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Alexis Lafreniere is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and he has the numbers to back it up.

My Capitals vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks expect the former No. 1 overall pick to have another productive showing on home soil.

Capitals vs Rangers prediction

Capitals vs Rangers best bet: Alexis Lafreniere Over 0.5 points (-125)

Alexis Lafreniere has piled up 23 points over the last 22 games and shown the ability to move the needle offensively, even without Artemi Panarin.

He draws a Washington Capitals squad ripe for the picking at 5-on-5. They rank 23rd in expected goals and 27th in shot attempts allowed per 60 over the past 10 games.

The Capitals used starter Logan Thompson against the Sabres last night. That means they’ll turn to a worn-out goaltender for his 11th straight start (and third in four days), or Charlie Lindgren, who owns a poor .886 save percentage.

Either way, Lafreniere is primed to produce.

Capitals vs Rangers same-game parlay

Adam Fox is reminding us he’s still one of the most impactful blueliners in the NHL. He has picked up a point in 13 of his last 15 games and tallied 15 helpers along the way.

He plays a ton of minutes and facilitates a lot for the New York Rangers, making him a prime candidate to make noise in this matchup.

If top line and top pairing players like Lafreniere and Fox can take advantage of this struggling Capitals defense — and goaltending situation — there’s a good chance the Rangers come out on top. Igor Shesterkin generally doesn’t need much run support.

Capitals vs Rangers SGP

• Alexis Lafreniere Over 0.5 points
• Adam Fox Over 0.5 assists
• Rangers moneyline

Capitals vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Capitals -110 | Rangers -110
• Puck Line: Capitals -1.5 (+220) | Rangers +1.5 (-275)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5

Capitals vs Rangers trend

The Rangers have won four of their last five home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Rangers.

How to watch Capitals vs Rangers

Capitals vs Rangers latest injuries

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The second-last Sunday of the NHL regular season features seven games and nearly 12 hours of action.

My NHL player props today feature the league’s top two goal scorers, Nathan MacKinnon and Cole Caufield, as well as star blueliner Quinn Hughes.

Find the details below in my NHL picks for Sunday, April 5. 

Best NHL player prop bets today

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(not available in Ontario)

Our best NHL player props for Sunday, April 5

Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.

Prop #1: Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal 

-120 at BET99

Nathan MacKinnon added to his NHL-leading goal total on Saturday with one of two Colorado Avalanche tallies in Colorado’s 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars.

The Avs superstar has 51 goals this season as he looks to claim his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, with five of those markers coming in his last five games.

MacKinnon enters Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Blues on a three-game goal streak, and he always seems to love playing against the division rival. He’s scored in three straight meetings vs. the Blues, and he posted four points in their last meeting on December 31.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN, Sportsnet

Prop #2: Quinn Hughes Over 0.5 assists 

-160 at BET99

Quinn Hughes has been a perfect fit since joining the Minnesota Wild in December, collecting a ridiculous 47 assists and 50 points in 45 games with the club.

The Minnesota blueliner has picked up at least one apple in three straight outings, and five of his last six, while the Wild have averaged a solid 3.60 gpg over their last five contests.

This afternoon’s matchup should favor Hughes and the Wild as the Detroit Red Wings have struggled in the home stretch. Detroit is 2-5-0 over its last seven games while allowing 3.57 gapg during that span.

The Wild will score three or four, and Hughes will factor in at least one.

• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, Sportsnet 360

Prop #3: Cole Caufield anytime goal 

+115 at BET99

There has not been a better goal scorer in the NHL than Cole Caufield since players returned from the Olympic break. Hard to believe that the Montreal Canadiens sniper was a snub for Team USA, isn’t it?

Caufield has 17 goals in his last 18 games and has tickled the twine in nine of his last 12 outings.

He didn’t score against the New Jersey Devils yesterday, but he was all over the puck with five shots on net.

Jacob Markstrom likely starts for the Devils, and he’s allowed 3+ goals in eight of his last nine starts.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RDS, TSN2, MSGSN

These props are available now at BET99, one of our best betting sites.

