DETROIT (AP) — Carter Yakemchuk scored a second-period goal and also had an assist in his NHL debut as the streaking Ottawa Senators edged the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Yakemchuk, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 draft, had been playing for the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators. He was called up earlier in the day with defensemen Thomas Chabot, Dennis Gilbert, Nick Jensen, Jake Sanderson and Lassi Thomson sidelined by injuries.

Yakemchuk, a 20-year-old defenseman from Alberta, had 10 goals in 50 games with Belleville.

Brady Tkachuk scored his 20th goal of the season for the Senators, who have won four straight and nine of their last 11 games. Lars Eller scored the other goal for the Senators. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves as the Senators continued their late push for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, BRUINS 2

BOSTON (AP) — Matthew Knies scored a pair of goals and Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Boston.

Max Domi and William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs and John Tavares had three assists as Toronto outshot Boston 35-20 and avoided a three-game season sweep in the Original Six rivalry. Anthony Stolarz finished with 18 saves.

Elias Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy scored for Boston, which still holds the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Jeremy Swayman had 31 saves for the Bruins, who lost at home for just the second time in their last 16 games.

CANADIENS 5, HURRICANES 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his 44th goal of the season and Jakub Dobes made 41 saves as Montreal held off Carolina.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov had a goal and an assist each, and Oliver Kapanen also scored as Montreal erased a two-goal deficit for its second consecutive win.

Jake Evans buried an empty-net goal with 1 minute left in regulation and Caufield added an assist for a two-point night.

Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal scored for Eastern Conference-leading Carolina, which lost for the first time in four games.

PANTHERS 5, KRAKEN 4, SO

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida gave up a three-goal, third-period lead but recovered for a shootout win over Seattle on Vinnie Hinostroza’s goal.

The Panthers led 4-1 on Noah Gregor’s goal with 7:39 to play, but Seattle’s Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann scored in a span of 2:21 to force overtime. Eberle and McMann scored just 14 seconds apart.

Seattle, which has lost eight of 10, has not won since beating the Panthers 6-2 at home on March 15.

Nolan Foote, Eetu Luostarinen and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers with Sergei Bobrovsky making 22 saves.

Ryker Evans also scored a third-period goal for Seattle and Joey Daccord had 20 saves.

BLACKHAWKS 4, ISLANDERS 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Anton Frondell had an assist in his NHL debut, Nick Lardis and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist and Chicago defeated the New York.

Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi also had goals for the Blackhawks, who scored four straight goals and snapped a two-game skid. Arvid Soderblom made 44 saves.

Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders, who lost for the third time in four games. David Rittich allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Ilya Sorokin, who made 11 saves.

BLUE JACKETS 3, FLYERS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zach Werenski continued his torrid scoring pace with a goal and an assist as Columbus defeated Philadelphia.

Columbus scored a pair of goals 1:44 apart to start the second period. The Blue Jackets outshot the Flyers 6-0 in the opening three minutes of the period.

Mathieu Olivier scored the first goal 44 seconds into the second period, taking a pass from Werenski on a 3-on-2 rush and snapping a shot over the glove of Philadelphia goalie Dan Vladar to tie the score 1-1.

On his next shift, Werenski came out of the corner and worked his way into the high slot. He took a pass from Damon Severson and beat Vladar with a snapshot.

Werenski now has 77 points this season, second-most among NHL defensemen.

AVALANCHE 6, PENGUINS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Martin Necas scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon poured in his NHL-leading 46th goal and the Colorado breezed past the Pittsburgh.

Necas, Sam Malinski and Parker Kelly scored within a 1:55 span late in the first period to break it open as the Avalanche atoned for one-sided loss to the Penguins last week in Denver by returning the favor in Pittsburgh. Cale Makar picked up the assist on Necas’ first goal, boosting his career point total to 499. Ross Colton scored an empty-netter late.

Scott Wedgewood stopped 27 shots for the NHL-leading Avalanche, who have won the first three games of a four-game road swing that finishes up in Winnipeg on Thursday.

Egor Chinakov and Rickard Rakell scored for Pittsburgh. Kris Letang picked up the secondary assist to become the 21st defenseman in league history to reach the 800 career points when he picked up a secondary assist on Chinakov’s career-high 17th goal of the season.

LIGHTNING 6, WILD 3

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Erik Cernak scored a tiebreaking goal with 2:53 left in the third period Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson misplayed a carom off the end boards and Tampa Bay beat the Wild.

Cernak scored his second of the season after Charle-EdouardD’Astous’ pass traveled the length of the ice and bounced off the end boards toward Gustavsson, who failed to control the puck with his glove. The puck went between Gustavsson’s legs into the crease and Cernak pounced, sending it into the open net.

Tampa Bay rallied from a two-goal deficit, scoring three goals in the second period and five unanswered overall over the second and the third to win for the fourth time in five games and fifth time in seven.

Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel also scored, and Pontus Holmberg added an empty-netter in the final half-minute. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves to win his fourth straight start. Guentzel’s goal was his 32nd of the season and the 300th for his career.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist, and Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber also scored for the Wild, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gustavsson stopped 19 of the 23 shots that he faced.

BLUES 3, CAPITALS 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud and Otto Stenberg scored, Joel Hofer made 21 saves and St. Louis beat Washington.

Jordan Kyrou scored his team-leading 17th goal into an empty net with 41 seconds remaining to seal the win for Hofer, who earned his sixth shutout of the season and the eighth of his career.

