The Anaheim Ducks entered Sunday’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks with a chance to clinch a playoff berth and end their eight-year playoff drought. They controlled their destiny and needed two points to clinch, but only got one, as they lost in overtime.

On the positive side, the Ducks saw the return of their top goalscorer, Cutter Gauthier, who had been sidelined for the previous five games with an upper-body injury. Gauthier (22) entered with 65 points (38-27=65) in 73 games for the Ducks this season.

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Overtime Loss to the Vancouver Canucks

Anaheim Ducks Goaltender Lukas Dostal Nominated for King Clancy Memorial Trophy

He notched his 39th of the year early in Sunday’s game and added his 40th on the power play, in the third period, to bring the Ducks within one goal, as they mounted their comeback effort.

Gauthier’s 40th goal marked the 11th time an Anaheim Ducks player has reached that achievement, and he was the fourth player in franchise history to get there, joining Teemu Selanne (five times), Paul Kariya (three times), and Corey Perry (twice). Perry was the last to reach that milestone in the 2013-14 season, where he scored 43 in 81 games.

Gauthier is the second-youngest of the bunch (Paul Kariya) to score 40 goals in a season, and he now has 17 goals in his last 21 games, heading into the final two of the regular season.

“It’s a huge milestone and something I’m very proud of,” Gauthier said after Sunday’s overtime loss. “I couldn’t have done it without all my linemates and teammates. It was fun to get that, but that’s not why I’m playing hockey. I’m playing hockey to win games and eventually win a Stanley Cup.”

Gauthier has solidified himself as one of the Ducks’ cornerstone pieces to build around. The Philadelphia Flyers selected him (5th overall in 2022) four years ago, and he was acquired by the Ducks in Jan. 2024 in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick (Jack Murtagh).

Gauthier signed his ELC after his sophomore season at Boston College and played one game to finish out the 2023-24 season, notching his first career point, an assist. He scored 44 points (20-24=44) in 82 games during his rookie season, and upon the addition of a new head coach, Joel Quenneville, in the 2025-26 season (his second full season in the NHL), he gained experience, comfort, and confidence in the NHL. Gauthier is becoming everything that had been hoped for when he was brought to Anaheim.

He’s found and continues to find new ways to unleash his shot on the rush, on the cycle, in movement, at a standstill, through traffic, from distance, and off either leg. He’s found ways to utilize his speed, streaking down the wing, forechecking, and finding soft ice to present himself as a passing option.

Gauthier has a rare ability to beat NHL goaltenders from distance and provide instant offense in any scenario throughout any game. At his size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), he can protect pucks in open ice and along the walls, and his 200-foot game is rounding out as well. Ideally, his strengths project to amplify in the playoffs, when games tighten up and matter most.

“We’ve never played in the playoffs before, so we don’t know what to exactly expect,” Gauthier said of looking forward to his first potential playoff experience this season. “We’ve played in some big games growing up, and the things I’ve learned from those games is to keep your emotions even keeled and not get too high or too low.

“It’s a very emotional stage, with the fans and everyone playing their hearts out, trying to win the Stanley Cup. The more we can stay even keeled and go with our game plan that Q has set, all of our coaches have set, and what we believe in the locker room, it’s going to benefit us.”

The Ducks will hope to either have clinched or clinch a playoff spot by the time their game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday evening concludes in St. Paul. Gauthier will look to provide a substantial impact when it comes to making any kind of noise beyond the 82-game regular season and moving forward into future playoff appearances for his Ducks team.

His ELC expires on July 1, and he’s currently eligible to sign an extension. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek now has a track record of taking his RFAs coming off ELCs into training camp with negotiations. However, ideally, he has his young 40-goal scorer locked up to a long-term deal well before then.

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-1 Win over the Sharks

Ducks Goaltender Ville Husso Nominated for Masterton Trophy

Being first in the NHL is all fun for most of the season. Goal scoring, good defense, stable goaltending, all things clicking all at the same time, that shows that this team really can make a deep run into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that's, until you win the Presidents' Trophy.

Avalanche Defeat Flames, Clinch Presidents’ Trophy for Fourth TimeThe Colorado Avalanche have claimed home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Despite your hard work all season, the collective of fans and media online now hit you with “since you won the Presidents Cup, you're not going to win, you have the curse”, but is it really a curse? What is the stipulation that, for so long as the best regular-season team doesn't win the trophy because of some “curse”?

