Tuesday, April 7, 2026
SwC Poker
Home Blog Page 2841

NHL Preview: Winnipeg Jets (41-29-3) at Los Angeles Kings (41-20-10)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Winnipeg Jets (41-29-3) at Los Angeles Kings (41-20-10)

WINNIPEG JETS NOTES:

Scene Setter
The Winnipeg Jets continue a three-game California road trip on Saturday afternoon when they travel to face the Los Angeles Kings. The Jets started the trip with a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. It was Winnipeg’s third win in their past four games. Winnipeg finishes the trip against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday before returning to Winnipeg for a five-game homestand, beginning Friday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Tale of the Tape
WPG Stat LAK
73 GP 71
41 W 41
29 L 20
3 OT 10
85 PTS 92
220 GF 247
205 GA 229
19.7% PP 24.4%
83.4% PK 75.9%

Next Five Games
Date Opp TV Radio
Mar. 25 At LAK TSN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 28 At SJS TSN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 31 DET TSN CJOB/Power 97
Apr. 2 NJD TSN CJOB/Power 97
Apr. 5 CGY SN CJOB/Power 97

Recent Five Games
Date Opp SC Res Streak
Mar. 16 BOS 3-0 L 2L
Mar. 18 At NSH 3-2 OTW 1W
Mar. 19 At STL 3-0 L 1L
Mar. 21 ARI 2-1 W 1W
Mar. 23 At ANA 3-2 W 2W

Broadcast Information
TV: TSN
Play-By-Play: Dan Robertson
Analyst: Kevin Sawyer
Radio: 680 CJOB/Power 97
Play-By-Play: Paul Edmonds
Analyst: Jamie Thomas
Host: Kelly Moore

Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, March 25
Jets at Los Angeles Kings 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 26
Day Off – No Media Availability
Monday, March 27
Practice – Toyota Sports Center 12:00 p.m.
All Times Local

Last Game
Winnipeg Jets 3
Anaheim Ducks 2
Jets Scorers: Appleton (3), Connor (28), Lowry (11)
Ducks Scorers: Fowler (10), Vatrano (18)
Jets Goaltender: Connor Hellebuyck (18 sv, 2 ga)
Ducks Goaltender: Lukas Dostal (30 sv, 3 ga)
Jets PP: 0-for-2
Jets PK: 1-for-2
Recap: Adam Lowry scored midway through the third period to lift the Jets past the Ducks 3-2 on Thursday. Lowry also added an assist for a two-point night. Mason Appleton scored in the first period for Winnipeg, while Kyle Connor had a second period tally. Connor and Josh Morrissey paced the Jets with four shots. Brenden Dillon was the only member of the Jets to register two hits.

Slim Margins
The Jets have earned their past five victories by one goal… Winnipeg has scored three goals or less in each of the wins… The Jets have 14 wins when scoring three goals or less this season, which is tied for seventh in the NHL… Winnipeg also has five wins this season when scoring two goals or less… The Jets 17 one-goal wins are tied for seventh in the NHL.

Where They Stand
The Jets are in the second wild card position in the Western Conference… Winnipeg trails the Seattle Kraken by one point for the first wild card spot, while the Nashville Predators are five points behind the Jets.

Against the Pacific
Winnipeg is 12-5-3 against the Pacific Division this season… Kyle Connor (10G, 15A) leads the Jets with 25 points in 20 games against the Pacific Division this season, while Mark Scheifele has 13 goals in 20 games, including six of his 11 power play goals this season.

Backend Production
Jets defencemen have combined for 171 points (42G, 129A) this season, which is tied for fourth in the NHL… A defenceman has been in on 22 of Winnipeg’s past 28 goals… Josh Morrissey (69), Neal Pionk (29), Dylan DeMelo (22), and Brenden Dillon (21) have all reached the 20-point mark, while Nate Schmidt has 16 points.

Road Record
The Jets are 19-17-1 on the road this season… Winnipeg has won four of their past six road games… Kyle Connor (13G, 20A) leads the Jets in scoring on the road with 33 points in 37 games… Mark Scheifele has a team leading 19 goals, which is tied for eighth in the NHL… Nikolaj Ehlers has 19 points (7G, 12A) in 20 road games this season and has a point in 12 of the 20 games.

PK Prowess
Winnipeg is third in the NHL with a penalty kill successful 83.4% of the time… Winnipeg has been perfect on the penalty kill in seven of its past nine games (18-for-22, 81.8%)… The last time the Jets had a penalty kill better than 82% was in 2013-14 when they finished the season at 83.2%… The franchise record for penalty kill percentage in a season is 85.2%, which occurred in Atlanta during the 2003-04 season.

Power Outage
The Jets have gone six consecutive games without scoring a power play goal, going 0-for-21… The longest stretch without a power play goal since relocation was 10 games from Mar. 14-Apr. 1/16.

Jets vs. LAK Records
Overall Record
GP W L OT
40 20 18 2

Home Record
GP W L OT
21 12 8 1

Away Record
GP W L OT
19 8 10 1

Jets vs. LAK Notes
Season Series
The Jets and Kings meet three times this season… Winnipeg won the first game 6-4 in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, while falling 6-5 in a shootout at home on Feb. 28.

Recent History
The Jets have won four of their past six games against the Kings, including a pair of wins by one goal… Dating back to 2016, 14 of the 18 games between the Jets and Kings have been decided by one goal, including six in overtime or a shootout.

In Los Angeles
Winnipeg has won consecutive games at Crypto.com Arena and is 4-2-0 in its past six trips to Los Angeles… The Jets are 3-for-9 on the power play in their past two games in LA.

Player Notes
Blake Wheeler leads the team with 25 points (10G, 15A) in 31 career games against the Kings… Pierre-Luc Dubois has nine points (4G, 5A) in 10 games against Los Angeles… Mark Scheifele (2G, 5A) and Kyle Connor (2G, 5A) are on five-game point streaks against the Kings.

Jets vs. LAK Past 10 Games
Date Opp Res G GA S PPO PPG PIM SA PPOA PPGA PIMA
12/18/2018 @LA L 1 4 28 3 0 6 31 3 0 6
03/18/2019 @LA W 3 2 28 1 1 11 17 2 1 9
10/22/2019 LA L 2 3 28 5 0 8 41 4 1 10
11/30/2019 @LA L 1 2 34 3 0 0 34 0 0 6
02/18/2020 LA W 6 3 35 2 0 4 34 2 0 4
10/28/2021 @LA W 3 2 31 4 1 4 32 2 0 8
11/13/2021 LA W 3 2 23 1 0 4 29 2 0 2
04/02/2022 LA L 2 3 27 6 0 6 38 3 1 12
10/27/2022 @LA W 6 4 19 5 2 8 44 4 1 10
02/28/2023 LA SOL 5 6 31 3 0 10 37 4 1 8

LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:

MARCH 25 vs. Winnipeg Jets – 1:00 PM PT // Venue: Crypto.com Arena // TV: Bally Sports West // Radio: iHeartRadio

  • The LA Kings host the Winnipeg Jets for the third, and final, meeting between these two clubs this season (4-6 L on Oct. 27; 6-5 SOW on Feb. 28).
  • The Kings aim to take the season series, 2-1, for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign (2-1-0).
  • Tonight’s game marks the sixth game of the Kings’ seven-game homestand (2-1 SOL vs. NSH on Mar. 11; 5-2 W vs. NYI on Mar. 14; 4-1 W on Mar. 16 vs. CBJ; 2-3 SOL on Mar. 18 vs. VAN; 8-2 W on Mar. 20 vs. CGY; Mar. 26 vs. STL).

WARM-UPS
1) Tonight is the first game of the Kings’ tenth set of back-to-backs this season. Prior to this weekend, the team is 10-4-4 in back-to-backs (6-2-1 in the first game, 4-2-3 in the second).