St. Louis, which has won two in a row, has gone 9-2-2 since returning from the Olympic break.

Logan Thompson made 24 saves for Washington, which had not lost in regulation in its previous five games.

PREDATORS 6, SHARKS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and assisted on two others to lead Nashville to a victory over San Jose in a matchup of teams headed in opposite directions in the standings.

Matthew Wood, Roman Josi, Luke Evangelista, Brady Skjei and Steven Stamkos also scored and Juuse Saros made 27 saves for Nashville, winners of a season-high five consecutive games. Jonathan Marchessault had three assists.

Will Smith scored two goals, Adam Gaudette had one and Alex Nedeljkovic made 13 saves for the Sharks, who lost their fifth straight game.

DEVILS 6, STARS 4

DALLAS (AP) — Jack Hughes scored twice in New Jersey’s four-goal first period, and the Devils handed Dallas consecutive losses in regulation for the first time in two months.

Jesper Bratt and Connor Brown also had goals as the Devils put four of their first five shots past Jake Oettinger to end the Dallas goalie’s career-best point streak at 14 games. Oettinger was pulled after the first period.

Wyatt Johnston had two goals to reach 40 for the first time in his career, and Jason Robertson scored his 39th for Dallas, which hadn’t lost two in a row in regulation since dropping three straight from Jan. 13-18.

JETS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists — and a rare fighting major in the second period — to lead the Winnipeg to a victory over Vegas.

Kyle Connor, Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored for Winnipeg, which snapped a five-game home skid against Vegas.

Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves to snap his six-game winless streak against the Golden Knights.

Colton Sissons scored the lone goal on the power play for Vegas. Adin Hill stopped 17 shots.

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his 44th goal of the season and Jakub Dobes made 41 saves as the Montreal Canadiens held off the Carolina Hurricanes for a 5-2 win on Tuesday night.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov had a goal and an assist each, and Oliver Kapanen also scored as Montreal erased a two-goal deficit for its second consecutive win.

Jake Evans buried an empty-net goal with 1 minute left in regulation and Caufield added an assist for a two-point night.

Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal scored for Eastern Conference-leading Carolina, which lost for the first time in four games.

Frederik Andersen stopped 14 shots.

The Canadiens sit third in the Atlantic Division with 88 points. The New York Islanders, who lost on Tuesday and are the top team outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, trailed by three points.

Ehlers opened the scoring on the power play 2:36 into the first period when Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson deflected his pass intended for Seth Jarvis into the Canadiens’ net. Staal doubled the lead at 7:09, beating Dobes glove side.

Kapanen tipped in Struble’s point shot at 12:11 to give the Canadiens some life before Montreal struck twice in the second period.

Caufield trails Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon by two goals for the league lead. No Canadien has led the NHL in goals since Guy Lafleur in 1977-78.

The Canadiens secured their 24th comeback win of the season, tying for the most in a single season in franchise history (1992-93, 1975-76).

Up next

Hurricanes: Host New Jersey on Saturday.

Canadiens: End a three-game homestand against Columbus on Thursday.

___

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

With multiple teams pushing for a playoff spot they are letting slip away, the Islanders wasted a golden opportunity to keep pace against a bottom-five team that has nothing to play for but the pretense that next season will be better.

The Isles got out to a decent start and 1-0 lead in the first minute on Anders Lee’s 16th of the season, but the Chicago Blackhawks stormed back with three goals in a seven-minute span of the first, capitalizing on a Mat Barzal turnover to get on the board and then a contagious series of more turnovers and sloppy play.

A 3-1 deficit after 20 minutes is completely reversible against a “fragile” team — and Ilya Sorokin took over for David Rittich after that first period but the Isles were the ones to crumble after an obvious icing was not called. Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield acted like they’d never played together as they coughed up the puck behind the Isles net, Mayfield getting bodied off and then flailing away. The Blackhawks pounced, Frank Nazar converted and the lead was 4-1 just six minutes into the second period.

The Isles squandered a full power play late in the second period to bring that three-goal deficit into the third. They eventually got going and made it close, but they couldn’t dig out of the hole, causing Thomas Hickey to lament at the post-horn cut to break, simply: “It’s a shame.” A shame that basically 10 minutes of brain farts wasted the opportunity, made worse and harder-to-overcome with an equally shameful brainfart following the blown icing non-call.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Adding to the fun: Tony DeAngelo was lost after the first period, status undeclared, but it looks like it’s not just a game. This comes after Ryan Pulock was out again, with enough concern there for the Isles to call up Isaiah George as an extra before the game.

Figure George to be needed next game, as will Adam Boqvist, who handled himself pretty well in 17:57.

Tony DeAngelo was hurt on the Chicago goal

Clip below. #Islespic.twitter.com/lENi1Uxsoy

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) March 24, 2026

Overall, there weren’t a lot of individual goats throughout the game; once the hole was dug, they did the right things to try to get themselves back in the game (including, of course, running Matthew Schaefer out there again and again, for a total of 31:59 of TOI and 14 attempted shots, 7 of which reached goal).

But the hole was too big, there wasn’t enough home karma and fortune to bail them out, and damn not only what a shame, but what a waste.

Up Next

This was the one they needed to bank. They’ve got a game every other night the rest of the week with the Stars, Panthers and Penguins, who are the first opponent in a back-to-back that concludes in Buffalo.

