USHL Alum Snuggerud Accounts Himself Well In NHL Debut

Apr 1, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) skates against Detroit Red Wings right wing Jonatan Berggren (48) during the first period at Enterprise Center. (Photo Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

Jimmy Snuggerud picked a great time to make his NHL debut.

The 20-year-old USHL alum, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (23rd overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, joined the club Tuesday and logged 10:43 of ice time in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

Snuggerud had two shots on goal in the win, which extended the Blues’ winning streak to 10. He logged 15 shifts, including less than two minutes on a power-play chance.

While he had been to St. Louis in the past for prospect camps, the 6-foot-2, 187-pound right winger had never played in Enterprise Center until Tuesday.

As is often the case with highly-touted prospects, once that debut comes, it’s a whirlwind of activity. Snuggerud signed a three-year entry-level contract last Friday, one day after his University of Minnesota Gophers were eliminated in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Three days later, he practiced with the team before finding himself in a pivotal game during a hotly-contested playoff race on Tuesday.

Snuggerud, however, wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“It was fun. So exciting,” Snuggerud said after the game. “The rink was so energetic. Everything about the game, the comeback at the end, it was an awesome game.”

Jordan Kyrou tied the contest with 30 seconds left in regulation, and Cam Fowler scored the game-winner in overtime, as the Blues continue their hold on the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Snuggerud played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Minnesota, where he recorded 51 points (24-27-51) in 40 games this season. He’s one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which will ironically be announced on Thursday in St. Louis.

During his time with the Gophers, Snuggerud posted 135 points (66-69-135) in 119 games.

In two USHL seasons with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP), Snuggerud appeared in 55 games and totaled 40 points (13-27-40). He also led Team USA to the first of its back-to-back World Junior Championships with five goals in six games.

While his debut was brief, the Blues proved they are not afraid to throw their top prospect into the fire. St. Louis is counting on his offense, but he impressed scouts with his patience on puck and crisp cross-ice passes.

Aside from one giveaway during Tuesday night’s debut, Snuggerud showed he was worthy of the Blues’ confidence.

Penguins Recall Koppanen On An Emergency Basis

Joona Koppanen - Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a little over 24 hours away from facing the red-hot St. Louis Blues, winners of ten straight games on Thursday night.

As the team kicks off a three-game road trip, they invited Joona Koppanen along, recalling the 27-year-old on an emergency basis early Wednesday morning.

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesPittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. 

In March, Koppanen skated in five games and scored his first NHL goal on March 18 against the New York Islanders. 

With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, he's scored seven goals and 22 points in 55 games.

Since moving to North America from Finland in 2018, Koppanen has 52 goals and 134 points in 358 games in the AHL. 

Red Wings Burned Late in St. Louis, Fall 2–1 in OT

Apr 1, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler (17) scores a goal against Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot (39) during the overtime at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Le, Imagn Images

For about 59 and a half minutes Tuesday night in St. Louis, the Detroit Red Wings appeared on their way to a well played road hockey game: Moments of absorbing pressure, excellent goaltending from Cam Talbot, and an opportunistic attack to nab a third period lead.  However, 29 seconds short of securing two points, Detroit failed to clear, the Blues won battles to keep the puck alive, then Cam Fowler teed up a Jordan Kyrou redirect to tie the game at one, leaving a frustrated Dylan Larkin to rifle the puck off the boards.  In overtime, Fowler scored the game-winner to give his team a 2–1 win, robbing the Red Wings of a point they'd thought was theirs moments earlier.

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The result was "brutal," J.T. Compher (who'd scored Detroit's lone goal of the night to take a 1–0 lead five minutes into the third) told reporters after the game.  "We played a really good road game for a long time, Talbs played out of his mind, gave us a chance to win, and they were able to squeak one in late and steal that second point from us."

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"That's a really good hockey team playing good hockey at the moment, and we gave ourselves a chance to get two points, and we come up short," Compher added.  "No one's beat 'em in eight or nine games, and we gave ourselves a really good chance tonight."

The sting of the loss is compounded by the fact that both the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets won Tuesday night, leaving the Wings four points to the wrong side of the playoff cutline with eight games left in the regular season.

"We know what's at stake, and it's not the fact that we gave up a point to an opponent," said coach Todd McLellan after the game.  "It's just we didn't get the point, and I thought after starting slow on the night, Talbs kept us in it, and then we worked our way back in, checked fairly well...put ourselves in a situation to win and with about 3:40 left we iced the puck...and out comes the goalie and we just couldn't find a way to hit the open net at the other end or just finish the night."

Per McLellan, Tuesday's loss leaves Detroit with a choice that isn't really a choice: "We can either feel sorry for ourselves, which I don't think is a great option, or we can get back after it, and we have no choice."

The Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes Friday evening then the Florida Panthers Sunday in two games unlikely to lift them back into a playoff spot on their own, but certainly with the potential to all but eliminate them.

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Penguins' Jarry Becomes Fastest Goalie To 20 Shutouts

Tristan Jarry - Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

On Mar. 30, 2025, Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry became the third goalie in franchise history to record 20 shutouts, blanking the Ottawa Senators 1-0.

He joins a list along with two of the greatest to strap on the pads in Pittsburgh, Marc-Andre Fleury and Tom Barrasso. Fleury is on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame, while Barrasso earned his ring in 2023.

For the longest time, Barrasso was the only Penguins' netminder to record 20 shutouts, achieving his first on Dec. 28, 1990, and 22nd on Nov. 26, 1999. Overall, he recorded 22 shutouts in 460 games.

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During his 12 seasons in Pittsburgh, including two Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992, Barrasso recorded seven shutouts in 1997-98, only the second time he'd post more than five (1984-85). 

Three seasons after Barrasso left the Penguins in 2000, the franchise drafted Fleury with the top pick in the 2003 Draft. He owns the team record with 44 shutouts, which may not be broken for quite some time.

At 21, Fleury collected his first shutout on Oct. 30, 2003, just his sixth NHL game. Eight seasons later, on Oct. 25, 2011, he'd earn his 20th shutout in game No. 375 before tying Barrasso's mark on Feb. 21, 2012. 

When Jarry shut out the Senators on Mar. 30, he earned his 20th career shutout in his 288th game, surpassing Fleury's mark for fewest games to 20 shutouts by 87 games. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesPittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. 

Despite the rough season, with numerous demotions to the AHL, Jarry is just in year two of a five-year deal he signed on July 1, 2023. In 288 games, his record is 149-96-30 with a 2.75 GAA and .910 SV%. 

When he collects win No. 150, he'll be the third goalie behind Barrasso (226) and Fleury (375) to reach the milestone. 

'Lucky To Be In The Lineup': Islanders' Roy Slams Duclair Amid Career-Low Production

Anthony Duclair (Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy didn’t mince his words when he discussed Anthony Duclair’s game in their 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

“He was god awful,” Roy told reporters after the game. “He’s lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s how I feel.”

Duclair had 12:15 of ice time against Tampa Bay, about three minutes less than his season average. He had the third-lowest ice time among Islanders skaters in that contest.

Roy thought the 29-year-old had a bad game, and “that’s why I didn’t play him a lot.”

“He’s not skating, not competing, not moving his feet, he’s not playing up to what we expect from him,” he said, adding he thinks it’s an “effort thing.”

Less ice time has been the theme of Duclair’s last three games. In their outing against the Lightning on Saturday, he played 11:05, a season low. 

However, the Isles took on the Carolina Hurricanes the next day, and he played even less, clocking 10:10 in a 6-4 loss.

Duclair’s recent ice time comes during some of the lowest offensive production of his 11-year NHL career. 

In 44 games this season, Duclair has seven goals and four assists for 11 points. His 0.25 points per game is a career low, as is his minus-15 plus/minus rating. 

In comparison, Duclair put up 24 goals and 42 points in 73 appearances last season playing for Tampa Bay and the San Jose Sharks. That earned him a four-year deal worth $3.5 million per season with the Islanders, the longest contract with the biggest cap hit of his career.

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The Point-Claire, Que., native hasn’t had a point in his last six games. He also hasn’t recorded an even-strength point in 17 games and has just three points in his last 25.

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Islanders are five points back of the Montreal Canadiens, who control the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Buffalo Sabres Send First-Round Pick Back To AHL

Isak Rosen (© Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that forward Isak Rosen has been loaned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Rosen, 22, was just recalled by the Sabres on March 25. Now, one week later, the 2021 first-round pick is heading right back to Rochester.

Rosen has appeared in six games this season with the Sabres, where he has one assist, three hits, and a minus-2 rating. He recorded his first career NHL point during his latest three-game call-up on March 27 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Rosen will now look to build on his strong season with Rochester after being demoted to Rochester again. The forward prospect has shown good promise this season with Rochester, setting new AHL career highs with 27 goals and 54 points in 55 games. 

In 188 games over three seasons with the Amerks, Rosen has 61 goals, 80 assists, 141 points, and a plus-9 rating. 

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Oilers Injury Report: Trent Frederic, Evander Kane, Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid (Danny Wild-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – All aboard.

Everybody enjoys a good time, especially if that good time involves winning.

The Edmonton Oilers turned their win over the Calgary Flames into a streak with a victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.

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The Oilers iced the same roster that won Saturday night. However, the team has updates on a few players on the shelf. For starters, all three of these players skated with the team Tuesday morning in non-contact jerseys.

