Category: NHL

By now, Gabe Perreault agrees, the game has started to slow down for him.

He has skated in 27 games with the Rangers this season. He has collected 11 points, including a career-best three during their overtime loss to the Blue Jackets on Monday, and flashed the dynamic offensive skill set that defined the former first-round pick’s game with Boston College and AHL Hartford.

That latest sample — which fueled a four-goal comeback in the third period — served as the most recent glimpse of Perreault’s potential in his first extended NHL stint. Head coach Mike Sullivan said he bumped Perreault up to skate with Vincent Trocheck in overtime because of his performance, too.

And all of a sudden, in the middle of a lost season filled with constant shuffling, the Rangers finally have a prospect seemingly positioned to end their development woes.

“I wouldn’t say he’s the fastest or the strongest or the biggest, but he’s really quick to pucks and has a great stick and his hockey brain really helps him a lot — and he’s obviously got elite skill,” Rangers forward J.T. Miller, who skated alongside Perreault on the first line recently before landing on injured reserve Tuesday, said postgame Monday.

The lack of production from top Blueshirts draft picks — from Alexis Lafrenière and Brennan Othmann to the since-traded Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil — has spanned coaching staffs.

There have been spurts, with Lafrenière’s 2024 postseason being the most recent example before Perreault, but all, at some point, faded.

There was always a chance for Perreault to snap the drought. The last two months have only solidified that.

Perreault ripped a shot from the slot Monday to make it 4-2, and then he tied the game later in the third period by skating toward the right side of the net and lifting a shot past Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.

Both instances captured Perreault hanging onto pucks longer or taking shots himself, and he finished with a career-best six shots on goal against Columbus, according to Hockey Reference.

He also became the first Rangers rookie 20 years old or younger to have a three-point period since Alex Kovalev in December 1993, according to the team, and Perreault became the ninth rookie in the NHL this season to have at least two multigoal games.

That, in the short-term, meant the Rangers had a top line capable of producing like one with the addition of Perreault, though shuffling will follow after Miller’s upper-body injury.

And, in the long-term, Perreault has kept delivering reminders that he has as good of a chance as anyone to become the prospect that sticks.

“I feel like I’ve been getting a lot of chances these last couple games,” Perreault said Monday, “and it feels good to get a couple go in.”

The Rangers recalled forwards Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Parssinen from Hartford, while forward Brendan Brisson and defenseman Scott Morrow were assigned to the Wolf Pack.

Pregame

Blake Lizotte is out with an injury, Kevin Hayes is back. Rickard Rakell’s stint as a center is over, at least for now, so say hello to first line Ben Kindel. Stuart Skinner starts in net.

They meet the Bruins with this lineup.

First period

Exciting first minute, hope everyone got to their seats on time. Boston starts out with two really good chances, forcing big saves from Skinner. Play goes the other way and Erik Karlsson’s point shot finds the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.

The Bruins decide to challenge for Kindel interfering with the goalie, there isn’t much to see so the officials don’t agree, penalty to Boston for delay of the game. All this in the first 42 seconds!

Can’t hope for much better for the Penguins, however at this point the game turns against them in a major way. The aggressive Boston penalty holds the puck for a while, enough to where Anthony Mantha can slip behind the defense and get sprung on a breakaway by Egor Chinakhov. Jeremy Swayman is there to stop it, and it’s all Boston from here on out.

A few minutes after that, the Pens can’t get out of the zone and the bouncing puck gets to Marat Khusnutdinov who has the time and space to unleash a very nice shot to the far side. 1-1 game.

Fifty seconds later, the Bruins strike again. Another play that starts in the right corner ends up with the Penguins overskating and chasing the puck towards Nikita Zadorov once they had overcommitted down to the corner. Zadorov puts a low and hard shot that’s destined to be a rebound and becomes just that. It’s Casey Mittlestadt there to put it away, with no one around him since the pack shifted back to the open ice. 2-1 game at exactly the 6:00 mark.

Dan Muse has seen enough after five of the last six minutes of the game was so sloppy, he utilizes his timeout and shows a lot of emotion yelling to his team to try and shake them out of the funk.

The results are iffy at best, though at least it stopped the momentum. Connor Clifton took a penalty for holding, the Pens’ PK was able to answer.

Pittsburgh gets a power play late in the period but don’t get much out of it. 2-1 BOS after 20, shots are 12-7 in favor of the home team.

Second period

The second looks again like the first with Boston carrying a lot of zone time and hemming the Pens in for long stretches. Pittsburgh gets a few chances here and there, but mostly one and dones like another Karlsson shot hitting the post.

The team trade penalties, Chinakhov is off for a high-stick but then the Bruins get caught with too many men on the ice during their power play.

