Category: NHL

The NHL's 15-game schedule on Saturday, March 28, could see a lot of movement in the playoff standings throughout the day.

The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Ottawa Senators at 1 p.m. ET and the New York Islanders are also in action at that time. If the Lightning win, they'd move in front of the Buffalo Sabres for the Atlantic Division lead based on points percentage because they have played fewer games.

If the Senators win and the Islanders lose, Ottawa would move into the second wild-card position. If the Islanders win, they'd temporarily move from the second wild-card spot into second place in the Metropolitan Division, passing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets.

But all that could change later in the day. The Sabres could reclaim the Atlantic Division lead if they end their three-game losing streak. Buffalo would also move into the top seed in the Eastern Conference if it gains one more point than the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The Penguins and Blue Jackets have games later in the day.

Another team to watch is the Detroit Red Wings, who host the Philadelphia Flyers at 8 p.m. on ABC. If the Senators and Islanders lose early, the Red Wings would take over the second wild-card spot with a victory. The Flyers open the day five points out of a playoff spot and are desperate for a win.

In the West, the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks visit the second-place Edmonton Oilers at 3:30 p.m. The Ducks would bump their division lead to seven points with a regulation win or the Oilers could cut their deficit to three points.

Also, the Nashville Predators host the Montreal Canadiens at 7 and the Los Angeles Kings visit the Utah Mammoth at 9. The Kings would move into the second wild-card spot with a victory and a Predators regulation loss.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, tiebreaker procedures and playoff bracket for the 2025-26 season:

Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?

Eastern Conference: None

Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas

NHL games today (Saturday, March 28)

All times p.m. and Eastern

• Ottawa at Tampa Bay, 1
• Florida at N.Y. Islanders, 1
• Anaheim at Edmonton, 3:30
• Minnesota at Boston, 5, NHL Network
• Dallas at Pittsburgh, 5
• New Jersey at Carolina, 5
• San Jose at Columbus, 5
• Seattle at Buffalo, 5:30
• Toronto at St. Louis, 7
• Montreal at Nashville, 7
• Winnipeg at Colorado, 7
• Philadelphia at Detroit, 8, ABC
• Utah at Los Angeles, 9
• Vancouver at Calgary, 10
• Washington at Vegas, 10:30

NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26

As of March 27. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated

Metropolitan Division

• Carolina Hurricanes (96)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (88)
• Columbus Blue Jackets (87)

Atlantic Division

• Buffalo Sabres (96)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (94)
• Montreal Canadiens (90)

Wild card

• Boston Bruins (88)
• New York Islanders (87)

Sitting out of playoff position: Ottawa Senators (86), Detroit Red Wings (86), Philadelphia Flyers (82), Washington Capitals (81), New Jersey Devils (76), Toronto Maple Leafs (75), Florida Panthers (73), z-New York Rangers (67)

NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26

As of March 27. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated

Central Division

• x-Colorado Avalanche (106)
• x-Dallas Stars (97)
• Minnesota Wild (94)

Pacific Division

• Anaheim Ducks (86)
• Edmonton Oilers (81)
• Vegas Golden Knights (78)

Wild card

• Utah Mammoth (80)
• Nashville Predators (77)

Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (76), Seattle Kraken (74), Winnipeg Jets (72), San Jose Sharks (71), St. Louis Blues (71), Calgary Flames (68), Chicago Blackhawks (67), z-Vancouver Canucks (50)

NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 27.

• Carolina (M1) vs. N.Y. Islanders (WC2)
• Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Columbus (M3)
• Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
• Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card

NHL Western Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 27.

• Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
• Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
• Anaheim (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
• Edmonton (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild cardld play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card

NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?

If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:

1. Regulation wins
2. Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
3. Total wins
4. Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
5. Goal differential
6. Total goals

When does the NHL regular season end?

The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.

When do the NHL playoffs start?

The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket, latest 2026 standings, schedule and tiebreakers

In the summer of 2023, the Los Angeles Kings traded then 24-year-old Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a second round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

It seemed odd at the time for the Kings to deal a defenseman who showed real promise in his first two seasons as a professional, but looking at the ripple effects the deal had on the organization, it's clear that both sides are happy with the outcome.

You may be surprised how the Sean Durzi trade tree has unfolded for the Kings.

In his first two seasons at the NHL level, Durzi proved he had what it takes to play with the big boys. During his two seasons in Los Angeles, the Mississauga native played 136 games, totalling 12 goals and 53 assists for 65 points. There was no surprise that a rebuilding team like Arizona showed great interest in acquiring him. 

In June of 2023, the Kings and Coyotes agreed on a deal that would send Durzi to Arizona in exchange for a 2024 2nd round pick in 2024 that was previously owned by the Montreal Canadiens. 

Durzi would only play one season in Arizona before the team relocated to Utah and became the Mammoth. His lone season as a Coyote turned out to be a career year for Durzi as he scored nine goals to go with 32 assists for 41 points in 76 games. His strong play led to him signing a respectable four-year contract extension worth $24 million, paying him $6 million per season.

After signing the new deal, the 2024-25 season didn't go Durzi's way as he would miss 52 games due to an injury he suffered that required surgery.

However, this season Durzi healthy and has provided some solid production for Utah as they push for the playoffs. In 52 games played, the 27-year-old has five goals and 19 assists for 24 points.

It's safe to assume that Utah views this deal as a success.

The Auston Matthews Rumor — and the Reality in Los AngelesSAN DIEGO, CA — As the season enters its final frame of games, the Los Angeles Kings have recently been named as one of three teams mentioned in an Auston Matthews grab over the Summer. It's time to look at this for what it really is, if it's true.

It would be completely fair to assume that the Kings used the second round pick on a prospect in the draft. However that was not the case, at all.

On June 27th, 2023, just three days after the Durzi trade, the Kings made a massive splash by trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings sent Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iaffalo, Rasmus Kupari, and you guessed it, the 2024 second rounder to the Jets. With the pick, the Jets selected defenceman Alfons Freij who has played just two AHL games.

