It's the first time they'll face Dallas since Nov. 18, when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen ended Alexander Romanov's season in the dying seconds of the third of what ended as a 3-2 win for Long Island.
Rantanen failed to control himself as he pursued a puck on the forecheck. His skate clinked with Scott Mayfield's, then Rantanen shoved Romanov at full speed from behind straight into the boards.
Mikko Rantanen was assessed a 5-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for this hit on Alexander Romanov. pic.twitter.com/VPP6ldnQc8
Rantanen faced no supplemental discipline from the NHL for that hit, but within the next week, Rantanen had gotten himself into two more highly dangerous plays that resulted in a fine and another ejection.
The Islanders did not get a chance to make Rantanen answer for his play that hurt Romanov that night, and they won't get a chance to on Thursday, either.
Rantanen suffered an injury while playing for Team Finland at the Olympics and has yet to play for Dallas since the Olympic Break ended.
Rantanen joined the team for their upcoming four-game road trip in full-contact mode, but Dallas has already ruled him out for Thursday's game against the Islanders.
Stars GM Jim Nill says Mikko Rantanen will join the team full-time for practice going forward and will travel with the team during the upcoming 4-game road trip. The hope is for Rantanen to return to play by the last two games of the trip.
As a result, the Islanders will not see the Finnish superstar until next season.
The Islanders haven't truly been able to fill the role that Romanov left behind. During his absence, the Islanders have tried five internal options before general manager Mathieu Darche acquired Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers in exchange for the New Jersey Devils' 2026 third-round selection.
We'll see if the Islanders can qualify for the postseason and if Romanov can get back by then, because he's surely been missed.
Montréal Canadiens - 39-21-10 - 88 Points - 6-3-1 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 3rd in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-22-11 - 87 Points - 6-1-3 in the last 10 - Won 1 - 2nd in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets won for the fifth time in the last six games with a 3-2 victory at Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The club has earned points in 24 of its last 27 contests (20-3-4, 44 pts) to lead the league in wins (tied), points, points pct. (.815) and goals-against per game (2.44) as well as posting the fewest regulation losses since Jan. 11. They also rank seventh-T in penalty kill pct. (81.4) and eighth in goals-for per game (3.59).
CBJ are also 9-2-1 in 12 road contests since Jan. 11, ranking second in the league in points pct. (.792) and third in goals against per game (2.17) and penalty kill pct. (87.1) as well as fifth in power play pct. (30.4).
Columbus has allowed two goals or less in seven of the last eight games since Mar. 10 (1.75 GA/GP, 2nd).
The Blue Jackets have 11 games remaining in the regular season with seven against teams currently holding a playoff spot, and all 11 contests against teams within seven points of a playoff spot.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli has registered points in seven out of the last eight games (3-6-9) and 13 of the last 16 contests (8-10-18). He sits two points (21-32-53, 71 GP) from setting a single-season career high.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 14 of his last 15 starts since Jan. 11 (12-1-2, 2.24 GAA, .915 SV% in 16 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 12 starts over that span (8-2-2, 2.50 GAA in 13 GP).
Mason Marchment notched 1-1-2, including the third period game winner on Tuesday and has totaled 13-10-23 in 29 contests with the Blue Jackets.
Mathieu Olivier has posted 3-1-4 in the past five games and ranks seventh in the NHL in goals since Jan. 28 (11 in 20 GP).
Damon Severson collected two assists at Philadelphia and has registered 3-7-10 in 13 games in March.
Zach Werenski has recorded multiple points in three of the last four games (1-7-8) and tied Artemi Panarin's single-season club record with his 25th multi-point effort on Tuesday (1-1-2). He has notched 21-56-77 in 64 games in 2025-26 to lead NHL blueliners in points-per-game (1.20), multi-point efforts and shots on goal (225) and sit second in points and third in goals.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.1% - 17th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.9% - 22nd in the NHL
Goals For - 225 - 13th in the NHL
Goals Against - 216 - 18th in the NHL
CanadiensStats
Power Play - 25.0% - 3rd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.3% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 247 - 5th in the NHL
Goals Against - 225 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheCanadiens
Columbus is 22-17-1-5 all-time, and 10-10-1-3 on the road vs. Montréal.
Columbus has recorded points in three-straight meetings overall (2-0-1) and 12 of the last 17 dating back to Mar. 28, 2019 (9-5-3).
The club has collected points in five of last eight games at Montreal (3-3-2) but the Canadiens have won the last four home games in the series (CBJ; 0-3-1).
Each of the last three games have been decided by a single goal. Prior to that, 7-of-8 were decided by multiple goals.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals in 11 of the past 15 games since Nov. 19, 2019 (including SO goals).
The teams have combined for six or more goals in four-straight meetings and nine of the past 11.
