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LA Kings Miss Crucial Chance At Home-Ice Advantage In Loss To Canucks

The Los Angeles Kings (35-26-20) come up short against the Vancouver Canucks (25-48-8) after giving everything they had on the road; the home team capitalizes in overtime to stun the Kings' hopes of capturing home-ice advantage in the postseason. 

LA was fighting all night in this game from start to finish, trying to bury the Canucks, who had nothing to play for, but defensive lapses, struggles to win key faceoffs, and poor defensive zone coverage cost the Kings a 4-3 overtime loss. 

The game began with Vancouver taking an early advantage in the first period. At the 10:39 mark, the Canucks converted on the left point, beating Darcy Kuemper to give the Canucks the 1-0 lead. 

Vancouver got away with a moving screen up high, but the call would stand; Canucks up 1-0. 

It was just the second time in the last five games that LA has given up a goal in the first period. In the midst of the King's five-game winning streak, defense has been its greatest strength, but they got off to a slow start. 

The Kings looked too comfortable out there after officially clinching a playoff spot on Monday; they didn't look as motivated to get off to a good start, which allowed Vancouver to get on the board quickly. 

At one point, the Kings went 15 minutes without even generating a shot on goal. And that shot on goal that ended LA's drought was a goal in transition with Alex Laferriere leading the 2-on-2 rush to find Quinton Byfield for the goal, tying the scoreboard 1-1. 

Byfield continues his red-hot scoring down the stretch of the final games of the season, heading into the playoffs. The first period was a pretty even match, despite LA's slow start. The Kings did a good job tying the game after 20 minutes. 

We entered the second period, where the offense would go red-hot for the Kings. After the Canucks converted on their power play goal to retake the lead 2-1 off a face-off win, it looked like the Kings were on upset alert.  

But, in a span of nearly a minute and a half, Los Angeles scored two goals to take their first lead of the game, 3-2. Nearly 12 seconds after Vancouver scored, Adrian Kempe scored the goal to tie the game at two. 

Kempe did a good job drawing Vancouver's defenders away from him after passing the puck to Anze Kopitar. Kempe got the puck back alone in the slot and beat Vancouver's goaltender to even up the game. 

Over a minute later, Drew Doughty's point shot was kicked in by Alex Laferriere on the rebound shot, giving LA the 3-2 advantage. After the Canucks took a one-goal lead, they took a brief defensive break, which led to those two quick goals by the Kings. 

Credit to Los Angeles for quickly amping it up after going down by one goal; they found a way to take a one-goal lead in a span of a minute. 

LA's biggest problem, though, was its defense and faceoff wins. Vancouver was winning key faceoffs that led to goals, and the Kings' zone defense was terrible in the second period. 

After a broken stick, LA lost track of the puck and the defender, allowing Vancouver to take advantage and score an easy shot in the slot, tying the score at 3-3. The Kings were not engaged at all in this game, especially defensively; there were too many lapses and errors that we haven't seen in a while, certainly not in the winning streak. 

Both teams were careless, turning the puck over in the second period, and had several chances to score on fast-break transitions, but couldn't capitalize. Just like the first period, the second ended with the game tied 3-3. 

LA had 15 shots in the second period after a measly four in the opening period, scoring two goals, but the defense and faceoffs struggled, giving up two goals and keeping Vancouver in the game. 

We entered the third period, and both teams were sluggish offensively, combining for four shots in the first seven minutes of the final frame. It was one of the quieter periods that the Kings have played this season; nothing was going their way offensively.  

Whichever team didn't make any mistakes and cleaned up their errors on offense was going to steal this game in the final minutes of regulation. The Canucks had nothing to lose here, while the Kings need this game. 

It would stay that way, forcing the game into overtime. It was the first time LA had gone to extra periods in over a week. 

In extra periods, Vancouver would call the game with under two minutes left, with nice puck movement to get an open look and score the game-winner, upsetting the Kings. 

Key Takeaways

Big missed opportunity for the Kings in tonight's loss to the Canucks. Despite earning a point and tying Anaheim for the three seed, the Kings could have earned two points; instead, they remained with 90 points. If LA earned two points today, they would've been in a clear position to gain home-ice advantage in the first round after Anaheim lost on Tuesday. 

Now, it looks like the Kings' first-round matchup will be against the Colorado Avalanche if Edmonton and Anaheim win their final game, leaving LA at the second wild-card spot. 

Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere both had a very good night on offense tonight, each recording one goal, one assist, and two points. 

Darcy Kuemper got his first start under the crease for the first time since April 4th. Kuemper was solid, finishing with 21 saves on 25 shots and making a couple of huge saves in the final period, but once again couldn't come up clutch when the game went to overtime.  

