The Chicago Blackhawks have made a roster move, as they have announced that they have recalled defenseman Kevin Korchinski from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Korchinski has appeared in four games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded one assist, three blocks, and a minus-1 rating. In 53 games this season with the IceHogs, he has posted two goals, 24 assists, and 26 points.
Korchinski landing another call-up with the Blackhawks is certainly notable, as he is one of Chicago's brightest young players. Now, the 2022 seventh-overall pick will be looking to impress after getting this latest chance on the Blackhawks' roster.
In 96 career games over three NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, Korchinski has recorded six goals, 12 assists, 18 points, and 30 penalty minutes.
OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 26: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his third-period goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Erik Karlsson #65, Egor Chinakhov #59, Bryan Rust #17 and Noel Acciari #55 on March 26, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference playoff race are starting to get into single digits for remaining games this season. The race is on for the highly competitive spot above the playoff line.
In this week’s developments the Flyers and Capitals have won enough games to hang on the periphery but are running out of time and accordingly remain longshots. Philadelphia has a better chance given they have at least a game in hand on all the other teams but they would have to win a few more and get some luck for multiple teams losing before things truly got interesting.
That leaves 10 serious teams vying for the eight playoff spots. Some teams have lost momentum, the Penguins, Islanders and Red Wings have all been spinning their wheels as far as getting results in the last 10 or 12 games. That left the door open for the first wave of hard charging teams, Columbus and Ottawa, to put themselves in the picture after tremendous post-Olympic runs for both. It’s difficult for those runs to last forever, the Blue Jackets have dropped three of their last four games and the Senators find themselves losers of their last two (0-1-1 to pick up an important point against Pittsburgh).
One team quietly doing a good job lately is Boston, 5-1-2 in their last eight games. Avoiding regulation losses is the name of the game and the Bruins have done a good job of that, and even better by pulling out wins against quality opponents (Buffalo and Minnesota have fallen recently to the B’s).
The Penguins look ahead to potentially their most important week of the season. Their fate might go down to the wire to make for even bigger games at the end of the season but a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back against NYI and Detroit is so important. Hockeystats.com’s model has Pittsburgh today at 81% likely to make the playoffs. Tomorrow’s game carries up to a 21% swing, depending on the result. The game has even bigger implications for the Islanders, who could see a 29% swing for their projection simply based on this one game. Games can be more meaningful but it’s a challenge to find one so important to both teams.
Moneypuck’s model is even more sensitive to the Pens’ cause, throwing a 27.1% swing into the mix.
The good news for the Penguins is while this game is huge with massive implications, it’s hardly a ‘must win’ game. Winning, obviously, is more helpful to the situation than a loss, but the team has more chances down the stretch. The Hockeystat’s model projects Pittsburgh to end up with 98 points at the end of the season. That becomes more difficult and less margin of error to get there with a loss tomorrow, though it’s still possible the team could win five out of their last eight games and end up in the same place.
That said, given the damage a regulation loss would due to the Isles’, it’s a game with a great opportunity to stay in front of them in the standings. And if the Pens stay ahead of NYI, then they will make the playoffs (assuming nothing zany like a 10-game Philadelphia winning streak happens, pardon the mere idea!)
The Tuesday game against the Red Wings is nearly as important, and could deal another massive blow to Detroit’s chances. The Red Wings don’t play today or tomorrow, they have a lot of time to prepare and focus on the Pens. Pittsburgh has their massive game on Monday to add a back-to-back element. For much of the year it seemed like the Pens were incredibly fortunate on catching teams on the second part of their b-2-b, the situation turns at a crucial moment.
The calendar turns to April on Wednesday, and Pittsburgh is playing meaningful games. It doesn’t get much better than that. The season is coming down to the wire and teams have worked all year to put themselves in these positions. Now is the fun part to see which are able to rise to the occasion and who will be left disappointed and wondering where things went wrong.
The red-hot Montreal Canadiens will visit the Carolina Hurricanes today. These teams met just five days ago at the Bell Centre, with Montreal emerging victorious in a convincing 5-2 win.
My Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks suggest some similar happenings in Raleigh, given Montreal's strength on the road. Expect Cole Caufield, the NHL's hottest goal scorer, to chump the Hurricanes for a second time this week.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes prediction
Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Cole Caufield anytime goalscorer (+150)
No one has scored more goals than Cole Caufield in 2026.
The 45-goal man has eight goals in his last eight games and found twine against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. He has two goals and four points in three games against Carolina this season.
