The Ottawa Senators have been one of hockey’s best teams for nearly two months, vaulting into the East's second and final wild-card spot.
They try to make it five straight wins with a three-game regular-season sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, March 26.
My Penguins vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks have Ottawa taking advantage of the short-handed visitors to stay red hot.
Penguins vs Senators prediction
Penguins vs Senators best bet: Senators moneyline (-145)
Since January 25, the Ottawa Senators are 15-3-2, earning the league's second-most points in that span.
They’re a Top-8 scoring team, but the real difference has come in net, where they have a minuscule 2.15 goals against average, by far the best in the NHL.
Now they get the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have been outscored 11-3 in their last two games.
Ottawa's handled Pittsburgh this season, with a 4-0 shutout and a 3-2 win, part of this current playoff surge.
The Pens likely won't have Evgeni Malkin or Anthony Mantha, two of their five leading scorers.
Penguins vs Senators same-game parlay
Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist last time out in a 3-2 win over the Red Wings. He has five goals in his last 10 for Ottawa and has two goals against Pittsburgh this season.
Not a surprise that Sidney Crosby will be asked to take on a bigger offensive load with others out, and he gets a generous 2.5 shots on goal line Thursday. Sid has had at least four shots on net in four of his last six.
The Senators have hit the Moneyline in 15 of their last 20 games (+8.80 Units / 29% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Senators.
How to watch Penguins vs Senators
Location
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Date
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN5
Penguins vs Senators latest injuries
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 14: Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save in the third period during the game against the Utah Mammoth at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The goals against numbers are starting to pile up, and there are not many cards left for the Pittsburgh Penguins to play in an effort to fix it.
The trade deadline has come and gone, so there is no move to be made to add outside defensive help.
There is also no immediate help available in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that can offer much of a fix.
Aside from simply playing better, cutting down on the turnovers, and getting back to controlling games the way they were a couple of weeks ago, there is not much else the Penguins can do from a personnel standpoint to fix the defense. Switching defensive pairs and defensive partners might just be a case of rearranging deck chairs.
There is, however, one player in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that could potentially fix some things, and it is prized goalie prospect Sergei Murashov.
Not only does Murashov have the talent and upside to be a franchise goalie for the next decade, just by the nature of being a goalie he is the one player that could significantly improve things in the short-term. Goalies change everything.
From a big picture standpoint, I am not entirely ready to say Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs have been the biggest problem over the past 10-11 games. Going into Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, the duo had basically allowed the number of goals that had been expected of them given the chances they were facing and what the Penguins were allowing in front of them.
They were not stealing much, but they were not the biggest cause of the goals against issues.
That changed a little bit on Tuesday with Silovs against the Avalanche.
You might disagree, but not only was that game not as lopsided as the 6-2 final score would suggest, I thought the Penguins played better in that game than they did in their win on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. I thought it was one of their best recent games in terms of generating chances, they had a pretty significant scoring chance and expected goals advantage, and they really carried play for long stretches of time. It is not always as simple as this, and sometimes we might lean on this a little too much and oversimplify the game, but this was definitely a game where goaltending was the difference.
Scott Wedgewood made every big save the Avalanche needed him to make. And he made a lot of them. Silovs did not make a single one for the Penguins.
It is one thing when your goalies are not stealing games and just doing what is expected. You can still compete with that and win with that if the team around the goalies is playing well enough.
It is something else entirely different when goalies start losing games for you.
You also sometimes need a goalie to steal a game or two for you. That is the thing that is not happening at the moment.
That is also where Murashov could come into play, because with his upside and talent he is the type of goalie that could, in theory, steal a game for you and steal some big saves. He has the upside to potentially do more than just make the saves you are supposed to make.
Given the Penguins ongoing goalie rotation, Stuart Skinner is going to start Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. If he plays well in that game, I would give him Saturday’s start against the Dallas Stars. If he plays well in that game, you go from there and maybe start shifting away from the goalie rotation and let somebody try to run with the job.
If he does not play well on Thursday, and the Penguins lose another big game in the standings by allowing four or more goals, I think that is when you start seriously having the Murashov discussion. Because what else can you do at this point other than simply play better in front of the goalies? And while that does need to happen (and while I think it can happen), you still need something more from the goalies.
As we saw on Tuesday, a bad goaltending performance can still swing a better overall performance against you.
The argument against calling up Murashov is that he is only 21 years old, has only a handful of NHL games, and that inserting a young goalie like that into a playoff race could be an extremely risky move. Especially when the team itself is struggling to defend. There is definitely a risk to it. It could go very badly in the short-term.
But there is also an upside to it, and there is SOME precedent for a goalie in this situation getting a chance late in the season for a playoff team.
Not a ton of precedent. But some.
I went back over the past 25 years and searched for goalies that fit the following parameters:
Age 24 or younger
Between 5 and 15 games played in the NHL that season and or their career as a whole
Getting their first real, meaningful playing time late in the season for a playoff team
I only found a handful of players that fit into it. But they are interesting.
