Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Wild Wednesday Rewind looks at March 26, 1986, when Neal Broten set an NHL record for players born in the United States.

It went down in a Minnesota North Stars victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, when Broten recorded two assists. He ended up with a career-high campaign in scoring.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.      

The Buffalo Sabres responded from a slow start and early penalty trouble in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Key Bank Center on Tuesday. The game marked the return of former Sabre Dylan Cozens, who assisted on Brady Tkachuk’s opening power-play goal, but after responding twice to Ottawa goals, Tage Thompson scored the game-winner early in the third period, and the Sabres held on for their second straight victory with backup James Reimer in goal.

Cozens and Dennis Gilbert (who was scratched for the game) received a video tribute and applause from the crowd, but his setup of Tkachuk was his high point of the evening, as he finished -2 on the night in just over 17 minutes. The Sabres response had an ironic feel to it, as Ottawa native Jack Quinn tied the game in the first after a JJ Peterka goal was ruled offsides, and former Sen Jacob Bernard-Docker tied the game with his first in a Buffalo uniform.

The win also marked a milestone for head coach Lindy Ruff, who notched his 600th victory with the Sabres.

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"I've been blessed to have unbelievable opportunity and the support throughout the years from different owners, different GMs, from the Knox family, and the ownership after that, Darcy (Regier) as the GM, and all through the years," Ruff said after the game. "(This season) is like driving in a car you haven't driven for a while, maybe a little bit of an older car, but you get under the hood and you get to look at it, you get to feel what you need to get the car running really good. I'm a guy that, from day one is always think I can fix everything, and I haven't been able to fix everything this year. It's been a disappointment for me from day one."

The Sabres moved to 29-35-6 with the win and have been playing better of late, but the club has never been able to recover from the disastrous downturn in late November and December, when they went 0-10-3 during a 13-game winless skid. Since then, Buffalo has taken permanent residence at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

“If we could take the 13 games out of the season, just split that in half, because before we got to the 13 games, we were like 11-9-2. The games after that were three or four games over .500. That segment of games killed our club and I feel personally responsible. There were games that were right there that could have turned it and got it the other way, and we didn't get it done," Ruff said. "(I) really want to get this right."

The veteran bench boss has a year remaining on a two-year deal, and based on his comments after the game and the fact that he is seven wins away from 900 career victories, it is almost a guarantee he will be returning next season.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

We’ve got our second NHL playoff clinch with the Winnipeg Jets, which defeated the Washington Capitals in overtime on Tuesday.

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks were the first to be eliminated, while the Nashville Predators avoided being the third team with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken are next on the chopping block unless they can win their next couple of games, with the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins likely to follow. Should the Bruins get eliminated, their eight-season post-season streak – tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the longest current streak – will end. 

Who gets in, however, will likely be determined in the final day of the regular season. This season has been wildly unpredictable, and as many as five teams from last year’s playoffs – Predators, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Bruins – might miss the cut. Most egregious of all are Presidents’ Trophy Rangers, and also the Canucks and Bruins, both of which finished in the top four in their conferences.

1. Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4, +77. Previous: 2)

The Jets take back the top spot after beating the Caps in overtime after Nikolaj Ehlers was sprung on a breakaway during an untimely line change by the Caps. Ehlers is scoring at a point-per-game pace this season, and one wonders how many more points he could score if he was averaging more than 16 minutes per game. 

2. Washington Capitals (47-15-9, +75. Previous: 1)

Tuesday’s loss to the Jets was only the Caps’ third loss in March with a power play that converted on less than 10 percent of its chances. That’s pretty wild considering who’s on their top unit, though it didn’t stop Alex Ovechkin from getting one goal closer to Gretzky’s record.

3. Colorado Avalanche (44-25-3, +38. Previous: 4)

The Avalanche have lost only once in regulation in March, making them the best team this month. A slight cause for concern is Mackenzie Blackwood’s recent play – entering Tuesday’s game against the Red Wings, Blackwood had a .895 SP in March.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4, +37. Previous: 3)

Impressive wins against the Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined 8-3 score were undone by losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Preds by a combined 10-3 score. There’s just always something about the Hurricanes that holds them back from being considered a serious Cup contender.

5. Dallas Stars (45-21-4, +55. Previous: 5)

When the Stars made the trade for Mikko Rantanen, it effectively put a huge target on their backs… or is a target on their face, considering how many of them have been hit by pucks? The Stars have just two regulation wins over the past two weeks, but no one’s panicking.

6. Los Angeles Kings (40-21-9, +28. Previous: 9)

Darcy Kuemper is quietly having a really solid season, and the Kings have risen from the dead following a five-game losing streak to go 9-1-0. Claiming second place in the Pacific in a first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers would be huge because neither team is particularly good on the road, especially the Kings, who are 14-18-5.

7. Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8, +51. Previous: 10)

The Knights have won four in a row averaging five goals per game, pushing them from sixth to fourth in goals-for per game. They’re a perennially good team, but it’s easy to forget that their offense isn’t usually this good, and it’s even more surprising considering the talent they lost over the past few seasons. The last time the Knights finished the season with a top-five offense was in the 2020-21 shortened campaign. Before that was in 2017-18 when they made the final.

8. Edmonton Oilers (41-24-5, +26. Previous: 8)

It’s going to be a tough week without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they face a tough test Wednesday against the Stars. After a tough stretch where they lost five in a row in late February, the Oilers went 7-3-1 and lost only one game by more than one goal… to the Ducks, surprisingly enough.

Can The Oilers Prove They Are More Than A Two-Man Team? This Is Their ChanceOver the next couple of games at least, the Edmonton Oilers have a real shot at proving they are a lot more than just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5, +59. Previous: 7)

Connor Hellebuyck could be a unanimous winner for the Vezina, but note Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only other goalie with a save percentage above .920 with at least 20 starts. The Lightning are 34-19-3 when he’s in net and 7-6-2 when he’s not.

