Category: Ice Hockey

The Vancouver Canucks’ Thursday night matchup against the St. Louis Blues was full of cathartic celebrations and upsets. Despite a bunch of new records on the line, the Canucks could not come out of the game with a win, dropping the game 4–3 in overtime. Kiefer Sherwood and Brock Boeser (2), scored for the Canucks, while Zack Bolduc, Tyler Tucker, Dylan Holloway, and Philip Broberg found the back of the net for St. Louis. Kevin Lankinen started for Vancouver, stopping 25 of 29 shots faced. With the overtime loss, Vancouver is now out of a playoff spot with 76 points in 69 games played. Currently, they have one game in hand on St. Louis. 

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Lankinen was an early hero for the Canucks, making seven saves in the first seven minutes of the game including a kick-save on Robert Thomas. He made yet another in-tight save on Thomas only minutes later, stopping what easily could have been St. Louis’ first goal of the game. One of his most impressive saves of the night was during the first frame, when he and Filip Hronek joined forces to keep out a rebound off the goal post with only seconds left in the period. 

Despite the 0–0 score, St. Louis dominated Vancouver in nearly every stat to start the game. They put up 12 shots to Vancouver’s three and won 66.7% of the first period faceoffs, as well as put up a 5-on-5 corsi-for percentage of 64.71% and an xGF% of 89.16%. While each team was awarded a partial power play, neither were able to capitalize on the chance. 

Vancouver picked up their pace in the second period, making sure to keep the puck in St. Louis’ zone throughout the first seven minutes. Shots by Teddy Blueger and Kiefer Sherwood could have been the game’s opening goal if not for Jordan Binnington’s efforts in the crease. Marcus Pettersson also had two shots during this span of time. By the game’s halfway mark, the Canucks nearly matched St. Louis’ early shot count with 11 to the Blues’ 15. However, even with their early push, St. Louis scored off a deflection from Quinn Hughes and left the second period with a 1–0 lead. 

Tonight was a big game for Sherwood, who came in needing only 11 hits to break the NHL record in hits made in one season. He finished the game with 10 hits made, tying him with Jeremy Lauzon’s 383 hits for the record. Most importantly, however, he scored to tie the game at 1–1, helping Vancouver stay in pursuit of the ever-important two points up for grabs at the end of the game. He finished the match with one shot on net and 15:58 minutes played. 

Two players who have been heating up as of late are Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander. The two have been paired up since Vancouver’s match against the Calgary Flames last Wednesday, and put together, they have produced a combined 11 points. Adding to that total, they each tallied an assist on Boeser’s 200th career goal, with Pettersson getting one on Boeser’s second goal of the game. Together, alongside Boeser, they finished the game with a corsi-for percentage of 55%. 

The game looked to be a loss for Vancouver until Boeser fired the puck at the net and beat Binnington with less than three seconds left in the game. During overtime, St. Louis nearly won off a close goal that sat on the red line of the net, but since Lankinen stopped it and it didn’t completely cross the line, the chance did not count. The Blues went on to score off a rush chance by Broberg, preventing Vancouver from taking the extra point.  

"Both teams needed those points badly," Dakota Joshua said of the team's effort after the game. "It was nice to see some resiliency and battle back to get a point in the end there. But yeah, one we would have liked to have." 

"We've gotta clean it up. Clean that stuff up. I thought the second or third we were better. I didn't think our first was that good," Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet noted of the team's playing style postgame.

"It's a point, you know. It's a big point," he added. "Down the road, it can really help us."

Stats and Facts: 

• With the overtime loss, Vancouver’s playoff odds are now at 37.2% as calculated by MoneyPuck.com 
• Brock Boeser scores his 200th career goal, becoming the ninth player in Canucks history to do so 
• Brock Boeser scores two goals in two straight games for the first time this season 
• With his 383rd hit of the season, Kiefer Sherwood ties Jeremy Lauzon’s NHL hit record  
• Quinn Hughes hits 399 career NHL points 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

No scoring. 

