The Colorado Avalanche are as close to a ‘cup or bust’ team as you’ll see.

They got their guy in Nazem Kadri, look like Presidents Trophy and Central Division winners, and have a litany of players who have or will set career highs, including some unexpected achievements— looking at you, Parker Kelly.

Captain Gabe Landeskog is back, Nathan MacKinnon somehow keeps getting better, Martin Necas has proved plenty capable, and Cale Makar (although banged up) is still the top dog defender.

The goalkeeping-by-committee approach has obviously worked during the regular season.

Still, after some shaky starts from Blackwood and unfortunate outcomes, some pundits and fans are calling for head coach Jared Bednar to pick a guy heading into the playoffs.

The winningest Boston Bruins team ever is the best and among the most clearly comparable case studies to look to now that these questions have begun in the press room at Ball Arena.

What can we learn?

THE BRUINS MAKE HISTORY. 🐻

The @NHLBruins set the record for most wins in a single season with 63. pic.twitter.com/HZYtet7Dn3

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 10, 2023

Well, perhaps don’t give in to the pressure and stick to your guns.

A Common Threat

The 2022-23 Bruins team and this year’s Avalanche club have a lot in common.

They both have a win over every NHL team in their respective seasons.

Burying the competition 🥶

With the win tonight, we’ve become the 4th team in the NHL since 1995 to have beaten every team in the league in a season. pic.twitter.com/endRCxWcLU

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 31, 2026

They both have a balance of depth and superstar/young talent.

Both went with a by-committee goaltending approach to achieve that regular-season success.

Swayman and Ullmark hug it out after a successful road trip in Toronto 🤗 pic.twitter.com/9xy8PSfi9z

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2024

Need a hug… pic.twitter.com/RCRwXF2ewf

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 17, 2026

Both positioned themselves firmly as the clear cup favorite as the calendar turned to April.

Unexpected Outcome

So how did the winningest (regular-season) team ever finish?

A Bruins team that lost only 12 games in regulation over 7 months and all 82 regular-season games lost four games in 13 days to the Florida Panthers in round one of the playoffs, and didn’t even play in May.

Did they stick with the goalie by committee come playoff time?

Nope, they started Ullmark in 6 of 7 games, with game 7 going to Swayman.

Beasts of Burden

I think it’s relatively common knowledge that humans are creatures of habit.

Now, enter a human who’s decided to play goalie in the NHL, and you have some of the most routine-oriented, borderline obsessive creatures of habit ever to have walked this planet.

Why?

Because, as my dad told me growing up, half of what it means to be a great goalie happens in the six inches between their ears.

The mentality and confidence of a goaltender are qualities to be fostered and nurtured, and the approach we are seeing right now has brought out the best in Wedgewood and allowed Blackwood to get back to form at a slower, more comfortable pace.

Imagine if the Avalanche didn’t have an option like Wedgewood.

Not having your starter for training camp and the first three weeks of the regular season usually isn’t the start of a story about a historically successful regular-season team.

I’d argue that’s why we’ve seen these two goalies grow close in their short stay so far in Colorado. The two netminders have each other’s back and don’t seem to have any issue with the current approach.

We know it typically takes two goalies to win a cup, and Colorado right now has the league’s best goalie by SV% in Scott Wedgewood and a fail-safe that proved (to end last season) to be a bona fide starter in MacKenzie Blackwood.

Does losing to the league’s worst team, the Vancouver Canucks, by a score of 8-6, pain the eyes?

Absolutely.

Is it reason to pull the plug on what’s gotten you to the top of the NHL and positioned you for a deep cup run?

Let us know what you think in the comments!

Former NHL defenseman Ty Wishart calls in from an Australian beach to talk about his globe-spanning playing career and his 21 games with the Islanders in the eventful 2010-11 season.

Drafted 16th overall by the Sharks and traded to Tampa Bay in the deal for Dan Boyle, Ty Wishart got a quick education in the business of hockey. After a few years in a minors, he was traded again, this time to the Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson. Wishart joined what looked to be an up-and-coming squad, and what they lacked in talent, they made up for in youthful energy. He scored his first NHL goal in a wild road game, and was scratched while his new teammates got into a legendary melee with a division rival before going back to the minors. But that was just the beginning of Ty Wishart’s incredible hockey career.

Ty tells us some great stories, from throwing up in exhaustion at the NHL Combine to sharing a locker room with guys like Zenon Konopka and Trevor Gillies to playing in Romania and elsewhere. A charity tournament first took him to Australia, where he now lives and plays for the Melbourne Mustangs of the Australian Ice Hockey League. He also served as the team’s Director of Hockey Operations during their 2023 championship season. At 37, he still plays for love of the game and still carries memories and mementos from his time as an Islander. And he tells us all of this from a sunny, beautiful beach down under that made Mike and Dan very jealous.

