Head coach Patrick Roy of the New York Islanders reacts during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena on April 03, 2026 in Elmont, New York.
Patrick Roy did not hide from responsibility after Friday’s 4-1 Islanders loss to Philadelphia that felt something like capitulation.
“I’ll take part of the blame for the first period,” Roy said. “I have a job to do to make sure our team is ready to play a strong game. So we’re together in this. We called a timeout and I felt like after that we started playing more our game.”
No small part of the game was lost in the first period, in which the Islanders went down 2-0 and did not record a shot through the first 13:15.
The head coach fell on the sword right as he is coming under more scrutiny, with his team in serious danger of blowing a playoff spot that seemed like a sure thing from December through March.
While Roy’s job has been considered safe all season — his relationship with general manager Mathieu Darche is believed to be quite good despite the two never having met before Darche was hired last spring — that would be in obvious danger of changing if the Islanders fail to make the playoffs.
Head coach Patrick Roy of the New York Islanders reacts during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena on April 3, 2026 in Elmont, New York. NHLI via Getty Images
So, too, would a number of other assumptions that have underpinned the season, such as the likelihood of captain Anders Lee re-signing as an unrestricted free agent.
Roy said he felt he could have said more to his team before the game to better prepare them.
“Sometimes you just make sure, you say a few words in the room after the meeting,” Roy said. “Tonight I thought the team was ready to play a strong game, and I could have done a better job approaching the guys, say a few things.
“That was an important game for us. They’re all important games — no kidding. I just feel like I could have done a better job, period.”
Simon Holmstrom returned from the upper-body injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s match in Buffalo, with Anthony Duclair coming out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.
Tony DeAngelo skated on his own Friday morning before the Islanders held an optional skate. Roy said it was not his first time on the ice since suffering a lower-body injury.
Roy said he did not expect DeAngelo to travel to Carolina for Saturday’s match.
The killer, 36-year-old Guy Rivera, was convicted on lesser charges including aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder of Diller’s partner and weapons charges.
“We will always stand with his wife, Stephanie, their son Ryan and the entire Diller family. Detective Diller will be in our thoughts and hearts forever,” PA announcer Alex Anthony said.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Sandra Abstreiter made 39 saves her first PWHL shutout, Kaitlin Willoughby scored twice and the Montreal Victoire beat the Ottawa Charge 3-0 on Friday night to take the league lead.
Abby Roque also scored for the Victoire (14-4-2-5) in front of a crowd of 17,114 fans at Canadian Tire Centre.
Gwyneth Philips stopped 23 shots for the Charge (6-7-1-11). Ottawa returned home after playing a record six straight road games.
The Victoire have already clinched a playoff spot, while the Charge are fighting to get into the final playoff position.
NEW YORK (AP) — Matvei Michkov had a goal and two assists and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Islanders 3-1 on Friday night to move within one point of the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Travis Sanheim and Alex Bump had a goal and an assist each and Owen Tippett also scored for Philadelphia. Dan Vladar finished with 20 saves. The Columbus Blue Jackets are also tied with the Flyers with 88 points.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 17 saves in his 10th straight appearance, but the Islanders lost their third straight in a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.
Michkov fired a shot from behind the goal line off Sorokin’s pad early in the second period to give the Flyers a 3-0 lead.
Tippett opened the scoring, completing a forehand-backhand move off a pass from Sanheim with less than seven minutes remaining in the first period.
Bump extended the Flyers’ lead to two goals when he caught Sorokin out of position and sent a wrist shot just inside the post.
Pageau scored off a feed from Mathew Barzal with less than five minutes remaining in the second period to pull New York within 3-1.
Sanheim scored midway through the third period to restore Philadelphia’s three-goal lead and put the game out of reach.
Simon Holmstrom returned to the Islanders’ lineup after missing the previous game against the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury. Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch.
Up next
Flyers: Host the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Islanders: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
A first period that couldn’t be overcome, a goaltending situation that suddenly feels precarious and a potential collapse that suddenly seems all too possible.
The Islanders have been flirting with disaster for about two weeks. It arrived fully formed Friday night with a 4-1 defeat to the Flyers at UBS Arena.
A win would have all but eliminated Philadelphia. The loss means that the Islanders no longer control their own destiny with five games left in the season, and the postgame dressing room projected the opposite of confidence.
“After this one, we gotta stick together,” Anders Lee said. For a captain who is usually nothing but upbeat, the shift in tone felt highly notable. “We’ve lost three in a row [at an] important time of year, but we can’t lose sight of what’s gotten us here, who we are as a team and our ability to fight through adversity. It’s tough, there’s no doubt about it.
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, April 3, 2026 in Elmont, N.Y. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
“We talked about what we needed to do tonight. We didn’t execute on a few things. The mistakes ended up in the back of our net. We gotta have each other’s backs here. It’s been a tough week.”
For now, the Islanders are still in a playoff spot with 89 points. But the Blue Jackets and Flyers, both with 88, have each played one fewer game. So, too, have the Senators, who have 88 points in the second wild-card spot.
So beyond needing a win in what will be a tough second end of this back-to-back in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, the Islanders will be glued to their televisions during the ensuing four days off, over which everyone else will catch up on games played.
