It’ll be all hands on deck for the Dallas Stars heading into their season finale against the Buffalo Sabres.
My Stars vs. Sabres predictions expect that to result in the road team picking up their 50th win.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Wednesday, April 15.
Stars vs Sabres prediction
Stars vs Sabres best bet: Stars moneyline (-145)
This game carries no implications in the standings for either side, and while teams generally sit key players in these circumstances, that’s not the case with the Dallas Stars.
Head coach Glen Gulutzan noted his guys — even those routinely playing heavy minutes — want to play in the regular season finale, and they will.
This contest should serve as one last tune-up before their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.
Mavrik Bourque is coming off a hat trick, but he still has more assists than goals. Playing on a line with Jason Robertson, the youngster definitely has assist upside.
We’ll round out the parlay with an Under. Playing pond hockey in their finale isn’t going to get the Stars ready for the playoffs, so they should rely on their structure and sound defense to guide them in their finale.
The Sabres are sitting a healthy chunk of firepower in this game, and third-string goaltender Colten Ellis (8-4-1 with a .904 save percentage) is more than capable of handling this level.
Stars vs Sabres SGP
Stars moneyline
Mavrik Bourque Over 0.5 assists
Under 6.5
Stars vs Sabres odds
Moneyline: Stars -105 | Sabres -115
Puck Line: Stars -1.5 (+225) | Sabres +1.5 (-280)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)
Stars vs Sabres trend
Buffalo has only hit the game total Over in 10 of its last 25 games (-6.85 Units / -24% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Sabres.
How to watch Stars vs Sabres
Location
KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Date
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT
Stars vs Sabres latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Porter Martone #94 of the Philadelphia Flyers reacts after the game against the Montréal Canadiens at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yes, there are still games to be played in the NHL’s regular season, but all 16 playoff spots have been clinched so we know who is and is not going to be competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Like me, I am sure many of you are fans of the Detroit Red Wings, so you will not have your team in the postseason (again). I’ll take this opportunity to point out that at least the Red Wings did better than my cowriter Steve’s Chicago Blackhawks.
For those who still want to enjoy some playoff hockey and need help deciding which team to get behind, let’s analyze the 16 playoff rosters in search of former Spartans.
Amazingly, there are only five former MSU skaters currently on an NHL roster. This number does not include players that are signed by NHL teams but who are currently on an affiliate (e.g. AHL) roster. This low number took me by surprise, but it is sure to grow in the next year or two as more of the Adam Nightingale-era players make it to the big league.
Of those five Spartans, three of them are on a playoff-bound team. Those three are:
Isaac Howard – Edmonton Oilers
Jeff Petry – Minnesota Wild
Porter Martone – Philadelphia Flyers
The other two players whose teams did not make the playoffs are Mason Appleton in Detroit and Artyom Levshunov in Chicago.
The regular season wraps up on Thursday and the playoffs are scheduled to start on Saturday. Will you be cheering one of the three teams with a Spartan on it? Do you live in a city with an NHL team that you will be cheering for? Will this be the year that a Canadian team wins the Cup? None have won since 1993. Are you just waiting for football season?
CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 27: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Joel Blomqvist (30) in goal during the second period of the American Hockey League game between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Cleveland Monsters on February 27, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins accomplished the task of clinching second place in the Atlantic Division. It comes with a nice bonus of sitting out the best-of-three first round playoffs that tripped them up the prior two seasons. They’ll await the highest seed that emerges from the 3/6 and 4/5 series, with the lowest seeded team playing top-ranked Providence.
The Penguins had a 1-0-1 previous week, dealing with a few key forwards called up to the NHL. WBSPenguins.com with the recaps:
Thursday, Apr. 9 – PENGUINS 5 at Bridgeport 6 (OT) In its last-ever regular-season visit to Bridgeport, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton let a three-goal, third-period lead slip away as the Islanders stole their first win of the season series. Daniel Russell and Mikhail Ilyin both picked up assists in their AHL debuts, while Finn Harding, Tanner Howe, Gabe Klassen, Harrison Brunicke and Atley Calvert provided the goals.