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Travis Konecny has feasted on the Boston Bruins this season, putting together multi-point performances in both meetings thus far.

Well rested and likely to face a backup netminder, my Bruins vs. Flyers predictions and NHL picks expect Konecny to make his way onto the scoresheet once again.

Bruins vs Flyers prediction

Bruins vs Flyers best bet: Travis Konecny Over 0.5 points (-150)

Travis Konecny has been a model of consistency for the Philadelphia Flyers, producing a point in 65% of his appearances this season. That number jumps to 75% following one day of rest.

He should build on those totals against the Boston Bruins, who will likely turn to backup Joonas Korpisalo after starting Jeremy Swayman on Saturday.

Also helping the cause is a good set of linemates. Konecny is skating with Christian Dvorak and highly touted rookie Porter Martone, and the early returns on that trio are strong.

They’ve controlled 63% of the expected goals at 5-on-5 through three games.

Bruins vs Flyers same-game parlay

Porter Martone has shot the lights out since stepping into the NHL. He's averaged five shots on seven attempts and cleared this line in two of three games. The Bruins are a poor shot-suppression team and played yesterday, so we should expect Martone to generate volume.

Martone correlates with Konecny, making him a natural selection to pick up a point. He also skates on a power-play unit featuring the likes of Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov, which served as the top group in usage last time out.

Bruins vs Flyers SGP

• Travis Konecny Over 0.5 points
• Porter Malone Over 2.5 shots
• Porter Malone Over 0.5 points

Bruins vs Flyers odds

• Moneyline: Bruins +115 | Flyers -135
• Puck Line: Bruins +1.5 (-215) | Flyers -1.5 (+175)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5

Bruins vs Flyers trend

Travis Konecny produced multiple points in both games against the Bruins this season. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Flyers.

How to watch Bruins vs Flyers

Bruins vs Flyers latest injuries

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At the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres traded Isak Rosen to the Winnipeg Jets as part of the deal that landed defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. With the Sabres' forward group being too deep for Rosen to regularly crack the lineup, it made sense that Buffalo moved on from the 23-year-old. 

Rosen may be getting more consistent NHL playing time with the Jets, but the 2021 first-round pick is certainly off to a slow start in Winnipeg. 

In 15 games with the Jets since being acquired, he has just two goals. He also has just one point in his last 12 games for Winnipeg, so there is no question that the young forward is struggling offensively right now.

Rosen had a decent season with the Sabres before being traded to Winnipeg, as he had three goals and seven points in 16 games. He also lit up the AHL with the Rochester Americans this campaign before the trade, posting 25 goals and 43 points in 37 games.

With this, Rosen does have some offensive upside. While he has struggled with the Jets early on during his tenure with the Central Division club, the potential of him breaking out with his new team should not be ruled out. 

On Saturday, rookies Maxim Shabanov and Isaiah George drew into the New York Islanders lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Despite a 4-3 loss, the Islanders' fourth straight loss at the worst time, the two played pretty well for guys who had to wait a bit to get into game action.

#Isles In Waiting Room With Season On The Line: Playoff Math Explainedhttps://t.co/IjzrsKTpTY

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 5, 2026

Maxim Shabanov, who had only played two games since the Olympic break, last playing on March 13, skated alongside Brayden Schenn and Calum Ritchie.

He recorded a goal, his first since Dec. 28 and fifth of the season, on a gorgeous individual effort from Ritchie to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead at the 2:15 mark of the second period:

Ritchie doing Ritchie things and Shabanov sneaks one in. #Islespic.twitter.com/SRPWjlsl1f

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 5, 2026

Shabanov ended his night with a goal on one shot with two attempts in 13:35. 

For George, it was his third game of the season and first since being recalled on  March 24. 

He looked confident and aggressive in all three zones. He didn't lose many board battles and showed off his mobility and hockey IQ. 

Early in the first period, off the rush, his wrister led to a rebound try for Ondrej Palat, who hit the post. 

He recorded that one shot on goal, with a block and a takeaway in 10:21.