The Originations Of The Curse

You can say the curse really “started” in the 2013 playoffs, where the last team that won the Presidents' Trophy was the Chicago Blackhawks, who ended up beating the Boston Bruins in the finals. Since then, no team that has won the trophy has gone on to win the Stanley Cup, especially notable teams that looked destined to win it all but lost in the finals or earlier rounds.

The 2010-2011 Vancouver Cancucks, league high 54 wins, but ended up losing in Game seven of the finals, and is known for what happened after the loss. The 2018-2019 Tampa Bay Lightning tied the NHL record for wins (62) but were swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. More recently, the 2022-2023 Boston Bruins broke the NHL records for wins and points in a season, but lost in the first round to the eventual champions, the Florida Panthers.

In the 2022 post-season, where the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers won the Presidents' Trophy but lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals in six games.

The season before that, when the Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy, they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round in six games. All these accumulated losses just fuel the fire that regular-season success doesn't translate into playoff success.

Best Opportunity In A Long Time

It's safe to say that, compared to the last three Colorado Avalanche teams we have seen enter the playoffs, this is by far the best. Forward depth, defensive depth, and a strong goaltending tandem give flashes of the 2022 championship team, with how stacked their lines are.

Nathan MacKinnon’s Leadership Redefines the Avalanche Power Play in Bednar’s Evolving Tactical SystemNathan MacKinnon’s willingness to reshape his role has become the catalyst for a Colorado Avalanche power play resurgence, underscoring Jared Bednar’s experimental system and the team’s rapid post-Olympic evolution.

Though it raises certainty that this team's window is now, management knows it and is capitalizing on it. All the trades made by the deadline, how the teams' caps look for the next three to four seasons, people don't get younger, and chances with how well everyone is playing need to be capitalized on. With three games remaining, they could match their 2021-2022 season total of 119 points or even beat it.

An Ace Up Their Sleeve?

If there is a “cancellation”, “divert”, or even a “dispel” on this President's Trophy curse, is that the Colorado Avalanche won a Stanley Cup the same season they won the Presidents' Trophy, back in the 2000-2001 season.

Beating the New Jersey Devils in seven games, led by Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Milan Hejduk, they helped the Colorado Avalanche secure their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, while finishing the regular season with a league-best 52-16-10-4 record (118 points). 

If there is anything that could negate this “curse,” it's the history of the Avalanche's past coming to help them, but that all depends on whether you believe what people say about this “curse”. Despite a strong start to the season, the Avalanche have shown flashes of weakness that they will need to either cover up or protect come the playoffs.

It has been an excellent season, with success coming from different players in every game. It should be one to be remembered, but like all sports, it's not a successful season if you don’t win the championship, and that's going to be a story to tell if they don’t win it all.

BREAKING NEWS: Jared Bednar Suffers Facial Fractures, Will Not Travel With TeamAvalanche coach Jared Bednar is on the injury report after suffering facial fractures in a freak bench-side incident Saturday night at Ball Arena and will not travel with the team on its upcoming road trip.

Morgan Rielly does think about whether Monday's game against the Dallas Stars could be his final game inside Scotiabank Arena as a Toronto Maple Leaf, given the uncertainty around his future with the hockey club.

"I mean, it's crossed my mind before," he said on Monday morning, ahead of a game against the Dallas Stars. "All athletes have that. At some point, they think about that. And so, again, tonight's no different than that."

It hasn't been the easiest of seasons for Rielly, who turned 32 last month and will play his 950th game on Monday night.

The defenseman has 11 goals and 25 assists in 76 games this season, which is the second-most points among Toronto's defenders, behind only Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While some might believe that's a positive, it's Rielly's lowest point total since the 2020-21 season, when he had 35 points in 55 games.

His 0.47 points-per-game is also the lowest it's been since the 2016-17 season. In that year, Rielly scored just six goals and 27 points in 76 games for a 0.36 points-per-game.

After this season, Rielly will have four years left on his contract, which pays him $7.5 million annually. It's a large number for a defender who's struggled defensively as much as he has this season.

Rielly sits atop the team in goals against at five-on-five with 76, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. When he's on the ice, the Maple Leafs have also given up more scoring chances, high-danger chances, and high-danger goals at five-on-five.

Of course, part of Rielly's struggles could be because of how poorly the entire team has played this season. But maybe it's time for a fresh start for both sides?

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube would likely disagree with that notion.

On Monday morning, when asked what he believes it means to be a Maple Leaf for Rielly, the head coach stated, "Everything."

"I mean, he's been here a long time, and he loves it here," Berube continued.

"I mean, I don't think he can think about being anywhere else, personally. After being drafted here and playing here this long and this many games. He's been a staple here for a long time. So it would be hard for him to be thinking about not being a Leaf."

