TORONTO (AP) — Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist on a pair of first-period power plays as the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since being acquired from St. Louis ahead of the trade deadline, and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.
Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for New York, and Mathew Barzal had three assists.
Steven Lorentz scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll stopped 31 shots.
The Leafs fell to 2-1-1 since losing captain Auston Matthews for the season to a knee injury — a run on the heels of an ugly 0-6-2 slide that all but cratered their playoff hopes.
New York’s Matthew Schaefer picked up an assist to move within one point of becoming the fourth rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 50 in a season. The 18-year-old is looking to join Stefan Persson (56 in 1977-78), Denis Potvin (54 in 1973-74) and Vladimir Malakhov (52 in 1992-93).
Schenn scored on the game’s first power play at 4:15 of the first. Ritchie doubled New York’s lead at 9:43, also with the man advantage.
Toronto entered Tuesday with the NHL’s third-best penalty kill at 83.5 percent. New York’s power play was 29th at 15.9 percent.
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 17: Tanner Jeannot (84) of the Boston Bruins wrestles with Alexandre Carrier (45) of the Montréal Canadiens during the second period of the NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens on Mar 17, 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was déja vu all over again for the Bruins, as for the second night in a row, they gave away a lead and lost late in overtime.
This time, it was a Cole Caufield goal with 22 seconds left in the extra session that sank the B’s, giving Montreal an important 3-2 win in this Atlantic Division showdown.
Pavel Zacha scored both Bruins goals, while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves in defeat.
The Bruins had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in this game, only to see the Habs respond about eight minutes later in each case.
After a scoreless third period, Montreal emerged on top after a back-and-forth OT that saw the teams trade a few chances.
Overall, this was a pretty evenly played game, but one that ends with further frustration for the B’s as they squandered a point for the second time in 24 hours.
Zacha got the scoring started with a power play goal two minutes into the game, making it 1-0 Bruins.
That would remain the score through the third period and until late in overtime, when Cole Caufield scored with 22 seconds left to win the game for Montreal.
I suppose you can look on the bright side and say that the Bruins took four points out of a possible six on this three-game road trip, but it doesn’t really feel like a “glass half full” vibe at the moment. In a vacuum, this was a tight game that game down to Montreal making one extra play, but it becomes more frustrating when paired with last night’s unraveling in New Jersey.
The Bruins could have used more from their power play tonight, as they were given four opportunities with the man advantage, a rarity for a road game in Montreal. While they cashed in on one of those, the first half of a double minor early in the first period, they came up empty the rest of the way.
I know 3-on-3 OT usually ends up in a chaotic mix of guys swirling around, but I’m not sure the decision to let Caufield set up camp all alone in the crease was the best decision. Just a suggestion for the future.
Zacha had a chance for a fairy tale ending in this one, as he was sprung for a breakaway in OT about a minute before Caufield’s winner.
That winner was Caufield’s 40th goal of the season, the first time he has hit that mark in the NHL.
While he ultimately takes the loss, Swayman played well for the Bruins in this one. I’m not sure how you fault him for any of the three Montreal goals.
While a point certainly doesn’t hurt the Bruins, things got a little tighter near the wild card spots thanks to Columbus’s 5-1 pasting of Carolina.
The B’s currently find themselves in the first wild card spot due to a regulation wins tiebreaker over Detroit, with Columbus just a point back of both teams.
The Bruins will be off on Wednesday before hosting the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden on Thursday night. A huge game against the Red Wings in Detroit will follow on Saturday night.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 17: Brayden Schenn #10 celebrates scoring a goal against the New York Islanders with his teammates during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 17, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Unsurprisingly in the lead up to this game, all the media attention for the New York Islanders was on rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer, who is from Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up going to Toronto Maple Leafs games. Blah, blah, you’ve heard it all before. But it would be a different rookie from the Toronto area who dominated the scoresheet tonight, as Cal Ritchie, also playing in his first game against the Maple Leafs (or should I say the St. Pats?) in Toronto, picked up a goal and an assist in the first period, both coming on the power play.
