Category: NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks faced off for the second of three meetings this season on Monday. The Blackhawks won the first back on February 2nd at the United Center, and the San Jose Sharks returned the favor with a 3-2 victory on Monday night at SAP Center. 

With the win, the San Jose Sharks keep pace in the Western Conference postseason picture. Earning the second Wild Card spot is still very much in play for them, but they must keep collecting points. 

The Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead in this game thanks to a goal scored by Ryan Donato. He buried a Frank Nazar rebound after Connor Bedard did some dancing to set up the shot. 

With an assist on Donato's goal, Bedard collected his 200th career NHL point in his 215th career NHL game. The ironic stat is that Patrick Kane reached his 200th career point in the same number of games. 

San Jose scored three unanswered goals from there to take a 3-1 lead late into the game. The Chicago power play netted one in the third period, thanks to Frank Nazar, but they fell just short of tying it with Spencer Knight on the bench. 

It wasn't for a lack of chances, as multiple Blackhawks players had looks at San Jose's goal with the final seconds running off the clock. 

This was one of those games that the Blackhawks lost, but it came with some positives to look at from their game. For one, their power play unit was exceptional. 

They technically went 1/3, but Donato's goal was right as the penalty to San Jose was expiring. For all intents and purposes, it was a power play goal. The goal by Nazar, of course, was a goal that counted as a man-advantage tally. 

Whether it was Connor Bedard using his legs, Frank Nazar using his crafty abilities, or Anton Frondell unleashing his incredible one-time shot, they looked great moving the puck. This five-forward top unit has been dangerous in recent games.

This performance against the Sharks was the best the Blackhawks have had in a long time. If they move the puck and shoot the way they did on this night all next season, they will have a top-ten power play. 

Whether it's the Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini story, Anton Frondell vs Michael Misa, or simply two up-and-coming teams battling hard, this is a developing rivalry that should provide incredible NHL entertainment for the next decade or more. 

With this loss away from home, the Blackhawks will finish their road schedule with a 15-20-6 record. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

Ryan Donato is on a seven-game point streak against San Jose‼️ pic.twitter.com/nn1Ity9U2I

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 7, 2026

doing it #frankswaypic.twitter.com/gybzaggRGU

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 7, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action on Thursday night when they return to home ice for the final four games of the season. The first of these four will come against the Carolina Hurricanes, who are trying to lock up the top spot in the Eastern Conference postseason picture. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The Stars have banned a fan from American Airlines Arena indefinitely after images circulated of the spectator making what appeared to be a Nazi salute during a game this season.

A group of fans seemed to make the hateful gesture during a game in December, but the video only recently made waves on social media, which led the organization to launch an internal investigation. 

The Stars were able to identify the fan who had purchased the tickets, but did not name him publicly and could not ID the others he was with. 

“We identified and spoke with the individual who purchased the tickets and will be banning the individual indefinitely from American Airlines Center,” a Stars spokesperson told the Dallas Morning News. 

“Additionally, we are increasing in-arena messaging regarding the Fan Code of Conduct and how our fans can report violations, along with prioritizing staff training to identify and handle situations that arise. Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena. Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

According to the outlet, the video first appeared on Reddit and showed several male Stars fans in the upper part of the arena during a Dec. 21 game against the Maple Leafs at American Airlines Center. 

The men appeared to make the Nazi salute to the rhythm of the team’s goal song, “Puck Off” by Pantera. 

In a statement last week, an arena spokesperson said that the venue has a “zero tolerance for any acts of hate and/or discrimination.”

Both the American Airlines Arena and the NHL have fan codes of conduct that were violated by the gestures made by the fans. 

The NHL has not said if the ban would be extended to all league events for the fan who did the hateful salute.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jason Zucker tipped in Bowen Byram’s shot for the go-ahead goal 7:38 into the second period, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Monday night, further tightening the race for the Atlantic Division title.

Jack Quinn, with an assist from goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, sealed the win by scoring into an empty net with 1:54 left. Josh Norris and Alex Tuch also scored. Buffalo snapped a minor 2-3-2 slump to tie the Lightning atop the division with 102 points, and two ahead of idle Montreal entering the final 10 days of the season.

Luukkonen stopped 23 shots to improve to 10-2-1 in his past 14 appearances and strengthen his hold on the starting job.

Jake Guentzel, with a goal and assist, and Nikita Kucherov also scored, and the Lightning lost in regulation for just the third time in 14 games (9-3-2). Kucherov became the NHL’s eighth Russian-born and second Lightning player to score 400 goals, and also tied Connor McDavid for the points lead with 126.

