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Back on Feb. 9, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on a young defenseman via a waiver claim.

And, so far, it seems to be paying off.

23-year-old Vladislav Kolyachonok took a while to get acclimated to the Penguins after he was claimed by Pittsburgh from the Utah Hockey Club. In fact - due to the 4 Nations Face-off break and the lack of practice time following the break - he didn't even make it into the lineup until Mar. 4 in a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

He made exactly three starts on the bottom pairing before impressing enough to earn top-pairing minutes with Kris Letang. And he hasn't disappointed in his two-plus games, as the Penguins are 2-0 so far in those contests.

Here's a look at the lines today against the Devils. pic.twitter.com/s3ZBpYYaOm

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2025

"I feel good playing with him," Kolyachonok said. "He's a great teammate. He helps me learn, and he's a great leader and a great person. I think we're getting on the same page. And it's good to get the results."

It's not as if Kolychonok - drafted in the second round (52nd overall) by the Florida Panthers in 2019 - has been productive up to this point, as he just registered his first point as a Penguin during Saturday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils. He is known as an offensive, puck-moving defenseman, and production will be expected at some point.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Danton Heinen with 02:24 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Philip Tomasino and Vladislav Kolyachonok.

Pittsburgh: 2
New Jersey: 1#NJDvsPIT#LetsGoPens#NJDevilspic.twitter.com/nXD78fKJqJ

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 15, 2025

But the early returns are pretty good on the blueliner from Minsk, Belarus. 

Even if it's a small sample size, Kolyachonok has the highest expected goals share of any Penguins' player in the last five games at 54.09. He also has the second-highest high-danger chances for share of 50, which trails only forward Emil Bemstrom at 58.33.

In other words, Kolyachonok is doing a fair amount to drive offense right now on the top pairing, and this is alongside a veteran who is known for his offensive instincts. And the crazy thing is that Letang has actually been playing more of a shutdown role on that pairing because of Kolyachonok's ability to aid the transition game, skate with the puck on his stick, and generate chances.

They're driving offense and creating scoring chances.

Kolyachonok has the highest 5v5 expected goals share of any Pens skater in the last six games at 54.09, and Tomasino is tied for second with Sidney Crosby in shots on goal at 15.

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) March 15, 2025

"I think he's competing hard," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're trying to get him to simplify his game and defend well. The one thing we really like about him is that he's a real good skater. He's strong on pucks, his gaps are really good, he can close on people laterally really well, and he's physical. He's not shy. He's willing to get into bodies."

He does need to work on his risk assessment and some of the defensive details in his game, especially when the puck is on his stick in the defensive zone. But all in all, it's been an impressive first few games from the young left-side defenseman. 

"There's areas of his game, obviously, where we think he can improve and get better," Sullivan said. "Just his decisions on when he joins the rush, his decisions on when he activates off the offensive blue line... he's trying to simplify the game. We're encouraging him to simplify the game with respect to his puck possession game.

"He's a young player, and we're excited about, potentially, where his game might go."

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In an exclusive interview with RG.org former Montreal Canadiens player of Patrick Roy trade fame Andrei Kovalenko had some advice for the Habs' top prospect. While the Russian right winger only took part in 51 games with la Sainte-Flanelle, it was long enough for him to learn a few things about Montreal. 

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Like most of his countrymen, Kovalenko is keeping an eye on Ivan Demidov's career, and he had a few words of advice for the 19-year-old SKA St. Petersburg top scorer, based on his own experience in town. For him, it's imperative that any Canadiens player embraces both the history and traditions of the NHL's most storied franchise.  He also added that Habs' fans love it when you praise their team:

In Montreal, they love it when you praise the Canadiens. When I used to say I learned hockey in the best club in the world—CSKA—people looked at me strangely. You can’t do that there. For them, Montreal is hockey’s holy land. You have to truly appreciate and be proud of playing for that team.

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The former NHLer also adds that Demidov's decision to start learning French even before coming to town bodes very well and is a true testament to his dedication for self-improvement, but also for his respect of the Montreal culture. 

A Quebec Nordiques eight-round pick in 1990, Kovalenko spent three years playing in Quebec City before the team was moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche. With the team on the brink of success, former agent turned GM Pierre Lacroix, pulled the trigger on a blockbuster of a trade to land the final pieces that would allow his team to capture its first Stanley Cup. Unfortunately for Kovalenko he was one of the three players sent to the Canadiens, alongside Jocelyn Thibault and Martin Rucinsky, for Patrick Roy and Mike Keane. 

The trade, which went down in Canadiens' history as one of the worst deal ever made, was immediately loathed by fans, hardly winning conditions to start a new chapter of your career. 

