Filip Forsberg netted his third game-winning goal of the season in the Nashville Predators' 3-2 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday at the United Center.
The Predators are riding their longest winning streak of the season at four games, rattling off wins over Winnipeg, Seattle, Vegas and Chicago.
Nashville now has a two-game lead on the Los Angeles Kings for the Wild Card 2 spot. with 75 points. Even if the Kings defeat the Mammoth on Sunday, they will still be a point behind the Predators.
On the goal, Forsberg shoved Andre Burakovsky off the puck behind the Chicago net and pulled around front. From the right side of Spencer Knight, Forsberg beat him on the left corner for the win.
It's Forsberg's 32nd goal of the season, nine points in four games. He finished with three points (two goals and an assist) against the Blackhawks.
Juuse Saros returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury. He made 26 saves on 28 shots for his 25th win of the season.
The first period was scoreless before Nick Lardis put the Blackhawks ahead early in the second.
Nashville responded off Forsberg's first goal of the game. He got a feed from Jonathan Marchessault into the slot and Forsberg on a snap shot. Marchessault's assist was his third point in three games.
Connor Bedard gave the Blackhawks the lead back in the second period off his 29th goal of the season.
Steven Stamkos tied the game in the third period, redirecting a feed from Forsberg into the net. Stamkos now has five points in the last three games.
The Predators head back home on Tuesday to take on the San Jose Sharks, who trail Nashville by five points in the standings.
Dylan Garand held his own in his NHL debut on Sunday afternoon, which ended in a New York Rangers’ 3-2 shootout loss against the Winnipeg Jets.
This day was a long time coming as Garand was drafted in the fourth round by the Rangers back in 2020 and has spent the past four seasons playing in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
“I think there are a lot of goalies that get rushed into the NHL, first or second year pro, not that many games under your belt, and things like that,” Garand said. “Sometimes that hurts your career. For me, I've played a lot of American League games, and, yeah, I think it's made me more ready for today. Didn’t rush my development. Definitely leaned on all of that experience for sure.”
On Wednesday night, after the Wolf Pack’s 5-2 win over the Charlotte Checkers, Garand was informed that not only would he be called up to the NHL, but he was also slated to start on Sunday.
The 23-year-old goaltender’s mind was consumed by what would transpire once he touched the ice at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
“I found out after a game last Wednesday that I was gonna play on Sunday, so I just was kind of thinking all day, every day for the last four days,” Garand confessed.
Garand secured tickets for his mom, dad, stepmom, and goalie coach from his days with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League.
Garand flashed off his potential, recording a total of 35 saves on 37 shots, while making timely stops, especially down the stretch in the third period.
He was poised, looking steady and calm behind the pipes, and he did not appear to be flustered by the moment.
Despite giving up two goals on Winnipeg’s two attempts in the shootout, Mike Sullivan was pleased with Garand’s performance.
“He obviously was terrific,” Sullivan said of Garand. “He looked really solid, calm demeanor there, track pucks well, rebound control was great. He made some big saves for us. I thought he had a really strong game.”
In the grand scheme of things, the score in Sunday afternoon’s game was meaningless compared to the magnitude of this day for Garand and his family.
The young goaltender has had to overcome a long journey filled with highs and lows to get to this point, waiting patiently in the AHL for years before this opportunity to play in the NHL finally came around.
“I've kind of been waiting to make my NHL debut my whole life… I don't even remember the last time I didn't want to be a hockey player. It’s my life’s dream,” Garand said. “It's pretty cool to accomplish that. Hopefully it’s just the beginning, but yeah, it's a dream come true for sure. It’s an awesome experience, and I’m glad my family is here for it too.”
With Jonathan Quick’s contract ending at the end of the 2025-26 season and his future in the NHL still uncertain past this year, the Rangers' backup goaltending position behind Igor Shesterkin could very much be up for grabs.
Garand’s NHL debut showed that he’s capable of slotting into that backup role if the opportunity is presented to him.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: Logan Thompson #48 of the Washington Capitals watches the puck as Brock Nelson #11 of the Colorado Avalanche looks to take a shot on goal in the first period at Capital One Arena on March 22, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It was another very early Sunday matinee affair as the Colorado Avalanche briefly visited the Nation’s Capital on their east coast swing to take on the Washington Capitals. It wasn’t pretty but Colorado woke from their slumber in the third period and survived until overtime to take home the 3-2 win and maintain a five-point lead in the Central division race.
One welcome surprise was the return of the captain to the lineup as Gabe Landeskog was deemed sufficiently recovered from his “uncomfortable” lower-body injury.
The visitors must have still been on mountain time because it was a sleepy start for the Avalanche. They only mustered six shots on goal in the first period and gave the Capitals the first score of the game. Washington super rookie Justin Sourdif converted on a breakaway on a defensive miscue by Val Nichushkin and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Truly nothing happened in the second period as the teams traded unsuccessful power plays. The Avalanche put up eight shots on goal this frame and looked a little bit more dangerous but still nothing on the scoreboard. After 40 minutes of play Washington continued to hold on to their one-goal lead.
