TORONTO (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in a shootout and the Philadelphia Flyers extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shootout attempt, but Auston Matthews and Max Domi failed to convert as Toronto's losing streak reached four games.
Noah Cates converted a pass from Bobby Brink with 5:18 remaining in regulation time to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. The Maple Leafs tied the game when Nylander slammed in a feed from John Tavares on the power play with 2:30 left.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube adjusted his lines, with the most notable move being the pairing of Matthews, the team captain, alongside Nylander.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period, knocking in a pass from Matias Maccelli. It was Joshua’s first goal since returning last week after missing two months with a lacerated kidney.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak tied the game three minutes later on the power play, sweeping in a loose puck in front of the net.
Toronto outshot the Flyers 31-25, and Anthony Stolarz finished with 23 saves. Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar made 29 stops.
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale had a chance to end the game in overtime, but his shot off the rush hit the outside of the near post with 30 seconds remaining.
Flyers' leading scorer Travis Konecny missed the game with a lower-body injury. He was a game-time decision.
Matthews has gone eight games without a goal, his longest drought of the season. A member of the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Italy, Matthews was without a goal in four games before the break and has gone four more since his return.
At long last, the NHL trade deadline is just four days away, which also means the league's most chaotic and exciting time during the regular season has finally arrived.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be one of the most interesting teams ahead of the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Mar. 6.
Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job so far this season, as his offseason signings, trade pickups, and draft prospects - as well as some in-season acquisitions - have led to Pittsburgh being a top-six team in the NHL. They currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division and are fifth in the league in goal differential at plus-30.
In other words, the Penguins may just be contenders, but they could be even more so once that deadline passes. Dubas has a careful line to walk between continuing to prioritize the long-term and putting his chips on the table for a run this season with a legitimately good hockey team.
Here are six Penguins' storylines to keep an eye on during trade deadline week.
When thinking about where the Penguins' goaltending situation was just a few months ago, no one could have imagined they'd be making a legitimate playoff push with two goaltenders playing lights-out.
But, that's what has happened. Skinner was brought to Pittsburgh as part of the Tristan Jarry trade in mid-December, and he has been more than serviceable since. Aside from a few outlier bad performances that skew his numbers down a bit - overall, he is 8-4-2 with an .890 save percentage with the Penguins - the 27-year-old has proven to be just as valuable, if not more valuable, as Jarry was in a Penguins' uniform this season.
Second shutout of the season, .981 save percentage, and 2-0-0 over the week? That’s our kind of Arty party 🎊
Congrats to Arturs Silovs on being named @NHL Second Star of the Week!
However, with Arturs Silovs beginning to pull away from Skinner a bit in terms of performance - Silovs has a whopping .936 save percentage over his last nine appearances and has a track record of performing well in high-stakes situations - Skinner, who is on an expiring contract, could end up being the backup down the stretch.
It's certainly a risk rolling with two young, inexperienced goaltenders as opposed to having a veteran with ample playoff experience, so Dubas and the Penguins may have a tough decision ahead of them.
With Crosby out, will the Penguins target a depth center?
This will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow, as Crosby is expected to miss approximately three more weeks with a lower-body injury, and his team has the NHL's most difficult schedule for the remainder of the season.
So far, scoring hasn't proven to be much of an issue for the Penguins without Crosby. However, faceoffs certainly have been, as they have won just 52 of 159 total draws (32.7 percent) in their three games back from the Olympic break Crosbyless.
We'll circle back to this, but it will be interesting to see how the Penguins approach this situation. They do have two capable younger centers in Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander - barring their health - who should be able to help offset at least some of it. But depth never hurts, especially when that depth serves to improve the team overall. And the best bet at acquiring the best depth is in the trade market.
So, it will be interesting to monitor whether or not the center depth on the roster - especially without Evgeni Malkin manning the middle - looks like it could use a boost in the two games the Penguins have remaining prior to the deadline.
Will Evgeni Malkin sign before the trade deadline?
It was reported by Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now on Saturday that Malkin would meet with Dubas early this week, which follows Malkin saying in a postgame interview after a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that they wouldn't meet until the offseason.
