The Hockey News' main site has revealed players 41-60 for their latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings. Several Chicago Blackhawks prospects made the cut from 61-100, and now another has made this latest batch: Roman Kantserov.
Kantserov was given the No. 52 spot in THN's rankings, and when looking at the season he has had, it is not difficult to understand why. The 5-foot-9 forward was simply dominant this regular season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL, as he had 36 goals, 28 assists, and 64 points in 63 games. He has also had a hot start to the playoffs, as he has two goals and four points in two games.
With how well Kantserov has played this season in the KHL, it is hard not to be excited about his future with the Blackhawks. The young forward has the tools and skill to become a top-six forward later down the road. With this, he is easily one of the Blackhawks' most exciting prospects, and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop his game from here.
The Hockey News' main site has revealed players 41 to 60 from their latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings. Three Philadelphia Flyers made the cut with the latest batch: Jack Nesbitt (No. 48), Jett Luchanko (No. 49), and David Jiricek (No. 51).
Nesbitt was selected by the Flyers with the 12th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-4 forward had a strong regular season with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, as he had 25 goals, 33 assists, 58 points, and a plus-26 rating in 55 games. With this, it makes sense that he made these rankings.
Luchanko was selected by the Flyers with the 13th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. In 38 games this season split between the Guelph Storm and Brantford Bulldogs, the 19-year-old had seven goals, 36 assists, and 43 points.
As for Jiricek, the Flyers acquired him at the trade deadline from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Bobby Brink. The 6-foot-4 blueliner is still looking to cement himself as a full-time NHL defenseman, but there is no question that he has good upside. In seven games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms since the trade, he has two goals and six points.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators never doubted they could be a playoff team. Proving it took far longer than expected.
A franchise that ranked dead last in the NHL standings as late as Dec. 8 goes into the final 10 games of the regular season sitting in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Even better, Nashville is just three points back of Utah for the first wild-card berth with a game in hand.
“I think each and every one in this room thought we’d be here, and I think that’s really all that matters,” Predators forward Filip Forsberg said. “Whatever’s going on outside this room is out of our control. Since the trade deadline, I think everyone’s been bought in.”
Nashville snapped a five-game winning streak Thursday night with a 4-2 loss to New Jersey, but the Predators have clawed their way out of a hole that had them 11 points out of the last playoff berth. Since Dec. 9, they are 24-15-5.
“We just got to keep doing everything we can to stay on top,” Forsberg said.
Contending has been the expectation since Nashville’s free agent spending spree in July 2024. General manager Barry Trotz signed two-time Stanley Cup champ Steven Stamkos, 2023 playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei, putting the Predators among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Then the Predators completely missed the postseason with only San Jose and Chicago between them and last in the NHL.
Adding insult to injury? Nashville slipped two spots in the draft lottery as well.
The Predators talked plenty last offseason trying to fix what went wrong. Then they stumbled out of the gate yet again. It didn’t help when captain Roman Josi was sidelined eight games into the season by an upper-body injury that cost him 12 games.
Stamkos started the turnaround.
After only six goals and three assists through the first 25 games, Stamkos started scoring in December with 12 goals. He now leads the Predators with 36 goals — only the fourth time a Nashville player has scored at least 35 in a season.
Coach Andrew Brunette said Thursday that Stamkos didn’t change after the slow start, which he called remarkable.
“I mean, I considered myself a pretty good team player,” Brunette said. “I’m not sure I would handle things the way he handled it where he just came to work every day and try to help as many people as he could. That’s why you’re so ecstatic he took off.”
Nashville’s other veterans are doing their part as well. Josi has 30 points since Jan. 11, fifth-most among defensemen, and Forsberg has 12 points during Nashville’s last five games.
Marchessault has 10 assists this month alone, including three in Tuesday night’s 6-3 win over San Jose.
“He’s obviously been battling through a couple things during the season, but now this is what we brought him here for, you know, the end of the season,” Forsberg said of Marchessault. “And he’s showing some incredible playmaking.”
Trotz, who announced his plan to retire Feb. 2, stuck with his pricey veterans and traded away only four players on expiring contracts before the NHL trade deadline.
That freed up more playing time for the rookies, and Nashville’s six rookies went into Thursday with a combined 201 games this season, good for seventh-most in the NHL. Those rookies also had 25 goals or 10th-most in the league. After Reid Schaefer’s goal Thursday night, they have a combined 15 points since March 5 led by center Matthew Wood’s six goals in that time.
Forward Luke Evangelista, who has a career-high 40 assists and 50 points, said working through this helped the Predators build a strong bond.
“It feels like we’ve seen the lowest of lows together, and we’ve dragged ourselves out of the mud and we did it together as a group and I think that just kind of built that toughness,” Evangelista said.
The Predators have some company rebounding this season. Buffalo was last in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 13 with the Sabres pushing to first in the Atlantic on March 8. Columbus was last in the East on Jan. 12 when a coaching change pushed the Blue Jackets to second in the Metropolitan Division.
Nashville has plenty of incentive to keep pushing through the end of the regular season.
The first wild-card will play the Pacific Division champ rather than start against NHL points leader Colorado. The Predators start a six-game road swing Sunday with five teams within six points of them.
“Every game from here on out is going to be a playoff type game for us,” Skjei said.
