DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 04: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins faces off against Jack Drury #18 of the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on March 4, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
It appears the Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned defenseman Alex Alexeyev back to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. He was recalled to the NHL on Thursday, but did not dress for the NHL club in either contest he was available for. [Trib Live]
Forward Connor Dewar has become a strong fit for the Penguins since arriving in a trade last season, staying healthy and appearing in every game while setting career highs in goals, assists, and points this season. His ability to play a well-rounded two-way game has helped the team fight for a playoff spot well into March. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
San Jose Sharks forward Igor Chernyshov left Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after a scary collision and fall involving Mike Matheson, less than 30 seconds after puck drop. The 20-year-old winger slid headfirst along the ice and bloodied his face before attempting to stand twice and losing his balance both times. He was later evaluated and is traveling with the team. [TSN]
One King reigns above them all: Anze Kopitar scored two goals to pass Marcel Dionne for the franchise record in career points during the Kings’ 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. [NHL]
The Toronto Maple Leafs pushed for a longer suspension for Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas after his knee-on-knee hit injured and ultimately ended the season of captain Auston Matthews. The hit left Matthews with a Grade 3 MCL tear. [Sportsnet]
An investigation into a Newfoundland junior hockey game that led to three brawls, 572 penalty minutes, and the game being called early due to several ejections has resulted in large-scale suspensions, with league officials calling the incident a “black eye” for hockey in the Canadian province. [TSN]
I like defeated butts and I cannot lie | Getty Images
The Islanders begin their last road “trip” of the regular season as they head north of the border for visits to tanking Toronto and still playoff-holding Montreal and playoff-hopeful Ottawa.
After this trip, they’ll finish with 10 of 12 games at home and only single-game trips to make up those two away games in Buffalo and Carolina. They can induce karmic damage to the Leafs, depress the Senators’ playoff hopes, and do likewise to the suddenly-not-safe Canaadiens.
As things stand today, the Eastern Conference playoff race is incredibly tight, with the Isles and Penguins in the 2-3 seed of the Metro tied at 81 points, while Boston and Detroit tenuously hold the wild card slots with 80 points, and surging Columbus (79 points) and Ottawa (77 points) not far behind.
So, much to play for from the opponents on this trip, except for the Leafs, who are without Auston Matthews and have a pretty good incentive to tank harder so they can keep the top—five protected pick that is otherwise headed to Boston.
Islanders News
Getting solid goaltending from their backup is refreshing, and should help the playoff push. [Newsday]
Brayden Schenn “had no idea” what kind of player Simon Holmstrom was when he arrived on Long Island and he’s been pleasantly surprised by the skill and 200-foot game. [Post]
Speaking of which, it was a third “Iron Man Mask” award for Holmstrom. [Isles]
The Isles were pleased to be the one jumping to a 3-0 lead for once. [Post]
The Skinny: “Matthew Schaefer has drawn 32 penalties this season, more than any other NHL defenseman, and tied-2nd in the NHL (behind Connor McDavid and tied with Macklin Celebrini).” [Isles]
Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores included Montreal losing late at home in regulation, while Toronto and Ottawa each picked up wins.
Leon Draisaitl scored in an Oilers win, but he left after receiving a big hit. [NHL]
Man, what could’ve been. Jared Spurgeon is playing his 1,000th game in a Wild uniform. He was drafted by the Garth Snow Isles but left unsigned, at a time when the team signed similarly undersized Aaron Ness and Mark Katic. (Such mistakes can happen, but man we had one commenter BCISLESMAN who was singing Spurgeon’s praises pre-draft and for the whole two years we had his rights). [Athletic]
Connor McDavid is one star saying NHL player safety discipline needs review. [Sportsnet]
Cole Hutson leaves BU to sign his ELC with the Capitals. [NHL]
Fantasy hockey managers looking to tinker with their rosters will benefit from zeroing in on specific categories. Whether you are looking for long-term fits or short-term options, there should be a plethora of potential pickups to help your squads.
