The road trip continues for the St. Louis Blues (31-27-7), who go up against the Pittsburgh Penguins (26-31-10) from PPG Paints Arena on Thursday at 6 p.m (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

It's the fifth of a season-long six-game road trip that has been broken up into two parts, with the Blues returning home following their 2-1 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, so they got to spend four nights in their own beds before finishing off the last two legs of the trip, which concludes Saturday against the Minnesota Wild.

As for the standings, the Blues sit now two points behind the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks after those two teams settled their game on Wednesday in a shootout, with the Canucks winning 3-2. Also, the Utah Hockey Club won, 3-2 against the Anaheim Ducks and pulled even with the Blues, so four teams are separated by two points in a logjam for the second wild card in the Western Conference. St. Louis, Vancouver and Utah all have 17 games remaining, Calgary has 18.

The Blues, according to coach Jim Montgomery, have done a good job of just living in the moment, which has enabled them to shave seven points off their deficit when they came back from the 4 Nations Face-Off, going 6-1-2 playing nine games in 15 days; they are 7-1-2 in the last 10.

"Since the break has started, every game has been important for us to be in the situation that we are, so we had to do the job early," Montgomery said. "Now we just need to continue on that path. It doesn't matter who we're playing. We've seen our next opponent, Pittsburgh just beat Vegas (3-2 in overtime), so we've got to be focused on that next task at hand and bring that same attitude of we're going to stay in the moment, we're going to have a great start, and then we're going to worry about the next shift, then we're going to worry about the next period and then we're going to worry about the 60 minutes.

"With that, we know the schedule is favorable right now. We're going to play two teams where we're going to playing back-to-backs again where they are not. They are rested waiting for us, so there's another challenge that's coming within that time frame. I think we're in the midst of starting (10) in 17 days."

Tonight does begin another tough stretch of games clustered into limited days, which includes three in the next four days where the Blues come home from Minnesota Saturday after a 7 p.m. start and play against the Ducks at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

- - -

With the team rolling, the only lineup change is Cam Fowler, who missed Saturday for the birth of his son, will return and go in for Matthew Kessel, and Jordan Binnington, who has won six straight starts and is 7-0-1 the past eight games he's started, will start in goal.

Also, forward Jordan Kyrou will play in his 400th NHL game tonight.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich

Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Zack Bolduc

Alexey Toropchenko-Radek Faksa-Nathan Walker

Cam Fowler-Nick Leddy

Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk

Ryan Suter-Tyler Tucker

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Alexandre Texier and Matthew Kessel. Colton Parayko (knee) is out. Torey Krug (ankle) is out for the season.

- - -

Penguins Projected Lineup:

Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Connor Dewar-Evgeni Malkin-Philip Tomasino

Danton Heinen-Kevin Hayes-Emil Bemstrom

Bokondji Imama-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Vladislav Kolyachonok-Kris Letang

Matt Grzelcyk-Erik Karlsson

Ryan Graves-Conor Timmins

Tristan Jarry will start in goal; Alex Nedeljkovic will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Matt Nieto and Sebastian Aho. P.O Joseph (upper body), Tommy Novak (lower body) and Ryan Shea (upper body) are out.

The Columbus Blue Jackets emerged in the NHL this season in more ways than one.

Three-quarters into the season, the Blue Jackets find themselves in a playoff spot with a legitimately good chance of holding on and getting into the post-season.

Sean Monahan re-emerged as well by logging 41 points in 41 games as the Blue Jackets’ top center until he got injured on Jan. 7.

Since then, sophomore Adam Fantilli elevated his game to another level. He became a point-per-game center who can take over a shift – and a game – when he’s most needed.

For Columbus to hold off the rest of the pack in the battle for the wild-card spots, Fantilli must continue to fuel its playoff drive.

Fantilli has 23 points in 23 games with 12 goals over the span, highlighted by a hat trick against the New York Rangers last weekend. That massive performance came in a pivotal game that held off the Rangers and solidified the Blue Jackets’ playoff standing. 

Hatty for Fantilli 🤩

Adam Fantilli records his second three-goal performance of the season!