You would think it would end at that, but no, after just one year with the Kings, Dubois was dealt to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper in a one-for-one trade.

It's crazy to look back and realize how each and every move an organization makes has an impact moving forward, no matter how minor it is. The Sean Durzi trade to Utah played a part in the Kings acquiring a Vezina candidate and Olympian in Darcy Kuemper.

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The Montreal Canadiens begin a five-game road trip as they visit the Nashville Predators on Saturday, March 28. They enter tonight having won four straight against Nashville, as both teams look to solidify playoff positioning.

My Canadiens vs. Predators predictions and NHL picks suggest the Habs will continue that trend as one of the league's best teams on the road, led by some familiar faces on their blue line.

Canadiens vs Predators prediction

Canadiens vs Predators best bet: Canadiens moneyline (-120)

Given their four-game winning streak against the Nashville Predators, their active three-game winning streak, and their .647 points percentage on the road (sixth in the NHL), this matchup certainly favors the Montreal Canadiens. 

They're turning back to Jakub Dobes for a third consecutive start, making tonight his fifth start in their last six games. He's conceded two goals or fewer in four straight.

Facing a Predators team that struggles to score (19th in goals per game), I love this matchup for Montreal.

Canadiens vs Predators same-game parlay

While there's some serious chemistry afoot on the Habs' top line, bettors cannot overlook Lane Hutson.

The sophomore defenseman has hit the Over for shots in three of his last four and eight of his last 11. Facing the 29th-ranked Preds in terms of shots allowed, this is a fantastic matchup for the Michigan native.

On the topic of standout Canadiens defensemen, Noah Dobson has been a shot-blocking machine recently. The NHL blocked-shots leader has hit the Over in five of his last six games, wearing more rubber than any other player during that time with 22 blocks.

Canadiens vs Predators SGP

• Canadiens moneyline
• Lane Hutson Over 1.5 shots on goal
• Noah Dobson Over 2.5 blocked shots

Canadiens vs Predators odds

• Moneyline: Canadiens -120 | Predators +100
• Puck Line: Canadiens -1.5 (+190) | Predators +1.5 (-230)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-110) | Under 6.5 (-110)

Canadiens vs Predators trend

Montreal has won four consecutive games versus Nashville, dating back to March 2024. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Predators.

How to watch Canadiens vs Predators

Canadiens vs Predators latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

With their season hanging in the balance, the Senators briefly clawed their way back into a playoff spot this week, only to be pushed right back out. Now, with ten games left, they head into Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m., TSN5, TVAS), staring down a Stanley Cup contender and the NHL’s hottest scorer.

The Standings

The Senators enter play on Saturday just one point behind the New York Islanders. Ottawa actually holds a slightly better points percentage than the Isles, who've played one more game.

The Sens are also two points back of the Boston Bruins (WC1) and four points behind the Montreal Canadiens (A3).

Their opponent today, the Tampa Bay Lightning (A2), are battling for top spot in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. Tampa sits two points back of Buffalo (A1) with two games in hand, and two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the conference lead.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings are once again in a virtual tie with Ottawa. The out-of-town scoreboard has done the Senators no favours... again. For the second time this week, the Buffalo Sabres failed to help Ottawa’s cause, falling 5–2 to Detroit on Friday night.

Around the league on Saturday, the Islanders host the Panthers (1 p.m.), Boston welcomes Minnesota (5 p.m.), and Detroit hosts Philadelphia (8 p.m.).

On Tuesday night, the Senators briefly moved into a playoff spot for the first time in over four months. But a shootout loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday, combined with the usual grim out-of-town results, quickly erased that progress.

The Senators haven't played Tampa since opening night on Oct. 9 when they came away with a 5-4 victory on a late goal by Shane Pinto.

Lineup Notes / Injuries

Both teams have recently been without their top defencemen, but Jake Sanderson is on the trip and could be nearing a return. Lassi Thomson is also close. Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot is out for at least the remainder of the regular season, and possibly longer.

Ottawa may need to continue leaning on rookies Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan, who both saw increased ice time in Thursday’s game. Donovan jumped from 4:42 in his NHL debut to 9:22 against Pittsburgh, while Yakemchuk went from 12:46 to 17:42 and even saw time in overtime.

The Lightning will be without Victor Hedman, who is on personal leave. Interestingly, Linus Ullmark noted that Hedman was one of his biggest supports during his own recent personal leave of absence in January. The Lightning haven't said anything about Hedman's situation, just asking that Hedman’s privacy be respected at this time.

Kucherov's Historical Heater

Ottawa’s fate on Saturday may hinge on containing Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, the most dangerous player on either roster. Kucherov has an astonishing 104 points over his last 50 games, becoming just the second player in this millennium (Connor McDavid, 2021–22) to hit 100 points in a 50-game span.

The 32-year-old Russian is also tied with McDavid at 121 points this season and has more assists (81) than any Senator has points. Tim Stützle leads Ottawa with 75.

---

Projected Lineups

(As of Friday, as per NHL.com)

Senators

Drake Batherson - Tim Stützle - Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk - Dylan Cozens - Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund

Tyler Kleven - Artem Zub
Jordan Spence - Nikolas Matinpalo
Jorian Donovan - Carter Yakemchuk

Linus Ullmark
James Reimer

Scratched: Stephen Halliday, Kurtis MacDermid
Injured: Thomas Chabot (upper body), Jake Sanderson (upper body), Nick Jensen (lower body), Dennis Gilbert (upper body), Lassi Thomson (lower body)

---

Lightning

Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Nikita Kucherov
Gage Goncalves - Brayden Point - Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons - Yanni Gourde - Pontus Holmberg
Corey Perry - Nick Paul - Oliver Bjorkstrand

Darren Raddysh - J.J. Moser
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg - Charle-Edouard D’Astous

Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson

Scratched: Scott Sabourin, Steven Santini, Victor Hedman Injured: Declan Carlile (undisclosed), Max Crozier (core muscle), Dominic James (lower body)

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

Peter Chiarelli could be back in the saddle and managing an NHL front office. The former Edmonton Oilers general manager is reportedly on the radar for a GM role after several years out of the spotlight.