Let's get into this week's suggestions for your consideration.
Alexis Lafreniere, LW/RW, Rangers (44% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/PP
Lafreniere's stock has risen rapidly due to a red-hot start to March. He has amassed six goals and five assists in seven outings while occupying a top-line role with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault. The 24-year-old Lafreniere has two power-play markers and 19 shots on net during that span. Dating back to Jan. 31, he has lit the lamp nine times and has 15 points in 11 contests. The surging Rangers have won four straight games and play four times this week.
Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, Blues (29% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/Hits/PP
Snuggerud has registered eight goals and 20 points in his past 16 outings. He has 42 shots on target and 19 hits over that span. Through eight games in March, he has picked up five goals, 11 points, 25 shots and nine hits. He is playing superbly on the team's top line with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway, who have both heated up down the stretch. The 24-year-old Snuggerud possesses plenty of long-term potential in keeper formats, and he should be a worthwhile addition for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. The Blues play only twice this week, but he is a popular pickup, and time may be running out to get him on your roster.
Anze Kopitar, C, Kings (31% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/PP/Faceoffs
Kopitar is ramping up offensively down the stretch, generating four goals on 22 shots and five assists in his last 11 games. He has reached the scoresheet in six of his seven March appearances, with four goals and three helpers. He has two tallies and one assist on the power play during that period. He has received a boost while skating between Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe down the stretch. The 38-year-old Kopitar also ranks 19th in the league with 551 faceoff wins, thanks to a 55.9 winning percentage. He is doing his best to extend his final season in the NHL, as the Kings battle for a playoff spot. Los Angeles has four games scheduled for this week.
Bobby McMann, LW, Kraken (27% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/Hits/PP
McMann starred in his Seattle debut on Saturday, earning two goals, one assist, four shots on net and four hits in a 5-2 win over Vancouver. He missed two straight games with the Maple Leafs for roster-management purposes before being traded to the Kraken. He had to miss another three games while obtaining his work visa and was obviously eager to play in Saturday's match. He even notched his second power-play goal with the Kraken while tacking on an assist, four shots and two hits in Sunday's 6-2 victory over Florida. McMann could be an intriguing pickup down the stretch if he continues to see playing time on Seattle's top line and first power-play unit. The Kraken play three times this week.
Connor Ingram, G, Oilers (24% rostered) for Starts/Saves/Wins
Edmonton has anointed Ingram as the team's No. 1 netminder, making him a solid roster choice for fantasy managers in need of a starter. While he continues to deal with consistency issues, he should see an increase in playing time and could pick up victories on the strength of the Oilers' offensive firepower, even on nights when he isn't at his best. After receiving a vote of confidence from the coaching staff, he stopped 26 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over Nashville. He has gone 2-0-1 in his last four appearances while allowing only eight goals on 96 shots. Edmonton plays three home games this week.
Owen Power, D, Sabres (17% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/Blocks
Power has accounted for three goals, four assists, 11 shots on net and 10 blocked shots in his last eight appearances. During his three-game point streak, he has notched one goal and two assists. Although Power is behind last year's career-high 40-point pace, he already has tied his previous best with seven goals. If he remains productive offensively during a four-game week for Buffalo, Power should provide solid category coverage for potential fantasy managers.
Ryan McLeod, C, Sabres (17% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/SH/Faceoffs
McLeod is one point away from reaching 50 for a second straight season. He has played superb hockey for the Sabres in a secondary role since being acquired from Edmonton in July of 2024. He has amassed five goals, 22 assists and 34 shots on target in 28 appearances since the calendar flipped to 2026. McLeod has four power-play helpers and four shorthanded points (three goals, one assist) during that stretch. He ranks second in the NHL with six points while killing penalties, including a league-leading five goals.
He also sits first on the team with 518 faceoff wins despite a 47.5% success rate. McLeod has plenty of upside ahead of a four-game road trip this week.
