Monday, April 6, 2026
Sports Gaming Picks - Get Your Picks Now
Home Blog Page 2895

Twins option Jordan Balazovic

0

FORT MYERS, FL – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have optioned right-handed pitcher Jordan Balazovic to Triple-A St. Paul.

The Twins now have 67 active players in camp (28 non-roster): 33 pitchers (11 non-roster), eight catchers (6 non-roster), 14 infielders (7 non-roster) and 12 outfielders (4 non-roster), plus two players on the 60-day Injured List.

NHL Morning Skate – March 4, 2023

0

* A total of 21 trades involving 34 players were completed on NHL Trade Deadline Day presented by OFX. Among the moves, Vladislav Namestnikov (to WPG) was dealt on deadline day for the fourth time in his career, tied for the most by any player (since 1979-80) and the Ritchie brothers (Brett and Nick) went opposite ways in the same deal – believed to be the first brother-for-brother trade in NHL history.
 

* The Golden Knights-Devils game saw a franchise record set (saves in a game by a VGK goaltender) and another tied (longest goal streak in NJD club history) as Vegas moved into the top spot in the Western Conference.


* Carolina gained a slight edge in their pursuit of the Metropolitan Division title while one of their prospects, Pyotr Kochetkov, scored the latest goalie goal playing for the club’s AHL affiliate.

* Upwards of six Czech-born players could hit the ice when the Bruins host the Rangers as part of the first-ever Hockey Day in Czechia. The contest will also be part of a doubleheader in North America on ABC, ESPN+ and Sportsnet.

RUSH TO THE PLAYOFFS INTENSIFIES AS TRADE DEADLINE PASSES
The focus around the League now shifts toward the Rush to the Playoffs as the 2022-23 NHL Trade Deadline presented by OFX came and went Friday. Although Deadline Day featured 21 trades, much of the heavy lifting came in the weeks prior. Including deals made March 3, a total of 74 trades were completed in the six weeks leading up to the deadline – with 70 of those occurring in the past two weeks alone (the most ever in the 14 days ahead of the deadline).

Below is a recap of some key acquisitions by current playoff teams as we enter the final six weeks of the regular season:

Eastern Conference
* The NHL-leading Bruins (48-8-5, 101 points), the fastest team in NHL history to reach 100 points in a single season, added multiple pieces ahead of the deadline including Tyler Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi is the sixth player on Boston’s roster with at least one 30-goal season in his career; only four other teams have as many (FLA: 7; NYR: 6; PIT; 6; & CGY: 6).

* Stanley Cup champions Ryan O’Reilly (2019 w/ STL & Conn Smythe Trophy winner) and Luke Schenn (2020 & 2021 w/ TBL) were added to the Maple Leafs roster ahead of the trade deadline. Schenn, who captured two Cups with Tampa Bay, looks to aid Toronto – which is currently lined up to square off against the Lightning in the First Round for the second time in as many seasons – to its first playoff series victory since the 2004 Conference Quarterfinals.

* The Rangers also acquired Stanley Cup champions ahead of the deadline – reuniting 2013 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Patrick Kane with former Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin and also adding 2019 champion Vladimir Tarasenko. The 2022-23 campaign is just the second to feature three winners of the Conn Smythe Trophy traded within the same season (also Jonathan Quick to CBJ & VGK) following 1995-96 (Bill RanfordPatrick Roy & Wayne Gretzky). Of note, Claude Lemieux was dealt by the Devils to the Islanders, and then the Islanders to the Avalanche on Oct. 3, 1995 – three days before the 1995-96 campaign began.



Western Conference
* The Kings continue to chase down the Golden Knights – who now have Jonathan Quick on their roster – for top spot in the Pacific Division and added Joonas Korpisalo to accompany Pheonix Copley between the pipes in Los Angeles. Korpisalo produced one of the greatest single-game playoff performances on record during his time with Columbus, posting 85 saves in Game 1 of the 2020 First Round against Tampa Bay – eclipsing Kelly Hrudey for the most by a goaltender in a playoff game since 1955-56.

* The Oilers added defenseman Mattias Ekholm ahead of deadline day and look to build off an appearance in the 2022 Western Conference Final. Ekholm has appeared in 75 career playoff games – including a run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final with Nashville (1-10— 11 in 22 GP) – which stands as the most among all players on Edmonton’s current roster and 14 more than the next closest (Mattias Janmark: 61 GP).

* The Jets added to their playoff push by acquiring Vladislav Namestnikov from the Sharks. Namestnikov was traded on deadline day for the fourth time in his career (also 2018, 2020 & 2022), tying Alan May (1988, 1989, 1994 & 1995) for the highest such total by an NHL player since 1979-80.


PACIFIC DIVISION TIGHTENS UP WHILE HURRICANES PULL AHEAD IN METROPOLITAN
The Golden Knights (37-19-6, 80 points), Kraken (35-21-6, 78 points) and Oilers (34-21-8, 76 points) all won in an ever-tightening Pacific Division playoff race, while the Hurricanes strengthened their lead atop the Metropolitan Division.

Adin Hill set a franchise record with 47 saves and Jonathan Marchessault (2-1—3) factored on every Vegas goal in regulation to help the club overtake idle Dallas (33-16-13, 79 points) for first place in the Western Conference standings. The Golden Knights hold a two-point edge atop the Pacific Division, where the top four clubs are divided by only four points.


Jared McCann (1-1—2) became the first player to score 30 goals in a season for the Kraken as Seattle secured its third straight win and moved within two points of idle Los Angeles (35-20-8, 78 points) for second place in the Pacific Division.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2-2—4) became the third Oilers player to hit the 30-goal mark this season, marking the first time since 1989-90 that Edmonton has had at least three 30-goal scorers. The Oilers, who continue to occupy the first Western Conference Wild Card position, will have a chance Saturday to sweep a home-and-home against the Jets (35-25-2, 72 points), who hold the second Wild Card spot.

 
Brent Burns (37 years, 359 days) recorded his first career four-assist outing and became the fourth-oldest defenseman in NHL history to post four helpers in a game as Carolina (40-12-8, 88 points) moved two points ahead of New Jersey (40-15-6, 86 points). The Hurricanes have spent 74 consecutive days atop the Metropolitan Division as they try to fend off the Devils – the only other team to occupy first place in the division since late October. Despite New Jersey’s loss, Dawson Mercer extended his goal streak to eight games – tied for the second-longest in NHL history by a player age 21 or younger – as he set a new benchmark for the longest in the NHL this season and matched the Devils franchise record.


The Hurricanes-Coyotes game Friday marked the exact three-quarter mark of the 2022-23 NHL season. Click here to view the Final Quarter: 2022-23 NHL Season document.