We only have two games on the schedule, but I’ve still managed to find value in my NHL player props for tonight. I’ll include Connor Bedard, Mika Zibanejad, and Alex DeBrincat.
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Our best NHL player props for Friday, March 27
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Connor Bedard Over 3.5 shots on goal
+115 at BET99
Connor Bedard is having a nice campaign for the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 30 goals and tallying 37 assists.
He’s always creating opportunities, averaging 3.32 SOG per contest. The former first overall pick has cashed the Over in back-to-back appearances.
The Hawks visit the New York Rangers tonight, and Bedard has hit the Over in shots on target in three straight road games. The Rangers are incredibly vulnerable defensively, ranking 30th in the NHL in SOG allowed.
Bedard should have no issues generating chances this evening.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, MSG
Prop #2: Mika Zibanejad anytime goal
+145 at BET99
The Rangers may be in the midst of a six-game losing streak, but Mika Zibanejad can't be blamed. The Swede has 32 goals in 2025-26, and he’s found the back of the net in four of his last five games.
Despite Wednesday’s defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zibanejad notched both goals for the Rangers. He’s scored in two of his previous three outings at home, and the Rangers welcome the Blackhawks to Madison Square Garden tonight.
Chicago is 23rd in goals allowed, and they just gave up five in their last contest.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, MSG
Prop #3: Alex DeBrincat Over 0.5 assists
+120 at BET99
Alex DeBrincat has been key for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 35 goals and assisting on 39.
We’ll focus on his playmaking here, because the winger is dominating lately. He’s cashed the Over in helpers in six of his last seven.
The 28-year-old has six assists across his previous four games alone. DeBrincat set up a goal on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, and last Thursday, he tallied two helpers against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Wings visit the Buffalo Sabres tonight, and Buffalo has allowed 10 goals over its last two games.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 4–0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
It wasn’t a pretty night whatsoever for the Canucks, as Vancouver failed to hit the 20-shot mark for the 10th time this season. In terms of scoring chances-for, they only managed a grand total of 18, nine of which came during the third period. On the flip side, they surrendered 35, including 12 in the first period and 16 in the second. Half of their second-period scoring chances against were high-danger.
As evidenced by the location of their goals-against, Vancouver had a very difficult time clearing the crease against the Kings. Two of Los Angeles’ goals came from bounces off players driving to the net. In terms of offence, the Canucks were unable to generate anything even remotely dangerous near Darcy Kuemper.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings, March 26, 2026, Natural Stat Trick.
Offensively, there was not much to like about Vancouver’s performance. Having said that, statistically speaking, Nils Höglander had one of the stronger performances of the game. He was one of five Canucks to put up a CF% over 50%, with his coming in at 52.63% (fourth-highest on Vancouver). As well, he finished with the outright highest xGF% with 63.70%, with second being Zeev Buium with 49.65%.
In line with Höglander’s performance is the fact that his line — himself, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson — put up the highest CF% of all four of Vancouver’s lines with 62.50%. While they did play the least amount of time together of all four units (7:03), they did manage four scoring chances-for and only two against.
Vancouver will now go on the road for the next four games, with their next game taking place on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Mar 26, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander (21) checks Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar (11) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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For the second game of their three-game Pacific Division road trip to Canada, the Anaheim Ducks traveled to Alberta to take on the Calgary Flames on Thursday evening.
The Ducks were coming off a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and were looking to extend their lead in the Pacific Division standings as well as extend their winning streak to four games.
Calgary came into this game with the fourth fewest points in the NHL standings, but were riding a four-game winning streak of their own. The Ducks traded forward Ryan Strome to the Flames at the NHL trade deadline earlier this month for a seventh-round pick, and this was to be Strome’s first game against his former club.
The Ducks’ lineup took a bit of a hit, as Troy Terry was ruled out of this game with a lower-body injury. Frank Vatrano was inserted into Terry’s spot on the first line. Jansen Harkins was injured early in Tuesday’s game and was also not featured in the lineup.
The Ducks recalled forward Nathan Gaucher from the San Diego Gulls earlier on Thursday, but he was scratched, as was Drew Helleson on the blueline. Ian Moore started the game as the fourth line right winger, and the remainder of the lineup remained somewhat steady to start.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Vatrano
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Viel-Poehling-Gauthier
McTavish-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Zellweger-Gudas
Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks for the second time in their last three games and saved 23 of 25 shots in this one. For Calgary, Devin Cooley stood between the pipes and stopped 30 of 33.
Game Notes
The Ducks attempted to push tempo and manufacture chances early, but were thwarted by an effective Calgary forecheck, which broke up several plays with an active and effective F1 before they could build and were turned back toward Husso. As the game progressed and Anaheim generated the majority of power play opportunities, the game flow flipped, and they made safer plays up ice after going down 1-0 early in the second period.
Radko Gudas was forced out of this game with 7:38 remaining in the second period with a lower-body injury and would not return. Pavel Mintyukov blocked a shot in the seventh minute of the third period, which forced him to writh in pain on the ice until Calgary took a 2-1 lead. He returned for two shifts in the dying minutes of the game, aiding his tiring blueline mates.
