Category: Ice Hockey

Pittsburgh Penguins (32-17-15, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (29-22-14, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights aim to break their three-game slide when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Vegas has a 29-22-14 record overall and a 14-10-7 record in home games. The Golden Knights have allowed 201 goals while scoring 209 for a +8 scoring differential.

Pittsburgh is 32-17-15 overall and 16-8-7 on the road. The Penguins have gone 32-4-8 in games they score three or more goals.

The matchup Thursday is the second time these teams play this season. The Penguins won 5-0 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell Marner has 18 goals and 47 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

Anthony Mantha has 24 goals and 24 assists for the Penguins. Bryan Rust has five goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-6-0, averaging 2.8 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.7 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.

Penguins: 4-2-4, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.3 assists, 4.1 penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Penguins: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Macklin Celebrini or Matthew Schaefer? Choosing who to start NHL franchise with originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

“Can I pick both?”

“Do I have to choose?”

When asked between choosing Sharks center Macklin Celebrini or New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer to start an NHL franchise, those were common refrains.

But in the end, over two dozen current and past NHL coaches, scouts and executives — none with the Sharks or Islanders right now — picked one.

“That is as hard a choice as you can have in this sport right now,” one coach said.

San Jose Hockey Now also asked if any other U23 players belonged in this conversation.

“Those are the [only] choices,” one scout said, which was the consensus.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson was mentioned by a couple of sources as a not-so-close third in this conversation … and that’s it.

So, what do Celebrini and Schaefer’s head coaches think?

Of course, they’re going to pick their own player, but both shared their thoughts about the other team’s teen franchise face.

“Man, he’s impressive out there. From nothing, he creates a lot of offense. He’s got a really good shot, moves the puck well,” Islanders coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Roy said about Celebrini. “What’s impressive is to see how hard he works shift after shift after shift.”

“He can move pucks. He’s creative on the offensive blueline. He can get up in the rush. He’s almost a fourth forward out there. But then, on the flip side of it, you can tell he cares about defending. He cares about getting better,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said about Schaefer. “He’s a competitor. He wants to win. He drags guys into the fight by his personality … You’ve heard some things that have come out of there, how special of a human being he is … he’s got real good attributes for leadership.”

All said, Celebrini won the poll by a landslide, 21-5. But it was as close as an essentially 4-to-1 vote can be.

“It is very close,” an executive said. “After next year, I might switch to Schaefer.”

Here’s what some of the coaches, scouts, and executives said.

Coaches

Coach No. 1: “Can I pick both? Haha. Celebrini.

“For me, an elite No. 1 center is the most valuable asset for a team and franchise. [It’s his] offensive impact — drives the play every shift. Can’t do that as a D.”

Coach No. 2: “I would take Celebrini. I love both, but I feel like you have the biggest impact as a leader in the center position. You can dictate on both sides of the puck without sacrificing playing the right way. As of now, I can’t say I’d want anyone else. [I’ve heard] that Macklin does it right off the ice, as well. Invaluable.”

Coach No. 3: “That is as hard a choice as you can have in this sport right now. But I always take the defenseman, when it’s this close, and you are choosing between a forward and a defenseman. 

“I know Macklin is as good a person and leader as he is a player, so if Schaefer is close to what Macklin is off the ice, I take Schaefer…barely!”

Coach No. 4: “Tough one…I’ll go with Celebrini, based off I’ve seen him more. I think those two have separated themselves from the pack, for young guns.”

Coach No. 5: “Celebrini in a very close decision. It seems like he already has the leadership skills.”

Scouts

Scout No. 1: “Great question! Tough to answer. I go Mack, winning intangibles, one of the two, three most competitive people in hockey.”

Scout No. 2: “Generational center. [Celebrini] looks like he’s going to be on the McDavid/MacKinnon trajectory. Schaefer is on the Makar trajectory. In that case, I’d take Celebrini. There’s no wrong choice here.”

Scout No. 3: “Generational, best since [McDavid] and [MacKinnon]. Drives the game, changes games, the most I’ve seen in a long time.”

Scout No. 4: “Maybe it’s the Mack frenzy since the Olympics, but I’ve watched a few [San Jose Sharks] games after, and he’s just so smart and controlled and everything runs through him. No holes. Elite at so many things already. He really might be the next closest thing we get to Crosby.”

Scout No. 5: “Mack would be in my [top] slot. He’s Crosby and look how he’s made everyone around him better. Durable too.”

Scout No. 6: “Both are franchise guys, so it’s would you rather have a No. 1 D or No. 1 C? Both impossible to find, but I think D are harder to find and get more ice time.”

Scout No. 7: “Those are the choices. Can’t go wrong with either. I’d lean towards the 1C. He’s so dominant. Game will be even better learning from all the Olympians. Schaefer is fantastic, but Celebrini has every tool you’d want.”

Scout No. 8: “Both players are special. Celebrini is a legit 1C, there’s so few of them in the league. Plus, he has some intangible traits, not that Schaefer doesn’t, but I’d start with the 1C.”

Scout No. 9: “Celebrini. Two-way center. 200 feet. Driven. Makes the whole team go. Phenomenal player — San Jose hit the jackpot.”

