Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun is having the best offensive season of his career, already setting a new high in points with plenty of games to go.
He's feasted on lesser defensive teams all season, and my Bruins vs. Capitals predictions expect that to be the case again this afternoon.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Saturday, March 14.
Bruins vs Capitals prediction
Bruins vs Capitals best bet: Jakob Chychrun Over 0.5 points (-135)
Jakob Chychrun has hit the scoresheet in 19 of 26 games (73%) against Bottom 12 teams in points allowed to defensemen, including both matchups with the Boston Bruins.
His numbers are even better on home soil, with points in 12 of 14 such matchups — averaging a remarkable 1.4 points per game.
The 27-year-old also stands to benefit from John Carlson's departure. He's served as the clear No. 1 offensive defenseman without Carlson, generating shots at a higher clip while picking up points in eight of 12 games.
Chychrun has registered a point in five of six home dates without the Washington Capitals legend.
Bruins vs Capitals same-game parlay
Connor McMichael has averaged 2.6 shots on goal per game and generated at least two shots in 14 of 17 home dates against Bottom 16 shot-suppression teams. He recorded three shots on eight attempts when facing the Boston Bruins on home soil back in October.
Charlie McAvoy is averaging 2.2 blocks on the road while recording at least two in 65% of his games. The Capitals are Top 10 in shot attempts per game at home, so there should be plenty of opportunities to jump in front of pucks.
Jakob Chychrun has points in eight of his last 10 home dates. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Capitals.
How to watch Bruins vs Capitals
Location
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Date
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Puck drop
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Bruins vs Capitals latest injuries
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.
The Calgary Flames will try to build rare momentum Saturday night when they close out their season series with the New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y.
Calgary arrives on Long Island riding a surge of confidence after a high-scoring 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, a game that showcased the resilience the Flames have tried to rediscover during a difficult season. The victory came midway through an Eastern Conference road swing and offered a glimpse of the aggressive, competitive identity Calgary hopes to carry through the final stretch of the schedule.
Veteran center Mikael Backlund delivered a milestone moment in the win, scoring the eventual game-winning goal early in the third period while collecting the 600th point of his NHL career. For a Flames team that has spent much of the season battling adversity, the milestone was both a personal achievement and a symbolic spark.
"We want to play the right way every game and come out and play Flames style," Calgary center Mikael Backlund told reporters. "That's competing hard playing the right way. That's our main focus every night."
Even with the victory, the Flames remain buried near the bottom of the standings. Calgary entered the weekend with 59 points, 31st in the NHL and ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks. A disastrous opening stretch — 11 losses in their first 13 games (2-9-2) — left the club chasing the pack for most of the year.
Flames Searching For Rare Consistency
Now the math is daunting.
Calgary sits 10 points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wild-card position, leaving the Flames with little margin for error as the regular season winds down. Consecutive victories have also been hard to come by — the Flames have managed back-to-back wins just twice since Jan. 1, posting an 8-14-3 record during that span.
Saturday offers an opportunity to change that narrative.
Islanders Feeling The Pressure
The Islanders, meanwhile, enter the matchup trying to shake off a frustrating loss and stabilize their own playoff positioning.
New York opened a weekend back-to-back against Pacific Division opponents Friday night and fell 3-2 to the Kings after digging themselves into an early hole. Los Angeles scored three times in the opening period before the Islanders mounted another late push.
Forward Emil Heineman fueled the comeback attempt with a pair of redirect goals across the final two periods, cutting the deficit to one early in the third. New York pressed hard down the stretch, outshooting the Kings 9-4 after Heineman’s second goal, but a last-second chance from rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer was blocked by veteran blueliner Joel Edmundson with just two seconds remaining.
The defeat halted what had been a strong stretch for the Islanders since the Olympic break. New York had won five of its previous seven games and rallied from multi-goal deficits in four of those victories.
Still, constantly playing catch-up has begun to take a toll.
"It wears on you having to come back all the time," Islanders center Bo Horvat, who had the secondary assist on both of Heineman's goals. "We have to find ways to get leads and hold leads. Going down the stretch here like that's tough -- not only physically but mentally to keep having to come back in games like that."
Despite the loss, the Islanders remain firmly in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. New York entered the weekend tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins with 79 points — two ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final guaranteed Metropolitan Division playoff spots.
They also sit level with the Detroit Red Wings for the conference’s top wild-card position and just one point ahead of the Boston Bruins.
For Calgary, the stakes are simpler.
The Flames are playing for pride, identity, and perhaps a foundation for next season — and another victory Saturday would mark one of their most consistent stretches in months.
DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 19: Martin Necas #88 of the Colorado Avalanche fights for control of the puck against Jonathan Toews #19 of the Winnipeg Jets in the first period at Ball Arena on December 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche have been soaring to incredible heights all season.
Today, the highest-flying team in the NHL will fly into Canadian airspace at Canada Life Center against Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets to finish off their two game road swing.
Colorado Avalanche (44-11-9)
The Opponent: Winnipeg Jets (26-28-10)
Time: 2:00 P.M. MDT/4:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), TSN3 (Winnipeg Local Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche come into today’s game fresh off a 5-1 victory over the reeling Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night. The Avs would regain the services of Nathan MacKinnon, who returned to the lineup after being served a major penalty (courtesy of on-ice officials Kelly Sutherland and Brandon Schrader) and a corresponding game misconduct (which was rescinded by the NHL on Thursday) upon colliding with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram (courtesy of Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse) in the 4-3 loss on Tuesday night. If MacKinnon was harboring any resentment after the events of Tuesday night, he channeled all of it towards Seattle’s Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, resulting in a four point effort (1G/3A/4PTS), which included the game-winning tally, in the win. Martin Nečas scored his 30th goal of the season for the first time in his career, and Nazem Kadri scored his first regular season goal in a Colorado sweater since April 29, 2022, en route to the victory. Scott Wedgewood stopped 28 of 29 shots for his 25th win of the season, extending his career high.
With this victory, the Avalanche maintained a five point lead over the Dallas Stars—who defeated Edmonton by a score of 7-2 Thursday evening—and still hold a critical game in hand over their second place rivals. They remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. Coach Jared Bednar said after Thursday’s game, “Every win matters this time of the year. We’re trying to hang on to first place. Teams around us are winning, and to get a start like that [tonight], and have those guys feel good about their game is real important this time of year.”