CBJ have scored a power play goal in two-straight games of the series (2-of-5; 40.0 pct.).
The teams have combined for 60 shots or less in six of the past nine meetings (58.2 avg.).
Who To Watch For TheCanadiens
Cole Caufield leads the Habs with 44 goals.
Captain Nick Suzuki leads the team with 62 assists and 86 points.
Jakub Dobeš is 23-8-4 with a SV% of .896.
Jacob Folwer is 6-5-2 with a SV% of .899.
CBJ Player Notes vsCanadiens
Charlie Coyle has 9 goals 21 points in 29 games against Montréal.
Zach Werenski has 18 career points in 22 games against the Habs
Boone Jenner has 13 points in 25 games against the Canadiens.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 33 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 179
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
* Simulcasted on CW Columbus, WUAB in Cleveland, WXIX in Cincinnati, WZCD in Dayton, WQCW in Charleston/Huntington, WV, WKYT in Lexington, KY and WAVE in Louisville, KY
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The Chicago Blackhawks have not made the playoffs in a long time, but the rebuild, as it is known today, started when Kyle Davidson took over on a full-time basis. He tore it down to the studs and let drafting and developing take over as the main focus.
Davidson has made a handful of small free agent signings and trades to fill out the NHL roster, but players on entry-level deals have been his primary focus from the start. Stockpiling high-end draft picks has been a part of that process.
There have been four drafts since Davidson took over. In that time, he made eleven first-round picks. Remarkably, six of them are going to be in the lineup on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Sacha Boisvert, the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is set to make his NHL debut. He signed with the Blackhawks after completing his 2025-26 season at Boston University. There were some work visa issues to work out, but he’s ready to go.
Boisvert’s debut comes one game after Anton Frondell made his against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Frondell, the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is the top prospect in the organization and one of the top five across the entire league.
Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov are the other four top round picks in the lineup. If Oliver Moore were not injured, he’d be in the mix as well, which would make it 7 out of 11 first-round picks by Davidson playing.
Kevin Korchinski, Marek Vanacker, Vaclav Nestrasil, and Mason West are the four first-rounders not playing in the NHL yet. The only one of them who is eligible right now is Kevin Korchinski, meaning that almost every first-round pick that Davidson has made from 2022-2024 (three drafts) is already contributing or about to contribute at the NHL level.
The jury is still out on Korchinski. He has dominated at times in the AHL but has yet to stick in the NHL when given opportunities. All of the things he does well are skills that Rinzel and Levshunov also do well, while being much more sound defensively.
Vanacker just finished a regular season campaign in the OHL that saw him lead the league in goal scoring. After some AHL seasoning, he has an NHL future.
Vaclav Nestrasil just won a Silver Medal at the World Juniors and was strong in his freshman season at UMass. Another year of college will do him good.
As for Mason West, he completed his goal of winning a high school state football championship. He is now with the Fargo Force of the USHL and will play for Michigan State next year.
Most of the first round picks being hits with the potential for there to be more on the way makes the Blackhawks a dangerous organization going forward. High-end talent put in the proper position is a key to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Blackhawks will have another top 5-10 pick in the NHL draft this June. They are hoping that this is the last one that they have for a while, because it will mean that they have started winning.
Whether the first-round pick from the Florida Panthers comes in 2026 or 2027 remains to be seen. They also have the first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2027, but that could also become a 2028 pick, depending on Edmonton’s finish next year.
Every single one of these first-round players is unlikely to dress for the Blackhawks for any sustained period. Some will not make it, some will be traded, but they are all valuable to Davidson right now.
Their future depends on wise choices for their development from this day forward, with six of them already in the NHL lineup.
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Mar 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates up ice with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Evgeni Malkin will not be in the lineup tonight when the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Ottawa Senators.
The veteran Penguins center will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury after head coach Dan Muse said that Malkin wouldn’t be traveling with the team to face Ottawa.
Dan Muse said Anthony Mantha will travel with the #LetsGoPens for their one-game trip to Ottawa. Evgeni Malkin will not.
The injury was considered ‘day-to-day’ earlier in the week and the specific nature of his injury hasn’t been divulged by the team.
Malkin returned to the lineup earlier this month, scoring two goals and three assists in four games after being suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin during a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Penguins will take the ice tonight in Ottawa with playoff implications at stake.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Penguins sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points and the Senators sit in the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot with 85 points.
OTTAWA, CANADA - DECEMBER 18: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles for position against Artem Zub #2 of the Ottawa Senators in front of goalie Linus Ullmark #35 during the second period on December 18, 2025 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tim Austen/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (35-20-16, 86 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Ottawa Seantors (38-24-9, 85 points, 5th place Atlantic Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, TSN5 and RDS2 up in Canada, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The games keep on coming, the Pens head back to Pittsburgh to face Dallas on Saturday (clock the unusual 5:00pm eastern start). Then next week comes a pair of massive games against the Islanders on Monday on the road, followed by a home game against Detroit on Tuesday.
