The Pittsburgh Penguins just keep on rolling during the stretch run of the season.

Even though goaltending has mostly been carrying them, their offense found a way to be the story on Saturday afternoon.

The Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils, 7-3, to earn their fourth straight win. And they got contributions from up and down their lineup - including from their newcomers.

Forward Connor Dewar registered two goals, and defenseman Conor Timmins notched two assists. Both were acquired on Mar. 7 from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

DEWEY GETS THE HELMET! pic.twitter.com/btWYzjxO6U

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2025

Regardless of who is doing it and how they are doing it, the Penguins are winning games against some pretty good teams. And it's something they should feel pretty good about.

"It's just one game at a time," said goaltender Tristan Jarry, who put up his fourth straight win. "We can't get too far ahead ourselves. We just have to keep focus on the task at hand, but I think we've done a really good job just getting points and climbing. We just have to keep that mindset and keep going with it."

New Jersey opened the scoring midway through the first period, when former Penguin Cody Glass put one home from the right circle for his fourth point in four games since being traded from Pittsburgh to the Devils.

Dewar responded near the end of the third with a "garbage goal," and - 25 seconds later - Danton Heinen capitalized on a two-on-one chance with a beautiful forehand-to-backhand move, which came after a sneaky feed from Philip Tomasino.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Danton Heinen with 02:24 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Philip Tomasino and Vladislav Kolyachonok.

Pittsburgh: 2
New Jersey: 1#NJDvsPIT#LetsGoPens#NJDevilspic.twitter.com/nXD78fKJqJ

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 15, 2025

The Penguins held the 2-1 lead into the second period, and they added on within the first five minutes of the middle frame. Rickard Rakell came in hard on the forecheck and managed to squeeze the puck from below the goal line out to Matt Grzelcyk. Grzelcyk fed it to Timmins, who fed it to Sidney Crosby, who found Rakell in just the right spot in the slot to register his 31st goal of the season.

The dynamic duo is at it again! 👏 https://t.co/zw6u6dlMMkpic.twitter.com/uabsQ0ITew

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2025

After a disallowed shorthanded goal by the Devils during a four-minute kill in the second period, Tomasino worked hard to earn a goal of his own in the opening minutes of the third period, as he forced a turnover in front of Devils goaltender Jakob Markstrom and finished his own play to make it 4-1.

But, then, things got a bit dicey.

Pittsburgh took two consecutive double-minor penalties for high-sticking - the first by Noel Acciari, and the second by Evgeni Malkin - and New Jersey capitalized on both four-minute power play opportunities. Timo Meier got the first, and Nico Hischier got the second to make the score 4-3.

However, the Penguins responded with a power play goal of their own. Defenseman Erik Karlsson found the twine with an absolute rocket from the point to give the Penguins back a two-goal lead.

Filthy toe drag release by EK65 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/uopBgh6621

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 15, 2025

And from there, they pretty much shut it down. Dewar scored his second goal of the game on the empty net with 55 seconds left in regulation, and Kevin Hayes added an even-strength goal with 22 seconds left on the clock to score the "chili goal" and give the Penguins a 7-3 victory.

This was Pittsburgh's first win against the Devils this season and just their second win in the last 11 games against them.

"I give the players a lot of credit," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think 'Jars' played terrific. He was outstanding again tonight, and our power play gets us a huge goal late in the game to give us a little bit of a cushion.

"Guys are just competing. We're playing hard, I'm happy for the players. We've been able to string a couple in a row here together, and we're just going to take that game right in front of us and see where it takes us."

---

Here are just a few thoughts and observations from Saturday's win:

- Let's get the negative out of the way first. The Penguins' penalty kill is outright awful right now.

The unit surrendered another two power play goals against the Devils, which were both on third-period high-sticking double-minors. A unit that was top-12 for much of the season has free-fallen in the league standings.

The Penguins are now 19th in penalty kill percentage at 77.2 percent, and they have surrendered eight power play goals in their eight games in March - including four in the last two games.

"It's not always the cleanest game from an execution standpoint," Sullivan said. "I think we've got to do a better job staying out of the penalty box, and in some of those situations, there were a few penalties that I thought could've been avoided that would put us in a better position."

Simply put, the Penguins need to be more disciplined. Their PK unit isn't really doing much killing right now, so they're best-served to avoid it entirely for the time being.

- Speaking of which, there were three different double-minors for high-sticking in this game - two by the Penguins and one by the Devils.

Not something you see very often.

- The new guys are really playing well for the Penguins and have played pretty big roles, respectively, in their four-game win streak.

Dewar - who didn't have a goal on the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs before becoming a Penguin - has three goals in four games with Pittsburgh and is helping Blake Lizotte and Noel Acciari drive offense on the third line. Timmins had two points tonight and has been a steady presence on the blue line for Pittsburgh's bottom pairing.

DEWEY 👏 pic.twitter.com/PxLH5reo9z

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2025

"It's been great to come in and contribute right away," Dewar said. "It makes you feel a lot more comfortable, and it's nice helping out in getting these wins here."