In the third period Colorado decided it was finally time to win the game. Early into the frame Gabe Landeskog took advantage of a Logan Thompson miscue as the netminder misplayed the puck after vacating the crease and Gabe Landeskog an open cage to shoot at to tie the game. Then by the midpoint Colorado took the lead as Zakhar Bardakov found Nic Roy open in the slot to put the Avalanche up 2-1.
After that Colorado was almost ready to lock it down and sneak out of town with a win but the great Alex Ovechkin did what he does best and sniped a power play goal to tie the game 2-2 with five minutes remaining. It was his milestone 1000th career goal combining regular season and playoffs.
Alex Ovechkin has joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history to score 1,000 career goals in the regular-season and playoffs combined. pic.twitter.com/i7uB4YGh8Y
Back to the task at hand, both teams managed to get the game to overtime. There it didn’t take long as Matin Nečas found his legs and wouldn’t give up the puck. After several tries he found Brock Nelson open for the tip-in and secured the 3-2 Colorado win.
Takeaways
With Landeskog back in the lineup and hopefully some other injured forwards making their return soon it will be interesting to see how the lines are constructed for the remainder of the regular season. In today’s game Nichushkin started on the top line but he clearly did not have his best game and eventually Landeskog found his way up the lineup. Considering that’s how Colorado’s first goal was scored it will probably remain that way for now.
Also it’s worth monitoring how the bottom six shakes out because it seems Jared Bednar is keen to keep the trio of Parker Kelly-Jack Drury-Joel Kiviranta together. This means Nic Roy was on the fourth line with Gavin Brindley and Zakhar Bardakov, who will surely get replaced with returning veterans soon.
Upcoming
A rematch with the Pittsburgh Penguins to avenge the ugly 7-2 loss from a week ago. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. MT on Tuesday, March 24th.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have already gotten a lot of value out of the first round in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, as 11th overall pick Ben Kindel has been an unexpected yet integral part of the NHL team's success this season.
And it appears that another one of their three first-round selections last summer is knocking on the door, too.
On Sunday, the Penguins signed 22nd overall pick Bill Zonnon to a three-year, entry-level contract. The contract begins in the 2026-27 and will run thorugh the 2028-29 season, as Zonnon will be ineligible for participation in junior hockey next season and will join the Penguins' organization.
Zonnon, 19, dealt with two separate injuries in his fourth QMJHL season, this one with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada - one right from the gate in training camp and beyond and one later in the season. In 35 games, he put up 13 goals and 46 points to go along with a plus-24.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound center plays a hard two-way game, using his hockey IQ, physicality, forechecking, and playmaking acumen to his advantage. His team will face the Victoriaville Tigres - junior team of Penguins' goaltending prospect Gabriel D'Aigle, who also just signed his entry-level contract on Saturday - in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.
NEW YORK (AP) — Gabriel Vilardi tied his career high with his 27th goal of the season and won the game in a shootout, captain Adam Lowry ended his lengthy scoring drought and the Winnipeg Jets ended their three-game losing streak by beating the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday.
Vilardi and Kyle Connor scored in the shootout to spoil the NHL debut of Rangers goaltending prospect Dylan Garand. The 23-year-old impressed by stopping 35 of the 37 shots he faced in regulation and overtime and was arguably one of the best players on the ice.
Garand’s biggest save came midway through the second period when he denied Connor on a shorthanded 2-on-0 breakaway. He was fortunate minutes later when Cole Perfetti’s shot from in tight clanked off the crossbar and out.
Lowry scored on a tic-tac-toe passing play from Perfetti and Lowry 13 minutes in that Garand had little chance of preventing. Lowry’s goal was his first since Jan. 13, which was 25 games ago.
Jets backup Eric Comrie made 27 saves in regulation and overtime, then two more in the shootout.
The Rangers lost for a 24th time in 33 home games despite the play of Garand and a power-play goal from Mika Zibanejad. Skating in his 999th regular-season game in the league, Zibanejad reached the 30-goal mark for the first time since 2022-23 and third time in his career.
The soon-to-be 33-year-old from Sweden has scored in three consecutive games and is now tied with Adam Graves for the fourth-most goals in franchise history with 280. Tye Kartye, a late-February waiver pickup from Seattle, also scored for New York, which has lost four in a row and is last in the Eastern Conference.
Up next
Jets: Return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Rangers: Igor Shesterkin is expected to start Monday night at home against the Ottawa Senators.
Defense, we should try it. | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders put themselves in a rough spot after their three-game Canada swing featured a win against an also-ran mixed with regulation losses to two teams that could very easily keep them out of the playoffs.