2nd Period: 

15:48 - STL: Zack Bolduc (13) from Cam Fowler and Nick Leddy 

3rd Period: 

1:09 - VAN: Kiefer Sherwood (15) from Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson 

6:35 - VAN: Brock Boeser (21) from Nils Höglander and Elias Pettersson 

9:27 - STL: Tyler Tucker (3) from Brayden Schenn 

9:52 - STL: Dylan Holloway (23) from Jordan Kyrou and Tyler Tucker 

19:57 - VAN: Brock Boeser (22) from Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes 

Overtime: 

3:41 - STL: Philip Broberg (7) from Brayden Schenn and Dylan Holloway 

Up Next: 

Vancouver’s next game is on Saturday, March 22, against former Canuck J.T. Miller and the New York Rangers. It will be Vancouver’s first time playing against Miller since trading him to the Rangers at the end of January. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 am PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Kiefer Sherwood has tied an NHL record. During the Vancouver Canucks game on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues, Sherwood threw his 383rd hit of the season, which tied Jeremy Lauzon's NHL record. The record-tying hit was Sherwood's 10th of the game and came at 12:35 of the third period against Tyler Tucker. 

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Despite only playing 65 games with the Canucks, Sherwood already ranks 19th all-time in franchise history for hits. Earlier this season, he also tied the franchise record for hits in a game when he threw 12 against the Chicago Blackhawks. This season, Sherwood has thrown at least 10 hits in seven games and has thrown over 100 hits more than any other player in the NHL.

On top of being a hitting machine, Sherwood is also having a career year offensively. He has set new career highs in points with 29 and hit the 15-goal mark for the first time in his career. Sherwood signed a two-year contract with Vancouver during the 2024 offseason, which carries a cap hit of $1.5 million.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

A playoff atmosphere filled Nationwide Arena on Thursday night for a late-season matchup between the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets.

With both teams looking to break out of recent funks, the game was as tight and competitive as you’d hope this late in the season between a couple of potential postseason clubs.

Ultimately it was the Panthers coming out on top of this goaltenders’ duel, earning a feisty 1-0 victory in overtime.

Florida played a strong first period, holding Columbus without a shot on goal for almost seven minutes after the opening puck drop.

The Panthers ended up outshooting the home team 12-5 during the first period but nobody was able to solve the goaltenders.

After Elvis Merzlikins was the busier of the tendies during the opening 20 minutes, it was Sergei Bobrovsky who was called upon more frequently after the second period arrived.

Columbus thought they had the game’s first goal with 9:47 left in the third period.

Boone Jenner was tied up just outside the goal crease but was able to kick a loose puck past a sprawling Bobrovsky.

Florida’s goaltender quickly jumped up, waving his arms at the referee, but it took an official review for the refs to take the goal off the scoreboard.

An exciting, physical third period yielded no goals, so for the first time in five seasons, the Panthers went to overtime in a scoreless tie.

Thanks to a late delay of game penalty of Kirill Marchenko, Florida had a 4-on-3 power play when the extra session began.

After some quick puck movement, Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov wired a wrist shot over Merzlikins’ blocker 28 seconds into overtime.

Ballgame.

On to Washington.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Bobrovsky finished with 26 saves, including all six high danger shots the Blue Jackets sent his way.

The last time a Panthers game was 0-0 after sixty minutes was on Feb. 4, 2020 at Columbus.

Florida lost on a Zach Werenski overtime goal.

Barkov has now scored in consecutive games for the second time this month.

Sam Reinhart picked up an assist on Barkov’s goal, his seventh assist and ninth point over his past seven games.

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After a six-game winning streak, the hot and cold Ottawa Senators are suddenly showing the earmarks of another cold streak, and few things are colder than getting snowed under at home by the Avalanche.

After a 6-3 loss in Montreal on Tuesday, the Senators had a weak response on Thursday, losing 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche.

