If anything is for certain as the Pittsburgh Penguins get ready to face off against the Dallas Stars, it's that they don't want a repeat of their last matchup.

On Nov. 11, the Penguins gave up six first-period goals - tying a franchise record for most goals allowed in the first period of a game at home - and dropped their first contest of the season against the Stars, 7-1.

And in that game, Pittsburgh had a very hard time defending Dallas's size and speed.

McGroarty Scores First NHL Goal In Penguins 5-4 Overtime Loss To BluesThe Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday - which gave the Blues their whopping 11th straight win - obviously wasn't the desired result.

"Our compete level has to be high," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We've got to get into people early, just our ability to move to them and not let them get to the good ice and establish the ice. Once they get there, it's hard to move them because they're big and they're strong. But we can move to them and try to deny them the good ice. That gives us a better opportunity to establish inside positioning and box-outs.

"But, without a doubt, that's going to be one of the challenges against a team as big as they are."

Dallas also has the league's best penalty kill, which will be tasked with stopping a Penguins' power play that has scored on four of its last 10 opportunities. 

"They have good size, they can skate, they anticipate well, they have good sticks, and they have good goaltending," Sullivan said. "That's a pretty good formula for a penalty kill. We're going to have to move the puck, we're going to have to be willing to shoot... but I think, most important, we've got to get inside. We've got to make them defend the scoring area. We've got to be willing to put the puck there, but we've got to get people there, also."

Rookies Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen - who have played well the past two games and both registered career-firsts in a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday - will still be part of the power play units, and they'll also still be featured in the Penguins' top-six.

But this time, Koivunen may have a new center.

Evgeni Malkin - who has been out since Mar. 23 with an upper-body injury - took line rushes on Friday and will be in the lineup on Saturday. In practice, he was working on a second line with Koivunen and Rickard Rakell, while Sidney Crosby continues to center McGroarty and Bryan Rust on the first line.

With Malkin back in the mix, here is the rest of the Penguins' lineup. Tristan Jarry will get the start in goal:

McGroarty-Crosby-Rust
Rakell-Malkin-Koivunen
Dewar-Hayes-Tomasino
Heinen-Lizotte-Acciari

Grzyleck-Letang
Karlsson-Timmins
Graves-Shea

---

Penguins Notebook: Malkin Practices With Team, Bemstrom OptionedIt appears a key forward is nearing a return for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Stars are one of the hottest teams in hockey, as they have an active seven-game winning streak and are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games. They are second overall in the Western Conference - and third in the NHL - with 104 points, and they are four points back of the NHL's best team in the Winnipeg Jets for the Central Division crown.

The Stars have three players in Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson, and Mikko Rantanen - acquired at the trade deadline by the Stars - who are over the point-per-game threshold, and they have a league-leading seven different players with 20 or more goals on their roster. They are fifth overall in the league in goals for and tied for third in goal differential (plus-69).

Penguins forward Bryan Rust enters Saturday's matinee matchup just one goal shy of 200 for his NHL career.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

The Buffalo Sabres regular season will conclude in less than two weeks, which will begin the post-mortem on their 14th season in a row not qualifying for the playoffs, but there are a number of ex-Sabres who will be active in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and integral to the success of their clubs.

Here are five players who will have critical roles in the post-season:

Jack Eichel

The former Sabres captain is leading the Vegas Golden Knights in scoring (27 goals, 66 assists in 74 games) and is a legitimate Hart and Selke Trophy candidate. The Pacific Division leader could have an easier path through the Western Conference, but injuries to Shea Theodore and Tomas Hertl will make Eichel’s production critical to their postseason chances.

Sam Reinhart

The reigning Stanley Cup champs are hampered by injuries, with Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and the suspended Aaron Ekblad unavailable. Reinhart has followed up his first 50-goal season with 37 goals this season, and the Panthers will be relying on him more heavily if Tkachuk and Barkov are hampered going into the first round against either Toronto or Tampa Bay.

Jake McCabe

The former Sabres blueliner has been part of the Leafs shutdown pairing with veteran Chris Tanev and has also contributed 23 points, but as has been the case throughout most of his career, McCabe’s health will be a big consideration. The veteran left Toronto’s 3-2 victory over Florida on Wednesday late in the third period and will not be in the lineup on Saturday against Columbus.

Other Sabres Stories

Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?

