TAMPA, FL - APRIL 4: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning splits the defense of Pavel Zacha #18 and Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins to reach for a loose puck during the first period at the Benchmark International Arena on April 4, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to this season’s very last Public Preview®, the combination preview/Public Skate you’ve come to know and love!
Tampa comes into this game with 102 points, good for third place in the Atlantic Division.
Like the Bruins, they have three games left, but find themselves two points behind Montreal for second and four points behind Buffalo for third.
(Montreal also has three games left, while Buffalo has two.)
These two teams last met a week ago in Tampa, a 3-1 win for the Lightning. Tampa has won all three of the season’s match-ups thus far, so the Bruins will be looking to avoid a season sweep.
As you likely know, the Bruins officially clinch a playoff spot with any kind of win today — regulation, OT, or shootout.
They can also clinch with a loss and a series of other results going their way, but it’d but much, much easier to just, you know…win.
James Hagens will not be making his NHL debut today, with Marco Sturm noting that he wants to give the kid more time to get acclimated to the Bruins’ system.
With another game tomorrow evening in Columbus, it may not be too long before we see Hagens, but time will tell.
Those back-to-back games also likely mean that we’ll see both goalies this weekend, so we’ll see who goes first. Jeremy Swayman has started two of the Tampa games this season, with Joonas Korpisalo getting the other start.
As a reminder, today’s other relevant games will be the New York Islanders vs. Ottawa Senators (1 PM) and New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit Red Wings (5 PM).
Depending on how those two games go, the Bruins may end up clinching regardless of their result today.
Tune in at 12:30! Or, since this is ABC, probably closer to 1 PM.
The New York Islanders woke up Saturday morning sitting one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division and three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final wild card spot.
Those are the only two realistic paths remaining for the Islanders into the postseason.
The math alone tells you catching Philadelphia is significantly easier and is preferable to the task of catching Ottawa.
If the Islanders win in regulation on Saturday against the Senators, they'll move one point back of Ottawa.
Still, the Detroit Red Wings could then leapfrog the Islanders again with a regulation win, based on the regulation wins tiebreaker.
It's not the most inspiring run of opponents to hope to beat Ottawa to even give the Islanders a chance to pass the Senators.
There's a reason the odds give Ottawa around a 92% chance to make the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the odds have the Islanders and Flyers within a few ticks of one another. Not only is this thanks to the Islanders being just one point back, but the Islanders also clinched the tiebreaker over the Flyers.
In the event of a tie in point, the Islanders finish above Philly, no matter what happens.
The Flyers also have a tougher schedule than Ottawa.
The Flyers go on the road Saturday to face the Winnipeg Jets in a game with huge playoff ramifications for both sides.
Ironically, that's also how the Islanders finish the year. The Islanders might need to win every game remaining, a very tall task for them and new head coach Peter DeBoer.
The odds of Philadelphia winning out are rather low, and compared to that of Ottawa, the window of opportunity for the Islanders to claim third place in the Metropolitan Division is significantly larger.
With just three games to go, it's almost the only path ahead. All the Islanders can do is win and drive up the pressure on the Flyers.
Montréal Canadiens - 47-22-10 - 104 Points - 9-1-0 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 2nd in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 39-28-12 - 90 Points - 2-7-1 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 5th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus split the first two games of its three-game road trip with a 4-3 SO win at Detroit on Tuesday and 5-0 loss at
Buffalo on Thursday. The club concludes its road portion of the regular season at Montreal on Saturday.
CBJ play their 16th and final back-to-back set of the season (18-7-5, .683) on Saturday (at Montreal) and Sunday (vs. Boston).
The team has earned points in 11 of its last 16 road games, ranking sixth-T in the NHL in points pct. since Jan. 11 (10-5-1, .656).
The Jackets have also earned points in 26 of their past 35 contests overall since Jan. 11 (21-9-5, 47 pts.).
The Blue Jackets play all four of their games this week against the Atlantic Division (1-1-0). The club has earned points in 19 of its last 24 games against the division dating back to Apr. 8, 2025 (14-5-5).
Columbus leads the NHL with a franchise-record 58 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (58-135-193, 79 GP).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has tied his single-season career high in assists and tied for the second-most points of his 14-year NHL career with 18-38-56 in 79 games this season.
Adam Fantilli has set single-season career highs in assists and points with 23-33-56 in 79 contests this season.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 16 of his last 21 starts since Jan. 11 (13-5-3, 2.44 GAA, .910 SV% in 22 GP), ranking eighth among NHL goaltenders in GAA and ninth-T in SV% over that stretch (min. 6 GP).
Kirill Marchenko has posted assists in four of the past six games (1-5-6) and is the fifth player in Blue Jackets history with 25-plus goals in consecutive seasons (31 in 2024-25; 26 in 2025-26).
Mason Marchment has collected assists in four of his past five contests (1-5-6) and has 2-6-8 in his last eight games. He ranks second on the team in goals since making his CBJ debut on Dec. 20, 2025 (14-15-29 in 36 GP).
Zach Werenski set a new single-season franchise record with his 26th multi-point effort on Tuesday (1-1-2). He has recorded 22-58-80 in 72 games in 2025-26 and is the third American-born defenseman in NHL history with consecutive 80-point campaigns (Brian Leetch, 1990-91 - 1991-92 with NYR; Phil Housley, 1991-92 - 1992-93 with WPG).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.2% - 22nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.2% - 28th in the NHL
Goals For - 238 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 244 - 22nd in the NHL
CanadiensStats
Power Play - 23.2% - 11th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 78.1% - 20th in the NHL
Goals For - 271 - 7th in the NHL
Goals Against - 241 - 17th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheCanadiens
Columbus is 22-18-1-5 all-time, and 10-11-1-3 all-time in Montréal.
