The Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. 

For example, one more Western Conference road trip is left on the schedule, with a home-and-home against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, the season finale is against long-time rival Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Even though that game is on April 17, Ovechkin could still be pursuing Wayne Gretzky's goal record, which could set up one of the most historic contests in league history. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule

• Tuesday - March 25 at Tampa Bay Lightning (0-1-1)
• Thursday - March 27 at Buffalo Sabres (2-0-0)
• Sunday - March 30 vs. Ottawa Senators (0-1-1)
• Thursday - April 3 @ St. Louis Blues (1-0-0)
• Saturday - April 5 @ Dallas Stars (0-1-0)
• Sunday - April 6 @ Chicago Blackhawks (0-0-0)
• Tuesday - April 8 vs. Chicago Blackhawks (0-0-0)
• Friday - April 11 @ New Jersey Devils (1-1-1)
• Sunday - April 13 vs. Boston Bruins (1-1-0)
• Thursday - April 17 vs. Washington Capitals (1-2-0)

Pittsburgh Penguins March Results

March 1 vs. Boston Bruins (L 3-2) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 2 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (L 6-5 OT) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 4 @ Colorado Avalanche (L 4-1) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 7 @ Vegas Golden Knights (L 4-0) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 9 @ Minnesota Wild (W 3-1) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 11 vs. Vegas Golden Knights (W 3-2 OT) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 13 vs. St. Louis Blues (W 5-3) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 15 vs. New Jersey Devils (W 7-3) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 18 vs. New York Islanders (L 4-2) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 21 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (W 6-3) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

March 23 @ Florida Panthers (L 4-3 SO) Preview / Recap / Takeaways

Pittsburgh Penguins Statistical Leaders

• Goals: Rickard Rakell (32)
• Assists: Sidney Crosby (53)
• Points: Sidney Crosby (78)
• PIM: Michael Bunting (48)
• PPG: Michael Bunting (9)
• GWG: Sidney Crosby & Philip Tomasino (6)
• SOG: Sidney Crosby (194)
• Blocks: Noel Acciari (93)
• Hits: Noel Acciari (155)
• Wins: Alex Nedeljkovic (13)
• Losses: Alex Nedeljkovic (14)
• GAA: Tristan Jarry (3.12)
• SV%: Tristan Jarry (.894)

Pittsburgh Penguins News

Penguins: Sidney Crosby's Chase Of Wayne Gretzky's NHL Point-Per-Game RecordPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on pace to break a Wayne Gretzky record many people thought would never fall; most seasons (19) averaging a point-per-game average. 

Penguins Players Still Chasing Milestones In Final Month Of 2024-25 SeasonThe Pittsburgh Penguins only have 11 games left in their 2024-25 season. Although this year's club most likely won't qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, many players in the lineup still have milestones to play for.

Which UFAs Should The Penguins Bring Back?Although the Pittsburgh Penguins shipped out most of their unrestricted free agents before the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 7, there are still a few remaining on the roster.

Which RFAs Should The Penguins Keep?It should be quite the summer for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the free agent market.

In the fight for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, every point counts. And down the stretch of the season, the Islanders appeared to have snatched a crucial two points away from the Columbus Blue Jackets in dramatic fashion on Monday night.

Instead, a game-winning goal was ruled out and the Isles remained outside of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with just 12 games to play.

With the score tied and under 10 seconds to play, Kyle Palmieri drifted from behind the goal to right in front of the Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and was in the perfect position to redirect Alexander Romanov’s shot past into the Columbus net for a 4-3 lead.

However, referee Michael Markovic immediately began to emphatically wave off the go-ahead goal, judging Palmieri to have interfered with Merzlikins when the two came in slight contact on the edge of the crease just before the Romanov wrist shot.

After a conversation with the other referee and the linesman and then a lengthy review by the league office in Toronto, the call of no-goal on the ice was upheld.

“If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referee [on the ice], we don’t need Toronto," Isles head coach Patrick Roy said. "That's all I want to say."

The man at the center of the controversy was more blunt.