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Trent Frederic

For the first time his the trade, Trent Frederic participated in a skate. When he was acquired, it was known that he was recovering from an ankle injury.

Frederic joining the team at this point is a very positive sign. On March 21st, it was reported that he would be out at least another two weeks. That two-week timeline ends on Friday, April 4th. That would be the absolute earliest you could expect to see Frederic in a game. 

Evander Kane

Evander Kane has been skating with the team for a bit. He is recovering from both knee surgery and core/sports hernia surgery. 

Similar to Frederic, it’s a positive sign that he is skating with the team. Unfortunately for Kane (and the Oilers) he won’t be ready for the end of the regular season. At this point, the goal for Kane is just to get his legs up to speed until he can get into a game situation.

Connor McDavid

In a surprising move, Connor McDavid joined the Oilers for the beginning of the road trip, despite Kris Knoblauch giving information to the contrary. 

It sounds like a lot is up in the air regarding McDavid’s availability for the remainder of the season. Knoblauch made it sound like he could be back for the last week of the regular season, but did not give a definitive timeline on the Captain’s return.

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Oilers Key Player Grades: A Gutsy Win In Vegas

Jack Eichel and Leon Draisaitl. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

Playoff hockey is just three weeks away, but fans in Las Vegas got an early look on Tuesday night.

Still without two of their most important players, the Edmonton Oilers rallied from a slow start to pull out a massive 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, snapping their division rival's six-game win streak.

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 The Oilers rode a three-goal second period and a frenetic, hard-fought third to come away with their league-leading 21st one-goal win. They now have 91 points with eight games left in the season, seven back of the Golden Knights for the division lead.

Key Player Grades

Jake Walman: A

Walman has been a massive addition to the Oilers' blueline, picking up five assists in 11 games while bringing another dynamic element to the team and replacing the injured Mattias Ekholm. He finally scored his first goal as an Oiler on Tuesday, tying the game at one just 19 seconds into the second period with an absolute laser.

Walman led all Oilers defensemen with an 85% even strength expected goals share on Tuesday, picking up a +2 line on top of his seventh goal of the season.

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Vasily Podkolzin: B+

Podkolzin may have only picked up an assist, but he was the Oilers' best player against the Golden Knights on Tuesday. He was in peak form, a forechecking demon and bruising power forward who made plays at both ends of the ice and pitched in four hits for good measure. His line with Viktor Arvidsson and Draisaitl was huge in all situations, with his linemates contributing the Oilers' second and third goals.

Calvin Pickard: A

Second period aside, the Oilers don't win on Tuesday without Calvin Pickard's performance. He kept them in the game during a horrific first period, allowing just one goal, and some massive saves late in the third period to turn back the Golden Knights' attempted comeback.

Tasked with starting three consecutive games for the first time as an Oiler, Pickard answered the bell with 20 saves and a .909 save percentage. Given the Oilers' formidable offensive weapons, that might just be all they need.

Plenty of Oilers had good nights: Kasperi Kapanen had one of his best games as an Oiler, Evan Bouchard added two assists to get to 60 points on the year, and Leon Draisaitl scored his 52nd goal of the season. With Connor McDavid's return still in doubt, they'll all need to keep it up as they continue on their four-game road trip on Thursday in San Jose.

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3 Takeaways And A New Nickname

The Montreal Canadiens came to play at the Bell Centre on April Fools ’ Day. The visiting Florida Panthers looked anything but the Stanley Cup Champions in the first period, and the Habs set the tone early. Even though the Cats had already lost three times to Montreal this season, they looked like they weren’t expecting what hit them…until the start of the second frame, that is.

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There’s No Fear In Hutson

Lane Hutson got his 55th assist of the season in the first frame, equaling Chris Chelios for the most assists by a rookie defenseman with the Tricolore, a mark set in 1984-85. That was also his 60th point of the season, and he became only the 10th rookie defenseman in NHL history to achieve the feat. However, he wasn’t done for the night, as he added another two assists to his name to finish the night with 57. He now needs three more assists to tie Larry Murphy’s league record for most assists by a rookie defenseman.

As weird as it seems to say, we’ve come to expect this from the rookie blueliner now, but the play that impressed me the most was seeing the 162-pound player skate in the corner to retrieve the puck knowing full well that 209-pound AJ Greer was coming at full speed to crush him into the boards.

Not so long ago, we saw Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot back away from a puck when he saw Josh Anderson closing in on him. Chabot isn’t 162 pounds; he’s 203 pounds and a 28-year-old veteran. The Canadiens’ 20-year-old rearguard knows no fear.

A Big Second Period For Montembeault

There have been games where Samuel Montembeault has looked exhausted lately, but not in that one. The netminder made several big saves in the second stanza to keep Montreal in the game.

