Dylan Garand is set to make his NHL debut for the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets.
On Friday, the Rangers recalled Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, and Mike Sullivan confirmed on Saturday that he anticipates Garand making his NHL debut at some point this week.
This call-up comes as Jonathan Quick is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
“There’s a lot of things that have gone into the decision to bring Dylan up,” Sullivan said. “The biggest point is that he’s played extremely well in Hartford. He’s given those guys a chance to win night in and night out, and he’s deserving.”
The 23-year-old goaltender was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he’s spent the past four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
Given Garand's breadth of experience at the AHL level, he feels prepared for his first NHL start.
“I think for me, especially over the last year or so, I’ve really gotten to know myself, and thinking about the future and stuff like that, I don’t tend to play my best,” Garand said. “So just trying to stay in the present moment, and if I get an opportunity, then great. It’s just another game. I’ve played, including playoffs, over 160 American League games, so it’s just another game.”
With the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL this season, Garand has posted a 16-15-2 record, .896 save percentage, and 2.83 goals against average.
Brock Nelson delivered in overtime, finishing off a brilliant setup from Martin Nečas to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in an afternoon clash at Capital One Arena.
Colorado flipped the game on its head early in the third period, striking on its first two shots to seize control. Just 1:05 into the frame, Nečas intercepted a misplayed puck by goaltender Logan Thompson behind the Washington net and quickly fed Gabriel Landeskog, who was playing in his first game after missing the previous seven with a lower-body injury. Landeskog buried the puck into a wide-open net from the right circle for his 10th of the season.
A recent media scrum with Brock Nelson.
Moments later, Nicolas Roy extended the lead after forcing a turnover by rookie defenseman Cole Hutson in front. Roy pounced on the loose puck and snapped it past Thompson at 6:03, giving Colorado a 2-1 advantage. The goal was his third in nine games since being acquired ahead of the trade deadline, adding to the five he recorded in 59 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this season.
But the Capitals had an answer—and it came from a familiar source. With Landeskog in the penalty box, Alexander Ovechkin unleashed a trademark one-timer from the left circle just 20 seconds into the power play, tying the game 2-2 with 5:43 remaining.
The goal was historic. It marked his 923rd career regular-season tally and his 1,000th combined goal across the regular season and playoffs, as “The Great 8” joined Wayne Gretzky as the only players in NHL history to reach the 1,000-goal milestone.
In net, Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves in his second consecutive start for Colorado, while Thompson stopped 21 of 24 shots for Washington.
But ultimately, it was Nelson who had the final say, sealing the win in overtime and capping a dramatic comeback for the Avalanche.
First Period
In the early stages, Washington forward Ryan Leonard was tied up by Landeskog and, taking exception, responded by slashing him on the right leg, but no penalty was called.
At the 3:14 mark of the period, Hutson was penalized for holding Nathan MacKinnon, giving the Avalanche a power play, though they were unable to convert.
Later, Roy—who had been moved down to the fourth-line center spot for this game—was sent to the box for high-sticking Trevor van Riemsdyk, but like Colorado, Washington could not capitalize on the man advantage.
A scary moment followed when Devon Toews tripped Capitals forward Ethan Frank as he closed in on Blackwood. The contact sent Frank crashing into the post, arm first. After writhing in pain in the crease, he managed to get up on his own but was holding his injured arm and immediately headed down the tunnel.
Toews was not penalized on the play, and Washington capitalized shortly after. Rookie Justin Sourdif slipped behind the defense and ripped a wrist shot past Blackwood at 11:53 to make it 1-0.
Colorado went on its second penalty kill of the period with 5:50 remaining when Parker Kelly was called for slashing.
Second Period
Ovechkin was penalized for hooking Cale Makar at the 4:29 mark of the second period, but Colorado failed to convert on the power play. Washington even generated a prime shorthanded chance late in the advantage.
Not much else developed in a quiet period, though Kelly had a late breakaway opportunity. Thompson made the stop just before Kelly absorbed a hard hit while trying to regain control of the puck.
After two periods, Washington held a 1-0 lead, with both teams recording 14 shots on goal.
Third Period
After a sluggish second, the Avalanche came alive in the third. Thompson misplayed the puck behind his own net, allowing Nečas to recover it and find Landeskog wide open in the slot. He buried the equalizer into an empty net to make it 1-1.
Nearly four minutes later, Roy forced a turnover in front and quickly snapped a wrist shot past Thompson. In just 240 seconds, Colorado turned a deficit into a 2-1 lead.
Josh Manson was later penalized for tripping Aliaksei Protas, but the penalty kill stood firm, improving to a perfect 4-for-4 on the day.
Landeskog was sent off for holding with 6:03 remaining, giving Washington its fifth power play. This time, it proved costly. The puck worked its way to the left circle, where Ovechkin blasted it past Blackwood to tie the game.
Alex Ovechkin scores his 1,000th combined regular-season and playoff goal from his office! He is 16 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky #ALLCAPSpic.twitter.com/uKdPoi9JId
The goal also marked his 1,000th career tally across regular season and postseason play, further cementing his place alongside Gretzky in NHL history.
Overtime
For the second time in three games, Colorado needed overtime—but this time, it didn’t take long. Nečas set up Nelson on a backdoor tap-in from the left post, sealing the win.
