The National Hockey League (NHL) announced the three stars presented by GEICO for the week ending March 22.

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg and Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield have been named the recipients.

Forsberg, 31, ranked second in the NHL with four goals, five assists and nine points in four games to propel the Predators (33-28-9, 75 points) to a perfect week.

His terrific week also pushed the Preds into the final Wild Card position in the Western Conference.

FILIP FORSBERG HAVE YOURSELF A DAY pic.twitter.com/mgR5tzPvyE

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 22, 2026

He became the sixth Swedish-born player in League history to accumulate at least 350 career goals and currently sits second on the Predators in goals with 32 and points with 62 through 70 total games this season.

It is his third-straight 30-goal season and his sixth of his career.

The Predators are back home on Tuesday to take on the San Jose Sharks, who trail Nashville by five points in the standings.

After picking up another overtime defeat on Sunday against the Utah Mammoth, the Los Angeles Kings have lost some ground in the wild-card race in the Western Conference.

Though the Kings picked up a point in comeback fashion, the Nashville Predators are coming off four straight wins and pulled ahead with a two-point cushion.

The opportunity for Los Angeles to make the post-season is still very much alive with 12 games remaining on the schedule, and many are winnable. But over the course of this season, multiple hiccups have handicapped this team from putting together the campaign they were expecting and prepared for.

If the Kings end up missing the playoffs, here is what they'll regret the most.

Not Capitalizing In Overtime

Sunday night was just one of several instances in which the Kings couldn't capitalize on the opportunity to earn the extra point.

Their loss to the Mammoth was the 17th occasion on which the Kings were defeated beyond regulation. Owning 17 overtime and shootout losses is the most in the NHL currently, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have 16.

Of those 17 defeats in extra innings, 10 of them were in overtime, and the remaining seven were in the shootout.

Looking back, if Los Angeles had been able to get on the right side of these overtime frames at least a handful more times than they have, the team may be in a much more comfortable position at this point in terms of pushing for the post-season.

Waiting To Make Coaching Change

On March 1, GM Ken Holland and the Kings' front office decided it was time for a coaching change. Jim Hiller was fired, and D.J. Smith was made the interim head coach.

Holland's decision came to fruition based on various moments throughout the season, but when Los Angeles lost to the Edmonton Oilers 8-1 in the second game back from the Olympic break, his mind was made up.

The Kings haven't made a big surge since the coaching change by any means, with a 4-4-3 record since Hiller's dismissal. However, the change was much needed.

The team has found a new purpose and sense of motivation with each game under Smith. One example is that before Smith became the interim bench boss, the Kings were 26th in the league in hits. Since his promotion, Los Angeles is first in the NHL in hits.

Has D.J. Smith Shown Enough To Become The Kings' Permanent Bench Boss?From now until the end of this season, what does Los Angeles Kings interim head coach D.J. Smith need to do in order to earn the full-time position?

Hits don't necessarily win hockey games, but they're certainly a factor and evidence that the team is more engaged and responding to a new voice behind the bench.

Now, 'if ifs and buts were candy and nuts,' Smith could've had more time to put his imprint on this roster if Hiller had been relieved earlier, and who knows what the results would say at this point in the season.

Off-Season Acquisitions

Kings fans will be banging this drum for a long time, until they're given a reason to believe otherwise, but the acquisitions of defensemen Brian Dumoulin and, specifically, Cody Ceci will always be questioned.

Now, Holland should be credited with the additions of right winger Joel Armia and goaltender Anton Forsberg, who both have had respectable campaigns for the Kings this season. But there are many different concerns surrounding Dumoulin and Ceci.

First, the two blueliners have been a defensive pairing for the majority of this season, playing over 600 minutes together, according to moneypuck.com. And against the Mammoth on Sunday, Ceci and Dumoulin were on the ice for every conceded goal during regulation.

The pair finished the game with a minus-three rating each and played a part in Utah's third goal that gave them a 3-2 lead over Los Angeles in the third period.

Not only is the duo of veteran defensemen having a relatively forgettable season, but they're also under contract for the long term.

Ceci, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Kings and is earning $4.5 million against the salary cap. Not to mention, he has a 10-team no-trade list for the duration of this deal. His contract expires following the 2028-29 season, and he'll be 35. 

As for Dumoulin, the 33-year-old earns $4 million against the cap through 2027-28. He also has a 10-team no-trade list for the entire length of his contract.

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The NHL regular season ends in a little more than three weeks, and there will be a lot of new faces if the current standings hold up.

Two of those teams – the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks – are leading their divisions despite a combined drought of 21 seasons. They met on Sunday, March 22, with the Ducks prevailing 6-5 in overtime.

Another six teams, as of the morning of Monday, March 23, were in a playoff position despite missing the postseason last season: Pittsburgh, Columbus, Boston, New York Islanders, Utah and Nashville.

In the meantime, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are currently sitting below the playoff line, as are 2024-25 division winners Winnipeg, Washington and Toronto. The other four 2024-25 playoff teams who could miss out this season: New Jersey, Ottawa, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Plenty of time remains and only two teams have clinched spots so far.