2) The Kings have points in three of their last four games vs. Winnipeg (2-1-1), dating back to Nov. 13, 2021.

3) Adrian Kempe is one goal shy from tying his career-high of 35 set last season.

4) Per NHL PR, Anze Kopitar’s two-point first period on Monday (0-2=2) marked his 41st multi-point first period to tie Dave Taylor for the fourth most in Kings history. The only others with more: Marcel Dionne (65), Wayne Gretzky (53) and Luc Robitaille (52).

5) Only Minnesota’s Connor Dewar (7) has more successful neutral zone body checks this season than Blake Lizotte (6).

vs. WINNIPEG^ ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 20-11-0-9
Home: 11-4-0-4
Away: 9-7-0-5
OT: 2-9
Shootout: 1-4
2021-22: 1-1-1
2022-23: 1-1-0
^-dating back to Atlanta franchise (1999-00)

FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. WINNIPEG^:
Anze Kopitar* – 30 GP, 32 PTS (14-18=32)
Drew Doughty* – 27 GP, 17 PTS (1-16=17)
Dustin Brown – 28 GP, 14 PTS (8-6=14)
Jeff Carter – 19 GP, 12 PTS (5-7=12)
Tyler Toffoli – 17 GP, 11 PTS (5-6=11)
*-denotes active roster player
^-dating back to Atlanta franchise (1999-00)

LAST MEETING vs. WINNIPEG: Feb. 28, 2023 – LAK 6 vs. WPG 5 (SO)
Venue: Canada Life Centre
LAK Goals: Kopitar (21, 22, 23, 24), Vilardi (19), Kempe (SO GDG)
WPG Goals: Morrissey (12, 13), Connor (27), Stenlund (4, 5)
Goalies: LAK: Copley (SOW; 26 saves – 31 shots) WPG: Hellebuyck (SOL; 32 saves – 37 shots)
LAK PP: 1-for-4
LAK PK: 0-for-3

THE NEXT THREE:
Sun., March 26 | vs. St. Louis Blues | 7:30 p.m. PT | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings look to sweep the season series against the Blues for the third time in franchise history and the first since the 2012-13 season (3-0-0).

Tues., March 28 | at Calgary Flames | 7:00 p.m. MT (6:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings visit Calgary next week to begin their four-game Pacific Division road trip (Mar. 30 at EDM; April 1 at SEA; April 2 at VAN).

Thurs., March 30 | at Edmonton Oilers | 7:00 p.m. MT (6:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings have won their last two meetings against Edmonton and have points in their last three games vs. the Oilers in Edmonton (2-0-1).

INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Games Missed, Date(s), Status
F Trevor Moore, 23 games, Dec. 27 – Jan. 31 (upper-body); Feb. 23 – Mar. 6 (upper-body)
F Alex Iafallo, 23 games, Oct. 18 – Dec. 3 (lower-body)
F Brendan Lemieux, 18 games, Nov. 14 – Dec. 20 (lower-body)
F Arthur Kaliyev, 18 games, Dec. 22 – Jan. 31 (lower-body)
F Carl Grundstrom, 15 games, Jan. 19 – Feb. 26 (lower-body)
F Gabriel Vilardi, 10 games, Nov. 27 (lower-body); Jan. 19 – Feb. 13 (undisclosed)
D Sean Durzi, 8 games, Nov. 19 – Nov. 22. (lower-body); Mar. 9 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Quinton Byfield, 6 games, Oct. 27 – Nov. 5 (illness)
F Kevin Fiala, 5 games, Mar. 11 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 3 games, Oct. 13 (illness); Oct. 25 (illness); Jan. 11 (illness)
D Drew Doughty, 1 game, Dec. 11 (lower-body)
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 130

RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 3/24/23)
Mar. 20 – Rights to Cole Krygier (D) acquired from Florida in exchange for future considerations.

LA KINGS TEAM NOTES:
HOME COOKIN’
The Kings enter tonight riding a 11-game home point streak (9-0-2), dating back to Feb. 11 (6-0 W vs. PIT). It is the first double digit home point streak the Kings have established since the 2001-02 season (9-0-2-0, Mar. 4 – April 14, 2002). Over those 11 games at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings have outscored their opponents 47-21 with a goals-for per game average of 4.27, the third-highest home average in the league during that time (since Feb. 11).

Should the Kings collect a point tonight, it would mark the second home point streak of at least 12 games in franchise history:

Longest home point streaks in Kings history
Season Start Date End Date Games W-L-T-OT
1992-93 Oct. 10, 1992 Dec. 8, 1992 13 12-0-1-0
2022-23 Feb. 11, 2023 Pres. 11 9-0-0-2
2001-02 Mar. 4, 2002 April 14, 2002 11 9-0-2-0
1990-91 Oct. 11, 1990 Nov. 20, 1990 11 10-0-1-0
1973-74 Mar. 2, 1974 Mar. 28, 1974 10 8-0-2-0
1972-73 Oct. 21, 1972 Nov. 22, 1972 10 8-0-2-0
2003-04 Nov. 29, 2003 Jan. 3, 2004 9 4-0-4-1
1991-92 Feb. 6, 1992 Mar. 17, 1992 9 8-0-1-0
1979-80 Oct. 10, 1979 Nov. 15, 1979 9 5-0-4-0

The team has an overall active point streak of 10 games, tied for the second-longest in franchise history (also 10 GP from Oct. 16 – Nov. 5, 1980 & Oct. 24 – Nov. 15, 1974). A point tonight would tie their streak for the lengthiest run in team history at 11 games, previously set from Feb. 28 to March 24, 1974 and matched from Jan. 22 – Feb. 17, 2011 and from Nov. 7-27, 2013.

BEST IN THE WEST AT HOME
LA is 12-3-2 over their last 17 home games since the beginning of January. In 36 games at Crypto.com Arena this season, the team has established a record of 23-9-4 with 50 points for a points percentage of .694%, topping all Western Conference teams and placing fifth in the league overall.

NHL Preview: San Jose Sharks (19-38-15) at Calgary Flames (32-26-15)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: San Jose Sharks (19-38-15) at Calgary Flames (32-26-15)

SAN JOSE SHARKS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Game 72 – 3/23 – SJS 2 at VAN 7…Tomas Hertl (1g, 0a) netted his 20th goal of the season, marking the fifth 20-goal campaign of his career to become the seventh player in Sharks history to register five years of 20 or more goals. Andrew Agozzino (1g, 0a) lit the lamp for the first time as a Shark and Jacob Peterson (0g, 1a) registered an assist in his Sharks debut. Erik Karlsson (0g, 1a) matched his career high with his 66th assist of the season, coming on Hertl’s score. It was Radim Simek’s 200th career NHL game played.
SJ Goals: Hertl (20), Agozzino (1 sh)
SF: 19
SA: 21
SJ PP: 0/2
SJ PK: 5/5
W: Demko
L: Reimer

RECENT SHARKS TRANSACTIONS
3/25 Reassigned D Derrick Pouliot to the San Jose Barracuda
3/22 Recalled F Jacob Peterson from the San Jose Barracuda
3/19 Recalled F Andrew Agozzino from the San Jose Barracuda
3/19 Assigned F William Eklund to the San Jose Barracuda
3/18 Recalled F Martin Kaut from the San Jose Barracuda
3/16 Assigned D Shakir Mukhamadullin to the San Jose Barracuda

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT: CALGARY FLAMES
The Calgary Flames look to bank critical points in the Western Conference Wild Card race as they host the San Jose Sharks, coming into Saturday’s matinee after falling 3-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday. The Flames enter the tilt six points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the final Wild Card, having banked points in seven of the team’s past 10 games (5-3-2). The Flames are paced offensively by Tyler Toffoli with 65 points and 29 goals, a career best in the former and two goals shy of his all-time high in the latter. Newcomers Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri highlight a reconfigured Flames club that saw Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk’s departures after the 2021-22 season.