After going 11 straight games without a goal, Nelson now has goals in back-to-back contests, delivering when it mattered most.
What’s Next
With the win, the Avalanche (46-13-10) extended their lead in the Central Division to five points over the Dallas Stars (43-15-11), 102-97. However, the Stars are set to face the Vegas Golden Knights tonight and will look to trim that margin.
The Avalanche return to action Tuesday when they visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena, with coverage set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Colorado will be seeking redemption after a 7-2 loss in the previous meeting.
Jordan Greenway (undisclosed, Jan. 22; injured reserve)
Notes
Buffalo has allowed just one goal over the team’s last three games, tied for the second-fewest goals allowed in a three-game span in franchise history. Buffalo has never allowed one or fewer goals in a four-game span.
Alex Lyon is 10-0-0 in his last 10 road games, which is the longest road winning streak in franchise history. Lyon is currently tied for the third-longest road winning streak in NHL history and a win today would move him into a tie with Devan Dubnyk (2014-15) and Evgeni Nabokov (2009-10) for the longest in NHL history.
The Sabres are riding a franchise-record 13-game road point streak (12-0-1) that dates back to Jan. 20 at Nashville. All 12 of the Sabres’ road wins in that stretch have come in regulation.
With a point in today’s game, the Sabres would move into a tie for the 10thlongest road point streak in NHL history. It would make the Sabres the first team since the Nashville Predators (12-0-3 from Jan. 4 to March 19, 2018) to register a road point streak of at least 14 games.
During the team’s current road point streak, the Sabres are averaging 4.31 goals per game (1st among all NHL teams) and 1.77 goals against per game (1st among all NHL teams).
The Sabres have 33 wins in their last 41 games, tied for the fifth-most wins by an NHL team all-time in any 41-game span. Only Boston (36 in 1929-30 and 34 in 1970-71), Detroit (34 in 1995-96) and Montreal (34 in 1977-78) have recorded more.
Tage Thompson has tallied 49 points (23+26) in 41 games since Dec. 9 and his 21 even-strength goals in that span rank second among all NHL skaters.Thompson has registered a goal in consecutive games and a goal today would mark his third goal streak of three or more games this season. Thompson’s 209 goals scored as a member of the Sabres ranks 13th on Buffalo’s all-time list, two goals behind Alexander Mogilny for 12th.
Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 34 points (11+23) in his last 27 games, including 15 points (4+11) in his last 11 contests. Dahlin has recorded one goal in two straight games and a goal today would mark the fourth time he has posted a goal streak of three or more games in his career.
DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 19: Brent Burns #84 of the Colorado Avalanche smiles during warmups ahead of the game against the Washington Capitals at Ball Arena on January 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche are bound for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season!
Today, their final road swing through the Eastern Conference sees them in a brunchtime visit to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Capitals in a bid to sustain their Central Division lead.
Colorado Avalanche (45-13-10)
The Opponent: Washington Capitals (35-27-8)
Time: 10:30 A.M. MDT/12:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), MNMT (Washington Capitals Broadcast Area Only), NHL Network, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN1, SN+, TVAS, TVAS+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche got their four game road trip off to a good start on Friday evening, as they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-1 at United Center. All of Colorado’s big guns factored into the victory, as Martin Nečas, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and Valeri Nichushkin all tallied goals in the contest. Nathan MacKinnon’s three assist night helped power Colorado’s big guns in the victory as he continues his chase for the Art Ross scoring title; coming into today’s contest, MacKinnon’s 114 points sees him two points behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (116) and four points behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (118). The win snapped Colorado’s three game losing streak, and helped them maintain their position as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and entire League standings.
With the win over Chicago, the Avalanche clinched their ninth consecutive postseason berth, and became the first team in the NHL this season to reach the 100 point mark in the standings. Although they’ve enjoyed being ahead of the rest of the League by a healthy margin throughout the season, that lead has diminished as the regular season marches towards its conclusion. The annoyingly persistent Dallas Stars have narrowed the lead the Avalanche have over their Central Division rivals in recent weeks, but Colorado did get some help from the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Dallas by a 2-1 overtime decision at Grand Casino Arena. The Avalanche currently hold a three point lead over Dallas, but today’s contest in Washington serves as Colorado’s game in hand in the standings. A win today will increase their lead to five points, with both teams having thirteen games remaining on their regular season schedules.
Head Coach Jared Bednar acknowledged the accomplishment after the win in Chicago on Friday. “We like what we’re doing right now. Obviously, there’s ebbs and flows to the season, but I think, to this point in the season, if you look at it as a whole, that we’ve put ourselves in a good spot here. We feel good about the way we’re playing. Making the playoffs is the first step to getting to where you want to go, so we’re pretty happy about that.”
Bednar may opt to return to Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped 19 of 20 shots on Friday against Chicago, for today’s contest. Scott Wedgewood, who continues leading the League for the lowest goals against average (2.19), and now leads the League in save percentage (.916), could get the start on Tuesday in Pittsburgh should Bednar decide on starting Blackwood today.