Now, both these guys were out on the ice for a goal against, Carolina's 2-2 tying goal at 11:15 of the second. After an Islanders turnover, Shabanov got caught floating in the high slot, with Blake getting behind him.

George tried to save the day but couldn't get there in time:

Stank with the pass 🤝 Blaker with the score pic.twitter.com/9Qc3sXYSoB

— x - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 5, 2026

Overall, it was a solid and important performance for both guys, as they looked to showcase to head coach Patrick Roy and general manager Mathieu Darche that they can be effective players for this organization going forward. 

 "I thought Shabanov played really well," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He scored a nice goal and went to the net. I thought that line played well. I thought they had some, a few good looks, and no, I was pretty happy with the way he played. George was good, too. I mean, he made a really nice play on that scoring chance in the first period when the puck went through the legs of their goal. He hit the back post on Palat's rebound. But I thought he played well. I mean, it's not easy coming into a situation like this, but I thought that he did a really nice job."

The Islanders, who somehow remain in the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, are now off until Thursday, before they kick off four games in six nights to conclude the regular season.

We'll see whether the injured Tony DeAngelo (lower body) can return by then, which would certainly impact George. 

Although the buck stops at Brad Treliving, there could be more changes afoot for the Toronto Maple Leafs as their season winds down.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) president and CEO, Keith Pelley, held a Zoom meeting with members of the hockey operations department after the dismissal of Treliving.

"And just from talking to a few people after it was over and in the last couple of days, it's pretty clear that they are expecting major change," Friedman reported.

It’s time for this week’s Saturday Headlines with none other than @FriedgeHNIC 📰 pic.twitter.com/bFx6XLJobY

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 5, 2026

"Now, I asked, like, 'Did Pelley say anything specifically about change in there?' And it wasn't so much the word. It's about how he talked," continued Friedman. "And, you know, one of the things he kind of mentioned was, we are going to use our resources to the fullest capacity we can. And they were kind of left with the impression that he felt that they hadn't been doing that.

"And so that's why I think a lot of people are expecting that there's going to be even more changes than the one we already saw. And so we'll see how that plays out to the end and after the season."

Friedman added that, as of now, Toronto hasn't asked for permission to speak to anyone who's under contract with another team. That includes Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues, who's in the final year of his role as GM with the team.

"It just doesn't seem like the timing is right for the Blues and the Maple Leafs for Doug Armstrong," added Friedman. "So, you know, anything can change, and I reserve the right that I could be right now and then wrong later. But it just doesn't seem like the timing is right for Doug Armstrong and the Maple Leafs."

During Pelley's media availability on Tuesday, he expressed that the next head of hockey operations for the Maple Leafs needs to be data-centric. And there are plenty of names you could look at who fit that bill throughout the NHL.

One name that's gotten many people talking is Sunny Mehta, assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers. Mehta has been with Florida since 2020 and has served as head of analytics for the Panthers since 2023.

Report: Maple Leafs 'More Likely' To Hire General Manager Than Multiple PositionsTSN's Darren Dreger reports that it was suggested to him on Thursday that Toronto could hire just a general manager.

He has a unique background, going from being a professional poker player to a senior data scientist at Zeus Analytics, to the director of hockey analytics (where he headed the first full-time analytics department in the NHL) with the New Jersey Devils from 2014-15 to 2017-18, before joining the Panthers.

It would make sense if his name came up in Toronto's search, and according to Friedman, "I do think he's going to be a factor."

Other names reported to be in the mix are Mike Gillis, as well as Chris Pronger, according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.

The Maple Leafs have five games remaining in their schedule before their season ends on Apr. 15. Pelley said he'd like to have the new leadership in place by the NHL Combine at the end of May or by the NHL Draft in late June at the latest.

The Montreal Canadiens put the finishing touch on their five-game road trip when they took on the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Saturday night. There was no surprise in the Habs’ lineup, at least on the ice. Jakub Dobes was in the net, but Samuel Montembeault was acting as backup, a first since Jacob Fowler was recalled from the Laval Rocket on March 11. His presence on the bench doesn’t mean he’s out of the doghouse, though. With the two teams meeting again on Sunday night, it was reported that the Tricolore had sent Fowler back to Montreal to rest before he starts Sunday’s game.