He has 26 goals in 32 games since the calendar flipped. Ride the hot hand as he pushes for the elusive half-century mark.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes same-game parlay
Few offseason additions have been as beneficial as Noah Dobson. The 26-year-old leads the NHL in blocked shots (176) and has hit the Over in six of the last seven games, blocking an astounding 25 shots. He has a terrific matchup to wear some rubber tonight, as the Canes average the second-most shots on goal per game.
The Habs are perhaps the hottest team in the league right now, entering tonight on a four-game heater. They've won three straight against Carolina, including two straight as underdogs.
Furthermore, they're the fourth-best team away from home in terms of points percentage (.657). Jakub Dobes will get the nod in goal, and he's been lights-out as of late.
The Canadiens have won three straight games against the Hurricanes, including back-to-back wins as underdogs. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.
How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes
Location
Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Puck drop
5:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN2
Canadiens vs Hurricanes latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
ZURICH (AP) — The International Ice Hockey Federation is expected to have a new president later this year after Luc Tardif announced Sunday that he is not seeking re-election.
Tardif has been in the role since succeeding longtime leader Rene Fasel in 2021. It was not immediately clear who might be in line to follow Tardif, who revealed that he is stepping down on his 73rd birthday.
His term runs until October.
“With the IIHF in a strong and stable position, I feel it is the right time to pass the puck to a younger leader,” Tardif wrote in a letter. “I am committed to ensuring a smooth and effective transition for the benefit of the global ice hockey community.”
Tardif succeeded in bringing NHL players back to the Olympics by helping reach a deal involving the league, union, IIHF and International Olympic Committee. The Canada-born French executive hinted at having a role in preparations for the 2030 Games in the south of France.
“These past five years as president have been among the most challenging, yet also the most meaningful, of my career,” Tardif said, mentioning the navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic among other factors. “I am incredibly proud to have been a guardian of our sport, our events, our organization and our values, safeguarding them during these critical and uncertain times.”
MONTREAL, CANADA - MARCH 24: Seth Jarvis #24 of the Carolina Hurricanes and Kaiden Guhle #21 of the Montréal Canadiens battle for position during the first period at the Bell Centre on March 24, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes are back in action this afternoon with a 5:00 PM puck drop against the Montreal Canadiens at the Lenovo Center. After taking care of the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Saturday night, the Canes will look to avoid the season sweep versus the Habs this evening.
Montreal owns the season series so far, having beaten Carolina 7-5 on New Year’s Day and 5-2 just five days ago in Montreal. In both games, the Hurricanes dominated possession and outshot the Canadiens significantly, yet somehow found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
Montreal comes into Raleigh riding a four-game winning streak after beating Nashville 4-1 on Saturday. With 92 points, the Habs are third in the Atlantic Division and are fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Canadiens remain in a battle for the playoffs, but are in a good position with 10 games remaining in the regular season. The Habs are on a four-game winning streak and are 9-4-2 since the Olympic break.
Cole Caufield is leading the way for Montreal this year. He has 45 goals this season and is chasing Nathan MacKinnon’s 48 goals for the league lead. No Canadien has led the NHL in goals since Guy Lafleur in 1977-78. Caufield is lethal from the slot and has been particularly dangerous against the Hurricanes, scoring in both meetings this year.
Juraj Slafkovský and Oliver Kapanen also scored in each of the previous two meetings between these teams.
Nick Suzuki has been outstanding as the team’s first-line center with 88 points in 72 games and has points in eight of his last nine games. He ranks ninth in the league in scoring, and his 64 assists are sixth-best in the NHL.
Sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson is having a Norris-caliber season with 71 points, and 19-year-old Ivan Demidov continues to shine in his rookie campaign with 16 goals and 40 assists.
With Jacob Flower earning the win over Nashville last night, Jakub Dobes is the likely starting goaltender. He was impressive in his first appearance against Carolina, stopping 41 of 43 shots on March 24. If he gets the start today, the Canes will be facing a goaltender who has posted a .926 save percentage over his last six starts and played great against them less than a week ago.
Montreal, under head coach Martin St. Louis, is a high-event, transition-based attack that prioritizes finishing quality over shot volume. The Canadiens rank 3rd in goals per game despite sitting just 20th with an expected-goals-for share of 48.76 percent. The Habs, fueled by Caufield’s elite 20.7 percent rate and slot-heavy offensive deployment, lead in the NHL in shooting percentage. The power play is a top-five unit at 24.5 percent, quarterbacked by Hutson at the point, and Suzuki being the playmaker. Suzuki ranks third in the league with 39 power play points.
On the flip side, the Canadiens’ kill ranks 26th in the league. The last power play goal they surrendered was a Nikolaj Ehlers tally five days ago.
