The Los Angeles Kings (27-23-15) bounce back, defeating the New York Islanders (37-24-5) 3-2, for the second time this season to complete the season series sweep. 

Los Angeles scored three times on its first nine shots and never trailed, building a cushion that proved crucial when the Islanders mounted a push in the final two periods.

Anze Kopitar also made history for the Kings' victory today, officially surpassing Marcel Dionne for the most road points in LA Kings history with 608 points. After the game, the Islanders showed their respect by shaking his hand before leaving the ice. 

Anze Kopitar's first period goal marked his 608th career road point (221-387=608), surpassing Marcel Dionne (262-345=607) for the most road points in @LAKings history. https://t.co/ePCcBEfBlu

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 13, 2026

Los Angeles now has 69 points and is in sole possession of moving into the fourth seed in the Pacific Division if Seattle and San Jose lose. 

Hot Start

The game began with the Kings scoring three goals in the first period, with Trevor Moore opening the scoring with an unassisted goal at 16:27, capitalizing on the fastbreak possession after blocking the shot on the other side of the ice. 

Just under 10 minutes later, Anze Kopitar doubled the score, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 lead after burying the rebound shot from Mikey Anderson, moving him into history. 

Los Angeles kept the pressure going after forcing a turnover on the Islanders. The Kings got a 2-on-2 breakaway led by Artemi Panarin, who delivered a slick feed to Adrian Kempe driving the net. Kempe finished the play with an incredible one-handed tip shot past Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin to extend the lead to 3–0.

POETRY IN MOTION pic.twitter.com/EaqVtz8hSG

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 13, 2026

Late Push

The Kings' defense was once again impressive early on, holding the Islanders to just four shots in the period, outshooting them 10-4 in the opening frame. But, despite the early dominance, Los Angeles would go quiet on the offensive side, giving New York time to claw its way back into the game. 

Emil Heineman got the Islanders on board midway through the second period after a deflection shot that went past Darcy Kuemper's glove and in, to cut the lead to 3-1. 

The rest of the period would end with the Kings scoreless, but we're playing great defense, blocking shots, and forcing a lot of missed shots for the Islanders. The Kings had an impressive 23 blocked shots, constantly putting pressure on the Islanders whenever they tried to get a shot up. 

Despite that, New York carried its one-goal momentum into the third period with Heineman once again scoring his second goal of the game to make it a one-goal game, setting up a tense finish in New York. 

New York tried to get back in this game late, even had a chance with just three seconds remaining when they got in the face-off, but failed to get a shot up, and Los Angeles held on to the late push by the Islanders. 

Key Stats

Darcy Kuemper had another solid game, finishing with 21 saves on 23 shots, once again looking healthy and comfortable at the right time of the season.

Los Angeles finished with 27 shots while killing off all three Islanders' power plays in a disciplined defensive effort.

Huge win for the Kings today, now they are in the playoff picture for the first time in over a month and can move up in the standings with a win tomorrow, and if the teams above them lose. 

The Lakers will continue their road trip tomorrow, where they play the New Jersey Devils at 4:00 PM PT

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

It says a lot about where the Islanders are that there was no attempt, not one, from their players to try to soft-pedal Friday’s loss, because this was a night when there could have been. Had they tried to go with the clichés — “We did a lot of good things,” “If we play like that every night, I like our chances” — you would have understood where they were coming from. 

The Islanders had plenty of possession, plenty of chances. Their penalty kill was excellent. The top six started to roll after Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat were reunited midway through the second period and the 3-2 final certainly gave a better picture of the game than the 3-0 lead the Kings held earlier on.

Really, Los Angeles did not even look like the better team for most of the night. 

Yet, here was Emil Heineman, who scored both the goals and came within an inch of a third, afterward: 

“We have to acknowledge the point of time we’re in the season here, how important these games are. To not be ready when the puck drops is not good enough.” 

And here was Horvat: “We can’t keep putting ourselves in that position. It physically and mentally wears on you.” 

The Islanders have been digging holes for themselves since the NHL returned from the Olympic break, and for the most part, they’ve done a pretty good job at climbing out. They nearly did Friday too, and for just about the entire third period, everyone inside UBS Arena thought they would. 

Failing to, though, seemed to awaken the Islanders to the reality of the situation. 

They came into the night hoping to pass the Penguins for second in the Metro; they exited it hoping that by the end of Saturday — when the Blue Jackets face the Flyers and the Islanders play the Flames — Columbus has not pulled ahead of the Islanders on the tiebreaker. 