CBJ have recorded points in three of the last four meetings (2-1-1) and 12 of the past 18 since Mar. 28, 2019 (9-6-3).
Montreal has won the last five home games in the series (CBJ; 0-4-1) since a three-game road win streak for Columbus from Feb. 2, 2020-Feb. 12, 2022.
Each of the last four games have been decided by a single goal. Prior to that, seven-of-eight from Apr. 13, 2022-Nov.16, 2024, were decided by multiple goals.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals in 11 of the past 16 games since Nov. 19, 2019 (including SO goals).
The teams have combined for six or more goals in four out of the last five meetings and nine of the past 12.
CBJ have scored a power play goal in two out of the last three games of the series (2-of-6; 33.3 pct.).
The teams have combined for 60 shots or less in seven of the past ten meetings (57.0 avg.).
Who To Watch For TheCanadiens
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 38 goals and 78 points.
Rasmus Dahlin leads Buffalo with 52 assists.
Goalie Alex Lyon is 20-10-4 with a SV% of .907.
CBJ Player Notes vsCanadiens
Boone Jenner has 15 points in 26 games vs. the Sabres.
Zach Werenski has 19 points in 21 games.
Charlie Coyle has 24 points in his career against Buffalo.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 41 Games IR - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Damon Severson - Missed 7 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Dmitri Voronkov - Missed 6 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Mathieu Olivier - Missed 5 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 206
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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This week, the Devils had back to back games against the two NHL team from Pennsylvania, the Penguins and Flyers. In their usual 2025-2026 fashion, the Devils came up short in both games. On Thursday night, the Devils lost to the playoff bound Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. It was the second game in a row that the Devils have let up 5 goals against after Jacob Markstrom pulled out a miracle on Sunday, securing his first shutout of the season. One step forward, two steps back. With the season now officially over, and the Devils eliminated from playoff contention, Sheldon “flip a coin on if I’ll be here next year” Keefe decided to play Jacob Allen in net. Allen, trying to do his best Jacob Markstrom imitation, let up a goal less than 5 minutes into the first period to put the Devils in a 1-0 hole. The Devils showed some life in the 2nd period, with goals from Paul “thanks for the memories NJ” Cotter and Jack Hughes scoring goals, to help the Devils get within 1 goal by the end of the second period at 3-2. The Penguins would put the game out of reach for the Devils in the 3rd period with an early goal from Evgeni Malkin at 6:50 followed later by an empty net goal from Erik “how old is this guy?” Karlsson to seal the victory 5-2.
Last Red Wings Game
On Thursday, the Red Wings got a much needed win, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3. The Red Wings currently sit 3 points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card spot, with only 3 games to play. The desperation felt by Detroit is mostly self inflicted at this point. With their victory on Thursday, it marked only their 5th win in their last 15 games. John Gibson got the start in net against the Flyers, and will most likely get the start tonight against the Devils. Why, you ask? Gibson has now started an insane 16 of the last 17 games for Detroit. Barring injuries, it’s a safe bet that Detroit rides Gibson for the last 3 games of the regular season.
Dylan Larkin scored an interesting hat trick for Detroit, getting a power play goal, short handed goal and an even strength goal. I’m not sure if there’s a name for that, but it’s something that’s fun to see either way. Moritz Seider added a career best night for the Red Wings, with a 5 point night (1g, 4a). After the first period ended tied at 1-1, Detroit took control in the 2nd period and never looked back, scoring 3 goals, less than 5 minutes into the period. The Flyers knocked the lead down to 4-2 before the end of the period. However, the Red Wings would add 2 more goals less than 5 minutes apart in the third to put the game officially out of reach for Philadelphia.
Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.
In case you missed it, Luke Hughes is done for the season, for his yearly off season surgery.
#NEWS: The New Jersey Devils have shut down D Luke Hughes to undergo a procedure and get a head start on rehab for the off-season. pic.twitter.com/YeZJcVMo1j
Grimace secured his first hole-in-one yesterday while playing golf, which is hopefully a good sign for his predictions and the Devils next year. He was in such a good mood, that he’s decided to make one final prediction for this season. The Devils will win tonight, 4-2. You heard it here first.
Grimace’s 2025-2026 Season Prediction record currently stands at 13-14-0.
Your Take
I don’t generally get much joy out of my favorite team playing spoiler. As I’ve said, it’s a sad consolation prize for not making the playoffs. However, I have to be honest here at the same time. Looking at Detroit’s record, and how they’ve only won 5 times in their last 15 games, and that they’re fighting for their playoff lives right now, I would definitely find joy in the Devils helping to put a nail in the coffin of their playoff dreams. Call me immature, but if my team isn’t going to make the playoffs, then the next best thing is Red Wings fans sharing our collective misery too. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and thanks for reading!
In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my brand new podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. 🙂
The Florida Panthers will close out the road portion of their schedule on Saturday night against a division rival also having a frustrating season.
Florida has dropped each of the first four games of this five-game roadie and will try to salvage a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
To be fair, while yes, the players on the ice will absolutely be pushing to end their weeklong expedition with a hard-earned victory, when looking at the bigger picture, it would actually more benefit the Panthers if they lost the game. In regulation.
The big reason why its better for Florida not to win at this point of the season, after being eliminated from playoff contention, is that if the Panthers finish in a position where they end up with a top-10 selection in this summer’s NHL Draft, they get to retain the pick despite having traded it to Chicago in last year’s Trade Deadline deal that brough Seth Jones to Sunrise.
Whether Florida keeps the pick or trades it, the higher that selection ends up being, the better.
When looking at the standings, the Panthers and Maple Leafs each have 78 points through 79 games, sitting as the sixth and seventh-worst teams in the league. Florida is seeded higher because they have more regulation wins.
In terms of lottery odds, this game holds pretty heavy implications.