Saturday’s win over the Devils showed exactly what this team is capable of when things click. The Canes scored five straight goals after falling behind 1-0, with Nikolaj Ehlers lighting the lamp on the power play and Seth Jarvis notching his 30th goal of the season on a shorthanded empty-netter. Shayne Gostisbehere returned from a three-week absence with a goal and an assist, and continues to perform during an injury-laden season.
The return of Gostisbehere is huge. His 43 points in 45 games lead all Hurricanes defensemen, and having him back as the power-play quarterback should give that unit a boost. He looked like he hadn’t missed a beat against the Devils.
Ehlers continues to be red-hot in March. He is on a three-game goal streak and has 17 points in 13 games this month.
Jarvis’s empty-netter last night made him just the sixth player in franchise history with at least three consecutive 30-goal seasons.
Jordan Staal scored yesterday against the Devils, and that marker put him in sole possession of eighth on the franchise’s all-time goal-scoring list. His next goal will put him at the 20-goal mark for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
With Brandon Bussi earning the win on Saturday, expect Frederik Andersen to get the start this afternoon. Andersen has played better since the Olympic break, earning a 6-2-0 record. However, one of those blemishes was the loss in Montreal, in which he allowed three goals on just 19 shots.
Hurricanes projected lineup
Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers — Jordan Staal — Jordan Martinook
William Carrier — Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin — Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller — Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere — Alexander Nikishin
Frederik Andersen
Brandon Bussi
Scratched: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mike Reilly
Injured: Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body)
The Canes are wearing their red jerseys tonight and will honor veterans, active-duty personnel, Guard members, and reservists during Military Appreciation Night.
Here’s how to check out the action:
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Location: Lenovo Center – Raleigh, NC
TV: FanDuel Sports Network with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Shane Willis, analyst; Hannah Yates, rinkside.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home for the second of three straight games in the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena. This game features the Boston Bruins.
Boston Bruins - 41-24-8 - 90 Points - 6-2-2 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 4th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-24-11 - 87 Points - 6-3-1 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 4th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets began a three-game homestand with a 3-2 loss to San Jose on Saturday. It snapped the club's 12-game home points streak (9-0-3), which was tied for the longest home points streak in club history (12; 9-0-3 from Feb. 11-Mar. 31, 2013). The team failed to collect points for just the second time in 18 games at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (12-2-4).
The club has earned points in 24 of its last 29 contests (20-5-4, 44 pts) to lead the league points pct. (.759) and goals against per game (2.45), and rank second in wins (tied) and points and eighth in goals-for per game (3.45) since Jan. 11.
Columbus has allowed two goals or less in eight of the last 10 games since Mar. 10 (1.90 GA/GP, 3rd in NHL).
CBJ conclude their 15th of 16 back-to-back sets (18-7-4, .690 pts pct.) today vs. Boston. The club has won five of the last six second games of a back-to-back and earned points in seven of the past eight (6-1-1; 9-4-1 overall in second games).
The Jackets lead the NHL with a franchise-record 55 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (55-131-186, 73 GP).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli collected an assist vs. San Jose and has points in eight of the last 10 games (3-7-10) and 14 of the last 18 contests (8-11-19). He has set a single-season career high in assists and points (tied) with 21-33-54 in 73 contests.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 14 of his last 16 starts since Jan. 11 (12-2-2, 2.23 GAA, .915 SV% in 16 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 13 starts over that span (8-3-2, 2.54 GAA in 14 GP).
Boone Jenner has registered 1-3-4 in the last six games and is slated to play in his franchise-record 800th career game (209-207-416, 799 GP) today against the Bruins.
Mathieu Olivier, who leads the club in hits (207), ranks 11th-T in the NHL in goals since Jan. 28 (11-4-15 in 22 GP).
Cole Sillinger, who notched a goal yesterday, has posted 2-5-7 in the last seven contests and has set career highs in assists and points (tied) with 8-25-33 in 72 appearances in 2025-26.
Zach Werenski has notched 21-56-77 and 25 multi-point efforts in 66 games in 2025-26 to lead NHL blueliners in points-per-game (1.17), multi-point efforts and shots on goal (229) and sit second in points and third in goals.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.9% - 18th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.9% - 24th in the NHL
Goals For - 228 - 15th in the NHL
Goals Against - 221 - 16th in the NHL
BruinsStats
Power Play - 23.3% - 9th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.7% - 27th in the NHL
Goals For - 243 - 9th in the NHL
Goals Against - 224 - 22nd in the NHL
Series History vs. TheBruins
Columbus is 17-18-10 all-time, and 10-8-5 at home vs. Boston.