Of course, no one in their right mind actually believes that Malkin is going to be anywhere but Pittsburgh for the remainder of the season. However, it sure would bring some peace of mind to Penguins' faithful if Dubas and the team show priority to their 39-year-old future hall-of-famer, who is having his best season in several years with 13 goals and 47 points in 44 games.
Malkin has also developed ridiculous chemistry with winger Egor Chinakhov, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December and has 10 goals in 21 games since - more than anyone else on the Penguins since his arrival and half of which have primary assists credited to Malkin.
Many feel Malkin has earned another season with the Penguins, and folks will be anxious to hear about how that meeting with Dubas goes down.
Something they could still use? A young blueliner with higher upside, whether that's on the left or right side. Harrison Brunicke, a right-side d-man, has to play out the rest of his WHL season before becoming a young depth option for the Penguins again, and that won't be until April.
Of course, the Penguins have some options in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) should someone go down, including Dumba, Owen Pickering, Alex Alexeyev, and Finn Harding. But if they want a young defenseman who can make an impact on the NHL roster now, they're likely not within the organization already.
Heading into this season, a priority outlined by Dubas was improvement on the left side. Well, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea have both been good for the Penguins this season, and whoever has been in that other slot has been good enough. Still, it will be interesting to see if Dubas targets a younger blueliner with promise along the lines of Braeden Schneider (Rangers) or Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks), if available.
Given the Penguins' place in the standings - and the fact that they already have more high-value draft capital (and more draft capital, period) than any other team in hockey - it's unlikely that Dubas is going to sell big at the deadline, even if he could receive fairly significant value in return for some of his better assets.
That said, it doesn't mean a "max value hockey trade" won't happen.
Names like Skinner's and Anthony Mantha's have popped up and have the attention of other teams, but in order for those guys to be moved, value would have to come the other way - simliar to the Kulak trade and the Jarry trade, where a guy playing the same position was part of the return along with draft capital (or a prospect).
However, Dubas needs to tread carefully here. Messing with the chemistry of a locker room on a team with a high degree of belief is a tricky thing, and sometimes, these kinds of moves backfire.
Obviously, "going big" - like selling - typically requires one or more pieces on your NHL roster or a high-value prospect going the other way in addition to high-value draft capital, which the Penguins do have. The discourse on trading their first-round pick this season comes with mixed response, as the 2026 draft is deep, but the Penguins, at this point, will probably draft late in the first round and have two second-round picks.
But even if they were willing to give up their first-rounder and more to acquire an impact player, is this year's trade deadline the time to do it?
It's absolutely reasonable to think that Dubas will wait until the summer to go big, given the direction he is taking the team in the foreseeable future as well as the fact that he has already made a pretty big move with the Chinakhov acquisition.
But, never say never. Dubas keeps his cards close to the vest, and given how good this Penguins' team is, he might just shoot higher than everyone expects.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.
Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback by scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault's tying goal with 4:46 left in the third, to force OT.
Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.
Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
Fantilli opened the scoring with a goal in his third straight game, netting his 16th on a tip-in shot at 5:50 of the first. Marchenko, who assisted on Fantilli's score, made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 15:32.
The Rangers had an apparent power-play goal by J.T. Miller disallowed early in the second when the officials ruled there was goaltender interference. Moments later, the Blue Jackets got a short-handed goal by Monahan. Olivier added a score at 11:54 of the middle period.
New York stormed back in the third on goals by Gavrikov 30 seconds into the period, and Perreault 24 seconds later. Borgen scored at 12:52, and Perreault added his second at 15:14.
And after climbing out of a two-goal hole against the Penguins, the Blueshirts proved they haven’t totally lost their inspiration and overcame a four-goal margin in a single period Monday night to force overtime before Kirill Marchenko won it 5-4 for Columbus.
“It’s easy for us to pack it in and feel sorry for ourselves,” Adam Fox said. “But, on the flip side, you have the ability to play free and I think just play proud. We’re getting booed off the ice after the second. No one feels good about that. We’ve been saying it all year, we’re a prideful group. Things haven’t gone as smooth as anyone has liked, but definitely proud of the group for that third period and, honestly, just giving the fans something to cheer for, something to get excited for. We want to be able to deliver that for a full 60 minutes, not just one period at a time.”
