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The Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight, with both teams well outside the playoff picture and already looking ahead to the 2026–27 season.

Rookie Matvei Gridin has provided a spark for Calgary, and he headlines my top Blues vs. Flames predictions and NHL picks for Wednesday, March 18. 

Blues vs Flames prediction

Blues vs Flames best bet: Matvei Gridin Over 0.5 points (+120)

Calgary Flames rookie Matvei Gridin is finding his NHL footing and has marked the scoresheet in four of his past six games.

The Russian cracked the CHL All-Rookie Team last year while averaging 1.41 points per game in the QMJHL, and he followed it up with 30 points across 37 AHL games this season before being promoted to the highest level.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues have surrendered a healthy 3.39 goals per road game and rank 23rd in expected goals percentage at five-on-five on the highway.

Blues vs Flames same-game parlay

Calgary is a respectable 16-12-4 at home, and the Flames have covered the puck line in 16 of their last 25 home games (+7.50 Units / 17% ROI), while the Blues sport a 12-18-3 road record.

In addition to both teams trending to the Under recently, Calgary has scored the fewest goals per game (2.46), and St. Louis sits 28th (2.63).

As a result, I'm anticipating a close, low-scoring game tonight.

Blues vs Flames SGP

• Flames +1.5
• Under 5.5
• Matvei Gridin Over 0.5 points

Blues vs Flames odds

• Moneyline: Blues -125 | Flames +105
• Puck Line: Blues -1.5 (+195) | Flames +1.5 (-240)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-115) | Under 5.5 (-105)

Blues vs Flames trend

Calgary has covered the puck line in 16 of its last 25 home games (+7.50 Units / 17% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Flames.

How to watch Blues vs Flames

Blues vs Flames latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Back in late December, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired forward Philip Tomasino from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Egor Zamula. Zamula's time in Pittsburgh ended up being incredibly short, though, as he had his contract terminated and signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in early January.

Since being acquired by the Flyers, Tomasino has played for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 28 games with the AHL club so far, he has recorded five goals, 13 assists, and 18 points. 

Yet, as the season carries on, it is clear that Tomasino has been heating up with Lehigh Valley. 

Tomasino is currently on a four-game point streak with the Phantoms, where he has one goal and three assists over that span. He also has 11 points over his last 12 games with Lehigh Valley, so there is no question that he has been making an impact offensively. 

If Tomasino can continue to produce solid offense like this for the Flyers, perhaps it could open the door for the 2019 first-round pick to get a chance on their NHL roster. Just last season, he had 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games with the Penguins after being acquired from the Nashville Predators, so he has shown that he can produce some decent secondary offense at the NHL level. 

Bruins must ride Swayman to bolster chance at making playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins entered Wednesday in the first wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference thanks to a regulation wins tiebreaker advantage over the Detroit Red Wings. Both teams have earned 82 points from 68 games.

Keeping that postseason spot could prove very difficult for the B’s from now through the April 14 regular season finale.

The Bruins have a slim one-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and a five-point edge on the Ottawa Senators in the wild card race. The Blue Jackets have one game in hand on Boston, while the Senators have two.

Boston’s margin for error in this tightly contested playoff battle is extremely small. The Blue Jackets and Senators aren’t going away. Columbus has taken at least a point from 10 straight games. Ottawa is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games.

With points at an absolute premium, the Bruins need to rely on their No. 1 goalie to carry them back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Bruins have 14 games remaining, including two back-to-backs, and Jeremy Swayman should start almost every single one of them.

Swayman has been the Bruins’ best player this season. He has bounced back nicely from a difficult 2024-25 campaign. The 27-year-old netminder has a 26-14-4 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA.

Those numbers don’t look elite, but if you dig deeper, it’s easy to see how impressive he has played this season.

The Bruins have given up the second-most high-danger scoring chances in the league, per Natural Stat Trick. They also rank 30th in shots allowed and 26th in scoring chances allowed. Swayman has faced 376 high-danger shots this season, which is the third-most of any goalie. He has an impressive .827 save percentage on those shots.

Swayman ranks third among all goalies with 22.8 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. His 3.80 wins above replacement is also third-best among netminders. His 30 quality starts are the third-most and trails the league leader, Andrei Vasilevskiy, by two.

The bottom line is the Bruins are defending poorly, which has forced Swayman to thwart a ton of Grade A scoring chances by the opposition, and so far he has more than stepped up to the challenge.

If Swayman played on a team that defended at a high level, he might be the Vezina Trophy favorite right now. And honestly, he’s still making a case to be a finalist for the award despite playing on a bad defensive team.

Look at Tuesday night’s loss in Montreal, for example. The Canadiens tallied 25 high-danger chances — the most the Bruins have allowed in any game this season. Montreal’s expected goals scored was five, but Swayman allowed only three (two in regulation).

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

There’s not much to suggest the Bruins will suddenly become a consistently good defensive team over the final 14 games, and that’s a huge reason why Swayman needs to play almost all of the remaining matchups. He set a career-high last year with 58 starts. He’s made 44 starts this season, so it’s not like he’s been overworked. And after playing only one game for Team USA during the three-week Olympic break in February, he shouldn’t be fatigued.

