Not quite five minutes into Saturday night's game from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Lucas Raymond benefitted from a fortuitous deflection off a Golden Knight stick in the slot to put his Red Wings up 1–0 with a power play goal.  Detroit, loser of eight of its last 10 games entering the night, had energy and a reward for a strong start.  By the end of the first period, that momentum ran dry, and the Red Wings trailed by two on the way to a 6–3 loss, their distant playoff hopes fading just a bit farther into horizon.

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Vegas would've scored for in the first had coach Todd McLellan not successfully overturned a goal for offside, but before two minutes were played in the second, Patrick Kane buried the rebound from a Moritz Seider shot, and Detroit cut the score to 3–2 with another power play goal.

For the second time on the evening, an early period Red Wings goal inspired a Vegas volley in return.  Mark Stone made it 4–2 Knights just over five minutes later, then Tomas Hertl (who'd scored twice in the first, both goals exploiting open ice around the Detroit crease, while the Red Wings failed to tie up his stick) added another a minute after Stone.

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In the third, Alex DeBrincat got Detroit the first goal again, a wrist shot rifled in and back out of the net before Adin Hill could react in the Vegas crease.  DeBrincat's goal made it 5–3 Knights with just over half the final period still to play.  This time, Vegas only answered once, but it was all the Knights would need: Jack Eichel fighting through three Red Wings to tuck a backhanded empty net goal home with the clock showing 2:01 to play.

The loss, coupled with the results on the out-of-town scoreboard, leaves Detroit five points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (the Montreal Canadiens, who overturned a late 4–1 deficit to salvage a point in a 5–4 OT loss to Colorado Saturday night).

The Red Wings have 13 games with which to make up that gap, beginning Monday night in Utah.  They entered their present trip with their postseason aspirations potentially hanging in the balance.  Now, the back-to-back in Salt Lake City and Denver will be their last chance to salvage any points from the road.  It's not quite do-or-die yet, not mathematically anyway, but Detroit desperately needs positive results.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — David Perron scored a power-play goal to cap Ottawa’s three-goal second period, and the Senators held on to beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday night.

Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson also scored to help the Senators win for the seventh time in their last nine games. Linus Ullmark finished with 25 saves.

Nico Hischier and Erik Haula scored for the Devils, who have lost three of four. Jake Allen had 16 saves.

Tkachuk gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead with his 28th at 4:05 of the second, and Batherson doubled the lead with his 20th at 4:38.

Hischier’s power play goal at 7:13 got the Devils on the scoreboard. It was his 30th and extended his point streak to six games.

However, Perron extended the lead to 3-1 with his sixth 1:31 later.

Haula pulled the Devils back within one with his eighth with 23 seconds left in the third.

New Jersey had several prime chances in the final 20 seconds, looking to tie it, but Ullmark made several stops and Jake Sanderson clearing the puck near the goalmouth.

Takeaways

Ottawa: The Senators hold the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and pulled one point behind the Devils for third place in the Metropolitan Division. Ottawa has played two fewer games.

New Jersey: The Devils have lost six of their last 10 games, and are in danger of falling into a wild card spot.

Key moment

Tim Stutzle and Sanderson scored 33 seconds apart early in the second period to give the Senators a 2-0 lead.

Key stat

Jesper Bratt got his 61st assist of the season on Hischier’s goal, passing Scott Stevens (60 in 1993-94) for the franchise record.

Up next

Ottawa visits Buffalo on Tuesday, while the Devils host Vancouver on Monday to finish a three-game homestand.

Twenty-four hours after getting pummelled by the Providence Bruins, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins bounced back with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win on Saturday over the AHL's second-best team, the Hershey Bears.

Moreover, the Penguins were backed by rookie phenom Sergei Murashov, who improved to 10-0-0 in his first season in the AHL. Saturday's third star of the game made 24 saves on 26 shots, earning a .923 SV%, his fifth-best total of the season.

As the overtime hero, Avery Hayes was named the game's first star. He scored the winner, his 19th of the year, at 2:09 of the extra period. Meanwhile, the contest's second star was Atley Calvert, who scored the Penguins' two other goals, one in the second and one in the third period.

Penguins: Sidney Crosby's Chase Of Wayne Gretzky's NHL Point-Per-Game RecordPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on pace to break a Wayne Gretzky record many people thought would never fall; most seasons (19) averaging a point-per-game average. 

