The goaltending for the New Jersey Devils has been an often touched upon issue this season. With Jacob Markstrom looking to be declining, and Jake Allen being used exclusively as a backup despite having better stats, the team has struggled to pick up wins with regularity. While the rest of the team is far from perfect, and there have been defensive lapses more times than any fan or pundit could probably count after 74 games, at some point your last line of defense needs to make a save. The Devils just aren’t getting those saves on most given nights.

But is it JUST the Devils having those issues?

Looking at NHL statistics from this season compared to previous ones has been an eye-opener. Jake Allen right now for example sits tied for 16th in the league in save percentage and his .906 is just .01 away from league leader Scott Wedgewood’s .916! Even last season when the top four tenders in the league all had percentages above .920, Jake’s .908 in 2024-25 was still good enough to be tied for 14th. Allen is still falling right in the “league average” in terms of this category, but the Devils are still faltering as a whole. Part of that is certainly on Markstrom, whose last two seasons have seen him rank tied for 29th (2024-25) and now tied for 49th in the entire league. 2024-25 was essentially backup numbers from him while this season is basically “not an NHL goalie anymore” numbers…and Tom Fitzgerald gave him a two year extension…

In viewing the league’s data as a whole though, it had me wondering if save percentage is still an effective way of determining if a goalie is any good or not. Wedgewood’s .916 this season is .01 worse than Anthony Stolarz’s league leading percentage from last season. The NHL also currently has only 10 goalies with save percentages at .910 or above. In seasons past, it was seemingly agreed upon that teams would want their starters shooting to have a .915 in order for their team to be successful. Now we live in an NHL where a .916 leads the league and has helped that player’s team to a league best 108 points at the time of writing. Go back even a couple seasons further, and it gives a better idea of how goalie numbers have continued to trend downward.

It’s not a secret that the NHL wants higher scoring games; more goals equals more excitement equals more happy fans unless the goals are being scored against the team they’re rooting for. The game has been trending in this direction for a bit and with more teams trying to be fast-paced, high scoring clubs, it leads to more situations where there’s an odd man rush, or a defender out of position. With fewer goalies posting “elite” numbers in the NHL now as well, you have to think that those players just aren’t making the saves that tenders of the past would. Maybe it is just a skills thing; after all, I’ve never seen a goaltender as big as Markstrom play as small as he does.

Maybe breaking down some more advanced stats would be a better way now to judge individual goalie performances. After all, if a team has two goalies with roughly similar stats, it’s hard to say if the problem lies with them or with the team in front of them. With the Devils and one goalie having quite a bit better of stats than the other, I think a conclusion can be drawn that one goalie just isn’t very good anymore. High danger chances versus medium danger versus low danger is also worth looking into, because if any goalie is letting in a lot of shots deemed medium or low danger, they’re probably not NHL caliber.

There’s more to this discussion than just one writer’s opinion, but I think it is worth at least questioning if we need to change how goaltender effectiveness and quality is determined. Save percentage used to be a quick, easy way to assess this. With league-wide numbers going down, however, maybe there needs to be a new way, or at the very least, a different percentage number that’s seen as a bar for the minimum required of a starting goalie. And maybe it needs to be the Devils who within their own organization set a number that their goalies need to strive to achieve. If not that, then at least a way of assessing ability so that a certain GM doesn’t give out another junk contract to visibly and statistically declining players.

What are your thoughts on save percentage being down around the league; do you think it winds up being just this season where the numbers are this low? Do you agree that this is just the way the game is trending? What save percentage number do you think starting goalies should be looking to achieve in today’s NHL? Are you more of the opinion that there are better metrics to measure this than save percentage nowadays? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!

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Two of the league’s best teams over the past two months meet at the Canadian Tire Centre, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, April 2.

My top Sabres vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks are headlined by emerging Ottawa defenseman Tyler Kleven.

Sabres vs Senators prediction

Sabres vs Senators best bet: Tyler Kleven Over 1.5 shots (-120)

Injuries have forced Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven into added minutes, logging 25:52 per game since the night Thomas Chabot broke his forearm.

Kleven’s shot volume had already been trending up prior to the Chabot injury, as he’s registered a respectable 20 shots on 36 attempts across his past nine games while recording two or more shots in six of them.

This also isn’t a terribly daunting matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, who have allowed 29.2 shots per road game and rank 21st in Corsi For percentage at five-on-five on the highway.

Sabres vs Senators same-game parlay

The Sens have been dominant at 5-on-5, ranking fifth in Corsi For percentage and second in expected goals percentage during their current 15-5-3 run, and Ottawa also desperately needs a win.

I particularly like that the Sens allow the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes on home ice, and I expect Ottawa to batten down the defensive hatches and prevail tonight.

