Category: NHL

The NHL playoffs will commence Saturday with some notable turnover in the 16-team bracket.

Entering Sunday’s slate of games, four teams that didn’t compete last postseason — the Sabres, Mammoth, Penguins and Bruins — already qualified for this year’s dance. The Ducks, Flyers and Blue Jackets are still in the running to join them, with Anaheim having a chance to clinch Sunday night with a win against the Canucks.

Buffalo ended a historic playoff drought of 14 seasons. Utah made it in (technically) the organization’s second season of existence.

The Rangers are caught somewhere in the middle as they inch closer toward their second early summer in a row.

The Post’s Mollie Walker analyzes three turnarounds and what the Blueshirts could learn from them:

Bruins

Boston general manager Don Sweeney made a lot of home run decisions that turned his team around from 76 points last season to the 96 they carried into their matchup in Columbus on Sunday. This after coming off a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign, in which captain Brad Marchand was traded to Florida as part of a considerable deadline sell-off.

New Rangers (re)hire Kevin Maxwell can look at the fact that 10 of the players on the current Bruins roster were acquired via trade. A smashing success with Sweeney’s offseason signings — including Tanner Jeannot and Jonathan Aspirot — also filled organizational needs. Aspirot is now Charlie McAvoy’s top-pair partner.

Even if several players overperformed, the Bruins deployed a much more balanced offense this season. Depth scoring was pivotal in their push to clinching a playoff berth. The Rangers have been a top-heavy lineup for years. The Rangers know better than most that game-changing goaltending makes anything possible. Jeremy Swayman not only improved as the Bruins’ clear-cut No. 1 goalie when it mattered, but he was a real difference-maker down the stretch.

Boston’s return to the playoffs certainly wasn’t picture perfect. They’ve had three separate losing streaks of five or more games this season. It was still a process, which is what Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan references frequently. The Rangers had two really strong seasons that preceded their runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024. It won’t always be that way, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be.

Utah

The Mammoth were on a five-game winning streak when they clinched the organization’s first playoff berth. Without rehashing the disaster that was the Arizona Coyotes, a commitment was made to a trio of first-round draft picks — Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther — that has significantly paid off. They were nurtured. Cooley and Guenther have enjoyed breakout seasons and the young Utah core seems to be clamoring for a crack at the playoffs.

The Rangers’ largely failed track record with their organizationally grown prospects is well documented. Special circumstances surrounding the transition from the desert to Salt Lake City meant the club had to be patient, but with the geographical shift came a cultural one. Most of that came with a change in ownership. Ryan Smith has been lauded for his handling of the players and staffers during the move.

There is no indication MSG sports executive James Dolan, who owns the Rangers and Knicks, is going anywhere, but Utah is proof the most significant changes can stem from the very top down.

Penguins

Projected to face-plant coming into this season, the Penguins proved a lot of people wrong. Pittsburgh, which hasn’t reached the postseason since 2022 and hasn’t won a single series since 2018, was rejuvenated by a new coach, remarkable play from the Big Three and the players GM Kyle Dubas surrounded them with. The Penguins probably emulated the closest process to a “retool,” which is what the Rangers are striving for.

Never underestimate the power of impactful leaders. Captain Sidney Crosby is one of a kind. His trio with Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang is one of the greatest to do it in all of professional sports history. The fact that they have each had strong individual seasons at ages 38 and 39, respectively, has been nothing short of incredible.

So much of what the Rangers become will hinge on captain J.T. Miller and what he brings both on and off the ice. This is who Blueshirts president and general manager Chris Drury chose to be the guy. Miller has had his moments this season, both positive and negative, but it was all hindered by injuries throughout the season. Ex-Rangers assistant Dan Muse provided a fresh voice and presence behind the Penguins bench as well.

Dubas was able to rebalance and restructure the lineup, which benefited the most from the additions of Anthony Mantha, Egor Chinakhov and rookie Ben Kindel.

Pregame

The late-season roster shuffle continues. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Parker Wotherspoon all dress for this game after sitting out yesterday. Noel Acciari, Anthony Mantha, Ryan Shea and Connor Clifton all rotate out with official ‘undisclosed day-to-day injuries’.

The home Capitals celebrate their final home game of the season and the potential last time to see Alex Ovechkin playing in DC with this lineup.

Ovechkin and the Pens’ crew get a pregame faceoff. No official announcements or anything but it sure looks like a lot of signs pointing to this being it for the Great 8.