'A Lot Of Hardships': Ryan Tverberg Describes Emotions Ahead Of NHL Debut With Maple LeafsTverberg will make his NHL debut on the Maple Leafs' fourth line, alongside Jacob Quillan and Calle Jarnkrok.

Even with it being a difficult season, personally and as a team, Berube is likely right: Rielly probably can't see himself anywhere else.

"It's an outstanding place to play and a great place to live," Rielly added on Monday morning. "This organization means a lot to a lot of people, and so, to be a part of it is an honour."

Whether it is in fact his last home game as a Maple Leaf or not, there are plenty of memories to look back on with Rielly in blue and white. You think back to his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2013, against the Ottawa Senators.

Or being right on the doorstep as John Tavares fired home the series-winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023, Toronto's first playoff series win since 2004.

Since making his NHL debut, Rielly has scored 549 points and is just over 200 shy of Borje Salming's record for most points as a Maple Leafs defenseman.

Rielly (949 games played) is almost just as close to the all-time games played record with the Maple Leafs, currently held by George Armstrong, who suited up for 1,188 games with Toronto.

Leafs’ Path to Keeping 2026 First-Rounder Gets Easier After Massive Out-of-Town ScoreThe Maple Leafs' chances of retaining their 2026 first-round pick have improved following favorable results for the Flames and Rangers in the league standings.

It would be nice to see him break those records. But at the same time, whoever is hired as the next head of hockey operations needs to decide whether it's a good idea to hold onto Rielly, or, if it's best for both sides to part ways.

For now, Rielly is soaking up every game he plays as a Maple Leaf — and as an NHL player.

"I think you try to [soak it up] every night," he said. "I don't think you should ever take one day or game in this league for granted."

The New Jersey Devils recalled Topias Vilen from the Utica Comets on Friday, and on Sunday, he made his NHL debut.

Vilen dressed for warmups in the Devils' 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings; however, he did not play.

He joined the morning skate on Friday before the team's win over the Detroit Red Wings. Head coach Sheldon Keefe shared the plan for his future with NJD.tv.

“We got him a practice here today. He’ll take a warmup in Detroit tomorrow, so that’ll help us avoid him playing back-to-back after his injury and his first time in the NHL. But he’ll play Sunday and Tuesday. It’ll be a good opportunity for him to get some experience. The organization believes he’s earned it over his three years here, and we’ll get a look at him.”

Vilen has spent the last three seasons with Utica, appearing in 49 games and tallying 24 points.

Keefe discussed the promotion with NJD.tv.

“The organization has wanted to get him a look for a while,” Keefe said. “The timing got thrown off because he’s coming off an injury in Utica, but he’s cleared to return and play. We’re mindful of that.”

Vilen was selected 129th in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Devils. Ahead of warmups on Saturday, he shared his excitement about his NHL debut.  

“It’s a dream come true for sure,” he said. “I’m ready for this chance and this opportunity.”

Vilen made his NHL debut on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. The team won 4-3, and Vilen skated for just over 12 minutes.

The Devils now look ahead to their season finale on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Winnipeg Jets are expected to introduce one of their top prospects to the NHL stage on Monday after the club announced that former first-round pick Brayden Yager will make his league debut against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The 21-year-old Saskatoon native has put together a steady first professional season with the Manitoba Moose, recording 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 68 games. Yager was originally selected 14th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins before being acquired by Winnipeg in a one-for-one trade that sent fellow top prospect Rutger McGroarty the other way.

YAGER BOMB 💥

Brayden Yager will make his @NHL debut tonight in Vegas.@Wawanesa | #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/WelYGGQLfg

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 13, 2026

With the Jets sitting five points out of a wild card spot and just three games remaining, the club appears set to focus on evaluating young players rather than pursuing an unlikely postseason push. That approach has already included extended NHL minutes for forward Brad Lambert, who has appeared in 22 games this season and recorded six points in his longest look at the NHL level to date.

Yager is expected to slot into a depth role on the fourth line and could remain in the lineup for all three of Winnipeg’s remaining games. On Monday, Yager appears to be centering a line with another youngster in Nikita Chibrikov on his right wing with veteran winter Nino Niederreiter on the left side.

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The New Jersey Devils announced on Friday that the team had recalled goaltender Nico Daws and defenseman Topias Vilen from the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets.

The Devils are heading into the final game of their season. The team currently sits in seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 42-36-3.

Ahead of the team's 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, they announced that goaltender Jacob Markstrom would be done for the season.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe shared that Markstrom will rest and rehab nagging injuries for the remainder of the season.