Saturday, Apr. 11 – GANDY DANCERS 4 vs. Cleveland 1 It required a proletarian effort, but the Steamtown Gandy Dancers rolled up their sleeves and muscled their way to an intense victory. Calvert conjured the only goal through the first 52 minutes of action, which led to a frenzied finish. Aidan McDonough tallied twice around Cleveland’s lone goal, three strikes that came in 1:50 of game time. Howe lobbed in an empty netter to improve the *Penguins* to 3-0-1-0 in its Community Night presented by Visit Luzerne County.
Sergei Murashov gave up six goals on 28 shots in the Bridgeport game – on a day he started on the NHL roster in New Jersey before being assigned back to the AHL once it was deemed Stuart Skinner was good to go. Joel Blomqvist picked up the win against Cleveland, stopping 25/26 shots.
A lot of fresh faces and young talent have rolled into town, including most recently a 2025 third round draft pick defenseman Brady Peddle. Peddle joins with recent draftees Ryan Miller and Quinn Beauchesne on AHL tryout deals for the rest of the season. Neither Miller nor Beauchesne has appeared in a game yet, but with three meaningless games coming up in the next four days there could be opportunities to give these players a chance to get into the lineup.
Some other players on NHL contracts have made their way to Wilkes, Harrison Brunicke has been back after his junior career wrapped up in a first series loss in the WHL and been used in a key role now with Wilkes. Mikhail Ilyin’s KHL season is over and he’s managed two assists in his first two AHL games. Melvin Fernstrom has also been over in the AHL for a while coming in and out of the lineup.
Here was the lineup in the last game, WBS had to deal with Joona Koppanen, Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen and Avery Hayes playing out the stretch in Pittsburgh. Rafael Harvey-Pinard got an NHL game too but did not miss any games in the minor league. With the NHL playoffs about to begin, all five of these forwards have been assigned back to Wilkes today, presumably to get them ready for an AHL playoff run. Other than the injured Tristan Broz, who has been out since the beginning of March, WBS is locked and loaded.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 11, 2026
Wilkes has three games to finish out their 72-game season, all at home. Tonight they play Hershey, a team that should be desperate to clinch a playoff spot (and loaded up themselves by getting Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ilya Protas and Clay Stephenson back from the NHL Capitals). Next up is Bridgeport on Friday, a team that has already clinched a playoff spot but is a potential future playoff opponent. Finally the year ends up with a game against Rochester, 5th place in the North Division, who likely will have clinched a playoff spot by the time they play Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.
In a way, WBS this week will be in the same situation as their NHL affiliate was this past week, being unable to move in the standings and focused on the playoffs. They (likely) won’t go to the extremes of resting all their key players, though sensibly there’s logic in fluid lineups to give youngsters a shot while keeping the key players ready for the playoffs. Those playoffs won’t start for a little bit in Wilkes-Barre who have earned the luxury of some rest and time to prepare for whatever the second round might throw at them (which would be a pretty good Charlotte team, barring an upset).
In a recent article for The Athletic, Scott Wheeler ranked the top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects. Without much surprise, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler received the top spot in Wheeler's rankings.
Seeing Fowler being named the best goalie prospect in hockey makes a lot of sense. The 21-year-old goaltender has the potential to become a star for the Canadiens and has already shown plenty of promise when given the chance to play for Montreal this campaign. In 17 regular-season games for the Canadiens this season, the 2023 third-round pick had a 9-6-2 record, a 2.43 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and one shutout.
Down in the AHL with the Laval Rocket this season, Fowler undoubtedly performed well. In 27 games with Laval this campaign, he had a 19-7-1 record, a .916 save percentage, a 2.23 goals-against average, and three shutouts. This is after he had a 25-7-2 record, a 1.63 goals-against average, a .940 save percentage, and seven shutouts for Boston College during the 2024-25 season.
With all of this, there is no question that Fowler has a ton of potential. He should be a big part of the Canadiens' roster moving forward, and at 21 years old, he still has plenty of time to get even better.
