Category: Ice Hockey

In both style and substance, the St. Louis Blues look a lot like a team that was pretty successful six years ago.

Since the NHL broke for the 4 Nations Face-Off almost two months ago, the Blues have transformed themselves from hapless deadline seller to legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Going 16-2-2 since the break, the Blues have not only made up an eight-point gap to find themselves comfortably in a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they've also morphed into a team nobody in the NHL wants anything to do with in the first round of the playoffs.

Blues' Jordan Binnington Rewarded For Stellar MonthSt. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington has been named the NHL's Third Star of the Month for March. 

Imagine you're the Winnipeg Jets.

You put together an incredible campaign with all kinds of individual and franchise bests and your reward is to face the Blues in the first round. Or you win the Pacific Division, as the Vegas Golden Knights almost certainly will, only to have to face the Blues.

That's not exactly a reward. If anything, it's a punishment.

Here's more in today's video column:

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would tell you himself, a Hart Trophy is cool, but the Stanley Cup is his only aspiration.

As as been his mantra since earning his first Vezina Trophy following the 2019-20 NHL season, the now 31-year-old backstop is keen on being the last team standing.

So far this season, he has been the last man standing on the Jets' last line of defence, and has performed exceptionally.

Most have Hellebuyck slotted in for his third Vezina Trophy, and second in a row. 

Again, he wants to prove his doubters wrong with a strong postseason performance for the team that has essentially led the league in a wire-to-wire fashion this year. 

Winnipeg is 51-20-4 on the year, good for 106 points in 75 total games played. The Jets are the only team to have hit the 50-win mark, and sit No. 1 league-wide in terms of points, point percentage and regulation/overtime wins. 

But on flip side of things, Winnipeg started very hot, setting a league record for the best 15-game start to a season, before cooling off just a touch as the year has progressed. Injuries and personnel choices have caught up with the Jets, who sit just one point above Washington for first-place, and just four points over Dallas for first in the Central Division. 

With three of the league's top-five teams coming from the same division Winnipeg calls home, the Jets' final seven contests will carry significant weight.

Having begun their recent three-game west coast road trip with a difficult 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings - to which the Jets went 0-3 against on the season - a rebound vs. Vegas on Thursday night will be critical to the team's final standings placement. But the 45-21-8 Golden Knights are no pushover either. 

Through his 58 games this season, Hellebuyck sits atop the leaderboards in all four major goaltending statistic categories. His 43 wins are seven better than the second-place Andrei Vasilevskiy. While his 2.02 goals against average, .924 save percentage and seven shutouts narrowly top the charts in the other areas. 

Only two goaltenders have ever finished first in all four categories in NHL history, and they both went on to win the Stanley Cup in their respective record-setting years (Jacques Plante - 1958-59, Bernie Parent - 1973-74 Flyers). 

"We know what we have," said Jets coach Scott Arniel. "He's a special goalie, and he can win hockey games for you. He's such a prepared guy, just how he goes about his business, whether it's practices and games. He doesn't like to get scored on. And he really wants to be the best."

Hellebuyck has also become just the third goaltender since the 2000-01 season to put up multiple 43+ win seasons (Martin Brodeur, Evgeni Nabokov). 

Should he continue playing through the remainder of Winnipeg's seven games, Hellebuyck will have the opportunity to break his own personal wins record (44) and even challenge for a place among the all-time leaders (NHL-record 48 wins).

Sure, Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl is having himself a strong season (51 goals and 105 points, great goal scorers come along every year. A season like this one from a goaltender happens once in a blue moon.

The last time it occurred? Carey Price in 2014-15.

His stats?

44-16-6 with a 1.96 goals against average, a .933 save percentage and nine shutouts to his name.

No, Hellebuyck will not catch those numbers, but as is the case with inflation these days, goals are easier to come by in era-adjusted scoring. So Hellebuyck's numbers actually would reflect very similar to those of Price's. 

"We think he should be in the Hart Trophy conversation," said Jets captain Adam Lowry. "It's very rare you see a goalie there, not since Carey Price and I think he should be."

Again, his eyes are not on a Vezina Trophy, a Hart Trophy, a Jennings Trophy, or even a first-place finish. 

Connor Hellebuyck wants the Stanley Cup. And that fire will not be tamed. 

The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward Trevor Connelly to a three-year entry-level deal, it was announced Tuesday.

