Category: Ice Hockey

The stakes were high today as the Vancouver Canucks took on the Winnipeg Jets to round out their six-game road trip. With the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames adding to their respective point totals on Saturday night, Vancouver entered today’s game needing to do the same to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, with Pius Suter scoring the lone goal for the Canucks, Vancouver ultimately fell 3–1. Thatcher Demko stopped 24 of 27 shots, but was unable to best Connor Hellebuyck’s .958 SV% on the night. 

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The penalty kill was tested quickly, with Aatu Räty taking a slashing penalty four minutes into the game. Only a minute later, Teddy Blueger was called for high-sticking, leaving Winnipeg with a two-man advantage for a minute. However, Vancouver managed to stand in the way of all the chances Winnipeg generated, killing both penalties and stopping the NHL’s second-best power play from scoring. Vancouver killed all of the three penalties they took today, bringing them up to 82.8% — good for third in the NHL. 

Demko was the Canucks’ best player early on yet again, making a massive blocker save during Vancouver’s first penalty kill of the game to keep the score 0–0. He faced nine Jets shots throughout the opening frame and remained sharp throughout the game, stopping a surprise deflection in the opening minute of the third period.  

Suter has been scorching as of late, tallying seven points in the past three games coming into today’s match. He ripped a fiery shot off the crossbar early into the first period and scored the game’s opening goal. Even with a lengthy offside review, Suter’s goal was deemed onside by a hair’s worth of distance. He finished the game with the highest TOI of all forwards, 21:04, as well as eight faceoff wins out of 20 taken. With the absence of Filip Chytil and Elias Pettersson, Suter has stepped up exceedingly when the team has needed him to. 

"He's taking a leadership role. He's one of the guys that has really stepped up for me, play him in all situations," Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet said postgame of Suter's play as of late. 

Speaking of goal reviews, there were two in today’s game. Suter’s goal review came as a result of a near-offside play. In the third period, a close stop by Demko looked like it could have crossed the Canucks’ goal line, but after a quick review, there was no clear angle that provided evidence of a Jets goal. 

Hits were a talking point in tonight’s game, as 12 players put up two or more hits. Kiefer Sherwood led the team with 10 hits, while Dakota Joshua and Derek Forbort had six. Drew O’Connor and Filip Hronek both had five, and Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Elias Pettersson (D), and Filip Hronek all put up three. Vancouver finished the game with 50 hits in total. 

While the game may not have ended the way they’d wished it to, Vancouver certainly tried to get the results they wanted. Demko was sent to the bench with 4:40 left in the game, leaving the six Canucks on the ice to try and score two more goals to tie the game up. Despite preventing Winnipeg from grabbing an empty net goal, Vancouver took a too-many-men penalty with 1:20 left in the game to negate their chance at a comeback. 

Tocchet noted that he was "really proud of the guys" in today's effort, but that they were "just on the wrong side." He noted how they've "just got to worry about the next game." 

With the playoff window getting slimmer and slimmer with each game, it may only be a matter of time before the Canucks' postseason chances become dashed.  

Stats and Facts

• Canucks playoff odds are now 15.5%, according to MoneyPuck.com 
• Vancouver has not allowed a first-period goal in six straight games 
• Pius Suter extends his point streak to eight points in four games 
• Canucks surpass 50 hits in one game for the second time this season 

Scoring Summary:

1st Period: 

18:55 - VAN: Pius Suter (22) from Tyler Myers and Jake DeBrusk 

2nd Period: 

9:26 - WPG: Kyle Connor (38) from Mark Scheifele and Colin Miller 

3rd Period: 

6:24 - WPG: Mason Appleton (10) from Adam Lowry and Nikolaj Ehlers 

12:11 - WPG: Cole Perfetti (16) from Vladislav Namestnikov and Kyle Connor 

Up Next: 

With today concluding the Canucks’ six-game roadtrip, Vancouver sets their sights on a three-game homestand running throughout next week. They take on the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, with puck drop expected at 7:30 pm PT. 

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' quest for 40 wins will have to wait another day, as the Charlotte Checkers avenged a 5-3 loss on Saturday by returning the favor in Sunday's rematch with a 5-2 victory.

