Who:Winnipeg Jets (28-29-11, 67 points, 6th place Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (34-18-16, 84 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 1 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and TSN3, national feed on NHL Network
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have two brutal rematches coming up during this three-game homestand, starting with meeting the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday for the second half of a back-to-back. The Pens then get a day off before reuniting with the visiting Carolina Hurricanes next Tuesday.
Opponent Track: The Jets are heading into Saturday’s matinee on a two-game losing streak after dropping a 4-3 shootout decision to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday before getting blown out 6-1 by the Boston Bruins on Thursday.
Season Series: The Jets opened the Nov. 1 matchup between these teams with four straight goals, capped off by Kyle Connor’s short-handed penalty shot, on their way to claiming a 5-2 win over the visiting Pens.
Getting to know the Jets
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Alex Iafallo
Cole Perfetti – Adam Lowry – Gabriel Vilardi
Gustav Nyquist – Jonathan Toews – Isak Rosen
Cole Koepke – Morgan Barron – Brad Lambert
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey / Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg / Elias Salomonsson
Haydn Fleury / Jacob Bryson
Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck / Eric Comrie
Potential scratches: Vladislav Namestnikov, Ville Heinola
Injured Reserve: Neal Pionk, Colin Miller, Nino Niederreiter
The Jets have just three players this season with more than 15 goals, and they’re all in their top six (Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi).
Connor Hellebuyck is coming off one of the worst starts of his recent regular-season career after allowing six goals in Thursday’s blowout loss to the Boston Bruin.
Connor Hellebuyck allows 6 goals in a regular season game for the first time since January 10, 2023
The Jets are in a tough spot. They’re technically still in the playoff race (five points back, 14 games remaining). They’re also currently projected to select sixth in the NHL draft lottery by Tankathon. Angling for better lottery odds could be a good move for a franchise theoretically hoping to take advantage of the remaining competitive window around their core of Mark Scheifele (33 years old), Kyle Connor (29) and Connor Hellebuyck (32) by bouncing back next season.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – 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: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Ryan Graves, Kevin Hayes, Jack St. Ivany, Ville Koivunen
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Blake Lizotte
Looks like Sam Girard, who has missed five games with a lower-body injury, could draw back into the lineup after taking regular line rushes during Friday’s practice. That’s set to place him back on the second pairing alongside Kris Letang while bumping Ilya Solovyov from the lineup.
Ryan Graves and Jack St. Ivany were both participating in Friday’s practice as well, although they were doing so on the extra pairing.
Erik Karlsson was named the NHLPA’s Player of the Week on Friday for his efforts to keep the Pens afloat on their recent road trip.
👑 Erik Karlsson’s 3 consecutive multi-point outings saw the @penguins defenceman move into the top 10 among all blueliners in points this season, earning himself the honour of NHLPA Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/NyeZwYLioA
Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls just won’t stop winning. The race is so tight that a regulation loss for the Penguins could mean not only falling out of the top three in the Metro but all the way out of a postseason spot altogether. Here’s a look at the out-of-town schedule to keep an eye on tonight.
Seattle Kraken at Columbus Blue Jackets: 5 p.m. ET
New York Islanders at Montréal Canadiens: 7 p.m. ET
After the Islanders spent 60 minutes in Ottawa trying to shoot themselves in the foot — only to finally hit the mark with 11 seconds to go — they’ve got a pretty significant back-to-back here to finish the Canada road trip in Montreal and then return home for a pivotal Sunday meeting with the surging Blue Jackets.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dustin Wolf made 24 saves, Victor Olofsson scored his first goal for Calgary and the Flames beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Friday night for their second straight victory.
Olofsson came over from Colorado at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Nazem Kadri back to the Avalanche.
Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato also scored for Calgary, each moving into a tie with Blake Coleman for the team lead with 16.
A.J. Greer scored for two-time defending champion Florida. Daniil Tarasov made 32 saves in losing for sixth time in his last seven starts.
Trying to avoid becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15, the Panthers remained 13 points behind the final wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.
Greer was ejected with 8:46 left in the third period after hooking Connor Zary and shoving him head-first into the boards.
Zary remained down for a few minutes before slowly skating off accompanied by the club’s trainer. Greer was assessed a hooking minor, an interference major and a game misconduct. Frost and Coronato scored on the extended power play to put the game away.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, Calgary took the lead for good at 7:44 of the second period when Farabee’s shot deflected in off the stick of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola.
Late in the third, Mikkola sustained what appeared to be a serious injury when he locked knees in an accidental collision with Calgary’s Ryan Strome, who was looking the opposite direction. Mikkola was down on ice writhing in pain as he clutched at his left knee.
Calgary has won seven straight home games against Florida. The Panthers’ last victory in the Scotiabank Saddledome was Feb. 17, 2018.
Many people who have been associated with hockey for a long time understand that NHL goalies are simply a different breed.