New reports are that he's leaving the St. Louis Blues as changes are made with their management group. He is now a candidate for the Nashville Predators GM job, per Darren Dreger.

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Dreger wrote: 

"The @StLouisBlues front office is changing with Kevin Maxwell and Peter Chiarelli leaving the club to pursue other opportunities. Chiarelli is a candidate in Nashville’s interview process and Maxwell is expected to return to the New York Rangers in a management role."

Chiarelli's Time in Edmonton Was Polarizing  

Chiarelli’s time in Edmonton didn’t end well. He was let go in 2019 after four rocky seasons, remembered largely for a string of questionable moves—most notably trading away Taylor Hall, who went on to win the Hart Trophy, and dealing Jordan Eberle, along with parting with high draft capital in the Griffin Reinhart deal. He traded Ryan Strome for Ryan Spooner, then acquired Brandon Manning, after Manning took out Connor McDavid and broke his collar bone.

Many fans might not even have realized that Chiarelli had been working behind the scenes with the St. Louis Blues, first as a consultant and later as Vice President of Hockey Operations. But, as GM Doug Armstrong moves on and other changes are being made, Chiarelli is exploring his options, including throwing his hat into the mix for the Nashville Predators GM job, with Barry Trotz stepping aside.

It’s a fascinating development. Chiarelli played a major part in building the Boston Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011, but his reputation took a hit in Edmonton.

Whether he gets another chance to run a team remains to be seen—but he’s clearly back in the conversation.

Pierre LeBrun reported, "My sense of the Preds' executive search is that they are not feeling rushed by any deadline, they've cast a wide net (spoken to 15 or so people) and it'll take as long as it needs to take until they make the hire(s) they feel are right. So if outgoing GM Barry Trotz needs to run the June draft, so be it. But obviously a hire could happen before then."

In other words, Chiarelli isn't a shoo in. This decision could take some time. 

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The Florida Panthers are in New York for a quick weekend back-to-back set against the two teams that play on the east side of the Hudson River.

All the fun will begin Saturday when Florida lines up against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont.

Florida arrives on Long Island with an injury-riddled roster, most recently losing forward Evan Rodrigues to a broken finger.

He joins the Panthers’ CVS receipt of an injured list, which features Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, Niko Mikkola, Uvis Balinskis, Jonah Gadjovich, and Cole Schwindt.

Youngster Mackie Samoskevich, who has missed each of the past three games after suffering a laceration on his neck, could be back in the lineup on Saturday.

As for the Islanders, they are pushing hard for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Entering play Saturday, New York holds the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 87 points, one point ahead of both the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.

They are also tied in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are third in the Metropolitan Division, and one point behind Pittsburgh for second place.

The Panthers, meanwhile, remain in a fight to retain their top-10 protected first-round pick.

Currently the Cats hold the eighth-worst record, one point behind the Seattle Kraken and two back of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s showdown on Long Island:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – Jesper Boqvist

Cole Reinhardt – Tomas Nosek – Vinnie Hinostroza

Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Noah Gregor

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Dmitry Kulikov – Seth Jones

Donovan Sebrango – Mike Benning

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Photo caption: Mar 1, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates with the puck defended by New York Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo (77) during the third period at UBS Arena. (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)

Wins in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg have made flying the friendly skies a first class experience for the first place Colorado Avalanche after completing this most recent road trip.

Tonight, the NHL’s best team books a return fair against the recently-vanquished Winnipeg Jets as the Avs begin a three game home stand in pursuit of the top seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Colorado Avalanche

As mentioned previously, the Avalanche come into today’s game fresh off a 3-2 victory over these same Winnipeg Jets on Thursday evening at Canada Life Center. Despite trailing early after a goal by Jets franchise center Mark Scheifele, the Avs would turn the tables with three unanswered goals—two courtesy of Nathan MacKinnon—en route to their first regular season victory in Manitoba since February 24, 2023. This game saw the return of Artturi Lehkonen, who had missed the previous eleven games due to injury. He factored in on the eventual game-winning goal with a great seeing-eye pass that MacKinnon deflected past Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck early in the third period. Winnipeg would unsuccessfully challenge the goal for goaltender interference, but the call on the ice withstood the challenge. A late goal by Scheifele made things interesting, but the Avalanche were able to stave off a Winnipeg push to complete the road trip sweep.

With this latest victory, the Avalanche increased their point lead over the Dallas Stars—who suffered a 2-1 regulation loss to the New York Islanders earlier Thursday evening—to nine points in the Central Division, and still hold a game in hand in their possession. They remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. Dallas will be in action against Pittsburgh today, and the Minnesota Wild, who have pulled within three points of Dallas, will face Boston. Dallas has a game in hand over Minnesota, but another regulation loss—a possible fourth loss in a row for Dallas—would open the door for Minnesota to pull within a single point of second place in the Central should they defeat the Bruins today.

The stakes in the standings are getting higher and higher, and the margin for error is growing thinner and thinner. The Avs control their own destiny, and completing the home and home series with Winnipeg with another victory will only tighten their grip on what’s been a near wire-to-wire run at the top of the standings.

Coach Jared Bednar said after Thursday’s game, “It was a good effort from our guys. We gave up a couple of goals on turnovers on the D-zone walls, so there’s a couple of things we want to improve on, but for the most part, I think, [at the] end of the road trip, we played hard; we were competitive. Special teams did a really nice job tonight, and from the goaltender out, I think we had everybody involved and were able to carve out a win against a really good team, a desperate hockey team.”