They enter tonight one point out of the wild card and two points behind tonight’s opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have surged up the standings like some kind of Buffalo since firing Dean Evason and replacing him with longtime good guy Rick Bowness.
Like the Sabres, the Blue Jackets are for real, and the non-mirage emergence of both over the last few months has added two major competitors for the few Eastern playoff spots that are up for grabs.
Takeaways: “The other night it was too many battles that were lost,” Anders Lee said. “Tonight it was more they made plays through us, and we had a couple missed assignments.” [Isles]
Gross: The Isles’ playoff chances, they are slipping. [Newsday]
Previewing tonight: Columbus is on an 18-2-4 run, has won four in a row, has not lost in regulation in its last 10. [Isles]
The Skinny: “Matthew Schaefer is the first Islander defenseman to score eight power play goals since Mark Streit had nine in 2009-10.” [NHL]
Patrick Roy was noncommittal about how — or if — the goalie duties would be divvied up this weekend, and that was before Ilya Sorokin gave up six and David Rittich stepped in for some brief relief. But post-game, he conceded that Sorokin was pulled in part to let him regroup and rest to start tonight. [THN | Post]
Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores were all bad, bad things. I guess at least the Bruins and Red Wings kept it to a two-point game with Detroit getting the regulation loss.
The role of goalie coach has evolved over the years, from “we should maybe get a guy to pop in here once in a while” to the regular fixture it is now. [NHL]
Terrible, tragic news as beloved Minnesota hockey writer Jessi Pierce died in a house fire with her three young kids. [Michael Russo on Twitter]
Leon Draisaitl’s injury status is now “hopes to return at some point in the playoffs.” [NHL]
Alex Ovechkin scored last night and (…oh, suddenly now we’re including all-time playoff numbers because 1,000 makes a nice round number in our base-10 system?) [Sportsnet]
Goaltender Dylan Garand #33 of the New York Rangers defends the net during the second period against the Jets on March 22, 2026.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
Goalie Dylan Garand was informed after the AHL Wolf Pack’s game Wednesday that he would make his NHL debut in four days against the Jets at Madison Square Garden, which filled the Blueshirts lineup with at least one rookie at every position in their 3-2 shootout loss to Winnipeg on Sunday.
It was certainly a first game to remember for Garand.
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The workload — 35 saves on 37 shots — resembled more of a cannon ball into the deep end than dipping his toe.
His first ever shootout opponent? Perennial 30-goal scorer Kyle Connor.
The second? Gabriel Vilardi, who already scored a power-play goal on him earlier in the game.
“That was awesome,” Garand said after both Jets skaters capitalized in the shootout to hand him his first NHL loss. “It was pretty surreal. I really just tried to be present and take it all in. It was everything you could ever hope and dream of. It sucks to not get the win for the guys, but it was a dream come true.”
Goaltender Dylan Garand #33 of the New York Rangers defends the net during the second period against the Jets on March 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Garand held his own in a matchup between the 2024 and 2025 Presidents’ Trophy winners, who both face-planted in their subsequent seasons.
Looking steady between the pipes and only conceding goals he couldn’t do much about, Garand even stonewalled Connor on a short-handed breakaway in the second period to keep the Rangers within one goal at the time.
The 23-year-old netminder had been waiting for this since he made his AHL debut with the Wolf Pack on Feb. 21, 2021.
It took just under five and a half years, since the Rangers drafted him 103rd overall in 2020, for Garand to get his moment. There were certainly times, like now with Jonathan Quick banged up, when the organization could’ve looked to Garand but opted to go with the more experienced goaltender in their system.
Even earlier this season, the Rangers recalled Spencer Martin — signed out of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League in November — instead of Garand. It’s been a particularly difficult season in Hartford, which likely played a role in the decision to bring up Martin.
With the playoffs out of reach and the Letter 2.0 out in the open, however, the Rangers decided the time for Garand was now.
Tye Kartye #24 of the Rangers celebrates after he scores during the second period against the Jets on March 22, 2026. Getty Images
“I’ve been waiting to make my NHL debut my whole life,” Garand said. “When they tell you you’re actually going to play, it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of like, ‘OK, this is it. Here we go.’ I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and I felt pretty ready for it. It was a lot of days [since I found out], but it was nice that they gave me lots of heads up.
“Took care of my family’s flights and hotels and stuff like that, which was pretty stressful the first couple days. I had five [people at MSG]: My mom, my dad, my stepmom and then my goalie coach back from Kamloops and his daughter.”
The Rangers were able to answer each Jets goal with one of their own throughout regulation.
Winnipeg regained the lead on Vilardi’s power-play goal at the 6:43 mark of the second period, but the Rangers answered with one of their own to even the score 2-2.
Mika Zibanejad blasted a one-timer from his sweet spot in the circle, which tied the Swede with Adam Graves for the fourth-most goals in franchise history with 280. The Rangers survived the final 20 minutes of regulation, partially thanks to the 11 saves Garand made.
