct for cross-checking Quinton Byfield. pic.twitter.com/J7yFs492ce

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 15, 2025

With the game already out of hand and just one more remaining in the playoffs, a suspension-worthy hit is the last thing you want to see. Considering the laundry list of injuries on the Oilers' blueline, it's even worse. While it's hard to see the NHL suspending Nurse into the playoffs, I wouldn't put it past them to make an example of him ahead of what will be a heated playoff series.

Oilers' Scratches: A+

They didn't have to play in this mess of a game. Though the referees put their whistles away in the third period, the first two periods were a parade to the penalty box, with 16 minor penalties, two 10-minute misconducts, and Nurse's major-and-game combo. It wasn't the best game I've ever seen; let's put it at that.

Though Monday night was a dud, it does promise a hard-fought, nasty first-round series between these two teams. The Oilers have one more game, in San Jose on Wednesday, before they head to Los Angeles to kick off the playoffs this weekend.

Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers play the final game of their season series on Sunday. The Jackets are 1-1-1 against the Flyers this season.

With two games left, the Columbus Blue Jackets are still alive in the playoff race due to the Montreal Canadiens losing in OT to the  Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. 

We're not going to overcomplicate this preview - The Blue Jackets need to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in regulation on Tuesday. They have plenty of motivation to it. Just get it done. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.1% - 22nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.5% - 23rd in NHL
• Goals For - 258 - 10th - 3.23 GPG - 10th
• Goals Against - 266 - 25th - 3.33 GPG - 27th

Flyers Stats

• Power Play – 14.8% - 30th in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 77.8% - 20th in NHL
• Goals For - 228 – 23rd – 2.85 GPG – 23rd
• Goals Against – 275 – 9th – 3.44 GPG – 28th

Series History vs. The Flyers 

• Columbus is 11-13-3 on the road and 28-19-7 in 54 all-time games against the Flyers.
• The Jackets are 3-1-1 in the last 5 against Philadelphia. 

Who To Watch For The Flyers 

• Travis Konecny leads the Flyers in goals(24), assists(51), and points(75).
• Rookie Matvei Michkov has 24 goals on the season.
• Goalie Samuel Errson is 22-16-5 with a SV% of .882.
• Ivan Fedotov is 6-13-4 with a SV% of .880.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Flyers 

• Boone Jenner has 20 points in 32 career games against Philadelphia. 
• Zach Werenski has 17 points in 24 games.  
• Sean Monahan has 18 points in 21 games against the Flyers. 

Injuries

• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and is out for the season (24 Games) 
• Elvis Merzļikins (upper body) has missed 3 games. 
• Jake Christiansen (upper body) has missed 2 games. 

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 318

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.

The stage was set for the perfect Hollywood script on Monday night for the Montreal Canadiens. Ivan Demidov was making his debut, and the excitation was palpable in the Bell Centre, but the Habs needed to beat the Chicago Blackhawks to qualify for the playoffs, and they failed to do so. 

Canadiens: St-Louis On Ivan Demidov’s Linemates And Hughes On His Arrival
In Hainsight: Demidov’s arrival
David Reinbacher is Getting Closer To a Return

Who Needs Shielding?

Martin St-Louis said on Monday morning that it made sense to put Joel Armia, a defensively responsible player, on the ice with Ivan Demidov, but with 3:32 left in the first period, there was no Armia and Patrik Laine was with Demidov and Alex Newhook.

By then, the rookie had assisted on the game's first lamplighter and scored his first career goal, becoming the second youngest player in Canadiens history to score in his first game and setting the Bell Centre alight. It’s a small sample, but Demidov didn’t need shielding as he adapted immediately to the North American game. He was only on the ice for 3:25 in the first frame, but he certainly made the most of it.

Newhook scores on a Demidov assist, just his third shift #GoHabsGo 1-0 Habs @TheHockeyNews#THNpic.twitter.com/DVpFloBhAc

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) April 14, 2025

As for the game's physicality, in his very first shift, he nailed Frank Nazar by the boards, sending the Bell Centre crowd to its feet. He did, however, get his welcome to the NHL moment halfway through the first when Artyom Levshunov caught him in the offensive zone. That was the only time he was caught off-guard, lightyears away from the way Juraj Slafkovsky looked like a deer in the headlights a few times in his rookie season.

On his new player, the coach said:

I think he was great. If there’s one player that wasn’t worried about much and not stressed out it was him, but it’s almost naïve because he just got here, that’s why I wasn’t afraid to inject that kind of talent, he hasn’t gone through what these guys have gone through all year, he comes in and he plays.