10. Florida Panthers (43-25-3, +36. Previous: 6)

A tough road trip for the Panthers, which went 2-4-0 with only one regulation win, though at least it was in a key battle against a divisional rival. It’s worth mentioning again just how important it is to win the Atlantic, avoiding a first-round matchup against the Leafs or Lightning and facing a wild-card team instead.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3, +21. Previous: 13)

The good news is the Leafs bounced back after a horrible loss to the Preds with a 7-2 win against the Flyers. The bad news is they have a pretty tough path to clinch the division with a road trip to California, playing seven of their remaining 11 games on the road and facing the Panthers two more times.

Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann Succeeded Where Many Undrafted College Free Agents FailedToronto Maple Leafs left winger Bobby McMann's accomplishments stand out at this time of year.

12. St. Louis Blues (38-28-7, +15. Previous: 15)

Shades of 2019? The Blues have a ton of momentum with seven straight wins and now sit four points clear in the second wild-card spot, breezing through the easiest part of their remaining schedule. They have one more road game in Nashville on Thursday before it gets tough, facing the Avs twice and the Jets one more time before the end of the season.

13. Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9, -23. Previous: 11)

Their confidence may be high and their offense excellent, but remain incredibly streaky. After going 3-0-1 with wins over the Panthers and Sens, they go 0-1-2 with 15 (!) goals allowed. They have to start getting better on the road – they’ve only had one road trip where they’ve won more than they’ve lost, and started their four-game road trip with a 6-1 loss to the Blues on Tuesday.

14. Ottawa Senators (37-28-5, +1. Previous: 12)

The 5-1 loss to the Avalanche showed just how far away the Senators are from really competing, but as long as their recent 1-3-0 slide doesn’t continue, I foresee playoffs in the Sens’ future. They’ve overcome a fascinating up-and-down season from Linus Ullmark, who can be brilliant in one stretch but disastrous in the next. He went 7-0-1 in December with only eight (!) even-strength goals allowed to 0-4-0 in February with a 4.35 GAA and then back on track with a 7-2-1 record in March.

15. Minnesota Wild (40-27-5, -8. Previous: 16)

No matter what happens to the Wild, the big positive is they’re playing with house money because no one expected them to be this good. We were robbed of a potentially extraordinary season from Kirill Kaprizov, and the Wild offense has suffered immensely, ranking 17th in goals prior to Kaprizov’s last game and 32nd since.

16. Calgary Flames (34-25-11, -20. Previous: 19)

What a show of resilience by the Flames, who have won four straight – all comeback wins. For a team that had a hard time scoring, they’re not having much trouble now with Nazem Kadri at the heart of it, scoring consecutive overtime-winners against the Isles and Kraken.

17. New Jersey Devils (37-28-7, +24. Previous: 14)

Sheldon Keefe sounded so frustrated in his press conference, he might’ve driven the bus that ran over Johnathan Kovacevic. They’ve lost four of their last five, though they’re not in danger of missing the playoffs with a seven-point cushion over the Islanders. Stranger things have happened, and there’s no jinx here, but Jacob Markstrom is now 1-5-1 with a .843 SP in March.

18. Utah Hockey Club (32-28-11, -13. Previous: 17)

Utah squandered Monday’s game against the Wings even though the two teams were trending in different directions, putting Utah three points behind the Canucks. They’ll need to come away with at least two wins in their upcoming road trip to stay in the race, which means they must win one game against the Panthers and Lightning in their upcoming back-to-back with only one goalie they trust.

19. New York Rangers (34-32-6, -2. Previous: 20)

Saturday’s win against the Canucks was such a misnomer because they were thoroughly outplayed by a tired, banged-up team playing a road game at 10 a.m. in their home time zone. Otherwise, it would be five straight losses and nine in their last 11 games. Without Igor Shesterkin, this is a lottery team.

20. Vancouver Canucks (33-26-12, -16. Previous: 18)

The injury to center Elias Pettersson couldn’t come at a more inopportune time as the Canucks fight for their playoff lives. Quinn Hughes is superhuman, but even he cannot accomplish this alone. Thatcher Demko’s return provided a spark in a 4-3 shootout win against the Devils, but they have three more road games on their six-game trip and sit five back from the red-hot Blues.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-29-9, -8. Previous: 21)

Sean Monahan notched two assists in his return to play, and it was not a coincidence the Jackets also managed to stop their six-game losing streak. They needed some luck (and help from the referees) to beat the Islanders, and it’s kept their playoff hopes alive. They host the Canucks on Friday in a key game for both teams with major playoff (and power rankings) implications.

22. New York Islanders (32-28-10, -16. Previous: 22)

The Isles are giving up valuable extra points losing in overtime to the Flames and in a shootout to the Blue Jackets. Those two extra points had they won would’ve put them in a wild-card spot, a situation hardly imaginable for a team that can barely win three games in a row. Ilya Sorokin deserves a lot of credit – since Semyon Varlamov’s last game on Nov. 29, Sorokin, Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy are tied with 38 starts apiece, and no goalie has faced more shots than Sorokin.

23. Detroit Red Wings (33-32-6, -22. Previous: 23)

Since their seven-game winning streak, the Wings are 5-11-1 with the second-worst (!) points percentage in the NHL. Their play has dropped off so much that they went from holding a wild-card spot to being last among the five teams vying for that spot. Their goaltending is again a mess with trade-deadline acquisition Petr Mrazek suffering an injury.

24. Buffalo Sabres (29-35-6, -26. Previous: 27)

Impressive win over the Jets, and they ruined Dylan Cozens’ homecoming in a 3-2 win, but at this point, who cares, right? The Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season, and since their last playoff appearance in 2011, they have the league’s worst points percentage and the fewest goals-for per game.

25. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-33-11, -53. Previous: 25)

Well, I see we’re back to Tristan Jarry’s old ways! Not that the Pens had much of a chance of making the playoffs anyway, but there was a glimmer of hope during his four-game winning streak. He was pulled Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning, and Alex Nedeljkovic didn’t fare any better.

26. Seattle Kraken (30-36-6, -20. Previous: 24)

Fatigue must be a factor again for Joey Daccord, who passed last season’s career high in starts (46) and has a .877 SP in March, the second straight month where his save percentage has dipped significantly. He did something similar last season when his save percentages peaked in December and January and kept dropping over the final few months of the season. 

27. Anaheim Ducks (30-32-8, -33. Previous: 26)

The Ducks looked like they were trending up in February but have now lost seven of their last 11, including two games where they allowed seven goals. They are, however, on pace to post their best points percentage in six seasons.

28. Nashville Predators (27-36-8, -47. Previous: 29)

Two surprising wins against the Leafs and Hurricanes overshadow the bad news that Roman Josi will not return this season. They’re on pace for their fourth-worst points percentage in an 82-game season and the highest goals against per game in franchise history.

29. San Jose Sharks (19-42-9, -77. Previous: 31)

For a team that loses more games than anyone else, there’s still a lot of positive vibes. The latest is Luca Cagnoni, who earned an NHL call-up during an outstanding rookie season in the AHL as an undersized offense-first defenseman, the type that’s been all the rage following Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson’s success.

30. Boston Bruins (30-33-9, -46. Previous: 28)

How did we get here? With a six-game losing streak and Jeremy Swayman doing his best Jordan Binnington impersonation – he really does live rent-free in Boston, doesn’t he – in an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Kings, the Bruins have to really think about where this team’s headed next season and beyond. Their eight-season post-season streak is in real danger.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (21-41-9, -61. Previous: 32)

A 7-4 win against the Flyers saves the Hawks from being at the bottom again. It’s still kind of amazing to me the Hawks have managed to win three consecutive games just once this season.

32. Philadelphia Flyers (28-36-9, -52. Previous: 30)

Zero regulation wins in March. Zero. They have three more chances to avoid that dubious honor with a three-game homestand, but who’s hopeful? They’ve allowed 14 goals in their last two games and a goaltending tandem that – wait, they have goalies?!

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The New Jersey Devils will be without Cody Glass on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

The trade deadline acquistion has appeared in eight games with the Devils and has six points (two goals, four assissts) and has a +6 plus/minus rating. 

Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to NJD.TV that the 25-year-old did not travel with the team, but it is possible that he joins the team at a later date. 

"He is a good player and helps us in all areas of the game, it is another loss for us but another opportunity for other guys to fill in and we have lots of bodies here," he said. 

Keefe confirmed that Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian would return to the lineup after missing their team's last game against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Wednesday night is a must-win for the Devils as the Blackhawks are the second-worst team in the NHL behind the San Jose Sharks with 51 points. Chicago has two players who have scored 20-plus goals, while the Devils have three active players who have reached that milestone. 

2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard leads the way with 56 points and has four points over his last four games, but he has not earned a point against the Devils in three career games. 

Simply put, leaving United Center with anything less than two points would be a wasted opportunity with a difficult back-to-back against the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild on the horizon. 

Puck drop between the Devils and Blackhawks will be at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch on TNT or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Before being loaned to the Marlies, Reaves had two assists in 35 games this season with the Maple Leafs.

Ryan Reaves is practicing with the Toronto Marlies, but it's still unclear if he'll play in an AHL game.

After clearing waivers, the 38-year-old was assigned to the Marlies by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Mar. 7. The assignment allowed Toronto to use the cap space to acquire players like Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo at the deadline.

Reaves has been training with Toronto's development staff since being sent to the AHL but hadn't skated with the Marlies before Tuesday. Wednesday was his second practice, and he rotated throughout the team's lineup.

"He's been great coming in. I know he's been working on his game, skating with development staff. He's staying ready," Marlies head coach John Gruden said on Wednesday.

"We've had him in for two days and it's been great because he brings a certain professionalism and energy, and it helps with those younger guys too. He's been really good."

#Marlies head coach John Gruden on Ryan Reaves, who’s practiced with the team for the last two days:

“He’s just going to stay ready. He’s going to work with the development staff and at the end of the day, he’s just going to continue to make sure he’s ready to play regardless.” pic.twitter.com/q1QLmL6qYX

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) March 26, 2025

When asked to speak with the veteran forward, the Marlies said Reaves was unavailable for interviews.

Whether Reaves gets into a game with the Marlies is still being determined. The veteran forward's last AHL game was in February 2011 with the Peoria Rivermen.

"He’s just going to stay ready," Gruden added. "He’s going to work with the development staff and at the end of the day, he’s just going to continue to make sure he’s ready to play regardless."

Although Reaves had only played 35 games with the Maple Leafs this season, he was still a great teammate. Ahead of every home game, a pump-up video featuring him played on the jumbotron inside Scotiabank Arena.

Even before the Maple Leafs took to the ice, if Reaves was a healthy scratch, he was at the entrance to the locker room hyping up his teammates. But amid the uncertainty of when he could return to the NHL, Reaves isn't changing how he is toward teammates.

"He's a guy you want on your team in the locker room," Jacob Quillan said. "It's fun to play with him. He's been around the game a long time. So whatever he says, you just listen and you try to pick up some things."

According to PuckPedia, the Maple Leafs currently have $195,332 in available cap space. For Reaves to return to the NHL before the playoffs, a player would need to be placed on long-term injured reserve, opening up cap space for the forward and his $1.35 million salary.