Today’s game marks the first of two visits to Winnipeg in a two week span for the Avs. Both teams previously met on December 19 back at Ball Arena, a 3-2 Avalanche victory. Parker Kelly scored what proved to be the game winner in that contest. Look for Mackenzie Blackwood to get the start in Winnipeg today, as he looks to rebound from a performance on Tuesday night where he gave his teammates plenty of time to take control of the contest, but ultimately was unable to provide key saves when his defenders weren’t at their best.
Coach Bednar deployed eleven skaters at the forward positions on Thursday, along with seven defensemen. This saw the debut of Nick Blankenburg, acquired from Nashville just before the trade deadline, in an Avalanche sweater. Blankenburg, fared decently in his first outing with his new team, but as the seventh defenseman, had a team low 9:31 among the blue line corps. At the time of this writing, the Avalanche haven’t called anyone up from Loveland (which would be a curious decision given that there can be only four call-ups to use between now and the end of the regular season), and Ross Colton’s status is still unknown, so it’s possible that Bednar considers using this same lineup against Winnipeg and allow Blankenburg another opportunity to showcase his abilities.
Even with his four point performance on Thursday, Nathan MacKinnon trails Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in the overall points lead (MacKinnon has 108 points; McDavid leads the League with 111). His 44 goals on the season still lead all NHL skaters. Nečas is now tied for second in team goal scoring with Brock Nelson (30). Cale Makar remains one goal away from a fourth consecutive 20 goal season.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Nazem Kadri – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Joel Kiviranta – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Parker Kelly – Nicolas Roy – Gavin Brindley Zakhar Bardakov – Jack Drury
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski Nick Blankenburg
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Winnipeg Jets
After capturing the Presidents Trophy as the League’s best team in the regular season with 56 wins last year, an encore performance seemed all but certain. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was awarded his second straight Vezina Trophy as the League’s best goaltender, and secured the Hart Trophy for the first time. However, their dominant run saw an early exit in the second round of the postseason at the hands of the Dallas Stars. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff got to work through the next several months, locking up several key figures to long-term, lucrative contracts: defenseman Neal Pionk (six years, $42 million dollars), center Gabe Vilardi (six years, $45 million dollars), left wing Kyle Connor (eight years, $96 million dollars) and captain Adam Lowry (five years, $25 million dollars). Cheveldayoff also signed former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who hadn’t seen NHL action since the end of the 2022-2023 season, to a one-year contract. Management made their commitment to the roster, and the future was looking bright.
Winnipeg didn’t have as dominant of a start to the 2025 – 2026 season began, as they went 12-8 in the first twenty games. However, Hellebuyck underwent knee surgery on November 22nd, causing him to miss three weeks of action. The Jets lost eight of their next ten games without Hellebuyck, and eleven of twelve games after his return on December 13. With Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota all but untouchable at the top of the Central Division standings, and Utah making a strong case for wild card consideration, Winnipeg was fighting an uphill battle, as they fought to prevent sinking to the Central Division basement. Currently, a stretch of .500 hockey coming out of the Olympic break sees Winnipeg seven points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. However, just one point separates them from cellar-dwelling Chicago.
With their hopes for playoff contention fading, Winnipeg traded defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for right wing Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a conditional 2026 4th round pick, and a 2027 2nd-round pick prior to the trade deadline. They would later trade left wing Tanner Pearson to Buffalo for a 2026 7th round pick on trade deadline day. It would take a lot to close the gap on the teams ahead of them in the wild card race, but a successful weekend at home could help turn the tide in their favor.
Winnipeg currently in the midst of an eight game homestand, and today’s game against Colorado serves as the first half of a back to back set of weekend games, with the St. Louis Blues paying a visit to Canada Life Center on Sunday afternoon. Winnipeg has lost its previous two games, a 4-1 defeat at the hands (wings?) of the Anaheim Ducks, and a 6-3 loss courtesy of the New York Rangers. Hellebuyck has started the previous seven of Winnipeg’s eight games since the return from winning Olympic gold with the United States (and teammate Kyle Connor) in Italy, and is likely to start again today. While Hellebuyck has been a formidable opponent against Colorado, he will face them with a depleted blue line, as both Pionk and Colin Miller remain out of the lineup due to injury. Other notable absences include former Avalanche center Vladislav Namestnikov and right wing Nino Niedereitter.
Center Mark Scheifele currently leads all Winnipeg skaters in goals (30), assists (49), and points (79). Connor is second in all three categories (29G/43A/72PTS). Defenseman Josh Morrissey, who earned a silver medal with Team Canada in Italy, leads all Winnipeg defensemen in all three categories (11G/33A/44PTS).
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Alex Iafallo Cole Perfetti – Adam Lowry – Gabe Vilardi Gustav Nyquist – Jonathan Toews – Isak Rosén Cole Koepke – Morgan Barron – Brad Lambert
Defense: Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo Dylan Samberg – Elias Salomonsson Haydn Fleury – Jacob Bryson
The Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights will be together for Saturday Night Hockey in Viva Las Vegas. This will be the third and final meeting of the season between these two clubs, with the season series at 1-0-1. Each team picked up a post-regulation win at home earlier in the year.
The Blackhawks are coming off consecutive overtime wins over the Utah Mammoth, one in Chicago and one in Salt Lake City. The Golden Knight hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night and defeated them 6-2. Each team has 4 wins in their last 10.
Scouting Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights are a good team. They enter Saturday at 30-22-14. They’ve collected a lot of points by getting games to overtime, but then in turn left a lot on the table by not getting that extra point.
Although they are second in their division, they feel that there is room for improvement. Whenever you lose a player like Alex Pietrangelo to a likely career-ending injury, it’s never a good thing. He’ll be in the Hall of Fame.
They also haven’t had William Karlsson for most of the season, which weakens them down the middle. On the wing, they are strong, but they could really use Karlsson right about now. Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl are the 1-2 center punch.
In addition to having Mitch Marner in the fold this season, other impactful players like Pavel Dorofeyev, Ivan Barbashev, and Mark Stone skate on the wing. Stone just returned from injury on Thursday, and he has resumed what’s been an incredible year for him personally.