Here are the latest USA TODAY NHL power rankings:

NHL power rankings

Statistics are through March 22. Numbers in parentheses indicate changes from the previous power rankings two weeks ago:

1. Colorado Avalanche (0)

Captain Gabriel Landeskog scored in his March 22 return from a two-week absence. He needed surgery after being hit by a teammate's slap shot in the lower body and also missed time this season before the Olympics with broken ribs.

2. Dallas Stars (0)

The Stars joined the Avalanche in clinching a playoff spot. They missed a chance to clinch outright when they lost to the Golden Knights in regulation but a Kings loss later on March 22 extended their playoff streak to five seasons. Dallas has lost in the conference finals the last three seasons.

3. Carolina Hurricanes (+1)

Goaltender Brandon Bussi has given up three or more goals in five of his six starts after the Olympics. His save percentages have been below .900 in those six games.

4. Buffalo Sabres (+1)

The Sabres, who lost three of four games heading into the Olympics, have gone 12-1-1 since. Their surge began after they changed general managers in December. Sitting atop the Atlantic Division standings, they're in position to end their NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.

5. Minnesota Wild (-2)

The Minnesota hockey community is mourning the death of Jessi Pierce, who covered the Wild for 10 years as a reporter for NHL.com. She, her three children and the family dog died on March 21 in a fire at their home.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (0)

Nikita Kucherov moved past Edmonton's Connor McDavid for the NHL scoring lead as they played head to head. Kucherov had four points in the game to McDavid's one. On one sequence, McDavid was checked hard on a scoring attempt and Kucherov scored a short-handed goal.

EMIL LILLEBERG LAYS OUT CONNOR MCDAVID AT ONE END 💥

NIKITA KUCHEROV SCORES A SHORTY AT THE OTHER END 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ENNTlOuxAK

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 22, 2026

7. Montreal Canadiens (+1)

Cole Caufield had his first career five-point game and linemates Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky each had four points in a 7-3 win against the Islanders.

8. Boston Bruins (+3)

Charlie McAvoy had three assists as the Bruins beat the Red Wings on March 21 to hold onto the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (-2)

Sidney Crosby is back from his Olympic injury and Evgeni Malkin has returned from his five-game suspension. The Penguins went 2-3 with both out and 1-1-1 with both back.

10. Columbus Blue Jackets (+3)

The Blue Jackets' 1-0 loss to the Islanders ended a 12-game point streak. Their 18-3-4 run since Rick Bowness was named coach has pushed the team into a playoff position.

11. New York Islanders (-1)

Ilya Sorokin, who was pulled in a loss to the Canadiens, rebounded the next game with a shutout of the Blue Jackets as the Islanders moved back into a playoff position.

12. Anaheim Ducks (0)

The Ducks lead the Pacific Division, putting them in position to end a seven-year playoff drought. The highest they finished in that time was sixth in the division. They haven't won a division title since 2017.

13. Utah Mammoth (+1)

The Mammoth, by virtue of holding the first wild-card spot in the West, would play teams from the weaker Pacific Division in the first two rounds, a better prospect than going through Colorado, Dallas or Minnesota.

14. Detroit Red Wings (-5)

Andrew Copp is back from an injury and captain Dylan Larkin is a game-time decision for March 24. The Red Wings have gone 3-4-2 in their last nine games to fall out of a playoff position.

15. Ottawa Senators (0)

The Senators are getting back their forfeited first-round pick but it will be at the end of the round at No. 32. They can't trade or transfer the pick and were fined $1 million Canadian for failing to inform the Golden Knights, when they traded Evgenii Dadonov in 2021, about the specifics of his no-trade protection. The Golden Knights' later trade of Dadonov to the Ducks was invalidated because Anaheim was on his no-trade list. If the Senators finish out of the playoffs and win one of the two draft lotteries, the lottery will be conducted again.

16. Philadelphia Flyers (+2)

The Flyers have won five of their last six games to pull within five points of a playoff spot. Four of their next seven games are against teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings.

17. Washington Capitals (+4)

Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career goal (combined regular season and playoffs) on March 22 on his typical one-timer from the left faceoff circle. Only Wayne Gretzky (1,016) has more. Ovechkin is in the final year of his contract and hasn't indicated his plans beyond this season.

18. Vegas Golden Knights (-2)

The Golden Knights have only five wins in 14 games since the Olympics, but a March 22 victory against the Stars moved them into second place in the Pacific Division. They would have home-ice advantage in the first round if they finish in that spot.

19. Edmonton Oilers (-2)

The Oilers have made two announcements about their stretch drive. Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and Connor Ingram will be the No. 1 goaltender ahead of Tristan Jarry.

20. Nashville Predators (+7)

Despite being a seller at the trade deadline, the Predators have won four in a row and moved into the second wild-card spot.

21. New Jersey Devils (+2)

Jack Hughes, who scored the golden goal at the Olympics, has points in 10 of his 12 games since returning. That includes a hat trick and an assist against the Rangers and two three-point games.

22. Los Angeles Kings (+2)

Anze Kopitar passed Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne to become the Kings' all-time leading scorer. His career numbers are 451 goals and 1,311 points, all with the Kings. He has announced plans to retire after the season.