In a small way, this is kind of what is happening in Montreal right now with Jacob Fowler. With the Canadiens clinging to their playoff spot and having major goaltending questions all season, the 21-year-old Fowler has started three of the team’s past seven games. He has not received the bulk of the playing time, but he is still there and might have more upside than Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are currently giving them.
Late in the 2023-24 season a young Silovs received three starts in April with the Vancouver Canucks due to an injury situation, and then received the bulk of the playing time in the playoffs. He played well enough to get the Canucks into the second round.
During the 2015-16 season we have Matt Murray with the Penguins. After appearing in just 13 regular season games in his debut season, with the majority of them coming after March, he took advantage of his opportunity at the start of the playoffs and never gave it up in helping lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup. Just as was the case with Silovs in 2023-24, injuries played a big role in this, but he made the most of his opportunity. The difference here is that 2015-16 Penguins team was an absolute monster that was steamrolling every team it played. That is not to say that Murray did not play well (because he played very well), but there was a very strong supporting cast around him. Then he helped them win another Stanley Cup the next season. This team, while exceeding expectations and perhaps still legitimately very good, is not anywhere close to that level.
In 2011-12, the Washington Capitals turned to 22-year-old Braden Holtby, with almost no NHL experience, late in the season and let him take the starting job into the playoffs. He posted a .935 save percentage (after posting a .922 mark at the end of the regular season) and had the Capitals in Game 7 of the second round, a 2-1 loss away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.
These are the best recent examples I can find that would fit this scenario. The previous ones have mostly worked.
If you are good enough to do it, you will.
If it does not work that well and getting beat in a couple of games ruins the player’s psyche that much that it ruins their long-term development, that is probably a concerning development for a very different reason.
I understand the argument against it.
I am also not going to argue that goaltending has been the only problem.
But it IS the one move that could be made that could make a big impact. There should come a time here very shortly where the Penguins make that call. Or at least give it serious consideration. There are not many other options.
The Hockey News revealed players 61-80 for their last top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects rankings. After Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil landed the No. 83 spot, three more Chicago prospects have made the cut this time around: Sacha Boisvert, Marek Vanacker, and Kevin Korchinski.
Boisvert was given the No. 61 spot on THN's rankings. The 2024 first-round pick appeared in 26 games this season with Boston University, where he had three goals and 17 points. This is after he had 18 goals and 32 points in 37 games last season with the University of North Dakota. He signed his entry-level deal with the Blackhawks earlier this month, so the promising forward will soon be getting his professional career started.
Vanacker was given the No. 68 spot on THN's list, and like Boisvert, he certainly has good potential. The 2024 first-round pick has had a big season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, as he has 47 goals and 82 points in 60 games. With numbers like these, there is no question that the 6-foot-1 forward has good skill.
As for Korchinski, he was given the No. 80 spot. The left-shot defenseman is still looking to cement himself as a full-time NHL defenseman. While the 2022 seventh-overall pick has had some growing pains, he certainly has the potential to become a good blueliner in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday, are back in action on Thursday night. They come in 4-3-3 in their last 10 as they continue to develop young players who will impact them in the future.
This will be a match against the Philadelphia Flyers, who come in 6-3-1 in their last 10. For Philly, they sit five points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. The Blackhawks have a chance to spoil any chance of a miracle run for them.
Scouting Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Flyers are having a better year than anyone would have expected before it began, but they have a lot of work to do. There are good young players on their roster, but more steps must be taken for the organization to get over the hump.
Barkey-Zegras-Tippett
Bump-Dvorak-Konecny
Grundström-Cates-Michkov
Glendening-Couturier-Hathaway
Sanheim-Ristolainen
York-Drysdale
Seeler-Juulsen
Ersson
Vladar
Trevor Zegras has had a healthy bounce-back season, his first with the Flyers after a big trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Playing in their top six has given him a boost.
Travis Konecny didn’t make Team Canada at the Olympics after being on the 4-Nations Face-Off team, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t deserving. He is a great player that Chicago’s defense must have an eye on when his line is out there.
Matvei Michkov is on the third line, and his season isn’t going the way he had hoped after a strong rookie year, but the skills are there for him to change a game at a moment’s notice.
Philadelphia’s defense is a big reason that they are even in the race at all. Travis Sanheim was a Team Canada guy in Milano Cortina, and he plays a key role on this team in the NHL.
Rasmus Ristolainen, Cam York, and Jamie Drysdale lead the depth on the blue line, as they all bring different strengths that Blackhawks forecheckers/back-checkers must pay attention to.
In goal, the Flyers have found success with either Samuel Ersson or Dan Vladar in the net. Vladar started on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, so expect Ersson against the Blackhawks.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks are going to have Sacha Boisvert making his NHL debut. This comes one game after Anton Frondell made his debut. The Blackhawks are continuing to get younger by inserting more prospects that are ready to compete and make the team better.
Greene-Bedard-Frondell
Bertuzzi-Nazar-Lardis
Burakovsky-Donato-Mik
Teravainen-Boisvert-Slaggert
Vlasic-Levshyunov
Kaiser-Rinzel
Del Mastro-Crevier
Knight
Anton Frondell is on the first line, as he should be. His play in his first post-draft season earned him that opportunity before he ever even stepped onto an NHL sheet. He impressed in his NHL debut, a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders.