Another reason to play Swayman most of the remaining games is backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo cannot be trusted to give the Bruins a chance to win on a consistent basis. Korpisalo has allowed four or more goals in four of his last five starts, and he’s on pace to finish with a save percentage below .900 for the third consecutive season. He has a .888 save percentage with 27 goals allowed in his last seven games.

The Bruins have the league’s toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon. Seven of their last 14 games are against playoff teams and eight are on the road. The Bruins play the Red Wings on Saturday and the Blue Jackets twice more in Columbus. They also play the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning twice.

The Bruins need to play their best hockey of the season over the next month to secure a playoff spot. Every point is critical.

Swayman is the sixth-highest paid goalie in the league and he’s performing at an elite level. It’s time for the Bruins to rely on him almost every game the rest of the way. If that means starting 12 (or more) of the last 14 games, so be it.

Recently, the Montreal Canadiens’ defensive woes have been at the forefront of their press coverage. Not that it’s a new issue, it’s been there all season long, but when you’re winning, or you can pin the loss on the goaltender, it’s not as obvious.

In their two losses against the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks over the weekend, Martin St-Louis’ men committed a whopping 40 giveaways. When you turn the puck over to the opponent and find yourself having to flip to defence mode in an instant, you’re more likely to commit mistakes in your reads or your coverage, and that’s exactly how the Canadiens lost those two games.

Canadiens’ Caufield Scores 40 And Makes History
Canadiens Score Big Win Against Divisional Rivals
Heartbreaking News For Canadiens’ Forward

On Tuesday night, the Canadiens cut down on turnovers. Through 40 minutes, they had only committed six, and they ended the game with 11. Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle were separated after being on the ice for the Ducks’ game-winner on Sunday, with the sophomore skating with Jayden Struble while Guhle was paired with Alexandre Carrier.

While the defensive play was better, it wasn’t perfect. The Habs’ difficulty with the man-to-man defensive coverage was particularly evident on the Boston Bruins’ second goal. Struble had his man, but Hutson and Oliver Kapanen went for the same man, Viktor Arvidsson, leaving Pavel Zacha, who had scored the Bruins’ first goal, to skate unhindered to Jakub Dobes’ net and be in perfect position to convert on Arvidsson’s pass.

Confused defensive coverage is once again at the heart of a goal against.

Bruins are up 2-1. pic.twitter.com/vSi4XUmCGz

— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 18, 2026

Throughout the season, the Canadiens have outscored their issues. They simply scored so many goals that it didn’t matter that they allowed so much because they were able to run up the score. The problem with that is when you get to the playoffs, or even nearer to the playoffs, as we are now, teams tighten up, and they play a more defensive game. You can’t outscore fundamental defensive flaws in the playoffs.

At this stage of the season, it’s too late for a complete overhaul of the defensive system, but Martin St-Louis has to be aware that there’s a lot of work to be done there. While on paper the system works, it means that on the ice, players need to make the right reads in a split second. That’s easier said than done, and if a player like Oliver Kapanen with such a high hockey I.Q. can make a mistake, anybody can. On Tuesday, instead of sticking with his man, the Finn stopped and was drawn to the puck carrier who Hutson already had. 

Of course, it’s impossible to play a perfect game in which you make no mistakes, but if the Canadiens want to get to the playoffs and play more than the five games they had last season, they need to tidy things up as a matter of urgency. 

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The Ottawa Senators are playing their best hockey of the season and look to inch closer to a playoff berth with a win over the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Wednesday, March 18.

My top Senators vs. Capitals predictions and NHL picks are calling for Ottawa to do just that and top Washington tonight.

Senators vs Capitals prediction

Senators vs Capitals best bet: Senators moneyline (-125)

The Ottawa Senators are putting together a postseason push with an active 11-2-2 record while ranking fourth in Corsi For percentage and second in expected goals percentage at 5-on-5.

It’s a different story for the Washington Capitals, with respective ranks of 25th and 20th during the same stretch.

Additionally, I also value Sens starter Linus Ullmark going 7-1-2 with a respectable 4.12 goals saved above expected since returning to action.

Senators vs Capitals same-game parlay

A key to success during Ottawa's heater has been excellent defense, with the Sens allowing the fewest goals per game (2.13) and third-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. 

Plus, the Capitals have played to the Under in 10 of their last 12 games (+7.95 Units / 61% ROI).

Sens winger Drake Batherson rounds out the same-game parlay, as he continues to be mispriced in the points market. He’s found the scoresheet in six of his past eight games to climb to an impressive 3.19 points per 60 minutes.

Senators vs Capitals SGP

• Senators moneyline
• Under 6.5
• Drake Batherson Over 0.5 points

Senators vs Capitals odds

• Moneyline: Senators -125 | Capitals +115
• Puck Line: Senators -1.5 (+185) | Capitals +1.5 (-225)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)

Senators vs Capitals trend

The Washington Capitals have hit the Under in 10 of their last 12 games (+7.95 Units / 61% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Capitals.