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUSpic.twitter.com/toSz76rbdv

— NHL (@NHL) March 10, 2025

Since Monahan’s wrist injury on Jan. 7, Fantilli has scored at a rate of 2.66 points per 60 minutes at even strength, according to evolving-hockey.com. That ranks Fantilli in the top 25 NHL players who have played at least 300 minutes (roughly top-six forward minutes) over that period. Only Matvei Michkov (2.85) and Will Smith (2.7) have scored at a higher rate over that time among under-21 talent, and both have played significantly smaller roles for their teams, barely meeting the 300-minute criteria. 

Fantilli’s rocked a 66-percent goal share since becoming the Blue Jackets' No. 1 center, outscoring his opponents 31-16 since Jan. 7. While that’s largely due to the step he’s taken offensively, his defensive game’s massively improved as well, which coach Dean Evason noticed.

“I wish there were inside looks at where he was at the start of the year and how his commitment to playing the game the right way, how his commitment to playing defense, is commitment to being a good leader and teammate (have grown),” Evason told reporters on Monday.

Fantilli has always had the skating and strength to be a dominant two-way force, but his mental development is most notable. He’s tracking play much more effectively in his own zone, filling gaps in the middle of the ice and battling for loose pucks down low. When he gets the puck back on his stick, he’s showing off the explosive skating and transition ability up ice that he’s been known for. 

If the Blue Jackets will make the playoffs, it will be because Fantilli – and other youngsters Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Voronkov – continue their strong play. But if Fantilli maintains his pace from the last 23 games, we could see him surpass the 30-goal and 60-point plateau as a 20-year-old.

Playing upward of 20 minutes on most nights, Fantilli’s asserting himself as the centerpiece for the Blue Jackets' run toward the playoffs. He is showing why there was the conversation about him being a first-overall caliber player in his draft year, even though he eventually went third overall after Connor Bedard (CHI) and Leo Carlsson (ANA). 

He’s been a force of nature in every league he’s played in whether it was the GTHL, the USHL or the NCAA. Fantilli is on his way to becoming an everyday impact player in the NHL. 

What could be the greatest era in Columbus Blue Jackets hockey is emerging. Fantilli will be an instrumental part of that.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned forwards Isak Rosen and Josh Dunne to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned forwards Josh Dunne and Isak Rosen to the Rochester Americans (AHL).

— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) March 13, 2025

Rosen and Dunne were recalled by the Sabres back on March 8 but are now heading right back to Rochester.

Rosen, 21, has appeared in three games this season with the Sabres, where he has zero points and a minus-2 rating. He has been on a tear in the AHL with Rochester this season, posting 26 goals and 50 points in 51 games. 

Dunne, 26, has zero points and four hits in one game with the Sabres this season. Down in the AHL with Rochester, he has eight goals and 24 points in 54 games. In 15 career NHL games split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres, he has zero points, 35 hits, and a minus-2 rating. 

Recent Sabres News 

Sabres Superstar Tage Thompson Is Heating Up Big Time

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Sabres & Rangers Talking JJ Peterka Trade: Report

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Buffalo Sabres & New York Rangers Complete Trade

The clock is ticking on players of the visor-less vintage.

From sleepovers to leading his team in scoring, Tyler Toffoli is living his best life this year. It just happens to be on a team that is in last place overall in the NHL and recently went an entire month without a win.

Not that he's complaining.

When asked what it's like to be the old guy on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks team that has its future sewn up in rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, the 32-year-old laughed.

"I think we've said it all season long — we have a lot of fun in here," Toffoli said after a recent win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "It's one of those things where it sucks to lose. But then you come to the rink and hang out outside the rink, for the most part we're always together. It's fun."

It's fun for Toffoli, because despite the team's struggles he is having what looks like yet another career-type year.

With 24 goals in 63 games, Toffoli is once again leading his team in goal-scoring. If it stays that way, it will be the fourth time in his career — having previously led the Kings, Canadiens and Flames in goals — that he's finished as the team leader in that category.

tyler toffoli came to the sharks like an angel from heaven pic.twitter.com/hwgkHbiRwY

— laz (@72onice) March 5, 2025

"I think it's just one of those things where I personally felt very confident that past few seasons," said Toffoli, who has 43 points in 63 games. "Being able to play with some really good players obviously helps. It's just one of those things where I try to get open."

The chemistry that Toffoli has forged with Celebrini and Smith extends well beyond the rink. During a recent bus ride from Toronto to Buffalo, a wager was made that if Toffoli, Celebrini and Smith all scored in the same game that the three of them would bunk together in the same hotel room.