Scout No. 10: “Celebrini, I like forwards better for building a team with what they bring offensively and he makes everything better. He is my pick by a ways.”

Scout No. 11: “I’d rather have the star C over the star D. I also think Celebrini is just a touch more valuable long-term anyways. Just a bit higher sense and compete.”

Scout No. 12: Celebrini is a franchise [player right now]. Schaefer is coming on next season to become a franchise player, he’s more ‘elite’ right now. I’d pick the franchise-level center, for sure. It’s the rarer pick.”

Executives

Executive No. 1: “Celebrini — easy for me. He’s a culture-driver, unrelenting work ethic, a top-end player. Top forwards generally taken in front of a defenseman.

“I know Schaefer is a great player and kid, but he hasn’t been that top-end player with the scrutiny [for] his whole life [like] Mack.”

Executive No. 2: “Celebrini is the [only] choice. Tie goes to the forward. And it’s not a tie.

“Centers impact games more than defensemen.”

Executive No. 3: “Celebrini, because of his competitive nature and leadership at such a young age. Schaefer may be a better point-getter, relative to his position, when it’s all said and done though.”

Executive No. 4: “Start with a defenseman. Tougher to find.”

Executive No. 5: “Tough one. Celebrini. No. 1 elite centers are tough to find!”

Executive No. 6: “No wrong answer between the two, but I would probably take Celebrini. It is very close though. After next year, I might switch to Schaefer. Super close.”

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The Los Angeles Kings (26-23-15) played one of their tightest defensive games of the season on Wednesday afternoon, but it still wasn't enough to escape Boston Bruins (36-22-6) territory. 

Boston extended its home dominance, defeating the Kings 2-1 in overtime at TD Garden, securing its 13th consecutive home victory while continuing its elite defensive performance, holding the Kings to their fewest shots taken all season, 15.

Final from Overtime in Boston. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/EIOX4r5FyP

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 11, 2026

The Bruins also improved to 3-1-0 this season in games tied 0-0 after two periods. 

For much of the night, the game resembled a playoff-style grind, with physical defense and strong goaltending. 

As for the Kings' side of things, Drew Doughty was the lone scorer in tonight's game, while Adrian Kempe finished with one assist and one point; meanwhile, Artemi Panarin had his first bad game as a King, recording zero in the statsheet. 

Darcy Kuemper had a great game, especially early on when both teams were struggling to score. Kuemper was the main catalyst at holding the Bruins to three shots in the first period and zero goals for the first 40 minutes, posting 21 saves on the night. 

Scott Laughton had another great game, despite not putting up any points; his defense, energy, and speed were all positive for Los Angeles and have been a great fit for the Kings in his short time. 

A Scoreless Defensive Battle Through 40 Minutes

The opening 40 minutes featured little offensive rhythm from either team. It was one of the fewest shot attempts we've seen in a game this season, as Los Angeles outshot the Bruins 6-3 after the first period. 

Every inch of the ice has been contested tonight and now a heavyweight scrap between Helenius and Zadorov.

Playoff feel in Boston.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 11, 2026

Despite the number of shots being very low, the Bruins had plenty of chances to score, especially on the power play, where they were terrible today, finishing 0/4, including a shot that struck the post, while Kuemper kept Boston off the board multiple times, making key saves. 

Meanwhile, Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was also dominant on the other side of the crease, stopping 14 of 15 shots from Los Angeles. He was everywhere on the ice, not giving any easy goals for the Kings. 

Special teams struggled on both sides. Boston's power play was again nonexistent tonight; even with the penalties they drew, the Bruins failed to take advantage. 

Los Angeles also failed to convert on the man advantage, leaving the game scoreless entering the third period with just 20 combined shots between the teams. 

Bruins Break Through Late

After the defensive battle between the two teams lasted more than 48 minutes, Boston finally cracked the scoreboard. 

Defenseman Mason Lohrei jumped into the offensive zone and beat Kuemper, breaking the tie at the 8:22 mark of the third period, giving Boston a 1-0 lead. The goal energized the crowd after both teams were cold on offense, and it appeared that the Bruins were set to seal another home win. 

Doughty Forces Overtime

But the Kings didn't go away and responded again in the clutch. 

Just over five minutes later, Drew Doughty tied the game 1-1, with under six minutes remaining in the final regulation, firing the point shot off Elias Lindholm's skate at the net front and in to tie things up. 

LAK Goal - Mass-a-Drew-setts!

Doughty hammers home the game-tying goal with six minutes on the clock! 1-1. Kings have pushed since going down, get rewarded there.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 11, 2026

But, just 39 seconds in overtime, Charlie McAvoy buried the overtime winner to give Boston the 2-1 victory in one of the most tightly defensive battles we've seen in a regular-season match in a long time. 

Despite the loss, the Kings competed very well on the road against Boston, which has been pretty much unbeatable at TD Garden, winning their 13th straight game there, and the defense was excellent. 

Key Stats

Los Angeles managed only 15 shots on goal, struggling to generate any offensive momentum all night despite playing one of their best defensive games of the season.

The Kings once again struggled on the power play, finishing 0/2 and winning just 44.9% of their faceoffs, two major stats that've been ailing them this season. 

Disappointing for Los Angeles not to get two points, but it resulted in a hard-earned point and got some help tonight in the fight for a wild card spot, as the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken all lost today. 