In fact, after 40 minutes, he had surrendered two goals, but neither of them came from the Panthers’ sticks; they were both deflected, the first by Jake Evans and the second by Kaiden Guhle. From five shots in the first, Florida went to 13 in the second, while the Canadiens could only muster seven, spending much of their time stuck in their own zone.

Montembeault got another nine shots in the final frame but held the fort and ultimately gave his team a chance to win, which they did.

The Terminator?

It’s hard not to be impressed by Nick Suzuki’s game. He added another two points to his name tonight to set a new career high with 79, but what’s even more impressive is the knack he has for being in the right place at the right time.

No one will say otherwise about the equalizing goal, which came from a lucky bounce. Martin St-Louis, however, mentioned that he had the presence of mind to hang by the back post there. Perhaps, like one of the greatest players to ever play the game, he knows where the puck will be, not just where it is.

When the coach was asked which qualities make his captain the player that he is, he replied:

Oh, he’s got an elite computer, you know. His software is high-end, obviously, and he’s got all the tools to do what his brain tells him to do, you know, so he’s very connected that way. Tonight I felt you saw that on many occasions. I think he’s a proud guy, and he wants to lead this team, and he’s doing that.
-

That’s an accurate description from the coach, and perhaps we should start calling Suzuki the Terminator, considering how he ended the game tonight.

With this 3-2 overtime win, the Canadiens remain in the second wild card spot, even though the Columbus Blue Jackets signed an 8-4 victory over the Nashville Predators tonight. Montreal has a two-point lead over the Ohio outfit, but the Jackets do have a game in hand. As for the New York Islanders, they lost in regulation and find themselves trailing the Canadiens by five points. The New York Rangers were inactive and remain two points behind the Habs, while the Detroit Red Wings trail them by four points. 

According to Moneypuck, the Canadiens now have a 50.1% chance of making the Spring dance, they have the Rangers at 26.2%, the Blue Jackets at 18.8%, the Red Wings at 3.7% and the Islanders at 2.9%.


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Snuggerud Proves He Belongs In NHL, With Blues

St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) battles Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) during the second period at Enterprise Center on Tuesday in Snuggerud's NHL debut. (Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

ST. LOUIS – For the second time in 10 days, the St. Louis Blues were implementing a part of their future right smack, dab in the middle of a playoff race.

And a winning streak.

First, it was Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft making his debut in a 4-1 win against the Nashville Predators on March 23. On Tuesday in a 2-1 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings, it was Jimmy Snuggerud, the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft who signed his three-year, entry-level contract on Friday, had one practice on Monday and was thrown right into the fire, and enjoyed every bit of it.

“It was fun. So exciting,” Snuggerud said. “The rink was so energetic. Everything about the game, the comeback at the end, it was an awesome game.

“I felt like we snuck one out there at there at the end, and it was fun to be a part of.”

Snuggerud, who played 10:43 and was a minus-1, didn’t factor in the scoring by Jordan Kyrou in the final 30 seconds of regulation and by Cam Fowler in overtime, looks like he belongs.

The 20-year-old wasn’t overwhelmed by jumping into the middle of a nine-game winning streak that turned to 10 with the dramatic win.

Snuggerud had two shots on goal, including one in the first period from the right circle trying to beat Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot on the short side, but it was created by his awareness in the neutral zone to knock a puck down, push it into the zone before getting it back for the opportunity.

It was a subtle, little play that turned into multiple plays of the kind in which the forward did what he was supposed to do in a team concept of working off the puck to create opportunities.

“You're simulating what you think it's going to be and then you actually get out there and it's a whole different level of hockey,” Snuggerud said. “It's honestly fun to get that first game in and see the pace. It was nice to win with the guys.”

Snuggerud played on a line with Oskar Sundqvist and Zack Bolduc, who eventually flipped spots with Jake Neighbours.

“I thought he was really good," Montgomery said. “I thought he made smart plays. I didn't think he over-complicated the game and he made plays on first-touch. That's a real good sign of a hockey player with really good hockey sense. I thought he acquitted himself well in his first game in the NHL and I was very confident putting him over the boards.”

Snuggerud played 15 shifts, which included 1:49 of power play time. There was one giveaway in the game, but that’s OK, all things considered.

“I think he did a really nice job,” Fowler said. “Coming in at this point in the season, fresh out of college, that's not an easy thing for anybody to do. But he stepped in, you could see his poise with the puck and how strong he was in the corners. So I thought he did a nice job and he'll only get better with time and he'll only get more comfortable, and I think you'll see a lot more out of him.”

Montgomery was confident enough to use Snuggerud late in the game down a goal, and had there been another shift in OT, guess who was going over the boards?