Connelly, who was selected 19th overall in 2024, just completed his freshman season at Providence. In 23 games with the Friars, Connelly tallied 13 points (four goals, nine assists).

Connelly is expected to join the Henderson Silver Knights — the Golden Knights AHL affiliate — for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout.

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' NCAA Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Brad Marchand has no goals and one assist since joining the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline. But coach Paul Maurice said he is not worried about the lack of production — or lack of chemistry — from the 36-year-old.

After all, it’s been just four games. Let's talk after four rounds.

That's why the Panthers were willing to give up a first-round pick for Marchand. Not because he was going to help them in the final weeks of the regular season. But because of what he could do in the post-season, where the Panthers are trying to win back-to-back championships and reach the Stanley Cup final for the third consecutive year.

Before that happens, Maurice must decide where Marchand fits best.

"I’m going to try to play him with as many people," said Maurice.

Prior to coming to Florida, Marchand had played 1,090 games with the Boston Bruins.  During that span, he had won a Stanley Cup and reached the final another two times. That's quite the resume. It's also quite a long time to spend with one team.

In other words, it’s natural to assume that there is going to be an adjustment period, where Marchand not only gets used to playing with new teammates, but also for fans to get used to seeing him in a jersey that is not black-and-yellow.

So far, there's still a feeling out process.

“I feel exactly about where he’s at is where Vladimir Tarasenko was last year kind of when he came in with those six weeks and I played him with everybody,” Maurice told The Hockey News following a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

“We’re going to be a little patient with it.”

Five Teams Brad Marchand Could Play For Next SeasonNHL star left winger Brad Marchand made his debut with the Florida Panthers Friday night, but his contract status – that makes him a UFA at the end of this season – has already started speculation as to where he could wind up playing next year and beyond.

Like Marchand, Tarasenko had pretty much spent his entire career with the St. Louis Blues before going to Ottawa and then getting moved to Florida at last year's deadline. In the process, he went from being a top-line scorer to someone who played more of a depth role.

At his age in his career, Marchand may have to undergo a similar transition. But with Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov both missing from the lineup due to injuries, Maurice has an opportunity to experiment playing Marchand in a variety of line combinations.

“We’re really excited about a (power play) unit potentially with him Sam Bennett and maybe Carter (Verhaeghe),” said Maurice, who played Marchand on a line with Bennett and Evan Rodrigues against the Leafs. “We’ve got some moving parts here right now with players out of our lineup, so I think that continues until we get to hopefully to the playoffs and then we just make a decision and then go.”

Brad Marchand Gunning For First Cup In 14 Years – No Wonder He's With The PanthersBrad Marchand is on the verge of making his debut with the Florida Panthers.

Aside from his linemates, one of the biggest changes for Marchand has so far come in the ice time department. In his final games in Boston, he was logging more than 22 minutes. In four games with the Panthers, his time has been cut by about four minutes.

However, he's been getting increased responsibility as his comfort level continues to grow.

“He’s fit in seamlessly,” said Rodrigues. “It’s always hard when you play for one team for 17 years or whatever it was. There’s obviously going to be a transition period, but I think he’s done a great job. He’ll continue to get better and he’ll continue to get comfortable.

“He’ll get to a point where he’s not thinking about systems or anything like that. The play will just come naturally to him.”

The high-powered Colorado Avalanche visit the Columbus Blue Jackets for the only time this season as the two teams wrap up their season series in a GIGANTIC game for both teams. The Jackets upset the Avs 6-4 at Ball Arena back on October 12th. 

The Blue Jackets have nine games left, and each one gets bigger and bigger as we go on, and there’s nothing left to do but play the games. 

Unfortunately for Columbus, however, they get an Avalanche team that has their sights set on the Stanley Cup and are pushing hard. The Blue Jackets know they can beat them, but have to somehow slow down Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, which is virtually impossible these days.  

Avalanche  Stats

• Power Play – 25.4% - 7th in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 79.1% - 15th in NHL
• Goals For - 249 – 6th – 3.32 GPG – 6th
• Goals Against – 208 – 10th – 2.77 GPG – 10th

Series History vs. The Avalanche 

• Columbus is 12-17-4 at home and 24-38-6 in 68 all-time games against the Avalanche.
• The Jackets are 15-9-2 in the last 26 games vs. Colorado. 
• The Blue Jackets are 7-4-3 in the last 14 games at NWA. 