The good news for Los Angeles is that they're now tied with Seattle for the final wild-card spot in the postseason and are five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers for the second seed in the Pacific Division. 

 Los Angeles will continue its five-game road trip on Friday, when it takes on the New York Islanders at 7:00 PM EST. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

ST. LOUIS – By his own admission, Brayden Schenn is usually one not to disclose his emotions for all to see.

But even the human in the New York Islanders center, who was acquired by the St. Louis Blues just four days ago at the NHL Trade Deadline, couldn’t even simulate what was about to happen at the first TV timeout in the first period.

Get the tissues out. The man meant a lot to this organization. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/UB2zEnpf1G

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) March 10, 2026

It’s a rarity to see, but Schenn’s return after getting traded was overwhelming, to say the least.

One day, the former Blues captain is at one side of the hotel in San Jose to sliding over to the next, absorbing the pitch from Islanders brass, to making his way back into the city he’s called home the past nine years to dressing in the visiting locker room and facing guys he went to war with countless times.

Everyone understands the business side of being a professional athlete, but when Schenn was the focal point, first on the jumbotron, then getting the thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd of 18,096 who will never forget being an integral part of the city’s first Stanley Cup in 2019, it admittedly got to the 34-year-old.

There was applause. There were obvious tears. A part of the Blues fabric was leaving, and the fans wanted to show their appreciation.

“It was a pretty emotional night,” said Schenn, who picked up the primary assist on Mathew Barzal’s OT winner and first point with the Islanders. “I can usually hold it together pretty good, I’m not going to lie, but driving into the rink today got me a little bit. The fans have been so good to me, the organization has been so good.”

The Blues knew what was coming, too, and were rightfully impressed with how the crowd showed its appreciation after 650 regular-season games and 485 points, 58 more playoff games and 29 points.

“Brayden Schenn’s meant a lot to this organization,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “Stanley Cup champ, one of the players that brought home the Stanley Cup to St. Louis for the first time. He’s just an incredible family person and husband, father and community guy.”

Blues rookie Jimmy Snuggerud has known Schenn for less than a year and even felt the emotions during the tribute, calling Schenn’s mentorship “massive.”

“That was sad, honestly,” he said. “Even for a guy like me watching whose only known him for not even a year now. Just what he’s done for this franchise and this program bringing a Cup and being a great captain. … it’s really great to see ‘Schenner’ and what he has to do with the Islanders. I’m watching him, I’m cheering him on. It’s really cool to see that. I’m just so happy for him.

“From the day I stepped foot in, I moved in with him right away. From off-ice antics to on-ice antics, a guy I’d go to basically for all answers because he’s been through just about everything as a player. It’s honestly really cool just to see what he’s done and not knowing him for this long and still get the opportunity to live with him and more or less play with him on the ice. Honestly it was really cool.”

Schenn stayed in St. Louis to pack up as many belongings as he could and help his wife process and gather up whatever was needed while his new teammates headed home. He will make his Islanders home debut on Friday while getting in one last day with his former teammates, who also gathered at the Schenn household on Monday to spend as much time together now that that time is gone.

“It has been a tough couple days,” said Blues goalie Joel Hofer, who often played with Schenn’s two sons in the locker room after practices. “Him and ‘Faulker,’ two good friends. It was definitely fun to battle it out against him.

“I wanted to take (the tribute) all in. He means so much to this organization and such a good person to us. He’s great. I definitely wanted to take it all in.”

Theo Lindstein's NHL Debut A Success For Blues Despite OT Loss To IslandersThe 2023 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) collected an assist in a 4-3 loss, moved pucks well and used his skating ability to fit in, which is a good sign moving forward

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ST. LOUIS – Theo Lindstein understandably felt nerves on Tuesday.

The St. Louis Blues defenseman, who made his NHL debut in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, did his best to keep his game face on. But undoubtedly, the first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (No. 29, one of three in the lineup for the Blues on Tuesday) soaked in the atmosphere at this level and performed as well as can be expected.

Theo Lindstein taking his rookie lap #stlbluespic.twitter.com/77jk1RqAZI

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) March 10, 2026

“Fun. For sure, a dream-come-true,” Lindstein said postgame. “A little disappointed that we couldn’t get the two points here, but overall, I think we played a great game. We were hard to play against, a little bit disappointed we couldn’t get the two points.

“I was a little bit nervous there in the beginning, but when the game started, I just came in pretty fast and felt good out there. It was a fun game to play.”

Lindstein had an assist and was a plus-1 in the game, playing 13:39 playing alongside Colton Parayko, and he didn’t look overwhelmed.

“Excellent. Really impressed with Lindstein,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “You could tell how well he skates. He uses his feet really well to carry pucks or move pucks, and then he used his feet really well to defend well too. Very encouraging first game.”

The 21-year-old was coming on at a greater clip at Springfield of the American Hockey League. However, he got quite the dose of just how things are done at this level, which made his skill set skating with the puck and foot movement all the more imperative.

“Everyone up here is much better and go faster out there,” Lindstein said. “You have to think a little bit faster and quicker. It was fun.

“After a couple shifts. You’re coming into it pretty quick. It was fun. Disappointed we couldn’t get two points.”