The Kings will have everything to play for in their last game of the season on Thursday against the Calgary Flames at 6:00 PM PT. 

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Penguins/Blues Recap: Pens fall 7-5 to end regular season

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 14: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Anthony Mantha (39) shots the puck past St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) for a goal during an NHL game where the St. Louis Blues hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday April 14th, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Pregame

It’s a very Game 82 lineup for the Penguins; there’s no Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Chinakhov, Rakell, Karlsson, Letang, Wotherspoon or Girard as all the top-6 forward/top-4 defenders set their sights on the playoffs. Recent signee Jake Livanavage makes his NHL debut and Rafael Harvey-Pinard makes his Penguin debut after toiling away all season in the AHL.

First period

The Blues are on their front foot for most of the first half of the period, taking control of the puck for the majority of the time but the Penguins weather that storm.

Rutger McGroarty gets the scoring started almost out of no where when an offensive draw by Kevin Hayes pops over to him and McGroarty quickly fires the puck by Jordan Binnington. 1-0 Penguins.

St. Louis gets the first power play of the game, right as it’s ending Avery Hayes pressures Logan Mailloux at the blueline and wins the puck away. Hayes is off to the races and snipes Binnington’s glove side to extend the lead to 2-0 on what offiically goes into the books as an even strength goal but really got started as a shorthanded play.

St. Louis was about to breakout on up to a 3-on-1 rush but Oskar Sundqvist can’t get the puck past Kevin Hayes. Hayes stretches to just barely keep the play onside and quickly moves it down to Anthony Mantha with the Blues out of sorts. Mantha adds to his career-high in goals with number 33 by blowing a shot by Binnington’s blocker. 3-0.

The Blues get on the board courtesy of Ilya Solovyov and Ryan Graves crossing their wires. Graves goes behind the net to make himself available as an option but the puck rolls off Solovyov’s blade to the middle of the ice. That’s trouble, a quick pass finds Jimmy Snuggerud wide open and he fires one by Stuart Skinner to bring the score to 3-1.

Good start for the Pens and the unrelated Hayes boys. Kevin nabs two primary assists, Avery scores a goal to help Pittsburgh to an early 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.

Second period

Elmer Soderblom with a power move for the ages. Ben Kindel gives the big guy a good pass and then he drives to the net with authority wearing the 6’1”, 204 pound defender Tyler Tucker like a cape. While that was happening, Soderblom managed to pull the puck through Michael Kesselring and around Binnington and slam it into the net. Wow. 4-1 Pens lead.

Sundqvist gets on the board to bring the Blues back to within two goals. Livanavage gets turned around and didn’t protect the middle of the ice on Alexey Torpochenko’s shot, Jack St. Ivany was shading over to help cover and Sundqvist was unmarked for the followup. Nothing egregious but certainly a ‘welcome to the NHL’ moment.

The goalfest continues and the Blues get within one goal. The Pens get running around on their defensive coverages a little bit and a fortunate St. Louis bounce has the puck end up on Mailloux’s stick. He wheels to the left, steps into space and shoots it in. 4-3.

The game gets pretty heated considering the non-existent skates, the Pens get a power play after Harvey-Pinard got mauled in front of the net. No dice. Later another post-whistle scrum puts Mantha in the penalty box and this time the Blues score on it to tie the game. Snuggerud nets his second of the night from right in front. 4-4 game.

Well, once down 3-0 and then 4-1, the Blues weren’t packing it up early by any means at home. They claw back to tie the game back up heading into the third period.

Third period

Arturs Silovs takes over at the start of the third. He makes a couple of nice saves then gives up a goal within five minutes. The play breaks down and Livanavage can’t step up to block a shot from Dylan Holloway. 5-4 Blues in front for the first time.

The collapse for the Pens continues, Binnington starts a breakout that catches Solovyov and Graves waaaay too wide when Graves makes a false step forward to pressure a guy he wouldn’t have got to if he had three more seconds. Pavel Buchnevich is the receipent with a breakaway and his shot hits the mark to the top corner of Silovs’ blocker. 6-4.

Dan Muse uses his timeout to settle things down and shout at his team a little, but it looks like that horse has already left the barn and cleared the field at this point.

The Pens get a power play, Avery Hayes scores just after it ends after a great individual effort that sees him get a zone entry, shot, and follows up on the rebound to knock it in off Binnington. 6-5 game.

Pittsburgh pulls the goalie to try and tie it up, doesn’t work when Holloway ices the game on an empty net goal with 1:43 to go and set the score at 7-5.

