Category: Ice Hockey

Tim Stutzle scored twice, including the overtime winner, as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre. Thomas Chabot chipped in with a goal and two helpers as the Senators officially nailed down the top wild card position in the East.  By not winning in regulation, they now cannot go any higher or lower in the standings.

Ottawa typically thrives when scoring first—they lead the NHL with the best record after scoring the first goal in a game—but this was a game they never led, getting outshot 32-25 in the process.

After a scoreless first, Flyers tough guy Nicolas Deslauriers found himself wide open in front of the Ottawa net and tucked home his own rebound to make it 1–0. Losing track of a player like Deslauriers in coverage is a bit like not noticing that a grizzly bear is in your living room.

But less than a minute later, Stützle took a crisp lead pass from Thomas Chabot, sprinted past his man and cut to the middle to tie the game at 1.

With under three minutes left in the second period, Noah Cates restored the Flyers' lead. On a one-on-one with Chabot, Cates got his shot off, skated around him to grab the rebound, and then beat Anton Forsberg on the wraparound to make it 2–1.

Early in the third, at 4:41, Shane Pinto floated a slick saucer pass to Fabian Zetterlund, who showed off his elite release and snapped one past Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov to tie it at 2.

But less than three minutes later, Garnet Hathaway scored from a bad angle, beating Forsberg short side—a save attempt the Sens goalie, to put it kindly, would love to have another go at.

With under eight minutes to play, Angus Crookshank set up Thomas Chabot at the top of the right circle. Chabot fired a wrister high to the blocker side, tying the game once again at 3–3.

In overtime, after Travis Sanheim went off for interference on an obvious pick play, the Senators went to work, 4-on-3. When Cates lost his stick, the Sens were able to throw the puck around freely. Finally, in a perfect tic-tac-toe play started by Claude Giroux, Stutzle one-timed a perfect pass from Drake Batherson to win it.

Since it wasn't in regulation, the OT victory officially locks the Senators into the Wild Card 1 position. With two games to play, they could still finish the season tied with either Tampa Bay or Florida, but now they can’t catch them in regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker.

That means the Sens will face the winner of the Atlantic Division in the first round of the playoffs, which will either be Toronto or Tampa Bay. The Leafs have a four point lead on the Lightning with three games to play.  

By Steve Warne
THN Ottawa Site Editor

Sens Headlines:

- Andlauer Reflects On Playoffs; Could New NHL App Help Mitigate Dadonov Fallout?
- Brady Tkachuk: 'I Don’t Think I’d Ever Miss An Opportunity To Play In The Playoffs
- The Five Core Ottawa Senator Players Most Ready To Finally Experience Playoffs
- David Perron Chosen As Ottawa Senators 2025 Masterton Trophy Nominee
- CLINCHED: Ottawa Senators Officially Clinch First Playoff Spot In Eight Years
- Former Ottawa Senators Assistant GM Ray Shero Passes Away At Age 62

During the New Jersey Devils' April 13 contest against the New York Islanders, forward Paul Cotter was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head on defenseman Adam Pelech. 

The play occurred during the second period of the matchup. After Pelech dumped the puck into the Devils' zone, Cotter caught the Islanders blueliner with a shoulder to the head. 

Following the hit, Pelech was noticeably bleeding and later ruled out for the remainder of the contest. 

Paul Cotter was given a match penalty for this hit on Adam Pelech

Pelech got up and was FURIOUS at Cotter 😳 pic.twitter.com/OESobMUf28

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 13, 2025

Cotter, 25, was acquired by the Devils this past off-season from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid. In 79 games this season with the Devils, Cotter has 16 goals and 22 points. 

In 217 career NHL games over four seasons split between the Golden Knights and Devils, Cotter has 38 goals, 29 assists, 67 points, 109 penalty minutes, and 661 hits. 

Recent Devils News 

Devils Forward Continues To Be Strong AdditionThe New Jersey Devils made several moves this past off-season that helped them turn things around this campaign. Among their notable ones was signing forward Stefan Noesen to a three-year, $8.25 million contract.  New Jersey Devils Star Continues To DominateThe New Jersey Devils picked up an impressive 4-0 win against the New York Rangers on April 6. With this, the Devils have improved to a 41-29-7 record on the season and have won each of their last three games.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Bo Horvat scored late in the second period and Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves and the Islanders topped the Devils 1-0 on Sunday.