Indeed, there is a scenario where the Islanders wake up Sunday morning outside the playoff picture for the first time since Dec. 4. That would be the ultimate smack to a team for whom the postseason has taken on an inevitable feel even while in reality the Blue Jackets have rapidly gained ground over the last couple weeks. 

One loss isn’t the end of the world but more urgency is warranted, and it certainly was Friday, when they had plenty of possession in the first period, but got just three shots on goal out of 22 attempts and made a series of mistakes to hand the Kings a 3-0 lead. 

There was Scott Mayfield’s attempt that led straight to the Kings’ opening goal when Trevor Moore blocked his shot and came in unimpeded on a breakaway to score. 

The two other goals the Kings scored in the first — one from Anze Kopitar off a rebound and the other from Adrian Kempe off the rush — did not come in that fashion, but Kempe’s goal came on the heels of an offensive-zone shift in which the Islanders just could not get a shot through, and Kopitar’s right after a power play. 

---

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

---

“Instead of having the momentum, we gave them the momentum,” said coach Patrick Roy, who was not quite as self-critical as his players. 

“Too complicated,” Heineman said, opting for that phrasing instead of saying the Islanders had played too fancy. “We have a lot of skill. We’re losing pucks and they’re just flying over us.” 

The Islanders went into the third period down 3-1, but with momentum decidedly on their side having dominated the 10 minutes leading into intermission, with Heineman scoring and Anders Lee having a few close calls. 

Given that, and given the Islanders’ proclivity for the dramatic, it hardly counted as a surprise that Heineman scored for a second time just 3:38 into the second period, this time tipping in Matthew Schaefer’s shot to make cut it to 3-2. 

The Islanders proceeded to play some of their best offensive-zone hockey of the year. Shift after shift they were up ice, pinching down the walls, holding the puck in, wearing out the Kings. Heineman nearly completed the hat trick with a third deflection that went off the bar. 

It looked like a matter of time before the Islanders would tie the game. 

And then the time ran out, with the score still frozen at 3-2 and the Islanders left to reckon with it. 

“It wasn’t enough at the start,” Horvat said. “We just didn’t play a good 60 minutes.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season and the Los Angeles Kings held off the New York Islanders 3-2 on Friday night.

Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.

Emil Heineman scored twice for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves. Bo Horvat added two assists.

Kempe scored on a wrist shot with 1:32 remaining in the first period to put the Kings up 3-0. Kempe now has five goals and four assists in his last six games.

After the game, the Islanders stayed on the ice and shook hands with Kings captain Kopitar, who is playing in his 20th and final season in the NHL.

Up next

Kings: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: Host the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season and the Los Angeles Kings held off the New York Islanders 3-2 on Friday night.

Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.

Emil Heineman scored twice for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves. Bo Horvat added two assists.

Kempe scored on a wrist shot with 1:32 remaining in the first period to put the Kings up 3-0. Kempe now has five goals and four assists in his last six games.

After the game, the Islanders stayed on the ice and shook hands with Kings captain Kopitar, who is playing in his 20th and final season in the NHL.

Up next

Kings: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: Host the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

___

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

___

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

NEW YORK (AP) — Anaheim defenseman Radko Gudas suspended five games by the NHL for kneeing and injuring Toronto's Auston Matthews.

Ducks captain Radko Gudas has been suspended for five games for his knee-to-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews during the second period of Thursday’s game. Gudas was assessed a five-minute major penalty for kneeing and given a game misconduct. Matthews left the game and did not return.

On Friday, the Leafs announced that Matthews sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion. Though he will be re-evaluated in two weeks, he will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season.

This hit comes just weeks after Gudas’ hit on Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which resulted in a Grade 2 MCL sprain for Crosby. While Gudas’ hit on Crosby was fair and legal, his hit on Matthews was anything but.

This is the fifth time that Gudas has been suspended by the NHL and his first time since 2019, when he was suspended two games for high sticking the Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov.

Gudas has had two longer suspensions in his NHL career. He was suspended 10 games in 2017 for slashing the Winnipeg Jets’ Mathieu Perreault across the neck and suspended six games in 2016 for a late, high hit on the Boston Bruins’ Austin Czarnik.

A phone hearing between Gudas and the NHL Department Player of Safety was held on Friday. Phone hearings carry a maximum suspension of five games, whereas an in-person hearing would have allowed for a longer suspension.