While Fowler was heading back to Montreal, a lot of Canadiens fans did the opposite. There were a lot of Habs fans in the stands when warm-up started, with Cole Caufield being on the verge of scoring his 50th goal of the season. Fans were hungry to see him accomplish the feat in person, and they didn’t want to risk missing it if it happened away from the Bell Centre.

Canadiens Winger Flying Under The Radar While Having A Great Season
Canadiens: Going For Eight Wins In A Row
Canadiens’ Dobson Is Not Just About The Offense

Another Strong Game For Dobes

With the former first-string goalie watching from the bench, Dobes played yet another great game and as has become a habit, he kept Montreal in the game in the first frame. After the first 20 minutes, Sheldon Keefe’s men had the upside in shots with 14 to Montreal’s nine, but once again, it was the visitor who held a 1-0 lead, nonetheless.

Since Eric Raymond has been dismissed and replaced by Mario Marciane, the Czech netminder has been looking much more confident and poised in net, and it has paid off. He doesn’t overcommit anymore, but he remains aggressive in net, knowing when to move forward to cut the angles or to use a poke check when an opponent is too daring. Wherever the shot comes from, he’s ready. In the second frame, he made a cracking save on a one-timer from the slot off the stick of Simon Nemec.

When the Canadiens struggled on a four-minute power play, he made a big save on an odd-man rush, but when the Habs gave up another one in quick succession, he couldn’t neutralize that one. Still, on a four-minute power play, he made three saves while Jake Allen only needed to make one.

While he gave up three goals in regulation for the first time since March 14, Dobes cannot be faulted for the Devils tying up the game. On that third goal, Kaiden Guhle provided the perfect screen in front of his own goaltender.

Granted, he made the overtime somewhat scary by coming out of his net, but in the end, he managed to fix his own mistakes.

Caufield The Passer

While everyone was waiting to see Caufield’s 50th goal of the season, he treated them to a couple of nice assists instead. He had the primary assist on the first goal of the game as he fed Jayden Struble for a very Caufield-like shot that beat Allen. On the second goal of the game, he had the puck in his office on the power play. Still, instead of going for the shot, he saw a perfect passing lane to Ivan Demidov, who was sneaking in towards the goal, and he took it, allowing the Russian rookie to notch his 60th point on the season.

Perhaps the Habs were just as keen as the fans to see Caufield get his 50th goal, though. When they got the four-minute power play at the end of the second frame, you could see them try to get the puck to the sniper. After giving up an odd-man rush, the Habs tried to feed Caufield, who was waiting on the offensive blueline, but the pass was off target, which led to another odd-man rush, and that one was costly.

Caufield still found the back of the net, but it was in the shootout and therefore doesn't count as number 50. With the next four games at home, you can expect the Bell Centre to erupt if/when he finds the back of the net. 

Huit d'affilée et on est enchantés

Eight straight, and we're feelin' great
#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/HtTBK5IFcM

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 5, 2026

It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

With a 3-0 lead and a four-minute power play, it looked like the Devils were dead and buried, but they weren’t. The Canadiens' inability to generate much on that power play was a turning point in the game and nearly cost them their win streak.

This will serve as a reminder to a young Habs team that might have felt invincible on a seven-game winning streak that it is not. However, they did win it in the end, thanks to an Oliver Kapanen goal in the shootout. On Sunday night, both teams will be at it again, and it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens have learned their lesson.

KAPPY OFFRE LA VICTOIRE AU TRICOLORE EN TIRS DE BARRAGE

KAPPY WINS IT IN A SHOOTOUT#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/TJwBqIcYiZ

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 5, 2026

---

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This all feels very familiar..