Lindstein had no turnovers and/or giveaways in the game, and that’s impressive since the Islanders, who overcame a 3-0 deficit to win, pumped 49 shots at the Blues and Joel Hofer.

“I wanted to play my game, use my skating and my hockey sense out there and play as quick as possible, get my feet moving and I think I did that tonight,” Lindstein said. “It was fun.”

Hofer, who made 45 saves, thought Lindstein fit right in.

“I thought he was great,” Hofer said. “I was super-excited to get him here and obviously excited for him to play his first game and get a point too is super-special.

“I try to talk to him and all the other guys, try to make it as comfortable as I can. Just do what I can to help him out there.”

Lindstein was on the ice with fellow 2023 first-round picks Dalibor Dvorsky (No. 10) and Otto Stenberg (No. 25), and the third wheel (Lindstein) was able to accomplish something the other two didn’t – earn a point in his NHL debut, and he most certainly heard the appreciation of the 18,096 at Enterprise Center.

“It was pretty cool,” Lindstein said.

Robert Thomas Never Asked To Waive No-Trade Clause, Or To Be TradedBlues top-line center confirms reports as name swirled around trade rumors leading into deadline last Friday; believes St. Louis isn't far off from being a contender again

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SEATTLE (AP) — Ryan Ufko scored his first NHL goal with 5:35 to play in the second period to put the Nashville Predators ahead to stay in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.

The rookie skated in from the right of the goal, dodged between two defenders and tucked the puck past Seattle goalie Joey Daccord to give the Predators a 3-2 lead and two critical points in their chase for a wild-card playoff spot. Right now the team is on the outside of the playoff picture.

Tyson Jost and Reid Schaefer also scored second-period goals to erase Seattle's 2-0 first-period lead and Steve Stamkos added an empty-netter for his 31st goal of the season.

Jonathan Marchessault had a pair of assists for Nashville, which had lost four of its previous five, and Juuse Saros made 43 saves.

Kaapo Kakko scored just 2:14 into the game and Matty Beniers scored at 9:46 of the first period to give the Kraken a 2-0 lead. Beniers scored from a tough angle, firing from the bottom of the right circle and over the shoulder of Saros just inside the far post.

Daccord finished with 23 saves.

Seattle's Shane Wright scored a goal in the second but it was waved off because of goalie interference when Ryker Evans slid into Saros and took out his feet.

The Kraken were without left wing Jaden Schwartz, who was hit in the face by a skate during Seattle’s 7-4 loss to Ottawa on Saturday.

Kraken, clinging to a wild-card slot, have now lost five of their last seven games.

Up next

Predators: Visit Vancouver on Thursday night.

Kraken: Host Colorado on Thursday night.

___

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

Ryan Ufko netted his first career NHL goal, a highlight reel score and game-winning conversion that elevated the Nashville Predators past the Seattle Kraken, 4-2, on Tuesday at Climate Pledge Arena. 

In the second period, Ufko got the puck off the face-off in the Kraken zone. He'd deke out a Kraken defender, cutting into the slot and getting goalie Joey Daccord sliding before putting it in on the forehand. 

Since joining the Predators for the first time this season on March 5 against the Boston Bruins, Ufko has two points in three games (1G, 1A). This season in Milwaukee, he's recorded 44 points (11G, 33A) in 50 games and earned AHL All-Star honors. 

Juuse Saros was massive in net, making 43 saves on 45 shots for his second 40+ save performance of the season. It's the most saves he's made in a single game this season. 

The Predators fell behind early, as Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers scored in the first 10 minutes to make it 2-0 Seattle. Kakko's goal came just 2:14 minutes into the game.

RYAN UFKO'S FIRST @NHL GOAL IS ONE TO REMEMBER 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/kNtRntweme

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 11, 2026

Nashville was dominated in the first period, getting outshot 19-7 and going down by two goals.  

Its response was swift in the second period. Tyson Jost scored on a feed from Fedo Svechkov to get the Predators on the board. It was Jost's first goal since Dec. 27 and Sevchkov's second point in three games. 

Reid Schaefer tied the game later in the second, tapping in a feed from Matthew Wood. That was Schaefer's first goal since Dec. 31 and Wood's 10th assist of the season. 

Steven Stamkos added an empty net goal with five seconds left in the game to seal a victory. 

Jonathan Marchessault recorded two assists in the win for just his third multi-point game of the season.

The win is massive for the Predators' hopes of making the playoffs, now just a point behind the Kraken for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with 66 points. 

According to MoneyPuck.com, with the win, the Predators now have a 25.5% chance of making the playoffs. Los Angeles (67 points) picked up just one point in a 2-1 overtime loss to Boston, while San Jose (66 points) lost in regulation to Buffalo, 6-3. 

The Predators continue their five-game road trip into Vancouver on Thursday against the Canucks at 9 p.m. CST. 

The Islanders’ incredible overtime magic continued with their 10th OT winner of the season, this time built off the foundation of a three-goal comeback and a rare double-power-play conversion from a team whose power play can rarely shoot straight.

Mat Barzal finished the 4-3 win in St. Louis, using his speed to wrongfoot forward Jordan Kyrou for the overtime tally at 2:11. But the Isles only got there thanks to some good fortune, good power play passing and a timely coach’s challenge that prevented a 4-0 deficit.

