The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their eight-game home stand with a 2-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Kevin Lankinen was solid on Monday night, as he allowed just one goal 23 shots. As for Ottawa goaltender James Reimer, he stopped all 16 shots for his first shutout of the season. 

Overall, the Canucks put forth a strong effort on Monday. They arguably should have left the ice with at least one goal as they were unlucky at times in the game. While the game was not the most entertaining, it was a step in the right direction from a process perspective as Vancouver fought until the final whistle. 

All the focus from this game will be on the Senators first goal. The Canucks felt the play should have been blown dead as the puck hit Shane Pinto's glove before Ridly Greig scored. Vancouver did challenge the play, but it was unsuccesful as " The Situation Room supported the Referee’s on-ice decision that the puck deflected off Shane Pinto’s glove, and was therefore not deemed a hand pass prior to Ridly Greig’s goal."

As for the Canucks best player in this game, that was Lankinen. He made some big saves down the stretch, which included stopping all six shots he faced in the third period. Ultimately, Lankinen did his job and was a big reason why Vancouver had a chance to push for the tying goal late.

Zeev Buium was also a standout from Monday night. He logged over 20 minutes and finished with two shots on goal. Buium was also able to showcase his speed and skating ability throughout the night as he helped the Canucks with controlled entries into the offensive zone. 

"I think we competed really hard," said Buium post-game. "I think we fought till the end, which is good to see. I don't think we gave them much either. Kinda had a weird goal obviously there but I thought we played really hard."

While the result did not go Vancouver's way, fans should at least be happy with Monday's effort. Yes, there were mistakes, but more importantly, the Canucks fought until the end and showed grit throughout the night. In the end, Monday was another successful tank game as Vancouver put forth a strong effort while still falling in regulation. 

Stats and Facts:

- Canucks are shutout for the fifth time this season

- Curtis Douglas threw four hits in 6:52 of ice time during his Vancouver debut

- Aatu Räty's 67% in the faceoff dot led the team

- Filip Hronek led all players in ice time at 26:01

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period:

No Scoring

2nd Period:

10:11- OTT: Ridly Greig (10) from Shane Pinto and Artem Zub

3rd Period:

18:40- OTT: Brady Tkachuk (17) from Tim Stützle and Artem Zub (ENG)

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their home stand on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. This will be the third meeting between Vancouver and Nashville, with each team having picked up a win so far. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Utah Mammoth at the United Center on Monday night. Coming off a tough overtime loss to the Dallas Stars one night prior, they didn't have much time to dwell on it before getting a chance to bounce back.

Before the game started, the Blackhawks honored Troy Murray, who passed away over the weekend after a long, courageous battle with cancer. These tributes to an all-time great Blackhawks alumnus continued throughout the game during stoppages. 

Drew Commesso was called into battle in place of the ill Spencer Knight. Arvid Soderblom started each of Chicago's last two games, and he was dressed as the backup for this one. 

In the first period, Andre Burakovsky had an opportunity to score a goal and end his slump, but he tucked it just wide. Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel made nice moves to set it up, but it wouldn't go. 

This is notable for the Blackhawks because Burakovsky is getting chances to make an impact offensively. It isn't necessarily a bad process keeping him off the scoresheet, which suggests that one goal could get him back on track. 

At 9:43 of the first, Barrett Hayton scored to make it 1-0 Utah. It was a neat redirect of a Nick DeSimone shot that beat Commesso. 

Just a few minutes later, at 13:46, Andrew Mangiapane scored his first goal as a member of the Blackhawks, which was his 8th of the season overall. Since coming into the lineup, he's been a sparkplug, and now he has his first tally. 

The momentum didn't last long for Chicago, however, as Dylan Guenther gave Utah the lead back at 16:26. Clayton Keller, one of Team USA's Gold Medal-winning Olympians, made an incredible pass to set up the play for Guenther. That 2-1 score made its way through the first intermission. 

In the second period, after a long while with a lot of chances but no scoring, the Blackhawks finally broke through and tied it. It was Andre Burakovsky making up for that mishap in the first period. His goal at 15:35 of the middle frame was his 11th of the season. 