Sabres Ownership Ranked Worst In NHL By Survey In The Athletic

Dahlin Refutes Assertion Of Wanting Out Of Buffalo

Linus Ullmark

The former Vezina winner has provided the Ottawa Senators the stable goaltending they’ve needed for years and it is a near certainty that they will make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, but if the former Sabre gets hot, it is not impossible that the Sens could upset the eventual Atlantic Division winner in the first round.

Evander Kane

It’s strange to consider a player who has not played a regular season game to be a potential key contributor, but Kane (who has been on LTIR all year recovering from two serious injuries) is expected to be ready to play Game 1 of the first round and could possibly step in before then if the Oilers have the cap room to activate him. Edmonton’s chances of repeating will rely on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s recovery before the playoffs, but they will also need secondary scoring from players like Kane to get by Los Angeles later this month.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Carolina Hurricanes lost 5-3 to the Detroit Red Wings Friday Night at Little Caesars Arena.

It was a slow start for the Hurricanes, who found themselves in a 2-0 hole less than 10 minutes into the game, and despite some scoring, they just couldn't pull themselves out of it.

Jackson Blake continued to stay hot and Justin Robidas picked up his first career NHL point in his first career NHL game.

After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Robidas spoke with the media in Detroit. Here's what they had to say:

---

Rod Brind'Amour

On the game: The first period, we just weren't really engaged enough. Gave them two goals, didn't really gave them, but we got behind. And then we dug in and played a great game after that. Unfortunately, we gave them two and then the other two were turnovers where we had full possession of the puck and lead to basically a breakaway and then a guy all alone in front. Just sloppy decisions. Other than that, this game was pretty solid.

On Justin Robidas: Did a great job. Obviously had a nice one on the one goal. Just worked and worked and worked and then got us a goal. Won some faceoffs. He was good.

On the team's development of young talent: We certainly need it and it's great to see. Especially since these guys will only get better. We know that and they have the attitude where they want to get better. So you have to put the work in and as long as they keep that up, I think it's a real positive thing to have. 

On Jackson Blake starting to find a scoring touch: He's not doing anything differently. He's been playing well all year and now you play him with Fishy and Jarvs and I think that's helping him obviously. But he's really, in my opinion, maybe even been the best one out there on that line. He's driven it and he just continues to work and continues to get better. It's a real big bonus for us.

---

Justin Robidas

On making his NHL debut: It's fun to be able to contribute offensively, but kind of unfortuante that we weren't able to get that win.

On the game: I think we played hard, but we had a couple of sloppy turnovers and plays that ended up in the back of our net. So I think just cleaning that up would help, for sure.

On his nerves: I was pretty nervous, for sure. Didn't really nap this afternoon and I was just trying to enjoy it as much as I could and have fun with it.

On the locker room: It's a great group of guys. Everyone was very welcoming and I'm very grateful for their support. Everyone's support was very pretty special.

On the differences between the AHL and NHL: It's for sure a lot faster. You can't really make mistakes out there because it will cost you. Very quick, very high pace and I'd say it's also a lot less sloppy, for sure. Have to be sharp every shift so it was definitely a good learning experience for me.

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.     

With the 2024–25 season nearly on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at some of the Vancouver Canucks’ records. By the time the season ends, the Canucks will have played 10 back-to-backs, the last of which they’ll complete after this weekend. Let’s take a look at how they have played during these games. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

"They've Been Delivering For 18, 20 Years Under Pressure": Canucks Rick Tocchet Discusses The Historic Careers Of Sidney Crosby & Alex Ovechkin

Updates On Vancouver Canucks Forwards Elias Pettersson And Nils Höglander

MVP, Rookie Of The Year, And More: Which Abbotsford Canucks Should Win Each Team Award?

In the opening game of a back-to-back, Vancouver has gone 5–3–1 so far this season. They have scored 23 goals and let in 20. Kevin Lankinen has started five of these games, while Thatcher Demko and Artūrs Šilovs have each started two. The Canucks have had a much worse result in the second half of their back-to-back games, as they’ve gone 2–7–0. They’ve scored 19 goals, including shootout winners, and let in 30. Lankinen has started six of the team’s back-halves, registering a record of 2–4–0. Šilovs started the remaining games, putting up three regulation losses. Vancouver has lost both games in back-to-backs twice, while they have yet to win both. Interestingly enough, every game they played against Utah Hockey Club this season was during a back-to-back, though they ended up losing all matches regardless. 

Here is a more in-depth summary of each set of back-to-back games. 