Coach Patrick Roy, whose job seemed secure all year but might be on the line if he cannot get this team over the playoff finish line, took the blame for a putrid start in which the Islanders got outshot 12-2 in the first, failed to record a shot through 13:15 and burned burnt their timeout 15:01 into the match, only to commit a penalty off the very next faceoff.
“I’ll take part of the blame for the first period,” Roy said. “I have a job to do to make sure our team is ready and play a strong game.”
Roy declined to say whether Ilya Sorokin will start a second straight game Saturday, but the decision is all the more crucial now. Sorokin stopped just 17 of 21 shots and looked decidedly mortal Friday, his 10th straight game with an appearance, and has not looked quite like himself in any of the last three games.
Matthew Schaefer (48) controls the puck against Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak (22) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, April 3, 2026 in Elmont, N.Y. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
“We didn’t do a good enough job in front of him to protect him,” Roy said. “… Certainly not to be blamed. Absolutely not. We’re together in this. We all have to play better hockey.”
It’s true, and all too obvious, that Sorokin was far from the only culprit. Still, other than Owen Tippett’s opener, the next three goals he allowed were ones he would’ve liked back.
Alex Bump’s shot from the left-hand dot beat Sorokin short side, Matvei Michkov took advantage of a heinous Brayden Schenn turnover and banked one off the goaltender 2:52 into the second and then Travis Sanheim’s shot beat him clean and short side 9:16 into the third.
Sanheim’s goal put an official end to a comeback attempt that appeared promising with JG Pageau’s tally that put an exclamation mark on a second period in which the Islanders mostly looked like themselves.
The momentum fizzled quickly to start the third, and Roy’s move to change the lines — putting Barzal with Pageau and Simon Holmstrom while Ondrej Palat moved to the second line with Cal Ritchie and Brayden Schenn — seemed to hurt the team more than help it.
“We gotta find a way to get some energy, to look after one another and fix our mistakes,” Lee said. “Our mistakes are killing us right now. It’s putting us behind in games and it’s costing us points. We gotta regroup and look after one another.”
Three losses in a row equals the Islanders’ worst losing streak of the season, and they are an abysmal 3-6-0 in their last nine, a span over which a better record might have meant an “X” next to their name in the standings by now.
On Thursday night, after the Flyers suffered a second straight regulation loss, Travis Konecny labeled every game “a must-win at this point.”
The Flyers sure played like their season was on the line Friday night at UBS Arena.
They picked up a 4-1 win over the Islanders and are very much alive with six games to go.
Owen Tippett, Alex Bump, Matvei Michkov and Travis Sanheim supplied the Flyers’ goals. Michkov added two assists. The Flyers improved to 8-0-0 this season when he records a multi-point game.
The Flyers (38-26-12) gained important ground in their playoff push (more on that below).
A real sign of growth under Rick Tocchet has been the Flyers’ 7-5-1 mark in the second game of back-to-back sets. Last season, the Flyers were a dreadful 1-10-2.
This was a critical win when it comes to the Flyers’ chances in the Metropolitan Division race. They climbed to within one point of the Islanders (42-30-5), who hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the division.
The Flyers took the regular-season series from New York, going 3-1-0. The other two victories were 4-3 shootout decisions.
• Tocchet’s club has played one fewer game than the Islanders, who have 89 points.
The Flyers and Blue Jackets have 88 points. The Flyers don’t want to finish even with either of those teams if they hope to make the playoffs through the division. That’s because they’ll very likely fall short in the tiebreaker of regulation wins.
Things are also super tight in the battle for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. The Flyers are locked in a four-way tie with the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets, but they don’t own the tiebreakers.
• Dan Vladar looked much more like himself after a somewhat shaky three-start stretch in which he allowed 11 goals on 71 shots.
The 28-year-old denied 21 of New York’s 22 shots. He converted three saves in a chaotic 11-second sequence around the midway mark of the game. That kept the Flyers in control at 3-0.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau made it 3-1 later in the second period, but Sanheim gave the Flyers third-period insurance. Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen were excellent as the Flyers’ top defensive pair.
Vladar now has 25 wins. His career high coming into the season was 14.
The Flyers got the best of a goaltender who has been a thorn in their side. Ilya Sorokin surrendered four goals on 21 shots. He entered the game 12-3-3 with a 1.53 goals-against average, .946 save percentage and five shutouts lifetime against the Flyers.
• The Flyers appeared to survive an injury scare with Trevor Zegras.
The 25-year-old center exited with around 4:15 minutes left in the first period after taking a hit from Adam Pelech at the offensive blue line.
But Zegras was able to return to the game at the start of the second period. He finished with 11:03 minutes.
How he feels heading into Sunday will be something to monitor.
• Bump made the most of his return to the lineup after back-to-back healthy scratches.
The 22-year-old rookie scored his first-period goal on a great shot 1:07 minutes after Tippett gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead. Bump also collected an assist, giving him eight points (four goals, four assists) through 13 games with the Flyers.
• The Flyers are back in action Sunday when they host the Bruins (3:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov #44 of the New York Rangers greets defenseman Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers after Fox scores a goal during the third period at Madison Square Garden, Thursday April 2nd, 2026, in New York, NY.
Off a faceoff play the Rangers believed should’ve been blown dead, Vladislav Gavrikov was beaten by Cole Caufield for the Canadiens’ game-winning goal Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
It was a skillful move from a young star in the midst of a career season.
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It was a posterizing moment for the Rangers defenseman.