Unless that occurs, Reaves will remain in the AHL until the NHL playoffs, once the salary cap disappears.

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March 26, 1915, is one of the most important days in Vancouver hockey history. On this day, the Vancouver Millionaires swept the Ottawa Senators to win the Stanley Cup. 110 years later, it is still the only Cup that the city of Vancouver has won, and the first of two for the Province of BC as the Victoria Cougars captured a championship back in 1925.

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 In 1915, the Stanley Cup was awarded a little differently than it is today. Vancouver was part of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) and needed to win the league to participate in the final. Their opponent was the Ottawa Senators, who captured the National Hockey Association (NHA) championship that season.

The Millionaires were virtually unstoppable during the 1914-15 season. They had a record of 13-4 and outscored their opponents 115-71. Their leading scorer that season was Hockey Hall of Fame member Cyclone Taylor, who had 45 points in 16 games. 

As for the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, it was no different, as Vancouver swept Ottawa 3-0. All three games were played at Denman Arena, with the Millionaires winning Game 3 by a score of 12-3. Over the three games, Vancouver scored 26 goals while holding the Senators to eight. 

Vancouver Millionaires Stanley Cup Roster:

Mickey MacKay
Fred Cyclone Taylor
Johnny Matz
Kenny Mallen
Frank Nighbor
Russell Barney Stanley
Lloyd Cook
Si Griffis (captain)
Ken Mallen
Jim Seaborn
Frank Patrick (Owner/President/Manager/Coach/Defence)

Seven players from the 1915 team were later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. They are Taylor, MacKay, Nighbor, Stanley, Griffis, Patrick, and Lehman. One hundred ten years later, the 1915 Millionaires remain one of the best teams to ever play for the city of Vancouver.

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. 

Top-level NHL draft prospect Michael Misa tore the OHL apart with a season that rewrote the history books.

Misa finished atop the OHL scoring race with 134 points, 10 points more than second place. He had the most points per game among players with at least 25 games played – only his linemate, Igor Chernyshov, had a higher average, but he played just 23 games.

Misa’s 62 goals ranked second in the OHL behind Nick Lardis, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick from 2023. Misa also led the entire CHL in scoring and finished behind just Lardis once again as a goal-scorer. 

To say that Misa was the OHL’s best player this season would be an understatement. He was a force of nature. He’s in the conversation for the best player in the CHL with Gavin McKenna, a player discussed as a generational talent, although he’s 10 months younger than Misa.

This has come in the biggest season of Misa’s career thus far, his NHL draft year, when first overall is on the table.

“I just want to be the best player every time I’m at the rink,” Misa said earlier this season. “My determination on and off the ice. I’m a really coachable guy who is going to do everything it takes to win.”

When you consider players in their draft year, Misa’s season is even more impressive.

Since 2000, only Patrick Kane has had a higher-scoring draft year among OHLers, and Misa is tied with Kane for the most goals in a draft-eligible season. 

Kane spent most of his draft year as an 18-year-old while Misa just turned 18 last month. Among U-18 skaters, Misa’s scoring output ranks fifth since 1980, with only players like Eric Lindros and Marc Savard ahead of him.

Misa earned exceptional status as a 15-year-old coming into the OHL, so there were always sky-high expectations, but to put together a season like he has is truly special. 

Four forwards have been granted exceptional status in OHL history – Misa, Connor McDavid, Shane Wright and John Tavares. Among those players, only Tavares matched Misa’s 134-point output, although Tavares did it in his age-16 season before following it up with an 118-point performance as a draft-eligible player.

“I have always played up a year with the (2006-born players), and it just made sense for me to keep doing it,” said 2007-born Misa. “I want to keep challenging myself and putting myself in the best position to get better.”

2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Mid-Season Top 64It's 2025 NHL draft rankings time again as we're about to see the class playing some of its highest-level hockey.

Improving and developing his game in every facet has been a key point of emphasis for Misa since his youth hockey days. He wants his team to put the responsibility of being the best on his shoulders. 

Being the best isn’t just about scoring, though. It’s about putting forth solid efforts at both ends of the ice. 

“I’ve been PK-ing more this year and trying to focus on my defensive game as well,” Misa said. “It has been great because it’s opened my game up for more puck touches and chances to create offense.” 

Hockey IQ has always been one of Misa’s greatest strengths. He has all the physical tools from skating and a wicked shot to slick passing and handling ability, but his ability to read the ice, see how play develops and attack at the perfect moment has made him special. 

Many young players don’t understand until their mid-twenties that the more they play defense, the more puck touches and opportunities they get. That’s why Misa is such a complete, dynamic, and well-rounded player. He understands hockey better than many players already in the NHL. 

With the NHL draft approaching, Misa isn’t focused on going first overall, although he admits it would be special. The young center is focused on what is right in front of him, the OHL playoffs. 

Last year, he was a middle-of-the-lineup piece on a powerhouse team that won the Memorial Cup. This year, he wants to be the centerpiece to an OHL championship team. 

His journey to accomplish that goal will start Thursday as the Spirit take on the Erie Otters in the first round of the playoffs. Erie could welcome back Matthew Schaefer, the top contender for first overall who has been out since the world juniors with a broken collarbone. 

If it is Misa facing Schaefer in the first round, NHL draft fans will be glued to this series, as we could see the top two picks in June go head-to-head. Misa will be looking to assert himself and lead Saginaw on a long playoff run once again.

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Wheeling has a proud hockey heritage that dates back to 1992, when the Wheeling Thunderbirds came to town.

Many players have passed through the team over the years, either on their way to the NHL or elsewhere.

Last Saturday, goaltender Brandon Halverson became the 69th former Nailer/Thunderbird to reach the National Hockey League after playing in Wheeling.

Halverson got the starting nod for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center.