Brock Nelson scored twice for the Avs who outshot Ottawa 32-16. Cale Makar, Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton each had two points.

After being outshot by Ottawa 5-0 in the first five minutes, Colorado completely took the game over, scoring four goals in the second half of the first period.

With Linus Ullmark under siege for several minutes, Nathan MacKinnon finally opened the floodgates with his 28th, 10:29 into the first period. Just inside Ottawa's blue line, MacKinnon took a drop pass from Drouin and ripped a low shot through both Jake Sanderson and Ullmark.

A minute later, Brock Nelson broke free down the left wing and beat Ullmark high to the glove side to make it 2-0. 

Cale Makar scored his 26th goal on the power play on a shot from the point through traffic. And finally, right after a faceoff to the right of Ottawa's goal, Joel Kiviranta ended Ullmark's night and make it 4-0 Colorado.

The residue of Ottawa's terrible first period bled into the second as Dylan Cozens had taken a bad interference penalty with six seconds left in the first. With the extra man, Nelson scored again to make it 5-0 early in the second. 

At that point, Sens head coach Travis Green put all his forward lines in a blender. And why not?

In particular, newcomer Fabian Zetterlund finally got a chance to get off the fourth line where he's been for the past five games since arriving in Ottawa. He played mostly top six minutes in the final two periods and was noticeable, creating at least a couple of good chances.

The Senators hit a couple of goal posts along the way and finally broke the shutout on Cozens' power play goal with under four minutes left, but they were never in this game, getting just 11 shots in the final 55 minutes of the game. This, despite the fact the Avs played last night.

The good news is that the New York Rangers lost 4-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night so Ottawa remains five points above the Eastern Conference playoff cut line.

Fancy that, a favour from the Leafs?

The Sens will hit the road again for another difficult matchup on Saturday night, this time against the New Jersey Devils. 

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.

Following their 3-1 loss in Minnesota against the Wild, the Los Angeles Kings (37-21-9) arrived in the Windy City as they faced the Blackhawks (20-40-9). The Kings met the Blackhawks for third and final time this season. Spencer Knight escorted his team out while Darcy Kuemper stood in net for the second game in a row. 

Kings Lead 2-0 in Opening Period

Puck drop was underway as the Kings battled for early momentum. At the 11:15 point, Trevor Moore tipped in a wrist shot and put the Kings on the scoreboard 1-0. In a flurry of plays, Alex Turcotte netted his eighth of the season moments later. With Los Angeles leading 2-0 early, the inconsistent Blackhawks found themselves already trailing. Chicago's late attempt to produce scoring opportunities was cut short by the period's end, as both teams headed into intermission for the second period. 

Picture perfect 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MeHLwspmOH

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 21, 2025

TURC MADE IT TWO pic.twitter.com/oswGsZ4Dnl

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 21, 2025

And We’re Back...

With the Kings up 2-0, the second period promised more intense action and a challenge for the Kings to maintain their lead. Los Angeles took the initiative and displayed increased aggression, making it difficult for the Blackhawks to mount a comeback. Frank Nazar of the Blackhawks dominated the faceoff circle against the Kings tonight, winning critical neutral zone battles. Despite a series of impressive saves by Kuemper, Connor Bedard's slapshot ultimately beat him, bringing the score to 2-1 at 9:10. The Kings outshot the Blackhawks 26-12, as each team relentlessly tried to establish physical dominance. Los Angeles maintained control in the first period, but their performance declined in the second. 

Final Twenty in Windy City

The Blackhawks showed more activity in the third. By 13:36, though the Kings had outshot Chicago 27-16, they hadn't converted their opportunities. Their shots weren't translating into goals against a team they should have been able to beat, especially a team not in the playoff conversation. It has proven difficult for Los Angeles to consistently create scoring chances, which has been a key factor in their recent losses and especially when playing away from home. The third period saw the Kings effectively shut down the Blackhawks. With 21 seconds left, Joel Edmundson's goal secured a 3-1 victory. Securing two points, Los Angeles now prepares for a home game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

handshakes with the boys >>> pic.twitter.com/PcE3jHpq2S

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 21, 2025

The Buffalo Sabres selected forward Noah Ostlund with the 16th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. With this, the 21-year-old is considered one of the Sabres' most promising prospects. 