It takes an insane level of mental fortitude to play the toughest position at the highest possible level, so being a netminder in the NHL is not for the faint of heart. It also helps to have a tandem partner who you work well with on and off the ice to help you navigate the highs and lows of a season and keep pushing you.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ goaltender Artūrs Šilovs has been one half of the team’s goaltending tandem all season long, whether it has been alongside Sergei Murashov, Tristan Jarry, or - most recently - Stuart Skinner, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers as part of the deal that sent Jarry there in mid-December.
And, lo and behold, it didn’t take long for Šilovs and Skinner to get along pretty well. In fact, they’ve developed a pretty good relationship both on and off the ice.
“Yeah, I like the guy. Really nice guy,” Šilovs said of Skinner. “I think we have a good relationship. Went for a couple dinners together. It’s been pretty good. I like him a lot. I think it’s nice to have him here.”
“Especially where he played [before], there’s a lot of pressure. A lot of Canadian markets. I think he did a good job managing it. It’s not easy. If things don’t go your way, you get eaten alive there. And I think he looks happier here, so I’m happy for him.”
Asking Skinner about Šilovs actually garnered a pretty similar response in the beginning, as both mentioned that they’ve already gone to dinner a few times. And Skinner, 27, said that being close in age with the 24-year-old helps a lot with their off-ice relationship, too.
“It’s been great. Right from day one, we were texting, and we were able to get to a couple of dinners together,” Skinner said. “So, we were able to connect really well right off the bat.
“He’s a great guy, very good goalie, very talented, and we’re somewhat close in age. He’s a little younger than me, but we have that similar age kind of energy, you could say. So, it’s been a lot of fun getting to know him.”
And part of that process has involved the pretty common practice of largely avoiding hockey talk away from the rink. Skinner thinks that there is a time for hockey whenever it becomes relevant to discuss, but he and Šilovs have been able to connect by being present with their human side rather than by just being hockey players.
“Nothing really on the hockey side, to be honest,” Skinner said. “We’ve learned a lot from each other just from a personal perspective and hanging out with each other. I feel like, as hockey players, you tend to talk about things other than hockey just because your life is basically centered around hockey.
“So, it’s a good opportunity for him and I just to chat and be human beings. I’m sure we’ll talk if things come up. That’s kind of what ends up happening, I feel like, even for myself [and] some of the older goalies I’ve played with, you normally talk to them and ask them questions when things kind of come up. So, yeah, I’m always open to hearing anything that he’s got to say, and I’m sure he is with me as well. And we’re still waiting for that moment.”
Speaking of the hockey side of things, the truth of the matter is that not all goaltending tandems are smooth-sailing, especially when each netminder is trying to separate himself. No matter who Šilovs - who is 15-9-8 with an .895 save percentage in 32 games for the Penguins this season - has shared the net with, it has pretty much been a 50-50 split of the playing time, which has been the theme for the Penguins’ goaltending situation all season long.
For Pittsburgh, it’s a strategy that has worked. And for Šilovs and Skinner - one technically still a rookie but with ample big-game experience, and one still young but with plenty of NHL playoff experience - they are both finding some benefits of continuing to split games, especially with the busy schedule to close out the regular season.
“I think it helps us,” Šilovs said. “I feel like [both guys] have an opportunity to show up on any night. I think you have time for practice, time to improve yourself. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose. So, I think it’s a good opportunity to prepare, be healthy. If you have something, you have time to recover, and just prepare for the next one.”
He also pointed to how he and Skinner are able to build off of each other’s performances with the way things have been set up as far as their tandem.
“I think it’s a big morale boost,” Šilovs said. “You know, we both want to help the team to win. If he wins a game, I’m happy for him. I’m happy for the team. Especially now, it’s so crucial to get points, it’s like, you want to have success for both guys. And I think that’s going to help us to be in a better spot.”
Even if Šilovs is pretty used to the goaltending split by now since he’s been doing it all year, Skinner is in a bit of a different situation. Prior to arriving in Pittsburgh, he was Edmonton’s No. 1 goaltender - posting 23 appearances with an .891 save percentage with the Oilers this season, which is his fifth full season in the NHL - and getting the bulk of the starts, so cutting some of that playing time has been a bit of an adjustment for him, especially since he’s never been part of a 50-50 tandem before.
For the first time in his NHL career, Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner is working as part of a 50-50 goalie tandem split. Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
But the timing of it all actually added up, especially with the Olympic break and the schedule being condensed. Skinner - who is 9-5-5 with an .889 save percentage in 19 appearances with Pittsburgh since the trade - said the decision to split time between the two goaltenders has definitely been the right one for this time of year.
“I mean, it’s the first time I’ve ever had to do it, but I think it’s been working for the team really well,” Skinner said. “We’ve been able to get a solid amount of starts from both of us, been able to get some really good quality starts from both of us. Obviously, we’ve been getting points, we’ve been getting wins, so things have been pretty good.