In his absence, Daws will have an opportunity to play for the team. Daws has appeared in 53 NHL games, all with the Devils. He has an all-time record of 23-23-1 with a .899 save percentage. He was selected as the 84th pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Ahead of his call-up, Daws had appeared in one game, saving 31 shots on net and allowing one goal.

Daws made his second appearance on Sunday, stopping 30 of the 33 shots he faced, in the team's 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators.

On the other hand, Vilen has played the past three seasons with the Utica Comets. The 23-year-old has appeared in 49 games with the Comets this season and has recorded 24 points.

Vilen was selected 129th in the 2021 NHL draft by the Devils.

He made his NHL debut on Sunday, skating for just over 12 minutes.

The Devils will close out their season on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Chicago Blackhawks will welcome the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Buffalo is the last team to be paying their first visit to the United Center in 2025-26, and it comes in the second-to-last game of the season.

Back on November 21st, the Sabres skated off their home ice with a 9-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. That was their third win in four games, moving their record to 8-9-4. 

Shockingly, since that win over the Blackhawks, the Sabres have had a winning percentage above .700 and have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. 

They enter Monday 49-23-8 with 106 points, the fourth-best record in the NHL, and a chance to win the Atlantic Division with two games left. The turnaround has been one of the most remarkable in NHL history. 

Scouting Buffalo

The Sabres have a great mix of veterans, young players, and depth up and down the lineup. They play a fast and heavy game, which allows them to compete with whoever may be on the other side. 

Krebs-Thompson-Tuch

Zucker-McLeod-Quinn

Benson-Norris-Doan

Greenway-Kozak-Malenstyn

Dahlin-Samuelsson

Byram-Power

Stanley-Metsa

Luukkonen

At forward, Tage Thompson drives the bus offensively, and he's supported by stars like Alex Tuch, Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, Josh Norris, and Jack Quinn, amongst others. 

On defense, Rasmus Dahlin is one of the five best in the NHL, and his name will appear on lots of Norris Trophy ballots. 

Head coach Lindy Ruff has started using Owen Power, a former number one overall pick, as a shutdown defenseman, and he has thrived. It has also taken pressure off Dahlin, who is now put in even more of an offensive role. This also allows Bowen Byram to thrive playing with a player like Power, who has been focused solely on shutting down the opposition. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is going to start in goal for the Sabres. Since their turnaround began, he's been a wall for them. With a chance to clinch the Atlantic Division on the line, they are going with their number one guy. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Blackhawks had Oliver Moore on the ice in a regular sweater for their morning skate on Monday, but he will not play. This does, however, leave the door open for him to play in their season finale on Wednesday.

Greene - Bedard - Lardis

Bertuzzi - Frondell - Mikheyev

Donato - Nazar - Burakovsky

Slaggert - Boisvert - Teravainen

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Rinzel

Korchinski-Del Mastro

Knight

Frank Nazar was hit in the face with a puck last game. He left and did not return. However, he avoided the worst-case scenario, which is a broken jaw for the second time this season. He's missing a few front chicklets, but he will play against Buffalo. 

Ethan Del Mastro was a late scratch last time out due to injury. He was replaced by Sam Lafferty, who was a forward playing defense for a night. Del Mastro will return to the lineup against Buffalo. 

Andrew Mangiapane was also injured during the last game against the Blues, and he wasn't out for the morning skate. One of Sam Lafferty or Landon Slaggert is likely to get in the forward lineup for him.

Spencer Knight is going to start for the Blackhawks in this one. He will likely close out the season for Chicago, with there being just one more game. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it is available locally on CHSN. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 7:30 PM CT. 

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

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SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Quick says he is retiring at age 40 after nearly two decades in the NHL, a stretch during which he was one of the best goaltenders of his generation.

Quick said his start for the New York Rangers at the Florida Panthers on Monday night is his last game. It's his 921st appearance, counting playoffs.

“He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and staff members through his work ethic and dedication to his craft,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement posted on social media. “Jonathan is a special person and player, and the entire Rangers organization wishes him — along with his wife, Jackie, and three children, Madison, Carter and Cash — all the best in retirement.”

Quick backstopped the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and ’14 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during the first of those two title runs.

The Milford, Connecticut, native was the U.S. starter at the 2014 Olympics and has a Cup ring from 2023 as a backup for the Vegas Golden Knights.

___

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

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick announced that Monday night's game in Florida will be his last.

That puts a wrap on a 19-year career that could very well likely land the ultra-competitive goalie into the Hall of Fame.