March 25, 1:00 p.m. PT
SAN JOSE SHARKS AT CALGARY FLAMES
19-38-15 (53 pts), 8th Pacific 2022-23 RECORD/STANDING 32-26-15 (79 pts), 5th Pacific, 4th WC
0-2-3 LAST 5 GAMES 2-2-1
0-2-0 SEASON SERIES 2-0-0
59-60-8-7 ALL-TIME RECORD AGAINST OPPONENT 67-53-8-6
2022-23 PLAYER STATS
Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson (72) GAMES PLAYED LEADER 8 players (73)
Timo Meier (31) GOALS LEADER Tyler Toffoli (29)
Erik Karlsson (66) ASSISTS LEADER Elias Lindholm (40)
Erik Karlsson (88) POINTS LEADER Tyler Toffoli (65)

CALGARY FLAMES NOTES:

FLAMES LAST GAME RECAP
March 23, 2023 – CALGARY FLAMES [3] vs. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS [2]
The Flames welcomed the Vegas Golden Knights to the Scotiabank Saddledome to kick off a three-game homestand on Thursday night. Midway through the first, Jonathan Marchessault scored his 23rd of the season to give Vegas the lead. The Golden Knights would add to it just under five minutes later courtesy of Michael Amadio before Milan Lucic cut the Flames deficit in half with just 58-seconds left in the opening frame. No goals would come again until the third where Nicolas Roy would restore the Golden Knights two-goal lead. Nazem Kadri responded for Calgary on the power play at the 12:33 mark of the final stanza but that’s as close as Calgary came, falling 3-2.
CGY GOAL SCORERS: Lucic (6), Kadri (22)
GOALIE: Markstrom (29/32, .906 Sv%)
PP: 1/2 (50%)
PK: 1/1 (100%)

FLAMES LAST FIVE RESULTS, RECORD: 2-1-2
DATE RESULT GWG CGY GOALIE OPP. GOALIE
March 23, 2023 VGK [3] vs. CGY [2] Roy Markstrom Thompson
March 21, 2023 CGY [5] at ANA [1] Stecher Vladar Gibson
March 20, 2023 CGY [2] at LAK [8] Vilardi Markstrom/Vladar Copley
March 18, 2023 DAL [6] vs. CGY 5 Robertson Markstrom Oettinger
March 16, 2023 CGY [7] at VGK [2] Coleman Markstrom Quick
*shootout winning goal

FLAMES UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
DATE TIME
(MST) OPPONENT VENUE
March 25, 2023 2:00pm vs. San Jose Sharks Scotiabank Saddledome
March 28, 2023 7:00pm vs. Los Angeles Kings Scotiabank Saddledome
March 31, 2023 8:00pm at Vancouver Canucks Rogers Arena
April 2, 2023 6:00pm vs. Anaheim Ducks Scotiabank Saddledome
April 4, 2023 7:00pm vs. Chicago Blackhawks Scotiabank Saddledome

TONIGHTS STORYLINES & STATS
This is the third of four matchups this season between the Flames and Sharks. The Flames have won both previous meetings so far this season. This is a Pacific Division matchup; The Flames have an overall record of 11-6-3 against Pacific Division opponents this season and a record of 20-14-7 against Western Conference opponents.

FLAMES VERSUS THE SHARKS THIS SEASON:
The Flames and Sharks are set to square off for the third time this season, and first at the Scotiabank Saddledome. San Jose and Calgary met twice in back-to-back tilts back on December 18th and 20th with Calgary winning both contests 5-2 and 7-2. Elias Lindholm led the Flames with two goals and four assists for six points through the pair of games, while Tyler Toffoli (3-2 – 5), Nazem Kadri (2-2 – 4), Jonathan Huberdeau (0-4 – 4), Dillon Dube (2-1 – 3) Milan Lucic (2-1 – 3) and Trevor Lewis (1-1 – 2) all recorded at least a point-per game. Jonathan Huberdeau also skated in his 700th NHL game in the first of the two tilts at SAP Center on December 18th with an assist in the contest. Rasmus Andersson went a combined +8 through the two games.

QUICK HITS:
Milan Lucic scored his sixth of the season against Vegas with rookie Walker Duehr picking up the assist on the play. Nazem Kadri had a game-high seven shots on goal on Thursday night and was rewarded with his 22nd goal of the season and Second Star honors. Calgary out-hit the Golden Knights 25-12 with Nikita Zadorov, Trevor Lewis, Nick Ritchie, MacKenzie Weegar, and Walker Duehr all tying with a team-best three hits on the night.

CALGARY FLAMES vs. VEGAS SAN JOSE SHARKS
CGY vs. SJS ALL-TIME HOME AWAY L10 STRK
66-54-8-6 34-24-4-3 32-30-4-3 6-4-0 W3

GAME INFO:
Calgary Flames vs. San Jose Sharks
2:00pm MT
Scotiabank Saddledome
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet Fan 960

2022-23 Season Series: 2-0-0 (Home: 0-0-0, Road 2-0-0)
Dec. 18, 2022 – CGY [5] at SJS [2]
Dec. 20, 2022 – CGY [7] at SJS [2]
Mar. 25, 2023 – SJS at CGY
Apr. 12, 2023 – SJS at CGY

2021-22 Season Record vs. SJS: 1-3-0 (Home: 0-2-0, Road: 1-1-0)
Last Home Win vs. SJS: December 31, 2018 – San Jose [5] vs. Calgary [8]
Last Road Win @ SJS: December 20, 2022 – Calgary [7] at San Jose [2]
Last Home Loss vs. SJS: March 22, 2022 – San Jose [4] vs. Calgary [3]
Last Road Loss @ SJS: December 7, 2021 – Calgary [3] at San Jose [5]

2022-23 CALGARY FLAMES
FLAMES RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Mar. 3 – acquired Dryden Hunt (F) from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Radim Zohorna (F)
Mar. 3 – acquired Troy Stecher (D) and Nick Ritchie (F) from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Brett Ritchie (F) and Connor Mackey (D)

FLAMES RECENT INJURIES (Total man games lost – 60)
Noah Hanifin – illness (1 game: Oct. 21)
Chris Tanev – upper-body (5 games: Nov. 3 – Nov. 10)
Jonathan Huberdeau – upper-body (3 games: Nov. 8 – Nov. 12)
Michael Stone – lower-body (11 games: Nov. 7 – Nov. 25)
MacKenzie Weegar – non-COVID illness (1 game: Dec. 12)
Elias Lindholm – upper-body injury (1 game: Dec. 12)
Chris Tanev – upper-body injury (3 games: Dec. 14 – Dec. 18)
Radim Zohorna – non-COVID illness (1 game: Dec. 18)
Dennis Gilbert – lower-body injury (4 games: Dec. 20 – Dec. 27)
Brett Ritchie – upper-body injury (8 games: Jan. 8 – Jan. 26)
Chris Tanev – injury reserve (2 games: Jan. 26 – Jan. 27)
Rasmus Andersson – day-to-day (3 games: Feb. 9 – Feb. 13)
Michael Stone – lower-body injury (14 games: Feb. 22 – Mar. 23)
Chris Tanev – upper body injury (2 games: Mar. 21 – Mar. 23)

NHL Preview: Seattle Kraken (39-24-8) at Nashville Predators (36-26-8)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Seattle Kraken (39-24-8) at Nashville Predators (36-26-8)

SEATTLE KRAKEN NOTES:

NASHVILLE PREDATORS NOTES:

ALL-TIME vs. SEATTLE
OVERALL (5 GP) 2-3-0
HOME (2 GP) 1-1-0
ROAD (3 GP) 1-2-0
LAST MEETING March 23, 2023 at NSH (SOW, 2-1)
PLAYOFFS Never Met

− The Predators are 2-3-0 all-time against the Kraken, including a 1-1-0 record at Bridgestone Arena.

