It was nearly one year ago when popular Russian forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ahead of his first game against the Maple Leafs on Monday, Grebenkin spoke to reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters, to reflect on his time in Toronto.

He also revealed that well after the trade to Philadelphia—which saw Grebenkin and a first-round draft pick go to the Flyers in exchange for forward Scott Laughton—he had to shut down his Instagram account because of all the Leafs fans sending him messages.

“I like to speak and talk to people and I don’t like if a guy texts me [and] I [can't respond] to him, but it’s hard always; 100 messages and I don’t use this now," he explained.

Selected by the Maple Leafs at 135th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, Grebenkin got off to a great start with the Toronto Marlies, recording 10 points in his first 13 games. During his preseason debut in September of 2024, he got into a fight with then-Ottawa Senators forward Adam Gaudette. Immediately after the scrap, Grebenkin called for noise from the crowd, and they certainly showed the love back.

Grebenkin was among the final cuts during 2024 Leafs camp, joining the veteran players for their annual late preseason trip to Muskoka. He became an instant favorite for his personality. “Off the ice, he’s a lot of fun to be around, likes to joke around. He’s not shy... He’s definitely been making a lot of friends,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said of Grebenkin at the time.

Grebenkin made his NHL debut on Nov. 20, 2024, and after the game, he delivered a now-viral postgame moment. "Team spoke to me: Backcheck, forecheck, and paycheck,” he said of the advice he received. The response got a massive laugh from everyone in attendance, including himself, and the delivery of the quote became a classic that immediately endeared him to the Leafs fanbase.

On March 7, 2025, Grebenkin was traded to Philly, thus ending his tenure in Toronto. Earlier in the season, when the Leafs visited the Flyers, Grebenkin politely declined to be interviewed as he was looking to be more serious and focused on performing well with his Flyers team. It was understandable, given he wanted to ensure he made a good impression in his first full season with his new club.

In 46 games this season, Grebenkin has four goals and eight assists. Grebenkin logged 8:44 of ice time and was a minus-1 in his team’s 3-2 overtime win against the Leafs on Monday.

The Montreal Canadiens kicked off their Pacific coast road trip with a game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. It was Martin St-Louis’s men’s last game before the trade deadline, and scouts from the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues were taking in the game at the SAP Center. Don’t get too excited, though. The Blues are playing the Sharks on Friday night so that they might have been doing pre-scouting.

St-Louis had decided to go with the same lineup that had beaten the Washington Capitals 6-2 on Saturday night, meaning that Joe Veleno, Alexandre Texier, and Arber Xhekaj were healthy scratches while Jakub Dobes was starting a second game in a row.

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A Game Of Details

The Canadiens’ bench boss often talks about the importance of details in the game, and in the first frame, the Habs did a good job of showcasing what should not be done. Over the Olympics break, the team worked on preventing odd-man rushes, but it didn’t show in those first twenty minutes. In one instance, Lane Hutson turned the puck over at the offensive blueline, which led to one such opportunity, but to be fair, he was put in a less-than-desirable situation by Philip Danault, who handed him the puck in close quarters when he had two Sharks nearby.

Two of the Canadiens’ top players were also guilty of big turnovers in their own zone. Cole Caufield lost the puck behind his own net, and had it not been for Jakub Dobes’ active stick, Kiefer Sherwood would have gotten the puck all on his lonesome in front of the net. A bit later, Juraj Slafkovsky attempted yet another no-look backhand pass, which of course became a turnover. The big Slovak was doing a lot of those in every zone earlier in the season, but that mistake has started to creep back up into his game lately; that’s not something St-Louis wants to see.

Double Struble

The Habs had a good start to the second frame, taking a 2-1 lead on a Danault goal, but they couldn’t keep their focus for the whole 20 minutes. Michael Misa tied up the score halfway through the period, and it’s hard not to look at Jayden Struble on that one. The third-pairing defenseman lost the puck at the Sharks’ blueline and was then unable to clear his own zone, and got his pocket picked instead right by the goal as panic was setting in in the Canadiens’ zone.

Watching that sequence, you can see why the Habs may be interested in bolstering their defence before the deadline, especially since St-Louis doesn’t seem to trust either Struble or Xhekaj, who is reportedly a Calgary Flames target right now.