Anthony Mantha gets rung up for a modest cross-checking penalty but Boston can’t score on the power play and the period ends as Bryan Rust disgustedly smacks the puck away in frustration. It’s been a frustrating go for him and his teammates so far.

Shots-wise, the Pens actually did well with a 15-11 advantage in the second period. Didn’t feel that way for large stretches of the period. Boston up 2-1 with 20 to go.

Third period

Karlsson’s strong night continues when he draws a penalty. No goal comes of it but the Pens look about as they have all night building some pressure and carrying the play more. Tommy Novak glanced a shot off the crossbar, Ben Kindel followed that up a shift later by creating a nice chance.

The Bruins have folded, purposely or not, into a strong defensive shell and focus – only generating a shot or two over the first 10-12 minutes of the period.

The Pens get basic and try to get pucks and bodies to the net to smash one over the line but aren’t able to do so.

Skinner gets pulled for an extra attacker, the game is kept alive when the Bruins hit a post. Time runs out before either team can score and the Bruins skate off with a 2-1 victory.

Some thoughts

• Mantha scored on a breakaway about a month ago against Chicago on the same little fake shot to backhand move, didn’t work out this time early in the first period. Shame about that, gotta wonder if he converts there to make it 2-0 Pittsburgh about two minutes into the game how that might have changed the course of the game.
• Then again, if Boston has to be given a lot of credit for this one. They were quicker to plays, and as Colby Armstrong said on the broadcast the Bruins were picking off Penguin breakouts left and right, as if their prescouting gave them all the keys and the execution was very sharp.
• This was only the fourth regulation loss for the Pens in the last 24 games and only their second regulation loss since falling in a similar 1-0 tough loss in Boston back on January 11th. Sometimes loses happen, on the road, things are just not quite in sync on the evening. The opponent has something to do with that to pin them in, cut off the walls and pick off pucks up the middle, get solid goaltending. If anything it stands out how rarely these kind of games have happened to the Pens in this great stretch of play they’ve had since Christmas.
• Kris Letang left the game in the second period, which perhaps would have been worse than the loss of the game, but was able to return to the game partway through the third period. That could develop into a big story depending on the severity there, if any. Given all the games in the near future and the upcoming trade deadline on Friday, that blueline position might be standing out more even with a close call.
• Great game from Karlsson, the early goal had him in a shooting mood all night long. A whopping 15 shot attempts (six on goal), one goal, one post. For a while more often than not it seemed like about the only time a white jersey was shooting the puck it was coming from No. 65.
• Evgeni Malkin took eight faceoffs, his most in a single game since 12/1. Didn’t go well (only won two of them) though it’s notable that he’s getting more into the groove after taking 0, 1 or 2 faceoffs for 15 straight games recently, he’s now up to 16 draws over the most recent three games. At this rate, and given the Pens’ center situation, Malkin might be working his way back to his natural center position which is a good sign about his health and the stability of the shoulder getting back to normal or at least good enough to be in his typical spot.
• Overall the faceoff situation was about as dreadful as it’s consistently come to be in the last four Crosby-less games. The team only won 34% of their draws, including lineup addition Kevin Hayes going 0-for-5. Hayes is big, strong and a veteran which usually corresponds to the skills associated with being good at that area, but Hayes isn’t really adept at that skill in general (winning only 37.6% of his 101 faceoffs on the season entering this game). Kinda a bummer there, would have been nice if he at least could provide a little bit of value with that skill but it isn’t an area he excels.
• Another Crosby effect: Pittsburgh forwards have scored four total 5v5 goals over these last four games (Chinakhov vs NJ; Kindel, Chinakhov and Brazeau against Vegas). In two of the games, including tonight, there were no 5v5 goals from a forward to be found. That’s tough sledding, in some respects carrying a 2-1-1 record without Crosby so far still is fairly impressive to find ways to generate enough production. They just couldn’t find that goal they needed — either with the 0/4 power play or at even strength in this game —which ultimately served as a major reason why they came up short.

It doesn’t get much easier from here, next game coming up against mighty (!) Buffalo on Thursday.

The Senators begin a four-game swing out West on Tuesday night, facing the news-making Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers were NHL trade deadline early birds yesterday, acquiring defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks. However, Murphy will not make his Oilers debut this evening.

Andrew Mangiapane, who scored 35 goals in 2022, cleared waivers on Monday, and the Oilers sent him to the AHL. Mangiapane has been mentioned in NHL trade rumours involving several teams, including Ottawa.

Here's how the chess pieces line up for the two clubs in game number two of the Sens five game road trip.

