Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann has been named the NHL’s first star of the week.
The 29-year-old was dominant, notching four goals and seven points in three games. He picked up points in all three games, including two goals and two assists against the Washington Capitals, a goal and an assist against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Kraken won all three games with McCann leading the way.
McCann has missed a large part of the season dealing with several lower-body ailments. The Kraken haven’t indicated whether they are all separate issues or the same, but he’s been on injured reserve multiple times because of lower-body injuries.
Despite all the game action he’s missed, McCann has recorded 16 goals and 29 points in 30 games, ranking second in goals and sixth in points on the Kraken.
"McCann registered 4-3—7 in three games to lift the Kraken (26-19-9, 61 points) to a perfect week and into third place in the Pacific Division. He notched his second career four-point performance (also Feb. 22, 2024 vs. VAN: 1-3—4) with 2-2—4, including his 26th career game-winning goal, in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals Jan. 27. McCann then posted 1-1—2, his sixth multi-point effort of the campaign, in a 5-2 triumph versus the Toronto Maple Leafs Jan. 29. He capped the week by scoring his 200th NHL goal (and 134th with Seattle) in a 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights Jan. 31. The 29-year-old McCann, the Kraken’s all-time leader in goals and points, ranks second on the team with 16 goals and sixth with 29 points despite only playing in 30 of Seattle’s 54 total contests this season (16‑13—29)."
Joining McCann as stars of the week were Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andre Vasilevskiy, who was named second star after posting a 3-0-0 record, a .930 save percentage, a 1.95 goals-against average, and a shutout. The third star of the week was Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny, who scored five goals and seven points in four games.
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The Winnipeg Jets visit the Dallas Stars in a Central Division clash at the American Airlines Center on Monday, February 2.
My top Jets vs. Stars predictions and NHL picks are headlined by emerging Winnipeg winger Cole Perfetti.
Jets vs Stars prediction
Jets vs Stars best bet: Cole Perfetti Over 1.5 shots on goal (-105)
Winnipeg Jets winger Cole Perfetti has upped his shot volume out of the holiday break, recording two or more shots in 14 of 19 games for 39 total on 79 attempts.
I also value Perfetti being promoted to the No. 1 power-play unit in addition to pacing Winnipeg forwards in Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 during the same 19-game stretch.
While the Dallas Stars limit opposing shots to the sixth-fewest per game (25.1), they also rank 30th in CF% at 5-on-5, so Perfetti is set to tilt the ice in his favor for stretches and generate shooting opportunities tonight.
Jets vs Stars same-game parlay
Dallas has only won by multiple goals once across its past nine games, and Winnipeg No. 1 Connor Hellebuyck has a sterling .926 save percentage and 2.28 GAA across his past four road starts.
The key to success for the Jets is to play solid defense in front of Hellebuyck, and Winnipeg has tidied up defensively with the eighth-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 out of the holiday break. With Dallas allowing the fifth-fewest xGA per 60 at 5-on-5, I’m anticipating a close, low-scoring game.
Jets vs Stars SGP
Jets +1.5
Under 5.5
Cole Perfetti Over 1.5 shots on goal
Jets vs Stars odds
Moneyline: Jets +125 | Stars -145
Puck Line: Jets +1.5 (-200) | Stars -1.5 (+165)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-115) | Under 5.5 (-105)
Jets vs Stars trend
The Dallas Stars have only hit the Over in three of their last 10 games (-4.95 Units / -44% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Jets vs. Stars.
How to watch Jets vs Stars
Location
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Date
Monday, February 2, 2026
Puck drop
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
TSN3, Victory+
Jets vs Stars latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Matthew Tkachuk has hit the ground running this season, leading Florida in points and expected goals, while sitting second in shots over his first seven games.
My Sabres vs. Panthers predictions expect another active offensive performance from Tkachuk against Buffalo.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Monday, February 2.
Sabres vs Panthers prediction
Sabres vs Panthers best bet: Matthew Tkachuk Over 2.5 shots on goal (-155)
Matthew Tkachuk has shot the puck at a healthy clip since returning from injury, averaging 2.9 shots on target through seven games.
He has posted better numbers at home, where he attempted at least five shots in all three showings.