The Penguins (86 points) and Bruins (86) each lost tonight in regulation, and at least Ottawa (85) knocked off Detroit (85) in regulation, so that’s a few potential extra points taken out of the system. And Montreal climbed to 88 with a regulation win over Carolina. If the Isles fall short, we’re going to look back at tonight as one of the critical unforced errors that did them in.

What, you thought this would be easy? Well, it seems the Islanders did too.

Is there another reason for their inexcusable mess of a performance on home ice Tuesday night? For why, in the late stages of a playoff race in which every game is a must-win, Mathew Barzal — benched earlier this season over a failure to back-check — stopped skating to watch as Tyler Bertuzzi and Frank Nazar went up the ice on a two-on-none? For the way the Islanders came undone from there?

Surely not.

The game ended 4-3 to the Blackhawks, whose urgency and intensity outstripped that of the Islanders until the last period, when a frantic attempt at a comeback came up a hair short. If the Isles’ loss in Ottawa was a bad night, and their loss in Montreal felt like a shock to the system, then this was something far worse.

This one should make them angry, and it should make their fans angry. If the Islanders go on to miss the playoffs — and they are below the cut-line again after the results rolled in Tuesday — this one will stick out like a sore thumb.

“We had some turnovers that ended up in our net and then you get a shot that goes off a body behind the goalie and it’s 3-1. Other than mistakes, it has nothing to do with our intensity or will to win,” captain Anders Lee said, understandably shielding his teammates. “We just messed up. That’s gonna happen. You saw that will the rest of the way tonight.”

Indeed, it was there over the last 20 minutes. Before that, though, the Islanders defended casually, and let momentum spiral against them.

After taking a lead inside a minute and dominating the first 10, Barzal turned the puck over and then failed to back-check, allowing Nick Lardis to follow a two-on-none rush and tie the game after Bertuzzi’s initial shot missed the net.

“I feel like we play as a team, we win as a team,” coach Patrick Roy said, later adding he didn’t consider benching Barzal. “There’s mistakes in the game. It’s part of the game. The back-checking, for us, is important.”

Making matters even worse, Tony DeAngelo was hurt while back-checking on the same play, leaving the Islanders with five defenseman and without their top two right-handed defensemen, as Ryan Pulock missed a second straight game with a lower-body injury.

DeAngelo did not return, with the club citing a lower-body injury and Roy saying he would be evaluated Wednesday.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

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It took the Islanders until the third period, when goals from Simon Holmstrom and Cal Ritchie, along with an urgency level that finally looked appropriate, brought them within one and made for a close ending.

Indeed, the Islanders so nearly got away with it, getting a six-on-four power play with 27 seconds to go and coming within a starring, 44-save Arvid Soderblom performance of tying the game.

Not one bit, however, does that excuse everything that came before.

The Blackhawks had scored two more times before the end of the first, chasing David Rittich, then added a fourth goal against Ilya Sorokin 6:02 into the second.

The missed icing call that preceded the eventual game-winning-goal from Nazar was as bad as it gets — so bad that Roy said the officials admitted to him they’d made a mistake — but the Islanders also needed to play to the whistle that never came.

With the noted exception of Matthew Schaefer, who recorded his 30th assist on Lee’s goal 49 seconds into the match and had a ridiculous 31:59 of ice, the defense corps served up a dog’s breakfast during the consequential stretch that spanned from 10 minutes into the first through the end of the second.

\Carson Soucy was on the ice for three goals against, Scott Mayfield for two while Adam Pelech committed a pair of penalties.

Adam Boqvist, for good measure, allowed Bertuzzi to beat him to a loose puck in the crease to make it 3-1 after Rittich — who stopped nine of 12 shots before being pulled after just one period — could not secure Alex Vlasic’s point shot.

“It’s fine that we were making mistakes, but I feel like we should have recovered from it,” Roy said. “We should have back-checked and tried to protect the netfront on that first goal. … I thought we were playing a really solid game, controlling the game, playing really well. A couple turnovers made the difference.”

This is a playoff race in which no one seems to be beating themselves. If the Islanders end up being first to do so, they will be at the bottom of the pile, and they will deserve it.

Anton Frondell had an assist in his NHL debut, Nick Lardis and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi also had goals for the Blackhawks, who scored four straight goals and snapped a two-game skid. Arvid Soderblom made 44 saves.

Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders, who lost for the third time in four games. David Rittich allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Ilya Sorokin, who made 11 saves.

Lee opened the scoring in the first minute of play, deflecting Mathew Schaefer’s shot past Soderblom. But the Blackhawks responded with four goals, including three in the first period.

Nazar and Bertuzzi failed to convert on a two-on-none breakaway, but Nazar quickly grabbed the loose puck and found a darting Lardis to even the score at 1.

Frondell, the third overall selection in the 2025 NHL draft, set up Mikheyev at 18:06 of the first period to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.

Bertuzzi deposited a rebound in the final minute of the opening period to extend the Blackhawks’ lead to 3-1.

Holmstrom and Ritchie each scored in the third to trim the Islanders’ deficit to one goal, but New York was unable to tie it despite getting 23 shots in the final period.

Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo left with an upper-body injury in the second period and did not return. Ryan Pulock did not play for New York for the second straight game.

Up next

Blackhawks: Visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Islanders: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Pregame

No Evgeni Malkin tonight due to an undisclosed upper body injury, Ville Koivunen back in the lineup like he never left (though he did for a few days). Arturs Silovs in net.