First period

Dylan Strome gets himself kicked out of the opening faceoff so that Ovechkin can line up for a faceoff against Crosby. The Penguin captain wins it cleanly and the game is on.

The improved Penguins surpass yesterday’s one shot in the first period very easily. Karlsson draws the first power play of the game but Pittsburgh doesn’t score.

Crosby takes a penalty late in the period. The Capitals cash in quickly, Ovechkin makes a pass down to Justin Sourdif that gets tipped off the crossbar and then Sourdif finished it off by tapping the puck into the empty net. But wait, a coach’s challenge for offsides and Ilya Protas was very clearly a step ahead of the play at the blueline wipes out the goal.

The first ends with no goals that count, the Pens were better in the earlier parts of the start, the Capitals came on stronger as play went along.

Second period

Washington starts the second still on the power play, Pittsburgh kills it off.

Both teams skate back and forth, the Caps score for real this time. Trevor van Riemsdyk pokes at a puck in the crease about three times, it finally gets over the line. 1-0 Washington with 7:36 to go in the period.

The Pens wake up a little, Logan Thompson denies Tommy Novak on a great chance from in front off a pass from Rickard Rakell, then Novak is sprung for a breakaway but lets the puck slide off his stick to negate a scoring chance. Pittsburgh gets their second power play of the game soon after. Erik Karlsson slams a slap shot off Tom Wilson’s foot, otherwise nothing happening.

The Caps take a 1-0 lead into the last frame.

Third period

The Pens get their chance to pin the Caps in their zone for a long time, their pinch fails and the Caps go the other way on a 2-on-1 where forward Egor Chinakhov is the last player back. Next up, Connor McMichael scores, beating Skinner on backhand deke. 2-0 with just 4:10 to go.

Pittsburgh pulls the goalie with over 3 minutes to play, apparently wanting Ovechkin to get career goal No. 930 to send the people home happy. Ovechkin gets the assist to spring McMichael into space and score on the unguarded cage. 3-0 game.

Some thoughts

• I think the Penguins really missed the mark with the decisions of playing/sitting players before the playoffs. Namely, how are you going to hold all the star players and key players out from ‘fan appreciation day’ to play them on the road the next day? Awful. And why play them at all today? Ovechkin nailed Letang, Karlsson took a high-stick and Rust blocked an Ovechkin shot in the foot in the first period alone. If you’re going to rest them, then go all the way and rest them all weekend. If you’re going to play them in games after being clinched then it shouldn’t have been today.
• That said, it is what it is. Not like it’s wise to put hockey players on the shelf for 10 days and pick right up for the playoffs. Rotating almost every key player out either today or yesterday (besides Rakell, Chinakhov, Novak, Girard and maybe Brazeau if giving him the honor of being a ‘key player’) is a nice boost at this time of year to pick a spot for a day off for the crew.
• Crosby/Ovechkin head to head 100 times. 56 wins for Crosby, point battle is 127-103 (48 goals, 79 assists for Crosby, 53 goals and 50 assists for Ovechkin).
• Not too much going on in this game, Skinner was pretty good, Thompson was great. Everyone else was just kinda there. The game had an odd feel to it almost as a wake for the career of Ovechkin hanging over all of the proceedings.

The Pens wrap up the regular season on Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Flyers see magic number shrink, have great opportunity to end playoff drought originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers have a clearer picture of how they can clinch their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season.

With the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 regulation loss Sunday night to the Bruins, the Flyers can punch their ticket to the postseason if they win one of their final two games. Their magic number is two points, so a pair of overtime/shootout losses would also do the trick.

Their first chance will come Monday when they host Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). They then welcome the Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The Flyers can also make the playoffs if they pick up one point over their last two games and the Blue Jackets beat the Capitals on Tuesday night. But their easiest way to get in is to win one more game.

The Flyers (41-27-12) hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Two points in some fashion over the next two days would put them at 96, a total the Capitals, Blue Jackets and Islanders can’t reach.

The Capitals (42-30-9) have 93 points and can finish with a max of 95. They blanked the Penguins, 3-0, Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Jackets (40-29-12) have 92 points and can finish with a max of 94. They host the Capitals in the regular-season finale for both clubs.

The Islanders (43-33-5) were eliminated from the race Sunday with a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.

Rick Tocchet’s club has lost consecutive games just once since Feb. 26. The Flyers have gone 16-6-1 over that span and have allowed just 2.39 goals per game.