Five games since the trade deadline, four wins. And the only loss was the first one on deadline day against the Vegas Golden Knights - which Dewar and Timmins were not available for.

- I've mentioned that Vladislav Kolyachonok's offensive instincts continually impress me. He did earn his first point as a Penguin on Heinen's goal.

Another player who has been very good in this last handful of games? Tomasino.

He has been impressive, really, since being slotted back on Evgeni Malkin's right side. The production won't pop out at you - he has three goals and seven points in his last 12 games - but he is driving offense on that line. 

Phil-ing good 😊 pic.twitter.com/hTX9VwcHgH

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2025

"He's a really talented player," Sullivan said. "He has real good offensive instincts. He has the ability to finish, he's got a deceptive shot, and I think he's a dangerous player off the rush. I think an example of that is the two-on-one goal he scored tonight."

He continued: "The area we're trying to help him grow is to develop a grind game. If you don't have the opportunity to generate offense off the rush, you have to find different ways to generate offense. Usually, when you play the better teams in the league, they take the rush game away."

Tomasino has earned the opportunity to stay on the second line for the remainder of the season, even if he still has to iron out some of the details of his "grind" game.

- The Penguins kept showing this young Penguins fan on the jumbotron. The first time, he was dancing, and the crowd went wild. Then, they showed him after Tomasino's goal, which garnered a huge cheer. 

Then, they showed him again with a "Celebrity Alert" AI frame around his face. The crowd responded and went nuts yet again.

This wasn't a huge crowd, but it was a good, loud one. Awesome stuff by the Penguins' video staff to make this kid a star.

- After a New York Rangers win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Penguins are still six points out of a playoff spot, and every team ahead of them has games in hand. At one point Saturday, they were just four points out.

I can’t believe I’m typing this and everyone has games in hand on them, but the Penguins are four points out of a playoff spot.

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) March 15, 2025

Don't get your hopes up. But, obviously, if the Penguins keep winning games - their next of which comes Tuesday against the New York Islanders and then Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, both teams ahead of them in the standings - I suppose we'll have to keep monitoring the mathematics.

Who would've thought, right?

---

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The St. Louis Blues closed out their longest road trip of the season in emphatic style.

They shook off a tough loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday with a solid effort all-around on Saturday, led by Jordan Kyrou's fifth NHL hat trick and his second straight against the Minnesota Wild in a 5-1 win at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

The Blues remain two points behind the Vancouver Canucks, who defeated the the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 late Saturday night, but St. Louis (32-28-7) are tied in points with the Calgary Flames, who have two games in hand (Vancouver has one) and two points ahead of Utah Hockey Club (one game in hand).

Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist, Cam Fowler, Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had two asssists, and Joel Hofer, making his first career start against the Wild (37-25-5) made 18 saves.

The Blues closed the trip with a 3-2-1 mark and now will play nine of their final 15, including on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, a game originally slated to begin at 5 p.m. (CT) but has now been moved back to 7 p.m. due to travel complications by the Blues returning from Minnesota.

The Blues, for the first time in the history of matchups with the Wild, were faced with being swept in a season series.

Since the Wild made its way into the league in 2000-01, playing its 24th season in 2024-25 and had never swept the Blues in a season series.

Minnesota won the first three matchups (4-1 in St. Louis on Oct. 15, 4-2 in St. Louis on Nov. 19 and 6-4 in Minnesota on Jan. 7) and were looking for their first-ever sweep of the Blues but it was not to be.

Minnesota was missing some weaponry in this game (Kirill Kaprozov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin), but the Blues were missing Colton Parayko on the back end.

By Montgomery throwing Hofer at Minnesota, a goalie the Wild had never seen before, there's the notion of having to get used to someone's tendencies rather than facing Jordan Binnington, someone Minnesota is quite familiar with. And yes, Hofer was one zone exit away from possibly getting a shutout that resulted in a Jacob Middleton goal that made it 3-1 at 12:47 of the second period, but Hofer was solid otherwise.

Let's dive into Saturday's Three Takeaways:

* More net front presence, middle lane drives -- Despite outplaying the Penguins on Thursday, including owning a 36-22 advantage on the shot clock, the Blues and coach Jim Montgomery lamented that there wasn't enough of a net front presence in front of Tristan Jarry, not enough of a middle lane drive to the net that had made them so successful in going 7-2-2 the previous 11 games.

Consider the message delivered.

Schenn's goal at 4:17 of the first was a perfect example of what the Blues needed against a stingy defensive-minded team that has had issues scoring goals.

The Blues had an extended shift in the Wild zone, one of many throughout the first period, and were able to control the zone enough that a pair of line changes were made, but when the puck was played to Fowler at the left point, he threw it towards the net knowing Schenn was going there. The Blues captain was able to maneuver past Frederick Gaudreau, collect the loose puck and backhand it in past Filip Gustavsson for a 1-0 lead.