Barbashev–Eichel–Stone
Dorofeyev–Herl–Marner
Howden–Sissons–Bowman
C. Smith–Dowd–Kolesar
McNabb–Theodore
Hanifin–Andersson
Lauzon–Korczak
Hill
Schmid
Whether it’s Adin Hill or Akira Schmid in the net, the Golden Knights need them to be at their best. Without Pietrangelo, they have a good defense, but they definitely miss their former number one.
Still, Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and Rasmus Anderson were all Olympians in Milan, and they are all capable of changing the game. Chicago needs to be on their toes against them. If this group gets moderately good goaltending, they can defend against anyone.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks miss having Oliver Moore’s speed, but Ryan Donato has filled in nicely as the third-line center. With Andrew Mangiapane gaining some chemistry with him and Ilya Mikheyev, they form a pretty good third line.
Since moving back to the center, Frank Nazar has begun to produce like the third-line center that Chicago needs him to be. With both him and Connor Bedard dominating offensively, they have proven that they can beat whoever stands in their way.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teravainen
Mangiapane-Donato-Mikheyev
Lardis-Lafferty-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Grzelcyk-Levshunov
Del Mastro-Rinzel
Knight
Soderblom
Spencer Knight made a somewhat surprising start on Thursday against the Mammoth. He had missed the three prior games due to illness and was projected to be the backup upon his return, as he wasn’t at the morning skate. He was excellent, despite this.
This is not a back-to-back situation for the Blackhawks, and they don’t play again until Wednesday. Their decision in net could go either way.
Wyatt Kaiser was hurt late in the game on Thursday and never returned for overtime. After, Jeff Blashill would not confirm or deny his availability for Saturday’s game. If he doesn’t play, Ethan Del Mastro will draw in.
This game against the Knights is in the middle of a two-week stretch where the Blackhawks are going against some of the best teams in the conference. If they come out of this stretch with a positive record, it will be a great end-of-season storyline for their confidence.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on CHSN locally. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 9:00 PM CT.
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The Calgary Flames look to make it back-to-back wins when they visit the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon.
My Flames vs. Islanders predictions have Calgary's recent dominance in this head-to-head continuing, and will snatch a third straight 2-game regular-season series sweep.
The Calgary Flames are coming off a 5-4 win over the Devils. It's just the fourth time in 17 games they've scored four or more goals, but each time they've been victorious.
That trend works with the New York Islanders, as they've tallied at least four goals in seven of the last nine meetings, going 6-0-1 in those games.
After a season-best five-game win streak, New York has lost three of five and is clinging to third in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flames aren't the team they want to meet: Calgary has won four straight against the Islanders and eight of the last 10.
Flames vs Islanders same-game parlay
Yegor Sharangovich scored a goal in his last game against Jersey, and he's now got two goals in his last three games. He also scored a goal the last time the Flames faced the Isles.
And Matthew Barzal was kept off the scoresheet in New York's loss to LA, but that's just the second time in 12 games that's happened.
The Flames have won each of their last four games as underdogs against the Islanders. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Islanders.
How to watch Flames vs Islanders
Location
UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
Date
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSGSN2, SNW
Flames vs Islanders latest injuries
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.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 1: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils and Cody Ceci #5 of the Los Angeles Kings skate for the puck during the first period at Crypto.com Arena on November 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (32-31-2) versus the Los Angeles Kings (27-23-15).
The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN, Radio — Devils Hockey Network
Back to a Losing Record
The Devils might still be “NHL .500,” but there is a key issue with their team this season: they have lost more games than they won. For a little while, they got back above with their four-game winning streak, but two brutal losses to the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames have sank them once more. Thanks to their lack of overtime losses this season, which have kept the objectively bad Los Angeles Kings in a playoff spot, the New Jersey Devils can only afford to lose one or two more games in regulation this season. But that’s just what happens when you play in a league that rewards being a loser in 65 minutes rather than 60 and most of the team’s losses are by more than one goal. Whose fault is that? Well, it might come down to…
Once a turnover happens, their system requires forwards to track back into coverage as opposed to pressuring to get the puck back. This is why you see so many “one-and-done” offensive chances. This is one of my biggest gripes with Keefe’s systems, is we were told we would be “pressuring the puck all over the ice” but instead the first instinct is to fall into a defensive posture.
This then brings us to the neutral zone, where once again we play prevent, as opposed to applying pressure.
After a few games of playing the right way during their four-game winning streak: that is, playing quickly on the rush, forechecking, and pressuring the puck with three or four skaters at or below the dots in the offensive zone, the Devils regressed right back to the ultra-conservative offensive system they had been flailing with all season. Tim also recapped the recent loss to the Flames, which I only saw the third period of. What I saw there was Keefe continuing to refuse to pull the goaltender, which should have been done after the third goal against. Without the softie allowed by Markstrom at the start of the period, the Devils might have actually taken that game to overtime. But even after Jack pulled the team to within two, Keefe would not pull Markstrom for the extra attacker until there was only a bit over three minutes to play. Down multiple goals, it generally behooves coaches to pull their goalies with five or more minutes left in the game: especially for a team as starved for goal-scoring as the Devils. But hey, at least Keefe had some shots for the guy who made it a game again.
Sheldon Keefe on Jack and Jack's line tonight for #NJDevils against the Flames:
“Just a lot of very sloppy play, until Jack shot the puck in the net, I don’t know if he handled one puck clean, it just wasn’t clean.”
I would suggest that the coach whose team’s victories and losses are always determined by the 40-minute mark take a look in the mirror for once in his coaching career. Meanwhile, Lindy Ruff is seeing his team pull off 8-7 back-and-forth victories and saying “that’s my kind of hockey.” I know what I’d rather watch, especially for a team full of talented rush players. Keefe can’t even get a forward to cover for a pinching defenseman.
Kings With Something to Play For
With Kings Captain Anze Kopitar in his final NHL season, the Los Angeles Kings are going to be playing their hearts out for the rest of the season while they try to cling onto eighth place in the Western Conference. Kopitar may have chosen retirement at the right time, as it seems time has caught up to him. He is still a very good defensive player, but his scoring has largely dried up, and this season is the first time Kopitar has ever produced below a 56-point per 82-game pace (46).
