A few days ago, we had Saturday circled as the ‘make or break’ day as far as finding out who the Penguins would likely be playing in the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia was one point up on the NY Islanders and Saturday would see the Flyers play the Winnipeg Jets and NYI take on the Ottawa Senators. The results were conclusive — the Flyers romped to a 7-1 win, the Islanders got shutout and lost 3-0. Then, yesterday the Islanders made their elimination official by losing to Montreal.

As a result, via Hockeystats.com, the Battle of Pennsylvania is coming into further focus for the first round of the playoffs. Here are the odds of opponent for the Penguins.

The Flyers have two games left – one tonight against a Carolina team that has first place sewed up. The Hurricanes have won three straight, they haven’t employed a ‘pack it in and wait for the playoffs’ strategy by any means so it might be a tough game. Then Philadelphia plays tomorrow night against the Canadiens, who have incentive to win to strengthen their chances of winning the Atlantic Division. Should Philadelphia win either game or pickup overtime/shootout losses in both games, then their ticket to the playoffs is punched.

The playoff race only gets interesting if the Flyers suffer a regulation loss tonight against the Hurricanes. That would throw at least some hope to Washington and Columbus — who play each other on Tuesday. Here’s the standings.

While Philadelphia gets their chance to win and get in, the situation would get a lot more interesting if the Flyers lose tonight. The Capitals (36 regulation wins) hold the first tiebreaker over the Flyers, so a Washington win tomorrow against CBJ would put pressure on the Flyers to have a must-win game on Tuesday – assuming a PHI regulation loss tonight.

Columbus, at this point, needs a lot of help. They would need the Flyers to lose both of their games in regulation AND do their part by defeating Washington in regulation tomorrow night. Then CBJ, by virtue of regulation wins, would surpass Philadelphia if both ended up with 94 points (and Washington sat tight at 93). The math and odds are relatively more favorable for the Caps, since they would pass either CBJ/PHI if all ended up with 94 points and would pass PHI if WSH/PHI ended with 95. The trick for the Caps will be relying on the Flyers to only get zero or one point in the standings over the Flyers’ next two games, along with of course needing to get a result against the Blue Jackets to bolster their case.

The Red Wings latest end-of-season meltdown as them eliminated after being in first place in the conference as late as January, meaning Detroit now possesses the longest playoff drought in the NHL at 10 seasons, being as Buffalo has had a great season.

In the end, the drama didn’t go down to Game 82 for the Wild Cards – Ottawa won four-straight games last week and has a 5-1-1 April record to salvage their season and advance to the playoffs. Boston wasn’t hot in April (0-3-2 prior to yesterday’s win against Columbus) but managed to do enough in the second half of March (8-4-4 from March 14th on) to glide into a spot above the rest of the Metropolitan Division, courtesy of teams like the Blue Jackets and Islanders running out of steam in a major way over the last 10-12 games.

The Penguins sit in a fortunate spot, whether it’s the Flyers, Capitals or Blue Jackets the Pittsburgh first round opponent will likely have the fewest points of any Eastern playoff qualifier and certainly the lowest goal differential. The Flyers and Capitals have both been in good form winning seven of their last 10 games, though several of those opponents have had nothing to play for down the stretch.

The Penguins themselves are one win away on Tuesday in St. Louis from achieving their first 100-point season since 2021-22. That mark doesn’t look like any sort of priority for the team as they prepare for the start of the playoffs but would be a nice ending point for their season.

For now, the focus is over to the Flyers tonight to see if they can take care of their business against Carolina or will open the door to make Tuesday a very interesting night when it comes to determining which team will be meeting the Pens in the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Flyers got all the help they could have possibly asked for, and now it's up to them to seal the deal and book their place in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Sunday night, with a brutal 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Islanders were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

That leaves the Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington Capitals to vie for the last playoff spot--third place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Blue Jackets lost 3-2 to a Boston Bruins team resting some of its players on Sunday night, putting them on the precipice of elimination as well.

With a win over the Carolina Hurricanes at home at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday night, the Flyers can clinch themselves a playoff berth outright with no further strings attached.

Flyers Get Massive Playoff Help from Claude Giroux, SenatorsEven though he isn't on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> anymore, Claude Giroux, with the help of his Ottawa Senators teammates, lent his former club a helping hand in their playoff race Saturday afternoon.

Because they have two more points than the Blue Jackets with a game still in hand, just one point from an overtime or shootout loss will allow the Flyers to knock Columbus out of the running.

Then, it's down to Washington, who have 93 points in 81 games and can only reach a maximum of 95.

The Flyers are sitting at 94 in 80 games, so their magic number is, obviously, two. A win or two overtime losses seals the deal for Philadelphia.

In anticipation of Monday night's game against the Hurricanes, it's worth noting that Carolina was without Taylor Hall, Mark Jankowski, William Carrier, Jalen Chatfield, K'Andre Miller, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake in their most recent game--a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth.

Flyers Call Up David Jiricek In Surprise MoveThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> have made a bit of a surprising transaction with their playoff push coming to its final few games, recalling top defense prospect David Jiricek from the AHL on Sunday afternoon.

