Who:Buffalo Sabres (36-19-6, 78 points, 2nd place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (31-16-13, 75 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7:00 p.m. eastern

How to Watch: National game on ESPN, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: Another weekend back-to-back awaits, this time with home games against the Flyers on Saturday (5:30pm start) and then the clocks jump forward for a body 22-hour-later 4:30pm Sunday start against the Bruins. After that, the Pens start a five-game road trip from March 10-18 that begins and ends in Carolina with a lot of miles in between (Vegas next Thursday, Utah next Saturday and Colorado the following Monday) stops in the Tarheel state.

Opponent Track: In a sea of surprising teams this season, no team is more shockingly over-performing original expectations than the once-lowly Sabres. It’s looking like Western NY will see the playoffs for the first time since 2011, their Sabres have won all four games coming out of the Olympic break and showing no signs of slowing down. Most recently Buffalo beat Vegas 3-2 on Tuesday, they also took down both Florida teams on the road last week.

Season Series: The Penguins are 2-0 against Buffalo, looking for a season sweep tonight after beating Buffalo 4-2 back on November 26th and taking a 5-2 win on February 5th. Lately beating up on the Sabres would garner a shrug, it stands out a lot more this year.

Silly Stat: The Pens are 7-2-1 with their yellow third jerseys this season. For an even deeper dive, the Pens happen to be 6-0-0 on Thursday’s on the same day ‘The Pitt’, an HBOMax hospital drama set in Pittsburgh, has been released. That streak will be on the line with another episode of the show coming out today.

Getting to know the Sabres

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Noah Ostlund – Josh Norris – Josh Doan

Zach Benson – Tyson Kozak – Brock Malenstyn

DEFENSEMEN

Matthias Samuelsson / Rasmus Dahlin

Bowen Byram / Owen Power

Zach Metsa / Michael Kesselring

Goalies: Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis

Potential scratches: Josh Dunne, Jacob Bryson

Injured Reserve: Conor Timmins, Jordan Greenway, Justin Danforth, Jiri Kulich

• The Sabres are uniquely constructed in that all four of their best defensemen happen to be left handed. That might be about to change — as of 9:00pm last night St. Louis and Buffalo reportedly have a trade made, pending Colton Parayko’s no trade clause approval, to send the Team Canada member east. Seems doubtful Parayko would make it to Pittsburgh and play tonight if the transaction gets hammered out in time but if he decides to come it will finally add a marquee right shot defender to the club.
• Assuming he’s not a part of the incomplete-at-press-time trade, this will be Josh Norris’s fifth game back from his latest injury (2G+1A in the first four back, including a two-goal effort against Tampa last week) and his first time playing against the Pens since the preseason. Can’t get over how dominant he was in those games, if Norris can stay in the lineup (he’s only played 23 games this season) he could add a whole new dimension to Buffalo’s attack. Unfortunately, staying in the lineup for prolonged periods of time has been a weakness to this point.
• Speaking of injuries, an underrated part of the Penguins flipping Timmins for the 39th pick in last year’s draft is in the timing. Timmins’ career has been checkered by injuries. Other than last year’s 68 total games between PIT/TOR, his previous seasons of games played (combining NHL and AHL) are: 42, 37, 6, 33, 25 and now 33, not counting a full season missed at what should have been the start of his career in 2018-19. To get a good draft piece from a guy who has missed more time than he played was a nice outcome for Pittsburgh, though sad to see Timmins land back on the IR again.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• Lyon and Luukkonen have split the last four games since the Olympic break, with each playing twice and each playing rather well (Lyon has allowed four goals in his two games, Luukkonen gave up only three, both with save percentages north of .948% in the small sample). That means the Pens figure to see a goalie in good form tonight, no matter which one Buffalo decides to play.
• Jack Hughes obviously had the ultimate star turn for the Olympics with his golden goal, a level down from there Tage Thompson was really good too. Thompson has kept it in gear, scoring 3G+2A in four games since returning. He also found the back of the net in the last PIT/BUF game in early February.
• Rasmus Dahlin is always a visible player, he’s out there over 24 minutes per game for starters. Dahlin has put up 1G+4A in the last two games. When listing the reasons of ‘why is Buffalo good now’, pretty high up on the list is Dahlin who has put up 33 points (10G+23A) in the last 31 games of this growing sample of the Sabres’ becoming a wagon.

Key to the game: Sabres shooting vs. Pittsburgh defense/goalie

Since Buffalo’s turnaround on December 9th (they’re 25-5-2 since then, easily the best record in the league since that point), they’re shooting an NHL-high 13.9%. They don’t tend to dominate the puck and crush teams in that regard — their average shots per game are 27.0 – 30.2 in this stretch — but when they do create chances, they have been finishing them with impressive frequency.