We can’t thank Ty enough for coming on and giving us so much. It took a while and required a lot of email back-and-forth, but it was worth it. To keep up with the Mustangs and the rest of the AIHL, you can check out their website or subscribe to AIHL TV. The 2026 season starts on April 17th.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL

• Before being involved in a notable trade for the Islanders, Ty Wishart was involved in a notable trade for the Sharks, one that saw fellow Weird Islander Brad Lukowich and spiritual Weird Islander Dan Boyle go from Tampa to San Jose.
• A few years later, the Lightning needed serious goalie help and they found it in 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson. On New Years Day, 2011, Garth Snow sent Roloson to Tampa for Wishart, straight up. Although that version of the team was a mess, the trade had a lot of elements that Dom dissected here. Wishart’s numbers at the end of the season were pretty solid.
• Wishart’s only NHL goal came in an amazing game we’ve talked about before, a wild 7-6 win in Buffalo in which Michael Grabner scored a hat trick and Al Montoya picked up the win.

• Wishart re-signed with the Islanders that offseason but only played one game for them in 2011-12. All told, he spent three seasons in Bridgeport, occasionally scoring goals like this:

• He was waived in 2013 and signed with the Schwenninger Wild Wings of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). It was also around this time that he visited Australia with Team Canada to play in the Douglas Webber Cup games against Team USA.
• After years traversing the globe playing hockey, Wishart decided to stay in Melbourne and make the AIHL his home. He’s been very successful there with the Mustangs, winning a Goodall Cup championship in 2023. All told, he’s played over 800 games in 10 countries.
• His journey to Australia has been told before. He’s a cool video from 2024 that shows what a day in his life is like:

• BONUS to the BONUSES: Here’s a snippet of the Coliseum Referendum rally featuring a live performance by the one-and-only Blue Öyster Cult:

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What makes a “Weird Islander?”

We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:

• Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
• Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.

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It is really easy to be a prisoner of the moment in sports and overreact to things, both positively and negatively. Not every win means you are a championship team. Not every defeat means your season is over. Hot streaks happen for below average players, cold streaks happen for great players. It is a long season, and over the course of it the full body of work means a lot more than small sample sizes throughout it.

That brings me to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov. As of Friday he has only played 36 games with the Penguins, and that is by any reasonable definition a fairly small sample size of games. But it has been so impressive, and so impactful, that is really hard not to say that he looks like he has a chance to be a star going forward for this team.

In fact, he might already be one. Or at least on track to becoming one. He scored two more goals on Thursday night, bringing his total to 20 goals for the season and already 17 in 36 games with the Penguins. The overwhelming majority of those goals with the Penguins have come during 5-on-5 play, an area he has usually excelled when given an opportunity. Since the start of the 2023-24 season there have been 408 forwards to log at least 1,000 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time. Chinakhov’s 1.26 goals per 60 minutes in this situations is seventh in the entire NHL (oddly enough, Anthony Mantha is one of the six players ahead of him) and there is little to suggest that it is unsustainable.

He does have a 17.9 percent all-situations shooting percentage, which is fairly high, but he also has one of the best shots in hockey. It is also not so high that it seems like an unsustainable number, especially when he has shot over 14.5 percent previously in his career and is over 12 percent overall. He is seeing a little bit of a boost, but it is not fraudulent. With his shot, it is not out of the question to think he can sustain something over 14 or 15 percent on a somewhat regular basis.

When the Penguins acquired Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December it was always an intriguing move. They paid a steep price given what he had accomplished in his career and the way things were going with him in Columbus this season, but the talent was always there.

On Thursday night I stumbled upon this post from long-time Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline from the day of the trade

Trade call pending between #CBJ and #LetsGoPens regarding Yegor Chinakhov. Waiting on the specifics of the picks.

Chinakhov has enormous potential, but was a lost soul here, it seemed. Perhaps a change of scenery will set him free. If so, #CBJ could lament trading in the Metro.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 29, 2025

Seems accurate. Everybody knew the talent was there. The issues were always staying healthy and convincing the coaching staff and organization in Columbus that he was worthy of a real look and a bigger opportunity. He rarely got both. We are seeing the enormous potential. It also seems quite likely that the change of scenery has in fact set him free.

Chinakhov’s calling card has always been his shot and just how ridiculously hard and quick it is, and it has been consistently on display with the Penguins. Along with that, there are so many other elements of his game that stand out and are significantly better than advertised.

At the top of the list is his speed. He is lightning fast, and on so many occasions with the Penguins has simply blown by defenders to create his own chances or goals. He just seems to get on defenders so quick, catch them flat-footed, and power around them. He sort of did that on Thursday with his first goal, which then came on an incredible, perfectly placed backhand shot that beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy over his shoulder.

He is also a significantly better player away from the puck than we were led to believe.

I am not going to say he is going to win a Selke Trophy at any point in his career, but the way he hunts down pucks, creates turnovers, and uses that speed to overwhelm players is an extremely pleasant surprise and positive development. We saw that on display in the game against the Boston Bruins in early March when he forced a turnover in overtime that led to Tommy Novak’s game-winning goal.