NHL PODCAST WEEKLY ROUNDUP

NHL Fantasy: Impact of Timo Meier trade on Devils

La Tasse de café LNH: Spécial Date limite des transactions

Draft Class: Brayden Yager joins; Adam Fantilli & NTDP analysis

The Chirp w/ Daren Millard: Pete DeBoer joins; Showtime on Broadway

NHL Fantasy: Fantasy Spin on flurry of trades

NHL @ The Rink: Mike Rupp joins; Trade Deadline frenzy

QUICK CLICKS

Friday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates
Seth Jarvis sports mullet in honor of Hurricanes trip to Mullett Arena
Mark Wahlberg hypes up Max Domi-to-Stars trade, says Dallas got ‘a warrior’
NHL Buzz: Aleksander Barkov expected back for Panthers on Saturday
Pyotr Kochetkov scores goalie goal for Chicago Wolves


ABC, ESPN+ DOUBLE BILL CHOCK-FULL OF CONTENDERS
A pair of afternoon games on ABC, ESPN+ and Sportsnet are loaded with teams in the thick of the playoff picture. The double bill opens with the NHL’s League-leading Bruins (48-8-5, 101 points) hosting the Rangers (35-18-9, 79 points) and their new prized addition in three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane. It concludes with the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche (34-20-5, 73 points), who have won six of their last seven contests, squaring off with the Central Division-leading Stars (33-16-13, 79 points).

* The Bruins, who have held the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division for the entire 2022-23 season, enter on a nine-game win streak dating to Feb. 14. They can earn their first double-digit win streak nine years (12 GP in 2013-14).


KARVINA SET TO HOST FIRST HOCKEY DAY IN CZECHIA
The NHL, Nova Group and Czech Ice Hockey Federation along with community organizations will host the first-ever ”Hockey Day In Czechia” in Karvina on Saturday. The schedule of free events and activities open to the public at the Sport Complex include a youth hockey tournament, an exhibition game with former NHL players including Michal NeuvirthPavel Brendl and Jaroslav Svoboda, as well as interactive activities and a coaching seminar.

* The day will culminate with a viewing party of the NHL Saturday presented by SAP game broadcast of the Rangers-Bruins game, which will air on Nova Sport 1 in Czechia and Slovakia.
 

* A total of 253 Czech-born players have played at least one NHL game (regular-season or playoffs) in NHL history, including 37 this season and six set to be part of Saturday’s Bruins-Rangers contest.

Click here to view more #NHLStats ahead of the first-ever Hockey Day in Czechia

Final Quarter: 2022-23 NHL Season

0

By the Numbers: Looking ahead to the final quarter of the 2022-23 NHL regular season.


* The 2022-23 campaign remains the highest-scoring season in 27 years (6.3 G/GP) as it enters its final quarter Friday, with the Hurricanes-Coyotes game marking the exact three-quarter mark (984 of 1,312 GP).

Forty-three percent of games this season have been comeback wins, tied for the second-highest rate at this stage of a season behind 2005-06 (44%).

* Twenty-three teams either hold a playoff spot or sit within six points of one, including five clubs who currently hold a postseason position that did not qualify in 2022 (New Jersey, NY Islanders, Vegas, Seattle and Winnipeg). There has been a playoff turnover of 5+ teams in every season under the Wild Card format.

* Led by the Bruins, who are on pace to set NHL records for wins and points in a season, the Eastern Conference includes the top five teams in the League standings along with a group of seven clubs separated by a six-point margin currently battling for two Wild Card spots.

Three of four divisions have a difference of three points or less between first and second place, including a tie atop the Pacific Division where four points divide the top four clubs. As a whole, the difference between first place and eighth place in the Western Conference is seven points.

Connor McDavid has already reached both the 50-goal and 100-point benchmarks this season and enters Friday with a chance to become the first player in more than a century with multiple goals in six straight games. Overall, seven players are on pace for 50+ goals and 13 are tracking toward 100+ points (with McDavid the only one to already reach either benchmark).


League Trends
118 – Number of multi-goal comeback wins in 2022-23, the second most in NHL history at this stage of a season behind 1985-86 when there were 123 over the course of the entire campaign (only 840 GP).

48 – Number of multi-goal, third-period comeback wins in 2022-23, one shy of tying the NHL record for an entire season (49 in 2009-10).


Rush to the Playoffs
14 – Number of times over the past 15 applicable campaigns (since 2007-08) that the gap at the “playoff line” has been five points or less in both conferences at the three-quarter mark of the season (i.e., the difference in points between the lowest playoff seed and the first non-playoff team). The only exception was in 2021-22; this excludes the 2020-21 season when there were no conferences. That margin currently stands at four points in the Eastern Conference and five points in the Western Conference.

12 – Number of teams in the Eastern Conference that have held a playoff position since play resumed after the All-Star break.

7 – Number of teams in the Western Conference that have occupied a Wild Card position since play resumed after the All-Star break.

7 – Difference between first place and eighth place in the Western Conference. The smallest margin at the end of a season between first place and eighth place in a conference is 10, in the 2007-08 Eastern Conference when the top-ranked Canadiens had only 10 points more than the No. 8-ranked Bruins. The only other instance of that point differential being less than 14 was in the 2014-15 Western Conference (12 points between ANA and CGY).

6 – Number of points separating the Penguins, Islanders, Sabres, Senators, Panthers, Capitals and Red Wings – the two Wild Card clubs and next closest teams in the Eastern Conference standings. Three of those clubs are looking to break a stretch of at least five seasons since their last playoff berth (Buffalo: 2011; Detroit: 2016; Ottawa: 2017).

6 – Different First Round matchups the Stars have had since Feb. 1. In total, all eight current playoff teams in the Western Conference have had at least three different opening round matchups over that span.


Leading the Pack
73 – Consecutive days the Hurricanes have spent in first place in the Metropolitan Division (since claiming their 20th win of the season Dec. 20). New Jersey ranks second in the division, one point back of Carolina. They are the only clubs to occupy the No. 1 seed in the Metropolitan since late October (CAR: 75 days, NJD: 49 days since Oct. 30) and will meet once more this season: March 12 in New Jersey (CAR: 2-1-0 in 3 GP; NJD: 1-1-1 in 3 GP).

67 – Fewest games required by a team to clinch a playoff spot since 2005-06, with the 2009-10 Capitals setting that benchmark.

61 – Fewest games in NHL history needed by a club to reach 100 points in a season, a mark set last night by the Bruins. On pace for 64 wins and 135 points, which would be NHL records for each category, Boston next plays Saturday on ABC, ESPN+ and Sportsnet (1 p.m. ET vs. NYR).

