Category: Ice Hockey

Martone makes NHL debut, Flyers miss out on chance to move into playoff position originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

On a busy Tuesday night in the playoff race, the Flyers fell to the Capitals, 6-4, at Capital One Arena.

It turned out to be a missed opportunity (more on that below).

Travis Sanheim, Carl Grundstrom, Christian Dvorak and Denver Barkey provided the Flyers’ goals.

Porter Martone had a team-high five shots in his NHL debut.

The Flyers tied the game in the second period and cut Washington’s lead to one twice during the third period, but they never led.

For a fifth time this season, the Flyers (37-25-12) failed to win four games in a row. They haven’t won more than three straight in over two years. The last time they did it was Feb. 6-12 of the 2023-24 season.

The Flyers split their four-game regular-season series with the Capitals (38-28-9).

• With a win, Rick Tocchet’s club would have taken over the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.

Twenty-two minutes after the Flyers lost, the Blue Jackets fell to the Hurricanes, 5-2. If the Flyers had won, they would have pulled even with Columbus and had the tiebreaker of fewer games played.

But the Flyers also didn’t lose any ground. The Islanders, Senators and Red Wings all lost in regulation, as well.

With eight games left, the Flyers are two points out of the second wild-card spot and three back of third place in the Metropolitan Division.

• Martone played his first NHL game a little over nine months after going sixth overall in the 2025 draft.

The 19-year-old signed his entry-level deal Sunday afternoon, skated Monday morning with a small group and then suited up Tuesday night against the game’s all-time greatest goal scorer.

The big winger did a lot of good things in 16:54 minutes. He had an early penalty when he put the puck over the boards, but he then settled in and was active the rest of the way.

With 25 seconds left in the second period, Martone had a nice look battling around the net. He also took a stick to his mouth in that sequence but was fine for the third period. Four of his shots came in the final stanza.

Martone was not scared to shoot, he used his size well and he looked positionally sound.

He entered the lineup for Alex Bump, who was a healthy scratch for the first time since being called up over three weeks ago. It wasn’t a bad time to give Bump a breather.

Because of the youth, the Flyers will have some good lineup decisions to make with their forwards.

• Dan Vladar surrendered five or more goals for just the fourth time this season.

The 28-year-old made 12 saves on 17 shots. Washington’s final goal was an empty-netter.

Vladar didn’t seem to track shots as well as he has for much of the season. But the Flyers didn’t play a perfect game, either.

Jamie Drysdale and Cam York had some trouble in the defensive zone. Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras had costly tripping penalties.

After goals from Sanheim and Grundstrom tied the game at 2-2 in the opening 4:36 minutes of the second period, Washington regained its two-goal lead with back-to-back power play markers.

The Flyers trailed by two goals at each intermission. They fell down 2-0 in the first period. Prior to Tuesday night, they hadn’t given up a first-period goal over their last five games.

Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson finished with two goals apiece.

Capitals netminder Logan Thompson stopped 20 of the Flyers’ 24 shots.

• Zegras had an assist, giving him 60 points on the season. He’s six points away from passing his career high of 65 set with the Ducks in 2022-23.

Sanheim (one goal, one assist), Dvorak (one goal, one assist) and Konecny (two assists) had multi-point efforts.

• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they host the Red Wings (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

The Athletic is in the midst of releasing its prospect pool rankings, with the St. Louis Blues at 10th.

When The Athletic conducted these rankings a year ago, the Blues ranked 14th, moving up four spots in 2026. 

The Blues received high grades overall, but the one criticism was that the prospect pool is missing a truly elite, franchise-altering prospect. It’s fair criticism, but that’s also indicative of where the Blues have been selecting in the first round. Their highest draft selection in the last five years was 10th overall, when they selected Dalibor Dvorsky. 

While they may currently lack that top prospect, they could land that in this year’s draft. The Blues currently sit in fifth last place due to points percentage, and a top-five pick could be franchise-altering. 

With that being said, the depth the Blues have is rivalled by few. 

In the first tier, Scott Wheeler named three Blues players: Justin Carbonneau, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Adam Jiricek.  

Carbonneau had a stellar goal-scoring season in the QMJHL, and his club, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, is a threat to win the QMJHL championship. 

Three Blues Feature In The Hockey News' Top 100 NHL Affiliated ProspectsSt. Louis Blues prospects Adam Jiricek, Justin Carbonneau, and Otto Stenberg featured in The Hockey News' top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects.