Senators Projected Lineup

Drake Batherson -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux

Brady Tkachuk -- Dylan Cozens -- Ridly Greig

Nick Cousins -- Shane Pinto -- Michael Amadio

Stephen Halliday -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence

Linus Ullmark

James Reimer

Oilers projected lineup (NHL.com)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman

Vasily Podkolzin -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kasperi Kapanen

Trent Frederic -- Jack Roslovic -- Matthew Savoie

Curtis Lazar -- Adam Henrique -- Josh Samanski

Jake Walman -- Evan Bouchard

Mattias Ekholm -- Spencer Stastney

Darnell Nurse -- Ty Emberson

Connor Ingram

Tristan Jarry

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

Senators-Oilers Preview: Equal In Team Points, But Worlds Apart In Playoff StandingsEx-Ottawa Senator D.J. Smith Returns To NHL Head Coaching RanksAuston Matthews Describes Sens' Beatdown Of Leafs As 'Fairly EmbarrassingAfter Clearing Waivers, Former Ottawa Senator Mathieu Joseph Sent To AHL

With the St. Louis Blues hitting a rough patch this season, it seems like half their roster is out there in trade rumours before Friday's NHL trade deadline.  

One of their biggest names said to be on the trade block is their star goalie, Jordan Binnington. 

"The Blues appear ready to move on from Jordan Binnington," player agent and former NHLer Brian Lawton posted on X on Tuesday. "His 16-team no-trade list is in play, but it feels like a move is a forgone conclusion at this stage with where the Blues are heading in the near term."

Just like his team's record, Binnington's seasonal performance in St. Louis (3.60/.867) isn't much to get excited about. But he's regarded by most as a big-game goalie, recently starring for Team Canada in their 4 Nations Face-off win last year, and their silver medal at the Olympics this year. 

Meanwhile, it's no secret that the Ottawa Senators would like better goaltending. With it, they would be well above the playoff cut line instead of five points beneath it.

By acquiring Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins in 2024, GM Steve Staios thought the goalie-starved Senators finally had a "set it and forget it" situation in goal. Ullmark would provide the Vezina-level goaltending, and backup Leevi Merilainen would be just as good as last season when he was thrust into action for 12 games.

You'd like to think that's happening somewhere in a parallel universe, but it didn't happen in this one.

Merilainen is now back in Belleville, while Ullmark is in year one of a four-year contract and hasn't performed anywhere close to meeting the expectations of an $8.25 million a year NHL goalie (2.80/.855). 

The trouble is, when discussing available NHL goalies, very few teams want to part with impactful goalies, especially at this time of the year, so those that do will be overcharging. If the Sens are keen on Binnington between now and Friday, that's one of several things that should give them pause.

For one, Binnington wouldn't necessarily be a sure thing for Ottawa.

It's one thing for a goalie to look good behind one of the greatest teams Canada has ever assembled in a short tournament where no one cuts corners. It's another for him to look good for his club team in the long, nightly grind of the NHL.

Winning the 2019 Stanley Cup with the Blues as a 25-year-old rookie is a long time ago now. In the past five years, Binnington's average seasonal save percentage checks in at .895.

And what would the Blues want in return? There are likely multiple teams kicking the tires on him, so he would certainly command a premium after playing so well again for Canada at the Olympics.

To satisfy the Blues, the Sens would probably have to move a good young player, one who's hard to replace, especially in Ottawa, where the prospect pool of replacement options is so thin.

To satisfy the cap, that player might also need to be making enough money to squeeze in Binnington's $6 million hit for the rest of this season and next.

And what of Ullmark's $8.25 million a year contract? That's not really a movable contract anymore, which complicates things as well. They'd really like him to pan out here.

If the Senators are going to address their goaltending and give up key assets, it has to be for a sure thing. There are no guarantees with Binnington, just as there are none with Ullmark. In both cases, the Sens would be taking a leap of faith, hoping they can find their A games.

They're both capable of it, but at least rolling with the status quo doesn't cost you anything extra.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published by The Hockey News. More headlines here:  

Senators-Oilers Preview: Equal In Team Points, But Worlds Apart In Playoff StandingsThe Senators' four game Western swing and Edmonton's big trade on Monday will have a big say in both teams' playoff fates.

Senators-Oilers Preview: Equal In Team Points, But Worlds Apart In Playoff Standings
Ex-Ottawa Senator D.J. Smith Returns To NHL Head Coaching Ranks
Auston Matthews Describes Sens' Beatdown Of Leafs As 'Fairly Embarrassing
After Clearing Waivers, Former Ottawa Senator Mathieu Joseph Sent To AHL

IRVINE, Calif. — As Mat Barzal creeps up on 600 games in the NHL, he’s thought more and more about his own maturity as a hockey player. 

His rookie season still feels like yesterday, but Barzal, as analytical and willing to examine himself as any player in the league, knows well just how different a player he is now.