Ritchie set up Brayden Schenn’s first as an Islander before scoring what would be the eventual game winner himself, showing off in front of his family and friends. And Schaefer picked up an assist on Ritchie’s game winner, while Mathew Barzal, noted Leaf killer, assisted on all three goals, and he’s now up to 25 points in 21 games against the Maple Leafs.
Big win, and a solid start to a Canadian road trip, since Columbus won yet again and Boston picked up a point against Montreal.
William Nylander had a chance early that Ilya Sorokin saved after an Islanders giveaway.
After Cal Ritchie took a light slash on a developing 2 on 1, the Islanders went to the power play. On that power play, Mat Barzal passed the puck off to Ritchie, who went for a behind the back pass to Brayden Schenn, who scored his first goal as a New York Islander.
Adam Pelech took a hooking penalty on John Tavares, but the Islanders were the more dangerous team on the Leafs PP, as Simon Holmstrom had a short handed chance saved by Joseph Woll, and as the penalty expired, Holmstrom set up JG Pageau for a great chance that was saved by Woll as well.
Anthony Duclair was high sticked by Brandon Carlo, putting the Isles on the power play again. And again, they’d score quickly, as Barzal set up Ritchie in front. Ritchie picked up his own rebound and made it 2-0 batting the puck in past Woll.
Later, Sorokin made a big save on Mattias Maccelli to maintain the two goal lead.
Second Period
Bo Horvat hit the post on a good chance in front of Woll, and Nylander had a shot saved by Sorokin. Pelech was called for his second penalty of the game for slashing Nylander on that play.
Shorthanded, Matthew Schaefer set up a 3 on 2, but Holmstrom was knocked down, and Dakota Joshua was called for holding. There were chances exchanged during the 4 on 4, but neither team scored.
And then shortly after, the Leafs cut the Isles lead in half when Steven Lorentz made it 2-1. The Leafs looked much stronger this period, but a few minutes later, Emil Heineman restored the two goal lead, making it 3-1 off a pass from Tony DeAngelo. Barzal also picked up his third assist of the game on the goal.
Casey Cizikas was called for hooking, but the Islanders killed that.
Kyle MacLean made slight contact with Woll while skating across the ice near the crease, and Morgan Rielly cross checked him and then they exchanged punches. Both players got five minute majors, and Rielly also picked up the extra 2 minutes for cross checking, sending the Isles to the PP.
Horvat’s stick broke on a one timer chance, and he had to get back with a new stick off the bench to help defend a shorthanded chance from the Leafs, and the Leafs killed the penalty.
Third Period
Sorokin saved Calle Jarnkrok’s shot but left a big rebound, and Jacob Quillan put the puck wide as Sorokin was getting across.
That was the most dangerous chance for a while, but then Tavares took a four minute high sticking double minor. The four minute power play was pretty dangerous, but the Isles didn’t score on it. The Leafs pulled Woll as soon as they got possession, while still on the penalty kill, but they couldn’t score anything, and the Islanders would close out the 3-1 win.
Up Next
Next, the Islanders head to Ottawa to take on the Senators on Thursday night. The Senators are just hanging on in the wild card mix with a couple extra games to play, so this will be another important game with playoff implications as the Isles try to maintain their 3rd seed in the Metro Division.
The story of the U.S. men’s hockey team winning the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics features a twist.
You know about Jack Hughes’ teeth, two of them knocked out before he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada to secure the gold medal.
But do you know about the missing puck?
Specifically, the puck Hughes shot past Canada goalie Jordan Binnington for the game-winning goal, which gave the U.S. hockey team its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team.
So where’s the “golden goal’’ puck? Did somebody get that puck? That's what former NHL player Tony Granato asked Hughes Feb. 26 during an interview on TNT.
"I honestly don't know where that puck went,’’ Hughes said. “I know who doesn't have it is me. I sure as hell don't have it.’’
Who has Jack Hughes' 'golden goal' puck?
A day after that interview, a spokesperson for the International Ice Hockey Federation told Sportico the puck was "designated for archival preservation with the (Hockey Hall of Fame) to ensure its long-term safekeeping and historical recognition."
Hughes, back in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, is not celebrating the decision like he did the golden goal.