CBJ have earned points in eight of the last 11 games against Boston at Nationwide Arena since Dec. 27, 2016 (6-3-2).
The home team has won three-straight games and earned points in 19 of the last 23 meetings dating back to Nov. 10, 2016 (15-4-4).
The winning team has scored four goals or more in five consecutive meetings overall and eight times in the last 10 matchups, as well as each of the past four at Nationwide Arena.
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven-straight contests in the series and nine of the past 10 meetings, along with by three-plus in each of the past four at Columbus.
The Blue Jackets are 17-of-81 on the power play (21.0 pct.), and 58-of-68 on the penalty kill (85.3 pct.) against the Bruins in 23 all-time meetings at Nationwide Arena.
Who To Watch For The Bruins
David Pastrnak leads the Bruins with 63 assists and 92 points.
Morgan Geekie leads Boston with 34 goals.
Joonas Korpisalo is 12-9-4 with a SV% of .891.
CBJ Player Notes vsBruins
Boone Jenner 13 points in 24 career games against Boston.
Zach Werenski has 15 points against the Bruins.
Mason Marchment has 7 points in 9 games vs. Boston.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 35 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
Damon Severson - Missed 1 Game - Upper Body - Week-to-week
Dmitri Voronkov - Upper Body - Left game early against San Jose
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 182
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
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.
NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 14: Frank Nazar #91 of the Chicago Blackhawks takes a faceoff against Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils in the second period of the game at the Prudential Center on December 14, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (37-33-2) at the Chicago Blackhawks (27-33-13)
The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN, NHLN; Radio — Devils Hockey Network
Effectively Eliminated
The New Jersey Devils were keeping their playoff hopes at least somewhat alive over the past couple weeks, winning most of their games. However, key losses to the Washington Capitals and last night’s collapse to the Carolina Hurricanes all but eliminated them from playoff contention. It is not quite a mathematical truth yet, as only the New York Rangers have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but it is too much of a hill to climb at this point. The most points the Devils can now finish with is 96 if they won each of their final 10 games, and there are currently four teams, spanning from seventh place (Penguins) to 10th place (Senators) with 86 to 88 points at this current moment. All of those teams can still hit 100 points, and only two of them will make the playoffs. Even the 11th and 12th place Flyers and Capitals can still reach the playoffs if three of those teams have a terrible end to the season. But the New Jersey Devils? They made their bed and now will have to lie in it.
I will have more to say in a future post-mortem article on this season, but it got me thinking last night: never let anyone tell you that a loss in November or December won’t make or break the season. And while this is a pervasive attitude among fans, that games late matter more than games early in the season (they don’t), it’s also terrible to see similar attitudes among players. And frankly, I think there were too many players on the Devils who were too comfortable with giving up a loss in the first half of the season with the mind that it doesn’t determine the whole season. Losing a game is fine, but losing efforts are not, and I think we all know that too many players gave losing efforts throughout the season until about a month ago.
The Blackhawks Are Worse…Much Worse
The Devils are not a bad team, though. The Blackhawks are a bad team. They are very likely to win the first overall pick for Gavin McKenna this summer. And if you are watching the standings for that, you might actually want the Devils to win tonight, hurting their own draft position. They are tied with the New York Rangers at 67 points through 73 games for the second-worst point totals in the league, ahead of only the truly rotten Vancouver Canucks. But what makes the Rangers more respectable than the Blackhawks is that the Rangers play in the Eastern Conference. In case you have not noticed by now, the league parity appears very well and good. But the conference parity has been flushed down the toilet and is now clogging the sewers under league headquarters. I might expect a team with 67 points in the West to have more like 55 points in the East. In total, there are 11 teams in the East with true winning records (i.e. not “NHL .500”) and 11 teams that have a winning record in regulation. In the West, the Edmonton Oilers just won their 28th game in regulation to become the fourth team to at least be breakeven in the first 60 minutes, with only three teams (Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota) having a winning record in regulation.
I will have more to say about conference parity in a future article, but it is important to note that the Blackhawks are a terrible team in one of the worst conferences I can ever remember staining an NHL season.
The Blackhawks have two scorers with more than 40 points in Tyler Bertuzzi (53 in 70) and Connor Bedard (67 in 60). If those two do not score, the Blackhawks are all but certain to lose their games. They lost 6-1 to the Rangers two nights ago and 5-1 to the Flyers in their matchup the night before. They have the 30th-ranked offense in all situations (2.51 goals per 60) and the 25th-ranked all situations defense (3.16 goals against per 60).
That’s actually an overperformance of their expected numbers.