Horvat intercepted an attempted pass by Devils forward Timo Meier and fired a shot past goalie Jacob Markstrom with 57 seconds left in the middle period for his 28th goal this season. The Islanders held on as Sorokin improved to 30-23-6 with his fourth shutout this season and the 22nd of his career.

This is the second time the 29-year-old Russian netminder has reached the 30-win mark in his five-year NHL career.

The Islanders snapped a three-game losing streak by winning a day after they were eliminated from postseason contention with a shootout loss at Philadelphia. New York made the playoffs the past two seasons, losing to Carolina both times in the first round.

This was the ninth time the Devils were blanked this season.

Devils captain Nico Hischier had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the waning seconds but shot the puck wide.

New Jersey is heading to the postseason for the second time in three years. The Devils will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round. New Jersey defeated the Rangers in seven games in the opening round two years ago, then lost to Carolina in the second round.

Markstrom made 21 saves for the Devils.

Takeaways

Devils: Fell to 19-16-5 at home. New Jersey is 22-16-2 on the road.

Islanders: Improved to 16-17-7 on the road with their first away win since March 18.

Key moment

Sorokin, who hadn’t played since allowing Alexander Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th goal last Sunday at UBS Arena, returned from a three-game absence with a lower body injury with a flawless performance.

Key stat

The Islanders are 19-5-6 when scoring first and 15-29-6 when allowing the opening goal.

Up next

Devils: Visiting the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Islanders: Hosting the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are nearly here, and already, we know many of the first-round matchups we’ll be seeing.

In the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes will be taking on the New Jersey Devils. The Washington Capitals will be squaring off against the Montreal Canadiens or the Columbus Blue Jackets. And in the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets will be battling one of the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild or Calgary Flames, and the Los Angeles Kings will be facing the Edmonton Oilers. To be sure, there will be no shortage of drama right out of the gate in the playoffs.

However, the first-round showdown we’re most interested in will be the Dallas Stars against the Colorado Avalanche. This will be the second time since 2019-20 that the Stars and Avs have faced each other in the post-season, with Dallas winning both series. But this time around, we believe the Avalanche have what it takes to beat the Stars and win their first-round series for the second season in a row. 

A lot of the Stars’ fortunes will depend on the status of star defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who hasn’t played since Jan. 28 due to a knee injury that required surgery. Dallas has gone 18-7-5 in Heiskanen’s absence, but Heiskanen could miss the entire first round, and being without a first-pair blueliner who can play 25 minutes a night could be devastating for the Stars’ playoff aspirations.

Given that Colorado has superstar D-man Cale Makar – the odds-on favorite to win this year’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top blueliner – not having Heiskanen to counterbalance Makar’s impact might be the difference that pushes the Avalanche to victory in the opening round.

Colorado has gone 2-1-0 against Dallas this season, with the Avs winning the two most recent games, including a 4-3 overtime win on March 16. And the Avalanche’s lone loss to the Stars this year came on Nov. 29, well before Colorado remade their goaltending tandem and altered much of their lineup.

But in the two Avalanche wins over Dallas, the Avs didn’t play No. 1 netminder Mackenzie Blackwood, going instead with backup Scott Wedgewood. So the Stars are going to get their first up-close look at Blackwood in Game 1 of their upcoming series, and the Stars’ lack of familiarity with Blackwood could play out to Colorado’s advantage.

Dallas does indeed have the edge in some significant team stats, with a slightly better goals-for average of 3.38 per game (compared to the Avs’ average of 3.32) and a better goals-against average of 2.64 (compared to Colorado’s average of 2.83).

However, the Avalanche have the better power play at 24.7 percent (compared to Dallas’ average of 22.8 percent). And given that special teams often matter greatly in the post-season, the Avs could benefit from their potent play with the man-advantage.

We’ll be offering our predictions for the entire first round once the series matchups are all confirmed. But for now, we’re going to say we like the Avalanche to narrowly beat out the Stars this time around.

Colorado’s lineup is stacked with first-rate talent, and Dallas’ lineup doesn’t have a shortage of skill, either. But we believe the Avs have the best player in the series in superstar center Nathan MacKinnon, and his determination to win is likely to push Colorado into the second round. 