How to watch Senators vs Capitals

Senators vs Capitals latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

March 16th, 2002, started just like any other day. That night, the Columbus Blue Jackets were playing the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena, and I would be there. Little did we know how bad the day would turn out for one family though.  

The Jackets would beat the Flames 3-1 that night. Geoff Sanderson scored, Cole Sillinger's dad Mike would score, and Ray Whitney would put on a show, scoring a goal and getting two assists. 

The game also had some legends playing. Players like Bob Boughner, Jarome Iginla, Marc Savard, Craig Conroy, and Craig Berube were playing for the Flames. The Jackets had Jody Shelley, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Kevin Dineen, Mike Sillinger, and Rusty Klesla playing. It was the O.G. days of CBJ hockey for sure. 

That night I sat in section 219, staring down at the attack twice net for the Flames. Midway through the second period, Norwegian forward Espen Knutsen took a harmless shot that was deflected way up into the stands behind Columbus goalie Ron Rugnutt. That happened a lot, with pucks flying into the stands. You can usually see the ushers walking down to where the puck landed and giving a thumbs-up if everyone is okay. 

But on this one, someone was hurt. A few minutes later, you could see what looked to be a teenage girl walking with a coat pressed to her head, and leaving. Usually, that means the puck drew blood and that they were going to get patched up. The game continued, the Jackets won, and fans went home happy. 

Little did we know though, that the young girl who was struck, suffered a skull fracture and had been taken by ambulance to Children's Hospital in downtown Columbus. Reports say that she suffered a seizure and was kept for observation. She seemed to be doing fine according to reports, even still holding the puck that hit her while sitting in her hospital bed. 

The hospital performed a CT Scan on Brittanie but failed to see that she had a torn vertebral artery, which resulted in severe clotting, causing her brain to swell. On March 18, 2002, young Brittanie Cecil passed away at 5:15 PM after developing a high fever and losing consciousness. She was just 13 years old. She died two days before her 14th birthday. 

When the local news and newspapers reported Brittanie's passing, fans in Columbus and around the league were shocked. How could this happen? What could be done to prevent this? 

Jackets forward Espen Knutsen said about the incident, "I think about it all the time. It was a terrible accident, and I cannot get it off my mind." Knutsen was given the option of sitting out the next game but chose to play. Reports say that Knutsen was sobbing in the Columbus locker room after he heard of Cecil's passing. 

"I'm not sure what being haunted by something really means, but if it means feeling the pain of what happened to that little girl all these years, feeling so bad for her family, wanting to tell them how sorry I am, then I guess that's what this is for me," Knutsen told the Columbus Dispatch in 2010. Former CBJ head coach Dave King said, "That incident ended his career. Espen was a wonderful person, and he had talent. But he was never the same player after that." King also said, "He was beyond consoling, and that was for weeks and weeks."

Knutsen, who had two stellar seasons for the expansion Jackets, scoring 22 goals and totaling 95 points, was never the same. In the next two seasons, he played just 45 games, mainly due to injury. He would retire in 2005 after playing just 211 NHL games. 

Flames defenseman Derek Morris said, "You try to say, 'It happens all the time,' but you can't. I don't know how many times pucks get deflected over the glass, but it doesn't make it any better. You can always say, 'It's not my fault,' but you always feel like it is, a little." Morris would go on to play 1107 NHL games over 16 seasons. 

In the aftermath of Cecil's death, the NHL implemented certain safety measures to prevent something like this from happening ever again. Gary Bettman ordered that glass be a standardized height in all arenas, and also protective netting be added to prevent high-speed pucks from going into the stands. Nowadays, most fans don't even notice the netting, as it has just become part of the experience. 

Cecil's family would set up The Brittanie Nichole Cecil Memorial Scholarship Fund. Per their website -  "The Fund will award scholarships to graduating seniors of Hilliard Darby and Twin Valley South High Schools who wish to become the best person they can be."

On this date, March 18th, we remember young Blue Jackets fan Brittanie Cecil, who would be 38 years old on March 20th.

Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets are back at home to face off against the New York Rangers on Thursday. 

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Nathan MacKinnon leads all players in shot attempts and shots on target, making it no surprise he’s also pacing the league in goals.

He scored in both games against Dallas this season, and my Stars vs. Avalanche predictions have him finding the back of the net again.

Let’s get into my NHL picks for Wednesday, March 18.

Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, with the game airing on TNT. 

Stars vs Avalanche prediction

Stars vs Avalanche best bet: Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal (+100)

Nathan MacKinnon lives to play the Dallas Stars. They have been a top-tier contender for years, and yet MacKinnon has still found a way to score in eight of the past nine head-to-head meetings, including six straight.

MacKinnon has generated 45 shots on goal and 78 attempts over those nine games. That’s an average of 5.0 shots and 8.66 attempts, better than his normal outputs, which were already elite.

With the last change in the Colorado Avalanche's back pocket, head coach Jared Bednar will get MacKinnon extra shifts away from Dallas’ top defensive personnel.

Stars vs Avalanche same-game parlay

Cale Makar has logged 26+ minutes in five straight against Dallas and should be heading for another massive workload, given the stakes of this Central Division battle.