November 16 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, November 17 vs. Nashville Predators 

Vancouver’s first back-to-back didn’t take place until the middle of November, when they took on the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators at Rogers Arena. In their first game, the Canucks won 4–1, keeping North Vancouver superstar Connor Bedard off the scoresheet. Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Erik Brännström, and Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks, while Šilovs stopped all but one of the 29 shots Chicago put on net. Their next game was not as successful, as Nashville beat Vancouver 5–3 after the Predators scored three straight in the second period. Pettersson scored for the second time in as many games, while Aatu Räty and Kiefer Sherwood also found the back of the net. 

November 26 @ Boston Bruins, November 27 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 

Kevin Lankinen was the star in Vancouver’s first game of this back-to-back, as the Canucks won 2–0 against the Boston Bruins. He made 32 saves to register his second shutout of the season, while Conor Garland and Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver. Once again, the second half of their set ended poorly, as the team lost 5–4 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Šilovs started, but let in four Penguins goals by the end of the first period, making the game slightly out of reach despite Vancouver’s attempts to come back. This game’s goals came from Räty, Pius Suter, Quinn Hughes, and Pettersson. 

December 18 @ Utah Hockey Club, December 19 @ Vegas Golden Knights 

The Canucks’ next back-to-back was headlined by their first ever trip to Salt Lake City, where they took on Utah. This was the first taste of back-to-back action for Demko this season. Although they led 2–0 by the halfway point of the third period thanks to Danton Heinen and Dakota Joshua, Vancouver ultimately lost 3–2 in overtime to Utah off a goal from Mikhail Sergachev. The next night, they lost 3–1 to the Vegas Golden Knights, who were able to capitalize on three of the 19 shots they sent Lankinen’s way. Teddy Blueger was the lone goal-scorer in this match. This was the first time this season that Vancouver lost both games of a back-to-back. 

January 2 @ Seattle Kraken, January 3 vs. Nashville Predators

In their 4–3 shootout win against the Seattle Kraken on January 2, Vancouver lost Demko due to injury. Lankinen took his spot, saving 13 of 15 as well as all of Seattle’s shootout attempts. Max Sasson, Garland, and Tyler Myers scored, while J.T. Miller won the game for the Canucks in the shootout. Once again, the game after was dismal for Vancouver, as they failed to score in a 3–0 loss to Nashville. Lankinen started this game as well, letting in one goal on 17 shots. 

January 10 @ Carolina Hurricanes, January 11 @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Demko made his return to the lineup on January 10, just in time to help Lankinen out with another back-to-back. However, Vancouver was unable to generate any goals once again, losing 2–0 to a Carolina Hurricanes team that played the night before. In a moment of redemption, however, the Canucks shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs the night after, winning 3–0 in a franchise record-breaking game. In a complete team effort, Brock Boeser, Hughes, and Sherwood scored, while Pettersson made a positive defensive impression with five blocked shots. 

February 22 @ Vegas Golden Knights, February 23 @ Utah Hockey Club 

The next back-to-back the Canucks played was against Vegas directly after the 4 Nations Faceoff break. Even with a stellar performance from Lankinen, only DeBrusk scored, leaving Vancouver with a 3–1 loss. The night after was nothing to phone home about either, as Vancouver lost 2–1 to Utah after being unable to scrape together any offense aside from yet another goal by DeBrusk. 

February 26 @ Los Angeles Kings, February 27 @ Anaheim Ducks 

In the first of this back-to-back only three days after their last set, Lankinen started and made 24 saves in a 3–2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings. Garland had two goals including the game-winner, while Nils Höglander scored his fifth goal of the season. They managed to pull out a win despite surrendering a two-goal lead. In a disappointing effort, Vancouver lost 5–2 to the Anaheim Ducks the night after, also doing so after leading 2–0. Myers and Suter scored in the first period, but this wasn’t enough to stop Anaheim’s three-straight goals in the second period. 

March 11 vs. Montréal Canadiens, March 12 @ Calgary Flames 

In the first game of the first back-to-back of the week of March 11, Vancouver took on the Montréal Canadiens at Rogers Arena. Despite goals from Pettersson and Filip Hronek, the Canucks lost 4–2. This was the first game of three for Lankinen this week, as he started in net on March 11, March 12, and March 16. The night after, Vancouver won 4–3 in a shootout against the Calgary Flames, putting up a great performance all around. 