He just looks like a player. A really good player. An important player. Give him some real power play time on the top unit and you might unlock even more goal-scoring potential.

As much as the Penguins prospect pool and young talent has improved over the past year-and-a-half (and it has, quite a bit) the one big knock has been the lack of a truly high-end player that can be a star. Maybe Ben Kindel has that sort of upside. Chinakhov might as well, and perhaps even more than that. The Penguins needed to find a guy like this, and they may have done it. The emergence and development of those two players has played a significant role in the Penguins push for a playoff spot. It is also a significant development for the long-term outlook of the team and organization. Whether it is good luck, good scouting, or a combination of the two it is very important and a great year for the Kyle Dubas front office.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — On a day where a near-magnitude-five earthquake was the most interesting thing happening around the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club fell 4-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The loss officially eliminated Toronto from participating in the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.

It had been evident for a while that the club wasn’t destined to be competing in the league’s greatest showcase. But what is less evident—and what made Craig Berube a bit more contemplative—is the way the regular season has gone. One thing he’s been unhappy about all season? The team is not shooting enough.

“I think we don’t look to shoot enough, personally. I mean, there’s a lot of times where it’s just a simple shot. It’s not our first instinct, in my opinion,” Berube said. “Even from the back end when we get pucks, like, we could move our feet quicker and get them through. I think it’s a mindset more than anything”.

I asked Berube if he felt it has something to do with his team being a little selfless, trying to get it to their teammates.

“Sometimes. In the second period there, there was opportunities where just, we’re right there and we’re trying to pass it into the net. And, you know, we’ve got to get that out of our system. You know, we’ve got to put more pucks at the net,” Berube explained. “You know, simple shots—like in the third, Max shoots one and hits the post. I mean, it’s from a ways out. But those are the types of things, like, and, you know, I can go back and look at when we shoot the puck, we recover it probably 80% of the time”.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2016. pic.twitter.com/SEoP3dys8v

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 3, 2026

Berube seems to feel that even low-quality shots would generate better chances for the Leafs on rebounds. That might be the case, but it’s also clear the club hasn’t bought into it, continuing to play the way they do.

While the Sharks were desperate for the win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Leafs now face a different reality. Now that they face the mathematical reality of being out, it’ll be interesting to see if they use their last call-up to bring in another defenseman just to change things up.

On the same day the Leafs were eliminated, Mitch Marner—who departed the Leafs after being a part of Toronto’s previous nine seasons of consecutive playoff appearances—recorded his first hat trick with the Vegas Golden Knights. Meanwhile, forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann each scored a goal for the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken, respectively. Both players were traded for picks as the Leafs shifted from Stanley Cup contenders at the start of the season to a team looking for its identity and a path for the future.

The Leafs will see Laughton and the Kings on Friday to close out their four-game road trip out West.

How The Math Worked For Elimination 

Although the Maple Leafs are 11 points out with six games remaining behind the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, who are in a three-way tie for the second wild-card spot at 88 points, Toronto could still finished with 89 points. However, Detroit and Columbus have a game against each other remaining on the schedule. Because one of those teams is guaranteed to win that game and collect an additional two points in the standings, Toronto was technically 13 points out instead of 11, and thus eliminated from the postseason.

The Hockey News' main site has revealed the top 10 players from their top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects list. Without any surprise, Philadelphia Flyers top prospect Porter Martone made the cut, as he was given the No. 4 spot. 

It is entirely understandable that Martone has been ranked as one of the best NHL-affiliated prospects by THN. The potential for Martone to emerge as a star power forward at the NHL level is there, and it is exactly why Philadelphia selected him with the sixth-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. 

Martone just had an excellent freshman season with Michigan State University, as he recorded 25 goals, 25 assists, 50 points, and 78 penalty minutes in 35 games. After a big season at the collegiate level, Martone signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers and is currently getting his NHL career started. 

Martone has had a solid start to his NHL career, as he recorded his first career assist in the Flyers' most recent contest against the Detroit Red Wings on April 2. While he has yet to score his first NHL goal, he already has 14 shots in two games. This included him having nine shots against Detroit, which was the most out of any player on the ice.

As Martone continues to adjust to the NHL level, he should only get better. There is a lot to like about the 6-foot-3 forward's game, and it will be fascinating to see how he grows his game from here. 

The New York Islanders continue to be saved by the out-of-town scoreboard as they continue their push toward the playoffs. 

After dropping both games of their back-to-backs, the Islanders had to put their faith in the hockey gods on Thursday night before they got the chance to redeem themselves on Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Islanders began Thursday's slate holding down the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, with a slim one-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

They woke up on Friday morning still sitting in third in the Metropolitan Division.

The Blue Jackets got steamrolled 5-1 by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The Flyers, who have to play the Islanders on the second leg of their back-to-back, fell 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins, who sat just three points ahead of the Islanders, fell 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The Boston Bruins, holding down the top wild-card spot, lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers. 