He has an assist in seven of the past 10 games MacKinnon has scored, and heavily correlates at 5-on-5 and on the power play.

Thomas Harley blocked multiple shots in 16 of 20 games vs. Top-10 shot-generation teams. He has also blocked two or more in seven straight against Colorado.

Stars vs Avalanche SGP

• Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal
• Cale Makar Over 0.5 assists
• Thomas Harley Over 1.5 blocked shots

Stars vs Avalanche odds

• Moneyline: Stars +125 | Avalanche -145
• Puck Line: Stars +1.5 (-190) | Avalanche -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)

Stars vs Avalanche trend

Nathan MacKinnon has scored nine times over the last nine games against Dallas. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Avalanche.

How to watch Stars vs Avalanche

Stars vs Avalanche latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

By Michael Finewax, RotoWire.com

Welcome to the Yahoo fantasy hockey playoff primer to help prepare those who have made it into the postseason in your head-to-head leagues. I'm going to break down the schedule in all three rounds, as well as give you some tips.

Best of luck!

Maximizing Quarterfinal Matchups and Transactions

Week of March 23-29

4 Games - Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

3 Games - Anaheim, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Vegas, Washington, Winnipeg

—Chicago plays all four games on the road, while the New York Rangers play all four games at home.

—Anaheim, Dallas, Minnesota, New Jersey, San Jose, Seattle and Toronto play three games at home.

—Buffalo, Calgary, Nashville, the New York Islanders, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa Bay play three games on the road.

If you play in a league with weekly transactions, there isn't much strategy this week, as everyone plays three or four times. Playing the home schedule could work, but with such an even slate, it makes the most sense to just play your best players.

In daily transaction leagues, there is plenty that can be done this week. There are 64 games being played, with 53 occurring on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Chances are that most of your players are only playing on those three days.

The Rangers play all four games on off-days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, giving you a huge advantage if you can add extra Rangers to your lineup. One example is Braden Schneider, who is rostered in 9% of Yahoo leagues. Picking him off waivers should, on average, gain 19 points on the week, and that could be enough to put you over the top. Other Rangers to consider are Noah Laba (1% rostered) and Tye Kartye (1% rostered).

The Edmonton Oilers beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 Tuesday night at Rogers Place, and here are the standings explained.

Going into the game, Edmonton sat five points and two places above San Jose in the Pacific. Sounds comfortable, but the catch is the Sharks still have three games in hand, and that gap can close quickly. Kris Knoblauch put it plainly before puck drop.

"It's a four-point game. If we can win tonight, we're up seven. If they win, (we're up) three, that's quite a difference in the standings. And you know, if we're up seven, it's a nice cushion for us. We have to keep them behind us."

So now it's seven. But holding that lead is going to be a challenge, and the schedule is a big reason why.

 The Sharks have a better schedule than the Oilers down the stretch. The Oilers calendar reads as follows: Panthers, Lightning, Mammoth, Golden Knights, Ducks, Kraken, Blackhawks, Golden Knights again, Mammoth again, Sharks again, and finally the Kings on April 11. They can’t win them all (we think), but they have to win enough.

Conversely, the Sharks face a much more optimistic Sabres, Flyers, Predators, Blues, Blue Jackets, Blues again, Ducks, Maple Leafs, Predators again, Blackhawks, Oilers again, Ducks again, Canucks, Predators again, Blackhawks again, and Jets on April 16th. That’s 2 games against teams in the bottom 10 compared to nine for the Oilers and Sharks, respectively.

"Checking Our Way To Wins:" Oilers Game Plan In The Absence Of DraisaitlThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> don’t have the luxury of easing into this one.

That's the situation without Leon Draisaitl, who is out for the remainder of the regular season as the Oilers announced Tuesday afternoon.

"We're not gonna be able to score five every night, but it's nice when guys are feeling a part of it," began Zach Hyman post-game. "Nobody's gonna replace Leon. He's one of the best players in the world, so collectively as a group, everybody's got to raise their game, be a little bit better."

The Oilers managed fine on Tuesday. They outshot San Jose 37-30 and won over 54 percent of faceoffs, but the schedule ahead is considerably harder than the Sharks'.

Leon Draisaitl Out for the Remainder of the Regular SeasonThe Edmonton Oilers will have to play the remainder of the regular season without Leon Draisaitl.

San Jose also sits a point behind Seattle in the Wild Card race with a game in hand, and now sits behind the Oilers, Kraken, and LA Kings in the standings. That'll make Oilers fans feel better, but there's still plenty of time for things to change.

The Sharks have every reason to keep pushing, but the Oilers just made the remainder of the regular season slightly less dramatic.

The Wilkes-Barre Penguins endured a season-long losing streak of five games, which they finally put to an end by defeating Lehigh Valley last Saturday. Rutger McGroarty scored the opening goal in the 3-1 win to set the tone. McGroarty has produced five points in the five games during month of the March.

Sunday’s win was much needed to get back on the right track after previous losses last week to Hershey and those same LV Phantoms. From WBSPenguins.com:

Friday, Mar. 13 – PENGUINS 2 vs. Hershey 4
A five-minute lapse in the second period allowed the Bears to seize a 3-0 lead. The Penguins turned up the heat in the third, nearly staging an electrifying comeback. However, a tying tally never arrived after goals by Aidan McDonough and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard inspired hope.

