Category: Ice Hockey

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had tougher stretches of games during the 2025-26 season in terms of their opponents. They may not have had a more important stretch of games than the one they are facing this week.

They have five games between Monday and next Sunday, and those games will go a long way toward determining their chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Get your minds right, because this is about to be a massive week of hockey.

It all begins on Monday night with what might be, to this point, the biggest game of the Penguins season when they visit the New York Islanders.

This is the game that has been circled for some time now, and the winner is going to put itself into a great position when it comes to earning a playoff spot. The Penguins enter the day one point behind the Islanders for the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, while also still having a game in hand. If the Penguins can win this game in regulation it would help them put a little more distance between themselves and the teams on the outside of the playoff picture, while also moving them ahead of the Islanders for the second spot in the division (at least for the time being).

Long Island has been an incredibly difficult place for the Penguins to win over the years, and they already lost their first game of the season there this season in overtime.

The Islanders are a difficult team to really get a lock on. They do not have a lot of star power at forward. Their offense is not really great, averaging just 2.86 goals per game, ranking them 22nd in the NHL and near the bottom among playoff contenders. While their goals against numbers are strong, all of their defensive metrics are average at best, and bad at worst. They are 29th in the NHL in expected goals against per 60 minutes. 27th in scoring chances against per 60 minutes and 31st in high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes.

They give up A LOT.

The reason it does not show up in actual goals is very simple: Starting goalie Ilya Sorokin has not only played like a Vezina Trophy front-runner, he has played at a potential MVP level. He steals games regularly.

In other words, it is your typical NewYork Islanders team that is annoyingly frustrating to play against. You will get chances. You might tilt the ice on them. But because their goalie is better than most other goalies in the league and can mask all of those issues, it simply never matters.

They also have an immediate superstar in No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer who is running away with the Calder Trophy race. Those two guys have put the Islanders right in the thick of the playoff race. Winner of this game gets the second place spot in the Metropolitan Division. Loser is back on the playoff bubble. It is an absolutely massive four-point game.

As if that game is not big enough, the Penguins follow that on Tuesday night with another massive game in the Eastern Conference playoff race when they return home against the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings enter the week two points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and have really struggled over the past couple of months. They are just 7-10-3 in their past 20 games going back to the end of January, and have dealt with some significant injuries along the way to some of their top centers. They are also an incredibly top-heavy team.

Their top-four players (Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider) have been outstanding for most of the season, with Seider playing like a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate. But there is a huge drop-off in talent and production beyond that quartet.

That is especially true on defense.

When Seider is on the ice during 5-on-5 play the Red Wings are outscoring teams by a 64-46 margin with a 56.7 percent expected goals share.

When Seider is not on the ice during 5-on-5 play the Red Wings are being outscored by a 60-93 margin with only a 45.6 percent expected goals share.

Seider can take over a game. The Red Wings are also extremely vulnerable when he is not on the ice.

The Penguins have won the first two games between the two teams this season, including a 4-1 win in Detroit in late December that might have been the Penguins best, most complete defensive game of the season.

On Thursday the Penguins play what is probably their toughest game of the week when they travel to play the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have an MVP-front runner in Nikita Kucherov (who has missed some time this week), a top-tier goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy and a collection of front-line players that still make up a Stanley Cup contending core.

One player the Penguins may not see in that game is defenseman Victor Hedman who stepped away from the team this past week due to a personal matter.

Their playoff spot is mostly set, but they are playing for seeding.

The Penguins always seem to match up well with the Lightning, and have earned three out of a possible four points against them in their first two games this season, including a 4-3 win in Tampa Bay.

The week then concludes on Saturday and Sunday with a back-to-back, at home, against the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in both games. While that may have looked like an extremely daunting stretch early in the season, or before the season, it does not seem to be as much right now.

The Panthers are not going to the playoffs. They are completely decimated by injuries right now and are playing a ton of AHL call-ups. They have won just seven of their past 20 games entering the week, and were absolutely humiliated on Saturday against the Islanders, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead and then allowing five consecutive goals in the second period on their way to a 5-2 defeat.

Playing the same team two games in a row, and on two days in a row, is a challenge. Especially when it is at the end of a five-game in seven-day stretch with two back-to-backs in that. But that Florida team is not particularly good right now, and the Penguins are getting them at home.

Overall there are 10 points up for grabs this week. I want to see the Penguins get at least six of them. That should be doable. That should be manageable. Anything after that is a bonus. You will hear a lot of talk about how Monday’s game is a must-win given the standings, but I am not going to go that far with it. The Monday game against the Islanders is probably a must-win if you want to secure the second-spot in the Metropolitan Division. It is not a must-win when it comes to securing a playoff spot.