That could be an issue for Pittsburgh, or certainly an area to watch- we saw them get disconnected and overreact in a five-man tandem all chasing the puck like peewees after they overcommitted to a corner in the first place against Boston on Casey Mittlestadt’s goal. That caused Dan Muse to use his timeout to somewhat uncharacteristically shout and chastise his team over the lapse. The Pens didn’t give up a goal or play a sequence that bad again against the Bruins, but by that point the damage was done. Any slips like that tonight are more than likely going to wind up in the net with the way the Sabres have been playing in the offensive zone this season. It’s tough to play a completely perfect and clean game against NHL-caliber competition, especially for a team like the Sabres that has grown immensely with their confidence and ability to strike. The Pens and their attention to detail will have their work cut out for them tonight, how they’re able to handle that could tip the balance in this tilt.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov  – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Rickard Rakell – Ben Kindel – Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha – Kevin Hayes – Justin Brazeau

Avery Hayes – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Arturs Silovs (Stuart Skinner played last game)

Potential Scratches: Blake Lizotte (day-to-day injury), Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov

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

• The Penguins had an off day yesterday after returning from Boston. They now gear up for another stretch of three-games-in-four days starting today after just ending a three-in-four stretch on Tuesday. And the beat goes on..
• Is it too early to hope Lizotte’s day-to-day injury is on the shorter end for a return tonight? Possibly, though more information could be revealed by potential participation at the morning skate coming up. The team could surely use Lizotte coming back ASAP given the state of their center depth chart these days that contains possibly only two actual NHL-quality centers (Dewar has certainly been an NHL-quality winger, filling in on a pinch, to his credit, and Kevin Hayes, well, he is a great guy!)..A three day recovery for Lizotte to make it back in time for tonight feels a little more on the hopeful end of the spectrum than anything else, but it doesn’t cost anything to hope.

Geno with the home cookin’

No one has felt more at home on their own ice these days than Evgeni Malkin, currently on a 10-game point streak at PPG Paints. From Pens PR:

Evgeni Malkin has been hot at home as of late with 12 points (2G-10A) in his last 10 games. He currently has the longest active home point streak in the NHL:

Longest Active Home Point Streaks, NHL

Name                   Streak    Dates                                  G            A            PTS

Evgeni Malkin      10          Jan. 8 – Present                 2            10          12
Rasmus Dahlin    8            Jan. 12 – Present               2            8            10
Tim Stutzle           7            Jan. 13 – Present               4            6            10
Matt Boldy            7            Jan. 15 – Present               2            9            11
Quinn Hughes      7            Jan. 22 – Present               1            11          12

With a point tonight, Malkin would have his first home point streak of at least 11 games since January 20 – February 26, 2022 (11 GP; 5G-8A). He has the longest home point streak this season by a Penguin.     

Playoff implications

It’s that time of year to white-knuckle it over every out of town score and point gained or lost. Here’s what hockeystats.com has with their model for the Pens’ outlook based on tonight, entering the day with an 85% chance of the playoffs

Based on this game alone the percentages go up by five points with a win, down four with a regulation loss and hold serve with an OT/SO loss. The next game against Philadelphia (still a mathematical challenge to the Pens’ spot in the Metropolitan Division) will figure to be a more statistically important game, but the biggest one is always the next one on deck.

The Dallas Stars won their ninth and 10th straight games when they beat the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames 6-1 this week, setting a franchise record for most consecutive regular-season wins.

While it's a streak coach Glen Gulutzan and his team will wear as a badge of honor, only four franchises have not won 10 straight: the 2-year-old Utah Mammoth, 5-year-old Seattle Kraken, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings.

The Stars are reaching new heights, and they're getting closer to the Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the NHL standings as we approach Friday's trade deadline. But they'll need to keep winning through mid-March to get on this list of the longest winning streaks in NHL history:

Top 5 longest regular-season winning streaks in NHL history

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (15 games, 2012-13)

In 2013, the Pittsburgh Penguins enjoyed a perfect March, winning all 15 games. They had a somewhat favorable schedule, playing 10 of 15 at home, including a four-game stint to end the month. 

They allowed just 26 goals, an average of 1.73 per game, and had four team shutouts.

Sidney Crosby had 25 points (six goals, 19 assists), leading the league during the streak, and teammate Chris Kunitz was second, notching 20 points (11 goals, nine assists). 

