The Vegas Golden Knights needed two points on Thursday to keep pace with the Edmonton Oilers in the quest to capture the Pacific Division title. They had the win in their sights after taking a multi-goal lead early in the third period, but allowed two goals in 3:05 and fell 4-3 to the Seattle Kraken in the shootout.

The Golden Knights broke the ice at 10:04 in the first period. Rasmus Anderson threaded a centering pass from below the right circle to a completely unmarked Mark Stone. Stone stepped into the slot and beat Joey Daccord glove-side.

Rasmus Anderson showing off his talent at getting passes through to the slot and Mark Stone goes top-shelf.

1-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/7KNlVJfIaj

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 10, 2026

The Golden Knights doubled their lead just 55 seconds into the second period. Jack Eichel got a pass through to Mark Stone, who banged it home from the right side of the goal.

What a pass from Mitch Marner. Brandon Montour gets a stick on it but it doesn’t matter. Howden crashes the net and restores the two-goal lead.

3-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/bnNQpKh6MC

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 10, 2026

Both teams had just one power play opportunity apiece; the Kraken converted on theirs at 17:54 in the second. Jared McCann rocketed home a one-timer from the right circle.

Jared McCann with a howitzer from the right circle. PPG.

2-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/x8dGDh6WT6

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 10, 2026

The Golden Knights restored their two-goal lead just 1:11 into the third period. As the trailer in a 4-on-2, Brayden McNabb sent a no-look pass to Mitch Marner in the right circle. Marner corralled McNabb’s pass and found Brett Howden back-door.

What a pass from Mitch Marner. Brandon Montour gets a stick on it but it doesn’t matter. Howden crashes the net and restores the two-goal lead.

3-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/bnNQpKh6MC

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 10, 2026

Five minutes later, the tides turned, and the abyss awakened.At 6:11 in the third, Adin Hill left the net to play the puck on a seemingly harmless dump-in. Instead, it took a weird bounce off the boards and ended up right on the stick of Berkly Catton, who had an empty net to shoot at.

Adin Hill leaves the net to play the puck on a seemingly harmless dump in. Instead, it takes a weird bounce off the boards and ends up right on the stick of Berkly Catton. Just bad luck right there.

3-2, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/q4SBr6ycxP

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 10, 2026

“They get a bounce, and it gives them some life,” said head coach John Tortorella postgame. “It just set you back a little bit, because we had some momentum [after] scoring early in the period.”

The Kraken went on to score the equalizer three minutes later.

Bobby McMann sprawled out to play a loose puck into the corners, and Jordan Eberle beat Noah Hanifin in the ensuing foot race. After winning the battle, Eberle found McMann all alone at the right dot; McMann beat Adin Hill far-side with a wicked wrister.

Golden Knights can’t clear. Jordan Eberle outworks Noah Hanifin and Bobby McMann rips a laser from the right dot.

3-3

pic.twitter.com/JsdQWe4yOE

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 10, 2026

In overtime, the Golden Knights played with urgency but failed to capitalize on the four scoring chances they generated.

“We had good opportunities,” said Mitch Marner postgame. “We just didn’t capitalize.”Marner scored in the shootout for the Golden Knights. Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton scored for Seattle, and the Kraken claimed the 4-3 win.

Three Takeaways of the Knight

1. Mark Stone went through a cold spell after returning from injury in March, but it’s safe to say that he’s put that behind him. He has five goals and seven points in his last seven games.Because of his defensive prowess, Stone is an effective player even when he isn’t scoring. However, with Jack Eichel and Tomáš Hertl in droughts, the Golden Knights need to get their goalscoring from somewhere. And speaking of which…

2. Jack Eichel has one goal in his last 13 games. Pavel Dorofeyev has one in his last 12. And Tomáš Hertl hasn’t scored since March 4th.

The Golden Knights will comfortably make the playoffs. They will not go very far in them unless that changes.

3. With the team needing goalscoring from somewhere, Brett Howden is answering the call. He’s played with both Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner in the John Tortorella era, and Howden has taken full advantage of this opportunity. He has three goals in his last four games, including the game-winner against the Calgary Flames last week.

In their penultimate home game of the 2025-26 season, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the San Jose Sharks in a crucial Pacific Division matchup on Thursday night at Honda Center.