“I think if we were going to make another change, it was going to be Neighbours and Snuggerud going over,” Montgomery said. “[Snuggerud] was making things happen. He drove that puck wide and he went back post and we just missed the tap-in. That's not the only clever play he made, and I thought he was responsible defensively.”

If the University of Minnesota product is going to fit into the fabric of how the Blues want to play, small details will matter. But they will want him to be at his best, and that’s being a threat offensively.

“I thought he was good,” Kyrou said. “You could see his skill and speed and smarts. The first game is always tough coming in, right, especially a playoff atmosphere like that. But I thought he did a great job.

“His first game, obviously jitters and nerves come in. I just try to let him enjoy that and let him experience that.”

Snuggerud walked into the rink on Tuesday at Enterprise Center for the first time, likely sooner than he had hoped since the Frozen Four will be played here April 10-12 and wanting to be part of it with the University of Minnesota. But he got a taste of what hockey is like at the pro level and at a level where Blues fans will come to appreciate him if he keeps with the mindset of how he attacked his first pro game.

“The first game was really fun, but it's also the most nerves,” Snuggerud said. “It was a nervous game, but it was fun to play with so many good players.

“I mean honestly just seeing Patrick Kane from the bench tonight was a pretty weird moment. Then I kind of got buried by [Vladimir] Tarasenko in the first on the boards. I was like, ‘All right, got to get into it.’”

Get into it, he did.

“Just coming to the rink, ‘Boldy’ picked me up with ‘Tucks’. It was actually my first time seeing the rink, so it was really cool coming into this locker room and getting here for the pre-game stuff. The game starts and it's just such a whole different feel. It's so much more pro and it's really fun to be a part of.

“It's energetic. (3M Arena at) Mariucci is a really fun rink (on the campus of Minnesota), it's really loud in there,” Snuggerud said. “Then come to this rink and there's more people and it's more loud. I thought the energy in this rink was unbelievable. When we scored that game-tying goal, it was so loud in here and then the overtime winner was twice as loud. It's really fun to be here and see that.”

A Millimeter Proved To Be A Game Changer In Utah's Critical 3-1 Win Over Calgary

Mar 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) defends against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

If football is a game of inches, then hockey must be a game of millimeters or even nanometers because it certainly was in Utah's game against Calgary.

And depending on who you ask, that tiny margin was either the sliver of white ice visible between the puck and the goal line or the fraction of the puck still touching the red line

At the beginning of the second, with Utah leading 1-0, a sudden challenge from Calgary was issued on whether or not the puck crossed the line and if Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka actually saved it. 

As the officials reviewed the play, what initially seemed like a clear save suddenly became a polarizing decision when a deflected puck off Utah defenseman Nick DeSimone came dangerously close to crossing the goal line for Calgary's first goal.

After the review was finished, it was deemed that, even with the puck being as close to going in as it could be, Calgary would not be awarded a goal. 

If Vejmelka had reacted a tenth of a second later, Calgary would have tied the game up 1-1 and the dynamic of this game would have been very different. 

Instead, Utah's Barrett Hayton would score Utah's second goal of the game just thirty seconds after the review ended. 

The play began when Utah’s Nick Schmaltz stole the puck from Calgary in the neutral zone.

With Calgary having only two defenders back—one covering Schmaltz in the middle of the ice—Barrett Hayton and Sean Durzi worked together, passing back and forth before Hayton found an opening and fired a shot, putting Utah up 2-0.

What had looked like a tied game was now fully in Utah’s control, thanks to one of Vejmelka’s clutch saves of the night.

"It’s just a lot of fun to play in front of him. He's a competitor...he loves doing it," said Hayton. "It's a lot of confidence in a guy like that, and you see it every day. We know he kicks, but still, he makes some saves out there that are just crazy."

In a night where Vejmelka saved all but one shot of his 34 saves, with Rasmus Andersson scoring the lone goal for Calgary on an unassisted long goal, he would get two more clutch saves in the third for Utah that proved to be the difference in this game

With Utah leading 2-1 in the third, Vejmelka denied back-to-back open shots from Calgary’s Blake Coleman and Matt Coronato. On Coronato’s attempt, Sean Durzi even helped his goalie by laying out to block the shot, but it would be Vejmelka who ended up saving the goal by kicking the puck away. 

"I just try to focus on another game, another shift, and another shot," said Vejmelka. "That's [the] kind of the mindset that I've had and we just need to keep going and keep rolling and play a style of hockey where we block shots. Being resilient is huge for us."

Vejmelka also received help from his teammates, who disrupted Calgary's puck movement all night, and aggressively attacked the Flames whenever they were holding the puck.

Kevin Stenlund, who scored Utah's first goal, was even able to get a shot on goal with well under two minutes remaining, while Calgary tried to pull goalie Rasmus Andersson for an extra attacker, thanks to the aggressive play Utah displayed.