They’re trying to snap a five-year playoff drought, which matches the longest in franchise history.

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The fate of the Detroit Red Wings was sealed on Saturday evening with their regulation loss to the New Jersey Devils, confirming that they would miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 10th consecutive season. 

However, there are still two games left on their regular season schedule before they break for the offseason, starting with a tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday evening, followed by their finale against the Florida Panthers, both on the road. 

Before those matchups take place, the Red Wings have announced an emergency call-up from the Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who initially made the roster out of Training Camp, has been called up. 

UPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. pic.twitter.com/80HStaHnQf

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 12, 2026

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Brandsegg-Nygård, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, played in 12 games in the NHL this season, registering an assist.

He's been a key contributor to the Griffins this season, who became the first AHL club in decades to clinch a playoff spot in February.

In 58 games played with the Griffins, he's tallied 20 goals with 24 assists, and also has posted an impressive plus-19 rating. 

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With their spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs all locked up, the Senators now begin the process of deciding how to approach their final two games of the regular season. No matter what, the Sens will finish with one of the two wild-card spots.

"Sticking to the process" will most assuredly remain Travis Green's message to his team. With the playoffs less than a week out, the last thing he wants is for bad habits to creep out.

But he's also in a position to rest some of his players, the ones who really need it.

As for wins, losses, and playoff positioning, they no longer matter very much. Since the Senators have no control over what's going on at the top of the Eastern Conference, there's really no advantage to busting their tails to maintain the top wild-card spot.

The top spot in the Eastern Conference is still up for grabs, as is first place in the Atlantic Division. So if the Senators happened to have a preferred opponent (which is unlikely), there's nothing they can do on Sunday, good or bad, that would help guarantee that matchup.

So as they prepare for Sunday's game with the New Jersey Devils (7 pm), it's a good bet that some of their regulars will get the night off to heal up or rest.

On Sunday morning, the Senators called Belleville for reinforcements, but only asked for one name: rugged forward Hayden Hodgson. AHL goal-scoring leader Arthur Kaliyev must be wondering what he has to do to get a call-up around here. As an RFA, it's hard to believe Kaliyev will be back with the organization this fall.

Hodgson, a 221-pound forward, will join the team in New Jersey ahead of the final road game of the regular season. Exclusively a fourth-line option, his recall would suggest that at least one of the fourth-line regulars may get a day of rest on Sunday. 

The Senators could also turn to their healthy scratches from Saturday. Enforcer Kurtis MacDermid has been a healthy scratch for all but one game in 2026, and he'd probably like a shot against his former team.

Forward Stephen Halliday would also like to knock off some rust. He hasn't played since the trade deadline. And Ottawa native Cam Crotty might see some action too, along with backup goalie James Reimer.

Hodgson played nine games with the Sens between November 9 and December 6, 2025. He's on track to complete his second season with Belleville, which will miss the AHL playoffs this season. 

Like MacDermid, he also doesn't mind the odd tussle, so the presence of both men may be welcome on Wednesday in the season finale when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit.

The Leafs have nothing to lose, so if players like Michael Pezzetta or Max Domi try to leave a mark and run around before their terrible season officially ends, the Sens will have an answer.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:  

Senators Officially Clinch Playoff Spot For Second Straight Year
Why Shane Pinto Should Be One Of The Favourites For The Selke Trophy
Ullmark Describes Masterton Trophy Nomination As Bittersweet
'A Superstar Moment:' The Senators Goal Everyone Is Talking About
Great Opportunities: The Rise Of Senators Defenseman Jordan Spence

The Los Angeles Kings are coming off a huge victory against their Pacific Division rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, on Saturday. That 1-0 win pushed Los Angeles back into the playoff picture in the second wild-card position.

However, it might not be the last time that the Kings would need to record a big win against the Oilers in April.

The way the standings currently shape up, Los Angeles isn't set to face Edmonton in the first round of the upcoming playoffs. But that hypothetical situation isn't far from becoming a reality.

As it stands, the Kings would face the mighty Presidents' Trophy winners, the Colorado Avalanche, in the opening round. But even with just three games left for Los Angeles, change is still possible in terms of seeding in the Western Conference, specifically the Pacific Division.

The Kings are just a pair of points behind the Anaheim Ducks, who are third in the Pacific. If Los Angeles can overtake Anaheim, and Edmonton remains in the second spot of the division, those two would face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth straight season.