His outputs have also shown spikes following a day of rest. He has generated 3.8 shots per game through four games under those circumstances.
Tkachuk is at home and rested, and the matchup against the Buffalo Sabres doesn’t get much better.
The Sabres are a high-event side that gives up a lot of shot volume. They’ve allowed the second-most shots to wingers over the past 10 games while playing at the sixth-highest pace.
This is a big pace-up spot for the Florida Panthers, who sit 31st in pace during that span. The Sabres should speed the Panthers up a bit, creating a better game environment for offense.
In an important inner-division clash against a team just ahead of the Panthers in the standings, Florida will be heavily reliant on its star winger to lead the charge.
Sabres vs Panthers same-game parlay
Tkachuk has only scored in one of his seven games this season, but he is getting a lot of looks around the net, and the Panthers are favorites in a game with a total of 6.5. This would be a good spot to get one.
Carter Verhaeghe is playing on Tkachuk’s opposite wing, and the two are both featured on the No. 1 power play. Dating back to last year, Verhaeghe has 15 assists over his past 18 games with Tkachuk in the lineup.
Matthew Tkachuk has averaged 4.5 shots on goal over his last eight games against Buffalo. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Panthers.
How to watch Sabres vs Panthers
Location
Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
Date
Monday, February 2, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSG-Buffalo, SCRIPPS
Sabres vs Panthers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Both the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins rank in the Top 10 in goals per game, but it's the Under that stands out in this matchup.
My Senators vs. Penguins predictions expect a lower-scoring affair between two Eastern Conference teams riding winning streaks.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Monday, February 2.
Senators vs Penguins prediction
Senators vs Penguins best bet: Under 6.5 (ODDS)
The Pittsburgh Penguins have done a very good job defensively under first-year head coach Dan Muse, ranking 13th in shot suppression, fifth in penalty kill percentage, and tied for ninth in goals allowed.
The Ottawa Senators have had a more difficult time keeping the puck out, but they’ve largely held up when facing other teams that defend well.
Seven consecutive Senators games vs. Top 10 teams in goal prevention have featured five goals or fewer. They allowed 25 shots or less in each of those games, helping make life as easy as possible on their goaltenders.
This stretch includes a matchup with the Pens back in December. Just four goals were scored in that contest — a 4-0 victory for Ottawa — and the two sides combined for only 50 shots on target.
Defense is Ottawa’s calling card, and the Senators will be looking to keep things tight as they try to inch back towards a playoff spot.
The suspension of Bryan Rust and injury to Kris Letang should also take a bite out of their offense and make them easier to slow down.
Senators vs Penguins same-game parlay
Dylan Cozens has generated shots at a very consistent clip, averaging 2.7 on 4.5 attempts over his last 10 games. He cleared 1.5 shots in nine of them, only failing to do so against the No. 1-seeded Colorado Avalanche.
While Thomas Chabot left Ottawa’s last game with an injury, it was cited as precautionary. If he’s good to go, two shots is not much to ask for the minute-muncher who has registered multiple shots on target in 14 of his past 20.
The Over is just 2-7-1 over the past 10 head-to-head matchups. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Penguins.
How to watch Senators vs Penguins
Location
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Monday, February 2, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN5, SportsNet-Pittsgurgh
Senators vs Penguins latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
It was a frustrating end to January for the Florida Panthers.
After reeling off wins in six of eight, Florida appeared to be rounding a corner and building some momentum heading into an extremely crucial point of the season.
That was until the past week, when the Panthers dropped each of their three games, two of which coming on home ice and all by a single goal.
Before the defeats, Florida had climbed to within three points of the second Wild Card spot (which was Boston at the time), with a game in hand, and four points back of third place in the Atlantic Division (back then it was Buffalo).
Fast forward to now, where the Cats enter play on Monday eight points behind the Sabres, who hold the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and ten points back of third-place Montreal with one game in hand.
With only 28 games remaining on their schedule, it’s getting to the point where Florida is losing any margin for error in terms of failing to accumulate points in the standings. Losing three straight games to teams who all had less points than the Panthers is something that simply can’t happen.
This will be the third of four meetings between Florida and Buffalo this season.