Most of Gavrikov’s first season with the Blueshirts has been much more assuring than the aforementioned sequence. He’s exactly the type of defenseman the Rangers wanted as Adam Fox’s partner, valuing defense first and playing a reliable game on a nightly basis.
The fact that the 30-year-old more than doubled his previous career high in goals and is on pace to set a personal points record has just been an added bonus.
Vladislav Gavrikov of the New York Rangers holds back Brendan Gallagher of the Montréal Canadiens during the third period at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2026. Getty Images
“I just think we’ve discovered a different dimension to his game,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Gavrikov, who has 14 goals and 18 assists in 76 games entering the matchup with the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon. “Vladi’s core competency is his ability to defend. He’s hard to play against and that was what attracted us to him in the first place. The other element is, with respect to his defensive game, there’s some predictability around his game. So we thought he’d be a really good partner for Foxy, which has turned out he has been. You never really know if that’s going to be the case. You try to think things through and figure out who might have complementary skill sets, and try to make some predictions on who you think might work.
“We do with line combinations, we do with defense pairs. Sometimes they make a whole lot of sense on paper, but they don’t actually work out, for whatever reason. This one, in our estimation, has worked out. We think that pair has been excellent … I just think he has a dimension that we’ve discovered that has helped us on the offensive side. But we don’t want him to become a different player than he already is. We want him to defend well. That, for me, is the foundation of his game, and that’s what he excels at.
“When he defends hard for us and adds the offensive dimension to his game, he’s even more effective as far as helping us win. I think he’s had a terrific year for us. He’s a real competitive guy. He’s been a great pair for Foxy, and he’s helped us on both sides of the puck.”
The underlying numbers of the Gavrikov-Fox pairing indicate they are one of the Rangers’ few success stories this season.
Despite playing significantly fewer games together — due to Fox’s missing 27 contests with injuries — they have still logged a team-high 783:21 of five-on-five minutes in 2025-26 so far. While the gap in games should be considered, Gavrikov and Fox still rank highly among the NHL’s other top defensive pairs.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov of the New York Rangers greets defenseman Adam Fox after Fox scores a goal during the third period at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Among 27 defensive pairings with at least 700 five-on-five minutes, their 57.74 expected goals percentage is the fourth best behind only the Lightning’s Darren Raddysh-Janis Moser (60.15), the Hurricanes’ Sean Walker-K’Andre Miller (58.18) and the Avalanche’s Brent Burns-Josh Manson (58.07), per Natural Stat Trick.
Gavrikov and Fox also own the third-lowest expected goals against at 28.49. Only the Senators’ Jake Sanderson-Artem Zub (27.87) and the Golden Knights’ Brayden McNabb-Shea Theodore (25.62) own a lower xGA.
“I think the offensive side of it speaks for itself,” Sullivan said of his top D pair after an optional practice Friday. “I think when they’re committed to defending — and they’re both very capable in that aspect of the game. I think Vlad is elite defending when he’s committed to defend. And Foxy, I think his ability to defend flies under the radar because everybody looks at the offensive side of this game. But we believe that Foxy is very capable of defending. He’s hockey strong in the puck battles. He uses his brain and his stick skills to win pucks, and he’s competitive.
“I think when those guys are at their best, they’re committed to defend. Their offense always seems to speak for itself. Those are the conversations that we have with them a lot, just reinvesting in that commitment to play defense. And when they do that, they’re a very effective defense pair. They’re excellent.
“That was our hope when we signed Vladi, that we could find a partner for Foxy that would be complementary, that could hopefully set up Foxy for success. And I think that has actually turned out to be the case, that they’ve become a very good pair on both sides of the puck.”
The NHL regular season is slowly moving toward the finish line, and there are still some big moves by teams both inside and out of the playoff race.
This week on The Hockey Show, co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork started things off by discussing the major changes made by the Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Vegas fired Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, and replaced him with John Tortorella with just eight games remaining until the playoffs.
Toronto, meanwhile, fired General Manager Brad Treliving, furthering a frustrating run of futility for a franchise that had made the playoffs nine straight years.
In addition to those topics, the boys also chatted about the Seattle Kraken’s attempt at making the playoffs.
To help dive into all things Kraken, and the PWHL’s Seattle Torrent, Roy and Dave welcomed Alison Lukan to the show.
This week’s wins and fails of the week included a third goal fight in as many months, a Goal of the Year candidate from Matthew Tkachuk, a rough night for the other Tkachuk brother and a costly overreaction to a big hit.
You can check out this week’s full show and interview in the videos below:
The Vancouver Canucks have officially secured the best odds for first overall for the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. Vancouver will have a 25.5% chance at picking first overall this year after securing 32nd overall for the 2025-26 season. While the Canucks have the best odds, fans in the market should be concerned, as history has proven to go against those who finish last in the standings.
If Vancouver drops out of first overall, the farthest they can fall is to third. The Canucks will have an 18.8% chance of picking second, while their odds of picking third overall sit at 55.7%. Here is a look at how the lottery has gone since 2016.