“It was terrific,” Sullivan said of Garand’s debut. “I thought he looked really solid. Calm demeanor in there, tracking pucks well, rebound control was great. He made some big saves for us. I thought he had a really strong game.”
Toronto Maple Leafs goalkeeper Anthony Stolarz was scratched from Saturday’s scheduled start against Senators in Ottawa after taking a puck to the throat during warmups.
Stolarz was taken to the hospital for precautionary imaging and later released, according to NHL.com.
Head coach Craig Berube said after the game, a 5-2 loss, that he didn’t have an update on the netminder’s condition, but Stolarz was expected to meet the team for the flight back to Toronto.
Anthony Stolarz will not start tonight for the Maple Leafs after taking a shot up high in warmups pic.twitter.com/2fsusNGRuQ
Joseph Woll, who had just faced 36 shots on goal in Friday’s overtime loss to the Hurricanes, started in Stolarz’s place, surrendering five goals in the one-sided wash.
Forward William Nylander, who took the shot that pelted Stolarz, reflected on the freak accident after the game — revealing that he’d talked with the goalie, and he seemed to be doing alright.
“Obviously it’s, you know, really tough to see that happen,” Nylander said. “I mean, I always come in and shoot the puck in the glove, and this one just came off a little bit to the left, and I hit him in the neck. So, I mean, I was obviously worried for him, but, I mean, I’ve been texting with him, so he seems to be OK.”
Stolarz, 32, is 8–9–3 with an .894 save percentage across 22 games (21 starts) in second season with the Maple Leafs, following a run to the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024 as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup.
Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz takes a puck to the throat during warmups on March 21, 2026. SportsnetMaple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been in the NHL since the 2016-17 season. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Limited to just 34 games last season due to knee surgery, the veteran goalie inked a four-year, $15 million contract in September to stay in Toronto through the 2029–2030 campaign.
Injury problems have followed Stolarz into his new contract, already missing 33 games earlier this season to nurse an upper-body injury.
The Maple Leafs (29–29–13) sit 13 points behind the Red Wings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot, and they’ll next head down to Boston for a Tuesday night matchup with the Bruins.
They traded away several depth players but have won four of their last six games and moved into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference on Saturday, March 21.
Nashville has a chance to build on its one-point lead when it plays at Chicago on Sunday, March 22. But if the Predators lose to the Blackhawks in regulation and Los Angeles beats Utah, the Kings will move back into the second wild-card spot.
Also Sunday, the Dallas Stars can become the second NHL team to clinch a 2026 Stanley Cup playoff berth, joining the Colorado Avalanche.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, tiebreaker procedures and playoff field for the 2025-26 season:
Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: None
Western Conference: Colorado
Who can clinch today?
The Dallas Stars will clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the Vegas Golden Knights.
NHL games today (Sunday, March 22)
All games ET
Winnipeg at N.Y. Rangers, noon
Colorado at Washington, 12:30
Carolina at Pittsburgh, 3
Nashville at Chicago, 3
Columbus at N.Y. Islanders, 7
Vegas at Dallas, 7
Tampa Bay at Calgary, 8
Buffalo at Anaheim, 8
Los Angeles at Utah, 9
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes (94)
Pittsburgh Penguins (86)
Columbus Blue Jackets (85)
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres (94)
Tampa Bay Lightning (90)
Montreal Canadiens (86)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (86)
Detroit Red Wings (84)
Sitting out of playoff position: New York Islanders (83), Ottawa Senators (81), Philadelphia Flyers (80), Washington Capitals (78), New Jersey Devils (72), Florida Panthers (71), Toronto Maple Leafs (71), New York Rangers (64)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
Central Division
x-Colorado Avalanche (100)
Dallas Stars (97)
Minnesota Wild (92)
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks (80)
Edmonton Oilers (77)
Vegas Golden Knights (76)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (78)
Nashville Predators (73)
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (72) Seattle Kraken (71), San Jose Sharks (70), Winnipeg Jets (68), St. Louis Blues (67), Chicago Blackhawks (64), Calgary Flames (63), Vancouver Canucks (50)
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended
Carolina (M1) vs Detroit (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Columbus (M3)
Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Anaheim (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Edmonton (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
Goal differential
Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18.
Dylan Garand is set to make his NHL debut for the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets.
On Friday, the Rangers recalled Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, and Mike Sullivan confirmed on Saturday that he anticipates Garand making his NHL debut at some point this week.
This call-up comes as Jonathan Quick is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
“There’s a lot of things that have gone into the decision to bring Dylan up,” Sullivan said. “The biggest point is that he’s played extremely well in Hartford. He’s given those guys a chance to win night in and night out, and he’s deserving.”
The 23-year-old goaltender was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he’s spent the past four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
Given Garand's breadth of experience at the AHL level, he feels prepared for his first NHL start.