Igor Shesterkin reacts after allowing a goal during the Rangers’ loss to the Blue Jackets. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Despite securing at least one point for a second game in a row, the Rangers have not won in regulation on home ice since before Thanksgiving.
That’s an 18-game streak at MSG without a regulation win.
The Rangers now have just three regulation wins over their last 25 contests.
Gabe Perreault had a hand in three of their four goals in the third period, scoring two of them — including the game-tying score — and assisting on one to help his team pick up at least one point.
It marked the 20-year-old’s second multigoal game through his first 32 career NHL games.
“I feel like every game I’m more and more comfortable,” said Perreault, who has five goals through 27 games this season. “J.T. [Miller] and Mika [Zibanejad] have done a great job helping me and mentoring me and making me feel confident. I think we’ve been starting to build some chemistry. It’s been really good playing with those guys.”
Gabe Perreault is positioned by the net during the Rangers’ March 2 loss to the Blue Jackets. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
The Rangers didn’t get on the scoreboard until early in the third period, when the home team scored twice in the span of 24 seconds to make it a two-goal game with the bulk of the final frame remaining.
Vladislav Gavrikov scored his 10th goal of the season before Perreault took advantage of Denton Mateychuk’s whiffed pass.
The 20-year-old collected the puck and whipped it past Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
With the extra skater on the ice amid a delayed penalty later in the period, Will Borgen stuffed in a loose puck.
The Rangers defenseman then dished to Perreault in transition for the 4-4 score with just under five minutes remaining in regulation.
“The fight we had in the third period, the energy,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “We almost won in regulation. We had a couple of looks right at the end of the game to break it open. Their goalie made a couple pretty big saves to take it to overtime.”
The Chicago Blackhawks officially made their first notable move of trade deadline week, as they dealt defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers. This was after the right-shot defenseman was the subject of trade rumors for quite some time.
Yet, there is certainly a chance that the Blackhawks might not be done yet, as they have multiple other trade candidates to watch. Due to this, let's look at four Blackhawks who could be on the move next.
Jason Dickinson
Jason Dickinson is another veteran pending UFA who has a chance of being dealt by the deadline. With the Blackhawks having several promising young forwards in their system, it would make sense if they at least listened to offers on Dickinson. He could get them a decent return when noting that he is a solid veteran two-way center.
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Mikheyev is the pending UFA that the Blackhawks should be working hardest to sign to a contract extension. He has been a great addition to their roster since his arrival, as he has been a fantastic penalty-killer and has chipped in offensively. Yet, if the Blackhawks can't come to terms with him on an extension by the deadline, he could be a valuable trade chip for them to move.
Nick Foligno
If Nick Foligno lets the Blackhawks know that he wants to play for a contender, the veteran forward could end up being moved. At 38 years old, he likely will not have too many more chances to try to win the Stanley Cup, so it would be understandable if he wanted to play for a top team. However, if he wants to finish the year in Chicago, the Blackhawks won't be moving him.
Matt Grzelcyk
Grzelcyk is another pending UFA who could generate some interest from contenders. The Massachusetts native could be a nice addition to a playoff team's bottom pairing. He also has a lot of playoff experience due to his time with the Boston Bruins, so that adds to his appeal.
This wasn’t real life — just a simulation — but if you’re a Colorado Avalanche fan, maybe don't watch this.
In a virtual showdown against the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado hung around early thanks to stellar goaltending from Mackenzie Blackwood, but a third-period surge from L.A. proved too much as the Kings skated away with a 4-1 win on NHL 26.
First Period
The Kings dictated the pace for much of the opening frame, hemming Colorado in its own zone and firing pucks from all angles. Blackwood stood tall, turning aside quality chance after quality chance to keep things scoreless.
But with 2:41 remaining in the period, Los Angeles finally broke through. Trevor Moore capitalized on a rebound in the slot, batting the puck past Blackwood to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.
Things didn’t get much smoother for Colorado late in the period. Josh Manson was whistled for interference — a call that may or may not have been influenced by some classic EA Sports Frostbite chaos — sending the Avs into the intermission shorthanded.
Second Period
The shot clock told the story early. Nearly a minute into the second period, the Kings held an 18-6 advantage in shots on goal.