Who To Watch For The Avalanche 

• Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with 30 goals and 111 points.  
• Cale Makar has 29 goals and 87 points to lead all NHL defensemen.  
• Mackenzie Blackwood is 21-9-3 with a .919 SV%. 

CBJ Player Notes vs. Avalanche 

• Boone Jenner has 14 points in 17 career games against Colorado.
• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 16 games.  
• Sean Monahan has 27 points in 26 games vs. the Avs. 

Injuries

• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and is out for the season (16 Games) 

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 306

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

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The St. Louis Blues have announced that forward Dalibor Dvorsky has been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. 

Dvorsky, 19, was recalled to the Blues' roster on March 22. Dvorsky made his NHL debut for St. Louis on March 23 against the Nashville Predators, where he had 10:40 of ice time. This was the only game he played with the Blues during his recall.

Dvorsky will now look to continue to make an impact with Springfield after being sent back down. The 2023 first-round pick has had a solid first season with the AHL squad, posting 20 goals, 23 assists, and 43 points in 57 games. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic for his strong play.

While Dvorsky has been sent back down to the AHL, there is no question that the youngster has an incredibly bright future with the Blues. It will be intriguing to see how he performs with Springfield from here. 

Recent Blues News 

Blues Defenseman Continuing To Be Incredible Addition

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Blues Reveal Number For Top Prospect Jimmy Snuggerud

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Blues Sign 2 Promising Prospects To Entry-Level Deals

The Montreal Canadiens will face the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on Thursday night. Contrary to recent years, the Massachusetts outfit is dead last in the Eastern Conference, even behind the poor Buffalo Sabres. While the Habs are in the thick of the playoff race, the Bruins were sellers at the deadline and even traded captain Brad Marchand for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 draft.

Canadiens: Kapanen To The Rescue
Canadiens: Kent Hughes Is Thinking Long Term
3 Takeaways And A New Nickname

The Bruins have lost their last six games and are 1-8-1 in their last ten, while the Canadiens have bounced back after a tough stretch with two consecutive wins against the defending Stanley Cup Champions Florida Panthers and are 4-3-3 in their last ten matches.

The Bruins have won the first two meetings between the two sides this season, 6-4 in October and 6-3 in December, and nine of the last 10 duels. The Canadiens only had an optional skate on Wednesday, so it’s too early to know if there will be any lineup changes. Still, the club announced that Oliver Kapanen would report to Montreal rather than Laval, and considering how little ice time Michael Pezzetta had had in the last two games, it wouldn’t be surprising if the new arrival was asked to take over. We’ll probably know more after Thursday’s morning skate.

While there’s no confirmation yet about the identity of Martin St-Louis’ starting netminder, it would be surprising to see Jakub Dobes in net, Samuel Montembeault is the likely starter. He has a 2-6-1 record against the Bruins, with a 4.16 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage, while Dobes has never played them.

At the other end of the ice, the Canadiens have never beaten Jeremy Swayman in regulation; he has a 9-0-1 record against them with a .900 SP and a 2.69 GAA. As for backup Jonas Korpisalo, he also has a solid 8-2-0 record against the Habs, with a .916 SP and a 2.49 GAA. Whoever starts will present a challenge for the Sainte-Flanelle.

Brendan Gallagher is the Canadiens’ most productive player against the Bruins, with 28 points in 42 games. Patrik Laine is next with 12 points in 15 games, and Josh Anderson is third with 12 points in 19 games. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield had two points in the last game against the Bruins and will be hoping to pick up where they left off.

For Boston, David Pastrnak will be looking for his 50th point against the Habs since he has 49 in just 31 games. Elias Lindholm is in second place with 24 points in 34 games, while Charlie McAvoy has 16 in 23.

The game is set to start at 7:00 PM and will be one of nine games on the schedule with playoffs race rivals Columbus Blue Jackets also being in action against the Colorado Avalanche.

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Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

One of the top forwards on the Florida Panthers has hit a significant career milestone.

Center Sam Bennett has reached a new career high in points.

Bennett picked up an assist on Gus Forsling’s goal on Wednesday night in Toronto.

The point was Bennett’s 50th of the season, surpassing the mark he set during his first full season with the Panthers back in 2021-22.

It was also Bennett’s 25th assist, which also set a new career high.

Not too shabby for the 28-year-old pending unrestricted free agent.

NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) on XFlorida goal! Scored by Gustav Forsling with 18:57 remaining in the 2nd period. Assisted by Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett. Toronto: 0 Florida: 1 #FLAvsTOR #LeafsForever #TimeToHunt

He's also set a new career mark this season with seven power play goals. 

It’s no secret that Bennett has played the best hockey of his professional career since being acquired by Florida at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline.

The former fourth overall pick has proven to be a crucial member of the Panthers, one that fits the style the team looks to play to a tee.

Bennett and the Panthers are having ongoing talks regarding a contract extension, so we’ll have to wait and see if the two sides can come to an agreement sometime before the offseason.

Stay tuned.

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The Chicago Blackhawks came into Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche 1-9-0 in their last 10 games. Since the trade deadline, they have been much more worried about developing young players than winning hockey games. 

Most of their roster is 25 years old or younger. They have been playing an exciting brand of hockey lately that revolves around speed and skill, but it hasn't led to winning. That is expected in the early stages of these guys playing together. 

Chicago had a two-goal lead over the Avalanche thanks to goals scored by Ilya Mikheyev and Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks held that lead through the second period. At that point, they had their sights on winning the season series over this elite Avalanche team. 

Cale Makar planted the seed of doubt by scoring his 29th of the season at 9:17 of the third period. No defenseman in the NHL has scored 30 goals since Mike Green did it in 2008-09 with the Washington Capitals, so Makar is closing in on history. 

 It wasn't until 19:49 of the final frame that the Avalanche tied things up. Martin Necas deflected a shot taken by Cale Makar past Spencer Knight. Brock Nelson also tipped it along the way. There was nothing Knight could do other than watch the Avalanche celebrate with 11 seconds left in regulation. 

Despite some great chances at both ends of the ice, overtime didn't do anything for either team as a shootout was required. In the first round, neither Ryan Donato nor Brock Nelson scored. In the second round, Nathan MacKinnon scored but Connor Bedard did not. 

Both Teuvo Teravainen and Arturri Lehkonen scored in the third round, which gave the Avalanche the comeback victory over the Blackhawks. Chicago played hard, but they were unable to close it out despite being 11 seconds away from a series win. Instead, they will settle for 2-1-1 against Colorado in 2024-25.

Spencer Knight played very well for the Blackhawks as he made 29 saves on 31 shots. It took a double deflection for Colorado to get it tied late. After some up-and-down games since being acquired by Chicago, Knight was brilliant in this one. 

Mikheyev's goal was scored shorthanded for Chicago, but they went a lousy 0/3 on the power play. None of their attempts looked particularly good either. Luckily, Colorado's lethal man-advantage went 0/4, or this game could have been ugly. 

The speed at which this Blackhawks team plays keeps them in games against good teams, but it is going to take some time for the group to gel enough to win consistently at this level.  

Next up for the Hawks is a road tilt in the DC against the Washington Capitals. That game against Alexander Ovechkin's team will surely have tons of eyeballs on it as he is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal mark.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Knies has seven more games to score four goals, bringing him to the 30-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career.

When Matthew Knies saw Mitch Marner with the puck in the Toronto Maple Leafs' zone, he raised his stick, gesturing that he wanted the pass. Sure enough, Marner floated the puck through two Florida Panthers players to spring Knies for a breakaway.

The 22-year-old drove left, then right, before putting the puck off the post, off of Sergei Bobrovsky, and into the back of the net. Knies's 26th goal of the season put the Maple Leafs up 3-1 over the Panthers, who would get a second but not a third and fall to Toronto 3-2.

MATTHEW KNIES 🚨

What a pass from Marner! pic.twitter.com/Y8aOP6Eqhy

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 3, 2025

"I saw some space behind their D. I was screaming for it from Mitch, and he made an incredible pass," Knies said after Wednesday's win.

"It was honestly lucky it landed right on my stick. I was trying to kind of bat it out of the air but it perfectly landed on there, and I saw he was going for a poke check and I tried to go five-hole to be honest, but fortunately it went in."

Knies has now scored five game-winning goals this season, tying him with Bobby McMann for fourth spot on the Maple Leafs. The forward is also close to doubling his goal total from last season, which was 15.

He scored his 15th goal this year on Jan. 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers — game 40 of the season. However, Wednesday's goal showcased how much Knies' game has grown over this year.

the top line working magic pic.twitter.com/XGGR3GT3f7

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 3, 2025

The 6-foot-3, 227-pound forward used his strong hockey IQ to put himself in a good spot before utilizing his strength and footspeed to break away from 6-foot-6 defenseman Niko Mikkola.