“I think for me, especially over the last year or so, I’ve really gotten to know myself, and thinking about the future and stuff like that, I don’t tend to play my best,” Garand said. “So just trying to stay in the present moment, and if I get an opportunity, then great. It’s just another game. I’ve played, including playoffs, over 160 American League games, so it’s just another game.”
With the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL this season, Garand has posted a 16-15-2 record, .896 save percentage, and 2.83 goals against average.
Brock Nelson delivered in overtime, finishing off a brilliant setup from Martin Nečas to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in an afternoon clash at Capital One Arena.
Colorado flipped the game on its head early in the third period, striking on its first two shots to seize control. Just 1:05 into the frame, Nečas intercepted a misplayed puck by goaltender Logan Thompson behind the Washington net and quickly fed Gabriel Landeskog, who was playing in his first game after missing the previous seven with a lower-body injury. Landeskog buried the puck into a wide-open net from the right circle for his 10th of the season.
A recent media scrum with Brock Nelson.
Moments later, Nicolas Roy extended the lead after forcing a turnover by rookie defenseman Cole Hutson in front. Roy pounced on the loose puck and snapped it past Thompson at 6:03, giving Colorado a 2-1 advantage. The goal was his third in nine games since being acquired ahead of the trade deadline, adding to the five he recorded in 59 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this season.
But the Capitals had an answer—and it came from a familiar source. With Landeskog in the penalty box, Alexander Ovechkin unleashed a trademark one-timer from the left circle just 20 seconds into the power play, tying the game 2-2 with 5:43 remaining.
The goal was historic. It marked his 923rd career regular-season tally and his 1,000th combined goal across the regular season and playoffs, as “The Great 8” joined Wayne Gretzky as the only players in NHL history to reach the 1,000-goal milestone.
In net, Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves in his second consecutive start for Colorado, while Thompson stopped 21 of 24 shots for Washington.
But ultimately, it was Nelson who had the final say, sealing the win in overtime and capping a dramatic comeback for the Avalanche.
First Period
In the early stages, Washington forward Ryan Leonard was tied up by Landeskog and, taking exception, responded by slashing him on the right leg, but no penalty was called.
At the 3:14 mark of the period, Hutson was penalized for holding Nathan MacKinnon, giving the Avalanche a power play, though they were unable to convert.
Later, Roy—who had been moved down to the fourth-line center spot for this game—was sent to the box for high-sticking Trevor van Riemsdyk, but like Colorado, Washington could not capitalize on the man advantage.
A scary moment followed when Devon Toews tripped Capitals forward Ethan Frank as he closed in on Blackwood. The contact sent Frank crashing into the post, arm first. After writhing in pain in the crease, he managed to get up on his own but was holding his injured arm and immediately headed down the tunnel.
Toews was not penalized on the play, and Washington capitalized shortly after. Rookie Justin Sourdif slipped behind the defense and ripped a wrist shot past Blackwood at 11:53 to make it 1-0.
Colorado went on its second penalty kill of the period with 5:50 remaining when Parker Kelly was called for slashing.
Second Period
Ovechkin was penalized for hooking Cale Makar at the 4:29 mark of the second period, but Colorado failed to convert on the power play. Washington even generated a prime shorthanded chance late in the advantage.
Not much else developed in a quiet period, though Kelly had a late breakaway opportunity. Thompson made the stop just before Kelly absorbed a hard hit while trying to regain control of the puck.
After two periods, Washington held a 1-0 lead, with both teams recording 14 shots on goal.
Third Period
After a sluggish second, the Avalanche came alive in the third. Thompson misplayed the puck behind his own net, allowing Nečas to recover it and find Landeskog wide open in the slot. He buried the equalizer into an empty net to make it 1-1.
Nearly four minutes later, Roy forced a turnover in front and quickly snapped a wrist shot past Thompson. In just 240 seconds, Colorado turned a deficit into a 2-1 lead.
Josh Manson was later penalized for tripping Aliaksei Protas, but the penalty kill stood firm, improving to a perfect 4-for-4 on the day.
Landeskog was sent off for holding with 6:03 remaining, giving Washington its fifth power play. This time, it proved costly. The puck worked its way to the left circle, where Ovechkin blasted it past Blackwood to tie the game.
Alex Ovechkin scores his 1,000th combined regular-season and playoff goal from his office! He is 16 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky #ALLCAPSpic.twitter.com/uKdPoi9JId
The goal also marked his 1,000th career tally across regular season and postseason play, further cementing his place alongside Gretzky in NHL history.
Overtime
For the second time in three games, Colorado needed overtime—but this time, it didn’t take long. Nečas set up Nelson on a backdoor tap-in from the left post, sealing the win.
After going 11 straight games without a goal, Nelson now has goals in back-to-back contests, delivering when it mattered most.
What’s Next
With the win, the Avalanche (46-13-10) extended their lead in the Central Division to five points over the Dallas Stars (43-15-11), 102-97. However, the Stars are set to face the Vegas Golden Knights tonight and will look to trim that margin.