4. New York Islanders (15 games, 1981-82)

The New York Islanders enjoyed a 15-game winning streak in 1981-82, culminating in their third successive Stanley Cup.

The Islanders went on to win a fourth straight Stanley Cup the next season, marking the last time any franchise won more than two in a row.

They scored 97 goals in 15 games, 24 more than a Montreal Canadiens team that had the second-most during the famous stretch. New York was also the best defensively, conceding 35 goals. 

3. Columbus Blue Jackets (16 games, 2016-17)

The Columbus Blue Jackets won eight straight at home and on the road from Nov. 29, 2016, to Jan. 3, 2017.

Sergei Bobrovsky started in 14 of those 16 games and had a sterling .941 save percentage and 1.64 goals-against average during the streak. Both were league bests, and the Blue Jackets allowed two goals or fewer 13 times.

Unfortunately, all was for nought as the Blue Jackets lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

2. Edmonton Oilers (16 games, 2023-24)

After a woeful 5-12-1 start that cost Jay Woodcroft his job, the Oilers went on arguably the greatest run in NHL history, winning 24 of the following 27 games. 

That included an eight-game and a 16-game winning streak, the latter of which was bettered only by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Oilers were almost impenetrable for large portions of the streak, allowing two goals or fewer in 14 straight. 

They eventually advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (17 games, 1992-93)

The Penguins' astonishing run set a record that has stood for 33 years.

We all know who spearheaded the unprecedented streak, with Mario Lemieux scoring an outrageous 27 goals and 51 points, an average of three per game.  

He finished the season with 69 goals and the Hart Trophy to boot. Tom Barrasso was between the pipes for 14 of those wins, and backup Ken Wregget took the helm for the other three.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Stars' 10-game win streak doesn't make this NHL top 5

Coming off their first regulation loss of the post-Olympic schedule, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking for another bounce back performance this evening when the Buffalo Sabres pay a visit to PPG Paints Arena. Rewinding back to October, no one could have foreseen that a Penguins v. Sabres matchup in early March having massive playoff implications, but that will be the case when the two sides meet tonight. The contest will also serve as the final game for both sides before Friday’s trade deadline, where both the Penguins and Sabres are expected to be active.

Puck drop tonight is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.

Pens Points…

It’s no secret that the Penguins consider Sergei Murashov as their future in goal, and he showed why over the weekend with a “Save of the Year” candidate while playing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. [Pensburgh]

We are just over 24 hours out from the NHL trade deadline and the Penguins are in position to be buyers, something no one thought possible all the way back when the season started. There are obvious areas of need and there are plenty of options on the market to address those needs come Friday. [The Athletic $$]

Rickard Rakell is a winger by trade, but an injury to Sidney Crosby and forced him to move to center for the time being. Results thus far have been a mixed bag, but his struggles in the faceoff dot have been particularly glaring but that should be expected given his unfamiliarity with the practice. [Trib Live]

NHL News and Notes…

Speaking of the Buffalo Sabres, they didn’t wait for deadline day to start making moves, acquiring defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues for prospect Radim Mrtka and a first round pick. Step one of a playoff chase and a rebuild is complete for the Sabres and Blues respectively. [ESPN]

Six weeks after being acquired by the San Jose Sharks, Kiefer Sherwood has decided to extend his stay in Northern California by agreeing to a five year contract extension that will begin next season and carry an AAV of $5.75 million against the salary cap. [NHL]

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ryan Pulock was a full go at Wednesday morning’s skate, only for Patrick Roy to announce shortly afterward that Pulock would not play against the Ducks later that evening.

While there is optimism that Pulock’s injury, officially designated as upper body, will be very much short-term — as in, playing Thursday against the Kings appears to be on the table — the defenseman evidently didn’t feel right during the morning skate.

“It was based on the morning skate,” Roy said. “Game-time decision, but he didn’t feel ready to play. We’ll wait for tomorrow.”

Pulock briefly left Sunday’s win over the Panthers with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, but quickly returned to the game.

Jonathan Drouin, who missed Sunday’s game, was back in the lineup Wednesday, with Anthony Duclair coming out as a healthy scratch.

As a result of Pulock’s absence, Adam Boqvist came back into the lineup, starting on the third pair with Carson Soucy as Scott Mayfield moved up to the top pair with Matthew Schaefer.

It was Boqvist’s first game since a 4-0 win over the Flyers on Jan. 26.

“You’re always going to feel [it] when one of your better guys is out,” Tony DeAngelo told The Post after the 5-1 loss in which Pulock’s absence was heavily felt. “Boqy played a real good game, filled in nicely. It’s always next man up, we can’t think too much of that.”