Western Confrence Standings Watch: Can The Kings Catch Edmonton And Anaheim? The NHL season is coming to a close, and the Kings can finish as high as second or completely miss out on the playoffs for the rest of the summer in the West.

There is another possibility for these two familiar foes to meet in the first round for the fifth consecutive post-season. If the Oilers win the division, which is very possible considering they are just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot, the Kings would need to overtake the Utah Mammoth for the first wild-card position in the West.

But because the Mammoth are in the Central Division and have more points than the Ducks, it's more likely for the Kings and Oilers to meet as the third and second seed in the Pacific Division.

Of the last four meetings between the Kings and Oilers in the post-season, Edmonton has owned Los Angeles, winning all four series.

Last year, it looked like Los Angeles was finally going to advance past the first round. They had a 2-0 series lead and a 4-3 lead in Game 3, but the Oilers went on to win the best-of-seven series in six games.

This time around, Los Angeles might get another shot at slaying Edmonton, and on its fifth attempt, the result might be different.

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It appears that the Abbotsford Canucks are dealing with yet another injury. As reported by Rick Dhaliwal of "Donnie and Dhali", forward Nils Åman, "broke his toe over the weekend, his season is over." Abbotsford has two games remaining this year, with both on the road. 

Åman has spent the last four seasons with the Canucks organization. This year, he played two games in the NHL, while suiting up for 55 in the AHL. Åman leads Abbotsford with 41 points, while his 35 assists are tied for 22nd in the league. 

This season was the second of a two-year deal Åman signed in 2023. He will enter the off-season as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. In 132 career NHL games, Åman has scored eight goals while recording 29 points. 

As for his time with Abbotsford, Åman has recorded 95 points in 123 games. He ranks in the top 10 for points and top five for assists. Åman was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2020 and signed with the Canucks in 2022 as a free agent. 

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.

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Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

The Colorado Avalanche have suffered a litany of injuries this season, but I didn’t expect that trend to strike the coaching staff. Here we are, though, as the Avalanche made a concerned comeback effort that fell short in a game where a stray puck caught their lead bench boss up-high.

Following the game, the Avalanche informed the public that Bednar was “fully alert and conscious” but was heading for a CT scan. Now we know the loose puck resulted in an orbital abrasion and facial fractures that will not require surgery, but will keep him from traveling with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip.

As far as the rest of the game went, Vegas clinched a playoff birth on the back of a Jack Eichel OT winner in what played out as a back-and-forth slugfest.

The Game

Establishing a lead has been a common goal for the Avalanche this season, and last night’s game started with a goal from none other than Devon Toews.

His tally at the 9:17 mark was the result of a point wrister that was screened beautifully by Gabe Landeskog and went right through the seven-hole. 1-0 good guys.

The Golden Knights would only need four and a half minutes to log an equalizer.

Mark Stone scored on the power play on an odd-bounce play where Mitch Marner threw the puck toward the net. It bounced off two players (including Mark Stone himself), fell to Stone’s feet, and he was able to tuck it past Blackwood, and we were tied at one a side after one period of play.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored his 36th goal of the season by picking the top corner over Blackwood’s right shoulder just two minutes and nine seconds into the second period, and the Knights took the 2-1 lead.

It was Nicolas Roy and Nick Blankenburg combining on a tying goal, Colorado style, as Blankenburg’s shot from the blue line hit the post, went off of Carter Hart, and into the net.

That was Nick Blankenburg’s 7th of the season, and although I’ve been critical of his defensive play in the past, I do see him making strides inside this system. His first goal as an Avalanche should propel that even further.

The third period would come and go all knotted at two a side, and this contest would require OT.

Jack Eichel would prove the OT hero for the Vegas Golden Knights after Martin Necas and Devon Toews nearly combined on a game-winner. The puck fluttered off of Toews’ stick on a grade A chance, which resulted in an odd man rush the other way.

With Mark Stone on his left, Jack Eichel broke in and decided he’d go with the shot rather than the pass and beat Blackwood for the win.

Takeaways

I think it’s safe to say most fans are cool with not seeing the Avalanche in those Nordiques jerseys. They haven’t had much success in them, and now they’ve seen their Head Coach leave the game during a Nords night. It might seem silly, but humans are superstitious, and hockey fans and players take that to a whole other level.

As previously mentioned, it’s nice to see Blankenburg taking steps in the right direction, and moreover, Devon Toews play in the absence of Cale Makar has noticeably improved.