It’s at the heart of his recent hot streak, with 14 points in the last 10 games on either side of the Olympic break. 

“I feel like as I’ve gotten older in this league, I used to get frustrated in the first period when we didn’t score, I miss a chance,” Barzal told The Post after the Islanders practiced Tuesday. “And now, just let the game come to me. I like to go after the game early on, but [recognize] what the night is gonna be. 

“Sometimes the night is gonna be stingy, there’s not gonna be much offense created, so I know that I’m locking in on a chance or two that I have. Making sure that if I only get two chances a night, I’m putting something in. I think I’ve come a long way that way.” 

This time of year, that description applies in part, and often in whole, to most games. The Islanders have started slow in all three of their games since the break, and road games in the dog days of the season tend to take on a stingy feel.

Finding your way into production on nights like those is simply a requirement for a player with the sort of minutes burden and expectation that Barzal carries. 

That’s just what he’s been doing this year. Take Sunday night as an example. The Islanders, especially early in the game, struggled to generate much momentum.

Barzal and linemates Bo Horvat and Ondrej Palat, seemed to be the only trio that could create on the forecheck or hold the puck in the zone. 

Lo and behold, they were on the ice for three of the Islanders’ four goals at 5-on-5. On the second night of a back-to-back, that’s exactly what the Isles needed from their top line. 

“I love the energy they have,” coach Patrick Roy said. “The speed, how fast they were playing. For some reason when your top line plays that way, you do believe you’re going to come back in that way. … They were buzzing, they were controlling.” 

It’s been talked about plenty over the years that Barzal seems to click with Horvat on a higher level than most. Palat, a terrific player on the walls and retrieving pucks down low with a high hockey IQ, might be the third guy who can unlock the top line further.

It’s a small sample, but in eight games together, the trio has a 6-3 scoring margin with a 55.36 expected goals rate, driving a five-game winning streak the Isles will look to defend Wednesday night in Anaheim. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

“He doesn’t have to go out there and try to be that guy,” Barzal said of Palat. “He is that guy who forechecks and strips pucks, wins battles down low. There’s no faking it with him. He’s been that guy for a long time. He’s been great at it. 

“He knows where to go. He knows how to get open. He knows for him to be effective, it requires him forechecking and stripping pucks. It comes natural to him. He’s been playing like that since I’ve known him, at least, in the league.” 

For the time being at least, it’s helped unlock Barzal. And his own evolution hasn’t hurt either. 

“I think a lot of it comes from maturing,” he said. “Understanding my emotions. I’ve played in 600 games. Knowing the ups and downs. Knowing that, hey, something didn’t go in the first, I’m gonna get another look in the second. Just bear down. A lot of it comes from emotional maturity.”

A former Montreal Canadiens forward is on the move. 

According to The Athletic's Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild are acquiring former Canadiens forward Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick. 

McCarron, 30, was one of several players on the Predators creating chatter as a trade candidate leading up to the deadline. Now, with this news, the former Canadiens forward is heading to Minnesota.

Seeing the Wild bring in a player like McCarron is understandable. With the Wild being one of the top teams in the league, they naturally are going to want more toughness when the playoffs are here. Bringing in McCarron will provide them just that in their bottom six. 

In 59 games this season with the Predators before being traded to the Wild, McCarrom has five goals, seven assists, 13 points, 73 penalty minutes, and 165 hits. This is after the former Canadiens forward had five goals, 14 points, and 102 penalty minutes in 74 games for Nashville last season.

McCarron was selected by the Canadiens with the 25th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In 69 games over three seasons with the Canadiens from 2015-16 to 2017-18, McCarron recorded two goals, eight points, 110 penalty minutes, and 185 hits.

The Nashville Predators have made their first move of the NHL trade deadline trading center Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a 2028 2nd round draft pick.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported the news just minutes after the Predators announced McCarron had be scratched in Tuesday’s road game against the Blue Jackets due to “roster management purposes.”

Nashville now has eight picks in the 2028 NHL Draft: one first round, two second round and one each in rounds three through seven. 

He is in the final year of a 2-year, $1.8 million contract. McCarron will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

"We're going to miss two great people," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said on McCarron and Smith getting traded. "Two big parts of our culture and what they bring every day. They're wonderful people and kind of like family. It's sad to see them go, but I'm hoping for the best. They both have a good opportunity to go on a long run.

"We're going to miss them. It's a sad day here today." 

The 31-year-old, 6-foot, 6-inch center has played in 59 games this season, recording five goals and seven assists for 12 points. McCarron has also logged a team-high 73 penalty minutes.

McCarron had been with the Predators for five and a half seasons now, acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2019-20 season. He’s mainly taken on an enforcer role, centering the fourth line, during his time in Nashville.