The Hurricanes have already clinched first place in the Metropolitan Division and can clinch home-ice advantage and the Eastern Conference with one more point over their final two games, so they don't have all that much to play for while already resting some players.

Colorado Avalanche News

• Head Coach Bednar will not travel with the team on this road trip due to a facial injury after taking a puck during a game. [TSN]

• Top college free agent T.J. Hughes to sign with Colorado Avalanche. [The Athletic]
• Can juggernaut Avalanche break Presidents’ Trophy curse? [The Score]
• Masterton Trophy nominations announced and Landeskog, Ullmark among those up for award for perseverance, sportsmanship, dedication. [NHL]
• Sam Malinski selected for Avalanche’s 2026 King Clancy Trophy Nominee. [The Hockey News]
• With plenty of fresh blood, NHL will have new Stanley Cup champion after the back-to-back champs failed to make the playoffs. [CBC]
• Avalanche say Nazem Kadri will miss a few games. [Sportsnet]

News Around the League

• Suzuki becomes first Canadien in 40 years to record 100 points in a season. [TSN]
• Do the Maple Leafs really play in a tough NHL market? It depends on who you ask. [The Star]
• Ovechkin appreciates ‘nice’ tribute during possible last game in Pittsburgh. [ESPN]

James Hagens shows why he's NHL-ready in strong Bruins debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Bruins top prospect James Hagens made his much-anticipated NHL debut Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the 19-year-old forward played very well.

It wasn’t a meaningless game, either. Yes, the Bruins had already clinched a playoff spot, but their final seed remains TBD despite beating the Blue Jackets 3-2 at Nationwide Arena. And Columbus really needed a win as it tries to earn the third and final playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Against a desperate opponent, Hagens played a strong 200-foot game. The best example came on the Bruins’ second goal.

After starting the rush up ice with a clean breakout pass in the defensive zone, Hagens aggressively forechecked, pinned a Blue Jackets player to the boards and allowed the Bruins to regain puck possession. Sean Kuraly then fed the puck to Henri Jokiharju, who beat Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves to give Boston the lead.

Hagens earned a secondary assist for his first career point as a Bruin.

Some fine footwork on the forecheck 👌 pic.twitter.com/v9Il4jcywh

— x – Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 12, 2026

The play was an example of the defensive details and all-around jump that Hagens made at Boston College as a sophomore this past season.

“His offensive game was always there, and he still continues to develop it,” BC head coach Greg Brown told NBC Sports Boston last week. “He’s only 19 years old now, but I think he took huge steps in the rest of his game, becoming a 200-foot player, defensive awareness, defensive detail — all those things that you’re going to need to play in the NHL, James really improved on this year, so it’s great to see.”

Hagens, who skated on a line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, finished with one assist, one shot on net, and three shot attempts in 13:08 of ice time. He also took a hooking penalty in the first period. The one area where we didn’t see Hagens was the power play because the Blue Jackets didn’t take a single penalty.

“It was super cool,” Hagens told reporters postgame. “Really cool building to be able to get that win. It was special. Maybe stay out of the box. But it was a really cool game.”

"It was super cool…to be able to get that win, it was special." — James Hagens reacts after his NHL debut

Full #NHLBruins postgame reaction ➡️ https://t.co/9UnePFRcJnpic.twitter.com/wuwgFnkisH

— x – Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 13, 2026

His line produced more shots, more shot attempts, more scoring chances and more high-danger chances than it gave up. There weren’t any major mistakes from Hagens. He didn’t dominate, but he very much looked like he belonged at the NHL level.

“I thought he was good. I thought the whole line was great,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm told reporters postgame. “They used their speed. They were not afraid to make plays. They made a lot of good decisions. They never really got into trouble. Coming into Columbus, it’s a tough building. I was curious how James would handle it, and I thought he did a good job.”

Sturm even had enough confidence to put Hagens out on the ice when the Bruins were protecting a one-goal lead in the third period with less than two minutes left on the clock.

What went into that decision?

“It’s because he gave me a reason for it,” Sturm said. “So it’s not just because of his name and he’s a high pick. No, I put him out there because I trusted him and the whole line did a great job, so they deserved to be out there.”

Hagens obviously has the least amount of experience among the forwards in the mix for bottom-six roles, but he has the best combination of speed and offensive skill in that group. He also isn’t going to be pushed around, either. He’s not the biggest player at 5-foot-11 and 177 pounds, but he’s sneaky strong and knows how to play defensively at a level higher than a lot of forwards his age.

Hagens’ next opportunity to display his skills will come Tuesday when the Bruins wrap up their regular season schedule against the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden. After that, Boston’s next matchup will be Game 1 of the first round.

Keeping Hagens in the lineup for the playoffs — at least for the first two games in Round 1 — would be the best decision for the Bruins. You never know how a rookie is going to handle the intensity of the playoffs, but it’s not like Hagens hasn’t played in big games at other points in his hockey career. And he has the maturity and even-keeled mindset that you need to play well in those pressure-packed environments.

All four of the Bruins’ potential first-round opponents have good goaltending and/or defend well, so the B’s are going to need players who can create offense for themselves and others. Hagens fits that description well, whether it’s at even strength or the power play. And until Sunday’s win over the Blue Jackets, the Bruins’ third and fourth lines hadn’t produced much offense since the Olympic break.