Connor Bedard assisted on Burakovksy's goal, giving him the most career assists by a player under 21 in Chicago Blackhawks history. For a century-old franchise that has had a lot of incredible players come through at a young age, this mark proves how special Bedard is and will be. 

The 2-2 tie held through the second intermission, setting up an incredibly exciting end to the game. The Blackhawks were presented with another chance to earn a win when the game was close late. 

Although each team had chances to score and win the game in the third period, both Vitek Vanecek and Drew Commesso stood tall. Overtime was required. 

In the extra frame, the Blackhawks were awarded a power play. With the man-advantage, Frank Nazar scored to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 win. Over the last couple of games, he's been one of Chicago's best forwards, and now he has an overtime game-winning goal. 

The Blackhawks emerged victorious in a game in which they faced some adversity and needed a clutch moment at the end. This is one to build on as they begin to close out the season. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌 pic.twitter.com/QUOWa1AYzx

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 10, 2026

screaming, crying, Burakovsky🚨 pic.twitter.com/Yap6HDfx3m

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 10, 2026

got franked 👊 pic.twitter.com/B6WVZrbNB6

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 10, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Thursday. They will once again face the Utah Mammoth, wrapping up their season series with their newest division rival. This is not the next game for the Mammoth, however, as they will face the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night in between. 

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

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The Ottawa Senators wrapped up their five-game road trip in impressive fashion Monday night, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 2–0 and finishing the trip with a strong 4-0-1 record.

James Reimer made 16 saves for the shutout, while Ridly Greig scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second period. The victory moved Ottawa to within three points of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

It wasn’t an easy night, though. Despite sitting in last place overall, ten points behind everyone else, the Canucks made the Senators work for everything. And they tried to make life particularly miserable for Tim Stutzle, knocking him around physically in an attempt to slow him down.

Ottawa controlled much of the early play and outshot Vancouver 24–16, but Kevin Lankinen kept the game scoreless through the first period with several solid stops.

The game’s turning point came midway through the second period on a play that came with a lengthy review.

After a shot came toward Shane Pinto, the Ottawa forward instinctively raised his arms to protect his face. The puck deflected off arm and landed on Ridly Greig’s stick, leaving the young forward with a mostly open net.

Vancouver challenged for a hand pass, but after review, the officials allowed the goal to stand.

The Canucks nearly found an equalizer in the third period on what looked like a sure tap-in, but Jordan Spence made a terrific defensive play, reaching his stick in at the last moment to knock the puck out of harm’s way.

From there, Ottawa did what good teams do late in games; they locked it down. Reimer didn't face a ton of shots, but there were a number of tricky, well timed saves, the kind that the Senators haven't always gotten in tight games this season.

Brady Tkachuk eventually iced the win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds. Stutzle drew an assist on it to extend his point streak to 13 games as the Senators completed a successful road trip, collecting nine of a possible ten points.

Ottawa returns home Wednesday night to face the Montreal Canadiens to kick off a stretch where they'll play five of their next six games at home..

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

The New York Rangers’ dominant 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night was led by the impressive play of some of the team’s young talent.

Given the Rangers’ retooling direction, at this point of the season, the growth of the young players is most critical, even more so than wins. 

Sullivan has already admitted to a shift in his philosophy in terms of his utilization of players, which centers around giving the youth more of an opportunity to thrive and put them in an abundance of situations they aren’t necessarily accustomed to at the NHL level.

“That’s part of it; putting these guys in certain situations and seeing what they're capable of, Sullivan said. “That was part of that process.”

There is no one player who has benefited from this shift in philosophy more than Gabe Perreault. 

Perreault has flourished since returning from the Olympic break, and it’s been evident that he’s beginning to not only adapt to the NHL, but the game is slowing down for him at a rate where he’s able to dictate plays through his impressive vision and hockey IQ. 

With J.T. Miller landing on injured reserve, Sullivan has given Perreault an opportunity to operate with the Rangers’ first power-play unit. 

On Monday night in Philadelphia, the 20-year-old forward showcased his skills on the man advantage, recording one goal and one assist, headlined by a no-look pass to Mika Zibanejad for a goal. 