The Ducks, suddenly desperate, entered this game carrying a six-game winless streak and having seen their five-point lead in the Pacific completely evaporated. At puck drop, they were third in the Division, behind the Vegas Golden Knights by a point and ahead of the Los Angeles Kings by four points.

Ducks Goaltender Ville Husso Nominated for Masterton Trophy

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-0 Loss to the Predators

The Sharks were on their second game of a back-to-back, after having lost a critical game on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Sharks were three points out of the second wild card spot with a game in hand.

This was the biggest game of the season for both sides.

The Ducks remained without forward Cutter Gauthier (upper body) and defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body), each having been sidelined since their March 30 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After playing forward in Tuesday’s loss to the Nashville Predators, Olen Zellweger was scratched for this game.

Here’s how the Ducks lined up:

Kreider-Carlsson-Terry

Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke

Vatrano-McTavish-Viel

Washe-Poehling-Moore

LaCombe-Trouba

Mintyukov-Carlson

Hinds-Helleson

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks and saved 18 of 19 shots in this game. For the Sharks, Yaroslav Askarov got the nod and stopped 24 of 30.

Game Notes

From an on-ice perspective, with the scoreboards removed, this game felt like a continuation of their game on Tuesday against Nashville. The Ducks were possessing the puck for extended periods of time, including not allowing a shot against for (roughly) the first 15 minutes of the hockey game, and utilizing crisp breakouts to counter and keep pucks out of their end.

San Jose expectedly pushed back, but Anaheim ensured their shot attempts wouldn’t lead to elongated cycles. The Ducks did little things like remain disciplined, only heading to the penalty box once, in a coincidental situation, and blocking every perimeter shot they could, tallying 22 in total.

“We haven’t had a lead like that in a long time, early in the game,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “I thought we did some solid things all game long. With them playing last night, we got after them early in the game and set a very fast pace.

“That was beneficial to us from the start. It’s one of those games where we needed it in the worst way, and we showed that we were going to do everything we could to find a way to get it.”

Containing Celebrini: The coaching staff hard-matched Celebrini’s line with the Ducks’ fourth line (Washe-Poehling-Moore) and top defensive pair (LaCombe-Trouba). Underlying metrics will indicate Celebrini got the better of them, but as a five-man unit, they did well to eliminate time and space while forcing him to defer pucks to teammates, limiting the time it spent on his tape.

They pressured San Jose’s below-average back end on the forecheck, eliminating Celebrini’s ability to transport pucks up ice. They shadowed him in the neutral zone, forcing puck movers to attempt outlets elsewhere, and they kept him to the perimeter in the offensive zone, refusing to give up the middle of the ice, an area of severe weakness for the team throughout the course of the season.

John Carlson: The story of this game will remain Carlson’s first career hat trick. He unleashed his world-class throwback slap shot on all three goals, and they weren’t only hard but cleverly placed and utilized screens in front.

Moving forward, as it did in this game, this weapon can be a go-to form of offense when the Ducks’ power play “Plan A” is denied. Sennecke’s willingness to suffer abuse, act as a presence in front of the opposing netminder, and disrupt his vision was a key factor in all three of Carlson’s tallies.

Leo Carlsson: Carlsson’s “lead-by-example” brand was on full display in this game, seemingly refusing to let his team go down a goal and not allowing their lead to slip away late. He displayed his typical danger off the rush, utilizing his speed to drive opponents back and create in the ice afforded.

However, in this game, he also manufactured offense from the cycle, astutely read opposing breakouts and picked off outlet attempts, and he was diligent in his end, picking up assignments and supporting pucks effectively.

Against the brightest young star in the game, Carlsson showed a relentless physical and mental motor, singlehandedly, completely unwilling to let his team suffer a seventh straight loss.

The Ducks will wrap up their home schedule on Sunday, when they’ll host the lowly Vancouver Canucks.

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Loss to the Flames

Ducks Recall Tyson Hinds to NHL, Assign Lucas Pettersson, Damian Clara to AHL

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-2 Loss to the Blues

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 Thursday night at United Center.

It was an epic beatdown by the Hurricanes, who were even without seven starters, as they continued to hold strong to their spot atop the Eastern Conference.