"Out of no where, (Smith) is like 'If all three of score tomorrow, you're sleeping over," said Toffoli, who initially balked at the idea of crashing with his teammates. "I'm like, 'Will, I'm not sleeping over. I'm 32 years old. That doesn't happen anymore.'

"SLEEPOVER! SLEEPOVER!"

Tyler Toffoli joined Never Offside with Julie Petry and @catbtoffoli to talk about his sleepover with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. 🦈

Check out the full episode here ➡️ https://t.co/p4M8N6LCN3pic.twitter.com/U0vLt9NFqR

— NHL (@NHL) March 11, 2025

"Long story short, we end up playing really well in Buffalo and I score the empty-net goal with 30-, 40-seconds left, whatever it was. As soon as it went in, I went to the bench and I was laughing. I didn't even realize that all three of us had scored.

"Will was like, 'Sleepover! Sleepover!"

"I'm like, 'What are you talking about? It's not happening.' And then we end up getting on the plane after the game and my coach came up to me and was like, 'You have to sleep over, you know that, right?' I'm like, Oh God, here we go."

Indeed, that led to a hilarious Instagram post where Toffoli was on a roll-away cot next to Smith and Celebrini, with Celebrini remarking that he "Slept like a baby."

I’ll just put this 🧾 right here…

The “bet” 😭 https://t.co/Age2ruwcjSpic.twitter.com/gM7xGedljx

— Cat (Belanger) Toffoli (@catbtoffoli) March 6, 2025

Toffoli, who signed a four-year contract with the Sharks last summer, could have more sleepovers in his future. Based on the way that Celebrini and Smith have been playing — they have combined for 32 goals and 81 points — don't be surprised if the wins start coming as well.

"It's tough, but it's one of those things where we have a lot of talent in here and we have guys that want to win," said Toffoli. "There's never any give. Even if we're not having a good night, we're going to come back and keep fighting — whether that's the same night or the next game, we bounce back and we try to pull things together."

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Vegas Golden Knights play this season for the second and final time.

Columbus Blue Jackets (70 pts) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (83 pts) Game PreviewThe Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into Nationwide Arena on Thursday. The Blue Jackets won their only meeting of the season in Vegas back on Jan. 30 in OT

Projected Lineup **Lines Subject to Change 

Dmitri Voronkov - Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko

Kent Johnson – Boone Jenner – Mathieu Olivier

James van Riemsdyk – Justin Danforth – Luke Kunin

Zach Aston-Reese - Sean Kuraly – Christian Fischer

Zach Werenski - Dante Fabbro

Denton Mateychuk - Ivan Provorov

Jake Christiansen - Damon Severson

Starter: Elvis Merzļikins

Scratches: Jordan Harris, Jack Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov

Injuries

• Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16 (61 Games)
• Sean Monahan (upper body) is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (23 Games)
• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and out for the season (8 Games)

• Cole Sillinger is day-to-day with an upper body injury (5 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 274

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.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

The Chicago Blackhawks were busy sellers leading up to the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Since Jan. 24, they have sent Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the three-team deal involving Mikko Rantanen's ill-fated move to the Hurricanes. They also shipped Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a multi-player move and dealt Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith to the Detroit Red Wings for Joe Veleno.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno told reporters the team is more cohesive after trading away “some distractions.” 

Following the trade deadline, GM Kyle Davidson told the media it was time to shift from making moves for draft picks and prospects for deals that bring in players. He didn't rule out drawing on his stockpile of picks to swing a major trade during the off-season.

Davidson spent the past two seasons adding veterans via trades and free agency, but most were past their prime. What the Blackhawks need are players in their twenties who are also in their playing prime, including a winger who can play alongside young franchise center Connor Bedard. 

NHL Rumor Roundup: What Could The Off-Season Hold For The Sabres And Flyers?The Buffalo Sabres made one of the notable moves leading up to last Friday's NHL trade deadline, shipping center Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators for center Josh Norris. 

Turning to the Montreal Canadiens, GM Kent Hughes made no moves during the trade deadline. He said he wasn't worried about losing David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak to free agency this summer, saying he felt it was best to keep them so his younger players could lean on their experience and leadership as they jockey for a wild-card berth down the stretch. 