Apr 13, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Kamil Krzaczynski/Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
BUFFALO, N.Y. — When Taylor Hall signed with the Sabres several years ago, the 2018 MVP summed up a belief shared by many around the NHL by saying the league is better when Buffalo is competitive.
It has been a long time since that was the case.
After numerous rebuilds and coaching and front office changes, the Sabres are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011 after snapping the NHL’s longest postseason drought at 14 years. As division champions for the first time since ’07, Buffalo will open at home against Boston.
Hall’s belief in Buffalo hasn’t changed, even though his tenure there lasted just 37 games.
“If you’re a sports fan, you have a bit of a soft spot for Buffalo,” said Hall, who is now with Carolina. “It’s nice to see that they’ve done it the right way this year. They play hard. They play fast. They’ve committed to playing well on both sides of the puck, and that’s the recipe. They’re going to be a tough out.”
Joy for former teammates
Hall isn’t the only ex-Sabres player to take notice and express a sense of joy over this long-awaited revival.
Casey Mittelstadt might have mixed emotions with his Bruins preparing to face the Sabres in the first round. That doesn’t take away the happiness he feels for Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and leading scorer Tage Thompson, with whom he broke into the league with in 2018.
“Very happy for those guys,” said Mittelstadt, who was picked eighth by Buffalo in 2017. “I have so many friends there and am really close with the staff, spent a lot of time there. ... I would be lying if I said I don’t cheer for them a bit. Good friends, good people and I think they deserve it.”
Fellow forward Zemgus Girgensons endured the brunt of the drought spending a decade in Buffalo before signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent two years ago. Though the drought outlasted him, Girgensons is impressed by his former team’s transformation.
“There’s a lot of talent on that team and they’re doing a good job so far,” Girgensons said. “It’s just the process of it. You can see the guys have matured a lot. It’s just the way they play. They’ve been playing good hockey, and it’s fun to watch.”
Joy for the city of Buffalo
Defenseman Tyler Myers suited up for Buffalo’s most recent playoff series in 2010 and and he shares Hall’s soft spot for the city.
“It’s my first team in the NHL, (and) I had some success there early on with the group we had,” said Myers, now with Dallas. “I’m happy to see the city and the team doing well. I obviously don’t feel that way if we’re ever up against them. But they’ve had a long road. Certainly in a way, I’m happy for them.”
Rasmus Ristolainen, whose 820 regular season games are the most of any active NHL player without a postseason appearance, finally is in with Philadelphia and feels a kinship with Sabres fans who have waited even longer than he has for this opportunity.
“The fans are die hard and love the team, as they do here, as well. Good for them,” he said
Buffalo native Patrick Kane is a three-time Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Blackhawks . During a recent visit with Detroit, he said he could feel the buzz of the fanbase. It reminded him a bit of football in nearby Orchard Park.
“The building gets wild,” Kane said. “You could see the crowd get into it. I kind of compare it to the Bills a little bit, too. The Bills are good, it’s good for the city. Same thing with the Sabres.”
Joy for the sport of hockey
It’s not just that the Sabres got into the playoffs, it’s how far they’ve come in a short while. Buffalo opened this season 11-14-4 before riding a 39-9-4 run to finish atop the Atlantic Division.
“I don’t know if anybody could have predicted the turnaround from last year to this year as quickly,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “It’s incredible.”
Also incredible is how winning has re-energized a fanbase. After selling out just four games in 2024-25, the Sabres have enjoyed 22 sellouts this season, including 17 in a row leading into the regular-season finale.
“I always knew that Buffalo was a great market, a great hockey market, and what demonstrates that is while there was frustration that built over time, it has turned around on a dime, which means the fans are back,” Bettman said. “Their enthusiasm is back. It’s like what’s happened has turned the page.”
Veteran goaltender Cam Talbot may have made his final NHL appearance this week, closing the book on what has been a long and quietly impressive career.
The 38-year-old Caledonia, Ontario native started Monday’s game for the Detroit Red Wings against the Tampa Bay Lightning, allowing four goals on 26 shots in an overtime loss. While no official decision has been announced, the outing is widely expected to be both his final start with Detroit and potentially the last of his NHL career.