Tonight's lineup vs. Colorado.#LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/1Ld2deTRVI

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 24, 2026

The visiting Colorado Avalanche bring this lineup to the table tonight.

Game 7️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/uRi9854c71

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

First period

Colorado gets on the board first, 4:57 into the game. Nathan MacKinnon pressures Parker Wotherspoon, gets the better of him and then is off to the races. Not going to catch that guy. MacKinnon gives Silovs a shoulder shake to throw the goalie off balance then snaps a perfectly placed high shot to finish the individual effort.

THE DOGG STRIKES FIRST 🐶#ULTRAMoments | @MichelobULTRApic.twitter.com/6Di5Q1y7U8

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The Penguins find a tying goal, who else but Egor Chinakhov? His latest sets a career-high with 17 goals on a long-range shot. 1-1.

CHINNY LEVELS UP! 📈

Egor Chinakhov hits a new career high in goals with 17. pic.twitter.com/QGbncVwMRk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 24, 2026

Sam Malinski gets two shots, the second goes off the post and in. Traffic in front for Silovs was too much with all the puck movement. 2-1 COL back in front.

Malinski from way downtown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fTxJcf0vt1

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

Noel Acciari trips a player 200 feet away from his net, it gets called. It only takes the Avalanche five seconds to strike off the opening faceoff. Cale Makar feeds Martin Necas who hammers it home. 3-1 game.

Five seconds on the power play 🚨 pic.twitter.com/dT9NEkeaxZ

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The tough period continues, a quick pass from behind the net hits Parker Kelly in front for a quick shot. Silovs is off his angle and gets beat to the far side. 4-1.

Calling this play The Pitt because it was SURGICAL 😷 pic.twitter.com/zTrRQ1KYLz

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026

The Avs weren’t messing around that period. They smelled blood and ruthlessly converted. Sometimes it was players like MacKinnon or Makar showing why they’re among the league’s best, sometimes it was just situational. Either way a tough go early for the Penguins.

Second period

It appears the Penguins claw back a little on a great effort by Justin Brazeau to fully extend and use all his reach to swing a puck into the net. Colorado challenges for goalie interference and, well, another call against the Pens in this department. There’s the slightest contact at the beginning of the sequence but nothing that seems to prevent the goalie from playing his position and then further contact outside of the crease. Who knows anymore.

The Penguins have their 2nd goal waved off for goaltender interference 😬 pic.twitter.com/aDAlZaJ8pv

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 25, 2026

Pittsburgh gets a four minute power play when Nazem Kadri high sticks Tommy Novak but it’s not going their way tonight, passes without scoring and the Avs even have a rush the other way.

Late in the period, Colorado sends another dagger. Devon Toews bombs a shot in off an offensive zone draw, Silovs lets the rebound thud off the middle of his pad and Necas gets to it first. 5-1.

Right place right time. pic.twitter.com/txuZ3Kw1Rl

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 25, 2026

Deflating period for the Pens to not get yet another GI call go their way. Even then the score would have been 4-2 and still in a major hole but without it the game is elementary at this point.

Third period

By league rule a third period must be played, game sputters along. Colorado gets a long power play and some 5v3 time for a chance for MacKinnon to pad stats and get back in the scoring race but he and they can’t score.

The Pens’ first line gets on the board to at least get Sidney Crosby a point. Bryan Rust’s forechecking effort ends up having the clearing attempt flutter right to Crosby in front of the net. Crosby uses his skate to settle the puck, kicks it to his stick and bumps a pass over for Rickard Rakell to finish off from in tight. 5-2 game.

Rusty ➡️ Sid ➡️ Raks pic.twitter.com/j7aNFncWbP

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 25, 2026

It’s into ‘pull the goalie cuz who cares’ territory, Colorado doesn’t waste much time to hit the open open. 6-2.

Some thoughts

• The first Pittsburgh goal had a lot going on, Kris Letang (finally) recorded his 800th career point after sitting on 799 since March 1st. Sam Girard notched his 200th career assist. And Chinakhov set his new career-high for goals in a season with 17.
• Noel Acciari’s penalty with the catalyst to spiral this game out of control. The broadcast didn’t like the call against Pittsburgh (shocker) and it was unfortunate that was the only penalty of the period, considering it didn’t create or deny a scoring chance or even alter possession too drastically. It’s a play sometimes the refs don’t always call, but it’s an obvious trip in the offensive zone by a player reaching. That’s more on Acciari for putting himself in the position than the refs to ring him up for it.
• The other really big swing was the reversed goal in the second. This summer during the offseason, I swear I’m going to find a bunch of clips that the league reviewed (Pittsburgh goals and around the NHL) and then leave it up to the reader to decide if it was deemed a good goal or no goal. At this point, you might as well flip a coin. The process is subjective and by nature never going to be perfect but the discrepancy from night to night on what’s permitted and what’s not has had zero consistency.
• An old hockey saying goes ‘you can’t give a good player a bad pass’ and let’s just say Ben Kindel gave Ville Koivunen a bad pass on a 2-on-1 in the second period. Kindel did have to lift the puck off the ice to get it over a stick to get there but it didn’t look like a knee-high grenade when it got to Koivunen. Tough play if the puck bobbled a little as it got to him but in this league that’s one a player has to handle (especially when the recipient is known for making skilled plays with his hands).
• One player where there’s no doubt about quality is Chinakhov. For a player whose reputation was one of inconsistency coming into the team, it’s funny but that’s actually been a very positive element for him. He shows up every game, and more often than not he’s finding the scoreboard via a goal or assist more often than not.
• In the big picture, the Penguins get two points out of four from Colorado this season, a team that looks like they are on their way to winning the Presidents Trophy. You can do worse than that. It was also somewhat of a ‘no harm, no foul’ kind of night, since three of Pittsburgh’s biggest rivals at the moment for playoff spots (NYI, BOS, DET) also lost in regulation and all lost to teams out of the playoffs, no less. Definitely were worse outcomes on the night, though it could have been better since Columbus defeated Philadelphia and CBJ passes the Pens for second place in the division. That’s largely ceremonial aside from home ice, seeing Chicago upset the Islanders and the Bruins drop a game to Toronto are welcome sights at this point.
• More damaging than the loss itself could be the underlying problems displayed. The broadcast was harping on fatigue but every team is playing a lot this season. The Penguins have now surrendered 48 goals in the last 11 games (4.36 GA per game). That’s not fatigue as an over-arching factor, that’s a goal suppression problem via team defense and goaltending woes. It’s a glaring issue at the moment.