Hughes didn't attempt to shop for a second-line center to replace the sidelined Kirby Dach, saying the trade deadline wasn't necessarily the best time to fill that position. He said he spoke with other GMs to “spitball” some ideas, including those involving players who didn't appear in the rumor mill before the trade deadline. 

Dach's injury history makes finding a second-line center a priority this summer for Hughes. He could go the free-agent route, but it's likelier he'll attempt to address that issue in the trade market, finding a player in his mid to late twenties who could fit into the Canadiens' long-term plans.

Joel Armia was out for the game against the Seattle Kraken. That hurt, but it happens and there’s no timetable for his return. Patrik Laine was the player who was back in the lineup and that was a positive but all of these changes to the lineup are tough on a team. 

Armia remains questionable for Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers. If the Canadiens stay in the race, they must beat Florida. Getting one point at this time of the year isn’t that much of a benefit especially if it’s against a team you’re chasing. The Canadiens aren’t chasing Florida but they are chasing the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

I cover the Flyers too and last season they missed the playoffs on the last day of the season. It went a bit further than I thought and that is what I’m seeing for the Canadiens. Unless you can win 5-7 in a row and have the teams you’re chasing lose regulation games, the math becomes the enemy.

Next Tuesday the Canadiens play the Senators at home. They can’t lose that game. Even an overtime loss would be costly. They play them again on April 11th in Ottawa. The hope is that the game means something. The Canadiens are done with the Blue Jackets. 

I always say the NHL schedule maker works with math geniuses to get these kinds of races because of the loser point. That’s what creates a lot of this. The NHL Is never boring and they do get that part right.

Minten made his Providence debut against the Marlies on Wednesday night in Toronto.

When Fraser Minten rolled into Coca-Cola Coliseum on Wednesday, he was in a different dressing room, with new teammates, wearing a jersey quite distant from his usual one.

The 20-year-old was making his debut with the Providence Bruins in Toronto, five days after being traded from the organization he was now going up against.

"It was very weird, but it was fun," Minten told The Hockey News on Wednesday night after falling 4-2 to his former team.

"It’s weird to be on this side of the ice, these benches, this side of the dressing room. But cool to get to compete against those guys and tough loss that’ll be talked about for a long time by those guys," he added with a smile.

Five days after being traded to Boston, Fraser Minten is back in Toronto facing the #Marlies with Providence. pic.twitter.com/MCHRfK48wN

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) March 12, 2025

Were any chirps exchanged?

"You try not to look or listen because you’ll just start laughing," he said. "But yeah, just funny chirps."

Minten was traded to the Boston Bruins on Friday, the NHL trade deadline, along with a 2026 conditional first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick for Brandon Carlo. Funny enough, when Boston acquired the young forward, the Marlies were in Providence to take on their AHL squad.

"It was a bit stressful, to be honest," Minten said of the entire day.

The center was having a strong season with the Marlies. He played in all situations, and crucial moments in the game. He even had a brief stint with the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and four points in 15 games.

Minten admitted that he had an inkling something could happen before the deadline. He's a young, developing player with a lot of upside, and is likely to play a key role on an NHL team sooner than later.

"You can go on PuckPedia and see (the Leafs) don’t got that many assets, so you know it’s possible," Minten said.

"You’re kind of just refreshing your phone all day waiting. And yeah, a stressful day, but after you get the news, you just try to get your stuff together as quick as you can, make lots of phone calls, answer lots of texts, and move on to playing hockey and helping another team."

Minten was blown away by the number of messages he received after being traded away from Toronto: "Honestly, everyone reached out," he said.

"It was really cool to see guys from the Leafs, all the staff, like, all across — everybody. It was cool to see that there was that many people who were sad to see me go and it’s nice to have those relationships."

This wasn't a regular trade, though. Rarely do we see divisional rivals—especially teams like Boston and Toronto—make a deal where each team helps the other.

But after being drafted by the Maple Leafs in the second round (38th overall) in 2022, and witnessing the rivalry first-hand last spring, what was it like for Minten to put the yellow and black jersey rather than the blue and white?

"Ah, I mean, I love the Bruins. That’s my first thought," he said with a cheeky grin.

"It’s pretty special to get the opportunity to play pro hockey, so whatever team wants to believe in me, give me that chance, I’m going to do everything I can to help them win."

Since being drafted, Minten has spent a lot of time in Toronto, with development camps, training camps, and for a brief time last season, a stint in the NHL, before turning full-time pro this year.