23. San Jose Sharks (-4)

Forward Ryan Reaves appeared to dislocate his finger in a fight against the Flyers' Garrett Wilson on March 21. Before heading to the penalty box, he skated to the bench to have a trainer snap it back in place. Reaves went to the dressing room, skated one more shift then spent the rest of the game on the bench.

24. Seattle Kraken (-4)

The Kraken have gone 4-9 since the Olympics to drop from third place in the Pacific Division to four points out of a playoff spot. They have given up four or more goals seven times in that stretch.

25. Florida Panthers (-3)

The Panthers, already missing several key players because of injury, have lost fourth-line forward A.J. Greer to a suspension. He is sitting out three games for boarding the Flames' Connor Zary.

26. Winnipeg Jets (0)

The Jets, sitting five points out of a playoff spot, could become the second consecutive team to go from winning the Presidents' Trophy to missing the postseason the following season. The Rangers did it last season.

27. Toronto Maple Leafs (-2)

Goalie Anthony Stolarz was taken to the hospital and later released after being hit by a puck in the throat during warmups. It was his second hospital trip in less than a year because of a game-related injury. He left a 2025 playoff game shortly after a collision in the crease.

28. St. Louis Blues (0)

Forward Robert Thomas has 13 points in 10 games this month since returning from an injury. He had been mentioned in trade rumors but told reporters that he had never been asked to waive his no-trade clause.

29. Calgary Flames (0)

Forward Ryan Strome had six points in nine games, including a March 22 overtime goal, since arriving from the Ducks at the trade deadline. He had nine points in 33 games with Anaheim this season and is averaging nearly five more minutes a game in Calgary.

30. New York Rangers (+1)

Forward Mika Zibanejad is scheduled to play in his 1,000th career NHL game on March 23. He's facing the Senators, his original NHL team. Zibanejad enters the game on a roll with 11 points in his last eight games.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)

Prospect Anton Frondell is expected to play for the Blackhawks this week with his season over in Sweden. The center, drafted No. 3 overall by Chicago in 2025, helped Sweden win its first world junior championship gold medal since 2012. Coach Jeff Blashill told reporters that based on Frondell's level of play, he'll probably throw him into the fire rather than ease him in.

32. Vancouver Canucks (0)

The Canucks are the first team to be officially eliminated from 2026 playoff contention. With only 50 points this season, they almost certainly will finish with the best draft lottery odds.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL power rankings: Potential playoff field filled with new faces

It’s February 18th, and Martin Necas is still sweating profusely from a game that saw his Czechian side eliminated, but has enough breath to mention his national pride: “I am proud of what we have done, especially in this last game.”

The last game he is referring to was Czechia’s OT defeat at the hands of his Canadian and NHL teammates Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews.

On the eve of Czechia and Canada, Martin Necas stole headlines yet again by jokingly commenting, “Yeah, we let them (Team Canada) win the first one because we knew we wouldn’t beat Canada twice in a row.”

The discourse following the games largely revolved around Team USA and Team Canada’s epic finale and rightfully so, but Martin Necas dominance of the entire tournament in the face of the world’s best competition wasn’t exactly a widely acknowledged truth.

Fast forward to March of 2026, and the Avalanche are making one last push for league and divisional supremacy, and who stands as the key contributor to Colorado’s persistence? Well, it is Martin Necas, of course, who hasn’t skipped a beat since displaying his talents in Italy.

Martin Necas' last 11 games:

9 goals
10 assists
19 points

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3Tpic.twitter.com/JfiaJEaliu

— NHL (@NHL) March 19, 2026

It may not be the first thing people are talking about when they think of the Colorado Avalanche, with Hart hopeful Nathan MacKinnon and Norris mainstay Cale Makar dominating headlines throughout the season. But make no mistake, this has been Martin Necas’ year, and he’s earning every cent of this 92 million dollar contract.

Olympic Standout

The Olympics were something Martin Necas “had always dreamt of,” and he played like it, as a top 5 player in the tournament with 8 points (3G, 5A) in just five contests at 1.60 points per game—tied for one of the highest outputs by a Czech skater in an NHL-era Olympics. He powered his nation to a quarterfinal matchup with Team Canada, including a goal and assist in the 3-2 qualification win over Denmark that advanced them.

An absolutely diabolical angle of Martin Necas' power play goal today! #GoAvsGo | @MileHighHockey | #Olympics2026pic.twitter.com/TI1itRN6Zx

— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) February 17, 2026

Necas and Czechia may have been a dark horse pick by Managing Editor Jackie Kay heading into the Olympics, but I don’t think anyone else really gave them an outside chance of standing up to the powers that be in international hockey.

Necas and his countrymen did that and then some, as it appeared they might actually upset Team Canada, when they held a 3-2 lead late in the third before Nick Suzuki tied it at three a side.

The overtime frame featured a breakaway chance for Marty himself, but a generous non-call on a pretty blatant hook from Devon Toews effectively slowed Necas enough for the pressure to affect his shot on net.

It would be Golden Knight Mitch Marner who would put that quarterfinal contest to bed with an OT winner.

I don’t know if it’s been talked about in the Avalanche locker room, but Necas surely could give Toews some grief for the fortune of not being penalized on that play.