Trade deadline acquisition John Carlson has been targeting Saturday versus the Ottawa Senators or Sunday versus the Montréal Canadiens for his Ducks debut. With Gudas out, Drew Helleson will likely remain in the lineup and Ian Moore, who lined up as a winger in Thursday’s game, will also likely return to the blue line for this weekend’s pair of games.

It didn't look good when Auston Matthews clutched at his knee immediately after absorbing a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas during the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks Thursday, March 12. We now know that will mark Matthews' last minutes on the ice this season.

The Maple Leafs announced Friday, March 13 that Matthews will miss the rest of the 2025-26 NHL season after he suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion on the hit that will seemingly soon result in a suspension for Gudas, who was set to have a disciplinary hearing with the league Friday.

Toronto said Matthews will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks, and the team will give another update then.

Radko Gudas has been ejected from the game for kneeing and Auston Matthews has gone to the dressing room. pic.twitter.com/wTiR9t7Tzw

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 13, 2026

Matthews, 28, had gotten the puck alone in front of the net Thursday when a hard-charging Gudas, 35, drove right through the American star, with Gudas' left leg taking out Matthews' left. Matthews immediately clutched at his leg and needed assistance to get off the ice. Gudas was assessed a 5-minute major for kneeing and a 10-minute game misconduct, ending his night.

OPINION: Maple Leafs' response to Auston Matthews injury shows culture issue

It's a brutal end to what's been a trying NHL season for 2016's top pick. He finishes with 27 goals and 53 points, both career lows, and the Maple Leafs will almost certainly miss the playoffs for the first time in his 10-year tenure.

The former MVP and three-time goal-scoring champ did experience great success at the Milano Cortina Olympics, captaining Team USA to the gold medal in men's hockey – its first since 1980. But his return to NHL play saw the Leafs drop eight consecutive games before Thursday night. That win, however, is overshadowed by the loss of the Leafs captain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Auston Matthews knee injury update, for rest of Maple Leafs season

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

Following their most recent regulation setback, the shorthanded Detroit Red Wings know they must do a better job of taking advantage of the offensive opportunities they get. 

Playing without top centers Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, who both suffered lower-body injuries, has dampened their offensive attack, which already ranks near the bottom of the NHL in five-on-five scoring.

While they could get veteran David Perron back at some point next week, they must make do with the players currently available when they face the powerful Dallas Stars on Saturday evening.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Forward Alex DeBrincat, who leads the Red Wings with 33 goals scored, believes that the club is going to remain confident despite the absence of several players. 

"I think we played well enough to win, we've got to bury on our chances," DeBrincat said afterward.

"I think we're confident in what we do," he continued. "These are two tough matchups, and we kind of gave away the Florida game at the end of the game. But, two good teams and another one on Saturday. So, we've got to come ready to play right from puck drop, and hopefully get some two points."

Shorthanded Red Wings Fall 4-1 To Lightning In Tampa Bay Playing without both Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, the shorthanded Detroit Red Wings fell in regulation for the third time in the last four games, a 4-1 setback to the Lightning.

Right now, the Red Wings occupy the first Wild Card Spot in the Eastern Conference, with the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets hot on their trail. 

They know they can't afford to give away points as they did against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday evening, and it begins with bearing down and not letting chances slip away.

"We just have to get guys to the net, bear down in front and put some in the net," DeBrincat said. "Obviously, they have a world-class goalie over there, but we've got to find a way to put it in."

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Former Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen and his two children, Ty and Faith, are feeling the NHL's embrace following his wife Hannah's death after a lengthy battle with cancer.

News of Hannah Larsen's passing was revealed publicly by former Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella, who passed along his condolences to his one-time assistant in Columbus and the Larsen family March 12 during an appearance as an ESPN studio analyst. Larsen has battled cancer twice himself, and Hannah played a key role in supporting him each time.

The Blue Jackets, the team Larsen spent almost a decade working for as a coach, issued a statement March 13 through social media offering the club's "deepest condolences" and "warmest thoughts."

During his time with the Blue Jackets, Larsen coached the team's AHL affiliate as assistant and head coach when it was located in Springfield, Massachusetts, before joining former coach Brad Richards' staff in 2014-15. Tortorella kept him on staff for six seasons before leaving the Blue Jackets under mutual terms that paved the way for Larsen to replace him as head coach.

pic.twitter.com/dpp2R3yCU2

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 13, 2026

Larsen spent two difficult seasons running the bench in Columbus amid a spate of injuries that led to his firing at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Larsen and his family stayed in the Columbus area, and the former NHL coach took a year off from his professional career to work with his son Ty's youth team.