Prior to leaving for Chicago, Bednar indicated that Ross Colton, Gabe Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, and Logan O’Connor would accompany the Avs on the road trip, and that all four were projected to return to the lineup at some point as the trip progresses. None of them were in the lineup on Friday evening in Chicago, and at the time of this writing, there are no updates on whether any of them would make an appearance against Washington today. However, Ivan Ivan, who was in action on Friday in Chicago, was reassigned to Loveland after the contest, which may indicate that at least one player may return to action today.
Both Colorado and Washington previously met on January 19 at Ball Arena. MacKinnon scored twice, Nečas had a goal and an assist, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 of 24 shots in that contest as the Avalanche skated to a 5-2 victory. Today’s game wraps up the season series against Washington.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Valeri Nichushkin – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Nazem Kadri – Brock Nelson – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Gavin Brindley Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Zakhar Bardakov
Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Washington Capitals
Since their previous meeting against Colorado in January, Washington has hovered around the .500 mark, having won five of their final nine games prior to the Olympic break and six of their previous eleven games upon returning to action after the pause. As a result, Washington currently sits in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, and are six points back of the final wild card spot, currently occupied by the Detroit Red Wings, in the Eastern Conference.
With three teams ahead of them as the season winds down, Washington’s chances of making the playoffs are slim. The trade deadline on March 6 saw the departures of Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights and cornerstone defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks, and the acquisition of forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks and defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks. Since the deadline, Washington has gone 4-2-1, but comes into today’s contest against Colorado having won three of their four previous games. Their most recent victory came this past Friday against the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2-1.
The debut of Cole Hutson this past Wednesday saw the rookie defenseman score his first career goal with Washington. While his older brother Lane may have more name recognition across the League due to his play for the Montréal Canadiens, Capitals fans certainly may feel optimistic about what he can bring to the Washington blue line, especially after scoring in his debut. The loss of Carlson may certainly sting, but the future lynchpin on defense may already be right there in Hutson if his development follows a similar trajectory to Lane’s.
As noted in this space during the first preview article featuring Washington and Colorado, if you were asked who was leading Washington in goals, you’d probably say it was Alex Ovechkin. As it was back then, it is still Tom Wilson, but Ovechkin now shares the goal scoring lead with Wilson (25), and the lead in team points (52). Wilson, who was out with injury for the previous outing against Colorado, earned a silver medal with Team Canada along with goaltender Logan Thompson. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is third among Washington skaters in points (51), second in goal scoring among all skaters (23, tied with Aliaksei Protas), and third in assists (28).
Thompson has won his three of his past five starts, and will likely start today against Colorado. He ranks third in goals against average among goaltenders (2.36), and fourth in save percentage (.915).
Today’s game against Colorado wraps up a four game home stand at Capital One Arena. Washington will begin a three game road trip out west on Tuesday.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier Aliaksei Protas – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson Connor McMichael – Justin Sourdif – Ryan Leonard Brandon Duhaime – Hendrix Lapierre – Ethen Frank
Defense: Martin Fehérváry – Rasmus Sandin Jakob Chychrun – Trevor van Reimsdyk Cole Hutson – Matt Roy
Between the Pipes: Logan Thompson Charlie Lindgren
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on the road for the first of three games away from Nationwide Arena. This game features the New York Islanders and is huge.
New York Islanders - 39-26-5 - 83 Points - 5-5-0 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 4th in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 37-21-11 - 85 Points - 7-0-3 in the last 10 - Won 4 - 3rd in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus won for the four-straight contest and stretched its season-high points streak to 12 games (8-0-4) with a 5-2 win over Seattle last night. It's tied for the third-longest points streak in club history (third time) and the longest since a 12-game points streak from Dec. 9, 2019-Jan. 3, 2020 (8-0-4).
The club has earned points in 23 of its last 25 contests (19-2-4, 42 pts) to lead the league in points (tied) and points pct. (.840) since Jan. 11.
Since Dec. 22, CBJ are tied for the least regulation losses in the NHL with a 23-6-5 record (51 pts, .750 points pct.), and rank second in points and points pct., third in goals-against/game (2.65) as well as sixth in goals for/game (3.56).
CBJ conclude their 14th of 16 back-to-back sets of the season tonight at the NY Islanders. The club leads the NHL in wins and points pct. in back-to-back sets in 2025-26 (18-5-4, .741).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle, who has tallied 7-18-25 in the last 19 contests, has tied his single-season career high in assists (2016-17 w/MIN) and has the third-most points of his 14-year career with 17-38-55 in 69 games in 2025-26.
Adam Fantilli has registered points in six consecutive games (3-5-8), one game shy of his career best (4-4-8 from Jan. 2-16, 2025). He also has points in 12 of the last 14 games (8-9-17) and has 9-13-22 in the past 19 contests since Jan. 24.
Jet Greaves has earned points in each of his last 13 starts since Jan. 11 (11-0-2, 2.34 GAA in 14 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 12 starts over that span (8-2-2, 2.50 GAA in 13 GP).
Mathieu Olivier has registered six multi-point outings in the last 18 games since Jan. 28 (10-4-14).
Cole Sillinger posted his second three-point effort of the season yesterday (1-2-3) and has assists in three-straight (1-5-6).