“If you look at March right now, we’ve definitely had to make sure that we’re doing our best to keep everybody healthy and not exhausted. Even just coming into March, if you look at it, it was the best game plan either way. I think everything that this organization has been doing ever since I’ve been here has been very intelligent, very smart, and it’s working.”
And even if the numbers for either guy don’t stand out like crazy, it is certainly working for the Penguins, as each of them seems to be able to come up with big saves in big moments of the game. This happened with Šilovs against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, as he made 18 saves in the first period alone to preserve the Penguins’ 4-2 lead heading into first intermission - and he didn’t allow any past him after that.
Then, on Wednesday in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, it would be easy to point to the six goals that Skinner surrendered and claim he didn’t have his best. But he faced 44 Carolina shots and was hung out to dry by the Penguins’ defense for much of the night - plus, he made some huge saves throughout the game, especially in the first two frames to keep the Penguins to within one goal at each intermission. And he made a phenomenal save in the third, too, when his team had just stormed back and taken their first and only lead of the game.
Every time one performs well, the other one responds the same way. And the pattern repeats. So, if the 50-50 split is not broken, head coach Dan Muse won’t figure to fix it - at least, for now.
“Yeah, if things continue to work, then we’ll keep doing it,” Muse said. “I didn’t walk into the season saying we have to do this, we have to do that. I think you’ve got to see your group and what’s the best fit for your group. And I think both guys have earned the opportunity to be in a situation where they’ve been splitting games.
“As I’ve said all year, it’s not something that I’m saying I’m totally locked into. I think you continue to take things a game at a time, but it has worked for both guys. I think the guys have been great working with each other. I think [they’ve been] great pushing each other, whether it’s practices or in games, and I think that’s a good thing to have.”
And if Šilovs and Skinner continue to one-up each other, Muse and company will have some difficult decisions ahead if the team makes the postseason. It’s not common in the slightest to see a 50-50 tandem last throughout the entirety of the season, and it’s certainly unorthodox to see that split continue into the postseason.
But, given how this team has found success doing just that this season - and, especially, with Šilovs and Skinner - splitting in the playoffs, should the Penguins make it, isn’t entirely out of the question, however unlikely.
“I’m not too sure how well that would work,” Skinner smiled. “But, who knows, though?”
Mar 20, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (21) celebrates after scoring the winning goal in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
For the second game in a row, a defenseman won the game for the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime, this time by rookie Alexander Nikishin, who notched his 10th goal of the season just 41 seconds into the extra period.
The Canes started off their road trip with a tight, 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.
Brandon Bussi was the happiest to congratulate Nikishin as he got back into the win column, bringing his record to 26-6-1 for the season.
The Leafs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period but Jordan Staal tipped in a shot to tie the score during a powerplay early in the second.
Later in the second period, Eric Robinson was awarded a rare penalty shot and the fourth liner made no mistake.
His score gave the Hurricanes a short-lived, 2-1 lead because just a minute later, John Tavares muscled past Jaccob Slavin to the front of the net and he was able to slip the puck under Bussi to tie the score.
A couple of minutes after this the Canes took the lead again, this time on K’Andre Miller’s first career shorthanded goal.
Miller made a nice steal near center ice and took the puck in alone then lit the lamp on a slick move which faked out goalie, Joseph Woll.
The Canes held the lead until 13:50 into the third period when William Nylander skated through two Carolina players to beat Bussi and make it 3-3.
The game eventually went to overtime where the Canes got the game-winner.
The Canes outshot the Leafs, 36-26. The Leafs also blocked 21 shots.
Next up, they travel to Pittsburgh where they will battle the Penguins once again, this time on Sunday afternoon.
After a really great performance against the Dallas Stars that still ended up with a 2-1 loss in the shootouts, the Avalanche need a bounce back to snap their three-game losing streak, and there's no better team than the Chicago Blackhawks.
It was a dominant performance all around: production on the power play, even strength, and 100% on the penalty kill secured the two points and the first team to secure a playoff spot.
Period 1:
It was a great start for the Avalanche, keeping the Hawks on their heels and creating most of the chances early on. A lot of close shots within the crease, nothing too far out. Getting bodies in front of the net to try and get the eyes of Soderblom and slap in the rebounds, but he has been doing a good enough job getting enough on these shots to keep them out.
The Hawks' best chance came from an early breakaway opportunity by Andre Burakovsky, but Mackenzie Blackwood did a great job on the read and the shot and saved it. It's Martin Necas who opens the scoring as he rockets a shot just past the hash marks from a great play from Valeri Nichushkin. It's a forehand-backhand pass to Necas as the shot hits Soderblom's shoulder and bounces in, 1-0.
Dominic Toninato is called for slashing, and the Avalanche capitalize on their first power play of the game as Brock Nelson redirects Makar's slap pass just past the blue line, and hits the top shelf and in, making it 2-0. Jack Drury is called for hooking, but the Avalanche kill off their first penalty kill of the game, ending the period 1-0, and shots 19-5 in the Avalanche’s favour by the end of the first period.