The Kings are obviously missing Kevin Fiala, who was hurt in a collision with Tom Wilson during the Olympics. Their replacement in that part of the lineup is pretty good though, as Artemi Panarin has nine points in nine games for the silver and black. Also around the Kings, former Devil Brian Dumoulin has massively turned his season around, going from some rather poor early numbers to now doing better than break-even at five-on-five with great penalty killing. The young Kings have had mixed seasons. Quinton Byfield’s development has turned to offensive regression. Alex Turcotte has not broken past fourth-line production. Alex Laferriere has seen no growth from last season. Only defenseman Brandt Clarke has had a particularly good season among the Kings’ under-25 players. Maybe that could be something to circle back on in a couple of months.
For the time being, though, the Kings are in a playoff spot despite having just three more points in the standings than the Devils. They need every win they can get with the Sharks on their tail. Tonight will not be an easy game for the Devils, if the powers that be even want them to win at this point.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? Will the Kings win? If so, by how much? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
But that did not sit well with Matthews’ agent, Judd Muldaver, who issued a statement on the suspension to multiple reporters, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and five games is laughable and preposterous,” Muldaver continued. “While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous. This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended”.
Hours earlier, the Leafs announced that Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion. Although the star forward will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the Leafs announced that Matthews’ 2025-26 regular season is over.
Asked Auston Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver about his response to the ruling.
Here is his reply:
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous.
There is no doubt that the NHL DOPS has come under a lot of scrutiny from Leafs fans in particular for how they hand out discipline, but for an agent of a player to be so vocal about a particular suspension is a rare occurrence, particularly for Muldaver. Late in the second period of Toronto’s 6-4 win against Anaheim on Thursday, Gudas extended his knee and hit Matthews square in the knee, forcing the Leafs star to leave the game.
Immediately, the focus switched to Toronto’s lack of immediate response to the hit, with no players coming to the defense of Matthews by going after Gudas. In the third period, Leafs players responded physically, but head coach Craig Berube did point out that there should have been “four guys” after Gudas immediately after the hit.
The Maple Leafs are set to hold a full morning skate at KeyBank Center on Saturday ahead of their game against the Buffalo Sabres, where the Leafs will unveil what their lines without their captain look like.
After missing out on Maxim Shabanov in the summer, the Philadelphia Flyers could dip right back into the KHL free agent pool this coming offseason.
It goes without saying, at this point, that center is the weakest position for the Flyers at the NHL level. If they play their cards right, they can add a rather large pivot from Belarus in the coming months.
The top KHL free agent heading into this offseason is none other than center Vitali Pinchuk, who has exploded for 31 goals, 33 assists, and 64 points in 62 KHL games for Dinamo Minsk this season.
Pinchuk, 24, is a powerful 6-foot-3 center who's shown positive progression offensively each year since his KHL debut back in 2020-21.
The size alone should make him more appealing to the Flyers than Maxim Shabanov was, and it helps that he's only gotten better with time.
Pinchuk's first full KHL season came back in 2022-23, when he scored eight goals, six assists, and 14 points in 61 games. In 2023-24, those totals improved to nine goals, 13 assists, and 22 points in 43 games.
Signing Vitali Pinchuk will be a smart move for whichever #NHL team wins the race. 24 year old has 31G and 64P in 62GP in the KHL. Has been maybe the most electric forward in the league this season. pic.twitter.com/N01Y6cHN7v
Last year was the first major step forward for the undrafted center, as he racked up 25 goals, 18 assists, and 43 points in 66 games.
Another factor worth considering for the Flyers, too, is that Pinchuk has 15 points in 20 career Gagarin Cup playoff games. They need young, big-game players for when they make their playoff pushes in the future, and Pinchuk fits the bill.
When it comes to landing the Belarusian buzzsaw, the Flyers have plenty of connections available to them to help make it happen.
Somewhat uncommon for Russian and Belarusian players, Pinchuk actually spent a season -- 2019-20 -- in the OHL, playing for the Kingston Frontenacs. One of his teammates on that Kingston team was Flyers prospect Zayde Wisdom, who is still with the organization on an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
At the professional, and perhaps more significantly, the Flyers have Belarusian goalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov, who came up with Pinchuk through the Belarus youth system in U18s and U20s, and played with him on Dinamo Minsk before leaving for the Flyers.
After a rocky start, Kolosov has adjusted well to life in North America primarily playing in Allentown with the Phantoms, and perhaps there is nobody better to recruit Pinchuk and pitch the organization than him.
Kolosov's taken a major step forward this season and has an outside shot at an NHL future with the Flyers, and perhaps adding an old pal to the fold would benefit all parties involved.
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (32-18-15, 79 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Utah Mammoth (34-26-6, 74 points, 4th place Central Division)
When: 9 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and Utah16, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Pens’ road trip continues with two more tough matchups against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night and the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday evening.
Opponent Track: The Mammoth are still sitting in the first Wild Card spot in the West with a six-point advantage over the San Jose Sharks, but they’re heading into Saturday’s matchup on a three-game losing streak after two overtime losses to the Chicago Blackhawks on either side of a 5-0 shutout by the Minnesota Wild.
Season Series: The Pens gave up four straight goals in six-minute span of the third period during their Dec. 14 matchup against the Mammoth, during which Justin Brazeau forced overtime before Dylan Guenther scored 42 seconds in to win it for Utah.
Hidden Stat: Ben Kindel recorded the only three-point outing of his NHL career so far against the Mammoth back, racking up a goal and two assists in that overtime loss back in December.
Getting to know the Mammoth
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Lawson Crouse
JJ Peterka – Logan Cooley – Dylan Guenther
Jack McBain – Barrett Hayton – Michael Carcone
Alex Kerfoot – Kevin Stenlund – Kailer Yamamoto
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev / Mackenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt / John Marino
Ian Cole / Sean Durzi
Goalies: Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek
Potential scratches: Brandon Tanev, Liam O’Brien, Maksymilian Szuber, Nick Desimone
Injured Reserve: None
The Mammoth locked in their top center last week by signing Nick Schmaltz to an eight-year, $64 million extension ahead of his pending free agency.