Talbot, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of University of Alabama-Huntsville, built a reputation over more than a decade as one of the league’s most dependable journeyman goaltenders. With his contract set to expire this summer, Detroit appears poised to move in a different direction, with top prospect Sebastian Cossa expected to take on a full-time role next season.
The transition signals the likely end of Talbot’s tenure in Detroit, especially as his performance has begun to decline with age. He finishes the 2025–26 season with a 12-9-6 record, a 3.10 goals-against average, and a .886 save percentage across 33 appearances, his lowest statistical output since 2019.
Despite the recent dip, Talbot’s career body of work remains strong. Over 13 NHL seasons, he provided steady goaltending for eight different franchises, including the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, and most recently the Red Wings.
If he chooses to retire, Talbot would finish with a career record of 278-204-53, along with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, numbers that reflect consistency and reliability over time.
There is still a possibility he could extend his career, following a path similar to fellow veteran James Reimer, who returned to NHL action this season at the same age with Ottawa. However, if Talbot does continue playing, it is unlikely to be in Detroit.
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The Chicago Blackhawks have lost four straight games in regulation and are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games. No team in the NHL is having a worse finish than them. Going out with a whimper was not a part of their plan, but they have one final chance to go out on a high note.
At the end of Monday night’s game, a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the home fans made their frustration known. The Blackhawks were booed off the ice, and it was heard.
"I don't know if it's unwarranted, but it's not fun," Wyatt Kaiser said of the booing. Ryan Donato had a similar sentiment.
“Nobody wants to experience that,” Donato said. “It leaves that bitter taste in your mouth. We have to give them a reason to cheer for us.”
On Wednesday night, the Blackhawks will host the San Jose Sharks at the United Center. Although the Sharks were in it until the very end and largely had the season the Blackhawks wanted, they came up just short of making the postseason.
Having one strong game won’t erase what the post-Olympic break was for the Blackhawks, but it could be a positive heading into an important summer.
This is the youngest team in the NHL by average age, so there will be mistakes and developmental curves, but a good showing against a team like the Sharks would go a long way.
"Taking steps forward," Ryan Donato said when asked what he's looking for in the final game. "We're playing against a good team, a team that's been fighting for the playoffs all year. We want to be one of those teams. We have to show it every night. Over a long season, it can get grueling on the body, but you have to be mentally tough, power through it, and just know that it's a long season. At the end of the day, these teams are going on to the playoffs and have a lot more to go through. We want to be that team. We have a good test coming up."
Running out of gas is not an excuse in the NHL. They play 82 games ahead of the postseason for a reason. Ryan Donato, who has been on some good teams in the past, understands that.
The young guys in the locker room must learn how to grind through a season without letting that slip away at the end. They can't take back how this season ended, but they can follow Donato's mentality in the final game and move forward.
"We've talked about how important each game is; Wednesday is no different," head coach Jeff Blashill said of having a good game against the Sharks to end the year. "It would be nice to have a better taste in your mouth than what we had walking out of the building the last three games. There's zero doubt about that."
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The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping that goaltender Sergei Murashov will be a big part of their roster in the future. It is understandable, as the 22-year-old has plenty of potential.
Murashov has certainly shown off his upside this season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, as he has a 23-8-4 record, a .918 save percentage, a 2.24 goals-against average, and three shutouts in 36 games.
In his first five career regular-season games with Pittsburgh this season, Murashov had a 1-1-2 record, an .897 save percentage, and a 2.56 goals-against average. He also had a 21-save shutout against the Nashville Predators on Nov. 16.
When looking at Murashov's play at the AHL level, it is entirely understandable that he is being considered one of the best goalie prospects in the league. He has the skill to be a good goaltender for Pittsburgh, and it is going to be very fascinating to see how he continues to grow his game from here.
The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are considered the most grueling postseason in all professional sports, and that intensity really gets ramped up for the Stanley Cup Final.
Discover the latest NHL odds as well as all the key resources you need to navigate the 2026 NHL Playoffs with our helpful links and information below.
