Pregame

The Penguins had called up forwards Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen during the day, but Anthony Mantha is able to play so the lineup of skaters remains the same with Stuart Skinner in net.

How we're lining up tonight👇 pic.twitter.com/VluMvB5pM3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 26, 2026

First period

Not the best of starts, Erik Karlsson is quick to the penalty box for tripping. With Karlsson unavailable to kill penalties, Parker Wotherspoon and Sam Girard are on the ice and they do a lot of watching as the Senators work the puck low and Brady Tkachuk fires a cross-ice pass to the undefended Drake Batherson. Batherson quickly wires it to the back of the net. 1-0 Ottawa.

Power play buzzing early 🔥#IgniteTheRedpic.twitter.com/xWsG7EwdI5

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 26, 2026

Skinner has to make a great save on Nick Cousins from point blank range immediately after the goal.

OKAY STU 👀 pic.twitter.com/iuNZyXaQlb

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) March 26, 2026

Pittsburgh stabilizes after that and stacks a few good shifts. They tie the game when Erik Karlsson steps up and knocks down a stretch pass attempt and sends a pass to the middle for Rickard Rakell. Rakell whips a shot from distance that hits its mark. 1-1 with 6:14 to play in the period.

67 pic.twitter.com/6cE0gffZAD

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) March 26, 2026

Shots end up 10-10 after 20 minutes, one goal aside.

Second period

Sidney Crosby starts the period but then leaves to the lockerroom. It didn’t take long into the second period before the team’s PR wing announced Crosby would be out for the remainder of the night.

Cousins gets redemption for his lost chance in the first with some good luck in the second period for a goal. Cousins tried to pass the puck on a 2-on-1 that gets created after Kris Letang is out of position to stop a long stretch pass. Cousins’ pass hit Girard’s skate and bounced right back to Cousins to guide into the open net. 2-1 Ottawa.

🚨 ULLY POINT 🚨#IgniteTheRedpic.twitter.com/5BA6b0AaVK

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 27, 2026

Ben Kindel skates with Crosby’s wingers and screens Linus Ullmark for Karlsson to snap a shot in. 2-2 game.

HOW SWEDE IT IS, PART II 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/JS4Svsc0F9

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 27, 2026

Egor Chinakhov hits a post right after the goal. The Pens are playing well.

Pittsburgh gets their first power play late in the period when Dylan Cozens bowls over Wotherpoon. Noel Acciari is out there to take the power play faceoff in Crosby’s absence and almost scores from in tight. Then Anthony Mantha follows that shot up with Ullmark sprawled out and the shot hits the goalie’s helmet and stays out seconds before the buzzer.

Linus Ullmark shuts the door at the end of the second period! 🧱 pic.twitter.com/pC0GIEun61

— NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2026

Shots are 15-6 PIT in the second period, they play a strong period but aren’t able to cash in on the scoreboard. 2-2 game heading into the final frame.

Third period

The Pens get a golden opportunity when Artem Zub clears the puck into the stands, granting 1:27 of a 5v3 power play. Karlsson gets a few shots, Mantha gets one, then Karlsson sets up Rakell to hammer a shot that glances off of Ullmark and into the net. 3-2 Pittsburgh gets their first lead of the night with 18:17 to go.

Tricky Ricky on the power play 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vQBCrKA5zd

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 27, 2026

Ottawa answers soon after. Drake Batherson sneaks behind the defense, finds a rebound and slams it home. The Pens’ staff takes a look and makes a dreaded goalie interference call. Claude Giroux did back into Skinner and made some contact with Skinner’s stick. They take a look and deem it a good goal, because of course they do. Pens to the PK.

TWO FOR DRAKE BATHERSON TONIGHT 🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/w9kyPPHdfN

— NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2026

Luckily Pittsburgh kills off the penalty but the tenor of the game has tilted back to Ottawa being the dominant team.

Bryan Rust is the latest Penguin to leave for the lockerroom with about two minutes left, but only briefly.

Tim Stutzle gets extremely lucky his lifted puck hits the very top of the glass to narrowly avoid a delay of game penalty with a minute to go, this game heads for extra time.