The immediate path ahead doesn’t get easier, the Pens have to head to Ottawa to face a hot Senators team that always seems to give them troubles anyways.

The Florida Panthers were back on home ice Tuesday as their tumultuous season continues to wind down.

Despite holding two separate three-goal leads during the third period, Florida had to take the game to a shootout, picking up a 5-4 victory over the visiting Seattle Kraken.

The game remained scoreless into the second period, but that’s when the Panthers took advantage of an odd-man rush to strike first.

Noah Gregor, who had just been called up by Florida from AHL Charlotte the day before, led a 2-on-1 into the Kraken zone with Nolan Foote.

A nice saucer pass from Gregor led Foote to the net, and his quick forehand shot tricked through Joey Daccord to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 2:32 mark of the middle frame.

That’s how the score would remain until early in the third period.

A backhand shot by Vinnie Hinostroza deflected off Eetu Luostarinen on its way toward the net, and the puck trickled through Daccord and into the net to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead with 14:44 to go.

Just over two minutes later, Carter Verhaeghe lost the puck while trying to make a move past Daccord, only to retrieve it below the goal line and fire a shot that deflected off the goalie’s pad and into the net to make it 3-0 Florida.

On the very next shift, a long shot by Ryker Evans from just inside the Panthers blue line went wide of Sergei Bobrovsky’s net, but the puck hit off the back boards and went directly back where it came from.

The quick, unorthodox rebound went right back into the goal crease, deflecting off the skate of Bobrovsky and into the net, cutting Florida’s lead to 3-1 with 11:50 on the clock.

Another odd-man rush led to another goal by the Panthers’ fourth line.

This time, Gregor’s cross-zone pass deflected off Kraken defenseman THISGUY and past a sliding Daccord, restoring Florida’s three-goal lead with 7:39 to go in the game.

Once again, the Kraken responded quickly.

Less than two minutes after Gregor’s goal, Seattle star Matty Beniers cut toward Bobrovsky and dangled around an attempted poke-check by the Cats’ tendy, popping the puck into the yawning cage and cutting Florida’s lead to 4-2 with 5:43 remaining.

Jordan Eberle made it a one-goal game just over two minutes after that, beating Bobrovsky over the glove on a breakaway to make it 4-3, and then on the ensuing shift, Bobby McMann tied the game on an almost identical breakaway shot with 3:22 still to play in the third period.

Both goals were unassisted.

The game ended up going to overtime, but five minutes of 3-on-3 wasn’t enough to find a winner.

Hinostroza scored a pretty goal and Bobrovsky stopped all three Kraken shots as Florida picked up the bonus point in the shootout.

On to the Wild.

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Photo caption: Mar 24, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Nolan Foote (25) celebrates after scoring against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Tony DeAngelo left Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks 12:46 into the first after pulling up while back-checking and did not return, with the Islanders citing a lower-body injury.

Coach Patrick Roy said he will be reevaluated Wednesday.

DeAngelo was hustling back to defend a 2-on-0 Chicago rush following a Mat Barzal turnover in the first period, but pulled up and stopped moving easily.

He attempted to defend the rest of the play, but did so ineffectively as Nick Lardis scored to tie the game at one.

DeAngelo went up the tunnel right after that.

Isaiah George, who was recalled Tuesday to serve as the seventh defenseman with Ryan Pulock (lower body) still out, appears to be the next man up if DeAngelo is not ready to play against the Stars on Thursday.

Pulock skated with the other injured players in the morning but did not stay on the ice with the team for morning skate.

Martin Nečas delivered a statement performance with two goals, while Nathan MacKinnon continued his torrid scoring pace with his NHL-leading 46th of the season, as the Colorado Avalanche rolled to a commanding 6–2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

The game turned decisively in the closing minutes of the opening period, when Nečas, Sam Malinski, and Parker Kelly struck in rapid succession—three goals in just 1:55—to blow it open and silence the Pittsburgh crowd. The outburst not only seized momentum but also served as emphatic redemption for Colorado, which was on the wrong end of a lopsided loss to Pittsburgh just a week earlier in Denver. Cale Makar factored into the surge as well, recording an assist on Nečas’ first goal to bring his career point total to 499, putting him on the doorstep of another milestone.

