NEW YORK (AP) — Leon Draisaitl scored his second goal of the night on a breakaway 3:52 into overtime, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Friday night.

Calvin Pickard finished with 24 saves to help the Oilers win for the fourth time in seven games.

Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin finished with 33 saves. New York lost its third straight.

In the extra period, Draisaitl got a pass from Connor McDavid and skated up and beat Sorokin for his NHL-leading 49th goal of the season.

The Oilers outshot the Islanders 17-6 in a scoreless first period, and Draisaitl got them on the scoreboard with a slap shot from the top of the left circle at 8:46 of the second.

Horvat tied it 1-1 for the Islanders at 1:21 of the third as he skated up the right side on a 2-on-1 break with Anthony Duclair, kept the puck and beat Pickard for his 21st.

Takeaways

Oilers: Edmonton had lost 8 of 11 to drop to third place in the Pacific Division. With the win, the Oilers moved past Los Angeles back into second.

Islanders: New York had won four of five before their current losing streak. They earned a point to pull to four points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Key moment

The Islanders’ Pierre Engvall tried to catch Pickard off-guard with a shot from the slot in overtime, but the goalie swatted it away to the side. The puck was knocked back toward Pickard, and he knocked it forward, where McDavid got it and passed it up to Draisaitl for the breakaway goal to win it.

Key stat

The Islanders outhit the Oilers 21-10 and blocked 22 shots to keep it a tight game.

Up next

Oilers play at New York Rangers on Sunday, and Islanders host Florida.

The Nashville Predators (25-33-7, 57 points) snapped their four-game win streak with a 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks Friday at Honda Center.

Jakub Vrana was the lone goalscorer for Nashville, who capitalized on one power-play opportunity in the third period but failed to take advantage of a 5-on-3 later in the game.

Juuse Saros made 13 saves in the loss for the Predators, who outshot the Ducks, 28-15. Lukas Dostal made 27 saves in the loss for Anaheim.

How the Predators Lined Up vs. Anaheim

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

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Stastney
Oesterle-Barron

Saros
Annunen

Extra: Englund
IR: L'Heureux, Josi, Lauzon, Wilsby

Forward Michael Bunting, acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline, made his Predators debut in Anaheim. Bunting had recently undergone an appendectomy and was on IR at the time of the trade.

Predators at Ducks: Pregame Notes

• Steven Stamkos enters Friday's game on a four-game point streak; he has nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) in that span.
• Stamkos needs one goal to pass Mark Recchi (577) for the 22nd-most in NHL history.
• Ryan O’Reilly is two goals from 300 in his NHL career.

Predators at Ducks: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 0, ANA 0)

The Predators gave the Ducks a pair of chances on the man advantage with penalties called on Colton Sissons and Filip Forsberg, but Anaheim was unable to convert. Nashville finished the period with an 8-5 shot advantage, but there was no score after 20.

Second Period (NSH 0, ANA 1)

Despite being outshot by the Predators, Anaheim finally broke the scoreless tie off of a Nashville turnover at the 15:52 mark of the second period. Justin Barron broke his stick on an attempt to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, and Troy Terry took advantage with a snipe from the face-off dot to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

Third Period (NSH 1, ANA 2)

Jakub Vrana's first goal with the Predators was a big one on the power play. After drawing an interference penalty from Alex Killorn to give Nashville the man advantage, Vrana fired one-timer from the point that found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 at the 4:25 mark of the third period.

RIPPED IT 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/2vp8nznSYN

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 15, 2025

Nashville earned a 5-on-3 power play opportunity early in the third period but failed to take advantage.

Killorn restored the Anaheim lead at the 11:20 mark, when Trevor Zegras spun him a backhand pass in the slot for a goal to make it 2-1.

Forward Ryan Strome is in the midst of his best season as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. After notching back-to-back 41-point seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, he has 37 points (10-27=37) through his first 65 games in the 2024-25 season, a 47-point pace.