If the Bruins were a veteran team and a top contender (like 2023, for example), then maybe it wouldn’t make sense to throw a 19-year-old prospect into the postseason fire.

But this Bruins team wasn’t expected to compete for a playoff spot, let alone get into the tournament. They will be underdogs in every series they play, so why not give Hagens some valuable experience at the highest level?

ELMONT, NY -- The New York Islanders will be playing for pride on Tuesday night when they host the Carolina Hurricanes after being eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday. 

Head coach Pete DeBoer was asked about his game plan for Tuesday. 

"I'll talk to Mathieu [Darche], and we'll come up with a plan," DeBoer said. "I would like to see as many guys as possible. We took Palat out tonight and put Duclair in. I wanted to give him an opportunity. I haven't seen him yet, so I'll have to talk to Mathieu [Darche] about the roster. But for me, the more guys I can see in game action that are potentially part of this going forward, I think that's important."

The Bridgeport Islanders clinched a playoff spot on Sunday night and don't play again until Wednesday, Apr. 15, so the Islanders' season finale doesn't get in the way of their push for a higher seed. 

So, who could we see in Tuesday's lineup based on what DeBoer said?

There is a strong chance that 2026 No. 16 overall pick, forward Victor Eklund, gets to make his NHL debut. The 19-year-old has been dominating AHL ice since coming over following the conclusion of his SHL season. He has nine points (two goals, seven assists) through his first seven games. 

Adam Beckman (28 goals, 21 assists), Matt Luff (18 goals, 33 assists), and Liam Foudy (25 goals, 21 assists) deserve a crack given how well they've played this season. 

Matthew Maggio, albeit a healthy scratch for nine games before entering the lineup on Sunday night, has had a career season with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) through 60 games.

On the blue line, DeBoer may want to see what Long Island native Marshall Warren, who got eight games with the Islanders this season under head coach Patrick Roy, can do, given his mobility. 

The same can be said for Isaiah George, who has been up as the seventh defenseman since March 24, getting into one game, a loss to Carolina on April 4. 

One of the biggest reasons why Bridgeport is heading to the playoffs is because of the play of goaltender Henrik Tikkanen (17-8-1, 2.60 GAA, .899 SV%, 1 SO). 

Could the 2020 seventh-round pick (No. 214) get a chance to face NHL shots, especially with backup goaltender David Rittich a pending unrestricted agent, and Semyon Varlamov's status (two knee replacements) going forward is anything but certain?

Reminder: While there's no limit on how many players can be on a roster, teams must be cap-compliant. The Islanders only have $2.682 million in available cap space, but could create more if any players need to be placed on long-term injured reserve, if you catch my drift. 

Puck drop against the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 PM ET. 

Mason Marchment (19) and Adam Fantilli (24) scored the only goals in a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. Jet Greaves made 19 saves in the loss.

The Columbus Blue Jackets' Stanley Cup Playoff hopes are officially on life support. For the second year in a row, the CBJ will go down to the wire and will most likely be eliminated. It's not officially over, but it's close. 

The Philadelphia Flyers now need to lose both of their remaining games, and the Jackets need to beat the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night to clinch a playoff berth. The Flyers play back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.

Last season, in a game that the CBJ needed the Habs to lose, the Hurricanes played a mostly AHL lineup and got beat by Montreal, to knock the Blue Jackets out of contention.

In a strange bit of irony, it will again be up to the Carolina Hurricanes to help the Blue Jackets out by beating the Flyers, to give Columbus one last sliver of hope come Tuesday night. 

Quotes

Rick Bowness - "We're all very, very disappointed in how it went tonight. We are. The guys are heartbroken. We're heartbroken. Now we've lost total control of what's going to happen. There's nothing we can do now. We'll just have to sit back and see what happens tomorrow night in Philly."

Adam Fantilli - "This one, it's a gut shot. We understand and understood everything going into this game, and we didn't get it done. The level of disappointment is pretty high right now."

Zach Werenski - "Yeah, especially when they take the lead, we really didn’t give him too much in the 3rd until that goal. I felt like Mo has a big goal to tie it up, we’re playing well, and you know, a good shot by him, and ends up being 3-2, and then after that we have to step up a little bit more. I mean, after that we had, like I said, a couple of grade A's from the slot, we got to find a way to score and tie it up. I mean, that could be our season."

Team Notes Per CBJ PR 

• Columbus (0-2-1) and Boston (3-0-0) completed their season series tonight.
• The Blue Jackets finished the 2025-26 season with a 13-6-5 record against the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference following tonight’s action.
• The Jackets scored the first goal of the game for the 49th time this season (32-10-7) and for the 28th time at Nationwide Arena (18-7-3).
• Columbus has scored first 24 times since Jan. 13 (17-4-3), tying Buffalo for the most instances in the league since then.
• The Blue Jackets skated in front of their sixth-straight and 15th sellout crowd of the season tonight.