Sure, no medal for Marty, but he was among the best players in the entire tournament, no matter what crest they wore.

The question then became. How long could the Marty party continue?

The Human Element

I don’t know how much the Olympic transition, its logistics, and its consequences truly resonate with most hockey fans. The mentality of this hockey arrangement likely hit European players the hardest, as they didn’t return to their homeland like their North American counterparts after the action subsided.

“It is weird because you don’t really go home, back to Czechia. You go back to your teams. It is different from when you play a world championship,” Necas said before getting his bags ready for travel back to North America for the rest of the NHL season.

The human element of all the travel and painstaking details can rattle even a lowly reporter from Colorado, much less a professional hockey player balancing life and the rigorous demands of competing at the highest level. Not Martin Necas, though—the professionalism, dedication, and pride we saw in Italy have continued here in Colorado with the Avalanche, where he’s exploded for double-digit goals in the month-plus since returning.

Party On?

So how long could the Marty party continue?

Answer, all the way into March.

Since the Olympic break, Necas has been on fire, collecting eight multi-point performances in his last 14 games while piling up 10 goals and 24 points overall in that stretch. He’s scored in eight of 10 contests, notched multiple points in five of his first six games back, and racked up four goals and four assists in his most recent six outings. Standout efforts include a three-point night (1G-2A, including two power-play assists) in a 4-1 win over Chicago on March 20 and two assists in a 3-2 OT victory over Washington on March 22.

Martin Necas couldn't have placed that puck any better! 🏔️ pic.twitter.com/oujycYXUl9

— NHL (@NHL) February 27, 2026

Necas is at career highs across the board: 32 goals (surpassing his previous best), 84 points (topping his 82 in Carolina), an 18.9% shooting percentage on 169 shots, eight power-play goals, 11 power-play assists, and elite underlying numbers like 21:25 average TOI and a dominant +44 rating. His top-line chemistry with MacKinnon is evident—he’s producing at over a point-per-game clip and pacing toward his first 90- or even 100-point season.

Jobs Not Done

In the build-up to the 2026 Olympic Games, Martin Necas made it clear that he knew “it’s better to be on their side than against, obviously…” when asked about his teammates representing Team Canada, but I imagine they would echo the same compliment in his direction.

When Martin Necas put pen to paper at the team facility back in October of 2025, the detractors immediately compared the dollar figure to what another top-line winger in the Central had garnered after much fuss. Some questioned if he’d ever live up to the commitment the Avalanche made that day.

Fans should be pleased to note that the first thing that came out of Martin Necas following the deal was the following in an article with NHL.com:

Super excited. Happy to get this done. Excited for the times ahead. Now I can focus on winning hockey games and do whatever it takes to bring a (Stanley) Cup back to Colorado

That focus has shown.

Getting a 90-point, 40-goal scorer out of a deal that was heavily scrutinized should be the talk of the town as far as I’m concerned, but validation of the Mikko trade and Martin Necas key contributions to this Avalanche team have fallen on deaf ears.

I don’t suppose that will remain the case as Colorado begins its playoff campaign. With Necas carrying Olympic momentum into a career-year explosion, the Marty party will be front-page news if Colorado once again reaches the mountaintop in 2025-26.

Let us know what you think of Martin Necas’ year so far in the comments!

NEW YORK (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken are set to play two games in Finland next season as part of the NHL’s Global Series.

The league and the players’ association announced Monday that Carolina and Seattle will face off Nov. 12 and 14 in the Finnish capital of Helsinki. The Kraken are heading abroad for the first time in their sixth season of existence and the Hurricanes for the second time and first since 2010.

Each team has a pair of Finns currently on its roster: Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi for Carolina and Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen for Seattle. All but Tolvanen are under contract for next season.

The NHL has staged 42 regular-season games in Europe since 2007 and has two more scheduled for Germany in December with Ottawa and Chicago set to play in Duesseldorf in December. Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, formerly known as Hartwall Arena, has been the site of seven of the games, most recently in 2018 between Florida and Winnipeg.

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

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The New York Rangers host the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden in the lone game on the ice Monday, March 23.

My Senators vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks expect Ottawa to show no mercy as it pushes to lock down a playoff spot. 

Senators vs Rangers prediction

Senators vs Rangers best bet: Senators -1.5 (+130)

The Ottawa Senators are cruising along a 13-3-2 heater with a third-ranked Corsi For percentage and top-ranked expected goals percentage at five-on-five, while the New York Rangers respectively check in 27th in each with a 7-8-3 record during the same stretch.

Ottawa has also allowed the fewest goals per game (2.22) during the run and is battling for a postseason berth. It’s the exact opposite on the opposite bench with New York checked out in the Eastern Conference basement.

Senators vs Rangers same-game parlay

In addition to the highlighted statistical mismatches, the Rangers have also surrendered the second-most shots per game (32.5) out of the Olympic break, and the Senators have recorded the fourth-most (31.5).

So, I’m expecting New York starter Igor Shesterkin to see plenty of rubber tonight, and he’s also turning in another solid season with a .912 save percentage and the seventh-most goals saved above expected.