Here are seven takeaways from the win:

1. Seven Starters Sitting

The Carolina Hurricanes came into the game against the Blackhawks with one thing in mind: getting their top guys some rest.

Now that's both a comment on the Hurricanes' current playoff position, locked in to the top spot of the Metropolitan Division, but also to how lowly the Blackhawks, the league's 31st ranked team, are.

Because even despite resting seven key players — Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield — they still laid the boot to Chicago, scoring seven goals on 22 shots.

"You score on the first shift and that just set the tone," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "It's obviously better to play ahead and then we didn't really have too many lapses in the game. I thought we just played a solid road game. Overall, just everybody had their hand in it."

2. The Regulars Held It Down...

In total, 11 different players found their way onto the scoresheet Thursday night.

Logan Stankoven led the way for Carolina with two goals and three points and other standout performances included those by Mark Jankowski (2g) and William Carrier (3a).

In fact, all but one of the team's anticipated playoff starters registered at least one point in the contest (Eric Robinson did not have a point).

"It just creates confidence for everybody and that's what we're gonna need in these last few games and into the playoffs," Stankoven said. "It's nice when everyone can chip in. It's great for the team, but it's also great individually. It makes everyone feel good."

The only non-assumed playoff starter to even register a point was Nicolas Deslauriers, who picked up his first point as a Hurricane with a secondary assist on the seventh and final goal of the game.

"That was awesome," Jankowski said. "Before my second one there, he was joking on the bench like, 'Guys, get me a touch, get me my first one,' so when he got the assist, he was just fired up. We got the puck for him, his first point as a Cane. He's been huge in our locker room and on the ice when he's been in. It's been a pleasure to play with him and it's great for him to get his first point there."

3. ...But The Callups Still Held Their Own Too

Even though they didn't end up on the scoresheet, it was still a solid night for the team's four AHL callups.

Bradly Nadeau, Skyler Brind'Amour, Josiah Slavin and Charles Alexis Legault all got time on the PK, which went a perfect 4-for-4, and each held their own in their 15+ minutes of ice time.

Nadeau didn't have as much opportunity for power play looks, as the team only got one call their way and Nadeau himself cancelled it out after just 56 seconds, but he still had three shot attempts, a block and four hits.

Brind'Amour also went 8-for-10 on draws and nearly had a redirect goal, but it was called off due to his contact with Spencer Knight.

"I thought they did a great job," Brind'Amour said. "It's not the easiest thing to throw all of them in, but I thought they did a great job. On the kill we used them and just everywhere. We had to put them in. There was no, 'Uh, oh. They're on the ice,' type of thing.

"You have to kind of know your people and they fit perfectly. They know how to play and they know how we play. Obviously they're not replacing the guys we had out, but it helps when you have guys that know what they're doing. Kudos to them."

"Our system is pretty straight up so anyone can squeeze right in," Carrier said. "They play the same way down there, so they fit right in like they had been here all season with us."

4. Logan Stankoven: 20(21*)-Goal Scorer

There were certainly a lot of people in my mentions this year that said very adamantly that Logan Stankoven was not a second-line center.

Well, now that the 23 year old has eclipsed the 20-goal and 40-point milestones this season, it's kind of crazy how I don't really see those same complaints anymore.

"It's what you dream of as a kid," Stankoven said on the milestone moment. "A lot of work, for sure, and I know it's far from over. I'm gonna keep getting better every game. I think I'm far from a finished product and I just want to be the best version I can of myself.

Stankoven made the move back to his natural position of center to start the year, that being just his second full NHL season at that, and so you knew it was gonna take some time for him to really get used to it.

But really right away, he found some strong chemistry with Jackson Blake and a variety of other linemates, whether that was Nikolaj Ehlers or Taylor Hall, and his lines had consistently been one of the most possession dominant in the league.

He wasn't getting any bounces for a while there, but now the pucks are finally starting to drop for him and his numbers are matching what his expected production has always been, as Stankoven now ranks 25th in the league in 5v5 goals amongst true centers.

"We've been talking about him all year and he went through that stretch where he wasn't scoring, but he was getting those chances and it was just a matter of time and clearly that's what's happening here lately," Brind'Amour said.

Stankoven is also the sixth Hurricane this season to reach the 20-goal milestone, tied not only for the most in the league this year, but also the most in franchise history.