After successfully killing off the penalty, Colorado began to find its footing. Gabe Landeskog tried to generate momentum on the right wing but was forced to dish the puck off under pressure rather than absorb a heavy hit from the Kings’ defense.
Midway through the period, Ross Colton ripped a wrister labeled for the top corner, but Filip Forsberg came up with the save.
Colorado finally broke through with 9:08 remaining in the period. Cale Makar accepted a pass from Devon Toews, walked into space, and unleashed a 100.6 mph slap shot that beat Forsberg cleanly for his 18th goal of the season — and his third in the past two games. Just like that, it was 1-1 and a brand-new game.
The Avalanche kept pushing. Martin Nečas weaved through the neutral zone with a dazzling rush before stopping up and firing a slap shot, but Forsberg flashed the glove to keep the game tied heading into the third.
Third Period
Colorado’s momentum didn’t carry over.
The Avalanche opened the third looking disjointed, and the Kings took advantage. With Blackwood under siege yet again, Warren Foegele eventually broke through, giving Los Angeles a 2-1 lead.
The turning point came with 9:36 remaining. Makar rang a slap shot off the post, and the puck caromed all the way to center ice. Taylor Ward collected it in stride, raced in on a breakaway, and beat Blackwood to extend the Kings’ lead to 3-1.
Frustration began to mount for Colorado. Nathan MacKinnon was sent to the box for interference, and moments later Corey Perry was penalized for cross-checking Brent Burns, leading to a stretch of four-on-four play.
The Avalanche briefly had a five-second power play but couldn’t convert — yes, even in simulation form, the power play struggles followed them.
Artemi Panarin added an empty-net goal with seven seconds remaining to seal the 4-1 final in this digital edition of Avs vs. Kings.
The Islanders have taken a more proactive marketing approach this season.
LOS ANGELES — The change in the Islanders’ approach off the ice this season might be more dramatic than their shift on it.
Not only has Matthew Schaefer, who was named the NHL’s first star of the week Monday after a two-goal performance to help the Islanders come back to beat the Panthers on Sunday night, helped turbocharge business, but the Isles have also taken a more proactive approach to their marketing, throwing out Lou Lamoriello’s rulebook that put tight strictures on social media content and prohibited promoting individual players over the team.
In short, they’re approaching things like it’s 2026.
Schaefer, specifically, has been heavily promoted all year.
The Isles have been much more creative, and have included players much more often, in their social media content.
And they’ve launched an in-house docuseries.
Exactly how much responsibility all that has on ticket sales versus the simple fact that the team is much better is impossible to say.
But the Islanders are more than happy with where things are.
Sunday was their 12th straight sellout, and the energy in the fan base couldn’t be more different than it was a year ago.
“We’re a challenger brand, right?” president of business operations Kelly Cheeseman told reporters Sunday. “We’re maybe the sixth, seventh brand in the market, in some people’s eyes. We don’t want to be that. We want to punch the big guys in the mouth a little bit here and there by doing things they’re not willing to do and make our brand a little more interesting.”
That is, clearly, the open space for the Islanders to walk into.
Matthew Schaefer celebrates with the crowd after the Islanders’ March 1 win. NHLI via Getty Images
They’ll never have the innate gravitas of the Yankees, Knicks or Rangers, but those teams take a much more buttoned-up approach to their brands.
Cheeseman, who was previously COO for both the Kings and AEG Sports, was hired with those changes in mind at the start of the year.
Kelly Cheeseman is pictured while with the Kings in 2018. NHLI via Getty Images
“It kind of allows fans, young kids who maybe their grandfathers and grandmothers were Rangers fans — they want to walk in the door with their Islanders shirts. We love that,” Cheeseman said. “They’re younger, cooler, more diverse and a little bit more interesting and intriguing than some of the older brands in the market. Maybe that pushes it our way.”
“We’re leading the league in social media content and engagement, and a lot of it is because of what [Schaefer’s] doing,” Cheeseman said. “Then you look at something like this week. He breaks Phil Housley’s [rookie scoring for a defenseman] record, he’s the story across the National Hockey League and our sport. [PR chief] Kimber [Auerbach] and our media team have done a really good job of getting him out and he’s had a really good willingness to get out there.”