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The Buffalo Sabres picked up an impressive 4-3 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights on March 15. The Sabres made the Golden Knights surrender 2-0 and 3-2 leads before winning this matchup, so it was a hard-fought victory for the Atlantic Division club. 

Sabres forward Ryan McLeod put together a strong performance in the team's victory. The 25-year-old scored for the Sabres just seven seconds after they allowed a goal to Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev during the first period. With this, the Sabres cut the Golden Knights' lead to 2-1. 

McLeod's goal was also a good one, too. After receiving a feed from defenseman Jacob Bryson, McLeod skated it into the offensive zone and beat Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill with a perfectly placed wrist shot.

McLeod's clutch goal was not the only notable thing he provided the Sabres with in their win. He also won an impressive 16 out of 20 faceoffs and accomplished a rare stat because of it. 

According to Buffalo Sabres PR, McLeod became just the seventh player in franchise history to take at least 20 faceoffs in a game and win 80% of them or more. When noting that the Sabres are in their 54th season and so few players have also done this, there's no question that this is an impressive achievement for McLeod. 

This strong performance is only the latest way that McLeod has benefitted the Sabres this season. The Mississauga, Ontario native has been such a solid addition to Buffalo's roster this season, posting new career-highs with 15 goals, 21 assists, and 36 points in 62 games. 

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The Golden Knights squandered the 3-2 lead they got with a little more than two minutes left in the game, and then lost to the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, in a shootout on Saturday afternoon.

With the heated game tied at 2-all, former Sabre Jack Eichel shoveled a loose puck in the crease past Buffalo netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead at the 17:27 mark of the third period.

DO THIS AGAIN PLEASE JACK pic.twitter.com/4IIuHMPsqa

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 15, 2025

With Luukkonen pulled, Tomas Hertl raced in toward the empty net but rather than ice the game and give the Knights a two-goal lead, he tried dropping the puck off to get Eichel a second goal. The unexpected forced pass missed Eichel, and moments later Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin sent a rocket past Vegas goalie Adin Hill to tie the game with 14 seconds remaining and force overtime.

Tomas Hertl tried to make this pass at the end of the game when the Sabres net was empty. The Sabres came back and won in a shootout🔥😳

pic.twitter.com/oZqDV0ff6b

— Everything Hockey (@EHClothing) March 15, 2025

"I'm still trying to digest what just happened to be honest with you," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Victor Olofsson gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the shootout, but Jack Quinn made it 1-1 in the second round, which saw Eichel miss his attempt.

Former Knight Alex Tuch beat Hill in the third round while Luukkonen stuffed Pavel Dorofeyev to secure the improbable win.

Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for Vegas while Hill made 34 saves. Howden's hard hit that dropped Jiri Kulich got tempers flaring in the second period.

"We weren't very good most of the day," Cassidy added. "We checked pretty well at the start of the third I thought, for a game we weren't that engaged in playing a puck possession game, a hard game. You allow Buffalo's defense to get going, that's where you gotta wear them down. And we didn't do a lot of that. I mean, we're ahead late, so we did some things right."

Here are three takeaways from Saturday's loss:

BE SELFISH: Clearly, Hertl was trying to get Eichel his second goal during what's been a record-breaking season, not to mention get a bit more satisfaction against his former team in a game the boo birds emerged just as they have since he landed in Vegas 3 1/2 years ago. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy didn't mince words over how he felt about the play.

"I'd like to see him shoot the puck in the net and end the game, that's what I'd like to see, I think the whole team would like to see that," Cassidy said.

QUIT TRIPPIN': Three games into the four-game road trip, the Golden Knights were whistled for tripping, a play Cassidy said must stop. In their 3-2 overtime loss in Pittsburgh, Nic Roy was called for tripping Evgeni Malkin, during the 4-0 win in Columbus it was Ivan Barbashev getting sent to the box after tripping Dante Fabbro, and in Buffalo it was Pavel Dorofeyev's tripping penalty against Connor Clifton that allowed the Sabres' Jason Zucker to score his 19th of the season, and tie the game 2-all.

"It just felt like, again, the penalties we took," Cassidy said. "We're not under pressure, a delay a game, an offensive zone penalty again three games in a row over the same play and a stick foul. They're going to happen periodically, but I mean they're going to cost you, and they have. They have in this trip."

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights will have to do their best to put the nightmarish loss behind them, as they head to Detroit for the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday. After Saturday's loss, Vegas is 4-4-1 in game one and 5-3-0 in game two of back-to-back games this season.