JETS 6, KRAKEN 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice, and Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist each to lead Winnipeg to a victory over Seattle.

Brad Lambert and Vladislav Namestnikov, into an empty net, also scored for the Jets, who have collected points in seven of their last nine games.

Mark Scheifele registered three assists, while Josh Morrissey provided a pair. Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the win.

Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann scored for the Kraken, who extended their losing streak to five games and have lost nine of their last 10.

SHARKS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Will Smith earned his 100th NHL point with a third-period goal, and San Jose beat Chicago.

Smith scored the winning goal on a wrist shot 3:28 into the third, assisted by Collin Graf and Macklin Celebrini, putting the Sharks on top 3-1.

William Eklund had a goal and assist and Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Sharks.

Ryan Donato and Frank Nazar each scored for the Blackhawks.

KINGS 3, PREDATORS 2, SO

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Adrian Kempe scored the only goal of the shootout in the second round, and Los Angeles tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a win over Nashville.

Los Angeles has played extra time in seven of its last 10 games — and 32 this season.

Joel Armia opened the scoring for the Kings and Scott Laughton made it a 2-1 lead in the second period. Jared Wright has an assist in a career-best three straight games.

Steven Stamkos tied it at 1-all for the Predators and Roman Josi knotted it at 2 early in the third.

Anton Forsberg made 29 saves in the win for the Kings. Saros made 26 saves for the Predators.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice, and Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist each to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Monday night.

Brad Lambert and Vladislav Namestnikov, into an empty net, also scored for the Jets, who have collected points in seven of their last nine games.

Mark Scheifele registered three assists, while Josh Morrissey provided a pair. Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the win.

Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann scored for the Kraken, who extended their losing streak to five games and have lost nine of their last 10.

Seattle starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game with an undisclosed injury in the second period after allowing three goals on 18 shots. Joey Daccord entered in relief and made 10 saves.

The loss dealt a devastating blow to Seattle’s bid for a playoff spot, costing the club an opportunity to close the gap in the Western Conference wild-card race.

Scheifele registered his 900th career NHL point with his secondary assist on Connor’s second-period goal.

Up next

Kraken: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Jets: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

___

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

The Buffalo Sabres picked up a massive 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. With it, the Sabres are now tied with the Lightning in points with 102. This is certainly big news for the Sabres. 

Alex Tuch played a role in the Sabres' win, as he scored the game-opening goal for Buffalo. With this goal, the 6-foot-4 winger now has 30 goals and 62 points in 75 games this season with the Sabres. It has simply been another strong year for the 29-year-old forward. 

With how clutch Tuch is continuing to be this season with the Sabres, it is clear that the Atlantic Division club must sign him to a contract extension. The Syracuse, New York native would be such a major loss for the Sabres if he signs with another team this summer. With this, the Sabres must work hard to get him signed to a new deal. 

Besides making a major impact with his offensive contributions, Tuch is also an important player for the Sabres because of his leadership skills. There is no question that the Sabres would miss him in this aspect if he signs elsewhere this offseason as well. 

Therefore, the Sabres need to get Tuch signed to a contract extension. He has been a perfect match in Buffalo since his arrival, and it will be interesting to see if he ends up staying put beyond this season from here. 

The Dallas Stars banned a fan from the American Airlines Center, according to the Dallas Morning News. The ban comes one week after a video went viral on social media which showed a group of fans performing what looked to be a Nazi salute during a home game in December.

Per the Dallas Morning News, the Stars were only able to identify the one fan who had purchased the ticket out of the four seen in the video. He was not identified publicly, but a team spokesman told the Dallas Morning News that the individual had received an indefinite ban from all American Airlines Center events.

#USA - Dallas Stars fans sparked controversy after a video appeared to show them making a nazi salute during a game.

According to the woman who filmed it, the gesture was repeated after every goal. She reported the situation to arena staff, but no immediate action was taken.… pic.twitter.com/amMxzh73aH

— Antifa_Ultras (@ultras_antifaa) April 2, 2026

The Stars will also reportedly increase in-arena messaging about the fan code of conduct and how fans can report violations, and provide additional training to arena staff to recognize and handle these situations as they come up.