The Isles had outshot the Blues badly in the first period and to start the second, but they allowed too many golden chances and were behind 3-0 just over midway through the game. It looked like it was 4-0 when Robert Thomas put in another golden chance, but it was overturned by video review after the Isles challenged for offside. Before the challenge, it looked like the Isles were considering putting David Rittich in, but thankfully they didn’t, because Sorokin’s elite services later proved necessary.

That overturned goal was the fortune teller’s turning point if not the actual turning point; it wasn’t until much later in the second period (17:50) that J-G Pageau finally got the Isles on the board. With the way the Isles had generated chances prior to that point (still outshooting the Blues 29-14 through 40 minutes), it felt like that gave them a fighting chance going into the third.

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

But who would’ve expected that chance to be cashed in by not one, but two power play goals? Honestly, when Pavel Buchnevich was called for a very fortunate double-minor high-sticking on Calum Ritchie five minutes into the third, my first thought was, “Great, there goes four more minutes of comeback time wasted.”

Instead, the Isles power play moved the puck around and retained it along the boards decently enough — though not as well as the Blues, who just missed restoring their three-goal lead on a power play late in the second. Their persistence was rewarded when Jack Finley (son of former Islander and Blue Jeff Finley) accidentally pushed a loose puck over the line as he and another Blue battled with Bo Horvat and Cal Ritchie in the crease.

The goal was credited to Ritchie at 5:52, erasing the first minor and bringing the Isles to within one. They pulled off a proper power play sequence to get the next one, Horvat finishing a tic-tac-toe play in the slot from Ritchie and Barzal.

That left it tied 3-3, paving the way for some nervy moments but mostly two teams who were fine with tossing a coin for the extra point.

Overtime was your usual cagey affair, and Barzal wisely awaited the right moment to turn on the jets just after Kyrou came on the ice (and after receiving the puck from Brayden Schenn, who was shadowed by his trade counterpart Jonathan Drouin on the play). As Darren Pang said on the TNT broadcast with Butch Goring and Brendan Burke*, “Barzal going up against Kyrou, not exactly a Selke-nominated player.”

*At the game, staring into space as I waited for my daughter to use the restroom, I was startled to see Burke and Goring in line for the men’s room among the masses. I knew the game was on TNT but didn’t realize they had the call — didn’t even realize Butch does TNT games?! — so I was disoriented but happy, and take full credit for the comeback that ensued.

That burst of speed and 3-on-3 matchup allowed Barzal to bait Kyrou outside before cutting inside and firing upstairs from the slot. Game over.

Overall, it was a mostly well-earned two points for the Isles with the final shots tally 49-23. But many of their shots did not have the desired traffic or rebound presence, while they let up some inexcusable openings on the Blues goals. That included a 4-on-1 counterattack to open scoring for the Blues, and a wide open backdoor Jimmy Snuggerud after Scott Mayfield, Carson Sousy and Ritchie were all mesmerized watching Thomas in the left wing corner. Dylan Halloway’s goal to make it 2-0 was at least a fantastic shot that stunned Ilya Sorokin, but the Blues forward was allowed to much space to dance into the slot unimpeded.

Schenn’s Farewell

What a crazy, whirlwind week for new Islander Brayden Schenn! Switching teams without switching hotels in San Jose, getting one game in (an OT win, it’s how we do) before heading right back to his home for the past decade, then taking in a tribute and thank you after a parting that he did not request. With three kids, including a newborn, he’ll surely settle in on Long Island just fine, unless the former Drouin residence he’s renting is cursed.

On the ice, he looked a little more comfortable, logged five shots in 17:06 and won seven of 10 faceoffs. He had an early chance to get on the board that required a stretching stop from Joel Hofer. And for the record book, he gets the assist on the OT winner, even if all he did was hand it off to Barzal on his own way off for a change.

Up Next

That was huge, getting not one but two points from an 0-3 deficit in a game the hockey gods tried to steal from them. That pulls them even with Pittsburgh, which has a game in hand and picked up an OTL point tonight.

The Isles head home from the trip 2-2 thanks to some OT magic. They’ll have a home back-to-back vs. L.A., which beat them too easily last week, and Calgary, which lost 4-0 tonight in Manhattan.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jack Quinn capped his three-goal outing with an empty-netter, and the Buffalo Sabres won their eighth straight by beating the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn broke the game open by scoring four minutes apart in the second period. Alex Tuch also scored, posting his 300th career point with Buffalo, in his 600th career NHL game, and captain Rasmus Dahlin and Ryan McLeod had three assists each.

Alex Lyon stopped 17 shots, improving to 15-2 in his past 17 starts.

Macklin Celebrini, Kiefer Sherwood and Alexander Wennberg scored for San Jose, which opened a five-game road trip a point behind eighth-place Seattle in the Western Conference standings. Yaroslav Askarov finished with 20 saves.

Celebrini’s goal was the 19-year-old Canadian Olympian’s 33rd and 90th point in his 62nd game of the season. The only NHL players in their teens to reach 90 points in fewer games are Sidney Crosby (54 games in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (56, 1979-80).