They'll face a Red Wings team that is in a battle for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. As of the end of Vegas' game in Buffalo, the Wings were in fifth place in the wild-card standings with 68 points, two points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have the second spot. The Ottawa Senators currently hold the first wild-card position with 75 points. Detroit is 11 points behind the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

"Obviously (Hertl) probably wants it back, I think our game overall was not good enough," Golden Knights wing Victor Olofsson said. "I think we should have just played a better game for 60 minutes. Just don't worry about it, what happened happens. You just have to put that behind you and move forward we're looking forward to our game tomorrow."

🎥 Olofsson: I don't think we came up to our standard today. pic.twitter.com/tNnmzVq1tW

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 15, 2025

It’s been a week since the NHL’s trade deadline has passed, and in most cases of traded players, we’ve seen a decent sample size to judge how well or poorly they might be doing with their new team.

Let’s focus on eight traded players and examine their performance after the deadline:

Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars

As the biggest name moved at the deadline, Rantanen had major pressure right off the hop in his time as a Star. And in his first three games with Dallas, Rantanen has looked comfortable and productive, posting two goals and three points while averaging 19:50 of ice time – nearly the exact same amount of minutes (19:49) he had with Carolina. 

STARS DEBUT GOAL FOR MIKKO RANTANEN!!!! pic.twitter.com/GkZEfYho3S

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 9, 2025

Rantanen is going to be crucial to the Stars’ Stanley Cup playoff hopes, so it’s encouraging to see him hit the ground running with Dallas and contributing right away. He’s going to be the Stars’ highest-paid player next season, and at the moment, he’s showing why Dallas GM Jim Nill made a long-term commitment to him.

Dylan Cozens, C, Ottawa Senators

As the centerpiece of Ottawa’s trade that sent center Josh Norris to Buffalo, Cozens has been in the spotlight immediately – and he’s delivered exactly as Sens management had hoped, generating one point in each of his first four games with the Senators. And most impressively, Cozens has produced that offense while averaging just 15:34 per-game. 

That total is nearly two minutes less per game than the 17:13 Cozens was averaging as a Sabre, so Ottawa fans have to be impressed with him thus far. If the Sens are going to make the playoffs, Cozens will have to have a major impact – and he’s under contract for another five seasons after this year – so it’s a huge relief for Senators fans to see him doing so well immediately after the trade.

Brock Nelson, C, Colorado Avalanche

Nelson was one of the highest-profile players on the trade block, and the Avalanche gave up quite a bit of talent and draft capital to the New York Islanders to get him. But after four games in a Colorado uniform, Nelson is still looking for his first goal, and he has just one assist in that span. Clearly, the Avs are looking for more out of Nelson. 

However, on an Avalanche team that is far deeper than Nelson’s former Isles team, Nelson is averaging just 17:15 of ice time – more than two minutes fewer than the 19:21 he was averaging on Long Island. Colorado coach Jared Bednar is going to be patient with Nelson, but as the Avs battle to continue climbing up the Central Division, Bednar is going to go with the hot hand when he’s handing out minutes. Thus, Nelson has to make the most of his opportunities, or continue being utilized less than he was with the Islanders.

Seth Jones, D, Florida Panthers

Jones was the most notable defenseman available before the deadline, and he happily joined the defending Stanley Cup-champion Panthers. But in five games, he’s put up only one assist, which is far less productive than the 20 assists and 27 points he had in 42 games with Chicago this season.

Jones’ minutes are down slightly with Florida, as he’s averaging 23:57 of ice time, a reduction of 33 seconds-per-game from the 24:30 he was averaging with the Blackhawks. But Jones has otherwise been solid with the Panthers – and a godsend of sorts with Florida blueliner Aaron Ekblad serving a 20-game suspension. Jones can continue to be a big minute-muncher, and when Ekblad returns in the playoffs, Jones will give the Panthers even more-impressive blueline depth.

Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Carlo wasn’t acquired by the Maple Leafs from Boston to post all kinds of points, so his point total of zero as a Leaf isn’t a surprise or disappointment. But Carlo has struggled a bit from a positional-defense standpoint in Toronto, and Leafs coach Craig Berube has cut down Carlo’s minutes. For example, in his first game as a Leaf, Carlo had 22:04 of ice time, in his second game, he had 19:58 of ice time and in his most recent game, Carlo had 17:34 of ice time.