Game #66: Ducks vs. Predators Gameday Preview

He signed a five-year contract in the summer of 2022 that carries an AAV of $5 million following three-plus seasons as a member of the New York Rangers. A tenure that peaked with a run to game six of the Eastern Conference final in 2022, in which they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

During his time as a member of the Rangers and in the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season, the Rangers had their fair share of confrontations with the Washington Capitals that specifically centered around Caps’ forward Tom Wilson. The most heated moment came following a whistle where Wilson slammed Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin into the ice, injuring Panarin and causing him to miss the remainder of the season. In a media session following the altercation, Strome called the NHL’s decision to fine Wilson instead of suspending him “a joke.”

Strome was mic’d up during the Ducks' most recent game against the Caps, a 7-4 Washington victory. During the clip posted by the Ducks, Strome repeatedly and jokingly antagonized Wilson, suggesting they drop the gloves only later to remark “I’m not that stupid,” with a smirk on his face. The clip was a hit, showcasing Strome’s playful personality and sense of humor.

"I'm not that stupid."

A mic'd up Stromer let his buddy Tom Wilson off easy last night 😆#FlyTogether | @strome18pic.twitter.com/X0RSNZv2HB

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 12, 2025

“I’m usually pretty dialed in and serious in the game, but we have a long history,” Strome said after the clip came out. “In New York, we had a big line brawl against those guys. I always just tell him I’m going to beat him up every game. He knows I’m joking. I actually forgot I had a mic on so I probably wouldn’t have said it if I remembered. People thought it was pretty funny, so it made for good content”

That wasn’t the only moment from Strome that went viral this week. During the Ducks’ very next game against the Utah Hockey Club, their second game of a home and road back-to-back, Strome found himself alone at the bottom of the circle in the second period with the Ducks down 1-0. He pulled the puck around Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka and had a wide open net in which to stuff the puck, but was thwarted by an outstretched skate from Utah defenseman Mikhael Sergachev.

HUGE SKATE SAVE BY SERGACHEV ⛸️

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

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

“Oh come on! That’s crazy!,” an eavesdropping Trevor Zegras said when the play was brought up to Strome.

“You gotta deke the goalie, you don’t expect the D to be there,” Strome said. “I just thought I had him beat and then (Sergachev) kind of came out of nowhere. Great defensive play by him, there’s only so much you can do. You gotta tip your hat sometimes. I probably went from being on one side of the highlight reel to the complete other side. Not my first time, not my last, but great play by him.”

The Ducks host the Nashville Predators on Friday evening at Honda Center. Will this be another opportunity to make his presence felt on social media?

Missed Opportunities Prove Costly for Ducks Down the Stretch

Ducks Duo Ranks Second on The Athletic’s Power Rankings

Just being an NHL player requires pushing through the bumps and bruises that come in an 82-game season. But playing some teams, in particular, takes a physical toll.

As the season unfolds, it’s becoming increasingly clear which division champion will be beaten up the most by the conference finals – and that’s whoever makes it out of the Atlantic Division.

As it stands, the Atlantic-leading Florida Panthers lead the NHL in hitting, with an average of 28.38 hits per 60 minutes. The Ottawa Senators are fourth at 25.57, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are ninth at 23.76. That doesn’t include the third-place Boston Bruins (26.21) and seventh-place Montreal Canadiens (24.23), which are currently out of a playoff spot. Clearly, the Atlantic’s teams will punish each other physically.

What we saw from Thursday night’s clash between the Panthers and Leafs indicated what we’ll likely see in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Florida out-hit Toronto 40-24, and Nate Schmidt and Max Domi decided to fight early in the game as well. That’s no walk in the park.

Maple Leafs And Panthers' Clash Is A Sign Things Are Getting RealFlorida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has noticed something interesting of late ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thursday’s tilt looked like a playoff game between the Leafs and Panthers. We’re almost sure to see the emotion amp up by the time the post-season arrives, which could increase the hit totals even more. 

It doesn’t matter which Atlantic teams take on each other in the first and second rounds of this year’s playoffs. The Panthers, Leafs or Tampa Bay Lightning could wind up in the top spot in the Atlantic, which sets up a showdown against one another or the improved Senators. That sets the stage for extremely physical battles.

It’s not the same in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Rangers sit fifth in hits per 60 minutes (24.79), but they’re currently not in a playoff spot, and the 10th-highest hitters, the New Jersey Devils, are already dealing with injuries to important players. The Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals are below average in hits per 60 minutes.