Maple Leafs' Fraser Minten Wires Home First Career GoalWatch as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Fraser Minten blasts a feed from William Nylander past Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill for his first NHL goal ...

When asked what he'll miss most about Toronto, he immediately said the Maple Leafs' fan base, which he got to play in front of this year.

"I think it’s an amazing, amazing place to play hockey. I think that the amount of attention you get is quite a privilege and makes it really cool to play every night," he said.

"People care about the team, people talk about the team. I think that’s something that you don’t get everywhere. And luckily, I think Boston’s pretty into that too. But, it’s cool to play a game that people care about."

Minten joins the Bruins organization with plenty of opportunity. He's projected to develop into a third line center and Boston will need that. He and Matthew Poitras, drafted in the same year, make up some of the organization's up-and-coming prospects.

As for expectations of when that NHL chance could come again, Minten isn't focusing on that. Instead, the young forward will let his work speak for itself, allowing him to put a Bruins jersey over his head when the team believes he's ready.

"Whatever happens with that stuff, like, I don’t really think about that," Minten said.

"Just practice, games, do everything I can, do my process to get better, and the staff there, just like the staff (in Toronto), they know when you’re ready. So you put in the work and your time will come if you do the right things over and over."

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into Nationwide Arena on Thursday. The Blue Jackets won their only meeting of the season in Vegas back on Jan. 30 in OT

This game is important for Columbus, there's no doubt about that. Thursday's game is the first of a four-game homestand that concludes next Thursday against Florida. 

Vegas is 7-2-1 in their last 10 and is atop the Pacific Division, but they've lost their last two games against LA and Pittsburgh. 

The Golden Knights are an elite team but are just 14-12-4 on the road. The Jackets are very good at home, so look for this game to be a barnburner. 

Golden Knights Stats

• Power Play – 28.9% - 2nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 76.2% - 23rd in NHL
• Goals For – 214 – 6th – 3.34 GPG – 5th
• Goals Against – 175 – 8th – 2.73 GPG – 9th

Series History vs. The Golden Knights

• Columbus is 4-1-1 at home and 7-5-1 in 13 all-time meetings vs. Vegas.
• The Jackets are 3-2-1 in the last six games.

Who To Watch For The Golden Knights

• Jack Eichel leads the VGK with 58 assists and 78 points.
• Tomas Hertl leads Vegas with 27 goals.
• Goalie Aiden Hill is 23-11-4 with a .904 SV%.
• Ilya Samsonov is 15-8-3 with a .889 SV%.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Golden Knights

• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 11 games vs. Vegas
• Kirill Marchenko has 4 points in 4 games.
• Elvis Merzļikins is 3-1 with a .930 SV% vs. the Golden Knights.

Injuries

• Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16 (61 Games)
• Sean Monahan (upper body) is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (23 Games)
• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and out for the season (8 Games)
• Cole Sillinger is day-to-day with an upper body injury (5 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 274

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.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

The Montreal Canadiens got some reinforcements to take on the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night, as Patrik Laine was back in the lineup. Unfortunately, Joel Armia had to pull out because of an injury sustained in Tuesday’s game. As a result, Martin St-Louis had to shuffle his cards a bit. Laine took Michael Pezzetta’s spot with Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson, while Pezzetta joined Jake Evans and Emil Heineman.

Reinbacher Sitting Is Precautionary
Canadiens: Must Win Battle In Seattle
Juraj Slafjkovsky Is Taking a Step This Season

Not Every Goaltender Is a Third Defenseman

The NHL has seen its fair share of goaltenders who were so good around their net that they were almost an extra defenseman on the ice. Martin Brodeur and Carey Price are the two names now coming to mind. Jakub Dobes didn’t look like that kind of goalie on the game's first goal.

He came out of the net and attempted to clear the puck, sending it up on the boards, but Jordan Eberle had no trouble intercepting the attempted clearance and setting up Brandon Montour for the goal. After that, the young netminder looked nervous and often deported to one side in his net. Puck tracking was also an issue, and the Kraken hit at least three posts in the first frame, on top of dominating 15-5 on the shot clock.

He made 14 saves, but he wasn’t as confident as usual. Saturday, he was the calm and steadying presence at the back, but not Wednesday night. The Kraken second goal also came from the youngster's attempt to handle the puck behind his net.

A One Trick Pony?