Cheeseman also said there is a focus on “relaunching” UBS Arena next year, when construction will finish on the Belmont Park racetrack next door and when the Islanders will host the All-Star Game.
“The campus is finally ready,” Cheeseman said. “We got the retail village coming online, we got the racetrack, we got the arena coming into the maturity level. We want to think of it as, we haven’t really had a grand opening. We want to take the moment and really build on it.
“The train station wasn’t quite ready [in 2021]. The parking wasn’t quite ready or really open.”
Another key factor, left unsaid: The team was nowhere near as good as expected, and attendance dropped off as a result.
That’s not a problem anymore.
And the Islanders are trying to take as much advantage as possible.
Here are some of the more notable trades this season. Follow along for analysis on deals as the NHL trade deadline approaches:
March 2: Oilers acquire Connor Murphy
The trade: The Edmonton Oilers acquire defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2028 second-round pick.
Analysis: The Blackhawks retain 50 percent of the $4.4 million cap hit for the pending unrestricted free agent. The Oilers have been leaking goals, and the 6-foot-4 Murphy is a solid defensive defenseman. He played on the No. 1 unit of the league's best penalty kill, led the Blackhawks in blocked shots and was third in hits.
Feb. 24: Penguins, Avalanche swap defensemen
The trade: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Avalanche for defenseman Brett Kulak.
Analysis: The Avalanche pick up salary cap space and add a defenseman who has been to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons. The Penguins had acquired pending unrestricted free agent Kulak in the Stuart Skinner trade, Girard is also a pending UFA, and Pittsburgh gets a draft pick in the deal by flipping Kulak.
Feb. 4: Kings acquire Artemi Panarin
The trade: The Los Angeles Kings acquire forward Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers for forward Liam Greentree and conditional third-round (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.
Analysis: The Kings are hurting for offense and Panarin can provide plenty. He also signed a two-year extension with an $11 million cap hit, ensuring he'll be around after Anze Kopitar retires at season's end. It didn't help the team, though, that Kevin Fiala broke his leg at the Olympics before Panarin suited up. Panarin had a full no-movement clause, so the Rangers were limited in their return, but Greentree was the Kings' top prospect and the third-round pick could become a second-rounder.
Feb. 4: Devils acquire Nick Bjugstad
The trade: The New Jersey Devils acquire forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick.
Analysis: This is the third time Bjugstad has been moved near the trade deadline because the 6-6 forward is a good fit in the bottom six. He has another year left on his contract.
Jan. 27: Islanders acquire Ondrej Palat
The trade: The New York Islanders acquire left wing Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Analysis: That's two trades in two days with a division rival. Palat is a two-time Stanley Cup winner (with the Lightning) and kills penalties. Tsyplakov didn't get a lot of ice time with the Islanders but has potential.
Jan. 26: Islanders acquire Carson Soucy
The trade: The New York Islanders acquire defenseman Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The trade: The San Jose Sharks acquire forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks for second-round picks in 2026 and 2027, plus defenseman Cole Clayton.
Analysis: Sherwood had been mentioned as a trade candidate since the Canucks started slowly. The pending free agent is among the leader in hits and had 17 goals at the time of the deal. The Sharks are playing better than expected and this deal shows they are trying to push for a playoff spot.
Jan. 19: Golden Knights acquire Rasmus Andersson
The trade: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-rounder in 2028.
Analysis: The Golden Knights had been without Alex Pietrangelo all season and Andersson gives Vegas another puck-moving defenseman. The Flames get a good return for a pending unrestricted free agent. Andersson is the second defenseman Vegas had acquired from Calgary recently after the 2024 trade for Noah Hanifin. Hanifin eventually signed an extension and the Golden Knights will seek the same from Andersson.
Dec. 29: Penguins acquire Yegor Chinakhov
The trade: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2027 third-rounder.
Analysis: Chinakhov had requested a trade last season. He's a pending restricted free agent so the Penguins have control over his future. Heinen is a pending UFA.
Dec. 19: Canadiens acquire Phillip Danault
The trade: The Montreal Canadiens acquire center Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 second-round pick.
Analysis: Danault is coming back to Montreal. He was a key shutdown player during the Canadiens' 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Dec. 19: Blue Jackets acquire Mason Marchment
The trade: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
Analysis: Marchment had been off to a slow start after signing a four-year deal. But he scored 22 goals in each of his last two seasons in Dallas.