Bednar made it clear to say that, even with the Avs in control of their destiny as the regular season winds down, the remaining games still mean something. “We’re still fighting for first place,” he said, “so every win’s important until they put the mark beside our [name in the] standings, so we’ve had something to play for down the stretch run here. I think we’ve had a good year, but we’re not comfortable. We’re still just kind of fine-tuning our game before going into the playoffs […] but you’re playing hungry teams every night that are jockeying for position, trying to fight [their way] into the playoffs, trying to move up the standings, so there’s still lots to play for in the season, and lots of hockey, and we certainly don’t want [our] game deteriorating over the last month of the season before we get into the playoffs, so that’s our main focus.”

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 22 of 24 shots for the victory in Winnipeg for his third straight win. Should Bednar turn to him again today, Blackwood could tie his single season career high in wins (22) with another stellar performance. However, if Bednar continues to alternate between starting him and Scott Wedgewood, then look for Wedgewood to return to the crease. Both goalies have victories over Winnipeg this season, so Bednar won’t be lacking in confidence in either option as the four game series comes to an end today.

Bednar said this of Blackwood’s recent play and his goaltending tandem as a whole: “[Blackwood] came out of the [Olympic] break playing really good, then he had a dip in a handful of his starts, and he’s gone to work, and I feel like his last handful of games here, he’s given us a great chance to win. He’s coming up with big saves when we need him, he’s been exceptional on the penalty kill, which always helps, so [I’m] pretty happy with the way both of those guys are playing in net right now.”

MacKinnon remains the NHL’s goal scoring leader (48), but remains four points behind both Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (both forwards have 114 points apiece at the time of this writing). Nečas now ranks second in team goal scoring (34), while Brock Nelson remains a close third (32). Cale Makar, who scored his 20th goal of the season against Dallas on March 18, needs only one point to reach 500 career points. It is currently unknown whether Nicolas Roy, who has not played since March 22 at Washington, will return to the lineup for today’s game.

Today’s game marks the first of a three game home stand at Ball Arena, the last extended stretch on home ice for the Avs this regular season.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Gabriel Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Ross Colton – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Artturi Lehkonen – Nazem Kadri – Logan O’Connor
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Joel Kiviranta

Defense:
Brett Kulak – Cale Makar
Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Winnipeg Jets

When Winnipeg hosted Colorado at Canada Life Center two weeks ago, their playoff hopes were hanging in the balance. As mentioned in this space back then, a successful back to back weekend could prove to be the turning point in their bid to secure a postseason berth on the heels of last season’s historic run that saw them secure the top seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Presidents Trophy as the best team in the NHL. Although Winnipeg did defeat both Colorado and St. Louis in those back to back games, Winnipeg then proceeded to lose four of its next six games—including their most recent loss to Colorado on Thursday evening—and now remain five points outside the last wild card spot in the Western Conference, currently occupied (somehow) by the Nashville Predators.

With ten games remaining on their regular season schedule, Winnipeg has a lot of work ahead of them. Four of those games are against teams also chasing a wild card berth: Seattle (one point ahead of Winnipeg), San Jose and St. Louis (both one point behind Winnipeg), and Utah (currently eight points ahead of Winnipeg and holding the first wild card position in the Western Conference). While the term, “must-win” is thrown around a lot in sports, these four games are games that Winnipeg absolutely cannot afford to lose. A win today against Colorado would certainly help their cause, but games against Dallas, Vegas, and the surging Columbus Blue Jackets are also monumental hurdles for Winnipeg to clear in their desperate push to sneak into the postseason. It’s not an impossible task, but the odds are growing longer and longer, and as much as Winnipeg must focus on their own performance, they’ll also need to get some help to keep the teams they’re chasing close enough to pass.

With his pair of goals against Colorado on Thursday, Scheifele continues leading all Winnipeg skaters in goals (34), assists (54), and points (88). Kyle Connor is second in all three categories (32G/50A/82PTS). Defenseman Josh Morrissey still leads all Winnipeg defensemen in all three categories (12G/37A/49PTS). After missing the previous game against Colorado two weeks ago, defenseman Neal Pionk played in his fourth game on Thursday night since his return from injury on March 21. Former Avalanche forward Vladislav Namestnikov will remain out of the lineup due to injury. With so much riding on the line for Winnipeg, it’s almost a given that Hellebuyck will make his third consecutive start—his 50th of the season—today.

Today marks the first of a four game road trip for Winnipeg, its final extended road trip of the season. By the time this road trip is over, they may know if they’re cleared for a postseason takeoff, or if they’ve been grounded on the runway.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Alex Iafallo
Cole Perfetti – Adam Lowry – Gabe Vilardi
Isak Rosén – Morgan Barron – Brad Lambert
Cole Koepke – Jonathan Toews – Gustav Nyquist

Defense:
Josh Morrissey – Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg – Elias Salomonsson
Haydn Fleury – Dylan DeMelo

Between the Pipes:
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie

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The Ottawa Senators are in the thick of the Eastern Conference Wild Card chase, and still in distance of a Top 3 spot in the Atlantic as they battle the Tampa Bay Lighting on Saturday afternoon.

My Senators vs. Lightning predictions and free NHL picks have these two high-scoring teams lighting the lamp with frequency on March 28.

Senators vs Lightning prediction

Senators vs Lightning best bet: Over 6.5 (+110)

It’s a battle of two teams in the Top 10 in scoring.

The Ottawa Senators dropped a 4-3 shootout to the Penguins last time, but it’s another game where they’ve picked up points – 18 times in the last 21.

The Senators are down five defenseman, including standouts Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, and that will be tough against the league’s second-highest scoring team.

The Tampa Bay Lightning boast five players with at least 20 goals on the year.

The Over has hit in four of the last five between these teams, and it appears they’ll stay on trend today.

Senators vs Lightning same-game parlay

Jake Guentzel has been on fire for Tampa of late, scoring four times in his last five games. He’s tallied six times in his last 10 against Ottawa.

Tim Stutzle is coming off a two-assist game against Pittsburgh, and he’s been a solid setup man against the Lightning, recording at least one assist against them in nine of the last 10 games.