Final Stats   

Player Stats & Notes 

• Mason Marchment scored his 19th goal, and 15th goal as a Blue Jacket, and has points in six of his past seven games played (2-6-8). His goal also gives him 4-6-10 in 11 career matchups against Boston, with points in four of his past five (3-6-9) and 4-2-6 in six career home games vs. the club.
• Adam Fantilli scored his 24th goal of the year and won 55.6% of his faceoffs. He has points in consecutive contests (1-2-3) and in three of his past four games (2-2-4). He improved to 3-2-5 in nine career games against Boston with all points in his past six matchups. 
• Dante Fabbro picked up his 6th assist. 
• Boone Jenner recorded his 25th assist and won 50% of his faceoffs. He now has notched 10-5-15 in 25 career contests against the Bruins, with 3-4-7 in his past nine overall and has points in four of his last five at home (1-4-5).
• Danten Heinen got his 5th assist and was a plus-2. He has points in 3 of his last 4 games. 
• Zach Werenski had 8 shots on goal and played 30:27.
• Charlie Coyle won 66.7% of his faceoffs. 

Team Stats

• The Jackets went 0/3 on the power play. 
• The Columbus PK didn't have to work, as the Jackets didn't take a penalty. 
• Columbus won 54.4% of the faceoffs - 31/57
• The Blue Jackets had 20 hits and 4 blocks.

Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets welcome the Washington Capitals into Nationwide Arena in what could be the final game of the season.  

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to host the Dallas Stars in their final home game of the regular season on Monday, but they wake up to a favourable out-of-town result. They currently have a 32-34-14 record, which puts them in a precarious but potentially advantageous position for the draft lottery.

The Calgary Flames defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-1 on Sunday to pick up another two points in the standings and move into the fourth-worst spot in the NHL. With 75 points in 80 games (33-38-9), they have an identical record to the third-worst New York Rangers, but the Flames moved ahead thanks to having more regulation wins, the first tiebreaker in the NHL. That means the Leafs are now just three points away from both clubs.

If both of those teams can pick up three out of four or more points in their last two games, and the Leafs earn zero or one point in their final two games, Toronto could finish as low as the third-worst team in the NHL. That is significant because finishing with the third-worst record would guarantee that the Leafs retain their 2026 NHL Draft pick. Under lottery rules, they would not be able to finish any lower than fifth for the draft set for May 5.

The Maple Leafs traded their 2026 NHL Draft pick on a conditional basis, along with Fraser Minten, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for veteran defenseman Brandon Carlo. The Leafs will retain their pick and give up a future unconditional first-rounder instead if they finish with a top-five selection. While finishing with the fourth or fifth-worst record does not guarantee they keep the pick, finishing third-worst would.

The Rangers visit the Florida Panthers on Monday. Meanwhile, Toronto’s games are certainly must-lose; if the Leafs were to win both of their remaining games, they could conceivably move as high as the eighth-worst in the NHL, which would be less than ideal for their draft goals.

Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 4–3 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks were by far the better team on Sunday from an analytics perspective. Anaheim won the even-strength scoring chances battle 28-13 while also picking up a win for even-strength high-danger scoring chances created by a count of 12-7. In the end, though, the Canucks' ability to not just score twice on the power play, but also once shorthanded, made the difference as Vancouver skated away with a win. 

 As for the heatmap, both teams crashed the net hard all night. Two of the Canucks' goals were scored from right in front of the crease, while the Ducks buried two from close range. In the end, Tolopilo was the difference maker as he stopped nine of 10 high-danger shots he faced. 

To wrap this win up, Curtis Douglas had what many call a legacy goal. He scored his first career goal, won a fight and led Vancouver with an even-strength xGF% of 78.24. While he has only been with the organization for a few weeks, Douglas has already become a fan favourite and someone that many would like to see re-signed this off-season. 

The Canucks return home on Tuesday to play their final home game of the season. Their opponent will be the Los Angeles Kings, who are looking to secure a playoff spot. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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Still reeling from the loss of Noah Dobson, the Montreal Canadiens had to bounce right back up as they were facing the New York Islanders in the 81st game of their regular season. With Dobson ruled out for at least two weeks, Kaiden Guhle was back in the lineup, and David Reinbacher, freshly called up from the Laval Rocket, was playing his first NHL game, on the third pairing alongside Arber Xhekaj. That also meant that Adam Engstrom came out of the lineup.

Joe Veleno was also scratched to allow Zach Bolduc to return, while Brendan Gallagher had to sit out another game. As for Alex Newhook, he was back on the second line while Kapanen landed on the third. There’s no denying that Martin St-Louis is holding auditions right now to find out the right combinations for the playoffs.

For a second night in a row, the Canadiens were pitted against a team that was desperately fighting for its survival. The Islanders needed a win to remain in playoff contention after a costly loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.

Two Canadiens Prospects Are National Champions
Canadiens Announce Dobson Is Out And Call Up Reinbacher
Canadiens Outworked By The Blue Jackets

The Season of Milestones

After a dull first frame in which both teams were extremely prudent, which wasn’t surprising given what was at stake, Montreal managed to break the deadlock at 15:56 of the second frame, through none other than captain Nick Suzuki, who got his 100th point in style. It’s the first time since 1985-86 that a Canadiens player reaches the century mark; Mats Naslund was the last one to do it. The 26-year-old becomes just the fifth player in Habs history to reach the 100-point mark in a season after Guy Lafleur, Pete Mahovlich, Naslund, and Steve Shutt, and it’s the 11th time that has happened.