2026 Stanley Cup odds
Stanley Cup odds are a form of NHL futures. These are long-running odds markets that release before the start of the regular season and take action over the course of the schedule, adjusting to results, betting handle, and injuries.
📅 2026 NHL Playoffs schedule
Event
Date
First Round
April 18-May 3
Second Round begins
May 6
Conference Finals begin
May 22
Stanley Cup Finals
June 3-21
🏒 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sportsbooks begin offering Conn Smythe odds at the start of the playoffs, updating them as the rounds go on and teams are eliminated.
In the NHL's best-of-seven postseason, the first team to win four games advances to the next round, while the loser is eliminated. To ensure fairness, the league utilizes a 2-2-1-1-1 home-ice format, which allocates hosting duties based on regular-season performance.
This structure guarantees that the team with the superior regular-season record enjoys home-ice advantage, meaning they host the series opener and, most crucially, the decisive seventh game.
📺 How to watch the Stanley Cup
In Canada, fans can catch Stanley Cup Final games on Sportsnet and CBC, while fans in the United States can find Stanley Cup Final action exclusively on ABC. Cord cutters can stream the games on ESPN+.
Where to bet on the Stanley Cup
Hockey betting is on the rise in North America. The NHL’s popularity provides fun and unique ways to wager on hockey action all season long. Where you bet on hockey is just as important as what you bet, and Covers has reviewed the best betting sites available in your region.
Hockey is one of the most exciting sports to bet on due to the fast-paced action and swings in momentum. And the Stanley Cup playoffs dial up the drama, with plenty of unpredictable outcomes and thrilling underdog stories. Learn how to bet on hockey and make smarter NHL bets with Covers.
The Stanley Cup Final is one of the longest-running championship events in North American sports with a rich history of memorable competition and outstanding players
Origins
The Stanley Cup is named after Lord Frederick Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, who donated the trophy to honor the best amateur hockey team in Canada.
The Stanley Cup was first awarded to the winner of the Canadian Challenge Cup (1893-1914) and later used as the top prize in a championship series between the winner of the National Hockey Association and the winner of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (1915-1926).
It wasn’t until 1927 that the National Hockey League adopted the Stanley Cup as its championship trophy.
The first Stanley Cup
The first winner of the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Hockey Club, which won the Challenge Cup in 1893. The first NHA vs. PCHA winner was the Vancouver Millionaires in 1915. The first NHL champion to hoist Lord Stanley was the Ottawa Senators in 1927.
Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (27) and defenseman Oliver Bonk (59) celebrate win against the Montral Canadiens at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Eric Hartline/Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA — Flyers fans could have been excused for thinking they entered some kind of time warp as they grabbed their “Let’s Go Flyers” rally towels on their way into the arena.
The Grateful Dead cover band Splintered Sunlight jammed out to hits from the 1970s and graybeards old enough to remember the Flyers’ Stanley Cup victories swayed in their tie-dyed T-shirts. Just down the concourse, Flyers Hall of Famer Joe Watson signed copies of his autobiography and all-time great Bobby Clarke was all smiles as he filled his cup — soda, not Stanley — at the press box fountain station.
The good old days.
The Flyers remained tethered for decades to the glory days like a dog on a leash because, well, what was there to really celebrate?
At last, plenty — and an unbridled optimism that even better seasons were ahead.
The youth moment skated at full blast on the ice in a 4-2 win over Montreal a day after the Flyers clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first home playoff series since 2018.
Philadelphia’s first goal was scored by 19-year-old sensation Porter Martone, who just weeks ago starred at Michigan State and now could be a dangerous weapon in the first-round series against Pittsburgh. Martone deflected a point shot from Matvei Michkov, the 21-year-old Russian who navigated an uneven first half of the season only to heat up as the games heightened in importance down the stretch.
Michkov scored the Flyers’ third goal unassisted (20th overall) as one fan raised a “We Want More!” sign.
Architects of the lengthy rebuild, general manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones, could bask in the credit tossed their way from social media to talk radio to even the written word for never wavering from their plan to build a playoff team through the draft and shrewd acquisitions for 20-somethings over making moves for quick-fix veterans with no long-term fit.