“I think it was f—-ing embarrassing," Palmieri said of the call.

The league’s explanation of the call: Palmieri impaired Merzlikins’ "ability to play his position in the crease prior to the goal.”

"I don't understand it," forward Bo Horvat said. "I don't understand what's the goal and what's not anymore, so I think that's the frustrating part, is there's no black and white... He kinda clipped the back of Palms' leg and [the goaltender] kinda stumbled but he still had plenty of time to make that save. And Palms a great tip and, to me, that's a goal all day long on the ice.

“I don't know what's good and what's not anymore and that was one of worst [no-goal calls] I’ve seen."

THE ISLANDERS SCORE WITH LESS THAN 10 SECONDS TO GO... but wait 😭

The play is under review. pic.twitter.com/rhLSuzkGRg

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 25, 2025

Good goal??? #Islespic.twitter.com/joD38cUdjk

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) March 25, 2025

The Islanders took the lead with less than 10 seconds left....then the goal was disallowed 😳 pic.twitter.com/4tHvygNyek

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 25, 2025

After a goalless overtime period, the Islanders had to settle for just one point when Columbus' Adam Fantilli scored the lone goal in the shootout sinking New York to a 4-3 defeat.

The single point was of no consolation.

“It’s just really getting frustrating when we're pushing for a playoff spot," Horvat said. "It’s obviously a game-winning goal late in the hockey game. And to me, it's just unacceptable.”

The shootout loss gave New York its 74th point on the season after 70 games played, but the decision kept them a single point behind the Montreal Canadiens, who have a game in hand, for the final Wild Card spot. On the outside looking in, the Isles are level with the Rangers on points but have played one fewer game and Columbus moved up to 73 points on 70 games with the win on Monday.

Palmieri was asked if he got an explanation for the call and said the referees told him there was "contact initiated in the crease and I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot."

"It looked like he couldn’t wait to wave it off," he said of the referee.

Roy, the former legendary Stanley Cup-winning goalie himself, thought Merzlikins pushed Palmieri away and the forward was outside the crease. When asked how he would instruct players to play around the crease, the head coach pointed to the league.

"I don't know what to say anymore," Roy said. "I mean, if you're outside the crease I always thought that that was the place to be. That's all."

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored in regulation and got the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Monday night.

Pius Suter scored twice for Vancouver, which improved to 3-1 in shootouts this season. Thatcher Demko finished with 22 saves in his first start since a lower-body injury on Feb. 8.

Timo Meier had two goals and Erik Haula also scored for the Devils, and Jacob Markstrom had 25 saves.

Jake DeBrusk scored in the first round of the shootout for Vancouver, and Jesper Bratt tied it for New Jersey in the second round. In the fourth round, Lekkerimaki fired a wrist shot past Markstrom for the win on his first career shootout attempt.

Haula gave the Devils a 3-2 lead with 6:35 to play in the third period, and Suter got his second of the night to tie it with 36 seconds remaining.

Lekkerimaki tied it at 2-2 with a snap shot 45 seconds after Meier gave the Devils a brief 2-1 lead at the 11:02 mark of the third period.

Takeaways

Canucks: Vancouver picked up a critical point to remain in the chase for a wild card in the Western Conference.

Devils: New Jersey extended its lead over Ottawa to two points for third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Senators have played three fewer games.

Key moment

Markstrom stopped Quinn Hughes on a breakaway with a pad save early in overtime.

Key stat

Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes led all skaters with 31:38 of ice team and six shots on goal. This was the fourth time this season that Hughes has been on the ice for at least 30 minutes.

Up next

Canucks play at the New York Islanders on Wednesday to continue a season-high six-game trip, and Devils visit Chicago to open a three-game trip.

The Vancouver Canucks fought back from a late-game deficit to defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in a shootout. Jonathan Lekkerimäki scored once in regulation, as well as the shootout winner, while Pius Suter scored twice in the victory. As for Thatcher Demko, he stopped 22 of the 25 shots he faced, plus three of four in the shootout to pick up the win in his return from injury. 