Sacha Boisvert isn’t at the same level as Frondell, but multiple tough two-way players like him are needed on every team. Playing on the fourth line to dip his toes into the NHL waters is perfect
It looked a little strange for Teuvo Teravainen to be on the fourth line in the last game with Landon Slaggert and Sam Lafferty, but it makes a lot more sense with Boisvert down the middle instead. This line has some skill and a little bit of toughness that should make waves in all three zones.
Arvid Soderblom was excellent in the win over the Islanders. Now, expect Spencer Knight to get the nod against the Flyers. Each goalie will be heavily relied on as the season comes to a close.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on CHSN locally. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT.
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.
The Vancouver Canucks (21–41–8) have finally reached the end of their eight-game March home stand, with their final game taking place against the Los Angeles Kings (28–25–15) tonight. Vancouver has gone 2–5–0 so far through the home stretch, with their most recent match being a 5–3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings, one of the handful of Pacific Division teams battling for a wild card spot in the playoffs, last played in a 3–2 shootout loss against the Calgary Flames.
Vancouver will be seeing lots of the Kings as they prepare to round out their 2025–26 season. Tonight’s game marks the first of three that they’ll play in against Los Angeles ahead of the season end, with their other matchups coming on April 9 in California and April 14 in their final game at Rogers Arena this year. The last time these two teams faced off was on November 29 in a 2–1 overtime loss for Vancouver.
With Los Angeles still looking for a playoff spot, and Vancouver officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week, tonight’s game could be one of a few that the Canucks play spoiler for in the Kings’ post-season wishes. Los Angeles has lost their last four games, though they have picked up two overtime loss points during this stretch, while yet another defeat would put them in an even deeper point deficit than before. If Vancouver stays consistent to some of their efforts through the home stand, they may end up being a big factor into the Kings missing out on the playoffs.
Players To Watch:
Elias Pettersson
Fresh off a night that saw him score his 500th NHL point, Elias Pettersson will be a player to watch on the Canucks tonight. He had two power play helpers in his team’s loss to the Ducks, with his line also scoring his team’s third goal of the game. Including this effort, the forward is now up to five points in his past four games. Adding to that, he is two goals away from becoming ninth-all time in franchise goals scored — a milestone that would see him pass former Canucks captain Bo Horvat on the list.
Artemi Panarin
Prior to his team’s loss to Calgary, Artemi Panarin had scored a goal in six of his past 10 games. Since joining the Kings via trade, he’s scored six goals and 11 assists in 15 games played. His most recent run of play has been even more impressive, with the forward putting up a six-game point streak before the loss to the Flames. As Los Angeles’ leading scorer, he’ll be a player to watch come tonight.
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Kevin Fiala (22) and Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (6) battle for the puck during the overtime period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (21–41–8):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 15–28–43
Filip Hronek: 8–33–41
Brock Boeser: 17–20–37
Jake DeBrusk: 15–18–33
Linus Karlsson: 13–17–30
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 8–24–5
Nikita Tolopilo: 5–6–2
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Los Angeles Kings (28–25–15):
Points:
Artemi Panarin: 25–49–74
Adrian Kempe: 26–33–59
Kevin Fiala: 18–22–40
Quinton Byfield: 17–23–40
Brandt Clarke: 8–30–38
Goaltenders:
Darcy Kuemper: 17–13–13
Anton Forsberg: 11–11–5
Pheonix Copley: 0–1–0
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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.
After a big win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens will take on yet another team that’s fighting for its playoff life on Thursday night: the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rick Bowness’men recently overtook the Pittsburgh Penguins in second place of the Metropolitan Division, but they only have a one-point lead over Sidney Crosby and co. Columbus has a 6-3-1 record in its last 10 games and has won its last two duels with the Habs. The two teams still have two games left to play against each other, with their last meeting of the season scheduled for April 11.
Neither coach has confirmed who will get the start in net, but the smart money says we should get a duel between Jakub Dobes and Jet Greaves. The Czech netminder was amazing for the Canadiens on Tuesday night, stopping 41 of the 43 shots he received, and he’s earned this start. He’s only faced the Blue Jackets once in his career and has a 2.79 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage. As for Jacob Fowler, he has never taken them on. Regardless of who mans the net tonight, both goalies should see some action this weekend as the Habs have a back-to-back, facing the Nashville Predators on Saturday and the Hurricanes on Sunday.
At the other end of the ice, Columbus’s number one goaltender, Jet Greaves, has a 2-0-0 record against the Habs, but his stats aren’t great with a 3.36 GAA and a .889 SV. Meanwhile, Elvis Merzlikins has a 3.44 GAA and an .880 SV.