58 – Largest YOY point improvement from one season to the next (min. 80 GP in first campaign) by any team in NHL history, achieved by the Sharks from 1992-93 (24 points in 84 GP) to 1993-94 (82 points in 84 GP). They are the only team in NHL history to make a 50+ point improvement in campaigns of equal length. New Jersey is on pace for a 53-point improvement vs. 2021-22 (63 points) while Seattle is trending toward a 39-point jump relative to last season (60 points); both would be among the top eight YOY changes in NHL history.

43 – Consecutive days as the No. 1 seed in the Central Division for the Stars, despite holding a lead of five points or less for that entire span. Their current advantage is three points over the second-place Wild.

5 – The top five clubs in the NHL hail from the Eastern Conference – the first season in NHL history in which this has occurred (after min. 50 GP for each club). Only two seasons have ended with at least the top three teams in the NHL being from the same conference: 1993-94 (3 from Eastern) and 1990-91 (4 from Clarence Campbell). Conferences became a permanent fixture in 1974-75 (except for the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 season).

3 – Number of teams in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to sit atop their division standings for the entire season. The Bruins, who have been No. 1 in the Atlantic every day so far in 2022-23, can join the 2008-09 Sharks (Pacific Division), 1984-85 Oilers (Smythe Division) and 1977-78 Canadiens (Norris Division) on that list. San Jose claimed the Presidents’ Trophy that year, while Edmonton and Montreal hoisted the Stanley Cup.

2 – Number of teams that have finished first in their division in three or more of the franchise’s first six seasons in the NHL. The Golden Knights, who sits first in the Pacific after previously winning a division in 2017-18 and 2019-20, can join the Bruins and Oilers as teams to accomplish the feat.


Scoring
156 – Current on-pace point total for Art Ross Trophy frontrunner Connor McDavid, which would be the highest single-season total since 1995-96 when Mario Lemieux tallied 161 points in 70 games. Only five different players in NHL history have recorded 150+ points in a season: Wayne Gretzky (9x), Lemieux (4x), Bernie NichollsSteve Yzerman and Phil Esposito.

31 – Years since a defenseman recorded 100+ points in a season, with Erik Karlsson on track to become the sixth different blueliner in League history to hit the mark. Karlsson is also pacing toward becoming the seventh different blueliner with 75+ assists in a season and first since Sergei Zubov in 1993-94.

30 – Years since the NHL last saw a 70-goal scorer, with Alexander Mogilny and rookie Teemu Selanne sharing the League lead with 76 apiece in 1992-93. Connor McDavid is currently on pace for 69 goals in 2022-23, within range of becoming the ninth different NHL player to score 70+ goals in a season.

27 – Years since a player led the NHL in goals, assists and points at the end of a season (outright or tied), with Mario Lemieux the last to do so in 1995-96. Overall, only six different players have done so: Wayne Gretzky (5x), Lemieux (2x), Gordie Howe (2x), Phil EspositoHowie Morenz and Newsy LalondeConnor McDavid currently tops the League in goals, assists and points.

21 – Number of players in NHL history to score 60+ goals in a season, with Connor McDavid sitting eight goals shy of the mark with 20 games remaining. The last time the NHL had consecutive campaigns with a 60-goal scorer was a 14-season stretch from 1980-81 through 1993-94.

19 – Number of players on pace for 40+ goals in 2022-23, including four who have already hit the mark. Nineteen would be the highest single-season total of 40+ goal scorers in 29 years (23 in 1993-94).

13 – Number of players on pace for 100+ points in 2022-23, more than double the number who were tracking toward triple digits at the same stage last season (6 entering final quarter of 2021-22). In the past 25 seasons (since 1996-97), only one campaign has featured at least eight 100-point players (8 in 2021-22).

– Number of players on pace for 50+ goals in 2022-23, including Connor McDavid (52) who recently became the fastest active skater to hit the mark (61 GP). In the past 25 seasons (since 1996-97), only one campaign has featured at least five 50-goal scorers (5 in 2005-06).

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (13-49) at San Antonio Spurs (16-47)

0

The San Antonio Spurs had already lost the season, but their long losing streak before their annual rodeo road trip was the bottom of the barrel.

However, the Spurs experienced a run of success over the course of two games. First, in the final game of their nine-game road trip, San Antonio beat the Utah Jazz 102-94 to end their worst-ever 16-game losing streak. After that, the Spurs defeated the Indiana Pacers 110-99 on Thursday, bringing back guards Devin Vassell and Tre Jones.

After Vassell underwent left knee surgery, the Spurs were without him for two months. The Spurs will open a back-to-back against the Houston Rockets on Saturday at home. The Spurs appeared rejuvenated with Jones back in the rotation after missing the previous five games with left foot soreness.

Even though Vassell and Jones had to play a certain number of minutes, they found ways to help the win. Vassell posted 18 focuses in north of 22 minutes while Jones contributed five helps and four bounce back shortly. In addition to Vassell’s 19.4 points per game, which ranks second on the team behind Keldon Johnson (21.8), the Spurs were deficient in Jones’ verve.

Johnson missed Saturday’s game against Indiana because of a foot injury, so the Spurs are still not completely healthy. They are just a little ahead of the Rockets in the Western Conference standings. However, San Antonio has already won two games against the Rockets, and given that this is their first taste of winning in a row since the middle of December, it’s easy to see why their confidence is so high.

The Rockets’ 113-99 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday marked their 11th defeat in a row, making them the NBA team with the longest losing streak. Houston won on Dec. 13 to end a 13-game losing streak and has lost 31 of its last 35 games.

Kevin Porter Jr., a Rockets guard, returned against the Grizzlies after missing 20 games with an injury, but the team and Porter Jr. did not fare well. In the defeat, Porter managed just 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists despite missing 8 of 11 shots.

He admitted that he wasn’t quite at full strength, but the Rockets were in a bad spot, so they decided to play again.

NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (32-31) at Miami Heat (33-31)

0

The Atlanta Hawks will begin a four-game road trip on Saturday with the first of two games against the Miami Heat, a team that is attempting to advance from the play-in tournament and into the playoffs.

Miami is currently seventh in the Eastern Conference, one half-game ahead of the eighth-place Hawks and two and a half games behind sixth-place Brooklyn Nets.

The Miami Heat have lost two consecutive games and six of their last seven, including Friday’s 122-120 defeat to the visiting New York Knicks.

The Hawks have won three of their last four games, and on Friday, they beat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers by a score of 129-111, giving new coach Quin Snyder his first victory.

