The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 on Friday night. It was a night that had some pros and cons but they ultimately fell short. There is a lot of work to be done but there are glimpses of what’s to come.
One of the pros is the play of Ryan Donato. He scored all three of Chicago’s goals in the loss for his first career hat-trick. It was one of the best games he’s had as an NHL player.
Donato's second and third goals of the game came on consecutive shifts, 15 seconds of game clock apart.
"I didn't even really have time to think about it, to be honest with you," Donato said on scoring two goals quickly.
He went on to speak about how, usually when he gets a second goal in a game, he has time to think about that third, and it never comes. This time, he went right back out there and completed the hat trick quickly.
Before this season, Donato’s career high in goals was 16. These three goals were his 26th, 27th, and 28th of the year. He needs two more to reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career. That would be remarkable at 28 years old.
“I'm a guy that sometimes has too much anxiety around the rink because I think about the negative things, and that's something I've worked on,” Donato said after his big night. “[Scoring 28 goals] definitely feels surreal a little bit, but it'd be a lot more surreal if we won."
Donato is a humble man who doesn’t like to make it all about himself. That is usually what makes hockey players special compared to other athletes. He knows that his milestone is special, but it would have been better for him if they had won the hockey game.
Donato is in line for a massive pay upgrade this off-season. Reaching 30 goals is potential for even more, as teams would love to add a guy like that to their middle six.
What gave Donato the ability to make this sort of jump in production? Well, he worked hard on his goal scoring during the summer. He wanted to come in this year and be a key contributor to this rebuilding Blackhawks team.
He's not under 23 like half of the roster, but he isn't over 30 yet either. There is a lot of good hockey left for Ryan Donato beyond this year. When you play the right way in all situations, you have years like this if you are as talented as he is.
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Barkov very much enjoyed Marchand's Panthers debut: ‘It was awesome' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Brad Marchand played in the 1,091st game of his NHL career on Friday night. That’s not a milestone number, but it’s noteworthy because it was the first time he took the ice for a team not named the Boston Bruins.
The 36-year-old left wing was traded from the Bruins to the Florida Panthers not long before the March 7 NHL trade deadline. He was injured at the time of the trade and missed several weeks, but he made his debut for the defending Stanley Cup champions Friday and helped lead them to a 2-1 overtime victory against the Utah Hockey Club at home.
Marchand tallied four shots on net and picked up the primary assist on Sam Bennett’s game-winning goal in OT.
Marchy to Benny, it’s a Cats thing 😻 pic.twitter.com/5bCRAnh4p5
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 29, 2025
It was a weird sight for Bruins fans to see Marchand put on the sweater of a different team after he spent the first 15-plus seasons of his career in Boston.
It had to have been weird for some of the Panthers players, too, many of whom played against Marchand in several intense Stanley Cup Playoff games versus the Bruins over the last two seasons.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was seen laughing on the bench next to Marchand during a stoppage in play Friday night. He explained the interaction postgame to Panthers rinkside reporter Katie Engelson:
“I realized I heard this many times from one Boston player, but now I hear this from my own teammate,” Barkov said. “…When they announced Marchand in the starting lineup, you’re just sitting there and thinking, is this real? You just battled against him, and now, all of a sudden, you’re his teammate. It’s crazy, but it was awesome.”
Barkov told me the smile on his face was because of a chirp Marchand made to an opposing player-
“I realized I heard this many times from one Boston player, but now I hear this from my own teammate…When they announced Marchand in the starting lineup, you're just sitting there… https://t.co/tZMrAJxFaw
— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) March 29, 2025
The Panthers entered Saturday with a 44-25-3 record (91 points) atop the Atlantic Division.
They have a great chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year, and having another former champ like Marchand in the mix can only help.
Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes bumped into Jesper Bratt and his fiancée in his hotel in Boston during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in late February.
It was an opportunity for the New Jersey Devils winger and his former coach to catch up, and when asked about Bratt, Hynes spoke about the 26-year-old's growth.
"Jesper has matured in multiple ways, (including) his game, but I think he's got a confidence about him," Hynes said to The Hockey News during a phone interview.
When Hynes was relieved as head coach of the Devils during the 2019-20 season, Bratt, then 21, earned 32 points. It was before the Swede elevated his game and became one of New Jersey's young stars, earning four consecutive 70-plus point seasons.
Seeing the success Bratt has amassed does not come as a surprise to Hynes, who immediately recognized the youngster's skill all those years ago.
"When he came over, he was really impressive," Hynes said. "I think it was his first training camp that he made the team out of camp. He was fast and tenacious, and you could see the hockey sense and skill. At that point in time, we were going through the initial stages of the rebuild, and when he came over, you could tell right away that he was going to be a New Jersey Devil in the NHL."
Bratt recalled that first NHL training camp in an exclusive interview with The Hockey News.
"I was so happy and proud to be there," he said. "I thought it was awesome. I really felt like I had nothing to lose. I felt I prepared physically and mentally as best as I possibly could. I was extremely honored and happy to be there fighting for a spot and my dream job."