Opponent Track: Hot opponent alert! The Sens have won four-straight games, six of their last seven and eight of their last 10. Ottawa defeated Detroit 3-2 on Tuesday night in their most recent game, a huge victory to propel them above the Red Wings in the standings.
Season Series: Ottawa is 2-0 against Pittsburgh this year, winning 4-0 back on December 18th and then 3-2 in regulation in Steel City back on February 2nd.
Hidden Stat: The Pens have lost nine out of their last 11 games against Ottawa (2-5-4) since the start of the 2022-23 season. Pittsburgh is also 1-5-3 since March 2023 and lost their last five games (0-1-4) on the road in Ottawa.
Getting to know the Senators
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Drake Batherson – Tim Stutzle – Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund
DEFENSEMEN
Tyler Kleven / Artem Zub
Nicolas Matinpalo / Jordan Spence
Jorian Donovan / Carter Yakemchuk
Goalies: Linus Ullmark and James Reimer
Potential scratches: Thomas Chabot (injured), Kurtis MacDermid, Stephen Halliday, Lassi Thomson, Dennis Gilbert
Injured Reserve: Jake Sanderson, Nick Jensen
Ottawa’s recent run has been all the more impressive considering the injuries they’re dealing with on the blueline. USA Olympian Sanderson has been out since March 7th (he’s expected back next week). Chabot just went down with injury over the weekend. It looks bare bones on paper with an assortment of names but they’ve been making it work.
As a result of the injuries, 21-year old Jorian Donovan and 20-year old Carter Yakemchuk both made their NHL debuts last game. Donovan, a fifth round pick in 2023, is the son of former Penguin (and Senator) Shean Donovan. Yakemchuk was the seventh overall pick in 2024, scoring a goal and adding an assist to have a part in two of the three goals the Senators scored on Tuesday.
Foegele (4G+1A in his last six games) has found some scoring touch lately. He doesn’t get paid by the hour, averaging only 11:25 per game in this stretch but has been able to step up and chip in key goals for the team.
Goaltending has been a major issue for Ottawa and huge reason that they underperformed in the first half of the season. That led the club to add 38-year old James Reimer as a free agent in a desperation move to patch things up. Results are mixed (that 2.32 GAA will sure take care of business) and he’s been a moderate upgrade over Leevi Merilainen who couldn’t keep the puck out of the net this season.
Ullmark has been all over the place but is starting to get the arrow pointed in the right direction. He’s 9-2-2 with a .902 save% and 2.31 GAA since the turn of the calendar year, compared to being 14-8-5 with a .881 save% and 2.95 GAA in the 2025 portion of the 2025-26 season. Even more recently, Ullmark has a .908% and 2.20 GAA in his last six outings. Nothing dominant but certainly an improvement from the start of the year and the Sens are finding ways to keep the goals against down.
Claude Giroux will keep on annoying the Penguins until he retires. Giroux has 12 points (2G+10A) in eight career games against Pittsburgh as a member of the Senators, including the go-ahead goal with 5:08 to play in the third period last game.
Tim Stutzle usually confounds the Pens as well (three points in the first two meetings this season) but by his standards he’s been quiet lately with just three points (2G+1A) in his last seven games.
Key Matchup: A strong test for the Penguin defense
The Senators have been a solid team process-wise, they generate a lot of shot attempts, which helps on the other end where they are also No. 1 in the league in xGA due to staying out of their own end and keeping puck control. They also have shown an ability to finish well on all these shots and have a decent power play.
Ottawa is 10-2-2 since the Olympic break, outscoring their opponents on aggregate by a 48-32 margin. The split between shots per game (6th in NHL at a 30.9 average) to shots allowed (2nd in NHL at 22.1) is very impressive.
On the other side, the Penguins have had their share of significant struggles at limiting the opposition recently. Coach Dan Muse summed up the issues after the 6-2 loss to Colorado:
“The quality is too high,” Muse said of opposing scoring chances lately. “It’s just too loud.”
“It’s not chances where it’s to the outside,” Muse said. “It’s plays into the slot. Guys are open there. Some of them are odd-man rushes, whether it’s a breakaway, or some of the other ones that we’re giving. We’ve got to do a better job there in terms of cleaning that up.”
That better job is going to have to start tonight against a very capable opponent who plays in an uptempo style that has given them fits in recent matchups.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Anthony Mantha*
Ville Koivunen – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Evgeni Malkin (injured), Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves
IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
No sign of Malkin on the ice for the Pens at practice yesterday, which afterwards Muse confirmed Malkin won’t travel with the team on their quick trip to Ottawa. Even worse Mantha was out with a day-to-day injury, but will at least be with the team and seemingly have a chance to play today.