At 5v5 in this game, the Ducks accounted for the majority of shots on goal (53.06%) and shot attempts (53.85%), but Calgary got shots off from better locations, accounting for 51.84% of the expected goals.
Mikael Granlund: If there were such a thing as a “veteran hat trick,” this was it. Two minutes after the Ducks surrendered yet another opening goal, Granlund finds space in the middle on the rush, uses a defender as a screen, and beats Cooley from distance.
Later, when Calgary takes a late penalty in the final five minutes of a one-goal game, Granlund gets to a spot to the right of Cooley where a perimeter rebound finds him, and he buries from a severe angle.
To finish this one off, Calgary takes another penalty in the last minute of overtime. In the final second of the extra period, he and John Carlson run a switch at the top of the left circle that puts Granlund in a one-time spot, and while fading away from the net, Granlund is able to beat Cooley from distance again, this time using Kreider’s screen in front.
With McTavish in the press box or in the bottom six of late, Granlund has stepped up offensively, utilizing his elite vision, tenacity, and hockey IQ to fill in the gaps left by a struggling young player. Granlund now has seven points (all goals) in his last four games, including five in his last two.
Power Play: Though he’s been resigned to fourth-line duties since returning from a pair of healthy scratches, McTavish has performed well on the power play and found ways to spark quality chances on the man advantage. He’s being utilized at the left flank, where he can draw toward the blueline to support his point defenseman (LaCombe) at the top of the umbrella.
From that spot, as is the case with Granlund on the Ducks’ other unit, McTavish can feed one-time attempts to the top of the umbrella. When that option isn’t available, he can attack downhill, looking for space to get his own shot off, hit the goal line release forward, find the bumper, or attempt a seam pass to the opposite flank, all plays McTavish has shown he has the ability to make from that spot.
The Ducks will wrap up their Western Canada road trip on Saturday with a matinee game against the team trailing them in the Pacific Division race: the Edmonton Oilers. This will be a true litmus test for this Ducks group and perhaps their most important game of the season to date.
The Montreal Canadiens were closing their second-to-last homestand of the regular season on Thursday night at the Bell Centre by taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets. With both teams in the playoff race, it promised to be a tight game, and things got a bit heated during the post-morning-skate media availability. Martin St-Louis is clearly in playoff mode, and he didn’t care for being asked about any lineup changes. The coach doesn’t want to make things easier for the opponents by telling them what’s coming, and that’s his prerogative, at least until the league decides to make lineup disclosure mandatory as it is in the NBA.
After making 41 saves on Tuesday night, Jakub Dobes was unsurprisingly back in the net for the Habs. As for Joe Veleno, he made a return to the lineup since Alexandre Texier is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Unfortunately for Dobes, the game started much like Tuesday’s one, with the Czech netminder being peppered with shots early on. With 8:22 left in the first frame, shots were 9-3 Columbus, and had it not been for the masked man, the score wouldn’t have been 1-0 Montreal.
However, that’s not what stood out the most in the first period; it was the number of odd-man rushes the Canadiens gave the Jackets. While it’s understandable for an offensive defenseman to tend to pinch at the blueline, Lane Hutson has to be able to evaluate the risk he’s taking. It’s in one of those instances that the Blue Jackets tied up the score.
Granted, it didn’t help that Struble was unable to handle Columbus’s clearance and ended up effectively setting them up for the two-on-one. The fact that the puck was in his skates made it quite hard to control, however. Furthermore, he was the one who had initially given Montreal the lead, joining the attack at the opportune time, and he was also on the ice for the Habs’ second goal, a strong game overall for the blueliner.
Speaking after the game, St-Louis explained:
The first frame was kind of like against Carolina; we gave them the puck. We killed plays, but we’d give the puck back, in our zone as well. We were dumping the puck in the wrong places; their goalie got to it throughout the first frame. We didn’t have any forecheck. When you have no forecheck, and you give the puck back in your defensive zone, you don’t have the puck. We didn’t hurt ourselves too much, and we played a better second frame and managed the third.
- St-Louis on his team's game
Cutting Down On Mistakes
Often this season, we’ve heard St-Louis mention his team had shot itself in the foot, committing too many giveaways, and we’ve seen a lot of that in the weekend when they lost back-to-back games to the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks. Still, the young Canadiens were much better in that department against the Jackets.
Through 40 minutes, Montreal had only been guilty of three giveaways while Columbus had committed 10. Of course, there’s room for improvement when it comes to making the most of the opportunities given by the opponent, but the Habs are trending in the right direction when it comes to playing a responsible game.
After 60 minutes, they had a total of eight giveaways, and when they did make mistakes, Dobes was ready for it. After the game, St-Louis said:
He plays very good hockey. He’s a big part of our success. Hockey is a game of mistakes; you try to make as few as possible, and when you make them, you hope your goalie can fix them, and that’s what he’s doing.
Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky's point streaks all came to an end tonight, and while on most nights their lack of production could have been a disaster for the Canadiens, it wasn’t on the night. The coach had decided to put Josh Anderson on a line with Zachary Bolduc and Jake Evans instead of with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher, and it paid off.
Bolduc and Anderson both play a heavy game and are efficient on the forecheck, and tonight, they didn’t give the Columbus defence much time to execute. The Quebecer hadn’t scored a goal since December 23, and yet, in the first frame, when he had a chance to take a shot, he saw Struble coming up the wing, and he made the right read by giving him the puck to create the first goal.