If you can get at least six points this week that puts you at 94 points going into the final week of the regular season where you would have four games against the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. In my view, 98 points is still going to be enough (the current cut-off line given everybody’s paces is 97 points, and as these teams play each other, and somebody has to lose, I suspect that could even drop by a point or two). You would then need two wins out of that stretch to get there. That is also doable. That is also very manageable.

The big X-factor in all of this will be the potential availability of captain Sidney Crosby and forward Evgeni Malkin. Both players practiced on Sunday, which is a good sign. Both players are making the trip to New York. Which is also a good sign. Until they are both back, however, it is all just guess-work and speculation.

The Penguins have held their own without one or both players so far this season. They could really use them right now in these games given how tight the standings are and how important these games and points are.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety George Parros is expected to attend the highly anticipated rematch between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks when the two clubs meet at Honda Center on Monday, The Hockey News has learned. It’s not unusual for the player safety boss to attend games that could rack up penalty minutes due to hostilities that carry over from previous incidents.

With the Maple Leafs possibly looking for retribution for what happened to their captain in their previous meeting at Scotiabank Arena, Parros’ attendance is one way the NHL can send a message to both clubs to avoid letting things get out of hand. On March 12, Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas laid a dangerous hit on Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews. Toronto’s captain sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion, effectively ending his 2025-26 season.

In the moment, the Leafs were criticized for their lack of response on the ice following the hit. They later responded in the third period, which saw rookie Easton Cowan fight Jackson LaCombe. Max Domi also received a misconduct for going after Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke.

“Certainly not happy about it,” Domi said of what happened to Matthews. “We play ‘em in a couple weeks".

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Gudas five games for the hit. This drew criticism from Maple Leafs fans and Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, who released a statement criticizing what he perceived to be a light punishment for a player with a history of these types of hits.

“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling," Moldaver stated. "A phone hearing and five games is laughable and preposterous. While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous. This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended”.

Asked Auston Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver about his response to the ruling.

Here is his reply:

“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous.

While…

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 14, 2026

Parros addressed the media and defended his team’s decision regarding Gudas's punishment when speaking to reporters at the NHL GM meetings earlier this month.

“I feel confident in this decision. We came to it for a good reason," Parros said. "When we evaluate these plays, we look at the play, not the players, right? And then we look at if we determine if that play was worthy of supplemental discipline. We then look at the history of the players involved and if there's an injury or not. This is how we come to make all of our decisions. We made this decision under those circumstances. We felt that this was the appropriate response, and so I stand by it”.

It is still not clear if Gudas will take part in the game after sustaining what appeared to be an ankle injury against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Gudas is intent on playing, despite missing Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

Whether or not Gudas plays, Monday’s game is expected to be penalty-filled. Parros’ presence will serve as a reminder to both sides that the league is watching closely to ensure that emotions do not boil over into unnecessary chaos.

The Islanders close out their five-game homestand tonight, with all the stakes on the line. It’s part of a critical back-to-back — they’re all “critical” right now — that finishes tomorrow in Buffalo. But tonight they can inflict direct damage on a fellow playoff spot contender and potential first-round opponent.

The Pittsburgh Penguins arrive having lost in regulation Saturday to the Stars, but bringing Sidney Crosby along in case he can return to the lineup tonight. They’re a point behind the Islanders but with a game in hand. And thanks to a late Bruins (92 pts., 74 games) comeback and shootout win in Columbus last night, both the Isles (89 pts., 74 games) and Pens (88 pts., 73 games) remain ahead of the Blue Jackets (88 pts., 74 games).

Islanders News

• Takeaways from Saturday afternoon’s surging comeback win over the Panthers: “Don’t wait for the third period” like they did against Chicago, says Brayden Schenn. [Isles]
• A stunning afternoon turned around another deflating poor matinee start. [LHH]
• It was a good time for their best offensive period of the season. [Post | Newsday]
• Nice moment for some of the depth pieces to step up, too. [Newsday]
• Updating the Islanders’ prospect cupboard and overall ranking (#12), with high praise for Calum Ritchie, Kashawn Aitcheson, Victor Eklund, Cole Eiserman, Dmitri Gamzin and others. [Athletic]
• Eklumd The Greater was the shootout hero in his AHL debut, after hitting the post in OT, too. [THN]
• The Skinny: “Schaefer now has 195 shots on goal; the last rookie defenseman with at least 200 shots was Dion Phaneuf in 2005-06. Noah Dobson (206 in 2022-23 and 196 last season) is the only Islander defenseman with more shots on goal in the last 20 years.” [Isles]
• Enter your personal data for a chance to win the jersey off someone’s back on Fan Appreciation Night. [Isles form]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores.