Ostlund is currently in his first full season with the Rochester Americans after appearing in two games with the AHL squad this past season. So far, the Stockholm, Sweden native has been solid, posting 11 goals and 24 points in 37 games. This is after he started the season off cold by recording just one point in his first 12 games. 

Ostlund's play is that he is continuing to improve as this campaign rolls on, and he is in the middle of a long hot streak because of it. In his last 12 games, the 5-foot-11 forward has seven goals to go along with 12 points. He also has 23 points over his previous 25 contests. With numbers like these, he is undoubtedly standing out with the AHL squad.

It will now be fascinating to see how Ostlund will build on his strong play from here. He is clearly adjusting well to the AHL level, and that is very encouraging for the Sabres.

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The Anaheim Ducks (30-31-8, 68 points) completed their season sweep of the Nashville Predators (25-35-8, 58 points) with a 3-1 win Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Predators, who had previously won four straight. 

Justus Annunen made 30 saves in the loss for Nashville, while Anaheim's John Gibson made 33 saves in the win.

How The Predators lined up vs. Anaheim

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

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Stastney
Oesterle-Barron

Annunen
Saros

Extra: Englund, Bellows
IR: Josi, Lauzon, Wilsby

Predators vs. Ducks: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 1, ANA 0)

The Predators got an early chance on the man advantage when Luke Evangelista drew a tripping call on Isac Lundestrom just past the 6-minute mark. Steven Stamkos made it count, firing home a one-timer on the power play to give Nashville a 1-0 lead at the 7:07 mark.

Stammered it home ‼️ pic.twitter.com/9QLsWbQIFO

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 21, 2025

Stamkos' goal was the 578th of his career, giving him sole possession of 22nd place on the NHL's all-time goal scoring list. 

The shots were even at 10 apiece at the end of the first period, with Nashville maintaining a 1-0 lead.

Second Period (NSH 1, ANA 3)

The Ducks got on the board just past the 7-minute mark in the second when an offensive zone turnover by the Predators resulted in a 2-on-1 for Anaheim in the other direction. Jackson LaCombe followed up on a Mason McTavish shot and tucked in the rebound to tie the score at 1-1.

After that, there was a clear momentum shift in Anaheim's favor as the Predators' defensive effort crumbled. First, Troy Terry shrugged off a pair of Nashville defenders at center ice to carry the puck through the zone and beat Annunen cleanly to give Anaheim a 2-1 lead at the 13:19 mark of the second period.

Then, just over two minutes later, Trevor Zegras batted in a loose puck behind Annunen to make it 3-1. None of the three Predators defenders on the play was able to gain control of the puck, allowing Zegras to score easily.

Third Period (NSH 1, ANA 4)

With Annunen pulled for the extra attacker, Terry appeared to score into the empty net with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. However, a successful offside challenge by Nashville took the goal off the board to keep the score at 3-1.

Alex Killorn successfully scored into the empty net with 35 seconds remaining for the 4-1 final.

Comeback bid falls short as Flyers lose, continue to drop down NHL standings originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers made the Capitals sweat in the third period Thursday night.

But it wasn’t enough to take down the NHL’s best. John Tortorella’s club fell to Washington, 3-2, at Capital One Arena.

The Flyers went into the final stanza trailing 3-0. Ryan Poehling snapped the team’s drought of nine periods without a goal to draw it within two. Sean Couturier then made it a one-goal game with 2:36 minutes left.

The Flyers outshot the Capitals 16-2 in the third period and 28-16 on the night, but they couldn’t net the equalizer.