“Game by game, I think I get more and more confident,”  Perreault said. “That kind of helps with getting other players’ trust, the coaching staff, and believing and being confident in myself as well.”

While the play of Noah Laba has always been a bright spot for the Rangers, he’s quietly emerging as one of the team’s most impactful forwards as of late. 

Outside of Laba’s two points on the night (one goal, one assist), he played the game with a ferocious physical edge, specifically on the defensive side of the puck.

Sullivan continues to make it a priority to give Laba an increased role on the penalty kill, and so far, he’s liked what he’s seen. 

“We're trying to give him a more prominent role here on the penalty kill in particular, and just give him more reps, and giving him more of an opportunity to continue to grow in that area,” Sullivan said of Laba. “We're trying to put him in a more prominent role there.”

When the Rangers claimed Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken last week, it was relatively unknown what he would provide for the Rangers and the exact role Sullivan planned on inserting him into. 

Sam Carrick Feels ‘Relieved’ About Trade To Sabres Upon his arrival in Western New York, Sam Carrick has already made an immediate impact for the Buffalo Sabres. 

Through five games with the Blueshirts, Kartye has found his place, playing in a third-line role and slotting in on the penalty kill.

He had arguably his best performance against the Flyers.

The 24-year-old forward recorded his first goal as a Ranger, while also assisting on Laba’s goal in the first period. 

Kartye’s reliable two-way game is what stands out most about his overall game, as he’s turning out to be a sneaky addition for the Rangers.

“I really like Tye’s game,” Sullivan emphasized. “He's got a simple game. He plays north, south, he checks well. There's a physical dimension to his game. He finishes checks, he's abrasive, he's willing to take hits to make plays. We've really liked how he's fit in.”

The Rangers’ fate this season likely remains the same, with the playoffs far out of reach. 

However, it's certainly encouraging to see this sort of contribution from New York’s younger talent.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his second goal of the game with 1:26 left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

With the victory, Los Angeles moved within a point of Seattle in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Columbus tied the score late for the second straight home game. Kirill Marchenko scored on the power play at 18:04 to force the extra period.

Brian Dumoulin had a goal and two assists. Scott Laughton scored for the second straight game since joining the Kings from Toronto and added an assist. Artemi Panarin also scored. Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for Los Angeles in the opener of a five-game trip.

Connor Garland scored twice — his first goals since coming to Columbus from Vancouver — and Denton Mateychuk added a goal and an assist. Jet Greaves made 26 saves for Columbus, which has lost two straight at home.

The Blue Jackets are two points behind Boston in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and three points behind the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division.

RANGERS 6, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, and New York scored on three power plays in a win over the Philadelphia.

Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal an assist. Gabe Perreault and Vladislav Gavrikov also scored for the Rangers, who won for the third time in five games. Igor Shesterkin finished with 32 saves.

Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers. Dan Vladar allowed six goals on 24 shots and was replaced by Samuel Ersson at the start of the third period. Ersson made three saves in relief.

CAPITALS 7, FLAMES 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Connor McMichael scored twice and the Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 7-3 on Monday night.

Justin Sourdif had a goal and two assists and Hendrix Lapierre added a goal and an assist for Washington. Tom Wilson, Ethen Frank and Ryan Leonard also scored for the Capitals, who ended a three-game slide.

Matvei Gridin, Blake Coleman and Yegor Sharangovich scored for Calgary, which has lost five of its last six.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, and the New York Rangers scored on three power plays in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.

Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal an assist. Gabe Perreault and Vladislav Gavrikov also scored for the Rangers, who won for the third time in five games. Igor Shesterkin finished with 32 saves.

Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers. Dan Vladar allowed six goals on 24 shots and was replaced by Samuel Ersson at the start of the third period. Ersson made three saves in relief.

The Rangers pounced early and scored in bunches. Laba converted from close range 1:04 into the game when Vladar failed to control the puck after a glove save. Zibanejad scored his first at 13:07 while charging down the slot, and Lafreniere posted New York's first power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the first.

Michkov got the Flyers on the board at 3:54 of the second, but the Rangers stormed back. Perreault scored with the man advantage less than three minutes later. Zibanejad scored on the power play and Gavrikov added a goal — in a 20-second span — at the end of the period.