A 3-0 road loss to the Sabres back on Oct. 18 capped an early-season four-game losing streak for the Cats, while Florida picked up a 4-3 win in Buffalo on Jan. 12 that was actually the first home loss for the Sabres in about six weeks.
When the Panthers hit the ice on Monday they’ll be in the familiar position of shorthanded thanks to another pair of key forwards missing the game.
Both Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell are considered day-to-day and could play before the NHL breaks for the Olympics, but it won’t be against Buffalo.
Photo caption: Jan 12, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) controls the puck during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
The Detroit Red Wings are beginning to feel their momentum slow. Once the hottest team in the NHL, they now find themselves on a three-game losing streak and losing four of their last five games before heading into one of the most difficult road environments in the league: Colorado.
This trip marks the Red Wings’ first journey west and into the Rocky Mountains this season. They will be looking to bounce back from a 5–0 blowout loss to the Avalanche last Saturday on home ice. Detroit now has a chance to return the favor, though improving their recent road form will be key after posting two wins and two losses over their last four away games.
Colorado has also struggled recently, but Saturday’s win over Detroit may have helped halt an eight-game slump in which the Avalanche lost six of their previous eight contests. Both teams are eager for a victory, setting the stage for an exciting showdown in this marquee matchup.
Lineup Storylines
The Red Wings are going through a noticeable shift in form. Their offense has slowed considerably during a five-game losing streak, and while the defense has tried to hold things together, cracks have begun to show.
Detroit’s once red-hot goaltender John Gibson has now lost three straight starts, with his most recent defeat coming against Colorado. In that game, he allowed four goals on 21 shots, making it his most deflating performance in recent weeks.
The hope is that the potential Vezina Trophy contender can steady himself and regain his rhythm, especially as the defense continues to adjust without Simon Edvinsson in the lineup. Offensively, the usual leaders remain Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond, while Marco Kasper has surprisingly tied for third on the team in points over the skid with one goal and two assists.
The concern is how quickly the scoring has dried up as DeBrincat and Raymond have combined for seven goals during the five-game stretch, while the rest of the roster has contributed just five. Depth scoring has swung wildly this season, starting as a major weakness, turning into a strength during winning streaks, and now slipping once again.
This downturn could prompt general manager Steve Yzerman to explore a move for additional offensive help, especially with rumors linking Detroit to New York’s Artemi Panarin. Regardless of roster speculation, the Red Wings need secondary scoring to reemerge.
Rookie Emmitt Finnie has gone 18 games without a goal, while second-line center Andrew Copp has failed to score in nine straight games after previously being on pace for a career year alongside Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. Even Kane himself has been held without a goal in 11 consecutive games.
Detroit will need to rediscover its offensive identity sooner rather than later, especially against a Colorado team that demands near-perfection from its opponents.
Despite their recent struggles, the Avalanche have had little trouble generating offense, scoring 29 goals during an eight-game skid that still averages out to 3.22 goals per game. Their main issue has been on the defensive side, as the absence of key blueliner Devon Toews has forced constant changes to their pairings.
Those adjustments have not gone smoothly, with Colorado allowing 3.78 goals per game over that span, the fifth-worst mark in the NHL during that stretch. The Avalanche are also dealing with significant offensive absences, as captain Gabe Landeskog, Martin Necas, and Drew O’Connor are all sidelined heading into Monday.
If the Red Wings can rediscover their scoring touch and turn the game into a high-tempo shootout, they may be able to pull off a surprising victory.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (21-11-2 record, 2.68 GAA, .903 SV% | VS COL: 10-12-2 record, 2.59 GAA, .920 SV% in 26 games)
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Mike and Dan look back at a packed week of trades, wins, a season sweep and one terrible loss that makes an already daunting upcoming week for the Islanders even more scary.
For five days last week, Islanders fans were feeling good. Three wins, two over the Rangers in a humiliating season sweep complete with chirps from a goofball kid who’s already a star, and trades for Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat that, while open to criticism, have yielded good early results. Then Saturday happened, when the Islanders played a sloppy, maddening game against the Nashville Predators at home and took a giant step back after three steps forward. It was the last thing we wanted to see with a huge slate coming up and an Olympic break looming that will put us all in stasis for three weeks.