Deepest condolences go out to Brad Larsen and his family following the passing of his wife Hannah. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Larsen family and all of those who knew and loved Hannah.

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 13, 2026

He was hired by the Calgary Flames on June 11, 2024, to restart his career as an NHL assistant, but took an indefinite leave of absence Dec. 8, 2024, to rejoin his family and care for his wife after her condition worsened.

After news of Hannah Larsen's passing was disclosed, condolences from many in hockey were posted on social media, including former Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent, who worked closely with Larsen as an assistant and replaced him for the 2023-24 season.

Yesterday, we received the terribly sad news of the passing of Hannah, wife of my friend Brad Larsen, after a long battle. My heart is broken for Brad, their two children, and all of Hannah’s family. Sending them all my love and deepest condolences.

— Pascal Vincent (@PascalVincent71) March 13, 2026

Vincent is now in his second season as head coach for the Montreal Canadiens' AHL affiliate, Laval Rocket.

"Yesterday, we received the terribly sad news of the passing of Hannah, wife of my friend Brad Larsen, after a long battle," he said. "My heart is broken for Brad, their two children, and all of Hannah’s family. Sending them all my love and deepest condolences."

Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets, NHL embrace Brad Larsen after wife's death

A natural hat trick from Raphael Lavoie powered the Henderson Silver Knights to a wild 7–6 overtime victory over the Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday night at Tucson Arena.

Lavoie delivered the decisive moment just 90 seconds into overtime, completing his hat trick and capping one of the most chaotic games of the season for Henderson. The forward’s three-goal performance headlined a back-and-forth contest that featured 13 total goals and multiple momentum swings.

The Silver Knights are now winners of 7 of their last 10 contests.

A Chaotic Opening Period

Henderson struck first when Lavoie opened the scoring at 3:14 of the first period to give the Silver Knights an early 1–0 lead.

The Roadrunners quickly flipped the script.

In a stunning stretch that lasted less than two minutes, Tucson rattled off four consecutive goals to seize control of the game. Austin Poganski started the surge before Scott Perunovich, Cameron Hebig, and Ty Tullio followed in rapid succession to build a 4–1 Roadrunners lead.

Henderson began to claw its way back midway through the period when defenseman Jaycob Megna cut the deficit to 4–2 at the 8:11 mark.

Tucson regained breathing room late in the frame when Julian Lutz found the back of the net with 3:30 remaining, sending the Roadrunners into the intermission ahead 5–2.

Silver Knights Rally in the Second

Henderson wasted no time reigniting the comeback.

Just 11 seconds into the second period, Lavoie scored his second goal of the night off a setup from Tanner Laczynski, cutting the lead to 5–3. The assist marked the 100th of Laczynski’s American Hockey League career.

Momentum continued to swing toward Henderson midway through the period. Matyas Sapovaliv converted on the power play to bring the Silver Knights within one.

Moments later, rookie forward Trevor Connelly completed the rally by tying the game 5–5.

The Roadrunners briefly regained the lead when Poganski netted his second goal of the night less than a minute later, restoring Tucson’s advantage at 6–5.

But the Silver Knights refused to go away.

With just 45 seconds remaining in regulation, Connelly struck again, finishing a play set up by Alex Holtz and Kai Uchacz to force overtime.

Lavoie Finishes the Job

Overtime lasted only a minute and a half.

Lavoie completed the hat trick with the game-winning goal 90 seconds into the extra period, sealing a dramatic 7–6 victory and completing Henderson’s comeback effort.

The Silver Knights will continue their road trip north of the border with a pair of games against the Abbotsford Canucks before concluding the trip against the Calgary Wranglers.

• Saturday, March 14 — at Abbotsford Canucks (7 p.m.)
• Sunday, March 15 — at Abbotsford Canucks (4 p.m.)
• Tuesday, March 17 — at Calgary Wranglers (7 p.m.)

Fans can follow the Silver Knights throughout the road trip by tuning in on 1230 The Game or streaming the broadcast on FloHockey.

The Kings are still chasing a playoff spot after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. That game was a low-scoring affair, as the Kings tied it with 6 minutes left in the 3rd before Boston won it in overtime. The Islanders are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, in which they clawed back from a 3-0 deficit and scored 4 unanswered goals for the win. This game has major implications for both teams as they are both in the playoff race. This is the second matchup between the Kings and Islanders, and the last meeting ended with the Kings winning 5-3. 