In the end, Utah would stay strong on defense and secure the win with an empty-net goal from Clayton Keller, leading to a 3-1 victory.

"The point is, we'll never quit," said coach André Tourigny. " There's no quitting in that room. There's no quitting in those players... We won’t quit until they pull the plug, and if they do, it is what it is... but we won't give them any reason to do it."

Dylan Guenther proved to be a prime example of this in the first period after a puck to the face left him bleeding on the ice.

Although Guenther temporarily left the game after taking the puck to the face, he returned before the first period ended, rejoining the action with just over a minute remaining.

While the game left battle scars and some Calgary fans still convinced the Flames should have had that goal, Utah earned a clutch win and a sweep over Calgary.

Though it must be irritating to watch the Blues pick up their 10th consecutive win on a last-minute, game-tying overtime goal against the Red Wings, Utah has to feel good about starting its five-game homestand with a win.

Its Do or Die For Utah Hockey ClubIts Do or Die For Utah Hockey Club 

Now, Utah sits eight points out of the final Wild Card spot, currently held by the Minnesota Wild, with the Blues' win allowing them to leapfrog over the Wild.

Utah is hoping to continue its longest winning streak of the season with a matchup against the Kings this Thursday, April 3.

Three takeaways: 'Bad break' goal ruins strong outing from Panthers in Montreal

Apr 1, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates after scoring the winning goal against the Florida Panthers during the overtime period at the Bell Centre. (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

This may be one of the rare times when a team is happy to be playing a back-to-back set.

The Florida Panthers lost an extremely frustrating game on Tuesday night in Montreal, allowing a tying goal with 8.4 seconds left before losing in overtime 3-2.

From the opening puck drop, the game was dripping in playoff intensity.

The physicality, the passion, the effort…it’s what makes hockey the best sport there is, and what makes playoff hockey the best postseason in sports.

There should be more of where that came from as the actual playoffs get closer, but for now let’s go over to Tuesday’s takeaways:

A VERY FLUKY GOAL

The bottom line is that the Panthers were 10 seconds away from a well-earned two points in a very hostile building.

A funky goal that occurred during a sequence that saw several players go exactly where they shouldn’t have because of where the puck ended up bouncing after a strange shot and a block attempt that all felt awkward but ended in jubilation for Montreal…that sum it up okay?

“Just a bad break,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Over 82 games, you’re going to get one of those. We’ll leave it here.”

CATS DIDN’T PLAY POORLY

When it comes to playing postseason hockey, the Panthers know how to succeed.

They can grind games out with the best of them, and that’s exactly what they did Tuesday in Montreal.

When the Canadiens scored their funky goal in the final seconds, it was their first shot in over eight minutes.

Despite the way things ended up for Florida, Maurice said afterward he was not upset with how his team played.

“Not even a little bit,” he said. “You play the game the way you want to play it. We give up three shots in the third period with a 2-1 lead is nearly perfect. It's a break that won’t happen again. I won't think about the way this game ended again.”

SOLID GAME BY VANECEK

Goaltender Vitek Vanecek’s fourth game with the Panthers was not one many will want to remember, but that has little to do with how he performed.

The 29-year-old was strong throughout and displayed excellent poise and rebound control.

After things went sideways at the end, it’s easy to overlook a solid effort from Florida’s goaltending insurance policy.

He finished with 18 saves, including three on high danger shots.

“I thought in the first (period) he had a couple, then he had one in the second, and then I thought it was a pretty quiet game for him, but he was good when we needed him to be,” said Maurice.

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Three takeaways: Some good, some bad in frustrating loss to Montreal

Three Takeaways From Blues' 2-1 OT Win Against Red Wings

St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler (right) lifts the puck over Detroit Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot in overtime of a 2-1 St. Louis win, their 10th straight, on Tuesday at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

ST. LOUIS – Seriously, who really saw this coming?

From this St. Louis Blues team that was the last in the NHL this season to win three games in a row, let alone 10, after finding a way to win in a different fashion on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.

When Cam Fowler scored at 3:27 of overtime to cap a last-minute comeback, staring at the clutches of defeat for the first time in 19 days, before rallying past the Red Wings 2-1, it gave the Blues (41-28-7) their 10th straight win.

Consider this: the Blues, who by the way are now one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild – who have a game in hand – for the first wild card in the Western Conference, were the last team in the NHL this season to put together a three-game winning streak, and it took nine(!) tries to do that, now are the hottest team in the NHL; they are one win shy of matching the franchise record for consecutive wins at 11 (accomplished by the 2019 Stanley Cup champion side) and one win from matching the Winnipeg Jets for longest winning streak in the league this season.