The Atlantic Division-leading Sabres, coming off a thrilling 8-7 win over Tampa Bay, improved to 29-5-2 in their past 36 outings — a run that began with a 10-game win streak.

RANGERS 4, FLAMES 0

NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Lafreniere got his second career hat trick and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots as New York defeated Calgary.

Conor Sheary scored his second goal of the season.

Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault added two assists. Zibanejad’s assist on Lafreniere’s first goal gave him 800 career points. Adam Fox’s assist on the goal gave him 400 career points, becoming the fourth Rangers defenseman to hit that milestone.

Lafreniere has eight goals and five assists in his last nine games.

Quick earned his second shutout of the season and the 65th of his career. He passed Henrik Lundqvist for 17th most career shutouts in the NHL and sits one behind Patrick Roy.

Dustin Wolf made 25 saves for the Flames.

BRUINS 2, KINGS 1, OT

BOSTON (AP) — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots to earn Boston's 13th straight victory at home, beating Los Angeles.

Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to snap a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.

It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.

In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.

Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.

PANTHERS 4, RED WINGS 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals in the final 90 seconds to rally Florida to a victory over Detroit.

With Florida goalie Daniil Tarasov on the bench, Verhaeghe scored with 1:30 remaining to make it 3-all.

Then, with 15 seconds left, Verhaeghe took a pass from Matthew Tkachuk and his shot went off the skate of Detroit defenseman Justin Faulk and past goalie Josh Gibson.

Vinnie Hinostroza had his first goal and assist for the Panthers, and Niko Mikkola also scored. Tarasov stopped 25 shots.

Faulk had a goal and an assist in his second game for the Red Wings, who also lost to the Panthers 3-1 at Detroit on Friday night. Faulk was acquired from St. Louis at Friday’s trade deadline.

Patrick Kane and Marco Kasper also scored for the Red Wings, and Gibson made 24 saves.

CANADIENS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 1

MONTREAL (AP) — Oliver Kapanen scored his 20th of the season as Montreal held on for a win and handed Toronto its eighth consecutive loss.

Phillip Danault also scored, and Jake Evans added an empty-net goal for Montreal. Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.

William Nylander scored for struggling Toronto, which is on track to miss the playoffs after nine consecutive trips to the postseason.

Joseph Woll stopped 30 shots in a solid outing.

The Maple Leafs entered the night 11 points outside the playoffs and 13 behind the Canadiens, who held the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

BLUE JACKETS 5, LIGHTNING 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Conor Garland scored two goals for the second consecutive game and Columbus defeated Tampa Bay.

Kiril Marchenko, Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov also scored for Columbus, who improved to 15-2-3 in the past 20 games. Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made 15 saves and registered his second assist of the season.

Gage Goncalves and J.J. Moser scored for Tampa Bay, which fell to 2-6 since the Olympic break and has just one win in the past seven games. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 26 saves. The Lightning have allowed 34 goals in the past six games and six power-play goals in the past two games.

Garland, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline, had not scored a goal in his previous 24 games with Vancouver. But after scoring twice on Monday against Los Angeles, Garland had two more on Tuesday, including an insurance power-play goal in the third period.

HURRICANES 5, PENGUINS 4, SO

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jackson Blake converted on the decisive shootout goal and Carolina recovered after relinquishing a two-goal lead late in regulation to beat Pittsburgh.

Mark Jankowski and Seth Jarvis scored 59 seconds apart in Carolina’s three-goal third period and Logan Stankoven and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who extended their home-ice points streak to 12 games. Frederik Andersen made 24 saves in the matchup between the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division.

Bryan Rust scored two goals and Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari had the other goals for the Penguins, who began a five-game road trip that also will end in Raleigh. Erik Karlsson and Egor Chinakhov had two assists. Stuart Skinner stopped 39 shots, but he’s without a victory in five outings since Jan. 31. The Penguins are 1-2-2 in their last five games.

Ben Kindel converted in the shootout for the Penguins and Andrei Svechnikov matched that for the Hurricanes before Blake’s tally.

ISLANDERS 4, BLUES 3, OT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mathew Barzal scored in overtime to cap New Yorks’ rally from a three-goal deficit for a win over St. Louis.

In addition to his goal at 2:11 of the extra period, Barzal had two assists. Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bo Horvat also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves.

Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and two assists as the Blues had their season-high four-game winning streak snapped.

It was the third-straight multipoint game for Snuggerud. The 21-year-old has 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in his last 13 games.

Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway also scored for the Blues. Joel Hofer made 45 saves.

STARS 2, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1

DALLAS (AP) — Jamie Benn scored the go-ahead goal on a power play in the second period and Jake Oettinger stopped 25 of 26 shots as Dallas beat Vegas.

Oskar Back also scored for the Stars, who extended their points streak to 13 games (12-0-1).

Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights, who have lost three consecutive games and six of their last seven. Adin Hill made 14 saves.

Benn, the Stars’ 36-year-old captain, has goals in three of the last four games and 10 points in the last eight.

Oettinger, whose 26 wins are good for third in the league, is 9-0-1 in his last 10 starts.

Benn batted the puck in from the edge of the crease with 5:44 left in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and give Dallas’ second-ranked power play a goal in 10 consecutive games.