Bienvenue à notre capitaine dans le club des centenaires

Welcome to the 100 club, Cap#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/w0C8eZTkRb

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 13, 2026

They were barely done celebrating when he got an assist on the next goal, scored by Ivan Demidov, just like Lane Hutson. With a helper on both games, Hutson had 66 assists, tying Larry Robinson’s record for most assists in a season by a Canadiens’ defenseman. The mark had been set in 1976-77. With another game to play, the youngster might even have time to break the record.

Newhook then added a third goal in 55 seconds for the visitors, and Reinbacher got the secondary assist, recording his first NHL point in his first game. The goal scorer immediately grabbed the puck, all too aware of its significance.

3 buts en moins d'une minute!!

3 goals in less than a minute!!#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/g3RA5mqRya

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 12, 2026

Fowler Did Not Falter

Despite not being overly tested in the first two periods, only having to turn aside 14 shots in 40 minutes, rookie netminder Jacob Fowler had to hold the fort in the final frame. Down by three goals and with elimination looming, the Islanders started to put more pucks on net and more traffic in front of the masked man. Still, they could only manage to score once when Casey Cizikas deflected a point shot, which Kirby Dach failed to block. With so many bodies in the way (Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean), it was pretty much impossible for the youngster to see the puck.

With a lead cut down to just two goals, Fowler didn’t let that phase him and was irreproachable for the rest of the game. Under tremendous pressure, he stayed as cool as a cucumber and played a big role in the Islanders’ elimination.

Bolduc Impressed

After being a healthy scratch for the last two games, the sophomore had plenty of energy on the ice. He played very well on both sides of the puck, was a nuisance on the forecheck, landing five hits on the night and was also rewarded offensively with a goal and an assist.

If he could play that brand of hockey every night, he wouldn’t have to worry about having to sit for another game as the Canadiens get ready to embark on their playoff journey. For now, though, he’s done more than enough to ensure that he’s in the lineup on Tuesday when the Canadiens take on the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game of the regular season.

It’s also worth mentioning that Reinbacher’s father, his girlfriend, and one of his best friends were in the building to see him get his first NHL point despite the short notice about his first NHL game. The right-shot blueliner did well in the 11 minutes and change he spent on the ice.

With the win, the Canadiens take back second place in the Atlantic Division. They have 106 points, just like the Buffalo Sabres, who are first, but the Habs only have 34 regulation wins, while the Sabres have 41. Both Buffalo and the Tampa Bay Lightning have two games left to play, while the Canadiens have only one; it’s going to be a tight finish.

---

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Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

A pair of Jesper Bratt goals pushed the Devils to a 5-3 win over the Red Wings on Saturday as Detroit was eliminated from playoff contention. [Devils NHL]

And on Sunday in the home finale, a power play goal from Nico Hischier in overtime gave the Devils a 4-3 win over the Senators. [Devils NHL]

“Whether it’s Sunny Mehta or whoever else the Devils hire, they have work to do once they begin the job. Let’s look at the four most important tasks facing the Devils’ next GM.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

“Mehta is smart and media savvy. But he has not yet been a general manager in the NHL and could use an experienced front-office member to support him. Insert Shanahan, who fits both the experienced front-office member criteria as well as a franchise great. He was Lou Lamoriello’s first draft selection as Devils general manager in 1987 and played his first 281 games in a Devils uniform before bookending his career in New Jersey in 2008-09.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]

Could Tyler Dellow be another good option? “Dellow also has a data-driven background, a history with the organization, and has done tidy work to help elevate the Carolina Hurricanes.” [Infernal Access ($)]

Hockey Links

“The 2025-26 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be the first NHL post-season without all three NYC area teams (NJD, NYI, NYR) since the Devils entered the league in 1974 as the Kansas City Scouts.” [r/hockey]

Cool stuff:

For the 100th time pic.twitter.com/1nwHm3OdAU

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 12, 2026

Ouch:

Avs head coach Jared Bednar took an attempted dump-in from Keegan Kolesar to the side of the head and has left the bench 🤕 pic.twitter.com/Qh0uQQSXgd

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 12, 2026

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar will not accompany the team on their upcoming two-game road trip due to facial fractures and a corneal abrasion. He will not require surgery at this time and is expected to make a full recovery.

Avalanche assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and… pic.twitter.com/6VupeAD82E

— P – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 12, 2026

Who are the league’s most underrated forwards? “This list could have easily been 30-50 players long, so unfortunately, a lot of highly deserving candidates (including the one on your favorite team) will likely be left off. Here’s my personal take on seven underrated NHL forwards. I’ve tried to include a diverse mix of player types, including top-six players that out-of-market fans have already heard of but whose talent/production they may not fully appreciate, and some under-the-radar middle-six forwards.” [The Athletic ($)]

“Nick Suzuki recorded his 100th point of the season Sunday night, becoming the first Montreal Canadiens’ skater to reach the single-season milestone in 40 years.” [Daily Faceoff]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The 2025-26 New York Islanders have run into their ceiling, falling short of a goal that didn’t seem realistic before Matthew Schaefer put up a historic rookie season and Ilya Sorokin bounced back with a Vezina year in the face of a steady stream of high-danger chances. (And we shouldn’t forget the secondary assist from their never-to-be-repeated 10-0 overtime record. They didn’t fix the power play but they did fix that.)

