Category: NHL

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Adam Fox is one of the best offensive defensemen in the sport. Despite the down year for New York, he is once again producing at a 70+ point pace over a full schedule.

My Penguins vs. Rangers predictions see Fox playing a key role offensively in this Metro Division battle.

Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Saturday, February 28.

Penguins vs Rangers prediction

Penguins vs Rangers best bet: Adam Fox Over 0.5 points (-115)

Injuries and the New York Rangers’ underwhelming play have obscured the fact Adam Fox has produced 28 points through 31 games.

Fox started slow but has hit the scoresheet in 10 of his last 15, including against high-end opponents like Tampa (x2), Carolina, and Colorado.

It's par for the course with Fox, who has nine points over his past nine against Top-10 teams in goals allowed. That bodes well for his chances against the Pittsburgh Penguins (seventh-most goals against)

He also QBs the No. 1 power play, and New York is 3-for-7 on the man advantage against Pittsburgh this season.

Penguins vs Rangers same-game parlay

Fox has a strong shooting history against the Penguins, generating multiple shots in seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings.

Fox has averaged 5.1 attempts over his past 10 home games, taking 4+ in nine of them. He has 2+ shots on target in 69% of games this season when attempting four shots or more.

J.T. Miller is skating on the top line and shares the ice with Fox on the No. 1 power play unit, making him a strong correlation play.

Penguins vs Rangers SGP

• Adam Fox Over 0.5 points
• Adam Fox 1.5 shots on goal
• J.T. Miller Over 0.5 points

Penguins vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh -115 | New York -105
• Puck line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+215) | New York +1.5 (-270)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under 5.5 (+110)

Penguins vs Rangers trend

Adam Fox has points in seven of his past 10 games against Pittsburgh. Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Rangers.

How to watch Penguins vs Rangers

Penguins vs Rangers latest injuries

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are back home to take on the New York Islanders tonight at 6 PM.      

New York Islanders - 33-21-5 - 71 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 3rd in the Metro.

Columbus Blue Jackets - 29-21-7 - 65 Points - 8-2-0 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro.

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• Columbus had its season-high seven-game win streak snapped in the first game following the Olympic Break with a 4-2 loss at Boston on Thursday.

• The Blue Jackets, who open a stretch of five-of-six games played at home on Saturday, have won four consecutive home games since Jan. 22 and earned points in eight-of-nine contests at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (7-1-1).

• Since Dec. 22, the Blue Jackets have gone 15-6-1 (31 pts, .705 points pct.) and are among NHL leaders in team save percentage (.910/3rd-T), points (5th-T), goals-against per game (2.59, 5th), penalty kill pct. (83.3 pct./5th-T), points pct (6th-T) and goals-for per game (3.41/12th).

• The club has scored the opening goal in 11 of the past 13 games and has scored the first goal in 35 contests (24-7-4), tied for third-most in the NHL in 2025-26.

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Charlie Coyle ranks sixth-T in the NHL in scoring since Jan. 24 with 5-7-12 and four multi-point efforts in seven games.

• Adam Fantilli posted his eighth multi-point effort of the season with 1-1-2 on Thursday and has totaled 2-6-8 in the past seven contests. He has set a single-season career high in assists with 14-24-38 in 57 games in 2025-26.

• Boone Jenner (207-203-410, 784 GP), who is the club's all-time leader in games played and ranks third in goals and points, is one assist from tying David Vyborny (204) for third-most in CBJ history.

• Mason Marchment collected his third multi-point outing as a Blue Jacket with two assists on Thursday. He has totaled 9-6-15 in 15 games since making his debut with the club on Dec. 20.

• Zach Werenski helped Team USA capture a Gold Medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics (1-5-6, 6 GP). He collected an assist on Thursday to tie his career-high points streak at eight games (2-9-11) originally set from Nov. 15-Dec. 1, 2024 (5-11-16). He also has points in 21 of his past 23 games played since Dec. 11 (11-22-33, 10 multi-point efforts).