Halverson played in four games for the Nailers during the 2020-21 season, as he unfortunately had his season end prematurely due to injury. Wheeling was one of five ECHL teams he suited up for over the course of six seasons. The most recent of those was 2023-24, when he was a member of the Orlando Solar Bears.

The Traverse City, Michigan native played four games against the Nailers last season, as he won twice at Kia Center, while Wheeling got the upper hand in the two matches at WesBanco Arena.

The 28-year old has eclipsed the 100 games played mark in both the ECHL and the American Hockey League, as he has gone 46-55-11 in 118 ECHL contests and 41-41-15 in exactly 100 AHL games.

Halverson is currently enjoying the best season of his career, as he was named to the 2024-25 AHL All-Star Game, thanks to a 16-9-8 mark with the Syracuse Crunch. His 2.32 goals against average ranks eighth in the AHL, while his .913 save percentage is tied for 11th.

This was not the first NHL game for Halverson, who was drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round (59th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his debut on Feb. 17, 2018 with the Rangers in Ottawa. That makes him the fourth of the 69 former Nailers/Thunderbirds to make his NHL debut before coming to Wheeling and return to the NHL after playing for the Nailers. The previous three were Luca Caputi, Joaquin Gage, and Dany Sabourin.

Halverson made 19 saves on 25 shots Saturday night for Tampa Bay in a 6-4 defeat against Utah.

The Nailers will host the Cincinnati Cyclones for Frosty Friday at WesBanco Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:10 Pm ET.

Holding the Eastern Conference's first wild-card berth, the Ottawa Senators are close to securing their first trip to the post-season since 2017. Nevertheless, some fans and pundits are already pondering their potential off-season moves.

Julian McKenzie of The Athletic was recently asked about the Senators' biggest off-season need and how they might address it. He believes they could use a top-scoring right winger. 

Looking at the free-agent market, he indicated Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be the obvious choice. Given the Senators' cap situation, he considers the 27-year-old right winger too expensive, suggesting Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets and Mikael Granlund of the Dallas Stars would be more affordable options.

The Senators have a projected cap space of $18.444 million for next season, with 13 active roster players under contract. 

McKenzie also doesn't see the Senators (or anyone else) successfully signing away Leafs left winger Matthew Knies with an offer sheet. The 22-year-old power forward is in the final season of his entry-level contract. He pointed out the Leafs have $27.4 million of projected cap room for 2025-26. 

The Senators won't be signing Marner or Knies, but it would generate considerable headlines if they did. Landing one or the other would elevate the Battle of Ontario rivalry to levels not seen since the two clubs' memorable playoff clashes over 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings struggle to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their latest March swoon has some observers wondering what GM Steve Yzerman will do to bolster the roster this summer. 

The Red Wings are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season, six of those under Yzerman's watch. If he wasn't feeling any pressure in Hockeytown before the start of the season, he'll be feeling it by the end of it.

This could be the most crucial off-season of Yzerman's tenure as Wings GM. 

The Athletic's Max Bultman recently looked at the club's current slide and what it says about their off-season needs. He believes they need stability in goal, a difference-maker among their top-six scorers and depth on defense. 

Bultman listed Marner, Ehlers, Vancouver's Brock Boeser and Florida's Brad Marchand as possible free-agent targets. He also suggested Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun as a free-agent blueline option, but he's since signed an eight-year extension with the Capitals.

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Heading into the NHL’s 4-Nations Face-off break on Feb. 8, the Ducks had battled back to claim a .500 record (24-24-6) and had won seven of eight games, capped off by back-to-back wins against the Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings. It was the first time they’d been at that mark since they were 10-10-3 on Dec. 1, 2024.

The Secret is Out: Lukas Dostal is Casually Incredible

Every traditional and underlying metric suggested the most substantial reason they’d remained within shouting distance of .500 to that point was the Vezina-caliber performance of their goaltending tandem, sophomore sensation Lukas Dostal and calculated veteran John Gibson. The team as a whole was putting in spirited efforts on a nightly basis and finding ways to win. The numbers and process were showing signs of improvement as well.

Lukas Dostal (24) has started 41 and appeared in 45 of the Ducks’ 70 games this season, increasing his usage rate from his rookie season, where he started 38 games and appeared in 44. He has a .907 SV% and has saved 16.11 goals above expected, stats made more impressive because he’s seen the most shots per 60 minutes (32.07) of any goaltender in the NHL (min 25 games) this season.

Dostal’s running mate in the Anaheim crease, John Gibson, has battled various injuries and ailments since suffering a ruptured appendix during Ducks’ training camp in September. Since play resumed following the break, Gibson’s only been able to start four games for the Ducks and has only been able to finish two, leaving the other two with injuries.

Gibson’s name had been prominent in trade discussions for as long as recent memory serves. Cited reasoning for a trade not finding its way over the finish line this season has been Gibson’s health and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek’s high asking price. From a Ducks perspective, moving on from Gibson would have meant handing the crease completely over to Dostal, perhaps something they weren’t ready to do at this point in the young netminder’s career.

Report: Gibson's Health Primary Concern over Contract, Ability

If that was indeed the Ducks’ thought process on the matter, their concerns might be manifesting in the team’s last 16-game stretch since late February. Since Feb. 22, the Ducks have a 6-8-2 record and a 5-6-2 record in games decided when Dostal is in net. He has performed admirably and better than should have been asked during that time despite the dip in his numbers, which, prior to the break, had been dwelling in the stratosphere.

Since the NHL returned to play, Dostal has a .895 SV% and has saved -1.45 goals above expected. It is unfair to assign blame completely at his feet, the numbers are imperfect, and he’s given the Ducks a chance to win far more often than the play in front of him should dictate, but his play has shown a crack or two of late as he’s let a handful of shots uncharacteristically find their way through him that he would have found ways to stop earlier in the season.