The Bears (38-16-6-1) opened the scoring when Mike Vecchione scored at 18:36 of the first period. Calvert tied things at 3:49 of the middle frame and scored again at 6:52 of the third. At 18:29, Vecchione tallied his second of the night to force the overtime.  

Hershey's Hunter Shepard was on the hook for a loss with 28 saves on 31 shots. However, the story of the night belonged to Murashov, who has yet to lose in the AHL this season.

The 21-year-old from Russia is 10-0-0 with a .916 SV% and 2.58 GAA. He now owns the Penguins record for longest win streak by a rookie goalie. 

As mentioned, the Penguins lost to the Bruins 10-2 on Friday and will finish their three-game weekend with a visit to the Bridgeport Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

Thanks to a 34-18-7-1 record, WBS remains tied with the Charlotte Checkers for third place in the Atlantic Division. So far, the Bears are the only AHL team to clinch a playoff spot. 

Although the Pittsburgh Penguins shipped out most of their unrestricted free agents before the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 7, there are still a few remaining on the roster.

There's really no telling what President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas will do in free agency this summer, but it is possible that he decides to bring back some of the UFA stragglers who are currently on the NHL roster.

So which UFAs should they keep around, and who should they let walk?

---

Matt Grzelcyk

Keep: Yes

This may or may not be a polarizing response, but Grzelcyk's career has found new life in Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old left defenseman has already smashed previous offensive career-highs - his 32 points so far this season have beaten his previous career-best total of 26 - and he has helped revive a pronounced-dead Penguins' power play.

Given that Pittsburgh's left defensive corps are a bit thin as far as talent right now, it might not be the worst thing to sign him to another one- or two-year deal to help bridge the gap for the younger guys - like Owen Pickering and Emil Pieniniemi - coming up through the system.

---

Matt Nieto

Keep: No

Nieto's return to play this season after missing nearly an entire year with knee injuries was certainly inspiring. However, his performance over time did not warrant the Penguins keeping him on their NHL roster, as they waived him on Feb. 26.

There isn't really any reason for the Penguins to keep Nieto beyond this season, especially with some young prospects vying for roster spots in 2025-26.

---

Emil Bemstrom

Keep: Yes

Prior to his latest Pittsburgh call-up on Feb. 27, Bemstrom was enjoying an impressive season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). He put up 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games and was named to the AHL All-Star Classic.

Although he will be 26 next season, Bemstrom is a good depth option to have. He is a proven AHL player and may have a bit more to offer at the NHL level. He has also been pretty effective in generating chances through a short 10-game sample this season. 

Bring him back cheap, and he's a decent insurance option - especially in the event of injury or if a younger player needs to be sent back for development at some point during the season next year. 

---

Boko Imama

Keep: Yes 

Imama is not only a high-energy guy on the ice, he's also someone you want to have in a locker room. His teammates love him, and his positive energy is contagious.

He shouldn't be in the lineup on a nightly basis if the Penguins bring him back. There are younger players who are due for NHL opportunities, and for the type of player Imama is - one of the NHL's few true enforcers - he doesn't need to be in the lineup every night, anyway.

Imama would be fine to bring back as a 13th or 14th forward whose roster spot wouldn't really be hindering a younger player's development.

---

Joona Koppanen

Keep: No

Koppanen, 27, has enjoyed a pretty decent season in WBS. He registered six goals and 21 points in 53 AHL games, and his two-way conscientiousness is definitely something that has value.

But there are dozens of other Koppanens around the league, including many who are younger. If he returns on a cheap AHL-level contract, that's understandable. But he's the kind of player who - at the NHL level - might block prospects like Vasily Ponomarev, Avery Hayes, and Tristan Broz.

Forward depth in the system is never a bad thing. But bringing Koppanen back certainly isn't a "must."

---

Other UFA predictions:

Keep:

     - C Jimmy Huntington
     - RW Marc Johnstone
     - D Nathan Clurman

---

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The Ottawa Senators shook off a two-game losing streak on Saturday night, winning a 3-2 nailbiter over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils made a furious push with their goalie pulled at the end of the game but the Sens held on for the win. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves as the Sens were outshot 27-19.

The Senators utilized one of the game's golden rules they probably heard from every coach they've ever had: "Go to the net, get rewarded."

After a scoreless first period, which wasn't for lack of chances, the Senators did all of their scoring in the middle frame in a span of four and a half minutes, all on redirected shots by players stationed in front of the Devils' net.