2016
Toronto Maple Leafs- Retained 1st Selection
Winnipeg Jets- Moved from 6th to 2nd
Columbus Blue Jackets- Moved from 4th to 3rd
2017
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 5th to 1st
Philadelphia Flyers- Moved from 13th to 2nd
Dallas Stars- Moved from 8th to 3rd
2018
Buffalo Sabres- Retained 1st Selection
Carolina Hurricanes- Moved from 11th to 2nd
Montréal Canadiens- Moved from 4th to 3rd
2019
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 3rd to 1st
New York Rangers- Moved from 6th to 2nd
Chicago Blackhawks- Moved from 12th to 3rd
2020
New York Rangers- Moved from (8th - 15th) to 1st
Los Angeles Kings- Moved from 4th to 2nd
Ottawa Senators- Retained 3rd Selection
2021
Buffalo Sabres- Retained 1st Selection
Seattle Kraken- Moved from 3rd to 2nd
2022
Montréal Canadiens- Retained 1st Selection
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 5th to 2nd
2023
Chicago Blackhawks- Moved from 3rd to 1st
Anaheim Ducks- Moved from 1st to 2nd
2024
San Jose Sharks- Retained 1st Selection
Chicago Blackhawks- Retained 2nd Selection
2025
New York Islanders- Moved from 10th to 1st
Utah Mammoth- Moved from 14th to 4th
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 5, 2026. The team that wins the lottery can move up a maximum of 10 slots in the draft. The lottery will be broadcast on Sportsnet.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Braeden Cootes is selected as the 16th overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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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Unfortunately, they were unable to continue whatever momentum they had from those games into this one.
After leading 2-1 heading into the second period, the Penguins allowed five consecutive Tampa Bay goals and were defeated by the Lightning, 6-3. With the win - and in combination with a loss by the Buffalo Sabres - the Lightning took over first place in the Atlantic, while the Penguins were pretty much unaffected standings-wise by the regulation loss.
Even if the score indicates otherwise, the Penguins actually played very well for the first half of this game.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring a little more than five minutes into the first period when Anthony Cirelli beat Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner for his 21st of the season. But, the Penguins responded less than two minutes later when the red-hot Rickard Rakell took a Sam Girard feed at the goal line, kicking the puck behind himself and straight to the blade of his stick before burying his 21st goal of the season to tie the game.
And with less than four to go in the opening frame, Egor Chinakhov - playing on Sidney Crosby's left wing for the third consecutive game - used his speed to break into the offensive zone and down the right side before he placed a perfect backhander over Andrei Vasilevskiy to give the Penguins the lead.
The Penguins were on the back legs of a power play opportunity to begin the second period, and they attempted to gain the zone off the opening draw. However, a misfired puck and misplays by both Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust led to a Cirelli breakaway that he capitalized on for a shorthanded goal, and it all went downhill from there, even if the Penguins pushed back a few times in the second.
Later in the period, Brayden Point and Zemgus Girgensons scored big goals for the Bolts to give their team a two-goal lead, and Nikita Kucherov scored the back-breaker in the third period with a tough-angle shot from the bottom of the right circle near the wall to make it 5-2 and, essentially, put the game out of reach at that point.
The Penguins pulled Skinner with a little more than five minutes remaining in regulation, and Cirelli scored his hat trick goal on the empty net to put the game away for good. Chinakhov did add a second goal on a late Penguins' power play with 0.8 seconds on the clock - his 20th of the season, an absolute top-shelf scorcher - but the Penguins had quite literally run out of time by that juncture.
All things considered, it was a game the Penguins could afford to lose, and they will turn their focus to the Florida Panthers, who they play back-to-back home games against on Saturday and Sunday.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from Thursday's loss:
- Again, this loss didn't really mean too much in the grand scheme of things. As dominant as the Penguins looked in their games against the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, it was highly unlikely they'd sweep the remaining seven games of the regular season, and Tampa Bay was going to be their most formidable opponent within those seven games.
So, again, the focus is on the Panthers, who the Penguins need to take care of business against. With other teams in the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division races continuing to lose, banking points in the front half of the final six games would be ideal. The Penguins are currently still four points clear of the playoff cutoff line, but creating more separation before playing a New Jersey Devils team that they typically struggle against despite their record this season and desperate Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues teams would be in their best interest.
Besides: The earlier they can clinch, the earlier they have the options to rest some of their stars, should they choose to. More on that later.
- Ben Kindel started the game centering a second line of Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak. And, well, that didn't last long.
After committing the defensive zone turnover that led to Cirelli's first goal, he and Rakell swapped, and that's the way it stayed. Rakell was, initially, centering Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau on the third line, a combination that worked well against the Islanders Monday. Unless my eyes were deceiving me, I believe Kindel was benched for just a few shifts after that one, too.
Unfortunately, Kindel also committed a neutral zone turnover that led to Point's goal, too - among other poor plays that led up to the game-winning tally.
He's been fantastic all season long, especially for an 18-year-old playing center at the NHL level - which is a rarity itself. That said, this was a night to forget for him.
- Speaking of nights to forget, Karlsson and Parker Wotherspoon were off in this one as well. I didn't like how Karlsson defended the Girgensons goal, as he puck-chased below the goal line when Wotherspoon was already there, leaving the net-front completely undefended. He was also making some bad decisions with the puck - especially on the power play.
And Wotherspoon just looked uncomfortable, was handling the puck like a grenade throughout the game, and lost a whole lot of puck and turnover battles.
These two have been absolutely excellent for the Penguins this season, so there's no reason for concern with them. Like Kindel, this just wasn't their night.
- Keeping to the theme, the Penguins' first line was - simply put - not working in this game. And Crosby and Bryan Rust stuck out like sore thumbs, even if Chinakhov still played pretty well individually.