"I'm trying to get it,’’ Hughes said of the puck in an exclusive interview with ESPN Tuesday, March 17. “Like, that's (b.s.) that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?"
That puck, along with the puck Megan Keller shot and scored in overtime that secured a gold medal for the U.S. women’s hockey team, are part of an "Olympics '26" display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, according to ESPN.
But not permanently. If Hughes can help it.
"I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks," Hughes told ESPN, explaining that his father has collected hockey memorabilia during the careers of Jack and his two brothers. "I wouldn't even want it for myself. I'd want it for my dad. I know he'd just love, love having it."
TORONTO -- Calum Ritchie recorded a goal and an assist, while Matthew Schaefer added an assist in their hometown debuts, helping the New York Islanders to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves to earn the 150th win of his NHL career.
Here's how the game unfolded:
Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since joining the Islanders ahead of March 6th's NHL Trade Deadline. He received a nifty Ritchie feed on the power play at 4:15 of the first period:
Ritchie casually sets up Schenn as if they’ve been playing on the power play together, forever.🚨 #Isles 1-0 pic.twitter.com/E8P9LG8sFM
Ritchie doubled the Islanders' lead to 2-0 at 9:43 of the first period. Barzal, stationed on the left half-wall, fed Ritchie down low before the rookie cut to the top of the crease:
Steven Lorenz got the Maple Leafs on the board at 4:40 of the second, but the Islanders responded at 11:57 of the third after Emil Heineman wired a Tony DeAngelo one-time feed for his 19th of the season:
Developing prospects drafted after the first round can be complicated at times. Unlike top picks, those selected in the second or later rounds statistically have a smaller chance of becoming impactful at the NHL level. That being said, teams are able to find late-round steals almost every year, which is why the 2020 and 2021 drafts remain a dark cloud over the Vancouver Canucks organization.
During the 2020 and 2021 drafts, the Canucks had a total of 11 picks. Of those 11 picks, zero have played NHL games, with only three having some form of connection to the organization. While there is a chance that one or two of these players could still play in the NHL, overall, these two drafts could go down among the worst in franchise history.
Starting in 2020, Vancouver made five selections. Of those five, only Jackson Kunz remains with the organization as he is signed to an AHL deal. Here are the five draft picks:
82nd- Joni Jurmo 113th- Jackson Kunz 144th- Jacob Truscott 175th- Dmitri Zlodeyev 191st- Viktor Persson
As for players that Canucks could have had, here are some players who have played NHL games drafted just after these selections:
83rd- Alex Laferriere 114th- Mikael Pyyhtiä 150th- Matt Kessel 181st- Cole Reinhardt 205th- Ilya Solovyov
Moving to the 2021 draft, Vancouver made six selections. Of the six, only Danila Klimovich and Aku Koskenvuo. Here are the six draft picks:
41st- Danila Klimovich 137th- Aku Koskenvuo 140th- Jonathan Myrenberg 169th- Hugo Gabrielson 178th- Connor Lockhart 201st- Lucas Forsell
And here is a look at players who have played NHL games the Canucks could have drafted instead:
47th- Logan Stankoven 144th- Jaroslav Chmelar 150th- Joshua Roy 193rd- Tyson Kozak 203rd- Zakhar Bardakov
In the end, the inability to produce at least one NHLer from these two drafts is currently causing Vancouver issues. There is also a case to be made that Jim Benning's constant trading away of picks, even middle-round ones, has impacted the organization this season. As mentioned, while there is still a chance someone from this draft makes the NHL one day, the odds are that both classes will continue to remain bare.
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announces Jake Virtanen (not pictured) as the number six overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Detroit Red Wings did what they had to do on Monday evening, defeating the Calgary Flames by a 5-2 final score at Little Caesars Arena.
Not only did goaltender John Gibson turn in another strong performance by making 25 saves, but the club also got a pair of second-period goals from future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane.
Kane knotted the score at 1-1 early in the second period when he sniped Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf on a breakaway attempt, and then later redirected a perfect pass from Alex DeBrincat (who also assisted on his first goal) past Wolf, giving him a total of 504 career goals.
