NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Horvat scored his second goal of the game 3:37 into overtime to lift the New York Islanders past the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday night for their third straight victory.

Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves and had his first two assists of the season, the first Islanders goalie with multiple points in a game. Anthony Duclair and Simon Holmstrom also had goals for the Islanders, who moved within two points of the Canadiens for the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

New York is 7-3-1 in its last 11 since a four-game skid and has won three in a row for the first time since a 7-0 run spanning Jan. 18 to Feb. 1.

Brendan Gallagher tied it for Montreal with 14:16 left after the Canadiens trailed 3-1 early in the third period. Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist and Joshua Roy also scored for the Canadiens. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves.

Takeaways

Canadiens: Despite the loss, Montreal has points in 11 of its last 12 games, going 8-1-3 in that span.

Islanders: Duclair’s goal at 5:37 of the first period gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead and snapped New York’s 0-for-18 power-play drought.

Key moment

With the game tied at 3 in OT, Horvat capped a 2-on-1 break by driving up the left wing and beating Montembeault high on the short side. That came after Montreal’s Lane Hutson was checked off the puck on a rush the other way.

Key stat

The Islanders went 1 for 2 on goal challenges. Coach Patrick Roy was successful in challenging Nick Suzuki’s goal that would have put Montreal up 2-1 early in the second period when a replay review showed he was just inches offside entering the Isles zone.

Laine’s power-play goal, cutting the Islanders’ lead to 3-2 at the 4:32 mark of the third period, was allowed to stand after being challenged for goalie interference.

Up next

Canadiens: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Islanders: Host the Calgray Flames on Saturday.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks came into Thursday night’s game feeling lousy as they were on a five-game losing streak (0-4-1). The Los Angeles Kings, firmly in a playoff spot, came in looking to avenge a bad loss the last time they were in town (a 5-1 loss on March 3rd). 

The bad vibes for Chicago continued once the puck was dropped. Spencer Knight did a good job of keeping the Kings at bay for a while but about halfway through the period, Los Angeles scored two goals in under a minute. Trevor Moore's beautiful wrister and Alex Turcotte's neat direction put LA up 2-0.  

In the second period, the Blackhawks played a little bit better. They were still outshot but Connor Bedard scored the only goal of the middle frame. It was a nice power-play one-timer off a feed by Tyler Bertuzzi.

Once the third period came around, the Hawks knew they needed an ugly one to get it tied for a chance to win. As Jason Dickinson said after the loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, they need a gritty one. 

In the final frame, the Blackhawks played their best period of the evening. It looked for a while like they were going to get that gritty goal to tie it up but they were unable to. Los Angeles deposited one into the empty net and took the 3-1 final to the bank. 

Spencer Knight gave up two goals on 33 shots. It was a wonderful bounce-back performance after a tough one earlier in the week. Anders Sorensen went back to him one game later and it worked out well. Unfortunately for Knight, his team only gave him one goal in support of this marvelous performance. 

With this loss, the Blackhawks are mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. It is just a formality at this point as it was clear in October that they weren't going to the playoffs. 

The San Jose Sharks were the only team to be eliminated before them. Now that the Hawks have lost six straight, five in regulation, they are back in contention for the best draft lottery odds. 

Connor Bedard scoring another goal is the one positive to come from this game. He now has 19 on the year and leads the team with 54 points.

Back-to-back games with a power play marker is good as he seems to be willing to shoot more when the opportunity presents itself. The man-advantage is a great place to gain confidence. 

Chicago will hit the road for one as they have the St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon. The Blues have continued to get better and better as the season moves along so breaking out of this losing streak won't be easy against them. 

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John Tavares continues to prove why he is one of the most consistent players in the NHL. 

On Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward reached the 1,100-point milestone with a three-point performance, leading the charge en route to a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers – the club’s third consecutive win.

Tavares became just the 68th player in NHL history and the eighth active skater to reach 1,100 career points.

With his goal at 4:16 of the second period, John Tavares becomes the 68th skater in NHL history to record 1,100 career points.