- Martin St-Louis on Ivan Demidov

He finished his night with two points, a plus-one rating, three shots and one hit having spent close to 17 minutes on the ice. The sole blemish on his record was that he took a shot which was blocked and led to the Blackhawks' third goal, and he didn't exactly backcheck. 

Costly Penalties

The Habs were up 2-0 when they were assessed their first penalty, and a minute and a half later, their lead was cut in half. While Kaiden Guhle’s hits are often massive momentum makers, that one tonight, without Oliver Moore having touched the puck, started the Canadiens’ downfall. Asked to comment on the play, the bench boss explained:

I think you have to be near the line without crossing it. It was a play with the puck coming to him, but it wasn’t there yet. If he (Moore) had touched the puck, it would have been a good body check, but he never touched it, so that’s a penalty. It happens so quickly that the player is already all in on the play. He thinks the puck will get there faster. Those are the penalties we don’t need, but I understand the action and where he was coming from. It’s just a shame that it cost us.

- The coach on a bad penalty

Then, late in the second period, the Alexandre Carrier-Mike Matheson pairing couldn’t decide who was covering who, and as a result, the former was forced to trip Ilya Mikheyev. Five seconds later, the game was tied.

While Samuel Montembeault had only faced 18 shots by then, the two scored goals couldn’t be put on him. In fact, the Canadiens’ goaltender had to make a few big saves to keep his side in the game.

St-Louis On The Notion Of Urgency

In the final frame, with a playoff berth on the line, the Canadiens didn’t look like the team with something to win in that game. There was no urgency in their play, which was somewhat puzzling. Asked how he would describe his team’s urgency level, St-Louis replied:

I’d say it was a little average, but you know, playing with urgency and executing are two different things. Playing with urgency means being ready defensively and always in the right spot. You can’t daydream on the ice, but when you have the puck, can you be calm in a stressful moment? Because if you’re calm in a stressful moment, you’ll execute much better. Your reading of the game is a lot clearer when you’re calm. If you’re playing with urgency, want to succeed, and are working so hard, the wheel is spinning so fast that your read isn’t as good as when you’re more relaxed. We’ve got a young team right now. We have urgency, but sometimes it interferes with our reading. We know it’s so close, and we can almost touch it. It’s an experience you have to live; you can’t practice that.

- St-Louis on his young team and dealing with urgency

When Slafkovsky tied the game in the third frame, Lane Hutson got the secondary assist he needed to become the sole holder of the franchise’s record for the most points by a rookie blueliner with 65.

While Demidov passed his first test with flying colors, his performance hid the fact that the Canadiens didn’t play a good game. Perhaps the coach is right. However, the moment was huge, and his team is very young. On Tuesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets will play the Philadelphia Flyers. A win from the Pennsylvania outfit would make Wednesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes a lot less stressful as it would clinch the Canadiens' playoff berth.

Perhaps the most anticipated rookie lap in Canadiens history @TheHockeyNews#GoHabsGo#THNpic.twitter.com/yO8t6q8UIQ

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) April 14, 2025

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

Draft pick scenarios for Bruins entering season finale vs. Devils originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2024-25 NHL season will mercifully come to an end for the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night when they host the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden.

The B’s were expected to be an Eastern Conference contender this season, but instead they have fallen to the bottom tier of the league standings.

The good news for the Bruins is they could have a top-five pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft. Losing their final game to the Devils would help that cause.

In fact, the Bruins would clinch the fourth-worst record in the league and the fourth-best odds to win next month’s 2025 NHL Draft Lottery if they lose to the Devils in regulation on Tuesday.

If that happens, the Bruins would have the following odds in the draft lottery, per Tankathon:

• No. 1 pick: 9.5 percent chance
• No. 2 pick: 9.5 percent
• No. 3 pick: 0.3 percent
• No. 4 pick: 15.4 percent
• No. 5 pick: 44.6 percent
• No. 6 pick: 20.8 percent

A regulation loss Tuesday would give the Bruins a final record of 33-40-9 (75 points). The Devils have nothing to play for, though, so there is no clear incentive for them to try to win this game. They are locked in to third place in the Metropolitan Division and will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The two teams above the Bruins in the standings are the Seattle Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers. The Kraken have played 81 games and own a 35-40-6 record (76 points), while the Flyers have played 80 games and own a 33-37-10 record (76 points).