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.6% - 19th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 77.2% - 25th in the NHL
• Goals For - 176 - 17th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 180 - 17th in the NHL 

Islanders Stats

• Power Play - 16.1% - 28th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 81.5% - 9th in the NHL
• Goals For - 169 - 22nd in the NHL
• Goals Against - 160 - 4th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheIslanders   

• Columbus is 28-23-1-7 all-time, and 19-7-1-4 at home vs. New York.
• The home team is 11-3-1 in the last 15, and 5-0-1 in the last 6.
• The CBJ have killed off 9 of 10 NYI power plays.
• The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last nine meetings overall, including five-straight at Nationwide Arena.

• Each team has recorded a 2-0 shutout victory over the past five contests played at Nationwide Arena.

• The Jackets have killed off 9-of-10 Islanders power play attempts over the last five contests played in Ohio (90 pct.).

• CBJ have recorded five shutouts in the all-time series (MR: Merzlikins, 26 saves in 2-0 W at CBJ on Oct. 30, 2024).

• The teams have averaged a combined 58.5 shots on goal in the past six meetings of the series.

Who To Watch For TheIslanders

• Bo Horvat leads the team with 24 goals
• Mathew Barzal leads NYI with 35 assists and 52 points.
• Ilya Sorokin is 21-13-2 with a SV% of .915.
• David Rittich is 12-8-3 with a SV% of .900

CBJ Player Notes vs.Islanders

• Zach Werenski has 15 points in 25 career games vs. the Islanders.
• Boone Jenner has 16 points in 34 games.
• Mason Marchment has 5 points in 10 games against New York.

Injured Reserve

• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 19 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 156

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The San Jose Sharks may have acquired forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks just last month, but the gritty forward is right back in the rumor mill.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun recently reported that the Sharks are open to trading Sherwood if they can't get the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) signed to a contract extension.

If the Sharks end up shopping Sherwood, let's look at three teams that could make sense as landing spots for the 30-year-old winger.

Tampa Bay Lightning 

The Tampa Bay Lightning are having a great year, as they are at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. With this, they will be buyers at the deadline, and one of their needs is another impactful winger in their middle six. Due to this, it would not be surprising at all if they made a serious push for Sherwood. He would not only give them a skilled forward with an edge but also would come at an affordable price for the Bolts. 

Colorado Avalanche 

The Colorado Avalanche were often connected to Sherwood before the Sharks acquired him from the Canucks. Due to this, it would make sense if the Avalanche pursued him again leading up to the deadline. Sherwood would give the Avalanche's forward group a nice boost and would provide them with another player who is built for the playoffs. 

In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman discussed the Montreal Canadiens and mentioned that they have been exploring options on defence. The insider said:

“You know the Canadiens, I do think they’ve looked at some of those Ds guys like Ristolainen or guys like that.”

Friedman failed to mention who else would fit into the “guys like that” category, but looking at Ristolainen, I struggle to see how the Philadelphia Flyers would be a viable option for the Canadiens. Of course, he’s a right-shot defenseman, and he’s big at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, but he doesn’t play big. In just 21 games this season with the Philadelphia Flyers, he has landed a total of 21 hits. That’s hardly the kind of contribution they’d need in the playoffs.

Canadiens: Bell Centre Hostile To American Anthem
Canadiens’ Laine Given Permission To Speak To Other Teams
The Canadiens Played With Fire And Got Burned

Furthermore, the last time he played a full 82-game season was back in 2015-16 with the Buffalo Sabres. He’s suffered multiple right triceps tendon ruptures, which have led to multiple surgeries over the years, and this season, he didn’t start playing until mid-December.

The Canadiens already have a couple of defensemen on their books who are very good on paper but have sustained more than their fair share of injuries on the ice: Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher. Do they need a 31-year-old who has another season to go with a $5.1M cap hit? Unless they have concerns about Reinbacher and think he needs more time in the AHL, it would be a puzzling move for the Canadiens’ brass.

I believe if the Canadiens move before the deadline, it will once again be a Kent Hughes surprise move, one that seems to come out of left field and that wasn’t in any of the rumours. The Habs have always been a tight-lip organization, and I’d be surprised if that changed anytime soon.