“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena," the team spokesman told the Dallas Morning News. "Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

The video — which first blew up on Reddit before being reshared to other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter — shows the group of white male fans sitting in the upper deck and timing the gesture to the rhythm of "Puck Off" by Pantera, the Stars' goal song. The user who first posted the 18-second clip wrote that the group allegedly repeated the salute every time Dallas scored and that they sent the video to arena management, but no immediate action was taken as the team was unable to identify the group.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Stars fan banned from arena after Nazi salute

The Montreal Canadiens have been hot down the stretch, as they have won eight out of their last nine games. This surge undoubtedly has come at a good time for the Canadiens, as they are now very close in the standings to both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.

Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes has certainly been a big reason for the Habs' success this season, as he has been very good overall. In 39 games with the Canadiens this season, the 24-year-old goaltender has a 27-8-4 record, a 2.73 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage. Yet, what's important to note is that he has been only getting better as the season rolls on. 

Dobes has been on fire for the Canadiens down the stretch, as he has had a .926 save percentage or better in each of his last seven appearances. This included him stopping 35 out of 38 shots against the New Jersey Devils in his most recent start. He has also had a 7-1 record over that span. 

With the way Dobes has played for the Canadiens during this final portion of the season, it is hard not to feel excited about his future in Montreal. The Canadiens found themselves a good goalie in the youngster, and it will be intriguing to see how he continues to improve his game from here. 

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Outside noise from fans and media is part of the reality of playing professional sports, and the players and coaching staff are aware of it.

However, the Detroit Red Wings say they are determined not to let outside noise affect them as they enter the final five games of the season - games that will determine their postseason fate.

Following their heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday afternoon, the fading playoff chances for the Red Wings were dealt another serious blow. 

Starting games on time has recently been an issue for the Red Wings. Although they scored on their first shot of the contest, they managed only three shots in the opening 20 minutes.

By the end of the second period, with the team trailing 4–1, they had recorded just eight total shots. 

J.T. Compher, who scored Detroit's third goal, once again echoed what several of his teammates have said in recent weeks - they need to play with full intensity right from the opening puck drop. 

“We need to play like we did in the third period for more of the game,” he said afterward. "We gave ourselves a chance. I think if we start better, it makes it a little easier on us, but the way we played in the third is the way we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”

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

Not only did the Red Wings have trouble getting any kind of sustained offensive pressure for the game's first 40 minutes, but a careless line change opened the door for Minnesota's fourth goal late in the second.

“A horrendous change by two defensemen at the same time, and all of a sudden it’s four (goals against)," head coach Todd McLellan noted. "Then you can feel the energy go from excitement in the building to disappointment in the building."

The Red Wings have five games left in their schedule, beginning with a Tuesday night tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, like Detroit, are trying to stake their claim on the second and final Wild Card playoff position.

Despite their precarious position, the Red Wings insist they're not finished yet. 

"We’re going to come with the most amount of intensity and jam that we can bring on Tuesday," said Andrew Copp. "We’re not six feet under yet."

They have no choice but to do exactly that. 

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DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars have banned a person from attending games at American Airlines Center after they bought tickets for a group of spectators seen celebrating a goal with a Nazi salute.

“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena,” the team said Monday in a statement. “Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

Stars fan Courtney Ripley told WFAA-TV in Dallas that she took a 12-second video at a game against Toronto in late December. It showed four fans reacting to a goal by appearing to raise and extend their right arms with a straightened right hand facing downward.

The team conducted an investigation that identified the individual who bought the tickets, who was informed of the indefinite ban.

“Additionally, we are increasing in-arena messaging regarding the Fan Code of Conduct and how our fans can report violations, along with prioritizing staff training to identify and handle situations that arise,” the team said.

Fan codes of conduct are prominent throughout the NHL. Every team has a scripted segment that is shared on their video boards, through their public address system or both, telling fans about their respective codes of conduct.

The NHL also has a multipoint fan code of conduct that opens by stating, “The best hockey experiences happen in environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful."

___

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

Remember when the Rangers didn’t score a single goal on home ice until their fourth game of the season at Madison Square Garden?

That set the tone for the 2025-26 campaign, and not in the way the Blueshirts wanted.

For a majority of the season, the Garden was a playground for opposing teams who ventured to the World’s Most Famous Arena to embarrass, bully and tease the Rangers like kids in a schoolyard. Clubs had their way with the insecure Rangers, and reveled in it.

They were shut out two more times before capturing their first win on home ice in their eighth game. Their 0-6-1 start at MSG was the worst in franchise history, while their winning record on the road looked like it belonged to another team.