Colorado never looked back from there. MacKinnon’s goal further underlined his MVP-caliber season, while Ross Colton added an empty-net tally late to cap off the dominant effort.

Between the pipes, Scott Wedgewood was steady and composed, turning aside 27 shots to backstop the league-leading Avalanche. The win marks their third straight on a four-game road trip, with the finale set for Thursday in Winnipeg.

For Pittsburgh, Egor Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell provided the lone offensive breakthroughs. Kris Letang added a secondary assist on Chinakhov’s career-high 17th goal, reaching a significant personal milestone in the process—becoming just the 21st defenseman in NHL history to record 800 career points.

Artūrs Šilovs, meanwhile, endured a difficult start and was unable to recover, finishing with 23 saves as Colorado’s early surge proved too much to overcome. The loss is Pittsburgh’s third in its last four games, a setback that further complicates its position in an increasingly tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Penguins were also without veteran center Evgeni Malkin, who remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 39-year-old had been instrumental in Pittsburgh’s dominant showing against Colorado last week, scoring twice in his return from a five-game suspension, making his absence all the more noticeable in this rematch.

First Period

At 3:57 of the opening frame, Colorado’s defensive coverage briefly unraveled, allowing Tommy Novak to slip undetected into open ice. He found himself in alone with a clean look, but Wedgewood stood tall, squaring up and turning aside the chance with a calm, technically sound stop to keep the game scoreless.

Just over a minute later, the Avalanche capitalized on a costly turnover. MacKinnon anticipated a pass from Parker Wotherspoon, jumped the lane, and exploded up ice on a breakaway. With confidence, he snapped a shot that rang cleanly off the crossbar and down across the goal line, giving Colorado a 1–0 lead with his league-leading 46th goal.

Pittsburgh responded 3:12 later in a sequence layered with irony. Samuel Girard—facing his former club after a deadline deal—helped initiate the play that led to Chinakhov’s equalizer. The winger stepped into a one-timer from distance and beat Wedgewood clean to knot the game at 1–1.

The tie didn’t last. With 4:36 remaining, Malinski restored the Avalanche lead with a determined individual effort. After being denied earlier in the shift by a sharp blocker save, he stayed engaged in the play, found a shooting lane through traffic, and snapped a shot past Šilovs for his first goal in 27 games.

Moments later, discipline issues proved costly for Pittsburgh. After Noel Acciari was sent off for tripping Josh Manson, Colorado’s power play struck with ruthless efficiency—needing just five seconds. Makar won the draw sequence and quickly fed Nečas, who hammered a one-timer past the goaltender for his 33rd of the season, extending his road goal streak to eight games.

Before the Penguins could regroup, the Avalanche struck again. Just 35 seconds later, Kelly capped off a relentless offensive surge, finishing a crisp one-timer off a feed from Logan O’Connor. The goal—his career-high 16th—pushed the lead to 4–1 and underscored Colorado’s overwhelming pace. For O’Connor, the assist marked a meaningful return, recording a point in his first game back after nearly a year sidelined by a second offseason hip surgery.

By the end of the period, the Avalanche had seized complete control, pouring in four goals and outshooting Pittsburgh 15–12 in a dominant, momentum-shifting frame.

Second Period

At the 7:05 mark, Wedgewood delivered arguably the save of the night, sprawling across the crease to rob Ben Kindel with a spectacular diving glove stop. Kindel—fresh off his heroics in the earlier NHL 26 simulation—could only look skyward in disbelief.

Moments later, Justin Brazeau appeared to cut into the deficit, jamming home a loose puck while down on his knees. However, after a brief review, officials overturned the goal, ruling his left skate had entered the crease before contact from Devon Toews disrupted the play and knocked the goaltender off balance. The decision drew visible frustration from the Penguins bench and head coach Dan Muse.

Colorado faced a test midway through the period when Nazem Kadri was assessed a double-minor for a high stick on Novak. Despite the extended penalty, the Avalanche penalty kill held firm, limiting quality looks and preserving the three-goal cushion.

Nečas struck again late in the period, capitalizing on a rebound opportunity with 2:31 remaining. After a point shot from Toews created chaos in front, he pounced on the loose puck and buried it to extend the lead to 5–1.

Right place right time. pic.twitter.com/txuZ3Kw1Rl

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 25, 2026

Third Period

The final period took on a chippy, penalty-filled tone. Manson and Brent Burns were sent off, giving Pittsburgh a 5-on-3 advantage. Colorado managed to kill off one of the penalties, and shortly after, O’Connor and Anthony Mantha exchanged roughing minors as tensions escalated.

Pittsburgh’s discipline continued to falter, with Letang toecalled for tripping Gabe Landeskog and Bryan Rust for hooking Brock Nelson, handing Colorado a brief 5-on-3 of its own. This time, however, the Avalanche power play came up empty.

Rakell eventually broke through for Pittsburgh, making it 5–2 after an unusual bounce sent the puck over the back of the net. Sidney Crosby reacted instantly, one-touching a pass to Rakell, who finished before Wedgewood could reset—an opportunistic play the goaltender had little chance to stop.

The @Avalanche have now won three straight! 🏔️ pic.twitter.com/rUBg5c38Le

— NHL (@NHL) March 25, 2026

With under four minutes remaining, Pittsburgh pulled Šilovs in a last-ditch effort, but Colton sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal, putting the finishing touches on a decisive 6–2 Avalanche victory.