Dvorsky has graduated to the NHL, but because of these rankings’ rules, he was still eligible to be named a prospect. In his first full NHL season, Dvorsky has scored 11 goals and 18 points in 62 games. He’s shown he can be a threat as a shooter, but he can also play a reliable two-way game.

His performance at the Olympics showed he could be a strong 5-on-5 player, but he needs to add that element in the NHL.

Jiricek is healthy and is showing his talent. He was a dominant defensive force at the world juniors and added plenty of offense as well. In the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs, Jiricek has led the way on the blueline, and they are the heavy favorites to win it all this year.

Logan Mailloux, Theo Lindstein, and Otto Stenberg highlighted tier 2. All three players have seemingly graduated to the NHL, but they did spend parts of the season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.

Blues Couldn't Have Scripted Theo Lindstein's Start To NHL Career Any Better; Future Looks Very Good2023 first-round pick scored first NHL goal in 10th game Monday, has fit in like a glove playing alongside a terrific mentor in Colton Parayko

They’ve all shown they can play in the NHL, but finding ways to become even more impactful is the next step.

Tier 3 featured Marcus Gildof, a big Swedish netminder; Colin Ralph, a big left-handed defenseman in the NCAA; and Dmitry Buchelnikov, a recently acquired skillful Russian winger. 

Tier 4 consisted of Lukas Fischer, another big left-handed defenseman in the OHL; Love Harenstam, a standout Swedish netminder; Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, a two-way Finnish center playing in the AHL; Juraj Pekarcik, a skilled winger in the AHL; Jakub Stancl, a versatile forward in the AHL; and Adam Jecho, a big center playing in the WHL. 

St. Louis Blues Weekly Prospect Report (March 29)Blues prospects off and running in postseason action; Ralph, Michigan State see season come to premature ending; Springfield keep pushing towards Calder Cup playoffs

Michael Buchinger was named as an honorable mention. 

With another three first-round picks in this year’s upcoming draft, there could be plenty of new faces in these rankings, and the Blues’ position could be a lot higher next year. 

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.

BUFFALO, NY —New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom will miss their Tuesday night game against the Buffalo Sabres after sustaining an upper-body injury in their 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.

Holmstrom went hard into the boards in the first period, but remained in the game.

With Holmstrom out, forward Anthony Duclair returns to the lineup for the first time since March 21, their 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, which came five games ago. 

He'll skate alongside Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal, with Barzal going back to his usual spot on the top power-play unit.

Ilya Sorokin, who was pulled after he allowed a career-high seven goals on 29 shots in an 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, will start against Buffalo. 

Sorokin had only been pulled once this season, in the finale of a three-game road trip, a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, March 21. 

He allowed six goals on 26 shots through 50:47 minutes. 

That game was also the first of a back-to-back, with Roy citing that pulling Sorokin was to keep him fresh for a pivotal Sunday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The move paid off as Sorokin stopped all 26 shots that came his way for a critical 1-0 shutout win. 

"Last time," Roy pointed out as to why Sorokin gets the call less than 24 hours after the loss to Pittsburgh. "Last time we played against Montreal, and then we came back against Columbus, he played a strong game, so certainly wanted him to be in tonight, and I think we owe him this after the way we played in front of him. So I'm sure it's a great opportunity for everyone to play a good game."

The Islanders are 9-3-1 on the second legs of back-to-backs this season. Sorokin is 5-1-0 and has not faced the Sabres this season. 

The Islanders are so, so, so badly in need of a bounce back from their horrific disassembly at home by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night. Unfortunately, they have to do it against the Buffalo Sabres, who are vying for first overall in the conference.

The Sabres are currently in a three-way tie with 98 points, though both Tampa Bay and Carolina have a game in hand — and history — on their side with less than 10 games to go.

The Islanders remain in a playoff spot before play begins, but their primary rivals are also in action and/or have games or games in hand. But the past few weeks have been all over the map, so they could just as easily, or at least believably, hurl a 3-0 shutout or a dramatic 4-3 comeback win as they could infuriate us on consecutive nights.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

• About last night: Turrible [LHH] | Eight goals [Newsday]
• Post-game, Patrick Roy was non-committal on who gets the start in net tonight. [Post]
• Previewing tonight. [Isles]
• The AHL board has approved the Islanders’ moving their AHL affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton, Ontario. That’s a place in Canada that once had dreams of an NHL franchise. [Newsday]

Elsewhere

Other potentially important games tonight, as the Isles enter with 89 points and 75 games played:

• The Bruins (92 pts, 74 GP) host the Stars
• The Canadiens (94 pts, 73 GP) visit the Lightning
• The Senators (86 pts, 73 GP) visit the Panthers
• The Penguins (90 pts, 74 GP) host the Red Wings (86 pts, 73 GP)
• The Blue Jackets (88 pts, 74 GP) host the Hurricanes
• The Flyers (still alive! 86 pts, 73 GP) visit the Capitals (83 pts, 74 GP)

Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks have the opportunity to secure the best odds at picking first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft lottery. The Canucks, who have sat comfortably at 32nd in the NHL for the better-half of the season, currently hold a 21–44–8 record that has gotten them 50 points on the season. 