Sabres vs Senators SGP

• Senators moneyline
• Under 6.5
• Tyler Kleven Over 1.5 shots

Sabres vs Senators odds

• Moneyline: Sabres +100 | Senators -120
• Puck Line: Sabres +1.5 (-245) | Senators -1.5 (+200)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+100) | Under 6.5 (-120)

Sabres vs Senators trend

Buffalo has only hit the Over in nine of its last 25 road games (-7.60 Units / -27% ROI), and Ottawa has only played to the Over in eight of its last 20 games (-4.10 Units / -18% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Senators.

How to watch Sabres vs Senators

Sabres vs Senators latest injuries

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Time for some random Pittsburgh Penguins thoughts because I have a lot on my mind, but none of it is probably enough for a full article on its own. There is a lot to discuss!

The biggest thing is just the Eastern Conference standings and the Stanley Cup Playoff race in general.

1. The Pittsburgh Penguins did themselves a big favor this week, and they got some big help

The Penguins started the week on Monday and Tuesday with back-to-back wins against the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings. They were not just big wins on the scoreboard, beating the Islanders 8-3 and the Red Wings 5-1. They were statement wins. They were the Penguins two biggest games of the regular season, against teams directly competing with them for potential playoff spots and seeding, and they absolutely dominated both games and kicked the snot out of both of them. It was impressive. Combined with the help they received on the out-of-town scoreboard on Tuesday night, when literally every team around them and chasing them lost in regulation, it put the Penguins in a really good position.

They are three points ahead of the Islanders with a game-in-hand on them. They are four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. They currently have the tiebreaker on both teams. They are six points ahead of non-playoff teams Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Those are big cushions and a lot of breathing room when every team has between six and eight games remaining on their schedules.

From a percentage standpoint, the Penguins playoff odds by pretty much every model are over 94 percent.

But let’s look at it another way. In my view, if the Penguins win three more of their remaining seven games, I think they are in. It is possible that even two more wins does it for them. Let’s put some numbers on it. Here is a quick look at what every team behind the Penguins would need to do to finish ahead of them if the Penguins win between one and four more games.

Keep something in mind with this: In each scenario at least three teams, and at least two Metropolitan Division teams would have to finish ahead of them.

Keep something else in mind with this: Every team on that table plays at least one other team on the table. Some of them play a team on the table multiple times. There are games that teams are going to lose just based on that. It does not even get into the overall strength of schedule some of these teams have to play, including the Islanders and Blue Jackets.

The Penguins are not in yet. They still have some work to do. They have still put themselves in a good position. The start of this week was extremely important.

2. Kris Letang and Sam Girard hold a lot of keys for the Penguins

Perhaps the biggest development out of the two games to open this week is that the defense pairing of Kris Letang and Sam Girard seemed to finally start clicking a little bit. The Penguins have been consistent in sticking with them, perhaps frustratingly so, and finally got some pay-off with it. They played two of their best games on Monday and Tuesday and the numbers support that.

In the two games the pairing produced:

• A 3-0 goals advantage on the scoreboard when they were on the ice together during 5-on-5 play.
• A 64.06 percent expected goals share.
• A 57.1 percent scoring chance share.
• A 58.8 percent high-danger scoring chance share.

They also seemed to pass the eye test for really the first time since they have started playing together.

With the way Erik Karlsson is playing the Penguins have at least one outstanding defensive pair. It can not be overstated how important a second strong defensive pair can be. If these guys can figure it out and play well together, that changes a lot for the Penguins.

3. Give Stuart Skinner the chance to take the starting job

The goalie rotation has done its job. Without a clear No. 1 from the start they have mostly managed the situation, kept both guys fresh while also giving them consistent playing time, and put themselves in a good position. At some point, though, somebody is going to have to take the job and become the No. 1 guy. Right now it is looking like it should be Stuart Skinner. Not only because he has been the marginally better goalie recently, but also because Arturs Silovs is just really struggling right now.

Skinner was outstanding on Tuesday against Detroit and should have earned himself another start on Thursday. We know both goalies are going to play over the weekend due to the back-to-back situation, but for Thursday you need to give Skinner another chance to to show he deserves to get the primary playing time.

4. Elmer Soderblom is looking more impressive with each game

The Penguins trade deadline was a little quiet, only adding young forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick. It is the type of low-risk, potentially high-reward chance the Penguins have been taking recently and the early returns were a little mixed. At times you could see glimpses of why the Penguins would want to take a chance with him. At other times you could see glimpses of why the Red Wings were willing to give up on him for a third-round pick.

Over the past two games things have really come together for him. He already has more goals and points in a fraction of the games with Penguins than he had at the start of the season with the Red Wings. He is also really starting to look more comfortable and use his size. Even though he only recorded an assist on Tuesday against the Red Wings, I honestly thought he was one of their best players. He was everywhere. He was clearly trying to send a message to the Red Wings and seemed to be trying to score 1,000 goals. He was a physical force. He won fights for the puck along the walls. He controlled the puck. He created chances.