The configuration the Islanders started with did not make it through the first period, as Schaefer and Mayfield — who started the year together — struggled to click. By the first intermission, all three pairs seemed to be rotating, which continued throughout.

The situation served to underscore Pulock’s importance to these Islanders, which has largely been underrated with Schaefer drawing so much attention.

Pulock’s 24 points already have surpassed his total from last year, and at 21:03 per night, he’s second only to Schaefer in time on ice.

---

Roy called Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson “a special player” after the Swedish center finished with an assist and was noticeable on nearly every shift alongside Cutter Gauthier, who scored twice for the Ducks.

---

David Rittich stopped 21 of 25 shots for the Islanders, while Ville Husso turned aside 42 shots for Anaheim.

---

Only two scouts were in attendance at Wednesday’s match just 48 hours before the deadline, and both were from the St. Louis Blues, as rumors connecting the Islanders to some of the Blues’ high-end assets such as Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas continued to swirl.

New York Islanders (35-22-5, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (24-22-14, in the Pacific Division)

Los Angeles; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Kings -146, Islanders +122; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings and the New York Islanders meet in a non-conference matchup.

Los Angeles has a 24-22-14 record overall and a 9-14-7 record on its home ice. The Kings have an 18-2-7 record in games they score at least three goals.

New York has a 35-22-5 record overall and an 18-12-3 record in road games. The Islanders have an 18-5-0 record in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Thursday is the first meeting this season between the two clubs.

TOP PERFORMERS: Artemi Panarin has 19 goals and 41 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has five goals and six assists over the last 10 games.

Mathew Barzal has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Islanders. Matthew Schaefer has scored seven goals with three assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 3-6-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.4 assists, 3.9 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Islanders: 7-3-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.2 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Kings: None listed.

Islanders: None listed.

___

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

Minnesota Wild (36-16-10, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (29-19-14, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Friday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild visit the Vegas Golden Knights after the Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime.

Vegas is 29-19-14 overall and 14-8-7 in home games. The Golden Knights have a +13 scoring differential, with 204 total goals scored and 191 allowed.

Minnesota has an 18-9-3 record on the road and a 36-16-10 record overall. The Wild rank eighth in NHL play with 205 total goals (averaging 3.3 per game).

The teams match up Friday for the third time this season. The Wild won 5-2 in the previous meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Stone has 21 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Ivan Barbashev has seven goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Quinn Hughes has six goals and 55 assists for the Wild. Matthew Boldy has scored eight goals with 13 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-5-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.7 assists, three penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Wild: 7-2-1, averaging four goals, 6.8 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Wild: None listed.

___

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

Montreal Canadiens (33-18-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Anaheim Ducks (34-24-3, in the Pacific Division)

Anaheim, California; Friday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Anaheim Ducks after Alexander Newhook's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Canadiens' 7-5 loss.

Anaheim is 34-24-3 overall and 21-9-1 at home. The Ducks have gone 15-7-2 when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent.

Montreal has a 33-18-9 record overall and a 16-7-7 record on the road. The Canadiens have a 30-7-8 record in games they score at least three goals.

Friday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cutter Gauthier has 31 goals and 24 assists for the Ducks. Beckett Sennecke has five goals and eight assists over the past 10 games.

Cole Caufield has 35 goals and 25 assists for the Canadiens. Nicholas Suzuki has four goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Ducks: 7-3-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.1 assists, 2.7 penalties and 5.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Canadiens: 5-3-2, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.9 assists, 3.9 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Ducks: None listed.

Canadiens: None listed.

___

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

Times are tense around the St. Louis Blues, especially with the news of the day Wednesday being reported my multiple people that the team has the framework of a trade with the Buffalo Sabres that includes long-time defenseman Colton Parayko.

But the schedule doesn’t stop, and the Blues put up another ‘W’ in the win column.

As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Blues and Sabres are in agreement of a trade, that reportedly includes Buffalo’s first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, defenseman Radim Mrtka, along with a first-round pick plus other pieces, the deal hinges on Parayko waiving his full no-trade clause, which he hasn’t done so yet, and I've been told that initially, the 11-year veteran is reluctant to do so (that could change by Thursday or Friday):

Sounds like Radim Mrtka and a 1st will be part of it. https://t.co/SHTSjJdcZH

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 4, 2026

In the meantime, the Blues continue to motor on, winning their second straight road game after 10 straight losses away from Enterprise Center, and third win in four games after the Olympic break, downing the Seattle Kraken, 3-2, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Robert Thomas had his second one-goal, one-assist game in as many games since returning from a right leg injury/personal reasons; Brayden Schenn with a three-assist game; Logan Mailloux scored in his second straight game and played a career-high 22:52; Dylan Holloway scored his fifth goal in three games this season against Seattle (29-23-9), and Joel Hofer came up large again with 34 saves for the Blues (23-29-9), who have scored three or more goals in nine of the past 10 games.