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Ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline, one Eastern Conference team has been blowing up the Philadelphia Flyers' phones more than others.

As it turns out, Flyers forward Owen Tippett, who will have minor trade protection kick in on his contract this summer, has a group of admirers in the northeast.

On Friday, Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco reported that the Boston Bruins are a team that has called about Tippett "several times this season."

"One name the Bruins have checked in on several times this season is winger Owen Tippett, who is under contract for six seasons beyond this one at an AAV of $6.2 million," Di Marco wrote.

"The Flyers aren’t looking to move the 27-year-old winger by any means but are open to discussions, though the price to get him out of Philadelphia would have to be significant. The Bruins feel like Tippett brings a different style of game and a versatility that they are lacking."

Latest NHL Trade Sets Flyers Up for Big Trade DeadlineThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are about to have a unique opportunity to take full advantage of a crazy trade market ahead of this year's March 6 NHL trade deadline.

On the other side of the equation, Di Marco mentioned Bruins center prospects Matt Poitras and Dean Letourneau as players of interest to the Flyers, as well as left-shot defenseman Mason Lohrei.

Given the Flyers' logjam at the winger position, it would appear, on the surface, to be a no-brainer to move someone with Tippett's value to acquire players at other positions of need.

Letourneau, a 6-foot-7 center and 2024 first-round pick, was absolutely awful for Boston College last season, scoring just three assists in 26 games.

This year, however, has been a completely different story, and the 20-year-old has exploded for 19 goals, 15 assists, and 34 points in only 31 games.

Flyers Will Get Good Look at Top NHL Draft Prospect in OlympicsThe Flyers should be paying close attention to the only NHL draft prospect featuring in the Winter Olympics this year.

It's been well-documented how the Flyers have loved to draft for size over the last two drafts, and Letourneau would certainly fit right in. Size aside, he's also a decent skater and has real puck skills to boot.

As for Poitras, the 22-year-old former second-round pick already has 69 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, scoring seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points.

He's the least attractive option of the two centers, but Poitras does have the skill the Flyers need down the middle.

Lohrei, 25, was notably selected by the Bruins (58th) after the Flyers had selected Emil Andrae (54th) in the 2020 NHL Draft, and now the American blueliner could very well find himself tapped to replace his Swedish draft classmate.

Andrae's 5-foot-9 size does not appear to jive with what the Flyers are trying to do with their defense corps in the long-term, while Lohrei, who is 6-foot-5 and has 69 points in 171 games, can move the puck equally well while being capable of doing more physically.

NHL Trade Rumors: Predicting Flyers Trade Deadline Plans, TargetsThe 2026 NHL trade deadline, which falls on March 6 this year, is officially less than two weeks away. In that short period of time, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are going to have to make some important decisions with long-term implications.

As Di Marco noted, Lohrei carries a $3.2 million cap hit and could be jettisoned in an effort to create further cap space for the Bruins.

From the Flyers' perspective, Lohrei is an RFA again in the 2027 offseason, so there aren't going to be any significant financial or long-term commitments they're bound by if things don't work out in Philadelphia.

If the Flyers can swap Tippett for any combination of these players, especially given that Porter Martone will arrive soon and Tyson Foerster will eventually return from injury, the organization will be setting themselves up nicely to ice a much more well-rounded and competitive roster in the near future.

Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (30-15-12, 72 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ New York Rangers (22-29-7, 51 points, 8th place Metropolitan Division)

When: 12:30 p.m. ET

How to Watch: National broadcast on ABC

Pens’ Path Ahead: Things are about to get busy for the Pens, who are back home for a 1 p.m. ET matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow and then go on to play five games over the next nine days.

Opponent Track: The Rangers are still looking for their first win since the Olympic break after blowing a 2-0 lead in what became a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

Season Series: The Pens and Rangers split this series early in October (the Penguins won 3-0 in New York before losing 6-1 at home five days later) before the Pens just barely held off the Rangers from a comeback in a 6-5 win at home on Jan. 31.