In a completely different performance from their victory on Saturday, the Penguins were outshot in every period and failed to score on four power-play opportunities, leading to Sergei Murashov's first AHL defeat. 

The rookie goalie was a perfect 11-0-0 entering the afternoon and finished the day with 32 saves on 35 shots as the Checkers scored two empty net goals at 18:01 and 18:52 of the third. 

WBS Penguins Can Snap Organization Playoff Winless StreakThe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins punched their ticket to the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Hartford Wolf Pack. 

Earlier, in the first, Charlotte jumped out 2-0 with goals from Matt Kiersted and former Penguins player Jesse Puljujarvi scoring the other. 

Atley Calvert's sixth of the year cut the deficit to 2-1 in the middle period before Valtteri Puustinen scored at 1:38 of the third to tie things up at 2-2. 

However, John Leonard scored a power-play goal at 3:47 before scoring the first empty goal for his second of the day, earning first-star honors. 

Kaapo Kahkonen picked up the win for the home team, turning away 24 shots and surrendering only two goals to improve to 5-2-0 since joining the Checkers. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. 

The Penguins (37-19-7-1) return to action on April 4 when they travel to Cleveland to face the Monsters for a Friday and Saturday set.

The kids are officially here, and they will play a large role in Sunday's lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen - recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) on Friday - will both figure into the starting lineup when the Penguins take on the Ottawa Senators Sunday in Pittsburgh. And not only will they crack the lineup sheet, they will also occupy the two left wing slots in the top-six.

It will be McGroarty's fourth NHL game - he made the team out of training camp and was optioned back to WBS after three games - as well as his 21st birthday.

As for Koivunen? The 21-year-old Finnish winger - acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last spring - will make his NHL debut, which is something he's been anticipating for quite some time.

"I've got to play with my strengths and make an impact right away on this team," Koivunen said.

Koivunen will play on Rickard Rakell's left wing on the second line, while McGroarty will flank Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust on the top line. The decision to slot both wingers in the top-six was evident at Saturday's practice, and head coach Mike Sullivan wanted to put them in positions to succeed.

'Sid and the Kids': McGroarty, Koivunen Skate With Crosby, Top-Six In PracticeSid the Kid may have broken a major Wayne Gretzky record in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

“When you have players of this caliber, you're trying to set them up for success," Sullivan said. "And we're also trying to put them in roles where they have an opportunity to play to their strengths. Both of these guys have high hockey-IQs, they're both real competitive guys, they both have an offensive dimension to their game... they're different in how they play, but we think that with the combinations we had out there today, potentially, they could be complementary on the lines that they're on."

Goaltender Tristan Jarry will get the start for the Penguins. Here is the rest of the starting lineup:

Welcome to the @NHL, Ville Koivunen! pic.twitter.com/l5mVgxcR79

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 30, 2025

Ottawa currently occupies the first wild card spot in the East and is 7-3-0 in its last 10, including two straight wins. Center Tim Stutzle is pacing the club with 21 goals and 71 points in 72 games.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins return home for a Sunday evening contest against the Ottawa Senators. The last time they played at home, the Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets before a disastrous three-game road trip. 

In the first game, they took the reigning Stanley Cup champions, Florida Panthers, to a shootout, only to lose 4-3. Then, in Tampa Bay, the Penguins were blown out 6-1, followed by a 7-3 loss against the Buffalo Sabres. 

After those two performances, Pittsburgh has given up at least six goals in back-to-back contests for the fourth time this decade: 2021 (two), 2022, and 2025. 

BREAKING: Sidney Crosby Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Point-Per-Game Seasons RecordAfter 20 years in the making, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has made NHL history.

The Penguins have given up six or more goals in back-to-back contests 71 times in franchise history.

Meanwhile, the Penguins' most recent performance against the Senators, a 5-0 loss on Jan. 11, suggests they may extend the streak for one more game. 

If the Senators manage to net six goals on Sunday, it will be the 17th time the Penguins surrendered that many in three games, with the most recent one occurring between Nov. 7 and No. 12, 2003.