Some thoughts

  • Overall a fine debut from the youngster Livanavage to jump from college to the big time. He got a two-year entry level contract starting in 2025-26, so the first year was going away regardless but it was good to see him get a game in the big league. The scouting report was pretty accurate: he’s a great skater that can do a lot with puck retrievals. He’s very small (officially listed at 5’10, which must have been the same measuring tape that said 5’8 Max Talbot was 5’10). He made a few plays that show a nice defensive mindset going to tie up sticks of opponents on the backside of the play with a few choppy moments that are bound to happen along the way. Naturally he showed needing the learning curve that he can’t always hold pucks and skate out of danger in the top league and let the passing change the point of attack quicker than his legs, nothing unexpected. It’ll be interesting to see just how much he’ll be in the mix for an NHL lineup spot next preseason. One would think Livanavage still probably has some time in Wilkes-Barre in his future but this probably won’t be his only NHL appearance given the skillset.
  • This might be the end of the line for Kevin Hayes, great to see his perseverance rewarded with a couple of assists against one of his former teams. He handled this season impeccably despite what had to be the frustrations of barely getting to play.
  • Liked to see McGroarty score and noticed he was with the first group of some regular penalty killers (Acciari, Shea and Clifton). McGroarty’s immediate path ahead looks like a lower line winger, adding some PK work to his portfolio could be big for his progression as he aims to find a full-time NHL niche. Much of the same applies for Avery Hayes, who made a bigger impact with the short-handed group tonight. The overall game was meaningless for the team but these kinds of individual opportunities won’t be forgotten moving forward with how coaches and management see what happens with players like this getting some chances they otherwise wouldn’t.
  • Not to be outdone, Soderblom left a reminder that he’s going to be in the picture and take up a lot of room somewhere on the bottom lines next season too. It’s almost sacrilege to describe a goal as Lemieux-esque but the thought came to mind if only for a big guy paying no mind to a defender all over him and making a nice move to score. Someone like Chinakhov really set the bar high on impressive debuts as a castoff trade but Soderblom’s 5G+5A in 20 games from a low minute role exceeded expectations in a major way.
  • Loopy after midnight thought: gotta wonder if anyone in NHL history has ever scored two goals in the same game that came within five seconds of a PK ending AND five seconds after a power play ends like Avery Hayes did today.
  • Felt sorry Stuart Skinner had to be in there for this game, Silovs too for that matter. Not much the goalies could do on a lot of it with the breakdowns in front of a substandard defensive team. The Pens surely wanted to get Skinner some action before the start of the playoffs, today’s game didn’t lend itself to being a nice launching point for a goalie to go into the postseason. Putting Silovs in for the third period does prime an interesting angle for just which goalie will be playing the next game, though his performance was no better (and arguably worse). Hopefully the goalies can turn the page and not put too much stock in a write off game.
  • Speaking of that, not sure if the Penguins were out of their post-deadline recalls but maybe they should have thought of bringing up Joel Blomqvist or Sergei Murashov to play in this throwaway game. Obviously it makes sense of the benefit of getting the goalies in a rhythm and some playing time late, the trade off is putting them in an impossible situation where the bottom can drop out, which happened tonight. Both goalies already dealt with a three-week Olympic break, what’s a one week game break after that? Every other player of the team of significance got at least a game where they didn’t have to dress (apologies to Tommy Novak and Justin Brazeau), perhaps that strategy should have extended to the netminders too.
  • Gotta admit, it’s darkly humorous the Pens’ season ends blowing a three-goal lead. Not worth any consternation given that more than half the team was out, just made sense on some levels.
  • Getting season debuts from Livanavage and Harvey-Pinard put the total number of players to appear in a game for the Penguins at 40 this season, the most in the league this season. They had some injuries and certainly no hesitation about shuttling players in and out of the lineup all over the place. Now, ironically, they’ll hope for someone like Blake Lizotte to heal up soon and health for everyone else to get as much stability as they can for the rest of the way.

And now, we get to the good part. The Pens can take the rest of the week to gear up for their Saturday or Sunday home playoff game against the Flyers. Another regular season is in the books, thanks to all who have come along for the journey!

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Schmaltz scores 2 goals as Mammoth defeat Jets 5-3

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nick Schmaltz scored twice as the Utah Mammoth beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Tuesday night and secured the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Schmaltz scored his first goal for the Mammoth 4:54 into the second period on the power-play, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Dylan Guenther. He added a power-play goal 7:16 into the third, assisted by Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller.

JJ Peterka, Alexander Kerfoot and Cooley also scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves in the win for the Mammoth.

Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Isak Rosen also scored for the Jets. Gabriel Vilardi added two assists, and Eric Comrie had 31 saves for the Jets, who lost a third straight.

The Mammoth will face the winner of the Pacific Division in the first round of the playoffs, either the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers or Anaheim Ducks.

Up next

Mammoth: Host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday evening.

Jets: Host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday evening.