Former Penguin Brandon Tanev signed a three-year, $2.5 million AAV deal with Utah this offseason, but he has already fallen completely out of the Mammoth lineup. He hasn’t played since Feb. 25, and he had been held without a goal and registered just two assists and a minus-14 rating through his first 45 games of the season.
Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka has taken on the largest workload in the NHL so far this season. He went into Friday having appeared in an NHL-high 51 games while playing more than 3,009 minutes, more than 130 more than the next most-played goaltender.
He’s also tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy for the most wins this season (30), although he’s had a rough stretch since returning from the Olympic break, during which he’s gone 3-3-1 with a .871 save percentage and 3.4 goals against average. He’s been in net for the entirety of Utah’s recent three-game losing streak, and he got lost a rebound on the Connor Bedard game-winner that sealed the Mammoth’s overtime loss on Thursday.
The Mammoth are hoping to make the playoffs for the first time after missing out on the postseason during the franchise’s inaugural 2024-25 season. They’re being helped in that pursuit by the complete collapse of the bottom of the Western Conference, where every other team below the Mammoth (74 points) has 68 points or fewer.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha – Tommy Novak – Ville Koivunen
Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Avery Hayes
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea / Kris Letang
Ilya Solovyov / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Sam Girard (injured), Evgeni Malkin (suspended), Ryan Graves, Kevin Hayes, Justin Brazeau (injured, week to week)
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
This marks the final game of Evgeni Malkin’s suspension before he is eligible to return during Monday’s matchup against the Avs.
The Los Angeles Kings helped the Penguins out by defeating the New York Islanders in regulation on Friday night. The Pens, now tied in points with the Isles with a game in hand, could gain some breathing room in the top of the Metro with a win tonight. Here’s a look at the standings after Friday night, courtesy of NHL.com.
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Islanders host the Calgary Flames after Emil Heineman scored two goals in the Islanders' 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
New York is 37-24-5 overall and 17-11-2 in home games. The Islanders have a +six scoring differential, with 190 total goals scored and 184 allowed.
Calgary is 26-32-7 overall and 10-20-3 in road games. The Flames are 19-7-3 when scoring three or more goals.
Saturday's game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Flames won 4-2 in the last meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mathew Barzal has scored 18 goals with 42 assists for the Islanders. Anthony DeAngelo has one goal and six assists over the past 10 games.
Morgan Frost has 14 goals and 18 assists for the Flames. MacKenzie Weegar has five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 7-3-0, averaging 3.3 goals, five assists, 2.4 penalties and 4.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
Flames: 4-5-1, averaging 2.5 goals, 4.3 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Islanders: None listed.
Flames: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Max Shabanov, in what amounted to a significant understatement, called it “a little bit unusual” to have gone five weeks without playing in a game.
Granted, that layoff was in large part due to the Olympic break, but the nine straight healthy scratches Shabanov endured before returning to the lineup for Tuesday’s win over the Blues amounted to an obvious signal that the Russian rookie needs to do more to be in the Islanders’ lineup down the stretch following the additions of Ondrej Palat and Brayden Schenn.
He’s getting his chance to prove he deserves more playing time now, with a second straight game on the fourth line in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Kings after coach Patrick Roy seemed happy with his game in St. Louis.
“Just keep working,” Shabanov said, with goaltending coach Sergejs Naumovs acting as the interpreter Friday morning, his first time addressing reporters in nearly four months. “Stay positive. Try to get out of yourself the best you can do on the ice. Just be patient.”
Roy was happy enough with Shabanov’s play Friday to move him up to the second line by the end of the game when, he said, he was looking for more skill in his top six.
Dylan Holloway shoots and scores as Max Shabanov defends during the Islanders’ win overt the Blues on March 10, 2026. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Shabanov’s name had been prominent in trade rumors leading up to the deadline last week, as it seemed he may not have a clear place in the Islanders’ plans.
It’s not clear whether a move was ever close to materializing, but both Shabanov and the Islanders need to take the rest of the season and figure out whether there’s a longer-term fit in New York.
If not, Shabanov likely will be on the block this summer, when he’s set to be a restricted free agent.
“I try to stay away, not reading anything,” Shabanov said of the rumors. “Just to stay focused on practicing. Be capable to be back any time in the lineup and be helpful for the team. So it’s not my job to follow the news. Nothing I can do, nothing I control about it. Control what I can control.”
In 42 games this year, Shabanov has proven a skilled player and put up a solid 16 points. But the physical adjustment to the NHL — expected to be a process given Shabanov is 5-foot-9, 167 pounds — has indeed proven tough.
“Everything is different from the KHL,” Shabanov said. “Technically, tactically, game-wise. Pretty much everything is new.”
Friday was the Islanders’ 13th straight sellout, their longest streak since they opened UBS Arena with 19 in a row.
Matthew Schaefer set a career-high in time on ice, finishing with 29:24.
Though this is a short homestand, with a three-game trip to Canada following Saturday’s match against the Flames, 12 of the Islanders’ last 18 games are at UBS.
ST.
LOUIS – And
so it continues. Haven't we seen this movie script before?
As
a matter of fact, we saw it last year when the St. Louis Blues made a
push to gain entry into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It’s
still premature to say things will play out the same way, but the
Blues are giving a whole new meaning to ‘March Madness.’
They
continued their winning ways, this time rallying from a two-goal
deficit and earning their seventh win in nine games (7-1-1) since the
Olympic break and running their point streak to seven games (6-0-1)
when Robert Thomas found the net with nine seconds left in overtime
of a 3-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Enterprise Center on
Friday.
The
Blues (27-29-10) now sit five points out of a wild card in the
Western Conference with their second win in as many nights after
downing the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1 on
Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
Not
only did the Blues, who got a goal and an assist from Cam Fowler and
a goal from Pius Suter, rally from down two goals, they did it in the
third period after Connor McDavid put the Oilers (32-26-9) ahead
midway through.
“It
was fun. It wasn’t exactly the way that we drew it up, but I’m
proud of our guys,” Fowler
said.
“We continue to fight against a really good team that needed the
points and was desperate and we just hung in there, got a couple
goals and had a big shot by ‘Tommer’ there in overtime to seal
the deal. Just an overall good effort by everyone staying in the game
and staying in the fight.”