And finally, the Washington Capitals, who had snuck their way back into the playoff conversation, fell 7-3 to the New Jersey Devils. 

The Situation after tonight’s scores #Isles : pic.twitter.com/By3ImJthSZ

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 3, 2026

Now, we must mention that the Senators, the Red Wings, and the Flyers have all played fewer games than the Islanders. But, we must also mention that games in hand mean nothing unless that team wins them.

If the Islanders are able to beat the Flyers on Friday night -- no other Eastern Conference team is in action-- that will give Long Island 91 points with five games to go, increasing their lead for third place by three over Columbus. 

Sam Ersson started for the Flyers, so we'll see if Dan Vladar gets the nod against Ilya Sorokin. 

Islanders Name Sorokin Starter vs. Flyers; Notes From Thursday PracticeSorokin gets the nod against the Flyers as the Islanders stick with the same lineup after a loss to Buffalo. Injury updates and practice insights revealed.

Focusing on the wild-card is still something that has to happen. However, it has always seemed like an "easier" route for the Islanders to finish in the top three of their division than to finish in one of the two wild-card spots. 

It's imperative that the Islanders start to help themselves, regardless of how things have gone from their playoff-hopeful competitors. 

After playing the Flyers on Friday, the Islanders have to play the Hurricanes in Raleigh on Saturday night. Then they have four off days before four games in six nights to conclude their season. 

There was bound to be a come-down at some point, what with a perfect weekend last weekend, a rousing comeback in Columbus, an impressive win over Dallas, etc.

Unsurprisingly, that come-down came down (?) at the hands of the Florida Panthers, who ended the Bruins’ winning streak at four games with a 2-1 win in Sunrise on Thursday night.

The B’s fell behind 2-0 eight minutes into the game, but managed to get one back via Fraser Minten late in the first, but after that, it was a vintage performance from Sergei Bobrovsky that kept the B’s from turning the tide.

Bobrovsky made 15 saves in the third period alone, holding off a pretty energetic Bruins charge and helping the Panthers avoid official playoff elimination again.

Overall, it wasn’t a terribly played game by the Bruins, but going down 2-0 and trying to furiously scramble back into the game isn’t necessarily a winning formula, even against a depleted Panthers team.

Your highlights from last night, if you’d like to review:

Unfortunately for the B’s, the loss came on a night where Ottawa, Montreal, and Detroit all won their games.

Those results put the B’s four points behind Montreal in the Atlantic, while bringing Ottawa and Detroit within six points of the Bruins, who are currently in the first wild card spot.

From a neutral observer’s perspective, the Eastern Conference playoff race is wild: three teams have 88 points, one has 86, and another has 85.

The Bruins will play the 86-point team, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Sunday, in what could be a make-or-break game for Philly.

Prior to that, a visit to Tampa looms, with the Bruins playing the Lightning on Saturday evening.

That game will have a 5 PM start, with Sunday’s game against Philly at 3:30 PM.

Tampa remains in a back-and-forth tussle with Buffalo for first in the Atlantic, which still seems wild to say at this point in the season, but…times have changed!

Six games left for the Bruins, six points clear of the playoff line. Buckle up!

What’s on tap for today?

Mike Gillis is reportedly interested in the idea of attempting a retool with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In an article from James Mirtle of The Athletic, he highlights a pitch Gillis wrote for the former owner, Mario Lemieux, and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021, and debates whether a similar layout would work in Toronto now.

He adds in the story that, "According to league sources and those who know Gillis well, however, he is on friendly terms with Pelley and is intrigued by the opportunity that attempting to retool the Leafs would present." 

In the days after the hockey club fired Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) president and CEO, Keith Pelley, said the hope was to bring in a new "head of hockey operations" by the end of May.

"But if not, very early June," Pelley said, "because you need to prep for the draft."

There's no doubt a laundry list of names who'd want to throw their hat in the ring for an opportunity to try and lead one of the NHL's biggest franchises back to playoff success.

But Gillis' track record would make him a fascinating name for Toronto.

As general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 2008 to 2014, Gillis led the organization to back-to-back Presidents' Trophies in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

It's arguably one of the best eras in Canucks history since their inception in 1970.

"That’s a name that they have kind of looked at, and I can see why," reported Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on The Fan Hockey Show on Wednesday. " He took a team that was really struggling and took them to the edge of the Stanley Cup Final.  I don't know that it's gonna be Mike Gillis, but I think that he is the kind of person that they've been looking at so far."

'Whatever Happens, Happens': Craig Berube Unfazed About Uncertainty Around Future With Maple LeafsPelley acknowledged on Tuesday that the decision on whether to keep or fire Berube is up to the next head of hockey operations, adding that, if a decision is made to move on, it'll be brought to the MLSE board.