If the Bruins are tied with the Kraken at the end of the season, they will finish below Seattle in the standings (with better lottery odds) due to having fewer regulation wins. If the Bruins are tied with the Flyers at the end of the season, they would finish above Philly (with worse lottery odds) due to having more regulation wins.

The worst-case scenario for the Bruins is finishing with the sixth-worst record. This would require a win over the Devils, a regulation loss by the Kraken in their final game, and the Flyers earning one point (or zero) from their last two matchups.

Getting the best possible lottery odds is the last objective for the Bruins this season as they enter game No. 82. It’s been an awful season for the Original Six franchise, but there could be a reward coming soon depending on how the draft lottery shakes out in May.

The Calgary Flames (39-27-14) will host the Pacific Division champions Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-9).

After securing two points comfortably against San Jose, the Flames’ next mission is to topple the four-time Pacific Division champs. While the Calgary faithful will also be hoping for favorable outcomes in St. Louis’ and Minnesota’s final regular season games, the onus is on the Flames to beat the Knights in regulation.

HEADS 2 HEAD

That might be an uphill battle to climb considering Vegas has beaten Calgary in all three games so far, including shutouts in the first two.

Vegas is second in the power play, and are armed with the returning Tomas Hertl (who did not play in the Knights’ last game with the Flames) who has the sixth-highest power play goals in the league this season. It does bode in the Calgary’s favor that since March 26, they are first in the penalty kill, going 17-for-18.

The Knights also average 36.3 shots on goal per game to the Flames, which is the second-highest towards any team. At the same time, Calgary’s save percentage at even strength situations against Vegas is the eighth-worst in the league.

Dustin Wolf is in a fight of his life.

Meanwhile, the Knights’ save percentage is the second-highest against the Flames, who aren’t helping their case by averaging 23.3 shots of goal per game against Vegas, which is the second-lowest. Calgary’s power play has been the usual  disappointing story, and when put in numbers, they are 3-for-20 in April. In that same time period, the Knights' PK ranked 10th.

TALE OF THE TAPE (SKATERS)

TALE OF THE TAPE (GOALIES)

We're not going to sugarcoat this, but it's going to take a heck of a Herculean effort to pull out a win at the Saddledome over the Vegas Golden Knights. But for a team that has gotten victories over conference leaders Washington and Winnipeg this season, it is very much in the realm of possibility for Calgary to squeeze out another W.

The Vancouver Canucks’ young stars were out in full force tonight in the team’s 2–1 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks. Linus Karlsson and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Canucks, with the latter reaching a new career-high for goals in one season. Karlsson is one of the seven players in Vancouver’s lineup tonight who have played at least one game with the Abbotsford Canucks this season. Three of the seven made their NHL debuts within the past two games. One of these players is Nikita Tolopilo, who started his first NHL game tonight and made 15 saves on 16 shots against. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Canucks Kudryavtsev & Tolopilo To Make NHL Debuts Against The Sharks

The Weekly Rewind: Vancouver Canucks Recaps From April 7 To April 13, 2025

Canucks Drew O'Connor Set To Make Franchise History Monday Against The San Jose Sharks

Tolopilo has had a stupendous 2024–25 season with Abbotsford, starting 34 of the team’s 69 games so far this season. He has won 18 of his starts, four of which have been shutouts. In his past 10 games, he has stopped 256 of 280 shots against, putting up a .914 SV% and a shutout. In his NHL debut tonight, he had a .938 SV%. 

“I think it’s kind of a long journey to get my first initial start, but I’m really proud of myself and really thankful to all coaches, all teammates, to my agent, to my family, who support me all the way,” Tolopilo said about his first NHL start. 

Another Canucks prospect who made his debut tonight is Kirill Kudryavstev, a seventh-round gem in the 2022 NHL Draft. This season was his first with Abbotsford, as he’d previously spent the past three years with the Soo Greyhounds. In 63 games played with Abbotsford, he has scored five goals and added 21 assists. Tonight, he put up one shot and blocked three in 13:33 minutes played. He played relatively calmly in his own zone while adding pressure on the Sharks’ puck carriers to help Vancouver gain possession. 

"I haven't seen him since camp. I think there's something there. I think there's a good shot for him down the road, because some good feet, good brain, good stick. I thought he was really good," Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet said of Kudryavstev's performance tonight. 