We look back at all of last week’s games and ahead to games against the Capitals, Penguins and Devils to close out the pre-Olympic schedule. One against a team directly behind you, one against a team directly in front of you and one that should be easy on paper but might end up being necessary. It’s a massive week that will tell us a lot about how the trade deadline might shape up. Of course, we said that before this week, too…
Finally we look at an article that ranked NHL arena experiences and at UBS Arena’s fair placement. It’s a great venue with one huge issue keeping it from the league’s upper echelon.
Be sure to count the times Dan says he wants to talk about something and then just never does. This might be an all time record.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 28: Georgii Merkulov #42 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Rangers at the TD Garden on November 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Providence Bruins beat the Charlotte Checkers 3-0 on Sunday afternoon, their seventh win in a row and eighth in their last ten games.
However, the win was a bit more notable for another reason: Georgii Merkulov became the new all-time leading scorer in franchise history, as he recorded an assist in the win.
That assist gave Merkulov 211 career AHL points, one more than Andy Hilbert recorded as a member of the Providence Bruins.
In his AHL career, the Russian winger now has 84G-127A-211PTS totals in 240 games over parts of five AHL seasons.
Hilbert, who had cups of coffee with the NHL Bruins and went on to have a decent NHL run with the New York Islanders, recored 101G-109A-21oPTS totals in 234 games with Providence.
Frankly, I was a bit surprised to see that this is Merkulov’s fifth AHL season, and even more surprised to see that he was now the franchise’s leading scorer.
That’s not meant as a knock on Merkulov, rather that I assumed there might have been a more prolific, long-time AHLer who had a higher mark over a longer period of time.
However, Merkulov has been consistently productive for Providence: coming into the current season, he led the P-Bruins in scoring three seasons in a row, which had never happened before.
Regardless, it’s a nice milestone for Merkulov, who has played 11 games at the NHL level and is still looking for his first goal.
The Bruins signed Merkulov to an entry-level contract in April of 2022, after just one season at Ohio State University.
He signed a one-year, two-way contract extension last summer. He’s now waiver-eligible, and had to clear when he was cut from training camp prior to this season.
Whether or not he gets another crack at the NHL roster remains to be seen, but being any franchise’s all-time leading scorer is no small feat.
Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz will announce on Feb. 2 that he is stepping down, according to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The report from Friedman also indicates Trotz will continue in the role until his replacement can be found.
The Predators have announced a news conference on Feb. 2. The release said Trotz will have an announcement at Bridgestone Arena along with CEO Sean Henry and owner Bill Haslam. The Predators did not disclose the nature of the announcement.
The timing of this decision sets up a challenging rest of the season. With the Predators' record at 25-23-6 (56 points) and four points out of the final wild card spot, they are within striking distance of the playoffs. But in the ultra competitive Western Conference, their chances of a deep playoff run are slim. Trotz has indicated he's been willing to listen to offers on players like Ryan O'Reilly, Michael McCarron, and Michael Bunting at the trade deadline, which is on March 6.
Trotz, 63, took over as general manager in 2023 after the retirement of David Poile. Trotz was the first coach in Predators history, coaching from 1998 until 2014.
When Trotz took the job, he made a flurry of changes in an attempt to change the locker room culture. Matt Duchene's contract was bought out, Ryan Johansen was traded to Colorado, and the team signed center Ryan O'Reilly. The moves worked to transition the team away from the previous core and into a new look.
But many moves by Trotz came under heavy scrutiny. The decision not to sell Alex Carrier at the deadline in 2024, then sign him over the summer, then trade him just two months into the next season. The decision to sign Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract, instead of transitioning to Yaroslav Askarov in net. Losing Dante Fabbro in waivers to Columbus. Trading Luke Schenn to the Penguins for a third round pick, then seeing the Penguins immediately flip him for a second round pick. It was hard to find wins among the many apparent losses.
As the team looks for its next general manager, it will be worth noting if they keep with tradition and stay within the "Predators family" or if they look outside of the organization.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 31: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins carries the puck against Vladislav Gavrikov #44 of the New York Rangers at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
There were some sketchy moments over the past two games, but the Pittsburgh Penguins kept their winning streak going this past week with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night and a 6-5 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. The week got off to a rocky start with a sloppy first period against the Blackhawks before they flipped the switch and absolutely steamrolled them over the remaining 40 minutes. Saturday’s game against the Rangers was pretty much the exact opposite as they dominated the first 44 minutes and jumped out to a 5-1 lead, before having to cling to a one-goal lead in the closing seconds after allowing four third period goals.
