2 days agoArizona Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz had a season-high three assists as the team cruised to a 4-1 victory over New Jersey on Saturday. He collected his first helper when J.J. Moser opened the scoring 9:37 into the first period, added a power-play assist on Dylan Guenther's first-period goal, and completed the three-point outing with an assist on Clayton Keller's empty netter late in the game. Schmaltz has been fantastic this month, recording 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in nine games. He's had 19 goals and 29 assists in 65 games over the course of the season, producing 21 power-play points (10 goals, 11 assists).Source: ESPN
2 days agoNew York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin skated circles around the Penguins on Saturday, completing a 7-4 victory with five points. He scored twice and had three assists, bagging two of the points with the man advantage. This was Panarin's fourth five-point effort with the Rangers, and only Rod Gilbert (6) has had more such games. The Russian star is closing in on his first 100-point campaign, as Panarin has posted a career-high 38 goals and 55 assists in 67 outings. Panarin will look to build on his Saturday performance on Sunday against the Islanders, who gave up three points to the prolific winger in this season's only previous Battle of New York.Source: ESPN
2 days agoOttawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk was the main man in Saturday's matchup against the Islanders, scoring his third career hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win. He completed the three-goal game with a power-play marker with only 24 seconds left in overtime. The Senators captain had two power-play goals in total in the contest. Ottawa's season has been a disappointment, but you can't blame Tkachuk for it. The four-time All-Star has registered his third consecutive 30-goal season and boasts 55 points through 64 games with 277 shots and 218 hits.Source: ESPN
2 days agoChicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel will be in the lineup for Sunday's contest versus the San Jose Sharks. The 21-year-old was recalled from AHL Rockford after tallying seven points across nine games in the minors. "He looked great out there today in practice and ready to go," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said after practice Saturday. "So, we're hoping that we'll see a more confident, dominant performance tomorrow for him." Reichel has tallied three goals and 10 points across 50 games with the Blackhawks this season. He was drafted with the 17th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has tallied 10 goals and 26 points across 84 career NHL games in parts of three seasons.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is a game-time decision for Saturday's contest against the Edmonton Oilers. The all-world blueliner is dealing with an illness, as is teammate Miles Wood. "We're hopeful," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said. "Both those guys are under the weather. It's kind of rolling through our team right now, and some other teams. But we're hopeful that giving them a rest here this morning that both of those guys will be (playing)." Makar is enjoying another Norris Trophy-caliber season, recording 17 goals and 63 points on 188 shots and 115 blocked shots across 62 games, averaging 24:56 of ice time per game in the process. The Avs sit second in the Central Division with a 42-20-5 record.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoNew York Islanders forward Zach Parise is likely to return to the lineup for Saturday's contest versus the Edmonton Oilers. The long-time veteran has missed the past three games after suffering a lower-body injury in a 7-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on March 6. The American forward signed with the Avalanche midway through the season, tallying four goals and seven points across 15 games, averaging 14:15 of ice time in the process. A veteran of 1,239 career NHL regular-season games, Parise has notched 433 goals and 886 points in that time. The Avs also announced that forwards Jonathan Drouin (lower-body) and Artturi Lehkonen (illness) are likely to return Saturday while forward Miles Wood and blueliner Cale Makar are game-time decisions due to an illness.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoWashington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie is a game-time decision for Saturday's road game against the Vancouver Canucks. The veteran recently missed a seven-game stretch due to an upper-body injury and left Saturday's morning skate early with an undisclosed ailment. The 37-year-old is enduring a down season offensively with 11 goals and 19 points across 41 games on the season while managing just 77 shots on goal in that time. He is just one game shy of the 1,000 games played mark as he has 301 goals and 689 points in his 999 career games to this point. The Capitals enter Saturday's contest sitting fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a 31-25-9 record, three points back of the Red Wings for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference despite sporting a -31 goal differential, good for 27th in the NHL.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoCarolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen will not suit up for Saturday's road game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is dealing with an upper-body injury despite skating 16:01 in a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The veteran forward has recorded 21 goals and 47 points across 66 games on the season with 15 of those points coming on the power play. The 29-year-old is in his 11th NHL season and has recorded 151 goals and 453 points in that time while making one All-Star appearance in the 2019-20 campaign. The Hurricanes enter Saturday's action sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 40-20-6 record, 10 points clear of third-place Philadelphia.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoThe Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Spencer Martin to a one-year, $775K contract that runs through next season. The Hurricanes claimed the netminder off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 19. "Spencer has been an excellent addition to our team," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. "He stepped right in and played well for us, and we're excited to sign him for next season." In five games with the 'Canes, Martin owns a 1.97 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage alongside a 4-0-1 record in that time. However, regression is likely as he also sports a 3.47 GAA and an .889 Sv% across 56 NHL contests.Source: NHL.com
2 days agoFlorida Panthers forwards Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues will both be back in the lineup Saturday for a tilt with the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. Both forwards missed time after blocking shots as Rodrigues missed two games while Bennett missed a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Kyle Okposo and Jonah Gadjovich will both be healthy scratches to make room for Friday's lineup. Bennett has recorded 16 goals and 32 points on the season but has also added 130 hits and 83 penalty minutes alongside a plus-11 rating. Rodrigues has tallied 10 goals and 36 points on 152 shots on goal alongside 76 hits and a tidy plus-24 rating across 65 games this season. The Panthers enter Saturday's action leading the NHL with a 45-18-4 record on the season.Source: NHL.com
3 days agoBoston Bruins left wing James van Riemsdyk (illness) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Saturday against Philadelphia. He missed Thursday's contest versus Montreal due to an illness. The veteran winger has been quiet in recent weeks but has done reasonably well for the Bruins this season, collecting 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 63 games. It's a special game for him on Saturday, as van Riemsdyk will be honored for his 1,000th career game in a matchup against his former team.Source: Ty Anderson
3 days agoColorado Avalanche winger Zach Parise (lower body) will be a game-time call for Saturday's big clash with the Oilers. The veteran forward has been unavailable for three contests, sitting out action with a lower-body problem. Parise has made 15 appearances with the Avalanche since joining the team in late January, posting four goals and three assists with 30 shots on goal. He will presumably return in a third-line role, where he's seen most action with his new club.Source: Jesse Montano
3 days agoColorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (lower body) will be a game-time decision on Saturday against Edmonton. He was a late scratch on Wednesday versus Vancouver with a lower-body injury. Drouin has done well as a middle-six forward lately, picking up six points (two goals, four assists) in his last seven appearances. He's had 12 goals and 38 points in 64 games for the season, collecting 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) on the power play.Source: Jesse Montano
3 days agoColorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen (illness) is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday against Edmonton. Lehkonen has battled an illness lately, which kept him out of action for two games. He should rejoin the fearsome duo of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the first line. The 28-year-old has had a great time playing with the two prolific forwards, scoring eight goals and registering five assists in his last 12 appearances. Lehkonen has produced 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 30 games across the entire campaign, missing a big part of the season with an upper-body injury.Source: Jesse Montano
3 days agoFlorida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (lower body) will return from a two-game absence on Saturday against Tampa Bay. He's set for third-line duty with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. Rodrigues adds a nice bit of creativity to the lineup, as he's fourth on the team with 26 assists. The 30-year-old has also registered 10 goals in 65 games. Florida is looking to beat the Lightning for a third consecutive time this season, with Rodrigues having picked up an assist in each of the first two meetings.Source: Jameson Olive