Senators vs Lightning SGP

• Over 6.5
• Jake Guentzel anytime goal
• Tim Stutzle Over 0.5 assists

Senators vs Lightning odds

• Moneyline: Senators +150 | Lightning -180
• Puck Line: Senators +1.5 | Lightning -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5

Senators vs Lightning trend

The Senators have won 11 of their last 12 day games against East opponents. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Lightning.

How to watch Senators vs Lightning

Senators vs Lightning latest injuries

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The Vancouver Canucks (21-42-8) kick off a four-game road trip on Saturday against the Calgary Flames (30-34-8). Both these teams are at the bottom of the standings and have won a combined eight of their past 20 games. Vancouver enters the game looking to snap a four-game losing streak, while Calgary is coming off an overtime loss on Thursday. 

Saturday is setting up to be an interesting game from a draft lottery perspective. While the Canucks have all but secured 32nd place, the Flames have a chance to finish the season with the second-best odds at first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Ultimately, Saturday could be called a tank battle as both teams have struggled mightily this season. 

As for Vancouver, they cannot have a repeat of Thursday night. Even if the Canucks lose, they need to show that they can play a full 60 while improving areas like shot generation and the penalty kill. At this stage of the season, the process is more important than results, as Vancouver will remain at the bottom of the standings the rest of the year. 

Players To Watch

Tom Willander:

Tom Willander is one of the younger players getting more opportunities as the season comes to a close. He played over 21 minutes on Thursday and showed late in the game that he isn't afraid to get involved in a scrum. Even though he is only 21, Willander looks like he is developing into a leader for the Canucks.

Hunter Brzustewicz:

A familiar face will be in the lineup for Calgary on Saturday as Hunter Brzustewicz will patrol the blue line for the Flames. Initially drafted by Vancouver in 2023, the 21-year-old is projected to suit up for his 27th career game. So far this season, Brzustewicz has three points and is averaging 15:07 per night. 

Vancouver Canucks (21–42–8): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 15–28–43

Filip Hronek: 8–33–41

Brock Boeser: 17–20–37

Jake DeBrusk: 15–18–33

Linus Karlsson: 13–17–30 

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 8–25–5

Nikita Tolopilo: 5–6–2

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Calgary Flames (30–34–8): 

Points: 

Mikael Backlund: 16-23-39

Matt Coronato: 16-20-36

Morgan Frost: 17-18-35

Joel Farabee: 16-16-32

Blake Coleman: 17-13-30

Goaltenders: 

Dustin Wolf: 21-25-3

Devin Cooley: 9-9-5

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

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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The Detroit Red Wings had not scored a first-period goal since their victory over the New Jersey Devils on March 8, but they were able to remedy that drought on Friday evening. 

In fact, they did it three times.

First-period goals from Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Marco Kasper paced the Red Wings to a critical 5-2 road win over the Buffalo Sabres, enabling them to get back to within a point of the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. 

For the Red Wings, getting off to a big start was key. 

"Everyone was asking me about the want or the need to score in the first period, so it was really big," head coach Todd McLellan said. "We caught them maybe a little bit flat, and you could see when they took it up in the second (period) and it was a different game. But the lead was something we needed." 

As McLellan noted, the Sabres upped their game in the contest's middle frame, limiting the Red Wings to only three shots while also finally solving John Gibson with a Tage Thompson goal. 

However, Detroit kept Buffalo at bay and secured an insurance tally from former Sabres defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker. Despite a Sabres goal from team captain Rasmus Dahlin soon afterward, Buffalo native and future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane sealed the victory with an empty net goal. 

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Kane made sure to not only emphasize the importance of the fast start but also credit Gibson, who made 28 saves. 

“It was a great start, I think we were really focused on the start tonight, and that obviously put us in a great position. Second period wasn't great, obviously, but kind of held down the fort, only gave up one. Gibby made some huge saves."

Gibson returned to the form that made him one of the NHL's best goaltenders since the beginning of December, turning aside several prime chances for the Sabres.

"He was unbelievable for us tonight, and a lot of bending but not breaking in the right moments in the game, and obviously the fourth goal was huge to give us a cushion," Kane said. "So, big team win. Coming into Buffalo against a good team, we should feel good about that one, but got to get right back to it tomorrow.”

The Red Wings are back in action on Saturday evening against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. 

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home for the first of three straight games in the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena. This game features the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks - 32-21-7 - 71 Points - 2-6-2 in the last 10 - Lost 6 - 6th in the Pecific

Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-23-11 - 87 Points - 6-2-2 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 3rd in the Metro  

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• CBJ wrapped up a three-game road trip (1-2-0) with a 2-1 loss at Montreal on Thursday. Each contest was decided by a single goal.

• The Blue Jackets, who begin a three-game homestand on Saturday, have earned points in 12-straight home games (9-0-3), tied for the longest home points streak in club history (12; 9-0-3 from Feb. 11-Mar. 31, 2013). The team has also collected points in 16-of-17 contests at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (12-1-4).

• The club has earned points in 24 of its last 28 contests (20-4-4, 44 pts) to lead the league in wins (tied), points pct. (.786) and goals against per game (2.43) since Jan. 11.

• Columbus has allowed two goals or less in eight of the last nine games since Mar. 10 (1.78 GA/GP, 3rd in NHL).

• CBJ play their 15th of 16 back-to-back sets (18-6-4, .714 pts pct.) vs. San Jose (Saturday) and Boston (Sunday).

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Adam Fantilli has registered points in seven out of the last nine games (3-6-9) and in 13 of the last 17 contests (8-10-18). He is two points (21-32-53, 72 GP) from setting a single-season career high.

• Jet Greaves has earned points in 14 of his last 16 starts since Jan. 11 (12-2-2, 2.23 GAA, .915 SV% in 16 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 12 starts over that span (8-2-2, 2.50 GAA in 13 GP).