Blues
coach Jim Montgomery, whose Blues are 18-2-2 the past two seasons in
the month of March, noticed that it’s that time of year.
“It's
the month of March,” he said. “Either we've got a bunch of Irish
guys and they love the month of March, they love March Madness or
spring break. I don't know.
I
don't know what our combined winning percentage is combined the last
two Marches but it's pretty phenomenal.”
Joel
Hofer contined his sorcery with another stellar outing with 35 saves.
Here
are Friday’s takeaways:
*
First period had some pace to it – Each team played on Thursday, so
one could understand if the teams would perhaps go through the
motions a little bit and feel each other out.
But
that’s not the case.
There
was some pace to it, with each team having its share of odd-man
rushes.
Goaltending
was up to the challenge despite the shot clock only being 7-6 in
favor of the Oilers.
*
Oilers owned the second – For one, the Blues never got into an
offensive flow and going 19:46 without a shot on goal was evident
why.
When
Dylan Holloway put a shot on goal with 6:45 left in the opening
period, the Blues were stuck on six shots until Jordan Kyrou’s slot
shot with 6:59 to play.
Edmonton,
which was embarrassed on Friday in Dallas, losing 7-2, had the puck
on a string and finally cracked Hofer when former Blue Kasperi
Kapanen broke the barrier when he converted from the slot a gorgeous
Leon Draisaitl pass at 15:41:
The
Blues made a bit of a push there but the Oilers owned the period.
“We
didn’t touch the puck the whole second period, it felt like,”
Thomas said. “Maybe start with that, but we came out in the first,
they had a couple rush chances early and then we felt like we started
to get some good looks and some good time in the O-zone, so we just
had to get back to that. Even when they go up 2-0, that was our
focus, and that was the way we were able to climb back into it.”
*
Penalty kill continues to be key – The Oilers are the last team,
with the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl, you want to put on the power
play; it’s the top-ranked PP at 32.1 percent. And with the Blues’
PK ranked 29th at 75 percent, you’re asking for trouble.
But
the Blues were 3-for-3 in kills, marking the fifth time in six games
they were spotless killing penalties and are 16-for-18 in those
games, with the only blip being the two goals the New York Islanders
scored on Tuesday in the third period.
The
kills kept the Blues in the game, and in fact, they had two
shorthanded breakaway chances by Colton Parayko and Alexey
Toropchenko that they didn’t convert on – Parayko hit the cross
bar behind Connor Ingram – that could have produced momentum.
“Smart
sticks, running straight lines,” Montgomery said. “Our PK
forecheck up ice has been patient and steering people to the outside.
We’re never giving cross-ice passes or in the middle of the ice and
our goaltenders have been really good.”
*
Theo Lindstein helped fuel a spark, along with Jonatan Berggren –
Playing in his third NHL game, imagine being Theo Lindstein, looking
up and seeing arguably the greatest player in the world (Connor
McDavid) coming at you like a freight train.
What
was Lindstein going to do? I’d be shaking in my skates too, and
McDavid saw his prey and made Lindstein pay by backing him in, then
snapping off a shot from the high slot past Hofer at 9:56 of the
third period and making it 2-0:
The
Blues had a semblance of a push, but with the way things transpired
in the second period, that almost felt like a dagger goal.
But
Lindstein came right back, made a strong read by pinching in on a
chipped puck into the corner, got a stick on it that Berggren could
recover, get below the goal line and find Suter in the low slot to
get the Blues back within one at 2-1 at 12:22:
“What
a play by Berggren on the Suter goal,” Montgomery said. ‘I think
that really gave us the momentum that we could (win).
“(Lindstein’s)
come up and he’s played with a lot of purpose, and he’s been
aggressive. It’s been nice to see him play to his strengths and
we’re seeing the kind of player he can become. I know it’s just
three games in, but it’s been a good three games.”
*
Face-off win leads to tying goal – With Robert Thomas still not
able to take draws after taking a puck off his right pinkie finger
Tuesday, face-offs were a challenge against the Oilers, although you
wouldn’t have known it by seeing McDavid going 0-for-7.
But
it was late in the game and Montgomery needed to try something
different, so he had Oskar Sundqvist, who took only four draws
(2-for-4) for the game, won a big one from the right circle back to
Fowler, who grabbed it, and snapped a shot off the near post and past
Ingram’s left shoulder at 16:14 to tie the game 2-2:
“I
put ‘Sunny’ out for maybe a second face-off all night and he wins
it clean and we’ve got it tied up because we were struggling to win
(face-offs), so I just tried a different center to win face-offs,”
Montgomery said.
*
Blues needed their skating legs – Look, let’s face it, Thursday
was a hard game for the Blues, winning in Carolina.
And
playing their third game in four nights, with travel sandwiched in
between home games, was not an easy task.
The
Blues looked lifeless in the second period, and the Oilers were
skating them to death. Something had to change, and it did.
“The
second period wasn’t really good at all,” Fowler
said.
“They kind of dictated the pace of the play there and spent most of
the period in our own end, so we came in here just wanted to regroup
a little bit, just wanted to get back to what had given us some
success in previous games. It still took a little while in the third
and sometimes when you play desperate and you’re down a couple, you
play a little bit more aggressively and you’re able to gain some
more chances and I think that was the case tonight.”
*
Blues
goaltending leading the way – It’s been by committee, as Thomas
stated afterwards, but what the Blues are getting from Hofer and
Jordan Binnington, who was the No. 1 star against the Hurricanes, is
leading the way.
The
goaltending has been so good, the Blues are either winning games by
locking them down when they gain the lead, or they’re able to come
back like the last two nights when the goalies are giving them the
chance.
“They
give us a chance night in, night out, both of them to win hockey
games,” Fowler
said.
“’Binner’, he was unbelievable last night in Carolina and ‘Hof’
was amazing tonight. We need to take a look at things and make life
easier on them, but they’re a huge part of this and they’re
as big a part of the team as anybody else. When they’re playing
like that, it’s really difficult for other teams to gain momentum.
We have tremendous confidence in both of those guys any time that
they suit up for us.”