On Monday, he scored a huge goal to get them on the board and get things rolling offensively for them.

He is getting more impressive with each game, and he might even be starting to make an argument for himself ot stay in the lineup. I do not expect this trade to work out as well as, say, the Egor Chinakhov trade has. It still seems like there is at least a chance the Penguins may have found a useful player that can contribute for them.

The Florida Panthers will wrap up their second-to-last homestand of the season on Thursday night in Sunrise.

Despite being decimated by injuries, the Panthers continue to fight for every point they can get, as that’s the culture Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice and General Manager Bill Zito have built.

After taking down the playoff hungry Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, the Panthers will again face a team clawing for every point they can get in a crowded playoff race when the Boston Bruins visit South Florida.

One big difference, or two, in the Panthers from Tuesday to Thursday will be that defenseman Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov will not be in Florida’s lineup.

Both were injured after being hit by the puck; Ekbald suffered a broken finger and won't play again this season, while Kulikov has a broken nose and could still play at some point, according to Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. 

Now while the Bruins are looking to get back into the playoffs after missing out last season, the Panthers are in a position to retain a high-end asset if they can finish low enough in the standings.

Florida’s first round pick in this summer’s NHL Draft is top-10 protected, so even though they traded it Chicago at last year’s Trade Deadline in the Seth Jones deal, the Panthers will retain the selection if they end up with a pick in the top 10 after the NHL Draft Lottery.

Currently, there are five teams below Florida (75 points) in the league-wide standings: the Vancouver Canucks (52 points), Chicago Blackhawks (68 points), Calgary Flames (70 points), New York Rangers (71 points) and the St. Louis Blues (74 points).

The Seattle Kraken have the same 75 points as do the Panthers, but they’ve played one less game than Florida.

With just eight games left in their season, it will be interesting to see how things shake out for the Panthers from here on out.

They’ll be fighting for every point they can get, but when you’ve got half an AHL roster and you’re fighting against NHL squads looking to make noise in the playoffs, it’s going to be tough.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s battle with Boston:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer

Noah Gregor – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist

Cole Reinhardt – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza

Gus Forsling – Tobias Bjornfot

Donovan Sebrango – Seth Jones

Mikulas Hovorka – Mike Benning

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Photo caption: Jan 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (2) moves the puck past Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Tonight's matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers will tell the tale of two extremes in a busy Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are scorching hot, winners of six straight, while the Rangers are the only team in the East eliminated from playoff contention.

My Canadiens vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks lean into this sobering reality for the Rangers, as Cole Caufield & Co. will look to gain some ground with the Atlantic Division crown very much in sight on Thursday, April 2.

Canadiens vs Rangers prediction

Canadiens vs Rangers best bet: Cole Caufield anytime goal (+130)

Death, taxes, and Cole Caufield finding the back of the net.

The diminutive winger has scored more than anyone in 2026, notching an astounding 26 goals in his last 26 games. He's scored in three straight and has seven in his last six.

Tonight, he faces a lowly New York Rangers squad that ranks near the bottom in effectively all defensive metrics.

He's just three goals shy of the illustrious half-century mark — a feat that has eluded all Montreal Canadiens players for over 35 years.

Canadiens vs Rangers same-game parlay

On the topic of red-hot Habs players, look no further than Juraj Slafkovsky.

The 2022 No. 1 pick has been playing at a 40-goal, 92-point pace for exactly half of the season, and has served as the perfect complement to Caufield and Nick Suzuki on the team's top line.

He's racked up 13 assists in 17 games since his show-stopping Olympic performance, and has nine in his last 10. Yet, somehow, a Slaf assist is set at plus-odds.

Overshadowed amidst the influx of career seasons in Montreal is Mike Matheson. His 24:17 average ice time per game leads the team (18th in the NHL), and he's on pace for the second-best offensive totals of his career.

The Quebec native has blocked two or more shots in six of his last seven games.

Canadiens vs Rangers SGP

• Cole Caufield anytime goal
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 assists
• Mike Matheson Over 1.5 blocked shots

Canadiens vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Canadiens -150 | Rangers +130
• Puck Line: Canadiens -1.5 (+160) | Rangers +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+100) | Under 6.5 (-120)

Canadiens vs Rangers trend

The Over has hit in nine consecutive meetings between these teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Rangers.

How to watch Canadiens vs Rangers

Canadiens vs Rangers latest injuries

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The Calgary Flames have played in plenty of low-scoring road games in recent months, with 13 of their last 20 going Under the total.

My Flames vs. Golden Knights predictions don’t see any reason to expect anything different against a John Tortorella-coached Vegas Golden Knights team.

Flames vs Golden Knights prediction

Flames vs Golden Knights best bet: Under 5.5 (+115)

The Calgary Flames will be looking to tighten the screws after giving up nine goals to the powerhouse Avalanche last time out.