Considering Pittsburgh's next contest is against the hottest team in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues, winners of their last nine straight, this goals-against streak could fall into the top four worst stretches in team history. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. 

The Penguins' record for consecutive games giving up six or more goals is five, which occurred between Feb. 2 and Feb. 10, 1983. Next is four games, achieved twice during the 1983-84 seasons, first between Nov. 16 and Dec. 3 and again on Jan. 22 and Jan. 28.  

Through 72 games, the Senators have scored six goals in a game four times, with a season-high eight in two games in October.

Meanwhile, St. Louis has scored seven goals three times and tallied six on four occasions. Moreover, there's no rest for the weary, as the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh's opponent next Saturday, are the fourth-highest-scoring team in the NHL and already put up a seven spot on the Penguins earlier this season. 

Florida Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov hit a major milestone on Sunday.

When Barkov took the ice for Florida’s home game against the Montreal Canadiens, it was his 800th game in the National Hockey League.

Barkov has spent his entire NHL career with the Panthers after Florida selected him second overall at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

He played his first game in a Panthers sweater as a fresh-faced 18-year-old a few months later, scoring his first NHL goal against the Dallas Stars on Opening Night.

Now, 800 games later, Barkov has been through just about everything with the Panthers.

He’s been an All-Star, represented the team in his native Finland, become the leader on countless franchise records – Barkov is the franchise leader in games played, goals, assists, points, shots and power play goals – and, oh yeah, led the team to their first ever Stanley Cup Championship.

He’s also the first Panthers player to ever reach the 800-game mark with the team.

The 29-year-old is far from done rewriting Florida’s record books, though.

Barkov is in the fifth season of an eight-year deal that pays him $10 million annually, but knowing both Barkov and Panthers General Manager Bill Zito, it’s highly likely that the Cats’ captain ends up finishing his career in South Florida.

With Barkov as captain and Zito as GM, Florida has qualified for the postseason a franchise record five straight seasons.

They’ve reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two years and, as was previously mentioned, Barkov hoisted the historic trophy last June.

Eventually, Barkov’s number will be hanging in the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena and, quite possibly, the Finnish star will find his face among those in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Congrats to Barky on reaching 800 games played!

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The Florida Panthers ran into a very hungry Montreal Canadiens squad on Sunday afternoon in Sunrise.

Desperate to maintain their spot as the final Wild Card team in the Eastern Conference, Montreal played a tough, desperate game and took down the Panthers 4-2 at Amerant Bank Arena.

The win put an end to Florida’s home winning streak at seven games.

Patrik Laine put the Habs on the scoreboard first, cashing in on a power play goal with Tobias Bjornfot in the penalty box for high-sticking.

Laine was down near the goal line and one-timed a pass from rookie Lane Hutson past Sergei Bobrovsky at the 12:03 mark of the opening period.

Just 73 seconds later, Sasha Barkov picked up a loose puck behind Montreal net and quickly fed Sam Reinhart in front.

Reino’s backhand shot eluded the glove of Sam Montembeault and quickly tied the game at one.

Another Montreal power play goal, this one by Juraj Slafkovsky, put the Habs back in front just past the game’s midway point.

Seth Jones tied the game with 3:35 left in the second period when he one-timed a quick feed from Barkov through Montembeault’s pads.

A goal just 2:02 into the third period by Nick Suzuki would prove to be the game-winner as Montreal did a great job limiting Florida’s opportunities the rest of the day.

Brandon Gallagher added an empty-net goal for good measure, his 18th tally the season.

These same two teams will face off again on Tuesday from Montreal.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Jones now has two goals and an assist over his past give games.

Barkov is now riding a modest three-game point streak, with four assists during the run.

He’s also got two goals and seven points over his past six games.

Carter Verhaeghe picked up an assist on Reinhart’s goal, his first point in six games and only his third during 13 games in March.

Reinhart has now scored four goals over his past six games.

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will return to the lineup for their March 30 contest against the Washington Capitals. This will also be the 500th game of Dahlin's NHL career.

Dahlin, 24, was forced to miss the Sabres' March 29 contest against the Philadelphia Flyers due to an illness. However, the star defenseman is now feeling good enough to return, which is excellent news for the Sabres. 