The Predators are working with about $30 million in deadline cap space with seven contracts expiring this offseason.

Michael Bunting, Erin Haula, Tyson Jost and Nick Blankenburg will all be unrestricted free agents.

Justin Barron and Zach L’Heureux will be restricted free agents.

Nick Bjugstad will play his milestone 800th NHL game tonight against the team that he started his career with, the Florida Panthers.

The 33-year-old, who has played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season, spent seven seasons with the Panthers—the same team he faces tonight—before moving on to the Pittsburgh Penguins for two years, the Minnesota Wild for two seasons, the Arizona Coyotes, the Edmonton Oilers, the Utah Hockey Club, the St. Louis Blues, and now the New Jersey Devils.

In 799 NHL games, Bjugstad has scored 163 goals, tallying 174 assists for a total of 337 points.

Reflecting ahead of tonight’s milestone, Bjugstad spoke about his time with Florida and the irony of facing his former team in such a significant game.

“Pretty cool. I got to start in the league with Florida and had some fun years there,” he said. “It’ll be fun to play against them tonight. It takes a lot of people and fortunate circumstances to play 800 games in the league. I’m very grateful for that. Still having fun with it. I’m trying to enjoy myself and keep getting better every day.”

Drafted 19th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, the Minnesota native also spoke with NJD.tv about reaching this milestone and shared his perspective.

“The 1,000 mark is the big one for all the guys,” Bjugstad said. “Eight hundred is fine, but everyone sets their sights on 1,000. For the few that can make it there, that’s a very impressive feat. It feels like it’s been a 1,000 for me, but it’s only been 800. I still enjoy playing and feel fortunate to be in the NHL.”

Earlier this season, Bjugstad played 35 games with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 4, 2026, continuing his NHL journey.​

He will hit the ice for his fifth game as a Devil at 7 pm as his current team and former team face off. 

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

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Kiefer Sherwood's heroics in Sharks' win fueled by ‘infectious' energy from fans originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Another day, another thrilling end to a Sharks win that kept every fan watching on the edge of their seat. And would we want it any other way?

Kiefer Sherwood’s late-game heroics put the finishing touches on San Jose’s 7-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night at SAP Center, extending the Sharks’ winning streak to three games, with each of those contests coming down to the final seconds.

Sherwood’s decisive go-ahead goal at 16:34 in the third period was his first as a Shark, and the veteran forward wasted no time celebrating the occasion with a raucous home crowd that has SAP Center feeling like the days of old once more.

Sherwood praised the impact made by the fervent support from the home crowd, detailing the “infectious” energy he and his teammates felt from Sharks fans in the building during the roller coaster win.

“You guys keep buzzing, and we’ll keep feeding you,” Sherwood told the SAP Center crowd during a postgame interview with NBC Sports California’s Tara Slone.

Sherwood is an eight-year NHL veteran and has been around long enough to remember when a road trip to San Jose was one of the most vaunted dates on a hockey team’s schedule. When asked what it’s like to be a part of a team fueling a resurgence that once again is making SAP Center among the best home ices in the league, Sherwood expressed his gratitude for the energy supplied by the Sharks fans in attendance.

“This time of year, everyone is digging in and pulling the rope together, and we really appreciate your guys’ support, and it’s great to see the Tank buzzing again … It’s infectious and we really feed off of it, and we’ll continue to try and make you guys proud,” Sherwood said.

The path to victory was not without its own anxiety-inducing moments, as the Sharks erased two early deficits to keep the game level.

Collin Graf got the Sharks on the board with a first-period goal that saw a handful of contributors work together for a textbook finish to tie the game at 1-1.

Rookie star Michael Misa then continued his recent hot streak to even things at 2-2, the 2025 No. 2 overall pick’s third consecutive game with a goal.

Then Macklin Celebrini did Macklin Celebrini things, ripping a shot through the five-hole of Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobeš to give San Jose a 3-2 lead. It was the teenage superstar’s 30th goal of the 2025-26 season, making Celebrini the first teenager to eclipse that mark in the NHL since Winnipeg Jets star Patrik Laine in the 2017-18 campaign.

While Sherwood’s game-winner rightfully is dominating the headlines, the veteran’s savvy poke-check on the boards in the offensive zone and subsequent assist to Alex Wennberg was his most impressive play of the evening.

Celebrini then found Will Smith at the back post to give the Sharks a commanding three-goal lead with just over 15 minutes remaining in regulation.

But as anyone who has watched these upstart Sharks knows, this game was far from over. The Canadiens promptly responded with three unanswered goals, sending this game down to the wire before Sherwood’s late-game magic prevented a horrific collapse from coming to fruition.