With his first goal tonight (#503), Patrick Kane passes Joe Mullen for the fourth-most by a U.S.-born player in NHL history pic.twitter.com/zlkxdZBgiy
Kane, who has already set a pair of important milestones this season by scoring both his 500th career goal and becoming the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, made history once again.
With his 503rd goal, he passed Joe Mullen and now sits alone in fourth place all-time in total goals by a U.S.-born player.
Kane, who moved past Mike Modano in late January in total scoring by a U.S.-born NHL player, looked back on a media tour that he took part in that included Modano, Mullen, and Hall of Fame defenseman Phil Housley early in his career.
“Coming into the NHL and being a high American pick, we did a little thing for Modano when he was about to pass the record there in New York City, kind of like a media tour with the past of Phil Housley and Joey Mullen, and present with Modano and myself, which I guess at that time was the future,” Kane said with a smile.
Kane then expressed his gratitude for the graciousness shown to him by both Housley and Mullen, who had already been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as the future Hall of Famer in Modano.
“It was a long time ago, but to spend time with those guys, Mullen, Housley, and Modano, and just how gracious they were with their time with me, treating me like one of their own, was pretty cool to spend some time with them.”
Kane added, “It’s definitely a humbling milestone.”
There's no question that Kane will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility whenever his playing career comes to a close.
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The Chicago Blackhawks made multiple moves leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. This was expected, as the Blackhawks are still rebuilding and are on the wrong side of the playoff line.
Due to this, the Blackhawks traded multiple of their former pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), as Nick Foligno (Minnesota Wild), Connor Murphy (Edmonton Oilers), and Jason Dickinson (Oilers) were all moved.
However, one Blackhawks pending UFA who did not get moved ahead of the deadline is veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Now, the Blackhawks have a decision to make with the Massachusetts native because of it.
Grzelcyk has been a solid depth addition for the Blackhawks this season. Due to this, could the Blackhawks try to keep the 32-year-old defenseman beyond this season?
The Blackhawks have a young blueline with several promising defensemen. With this, it would not be the worst thing in the world if the Blackhawks extended Grzelcyk and kept him around as a veteran mentor for the club's younger defensemen. Grzelcyk could work well as the Blackhawks' seventh defenseman next season.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what the Blackhawks decide to do with Grzelcyk. In 66 games this season with the Original Six club, he has 12 assists and 30 penalty minutes.
Rutger McGroarty is a prospect who the Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping will be a big part of their future. The 2022 first-round pick has yet to blossom into a full-time NHL player, but he has been showing promise during his second professional season at the AHL level.
In fact, as the season rolls on, McGroarty is only continuing to stay hot with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
McGroarty has been making a real impact offensively with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as he has two goals and five points over his last five games with the AHL squad. He also has 16 points over his last 15 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, so he has done a good job staying consistent.
Due to his hot streak, McGroarty has seven goals, 17 assists, 24 points, and a plus-7 rating in 22 games this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With numbers like these, it is clear that he is taking his game to a new level this season at the AHL level. He is producing at over a point-per-game pace in the AHL this season after he had 39 points in 60 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this past campaign.
It will now be interesting to see how McGroarty continues to perform from here. In 20 NHL games this season with Pittsburgh, the 6-foot-1 winger has two goals, five points, and 21 hits.
The Edmonton Oilers will be without one of their most important players down the final stretch of their playoff push.
Star forward Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a lower body injury, the team announced Tuesday. Draisaitl, whose 97 points in 65 games are second-most on the Oilers this season, took a hard hit from Nashville Predators Ozzy Wiesblatt in the first period of Sunday's 3-1 win. Although he returned to the ice for a few more shifts in the first, Draisaitl did not re-enter the game once the second period began.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Sunday that "it shouldn't be a really long injury" judging by information given to him by the team's medical staff.
"No immediate red flags," Knoblauch said. "... There might be some time off, but we'll find out later."
Draisaitl's absence comes at a pivotal point in the Oilers' (33-26-9) heated playoff race. With 14 games left in the season, they enter Tuesday at third place in the Pacific Division trailing the first-place Anaheim Ducks by two points and second-place Vegas Golden Knights by one point. They currently hold a four-point advantage over the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wildcard spot, with the San Jose Sharks sitting one point behind them.