Saturday, Mar. 14 – PENGUINS 3 vs. Lehigh Valley 4 (OT)
Lehigh Valley pulled off a stunning rally, erasing the Penguins’ 3-1 lead in the last 5:13 of regulation, then winning the game on a power-play in overtime. Both Joona Koppanen and Tanner Howe had two-point games relegated from the headlines as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton dropped its fifth game in a row.

Sunday, Mar. 15 – PENGUINS 3 at Lehigh Valley 1
The Penguins found redemption by clapping back against the Phantoms fewer than 24 hours later. Rutger McGroarty, Gabe Klassen and Owen Pickering all found the net for the Black and Gold to improve to 7-0-1-1 in its season series with Lehigh Valley.

Pickering’s empty net goal marked his sixth tally of the season, he had only two goals in 47 games last year with Wilkes. While not known for his offense, that’s a healthy uptick in goals this season for the 22-year old.

The games against Lehigh Valley were a nice reset from WBS’s recent trend of falling behind in games, as touched upon here last week, a trend that continued with falling behind against Hershey.

Here were the lines from the last game, Jack St. Ivany is back in Pittsburgh following his latest conditioning stint and Alexander Alexeyev has been returned to WBS after a short time on the NHL roster where he did not appear in any games with Pittsburgh. Tristan Broz remains out with an injury. A potentially good developing situation for Wilkes is that Avery Hayes was a healthy scratch in the NHL and could be further from playing after Sidney Crosby returns from his injury to boost the numbers of the Pittsburgh forward group. Pittsburgh made a paper move on deadline day to put Hayes on the AHL roster and maintain his eligibility to play in that league if they want him to send him back that option is open.

Clinching a playoff spot is all but a formality at this point, the magic number for WBS sits at one point gained by them or lost by Springfield and Bridgeport to officially punch their ticket. The bigger magic number to chase is 19 – any combination of those points gained by Wilkes or lost by Charlotte ensures a second place finish with 12 games remaining in WBS’s regular season.

The Penguins are waiting to see if Cruz Lucius will be signing with them and joining Wilkes for the remainder of the season. Lucius, named to the first team of the NCHC, had his college career wrap up recently with Arizona State after finishing 2025-26 as one of the nation’s top scorers with 46 points (15G+31A) in 36 games. Two of his teammates have signed contracts and turned pro but as of yet he has not. His options include staying to finish a degree and turning pro later this summer, either with the Penguins or waiting to become a summer free agent where he could sign with any NHL organization.

Up next is a rare Canadian road trip for the WBS Pens, with upcoming games against three North Division opponents in Laval, Belleville and Toronto. They should be clinching a playoff spot at some point on this trip and have the opportunity to get to work to solidify the important second seed.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche close out a brief two-game homestand Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena, with both teams arriving in Denver looking to respond after lopsided losses earlier in the week.

This marks the third of four regular-season meetings between the Central Division contenders. The season series has already produced two tightly contested matchups—Dallas edged Colorado 5–4 in a shootout on October 11, while Colorado returned the favor with a 5–4 shootout win in Texas on March 6.

Avalanche Searching for Response After Defeat

Colorado enters the matchup following a disjointed 7–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, a game that unraveled quickly and exposed rare defensive lapses for one of the league’s most structured teams.

Nathan MacKinnon provided one of the few bright spots, scoring his 45th goal of the season to briefly tie the game early in the first period. The tally further cemented his place among the NHL’s elite, making him just the sixth player in league history to record at least four consecutive 110-point seasons.

However, Colorado’s defensive breakdowns proved costly. Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins’ charge with two goals, while Pittsburgh capitalized on turnovers and coverage lapses to build a commanding lead before the first intermission.

Veteran defenseman Brent Burns reached a historic milestone in the loss, scoring his 271st career goal to pass Bobby Orr for seventh-most by a defenseman in NHL history. Still, the achievement was overshadowed by a game in which Colorado allowed seven goals on home ice—an outcome that sharply contrasts with the club’s typical defensive standard.

Despite the setback, the Avalanche remain driven by elite production across their core. MacKinnon continues to lead the NHL in goals (45) while sitting among the league leaders in both assists and total points. On the blue line, Cale Makar remains one of the most dynamic defensemen in hockey, ranking near the top of the position in goals, assists, and overall scoring. Meanwhile, Martin Nečas has been a consistent offensive force, sitting among the league’s top scorers with 81 points.

It will be worth monitoring how the Colorado Avalanche respond on the ice following the public comments from Nathan MacKinnon, who expressed clear frustration with how head coach Jared Bednar has recently structured the lines.

This is hardly an ideal moment for internal tension to surface, particularly with the Central Division race tightening and the Dallas Stars arriving in strong form. Dallas has been one of the league’s hottest teams, with just one regulation loss in its last 10 games, adding further weight to an already high-stakes matchup.