The Seatle Kraken are one point behind the Cats and Leafs with a game in hand. They host the Calgary Flames on Saturday after beating the Vegas Golden Knights in a shootout Friday night,
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s visit to Ottawa:
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Eetu Luostarinen – A.J. Greer
Tomas Nosek – Cole Schwindt - Noah Gregor
Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza
Gus Forsling – Mike Benning
Donovan Sebrango – Marik Alscher
Tobias Bjornfot – Ludvig Jansson
Photo caption: Jan 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Troy Stecher (28) battles for the puck with Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
On Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks held a ceremony to honor those who were named to the inaugural Blackhawks Hall of Fame.
The class of 2026 includes the 9 players who had their numbers retired before the 2025-26 season, two players who were voted in, and Troy Murray, who passed away in March.
The two players voted in came from two categories. The first was the “modern alumnus ballot” and the second was the “heritage alumnus ballot”.
Every player selected was a special part of the franchise’s first 100 years. Each player had something incredible about them that earned them this prestigious honor. Here is one thought per player that details why they are in the position that they’re in:
Troy Murray
Troy Murray embodied what it meant to be a Chicago Blackhawks player, alumnus, broadcaster, and ambassador. He was not born in Chicago, but he ingratiated himself as well as any athlete the town has ever seen.
Murray lost his long, hard-fought battle with cancer in March. Since then, the tributes, prayers, and love have been pouring in from the entire hockey community and beyond. There has been no shortage of proof of how special he was.
He is going in as a builder, which makes him the first builder to enter the Blackhawks Hall of Fame. Pat Foley said it best: he was never the best player on his team, but he was always one of the most important. Wearing a letter at every stop proves that.
With that said, Murray was also a very good player in all three zones. When he retired, very good would be an understatement when describing his impact on the franchise.
Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall is one of the greatest goaltenders in Blackhawks history. He didn't earn the nickname "Mr. Goalie" by accident. Hall passed away earlier this season at the age of 94, and the Blackhawks community has felt the outpouring of love and support.
Hall won the Calder Trophy as a rookie, the Vezina Trophy three times, the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks once, and had 502 consecutive goalie starts, an NHL record that holds to this day.
Pierre Pilote
Pierre Pilot was a defenseman for the ages during his time. Before a guy named Bobby Orr came around, Pilot was one of the standards for offensive defensemen. He won the Norris Trophy in three straight seasons from 1963 to 1965. He followed that up with two straight second-place finishes in 1966 and 1967.
In the final stretch of the original six days, Pilot helped the Blackhawks achieve a lot, including winning a Stanley Cup with them in 1961.
Keith Magnuson
Keith Magnuson didn't have the longest career of all time, but he played a key role on the team as a shutdown guy during the entire 1970s decade. Sometimes, it isn't about racking up all of the points, even back then. Magnuson was a winning hockey player who helped the Blackhawks transition into the post-Original Six era.
Chris Chelios
You know a guy was great for a franchise when he played with them for seven years, but wasn't his first team, and then moved on to play with their biggest rival for ten years after that. That was the case for Chris Chelios, who was one of the greatest defenseman in not only Blackhawks history, but NHL history.
With the Blackhawks, Chelios won two of his three Norris Trophies. Although his three Stanley Cups came away from Chicago, He was a big part of some incredible Western Conference powerhouses during his time with the Blackhawks.
In recent years, Chelios has returned to the Blackhawks to be around a lot more. His number was retired, and the fanbase fell back in love with this all-time great player, despite how his playing career with the Hawks ended. Being a Chicago kid certainly helps his case.
Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull is the greatest goal scorer in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. A handful of players have come through and given him a run for his money in terms of pure offense, but his 604 career goals stand alone by a long shot.
Hull passed away in 2023, but the man known as "The Golden Jet" will always be remembered as an all-time great player.
Denis Savard
Denis Savard won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1990s, but his career was mostly spent with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Over 1000 of his 1338 points were in a Blackhawks sweater, making him one of the most prolific forwards in franchise history. The man known as "Savvy" was never a winner of an individual award, but he was one of the most entertaining players of his era.
In terms of pure "must-see-TV", Savard is near the top in the history of the franchise. When the puck was on his stick, you knew something amazing was going to happen.
Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita stands alone as the all-time leading scorer in Chicago Blackhawks history with 1467 points. His career was as decorated as any in the earlier days of the franchise. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1961, as did many of the players on this list, but his accolades don't end there.
Mikita won the Art Ross as the league's leading scorer four times, the Lady Byng twice, and the Hart Trophy once. For over two decades, with Chicago, Mikita was a consistent player. Despite having over 1400 points, he never had over 100 in a season, but you knew he would be one of the best players in the league every single year.
Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito played 13 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1968-69, but he carried his rookie status into the following season, where he won the Calder Trophy as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
From there, "Tony-O" never played a game for another team. His career went for another 15 years, all with Chicago. That included three Vezina Trophies and five all-star appearances. He was truly one of the greatest that the game has ever seen, especially for his time.
Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa was the greatest free agent signing in the history of Chicago sports. They already had a good team that was in the Western Conference Finals when he arrived, and he pushed them over the edge.
After losing in the final twice with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, Hossa came to Chicago and won three Stanley Cups, solidifying him as one of the greatest two-way wingers that the game has ever seen.
Marian Hossa's game was like if you took Patrick Kane's offensive skills and combined them with the two-way prowess of Jonathan Toews. He sacrificed a little bit of offense to be a responsible player in all three zones, which made him a winning player.
Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith was elected with the "Modern" ballot, and rightfully so. He is the greatest defenseman to ever suit up with the Blackhawks. He played all but one of his NHL seasons with Chicago before riding off into the sunset with the Edmonton Oilers.
Not only did Keith win the Stanley Cup three times as Chicago's number one defenseman, but he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs in 2015. Those awards complement his two Norris Trophies very well.