They were hemmed in their own zone at Yanni Gourde's and the rest of his third line's will for most of the night, as - according to data from Moneypuck - they only generated a 10.7 percent expected goals share.
Crosby isn't himself right now. Maybe that injury sustained against the Ottawa Senators is still nagging. Maybe he's still getting re-acclimated after missing some significant time for the first time in years. Maybe his chemistry with Rust is fading a bit. Or, maybe, he's just in the midst of a cold streak, which is a common occurrence for him when he's close to a major milestone (tying Steve Yzerman on the all-time points list at 1,755.
In any case, I have a feeling Crosby will bounce back in a big way this weekend. But, if he doesn't, I'd consider trying the Chinakhov-Crosby-Rakell combination again, which had some great looks against Detroit.
- Now, about Chinakhov: We all know he has wrist and snap shots that are probably better than any forward's wrist and snap shot in the NHL.
But that backhand was nuts, too. As was his casual, angry, "Well, I'll leave you with this, I guess" snipe at the very end of the game to clinch his first 20-goal season at the point where it meant nothing for the Penguins' chances of winning the game.
Can someone provide a logical reason as to why this guy isn’t on the first power-play unit?
Since 87 has come back and Chinakhov got bumped to PP2, the Pens have had 22 opportunities through eight games. They are 3/22 (one on a 5 on 3). 13.6%.
This guy is incredible, and he has an incredibly rare gift in his shot - no matter what form it comes in. With each passing game, it increases my belief that the Penguins could have a star forward on their hands.
- Even if Karlsson and Wotherspoon weren't very good in this game, Sam Girard and Kris Letang were very good for the third-straight game. Girard, especially.
He was everywhere. He was the one who made Rakell's goal happen, as he carried the puck into the zone on his own, went down low, and made a nice play to get the puck to Rakell. He also saved a goal in the first period in the blue paint.
They have been legitimately good for three games now, and it's largely because Girard is clearly more comfortable within the Penguins' system and with the puck on his stick. It's also largely because Letang is generally letting him do all that while hanging back in a more stay-at-home capacity, recognizing when Girard activates.
If this pairing can get going, it would be a massive development for the Penguins. Their blue line and goals-against numbers have been a problem lately, and they were major culprits. If they can keep this up, the Penguins are much-better positioned going into the playoffs, should they get there.
- All that said, the Penguins have two major weaknesses right now: Special teams and goaltending.
As far as special teams, the penalty kill didn't surrender anything Thursday but has gone from first in the NHL all the way down to seventh in a short span. As has the power play, which has dropped from top-five down to eighth since the Olympic break.
Again, the penalty kill looked much better and more structured Thursday, so maybe that was a step in the right direction. But the power play, in particular, has been off. I asked Rust about the power play last week after the loss to the Dallas Stars, and he did point out that they had scored in consecutive games. He also said they are still probably passing up too many good looks.
This is certainly true. They are also too stagnant, and they are giving up far too many opportunities against right now. They've been money on five-on-three power plays, but that hasn't so much been the case five-on-four. They need to get back on track soon, whether that's changing up personnel or just getting back to basics.
- And about the goaltending: This is a major concern that the Penguins will need to address as soon as possible, whether it's through improved performance by the two guys they already have or by bringing in a different face from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to help them clinch - and, maybe, help beyond that.
The Penguins were not good defensively in this game and gave up far too many grade-A looks, but Skinner wasn't very good, either. I didn't like the Kucherov goal at all - as sneaky as it was - and I didn't love Point's goal, either, although that was a near-perfect shot from close range.
Skinner and Silovs will go out and have a great game that makes you say, "Alright, he's the guy right now," only to struggle in the next start. Then, the cycle repeats. One of them has to break that cycle before the playoffs. Otherwise - and I was against this before - it absolutely would not hurt to give Sergei Murashov a look, especially if the Penguins clinch early.
This is one loss. It didn't really matter all that much, and a loss or two somewhere in the final stretch should be expected. But, if the Penguins are going to make the playoffs and get anywhere in them, they need more consistency from whoever mans the goal.
Montreal Canadiens’ blueliner Kaiden Guhle has had a tough season from his own account, but he has really upped his game lately, so much so that he hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against in seven games. Over the course of those seven games, he has a plus-nine rating.
Even though he only got on the scoreboard in one of those seven games, he got a goal and two assists against the New York Islanders on March 21; he has had a huge impact on the games.
In that seven-game span, he has landed 21 hits, including eight in the 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24, and has blocked 18 shots. Guhle’s game took a turn for the better when he was put on a pairing with Alexandre Carrier on March 17, in a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins. That combination worked very well for the Canadiens’ last season.
For the last two games, though, since Carrier is dealing with an upper-body injury, Guhle has played alongside Arber Xhekaj, and his game has stayed at the same high level. That’s a testament to how well Xhekaj has done since being put back on the blueline, keeping his game simple and playing the right way.
There’s no denying that since the Canadiens started their seven-game winning streak, they’ve had better goaltending than they’ve had through most of the season, but they’ve also had much better play from Guhle, and that makes a difference as well.
In just 35 games this season, the Albertan has put up 10 points, which projects to 23 points in a full 82-game season. Of course, points production is not Guhle’s forte, but getting secondary scoring is never a bad thing for any team.