March 15 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, March 16 vs. Utah Hockey Club

Vancouver’s most recent back-to-back started excellently, as they took a 6–2 win against Chicago at home. Šilovs started the game, making 17 saves on 19 shots against. 11 different Canucks tallied at least a point, while Suter, Pettersson, Sherwood, Joshua, Blueger, and Höglander each had two. Their second game, against Utah once again, was another case of limited offense in which the Canucks lost 3–1.

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.

After an evening of celebrating Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin for tying Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record, Ottawa Senators fans turn their attention back to their team's pursuit of a playoff spot on Saturday afternoon. The Senators will host the Florida Panthers, the defending Stanley Cup champions, for a 2:00 p.m. matinee start at Canadian Tire Centre.

Both teams will be without some key players. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, isn't expected to play in either game this weekend. He was hurt last Sunday after accidentally running into Penguins defenceman Ryan Graves, who was standing in the neutral zone minding his own business.

If this is just a nagging minor injury, Sens fans are more than glad to see Tkachuk get this time off. But since it's a relatively new issue, it's hard to know if this is something that could affect his playoff status. Right now, he's not even skating.

Florida is also without their Tkachuk brother and captain. Mind you, those are two different people.

Matthew Tkachuk has a lower-body injury and likely won’t return until the playoffs. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who has an upper-body injury, also won’t play this weekend. The Panthers will also be without Nico Sturm and Dmitry Kulikov due to injuries, along with Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad is out until Game 3 of the playoffs due to a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the league's Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

The champs have lost three games in a row, all to Canadian teams (two against Montreal and one against Toronto), and the Senators would like to keep them on that track. A Sens win on Saturday would start to make things a little uncomfortable for the Panthers, who would have seven games to play and only a four-point lead over Ottawa.

That said, reeling in the Panthers might not be in the Senators' best interest. As things stand now, that would likely give them a matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round—a less favourable matchup than facing the Leafs. Ottawa swept Toronto with a 3-0 record this year.

In their last game, the Senators defeated the Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night, but only because of the heroics of goalie Linus Ullmark, who looked every bit like a former Vezina Trophy winner.

Concerns about seeding, though, are not a priority for this group—breaking the NHL’s third-longest active playoff drought remains the prime directive. Entering play on Saturday, the Senators remain 7 points above the playoff cut line with seven games to play in the Eastern Conference.

The Sens may need a shift or two to get used to Brad Marchand in a Panther uniform. After 16 years as a division rival in Boston, the Bruins traded Marchand to Florida at the deadline. He's off to a slow start, with just one assist in his first four games.

The Sens didn’t have a full skate on Friday, and with a 2 p.m. start, there’s no Saturday morning skate either. So these are the best-guess line combinations, based on recent games.

Senators Projected Lineup (NHL.com)

Claude Giroux – Tim Stutzle – Fabian Zetterlund
Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio
Matthew Highmore – Adam Gaudette – Angus Crookshank

Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven – Nikolas Matinpalo

Linus Ullmark
Anton Forsberg

Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic
Injured: Nick Cousins (knee), Brady Tkachuk (upper body)

Panthers Projected Lineup (NHL.com)

Jesper Boqvist – Sam Bennett – Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Mackie Samoskevich
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich

Gustav Forsling – Seth Jones
Niko Mikkola – Nate Schmidt
Jaycob Megna – Uvis Balinskis

Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek

Injured: Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), Nico Sturm (upper body), Aleksander Barkov (upper body)
Suspended: Aaron Ekblad

The Boston Bruins have recalled forward Fraser Minten from the AHL’s Providence Bruins, the team announced on X on Saturday. The 20-year-old is set to make his debut with the club on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

pic.twitter.com/dSHqLluCrB

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 5, 2025

The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect will be wearing No. 93 with the Bruins, flipping the digits from the No. 39 he wore in Toronto.

Minten in the mix 📸 pic.twitter.com/UPevTsoHTm

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 5, 2025

Minten’s call-up comes as the NHL Bruins have lost 10 straight games, figuring that the team could use a boost and a chance to see what they have in the promising forward – who had three goals, four assists, and seven points in 10 games with their AHL affiliate. 

“The reports that we got from Providence were that he's been a very reliable, smart player...he's been playing well down there, and it's an opportunity for the organization to get a look at him,” head coach Joe Sacco told reporters pre-game.