How is this happening?

There is some serious mojo going on around here considering the fact the Blues were 29 seconds away from being blanked by Cam Talbot, the same Cam Talbot who was offered up as a sacrificial lamb in this very building when the Blues downed the Wild in the first round of the playoffs just three years ago.

But Jordan Kyrou help steal a valuable point with a sixth-attacker goal set up by none other than Fowler, and then Fowler won it in OT.

“It’s been a fun ride here,” Fowler said. “We’ve all enjoyed playing with one another. There’s not many opportunities you have in this league to keep a streak like this going. It was one of those games where they did a good job of limiting our chances and we just had to stay as patient as we possibly could.

“We’ve kept faith for a long time now knowing that we can win hockey games no matter how much time is left. Our guys just stuck with it and everybody made some big-time plays that helped us win. It’s fun to be able to keep this thing rolling.”

Jordan Binnington, named the NHL's third star of the month for March, made 20 saves, some of them key stops.

“I don’t know if mental toughness is the right word, but the way we stick to it,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. ‘We said we need to simplify in the third, we thought our second was too much east-west, too many turnovers, not winning enough battles. We just had to get back to our identity and who we are. I felt we did as good a job as we could. We didn’t have much juice in the legs tonight and for whatever reasons, that just happens. First time we’ve had two days off in a while and maybe we didn’t handle that the right way. We’ll take another day off tomorrow and we’ll get back at it Thursday.”

It was a triumphant win and debut for 2022 first-round pick (No. 23 overall) Jimmy Snuggerud, who joined the Blues after signing his three-year, entry-level contract on Friday.

How about those Three Takeaways:

* Montgomery’s early goalie pull – It was only 1-0, and there was 3:23 remaining in regulation, but Montgomery felt it was the right time to lift Binnington.

The Blues had allowed the Red Wings (34-33-7) to forge ahead when J.T. Compher broke the scoreless stalemate at 5:13 of the third period and they just didn’t seem like they were going to have that overwhelming push to level the game or take a lead.

Montgomery saw some flaws that perhaps could be exposed and decided to go with an extra body on the ice that finally paid off when Fowler was able to slide down a seam play to Kyrou, who didn’t get all of his quick shot but enough to slide it through the seemingly impenetrable Talbot.

“We’re just trying to attack there,” Kyrou said. “Not much time on the clock and we get a recovery there. Obviously [Flower] made a helluva pass to me right to the seam there and I just tried to tip it.”

Fowler added, “We had some opportunities from probably the three-minute mark. And we had a lot of possession down there, so I think they were just keeping us to the outside. We were getting a couple good looks, but for the most part, 6-on-5 you have to find a way to get pucks to the net and to the dirty areas. That’s where the goals are scored. I just saw a little seam to ‘Rouzy’ there and he made a great tip to get us the goal to tie it up. It’s more just about trying to funnel pucks to the front of the net 6-on-5, create as much chaos as much as you can.”

But credit Montgomery, who wasn’t seeing the kind of attack he wanted at 5-on-5.

“No, that’s why we pulled the goalie so early,” he said. “We weren’t creating enough chances, we didn’t have enough zone time and they were icing pucks because they were tired.

“I felt that our first period was a pretty good period, but it wasn’t hard enough offensively, and I just felt like we kind of lost energy as the game went along. But the great thing is we found a way to win. Our third period continues to be a period where we play simple, our habits are at their best and our game management was the best.

“They iced the puck. They were tired. All the guys that we used were fresh on the bench, so we didn’t have to use our time out and they were fresh. We thought it was a good time to try and get a goal. You don’t know if you’re going to get another offensive zone face-off.”

* Sticking with it when not at their best – During this winning streak, one aspect of the Blues’ game that couldn’t be faulted is their cleanliness of puck movement.

They had been swift, fluent, hitting guys in stride and not becoming terribly vulnerable with puck turnovers.

Tonight was one of those rare instances. But they stuck with it and found a way.

“It wasn’t sharp,” Montgomery said. ‘And I think it’s because of our brains. Our brains were slower today to make reads, checking and making plays offensively. We had a lot of odd-man rushes in the first 30 minutes and we didn’t get any real good scoring opportunities like we did on the 2-on-1 and the overtime winner.”

It all goes into play when putting together such a winning streak as this, the good and the not-so-great.

“Very hard. That’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often,” Fowler said. “We understand that and how special it is. It takes a lot of things to go right for that to be able to come true. I think it just speaks to our lineup top to bottom, the work that we’ve been putting in and we’ve had some comebacks here too in this streak. We’re finding ways to win hockey games and it’s a lot of fun coming to work and playing for one another. It’s a really tight group and we certainly enjoy going out and working for one another.”