The closest team to Vancouver in the NHL’s standings is the Chicago Blackhawks, who currently sit at 31st with 67 points and a record of 27–34–13. If Chicago wins their next game, which takes place tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver will secure 32nd place and thus have the best odds of selecting first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Even if Chicago is unable to beat Winnipeg tonight, the Canucks will still be able to clinch 32nd place in the coming days. A loss in their matchup against the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow night will allow them to remain last in the league regardless of how they play in the games after that. 

Vancouver has yet to draft first-overall through all 56 seasons since their inaugural year. They have picked second and third-overall four times each, with their most recent highest-selection being Daniel Sedin in 1999. Their highest active-selection is Elias Pettersson, who was picked fifth-overall in 2017. 

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.

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Welcome to another night of Bruins hockey, folks!

After going two-for-two on the weekend, the Bruins host a very good Dallas Stars team that finds itself in a little bit of a funk at the moment.

However, they DID just get Mikko Rantanen back from injury, which always helps.

After tonight, the B’s will embark on a four-game road trip with stops in Florida (2X), Philadelphia, and Carolina.

Points are at a premium, etc.

If you’re interested in scoreboard watching tonight, keep an eye on:

• Islanders vs. Sabres
• Canadiens vs. Lightning
• Panthers vs. Senators
• Penguins vs. Red Wings
• Flyers vs. Capitals
• Hurricanes vs. Blue Jackets

Bruins! Stars! BACK IN THE COMMONWEALTH!

Discuss.

Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan and ex-Rangers head coach John Tortorella go way back.

Since 2007, Sullivan and Tortorella have served on the same coaching staff six times. Sullivan was an assistant to Tortorella in Tampa Bay, New York and Vancouver for a total of six seasons. He also was on Tortorella’s U.S. staff for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

The two have since swapped roles, with Tortorella serving as an assistant to Sullivan for Team USA at 4 Nations and the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.

When asked to weigh in on Tortorella’s stunning hiring in Vegas with single-digit games left in the 2025-26 season and a probable playoff run afoot, Sullivan offered high praise for the 67-year-old.

“I think he’s an excellent coach,” Sullivan said before the Rangers took on the Devils on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. “One of the things that he excels at is crisis management. He brings a ton of energy. I know he’ll bring a lot of energy to Vegas. I think, as I said, he’s an excellent coach. One of the things that has always impressed me with Torts, and obviously, I have a long-standing relationship with him. I worked with him for almost a decade. He was on our staff with the Olympic team, the 4 Nations team. In a lot of ways, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work with him because I learned so much from him. We’re very different in how we go about it, but I’ve learned a lot from him as far as what it takes to win and how to instill an environment that’s conducive to winning.

“He has had the ability to evolve with the game. The evolution of the game is fast. The way the game’s being played today is very different than the way it was being played, for example, when him and I were working together coaching the Rangers in 2010. The way the game’s being played is very different. And Torts, because he’s a student of the game, he’s evolved with the game. The modern strategies, the evolution of the game. What’s the modern NHL look like? What’s the modern game look like?We talk about that. We have that conversation all the time with our coaching staff because we’re trying to study evolution. And it’s copycat league. Everybody steals from one another because of technology, film, all of those things. So everybody’s paying attention to that stuff.

“If you’re in coaching and you love what you do, you immerse yourself in a learning experience. And Torts has done that his whole career. He puts a lot of work into that. He prides himself in it. That’s been the most impressive thing for me in watching him. I think he’ll do what he does. I think he’ll do a terrific job.””

Sullivan and Tortorella won gold together with USA Hockey last month in the NHL’s highly anticipated return to the Olympics. They also spent four seasons together in New York from 2009 to 2013.

Urho Vaakanainen participated in morning skate Tuesday in a red non-contact jersey before missing his seventh straight game with an upper-body injury.