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

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

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Landeskog scores go-ahead goal to help the Avalanche to a 3-1 win over the Flames

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Gabriel Landeskog scored the go-ahead goal at 15:07 of the third period to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

The score was tied at 1 in the final five minutes of the game when Cale Makar sent a pass across to Brett Kulak, whose shot deflected in off Landeskog in front.

Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan Mackinnon, with his league-leading 53rd goal into an empty net, also scored for Colorado (54-16-11). Makar, a Calgary native, was back in the Avalanche’s lineup after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. He assisted on all three goals.

The Avs won their final eight road games of the season and were 14-1-0 in their last 15 games away from home. Colorado’s 29-7-5 road record this season is a franchise best. Their 119 points in 81 games ties the franchise record set in 2021-22.

Blake Coleman scored his 20th goal for Calgary (33-39-9). The Flames had their eight-game (7-0-1) home streak halted.

MacKenzie Blackwood made 30 saves for Colorado and improved to 23-10-2. Dustin Wolf made 36 saves for the Flames, slipping to 23-29-3.

After playing Monday in Edmonton, Colorado rested veterans Brock Nelson and Devon Toews. Nazem Kadri (finger) also did not play.

Calgary's Matt Coronato, who has a five-game point streak, did not play. Veteran Ryan Strome also was a healthy scratch.

Up next

Avalanche: Host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

Flames: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

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

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Martin Necas Secures 100th Point In 3-1 Win Over Flames

For many in the league, Game 81 is still either about fighting for a final wildcard spot or determining who they will face in the playoffs. For the Avalanche, it's just game 81, though there are some key notes in the second-last game.

Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen are both in tonight, with Devon Toews and Brock Nelson coming out for maintenance. Martin Necas is looking for point 100, and he will secure it as the Colorado Avalanche defeat the Calgary Flames 3-1.

Period 1:

The Avalanche gets the early chance first as  Yegor Sharangovich is called for tripping, but can’t capitalize on it. The Flames get their first power-play opportunity not long after, as Parker Kelly is called for tripping, but the Avalanche kill their first penalty.

Not much happened in the first period; the Avalanche were pretty sloppy, with poor decision-making, but they did outshoot them 10-6 and kept the score tied entering the second period. 

Period 2:

Avalanche once again gets the opportunity to strike first on the power play as Connor Zary is called for hooking, but can’t capitalize on the chance. It's Blake Coleman who tips Mikael Backlund's shot, and it tips over Mackenzie Blackwood's shoulder and in, opening the score at 1-0. Impressive, really, from Coleman, as Brett Kulak cross-checked him in the process and still managed to get the tip-off.

In his first game back, Cale Makar comes in on a tight angle, manages to squeeze a laser of a pass to Arturri Lehkonen, who rifles it in right off the pass to tie the game 1-1. Martin Necas was initially credited as the secondary assist but was later changed to Sam Malinski, so Necas still sits at 99 points.

Rory Kerins is called for tripping, and into the power play, the Flames are called for too many men. This gives the Avalanche a 5-on-3 for 1:17, but they can't capitalize on the extra-man advantage. Jack Ahcan is called for hooking, but the Avalanche kill it off and head into the third period tied 1-1

Period 3:

Wolf is stopping pretty much everything the Avalanche are sending him, robbing a 2-on-1 from O’Connor. It's Kulak who sends a wrist shot from the blue line that is tipped by Gabriel Landeskog and in to make it 2-1 with less than five minutes left in the period.

Necas with Wolf out of the net sends it to Makar, who sends it to MacKinnon, who buries the empty-net goal to end the game at 3-1, giving Necas his 100th career point for the first time in his career.

Next Game.

The 3-1 win secures 119 points on the season, tying the franchise record, and could break it in their final game of the season against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, April 16.

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Islanders’ Victor Eklund gets first point in NHL debut on Bo Horvat’s 300th goal

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Victor Ecklund made his NHL debut in the Islanders' 2-1 season-ending loss to the Hurricanes on April 14, 20246 at UBS Arena. He also recorded his first assist on Bo Horvat's 300th goal

The Islanders didn’t picture their season ending after 82 games on Tuesday, but the finale did at least come with a glimpse of the future.

Victor Eklund, the 16th pick in last summer’s draft, was called up to make his NHL debut in the otherwise meaningless 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes.

“I found out last night, just called my mom, my dad, my brother,” Eklund said. “Super excited. Feels like a dream come true. Just crazy to see, for example, [Mat] Barzal and [Bo] Horvat on the ice. Kind of unreal, to be honest. Enjoy the moment.”

His parents, who caught a flight from Sweden to be there in time for the game, got to watch their son record his first NHL point: a secondary assist on a tic-tac-toe passing sequence ending in Bo Horvat’s goal.