• Boone Jenner has registered 1-3-4 in the last five games and sits two contests shy of 800 for his NHL career (209-207-416, 798 GP).

• Mason Marchment has totaled 13-10-23 in 30 contests with the Blue Jackets.

• Mathieu Olivier has posted 3-1-4 in the past six games and ranks eighth-T in the NHL in goals since Jan. 28 (11 in 21 GP).

• Zach Werenski has recorded multiple points in three of the last five games (1-7-8). He has notched 21-56-77 and 25 multi-point efforts in 65 games in 2025-26 to lead NHL blueliners in points-per-game (1.18), multi-point efforts, and shots on goal (226) and sit second in points and third in goals. He's also tied Artemi Panarin's single-season club record for multi-point games (2018-19).

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 20.0% - 17th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 78.2% - 21st in the NHL
• Goals For - 226 - 17th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 218 - 16th in the NHL   

Sharks Stats

• Power Play - 19.8% - 18th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 79.0% - 16th in the NHL
• Goals For - 210 - 19th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 250 - 30th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheSharks

• Columbus is 29-35-0-6 all-time, and 19-13-0-3 at home vs. San Jose.
• Columbus had its six-game points streak in the series (5-0-1) in the 5-2 loss in the last meeting at San Jose.
• The Blue Jackets have earned points in 10 of the last 14 games of the series since Mar. 4, 2018 (9-4-1).
• CBJ have won four-straight home games against the Sharks and five of the past six at Nationwide Arena.
• The home team has won four-straight and collected points in nine of the last 10 in the series (8-1-1).
• Six of the last seven games played at Nationwide Arena have been decided by multiple goals.
• The winning team has scored four-plus goals in 7 of the last nine matchups in the overall series.
• The teams have each recorded six shutouts and three hat tricks in the series, with CBJ recording the most recent in each category (Bobrovsky, 26 saves in a 4-0 shutout win at CBJ on Feb. 23, 2019; Carter, three goals in a 6-3 W at CBJ on Feb. 21, 2012).

Who To Watch For TheSharks

• Macklin Celebrini leads the team with 35 goals, 61 assists, and 96 points.

• Alex Wennberg has 31 assists and 45 points.
• Yaroslav Askarov is 19-17-3 with a SV% of .888
• Ohioan Alex Nedeljkovic is 13-13-4 with an .893 SV%.

CBJ Player Notes vs Sharks

• Charlie Coyle has 6 goals and 12 points against San Jose.
• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 14 career games.
• Mason Marchment has 6 points vs. the Sharks.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 34 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
• Damon Severson - Upper Body - Left the game early against the Montreal Canadiens.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 180

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

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While the novelty of outdoor games might have worn off for those watching on TV, they remain an incredible experience for those in attendance, and Montreal is now the only Canadian team that has not hosted an outdoor game. In the latest edition of his written 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet's insider Elliotte Friedman reports that the Montreal Canadiens are working to fix that.

Furthering Renaud Lavoie’s report about the fact that the Habs are aiming to build a temporary outdoor stadium at Parc Jean Drapeau, Friedman reports that it would be able to seat 42,000 fans, and the organization aims to have that ready for the 2028-29 season. He also adds that a woman’s game would be part of the festivities. That would no doubt be a big success given how popular the Montreal Victoire have been since its inception.

Hutson's Excellent Season Has Him Climbing Up The Ladder In Canadiens History
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Canadiens Prospect Hage Opens Up About His Father’s Accident

The Canadiens have taken part in four outdoor games so far: the very first regular-season outdoor game in 2003, in which they battled the Edmonton Oilers, another Heritage Classic in 2011 against the Calgary Flames, a Winter Classic in Foxborough against the Boston Bruins, and the NHL Centennial game against the Ottawa Senators in December 2017. Montreal has a 2-2-0 record playing outside in the regular season. Next season, the Habs will feature in their fifth outdoor game, taking on the Winnipeg Jets on October 25 at the Princess Auto Stadium.

Having attended the game in Foxborough in 2016, I can attest to the special atmosphere, with 67,246 fans cheering on the archrivals. The Canadiens won that game 5-1, and the fans who had come down from Montreal for the event didn’t go home disappointed. The weekend would have been perfect had it not been for the life-altering injury Denna Laing sustained in the game between the Boston Pride and the Montreal Canadiennes the day before the Winter Classic. The forward suffered a spinal cord injury when she collided headfirst with the boards and has been in a wheelchair since. Last year, she was awarded the NHL Foundation Athlete Leadership Award for her leadership and advocacy for spinal cord injury awareness.

If and when the Canadiens manage to have a temporary stadium and the NHL schedules a game there, I highly recommend attending; you’ll have a wonderful time.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Just the facts

• When: Today, 5 PM
• Where: TD Garden — Boston, Mass.
• How to follow: NESN, NHLN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Opposing perspective: Hockey Wilderness

Know your enemy

• 41-20-12, 94PTS, 3rd in the Central Division
• Kirill Kaprizov: 38G-42A-80PTS; Matt Boldy: 38G-38A-76PTS; Quinn Hughes: 6G-64A-70PTS
• Filip Gustavsson: 26-12-6, 2.51 GAA, .911 save percentage; Jesper Wallstedt: 15-8-6, 2.73 GAA, .912 save percentage