If the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, it'll have to be without the player who has been responsible for 41% of their goals this season.
Draisaitl was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player last season as the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Final; he won the award in 2020.
The standings in the division remain very close, and the Kings are in the middle of it. LA now has a clear opportunity to climb the standings at a critical moment in the season.
Here’s a look at the current playoff standings in the middle of the conference:
Despite the Kings being in the mix of the postseason, a bad week would be all it would take for them to drop out of playoff position. So, they are far from out of the woods just yet.
Kings In Striking Distance
Now, when you look at the current standings as of Tuesday, the second seed only has a six-point lead over the sixth seed, and now, with the news of Draisaitl out for the rest of the year, Los Angeles needs to take advantage of that.
The Kings and Kraken are both tied for the fourth seed in the division, sitting just four points back of the Oilers, and are better equipped now to surpass a wounded Oilers squad.
Edmonton has a brutal seven-game stretch starting today against San Jose, Florida, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, Anaheim, and Seattle; all of these teams are fighting for playoff positions.
Without their star forward, the Oilers can very well drop to the bottom of the playoff picture by next week, and that can benefit the Kings to rise if they take care of business.
Under D.J. Smith, the Kings have built their identity under defensive discipline and balanced scoring from their depth. While they might not have the same offensive power as the Oilers, they still have a good chance with Edmonton not fully healthy.
Now, with the Oilers suddenly looking vulnerable, even before the injury to Draisaitl, they were playing average hockey coming out of the break, going 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Los Angeles will be doing a lot of scoreboard watching over the next few weeks to help position them for a playoff spot.
Opportunity Knocks for Los Angeles
All season, Los Angeles has struggled, consistently losing games they're supposed to win and failing to establish itself as a playoff contender.
Now, they may control their own destiny, with this opportunity of a key injury to a division rival opening the door, and it's up to them to walk through it and do their job.
Los Angeles has the easiest schedule remaining in the entire league, so there's no excuse for them not to make the playoffs or climb past an injured Oilers team, which faces a much stiffer schedule.
If they can maintain their recent level of play and capitalize on Edmonton’s setback, they could not only climb the standings but also potentially secure home-ice advantage in the first round, something that was out of the question a few weeks ago.
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MONTREAL, CANADA - NOVEMBER 15: Viktor Arvidsson #71 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with teammate Pavel Zacha #18 after scoring a goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game at the Bell Centre on November 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It’s a little premature to call this the biggest game of the season for the Bruins, but I can’t remember the last time a regular season Bruins-Canadiens game had this much on the line.
While these teams have played some entertaining games in recent years, most of them have come when one team was down and the other was up.
This time, both the B’s and Canadiens have eyes on the playoffs, but both are pretty close to being left at home as well.
The B’s start the night in the second wild card spot, two points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, the B’s are also just a point behind Montreal for third in the Atlantic (with Detroit in between), so…everything is happening, I guess.
If nothing else, it’s nice to see these teams play a meaningful game in March, right?
Defenseman Seth Jones will return to Florida’s lineup after missing about 10 weeks with a broken collarbone.
He suffered the injury during the NHL Winter Classic back on Jan. 2.
"We thought it was going to be about a 3-4 week injury, and it's been a couple months," said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. "He's excited to get back in. He's 100% healthy."
Also sliding into the Cats’ lineup are forwards Sam Bennett and Nolan Foote.
Bennett was hurt during Florida’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets last week and sat out Sunday’s 6-2 defeat in Seattle.
Foote was called up by Florida from AHL Charlotte earlier this week and will make his Panthers debut against the Canucks, who are coached by his father, Adam Foote.
Florida signed Foote to a one-year, two-way deal back in July. He’s spent the season with Charlotte, accumulating 14 goals and 32 points in 54 games with the Checkers.
"He's a big man, he can get on the body and he's got some hands, so that's all we want to see," Maurice said of Foote. "Keep his game as simple as he possibly can so he can go as fast as he possibly can and his linemates can read off him, and then make a difference on the forecheck."