Quick, 40, won Stanley Cup titles with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2012 by going 16-4 with a 1.41 goals-against average and .946 save percentage, plus three shutouts.

Quick also won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 after coming over in a trade. He has spent the last three years as a backup goalie with the Rangers.

Jonathan Quick career statistics

Monday's game will be the 829th of Quick's career and the 810th start. Heading into the game, he has 410 regular-season wins, 12th best all-time.

Everyone that is above him has reached the Hall of Fame, expect for Curtis Joseph, who never won a Stanley Cup; Sergei Bobrovsky, who's still playing; and Marc-Andre Fleury, who retired last year and is not eligible yet for election.

Here are Jonathan Quick's career statistics before Monday's game:

Regular season record: 410-306-90, with a 2.51 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and 65 shutouts.

Playoff record: 49-43 with a 2.32 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and 10 shutouts.

In addition to the Conn Smythe, he won the William Jennings award twice for lowest team goals-against average.

He played for the USA in the 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Quick's career numbers as he announces he'll retire

The New York Islanders season is coming to an end. The Islanders were eliminated from playoff contention after a 1-6-0 stretch that saw Patrick Roy dismissed as head coach and Peter DeBoer hired.

Since the NHL Olympic Break ended, the Islanders have gone 11-12-0 overall, having plummeted from second in the Metropolitan Division to sixth place and been eliminated before the puck drops for game No. 82.

So, what's the root cause of the issues? There are myriad factors, with the number one issue being the power play's inability to score, now ranked third-worst in the league.

Another factor could include Ilya Sorokin's dip in form after overuse. 

Perhaps most underrated is the Islanders' form at 5-on-5 hockey.

The #Isles won't be playing playoff hockey for a second straight season.

Now comes the why.

Four reasons they fell short @TheElmontershttps://t.co/fDRLt65GGo

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 13, 2026

Since the Olympic Break ended (23 games), the Islanders have exactly one player who is a positive at 5-on-5 hockey (courtesy of NatStatTrick). 

That's Matthew Schaefer, of course. He's been on the ice for 24 goals for (GF), and 21 goals against (GA).

Carson Soucy: 9 GF, 19 GA. Scott Mayfield: 10 GF, 19 GA. Adam Pelech 8 GF, 15 GA. Tony DeAngelo 8 GF, 11 GA. Ryan Pulock 13 GF, 16 GA. Adam Boqvist, 2 GF, 7 GA.

The woes of Soucy and Mayfield shouldn't be overly shocking. As a pairing, they've been out for just four goals for and 12 goals against since the Olympics ended.

Pelech and DeAngelo, when healthy, didn't do so well either. They're at 3 GF and 7 GA at 5-on-5 hockey since the Olympics ended.

The other main Islanders' pairing of Schaefer and Pulock sits at 11 GF and 12 GA at 5-on-5 since the Olympics.

Schaefer's combined total from time played with Pelech, Soucy, DeAngelo, and Mayfield is 13 GF and 7 GA. In limited minutes with Boqvist, Schaefer finished with 0 GF and 2 GA. 

The pattern from all those numbers is clear.

Everyone struggled except Schaefer, who excelled. Schaefer helped raise other players' totals and overall performances during an otherwise bad run of form for all involved.

Starting first with the two acquisitions, Ondrej Palat has been on the ice for 10 GF and 16 GA since the Olympics ended in 5v5 action. In his total time with the Islanders, he has been on the ice for 13 GF and 18 GA in 5v5 action.

Brayden Schenn, acquired at the Trade Deadline, has been on the ice for 9 GF and 17 GA in 5v5 play. His most common linemate, Calum Ritchie, sits 7 GF and 15 GA.

When those two have played with Mathew Barzal, those numbers are 5 GF and 6 GA.

Schenn and Ritchie together without Barzal are at 2 GF and 5GA.

That pattern shows Barzal elevated the duo from defensive deficiencies, highlighting Schenn's better impact as a winger at this point in his career.

Ritchie and Schenn are tied for the worst 5-on-5 +/- on the team since the Olympics ended, sitting at -8.

Palat (-6) is third.

Amongst the entirety of the Islanders' forward group, Emil Heineman and Bo Horvat played well down the stretch.

Together, their line produced 9 GF and 6 GA at 5v5, even with Horvat's noted scoring dip.

Without each other as line mates, both saw huge negative swings: -3 at 5v5 for Heineman and -4 for Horvat.

Sometimes, raw numbers don't do the whole picture justice. That's where another fun stat, Expected Goals For/Goals Against (xGF/xGA) and the Expected Goals For Percentage (xGF%) come into play.