On Neighbours goal, same thing. Robert Thomas wins the face-off back high, puck goes low, quick pass to the slot for a one-time shot by Thomas, and Neighbours is the backside forward driving the net and yes, it was a fortuitous bounce off a block by Zach Bogosian, but if Neighbours isn't driving the net, he doesn't score, but he did and potted the puck to make it 2-0 at 10:51 of the second period.

And for Kyrou to kickstart his night to make it 3-0 at 12:22 of the second, it was another face-off win high, puck worked low, thrown to the net, but Kyrou is the middle lane driver crashing to the goal and he made no mistake when Gustavsson pushed the rebound right into his pathway.

* Holding another opponent under 30 shots -- It says that defense pays, and for the Blues, it paid off once again on Saturday.

For the 12th straight game, they held an opponent under 30 shots and have allowed an average of 23.4 shots per game in that stretch, which is second in the NHL behind the Florida Panthers (23.2).

The last team to get 30-plus shots: the Panthers, who had 34 on Feb. 6. But including that game, the Blues allowed 30 or more in four of the five prior to this run of 12 straight.

Quite frankly, Saturday was a defensive masterclass of not allowing traffic, no middle lane drives and taking away shooting lanes with 19 blocks.

* Kyrou owning the Wild -- Coming into the game, Kyrou had 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 22 career games against the Wild, and he loves playing at the Xcel Energy Center.

With Saturday's performance, it stands at 15 goals, 11 assists in 23 games now.

He made it 4-1 at 11:30 of the third period with a breakout of the puck, then slicing past Declan Chisholm and Vinnie Hinostroza, flying around the right edge with speed and catching Gustavsson over-commiting before wrapping the backhand in to make it 4-1.

And in style, Kyrou scored into the empty net at 17:40 to make it 5-1. And it could have been more with Kyrou having 12 shot attempts in the game but six of them were blocked.

Kyrou's last hat trick also came against the Wild in the very same building, on March 23, 2024.

* Click here to see what Montgomery and players had to say after the game.

It’s been a tough road trip so far for the Florida Panthers.

For the second time in three games since leaving South Florida, the Panthers couldn’t pick up the two points, this time falling to the Montreal Canadiens 3-1.

The home team got off on the right foot, and they did it on the power play.

Veteran sniper Patrik Laine was given three shot attempts from the same spot inside the left circle, and the third one finally beat Sergei Bobrovsky at the 5:15 mark of the opening frame.

Cole Caufield scored his 33rd goal of the season late in the period to give the Habs a 2-0 lead after one.

Panthers rookie Mackie Samoskevich would get the Cats on the board early in the second, picking the puck up behind Montreal’s net before walking in front and beating Sam Montembeault under the glove.

That would be as close as Florida would get on this night.

Christian Dvorak took advantage of a Sam Bennett turnover to restore Montreal’s two-goal lead in the third period, and that would be it in terms of scoring.

Florida ended up outshooting the Canadiens 11-2 during the final frame, but Montembeault stood tall and earned his team a huge two points in the standings.

On to Long Island.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Samoskevich has four points over a modest three-game point streak.

In 11 games since the start of February, Samoskevich has racked up six goals and nine points.

Bennnett extended his point streak to five games, accumulating three goals and six points during the run.

Over his past nine games, Bennett has four goals and 10 points.

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The Nashville Predators (25-33-7, 57 points) wrap up their three-game road trip with a visit to the Los Angeles Kings (35-20-9, 79 points) Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

Justus Annunen will get the start in goal for Nashville, while Darcy Kuemper will stop the picks for the Kings.

How the Predators Lined Up vs. Los Angeles

Forsberg-O'Reilly-Stamkos
Bunting-Sissons-Marchessault
L'Heureux-Svechkov-Vrana
Bellows-McCarron-Smith

Skjei-Blankenburg
Englund-Del Gaizo
Oesterle-Barron

Annunen
Saros

Extra: Evangelista, Stastney
IR: Josi, Lauzon, Wilsby

Predators at Kings: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 0, LAK 0)

The Predators' defense held the Kings to just four shots on goal in the first period, the first of which didn't even come until nearly 12 minutes into the frame. Annunen and Kuemper combined for 11 saves in the first period as the game remained scoreless heading into the first intermission.

On Saturday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils saw their winning streak end at PPG Paints Arena.

New Jersey's third-period comeback fell short as the Pittsburgh Penguins handed them a 7-3 loss. Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 16 saves on 22 shots for a .727 save percentage.

Devils' forward Cody Glass opened the scoring against the team that traded him a little over a week ago. It was the 25-year-old's fourth point in as many games with New Jersey. 

After that, it was all Penguins as the Devils found themselves down 4-1, entering the third period as Connor Dewar, Danton Heinen, Rickard Rakell, and Philip Tomasino all scored. 

New Jersey was awarded back-to-back four-minute power plays early in the third period and cashed in. Timo Meier scored his 19th of the season, and one minute later, Nico Hischier celebrated his team-leading 28th goal.