When the Blackhawks were down a goal late, up a goal late, on the power play, or on the penalty kill, Keith was on the ice. He could play for half the game without breaking a sweat, and had a bit of nastiness to his game when he needed it.
The Blackhawks had a lot of firepower up front during their dynasty, but they would have won nothing without making Keith their second-round pick (54th overall) in 2022.
Steve Larmer
A wise man once said, "Retire 28." Although Steve Larmer's number is not being retired, at least not yet, he was the elected player from the "Heritage Ballot". It's fair to call him one of the most underrated players in franchise history.
Larmer was an outstanding Blackhawks player for a long time. He spent the first 13 years of his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks before a quick two seasons with the New York Rangers, where he would win the Stanley Cup in 1994.
Steve Larmer played in 1006 NHL games and had 1012 points, including 441 goals. In his first full season, he won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, and that was the first of 10 straight seasons in which he played all 80 games.
Sometimes, being a consistently great player who can play with other great players is the most valuable key to being a top NHL producer. Larmer was a great player who deserves all of the praise he is getting for the career that he had.
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Last year in the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens were manhandled by the Washington Capitals. For most of the young Canadiens, it was a first taste of the playoffs and one they weren’t ready for. On Thursday night, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which came to town intending to do exactly the same, the Sainte-Flanelle stood tall and refused to bow down.
The referees handed out 126 penalty minutes in that game, 71 of which were given to the Lightning. The Canadiens pushed back after every aggression, but they had the discipline not to go too far over the line. They played with physicality, but they remained in control.
Josh Anderson was flying out there and always ready to stand up to the opponents. He handed up, dropping the gloves with Declan Carlile and giving the 25-year-old a correction. He even ended up getting in Nikita Kucherov’s head with stealthy slashes, and Tampa’s ace took himself out of the game for two minutes when he tried to reciprocate.
We’ve been used to seeing a fast, high-scoring team this year, but the Canadiens showed they can play a different game, one that is highly suited to playoff hockey, and they did it against a team that has won more than its fair share of Stanley Cups over the recent years.
It might have only been one game, but to limit the Bolts to 18 shots and one goal while playing that kind of hockey was rather impressive. The talk of the town on Friday morning in Montreal wasn’t just Cole Caufield’s 50th goal; it was also the type of game the Canadiens played, and some even thought that the proverbial window of opportunity might be open for Martin St-Louis and his men now.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 01: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on alongside Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 1, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Washington Capitals (40-30-9, 89 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (41-22-16, 98 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 3:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: National broadcast on ABC, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: Today is the final home game of the regular season (but not the last home game of the season, now that the Pens have clinched a playoff spot with Thursday’s 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils). The Penguins are headed to D.C. tomorrow to complete the home-and-home back-to-back with what could be the final matchup between Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin recently said he will wait until after the season to confirm whether he is retiring from the NHL, which caused ticket prices to spike ahead of the matchup in D.C. The Pens then get a day off before wrapping up the season on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.
Opponent Track: The Philadelphia Flyers’ loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night didn’t just help the Pens clinch home ice advantage— it also kept the Capitals’ hopes of sneaking into the third spot in the Metro alive. The Caps have a path to the postseason if they can win out their final three games, starting with this back-to-back set against the Pens, as long as the Flyers, New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets keep losing. If the Caps lose today to the Penguins, however, their playoff odds drop to next to nothing. Per MoneyPuck:
Season Series: The Penguins blew an early three-goal lead with Arturs Silovs in net, but rallied with a late power-play goal from Bryan Rust to secure a 5-3 win over the Caps in these teams’ last meeting in Pittsburgh on Nov. 6.
Hidden Stat: This game is set to mark the 75th time Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have played one another, according to Penguins PR. Crosby and the Penguins have gone 43-27-4 in those previous 74 matchups.
Hidden Stat II: This weekend could potentially mark the end of an era that has shaped both franchises. The Ovechkin/Crosby era has last for just over 40 percent of the Capitals’ franchise history and more than a third of the Penguins’ history (h/t WashingtonCaps.com’s Mike Vogel).
Getting to know the Capitals
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier
Aliaksei Protas – Ilya Protas – Tom Wilson
Connor McMichael – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime – Justin Sourdif – Ivan Miroshnichenko
DEFENSEMEN
Martin Fehervary / Rasmus Sandin
Jakub Chychrun / Trevor van Riemsdyk
Cole Hutson / Matt Roy
Goalies: Logan Thompson, Mitchell Gibson
Potential scratches: Hendrix Lapierre, Ethen Frank, David Kampf, Declan Chisholm, Dylan McIlrath, Timothy Liljegren, Charlie Lindgren (upper body)
Injured Reserve: None
Ilya Protas, the 19-year-0ld brother of Caps winger Aliaksei Protas, made his NHL debut on Wednesday. The Capitals are currently running both brothers, who each measure in at 6’6” on either side of Tom Wilson (6’4”). The trio weighs more than 300 pounds combined.
The Protai x Wilson line is going to be a PROBLEM for the forseeable future 😳💥
Ilya Protas isn’t the only young Capital making his NHL debut down the stretch. Nineteen-year-old defenseman Cole Hutson has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 11 games since making his NHL debut in March.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren was a full participant in practice Friday and is traveling with his team to Pittsburgh, Caps coach Spencer Carbery told reporters. Logan Thompson, who most recently backstopped the Caps to a 4-0 shutout of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is likely to get the start today in Pittsburgh, but having Lindgren back for Sunday could determine who starts the latter half of the back-to-back.
Tom Wilson is one goal shy of hitting the 30-goal plateau for the second time in the NHL career. Ovechkin already hit that mark in 75 games to mark his NHL-record 20th season with at least 30 goals.