Period 2:
It was another good start to the period for the Avalanche, who continued their pace and forced the Hawks to adjust. The Hawks capitalize on a defensive break as Ryan Greene finds Wyatt Kaisder behind the defense and beats Blackwood five-hole to make it 2-1.
Brock Nelson is called for hooking, but the Avalanche kills off the second penalty kill of the night. Despite another strong period, just keeping the Hawks to six shots on goal in the period, Soderblom is keeping them in the game, despite coming into the game with a .876 SV%, but stopping 32 of the 34 shots he has seen
Period 3:
Ryan Donato is called for tripping, and the Avalanche capitalizes on their power play opportunity once again. Necas finds Nathan MacKinnon right in front of the net, who quickly sends a backhand pass to Nazem Kadri near the right hash marks and blasts it in to make it 3-1.
Sam Rinzel is called for a delay of game as he sends the puck over the glass in his own zone, but the Avalanche can’t go three straight on the power play. Though it's going to be Valeri Nichushkin capitalizing on MacKinnon stealing a bobbling puck from Levshunov and quickly shoveling it off Nichushkin to make it 4-1.
Levshunov, not too long after, takes a high-sticking penalty, just two minutes. Still, the Avalanche can’t convert on this power play either. Blackwood with another breakaway save, this time on Levshunov.
The Avalanche hold on with the 4-1 lead and secure the victory over the Blackhawks, securing their 100th point and becoming the first team to lock in a playoff spot. Also, with their 100th point this season, it is the fifth consecutive season with a 100+ point season, which set a franchise record.
The Avalanche are back in action on Sunday, March 22, against the Washington Capitals.
The Chicago Blackhawks had their second leg of a back-to-back on Friday night. After a narrow 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, they returned home to take on the Colorado Avalanche.
Consecutive days with games against two of the top five teams in the NHL is never an easy stretch, but it’s a good measuring stick for the young Blackhawks.
Before the game began, Jeff Blashill announced that Andrew Mangiapane and Louis Crevier would be out with short-term injuries that they suffered in St. Paul against the Wild.
Wearing their black alternate sweaters for the last time in 2025-26, the Blackhawks started Arvid Soderblom in net for the first time since Spencer Knight’s illness ended.
In the first period, the Blackhawks were caved in by the Avalanche. Colorado outshot Chicago 20-5 and took a 2-0 lead into intermission thanks to goals by Marty Necas and Brock Nelson.
At that point, it started to seem like it was going to be a tough night for the Blackhawks against the team that's been at the top of the NHL standings all season.
The second period was somewhat of a different story. The Blackhawks came out and looked like an entirely different team for a while.
After a handful of golden opportunities for the Hawks early in the middle frame, Wyatt Kaiser split the defense, accepted a pass from Ryan Greene, and scored to get his team on the board.
Following the goal, the Blackhawks started to look more like their first-period selves. In the second period, the Avalanche outshot them 15-6.
That's a 35-11 advantage through 40 minutes. Without Arvid Soderblom, they would not have been within one goal at that point.
In the third period, the Avalanche were awarded a power play within the first minute. Nazem Kadri, their last acquisition ahead of the trade deadline, made it 3-1 with the man-advantage. At 11:26 of the third, for good measure, Valeri Nichushkin made it 4-1 in favor of the Avalanche.
The 4-1 score would hold as the final of Colorado. The final shot count was 49-20 Colorado, which is not a recipe for victory from Chicago's perspective.
The Blackhawks relinquished two power-play goals to the Avalanche in the loss. They will wake up on Saturday outside of first place in the penalty kill rankings for the first time in months.
Colorado came in with the 29th ranked power play percentage (despite all of their firepower), but they made easy work of the Blackhawks' PK. It has been more of a struggle to kill penalties since trading Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, and Connor Murphy.
In the win, Colorado became the first team in the NHL to reach 100 points in the standings. That was also good enough to make them the first team to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It's been a good month for the Blackhawks with all things considered, but games like this show how much more development is needed for them to be a legitimate playoff threat.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Logan Thompson made 30 saves, losing his shutout bid with just 43 seconds remaining, and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Friday night.
Ryan Leonard scored midway through the first period, and Aliaksei Protas added an empty-netter with 1:43 remaining.
Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, extending his point streak with three goals and four assists over his last seven games. Jake Allen stopped 26 shots.
It was the third meeting between the teams and the first that didn’t require extra time. The Devils beat the Capitals in a 3-2 shootout win on Nov. 15, but lost 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 27. Thompson and Allen covered the net in all three games. They will conclude their season series on April 2 in Newark.
HURRICANES 4, MAPLE LEAFS 3, OT
TORONTO (AP) — Alexander Nikishin scored 41 seconds into overtime to give the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina a victory over Toronto.
Nikishin fired a shot beyond goalie Joseph Woll’s blocker.
Eric Robinson scored on a penalty shot for Carolina, K’Andre Miller and Jordan Staal also had goals, and Brandon Bussi made 23 saves. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho each had two assists.