The wins over Chicago and Florida this past weekend were the Rangers’ first back-to-back victories at home this season. Tuesday night’s matchup with New Jersey marked the third contest of a season-high seven-game homestand.

While speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill shared that former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will be out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

Grzelcyk signed with the Blackhawks ahead of the 2025-26 season after a successful PTO. In 69 games with the Blackhawks during this campaign, the former Penguins defenseman recorded zero goals, 12 assists, 32 penalty minutes, and a minus-9 rating. 

Grzelcyk spent last season with the Penguins and had the best season of his NHL career thus far. In 82 games with the Penguins during the 2024-25 season, the Charlestown, Massachusetts native scored one goal and set career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. This included him recording 15 power-play points. 

With numbers like these, Grzelcyk proved to be a solid player for the Penguins during his time with the team. While this was the case, the Penguins decided to move on from him this past summer. 

Grzelcyk is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and it will be interesting to see where the former Penguin ends up next.

Top Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone will make his NHL debut on Tuesday night against the division rival Washington Capitals, and with the excitement comes a few nuggets worth keeping track of.

For starters, it's already been established that head coach Rick Tocchet and the Flyers are looking to put Martone, 19, in a position for success and comfort in his first NHL game.

To kick things off, at least, the 2025 No. 6 pick will play right wing on a line with veterans Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak.

"I think him and TK, veteran guys. Those guys are good at staying close together. That's something we were talking about, I think it's a good fit for him. We'll see how it goes," Tocchet told traveling media of Martone's line.

Notably, fellow rookie Alex Bump had been playing on that line, but Bump is instead coming out of the lineup... for now.

Top Flyers Prospect Already Cooking in New EnvironmentThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> have only one post-NHL trade deadline call-up remaining, and it is becoming increasingly clear which prospect they are going to use it on come the final days of the season.

"We have a lot of young guys, so maybe there's a rotation. I don't know," Tocchet said.

"I'm not going to get into why. I just think [Carl Grundstrom] had a really good game last game. He's played some playoff games, veteran guy. That doesn't mean Bumper's not going to play next game. It's just that we're going to have to do this rotation, maybe, or who's hot. We'll go from there. We'll talk about it... it's more game-to-game."

Grundstrom, 28, will reprise his role as the left wing on a line with Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov, though it's worth noting that the Swede has scored just one goal since Dec. 31--a cold streak that has spanned 31 games.

Overall, the 6-foot grinder has eight goals, four assists, and 12 points in 43 games this season, and Tocchet is clearly relying on him to be responsible now that more youth has been added to the lineup with Martone.

As for Martone's opportunities, Tocchet spoke mostly in generalities, but appears to clearly have a plan for the top prospect's usage.

"I think it's important I get him out there quickly. Guy makes a mistake early, he's not going to sit on the bench. He's gotta get out there," Tocchet assessed.

Flyers' Porter Martone Robbed of Hobey Baker ContentionTop <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> prospect Porter Martone has never quite gotten the respect he deserved since being drafted, and that trend is only continuing as his NHL debut draws nearer.

"It's like anything. As a coach, you try to see how the game's going. But, definitely trying to make him feel comfortable out there. That's something I gotta do for him."

For reference, Alex Bump played 16:07 in his Flyers debut and scored a goal against Pittsburgh back on March 7, and Denver Barkey played 15:18 and recorded two assists against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20.

Both debuted in divisional games, like Martone will against the Capitals on Tuesday night.

The 19-year-old enters his first NHL game having scored points in each of his last six games for Michigan State.

BUFFALO, NY -- The AHL's Board of Governors has approved Bridgeport's move to Hamilton on Tuesday:

Official email #Islespic.twitter.com/0uBrIr92ux

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) March 31, 2026

The team will play at the newly renovated TD Coliseum, which just underwent a $300 million renovation and seats 18,000 fans. The hope is to attract more talent to the Islanders organization, as the team will play in a more promising hockey environment, which Bridgeport could not compete with.

Hamilton offers a much better venue and a stronger hockey market.

End Of An Era: Islanders Announce Intent To Move AHL Affiliate From Bridgeport To HamiltonThe Islanders must get approval from the AHL's Board of Governors before this can

Bridgeport was the home of the Islanders' AHL affilaite for the last 25 years. 

Here's Bridgeport's message to their fans:

A message to our fans, from the New York Islanders regarding the team’s relocation.
 