But it was so much more than the disparity in wins and losses. The Rangers could barely put up a fight at home. Offense wasn’t just hard to come by, it was painstakingly difficult to generate amid their one-and-done entries into the zone, a lack of energy and an overarching dysfunction.

The Rangers became the first team in NHL history to suffer six shutout losses through 17 home games.

It was bad. Really bad. It weighed on everybody. The futility at home hovered over the team all season long and acted as a sort of premeditated expectation. Fans booed incessantly, and who could blame them considering the prices they paid to be there only to not hear the goal song once?

This current season-long homestand, however, has been the polar opposite of what everyone had come to expect from the Rangers at MSG.

“You get the sense of what the Garden is like when you compete hard,” head coach Mike Sullivan said amid his team’s 5-1 stretch entering their final home game of the season Wednesday night against the playoff-bound Sabres. “And the fan base, and they value and appreciate your work ethic and your competitive spirit out there.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

To put it in perspective, the Rangers mustered only four regulation wins through the first 34 home games of the season. They are already up to five in this seven-game homestand.

This encouraging streak — filled with rookie milestones and moments — has ensured the Rangers avoid tying the 2003-04 team’s record for the fewest home-ice wins in a season of 80 or more games.

The Rangers couldn’t buy a goal through the first couple of months of the season, but they’ve scored three or more in each of their most recent wins to outscore opponents 27-8 over the past six games. Their one loss was a one-goal defeat to the Canadiens.

Certain rookie additions to the lineup — such as Adam Sykora, Jaroslav Chmelar and Gabe Perreault — have bolstered the offense in more ways than one.

Perreault posted his first career NHL hat trick this past weekend in his 49th game, becoming the fourth Rangers rookie in the past 30 years to score a hat trick and one of five NHL rookies this season to record one. His three multipoint games are tied for the second most among all NHL rookies, whom he has led in points (17) and goals (7) since March 17.

After Will Cuylle recorded his first hat trick Sunday, the day after Perreault, the Rangers had a player score a hat trick in two consecutive games for the first time since 2016 and on consecutive days for the first time since 1982.

The last time the Rangers had hat tricks in consecutive games was Matt Puempel (Dec. 29, 2016, at Arizona) and Chris Kreider (Dec. 31, 2016, at Colorado).

Sunday’s 8-1 win over the Capitals at MSG was their largest of the season.

Oh, and a riveting Igor Shesterkin goalie fight was mixed in with all this rare home success.

The Rangers are doing what they can to salvage the pride of Madison Square Garden this season.

Sharks fully bite into playoff-like mentality with tough win vs. Blackhawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN JOSE – For weeks, particularly after losses, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky has cautioned his players about needing to bring a different level of play to the rink.

“That’s how the playoffs are going to be,” Warsofsky said frequently.

With the 2025-26 NHL regular season winding down, it seems as if the Sharks have bitten fully into what Warsofsky has been feeding them.

Two days after a gut-wrenching loss to the Nashville Predators that threatened to derail San Jose’s playoff hopes, the Sharks returned to SAP Center and beat a mediocre Chicago Blackhawks team 3-2.

The score was a lot closer than the game actually was. After a somewhat slow start, San Jose got its offense rolling behind William Eklund and kept the fans at the Tank smiling and clapping all night.

“We all know much these points matter and how tight of a race it is,” said Will Smith, who notched the 100th point of his NHL career. “(The vibe has) definitely picked up speed, and we know how important it is.”

The Sharks had high expectations during the offseason, but most were in agreement that the team would need a year or two of development before being considered a true contender.

With players like Smith, Eklund, star Macklin Celebrini and a solid goal-tending tandem of Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic, however, the timetable has been sped up.

They obviously still need some seasoning, both as individuals and as a collective, but the heart within the locker room is beating as strong as ever.

“The young core has kind of learned how to win these games,” Eklund said. “Today everything wasn’t perfect, but we won a game.”

That, in essence, is all that matters, especially at this time of the season.

There’s no value in style points. Just wins and losses. Celebrate the W’s, and learn from the L’s.

“I think we’ve had a lot of growth in individuals and as a team,” Warsofsky said after Monday’s win. “An example tonight, I thought (Michael) Misa was really good. He was skating, he was on the puck. It comes and goes with inconsistencies with that individually, but from a group there’s a lot of good communication and effort to play the right way. …

“The details that we need to play with in certain situations, we’ve seen some real growth for sure.”

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Mathew Barzal is familiar with the business.