Coming out of the lineup are forwards Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen, and defenseman Niko Mikkola.
According to Jameson Olive, who was at Florida’s morning skate, this is how their lines and pairings could look:
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Jesper Boqvist – Anton Lundell – Mackie Samoskevich
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Cole Reinhardt
Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Dmitry Kulikov – Seth Jones
Donovan Sebrango – Mike Benning
Puck drop from Rogers Arena in Vancouver is set for 10 p.m. ET.
Photo caption: Dec 7, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the New York Islanders during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
After playing five games without their two best players, the Pittsburgh Penguins were finally set to have one of them back in the lineup when they took on the league's best team in the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
Evgeni Malkin made his return to the lineup after serving a five-game suspension. And he made an impression early and often in this one.
The Penguins stomped the Avalanche, 7-2, to hand Colorado only its sixth regulation loss on home ice this season, and Malkin was a huge reason why. The 39-year-old forward registered the first goal of the game a tick more than three minutes into the contest, added another tally 10 minutes later, and notched a helper to give him three points on the night.
The Penguins are now 34-18-15 with 83 points, which puts them two ahead of the New York Islanders and just seven points behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have a game in hand. Pittsburgh plays Carolina two more times this month.
Suffice to say, this was a big win. The Penguins have been holding their own without Malkin and Sidney Crosby, but having 71 back in the fold made things a whole lot easier on the rest of the group.
And a dominant effort against the league's best team is certainly something that will boost morale even more.
"It's a good confidence booster for our team," Anthony Mantha said. "Obviously, we know we're able to play with every team, and the way we played [Monday], it just shows how resilient our team is and how special we are in here."
Pittsburgh wasted no time setting the tone in this one - and neither did Malkin. On his first shift back from suspension, Malkin took a tripping penalty and went to the box. The Penguins' penalty kill - ranked second in the NHL - managed to kill off the two-minute penalty, and Malkin and Rust found themselves in a give-and-go entering the offensive zone.
Rust got it to Malkin in the low slot area, and he performed a no-look spin-o-rama move and buried the puck behind Avs goaltender Scott Wedgewood on the backhand to give Pittsburgh the early 1-0 lead. However, just over a minute later, star forward Nathan MacKinnon registered his 45th goal of the season with a snipe from the slot to tie the game.
But- as they've done all year - the Penguins responded so quickly it's as if the tying goal never happened. Mantha was sprung on a breakaway on a gorgeous stretch pass from Erik Karlsson, and he slid a backhand through the five-hole to score his career-best 26th goal of the season in what has become a deja vu kind of thing for him to restore the one-goal lead.
Then, with seven minutes remaining in the first, Malkin and Egor Chinakhov - playing on the wing opposite Malkin with Tommy Novak sandwiched in between - gained the zone. Breaking down the right wing, Chinakhov threaded a nice seam pass to Malkin breaking down the left, and he put it home to register his second of the game and 15th of the season to make it 3-1 and prompt a goaltending change by the Avs.
And again, less than than a minute later - Karlsson got the puck to the net, where newest Penguin Elmer Soderblom was waiting at the net front. He tapped the puck in behind new Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to earn his first with his new team and make it 4-1.
The Penguins did give up a goal less than a minute later to veteran blueliner Brent Burns, which cut their lead to 4-2. After a somewhat sloppy first period, however, the Penguins had goaltender Arturs Silovs to thank for carrying the 4-2 lead into the second, as he stopped 16 of 18 first-period shots by the Avalanche to preserve his team's lead despite Pittsburgh only amassing nine shots on goal.
From there, however, the Penguins went on cruise control.
Pittsburgh put on a clinic in the final 40, limiting Colorado to just a few high-danger chances and outscoring them the rest of the way, 3-0. It started with a floating wrister by Karlsson from the right point that found its way home midway through the second to make it 5-2, and the Penguins just kept coming.
After a nice play by Rickard Rakell in the defensive zone to pick a pass on a Penguins' power play, he got it to Malkin, who sprung Bryan Rust for a breakaway with about three and a half minutes to go in the middle frame. Rust beat Blackwood to make it 6-2, and the score remained that way until Noel Acciari potted his ninth of the season approaching the midway point of the third period to seal the 7-2 victory.