They have a good chance of doing so against aVegas Golden Knights team that sits 25th in 5-on-5 pace and 30th in scoring rate over the last 10 games — seven of which have gone Under the number.

On the Vegas side, their defensive metrics are elite. New head coach John Tortorella will hammer home the attention to detail and make sure they’re playing a buttoned-up 200-foot game heading into the playoffs.

We shouldn’t expect a track meet tonight.

Flames vs Golden Knights same-game parlay

Zach Whitecloud has blocked multiple shots in seven of his last nine games. He’s playing heavy defensive minutes and will have extra incentive to make an impact, squaring off against his former team for the first time since the trade.

Olli Maatta blocked 14 shots over the last five games and will have plenty of chances to build on those totals against a north-south Vegas team that likes to work pucks low to high and throw them at the net.

Flames vs Golden Knights SGP

• Under 6.5
• Zach Whitecloud Over 1.5 blocked shots
• Olli Maatta Over 1.5 blocked shots

Flames vs Golden Knights odds

• Moneyline: Flames +200 | Golden Knights -245
• Puck Line: Flames +1.5 (-120) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+100)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5

Flames vs Golden Knights trend

The Flames have cashed the Under in 13 of their last 20 road games for +5.65 units and a 26% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Flames vs. Golden Knights.

How to watch Flames vs Golden Knights

Flames vs Golden Knights latest injuries

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During the 2024 NHL off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year, $22 million contract. The move was easy to understand, as the Blackhawks needed a top-six winger to boost their forward group. 

Bertuzzi's first season with the Blackhawks proved to be solid, as he had 23 goals and 46 points in 82 games. However, the 31-year-old winger has put together a fantastic season for the Blackhawks in 2025-26 and is making it clear that Chicago made the right call signing him in the process.

After scoring two goals in the Blackhawks' most recent contest against the Winnipeg Jets, Bertuzzi now has a career-high 31 goals in 72 games this season. He also has 55 points on the year, which is the second-most of his career. With this, the 10-year veteran has been shining for the Blackhawks this season and has been worth every penny. 

While the Blackhawks still have more work to do to take that next step and be a playoff team, it is excellent that they have a high-impact veteran like Bertuzzi in their lineup. He has been exactly what the Blackhawks needed this season, and it will be fascinating to see how he finishes off the campaign from here. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on the road for one game. This game features the Carolina Hurricanes.   

Carolina Hurricanes - 47-21-6 - 100 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 1- 1st in the Metro

Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-25-12 - 88 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro  

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• The Blue Jackets closed out a three-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Thursday's game at Carolina begins a stretch of three-of-four played away from Nationwide Arena through Apr. 11.

• The Jackets are 9-3-1 in their last 13 road contests and rank second in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.15) and penalty kill pct. (87.9), fifth in shots against (24.8) and sixth in power play pct. (29.2) since Jan. 11.

• CBJ have earned points in 25 of the last 31 contests overall (20-6-5, 45 pts) since Jan. 11. The club leads the NHL in goals-against per game (2.55) and ranks third in the NHL in points pct. (.726) and ninth-T in goals-for per game (3.39) since Jan. 11.

• The Jackets also lead the NHL with a franchise-record 55 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (55-133-188, 75 GP).

• CBJ have collected points 10 of last 12 games against Metropolitan Division opponents since Jan. 4 (8-2-2).

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Adam Fantilli, who led the club in goals and points (tied) in March with 7-9-16 in 17 games after scoring on Tuesday, has set a single-season career high in assists and points with 21-34-55 in 75 contests.

• Jet Greaves has earned points in 15 of his last 18 starts since Jan. 11 (12-3-3, 2.36 GAA, .913 SV% in 19 GP), ranking fifth among NHL goaltenders in GAA and eighth in SV% (min. 6 GP).

• Kirill Marchenko notched 1-1-2 on Tuesday for his second-straight multi-point performance (1-3-4). He leads the club in goals and ranks second in points with 26-37-63 in 69 outings in 2025-26.

• Mason Marchment has posted multiple points in back-to-back games (1-3-4) after collecting two assists on Tuesday. He ranks second on the team in goals since making his CBJ debut on Dec. 20, 2025 (14-13-27 in 33 GP).

• Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 13 starts since Jan. 11 (8-3-2, 2.54 GAA in 14 GP).

• Zach Werenski, with 21-57-78 in 68 games in 2025-26, sits two assists shy of tying the franchise's record for assists in a single season set by Artemi Panarin (79 GP in 2018-19) and matched by the defenseman in 2024-25 (81 GP).