Is this Ovechkin’s last game in Pittsburgh? The Washington captain recently announced he won’t be deciding whether to return for another NHL season until after the Caps’ run this season is over. How soon fans find out could depend at list in part on whether the Pens are able to play spoilers for the Capitals’ playoff chances today at PPG Paints. The Caps are at the very least honoring his last home game of the season by giving out special rally towels to fans in attendance on Sunday in D.C.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Tommy Novak – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom – Noel Acciari – Avery Hayes
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Connor Dewar (day-to-day)
IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)
Connor Dewar missed Thursday’s win over the New Jersey Devils with what the Penguins described as a day-to-day lower-body injury. The team didn’t practice Friday, so an update on his injury status will come today.
The Penguins could also potentially decide to rest some players now that the team has been locked in as the No. 2 seed, although this could still be a first-round preview if the Caps win out while the Flyers, Jackets and Isles spiral.
The NHL's busy 15-game schedule on Saturday, April 11 could provide more clarity in the playoff race.
Five more NHL teams − the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights and idle Anaheim Ducks − can clinch a postseason berth, joining the nine teams that have already made it. The Ducks would end a seven-season playoff drought if they clinch.
The Pacific Division lead is in play with the leading Oilers and second-place Golden Knights in action. The second wild-card seed in the Western Conference could change hands again if the Nashville Predators win and the Los Angeles Kings lose.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket, Saturday's clinching scenarios and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: Carolina, Buffalo, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Utah
Who can clinch an NHL playoff berth today?
The Boston Bruins will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Lightning. They'd also clinch if they get one point, the Red Wings lose and the Senators and/or Flyers lose. A third option: The Red Wings lose in regulation and the Islanders or Flyers lose.
The Ottawa Senators will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Islanders and the Red Wings lose.
The Edmonton Oilers will clinch a playoff berth if they get at least one point against the Kings. They also clinch if the Jets fail to win in regulation.
The Vegas Golden Knights will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Avalanche. They'd also clinch if they get one point and the Jets and Predators lose. Third option: The Sharks lose and the Jets and Predators lose in regulation.
The idle Anaheim Ducks will clinch a playoff berth if the Sharks lose and the Jets and Predators lose in regulation.
NHL games today (Saturday, April 11)
All times p.m. ET
Tampa Bay at Boston, 12:30, ABC
Ottawa at N.Y. Islanders, 1
Washington at Pittsburgh, 3, ABC
Edmonton at Los Angeles, 4
New Jersey at Detroit, 5
St. Louis at Chicago, 5
Minnesota at Nashville, 5
N.Y. Rangers at Dallas, 5
Carolina at Utah, 5
Florida at Toronto, 7
Columbus at Montreal, 7
Philadelphia at Winnipeg, 7
Calgary at Seattle, 7
Vegas at Colorado, 8
Vancouver at San Jose, 10
NHL playoff standings
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
After April 9 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Metropolitan Division
y-Carolina Hurricanes (108)
x-Pittsburgh Penguins (98)
Philadelphia Flyers (92)
Atlantic Division
x-Buffalo Sabres (106)
x-Montreal Canadiens (104)
x-Tampa Bay Lightning (102)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (96)
Ottawa Senators (94)
Sitting out of playoff position: Detroit Red Wings (91), New York Islanders (91), Columbus Blue Jackets (90), Washington Capitals (89), z-New Jersey Devils (83), z-Florida Panthers (78), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-New York Rangers (75)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
After April 9 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Sitting out of playoff position: Nashville Predators (84), Winnipeg Jets (82), San Jose Sharks (81), St. Louis Blues (78), Seattle Kraken (77), z-Calgary Flames (73), z-Chicago Blackhawks (70), z-Vancouver Canucks (52)
NHL playoffs if they started today
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 9:
Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3)
Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Montreal (A2) vs. Tampa Bay (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 9.
Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Edmonton (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Vegas (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
Goal differential
Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18.
After a rare day off on Friday, teams will have two to four games left before the April 16 end of the regular season and contenders will try to cement playoff positions.
So far, the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins have clinched Eastern Conference playoff spots and the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Utah Mammoth have clinched in the West. Colorado and Carolina have won division titles.
Five more teams have the potential to clinch berths during Saturday's 15-game schedule.
Here's what is still to be decided in the final week of the regular season:
Atlantic Division title
The Sabres (106 points), Canadiens (104) and Lightning (102) have a shot. Buffalo has two games left and the other teams have three. The Sabres lead in the first tiebreaker (regulation wins). The Canadiens have been the hotter team, going 9-1 in their last 10 games, while the Lightning have lost three in a row.
Third in the Metropolitan Division
The top three teams in each division make the playoffs and that might be the best path for Metropolitan teams to get back into a playoff position. The New York Islanders, led by recently hired coach Peter DeBoer, are a point behind the third-place Philadelphia Flyers, compared to three points out of the second wild-card spot. The Columbus Blue Jackets are two points behind the Flyers. Each team has three games left and the Islanders lead in regulation wins.
Eastern Conference wild card spots
The Boston Bruins (96) and Ottawa Senators (94) hold the two positions, and they can clinch berths on Saturday. Boston will get in with a win. Ottawa would need a win and a Detroit Red Wings loss. If that happens, Detroit's playoff drought would hit 10 seasons. The Senators lead the Bruins in regulation wins and will take the first wild card if the teams end up tied in points.
Pacific Division title
The division-leading Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights and idle Anaheim Ducks have a chance to clinch berths on Saturday. One point separates the Oilers and the other two. All have three games left and the Oilers have more regulation wins. Edmonton and Vegas will play the No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche, and the Oilers and Ducks will play the last-overall Vancouver Canucks.
Western Conference wild card
The second wild card keeps changing hands and the Los Angeles Kings have a one-point lead on the Nashville Predators plus a game in hand. But the Kings have only 20 regulation wins and their closest pursuers have 25 or more. The Winnipeg Jets, who are three points back, are on a 7-2-1 run.