Hidden Stat: The Rangers are tied for the fewest home points (17) and fewest home wins (six) of any team in the NHL after going 6-15-5 at Madison Square Garden so far this season. (The Pens rank sixth for road wins after compiling a 16-7-5 record in away games).

Getting to know the Rangers

Projected lines

FORWARDS

J.T. Miller – Mika Zibanejad – Gabriel Perreault

Will Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafrenière

Conor Sheary – Noah Laba – Brendan Brisson

Tye Karate – Sam Carrick – Taylor Raddysh

DEFENSEMEN

Vladislav Gavrikov / Adam Fox

Braden Schneider / Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson / Vinent Iorio

Goalies: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Squick

Potential scratches: Urho Vaakanainen, Jonny Brodzinski, Scott Morrow

Injured Reserve: Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe

• The Rangers sent Brennan Othmann back to the AHL yesterday after claiming Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Kartye was a regular healthy scratch in Seattle, but he’ll see if he can get back to the form that saw him post 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 77 games of his 2023-24 rookie campaign with the Kraken. He could be making his Rangers debut today against the Pens.
• Kartye could be poised to get more opportunities given the number of trade rumors surrounding the selling Rangers. Players including Braden Schneider, Vladislav Gavrikov and Vincent Trocheck have been popping up in the rumor mill lately.
• Both Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox, who had each been sidelined since early January, returned to the Rangers’ lineup Thursday. So was Sheary, who had missed 15 games with a lower-body injury.
• Despite his team’s overall struggles this season, Shesterkin ranks top-10 in both save percentage (.912) and goals against average (2.47) among goalies who have made at least 20 appearances this season.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• The Rangers are without their leading producer this season after trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month.
• Even with 34-year-old Panarin playing on the West Coast, the Rangers are being led by their veterans. Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, all 32, lead the Rangers in points without Panarin.
• Alexis Lafrenière ranks fourth on the active roster with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 58 games. His 0.52 career points-per-game rate is the fourth-lowest among former No. 1 picks with at least 400 NHL games played, per ESPN.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard (?) / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov

IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany

• Sam Girard, who missed Friday’s practice while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, is traveling to New York with the team.
• Stuart Skinner has a career 5-1-1 record against the Rangers, although he was in net as the Pens narrowly avoided blowing a late lead against the Blueshirts back on Jan. 31.
• The Penguins are 13-3-3 since acquiring Egor Chinakhov in December, a 19-game stretch over which Chinakhov has recorded 13 points (nine goals, four assists).
• Kris Letang is heading into today’s game just two points shy of 800. He could be the 21st defenseman and fourth active blueliner after Brent Burns, teammate Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman to reach the milestone.

The Islanders remain on the road in Columbus before coming back home tomorrow for a meeting with the Panthers. Both opponent are chasing to get back in the wild card spots, though it’s looking bleak for the two-time defending Cup champs. The Blue Jackets have two games in hand on the Isles but trail by three games, and those extra games mean their post-Olympic schedule is all the more compressed.

Let’s not hear the cannon tonight, okay?

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• Previewing tonight: The third of four meetings with the CBJ, who have a new coach (and former Islander benchman) since last meeting. [Isles]
• Takeaways: Patrick Roy says these guys are fun to watch and composed till the end. [Isles]
• The Skinny: “Ilya Sorokin remains unbeaten in regulation against Montreal (6-0-2) and added his first assist of the season.” [Isles]
• Matthew Schaefer, Islanders and NHL record holder. [Isles] He’s special, that lad. [Po$t]
• Here are some impressive “EDGE” stats from his rookie season thus far. [NHL]
• Speaking of which, if you orient the math just so, counting Schaef-daddy, then the Islanders win the Dobson trade. [Newsday]
• Bo Horvat and Ondrej Palat reflect on their Olympics experiences. [Isles]

Episode 5 of On The Island is out and it’s focused on “the details”:

Elsewhere

Just four scores last night, but the Capitals won and the Sabres continued to roll.