• Speaking of the Bruins (tangentially so), their old coach Bruce Cassidy, who guided Vegas to its only Stanley Cup, has been fired by the Knights and replaced by John Tortorella — a desperate move by a franchise that’s always making “bold” moves as if its owner’s biological clock is ticking. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• The Knights have not had a great year in a weak division. But is that on the coach, or is their roster (and particularly their terrible goaltending) not as good as they think it is? [Athletic]
• Discussing why save percentages are down and why that trend is here to stay (until the next correction). [NHL]
• The Maple Leafs rolled over for the Blues but they can look past that to revenge against the Ducks tonight, even if Radko Gudas is already hurt. [Sportsnet]
• The Red Wings are right on the playoff line, in danger of missing yet again. Should that finally put Steve Yzerman on the hot seat? [Sportsnet]
• After about a decade in the organization, Rich Peverley is now an AGM in Dallas. [TSN]

Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…

With the regular season nearing its end, the Eastern Conference playoff race remains tightly contested, with about 10 teams battling for eight spots as momentum swings nightly. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, a crucial upcoming stretch—starting Monday night with a back-to-back set against the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings—could significantly define their playoff chances. [PensBurgh]

If the Penguins have any chance of solidifying one of the remaining playoff spots, getting contributions from healthy stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be crucial. Both players returned to practice on Sunday ahead of Monday night’s clash. [Trib Live]

It has been a frustratingly inconsistent season for forward prospect Ville Koivunen, marked by frequent call-ups and demotions between the NHL and AHL, all while trying to manage his development and the challenges of adjusting to the NHL level. Despite flashes of improvement and strong AHL production, he’s still working to translate that success into nightly production with Pittsburgh. [Trib Live]

Indiana Pacers guard and Pittsburgh native T.J. McConnell was seen repping his hometown hockey club on Sunday. The veteran was wearing a gold Crosby jersey on his way into the arena ahead of the Pacers’ game against the Miami Heat. [NHL]

Updates from around the NHL…

A late-season shake-up in Sin City: The Vegas Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy on Sunday and replaced him with John Tortorella. [ESPN]

The Seattle Kraken are interested in re-signing Bobby McMann after his strong start following a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs. [Sportsnet]

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Porter Martone, the No. 6 overall selection in the 2025 draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced on Sunday. [TSN]

Luc Tardif said on Sunday that he will not seek re-election and will step aside from his role as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation when his current term ends in October. [TSN]

How Sharks rookie Michael Misa can earn more playing time, reach full potential originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

Sharks center Michael Misa has shown lots of promise during his rookie NHL season.

“Kid’s going to turn up some juicy numbers,” an NHL scout, not affiliated with the Sharks, told San Jose Hockey Now. “He’s going to control the pace of a shift.”

Macklin Celebrini and Misa “will be possibly the best one-two center alignment in the NHL” one day, this scout predicts. “These two centers will change the West.”

But today?

Misa, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, is just trying to earn a little more ice time in his rookie campaign.

How can he get more playing time?

The 19-year-old center played a career-high 17:53 against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 21.

For the most part, however, Misa (13:12) has played fewer minutes than Macklin Celebrini (21:59), Alex Wennberg (20:20), and, sometimes, fourth-line center Zack Ostapchuk (10:19), since his return from World Juniors on Jan. 11. On the surface, playing that much less than Celebrini and Wennberg might not make sense.

But there is a logical reason for this: Celebrini and Wennberg are special teams’ staples, and even Ostapchuk plays more on the second-unit penalty kill than Misa on the second-unit power play. Misa isn’t necessarily ready for either top power-play time or short-handed minutes.

At even strength, Misa (12:07) is much closer in deployment to Wennberg (14:41). Celebrini (18:41), of course, is the alpha dog, while Ostapchuk (8:38) brings up the rear.

“For the most part, we’re a good team when we roll our lines,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “When he’s going, he’s playing. But there are games, as a young guy, you just fight a little bit, you play him a little bit less. And that’s something that he’s learning.”

Functionally, Misa is the Sharks’ third-line center right now, a heavy burden in a playoff race. He has done a credible job there, too, especially offensively, with six goals and 13 points in 27 games since Jan. 11.

But what does he have to do, in all honesty, to overtake Wennberg as the Sharks’ second-line center? If not this year, then next? It’s not that complicated, according to Warsofsky … but it’s not easy, either.

“He’s got to learn when he doesn’t have his A-game, which you’re not going to for 82 games, your C-game has to be impactful,” Warsofsky said. “And we’ve seen that with some older players, they’ve learned that. That’s just a step in his development.

“When he’s struggling to make [offensive] plays, he’s a playmaking center that can make plays, and there’s going to be games where he just doesn’t feel confident or you can’t connect on a play or your hands are not there that night or your legs … your play away from the puck, your physicality, defending, being responsible away from the puck, that’s how you grow.”

Wennberg, 31, is a model for this: The 2013 Columbus Blue Jackets’ first-round draft pick, while not as offensively gifted as Misa, has transformed himself into one of the better two-way centers in hockey.