Ty Mueller, who made his NHL debut the game before, suited up for his second game with Vancouver tonight. He had two good setups for linemate Jake DeBrusk early in the first and second periods that ultimately did not convert. While he didn’t get as many minutes tonight (9:39), he blocked two shots and made one hit. 

“I love to see them up here. They deserve it. They have both had a really good year down in Abbotsford. So no, I’m really happy for them, and they work hard. So it’s always fun to see guys taking that step and get a chance up here, because I think the guys in Abbotsford deserves that,” Karlsson said of his Abbotsford teammates making their way up to Vancouver. 

Around halfway through the first period, the Canucks were given a four-minute power play after Elias Pettersson (D) ended up on the receiving end of a high-stick. Despite not capitalizing on the opportunity, the team launched eight shots at Alexander Georgiev including a great chance by Pius Suter. Before tonight, Vancouver’s power play had scored five goals in the past 12 opportunities, taking place over the span of five games. Even with five power play opportunities, Vancouver was still not able to score on the man-advantage. 

One player who had a bit of a rough night was Victor Mancini, who took three penalties throughout the entire game. The second penalty that he took, for interfering with Tyler Toffoli while trying to clear him from Vancouver’s area, led to the game’s opening goal for the Sharks. With that being said, he also had a fast dash near the end of the second period to help set up a chance for Aatu Räty and Kiefer Sherwood. 

While the young players made an impact tonight, at the end of the game, the spotlight was all on Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes. He dominated the bulk of the extra frame and ultimately potted an assist on DeBrusk’s game-winning goal to tie Alex Edler’s franchise record in career points by a defenseman (409). With this, Hughes will look to break the record in the team’s final game of the season against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

"I was lucky enough to watch Edler break it. I think it was my first career game when he did. Very honoured. It’s been a blessing to play here," Hughes said postgame of tying the franchise record. 

"He's a pleasure to coach. He loves the game. He wants to win. He wants to keep getting better his game," Tocchet added of Hughes' season as a whole. "He's emerging every day as a leader. He's probably hurting more than anybody about not making the playoffs." 

All in all, tonight’s debuts were pretty solid for Kudryavstev and Tolopilo, while Mueller built on his first game by putting himself out there more offensively. Tonight’s game was not entirely about collecting points, but more-so about seeing what the Canucks’ future holds in the players who have succeeded in Abbotsford this season. 

Stats and Facts: 

• Drew O’Connor becomes the first player in Canucks history to play more than 82 games in one season 
• Canucks sweep season series against the Sharks, going 4–0–0 
• Quinn Hughes plays more than 30 minutes in one game for the sixth time this season
• Quinn Hughes ties Alex Edler’s record for most points by a defenseman in franchise history (409) 
• With his 28th of the season, Jake DeBrusk notches a new career-high in goals scored

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

No scoring.

2nd Period:

4:20 - SJS: Macklin Celebrini (25) from Tyler Toffoli and Luca Cagnoni (PPG)  

3rd Period: 

9:02 - VAN: Linus Karlsson (3) from Teddy Blueger and Drew O’Connor 

Overtime: 

4:42 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (28) from Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser 

Up Next: 

The Canucks play in their last game of the season on Wednesday night at Rogers Arena for fan appreciation night. They’ll be taking on the Golden Knights, the current Pacific Division leaders. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Macklin Celebrini scored his 25th goal of the season but the San Jose Sharks lost the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 and now have a ten-game losing streak.

San Jose dealt with multiple injuries, which required three call-ups before the game. Luca Cagnoni, Jimmy Schuldt, and Danil Gushchin were all summoned from the San Jose Barracuda on short notice.

Injury-Riddled Sharks Turn to AHL Call-Ups to Fill Gaps vs. CanucksThe San Jose Sharks are dealing with multiple injuries and recalled three players ahead of their matchup against the Vancouver Canucks.

Alexandar Georgiev made 35 saves.

Jake DeBrusk scored the OT winner for the Canucks, who also got a goal from Linus Karlsson and Nikita Tolopilo made 15 saves in his NHL debut.

Celebrini gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 4:20 of the second period with a snipe on the power-play.

We've got MACKTION 🎬 pic.twitter.com/DTkZA0tqF5

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 15, 2025

Karlsson tied the game 1-1 at 9:03 of the third period with a backhand over Georgiev's pad after he gave up a rebound.

🚨VANCOUVER GOAL🚨

Go to the net and good things will happen! Linus Karlsson ties the game!

🎥: Sportsnet | #Canuckspic.twitter.com/qn7tbM2i1L

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 15, 2025

DeBrusk won the game late in overtime.