And regardless of who wins, the Stars/Avalanche series is going to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the opening round – and the winner of the series could go on to win it all.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

With only two games remaining on their 2024-25 schedule, the Pittsburgh Penguins don't want to go out with a whimper. 

And their injury-depleted lineup will see some relief on Sunday afternoon.

Forward Philip Tomasino will be back in the lineup on Sunday against the Boston Bruins, who have fallen to the basement of the Eastern Conference with a 2-8 record in their last 10 games. 

Tomasino has been out since Apr. 5 with a concussion, and he will slot into a new spot in the lineup on a fourth line with Vasily Ponomarev and Joona Koppanen. Tristan Jarry will get the nod in goal for the third straight game.

Here is the rest of the Penguins' lineup:

Today's lineup vs. Boston ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GQyNnAWedI

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 13, 2025

Entering the game, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is one point shy of registering his third consecutive 90-point season and the ninth of his NHL career. Crosby sits at 32 goals and 89 points.

Bryan Rust needs one more goal to hit the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career, and Rickard Rakell - sitting at 34 goals - is one tally shy of setting a new career-high. His 68 points also puts him just one point shy of tying his career-best mark set in 2017-18 with the Anaheim Ducks.

In addition, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk enters Sunday's matchup just two points shy of hitting the 40-point mark for the first time in his NHL career.

'I Would Love To Come Back': After Career Year, Grzelcyk Hopes To Stay In PittsburghWhen defenseman Matt Grzelcyk made the decision to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer, he did so with the mindset that he'd come in and be granted some opportunity to rediscover his game.

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Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

The New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

It was the first game for the Islanders following their elimination from playoff contention.

Ilya Sorokin returned to the crease following his injury in the Islanders' 7-6 loss to the Nashville Predators on April 8. 

Jacob Markstrom made his first start since April 8 when he conceded seven goals on 23 shots in a loss to the Boston Bruins.

Here’s how it happened:

Penalties by Casey Cizikas and Nathan Bastian gave both teams a power play in the first half of the period, but neither capitalized.

The Islanders nearly opened the scoring at 11:01, but it was deemed not to be a goal.

Around the 13:30 mark, Pierre Engvall fired a wrist shot off the post, followed by Hudson Fasching’s rebound attempt, which was turned aside by Markstrom.

The Devils outshot the Islanders 10-8 in the period.

A Paul Cotter elbow to Adam Pelech at the 6:00 mark resulted in a five-minute major and match penalty. This was the second time Cotter has been ejected from a game for an illegal hit to the head, the last time coming in 2023.

The hit left Pelech with blood gushing from his nose as he left the ice:

Paul Cotter gets ejected for going up high to #Isles Adam Pelech. pic.twitter.com/tTsLbhwJlP

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 13, 2025

He did not return.

The Islanders had one shot on goal and did not score during the five-minute power play.

Bo Horvat found the game’s first goal in the final minute when he intercepted a Timo Meier pass before sniping Markstrom glove-side:

Horvat. 1-0. That was easy. pic.twitter.com/oBfpSEuByI

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 13, 2025

This was Horvat’s 28th goal of the season and fourth in his past six games.

The Devils outshot the Islanders 6-5 in the period.

It was an uneventful third period that saw neither side generate much offense.

Sorokin turned aside all 23 shots faced for the shutout and Horvat found the game's lone goal as the Islanders earned their 35th win of the season.

UP NEXT: The Islanders battle the Washington Capitals on Tuesday at 7:30 EST.

The Chicago Blackhawks earned a point in their shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. That was their 57th standings point of the season, which ranks 31st in the National Hockey League. 

The Nashville Predators currently sit in 30th with 66. Chicago only has two games left, so it is impossible to catch them. The San Jose Sharks, who currently rank 32nd with 51 points, can no longer catch Chicago now that they are up to 57. 

That means that Chicago locked itself into the second-best draft lottery odds by being the second-to-last place team in the league. They will have a 13.5% chance of winning the first overall selection. 

This upcoming draft isn't like other drafts in the sense that there isn't one guy standing out as a lock to be picked first. There is no Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, or Connor Bedard ready to change a franchise right away. 