The Habs also got themselves in double trouble late into the middle stanza, giving two goals in 25 seconds with less than two minutes to go. Macklin Celibrini first beat Dobes with a hard shot between the pads, and on the very next sequence, Kirby Dach played nonchalantly along the boards, couldn’t cope with Sherwood’s forecheck, and was dispossessed. Alexander Wenneberg got the puck in acres of space, picked his spot and beat Dobes.

Granted, not everyone can play a big, heavy game, but Dach has the frame necessary to protect the puck there. That was a lack of effort at the worst of times and the kind of play that makes you wonder if the forward deserves to be playing on the top line.

It’s Not Over Till It’s Over

The Canadiens went down 5-2 early in the third when Josh Anderson and Struble were sent to the box alongside Mario Ferraro, giving the Sharks a 5-on-4 power play, but they didn’t give up. It took less than two minutes for Ivan Demidov to score on the power play before Alex Newhook scored 18 seconds later and added another one to tie up the game five minutes later. With those two goals, Newhook now has four points in three games since returning from injury and 16 points in 20 games. On an 82-game season, that’s a 66-point pace.

̶A̶l̶l̶e̶z̶ ̶ Alex Montréal!

Brand Newy Game!#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/57FwZJ6SeK

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 4, 2026

The Canadiens made one mistake too many, though, being called for too many men with less than five minutes left in the game, and the Sharks scored the game-winner through Sherwood. Montreal did try to attack at 6-on-5 after pulling the goalie, but it was too little too late, and the Sharks added a seventh goal in an empty net. It was a fantastic game for Celibrini, and he showed what he can do with space.  This is Dobes’ first regulation loss since December 9th, and hardly the start to the road trip St-Louis wanted.

---

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Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Arseny Gritsyuk, Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass, Dawson Mercer and Simon Nemec all scored as the Devils took a 5-1 win over the Panthers on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]

Tom Fitzgerald is still running the show this deadline, for some reason:

I cannot shake this thought:

Why the heck is desperate GM Tom Fitzgerald running the trade deadline for the #NJDevils?https://t.co/ShIqWhQYUl

— Ryan Novozinsky (@ryannovoNHL) March 2, 2026

“On the surface, Hamilton’s 2025-26 season looks like an outright disaster, like the reality has finally caught up with the perception that has always held him back. But a closer look through all of the chaos in New Jersey shows he has the juice to contribute in a top-four capacity.” [The Athletic ($)]

Someone’s likely on the move:

Some interesting tidbits out this morning for the #NJDevils.

Elliotte Friedman reporting that NJ has several defensemen out there, not including Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, or Brett Pesce.

Chris Johnson reporting that Nick Bjugstad is a likely candidate to get moved again.

— JP Gambatese (@jp_gambatese) March 2, 2026

A look at potential destinations for Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass, Jonas Siegenthaler, Dawson Mercer, Evgenii Dadonov and Paul Cotter: [New Jersey Hockey Now]

A signing:

#NEWS: We’ve signed F Matyas Melovsky to a two-year, entry-level contract.

📰: https://t.co/BqQIl5ZUi2pic.twitter.com/4rShXlup9f

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 2, 2026

Hockey Links

A bold trade deadline prediction for each NHL team: [The Athletic ($)]

A trade:

Sources: #mnwild acquire Michael McCarron, sending 2nd-rounder to Predators for 6-foot-6 center with edge https://t.co/jbb92Znv7m via @NYTimes

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) March 3, 2026

Blues intel:

GM’s are describing the NHL landscape as a “buyers market”. Tons of players in play. Keep an eye on the Buffalo Sabres. Sources say talks between Buffalo and St Louis involving Robert Thomas are heating up.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 3, 2026

The Blues appear ready to move on from Jordan Binnington. 16 team no trade list is in play but feels like a move is a forgone conclusion at this stage with where @StLouisBlues heading in the near term.

— Brian Lawton (@brianlawton9) March 3, 2026

“Some NHL teams told ESPN that they’re frustrated by the impact that the league’s expedited salary cap rules have had ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. The new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHLPA, which was announced in July, begins Sept. 16. The league, however, moved up a handful of new rules governing the salary cap to the 2025-26 season and only briefed its general managers about those changes last September.” [ESPN]

“‘It’s going be great for the city of Calgary.’ That, from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who landed in the Stampede City Tuesday to get a first-hand look at construction efforts at Scotia Place. Bettman toured the site Tuesday morning and in a media availability Tuesday afternoon at the Scotibank Saddledome, expressed his excitement at the progress being made on Calgary’s new hockey home, slated to open its doors in the fall of 2027.” [NHL Flames]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Islanders and their five-game win streak touched down in California and got their skating legs going at practice Tuesday. A back-to-back begins tonight in Anaheim, which will be playing its own back-to-back after losing at home last night to the Avalanche.