Dahlin has had a strong season with the Sabres, posting 13 goals, 44 assists, 57 points, 86 hits, and a plus-3 rating. He has also stayed hot down the stretch, recording five points in his last four appearances.

It will now be interesting to see how the Sabres respond to getting their top defenseman back against the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals from here. 

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The Ottawa Senators begin the final 10 games of the regular season on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (5 pm TSN5, RDS). Now eight points above the playoff cut line, the Senators are now in outstanding shape to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight years. 

The last time they played a postseason game was in that very arena on May 25, 2017 – a double-overtime loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. 

A lot has changed and neither team has had much success since that season. While Ottawa's playoff drought is well-documented, the Penguins have only won one playoff series since (2018 vs PHI), and are tracking to miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

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The Senators currently hold the Conference’s top wild card spot. They’re now eight points above the playoff cut line after a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. This cushion gives the Sens some breathing room and the option of resting certain players who are dealing with nagging injuries. 

To that end, the Senators called up winger Angus Crookshank from Belleville on Sunday morning. This move suggests that team captain Brady Tkachuk or another banged-up forward will sit out rather than try to play two games in less than 24 hours.

As you'd expect, the club didn't skate on Sunday morning, so Travis Green's lineup changes, if any, will be announced closer to game time.

Ottawa’s final 10 games will be all about maintenance. The Sens aren’t likely to catch anyone in the top three of the Atlantic Division, nor are they likely to be reeled in by anyone in their rearview mirror. Their goal now is to maintain that wild card and, ideally, give certain players the maintenance days they need to be as healthy as possible for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, with just one point separating the top three teams in the Atlantic, the eventual winner of the divisional race – probably Ottawa’s first-round opponent – will likely be the team that floors it right to the end.

Anton Forsberg will likely start after Ullmark had a busy night on Saturday in a 3-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Opponent:

The Penguins are eight points behind the Rangers for the final wild card spot in the East, but with six teams to climb over, the task is nearly impossible. Pittsburgh's season is all but officially over, and their best players aren’t getting any younger.

So the Pens will begin to take a look at some of the kids in the AHL. They’ve called up two forwards from the AHL who will go right on to the club’s top two lines against Ottawa on Sunday.

Former Winnipeg Jets’ first-rounder Rutger McGroarty has played just three NHL games so far, and for his 21st birthday on Sunday, he’ll play on Sidney Crosby’s left side. McGroarty has 39 points in 60 games for the Baby Pens after being traded by the Jets in a contract dispute last summer. The dispute wasn’t complicated. The former University of Michigan star didn’t want to sign with Winnipeg.

Pittsburgh has also called up Ville Koivunen who’s sixth in AHL scoring with 55 points in 62 games. He’ll play alongside Rickard Rakell.

As for their superstar vets, Crosby, now 37, is still rolling with 80 points and counting. Incredibly, this is now his 20th point-per-game season, surpassing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. That said, it’s weird to see him among the worst 20 players in the league in plus/minus (-22), even if you don’t put much stock in the stat. 

38-year-old Evgeni Malkin has just 15 goals and 46 points in 62 games, well off his career pace of 1.1 points per game. Malkin has missed the past week with an upper body injury and is listed as day to day. 

Tristan Jarry gets the start for Pittsburgh (fixes earlier version that indicated Nedeljkovic would start).

Senators projected lines

Claude Giroux -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson
Brady Tkachuk -- Shane Pinto -- Ridly Greig
Matthew Highmore -- Adam Gaudette -- Michael Amadio

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo

Anton Forsberg
Linus Ullmark

Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic
Injured: Nick Cousins (knee)

Penguins projected lineup

Rutger McGroarty -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust
Ville Koivunen -- Rickard Rakell -- Connor Dewar
Philip Tomasino -- Kevin Hayes -- Noel Acciari
Danton Heinen -- Blake Lizotte -- Emil Bemstrom

Matt Grzelcyk -- Kris Letang
Conor Timmins -- Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves -- Vladislav Kolyachonok

Alex Nedeljkovic
Tristan Jarry

After Sunday’s game, the Senators will play eight of their final nine games at home.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Jack Rathbone has been recalled from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Rathbone joined the Sabres this past off-season on a one-year, two-way contract. Since then, the 25-year-old left-shot defenseman has appeared in 56 games with the Amerks, where he has five goals, 20 points, and a plus-6 rating. He has yet to make his Sabres regular-season debut, but that has the potential to change following this call-up.