"Just saw Kniesy breaking to the middle. I kind of just gave it a second or two to develop to try to really get behind that D man, and just tried to make a pass towards him that would go through the one stick and land on his," Marner said, describing his pass to Knies.

"And, luckily enough it worked out and a great move by him."

Willy keeping count ✌️ https://t.co/dBtDxLBRDapic.twitter.com/svcksA03UL

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 3, 2025

The goal was big in more ways than one. Of course, it was the game-winner, but the tally also positioned Toronto even further ahead. Ultimately, the Panthers couldn't claw their way back, and the Maple Leafs clinched a playoff spot with a win.

And Knies, who's played just 154 NHL games, was a massive part of it.

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It was a rollercoaster affair, but the New York Rangers defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday night. 

To start the night, Will Cuylle received the 2024-25 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, given annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, "goes above and beyond the call of duty."

The award ceremony provided a spark of energy at Madison Square Garden and was a special moment for Cuylle. 

“It’s a huge honor,” Cuylle said. “Such a long-standing tradition and to see the other names that have won the award, it’s pretty cool to be listed with some of those names… I’m proud of myself. I’m happy that the fans appreciate it. Happy they appreciate my hard work and something I can be proud of and share with my family.”

The Rangers started off the game well, possessing the puck and dominating in terms of shots. 

However, despite a strong 20 minutes and a goal from Braden Schneider, the Rangers still trailed 2-1 after the first period due to a couple of costly mistakes. 

New York continued pushing the pace in the second period, which translated with goals from K’Andre Miller, Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin. 

With the score tied 4-4 in the third period, the Rangers had some golden opportunities to run away with a victory as they had multiple power plays. 

The power play has been the Rangers’ Achilles Heel recently and that trend continued against the Wild. The Blueshirts went 0-4 on the man advantage and gave up a shorthanded goal even with all of the changes Peter Laviolette attempted to make with his first unit. 

“It’s moved around quite a bit,” Laviolette said of the power play. “It’s not like we are sitting stuck on one thing, we are moving things around. Trying different options that we work on in practice. We can look at it and look at the personnel that we have. 

“What we can do to make it effective inside the game like tonight, so there is no question that special teams can factor into a game. It’s been a real positive for us for a long time, but we are in a little bit of a funk right now with it and we’ll have to get out of it.”

The game ultimately went into overtime where Vincent Trocheck scored 24 seconds into the extra period to secure the Rangers a much-needed two points. 

Maybe the Rangers committed one too many turnovers and their play wasn’t always the prettiest, but aside from that, they were quick, explosive, and displayed a hard-fought effort that earned them a victory. 

“I liked the way we played,” Laviolette said. “I’d like to clean up a couple of things, but overall, we came out on the attack. We needed a win and guys found a way to do that. It was good to get a W in a game that went up and down, kind of went back and forth. Through the course of the 60 minutes, 61 minutes, I thought we pressured most of the night and pushed most of the night.”

The Rangers are now tied with the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 79 points, but they’ve played one more game than their Canadian rival. 

Tuesday night also marked Gabe Perreault’s NHL debut. The Rangers signed the 19-year-old forward to a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday and he’s already making an impact. 

Perreault recorded 13:38 minutes playing on a line with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière while also serving a role on the second power-play unit. 

“It was super surreal,” Perreault said about his NHL debut. “Thankful for everyone who helped me get to this point. Obviously having some friends and family in the building was also unreal.”

Laviolette seemed to have a lot of trust in Perreault from the start of the game and he was impressed with the young forward. 

“I thought he was really good,” Laviolette said of Perreault. “You can see his game and the way he thinks the game out there. I thought he jumped in and looked good. I thought all four lines were really good. It was balanced, and we were able to roll them out there. 

“They all contributed. I thought he played a solid game, jumping into a big situation like that. I'm sure the next one and the one after that, they'll be a little bit more natural for him, as opposed to the first one. But I thought he played really well.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils.

It’s been a tough week for the Florida Panthers.

For the first time since late November, the Panthers have lost three straight games, capped off by Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The big news that came down before the game was that Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov would be out due to an upper-body injury.

During the first period, the Cats and Leafs combined to put 18 shots on Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, but the former teammates stopped each and every one of them, keeping the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

It didn’t stay that way very long.

Deep in Toronto’s zone, Seth Jones carried the puck toward the blue line before starting a quick passing play that led to the game’s first goal.