It’s impossible to deny that having Guhle in the lineup and performing to the best of his potential is a huge plus for the Canadiens. If he could manage to stay healthy and play a full season, it would definitely stabilize the Habs’ defense corps and make Montreal an even better team.
The Ducks kick off a five-game homestand with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues. The Ducks are coming off one of their worst losses of the season in which they conceded two goals in the final two minutes of the third period, falling 4-3 to the San Jose Sharks. The Blues are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
“It hurt,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said of the late collapse. “I thought we were doing a lot of good things in that game. I thought we checked well. I thought we played with the lead with a purpose and then all of a sudden, you give up a late, late goal, and then they do it again before the buzzer ends. So that hurt, leaving a point or two on the board. But we've been fortunate to be on the other side of that equation almost all year, so it's a good lesson.”
“A couple of breakdowns at the end of the game,” Alex Killorn said. “Other than that, it was a pretty good game. But those breakdowns obviously hurt us. Today’s a new day.”
2022 first-round pick Nathan Gaucher made his NHL debut in that game, totaling 7:08 in ice time. He centered the fourth line, flanked by Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano.
“He gives us some size,” Quenneville said. “A (right-handed) shot, jumping in on the faceoff now and again. Had a couple opportunities to maybe put the puck in the net as well. First game, I thought he did a good job.”
“(The game) goes fast,” Gaucher said. “Everyone’s on task. The structure of both teams are always on points. You can't really make mistakes out there because it's going to go in the back of your net.”
With almost 200 AHL games under his belt, Gaucher is grateful for the opportunity he’s been given. His latest stretch prior to being called up saw him score 14 points in 18 games.
“All the hard work you put in is for that reason, you want to play in the NHL,” he said. “You want to play with the best of the best, so I was just so grateful, so excited. I worked hard for that. I was excited to get started with this team.”
After losing their last three games, the Ducks are now tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first in the Pacific Division, with the Ducks currently having a game in hand. Third-place Vegas is just three points back as well.
“It's the most exciting time of the season,” Killorn said. “As you get older, you want to make the most of these moments. These playoffs are so important. It's great for these young guys to get a taste of playoffs, but I think with the way our team's been going, there's a lot that can be done in the playoffs as well. So it's an exciting time for everyone and it's an exciting time for the fans, too. They’ve been waiting for this for a while.”
Ducks forward Alex Killorn speaks to the media after their morning skate at Honda Center.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry Alex Killorn - Tim Washe - Mikael Granlund Jeff Viel - Ryan Poehling - Beckett Sennecke Mason McTavish - Nathan Gaucher - Frank Vatrano
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Ian Moore - John Carlson Olen Zellweger - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Blues Projected Lines
Dylan Holloway - Robert Thomas - Jimmy Snuggerud Jake Neighbours - Pavel Buchnevich - Jordan Kyrou Otto Stenberg - Dalibor Dvorský - Jonatan Berggren Alexey Toropchenko - Jack Finley - Pius Suter
Philip Broberg - Logan Mailloux Theo Lindstein - Colton Parayko Cam Fowler - Justin Holl
Just under two weeks until the playoff fates of every NHL club have been decided. The same can also be applied to your fantasy hockey team, if you've been fortunate enough to make it this far.
You're almost there. Stay positive. And keep it going by considering some of the following players.
(Rostered rates as of Apr. 3)
Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen, COL (Yahoo: 50%): Lehkonen returned from an 11-game absence last Thursday and eventually slotted back onto his usual even-strength line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. He's been relegated to the Avs' second power play, but has still posted three points and five shots over the four outings with all of the latter players during the last two. As long as Lehkonen remains within the top six, he's bound to keep producing.
Mikael Granlund, ANH (Yahoo: 41%): Any active forward who's in the upper-half of the depth chart on a strong offense and lead PP represents a solid fantasy addition for most formats. That goes for Granlund, who also happens to qualify in Yahoo at all three positions. His coverage has recently skyrocketed thanks to a string of four contests in which he potted seven goals, including four PPGs. Granlund's stock is also boosted from averaging just under 20 minutes the last couple of weeks to go with 17 shots and 55 faceoff wins.
Lawson Crouse, UTA (Yahoo: 18%): Crouse isn't generally associated with being a scorer, though he's been known to go on a run every now and again. He's currently on one of those, having racked up four goals and two assists in addition to 17 shots, 25 hits and 22 PIM through the last eight matchups. This stretch also coincides with Crouse skating beside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz at five-on-five. Even if he drops off that trio, there's still enough cross-category output for him to fit on any roster.
Alexander Wennberg, SJ (Yahoo: 10%): Wennberg is only eight points away from matching a career-high. And if we go by recent production and placement, there's decent odds he does it. After all, Wennberg has reeled off four goals, three helpers and seven shots across five appearances with four of those points coming while up a man on a unit featuring Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. He's also top-25 in the league for average forward ice time (20:31). Based on all those indicators and with the Sharks trying to claim a postseason berth, Wennberg shouldn't be available in nine of every 10 Yahoo leagues.
Jack Quinn, BUF (Yahoo: 10%): Even though Quinn's minutes are similar to recent years, he's already blown way past his previous scoring peak. He registered his first NHL hat-trick on March 10 and then moved up to Buffalo's lead power play where he's managed four PPPs in the last five games in addition to 19 shots and eight hits. That type of overall involvement needs to be on more fantasy lineups.