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 21, 2025

“You don't take it for granted. It's been a great journey, a lot of hard work, and obviously, I've played with two great organizations and a lot of great teammates that have been a big part of that, helping me along the way and making me look good a lot of the time,” said Tavares post-game. 

“But obviously, very proud of the commitment I try to make and the passion I have for the game. Just try to go out there, execute and play well, be effective, and be accounted on offensively,” he added.

The milestone moment came in the second period when he wired home his second goal of the game, restoring Toronto’s lead after the Rangers had tied things up early in the frame. A fortunate bounce sent the puck onto his stick with an open net in front of him, and he made no mistake, firing it past Igor Shesterkin.

JOHN TAVARES 🚨🚨

1100 NHL POINTS! pic.twitter.com/qqXVCaT4Un

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 21, 2025

The 34-year-old forward also opened the scoring at 12:30 of the first period, netting his 28th goal of the season off a perfectly placed one-timer. Tavares finished the night with two goals, an assist, and a plus-2 rating while leading all Toronto forwards in ice time at 19:42.

JOHN TAVARES 🚨

What a shot! pic.twitter.com/P0StJPYmwE

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 20, 2025

“It's incredible. I mean, what an accomplishment,” said linemate William Nylander, who recorded two assists and reached a milestone of his own with his 600th career point. “He had a great game tonight, and I mean, the way he gets prepared before every game, just a complete pro on and off the ice.”

Tavares’ production remains remarkably steady at age 34. 

Through 62 games this season, he has 29 goals and 31 assists for 60 points – matching last year’s goal total in 18 fewer games. His longevity as a top-tier player is further highlighted by the fact that he has recorded at least 60 points in 13 NHL seasons, with the only exceptions being his rookie campaign (2009-10), the lockout-shortened season (2012-13), and the COVID-19-impacted year (2020-21).

John Tavares vs. Father Time

2023-24: 29 goals in 80 games
2024-25: 29 goals in 62 games

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) March 21, 2025

“He's just the ultimate pro, the ultimate model of consistency,” said defenseman Jake McCabe. “He's a great example for all of us in our room and such a huge part of our team. So, yeah, it's 1,100 points, man. S— That's a lot of points.”

Head coach Craig Berube praised the former No.1 overall pick’s ability to elevate his game, even amidst a back-to-back that required travel. 

“I thought he was really good tonight. An older guy like that on back-to-back nights and a pretty quick team over there too, but he was solid,” said Berube. “He was so strong on pucks tonight and won all his battles, faceoffs. He does all the little things right, and he's got that knack to score goals, I'll tell you that.”

‘I Love It Here, I’ve Said I Want To Stay’: John Tavares Reaffirms Commitment To Maple Leafs Amid Contract Uncertainty Following Loss To AvalancheAfter rumors surfaced following the NHL’s trade deadline that the Toronto Maple Leafs had considered trading Mitch Marner to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen, John Tavares was asked about his own future with the team following Toronto’s 7-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

For a player who has built his career on consistency, leadership, and offensive production, Tavares’ 1,100-point milestone is just another testament to his overall impact on the ice. 

And with the way he’s playing, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

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It should be quite the summer for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the free agent market.

The Penguins have already shipped most of their pending-unrestricted free agents (UFAs) elsewhere for assets, as forward Lars Eller was traded in November and defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor were dealt at the end of January. There are also plenty of whispers about President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas dabbling in the restricted free agent market to bring in some young talent from elsewhere. 

But with free agency will also come decisions on which pending-restricted free agents (RFAs) of their own that they'll want to keep in the organization.

So who should they keep around, and who should they move on from, in restricted free agency?

Philip Tomasino

Keep: Yes

Tomasino is probably the most obvious choice for the Penguins to keep around, as he has found some momentum with the Penguins this season.

Since being traded to Pittsburgh by the Nashville Predators for a 2027 fourth-round pick on Nov. 25, Tomasino has registered 10 goals and 19 points in 41 games, which is good enough for a 20-goal pace. He has found some chemistry with Evgeni Malkin, and - at only 23 years old - he is a player who can complement some of the younger prospects who will be part of the Penguins' roster in 2025-26.