Stars Also Reeling After Defensive Breakdown

Dallas arrives in Denver facing similar urgency after a 6–3 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Monday. Like Colorado, the Stars struggled defensively, surrendering four third-period goals in a game that slipped away late.

Jason Robertson continues to pace Dallas offensively, leading the team with 80 points while maintaining his role as one of the league’s most consistent scoring threats. Wyatt Johnston has emerged as a major contributor as well, leading the club in goals and providing secondary scoring depth that has been critical throughout the season.

On the back end, Miro Heiskanen anchors the Stars’ blue line, combining high-end playmaking ability with heavy minutes in all situations.

High-Stakes Meeting Between Contenders

The matchup presents a pivotal opportunity for both teams to reestablish momentum as the regular season enters its final stretch. Colorado has historically held the edge in the series, owning a 56-40-8-12 record in 116 regular-season meetings, though recent matchups have been tightly contested and often decided beyond regulation.

MacKinnon, in particular, has consistently produced against Dallas, totaling 51 points in 46 regular-season games, while Makar has also been highly effective in the matchup from the blue line. Nečas has added steady contributions of his own, further underscoring Colorado’s offensive depth against a familiar opponent.

With both clubs positioned as legitimate postseason contenders and separated by little in terms of overall talent, Wednesday’s game carries the intensity of a potential playoff preview. Clean execution, defensive structure, and discipline—areas both teams struggled with in their most recent outings—will likely determine which side regains its footing.

Montreal Canadiens’ sniper Cole Caufield wasn’t on goal-40 watch for long. After scoring his 39th goal of the season on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, the talented winger notched his 40th of the season in overtime to give the Habs a much-needed win over the Boston Bruins.

The diminutive winger is the first player to score 40 goals in a season with the Sainte-Flanelle since Vincent Damphousse did it in 1993-94, back when seasons had 84 games. The Quebecer only managed to reach that number once over the course of his career, and in an interview with The Gazette, he explained:

I’m surprised it has taken that long. I thought I was going to do it again. I did it in ’94, and I thought it was going to be more of a trend for me. It’s difficult, and it just shows how hard it is. You’ve got to be in good health. You’ve got to be consistent throughout the year. You can’t have too many slumps. You’ve got to go on hot streaks once in a while because there’s going to be some cold spells. But if you limit your time when you’re struggling, you can get it done. Consistency is the key.

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As for coach Martin St-Louis, he said:

Cole is able to score goals, but I really liked the rest of his game tonight. When he plays like that, he can have more scoring opportunities. […] All of his life before he got here, he played with the puck. In the NHL, the game is played without the puck; there are defensive moves you have to make, and you defend not with one or two players, but as a group. There are actions you have to take on the ice so that your team sees more of the puck. When you do that, your team has the puck more when you’re on the ice, you’re going to get more touches, and it creates a domino effect. There’s a hockey game to play, and it’s more than just scoring goals.

Asked what has to happen in a season for a player to score 40 goals, the coach explained:

It’s not just one thing. Sometimes, things start way before the season, and what you do to prepare yourself for a season, especially in today’s game, is crucial. If you want to have the opportunity to score that many goals, you need to have a certain amount of ice time, and it’s hard to get that ice time if your coach doesn’t feel confident when you’re on the ice on the other side of the puck. It takes a certain level of commitment for a player to understand that. Cole understood that. “ It’s been a while since we got a 40-goal scorer," I was 18 years old, St-Louis said, giving the media a wink. It doesn’t make me feel any younger, but I’m proud to be able to see it with my own eyes from the bench. […] I’m very happy for him, for the fans, for the organization.

While he was talking about Caufield, you can also find the rationale behind not playing Patrik Laine in that quote. Whichever way you look at it, the Canadiens’ game has progressed to such an extent that they now want to win and can no longer allow a player who can’t play up to those defensive standards to make the lineup. It's a shame for the big Finn, but that's the reality of it, and Kirby Dach being out for two to four weeks won't change that. 

As for the man of the hour, Caufield got a bit emotional as he was interviewed by Marc Denis on the ice after the game and received a raucous ovation, you could see it hit him right in the feels and when Denis asked him what his next target was now that he had 40-goal, whether he would go for 50, he said that 41 was the next target.

Speaking to the media in the dressing room, he stayed humble, saying that his scoring 40 says a lot about the direction the team is headed and that it’s the right direction.

He also added:

A lot of work goes into that, a lot of great teammates and coaches, so it’s obviously a team sport, and that doesn’t happen without the guys in the room. I’m just lucky enough to be part of this group.

Speaking about his coach, he said:

It means a lot to have him on your side of things; it’s pretty special to have a guy like that be your coach and your mentor. He’s hard on us, and he wants the most out of us. It means a lot to see how much work he puts in with the coaching staff to get us heading in the right direction and give us a chance every night. Obviously, he’s done a lot for my full 200-foot game, I think maybe without that, you don’t get as many chances

By scoring that goal in overtime, Caufield also established a franchise record with 13 overtime goals (in both regular season and the playoffs), which belonged to Howie Morenz since 1936-37. And yes, there was regular-season overtime in Morenz’s days; the NHL discontinued regular-season overtime only in November 1942. The historical figure scored 13 overtime goals in 493 games with the Canadiens; Caufield needed only 378 games, which is rather impressive.