Dostal has played a lot of hockey in the last calendar year. After appearing in over half of the Ducks games in 2023-24, he started eight of ten games for his native Czechia en route to an IIHF World Championship gold medal in May. In 2024-25, he’s now on pace to start in 48 NHL games and, during his time in net, see the most shots of any goaltender in the NHL.

Dostal’s machine-like work ethic and dedication to refining his craft have elevated him into the conversation among the NHL’s brightest young stars between the pipes. His economic movements and positioning in the crease are coupled perfectly with his ability to track pucks throughout the defensive zone and fight through traffic to make difficult perimeter shots look easy to stop. He’s taken his game management skills to another level this season, as he’s recognizing when to freeze pucks behind a tired defense in front of him or play pucks to retrievers in order to potentially capitalize on changing opponents.

Is Dostal ready to take the next step in his career progression and become the new bonafide starter in Anaheim in 2025-26 should a Gibson trade come to fruition as has been indicated it might in the 2025 offseason?

The answer is likely yes, given two conditions: 1. He isn’t tasked with starting 60-plus games, as the days of having a “set it and forget it” nightly starter in the modern-day NHL are dwindling. Those circumstances are reserved for the sport’s most elite veterans like Connor Hellebuyck, Igor Shesterkin, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. And 2. The team defense in front of him ensures he is no longer among the NHL leaders in shots and high-danger shots faced per 60 minutes.

The Ducks' Power Play Conundrum

Anaheim Ducks Prospect Spotlight: Pair of Defensemen Make AHL Debuts

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild opened the season 18-4-4. They were on top of the league standings on Dec 6. Since then, the Wild have gone 22-23-1 and rank 23rd in the NHL in that span.

Kirill Kaprizov has missed the last 22 games and Joel Eriksson Ek has not played in the last 15 games. All of a sudden, the Wild can't seem to score and the best start in the team's history has now turned into a grinding season that has them hanging on to a playoff spot with other teams on their heels. 

The St. Louis Blues have won seven in a row and are now two points behind the Wild for the top wild card spot in the Western Conference.

The Calgary Flames won on Tuesday and are now six points behind the Wild for the top wild card and four behind the Blues. Calgary has only played 70 games. The Wild have played 72 games. 

“We’re battling. The reality is what it is. We’re not going to give in. We’re going to battle hard," Mats Zuccarello said after the 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. "I think in the same, it’s one game. But I just think it’s better to be honest in what I feel when you’re out there and hopefully we can get a good day of rest, get in late last night, good day of rest and then we gotta get back at it. We need points. It’s a crucial time. Everyone’s behind us winning. It is what it is.”

If the season ended today, the Wild would play the Golden Knights in round one of the playoffs. Tuesday's game was a possible preview of a first round matchup. 

“We know what we’re up against. We gotta raise to that level. Everything can happen in the playoffs, but first we gotta worry about getting there first of all," Zuccarello said. "But you play a solid game defensively but I think as of late, not scoring enough, maybe, I said it before, we gotta make plays. We gotta support each other. We gotta have guys come with speed. I don’t know. It’s hard. Today, you can mix and match, back-to-back, but we play against a team that it’s really hard to play against when they play like that and we don’t play like us.”

Minnesota is 2-8-3 in its last 13 games against Vegas and were swept in the season series. Vegas outscored Minnesota 12-4 in those three games. They have outscored them 49-28 in their last 13 games against the Wild. 

If the Blues, who are on fire right now, pass the Wild for the top wild card spot, Minnesota would drop to the second wild card. They would match up against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round. 

The Jets, who have been at the top of the Central Division all year, withstood the Wild's 18-4-4 start and have since taken hold of the division. Not only that, but they have won eight-straight games against Minnesota. 

The Wild are 0-7-1 in their last eight against Winnipeg and have been outscored 28-12 in that span. They are 3-9-1 in their last 13 games against the Jets and have been outscored 43-29 in that span. 

Their last win against the Jets came 749 days ago on March 8, 2023. 

Nonetheless, the Wild are battling it a bit. They came into Monday's back-to-back with three straight wins. But they have now lost two straight to the Dallas Stars and Golden Knights. 

Wild head coach John Hynes said before the game that he anticipates that Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek will start skating soon but with ten games left in the season, it isn't like those two will save the season.

'I Would Anticipate Them Hitting The Ice In Very Short Order': Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek To Begin Skating SoonST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild (40-26-5) hosts the Vegas Golden Knights (42-20-8) tonight. Wild Head Coach John Hynes gave an update before the game about Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. 

So, is there a concern level with this team without Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek.

"It's just gonna be a battle till the end, right? We expect it. We're missing some big guys, obviously, and a few millions under the cap," Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said after the Wild's loss. "Guys are battling every night. They're trying their best to stay in it, to find ways to get points and that's why I love this group so much, the character they show every night. It will be a battle though that's for sure."

Speaking of battles, the Wild are set to continue their home stand on Thursday with a game against the best team in the league, the Washington Capitals.

They then play two against the New Jersey Devils, play two playoff hopefuls in the New York Rangers and New York Islanders and then host the Dallas Stars at home. They play a back-to-back with the Flames and the Vancouver Canucks to end the season. Two teams that are on the heels of the Wild in the standings. 

It is starting to get real.

A 18-4-4 start could soon turn into the last spot in the Western Conference playoffs or worse, out of the playoffs. 

The most frustrating part of this all is the it isn't for a lack of effort. The Wild are playing their butts off every night. In Dallas they blocked over 20 shots and played great offensively but just ran into a hot goaltender who shut them out. Vegas was the same. 