Nearly a decade removed from making his NHL debut with the Islanders, the 28-year-old forward has played games under five head coaches.

Jack Capuano was fired midseason, months after leading the franchise to their first playoff series victory in 23 years. Doug Weight was gone after less than two full seasons. Barry Trotz was fired one year after the Islanders made their second consecutive run to the conference finals. And Lane Lambert was let go before finishing his second season with the team.

What could surprise Barzal now?

“When [John Tortorella] got hired in [Las] Vegas the other week, I kind of laughed, [coming] with eight games left,” Barzal said Monday. “And then this happens. There was no sense of that.”

The shock of Patrick Roy’s firing was still evident after Monday’s practice on Long Island, less than 24 hours after the head coach was dismissed with four games remaining in the regular season.

Islanders players staunchly defended Roy, denying he had lost the locker room near the tail end of his third season in charge, shouldering the blame for the season-worst four-game losing streak that has put the team’s playoff hopes in jeopardy.

“We all love Patty and wish that we could have done better over the last 10 days,” Barzal said. “You look in the mirror and there’s chances that I missed … As competitors, you feel disappointment, just thinking you could have done more.

“The biggest thing I’ll take away from Patrick is just the accountability and the honesty within the room … He was so honest in discussion, and the way he looked you in the eye and was completely honest with you. Never told a lie. And that’s something you really appreciate out of a coach.

“But I think at this time of the year you can’t let anything linger too long. You move on as a player. You ride with what you’re given. You wake up this morning and you’re excited to give everything you’ve got.”

It was time to move on because there is so little time left in the season, so little time to become acquainted with new coach Pete DeBoer and the basics of a structure that has allowed him to lead four different teams to the conference finals.

“He was being honest with us about what we can do better,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said following Monday’s practice. “He’s had a lot of success everywhere he’s been and we’ll listen to everything he has to say. It’s not gonna be a problem to buy into his system. It’s exciting to have that little reset and fresh start.”

Star rookie Matthew Schaefer shared similar enthusiasm, speaking of the opportunity to learn from the accomplished coach.

And despite the sudden change, the team’s mindset remains the same.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position to expect to make the playoffs,” captain Anders Lee said. “We can go out there and get this thing done.”

A coach can only do so much, center Brayden Schenn said:

“It’s on the players to execute.”

No matter how this season plays out for the Ottawa Senators, Tim Stützle gave fans a moment on Sunday night that's going to live for a long time.

His breakaway goal in the Sens' 6-3 win over Carolina had everything.

It started with a strong defensive play in his own zone, swooping in to intercept a Hurricanes' pass back to the point. Then came the burst. Stützle cut to the middle and transitioned up ice without losing speed, split the defence, then scooted past them for a breakaway.

And then his creation at the end, which deserves all the chef's kisses.

Stützle put such a hard, convincing deke on Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen that Andersen slid completely out of the net, leaving it wide open for Stützle to calmly tuck in a backhand.

It was the kind of goal people will talk about for a long time, the kind where someone at an Ottawa sports pub will pipe up and says, 'Hey, remember that Stützle goal against Carolina?' and everyone will know exactly what he's talking about, even though they might not have any real recollection of what the Senators did that night or that season.

The goal also changed the entire feel of Sunday's game.

Ottawa didn't get off to a great start. An early penalty gave Carolina a power play, and Logan Stankoven, all alone in front, made it 1-0 on the power play. The building had a bit of that here we go again feeling.

The Senators quickly responded with Dylan Cozens tying it on the power play.

But it was Stützle’s goal that truly brought the building to life. Canadian Tire Centre erupted, and you could feel the momentum and energy leap onto Ottawa’s bench like an angry Darcy Tucker.

The goal was Stutzle at his best, and for those counting at home, it was well past time he snapped that seven-goal skid. 

From there, the Senators looked like a different team. Not even a weird misplay of the puck between Warren Foegele and Linus Ullmark could change that.

Brady Tkachuk led the charge with two goals and was named first star, playing with the kind of edge and confidence that tends to follow a moment like that.

And suddenly, against a true Stanley Cup contender, Ottawa was dictating the pace instead of chasing it.

The Senators hung on to their wild-card spot for another day, outplaying a Carolina team that had won three straight. If the Senators' slow or uncertain start had continued, the 'Canes would have slowly squeezed the life out of the Sens the way Minnesota had the day before.

Stützle’s goal helped fuel all that, as did Tkachuk's, and after the game, the captain gushed about this teammate's abilities.