Brandon Montour's penalty was a bright ray of sunshine in a game heavily dominated by Seattle. It allowed the Canadiens to get back in the game and on his return to play, Laine scored from his office.

Back in the lineup and back on the board. 🚀

That's Patrik Laine's 12th power-play goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/gZefmsjXlB

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

The big Finn might not be very effective at five-on-five, but he’s a fantastic weapon on a man-advantage or four-on-four, as evidenced by his great feed straight on Alex Newhook’s blade to score the equalizing goal.

Patrik Laine puts a perfect pass into the (very) low slot, and Alex Newhook ties this game up for the #Habs. pic.twitter.com/c2CSiYKavs

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 13, 2025

After 40 minutes, Laine only had eight shifts and 7:39 minutes of ice time (Roy had two more seconds), but he was the spark plug that led to the game flipping on its head. The Canadiens had a surprising 3-2 lead at the end of the second frame. The sniper finished the game with 10:08 spent on the ice while Roy played 10:38 and Pezzetta 9:25.

Bouncing Back

While the first period must have been hard to watch for Canadiens’ fans and for St.-Louis, his players showed that they could bounce back. After being outrageously dominated in the first period, Montreal shook it off and got to work.

Back in October, this team was utterly unable to do that. When things were going badly, they couldn’t stop the bleeding, and that’s how Seattle beat them 8-2 in the first month of the season.

This is something contending team can regularly do and part of what this young Canadiens team still has to learn, being able to do it in the race to the playoffs certainly is valuable experience.  

Montreal really clawed its way back into the game, finishing the night with a respectable 25 shots and managing to take the lead against all odds. Some will say that Juraj Slafkovsky's second goal should have been waived off because the puck had been touched too high, but like any sports involving referees, you win some calls and you lose some. This was the young Slovak's 100th career-point. 

However, contending teams are able to pull the win off, which the Canadiens couldn't because of their own lack of discipline. Arber Xhekaj received three minors over the 60 minutes of regulation, and Seattle scored on the last one, before adding another power play marker on a David Savard penalty to tie up the game and send it to extra time. 

So close and yet so far for the Sainte-Flanelle who lost 5-4 in overtime, after just five seconds or extra time. The point allows the Canadiens to remain ninth in the Eastern Conference, but the extra point would have given them as many as the Columbus Blue Jackets. This defeat stings now and could sting even more if they miss the playoffs by a single point...

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Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

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The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Mar. 7.

The 26-year-old from St. Catharines, ON was initially a second round pick (32nd overall) of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017 Draft. In 144 career games, the right-handed defenseman has five goals and 34 assists for 39 points.

Connor Timmins, acquired by PIT, is a third pairing defenceman who puts up good underlying numbers in small minutes. Maybe the most Dubas defenceman of all time. #LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/tIlqynGCuT

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 7, 2025

Here are three things to know about the newest member of the Penguins.

One International Invite, One Gold Medal

Timmins has represented Canada at only one international event, the 2018 World Junior Championships, where he won the Gold Medal.

Conor Timmins 6-1 Goal - Canada vs Switzerland 2018 WJC 1.2.18Conor Timmins 6-1 Goal - Canada vs Switzerland 2018 WJC 1.2.18Subscribe for more videos. On this channel you will see every goal from team Canada and the Tor...

Besides his success in the medal round, including an assist on the Golden Goal, Timmins was named a WJC Top 3 Player on Team and led the entire tournament with a plus-15 rating. In seven games, he had a goal and four helpers. 

Dominated in the OHL

Timmins skated three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds, serving as an alternate captain during his final season in 2017-18. 

Maple Leafs' Conor Timmins Scores His First NHL Goal With Point Shot vs. FlyersWatch as Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Conor Timmins scores his first goal as a Maple Leaf, and his NHL career to double the lead against the Flyers.-------...

His best season came in 2016-17, when he was almost a point-per-game player, scoring 61 points (7G, 54A) in 67 games, the best statistical season of his hockey career.

Overall, Timmins scored 19 goals and collected 96 assists in 163 OHL games to finish with 115 points, good enough for a .71 points-per-game average. He played in the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2017.

Last NHL Goal Came Against...Pittsburgh

Five days before Timmins pulled on a black and gold jersey, he scored his first goal in 35 games in a wild 6-5 win over the Penguins on Mar. 2.