After an orange-heavy kickoff, this trip includes Los Angeles tomorrow and San Jose on Saturday before concluding next week in St. Louis, where the Blues sound on the verge of a big sellof.

Tonight’s First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• Practice updates: David Rittich will get his second consecutive start, and Ryan Pulock took a maintenance day and is a question mark along with (still) Jonathan Drouin. [Isles | Post]
• Previewing tonight: The Ducks just had their five-game win streak cut by Colorado, but they remain in second in the Pacific. [Isles]
• Andrew Gross on trade deadline targets (Conor Garland?) and UFAs who’ve made cases not to be sold. [Newsday]
• Hear more of that in podcast form at Island Ice. [SoundCloud]
• Mat Barzal’s game and maturity has evolved as he approaches 600 games. [Post]
• Alex Jefferies discusses his path to the AHL, where Bridgeport is having its best season in a while. [Isles]

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores were many, including Pittsburgh losing in regulation, Columbus winning — and of note, the Devils may have just finished off the Panthers.

• The Predators selloff has begun…sort of? They dealt Michael McCarron (to Minnesota) and Cole Smith (to Vegas) for picks. [NHL]
• The Flyers are still firmly rebuilding and not shopping for any rentals. [NHL]
• Oilers management sounds aware (but helpless to fix?) that the team’s overall defense needs work. [Sportsnet]
• Pretty much every Canuck is for sale. [Sportsnet]
• The Leafs ought to think of things that way, too. [Sportsnet]
• One wild prediction for each team (like trading for Jordan Kyrou, sigh). [Athletic]

Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins shipped up to Boston on Tuesday night. The Penguins fell 2-1 to the B’s after taking an early lead from an Erik Karlsson goal but surrendering two fast first-period goals, and despite late pressure, they couldn’t find the equalizer. Next up is Buffalo on Thursday night. [Recap]

Most Penguins fans would likely agree that their team has sort of flown under the radar for much of the 2025-26 season, and many national pundits have seemed surprised at Pittsburgh’s success thus far, despite strong statistical outputs and elevated play. Why is that? Perhaps because of originally low preseason expectations and a recent lack of playoff success. [PensBurgh]

News and updates from around the NHL…

The NHL is closing in on naming a host city for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, but commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that a decision isn’t ready yet and could come in the next few weeks as the league reviews submitted bids. [Sportsnet]

The Buffalo Sabres are buyers?! It appears so. Talks are rapidly progressing between the Sabres and St. Louis Blues involving forward Robert Thomas, according to a report from NHL insider Darren Dreger. [TSN]

Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk, who is signed through the 2030-31 season at a cap hit of $5.5 million, said he isn’t comfortable being part of the team’s rebuild. While there have been no reported interested buyers, he and a few other Canuck players are names to watch ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. [TSN]

Boston Bruins (34-21-5, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Nashville Predators (27-26-8, in the Central Division)

Nashville, Tennessee; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Nashville Predators enter a matchup against the Boston Bruins after losing three straight games.

Nashville is 27-26-8 overall and 16-13-3 in home games. The Predators are 21-6-2 when scoring three or more goals.

Boston is 11-13-4 in road games and 34-21-5 overall. The Bruins rank third in league play with 294 total penalties (averaging 4.9 per game).

The teams meet Thursday for the second time this season. The Bruins won 3-2 in overtime in the previous meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Filip Forsberg has 27 goals and 23 assists for the Predators. Steven Stamkos has five goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Morgan Geekie has 33 goals and 22 assists for the Bruins. Viktor Arvidsson has five goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Predators: 3-3-4, averaging 3.1 goals, five assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.

Bruins: 6-1-3, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.4 assists, 5.1 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Predators: None listed.

Bruins: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Vegas Golden Knights (28-19-14, in the Pacific Division) vs. Detroit Red Wings (35-20-6, in the Atlantic Division)

Detroit; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Wings -132, Golden Knights +110; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights look to stop a three-game skid with a win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit has gone 18-10-2 at home and 35-20-6 overall. The Red Wings have a 28-3-5 record in games they score three or more goals.

Vegas is 14-11-7 in road games and 28-19-14 overall. The Golden Knights are 11-9-8 in one-goal games.

