* Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy both reached the 40-goal mark in a Minnesota win that clinched their spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after the Hurricanes also secured a postseason berth for the eighth consecutive year.

* Wild Card and divisional races in the Atlantic and Pacific continued to heat up as teams look to secure the 12 remaining spots in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

* A Sportsnet doubleheader features a pair of pivotal matchups as the Flyers continue to chase a Wild Card position in the East when they face the Islanders and the Blues look to inch closer to a playoff position when they clash with the Ducks.
 

WILD CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT IN HUGHES’ FIRST GAME AGAINST FORMER CLUB

Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild are officially back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year as they aim to cap their 25th anniversary season with the franchise’s first championship. Minnesota leads all clubs in playoff appearances since 2012-13 but seeks its first series win since 2015. The clinch came during the same game in which Quinn Hughes faced his former team for the first time since the blockbuster trade in December. Hughes, who has won at least one round in each of his first two trips to the postseason, has sparked a Wild offense that now has the most lethal power play in club history (24.8%; 1st) and one of its best offenses overall (3.24 G/GP; 2nd).

* Kaprizov reached the 40-goal mark for the fourth time in his career and tied Nikita Kucherov for the third most by an active player born outside North America. He now trails only Alex Ovechkin (14) and Leon Draisaitl (6).

* Kaprizov wasn’t the only one to reach the 40-goal mark as his teammate Matt Boldy hit it earlier in the night and became the fourth different player in Wild history to do so – the franchise’s first season to feature multiple 40-goal scorers. The duo marked the first time in 31 years a pair of teammates reached the benchmark in the same game, following Theo Fleury and Robert Reichel with Calgary on April 13, 1994.

* Click here for more #NHLStats on the Wild and all teams heading to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

carolina clinches franchise-record eighth consecutive playoff appearance
Logan Stankoven (2-0—2), Sebastian Aho (0-2—2) and Taylor Hall (0-2—2) had multiple points as the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes (48-21-6, 102 points) clinched their franchise-record eighth consecutive playoff appearance by virtue of defeating the Blue Jackets in any fashion. Carolina can become the third team in NHL history with at least one series win in eight straight postseasons, following Montreal (10 from 1984-93 & 10 from 1951-60) and Philadelphia (9 from 1973-81).

* Aho is the franchise’s all-time leader in each playoff scoring category. He can become the fifth player in NHL history with 10-plus points in eight consecutive postseasons, following Wayne Gretzky (11 from 1981-91), Mark Messier (10 from 1983-92), Brad Marchand (8 from 2018-25) and Bernie Geoffrion (8 from 1953-60).

CANADIENS, LIGHTNING EARN WINS TO KEEP ATLANTIC DIVISION TIGHT

The Canadiens (44-21-10, 98 points) and Lightning (47-22-6, 100 points) both earned wins Thursday – for Montreal, it meant moving within two points of first place in the Atlantic Division, while for Tampa Bay it meant moving past Buffalo (46-22-8, 100 points) for that position.

* Cole Caufield scored two of his club’s three goals to move within one of becoming the Canadiens’ first 50-goal scorer since 1989-90 and helped Montreal extend its winning streak to seven games – its longest run since 2016-17 (8 GP from Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, 2016). Caufield moved up a number of franchise lists, including tying the second-most game-winning goals in a season (12), trailing only Guy Lafleur (13 in 1978-79). He also recorded his 12th multi-goal outing of 2025-26, which tied the fifth most in a campaign in franchise history. The last Canadiens player with that many in a season was Stephane Richer (12 in 1989-90).

* Nikita Kucherov (1-2—3) factored on three goals and Anthony Cirelli (3-0—3) netted a hat trick as the Lightning (47-22-6, 100 points) defeated the Penguins (38-22-16, 92 points) to reach 100 points on the season – the fourth time in franchise history they have reached the mark in 75 games or fewer (also 63 GP in 2018-19, 69 GP in 2017-18 & 75 GP in 2021-22). Kucherov recorded his 19th three-point game of the season and climbed an elite list of players born outside North America while also moving within two points of Connor McDavid (126) for first place in the Art Ross Trophy race.