Let’s go into Wednesday’s game observations:

* Thomas looks motivated – You think Thomas doesn’t hear all this trade talk surrounding, not only him but several other Blues key cogs? You bet he does. And just how much do you think it’s motivating him right now? Plenty.

For the second straight game since having a right leg procedure done, Thomas put up two points and has two goals and two assists since returning. He looks healthy, smooth and fluent in his game, and it was his goal that turned out to be the game-winner when he took a smooth pass from Schenn in the slot and whipped a one-timer past Philipp Grubauer to make it 3-1 at 1:33 of the third period:

Good start to the third period. pic.twitter.com/2P27KyHGSM

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2026

Thomas played 16:53 and had four shot attempts (two on goal) and won 10 of 16 face-offs (63 percent) and was on the ice late taking draws when the Blues were killing a 6-on-4 late in the game trying to preserve a one-goal lead.

* Look out for Mailloux – Keep the temperament to a minimum. Let’s allow the 22-year-old to continue to cook, but that’s what’s been happening for the defenseman.

Not only did he score for the second straight game on this wraparound that tied the game 1-1 at 6:50 of the first period, but he logged an NHL career-high 22:52 and played 20-plus minutes for the third straight game:

Look at this wraparound from Logan Mailloux! 👀 😱 pic.twitter.com/v1UZMvg9Wc

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2026

I’ll have more on a separate story on Mailloux on Thursday, but it’s evident that this kid is becoming more assertive and confident in what he’s doing on the ice, and what he told me was it’s stemming from killing plays in the D-zone and doing things defensively that’s leading to other aspects of his game.

Mailloux was a plus-1, the fourth straight game in which he’s a plus (plus-5 total) and was second to only Holloway (six) in shots on goal with four (on seven attempts); his ice time in the game was second to only Philip Broberg’s 26:19.

Is he finally starting to turn a corner here? Let’s see if it continues moving forward, but as a fan, you have to be encouraged that this has been a stretch of games going back to prior to the Olympic break that Mailloux’s game has started to change for the better.

* Holloway loves him some ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ – Holloway is up to 12 goals on the season now, and his redirection of a Cam Fowler thread-the-needle pass to the crease at 7:40 of the second period that gave the Blues a 2-1 lead was his fourth against the Kraken in less than a week – he had a hat trick in a 5-1 Blues win over Seattle at home on Feb. 26 – and fifth of the season after scoring on them in November:

Just tap it in. Give it a little tap, tap, tap-a-roo. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/j8iwAjSceX

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2026

So nearly 50 percent of his goals this season have come against one team, but it was another game in which ‘Hollywood’ Holloway was noticeable on the ice with his speed and aggressive play around the puck at both ends of the ice, playing 16:12 in the game (plus-1). And as evidenced by the video, his determination to drive to the net after giving up the puck at the O-zone blue line is another example of a player playing injury free and doing things that was lacking by this group when it was struggling.

* The captain bringing it again – His name is one that has been floated around in the rumor mill going back to last season, and it’s one of the names running rampant again as this year’s NHL Trade Deadline is nearing on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. (CT) but no matter the circumstances, he’s bringing it again.

The alpha in the room and on the ice had a hand in all three goals and had his second three-point game of the season. As he indicated prior to departing on this current three-game trip, players just need to put their heads down and go to work and let things fall into place with Friday’s deadline looming.

Schenn played 14:24 and has four assists his past two games and was a plus-2 Wednesday with three shots on goal.

* Hot Hofer – Honestly, I didn’t like the goal scored by former Blue Jaden Schwartz just 31 seconds into the game that made it 1-0 Seattle. It came off a wrister from the right point by Adam Larsson that I thought Hofer could have done better with his rebound control and put it right into the path of Schwartz instead of off to the side or into the corner, but boy did he hold the fort down after that, especially in the third period.

There’s nothing he could do on another goal by a former Blue, Vince Dunn, in the third period on a slot shot that cut it to 3-2 with 6:26 to play, but Hofer was in control of his crease throughout and made 15 saves in the third period. He had to be especially sharp when Justin Faulk airmailed a backhand over the glass for delay of game with 2:06 to play and Seattle playing with a 6-on-4 situation in a one-goal game.