John Tavares, William Nylander and Dakota Joshua scored for Toronto. Woll stopped 32 shots, and Matias Maccelli had two assists.
AVALANCHE 4, BLACKHAWKS 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had three assists in Colorado’s victory over Chicago, helping the Avalanche become the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot this season.
Martin Necas had a goal and two assists for Colorado, which had lost four of five. Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin also scored.
The league-leading Avalanche (45-13-10) moved four points ahead of idle Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Wyatt Kaiser scored for Chicago (26-31-12), and Arvid Soderblom stopped 45 shots.
FLAMES 4, PANTHERS 1
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dustin Wolf made 24 saves, Victor Olofsson scored his first goal for Calgary and the Flames beat Florida for their second straight victory.
Olofsson came over from Colorado at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Nazem Kadri back to the Avalanche.
Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato also scored for Calgary, each moving into a tie with Blake Coleman for the team lead with 16.
A.J. Greer scored for two-time defending champion Florida. Daniil Tarasov made 32 saves in losing for sixth time in his last seven starts.
DUCKS 4, MAMMOTH 1
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alex Killorn broke a tie off a scramble at 9:09 of the second period, Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots and Anaheim beat Utah to pad their Pacific Division lead.
After the puck was cleared off the goal line behind goalie Vitek Vanecek, the Ducks’ Sennecke ended up with it on the left side and slipped a pass to Killorn for a shot before Vanecek was set. Killorn also had two assists.
Ryan Poehling, Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund also scored to help the Ducks — playing without suspended defenseman Radko Gudas — rebound from a 3-2 overtime loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night at home. They moved three points ahead of Edmonton in the division.
Gudas served the fourth game of a five-game suspension for kneeing Auston Matthews in a loss at Toronto on March 12. Matthews tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are officially headed back to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
They needed a point against the Belleville Senators on Friday night to clinch a spot and got two, winning 2-1 in a shootout. Aidan McDonough scored in regulation for WBS before Avery Hayes scored the shootout winner.
Hayes had a really nice move in the shootout, going backhand, forehand, tucking the puck under the pad of the Senators' goaltender.
AVERY HAYES WITH A NASTY SHOOTOUT GOAL.
After getting stopped on two breakaways in OT, Hayes makes it count in the shootout.#WBSPens win in the shootout in Belleville to clinch their playoff spot with an !@InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/AhjbCEjLcj
This was his first game back in WBS after the Penguins re-assigned him on Thursday. Hayes has played in 11 NHL games, recording two goals. Both goals came in his NHL debut on Feb. 5 against the Buffalo Sabres.
With the win, WBS is now 38-16-6-2 overall, good for 84 points. They're the second team to clinch a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, joining the Providence Bruins.
The Islanders have a decision to make about Ilya Sorokin's usage with David Rittich struggling.
MONTREAL — The Islanders did not practice here Friday, meaning there were no clues on offer as to how they’ll approach the goaltending decisions over a must-win weekend back-to-back that begins Saturday against the Canadiens.
Conventional wisdom would dictate that Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich split the two games, but given how Sorokin has handled playing on consecutive days, that may not be a guarantee.
The Islanders haven’t needed Sorokin to play two straight days this season, but he did so four times last year, winning both games twice, losing both games once and splitting the pair once.
Rittich has been good enough for most of the season to keep the Islanders from giving Sorokin too heavy a workload — the Russian has started 43 of 69 games this season — but the backup netminder has flagged since the new year.
Over his past 10 starts, Rittich has an .861 save percentage, though his last outing, a 3-2 win over Calgary in which he stopped 30 shots, was his best since early January.
Is that enough to trust him against either Montreal or Columbus, two four-point games in a playoff race where the Islanders got a shock to the system on Thursday night when they fell below the cutline following a loss to the Senators?
Ilya Sorokin is pictured during the Islanders’ March 13 game against the Kings. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
How Patrick Roy handles it bears watching, but all year long, Sorokin has been the Islanders’ rock.
His six shutouts lead the league, and he’s second only to Washington’s Logan Thompson in Evolving Hockey’s goals saved above expected metric.
Even Thursday, Sorokin kept the Isles in the game when they were outgunned the entire third period, getting over to make a ridiculous stop on Michael Amadio on a 2-on-1 late in the third.
If the decision is to split the starts, then who gets which game is equally as interesting.
David Rittich makes a save during the Islanders’ March 1 game against the Panthers. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
The Columbus game Sunday means slightly more since the Blue Jackets and Islanders share a division.
The Islanders could use that logic to save Sorokin for the second game of the back-to-back, but would they dare leave him on the bench Saturday, when he has a .939 save percentage and zero regulation losses in eight career tries against the Canadiens?
Then again, Sorokin has never lost in regulation to the Blue Jackets — he’s 7-0-3 against Columbus.
His .916 save percentage against the Jackets, though, is the exact same as Rittich’s.