"I think it's a great confidence booster," Stankoven said. "There's times when it has been frustrating when you get a lot of chances and they don't go in, but I've kind of said to my linemates on the bench, for all the times they've set me up and I've missed or hit posts and it didn't go in, that it's kind of nice now that they are starting to fall and drop in for me."

5. Taylor Hall Continuing To Impress

It seems like Hall can't stop scoring now that he's finally earned his 300th career goal.

Before he got that goal in Ottawa, Hall had gone seven games without a tally, but was racking up the assists and chances.

He's still getting assists now too as his production continues to climb, but his scoring touch seems to be back too, scoring his 18th of the season, and third straight, on Thursday (could we see a seventh player reach 20?).

The Masterton nominee has been a key part of Carolina's offense all year and he's been the perfect mentor for Blake and Stankoven.

It also shouldn't be overlooked that Hall was the one player given a letter to wear with the entire leadership team up in the press box.

The 34-year-old is a long-time veteran of the game, but he's also a well respected member of the Hurricanes.

6. A Solid Outing For Frederik Andersen

A lot of talk has been made about the Hurricanes' current goaltender situation and how it'll play out come Game 1 of the playoffs.

For me, it's really come down to a game-by-game basis on who can emerge as the strongest candidate in these last few games.

While Brandon Bussi has had the better overall body of work this year, he's really struggled since the Olympic break.

Frederik Andersen hasn't been that impressive either to be honest as of late, but tonight was certainly another point in his favor.

The veteran netminder made 23 saves in the win, even stopping a handful of grade-A chances for the Hawks, none bigger than his breakaway stop on Nick Lardis.

"That's what you need in a game like that," Brind'Amour said on the timely saves. "We had a couple gaffes, guys falls down and gives up a breakaway. You don't see that very often and that's a big turning point in the game if they score there. That was probably the save of the game for me."

Freddie was very solid overall for Carolina in a game they were actually outshot in, with none of the two goals he gave up even being remotely on him.

As we get closer and closer to the postseason, let's also not forget the fact that Andersen has been a steady playoff performer.

Yes, he had a poor outing in 2024 against the Rangers, but other than that, the Danish netminder has come up strong in many different series for Carolina.

That experience counts for something.

7. Race For The Eastern Conference Crown

With the win, the Canes moved back into sole possession of the top spot in the Eastern Conference (108 points)

They now sit two points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres (106) and have a game in hand on them.

However, the Sabres have four more regulation wins than the Hurricanes, meaning they'll actually finish ahead of Carolina should they end up tied in points and there's no way for the Canes to nullify that tiebreaker.

Buffalo isn't the only team the Canes have to worry about either though, as both the Montreal Canadiens (104) and Tampa Bay Lightning (102) are still in the race too, although they have a much more difficult route to the top.

Montreal can't catch the Canes in regulation wins, so they'll need to finish with more points. For that to happen, the Canadiens would have to secure five or more points more than the Hurricanes in each's last three games.

Tampa Bay meanwhile has to win out just to catch Carolina in points, which means any points gained by the Canes would eliminate the Lightning from being able to catch them.

However, should the Hurricanes lose out and Tampa Bay catches them, the Lighting hold the edge in regulation wins and would finish ahead.

But the Hurricanes control their own destiny and so the best thing for them to do is just to keep winning.

One win would mean that Buffalo remains their only opponent in the race for the East and three points in any fashion would officially secure the conference crown regardless of what anyone else does.

Recent Articles

Eighth Times The Charm?: Hurricanes Once Again Punch Ticket Back To Postseason

New Upgrades, Enhancements Announced For Lenovo Center

'I'm Sure The Boys Will Enjoy It:' Sebastian Aho Excited To Bring Hurricanes To Finland

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

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.

An unnecessarily close game against the weakest team in the NHL ended with the Los Angeles Kings (33-26-19) pulling away in the second period for a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

The game began with LA taking control early. The early starts benefit the Kings a lot by helping them avoid blowouts or close losses, as they experienced a week ago when they struggled to score a goal in the opening period. 

That's a big ✌️ points for your LA Kings.#GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/N4ZIye6saK

— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 10, 2026

The scoring came a minute into the period, with a nice play led by Brandt Clarke, skating behind the net and around to find Adrian Kempe cutting in to get the wrist shot. Kempe's goal gave him his 70th point of the season, marking his third consecutive season with 70+ points. 