Senators vs Rangers SGP

• Senators -1.5
• Igor Shesterkin Over 26.5 saves

Senators vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Senators -190 | Rangers +160
• Puck Line: Senators -1.5 (+130) | Rangers +1.5 (-150)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)

Senators vs Rangers trend

The Ottawa Senators have covered the puck line in 16 of their last 25 away games (+11.20 Units / 32% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Rangers.

How to watch Senators vs Rangers

Senators vs Rangers latest injuries

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The hockey world is mourning the tragic loss of Minnesota Wild beat reporter Jessi Pierce, who died along with her three children and their dog in a house fire early Saturday, March 21.

Pierce, 38, covered the Wild for NHL.com for the past decade and also co-hosted a weekly hockey podcast.

"The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three young children," the NHL said in a statement. "Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly."

We are heartbroken and join the State of Hockey in mourning the tragic loss of Jessi and her children. May they rest in peace 💔. pic.twitter.com/H8L8Wgu6l4

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 22, 2026

Authorities have not determined the cause of the blaze. Pierce's husband was not home at the time.

Hockey world remembers Jessi Pierce

As news of her death spread, tributes began to roll in from friends, colleagues and NHL personnel.

"The Minnesota Wild organization is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jessi Pierce and her children," the team said in a statement. "Jessi was a kind, compassionate person that cared deeply about her family and those around her. She served as a dedicated ambassador for the game of hockey during her time covering the Wild and the NHL."

"I’ve known her a long time. She was a wonderful person, loved hockey, loved people, somebody I looked forward to all the time when I would go to Minnesota," Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette said Sunday. "It’s a sad day in hockey. Her passion for the game, her passion for the Wild, is unsurpassed, and we’re going to miss her. It’s a tragedy."

And from fellow Wild beat writer Michael Russo of The Athletic: "Jessi simply loved covering the Wild and hockey throughout Minnesota and had a way of brightening everyone’s day with her upbeat, bubbly personality. I have literally NEVER met anybody that had a way of being EVERYBODY’s friend."

There are no words to express how heartbroken we all are.

Jessi Pierce (Hinrichs) was the most vibrant person - the life of the party, always with a smile on her face, always bringing a passion to every article and podcast and interview she did. Jessi simply loved covering the…

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) March 22, 2026

And in another social media post, Kirsten Krull, who co-hosted the Bardown Beauties podcast with Pierce, appropriately summarized: "There’s so much more I want to say that I can’t find the words for yet. I hope you know how loved you are and could see the outpouring of love for you and your family from the hockey community today."

Wild general manager Bill Guerin 'devastated'

Today we remember our good friend Jessi ❤️ pic.twitter.com/RxXxGaP6BN

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 23, 2026

This story was updated to add a video.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jessi Pierce, beat writer for Minnesota Wild, dies in house fire

The Florida Panthers are going to be without two of their regular defenseman for the remainder of the season.

On Monday, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice provided an update on a pair of injured blueliners, and the prognosis was not good for either.

Niko Mikkola suffered a lower-body injury after what appeared to be a knee-on-knee hit with Calgary’s Ryan Strome during Friday’s 4-1 loss in Calgary.

Maurice said Mikkola will not need surgery, but he will be out for around four-to-six weeks.

“Good news on him, he’ll be (out) weeks instead of months,” Maurice said. “The other end of that spectrum is (Sasha) Barkov, so we’re really relieved with that one.”

Considering Florida’s season will likely be over in less than four weeks, it appears we’ve seen the last of Mikkola.

Fellow blueliner Uvis Balinskis has not played since March 10 against Detroit. He initially suffered an injury during a loss to Buffalo on Feb. 27, but he missed only one game before returning to play the following four.

Ultimately, that would be the end of the line for Balinskis, who Maurice said suffered a fracture in his foot and will also miss between four and six weeks.

Florida’s defensive corps now consists of Aaron Ekblad, Gus Forsling, Seth Jones, Dmitry Kulikov, Donovan Sebrango and Mike Benning.

A seventh defenseman will likely be recalled from AHL Charlotte at some point.

One positive to take is that there will be more opportunity Benning to play at the NHL level. He’s skated in five games with the Panthers this season, earning three assists and two shots on a plus-one on-ice rating while averaging 16:34 of ice time

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Photo caption: Dec 23, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) skates against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Blues on Monday signed college free agent forward Felix Trudeau to a two-year entry-level contract that begins next season, adding one of the top undrafted players available to their stockpile of prospects.

He is expected to join the American Hockey League’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the remainder of this season on a professional tryout agreement.

Trudeau, 23, is coming off a season at Sacred Heart University in which he ranked second in the country with 25 goals. He was tied for sixth nationally in Division I with 48 points in 39 NCAA games and was named Atlantic Hockey America player of the year.

Now seven years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, the Blues look to be heading toward a youth movement at a time of organizational transition, with longtime general manager Doug Armstrong on the verge of stepping down and handing the job to Alexander Steen this summer.

St. Louis traded captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders at the deadline and had an agreement to send Colton Parayko to Buffalo before the veteran defenseman invoked his no-trade clause to block the move.