This will be the third of the season’s four meetings between the teams. They split the previous two Atlanta meetings. On Monday, the Hawks and Heat will meet once more in Miami, where the Heat have won the previous two encounters.

Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 41 points for Atlanta, and Trae Young scored 23 points and had 11 assists against Portland. Together, the two shot 23-for-36 from the field, including 10-for-10 from the foul line and 8-for-10 from 3-point range.

In 38 games, the Hawks have scored 100 points. This season, they have only lost two games by double digits, one of which was a 106-98 defeat to Miami on Nov. 27.

After losing in his Hawks debut on Tuesday to the Washington Wizards, former Utah Jazz coach Snyder has left Atlanta with a record of 1-1.

A nine-man rotation will be used, Snyder has stated. That almost certainly indicates that either AJ Griffin or Jalen Johnson will be the outlier. Johnson got the minutes on Friday, scoring eight points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out four assists in 22 minutes. Griffin only played the final two minutes because neither team had a bench.

Griffin played 16 minutes against Washington, but Johnson did not play.

Jimmy Butler’s play has been a bright spot for Miami. He was 18-for-20 from three against the Knicks and scored 33 points. The seasoned player is averaging 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. In the Hawks’ 121-113 defeat on Jan. 16, Butler scored 34 points, giving him a career average of 18.8 points in 31 games against Atlanta.

Tyler Herro, a guard for the Heat, is averaging 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Against the Knicks, he scored 29 points and made five 3-pointers. On Nov. 27, he recorded a triple-double against the Hawks, scoring 11, grabbing 11, and dishing out 10 assists.

Bam Adebayo, who scored 18 points on Friday, has scored in the double digits in all 59 games he has played this season and a career-high 75 games since last year, which is tied with Alonzo Mourning for the team’s fifth-longest streak.

The Heat will continue to play without Kyle Lowry, who has been experiencing pain in his left knee and has missed 11 games.

Lowry’s minutes will continue to be filled by Gabe Vincent.

NBA Preview: Detroit Pistons (15-48) at Cleveland Cavaliers (39-26)

0

In order to recover from an injury to his right groin that he suffered during the third quarter of his most recent game, Donovan Mitchell acknowledged that he “played off adrenaline.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers have now lost four of their last five games thanks to Mitchell’s masterful 44-point performance.

When the Cavaliers compete for a season sweep of the visiting Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, Mitchell hopes to be healthy enough to participate in his 400th NBA game.

This season for the Cavaliers, Mitchell has achieved career highs in points (27.5) and minutes (35.5). On November 27, the four-time All-Star scored 32 points in Cleveland’s 102-94 victory over Detroit.

On Nov. 4, the Cavaliers defeated the Pistons on the road by a score of 112-88. Jarrett Allen scored 23 points. On February 8, he scored 20 points in a 113-85 victory over visiting Detroit.

Darius Garland, Mitchell’s backcourt partner, defeated the Celtics on Wednesday and notched 29 points, nine assists, and four steals. Cleveland, on the other hand, was defeated 41-26 in the third quarter.

This season, the Eastern Conference’s cellar-dwelling Pistons have received far too many punches. However, on Wednesday, an unconventional blow sent them to the mat. Detroit was defeated by the Chicago Bulls 117-115 when rookie Jaden Ivey called a timeout that Detroit didn’t have, earning a technical foul with 9.1 seconds left.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 34 points for Detroit after missing one game with soreness in both Achilles tendons. This season, he leads the team in point average (21.6).

One shy of their season-high total from Nov. 9-20, the Pistons have lost six in a row.

NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (31-33) at Washington Wizards (30-32)

0

In a matchup of teams occupying the final two play-in spots in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards will attempt to complete a two-game sweep of the visiting Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Wizards defeated the Raptors 119-108 in the first of two games in Washington.

The teams are virtually tied, with Saturday’s winner moving into ninth place in the conference and the loser into tenth.

Thursday, Washington got off to a fast start thanks to a 30-point performance from Kyle Kuzma, who scored the first 10 points of the game.

The Wizards have now won two straight games as they try to regain their lack of consistency this season.

After missing two games with a sore knee, the Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points. Bradley Beal scored 15, while Daniel Gafford scored 18.

Delon Wright, a former Raptor, scored seven points, grabbed six rebounds, and had a season-best 11 assists in starting Monte Morris, a point guard, for the third game in a row because of a back injury.

Corey Kispert, a reserve guard for the Wizards, had 10 points and made two three-pointers, making him the first player in the club’s history to make 100 three-pointers in his first two seasons.

Toronto was led by O.G. Anunoby, who scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. Jakob Poeltl scored 23, pulled down 13 rebounds, stole three rebounds, and blocked two shots.

His players concurred, some platitude each of the five players on the court at a given time weren’t as “focused” as they ought to be.

On Wednesday, the Wizards released center Vernon Carey Jr. and signed center Jay Huff to fill their second two-way contract spot.

Huff has ties to the Wizards because he was on their 2021 summer league team. On Thursday, Huff was assigned to the Capital City Go-Go of the G League.

NHL Preview: New York Rangers (35-18-9) at Boston Bruins (48-8-5)

0

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Ottawa Senators 5, New York Rangers 3 – March 2, 2023 – Madison Square Garden
NYR Goals: C. Kreider (27), J. Trouba (5), V. Tarasenko (14)
OTT Goals: S. Pinto (16), D. Brassard (10, 11), C. Giroux (26), T. Stutzle (29)
NYR Goalie: J. Halak (L – 29/33)
OTT Goalie: C. Talbot (W – 29/32)
NYR Shots: 32
OTT Shots: 34
NYR PP: 0/4
NYR PK: 3/3
RECAP/NOTES: Patrick Kane made his debut for the Rangers on Thursday night against Ottawa but the team fell to the Senators, 5-3, at MSG. Chris Kreider led things off with his seventh shorthanded goal in his career and then the Blueshirts built a 3-2 lead heading into third. The Senators proceeded to score three in the final frame to take the win.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

  • The New York Rangers head to Boston for a matinee against the Bruins at TD Garden in the season finale between the two teams. (1:00 PM ET – TV: ABC, ESPN Plus – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM).
  • On the road, New York has points in 11 of their last 13 contests (7-2-4). The Rangers’ .683 points percentage on the road ranks fifth in the NHL. The Blueshirts’ 41 road points are tied for the fourth most in the league.
  • The Blueshirts have earned a point in 12 of their last 16 games (10-4-2) and 30 of their last 39 contests (25-9-5).
  • The Rangers have played more regular season games (665) and have earned more regular season wins (264) against the Bruins than against any other opponent in their 96-season history.
  • The Blueshirts’ 17 comeback wins are the fifth most in the NHL and their eight third-period comeback wins are tied for the third most in the NHL. Their eight third-period comeback wins are tied for the second most in franchise history (11 -2010-11).
  • The Rangers defensemen group has collected 148 points, the third most in the NHL and 118 assists, tied for the fourth most in the NHL.
  • New York’s 78 third period goals are the fourth most in the NHL.
  • When scoring first this year, the Blueshirts are 24-5-4 and 18-3-3 when leading after the second period.