Who: Florida Panthers (37-36-3, 77 points, 7th place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (39-22-16, 94 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 3:00 p.m. ET

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

Pens’ Path Ahead: Ahh, the rare break is ahead. The Pens enjoy their first string of three consecutive days with no games since the Olympic break and are out of action until a road game on Thursday in New Jersey. After that is a home-and-home with the Capitals, Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh and next Sunday in Washington.

Opponent Track: The Panthers were officially eliminated from the playoffs yesterday after their 9-4 defeat to the Penguins. Florida heads north after today for a game in Montreal on Tuesday.

Season Series: Pittsburgh looks for a season sweep over the defending Cup champions today, having won yesterday and then back in October.

Hidden Stat: The Panthers have a 16-21-0 road record this season (71-point full season pace) compared to a 21-15-3 record at home (95-point pace). Florida’s 21 road regulation losses rank second worst in the NHL (Calgary, 24).

Getting to know the Panthers

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer

Noah Gregor – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist

Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza

DEFENSEMEN

Gustav Forsling / Michael Benning

Donovan Sebrango / Seth Jones

Tobias Bjornfot / Mikulas Hovorka

Goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov

Potential scratches: Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Uvis Balinskis, Cole Reinhardt

Injured Reserve: Evan Rodrigues

LTIR: Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Cole Schwindt, Jonah Godjovich, Niko Mikkola

• It’ll be interesting to see if the Panthers throw Bobrovsky back into the fire after lifting him about halfway through yesterday’s game. His body language looked like he was over it. Maybe he flushes that after a day, the Panthers have basically split the starts (11 for Bob, eight for Tarasov) since the Olympic break. One of them will have to play for a second straight day and it was surely planned to be Tarasov’s game coming into the weekend. Did yesterday’s performance change that? We’ll soon find out!
• Speaking of packing it in, yesterday Tkachuk (0), Bennett (1) and Verhaeghe (2) combined for three shots on goal in yesterday’s game, almost none of them standing out within the game or making much of an impact. Florida doesn’t have much talent left available with four of their top seven scorers on the season already out, if the ones they do have are barely out there it’s going to make the struggles that much more difficult.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• Well, it looks like three-straight years of Stanley Cup Final appearances (not to mention numerous players involved in 4 Nations and Olympics) caught up in a major way with Florida. The tone for the season was set when captain Aleksander Barkov went down with a knee injury in September and was lost for the year. It’s only been downhill from there with injuries and down seasons across the board. Truly a team that’s hit the wall and run out of gas, but what a run they had from 2023-25.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Tommy Novak – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – 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: Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

• It’ll be interesting to see for the Penguins if anyone can’t answer the bell for another game today. Rust, Dewar, Kindel and Brazeau all took some lumps yesterday. Hockey players can play through a lot, and a three-day rest is on the horizon but this might be a time to give someone who isn’t 100% a day off with the bigger picture in mind of hopefully getting them ready for Thursday and beyond.

Boston Bruins (43-26-8, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (38-26-12, in the Metropolitan Division)

Philadelphia; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Flyers -142, Bruins +120; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins take the ice in Eastern Conference play.

Philadelphia is 38-26-12 overall and 17-13-8 at home. The Flyers have conceded 226 goals while scoring 217 for a -9 scoring differential.

Boston is 43-26-8 overall and 15-16-7 on the road. The Bruins are 36-9-6 when scoring at least three goals.

Sunday's game is the third time these teams meet this season. The Flyers won 3-1 in the previous meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Owen Tippett has 28 goals and 22 assists for the Flyers. Tyson Foerster has seven goals over the past 10 games.

Morgan Geekie has 34 goals and 29 assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak has three goals and 12 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Bruins: 6-3-1, averaging 3.5 goals, six assists, 3.3 penalties and 8.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).

Bruins: Mason Lohrei: day to day (upper-body).

___

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

Nashville Predators (36-31-9, in the Central Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (31-26-19, in the Pacific Division)

Los Angeles; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings host the Nashville Predators after Adrian Kempe scored two goals in the Kings' 7-6 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Los Angeles has a 12-17-9 record at home and a 31-26-19 record overall. The Kings have a 12-9-10 record in games they have more penalties than their opponent.