Sherwood praised San Jose’s ability to grit out a win and not let a pair of crucial points slip away as the Sharks attempt to snap a six-year playoff drought.

“We bend, we don’t break. We’re continuing to grind and stick together there,” Sherwood told reporters after the game. “Obviously, we had some penalties there, but guys are sticking up for each other and playing the right way. Showed a lot of character and resolve there.”

Celebrini echoed a similar sentiment, lauding his teammates’ ability to win in adverse conditions.

“Thought it was great — we don’t want to give up those goals in the third,” Celebrini said. “Try to prevent those, but we have a good power play and they capitalized. I mean, I thought we got it done in the end, and that’s all that matters.”

After dropping five consecutive games, San Jose’s magical season was on the ropes. Maybe these young, gritty Sharks were still a year or two away. After all, who could’ve seen any of us talking playoffs in March?

But this wasn’t to be the end of this story. These Sharks made sure of it. With their backs against the wall, they have rattled off three consecutive wins, dispatching quality opponents in epic fashion and placing themselves firmly in the playoff race as the season approaches the final stretch.

With 64 points, the Sharks currently are three points back of the Western Conference’s final wild card spot, but they have a game in hand on the Seattle Kraken. San Jose also has three games in hand on the Edmonton Oilers, who sit just four points ahead in the Pacific Division’s final playoff spot.

San Jose has games against the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders to close out this pivotal five-game homestand that could ultimately decide how their 82-game season is viewed when all is said and done.

Who knows if they’ll get a clean sweep by dispatching the Blues and Islanders, but one thing is for certain.

The Shark Tank is going to be rocking, and that won’t be changing again any time soon.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Through the first 59 games of his first NHL season, Anaheim Ducks rookie winger Beckett Sennecke has notched 49 points (19-30=49). That places him on a 68-point pace, which would be the most points from a Ducks’ rookie in franchise history and the best scoring rate (.83 points per game) from a Ducks rookie since Bobby Ryan scored 57 points (31-26=57) in 64 games in 2008-09.

Most weren’t expecting the Ducks to draft Sennecke with the third-overall pick in the 2024 Draft, as most outlets had him ranked in the 8-20 range. Many weren’t expecting him to play the entire season with the Ducks, in the NHL, and in a premium top-six role. But he’s earned every opportunity afforded and is making the most of it.

Ducks’ Poehling is Jack of All Trades

Anaheim Ducks 2026 Trade Deadline Preview

He’s made monumental leaps in his development in just five months, greatly improving his situational awareness and limiting mistakes, while amplifying his impact shift-to-shift, increasingly driving play, and quickly discovering how to best utilize his skillset to become a true difference maker for the Ducks during this transitional season for the franchise.

Sennecke is a puck magnet. He uses his scanning and anticipation skills to read how pucks will bounce loose from battles. His puck skills are dynamic, and when combined with his motor and how slippery he is, it becomes difficult for even the most veteran of NHL defensemen to strip him of the puck cleanly.

If results hold, Sennecke will likely be one of the three Calder Trophy finalists at the end of the year, and in some years, his production rate over a full season would be enough to take home the hardware.

The 2025-26 NHL season has provided a generational rookie defenseman, however. Matthew Schaefer was selected by the New York Islanders with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, having just played 17 games in his draft year and just 11 days away from being eligible for the 2026 Draft.

When Schaefer stepped foot on the ice for the Islanders’ season opener, he became the first player in NHL history born after the Ducks won their sole Stanley Cup championship in June of 2007.

Schaefer’s career began with a six-game point streak, and the trajectory of the Islanders’ franchise shifted completely. Through his first 61 games in the NHL, Schaefer has tallied 44 points (20-24=44) while averaging 24:07 TOI per game, including 3:10 TOI/g on the power play and 1:11 TOI/g on the penalty kill.

He controls the game with and without the puck on his stick, as he can make every dynamic play the current top NHL defensemen can make, driving offense for his club from the blueline. Defensively, he blends his elite speed and four-way mobility to eliminate time and space against opposing attackers, as well as an active and smart stick to disrupt developing plays in all three zones. He’s already one of the NHL’s best defensemen.

“Yeah, it’s skating. His lateral mobility,” Sennecke said when asked about what stands out about Schaefer’s game. “It’s just his ability to look so smooth when he’s skating, so controlled. He’s unbelievable. It’s crazy he’s only 18, doing it.”

Schaefer will likely win the Calder Trophy, and it shouldn’t be close.

Schaefer and his Isles will come to Anaheim on Wednesday to face Sennecke’s Ducks. The first time the two had met was a 5-2 victory for the Isles in New York, and both rookies went scoreless.