The matchup Wednesday is the second time these teams meet this season. The Golden Knights won 1-0 in the last matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Lucas Raymond has scored 20 goals with 44 assists for the Red Wings. Alex DeBrincat has five goals and three assists over the last 10 games.

Mitchell Marner has 16 goals and 43 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has seven goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Wings: 4-4-2, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.9 assists, 3.1 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 3-5-2, averaging three goals, 5.1 assists, three penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Red Wings: None listed.

Golden Knights: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Late Tuesday night the Colorado Avalanche completed a successful Southern California back-to-back in their 5-1 disposal of the Anaheim Ducks. It capped off a stretch of five games in seven nights following the Olympic break and the Avalanche now get two days of rest before the trade deadline.

The Game

Colorado got the scoring going early and often with Cale Makar landing on the scoresheet first in this contest. The opening period also saw a new trick in the Avalanche arsenal — a power play goal. Utilizing the brilliant idea of having Martin Nečas take the one-timer from the left side worked again as the Avalanche entered the first intermission with a 2-0 lead.

A bit of drama in this game came from the Ducks early in the second period when Cutter Gauthier took advantage of a scramble in the Avalanche zone to cut the lead. By the end of the period, however, order would be restored on the first of two Parker Kelly goals on the night and a 3-1 Avalanche lead at the second intermission.

The third period was largely academic as the Avalanche were not going to give up their lead. Gabe Landeskog overachieved by finding the back of the net on a great feed from Nathan MacKinnon for the latter’s 100th point on the season. Parker Kelly added another insurance goal at the midpoint and Colorado secured the 5-1 victory.

Takeaways

It was announced prior to the game that Artturi Lehkonen is out week-to-week with the upper-body injury suffered in Los Angeles. In his place Jason Polin was recalled from the Colorado Eagles and played eight minutes on the fourth line.

Now the focus turns to the upcoming trade deadline before the team’s next game. How many players have played their last game in an Avalanche uniform?

Upcoming

Another important Central Division game in a showdown with the Dallas Stars on Friday, March 6th. Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m. MT in the Lone Star State.

The last time the Colorado Avalanche faced the Anaheim Ducks was on Jan 21, when they fell 2-1 in the shootout. Though no extra time was needed here, as despite a rough start to the game, it was Avalanche hockey all the way, just how they wanted it, and they continued their win streak with a 5-1 victory over the Ducks.

Period 1:

The action starts early for the Ducks as Beckett Sennecke, off a failed Brent Burns clear, gets an early chance, but Scott Wedgewood flashes the glove to make the early save. Both Ross Colton and Martin Necas get called for interference, but the Avalanche can kill off both penalties.

It would be Cale Makar to open the scoring. He wraps around the net, makes Lukas Dostal bite hard on a fake shot attempt, then sends a wrister that beats him glove side as he shimmies into the shooting lane, 1-0 after a rocky start.

🥬 pic.twitter.com/9lfv5swF7a

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 4, 2026

Jacob Trouba is called for tripping, and it's Martin Necas with a one-timer from the circle to make it 2-0. Brock Nelson set up Necas with a great diagonal pass when he was at the opposite circle. Despite a rough start to the first period, the Avalanche came out on top in shots, with them being 8-7 as period one came to an end.

Period 2:

Chris Krieder almost makes it 2-1 but is called for goaltender interference as he collides with Wedgewood in the blue paint. Wedgewood is a bit uncomfortable as the team's medical staff checks him, but he is fine and remains in the game.

Another issue with trying to clear the puck leads to Pavel Mintyukov setting up Cutter Gauthier for a one-timer from the circle, making it 2-1. Josh Manson is called for holding, but the Avalanche kills off the penalty. Parker Kelly does his best Necas impression as he finds some room and walks into a wrist shot from past the hashmarks to make it 3-1.

Period 3:

It was all Avalanche in the third period, controlling the pace to their style and limiting the Ducks on numerous chances and puck control. Landeskog makes it 4-1 when he receives a great pass from MacKinnon on the rush.

The pass from Nate 😱 The shot from Landy 😱 PERFECT. pic.twitter.com/8WV4QGFvOr

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 4, 2026

MacKinnon, with that assist, reaches the 100-point mark in 56 games and becomes the first player in Avalanche/Nordique history to reach 100 points before their 60th game of the season. Last done by Peter Statsny in 1981-82 (60GP)

Kelly doubles up in the game to make it 5-1 as he capitalizes on Dostal losing the puck and scrambling to reposition, leaving Kelly with a wide-open net with the pass coming from Jack Drury. With his second goal of the game, it is his second multi-goal game of the season. Brett Kulak was handed the secondary assist, and that is now his first point as an Avalanche.