Instead, there is a clear-cut top four who could go in any order. That is for Chicago scouts to figure out once the results of the lottery are revealed. 

This makes it three years in a row that the Blackhawks will have top-three draft lottery odds. Of course, they selected Connor Bedard first overall in 2023 and Artyom Levshunov second overall in 2024. Here in 2025, they'd love to add another franchise pillar. 

The lottery will take place during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2025 NHL Draft will start on June 27th and go through June 28th. 

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

Flyers up to 31 goals under Shaw, but lose to Senators in overtime originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers saw another game go to overtime Sunday afternoon and lost to the Senators, 4-3, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.

Nicolas Deslauriers, Noah Cates and Garnet Hathaway provided the Flyers’ goals. All three gave the Flyers a lead.

But the Senators responded each time.

Ottawa netted the OT winner on the power play after Travis Sanheim was whistled for interference 19 seconds into the bonus session. Nick Seeler and Cam York both had a gutsy blocked shot before Tim Stutzle scored from the circle.

The Flyers (33-37-10) dropped to 5-1-1 under interim head coach Brad Shaw with two games left. They’ve scored 31 goals through those seven games. Prior to Shaw taking over for the fired John Tortorella, the Flyers went 1-10-1 in their last 12 games and scored just 21 goals.

Over a quarter of the Flyers’ season has featured overtime. Sunday afternoon was the team’s 22nd time in OT. The Flyers dropped to 12-10 after regulation.

Shaw’s club was coming off a 4-3 shootout win Saturday afternoon over the Islanders. The Flyers had a nightmarish time in the second game of back-to-back sets this season, going 1-10-2 while being outscored 56-32.

The Senators (44-30-6) are headed to the playoffs. The Flyers went 1-1-1 against them.

• Ivan Fedotov finished with 21 saves on 25 shots.

In the second period, just 53 seconds after Deslauriers opened the game’s scoring, Stutzle went around Egor Zamula to tie things back up.

Ottawa tied it twice in the third period. Fabian Zetterlund made it 2-2 from the slot as a pass snuck by Jamie Drysdale. On Thomas Chabot’s 3-3 goal, Fedotov lost his stick.

Senators netminder Anton Forsberg stopped 29 of the Flyers’ 32 shots.

• The Flyers ended the weekend with the sixth-best odds in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

But the standings are tight.

The Flyers are narrowly ahead of the Kraken via the tiebreaker of fewer games played and they’re not far behind the Sabres, Penguins and Ducks, who are all in action Sunday.

The Flyers could finish the season anywhere from the fourth-best odds to the ninth-best odds.

More: The latest NHL standings

• Nikita Grebenkin wasn’t needed in the Flyers’ lineup after being called up from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley under emergency conditions. Following warmups, he was loaned back to the Phantoms.

The 21-year-old winger has recorded five points (three goals, two assists) over nine games with Lehigh Valley after being acquired by the Flyers in the Scott Laughton trade.

• The Flyers have their final home game of the season Tuesday when they welcome the Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

CHICAGO - Patrick Maroon announced his retirement in March. He did so to Darren Pang during a warmup interview ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks' game against the St. Louis Blues. Maroon is a St. Louis native, and he won the Stanley Cup there, so it was a fitting ending. 

Due to his age and contract situation, there has been speculation about Alec Martinez's future, but he has refused to acknowledge it for a long time. 

Finally, he did precisely what Maroon did and told Pang that he'd retire at the end of this year. The only difference was that he waited until his final game to say something. 

Each player was in the starting lineup for Chicago, who ended up losing to the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 in a shootout. Each of them got their own special video tribute to go with a standing ovation at different points of the game. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xcongrats to the one and only Pat Maroon on an incredible career👏Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xcongratulations to the legendary Alec Martinez on a phenomenal career!👏

Imagine telling a Chicago sports fan 10 years ago that Patrick Maroon and Alec Martinez would receive incredible love from a Blackhawks crowd at their retirement. 

After the game was over, the Jets stayed out to offer handshakes and well wishes to these two players before they hit the showers. Hockey is great for a lot of reasons, but this level of sportsmanship is one of the reasons it's the best. 