Game notes

• The Boston Bruins are set to face off against the Minnesota Wild this evening in the first of a back-to-back weekend. They’ll head to Columbus tomorrow to take on the Blue Jackets Friday.
• It will also be the first of three games in four days for the Bruins as the season winds down with 10 games left.
• It’s still a tight wild card race and again, every point matters. The B’s are holding onto the first wild card spot with 88 points, one point ahead from the New York Islanders. Ottawa trails a wild card spot by a point with 86.
• The Bruins last saw the Wild on Dec. 14, 2025. The Bruins dropped that game, 6-2. In the game, the B’s allowed two power play goals and Kaprizov scored twice.
• The Wild have the edge on special teams this evening and it’s something the Bruins need to clean up down this stretch.
• Head Coach Marco Sturm said after practice they’ve switched positions “a little bit” on the power play to try to get it going. He said they’ve tried to let things ride out, saying maybe the units need another game and have taken things day by day. But he added the power play isn’t there yet and there’s been too many turnovers. “These guys, we need to be better. Hopefully we can get back on track here as soon as possible,” he said.
• The Bruins are also looking to tune up their penalty kill as they’ve allowed five power play goals by their opponents in the last three games. “We have to find out ways to come out even,” Sturm said.
• Recent point leaders: For the Bruins, David Pastrnak has nine points in his last five games with three goals and six assists. Pavel Zacha has four goals in that time. For the Wild, Brock Faber has six points with one goal and five assists in his last five games.
• The Wild last played on Thursday when they beat the Florida Panthers, 3-2.
• The Bruins had a visit from Patrice Bergeron yesterday skating with Morgan Geekie and Fraser Minton before yesterday’s practice.
• Per the nhl.com, the Bruins are projected to look like this today:

---

Lines:

Marat Khusnutdinov — Fraser Minten — David Pastrnak

Casey Mittelstadt — Pavel Zacha — Viktor Arvidsson

Lukas Reichel — Elias Lindholm — Morgan Geekie

Tanner Jeannot — Sean Kuraly — Mark Kastelic

Defensive pairings:

Jonathan Aspirot — Charlie McAvoy

Nikita Zadorov — Andrew Peeke

Hampus Lindholm — Mason Lohrei

In net:

Jeremy Swayman

Put it over the radio: New York’s Bravest and Finest will light the lamps on the ice this weekend.

The annual NYPD and FDNY hockey game — a grudge match filled with flying fists, punishing hits and high-octane play from the departments’ heroes — is a day circled on every first responder’s calendar.

“This is basically our Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final,” firefighter and goalie Nick Battaglia told The Post.

“The first two minutes of that game, everyone wants to kill each other. Nobody’s worried about the puck,” added NYPD general manager and former captain Charlie Venticinque. “If you have the puck, you’re getting tanked.”

The game sells out NHL arenas year after year, and this time at UBS Arena at 1:30 p.m. Sunday will be no different. Fans and family come ready to roar and even bring banners and signs for their kin to make it feel like the real deal.

Months on end, teammates in their mid-20s to late-40s have been doing whatever it takes to be in game, or rather fighting, shape.

They want to put on a show in the 52nd annual head-to-head meeting.

“Guys are missing work, missing overtime, missing things with their family, switching their tours around,” said newly anointed NYPD captain and defenseman George Antzoulis. “Guys are staying at work for three days straight, going from hockey back to work, sleeping in the office, sleeping in chairs, sleeping in their cars in the parking lot.”

It’s a labor of love, pride, and brotherhood, as tugging on that jersey — Antzoulis knows stepping on the ice with the “C” on his chest will be an emotional moment — represents something much larger than the individual athlete.

They’re always reminded of that in the locker room on game day.

Families of members lost in the line of duty have come in to inspire the players, as have the brass of both departments.

“You get chills,” said NYPD center and alternate captain Dan O’Donoghue, who was in Islanders rookie camp in 2010.

“Seeing the stands fill up, then you do the 9/11 remembrance, the bagpipes, and the national anthem … you try to take it all in. It goes really fast.”

Extra motivation to play through each whistle is hardly necessary — especially when the archrivals start chirping one another with cop and firefighter jokes.

When bone-crushing, open-ice hits mix in — O’Donoghue added that he’s “usually limping around the house a week or so after” — the gloves “organically” come off, said FDNY right wing Stephen Kelly.

“That passion runs through you. … We stand up for each other, we look out for each other,” he added, recalling a few past brawls that went viral online in the wild game for charity. “It’s just like your family at home. You’re going to defend them … whether you’re at work or on the hockey rink. That’s the fire department brotherhood.”

The temporary adversaries, many of whom grew up playing with or against one another, remember they’re all on the same team where it counts after the final buzzer.

“At the end of the day, everybody knows it’s a hockey game,” Kelly said.

The teams are now celebrities in the hockey world from their remarkable style of lambasting physical play — it gets the rowdy crowd going like an Islanders-Rangers game — as they travel across the country to face other teams and organizations.

The NYPD recently took on the Boston PD, and the FDNY typically lands in an Ontario firefighter hockey tournament, where the opposition is in a league of its own.

“Those departments, they recruit hockey players to be firemen,” firefighter forward Derek Kern said of the Canadians. “They have draft picks, they have guys that played in the NHL.”

FDNY’s high level of competition has paid off, as red hasn’t lost to blue in a decade.

They also hold a 31-18-2 all-time record against the NYPD, dating back to the first game at Madison Square Garden in 1974.

But the cops want to read ’em their rights this time around.

“We’re due. Man, we need one … it’s something I’m dying for,” Antzoulis said.

But if not, the captain is content having an unforgettable day with his brothers.

“There are 33,000 cops in the NYPD, and there are only 30 of us,” he said. “We’re the luckiest 30 in the world.”

Who: Dallas Stars (43-18-11, 97 points, 2nd place Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (36-20-16, 88 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 5:00 p.m. eastern

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and Victory+, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have a back-to-back coming up that will have a major impact on the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pens take on the New York Islanders on the road on Monday before matching up with the Detroit Red Wings at home on Tuesday.

Opponent Track: The Stars have hit a recent skid, going 1-4-1 in their last six games (coming on the heels of going 8-0-1 in the first nine games out of the Olympic break). When Dallas is good, they’re very good but that hasn’t been the case recently having lost four-straight games (0-3-1) with losses to Minnesota, Vegas, New Jersey and most recently a 2-1 regulation defeat to the Islanders on Thursday night. Between the Stars’ slide, combined with Colorado’s recent four-game winning streak, it looks like Dallas is heading towards the ‘first round matchup of doom’ this year in the Central Division against Minnesota in what could feature two 105+ point teams squaring off.