With 13:20 remaining in the game, the Devils were down by a goal but ultimately could not outperform their many mistakes. 

"We just weren't good in the game," Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said to NJD.TV. "We weren't good in execution with the puck. We made mistakes. We didn't play winning hockey here today."

"We stopped playing hockey for a bit," Hischier told NJD.TV. "We were not smart enough. We beat ourselves." 

The Devils will conclude their two-game road trip on Monday night when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets for their final matchup of 2024-25. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

EXCLUSIVE: Q&A With MSG Networks Host & Analyst Rachel Herzog

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

The Buffalo Sabres haven’t had many signs of hope this season – but the way they won Saturday is one of them.

In their remaining 17 games, the Sabres still have the chance to salvage something from this season, which is about to be their 14th-straight playoff miss. In their win over the heavily favored Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo found a way to not only come back multiple times but be a spoiler – which is what they need to be for the rest of this season.

For most of the afternoon tilt, the Sabres looked like they would lose their 40th game of the season. The Golden Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead by the first intermission, and they made it 2-0 at the 12-minute mark of the second frame.

In most cases this season, the Sabres would not have closed the deficit.

Before Saturday, Buffalo’s record when trailing after one period this season is 2-15-1 – an abysmal showing. Their 4-23-1 record when trailing after two periods was a bit better in relation to the rest of the league but not exceptional.

Despite trailing after the first and second periods, and watching former captain Jack Eichel give the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead with only 2:33 left in regulation, the Sabres tied the game with 14 seconds left in the third. That came after Tomas Hertl passed up an empty-net goal for Vegas to try to give Eichel a second goal, making that equalizer even sweeter for Sabres fans.

Buffalo then pulled out a 4-3 shootout win to give them their second win in their last three games. That improves their record to 3-15-1 when trailing after one period and 5-23-1 when trailing after two.

Dahlin’s Meeting With Adams Was About Club Direction, Not An UltimatumThe kerfuffle raised by TNT panelist and Spittin Chiclets co-host Paul Bissonette earlier this week regarding a meeting between Buffalo Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin and GM Kevyn Adams received some clarity courtesy of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast on Friday, as he indicated that the meeting was not to provide an ultimatum, but to inquire about the plan for the direction of the club. 

Buffalo’s gutsy play Saturday has to be encouraging to Sabres fans. They outshot Vegas 37-19, and they ultimately deserved to win the game. The resilience against the Golden Knights has come too late to get Buffalo into the post-season, but this type of win is exactly what’s needed to build momentum into the off-season instead of wilting away for another year. Perhaps it gives Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams something positive to point to as evidence that he can continue building this Sabres team – and for Lindy Ruff to continue to coach it despite being last in the Eastern Conference.

Sabres' Ryan McLeod Accomplishes Rare Stat In Big PerformanceThe Buffalo Sabres picked up an impressive 4-3 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights on March 15. The Sabres made the Golden Knights surrender 2-0 and 3-2 leads before winning this matchup, so it was a hard-fought victory for the Atlantic Division club. 

Buffalo has the second-toughest remaining schedule this season, according to tankathon.com. So it’s unlikely the Sabres will go on a lengthy run of success the rest of the year. That said, the spoiler’s role is there for the taking, and they can do significant damage to other teams’ position in the standings.

Going through another slew of losses to end the season will only create more doubt and cynicism in the minds of Buffalo fans, ownership and management. The Sabres can’t battle for a playoff spot anymore, but they can still become a team that’s ready to turn the corner competitively and set the table for a strong performance next season. Their win over the Golden Knights is one step toward doing 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.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Erik Karlsson scored a power-play goal and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 7-3 on Saturday.

Rickard Rakell scored his team-leading 31st goal. Connor Dewar scored twice, and Philip Tomasino, Kevin Hayes and Danton Heinen also scored.

With an assist, Sidney Crosby tied Wayne Gretzky for the fourth-most points with a single franchise. Crosby also recorded his 12th 50-assist season, equaling Adam Oates for 8th in NHL history. He has points in 10 straight home games.

Tristan Jarry made 24 saves for his fourth straight win since he was recalled from the American Hockey League earlier this month. Jarry has stopped 123 of his last 130 shots faced.

Nico Hischier and Timo Meier scored power-play goals for the Devils. Cody Glass also had a goal. Nathan Bastian’s short-handed goal was called back on a challenge because he was offside.

Jesper Bratt had his third straight three-point game with three assists, matching the longest streak in franchise history. He has 60 assists this season, which equals Scott Stevens’ franchise record. Bratt has two goals and nine points in his last three games.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 16 shots.

Takeaways

Devils: New Jersey was unable to win four straight for the first time this season. The Devils lost three consecutive games prior to their three-game win streak.

Penguins: Pittsburgh won four straight games for the first time since a four-game win streak from Nov. 27-Dec. 3. The Penguins have five wins and points in six of their last nine games.