Couturier scored at the 15:28 of the third.

New York defenseman Uhro Vaakanainen, in action after being scratched for five games, saw 15 minutes and 18 seconds of ice time. Matt Rempe (upper body), J.T. Miller (upper body) were sidelined for the Rangers, and forward Taylor Raddysh is away from the team for his father’s funeral.

Travis Konecny and Nick Seeler were back in action for the Flyers. Konecny, who leads Philadelphia with 23 goals and 57 points, missed three games with an upper-body injury. Seeler missed 2 games with a lower-body injury sustained in a win over Toronto a week ago Monday.

Up next

Rangers: Host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Flyers: Host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

___

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

The Calgary Flames fell 7–3 to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Monday night.

It marked the Flames debut for Victor Olofsson, while Matvei Gridin returned to the lineup following his recall from the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League. Devin Cooley got the nod in goal for Calgary.

Despite goals from Gridin, Blake Coleman and Yegor Sharangovich, the Flames couldn’t overcome an early deficit and a pair of quick third-period strikes from Washington.

Capitals Jump Out Early

Washington wasted little time opening the scoring. Just 2:46 into the first period, Cooley stopped an initial shot but the rebound bounced straight to Hendrix Lapierre, who quickly snapped it home to make it 1–0.

The Capitals doubled their lead midway through the frame. After sustained pressure in the Calgary zone, a loose puck slid to the side of the net where Tom Wilson gathered it and wired a shot into the top corner at 9:13.

Washington added one more before the intermission. Justin Sourdif won a battle along the boards and fed Connor McMichael alone in the slot. McMichael ripped a shot past Cooley at 17:43, sending the Capitals to the dressing room with a 3–0 advantage.

Flames Surge Back in the Second

Calgary mounted an impressive response in the middle period.

Gridin got the Flames on the board after a crisp passing play. Olli Maatta moved the puck to Ryan Strome, who slid a cross-ice feed to Gridin for a one-timer that beat Logan Thompson.

Late in the period, the Flames struck twice while shorthanded.

First, Mikael Backlund intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and sprung Coleman on a breakaway. Coleman made a smooth backhand-to-forehand move before tucking the puck past Thompson at 17:39.

Still killing the same penalty, Calgary tied the game moments later. Joel Farabee chased down a loose puck deep in the Washington end and set up Sharangovich trailing into the slot. Sharangovich buried the chance at 18:55, recording the sixth-fastest shorthanded goal in franchise history and sending the game into the second intermission tied 3–3.

Capitals Regain Control

The third period swung back in Washington’s favour.

On a power play at 10:52, a scramble in front of the Calgary net led to McMichael collecting a loose puck and roofing his second goal of the night to restore the Capitals’ lead.

Just 23 seconds later, Washington struck again. Sourdif forced a turnover and fired a shot that deflected off traffic in front and into the net, giving the Capitals a two-goal cushion.

Ethan Frank added an empty-net goal at 17:14 and then a breakaway goal from Ryan Leonard (19:44) sealed the 7–3 win for Washington.

Three Takeaways

1. New additions making an impact

Strome and Maatta each picked up assists, extending their point streaks to start their Flames tenures and continuing to contribute offensively.

2. Gridin showing growth

Gridin looked comfortable in his return to the NHL lineup. The young forward generated multiple scoring chances and finished with his fourth goal of the season, bringing his total to eight points in 18 games.

3. Momentum swings decided the game

Calgary’s two quick shorthanded goals completely shifted the momentum in the second period, but Washington responded with two goals just 23 seconds apart in the third — a sequence that ultimately proved to be the difference.

With a record of 7-1-2 in their last ten games, Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green probably isn't thrilled about having to mess with his lineup.

But the injury bug has forced his hand. 

Green announced on Monday that his best defenseman, Jake Sanderson, is listed as week-to-week with a probable shoulder injury suffered on Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken. So, that means one lineup change, but it also knocks over several dominoes.

Nikolas Matinpalo, who's only played two NHL games in 2026, will dress on Monday night for the Senators' game in Vancouver, and Sanderson's absence also means that other defensemen are forced to move higher up in the blue line batting order.