The third period goals against are concerning given what this team has done previously this season, but they still managed to get the two points. They enter this week having won six games in a row, seven of their past eight games and have at least one point in each of their past nine games. That has them sitting on Monday with the sixth-best points percentage in the entire NHL and the third-best points percentage in the Eastern Conference.
Lately, they have done what you would expect a good team to do and beat up on teams below them in the standings.
This week the schedule gets a little bit tougher with three pretty significant games against potential Eastern Conference playoff contenders as they go into the Olympic break.
The week begins on Monday night, at home, against the Ottawa Senators.
From a record and standings perspective, the Senators have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NHL this season having gone from a playoff spot in 2024-25, to a team that is struggling to stay in contention. But their record is also a little misleading and not a great reflection of the way the team has played.
There might not be a team in the NHL that has been hurt by goaltending more than them.
Ottawa is a top-10 goal-scoring team this season (ninth in the NHL at 3.33 goals per game) with a 54.01 percent expected goals share during 5-on-5 play (fourth-best in the NHL). They do a lot of things well, and have typically controlled the pace of play in their games.
They just can not get a save. From anybody. The Senators enter play on Monday with an all-situations team save percentage of just .868, which is 32nd out of 32 teams in the NHL. With even adequate or league average goaltending this might be a playoff team again. This is not a game to be taken lightly, especially with the Senators coming in having won three games in a row, outscoring their opponents by a 16-4 margin. It is also worth noting that two of those wins were against the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche.
They are capable of playing very well. Lately, they are. They are also finally getting some saves. Ottawa won the first meeting this season by a 4-0 margin, in Ottawa, back in December.
The Penguins then have a quick turnaround with a back-to-back situation on Tuesday night when they travel to Long Island for a massive game against the New York Islanders.
The Islanders are right behind the Penguins for the second spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Entering play on Monday, the Penguins are two points ahead of the Islanders for that second spot with two games in hand.
The Islanders also play on Monday night against the Washington Capitals (at Washington), so both teams will be playing the second half of a back-to-back with travel. That helps even things out for both teams.
The outcomes of Monday’s games could really change the stakes for that Tuesday game on Long Island.
A Penguins win, combined with an Islanders loss, would give the Penguins a four-point lead over the Islanders going into Tuesday’s game (with still two games in hand) and give them a chance to take a really commanding lead in that race for the second spot in the Metropolitan Division.
A Penguins loss on Monday, combined with an Islanders win, would draw the Islanders even in terms of total points and give them a chance to move ahead on Tuesday with a win.
There is potentially a lot happening there.
This Islanders team is also winning in the most New York Islanders way imaginable. They do not really do anything particularly well. They are not a great offensive team. They are 32nd out of 32 teams in expected goals against per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play. They are 29th in the NHL in expected goal share during 5-on-5 play.
So how are they winning and staying in the race? It is the goaltending. Ilya Sorokin is playing out of his mind, and after a couple of down years (by his standards, anyway) he is back to playing like one of the truly elite goalies in the NHL.
They also have Matthew Schaefer. The No. 1 overall pick has stepped right into the NHL and made an almost unbelievable impact. We really have not seen an 18-year-old defenseman impact games and a team the way he has in decades. If ever. He is legit. He is the real deal. The Penguins won the first meeting of the season by a 4-3 margin in their home opener.
The Penguins then close out their pre-Olympic break schedule on Thursday with a road game at the Buffalo Sabres. It was not even two months ago that game looked like a potential win that you could pencil in given how bad the Sabres started the season and how they looked like every other Sabres team from the past 14-15 years. Lately, though, they have been one of the hottest and best teams in the league, look like a playoff team, and are playing like a playoff team. That is not going to be an easy game.
Not only is Buffalo playing exceptionally well, it also has some really high-level players that can take over games in forward Tage Thompson and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The Penguins won the first meeting of the season against the Sabres, in Pittsburgh, but it was not one of their crisper or cleaner games.