Since his Canucks tenure, Gillis' name hasn't been discussed too much in public circles. He served on the board of directors for Swiss National League team Genève-Servette HC from 2016 to 2018. According to Mirtle, Gillis also spent time as a business consultant for the NHLPA.

What we know is that the Maple Leafs' next head of hockey operations needs to be "data-centric," Pelley said.

"They have to really understand the importance of data and where data is moving," he continued. "We have just completed a complete rebuild of TFC, all using data combined with cultural checks. That's what we will do, and every single decision we make will be evidence-based.

"Evidence-based decisions are never wrong, and that's not to say there's not room for the heart, not to say there's no room to check culture, but it’s all evidence-based."

Why There's 'Zero Chance' The Maple Leafs Will Tank To Move Higher Up In NHL Draft This YearThe Maple Leafs currently have the eighth-best odds to land the first-overall pick in this year's draft.

Whether it's Gillis or any of the other names out there, like Florida Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta or St. Louis Blues president and GM Doug Armstrong, the Maple Leafs need to get this hire right.

Because if not, the organization could be going from a quick retool to a full rebuild, which it seems nobody on the team wants.

In the fourth game of their five-game road trip, the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Martin St-Louis’ men were looking for a seventh win in a row, while the underperforming Rangers were looking for a fourth win in a row.

Despite Jakub Dobes being red-hot these days, the Habs elected to give the net to Jacob Fowler, who had last played on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators, backstopping the Canadiens to a 4-1 win.

Canadiens Dobes Wins Molson Cup For March
Canadiens Hoping To Avoid Season Sweep Against Underperforming Rangers
Canadiens: Veleno Signing Was A Great Move

The Improving Penalty Kill

The Habs have struggled all season when playing down a man, but the penalty kill has done good work since the start of the road trip, giving up a single goal on 10 opportunities against the Predators, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Juraj Slafkovsky could have put his team in deep trouble when he was assessed a four-minute penalty for high-sticking, but the penalty killers were up to the task and killed it. Fowler faced three shots in those four minutes, saving them all.

On the road, the Canadiens are 28th on the penalty kill with a 74.6% success rate, while they are much more efficient at home at 79.8%.

Playing Smart

Throughout 40 minutes, the Rangers only had 12 shots on goal and looked like what they are, a team that hasn’t got much left to fight for. While the Canadiens could have been tempted to open up the play and try to run up the score against weaker opposition, the Habs played it smart.

They stuck to the game plan and didn’t take any unnecessary risks. Still, when they had the opportunity for the fancy no-look passes in the appropriate setting, they grabbed it with both hands, and it led to Cole Caufield’s 48th goal of the season, which gave him 82 points on the year. It’s not 100, but it’s a point-per-game rhythm in an 82-game season. Mind you, he can only play 81 this year after missing a game due to illness.

27 BUTS À SES 27 DERNIERS MATCHS

27 GOALS IN HIS LAST 27 GAMES#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Fn167h1EAV

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 3, 2026

Caufield For The Win… Again

While the Canadiens dominated through 40 minutes, the Rangers made a push in the final frame, and with plenty of traffic in front of Fowler’s net, they managed to tie the score. Montreal didn’t panic. St. Louis took a timeout to decide whether to challenge the goal. The coach elected not to challenge as he didn’t want to risk putting the Rangers on the power play. Those extra 30 seconds allowed his players to settle down and refocus.

It worked like a charm. The Canadiens noticed the Rangers lining up on one side for a one-timer, and once Montreal won the draw, they elected to launch the attack on the other side. Caufield scored his second of the game, and it would turn out to be the game-winning goal just 47 seconds after the Rangers' second goal. It’s the 12th time this season that the sniper scores the game-winner, and that was the 28th go-ahead goal he scored on the season, tying Pavel Bure for the second most in a season. Brett Hull has the record in that department with 39, a mark that is out of reach for now, but the way the Canadiens’ first line is evolving, who knows what could happen in the coming years…

ENTRE LES JAMBIÈRES POUR SON 49e

FIVE HOLE FOR HIS 49TH#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/os3jGaxBO4

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 3, 2026

Caufield now has 49 goals on the season, trailing Nathan MacKinnon by a single goal in the Rocket Richard race, and it looks like this one will go down to the wire. With assists on each of Caufield’s goals, Nick Suzuki now has 94 points on the year, and with seven games to go, he is on pace for a 103-point season. Meanwhile, Juraj Slafkovsky registered his 67th point and remains one goal shy of 30.

Fowler played a good game, even though he wasn't overly tested, but when the team needed him to make a save, he was ready. In one sequence, he made a big pad save and followed it with a big glove save seconds later with some added swagger. The youngster looked like he was in the zone.

 

𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 | 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡

❌ | Jacob Fowler
🆚 | Alexis Lafreniere
🗓️ | Apr. 2, 2026 pic.twitter.com/G48yeqCUsH

— Canadiens 🎥 (@habsvidsroom) April 3, 2026

That makes seven regulation wins in a row for the Canadiens, who will play the final game of their road trip on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils before playing them again on Sunday at the Bell Centre.

