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. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

After sufficing a three-goal lead and needing to go to a shootout, Luke Evangelista scored in the eighth round of the shootout to give the Nashville Predators a critical 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. 

In the winning shootout goal, and the only conversion by either team, Evangelista faked a shot on the forehand before pulling it to the backhand and beating goaltender Darcy Kuemper. 

The Predators came out of the gate hot, outshooting the Kings, 18-9 in the first period and taking a 2-0 lead. Filip Forsberg netted his 35th goal of the season from an odd angle and Zach L'Heureux scored on the backhand. 

L'Heureux had a goal disallowed in the first minute of the game as it was ruled that he had knocked down a Ryan O'Reilly feed with a high stick. 

In the early second period, Jonathan Marchessault put away a Matthew Wood rebound to make it 3-0. Adrian Kempe scored four minutes later to get the Kings on the board, but Steven Stamkos responded with his 37th of the year. 

Nashville was in a comfortable place up 4-1 halfway through the second period. However, it allowed three unanswered goals, two in the second and one in the third, allowing the Kings to force the game to overtime. 

This was the 30th time the Kings have gone to overtime this season and 19th overtime loss, both of which are NHL records. 

Nashville generated just two shots on net to LA's one in overtime. In the shootout, O'Reilly, Forsberg, Stamkos, Marchessault, Erik Haula, Tyson Jost and Roman Josi all missed on their attempts before Evangelsita scored. 

Despite the Predators picking up the extra point, they are still not in the Wild Card position. San Jose also has 79 points but has played one fewer game than the Predators, giving it the tiebreaker. 

Nashville does have the tiebreaker over the Kings in regulation wins. 

Juuse Saros made 29 saves on 33 shots in the victory, shutting down every Kings shooter in the shootout. 

This won't be the last time the Predators will see the Kings, as they will be back at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. 

Nashville will face the Sharks next in San Jose on Saturday at 9 p.m. CST, a game that will break another tie in the Wild Card race. 

LAS VEGAS -- Mitch Marner registered the fourth hat trick of his career and the Golden Knights improved to 2-0 under coach John Tortorella after coming from behind to defeat the Calgary Flames 6-3 on Thursday night.

Vegas two-game win streak comes at a perfect time, as the team will embark on its final road trip of the season, a four-game trek that begins in Edmonton on Saturday.

The Oilers and Anaheim Ducks lead the Pacific Division with 87 points, while the Knights sit third with 84. The Ducks have a game in hand on the Oilers and Knights.

Pavel Dorofeyev, Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev also scored for the Knights, while Carter Hart made 19 saves in his first appearance since Jan. 8.

The Golden Knights hit the road on a four-game point streak.

KEY MOMENT

Though it would be easy to pinpoint Howden's game-winning goal with 7:40 left in the game, the key moment goes to Hart, who made a key stop on Blake Coleman, who had two goals for the Flames. He could have had three, but Hart stymied the left wing during a short-handed odd-man rush with 11:31 left in the game. Marner showed off his defensive skills there, too, as he batted the puck from the air off the rebound from Hart's save to help keep the game tied at 3-all.

KEY STAT

+3 ... The Hockey News colleague Hannah Kirkell makes an excellent point that the number of 2-on-1 situations Vegas gave Calgary could easily be the key stat. Unfortunately, the eye test doesn't give us an official stat for that. Instead, the +3 goal differential in the third period for the Knights was the difference, as they continued their domination in the final period. For the season, Vegas has outscored teams, 97-57.

WHAT A KNIGHT

Marner had his hand in five of the team's six goals, scoring three of them and assisting on two others. Tortorella said he planned on shaking things up with his forward lines, most notably moving Marner around in the lineup, including a potential top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Marner. For Thursday, Marner centered wingers Barbashev and Stone, a line that produced nine points (4 goals, 5 assists).

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights open a four-game road trip on Saturday, when they'll visit their Pacific Division rival, the Edmonton Oilers.

PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) celebrates after scoring his third goal of the game against the Calgary Flames during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.

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It's not often that the Detroit Red Wings pick up a victory in the City of Brotherly Love, but for just the fourth time since early 1997, they did just that - and at a most critical time of their season. 

Detroit defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a 4-2 final score at Xfinity Mobile Arena, moving into a three-way tie with the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets in the ultra-tight standings. 

The Red Wings were paced by a pair of goals from Alex DeBrincat and a strong performance in net by goaltender John Gibson, who made his 13th straight start and rebounded from being pulled twice in a row. 