Kings Projected Lines

Here are the Kings' projected lines: 

Artemi Panarin - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe

Trevor Moore - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere

Alex Turcotte - Scott Laughton - Jared Wright

Jeff Malott - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward

Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper

Anton Forsberg

Islanders Projected Lines

Here are the Islanders' projected lines: 

Emil Heineman - Bo Horvat - Calum Ritchie

Ondrej Palat - Brayden Schenn - Mathew Barzal

Anders Lee - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Simon Holmstrom

Max Shabanov - Casey Cizikas - Marc Gatcomb

Matthew Schaefer - Ryan Pulock

Adam Pelech - Tony DeAngelo

Carson Soucy - Scott Mayfield

Ilya Sorokin

David Rittich

Injuries and Line Changes

The Kings have scratched Mathieu Joseph and Jacob Moverare, and they do not have any new injuries to report. The Islanders are scratching Anthony Duclair, Kyle MacLean and Adam Boqvist. Both of these teams are playing their first game of a back-to-back. The Kings are likely going to start Darcy Kuemper, and the Islanders are likely to start Ilya Sorokin. 

Key Factors

The Kings will be looking at Darcy Kuemper tonight as he is coming off a 23-save game against Boston, but with the playoffs around the corner, the Kings will need Kuemper at his best, especially during this playoff push. The Kings will also have to beat one of the NHL's best goalies tonight in Ilya Sorokin, who, in his last 5 starts, has a record of 4-1. 

One of the biggest factors for the Kings tonight will once again be the duo of Panarin and Kempe, as since their 1st game against the Islanders, they have combined for 11 points in the last 4 games, making them a major factor in tonight's matchup. It is also worth noting that Anze Kopitar is 2 points away from tying Marcel Dionne for the Kings' franchise points record. 

Overall, this is a very important game for both teams: the Islanders look to overtake the Penguins for 2nd in the metro, and the Kings look to move into the 2nd wild card spot. 

My predictions for tonight's matchup are a 4-3 Kings win. 

The Hockey Show returned this week and had quite a bit of puck-talk to get to.

THS co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork dove into the fallout from an NHL Trade Deadline that the boys felt was somewhat ‘meh’ compared to recent years.

They discussed the Florida Panthers deciding to hang on to their UFAs, Sergei Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer, and how the team could manage their first-round pick, should they end up finishing low enough in the standings. 

Roy and Dave also got into a recent string of violent plays, several of which have led to fines and suspensions involving Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon and Evgenii Malkin, including two that happened within a couple days, both against Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

Joining this week’s show was Football America host and hockey fan extraordinaire and Pittsburgh native Dave Dameshek.

Dave discussed several topics, including why he’s like to see an NHL division named after Mario Lemieux and the time he and his buddies were at a bar with the Stanely Cup and nearly tried taking off with it for the night.

Wins and fails this week included a touching, overtime high school semi-final goal scored by Colin Dorgan, who lost his mother, brother and grandfather in the shooting at a Pawtucket, RI hockey rink last month, the continuing injuries occurring to the face of Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, an amusing interview height differential between a former player and a current one, and a sentimental visit to the Saddledome by Shoresy star Jared Kesso.

You can check out the full show and interview in the videos below:

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Comeback Cats Strike Again, Panthers Take Down Columbus 2-1 In Overtime

Panthers Assistant GM Named Team USA World Championship General Manager

Panthers Coach Announces Several Lineup Changes Ahead Of Matchup With Blue Jackets

Panthers Recall Defenseman Mike Benning, Florida To Host Columbus Looking For Third Straight Win

Verhaeghe, Balinskis Held Out Of Panthers Practice, Reinhart Returns

The Edmonton Oilers' wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche felt good, and for a couple of nights this week, the Oilers looked like the team everyone thought they would be this season. Hold onto that feeling, because Thursday in Dallas with a 7-2 loss to the Stars was a reminder of where they actually stand.

Dallas is 41-14-10, one of the best teams in the league, and the Oilers went in there on the first night of a back-to-back and got run out of the building.

It's not a mark on their whole season, but it confirmed what's been clear for a while now: this Edmonton team is not going on another legendary run, and June hockey is not in the cards.

"We're on the brink of not making the playoffs," said Kris Knoblauch before the road trip started.

The Oilers are sitting third in the Pacific at 32-26-8, and  while the Oilers were getting owned by the Stars, the San Jose Sharks were topping the Seattle Kraken in the standings. They now sit 31-26-6 with three games in hand over the Oilers.