Brayden Schenn, C/LW, Islanders (15% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Hits
Schenn contributed six assists in his last six games and has added 10 shots on goal, six blocked shots and 13 hits during that stretch. He has chipped in two helpers in his last three outings while occupying a second-line role at even strength and a spot on the top power-play unit. Schenn was hot and cold with the Blues before being acquired by the Islanders ahead of the trade deadline. If he continues to produce offensively, the 34-year-old should be a solid addition in banger leagues during a four-game week for New York.
Mavrik Bourque, C/RW, Stars (14% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Hits
Bourque appeared as a recommendation a couple of weeks ago, when he was available in 99% of Yahoo leagues. While his rostered percentage is climbing, he remains an under-appreciated option with high offensive upside. He has compiled five goals on 31 shots, eight assists and 21 hits in his past 13 matches. He has picked up at least one point in six of his seven appearances in March. The 24-year-old Bourque is a great fit on the top line alongside Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. Dallas plays four times this week.
Fraser Minten, C, Bruins (7% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Hits
Minten has heated up in spurts this season while collecting 15 goals and 30 points across 66 contests. He has just one goal in his last 11 outings, but he has 17 shots, 10 blocks and 20 hits during that time. He also moved up to the top line between David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Washington. The 21-year-old Minten has under-the-radar upside if he maintains that role across a four-game week for Boston.
Buffalo Sabres (41-20-6, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (31-22-14, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Buffalo Sabres after Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals in the Golden Knights' 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Vegas is 31-22-14 overall and 16-10-7 at home. The Golden Knights are 30-6-8 in games they score three or more goals.
Buffalo is 19-11-3 on the road and 41-20-6 overall. The Sabres are third in the league with 231 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).
Tuesday's game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Sabres won 3-2 in the previous matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has scored 24 goals with 50 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has one goal and eight assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 34 goals and 36 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has scored six goals and added three assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-6-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 5.1 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Sabres: 9-1-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.5 assists, 4.9 penalties and 13.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.
Sabres: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Minnesota Wild (38-18-12, in the Central Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (25-30-11, in the Central Division)
Chicago; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild aim to end their three-game slide with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago is 10-6-4 against the Central Division and 25-30-11 overall. The Blackhawks have a 9-10-6 record in games they have more penalties than their opponent.
Minnesota is 38-18-12 overall with an 11-6-3 record against the Central Division. The Wild have scored 222 total goals (3.3 per game) to rank eighth in NHL play.
Tuesday's game is the third meeting between these teams this season. The Wild won 4-3 in a shootout in the last matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Donato has scored 14 goals with 13 assists for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.
Quinn Hughes has six goals and 61 assists for the Wild. Matthew Boldy has six goals and seven assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blackhawks: 3-5-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.7 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
Wild: 4-4-2, averaging three goals, 4.8 assists, 3.9 penalties and 9.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Blackhawks: None listed.
Wild: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Not long after Pittsburgh Penguins' veteran forward Evgeni Malkin was suspended five games for his slash to the head of Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, it appears another player in the organization is headed for a similar fate.
On Friday, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) announced that Penguins' defensive prospect and Guelph Storm blueliner Quinn Beauchesne was suspended upon review for his slash to the head of London Knights' forward Ryan Brown in the waning minutes of their game. The incident happened just after a faceoff on a late London power play, and the Knights were beating the Storm, 4-3.
London forward Brody Cook was also suspended upon review for his knee-on-knee hit on Guelph defenseman Noah Jenken during the first period.
Beauchesne, 19, was selected in the fifth round (148th overall) by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot, 187-pound blueliner showed some flashes of potential during September's Prospects Challenge in Buffalo as well as during training camp with his skating, his offensive smarts, and his physicality.
He has seven goals and 31 points in 57 OHL games this season with Guelph, and the team has three games remaining before the end of their regular season. They have already clinched a playoff berth.