The Avalanche return to action Tuesday when they visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena, with coverage set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Colorado will be seeking redemption after a 7-2 loss in the previous meeting.
Jordan Greenway (undisclosed, Jan. 22; injured reserve)
Notes
Buffalo has allowed just one goal over the team’s last three games, tied for the second-fewest goals allowed in a three-game span in franchise history. Buffalo has never allowed one or fewer goals in a four-game span.
Alex Lyon is 10-0-0 in his last 10 road games, which is the longest road winning streak in franchise history. Lyon is currently tied for the third-longest road winning streak in NHL history and a win today would move him into a tie with Devan Dubnyk (2014-15) and Evgeni Nabokov (2009-10) for the longest in NHL history.
The Sabres are riding a franchise-record 13-game road point streak (12-0-1) that dates back to Jan. 20 at Nashville. All 12 of the Sabres’ road wins in that stretch have come in regulation.
With a point in today’s game, the Sabres would move into a tie for the 10thlongest road point streak in NHL history. It would make the Sabres the first team since the Nashville Predators (12-0-3 from Jan. 4 to March 19, 2018) to register a road point streak of at least 14 games.
During the team’s current road point streak, the Sabres are averaging 4.31 goals per game (1st among all NHL teams) and 1.77 goals against per game (1st among all NHL teams).
The Sabres have 33 wins in their last 41 games, tied for the fifth-most wins by an NHL team all-time in any 41-game span. Only Boston (36 in 1929-30 and 34 in 1970-71), Detroit (34 in 1995-96) and Montreal (34 in 1977-78) have recorded more.
Tage Thompson has tallied 49 points (23+26) in 41 games since Dec. 9 and his 21 even-strength goals in that span rank second among all NHL skaters.Thompson has registered a goal in consecutive games and a goal today would mark his third goal streak of three or more games this season. Thompson’s 209 goals scored as a member of the Sabres ranks 13th on Buffalo’s all-time list, two goals behind Alexander Mogilny for 12th.
Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 34 points (11+23) in his last 27 games, including 15 points (4+11) in his last 11 contests. Dahlin has recorded one goal in two straight games and a goal today would mark the fourth time he has posted a goal streak of three or more games in his career.
DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 19: Brent Burns #84 of the Colorado Avalanche smiles during warmups ahead of the game against the Washington Capitals at Ball Arena on January 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche are bound for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season!
Today, their final road swing through the Eastern Conference sees them in a brunchtime visit to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Capitals in a bid to sustain their Central Division lead.
Colorado Avalanche (45-13-10)
The Opponent: Washington Capitals (35-27-8)
Time: 10:30 A.M. MDT/12:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), MNMT (Washington Capitals Broadcast Area Only), NHL Network, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN1, SN+, TVAS, TVAS+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche got their four game road trip off to a good start on Friday evening, as they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-1 at United Center. All of Colorado’s big guns factored into the victory, as Martin Nečas, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and Valeri Nichushkin all tallied goals in the contest. Nathan MacKinnon’s three assist night helped power Colorado’s big guns in the victory as he continues his chase for the Art Ross scoring title; coming into today’s contest, MacKinnon’s 114 points sees him two points behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (116) and four points behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (118). The win snapped Colorado’s three game losing streak, and helped them maintain their position as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and entire League standings.
With the win over Chicago, the Avalanche clinched their ninth consecutive postseason berth, and became the first team in the NHL this season to reach the 100 point mark in the standings. Although they’ve enjoyed being ahead of the rest of the League by a healthy margin throughout the season, that lead has diminished as the regular season marches towards its conclusion. The annoyingly persistent Dallas Stars have narrowed the lead the Avalanche have over their Central Division rivals in recent weeks, but Colorado did get some help from the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Dallas by a 2-1 overtime decision at Grand Casino Arena. The Avalanche currently hold a three point lead over Dallas, but today’s contest in Washington serves as Colorado’s game in hand in the standings. A win today will increase their lead to five points, with both teams having thirteen games remaining on their regular season schedules.
Head Coach Jared Bednar acknowledged the accomplishment after the win in Chicago on Friday. “We like what we’re doing right now. Obviously, there’s ebbs and flows to the season, but I think, to this point in the season, if you look at it as a whole, that we’ve put ourselves in a good spot here. We feel good about the way we’re playing. Making the playoffs is the first step to getting to where you want to go, so we’re pretty happy about that.”
Bednar may opt to return to Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped 19 of 20 shots on Friday against Chicago, for today’s contest. Scott Wedgewood, who continues leading the League for the lowest goals against average (2.19), and now leads the League in save percentage (.916), could get the start on Tuesday in Pittsburgh should Bednar decide on starting Blackwood today.