− This is the third and final matchup between Nashville and Seattle in 2022-23; it is the second and final at home.

− Nashville is 1-1-0 against Seattle this season, earning a 2-1 shootout win on Thursday and dropping a 5-1 decision at Climate Pledge Arena on Nov. 8.

− Bridgestone Arena hosted Seattle in the franchise’s first-ever NHL game on Oct. 14, 2021, a 4-3 loss for the Predators.

− Seattle is the fifth franchise to join the NHL after Nashville’s inaugural season (1998-99), along with Atlanta/Winnipeg, Minnesota, Columbus and Vegas.

− Nashville went 28-47-7 (63 points) in its inaugural NHL season, the seventh-best point percentage (.384) of any expansion team that entered the League after 1968. The 1998-99 Predators won more games (28) than all but six expansion teams in NHL history.

NOTABLES vs. SEATTLE
− Filip Forsberg (1g-3a) and Roman Josi (1g-3a) shared the Predators lead in points against the Kraken last season with four.

− Matt Duchene scored three goals in three games vs. Seattle in 2021-22.

− Jeremy Lauzon was acquired from Seattle for a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (Jani Nyman) on March 20, 2022. He had six points (1g-5a) in 53 games with the Kraken in 2021-22.

− Seattle forward Eeli Tolvanen played 135 games for Nashville from 2018-22, tallying 51 points (25g-26a). He was selected by Nashville in the first round (30th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. Tolvanen scored Nashville’s first-ever goal against Seattle on Oct. 14, 2021.

− Seattle’s Head Equipment Manager, Jeff Camelio, spent 15 seasons as Nashville’s Assistant Equipment Manager; 2019-20 was Camelio’s final campaign with the Predators.

LAST TIME OUT
− Seattle Kraken 1, Nashville Predators 2 – March 23 (Bridgestone Arena)
− NSH goals: Sherwood (4)
− SEA goals: Sprong (18)
− Goaltenders: NSH – Saros (W, 27/28); SEA – Daccord (SOL, 23/24)
− Power plays: NSH 0-2; SEA 0-2
− Notes: Nashville improved to 18-12-4 at home in 2022-23… The Predators are now 1-1-0 against the Kraken this season… Nashville is now 10-8 in overtime/shootouts this season (5-6 in OT; 5-2 in shootout)… Nashville outshot Seattle, 6-1, in OT… Kiefer Sherwood tied the game at 1-1 six minutes into the second period, with Tyson Barrie (37) and Tommy Novak (19) picking up assists… Sherwood also led the Predators in shots on goal (5) and hits (5)… Nashville’s forward line of Sherwood, Novak and Luke Evangelista posted a shots for percentage of 87.5 percent; at 5-on-5, they were on the ice for 21 shot attempts for compared to only three against.

INJURY REPORT
Player Designation Dates Missed Games Missed
Mark Borowiecki Upper body – IR Oct. 27-March 23 63
Filip Forsberg Upper body – day-to-day Feb. 13-March 23 20
Ryan Johansen Right leg surgery Feb. 23-March 23 15
Juuso Parssinen Upper body – day-to-day Feb. 26-March 23 14
Alexandre Carrier Upper body – 4-6 weeks March 4-23 11
Roman Josi Upper body – day-to-day March 19-23 3
Total man-games lost: 197
Individual man-games lost: Borowiecki – 64; Carrier – 25; Forsberg – 20; McCarron – 20; Johansen – 15; Parssinen – 14; McDonagh – 11; Smith – 6; Trenin – 5; Glass – 3; Jankowski – 3; Josi – 3; Lauzon – 3; Asplund – 1; Duchene – 1; Evangelista – 1; Lankinen – 1; Tomasino – 1

NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (42-25-6) at Boston Bruins (55-11-5)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (42-25-6) at Boston Bruins (55-11-5)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NOTES:

LAST GAME
Lightning 2 at Ottawa 7
The Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a third-straight game in a 7-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators March 23 at Canadian Tire Centre…Tampa Bay fell to 42-25-6 on the season with a road record of 17-18-1…The Bolts are 1-1-0 vs. OTT this season with one meeting remaining on the schedule April 8 back at Canadian Tire Centre…The Lightning fell into a 2-0 hole early when Alex DeBrincat scored back-to-back goals for OTT at the 8:53 and 11:37 marks of the first period…Entering the second period trailing by two, Tampa Bay got back within one when Nikita Kucherov forced a turnover in the neutral zone before taking a pass from Steven Stamkos and feeding Brayden Point, who quickly snapped a one-timer past Mads Sogaard for his 45th goal of the year with 9:32 left in the middle frame…With the Bolts on the penalty kill, OTT regained the two-goal lead with Derick Brassard scoring a power-play goal at the 18:05 mark of the second…With 15:50 remaining in the third period, Mikhail Sergachev got the Lightning back within one with a power-play goal when he wired a one-timer from the point off a pass from Stamkos with Kucherov recording the secondary helper…OTT got an immediate answer from Erik Brannstrom when he scored 1:35 later to restore the two-goal lead…Brady Tkachuk cored back-to-back goals at the 13:11 and 13:35 marks of the third to make it a 6-2 game before Austin Watson added the final goal with 5:21 remaining in regulation…Brian Elliott got the start in goal and made 28 saves on 34 shots against.

PP: TBL – 1-4 OTT – 2-3
SOG: TBL – 29 OTT – 35
Attendance: 16,133

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and Bruins are playing the fourth of four matchups this season and the second of two meetings at TD Garden…The Bolts are 1-2-0 vs. BOS this season with a 5-3 loss Nov. 21 at AMALIE Arena, a 3-1 loss Nov. 29 at TD Garden and a 3-2 win Jan. 26 at AMALIE Arena…Nikita Kucherov (0-4—4) and Brayden Point (1-3—4) lead Tampa Bay in points vs. BOS this season, while Nick Paul (2-0—2) leads the team in goals…Andrei Vasilevskiy has started all three games vs. BOS this season and has stopped 84 of 93 shots against for a .903 save percentage and 3.06 goals against average…Steven Stamkos has picked up points in three straight games vs. BOS (1-2—3) and nine of the last 11 meetings (8-5—13)…Stamkos has scored a goal in three straight games at BOS and picked up points in five consecutive contests at TD Garden (4-1—5)…Since he entered the league in 2008-09, no NHL player has scored more goals or game-winning goals vs. BOS than Stamkos (26-13—39, 5 GWG, 48 GP)…Kucherov has found the scoresheet in three straight games at BOS (1-2—3)…Point has picked up points in seven of his last 10 games vs. BOS (4-6—10)…Point is riding a four-game point streak at BOS (1-4—5)…Anthony Cirelli has points in four of his last six contests at BOS (3-2—5)…Mikhail Sergachev has recorded four points over his last four games at BOS (1-3—4)…Vasilevskiy is 7-9-2 in 18 career games vs. BOS with one shutout, a .916 SV% and 2.72 GAA…The Lightning are 4-6-0 in their last 10 road games at BOS and 4-5-1 in the last 10 meetings overall…The Bolts are 34-60-10 with nine ties all-time vs. BOS, including a road record of 11-36-4 with six ties…Vincent Lecavalier (20-29—49) holds the Lightning franchise record for career points vs. BOS.

TBL ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS VS. BOS

  1. Vincent Lecavalier – 49 pts. (20-29—49, 50 GP)
  2. Steven Stamkos – 39 pts. (26-13—39, 48 GP)
  3. Martin St. Louis – 34 pts. (15-19—34, 49 GP)
  4. Victor Hedman – 27 pts. (8-19—27, 48 GP)
  5. Brad Richards – 25 pts. (6-19—25, 27 GP)

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay is playing the third game of a four-game road trip tonight…The Bolts will play eight of their 16 games in March on the road…Today, the Lightning will wrap up a 19-game stretch over the course of 33 days, the most games the team has played in a span of 33 days in franchise history…Tampa Bay has not had more than one day between games since February 21 and have played four back-to-backs during that span…The Bolts are 11-10-1 against Atlantic Division opponents and 21-17-3 against the Eastern Conference this season…The Lightning are 17-18- 1 on the road…Tampa Bay can clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with any combination of 10 points gained by Tampa Bay or lost by Florida.