But don't talk to the Canucks and their fan base about the challenges of adjusting to lineup changes. Quite frankly, they don't want to hear it.

Since December, through various trades, the Canucks have said goodbye to team captain Quinn Hughes, along with Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, Lukas Reichel, and David Kampf.

As a sidebar, it's quite remarkable that the Canucks held on to veterans Teddy Blueger and Evander Kane at the deadline when both are UFAs this summer. They're not in the team's rebuilding plans and probably don't want to be.

Get something for them.

After winning 50 games and finishing first in the Pacific Division two seasons ago, Vancouver is now the worst team in the NHL, and it isn't particularly close. The Canucks are 10 points behind the second-worst team, the New York Rangers.

James Reimer is expected to start for the Senators against Kevin Lankinen for Vancouver. Stephen Halliday is sitting for a third straight game, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 23-year-old back in Belleville soon to get some playing time.

Here's how the Sens and Canucks will line it up on Monday night (9 pm, Prime, RDS)

Senators projected lineup

Drake Batherson - Tim Stutzle - Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk - Dylan Cozens - Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund

Thomas Chabot - Artem Zub
Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence

James Reimer
Linus Ullmark

Canucks projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk - Elias Pettersson - Nils Hoglander
Liam Ohgren - Marco Rossi - Brock Boeser
Evander Kane - Aatu Raty - Drew O’Connor
Max Sasson - Teddy Blueger - Linus Karlsson

Elias Nils Pettersson - Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson - Tom Willander
Zeev Buium - Victor Mancini

Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo

According to NHL.com, Kane missed game-day practice, and Brock Boeser left early, but both are expected to play. If one of them can't go, 6-foot-9 Curtis Douglas will draw into the lineup. The former Belleville Senator was picked up off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

Salary cap inflation is always something to monitor. The cap is currently set at $95.5 million, but is expected to raise signifcantly over the next few seasons. Next year, the cap is projected to be $104 million while the 2027-28 ceiling is projected at $113.5 million. 

Recently, NHL player agent Allan Walsh provided an update via social media on what the 2028-29 salary cap could look like. Walsh wrote via "X", "Analyzing NHL HRR projections and the current revenue slack that exists in the system, hearing the NHL is projecting a Salary Cap Upper Limit of approx $123M in 2028-29. We are currently at $95.5M. (That’s an almost $30M rise of the Cap within 3 years)."

At the time of writing, the Vancouver Canucks only have seven players signed for the 2028-29 season. Those players are Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko. The Canucks will also have a $2,126,667 penalty that season as the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout will not be complete.

According to PuckPedia, Vancouver currently has $52,226,667 commited for the 2028-29 season. If no players are moved, that would count for just over 40% of the projected $123 million. The Canucks are projected to still be in a rebuild in 2028-29, meaning some contracts already signed could be on the move before the season starts. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Florida Panthers star Brad Marchand will miss time this week to see doctors and determine whether he needs surgery for a lower-body injury.

Marchand has missed 10 games with the injury since early January.

"There's going to be a decision on what's the best way to get to 100 percent full health," coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Monday, March 9.

He said that even if surgery isn't needed, Marchand would be out for weeks, not days.

"We had had a handle on it and there were times where he didn't play but kind of maintained it and then came back in," Maurice said. "But it just got to the point on this road trip that it was never recovering and continuing to get worse."

The Panthers have been devastated by injuries this season, starting with hernia surgery for Matthew Tkachuk that kept him out until January and ACL surgery for Aleksander Barkov when he was hurt in his first practice of training camp.

NHL power rankings: Which teams aced the trade deadline?

Eetu Luostarinen missed time after being burned while barbecuing. Seth Jones is potentially a week away from returning from an injury suffered in the Jan. 2 Winter Classic.

The Panthers haven't been able to gain traction this season and were 11 points out of a playoff spot on March 9. They could see the end of a run that took them to the Stanley Cup Final for three years in a row and win championships the past two.

Brad Marchand injury update

Brad Marchand will see doctors this week to determine if he'll need surgery. Maurice said the injury has been bothering the winger for months. Marchand also played at the Olympics, winning a silver medal with Canada.