Here are a few quick thoughts and takeaways:
- This was a brilliant all-around effort from the Penguins. It was much different than the brand of hockey they have played over the last handful of games where they've come back in them and earned at least a point.
No, not this time. This time, they ragdolled the best team in the NHL on home ice, and they're still without the services of their best player. Getting Malkin back was only part of the puzzle, but he made a significant impact on the Penguins' ability to comfortably roll four lines again like they have been for much of the season.
This one was a statement, and boy, the Penguins delivered. This is a very good hockey team, folks.
- Speaking of "very good," I can't say enough about how otherwordly Erik Karlsson has been playing for the Penguins since the Olympic break.
He notched another three points in this one, giving him 14 points in his last 10 games. He has stepped up in a massive way this entire season, but his play down the stretch without Crosby and, for five games, Malkin has been nothing short of phenomenal.
This is the Erik Karlsson Kyle Dubas and the Penguins were hoping to acquire back in the summer of 2023. This is the Erik Karlsson that was, bar-none, the best NHL player in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs for the Ottawa Senators. This is the Erik Karlsson that the Penguins desperately needed to see, and as an added bonus, he has pretty drastically improved his defense and is a mainstay on a successful PK unit this season.
It has been all-hands-on-deck for the Penguins all season long. But, if I'm picking a team MVP at the end of the season - and Pittsburgh ends up making the playoffs - Karlsson is that guy for me.
He's not just been their best player lately. He's been their best player for a good chunk of the 2025-26 season. And Penguins' fans are certainly in for a treat if we get to see the playoff version of Karlsson unlocked this time around.
- Silovs was magnificent in this game, especially early on. There was nothing he could do on either goal by the Avs, and he quite literally was responsible for the Penguins carrying the two-goal lead into the second period.
Something both Silovs and Stuart Skinner have been doing for the Penguins is coming up with big saves in big moments. One of those moments occurred in the third period of Monday's game, when Silovs made a nice glove save to rob Nazem Kadri of a goal that would have made it 6-3 early in the third period.
Silovs is a gamer, and he shows up in big moments. That has always been his track record. If the Penguins can continue to get this kind of goaltending from both guys, they shouldn't have much issue making the playoffs.
- One of the highlight moments of this game actually came courtesy of defenseman Connor Clifton.
During the third period, Colorado's Jack Drury has repeatedly cross-checking Malkin on the back, and Malkin began to retliate a bit. But before things could escalate, Clifton stepped in and challenged Drury to a fight, sticking up for his star teammate.
This is something we just haven't seen much of from the Penguins over the last several seasons, and it was kind of nice to see. It speaks to not only the kind of teammate Clifton is, but also to the chemistry of this particular locker room that guys are stepping up in this way.
Good stuff. Oh, and he won the fight pretty decisively, if you ask me.
- This was, by far, Soderblom's best game as a Penguin up to this point. He was bumped down to fourth-line duties in the absence of Blake Lizotte, who will miss four weeks with an upper-body injury. He earned two points and used his size well in this one at the net front, creating space and opportunity for himself and his linemates in Acciari and Connor Dewar.
The more I see from this guy, the more I like him. And the more I think he'll be a nice guy to have going into a potential playoff run.
- Mantha set a new career-high in goals with his 26th in there in the first period.
Won't spend time on this because I've already written about him at length. But what a remarkable season he's having. It's truly a marvel to watch.
- I mentioned this before, but this next game against the Canes on Wednesday looms large.
Some say the division is probably out of reach. I disagree. Carolina will lose its game in hand on Pittsburgh with a Tuesday night matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are currently four points behind the Penguins in the standings.
It's easy to root for Carolina in this one, but if they lose - and the Penguins manage to win Wednesday - that will put them just five points behind them with another head-to-head set for Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Either way, this win set the Penguins up pretty nicely. It's probably best to keep some separation from Columbus. However, if the Canes do lose, it will present the Penguins with a massive opportunity to chase their first division title since 2014.
Buckle up, folks. This is going to be a fun final 15 games of the regular season. And this sure is a fun hockey team to watch.