NHL (@NHL) on XAll class from the @NHLJets as they pay their respects to Pat Maroon and Alec Martinez. 👏 The two of them announced that tonight would be their final NHL games.

Both Martinez and Maroon won the Stanley Cup three times in their career. Before ending up together in Chicago, their teams had some intense battles over the years in the Western Conference. Now, they were happy to hang them up together. 

"I'm so happy that I got to share with Marty tonight," Maroon said on retiring alongside Martinez and being celebrated by the hometown crowd. 

Coming in, Maroon's retirement was the only topic on everyone's mind when it came to players leaving the game for good. Martinez changed that narrative right before puck drop. 

"If we both have to hang them up, it's pretty cool we could do it together," Martinez said when asked the same question about sharing this night with Maroon. 

The mutual respect between these two teammates is off the charts. It is evident by their embrace right before they left the ice following the kind gesture by Winnipeg.

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xgoodnight Hawks fans❤️

"They're just awesome human beings," said interim head coach Anders Sorensen on Patrick Maroon and Alec Martinez after the game was over. This came after joking about them being in the plans to go during the shootout. You'd have to assume that the shootout went pretty deep if either of them took a shot.  

The Blackhawks have two more games but they are both on the road. Maroon and Martinez will not participate in those matches. Closing out their high-end careers at the same time in front of the home crowd was their loud exit. 

"The future is bright," Maroon said of the Blackhawks going forward. He played a key role in helping some of the young players grow their games both on and off the ice. Having veteran mentors like that is important which made Maroon an important piece to this team. He excelled in that role. 

It's hard to predict Alec Martinez's future in hockey beyond playing. However, it is almost a lock that Maroon will be around the game a lot. Whether that is in hockey ops somewhere or the media side of things, don't worry about never seeing him again. 

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

The New York Rangers announced they have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. 

Robertson recorded one goal and 24 assists in 60 games with Hartford this season. 

The 24-year-old has been a key cog on the Hartford blue line for four seasons, totalling 11 goals and 80 points in 250 career AHL games. 

A second round pick of the Rangers in 2019, Robertson was a highly touted prospect who was never able to crack the Rangers roster despite being recalled multiple times. 

UPDATE: #NYR has recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. pic.twitter.com/giG1uugTFV

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@WolfPackAHL) April 13, 2025

The Edmonton, Alta., native will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. 

The Rangers were officially eliminated from NHL playoff contention yesterday and the Wolf Pack are going to miss the Calder Cup Playoffs, allowing Robertson to gain some experience and make his NHL debut in a low stakes environment. 

Check out The Hockey News' New York Rangers site for more updates on the team. 

The Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon in their 80th game of the season. As of Saturday night, the Sens are pretty much locked in as the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card playoff qualifier. 

After the Montreal Canadiens’ 1-0 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the best the Habs can do is tie Ottawa in the final standings, but they can't catch the Senators in regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker. The Sens can still catch the Panthers for third place, but they'd need to win their last three while Florida wins their last two in regulation.

So, beyond continuing good habits and playing the right way, the Senators have nothing to play for in their final three games. But for winger Nick Cousins, it’s about getting back up to speed. He’s expected to play on Sunday for the first time since his knee injury in January.

The two clubs have split the season series so far. The Flyers took the first meeting, earning a 5–4 overtime win in November. The Senators rebounded with a 5–2 victory in Philadelphia last month. 

The Senators won a feisty 5-2 contest at home on Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens. Shane Pinto scored twice and cracked the 20 goal mark for the second time in his career. Pinto, Ridly Greig, and Michael Amadio, have been fantastic of late on both sides of the puck.

The Sens home record is 25–11–2, and everybody's working for the weekends. They're on a run of 14–2-1 on Saturdays and Sundays. 

The Flyers are enjoying the so-called new coach bump. With a 4–3 shootout win over the New York Islanders on Saturday, they’re 5-1 since the firing of John Tortorella. Brad Shaw has been running the bench in the interim and making a good first impression on GM Daniel Briere. Notably, as a player, Shaw remains the only person to have ever captained both the Ottawa 67s and the Ottawa Senators.

Former Habs first-rounder Ryan Poehling is suddenly playing out of his mind with 13 points in his last 10 games, including 9 since the coaching change.