Zach Werenski has notched consecutive three-assist outings and is one multi-point effort shy of tying Artemi Panarin's single-season franchise record (25 in 2018-19). He has collected points in 27 of his past 32 games played since Dec. 11 (11-34-45, 14 multi-point efforts) and has 20-55-75 in 62 games in 2025-26.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.3% - 17th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.5% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 222 - 12th in the NHL
Goals Against - 213 - 18th in the NHL
IslandersStats
Power Play - 16.8% - 26th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 81.1% - 9th in the NHL
Goals For - 201 - 22nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 197 - 5th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheIslanders
Columbus is 28-23-1-8 all-time, and 9-16-0-3 on the road vs. New York.
CBJ have earned points in four of the last five meetings (3-1-1) and five of the past seven since Oct. 30, 2024 (4-2-1).
The home team has earned points in seven consecutive games in the series (5-0-2) and in 13 of the past 16 (11-3-2).
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last 10 meetings overall, but by a single goal in three of the five most recent contests (two after regulation).
Four of the last six games played at New York have been decided by a single goal.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals (including SO goals) in four of the past five meetings overall.
The Blue Jackets have killed off 9-of-10 Islanders power play attempts over the last five games (90.0 pct.).
The teams have averaged a combined 58.1 shots on goal in the past seven meetings of the series.
CBJ has recorded five shutouts in the all-time series (MR: Merzlikins, 26 saves in 2-0 W at CBJ on Oct. 30, 2024).
Who To Watch For TheIslanders
Bo Horvat leads NYI with 28 goals.
Mathew Barzal leads all Islanders with 46 assists and 64 points.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin is 25-17-2 with a SV% of .911. He's 7-0-3 in his career against the CBJ.
CBJ Player Notes vs
Islanders
Charlie Coyle has 16 points in his career against the Islanders.
Zach Werenski has 17 career points in 26 games against the NYI.
Boone Jenner has 16 points in 35 games against the Isles.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 31 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 177
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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The Ottawa Senators’ defensive depth is being tested once again.
Already without Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen, the Senators lost Dennis Gilbert to an upper-body injury Saturday night in a 5–2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Gilbert was hit on a heavy forecheck by Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who skated with high speed through the neutral zone and eventually drove Gilbert hard into the end boards. Gilbert stayed down for about a minute before leaving the ice under his own power, favouring his shoulder.
After the game, head coach Travis Green said Gilbert could be out for a while.
THN's Steve Warne sings the praises of the injured Jake Sanderson and what he brings to the table for the Senators.
The Senators clearly value what Gilbert brings, having acquired him twice in the past year. They first picked him up from Buffalo in the Dylan Cozens–Josh Norris deal last March. Gilbert then signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason before being traded back to Ottawa in a deal for Max Guenette.
Now, the Sens have a decision to make on who will replace Gilbert, the right-shot defenceman who was slotted into the third pairing when Jensen went down.
Lassi Thomson is currently in Ottawa as the seventh defenceman, but that doesn’t automatically make him the next man up. Maybe it's Carter Yakemchuk. Maybe the Sens wanted him to keep playing, not sit in an NHL press box as the seventh man.
Both players have strong pedigrees. Though his NHL stock has slipped, Thomson was a 2019 first-round pick and still leads all AHL defensemen in goal scoring.
Yakemchuk was a much more recent pick, chosen seventh overall in 2024, and he's playing very well too, winning AHL Player of the Week honours last week.
Another option would be to recall a left-shot defenceman from Belleville and shift Nikolas Matinpalo back to his natural right side.
From that perspective, newcomer Samuel Bolduc might have been an intriguing choice. He has four points in his first five games with Belleville after being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings last week in exchange for Jan Jenik. But he was acquired after the trade deadline and can't play in the NHL this season.
So, the Senators' options probably come down to the two former first-rounders.
If they’re looking for the defenceman with the highest potential upside and ability to impact games, Yakemchuk stands out. And if they prefer a good skating, experienced AHL performer with a big shot, Thomson is right there, ready to step in, no gas money required.
It's not an easy decision, but we're guessing the Senators will continue to stay patient with Yakemchuk, continuing to shelter him, even though he may be the fans' choice.
If GM Steve Staios truly felt like it was the right thing to drop Yakemchuk into the eye of this playoff storm, where every mistake is so magnified, he likely would have inserted him into the lineup ahead of Gilbert many days ago.
That may ultimately hint at the direction Staios chooses, and we're guessing Thomson will be the next man up.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
*This story has been updated to clarify Bolduc's NHL eligibility this season.
This article was originally published at The Hockey News. For more Senators news, analysis, and features, visit the Ottawa Senators site at The Hockey News.
Troy Terry is enjoying the most productive season of his career, averaging a point per game for the first time in Year 1 under Joel Quenneville.
Riding shotgun with budding star Leo Carlsson, he's well-positioned to build on his strong totals against the Buffalo Sabres. Terry headlines my three NHL player props and NHL picks for Sunday, March 22.
Best NHL player prop bets today
Player
Ehlers Over 0.5 points
-140
Harley Over 1.5 blocked shots
-135
Terry Over 0.5 points
-135
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Our best NHL player props for Sunday, March 22
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Nikolaj Ehlers Over 0.5 points
-140 at BET99
Nikolaj Ehlers is playing his best hockey since joining the Carolina Hurricanes. He has hit the scoresheet in 12 of his last 18 games, tallying 17 points along the way.