Key moment

Karlsson’s power-play goal gave Pittsburgh needed insurance. Meier and Hischier scored power-play goals earlier in the period for New Jersey, which turned a 4-1 hole into a one-goal deficit.

Key stat

Pittsburgh snapped a six-game home losing streak against the Devils dating back to Oct. 20, 2021.

Up next

New Jersey visits Columbus on Monday and Pittsburgh hosts the Islanders on Tuesday.

The Calgary Flames (30-24-11) are in must-win territory on a nightly basis, but dropped their second consecutive contest on Friday, losing to the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 at the Saddledome.

Despite the loss, the Flames remain in the second wildcard spot but no longer have a game-in-hand over the Vancouver Canucks. Since Calgary doesn't play until Monday, they will spend the weekend scoreboard watching.

Too Little Too Late

In a crucial game, the Flames came out flat. Even though it was a quiet opening period for both teams, as they combined for nine shots, 7-2, the Avalanche struck first at 13:21.

Meanwhile, Calgary didn't do much in the second, giving up the game's second goal at 5:55. Only in the dying minutes did the Flames get any momentum. They ended the period with many shots, which comprised the bulk of their eight. Still, ten shots through 40 minutes isn't part of the recipe for success.

🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥

Rasmus Andersson's shot goes off Jonathan Huberdeau's shoulder and in. That crazy bounce makes this a one goal game!

🎥: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames#GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/h7xXB60EYN

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 15, 2025

Once Blake Coleman made it 2-1 at 3:08, a costly miscommunication behind the net allowed the Avalanche to restore their two-goal lead. Jonathan Huberdeau's power-play goal made things interesting in the final four minutes, but a turnover led to an empty net goal and Colorado walked away with two points. 

Flames Are Not Ready For Top Seeded Playoff Series

It's no secret that the Flames are the lowest scoring team in the NHL and their goals-per-game average also ranks at the bottom. Against the Avalanche on Friday, the Flames scored less than their 2.55 average, which would make easy pickings in a playoff series.

If the postseason started today, the Flames, as the second-seeded wildcard, would play the Vegas Golden Knights, the fourth-best team in the NHL.

NHL Highlights | Avalanche vs. Flames - March 14, 2025Ryan Lindgren opened the scoring for the Colorado Avalanche, while Parker Kelly found the back of the net twice as the Avalanche roll against the Calgary Fla...

They score 3.35 goals a game and give up 2.70. Both numbers intimidate the Flames and their fan base because the team struggles to score.

Ultimately, on Friday, the Flames showed they are not in the same position as the Western Conference top teams like the Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, or Golden Knights. Although they had moments where they controlled the pace of play, the outcome of this game was never in question.

Once Again, Wolf Can Only Do So Much

Dustin Wolf finished his night with 24 saves on 27 shots, good enough for a .889 SV%, the lowest total in a game...since a loss to the Avalanche on Feb. 6, when he registered a .882 SV%. 

Any contending team wants to ride their top goalie every night to climb the standings and clinch a playoff spot in the Flames' case. 

Dustin Wolf is built different pic.twitter.com/QpCfuGOJLz

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 15, 2025

However, Calgary hasn't done enough to support their young netminder, who just played his 40th game of the season for a career high. He may have played over 50 games in the AHL, but the NHL is a more competitive league and boasts some of the best players on the planet.

At this point, Wolf has worked his way into the Calder Trophy conversation, and many feel he should be a Hart Trophy candidate, but he's a one-person show with little to no help. 

With everything on the line on Friday, Wolf did everything he could to keep his team in the game, but with not much going on at the other end of the ice, it's been a difficult stretch for the youngster who remains one of the league's top netminders. 

Back on Feb. 9, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on a young defenseman via a waiver claim.

And, so far, it seems to be paying off.

23-year-old Vladislav Kolyachonok took a while to get acclimated to the Penguins after he was claimed by Pittsburgh from the Utah Hockey Club. In fact - due to the 4 Nations Face-off break and the lack of practice time following the break - he didn't even make it into the lineup until Mar. 4 in a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

He made exactly three starts on the bottom pairing before impressing enough to earn top-pairing minutes with Kris Letang. And he hasn't disappointed in his two-plus games, as the Penguins are 2-0 so far in those contests.

Here's a look at the lines today against the Devils. pic.twitter.com/s3ZBpYYaOm

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2025

"I feel good playing with him," Kolyachonok said. "He's a great teammate. He helps me learn, and he's a great leader and a great person. I think we're getting on the same page. And it's good to get the results."

It's not as if Kolychonok - drafted in the second round (52nd overall) by the Florida Panthers in 2019 - has been productive up to this point, as he just registered his first point as a Penguin during Saturday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils. He is known as an offensive, puck-moving defenseman, and production will be expected at some point.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Danton Heinen with 02:24 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Philip Tomasino and Vladislav Kolyachonok.

Pittsburgh: 2
New Jersey: 1#NJDvsPIT#LetsGoPens#NJDevilspic.twitter.com/nXD78fKJqJ

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 15, 2025

But the early returns are pretty good on the blueliner from Minsk, Belarus. 