The Vancouver Canucks are the only Pacific Division team among the league’s most frequent bodycheckers, but even they might not make the post-season. The most frequent hitters in the Pacific that are in a playoff spot right now are the 14th-place Calgary Flames.

The Central Division, meanwhile, could have some long series and extremely competitive matchups, even if only the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues – two clubs outside a playoff spot at the moment – are among the NHL’s top 10 hitters.

At least one of the Central-leading Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche will be sorely disappointed after the opening round. The Jets have led the NHL for most of the season, and the Stars and Avalanche were big buyers at the trade deadline. Don’t expect any of those clubs to go home easily, and do expect some lengthy rounds that test durability to its fullest. But add extra bodychecks, and you’ll likely get what’s expected to happen in the Atlantic.

When you have the defending Cup-champion Panthers in the same division as the most recent back-to-back Cup champs, the Lightning – as well as a massively pressured Leafs team and an up-and-coming Senators squad – you have a division that will take a huge bite out of whoever makes it to the third round. It will be punishing hockey night after night until one team buckles under the strain.

Any Atlantic team that makes it to the Eastern final will pay a huge toll to get there. But their style of game will punish any team that gets in their way.

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.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is home to some of hockey's greatest players, including Hall of Famers Mike Vernon, Bill Gadsby, and Herbie Lewis, former first-round pick Taylor Hall, and several Stanley Cup champions, including Logan Thompson, Brayden Point, Cale Makar, and Tim Hunter.

Although the list of current NHLers born in Stampede City is small, their impact is felt across the league both north and south of the border. 

Today, we pieced together the best lineup featuring Calgary-born players.

Center: Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)

2024-25: 60 GP 32-33-65 

Point is the only two-time Stanley Cup champion from Calgary currently playing in the NHL. Moreover, he's among 21 players to score 50 goals in a single season in the salary cap era. Since his debut in 2016-17, Point has tallied the seventh most goals (296) of any player in the past nine seasons. Although there are hundreds of centers in the league, there's a case that Point is one of the best.

Blues Players To Record A 50+ Point Season Before Turning 24 (since 1999-00):

— Alex Pietrangelo
— Vladimir Tarasenko
— Jordan Kyrou
— Robert Thomas

Dylan Holloway is 2 points away from joining this list👀 pic.twitter.com/t0pLi4ysHR

— BluesMuse (@STLBluesMuse) March 14, 2025

Left Wing: Dylan Holloway (St. Louis Blues)

2024-25: 66 GP 21-27-48 

As the 14th overall pick from the 2020 Draft, Dylan Holloway has finally blossomed into the player many expected with his first 20-goal season with the St. Louis Blues. After leaving the Edmonton Oilers on an offer sheet in 2024, Holloway has become one of the Blues' top scorers when given a chance to play top six minutes. 

Right Wing: Brett Leason (Anaheim Ducks)

2024-25: 54 GP 5-11-16 

Brett Leason became an NHL regular after the Anaheim Ducks claimed him off waivers from the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2022-23 season. In 2023-24, he had a career year with 11 goals and 22 points. As one of the few wingers from Calgary in today's NHL, Leason is one of the more productive ones.

Cale Makar Sets An Avalanche Record With His SIXTH Point Of The NightWatch as Cale Makar grabs a little piece of Colorado Avalanche history, firing home his second goal of the night against the San Jose Sharks to earn his sixt...

Defence: Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)

2024-25: 66 GP 24-51-75 

Almost every time Makar scores a goal, makes a play, or sets up a teammate, he's usually compared to the all-time greats like Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, and Niklas Lidstrom. Whether he's playing defense or offense, Makar is a generational talent already worthy of the Hall of Fame in just six seasons.

Defence: Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets)

2024-25: 65 GP 10-41-51 

Josh Morrissey is among the most underrated defensemen in the NHL, ranking among the top five in production with 196 points in 224 games over the past three seasons. For his efforts, he's finished in the top ten for Norris Trophy in the past two seasons. As the anchor of the Winnipeg Jets, Morrissey is one of the reasons why they are one of the top teams in the NHL. 