He’s in a good spot to continue producing against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who rank Bottom-6 in shots, expected goals, and goals allowed at 5-on-5 over their last 10 games.
They've also struggled to keep the puck out in back-to-backs this season. The Penguins have conceded an average of 3.40 goals over the last 10 second legs they have played.
Expect the red-hot Ehlers to take advantage.
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FDSN-South, SportsNet-Pittsburgh
Prop #2: Thomas Harley Over 1.5 blocked shots
-135 at BET99
Death, taxes, and Thomas Harley blocking shots against the Vegas Golden Knights. He's picked up at least two in six straight head-to-head meetings and 12 of the last 13.
There should be plenty of volume to step in front of again tonight. The Golden Knights sit 10th in total attempts this season and have scored once during their three-game losing streak.
They don’t have a lot of wiggle room in the playoff race and will be desperate to jumpstart the offense and distance themselves from the teams trying to hunt them down.
Look for Harley to be active in the defensive zone.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SCRIPPS, Victory+
Prop #3: Troy Terry Over 0.5 points
-135 at BET99
Troy Terry has averaged 2.59 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play while riding shotgun with No. 1 center Leo Carlsson. That is high-end first-line efficiency for the Anaheim Ducks.
Given as much, it should be no surprise Terry has points in eight of 11 home games in which he has skated with Carlsson.
The Buffalo Sabres are a good team, but they rank 22nd in expected goals against at 5-on-5 over their last 10. They also play a high-event brand of hockey and have conceded more than 30 shots on average spanning the past 10 road dates.
Terry and the Ducks’ offense should cause the Sabres problems.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 21: Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins makes a blocker save on Alex DeBrincat #93 of the Detroit Red Wings late in the third period at Little Caesars Arena on March 21, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. Boston defeated Detroit 4-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A three-goal third period and a monster performance from Jeremy Swayman powered the B’s to their most important win of the season (for now), as they beat the Red Wings 4-2 in Detroit.
When the B’s went down 2-1 just four minutes into the third via an Alex DeBrincat goal, you could be forgiven for thinking it wasn’t going to be their night.
However, Elias Lindholm tied the game just two minutes later, Nikita Zadorov scored three minutes after that, and a Marat Khusnutdinov empty-netter sealed the deal.
Sandwiched around those goals were 21 third period saves from Swayman, including a couple of the highlight reel variety.
David Pastrnak scored the other Bruins goal, a PPG early in the second period.
After a scoreless first period, Lucas Raymond got the Red Wings on the board with a power play goal. I’m not sure it’s possible for a guy to be more open than he was. 1-0 Red Wings.
Khusnutdinov added the empty netter at 18:08 of the third period, putting this one out of reach for Detroit.
Bruins win, 4-2.
Game notes
While scoring four goals certainly helps matters, Swayman was the reason the Bruins won this game. He was immense in the third period, making one, two, and even more highlight-reel stops in the final period alone.
I’m not sure you can find a better snapshot of the importance of good goaltending than in last night’s third period, as Swayman stood on his head and Gibson allowed that Zadorov goal. You can cut him a little slack by saying that he was screened by his own defenseman, but you need a save from your goalie on that shot.
Playing in his second straight game for the B’s, Lukas Reichel earned a penalty shot midway through the third period when he used his speed to draw a hook from Patrick Kane on a breakaway. The penalty shot attempt left a little to be desired, as he elected to try to beat Gibson with a shot from inside the hashmarks, but…good effort.
Mason Lohrei made a great play to keep the puck in the offensive zone immediately before Lindholm’s goal. He was credited with an assist on the play.
Speaking of the Lindholm goal, Morgan Geekie earned the primary assist on that goal, one of his three assists on the night.
Pastrnak’s PPG came via a comically earned 5-on-3 power play, as the Red Wings managed to take two minor penalties in a span of just eight seconds.
Along with the goal, Pastrnak earned an assist on the empty-netter, giving him 500 career assists.
The regulation win allowed the B’s to swap spots in the standings with Detroit, as the Bruins moved into the first wild card spot. They’re two points ahead of Detroit and tied in points with Montreal.
This was the Bruins’ first regulation win on the road since mid-January.
The Bruins will be off (game-wise, at least) Sunday and Monday before an Atlantic Division back-to-back: they’ll host Toronto on Tuesday before playing in Buffalo on Wednesday.
Stolarz was taken to a hospital for precautionary imaging and released as the Leafs, with Joseph Woll in goal, fell to the Senators 5-2 on March 21.
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the game that Stolarz planned to meet the team for the flight home to Toronto. He did not have an update on the goalie's condition.
Anthony Stolarz will not start tonight for the Maple Leafs after taking a shot up high in warmups pic.twitter.com/2fsusNGRuQ
"Obviously it's, you know, really tough to see that happen," said forward William Nylander, whose warmup shot struck Stolarz.
"I always come in and shoot the puck in the glove, and this one just came off a little bit to the left, and I hit him in the neck. So, I mean, I was obviously worried for him, but, I mean, I've been texting with him, so he seems to be OK."
In his second season with the Leafs, Stolarz is 8-9-3 with a 3.34 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in 22 games. The 32-year-old, who won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024 as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup, missed 33 games earlier this season with an upper-body injury.