Nashville has a 36-31-9 record overall and a 16-16-6 record in road games. The Predators have gone 30-6-3 in games they score three or more goals.

The teams meet Monday for the third time this season. The Predators won the previous matchup 5-4 in a shootout.

TOP PERFORMERS: Artemi Panarin has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Kings. Alex Laferriere has three goals and six assists over the last 10 games.

Steven Stamkos has 38 goals and 22 assists for the Predators. Filip Forsberg has nine goals and nine assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 4-2-4, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.2 assists, three penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Predators: 7-3-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.5 assists, 4.3 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg), Andrei Kuzmenko: out (meniscus).

Predators: Nicolas Hague: day to day (undisclosed).

___

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

For their second game of a back-to-back, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Calgary Flames on Saturday night at Honda Center.

The Ducks were looking to quickly rebound from a disappointing 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday and return to the win column after going 0-3-1 in their previous four games. Coming into Saturday, the Ducks were tied at the top of the Pacific Division standings with the Edmonton Oilers, but Edmonton held the tiebreaker.

Ducks Recall Tyson Hinds to NHL, Assign Lucas Pettersson, Damian Clara to AHL

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-2 Loss to the Blues

The Flames were coming off two high-scoring affairs against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, losing both games by a combined score of 15-5.

The Ducks remained without defensemen Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov, along with forward Cutter Gauthier. Defenseman Tyson Hinds was recalled from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL prior to the game, and he made his NHL debut in this one.

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

Killorn-Carlsson-Sennecke

Kreider-Granlund-Terry

McTavish-Poehling-Viel

Washe-Gaucher-Moore

LaCombe-Trouba

Hinds-Carlson

Zellweger-Helleson

Ville Husso got the start in the Ducks’ net and saved 15 of just 19 shots. He was opposed by Devin Cooley in the Calgary cage, who stopped 36 of 39.

Games Notes

Offensively, this was one of the Ducks’ better efforts in recent memory and their best on this recent skid. They were maintaining possession and generating above-average looks, at times, shift after shift.

Overaggression, high turnovers, and even bad bounces would spring Calgary’s wingers into the neutral zone on an odd-man rush or breakaway, where all four of their goals against Husso came from.

At 5v5, the Ducks predictably controlled the numbers, winning the shots-on-goal battle 34-18, the shot-attempts battle 72-39, and the expected-goals battle 3.74-2.75.

“Definitely better than last night’s game. The breakaways and the odd-man breaks were preventable by basically knowing that’s what they’re going to do,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said following the game. “With a shot from our end, they take off, and all of a sudden, it’s free. That’s what got them going.

“Our first period wasn’t bad. They get breakaway after breakaway, and that was the big thing. And then we got going in the third with some possession, zone time, and opportunities. Something we’ve been fortunate with all year, it didn’t happen.”

Rush Defense: There was a clear concerted effort from forwards to play more aware and diligent when retreating back into their zone to defend a rush. Mistakes came from eager-to-pinch defensemen failing to read whether they had a high F3, or puck-carrying forwards failing to read whether their far-side defenseman had activated.

If the scouting report suggested Calgary preferred to fly their wingers when pucks were turned over, or battles were created, as Quenneville stated postgame, defensemen would have benefited from playing a bit more conservatively on pucks they were unsure they could get to.

Tyson Hinds: Hinds played a whopping 23:22 TOI in his NHL debut, all at 5v5. From the drop of the puck, he was confident, active, and involved. He refused to allow opponents to remain in dangerous ice uncovered, and he refused to allow seams to open.

He made smart, efficient decisions on breakouts, which led to him and his partner, John Carlson, not having to spend much time deep in the defensive zone. For his play style, one couldn’t ask for a better debut, and he was a true impact player in every zone.

Cycle: Early, the Ducks were determined to funnel pucks toward Cooley from every angle, and when they didn’t make their way there, Anaheim was aggressive with their pinches and were first to several pucks that found their way to the perimeter.