Up front, the Canadiens’ top line is red hot right now, with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky being on seven-game point streaks and Cole Caufield being on a six-game point streak. Suzuki is the Habs’ most productive forward against the Jackets with 18 points in just 16 games, followed by Brendan Gallagher and Mike Matheson, who both have 16 points, the former in 32 games and the latter in 23. Caufield comes in fourth place with 13 points, but he only needed 11 games to rack them up. The sniper has seven goals in his last six games, and he's chasing the 50-goal milestone. He currently has 44 lamplighters with 12 games to go and is on pace for 52 goals on the season. As for Lane Hutson, he has five points in four games against Columbus, including two points in the first duel between the two teams this season.
Former Hab Sean Monahan is the Blue Jackets’ most productive player against the Canadiens with 22 points in 29 games. Charlie Coyle comes in second place with 21 points in 29 games, and defenseman Zach Werenski comes in third place with 18 points in 22 games. Montreal will also need to keep an eye on Kirill Marchenko, who has six points in seven duels with the Habs and is second in scoring for the Ohio outfit this season.
While Columbus has won the last two games between the two sides, they’ve only won three of the last 10 confrontations, and their last win in Montreal was in February 2022.
The Canadiens are currently hanging on to third place in the Atlantic Division with 88 points, the same total as the Boston Bruins, who are in the first wild card spot, but Montreal has two games in hand. The Habs have a three-point lead over the Ottawa Senators, who currently hold the last playoff spot in the east, and Montreal also has a game in hand on them.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on RDS, TSN2, and FDSNOH. Graham Skilliter and Jake Brenk will officiate, while Tyson Baker and Kyle Flemington will be the linemen. This will be the Canadiens’ last home game before a five-game road trip that will see them play five times over eight days. They will then have a four-game homestand in the second week of April before ending their season with a short two-game road trip.
It's the first time they'll face Dallas since Nov. 18, when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen ended Alexander Romanov's season in the dying seconds of the third of what ended as a 3-2 win for Long Island.
Rantanen failed to control himself as he pursued a puck on the forecheck. His skate clinked with Scott Mayfield's, then Rantanen shoved Romanov at full speed from behind straight into the boards.
Mikko Rantanen was assessed a 5-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for this hit on Alexander Romanov. pic.twitter.com/VPP6ldnQc8
Rantanen faced no supplemental discipline from the NHL for that hit, but within the next week, Rantanen had gotten himself into two more highly dangerous plays that resulted in a fine and another ejection.
The Islanders did not get a chance to make Rantanen answer for his play that hurt Romanov that night, and they won't get a chance to on Thursday, either.
Rantanen suffered an injury while playing for Team Finland at the Olympics and has yet to play for Dallas since the Olympic Break ended.
Rantanen joined the team for their upcoming four-game road trip in full-contact mode, but Dallas has already ruled him out for Thursday's game against the Islanders.
Stars GM Jim Nill says Mikko Rantanen will join the team full-time for practice going forward and will travel with the team during the upcoming 4-game road trip. The hope is for Rantanen to return to play by the last two games of the trip.
As a result, the Islanders will not see the Finnish superstar until next season.
The Islanders haven't truly been able to fill the role that Romanov left behind. During his absence, the Islanders have tried five internal options before general manager Mathieu Darche acquired Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers in exchange for the New Jersey Devils' 2026 third-round selection.
We'll see if the Islanders can qualify for the postseason and if Romanov can get back by then, because he's surely been missed.
Montréal Canadiens - 39-21-10 - 88 Points - 6-3-1 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 3rd in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-22-11 - 87 Points - 6-1-3 in the last 10 - Won 1 - 2nd in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets won for the fifth time in the last six games with a 3-2 victory at Philadelphia on Tuesday.
The club has earned points in 24 of its last 27 contests (20-3-4, 44 pts) to lead the league in wins (tied), points, points pct. (.815) and goals-against per game (2.44) as well as posting the fewest regulation losses since Jan. 11. They also rank seventh-T in penalty kill pct. (81.4) and eighth in goals-for per game (3.59).
CBJ are also 9-2-1 in 12 road contests since Jan. 11, ranking second in the league in points pct. (.792) and third in goals against per game (2.17) and penalty kill pct. (87.1) as well as fifth in power play pct. (30.4).
Columbus has allowed two goals or less in seven of the last eight games since Mar. 10 (1.75 GA/GP, 2nd).
The Blue Jackets have 11 games remaining in the regular season with seven against teams currently holding a playoff spot, and all 11 contests against teams within seven points of a playoff spot.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli has registered points in seven out of the last eight games (3-6-9) and 13 of the last 16 contests (8-10-18). He sits two points (21-32-53, 71 GP) from setting a single-season career high.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 14 of his last 15 starts since Jan. 11 (12-1-2, 2.24 GAA, .915 SV% in 16 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 12 starts over that span (8-2-2, 2.50 GAA in 13 GP).
Mason Marchment notched 1-1-2, including the third period game winner on Tuesday and has totaled 13-10-23 in 29 contests with the Blue Jackets.
Mathieu Olivier has posted 3-1-4 in the past five games and ranks seventh in the NHL in goals since Jan. 28 (11 in 20 GP).
Damon Severson collected two assists at Philadelphia and has registered 3-7-10 in 13 games in March.