Jan 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren (79) watches a shot from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) as center Connor McMichael (24) defends in the third period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Colorado Avalanche are bound for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season!
Today, their final road swing through the Eastern Conference sees them in a brunchtime visit to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Capitals in a bid to sustain their Central Division lead.
Colorado Avalanche (45-13-10)
The Opponent: Washington Capitals (35-27-8)
Time: 10:30 A.M. MDT/12:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), MNMT (Washington Capitals Broadcast Area Only), NHL Network, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN1, SN+, TVAS, TVAS+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche got their four game road trip off to a good start on Friday evening, as they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-1 at United Center. All of Colorado’s big guns factored into the victory, as Martin Nečas, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and Valeri Nichushkin all tallied goals in the contest. Nathan MacKinnon’s three assist night helped power Colorado’s big guns in the victory as he continues his chase for the Art Ross scoring title; coming into today’s contest, MacKinnon’s 114 points sees him two points behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (116) and four points behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov (118). The win snapped Colorado’s three game losing streak, and helped them maintain their position as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and entire League standings.
With the win over Chicago, the Avalanche clinched their ninth consecutive postseason berth, and became the first team in the NHL this season to reach the 100 point mark in the standings. Although they’ve enjoyed being ahead of the rest of the League by a healthy margin throughout the season, that lead has diminished as the regular season marches towards its conclusion. The annoyingly persistent Dallas Stars have narrowed the lead the Avalanche have over their Central Division rivals in recent weeks, but Colorado did get some help from the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Dallas by a 2-1 overtime decision at Grand Casino Arena. The Avalanche currently hold a three point lead over Dallas, but today’s contest in Washington serves as Colorado’s game in hand in the standings. A win today will increase their lead to five points, with both teams having thirteen games remaining on their regular season schedules.
Head Coach Jared Bednar acknowledged the accomplishment after the win in Chicago on Friday. “We like what we’re doing right now. Obviously, there’s ebbs and flows to the season, but I think, to this point in the season, if you look at it as a whole, that we’ve put ourselves in a good spot here. We feel good about the way we’re playing. Making the playoffs is the first step to getting to where you want to go, so we’re pretty happy about that.”
Bednar may opt to return to Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped 19 of 20 shots on Friday against Chicago, for today’s contest. Scott Wedgewood, who continues leading the League for the lowest goals against average (2.19), and now leads the League in save percentage (.916), could get the start on Tuesday in Pittsburgh should Bednar decide on starting Blackwood today.
Prior to leaving for Chicago, Bednar indicated that Ross Colton, Gabe Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, and Logan O’Connor would accompany the Avs on the road trip, and that all four were projected to return to the lineup at some point as the trip progresses. None of them were in the lineup on Friday evening in Chicago, and at the time of this writing, there are no updates on whether any of them would make an appearance against Washington today. However, Ivan Ivan, who was in action on Friday in Chicago, was reassigned to Loveland after the contest, which may indicate that at least one player may return to action today.
Both Colorado and Washington previously met on January 19 at Ball Arena. MacKinnon scored twice, Nečas had a goal and an assist, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 of 24 shots in that contest as the Avalanche skated to a 5-2 victory. Today’s game wraps up the season series against Washington.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Valeri Nichushkin – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Nazem Kadri – Brock Nelson – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Gavin Brindley Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Zakhar Bardakov
Defense: Cale Makar – Sam Girard Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Washington Capitals
Since their previous meeting against Colorado in January, Washington has hovered around the .500 mark, having won five of their final nine games prior to the Olympic break and six of their previous eleven games upon returning to action after the pause. As a result, Washington currently sits in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, and are six points back of the final wild card spot, currently occupied by the Detroit Red Wings, in the Eastern Conference.
With three teams ahead of them as the season winds down, Washington’s chances of making the playoffs are slim. The trade deadline on March 6 saw the departures of Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights and cornerstone defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks, and the acquisition of forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks and defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks. Since the deadline, Washington has gone 4-2-1, but comes into today’s contest against Colorado having won three of their four previous games. Their most recent victory came this past Friday against the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2-1.
The debut of Cole Hutson this past Wednesday saw the rookie defenseman score his first career goal with Washington. While his older brother Lane may have more name recognition across the League due to his play for the Montréal Canadiens, Capitals fans certainly may feel optimistic about what he can bring to the Washington blue line, especially after scoring in his debut. The loss of Carlson may certainly sting, but the future lynchpin on defense may already be right there in Hutson if his development follows a similar trajectory to Lane’s.
As noted in this space during the first preview article featuring Washington and Colorado, if you were asked who was leading Washington in goals, you’d probably say it was Alex Ovechkin. As it was back then, it is still Tom Wilson, but Ovechkin now shares the goal scoring lead with Wilson (25), and the lead in team points (52). Wilson, who was out with injury for the previous outing against Colorado, earned a silver medal with Team Canada along with goaltender Logan Thompson. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is third among Washington skaters in points (51), second in goal scoring among all skaters (23, tied with Aliaksei Protas), and third in assists (28).
Thompson has won his three of his past five starts, and will likely start today against Colorado. He ranks third in goals against average among goaltenders (2.36), and fourth in save percentage (.915).