Season Series: Back before the Penguins exorcised their shootout demons, they lost a 3-2 shootout decision against the Stars on Dec. 7 thanks to a Mikko Rantanen shootout goal against Tristan Jarry.

Hidden Stat: The Stars clinched a playoff spot on Sunday, which marked the franchise’s fewest games to earn a playoff spot (70) since the team did it in 63 games during their 1998-99 Stanley Cup season (h/t NHL Stats).

Hidden Stat 2.0: Home ice hasn’t been that friendly to the Penguins, who have only won 16 out of the 35 games at PPG Paints Arena (with another “home” win in the standings counted in a victory in Sweden when the Pens were designated as the home team). Overall the Pens are just 16-11-8 this season in their true home arena.

Getting to know the Stars

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Jason Robertson – Wyatt Johnston – Mavrik Bourque

Michael Bunting – Matt Duchene – Jamie Benn

Sam Steel – Justin Hryckowian – Colin Blackwell

Adam Erne – Oskar Back – Nathan Bastian

DEFENSEMEN

Esa Lindell / Miro Heiskanen

Thomas Harley / Nils Lundkvist

Lian Bichsel / Tyler Myers

Goalies: Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith

Potential scratches: Roope Hintz (lower body)

Injured Reserve: Mikko Rantanen (lower body), Radek Faksa (lower body), Tyler Seguin (season-ending knee injury)

• Rantanen is nearing a return from injury, he participated in Thursday’s morning skate ahead of the NYI game (though he didn’t play). As of 12 days ago Rantanen was said to be 10-14 days away, so he’s right in the window for a possible return to action for today’s game.

Mikko Rantanen is still more than 10 days to two weeks away from any possible return.

He will not go on the road with the team this week.

Roope Hintz and Radek Faksa are further away from consideration.

— Bruce LeVine (@BruceLeVinePuck) March 16, 2026

• The Stars will be without Tyler Seguin for the rest of the season and the playoffs after placing him on LTIR in February amid his recovery from a torn ACL. They’ll still hope to get Hintz and Faksa back in time for the postseason, in addition to the impending return of Rantanen.
• Former Penguin Michael Bunting was one of the Stars’ additions at the trade deadline alongside defenseman Tyler Myers. Bunting has since slotted in on Dallas’ second line alongside Matt Duchene.
• Dallas could soon have two brothers on the same team for the first time since Jamie and Jordie Benn. The Stars recently signed Dylan Hryckowian, brother and former college teammate of third-line center Justin Hryckowian, to an entry-level contract.

Stars going dim

Generating offense has been an issue for Dallas during their current losing streak. They’re currently without two of their top-five point producers and stretching others into bigger roles has had an effect on output lately.

During the past 5 games, Dallas has scored
1 goal
1 goal
2 goals
4 goals
1 goal

The loss of Rantanen and Hintz is now a major issue.
It's not just the loss of the two forwards but also the effect it has on special teams and depth scoring.

— Bruce LeVine (@BruceLeVinePuck) March 27, 2026

Season stats
via hockeydb

• Wyatt Johnston has recorded career highs in both goals and points while centering Jason Robertson, who is enjoying his fourth straight 80-point season in Dallas.
• It’s been an up-and-down season for Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, although he’s been strong as of late. The Stars are playing the Philadelphia Flyers on the road tomorrow, so they’ll have to decide whether Oettinger or former Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith will be getting the start in Pittsburgh tonight.
• DeSmith, by the way, has only played against Pittsburgh once in his career. That happened last year as a member of the Stars, where he stopped 35 of 39 shots but picked up the loss. Oettinger has a lot of career success against the Pens, boasting a 6-1-0 record with a .942 save% and 1.71 GAA.
• The Stars have been running one of the most formidable power plays in the NHL this season, although their top unit has recently taken a hit with the injury absence of Mikko Rantanen.
• Dallas has had some injury issues but they haven’t played many different players, just 27 skaters have dressed this season. By comparison, the Penguins have dressed 38 different skaters so far this season.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby* – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Anthony Mantha

Ville Koivunen – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies:  Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Evgeni Malkin (injured)

IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany

• The Pens canceled a practice yesterday, so we’ll have to wait and see for this morning on any updates on the status of Crosby. If Crosby can’t play, it’s possible that Joona Koppanen will be in the lineup as a bottom-six center. The team could also opt to shift Rickard Rakell or Noel Acciari to center for the day and insert a winger like Avery Hayes into the lineup. Depending on Crosby’s status it could be a very fluid situation with a couple different options on how they want to go about patching a lineup together.
• We’ll also await word on Evgeni Malkin, officially day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (believed to be in the finger/hand area). Malkin did not even travel with the team to Ottawa for Thursday’s game which might not bode well for his availability just a couple days later.
• Bryan Rust is currently in the midst of a career-long nine-game point streak (5G-8A) and has points in 14 of his last 15 games played (7G-12A) dating back to Feb. 28th, per Pens PR. Rust’s streak is the second longest active one in the league behind Boston’s David Pastranak (11).
• Sam Girard is set to play in career game No. 600 today. Not bad for a guy who won’t turn 28 until May.
• Whether or not the goalie rotation continues will be interesting as well, Skinner has been performing much better than Silovs lately — but the team has other considerations in mind with a massive set of games on Monday/Tuesday against NYI and Detroit. They may want to keep Skinner fresh and in rhythm for that Monday game by not leaning too hard on him today, which would make Monday his third game in five days. They may also not want Silovs to have his next action come on Tuesday and have him go a full week between starts by skipping him today. Lots to weigh and consider for that decision on who plays in goal today for the Pens with more variables in mind than simply this one game.

Erik Karlsson is deep into Paul Coffey territory for points in a single month — always a great sign for any defender. Across the NHL this month, only Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (26) has more points than Karlsson with his 21.