Obviously, not having Makar is less than ideal, but the added pressure has fallen on the remaining defense, and it’s brought out the best in Toewser. Sure, he’d likely want that two-on-one potential game-winner back, but we know about bounces here in Colorado.

Not sure what is happening on home ice for the Avalanche of late, but I’m not going to get too worked up about it. When playoff hockey comes around, having the crowd on your side will go a long way, and if the Avalanche can establish early leads at home, it will prove tough for any opposition to stage a comeback.

One last thing, Erik Johnson is quickly becoming my favorite hockey media personality. Obviously, I have my bias, but putting that aside, he’s been really good at his job and appears more than capable of providing answers we might not get if the questioner were different.

Upcoming

The Avalanche will head to Edmonton for a showdown with the Oilers tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. MT.

Let us know what you thought of this contest in the comments!

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was rushed to the hospital after taking a puck to the face on Saturday, which resulted in facial fractures and a corneal abrasion.

Bednar, 54, will now miss the Avs’ upcoming two-game road trip, at the very least, due to the injuries suffered.

The freak accident took place during Colorado’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

Bednar was admitted to a nearby hospital following the incident and was fully conscious, according to a spokesman for the Avalanche, and underwent a CT scan for an advanced evaluation of the injuries.

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

Bednar was standing behind the Colorado bench as a puck bounced off Knights defenseman Keegan Kolesar’s stick, flying over the boards and hitting the Avs head coach in the face as 16:39 remained in the third period.

He was ultimately aided to the locker room by one of the team’s athletic trainers and replaced in the interim by Avs assistant coach Dave Hakstol.

With three games to go, Colorado has and will finish with the top spot in the NHL’s regular season, currently at 115 points on the year.

The Avalanche have seven more points than anyone in the league, with the Western Conference foe Dallas Stars sitting behind them at 108.

Colorado is currently the betting favorite to win the 2026 Stanley Cup with a goal differential of +94, which is 34 goals better than the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are second at +60.

The Buffalo Sabres positioning for the upcoming playoffs improved slightly after Saturday’s results, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens used up their games in hand and now have two games left before the end of their regular season on Wednesday.  The Sabres chances of finishing first or second in the Atlantic Division and securing home-ice advantage per Moneypuck.com are at 96.4%. The Lightning won 2-1 over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden and moved to within two points of the Sabres for top spot in the Atlantic, while Montreal remained two points back of Buffalo after a 5-2 loss to Columbus at the Bell Centre. 

The Canadiens received some bad news in the contest, as the club revealed on Sunday that defenseman Noah Dobson suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and will be re–evaluated in two weeks, which likely excludes the veteran blueliner from seeing action until late in the first round. Montreal recalled defenseman David Reinbacher from AHL Laval, where the former top-five pick has played 57 games this season. 

The Habs play the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Sunday, and if they lose in regulation, the Sabres will clinch at least second place in the Atlantic and home ice in the opening round of the playoffs. Buffalo can also clinch if they win in Chicago against the Blackhawks on Monday. Tampa finishes off its regular season schedule with home games against Detroit on Monday and the NY Rangers on Wednesday, while the Sabres finish off their regular season with Fan Appreciation Night against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. 

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If the Sabres win the Atlantic, they are guaranteed to face an Atlantic Division foe in the opening round. The Ottawa Senators clinched a wildcard spot with a 3-0 win over the Islanders on Saturday afternoon, and moved into a tie with the Bruins. The Senators occupy the first wildcard spot due to a tiebreaker, and that spot would face the Atlantic Division winner, while Carolina has clinched home-ice through the Eastern Conference Final and will play the second wildcard club.

Both the Bruins and Senators play on the road on Sunday, with Boston facing the much tougher matchup in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. The Senators take on the Devils in Newark.  The Bruins finish off their season at home against New Jersey on Tuesday, while the Senators play in Kanata on Wednesday against Toronto. 

The Sabres practiced at KeyBank Center on Sunday morning before departing for Chicago to face the last-place Hawks on Monday night. With Alex Lyon out for at least a week, it is expected that Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff will give Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and rookie Colten Ellis each a start. Luukkonen was in the starter’s net on Sunday, which is a preliminary indicator that the veteran will get the start at the United Center. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

As the 2025-26 NHL regular season and the Eastern Conference playoff push winds down, there are teams that have seized the moment and strung wins together like the Penguins, Flyers and Senators, and there are teams that have spiraled out of previously promising positions to leave an empty feeling like the Red Wings and Islanders.