Press release link: https://t.co/Am6ouVqnwfpic.twitter.com/9q2xvTpp3R

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) March 31, 2026

The AHL Islanders are currently holding down a playoff spot with seven games to go. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off their biggest win of the 2025-26 season to date on Monday against the New York Islanders.

They were down 2-0 and 3-1 in the second period before rattling off seven unanswered goals to blitz the Islanders 8-3. The win catapulted the Penguins up to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. They're one point up on the Islanders with a game in hand. 

The Penguins will play another huge game on Tuesday when the desperate Detroit Red Wings come to town. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and have lost three of their last four. They're two points back of the final playoff spot, and per MoneyPuck, their playoff odds sit at 35.3%.

Alex DeBrincat has been awesome for the Red Wings this year and leads the team in goals (37) and points (78). He's on pace to notch his third 40-goal season. 

Lucas Raymond is one of the most underrated players in the NHL and has been great for the Red Wings again this season, compiling 24 goals and 71 points in 71 games. He's a strong playmaker with some great vision. 

Don't forget about Dylan Larkin or Moritz Seider, either. Larkin has 29 goals and 57 points in 66 games, while Seider is a strong Norris Trophy candidate with nine goals and 53 points in 73 games. 

The offense starts to dry up a little bit when those four players aren't on the ice. 

Goaltender John Gibson will make his 12th consecutive start for the Red Wings in this game. He's had a strong first season with them, compiling 27 wins with a .905 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. He has also saved 12.4 goals above expected, which ranks 13th among all goaltenders in the NHL.

Stuart Skinner will start in goal for the Penguins, and there's a chance that Evgeni Malkin returns to the lineup after missing Monday's game. If he does, he'll likely be back on the second line with Egor Chinakhov and Tommy Novak. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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March 31st marks what would have been the 98th birthday of Gordie Howe, the legendary forward whose name remains synonymous with toughness, skill, and longevity in the NHL. 

Known as “Mr. Hockey,” Howe built much of his legacy with the Detroit Red Wings, delivering some of the most iconic moments in the sport’s history. On the big man's birthday, we take a look back at several of his greatest moments and achievements, focusing on his unforgettable years in the Motor City.

First Stanley Cup in 1950

Howe’s rise to superstardom came during the 1950 Stanley Cup Final, when he helped lead the Red Wings to their first championship in seven years. Although teammate Pete Babando scored the famous double overtime winner in Game 7 against the New York Rangers, Howe’s physical play and scoring touch throughout the series set the tone for much of Detroit’s success.

This championship marked the beginning of a Red Wings dynasty, as the team would go on to win four Cups in six seasons. Howe emerged as the team’s cornerstone, blending scoring ability with unmatched toughness. The 1950 victory cemented his role as Detroit's leader and laid the groundwork for one of the most dominant eras in franchise history.

Dominant 1952 Playoff Run

In 1952, Howe delivered one of the most dominant playoff performances ever seen in the sport. He led all players in scoring during the postseason and guided the Red Wings to a perfect 8–0 record, sweeping both series en route to another Stanley Cup.

Detroit defeated the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs without losing a single game. Howe’s performance earned him the Hart Trophy that season, reinforcing his status as the league’s most valuable player.

Mr. Hockey's Peak, Back-to-Back Cups in 1954 and 1955

The mid-1950s marked the peak of Howe’s career, highlighted by consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 1954 and 1955. During these seasons, Howe consistently led the league in scoring and was widely regarded as the most complete player the sport had ever seen.

In 1954, the Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens to claim the Cup, with Howe playing a central role on both ends of the ice. He followed that with another dominant season in 1955, again leading Detroit to a championship. His ability to control the pace of the game, deliver punishing checks, and produce offensively made Howe and the Red Wings nearly unstoppable.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The Goal Record

Although best known for his Detroit years, one of Howe’s most historic milestones came later in his career. On February 29, 1980, while playing for the Hartford Whalers, Howe scored his 801st NHL goal, surpassing Gordie Howe’s own previous total to set a new all-time record.

The moment showcased Howe’s historic longevity, as he remained an elite competitor well into his 50s, which has never been seen in the sport since. His scoring record stood as the NHL benchmark until it was eventually broken by Wayne Gretzky.

The “Gordie Howe Hat Trick”

One of the most unique and enduring tributes to Howe’s style of play is the “Gordie Howe hat trick,” which consists of a goal, an assist, and a fight in a single game. While Howe himself rarely recorded all three in the same contest, the term became synonymous with his all-around dominance. Today, the “Gordie Howe hat trick” remains a celebrated part of hockey culture, a testament to his lasting influence on the game.

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