If San Jose keeps winning, Edmonton is looking at a Wild Card spot. Wild Card 2, potentially, which in the Western Conference right now would probably mean drawing Colorado in the first round. Good luck with that.

Pre-game Stats: Oilers At Blues32-26-8 | 72 PTS

Tonight they play the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis, and the Blues are also playing on the back end of a back-to-back. They beat Carolina 3-1 last night, which, whatever you want to say about where St. Louis sits in the standings, is an impressive result. Carolina is one of the best teams in the East. The Blues aren't going to roll over.

Edmonton needs a win tonight, and they need to play the kind of hockey that got them through Vegas and Colorado earlier this week. More structure, fewer odd-man rushes against, keeping the first shot on goal out of the net. 

The realistic version of this Oilers season ends in the first round of the playoffs, maybe a spirited series, a game or two that reminds you why you watch, but a first-round exit.

McDavid And Oilers Stand Up Physically, But Lose Stinker to StarsConnor McDavid shed his scoring touch for physicality after a disastrous Oilers start against the Stars. Frustration boiled over in a feisty loss.

After all the defensive meltdown through February and into March, the 56 goals surrendered in 12 games, the anxiety, just making it in would count as something.

What comes this summer matters because some real decisions have to be made. Whether that means a new GM, trades, a different approach to the cap,  something has to change.

Knoblauch is probably more complicated of a question than people are making it. There's an argument that this team's problems run deeper than coaching, that the personnel decisions and the structure around him matter more than whether he's behind the bench. But someone is going to be accountable for how this season fell apart, and head coaches tend to pay that price first.

Oilers Goalies Hit Hard With Low Rankings On Recent Tandem PollOilers' goaltending plunges to 31st in recent rankings, revealing a grim tandem performance and challenging playoff hopes amid defensive struggles.

But that's tomorrow's problem. The only thing that matters is the Blues tonight, then Nashville, then the Sharks, then Florida. Game by game, point by point, just get across the playoff line and give the fanbase something to show up for in April. A first-round series, even a short one, is better than watching the standings one more time and realizing you're done too soon.

The Oilers have enough talent and experience to win the games they need down the stretch. Get in, compete, and then spend the summer figuring out why a team this talented keeps finding new ways to make things harder than they need to be.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The San Jose Sharks signed forward Ty Dellandrea to a two-year, $3.25 million extension on Friday.

The 25-year-old Dellandrea was in the final year of his contract but now is locked up in San Jose through the 2027-28 season.

Dellandrea has two goals and nine assists in 42 games this season but has been sidelined since suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 6. At the time of his injury, Dellandrea led Sharks forwards by winning 52.3% of his faceoffs, while ranking second with 117 hits and 36 blocked shots. He also had the second most short-handed time on ice among San Jose forwards before his injury.

Dellandrea joined San Jose before last season after spending his first four seasons in the NHL in Dallas. He has 17 goals and 44 assists in 261 career games.

The Sharks also called up goalie Laurent Brossoit from the AHL with Yaroslav Askarov out with what has been described as a minor lower-body injury. Brossoit has made 118 career starts but hasn't played in the NHL since the 2023-24 season. He was acquired in a deal from Chicago in January.

___

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

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline may have concluded, but that doesn’t mean teams are done swapping players. The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have swapped prospects with the Edmonton Oilers, exchanging forward Josh Bloom for forward Jayden Grubbe. 

Grubbe, 23, was drafted 65th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. He found himself with the Oilers via trade after the Rangers flipped him for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Grubbe wore the ‘C’ for the Red Deer Rebels from 2019 to 2023 and has since played with both the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and the Fort Wayne Komets in the ECHL. This season, he has scored seven goals and 12 assists in 28 games with Fort Wayne. 

Bloom, also a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, is coming off an impressive stretch of play in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings. The 22-year-old forward has scored 15 goals and 13 assists in 19 games played with Kalamazoo and has also spent 19 games in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver first acquired Bloom in exchange for defenceman Riley Stillman back in February 2023. 

NHL teams are allowed to conduct trades after the deadline, though the players involved in these deals will not be permitted to play in any regular season or playoff NHL games for the rest of the season. 

Vancouver will resume their current home stand with a game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday at 7:00 pm PT. Abbotsford will play the Henderson Silver Knights on the same day at home at 7:00 pm PT as well. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

How The Vancouver Canucks Stack Up To The Rest Of The NHL: 65 Games In

2025-26 Canucks Closing In On Franchise Record For Goal Differential

Former Canucks First-Rounder Having Career Season With Division-Rival

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.