NOTE: All numbers discussed below are calculated at 5v5, unless otherwise specified

This statistic measures the overall performance of players and their chances in a game, turning it into a mathematic formula based on the probability of goals being scored based on the quality of chances. 

A good xGF% is anything above 50%. The 50% line is equivalent to 0, anything below indicates you're allowing more quality chances than you're generating.

For example, if you watched any games down the stretch, the most consistent Islanders' line was unquestionably Kyle MacLean, Casey Cizikas, and Marc Gatcomb.

The numbers back that up. The trio leads the Islanders in xGF% since the Olympics, with Cizikas and Gatcomb sitting over 60% xGF%, while MacLean's at 57.75%.

Those are exceedingly strong numbers, and show how effective the trio is.

You'd also then think, if these numbers are effective, that Schaefer would be the Islanders' best defenseman.

The answer is yes, no doubt. Schaefer sits at a 56.54 xGF%. 

The next best defenseman is Pelech, with a 54.26 xGF%. No player on the Islanders got worse luck than Pelech. He played at an extremely high level, with the Islanders expecting around 22 goals with him on the ice at 5v5.

They only scored eight goals total, completely tanking his actual GF and GA, as shown above.

The worst Islanders at xGF% since the Olympics ended is Anthony Duclair, who had an xGF% of 29.28%, a rough number across eight total games.

Amongst guys who played in most or all games, Schenn sits at the bottom. In 18 games with the Islanders, Schenn's xGF% sits at 43.94%, a very low figure, well below the team's average.

Mayfield and Soucy are the two lowest defenders in this stat amongst the regulars, touting a 47.95% (Mayfield) and a 48.75% (Soucy) respectively.

It's worth noting that in just four games, Maxim Shabanov crushed it. He generated an xGF% of 62.29%, but just didn't get into enough games to see how he would've continued to perform.

Overall, the xGF% for the Islanders is not as bad as you might think it is.  

So, what's the biggest takeaway from these numbers? What can be learned about the Islanders' 5v5 play that doomed their season?

One big takeaway should be how badly they missed Kyle Palmieri. He's a strong finisher, adding another true finisher would've helped immensely at 5v5.

Another takeaway should be these numbers should be the numbers aren't perfect, but they can illustrate patterns.

It's no coincidence that the Soucy/Mayfield duo consistently showed up at the bottom, just as Schenn and Ritchie did.

Ritchie is severely hurt by these numbers. Some of his best came on the man advantage, where he totaled seven power-play points since the Olympics ended. Similarly, Schenn added three points on the power play.

You can't dismiss the poor defensive metrics at 5v5 for them together, though.

The numbers also don't show the sometimes-brutal defensive zone mistakes that were made, that often wound up in the back of the net.

Overall, the numbers point to the three big things:

1. At even strength, the Islanders were an above-average team, with weak spots defensively that caused a lot of issues.

2. They lack scorers who capitalize on good 5v5 play.

3. Games get decided in the margins. The margins are special teams. The Islanders' special teams failed in the biggest moments.

In their last 23 games, the Islanders went 13/68. Four of those goals came in two games against the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs.

In fact, of the 13 goals, they scored only 9 in the final 23 games. There were four games in which the Islanders scored twice on the man advantage, one of which came in a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

If you take out the multi-PPG games against Toronto (x2), Montreal, and one against the St. Louis Blues, the power play statistics plummet. 

Instead of reading 13/68, that drops to just 5/50, otherwise read as 10%.

In those same 19 games down the stretch, the Islanders allowed four shorthanded goals on those 50 power plays.

The opposition scored during New York's man advantage just as much as they did.  

Going down the stretch and having that type of performance overall is just about as bad it gets, and further shows just how bad the Islanders needed to clean up the special teams, but just couldn't.

It's the biggest statistical reason the Islanders won't be in the playoffs next week.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a 4-1 win against the New York Islanders on Sunday. Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc played a role in the Canadiens' win over the Islanders, as he scored a goal and recorded an assist in the contest. 

This strong performance against the Islanders was certainly needed for Bolduc. Before it, the 22-year-old forward had gone seven straight appearances without a point. He was also healthy scratched for two games before this contest against the Islanders, so he undoubtedly had a strong bounce-back game. 

Now, Bolduc will be looking to build off this solid game against the Islanders from here. He has shown that he can be a difference-maker at times this season, and it would be huge for the Canadiens if he got hot with the playoffs right around the corner. 