Dec. 12: Wild acquire Quinn Hughes
The trade: The Minnesota Wild acquire Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
Analysis: This is a sign that the Wild are going for it and it gives them a dynamic former Norris Trophy winner to match Cale Makar if they face the Avalanche in the playoffs. The Wild gave up a lot - Buium was great at Denver and for the USA at the world junior championships - and Hughes acknowledged that and appreciated it. That could help sway Hughes when he's eligible to sign a contract extension in July.
Dec. 12: Oilers, Penguins swap goalies
The trade: The Edmonton Oilers acquire Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.
Analysis: The Oilers pull the plug on Skinner, who was either spectacular or bad during back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final. But they land another inconsistent goalie in Jarry, who has had injury troubles. Skinner and Kulak are pending free agents, so the Penguins could flip them at the deadline. If Skinner works out, it would allow the Penguins to continue developing goalie Sergei Murashov in the American Hockey League.
NASHVILLE, TN –The Detroit Red Wings will have John Gibson examined further, but early indications are he's fine.
Gibson left the Red Wings' game after the first period after incurring an upper-body injury at Bridgestone Arena on Monday, March 2, and did not return .
"Right at the end of the period, he took a shot up high into the shoulder area," coach Todd McLellan said. "It was kind of like a stinger, if you will. When you get those, you don't get the feeling back right away.
"I think he's OK now. He's walking around. But we'll have him looked at when we get home."
The Wings (35-20-6) next play Wednesday at home against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tuesday is a day off.
He said he found out he would be entering the game with "about nine or 10 minutes left on the clock from the first intermission. I knew that he was in some discomfort so I just kind of started to stretch out, get ready just in case, and then got the official word around the 10-minute mark."
Patrick Roy reacts during the Islanders' March 1 win over the Panthers.
LOS ANGELES — The Islanders have come back from down 2-0 to win in each of their first three games following the Olympic break.
Rousing as the drama has been, the Islanders would naturally prefer if they could play with a lead at the start of games.
While their play wasn’t uniformly poor across all three of those first periods, the 2-0 deficits do speak for themselves.
“I feel like the better we’re gonna be on our breakouts, the better we’re gonna be on our D-zone coverage,” coach Patrick Roy told reporters Sunday night. “I think our expected goals against are a little bit high because we made too many turnovers. You know how it works, you make turnovers, technically, it’s a scoring chance. So if we do a better job there, I think we’re gonna [improve] because we’re doing so well on the rush.
“[Off the] rush, we’re top five in the league. But breakouts, we’re bottom of the league. So if we could clean up there, I think that’s gonna help a lot.”
Patrick Roy reacts during the Islanders’ March 1 win over the Panthers. Imagn Images
The Islanders played fairly well defensively, keeping Florida to the perimeter, but couldn’t break the Panthers’ forecheck and possess the puck for any sustained time until the second and third periods.
“How skilled they are, they play an extremely simple game and it’s very effective,” Anders Lee said. “That’s how they’ve won the last two years. They’re the best at it right now. I thought that showed, especially early in the game, how well they play the right way. Once we started doing that, it started to work for us too.”
Bo Horvat attempts a shot during the Islanders’ March 1 win over the Panthers. Imagn Images
No one can question the Islanders’ resiliency or their ability to come back in games after doing so three straight times.
But the more they play with fire, the higher likelihood there is that they eventually get burned.
The Chicago Blackhawks traded Connor Murphy, who has been in trade rumors for a long time now, to the Edmonton Oilers.
In exchange for Murphy at a 50 percent retained salary, the Oilers sent back a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson continues to stockpile high-end draft picks for players who aren't a part of the long-term plan. Connor Murphy is a good player, but his age and contract situation forced the Blackhawks to make a decision.
He will help a playoff-bound Oilers team on the defensive side of the puck. Playing for the playoffs for the first time in his NHL career, outside of the COVID bubble, should be a great motivator for him to bring his best. Having teammates like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will also be refreshing.
Murphy is on the top unit of the number one penalty kill in the NHL. The Oilers are seen as a power play type of offensive team, so adding a stay at home shut down defender/penalty-killer like Murphy makes them more dangerous as a unit.