The Flyers (28-34-8) are 1-8-0 over their last nine games, a stretch in which they’ve been outscored 35-13. Since Jan. 23, Tortorella’s club has lost 16 of its last 22 games (6-14-2). Only the Sharks have fewer points than the Flyers over that span.

The Capitals (46-15-8) have 100 points and an NHL-leading .725 points percentage. The Flyers went 0-4-0 against Washington this season and gave up 4.25 goals per game.

They’re 5-15-4 against the NHL’s top-10 teams. Last season, they had 13 wins over top-10 clubs.

• Samuel Ersson finished with 13 saves.

Alex Ovechkin climbed one goal closer to passing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894. The 39-year-old made it 1-0 in the first period with career marker No. 888. He has scored 52 of those against the Flyers.

In the second period, the Flyers had a couple of turnovers that led to the Capitals taking control of the game.

Washington netminder Charlie Lindgren stopped 26 shots.

Travis Konecny had some great looks but couldn’t push one across. That’s how it has gone for the Flyers’ leading scorer. He has one goal and 10 assists in the last 23 games.

Matvei Michkov went a sixth straight game without a point.

• With 12 games left, the Flyers could fall into the bottom four of the NHL standings. While it wouldn’t be a good look for this season, it would help the Flyers’ 2025 NHL draft lottery odds.

The Flyers, 28th in the league’s 32-team standings, entered Thursday four points ahead of the Sabres, but Buffalo has three games in hand. The Flyers and Sabres have two more head-to-head matchups.

The Flyers were 24th in the NHL standings after they knocked off the Jets, 2-1, in a shootout on March 1.

• Rasmus Ristolainen missed a fourth straight game with an upper-body injury and is now considered week to week.

Garnet Hathaway hasn’t played in March as he recovers from a blindsided hit he took at the end of February.

• The Flyers have a back-to-back set this weekend when they visit the Stars on Saturday (2 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and Blackhawks on Sunday (3 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Alex Ovechkin is nearly the NHL’s top goal-scorer ever – and the likelihood he cements that status against Sidney Crosby continues to grow.

Ovechkin is seven goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. He scored again on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. After that, Washington has 13 games left in the regular season.

The big question is when he will break the record and who he will score against.

Ovechkin’s best odds to score his 895th goal is in the last four games of the season, according to Canada Sports Betting (CSB).

The Capitals play against the Columbus Blue Jackets twice, as well as the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins in those final four outings ahead of the post-season. 

CSB says Ovechkin has a 71-percent chance of snapping the record in the final game of the season against his longtime rival, Crosby and the Penguins. In all fairness, there is something poetic about resetting the all-time goal record with two of the best players of the last generation sharing the ice.

On a broader scale, Ovechkin will have to go through some elite goaltenders to build up his tally before the end of the regular season. The Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, Florida Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky and Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin are some of the goaltenders he may face along the way.

Ovechkin’s scored on Bobrovsky 16 times in his career and 12 times on Vasilevskiy. Only Marc-Andre Fleury’s allowed more goals to Ovechkin among active netminders, with 28.

In 53 games this season with Washington, Ovechkin has 35 goals and 57 points. He’s tied for fifth in the NHL in goals with Buffalo Sabres right winger Tage Thompson and Boston Bruins right winger David Pastrnak.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

NBA star LeBron James was seen wearing a Columbus Blue Jackets Stadium Series jersey at the Los Angeles Lakers game last night.

LeBron, an Akron, Ohio, native, made headlines when he was spotted sitting on the bench rocking the Blue Jackets jersey.

James has always been known for supporting other teams and athletes, but seeing him in a Blue Jackets jersey was especially cool—especially considering how this season has played out for Columbus after such a difficult offseason.

Looking good, LeBron. 😮‍💨

LeBron James sported a familiar @BlueJacketsNHL#StadiumSeries jersey last night... 👀 pic.twitter.com/4yt9235ELr

— NHL (@NHL) March 20, 2025

Before tonight’s game, Blue Jackets youngster Adam Fantilli returned the favor by wearing a Lakers jersey with James' name on the back.