INJURIES
2022-23 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 104
Current Injuries:
None

BOSTON BRUINS NOTES:

TODAY’S GAME

  • The Bruins host the Lightning today in the 4th and final game between these teams this season and the 2nd of 2 at TD Garden.
  • They are 55-11-5 overall this season and they are 29-3-3 on home ice … The Bruins are 31-7-3 vs Eastern Conference opponents.
  • This is the 12th 50-win season in Bruins history … It is their second straight 50-win campaign and the most since 4 straight from 1970-71—1973-74 … The total at the 64-game mark were the fastest 50 wins in NHL history.
  • The Bruins are playing today their 14th of 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 10-2-1 record in afternoon games so far.
  • They open today the 12th of 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 9-0-2 in the 1st game of those sets and are 8-3-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins conclude a 3-game home stand (2-0-0) today … They will next plat in Carolina on 3/26 before returning home to host Nashville on 3/28 and Columbus on 3/30.

RECENT GAMES:

  • The Bruins have won their last 5 games with a 3-0 in Winnipeg on 3/16, 5-3 in Minnesota on 3/18, 7-0 win in Bufffalo on 3/19, 2-1 win vs Ottawa on 3/21 and 4-2 win vs. Montreal on 3/23 … They are 6-3-0 in their last 9 games following a 10-game win from 2/14-3/4 which was tied for the 5th-longest win streak in team history.
  • The Bruins are 10-2-0 in their last 12 home games.
  • The Bruins are 10-2-0 in their last 12 road games and are 19-4-2 in their last 25 road games, also including a 9-0-1 road point streak from 12/11-1/24 and 7-game win streak from 2/1-28.
  • Boston 7 at Buffalo 0 … Patrice Bergeron (GW, 1-2=3 totals) scored 0:15 into the game followed by goals from Garnet Hathaway, Jake DeBrusk (1-3=4), Hampus Lindholm, David Pastrnak (PP), Charlie Coyle (1-1=2), and Charlie McAvoy (1-1=2) … Brad Marchand and Connor Clifton added 2A each … Jeremy Swayman won his 2nd straight shutout … SOG: Bos 25, Buf 26 … PP: 1/3 … PK: 0/4
  • Boston 2 vs Ottawa 1 … Ottawa yielded the opening goal but David Krejci (PP) and Jake DeBrusk (GW) scored twice in a 4:25 span for the win … Hampus Lindholm had 2 assists … Linus Ullmark made 40 saves in the victory … SOG: Bos 35, Ott 41 … PP: 1/4 … PK: 0/3
  • Boston 4 vs Montreal 2 … Tyler Bertuzzi (1-1=2 including his 1st as a Bruin), Jake DeBrusk, David Pastrnak (GWG+1 including his career-high 49th goal) and David Krejci scored goals and Connor Clifton added 2A … Jeremy Swayman earned his 3rd straight win … SOG: … PP: 0/5 … PK; 2/5

INJURIES/SUSPENSION (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 107)

  • AJ Greer – serving today a 1-game NHL-imposed suspension
  • Derek Forbort – Lower body
  • Taylor Hall: Lower body (LTIR)
  • Nick Foligno: Lower body (IR)

BOSTON vs TAMPA BAY, LIFETIME SERIES

  • The Bruins and Lightning are meeting for the 115th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 71-31-9-3 record and 375-296 scoring advantage in those games.
  • The Bruins are 40-9-6-2 lifetime vs. Tampa Bay at home with a 205-136 scoring edge in those 57 contests.

FUN FACTS

  • The Bruins currently have 25 players on their roster (1 IR, 1 LTIR) … 12 were drafted by the team, 7 were acquired in trade and 6 were signed as free agents.
  • The Bruins play 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 10-2-1 record in afternoon games so far.
  • The Bruins play 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 9-0-2 in the 1st game of those sets and are 8-3-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins are playing game 11 of their 15-game March schedule tonight (9 hm/6 rd, 8-3-0) … They will play 7 in April (3 hm/4 rd) … They went 8-1-0 in October, 11- 2-0 in November, 9-1-4 in December, 10-3-1 in January and 9-1-0 in February.

NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (31-31-9) at Philadelphia Flyers (27-32-12)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (31-31-9) at Philadelphia Flyers (27-32-12)

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 3 vs. ST. LOUIS 4 (3/23/23)
1ST PERIOD: DET Edvinsson (Oesterle, Zadina) 0:38-EV; DET Walman (Perron, Kubalík) 1:28-EV; STL Toropchenko (Walker, Pitlick) 9:53-EV
2ND PERIOD: STL Schenn (Kyrou, Bortuzzo) 3:31-EV; STL Blais (Parayko, Rosén) 12:40-EV; STL Neighbours (Bortuzzo) 14:08-EV
3RD PERIOD: DET Chiasson (Raymond, Larkin) 17:44-EV
SHOTS: DET 28 (9-7-12) / STL 22 (6-9-7)
GOALIES: DET Hellberg (ND, 10-13), Nedeljkovic (L, 8-9) / STL Hofer (W, 25-28)
PP: DET 0-1 / STL 0-4

MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Robby Fabbri – lower body (42 / March 8)
Michael Rasmussen – lower body (15 / Feb. 25)
Gustav Lindstrom – undisclosed (14 / March 23)
Ben Chiarot – upper body (4 / March 16)
Ville Husso – lower body (4 / March 23)
Adam Erne – lower body (2 / March 21)
Total Man Games Lost: 267
Individual Man Games Lost: Filip Zadina (37), Jakub Vrána (33), Matt Luff (32), Tyler Bertuzzi (31), Robert Hägg (15), Elmer Söderblom (13), Lucas Raymond (8), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Olli Määttä (4), Jake Walman (3), Jordan Oesterle (2), Dylan Larkin (1)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/23 – Recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions
3/21 – Recalled forward Matt Luff from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions
3/19 – Signed defenseman Antti Tuomisto to a two-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2023-24 season
3/17 – Recalled forward Austin Czarnik and defenseman Simon Edvinsson from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS at FLYERS / 1:00 P.M. EDT / Wells Fargo Center / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 150th all-time meeting, 74th at Philadelphia … Third of three games this season, second of two at Philadelphia
ALL-TIME vs. PHI: 55-68-21-5 / AWAY: 15-45-11-2 / LAST 10: 3-6-1 / IN 2021-22: 3-0-0 / THIS SEASON: 0-2-0
DET top scorers vs. PHI: Dylan Larkin (4-11-15 in 19 GP), David Perron (6-6-12 in 21 GP), Robby Fabbri (7-3-10 in 10 GP), Lucas Raymond (3-2-5 in 5 GP), Pius Suter (1-4-5 in 5 GP), Moritz Seider (1-3-4 in 5 GP), Dominik Kubalík (0-3-3 in 6 GP), Gustav Lindström (0-2-2 in 3 GP), Matt Luff (0-1-1 in 2 GP)
PHI top scorers vs. DET: Rasmus Ristolainen (2-17-19 in 29 GP), James van Riemsdyk (11-7-18 in 31 GP), Kevin Hayes (4-8-12 in 18 GP), Scott Laughton (7-4-11 in 15 GP), Tony DeAngelo (3-6-9 in 13 GP), Joel Farabee (1-2-3 in 5 GP), Noah Cates (2-0-2 in 2 GP), Wade Allison (0-1-1 in 2 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES EDT)
Tue., Mar. 28: RED WINGS vs. PENGUINS / 7:00 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Thu., Mar. 30: RED WINGS vs. HURRICANES / 7:30 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: ESPN+, Hulu / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Fri., Mar. 31: RED WINGS at JETS / 8:00 p.m. / Canada Life Centre / TV: BSD EXTRA / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
March 23 vs. St. Louis – 4-3 L
Detroit fell 4-3 against St. Louis to move to 31-31-9 overall and 17-15-4 inside Little Caesars Arena … The Red Wings are 5-2-0 at home against Central Division opponents this season … Detroit is 11-8-9 in one-goal games this season, and 26-9-19 since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign … Simon Edvinsson scored his first career NHL goal 38 seconds into the contest … Edvinsson tallied Detroit’s fastest game-opening goal of the season … Edvinsson also netted the fastest game-opening goal by a Red Wings defenseman since Nicklas Lidström scored 27 seconds into regulation on Dec. 8, 1998 vs. Chicago … Edvinsson (20 years, 46 days) became the third-youngest defenseman in franchise history to score his first career NHL goal, trailing only Larry Hillman (19 years, 256 days) and Steve Chiasson (19 years, 299 days) … Jake Walman gave Detroit a 2-0 lead with his eighth goal of the season … In all, the Red Wings have 37 goals from defensemen this season … Detroit scored two goals in the first 1:28 of regulation, marking the sixth-fastest pair of goals to start a game in franchise history … Detroit recorded two goals within the opening 90 seconds of regulation for the first time since scoring twice in the first 37 seconds of play on Dec. 4, 1987 vs. Chicago … Alex Chiasson wrapped up the scoring with his fifth goal of the season … Chiasson has tallied a goal in back-to-back games, and has seven points (5-2-7) in eight contests since March 8 vs. Chicago … Chiasson scored Detroit’s ninth 6-on-5 goal of the season, which is the most of any NHL team … Filip Zadina recorded an assist on Edvinsson’s goal, giving him points in back-to-back games (1-1-2 in 2 GP) … David Perron logged an assist on Walman’s goal to extend his point streak to three-straight games (0-3-3 in 3 GP) … Perron has six points (1-5-6) in nine games dating back to March 5 at Philadelphia … Dominik Kubalík also picked up an assist on Walman’s goal, giving him an assist in consecutive games (0-2-2 in 2 GP) … Lucas Raymond had the primary helper on Chiasson’s goal, giving him five assists in his last six games … Dylan Larkin also registered an assist on Chiasson’s goal to extend his point streak to four-straight games (1-3-4 in 4 GP) … Larkin extended his team lead in assists (42), points (68) and shots (215) through 70 games … Larkin has nine points (3-6-9) in his last eight games, and 35 points (12-23-35) in 33 appearances since Jan. 10 vs. Winnipeg … The Red Wings are 19-12-7 this season when scoring first, and 11-6-2 when doing so on home ice … Detroit is 12-6-2 this season when leading after one period, and 7-2-0 when doing so on home ice.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS NOTES:

TODAY’S GAME
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Detroit Red Wings
Wells Fargo Center
TV: NBCSP | Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

CURRENT INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY DATES GAMES MISSED
Cam Atkinson IR-upper body 9/25-present 71
Sean Couturier IR-back 9/19-present 71
Nick Deslauriers upper body 3/23-present 1
Ryan Ellis LTIR-groin/hip/back 10/11-present 71
Travis Konecny IR-upper body 2/21-present 13
2022-23 TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 373

FLYERS VS. RED WINGS: HEAD-TO-HEAD
FLYERS RED WINGS
73-53-23 ALL-TIME RECORD 55-68-26
47-14-12 HOME 40-23-13
26-39-11 ROAD 15-45-13
2-3-0 LAST 5 MEETINGS 3-2-0
7-3-0 LAST 10 MEETINGS 3-6-1
519 GOALS SCORED 464
30.3% POWER PLAY 27.6%
72.4% PENALTY KILL 69.7%
Ristolainen: 19 pts (2-17=19) in 29 GP
van Riemsdyk: 18 pts (11-7=18) in 31 GP
Hayes: 12 pts (4-8=12) in 18 GP
TEAM SCORING LEADERS Larkin: 15 pts (4-11=15) in 19 GP
Perron: 12 pts (6-6=12) in 21 GP
Fabbri: 10 pts (7-3=10) in 10 GP
Hart: 6-3-0, 2.57 GAA, .916 SV% in 9 GP
Sandstrom: Has not faced DET
TEAM GOALTENDERS Nedeljkovic: 2-1-0, 3.33 GAA, .888 SV% in 3 GP
Husso: 0-2-0, 2.07 GAA, .934 SV% in 2 GP

2022-23 SEASON SERIES (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
January 21 Little Caesars Arena PHI (2), DET (1)
March 5 Wells Fargo Center PHI (3), DET (1)
March 25 Wells Fargo Center 1 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/20 – Recalled D Egor Zamula from Lehigh Valley (AHL)
3/15 – Loaned G Samuel Ersson to Lehigh Valley (AHL)
3/14 – Recalled F Tyson Foerster and G Samuel Ersson from Lehigh Valley (AHL) on an emergency basis

TEAM NOTES
HOME COOKIN’

  • Philadelphia continues its season-high seven-game homestand Saturday (March 14-28), posting a 3-1-1 record after five games of the homestand.
  • The Flyers have played in six extra session games in the last 12 home contests, posting a 2-4 record in those games. Flyers are 2-5 in extra play games at home this season.
  • Philadelphia is 9-7-4 in its last 20 home games and 15-16-5 in 36 home games this season.
  • The Flyers have scored three-plus goals in 15 of its last 23 home games. The Flyers are 14-4-3 at home this season when scoring three-plus goals.

QUICK HITS

  • Philadelphia is on a four-game point streak, 3-0-1, outscoring their opponents, 19-14 (not including shootout goals), during the streak.
  • The Flyers tied their season-high six goals March 21 vs. FLA, including three second period goals in a span of 2:01. Per NHL Stats, the last time Philadelphia scored as many goals in 121 seconds or fewer was Feb. 8, 2020 at WSH (105 seconds).
  • The Flyers tallied 40 hits Feb. 11 vs. NSH for their sixth game of 40-plus hits this season. The six games of 40-plus hits are the most in a single season since recording 13 games during the 2014-15 season.
  • Philadelphia recorded a franchise-best 59 hits Nov. 12 vs. OTT. The 59 hits are tied for the ninth-most in a regular season game in NHL history.
  • Philadelphia registered 30 blocked shots Feb. 12 at CGY for its fifth game of the season with 30-plus blocked shots

– the most 30-plus blocked shot games in a Flyers season since 2005-06. The Flyers tallied a season-high 32 blocked shots Oct. 27 vs. FLA.

  • The Flyers rank third in the NHL with 1,244 blocked shots and fourth with 1,966 hits.

NHL Morning Skate – March 25, 2023

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Morning Skate – March 25, 2023

* Kent Johnson brought the crowd to its feet at Nationwide Arena when he scored the sixth ‘Michigan’ goal in NHL history on the 27th anniversary of when Mike Legg first introduced it to the world while playing for the University of Michigan – also Johnson’s alma mater.

* Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are set for their 65th regular-season matchup when the Capitals visit the Penguins during a primetime bout at 8. p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.

* A loaded 15-game Saturday will also feature the Bruins looking to secure the Atlantic Division title, while the Devils take another crack at clinching a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

JOHNSON’S ‘MICHIGAN’ GOAL IMPACTS EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE

On the 27th anniversary of the “Michigan” goal by Mike Legg, a 20-year-old University of Michigan alumnus, Kent Johnson, scored the sixth such goal in the NHL to help the Blue Jackets defeat the Islanders. Johnson – who also scored in the same style at the World Junior Championships a few months ago – played two years for the University of Michigan and co-led the team in assists (29 in 32 GP) with Buffalo blueliner Owen Power (29 in 31 GP) during his sophomore year in 2021-22.
 