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Mar. 9/7:00 PM Montreal/Bell Centre MSG Network ESPN 1050 AM
Mar. 11/5:00 PM Buffalo/KeyBank Center MSGSN ESPN 1050 AM
Mar. 12/4:00 PM Pittsburgh/PPG Paints Arena TNT ESPN 98.7 FM
Mar. 14/7:00 PM Washington/Madison Square Garden ESPN ESPN 1050 AM
Mar. 16/7:00 PM Pittsburgh/Madison Square Garden MSG Network ESPN 1050 AM

LAST FIVE GAMES
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Mar. 2 Ottawa L, 5-3
Mar. 1 at Philadelphia OTW, 3-2
Feb. 26 Los Angeles W, 5-2
Feb. 25 at Washington L, 6-3
Feb. 23 at Detroit L, 4-1

MAN GAMES LOST – 34
PLAYER INJURY/REASON DATES MISSED CONS. GAMES MISSED
Ryan Lindgren Upper Body Feb. 26-Mar. 2 3

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
March 3 – Acquired Anton Blidh from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Gustav Rydahl and acquired Wyatt Kalynuk from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for future considerations.
February 28 – Patrick Kane acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks.
February 28 – Austin Rueschhoff traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for future considerations
February 28 – Braden Schneider recalled from Hartford. Ryan Carpenter re-assigned to Hartford.

ALL-TIME RECORD 264-300-97-4 (629 PTS)
2022-23 0-2-0
2021-22 2-1-0
NYR HOME 151-128-55-1 (358 PTS)
NYR AWAY 113-172-42-3 (271 PTS)
LAST FIVE MEETINGS 2-3-0
LEADING SCORER(S) – CURRENT RANGERS IN CAREER G: Zibanejad (15) – A: Kane/Panarin (11) – Pts: Zibanejad (23)
LEADING SCORER(S) – ALL-TIME IN GAMES W/NYR G: Bathgate (64) – A: Bathgate (116) – Pts: Bathgate (180)

2022-23 SEASON SERIES
November 3 at MSG L, 5-2
January 19 at MSG L, 3-1
March 4 at TD Garden 1:00 PM ET

BOSTON BRUINS NOTES:

TODAY’S GAME

  • The Bruins host the Rangers today in the 3rd and final game between these teams this season and the Rangers’ lone game of the season series at TD Garden.
  • They are 48-8-5 overall this season and their 101-point total is the best record in NHL history through 61 games … They are 25-2-3 on home ice and the Bruins are 26-6-3 vs Eastern Conference opponents.
  • The Bruins are playing today their 9th of 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 6-1-1 record in afternoon games so far.
  • The Bruins play game 2 today of their 4-game home stand (1-0-0) … They will next host Edmonton on 3/9 and Detroit on 3/11.

RECENT GAMES:

  • The Bruins have won their last 9 games with a 3-2/OT win in Dallas on 2/14, 5-0 win in Nashville on 2/16, 6-2 win vs. NY Islanders on 2/18, 3-1 victory vs Ottawa on 2/20, 6-5 win in Seattle on 2/23, 3-1 win in Vancouver on 2/25, 3-2 win in Edmonton on 2/27, 4-3 OT win in Calgary on 2/28, and 7-1 win vs Buffalo on 3/2 … It is their longest win streak since a 12-game stretch in 2013-14.
  • The Bruins are 6-2-0 in their last 8 home games … That followed a 22-game home unbeaten at 19-0-3 and a 14- game home win streak, the longest from the start of a season in league history and longest point streak from a season’s start in Boston annals … It was also their fourth longest home point streak overall in team history.
  • They have won their last 7 road games and are 16-2-2 in their last 20 road games, including a 9-0-1 road point streak from 12/11-1/24.
  • Boston 3 at Edmonton 2 … Boston’s goals came from Tomas Nosek, Nick Foligno and Pavel Zacha and Dmitry Orlov had his first 2A as a Bruin … Jeremy Swayman earned his 3rd straight win in goal … SOG: Bos 28, Edm 24 … PP: 0/5 … PK: 0/1
  • Boston 4 at Calgary 3/OT … The Bruins swept their recent road trip after a 4-games-in-6-days stretch … Dmitry Orlov had 2-1=3 totals and Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk had 2A each … Pavel Zacha sent the game to OT where Charlie McAvoy finished with 4.3 remaining in the extra session … Linus Ullmark made a club-record 54 saves in the win … SOG: Bos 20, Cgy 57 … PP: 1/3 … PK: 0/3
  • Boston 7 vs Buffalo 1 … David Pastrnak and Dmitry Orlov had 1-2=3 totals each with 2-point nights each from Jakub Lauko (2G), Pavel Zacha (GA), Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and David Krejci (2A) … The Bruins had 4G in the last 5:15 of the 3rd period including 2 SHG in 0:24 … Jeremy Swayman took his 4th straight win … SOG: Bos 42, Buf 27 … PP: 1/3 … PK: 0/3

INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 80)

  • Taylor Hall: Lower body (LTIR)
  • Nick Foligno: Lower body (IR)

BOSTON vs BUFFALO, LIFETIME SERIES

  • The Bruins and Rangers are meeting for the 666th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 304-252-97-12
    record and 2,087-1,926 scoring advantage in those games.
  • The Bruins are 175-106-42-7 lifetime vs. New York at home with a 1,150-911 scoring edge in those 330 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 6-1-1 record in
    afternoon games so far.
  • The Bruins play 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 7-0-2 in the 1st game of those
    sets and are 7-2-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins are playing game 2 of their 15-game March schedule tonight (9 hm/6 rd, 1-0-0) … 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.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 9: Jakub Lauko recalled from Providence/AHL.
Feb. 17: Jakub Lauko returned to Providence/AHL.
Feb. 23: Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway acquired from Washington for Craig Smith, 2023 first round draft pick,
2025 second round draft pick and 2024 third round draft pick.
Feb. 23: Rights to Andrei Svetlakov acquired from Minnesota for 2023 fifth round draft pick.
Feb. 25: Vinni Lettieri placed on waivers (cleared 2/26).
Feb. 25: Shane Bowers acquired from Colorado for Keith Kinkaid and assigned to Providence/AHL.
Mar. 2: Tyler Bertuzzi acquired from Detroit for 2024 first round (top-ten protected) and 2025 fourth round draft picks.
Mar. 2: David Pastrnak signed to an eight-year contract extension.
Mar. 2: Jakub Lauko recalled from Providence/AHL.

NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (28-24-9) at New York Islanders (31-25-8)

0

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 4 vs. SEATTLE 5 OT (3/2/23)
1ST PERIOD: SEA McCann (Eberle, Beniers) 1:12-EV; DET Chiarot (Copp, Fabbri) 3:07-EV; SEA Bjorkstrand (Wennberg, Schwartz) 5:33-EV; SEA McCann (Dunn, Tolvanen) 12:19-EV; DET Erne (Seider, Larkin) 18:39-EV 2ND PERIOD: DET Berggren (Zadina, Lindström) 2:59-EV; SEA Schwartz (Eberle, Beniers) 6:17-EV; DET Walman (unassisted) 14:48-EV
3RD PERIOD: No scoring
OT: SEA Bjorkstrand (McCann, Schultz) 3:33-PP
SHOTS: DET 29 (11-10-7-1) / SEA 37 (16-10-9-2)
GOALIES: DET Husso (OTL, 32-37) / SEA Jones (ND, 9-12), Grubauer (W, 16-17)
PP: DET 0-3 / SEA 1-5

MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Michael Rasmussen – lower body (5 / Feb. 25)
Jordan Oesterle – undisclosed (3 / Feb. 27)
Total Man Games Lost: 240
Individual Man Games Lost: Filip Zadina (37), Robby Fabbri (35), Jakub Vrána (33), Matt Luff (32), Tyler Bertuzzi (31), Robert Hägg (15), Elmer Söderblom (13), Gustav Lindström (11), Lucas Raymond (8), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Olli Määttä (4), Jake Walman (3), Ville Husso (2), Dylan Larkin (1)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/3 – Recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions … Signed forward Alex Chiasson and goaltender John Lethemon to one-year contracts for the remainder of the 2022-23 season … Acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for forward Oskar Sundqvist … Acquired a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and forward Dylan McLaughlin from St. Louis in exchange for forward Jakub Vrána (Detroit will retain 50 percent of Vrána’s salary) … Loaned forward Dylan McLaughlin to Springfield (AHL) 3/2 – Recalled forward Adam Erne from Grand Rapids … Activated defenseman Jordan Oesterle from injured reserve … Placed forward Michael Rasmussen on injured reserve … Acquired a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft from Boston in exchange for forward Tyler Bertuzzi (Detroit will retain 50 percent of Bertuzzi’s salary) 3/1 – Signed forward Dylan Larkin to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.7 million … Acquired a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft from Vancouver in exchange for defenseman Filip Hronek and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft … Signed forward Alexandre Doucet to a three-year entry-level contract 2/28 – Signed defenseman Jake Walman to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.4 million 2/27 – Activated forward Lucas Raymond from injured reserve … Placed defenseman Jordan Oesterle on injured reserve

TODAY’S GAME
RED WINGS at ISLANDERS / 12:30 P.M. EST / UBS Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TODAY: 124th all-time meeting, 63rd at New York … Third of three games this season, second of two at New York
ALL-TIME vs. NYI: 57-55-6-5 / AWAY: 24-31-4-3 / LAST 10: 4-5-1 / IN 2021-22: 2-1-0 / THIS SEASON: 1-1-0
DET top scorers vs. NYI: Dylan Larkin (4-12-16 in 20 GP), David Perron (5-5-10 in 20 GP), Alex Chiasson (2-6-8 in 16 GP), Dominik Kubalík (2-1-3 in 5 GP), Pius Suter (2-1-3 in 5 GP), Moritz Seider (1-2-3 in 5 GP)
NYI top scorers vs. DET: Zach Parise (12-13-25 in 26 GP), Brock Nelson (13-9-22 in 25 GP), Josh Bailey (9-13-22 in 29 GP), Anders Lee (10-11-21 in 23 GP), Kyle Palmieri (8-10-18 in 26 GP), Ryan Pulock (3-7-10 in 12 GP), Bo Horvat (4-6-10 in 14 GP), Noah Dobson (1-2-3 in 5 GP), Ross Johnston (0-1-1 in 2 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES EST)
Sun., March 5: RED WINGS at FLYERS / 6:00 p.m. / Wells Fargo Center / TV: NHLN, BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Wed., March 8: RED WINGS vs. BLACKHAWKS / 7:30 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Sat., March 11: RED WINGS at BRUINS / 1:00 p.m. / TD Garden / TV: ESPN+, ABC / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
March 2 vs. Seattle – 5-4 OTL
Detroit fell 5-4 in overtime against Seattle to move to 28-24-9 overall and 15-12-4 inside Little Caesars Arena … The Red Wings (65 points) are five points behind the New York Islanders (70 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference … Detroit also trails Buffalo (66 points), Ottawa (66 points), Florida (66 points) and Washington (66 points) by a single point … Detroit is 9-5-9 in one-goal games this season, and 24-6-19 since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign … The Red Wings are 26-3-6 this season when leading or tied after two periods, and 14-3-1 when doing so on home ice … Detroit is 13-6-6 against the Western Conference this season, and 9-4-3 when facing Pacific Division opponents … Ben Chiarot put Detroit on the board with his fifth goal of the season … Chiarot skated in his 550th career NHL game … Adam Erne was credited with his seventh goal of the campaign … Erne, who was recalled by Detroit prior to Thursday’s game, has two goals in his last three NHL appearances … Erne also picked up his first fighting major of the season and ninth of his NHL career … Jonatan Berggren made it a 3-3 game with his 12th goal of the season … Berggren has four goals and a 57.1 shooting percentage in his last nine games dating back to Feb. 11 vs. Vancouver … Jake Walman knotted the score at four apiece with his sixth goal of the campaign … The Red Wings have 33 goals from their blueline this season … Moritz Seider logged the primary assist on Erne’s goal, giving him 18 points (2-16-18) and a plus-eight rating in 23 games since Jan. 10 vs. Winnipeg … It marked Seider’s 70th career NHL assist, passing Dale McCourt for the seventh-most assists by a Red Wings skater prior to their 22nd birthday … Dylan Larkin also collected an assist on Erne’s goal, giving him 25 points (9-16-25) in 23 games since Jan. 10 vs. Winnipeg … Larkin extended his team lead in assists (36), points (58) and shots (186) through 60 games … Larkin (169-247-416 in 564 GP) passed Vyacheslav Kozlov for sole possession of 20th place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list … Ville Husso is 11-0-2 this season when making 32-or-more saves … The Red Wings finished 38-for-63 (60.3%) at the faceoff circle … Andrew Copp went 14-for-20 (70.0%) on the draw, while Larkin ended the night 16-for-24 (66.7%) … Detroit tied a season high with 38 hits, which was also accomplished on Oct. 14 vs. Montreal and Jan. 7 at Toronto … Seider and Erne each recorded seven hits, while Olli Määttä notched six hits.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
DATE NYI RESULT SCORE NYI SCORERS IN GOAL
Tuesday, Feb. 28 SO Loss MIN 2 vs. NYI 1 Bailey Sorokin (30/31)
Josh Bailey opened the score and Scott Mayfield and Otto Koivula each tallied assists on Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center, but the New York Islanders fell to the Minnesota Wild in the shootout following scoreless second and third periods. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves on 31 shots to help the Islanders collect a point for the fifth time in their last seven games (4-2-1). The Islanders finish February with a 6-3-3 record.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Mar. 2 Arnaud Durandeau has been returned on loan to Bridgeport.
Mar. 1 Goaltender Tristan Lennox has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract.
Feb. 28 The New York Islanders have acquired forward Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a third round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Feb. 22 Andy Andreoff has been returned on loan to Bridgeport. Otto Koivula has been recalled from loan.
Feb. 19 Arnaud Durandeau has been emergency recalled from Bridgeport.
Feb. 17 Otto Koivula has been returned on loan to Bridgeport.