Through his first 5 games with the Avalanche, Brett Kulak has not been on the ice for a single goal against at even strength and the Avs are controlling 58% of the shot attempts with him out there.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) March 4, 2026

The Ducks manage to generate some chances, but Wedgewood has been great all night, and the Avalanche secure the 5-1 win over the Ducks, and with the win, they move to 91 points, the first team in the NHL to do so this season.

The Avalanche are back in action on Friday, March 6, against the Dallas Stars as they try to end their 11-game winning streak in a major divisional matchup.

Avalanche Positioned as Heavy Favorite for Nazem Kadri ReunionAccording to insiders, talks between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames are beginning to pick up steam.

The San Jose Sharks continued their homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. With both teams fighting for a playoff spot in their respective conference, it was an important game all around. 

The Canadiens controlled the puck quite a bit in the opening minutes, forcing Sharks netminder Yaroslav Askarov to make a couple of saves. He couldn’t save them all, though, as 6:18 into the first period, Oliver Kapanen scored his 19th of the season and gave the visitors an early lead on their third shot of the night. Meanwhile, it took the Sharks nearly half of the first period to record their first shot on goal.   

Vincent Desharnais drew the first penalty of the night when Nick Suzuki was sent to the box for interference. While the Sharks got a couple of chances on the power play, nothing came of the man advantage.

With 4:28 remaining in the period, the Sharks were finally able to get on the board. Collin Graf scored his 16th of the season when he found himself in front of the net with quite a bit of space. Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini got the assists on the play.

Celebrini nearly gave the Sharks the lead moments later when he intercepted an errant pass and immediately fired the puck on net. Jakub Dobes was positioned perfectly, though, and made the save.

The Sharks were generating quality chances late in the period, but were unable to break through the Montreal defense. Eventually, the game would head into the first intermission, tied at a goal apiece.

Collin Graf tripped up Lane Hutson just over two minutes into the middle frame, giving Montreal their first power play opportunity of the night. When Montreal started to carry the puck into the offensive zone, the SAP Center crowd started a loud “Go Habs Go” chant, which was quickly drowned out by a chorus of boos from the Sharks faithful. 

The Sharks’ penalty kill was successful, but Phillip Danault scored shortly afterward to restore the Canadiens’ lead. Moments later, Askarov made a massive cross-crease save to deny Kapanen his second goal of the night, keeping it a one-goal hockey game.

Celebrini would get a hooking penalty 6:55 into the period, giving the Canadiens a prime opportunity to extend their lead. Askarov again denied what seemed like a sure-fire goal during the ensuing penalty kill, fully extending to make the save. The Sharks faced some heavy pressure, but once again, they killed off the penalty. 

Michael Misa continued his hot streak, scoring in his third straight game. Moments after the goal, Kapanen went to the penalty box for Montreal after he was called for slashing. The power play was short-lived, though, as Alexander Wennberg was penalized for taking down Jake Evans in the corner less than halfway through Kapanen’s penalty. 

Macklin Celebrini gave the Sharks their first lead of the night with a shot from inside the faceoff circle. The goal was Celebrini’s 30th of the season. Just 25 seconds later, Alexander Wennberg would make it 4-2. With the assist on Wennberg’s goal, Kiefer Sherwood recorded his first point as a member of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks would go on to carry that lead into the second intermission. 

Early in the third period, two Canadiens were penalized for roughing, while Mario Ferraro was also sent to the box. Ultimately, the Sharks ended up with a power play.

Will Smith scored a power play goal three and a half minutes into the third period to make it 5-2 for the Sharks. Celebrini found him with a perfectly placed pass, and Smith was able to direct the puck past Dobes. As a result, all three members of the Sharks’ first line had scored.

Shortly after the goal, Vincent Desharnais was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking Kirby Dach. Montreal then got a power play goal of their own, as Ivan Demidov was able to beat his countryman Askarov, making it a 5-3 hockey game. 18 seconds later, Alex Newhook made it a one-goal game, and the Canadiens were right back in it.