Take a look at the clincher against Carolina: 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster, still just 24, scored the shootout winner that ignited pandemonium on the ice and in the stands.
Just how young are the Flyers?
Their last home playoff series came in the Year 2018 BG.
Before Gritty.
Gritty, the wild-haired, googly-eyed, fuzzy faced mascot, got his playoff reps in when he hurled a cake into the face of an unsuspecting (ahem) fan dressed in Penguins gear.
Gritty smashed dessert. Dan Vladar, the goalie who won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the team’s most valuable player, spilled the tea.
Briere, who sparked the Flyers to their last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2010, publicly had downplayed playoff possibilities all season.
He had a more upbeat message inside the Flyers’ locker room.
“He told us at the beginning of the year, I hope he’s not going to get mad at me, but he said the goal is to make the playoffs,” Vladar said. “There was always a belief in this room. Obviously, we knew that, even if it was the media or outsiders who didn’t really believe in us, we always had the belief here since Day 1.”
Flyers captain Sean Couturier was once a key cog in rebuilding — back when he was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Couturier made his debut that season and largely has remained a steady presence in the lineup — save for injuries that cost him the 2022-2023 season — and is the only Flyer still here from their last home playoff series victory against, yes, the Penguins in 2012.
“You want things to turn around,” Couturier said. “I think that the management, the organization has done a great job of being patient and building assets and putting us in a great spot here for now and the future.”
The now actually seemed dire before the Olympic break when the Flyers lost 11 of their last 14 games before the shutdown and dropped one more once play resumed.
Whatever defensive adjustments coach Rick Tocchet made during the layoff worked.
The Flyers’ season caught fire when they won three straight road games against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks and they ended the season on an 18-6-1 tear that propelled them to 98 points and into third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Who knows, maybe it was the suburban Philadelphia family that gifted Pope Leo XIV his own customized Flyers jersey that truly the blessed the team.
The regular-season finale served more as a joyous pep rally than a game with any real consequences. The fans dancing to the Dead cover band cheered as the singer paused during “Jack Straw” after he hit the lyric “sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky” in appreciation of the NFL team across the street.
The rest of the night belonged to the orange and black.
Gritty once issued a warning to the Penguins: “Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.”
Led by one of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Flyers are going into the playoffs with eyes wide open and ready to prove to their fans, don’t you worry any more.
The Montreal Canadiens’ second-round pick at the last draft, Alexander Zharovsky, saw his KHL season come to an end yesterday when the Ufa Salavat Yulaev crashed out of the playoffs. The underdogs were swept in four games by Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, which featured former Hab Alexander Radulov.
In the fourth and final game of the duel yesterday, Lokomotiv won 4-0, with Radulov scoring a goal and recording two assists. As for Zharovsky, he spent just over 16 minutes on the ice across 19 shifts, had two shots and two blocked shots.
In 10 playoff games, the 19-year-old only put up a pair of assists. That’s nothing to write home about, but it’s important to remember that he’s still very young and playing against seasoned players in Russia’s top league. Just like in the NHL, the level of play goes up in the postseason.
The right wing put up 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points in his first complete season in the KHL. The 6-foot-2 and 176-pound player still needs to fill up before he’s ready to face North American professional hockey.
Speaking on BPM Sports earlier this week, former NHL coach Bob Hartley, who’s now at the helm of Lokomotiv, was asked about the Canadiens’ prospect. He explained:
We know the playoffs are a different animal; they beat their first-round rival in six games, and we shut them out in our first two games at home. There’s not much room on the ice against us. We have an experienced defence corps that’s robust as well, and we’ve kept a close eye on him. [..] The kid is only 19, and he’s coming to terms with the reality of the playoffs, but he’s always dangerous, he works very hard, and he’s an excellent skater. He sees the game well, he’ll keep on improving, and the Canadiens definitely have a jewel there. He’s an excellent hockey player, and from what I hear, he’s a hard worker with an A1 attitude and a kid who, off the ice, is a great deal like [Ivan] Demidov.