Even if it's a small sample size, Kolyachonok has the highest expected goals share of any Penguins' player in the last five games at 54.09. He also has the second-highest high-danger chances for share of 50, which trails only forward Emil Bemstrom at 58.33.

In other words, Kolyachonok is doing a fair amount to drive offense right now on the top pairing, and this is alongside a veteran who is known for his offensive instincts. And the crazy thing is that Letang has actually been playing more of a shutdown role on that pairing because of Kolyachonok's ability to aid the transition game, skate with the puck on his stick, and generate chances.

They're driving offense and creating scoring chances.

Kolyachonok has the highest 5v5 expected goals share of any Pens skater in the last six games at 54.09, and Tomasino is tied for second with Sidney Crosby in shots on goal at 15.

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) March 15, 2025

"I think he's competing hard," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're trying to get him to simplify his game and defend well. The one thing we really like about him is that he's a real good skater. He's strong on pucks, his gaps are really good, he can close on people laterally really well, and he's physical. He's not shy. He's willing to get into bodies."

He does need to work on his risk assessment and some of the defensive details in his game, especially when the puck is on his stick in the defensive zone. But all in all, it's been an impressive first few games from the young left-side defenseman. 

"There's areas of his game, obviously, where we think he can improve and get better," Sullivan said. "Just his decisions on when he joins the rush, his decisions on when he activates off the offensive blue line... he's trying to simplify the game. We're encouraging him to simplify the game with respect to his puck possession game.

"He's a young player, and we're excited about, potentially, where his game might go."

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In an exclusive interview with RG.org former Montreal Canadiens player of Patrick Roy trade fame Andrei Kovalenko had some advice for the Habs' top prospect. While the Russian right winger only took part in 51 games with la Sainte-Flanelle, it was long enough for him to learn a few things about Montreal. 

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Like most of his countrymen, Kovalenko is keeping an eye on Ivan Demidov's career, and he had a few words of advice for the 19-year-old SKA St. Petersburg top scorer, based on his own experience in town. For him, it's imperative that any Canadiens player embraces both the history and traditions of the NHL's most storied franchise.  He also added that Habs' fans love it when you praise their team:

In Montreal, they love it when you praise the Canadiens. When I used to say I learned hockey in the best club in the world—CSKA—people looked at me strangely. You can’t do that there. For them, Montreal is hockey’s holy land. You have to truly appreciate and be proud of playing for that team.

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The former NHLer also adds that Demidov's decision to start learning French even before coming to town bodes very well and is a true testament to his dedication for self-improvement, but also for his respect of the Montreal culture. 

A Quebec Nordiques eight-round pick in 1990, Kovalenko spent three years playing in Quebec City before the team was moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche. With the team on the brink of success, former agent turned GM Pierre Lacroix, pulled the trigger on a blockbuster of a trade to land the final pieces that would allow his team to capture its first Stanley Cup. Unfortunately for Kovalenko he was one of the three players sent to the Canadiens, alongside Jocelyn Thibault and Martin Rucinsky, for Patrick Roy and Mike Keane. 

The trade, which went down in Canadiens' history as one of the worst deal ever made, was immediately loathed by fans, hardly winning conditions to start a new chapter of your career. 

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The Buffalo Sabres picked up an impressive 4-3 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights on March 15. The Sabres made the Golden Knights surrender 2-0 and 3-2 leads before winning this matchup, so it was a hard-fought victory for the Atlantic Division club. 

Sabres forward Ryan McLeod put together a strong performance in the team's victory. The 25-year-old scored for the Sabres just seven seconds after they allowed a goal to Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev during the first period. With this, the Sabres cut the Golden Knights' lead to 2-1. 

McLeod's goal was also a good one, too. After receiving a feed from defenseman Jacob Bryson, McLeod skated it into the offensive zone and beat Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill with a perfectly placed wrist shot.

McLeod's clutch goal was not the only notable thing he provided the Sabres with in their win. He also won an impressive 16 out of 20 faceoffs and accomplished a rare stat because of it. 

According to Buffalo Sabres PR, McLeod became just the seventh player in franchise history to take at least 20 faceoffs in a game and win 80% of them or more. When noting that the Sabres are in their 54th season and so few players have also done this, there's no question that this is an impressive achievement for McLeod. 

This strong performance is only the latest way that McLeod has benefitted the Sabres this season. The Mississauga, Ontario native has been such a solid addition to Buffalo's roster this season, posting new career-highs with 15 goals, 21 assists, and 36 points in 62 games. 

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The Golden Knights squandered the 3-2 lead they got with a little more than two minutes left in the game, and then lost to the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, in a shootout on Saturday afternoon.

With the heated game tied at 2-all, former Sabre Jack Eichel shoveled a loose puck in the crease past Buffalo netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead at the 17:27 mark of the third period.