Hofer, who has won all three starts coming out of the break allowing just four goals, gloved Brandon Montour’s dart from the point with five seconds left in regulation to preserve the lead and ultimately, win the game.

Hofer has a 1.33 goals-against average and .952 save percentage in the three starts coming out of the break.

Are we seeing the changing of the guard with him and Jordan Binnington? Sort of seems that way, doesn't it? Or at least they're giving the 1B coming into the season more runway, at least.

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Two days before the NHL trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the New York Islanders on Wednesday night at Honda Center. This game was the 2500th game in the history of the Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks of Anaheim franchise.

The Ducks were playing their second game of a back-to-back, as they were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, a game that snapped their five-game winning streak.

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-1 Loss to the Avalanche

Beckett Sennecke Leads Rookie Scorers, Will Soon Face Fellow Calder Favorites

New York was playing their first game of a back-to-back, and entered play on a five-game winning streak of their own.

Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was activated off IR before the game and was inserted into the lineup. Ryan Strome had missed the last six games, both due to healthy scratches and illness, and was also re-entered the lineup. Mikael Granlund was placed on IR in a corresponding transaction.

Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:

Kreider-Carlsson-Gauthier

Killorn-McTavish-Sennecke

Vatrano-Poehling-Strome

Johnston-Washe-Viel

LaCombe-Trouba

Zellweger-Gudas

Mintyukov-Moore

For the first time in eight games and for the first time since Jan. 26, Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks. He saved 42 of the 43 shots he faced in this game. David Rittich opposed Husso in the Islanders’ net, who stopped 21 of 25.

“I liked our game tonight. I know the shot clock was in their favor by a big number, but at the same time, I thought we had more energy in this game from the start to finish than we had since we’ve been back (from the Olympic break),” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “Physically, it was a hard game for both teams, and I liked the way we played, competed in the back-to-back game. So, I thought we did a lot of good things.”

Game Notes

Once again, the Ducks surrendered the first goal of the game, but they responded with three goals in quick succession to end the first period with a 3-1 lead. From there, the Islanders made a continuous push in the second amid a myriad of penalties on both sides. The Ducks played one of their strongest stretches early in the third period, got a quick tally, and Islanders’ coach Patrick Roy pulled Rittich with 8:33 left in the third, afterwhich the Ducks eventually extended their lead to 5-1.

Between the penalties and the early goalie pull, this game only featured 37:38 of 5v5 play. During that time, the Ducks accounted for 45% of the shots on goal, 49.4% of the shot attempts, and 43.7% of the expected goals.

Ville Husso: Husso was challenged early with perimeter shots that led to rebounds in tight that his defensemen had a difficult time finding, as they also struggled to box out New York’s heavy forwards. Quenneville said it seemed like he had velcro on him because pucks were sticking to him as the game wore on.

Day-to-day, Husso remains on the ice for extended periods after Ducks practices, both to help skaters looking to refine their skills and to keep himself fresh for these instances when he gets the call to start an occasional game. He rose to the challenge, and while he didn’t make many spectacular saves, his anticipation and knowledge of angles kept his team within striking distance when the game could have gotten out of hand early.

Ian Moore: Ian Moore returned to his natural position on the blueline and didn’t seem to miss a beat. In fact, he played with added confidence with the puck on his stick and was the driver on his team’s third goal. He is calmer with the time and space afforded to him in all three zones, and in the offensive zone, he is picking opportune times to activate, pinch, or drive the middle lane to either make himself a dangerous option or disrupt the opposing defensive structure in front of him.

He’s still being utilized as a forward on the penalty kill. His explosive lateral movement is beneficial at the top of the diamond, and he thinks like a defenseman, so he’s always scanning and aware, on the weak side of the diamond, of the weak side flank cutting to the back post in an attempt to find a seam.

Ryan Strome/Frank Vatrano: This hasn’t been an easy season for the pair of veteran Ducks forwards. They’ve struggled to carve out meaningful roles for themselves and produce on the scoresheet. Both played their first game in weeks, next to the speedy and responsible Ryan Poehling, and made the most of their shifts.

Strome’s vision was on full display, as his two pacey linemates opened up several cross-ice seams all game, which he exploited on several occasions while cycling. Vatrano was a key contributor on the Ducks’ cohesive and energetic forecheck all game long, which hounded New York’s defensemen into throwing area passes up the wall where they could be met by a pinching defenseman or F3 forward.

Vatrano’s F1 work to pressure Matthew Schaefer into a quick slip pass attempt upon a retrieval, and Strome’s effort to win position against Adam Boqvist were integral elements to Poehling’s goal, the Ducks’ fourth, in this game.