It was Horvat’s 300th NHL goal, a milestone that would usually warrant keeping the puck. He would have none of it.

“You’ll never forget your first NHL game and let alone your first NHL point,” Horvat said. “He’s gotta have that. I already told the trainers.”

Eklund skated 15:30 in total, and was put on the top line with Horvat and Simon Holmstrom. His energy was notable, albeit in a game where everyone was going at less than full tilt, and he seemed more than willing to get into puck battles.

“He’s got a great motor,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “Relentless. Reminds me a little bit of [Logan] Stankoven who I had in Dallas for a year. He’s got a bright future. Great to get him in his first game and for him to get a point.”

Eklund will need to put on some muscle in the offseason. But he is ahead of schedule, and there is a very real chance he will compete for an NHL job in training camp.

Victor Ecklund made his NHL debut in the Islanders’ 2-1 season-ending loss to the Hurricanes on April 14, 2026 at UBS Arena. Getty Images

“I think that was the importance of him playing tonight,” DeBoer said. “He can go home now for four months with it in his mind, hey, I can play at that level with those guys. Until you actually do it like he did tonight, you don’t really know. So he knows that now and that should fuel him going forward.”

Semyon Varlamov was assigned to AHL Bridgeport on an LTIR conditioning loan.

That opens the possibility that Varlamov, who has undergone two knee replacements since he last played an NHL game on Black Friday in 2024, could make his long-awaited return to the ice with the AHL club.

Bridgeport’s next game is Wednesday night in Hartford.

Isaiah George told The Post he is expecting to play playoff games with Bridgeport.

Kyle MacLean, Marc Gatcomb and Ryan Pulock came out of the lineup on Tuesday to make room for Eklund, Liam Foudy and George.

Pulock, per the Islanders, “has been battling through several injuries.”

Matthew Schaefer, Anders Lee, Emil Heineman and Adam Pelech all finished the season with 82 games played, the first time doing so for all of them except Lee.

Pelech played all 56 games in the shortened 2021 COVID season.

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Hunter Haight Gets It Back: Wild Rookie Nets First NHL Goal One Night After An Overturned Goal

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hunter Haight did not have to wait long for redemption.

One night after seeing what would have been his first NHL goal overturned, the Minnesota Wild rookie got it back in the best way possible, scoring the first goal of his NHL career in front of an electric home crowd.

“It’s frustrating when something like that happens,” Haight said. “But I kind of knew right away that it was going to get called back. So it feels really good to score tonight.”

The goal was a fitting payoff in the final game of the regular season for a player the Wild believes is trending in the right direction.

Haight’s moment came off a setup from Nick Foligno and Marcus Foligno, two veterans who have helped make his adjustment to the NHL easier.

“It’s awesome,” Haight said. “The opportunity to play with those two guys, you learn so much, just the little details. You come back from a shift, and they’re giving you insight on what they see. So, it was really cool to do it.”

Foligno was smiling just as much as Haight was on the bench. And even was hugging him when they announced the goal in the arena.

“Actually, JoJo said, ‘I wonder how many games played versus assists between him and I?’” Foligno said. “So pretty good stat by JoJo. Yeah, I’m just thrilled for him. It’s so cool to watch a kid get his first goal. You know what you felt like when you got yours, and especially the other night when he thought he had it. He scored a way more beautiful one tonight. So I’m thrilled for him, especially in a win.”

“Fliggy got a little sauce on it, and I just tried to settle the puck down quick,” Haight said. “Just made sure I had it before I let it go.”

When the puck went in, the building erupted. Haight soaked it in as the crowd roared, then got an equally memorable reaction on the bench when Foligno wrapped him up after the announcement.

It was the crowd had been in quite some time.

“This crowd is unbelievable,” Haight said. “It was really cool to hear them erupt and roar.”

Of Foligno’s embrace, Haight added: “I’ve always said it, this locker room is full of amazing people. And Fliggy, ever since he got here, he’s been there for me and kind of taken me under his wing.”

For Haight, the goal was more than a single highlight. It was a snapshot of the progress he has made from Game 1 to Game 82, and a reminder of what could be ahead.

Haight, 22, made the team out of camp and played in the first two games of the season. He was later sent down and finished the AHL season with 18 goals and 32 points in 51 games.

He was just named AHL player of the week as well.

“Every opportunity to play in the lineup is big,” Haight said. “I’m trying my best to make sure that I stay and keep doing that. So, yeah, it’s pretty nice.”

His focus now shifts immediately to next season, where his mindset will stay the same. To make the team out of camp again but this time maybe be a regular.

“My goal going into every training camp is to try to make the lineup,” Haight said. “I think I’ve done a great job, development-wise, heading into next season, and I feel really good heading into next year.”