Overtime

Kindel-Novak-Karlsson start OT for the Pens, Ottawa gains puck possession immediately. Later Karlsson and Brady Tkachuk race up the ice, Tkachuk wins and the Sens get it back the other way for a Stutzle breakaway. Skinner stops the backhand deke attempt.

Rust gets a chance spoiled by Ullmark aggressively diving to poke it away. Back at the other end Skinner makes another stop on Cozens and then Tkachuk.

The goaltending exhibition continues, Skinner makes more stops, Karlsson springs Novak on a breakaway that Ullmark stretches a leg out to stop.

Tkachuk gets one more chance as the clock nears 0:00, Skinner fights off the shot with his arm.

Shootout

Batherson opens up the shootout, Skinner gets a big piece of the backhand shot but the puck rolls over the goalie’s pad and into the net.

Rakell starts for the Pens, runs out of room and Ullmark stops him from in tight.

—

Stutzle takes the next turn, Skinner stays with him and shuts it down.

Chinakhov is the second shooter of the second round, his five-hole shot beats Ullmark. 1-1 in the SO.

—

Shane Pinto leads off Round 3, Skinner stones him.

Kindel is up with the chance to win the game. His low shot takes care of business, shootout win!

Some thoughts

• Crosby’s status will obviously be a huge development moving forward. He left for the locker-room late in the first period after getting tangled up with a Senator and then flexing his left leg (Crosby injured the right knee during the Olympics).. He came out and played the first 38 seconds of the second period then left again, this time for good. Never know what’s what in the heat of the moment but it sure didn’t look good for the team to announce basically right away that he was done for the night, the big question now is how long that might be. Didn’t look to be that violent or bad of contact but it’s troubling to see the captain leave a game like that.
• It was quite the surprise when Parker Wotherspoon came out of no where to be a legitimately good first pair defender and hold that level for a long time. Now the surprise is that Wotherspoon’s level of play is slumping back towards the journeyman/replacement-type of player he was for a while. Very troubling development there, it can kind of be taken for granted how great Wotherspoon has been and as an individual his exceeding of expectations is right up there with anyone as a reason for why the Penguins are in a playoff chase and not among the dregs of the league like all the preseason prognostications had them.
• It was also not a banner night for Letang, as has been his norm lately. His play on the second goal was another poor decision, after getting crunched by Cousins in the second period Letang would misplay the puck a couple times and narrowly avoided being the culprit for another goal thanks to Skinner. You could give him the benefit of the doubt for playing in pain if it wasn’t about the norm anyways.
• Ottawa should trade those red third jerseys to Vegas, very gaudy.
• Dealing with no Malkin and then no Crosby, the Pens needed players to step up. Karlsson did, as he has so often this season. Nice to see Rakell keep things going with a pair of goals and an assist too. Chinakhov was dangerously close multiple times to scoring.
• Muse falls to 0-for-9 at challenging goalie interference. He doesn’t know what it is because no one really knows what it is. I guess this one was borderline worth it, there was a decent case but not exactly a conclusive one. Maybe for now Muse should leave challenges only for blatant stuff. Of course he has to challenge when he thinks it’s there but for one reason or another his (and his staff’s) definition of GI doesn’t match the officials and that probably has to be addressed internally for “could they actually reverse it?” instead of the default of “was there something there”.
• Out of town, the Islanders beat the Stars (boo) and the Canadiens beat the Blue Jackets (yay). That meant for a few minutes at the end of the game the Penguins could have had the range of outcomes to leave the night in second place in the division with a win or OTL or below the playoff line completely had they suffered a regulation loss. Fortunately for them, it ended up being the former, though both CBJ and NYI are a single point back.
• You almost never see an OT with 10 shots on goal the quality of what happened tonight and no goals. Great action and some thrilling 3-on-3. All OT isn’t fun but this one was super entertaining and somehow couldn’t find a conclusion due to the caliber of goaltending at both ends of the ice.
• On that note, Skinner was outstanding, particularly in overtime but he also answered the bell and made several high quality saves. All Ottawa got were basically ones he had no chance in via defensive miscues and a tough bounce. The Sergei Murashov chatter around the internet will never go away because the prospect goalie is always the most popular guy on the internet, if nothing else
• Two shootout wins for the Penguins in the last five days! To take a line from Dodgeball: do you believe in unlikelihoods?