Cole Caufield

Sets Canadiens record for career Overtime goals (Regular season & playoffs) with 13, surpassing Howie Morenz#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/KlA76Bb15h

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 18, 2026

The Canadiens still have 15 games left in the regular season, and if we project his scoring pace over 81 games (since he missed one), it comes to 49 lamplighters, meaning the 50-goal mark is far from impossible.

Caufield still has five more years left on his contract with the Canadiens, meaning he could play another 420 games with the Habs (the season will be 84 games long starting next campaign). One has to wonder just how many goals he will have scored by then.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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After two consecutive defeats over the weekend, the Montreal Canadiens had put themselves in a bit of a pickle, and on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, they needed to get the two points against archrivals Boston Bruins. As if the game weren’t important enough already, it was also Brendan Gallagher’s 900th, a feat highlighted on the jumbotron, prompting the fans to give the Canadiens’ warrior a standing ovation, which was cut short by the linesman dropping the puck. Given the occasion, he could have waited a little longer.

GALLY! GALLY! GALLY!#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/FGxkgGN5lF

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 17, 2026

The game didn’t start like the Canadiens had intended, with Alexandre Carrier getting assessed a four-minute high-sticking penalty, which led to the Bruins taking a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard and an 8-1 lead in shots. The Sainte-Flanelle didn’t panic, however, and once they were back at even strength, they turned on the attack, but without being careless with the puck.

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The First Line Was Cooking

When the Canadiens need a win, you can always count on captain Nick Suzuki to rise to the challenge, and that’s exactly what he did. In the first 20 minutes, he had three shot attempts and was a constant nuisance for the Bruins’ defence, finding ways to get in close to Jeremy Swayman.

That’s how he tied up the game with assists from Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield, who looked like he really wanted that goal number 40 tonight. As for the Slovak, he made better decisions with the puck and limited the no-look back passes, which were regular occurrences over the weekend.

The three players combined for 24 shot attempts on the night, 10 of which made it to the Swayman. Watching them buzz around the offensive zone, it wasn’t surprising to see Caufield score the game-winner, his 40th goal of the season, a feat last accomplished 32 years ago in Montreal by Vincent Damphousse.

COLE CAUFIELD.

40 BUTS • 40 GOALS #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/909kUvvTl8

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 18, 2026

Gallagher Doing His Thing

It’s been established that Gallagher cannot be as effective as he once was, but with a limited role and load management, he can still deliver. After 40 minutes on Tuesday night, he had only seen 6:01 of action across nine shifts and had delivered a game-leading five hits on top of getting an assist on Anderson’s game-tying goal in the second frame.

In his own way, he can still be the spark plug that he once was, but you have to use him at the right time and in the right situation, which Martin St-Louis appears to be doing right now. Getting a point in his 900th game, against the Bruins as well, was the perfect way to mark the occasion.

The diminutive player with a big heart ended his work night with 10:37 of ice time, 6 hits, 2 shots, and a blocked shot. The perfect proof of the heart he has on the ice came in the third frame when he landed a hit on Hampus Lindholm. The 6-foot-4 and 217-pound blueliner ended up on his backside behind the net as if a giant had hit him. But no, it was the 5-foot-9 and 185-pound alternate captain that took him down. When you play like Gallagher, size does not matter.

Asked about Gallagher’s big milestone after the game, Martin St-Louis explained:

When you play somewhere for that long, it says a lot about your character, the human side, the presence you bring; it’s about more than just what you do on the ice. You look at how he entered the league (a fifth-round pick), how he found a spot, and the way he plays, it’s galvanizing. He has a galvanizing energy; he gives his all, and he deserves it. It’s not easy to play 900 games in the NHL; not many do it (Gallagher is the 13th player to play 900 games with the Habs). And the way he has played those 900 games? It’s a lot of effort; he doesn’t stay on the perimeter; he’s right there in the blue paint, he takes the big hits, he’s a warrior…the way he plays, it’s not easy to make it to 900 games. I tip my hat to him, and I’m really proud of him.

Two Game Savers

While the Canadiens skated away with the two points tonight, they easily could have gone home empty-handed if Jakub Dobes didn’t make some big, timely saves. The Czech netminder faced 28 shots and saved 26 of them for a .929 save percentage. Late in the third, after a bad change at the Canadiens’ bench, he had to pull off a tough breakaway save.

Over the weekend, Lane Hutson didn’t play his best hockey, but on Tuesday night, paired with Jayden Struble, he looked much better. He spent 21:41 on the ice, had seven shot attempts, even though only one made it to Swayman, and finished the night with a pair of assists, including one on the overtime game-winner.

However, one of his defensive plays saved the day. During extra time, he had to defend a two-on-one, and he slid at just the right time to poke the puck and kill the play. Had he not done that, the Canadiens might not have had two points.