The Carolina Hurricanes pulled off their second straight overtime win, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 Friday night at Scotiabank Arena just two days after winning 6-5 over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was also the second straight game in which a defenseman logged their first career overtime goal, with Sean Walker winning it Wednesday and Alexander Nikishin being the hero on Friday.
"Man, he can shoot the puck," said Hurricanes defenseman K'Andre Miller. "I would not want to be a goalie trying to stop one of his shots. He can rip the puck and he's getting better each game, which is fun to watch. Obviously he has a ton of skill and we believe in him to keep growing and keep doing his thing. Lots of good things from him."
For Nikishin, the game-winner was also his 10th goal of the year, meaning he's reached double-digit goal marker in his first NHL season.
He's the first rookie defenseman in franchise history to have score double-digit goals in a single season and there's still plenty of time for him to continue adding to that record.
It was a slow start overall for the Canes, who just didn't seem to have much juice out of the gate.
Even despite two early power play chances, the Hurricanes failed to get much going and due to that, the Maple Leafs were actually the team that struck first.
It was a much too easy zone entry for Toronto, as the Carolina defense failed to appropriately gap up at the blueline, but the harmless shot from the outside couldn't have been put in a worse spot by Brandon Bussi, who popped it right into the slot for an easy goal for Dakota Joshua.
But the team came out with a purpose to start the second period and thanks to another power play opportunity, the Canes found an equalizer.
It was the captain Jordan Staal right in front, deflecting in a Seth Jarvis try, to get his team on the board.
Then Carolina would pull ahead thanks to a great effort from Eric Robinson. The speedy winger sprung himself for a breakaway, but was interfered with by a Maple Leaf. However, the officials granted him a penalty shot and Robinson made no mistake.
The lead would be short lived though as John Tavares would sneak one through Bussi's five-hole after looping around the back of the Hurricanes' net.
But Carolina kept pushing and not even a penalty kill was going to slow them down. K'Andre Miller knocked a puck off of the stick of Morgan Rielly and sent himself off to the races where he deked around Toronto netminder Joseph Woll for his first career shorthanded goal.
"Honestly, the D-man just kind of fumbled it at the blueline and so I thought I could use my speed to kind of jump him and make him pressured a little bit," Miller said. "Thankfully he coughed the puck up and I just tried to make a move on the goalie and luckily it worked."
The Canes were in control and rocking from there, but the Maple Leafs would find a late equalizer in the third period as Bussi was once again beaten five-hole, this time by William Nylander.
The Hurricanes were far and away the better team on the ice Friday, but yet again, they had failed to hold a lead, something that has become much too prevalent this season.
However, the team wasted no time in overtime, with Nikishin winning the game just 41 seconds into the extra frame.
"We had some individual efforts that won us the game, in essence," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "Get a penalty shot goal out of Robbie and then K'Andre, I thought he was just phenomenal tonight. Just all over it."
The Canes will continue their road trip on Sunday with a stop back in Pittsburgh for their third meeting of the month with the Penguins.
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Nathan MacKinnon orchestrated Colorado’s attack with surgical precision, racking up three assists as the Avalanche crushed the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Friday night. With the victory, Colorado became the first NHL team to punch their ticket to the 2026 playoffs, solidifying their dominance in the Western Conference.
Martin Nečas was electric, tallying a goal and two assists, while Kadri, Nelson, and Nichushkin also found the back of the net, ensuring the Avs’ offense was firing on all cylinders. The league-leading Avalanche (45-13-10) now hold a four-point cushion over rival Dallas for the top spot in the West.
Simplicity made a huge difference in today's game.
The Avalanche’s power play, once dormant, has suddenly become a major weapon. They went 2-for-4 with Nečas and Kadri each scoring on the man advantage, while Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 19 shots to backstop the victory.
AVS ARE THE FIRST TO CLINCH 🏔️
The @Avalanche are headed to the #StanleyCup Playoffs for the ninth straight season!
Chicago’s lone goal came from Wyatt Kaiser, but it was little consolation. Arvid Söderblom faced a barrage of 45 shots, standing tall amid Colorado’s relentless pressure. The Blackhawks were further hampered by the absences of defenseman Louis Crevier and forward Andrew Mangiapane, both sidelined with injuries sustained Thursday in a 2-1 win at Minnesota.
Colorado, coming off a rough stretch in which they lost four of five, made a statement Friday: don’t sleep on this team.
First Period
Over five minutes into the opening frame, Hawks forward Tyler Bertuzzi burst onto a breakaway, gliding toward the net with dangerous speed. But “Manimal” Josh Manson wasn’t having it. The veteran defenseman tracked him relentlessly, forcing Bertuzzi to hesitate and look for help that never came. In a flash, the puck was stripped away, leaving Chicago’s best chance of the period nullified.