🚨VANCOUVER GOAL🚨

Jake DeBrusk scores his career high 28th goal of the season and it's the OT winner!

Quinn Hughes ties Alex Edler for the most points by a defenceman in Canucks history!

🎥: Sportsnet | #Canuckspic.twitter.com/OjsOdGyXjq

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 15, 2025

Ahead of their final game of the 2024-25 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made a roster move.

On Monday, the Penguins waived 27-year-old forward Joona Koppanen, who was recently recalled to the NHL club on an emergency basis Apr. 2. 

The #Pens placed forward Joona Koppanen on waivers today. @InsideAHLHockey

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) April 14, 2025

Koppanen, a native of Tampere, Finland, registered a goal in 10 games with Pittsburgh. Since he hit the 10-game threshold, he required waivers in order to be eligible for reassignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS).

In addition to the Koppanen move, it appears that defenseman Filip Kral is slated to be recalled from WBS and join the NHL club on an emergency basis for their final game of the regular season Thursday against the Washington Capitals. 

Kral - originally a fifth-round draft pick (149th overall) in 2018 by Penguins' GM/POHO Kyle Dubas during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs - has registered seven goals and 29 points in 59 games with WBS this season.

WBS Penguins Sweep Crucial Weekend Back-To-BackWith just three games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins did themselves a few favors this past weekend in terms of their chances at better playoff positioning.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

With a win in any fashion, the Montreal Canadiens would clinch a berth in the postseason. The Bell Centre had a certain energy because of what was on the line.

There were also a couple of players who took their rookie laps ahead of warmups because they were making their NHL debut. 

For the Blackhawks, Ryan Greene signed after his season ended with Boston University. He is a hard-working two-way forward that can bring it in all three zones.

As for the Canadiens, Ivan Demidov came to the NHL after breaking away from his KHL team following their season. 

It took Demidov, who was a top-five draft pick for a reason, all of one period to make a significant impact in his first-ever NHL game. 

Demidov helped the Canadiens get off to a fast start by making a beautiful feed to Alex Newhook for a goal. This assist is the first point in the career of Demidov. 

Later in the opening frame, Demidov found a puck with nobody in front of him thanks to a pass off the end boards by Joel Armia. He put a beautiful move on Arvid Soderblom for his first career NHL goal. 

Instead of letting Demidov continue to dominate, the Blackhawks started to show signs of life after that. Before the first period was over, Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar made a nice play to set up Tyler Bertuzzi, who didn’t miss his chance to get the Hawks on the board. 

The Blackhawks played much better in the second period overall. They were eventually rewarded for it when Frank Nazar scored a power play goal to tie the game at 16:41. Teuvo Teravainen made a beautiful pass to Nazar while Connor Bedard drove the net. That’s the effort you like to see if you’re the coaching staff.  

At 5:39 of the third period, Lukas Reichel gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead. Landon Slaggert made a neat pass to send Slaggert in for a good chance. Now, could the Blackhawks overcome their tendency to give up leads? 

Late in the third, the Canadiens were given a power play, and they took full advantage. Lane Hutson made a wonderful play to feed Cole Caufield, who shot it into the net off of teammate Juraj Slafkovsky. 

After overtime solved nothing, Chicago went to a shootout for the second game in a row. This time, a Frank Nazar goal and a couple of saves for Arvid Soderblom earned Chicago a win.  

The Habs took a point, but they are still one point short of reaching the playoffs. The Columbus Blue Jackets are on their heels with another day to fight. 

Now, the Blackhawks are taking a train to Canada's national capital to take on the Ottawa Senators in their season finale. This is the second half of a back-to-back where Chicago is looking to finish strong. 

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

It’s been said numerous times, but Ivan Demidov is arguably the most purely talented teenager to join the Montreal Canadiens in over five decades. 

His NHL debut lived up to the hype in almost every way imaginable – the Canadiens just didn’t get the win against the Chicago Blackhawks to clinch a playoff spot. 

When Demidov took his first shift, the fans in the Bell Centre were electric. Demidov repaid their love by throwing a few hits and buzzing around the ice. 

On his third shift, the Habs’ teenage Russian phenom danced down the wall, evaded a defender and sent a pass to the slot for Alex Newhook to bang home the game’s opening goal, getting Demidov his first NHL point.

A few shifts later, Demidov got in behind the Chicago defenders, collected the heavy bounce off the end boards, faked a shot as he corralled it to freeze the goalie before dangling the netminder and tucking it in, sending the fans into pure pandemonium. 