HOLY SMOKES THESE STATS🔥

Logan Thompson has been dominating the crease for the Capitals this season🥅‼️ pic.twitter.com/HqVkIuhY7e

— BarDown (@BarDown) January 15, 2025

Goalie: Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals)

2024-25: 37 GP 28-4-2, 2.36 GAA, .916 SV% 

Thompson wouldn't be the starter with the Vegas Golden Knights, so he accepted a trade to the Capitals in June 2024. In 37 games, the 28-year-old has had a Vezina Trophy-caliber season, guiding the Capitals to the top of the NHL standings with a 28-4-2 record. He was awarded a six-year extension worth $35.1 million for his performance. 

The Calgary Flames (30-23-11) wrap up a three-game homestand by hosting the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Last game of the homestand 💪@BParkerTV sets the stage for tonight's tilt! pic.twitter.com/728tML45wo

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 14, 2025

After a busy trade deadline, this is the first time the Flames will play the Avalanche following the acquisitions of Brock Nelson and Erik Johnson. Considering their position in the standings, tied for the second wildcard spot, Friday night is another must win for Calgary. 

Inside the Numbers

Calgary

- Last 10: 4-2-4

- vs. Opponent: 0-1-0 (4-2 L)

- At Home: 18-10-5

Colorado

- Last 10: 7-2-1

- vs. Opponent: 1-0-0 (4-2 W)

- As Visitors: 17-14-1

Between the Pipes

Calgary starter - Dustin Wolf

• Season: 38 GP / 22-12-4 / 2.52 GAA / .915 SV%
• Career: 56 GP / 30-19-5 / 2.68 GAA / .909 SV%
• Last 5: 3-2-0 / 1.60 GAA / .929 SV%
• vs. Opponent: 1-0-0 / 1.00 GAA / .958 SV%

Avalanche starter - Scott Wedgewood

• Season: 17 GP / 8-6-1 / 2.49 GAA / .908 SV%
• Career: 147 GP / 56-54-23 / 2.92 GAA / .906 SV
• Last 5: 2-3-0 / 2.80 GAA / .884 SV%
• vs. Opponent: 0-3-1/ 4.03 GAA / .891 SV%

Conversation Starters

- Jonathan Huberdeau had one of his best games as a member of the Flames on Wednesday. Does he have an encore performance in another critical game?

- Dustin Wolf is starting his third straight game. Considering the Flames have only one more back-to-back left on the schedule, it is safe to assume that he's getting most of the starts the rest of the way?

- Where is the secondary scoring? Matt Coronato is Calgary's fourth leading scorer and has only two points (two goals) in his last nine games. Meanwhile, Blake Coleman, the fifth highest scorer, has a single assist in the past 14 games. These two must step up now that Connor Zary and Mikael Backlund are out. Do they have it in them?

Where Are They Now?

Calgary

- 4th Pacific Division

- 2nd Wildcard

- 8th Western Conference

- 15th NHL

Colorado

- 4th Pacific Division

- 2nd Wildcard

- 8th Western Conference

- 15th NHL

Flames & Canucks Leaders

• Goals: Huberdeau & Kadri (22) / MacKinnon (27)
• Assists: Weegar (29) / MacKinnon (75)**
• Points: Huberdeau & Kadri (46) / MacKinnon (102)**
• PIM: Pachal (80) / Wood (46)
• PPG: Huberdeau (7) / Makar (10)
• SOG: Kadri (211) / MacKinnon (268)

** - NHL Leader

---

Flames Projected Lineup

According to NHL.com, here's a look at the projected lineups for the Flames. (Subject to change)

FORWARD

Jonathan Huberdeau -- Nazem Kadri -- Matt Coronato

Joel Farabee -- Morgan Frost -- Blake Coleman

Martin Pospisil -- Yegor Sharangovich -- Adam Klapka

Ryan Lomberg -- Kevin Rooney -- Dryden Hunt

DEFENCE

Kevin Bahl -- Rasmus Andersson

Joel Hanley -- MacKenzie Weegar

Jake Bean -- Daniil Miromanov

GOALIE

Dustin Wolf

Dan Vladar

---

Tonight's game starts at 7:00 p.m. MT and is available on TVAS, SN1, ALT2, KTVD and Sportsnet+.

The Calgary Flames (30-23-11) play the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, ending a three-game homestand before their final trip to the East Coast next week.