DO THIS AGAIN PLEASE JACK pic.twitter.com/4IIuHMPsqa

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 15, 2025

With Luukkonen pulled, Tomas Hertl raced in toward the empty net but rather than ice the game and give the Knights a two-goal lead, he tried dropping the puck off to get Eichel a second goal. The unexpected forced pass missed Eichel, and moments later Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin sent a rocket past Vegas goalie Adin Hill to tie the game with 14 seconds remaining and force overtime.

Tomas Hertl tried to make this pass at the end of the game when the Sabres net was empty. The Sabres came back and won in a shootout🔥😳

pic.twitter.com/oZqDV0ff6b

— Everything Hockey (@EHClothing) March 15, 2025

"I'm still trying to digest what just happened to be honest with you," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Victor Olofsson gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the shootout, but Jack Quinn made it 1-1 in the second round, which saw Eichel miss his attempt.

Former Knight Alex Tuch beat Hill in the third round while Luukkonen stuffed Pavel Dorofeyev to secure the improbable win.

Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for Vegas while Hill made 34 saves. Howden's hard hit that dropped Jiri Kulich got tempers flaring in the second period.

"We weren't very good most of the day," Cassidy added. "We checked pretty well at the start of the third I thought, for a game we weren't that engaged in playing a puck possession game, a hard game. You allow Buffalo's defense to get going, that's where you gotta wear them down. And we didn't do a lot of that. I mean, we're ahead late, so we did some things right."

Here are three takeaways from Saturday's loss:

BE SELFISH: Clearly, Hertl was trying to get Eichel his second goal during what's been a record-breaking season, not to mention get a bit more satisfaction against his former team in a game the boo birds emerged just as they have since he landed in Vegas 3 1/2 years ago. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy didn't mince words over how he felt about the play.

"I'd like to see him shoot the puck in the net and end the game, that's what I'd like to see, I think the whole team would like to see that," Cassidy said.

QUIT TRIPPIN': Three games into the four-game road trip, the Golden Knights were whistled for tripping, a play Cassidy said must stop. In their 3-2 overtime loss in Pittsburgh, Nic Roy was called for tripping Evgeni Malkin, during the 4-0 win in Columbus it was Ivan Barbashev getting sent to the box after tripping Dante Fabbro, and in Buffalo it was Pavel Dorofeyev's tripping penalty against Connor Clifton that allowed the Sabres' Jason Zucker to score his 19th of the season, and tie the game 2-all.

"It just felt like, again, the penalties we took," Cassidy said. "We're not under pressure, a delay a game, an offensive zone penalty again three games in a row over the same play and a stick foul. They're going to happen periodically, but I mean they're going to cost you, and they have. They have in this trip."

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights will have to do their best to put the nightmarish loss behind them, as they head to Detroit for the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday. After Saturday's loss, Vegas is 4-4-1 in game one and 5-3-0 in game two of back-to-back games this season.

They'll face a Red Wings team that is in a battle for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. As of the end of Vegas' game in Buffalo, the Wings were in fifth place in the wild-card standings with 68 points, two points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have the second spot. The Ottawa Senators currently hold the first wild-card position with 75 points. Detroit is 11 points behind the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

"Obviously (Hertl) probably wants it back, I think our game overall was not good enough," Golden Knights wing Victor Olofsson said. "I think we should have just played a better game for 60 minutes. Just don't worry about it, what happened happens. You just have to put that behind you and move forward we're looking forward to our game tomorrow."

🎥 Olofsson: I don't think we came up to our standard today. pic.twitter.com/tNnmzVq1tW

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 15, 2025

It’s been a week since the NHL’s trade deadline has passed, and in most cases of traded players, we’ve seen a decent sample size to judge how well or poorly they might be doing with their new team.

Let’s focus on eight traded players and examine their performance after the deadline:

Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars

As the biggest name moved at the deadline, Rantanen had major pressure right off the hop in his time as a Star. And in his first three games with Dallas, Rantanen has looked comfortable and productive, posting two goals and three points while averaging 19:50 of ice time – nearly the exact same amount of minutes (19:49) he had with Carolina. 

STARS DEBUT GOAL FOR MIKKO RANTANEN!!!! pic.twitter.com/GkZEfYho3S

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 9, 2025

Rantanen is going to be crucial to the Stars’ Stanley Cup playoff hopes, so it’s encouraging to see him hit the ground running with Dallas and contributing right away. He’s going to be the Stars’ highest-paid player next season, and at the moment, he’s showing why Dallas GM Jim Nill made a long-term commitment to him.

Dylan Cozens, C, Ottawa Senators

As the centerpiece of Ottawa’s trade that sent center Josh Norris to Buffalo, Cozens has been in the spotlight immediately – and he’s delivered exactly as Sens management had hoped, generating one point in each of his first four games with the Senators. And most impressively, Cozens has produced that offense while averaging just 15:34 per-game. 