IVAN DEMIDOV, TU ES UN MAGICIEN

YOU'RE A MAGICIAN, IVAN DEMIDOV#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/z6HQsModRb

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 14, 2025

Ivan Demidov had arrived. 

Just one period into his North American tenure, Demidov was not only making his mark, but he was also injecting the skill and offensive punch into the Canadiens lineup that fans had dreamed of. The best part was that he was doing it well ahead of schedule. 

It wasn’t a perfect game, which is to be expected for a rookie who was playing on a different continent just over a week ago. 

On Chicago’s third goal, Demidov and Montreal’s Calder Trophy favorite, Lane Hutson, were playing Keep Away from the Blackhawks. A Demidov shot was blocked high in the offensive zone while Hutson was down on the half wall, which created an odd-man break the other way, giving Chicago the lead.

Despite a few mistakes, Demidov consistently made plays at the offensive end of the ice. Whether he was bursting up ice with speed, drawing pressure and finding teammates off the rush or attacking downhill and creating shot chances for himself, it was the Demidov show whenever he was on the ice. 

Canadiens' Ivan Demidov Brings 'Mamba Mentality' And Otherworldly Skill To The NHLThe Montreal Canadiens got a pretty special talent in Ivan Demidov. 

There were moments on the power play when Demidov’s creativity and fluidity were fully unleashed. 

We saw flashes of Demidov’s elite puck skills and handling ability throughout the game. He took shifts with a variety of players, from starting with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia to skating with Nick Suzuki on one shift and Patrik Laine on a few others. 

Demidov finding his place in the lineup will be a work in progress, and coach Martin St-Louis will likely play around with his lineup as he looks to find the best fit for his new toy. What we saw today was that Demidov could create and generate offense with just about anyone. 

The spectacle of Demidov and the hype around his game have intensified since he was drafted last June, when he proudly proclaimed to be ready to inject the killer instinct into this Habs’ lineup. No one expected to see the 19-year-old in the NHL to end this regular season, and no one could have imagined that we’d be anticipating Demidov playing in the post-season for Montreal.

Now, we may get to see both – if the Canadiens get at least one point in their final game or the Columbus Blue Jackets don’t win their final two games in regulation. 

Canadiens Fans Are Gaga About Ivan Demidov – But Expectations Are Extremely HighWe all know how much Montreal loves its hockey – specifically its Montreal Canadiens. 

The excitement from fans has been explosive. From greeting him upon arrival at the airport to rushing to put No. 93 sweaters on their backs, Canadiens fans know just how special Demidov can be for them. He has the potential to be a transformational piece for the sport's most historic franchise.

Although Montreal didn’t get the win in his debut, the atmosphere in the Bell Centre and around Montreal in the leadup to Demidov’s earth-shattering debut was warranted. Their young superstar in the making did everything in his power to prove his worth. A goal and an assist in his debut surely won’t calm any hype as the team looks to charge toward the playoffs with Demidov helping lead the way.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

It is common to romanticize the past, and when it comes to hockey, fans of my generation in Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, and New York would tell tales about going to Maple Leaf Gardens, Boston Garden, Chicago Stadium, the Olympia, the Montreal Forum or Madison Square Garden.

For fans in Buffalo, the same can be said about Memorial Auditorium.

“The Aud", as it was lovingly nicknamed, was built in 1940 and remodeled after the Sabres inaugural season in 1970. It served as the club’s home until this day in 1996, when the last NHL game against the Hartford Whalers was played. The club's original home had oddities, but that gave it some charm. Unlike modern-day arenas that are required to have a 200 x 85 ice surface, the Aud was one of three NHL arenas that had slightly smaller sheet due to their older construction and smaller size.

On April 14, 1996, the #Sabres played their last game at the Memorial Auditorium. Here's a tribute that played on @WGRZ that evening. Full game of #Sabrehood vs. #Whalers at https://t.co/xGsGEPOCpzpic.twitter.com/k7auFKxack