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

Calgary’s iconic Saddledome is counting down its final NHL season, and the Flames are determined to send it off in style. On Friday night, the team revealed a striking new emblem to commemorate the arena’s swan song during the 2026-27 campaign.

Dubbed “The ‘Dome Farewell Season,” the initiative intentionally emphasizes celebration over melancholy, highlighting the legacy of a building that has been home to the Flames since its debut as the Olympic Saddledome on October 15, 1983.

A Logo Rich with History

The newly designed red shield is a visual tribute to both the team and the arena itself, incorporating eight distinct design cues drawn from the building’s architecture and the Flames’ storied history. The shield’s curved top mirrors the Saddledome’s signature saddle-shaped roof, a design element that will not carry over to the franchise’s next home. Flanking the sides of the logo, vertical pillars pay homage to the arena’s structural skeleton, while a horizontal “lifeline” stretches across the center, spanning the years “1983” and “2027” with Scotiabank’s “S” logo positioned at its midpoint, a nod to the arena’s current naming-rights partnership.

#Flames have revealed a “The ‘Dome Farewell Season” logo for the 2026-27 season’s festivities around the final year of NHL hockey at the Saddledome. More details will be revealed at the start of next season (one would presume this will be at center ice) pic.twitter.com/Ixpa0uyBXF

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 21, 2026

At the heart of the emblem, the word “DOME” commands attention in bold gold lettering. Its preceding apostrophe is cleverly fashioned from an ember drawn from the Flames’ flaming “C” logo, evoking the team’s fiery identity. Smaller lettering above reads “THE,” while the phrase “FAREWELL SEASON” sits below in crisp white text. Anchoring the design is the Calgary Flames’ official logo, trimmed in gold, grounding the emblem in the franchise’s rich visual history.

The bottom of the shield features a chevron motif, inspired by the championship and retirement banners that have long hung from the Saddledome rafters, further tying the mark to the arena’s illustrious past.

Details regarding the full slate of Farewell Season celebrations are expected to emerge in the lead-up to the 2026-27 season. While it remains unclear whether the logo will appear as a jersey patch or if the Flames will debut special uniforms for the occasion, it is certain that the campaign will spotlight the arena’s legacy rather than its closure.

The Saddledome itself was constructed to replace the aging Stampede Corral, the Flames’ original home after relocating to Calgary in 1980. Designed to host both the Flames and the 1988 Winter Olympics, the arena’s “Olympic” moniker reflected its dual purpose, while its roof, shaped like a horse’s saddle, became instantly iconic. Over its 44-year history, the venue has hosted three Stanley Cup Finals, with the 1986 Canadiens capturing the only championship hoisted within its walls. The building has undergone several name changes over the decades, from Olympic Saddledome to Canadian Airlines Saddledome, then the Pengrowth Saddledome, and most recently the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Looking ahead, the Flames will usher in a new era at Scotia Place when the 2027-28 NHL season begins, leaving the Saddledome to its final chapter, but one that the franchise intends to celebrate with grandeur.

The Vegas Golden Knights (32-25-14) snapped a three-game skid and delivered a crucial statement victory, edging the Dallas Stars (43-16-11) 3-2 Sunday night at American Airlines Center.

Entering the contest on the heels of three uninspired performances in which they managed just a single goal, the Golden Knights faced a pivotal opportunity to preserve their playoff positioning—and they seized it.

Returning from a five-game healthy scratch, Reilly Smith made an immediate impact, scoring the game-winning goal with 3:38 remaining in the third period. Supporting him on the scoresheet were Brayden McNabb and Ivan Barbashev.

In net, Adin Hill displayed his goaltending skill, stopping 13 of 15 shots. However, he did surrender a couple of goals early in the game. Hill had struggled in recent outings—most notably against the Utah Mammoth, where he allowed three goals on just three shots. Overall, he had conceded five goals on his last nine shots, a concerning stat for any netminder.

Despite that rough stretch, Hill rebounded admirably against Dallas, helping the Golden Knights secure the crucial victory.

McNabb Sparks Early Momentum

Just over four minutes into the opening frame, McNabb set the tone with a coast-to-coast effort that highlighted his post-Olympic resurgence. His skillful drive gave Vegas an early lead, but the Stars quickly countered. Wyatt Johnston recorded his 23rd power-play goal of the season—setting a new franchise record—after a precise man-advantage shift at 10:55. Later, a defensive miscue allowed Justin Hryckowian to capitalize in front of Hill, knotting the score by the end of the first period.

Despite being outshot and out-chanced in the early stages, Vegas’ underlying metrics told a more promising story: 27-14 in shot attempts, 17-6 in scoring opportunities, and a commanding 71.82 percent expected goal share. The team had simply been undone by timely finishing from Dallas.

The second period belonged to the Golden Knights. Controlling the neutral zone and dominating shot attempts 11-3, Vegas held Dallas scoreless over the final 14:46 of the stanza. Their second-unit power play executed flawlessly: Brett Howden operated at the side of the net while Barbashev took over Dorofeyev’s role on the one-timer, tying the game at 2-2 at 9:10.