That reduction in minutes isn’t a punishment from Berube. Rather, it has to do with the return to action of veteran Leafs blueliner Chris Tanev. And now, Carlo – who is being paired with D-man Morgan Rielly – can settle in with the knowledge he doesn’t have to be on the ice nearly as much as he was in Tanev’s absence. For that reason, we’re expecting Carlo’s performance to be better from this point on.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

When the Lightning landed Bjorkstrand along with center Yanni Gourde from Seattle, the Bolts weren’t relying on Bjorkstrand to be a difference-maker. Rather, Bjorkstrand was brought in as veteran depth. And at this early point in his Lightning career, Bjorkstrand is still trying to hit his stride, as he has produced only one goal and one point in four games. 

Some of that lack of production can be attributed to Bjorkstrand’s considerable reduction in minutes. In Seattle, he was averaging 15:28, but in Tampa Bay, he’s averaging only 14:17. But if the Bolts encounter injuries or slumps from their top-six forwards group, Bjorkstrand’s opportunities could increase. And if he contributes a clutch goal or two in the post-season, the assets the Lightning gave up for him will be worth it.

Brandon Tanev, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Tanev wasn’t acquired by the Jets from Seattle to be anything more than a complementary component, so Winnipeg fans shouldn’t be alarmed to see him averaging only 10:42 of ice time in his first four games with the Jets post-deadline. Winnipeg has one of the deepest collections of forwards in the league, so Tanev will probably get more games like the one he had March 11, when he was on the ice for only 9:44.

Tanev’s role as a fourth-line depth forward is only going to change if the Jets have injuries. Otherwise, he’s going to be asked to play sound defense and occasionally contribute a goal or an assist here or there on the fourth line. It took him four games to register a point in his second go-around with the Jets, and that average of .25 points-per-game is probably going to remain the same for Tanev the rest of the way this season.

Cody Glass, C, New Jersey Devils

The injury-ravaged Devils need help on offense wherever they can get it, and picking up Glass from the Pittsburgh Penguins is looking like a savvy move from New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald. Glass has posted a goal and three points in three games as a Devil, and he’s doing it while averaging just 14:25 of ice time.

CODY GLASS IS A BEAST! GOAL! #NJDevils | #LetsGoPens | #NHLpic.twitter.com/3jj45uEBMc

— Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) March 15, 2025

In 51 games as a Penguin this year, Glass had only four goals and 15 points, so he’s off to a far better start in New Jersey. And Devils coach Sheldon Keefe is utilizing Glass a full minute more per game – 14:25, which is an improvement on the 13:25 he averaged in Pittsburgh. Glass doesn’t have to be anything other than a bottom-six contributor – and even then, if he does nothing other than play on the fourth line, Glass will be a success if he continues to chip in a decent amount of offense.

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With a month left in the 2024-25 season, NHL fans will likely be checking the standings multiple times daily. This could lead to confusion and questions about why certain teams are ranked where they are. With this in mind, here is a look at the NHL's tie-breaking procedure for deciding seeding and which teams make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

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In the case that two teams have the same amount of points at the end of the year, the NHL has created a list of seven tie-breakers. The list must be followed in order to determine playoff seeding and participation. Below are the seven tie-breakers for this season. 

1. The fewer number of games played (i.e., superior points percentage).
2. The greater number of games won, excluding games won in Overtime or by Shootout (i.e., 'Regulation Wins'). This figure is reflected in the RW column.
3. The greater number of games won, excluding games won by Shootout. This figure is reflected in the ROW column.
4. The greater number of games won by the Club in any manner (i.e., 'Total Wins'). This figure is reflected in the W column.
5. The greater number of points earned in games against each other among two or more tied clubs. For the purpose of determining standing for two or more Clubs that have not played an even number of games with one or more of the other tied Clubs, the first game played in the city that has the extra game (the 'odd game') shall not be included. When more than two Clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any 'odd games') shall be used to determine standing.
6. The greater differential between goals for and against (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the DIFF column.
7. The greater number of goals scored (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the GF column.

To understand this better, we will use the second Wild Card situation in the Western Conference. As of the morning of March 15, 2025, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks were tied with 71 points. Both teams have played 65 games and secured 30 total wins on the season. 

In this scenario, the Flames currently have the advantage over the Canucks, thanks to rule number two. While the two teams have the same amount of wins, the Flames have one more regulation win (24) compared to the Canucks (23). That would mean that if the postseason started today, Calgary would claim the final Wild Card spot over Vancouver in the tie-breaking procedure. 

Based on the way the season is trending, it is very likely that a tie-breaking procedure needs to be used. In fact, the same situation happened last season, with the Washington Capitals claiming the final Wild Card spot over the Detroit Red Wings thanks to a tie-breaker. While who makes the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is still a mystery, one certain thing is that fans will be checking the standing page constantly until the end of the regular season. 

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