“You look around the league, centers that can play defense,” Wennberg said, “you get trust from the coaching staff, and at the end of the day, [that] helps you win hockey games. That’s what it really comes down to.”

Misa understands that.

“It’s been a learning curve for me defensively,” Misa said.

So how, exactly, can Misa improve defensively?

When people talk about pace in hockey, they often refer to the offensive side, but defending with pace is just as important.

“Sometimes, the game has sped up on him a little bit, which is to be expected,” Warsofsky said. “You got to defend in this game. You have to be quick to do it and read it quick.”

Misa agrees with Warsofsky.

“For me, it’s more being aware of my responsibility, when their offense is in motion, guys are criss-crossing, just staying on my guy,” Misa said.

There were a couple of examples of potentially quicker reads that Misa could have made during the Sharks’ recent six-game losing streak.

Trent Frederic (10) pinches on Sam Dickinson (6); it’s a 50-50 puck battle along the wall. Misa (77) skates by, expecting Dickinson to come up with the puck. On the other hand, veteran center Adam Henrique (19) helps out his teammate, wins the puck, and finds Vasily Podkolzin (92) in the slot.

Jack Han, Hockey Tactics 2026 author, doesn’t put it all on Misa.

“80-20 [puck battle], then you should go,” Han said. “If it’s 20-80, then you shouldn’t. 50-50, hard to say.”

If Dickinson wins the puck to Misa, the centerman is off to the races, a step ahead of Henrique.

But that’s not what happened.

“Always supporting the play as the center,” Misa said. “It’s something I’m continuing to work on.”

It seems strange to blame Misa for this Rasmus Dahlin (26) breakaway goal, considering Dahlin was Mario Ferraro’s man. But if you rewind the tape, Dahlin gets a step on Ferraro (38) because of a slow Sharks’ line change: Ferraro, just jumping on the ice, never has a chance.

Once again, to be clear, the weight of this goal, like Podkolzin’s, isn’t mostly on Misa. But it’s the kind of defensive breakdown that a more veteran center might recognize quicker and try to help out on.

“I don’t know if he gets to Dahlin, either way,” Han said. “But if he looks, maybe he can get a stick on the pass.”

Misa also is still filling out his 19-year-old frame.

“Coming in as a young centerman, you got to get guys up in the corners and just be tougher on guys,” Misa said. “He wants me to be [better] defensively … playing [harder to play against] on guys.”

That said, Misa has made defensive strides this season.

“He’s good with puck battles, second effort on pucks, probably one area has really improved up since beginning of the year,” Warsofsky said.

Also, per Stathletes, Misa is fairly responsible with the puck.

For example, he has averaged just 3.21 Neutral Giveaways Per 60 since Jan. 11, fifth among Sharks forwards. Celebrini, who has earned that superstar license to try pretty much whatever he wants on the ice, actually is team-worst in this category, just over double Misa’s rate.

Misa’s puck management isn’t bad for a teenager who dropped 134 points on the OHL last year. Usually, that profile of a prospect is far riskier with the puck in his rookie year.

All this has Misa feeling more trusted, defensively.

“I’m getting a lot more chances to take defensive zone draws, because Warso is starting to trust me there,” Misa said. “It’s a good feeling. When you get out there defensively and you break the puck out and [that] leads to offense.”

Offense, of course, is what Misa is going to be known for.

And he has made strides there, too.

“He’s gotten more comfortable playing in the middle of the ice with the puck,” Warsofsky said. “When he gets pucks to the middle of the ice, he’s skating, he’s looking to attack. That’s one area that’s really improved…He’s comfortable with it on his stick. You can see he’s got his head up.”

“He has definitely improved, and is looking more comfortable and confident,” another NHL scout said, “looks more assertive and sure on the ice.”

The defense has grown for Misa. So has the offense. And more ice-time will come with it, maybe not this year, but next season, when he should be quicker and stronger.

“There’s still ways to go in that regard, and he’ll continue to learn and get better,” Warsofsky said. “We’ve had some really good moments of growth with Mis here. He’s gonna be a hell of a player. We’re excited about him. He’s come a long way from day one.”

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Philadelphia Flyers (37-24-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Washington Capitals (37-28-9, in the Metropolitan Division)

Washington; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers visit the Washington Capitals after the Flyers took down the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime.

Washington has a 13-5-2 record in Metropolitan Division play and a 37-28-9 record overall. The Capitals have gone 32-8-3 when scoring three or more goals.

Philadelphia is 37-24-12 overall and 9-8-5 against the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers are sixth in the league with 292 total penalties (averaging 4.0 per game).

The teams play Tuesday for the fourth time this season. The Flyers won the previous meeting 4-1.

TOP PERFORMERS: Alexander Ovechkin has scored 29 goals with 28 assists for the Capitals. Cole Hutson has one goal and four assists over the past 10 games.