Home ice in the Central Division
The Dallas Stars beat the Minnesota Wild on Thursday and need only one win or a Wild regulation loss to clinch second place and have home ice advantage in the first round. Dallas-Minnesota is the only first-round series that is set.
As they fought for their playoff lives at the start of April, the Ottawa Senators were glad to get home for a late-season, five-game homestand that ran from April 2-9. They opened that stretch tied with Detroit and Philadelphia, and all three teams were two points out of a wild-card spot held by Columbus.
But the Sens' homestand wasn't going to be easy, as four of their five opponents were clearly playoff-bound. Buffalo, Minnesota, Carolina, and Tampa Bay were all high on the guest list to Lord Stanley's ball, and the fifth opponent was the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers, who had just trampled them a few days earlier.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Tim Stutzle's amazing goal against the Carolina Hurricanes this week.
The Senators' performance in the past week was beyond anyone's expectations.
They split the first two games, beating Buffalo and then losing to Minnesota. After that, they ran the rest of the table, beating Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Florida by a combined score of 17-6, and grabbing 8 of a possible 10 points.
Entering Saturday's action, every team in the Eastern Conference now has just three regular-season games left to play.
With a little help, the Senators can clinch a playoff spot by Saturday at 8 pm.
The Sens will be in New York to face the Islanders at 1 pm. If they defeat the Islanders in any fashion AND the Red Wings lose to the Devils (5 pm) in any fashion, then it's time to dust off your playoff car flags.
The Senators would officially punch their ticket to the playoffs for the second year in a row.
If you want to look at the bigger picture, without looking for help, the Senators will automatically make the playoffs if they can pull three out of a possible six points from their last three games. If they do that, then it's over. There's nothing anyone behind them can do to about it.
The Sens will certainly get the best version of the Islanders, who are also fighting for their playoff lives with a new head coach at the helm in Pete DeBoer. But on Sunday, the Sens will have a date with the Devils in a battle of two teams in a back-to-back situation.
Because Jacob Markstrom has been shut down for what's left of this season, the Sens will face goalie Nico Daws, who was just called up and has played only one NHL game this season. That said, Daws gave the Senators absolute fits in a game in Dec. 2023, a few days after Jacques Martin had taken over as interim coach.
Clinching at home against the Leafs would be sweet for Sens Nation. They'd love the idea of sending Toronto to the golf course with a flourish, but they'd rather not leave this to the last second and give their hated rivals a chance to spoil the party.
Ottawa: SAT: Ottawa at Islanders SUN: Ottawa at New Jersey WED: Toronto at Ottawa
After they play the Devils, the Red Wings close out with two games in Florida, where both NHL teams feature depleted rosters. But maybe the spring break effect will hit the Wings the way it seemed to hit the Senators a couple of weeks ago in their ill-fated trip to Florida.
Detroit SAT: New Jersey at Detroit MON: Detroit at Tampa Bay WED: Detroit at Florida
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:
In a recent mailbag for Daily Faceoff, Anthony Di Marco named a handful of NHL trade candidates to watch during the summer. Among the players Di Marco discussed is Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram.
"The Buffalo Sabres are surging right now, but defenseman Bowen Byram may still ultimately want a new destination in the long run. Signing just a two-year contract extension last summer and rumored to want to have more of an opportunity to be a legit no. 1 defender, he may chase another situation," Di Marco wrote.
Byram is no stranger to being in the rumor mill, so it is easy to understand why he is being named as a potential summer trade candidate. The 24-year-old defenseman would certainly have the potential to get the Sabres a nice return in a move, as he is a young top-four blueliner having a strong year.
Byram could be exactly the kind of trade chip the Sabres used to upgrade their roster elsewhere. The Sabres could use another top-six center or top-four right-shot defenseman.
However, with Byram being a key part of the Sabres' defense, it would also be understandable if they keep him around. In 80 games this season, he has set new career highs with 11 goals and 42 points.
It will be interesting to see what happens between Byram and the Sabres from here. He will be a pending unrestricted free agent during the 2026-27 season.
When Senators GM Steve Staios traded down two spots from 21st to 23rd in the first round of the NHL Draft last summer to acquire a third-round pick, 67th overall, from the Nashville Predators, it seemed, at the time, to be a nice piece of asset management.
He knew the guy they wanted in right-shot defenceman Logan Hensler from the University of Wisconsin would still be there.
Discussing the rise of Jordan Spence: Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy are joined by former PGA Tour player Brad Fritsch, who's a passionate Sens fan.
The acquisition of right-shot defenceman Jordan Spence that same day in exchange for that third-round pick, along with a sixth-round pick in 2026, has made Staios look like a genius as the Senators hone in on a playoff position with three games remaining.
It didn’t come easy for Spence, who had to earn the trust of his head coach, Travis Green.
Spence was a healthy scratch to open the season against the Lightning and Panthers last fall. He made his Sens debut in their home opener against the Nashville Predators but still didn’t have a firm spot in the lineup at that point. He was scratched again against the Buffalo Sabres before returning against the Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders.
Most will remember the end of the Islanders game when Spence was fleeced of the puck on a soft play against Anders Lee. That led directly to Lee scoring the game-winning goal with just over a minute to play, and it led to Spence being banished to the press box for six consecutive games.
Some of the fanbase began to wonder what Staios saw in the former LA King, but Spence eventually regained his spot in the lineup and never relinquished it.
Until Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot both went down for an extended period, Spence quietly went about his business, putting up impressive stats and analytics. He mainly did so while suited up alongside Tyler Kleven on the bottom pair and playing second-unit power-play minutes.
But his role changed dramatically about a month ago, and as Herb Brooks famously told the 1980 US Olympic team before playing the Soviets in Lake Placid:
“Great moments are born from great opportunity”
The loss of both Sanderson and Chabot provided a great chance for Spence to show he was capable of taking on and delivering more. To say that he's taken this great opportunity and turned it into some great moments is an understatement.