This is going to be a challenging week, not only in terms of opponent, but also because of going on the road and having another back-to-back situation. The good news: They will have Bryan Rust back for Tuesday’s game against the Islanders, even if that creates a lineup crunch that will probably take Rutger McGroarty out of the lineup. If the Penguins can get three or four points out of this week, that would be a fine result and really keep their momentum going into the Olympic break and keep them in a great position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
WASHINGTON, D.C -- Former New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz is stepping down as Nashville Predators' general manager, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Trotz will stay on until he can hire his replacement.
The now 63-year-old took over for longtime Nashville general manager David Poile on July 1, 2023, just a season after former Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello relieved him of his coaching duties following a disappointing 2021-2022 season.
Trotz, who helped lead the Islanders to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021, won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 and made the playoffs in his first season at the helm in Nashville, losing in the first round to the Vancouver Canucks after six games.
After missing the playoffs in 2024-2025, Trotz's current team sits four points out of the second wild-card spot, last beating the Islanders 4-3 at UBS Arena on Saturday.
The Predators will be holding a press conference at 12 PM CT to make this move official.
A lot of good things happened on Saturday night in the Senators 4-1 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils. The Sens played an excellent game, Linus Ullmark was excellent in his return, and the club won their third game in a row.
But Sens defenseman Tyler Kleven also did something cool. According to NHL Public Relations, the 24-year-old unleashed the hardest slapshot in the NHL this season.
Kleven's shot was clocked at 103.51 miles per hour, harder than shots by the former leader, Boston forward Morgan Geekie (103.03 MPH), and New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (103.01), both recorded back in November.
Steve Warne discusses the recent play of Nick Cousins and if the Sens should re-sign him.
Kleven really stepped into one on Saturday hammering the puck more than eight miles per hour harder than any of his other shots this season. He now stands tied for 10th among defensemen with 20 shots that have been recorded at over 90 miles per hour.
Along with Geekie (2) and Pulock (3), two other NHL players have recorded multiple 100-plus mph shot attempts this season. They are Winnipeg Jets defenseman Colin Miller and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier (three each).
Kleven has 10 points in 49 games this season, already matching the total he had in 79 games in his rookie season last year. He's also seen an uptick in ice time, going from 14:28 to 16:46.
Kleven and the Senators return to action on Monday night in Pittsburgh, opening a stretch where they play eight of the next nine games on the road.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
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PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 30: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles against Ridly Greig #71 of the Ottawa Senators at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Ottawa Senators (26-21-7, 59 points, 7th place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (28-14-11, 67 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Olympic break is rapidly approaching, the Pens have two more road games (tomorrow night on Long Island, then Thursday in Buffalo) before putting a pin in the NHL season for three weeks.
Opponent Track: It’s high time for the Senators to get it in gear if they want to salvage their season with a playoff run, and they just might be getting that rolling. Ottawa has won three straight games, in impressive fashion by a 16-4 total score over Vegas, Colorado and New Jersey. Overall they’re 6-2-2 in the last 10 games. After tonight, the Sens fly to Carolina to play the Hurricanes tomorrow, so they’ll have to keep those considerations in mind with some lineup/goalie decisions.
Season Series: Ottawa won a 4-0 game back on December 18th in the first matchup of the year. After tonight, the Pens go back to Ottawa on March 26th for the third and final game.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins have not been a good matchup with Ottawa lately. The Sens are 8-1-1 against Pittsburgh since the start of the 2022-23 season.
Getting to know the Senators
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Drake Batherson – Tim Stutzle – Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridley Greig
Nick Cousins – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio
Stephen Halliday – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund
DEFENSEMEN
Jake Sanderson / Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot / Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven / Jordan Spence
Goalies: Linus Ullmark and James Reimer
Potential scratches: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo
Injured Reserve: David Perron
Ullmark started on Saturday stopping 26/27 shots in his first game back from a month-long personal leave of absence for mental health reasons. That battle was compounded by unfounded rumors via social media.
Giroux, 38, doesn’t have a contract for next season. Not sure if he intends to retire or not but always a chance for someone in his position that tonight could be his last game playing against the Pens in Pittsburgh. Same could probably be pointed out for the aged former Penguins Perron and Eller in the last year of their contracts and the final visit to Pittsburgh on the season scheduled tonight (although Perron won’t be playing tonight due to injury).