Prior to leaving for Chicago, Bednar indicated that Ross Colton, Gabe Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, and Logan O’Connor would accompany the Avs on the road trip, and that all four were projected to return to the lineup at some point as the trip progresses. None of them were in the lineup on Friday evening in Chicago, and at the time of this writing, there are no updates on whether any of them would make an appearance against Washington today. However, Ivan Ivan, who was in action on Friday in Chicago, was reassigned to Loveland after the contest, which may indicate that at least one player may return to action today.
Both Colorado and Washington previously met on January 19 at Ball Arena. MacKinnon scored twice, Nečas had a goal and an assist, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 of 24 shots in that contest as the Avalanche skated to a 5-2 victory. Today’s game wraps up the season series against Washington.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Valeri Nichushkin – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Nazem Kadri – Brock Nelson – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Gavin Brindley Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Zakhar Bardakov
Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Washington Capitals
Since their previous meeting against Colorado in January, Washington has hovered around the .500 mark, having won five of their final nine games prior to the Olympic break and six of their previous eleven games upon returning to action after the pause. As a result, Washington currently sits in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, and are six points back of the final wild card spot, currently occupied by the Detroit Red Wings, in the Eastern Conference.
With three teams ahead of them as the season winds down, Washington’s chances of making the playoffs are slim. The trade deadline on March 6 saw the departures of Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights and cornerstone defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks, and the acquisition of forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks and defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks. Since the deadline, Washington has gone 4-2-1, but comes into today’s contest against Colorado having won three of their four previous games. Their most recent victory came this past Friday against the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2-1.
The debut of Cole Hutson this past Wednesday saw the rookie defenseman score his first career goal with Washington. While his older brother Lane may have more name recognition across the League due to his play for the Montréal Canadiens, Capitals fans certainly may feel optimistic about what he can bring to the Washington blue line, especially after scoring in his debut. The loss of Carlson may certainly sting, but the future lynchpin on defense may already be right there in Hutson if his development follows a similar trajectory to Lane’s.
As noted in this space during the first preview article featuring Washington and Colorado, if you were asked who was leading Washington in goals, you’d probably say it was Alex Ovechkin. As it was back then, it is still Tom Wilson, but Ovechkin now shares the goal scoring lead with Wilson (25), and the lead in team points (52). Wilson, who was out with injury for the previous outing against Colorado, earned a silver medal with Team Canada along with goaltender Logan Thompson. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is third among Washington skaters in points (51), second in goal scoring among all skaters (23, tied with Aliaksei Protas), and third in assists (28).
Thompson has won his three of his past five starts, and will likely start today against Colorado. He ranks third in goals against average among goaltenders (2.36), and fourth in save percentage (.915).
Today’s game against Colorado wraps up a four game home stand at Capital One Arena. Washington will begin a three game road trip out west on Tuesday.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier Aliaksei Protas – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson Connor McMichael – Justin Sourdif – Ryan Leonard Brandon Duhaime – Hendrix Lapierre – Ethen Frank
Defense: Martin Fehérváry – Rasmus Sandin Jakob Chychrun – Trevor van Reimsdyk Cole Hutson – Matt Roy
Between the Pipes: Logan Thompson Charlie Lindgren
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on the road for the first of three games away from Nationwide Arena. This game features the New York Islanders and is huge.
New York Islanders - 39-26-5 - 83 Points - 5-5-0 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 4th in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 37-21-11 - 85 Points - 7-0-3 in the last 10 - Won 4 - 3rd in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus won for the four-straight contest and stretched its season-high points streak to 12 games (8-0-4) with a 5-2 win over Seattle last night. It's tied for the third-longest points streak in club history (third time) and the longest since a 12-game points streak from Dec. 9, 2019-Jan. 3, 2020 (8-0-4).
The club has earned points in 23 of its last 25 contests (19-2-4, 42 pts) to lead the league in points (tied) and points pct. (.840) since Jan. 11.
Since Dec. 22, CBJ are tied for the least regulation losses in the NHL with a 23-6-5 record (51 pts, .750 points pct.), and rank second in points and points pct., third in goals-against/game (2.65) as well as sixth in goals for/game (3.56).
CBJ conclude their 14th of 16 back-to-back sets of the season tonight at the NY Islanders. The club leads the NHL in wins and points pct. in back-to-back sets in 2025-26 (18-5-4, .741).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle, who has tallied 7-18-25 in the last 19 contests, has tied his single-season career high in assists (2016-17 w/MIN) and has the third-most points of his 14-year career with 17-38-55 in 69 games in 2025-26.
Adam Fantilli has registered points in six consecutive games (3-5-8), one game shy of his career best (4-4-8 from Jan. 2-16, 2025). He also has points in 12 of the last 14 games (8-9-17) and has 9-13-22 in the past 19 contests since Jan. 24.
Jet Greaves has earned points in each of his last 13 starts since Jan. 11 (11-0-2, 2.34 GAA in 14 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).