The Red Wings were officially eliminated last night, coughing up multiple leads against the Devils in front of a quiet home crowd that turned into a minutes-long chorus of boos as Detroit officially reached a decade without a playoff appearance. Will the Islanders earn such a reaction? It probably depends on their effort over the next two games, but they’ve done themselves no favors.

Columbus (92 pts.) is still in the picture, interrupting their tailspin with a win over the Canadiens last night. The Flyers (94 pts.) put pressure on everyone by convincingly destroying the Jets in Winnipeg. The Islanders (91 pts.) and Capitals (91 pts.) still have outside chances, but only if everything goes right for them and everything wrong for Philadelphia and Columbus.

The Isles’ foe tonight is the Canadiens, who were beaten by the Blue Jackets at home last night but still have a chance to secure home ice advantage or even a division-winning seed.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• Special teams killed them again. [Newsday | LHH | Post]
• How are things looking? Not good! [Newsday | Post]
• Takeaways: Special teams, of course, which DeBoer noted. Also: “It doesn’t feel great right now, but we’re still alive. We have to win our last two games.” [Isles]
• Previewing tonight: here come the Habs. [Isles]
• The Islanders created a special night for Cole, the younger brother of Connor Kasin, the varsity hockey player who lost his life during a charity game in 2024. [Post]
• Denver University won its 11th NCAA championship, topping Wisconsin and Isles prospect Quinn Finley. [NHL]

Elsewhere

• The Habs will be without Noah Dobson, who left yesterday’s game with a thumb injury “caused by blocking his NHL-leading 188th shot.” Re-evaluated in two weeks, so that is brutal timing for them. [Sportsnet]
• Jared Bednar took a puck to the face and had to go the hospital. [TSN]
• That NCAA UFA and Hobey Baker finalist TJ Hughes who was “linked” to the Isles? He is now inked with the Avs. [TSN]

Before a bell similarly tolls for the Islanders, here’s some Red Wings Collapse Porn:

• Todd McLellan: “It’s just a microcosm of the year, really, and where we are as an organization. We have to get better top to bottom.” [NHL]
• “If something can be unacceptable and predictable at the same time, this was it. It happened again, in the same ridiculous manner with the same ridiculous mistakes.” [Detroit News]
• Todd McLellan: “I don’t even know if they want a Stanley Cup Championship anymore. They just want a team that’s going to come in and give them something to cheer about.” [Athletic]
• “When it mattered most, they looked lackadaisical. It is one thing to lose on skill, but what excuse is there for being outworked, again and again?“ [Detroit Free Press]

With a better showing over the final two games, the Islanders can avoid some of those condemnations — and they’re in year 1 of a new regime, with a new coach, so it’s not the same as what’s happening in Detroit. But still, the position they were in, the additions that were made to theoretically reinforce the effort, it’s all going to bring up some core questions if/when they fall short.

The Western Conference playoff race is beginning to heat up. With the Oilers and Golden Knights clinching a playoff spot on Saturday, Los Angeles is now four points behind Vegas for the first seed, three points behind Edmonton for the second seed, and two points behind Anaheim for the third seed. 

It's still not clear as to how the seedings will look in the division; no team has locked in a spot yet, making the last few games an incredible watch to end the season. It's a log-jam featuring the Kings, Ducks, Golden Knights, and Oilers, all battling for the third, second, and first seed. 

The @EdmontonOilers and @GoldenKnights clinched their spots in the #StanleyCup Playoffs tonight!

Who will take the last two spots in the Western Conference? 💬 pic.twitter.com/jWGtlA1KPp

— NHL (@NHL) April 12, 2026

Here's a look at the current playoff standings at the top of the division:

1. Vegas Golden Knights - 37-26-17, 91 points

2. Edmonton Oilers - 40-30-10, 90 points

3. Anaheim Ducks - 42-32-5, 89 points

4. Los Angeles Kings - 34-26-19, 87 points

All four teams have their flaws, making it possible for the seedings to change at the end of the regular season. The Pacific Division, especially, has been one of the worst divisions we've seen in a very long time, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if Los Angeles moves up to second or third to end the season.

 If the Kings win out their remaining regular-season games and Edmonton loses one of its two remaining games, it's very possible LA can finish at best as the third seed. 