When Cooley was forced to make a save on those perimeter shots, his rebound control was impeccable. Pucks stuck to him, and he didn’t allow any flurries in tight. As the game wore on, the Ducks began controlling play with clever connecting passes, and at times, even forwent potential high-danger shot attempts. The majority of their truly dangerous 5v5 chances came off the rush.

The Ducks will have a couple of days off before their next game on Tuesday, when they’ll host the hungry Nashville Predators, who will be fighting for their playoff lives.

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Loss to the Sharks

Ducks Sign Roger McQueen to ATO, Will Report to AHL with San Diego Gulls

Ducks, Coaching Staff Shortening Leashes for Young Impact Players

It felt inevitable that the Edmonton Oilers' run of solid wins would, sooner or later, come to an end. 

With a prime opportunity to create some separation from the Vegas Golden Knights in the standings—and with the Anaheim Ducks falling to the Calgary Flames—the hope was that the Edmonton Oilers wouldn’t stumble on Easter weekend.

Instead, they laid an egg.

The Golden Knights handed Edmonton a 5–1 loss in a game head coach Kris Knoblauch said was largely lost off the rush.

The Oilers understood the assignment. Trent Frederic asked, "I mean, they could have been, what, a five-point difference? Now it's probably what, one? Is that right?. So, yeah, pretty big."

Despite understanding the stakes, Knoblauch called the team merely adequate. "... the story of the way we lost it was off the rush, giving up chances off the rush, whether it was a bad pinch, forwards not coming back... all four of their goals, and pretty much most of their chances off that," he said. 

"We've Never Wavered:" Oilers Defend Belief In Their GroupWe should've believed them.

When asked if losing Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman was a game-breaker, he responded that they clearly miss those guys, but added, "I don't think the chances we talked about giving up off the rush, Zach Hyman, Draisaitl, like any player should be able to do the responsibilities that we had tonight."

But, yes, the Oilers could have used two 50-goal scorers.

Edmonton's power play was 0-3, and the Golden Knights got their fourth goal (the dagger) at the end of a missed chance to capitalize on the man advantage. The Oilers couldn't and didn't outscore their mistakes. 

"I think we probably got away from the way that we know how to play," said Jake Walman. "I thought it was a little... we were slow tonight, and that's the result against a team like that." 

Curtis Lazar looked on the bright side when he noted that the winning streak had ended: "But we get a chance to start a new one." 

The Oilers and the Golden Knights may meet again. "I think more importantly, we're going against a team we're probably going to see later down the line," noted Walman.  It won't be in the regular season, but these are two teams that feel destined to see each other in the playoffs. If that happens, the intensity that popped at the end of the game and the 5-1 score shouldn't sit well with the Oilers. 

There weren't many positives coming out of this game. Perhaps the only silver lining is that, should these two teams play each other again this season, this game will serve as a reminder about what happens when you don't bring your A-game. 

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LAS VEGAS -- Three up, three down.

The Golden Knights improved to 3-0 under new coach John Tortorella after an impressive 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Brett Howden and Jeremy Lauzon each had a goal and an assist for the Knights, while Colton Sissons, Mark Stone and Rasmus Andersson also scored for Vegas. Jack Eichel finished with three assists and Ivan Barbashev added two helpers.

Goalie Carter Hart was spectacular in stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced to pick up his second straight win in as many starts.

The Knights opened a 3-0 lead by the middle of the second period, on goals from Howden, Sissons and Lauzon, before Evan Bouchard scored with 34 seconds left in the stanza.

Stone and Andersson iced the game with third-period goals.

we 4-1 are having a good time 👍 pic.twitter.com/I6uYa51E1U

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 5, 2026

With the win, Vegas moved within one point of the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers, who both have 87 points atop the Pacific Division.