The first goal came from Brady Tkachuk—his 28th of the season—4:05 into the second period as he redirected a puck from Jake Sanderson.

Just 33 seconds later, Dylan Cozens appeared to be attempting a one-timer but fanned on the shot. Regardless of his intent, it turned into a perfect pass to Batherson, who redirected it past Jake Allen.

The Devils cut the lead to 2-1 at the 7:13 mark when Nico Hischier fired a one-timer for his 30th goal of the season. Jesper Bratt set it up, earning his 61st assist of the year, breaking a Devils franchise record (Scott Stevens 1993-94).

However, the Senators restored their two-goal lead after Claude Giroux’s shot on the power play bounced off David Perron and into the net. It was Perron's sixth goal of the season, making it 3-1 Ottawa and standing up as the winner.

The Senators nursed the lead the rest of the way, but finally bent in the dying moments when Erik Haula scored with 22 seconds left. The Devils made a hard charge to tie it with a loose puck in the blue paint behind Ullmark, but Artem Zub swept it away in the scrum, preserving the win.

Tkachuk continues to push through nagging hip pain that may go back to the 4 Nations tournament in February. Sportsnet cameras caught him wincing in pain during the first period on Saturday night, leaving a shift early, and yelling profanities in frustration. 

The Senators continued to monitor his status, using him sparingly in the third. He played just over 13 minutes, well off his customary 18-19 minutes of work. The team is obviously hoping he and defenceman Nick Jensen can heal up their nagging injuries and be as close to 100% as possible before the playoffs.

Speaking of which, the win Saturday was a nice counter to the New York Rangers 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It keeps the Sens five points above the Eastern playoff cut line. They also expanded their lead on the (WC2) Montreal Canadiens, who lost in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche and slip four points behind the Sens.

The Sens also climbed two points closer to the top three teams in the Atlantic - Florida, Toronto, and Tampa - who all lost. 

The Senators' next game is in Buffalo on Tuesday night.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

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

The Ottawa Senators shook off a two-game losing streak on Saturday night, winning a 3-2 nailbiter over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils made a furious push with their goalie pulled at the end of the game but the Sens held on for the win. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves as the Sens were outshot 27-19.

The Senators utilized one of the game's golden rules they probably heard from every coach they've ever had: "Go to the net, get rewarded."

After a scoreless first period, which wasn't for lack of chances, the Senators did all of their scoring in the middle frame in a span of four and a half minutes, all on redirected shots by players stationed in front of the Devils' net.

The first goal came from Brady Tkachuk—his 28th of the season—4:05 into the second period as he redirected a puck from Jake Sanderson.

Just 33 seconds later, Dylan Cozens appeared to be attempting a one-timer but fanned on the shot. Regardless of his intent, it turned into a perfect pass to Batherson, who redirected it past Jake Allen.

The Devils cut the lead to 2-1 at the 7:13 mark when Nico Hischier fired a one-timer for his 30th goal of the season. Jesper Bratt set it up, earning his 61st assist of the year, breaking a Devils franchise record (Scott Stevens 1993-94).

However, the Senators restored their two-goal lead after Claude Giroux’s shot on the power play bounced off David Perron and into the net. It was Perron's sixth goal of the season, making it 3-1 Ottawa and standing up as the winner.

The Senators nursed the lead the rest of the way, but finally bent in the dying moments when Erik Haula scored with 22 seconds left. The Devils made a hard charge to tie it with a loose puck in the blue paint behind Ullmark, but Artem Zub swept it away in the scrum, preserving the win.

Tkachuk continues to push through nagging hip pain that may go back to the 4 Nations tournament in February. Sportsnet cameras caught him wincing in pain during the first period on Saturday night, leaving a shift early, and yelling profanities in frustration. He 

The Senators continued to monitor his status, using him sparingly in the third. He played just over 13 minutes, well off his usual contributions. The team is obviously hoping he and defenceman Nick Jensen can heal up their nagging injuries and be as close to 100% as possible before the playoffs.

Speaking of which, the win Saturday was a nice counter to the New York Rangers 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. That keeps the Sens five points above the Eastern playoff cut line. They also expanded their lead on the (WC2) Montreal Canadiens, who lost in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche and stand four points behind the Sens.

The Sens also climbed two points closer to the top three teams in the Atlantic - Florida, Toronto, and Tampa - who all lost. They're 

The Senators' next game is in Buffalo on Tuesday night.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

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