Bolduc will certainly be a player to watch from here because of it. If he can contribute offensively like this more consistently, it would be huge for the Canadiens as they look to go on a real playoff run this spring. 

In 77 games with the Canadiens this season, Bolduc has 12 goals, 18 assists, 30 points, and 166 hits. This is after he had 19 goals, 36 points, and 108 hits in 72 games for the St. Louis Blues this past season. 

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues knew their fate during their 5-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

They followed through and won the hockey game despite knowing their playoff fate had been sealed when they were eliminated for the third time in four seasons.

Now with three games remaining in the regular season, including Monday’s 7 p.m. game against the Minnesota Wild (45-23-12), who will be going to the playoffs, what’s left for them to accomplish?

Plenty, according to coach Jim Montgomery, who along with his coaching staff and management, will have a keen eye on who approaches these so-called meaningless, play-out-the-string games and how they take them.

“We’re just trying to see who’s going to compete in these games, because there’s a lot of games in the regular season that are like this that we were playing three in four and you need a gut-check and who’s going to have a gut check,” Montgomery said. “Today, that’s about personal pride, how you want to represent yourself and the St. Louis Blues organization. I said this after the first period in Chicago, you only have so many games in your career, and do you want to look back and you want to lay an egg in one of these games where you could have been good for your team? It’s not going to change. We all understand human nature, but the competitive fire that has been in you since you were an eight-year-old to play in this game, it’s either there at eight years old and it’s there when you’re 28. If it’s not there when you’re eight years old, it’s not going to be there when you’re 28.”

That means for those tank-a-thon fans that want to see the Blues (34-33-12) lose out to get the best possible draft lottery result, don’t count on losing in so-called on-purpose fashion.

When the Blues were as much as 14 points out of a wild card in the Western Conference at one point, and 12 back coming out of the Olympic break, all the talk was about tanking and getting as high a lottery pick as possible.

But they have gone 14-5-3 since and got to as close as three points of reaching the goal of playoffs. It was a good run, yes, but in the end, it all meant nothing because of the results that were troublesome earlier in the season.

But Montgomery has learned at least something out of this recent push.

“That there’s some young guys emerging that possibly can be really good players in this team in the future,” he said.

But there’s also that analogy of needing to figure out an 82-game season, and not a good stretch of the the season, like the last 22 games.

“I try not to get too excited about playing really well when you’re so far out of it,” Montgomery said. “There’s so many teams … you look at the NFL, I looked at one year, the Redskins were 0-8 and they finished 8-8 … this team’s set to go to the Super Bowl; they were 4-12 the next year. There’s a lot of people that make a livelihood of being really good when your team’s basically eliminated. We need to find more players that want to be really good right from the start of the year, and that’s something as an organization that we have to instill and something that we’re going to try and make sure we do from the start of the year next year.

“Sorry to not give you a great answer for your question, but it annoys me at times. Not the question, the performance.”

So with games against the Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and Utah Mammoth to close out 2025-26 on Thursday, what will be evaluated?

“You see the guys that keep competing,” Montgomery said. ‘Who’s cheating for offense, who’s trying not to play the right way for the team but they do play the right way when it’s convenient for them. The guys that play the right way all the time, and that’s something that we’ve been harping on, something we talked about for the last 40 minutes in Chicago. We want to play the right way. In the end at the end of your career, you want to know that you do the reunion where you played with your teammates and they know that you gave them everything they had, that they can rely on you. That’s the sign of a great teammate.”

- - -

The Blues will play a version of the Wild that resembles more of a preseason lineup than the regular-season version.

Minnesota will not dress, among their top players, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov, due to rest purposes.

Minnesota is locked in as the No. 3 seed in the Central Division and will play No. 2 Dallas Stars in the first round.

“I think it’s two years in a row that it’s going to be in the Central Division that a Stanley Cup contender is going to be eliminated in the first round,” Montgomery said. “Do I think that’s fair? Life isn’t fair, that’s the rules, so they’ve got to play by them. The person that’s going to win the Stanley Cup has to go through the best teams at some point. Just the way it is.

“… They’ve used a different lineup the last three games, I think, since everybody’s been locked into their position. They’re heavy on the third and fourth lines, they’re skilled and talented and fiercely competitive on the first two. They’re deep on defense. This is a really good hockey team that is built for the playoffs, in my opinion.”

- - -

The Blues will make a couple changes to their forward lines, including inserting Jonathan Drouin and Jack Finley in against the wild, in place of Jonatan Berggren and Oskar Sundqvist.