The puck went from Jones to San Bennett to Sam Reinhart to Gus Forsling, who snapped a one-timer that beat Stolarz over the glove to give Florida a 1-0 lead.

Toronto tied the game about 10 minutes later after capitalizing on a broken rush play.

After getting into Florida’s end, William Nylander found the puck in the left circle and fired a shot toward the net that was deflected by John Tavares on the doorstep to knot the score at one.

A Mitch Marner one-timer gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with 9:10 to go in the third period on a sequence that saw Bobrovsky made several great saves moments before the goal was scored.

Marner then made an excellent pass to send Matthew Knies on a breakaway less than five minutes later to extend Toronto’s lead to 3-1.

Reinhart cut the Leafs’ lead in half with 2:38 to go, sniping a power play goal over a screened Stolarz’s blocker.

That’s as close as the Cats would get.

On to Ottawa.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Bobrovsky played in his 750th career game.

Forsling’s goal was his first in 16 games.

Bennett’s assist on Forsling’s goal gave him five points over his past six outings.

Reinhart has now logged six goals and 14 points over his past 13 games.

Jones has his first three-game point streak since joining the Panthers and picking up an assist on Reinhart’s goal.

He also has points in five of his past seven games.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the cusp of standing alone with the longest active NHL playoff streak.

Toronto can clinch a playoff spot for the ninth straight season on Wednesday night, while it’s a matter of time before the Eastern Conference’s last place team, the Boston Bruins, are eliminated from contention. Both clubs are currently tied for the longest streak at eight seasons.

In the most important sense, the Leafs’ streak of playoff appearances doesn’t mean much besides the fact that the pressure to win at least a couple of rounds is higher than ever. They’ve only won one playoff round in eight seasons. 

Not only that, but since 2016-17, the Leafs have the 15th-most playoff wins and the 15th-most playoff games played. This is a stark reminder of how many chances the Buds have blown.

Toronto’s active playoff streak is an emotional double-edged sword for Leafs fans. Most of them remember the lean years, when the Buds didn’t make the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons beginning in 2005-06. So, having playoff games for what will be nine straight years now is far preferable to the alternative of no playoff games.

Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Logs More PK Minutes, But At What Cost?Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews hasn’t scored as many goals this year, but he has a significant career high elsewhere.

However, if the Maple Leafs do get eliminated in the first or second round of this year’s post-season – or even if they win two playoff series and then get unceremoniously swept in the Eastern final – there will be no moral victories.

There won’t be any more excuses that will satisfy Leafs fans if they don’t excel in the playoffs under all that pressure. There will be no more press conferences where Leafs brass talks about patience and the learning process. Those days are long over. 

The only thing Leafs fans will want is turnover. If that means saying goodbye to pending Leafs UFAs Mitch Marner and John Tavares, Leafs fans may say, “so be it.” This should be the team's last chance at running it back with the same core in hopes that things eventually improve because they already changed the coach, and they changed the GM two years ago.

It’s no wonder that the stakes are sky-high for the Buds this spring. They may win the highly competitive Atlantic Division, but imagine the fallout if they follow up with a first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators or Montreal Canadiens. Or imagine the blowback if the Leafs get out of Round 1, only to be demolished by the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2. The mushroom cloud of anger and frustration that could envelop the franchise will return bigger than usual.

So, while it will be a slight moral victory if the Leafs extend the longest active playoff streak and win the division for the first 82-game season since the 1999-2000 campaign, it won’t matter one iota if Toronto doesn’t reward its customers with a serious playoff run. 

They’ve shown encouraging signs of grinding out wins and playing playoff-style hockey this season, so it’s about time they take advantage of it in the post-season. Otherwise, all these years of getting into the playoffs will amount to a Blue-And-White hill of beans.

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As it stands now, the Los Angeles Kings are still battling with the Edmonton Oilers to hold onto that second seed in the Pacific division. They will face them in two critical games this month, which will be key to ending up with the second seed and having a home-ice advantage against them in their likely first-round matchup.  

But for now, the Los Angeles Kings aren't favorites entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they're becoming one of the West's most feared underdogs. LA can pull off a deep playoff upset with their rich defensive corps, elite goaltending, and a system designed for playoff hockey.