The length of Beauchesne's suspension has not yet been announced, as he has yet to have his hearing with the OHL's Department of Player Safety. According to many OHL talking heads, it is expected to be a relatively lengthy suspension.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Haydn Fleury scored his first goal in more than two years and added an assist, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each had their 31st goal and the Winnipeg Jets edged the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Sunday.
Eric Comrie made 29 saves in his career-high 21st start of the season and first since Feb. 25 to give him a personal-best 11 wins. The victory also extended the backup’s winning streak to five games, the longest for a Jets goaltender this season. Starter Connor Hellebuyck had a four-game run in October.
Fleury gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead at 2:31 of the first period, scoring his first goal in his 64th game since signing with the Jets as a free agent in July 2024. Fleury last scored on Dec. 19, 2023, while with Tampa Bay. The assist was also the first of the season for Fleury, who has played in 25 games this season. He had seven assists last season in 39 games for Winnipeg.
Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Holloway scored for the Blues, who lost in regulation for the first time in March (6-1-1), snapping their seven-game points streak. Jordan Binnington stopped 13 shots.
SENATORS 7, SHARKS 4
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson scored twice, including the eventual game winner, as Ottawa beat San Jose.
With the game tied at 4, Batherson put the Senators (34-23-9) ahead with 6:52 remaining when an Artem Zub shot bounced in off him when he turned to protect himself.
Warren Foegele, Fabian Zetterlund, Tyler Kleven and Dylan Cozens also scored for Ottawa. Brady Tkachuk added an empty-net goal. Linus Ullmark, who was coming off a 23-save shutout against Anaheim, made his third straight start and stopped 19 shots.
Mario Ferraro, Tyler Toffoli, Collin Graf and Michael Misa scored for San Jose. Laurent Brossoit, making his first NHL start since April 18, 2024, made 17 saves for the Sharks (32-27-6).
DUCKS 4, CANADIENS 3
MONTREAL (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored with 2:30 left, Leo Carlsson had two goals and an assist and Anaheim beat Montreal to regain the Pacific Division lead.
Alone in front of the net, Gauthier took Jeffrey Viel’s behind-the-back pass and snapped a shot past goalie Jacob Fowler.
Troy Terry added a goal and two assists in his return from an upper-body injury to help Anaheim improve to 37-27-3 and move a point ahead of Vegas in the Pacific Division. Chris Kreider had two assists, and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves.
Terry missed nine games. He tied it at 3 with 4:21 left in the five-goal second period when his pass deflected off the skate of Montreal forward Josh Anderson and over Fowler’s shoulder.
Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for Montreal, Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield also scored. Fowler stopped 24 shots in his second start since being recalled from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket on Wednesday.
MAPLE LEAFS 4, WILD 2
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Bo Groulx scored twice and Toronto held on for a victory over Minnesota.
Morgan Rielly also scored and Matthew Knies added an empty-net goal for Toronto as Minnesota pushed to rally from a three-goal deficit after two periods.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice for the Wild. Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves.
In a four-day span, the Wild earned just one point from three home games against non-playoff teams from the East — a shootout loss to the Flyers on Thursday and regulation defeats against the New York Rangers Saturday and Maple Leafs on Sunday.
OILERS 3, PREDATORS 1
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had three assists, linemate Leon Draisaitl scored, but was injured soon after and Edmonton beat Nashville to end a two-game losing streak.
Draisaitl took a hard early hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt. The Edmonton star came back for a couple of shifts, but didn’t return for the start of the second period.
Matthew Savoie and Zach Hyman also scored for Edmonton, and Connor Ingram made 26 saves. The Oilers are 16-1-3 record in their last 20 games against Nashville.
Fedor Svechkov scored for the Predators, and Justus Annunen stopped 27 shots. They have lost six of eight.