Their 2.58 expected goals for per 60 ranks 32nd in the league: dead last. Their 3.46 expected goals against per 60 ranks 27th in the league. Reducing the situations to five-on-five only makes things worse, with their total offense improving to 26th in the league while their defense slips to 28th in the league, with their expected rates sitting still at 32nd for offense (2.22 xGF/60) and their expected five-on-five defense sitting dead-last at 32nd with a flat 3.0 expected five-on-five goals against per 60. The Devils, by comparison, are sitting at 2.58 xGF and 2.65 xGA per 60 at five-on-five. It’s a true chasm between a Devils team we are frustrated with and a truly bad team.
But this is the NHL, and truly bad teams are still full of (mostly) NHL players. If the Devils are wallowing too much from yesterday evening, the Blackhawks can catch them sleeping and take a victory, giving the Rangers second-position for the Draft Lottery. This is especially true since the solid young goaltender Spencer Knight will be in net for Chicago, with his .908 save percentage and three shutouts in 48 games this season. That trade, getting Knight with a first-round pick in exchange for Seth Jones, was really great work by Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson. Now that these games really don’t matter to the Devils’ playoff hopes, it might be fun to see how a young, talented goaltender performs in net.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? How do you think the Devils will respond to their collapse in Carolina last night? What do you think of the Chicago Blackhawks? Can the Devils learn anything from a team that is truly in the basement? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
ST. LOUIS — The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their upcoming game against the Anaheim Ducks marked on their calendar ever since the two teams first met this season on March 12. That’s when Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas extended his knee into Auston Matthews, ending the Maple Leafs’ captain's season with a dangerous knee-on-knee hit.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Gudas wants to play against the Maple Leafs on Monday no matter what, but the final decision may not come down to him if the club’s medical staff doesn’t clear him. Gudas understands the scrutiny that comes with avoiding a game where he is sure to be a target of retribution by many Maple Leafs for the hit on Matthews.
The Leafs were criticized for their lack of immediate response to the hit at the time.
Headlines: Gudas/Toronto; McMann; Canada to finalize Worlds management team, then go over roster, which could include Gavin McKenna; possibility things will move fast between Porter Martone and Flyers; optimism between Flames and Jonathan Castagna.https://t.co/qNjGbrPRt6
With eight games to go, it’s evident that the Leafs look like a team that is just going through the motions, waiting for this season to be over. Any juice going into a game, like retribution against the Ducks, will at least help in making these games interesting for the Maple Leafs. Even if Gudas doesn’t play, there will probably be many fights in the game.
“You can't go out and do stupid things—suspensions and things like that," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube warned. "That's not what it's all about. But we definitely have to go out and play a physical, hard game against that team".
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 7-3 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Despite the lopsided score, the Canucks actually won the analytics battle in this game. Vancouver held a 23-22 even-strength scoring chances advantage while also winning the even-strength high-danger scoring chances battle by a count of 13-9. In the end, though, the Flames capitalized on their opportunities, which is why Calgary skated away with the victory.
As for the heatmap, Vancouver's focus was to get pucks on net from wherever they could. As for the Flames, they focused on creating issues in front of the net, which allowed them to get to lose pucks in the Canucks defensive zone. Overall, it was not a strong defensive performance by Vancouver's skaters, and it was a tough night for Nikita Tolopilo and Kevin Lankinen.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames, March 28, 2026, Natural Stat Trick.
To wrap this game up, the trio of Liam Öhgren, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson were the Canucks best line. During their 13:06 of ice time, Vancouver held an 8-4 shot advantage and won the high-danger scoring chances battle 5-2. Ultimately, this is a trio that deserves some time together as they showed some chemistry in this game.
The Canucks continue their road trip on Monday with a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. At the time of writing, it is expected that Monday will be Evander Kane's 1000th regular-season game. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Mar 28, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) makes a save against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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.
Saturday could not have gone better for the New York Islanders amid their playoff push.
After knocking off the Florida Panthers 5-2, scoring five unanswered goals in the second period, the Islanders moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.
However, waking up in second would depend on the out-of-town scoreboard.
And, for the first time in quite a while, the results went the Islanders' way:
The Pittsburgh Penguins (88 points) fell 6-3 to the Dallas Stars.
The Columbus Blue Jackets (87 points) lost 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks.
The Detroit Red Wings (86 points) fell 5-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Ottawa Senators (86 points) lost 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Islanders' next game is critical as they host the Penguins at UBS Arena on Monday night, the first of a back-to-back. They travel to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Tuesday.