Ottawa’s an interesting team in that they’ve put the pieces together with several high draft picks, now it should be time to see what they can do. They’re not exactly young-young for an NHL team (everyone is 23+) and almost all of their core (Tkachuk, Batherson, Chabot, Sanderson, Stutzle) has all been around and together for 4-5-6 seasons now in a lot of cases. It looked like they might have been turning the corner when they qualified for the playoffs last year for the first time since Chris Kunitz bounced them in 2017, but it’s been right back down this season so far.
As we’re about to discuss, there’s no mystery why the team is in the position they are in..
Key to the game: Exploiting Ottawa’s goaltending
It’s no exaggeration to say the Senators have had their season derailed by goaltending. Hockey is a complex sport where factors from several different areas all matter and add up, but in this instance it’s pretty simple: the Senators haven’t gotten enough goaltending to be competitive. With such a poor foundation to build upon, it’s just impossible to go anywhere.
If the Sens were getting even below-average goaltending behind their elite team defence, they'd be in a very solid position right now. Allowing only one goal last night is a good start, but in fairness it was against the Devils…https://t.co/iA5WzxgvUFhttps://t.co/PjeGynHG54pic.twitter.com/3uJS1rOyVB
Of course, the big hope is that the worst could be behind them if Ullmark is able to play up to his capabilities – he’s been one of the league’s better goalies in prior years with Boston and Buffalo. The physical tools and abilities are there, his step away from the team to get the mental areas under control could be the key to the season at this point for the Sens. They can’t keep up with those types of inputs (best xG defense, worst goaltending) and expect to go far.
That makes for a simple but ruthless game plan for the Pens. Go knock down the confidence. The Pens have been one of the NHL’s best first period teams this year, getting out to an early lead and deflating the confidence of the goalie and whole team would be a clean and easy path to a win tonight. Don’t let them get on track in that area and take advantage of what’s been shaky at best as Ullmark looks to keep building back up, assuming he plays since Ottawa has another game tomorrow. If it’s not Ullmark, then the task becomes picking on an almost 38-year old James Reimer.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Justin Brazeau
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Rutger McGroarty – Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Brett Kulak / Ryan Shea
Ilya Solovyov / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Bryan Rust (serving the third game of his three-game suspension), Kevin Hayes
IR: Kris Letang (broken foot, out at least four weeks), Ryan Graves, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones, Jack St. Ivany
You can tell Evgeni Malkin is gutting it out with his shoulder seemingly giving him more problems with every passing game in the last handful of games. Will he be able to make it to the Olympic break?
This will be the last game without Rust playing, at least. And with the inspired way McGroarty has been flying around the team still figures to have some decent options for the rest of the week, even though it obviously would be difficult to replace someone with the weight that comes with having a Malkin-type star in the lineup.
After Skinner had perhaps his sloppiest game as a Penguin on Saturday against the Rangers, does the team now turn to giving Silovs two out of the three games in the Mon-Tues-Thurs split? Makes sense as of now.
Winning streak leaders
Not a Crosby or Rakell or Karlsson to be found in the team’s top scorers of the course of their six-game winning streak. The contributions are coming from everywhere, most notably and noticeably from their impressive fourth line of Dewar, Lizotte and Acciari seemingly always putting their imprint on a game. That Mantha-Kindel connection has really been coming through and paying big dividends too.
There are 10 games scheduled across the National Hockey League this evening. My NHL player props for all the action will include Quinn Hughes, Cole Caufield, and Rasmus Dahlin.
Quinn Hughes has been fantastic since coming over to the Minnesota Wild, and he’s riding an eight-game point streak. However, there’s not a lot of value in the Over for his points prop, so I’m focusing on Hughes’ ability to put pucks on net.
The defenseman is averaging 2.72 SOG this season, and he’s cashed the Over in back-to-back contests. Hughes had three shots on target in a 7-3 win over the Oilers on Saturday and had another four last Thursday against the Flames.
Hughes is averaging 3.08 SOG at home this season, and the Wild will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Saint Paul this evening.
We shift over to the Habs for my second prop. Cole Caufield is having another fantastic campaign for Montreal, which looks poised to make the playoffs. The American has scored 32 goals, which leads the team.