Then, in the third frame, Evans made a perfect cross-zone pass to Bolduc, who had acres of space on the other side of the ice, and he was able to beat Jet Greaves with a sharp shot. It’s not been easy for the 23-year-old this season. The Canadiens play a special brand of hockey, and when you join, you have to learn to play the St-Louis way. That’s all about making the right reads, not only offensively, but defensively. It takes a certain level of commitment to that craft to buy into the team defence side of the game, and the coach has been impressed with Bolduc of late.
The bench boss feels like he has really put it all together when it comes to playing the right way without the puck in the last month or so, and while he wishes the players had been rewarded more often offensively, he’s convinced that good things are coming for the youngster.
The Habs won't practice tomorrow as they'll be traveling to Nashville to start a five-game road trip from which they'll only return on April 5th.
OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 26: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first-period goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates at the players' bench on March 26, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins got a bit of a boost Thursday night when it comes to their chances of making the NHL’s postseason for the first time since 2022.
Going into Thursday night’s game, HockeyViz had listed the Penguins as having an 83% chance of qualifying for playoffs as the team sat in third place in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division.
With the shootout win, the Penguins playoff chance jumped to 90%, according to HockeyViz.
Other results around the league including the Capitals win, Blue Jackets loss, Flyers win, and Islanders win brings the Penguins’ playoff chance back to around 87% at the conclusion of the night’s games.
OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 26: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his game-winning shootout goal against the Ottawa Senators on March 26, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled up to Canada’s capital city on Thursday night to fight the Senators, another team jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Pittsburgh lost Sidney Crosby to injury early in the second period, but others stepped up, leading to the second shootout win over the last five days. [Recap]
With the Penguins’ recent run of form in goal, how much sense does it make calling up Sergei Murashov to stop the bleeding? One argument is that a call-up is becoming increasingly justified. The “right time” may be sooner than later, especially if Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs continue to falter, but only if Murashov can be supported. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins recalled forwards Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday morning, as the team deals with a sudden barrage of injuries to Evgeni Malkin, Blaze Lizotte, Anthony Mantha (potentially now Sidney Crosby), among others. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Former Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato has been named as the U.S. coach for the IIHF World Championships. [Sportsnet]
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will take place on May 5. [Sportsnet]
Mike Sullivan’s first season with the New York Rangers has not gone as planned, as the Original Six franchise has been officially eliminated from postseason contention. [TSN]
Congratulations if you made it to the fantasy hockey playoffs, and commiserations to those who fell short.
For those still in it, do everything you can to advance. Strategize your lineup and check it right up until lock. Don't be afraid to swap out a better player with less favorable opportunities, and be sure to consider someone from the list below.
Owen Tippett, PHI (Yahoo: 42%): Tippett has rounded back into form over the last 10 games by posting eight points, 37 shots, 30 hits and 10 blocks. He's skating in the top six and on the second power play, though the latter area hasn't been the most plentiful for the Flyers, as the team comfortably ranks last at 14.5% efficiency. If Philadelphia wants to get back into the playoff picture, Tippett and others will need to keep producing.
Patrick Kane, DET (Yahoo: 34%): The ageless Kane continues to be an offensive force on a club desperate to not come up short of qualifying for the postseason again. He's been supplying his share via three goals, six assists and 31 shots over nine outings, with three of those helpers coming on Detroit's lead man-advantage. Kane needs to be on more rosters based on recent output. Do your part in increasing his coverage.
Blake Coleman, CGY (Yahoo: 25%): Coleman has taken on a larger role with the Flames since the trade deadline, moving up to the first line and power play, where he's notched eight points — including his first power-play point of the season — on top of 35 shots and 20 hits while averaging 18:11 of ice time. Expect him to keep it going, as he was already a decent cross-category performer before a few teammates were dealt, while the Flames' current forward talent is a bit thin.
Bobby McMann, SEA (Yahoo: 25%): McMann received his get-out-of-sinking-ship card at the deadline, coming over from Toronto after tallying 19 goals and 13 assists through 60 contests. And it didn't take him long to fit in with his new team as he went off for two goals — one of those a power-play goal — an assist, four shots and four hits during his Kraken debut. McMann has since grabbed another four markers (and second PPG), two helpers, 16 pucks on net and 11 hits. Fantasy managers may be hesitant to add him considering a history of brief production bursts, yet he already holds better placement in Seattle than he ever did with the Maple Leafs.
Gabe Perreault, NYR (Yahoo: 19%): The Rangers' season has been so rough that they're close to clinching last in the East, which isn't very surprising since every other team in the conference boasts a winning record. Despite this probable event, there's hope for the future. Perreault received a brief look with the Rangers in November before going to the minors and dominating, which resulted in another NHL return that saw him find the scoresheet in each of his first three games. Additionally, thanks to sharing the ice next to J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, and now Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere, Perreault has picked up 13 points and 21 shots this month.
Viktor Arvidsson, BOS (Yahoo: 19%): Boston's second line has been crucial throughout the campaign, with the trio mainly staying together. Arvidsson has made people forget about his disappointing stop in Edmonton by accumulating 20 goals and 22 assists, with 16 of those points being generated during the last 18 matchups. He's also been busy firing shots on net with 39 during this span and 154 overall. If the Bruins want to make the playoffs, they'll need Arvidsson and others up front to come through.