• Adam Fox is not in the mood. [Post]
• Trade deadline talk: Bill Guerin still has more to do, while the tanking teams are fully prepared for the tank. [NHL]
• Trade rumors: apparently Sergei Bobrovsky, who’s old, having a terrible season and finishing a mammoth contract, feels like he deserves more. [Sportsnet]
• But Steven Stamkos and his NMC have no intention of leaving Nashville. [TSN]
• Whether he admits it or not, Connor Ingram may have to be the answer in Edmonton after the Oilers’ strange bet on Tristan Jarry. [Sportsnet]
• Chris Drury was booed by Smurfs fans during a moment honoring the U.S. gold medalists. [Post]
• Tyler Seguin is believed out for the season and playoffs. [TSN]

Washington Capitals (31-23-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (32-17-9, in the Atlantic Division)

Montreal, Quebec; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Canadiens -158, Capitals +133; over/under is 6.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Washington Capitals after Noah Dobson's two-goal game against the New York Islanders in the Canadiens' 4-3 overtime loss.

Montreal is 32-17-9 overall and 16-11-2 at home. The Canadiens have allowed 187 goals while scoring 200 for a +13 scoring differential.

Washington has gone 12-13-4 on the road and 31-23-7 overall. The Capitals have a 28-8-3 record when scoring three or more goals.

The teams play Saturday for the third time this season. The Capitals won 3-2 in overtime in the last meeting. Ethen Frank led the Capitals with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nicholas Suzuki has 18 goals and 47 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has 11 goals and two assists over the last 10 games.

John Carlson has 10 goals and 36 assists for the Capitals. Aliaksei Protas has scored four goals and added six assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 6-2-2, averaging four goals, 7.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Capitals: 7-2-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.7 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Canadiens: None listed.

Capitals: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

There has been a whole lot going right for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2025-26 season, and much of it can be credited to the work of general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. 

He brought in the right free agents during the offseason, including defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and forwards Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha. He has also managed to get maximum value from the trades he has made.

And one of those trades - and, inarguably, the best so far - was the one in late December that landed winger Egor Chinakhov for a second- and a third-round pick.

The 24-year-old forward - selected 21st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020 - requested a trade from Columbus over the summer, and his season didn’t start off the way he or the Jackets would have wanted it to. Before heading over to Pittsburgh this season, he had just three goals and six points in 29 games to go along with a minus-6. 

Since then? Nine goals and 13 points in 20 games, and the vast majority of those have come playing on the same line as Evgeni Malkin. In fact, Malkin has six assists on Chinakhov’s nine goals, and five of them are primary assists.

A 39-goal pace for Chinakhov isn’t too shabby, but neither is an 87-point pace for the 39-year-old Malkin, who is on an expiring contract. Chinakhov is the kind of scoring winger that Malkin has lacked since the days of Phil Kessel from 2015-19, and their chemistry has, undeniably, been a huge asset to the Penguins winning hockey games, as they are 13-3-4 since acquiring Chinakhov.

On Saturday, Malkin clarified to reporters after the Penguins’ 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that contract extension talks between his representation and the Penguins’ would stall until the offseason. According to Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now, Malkin and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas will meet next week to discuss.

Malkin: Contract Extension Talks Will 'Wait [Until] End Of Season'It appears that contract talks between veteran star forward Evgeni Malkin and Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins will be pushed back until the offseason

And, if the Penguins have been paying any attention to the magic of the Malkin-Chinakhov combination, it should be a no-brainer to bring Malkin back for another season or two.

The striking thing about Chinakhov is that his goal-scoring doesn’t appear to be a fluke. Yes, it’s highly unlikely that he will continue at his current pace for the rest of the season, but it’s also worth considering that he’ll be playing a more elevated role without Sidney Crosby in the lineup for a few more weeks. 

But his shot is legitimate. So are his hockey smarts and his ability to somehow always expose the soft areas of the ice and be in position to create scoring chances. So is his defensive ability. So is his speed. This is a player who is not only a scoring threat, but a complete package. 

Takeaways: Penguins Blow Two Goal Lead, Lose To Rangers In ShootoutThe Pittsburgh Penguins stumbled against the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, losing 3-2 in a shootout.