Connor Dewar

Keep: No

Although Dewar has scored his only three goals of the season in his five games as a Penguin, it still doesn't change the fact that he is, at his very best, a lower-end third-line winger on a good team.

It's not that Dewar isn't good enough to be kept around. It's more so that keeping a guy like him around will surely block some deserving prospects from seeing NHL ice next season. And at the stage the Penguins are in, prospect development should be the priority.

Conor Timmins

Keep: Yes

Timmins has been a steady presence on Pittsburgh's third pairing since coming over in the same trade that brought Dewar over from the Toronto Maple Leafs on deadline day. He has a goal and four points in five games with the Penguins and is tied for first in blocked shots per game at 1.4.

Defensive depth is never a bad thing to have, and the Penguins could use more depth options on their right side - especially if Erik Karlsson ends up being shopped this summer.

P.O Joseph

Keep: No

In December, Dubas essentially added Joseph for nothing, acquiring him from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations. At the time, the move made sense in order to shore up some defensive depth, as injuries were piling up and Joseph was a safe, cheap option.

However, the Penguins have enough left defensemen on their roster - Ryan Graves, Ryan Shea, Vladislav Kolyachonok, as well as Owen Pickering - who can fill that side just fine. Having Joseph around will only block a spot for Pickering - and the possiblity must be considered that the Penguins may seek to extend Matt Grzelcyk as well.

Vasily Ponomarev

Keep: Yes

Ponomarev, 23, is having a solid season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, even if he's gone a bit cold with just two goals and four points in the last 10 games. On the season, he has 13 goals and 35 points in 46 games, and he saw three NHL games this season.

This should be a "prove it" one- or two-year deal for Ponomarev, who figures to be on the NHL roster for most - if not, all - of next season. The young two-way forward, at this juncture, projects to be just one player out of the crop of prospects in the Penguins' system expected to make some kind of impact in future NHL minutes.

Other RFA predictions:

Keep:

     - G Taylor Gauthier
     - D Mac Hollowell
     - D Filip Kral
     - F Mathias Laferriere

Don't keep:

     - F Raivis Ansons
     - D Colton Poolman 

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Backed by Bo Horvat's two goals, the New York Islanders defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime to earn two key points in the standings.

The Islanders were without Alexander Romanov, who missed his second consecutive game due to illness.

Here's how it happened:

The Islanders earned the first power play of the game when Brendan Gallagher took out Ilya Sorokin's legs for a goaltender interference call.

After a shaky start in the opening minute of the power play, the Islanders struck first when Anders Lee battled for possession below the goal line and set up Anthony Duclair in front of the net.

Duclair capitalized, slipping the puck past Sam Montembeault for his seventh goal of the season at 5:37:

Duclair PPG goal!

#Isles  up 1-0 at 5:37 of the first.

Anders Lee tallied his 500th career point with that goal!

Congrats captain!! pic.twitter.com/XX8yo8xxjk

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) March 20, 2025

The assist earned Lee his 500th career NHL point.

The Islanders went to the penalty kill at 9:22 when Adam Pelech was called for interference against Juraj Slafkovsky, but the Canadiens failed to convert.

Minutes later, Joshua Roy found the equalizer, capitalizing on a loose rebound atop the crease and burying it into the open net at 11:57:

un retour incROYable

J̶o̶h̶n̶n̶y̶ Joshy on the spot#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/JpiOYzdhHG

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 21, 2025

The Islanders headed to their second penalty kill of the opening period when Lee tripped Josh Anderson at 14:03 but once again survived the two minutes.

The Canadiens outshot the Islanders 15-7 in the first period. 

Gallagher earned his second minor penalty when he interfered with Scott Mayfield just 31 seconds into the second period, but Noah Dobson's interference minor on Jake Evans cut the power play short.

After killing the penalty, the Islanders got caught in a line change, leaving Nick Suzuki open for a breakaway.