SENATORS, RED WINGS IMPROVE POSITIONING IN EAST’S WILD CARD RACE

The Senators (39-26-10, 88 points) and Red Wings (40-27-8, 88 points) both earned crucial points – for Ottawa against a Buffalo team on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth and for Detroit against a Philadelphia roster they entered Thursday’s game tied in terms of standings points with. The Senators surpassed the Blue Jackets (38-26-12, 88 points) for the second Wild Card spot, while the Red Wings are now tied in terms of points with Ottawa but sit outside the playoff line due to the regulation wins tie breaker.

* Shane Pinto scored the last of Ottawa’s four straight goals to help the Senators move back into a playoff position and earn their 18th comeback win of 2025-26 – only four campaigns have featured more: 2011-12 (22), 2002-03 (22), 2014-15 (20) and 2009-10 (20). Pinto became the Senators’ fifth 20-goal scorer of the season, which is tied for their second most behind 2022-23 and 2005-06 (both w/ 6).

* Patrick Kane’s three-point night saw him pass Brett Hull (1,391) for the most points by an American in NHL history (1,393), tie Brad Marchand (85) for the sixth-most game-winning goals among active players and tie Evgeni Malkin (175) for the fifth-most multi-assist outings by an active skater. Kane is looking to bring the Red Wings back into the postseason for the first time since 2015-16 – one season removed from when he won his third Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks.

MARNER’S HAT TRICK HELPS GOLDEN KNIGHTS CLOSE GAP FOR FIRST IN PACIFIC…

Mitch Marner (3-2—5) factored on all three of the Golden Knights’ tying goals in the second period before adding two more points in the third period and capping his night with his first hat trick in a Vegas sweater. The win helped the Golden Knights (34-26-16, 84 points) inch closer to the idle Ducks (41-29-5, 87 points) for first in the Pacific Division.

* Marner matched the Golden Knights record for most points in a game, tying Mark Stone (2-3—5 on Feb. 6, 2020 & 0-5—5 on March 1, 2021) and Tomas Hertl (2-3—5 on Jan 11, 2026). His six career five-point games are the fifth most among all skaters since his debut season in 2016-17, trailing Connor McDavid (12), Nathan MacKinnon (11), Nikita Kucherov (9) and Leon Draisaitl (7).

* Marner’s five-point night started with two goals – his 25th multi-point game of the season – and ended with him becoming the 10th player in Golden Knights history with a hat trick. The forward boosted his 2025-26 totals to 23-53—76 and passed Jonathan Marchessault (75 in 2017-18) for the second-most points by a skater in their first season with Vegas, behind only William Karlsson (78 in 2017-18).

… WHILE ANOTHER PAIR OF PACIFIC DIVISION CLUBS ALSO PICKED UP WINS
The Oilers (39-28-9, 87 points) picked up two points as they continue to chase the Ducks for first in the Pacific Division, while the Sharks (36-31-7, 79 points) earned a regulation win to move back into a playoff position.

* Evan Bouchard (0-1—1) factored on the game-winning goal to help the Oilers earn their fifth consecutive win and move into a tie with the idle Ducks for the most standing points in the Pacific Division – Anaheim has the tiebreaker with a game in hand. Bouchard, who leads all defensemen in points this season, recorded his 67th assist of 2025-26 and matched Paul Coffey (67 in 1982-83) for the fourth most in a season by a blueliner in Oilers history.  

* Michael Misa (0-1—1) factored on one of his team’s four goals to lift the Sharks to victory over the Maple Leafs and move them past the Kings (30-26-19, 79 points) for the second Wild Card spot. The Sharks’ young stars have played a key role in their rise from last place in the standings in 2024-25 to playoff contention in 2025-26, with Misa’s assist marking the club’s 135th point from players age 19 or younger this season, which is the sixth most in a single campaign in NHL history behind the Oilers in 1979-80 (170), Sabres in 1982-83 (165), Penguins in 2006-07 (164) and 1984-85 (147) as well as the Oilers in 1980-81 (137).