Caufield ranks third in the league in scoring, and he’s found the back of the net in seven of his last eight appearances, including twice in a victory against the Sabres on Saturday.
January was huge for the 25-year-old, as he scored 13 goals. He also netted against the Wild last month and will keep it rolling.
Rasmus Dahlin continues to impress as a playmaker for the Buffalo Sabres. He’s registered 33 helpers in 2025-26, and in January, the 25-year-old handed out nine assists. He’s hit the Over in three consecutive outings.
During that span, Dahlin has four helpers. He had an assist in a loss to the Canadiens on Saturday, and also handed out another helper a couple of days before that against the Kings.
The Sabres take on the Florida Panthers tonight, and Dahlin has two assists against them this season across two meetings. He’s also tallied 17 helpers on the road.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Boston Bruins coughed up a 5-1 lead in Sunday’s 2026 Stadium Series outdoor game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium.
After giving up the first goal 11 seconds into the game, the Bruins then scored five unanswered goals. But then the Bruins couldn’t stop taking penalties, and that gave the high-powered Lightning power play a chance to get back into the game.
Four unanswered Lightning goals — including three on the power play in the second period (two of which resulted from a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage) — forced overtime, and Tampa Bay ultimately won 6-5 in a shootout.
The Lightning score two goals back-to-back to get within ☝️
To be clear, the officiating was pretty bad in this game. Yes, many of the Bruins’ penalties were legitimate, but the Lightning got away with plenty. Tampa Bay should not have had an 8-3 advantage in power-play opportunities.
“We had complete control of the game, and then you give a team with that kind of power play a 5-on-3 for I don’t even know how long it was, you’re just asking for it,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said postgame.
It was a frustrating loss for the Bruins, and one that highlighted the need for them to stay out of the penalty box if they’re going to give themselves a chance to beat quality opponents the rest of the regular season and potentially in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bruins had a 26-23 edge in shots, a 23-16 advantage in scoring chances, a 9-4 lead in high-danger scoring chances and outscored the Lightning 4-2 during 5-on-5 action. The difference for the Bruins was taking so many penalties.
“We didn’t have our composure, I would say,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm told reporters postgame. “It started with Charlie’s penalty there. They were just better than us after the whistle. I don’t think they were better than us today hockey-wise. But they were better than us after the whistle.
“They’re not tougher than us. But they did a good job. We just lost our composure a little bit, and it cost us a point, unfortunately.”
This was not a unique occurence for the Bruins. They have been taking too many penalties all season.
The B’s lead the league with 279 penalties taken — at least 21 more than any other team. Their minus-49 penalty differential is the worst in the league.
Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov has taken a league-leading 40 penalties. Veteran center Mark Kastelic is fourth with 29.
No team has been shorthanded more than Boston’s 209 times, and the penalty kill’s 77 percent success rate ranks 27th out of 32 teams. The Bruins’ penalty kill probably isn’t as bad as that 77 percent would suggest, but Boston could lessen the burden on that group by being more disciplined.
The Bruins did get a point from Sunday’s defeat, giving them a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games. They occupy the first wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-20-4 record (68 points) as of Monday.
The Bruins have done a great job improving in most facets of their game since dropping to the third-worst record in the East on Dec. 30. Since then, they have the league’s second-best record (12-2-2) while ranking No. 1 in goals scored (67), No. 6 in fewest goals allowed (44) and No. 2 in power-play percentage (33.3).
But the Bruins also have taken the most penalties and have been shorthanded the second-most times in that span, too. Boston has shown an impressive ability to fix different aspects of its performance all season. One area that hasn’t seen any improvement is the discipline to not take a ton of penalties.
If the Bruins can get that under control and play with more composure, they could actually become a tough out come playoff time — assuming they qualify.
'He Has Been Our Most Offensive Guy,' Jared McCann's Four Point Effort Powers Kraken Past CapitalsPowered by a four-point effort from Jared McCann, the Seattle Kraken defeated the Washington Capitals 5-1 and picked up their 24th win of the season.
Quinn Hughes Over 2.5 SOG
Cole Caufield anytime goal
Rasmus Dahlin Over 0.5 assists