WILD 5, MAMMOTH 0

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his 37th goal of the season, Matt Boldy notched his 36th, and Filip Gustavsson earned his fourth shutout of the season as Minnesota defeated Utah.

Bobby Brink scored his first goal since the Wild acquired him from the Flyers on Friday. Brink, a Minnesota native, put his new team up 3-0 early in the third period.

Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman also scored in the third.

Gustavsson stopped all 25 shots he faced. Utah’s Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves in the loss.

Quinn Hughes extended his point streak with an assist, giving him one goal and five assists in his last five games.

DUCKS 4, JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist to lead Anaheim to a victory over Winnipeg.

Alex Killorn and Jackson LaCombe also registered a goal and an assist. Tim Washe also scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal made 12 saves for the Ducks, who rebounded from a 4-0 loss to St. Louis on Sunday.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for the Jets, who saw their three-game win streak and six-game point streak halted.

After a scoreless first period in which Anaheim outshot Winnipeg 8-2, the Jets opened the scoring at 5:04 of the second when Barron notched his 10th of the season, assisted by Elias Salomonsson and Cole Perfetti.

The Ducks quickly flipped the script, scoring three times in less than two minutes. Washe tied the game at 6:24 and Poehling gave Anaheim the lead just 14 seconds later. Killorn added the insurance marker at 8:08 to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

OILERS 4, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals, Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Edmonton defeated Colorado.

McDavid’s goal, his 36th of the season, came on a snap shot on the power play with 10:57 remaining in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie.

In a game featuring three of the NHL’s four points leaders, Leon Draisaitl had his 59th and 60th assists of the season, the second of which set up McDavid’s winner. Jack Roslovic also scored for the Oilers, who won for the fourth time in six games after a four-game losing streak. It was Nugent-Hopkins’ third multigoal game of the season and first since Dec. 21.

Edmonton had two goals on four power-play opportunities against an Avalanche team that had the NHL’s third-best penalty kill entering the night.

PREDATORS 4, KRAKEN 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Ryan Ufko scored his first NHL goal with 5:35 to play in the second period to put Nashville ahead to stay in a win over Seattle.

The rookie skated in from the right of the goal, dodged between two defenders and tucked the puck past Seattle goalie Joey Daccord to give the Predators a 3-2 lead and two critical points in their chase for a wild-card playoff spot. Right now the team is on the outside of the playoff picture.

Tyson Jost and Reid Schaefer also scored second-period goals to erase Seattle’s 2-0 first-period lead and Steve Stamkos added an empty-netter for his 31st goal of the season.

Jonathan Marchessault had a pair of assists for Nashville, which had lost four of its previous five, and Juuse Saros made 43 saves.

Kaapo Kakko scored just 2:14 into the game and Matty Beniers scored at 9:46 of the first period to give the Kraken a 2-0 lead. Beniers scored from a tough angle, firing from the bottom of the right circle and over the shoulder of Saros just inside the far post.

Daccord finished with 23 saves.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

Alex Killorn and Jackson LaCombe also registered a goal and an assist. Tim Washe also scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal made 12 saves for the Ducks, who rebounded from a 4-0 loss to St. Louis on Sunday.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for the Jets, who saw their three-game win streak and six-game point streak halted.

After a scoreless first period in which Anaheim outshot Winnipeg 8-2, the Jets opened the scoring at 5:04 of the second when Barron notched his 10th of the season, assisted by Elias Salomonsson and Cole Perfetti.

The Ducks quickly flipped the script, scoring three times in less than two minutes. Washe tied the game at 6:24 and Poehling gave Anaheim the lead just 14 seconds later. Killorn added the insurance marker at 8:08 to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

The Ducks outscored the Jets 12-6 in three games this year. The win keeps the Ducks in first place in the Pacific Division, while continuing a hot run for goaltender Dostal, who has now won 13 of his last 15 games.

Up next

Ducks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Jets host the New York Rangers on Thursday.

___

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

DALLAS (AP) — Jamie Benn scored the go-ahead goal on a power play in the second period and Jake Oettinger stopped 25 of 26 shots as the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Oskar Back also scored for the Stars, who extended their points streak to 13 games (12-0-1).

Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights, who have lost three consecutive games and six of their last seven. Adin Hill made 14 saves.

Benn, the Stars’ 36-year-old captain, has goals in three of the last four games and 10 points in the last eight.

Oettinger, whose 26 wins are good for third in the league, is 9-0-1 in his last 10 starts.

Benn batted the puck in from the edge of the crease with 5:44 left in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and give Dallas’ second-ranked power play a goal in 10 consecutive games.

Back, a fourth-liner, tied the score midway through the second period, crashing the net to put in a rebound and end a 14-game goal drought.

Eichel beat Oettinger stick side 1:31 into the second period after a Stars turnover at the blue line for the game’s opening score.

Eichel has six goals in his last seven games against Dallas and a team-high 72 points this season.

The Stars are 27-0-3 this season when leading after two periods.

Dallas’ Matt Duchene assisted on Benn’s goal, giving him 19 points in the last 13 games.

Up next

Golden Knights: Begin a four-game homestand on Thursday against Pittsburgh.

Stars: Host Edmonton on Thursday in the fourth game of a season-long six-game homestand.

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

ST. LOUIS — The Islanders’ best game of this four-game trip required the largest lift to turn into two points.