The loss of those two workhorses really seemed to spell doom for the Senators' playoff chances. They were on the outside looking in with several points to make up and multiple teams to pass.
Other defensemen fell to injuries as well, and by sheer necessity, Spence had to play more minutes against better opponents, and yet, he's on the best run of his career, with nine points in his last 11 games.
In the past month, his ice time has been at 22 minutes or more 10 times, including over 30 minutes of work in the win over Buffalo last week.
It's been clear for some time now, and the Corsi numbers support it, that the Senators are far more dangerous offensively when Spence is on the ice, and this seems to be true regardless of who he plays with.
It’s hard to imagine the Senators maintaining their current wild-card spot without Spence's performance in the past month.
Now people are wondering what kind of extension he's going to get this summer.
With Nick Jensen seemingly out for the rest of the year and being a UFA at season’s end, the Senators seem to have the ideal backfill in-house. The only issue to be resolved with Spence is whether the restricted free agent will do a bridge deal or if the Senators will buy up as many UFA years as they can.
This is a great problem to have if you're Staios. Though Sanderson and Chabot have returned to the lineup and Spence’s minutes have become more manageable, the goal he scored against Tampa on Tuesday night served as a reminder that his elevated performance wasn't a fluke and that there's more under the hood.
Great moments are born from great opportunity, and it looks like Jordan Spence is making the most of his in Ottawa.
Pat Maguire 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:
Two rival, proud franchises will meet for the final time in the 2025-26 season when the St. Louis Blues (33-33-12) and Chicago Blackhawks (28-37-14) meet for the fourth and final time on Saturday at 4 p.m. at United Center in Chicago.
The Blackhawks have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the sixth straight season, but for the Blues, who made a valiant push when they were at one point 14 points back but got to within as close as three points on April 3 and 5, can be officially eliminated on Saturday.
With four games remaining, the Blues are seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings, who currently hold down the final wild card in the Western Conference ahead of the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks, so a regulation loss or any Kings win on Saturday would officially close the book on the Blues, who must win out to have any hope and prayer. But those all but went out the window coming off home losses to the Colorado Avalanche (3-1) on Tuesday and Jets (3-2) on Thursday.
"It's pride (at this point)," Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. "It's a privilege to play in this league every single day you show up to the rink and play in the NHL. It's even more special to wear the Bluenote. I've been fortunate to do it for 11 years and I don't take that lightly.
"For me, it's going to be easy to show up and play for this Bluenote."
Chicago has won two of the three matchups in the season series this year, including 7-3 on home ice on Jan. 7. The teams split two games in St. Louis earlier in the season.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery echoed Parayko's thoughts after the team had its picture day and practiced before heading to Chicago.
"One, it's a privilege just to be part of the NHL and be part of the St. Louis Blues hockey club. And then to be able to be with the other people that are in the background doing so many other great things for us, so that the game is entertaining for our fans, that we have seats and all that. We're a real team."
- - -
Two Blues that continue to tear it up in points are Robert Thomas, who extended his point streak to seven games (six goals, six assists) and has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in his last 20 games played, and Dylan Holloway, who had a goal and an assist Thursday to give him 13 points (five goals, eight assists) the past eight games and 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) the past 21 games.
"This is two years in a row where in the month of March he's probably if not the best, one of the top three players in the NHL, right," Montgomery said of Thomas. It's not easy to be that dominant and that good. He has the tools to do it and I think it's just every year that he gains more experience, then he's going to be able to put it all together."
Thomas is healthy finally, and so is Holloway, who looks like the player that was setting a blazing trail for this team before tearing the abductor muscle off his hip April 5, 2025 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"He's the same guy that's just continually getting pucks, getting it back, taking hits, giving hits," Montgomery said. "He's inspiring to his teammates.
"Compared to last year, he's just someone that energizes the team."
- - -
The Blues will make a couple changes to their forward lines heading into Saturday. Out will be Jack Finley and Nathan Walker and in their spots on the fourth line will be Pius Suter, who was given a game off Thursday, and Oskar Sundqvist, who has played in just one of 10 games since March 15.
"I think anyone that's been in and out of the lineup, it's really hard," Montgomery said, "because you don't know when you're playing, preparation's a lot tougher. It's what you love to do. When you're out of the lineup, it's really hard emotionally and mentally."
One has to wonder what the future holds for Sundqvist, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His body has taken a beating in his 11-year career, including parts of eight seasons with the Blues.
The 32-year-old has 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 50 games this season. The 50 games this season will be his fewest since playing in just 28 for the Blues in 2020-21 when he tore his ACL.
"Just a safety net," Montgomery describing Sundqvist, "because he understands the game so well and he understands how to help and he always thinks about the team first. He will make sure he is in the right spot so that the team has success and he doesn't care about any of the recognition."
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Otto Stenberg-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Oskar Sundqvist
Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux
Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler-Tyler Tucker
Joel Hofer is projected to start in goal; Jordan Binnington would be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Jonathan Drouin, Jack Finley, Nathan Walker, Justin Holl and Matthew Kessel. The Blues report no injuries.
- - -
Blackhawks Projected Lineup:
Ryan Greene-Connor Bedard-Nick Lardis
Tyler Bertuzzi-Anton Frondell-Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato-Frank Nazar-Andre Burakovsky
Andrew Mangiapane-Sacha Boisvert-Teuvo Teravainen
Wyatt Kaiser-Sam Rinzel
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Kevin Korchinski-Ethan Del Mastro
Spencer Knight is projected to start in goal; Arvid Soderblom would be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Sam Lafferty, Dominic Toninato and Landon Slaggert. Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), Artyom Levshunov (hand) and Oliver Moore (lower body) are out.