At the 2024 Draft, unanimously, Ivan Demidov was ranked second behind Macklin Celebrini by most publications. Questions surrounding his level of competition (MHL) in his draft year and how his game would translate to the NHL led to him “falling” to the Montreal Canadiens at fifth-overall. The moment the Ducks selected Sennecke above Demidov, as they play the same position, likely tied the two together for the entirety of their careers.

In his rookie season, Demidov has scored 47 points (12-35=47) in 59 games, and his numbers are remarkably similar to Sennecke’s. At 5v5, Sennecke has produced 2.3 points per 60 minutes, and Demidov has produced 2.65. On the power play, Sennecke has scored 4.71 points per 60, and Demidov has scored 4.76.

Sennecke has the underlying advantage over Demidov, as when Sennecke’s on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks account for 51.25% of the shots on goal, 51.98% of the shot attempts, and 51.30% of the expected goals. When Demidov is on the ice, the Habs account for 45.69% of the shots on goal, 45.95% of the shot attempts, and 46.39% of the expected goals.

After the Ducks host Schaefer’s Islanders on Wednesday, Sennecke and the Ducks will go head-to-head against Demidov and the Canadiens on Friday at Honda Center. Sennecke and Demidov, though likely always linked moving forward, have never shared the ice.

All three players are having special seasons and project as key pieces if/when their franchises are contending in the future. However, Schaefer’s impact is undeniable, and the excellence of his first season in the NHL, at his age, can’t be understated.

“It’s awesome. Those guys are incredible,” Sennecke said when asked about his upcoming games against Schaefer and Demidov. “Schaefer’s like breaking all the records right now, which is pretty crazy. It’s nice to see, and it’s cool.”

Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 Shootout Win over the Flames

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-4 OT Win over the Jets

The Vancouver Canucks’ D-core keeps getting younger and younger. With Tyler Myers being held out of the lineup due to roster management reasons and Pierre-Olivier Joseph out due to an upper-body injury, Vancouver has recalled defenceman Victor Mancini from the AHL in preparation for their home game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. 

Mancini, who had a strong training camp for Vancouver, has skated in 10 games for the Canucks this season. He was sidelined due to injury on October 26 and did not return to play until about a month after. In January, he spent five more games with Vancouver before being re-assigned to Abbotsford. Mancini currently has four goals and eight assists in 33 games played in the AHL this season. 

With Mancini now expected to skate against the Hurricanes, the average age of Vancouver’s D-core is now around 24. Mancini, Tom Willander, Zeev Buium, and Elias Pettersson are all under 24 and collectively have skated in a total of 221 NHL games. All four have yet to play in their first full NHL season. 

Wednesday will mark the last game before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Ahead of it, nearly every member of the Canucks organization has had their name mentioned in trade rumours. With the passing of the trade deadline will come a conclusion to the Myers saga, which is expected to give Vancouver more clarity on how their blueline could look in the coming seasons. 

The Canucks take on the Hurricanes on Wednesday at 7:00 pm PT. 

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

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With the 2026 NHL trade deadline rapidly approaching, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj is generating interest from a Pacific Division club.

According to the Montreal Gazette's Herb Zurkowsky, the Calgary Flames have "an interest" in Xhekaj. 

Hearing that the Flames have their eye on Xhekaj is easy to understand. With the Flames rebuilding, they should be looking to add young talent with good upside. At 25 years old, Xhekaj would have the potential to fit in nicely on a team that is focused on the future, like the Flames. 

If the Flames acquired Xhekaj, he would have a far better chance of receiving consistent playing time. This is because the left side of the Flames' defense is weaker than Montreal's. With this, Xhekaj could even be a potential option for Calgary's second pairing if brought in.

Yet, while Xhekaj is generating interest from the Flames, the Canadiens trading him would come with some real risk. Xhekaj is exactly the mean and bruising defenseman that contenders need to have when the games get tougher during the playoffs. As a result, the Canadiens may be better off holding on to him rather than trading him.

Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what happens between the Canadiens and Xhekaj leading up to the deadline. 

Welcome to Tuesday Night Hockey, folks!

After a disappointing showing in Philadelphia, the Bruins will face another team from the Keystone State as they welcome the Penguins to TD Garden.

The Penguins are having a surprisingly good year and are fresh off of a thorough beating of the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

The Bruins have been great at home lately and will look to recover from Saturday’s (hopefully) blip.

The standings are getting tighter too, with Washington, Columbus, Philadelphia, and Ottawa all within four points of the Bruins for that second wild card spot.

Bruins! Penguins! On ice!

Discuss.

D.J. Smith's first game as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings is in the books, and it was a 4-2 loss to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.

While the score didn't go Los Angeles' way - and neither did the shot clock or puck possession time - the Kings looked slightly different on the ice with Smith now calling the shots.