Jonathan Marchessault, NSH (Yahoo: 14%): Marchessault fared well in his first season with Nashville as he racked up 56 points, including 23 power-play points. Slow production and a month-long absence derailed his momentum, but the stats would revert to more normal numbers after reappearing in late January by way of four goals, 14 assists — three of those being power-play assists — 54 shots, 22 PIM and 24 hits. As Marchessault is back on the Predators' top man-advantage and excelling for his team, maybe he can do the same for fantasy squads.
Jordan Staal, CAR (Yahoo: 8%): You can stop reading this section now if you believe Staal has been included here due to his scoring. It's all about the secondary contributions for Carolina's 37-year-old third-line center and penalty-killing master. Staal's three points in the last seven matchups are only a bonus in relation to the 12 shots, 25 hits and 70 faceoff wins. Take a chance on a player who's on the backup power play and potted a power-play goal last Friday while part of a strong offense with Nikolaj Ehlers regularly by his side.
Defensemen
Filip Hronek, VAN (Yahoo: 50%): A player earning three mentions in this column during one season needs to be someone who can definitely improve your fantasy squad. The Canucks may be destined to finish last in the league, but they've looked more lively — and healthier — of late, with a few of their key contributors leading the way. Brock Boeser was discussed again last week, so let's give further appreciation to Hronek, as he's reeled off nine points, 24 shots, 19 hits and 11 blocks in the last 11 games while averaging a whopping 25:46 of ice time. As Vancouver's quarterback on the first power-play unit, he's delivered four power-play points over that stretch. Ignoring plus-minus, Hronek represents a solid addition in most formats.
Owen Power, BUF (Yahoo: 20%): It would be wrong to label Power as a first-overall draft bust even though he hasn't yet reached any elite scoring totals, since most defenders would be more than happy producing a combined 108 points over the previous three seasons. He's been slightly off the pace this year, though he has registered four goals and five assists across 13 appearances to go with 16 shots and 18 blocks on 22:13 of ice time per game. Power may no longer assume a man-advantage role, yet he is paired at even-strength with Bowen Byram and continues to hold offensive upside within a dangerous Buffalo attack.
Jake McCabe, TOR (Yahoo: 18%): McCabe is enjoying the most ice time of his career, which has mainly paid off on the stat sheet. Going back to March 12, he's notched four points, eight shots, eight hits, eight PIM, 26 blocks and a plus-6 rating at just under 24 minutes of ice time per outing. While McCabe's special-teams participation mainly involves the shorthanded side, he benefits from a 5-on-5 partnership alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Anyone who is solid for physical categories who can also chip in with scoring usually proves to be a decent fantasy performer.
Carter Yakemchuk, OTT (Yahoo: 4%): The Ottawa blue line has been decimated by injuries, with Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot the most notable casualties. With five in total currently out, Yakemchuk was called up from the AHL on Monday. The 2024 first-rounder recorded 36 points over 50 minor-league matchups and immediately starred for the Senators on Tuesday during his debut with his first NHL goal and assist. Yakemchuk also alternated with Jordan Spence on the man-advantage while picking up a power-play assist. His power-play time could diminish, as Sanderson is set to return soon, but Yakemchuk will likely still be involved offensively.
Goaltenders
Jake Allen, NJ (Yahoo: 16%): Streaming goalies later in the regular season can be important as there are usually more back-to-backs, and both recommendations here will soon be involved in that situation. Allen hasn't been the most consistent, while most of New Jersey's starts have gone to Jacob Markstrom, though Allen has won two of his last three appearances. Allen was also on fire during a five-week span over October and November when he posted a 7-3 record alongside a 2.13 GAA and .920 save percentage. Markstrom will probably start Saturday in Carolina, which would leave Allen with the more favorable Sunday matchup at home against the Blackhawks.
Elvis Merzlikins, CBJ (Yahoo: 9%): Entering Thursday, the Blue Jackets sat second in the Metropolitan Division thanks to victories in five of their last six games. Over that stretch, Jet Greaves produced a 1.59 GAA and .934 save percentage across his five outings. The other one was ably handled on Saturday by Merzlikins, as he faced only 17 shots versus Seattle. Columbus will welcome San Jose and Boston this Saturday and Sunday, and the netminder allotments haven't yet been announced as of writing. The Sharks have recently struggled, while the Bruins are surging again, so the former could be considered as the more favorable opponent. Either way, Merzlikins is nearly guaranteed to get action on a club motivated to remain in the playoff race.
Washington Capitals (36-28-9, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-26-15, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Washington Capitals after Mark Stone's two-goal game against the Edmonton Oilers in the Golden Knights' 4-3 overtime loss.
Vegas is 32-26-15 overall and 16-12-8 in home games. The Golden Knights have conceded 223 goals while scoring 227 for a +4 scoring differential.
Washington has gone 14-17-4 in road games and 36-28-9 overall. The Capitals have committed 284 total penalties (3.9 per game) to rank 10th in NHL play.