Malkin’s playmaking is still legitimate, too. He is on pace for 68 assists, which would be the second-highest total of his career behind his 2008-09 campaign in which he registered 35 goals and 78 assists for 113 points. He is probably beyond the point in his career where he will be putting the puck in the back of the net with much regularity, but that’s almost a non-issue if he can consistently set up a player who is capable of putting the puck in the back of the net with regularity. 

The fact is that Chinakhov is a revelation for Malkin and the Penguins, and he’s the exact kind of player who has the potential to extend Malkin’s career. With no Chinakhov in the picture, it’s very possible that Malkin would not be producing at the rate that he is, and even if he was, there’s no guarantee he would have the talent around him beyond this season to sustain this level of production. 

Chinakhov is also a restricted free agent this offseason, and he has already expressed his desire to return to Pittsburgh. At this point, why not make Malkin and Chinakhov a package deal?

NHL Rumors: 2 Trade Fits For Penguins' Stuart Skinner Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner has created some chatter as a trade candidate. Which teams could make sense as landing spots for him?

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Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pierre-Luc Dubois had two goals and an assist to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

All three of Washington’s goals came in the second period, with Jakob Chychrun adding his 22nd of the season. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored in the third for the Golden Knights.

The Capitals pulled within two points of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division and within two of Boston for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card. Washington is 2-0 since the Olympic break and has won six of its last seven.

The Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights had a three-game winning streak snapped despite the return of five Olympians. Vegas was without two Americans (Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin) and three Canadians (Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore) in Wednesday’s win over Los Angeles. All were back on the ice Friday.

The Golden Knights scored five third-period goals in that 6-4 victory over the Kings and they nearly pulled off a big comeback at Washington. Bowman broke up Logan Thompson’s shutout bid early in the third, and Hertl’s power-play goal made it 3-2 with 10:45 still to play, but that was as close as Vegas could come.

SABRES 3, PANTHERS 2

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Alex Lyon made 27 saves to beat his former Florida teammates for the second this month, helping Buffalo win for its eighth victory in 11 games.

Lyon played for the Panthers during the 2022-23 season. He has won two of his past four starts — both against Florida.

Beck Malenstyn gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead with 8:22 left, sending a slap shot from the point through traffic and past Daniil Tarasov. Florida challenged for goalie interference after Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s stick made contact with Tarasov’s glove, but the goal stood.

The Sabres won 2-1 at New Jersey on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. They are tied with Detroit for second place in the Atlantic Division. Buffalo has missed the playoffs an NHL-record 14 straight years.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. Florida, which has lost six of its past eight, is eight points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games left.

Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs also scored for Buffalo. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett scored for Florida.

MAMMOTH 5, WILD 2

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawson Crouse scored twice, U.S. Olympian Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists and Utah beat Minnesota to end its winning streak at six games.

Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves to help the Mammoth rebound from a 4-2 home loss to NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. Utah holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Seattle.

U.S. Olympian Matt Boldy scored and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov’s goal for Minnesota. Second behind Central Division-rival Colorado in the West, the Wild are 9-2-1 in their last 12. They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night in Denver.

Cooley opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 6:37 left in the first period. The former University of Minnesota star got the puck on the right side off a deflection and put a shot between Wallstedt’s legs for his 15th goal.

Keller scored his 18th at 4:26 of the second. Nick Schmaltz forced a turnover on a forecheck and fed Keller on the right side.

Crouse made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second. He came down the middle, took a pass from Keller and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.

Kaprizov countered for Minnesota on a power play with 5:57 left in the second. He has 33 goals this season.

DUCKS 5, JETS 4, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider beat Connor Hellebuyck off a rebound at 4:47 of overtime to give Anaheim a victory over Winnipeg.

Beckett Sennecke kept the puck and shot on a two-on-one break, with Kreider backhanding the loose puck in at the side of the net.

After Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Ryan Poehling scored third-period goals to give Anaheim a 4-3 lead, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor tied it with 1:22 left and Hellebuyck off for an extra attacker.