While they were outshot by the Flyers, Detroit's intensity was far more apparent than it had been in three of their four previous outings, all regulation losses. 

"Great effort, right from the start of the game, we knew it would be a tough road game," said Patrick Kane, who scored the game-winning goal in the third period. "It's hockey. Nothing is going to go perfectly throughout the game. We found a way to get some timely goals for sure."

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

Alex DeBrincat scored his team-leading 38th and 39th goals of the season, the latter of which came just 15 seconds after Travis Konecny scored to bring the Flyers back to within a single tally. 

"Right from the start, we played hard and matched the physicality and their intensity," DeBrincat said. "I thought we played pretty well for the whole game. Obviously, in the third period, they came on us a little bit, and it took us a little bit to settle into that speed, but overall, right after their goal, we scored another one and got a big two points." 

DeBrincat is now one goal away from becoming Detroit's first 40-goal forward since Marian Hossa in the 2008-09 NHL season. 

As said by head coach Todd McLellan, the Red Wings need to make this winning feeling contagious as they head into another pivotal game on Saturday against the New York Rangers. 

"Going forward, winning and losing is contagious: lose, and you get down and question yourself, maybe question your system or your linemates," McLellan said. "But a win can turn that and go the other way."

"We worked real hard tonight," he continued. "We had a formula we thought would give us a chance at success. And that shouldn't change as we head to New York. We'll get a quick practice in tomorrow and move on." 

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The Calgary Flames dropped a 6-3 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night.

It was the first meeting with Rasmus Andersson since his departure from Calgary, while Zach Whitecloud was welcomed back with a standing ovation from the Vegas crowd. Connor Zary and Yan Kuznetsov returned to the lineup after missing time with injury, and Dustin Wolf got the start in goal.

Vegas controlled the early pace, but Calgary opened the scoring. Following a penalty kill, Morgan Frost forced a turnover, held the puck with time and space, and beat Carter Hart at 7:41 for an unassisted goal. The Flames couldn’t capitalize on a late 5-on-3 advantage and were outshot 14-7 in the first, with Wolf keeping the game in check.

The Golden Knights tied it early in the second. Mitch Marner tipped a Shea Theodore point shot past Wolf at 1:47, with Brayden McNabb adding an assist.

Calgary answered quickly after a key save from Wolf, who broke up a breakaway with a one-handed poke check. The Flames transitioned the other way, and Mikael Backlund found Blake Coleman in stride. Coleman finished the rush at 4:38 to restore the lead, with Joel Farabee picking up the secondary assist.

Vegas responded again. Jack Eichel found Andersson jumping into the play, and Andersson set up Marner for his second of the night at 6:42 to make it 2-2.

Coleman struck again midway through the period. After chipping the puck out of the defensive zone, he raced up ice and beat Hart with a shot off the post at 12:11 to give Calgary a 3-2 lead.

The Golden Knights pulled even before the intermission on the power play, as Marner set up Pavel Dorofeyev for a one-timer at 16:21 to tie it 3-3.

Vegas took control in the third. Brett Howden finished a rush from the high slot at 12:20 to give the Golden Knights their first lead, and Ivan Barbashev added insurance at 14:59.

Marner capped the night late, completing the hat trick with a wraparound tally at 18:31 to seal the 6-3 final.

Three Takeaways:

1. Coleman led the Flames offence with two goals, continuing his strong stretch and pulling into a share of the team lead with 19.

2. Andersson made his presence felt against his former team, recording an assist and jumping into the rush effectively.

3. Marner drove the Vegas attack with a five-point night, recording a hat trick and two assists, and was the difference throughout.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid set up Matt Savoie's power-play goal to pad his NHL-leading points total and help the Edmonton Oilers win their season-high fifth straight game, 3-1 over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Chicago lost its fifth straight to drop out of playoff contention, extending its postseason drought to six seasons. Edmonton matched Pacific Division-leading Anaheim with 87 points, but has played one more game than the Ducks.

Adam Henrique and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers, and Tristan Jarry made 17 saves. They have won seven of their last nine, surging with star forward Leon Draisaitl out for the rest of the regular season because of a lower-body injury.

Nick Lardis scored for Chicago. Spencer Knight stopped 31 shots for Chicago, and Arvid Soderblom made four saves and allowed a goal while Knight dealt with an equipment issue.

McDavid's goals streak ended at five games. He has 43 goals and 83 assists for 126 points, two more than Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov for the NHL lead.