INJURIES GAMES MISSED

3 Adam Pelech Dec. 9 – Jan. 21

8 Noah Dobson Jan. 23 – Jan. 28

10 Simon Holmstrom Dec. 23 – Jan. 6

12 Josh Bailey Nov. 29, Feb. 18 – Feb. 24

13 Mathew Barzal Jan. 6, Feb. 20 –

15 Cal Clutterbuck Oct. 13, Nov. 8, Dec. 2- Dec. 6, Dec. 17 – Jan. 3, Jan. 21 –

20 Hudson Fasching Jan. 19 – Jan. 28

21 Kyle Palmieri Nov. 23 – Dec. 13, Dec. 17 – Jan. 21

25 Sebastian Aho Oct. 13 – Oct. 20

26 Oliver Wahlstrom Oct. 13, Dec. 29 –

40 Semyon Varlamov Dec. 19 – Jan. 1

44 Jean-Gabriel Pageau Feb. 14 –

Man Games Lost: 155

RECENT RESULTS
Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Minnesota L/SO (2-1)
Sunday, Feb. 26 at Winnipeg W (4-0)
Friday, Feb. 24 vs. Los Angeles L (3-2)
Wednesday, Feb. 22 vs. Winnipeg W (2-1)
Monday, Feb. 20 at Pittsburgh W (4-2)
Saturday, Feb. 18 at Boston L (6-2)

UPCOMING GAMES
Mar. 7 vs. Buffalo UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Mar. 9 at Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA) 7:00pm
Mar. 11 vs. Washington UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Mar. 14 at Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA) 10:30pm
Mar. 15 at Anaheim Honda Center (Anaheim, CA) 10:00pm

VS. DETROIT:
Last five meetings (2-2-1)
Jan. 27, 2023 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) Win (2-0)
Nov. 5, 2022 Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, MI) Loss (3-0)
Mar. 24, 2022 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) Win (5-2)
Dec. 14, 2021 Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, MI) Loss (2-1)
Dec. 4, 2021 Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, MI) OT Loss (4-3)

2022-23 1-1-0
Franchise History 60-53-6-4
NYI Home 34-21-4-3
NYI Away 26-32-2-1

SEASON SERIES
DATE LOCATION RESULT/TIME
Nov. 5, 2022 Little Caesars Arena L, 3-0
Jan. 27, 2023 UBS Arena W, 2-0
Mar. 4, 2023 UBS Arena 12:30pm

TODAY’S MATCHUP
Today, the New York Islanders host the Detroit Red Wings in the third and final matchup between the two clubs this season, their lone matinee game on home ice in 2022-23. The home team has registered a shutout in each meeting between these teams this season. The Islanders and Red Wings last met on January 27 at UBS Arena, when Brock Nelson and Anders Lee each scored and Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 23 shots faced to help the Islanders defeat the Red Wings, 2-0. The Islanders have collected points in five of their last seven games, and finished the month of February with a 6-3-3 record.

The Islanders have a 7-3-1 record against Detroit since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, including five straight wins on home ice. The Islanders have also collected points in nine of their last ten matchups against Atlantic Division opponents.

The Islanders return to game action today, following three days idle. Their last matchup was a 2-1 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul on Tuesday evening. It was the 21st time this season that the Islanders captured at least one point in a game decided by a single goal. Including the Christmas Break and All-Star Break, today’s game is the fourth time this season that the Islanders return to action following three straight days without a game. They are 2-0-1 (Dec. 27 vs. PIT, Jan. 10 vs. DAL, Feb. 6 at PHI) when playing after three days idle.

NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (37-19-5) at Buffalo Sabres (31-25-4)

0

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NOTES:

LAST GAME
Lightning 4 vs. Pittsburgh 5 (OT)
The Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a third-straight contest with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins March 2 at AMALIE Arena…The Bolts fell to 37-19-5 on the season with a home record of 22-5-4…The Lightning concluded the season series vs. PIT with an 0-2-1 record…Ross Colton opened the scoring at the 5:39 mark of the first period when a shot from Tanner Jeannot deflected off Kris Letang and ricocheted off Colton for his 14th goal of the season with Mikhail Sergachev picking up the secondary helper…Jeannot’s assist was his first point as a member of the Bolts…Jeff Petry scored back-to-back goals at the 6:06 and 6:31 marks of the second period to give PIT a 2-1 lead…Brayden Point scored his team-leading 38th goal of the season when he banged home a rebound in front of Tristan Jarry on the power play to tie the game at two with 10:21 remaining in the second…Jason Zucker gave PIT a 3-2 lead with 4:54 remaining in the middle frame…Steven Stamkos got the game tied once again when he fired a shot over the glove of Jarry 38 seconds into the third for his 27th goal of the season, a power-play goal, with Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy picking up the assists…Drew O’Connor gave PIT the lead once again with 13:01 remaining in regulation…With 4:10 remaining in the third, Stamkos made a move around Sidney Crosby at the PIT blue line before feeding Victor Hedman, who beat Jarry to tie the game at four with his sixth goal of the season…Zucker scored at the 2:13 mark of overtime to give PIT the 5-4 win…Vasilevskiy stopped 27 of 32 shots.
PP: TBL – 2-5 PIT – 0-5
SOG: TBL – 31 PIT – 32
Attendance: 19,092