The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. The Capitals won 3-2 in the last meeting. Pierre-Luc Dubois led the Capitals with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell Marner has 19 goals and 51 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
Alexander Ovechkin has 29 goals and 27 assists for the Capitals. Ryan Leonard has scored four goals with one assist over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 3-6-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.4 assists, 4.4 penalties and 10.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
Capitals: 5-3-2, averaging 2.8 goals, four assists, 4.1 penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body), Carter Hart: out (leg), Jonas Rondbjerg: out (lower body).
Capitals: Ethen Frank: day to day (lower-body), David Kampf: out (not injury related).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Frustration was the clear winner in the Vancouver Canucks’ 4–0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings tonight. There were lots of frustrating elements to tonight’s game, from the Canucks logging only 19 shots on goal to awkward shift lengths such as Tom Willander getting caught on the ice for over three minutes. The lone solid performance on the night came from Kevin Lankinen, who stopped 34 of 37 shots faced.
A weakness of Vancouver’s early on tonight was their inability to clear the crease of traffic from the Kings. Los Angeles’ first two goals of the game came off of some extremely timely bounces — first off Scott Laughton’s leg and off the stick of Trevor Moore after that.
In his fifth consecutive start, a choice that has not come without questions, Lankinen played exactly the way he needed to in order to try and get his team a win. He faced 25 shots within the first half of the game, including 15 during just the first period, with the Kings getting up to 32 shots on goal by the 40-minute mark. With the loss tonight, Lankinen records his first regulation loss against the Kings since the beginning of his career with the Canucks.
“We need to play way better for him. We have not played good enough at all, especially for him. He tries to make every save possible,” Zeev Buium said post-game of the goaltender’s effort and how the team can help him out. “We need to do a way better job of getting guys out of the crease and just not letting them get there in the first place. I think we’re trying to do that. I think that’s just the biggest thing, is just playing a little bit harder. Not panicking, too. I think we get the puck sometimes and we just rim it or make a hard play. Sometimes we can collect it, talk to each other, communicate, and exit as a unit of five instead of just whacking it off the glass or something.”
The Canucks’ penalty kill was also a talking point in today’s game. On their first kill, Vancouver surrendered the goal-against from Laughton. During their next kill, they very nearly allowed another power play goal-against during a scrambled play in Lankinen’s crease, though the whistle went before the puck could cross the goal line.
The frustration bubbled over near the end of the game when a group of Canucks got into a tussle with some members of the Kings down in the corner of Los Angeles’ zone. Players like Willander and Linus Karlsson were caught in pushing-and-shoving matches, while Buium dropped the gloves with Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke. Buium spoke on the frustration level and how it factored into his scrap.
“You lose like that, especially on home ice, it’s never fun.You see your teammates getting kind of jumped a little bit … they’re up 4–0. I don’t think that necessarily needs to happen, but I’m glad that we all stuck up for each other.”
“It’s hard on everybody right now, and it’s not easy, but we have to learn from this,” Filip Hronek added. “No one else is going to help us. We have to keep grinding.”
Mar 26, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) and defenseman Tom Willander (5) watch defenseman Marcus Pettersson (29) battle with Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (55) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Vancouver surrenders a power play goal-against in their third consecutive game
Canucks finish the home stand with a record of 2–6–0
Zeev Buium records his first NHL fight
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
17:34 - LAK: Scott Laughton (11) from Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore (PPG)
2nd Period:
1:21 - LAK: Trevor Moore (10) from Mikey Anderson and Alex Laferriere
19:21 - LAK: Artemi Panarin (26) from Adrian Kempe
3rd Period:
17:36 - LAK: Quinton Byfield (18) from Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty (ENG)
Up Next:
With their home stand now wrapped-up, the Canucks will now set their sights on a four-game road trip. Their first stop will be a match against the Calgary Flames on Saturday at 7:00 pm PT, before they head south to take on the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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If there's one thing for certain about the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins, they've sure dealt with their fair share of adversity throughout the season. They've also managed to follow up some of their worst performances of the season with some of their best.
There wasn't just one player who wore the cape for the Penguins in this one. A few of them did. But, perhaps, none stood taller than goaltender Stuart Skinner, who made ten-bell save after ten-bell save in third-period and overtime onslaughts by the Sens, as he stopped 26 of 29 shots on the evening.
And right behind Skinner in the hero line were a pair of Swedes.
The Senators got off to an early 1-0 lead when Drake Batherson took advantage of a struggling Penguins' penalty kill and netted his 28th of the season on the power play not even five minutes in. The Penguins began to tilt the ice a bit after that, though, getting several chances of their own - many of which were generated by the Penguins' first line at the time of Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust.
Well, they were finally rewarded later in the first when Erik Karlsson had an excellent zone keep at the right point, and he recognized Rakell winding up for a one-time opportunity in the high slot right away. Karlsson dished it to Rakell, who hammered it home for his 16th of the season to make it 1-1.
But, once again, the Sens responded in the second period. Just like they scored on their first shot in the first period, they also scored on their first shot in the second period less than two minutes into the middle frame when Nick Cousins snuck one past Skinner along the goal line to restore Ottawa's lead - and this was after an apparent collision between Cousins and Crosby along the boards, which appeared to be the play that took Crosby out of the game.