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.9% - 18th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.4% - 26th in the NHL
• Goals For - 233 - 14th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 229 - 20th in the NHL  

Hurricanes Stats

• Power Play - 24.6% - 5th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 80.5% - 12th in the NHL
• Goals For - 258 - 7th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 215 - 7th in the NHL

Series History vs. The Hurricanes

• Columbus is 30-32-0-5 all-time, and 13-17-0-3 on the road vs. Carolina.
• Carolina's victory on Tuesday snapped a streak of eight-straight wins for the home team in the series. The home team has now won 12-of-15 meetings dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.

• The Hurricanes have won the last seven meetings at Lenovo Center since a 6-0 CBJ victory on Jan. 13, 2022.

• The winning team has scored four-plus goals in each of the past eight contests (including SO goals) and 16 of the past 18 since Oct. 23, 2021.

• The winning team has won by three-plus goals in seven of the past nine meetings overall with Columbus earning two shootout victories in the other two.

• Seven of the last eight played at Carolina have been decided by three or more goals.

• The Blue Jackets have registered four shutouts and hat tricks in the all-time series.

• The teams have combined to record less than 60 shots on goal in six of the past 10 meetings (60.0 avg.).

Who To Watch For The Hurricanes

• Seth Jarvis leads the Canes with 30 goals.
• Sebastian Aho leads the team with 50 assists and 75 points.
• Goalie Brandon Bussi is 28-6-1 with a SV% of .897.
• Frederik Andersen is 13-13-5 with a SV% of .871.

CBJ Player Notes vs Hurricanes

• Boone Jenner has 13 points in 26 career games against Carolina.

• Zach Werenski has 17 points against the Hurricanes.
• Mason Marchment has 10 points in 11 games vs. Carolina.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 37 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
• Damon Severson - Missed 3 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
• Dmitri Voronkov - Missed 2 Games - Upper Body - Week-to-week
• Mathieu Olivier - Missed 1 Game - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
• Isac Lundeström - Left early against Carolina on Tuesday

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 189  

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

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There’s no denying that Joe Veleno didn’t live up to his potential. When the Detroit Red Wings drafted him 30th overall at the 2018 draft, they expected more than a career-best season of 28 points in 80 games, which is why they eventually decided to move on. So did Veleno, though; he realized he would never be the dominant force he was in the QMJHL, and he decided to adapt.

When he signed a one-year, $900,000 cap hit contract with the Montreal Canadiens, it raised a few eyebrows, but with just eight games to go in the season, it seems obvious that it was an astute move by GM Kent Hughes.

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Not that the Montreal native has produced more than he did in Detroit, or in Chicago, for that matter, but when the Canadiens called upon him (he has played 55 of the 74 games Montreal played so far), he was ready to go.

While Veleno embraced his bottom-of-the-lineup support role and only contributed two goals and two assists, he has been throwing his body around and committing to forecheck as if there was no tomorrow, which there almost isn’t when you’re a player on the bubble, playing for your spot in the lineup every night.

Through his 55 games, the winger/center has landed 139 hits, the third-highest total on the team, behind Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj, who have 155 hits in 72 games for the former and in 57 games for the latter.

The fact that he has converted into a player who’s throwing his weight around can only help him get more games with the Canadiens, especially with the playoffs fast approaching. On top of being willing to play a physical game, he also has the hockey IQ necessary to thrive in Martin St-Louis’ system, and when the Habs are healthy, the coach may face quite a predicament when he has to decide who to scratch. He brings an energy and physical presence that some veterans just can’t bring anymore, on top of being able to take faceoffs.

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The Philadelphia Flyers have a knack for making shrewd, under-the-radar trades, and one of their latest is already paying off in a big way.

Throughout the season, the Flyers have made a number of (relatively) insignificant player swaps, like trading Dennis Gilbert for Max Guenette, Ethan Samson for Roman Schmidt, and Samu Tuomaala for Christian Kyrou.

The Samson move was a bit controversial, given that the former sixth-round pick had a breakout 2024-25 season with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms and looked solid in Flyers training camp before going down with a broken hand.

After four assists in 10 games, the Flyers swapped him for Schmidt, and later swapped Schmidt with veteran forward Boris Katchouk.

That move has been, by far, the most impactful for the Flyers' organization, injecting some life back into a Phantoms team that has had to deal with a significant amount of player turnover, including losing the likes of Alex Bump and Denver Barkey to the NHL on a permanent basis.

Having been acquired by the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild on March 1, shortly before the March 6 NHL trade deadline, Katchouk, 27, has already established himself as a top-line player for the Phantoms, featuring on the power play and playing both center and wing.

Flyers Provide Injury Timeline for Injured ForwardThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are without an injured forward for the time being, but the latest update from the team suggests it may not be that long before a return.

In just 11 games with Lehigh Valley, the 2016 No. 44 overall pick has erupted for five goals, four assists, and nine points, matching the five goals he had in 29 games between the Iowa Wild and Syracuse Crunch earlier this season.