The Penguins played well in this game, as good as they’ve looked in quite a while. It wasn’t perfect by any means but a well-earned victory on the road against a very hot opponent is a solid accomplishment. The cloud that remains hanging will be hearing the status of Crosby after this one.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ilya Sorokin gave the New York Islanders the type of elite goaltending they needed, facing one of the NHL’s top teams while in the thick of a playoff chase, making 26 saves to beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 on Thursday night.

Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone. He was perfect on a pair of penalty kills, one each in the second and third periods, and allowed only one goal on a 6-on-5 with three minutes left to Matt Duchene.

Bo Horvat scored his 30th goal of the season five minutes in and Calum Ritchie later picked up the 11th of his rookie year to provide enough offensive support. Matthew Schaefer, the face of the franchise at 18 years old, assisted on each to reach 54 points and tie Hall of Famer Denis Potvin for the second most by a rookie defenseman in Islanders history.

Despite allowing Horvat’s goal off the rush and Ritchie’s when it went in off his left skate, Jake Oettinger was excellent in his own right. Oettinger stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced as Dallas lost a third game in a row and for the fourth time in five games.

This was a better defensive effort for the Stars than their sloppy defeat Tuesday night at home against New Jersey. They have already clinched a playoff berth, are likely to face Minnesota in the first round and are spending the remainder of the regular season trying to get their team's game in order.

The Islanders are clawing to get in as part of a fierce Eastern Conference race of seven teams vying for five spots.

Up next

Stars: Make the second stop on their four-game trip Saturday at Pittsburgh, when Mikko Rantanen could return from the injury that has sidelined him since the Olympics.

Islanders: Host two-time defending champion Florida on Saturday.

The Islanders seemed to run the gamut Thursday, playing one of those games that showed all the reasons they could be a dangerous playoff team and all the reasons they might not make the tournament — all at once.

At the end of it, they had a 2-1 win over the Stars that did indeed inch them above the playoff cutline at the close of business, and yet another point of evidence in Ilya Sorokin’s Vezina Trophy campaign.

There have been games, plenty of them, in which Sorokin was leaned upon more heavily than he was Thursday and in which Sorokin’s teammates did far less for him than they did Thursday.

After the Islanders prevented anything from going on goal after Matt Duchene got Dallas within 2-1 with 2:59 to go, blocking four shots in the final 53 seconds, Sorokin joked that he owed his teammates dinner.

Really, though, this night, like so many others, came down to the goaltender, whose 26 saves and total command of his crease were decisive in a game his team needed.

“At this point, we’re not really surprised,” Simon Holmstrom said. “He’s proven night in and night out that he’s by far the best goalie in the league.”

This was a low-event match in which the Islanders were pushed repeatedly and stood up to the test. They were far from perfect — the power play still frustrating, the breakouts still a challenge for stretches — but the way they held a lead for 55 minutes while rarely allowing Dallas to build momentum shift over shift counted as something to build on. So too did their work in killing off two penalties against the league’s second-ranked power play.

“Sometimes it might not be pretty the whole time,” Ryan Pulock said after skating 20:53 in his return from a lower-body injury. “You just gotta work through it. I thought tonight we did a lot of that. Important blocks, important times of getting the puck out, getting the puck in. I thought the forecheck at times was really good, created a lot for us.”

Bo Horvat’s 30th goal of the season, his second time in three seasons hitting that mark with the Islanders, was the difference heading into the third, with Sorokin’s heroics having kept the Stars from tying it on the power play midway through the second.

The Islanders, though, were not going to win this game by sitting on a 1-0 lead for 55 minutes, and of course it was the kids who have defined this season who made sure they would not.

Matthew Schaefer made a brilliant heads up play 2:19 into the third, throwing the puck into traffic in front of the net, where it banked off Cal Ritchie’s skate and past Jake Oettinger to make it 2-0.

It was a second straight match in which Ritchie has scored using his body in front of the net, and a second straight match in which Schaefer has missed out on tying the rookie record for goals by a defenseman due to an assist on a puck redirected in front. The 18-year-old, needless to say, will happily take it.

Sorokin was 2:59 away from a franchise record-setting eighth shutout this season when Duchene beat him at six-on-five to pull the Stars within one for the lone blemish on his night. Otherwise, there was no beating him.