Former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman was famous for acquiring former players, and he showed that knack on Monday with this Murphy trade. Admittedly, this one makes sense for him more than others.
Trade grade for the Blackhawks: A
Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks get a second-round pick, which is a high-value selection, for a player who is on an expiring contract. Landing a pick like that is not easy on the trade market, but Kyle Davidson was once again rewarded for sticking to his guns in negotiations.
Whether they use that pick in 2028 or move it as a trade chip remains to be seen, but they have a lot of time before they will truly worry about that. As sellers, you want to get as many assets for unrestricted free agents as you can. Davidson was successful in that venture this time, earning him an A-grade for the deal.
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The Minnesota Wild brought in a veteran forward on Monday, as they claimed Robby Fabbri off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues. However, in a corresponding move, the Wild placed a former Montreal Canadiens forward on waivers.
After spending all of last season at the AHL level with the Providence Bruins, Pitlick has gotten into a good amount of NHL action this campaign with the Wild. In 32 games this season with Minnesota, the former Canadiens forward has recorded two goals, 24 penalty minutes, and 78 hits.
If Pitlick clears waivers, Minnesota will then be able to assign him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Iowa Wild. The Minnesota native has played in 12 games this season for Iowa, where he has eight goals and 11 points.
The Canadiens acquired Pitlick during the 2021-22 season as part of the trade that sent Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames. In 14 games during that campaign with the Habs, he posted one goal, three points, and 15 hits.
Pitlick is not the only former Canadiens player who has been placed on waivers, though. This is because the Detroit Red Wings have placed defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers as well.
Gustafsson has played in two games this season with Detroit, where he has recorded zero points and a minus-2 rating. Down in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins this campaign, the former Canadiens defenseman has two goals and 20 points in 22 games.
Gustafsson played in five regular-season games for the Habs in 2020-2021, where he had two assists. He also played in 16 playoff games for the Canadiens in 2021, posting one goal and three points.
The Kings are playing their first game since firing their old head coach, Jim Hiller. Tonight will be the first game for D.J Smith as the head coach, and while it is not his first time being a head coach, it is his first time being the head coach for the Kings, and they do not get the easiest first matchup as they host the Colorado Avalanche, who are 1st in the NHL.
Kings Projected Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Kings tonight:
Artemi Panarin - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe
Alex Turcotte - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere
Warren Foegele - Kenny Connors - Corey Perry
Jeff Malott - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Mikey Anderson - Cody Ceci
Jacob Moverare - Brian Dumoulin
Anton Forsberg
Erik Portillo
Avalanche Projected Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Avalanche tonight:
Gabriel Landeskog - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Artturi Lehkonen - Brock Nelson - Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton - Jack Drury - Victor Olofsson
Zakhar Bardakov - Parker Kelly - Gavin Brindley
Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Josh Manson - Brent Burns
Brett Kulak - Sam Malinski
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Line Changes and Injuries
The Colorado Avalanche are expected to use the same lineup as they did in the Chicago Blackhawks game. The Kings will be without Trevor Moore and Darcy Kuemper, who are both out due to illness. With those 2 players out, the Kings have called up Kenny Connors, who will make his NHL debut tonight, and Erik Portillo to back up Anton Forsberg.
Key Factors
The Kings are coming off a 2-0 win over the Calgary Flames, which was the first win for Artemi Panarin as a member of the Kings. The Kings currently sit 3 points back of the final wildcard spot, and a win tonight would be huge in their playoff race.
Tonight's matchup is one of the toughest for the Kings, as the Avalanche have firepower on offence and defence, led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe have been playing very well together; in their last 3 games, they have both scored 3 points, and this duo can be a big enough factor for the Kings to pull off the upset.
The goaltending matchup tonight looks like Forsberg vs. Blackwood. Forsberg is coming off his 2nd shutout of the season, where he made 29 saves. Blackwood is coming off a 14-save win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Overall, this game is going to be a tough one for the Kings, but with their new dynamic duo and strong defence, there is a good chance they can pull off the upset.
The Detroit Red Wings picked up two huge points in the standings on Monday afternoon, defeating the Nashville Predators by a 4-2 final score at Bridgestone Arena.