It helps for the Flyers, too, that Katchouk has 179 games of NHL experience and 15 goals; that experience matters in a locker room that also has David Jiricek, Devin Kaplan, Riley Thompson, Carson Bjarnason, Aleksei Kolosov, Cole Knuble, and Oliver Bonk in it.

If post-NHL trade deadline call-up limitations weren't a factor, it's easy to imagine a world where the Flyers bring Katchouk into the fold as a depth forward, especially with Rodrigo Abols (ankle) still out of commission.

In the meantime, Rick Tocchet and Co. are managing with a fourth line of Sean Couturier, waiver wire pickup Luke Glendening, and Garnet Hathaway.

The journeyman Katchouk, however, is making his case to find a new home in pro hockey.

Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (38-21-16, 92 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (46-22-6, 98 points, 2nd place Atlantic Division)

When: 7:00 p.m. eastern

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and The Spot, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The March of the Penguins concludes literally (though perhaps not figuratively) tonight with the team wrapping up their franchise record of 17 games in a calendar month. The Pens are 7-6-3 and managed to hold on against a brutal schedule while weathering some key absences. There’s another flurry of weekend games, the Florida Panthers play in PPG Paints both Saturday (5:00pm start) and Sunday (3:00pm start) and then Pittsburgh gets their first stretch of three days without games next Mon-Wed since early January (not counting the Olympic break). The Pens then pick back up a week from tonight on the road in New Jersey.

Opponent Track: Tampa was 6-0-2 in last eight prior to Tuesday home game against Montreal, where the Lightning lost 4-1. Tampa has a big game coming up on Saturday against the hard-charging Bruins.

Season Series: The Penguins always seem to play Tampa well, despite the difference in team strengths in the last few years. Pittsburgh is 8-4-2 overall since the 2021-22 season against the Lightning, including a 1-0-1 record this season. The Pens blew a 3-0 lead but still pulled off a regulation 4-3 win over Tampa courtesy Evgeni Malkin’s late GWG and three-point night back on December 4th. In the second meeting, Malkin scored late in the third period on January 13th to tie the game 1-1, though Tampa would go onto win in the shootout.

Hidden Stat: As referenced above, Malkin has 3G+1A in the two games against the Lightning this season. He’s got 12 goals in the other 48 non-Tampa games he’s played this season.

Getting to know the Lightning

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Jake Guentzel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov

Gage Goncalves – Anthony Cirelli – Oliver Bjorkstrand

Zemgus Girgensons – Yanni Gourde – Pontus Holmberg

Corey Perry – Nic Paul

DEFENSEMEN

JJ Moser / Darren Raddysh

Ryan McDonagh / Erik Cernak

Charle-Edouard D’Astous / Emil Lilleberg

Steven Santini

Goalies: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jonas Johansson

Potential scratches: Victor Hedman (away from team on personal leave), Brandon Hagel (injury, doubtful to play tonight),

Injured Reserve: Declan Carlile, Dominic James

• Somewhat breaking news in that Hagel picked up an injury in Tuesday night’s game against Montreal and, as of yesterday, looks like he will not be playing against the Pens. Add in Victor Hedman’s absence and Tampa suddenly is missing some key pieces.
• Hagel being out meant the Lightning concentrated a lot of their strength yesterday in practice on the top line with Guentzel-Point-Kucherov. Previously, Guentzel+Point were on one line and Kucherov was working on a different line with Hagel to split the talent. It looks like they are going to load all the way up for this game and probably count on that top line to do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of scoring.
• Moser, who started out in Arizona for three seasons before coming over to Tampa in 2024, is probably one of the most under-rated or under-talked about great players in the league. Moser was involved in the trade that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Utah, which has worked out great for Tampa to send out an older star that they couldn’t afford and replace him with a younger, very capable option to take over.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• There are few things in the NHL more consistent than Jake Guentzel getting close to 40 goals and 80 points in a season with health (or right on pace, less the games whatever games missed with injury) over the past nine years and he’s back at it again this season. The 45 assists are already a single-season high and he’s closing in on his best year in points (84).
• Guentzel’s been hot lately, riding a current five-game point streak (5G+4A).
• Health has been a major storyline for Tampa, almost all their best players from Kucherov, Point, Hedman, McDonagh, Hagel, Cirelli, Raddysh and Paul have missed at least a handful of games at various times this season, and some more than a few. Luckily for them Vasilievskiy has been on his game and the waterfall of injuries still has their lineup seeing more than it’s share of talent.
• Kucherov has been going absolutely berserk lately with some downright Lemieux-esque production. Kuch has 39 points (11G+26A) in his last 20 games and is right in the thick of the Art Ross race. He’s four points behind leader Connor McDavid, despite the Tampa star playing seven less games.

Key Matchup: Tampa the…defensive juggernaut?