There was the backdoor stop on Duchene, the Miro Heiskanen shot he got high in his crease to defend, the two Dallas power plays where he was the Islanders’ best penalty killer.

“Everyone understood it’s a big moment in the season,” Sorokin said. “Everybody knows what we should do. Every game is like the last game. But in the end, we should enjoy the game. If we enjoy the game, we show our best game.”

The Islanders enter a crucial — is it redundant to use that word when it applies to every game? — stretch of three games in four days, beginning Saturday against Florida, that includes a massive Monday night home match against the Penguins. Their superpower this season is the way they have avoided any kind of spiral, with their longest losing streak being three games and back-to-back losses a rarity.

It was on display Thursday, two days after a dispiriting loss to the Blackhawks.

“It was hard to sleep, I will admit,” coach Patrick Roy said. “It was pretty quiet in my car going home that night. But after that, you put it behind [you].”

The Islanders followed that example to a T.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have dealt with a whole lot of injury adversity this season, especially in terms of injuries to their best players.

And, unfortunately, their best player has gone down yet again.

Nearing the end of the first period of a crucial game between Pittsburgh and Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby went down the runway after appearing to be injured during the prior play. He came back onto the ice for the second period for one shift before heading down the runway for good, and the Penguins declared him out for the rest of the game.

Penguins' head coach Dan Muse later specified that Crosby sustained a lower-body injury, and a collision along the boards with Nick Cousins appears to be what may have caused the injury.

This hit from Nick Cousins along the boards is the suspected cause of Sid's departure https://t.co/xDUIbKPK3xpic.twitter.com/i1gQrVZXpK

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 27, 2026

Crosby, 38, was playing in his fifth game since returning from a lower-body injury he sustained during the Olympics, which kept him out 11 games. 

Further details on Crosby's status will be updated once shared by the team. Follow along by joining The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins community. 

Penguins' Top Defensive Prospect Hot Ahead Of WHL PlayoffsPittsburgh Penguins' top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke finished his regular season on a high note heading into the WHL playoffs.

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Mark Scheifele has long been synonymous with the Winnipeg Jets franchise, and on Thursday night he added another milestone to his already historic career.

In a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, Scheifele skated in his 951st career game with the Jets, surpassing Thomas Steen for the most games played in franchise history.

Drafted seventh overall at the 2011 NHL Draft, Scheifele has been a cornerstone of the Jets lineup ever since. Through 951 games, the Kitchener, Ontario native has recorded 368 goals and 522 assists for a total of 890 points, along with a plus-80 rating that reflects his consistent impact at both ends of the ice.

The most ever in a Jets jersey 💙✈️@Wawanesa | #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/e3BzZ4KfuN

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 26, 2026

A two-time NHL All-Star, Scheifele has established himself as one of the league’s most reliable offensive players. He has recorded at least 49 points in all but one of his 13 full NHL seasons and has surpassed the 60-point mark in 11 consecutive years. He has also produced eight seasons with a point-per-game average above 1.00, further solidifying his status as an elite forward.

While not known primarily for physical play, Scheifele has contributed in other areas as well. He ranks 13th in franchise history with 699 hits and sits 11th in blocked shots with 567, demonstrating a willingness to compete beyond the scoresheet.

Scheifele has consistently expressed pride in representing the city of Winnipeg, and with his contract running through 2031, he remains committed to bringing a Stanley Cup to the organization and its fans.

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While the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of a playoff push, one young defensive prospect finds himself on the outside looking in.

But all the while, he's taking care of business in the Western Hockey League - and he's leadong the charge of his team into a playoff push of their own.

Penguins' top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke has been having his way as of late for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, as he registered two goals and 15 points in the final 11 games of his team's regular season. The 19-year-old blueliner from Johanessberg, South Africa finished his 2025-26 regular season at point-per-game with the Blazers, putting up 24 points in 24 games in what will be his final junior season.

And his timing to catch fire couldn't have been better, as fifth-ranked Kamloops begins its first-round series against the fourth-ranked Kelowna Rockets on Friday in Kelowna.