Brad Marchand stats

Brad Marchand has 27 goals and 27 assists in 52 games for the Panthers this season. He had one assist in four games at the Olympics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Panthers' Brad Marchand to see doctors about whether he needs surgery

The Detroit Red Wings earned a much needed reset Monday night, defeating the New Jersey Devils 3–0 to halt a difficult stretch that saw the club lose seven of its previous ten games.

The victory also marked the debuts and returns of several new faces. Recently acquired defenseman Justin Faulk made his first appearance with Detroit, while call ups Dominik Shine and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard helped inject fresh energy into the lineup. The performance was enough to deliver two points in the standings, but Detroit knows it cannot afford for the win to be a one time response if it hopes to stay in the playoff picture.

Detroit currently sits third in the Atlantic Division in the National Hockey League standings. The Red Wings began the season near the top of the division but has gradually slid from first place to second and now to the third seed. At points during the slump the team even found itself clinging to a wild card spot, a scenario it hopes to avoid as the season enters its final stretch.

Pressure from behind continues to build. The Montreal Canadiens trail Detroit by just one point, while the Boston Bruins sit only three points back. With the standings tightening, the margin for error is shrinking quickly for a Red Wings team attempting to end a playoff drought that has stretched close to a decade.

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

They will face an uphill battle with the fifth-hardest remaining strength of schedule in the league. Among the toughest tests ahead are two matchups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with single games against the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres and the Canadiens.

Because of that challenging stretch, Detroit will need to take advantage of games against teams lower in the standings. Upcoming contests against the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames, along with a two game set against the Florida Panthers and three remaining games versus the Philadelphia Flyers, could prove crucial in determining their playoff fate.

For the Red Wings, the shutout win over New Jersey provided a necessary boost. Maintaining that momentum may ultimately determine whether Detroit finally returns to the postseason or sees its playoff drought continue.

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The Los Angeles Kings (26-23-14) survived a near-late collapse, avoiding another meltdown in Columbus thanks to a clutch finish from Adrian Kempe, walking away with two points.

Kempe blasted a slap shot from the left circle 2:26 into overtime, giving Los Angeles a dramatic 5–4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets after a chaotic back-and-forth contest. 

TWO POINTS!#GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/DM4Jlmlofb

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 9, 2026

Adrian Kempe had a great afternoon, scoring the game-winner and finishing with two goals and two points. Artemi Panarin had another good outing, scoring a goal, assisting on one play, and finishing with two points. 

Brian Dumoulin also played a great game, especially late down the stretch, giving the Kings the lead late in the third period, finishing the game with one goal, two assists, and three points. 

Meanwhile, Anton Forsberg was phenomenal on the defensive side of things, finishing with 29 saves on 33 shots attempted, coming up with multiple key saves early in the game to help pay off Los Angeles on offense. 

Newly acquired Scott Laughton had another strong performance for the Kings, scoring a goal in his second straight game as a member of the Los Angeles Kings and winning the key face-off in overtime, which led to Kempe's game-winning goal. 

Los Angeles struck first in the opening period when the trade deadline addition Scott Laughton continued his string start with the club. Laughton finished the play with a nice coast-to-coast play from Brian Dumoulin down the left side before setting up Laughton for the easy goal. 

LAK Goal - Laugh and Order!

Kings open the scoring against the run of play. Nice activation by Dumoulin, Laughton makes it 2 goals in 2 games as a King at the net. 1-0..

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 9, 2026

Later in the period, Artemi Panarin doubled the score with a goal midway through the period, pushing Los Angeles ahead 2-0, despite heavy pressure and traffic from Columbus. 

The Blue Jackets would answer late in the period when Conor Garland cut the deficit to 2-1, where the momentum really started to shift to Columbus to end the first period. 

Colombus eventually erased the lead in the second period, scoring back-to-back goals in two minutes after both teams were struggling to get a shot up early in the second period. 

Both teams had several chances to score on the power play, but failed, and Columbus eventually broke out of their slump behind Garland scoring his second goal of the game and Denton Mateychuck to give Columbus its first lead, 3-2. 