With the Senators all but clinched as the Wild Card 1 team, they will play the winner of the Atlantic Division and that will now be either Toronto or Tampa Bay. If the Leafs beat Carolina on Sunday night and Tampa loses to Buffalo, we’ll officially have our first Battle of Ontario playoff series in 21 years.

Sunday’s faceoff with the Flyers is at 1 pm.

- Brady Tkachuk: 'I Don’t Think I’d Ever Miss An Opportunity To Play In The Playoffs
- The Five Core Ottawa Senator Players Most Ready To Finally Experience Playoffs
- David Perron Chosen As Ottawa Senators 2025 Masterton Trophy Nominee
- CLINCHED: Ottawa Senators Officially Clinch First Playoff Spot In Eight Years
- From Another November Struggle To The Verge Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Former Ottawa Senators Assistant GM Ray Shero Passes Away At Age 62

NHL Bets to look at following recent news like Hurricanes and Habs getting top prospects, Avalanche to get back Gabe Landeskog

The NHL season is almost over with few games mattering as the playoff picture takes shape and makes great values, harder to find than ever. As we anxiously await the start of the postseason, there is some news around the league that we can look to and find a potential play within the story.

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

Top Prospect Alexander Nikishin joins the Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes have hit a rough patch recently with four straight losses but fans shouldn't worry as they've called for backup. Carolina will get their 2020 third-round pick into the lineup for the first time and the 23-year-old defenceman should make an impact. Over the last three seasons in the KHL, Nikishin has flourished into a must-see talent with impressive offence from the backend that totalled 45 goals and 112 assists for 157 through 193 games.

The 6-foot-4 blueliner has also proven to be a difference-maker when it counts, playing with physicality that should translate to the Stanley Cup playoffs, while also adding subtle offence with 12 points over his last 25 KHL playoff games.

Alexander Nikishin has a lethal one-timer #hockey #boom #carolinahurricanesundefined

Carolina has the second-highest odds to win the East at +330 and once Nikishin makes his impact felt, I predict they will be rolling through their final four games and will drop their odds closer to the top ranked Panthers, who sit with +310 odds.

The Hurricanes bring a wealth of playoff experience, having won a playoff series in each of the past six seasons and securing multiple series victories in two of those years.

Carolina to beat the injury-plagued Devils at -250 is a free win but we would also suggest an early shot at an Eastern Conference championship as the Capitals may be out of gas after helping captain Alex Ovechkin break the all-time goal record plus the Atlantic teams like the Panthers, Bolts and Maple Leafs may feed on each other before making the Conference Finals. Don't wait on the Canes as Nikishin will make sure they look like nothing but Stanley Cup favourites.

Habs Get Russian Superstar Ivan Demidov Early, Expected to Maker Debut Monday Versus Chicago

The Habs have been blazing hot with a 14-5-5 record since the Four Nations break. They've managed to leapfrog several contenders and put themselves in the last Eastern Wild Card spot. Montreal is set up for a first round matchup versus the top seed in the East with the Washington Capitals.

Canadiens top prospect Ivan Demidov terminated his KHL deal & signed with Montreal 👀 (via KHL_eng/X)Canadiens top prospect Ivan Demidov terminated his KHL deal & signed with Montreal 👀 (via KHL_eng/X)✔️ Subscribe to ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/✔️ Get the E...

This could set up for a massive series back in Russia as Ovechkin will line up against the next big Russian star in Montreal's Ivan Demidov, who is joining the team to finish off the season. The 19-year-old winger was the Habs' first round pick this past year, where he was selected fifth overall. He went back to play in Russia's KHL for SKA St. Petersburg, where he recorded almost 50 points in 65 games.

Some experts are calling him the best prospect out of Russia since Ovechkin himself and would make the first round series between Montreal and Washington must-see tv. Demidov's role hasn't been lined out just yet but if he makes his debut Monday, he should be able to take advantage and get on the scoresheet at least once against a Blackhawks defence, that has the second-worst goals against average at 3.57 this season.

Whatever the odds are for a Demidov point, I would suggest taking it as he should have an explosive NHL debut.

Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog On Verge of NHL Return after Long Battle with Injuries

The Aves haven't had their captain in the lineup since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 and since they've struggled without his leadership with one playoff series win over the last two seasons.