The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Brunicke - one of the Penguins' top prospects - broke the Penguins' NHL roster out of training camp, and he registered his first NHL goal in his second NHL game, which came against the New York Islanders - the team chasing the Penguins in the Metropolitan Division standings. Brunicke's defensive game left a bit to be desired, though, so after nine NHL games, an AHL conditioning stint, and an appearance at the World Junior Championship, Brunicke was sent back to Kamloops in January.

SERIES PREVIEW: (5) Kamloops Blazers vs. (4) Kelowna Rockets - Kamloops BlazersWhat a way to return to the playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers are back in the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup- but to have a shot at the WHL’s top prize, the teams have to go through their bitterest rival. The 2026 Memorial Cup host Rockets return to the postseason after a…

And, there, he has become the Blazers' most relied-upon shutdown defenseman, playing at all strengths and being deployed in key situations. Brunicke's defensive game is something the Penguins' organization wanted him to work on upon being sent back to junior hockey, and they've kept a close eye on his progress in that area, which has been tangible.

Brunicke turns 20 in June, so he will be AHL-eligible next season. He also figures to make a serious push for a full-time spot on the NHL roster next season.

However, there is a small chance Penguins' fans may get to see him sooner. Should Kamloops be eliminated while the AHL and NHL seasons and/or playoffs are still going on, Brunicke is eligible to be recalled or loaned to the AHL. If he were to appear in one more NHL game in the regular season or the playoffs this year, it would be his 10th, meaning his entry-level contract would be triggered.

Penguins' First-Rounder Makes Top NHL Prospects ListThis Penguins first-round pick has been ranked among the best NHL-affiliated prospects.

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The Vancouver Canucks have been presented with an interesting opportunity over their final 12 games of the 2025-26 season. On Thursday, the Canucks will face the Los Angeles Kings, who are desperate for points as they fight for a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thursday is not the only time Vancouver and Los Angeles will play three more times before the end of the regular season. 

In a way, the Canucks hold the Kings' playoff fate in their hands. With Los Angeles currently three points plus the tie-breaker below the playoff bar, the Kings will need to take all six points for Vancouver over the next few weeks. Even one slip-up could mean the end of their playoff hopes, as Los Angeles only has 11 games remaining on their schedule. 

Overall, the Kings have struggled as of late, which is why they have dropped below the playoff bar. Los Angeles is 3-3-3 in its last 10, but has picked up a single point in three of their previous four games. Ultimately, the Kings should be motivated heading into all three games against the Canucks, which means Vancouver must be ready for the opening puck drop if they want to play spoiler this season. 

After Thursday, the next meeting will be in Los Angeles on April 9. As for the final meeting, that will be held at Rogers Arena on April 14. So far this season, the Canucks and Kings have played once, with Los Angeles picking up a 2-1 overtime win in November. 

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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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The Detroit Red Wings are once again facing a critical juncture in their ongoing rebuild, with the team teetering on the edge of missing the playoffs and potentially extending their postseason drought to a decade.

Frustration among the fan base has been building for years, as many feel that Steve Yzerman’s careful, long-term approach has taken far too long to bear fruit. That sentiment is starting to be echoed by NHL insiders as well.

On Wednesday, David Pagnotta told Daily Faceoff’s The Sheet that this offseason could be pivotal for Yzerman’s job security.

“This is a, I don’t wanna say last kick at it, but this is a you-know-what or get off the pot here for Steve Yzerman this offseason,” Pagnotta said.

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

David Pagnotta: Re Red Wings: This is a, I don't wanna say last kick at it, but this is a you-know-what or get off the pot here for Steve Yzerman this offseason - The Sheet (3/25)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 26, 2026

Since taking over the GM role in the 2019-20 season, Yzerman’s teams have gone 221-245-60, the seventh-worst record in the NHL over that span. Critics point to the slow pace of the rebuild, though it should be noted that Yzerman inherited a franchise in rough shape.

He has also drafted a series of highly touted prospects, including Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa, and Marco Kasper, with hopes that 2025 first-round pick Carter Bear will continue that trend.

Finding draft gems has historically been the foundation of Detroit’s Stanley Cup success, with past cornerstones like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg emerging outside of the first round.