Up next

Blackhawks: At Seattle on Saturday night.

Oilers: Host Vegas on Saturday night.

___

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

The Chicago Blackhawks traveled up to Alberta, Canada, to take on the Edmonton Oilers. With under two weeks remaining in the regular season, Jeff Blashill’s team is about developing habits that they can bring with them to training camp in September. 

This is also a chance for roster bubble players to prove their worth heading into the summer. As the two-time defending Western Conference champions, the Oilers are playing meaningful hockey as they attempt to win the Pacific Division late in the year. 

The last stretch of games has not been good for the Blackhawks. It continued with a 3-1 loss to the Oilers on Thursday night. They are now 2-5-3 in their last 10 games, and are officially eliminated from postseason contention. 

The Blackhawks were outshot 38-18 in the game and were severely dominated in puck possession metrics throughout. Spencer Knight (and Arvid Soderblom) kept the score much closer than it should have been. 

Soderblom had to come into the game because of Knight's equipment malfunction. During that time, he played well, but he did allow a breakaway goal to Adam Henrique, who buried his own rebound.

That goal was more of a fault on the team rather than Soderblom, as the defense failed him on the play. He also made a breakaway save on Connor McDavid during his stint in the game. 

Knight came back in once the trainers got his gear right, and he only allowed 1 goal on 32 total shots faced. Overall, goaltending was more positive than negative. 

Chicago's one goal was scored by Nick Lardis, who had a bounce go his way as he hit it into the net after Connor Bedard sent one on net. That is the 9th goal of the season for Lardis, who is slowly racking up goals to prove his abilities at the NHL level. 

Late in the game, Lardis took a puck off his left hand. Clearly in pain, he left and didn't return. Jeff Blashill did not have an update, but it seems like he is going to be okay. 

Whenever you play the Oilers, the top challenge is slowing down Connor McDavid. You don't stop him; you can only hope to contain him. In this game, the Hawks kept him to one assist, despite him having tons of grade-A chances. 

This was the first time that the Blackhawks faced Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy since the trade. They each assisted on Vasily Podkolzin's empty net goal, and they look extremely happy to be on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations going into the postseason. 

For Chicago, no matter how the remaining six games of the season go, they are going to be focused on certain players playing well. They are a lock for top-five draft lottery odds, so it is more of a worry for them to have a strong finish on the ice. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

we ❤️ Nick Lardis goals! pic.twitter.com/apQdTWuGRJ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 3, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action again on Saturday night when they will be in Washington state to take on the Seattle Kraken. 

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The Florida Panthers completed a sweep of their two-game homestand on Thursday night in Sunrise.

Fresh off defeating the Ottawa Senators, Florida took down another team fighting for their playoff lives, earning a gritty 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins at Amerant Bank Arena.

Interestingly, all the goals in this game would come during the opening period.

Getting the party started just 4:20 into the game was Panthers youngster Mackie Samoskevich.

First, he picked off a pass from Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju deep in Boston’s zone before cutting to the middle of the ice and wiring a shot past Jeremy Swayman to set up Florida with a 1-0 lead.

For Samoskevich, it was his third consecutive game with a goal, the longest such streak of his NHL career.

Just 3:39 later, Sam Bennett was in the right place at the right time when A.J. Greer’s long wrist shot was blocked by Jokiharji.

The puck came right to Bennett’s stick as he skated through the slot, and the quick-thinking forward put the puck past Swayman before the goaltender could react, doubling the Cats’ lead.

Ultimately, the goal would end up being the game-winner After Fraser Minter picked up his 17th goal of the season during the final minute of the opening frame.

From there, Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall for the Cats, stopping all 20 shots Boston put on him the rest of the way, including 15 that came during the third period.

He also stopped 10 of the Bruins’ high-danger shots on a night Bob’s expected goals against was 4.59.

Next up for the Panthers is their final road trip of the season, a five-gamer that begins with back-to-back games in Pittsburgh on Saturday and Sunday.

Off to see the Penguins.

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Photo caption: Apr 2, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save against Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson (71) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Cirelli registered his second career hat trick, Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three points, and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved into first place in the Atlantic Division after a 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

Zemgus Girgensons scored his 100th career goal and Brayden Point scored his second in 14 games for Tampa Bay, which improved to 7-1-2 in the past 10 games. Jake Guentzel and Gage Goncalves both had two assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 21 saves.