The
numbers since the break speak for themselves:
* Fresh legs helped fuel the fire – Montgomery made three changes to
the lineup anticipating that some fresher legs would be needed,
especially having to play an overtime game on Tuesday and a tough
order on Thursday.
He
inserted Berggren, Sundqvist and defenseman Justin Holl in for
Dalibor Dvorsky, Nathan Walker and Tyler Tucker.
It’s
part of the dynamic depth that’s on display at the moment.
Holl
played 16:33, Berggren was at 12:36 with the assist, and Sundqvist
was at 13:11, also with an assist.
“It’s
nice to have (depth), because we threw three bodies in because we
knew we were going to be tired and that they could give us juice,”
Montgomery said. ‘Berggren gave us juice, Sunny gave us juice. So
did Holl. Holl played a good game. He was smart back there, he was
skating, defended well. I’m really happy that we could roll in
three fresh bodies.”
*
Thomas calls game – The Oilers are no fun to go against 3-on-3, not
when they can throw McDavid, Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard on the ice
at any given moment.
And
it was Draisaitl that nearly ended it when McDavid fed him for a shot
off the post, and Holloway swatting the puck out of danger from the
crease, but gaining that extra point has been tough sledding for the
Blues most of the season.
But
with the clock winding down and possession, Kyrou takes the puck to
the net and gets his shot stopped for Thomas, who fed Fowler, and he
gave the puck back to Thomas curling back to the inner edge of the
left circle before beating Ingram with McDavid defending:
“We’re
obviously feeling good,” Thomas said. “We’re playing confident
and we’re really using our strengths. Our ‘D’ are really
skating, they’re joining the rush, they’re creating a lot.
They’re beating the first forechecker in and that’s opening up
all of us forwards. We’re just clicking right now and really
confident and coming in and winning every game.
“I
think the biggest thing is we’re playing to our strengths. That’s
what made us a good team, that’s what’s making us a good team
now. When we get that puck and we’re skating, our ‘D’ are
active, we’re a tough team to beat and to get the puck from. I feel
like we’re doing a good job of that.”
And
with the playoffs now in the line of vision, Thomas said, “We’re
right there.”
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Philadelphia Flyers - 31-23-11 - 73 Points - 6-3-1 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 5th in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 33-21-11 - 77 Points - 5-1-4 in the last 10 - OTL 1 - 4th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus stretched its points streak to a season-high eight games (4-0-4) after picking up a point in a 2-1 OT loss at Florida on Thursday. The club has also earned points in 19 of its last 21 contests since Jan. 11 (15-2-4).
The Blue Jackets, who are in a stretch of six-of-nine games played away from Nationwide Arena from Mar. 10-26, rank second in the league in points pct. on the road since Jan. 11 (.833; 7-1-1 in nine contests).
Since Dec. 22, CBJ are tied for the least regulation losses with a 19-6-5 record (43 pts, .717 points pct.), and rank second-T in the NHL in points, third in points pct., seventh in goals-against/game (2.77) as well as 10th in goals for/game (3.47).
The Jackets play three-straight and five of six games against Metropolitan Division opponents from Mar. 14-24 and enter Friday's contests two points shy of Pittsburgh and the NY Islanders for second and third in the division.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle registered points in seven-straight games (1-8-9) prior to the contest at Florida. He has posted 30-plus assists and 50 or more points for the third time in his 14-year career (16-35-51 in 65 GP).
Adam Fantilli notched the club's lone goal on Thursday, has collected points in eight of the last ten games (6-5-11) and has posted 7-9-16 in the past 15 contests since Jan. 24.
Jet Greaves has earned points in each of his last 10 starts since Jan. 11 (8-0-2, 2.55 GAA in 11 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in nine of his past 11 starts over that span (7-2-2, 2.54 GAA in 12 GP).
Mason Marchment collected an assist on Thursday and has tallied 11-9-20 in 23 games with the Blue Jackets.
Kirill Marchenko, who had his six-game points streak (4-5-9) snapped on Thursday, has posted points in 11 of his past13 contests since Jan. 24 (6-9-15).
Zach Werenski has collected points in 24 of his past 28 games played since Dec. 11 (11-27-38, 12 multi-point efforts) andsits two points shy of his second-straight 70-point campaign (20-48-68, 58 GP).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.3% - 18th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.1% - 24th in the NHL
Goals For - 182 - 24th in the NHL
Goals Against - 206 - 23rd in the NHL
FlyersStats
Power Play - 15.5% - 32nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 78.0% - 22nd in the NHL
Goals For - 191 - 18th in the NHL
Goals Against - 200 - 16th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheFlyers
Columbus is 30-19-3-4 all-time, and 12-13-1-2 on the road vs. Philadelphia.
Columbus has won three-straight in the series and collected points in the past four meetings since Dec. 21, 2024 (3-0-1).
The Jackets have also earned points in six of the last seven meetings dating back to Jan. 4, 2024 (5-1-1).
CBJ have earned points in their last three visits to Xfinity Mobile Arena (2-0-1) and nine of the past 13 road contests since Mar. 15, 2018 (7-4-2).
Three of the last five games played at Xfinity Mobile Arena have been decided after regulation (2-OT, 1-SO).
The winning team has won by multiple goals in consecutive meetings and six of the past nine since Oct. 12, 2023.
The clubs have combined for seven or more goals in four of the past six games at Philadelphia and six-plus in 10 of thelast 13 meetings in the state of Pennsylvania.
The Jackets have not relinquished a power play goal in the last four meetings dating back to Dec. 21, 2024 (13-of-13).
The teams have averaged 59.0 shots combined over the past four meetings at Philadelphia.
Who To Watch For TheFlyers
Travis Konecny leads the Flyers with 24 goals, 34 assists, and 58 points.
Trevor Zegras has 54 points on the year.
Goalie Dan Vladar is 21-11-6 with a SV% of .904.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Flyers
Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 34 games vs. the Flyers.
Zach Werenski has 21 career points against Philadelphia.
Boone Jenner has 14 goals and 20 points in his career against the Flyers.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 27 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 172
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It's become quite a story that these Pittsburgh Penguins have been scratching and crawling their way to points without their two best players in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and during their toughest stretch of the 2025-26 season.
Unfortunately, they hit a bit of a roadblock - and it was mostly self-inflicted.