Owen Tippett has 27 goals and 21 assists for the Flyers. Noah Cates has five goals and four assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Capitals: 6-2-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.6 assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Flyers: 8-1-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.2 assists, 4.1 penalties and 9.7 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Capitals: Ethen Frank: day to day (lower-body), David Kampf: out (not injury related).

Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body), Tyson Foerster: out (arm).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Montreal Canadiens (42-21-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (46-21-6, in the Atlantic Division)

Tampa, Florida; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens will try to build upon a five-game win streak with a victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa Bay is 46-21-6 overall and 13-5-1 against the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have a 16-5-3 record in games their opponents commit more penalties.

Montreal has gone 42-21-10 overall with a 13-9-1 record in Atlantic Division play. The Canadiens serve 9.8 penalty minutes per game to rank eighth in the league.

The teams play Tuesday for the third time this season. The Lightning won the last matchup 5-4 in a shootout. Nikita Kucherov scored two goals in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Hagel has scored 35 goals with 38 assists for the Lightning. Jake Guentzel has eight goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

Lane Hutson has 11 goals and 62 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has nine goals and six assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 7-1-2, averaging 4.2 goals, seven assists, 3.7 penalties and 10.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

Canadiens: 7-3-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.9 assists, 3.2 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Lightning: Nikita Kucherov: day to day (illness), Max Crozier: out (abdomen), Dominic James: out (leg), Declan Carlile: out (undisclosed), Victor Hedman: out (illness).

Canadiens: Alexandre Texier: day to day (lower body), Patrik Laine: out (lower-body), Josh Anderson: day to day (illness), Kirby Dach: out (upper body).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

By Corey Abbott, RotoWire.com

Fantasy hockey managers looking to tinker with their rosters will benefit from zeroing in on specific categories. Whether you are looking for long-term fits, short-term options or championship additions, there should be a plethora of potential pickups to help your squads. 

Let's get into this week's suggestions for your consideration.

Jimmy Snuggerud RW, Blues (37% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/Hits 

Snuggerud started to heat up before the Olympic break, collecting three goals, 13 shots on net and nine points in six games. He remains red-hot offensively in March, supplying seven goals, 15 points, 42 shots and 14 hits in 13 appearances. Snuggerud fits in nicely on the top line with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway. All three players possess plenty of fantasy value down the stretch. The Blues play four times on the road this week. 

Mikael Granlund, C/LW/RW, Ducks (35% rostered) for Goals/Points/Shots/PP

Three games into his NHL career, Adam Sykora doesn’t appear to have an “off” button. 

The 21-year-old has been an absolute ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark and gloomy Rangers season from the moment he arrived in New York. A smile has yet to leave his face. He would burst if he didn’t express the abundance of gratitude that has filled him since earning this opportunity. 

More than that, Sykora has left his fingerprints on each of his first three games in more ways than one. 

“I don’t know if you guys can see it, but his energy is unmatched,” Conor Sheary said of Sykora. “He’s constantly up on his feet. He’s banging his stick. He’s just, I mean, with all these guys, but especially him, he just brings an energy that’s contagious. He’s fun to be around, fun to play with.”

Sykora scored his second goal in as many games in a 3-1 win over the Panthers on Sunday afternoon, tipping an Adam Fox shot past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for the 1-0 lead relatively early in the second period. 

It came not long after Sykora engaged in his “first-ever fight in my life” with the Panthers’ Luke Kunin. 

Based on Sykora’s goal celebration — jumping into the boards with an open-mouth smile — you would’ve thought it was his first. Though it’s possible the Slovak wing will never lose this level of enthusiasm. 

“I feel [my] confidence might go up a little bit just playing more with the puck and just kind of settle things down,” Sykora said. “I’m never going to change anything on my game. Just still play simple. Have a good stick on the forecheck. Play through people. Be alive on the bench. Those kinds of things I want to bring to this team, and I’ll try my best.”

#NYR Adam Sýkora confirmed it was his "first ever fight in my life" today in win over Panthers:

"I don't want to drop the gloves. I still got to watch it. I don't know what happened there, but, yeah, I just try to bring everything every day. Sometimes, these things happen too." pic.twitter.com/WHctNXCPX9

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) March 29, 2026

Continuing to skate on the right wing of Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle, Sykora has racked up two goals on seven shots while averaging 12:31 of ice time per game so far. 

The production is welcome, but Sykora’s personality is one that has brought the Rangers lineup back to life. 

“It’s hard not to like that guy,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “The energy that he exudes, I don’t think he’s ever had a bad day in his life. He’s a fun guy to be around, but his work ethic, his attitude, the energy he brings is contagious. He’s an easy guy to root for, I can tell you that.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

Noah Laba returned to the Rangers lineup for the first time since March 18, when the rookie was sidelined with a lower-body injury for five straight games. 