Wild coach John Hynes said Haight’s first NHL goal was a deserved reward, but he also pointed to the bigger picture.

“Really happy for Hunter,” Hynes said. “One that last night it got turned back but he doesn’t have to sit on it for another year. But just his development, I really like the way he’s going about his business. He’s gotten better. Second-year pro, he’s had his stints up here. He’s really produced and played well down in Iowa and you see him come up here and he’s more comfortable. He’s now, for him and for us, showing some things that I think are on a high trajectory, which is a real positive.”

After the disappointment of the overturned goal the night before, Haight made sure this one counted.

And judging by the reaction from the crowd, the bench, and the locker room around him, it was a moment no one there was going to forget.

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Hurricanes 2, Islanders 1

Apr 14, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nikolaj Ehlers (27) attempts a shot against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images | Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The Carolina Hurricanes closed out their season with a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night at USB Arena.

After clinching the Eastern Conference title by earning a point in Philadelphia last night for the first time in franchise history, they finished with 113 points which is good enough for second place in the league, behind only Colorado. This means the Hurricanes will have home ice against any team in the playoffs except the Avs.

After Boston won their game, it was determined that Carolina will face the Ottawa Senators in round one of the playoffs. Canes Country will have more about that this week.

Felix Unger Sorum earned his first NHL point in his first game when he knocked a puck up to Nikolaj Ehlers, who was streaking up the ice. Ehlers made no mistake and he gave his team a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the game.

Bo Horvat tied the game in the second, but Mark Jankowski found an open spot and put in the game-winner with five minutes and change left.

Brandon Bussi had an excellent game and made 28 saves on 29 shots to earn his 31st win of the season. Bussi had to play in back-to-back games somewhat unexpectedly as Pyotr Kochetkov was not allowed to play for “technical” reasons after being listed as the starting goalie for the game. The team removed him from the injured reserved list at about this same time.

In the meantime, Fred Andersen was not “available” for whatever reasons. This was an odd occurrence.

It was a pretty mild game with little hitting on either side and it looked like the Canes escaped injury free. They will take Wednesday off and then return to practice on Thursday to prepare for the Sens.

Now that we have reached the playoffs it is time to examine some questions, first of which is what goalie should start this series?

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS021293.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES021293.HTM

Interviews –

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Young Flyers Stars Dominate Season Finale vs. Canadiens

The Philadelphia Flyers have just about everything going their way as they head to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in six years, thanks in large part to their young talent.

To drag the Flyers back into Monday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Matvei Michkov found the back of the net with a moment of brilliance. Then he single-handedly set up the first three Flyers goals against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Standout rookie Porter Martone deflected a Michkov shot on a delayed penalty to put the Flyers up 1-0, then a deft pass from the Russian phenom put Oliver Bonk, called up Tuesday morning to make his NHL debut, in position to score his first NHL goal.

Then, to put the Flyers ahead 3-0, Michkov rattled home a rebound from his favorite spot: the right side of the opposing net. Who knew?

Finally, Alex Bump, who has been in and out of the lineup since making his NHL debut for the Flyers last month, sealed the deal with a strong finish on a transition rush with Martone, who recorded his second point of the night in the process.

Why Matvei Michkov's Prove-It Game Was So ImportantWhy Matvei Michkov's Prove-It Game Was So ImportantMichkov's key assist in the spotlight was exactly what Tocchet wanted.

Michkov, whose sophomore season was long thought to be a lost cause, finished the year with 20 goals, 31 assists, and 51 points.

After being air-dropped into the lineup following one lone NCAA campaign, Martone tallied 10 points in his first 9 games as a Flyer.

Bonk, 21, became the 10th defenseman in NHL history to record multiple points in his debut, according to NHL PR.

Defenseman David Jiricek played 19:37 in his Flyers debut and looked right at home, while Hunter McDonald recorded his first NHL point with a +3 rating in just 15:11 of ice time.

Flyers Playoff Matchup vs. Penguins Officially SetFlyers Playoff Matchup vs. Penguins Officially SetThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are heading back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020 and are set for a testy matchup with the bitter rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Canadiens, whose lineup was much stronger than the Flyers', had the game taken to them by a handful of inexperienced players.

As head coach Rick Tocchet said after the Hurricanes game Monday night, "they're growing under these circumstances."

The greatest news of all for the Flyers is that their two most talented players--Michkov and Martone--have largely looked like their best players over the last two weeks. They are 21 and 19 years old, respectively.

Whatever happens from here on out will only benefit them and the organization in the long run.

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Ovechkin gets assist in what could be his final game as Capitals beat Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Alex Ovechkin had an assist on the go-ahead goal in what perhaps will be the final game of his record-breaking career and the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Tuesday night in the season finale for both teams.