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If the regular season ended this morning, the New York Islanders would qualify for the playoffs by virtue of having more points, thanks to having played one more game, than Detroit, Columbus, or Philadelphia.

Tonight that will not change but it can get either better or more fragile as they host the Flyers, who desperately need points to stay in the chase. So begins a back-to-back that concludes tomorrow in Carolina, where the Hurricanes have just clinched their playoff spot and hopefully went on a celebratory all-night bender.

Last night’s scores mostly broke in the Isles’ favor, though Ottawa won to leap into a wild card spot and show the Islanders that the Sabres can, in fact, be beaten (and handily, 4-1). The favorable scores included the Penguins losing to the Lightning in regulation (hallelujah!), the Blue Jackets losing to Carolina in regulation (amen!), and the Red Wings and Flyers also having the courtesy of finishing in regulation (Bossy is great!).

With Philly’s 4-2 home loss to the Wings, they are two points behind Ottawa, Columbus and Detroit and will want something from tonight all the more. Motivation should be extremely high for both sides, but that doesn’t stop three guys from chasing one Sabre behind the net now does it?

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• Practice updates: No updates on Tony DeAngelo or Simon Holmstrom injuries, no inclination to put Cal Ritchie back with Barzal and Schenn. [Isles | THN]
• Victor Eklund was excited to get into action as quickly as possible when he reported to AHL Bridgeport. [Isles]
• The Islanders’ offense is failing them at a critical time. [Newsday]
• Yeah, but their defense is failing them worse. [Post]
• Ex-Isle Mikhail Grabovski is charged in some assault around a youth hockey game. [TSN]
• The instructions this time of year are simple: Win, and more often than the other guys. [Newsday]
• Enter your personal data to respond to Matthew Schaefer trivia. [Isles]

Elsewhere

• A pretty great interview with Jaromir Jagr on his career and the state of the game today. [NHL]
• How Craig Berube is handling being a coach in limbo: the same as always. [Sportsnet]
• Bourne: How to fix the Leafs quickly (including replacing Berube). [Sportsnet]
• And Chris Pronger opines on the Ducks and whether Auston Matthews is long for the Leafs. [NHL]
• Congratulations to the Canucks, who have clinched last place overall. [Sportsnet]
• William Nylander wants to stay with the Leafs but isn’t interested in a teardown rebuild. [Sportsnet]
• The Leafs under Keith Pelley make pretty much everything for sale. [Athletic]
• What is the secret to the Sabres’ amazing turnaround? Actually deciding to play smart hockey, moment after moment, night after night. [ESPN]

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

Thursday night brought with it a 6-3 loss for the Pittsburgh Penguins after they took an early lead but were eventually overwhelmed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who surged with multiple goals to take control and earn two points. [Recap]

Penguins prospect Cruz Lucius will not be signing with the team, general manager Kyle Dubas announced on Thursday, choosing instead to become a free agent and seek a better opportunity with another organization. Dubas added that the decision was a personal one for Lucius. Still, from an external standpoint, it may also say something about the limited development opportunities within Pittsburgh’s suddenly crowded pool of young forwards. [PensBurgh]

The Penguins reassigned forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty to the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday. [Trib Live]

Not really directly Penguins-related, but a great Pittsburgh sports story nonetheless: Katie Stewart is an England-based Pittsburgh sports fan who has recently made her fifth annual trip to the Steel City to watch the teams and visit the city that she has fallen in love with. [Trib Live]

Jaromir Jagr has popped up again, seemingly to say he has put a stamp on his legendarily long pro hockey career. In a recent interview, he said that while he has not officially retired, he admits it’s likely the end of his career after 38 seasons, saying the physical demands, travel, and limited role at age 54 make continuing “not worth it.” [TSN]

News and updates from around the NHL…

Toronto Maple Leafs cornerstone William Nylander, 29, said that, barring a full-on rebuild, he wants to remain with the only team he’s ever played for. [TSN]

Vegas Golden Knights (34-26-16, in the Pacific Division) vs. Edmonton Oilers (39-28-9, in the Pacific Division)

Edmonton, Alberta; Saturday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Edmonton Oilers host the Vegas Golden Knights as winners of five consecutive games.

Edmonton is 39-28-9 overall with a 14-5-3 record in Pacific Division play. The Oilers rank third in the league with 264 total goals (averaging 3.5 per game).

Vegas has a 12-5-5 record in Pacific Division play and a 34-26-16 record overall. The Golden Knights have gone 33-6-10 in games they score three or more goals.

Saturday's game is the fourth time these teams meet this season. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Connor McDavid has 43 goals and 83 assists for the Oilers. Matthew Savoie has five goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Jack Eichel has 25 goals and 54 assists for the Golden Knights. Mitchell Marner has scored four goals with five assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Oilers: 7-2-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.9 assists, three penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 4-4-2, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.3 assists, 4.1 penalties and 10.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Oilers: Leon Draisaitl: out (lower-body), Colton Dach: out (undisclosed), Zach Hyman: day to day (undisclosed), Mattias Janmark: out for season (undisclosed).

Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body), Jonas Rondbjerg: out (lower body).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights picked up two much-needed points with a 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames.

The Flames broke the ice at 7:41 in the first period. Morgan Frost intercepted Kaedan Korczak’s pass intended for Tomáš Hertl at center ice and raced into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 with Matt Coronato. Frost had all the time in the world to shoot and beat Carter Hart glove-side.

Morgan Frost elects to shoot on a 2-on-1. That’s probably the right decision, because he knows a thing or two about Carter Hart.

1-0, Flames pic.twitter.com/wgZXtzSW2Q

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

Despite trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes, the Golden Knights were the better team– they simply ran into a hot goaltender.

In the second period, they finally capitalized on the chances they were generating at will.

The Golden Knights answered back just 1:47 into the second period. Shea Theodore fired a shot through a screen from above the right circle, and Mitch Marner redirected it home.

Theodore the shot, Marner the redirect.

1-1 pic.twitter.com/kUsOwpCVWB

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

The Flames pulled ahead at 4:38 in the second. Joel Farabee broke the puck out, and Mikael Backlund drove into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 with Blake Coleman. Backlund got the pass across and Coleman fired a shot home.

There’s another 2-on-1. Farabee to Coleman to the back of the net.

2-1, Flames pic.twitter.com/fssFy1W0oX

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 6:42 in the second. Jack Eichel threaded a cross-ice pass to Rasmus Andersson at the right dot. Andersson faked a shot and set up Mitch Marner in the slot for the equalizer.

Some really nice puck movement there. Andersson finds Marner in the slot and it’s a tie game.

2-2 pic.twitter.com/q3BY5AbYDG

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

The Flames took the lead again at 12:11 in the second. Blake Coleman jumped off the face-off, won a battle against Rasmus Andersson, and raced up ice on yet another 2-on-1 with Joel Farabee. Coleman bet on himself and ripped a shot past Carter Hart glove-side.

Blake Coleman is having the game of his life. Elects to shoot off yet another 2-on-1 and he’s got two tonight.

3-2, Flames pic.twitter.com/lzZcZ0SYju

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

The Golden Knights tied it on the power play at 16:21 in the second. Mitch Marner held the line and set up Pavel Dorofeyev for his 35th goal of the season.

Marner hold at the line leads to a Dorofeyev one-timer. PPG. Tie game.

3-3 pic.twitter.com/NZ6QAzjseV

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

After a 27-minute delay for ice repairs, the dam broke for the Golden Knights in the third period. They generated seven scoring chances and capitalized on nearly half of them.

The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night at 12:20 in the third period. Shea Theodore caught up to Ivan Barbashev’s bank pass, pulled up to avoid Olli Määttä, and threaded a pass to Brett Howden in the slot. Howden picked his spot and beat Dustin Wolf blocker-side.

Marner finds Brett Howden all alone in the slot. First Vegas lead of the night.

4-3, Golden Knights pic.twitter.com/Vovn1QTMF0

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

The Golden Knights doubled their lead at 14:59 in the third. Dustin Wolf misplayed the puck after leaving the net, and Mitch Marner got to it first. Wolf recovered to make the save, but Ivan Barbashev banged in the rebound.

If you’re a goaltender… you know the rest. Dustin Wolf leaves the net, misplays the puck, and Ivan Barbashev bangs in Mitch Marner’s rebound.

5-3, Golden Knights pic.twitter.com/WM3pbBktjG

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

The Golden Knights added to their lead at 18:31 in the third. Mark Stone won a foot race and found Mitch Marner in the slot. Marner moved in, danced around Morgan Frost, fooled Dustin Wolf, and completed the hat trick on the wraparound.

Throw the hats! Mitch Marner fools Dustin Wolf and tucks it home on the wraparound.

6-3, Golden Knights pic.twitter.com/cBvs9tKaMR

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

Three Takeaways of the Knight

1. For nearly half an hour following the conclusion of the second intermission, a nine-man band consisting of four members of the ice crew, three officials, two captains (and a partridge in a pear tree) hovered over a divot in the ice. Meanwhile, DJ Joe Green continued his rave-esque ‘Knight Life,’ bumping EDM while the projector displayed images of a roulette wheel onto the ice. The nine individuals were highlighted by a spotlight, which stood out as a harsh contrast against the colorful ice.

It was all very dramatic.

There’s a lot going on in the entertainment capital of the world. This has been the longest— but also most comical!—delay for ice maintenance I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/DJjSzEz2sI

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 3, 2026

New head coach John Tortorella did say that he wanted his team to be ‘more relaxed’ after Monday’s 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Maybe this moment was just what the doctor ordered. The Golden Knights only went on to outshoot the Flames 6-3 in the third period, but they capitalized on their scoring chances and controlled 87.27% of the expected goal share.