KRAKEN 6, PANTHERS 2
SEATTLE (AP) — Bobby McMann had a power-play goal and added an assist in his second game for Seattle, and the Kraken beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Sunday night to move into the second wild-card spot in the West.
McMann had two goals and an assist in his Kraken debut Saturday night in a 5-2 victory in Vancouver. He went from Toronto to Seattle at the trade deadline, but was delayed because of a visa issue that was resolved Friday.
Against Florida, McMann scored his 22nd goal of the season and assisted on Jamie Oleksiak’s goal. Oleksiak also had two assists.
Two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15. The Panthers are 11 points out of the final wild card in the East.
MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal forward Kirby Dach left the Canadiens’ game Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks because of an upper-body injury after a high hit from winger Jeffrey Viel.
Viel caught the unsuspecting Dach in Anaheim’s end three minutes into the first period after the Montreal forward swatted at the puck with his arm but missed.
Dach fell to the ice with his face in his gloves before gingerly making his way to the bench, and eventually to the dressing room. Viel was not penalized.
Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and forward Josh Anderson approached Viel later in the period, but Viel declined apparent requests to fight.
The hit came three days after Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas ended Toronto captain Auston Matthews' season with a knee-on-knee hit. Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing — the maximum the Department of Safety could levy because the hearing was by phone.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson scored twice, including the eventual game winner, as the Ottawa Senators beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 on Sunday.
With the game tied at 4, Batherson put the Senators (34-23-9) ahead with 6:52 remaining when an Artem Zub shot bounced in off him when he turned to protect himself.
Warren Foegele, Fabian Zetterlund, Tyler Kleven and Dylan Cozens also scored for Ottawa. Brady Tkachuk added an empty-net goal. Linus Ullmark, who was coming off a 23-save shutout against Anaheim, made his third straight start and stopped 19 shots.
Mario Ferraro, Tyler Toffoli, Collin Graf and Michael Misa scored for San Jose. Laurent Brossoit, making his first NHL start since April 18, 2024, made 17 saves for the Sharks (32-27-6).
Both teams were playing the second game of back-to-backs and it showed at times.
Macklin Celebrini reached the 60-assist mark in 65 games, the fewest games by a member of the Sharks since Erik Karlsson accomplished the feat in 63 games in 2022-23.
Ottawa’s power play, which has struggled recently, went 2 for 3 with the man advantage.
Up next
Sharks: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Senators: Visit the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
It's not said often, at least this season, where the St. Louis Blues looked this decisive against an opponent and lost.
But that's exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon at Canada Life Centre, when the Blues dominated most categories, yet fell 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets in a critical game in the push for the playoffs.
These are the kinds of games that are an absolute must. Call them the classic four-point games (sorry, Andy Murray, but they are -- IYKYK).
The Blues put on a push from start to finish, but three critical errors all proved costly, and the Jets (28-28-10), who were tied with the Blues (27-31-10) in points coming into the game, not pull two ahead with a game in hand and gives St. Louis now five teams it has to jump over for that second wild card into the Western Conference with just 15 games to play and a six-point deficit coming in (pending other results Sunday night).
Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Holloway scored for the Blues, who outshot the Jets 31-16. Jordan Binnington made 13 saves.
Let's look at Sunday's observations:
* Falling behind by two on two preventable situations -- The Blues started this game on time and were actually playing well, with territorial edge but something we'll get to later on (net front traffic). However, the Jets broke out with one of their few transitions out of the zone, but the Jake Neighbours-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou line was slow in tracking back on the play, and it backed the Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko D-pair in.
The puck was coming in on the lefthand side, played into the oncoming D-man Haydn Fleury, who beat Binnington with a shortside wrister that you'd like to see stopped, but it could have all been preventable with more desperation staying connected by the forward group, and it came on Winnipeg's first shot at 2:31:
And against a defensively stingy team, which showed on Saturday in a 3-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche, it can absorb anything and everything but be structured enough to take away what can fuel your success.