ST. LOUIS — The Toronto Maple Leafs played their first game without their mentors present since rattling off back-to-back wins against the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, and their effort on the ice made it look like they needed them back.
The Maple Leafs fell 5-1 to the St. Louis Blues. It looked like it was going to be one of those nights for the Leafs early on, when a four-minute power play for Toronto midway through the first period generated no shots on goal for the man-advantage. From there, things snowballed.
Justin Holl, playing in just his sixth NHL game this season, scored his second goal since 2024 when he departed the Leafs; notably, both of those goals occurred against Toronto. Although Jake McCabe scored early in the third period to cut St. Louis’s lead to 2-1, Pius Suter scored a shorthanded goal shortly after, deflating any hopes of a Toronto comeback.
It was a listless effort by Toronto’s skaters. "We had one player show up tonight, and that was our goalie. That's really what it boils down to," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said after the game. The Blues outshot the Maple Leafs in all three periods, demonstrating Toronto’s lack of urgency.
Playing in their 74th game of 82, Toronto’s playoff hopes are now all but mathematically dashed. The urgency just isn't there, and the Leafs are having a hard time manufacturing it given what lies ahead: a summer with no postseason hockey.
“We didn't check. We had no pressure. We let them come at us all night. We had the puck all night, but we didn't check it off them,” Berube said. “Checking is a will, a want, and an urgency, right? And, you know, we let them do whatever they want with the puck tonight”.
Perhaps most disappointing is that the Leafs didn’t put forth a better effort in front of Joseph Woll. The St. Louis native made 33 saves on 38 shots, but the save percentage doesn’t tell the whole story. The goaltender had to make several high-danger stops throughout the evening.
McCabe was asked if it’s hard to generate urgency given where the team sits in the standings. He paused to contemplate his response. “It shouldn’t be,” he responded. “It’s a privilege to play in this league and play on this team. If you lack urgency as a player, you’re going to find yourself out of this league”.
Craig Berube following tonight's 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues: "We had one player show up tonight, and that was our goalie. That's really what it boils down to."
The Leafs need to change the dynamic. It may or may not be the players; it might require a tweak in management, or perhaps both. While there have been occasions this season when the Leafs dominated in all three periods, there is now a complacency that comes with knowing the season is nearly over. This feels like a resignation, unlike the 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals where the team was in full crisis mode.
Are the Leafs this bad? Is this just a bad year that can be flipped around with a retool? There aren’t many answers right now, and there won’t be until mid-April when their season comes to an end. Until then, the Leafs will be searching for urgency and motivation. The mentors aren’t around—but maybe they need to be.
In the last two games, the Montreal Canadiens had weak starts and needed goaltender Jakub Dobes to be phenomenal in the first frame to keep them in it before they found their footing. On Saturday night against the Nashville Predators, rookie Jacob Fowler wasn’t put in the same predicament. Quite to the contrary, Martin St-Louis’ team was very strong out of the gate. So strong in fact that the Tennessee outfit only managed to test Fowler three times in the first 20 minutes, while Montreal put nine shots on Juuse Saros’ net.
With two games on tap this weekend, it wasn’t surprising that St-Louis elected to give Fowler a game and rest Jakub Dobes for a second game against the Carolina Hurricanes in the span of six days. There was, however, one surprising thing about Fowler on the night: the Florida native had replaced the back plate of his mask, which normally depicts a Sunshine State licence plate, with one that featured a Quebec licence plate. He had used that on the mask he had made for the AHL All-Star Classic earlier this year and had said then that he decided to do it because Quebec was now his new home. A touch that will no doubt be appreciated by Canadiens’ fans.
For the second game in a row, the opponents ran into the Habs’ goaltender, and the Sainte-Flanelle was having none of it. On each occasion, the Canadiens stood up for their masked man. That’s great because you don’t go far in this league if you do not have a pack mentality, but the problem was that on both occurrences, it was diminutive defenseman Lane Hutson who came to the rescue.
On Thursday, against a 6-foot-2, 204-pound forward, Boone Jenner, and on Saturday, against a 6-foot, 183-pound forward, Luke Evangelista. While it’s good that someone was willing to stand up for the goalies, it never should be Hutson. Firstly, because that’s not his job, and secondly, because the Canadiens absolutely cannot afford an injury to their star blueliner.
Of course, the first name that comes to mind in that situation is Arber Xhekaj, but the gritty blueliner has been a healthy scratch for the last five games, and so he wasn’t on the ice or on the bench. It’s hard to imagine St-Louis putting him back in the lineup at this stage, since Jayden Struble has been playing great hockey of late. My one criticism is that he should have been the one to defend the goalies, not Hutson.