Former Blue Jackets Defensemen Having Tough Time With New TeamFormer Columbus Blue Jackets blue liner David Jiricek is in a situation he is all too familiar with. He has been a healthy scratch for the last nine games for his new team, the Minnesota Wild. What Happened After Cam Atkinson Was Waived By The Tampa Bay Lightning?A few days before the NHL's trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Lightning put former Jackets great Cam Atkinson on waivers. Of course, this sent Columbus fans into a frenzy, begging GM Don Waddell to "bring him home."  Sean Monahan Back Soon? Sean Monahan, who was injured back on January 7th against the Pittsburgh Penguins, practiced with the main group today at Nationwide Arena. Does this indicate his return is close?

Two weeks ago, on March 6th, Ottawa Senators winger Fabian Zetterlund was a member of the San Jose Sharks, preparing for a game against the Colorado Avalanche. That night, Zetterlund played almost 19 minutes, took seven shots on goal, and scored his 17th goal of the season.

On Thursday night, Zetterlund is preparing for another game against the Avalanche, only now he's preparing as a fourth-line player. So far, the 25-year-old is averaging 9:43 of ice time with zero goals, zero points, and four shots on goal in his first five games with the Senators.

The deadline-day deal for Zetterlund and a fourth-round pick seemed at the time like an absolute steal. He was San Jose's leading goal scorer last year with 24 goals and only cost the Senators Zack Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor, and a second-round draft pick. That felt inexpensive, especially when viewed through the lens of a scoring upgrade for the top nine, maybe even the top six.

But Senators head coach Travis Green hasn’t yet viewed it that way. Green has had Zetterlund on the fourth line for each of his first five games in Ottawa.

His usage initially raised eyebrows in some circles, but since the Senators were in the middle of a winning streak, the assumption was that Zetterlund would eventually get his chance when the team cooled off. The Senators did cool off in Montreal on Tuesday night, losing 6-3 to the Canadiens and ending their six-game winning streak.

But at practice on Thursday morning, there was Zetterlund again, skating on the fourth line.

Green’s intent isn’t to bury Zetterlund, nor is it a reflection of his play. And he’s trying to keep the lines of communication open with the player.

“You know, I've had good conversations with him,” Green told the media after Thursday’s game-day skate. “Probably three times, I've just talked to him. The coaches have done a good job showing video. He's learning a lot on the fly, system-wise, different players. He's a younger player who hasn't played a whole lot in the league. And also, being patient—it’s not always easy.

“I think if we, as coaches, can have open dialogue with a player, it’d be different if we were saying, ‘Hey, we don’t like your play. You know, this is where you're slotted,’ but that's not the case.”

That said, despite an uninspiring effort in Montreal on Tuesday, Green doesn’t want to start tinkering with his lineup yet.

“Our team's been playing well, and (Zetterlund) is going to have to wait for more ice time. I'd like to get him some more ice time here and there. But that's the reality. We're also here to win every night. And it’s a fine line, making those decisions on who goes on the ice and who doesn't.”

Interestingly, Green’s strategy wasn't also applied to fellow newcomer Dylan Cozens, who arrived in Ottawa with fewer goals and points than Zetterlund. Cozens got here ice cold, with one point in his previous five games, all losses with the Sabres. His coach, Lindy Ruff, said the kid "just couldn't find his game."

What he found here was the second-line centre role and a boatload of power play time. As a result, Cozens has five points in six games as a Senator and now stands tied with Zetterlund at 36 points.

In a parallel universe, Green could have made Cozens his fourth-liner for his first five games to ease him in and not mess with a winning formula, just as he has with Zetterlund. When Cozens arrived, the Sens had just pulled five out of a possible six points out of their previous three games. Centre Shane Pinto had three goals in those three games and could have easily moved up until further notice.