* Fowler’s deft hands to win it – Once the Blues got it to overtime, they have an edge. They have the ability to utilize multiple bodies and Fowler was one of them.

The defenseman jumped into the play when Robert Thomas checked Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider off the puck in the defensive zone and created a 2-on-1. Once Thomas sauced a backhand towards Fowler, he had to use his hands to, first, corral a puck and pull it into stride, and two, be deft enough to lift it into the top end of the net to win it.

“A quick little 2-on-1 there,” Fowler said. “Obviously ‘Tommer’s a great passer. He put me in a good position and I just saw myself in with a good chance on the goalie and tried to make a good shot. It was a good all-around play mostly by ‘Tommer.’ He set the whole thing up.

“I think that’s the strength of our team, the depth that we have up front and on the back end. We feel like every night, there could be different guys contributing and helping us win hockey games. I think that’s totally true. We have a lot of weapons that we feel can help us in overtime, helps us stay fresh and energized as well.”

As for who was going over the boards next?

“We feel we have a lot of players. I think if we were going to make another change, it was going to be [Jake] Neighbours and Snuggerud going over,” Montgomery said. ‘It would mean I was going to use eight forwards and three D-men in the course of the 3-on-3 and that speaks to the depth of talented players that we have.”

Jets Swept In Season Series By Kings; Lose 4-1

Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) looks up after scoring a goal during the first period against the Winnipeg Jets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets had their three-game win streak snapped by the Los Angeles Kings, losing 4-1.

The Kings started the scoring in the first period, scoring twice in quick succession. Trevor Moore recorded his 17th goal of the season to break the ice. Long-time Kings centre Anze Kopitar extended the lead with his 19th of the season.

Cole Perfetti continued his strong end of the season, scoring his 17th of the season to cut the lead in half. Andrei Kuzmenko would answer back, regaining the Kings' two-goal advantage after a bad neutral zone turnover by Logan Stanley.

The Kings shut the door on the Jets in the third period, limiting the Jets to just six shots. Adrian Kempe iced the game, scoring his 32nd goal of the season into the Jets' empty net.

The Kings are one of the best defensive teams in the NHL and they put on a clinic. They held the Jets to just 19 shots, 18 of which were turned away by Darcy Kuemper. Connor Hellebuyck wasn't all too busy but allowed three goals on 19 shots.

The Jets will be back in action on Thursday when they take on another team they have failed to beat this season, the Vegas Golden Knights.

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Buffalo 5 Ottawa 2: Senators Had Zero Answers For The Sabres This Season

The Ottawa Senators remain in good shape to finally solve the puzzle of making the NHL playoffs. But they certainly had no solution for the Buffalo Sabres this season.

Apr 1, 2025: Buffalo Sabres goalie James Reimer (47) makes a save on Ottawa Senators winger David Perron (57) (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images).

The Sabres defeated the Senators 5-2 on Tuesday night to sweep the season series, outscoring the Sens 17-5, and taking all eight points in the process.

Speaking of dominance, veteran Buffalo goalie James Reimer stopped 33 shots and improved to 19-6-4 against the Senators. No goalie in NHL history has a better record against Ottawa.

Linus Ullmark gave up four goals on 21 shots. Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson scored for the Senators, who, despite a six minute flurry of chances in the third, were never really in this one.

Buffalo jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first, with goals from Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin. They extended their lead in the second, capitalizing on some atrocious Ottawa defending. They had great view of Tage Thompson making it 3-0 after a perfect give-and-go with JJ Peterka.

However, just over a minute later, Claude Giroux got Ottawa on the board after a nice solo rush and a pass from Tyler Kleven.

In the third, Senators newcomer Dylan Cozens inadvertently provided a lovely parting gift to his old team, putting an errant pass right onto the stick of Peyton Krebs. Krebs capitalized on the mistake, scoring on the ensuing breakaway to restore Buffalo's three-goal lead.

Jake Sanderson responded shortly after, cutting the deficit to 4-2. After that, the Senators put together a strong push for five or six minutes, but Reimer wasn’t having any of it.

With the Sens on a 6-on-4 late in the game, Ryan McLeod sealed Buffalo's win with an empty-netter. 

The Senators played this one without Brady Tkachuk, who’s out with an upper-body injury suffered Sunday in Pittsburgh. It was a particularly rough night for Drake Batherson who was a minus 5 on the evening.

The loss was costly, as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday, cutting the Sens’ lead to five points with eight games to play. The Columbus Blue Jackets are now the best of the non-playoff teams in the East. They won 8-4 over the Nashville Predators and stand seven points behind Ottawa.

Things don't get any easier for the Sens. Their next game is Thursday night at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then it's a visit from Florida Saturday, followed by a home and home with Columbus starting Sunday in Ottawa.