KEY MOMENT

Howden's goal was the key moment for this one, as the Golden Knights did something they rarely do, and that's take the early lead. Howden was streaking down the left side when he was able to get his stick on a rebound after Jack Eichel entered the zone down the right wall and fired a shot that was saved. Vegas came into the game with a -20 goal differential in the first period, having been outscored, 79-59.

mind if we change it from Rich Flex to Howie Flex???? 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/yQN5BNwHyF

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 5, 2026

KEY STAT

50% ... The Golden Knights were 1 of 2 on the power play, as they scored with a man advantage for the sixth time in eight games. Vegas ranks tied for sixth in the NHL with the power-play conversion rate (54 for 221, 24.4%). Andersson's power play goal in the third period was his 16th score of the season.

we're just here for the stare down 👀 pic.twitter.com/FfwVMMqxl6

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 5, 2026

WHAT A KNIGHT

Starting for the second straight game for Vegas, Hart was the star of the night, being able to go into Edmonton and shut down one of the most potent offenses in the NHL. Hart's 31 saves were his third-most of the season. Hart improved to 5-5-0 in 10 starts against the Oilers, who had scored three or more goals in each of their five victories during their win streak.

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights continue their four-game road trip on Tuesday, when they'll visit the Vancouver Canucks.

PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) makes a save on Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the first period at Rogers Place. 

Heading into this weekend’s back-to-back, the Henderson Silver Knights needed two regulation wins to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. On Friday, they faced a three-goal deficit halfway through the second period; on Saturday, they trailed 4-3 with less than two minutes left in the third.

They won both games in regulation.

With a 5-4 regulation win over the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday, the Silver Knights officially punched their ticket to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

“We’re not cruising to a victory. The belief that we’re never out of a game, you want to make sure we put that in our pocket,” said Silver Knights head coach Ryan Craig. “If we’re learning lessons while we’re winning, and while we’re having success, while guys individually are having success, it’s only going to boost our morale. And as the games get higher and higher stakes, we can use that to our advantage.”

After the first period, the teams were tied with two goals apiece. Tucson struck first on two separate occasions; both times, Henderson responded quickly. Raphaël Lavoie struck on the power play, and Jonas Røndbjerg tipped home a shot from Braedan Bowman.

Henderson led 3-2 after two periods of play. However, after two third-period goals from Tucson’s Sammy Walker, they trailed 4-3 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.The Silver Knights pulled Carl Lindbom for the extra attacker, and Dylan Coghlan scored the equalizer with 1:26 remaining in the third period.

And then, chaos.

The Silver Knights entered the attacking zone as seconds ticked off the clock. Braedan Bowman’s shot went wide, but the puck took a bounce off the end boards and ended up on the stick of Matyas Sapovaliv. Sapovaliv chipped it back in front to Bowman, who banged it in for his second goal of the game.

“I was pretty fired up,” said Bowman postgame. “I went to [Dylan Coghlan] and just started screaming. It’s cool to be back with these guys… Obviously, to clinch a playoff berth, that was pretty special.”

Stats of the Knight

Jonas Røndbjerg, the longest-tenured Silver Knight, scored in the first period to take the franchise lead in goals (81).

The AHL’s rookie of the month of March, Trevor Connelly, provided an assist on Henderson’s first goal of the game.

Braedan Bowman, who recently rejoined Henderson after playing 54 games with the Golden Knights, led the way tonight. He scored two goals, including the game-winner, and recorded two primary assists.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Carter Hart made 31 saves and the Vegas Golden Knights tightened the Pacific Division race, beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 on Saturday night to remain perfect in John Tortorella's first three games as coach.

Vegas moved a point back of Edmonton and Anaheim for the division lead, snapping the Oilers' season-best, five-game winning streak.

Brett Howden and Jeremy Lauzon each had a goal and an assist, Colton Sissons, Mark Stone and Rasmus Andersson also scored and Jack Eichel had three assists.

Evan Bouchard scored for Edmonton, and Connor Ingram made 28 saves.

Hart was activated off injured reserve and backstopped Vegas to a 6-3 home victory over Calgary on Thursday night. He had been out since injuring his left leg Jan. 8 against Columbus.

Tortorella, who replaced the fired Bruce Cassidy, coached Hart in Philadelphia from 2022-24.

Up next

Golden Knights: At Vancouver on Tuesday night.

Oilers: At Utah on Tuesday night.

___

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