Mantha’s performance bonus adds an additional $250,000 for every 10-games played. He hasn’t missed a game all season so far. He could only miss two games over the course of the year to still pick up the full bonus money by getting to 80 total games, so here’s betting whatever injury he has will be one that he won’t let keep him out of the lineup for too long, or if it does you know it will be painful in more ways than one if Mantha has to be out for three games over the rest of the season. Whether or not that first absence will happen tonight remains to be seen, Kevin Hayes took Mantha’s spot in practice yesterday in perhaps a hopeful sign that lines weren’t disrupted for early plans to adjust.
In the FWIW category, Pens PR points out that Stuart Skinner has a 6-1-0 record in seven games played against Ottawa and he has a .903 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average.
Also, somewhat interestingly, Erik Karlsson has no goals and only seven points in 15 career games against the Ottawa franchise where he played from 2009-18.
Crosby nearing 1,100 assists
Sidney Crosby has 1,098 career assists and figures to become the third fastest player via games played to get to the 1,100 mark once he gets two more helpers. There’s more history is soon to come, with 1,751 points Crosby enters the night four points behind Steve Yzerman’s 1,755. Yzerman currently sits seventh place in all-time league scoring and sixth place Marcel Dionne (1,771) isn’t too far ahead either.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: The Boston Bruins celebrate after winning an NHL game in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres on March 25, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bjorn Franke/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Former Sabre Casey Mittelstadt tied the game late in the third period and Pavel Zacha scored just 38 seconds into overtime to give the Bruins a 4-3 win over the Sabres in Buffalo.
Zacha’s goal, his 24th of the season, capped a back-and-forth game and gave the B’s a much needed win after a disappointing effort against Toronto on Tuesday.
David Pastrnak and Viktor Arvidsson scored the other goals for the Bruins, while Pastrnak also added two assists.
Joonas Korpisalo made 22 saves in the win.
After a slow start to the first period for both teams, Pastrnak got the scoring started 11 minutes in off of a great pass from Fraser Minten. 1-0 Bruins.
Mittelstadt spent the majority of his NHL career in Buffalo, so it was fitting that his big, game-tying goal came in a milestone game: last night’s was the 500th of his NHL career.
We all remember the earlier days of the season, when penalties seemed to sink the Bruins on a nightly basis, and that was nearly the case again tonight. Buffalo went 2-for-3 on the man advantage, and two of those three penalties were tripping calls.
It’s probably silly to harp on Lohrei at this point, but that really was a brutal sequence in the third period. Mistakes/giveaways happen, but to compound it with a cross-checking penalty just can’t happen.
The Bruins deserve a lot of credit for sticking with it after Zucker’s go-ahead goal. Playing your second game in two night’s in a hostile building isn’t easy regardless, and it would have been relatively easy to pack it in after giving up two goals in 30 seconds in the third period.
Pastrnak is up to 3G-6A-9PTS totals in his last five games, as he continues to shoulder the load for the Bruins. His assist on Zacha’s goal was his 60th of the season. That’s two off of his career high of 63, which he has reached for the past two seasons.
To make Wednesday night even bright, the Maple Leafs won again last night, so it was an all-around good night for the Bruins.
The B’s will now enjoy a rarity this season (aside from the Olympic break): three consecutive days without a game, as they’re off until hosting Minnesota on Saturday night.
PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 2: Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save against Drake Batherson #19 of the Ottawa Senators at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 2, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
With both teams desperate for points in their fight for playoff positioning, tonight’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators should have a playoff feel when the teams hit the ice. Right now, the Penguins are holding onto third place in the Metro division while the Senators cling to the second and final wild card spot by virtue of holding the tiebreaker over the New York Islanders. Both the Penguins and Senators will have only 10 games left after tonight’s contest, so expect both sides to leave it all on the ice tonight in Canada’s capital.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00PM EST and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
While a few of the upper tier teams in the Eastern Conference have created separation and are in a comfortable playoff position, that is not the case for the rest as the battle to make the Stanley Cup playoffs is going to come down right to the wire with razor thin margins separating the contenders. [Pensburgh]
After some recent struggles, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins righted the ship a bit last weekend, taking two of three games on a road trip through Canada and clinched a playoff spot in the process. With nine games left on the schedule, the goal is now to lock down a first round bye. [Pensburgh]
Another key injury appears to have hit the Penguins lineup at the worst possible moment. Forward Anthony Mantha, who has already set a new career high in goals this season, did not practice on Wednesday and is considered day-to-day but will be on the plane to Ottawa with the team. [Trib Live]
Like Mantha, Just Brazeau has already set a new career high in goals this season with the Penguins but the well has dried up as of late. He had a goal taken off the board against Colorado on Tuesday, but Brazeau knows the opportunities will come if he just keeps playing his game. [Trib Live]
There’s a strong case to be made for Kyle Dubas as the top general manager in hockey this season as his series of moves over the past year have perfectly positioned this Penguins team break their postseason drought after many considered them a likely basement dweller rather than a playoff contender. [Daily Faceoff]
Another testament to the work Dubas has done since joining the Penguins organization is the way the he has slowly but surely replenished the prospect pool that was near the bottom of the league before he arrived. Now they sit somewhere around the middle of the pack with that stock likely to keep rising. [The Athletic $$]
NHL News and Notes…
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman and team captain Victor Hedman will be taking a temporary leave of absence from the team, citing personal reasons. No other reason was given for his departure nor did the team release any kind of timetable for his return to action. [ESPN]
What shall we expect of the Islanders tonight? With every point crucial in a crowded playoff race, they are in a run where they 1) played aimlessly against Ottawa yet still had at least a point on the table until the final 11 seconds, 2) gave up a gazillion goals to the Habs, 3) played a solid game against Columbus but still needed a Ilya Sorokin shutout, and 4) fell asleep for 10 minutes to lose to the Blackhawks.