Joel Hofer will start in goal, meaning Jordan Binnington will get the home finale -- and perhaps his final game in front of the home crowd (?) on Tuesday against the Penguins.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Pavel Buchnevich-Pius Suter-Jordan Kyrou

Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonathan Drouin

Alexey Toropchenko-Jack Finley-Otto Stenberg

Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux

Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko

Cam Fowler-Tyler Tucker

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Justin Holl, Jonatan Berggren, Matthew Kessel, Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker. The Blues report no injuries.

- - -

Wild Projected Lineup:

Yakov Trenin-Danila Yurov-Vladimir Tarasenko

Marcus Johansson-Hunter Haight-Bobby Brink

Nico Sturm-Michael McCarron-Nick Foligno

Robby Fabbri-Ben Jones-Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Jonas Brodin-Jared Spurgeon

Jake Middleton-Brock Faber

Daemon Hunt-Matt Kiersted

Filip Gustavsson will start in goal; Jesper Wallstedt will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Mats Zuccarello, Joel Eriksson Ek, Zach Bogosian, Jeff Petry, Viking Gustafsson-Nyberg, Matt Boldy, Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Quinn Hughes, and Kirill Kaprozov. The Wild report no injuries.

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Jonathan Quick will officially retire at the end of the 2025-26 season. 

Quick confirmed that the New York Rangers’ Monday night matchup against the Florida Panthers will be his last NHL game. 

“Obviously, the past few years, very lucky to be part of this organization and wear this jersey, but tonight will be my last game in the league,” Quick said. “You know, I'm looking forward to it. Very fortunate. Wife flew down with the kids. So they'll be here in attendance tonight. My parents will be here. So looking forward to this last one and try to get one more win here.”

For 16 of his 19 NHL seasons, Quick spent with the Los Angeles Kings, where he won two Stanley Cups as the starting goaltender and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012. 

After winning the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, Quick signed with the Rangers, and he has spent his last three seasons in New York, serving as Igor Shesterkin’s backup.

In 75 games for the Blueshirts and 69 starts, the 40-year-old goaltender has recorded a 35-29-6 record, .911 save percentage, and 2.46 goals against average. 

Quick revealed that he had made up his mind about retirement quite a while ago and had informed both Chris Drury and Mike Sullivan.

Mike Sullivan Explains Reasoning Behind Drew Fortescue Scratching On Saturday, for the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a>' matchup against the Dallas Stars, Mike Sullivan decided to scratch Drew Fortescue from the lineup, replacing him with Urho Vaakanainen.&nbsp;

“With the ups and downs the season, you don't really want to admit it to yourself, you know? So as we kind of got towards the end of the season here, I let Chris [Drury] know and Sully know,” Quick said. “Just so they can plan accordingly. I'm grateful for them. They've helped me out through this process. And let me know games I'm going to start so I can make sure to get the family there and stuff like that.”

Dylan Garand, a potential candidate to take over the backup goaltending role behind Shesterkin next season, has been with the Rangers since being called up on Mar. 20. 

During Quick’s seven-game absence due to an upper-body injury, Garand started in two games, posting a 1-0-1 record, 1.44 goals against average, and .954 save percentage.

The Philadelphia Flyers won't get a better opportunity to clinch a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs than this.

With the season on the line, the Flyers are recipients of a huge favor from the Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes, who have little left to play for this late in the season.

On Monday afternoon, Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff shared that Carolina is likely resting many of its top players, including leading scorers Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, No. 1 defenseman Jaccob Slavin, and captain Jordan Staal.

Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis were also among the Hurricanes not on the ice to start the team's morning skate on Monday.

Flyers Set Up For Win-And-In Scenario vs. HurricanesThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> got all the help they could have possibly asked for, and now it's up to them to seal the deal and book their place in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Carolina's lines, according to Ruff, were as follows:

Hall - Stankoven - Blake,
Ehlers - Kotkaniemi - Nadeau,
Carrier - Jankowski - Deslauriers,
Robinson - Brind'Amour - Martinook, 
Miller - Chatfield,
Nikishin - Walker,
Reilly - Legault, 
Bussi (S)

And, yes, that is former Flyers tough guy Nick Deslauriers, who was virtually traded away for free--a conditional seventh-round pick--playing his off-wing on the third line for the Hurricanes.

As for the Flyers, they figure to be at full strength for Monday night's game.

Unsurprisingly, Dan Vladar will start in goal for the Flyers; defenseman David Jiricek joined the team for practice and has taken Egor Zamula's old No. 5 as his number with the NHL club.

Without question, the Flyers need to pounce on this Hurricanes team that is far from full strength.

If they win, they're in.