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So many on the outside wrote off this Penguins' team before the season even began. Now? It's all come full-circle, and the team is happy to have proven folks wrong.
"I'll be honest, it feels a little better given the outside expectations all year," Bryan Rust said. "Giving everyone a big middle finger feels good."
Bryan Rust: "I'll be honest, it feels a little better given the outside exceptions all year. Giving everyone a big middle finger feels good."
The road for the Penguins this season wasn't an easy one, nor was their post-Olympic stretch. And even this game had its moments early on.
The Devils registered the first five shots of the hockey game, peppering Penguins' netminder Stuart Skinner early. Skinner answered the bell, though, and Pittsburgh finally responded just under five minutes in. The Penguins were in the offensive zone, and Kris Letang managed to get the puck to a breaking Egor Chinakhov on the left side. Chinakhov sold "shot" all the way, but instead, sneakily threaded a perfect seam pass to Rust on the other wing, and he was able to execute a perfect one-time touch redirection into the net to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead on their first shot.
The Penguins took over the rest of the period for the most part, but they were still giving up some dangerous grade-A looks against. That came to a head approaching the midway point of the second period, when Paul Cotter took advantage of an Erik Karlsson misplay and took off on a breakaway, beating Skinner and tying the game at 1-1.
But, as they often do, the Penguins didn't sit back or sulk. Instead, they got right back to work. Less than two minutes later, Pittsburgh gained the offensive zone on the rush, and Karlsson slipped a nice pass to Evgeni Malkin, who was breaking through the middle. Malkin then slid the puck forward to Tommy Novak, who went top-shelf to score his first goal in 13 games and restore the Penguins' lead.
They'd never surrender that lead, and, in fact, kept adding. Ryan Shea got possession of the puck off the ensuing faceoff, and he backed up and fed a breaking Chinakhov a perfect pass on a Murphy dump. Chinakhov managed to separate just enough to knock down the bouncing puck, and - off-balance, nonetheless - he reached forward with his stick, somehow getting a solid backhand shot off and beating Jake Allen blocker-side to put the Penguins up 3-1 just nine seconds later.
Jack Hughes added a tally for New Jersey within the final five minutes of the middle frame to bring the Devils back to within one, but the Penguins put any hopes of a comeback to bed in the third. Almost seven minutes in, Chinakhov pounced on a puck down low and used his foot to redirect the puck to Crosby at the net-front. Crosby made a nice move on Allen and almost scored a highlight-reel goal of his own, but he couldn't finish it - which wasn't a problem for Evgeni Malkin, who found the puck on the doorstep and put it home for his 19th of the season to make it 4-2.
Then, with three minutes left, Karlsson put the cherry on top with an empty-netter from long-range to give the Penguins the 5-2 and seal the deal on clinching for the first time in four years.
"It's exciting," Crosby said. "That’s why you play. That's the best time of the year. To know that we’re going to be there, to set out to do that... it’s nice to get rewarded. Everybody has had a part in this, especially with this group. Everybody’s contributed to get here.”
Here are just a few notes and takeaways from the Penguins' biggest win of the season:
- Honestly, I am not going to say a whole lot down here this time. There will be plenty of pieces, plenty of discourse, and plenty of writing to be had in the week and a half between now and when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, Apr. 18.
That said, boy, this has been such a fun hockey team to cover this season.
Head coach Dan Muse was asked after the game when he first remembered feeling like this team could be special. And without hesitation, he said "Training camp."
Honestly, I get it. I am not going to sit here and claim that I thought this team was going to make the playoffs, even if I did not think they would be a lottery team. I was convinced that it would be much of the same from last season, when they finished ninth-worst in the league.
But there was a different air in training camp this season. With the coaching change, with a pretty overturned roster, with legitimate youth talent pushing... you could feel an energy that simply wasn't there prior to the 2024-25 season. There was a lot of positivity. A lot of encouragement. A lot of hard work. A lot of responsiveness between the players and coaching staff. Just high spirits in general, and not the regular kind when a team returns to camp after months off in the summertime.
No. You could sense the belief in this group from day one. You could tell the veterans - from Crosby to Rust to Karlsson and everyone else - felt they had underachieved in the previous three seasons. There was unfinished business with this core of players, and they intended to finish it.
Well, this season was a testament to that. What a special group this is. They earned this opportunity, and that belief and that energy carried them through the season.
- That said, it's not like they operated entirely on belief. The talent and the depth is there, too, and it was on full display in this game.
Chinakhov registered three points to give him 18 goals and 36 points in 41 games with the Penguins this season, including four goals and 10 points in his last five games. Karlsson scored his 15th goal of the season, yet another notch in an outstanding season and giving the Penguins 10 players with 15 or more goals. Novak got back on the board. The big guys put in some work.
Making sure the two points were earned in this game was a group effort that took everyone. That's been the case all season, that next-man-up mentality. I'm sure it will be the case in the playoffs, too.
- Skinner was outstanding for the second time in the last three games. He made some huge stops early on - when the Penguins weren't playing so well - to neutralize the Devils and keep his team ahead. And he made sure they didn't fall behind within the first five minutes of the game.
He has separated himself as the Game One starter at this point. The Penguins have serious goaltending depth in their organization, so I'm not sure any of them are the "wrong" answer.
But experience wins out, as does clutch performances in games like this. Skinner has brought such positive energy to this team - even more than it already had - and he deserves the net to begin the playoffs.
- There were a lot of other notes from this game, but I'll save some of them for later. I'll leave you with this:
Ticket prices for these two games are absurd, but it's no mystery why. The Penguins and Capitals were the gold standard in the NHL for two decades. They employ the two biggest hockey icons of that respective generation as well as two of the greatest to ever play. Three, too, if you're counting Malkin, who certainly deserves that recognition.
Don't take it for granted. Again, enjoy it. You'll probably never see a rivalry quite like this one again.