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Sabres are playing the fourth of four matchups this season and the second of two meetings at KeyBank Center…The Bolts are 2-0-1 against BUF this season with a 5-3 win Nov. 5 at AMALIE Arena, a 6-5 overtime win Nov. 28 at KeyBank Center and a 6-5 overtime loss Feb. 23 at AMALIE Arena…Brayden Point (4-4—8) leads Tampa Bay in goals vs. BUF this season and is tied with Nikita Kucherov (1-7—8) for the team lead in points…Kucherov is riding a 12-game point streak vs. BUF (10-12-22) and has points in five straight contests at BUF (5-6—11)…Kucherov has points in 14 of his 15 career games at BUF (10-13—23)…Kucherov has points in 21 of his last 22 games vs. BUF (14-19—33)…Point is riding a five-game point streak vs. BUF (4-6—10) with goals and multiple points in three straight…Steven Stamkos has picked up points in five consecutive games vs. BUF (4-6—10) and 10 of the last 12 meetings (6-10—16)…Stamkos has pointed in five of his last six contests at BUF (4-6—10)…Brandon Hagel has picked up points in each of his four career games vs. BUF (3-4—7)…Alex Killorn has found the scoresheet in seven consecutive contests at BUF (4-7—11)…Anthony Cirelli has points in six of his last seven games vs. BUF (3-5—8)…Corey Perry has recorded points in six of his last eight games at BUF (7-2—9)…Victor Hedman has points in four of his last five contests vs. BUF (1-5—6)…The Lightning are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games at BUF and 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings overall…The Bolts are 50-48-9 with five ties all-time vs. BUF, including a road record of 26-24-3 with two ties…Stamkos (22-24—46) holds the Lightning franchise records for career goals and points vs. BUF.

TBL ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS VS. BUF

  1. Steven Stamkos – 46 pts. (22-24—46, 48 GP)
  2. Martin St. Louis – 40 pts. (15-25—40, 47 GP)
  3. Nikita Kucherov – 39 pts. (17-22—39, 31 GP)
  4. Vincent Lecavalier – 38 pts. (19-19—38, 49 GP)
    T5. Alex Killorn – 27 pts. (9-18—27, 38 GP)
    T5. Victor Hedman – 27 pts. (8-19—27, 49 GP)

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay is playing the first game of a two-game road trip tonight…The Bolts will play eight of their 16 games in March on the road…The Lightning are 10-7-1 against Atlantic Division opponents and 17-12-3 against the Eastern Conference this season…Tampa Bay is 8-3-0 in the first game of back-to-back sets this season…The Bolts are 15-14-1 on the road this season…The Lightning have scored three or more goals in 10 of their last 12 road games (36 total)…Tampa Bay has scored a power-play goal in six of their last seven contests.

INJURIES
2022-23 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 95
Current Injuries:
None

TRANSACTIONS
March 3 – Re-assigned D Darren Raddysh to AHL Syracuse
March 2 – Recalled D Darren Raddysh from AHL Syracuse
March 1 – Acquired F Michael Eyssimont from San Jose in exchange for F Vladislav Namestnikov
Feb. 26 – Acquired F Tanner Jeannot from Nashville in exchange for D Cal Foote, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2024
second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2023 fifth-round pick

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

LAST GAME
Thursday, March 2
Buffalo 1 at Boston 7
Goal: Mittelstadt
Goalies: Luukkonen (35 saves/40 shots) – 2 ENG
PP: 0/3; PK: 2/3; Shots: Boston 42 – Buffalo 27

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 109)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Alex Tuch (lower body, Feb. 26; IR) – 3 games
Rasmus Dahlin (lower body, Feb. 26; IR) – 3 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
2/26: Recalled F Vinnie Hinostroza from Rochester (AHL); Placed F Alex Tuch on injured reserve
2/27: Signed G Michael Houser and placed him on waivers
2/27: Acquired D Riley Stillman from Vancouver in exchange for F Josh Bloom
2/28: G Michael Houser cleared waivers and was assigned to Rochester (AHL)
3/2: Added D Riley Stillman to the active roster; Placed D Rasmus Dahlin on injured reserve; Traded F Anders Bjork to Chicago in exchange for future considerations
3/3: Acquired D Austin Strand from Anaheim in exchange for D Chase Priskie; Acquired F Jordan Greenway from Minnesota in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (VGK) and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft; Acquired a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for F Rasmus Asplund

UPCOMING GAMES
Monday, March 6: Edmonton at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 7: Buffalo at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 9: Dallas at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 11: NY Rangers at Buffalo, 5:00 p.m.
Monday, March 13: Buffalo at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAME
LIGHTNING AT SABRES
• This is the fourth and final meeting between the Sabres and Lightning this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Tampa Bay 6-5 (OT) in Tampa Bay on Feb. 23.
• The Sabres are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games against the Lightning; 3-5-2 at home.
• This is the 113th game all-time between Buffalo and Tampa Bay; Buffalo has a 57-45-10 series record.
• The Sabres are 27-22-6 at home against the Lightning all-time.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• A win today would give the Sabres consecutive wins over the Lightning for the first time since they earned victories on Feb. 13, 2018 (5-3) and Feb. 28, 2018 (2-1).
• A win today would also match Buffalo’s win total from 2021-22.
• Tage Thompson has recorded 30 points (15+15) in his last 27 games, including 11 points (6+5) in his last eight games.
• In his last 39 games, Jeff Skinner has notched 46 points (20+26), including 10 points (5+5) in his last eight games.
• In his last eight games, Jack Quinn has recorded eight points (3+5).
• Casey Mittelstadt (3+7) has collected 10 points in his last 10 games.
• In his last 10 games, Dylan Cozens has recorded nine points (6+3).
• Owen Power has notched an assist in three of his last four games.
• A point in today’s game would give JJ Peterka his fourth point streak of three or more games this season, and his first since he recorded a point in four consecutive games from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 (2+2).

DOWN BY THE BAY
• Tage Thompson has notched 10 points (6+4) in his last eight games against Tampa Bay, including six points (4+2) in three games against the Lightning this season.
• In addition to Thompson, Zemgus Girgensons (2+1) and Jeff Skinner (2+2) each have a point in all three games against Tampa Bay this season.
• In 27 games against the Lightning in his career, Craig Anderson has recorded a save percentage of .915 and a goals-against average of 2.63.
• Owen Power recorded three assists in three career games against the Lightning.
• With a point in today’s game, Tyson Jost would earn a three-game point streak against Tampa Bay.