A Tale of Two Teams: Struggles vs. the East, Dominance in the West

While the Kings have struggled against the league's top of the Eastern Conference (19-9-4), despite their impressive record, they've split a lot of their games against the top teams in the conference, including the Tampa Bay Lightnings, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and—most recently losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs —they've flipped the script in their last two games. Their response? Scoring a combined 12 goals against the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets in back-to-back dominating performances.

But what's most important is that they're  3-0 vs. the Central Division-leading Jets this year. Winnipeg, one of the best Stanley Cup hopefuls, hasn't been able to penetrate LA's solid defensive system and grinding play. This means the Kings can compete with the best in the West—even if their record against Eastern Conference opponents is a little suspect.

Again, it'll be about matchups come playoff time, which could favor the Kings depending on who they play in the first round. The good thing for the Kings is that they won't have to play both the Stars or Avalanche in the postseason because those two will play it out in the first round, leaving either one of those teams, the Jets or maybe the Golden Knights. 

Defensive Structure and Goal Tending: The Kings' Greatest Strengths

LA's defense-oriented strategy is built for playoff play. They grind the tempo, tire opponents on the boards, and limit high-danger chances. 

Drew Doughty captains a defense that neutralizes visiting stars, especially when facing offense-first teams such as Edmonton or Dallas. Doughty is a future hall-of-famer playing extremely high in his career, including this season, when he became the first Kings' defenceman in history to hit 1,200 games. 

The 1st defenceman in @lakings franchise history to hit 1,200 NHL games played – congrats to Drew Doughty pic.twitter.com/UYIhVnN08K

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 28, 2025

The Kings possess one of the league's top penalty-killing units, a weapon system against foes who employ the power play as a means of scoring (aka Jets, Stars, and Golden Knights).

Balanced Scoring: Beyond Kopitar & Kempe

While Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe remain chief offense drivers, LA depth scoring has been the biggest X-factor down the stretch. 

Kevin Fiala, Trevor Moore, and Quinton Byfield have delivered, offering the Kings numerous lines of threat to score from.

Adding Andrei Kuzmenko and Warren Foegele in the second half of the season threw even more gasoline on the fire of the scoring lineup. We see a lot of teams who make deals in the second half of the season, leading them to make deep playoff runs and even win the Stanley Cup because of the chemistry and depth they bring right away to the franchise. 

Kuzmenko had no points in his first 7 games as a King

He’s got 9 points in his last 7 games as a King.#GoKingsGo

— Jesse Cohen | All The Kings Men (@KingsMenPodcast) April 2, 2025

The Kings have had three or more goals in four of their last six games, so they are clicking and peaking at the right time, getting their offense hot at the perfect time.

With a pair of goals tonight, Warren Foegele has set a new career-high in goals (22) and points (22-20=42). pic.twitter.com/Ac6NssFmHz

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 31, 2025

Matchup Nightmare for the West's Top Teams

The Kings possess the right prescription to fight against some of the West's most significant dangers. 

Edmonton Oilers: LA has faced the Oilers in back-to-back-to-back playoffs and possesses the defense system that can slow up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If they get them again, the Kings' ability to play a grinding, physical style of hockey might enrage Edmonton's speed.

Dallas Stars: Dallas is one of the best Western Conference teams, but the Kings' structured play and hard forecheck can shut down their transition. LA also won the season series against Dallas 2-1, including their recent win in February when they went to overtime tied 4-4 and scored the game-winning goal. 

Winnipeg Jets: We saw the defensive clinic the Kings put on the Jets a few days ago, sweeping the season series 3-0. In all games, the King's defense has held the number 3 ranked offensive Jets team to one goal in all three meetings, showcasing the level to which the Kings can amp up their defense. 

Kings game morning hangover recap

- Season sweep over the NHL’s top team.

- Hiller is turning Kuzmenko into a complete player.

- PK up to 8th in the league (81.7%).

- Kuemper besting the Vezina favorite.

- Can’t overlook Utah tomorrow before Saturday’s big game.#GoKingsGo

— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) April 2, 2025

Final Take: LA's Playoff Formula is Coming Together

With their recent success against Western Conference teams, top-notch penalty killing, and a physical, disciplined brand of hockey, the Kings have everything it takes to make life miserable for the top contenders. While they've struggled against the East, the fact that they're 3-0 against Winnipeg, one of the top teams in the West, is all it takes to prove that they're more than capable of upsetting a favorite.

In an open-ice hockey conference where grinding is the word, LA's ability to grind down teams makes them the biggest wild card of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.