And the Blues were at nearly three minutes to 42 seconds of offensive zone time, but another play that allowed a breakaway goal from Mark Scheifele at 7:51 made it 2-0, when the Jets center scooted by a puck that hopped past Pius Suter, and Cam Fowler was caught flat-footed on the play thinking Suter was going to get the puck, and Fowler could not recover to perhaps dive in and poke the puck away. Instead, Scheifele was off to the races from the right and went forehand, backhand upstairs on Binnington:
So you're chasing a game you had no business chasing on two preventable plays.
* Blues pushed even harder but needed more net front -- The Blues gave the Jets little to nothing moving forward, and through two periods, the O-zone possession time was 6:28-2:51, a massive edge by the visitors.
Here's the issue, something that's been problematic for most of this season: net front presence.
No offense to Eric Comrie, who came into the game with a plus-3.00 goals-against average and below a .900 save percentage, but he is now 4-0-0 against the Blues in his career for a reason: not enough bodies at the net taking his eyes away.
The Blues generated 59 shot attempts and 31 on goal, but in my view, Comrie was able to see too many pucks. There was not enough traffic from the dots in, particularly in and around the crease, or else this could have -- and should have -- been a different outcome.
But you know why Winnipeg had an 8-7 edge in high danger chances? It's because the Jets made a more concerted effort to get to the front of the net.
* Another critical mistake after dominating -- The Blues pushed and pushed and pushed, and finally broke through when Dvorsky, a healthy scratch Friday against the Edmonton Oilers, was at the net and finished a Jonatan Berggren pass to make it 2-1 at 5:17 of the third period (BTW, Berggren is such an underrated passer of the puck):
It was early enough that you could just sense the Jets were sort of holding on for dear life.
The territorial edge was growing. The Blues were controlling the puck for large swaths but again, didn't make a concerted effort to get to the interior.
Then came the grave error, the let-out for the Jets.
Suter, who typically has been responsible, was getting called for an offensive zone penalty and the Jets were playing with an extra attacker, Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux were on the ice playing a high line. Connor is coming off the bench. That has to be recognized, and it's another breakaway and another goal, the dagger goal, at 11:53 to make it 3-1 and eliminate all the momentum the Blues generated:
Now the Jets can really lock it down, and the Blues, to their credit, kept pushing and got it back to within one again ta 3-2 when Holloway was at -- you guessed it -- the net front and give the Blues some life with 50.7 ticks left on the clock:
However, there would be no repeat of the 'Winnipeg Miracle' like Game 7 last May for the Blues, who now are off until Wednesday when they face the Calgary Flames.
According to naturalstattrick, the Blues had a 53-24 edge in Corsi-for/against, 28-11 edge in scoring chances for/against and 11-4 in high danger for/against. Kind of tells you the difference in play.
It was a solid seven-game point streak (6-0-1), and five straight wins on the road but to come away with nothing in this game, that one stings.
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Roughly 19 hours after stepping off the ice following a dominant 3-1 home victory over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, the Winnipeg Jets were right back at it Sunday afternoon.
Taking on the red-hot St. Louis Blues, the Jets came out firing, scoring the game's first two goals in the opening frame before shutting things down in the third period for a 3-2 home win, pulling to within four points of the final wild card playoff spot.
Photo by Danny Truong
"It feels good," said Eric Comrie, who won his fifth-straight game. "Once again, I just try and do my job once my name gets called. Just trying to be ready whenever I get my chance, and I feel good right now. Switching to the white cage has been good so far, so I like that.”
Haydn Fleury found his first goal in 817 days - his first as a member of the Jets - to open the scoring just two-and-a-half minutes in. Picking up the puck and walking into the Blues' zone, Fleury ripped home a wrist shot past Canadian Olympian goaltender Jordan Binnington for the early 1-0 lead.