In their last contest against the Vancouver Canucks, forward Conor Zary hit defenseman Elias Pettersson with an elbow in the back of the head, leading to a two-game suspension, announced on Thursday afternoon.

During the same game, captain Mikael Backlund suffered an upper-body injury, and on Friday, the team announced that he was now listed as week-to-week. 

#Flames say captain Mikael Backlund is week-to-week with an upper body injury.

Big blow down the stretch.

— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) March 14, 2025

Before the Canucks game, the Flames recalled Adam Klapka from the Calgary Wranglers. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch on Tuesday, but will most likely be pressed into action on Friday night against Colorado.

Meanwhile, with another hole in the lineup to fill, Calgary recalled Dryden Hunt on Friday morning. The pair of Wranglers forwards have combined to skate in 14 games this season in the NHL, with one point.

Forward Dryden Hunt has been recalled from the @AHLWranglers.#Flames | @original16beerpic.twitter.com/xsWOSO7tns

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 14, 2025

Hunt is the Wranglers' second-leading scorer, with 48 points, while Klapka has contributed 26 points. 

However, that wasn't the Flames organization's last move on Friday. The Wranglers acquired forward Ty Tullio from the Buffalo Sabres via the Rochester Americans.

Forward Ty Tullio has been reassigned by the Buffalo Sabres from Rochester Americans and loaned to the Calgary Wranglers.

Tullio, fifth round draft pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2020 has played 147 games in the AHL, putting up 54 points. pic.twitter.com/q2QL8ZZsJE

— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 14, 2025

Initially drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round (125th overall) in the 2020 Draft, Tullio has yet to play in the NHL. Over three seasons in the AHL, he has scored 23 goals with 31 assists for 54 points in 147 games.

The Flames, who maintain the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, will host the Avalanche at the Saddledome on Friday.  Meanwhile, the Wranglers hit the road for a weekend series with the Abbotsford Canucks on Saturday and Sunday.

On Trade Deadline Day, the Chicago Blackhawks made a few moves to try and better their situation in the long term. After having already traded Taylor Hall and Seth Jones, there was wonder how far they’d go on the final day to do something. 

Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith were traded to the Detroit Red Wings and they made a prospect/salary cap/draft picks trade with the Utah Hockey Club. There wasn’t anything fancy but these moves could all help them in the future. 

Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon, and others all had their names in rumors for the week leading up to the deadline. Almost everyone ended up sticking around though so there are a few veterans still there to help out the kids. 

Donato and Maroon being on the team next year means that they would have signed an extension so they won’t be traded away. However, there are a few other guys that weren’t moved and could be traded come the summer. 

Now that the dust has settled from the big day and some time has passed, these are the three guys who might be sent packing once the time comes in the off-season: 

1. Connor Murphy

Connor Murphy is a solid defenseman that plays good minutes when he is healthy. That's the problem though. He deals with injury trouble just about every season. For a guy that makes $4.4 million against the cap, that money could go toward some offense which this team sorely lacks. 

A Stanley Cup contender with some cap space may consider a player like Murphy as a top-four guy. The Blackhawks might be able to retain on Murphy during the summer too as Mikko Rantanen and Jake McCabe will come off the books. 

Murphy's name wasn't in any reported trade talks ahead of the deadline but his contract situation makes him someone to think about. If they decide to make a move involving him this summer, it won't shock anyone. 

Throughout his Blackhawks tenure, the team has been lousy. They wanted to get younger when they acquired him in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade with the Arizona Coyotes which made sense but it didn't lead to more winning ahead of the rebuild. Now, everyone might be better off if he went somewhere with a chance to compete. 

2. Kevin Korchinski

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of young defensemen in the organization. Guys like Artyom Levshunov, Louis Crevier, Ethan Del Mastro, Wyatt Kaiser, and Alex Vlasic amongst others are fighting for ice time at the NHL level. 

Korchinski is currently down in the AHL. That doesn't even account for Sam Rinzel who has been one of the best defensemen in the NCAA this season. All of these guys can't be on the NHL roster at the height of their powers. 