We know now that it's good that Green didn't choose that route. So why is he choosing it with Zetterlund? Zetterlund isn’t here to be a fourth-liner, nor is he particularly well-suited for the role.

And while having plug-and-play scoring depth in the event of a slump or injury is a nice notion in theory, the Sens are playing with fire in assuming Zetterlund will be unfazed by any of this. They're trusting that he can flick the switch on command when they finally move him up and give him a chance.

That's a lot easier said than done, but hopefully, for the Sens' sake, he can.

Because the longer the player goes without providing secondary scoring, the more people will start to wonder why they bothered to make this trade.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.

While some big trades at the NHL trade deadline had immediately positive results, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers isn’t one of them.

Laughton has yet to produce a point in six games as a Leaf, and his role diminished on Wednesday as Max Domi improved his play. Leafs coach Craig Berube cut Laughton’s minutes on Wednesday night against Colorado. Laughton played just 11:13 – his lowest time-on-ice total since Dec. 8.

Laughton's current woes must be humbling as someone who averaged more than 15 minutes of ice time as a Flyer before being traded to the Leafs. But not every trade will be an immediate success, and what matters most is how Laughton handles the transition to a new club and what he does by the playoffs.

“I think he’s trying to probably play the game without making mistakes, and he’s overthinking things instead of just playing,” Berube said of Laughton. “Just play. Be aggressive, do your thing, and that will come around. I do believe that. He wants to do well. He’s just got to loosen up and go play. Use your ability. You’re a good player. You’ve played in the league a long time. Just go play. I think he’s holding back a little bit. Just too safe, almost.”

When you don’t have any offense to point to, and when the Leafs are only 3-3 since the trade deadline, it’s easy to grow frustrated. 

Laughton’s under a huge microscope in Toronto, where every shift is hyper-analyzed, and Leafs fans constantly compare him to the best the Buds have had to offer.

But if Laughton can shut out the naysayers, he will work out of this funk and show everyone why Toronto GM Brad Treliving gave up a first-round pick and decent prospect in Nikita Grebenkin for his services.

Woll Or Stolarz: Who Should Be In Net For The Maple Leafs In The Playoffs? The Toronto Maple Leafs do not know who they will be playing if the playoffs were to start today. But regardless of the opponent, it appears they might finally have settled on a starting goalie for Game 1.

The Maple Leafs don’t need Laughton to do all the heavy lifting. They have Auston Matthews and John Tavares doing that by centering the top two lines. He just has to settle in – either at center on the third line or on the wing – and read the game.

Toronto beat the Calgary Flames and the Avalanche to regain second place in the Atlantic Division. That will set up the Leafs for a better position in the playoffs, where Laughton’s game best suits the team. 

Scoring isn’t his specialty, as his career highs are 18 goals and 43 points. He had 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games for the Flyers before the trade. But his two-way play, penalty-killing, physicality, flexibility between center and left wing and his hockey IQ are what the Leafs need in their bottom six. Since the trade deadline, he ranks second among Leafs forwards in blocked shots, with six, and he has 14 hits.

It’s a matter of time before Laughton fully acclimates to his home team.

“He’s from here, and he’s got a lot going on and people and everything else. You want to please, right,” Berube said. “You’ve got to forget about pleasing and play and do your thing. You’re a good player. That’s why you’re in the National Hockey League for a long time.”

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This year’s NHL rookie class is giving hockey fans a thrilling Calder Trophy race.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf solidified themselves as the likely finalists for the award, despite some very impressive seasons from other freshman NHLers. We ranked that trio last month, but the rest of the class deserves some attention this time. 

Let’s take a look, in no particular order, at the rest of the rookie class for the 2024-25 NHL season.

Matvei Michkov, RW, Philadelphia Flyers

67 games, 20 goals, 27 assists, 47 points

Michkov is exactly what the Flyers hoped for. He’s been an offensive dynamo with improved two-way efforts despite some inconsistent moments throughout the year. The relationship with coach John Tortorella has been about as good as they could have hoped, with some tough love.