What’s the solution then? Playing seven defensemen? St-Louis has repeatedly said he doesn’t like doing that, as it’s hard to manage everyone’s ice time in that situation. Would it be worth inserting Xhekaj as a fourth-line forward? The idea could be interesting to explore, especially when St-Louis only played his fourth liners for an average of roughly eight minutes on Thursday. Still, the time for experiments has long gone. The Canadiens are involved in one of the tightest playoff races in recent memory. The stakes are just too high; you can’t play a player out of position now. Furthermore, it’s unlikely that the coach would be willing to scratch an offensive player to make way for protection; it’s just not the way he thinks.
Still, however things play out, this issue has to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed in a hurry.
No Jealousy On The Second Line
In the Canadiens 4-1 win, Montreal’s second line scored three of the Sainte-Flanelle’s four goals, and the three linemates each got a goal. Ivan Demidov opened the score with a spectacular shot off the post and in.
Rookie Oliver Kapanen scored the Canadiens’ second goal, on which Hutson got his 60th assist on the season, tying his total from last season. With 10 games to go, he needs six assists to tie Larry Robinson’s record of 66 assists.
Lane Hutson became just the third player and first defenseman in @CanadiensMTL history to record consecutive 60-assist seasons. #NHLStats
Later in the second frame, Alex Newhook joined the party when Demidov fed him for a one-timer in the high slot, a fantastic pass. With two points tonight, the Russian rookie now has 16 goals and 40 assists on the season for 56 points in 62 games.
Suzuki Keeps On Impressing
With an assist on Demidov’s goal, Nick Suzuki picked up the 300th assist of his career and added another one on Cole Caufield’s 45th goal of the season, meaning the captain now has 88 points this season—just one short of the career-high he set last season with 10 games left to play.
Needless to say, he will set a new mark before the end of the regular season, and it’s looking increasingly likely that he will hit the 100-point mark. As things stand, he’s on pace for exactly 100 points. The last Hab to hit the century mark in a season was Mats Naslund back in 1985-86, remember that year? It was a fantastic year in Montreal, and it ended with a parade.
The Canadiens headed to Carolina after the game, where they’ll take on the Hurricanes on Sunday at 5:00 PM. It will be interesting to see if Josh Anderson will be well enough to play. He left the game in the first frame, and the Habs later announced he was ill. If he’s not good to gp, what will Montreal do? Alexandre Texier is not on the trip according to La Presse and the Habs didn’t call up anyone. Can Patrik Laine become an option? That appears unlikely, Perhaps St-Louis could be forced to use seven blueliners…
Vancouver Canucks (21-43-8, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (32-26-16, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights look to end a three-game slide when they play the Vancouver Canucks.
Vegas is 32-26-16 overall with a 10-5-5 record in Pacific Division games. The Golden Knights have a 31-6-10 record in games they score three or more goals.
Vancouver has gone 21-43-8 overall with a 5-12-2 record in Pacific Division play. The Canucks have a -91 scoring differential, with 180 total goals scored and 271 conceded.
Monday's game is the second time these teams match up this season. The Golden Knights won the last meeting 5-2.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Stone has 23 goals and 40 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.
Filip Hronek has eight goals and 32 assists for the Canucks. Marco Rossi has scored three goals with seven assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 3-5-2, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.6 assists, 4.7 penalties and 11.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Canucks: 2-7-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.8 assists, 3.3 penalties and 11.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body), Carter Hart: out (leg), Jonas Rondbjerg: out (lower body).
Canucks: Thatcher Demko: out for season (hip), Derek Forbort: out (undisclosed), Filip Chytil: out (face).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Though the Golden Knights were able to salvage a point in Saturday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals, defenseman Rasmus Andersson summed it in four words.
"We need two points," said Andersson, who contributed to a four-goal outburst that erased Washington's three-goal lead.
The Capitals took a 3-0 lead early in the second period, but Vegas clawed its way back with four unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead just 31 seconds into the third period.
Former Capital Nic Dowd, Andersson, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner scored for the Knights, who lost for the 12th time in 16 games since Feb. 27.
""It feels like we're limping along, but parts of our game are really good," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We just got to tie it all together."
The Golden Knights are still in third place in the Pacific Division with 80 points, three behind the streaking second-place Edmonton Oilers and four in front of the Los Angeles Kings.
KEY MOMENT
After a brutal collision with Washington's Aliaksei Protas that sent both players to the locker room with a little more than one minute left in the first period, Dowd returned with stitches above his left eye and ignited Vegas with his first goal as a member of the Golden Knights.