Ovechkin had the second assist on Jakob Chychrun’s power-play goal with 4:07 remaining in the third period. He finished the season leading the Capitals with 32 goals and 64 points

Anthony Beauvillier also scored for Washington and Clay Stevenson stopped 27 shots.

Boone Jenner scored for Columbus and Jet Greaves made 19 saves.

HURRICANES 2, ISLANDERS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Jankowski scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and Carolina defeated New York.

Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for Carolina, and Brandon Bussi made 28 saves. The Hurricanes closed the regular season with four wins in their final five games and finished atop the Eastern Conference.

Bo Horvat scored for New York, David Rittich stopped 19 shots and the Islanders lost for the seventh time in eight games.

BRUINS 4, DEVILS 0

BOSTON (AP) — Mark Kasetlic scored twice in the first period, Jeremy Swayman earned his second shutout of the season and Boston clinched the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a win over New Jersey.

Boston needed a win to lock up the top wild-card position. The Bruins will face the Atlantic Division champion Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Ten Boston players recorded points in the game. Sean Kuraly had a pair of assists and David Pastrnak reached 100 points for the fourth straight season with an assist on one of the Bruins’ four goals in the first.

FLYERS 4, CANADIENS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov had a goal and two assists and Porter Martone had one goal to lead the playoff-bound Philadelphia to a win over Montreal.

The Flyers rested most of their key veterans a night after they secured their first playoff berth since 2020 and first home playoff series since 2018.

Michkov and Martone helped spoil Montreal’s shot at hosting the East first-round series against Tampa Bay.

The 19-year-old Martone, who starred for Michigan State only weeks ago, scored his fourth goal of the season when he deflected in Michkov’s point shot early in the first period for the 1-0 lead.

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Not With a Bang, But a Whimper

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 14: Teammates congratulate Viktor Arvidsson #71 of the Boston Bruins during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils on April 14, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It was a fitting finish to a forgettable season.

The Devils, “playing” for the fourth and final time since being eliminated from playoff contention a week ago, had nothing on the line but pride. The Boston Bruins were still jockeying for playoff position, hoping to maintain their slim hold on the Eastern Conference’s first wild card spot.

So you can imaging how things went.

The Devils no-showed the first period and hung Nico Daws out to dry on multiple occasions, in a non-competitive 4-0 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday night at TD Garden.

The Devils finished with a 42-37-3 record, good for 13th in the conference. New Jersey will miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons since setting a franchise record for points in 2022-23. The Devils have missed the playoffs in 11 of the last 14 seasons and haven’t made back-to-back postseason appearances since the 2009 and 2010 playoffs.

Tuesday’s finale turned on a nightmare of a first period for poor Nico Daws, starting consecutive NHL games for the first time since he won two-of-three from Feb. 23 to March 1, 2025.

With Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler failing to clear pucks, losing coverages, and just generally doing the things they’ve done all season, the Bruins beat Daws with their very first shot on goal before the game was even a minute old.

Bruins center Mark Kastelic would make it 3-0, scoring at 6:14 and 17:42 to give him his second multi-goal game of the year and first since Dec. 9.

To make matters worse, Viktor Arvidsson added a goal with just eight seconds to play in the period to push it to 4-0.

And that was it.

Even though there was 40 minutes left and the Devils were well rested, having barely broken a sweat in the first, it was pretty obvious the game was over. They were almost doubled up in shots in the second period when a response might have got them back in the game.

Up Next

Trying to figure out who runs the team. They need a new President of Hockey Operations — please not Shanahan, please not Shanahan, please not Shanahan. They need a new general manager — I’d be on board with Sunny Mehta. I think they’re going to need a new head coach as well. And then they have to decide if they want to extend or trade Nico Hischier or really turn the team over to Jack and make him Captain America.

The End

Is everyone else as ready as I am to not think about the Devils till October? This season was a real slog. … On a personal note, I just wanted to thank Chris for giving me the opportunity to do this. It’s been a blast. And for all the people that read the recaps and didn’t tear me to pieces — like Rachel and Don I will try to be only bad and not terrible next season. It’s been fun talking hockey here. Hope everyone has a happy summer.

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Devils wrap up regular season with 4-0 loss to Bruins

BOSTON (AP) — Mark Kasetlic scored twice in the first period, Jeremy Swayman earned his second shutout of the season and the Boston Bruins clinched the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.

Boston needed a win to lock up the top wild-card position. The Bruins will face the Atlantic Division champion Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Ten Boston players recorded points in the game. Sean Kuraly had a pair of assists and David Pastrnak reached 100 points for the fourth straight season with an assist on one of the Bruins’ four goals in the first.