Chicago could also draft Matthew Schaefer in the top three of the 2025 NHL Draft if they believe that he is a future superstar defenseman. With or without Schaefer, the Hawks are loaded at the position which is a good problem to have. 

The Blackhawks need help up front. A team may take a chance on Korchinski who is a highly gifted offensive defenseman who was drafted in the top ten (7th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He's had his ups and downs at both the NHL and AHL level but there is no doubting his ability to create. That will attract teams if the Hawks put him on the market. 

3. Jason Dickinson

The Blackhawks probably should have traded Jason Dickinson during the 2023-24 season while he was in the middle of having a career year. His value will never be higher than it was then. You can also understand Kyle Davidson wanting some veteran presence within the organization. 

In 2024-25, he's been good but hasn't produced offensively the way that he did one year prior. Now, he is facing the final two years of his current contract which has a cap hit of $4.25 million.

Teams looking for a solid bottom-six center that plays well defensively and can bring some offense to the table may be all over him if he were put on the block.

Like the first two on this list, Dickinson was never in any rumors ahead of the deadline this year but they are in the organization and could now be moved once summertime comes for something good in return. 

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

The Toronto Marlies announced they have acquired forward Brandon Baddock from the Rockford IceHogs for future considerations. 

Baddock has three goals, seven points and 86 penalty minutes in 38 games for Rockford this season.

The 29-year-old will add depth and toughness to the Marlies after the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt away several players at the NHL trade deadline.

News: The Toronto Marlies have acquired forward Brandon Baddock from the Rockford IceHogs in exchange for future considerations.#LongLivepic.twitter.com/JTKCgaPHg3

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) March 14, 2025

A sixth round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2014, Baddock has 24 goals, 62 points and 899 penalty minutes in 424 career AHL games with the IceHogs, Binghamton Devils, Laval Rocket and Iowa Wild.

The Vermilion, Alta., native has appeared in one career NHL game with the Montreal Canadiens. 

His first chance to make his Marlies debut comes Mar. 15 against the Charlotte Checkers. 

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

In each of the last two New York Rangers' games, Matt Rempe has been the subject of questionable penalties. And the Rangers have every right to be upset about that.

The first came Tuesday night when Rempe was called for goalie interference, despite being pushed into Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck by defenseman Morgan Barron. The second came two nights later when an incidental collision between Rempe and Devin Shore of the Minnesota Wild resulted in an interference call.

What's worse, the Jets and Wild scored on the ensuing power plays in games the Rangers are absolutely desperate to win. Every goal, every point, every play matters at this point in the season.

But to suggest anyone has an axe to grind with Rempe and the Rangers is absurd. Fans in every market love to complain about how the league has it in for them, and it just isn't the case.

Today's video column has more.

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 latest episode of The Hockey Show has dropped!

Following one of the craziest Trade Deadline’s in recent memory, THS hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork get into the fallout, both regarding the Florida Panthers and the rest of the NHL.

Joining the show to help break everything down is NHL on ESPN sideline reporter Emily Kaplan.

They get into the Brad Marchand trade to Florida, which teams were the winners and losers of the Trade Deadline and who will provide the best challenge to the Panthers when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.

This week’s wins and fails of the week, presented by Jagermeister, included a Superman punch in a hockey fight and a Superman save by a goaltender, a fan trying to fight a mascot and Nathan MacKinnon hitting a major milestone.

Dave and Roy also reviewed the Panthers week that was, which featured a dominant shutout win, an uncharacteristic blown lead in Boston and a fun victory in a heavyweight matchup in Toronto.

You can check out the full show in the video below:

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

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Sergei Bobrovsky hits major milestone, moving into 10th on NHL all-time wins list

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Atlantic Division foes battle as Florida arrives in Toronto looking to keep 1st place

Florida Panthers drop off Stanley Cup Ring at Hockey Hall of Fame

Now that the month of March is half over, potential playoff seedings and wild card battles are taking shape nightly across the NHL.

With last week’s trade deadline in the books, fans and experts alike seem to view the Dallas Stars as serious Stanley Cup favorites. And the betting markets appear to agree, with Draft Kings having the Stars down at +600 to win it all. Not far behind are the Edmonton Oilers, + 800 to win their first Cup since 1990.