Tampa is stacked all over the board, they’re second in 5v5 goals, top-10 in Corsi, Fenwick and finishing metrics offensively. That and the star power is what they’re known for, but they’ve really buckled down defensively this season as well. Their PK is good, their goaltending is a lot better with Vasilievskiy than backup Johansson and they find ways to limit the amount of shots opponents take. Despite an anonymous defense that’s missed a bunch of their top blueliners at the same time, they’ve found ways to play keep-away with the puck and limit opportunities against.

In the first matchup back in December, the Pens got 31 shots against Tampa (and scored four goals on Johansson). In the second matchup, Pittsburgh registered 27 shots, only scoring once on Vasilievskiy. The Penguins average 29.0 shots/game, that second game is what TB will be looking to replicate to keep the Pittsburgh offense quiet by limiting what the explosive Pittsburgh offense can generate. It’ll be a strong and fun matchup, since the Pens are flying and have scored 13 total goals in their two games this week.

Playoff implications nearly absent today

A lot of models from HockeyStats to TheAthletic have the Islanders, Blue Jackets and Flyers all headed for the 95-96 point range. That makes today almost like a house money situation for the Penguins, who should still be on track to easily clear that regardless of today’s results. For as crucial as the games against NYI and Detroit were earlier, the stress is eased for now on the Penguins with where they’re at in the standings and projected to go.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell

Anthony Mantha – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Avery Hayes – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Bryan Rust*, Rutger McGroarty, Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ville Koivunen

IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany

• The Penguins didn’t practice yesterday before heading out to make the trip, we’ll have to wait for today to see if Rust is able to play tonight. If so, Hayes will likely get bumped out of the lineup and some of the top-three lines will get shaken up.
• Similarly, the goalie question is still out there for how long the Pens will be faithful to their rotation. Last week they gave Skinner two starts in a row for the first time in a while, as the playoffs near it’ll be interesting to see if they start making him more of the primary option in net.
• Rickard Rakell (6G+2A) is on a five-game point streak.

Sid seeks seventh

Sidney Crosby will be moving on up in the all-time rankings with his next two points to tie and pass Steve Yzerman

Rank      Player                   PTSRank      Player                   PTS

1            Wayne Gretzky    2,857     5            Ron Francis         1,798    

2            Jaromir Jagr         1,951     6            Marcel Dionne      1,771

3            Mark Messier       1,887     7            Steve Yzerman    1,755

4            Gordie Howe        1,850     8            Sidney Crosby     1,754

Once Crosby hits 1,756 he will also be in second place all-time for most points by a player with a single franchise, trailing only Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe’s 1,809 points recorded as a Red Wing.

Crosby needs three more points to clinch a 21st consecutive season of a point/game and extend his own NHL record.

Some other various milestones and potential happenings tonight:

• Soderblom set to appear in 100th career NHL games
• Bryan Rust (498) looking to become 11th player to score 500 points as a Penguin
• Evgeni Malkin (1,399) looking to become 23rd player in NHL history with 1,400 points
• Egor Chinakhov (18) looking for first career 20-goal season
• Anthony Mantha (58) is approaching the 60-point plateau for the first time

Riding high after back-to-back victories over the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking to keep the momentum going and get one step closer to locking down a playoff spot when they head to the Sunshine State this evening to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. With their playoff odds currently sitting at 95% according to MoneyPuck.com, the Penguins can push that number even higher by defeating the Lightning, who are in a battle of their own against the Buffalo Sabres for Atlantic division supremacy.

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

Pens Points…

On top of the Penguins defeating the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, every game involving a team around them in the playoff race broke their way, giving the Penguins an added boost in their chase for a playoff spot with their odds of securing a berth now sitting around 90 percent. [Pensburgh]

Down in the AHL, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have already locked up a playoff spot and are now trying to lock down a first round bye with a top two finish in their division. Two wins last weekend have the Baby Pens right on the cusp of locking down that bye, possibly by this weekend. [Pensburgh]

Stuart Skinner will have a big career decision to make this summer, but he’s waiting until then to worry about it. Skinner is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so where he is playing next year remains up in the air, but for now, the focus is on winning with the Penguins. [Trib Live]

What a month March was for Erik Karlsson and he was properly honored for his efforts by being named the Second Star of the Month by the NHL on Wednesday. In March, Karlsson tallied 24 points in 17 games to keep the Penguins afloat with the absences of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. [Penguins]

NHL News and Notes…

There’s no hard timetable being set, but the Colorado Avalanche know they will be without Norris winning defenseman Cale Makar for at least some undetermined time after Makar suffered an injury on Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames. [NHL]

Are Sharks a team of destiny after miraculous, late-game comeback win vs. Ducks? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• 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.

Randy Hahn said it.

And maybe, just maybe, after a five-game losing streak around the Olympics and a recent six-game skid that really shook the faith…maybe the Sharks are a team of destiny?

With 28 seconds remaining in Wednesday’s game at SAP Center, the Sharks edged the Anaheim Ducks 4-3, for their third-straight GWG with less than 90 seconds left.