Hellebuyck made 35 saves in his first game since backstopping the United States to Olympic gold.

Jacob Trouba also scored for Anaheim, Sennecke had three assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves. The Ducks have won seven in a row at home and 11 of 13 overall.

Anaheim won two nights after returning from the break to beat Edmonton at home for coach Joel Quenneville’s 1,000th NHL victory. The Ducks have five games left on a nine-game homestand.

Winnipeg rookie defenseman Elias Salomonsson had his first NHL goal and Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi also scored. Well back in the race for a playoff spot, Winnipeg has a game left on three-game trip before an eight-game homestand.

The Buffalo Sabres were one of multiple teams linked to forward Kiefer Sherwood before the Vancouver Canucks traded him to the San Jose Sharks. It was easy to understand, as the Sabres could use a hard-nosed forward who also contributes offensively in their top nine.

While the Sabres missed out on Sherwood earlier this season, they should consider making another push for him with the deadline rapidly approaching.

According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the Sharks are open to trading Sherwood if they do not come to terms on a contract extension. 

If the Sharks end up making Sherwood officially available, the Sabres should consider making a major push for him. With the Sabres currently in a good spot in the standings, they are in a position to boost their forward group. Landing Sherwood would give them just that.

If the Sabres acquired Sherwood, he would have the potential to be a strong fit in their top nine. Furthermore, due to his solid two-way play, he would also be a clear fit on the Sabres' power play and penalty kill if acquired.

In 46 games this season split between the Canucks and Sharks, Sherwood has recorded 17 goals, 23 points, and 222 hits. 

Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov did not hold back when asked about a controversial goal that was scored Friday night.

The Panthers were hosting the Buffalo Sabres, one of several teams Florida is chasing in a late-season push for a playoff spot.

With the game tied at one during the third period, a long shot by Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn went past Tarasov’s waiving glove and into the top of the net.

There was just 8:22 on the clock.

The goal gave Buffalo a lead they would not relinquish, eventually skating to a 3-2 victory for the despondent Panthers.

Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice called for an official review on the goal, as replay showed Buffalo’s Mattias Samuelsson hitting Tarasov’s glove with the blade of his stick while trying to position himself for a redirection.

It seemed like a simple enough review.

Samuelsson’s stick hit Tarasov’s glove as the goaltender was trying to catch the puck.

Goal stands and Maurice isn't happy.

Tarasov's glove was clearly hampered. pic.twitter.com/bNg8BI0OeI

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) February 28, 2026

The NHL’s Situation Room did not feel the same way, ultimately allowing the goal and giving the explanation of the contact between the stick and the glove being incidental.

After the game, Tarasov did not hold back when asked what he thought about the play.

“Oh absolutely, it was contact before the shot,” he said. “They called Toronto, and I don’t know what these guys are smoking there, or they were disappointed about yesterday’s loss, I don’t know.”

From the goaltender’s perspective, he was in his crease and he was trying to reach for the puck, and that ability was hindered by an opponent’s stick.

For Tarasov, a 26-year-old who has been tending goal long enough to have a good idea what is and isn’t goalie interference, he was left flabbergasted by the call.

“I go to catch the puck and this guy is driving into me, and they said it was kind of slightly contact that’s allowed because he tried to tip the puck,” said Tarasov. “But I can’t even move a different way, and he stopped me from reaching for the puck.”

It was a sentiment that was also felt by Maurice.

His reaction on the bench was a combination of shock and anger.

“I thought he was riding the glove, and made contact with it twice, so for me that one was pretty quick and pretty easy, I didn’t really spend much time thinking about it,” Maurice said. “They felt it was more incidental.”

Paul Maurice was in DISBELIEF after his challenge for goalie interference didn't overturn the Sabres' go-ahead goal 😳🫣 pic.twitter.com/3UcdxQgUjr

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 28, 2026

Then, unsolicited and in one breath, Maurice both let you know how he felt about the call and showed you that he has his goaltender’s back.