Special teams continued to define the period. After Jack Eichel drew a double minor for high-sticking, Vegas’ penalty kill delivered a clutch stop. Though the Golden Knights couldn’t convert on their subsequent power play late in the period, they sustained offensive pressure, generating multiple high-danger chances and forcing Casey DeSmith into several highlight-reel saves.

Late-Game Heroics Seal Victory

The Stars dominated early in the third, outshooting Vegas 10-1 in the first half of the period, but the momentum shifted as the Golden Knights gradually took control. With under four minutes left, Vegas orchestrated a decisive sequence: a crafty cycle by Mitch Marner created a rebound that Smith expertly pounced on, delivering the game-winner. The Stars pulled DeSmith in the final two minutes, yet Vegas’ relentless pressure on the 6-on-5 sealed the 3-2 triumph.

Vegas’ victory was a testament to tightened defensive execution and aggressive play, outshooting Dallas 33-15 and controlling the expected goals battle 4.57-1.61. Special teams, which had been a liability in Nashville, emerged as a saving grace in Dallas.

The win elevates the Golden Knights to second in the Pacific Division, holding a slim advantage over Edmonton. With just 11 games remaining, this gritty performance could provide the momentum Vegas needs to finish the season strong. The team will conclude its three-game road swing in Winnipeg on Tuesday, a matchup in which they already hold a favorable recent record.

While the Montreal Canadiens had a day off on Sunday, three players were in Mascouche at Memorable Authentic to meet fans and sign autographs. Despite the snow that wasn’t letting up, fans turned up in droves to meet Finnish rookie Oliver Kapanen, forward Alexandre Texier, and the latest Laval Rocket call-up and future Habs starter Jacob Fowler.

Kapanen and Texier appeared from 1:30 to 2:30 PM, while Fowler was in attendance from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM. The players were in great spirits and happy to pose for pictures with fans after signing their items.

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The three players have plenty to smile about. Kapanen is having a fantastic rookie season with 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points. He’s third amongst rookies in goals, behind Beckett Sennecke (22 goals) and Matthew Schaefer (21 goals), and sixth in points.  

As for Texier, his season was going nowhere in St. Louis with one point in eight games, and he bet on himself, getting out of his contract and signing at a discount with the Canadiens to finish the season. He soon impressed Kent Hughes and earned a two-year contract extension with a 2.5 M cap hit. Since joining the Canadiens, he has 19 points in 37 games and has been used in a variety of situations, proving extremely useful to Martin St-Louis.

Meanwhile, Fowler, who was expected to spend the whole season in the AHL, took advantage of Samuel Montembeault’s tough season and made the most of his first callup in December. When Montembeault faltered again, the youngster was ready for the call, and he looks like he’ll be with the Habs until the end of the season, and for the playoffs as well. In 13 games, the youngster has a 6-5-2 record, a 2.72 goals-against average, and a .899 save percentage.

If you missed out on the event, make sure to visit Memorable Authentic in the next few days to add signed items from the three players to your collection.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins March schedule was always going to be daunting, and they are almost through it. So far, all things considered, they have handled it mostly okay, especially given the absences of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for a significant part of it. I said at the beginning if they could just play .500 or better hockey, they should be fine and maintain their playoff position. They have done that. At least to this point.

Even the past five games have been a pretty significant success. Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes was a total no-show, but even with that they still managed to get seven out of a possible 10 points. That is more than enough, and if they get seven out of the next 10 points they are still going to be in great shape.

I said on social media on Sunday you need to do yourself a favor and not look at every individual game as a must-win game and ride that roller coaster, but look at these games as groups of games and accumulated point totals. You get seven out of every 10 points, you are in. Even if they get six out of every 10 points, you are probably in.

I know it seems like nobody in the Eastern Conference ever loses, and that none of these teams will ever lose again, but I promise you, they are. If for no other reason than a lot of them play each other quite a bit over the next few weeks. Everybody around the Penguins also plays one of the toughest schedules in the NHL.

Right now the playoff cut-line in the Eastern Conference is 98 points. I suspect it might even come down a little bit as the next few weeks progress and some of these teams actually lose some games (and they will). But let’s just say 98 points is what you need. That is six more wins for the Penguins. That is not an overly high bar, even with the schedule (which, after getting through the past week, is now only the 11th toughest remaining schedule in the NHL instead of the absolute toughest).

They also, at the moment, hold the tie-breaker over almost every team behind them and chasing them.

So let’s just look at this as a math problem and what every team behind them would need to do record-wise (the required points percentage is in parenthesis) to pass them if they win between four and seven more games the rest of the way.

Realistically speaking I think this is a race between the Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. Four of those five teams are going to make the playoffs. All the Penguins have to do is not finish in last among that group. Again, not an overly high bar. It is reachable. All of those teams have more difficult remaining schedules, and there are also a LOT of head-to-head games in there for all of those teams. The Penguins play the Islanders and Red Wings one more time each. Those games can go a long way toward determining things. Detroit plays Columbus and Ottawa one more time each, and Philadelphia three more times. Somebody is going to lose those games. Columbus plays Boston twice, along with its game against Detroit, and that does not get into the two games it also has against Carolina and its two road games at Montreal. Somebody is going to lose THOSE games.