Today’s game against Colorado wraps up a four game home stand at Capital One Arena. Washington will begin a three game road trip out west on Tuesday.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier Aliaksei Protas – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson Connor McMichael – Justin Sourdif – Ryan Leonard Brandon Duhaime – Hendrix Lapierre – Ethen Frank
Defense: Martin Fehérváry – Rasmus Sandin Jakob Chychrun – Trevor van Reimsdyk Cole Hutson – Matt Roy
Between the Pipes: Logan Thompson Charlie Lindgren
The Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators are at the United Center on Sunday afternoon for a day game within the Central Division. The Blackhawks are trying to finish the season strong, while the Predators are trying to make a late-season push for the playoffs.
Chicago is coming off a horrendous loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. Nashville is coming into the second leg of a back-to-back, as they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Scouting Nashville
The Nashville Predators are on a three-game winning streak, and that has pushed them above the playoff line entering Sunday. Nobody saw that coming, even a month ago, let alone multiple months ago.
Stamkos - O'Reilly - Evangelista
Forsberg - Wood - Marchessault
Jost - Haula - L'Heureux
Schafer - Svechkov - Wiesblatt
Skjei - Josi
Hague - Perbix
Barron - Ufko
Annunen
Murray
Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, and Filip Forsberg lead things up front for Nashville. They were sellers at the deadline, but they kept these guys, and they are being rewarded for it late in the season.
On defense, the bottom two pairs follow the lead of the top pair, comprised of Brady Skjei and Roman Josi. Nashville has been one of the best NHL teams at pumping out impactful defensemen, and this year is no different with their newfound depth.
Juuse Saros is injured, so their options in goal against the Blackhawks are Justus Annunen and Matt Murray. Annunen defeated the Golden Knights on Saturday, but they could go right back to him on Sunday. Andrew Brunette has a decision to make, but it won’t be revealed until closer to game time.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks are not expected to have Sacha Boisvert or Anton Frondell available for Sunday’s game. They are both expected to make their NHL debut on the East Coast later next week.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teravainen
Slaggert-Donato-Mikheyev
Lardis-Toninato-Lafferty
Vlasic-Levshunov
Kaiser-Rinzel
Del Mastro-Grzelcyk
Knight
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be without Andrew Mangiapane and Louis Crevier again on Sunday. They are expected to return to the lineup on the upcoming road trip.
Going with a traditional lineup was forced on Jeff Blashill in the loss to Colorado, as he used the 11/7 strategy in St. Paul on Thursday. Having Dominic Toninato, Sam Lafferty, and Ethan Del Mastro in the lineup on Sunday will be necessary again.
Arvid Soderblom played for Spencer Knight on Sunday, the second half of a back-to-back. Against the Predators, expect Knight to get the nod once again.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on CHSN locally. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 2:00 PM CT.
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With an incredibly tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference this season, the Montreal Canadiens had a must-win game against the New York Islanders on Saturday at the Bell Centre. Before the game, the organization paid tribute to Rodger Brulotte, a monument of the journalistic scene in Quebec, who passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer. Brulotte will be most remembered for his role as the Montreal Expos play-by-play man on RDS, but he also had a hand in the creation of the Expos’ mascot (at the time), Youppi! After the video tribute, the mascot came out on the ice, wearing his Expos jersey from back in the day, and holding a picture of himself with Brulotte, a nice touch by the organization.
The Canadiens came out strong out of the gate and took a whopping 17 shots on Ilya Sorokin’s net in the first frame, but they still ended up trailing 2-1 after the first 20 minutes of action. While the Habs did well to test the star netminder often, they failed to create any traffic in front of him, and he’s one of those goalies who will stop the puck if he sees it.
Jacob Fowler, who was in the net for the first time since his loss to the Anaheim Ducks last Sunday, only saw six shots in the first stanza, but still surrendered two goals. The first of which was a sharp top-corner shot from former Habs Emil Heineman on the power play, and the second was scored on a breakaway. He could have given up a third after mishandling the puck out of his net and losing it, but Brendan Gallagher cut off the Islanders’ pass.
A Tale Of Two Teams
After dominating in the first frame, the Canadiens came out worryingly flat to start the second frame and stayed flat for much of it. Martin St-Louis’ men didn’t have a single shot on goal until 14 minutes had been played in the frame. Whatever Montreal was trying, it wasn’t working. Asked about that period, the coach explained:
The first tenish minutes of the second, we couldn’t execute. We had so many moments where we could have spent time in their zone, but we missed a pass, we tried to go low to high, and it bounced over our sticks. We could never get going. Eventually, we got it back. You know, I thought our power play was really good, which helped us regain momentum. I just felt tonight, in that third period, the guys understood how we played a lot of good hockey, and, unfortunately, the game is tied right now. Let’s get this game. It was a group decision at that point; we just kept going, and we were hard to handle.
- St-Louis on a tough game to coach
The Canadiens bounced back after a good scare; the Islanders had a goal denied when the puck was touched too high, and it seemed to wake Montreal up. Not long after, Jean-Gabriel Pageau absolutely obliterated Lane Hutson with a bone-crushing hit, and from that point on, the right version of the Canadiens was back. Seconds after that hit, Alex Newhook, who had missed numerous chances up to that point, tied up the game with a one-timer from the side. The goal came at the right time, especially since he had just missed a golden scoring opportunity from the high slot.