Matthew Coronato, CGY (Yahoo: 7%): The Flames' fire sale wasn't as drastic as some predicted. The remaining talent looks to be thriving, with Coronato no exception. He has three goals, six assists, three PPPs and 22 shots on 16:33 a night from nine outings. With Coronato a key part of Calgary's future, he'll be provided as many opportunities as he can handle. Pick him up as a solid complementary scorer — just prepare for the inevitable plus-minus hit.
Porter Martone, PHI (Yahoo: 6%): Martone signed a pro contract soon after Michigan State was eliminated in the Frozen Four regionals and made his Philly debut on Tuesday as he logged 16:54 — 3:17 of that on the backup PP — and fired five pucks on net. He then collected his first NHL point — an assist — Thursday where he skated more than 18 minutes. It'll be favorable for the Flyers to have a player who racked up 50 points through 35 contests against NCAA opposition, especially with the team in a playoff race. Even as a teenager, Martone's offensive skills can only help the organization and your fantasy squad.
Calum Ritchie, NYI (Yahoo: 1%): A couple of lower-body issues didn't keep Ritchie out for long, and he was obviously too good against minor-league competition while at the same time wasn't going to be rushed with the Isles. Ritchie, the main tangible piece from the Brock Nelson trade at the 2025 deadline, recorded his first point with his new organization during Game 11. Ritchie has steadily improved to where he's a regular on the lead man-advantage — albeit, one who only succeeds at a 17.0% rate — and has found the scoresheet in five straight. Low-risk, possibly high-reward. Take a chance.
Defensemen
Sam Malinski, COL (Yahoo: 28%): Cale Makar's upper-body injury probably won't be risked for the remainder of the regular season with the Avs close to clinching top spot overall. That's left Malinski to fill in as Colorado's lead right-sided defender and main power-play quarterback. He already was enjoying a career campaign before Makar's absence and is now at 37 points, with eight of those coming in the last five alongside 11 shots and eight blocks. Expect Malinski to keep piling on the offense.
Parker Wotherspoon, PIT (Yahoo: 10%): It's been a long — and mainly AHL-filled — career for Wotherspoon after he was drafted in 2015 and then wasn't getting a regular big-league look until 2023-24. The Pens saw enough promise from him last season with Boston to sign him for two years. Wotherspoon has repaid their trust by appearing in all 76 games while delivering three goals, 26 assists, 156 hits and 108 blocks. He's also been solid the last 11 contests with nine helpers, 22 hits and 11 blocks. Wotherspoon may not participate on the man-advantage yet is well-positioned at even-strength alongside Erik Karlsson.
Charle-Edouard D'Astous, TB (Yahoo: 6%): What started off as a great story has turned into a revelation, as D'Astous is taking the most of an enhanced role by continuing to contribute. Going back to March 14, he's notched nine points, 10 shots, 19 hits and 11 blocks. The ice time may not be plentiful, though D'Astous has done the most with it while carrying a secondary PP spot. As Victor Hedman isn't set to return anytime soon, D'Astous remains a worthy addition for anyone looking to boost their blueline scoring stats.
Jordan Spence, OTT (Yahoo: 6%): Ottawa's dwindling defense corps was brought up last week when discussing Carter Yakemchuk, who's since gotten hurt. Spence was expected to assume more responsibilities after arriving from LA in June, yet many healthy scratches came early on. There wasn't much in the way of power-play involvement before Jake Sanderson's injury, which only increased after Thomas Chabot went down. Spence is currently operating on the Sens' top PP and has totaled two goals, seven assists — two of those PPAs — and 19 shots from the last 10 matchups on 24:05 a night, including a whopping 30:48 (!!) on Wednesday.
Goaltenders
Jordan Binnington, STL (Yahoo: 48%): The Blues surprisingly are still in the playoff hunt, only five points out of a wild-card spot. Joel Hofer has been touted here twice this season. And before allowing five goals on Monday, he impressed across nine appearances by posting a 7-0-2 record alongside a 1.29 GAA and .955 save percentage. Despite previously struggling, Binnington has done well since returning from the Olympics with a 1.74/.925 line through seven outings. If St. Louis wants to maximize its chances of advancing, it will need to rely on both goalies, which means Binnington should earn enough starts the rest of the way.
Yaroslav Askarov, SJ (Yahoo: 34%): San Jose's also part of a congested Western Conference postseason picture of getting the club to the next stage for the first time since 2018-19. Askarov hasn't been the most consistent netminder overall and was recently hurt. Even though he gave up seven goals during his last two matchups, both ended up in wins with a few key saves that either protected a lead or spurred the Sharks to go ahead. Alex Nedeljkovic performed admirably while Askarov was out, though also conceded at least five goals three times from March 17 to 24. Might as well give Askarov a chance to keep his momentum going.
The Buffalo Sabres were the hottest club in the National Hockey League for more than three months, but as they near clinching a post-season berth for the first time since 2011, the club has returned to the world of mere mortals, falling out of first place in the Atlantic Division after a 4-1 loss to Ottawa on Thursday.
The Sabres won three straight on a Western road swing late last month, but since have lost four of their last six games (2-2-2). All four losses have come against clubs (Anaheim, Boston, Detroit, and Ottawa) who are battling for a playoff spot or positioning, while Buffalo can clinch a playoff spot with a single point or a loss by the Red Wings any one of their remaining games.
