MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When the likes of Jimmy Snuggerud, Zack Bolduc and Jake Neighbours lace the blades and suit up for the St. Louis Blues in each respective first Stanley Cup playoff game on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets, there’s something comforting knowing that players that could tend to perhaps play tentatively or fall into a quagmire of nerves.

And even for guys like Jordan Kyrou and some of the other Blues, who open their best-of-7 Western Conference First Round series on Saturday, there will be quite the comfort factor knowing that should they try to make plays and accentuate their strengths, there will be plenty of experience behind them on the Blues’ blue line.

Of the 16 playoff teams and their top six defensemen that will likely suit up for Game 1 of each respective series, the Blues have the most experience among top six defensemen by a wide margin.

Their 5,462 combined regular season games’ worth of experience ranks 1,010 games more than the next closest foe, the Carolina Hurricanes at 4,452.

Does it matter that the Blues have a wealth of experience back there? It may not mean anything in this day and age, but that comfort level, especially for forwards, will ease a lot of minds and help them in knowing that if mistakes are made, Ryan Suter (1,526 games), Cam Fowler (1,042), Nick Leddy (1,042), Justin Faulk (980), Colton Parayko (723) and even Philip Broberg and his modest 149 games played will be the kind of presence they need.

“Just look at how many games our d-corps has played in the league,” said Bolduc, who will make his playoff debut. “It’s incredible. We’ve got so much confidence in them. We’re just happy to have them and we know all the experience they have. We know they’re there to repair the mistake that we’re doing in front of them. It’s good to have them behind us.

“They’re involved in the offense too. They’re so good on boxing out, breaking out. We’ve got some many ‘D’ capable of beating pressure, one or two guys just by themselves. It’s great and it’s fun to have them.”

Only the Vegas Golden Knights (480 games) have a top six among defensemen that have played in more playoff games than the Blues (465), so not only do the Blues, who are the second wild card in the Western Conference after finishing the regular season 44-30-8, have the wealth and knowledge of guys that have played a plethora of games, but they also have guys that have been on the big stage often and taken home Stanley Cup titles with Parayko (2019) and Leddy (2013).

“It’s great,” Kyrou said. “Veteran d-corps, all have played a ton of playoff games before. They know what it’s going to be like and I think it’s going to make it a lot easier on us forwards. Them just playing an experienced game.”

Compared to the Jets, whose top six game played in 3,694 regular season games and 191 playoff games, the Blues have a decided edge on the aura factor. Again, it may not matter when the puck is dropped but from a coaching perspective with Blues coach Jim Montgomery, he has six guys he can utilize in any situation at any time.

“It’s very beneficial,” Montgomery said. “I thought it was a big factor in how well we played our last home game to get into the playoffs (a 6-1 win against Utah Hockey Club) and I think it’s a big factor why since 4 Nations break we’ve been second in odd-man rushes against. Our defensemen make reads and their experience helps them make really good reads.”

It’s a great advantage to have considering this group is adept at handling the pressures of what playoff hockey brings.

“Luxury to have,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “That’s experience, it’s guys that have played in big games, guys that have won Cups back there, guys that have played in the Stanley Cup Finals. Just a whole lot of experience.

“You go in there and they’re just a calming influence back there. They’re good at making not many mistakes at all and if they do, they’re very good at covering up for them. That’s just with guys with presence and composure with the puck, they’re big and they’re long, they skate well and they’re hard to play against.”

The calming presence may be the greatest benefactor and guys that will remain cool under pressure and just simplify the game for everyone.

“I think so. I think the one thing about playoff time is you don’t want to change who you are as a person,” said Fowler, who will play in his first playoff game since 2018 with the Anaheim Ducks. “What you did up to this point that has gotten you this far. I know myself and ‘Leds’ and ‘Flak,’ Parayko are a little bit more on the soft-spoken side, I think if guys see us and see how we’re approaching things and still maintaining that calm demeanor, I think it will help guys understand that it is just another game at the end of the day. Of course the stakes are higher and the intensity’s higher, but if they see us going through our normal routine and with that same demeanor, I think it will help guys settle in too.

“We like to think of it as an advantage. We have guys in here that have a lot of experience and I think that’s valuable come playoff time and we have guys that have won the Stanley Cup, so they’ve gotten to the highest of highs that you can in this game. You combine that with a lot of youthful energy and guys that are experiencing it for the first time, I think it’s a great mix. We’ve known for a long time that the back end has kind of been that veteran type of group for us and we’ve kind of taken on that role during the regular season too. We’ll have to continue to do that along with the ‘Schenners’ and ‘Tommer’ and those guys that have been through it as well on the forward side of things.”

When the Blues face the Jets (55-22-4), who claimed the Presidents’ Trophy and won the Central Division, going into the Winnipeg ‘White Out’ on Saturday would rattle a younger group. But knowing who is behind them, the Kyrous, the Bolducs, the Snuggeruds, Robert Thomas, Neighbours, even Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich can all focus on doing creative things instead of playing with their knees knocking.