— SabresClassics (@SabresClassics) April 14, 2025

Other Sabres Stories

Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?The Buffalo Sabres are currently focused on finishing off the 2024-25 season on a positive note after most of the campaign being dominated by the negative. The club is looking to win their third game in a row in Utah on Thursday after a shootout win over Vegas on Saturday and an overtime victory in Boston on Monday. Barring an incredibly successful final 16 games, the Sabres are likely to finish in the bottom five of the NHL standings, and with a number of questions that will need to be addressed in the offseason. Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The AthleticThe Buffalo Sabres season began with the hope of ending their long playoff drought and will end on April 17th with a 14th consecutive year outside of the postseason. There are a number of contributing factors to the club’s struggles, but according to an article in the Athletic that surveyed fans from every NHL club, Sabres owner Terry Pegula is ranked last among the 32 owners. Dahlin Refutes Assertion Of Wanting Out Of BuffaloAs if the Buffalo Sabres do not have enough drama with the club heading for their 14th consecutive season outside of the playoffs, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin refuted a report from TNT panelist and Spittin Chiclets co-host Paul Bissonette that the Sabres team captain met with GM Kevyn Adams and wants out of Buffalo if the club does not improve quickly.

Renovations to the building raised the roof to put an upper deck on it and increased the seating capacity to 16,433. However, unlike the evenly balanced bowl of the Key Bank Center, the Aud was oddly arranged, with one end having a small number of rows because of the suites located there and the other end consisting of over 20 rows.

The upper deck was incredibly steep and hung over the ice, giving fans an incredible view, while others seated in the highest level of the lower bowl — known as the “upper blues” — could not see the scoreboard and had to view the game on TV screens. One of the best features of the old barn is one of the worst features of the Sabres' current home: the sound.

The low roof and hundreds of sound cones helped trap and evenly distribute the noise in the building, making it an especially great venue for concerts and a raucous hockey crowd, which gave the Sabres a distinct home-ice advantage. There have been very few times over nearly 30 years (and not for a lack of fans trying) that KeyBank Center has echoed as the Aud did on many nights.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Vincent Trocheck scored a short-handed goal early in the third period against his former team, and the New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday night.

Trocheck, playing in his 800th game, got the go-ahead goal during a Rangers comeback like none other this season. The Rangers were 0-30-1 in games where they trailed by two or more goals, the NHL’s only winless team this season in such a scenario.

But they got goals from Juuso Parssinen and J.T. Miller 1:38 apart late in the second to tie the game, erasing a 3-1 deficit. Matt Rempe and Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers.

Sam Reinhart scored twice and Carter Verhaeghe also had a goal for Florida, which got two assists from Aleksander Barkov.

The loss means Florida is locked into third place in the Atlantic Division and will open the Stanley Cup playoffs on the road.

Takeaways

Rangers: Florida fans gave retiring Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen a warm ovation during a first-period stoppage in play when he was shown on the video screens. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and general manager/hockey operations president Bill Zito also paid tribute to Rosen before his final road game.

Panthers: Florida needs a win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday to reach 100 points for the third time in the last four seasons. The Panthers got to the 100-point mark once in the franchise’s first 27 seasons.

Key moment

Trocheck’s blast from the left circle came in a stretch where Florida kept losing the puck with the man advantage, and the Rangers made them pay.

Key stat

For the second consecutive year, the Panthers have five 20-goal scorers. Verhaeghe got there Monday, joining Reinhart, Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett — the same fivesome as last year.

Up next

Rangers end the season at home Thursday against Tampa Bay. Florida visits the Lightning on Tuesday to end its regular season.

The Florida Panthers final regular season game at Amerant Bank Arena did not go very well for the home team.

Florida allowed a multi-goal lead to evaporate before eventually allowing the New York Rangers to score four straight and take down the Panthers 5-3.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to start the game off on the right paw.

With Florida on an early power play, Sam Reinhart stepped into a one-timer from the high slot that went through the legs of Jonathan Quick to give the Cats a 1-0 lead at the 2:22 mark.

An icing on the Panthers about six minutes later led to the Rangers tying the game.

Right off the faceoff in Florida’s zone, a point shot by K’Andre Miller was stopped by Sergei Bobrovsky, but the puck trickled behind him and was poked in the net by an observant Matt Rempe.

Early in the second period, a point shot by Gus Forsling was stopped by Quick, but the rebound bounced off the leg of Carter Verhaeghe and into the net, his 20th goal of the season.

The Cats doubled their lead about 10 minutes later when a great play in the corner by Sasha Barkov led to another Reinhart one-timer from the slot.

Just when it looked like the Panthers were in control, the Rangers reeled off a pair of quick goals less than two minutes apart late in the period to send the game into the third knotted at three.

New York scored their third consecutive goal early in the third, and it came while shorthanded.

Sam Bennett brought the puck back into Florida’s zone after the Cats had just cleared it on a Rangers entry, and suddenly New York had an odd-man advantage down low.