"I mean, we got to build off of what we’ve done. I don't think we're playing bad by any means. We're doing a lot of good things. And, like I said, we had enough chances, I think, to score a few more goals tonight and then I think the end of the game might look a little different," Marcus Johansson said after the loss to Vegas. "We did a lot of good things in Dallas, I think, too. The puck’s not going in. It's hard to play with that confidence, and it's hard to have that in the group. It's tough, but we got to keep fighting. It's this time of year, and there's belief in this group."

On Tuesday, the Wild entered the third period down 2-0. They then proceeded to have one of their best periods of the season. Flying around the offensive zone and creating chances. 

Johansson was able to get the Wild on the board early in the third but then a high-sticking penalty by Ryan Hartman put Vegas on the power play just over five minutes left. 

The second best power play in the league converted just 13 seconds into the man-advantage. Jack Eichel scored his second of three on the night to make it a 3-1 game. Tanner Pearson, who drew the Wild's only penalty, scored into the empty net two minutes later. 

Eichel picked up another with under three minutes left and pushed Vegas over Minnesota 5-1. 

One small mistake turned a 2-1 game with the Wild in it, to a 5-1 loss in a matter of a snap of the finger. 

Time will tell if the Wild can withstand this stretch of hockey with ten games left of the season or not. It just seems like a daunting task to try and win games 2-1 until you get some scoring help with Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek back. 

Again, time will tell. 

"We know what we can do. And like I said, there's definitely no quit. We're trying. We're working as hard as we can. And we’re trying to score different ways," Johansson said. "You can kind of tell. Guys are gripping the stick a little tighter. I mean, I have all year. It's not gone in, but like I said, it's not for lack of effort."

The Montreal Canadiens started their four-game road trip against the red-hot St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, and the Habs seemed unable to execute early on. Martin St-Louis’ men needed over 12 minutes to get a shot on net finally, and it was a dump in on a penalty kill. By that time, the host had already tested Samuel Montembeault nine times.

Exclusive Interview With Jayden Struble On His Game, His Teammates And The Upcoming Lineup Change
Kaiden Guhle Will Travel With The Canadiens
Rafael Harvey-Pinard’s Injury Impacts Laval

Now Is Not The Time For Stage Fright

Over the last few games, the Canadiens have made it a habit of falling behind in the first period and being unable to execute, like actors who have forgotten their lines. Against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night, they were down 2-0 after 20 minutes, and against the New York Islanders, they gave up the first goal even though they tied the score before the end of the first. Last Thursday, they trailed 2-1 at the start of the third.

It’s all well and good to be able to pull out a comeback win now and then, but having to do it every game is far from ideal. Halfway through the first period, St. Louis led 13-1 in shots on goal and had three high-danger chances, while the Canadiens had none, which was understandable since their sole shot on goal was a dump-in on the penalty kill.

Part of learning to win for this young team is learning to start on time and not be intimidated by the importance of the game. Should Montreal qualify for the playoffs, every game will be do-or-die, and the Canadiens won’t be able to afford false starts.

Time For A Rest

Before this season, Montembeault had never played more than 41 games in a campaign. Earlier this year, when the team had lost confidence in Cayden Primeau, he played 10 games in a row. He admitted his pads felt heavier after a 5-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tuesday night, Montembeault was playing his fifth game in a row. Over the last few games, he has not looked as sharp, and that’s perfectly normal. He has seen a lot of rubber this season, and this current situation is different from the one in December. It’s not a matter of just hanging on until a break. The Habs are in the middle of a race for the playoffs, and if/when they make it, it won’t be time to rest.

Robert Thomas mystifie Samuel Montembeault 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/rK5FNz9tml

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) March 26, 2025

With the team playing so poorly in front of its goaltender on Tuesday night, it would have made sense to pull Montembeault and give him a rest. The Canadiens have three games in four nights starting Thursday. Give the man a break, let Jakub Dobes see some action, and shake off the rust in readiness for the start he will get this week when the Habs have a back-to-back. By the time St. Louis finally put him in on Tuesday night, the damage had been done, and there wasn’t much time left for his regular to rest.

Giving Dobest a start over the last few games wouldn’t have been about sending a message to Montembeault, it would have been about resting your top option in the net and making sure he’s as sharp as can be for the 12 games left in the regular season, and, hopefully for at least a round of playoffs hockey.

Tailoring Your Style To Your Opponent

The Canadiens have been very good of late, placing pucks in deep and getting them back, a kind of dump-and-chase with real purpose. Josh Anderson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Emil Heineman have been perfect examples of how much you can create that way.

St-Louis has praised his players for how well they’ve placed the puck to set the opponent up for punishing hits, but that’s not necessarily a good course of action against a goaltender like Jordan Binnington. The Blues’ netminder might not be one of the best goaltenders in the game in the classical sense of the expression, but his puck handling is brilliant.

He may not quite be as good as Martin Brodeur when handling the puck, but he is solid enough to be considered in the game plan. Putting the puck in his vicinity is like turning it over to a third defenseman.

Overall, just about everyone struggled all night for the Canadiens on Tuesday. Alexandre Carrier and Mike Matheson were minus-four, while Joel Armia and Jake Evans were minus-three. Those are not normal numbers. Montembeault gave five goals on 32 shots for a .844 save percentage, and Patrik Laine just couldn’t get his shot off properly, not even on the power play. In short, the Blues played an aggressive game and just wanted it more as evidenced by this 6-1 win. 

This is one to forget for the Habs, who will need to shake it off and move on to their next challenge, a duel with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. Thankfully, Montreal’s opponents in the playoffs race could not make any ground tonight, the Buffalo Sabres even beat the Ottawa Senators in regulation, while the Los Angeles Kings did the same to the New York Rangers, but the Canadiens would do well to start winning again if they want to remain in control of their fate.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Fiala scored twice, Darcy Kuemper stopped 22 shots, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Phillip Danault also scored as the Kings extended their home point streak to 15 games (12-0-3). Los Angeles is the second team in the NHL to have a home streak of at least 15 games, joining Washington (11-0-5).