“You have to let those guys be creative,” Fowler said. “That’s part of the reason they’re here and part of why we’ve had success is because we’ve had a good blend of creativity with some sandpaper mixed in up there too. Those guys should feel the freedom to go out and play and feel creative and that part shouldn’t change. It’s the emotional highs and lows of the playoffs that can be difficult to navigate. I think that’s where we’ll come in and understand that there’s going to be ebbs and flows to every series and we have to try and maintain an even keel kind of mindset as a team and I think that’s where guys with a little of more experience can help out with that.”

Rest assured that Jordan Binnington will also be quite pleased to have this group in front of him.

- - -

A breakdown of teams, players, regular season games played and postseason games played:

St. Louis Blues (5,462/465): Ryan Suter 1,526/133; Cam Fowler 1,042/62; Nick Leddy 1,042/130; Justin Faulk 980/38; Colton Parayko 723/82; Philip Broberg 149/20.

Carolina Hurricanes (4,452/354): Brent Burns 1,496/120; Dmitri Orlov 866/92; Jaccob Slavin 745/71; Shayne Gostisbehere 688/32; Sean Walker 394/13; Jalen Chatfield 263/26.

Toronto Maple Leafs (4,354/263): Oliver Ekman Larsson 1,059/49; Morgan Rielly 872/57; Chris Tanev 866/60; Jake McCabe 643/18; Brandon Carlo 636/72; Simon Benoit 278/7.

Florida Panthers (4,156/338): Dmitry Kulikov 1,018/53; Seth Jones 860/37; Nate Schmidt 741/76; Aaron Ekblad 732/64; Gustav Forsling 477/61; Niko Mikkola 328/47; *Uvis Balinskis 102/0 – Ekblad is suspended for the first round but was included in total over Balinskis.

Vegas Golden Knights (3,916/480): Alex Pietrangelo 1,087/139; Brayden McNabb 822/93; Noah Hanifin 758/34; Shea Theodore 564/114; Nicolas Hague 364/33; Zach Whitecloud 321/67.

Winnipeg Jets (3,694/191): Luke Schenn 1,072/47; Josh Morrissey 622/42; Dylan DeMelo 636/29; Colin Miller 572/41; Neal Pionk 536/22; Dylan Samberg 216/10.

New Jersey Devils (3,593/290): Brenden Dillon 974/83; Dougie Hamilton 835/66; Brian Dumoulin 706/81; Brett Pesce 699/57; Johnathan Kovacevic 224/0; Luke Hughes 155/3.

Washington Capitals (3,355/207): John Carlson 1,088/127; Trevor van Riemsdyk 682/35; Jakob Chychrun 540/9; Matt Roy 438/18; Rasmus Sandin 308/6; Martin Fehervary 299/12.

Tampa Bay Lightning (Lightning 3,231/444): Victor Hedman 1,130/165; Ryan McDonagh 1,009/191; Erik Cernak 440/79; J.J. Moser 258/0; Nick Perbix 219/8; Darren Raddysh 175/9; *Emil Lilleberg 112/0 – extra D not included in total games.

Minnesota Wild (3,183/206): Jared Spurgeon 933/67; Zach Bogosian 929/54; Jonas Brodin 853/67; Jake Middleton 306/12; Brock Faber 162/6; Zeev Buium 0/0; *Jon Merril 682/37; *Declan Chisholm 99/0 – Merrill and Chisholm not part of total games.

Dallas Stars (2,960/280): Cody Ceci 871/88; Matt Dumba 737/54; Esa Lindell 684/85; Ilya Lyubushkin 433/14; Thomas Harley 197/39; Lian Bichsel 38/0; * Miro Heiskanen 475/85 – Heiskanen is injured and not part of total games.

Los Angeles Kings (2,867/226): Drew Doughty 1,206/95; Joel Edmundson 602/82; Vladislav Gavrikov 434/23; Mikey Anderson 344/18; Jordan Spence 179/8; Brandt Clarke 102/0.

Ottawa Senators (2,679/49): Travis Hamonic 899/22; Nick Jensen 632/27; Tomas Chabot 512/0; Artem Zub 306/0; Jake Sanderson 235/0; Tyler Kleven 95/0.

Edmonton Oilers (2,576/223): Darnell Nurse 716/72; Brett Kulak 580/76; Troy Stecher 560/21; Evan Bouchard 347/53; Jake Walman 267/1; Ty Emberson 106/0.

Colorado Avalanche (2,546/310): Josh Manson 626/58; Samuel Girard 548/60; Devon Toews 473/77; Ryan Lindgren 405/43; Cale Makar 395/72; Sam Malinski 99/0; * Erik Johnson 1,023/55 – Johnson not added to total games.

Montreal Canadiens (2,158/93): David Savard 870/57; Mike Matheson 627/20; Alexandre Carrier 296; 16; Kaden Guhle 169/0; Jordan Struble 112/0; Lane Hutson 84/0.