While Yzerman has shown skill in the draft, he hasn't been able to find gems like Red Wings teams of the past with Yzerman's best find in recent years being 2023 seventh round pick Emmitt Finnie. Minimal additions at the deadline like Justin Faulk and David Perron this season, have limited Detroit’s depth at the most important time of the season as injuries struck key players like Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp.

Despite these challenges, the rebuild appears to be nearing its finish line. The Red Wings are just a piece or two away from becoming a legitimate playoff contender and potentially a dark horse for the Stanley Cup.

What remains uncertain is whether that push will happen under Yzerman’s leadership or if the organization will look for a new voice to guide the team forward. Time, performance, and the upcoming offseason will likely determine the next chapter for the Motor City franchise.

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On Thursday, ahead of their game against the Calgary Flames, the Anaheim Ducks announced they’ve recalled center Nathan Gaucher from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.

This call-up comes on the heels of an upper-body injury sustained by Ducks forward Jansen Harkins, who left Tuesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after just 2:05 TOI.

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Win over the Canucks

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-5 OT Win over the Sabres

Gaucher (22) is in his third full season in the AHL and has produced a career-best 26 points (12-14=26) in 57 games. After scoring just eight points (4-4=8) through the first 36 games in 2025-26, Gaucher’s offense has turned a corner, and he’s tallied 18 points (8-10=18) in his last 21 games, including a hat trick and five points (3-2=5) in his last two.

Dating back to his draft year, Gaucher (22nd overall in 2022) never projected as a traditional top-six producer or contributor, but instead, displayed more of a traditional middle-six, 200-foot center skillset.

He assumed similar duties on back-to-back Canadian World Junior Championship teams, winning gold medals in 2022 and 2023 and scoring a total of six points (2-4=6) in 14 games.

Throughout his professional career, and even dating back to his final year in the QMJHL, Gaucher has suffered injuries or slow starts, potentially hindering his development.

This season, he’s taken on a larger role with the Gulls, earning more ice time at 5v5 and playing a key role on their penalty kill.

Once a pure force of nature with an NHL-ready frame and motor, Gaucher has now refined many of the details in his offensive and defensive games alike. He now recognizes how to efficiently pressure, engage, and utilize his 6-foot-3, 227-pound frame to win pucks on the forecheck or in his end.

Offensively, with his powerful stride, he’s causing turnovers, winning races to loose pucks, and is becoming more calculated and confident with the puck on his stick, letting plays develop before effectively continuing a cycle. Much of his recent stretch of goalscoring has come off clever off-puck reads to find soft ice on the weak side or cutting into the slot to make himself a premium passing option.

If he were to find himself in the Ducks’ NHL lineup in any of their games down the stretch, one could expect him to provide much of what Harkins brought to the fourth line: energy, tenacity, and a disruptive forechecking presence. He can add layers of defensive impact with his open-ice speed, positioning, and willingness to physically engage opponents.

His play style is endearing to teammates, fans, and coaches alike, and he fits the mold of an important piece to the bottom six of a championship team should he continue building on his recent form.

The Ducks spent a relatively high pick on him in 2022, a pick acquired as part of a package in exchange for longtime Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm, with the expectation that he would become a complementary player to the supreme offensive talents they would soon come to acquire when the team was eventually in playoff contention.

That time has now come for the Ducks, and at 22-years-old, Gaucher seems to have marinated in the AHL enough for the front office to be comfortable giving him an opportunity to earn his way onto the ice down the stretch, given the state of their current roster and position in the standings.

Ducks Sign Herman Träff to Entry-Level Contract

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The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (36-32-2) at the Nashville Predators (34-28-9)

The Time: 8:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN; Radio — Devils Hockey Network

The Game Preview: I had it here.

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LGD!

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The Buffalo Sabres have made a roster move, as they have assigned defenseman Zach Metsa to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Metsa has been a nice surprise for the Sabres this season, as the 27-year-old blueliner has been making an impact when called upon. In his first 38 career NHL games this season with Buffalo, he has recorded two goals, four assists, six points, 28 blocks, and a plus-20 rating. However, with the Sabres' blueline being crowded, Metsa is now heading back to Rochester for the time being. 

Metsa has played in 16 games this season with the Amerks, where he has recorded two goals, 13 assists, 15 points, and a plus-4 rating. With this, the AHL club will certainly be happy to have him back on their roster. 