Lane Hutson with a game-saving defensive play in OT at the end of a 2:20 mins shift tonight for the Habs pic.twitter.com/ssqyIMqHUq

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 18, 2026

The Habs will be back on the ice in Brossard on Wednesday before heading to Michigan to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (34-18-15, 83 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Carolina Hurricanes (42-19-6, 90 points, 1st place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and FanDuel Sports Network South, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are coming back to Pittsburgh for a three-game homestand, starting with a weekend back-to-back (Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets, Sunday against the Hurricanes, again) followed by a Tuesday rematch with the Avalanche (again).

Opponent Track: The Hurricanes had won four of their last six games before dropping a 5-1 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Season Series: The Pens and Canes have split this season series so far, with the Pens taking a 5-1 win at home on Dec. 30 before their 5-4 shootout loss back last week in Raleigh. This season wraps up with a rematch in four days in Pittsburgh.

Hidden Stat: The Penguins lead the NHL in goals from players who were new to the team this season with 81. The next closest is the Anaheim Ducks with 63. 

Getting to know the Hurricanes

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikloaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Nicolas Deslauriers

DEFENSEMEN

Jaccob Slavin / Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller / Sean Walker

Mike Reilly / Alexander Nikishin

Goalies: Brandon Bussi / Frederik Andersen

Potential scratches: Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body injury), Eric Robinson, Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Injured Reserve: Pyotr Kochetkov

• Brandon Bussi started last night against the Blue Jackets (he had 25 saves in the 5-1 loss), so it seems likely the Pens could be facing Frederik Andersen tonight.
• Andersen is riding a three-game win streak, most recently making 17 stops in the Canes’ 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. He has an 8-6-0 record in 16 career matchups against the Penguins, with a .919 save percentage, 2.53 GAA and two shutouts.
• Trade acquisition Nicolas Deslauriers made his Hurricanes debut on Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets. He lead the Canes with six hits and recorded a fight in the loss.
• Shayne Gostisbehere suffered a lower-body injury on March 6 and has yet to return to the Canes’ lineup.

Season stats
via hockeydb (does not include last night’s game)

• Andrei Svechnikov, who recorded the shootout winner last week against the Pens, has also scored in two straight games heading into Wednesday. He’s six goals shy of a new career goalscoring high.

• The Canes took a few early penalties and conceded a pair of power-play goals early in Tuesday night’s matchup with the Blue Jackets and were never able to recover from that early deficit. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game the Canes needed to do “everything” different against the Penguins.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Anthony Mantha – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Ville Koivunen – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea / Kris Letang

Ilya Solovyov / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Sam Girard, Ryan Graves, Kevin Hayes, Jack St. Ivany

IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Blake Lizotte

• A few bad pieces of news for the Penguins on Tuesday. First, that Blake Lizotte will miss the rest of the regular season:

• Second piece of bad news: the out-of—town scoreboard. The Columbus Blue Jackets won, the New York Islanders won, and the Boston Bruins went to overtime with the Montreal Canadiens.

• Sidney Crosby traveled with the team on this trip, so there’s still some hope he could get back in the lineup for the last game of the road swing tonight. Keep an eye out for who he’s taking line rushes with today in Raleigh.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

“Jack Hughes wants the Hockey Hall of Fame to give him the puck from his gold-medal-winning overtime goal for Team USA in the Milan Cortina Olympics, which is currently on display in Toronto. ‘I’m trying to get it. Like, that’s bulls— that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?’ Hughes told ESPN in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.” [ESPN]

Paul Cotter scored with just a few ticks left on the clock in overtime to push the Devils to a 4-3 win over the Bruins on Monday. [Devils NHL]

A look at a few of the positives that can be drawn from this mess of a season: [Devils’ Advocates]

Hockey Links

“George Parros stands by his decision on the Radko Gudas suspension, saying Tuesday he was ‘confident’’ in the outcome. ‘We came to it for good reason,’ the head of the Department of Player Safety said in a media availability before Day 2 of the NHL GM meetings. ‘When we evaluate these plays, we look at the play and not the players. If we determine that play was worthy of supplemental discipline, we then look at history of the players involved and if there is an injury or not. This is how we come to make all of our decisions. We did this and made this decision under those circumstances, felt that this was the appropriate response and so I stand by it.’” [The Athletic ($)]

“This was George Parros standing up for himself and his teammates, which he has commendably made a career of doing. The former pugilist, who’s now in his eighth season as senior vice president of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, had no choice but to do it after the league’s biggest superstar, Connor McDavid, justifiably called into question the process of how supplemental discipline is meted out.” [Sportsnet]

Brutal news for the Oilers:

Speaking of the Oilers: “It was supposed to be Tristan Jarry starting critical games for the Oilers, who traded for him in December under the premise that he was an upgrade over Stuart Skinner. Instead, it has backfired spectacularly. Jarry, who allowed a career-worst seven goals against the Dallas Stars in his most recent start, has been the NHL’s worst goaltender over the past three months.” [Sportsnet]

“Whether Russia and its collection of NHL stars will be invited to the 2028 World Cup of Hockey remains very uncertain. ‘We’re going to see how things develop. Time will tell,’ NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday at the GM meetings in Florida. ‘There isn’t an immediate need or urgency to make that decision, so let’s see how things play out.’” [ESPN]

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