- Bob Hartley on Zharovsky
That sounds very promising, and it looks like Zharovsky, just like Demidov, will be worth the wait. Martin St-Louis has shown time and time again what he can do with young players who have a knack for reading the game. The end of next season could be very interesting for Canadiens’ fans when both Zharovsky and Michael Hage turn pro.
The Florida Panthers are about to cross the finish line of frustrating, injury-filled season.
Despite coming into the year as the NHL’s defending, back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, the Panthers couldn’t stay healthy and constantly found themselves behind the proverbial eight ball.
Now, with their playoff hopes long gone and the focus shifting to the future, Florida is looking to the upcoming offseason with a potential major bargaining chip in their back pocket.
That’s because the Panthers’ 2026 first-round pick, which was previously included in the 2025 Trade Deadline deal that brought Seth Jones to Florida from the Chicago Blackhawks, was top-10 protected.
Entering play Wednesday, Florida holds the eighth-worst record in the NHL. A finish anywhere in the bottom eight will guarantee they keep their pick, regardless of what happens at the NHL Draft Lottery.
There are two draws at the Draft Lottery, one for the first overall pick and one for the second overall pick, meaning there is a chance that two teams could move up and bump Florida backwards.
A loss to Detroit in any fashion will guarantee the Panthers a bottom-eight finish.
If the Panthers collect two points, they would need the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues to each pick up at least one more point (San Jose has two games remaining, St. Louis has one) in order to guarantee the bottom-eight finish.
The Panthers are expected to welcome forward Matthew Tkachuk back into the lineup for the finale.
Tkachuk has missed Florida’s past four games to be with his wife Ellie for the birth of their first child, a baby girl named Camille.
He told media members after the Panthers’ morning skate that he would be playing on Wednesday night.
In addition to the bevy of injured players who are already out of the lineup, Florida will be without Tomas Nosek, who broke his leg on Monday, and Gus Forsling, due to several ailments he’s been nursing.
Needless to say, Florida’s defensive corps will be on the younger side when they suit up to battle the Red Wings.
The average age of the six blueliners dressing for the Cats will be 23.5 years old.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Wednesday’s season finale against Detroit:
Photo caption: Oct 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes the save on Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) in the second period at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Based on preseason expectations there might not be a more improbable first-round matchup in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs than the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. Neither of these teams were expected to be here. Up until about three weeks ago, I am not sure the Flyers were expected to be here. But none of that matters now, and starting this weekend the battle of Pennsylvania gets renewed, with Sidney Crosby having a chance to deliver another punch to the Penguins’ cross-state rivals.
We know who the main players in this series and playoff run are going to be for the Penguins.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are going to be at the top of the list, and their play will obviously have a major role in what the Penguins do and how far they can go. But no matter how well they play, they can not do it all for the Penguins. The team’s success or failure will also come down to the secondary and support players on the team and a few potential X-factors.
Let’s talk about some of them.
Ben Kindel
Every Penguins team that won the Stanley Cup or reached the Stanley Cup Final in the Sidney Crosby era has done so with a third-line that can carry play and swing games. A lot of times in the playoffs each team’s top players can cancel each other out due to the aggressive line-matching that tends to take place, and it can then come down to which team has the better support players.
In 2008 and 2009 it was the Jordan Staal line.
In 2016 and 2017 it was the HBK line.
Can the Penguins get something similar from the Kindel line?
It is going to be fascinating to see how his first playoff experiences goes. He is, after all, only 18 years old and will be getting his first taste of playoff hockey. He also seems to have hit another rookie wall over the past month with his offense going cold and some of his underlying metrics regressing a bit. From a big picture perspective, it is nothing to be overly concerned about. There is a reason most 18-year-olds do not get a full-season in the NHL. It is a huge adjustment and there are going to be some growing pains.
But everything resets now going into the playoffs, and regardless of who the Penguins put around him on a line they are going to need a big showing from his trio if they are going to advance and go on a potential run.
He has exceeded expectations and rose to the occasion all season. This is going to be his biggest test yet.