FIVE-POINT efforts BY HUGHES, BRATT FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Thursday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the 14-game slate, including Jack Hughes (2-3—5) and Jesper Bratt (1-4—5) becoming the first Devils teammates in more than 23 years to each record five points during the same contest.



QUICK CLICKS

* Kings celebrate Anze Kopitar’s franchise points record with special pregame ceremony
* Max Plante, Eric Pohlkamp, T.J. Hughes named Hobey Baker finalists
* 2026 NHL Draft Diary: Tynan Lawrence
* Longtime NHL player agent Jay Grossman remembered as friend to clients
* Women in Hockey: Katelyn Parker, Seattle Kraken Player Development Consultant

Doubleheader on Sportsnet, TVA Sports features pair of pivotal matchups

Friday’s two-game slate features a pair of pivotal intraconference matchups when the Flyers (37-26-12, 86 points) face the Islanders (42-29-5, 89 points) followed by the Blues (31-31-12, 74 points) battling the Pacific Division-leading Ducks (41-29-5, 87 points). Both contests are available on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.

WEEKLY PODCAST ROUNDUP

* NHL Fantasy on Ice (April 2): Porter Martone’s debut; Celebrini for MVP?
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (April 2): Kevin Weekes Joins; Torts in Vegas
* Never Offside with Julie and Cat (April 1): Colleen Smith joins; Hockey Mom Life
* NHL @TheRink (April 1): Chris Pronger joins; Changes in Toronto & Vegas, Ovi Nets 30
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (April 1): Doug MacLean on Maple Leafs shakeup
* La Tasse de Café LNH (April 1): Les Maple Leafs devront s’inspirer des Canadiens
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (March 30): Fantasy playoff pickups; Tortorella joins Golden Knights
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (March 30): Colin Campbell, NHL SVP Hockey Ops

Face‑off is scheduled for 10:00 PM EDT
Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Victory+

This is a key late‑season matchup between a Blues team fighting to stay above .500 and a Ducks squad leading the Pacific Division but entering on a three‑game skid.

Injury Report

The retrieved sources did not list specific injuries for either team.
(FOX Sports and Doc’s Sports previews did not include injury sections.)

Team Statistical Profile

St. Louis Blues (31‑31‑12)

Points: 74 (7th in Central)

Goals per game: 2.64

Goals allowed per game: 3.11

Power play: 17.3%

Penalty kill: 75.1%

Recent form: 4 wins in last 6 games

Last game: 2–1 OT loss to Kings; outshot 26–24; 0‑for‑3 on PP

Season scoring: 195 goals for, 230 against (28th in NHL scoring)

Goaltending — Joel Hofer (Expected)

2025‑26: 19‑12‑5, 2.59 GAA, .909 SV%

Career: 54‑34‑10, 2.67 GAA, .908 SV% across 109 games

Anaheim Ducks (41‑29‑5)

Points: 87 (1st in Pacific)

Goals per game: 3.25

Goals allowed per game: 3.47

Power play: 18.1%

Penalty kill: 77.7%

Recent form: 3 straight losses

Last game: 4–3 loss to Sharks; allowed 2 goals in final 2 minutes; 0‑for‑3 on PP

Season scoring: 244 goals for, 260 against

Goaltending — Lukáš Dostál (Expected)

2025‑26: 29‑17‑3, 3.10 GAA, .892 SV%

Last game: 17 saves on 21 shots (.810 SV%)

Recent Team Form

Blues — Last 10 Games

6‑2‑2

Goals for: 2.7

Goals allowed: 1.7

PK: 86.5%

Top performer: Dylan Holloway — 11 pts (4 G, 7 A)

Ducks — Last 10 Games

5‑3‑2

Goals for: 3.3

Goals allowed: 3.2

PK: 88.9%

Top performer: Leo Carlsson — 11 pts (5 G, 6 A)

Key Player Matchups

Robert Thomas (STL)

17 G, 33 A — team scoring leader

Scored lone goal in last game vs. Kings

Pavel Buchnevich (STL)

17 G, 27 A — secondary scoring threat

Cutter Gauthier (ANA)

38 G, 27 A — Ducks’ top scorer, elite finisher

Leo Carlsson (ANA)

26 G, 37 A — dynamic playmaker, 11 pts in last 10 games

Series History

Blues have dominated the matchup historically: 9 wins in last 10 head‑to‑head meetings.