Suzuki beat Sorokin on his glove side at 4:05, but the goal was called back due to offsides:

Make the call: good goal or offside? pic.twitter.com/nteqJ0tC0U

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) March 21, 2025

After the Canadiens controlled much of the ensuing play, the Islanders earned a power play when Mike Matheson was called for holding at 15:20.

It was an impressive power play for the Islanders, and Simon Holmstrom capitalized when he put a slapshot past Montembeault at 16:40:

Simon Holmstrom “made no mistake about it!” 🚀🧨💥🚨#GoHabsGo 1#Isles 2 pic.twitter.com/cwM5FxMece

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) March 21, 2025

Holmstrom's goal was his 17th of the season and extended his scoring streak to three games.

In the period's final minutes, Pelech awkwardly collided with Emil Heineman but was able to return.

Despite getting outshot 10-7 in the second period, the Islanders entered the final frame up 2-1.

In the most crucial period of their season so far, the Islanders quickly extended their lead when Horvat lowered his shoulder, powered past Matheson, and fired a shot through Montembeault at 2:31:

Bo Horvat powers 💪🏻the #Isles  to a 3-1 third period lead over #GoHabsGo

Ilya Sorokin collects an assist! pic.twitter.com/68oj7vm6w0

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) March 21, 2025

This was Horvat's 22nd goal of the year, with Dobson and Sorokin registering assists on the play.

The Islanders headed to a crucial penalty kill when Kyle MacLean tripped Evans at 4:15.

Following some chaos in the crease, Patrik Laine fired a slapshot into the open net for his 17th goal of the season at 4:32:

une machine

and the goal is... GOOD#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/JXnPlX0ToU

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 21, 2025

Patrick Roy challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood, sending the Islanders to the penalty kill for delay of game. They survived the two minutes.

With under six minutes to play, an offensive turnover sprung Gallagher on a breakaway, where he put a shot past Sorokin's glove for his 17th goal of the season:

vous savez à qui il va, celui-là

you know who this one's for

❤️ pic.twitter.com/WKjc2W6IGE

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 21, 2025

Both teams traded chances in the closing minutes, but regulation ended at 3-3.

The Canadiens outshot the Islanders 15-7 in the third period.

With 90 seconds remaining in overtime, Horvat knocked Lane Hutson off the puck then received a Tony DeAngelo feed before heading up ice.

Going end-to-end, Horvat fired it past Montembeault's blocker for the game-winner:

Bo Horvat in OT for his second goal of the night🚨🚨#Isles win! pic.twitter.com/TReAqr1Pl1

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) March 21, 2025

UP NEXT: The Islanders host the Calgary Flames on Saturday at 4:00 PM ET 

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau scored with 3:20 left to play to lift the Calgary Flames to a come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Daniil Miromanov and Nazem Kadri also had goals for Calgary, which erased a two-goal deficit in the third period with four unanswered goals for its second straight road win.

Rookie Dustin Wolfe made 26 saves in the victory.

Nico Hischier recorded a goal and an assist for the Devils, extending his points streak to five straight games. Erik Haula and Paul Cotter also scored and Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots.

With the Flames trailing 3-2, Miromanov tied it with his second goal of the season on assists from Blake Coleman and Joel Farabee with 4:20 left. Huberdeau’s unassisted snap shot one minute later put Calgary up with his 26th goal of the season.

Kadri closed it out for the Flames with an empty-netter with 12 seconds left.

Takeaways

Flames: Calgary has shown resilience on its East Coast road trip, winning 2-1 at the New York Rangers on Tuesday before the comeback against the Devils. The Flames are in the hunt for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Devils: This was New Jersey’s first regulation loss this season after leading while entering the third period. It’s also the fourth time the Devils allowed four third-period goals, three times since the Four Nations Face-Off in February.

Key moment

New Jersey managed just four shots on goal in the third period compared to 15 from Calgary.

Key stat

The Devils are 4-3 since Jack Hughes suffered a season-ending separated shoulder on March 5.

Up next

Flames: End their four-game road trip at the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Devils: Host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in the second game of a three-game homestand.