Rathbone last played at the NHL level with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2022-23 season, where he had one goal and one assist in 11 games. In 28 career NHL games over three seasons, the Massachusetts native has posted two goals, three assists, five points, 21 hits, and a minus-5 rating. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks just signed defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Oliver Moore to entry-level contracts and they will see playing time until the end of the season in the NHL. While this burns a year off their entry-level deals, they both appear to be ready to show the Blackhawks what they have.

Both Rinzel and Moore are former first-round picks. Rinzel was drafted 25th overall in 2022 behind Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar while Moore was drafted one year later in 2023 at 19th overall behind Connor Bedard.

Both Rinzel and Moore just finished up their time at the University of Minnesota where they played great hockey. The 20-year-olds look to make an immediate impact and not only earn their place in the NHL every game until the end of the season, but showcase themselves for next season.

I believe the process of forming the roster in training camp isn't going to be the exact same as it was this season. While every young player isn't going to have to outperform veterans to make the team, Kyle Davidson is also unlikely to bring in as many veterans this time around and block the prospects right off the bat. Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert, who had both joined the Blackhawks late last season after moving on from the NCAA, each had to fight to get to the NHL and didn't make the opening roster.

Rinzel is seen as a premier prospect that is a big part of the future in Chicago. Moore is no slouch either and is able to score and produce offensively.

It appears as though Rinzel is going to start out on the second pairing alongside Wyatt Kaiser while Moore is going to get third line minutes with Joe Veleno and Nick Foligno. These are good spots for both players. Anywhere lower and they risk playing very limited minutes and with some players who won't necessarily help either of them succeed right off the bat.

Blackhawks' Ryan Donato Has A Chance At 30 GoalsThe Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Friday night. It was a night that had some pros and cons but they ultimately fell short. There is a lot of work to be done but there are glimpses of what’s to come. 

The lineup for the Blackhawks with these two young players making their debuts is very exciting for Chicago fans Here's a look:

Ryan Donato - Connor Bedard - Ilya Mikheyev

Teuvo Teravainen - Frank Nazar - Tyler Bertuzzi

Oliver Moore - Joe Veleno - Nick Foligno

Landon Slaggert - Lukas Reichel - Pat Maroon

Alec Vlasic - Artyom Levshunov

Wyatt Kaiser - Sam Rinzel

Kevin Korchinski - Ethan Del Mastro

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

The Montreal Canadiens are now outside looking in to the playoffs race, thanks to a five-game losing streak. For Martin St-Louis’ men to even have a chance to make the Spring dance, they must return to their winning ways now, but it could be challenging. The Habs have only 10 games left on their schedule, and their next two games will be against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers.

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Despite being without Matthew Tkachuk because of an injury and Aaron Ekblad because of a suspension, the Canadiens are marching on. They have a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games and have won their previous two. However, the Canadiens have won the first two matchups with Florida this season.

The 4-0 win at the end of December was a turning point in the Canadiens’ season. It marked Jakub Dobes’ fulgurant start in the league, but he has lost some of his shine since then. He’s dropped his last three starts and expects to see Samuel Montembeault for most games, if not all, as long as the Habs are in the mix. As for the 3-1 victory in mid-March, it put an end to a losing streak and was a springboard for a dominant win over the Ottawa Senators.

The stakes are even higher now, and even if the Habs had a day off on Saturday, it’s easy to know Montembeault will be in goal on Sunday. He has a 2-4-1 record in eight games against Florida, with a 4.21 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage. Dobes played them once and was flawless, but the coach’s confidence in his young netminder has been shaken.

There’s no confirmation as to who will be on duty for the Panthers, but Sergei Bobrovsky has a 16-8-1 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .919 SP against the Canadiens, while Vitek Vanecek is 3-1-0 with a 2.76 GAA and a .894 SP.