Last meeting at Honda Center: Blues won 4–0.

Betting Trends

Blues: 4 wins in last 6; strong defensive metrics recently

Ducks: 3 straight losses; defensive lapses late in games

Under 6.5 has strong support: 9 of last 10 H2H matchups have gone under or been low‑scoring.

Game Odds

St. Louis Blues                   6.5

Anaheim Ducks                 – 142

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, April 2, 2026

Face‑off is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET
Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
Broadcast: NHL Network / MSG Sportsnet / NBC Sports Philadelphia+

This is a critical Metropolitan Division matchup with playoff implications: the Islanders sit at 89 points, while the Flyers trail closely with 86 points and a game in hand.

Injury Report

Philadelphia Flyers

Rodrigo Abols — out (ankle)

Nikita Grebenkin — out (upper body)

New York Islanders

Alexander Romanov — out (shoulder)

Pierre Engvall — out for season (ankle)

Simon Holmstrom — day‑to‑day (upper body)

Tony DeAngelo — out (lower body)

Semyon Varlamov — out for season (knee)

Kyle Palmieri — out for season (knee)

Team Statistical Profile

Philadelphia Flyers (37‑26‑12)

Road record: 20‑13‑4

Division record: 9‑9‑5 in Metropolitan play

One‑goal games: 6‑5‑8

Goals scored: 211

Goals allowed: 221

Power play: 15.35% (33/215)

Penalty kill: Strong at limiting goals (49 allowed on 225 opportunities)

Shots for/against: 1,884 for, 1,898 against

Goaltending:

Dan Vladar expected to start — career 2.91 GAA, .897 SV% across 151 games

New York Islanders (42‑29‑5)

Home record: 21‑13‑2

Division record: 14‑7‑2 in Metropolitan play

Record when scoring 3+ goals: 30‑8‑3

Goals scored: 222

Goals allowed: 221

Power play: 17.0% (30th in NHL)

Penalty kill: 81.0% (10th in NHL)

Goaltending:

Ilya Sorokin expected to start — 28‑20‑2, 2.59 GAA, .910 SV%, 7 shutouts this season; 1‑0‑1 vs Flyers this year

Recent Team Form

Flyers — Last 10 Games: 6‑3‑1

Goals for: 3.1 per game

Goals against: 2.4 per game

Top performer: Noah Cates — 5 goals, 3 assists in last 10

Coming off a 6–4 loss to Washington, scoring 4 goals on 24 shots but going 0‑for‑3 on the power play.

Islanders — Last 10 Games: 5‑5‑0

Goals for: 2.8 per game

Goals against: 3.1 per game

Top performer: Simon Holmstrom — 5 goals, 1 assist in last 10 (day‑to‑day)

Last game: 4–3 loss to Buffalo, despite goals from Schenn, Lee, and Ritchie.

Key Player Matchups

Mathew Barzal (NYI)

19 goals, 49 assists — elite playmaker

Bo Horvat (NYI)

8 points in last 8 games; 3 assists in last outing

Travis Konecny (PHI)

27 goals, 39 assists — Flyers’ top scorer

Dan Vladar (PHI) vs. Ilya Sorokin (NYI)

Vladar: .897 career SV%, 2.91 GAA

Sorokin: .910 SV%, 2.59 GAA this season; dominant career numbers vs Flyers (1.53 GAA, .946 SV%)

Edge: Islanders in net.

Series History

This is the fourth meeting of the season.

Islanders won the most recent matchup 4–0, with Jean‑Gabriel Pageau scoring twice.

Last 10 head‑to‑head: 5 wins each (balanced rivalry).

Betting Trends

Flyers: 7‑2‑1 in last 10 (strong form)

Islanders: 5‑5‑0 in last 10 (inconsistent)

Flyers on second night of back‑to‑back — fatigue factor.

Islanders strong at home (21‑13‑2).

Game Odds

Philadelphia Flyers         5.5

New York Islanders         – 142

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, April 2, 2026