The Ottawa Senators are lurking on the fringes. Maybe they can keep playing their way back in, but that is still a lot of work to do.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals just seem like they have way too much ground to make up. The Flyers would probably have to sweep all three of those games against the Red Wings, preferably (for their sake) in regulation.

You can follow sports however you want, but instead of sweating the standings every night and with every result, just focus on a target goal. Basically, if the Penguins win six more games and get to 98 points, they most likely get in. Especially if one or two of those wins come against the Islanders and/or Red Wings. If they win seven more games, get to 100 points, and somehow still do not make the playoffs I would not know what else to say except, “that’s just messed up and some really bad luck.” In the salary cap era no team has ever had even 98 points and missed the playoffs. Only two teams have ever had 96 points and missed the playoffs.

Can they start stacking some more of those wins this week?

Well, that is going to be tough, because it is another daunting week on the schedule.

It begins on Tuesday night with their second game against the Colorado Avalanche in a little more than a week. The Penguins won the first meeting in Colorado by a 7-2 margin in a game that I am not quite sure was as lopsided as the final score would indicate. They are almost certainly going to get a much better effort from the Avalanche in this game, and they better be ready for it. Performances like they had over the weekend (even in the win against the Winnipeg Jets) are not going to be good enough. The one thing to take into account here is that Colorado has looked a little more mortal in recent weeks. After starting the season 31-2-7, the Avalanche are 15-11-3 in the 29 games that have followed. Still good. Just not quite as dominant. They look a little more beatable right now.

On Thursday the Penguins have a big Eastern Conference game at Ottawa. Even though I am not quite sold at the moment on the Senators still being *in* the playoff race, they are better than their record indicates and they have given the Penguins fits in their two previous meetings this season. The Penguins also never seem to win in Ottawa. This would be a good game to have, especially since it is sandwiched between two extraordinarily tough Western Conference games.

After playing in Ottawa on Thursday, the Penguins return home on Saturday to play the Dallas Stars who will be in the middle of a four-game, Eastern Conference road trip. Dallas is one of the best teams in hockey, and has quite honestly been the better team between them and Colorado over the past two months, even with some big injury issues. The Penguins outplayed Dallas in their first meeting this season (in Dallas) only to give up a late third period goal and lose in a shootout. In all honesty, I would take that result again in this game. Every point matters.

After playing Dallas on Saturday, they have another huge Eastern Conference game on Monday night against the New York Islanders to open the next week.

This is going to be a tough week, and arguably just as tough, if not tougher, than the past week. If they can get three out of these six points I would consider that a win for the week. With this schedule you just have to get through it. Especially when a lot of the teams in the playoff race are all playing against each other this week. Somebody is losing. Just maintain what you are doing. They mostly have.

If they are going to continue that, they are going to need a few things. The first is better goaltending than they have been getting over the past few games. The second is better defensive play in front of those goalies and way fewer turnovers and mistakes. That is kind of why I think Sunday’s game could have been something they needed. Some bad habits had been developing in recent games, but they were still getting results. Eventually bad process turns into a bad result. They got that on Sunday. It needs to be a lesson.

ELMONT, NY -- Once the final buzzer sounded on Sunday night, signaling the New York Islanders' 1-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, that meant one thing: The Islanders were back in a playoff spot with 11 games to go.

With the newfound two points, the Islanders leapfrogged the Detroit Red Wings to sit in the second wild-card spot with 85 points. The Red Wings, who have 84, do have a game in hand, but a game in hand only matters if that team wins the game.

Oh, what a difference 24 hours can make #Isles: pic.twitter.com/xfYrWOaUUl

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) March 23, 2026

After falling out of a playoff spot last Thursday following a devastating 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Islanders had the chance to rebound against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. However, they fell 7-3, making Sunday's game against Columbus, the team holding down the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, incredibly important in keeping their playoff hopes alive. 

"That was probably one of the high-stress games of the year for our group," Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. "I mean, it was a hard-fought battle by everybody. Everybody was contributing tonight. All four lines were rolling, and obviously, Sorokin was phenomenal."

The Islanders, who kicked off a stretch of 10 of the final 12 games on home ice Sunday, host the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night at 7 PM ET, a must-win as they continue onward with their playoff push.

Colorado Avalanche News

• Landeskog needed a quick surgery after taking Makar’s slapshot to the family jewels. [TSN]

• Avalanche defeat Blackhawks, become first team to clinch playoff berth. [NHL]

News Around the League

• Alex Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky as only players with 1,000 career goals. [The Athletic]
• Former Avs breaks through in win marred by ugly hit. [Yahoo]

• Wild reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children are being mourned by the hockey community. [Sportsnet]

• Oilers’ McDavid seemingly calls out their coach after a tough loss to the Lightning. [The Hockey Writers]
• Hamilton to become new home of New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate. [CTV News]
• Sidney Crosby speaks up on Olympic puck and makes Jack Hughes look rather petty. [Daily Hive]
• Toronto hosts world’s largest blind hockey tournament at Mattamy Athletic Centre. [CP 24]
• Maple Leafs vs. Senators: Toronto’s trouble starts with Anthony Stolarz scare before the opening faceoff in Ottawa. [Toronto Star]