Morgan Geekie and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for Boston, which finished the regular season under first-year coach Marco Sturm at 45-27-10 and returned to the playoffs one year after tying for the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 33-39-10.

After congratulating Swayman, the Bruins gathered at center ice and raised their sticks to salute their fans.

New Jersey goalie Nico Daws allowed four goals on 12 shots in the opening period before getting some stronger defensive support the rest of the way. Daws finished with 23 saves.

Swayman stopped 21 shots for his first shutout since a 3-0 win over Detroit on Jan. 13 and the 18th of his career.

Boston got goals in the opening and closing minutes of the first and took firm command with a 4-0 lead after one period.

Geekie scored 53 seconds in and Arvidsson scored his 25th of the season with just 6.4 seconds left in the period. In between, Kastelic scored twice and the Bruins cruised the rest of the way against the lottery-bound Devils, who finished 42-37-3.

Pastrnak needed one more goal to reach 30 for the ninth time, which would have been a first in franchise history.

Up next

Devils: Done for the season.

Bruins: Visit Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs.

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Islanders’ disappointing season ends with loss to Hurricanes

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Felix Unger Sorum celebrates after scoring a goal on David Rittich during the first period of the Islanders' season-ending 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes on April 14, 2026 at UBS Arena

Mark Jankowski scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 2-1 on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.

Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for Carolina, and Brandon Bussi made 28 saves. The Hurricanes closed the regular season with four wins in their final five games and finished atop the Eastern Conference.

Felix Unger Sorum celebrates after scoring a goal on David Rittich during the first period of the Islanders’ season-ending 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes on April 14, 2026 at UBS Arena. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

Bo Horvat scored his 300th career goal, David Rittich stopped 19 shots and the Islanders lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Ehlers opened the scoring at 3:05 of the first period and finished his first season in Carolina with a career-high 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists). Felix Unger Sorum assisted on the goal in his NHL debut.

Horvat tied it 1-all late in the second period, finishing a feed from Mathew Barzal with less than seven minutes remaining. Victor Eklund, also making his NHL debut, had an assist.

Pyotr Kochetkov was slated to start and took warmups but was unavailable due to a roster technicality.

He has been activated from injured reserve and will be eligible for the playoffs, according to the team. Emergency backup goaltender Thomas Sullivan served as Carolina’s backup.

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Michkov has a goal and 2 assists as the Flyers beat the Canadiens 4-2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov had a goal and two assists and Porter Martone had one goal to lead the playoff-bound Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

The Flyers rested most of their key veterans a night after they secured their first playoff berth since 2020 and first home playoff series since 2018.

Flyers fans dressed in orange waved “Let's Go Flyers” rally towels and were in a joyous mood for most of the festive night.

There are more good times ahead. The Flyers are set to travel to Pittsburgh for the first two games of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Michkov and Martone helped spoil Montreal's shot at hosting the East first-round series against Tampa Bay.

The 19-year-old Martone, who starred for Michigan State only weeks ago, scored his fourth goal of the season when he deflected in Michkov's point shot early in the first period for the 1-0 lead.

Oliver Bonk scored his first career NHL goal later in the period for a 2-0 lead. Michkov assisted.

Brendan Gallagher scored for Montreal to make it 2-1 in the second.

Michkov scored unassisted (his 20th overall) for a 3-1 lead in the second period as one fan raised a “We Want More!” sign.

Jake Evans cut it to 3-2 in the final seconds of the second period.

Alex Bump sealed the win in the third with his fifth goal of the season that made it 4-2. Samuel Ersson made 27 saves foe the Flyers and Jakub Dobes had 21 for Montreal.

The Flyers ended the season on an 18-6-1 tear that propelled them into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Up next

The Flyers and Montreal hit the road to open the NHL playoffs.

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

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Islanders prospect Victor Eklund records first NHL point in 2-1 loss to Hurricanes to end regular season

NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Jankowski scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for Carolina, and Brandon Bussi made 28 saves. The Hurricanes closed the regular season with four wins in their final five games and finished atop the Eastern Conference.

Bo Horvat scored for New York, David Rittich stopped 19 shots and the Islanders lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Ehlers opened the scoring at 3:05 of the first period and finished his first season in Carolina with a career-high 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists). Felix Unger Sorum assisted on the goal in his NHL debut.

Horvat tied it 1-all late in the second period, finishing a feed from Mathew Barzal with less than seven minutes remaining. Victor Eklund, also making his NHL debut, had an assist.

Pyotr Kochetkov was slated to start and took warmups but was unavailable due to a roster technicality. He has been activated from injured reserve and will be eligible for the playoffs, according to the team. Emergency backup goaltender Thomas Sullivan served as Carolina’s backup.

Up next

Hurricanes: Host Ottawa Senators in first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Islanders: Done for the season.