While centering the fourth line between Jonny Brodzinski and Jaroslav Chmelar, Laba assisted on Sykora’s goal in his 66th game of the season. 

“I thought he was good,” Sullivan said. “The biggest thing that I think he adds to our lineup is size and speed. He’s pretty good in the faceoff circle. He can kill penalties, but he can skate. His north-south game is good. We played him today with [Chmelar] and Jonny Brodzinski. I thought that line was excellent all night long.” 

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced in his 23rd win of the season Sunday afternoon against the Panthers. 

Juuso Parssinen was returned to Hartford on Saturday. The Finnish center was a healthy scratch in seven of the past eight games. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins got some reinforcements at practice on Sunday.

Both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin returned to practice after missing Saturday's game against the Dallas Stars. Crosby left during Thursday's game against the Ottawa Senators with a lower-body injury and didn't return.

Malkin has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury he suffered during last Sunday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He took a shot off his hand and was trying to shake it off for the rest of the game. He finished that contest before the Penguins announced that he was day-to-day. 

Here's what the practice lines looked like on Sunday:

Forwards

Mantha-Crosby-Rakell

Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin

McGroarty-Kindel-Brazeau

Soderblom-Dewar-Koivunen

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton

- Ryan Graves and Ilya Solovyov were skating on a fourth pair with Jack St. Ivany. Bryan Rust and Noel Acciari missed practice due to maintenance days. Both players got a little banged up during Sunday's game.  

- Crosby and Malkin took contact during practice, but their status for Monday's game against the New York Islanders remains uncertain. Crosby traveled with the team to Long Island on Sunday, but nobody knows for sure if Malkin did yet. He stayed on the ice for a bit after practice ended. 

- If the Penguins can get both Crosby and Malkin back for Monday's game, it would go a long way towards their chances of securing two points. Heck, even if it's only Crosby who returns, it would be huge. This is a good team when healthy, but they've been banged up so much throughout the season that we haven't been able to see them at full strength for long stretches. 

Takeaways: Penalties Costly As Penguins Lose Key Game In Regulation To Dallas StarsThe Pittsburgh Penguins remain in a playoff spot by the skin of their teeth after a regulation loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

- I'm going to say this in Monday's preview, but I'll say it here first: The game against the Islanders will be the Penguins' biggest game in two years. They're in the fight for their lives to make the playoffs, and a win would vault them into second place in the Metropolitan Division. It's one of their last divisional games of the season, and it comes with so much on the line. The Islanders are one point ahead of them going into this contest. 

- I'd like to see Justin Brazeau get going down the stretch. I know his hot start to the season wasn't sustainable, but he has scored only two goals in his last 21 games and hasn't scored since Mar. 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights. A big goal or two would go a long way for his confidence and the team as the Penguins try to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

- The Eastern Conference standings have gotten even tighter heading into this week. The Penguins are only one point up on the Columbus Blue Jackets and two points up on the Philadelphia Flyers. This is going to be an insane finish to the season before the playoffs start the weekend of Apr. 18. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had a rough go on their East Coast road trip. They earned a win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday, but they would not say that they played particularly well. They found a way to hang onto their built-up lead, but their play was a sign of things to come. 

The back-to-back on Thursday and Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers was a disaster for Chicago. They lost both by a combined score of 11-2. 

This game went a little differently. The Blackhawks played well to open the game. They looked like the team that had a day off, while the Devils looked like they played one night prior (loss to the Carolina Hurricanes). 

Early on, New Jersey goalie Jake Allen gave the puck away to Anton Frondell behind the net, and he found Ilya Mikheyev, who scored one of the easiest goals he'll ever score to make it 1-0. 

The Devils tied it just after the halfway point of the first period, as Connor Brown tipped in a Luke Hughes shot. Just under two minutes later, however, Frank Nazar regained the lead for the Blackhawks with his 13th goal of the season. That 2-1 score held through the first intermission. 

In the second period, the Devils severely outplayed the Blackhawks. New Jersey outshot Chicago 16-5, but thanks to Spencer Knight, only one goal was scored. Simon Nemec's game-tying goal made it 2-2. 

The final frame was a back-and-forth affair. Penalties had something to do with that, as the Blackhawks took a 3-2 lead with a two-man advantage. Frank Nazar completed a pretty passing play with him, Connor Bedard, and Anton Frondell for his second of the game. 

At that point, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to skate away with a win. Sometimes, coming up with that extra goal to reward a goalie is needed for the dressing room. 

That would not be the case in this one, as Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils took over from there. Working with one assist already, Hughes set up a snipe by Dougie Hamilton to tie things up at 3. His cross-ice feed gave Hamilton all the room he needed to challenge Knight's far side. 

Just 19 seconds later, Jack Hughes scored a goal of his own to give the Devils a 4-3 lead. To seal the deal, he threw one into an empty net to seal a 5-3 Devils win. 