"It was a superstar moment," Tkachuk told the media. "He just made a great play under the stick. He had so much speed that I couldn't believe that. And then he made an unbelievable move. It was a huge goal for our group.

In a season that has had its share of ups and a few too many downs, it was another reminder of what this team can look like when its best players take over.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

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

Senators Get Hard-Fought Win, But Lose Yet Another Defenseman To Injury
Senators and Bell Media Announce New Long-Term Rights Extension
Sens Sign Two Of Their Drafted NCAA Prospects On Monday
TSN Analyst On Linus Ullmark: 'What He Did Was Completely Unacceptable'
20 Goals: Former Senator Parker Kelly Now Exceeding All Expectations

What we learned as William Eklund's big night spurs Sharks' win vs. Blackhawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN JOSE – Forty-eight hours after absorbing a gut-punch loss to the Nashville Predators, the Sharks got up off the mat — or ice — and showed they’ve still got a little bit of fight left in them before a potential meaningful playoff run.

Now it’s just a matter of holding on over the final few weeks.

William Eklund continued to break out of a prolonged slump with a goal and an assist, and the Sharks kept their late-season surge going with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at SAP Center.

Kiefer Sherwood added on to what is already a career-best season total with his 22nd goal, while Will Smith scored his 23rd goal of the campaign for the 100th point of his NHL career for San Jose.

Macklin Celebrini had an assist for his 11th point in the last six games.

The Sharks have won five of six and are now 37-32-7.

San Jose began the night two points behind the Predators and Los Angeles Kings for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Those two teams played each other in Los Angeles later Monday night.

Here are the takeaways from Monday:

Eklund scores after goal negated

On a night when the Sharks couldn’t put together much of a sustained attack in the opening frame, having a goal taken off the scoreboard was a huge setback.

Early in the second period, Michael Misa appeared to score following a mini scrum in front of Chicago’s net. But the goal was negated after officials determined that Misa had kicked the puck into the net.

Even that didn’t seem to faze the Sharks.

Five minutes later, Eklund stole the puck near center ice then raced in to fire a shot past Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight for the tying goal.

Eklund also had an assist on Sherwood’s go-ahead goal in the second after taking control of the puck behind the net.

Ned shuts the shed

It looked like it might be a long night for the Sharks after goalie Alex Nedeljkovic allowed a Blackhawks goal in the first period. Instead, the 30-year-old backup goalie settled in and held down the fort.

Nedeljkovic faced a lot of heat early and shook off the early goal to finish with 27 saves. The Blackhawks kept firing hard shots at the Sharks goalie, who held up with some remarkable saves — including a brilliant glove save with 1:19 left in the game.

Chicago got its second goal on a power play in the third period.

Yaroslav Askarov has received the majority of starts in net this season, but Nedeljkovic has been very steady and has gotten better throughout the season.

Early missed opportunities

Despite some thrilling late comebacks this season, the Sharks have had a mostly difficult time rallying after falling behind in the first period.

They were able to overcome their early misses on Monday, although the entire night would have been a lot more comfortable had anything else gone in.

Collin Graf and Celebrini each had early one-on-one opportunities near the Blackhawks net in the first period but failed to cash in.

Vincent Desharnais had an open look from the left circle later in the opening period, but it was blocked. A few moments later, San Jose was on a power play but got little action off the man advantage.

The missed opportunities continued after that as Celebrini (twice) and Tyler Toffoli both missed point-blank shots near the crease.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has been on fire as of late. 

Rakell has scored in five straight games and seven of his last eight, helping the Penguins get within a win of their first playoff berth since the 2021-22 season. 

His five-game goal-scoring streak and eight-game point streak are the longest active streaks in the NHL. The NHL recognized it, naming Rakell the First Star of the Week on Monday. 

Ricky Raks running the show ⭐️

The @NHL has named Rickard Rakell as First Star for the week of March 30. Details: https://t.co/zKCU41z9kupic.twitter.com/JRybZ7vW3B

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 6, 2026

Rakell compiled seven goals and eight points in five games this past week and now has 24 goals and 48 points in 57 games. He'd be over 30 goals if he hadn't missed several weeks earlier in the season.

Rakell has 11 goals in his last 10 games and 14 goals since the NHL came back from the 2026 Winter Olympics. He's done all of this while going back and forth between center and wing. However, he's settled in at center a bit more as of late. 

He will try to help the Penguins clinch a playoff berth against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

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