J.T. Miller fed Vincent Trocheck and a quick one-timer later, New York had their first lead of the game.

With Florida pushing for a late equalizer, Chris Krieder found the puck below the Panthers goal line and slickly fed Johnny Brodzinski in front to double New York’s lead with only 3:29 to go.

On to Tampa.

QUICK THOUGHTS

The loss locked Florida into third place in the Atlantic Division. They will face either Toronto or Tampa in round one. 

Reinhart’s goals were his 38th and 39th of the season and his first in four games.

Evan Rodrigues is riding a three-game point streak after logging an assist on Reinhart’s PPG.

Verhaeghe has now scored in three straight games and he’s picked up at least a point in four straight.

Barkov has a three-game point streak going after logging a pair of assists on Monday. He’s got 11 points over his past 10 outings.

Another player with points in three straight is Seth Jones. He’s got a goal and five assists over his past nine games.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

'He's not that far off': Paul Maurice provides update on Matthew Tkachuk as playoffs near

Final Panthers home game of regular season comes against underachieving Rangers

Three takeaways: Strong nights for Gadjovich, Puljujarvi as Panthers win third straight

Panthers power past Sabres with 3-2 shootout victory

Searching for third straight win, Panthers host Sabres team playing best hockey of season

Gavin McKenna will go first overall in the 2026 NHL draft. It's not a matter of if, but when.

The 17-year-old continues to dazzle in the WHL, scoring a highlight-reel goal. When he gets drafted to the NHL, he will have been the fourth so-called "generational player" to be chosen in the past 12 drafts, joining Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Connor Bedard.

So it only makes sense that McKenna's not really a generational player, right?

It used to be players of this ilk came along once every 20 years or so. But youth hockey is producing players of such prodigious levels of talent that they're cropping up every couple of years now.

Today's video column has more.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The Nashville Predators (29-43-8, 64 points) host the Utah Hockey Club (37-30-13, 87 points) for their penultimate game of the season Monday at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators are looking to complete the season sweep of their Central Division rivals after winning the first two games of the series. Nashville won a 4-0 shutout against Utah at home on Nov. 9 and claimed a 4-3 shootout win last week in Salt Lake City.

Predators defensive prospect Ryan Ufko, who was recalled Monday from the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, will make his NHL debut against Utah. Originally drafted by Nashville in the fourth round (No. 115 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Ufko made his pro debut with Milwaukee last season after three collegiate seasons at UMass Amherst.

Ufko has recorded 35 points (9 goals, 26 assists) and three power-play goals in 80 AHL games. He is the seventh player to make their NHL debut for the Predators this season, joining Zachary L'Heureux, Joakim Kemell, Fedor Svechkov, Adam Wilsby, Ozzy Wiesblatt and Matthew Wood. Ufko will draw into the Predators' lineup Monday in place of defenseman Andreas Englund, who is out with an illness.

Hot lap number 7 for the #Preds this season: Ryan Ufko pic.twitter.com/2MWMgRDPFz

— Emma Lingan (@emma_lingan) April 14, 2025

How Nashville Lined Up vs. Utah

Forsberg-O'Reilly-Evangelista
Bunting-Stamkos-Wood
L'Heureux-Svechkov-Marchessault
Smith-McCarron-Vrana

Skjei-Blankenburg
Oesterle-Barron
Del Gaizo-Ufko

Saros
Annunen

Extra: Sissons (week-to-week, lower-body), Englund (illness)
IR: Lauzon, Wilsby, Josi

Nashville Predators vs. Utah Hockey Club: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 1, UTA 2)

The Predators were gifted an early 5-on-3 advantage when Barrett Hayton was whistled for tripping just 20 seconds into a Kevin Stenlund slashing penalty. Nashville managed six shots on goal but couldn't capitalize at 5-on-3. Ryan O'Reilly finally found the back of the net just as the second penalty was set to expire, giving the Predators a 1-0 lead at the 6:10 mark of the first period.

Got the X Factor 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/nK2p5k6cZy

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 15, 2025

Michael Kesserling got Utah on the board with a laser from the top of the circle that beat Juuse Saros to tie the game at 1-1 at the 12:30 mark.

Nick Bjugstad gave Utah its first lead of the game when he buried a shot from the goal line at the 18:21 mark of the period. Utah carried a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, while shots were 15-11 in favor of Nashville.

Second Period (NSH 1, UTA 2)