Up front, after a tough outing against the Carolina Hurricanes, captain Nick Suzuki should welcome a matchup with the Cats. He has 15 points in 17 games against Florida, six points behind alternate captain Brendan Gallagher, who has 23 points in 38 games, and four points behind Patrik Laine, who has 22 in 21 duels.

The Habs will need to keep an eye on an old foe in new colours, as Brad Marchand has 48 points in 57 games against the Canadiens. Captain Aleksander Barkov comes in second place with 47 points in 37 games, and veteran Sam Reinhart comes third with 22 points in 32 games.

Not to sound like a broken record, but this is an absolute must-win game for the Canadiens who will hope to keep their dominance on the Cats this season going. Montreal has only won three of the last 10 games against their host, so this remains a tall order for the young Habs. It will be interesting to see if St-Louis keeps an 11-7 formation of if he scratches a defenseman. 

On Saturday, the Senators did the Canadiens a favor by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets in regulation, meaning they dropped behind the Canadiens who momentarily got the second wild card back, only to lose it again when to the New York Rangers when they beat the San Jose Sharks in regulation. The silver lining for the Habs is that they still have two games in hand on the Blueshirts, just like Columbus and the New York Islanders mind you. 

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Boone Jenner(5) and Kirill Marchenko(28) provided the only offense for Columbus, and Daniil Tarasov suffered a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

The Jackets fell short against Ottawa on Saturday night, and their playoff hopes suffered for it. 

With the loss to the Senators, the CBJ fell out of the wild card two spot, getting supplanted by the Montréal Canadiens the second the clock hit zeros. But then, later in the night, the New York Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks and would jump both Columbus and Montréal, knocking the Blue Jackets down another spot in the standings. All in all, it was a tough night for Columbus. 

Dean Evason said after the game, "That was a great game. Both teams played hard, played fast. Certainly the start was fantastic, the pace of the game. Everybody was playing their butts off. We had lots of chances, certainly in the third period and at the end to tie it. It was just a great hockey game that we fell a little bit short."

Zach Werenski added, "I thought we played hard. I thought it was a pretty even game for the most part. We'd probably like to have back some minutes in the second there where I thought we didn't get to our game, but it's a good team. I liked our effort."

The Jackets are now 33-30-9 with 75 points. 

Final Stats

Player Stats

• Boone Jenner scored his 5th goal of the season.
• Kirill Marchenko scored his 28th goal of the season.
• Zach Werenski had a pair of assists, his 51st and 52nd of the year. He also led the team with 5 shots.
• Denton Mateychuk recorded his 6th assist of the season.
• Daniil Tarasov stopped 24 of 27 Ottawa shots.

Team Stats

• The Jackets power play went 0/1 on the night.
• The Columbus PK stopped both of Ottawa's power plays.
• Columbus won 38.5% of the faceoffs.

Up Next: The Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators into Nationwide Arena on Tuesday. 

Let us know what you think below.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each scored two goals, Jonathan Quick had 21 saves, and the New York Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks 6-1 on Saturday.

Jonny Brodzinski and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York.

Cam Lund scored a power play goal for San Jose for his first career point, and Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev had 27 saves.

Panarin, who scored his team-leading 32nd and 33rd goals, got New York started scoring twice in less than two minutes in a first period in which the Rangers out-shot San Jose 14-5. His first goal broke a scoreless tie at 12:04 of the first and then next at 13:58 made it 2-0.

Takeaways

Rangers: New York solidified its position in the wild card playoff race. The Rangers had lost eight of their previous 11 games (3-6-2) going into Saturday.

Sharks: Were seeking what would have been their first three-game winning streak since early December.

Key moment

Fox’s goal at 4:48 of the second period made it a 3-0 game and gave New York some breathing room a day after the Rangers blew a two-goal lead in the third period of Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Anaheim.

Key stat

The Rangers won 67.9 percent of the faceoffs in Saturday’s game. New York ranked third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage (53 percent) going into Saturday, and San Jose ranked No. 25 (48.2 percent)

Up next

The Rangers play host to Minnesota on Wednesday, and the Sharks play the Kings in Los Angeles on Sunday.