On Thursday, the Penguins lost their second game of their five-game road trip, 6-2, to the Vegas Golden Knights, and it was largely the result of turnovers. Of course, the Penguins weren't the only ones credited with a lot of giveaways - they had 17, while Vegas was credited with 23 - but it just so happened that nearly every mistake ended up in the back of their net.
On the goal that opened the scoring, Vegas took advantage of both a misplay by Penguins' defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and a case of overskating by Erik Karlsson, and Braeden Bowman found Colton Sissons crashing the net front to get the Golden Knights out to a 1-0 lead. And this was despite the Penguins getting the majority of chances, even if the chances that Vegas was getting were grade-A.
And they continued to get those chances in the second. After transitioning the puck into the offensive zone, Vegas was cycling, and it eventually found its way to defenseman Kaedan Korczak in the high slot, who got it to Pavel Dorofeyev down low for his 31st of the season on a top-shelf shot.
But the Penguins had a response this time. With around eight and a half minutes to go in the middle frame, the Penguins' first line of Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Bryan Rust was cycling and dominating possession in the offensive zone, and they were eventually rewarded when Rust put a perfect shot-pass on the stick of Rakell, who was waiting at the backdoor, to make it 2-1.
However, Mitch Marner responded less than a minute later with a strong individual effort after he and Dorofeyev gained the zone, and Marner got behind Egor Chinakhov to accept a pass as he was walking across the net front to make it 3-1. The Penguins did respond before the end of the period, though, when Anthony Mantha found Ben Kindel with a perfect seam pass on the doorstep - and they appeared to be going into the third period with some momentum.
But then, the third period was one of the Penguins' worst of the season. Dorofeyev registered his second of the game as well as his third point on the night after Wotherspoon turned the puck over near the offensive blue line in an attempt to get the puck to forward Ville Koivunen, and the Knights broke on a three-on-one opportunity. Marner - breaking down the left side - found Dorofeyev in the low slot area, and he didn't miss, making it 4-2.
Less than two minutes later, Vegas scored off the rush again, courtesy of Jack Eichel, and defenseman Brayden McNabb added an empty-net goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation to give the Golden Knights the keys to a 6-2 victory.
- What a rough game for Wotherspoon. He ended up a minus-2 on the evening and was credited with a team-high three giveaways, and it could have been a whole lot worse.
He has been a revelation for the Penguins this season, and he has also been the perfect partner for Erik Karlsson. However, his play since the Olympic break has declined a little bit, and it's been especially noticeable in the last handful of games. But the Vegas game takes the cake as his worst of the season.
It's worth noting that the most games Wotherspoon had ever played in an NHL season prior to this one was 55 with the Boston Bruins last season. He has logged 65 for the Penguins this season, meaning he has played in every game this season.
I'm not saying the grind of the schedule or fatigue is a factor here for sure, but there are mild signs of concern right now for him. Again, he's been spectacular for most of the season, and this could very well just be a rough stretch of games.
- Koivunen has looked a heck of a lot more comfortable in during this stint than he has at any other point this season. That said, there are still times where you can tell he isn't reading the game at NHL speed, and he does get knocked off the puck quite a bit.
It appears he still needs to add some size, and his play on the wall when Wotherspoon attempted to get him the puck wasn't the best, either. I'm far from giving up on Koivunen, but if he is going to be an effective player at the NHL level, he needs to improve some fundamental aspects of his game first.
- On a positive note, it was another good game from the Penguins' top line of Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Bryan Rust as well as the third line of Ben Kindel, Elmer Soderblom, and Avery Hayes.
I like the look of both of these lines right now and how much they've been able to generate. They - like everyone else - have had their moments defensively, but they're carrying play in the offensive zone on most nights.
- It was not, however, a good night for the fourth line, which is very uncharacteristic. A Connor Dewar turnover led to Marner's goal, and the line was on the ice for three goals against - all of which were semi-consequential in the result.
They've been great for the vast majority of the season, but it was not their night at all.
- Silovs was not particularly good, either. He surrendered five goals on 16 shots, and he never looked all that comfortable between the pipes, as he was deep in his net and reading plays poorly. I especially didn't love how he played Dorofeyev's second goal.
He has been really, really good for the Penguins in the back half of this season, and he's known to have a clutch gene. The defense in front of him was not doing a good job, either, against Vegas, but he needs to get back on track fast if the Penguins hope to make the playoffs.
They need to simply survive this stretch without both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and so far, they've managed to do that. They've earned exactly half the available points with Crosby out (3-3-3) and Malkin out (1-1-2), and they're still clinging onto second in the Metropolitan Division.
Saturday will mark the final game of Malkin's five-game suspension, and Crosby is practicing with the team during morning skates on the road (the team does not have any practices on off-days due to travel). If they can manage to win one more on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth, that will help them tremendously, and it will set them up nicely for both players' imminent returns.
Every point matters, and the Penguins need to keep collecting as many as possible.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robert Thomas scored on a wrist shot with nine seconds left in overtime to give the St. Louis Blues a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night.
The Blues trailed 2-0 midway through the third period but goals by Pius Suter with 7:38 to play and Cam Fowler with 3:46 left in regulation tied it at 2-all.
Fowler also had an assist and Joel Hofer made 36 saves to help St. Louis win for the sixth time in their last seven games. With the win the Blues pulled within five points of a wild-card playoff spot. Hofer is now 8-2-2 in his last 12 starts.
Kasperi Kapanen gave Edmonton the lead with 4:19 to play in the second period and Connor McDavid scored his 37th goal of the season to make it 2-0 9:56 into the third period. Connor Ingram had 22 saves.
The Oilers went scoreless on the power play in three chances.
The Oilers, in third place in the Pacific Division, finished a four-game road trip 2-2.
KINGS 3, ISLANDERS 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season and Los Angeles held off New York.
Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.
Emil Heineman scored twice for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves. Bo Horvat added two assists.
Kempe scored on a wrist shot with 1:32 remaining in the first period to put the Kings up 3-0. Kempe now has five goals and four assists in his last six games.
After the game, the Islanders stayed on the ice and shook hands with Kings captain Kopitar, who is playing in his 20th and final season in the NHL.