The odds are still in the Sabres favor of finishing with home ice advantage in the first round. According to Moneypuck.com, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 52.8% chance of winning the Atlantic (with a game in hand over Buffalo), while the Sabres have a 32.9% chance. Both clubs play on Saturday, with Buffalo in Washington and Tampa hosting the Bruins, before they face off in their final meeting of the season on Monday.
Big matchup between the Sabres and Lightning on Monday
Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson scored his career-high 13th goal of the season to open the scoring in the second period, but former Sabre Dylan Cozens tied it for the Senators late in the middle frame, and the home club took over the game in the third, outshooting Buffalo 12-7, scoring the game-winner from Lars Eller and adding a pair of empty-netters.
Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke after the game:
Was it tough to find open ice in the contest?
I don't know if it was tough or they took over the game last two periods. I thought they outskated, they out-competed. Their desperation level was just higher than us. As simple as that.
The game was tied going into the third, which is where you wanted to be:
I thought they were better than us. Simple as that, their compete was better. They won more battles. You look at the empty net, even the fourth goal. We had four guys in the corner. They have one and they're gonna come out and score an empty net goal. We dump it in and we just give them a breakaway on the six and five. We weren't good. We weren't good enough to win the game.
What was said in the room after the second?
(We) talked about winning more battles. Didn't feel like we were coming out of the corners with any puck, and a lot of the wall battles were going their way.
How disappointing was it that you could not take advantage of the Senators depleted defense?
That's all we talked about was they were down to five and and we didn't stress them out enough. I just felt didn't generate enough high-quality opportunities, and the game was sitting there, and they took it over.
Holmstrom, who has 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 73 games this season, sustained an upper-body injury in their 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. He did not play in their 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
Forward Anthony Duclair played in his spot on the team's second line alongside Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal. While Roy wouldn't divulge who would be coming out of the lineup if Holmstrom was able to play, one would think Duclair would come out.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Flyers comes your way at 7 PM ET.
The Vancouver Canucks are 75 games into their 2025–26 NHL season and have officially clinched 32nd overall for the 2025–26 season. With this result, they have secured the best possible odds to select first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Vancouver has seven games remaining in their 2025–26 NHL season; here’s how they stack up to the rest of the league at this point in the year.
Team Stats
Vancouver Canucks team stats, 75 games into 2025-26.
Vancouver became the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoffs last week, though this week, they officially locked themselves into 32nd overall in the NHL. Around the league, other teams have only just begun to find themselves being eliminated from post-season contention, as the Chicago Blackhawks (31st), New York Rangers (29th), and Toronto Maple Leafs (25th) are now out of the running. Having said that, all three teams still currently have over 65 points on the season, with Chicago registering 68 in 76 games, New York putting up 71 in 76, and Toronto averaging slightly over a point per game with 77 in 76.
The Canucks’ lone saving grace stats-wise is their power play, which has found some success throughout the season but not as much as it appears to be having now in relation to the team’s place in the standings. Vancouver currently ranks 17th in the NHL in power play percentage with a success rate of 20.2%, with the Canucks having scored power play goals in four consecutive games. They’ve scored a total of nine power play goals in their past 10 games.
Individual Skater Stats
Vancouver Canucks individual skater stats, 75 games into 2025-26.
Vancouver finally has their first 20-goal scorer of the season, as Brock Boeser hit this mark after his hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. Now at a season total of 21 goals, he’s tied for the 92nd-most goals in the NHL alongside Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen (who has been injured), and Kiefer Sherwood. Prior to this, Sherwood had retained the Canucks’ lead in goals despite not playing for the team since the start of January.
When it comes to the team’s overall lead in points, Elias Pettersson’s 48 currently sits at the top of the Canucks but is tied for 119th in the NHL. Ironically enough, 48 points is the current lead for power play points by a player in the league, with this being held by Connor McDavid. Pettersson also has the Canucks’ lead in power play points with 21.
Goaltending Stats
Vancouver Canucks goaltending stats, 75 games into 2025-26.
It’s not exactly a good sign when the goaltender who holds your team-high in SV% and GAA hasn’t played in months, but with the season the Canucks have had, it almost feels expected. Thatcher Demko remains the Canucks’ leader in SV% (.895%) and GAA (2.90), and has remained at the top for the better-half of this season. The next highest Canucks goaltender in both of these stats is Nikita Tolopilo, who is tied for 52nd in the NHL in SV% (.886%) and ranks 68th in GAA with 3.57. Having said that, Demko’s previous team-high of eight wins has finally been surpassed, as Kevin Lankinen notched his ninth win of the season against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Lankinen has taken the bulk of Vancouver’s starts since Demko was declared out for the remainder of the season, though he’s played much more as of late. While he’d started in five consecutive games, the goaltender has played in every game but one (April 2) since March 17. This has been reflected in his personal stats, as he currently ranks 23rd in the NHL in overall minutes played (2404:27), 21st in shots faced (1181), and 14th in high-danger shots faced (359).
Apr 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) scores on Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Vancouver will wrap up their 2025–26 season with three games at home and four on the road. They’ll face the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights in Vancouver on April 4 and 7 respectively, before heading to California to take on all three of the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks will play their final home game against the Kings on April 14, but will wrap their season up in Alberta against the Edmonton Oilers.
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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