Mathieu Olivier has registered six multi-point outings in the last 18 games since Jan. 28 (10-4-14).
Cole Sillinger posted his second three-point effort of the season yesterday (1-2-3) and has assists in three-straight (1-5-6).
Zach Werenski has notched consecutive three-assist outings and is one multi-point effort shy of tying Artemi Panarin's single-season franchise record (25 in 2018-19). He has collected points in 27 of his past 32 games played since Dec. 11 (11-34-45, 14 multi-point efforts) and has 20-55-75 in 62 games in 2025-26.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.3% - 17th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.5% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 222 - 12th in the NHL
Goals Against - 213 - 18th in the NHL
IslandersStats
Power Play - 16.8% - 26th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 81.1% - 9th in the NHL
Goals For - 201 - 22nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 197 - 5th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheIslanders
Columbus is 28-23-1-8 all-time, and 9-16-0-3 on the road vs. New York.
CBJ have earned points in four of the last five meetings (3-1-1) and five of the past seven since Oct. 30, 2024 (4-2-1).
The home team has earned points in seven consecutive games in the series (5-0-2) and in 13 of the past 16 (11-3-2).
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last 10 meetings overall, but by a single goal in three of the five most recent contests (two after regulation).
Four of the last six games played at New York have been decided by a single goal.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals (including SO goals) in four of the past five meetings overall.
The Blue Jackets have killed off 9-of-10 Islanders power play attempts over the last five games (90.0 pct.).
The teams have averaged a combined 58.1 shots on goal in the past seven meetings of the series.
CBJ has recorded five shutouts in the all-time series (MR: Merzlikins, 26 saves in 2-0 W at CBJ on Oct. 30, 2024).
Who To Watch For TheIslanders
Bo Horvat leads NYI with 28 goals.
Mathew Barzal leads all Islanders with 46 assists and 64 points.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin is 25-17-2 with a SV% of .911. He's 7-0-3 in his career against the CBJ.
CBJ Player Notes vs
Islanders
Charlie Coyle has 16 points in his career against the Islanders.
Zach Werenski has 17 career points in 26 games against the NYI.
Boone Jenner has 16 points in 35 games against the Isles.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 31 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 177
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.
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The Ottawa Senators’ defensive depth is being tested once again.
Already without Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen, the Senators lost Dennis Gilbert to an upper-body injury Saturday night in a 5–2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Gilbert was hit on a heavy forecheck by Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who skated with high speed through the neutral zone and eventually drove Gilbert hard into the end boards. Gilbert stayed down for about a minute before leaving the ice under his own power, favouring his shoulder.
After the game, head coach Travis Green said Gilbert could be out for a while.
THN's Steve Warne sings the praises of the injured Jake Sanderson and what he brings to the table for the Senators.
The Senators clearly value what Gilbert brings, having acquired him twice in the past year. They first picked him up from Buffalo in the Dylan Cozens–Josh Norris deal last March. Gilbert then signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason before being traded back to Ottawa in a deal for Max Guenette.
Now, the Sens have a decision to make on who will replace Gilbert, the right-shot defenceman who was slotted into the third pairing when Jensen went down.
Lassi Thomson is currently in Ottawa as the seventh defenceman, but that doesn’t automatically make him the next man up. Maybe it's Carter Yakemchuk. Maybe the Sens wanted him to keep playing, not sit in an NHL press box as the seventh man.
Both players have strong pedigrees. Though his NHL stock has slipped, Thomson was a 2019 first-round pick and still leads all AHL defensemen in goal scoring.
Yakemchuk was a much more recent pick, chosen seventh overall in 2024, and he's playing very well too, winning AHL Player of the Week honours last week.
Another option would be to recall a left-shot defenceman from Belleville and shift Nikolas Matinpalo back to his natural right side.
From that perspective, newcomer Samuel Bolduc might have been an intriguing choice. He has four points in his first five games with Belleville after being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings last week in exchange for Jan Jenik. But he was acquired after the trade deadline and can't play in the NHL this season.
So, the Senators' options probably come down to the two former first-rounders.
If they’re looking for the defenceman with the highest potential upside and ability to impact games, Yakemchuk stands out. And if they prefer a good skating, experienced AHL performer with a big shot, Thomson is right there, ready to step in, no gas money required.
It's not an easy decision, but we're guessing the Senators will continue to stay patient with Yakemchuk, continuing to shelter him, even though he may be the fans' choice.
If GM Steve Staios truly felt like it was the right thing to drop Yakemchuk into the eye of this playoff storm, where every mistake is so magnified, he likely would have inserted him into the lineup ahead of Gilbert many days ago.
That may ultimately hint at the direction Staios chooses, and we're guessing Thomson will be the next man up.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
*This story has been updated to clarify Bolduc's NHL eligibility this season.
This article was originally published at The Hockey News. For more Senators news, analysis, and features, visit the Ottawa Senators site at The Hockey News.