The Los Angeles Kings? They aren't getting a ton of love from the sports books at +2000 or an implied probability of 4.76%. 

Although it's true that the Kings have well-known issues, is it possible that LA is more of a threat than people realize? Despite their 28th-ranked power play (15.5%), 13th-ranked save percentage (.904), and mild 2.86 goals per game, the Kings are regularly beating some very good teams. 

Looking strictly at teams with a .600+ points percentage at this point in the season (CAR, COL, DAL, EDM, FLA, TBL, TOR, VGK, WSH, WPG), the Kings are a robust 11-8 against this elite group. This includes three wins against Vegas, two wins against both Dallas and Winnipeg and one against the defending champion Florida Panthers. Not too shabby.

#GoKingsGo *winning* percentages (not P%) vs playoff teams last year and this year:

Vs NHL qualifiers .385
Vs WC qualifiers .348

Vs NHL qualifiers (entering today) .567
Vs WC qualifiers (enterting today) .625.

That's a pretty drastic turnaround.

— Andrew Knoll (@AndrewKnollNHL) March 14, 2025

How have Cup favorites Dallas and Edmonton fared against this same group? Not nearly as well as Los Angeles. Edmonton has so far gone 7-11-3 against these elite teams, while Dallas has posted a record of 7-11-2. Not the kind of record that screams a lock to win it all in June. 

While it would be foolish to read too much into this discrepancy, it seems to indicate that the LA Kings play up to their competition. There is a belief in the room that they can beat anybody when they play their game.

Swiss winger Kevin Fiala alluded to this sentiment during the media scrum following LA’s win against the Washington Capitals on March 13th:
“We’re not scared from (sic) anybody. We’re strong at home this year.”

Not just strong but a league best 22-3-4 at Crypto.com Arena, which has suddenly become a very inhospitable venue for road teams from either conference. 

With 18 regular season games remaining for the Kings, much remains to be written. Will their dominance at home continue unabated? Can they continue to go toe-to-toe with the NHL’s top tier? Will they find a way to get better results away from home?

If so, the hockey world just might be sleeping on these guys. And if you are LA, you probably hope that they keep dozing well into May and June. 

The Buffalo Sabres return home after a lopsided 7-3 loss in Detroit to face the Vegas Golden Knights in a Saturday afternoon matinee. The Pacific Division leader is among four or five clubs that could come out of the Western Conference this spring, and a central figure in their playoff aspirations is former Sabres captain Jack Eichel.

The 2015 second overall pick has thrived in Vegas since being traded in November 2021 for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick (Noah Ostlund), and a second-rounder used to trade for Jordan Greenway, winning a Stanley Cup in 2022, but has continued to be dogged by injuries. Although fully recovered from the neck injury that led to his departure from Buffalo, the 28-year-old center has not played a full season with the Golden Knights but has missed only one game in 2024-25.

Sabres Disastrous Defensively In Defeat To Detroit 

Rosen Sent Down Again Without Getting An Opportunity

Dahlin Refutes Assertion Of Wanting Out Of Buffalo

Eichel is one in a long line of ex-Sabres who encountered pitfalls in Buffalo and have magically found success elsewhere. Ryan O’Reilly won a Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy with St. Louis in 2019 and has been an effective two-way center in Toronto and Nashville. Brandon Montour went to Florida after being dealt for a draft pick and won a Cup in 2024 with the Panthers and signed a big free-agent deal with Seattle. Sam Reinhart was dealt to Florida with one year left on his contract with Buffalo, signed an extension with the Panthers, and scored 52 goals last season.

Linus Ullmark won a Vezina Trophy with Boston in 2023 and may be leading the Ottawa Senators to their first playoff berth since 2017, with the help of Dylan Cozens, who has four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in four games since being traded to Ottawa for Josh Norris last week.

With every example of a player going somewhere else and having more success or realizing their potential, the question is why they did not achieve that in Buffalo. Are there aspects of the club that are ancillary to the core group assembled? Is the construction of the part of GM Kevyn Adams poor? Is it a lack of willingness to spend to the cap to add one or two players who could make a difference?

Whatever the reasons, these players decided that the best course for their future was not with a dysfunctional Sabres organization, and it is tough to argue against that based on Buffalo missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season.

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