Landeskog, 32, has finally returned to the ice this past week after being sidelined for nearly three years with a severe knee injury that require multiple surgeries to repair it.

Some thought he may never play again but he prevailed despite all odds and is now at the AHL with the Colorado Eagles on a conditioning assignment to get the longtime Avalanche captain back up to speed. Colorado is slated for a first-round matchup with the Dallas Stars and should make for a stellar series between the third and fifth-best teams in the West.

The odds are dead even for the series with each team having -110 odds to advance to the second round but when Landeskog makes his return, it'll ignite a fire in the Avalanche locker room that many teams may not be able to handle. It may be wise to get in on them early as they have +500 odds to Western Conference and +850 odds to win the Cup. 

The Florida Panthers sent their faithful followers home happy on Fan Appreciation Night.

Hosting the Buffalo Sabres and missing several key players, Florida showed up well and defeated the visitors 3-2 in a shootout.

It’s been a recurring theme of late for the Panthers to hold players out of the lineup as the team aims to have as healthy of a roster as possible when the postseason begins in about a week.

That hasn’t stopped the Cats from maintaining an overall strong level of play and, more recently, reeling off a few wins in a row.

On that note, let’s get to Saturday’s takeaways:

GOOD WITH WIN

It’s a strange time of the season.

Playoff-bound squads like Florida are prioritizing postseason health and preparedness over going all out for a few more regular season points in the standings.

On the other hand, there are also teams like Buffalo who may be peaking a bit too late, already eliminated from playoff contention but still trying to build some positivity for next season.

The Sabres certainly put up a strong fight on Saturday, but it’s nice for the Panthers that they’ve been able to pile up some points in addition to playing the game the right way.

“We are kind of winding up for the playoffs,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Buffalo was 8-2 coming into this game, they won eight of their last 10 games, and they’ve got lots of offense, so I liked how serious the guys were. It wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but they took their job seriously tonight. I like the professionalism.”

IMPACTFUL NIGHT FOR GADJO

Forward Jonah Gadjovich isn’t generally on the roster every game, and when he does suit up, his ice time is limited as a fourth line player.

That means when he does hear his number called, Gadjovich knows he needs to be consistent to his particular brand of hockey.

Lately, Gadjovich has tapped more frequently as the Panthers have been leaning more on their depth forwards over the past few weeks.

His average ice time has gone up from 7:22 per game in March to 10:34 in six April contests.

On Saturday, Gadjovich made sure to influence the game in his own way, first catching the attention of everyone on either team when he lit up Sabres forward Jiri Kulich with a crushing center ice hit.

Jonah Gadjovich NAILS Jiri Kulich in open ice and the Sabres go after him 😳💥 pic.twitter.com/qrPOhRyzdW

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 12, 2025

Not long after, Buffalo forward Alex Tuch challenged Gadjovich to a fight looking for retribution for the hit, and it did not go well for Tuch.

That’s what Gadjo can do for the Cats. While he may not end up on the scoresheet but finds way to positively effect the game in Florida’s favor.

“Well first of all, he's a tank of a man,” said Maurice. “You run into him, you're going to feel it. He's been a very impactful player here for about a month with our injuries. He's kept the game in a peaceful manner a lot of nights, because he's pretty well respected in league.”

Jonah Gadjovich and Alex Tuch drop gloves after Gadjovich's huge hit earlier in the game 👊 pic.twitter.com/wN1TRXEouH

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2025

PULJUJARVI KEEPS IMPRESSING

Forward Jesse Puljujarvi is turning some heads during his first games in a Panthers sweater.

The former fourth overall pick was signed to an AHL PTO (pro tryout) contract by Florida’s American League affiliate in Charlotte back in early February.

He quickly acclimated himself to Florida’s physically aggressive, defensive systems and in less than a month, earned a two-way deal with the Panthers.

After being called up to the Cats last week, Puljujarvi has played three games with Florida and by all accounts, has fit in extremely well.

The 26-year-old picked up his first goal as a Panther on a sweet one-handed deflection Saturday, and over the three games, he has logged 11 shots and 23 hits while averaging over 13 minutes of ice time.

NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) on XJesse Puljujarvi - Florida Panthers (4)

“He’s a very interesting player,” said Maurice. “I think he's big, clearly he's not afraid to hit. He’s had a whole bunch of them, but not running around for it. He's playing the game, as well. There's some offensive instinct in him. We believe that there's an impactful player there.”

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Things are never easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs, nor should they be. But wherever the Toronto Maple Leafs end up in the standings, their reward will be a first-round opponent who has dummied them this season.

This would have been the year for the Leafs to face the Tampa Bay Lightning since they are 4-0-0 against them, but there's no way that is going to happen now. Whether they finish first or second in the Atlantic Division, they're guaranteed to face either the Florida Panthers or Ottawa Senators. (The Senators could still conceivably catch the Panthers for third in the division if they win out in regulation and the Panthers lose both their remaining games in regulation.)

The problem is, they haven't been particularly good against either of those teams this season. With the exception of a 5-1 blowout loss to the Panthers in November, the Leafs have played both teams pretty closely but have only one win to show for it.

They do have home-ice advantage regardless of whom they face. And they'll need it.

Here's more in today's video column:

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Much of the discussion surrounding the 2024-25 Anaheim Ducks has centered on their significant jump in the standings from the previous two seasons.

With three games remaining on their schedule, they have a 35-36-8 record and 78 points in the standings, a 19-point jump from their 2023-24 total and a 20-point jump from their 2022-23 total.

The Ducks are destined to miss out on the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, soon to be the third-longest such streak in the NHL, but this season’s point total has given some hope for the short-term future outlook of the organization.

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report - 04/12

The Ducks acquired Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers on Dec. 6 to boost the on and off-ice culture of the club and provide another veteran presence in a locker room littered with young, exciting talent.

Trouba (31) had spent the previous five seasons as a member of the New York Rangers, only missing the playoffs once and leading them to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, once with an “A” on his chest in 2021-22 and once with a “C” as the organization’s captain a year ago.

He’s been in the playoffs more often than not throughout his 12-year NHL career, split between the Winnipeg Jets, Rangers, and now the Ducks. He is one of a handful of players in the Ducks’ dressing room who understands the lengths it takes a team to realize their ultimate goal of building a sustainable brand of Stanley Cup-contending hockey.

The Ducks lost 6-1 in their most recent matchup with their closest rival, the Los Angeles Kings, on Thursday evening in LA, a game where they were outmatched for the vast majority in all three zones. Following the game, Trouba was asked if his team had turned a corner and was heading in the right direction.

“I don’t know,” Trouba said. “It’s a pretty far back corner if that’s the corner we’re trying to turn. I think there’s a lot more to be had and a lot more we can strive for.”

He was then asked a follow-up question regarding the difference between themselves and a Kings team that sits firmly in second place in the Pacific Division and had just dominated the special teams matchup by scoring three power play goals on six opportunities while surrendering zero to the Ducks on four opportunities.

“The special teams are a big part of that, but I think the battle level,” Trouba continued. “That’s something we can continue to get better at. I think it has gotten better, but there’s still another level we gotta get to.”

As a whole, the Ducks have improved the details of their game this season when compared to seasons past. There haven’t been nearly as many defensive lapses, blown assignments, miscommunications, etc., but they’re still spending far too much time in their own end of the ice where they’re consistently getting hemmed for extended stretches, bleeding shot attempts, and expelling their energy reserves necessary to manufacture counter attacks.

They’re still one of the younger teams in the NHL and their most talented players are all under 25 years old, so winning the amount of games they did will have a natural positive effect on the team’s morale. However, if they truly intend to turn a corner and build on the efforts and strides they’ve taken this season, some significant surgery may be required to their on-ice process to create a more sustainable environment and a style more conducive to the strengths of their brightest talents.

Numbers suggest that with league-average goaltending this season, the Ducks would have suffered a third consecutive season near the bottom of the NHL standings. They also suggest that with the goaltending they did receive coupled with league-average play at 5v5 and on special teams, they’d have been firmly in the playoff picture.

Trouba’s postgame comments on Thursday were one of the few times this season where a member of the Ducks organization has questioned the results and their place in the standings, rebuking the notion that they have turned a corner on their rebuild.

The upcoming offseason will be truly telling on whether the Anaheim front office shares Trouba’s view or whether they bought into the standings jump the team made this season.

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