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The Vancouver Canucks (35-28-13) wrap up their three-game home stand on Sunday when they face the Vegas Golden Knights (46-22-8). This is the first of two games between these Pacific Division rivals this month, as they are also scheduled to face off on the final day of the regular season. Like every game down the stretch, this is a must-win for Vancouver, as a loss would see their playoff odds drop below 1%. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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Sunday's game will not be an easy one, as the Golden Knights still have plenty to play for. While Vegas has already clinched a post-season berth, they are competing for the top spot in the division and home ice for at least the first two rounds. Overall, it is going to be a tough test for the Canucks, and one they will need to pass if they still have plans of qualifying for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Players to Watch:

Aatu Räty:

Aatu Räty has been making the most of his recent call-up. He continues to be dominant in the faceoff dot and has shown he can be an impactful third-line center at the NHL level. If Räty can win his matchup and keep delivering faceoff wins, it will go a long way in helping Vancouver take down the Golden Knights. 

Brett Howden:

One player on Vegas' roster who isn't discussed enough is Brett Howden. The 27-year-old has filled in nicely as part of the top six and, like Räty, is having success in the faceoff dot. With points in five of his last season, Howden could easily find the scoresheet Sunday night. 

Vancouver Canucks (35-28-13):
Last 10: 4-4-2

Quinn Hughes: 16-56-72
Brock Boeser: 25-23-48
Elias Pettersson: 15-30-45
Conor Garland: 19-26-45
Jake DeBrusk: 24-20-44

Vegas Golden Knights (46-22-8):
Last 10: 7-3-0

Jack Eichel: 27-66-93
Mark Stone: 19-47-66
Tomáš Hertl: 31-28-59 *Injured
Shea Theodore: 7-47-54
Pavel Dorofeyev: 33-17-50

Game Information:

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650

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

Two years ago, Anton Lundmark was playing in a semi-professional regional league in the third tier of Swedish hockey. This season, at age 23, he made his SHL debut with Timrå IK, where he scored five goals, had four assists and zero (!) penalty minutes in 53 regular-season and playoff games.

And yet, somehow, the Florida Panthers were impressed with what they saw and signed the 6-foot-4, 192-pound winger to a one-year entry-level contract, which will take effect next season. The news left many scratching their heads and asking, “Who?”

The offer even caught Lundmark off guard, according to Finnish media outlet MTV Uutiset.

“I spoke to him (on the day of the announcement), and you could say that he was shocked himself,” said Timrå GM Kimmo Kapanen. “He didn’t really understand what had happened.”

However, Kapanen seemed less surprised and was quick to praise Lundmark.

“He has worked incredibly hard and has earned this opportunity,” Kapanen added. “He has all the necessary tools.”

Oliver Kapanen On Leaving Habs: “It Feels Good To Return” To TimråOn Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens announced that 21-year-old Finnish center Oliver Kapenen was being loaned to Timrå IK, the SHL club that he signed with in May. Kapanen already went to the Swedish team’s training camp in August and played pre-season games in September before the Canadiens’ camp. 

The Panthers are no-doubt impressed by Lundmark’s work ethic and possibly see him eventually using his size to carve out a role as a fourth-line winger. Zero penalty minutes in 53 games for a player in that role is a bit surprising, though.

“Anton is a robust forward who has elevated his game rising through the professional hockey ranks in Sweden,” Florida GM Bill Zito is quoted in the NHL club’s announcement. “We look forward to his continued development in our organization.”

Timrå, which was coached this season by Finnish ex-NHLer Olli Jokinen, finished sixth in the 14-team SHL before being eliminated by Frölunda HC in the quarterfinals.

In addition to Lundmark, the team is expecting to lose its leading scorer, 24-year-old Filip Hållander, to the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer. Oliver Kapanen, the son of the club’s sports manager, played most of the season in Timrå on loan from the Montreal Canadiens and will probably be gone next season as well.

Report: Filip Hallander Headed Back To NHL Next SeasonSwedish center and left winger Filip Hållander is headed back to the NHL next season,

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have recalled forward Dalibor Dvorsky from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. 

Dvorsky was sent back down to the Thunderbirds on April 3 but is now heading right back to the Blues' roster. The 19-year-old forward will look to impress during his latest opportunity with the NHL squad from here.

Dvorsky made his NHL debut for the Blues on March 23 against the Nashville Predators. During the contest, the young forward had 10:40 time on ice. 

Down at the AHL level this season with the Thunderbirds, Dvorsky has been very impactful. In 59 games, he has 20 goals, 24 assists, and 44 points. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic due to his strong play.

Dvorsky will now aim to take advantage of receiving another shot on the Blues' roster from here. The 2023 tenth-overall pick is one of the club's most promising prospects and has the potential to blossom into a top-six forward at the NHL level later down the road. Thus, all eyes will be on him during this latest chance on the Blues' roster. 