Egor Chinakov scored twice and Rickard Rackell also scored for Pittsburgh. Sam Girard and Kris Letang both had two assists and Stuart Skinner finished with 27 saves.

The Penguins remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of the New York Islanders.

Cirelli scored Tampa Bay’s first two goals and he added an empty-netter for his first hat trick since Jan. 17, 2020.

CANANDIENS 3, RANGERS 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his 48th and 49th goals of the season, and Montreal won its seventh game in a row to move closer to making the playoffs by defeating New York.

Caufield’s second was his NHL-best 12th winning goal, putting the Canadiens ahead 47 seconds after Will Cuylle tied it. He moved one back of Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in goals and in the process extended his career high with 83 points.

This winning streak is the storied organization’s longest in nearly a decade, dating to an eight-game unbeaten run from Oct. 18-Nov. 2, 2016. Montreal has separated itself from the pack in the Eastern Conference and kept pace with Buffalo and Tampa Bay in a hot Atlantic Division race.

Alex Newhook scored the Canadiens’ first goal 4 1/2 minutes into the second period on their 12th shot against Igor Shesterkin, who was the only reason they hadn’t taken a lead earlier.

Jakub Fowler made 21 saves, the biggest on a penalty kill late in the second when he turned aside Alexis Lafrenière at the side of the net.

SENATORS 4, SABRES 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Lars Eller broke a third-period tie and Ottawa beat Buffalo, preventing it from wrapping up a drought-breaking playoff spot.

Buffalo will have to wait to end its NHL-record 14-season postseason skid, the second-longest active futility run in North America’s four major sports behind the New York Jets and their 15-season slide.

Eller deflected defenseman Artem Zub’s shot from the point past goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at 5:55 of the third.

Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring at 8:49 of the second with a long wrist shot. Dylan Cozens tied it with 4:42 left in the second on a tip-in. He has 26 goals this season.

Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto added empty-net goals.

Linus Ullmark made 21 saves for Ottawa. The Senators — in the second wild-card spot in the East — opened a five-game homestand.

Luukkonen stopped 20 shots for Buffalo.

HURRICANES 5, BLUE JACKETS 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Logan Stankoven scored two goals in the first nine minutes, and Carolina clinched a playoff berth for the eighth season in a row by beating Columbus.

Alexander Nikishin added a first-period short-handed goal and Jordan Martinook and Andrei Svechnikov also scored as the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes were on the way to winning for the third time in their last four games. Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho each had two assists and Frederik Andersen made nine saves.

For Carolina, the 10 shots allowed matched the fewest shots against in franchise history.

The Hurricanes have qualified for the playoffs in each season under coach Rod Brind’Amour, a former team captain.

Denton Mateychuk scored for the Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last five games (0-4-1). Elvis Merzlikins stopped 16 shots.

RED WINGS 4, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Patrick Kane scored a pivotal goal in the same building where he scored a Stanley Cup Final winner, Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and Lucas Raymond had one to lead Detroit past Philadelphia.

The Red Wings snapped a points tie in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has 88 points to 86 for the Flyers through 75 games. The Red Wings are now tied in points with Ottawa, but the Senators have more regulation wins if it comes to a tiebreaker.

Kane’s Game 6 overtime goal helped Chicago beat the Flyers in 2010 for the Stanley Cup. The Flyers never recovered, winning only three playoff series since and lost a swing matchup in a game that could decide if they return to the postseason.

Travis Konecny scored his 25th goal in the third to make it 3-2 and give the Flyers some needed hope at a comeback.

It just wasn’t enough.

The Flyers beat Detroit 5-3 last weekend in a game where Red Wings goalie John Gibson was pulled. Gibson was back in net for this one — his 13th straight start - and rebounded with 32 saves.

PANTHERS 2, BRUINS 1

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 15 saves in the third period and 28 overall as the Panthers defeated Boston.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers avoided elimination from the playoffs with the win.

Florida got first-period goals from Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett in their second straight win.

Boston, which had won four straight, got a goal from Fraser Minten. Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves in the loss.

DEVILS 7, CAPITALS 3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes had two goals and three assists and Dawson Mercer scored twice as New Jersey beat Washington.

Hughes scored his first goal for the Devils 9:10 into the second period on a wrist shot, assisted by Jesper Bratt and Johnathan Kovacevic. He tacked on a wrist shot 8:10 into the third, assisted by Bratt and Connor Brown. Hughes has 24 goals and 44 assists this season.

Bratt, Dougie Hamilton and Cody Glass also scored for the Devils.

Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cole Hutson scored for the Capitals.

Jake Allen made 29 saves in the win for the Devils. Logan Thompson had 23 saves for the Capitals.

WILD 5, CANUCKS 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy scored his 39th and 40th goals, Kirill Kaprizov added his 40th and Minnesota wrapped up a playoff spot with a victory over Vancouver.

Third in the Western Conference and the NHL’s stacked Central Division, Minnesota secured the postseason spot in 75 games after getting in last season in the 82nd and final game before falling to Vegas in the first round.

Ryan Hartmman scored twice in the third to reach 20 goals, and Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves to help the Wild rebound from a 6-3 loss at Boston on Saturday.

Former Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes had his 67th assist. He joined the Wild in a blockbuster trade in December that sent Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick in 2026 to Vancouver.

Tom Willander and Jake DeBrusk scored for NHL-worst Vancouver, and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 32 shots. The Canucks were coming off an 8-6 victory at NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night.

STARS 3, JETS 0

DALLAS (AP) — Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for his third shutout of the season in a matchup of Team USA Olympic goaltenders and rookie Arttu Hyry had a goal in his first multipoint NHL game as Dallas beat Winnipeg.

Adam Erne also had a goal and an assist and Matt Duchene also scored for the Stars, who opened a five-game homestand that will close their home season. They are second in both the Central Division and the overall league standings, coming off a 1-2-1 road trip with only one regulation win in their previous 10 games.

Oettinger was an Olympic backup while Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck backstopped Team USA to the gold medal.

Oettinger has 31 wins, third in the NHL, with his first shutout since Dec. 3. In his previous five starts, he was 1-2-1 plus a no-decision when he was pulled after allowing four first-period goals.

Hellebuyck, who stopped 18 shots, is 20-21-11 after posting a career-high 47 wins last season while winning his third Vezina Trophy.

It’s official: the Vancouver Canucks will finish the 2025–26 season dead-last in the NHL. With their 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild tonight, Vancouver officially secures the best odds at picking first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Tonight’s result ensures that regardless of how the remaining games go, the Canucks will remain 32nd in the NHL. Vancouver was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention last week and currently hold a record of 22–45–8 with 52 points in 75 games. Ahead of them in the standings are the Calgary Flames (70 points in 74 games) and Chicago Blackhawks (68 points in 75 games), who now have too-high a point lead on the Canucks to challenge for the best draft lottery odds. 

Through their 56 years of existence, the Canucks have yet to pick first-overall in any NHL Entry Draft. They have made a total of eight selections within the top-three: Daniel Sedin (2nd, 1999), Petr Neded (2nd, 1990), Trevor Linden (2nd, 1988), Dale Tallon (2nd, 1970), Henrik Sedin (3rd, 1999), Dennis Ververgaert (3rd, 1973), Don Lever (3rd, 1972), and Jocelyn Guevremont (3rd, 1971). 

The 2026 NHL Draft lottery date is set for May 5. The 2026 NHL Entry Draft itself will take place at KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, with the first-round taking place on June 26 and round two to seven occurring on June 27. 

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have clinched a spot in the NHL playoffs, giving them another chance to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2015.

The Wild earned a bid 75 games in after clinching last year in the 82nd and final game of the regular season. They beat league-worst Vancouver 5-2 on Thursday night to get in.

“We knew all we had to do was win a game and we're there,” winger Ryan Hartman said. “Happy with the result tonight.”

Minnesota was eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round last year, ending coach John Hynes’ debut season.

The Wild failed to advance in seven postseason appearances between 2016 and 2023. Their deepest run in the playoffs was a trip to the conference finals in 2003 in the franchise’s third year of existence.

The Minnesota North Stars lost in the 1981 and 1991 Stanley Cup Final. They relocated to Dallas in 1993, becoming the Stars, and hoisted the Cup in 1999.

The Wild proved their commitment to contending this season by signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension — the richest deal in league history. The star winger has a team-high 83 points and now has Minnesota back in the postseason again.

“We make playoffs, it’s nice," Kaprizov said. “It's the best time of the year.”

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson has won twice as many games as he’s lost while giving up a little more than 2 1/2 goals per game.

“He's such a talented kid, but now you're starting to see the talent come into, I think, a mindset and a little bit of a swagger that you need to have as the main guy, and he's done a good job of that,” Hynes said. “I think the guys play hard in front of him, and he's done a good job too, I think, of earning the trust and respect of the group.”

Minnesota has the league’s longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons at 14.

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