Over time, Hynes saw Bratt go through the process of realizing and understanding what it takes to become an effective offensive player in the NHL. It aligns with Bratt stating that it took one entire season to understand how the League works and four to figure out his game.
Hynes has coached against Bratt for the past few seasons but shared he has watched the odd Devils game here and there. In addition to Bratt improving on his speed and skill, there is one area where Hynes has seen the winger develop his game.
"Where I have really seen him grow is (his play) in the hard areas," Hynes said. "He gets to the net front. He can win puck battles in the offensive zone. He can play one-on-one versus a defenseman down low in the offensive zone. He has really been able to grow his game in those areas."
Hynes is not surprised to see Bratt's game take off because he had a front-row seat to the 5-foot-10 winger's work ethic and dedication for years. For that reason, Hynes envisioned the Stockholm native eventually transitioning into a leadership role. Since a shoulder injury ended Jack Hughes' season, Bratt has been one of New Jersey's alternate captains.
"Even when he was a young guy, when you had one-on-one conversations with him, they were of substance," Hynes said. "I think he's got a lot of substance as a player and a person. I think you can clearly see he has grown into the role of an assistant captain. The way he handles himself off the ice, his personality, and his work ethic to be able to lead a team."
Hynes played a significant factor in Bratt's career, and as the young Swede sat in the locker room in Newark, he spoke highly of the coach who gave him his first opportunity.
"John was my first coach. He was the one who trusted me to put me in this position," Bratt said. "I mean, without him, with another coach, maybe I wouldn't have had the chance to get to this place. Obviously, he has meant a lot to me. To show me the way, show me the ropes, teach me over the years, and even giving me the opportunity and trusting me to be put in this situation."
While there is mutual respect between Bratt and Hynes, once the puck drops Saturday evening at Xcel Energy Center, the focus will be securing two points as the Wild are in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, and the Devils are looking to punch their ticket to the playoffs after a disappointing 2023-24 season.
Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on MSGSN or listen to it on the Devils Hockey Network
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As the NHL regular season nears an end, we’ve got a good idea of the Stanley Cup front-runners once the playoffs arrive.
On Friday, we looked at moneypuck.com odds to break down which teams were battling for a wild card post-season spot. This time around, we’re analyzing the teams that look the most likely to win it all.
In the Eastern Conference, it starts with five teams who have a 100 percent shot at making the playoffs – the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. After that, the Metropolitan Division seems to be the easier path to the Cup final, as the Hurricanes have the best Cup odds – 13.4 percent – in the NHL. The Capitals have the next-best Cup odds at 10.2 percent.
We know going in that the Atlantic Division will be a tougher road, and that’s reflected in the Cup odds for the Lightning (9.6 percent) and the defending-champion Panthers (8.6 percent). But the Maple Leafs – the current second best team in the Atlantic – are relatively disrespected, with only a 3.9 percent chance to win it all.
There’s a similar preference going on in the Western Conference, where MoneyPuck believes the easier road to the Cup goes through the Pacific Division. The current Pacific leader – the Vegas Golden Knights – have the West’s best odds to win the Cup at 11.4 percent.
However, the powerhouse teams in the ultra-competitive Central Division have the next-best odds, with the Dallas Stars at 10.8 percent, the Central-leading Winnipeg Jets at 10.5 percent, and the Colorado Avalanche at 5.7 percent.
MoneyPuck doesn’t give much stock to other Pacific teams, as the Edmonton Oilers come in at only a two percent chance to win it all. And the Los Angeles Kings are given a 6.2 percent chance to win the Cup.
But before we get to the playoffs, we need to see which teams will jockey for top spots in their respective divisions. To that end, the Tankathon site ranks the difficulty of teams’ remaining schedules, and the Capitals have the second-easiest schedule in the league, followed by the Stars with the third-easiest and the Oilers with the eighth-easiest.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have the 10th-hardest schedule, followed by the Jets with the 12th hardest, the Hurricanes with the 13th hardest, the Golden Knights with the 16th hardest and the Kings with the 17th hardest.
So, in sum, the teams in the Atlantic and Central divisions will have the most difficult road to the Cup, and the Metro and Pacific teams will have the easiest road to winning it all.
But don’t kid yourself – there’s a good reason why the best team still has only less than a 14 percent chance to win the Cup. It’s going to be a brutal path forward for any and every playoff team, and even the front-runners will need good health, good fortune and timely great play if they’re going to outlast the rest of the field and emerge as this year’s champs.
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The Anaheim Ducks hired Greg Cronin as head coach on June 5, 2023. With him, he was set to bring 36 years of coaching experience at the NCAA, AHL, and NHL (as an assistant coach) levels. This was his first crack at head coaching an NHL franchise. He was to establish a culture unforeseen in Anaheim for several seasons, as they were in the midst of their darkest stretch in franchise history and coming off their all-time worst season.