“I think (Tarasov) gave you probably the best answer,” Maurice said. “Just ride on what he said.”

We’ll see how this impacts the Panthers moving forward.

They remain eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games to go. 

Next up for Florida will be a road matchup with the New York Islanders on Sunday, the first of a four-game, six-day road trip.

Buckle up.

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Photo caption: Feb 27, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) defends hit net against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Kings’ mascot gave up his jersey number for Artemi Panarin, and in return, the ex-Rangers star decided to ice him out.

Panarin, who was traded to the Kings shortly before the Olympic break earlier this month, was looking to adopt the jersey No. 72 upon arriving in Los Angeles. But the number was already taken by the team’s mascot, Bailey.

A number trade then commenced between the two parties, with Panarin giving the mascot a Rolex watch in return for the No. 72 jersey, with the Kings posting the exchange on social media Friday.

Our 72s pic.twitter.com/mdthCYTJmm

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 25, 2026

Since the two will never be on the ice at the same time, Bailey will continue to wear the number in the stands, which seems to be a clear win-win for the mascot.

The reason behind Bailey wearing No. 72 is “because it’s always 72 degrees in Los Angeles,” according to NHL.com.

After agreeing to waive his no-movement clause with the Rangers, the 34-year-old Panarin said he “tried to find a team for myself that was where I wanted to be” while facilitating the trade to Los Angeles.

The Rangers shipped Panarin off to the Kings on Feb. 4, getting prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional draft pick in return.

Upon acquiring Panarin, the Kings signed him to a two-year, $22 million contract extension.

Despite his breakup with the Blueshirts, Panarin said that he was “pretty proud” to don the Rangers jersey and made some good memories while on the team.

“Six-and-a-half seasons is a pretty long time [to be in New York]. … A lot of good memories, a couple [Eastern] Conference finals. It was a great group of guys,” Panarin told reporters on Feb. 6. “I was pretty proud to wear [the Rangers’] jersey.

“And thank you to the fans. I have to make a video, actually.”

For the second straight year, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens will play a preseason game in a non-NHL arena. But the setting will be anything but neutral. The teams will meet Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, in Trois-Rivières, Que., at Colisée Vidéotron.

Last fall, the Senators agreed to play two preseason games in Quebec City in hopes of winning over Nordiques fans who've now been without their NHL team for about 30 years.

This year's Sens visit to La Belle Province is because Saint-Boniface, a municipality about 30 km away from Trois-Rivières, was the winner of last year's Kraft Hockeyville contest. Saint-Boniface, which has just over 5,000 people, received $250,000 for upgrades to Aréna de Saint-Boniface and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams.

However, the local rink wouldn't be able to accommodate an NHL game. So instead, it will be played at Colisée Vidéotron, which seats over 4000 people and is home to the Trois-Rivières Lions, the Montreal Canadiens ECHL affiliate.

So just like last year's matchup in Quebec City, where Montreal beat the Senators 5-0, the stands will again be jammed with Canadiens fans, although snarky NHL fans might also point out that's also true for the games in Ottawa.

“In Quebec, hockey is part of everyday life—from local arenas to the pride fans have in their favourite team,” said Simon Laroche, President of Kraft Heinz Canada om. [ress release."

"This pre-season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators for the community of Saint-Boniface provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate hockey culture in Quebec as we mark the program’s 20th anniversary.”

According to the press release, Aréna de Saint-Boniface's future was uncertain, but thanks to the upgrades, the community has a happy home for the next wave of hockey players.

GM Steve Staios says the Senators are always committed to grassroots initiatives, both in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and elsewhere in the country.

"We are proud to once again participate in Kraft Hockeyville," Staios said in the release. "Over the years, we have witnessed that hockey is part of the fabric of the communities that we visit.  We look forward to the opportunity to bring Ottawa Senators hockey to these areas as a celebration of our sport and the Canadian communities that continue to grow the game."

The matchup is just four days away from the 20th anniversary of the first Kraft Hockeyville game in Salmon River, NS, which also featured these same two teams. This will be the tenth time the Senators have taken part.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News