At the end of it, though, Mat Barzal’s game-winner had given Brayden Schenn and his new club a 4-3 overtime win over the Blues in his first game back at the Enterprise Center and secured a vital two points after roaring back from down 3-0 in an impressive show of resilience.

“It’s a team built on culture and character and you can definitely tell,” said Schenn, who reacted emotionally to a first-period tribute video from the Blues, whom he’d captained until just four days ago. “They have a no-quit attitude in this room.”

While the Islanders had never looked out of this one — save perhaps for the brief minute where the score was 4-0 before Patrick Roy won a challenge for offside — it did very much appear that this would be a night that they’d end up on the wrong end, despite having controlled the game.

JG Pageau creaked the door open, though, by getting on Matthew Schaefer’s rebound late in the second to cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-1. Then, 5:03 into the third, Pavel Buchnevich’s high stick drew blood on Cal Ritchie to give the Islanders a chance they grabbed on to with both hands.

Poetically, Ritchie scored just 49 seconds into the four-minute double minor, the puck slowly trickling over the line off a scramble in the crease.

Fifty-nine seconds later, it was a tie game as Bo Horvat put one in from the slot.

“It’s big for the confidence,” Ritchie told The Post. “I think we kinda simplified some things, routes and stuff. I thought it went well. Had some traffic in front of the net on the one and then the other one is a good set play by Barzy and Bo.”

The Islanders have not had many games this year in which their power play could be leaned upon. But there is no time like the present.

“We got it in a moment we needed it and it was a difference-maker,” Anders Lee told The Post. “All we can do as a power play is take it game by game. Can’t worry about where we are, how it doesn’t look good with the numbers, all that stuff. Tonight it won us the game.”

More precisely, it got the match into overtime, and there is no place where the Islanders are more comfortable than 3-on-3.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

They’re now a ridiculous 10-0 in games that end in OT after Barzal took a feed from Schenn, split two defenders and ripped one in 2:11 into the extra period.

While the night had seemed to get away from the Islanders during a few minutes on either side of the game’s midpoint when Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud scored less than two minutes apart to extend a 1-0 Blues lead to 3-0, the visitors had largely dominated the puck and the shot count.

They finished with 49 shots on net, their highest total of the season, and Lee said they felt like they were playing a great game the whole way.

“We made some mistakes, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “On the flip side of that, it felt like we were in complete control.”

It was, briefly, shaping into a familiar story, in which the Islanders failed to generate enough traffic around Joel Hofer’s net to capitalize on their chances.

What ended up mattering more were the same qualities the Isles have leaned on all season: their never-say-die resilience and ability to raise their game when it matters most.

And it may have helped a little that they started playing around the crease, too.

“It all started with a great call by our video guys,” coach Patrick Roy said, reminding of the offside challenge that prevented the game from reaching a 4-0 deficit that likely would have proven insurmountable. “That offside, it was nice for them to pick it up. I thought that was a key moment in the game.”

With the Blue Jackets winning and the Penguins picking up a point in a shootout loss to Carolina, the pressure would have been squarely on the Islanders had they returned home without two points in hand.

Instead, they’ll do so with the wind at their backs.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mathew Barzal scored in overtime to cap the New York Islanders’ rally from a three-goal deficit for a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

In addition to his goal at 2:11 of the extra period, Barzal had two assists. Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bo Horvat also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves.

Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and two assists as the Blues had their season-high four-game winning streak snapped.

It was the third-straight multipoint game for Snuggerud. The 21-year-old has 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in his last 13 games.

Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway also scored for the Blues. Joel Hofer made 45 saves.

Trailing 3-0, Pageau got the Islanders on the board with 2:10 left in the second.

The turning point came when Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich was called for a double-minor high-sticking penalty early in the third period. Ritchie scored on the power play at 5:52 of the third and Horvat scored a power-play goal a minute later to tie it at 3-all.

Broberg gave the Blues the lead at 4:06 of the first. Holloway made it 2-0 at 9:10 of the second period and Snuggerud added to the lead 87 seconds later.

Robert Thomas appeared to make it 4-0 with 5:32 left in the second, but the goal was waved off after the Islanders successfully challenged that St. Louis was offside on the play.

Brayden Schenn got a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period. Schenn, who was dealt to the Islanders at the trade deadline on Friday, spent nine seasons with the Blues and was the team captain the last three years.

Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein had an assist in his NHL debut.

Up Next

Islanders host Los Angeles on Friday night.

Blues travel to Carolina on Thursday night.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. With it, the Sabres have now won eight straight games and have a four-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division standings.

Jack Quinn played a big role in the Sabres' win against the San Jose Sharks, as he had a monster game. 

Quinn stepped up in a major way for the Sabres against the Sharks, as he scored three goals and recorded an assist. With this, Quinn recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career, which is an impressive achievement. 

After this big performance, Quinn now has 15 goals, 28 points, and a plus-9 rating in 65 games this season. He has also now set a new career-high with 43 points on the season, so there is no question that the 2020 eighth-overall pick has been having a strong year for the Sabres.

It will now be interesting to see how Quinn builds on his strong stretch of play from here. If he continues to chip in solid offense, it would certainly be good news for a red-hot Sabres club right now.