The momentum had completely shifted in Montreal’s favor, and the Sharks were on their back foot. They had roughly 15 minutes remaining to maintain their lead, something that they’ve struggled with at times this season. Zach Ostapchuk created a quality scoring chance for himself just under 8 minutes into the third, but was denied by Dobes. 

Sam Dickinson hauled down Demidov with 11 minutes remaining, sending the Sharks back to the penalty kill at a crucial point in the game. The Canadiens took advantage of the man advantage, as Newhook netted his second of the night with two seconds remaining on Dickinson’s penalty. In under eight minutes, it had gone from a 5-2 Sharks lead, to a tied game. 

Adam Gaudette and Kirby Dach got offsetting penalties with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, resulting in some four-on-four hockey late in the game. Both penalties would expire without a goal being scored. 

With time running down, the Canadiens were penalized for too many men on the ice, giving the Sharks a chance to regain their lead. The Sharks went on to score on the power play, with Kiefer Sherwood scoring his first as a Shark. Adam Gaudette went on to score an empty-net goal, making it 7-5.

Despite heavy pressure by the Canadiens, Sherwood's goal would inevitably be the game-winner as the Sharks held onto the lead, winning 7-5.  They'll be back on the ice at the SAP Center on Friday, when they host the St. Louis Blues. 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cale Makar had a goal and two assists, Nathan MacKinnon secured his fourth consecutive 100-point season with a third-period assist, and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche snapped the Anaheim Ducks' five-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory Tuesday night.

Parker Kelly scored two goals and Scott Wedgewood made 27 saves for the Avs, who have won three straight and four of five since the Olympic break. Martin Necas got his 27th goal and Gabriel Landeskog also scored to complete Colorado's back-to-back sweep of the Southern California clubs.

Cutter Gauthier scored his 29th goal and Lukas Dostal stopped 21 shots for the Ducks, whose eight-game home winning streak since Jan. 2 also ended.

Anaheim would have moved into first place in the Pacific Division with a point, but the loss kept Vegas one point ahead. The Ducks are in a playoff race down the stretch for the first time since 2018.

After two fruitless Ducks power plays in the opening minutes, Makar put the Avs ahead from the slot with his 18th goal.

Necas added his seventh power-play goal of the season 2 1/2 minutes later, beating his Czech Olympic teammate with a high shot. The goal was just the second on the power play in the last 12 games for the Avalanche, who inexplicably have the NHL's worst man-advantage unit despite their overall excellence.

Gauthier hammered home a one-timer early in the second after a superb cross-ice pass from Jackson LaCombe, but Kelly got his 14th goal later in the period.

Landeskog then scored a goal in his second straight game, connecting early in the third on a one-timer from MacKinnon, who got his 59th assist to go with his NHL-leading 41 goals.

Up next

Avalanche: At Dallas on Friday night.

Ducks: Host New York Islanders on Wednesday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

LOS ANGELES -- The New York Islanders are looking to push their win streak to five games when they battle the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday night. 

A win would be monumental for the Islanders in the standings, given what transpired on Tuesday night.  

With the Pittsburgh Penguins falling 2-1 to the Boston Bruins in regulation, an Islanders' win would have them ahead of Pittsburgh for sole posession of second place in the Metropolitan Division. 

Not only that, but a win would also widen the gap between New York and the Washington Capitals to seven points. The Capitals fell 3-2 to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday. 

The Islanders will have a game in hand on Washington after Wednesday's contest. 

The team to watch is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, after beating the New York Rangers 5-4 in overtime and the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, find themselves just five points back of the Islanders with a game in hand before Wednesday. 

The Islanders are looking to bolster their top-six ahead of Friday's 2026 NHL Trade deadline. They have had serious talks with the Vancouver Canucks regarding right winger Conor Garland. 

They are also believed to still be in talks with the St. Louis Blues regarding Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. 

Buckle up. 

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl had two goals and three assists, Evan Bouchard scored on a power play at 1:50 of overtime and the Edmonton Oilers rallied to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Tuesday night.

With Brady Tkachuk in the penalty box for tackling Connor McDavid in overtime, Edmonton got it back to Bouchard and he blasted in his 18th of the season.

Zach Hyman tied it for the Oilers with 1:25 remaining in the third period with goalie Connor Ingram of for an extra attacker. Hyman tipped Draisaitl's pass under Linus Ullmark for his 25th goal of the season.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored and Ingram made 17 saves for the Oilers in their first home game in a month. They had lost five of their previous six.