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The Canucks showed resilience once again as they were able to come back and eventually picked up the win. Despite falling behind twice in the third, Vancouver kept pushing and eventually found the tying goal with 36 seconds left in the game. Overall, it was another example of a clutch moment by the team, which picked up their sixth six-on-five goal this season.

The star of the game was easily Quinn Hughes, who recorded his 68th point of the season. Hughes led the game with six shots on goal while finishing the night with 31:38 of ice time. The Canucks captain has taken another step forward this season and deserves to be in the Hart Trophy conversation at the end of the campaign. 

As for Demko, he looked solid during his first game since February 8. His rebound control was good, and he made a highlight-reel save in overtime that helped Vancouver push the game to a shootout. If Demko can return to his Veznia-like form, it could be the boost the Canucks need to secure a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Yeah, I mean, it's been tough watching the boys go through the playoff run," said Demko post-game." So, you don't want to step in and ruin it for them or not contribute in a positive way. It was nice to get the win. Another late goal from us gets us to overtime. It's big for our team, and ended up getting the two points in a shootout, so that was huge."

While there are still 11 games remaining in the season, Monday's victory may have saved Vancouver's season. The St. Louis Blues are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, and with a regulation loss, would have held a five-point advantage in the race for the final Wild-Card spot. In the end, though, the Canucks found a way and, in the process, picked up their first win of the six-game road trip. 

Stats and Facts:

- Kiefer Sherwood becomes the first player in NHL history to record 400 hits
- Quinn Hughes records at least 28 minutes of ice time for the third straight game
- Nils Åman records points in back-to-back games for the first time this season
- Aatu Räty goes nine for 11 in the faceoff dot

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period:

10:09- VAN: Pius Suter (21) from Marcus Pettersson

2nd Period:

10:24- NJD: Timo Meier (21) from Dawson Mercer and Jesper Bratt

3rd Period:

11:02- NJD: Timo Meier (22) from Brenden Dillon and Nico Hischier
11:47- VAN: Jonathan Lekkerimäki (3) from Derek Forbort and Nils Åman
13:25- NJD: Erik Haula (9) from Brian Dumoulin
19:24- VAN: Pius Suter (22) from Jake DeBrusk and Quinn Hughes

Overtime:

No Scoring

Shootout:

VAN- Jonathan Lekkerimäki

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their six-game road trip with a matchup against the New York Islanders. Vancouver will be looking to avenge a 5-2 loss to the Islanders, which happened at Rogers Arena back in November. Game time is set for 4:30 pm PT from UBS Arena. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Fantilli scored in regulation and then got the only goal in the shootout, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win against the New York Islanders on Monday night to end a six-game skid.

Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko also scored in regulation for the Blue Jackets, and Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves.

Pierre Engvall, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored for New York, which lost its second straight after a three-game win streak. Ilya Sorokin finished with 28 saves.

In the second round of the shootout, Fantilli made a move to his backhand and beat Sorokin. Bo Horvat then missed high and wide left on his attempt in the third round.

Marchenko scored the tying goal with 7:06 left in the third period.

Palmieri appeared to give the Islanders a 4-3 lead with less than 10 seconds remaining as he redirected Alexander Romanov’s shot. However, the goal was immediately waved off and the initial call was confirmed after a lengthy review in the league office in Toronto.

Takeaways

Blue Jackets: Columbus has only scored 10 goals during its last seven games while getting shut out three times.

Islanders: New York coach Patrick Roy elected to dress seven defensemen and opted to play defenseman Adam Boqvist on the right wing of the third line rather than disrupt his combinations with Hudson Fasching sidelined due to an illness. Boqvist had two assists.

Key Moment

Sorokin denied Fantilli from the high slot with 62 seconds remaining in regulation and Monahan in the final minute to help force overtime.

Key stat

Blue Jackets outshot the Islanders 17-4 in the third period.

Up next

Blue Jackets host Vancouver on Friday, while Islanders host Vancouver on Wednesday to finish a four-game homestand.