Michkov has shown some really impressive moments of relentless off-puck play to blend with his elite skill. Only Celebrini has scored more goals this season among the rookie crop, with 21.

Despite Appearances, Tortorella Loves Coaching Flyers Rookie StandoutIf you’ve watched the Philadelphia Flyers this season, you wouldn’t be faulted for believing that John Tortorella has had a miserable time coaching rookie Matvei Michkov.

Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks

68 games, 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points

Gauthier hit his stride in the second half of the season. He’s tied with Will Smith and Huston for the lead in rookie scoring since the 4 Nations Face-Off, with 12 points in 14 games.

Gauthier began to adapt to the pace of the NHL game, and he’s ascended the lineup for the Ducks as of late. The Philadelphia Flyers’ fifth-overall pick in 2022, whose trade request was granted last year, is a heavy shooter who could be a sneaky good breakout candidate for next season. He will likely reach a 40-point rookie campaign. 

Will Smith, C, San Jose Sharks

60 games, 13 goals, 22 assists, 35 points

Smith has always been known for his dynamic playmaking, and it’s starting to show up in the NHL. He’s also tied for second among rookies in goals since the 4 Nations Face-Off, with five in 11 games.

While San Jose sits at the bottom of the standings, the vibes around the franchise are immaculate, thanks in part to their young stars, Smith and Celebrini. 

There is still plenty of room to grow, and finding out if Smith will be a full-time center in the long term will be a work in progress, but his growth from October to today is promising. 

Logan Stankoven, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

63 games, 10 goals, 21 assists, 31 points

Stankoven is one of the most energetic and high-motor rookies in the rookie class, and he was the key piece heading back to the Hurricanes in the Mikko Rantanen trade with the Dallas Stars.

With 29 points in 59 games in Dallas and two points in four contests since the trade, Stankoven needs some time to get used to his new surroundings. We may not see him be fully comfortable until next season, but his style of play should fit right in with the Hurricanes. Tenacious and skilled, Stankoven should be a key contributor in the middle-six for the Hurricanes into the playoffs.

Logan Stankoven And The Harsh Realities Of An NHL TradeIt sometimes gets lost in all of the noise, how much a trade can impact a player.

Marco Kasper, C/LW, Detroit Red Wings

63 games, 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points

The Red Wings have needed a player who can play up and down the lineup and help elevate those around him by being flexible from a stylistic standpoint. 

Kasper has played on the left wing on the top line alongside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin or down the middle with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. He’s played down the lineup in a defensive role and meaningful minutes on the penalty kill. 

Kasper doesn’t have the eye-popping counting stats to get into the Calder conversation, but he’s been excellent overall.

Drew Helleson, D, Anaheim Ducks

42 games, four goals, six assists, 10 points

The fact that Helleson doesn’t put up points will always make him a secondary or tertiary part of the conversation among Anaheim’s young talent, but his steady defense should be appreciated.

Helleson plays a physical game and doesn’t try to do too much with the puck. He tracks play well in his own end and moves the puck to skilled teammates effectively. He’s found a way to be a positive influence on the ice with a bad team. He and Gauthier are tied for the team lead in goals-for percentage at 54.45 and 54.47, respectively, according to evolving-hockey.com. 

Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Florida Panthers

59 games, 13 goals, 12 assists, 25 points

The Panthers are unsurprisingly one of the NHL’s best teams this season, but the back half of their season is full of injury troubles. Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t played since the 4 Nations Face-Off, and new acquisition Brad Marchand hasn’t suited up for the team, either. 

That’s given Samoskevich the chance to move up the lineup, and the highly skilled right winger has looked fantastic. His puckhandling and energy have been a nice addition to the top six and top power-play unit. He’s been a dual-threat offensive presence that will likely end up down the lineup come playoff time, giving the Panthers the depth needed to win the Cup (again).

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