Less than a minute and 20 seconds later, Cole Caufield scored his 41st of the season, walking in with the puck on the near post and lodging it above Sorokin’s shoulder. A power play goal made possible by the fact that Juraj Slafkovsky made a good read on the other side to stop a zone exit from the Isles.
After 40 minutes, the Canadiens had a 3-2 lead, somehow. Still, Brendan Gallagher had put them in hot water again by taking an incredibly silly penalty, a tripping call in the offensive zone with six seconds left in the frame.
Gallagher Bounced Back
While the penalty ended up being costly, with New York tying up the game on that power play, the veteran wasn’t made to skip a shift. Some might have liked the coach to have held him accountable, but on his very next shift, the Habs got the lead back as the veteran was creating traffic in front of the Isles’ netminder. Gallagher had an assist on the play and redeemed himself in the best possible way. Perhaps the coach felt his veteran knew what he had done was wrong, so there was no need to hammer the point home.
An Offensive Feast For The Top Line
In this 7-3 win, the top line combined for 13 points. Caufield got a hat-trick and a pair of helpers for five points, while Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky both recorded four points. They were a thorn in the Islanders’ side all night, and they frustrated their first line so much that Matthew Barzal ended up dropping his gloves and trying to fight the captain in the third. Suzuki was wise enough to decline the invite, and Kaiden Guhle soon came to his rescue.
Montreal now has 13 games left to play, and Caufield has 43 goals, making a 50-goal season a real possibility; he is on pace for 51 as things stand. As for Slafkovsky, he now has 61 points in 69 games, and each new point sets a new career high. As for Suzuki, with 85 points, he only needs four to tie his record-breaking 89 output from last season. The question is, though, will they remain together or will they have to be split up to kick-start the second line?
The Canadiens will have a day off on Sunday and be back to work in Brossard on Monday morning.
Massive ovation for Rodger Brulotte after the video tribute. Youppi! Is on the ice wearing his Expos jersey #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Yd2hv5zbCB
MONTREAL -- At the 11:20 mark of the third period after allowing his sixth goal of the night, New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin left the ice.
The No. 1 netminder had made 26 saves, but in a game that was not going to end in the Islanders' favor, head coach Patrick Roy made the move to give Sorokin a breather as he'll be back in between the pipes for the second leg of the club's back-to-back, a pivotal Sunday night showdown against the third-place Columbus Blue Jackets.
"[I pulled him] because he's playing tomorrow," Roy said postgame. "It's as simple as that. We have to regroup for tomorrow, and Ilya will be in front of the net. These are two big games for us, and tomorrow is a big one as well. They're all big games, actually, but that's the main reason why we did that, to rest [Sorokin].
Sorokin has yet to play both legs of a back-to-back this season.
Puck drop between the Islanders and the Blue Jackets comes your way at 7 PM ET live from UBS Arena and can be watched on MSGSN.
The Islanders are one point back of the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 games to go.
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to keep a three-game win streak intact when they take on the Calgary Flames.
Calgary has an 18-12-4 record at home and a 28-34-7 record overall. The Flames have given up 211 goals while scoring 170 for a -41 scoring differential.
Tampa Bay has a 43-21-4 record overall and a 23-9-4 record in road games. The Lightning are first in NHL play with 343 total penalties (averaging five per game).
The matchup Sunday is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Lightning won 5-1 in the last meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mikael Backlund has scored 15 goals with 23 assists for the Flames. Olli Maatta has five assists over the past 10 games.
Nikita Kucherov has 40 goals and 78 assists for the Lightning. Jake Guentzel has scored five goals and added four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flames: 4-6-0, averaging 2.4 goals, 3.7 assists, 3.7 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
Lightning: 5-5-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.5 assists, 5.2 penalties and 15.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flames: Samuel Honzek: out (upper body), Jonathan Huberdeau: out for season (hip), Jake Bean: out (undisclosed), Yan Kuznetsov: day to day (upper-body), Connor Zary: day to day (upper body).
Lightning: Max Crozier: out (abdomen), Dominic James: out (leg), Declan Carlile: out (undisclosed), Victor Hedman: day to day (illness).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights, on a three-game losing streak, take on the Dallas Stars.
Dallas is 43-15-11 overall and 22-8-4 at home. The Stars are eighth in league play with 233 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).
Vegas has a 15-13-7 record in road games and a 31-25-14 record overall. The Golden Knights have a +seven scoring differential, with 220 total goals scored and 213 given up.
Sunday's game is the third time these teams square off this season. The Stars won 2-1 in the last meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jason Robertson has 38 goals and 44 assists for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
Mitchell Marner has 19 goals and 50 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has six goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Stars: 7-1-2, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.5 assists, 4.2 penalties and nine penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Golden Knights: 3-7-0, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.7 assists, 4.2 penalties and 10.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Stars: Mikko Rantanen: out (lower-body), Radek Faksa: out (upper-body), Roope Hintz: out (lower body), Tyler Seguin: out for season (acl).
Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body), Carter Hart: out (leg), Jonas Rondbjerg: out (lower body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Ehlers Over 0.5 points