That’s not good, not at all, and as a result they sit outside the playoff spots with 10 games to go.
Tonight a Cup contending team visits, though the Dallas Stars are on a three-game losing streak as they begin a four-game eastern trip.
The Isles, meanwhile, acre accumulating blueline injury issues, forcing Matthew Schaefer to break the record for ice time by a teenager in Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks. That game saw Tony DeAngelo leave injured in the first period, while Ryan Pulock sat out another one.
We’ll learn today from the morning skate if Isaiah George, called up before that last game, will get his first NHL action since a two-game stint in January. (On that note, Alex Romanov’s season-ender, Mikko Rantanen, has been out hurt but is apparently on this trip.)
The Boston Bruins are in the midst of a very competitive playoff race in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, and even though they are in a strong position to qualify for the postseason, the job is far from finished.
A brutal 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice Tuesday night was a setback, but the Bruins earned a much-needed two points Wednesday night with an overtime victory versus the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres.
Only 10 games remain on the Bruins’ schedule, and plenty of challenges await on the road to the postseason.
Let’s look at the state of the East playoff race and where the Bruins stand entering Wednesday.
Standings
Atlantic Division
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Wild Card
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If the Bruins make the playoffs, it will most likely be in a wild card spot, but they could also still finish top three in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens and Bruins both have 88 points in third place, but Montreal has two games in hand.
The wild card battle is currently a four-team race, with the Islanders in the worst position of the group. The Bruins are in a good spot with a three-point edge over the Senators and Islanders, along with more regulation wins than the Islanders and Red Wings. Regulation wins is the first tiebreaker, followed by regulation and overtime wins (ROW).
The Bruins will take two points any way they can get them, but accumulating them in regulation is the most impactful way to help their cause.
Remaining schedule
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Jeremy Swayman has been one of the NHL’s best goalies this season.
The No. 1 argument for why the Bruins could miss the playoffs is their schedule. It’s brutally tough the rest of the way. In fact, it’s the hardest remaining slate in the league, per Tankathon.
Seven of the Bruins’ final 10 games are against teams currently in a playoff spot. Six of the 10 are on the road. They play the teams with the second-best, third-best, fifth-best, sixth-best and ninth-best records.
Two matchups remain against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who might be the best team in the East right now. Two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets remain, too, and those matchups will be pivotal (CBJ has 87 points as the second-place team in the Metropolitan Division). Both of those matchups are in Columbus.
Boston’s “easiest” games are against the Panthers and Devils. The Panthers are a tough team to beat and have given the B’s trouble for years, while the Devils beat the Bruins just 10 days ago.
With a bunch of good opponents remaining, plus three more back-to-backs, the Bruins will need to play their best hockey of the season to secure enough points to earn a playoff spot.
What the analytics say
MoneyPuck’s model gives the Bruins a 75.1 percent chance of making the playoffs. HockeyStats’ model gives the Bruins a 71 percent chance. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s model gives the B’s a 57 percent of reaching the postseason.
What must happen for the Bruins to make the playoffs?
They need Jeremy Swayman to keep playing at a Vezina Trophy level. He ranks third among all goalies with 28.3 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, and his 4.72 WAR (wins above replacement) also ranks third-highest in the league.
Strong goaltending has been the primary factor in the Bruins exceeding expectations so far this season. That trend has to continue for the Bruins to punch their ticket to the playoffs, especially when you consider seven of their last 10 games are against opponents who rank top 13 in goals scored per game.
The Pittsburgh Penguins held an hour-long practice on Wednesday before flying up to Ottawa for Thursday's showdown against the Senators.