In yet another game in which the Blackhawks gave up 40 shots, Spencer Knight kept them in it with 35 saves. Both Chicago goalies have been excellent, but the young defense in front of them is living up to their age and inexperience. 

Three young forwards presented a positive for the Blackhawks in this game. For one, Connor Bedard's 68th point set a new career high. He would have blown past that a while ago if he had never hurt his shoulder, but he has 8 games to build on that and go into next year ready to take another step. 

Frank Nazar's first career multi-goal game set and extended a new career high in goals. When he's going strong, the Blackhawks are a stronger team in all three zones and on special teams, and he's been going strong for the last couple of weeks. 

Anton Frondell had two assists in this game. It was his first career multi-point game, and he now has four points in four games played. He possesses a big shot, but he is still searching for his first goal to go with four assists. Based on his play, it won't be long before he finds that goal. 

This game was an improvement over the first three on the road trip, despite the loss. They played better and competed much harder. Spencer Knight masked some mistakes, but this is all a part of their process. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

from 0 to 95 in no time 🏁 pic.twitter.com/cgOKYp7XU3

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 29, 2026

scoring a goal, but it's #frankswaypic.twitter.com/6sUcTyWHiM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 29, 2026

FRANK NAZAR'S ✌️ OF THE NIGHT!!!

A slick fake shot from Anton Frondell helps start the play! pic.twitter.com/rAhemm1VGf

— NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action again on Tuesday night when they will be back at the United Center to take on Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets. 

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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NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Sykora broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Sunday.

Sykora, a rookie who was a second-round pick in 2022, scored his second goal of the season at 5:10, tipping Adam Fox’s shot past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Conor Sheary then scored his fifth of the season — on a short-handed breakaway — at 11:14 before Fox added an empty-netter at 16:06.

Sykora also scored in the Rangers’ 6-1 win against Chicago on Friday. The Rangers are just 11-18-7 at home this season.

Florida’s Mackie Samoskevich scored with 40.2 seconds left to end Shesterkin’s shutout bid.

LIGHTNING 3, PREDATORS 2

NASHVILLE (AP) — Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists while Corey Perry broke a third-period tie to give Tampa Bay a victory against Nashville to move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, who improved to 6-0-2 in the past eight games. Guentzel has scored in four consecutive games.

Jonas Johansson finished with 29 saves.

Joakim Kemell and Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference despite three consecutive losses. Justus Annunen finished with 25 saves.

CANADIENS 3, HURRICANES 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nick Suzuki scored two goals and had an assist to lead Montreal to a win over Carolina.

Suzuki fueled a three-goal second period for the Canadiens, who have won five straight and won all three regular-season games against the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes.

Cole Caufield added a goal and assist for Montreal and goalie Jakub Dobes made 34 saves in his third win of the season over the Hurricanes.

Andrei Svechnikov scored for the Hurricanes, and Frederik Andersen stopped 15 shots.

BRUINS 4, BLUE JACKETS 3, SO

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Viktor Arvidsson scored the decisive goal in the shootout and had three assists in the third period as Boston rallied from a three-goal, third-period deficit to defeat Columbus.

It is the ninth time in franchise history the Bruins have posted a three-goal, third-period comeback, and the first since March 13, 2018, when they defeated Carolina 6-4.

Fraser Minten also scored in the shootout for the Bruins, who have won three straight and five of six. The victory also kept Boston in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 92 points.

Pavel Zacha had two power-play goals — including the tying score with 11 seconds remaining — and an assist while Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist. Jeremy Swayman stopped 21 shots.

DEVILS 5, BLACKHAWKS 3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes scored 19 seconds apart late in the third period and Jake Allen made 28 saves as New Jersey rallied to defeat Chicago.

With New Jersey trailing 3-2, Hamilton scored at 14:32 before Hughes scored at 14:51 to put the home team ahead and electrify the Prudential Center crowd. Hughes — who also had two assists — added his 22nd goal of the season into an empty net with 31 seconds left.

Connor Brown and Simon Nemec also scored for New Jersey, which has won six of its last eight games.

With the Blackhawks on a 5-on-3 advantage, Frank Nazar rifled a pass from Connor Bedard past Allen at 10:51 of the third for his second goal of the night. Ilya Mikheyev also scored for Chicago, which ended its four-game trip with a third-straight loss after resounding defeats to the Flyers and Rangers.

FLYERS 2, STARS 1, OT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras wristed a sharp-angle shot past Casey DeSmith with 1:33 remaining in overtime, leading hard-charging Philadelphia to a victory over slumping Dallas.

Travis Konecny scored in regulation for the Flyers, who are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. With 86 points, they pulled within two of both Columbus — which is in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference — and Pittsburgh — which is in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Samuel Ersson made 17 saves.