The Avalanche answered by asserting dominance early. In the first seven minutes alone, Colorado fired eight shots, leaving Chicago scrambling just to keep pace. “The Tasmanian Devil” line—Parker Kelly, Jack Drury, and Joel Kiviranta—was relentless, cycling hard, crashing the net, and trying to jam every loose puck past Söderblom. The trio whirled around in perfect chaos, their energy and pace a constant nightmare for the Hawks’ defense.
Colorado’s urgency was clear. Coming in with just four goals over their last three games, the Avs were determined to set the tone. Sam Malinski launched two vicious wrist shots, both of which the goalie somehow managed to smother, keeping the game scoreless.
With roughly 8:45 remaining, Andre Burakovsky, a member of Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team, broke free for Chicago on a dangerous breakaway. But Blackwood slid across the crease to rob the winger and preserve the deadlock.
Then, with 6:41 left, Nečas made the game feel inevitable. MacKinnon carried the puck with authority through the neutral zone and into the offensive end, executing a slick spinorama pass just past the blue line to Nichushkin. In one fluid motion, Nichushkin shifted from backhand to forehand and found Nečas alone in the slot. Nečas didn’t hesitate—he ripped a shot past Söderblom, giving Colorado a 1-0 lead and marking his 32nd goal of the season. The precision and timing of the play were textbook Avalanche hockey: speed, skill, and chemistry in perfect harmony.
Just 2:03 later, the lead doubled. On the power play, Makar’s wrister from the point deflected off Nelson and into the net while Dominic Tominato served a slashing penalty on Toews. For Nelson, it was his 31st goal of the season and his first since February 25. Colorado’s top line was asserting dominance, and the Hawks were being forced to dig in early.
With just over three minutes remaining, Drury went to the penalty box for hooking, but Colorado’s penalty kill held strong, keeping Chicago off the board and finishing the period with momentum firmly on their side.
Second Period
Blackwood opened the second under immediate pressure—and he rose to the occasion. Connor Bedard slipped past Makar with his trademark speed and unleashed a shot with his elite release, but the goalie’s glove snapped up in perfect timing, robbing the superstar and keeping Colorado’s two-goal lead intact.
At the close of the first, the Avalanche had asserted total dominance: a 2-0 lead and a staggering 19-5 edge in shots.
However, the Hawks clawed back six minutes and 48 seconds into the frame. Kaiser beat the defense and buried a clean shot five-hole, cutting the lead to 2-1. Moments earlier, Chicago had nearly scored when a drop pass from Brindley left the puck exposed in open ice, resulting in a post hit—but the Hawks capitalized on the chaos this time around.
With 5:09 remaining, Nelson went to the penalty box for hooking Bedard, sending the Hawks on their second man advantage of the game. Kiviranta and the Avalanche penalty kill unit were relentless, clearing multiple pucks and keeping Chicago off the board yet again.
Third Period
Thirteen seconds into the final frame, Drury drew a penalty in style. After toe-dragging past Donato and faking him out of position, Donato swung his stick in desperation, tripping Drury and handing Colorado a power play.
MacKinnon took full advantage. Receiving a pass from Makar in the left circle, he spun and delivered a cross-ice feed to Kadri, who rifled the puck into a wide-open net just 23 seconds into the advantage, extending the lead to 3-1. It was Colorado’s second power-play goal of the night, and the Avs were asserting full control.
At the four-minute mark, Rinzel gave Colorado another man advantage by shooting the puck out of his own zone, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty. Though the Avs failed to convert, they were now 2-for-3 on the night with the extra man.
Then, at 8:34, Nichushkin added some insurance. MacKinnon forechecked hard, forced a turnover in front of the net, and used his body to create space and time. Nichushkin swooped in, gained possession, and fired a shot past Söderblom to make it 4-1. It was his 15th goal of the season, and Colorado’s dominance was undeniable.
Shortly after, Toews went to the penalty box for interference, giving Chicago another chance with the man advantage. Chaos ensued on the Hawks’ power play. Levshunov attempted to lift Nelson’s stick but instead struck him in the face, drawing a four-minute double minor. After some tense four-on-four hockey, Colorado went on their fourth power play of the period with 2:07 to work with.
Even then, the Hawks tried to fight back. Levshunov sprinted out of the box and accepted a long breakout pass, racing in on a breakaway—but Blackwood stood tall, turning away the chance and preserving Colorado’s commanding lead.
By the final buzzer, the Avalanche had shown the full force of their speed, skill, and depth. Between “Manimal” Manson’s defensive heroics, the relentless pressure from the “Tasmanian Devil” line, MacKinnon’s playmaking wizardry, and Nichushkin and Nečas finishing clinically, Colorado’s 4-1 win was a masterclass in offensive and defensive balance.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier and forward Andrew Mangiapane missed Friday night's 4-1 loss to Colorado because of unspecified injuries.
Crevier and Mangiapane got hurt during Thursday night's 2-1 victory at Minnesota.
“I don’t think it’s anything long, long term for either guy, but certainly not available tonight,” coach Jeff Blashill said before the matchup with the Avalanche.