The Penguins didn't wait long to respond to Cousins's tally, though. Less than two minutes later, Ben Kindel briefly took over first-line center duties and joined Rakell and Rust on a good offensive zone shift. Kindel got the puck to Rakell, who played it off himself high in the zone to work his way around a few defenders, eventually resulting in a nice toe-drag move to pass the puck to Karlsson on the right side. Karlsson zeroed in toward the middle, picked his spot, and sniped one past Linus Ullmark to knot the game up at 2-2.
The Penguins dominated the second period, and a late-period penalty by Dylan Cozens for tripping carried over into the third. Just 22 seconds in, Artem Zub cleared the puck over the glass, and the Penguins got a glorious five-on-three opportunity for almost a minute and a half.
For a second, it looked as though they might not take advantage. But, nearing the end of the two-man advantage, Karlsson and Rakell connected yet again when Karlsson fed Rakell for a fading one-time blast from the left circle that beat Ullmark and gave the Penguins their first lead of the game, 3-2.
But, just as Pittsburgh responded quickly in the second, Ottawa did the same in the third, and it was Batherson again. With the score tied at 3-3 - and after yet another failed goaltender interference challenge by the Penguins - the Senators made a strong push in the back half of the third period, forcing Skinner and the Penguins' defense to stand on their heads and be up to the task.
And, it was the same story in overtime. Although there were chances at both ends, the Sens largely controlled possession, but the Penguins and Skinner were able to hold them off to force a shootout - and same with Ullmark, who stopped Tommy Novak on a breakaway opportunity with just 11 seconds to go in the extra frame.
Then came the shootout, where the Senators were 3-0 in stark contrast to the Penguins' abysmal record of 2-10 going in. Batherson was able to get one past Skinner to open things up, and Ullmark stopped Rakell on the first shot. Skinner then stopped Tim Stutzle before Egor Chinakhov - we'll get to him later - went five-hole on Ullmark to tie things in the shootout. And, once again, Skinner was able to stop Shane Pinto, leaving things in the hands of the Penguins' third shooter.
That third shooter happened to be the 18-year-old rookie Kindel, who scored in his last shootout attempt. With the game on his stick, the young center was able to live up to the moment, as he snuck one through Ullmark to give the Penguins a much-needed two points in a building they hadn't won a game in since February 10, 2022 and against a goaltender they had never won against.
Here are some takeaways from this inspiring team win by the Penguins.
- Well, let's get the bad news out of the way.
Muse said after the game that Crosby's injury was lower-body and that he was still being evaluated. And this came after the Penguins were already missing Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte to injury.
If the Penguins want to make any kind of noise down the stretch and into the playoffs, should they get there, they absolutely need to get a bit healthier. The win was inspiring, obviously - as many this season have been when the Penguins were faced with adversity out of their control - but they can only overcompensate for so long without their best players and without true center depth, as Lizotte is also out, likely, for the rest of the regular season.
You've just got to hope that Crosby avoided the worst. They need him.
- Or, in the short-term, at least, maybe they don't. Because those two aforementioned Swedes have stepped up in a massive way.
Rakell now has six goals and 14 points in his last 11 games, and this was his best performance of the season. He was everywhere in all three zones all night long, and it was easy to tell he wanted desperately to be the guy to step up without 87.
He's been very good since the Olympic break for the Penguins, and even though he has quietly racked up points and gone about playing a really solid two-way game since then, it's nice to see him have a very loud game like this one.
As for Karlsson? I mean, what else can you say? He is now up to 12 goals and 57 points in 67 games overall, and he has the second-highest point total (22) in the National Hockey League since Feb. 28.
We're seeing vintage Erik Karlsson, folks 👀
• Six goals over his last six games • Three-straight three-point games on the road • Seven multi-point games over his last 10 outings • Ranks second in the NHL with 22 points since February 28 pic.twitter.com/XEBB9nYCla
He's just been absurd. I have not seen a Penguins' defenseman play at this high a level since the pre-Crosby days. And that's nothing against Kris Letang, who is an all-time great Penguin. Karlsson is this team's MVP this season, and I don't really think it's all that debatable.
- Another guy who was magnificent in this game? Chinakhov.
I'm not kidding when I say he could have had five goals if not for Ullmark and if not for the iron. Right after Karlsson's goal, Chinakhov put a scorching wrist shot off the post, and he had about three or four high-danger scoring chances in the second period alone.
Everyone knows by now that the Penguins got a good player in Chinakhov, as he's undoubtedly been one of their best players since his acquisition. But I actually think the Penguins may have a star winger on their hands in Chinakhov.
It's not like the things he's doing aren't very sustainable. He backchecks hard, he has speed, he uses that speed to create chances, and he isn't reliant on others to create. He has looked good next to Malkin, he's looked good next to Novak, next to Kindel, next to Rakell and Rust...
It doesn't matter where you put this guy. He's a threat nearly every time he takes the ice. And if you take his combined skill set and emphasize the fact that he has a world-class shot, the Penguins certainly have something special here.
- That was some special stuff from Kindel.
He has had an outstanding rookie season with 17 goals and 33 points in 69 games. And he's only going to be more productive as time goes on and has he plays a bigger role in the lineup with better players.
But the fact that he stepped on the ice to take a potential season-altering shootout shot - smiling while doing so - and was able to drown out the noise and bury it at 18 years old speaks volumes about this kid's poise and confidence.