Vegas acquired Dowd from Washington in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, and a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft on March 5.
"Just felt good to get on the board and hear the building erupt," Dowd said. "You know, feel like you're contributing. As a hockey player, you want to feel like you can contribute to the team, and in that moment, that's how it felt."
KEY STAT
1 ... After outshooting the Capitals 28-17 in regulation, including 12-6 in the first and 10-5 in the second, the Golden Knights managed just one shot on goal in overtime, while the Capitals had four. The Golden Knights are now 8-16 overall in games that have gone past regulation.
WHAT A KNIGHT
Andersson finished with a goal and an assist, giving him 40 points for the season. Andersson followed Dowd's goal to close the gap to one goal when he took a pass from Eichel at the red line, raced through two defenders and around a third before victimizing former Knight Logan Thompson with a backhand-forehand deke.
"There's reason he's a player that he is, and you know, he made a great play," Dowd said about Andersson. "(He) got us into that 3-2 spot, and then the building erupted again. And you could just feel there was energy that we were lacking early."
UP NEXT
The Golden Knights will play their third of a four-game homestand on Monday, when they'll host the Vancouver Canucks.
PHOTO CAPTION: Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during a shoot-out at T-Mobile Arena.
Saturday was another tough night for the Vancouver Canucks as they fell 7-3 to the Calgary Flames. Liam Öhgren and Nils Höglander scored at even strength, while Brock Boeser found the back of the net on the power play. Nikita Tolopilo stopped seven of 11 shots before being pulled in the second for Kevin Lankinen, who made nine saves while facing 12 shots.
The second period was once again the Canucks' Achilles' heel, as the Flames scored four in the middle frame. At this point, it is hard to understand why the second period has been such a problem for Vancouver, as they have now allowed 103 goals through 72 games. While the Canucks will most likely not catch the franchise record of 152 set by the 1984-85 team, there is a chance they could pass second place, which sits at 119.
Shifting over to goaltending, Saturday was a perfect example of why teams should not sit a young goaltender for two weeks straight. Tolopilo struggled with his rebound control and never looked comfortable in the net. At this stage of the season, Vancouver should be splitting the goaltending starts so that Tolopilo can get more game action at the NHL level.
"We gotta be better for Tolo there," said Adam Foote post-game. "I know he probably wanted a couple of those, but little details. The first one, we were too low on the PK. Then we missed two box-outs in a row. Then they got the fourth one, and that fifth one, we were trying to go for a breakaway, pick off a pass on a PK, and that's not the time to do it. Just those little details are going to burn you in a game that wasn't out of control. We let it get away from us early. We kept fighting, but you gotta take care of your end and the details, and we didn't."
Overall, the only real positive was the play of Öhgren, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson. The trio outshot their opponents 8-4 in 13:06 of ice time and connected on the Canucks' first goal. Hopefully, this line will stay together for at least the next few games, as it looked like they had some chemistry on the ice.
Saturday was another example of how far behind Vancouver is from the rest of the group. The Canucks struggled defensively, and despite taking 34 shots, Vancouver managed to beat Dustin Wolf only three times. In the end, Saturday's loss was good for the tank, but, as has been the case most of the season, a difficult performance to watch from a fan perspective.
Mar 28, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) get into a scrum with Vancouver Canucks players during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
- Canucks become the first team this season to allow 100 goals in the second period
- Vancouver has now allowed a power play goal against in four straight games
- Brock Boeser ties Todd Bertuzzi for fifth on the Canucks all-time power play goals list with 79
- Vancouver allows seven or more goals for the second time this season
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
3:04- CGY: Matt Coronato (17) from Zayne Parekh and Morgan Frost 4:59- CGY: Joel Farabee (17) from Zach Whitecloud and Mikael Backlund 18:53- VAN: Liam Öhgren (8) from Linus Karlsson and Elias Pettersson
2nd Period:
1:32-CGY: Ryan Strome (6) from Olli Määttä and Yegor Sharangovich 4:36- CGY: Olli Määttä (2) from Ryan Strome and Hunter Brzustewicz 4:47- CGY: Morgan Frost (18) from Matt Coronato and Matvei Gridin 13:36- VAN: Brock Boeser (18) from Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek (PPG) 19:23- CGY: Zayne Parekh (2) from Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost (PPG)
3rd Period:
12:40- VAN: Nils Höglander (2) from Victor Mancini and Zeev Buium 19:52- CGY: Adam Klapka (6) from Brennan Othmann and Hunter Brzustewicz
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their road trip on Monday with a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. At the time of writing, it is expected that Monday will be Evander Kane's 1000th regular-season game. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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.