It will be the biggest game of the season for both teams so far, since they're fighting to get into the playoffs. The Senators currently hold the last wild-card spot, while the Penguins are in third place in the Metropolitan Division.
All healthy players were present and accounted for, except for Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, and Anthony Mantha. Mantha was the big unexpected absence since he played against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
Right as practice was about to start, Penguins PR announced that Mantha is dealing with a lower-body injury. He hasn't missed a game all season, and that streak may continue on Thursday since he traveled with the team to Ottawa. The injury doesn't appear serious.
Here's what the lines looked like:
Forward lines
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Hayes
Koivunen-Kindel-Brazeau
Soderblom-Dewar-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
- It's still surprising to me that head coach Dan Muse doesn't want to switch up the bottom two pairs. He seems committed to making the Girard-Letang pair work, even though it's been too chaotic.
I still maintain that the Penguins' defensive pairs are better when Karlsson, Letang, and Girard are on their own. That way, the team has one pure puck-mover on each pair. It's just more balanced that way.
- Despite two losses in a row, the vibes were good at practice. Everyone seemed to be in an upbeat mood, and some of the players were even joking around on the ice. The Penguins got to practice the shootout at the end of the session, and they did a little 3-on-3 drill at one end of the rink. They've been doing it all season.
- Thursday's game will be the biggest Penguins game in a few years. Yes, that will change when they play the New York Islanders on Monday and the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, but for now, it's true. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives and will want to leave everything out there.
The Penguins have lost only three straight games in regulation once this season (Dec. 16-20), showing their ability to get at least a point in most games. Per MoneyPuck, a Penguins' regulation win on Thursday improves their playoff odds to 85.3%, while a regulation loss decreases the odds to 67.1%.
These are the types of games that fans live for, and hopefully, it lives up to the hype.
TORONTO — Adam Sykora did not just make his NHL debut in the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, but the high-energy wing slotted right into the middle-six role he’ll have to seize if he hopes to have a future as a Ranger.
This marked the beginning of the 2022 second-round pick’s NHL audition.
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Considered a middle-of-the-pack prospect, Sykora hadn’t come close to a recall until the Blueshirts entered this organizational evaluation period amid president and general manager Chris Drury’s initiative to retool.
The 21-year-old is the sixth rookie to make his NHL debut in the Rangers lineup this season.
Of all the youngsters who competed in their first games this season, however, Sykora is one of the more unique cases. Whether his relentless game translates to the NHL level will determine the next step in his professional hockey career.
“I feel like I’m going to like realize it after, maybe, a couple hours,” Sykora said after logging three shots on goal in 13:33 of ice time in the loss. “As I slow my body down and get my nervous system back. I feel like I’m just still in the game, but after, maybe on the flight [back to New York], I will just enjoy the moment.”
Adam Sykora skates during the second period of the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on March 25, 2026. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
There’s a lot to like about Sykora.
His feet never stop moving. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a player on the ice who is outworking him.
Sykora is also much stronger than his generously listed 5-foot-11, 193-pound frame suggests. Pairing that with his insistence on giving 110 percent on every single shift, Sykora is a handful in puck battles.
Despite turning 21 in September, Sykora has already played more than 200 AHL games and made over 100 appearances in the Slovak Extraliga. He’s represented his country at World Championships and Olympic qualifiers.
When he was left off the Slovakian Olympic team that finished fourth in Milan last month, Sykora said he thought he handled it well.
“I was cheering for them a lot,” he said Wednesday morning. “I think they have a very pretty good tournament there, final four. It was pretty exciting for our country, too. And I use it as motivation to show that I can be better. And I use it as my everyday [motivation to] work harder with everything I can, just get there maybe in four years. So I use it [as] my motivation.”
The only person more excited about Sykora making his NHL debut than Sykora himself was his best friend and Wolf Pack roommate, Jaroslav Chmelar.
Chmelar and Sykora are essentially inseparable, as the former described. Not only do they live together just outside of Hartford, but they also room together during road trips. They cook together all the time, with Chmelar having to teach Sykora a thing or two since they moved in.
The 22-year-old Chmelar, who skated in his 12th straight NHL game Wednesday, said he called him as soon as he heard the news. Before they knew it, they were doing their AHL pregame chest-bump ritual on NHL ice.
Adam Sykora smiles during warmups before the Rangers’ loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“My happiness for him is through the roof,” Chmelar said. “I mean, he’s the best person I’ve met. He’s such a nice guy. … We were kind of dreaming about it at the beginning of the year that we would love to play together one time. So hopefully that comes through.”
For the Rangers, it would be ideal for Sykora to show off his upside in this opportunity.
The organization has an abundance of fourth-line players, so Sykora will likely need to fit in elsewhere.