2. Mitch Marner capped off a five-point night by completing his first hat trick as a Golden Knight. He recorded six shots on goal and nine total attempts. He’s back to being a point-per-game player with 76 points in 75 games played.

3. Carter Hart returned from injury tonight, playing his first game since January 8th. He made 19 saves on 22 shots and recorded his sixth win of the season. The delay put him in a less-than-ideal situation in the third period, but he battled through. When the team needed him most, Hart answered the bell and made several key saves.

On a night where Los Angeles was celebrating Anze Kopitar's legacy, this game between the Kings and Predators did not disappoint.

A playoff-like atmosphere saw the Los Angeles Kings (30-26-19) pull off an improbable comeback against the Nashville Predators (35-31-9) in the third period, forcing eight rounds of a shootout on Thursday, before falling short 5-4. 

Final from the Shootout in LA. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/IGyPPKiiqa

— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 3, 2026

Los Angeles, once again, got off to a terrible start in the first period against a potential Western Conference playoff contender. Nashville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and extended its lead to 4-1 in the middle of the second period. It looked like another blowout loss was on the horizon for Los Angeles, but the Kings played a valiant effort in the second period to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Turnovers, missed shots, and defensive lapses plagued the Kings from the jump, allowing the Predators to take the lead. Still, despite the mistakes Los Angeles made early on, they made up for it in the third period, but couldn't make up for it down the stretch. 

Both teams struggled on the power play, combining to go 0-for-5, and Los Angeles won the faceoff battle 55.4% to the Predators' 44.6%. 

It was a hot offensive start for the Predators early. The Kings had no answer to the rush, giving up goals on fast-break possessions and turning the puck over. Three minutes into the first period, Nashville jumped ahead to a 2-0 lead after a faceoff win and a beautiful puck play by forward Zachary L'Hereux to give Nashville the 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

It was a terrible first period for the Kings, getting outshot 18-9, looking like one of those games where nothing goes right for them at home. 

The second period began immediately, with Nashville continuing where they left off, scoring two minutes into the period after converting on the missed shot. Nashville scored on the rebound to hold a commanding 3-0 lead. 

Los Angeles finally got a goal to go, a contact goal by Adrian Kempe pushed in after Artemi Panarin missed the shot; the puck deflected off Kempe and made its way into the net. 

A lucky shot, but a good way for the Kings to get back in the game and avoid disaster. 

Nashville, though, would answer once again, scoring on the beautiful 2-on-1 rush play, displaying beautiful puck movement to take another three-goal lead. 

At this point, the game looked like it was a wash for Los Angeles. Down three in the second period with 11 minutes remaining, the Kings would make a valiant effort to get back in the game. 

The momentum shifted after Adrian Kempe scored his second goal of the night at the 6:30-minute mark to get the crowd and players back in the game. Two minutes later, Los Angeles cut the deficit to one after a rebound goal by Scott Laughton, ending the second period down one. 

LAK Goal - 30 for 🧃

Kempe buries his second of the night. Fourth time in five seasons he’s scored at least 30. Kings within 4-2.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 3, 2026

It was a gritty third period, with both teams missing shots left and right off the crossbar; there was a lid on the net, and Nashville had multiple chances to end the game early in the final period. 

Another missed shot from the Kings gave up Joel Armia the rebound to score on and clean up the goal, tying the score 4-4 with under 10 minutes to go in the final frame.

 

LAK Goal - Big. Goal. Joel.

Jared Wright's shot goes through the legs of Saros, Armia picks up the garbage to tie the game at four.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 3, 2026

Everything seemed to be on the Kings' side, outshooting the Predators 13-5 in the third period, but they couldn't close the game in the period. Artemi Panarin had a very good chance to score, but the puck landed on the legs of the Predators' goaltender.

We were treated to another overtime game, the 30th of the season for the Kings. Another thrilling way to end the match. Neither team could score in overtime, setting up an exciting finish in the shootout. 

Eight rounds saw the Kings miss shot after shot. Give credit to both goatkenders for giving their teams several chances to win, but it was the Predators who scored in the eighth round to hang on and stop the Kings' late comeback. 

Round 8: Predators win in a shootout.

LAK - Armia - ❌
NSH - Evangelista - ✅

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 3, 2026

Key Stats

Credit the Armia-Wright-Laughton line, stepping up late in the match, to make this game close, despite the loss. All three forwards combined to score four points and two goals. 

Kempe scored two goals and two points to notch his 30th goal of the season, the fourth time in five seasons he's accomplished this feat. After starting off slow, Darcy Kuemper played a big role in the third period and the extra periods, stopping key shots in the clutch, finishing with 30 saves on 34 shots. 

The good news in the loss is that Los Angeles gets a point, now tied with the Predators and Sharks for the final playoff spot, making their next game against the Predators crucial. 

The Kings' next matchup will be against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at 4:00 PM PT. 

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