Avs Extend Central Division Lead

The Avalanche not only picked up two points with the win, but also got help in the standings as their Central Division rivals both lost. The Dallas Stars fell 6-4 at home to the New Jersey Devils, while the Minnesota Wild dropped a 6-3 decision on the road to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado now holds a 104-97 point advantage over Dallas, with Minnesota sitting in third place at 92 points.

Next Game

The Avalanche (47-13-10) square off against the Winnipeg Jets (30-29-12) at Canada Life Centre on Thursday. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. local time in Denver.

After his season in the Swedish Hockey League with Djurgardens ended Saturday with a playoff loss to Malmo, first-round pick Victor Eklund will travel to North America this week and join the AHL Bridgeport Islanders, The Post has learned.

It’s not yet clear whether Eklund will make his debut over the weekend, with Bridgeport facing Laval on Saturday and playing in Providence on Sunday.

That will likely depend on how he feels after making the trip.

Eklund was quoted in a Swedish outlet, HockeyNews.se, after Djurgardens’ season ended, saying that he’d like to make the trip over and had spoken recently with Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche.

Coincidentally, his Djurgardens teammate and close friend, Anton Frondell, made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in their 4-3 win over the Islanders on Tuesday night and had an assist.

Frondell was the third overall pick in last summer’s draft; Eklund went 16th.

Eklund finished the season with six goals and 18 assists over 43 games in the SHL, his first year in Sweden’s top division.

After taking some time to adjust to the higher level, Eklund’s game took an upward turn after World Juniors, where he played a leading role in helping Sweden to a gold medal.

“Vic, we’ve been playing together the whole year, we got to play with each other,” Frondell said. “Like always, he’s a hardworking guy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone work as hard as him or like to compete as much.

“He’s not that big, he’s not that heavy, but he runs over guys in the SHL. Especially in the playoffs, the last games against Malmo. Just running over guys, creating a lot of energy. That’s something, playing with him, I feel like he’s creating so much energy.”

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The Islanders inked goaltender Josh Kotai, an undrafted free agent out of Augustana University, to a two-year entry-level deal, the team announced. Per PuckPedia, it is a two-way deal carrying a $965,000 AAV at the NHL level and an $85,000 salary in the minors.

Kotai, 23, had a .938 save percentage and 1.99 GAA with Augustana this season. He measures 6-foot-1, 165 pounds.

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Matthew Schaefer’s 31:59 of ice set an NHL record for a teenage defenseman and marked a career-high.

The 2024-25 season was undoubtedly a tough year for Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. In 55 games during this past season with the Sabres, he had a 24-24-5 record, an .887 save percentage, and a 3.20 goals-against average.

While Luukkonen had a season to forget for the Sabres in 2024-25, he is certainly proving his doubters wrong in a major way this campaign for Buffalo.

Luukkonen has been one of many reasons for the Sabres' major step forward this season, and the truth is in his stats. In 28 appearances this season for Buffalo so far, he has a 17-8-2 record, a 2.54 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage. With numbers like these, there is no question that Luukkonen has been enjoying an excellent bounce-back season with the Sabres.

Luukkonen has always been staying hot as the season rolls on. In his most recent appearance on March 21 against the Los Angeles Kings, he stopped 26 out of 27 shots he faced. This was after he recorded a 29-save shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 17. With this, he has been thriving with the Sabres.

It will now be interesting to see how UPL finishes off this campaign from here, but it is clear that he has had a nice season for the Sabres in 2025-26. 

Flyers lose to Blue Jackets, fall short in another big game at home originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After an impressive sweep of a three-game road trip, the Flyers failed to build on it.

They lost to the Blue Jackets, 3-2, Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

In a meaningful game, it was another disappointing home loss for the Flyers.

Sean Couturier and Jamie Drysdale scored the club’s goals. Drysdale’s marker came late in the third period as the Flyers emptied their net for the extra attacker.

The Flyers (34-24-12) again couldn’t win four games in a row. They haven’t won more than three straight in over two years. The last time they did it was Feb. 6-12 of the 2023-24 season.

“There’s still a lot of hockey left, we still believe in our group,” Couturier said. “We’re going to refocus, get ready for next game, move on and try to get another winning streak going.”

Rick Tocchet’s club dropped to seven points back of the Blue Jackets (38-22-11), who took over second place in a tight Metropolitan Division. The Flyers went 0-2-1 against Columbus this season.

“It’s not like we were going to win out the rest of the year,” Travis Konecny said. “We lost one game against an opponent that was above us, it’s frustrating. But it is what it is. You just regroup. There’s nothing else you can do.”

• Dan Vladar made 16 saves on 19 shots.

The Flyers spoiled a strong first period by surrendering two goals in the opening 2:28 minutes of the second period.

“Couple of mistakes and now you’re chasing the game,” Tocchet said. “But the first period was great, it should have been 3-0.”

It looked like the Flyers had a poorly-timed line change on Mathieu Olivier’s game-tying goal. Zach Werenski handed the Blue Jackets the 2-1 lead when he skated through the slot untouched for a wide-open look.

“You come out for the second, you’ve got to be ready to play the same way and the same style that was working for you in the first,” Travis Sanheim said. “We got away from that and the structure.”

Mason Marchment dealt the Flyers a blow 4:38 minutes into the third period as he cushioned Columbus’ advantage. At that point, the Flyers were in a real hole and the energy in the building was gone.