Then, it was Mark Scheifele, whose solo effort gave the hosts a two-goal lead six minutes later. Picking up the puck off a bobbled play by the Blues on the Jets' blueline, Scheifele cut in to the St. Louis goal and fired his 31st of the year into the net past Binnington for the 2-0 lead.
After Winnipeg saw two unsuccessful power plays in the first period, the teams exchanged minors in the middle stanza, but neither was able to capitalize on the man advantage. The second period as a whole was a whole lot of nothing for either club.
The Blues extended their shot lead to 15-10, but remained trailing the Jets entering the third.
Two of the league's very best teams since the Olympic break (12-3-3 combined), St. Louis entered the third period with a seven-game point scoring streak on the line. And they struck almost immediately, with Dalibor Dvorsky tapping home a three-on-one rush up-ice, to bring the Blues to within a goal of Winnipeg.
But the Jets did not turn over.
It was Kyle Connor - who earlier saw Scheifele score his 31st of the year - who capitalized on a delayed Blues penalty, scoring on a six-on-five on a breakaway feed from Morgan Barron, restoring Winnipeg's two-goal cushion.
With Binnington on the bench for the extra attacker, the Blues found a way to get one back. It was Dylan Holloway who jammed home a net front scramble with 50 seconds remaining in the game.
But that was as close as the Blues would come, dropping their first game in regulation in eight tries.
Comrie played spectacularly in goal for the Jets again, earning another win while turning aside 29 of St. Louis' 31 shots on goal. Binnington made 13 saves for the Blues.
“We're a good team. We have a lot of talent in this room," Comrie said.
"We have maybe the best first line in the locker room. We have an unbelievable d-corps. Morrissey is one of the best defensemen, if not the best defenseman in NHL. We have Scheif, KC, we have the world's best goalie by far in Connor Hellebuyck. We have a really good team in this room. We have a lot of confidence in this room. We have a great coaching staff. We trust everyone in this room. We just know that we're going to go out there and give us the best foot forward. We have a very veteran team, and we're confident that we can get into the playoffs.”
Next up for Winnipeg is the final test of the eight-game homestand, as the Nashville Predators roll into town for a 7:00 PM central affair on Tuesday night. That game will be another battle between Central Division playoff hopefuls, as just one point currently separate the two clubs in the standings.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
OTTAWA — Here’s another area where the Sharks missed Alex Wennberg.
“You make a mistake, you try to correct it immediately, and then, you just compound it,” Collin Graf said after the Sharks’ 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre.
Graf (51) was referring to this Tyler Kleven (43) goal, which gave the Senators a 4-3 lead in the second period.
The initial mistake was Graf’s turnover, forced by Warren Foegele (37). The compounding mistake was the defensive coverage, in a 3-on-3: In the end, Vincent Desharnais (5) and Shakir Mukhamadullin (85) covered Foegele, Graf was closing on Fabian Zetterlund (20), and nobody had Kleven. Desharnais had signaled Graf to cover the backdoor.
Tyler Kleven gives Ottawa the lead moments after Zetterlund tied it!! #GoSensGo
The Sharks — all NHL players, really — know this simple concept for winning hockey games. But the young Sharks are still working on their execution, at a high pace, of this concept. That’s what the better teams do more consistently than San Jose.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals signed 19-year-old defenseman Cole Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract with an average annual value of $975,000.
The Capitals drafted Hutson in the second round in 2024, and he had 10 goals and 22 assists in 35 games for Boston University this season. He also represented the United States in the world junior championships in 2025 and 2026. When the U.S. won gold in 2025, he had three goals and eight assists, becoming the first defenseman to lead the tournament in scoring.
Hutson could represent the future of the Washington blue line after the Capitals, with their postseason hopes dwindling, traded John Carlson before this year's deadline.
When the NHL introduced three-on-three overtime in 2015, the goal was clear: ignite excitement.