Drake Batherson had two goals for the second consecutive game and Dylan Cozens and Michael Amadio also scored for Ottawa. The Senators are 6-1-2 in their last nine games.

Ullmark made 32 saves.

Up next

Senators: At Calgary on Thursday night.

Oilers: Host Carolina on Friday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Ottawa Senators looked like they had a W in the bank on Tuesday night but the Edmonton Oilers had other ideas. Down 4-2 in the third, the Oilers blew past the Senators for a 5-4 overtime win.

With Brady Tkachuk off for pretty much tackling Connor McDavid to prevent an odd man rush in overtime, Evan Bouchard's one-timer from the top of the circle gave Edmonton the win.

Leon Draisaitl was in all the scoring with five points, two goals and three assists. His countryman Tim Stutzle was the best player for the Sens with two assists. Drake Batherson scored twice for the Sens, who were outshot 37-21. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves.

The two clubs traded a pair of goals each in a fast-paced first period. Dylan Cozens opened the scoring 3:34 into the game with a fierce wrist shot. But less than 90 seconds later, after Ullmark coughed up a puck that looked like he had smothered, Leon Draisaitl capitalized to tie the game.

Just over 90 seconds after that, Batherson restored Ottawa’s lead with a perfect wrist shot high to the glove side. However, the Oilers tied it again at the 16:48 mark on a bizarre play. Batherson tried to clear a loose puck out of harm’s way, but his attempt bounced off teammate Nick Jensen and into the Ottawa net. Draisaitl was credited with the goal.

Batherson quickly atoned early in the second period, scoring his second of the night on another excellent wrist shot at the 4:30 mark. Just 41 seconds later, after a wild goalmouth scramble, the puck squirted out to Jensen, who made a clever pass to Michael Amadio. His quick snapshot made it 4–2 Senators.

From there, as the Oilers pushed to get back into the game, the Senators seemed to sit back and not stick with what had made them successful.

In the first minute of the third period, Shane Pinto gift-wrapped an opportunity for the Oilers to climb back into the game when, completely unforced, he lobbed the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. The Oilers made them pay, cutting the lead to 4–3.

It initially appeared that Leon Draisaitl had deposited his hat-trick goal into an open net, but the puck actually caromed off the skate blade of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

In the dying moments, with the Oilers’ goalie pulled, Edmonton benefited from a very suspect icing call that should have been waved off. The faceoff came back into the Ottawa zone with tired Senators on the ice, and Zach Hyman scored the tying goal right in his office battling near the crease.

In three-on-three overtime, Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk failed to capitalize on a 2-on-1 rush and both were caught up ice. The Oilers broke out the other way and Tkachuk was called for holding on Connor McDavid. On the ensuing four-on-three power play, Evan Bouchard’s point shot beat Ullmark, who was caught deep in his net.

Losing the extra point was big because the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets both won their games on Tuesday night, leaving the Senators six points out of a wild card spot.

The Senators continue their road trip Thursday night when they visit the Calgary Flames.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — U.S. Olympic golden goal-scorer Jack Hughes extended his points streak to four games since returning from Milan, and the New Jersey Devils dealt the Florida Panthers’ playoff hopes another blow by beating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Hughes’ shot that went wide banked right to Dougie Hamilton for his goal. Hughes has four assists — one in each game — since the NHL season resumed.

Hamilton, whose name has been involved in trade buzz for several months, also had an assist. It’s unclear if the Devils will be able to move the defenseman before the deadline Friday, given that Hamilton has two years remaining on his contract beyond this season at a $9 million salary cap hit and is owed a $7.4 million roster bonus on July 1.

If New Jersey, which looks out of the race, sells elsewhere, depth forward Cody Glass may have boosted his value by scoring his 14th goal of the season. Arseny Gritsyuk also scored, looking off Hughes on a 2 on 1 before beating Sergei Bobrovsky, who was excellent early and finished with 28 saves on 31 shots.

Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since the Los Angeles Kings in 2014-15. The Panthers have lost three of four games since the Olympics ended, all of those coming in regulation.

MAMMOTH 3, CAPITALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — JJ Peterka scored in the second period on a bizarre bounce, and Utah beat Washington.

Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev scored for the Mammoth, who took an early 2-0 lead and held off the Capitals in a matchup of teams near the playoff cutoff lines. Utah entered the night tied with Edmonton for the top wild card in the Western Conference.