A third-line role seems more realistic, but with Sykora’s work ethic, there’s no telling how high he can aim.
“I thought he was great,” Sullivan said. “I thought he played really well. His speed was evident. He made a couple of nice wall plays. Didn’t panic with the puck. He made good decisions at the lines. Didn’t force things that weren’t there. I thought he made an impact. I thought he had a really good game.”
The New York Rangers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention after their 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
The big storyline going into this matchup was the call-up of Adam Sýkora.
One day after being called up by the Rangers, Sýkora made his NHL debut in Toronto, and Mike Sullivan gave him a substantial role as he played on a line alongside Will Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck.
Sýkora recorded 13:33 minutes while taking three shots on net. His energy throughout the night was prevalent to the watchful eye, specifically when it came to his relentless puck-pursuit game and ability to create plays through his speed.
"I thought he was great,” Sullivan said of Sýkora. “I thought he played really well. His speed was evident. He made a couple of nice wall plays. Didn't panic with the puck. He made good decisions at the lines. Didn't force things that weren't there. I thought he made an impact. I thought he had a really good game."
This night was a long time coming for the 21-year-old forward, who was selected by the Rangers in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft and has spent the last three seasons playing in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
“I just enjoyed it in the moment,” Sýkora said, “It was like a pretty good feeling. I’m super grateful again for the opportunity… First couple of shifts I was kind of nervous, but then I just try to be in the moment, enjoy, play simple. I felt like I did a good job as the game went.”
From recording 10 shots in their 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night, the Rangers came out with a lot more fire in Toronto and actually posted a season-high 43 shots on net.
It was a game in which the Rangers felt they deserved better, but Igor Shesterkin had a rare lackluster performance, giving up four goals on just 18 shots.
“Definitely the opposite of last game,” J.T. Miller said. “We outplayed them for pretty much the entire game. We shot the puck a lot more, had a more direct mentality, skated more. We played a good game. One of those games where they were more opportunistic than we were, but yeah, (you) can sleep whenever you play like that.”
Ultimately, the Rangers’ effort in Toronto does not change the difficult reality they find themselves in.
Despite essentially being eliminated from the playoffs for weeks now, Wednesday night’s loss put a dagger in what has been a dreadful season for the Blueshirts.
The Rangers had hoped to flip the script from their failures of the 2024-25 campaign by hiring Mike Sullivan to be the team’s head coach and signing Vladislav Gavrikov.
Out of the gate to start the season, the Rangers’ inconsistencies were fully apparent, and the season went south in January when both Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin missed a significant chunk of time with injuries, resulting in the team plummeting down the Eastern Conference standings.
Chris Drury’s letter to fans issued on Jan. 16 outlining the Rangers’ plan to “retool” the roster put their underachievement into more perspective.
From the moment the letter was issued up until now, the Rangers have made a slew of trades and attempted to restore a sense of purpose, but there has been really very little to play for.
“I don’t think anybody would have thought we’d be where we are right now, eliminated with this many games left,” Miller said. “Obviously, we failed in reaching our goal this year.”
There are still 10 games to go before the Rangers can pack their bags for what will be a long summer, and all Sullivan can do is try to build some sort of positive momentum into next year and push his team to the finish line to close out this tumultuous season.
“Nobody is thrilled with where we are at,” Sullivan said. “We're doing everything we can to try to instill a certain standard here that we can build on moving forward.”
Even without a fully healthy lineup, the Colorado Avalanche demonstrated Tuesday night just how dangerous they can be. Fresh off the returns of captain Gabe Landeskog and penalty kill specialist Logan O'Connor, Colorado exacted revenge on the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 6–2 win at PPG Paints Arena.
Though sloppy at times, the Avalanche displayed the caliber and grit of a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. When 12 different players record at least a point, it speaks not only to the stars producing but to the depth that truly wins championships.
Kelly breaks down the goal with Altitude's Kyle Keefe.
Necas Leads the Charge
Nathan MacKinnon scored just 4:57 into the game, marking his league-leading 46th goal of the season. Sam Malinski scored for the first time in nearly three months, while Martin Necas—arguably the NHL’s best player coming out of the Olympic break—delivered another standout performance with two goals, including one on the power play, an area where Colorado had struggled most of the season until recently.
Prior to the Olympic break, the Avalanche ranked at or near the bottom of the NHL in power-play efficiency, converting just 15% of opportunities. Since February 25, however, Colorado has climbed nearly 20 spots in the standings, converting on 23% of their power plays. Necas has been the not-so-secret weapon, tallying 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points in his last 15 games.
Lines Clicking at the Right Time
The Avalanche may have the league’s most dangerous lineup. The return of O’Connor on the third line provided a massive boost and allowed Nazem Kadri, acquired at the trade deadline from the Calgary Flames, to slot in at center behind MacKinnon and Brock Nelson.