It may not count on the scoresheet, but it was a huge goal from the rookie. I expect him to be a huge part of these final 10 games for the Penguins, especially if Crosby and Malkin are out.
- Not going to spend a lot of time on the goalie interference ruling. I thought the challenge was a bit of a questionable one from Dan Muse only because - even if there was unprovoked contract from Claude Giroux on Skinner - it was minimal, and the risk of having to go on the penalty kill in a tie game during the third period was a big one.
But what I will say is this: If the ruling that called back Justin Brazeau's goal against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday was setting any kind of bar - even if it's the wrong one - for consistency with the rulings, Batherson's should have been called back as well. They were nearly identical plays, as Giroux's skate and stick made minimal contact inside the blue paint with Skinner, arguably throwing him off enough that he couldn't make the save.
The Penguins are now 0-for-9 in goaltender interference challenges. It's truly remarkable.
- Skinner was lights-out in this game, and he is the biggest reason they were able to come away with the two points. He was making key point-blank save after point-blank save in the first part of the first period, and he was simply outstanding in the third and beyond.
I know the Penguins have done a goaltender rotation all season long that has mostly worked for them. But with just 10 games left and the playoffs on the line, it's time for them to commit to whoever has the hot hand.
As of Thursday, that's Skinner. So, he should start Saturday against the Dallas Stars. And if he plays well against the Stars, he absolutely should get the net in what will be the biggest game of the season against the Islanders on Monday.
Should anything change, going right back to Silovs is fine. But Skinner stepped up when his team needed it most on Thursday, and he needs to be rewarded for that.
- The Penguins cancelled their scheduled practice on Friday, so we are unlikely to get an update on Crosby until at least Saturday.
Stay tuned. But if the Penguins can rally like they did Thursday for the rest of the season, maybe they'll be okay after all.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves for his third shutout of the season and 39th of his career to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
Trevor Moore had a goal and an assist for the Kings, and Scott Laughton, Artemi Panarin and Quinton Byfield also scored. Mikey Anderson had a pair of assists.
The victory moved the Kings within one point of the Nashville Predators, who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race.
One of the best stops by Kuemper, whose last shutout was on Dec. 6 against Chicago, came at the 10:43 mark of the first period when Teddy Blueger launched a blast from the slot and the goalie kicked out his right leg to send the puck soaring with the toe of his skate.
Kevin Lankinen made 34 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game. Vancouver has been shut out five times this season, with four coming at home.
The Kings opened the scoring with Laughton's power-play goal 17:34 into the first period. Stationed at the top of the faceoff circle, Byfield took a shot that hit the skate of Laughton as he jumped in front of the net, deflecting the puck in past Lankinen.
Byfield sealed it with an empty-netter with 2:24 left in the game.
New York Islanders Tony DeAngelo looks to pass during the second period against the Calgary Flames at UBS Arena, Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Tony DeAngelo will miss 1-2 weeks with a lower-body injury, the Islanders announced before their match Thursday against the Stars.
DeAngelo hurt himself while getting back to defend an odd-man rush against the Blackhawks on Tuesday, leaving the eventual 4-3 loss in the first period and not returning.
The Islanders did get a major reprieve to their back end Thursday when Ryan Pulock returned, having missed two games with a lower-body injury of his own.
“Felt like yesterday I made some improvements and then this morning I felt good,” Pulock said after the 2-1 win at UBS Arena in which he skated 20:53. “Just as long as I can help this team, obviously I’m going.”
Minus DeAngelo, the Islanders still operated with slightly jumbled pairs. Carson Soucy, a lefty, took DeAngelo’s usual spot to the right side of Adam Pelech while Scott Mayfield played his off side to the left of Adam Boqvist.
With DeAngelo missing a period that could extend through the second week of April, it’s still more than possible that the Islanders will need George — called up as the seventh defenseman Tuesday — at some point.
New York Islanders Tony DeAngelo looks to pass during the second period against the Calgary Flames at UBS Arena, Saturday, March 14, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Boqvist, usually the seventh defenseman, is unlikely to stay in the lineup long if he begins to struggle, and was healthy-scratched for a long chunk of this season behind AHL call-ups while the Islanders searched for someone to replace the injured Alexander Romanov.
It was fitting that Romanov rejoined the Islanders in a full-team skate for the first time Thursday morning before their first game against Dallas since Mikko Rantanen injured Romanov’s shoulder with a brazenly illegal hit Nov. 18.
Romanov skated in a noncontact sweater in an encouraging sign in his recovery from surgery that was originally projected to keep him out 5-6 months. Roy said there are still no plans for him to return during the regular season, though the playoffs remain a possibility should the Islanders make it that far.
“I’m sure he’s excited,” Roy said. “First, it’s fun to see him there, see how hard he had to work to get back where he is today. It’s fun for the guys as well, for him and for us, seeing him back. I’m not saying he’s gonna play tonight, but I’m sure he feels good to be with the boys and enjoy the guys.”
Rantanen, notably, did not feature for the Stars, as he’s still dealing with an injury suffered during the Olympics. He is on the road with the Stars, who hope to have him back by the end of their trip.
Bedard Over 3.5 shots on goal 
Zibanejad anytime goal 
DeBrincat Over 0.5 assists