The Ducks will return to action hours after Friday’s NHL trade deadline passes, as they’ll host the Montreal Canadiens at 6 PM PST.

Ducks’ Poehling is Jack of All Trades

Anaheim Ducks 2026 Trade Deadline Preview

Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 Shootout Win over the Flames

The California trip got off to a thud of a start with a 5-1 loss in Anaheim as the Islanders could not get much going and could not finish nor get better looks against the Ducks’ backup-backup goalie.

Ville Husso made 42 saves, but the game really turned in the first period as the Islanders gave up three quick goals, the first one on a Ducks power play, to erase the Anders Lee power play goal that opened scoring.

Trailing 3-1 going into the first intermission, the Isles outshot Anaheim 13-4 in the second period (though that looks more lopsided than it was) but still couldn’t get back on the board.

When Ryan Poehling scored early in the third to make it 4-1, that was about it. With Mathew Schaefer’s regular partner Ryan Pulock out, Poehling’s goal was another occasion where Schaefer and Scott Mayfield were not in sync heading back to the D zone, though Calum Ritchie was the guiltiest party leaving Poehling all alone in front with time to beat David Rittich.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Up Next

As Anders Lee said, they need to wipe this one away quickly because they play again Thursday night in L.A. They banked some runway with their three comeback wins coming out of the Olympic break and five-game win streak overall, but they need to get something from the next two games against Western wild card chasers.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers sealed his seventh career hat trick with an empty-net goal and the Carolina Hurricanes held off the Vancouver Canucks for a 6-4 victory on Wednesday night.

Sean Walker, Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho each added a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Seth Jarvis had two assists and Brandon Bussi stopped 18 shots.

Filip Hronek had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who have lost seven straight and have just two wins in their last 23 games (2-17-4).

Vancouver traded defenseman Tyler Myers to Dallas earlier in the day for a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2029 fourth-rounder.

Marco Rossi scored and had an assist and Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander added goals for the Canucks. Kevin Lankinen allowed four goals on 22 shots before getting pulled midway through the second period. He was replaced by Nikita Tolopilo, who made nine saves in relief.

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead on goals by Rossi and Hronek 44 seconds apart in the opening period.

Carolina took control with four consecutive goals in the second, with Walker, Ehlers, Aho and Ehlers again to make it 5-2.

Boeser scored with 43 seconds left in the second and Hoglander scored his first of the season to cut the Canucks' deficit to one at 5-4 6:45 into the third. But Ehlers sealed the win — and his hat trick — with 14 seconds left.

Vancouver played without forward Evander Kane, who general manager Patrik Allvin said was recovering from the flu.

Up next

Hurricanes: At the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

Canucks: At the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Carolina Hurricanes got a hat trick from Nikolaj Ehlers and defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 6-4 on Wednesday night at Rogers Arena.

It was a tight game at the end as Ehlers netted his last goal into an empty net with just 14 seconds left. It was his second hat trick of the season and the seventh of his career.

At times it seemed like the Hurricanes might run away with things as they outshot the home team, 33-22, but Vancouver made it interesting.

After taking the lead early on a powerplay goal by Andrei Svechnikov, the Canucks scored twice before the end of the first period to carry a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The Canes would come roaring back in the second period and scored four straight goals to pull ahead.

Sean Walker, Ehlers, Sebastian Aho, then Ehlers again provided the offensive push.

Aho’s goal gave him 60 points making him just one of four other Finnish players to score 60 points or more in eight straight seasons. He joins Kurri, Selanne, and Rantanen.

The Canucks scored late in the second and early in the third to make it a one goal game but it stayed that way until near the end.

Brandon Bussi picked up another win giving him a 25-3-1 record. Bussi didn’t look sharp at times but made the saves he needed to when it counted, which he has done often this season. That makes nine wins in a row for the netminder.

Brandon Bussi now the fastest goaltender in NHL history to 25 career wins.

Did it in 29 games.

Teammate Frederik Andersen did it in 33 games.

— Ryan Henkel (@RyanHenkel_) March 5, 2026

The Canes were outhit again, 30-13 with Svechnikov leading the way with four. They won the faceoff battle, 53% to 47%.

This was the last game before the trade deadline. Will Tulsky make a deal? We will have an open thread Friday morning to discuss the deadline.

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS020972.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES020972.HTM

SEATTLE (AP) — Dylan Holloway scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Brayden Schenn had three assists and the St. Louis Blues beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Robert Thomas added a goal and an assist, and defenseman Logan Mailloux also scored as the last-place Blues improved to 9-17-3 on the road with their second consecutive victory away from home against a playoff contender.