J. T. Miller scored for New York, and Igor Shesterkin finished with 30 saves. The Rangers have lost four of their last five games.

Miller put New York ahead 1-0 at 2:10 of the second period with a goal awarded after a review. It initially appeared a sprawled Kuemper kept the puck out with a sweeping right pad. However, it was called a goal by the situation room in Toronto after replays showed the puck crossed the line before the goalie’s right skate swept it away.

Fiala tied it on a power play with 9:06 left in the middle period on a deflection from the right doorstep.

Danault, playing in his 700th NHL game, put the Kings ahead on their second power-play goal of the night as he put in the rebound with 2:12 to go in the second.

Fiala added an empty-netter for his second of the night with 15.1 seconds remaining.

Takeaways

Rangers: New York has lost eight of 11 (3-6-8) to remain one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Kings: Los Angeles won for the ninth time in 10 games and moved two points ahead of Edmonton for second place in the Pacific Division.

Key moment

Kuemper made a point-black save on the Rangers’ Will Cuylle from the right doorstep with about 7:47 to go. He then slid across to pounce on the loose puck after Vincent Trocheck’s shot was blocked by Adrian Kempe seconds later, preserving the Kings’ 2-1 lead.

Key stat

The Kings, 28th on the power play at 15.7% coming in, converted on multiple chances in a game for the first time since Oct. 14 when they went 3 for 5 in an 8-7 overtime loss at Ottawa in their third game of the season.

Up next

Rangers visit Anaheim on Friday, and Kings play at Colorado on Thursday.

Calgary, AB - The Seattle Kraken concluded their road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Nazem Kadri played a pivotal role in the Flames' victory, scoring both the game-winning goal and his second goal of the night. This win was crucial for Calgary, as it secured them two points, bringing their total to 79. The Flames are now just four points behind the St. Louis Blues, who sit in second place in the wild card standings with 83 points.

In goal, Joey Daccord defended the net for Seattle, while Dustin Wolf did the same for Calgary. Both teams celebrated milestones, with Seattle’s Ryker Evans and Calgary’s Matt Coronato each playing in their 100th NHL game.

The game began with a goal from Adam Klapka, who scored his second of the season to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. The Kraken answered in the second period, with Jaden Schwartz scoring his 21st goal of the season on a power play, followed by Tye Kartye’s fifth goal, which gave Seattle a 2-1 lead. 

Calgary responded with two goals of their own. First, Kadri capitalized on a power play to score his 27th of the season, tying the game at 2-2. Then, Rasmus Andersson fired a snap shot past Daccord, assisted by Matt Coronato, putting the Flames ahead 3-2.

With less than two minutes on the clock Jordan Eberle tied things up 3-3 with a wicked wrist shot past Wolf, forcing the overtime.

The Kraken return home to host the final contest of the season with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at 7PM PST.

Related

Kraken @ Flames Preview: Two Rookies Set To Hit Milestones As Calgary Faces Playoff PushCalgary, AB - The Seattle Kraken close out their road trip Tuesday night and face the Flames at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome, aiming to finish the regular season series on a high note. Seattle has claimed two of the first three matchups this season, with a 3-2 win in Calgary on Feb. 8 and a 2-1 overtime victory in Seattle on Oct. 19. Calgary took a 3-2 win at Climate Pledge Arena on Feb. 4. Historically, Seattle is 5-8-1 against the Flames but boasts a strong 4-2-0 record on the road. The Kraken have also won four straight at the Saddledome, dating back to Nov. 1, 2022.

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Well, that one was a doozy for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In fact, it was one of their worst losses of the season.

On Tuesday, the Penguins were outclassed by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 6-1 rout, pretty much being outplayed after the first few minutes of the game. Pittsburgh registered four of the first five shots on goal, and after that, the Lightning completely took over the game. 

Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was pulled after allowing four goals on the first six shots. Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring a little more than 12 minutes into the opening frame, picking up a rebound off a Ryan McDonagh shot in the low slot area and sneaking it past Jarry. McDonagh got a goal of his own just over a minute later, as he threw the puck at the net from a sharp angle on the left wall that hit Penguins forward Rickard Rakell's skate and went in.

But the Lightning just kept coming. Cirelli potted his second goal of the game - and 26th of the season - less than two minutes later, and Brayden Point put one home 48 seconds after that to chase Jarry from the game and put the Bolts up, 4-0.

All four goals happened in a span of less than four minutes, and it pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game, in which the Lightning outshot the Penguins, 27-15.

"We just didn't play well enough," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "Most of the first, I didn't think it was all that bad, but it just seemed like every chance went in the net. It was one of those nights."

Nikita Kucherov added insult to injury within the last five minutes of the second period, as he capitalized on a Lightning power play resulting from a Ryan Graves interference penalty that sent him crashing into Alex Nedeljkovic, who had relieved Jarry in the first. And before the middle frame was over - with less than a minute remaining - Brandon Hagel put home his 33rd goal of the season to give Tampa Bay the 6-0 lead.

Pittsburgh did add a late tally during a mini-push near the end of the third period, as Bryan Rust tipped a Matt Grzelcyk shot from the point to get the Penguins on the board. And Sidney Crosby did register the secondary assist, putting him just one point shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky's point-per-game seasons record.

But all of it was too little, too late, and the Penguins know they can't let games get away from them early on. The good news is that they will get right back at it against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, and they have a chance to wipe this one from memory pretty quickly.

"We just gotta reset," Rakell said. "Look at the next game, learn from our mistakes today, and just restart. It's a new game for us, a new chance for us to respond."

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