GOAL DROUGHT... OVER ✅

Conor Timmins scores his first goal in 35 games! pic.twitter.com/vQRkThPlSN

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 2, 2025

Timmins has scored only five goals in his career, including his first against the Philadelphia Flyers (Jan. 8, 2023), followed by lamplighters against the Chicago Blackhawks (Feb. 15, 2023), New York Rangers (Dec. 12, 2023), and the Montreal Canadiens (Nov. 9, 2024).

Interestingly, Timmins has goals against three of the Original Six teams, just missing the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Maple Leafs. 

Despite playing with the Arizona Coyotes (eight games) and Colorado Avalanche (33 games), all of Timmins' goals have come with Toronto (101 games). 

The Calgary Flames (30-24-10) couldn't hold off a defiant Vancouver Canucks team, who rallied in the third period and got two goals in the shootout to prevail in a tightly contested game at the Saddledome on Wednesday night, 4-3.

The win propells the Canucks (71 points) into a tie with the Flames (71 points) for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

Every game is a must-win moving forward, so what are some takeaways regarding tonight's deflating loss?

Huberdeau Shows Up in Crucial Contest

During the first two seasons of Jonathan Huberdeau's tenure with the Flames, the fanbase had a love/hate relationship with the star player. No one was sure that Calgary would see the 115-point player he was with the Florida Panthers.

However, all season long, Huberdeau has had big moments for the Flames, scoring game-opening and winning goals. He's been their goal or point leader for most of the campaign, and in one of the year's biggest contests, he scored two goals, one shorthanded and one on power play.

Jonathan Huberdeau was the only one on the ice who knew this puck went in 🤷‍♂️

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/oqdwJLIZLp

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

On national TV, in a crucial game, Huberdeau led the Flames to a 3-1 lead, doing everything he could to get those two points in the standings.

Even though the home team lost in the shootout, with Huberdeau failing to score on his attempt, he proved earlier in the contest that he was up to leading Calgary down the stretch towards a potential playoff spot.

Wolf Can Only Do So Much

Dustin Wolf finished his night with 28 saves on 31 shots, stopping two of four shots in the shootout. As a top candidate for the Calder Trophy, he must have wondered how the Flames could have blown a two-goal lead and found themselves on the wrong end of a one-goal game (again).

According to NHL.com game statistics, the Cauncks blocked 24 shots on Wednesday, which means the Flames didn't go enough to get pucks through to Kevin Lankinen, who finished with 20 saves. Meanwhile, Calgary did half the job, finishing with 11 blocked shots.

Dustin Wolf makes a couple big saves!

🎥: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames#Canuckspic.twitter.com/4klLEFjovL

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 13, 2025

Overall, the Flames scored more than their usual 2.56 goals a game, but were not strong enough to prevent a team from scoring three in regulation and another pair in the shootout. 

Ultimately, they didn't need to rely on Wolf to steal the show. They needed to play as a unit in the final 20 minutes to get two points, again failing their goalie, who worked hard to keep things close.

Missed Opportunities

Let's set the stage. Vancouver comes into the Saddledome, one point behind the Flames with one less game left on their schedule. They arrive late at night, having lost to the Montreal Canadiens 24 hours prior. 

At first glance, it appeared the Canucks would be easy pickings on Wednesday night, instead they turned into a trap game for the Flames. 

Usually, a team enters the second night of a back-to-back sluggish out of the gate and sometimes never regains its footing as the game progresses. 

However, Vancouver continued to press and got better as the game continued. They were outshot 19-12 after two periods, but found a new gear in the third, dominating the Flames 17-4 in shots, plus 1-0 on the scoreboard.

Calgary had their chances in the first two periods and it was their only moment to bury the Canucks, which they failed to do. Riding all the momentum into overtime, Vancouver registered the only two shots of the extra period, before their shooters found spots and won the game in a shootout.

Ultimately, the Flames had the opportunities but failed to take advantage of them, leading to a crushing defeat at the hands of a rival team now tied for a playoff spot.

Every win matters in the wild, wild Western Conference. Especially when arguably your biggest opponents, Vancouver and Calgary, end their game in a 4-3 shootout.

With Utah moving just two points behind the aforementioned teams after its 3-2 win against Anaheim, the impending matchup with Vancouver on Sunday, March 16, carries more weight than ever.

But before worrying about any future games and its playoff implications, Utah needed to take care of business against the Ducks first.