Metsa's most recent appearance for the Sabres was on March 22 against the Anaheim Ducks. The 5-foot-9 defenseman had two assists and a plus-3 rating over his last three games with the Sabres before being sent back down to Rochester. 

As the New Jersey Devils head into their final 12 games of the season, the team is currently holding several records and accomplishments. ​

Jack Hughes has been a key player since returning from the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games. The forward is tied for fifth in the NHL in points since returning with 21. ​He is also tied for goals since returning, with eight, further boosting the team's offensive momentum. ​

Building on these strong individual performances, the team has gone 4-1-0 in their last five games and 7-3-0 in their last 10.

​In addition to their recent success, the Devils are 16-8-0 when outshot and remain the least-penalized team in the NHL. ​

Consistent play has also helped; when leading after two periods, the Devils are 22-0-0.

Finally, the team is 12-2 in overtime this year.

​There are 12 games left in the season, with the Devils playing the Predators today, the Hurricanes on Saturday, and the Blackhawks on Sunday. ​

The remaining schedule is available below. ​

Tuesday March 31st @ New York Rangers 7:00PM

Thursday, April 2nd vs Washington Capitals 7:30PM

Saturday, April 4th vs Montreal Canadiens 7:00PM

Sunday April 5th @ Montreal Canadiens 7:00PM

Tuesday, April 7th vs Philadelphia Flyers 7:00PM

Thursday, April 9th vs Pittsburgh Penguins 7:00PM

Saturday, April 11th @ Detroit Red Wings 5:00PM

Sunday, April 12th vs Ottawa Senators 7:00PM

Tuesday April 14th @ Boston Bruins 7:00PM​

Looking at the full slate ahead, six of the remaining 12 games will be on the road while six will be at home.

The team will face off against seven current playoff teams, making for a demanding finish. ​

As for tonight's game, the puck will drop at 8:08 pm as the team heads into the final stretch of their season. 

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

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Flyers heed Tocchet's advice in blowout of Blackhawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers broke out offensively with a 5-1 win Thursday night over the Blackhawks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Alex Bump, Sean Couturier, Denver Barkey, Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak all found the back of the net for the Flyers, who had nine players record at least a point.

Rick Tocchet’s club, which was starting a stretch of six games in nine days, improved to 10-3-1 over its last 14 games.

“Great win, getting five goals, we should feel good about each other, but tomorrow’s a different day,” Tocchet said. “We’ve got to lock it in. It’s maturity. We can’t be the roller coaster after wins and losses. Hopefully we can string another two, three or four [wins together].”

The Flyers (35-24-12) were desperate for a win on home ice. With their 3-2 loss Tuesday night to the Blue Jackets, they had dropped to 1-3-1 at home in March, while scoring just 1.80 goals per game. And these were big games.

But on Thursday night, they raced out to an early lead and kept their foot on the gas.

“We came out strong and stuck with it the rest of the game,” Dvorak said. “All four lines were clicking, playing a simple and smart game. I thought that was the key tonight.”

The Flyers swept their two-game regular-season series with the Blackhawks (27-32-13). They beat Chicago, 3-1, at United Center right before the holiday break.

• Tocchet had been pleading for more shots and guys driving to the net.

The Flyers gave him that against the Blackhawks.

“The one thing with the team, they take the information,” Tocchet said. “We had a good presentation on it, we talked about things that we have to get better at and stuff like that. I thought we played in the interior tonight.”

Their second, third and fifth goals came right around the blue paint, with pucks going toward the net.

“It’s usually that inside stuff that really wins playoff series,” Tocchet said before the game. “It’s talking about it, we have a young team, just keep talking about it.”

His players clearly heard him.

Couturier made it 2-0 in the first period when he scored in close off a feed from Luke Glendening.

In the second period, Barkey cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-0 by flushing a rebound after Trevor Zegras attacked the net.

Dvorak scored at the doorstep in the final minute of the middle stanza when Owen Tippett found him. That made it 5-1 as the Flyers were in complete control.

“We have to build on it, though,” Tocchet said. “You’ve got to do it every night if you can.”

• Samuel Ersson has been giving the Flyers what they need when his number is called.