Pierre-Luc Dubois and Ryan Leonard scored for Washington, which fell to four points behind Boston for the second wild card in the East. The Bruins also have three more games left than the Caps.

The Capitals have been hoping to add a forward before Friday’s trade deadline, and with Aliaksei Protas out for personal reasons Tuesday, they struggled to apply consistent pressure in the Utah zone until they were down two in the third. It’s not clear if Washington’s position in the standings — and losses to Montreal and the Mammoth in its last two games — will alter the team’s approach to the deadline.

SABRES 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson scored after being honored for helping the U.S. win an Olympic gold medal in hockey, and Buffalo won its fourth straight game by beating Vegas.

Owen Power and Jason Zucker also scored for the surging Sabres. Buffalo improved to 25-5-2 in its past 32, and its 35 wins through 61 games are the team’s most since having 41 over the same span in 2006-07.

Alex Lyon made 29 saves to improve to 13-2 in his past 15 starts.

Pavel Dorofeyev, with his team-leading 29th goal, and Ivan Barbashev scored and Vegas matched a season-low by losing three straight in regulation. The slumping Golden Knights also dropped to 4-8-2 in their past 14.

Akira Schmid stopped 25 shots.

BRUINS 2, PENGUINS 1

BOSTON (AP) — Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored less than a minute apart early in the first period and Boston held on for a victory over Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson scored just 42 seconds into the game, but Khusnutdinov tied it at 1-1 when he snapped the puck high inside the far post past Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner for his 13th goal of the season at 5:10 of the first.

Mittelstadt added his 13th of the season 50 seconds later when he gathered in the rebound of Nikita Zadorov’s shot and fired past a diving Skinner and into an open net. Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.

Karlsson scored on the Penguins’ first shot on goal after the Bruins had two excellent scoring chances in the first few seconds requiring solid saves by Skinner. The Bruins challenged for goalie interference but the goal was upheld. Skinner finished with 26 saves.

BLUE JACKETS 3, PREDATORS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Damon Severson broke a tie with a snap shot from the point through traffic at 6:07 of the third period and Columbus beat Nashville to open a four-game homestand.

Both teams played Monday night, with Columbus beating the Rangers 5-4 in overtime in New York, and Nashville falling 4-2 at home to Detroit.

Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan also scored for Columbus, with Monahan tying it at 2 at 1:52 of the third with a short-handed goal. He also had a short-handed goal Monday in New York.

Jet Greaves made 20 saves for Columbus in 51:44, missing an 8:16 stretch of the first period because of concussion protocol after Nick Blankenburg caught him with an elbow on the side of the head on a rush. Elvis Merzlikins stopped both shots on faced before Greaves returned.

Filip Forsberg had a power-play goal for Nashville, and Ryan O’Reilly was credited with a goal in the second that a Columbus player put in. O’Reilly was cut below the eye taking a faceoff midway through the third.

Justus Annunen stopped 24 shots for the Predators.

JETS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2, OT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored at 2:06 of overtime to lift Winnipeg to a victory over Chicago.

Cole Perfetti forced the extra frame for Winnipeg, tying the game 2-2 with just 38.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Dylan Samberg, who assisted on Scheifele’s winner, also scored in the first period for the Jets, who went to overtime for the fourth consecutive game.

Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Greene scored for Chicago. Connor Bedard picked up two assists.

Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves for the victory. Spencer Knight stopped 29 shots for the Blackhawks.

The Jets pulled Hellebuyck for the extra attacker and netted the equalizer when Perfetti buried the late chance. The goal validated a second-period line shuffle that had Perfetti placed on a line with Adam Lowry and Gabriel Vilardi.

By forcing the extra frame, the Jets went to overtime for the fourth consecutive game. It was a crucial late push to grab two points as they kicked off a critical eight-game homestand.

STARS 6, FLAMES 1

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Sam Steel scored twice and added an assist and Dallas extended its franchise-record winning streak to 10 games with a romp over Calgary.

Jamie Benn, Mavrik Bourque, Nathan Bastian and Wyatt Johnston also scored to help Dallas improve to 38-14-9. Matt Duchene had four assists giving him a team-best 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) during the winning streak.

Steel and Duchene tied career highs for points in a game, and Steel tied a career high with 10 goals. He also had 10 times for Minnesota in 2022-23.

Casey DeSmith made 20 saves to improve to 13-4-5.

Flames starter Dustin Wolf was pulled after giving up four goals on 17 shots. Devin Cooley made 16 saves in relief.