Zach Werenski has recorded multiple points in three of the last four games (1-7-8) and tied Artemi Panarin's single-season club record with his 25th multi-point effort on Tuesday (1-1-2). He has notched 21-56-77 in 64 games in 2025-26 to lead NHL blueliners in points-per-game (1.20), multi-point efforts and shots on goal (225) and sit second in points and third in goals.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.1% - 17th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.9% - 22nd in the NHL
Goals For - 225 - 13th in the NHL
Goals Against - 216 - 18th in the NHL
CanadiensStats
Power Play - 25.0% - 3rd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.3% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 247 - 5th in the NHL
Goals Against - 225 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheCanadiens
Columbus is 22-17-1-5 all-time, and 10-10-1-3 on the road vs. Montréal.
Columbus has recorded points in three-straight meetings overall (2-0-1) and 12 of the last 17 dating back to Mar. 28, 2019 (9-5-3).
The club has collected points in five of last eight games at Montreal (3-3-2) but the Canadiens have won the last four home games in the series (CBJ; 0-3-1).
Each of the last three games have been decided by a single goal. Prior to that, 7-of-8 were decided by multiple goals.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals in 11 of the past 15 games since Nov. 19, 2019 (including SO goals).
The teams have combined for six or more goals in four-straight meetings and nine of the past 11.
CBJ have scored a power play goal in two-straight games of the series (2-of-5; 40.0 pct.).
The teams have combined for 60 shots or less in six of the past nine meetings (58.2 avg.).
Who To Watch For TheCanadiens
Cole Caufield leads the Habs with 44 goals.
Captain Nick Suzuki leads the team with 62 assists and 86 points.
Jakub Dobeš is 23-8-4 with a SV% of .896.
Jacob Folwer is 6-5-2 with a SV% of .899.
CBJ Player Notes vsCanadiens
Charlie Coyle has 9 goals 21 points in 29 games against Montréal.
Zach Werenski has 18 career points in 22 games against the Habs
Boone Jenner has 13 points in 25 games against the Canadiens.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 33 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 179
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
* Simulcasted on CW Columbus, WUAB in Cleveland, WXIX in Cincinnati, WZCD in Dayton, WQCW in Charleston/Huntington, WV, WKYT in Lexington, KY and WAVE in Louisville, KY
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The Chicago Blackhawks have not made the playoffs in a long time, but the rebuild, as it is known today, started when Kyle Davidson took over on a full-time basis. He tore it down to the studs and let drafting and developing take over as the main focus.
Davidson has made a handful of small free agent signings and trades to fill out the NHL roster, but players on entry-level deals have been his primary focus from the start. Stockpiling high-end draft picks has been a part of that process.
There have been four drafts since Davidson took over. In that time, he made eleven first-round picks. Remarkably, six of them are going to be in the lineup on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Sacha Boisvert, the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is set to make his NHL debut. He signed with the Blackhawks after completing his 2025-26 season at Boston University. There were some work visa issues to work out, but he’s ready to go.
Boisvert’s debut comes one game after Anton Frondell made his against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Frondell, the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is the top prospect in the organization and one of the top five across the entire league.
Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov are the other four top round picks in the lineup. If Oliver Moore were not injured, he’d be in the mix as well, which would make it 7 out of 11 first-round picks by Davidson playing.
Kevin Korchinski, Marek Vanacker, Vaclav Nestrasil, and Mason West are the four first-rounders not playing in the NHL yet. The only one of them who is eligible right now is Kevin Korchinski, meaning that almost every first-round pick that Davidson has made from 2022-2024 (three drafts) is already contributing or about to contribute at the NHL level.
The jury is still out on Korchinski. He has dominated at times in the AHL but has yet to stick in the NHL when given opportunities. All of the things he does well are skills that Rinzel and Levshunov also do well, while being much more sound defensively.
Vanacker just finished a regular season campaign in the OHL that saw him lead the league in goal scoring. After some AHL seasoning, he has an NHL future.
Vaclav Nestrasil just won a Silver Medal at the World Juniors and was strong in his freshman season at UMass. Another year of college will do him good.
As for Mason West, he completed his goal of winning a high school state football championship. He is now with the Fargo Force of the USHL and will play for Michigan State next year.
Most of the first round picks being hits with the potential for there to be more on the way makes the Blackhawks a dangerous organization going forward. High-end talent put in the proper position is a key to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Blackhawks will have another top 5-10 pick in the NHL draft this June. They are hoping that this is the last one that they have for a while, because it will mean that they have started winning.
Whether the first-round pick from the Florida Panthers comes in 2026 or 2027 remains to be seen. They also have the first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2027, but that could also become a 2028 pick, depending on Edmonton’s finish next year.
Every single one of these first-round players is unlikely to dress for the Blackhawks for any sustained period. Some will not make it, some will be traded, but they are all valuable to Davidson right now.
Their future depends on wise choices for their development from this day forward, with six of them already in the NHL lineup.
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Mar 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates up ice with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Evgeni Malkin will not be in the lineup tonight when the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Ottawa Senators.