* As Johnson was making the highlight reels in Columbus, his former teammate, Power, was helping the Sabres to victory in Buffalo as they inched closer to an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot. In addition to preventing the Devils from clinching a playoff spot, the Sabres (34-31-6, 74 points) narrowed the gap on the Islanders (37-27-9, 83 points), who hold the No. 1 Wild Card position in the East. Buffalo can gain more ground when they visit New York at 5 p.m. ET on Hulu and ESPN+.
 

MacKINNON, MAKAR EACH FACTOR ON ALL THREE AVALANCHE GOALS

Nathan MacKinnon (1-2—3) scored the game-opening goal to extend his point steak to 11 games and later assisted on a goal by Cale Makar (1-2—3) as both players factored on all three Avalanche markers in the win.

* MacKinnon (7-13—20 in 11 GP) has accumulated 20+ points on a point streak (of any length) for the fourth time in his career. The only active players to register 20+ points during a point streak as many times are Connor McDavid (12x), Sidney Crosby (8x), Leon Draisaitl (7x), Nikita Kucherov (5x), Patrick Kane (4x), Alex Ovechkin (4x), Evgeni Malkin (4x) and Steven Stamkos (4x).

* Makar (1-2—3) recorded his 62nd career multi-point game and 34th career multi-assist outing, moving one shy of tying Sandis Ozolinsh (63x & 35x) for the most by an Avalanche/Nordiques defenseman on both lists.


NHL PODCAST WEEKLY ROUNDUP
 

* NHL Fantasy: Fantasy waiver wire pickups: Week 23; Levi’s long-term upside with Sabres
* NHL Fantasy: Action Network Collab: Week 23
* NHL Draft Class: Brandon Naurato talks about two of the top prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft
* NHL @ The Rink: Dominic Moore joins; Divisional races, Bednar’s extension, Penguins in peril
* The Chirp with Daren Millard: Bruce Boudreau joins; Rush to the Playoffs
* NHL Fantasy: Fantasy playoff strategy, Stanley Cup futures with Chris Meaney

QUICK CLICKS

* #NHLStats Live Updates for March 24
* Unmasked: ‘Recoil’ technique helps Linus Ullmark to best season for Bruins

* Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews have reunion with Marleau family

* Bruins’ A.J. Greer suspended one game for cross-checking
* NHL statement regarding Coyotes’ minority owner Andrew Barroway

CROSBY-OVECHKIN SHOWDOWN SET FOR PRIMETIME ON ABC, ESPN+

The 65th all-time regular-season meeting between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will air in primetime on ABC and ESPN+ as the two highest-scoring active players continue their pursuit of another playoff berth. Washington (34-31-8, 76 points) sits four points behind Pittsburgh (35-27-10, 80 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, with the latter holding one game in hand.

* In 64 meetings to date, Crosby (28-58—86) has the edge in assists, points and wins (37-23-4) while Ovechkin has more goals (33-29—62; WSH: 27-27-10). As Ovechkin (821) continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most goals in NHL history, Crosby (548) needs one goal to pass Michel Goulet (548) and tie Ron Francis (549) for 29th place on the League’s all-time list.


* Alex Ovechkin enters Saturday with 12-11—23 in 24 career regular-season games at PPG Paints Arena, tied with Claude Giroux (12 in 29 GP) for the second most goals by a visiting player at the arena behind Jakub Voracek (14 in 26 GP).


BRUINS CHASE SEASON BENCHMARKS; PASTRNAK, TKACHUK PURSUE MILESTONES

Saturday’s slate will include the Bruins looking to close in on another Presidents’ Trophy as last year’s recipients continue a playoff push that currently has them one point outside the bracket.

* The Bruins (55-11-5, 115 points) will have another shot at clinching the Atlantic Division title Saturday as they continue to chase down franchise and League marks for most wins and points in a campaign. Their opponent, the third-place Lightning (42-25-6, 90 points), matched the NHL record for wins in a season (62) in 2018-19 before winning back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.

* David Pastrnak (49-46—95 in 71 GP) has a couple milestones in sight, needing one goal to earn his first 50-goal season and one point to reach 600 in his career (as well as five points for his first career 100-point campaign). Pastrnak, whose next goal also will give him sole possession of eighth place in franchise history, can become the sixth different Bruins skater to score 50 goals in a season and first since Cam Neely in 1993-94.

* The Panthers (36-29-7, 79 points) have an opportunity to jump back into a playoff spot – a position they held for one day earlier this week – when they host the Rangers (42-20-10, 94 points).

* Matthew Tkachuk (35-62—97 in 69 GP) takes aim at his second straight 100-point season (42-62—104 in 2021-22 w/ CGY). To date, only three players in NHL history have had consecutive 100-point seasons while changing teams in the offseason: Wayne Gretzky (149 in 1987-88 w/ EDM & 168 in 1988-89 w/ LAK), Jimmy Carson (107 in 1987-88 w/ LAK & 100 in 1988-89 w/ EDM) and Mike Rogers (105 in 1980-81 w/ HFD & 103 in 1981-82 w/ NYR).

* Tkachuk owns an active six-game goal streak and can tie Pavel Bure (7 GP in 2000-01) for the franchise record. A three-point showing would allow Tkachuk to join Jonathan Huberdeau (30-85—115 in 2021-22) as the second player in Panthers history to record a 100-point season.


MARCHING TOWARD A THRILLING FINISH OUT WEST

The top three teams in the Pacific Division will be in action Saturday, including a showdown between the top-ranked Golden Knights (45-21-6, 96 points) and No. 3-ranked Oilers (41-23-8, 90 points). Holding the No. 2 seed, the Kings (41-20-10, 92 points) will get a head start with a matinee against the Jets (41-29-3, 85 points), who sit in the second Wild Card spot with a chance to climb the standings.

* The Golden Knights (10-2-0, 20 points) and Oilers (9-2-0, 18 points) rank first and second, respectively, in points since March 1. After hitting the 60-goal mark Wednesday with a thrilling OT goal on TNT, Connor McDavid (60-78—138 in 72 GP) heads into Hockey Night in Canada within one goal of 300 in his NHL career (299 in 559 GP). He can become the third-fastest active player to reach the milestone – behind Alex Ovechkin (473 GP) and Steven Stamkos (550 GP) – while teammates Leon Draisaitl (298 in 628 GP) and Evander Kane (299 in 843 GP) also are closing in on the milestone.

* The Kings have also enjoyed a successful March as they boast the best points percentage so far (.889) and own an active 10-game point streak dating to Feb. 28 (8-0-2). Pheonix Copley (5-0-1) and Joonas Korpisalo (3-0-1) have split duties during the run as the club tries to match the longest point streak in franchise history when they take on Winnipeg.

NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (36-37) at Los Angeles Clippers (39-35)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (36-37) at Los Angeles Clippers (39-35)

During the regular season, Paul George won’t play for the Los Angeles Clippers again.

During the final week of the regular season, the New Orleans Pelicans may or may not welcome Zion Williamson back.

Both teams will try to improve their chances of making the postseason when the Pelicans visit the Clippers on Saturday night so that their star players can return in time to make an impact.

On Thursday night, two nights after George injured his right knee in a home loss to the Thunder, L.A. (39-35) defeated visiting Oklahoma City 127-105. This was the team’s first game without George, and the team performed admirably.

Kawhi Leonard led the way with 32 points on 13-of-15 shooting.

In addition, Russell Westbrook had seven assists and 24 points.

L.A. got that thanks to a bench that, according to Lue, “changed the game for us” led by Bones Hyland (16 points), who had not played in eight games, Terance Mann (14) and Nicolas Batum (12).

George will be evaluated again in two to three weeks, so there is no guarantee that he will return before the Clippers’ season ends.