LAK Goal - 🧃🧃🧃

89 seconds into the game, Kempe opens the scoring. Good dish from Clarke, goal from close range. 1-0.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 10, 2026

The Kings were outshooting Vancouver 11-7 to end the first period, while the Canucks won just 24% of their faceoffs. Los Angeles was clearly outplaying the visiting team, but couldn't put them away, leaving the game up in the air. 

Vancouver would respond at the 5:43 mark, converting on the big one-timer shot to tie the scoreboard 1-1. Despite giving up a goal, the Kings would counter the Canucks a minute later. 

After a nice steal from Jared Wright, forcing a Vancouver turnover, Scott Laughton would remain in possession of the puck and drop an impressive pass to Joel Armia trailing from behind to score and give the Kings back the lead. 

LAK Goal - Big Goal Joel!

Kings answer quickly as the third line stays hot. Laughton drops to Armia and clears some space along the way, Armia buries from the slot. 2-1.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 10, 2026

The third line continues to stay hot with the chemistry that's developed on ice along the Armia-Laughton-Wright unit out there. Los Angeles is a very tough team to beat whenever any one of those guys in the third line gives you anything on ice, showcasing the depth LA has.

Los Angeles did what they have recently struggled to do in its last few games, getting off to hot starts and never looking back. 

The second period was a very gritty one, with both teams struggling to score after several second-chance opportunities. Both teams were looking for a breakaway, especially the Kings, because the Canucks wouldn't go away, still trailing by just one goal. 

Whoever scored it would come a long way, giving that team momentum and an insurance goal. It came down in the final 30 seconds of the period after a long shot from Joel Edmundston, the puck was redirected by Kempe, and somehow found its way inside the net. 

Kempe continues to impress with his recent performance at the right time of the season. The 29-year-old has now scored 8 of the Kings' 20 goals in the last six games, matching the last time he did it back in Jan/Feb 2023. 

Adrian Kempe has now accounted for 8 of the Kings 20 goals in the last 6 games

The last Kings player to have 8+ goals in a 6-game span was himself in Jan/Feb 2023@DooleyLAK@mayorNHL@KingsMenPodcast

— Blake Warye (@bwaryeofblake) April 10, 2026

Just like that, what felt like Vancouver was slowly getting back into it because the Kings couldn't take advantage of several missed opportunities, LA ended the second period leading with a two-goal cushion. 

Even with the score being 3-1 after 40 minutes, the Canucks were still playing hard and weren't letting the Kings pull away. 

The final frame was where the Kings started to take over the game. LA’s offense and defense looked more comfortable out there, and they did a good job of holding onto their commanding 3-1 lead.

Los Angeles would score its fourth goal of the game at the 10:43 mark after a nice shot by Alex Laferriere through traffic deflected off a Canucks stick and went inside the net. 

LAK Goal - Laferriere shot, off a Vancouver stick and in!

20th of the season for Alex Laferriere, a new career high! 4-1 Kings.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 10, 2026

That's now 20 goals for Laferriere on the season, a new career high. Despite the Kings winning a game they're supposed to easily get, it was a good sign to see LA's depth and offense spread the wealth and look comfortable in these must-win games. 

Key Stats

Adrian Kempe scored two goals and two points, continuing his hot stretch over the last six games. Artemi Panarin had two assists and two points. Scott Laughton and Joel Armia continued to play strongly in the third line, with Armia notching a goal and a point, while his teammate Laughton recorded an assist and a point. 

Anton Forsberg got his second straight start after that impressive win against the Predators on Monday. Forsberg finished with 23 saves on 24 shots, making key saves when it was a one-goal game to lead another impressive win under the crease. 

Defensively, Brandt Clarke was also very strong today, finishing with four blocked shots and was a +3 on ice tonight. He’s the youngest player to do this since Drew Doughty back in 2010, impressive stuff from LA’s depth in the win.

The Kings win their third straight game and now have the second wild-card playoff spot after Nashville and San Jose lost. LA now has a one-point lead over the Predators and must either win out or win three of their last four games to overtake Nashville, which holds the tiebreaker. 

LA's next matchup will be against its rival, the Edmonton Oilers, on Saturday at 1:00 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.