Blue Jackets netminder Jet Greaves stopped 24 of the Flyers’ 26 shots.

In the first period, he denied Owen Tippett on a breakaway and Noah Cates on a penalty shot to keep the game scoreless.

But Couturier later put the Flyers ahead 1-0. He did an excellent job to win a puck race and keep the Flyers in the offensive zone before being rewarded with the goal.

The Flyers, though, let the momentum go early in the middle stanza.

“I think we just didn’t execute the first five minutes of that second, it cost us the game,” Couturier said. “Other than that, I thought we played a good game, it was tight game out there. It was just a bad couple of minutes there to start the period and it cost us.”

• The Flyers have too often come up short in big games on home ice.

They gain some steam, but then they lose it.

This month, they’ve dropped four of five games (1-3-1) at Xfinity Mobile Arena and have scored just 1.80 goals per game.

They missed out on winning four straight when they were blanked by the Mammoth, 3-0. Four nights later, they were blown out by the retooling Rangers, 6-2. They lost to these same Blue Jackets, 2-1, in a shootout 10 days ago.

“You’ve got to embrace it, get the crowd on your side,” Tocchet said. “Don’t be nervous. I think especially the first period, I thought they were cheering for us, we were getting pucks on net, we had breakaways. That’s the stuff I think you get fans excited about; you’ve just got to sustain it.”

The Flyers had a chance to gain ground in the standings because a lot of scores went their way on a busy Tuesday night around the league. They’re five points back of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot and six back of third place in the division.

“We’re in a fun spot, we’re playing in high-pressured games,” Konecny said after morning skate. “We know that there’s a good chance that if we keep playing the way we do, we could actually get in. At this point, we know that the teams ahead of us have the pressure and we’re chasing them. Just keep applying it, keep putting it on them and just enjoy the games.”

• Couturier (upper body), Denver Barkey (upper body) and Luke Glendening (lower body) all returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with injuries.

Tyson Foerster, while wearing a non-contact jersey, participated in morning skate and had rehab work after it. The 24-year-old winger is recovering from surgery he had on his arm in December.

While he appears to be making good progress, he’s not expected to return this season.

Tyson Foerster, wearing non-contact jersey, getting in rehab work after participating at morning skate.

Foerster is recovering from arm surgery, which has him out for the rest of the season. But it looks like he’s making good progress. pic.twitter.com/0mCLvBYm3q

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) March 24, 2026

• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they host the Blackhawks (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The Detroit Red Wings are once again proving their impact on the NHL’s growing popularity, setting another major benchmark in television viewership. For the second time this season, Detroit has played a central role in delivering one of the league’s most-watched games.

Saturday night’s matchup between the Red Wings and the Boston Bruins drew an average of 1.3 million viewers and peaked at 1.5 million. That audience made it the third-most watched NHL game of the season, continuing a trend of strong national interest when Detroit is in the spotlight.

The Red Wings were already responsible for the previous season high earlier this month, when their game against the New Jersey Devils brought in 941,000 viewers. That broadcast stood as ESPN’s most-watched NHL game in five years, excluding Opening Night and outdoor showcase events.

ABC delivered the 3rd most-viewed #NHL game this season

🏒Bruins-Red Wings averaged 1.3M viewers

More: https://t.co/8noNF7WUv5pic.twitter.com/9RqWYHHaqm

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 24, 2026

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

In a statement, ESPN highlighted the league’s broader growth across its platforms. NHL on ABC viewership is up 51 per cent compared to last season, while NHL games across ESPN networks are averaging 800,000 viewers through 37 broadcasts, which is a 26 per cent increase year over year.

Detroit’s role in those gains is no surprise as they've been long considered one of hockey’s marquee franchises, the Red Wings continue to show that when the team is competitive, fans across the continent pay attention.

That momentum could carry into another major audience draw on Tuesday night, when the Red Wings face the Ottawa Senators in a game loaded with playoff implications. With postseason stakes rising, Detroit may once again find itself at the center of one of the NHL’s most-watched broadcasts as the race intensifies.

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In normal times, this would be a nice early playoff preview, with the Bruins and Maple Leafs preparing to meet in the first round for the 1,399th consecutive year.

Instead, the Leafs are just about the only Atlantic Division team not in the playoff picture (along with Florida), while the Bruins are hoping to hang onto their spot.

If you said before the season that the Leafs and Panthers would miss the playoffs but the Sabres and Bruins would get in, you probably would’ve gotten some funny looks.

Anyways, that’s all a bit premature at this point. Tonight’s task is to secure two points against a Toronto team that is just about done with this season.

Bruins! Maple Leafs! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Discuss.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their best players for Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Evgeni Malkin is out for the game with an upper-body injury. He appeared to injure his hand while blocking a shot during Sunday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He was flexing it after blocking the shot, but still finished the game. 

Penguins PR announced the news shortly before Tuesday's morning skate. 

Forward Evgeni Malkin is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play tonight versus Colorado. pic.twitter.com/qIW9Oa8pxw

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) March 24, 2026

Ville Koivunen will replace Malkin in the lineup after he was brought up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton prior to the morning skate. He's set to skate on the third line with Ben Kindel and Justin Brazeau. 

Malkin has been outstanding for the Penguins this season, compiling 15 goals and 52 points in 50 games. He's in the final year of his contract, but hopes to remain with the Penguins next season.

Puck drop for Tuesday's game between the Penguins and Avalanche is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

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