Williamson, who is scheduled to be re-evaluated with five days remaining in the regular season, which ends on April 9, and the Pelicans share the same situation.

The Rockets, Spurs, and Hornets are all teams that the Pelicans (36-37) have defeated three times in a row, each of which they have won. They are beginning a four-game road trip that also includes games against the Blazers, Warriors, and Nuggets.

Against the Hornets, Brandon Ingram recorded his first career triple-double with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

On October 30 in Los Angeles, the Pelicans prevailed 112-91 in their only previous encounter with the Clippers this season. On April 1, they meet once more in New Orleans.

NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (35-38) at Sacramento Kings (44-29)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (35-38) at Sacramento Kings (44-29)

Saturday night’s matchup between the Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz, which will have an impact on both teams’ playoff positions, will put their late-season endurance to the test. Both teams had different outcomes in the first of their back-to-back games.

The Jazz were hammered 144-116 by the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, while the Kings defeated the Phoenix Suns 135-127 in Sacramento.

The Kings (44-29) thus maintained their position as the No. 3 group in the Western season finisher race while staying two games behind the Memphis Grizzlies in their duel for the second spot behind the front-running Denver Chunks.

If the Kings defeat Utah on Saturday, they will move within one victory of their first playoff berth since 2006 and will win the season series 3-1. Two is the magic number for Sacramento to secure that position.

In the meantime, the Jazz will take the court ranked 12th in the West, tied for last in losses with the No. No. 10 and the Oklahoma City Thunder 11 Mavericks of Dallas

Sacramento probably will be without star watch De’Aaron Fox for the significant challenge after he must be pulled from Friday’s success in the second from last quarter with an irritated right hamstring.

At that point, Fox had 19 points.

Domantas Sabonis (27 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists), Kevin Huerter (team-high 29 points), and Harrison Barnes (23 points) ensured that Fox’s heroics in the final minutes of the game would not be required. After building a double-digit lead with 45 points in the third quarter, they kept the Suns at bay.

When the Jazz (35-38) last played in Sacramento on December 30, Huerter hit a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left to give the Kings a 126-125 victory. The Jazz were close to sending those same fans home disappointed.

Lauri Markkanen scored 36 points in the defeat, but he is questionable for Saturday’s game due to a bruised left hand from a hard fall in the Portland Trail Blazers’ loss on Wednesday.

Simone Fontecchio scored a career-high 26 points thanks to his absence from Friday’s loss to the Bucks.

Collin Sexton (strained left hamstring) and Jordan Clarkson (sprained left ring finger) both missed the first game of the back-to-back.

Markkanen appears to be most likely to face the Kings out of the three. Even though an X-ray came back negative, Jazz coach Will Hardy is aware that his star player is suffering.

Two defeats have followed for the Jazz. On Monday, they return to their home arena to play the Suns, another team in the thick of the Western Conference race.

NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (49-24) at Phoenix Suns (38-35)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (49-24) at Phoenix Suns (38-35)

Both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns will be attempting to improve their positions in the race for the playoffs when they play each other on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia (49-24) played the second leg of a four-game street swing on Friday, visiting Brilliant State.

Joel Embiid, a candidate for Most Valuable Player, did not show any signs of the injury to his calf that forced him to miss the second half of Chicago’s win on Wednesday. Despite Embiid’s 46 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, Philadelphia fell short against the Warriors in a 120-112 defeat.

Due to an Achilles injury, James Harden missed the game on Friday, making it his second consecutive absence. Before that game, Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers told reporters that Harden might play again in Phoenix.

At Golden State, Danuel House Jr. was also ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

Streams dove deep in the setup, including utilizing Furkan Korkmaz, who has seen his minutes fall since from the get-go in the season. To the Philadelphia Inquirer, the coach gave Korkmaz, who played for five minutes, praise, saying, Furk has always been in the rotation, but he isn’t in the rotation right now. But at some point, guys get hot, and Furk is getting ready for the chance.”

The 76ers suffered only their third defeat in their last 13 games on Friday. However, on Friday, the Milwaukee Bucks, who are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference, and the Boston Celtics, who are currently the East champion, both defeated Philadelphia.

With nine games remaining on Philadelphia’s schedule, the Sixers now find themselves 1.5 games behind the Celtics and four behind the Bucks heading into Saturday’s second half of the weekend.

Phoenix’s battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference was impacted by Golden State’s loss to Philadelphia.

After suffering a 135-127 defeat at Sacramento, the Suns (38-35) fell half a game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for fourth place and are now virtually tied with the Warriors for fifth place. Seven more games are left for Golden State (39-36).

The Suns have lost three straight since falling to the Kings. They have lost just two of their last eight games, going 2-6, all of which Kevin Durant missed due to an ankle injury. Deandre Ayton missed each of the last three games due to a hip injury.

In Phoenix’s three losses in a row, during which the team has given up an average of 127 points per game, Ayton’s absence has loomed defensively.

In less than eight minutes, an 11-point halftime deficit was turned into a double-digit lead thanks to the Kings’ scoring outburst. In a loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday, Phoenix allowed at least 32 points in three quarters, while the Los Angeles Lakers scored 36 and 34 points on Wednesday.

Compared to Phoenix’s defense for much of the season, the Suns’ recent defensive woes are a stark contrast. With an average of 112.1 points allowed per game, Phoenix is sixth in the league.

With 110.3 points allowed per game, Philadelphia ranks third in the league.

NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (53-20) at Denver Nuggets (49-24)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (53-20) at Denver Nuggets (49-24)

The majority of the Denver Nuggets’ starting lineup was unavailable when they traveled to Milwaukee two months ago to take on the Bucks.

Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., and Nikola Jokic were not selected to play in Denver’s game against New Orleans on January 25, preventing them from competing for the MVP with Giannis Antetokounmpo. That night, the Nuggets were blown out, but things will turn around when the teams meet in Denver on Saturday.

The NBA’s best team, Milwaukee (53-20), is playing the second game of a back-to-back set. Friday night in Utah, the Bucks defeated the Jazz 144-116, but the lopsided score forced their best players to miss the final quarter.

They play a team that hasn’t played since Wednesday.

Denver (49-24) is rested and ready to play after playing just once since Sunday, a 118-104 victory over Washington on Wednesday night.

The Nuggets are focusing on securing the top seed in the Western Conference, despite the fact that many people will be focused on the Jokic-Antetokounmpo matchup in Saturday night’s game. With nine games remaining, they are three games ahead of Memphis Grizzlies. Five of those games will be played at home, where they are 30-6.

Following Antetokounmpo’s victories in 2019 and 2020, Jokic is among the favorites to win the MVP award once more. His victories over Antetokounmpo in 2019 and 2020 were followed by Jokic’s win over Antetokounmpo. He is close to a triple-double with 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists, but Antetokounmpo (31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists) and Joel Embiid of Philadelphia are competing with him.

Jokic has stated that the MVP does not concern him.

Denver will be able to claim the No. 1 seed in the conference if it puts together strong performances against the Bucks and 76ers, who are in town on Monday night. first time in franchise history, a number one seed.

Milwaukee, on the other hand, has risen to the top of the Eastern Conference with a remarkable run. Since January 21, the Bucks have gone 24-3, including a 10-0 record in February.

They will be put to the test in the following week when they play four games in seven days, including a game against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at home.

Getting the top seed would prevent Milwaukee from having to play a Game 7 on the road, as they did in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston in Milwaukee’s 2021-22 season.

Khris Middleton, a forward for the Bucks, missed Friday’s game because of treatment for a right knee injury, but he should be available Saturday night.

1...2,8402,8412,842...3,996Page 2,841 of 3,996

Contact us: info@sportsgamingjournal.com

* PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED AT THIS SITE IS FOR NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS IS PROHIBITED.

FOLLOW US

TODAY"S TOP CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2024, Sports Gaming Journal. All rights reserved.