Faceoffs were starting to kill Los Angeles in a fate that we've seen repeatedly happen this season when games get close. But today, Los Angeles won 65.7% of their face-offs, compared to the Blue Jackets' 34.3%. 

But Los Angeles would respond despite going down by one goal. After a missed shot by Anze Kopitar, the puck bounced right to where Kempe was on the rebound, and he converted the goal, tying things up for Los Angeles. 

LAK Goal - Tie game!

Great shift by the top line to respond. Dumoulin/Ceci involved offensively as well, five-man unit attacking, Kempe buries the rebound. 3-3.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 9, 2026

Dumoulin later put Los Angeles back in front after it was starting to get very nervous for LA, with the score tied 3-3. Dumoulin, with one of the best plays of the game, moved into the slot, faked the defense on the sustained pressure, and beat Jet Greaves to give the Kings their lead back. 

Brian Dumoulin!!!!! pic.twitter.com/dsa11iPUuJ

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 9, 2026

However, the Blue Jackets would refuse to go away. 

After a controversial call that didn't give the Kings a two-goal lead late when Alex Turcotte thought he scored the goal, the refs took it away because the whistle had gone. 

This would give Columbus another chance to tie the game up, and they did just that. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Columbus forced overtime when Kirill Marchenko buried a power-play goal off a feed from Zach Werenski, tying the game 4–4 with just 1:56 left.  

The late rally from Columbus would secure them a point as we headed into overtime. 

But, Los Angeles this time didn't go away in the extra period, winning key faceoffs, and Kempe finally ended the game scoring his 25th goal of the season and his second goal of the afternoon, sending the Blue Jackets home. 

The winger hammered a shot from the left circle off a pass from Panarin, beating Greaves and securing the win.

Key Takeaways

Massive win for Los Angeles, especially after blowing their last game against the Montreal Canadiens. Los Angeles outplayed the Blue Jackets throughout the first two periods, and when the game got close, they shut the door. 

This win now gives Los Angeles 66 points on the year, and now they're just one point behind Seattle for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. 

A very great game overall from the team, arguably one of its most complete wins of the season, playing great defense behind Forsberg and getting contributions on offense from multiple forwards. 

Los Angeles will continue their five-game road trip tomorrow, taking on the Boston Bruins at 7:00 PM EST. 

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Sunday evening marked the Detroit Red Wings' debut for defenseman Justin Faulk, who was acquired on Friday from the St. Louis Blues. 

Known as an offensive-minded defenseman who can play in all situations, Faulk showed poise in his first game with the Red Wings, playing in just under 20 minutes while also firing three shots on goal and blocking four Devils shots. 

He had a golden chance to score after partially breaking in alone into the Devils' zone on a broken play during the second period, but his attempt was gloved by goaltender Jacob Markstrom. 

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Faulk is already a fan of how the Red Wings play, and is looking forward to doing what he can to help them get over the hump. 

“It’s a good group, I like the way we play, guys like to make some plays and play with some pace," Faulk said afterward. "It’s a hungry group, I can tell. There’s definitely some veterans in here, too, that’ll help lead the way with that.

I’m excited to be a part of it, get going, and then try and play my part.”

For Faulk, it's the second time in his NHL career that he's been traded. A former 2010 second-round (37th overall) pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, he was dealt to the Blues in September 2019 for Joel Edmundson, Dominik Bokk, and a 2021 seventh-round pick.

"I've been traded before, so I have a little experience with it," he said. "It's definitely a unique time of year for it, but I'm not the only one to go through it by any means, and won't be the last.

It's a challenge, but it's an exciting challenge coming to a team that's trying to do some damage and get to the playoffs and win a lot of games. It's exciting." 

While he had a sense that the Blues could move him, he didn't get the official word until after the 3:00 p.m. ET deadline had passed. 

"I got the call a couple of minutes after the Deadline, I was waiting all day," Faulk said with a laugh. "

One of the biggest needs of the Red Wings was a right-handed defenseman with some offensive upside, and they fulfilled that need with the acquisition of Faulk.

He and his new teammates will continue their road trip by taking on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday evening. 