Recent Blues News 

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Blues' Jimmy Snuggerud Is Already Impressing Big Time

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Blues Star Is Absolutely Thriving Right Now

Alex Ovechkin has chased down Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record by remaining productive long into his career.

Now 39, Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record on Friday by scoring 188 goals in 334 games since his 35th birthday in the fall of 2020. That’s the sixth-most overall during that timeframe.

By contrast, Gretzky scored just 67 goals in 265 games from his 35th birthday on Jan. 26, 1996 through his retirement in April of 1999, at age 38. Once he passed Gordie Howe with No. 802 in 1994, there was a significant drop-off in his production.

On Friday, Ovechkin also became the second-oldest player in NHL history to score 40 goals in a season. Gordie Howe did it as a 40-year-old in 1968-69. The way Ovi’s going, he could take a real run at tying that record next year if the spirit moves him.

THERE IT IS!!! OVECHKIN HAS TIED GRETZKY FOR MOST GOALS IN NHL HISTORY!!! pic.twitter.com/9bn8ta4Ea1

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 5, 2025

But this season, Ovechkin’s not the only NHL greybeard who’s doing great things. Here are four others who also seem to be drinking from the Fountain of Youth, listed in order of age.

Marc-Andre Fleury - Age 40

The Minnesota Wild stopper has let it be known that he’s bowing out at the end of this season. And while his workload has been reduced, the first-overall pick from 2003 is still delivering quality minutes during his farewell tour. 

In 23 appearances during his age-40 year, Fleury is 12-9-1 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. The next stop for the three-time Cup champ: the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Brent Burns – Age 40

When Burns signed an eight-year contract extension at an $8 million cap hit in the fall of 2016, it was widely assumed that the San Jose Sharks were buying high.

Burns won his Norris Trophy at the end of that season before his new deal kicked in. And by the end of Year 5, the rebuilding Sharks were happy to retain a third of the money in order to offload the contract to Carolina.

Burns turned 40 in March. He may not be hitting 70 points anymore, but he’s still averaging well over 20 minutes a game on one of the league’s best puck-possession teams. 

Whatever mysterious potions the bearded one might be carting around in his famous backpack, Burns’s regime is working for him. He recently moved into fourth-place all-time on the NHL’s consecutive-games-played list, at 919. 

Only one other defenseman is ahead of him, Keith Yandle (989). Burns could pass him if he plays just one more year.

Streak aside, it won’t be surprising if Burns has multiple suitors if he decides to test the waters as a UFA this summer.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Age 38

Vlasic signed his big extension in San Jose just a few months after his old partner, Burns, on July 1, 2017 — at a slightly lower cap hit of $7 million a season. As more of a stay-at-home type, he’s had some injury challenges over the years. But this season, Vlasic passed Mark Giordano to become the NHL player with the most blocked shots since tracking began in 2005-06.

That achievement speaks volumes about the physical sacrifices that Vlasic has made throughout his career. 

He has one year remaining on his deal and will most likely want to play it out. It will at least provide one year of insurance for his blocks record, as John Carlson and Alex Pietrangelo are still active and sit third and fourth in the all-time blocked-shot rankings.

Sidney Crosby – Age 37

Sid the Kid is the 13th-oldest skater in the NHL this season. But like Ovechkin, his motor simply isn’t slowing down. 

His 1,682 career points are 64 more than second-place Ovechkin among active players. And with his hat trick in Pittsburgh’s win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday, Crosby just hit the 30-goal mark for the fourth-straight year and the 13th time in his career. 

Last week, Crosby set a record by logging his 20th  point-per-game season — which spans his entire career.

A big ovation from @penguins fans for Sidney Crosby after he became the first player to record 20 point-per-game seasons on Thursday! 👏 pic.twitter.com/LZGJKBSENE

— NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2025

If he gets a point against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, he’ll extend his current point streak to 13 games. That would be a record for a player who’s 37 or older.

Crosby’s workload isn’t changing, either. His average ice time this season is 20:24, just 16 seconds below his career average of 20:40.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned forward Joona Koppanen to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, it was announced Saturday. 

Koppanen, a product of Tampere, Finland, has split time this season between the NHL and the AHL, collecting one goal in six games with Pittsburgh while putting up seven goals and 22 points in 55 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. 

Drafted by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Koppanen has appeared in 15 career NHL games with the Penguins and the Bruins. Across that time, he has scored one goal and added an assist for two points.

With Koppanen being assigned to the AHL once again, he will play a big role for the Penguins as they look to go on a deep playoff run. Still just 27, Koppanen's play could earn him some interest if he hits free agency.