By running out of steam in the final weeks, the Islanders deprived the franchise of two or three games of playoff revenue, robbed us of some postseason fun (and heartache, always heartache), and kept Schaefer from getting an early taste of postseason intensity. But they also probably spared us the traditional first-round humbling by the Hurricanes or, worse, a tough first-round loss to an in-form Penguins team whose greatest 2025-26 contribution will be driving more people in Toronto mad over the Shanahan-Dubas-yada-yada turning point.

Standings points in the no-tie, 3-on-3, shootout-and-hotdog-eating-contest era of deciding regular season “winners” are always a little bit smoke and mirrors. But last night when I switched my standings view from “Wild Card” to “League” to resume assessing where the Islanders are likely to pick in the draft, I was struck by the fact their 91 points — even amid a 3-7 slump — was still ahead of the Western playoff-bound Oilers, Mammoth and Ducks. No no no, my conference doesn’t suck, your conference sucks.

That’s small comfort that will soon be moot and forgotten, but each of those teams has 9 or 10 OT wins, too. The Islanders: Flawed like some other interesting teams!

And what’s better, this season Schaefer has shown they have something incredible to build off of, hopefully while Ilya Sorokin (who, don’t look now, turns 31 next year) can still be a game changer. Dear Mathieu Darche, please don’t Chiarelli, Holland or Bowman this up, and maybe introduce young Schaef-daddy to Connor McDavid this summer, okay?

Islanders News

• About last night: Game over. [LHH] A once feel-good season comes crashing down. [Post]
• Takeaways: a disaster in 55 seconds. [Isles]
• Gross: In the end, they were not playoff-worthy. [Newsday]
• For game 82, Pete DeBoer wouldn’t mind seeing players “in game action who are potentially part of this moving forward,” but knows it’s up to Mathieu Darche. In hopefully related news, Ondrej Palat was a scratch last night. [Post]
• Another reason to cheer up: After finishing 32nd the last two AHL seasons, Bridgeport, in its final season, finally made the playoffs again! And Victor Eklund The Greater continues to score. [B-Isles]
• Check this site for lots on Bridgeport, including their clincher, where Matt Maggio returned after a long run of scratches and Cole Eiserman sat out. [Isles in the Sound]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores included the Penguins continuing to roll over for the Capitals, almost like they’d prefer a first round vs. D.C. instead of vs. the Flyers.

• James Hagens had an assist (and penalty) in his debut, as Boston reversed its slide and dealt the Blue Jackets a near-fatal blow. [Sportsnet]
• An emotional and brief speech from Anze Kopitar, who vowed to Kings fans they would try to get into the postseason and create a couple more home games. [NHL]
• Alex Ovechkin “will think about” playing another year. [NHL]

Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins iced most of their regulars but generated little offense, falling 3-0 to the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Washington pulled away late with two third-period goals (including an empty-netter), in a game that may have marked one of Alex Ovechkin’s final appearances in Washington, D.C. [Recap]

ICYMI: The Penguins signed undrafted North Dakota defenseman Jake Livanavage to a two-year entry-level deal on Friday, adding a mobile, puck-moving blueliner to a thin prospect pool on the left side. [PensBurgh]

Forward Bryan Rust was selected as the Penguins’ nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which recognizes “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…

After the Penguins-Capitals game on Sunday, Ovechkin was named the first star and was greeted with not only admiration from the fan base for what could be his final NHL home game, but also chants of “One more year!” from those same fans who don’t want to see the Great 8 hang up the skates just yet. [NHL]

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar will not travel with his team on their upcoming western Canada road trip after taking a puck to the face during their game Saturday night. [Sportsnet]

Nick Suzuki is the first Montreal Canadiens player in 40 years to reach 100 points in a season. [TSN]

By Corey Abbott, RotoWire.com

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 in dynasty leagues or late additions for the fantasy playoffs in standard formats, there should be plenty of options to help your squads. 

Let's get into this week's suggestions for your consideration.

Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, Blues (36% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Hits 

Snuggerud has ramped it up in the fourth quarter of the NHL season. He has the most points among rookies during that span, with 17 (seven goals, 10 assists) in 17 games. He also leads all first-year players with 16 even-strength points over that stretch. Snuggerud has registered one goal on 16 shots and four assists in his past four outings. He also has 69 hits across 67 games this campaign. The 21-year-old winger has fit in nicely with red-hot linemates Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway down the stretch. St. Louis plays three times this week, including twice at home. 

Dmitry Orlov, D, Sharks (24% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Blocks/Hits

Collecting seven assists (three on the power play), 16 shots on goal, 11 hits and seven blocked shots in his last nine outings, Orlov has been productive down the stretch. He shifted off the first power-play unit in a 4-3 shootout loss to Vancouver on Saturday, but he has maintained a top-pairing role late in the year. His category coverage makes him an intriguing option heading into San Jose's season-ending, three-game road trip.