More open ice, faster pace, odd-man rushes, and sudden-death goals before a shootout — it was designed to inject unpredictability into the game. Initially, it delivered. Fans witnessed frantic, edge-of-your-seat action, with overtime periods often producing more drama than regulation itself.
Today, however, that chaos has taken an unexpected turn — and not for the better.
The current iteration of 3-on-3 overtime prioritizes possession over aggression. Teams rarely force plays; if an offensive opportunity isn’t immediate or obvious, the puck is frequently carried back to neutral ice or even returned to the defensive zone to reset. At times, the puck circles all the way back to the goaltender, creating a loop of cautious, low-risk play.
A recent example illustrates the point perfectly: in the overtime matchup between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, the five-minute period produced only one shot on goal, despite the abundant open ice that should have encouraged end-to-end action. Both teams spent the majority of the session cycling through the neutral zone, seeking the “perfect” opportunity rather than creating one.
Trevor Zegras' reaction here is reminiscent to how most fans feel about the current format.
The strategy is simple: if the opponent never touches the puck, they cannot score. But while this approach may be defensible from a coaching perspective, it undermines the very spectacle that 3-on-3 overtime was intended to create. For fans — the lifeblood of the sport — it is increasingly viewed as stale and unengaging.
Since returning from the Olympic break, 265 NHL games have required overtime. Only 170 of those ended with an overtime goal, roughly 64 percent, leaving a growing number of contests decided in shootouts — a method even more polarizing for purists.
The Case for a Compromise
The current format is five minutes of 3-on-3, a structure that has grown stale and predictable. A potential solution would be to extend overtime to 10 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey. This approach would provide half a period of full-strength, authentic hockey before resorting to the shootout, blending skill, strategy, and excitement in a way that better reflects the sport.
Change for the format and do it for the fans. Credit: Ron Chenoy
Such a compromise could satisfy fans, preserve competitive integrity, and maintain the thrill that made the 3-on-3 experiment promising in the first place. Whether the league is willing to embrace it remains uncertain, but the need for a more engaging overtime format has never been clearer.
Three-on-three was intended to create drama. Today, it often puts you to sleep.
In the Montreal Canadiens’ defeat against the San Jose Sharks, Cole Caufield, who was back in the lineup after missing the previous game with an illness, scored his 38th goal of the season, a new personal best for the 25-year-old.
You're not going to BELIEVE who just scored on a Saturday Night 🚨
With 17 games to go in the season, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that he will be the Canadiens’ first 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse achieved the feat in 1993-94. Back then, seasons had 84 games, a length that will return for the next campaign. If Caufield keeps scoring at the same pace, he should have 48 goals in 81 games (since he missed a game).
Caufield is currently tied in second place for most goals in the league with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprisov, trailing Nathan MacKinnon, who currently has 44 lamplighters, on his way to a first Rocket Richard trophy win.
This is the Wisconsin native’s sixth season with the Canadiens, and he’s made tremendous progress under Martin St. Louis' tutelage. When he was drafted, he was seen as a sniper, but nowadays he plays a much more complete game. The five-foot-eight winger is now much more defensively responsible and has such an active stick that he can often create his own scoring chances by picking defensemen’s pockets.
Despite his small stature, he is not afraid to go into traffic to get the puck and to attack the net in close. In his earlier years, he would stay on the perimeter, taking one-timers from the faceoff spot in the offensive zone. He can still do that, but he has learned to mix things up, making him less predictable for the defence corps. Caufield now has 65 points on the season, only five away from his personal best, a number he should easily beat if he keeps the same pace.
While it raised a few eyebrows last season when St-Louis took him out of “his office” on the power play to give that spot to Patrik Laine, it ended up being a formative experience for the youngster, and it helped him diversify his game.
Still, it feels like Caufield has yet to reach his ceiling, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. With a $7.85 million cap hit for the next five seasons, he will soon be seen as a complete steal for the Canadiens, just like he was as a fifteen overall pick back in the 2019 draft.