Joel Hofer made 34 saves for St. Louis, which won 3-1 on Sunday at Minnesota after going 2-8-1 in its previous 11 games.

Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist. Jaden Schwartz also scored for the Kraken, who had won five in a row at home without giving up more than two goals in any of them. Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 shots.

Seattle fell to 2-1 on its six-game homestand and 7-4-0 in its last 11 overall. The Kraken, who hold the second wild card and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, remained one point behind third-place Edmonton in the Pacific Division with a game in hand on the Oilers.

Holloway gave the Blues a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal at 7:40 of the second. The 24-year-old forward scored St. Louis' first hat trick this season and added an assist when he returned from a sprained ankle to lead the Blues over Seattle 5-1 at home in their first game back from the Olympic break last Thursday.

Thomas made it 3-1 just 1:33 into the third. Dunn trimmed Seattle's deficit to one at 13:34.

Up next

Blues: Visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday night, the third stop on a four-game trip.

Kraken: Host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored twice in a span of just over three minutes in the first period, backup Ville Husso stopped 42 shots and the Anaheim Ducks beat the New York Islanders 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Beckett Sennecke, Ryan Poehling and Frank Vatrano also had goals to help Anaheim to its 13th win in 16 games.

David Rittich had 20 saves for the Islanders, who had their five-game winning streak snapped despite outshooting the Ducks 43-25. Anders Lee scored the 304th goal of his career, tying Clark Gillies for the fourth-most in franchise history.

Husso, who stopped 16 shots in the first period and 13 in both the second and third, had a timely performance amid speculation the Ducks are pursuing a backup goalie behind Lukas Dostal before Friday’s trade deadline.

He turned away a flurry of shots after New York pulled Rittich with 8½ minutes left in the game. Vatrano, who missed the previous 22 games because of an upper-body injury, scored into an empty net with 4:11 remaining to seal Anaheim’s win.

Lee banged the rebound of Tony DeAngelo’s shot from near the blue line past Husso for a 1-0 lead 4:58 into the game.

But the Ducks scored three times in the final 7:04 of the period for a 3-1 lead. Gauthier took a pass from Sennecke on a power play and snapped a shot from the left circle past Rittich.

Just 3:09 later, the 22-year-old Swede took a pass from Leo Carlsson and scored from the right circle for his team-leading 31st goal to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead with 3:55 left.

Sennecke snapped the rebound of Ian Moore’s shot into a nearly open net from the doorstep for his 20th goal.

The Islanders had erased 2-0 deficits in each of their last three wins, but the Ducks kept them off the board in part by killing three penalties in the second period.

Poehling squeezed a backhand tip-in just past Rittich’s skate and over the goal line 2:11 into the third for his seventh goal and a 4-1 lead for Anaheim.

Up next

Ducks: Host Montreal Canadiens on Friday night.

Islanders: At Los Angeles on Thursday night.

DETROIT (AP) — Tomas Hertl scored a power-play goal with 2:49 remaining in overtime and the Vegas Golden Knights rallied from a two-goal, third-period deficit to edge the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Hertl scored in front off a pass from Mitch Marner as Vegas snapped a three-game losing streak. Marner scored the tying goal with 3:24 left in regulation and had two assists.

Reilly Smith and Ivan Barbashev had the other goals for Vegas, which wrapped up a five-game road trip. Adin Hill made 23 saves in the Golden Knights’ third game in four nights.

Simon Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist for Detroit, which is now 24-1-3 when leading after two periods. Emmitt Finnie also scored for the Red Wings and Cam Talbot made 21 saves.

Vegas’ second-leading scorer, Mark Stone, missed the game due to an upper-body injury.

Vegas scored twice in the final nine minutes of regulation to erase a 3-1 deficit.

DEVILS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 3, SO

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout, Connor Brown forced overtime with a tying goal with 2:21 left in the third period and New Jersey beat Toronto, sending the Maple Leafs to their fifth straight loss.

Timo Meier and and Arseny Gritsyuk also scored in regulation for the Devils, who have won three in a row and improved to 25-8-1 when scoring at least three goals. Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves.

William Nylander, Matias Maccelli and Matthew Knies had goals for the Maple Leafs, who haven’t won since beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Feb. 3 — their last game before the Olympic break. Anthony Stolarz made 44 saves.

Cotter put a backhander past Stolarz to start the shootout for the Devils. After Nylander’s wrister was stopped, Bratt also scored on a backhander to put New Jersey up 2-0 in the shootout. Auston Matthews’ wrist shot was then stopped by Markstrom, giving the Devils the victory.