To finish higher than that, they'll need Anaheim to lose two of their last three games or lose all of them. Vegas at this point looks like it will finish at the top of the division, now holding a four-point lead over Los Angeles, and since firing its head coach, they are 5-0-1. 

That would be remarkable if Los Angeles could somehow secure home ice in the first round of the playoffs, something that was out of the question just a week ago. 

The most important thing is for the Kings to draw a favorable matchup in the postseason. A team like Edmonton, which is missing Leon Draisaitl for probably most of the first round of the playoffs, can be a favorable matchup, or against the Ducks, who are a young team and have had trouble playing consistent team defense.

One way or another, we will just have to wait until next week to find out who the Kings will be playing or if they will be out of the playoffs.  

Let’s take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who Kings fans should be rooting for.

Sunday

Canucks at Ducks - 

Unless Vancouver can pull off this upset like they did when they defeated the Colorado Avalanche last week or keep this game close, it's unlikely they can win this game on the road against Anaheim, which desperately needs this win to stay afloat in the playoff race. 

Monday

Avalanche at Oilers - 

The Avs already have the No. 1 seed locked up in the Central Division, while the Oilers are battling Anaheim and LA for the No. 2 seed. But, Edmonton didn't look good against LA today, so it's very possible Colorado can win this game. But if Edmonton wants to win this game, they can, recognizing the urgency and the potential for home ice on the line. 

Sharks at Predators - 

San Jose is pretty much out of playoff contention at this point, while Nashville is still fighting with the Kings to secure the final wild-card spot. At home, it's very likely the Predators come out and do everything they can to win this game. 

Jets at Golden Knights - 

Vegas has looked very good under John Tortorella, going 5-0-1 under him and defeating the Avalanche in a thrilling overtime game on Saturday. Winnipeg, meanwhile, is also fighting LA and Nashville for the final playoff spot, essentially needing to win all its remaining games, so it should be very motivated to pull off this upset. 

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Five years ago today, the Detroit Red Wings made one of the defining trades of their rebuild, sending Anthony Mantha to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, a 2021 first round pick, and a 2022 second round pick.

At the time, the deal reflected two teams moving in opposite directions. Detroit was deep in a rebuild and looking toward the future, while Washington aimed to strengthen its roster for another Stanley Cup run.

In the immediate aftermath, Vrana looked like a centerpiece addition as the Czech winger exploded out of the gate with eight goals in just 11 games, showcasing the elite scoring touch that made him so highly regarded. But his tenure in Detroit never found stability. Injuries and time in the NHL Player Assistance Program disrupted his progress, and by 2023 he was moved to the St. Louis Blues.

Panik’s role proved far more limited, appearing in only 12 games for the Red Wings before being assigned to the American Hockey League and eventually moving on, leaving little impact on the rebuilding club.

Meanwhile, Mantha’s stint in Washington produced mixed results. Though he showed flashes of offensive ability, inconsistency and injuries prevented him from becoming the top-line force the Capitals envisioned. He settled more into a middle-six role during his time with the team.

As the years passed, the true weight of the trade shifted to the draft picks, which ultimately defined its long-term impact. The 2022 second round selection became Dmitri Buchelnikov, a dynamic forward who has continued to develop in Russia.

Now 22, Buchelnikov is viewed as a rising prospect with significant offensive upside and has begun drawing attention from NHL clubs, including interest from St. Louis in trade discussions, where he would be eventually dealt in the trade deadline move for defenseman Justin Faulk.

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The 2021 first round pick, however, took a far more consequential path as Detroit packaged that selection in a draft-day trade with the Dallas Stars to move up to 15th overall, where they selected goaltender Sebastian Cossa, now widely regarded as the organization’s top prospect in net.

In exchange, Dallas received the 23rd overall pick, along with additional second- and fifth-round selections. With that 23rd pick, the Stars drafted Wyatt Johnston. That decision has since become one of the most talked-about ripple effects of the original trade.

Johnston quickly emerged as a cornerstone player in Dallas with the now 22-year-old, Toronto native producing at a star level and is on pace for 87 points this season, including a record-setting 26 power play goals.

While Cossa remains a highly promising goaltender, he has yet to make the full-time jump to the NHL. Johnston, on the other hand, has already become the type of top-six center the Red Wings have been searching for. 

Detroit acquired assets that aligned with its long-term vision, while Washington addressed an immediate need. But years later, it is the indirect outcome, Dallas landing a rising star in Johnston, that continues to shape how the deal is remembered.

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