Rookie Arttu Hyry, playing his sixth game since being recalled from Dallas’ AHL affiliate, scored the lone goal for the Stars, who are in second place in the Central Division but have lost five of their last six. DeSmith finished with 28 saves.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes scored 19 seconds apart late in the third period and Jake Allen made 28 saves as the New Jersey Devils rallied to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Sunday night.

With New Jersey trailing 3-2, Hamilton scored at 14:32 before Hughes scored at 14:51 to put the home team ahead and electrify the Prudential Center crowd. Hughes — who also had two assists — added his 22nd goal of the season into an empty net with 31 seconds left.

Connor Brown and Simon Nemec also scored for New Jersey, which has won six of its last eight games.

With the Blackhawks on a 5-on-3 advantage, Frank Nazar rifled a pass from Connor Bedard past Allen at 10:51 of the third for his second goal of the night. Ilya Mikheyev also scored for Chicago, which ended its four-game trip with a third-straight loss after resounding defeats to the Flyers and Rangers.

Mikheyev started the scoring with his 15th goal at 4:19 of the first.

Brown tied it with his 15th goal at 11:15.

Nazar put the visitors ahead 2-1 at 13:11 of the first. A first-round pick by Chicago in 2022, Nazar was one of 11 players on the Blackhawks roster on Sunday age 23 or younger.

Nemec tied the contest 2-2 at 15:48 of the second with his 11th goal of the season, assisted by Dawson Mercer who was playing his 401st consecutive game to tie Travis Zajac for the franchise record.

Chicago will miss the postseason for the sixth-straight season.

Spencer Knight made 35 saves in defeat.

New Jersey is 10 points behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with nine games remaining.

Devils captain Nico Hischier played his 600th career game. The 27-year-old forward from Switzerland was the first overall pick by New Jersey in the 2017 draft.

Up next

Blackhawks: Host Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Devils: Visit Rangers on Tuesday.

The Buffalo Sabres appeared to be headed for another loss during on four-game homestand against the Seattle Kraken, falling behind 2-0  in the second period, but the goaltending of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and goals by Rasmus Dahlin and Peyton Krebs evened the score, and perfection from the Sabres goalie in the shootout earned the club a 3-2 victory on Saturday and kept Buffalo temporarily in top spot in the Atlantic Division. 

"I thought we got a heck of a night from our goaltender, because I thought defensively, we made some big mistakes. We put (Seattle) in a position to probably score four or five, but I thought UPL was really good for us." Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "We gave them a breakaway at the start of the second period on really a nothing play. We gave another three-on-one; we already had a D pinched in. Those are the things that we hadn't been doing.”

The victory ended the Sabres three-game losing skid, their longest since early December, just prior to the firing of GM Kevyn Adams and the club’s 10-game winning streak. Overtime losses to Anaheim and Boston, and a regulation loss to Detroit on Friday, allowed the Tampa Bay Lightning to gain ground in the Atlantic race.  

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

The Lightning were without likely Hart Trophy finalist Nikita Kucherov (illness) on the weekend, but they were able to post home victories over Ottawa and Nashville. Tampa and Buffalo are tied with 98 points, but the Lightning have a game in hand and more ROW (regulation and overtime wins). The two clubs face each other at KeyBank Center on April 6, in the most anticipated game of the season after the melee-filled 8-7 Sabres victory earlier this month. 

In league news, former Sabres assistant and Rochester head coach John Tortorella is back amongst the employed, as the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday. Tortorella was relieved of his duties in Philadelphia late last season and was working as an analyst for ESPN. The Golden Knights, who the Sabres shut out 2-0 on St. Patrick’s Day in Vegas, have struggled in spite of an excellent season from former Sabres captain Jack Eichel. They have fallen to third place in the Pacific and are just four points up in the Western Conference playoff race with just over two weeks to go in the regular season.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

New Jersey Devils forward Evgenii Dadonov recorded his first point of the season in the team's 72nd game. ​

With 23 seconds left in a 5-2 loss to the Hurricanes, Dadonov scored his first goal as a Devil, the team's second of the game. ​

Dadonov, 37, has battled injuries, playing only 20 games after joining the Devils as a free agent on July 1, 2025. ​Dadonov has signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the team.

​The Florida Panthers drafted Dadonov 71st overall in the 2007 NHL Draft.

​In his 13 years in the NHL, he has played a total of 637 games, tallying 362 points. He has played for the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, and Montreal Canadiens.

​Injuries, time on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), healthy scratches, and waivers have limited Dadonov this season. ​

Game 73 #NJDevils  Lineup:
Meier - Hischier - Mercer
Bratt - Hughes - Brown
Dadonov - Glass - Hämeenaho
Cotter - Bjugstad - Tsyplakov

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Hughes - Kovacevic
Dillon - Nemec

Allen

— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) March 29, 2026

Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks had Dadonov in the projected lineup. ​The Devils have nine games remaining on their 2025-26 schedule. 

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

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.