That line looked deadly all night, especially with Parker Kelly joining the mix. Colorado opened the game with four first-period goals, and with 2:41 left, Kelly scored the fourth. It began when Kadri beat former Avs defenseman Samuel Girard to the puck along the boards, quickly fed it behind the net to O’Connor, who found Kelly at the doorstep for a one-timer that found the net.
Beyond scoring, the line’s overall performance was encouraging, averaging about 15 minutes of ice time. O’Connor logging 15 minutes after 11 months away is remarkable—and it should only improve as he gains more games under his belt.
That said, this Penguins team had just handed the Avalanche a 7‑2 loss on home ice. While Evgeni Malkin was out, Colorado wasn’t at full strength either, making this win far from guaranteed.
Depth to Challenge Any Opponent
Nic Roy was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury and is expected to return by the end of the regular season. Meanwhile, Artturi Lehkonen, sidelined since March 3 with an upper-body injury against the Anaheim Ducks, is expected to rejoin the top six upon his return.
The expected return of Artturi Lehkonen could make this team unstoppable.
When that happens, Ross Colton—who scored in his first game back from injury—may slide from the second line to the fourth. Roy, a dual-threat who can play center or wing, would likely take the left side of the third line with Kadri remaining at 3C and O’Connor on the right. A potential fourth line could feature Colton, Jack Drury, and Joel Kiviranta.
Colorado’s depth has been a hallmark of the franchise. In 2022, injuries to stars like Darcy Kuemper and Kadri were absorbed seamlessly, with replacements like Pavel Francouz and Jack Johnson stepping up. Even with healthy scratches like Gavin Brindley, the team remains formidable, with prospects like Zakhar Bardakov adding depth and elite forechecking.
In short, this Avalanche team is a powerhouse. As they head into Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Colorado isn’t just a contender—they’re a benchmark of depth, skill, and resilience. Opponents will face a relentless, multi-layered lineup, and if the Avalanche can sustain their execution, they enter the postseason as the team to beat.
TORONTO (AP) — Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist, Joseph Woll made 40 saves and added an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Rangers 4-3 on Wednesday night, eliminating New York from playoff contention.
Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson and John Tavares had the other goals for Toronto and Matias Maccelli added two assists. Woll picked up the second assist on Joshua’s goal for his first NHL point.
Mika Zibanejad scored two goals and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, while Igor Shesterkin stopped 14 shots. Adam Fox chipped in two assists.
New York, which will finish below the postseason cutline for a second straight season, sits second-to-last in the overall standings. Toronto ranks 21st and is on the way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
BRUINS 4, SABRES 3, OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Paval Zacha scored 38 seconds into overtime, David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and Boston rallied for a win over Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo.
Casey Mittelstadt scored with six minutes remaining to tie the game, and Viktor Arvidsson also scored. Boston bounced back from a 4-2 loss to Toronto a night earlier, and moved into a tie in points with Montreal for third in the Atlantic Division standings — and three points ahead of eighth-place Ottawa.
Joonas Korpisalo finished with 22 saves.
Jason Zucker scored twice and Zach Benson also scored for Buffalo, which is 12-1-2 in its past 15. The Sabres still earned a point to tie Carolina atop the Eastern Conference and move within 10 points of clinching their first playoff berth in 15 years.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves.
The Bruins won after both teams squandered one-goal leads in the third period.
TORONTO (AP) — Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist, Joseph Woll made 40 saves and added an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Rangers 4-3 on Wednesday night, eliminating New York from playoff contention.
Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson and John Tavares had the other goals for Toronto and Matias Maccelli added two assists. Woll picked up the second assist on Joshua’s goal for his first NHL point.
Mika Zibanejad scored two goals and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, while Igor Shesterkin stopped 14 shots. Adam Fox chipped in two assists.
New York, which will finish below the postseason cutline for a second straight season, sits second-to-last in the overall standings. Toronto ranks 21st and is on the way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Tavares scored his 26th goal of the season at 11:57 of the third period to make it 4-2 when he ripped a shot past Shesterkin after Toronto had built a 3-0 lead in the second.
New York’s Adam Sykora made his NHL debut after being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old winger, selected 63rd overall at the 2022 draft, had 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points across 62 games in the AHL this season.
Toronto’s William Nylander is one point away from passing his father, Michael, for family bragging rights. The winger has 679 points in 741 regular-season games. The elder Nylander registered 679 points in 920 contests.
New York, which tied a dubious franchise record with just 10 shots in Monday’s 2-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators, directed 14 attempts on target in Wednesday’s opening period. The visitors had 17 more shots on Woll in the second.
Up next
Rangers: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Maple Leafs: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
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David Kirouac-Imagn Images