Sam Girard
You can include Kris Letang in this category as well, because their defense pairing is going to be significant.
When they were first put together following the trade with Colorado, they looked like an absolute disaster, with Girard especially struggling in his new environment. He seemed to lack confidence, was indecisive and just not playing well.
And then, about 10-12 games ago, something clicked.
It clicked for him.
It clicked for Letang.
It clicked for both of them together.
In their total time together, including the initial rocky games, the Girard-Letang pairing has outscored teams by a 13-9 margin with a 52.5 percent expected goals share during 5-on-5 play. Very solid numbers.
Over their past 10 games, however, those numbers go to an 11-5 goal advantage and a 57.8 percent expected goal share.
They are now carrying play.
Girard especially looks completely different and like a player that is oozing with confidence. Everything is being done with a purpose, there is no hesitation, he is joining the rush smartly and moving the puck well.
You know the Karlsson-Parker Wotherspoon pairing is going to give you a chance.
Having reliable pairings beyond them was always going to be the concern. If Letang and Girard can continue playing the way they have over the past month the Penguins are going to have a second pairing they can lean on. That is a game-changer, both in terms of their chances in this series, and their potential ceiling in the playoffs.
Connor Clifton
Sticking with the defense, the third-pairing is also going to be significant because at some point they are going to have to play. Even if you lean on the top-two pairings for more than 40 minutes, that still leads nearly a full period’s worth of hockey that the third-pairing has to log.
Sometimes playoff success or failure is not necessarily about what you do well or your strengths, but what you don’t do well and your flaws. The things that can be exploited in a best-of-seven series when opposing coaches are doing more in-depth game-planning and can drill down to weaknesses.
Clifton is one of those players that I fear being exploited.
I will say this: I think he’s played a lot better down the stretch, and a lot of his underlying numbers over the past month have, at times, been REALLY good. But over the course of a season his pairing has at times been the one that gets pinned in the defensive zone and has a tendency to lose the territorial and possession battle. That could be a problem. They do not need Clifton and Ryan Shea to be game-changers. They just need them to play to a 0-0 tie.
Stuart Skinner
Then we have the biggest X-factor on the entire team.
It is the goaltending. It is always the goaltending. It can lift a struggling team or sink a good team, and there might not be a more important player for the Penguins this postseason than Skinner.
It is just a matter of which version of him they are going to get.
He has big-game experience and backstopped the Edmonton Oilers to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals in each of the past two seasons. He is capable of putting together a good stretch of play, and we have seen signs of it down the stretch. He has clearly taken the No. 1 spot and at least earned the right to go into the playoffs as the Penguins’ starting goalie.
But can he do enough to give the Penguins a chance?
Over the past 20 games he has saved four goals above expected for the Penguins, which is good enough to give them a chance. The Penguins have the potential to score enough goals to win, and in at least the first round the Flyers do not have an overly potent offense. They are probably not going to need Skinner to steal many games. They just need him to not lose any.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Scott Wheeler ranked the top 20 NHL-drafted goalie prospects. A Chicago Blackhawks prospect made the cut, as Drew Commesso was given the No. 18 spot.
Commesso is a goaltender who the Blackhawks are certainly hoping will become a solid part of their future, as he has good upside. The 2020 second-round pick is continuing to work on his development and has shown promise.
Commesso has played in 36 games with the Rockford IceHogs this season, where he has a 13-19-2 record, a .903 save percentage, and a 3.00 goals-against average. This is after he had an 18-15-4 record, a .911 save percentage, a 2.54 goals-against average, and four shutouts for Rockford in 2024-25. With this, he has certainly been solid at the AHL level.
However, more importantly, Commesso played very well when given the chance to play for the Blackhawks this season. In three games for Chicago this campaign, he has a 2-1-0 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.31 goals-against average. He also notably had a 36-save shutout against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 10. Furthermore, in his most recent appearance for Chicago on March 9 against the Utah Mammoth, he stopped 23 out of 25 shots.
With this, Commesso certainly has the potential to become a good part of the Blackhawks' roster in the future. He should see more NHL action next season because of it.
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