Takeaways from the Ducks 5-4 Overtime Win over the Rangers
His second season behind the Ducks bench is nearly in the books and the Ducks are 59-82-13 so far in his tenure and 32-32-8 in the 2024-25 season.
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN, Cronin is under contract for one more season following 2024-25, and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek intends to bring him back for 2025-26.
“The Anaheim Ducks have improved in Cronin’s second season, and he seems to have eased up a bit after being a bit of a taskmaster in Year 1, which grated on some players,” LeBrun reported. “All things being equal, I think Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is good with Cronin coming back next season.
The Ducks are 25th in the NHL in goals per game (2.72), 21st in goals against per game (3.13), 20th in shots on goal per game (27.7), and 32nd in shots against per game (32.1). On special teams, they boast the 31st-ranked power play (12.1%) and the 28th-ranked penalty kill (73.1%).
Their underlying numbers at 5v5 reflect even worse, as they rank 30th in terms of shot attempt share (45.76%), 19th in goals share (49.46%), and 30th in expected goals share (44.96%). All statistical indications identify the bulk of their success stemming from the crease, where they sport potentially the best tandem in the NHL between John Gibson and Lukas Dostal.
There have been strides taken when it comes to the on-ice product. Under the second year in their system, the players know what’s expected of them, have a better understanding of what they’re trying to accomplish on the ice, and provide a more detailed effort on a nightly basis. They aren’t nearly as leaky in the defensive zone as they had been in years past, though they do spend an inordinate amount of time in their end of the ice.
“I think coming into this year, they knew what the expectations were. It was a different mindset for the players to come into,” Verbeek said following the trade deadline. “We’ve tweaked a little bit, some of our system things, and they slowly got used to playing with each other, understanding how to play. If our special teams were better on both sides, this team would be in the playoffs. We’d be sitting in a playoff spot.
“I liken it to a golf game, where one day you’ve got the driving and the putting going, but your approach shots stink. That’s kind of how I see it right now with our group,” Verbeek continued. “We’ve got the five-on-five going and now we’ve got to get going in the special teams department. There are things that are constantly evolving. Sometimes the power play will be going, but our five-on-five won’t. It’s a constant battle, but I feel confident in the group that they’re grasping all the things they’re being asked to and we’re gaining traction.”
Indications are the front office, organization, and players are content and encouraged by where the team is at in their progression. There’s palpable enthusiasm around the club for where the team could be heading in the near future. The youngest and most talented players on the roster are beginning to produce, as their potential indicated they could and the “buy-in” feels tangible.
A feel-good hockey story has, unfortunately, hit a major bump in the road.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Boko Imama - recalled from the AHL on Jan. 25 - underwent successful biceps surgery on Mar. 29, it was announced by Penguins POHO and GM Kyle Dubas.
"That's an unfortunate one," head coach Mike Sullivan said following Saturday's practice.
'He Loves Being A Penguin': Unlikely Hero Emerges As Penguins Defeat Blue Jackets, 6-3In what was a must-win game for both teams on the ice Friday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins sure came ready to play.
This is a blow to the Penguins' locker room, as Imama is one of the key guys in it. Sullivan has talked about the positive energy that Imama has brought since his call-up, and his energy and attitude have won the respect of his teammates.
A native of Montreal, Imama, 28, was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason. The enforcer was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2015 NHL draft. He has made his rounds as a journeyman between the NHL and AHL levels, as he had played a total of 15 NHL games between the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators prior to his arrival in the Penguins' organization.
'All The Guys Love Him': New Forward Energizes Penguins' Locker RoomForward Boko Imama has played in just four games with the Penguins, and he's already making an impression on his teammates.
He skated in 16 games with the Penguins this season and registered his lone goal - and lone point - of the season in a Mar. 21 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Primarily an enforcer, Imama also put up 30 penalty minutes in those 16 games.
Imama is expected to miss four to six months.
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The LA Kings look to shut down the Toronto Maple Leafs with their second-best defence in the NHL.
Tuesday night is the ultimate opportunity for NHL fans, with a loaded slate of thrilling matchups that fans eagerly anticipate.The game that sticks out is one with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are looking to bounce back after a tough shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. They will take on a solid defensive unit in the LA Kings that has a 2.54 goals against average, which is second-best in the league.
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 8-2 record on our last ten picks and our 17-6 record on our last 23 underdog picks.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
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The goal total for this one is a tight 5.5 with 95 per cent of the public riding with the over due to Toronto's recent hot stretch with 18 goals over their last four games. The Buds have won four of their last six games versus the Kings with two of the wins coming on the road in LA.Six goals can easily be scored in this game with both team's firepower but the under has hit in three of their last four matchups.
The Kings will be looking to make up for a 6-2 loss they took at the hands of Toronto last October and should play a much stronger defensive game at home. LA was roughed up for four goals in a loss to Colorado this past Thursday but in their prior 11 games, they allowed three or more goals just two times. I expect a response in a big way from the Kings as it's tough to beat a team twice for the Leafs plus LA has been red hot with a 9-2-1 record in their last 12 games.
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