For starters, the Kings had three players make their NHL debuts in this contest. Defenseman Angus Booth, right winger Jared Wright and center Kenny Connors were fairly noticeable in what was their first taste of action in The Show.

Before Monday's game, that trio, who have spent all of this season in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. With that, they are also the first players to make their NHL debuts among Kings players who were drafted in 2022 or later.

Even though the Kings were undermanned with injuries, that statistic says a lot about D.J. Smith and the trust he has in the youngsters of the organization. 

The Kings Young Talent Could Benefit From The Coaching ChangeThe Los Angeles Kings have parted ways with Head Coach Jim Hiller, which could pave the way for players like Brandt Clarke, and Quinton Byfield to finally flourish.

With the injection of youth into the Kings' lineup, not only did the lineup look different on paper, but they played differently, too.

The defense-first mindset was still there, but there was far more pushback on the mighty Avalanche. There was a clear step up in the team's aggression, specifically on the forecheck, and there was some noticeable speed on the rush.

Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland Reveals NHL Trade Deadline PlanWith just a few days until the NHL's trade deadline, Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland has revealed what his plan is with his roster.

"What we wanted to establish is a sense of work ethic, a sense of physicality, a sense of we’re not going to sit back, we’re going to come get you," coach Smith told reporters after the game. "I think we did all those things tonight. So, you need the points for sure, but at this point, you can’t fault the effort, and we’re going to need that every game.

"Now, it didn’t look good early. We made some mistakes, we gave up too many odd man rushes, but what you saw from that group is a real effort to forecheck, a real effort to get pucks back, to hunt, to hit people, and you’re going to see that the rest of the way," the interim bench boss added.

Smith wasn't afraid to make tweaks to the Kings' lineup throughout the game, either. Alex Laferriere started the game on the right wing with Alex Turcotte in the middle and Warren Foegele on the left wing. But later, Smith brought Laferriere back to the middle, and Corey Perry was bumped up to that line on the right flank.

Additionally, there was a relatively even distribution of ice time for the majority of the team's forward group. Anze Kopitar's line with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on his flanks had a positive influence on the game, despite no even-strength scoring from them.

Furthermore, the Kings' bottom six earned some regular ice time in the second half of the contest and imposed their will physically, especially the fourth line of Samuel Helenius, Jeff Malott, and Taylor Ward.

Like Smith said after the game, it's too late for moral victories. However, there are some promising developments from a Smith-flavored performance.

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As the 2026 NHL trade deadline approaches, more teams are interested in St. Louis Blues forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, and the possibility of them being dealt has substantially increased.

On Feb. 28, a report from The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner linked the New York Islanders to Blues winger Jordan Kyrou. Kyrou has now been directly linked to the Islanders, the Seattle Kraken, and the Montreal Canadiens.

On Saturday, during Elliotte Friedman’s ‘Saturday Headlines’ feature during Hockey Night In Canada, Friedman stated that there is a decent chance Thomas is moved before the March 6 trade deadline. He also linked the Utah Mammoth to Thomas. 

Today, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Buffalo Sabres are a team to keep an eye on in the Thomas sweepstakes and that talks between the two teams are heating up.

The Sabres would be an interesting destination for Thomas, and the Sabres have both the draft capital and the prospects to make a deal. The Sabres currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning by four points. 

The Sabres are led by captain and former 2018 first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, alongside former Blues draft pick and 6-foot-6 center Tage Thompson. They’ve improved drastically offensively this season thanks to solid seasons from several young forward prospects. They appear to be on track to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years and are looking to be buyers.

The Athletic’s Chris Johnston stated that Buffalo is believed to be dangling the equivalent of multiple first-rounders in Thomas talks.

While the talks have reportedly intensified and interest from several teams is growing, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that the Blues have not yet asked Thomas to waive his no-trade clause. He also mentioned that the Blues previously had interest in Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, but he is not expected to be included in a potential deal. 

NHL Insider Believes There Is A 'Decent Chance' Blues Robert Thomas Is Moved Before The DeadlineSportsnet's Elliotte Friedman stated that there is a "decent chance" that the St. Louis Blues move Robert Thomas prior to the March 6 NHL trade deadline.

In addition to the Mammoth and the Sabres, Marco D’Amico of RG Media reported that the Canadiens have kicked tires with the Blues about Thomas, but the asking price is reportedly too high, as the Blues are looking for a package that could include prospect Michael Hage and 24-year-old defenseman Kaiden Guhle. 

Ultimately, Thomas holds the power. If he wants to remain in St. Louis, he can simply decline to waive his no-trade clause. If a team he is interested in playing pulls off a deal, he agrees to be traded and moves on. 

In the end, whatever team lands Thomas via trade will be better for it and will likely elevate towards Stanley Cup contenders.

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