Thankfully for Utah, Mikhail Sergachev is on its team:  

HUGE SKATE SAVE BY SERGACHEV ⛸️

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3Tpic.twitter.com/m95ONK5SQh

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

With Vejmelka coming out of the net, anticipating a shot from Ducks' forward Ryan Strome, a quick move with the puck gave Strome an open lane right behind Vejmelka. Despite being tangled with Anaheim's Alex Killorn, Sergachev saw that Strome was about to have a wide-open net.

Just as Strome was getting what looked to be a surefire goal, Sergachev kicked his right skate out at the last second to keep Utah's lead intact. 

"Really nice save by him there in the second," said Dylan Guenther. "I think he's just a big leader for us off the ice. When he talks, everybody's listening. He's the backbone of our team, and it's great to have him." 

Though the play happened midway through the second period when Utah was up only 1-0, Sergachev's skate proved to be the difference, keeping Utah from playing in its third consecutive overtime. 

While two back-to-back penalties from Sergachev eventually led to a game-tying goal from Anaheim early in the third, he didn't let the mistakes get to his head and later assisted on what became the game-winning goal for Guenther.

ELECTRIC FACTORY 🔋

Gunner gives Utah a 3-2 lead. pic.twitter.com/aUWwXkYSAR

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) March 13, 2025

"When I saw [Anaheim] was low, I wanted [Keller] to go up to [Sergachev], and then he gave it over to me," said Guenther. "So, it was just good recognition. I feel like we've gotten pretty good chemistry as we've continued to play together."

While the goal from Gunner proved to be all Utah needed to secure the win, it also gave Sergachev a significant accolade, giving him his 300th assist of his career.

It wasn't just Sergachev who reached an important milestone in this game. Utah's Jack McBain also achieved a personal milestone, tying his career-high mark of 12 goals with Utah's first goal of the night.

McBain gets us on the board first 💪 pic.twitter.com/7UsJhDrZ5t

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) March 13, 2025

With Alexander Kerfoot scoring Utah's other goal—his first since signing his extension—Utah avenged its 5-4 shootout loss to Anaheim back in December.

"Definitely a huge win, huge home stand," said Barrett Hayton. "Obviously, it would have been really nice to get all four points, but the way we were able to fight back in that Toronto game and get a point, it's huge for us."

With an upcoming road trip against Seattle, Vancouver, and Edmonton, securing tonight's win could go a long way for Utah in its hunt for the playoffs.

But with head coach André Tourigny emphasizing that every game is a playoff game for this team, Utah will treat every matchup with the utmost priority.

But considering the team 'love[s] each other' and 'fight[s] for each other,' in the words of Tourigny, Utah should be ready for any adversity coming its way. 

Report: Utah HC's Connor Ingram Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance ProgramThe National Hockey League Players’ Association and the National Hockey League announced today that goaltender Connor Ingram of the Utah Hockey Club will be unavailable to his team for an indefinite period while he receives care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Seattle, WA - Jani Nyman, the 20-year-old right winger from Finland, made his NHL debut on Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena as the Seattle Kraken hosted the Montreal Canadiens.

Standing at 6'2", Nyman, who was recalled from the Coachella Valley Firebirds earlier in the week, scored his first career NHL goal in the third period, cutting Montreal’s lead to 4-3. Nyman’s thrilling debut earned him the title of First Star of the Game.

Seattle Kraken (Bot) (@notseattlekraken.bsky.social)NYMAN GETS HIS FIRST @NHL GOAL IN HIS FIRST NHL GAME 🥹

The Kraken stunned Canadiens fans in attendance, taking the lead late in the third period with a tying goal from Matty Beniers, which sent the game into overtime.

Brandon Montour also had a spectacular evening, recording two goals and two assists.

Nyman's family (who arrived overnight from Helsinki) were seen on the jumbo tron exuberantly cheering throughout the evening. After the Kraken’s victory, Nyman spoke with Piper Shaw just off the ice, smiling as he shared, “This is very special for me and my family. Thank you.”

The Kraken continue their homestand on Friday night as they host the Utah Hockey Club for Women in Hockey Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7PM PST.

Related

Pair Of Forwards Set To Make Kraken DebutMichael Eyssimont and Jacob Melanson are set to make their Seattle Kraken debuts tonight against the Nashville Predators. 

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