Forward Dominic Toninato skated for more than nine minutes after he was recalled from the minors earlier in the day.
Crevier, a seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft, has become a steady performer for Chicago in his third NHL season. The 6-foot-8 Crevier has a career-high five goals and 12 assists in 65 games.
Mangiapane was acquired in a March 4 trade with Edmonton. He has one goal and one assist in seven games with Chicago.
The Blackhawks are still awaiting immigration clearance for Sacha Boisvert after announcing a three-year contract for the forward prospect on Monday. Boisvert, a Quebec native who turned 20 on Tuesday, was the No. 18 pick in the 2024 draft.
The delay could push Boisvert's NHL debut back to the team's upcoming four-game road trip.
While the good news is that Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond has produced at a point-per-game pace this season with 67 points in as many games played, the not-so-good news is that he's hit a bit of a scoring snag.
Raymond has one goal and an assist in his last seven combined games, several of which have been when the Red Wings were missing both Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, their top two centers.
There’s no question about Raymond’s offensive talent, but his recent production hasn’t matched what the Red Wings need from one of their top scoring threats during such a critical point in the standings race.
On Thursday evening, the Red Wings picked up one of their best wins of the season, rebounding from a 1-0 deficit in the third period against the Montreal Canadiens to earn a 3-1 victory.
Early in the first period, Raymond maneuvered around a Canadiens defenseman and found himself all alone in the slot with a perfect opportunity at a high-danger scoring chance.
Instead, he passed up on the shot and tried to feed the puck to David Perron, who was tied up at the side of the net.
Head coach Todd McLellan, who recently said Raymond’s shot totals are lower than they should be, explained that while he would have liked to see a shot in that situation, he understands that Raymond’s hockey instincts may have led him to pass.
“The easy answer for me is to say yes," McLellan said afterward. "We watched it live… for some reason in that moment, he read something or saw something and chose not to (shoot). Would we like him to shoot? Yes, but I’m not going to crucify the young man because he chose to move the puck over."
“Would I like to see him shoot there? Yes, but he’s playing the game, and his instinct told him to go somewhere with it."
Raymond, who finished the game with a single shot on goal, has shown so far in his career that he possesses one of the more elite releases amongst NHL forwards.
Now more than ever, with the standings ultra-tight and with team captain Dylan Larkin still unavailable because of a lower-body injury he sustained earlier in the month, Detroit needs Raymond to put more pucks on net - because when he does, good things usually follow.
"We do need him shooting the puck, because he can fire it," he said.
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The Colorado Avalanche will earn a playoff berth tonight at United Center.
If NHL 26 has their way, the Avalanche will get the victory in a 2-1 effort.
Nic Roy and Brett Kulak scored for the Avs and Mackenzie Blackwood made 17 saves in the winning effort.
Brett Kulak scored a virtual goal in this one.
Andrew Mangiapane lit the lamp in the third period for the Blackhawks and Spencer Knight stopped 35 of 37 shots.
First Period
Just over four minutes into the game, Knight fumbled a routine cover up and had to make a diving stop, but that prevented the Avalanche from scoring the opening goal of the game.
At nearly the six-minute mark of the frame, Nazem Kadri ripped a slap shot from the slot, but Knight made the blocker save.
Halfway through the period, the Avs had outshot the Blackhawks 6-1. The second shot for Chicago came off a one-timer blast from Hawks defenseman Alex Vlasic, but Blackwood was quick with the glove.
At the end of the first, the game was scoreless, while the Avalanche held a 12-6 advantage in shots on net.
Second Period
Colorado took a 1-0 lead 5:08 into the second period when Roy one-timed a feed from Josh Manson from the slot that clanged off the left post and into the net. Manson initiated the breakout, but rather than pass, he carried the puck through the neutral zone and deep into the Blackhawks defensive zone before finding Roy waiting for his opportunity, and he made the most of it
On the next play, following a poor clear from the Blackhawks, Kulak intercepted the puck in front of the net and fired it by Knight, who had no chance of catching up to it. And just like that, we quickly went from a tie game to a 2-0 score in favor of the Avs.
Despite the fact they were getting outgunned, the Hawks continued to fight. Connor Bedard teed up a nasty slap shot from the left circle with nearly five minutes to go in the period, but that was snagged by Blackwood with the fancy glove.
At the end of two periods, the Avalanche held a 2-0 lead and a 24-12 edge in shots on net.
Third Period
Chicago got on the board 7:10 into the third period to spoil Blackwood's shutout when Mangiapane took a pass from Ryan Donato in the slot and ripped a backhand by a diving Blackwood to make it a 2-1 game.
Gavin Brindley attempted to one-hand deke his way by Knight just over halfway into the period, but Knight was able to poke check the puck away and cover it up for the whistle.
Knight was pulled for the extra attacker with 38 seconds left in the game. Colorado was unable to score on the empty net and the Hawks were unable to tie the game as the Avs took home the 2-1 win.