The 26-year-old was sharp, converting 25 saves on 26 shots.

He made an excellent first-period stop to bail out the Flyers’ power play, which allowed an odd-man break. That save kept the Flyers’ lead at 2-0.

“He came up with huge saves,” Tippett said. “That one on the power play that we had, him sliding across. He gave us a chance to win early.”

Chicago cracked Ersson over halfway through the game when Connor Bedard trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 3-1. But the Flyers countered with two more goals before second intermission.

In five appearances (four starts) since the Olympic break, Ersson has recorded four wins, a 1.58 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

“He has got a good swagger, he has had a bunch of really good games,” Tocchet said. … “He looks rock solid.”

The Flyers jumped on Spencer Knight with two goals in the opening 2:33 minutes. The Blackhawks’ netminder finished with 37 saves on 42 shots.

Bump opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the game after Dvorak forced Knight into a turnover. Bump, a 22-year-old rookie, has three goals and six points in his first 10 games with the Flyers.

“I think it has kind of been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Bump said. “I’ve definitely had some tough games, but I’ve definitely also had some good games, too. I think right now, for me, it’s just come into each game and bring my best game. Don’t worry about anything else. I’m still trying to solidify myself here, so I think that’s the biggest part.”

• Tocchet’s club didn’t get a whole lot of help on the out-of-town scoreboard.

With 11 games left, the Flyers are five points back of both third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.

• Cates has 40 points, which is a new career high.

His 16th goal restored some order for the Flyers in the second period. It came a minute and a half after Bedard scored. Cates received a superb pass from Matvei Michkov, who was being checked along the side boards.

“We did a video session and he has been very active in these meetings, talking about that, body position and stuff,” Tocchet said of Michkov. “That was a hell of a play. All of our young guys, the body position is everything. We’ve been really wanting to teach that sort of stuff and he did a nice job with it.”

• The Flyers didn’t have Nikita Grebenkin, who will be out for at least seven to 10 days with an upper-body injury.

On the back end, Emil Andrae drew into the lineup for Noah Juulsen. In the first period, Andrae and Nick Seeler made a heads-up play right at the Flyers’ net to help prevent a goal.

Tocchet said Juulsen was banged up. The third-pair defenseman didn’t practice Wednesday after playing the night before in the Flyers’ loss.

• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they visit the Red Wings (8 p.m. ET/ABC).

It’s their first of three matchups with Detroit, a team they’re trying to jump in the wild-card race.

The Edmonton Oilers released a statement saying Leon Draisaitl would miss the remainder of the regular season. However, one analyst points to an intriguing move by the team that hints their superstar might be back a bit sooner. 

Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 believes there's a chance that Draisaitl is not only back by the playoffs, but he could be back before. 

Gregor said:

“Now, Leon Draisaitl, I fully expect Draisaitl to be ready for the playoffs, and I think there’s a chance that you might see him for one of the final regular-season games. Because A, his LTIR would finish before then—they strategically put him on LTIR when they had a few games left in the regular season that he could make. So, not saying he will, but I think I’ve been hearing there’s a chance that that’s possible for him. It all depends on the rehab and healing, everything else like that.”

Interesting. 

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To activate a player off LTIR and have him play again, he must first meet the minimum requirement: 10 games + 24 days on LTIR. With 10 games remaining in the season and with Draisaitl already having missed four games, he could be back as early as April 8th against the San Jose Sharks. That's not to say Draisaitl will be ready, but he'll be eligible if he is ready. 

Nothing is confirmed, but this would be a pleasant surprise for the Oilers, assuming Draisaitl is ahead of schedule. Right now, there's no need to rush him back. That said, if things turn south and Edmonton loses a few games in a row, finding themselves in the unfavorable position to make the playoffs, Draisaitl could make an impact down the stretch. 

Oilers Take on the Golden Knights

Edmonton will face the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, a game that has extra meaning. Not only can the Oilers keep things going with a win, but they can put a little breathing room between them and Vegas in the standings. 

Edmonton is one point up with 79 points to the Golden Knights' 78. Both have played the same number of games, so this essentially represents a four-point swing. 

It's a game the Oilers would love to have Draisaitl for, but if they can win it without him, that's a huge boost for the roster. 

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