That total is nearly two minutes less per game than the 17:13 Cozens was averaging as a Sabre, so Ottawa fans have to be impressed with him thus far. If the Sens are going to make the playoffs, Cozens will have to have a major impact – and he’s under contract for another five seasons after this year – so it’s a huge relief for Senators fans to see him doing so well immediately after the trade.

Brock Nelson, C, Colorado Avalanche

Nelson was one of the highest-profile players on the trade block, and the Avalanche gave up quite a bit of talent and draft capital to the New York Islanders to get him. But after four games in a Colorado uniform, Nelson is still looking for his first goal, and he has just one assist in that span. Clearly, the Avs are looking for more out of Nelson. 

However, on an Avalanche team that is far deeper than Nelson’s former Isles team, Nelson is averaging just 17:15 of ice time – more than two minutes fewer than the 19:21 he was averaging on Long Island. Colorado coach Jared Bednar is going to be patient with Nelson, but as the Avs battle to continue climbing up the Central Division, Bednar is going to go with the hot hand when he’s handing out minutes. Thus, Nelson has to make the most of his opportunities, or continue being utilized less than he was with the Islanders.

Seth Jones, D, Florida Panthers

Jones was the most notable defenseman available before the deadline, and he happily joined the defending Stanley Cup-champion Panthers. But in five games, he’s put up only one assist, which is far less productive than the 20 assists and 27 points he had in 42 games with Chicago this season.

Jones’ minutes are down slightly with Florida, as he’s averaging 23:57 of ice time, a reduction of 33 seconds-per-game from the 24:30 he was averaging with the Blackhawks. But Jones has otherwise been solid with the Panthers – and a godsend of sorts with Florida blueliner Aaron Ekblad serving a 20-game suspension. Jones can continue to be a big minute-muncher, and when Ekblad returns in the playoffs, Jones will give the Panthers even more-impressive blueline depth.

Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Carlo wasn’t acquired by the Maple Leafs from Boston to post all kinds of points, so his point total of zero as a Leaf isn’t a surprise or disappointment. But Carlo has struggled a bit from a positional-defense standpoint in Toronto, and Leafs coach Craig Berube has cut down Carlo’s minutes. For example, in his first game as a Leaf, Carlo had 22:04 of ice time, in his second game, he had 19:58 of ice time and in his most recent game, Carlo had 17:34 of ice time.

That reduction in minutes isn’t a punishment from Berube. Rather, it has to do with the return to action of veteran Leafs blueliner Chris Tanev. And now, Carlo – who is being paired with D-man Morgan Rielly – can settle in with the knowledge he doesn’t have to be on the ice nearly as much as he was in Tanev’s absence. For that reason, we’re expecting Carlo’s performance to be better from this point on.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

When the Lightning landed Bjorkstrand along with center Yanni Gourde from Seattle, the Bolts weren’t relying on Bjorkstrand to be a difference-maker. Rather, Bjorkstrand was brought in as veteran depth. And at this early point in his Lightning career, Bjorkstrand is still trying to hit his stride, as he has produced only one goal and one point in four games. 

Some of that lack of production can be attributed to Bjorkstrand’s considerable reduction in minutes. In Seattle, he was averaging 15:28, but in Tampa Bay, he’s averaging only 14:17. But if the Bolts encounter injuries or slumps from their top-six forwards group, Bjorkstrand’s opportunities could increase. And if he contributes a clutch goal or two in the post-season, the assets the Lightning gave up for him will be worth it.

Brandon Tanev, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Tanev wasn’t acquired by the Jets from Seattle to be anything more than a complementary component, so Winnipeg fans shouldn’t be alarmed to see him averaging only 10:42 of ice time in his first four games with the Jets post-deadline. Winnipeg has one of the deepest collections of forwards in the league, so Tanev will probably get more games like the one he had March 11, when he was on the ice for only 9:44.

Tanev’s role as a fourth-line depth forward is only going to change if the Jets have injuries. Otherwise, he’s going to be asked to play sound defense and occasionally contribute a goal or an assist here or there on the fourth line. It took him four games to register a point in his second go-around with the Jets, and that average of .25 points-per-game is probably going to remain the same for Tanev the rest of the way this season.

Cody Glass, C, New Jersey Devils

The injury-ravaged Devils need help on offense wherever they can get it, and picking up Glass from the Pittsburgh Penguins is looking like a savvy move from New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald. Glass has posted a goal and three points in three games as a Devil, and he’s doing it while averaging just 14:25 of ice time.

CODY GLASS IS A BEAST! GOAL! #NJDevils | #LetsGoPens | #NHLpic.twitter.com/3jj45uEBMc

— Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) March 15, 2025

In 51 games as a Penguin this year, Glass had only four goals and 15 points, so he’s off to a far better start in New Jersey. And Devils coach Sheldon Keefe is utilizing Glass a full minute more per game – 14:25, which is an improvement on the 13:25 he averaged in Pittsburgh. Glass doesn’t have to be anything other than a bottom-six contributor – and even then, if he does nothing other than play on the fourth line, Glass will be a success if he continues to chip in a decent amount of offense.

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