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The Buffalo Sabres passed a difficult and challenging test in their quest to make and succeed in the postseason, battling through five fights, blowing an early three-goal lead, before staging a late comeback to win 8-7 over the Tampa Bay Lightning at a raucous KeyBank Center on Sunday. The victory is the Sabres 13th in the last 16 games, and propelled Buffalo into sole possession of top spot in the Atlantic, and perhaps set the stage for an exciting second-round matchup with the veteran-laden Tampa squad.

The Lightning clearly took a page out the playbook of their division rival, the Florida Panthers, attempting to push around the Sabres, instigating five fights, and specifically targeting Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin and defenseman Bowen Byram. Dahlin dropped the gloves with Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh early in the game, and then was assaulted by Tampa’s Brandon Hagel, earning the former Sabre draftee a double-minor for roughing and a $5,000 fine from the NHL on Monday, while Byram tussled with Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous. 

"I'm not a referee, but I mean a situation like that, usually a guy gets kicked out, he doesn't get four (minutes). He probably should get two for every punch, and it probably would lead to at least 20 minutes," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the win. 

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Tampa responded with three goals in the middle frame, and took a 7-5 lead in the third, but goals from Dahlin and Jason Zucker tied the game, and Josh Doan scored the Sabres fourth power play goal with 4:17 left to give the Sabres the victory. 

"I think the group has got real tight, and it showed tonight. They answered every call. They were there in every play, and even getting down. You're up 4-1., you get down by a couple, just how hard we worked to get back in the game. There was no quit. The desire to finish this thing the right way. I thought every guy was on board.” Ruff said "We're playing for a playoff spot. That's what we're playing for. Both teams are still playing for a playoff spot. That's really what it was all about. We know how tight this conference is, we know how tight the division is. It's one game at a time, but knowing that we're looking for a playoff spot."

Although the fact that goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave up seven goals on 28 shots, and the Sabres surrendered a significant lead, it is tough to ignore the momentum that Buffalo continues to build on. The win over Tampa has the Sabres at an .806 winning percentage (28-6-2) since December 9, when they were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. This is reminiscent of the St. Louis Blues magical run in 2019, when the Blues went 30-10-5 in the final 45 games after being in last place in the NHL on New Year’s and that resulted in a Stanley Cup victory.  

At this point, the Sabres are concerned with clinching their first postseason berth since 2011, but their winning ways have their long-starving fanbase hungering for more. 

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It didn't appear that Timothy Liljegren wanted to leave San Jose, but that didn't matter.

The San Jose Sharks moved the defenseman at the deadline, sending the 26-year-old to the Washington Capitals for the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2026 fourth-round pick.

Although Liljegren never publicly made it clear he wanted to move, the Sharks were already planning to let him go in free agency at the end of the season anyway, so it made sense to make a trade and try to salvage something out of it.

Evander Kane and Timothy Liljegren go at it and drop the mitts 💥 pic.twitter.com/JdWn2R8i7G

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 28, 2026

“We just thought it was good value,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said.

In many ways, the decision reflects a combination of motives. San Jose was open to giving Liljegren a fresh opportunity elsewhere, but it also wasn’t interested in moving him without receiving something of value in return.

“Hopefully, it’s a good thing for Lily, too,” Grier said. “Maybe he gets a chance to play a little bit more going into his UFA year.”

Liljegren will now look to strengthen his market ahead of July 1 while helping the Capitals address the absence of recently traded defenseman John Carlson.

Off to Washington! 🦅

Timothy Liljegren is joining the @Capitals! #NHLTradeDeadline

Powered by @SAPpic.twitter.com/u2CFJvcYzl

— NHL (@NHL) March 6, 2026

The Sharks originally acquired Liljegren from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, in exchange for third- and sixth-round draft picks. At the time, the organization hoped the 2017 first-round pick could solidify himself as a reliable top-four defenseman in San Jose.

Instead, his tenure in teal was marked by inconsistent performances, and he had been a healthy scratch in each of the team’s last three games before the trade.

The move could also create an opportunity for Shakir Mukhamadullin, another former first-round pick who is still working to establish himself as a full-time NHL regular, to take on a larger role in the Sharks’ lineup.

We wish the best to Mr. Liljegren in his future endeavors.