The veteran Penguins center will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury after head coach Dan Muse said that Malkin wouldn’t be traveling with the team to face Ottawa.
Dan Muse said Anthony Mantha will travel with the #LetsGoPens for their one-game trip to Ottawa. Evgeni Malkin will not.
The injury was considered ‘day-to-day’ earlier in the week and the specific nature of his injury hasn’t been divulged by the team.
Malkin returned to the lineup earlier this month, scoring two goals and three assists in four games after being suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin during a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Penguins will take the ice tonight in Ottawa with playoff implications at stake.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Penguins sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points and the Senators sit in the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot with 85 points.
OTTAWA, CANADA - DECEMBER 18: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles for position against Artem Zub #2 of the Ottawa Senators in front of goalie Linus Ullmark #35 during the second period on December 18, 2025 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tim Austen/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (35-20-16, 86 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Ottawa Seantors (38-24-9, 85 points, 5th place Atlantic Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, TSN5 and RDS2 up in Canada, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The games keep on coming, the Pens head back to Pittsburgh to face Dallas on Saturday (clock the unusual 5:00pm eastern start). Then next week comes a pair of massive games against the Islanders on Monday on the road, followed by a home game against Detroit on Tuesday.
Opponent Track: Hot opponent alert! The Sens have won four-straight games, six of their last seven and eight of their last 10. Ottawa defeated Detroit 3-2 on Tuesday night in their most recent game, a huge victory to propel them above the Red Wings in the standings.
Season Series: Ottawa is 2-0 against Pittsburgh this year, winning 4-0 back on December 18th and then 3-2 in regulation in Steel City back on February 2nd.
Hidden Stat: The Pens have lost nine out of their last 11 games against Ottawa (2-5-4) since the start of the 2022-23 season. Pittsburgh is also 1-5-3 since March 2023 and lost their last five games (0-1-4) on the road in Ottawa.
Getting to know the Senators
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Drake Batherson – Tim Stutzle – Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund
DEFENSEMEN
Tyler Kleven / Artem Zub
Nicolas Matinpalo / Jordan Spence
Jorian Donovan / Carter Yakemchuk
Goalies: Linus Ullmark and James Reimer
Potential scratches: Thomas Chabot (injured), Kurtis MacDermid, Stephen Halliday, Lassi Thomson, Dennis Gilbert
Injured Reserve: Jake Sanderson, Nick Jensen
Ottawa’s recent run has been all the more impressive considering the injuries they’re dealing with on the blueline. USA Olympian Sanderson has been out since March 7th (he’s expected back next week). Chabot just went down with injury over the weekend. It looks bare bones on paper with an assortment of names but they’ve been making it work.
As a result of the injuries, 21-year old Jorian Donovan and 20-year old Carter Yakemchuk both made their NHL debuts last game. Donovan, a fifth round pick in 2023, is the son of former Penguin (and Senator) Shean Donovan. Yakemchuk was the seventh overall pick in 2024, scoring a goal and adding an assist to have a part in two of the three goals the Senators scored on Tuesday.
Foegele (4G+1A in his last six games) has found some scoring touch lately. He doesn’t get paid by the hour, averaging only 11:25 per game in this stretch but has been able to step up and chip in key goals for the team.
Goaltending has been a major issue for Ottawa and huge reason that they underperformed in the first half of the season. That led the club to add 38-year old James Reimer as a free agent in a desperation move to patch things up. Results are mixed (that 2.32 GAA will sure take care of business) and he’s been a moderate upgrade over Leevi Merilainen who couldn’t keep the puck out of the net this season.
Ullmark has been all over the place but is starting to get the arrow pointed in the right direction. He’s 9-2-2 with a .902 save% and 2.31 GAA since the turn of the calendar year, compared to being 14-8-5 with a .881 save% and 2.95 GAA in the 2025 portion of the 2025-26 season. Even more recently, Ullmark has a .908% and 2.20 GAA in his last six outings. Nothing dominant but certainly an improvement from the start of the year and the Sens are finding ways to keep the goals against down.
Claude Giroux will keep on annoying the Penguins until he retires. Giroux has 12 points (2G+10A) in eight career games against Pittsburgh as a member of the Senators, including the go-ahead goal with 5:08 to play in the third period last game.
Tim Stutzle usually confounds the Pens as well (three points in the first two meetings this season) but by his standards he’s been quiet lately with just three points (2G+1A) in his last seven games.
Key Matchup: A strong test for the Penguin defense
The Senators have been a solid team process-wise, they generate a lot of shot attempts, which helps on the other end where they are also No. 1 in the league in xGA due to staying out of their own end and keeping puck control. They also have shown an ability to finish well on all these shots and have a decent power play.
Ottawa is 10-2-2 since the Olympic break, outscoring their opponents on aggregate by a 48-32 margin. The split between shots per game (6th in NHL at a 30.9 average) to shots allowed (2nd in NHL at 22.1) is very impressive.
On the other side, the Penguins have had their share of significant struggles at limiting the opposition recently. Coach Dan Muse summed up the issues after the 6-2 loss to Colorado:
“The quality is too high,” Muse said of opposing scoring chances lately. “It’s just too loud.”