Albert Johansson scored the go-ahead game-winning goal while shorthanded in the second period, helping the Red Wings leapfrog the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 2, 2026
They have the same number of points as the Buffalo Sabres, who are in second place with a game in hand.
However, the question on the minds of fans everywhere will be the status of starting goaltender John Gibson, who left after the opening 20 minutes of play with an upper-body injury and did not return.
It was the Red Wings who opened the scoring in the first period thanks to rookie forward Emmitt Finnie, who banged home a rebound for his first goal since Detroit's 4-3 overtime win over the Dallas Stars on Dec. 23.
A would-be goal from Simon Edvinsson, which would have increased Detroit's lead to 2-0, was overturned after Marco Kasper was ruled to have interfered with Predators goaltender Juuse Saros.
Nashville, who had a goal of their own waived off due to goaltender interference earlier in the frame, then knotted the score at 1-1 thanks to a power-play goal from Filip Forsberg, who now has 24 points in his last 24 games against Detroit.
A turnover from defenseman Simon Edvinsson in his own zone burned Detroit in the second period, as his pass was intercepted by Ryan O'Reilly, who fed a wide-open Jonathan Marchessault at the side of the net for a tap-in goal.
However, Lucas Raymond responded by beating Saros from a sharp angle after taking a beautiful cross-ice feed from Alex DeBrincat.
While shorthanded, the Detroit Red Wings grabbed a lead they would not relinquish when Albert Johansson beat Juuse Saros with a one-timer on a two-on-one rush alongside Marco Kasper.
With Saros pulled and the Nashville Predators pressing for the equalizer, Detroit sealed the win when Alex DeBrincat netted his 31st goal of the season.
Talbot, who replaced Gibson after the first period, finished with 18 saves; Gibson stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced. Meanwhile, Saros made 27 saves.
The Red Wings will return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday evening.
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A missed tripping call leading to a short-handed goal by the Detroit Red Wings stood as the game-winning goal in a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday at Bridgestone Arena.
On a Predators power play in the second period, Roman Josi was tripped along the boards by Marco Kasper, leading to a 2-on-1 the other way. Kasper made a cross-ice pass to Albert Johansson, who scored the game-winning goal.
The trip was not reviewed by the referees and the goal stood.
"I thought it was a trip. I felt pretty hard, but that stuff happens out there," Josi said. "I certainly make a lot of mistakes out there. That's not why we lost the game. We had a lot of other things that we could do better, and we had our looks in the third."
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 2, 2026
Both Nashville and Detroit also had goals disallowed in the game due to goaltender interference.
Emmitt Finnie opened the scoring 4:51 into the game, putting away a Kasper rebound as Juuse Saros lost his net for an early 1-0 Red Wing lead.
Filip Forsberg responded on the power play, one-timing a pass from Luke Evangelista into the net. It was Forsberg's 26th goal of the season and Evagelista's team-leading 37th assist.
In the second period, Jonathan Marchessault scored on a tap-in off a pass from O'Reilly to give Nashville its first and only lead of the game.
Nearly three minutes later, Lucas Raymond tapped in a cross-ice pass from Alex DeBrincat into the net to tie things up.
While the Johansson goal ended up being the game-winner, head coach Andrew Brunette said the one play wasn't the reason the Predators lost, as they "got away from their game" in the second period, getting outscored, 2-1.
"The game was lost in the second period, losing those puck battles that ended up leading to goals," Brunette said. "We turned too many pucks over in that area, and it got us. They're a really good rush team. It was disappointing because the effort was there."
Statistically, Detroit gave away the puck more on the night, 16 to 11.
DeBrincat iced the game on an empty net goal with 26 seconds left in the game.
The Predators fall to 27-25-8 on the year and still sit three points outside of the final Wild Card spot with 62 points. Tonight, Seattle (65 points) hosts Carolina and Utah (66 points) takes on Colorado in Salt Lake City.
The bubble between the playoffs and missing out continues to grow with the trade deadline now four days away.
"All we can control right now is winning games," Evangelista said. "We keep winning games, keep climbing the standings and getting points. That's what we can control, and if we do that, I think there's a good chance the team's gonna stick together."
Nashville has a quick turnaround, facing the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CST.