That’s an NHL record:

Speaking of destiny, the Sharks once again are in control of theirs: They’re one point back of the Los Angeles Kings for the last wild-card spot in the West, and tied with the Nashville Predators with 77 points, but they also have a game in hand on both teams.

The Western Conference wild-card chase isn’t a pillow fight, it’s a roller derby, with six squads, Los Angeles, San Jose, Nashville, Winnipeg Jets, Seattle Kraken, and St. Louis Blues careening into each other for a single playoff berth.

Read the full article at San Jose Hockey Now

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

DENVER — Jared Bednar is typically the picture of a smooth operator — calm, cool, and collected.

But even the Stanley Cup-winning head coach has his limits. Wednesday night pushed him there.

The Colorado Avalanche, the NHL’s top team, were stunned on home ice, falling 8–6 to the league’s last-place Vancouver Canucks — a result as jarring as any they’ve produced this season.

Vancouver entered the night on a six-game losing streak, scoring just 11 total goals over that stretch. They also carried one of the worst penalty kills in NHL history since the stat has been tracked. Still, Colorado conceded a shorthanded goal and unraveled defensively in a way that’s becoming increasingly concerning.

Jared Bednar’s full presser: #GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/dPg4p9aXPH

— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) April 2, 2026

In short, the Avalanche were outplayed, outworked, and out-executed for the first 40 minutes. While they showed pushback in the third — something Bednar acknowledged — it did little to soften the larger issue.

"I (liked) the way we played in the third, but the reality of it is, if you want to win in this league, you have to play that way for 60 minutes," he told The Hockey News. "And we weren't even close.

"Wasn't a great first, it got worse in the second. Yeah, if you want to hand out like badges for good effort and stuff like that, I think we're beyond that. Effort for 20 minutes and doing the right things for 20 minutes isn't good enough."

When asked if there were any positives to take, Bednar didn’t hesitate to shut that down.

"Close as I get to a positive is what we just talked about. Again, we're past that. If this was the start of the season; we're making all sorts of mistakes...and build on what we did in the third period, is like trying to get a standard of play and the way you need to play an exhibition with a bunch of kids, but not now.

"I think if we're making excuses for that performance, it's gonna be a short run."

What Went Wrong

To put it plainly: everything.

Mackenzie Blackwood got the start and allowed six goals on 19 shots, with several falling into the category of stoppable. But the defensive structure in front of him was just as culpable, repeatedly breaking down and leaving Grade-A looks unchecked.

“He’s one of 20. That’s all I can say,” Bednar said. “One of 20 guys that wasn’t good enough.”

Sam Malinski scored twice, while Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog, Brent Burns, and Parker Kelly each added a goal. After falling behind 6–2 and pulling Blackwood, Colorado mounted an impressive rally to tie the game at 6–6.

Then, much like the revamped power play from the last month, it vanished.

Just 23 seconds after the equalizer, Marcus Pettersson — without a goal since November — restored Vancouver’s lead, a backbreaking sequence that perfectly encapsulated Colorado’s night. An empty-netter followed to seal it.

The Avalanche missed a chance to take another step toward clinching the Central Division with a win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday. They remain firmly in control, but a performance like this — against the worst team in the league — does nothing to inspire confidence. If anything, it amplifies the inconsistencies that have lingered beneath the surface all season.

What Happened

Vancouver struck on the opening shift, setting the tone immediately. Nathan MacKinnon answered less than a minute later with his 50th goal of the season, becoming the first player in the NHL to reach the milestone this year.

But the response didn’t spark stability.

The Canucks regained control before the first intermission, scoring on both the power play and while shorthanded. Colorado managed to hang around with a late goal, but the warning signs were already there.

They only intensified in the second.

Vancouver poured in three unanswered goals, chasing Blackwood from the game. At the time of the third tally, the Avalanche had just three shots in the period — a telling snapshot of a team disconnected in all three zones. Defensive coverage was loose, the forecheck ineffective, and nearly every dangerous look against ended up in the net.

Then, suddenly, life.

Malinski opened the third-period scoring after Scott Wedgewood took over in relief. Fourteen seconds in, Parker Kelly struck to cut the deficit to two. Brent Burns made it a one-goal game at 13:21, and Malinski completed the comeback at 13:58, tying it 6–6.

Ball Arena came alive. Momentum had fully flipped. The Avalanche had erased a four-goal deficit.

And then, just as quickly, it was gone.

Twenty-three seconds later, Vancouver answered to reclaim the lead — and that was all she wrote.

If Colorado has any intention of making a deep playoff run, this has to be a wake-up call. Cale Makar’s absence is notable, but as Bednar made clear, it’s no excuse. Not now. Not with the postseason looming.

Because if this version of the Avalanche shows up in two weeks, Bednar’s warning may prove prophetic: it will be a short run.