“It’s not chances where it’s to the outside,” Muse said. “It’s plays into the slot. Guys are open there. Some of them are odd-man rushes, whether it’s a breakaway, or some of the other ones that we’re giving. We’ve got to do a better job there in terms of cleaning that up.”
That better job is going to have to start tonight against a very capable opponent who plays in an uptempo style that has given them fits in recent matchups.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Anthony Mantha*
Ville Koivunen – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Evgeni Malkin (injured), Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves
IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
No sign of Malkin on the ice for the Pens at practice yesterday, which afterwards Muse confirmed Malkin won’t travel with the team on their quick trip to Ottawa. Even worse Mantha was out with a day-to-day injury, but will at least be with the team and seemingly have a chance to play today.
Mantha’s performance bonus adds an additional $250,000 for every 10-games played. He hasn’t missed a game all season so far. He could only miss two games over the course of the year to still pick up the full bonus money by getting to 80 total games, so here’s betting whatever injury he has will be one that he won’t let keep him out of the lineup for too long, or if it does you know it will be painful in more ways than one if Mantha has to be out for three games over the rest of the season. Whether or not that first absence will happen tonight remains to be seen, Kevin Hayes took Mantha’s spot in practice yesterday in perhaps a hopeful sign that lines weren’t disrupted for early plans to adjust.
In the FWIW category, Pens PR points out that Stuart Skinner has a 6-1-0 record in seven games played against Ottawa and he has a .903 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average.
Also, somewhat interestingly, Erik Karlsson has no goals and only seven points in 15 career games against the Ottawa franchise where he played from 2009-18.
Crosby nearing 1,100 assists
Sidney Crosby has 1,098 career assists and figures to become the third fastest player via games played to get to the 1,100 mark once he gets two more helpers. There’s more history is soon to come, with 1,751 points Crosby enters the night four points behind Steve Yzerman’s 1,755. Yzerman currently sits seventh place in all-time league scoring and sixth place Marcel Dionne (1,771) isn’t too far ahead either.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: The Boston Bruins celebrate after winning an NHL game in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres on March 25, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bjorn Franke/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Former Sabre Casey Mittelstadt tied the game late in the third period and Pavel Zacha scored just 38 seconds into overtime to give the Bruins a 4-3 win over the Sabres in Buffalo.
Zacha’s goal, his 24th of the season, capped a back-and-forth game and gave the B’s a much needed win after a disappointing effort against Toronto on Tuesday.
David Pastrnak and Viktor Arvidsson scored the other goals for the Bruins, while Pastrnak also added two assists.
Joonas Korpisalo made 22 saves in the win.
After a slow start to the first period for both teams, Pastrnak got the scoring started 11 minutes in off of a great pass from Fraser Minten. 1-0 Bruins.
Mittelstadt spent the majority of his NHL career in Buffalo, so it was fitting that his big, game-tying goal came in a milestone game: last night’s was the 500th of his NHL career.
We all remember the earlier days of the season, when penalties seemed to sink the Bruins on a nightly basis, and that was nearly the case again tonight. Buffalo went 2-for-3 on the man advantage, and two of those three penalties were tripping calls.
It’s probably silly to harp on Lohrei at this point, but that really was a brutal sequence in the third period. Mistakes/giveaways happen, but to compound it with a cross-checking penalty just can’t happen.
The Bruins deserve a lot of credit for sticking with it after Zucker’s go-ahead goal. Playing your second game in two night’s in a hostile building isn’t easy regardless, and it would have been relatively easy to pack it in after giving up two goals in 30 seconds in the third period.
Pastrnak is up to 3G-6A-9PTS totals in his last five games, as he continues to shoulder the load for the Bruins. His assist on Zacha’s goal was his 60th of the season. That’s two off of his career high of 63, which he has reached for the past two seasons.
To make Wednesday night even bright, the Maple Leafs won again last night, so it was an all-around good night for the Bruins.
The B’s will now enjoy a rarity this season (aside from the Olympic break): three consecutive days without a game, as they’re off until hosting Minnesota on Saturday night.
PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 2: Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save against Drake Batherson #19 of the Ottawa Senators at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 2, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
With both teams desperate for points in their fight for playoff positioning, tonight’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators should have a playoff feel when the teams hit the ice. Right now, the Penguins are holding onto third place in the Metro division while the Senators cling to the second and final wild card spot by virtue of holding the tiebreaker over the New York Islanders. Both the Penguins and Senators will have only 10 games left after tonight’s contest, so expect both sides to leave it all on the ice tonight in Canada’s capital.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00PM EST and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
While a few of the upper tier teams in the Eastern Conference have created separation and are in a comfortable playoff position, that is not the case for the rest as the battle to make the Stanley Cup playoffs is going to come down right to the wire with razor thin margins separating the contenders. [Pensburgh]
After some recent struggles, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins righted the ship a bit last weekend, taking two of three games on a road trip through Canada and clinched a playoff spot in the process. With nine games left on the schedule, the goal is now to lock down a first round bye. [Pensburgh]
Another key injury appears to have hit the Penguins lineup at the worst possible moment. Forward Anthony Mantha, who has already set a new career high in goals this season, did not practice on Wednesday and is considered day-to-day but will be on the plane to Ottawa with the team. [Trib Live]
Like Mantha, Just Brazeau has already set a new career high in goals this season with the Penguins but the well has dried up as of late. He had a goal taken off the board against Colorado on Tuesday, but Brazeau knows the opportunities will come if he just keeps playing his game. [Trib Live]
There’s a strong case to be made for Kyle Dubas as the top general manager in hockey this season as his series of moves over the past year have perfectly positioned this Penguins team break their postseason drought after many considered them a likely basement dweller rather than a playoff contender. [Daily Faceoff]
Another testament to the work Dubas has done since joining the Penguins organization is the way the he has slowly but surely replenished the prospect pool that was near the bottom of the league before he arrived. Now they sit somewhere around the middle of the pack with that stock likely to keep rising. [The Athletic $$]
NHL News and Notes…
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman and team captain Victor Hedman will be taking a temporary leave of absence from the team, citing personal reasons. No other reason was given for his departure nor did the team release any kind of timetable for his return to action. [ESPN]
What shall we expect of the Islanders tonight? With every point crucial in a crowded playoff race, they are in a run where they 1) played aimlessly against Ottawa yet still had at least a point on the table until the final 11 seconds, 2) gave up a gazillion goals to the Habs, 3) played a solid game against Columbus but still needed a Ilya Sorokin shutout, and 4) fell asleep for 10 minutes to lose to the Blackhawks.
That’s not good, not at all, and as a result they sit outside the playoff spots with 10 games to go.
Tonight a Cup contending team visits, though the Dallas Stars are on a three-game losing streak as they begin a four-game eastern trip.
The Isles, meanwhile, acre accumulating blueline injury issues, forcing Matthew Schaefer to break the record for ice time by a teenager in Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks. That game saw Tony DeAngelo leave injured in the first period, while Ryan Pulock sat out another one.
We’ll learn today from the morning skate if Isaiah George, called up before that last game, will get his first NHL action since a two-game stint in January. (On that note, Alex Romanov’s season-ender, Mikko Rantanen, has been out hurt but is apparently on this trip.)
The Boston Bruins are in the midst of a very competitive playoff race in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, and even though they are in a strong position to qualify for the postseason, the job is far from finished.
A brutal 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice Tuesday night was a setback, but the Bruins earned a much-needed two points Wednesday night with an overtime victory versus the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres.
Only 10 games remain on the Bruins’ schedule, and plenty of challenges await on the road to the postseason.
Let’s look at the state of the East playoff race and where the Bruins stand entering Wednesday.
Standings
Atlantic Division
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Wild Card
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If the Bruins make the playoffs, it will most likely be in a wild card spot, but they could also still finish top three in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens and Bruins both have 88 points in third place, but Montreal has two games in hand.
The wild card battle is currently a four-team race, with the Islanders in the worst position of the group. The Bruins are in a good spot with a three-point edge over the Senators and Islanders, along with more regulation wins than the Islanders and Red Wings. Regulation wins is the first tiebreaker, followed by regulation and overtime wins (ROW).
The Bruins will take two points any way they can get them, but accumulating them in regulation is the most impactful way to help their cause.
Remaining schedule
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Jeremy Swayman has been one of the NHL’s best goalies this season.
The No. 1 argument for why the Bruins could miss the playoffs is their schedule. It’s brutally tough the rest of the way. In fact, it’s the hardest remaining slate in the league, per Tankathon.
Seven of the Bruins’ final 10 games are against teams currently in a playoff spot. Six of the 10 are on the road. They play the teams with the second-best, third-best, fifth-best, sixth-best and ninth-best records.
Two matchups remain against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who might be the best team in the East right now. Two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets remain, too, and those matchups will be pivotal (CBJ has 87 points as the second-place team in the Metropolitan Division). Both of those matchups are in Columbus.
Boston’s “easiest” games are against the Panthers and Devils. The Panthers are a tough team to beat and have given the B’s trouble for years, while the Devils beat the Bruins just 10 days ago.
With a bunch of good opponents remaining, plus three more back-to-backs, the Bruins will need to play their best hockey of the season to secure enough points to earn a playoff spot.
What the analytics say
MoneyPuck’s model gives the Bruins a 75.1 percent chance of making the playoffs. HockeyStats’ model gives the Bruins a 71 percent chance. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s model gives the B’s a 57 percent of reaching the postseason.
What must happen for the Bruins to make the playoffs?
They need Jeremy Swayman to keep playing at a Vezina Trophy level. He ranks third among all goalies with 28.3 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, and his 4.72 WAR (wins above replacement) also ranks third-highest in the league.
Strong goaltending has been the primary factor in the Bruins exceeding expectations so far this season. That trend has to continue for the Bruins to punch their ticket to the playoffs, especially when you consider seven of their last 10 games are against opponents who rank top 13 in goals scored per game.
David Kirouac-Imagn Images