Carter Hart, G, Golden Knights (19% rostered) for Starts/Saves/Wins 

Since returning to the lineup from a lower-body injury, Hart has won four consecutive starts while allowing only seven goals on 97 shots. He had a light 10-save effort against Vancouver on Tuesday, but he made at least 30 stops in each of his wins over Edmonton and Colorado. Hart should get at least one of Vegas' final two games and he could play in both. Vegas hosts Winnipeg on Monday before concluding the regular season with a home contest against Seattle on Wednesday. 

Anton Forsberg, G, Kings (14% rostered) for Starts/Saves/Wins 

Forsberg has played superbly in April, stopping 103 of 107 shots faced during a four-game winning streak. He made 27 saves in a 1-0 shutout victory over Edmonton on Saturday, which helps his case to see the bulk of the starts during the Kings' season-ending road trip. The team probably will roll with the hot hand with a playoff spot on the line. Los Angeles plays three times in four nights, starting with Monday's matchup in Seattle. The Kings visit Vancouver on Tuesday before wrapping up against Calgary on Thursday. 

Porter Martone, RW, Flyers (13% rostered) for Goals/Shots/Hits/PP 

Since turning pro at the end of March, Martone has been all over the scoresheet. Following a successful freshman season with Michigan State University, the 19-year-old forward has amassed three goals, seven points, 27 shots on target and 11 hits in his first seven NHL appearances. Martone has been skating in a top-six role at even strength and has a spot on the top power-play combination, where he has two of his three goals and one assist. Philadelphia plays two games on home ice this week and can end a five-year playoff drought with one victory. 

Anton Frondell, C, Blackhawks (10% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Blocks/Hits 

Frondell has looked impressive since his NHL debut against the Islanders on March 24. He has compiled three goals, nine points, 30 shots on net, 11 blocked shots and eight hits through his first 10 appearances as a member of the Blackhawks. After starting on Connor Bedard's wing, Frondell remains productive while centering the second line between Tyler Bertuzzi and Ilya Mikheyev. The 18-year-old Frondell has two goals and two assists during a three-game point streak. He also still sees time with Bedard on the first power-play combination. Frondell possesses considerable value in keeper formats. Thanks to the category coverage he provides, he also has the potential to be a solid depth pickup in standard leagues. Chicago hosts Buffalo and San Jose on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, to finish its 2025-26 campaign. 

Matthew Coronato, RW, Flames (7% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots 

Coronato has accumulated four goals on 34 shots and 14 points (four on the power play) in the last 14 games. He has two point streaks of five straight games during that span and has one goal and four helpers over his active five-game spree. After some ups and downs, he has been consistent down the stretch in the team's top six. Calgary plays twice at home to close out the 2025-26 regular season against the Avalanche and Kings on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. 

A.J. Greer, LW, Panthers (3% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/Hits 

Greer has been productive down the stretch for the injury-ravaged Panthers. He has accounted for five goals, nine points, 18 shots on net, seven blocked shots and 21 hits in his last 10 outings. Due to the absence of several forwards from the lineup, Greer is logging time in Florida's top six and is taking advantage of the increased responsibility. The Panthers finish the 2025-26 campaign with home games against the Rangers and Red Wings on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. 

Easton Cowan, LW/RW, Maple Leafs (2% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/Hits/PP

Cowan is playing well late in the year while occupying a top-six position. He has picked up two goals, four assists, eight shots on net and eight hits in his last six outings. The bulk of his recent production has come on the first power-play unit, where he has two goals and two helpers. The 20-year-old forward is benefiting from an increased role and has solid all-around upside for Toronto's final two games of 2025-26.

Jonathan Toews, C, Jets (2% rostered) for Assists/Points/Shots/PP/Faceoffs 

Toews has generated points in bunches this season while struggling through some lengthy offensive droughts. However, he could finish the regular season on a high note after notching two goals on five shots and two helpers during a three-game point streak. During that span, he has two power-play points, including an assist, while skating on the first unit, and he has won 27 of his 40 faceoffs. Winnipeg plays three times, including twice on the road, to finish the 2025-26 regular season. 

To wrap up their 2025-26 home schedule, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday evening at Honda Center. This home closer had more weight behind it than any in the last eight years, as a win would clinch the Ducks a playoff spot for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

The Ducks were coming off a get-right win on Thursday, as they defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-1 and snapped a six-game winless streak.

Anaheim Ducks Goaltender Lukas Dostal Nominated for King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-1 Win over the Sharks

For Vancouver, this was their second game of a back-to-back, as they snapped their own four-game losing streak with a 4-3 shootout win against the Sharks on Saturday.

The Ducks saw the return of two prominent pieces in their lineup, as Cutter Gauthier returned after missing the Ducks’ previous five games with an upper-body injury. Captain Radko Gudas also returned to the blueline after missing six of their last seven games. Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger, and Drew Helleson served as healthy scratches in this one.

Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start:

Kreider-Carlsson-Terry

Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke

Viel-McTavish-Gauthier

Washe-Poehling-Moore

LaCombe-Trouba

Mintyukov-Carlson

Hinds-Gudas

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks in this game, setting a career high for games in a season with 55. He stopped 22 of 26 shots in this one. In the Vancouver crease stood Nikita Tolopilo, who saved 24 of 27.

Games Notes

The Ducks got off to one of their better starts, dominating the shot count, manufacturing quality chances early, and getting out to a lead just three minutes in. Vancouver pushed back and got a goal off a net front battle and a power play goal to close out the first.

After a cycle-heavy second period didn’t amount to anything on the scoreboard, the Ducks allowed a shorthanded goal early in the third. In typical 2025-26 Anaheim Ducks fashion, led by their youngest and most talented players, they refused to let this game slip away, and notched two tallies in short succession, following Vancouver’s shorthanded goal.

In overtime, Beckett Sennecke tried to force a play, turned it over at his blueline, Chris Kreider took a penalty, and the Canucks won it on the ensuing power play in overtime. Special teams proved an issue again in this game, but at 5v5, they won every category decisively. They accounted for 58.67% of the shot attempts, 60.53% of the shots on goal, and 66.92% of the expected goals.

“Well, we fell short. I didn’t like the call at the end of the game,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “That didn’t help, certainly. We battled back there in that third period. I thought we played fine all game. We had good pace, good energy, and worked hard.”

Cutter Gauthier: Teams don’t want to be over-reliant on one player to contribute a sizable percentage of their offense. However, the Ducks were clearly missing Gauthier over the last five games. His finishing ability and knack for instant offense is something the Ducks always have in their back pocket whenever they need a go-ahead goal early or a goal to get them back into a game.

In this one, he did his damage on the power play (or when a power play had just expired) from his home on the right flank. Few players can beat NHL goaltenders from distance regularly, even with puck movement, but Gauthier is one of the few. His line with Viel and McTavish didn’t have their best defensive performance, but did well to pressure Vancouver’s defensemen and disrupt on the forecheck.

Cycle: The Ducks seemed keen to feed pucks to their defensemen at the points, perhaps to a fault. Point men weren’t forcing shots or funneling pucks to the net; instead, they prioritized keeping pucks moving down the wall, extending cycle sequences, and racking up offensive zone possession time.

However, at times when forwards were in trouble on the wall, they would try to feed covered point men, which led to several turnovers high in the offensive zone, one of the more dangerous areas on the ice to cough up pucks.

The cycle was at its best, especially with McTavish’s line, when the Ducks’ F3 would pop high between the defensemen along the blueline to draw the opposing center away from the low slot so they could get shots through easier or more easily win pucks back down low, as they had the numbers and positioning advantage. 



Rush Defense: As has been the case for the entirety of this season, the Ducks played a high-risk, pressure game. Defensemen and F3s made some questionable pinches and pressures low in the offensive zone with the aim to maintain possession.

The difference in this game and why those sequences didn’t cost them can be attributed to two factors: 1. Quality of opponent. Vancouver is at the bottom of the NHL standings for several reasons, and one of them is their lack of team speed and firepower. 2. When Ducks players would pinch or pressure, as a team, they were able to recover well for their pressuring teammate or recover themselves after a failed pinch.

If that aspect of their pressure game can be relied on and fleshed out, it can become a more dangerous weapon while also limiting much of the risk involved.

The Ducks will look to finally, mercifully, clinch a playoff spot for the first time in eight seasons on Tuesday, when they’ll head to St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild.

Ducks Goaltender Ville Husso Nominated for Masterton Trophy

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-0 Loss to the Predators

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Brayden Pachal scored his first NHL goal of the season and added two assists on Sunday night as the Calgary Flames’ hot streak at home continued with a 4-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth.

Matt Coronato, Connor Zary and Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary, which is 7-0-1 in its last eight games at home. Dustin Wolf made 28 saves.

Lawson Crouse scored for Utah, which holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a three-point lead on the Los Angeles Kings, who have a game in hand.

Vitek Vanecek had 19 stops for Utah.

With both teams playing the second game of back-to-backs, it was Calgary that came out flying with Coronato giving the Flames a 1-0 lead at 7:06 of the first period. When Vanecek misplayed the puck behind his net after colliding with defenseman Ian Cole, Coronato grabbed the loose puck and tucked it into the vacated net.

After a dominant first period in which Calgary took a 2-0 lead and outshot the visitors 14-4, Utah played a better second period, but was unable to solve Wolf.

Among his stops was a key glove save on MacKenzie Weegar when the former Flames defenseman broke in from the blue line all alone.

While Clayton Keller had an assist to extend his point streak to eight games (four goals, 13 assists), Dylan Guenther (six goals, seven assists) and Mikhail Sergachev (zero goals, 12 assists) had their seven-game point streaks come to an end.

Coronato’s goal, which extended his point streak to five games (one goal, four assists), was his 100th NHL point. Rookie left-winger Aydar Suniev had an assist for his first NHL point.

Up next

Mammoth: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

Flames: The Colorado Avalanche are the visitors on Tuesday night.

___

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