Joe Sacco on Fraser Minten: "The reports that we got from Providence were that he's been a very reliable, smart player...he's been playing well down there and it's an opportunity for the organization to get a look at him." pic.twitter.com/UkXfbJEZa9

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 5, 2025

Originally drafted 38th overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Minten has appeared in 19 career NHL games — all with Toronto. He recorded two goals and two assists during the 2024-25 season, with all four points coming after his initial four-game stint in the 2023-24 campaign, where he failed to record a point.

His path to Boston came on March 7, trade deadline day, when he was dealt to the Bruins as part of a package in exchange for defenseman Brandon Carlo. Before the deal, he had posted 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 26 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in his first season in the AHL. 

'It Was A Bit Stressful': Former Maple Leafs Prospect Fraser Minten Reacts To Boston Trade, Taking On Former Team In Bruins DebutMinten made his Providence debut against the Marlies on Wednesday night in Toronto.

Despite his 19 games of experience, Minten never had the chance to play in Boston or stepped foot in the city. 

"Never skated at this rink before and never been in this city before, so it's all new stuff...I'm just going to play hard like I've been playing in Providence and be a reliable, hard-working guy,” he told reporters, ahead of the game.

Fraser Minten on his mindset heading into tonight: "Never skated at this rink before and never been in this city before so it's all new stuff...I'm just going to play hard like I've been playing in Providence and be a reliable, hard working guy." pic.twitter.com/sQ1Atdxj85

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 5, 2025

It’s the mark of a fresh start for Minten in the NHL and perhaps a helping hand for the 29th-ranked Bruins, who look to end their current skid with six games remaining on the regular-season schedule. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Patrick Kane may not have hit the most notable benchmark around the NHL Friday night (that distinction of course belongs to Alex Ovechkin, who equaled Wayne Gretzky's 894 career goals), but in the Red Wings ' 5–3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Kane hit a handful of new milestones.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

With his goal in Friday night's win, Kane hit 20 goals for the season for the 17th time in his career, passing Mike Modano for the most 20-goal campaigns by a U.S. born skater in NHL history.  He also tied Sidney Crosby for the second most 20-goal seasons among active players (trailing only Ovechkin).  It also gave Kane his 100th point as a Detroit Red Wing.

That's Showtime. 🎬 pic.twitter.com/MfwAtSecX8

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 5, 2025

After the game, Detroit coach Todd McLellan joked that the team's PR staff didn't have time to fill him in on all of Kane's accolades in the time it took to walk from the dressing room to the press room, before adding, "It's an honor to be around him and watch him play and perform, and he's still like a young kid.  It's fun."

Trending Red Wings Stories

Red Wings Keep Dream Alive with Emphatic 5–3 Win over Carolina

Red Wings Austin Watson Mercifully Sent Down

Every Expiring Detroit Red Wings Contract

Red Wings Trade For Mrazek Doesn't Add Up Now

Kane himself recalled his boyhood affinity for Modano growing up in Buffalo. "He was one of my favorite players," Kane said.  "The way he skated up and down the ice, his jersey flapping behind him, one of the best American players of all time, so a lot of respect for him and what he's done in this league.  Obviously he broke my heart in '99 when they beat the Sabres in the Cup Finals, but I definitely remember watching him growing up and how fun he was, so explosive and scored so many highlight reel goals."

It's not 'most goals ever,' but the latest bevy of milestones offers one more reminder of Kane's excellence and his endurance.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites. 

Patrick Kane has been a star in the NHL since he first stepped in the league. He always produces offensively and is continuing to do so on the Detroit Red Wings who he is in his second season with.

The impressive milestone Kane reached in the Red Wings' latest win was becoming the new record holder in the NHL for the most 20-goal seasons by a U.S. born player with 17. From age 19 to 36, he has consistently been able to put 20 pucks in the back of the net every season except one, the COVID year that restricted him to 56 games. Kane scored 15 goals and 66 points that season and was on track to hit 20 goals fairly easily.

Kane scored at least 20 goals in 13 consecutive seasons from the start of his career. The veteran is a five-time 30-goal scorer and two-time 40-goal scorer in the NHL, all coming with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kane also happened to record his 100th point as a Red Wing in the same game he hit 20 goals in a season again. He has 40 goals as a member of Detroit, but scored 446 goals and recorded 1225 points in 1161 games as a Blackhawk and five goals and 12 points in 19 games as a member of the New York Rangers.

I think Kane isn't close to being done yet. His contract is up at the end of the season and I don't see a return to the Blackhawks, but he has fit in nicely on the Red Wings and it has enabled him to seamlessly keep putting up points.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.