Scott Laughton is ready for the revival of the Battle of Ontario. 

It’s been more than two decades since the last playoff matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators, and for Laughton, it’s a chance to step into the rivalry he grew up watching. 

"I watched the highlight pack yesterday. I remember watching guys like Darcy Tucker, Shayne Corson and all those guys. That was kind of my era of hockey, and I thought it was the best era of hockey. It was amazing, so really excited to get going,” said Laughton post-game on Thursday. 

Originally from Oakville, Ont., Laughton watched the Leafs defeat the Senators four consecutive postseasons in a row from 2000-04. Now, he’ll be on the ice for the first playoff Battle of Ontario in 21 years.

'It's Going To Be An Absolute War': Maple Leafs Prepare For Intense Battle Of Ontario Playoffs Series Against Senators John Tavares has fond memories of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators in the early 2000s.  

The Maple Leafs clinched the Atlantic Division title on Tuesday night with a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres, locking in a first-round series against Ottawa and home-ice advantage. The best-of-seven begins Sunday night in Toronto, and for Laughton, it couldn’t come at a better time for the 30-year-old.

"You see the buzz and how much people care here, and that’s what you want in a franchise and to go to battle for. So, yeah, it’s an exciting time. I haven’t played playoff hockey in a while, this is big for me," said Laughton. 

Maple Leafs' First-Round Playoff Scheduled Against Senators RevealedThe first Battle of Ontario in the postseason since 2004 will begin on Sunday in Toronto.

Laughton’s last playoff appearance came during the 2019-20 shortened season with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he posted five goals, four assists, and nine points in 15 games. In total, he’s played in 24 career postseason games, all with the Flyers, putting up six goals and 10 points across three separate Stanley Cup Playoff runs.

This year, after arriving in Toronto via trade on March 7, Laughton has been working to find his footing. His numbers don’t jump off the page with two goals and two assists in 20 games, but his play has started to come around at just the right time. He finished the regular season on a two-game point streak, including an assist in Tuesday’s division-clinching win and an overtime game-winner against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

“Before, if you go back to three games now, I think he's really come around for us,” head coach Craig Berube explained after the win. “I thought in Buffalo he was excellent, but before that, he was even playing good hockey. Got some chemistry going with those guys. Starting to feel a lot more comfortable. I was happy for him to get that goal in OT. Obviously, if you score a goal, you feel good about yourself. But it's not the goal so much as how he's playing the game.”

‘He’s Overthinking Things Instead Of Just Playing’: Scott Laughton Remains Pointless With Maple Leafs, Craig Berube Urges Forward To ‘Loosen Up’The Toronto Maple Leafs have begun to find their stride, securing back-to-back victories over the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche. However, one player in particular remains stuck in a slump – newly acquired Scott Laughton, who has yet to register a point in six games with the Leafs and continues to struggle to find his place in his hometown.

With the Leafs resting their normal starters in the extra frame, Laughton took advantage of the opportunity.

“I let them know that I was ready,” said Laughton of his overtime goal.

LAUGHTS WIN IT! ✅

Scott Laughton ends the @MapleLeafs' regular season with an @Energizer overtime winner! pic.twitter.com/Ju4zj6ReLl

— NHL (@NHL) April 18, 2025

It’s exactly the kind of confidence and momentum the Leafs are hoping carries over into the postseason – and the vision they had when they acquired the 12-year NHL veteran.

Toronto closed out the regular season with five straight wins, including Thursday’s 4-3 comeback victory against Detroit after trailing 3-1 in the third period. They finished with 108 points, fourth-most in the NHL.

“It was nice, I think, to get out in overtime and the season on a high note, I think, is big. We found a way to come back, Taney scores us a big one, and we found a way. So now the real fun starts, and it's exciting to get some rest here and get prepared for a really good series,” said Laughton.

For Laughton, who hasn’t had many chances to chase a Stanley Cup, this is a golden opportunity. Now playing for his hometown Maple Leafs, the forward has the chance to write his own chapter.

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It's difficult to imagine a more fitting end to the 2024-25 season - and any season, really - than one last matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

That's what happened in the Pittsburgh Penguins' final game of the season on Thursday, and Crosby's team came ready to play.

The Penguins defeated the first-place Washington Capitals, 5-2, in yet another contest that saw Crosby and Ovechkin each light the lamp. Bryan Rust also hit the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his NHL career, and he had two tallies on the evening.

The rivalry between these two teams, and two all-time greats, never gets old. Even though the teams will part ways in much different directions - the Penguins will get an early start to their summer and the Capitals are bound for a first-round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup playoffs - it's still a sight to behold two decades later.

"It's cool," Rust said. "Two guys who, from my point of view, almost saved the league. It was in not the greatest spot 20 years ago, and these two guys - these two young bucks - came into the league and took it by storm. Two high-character guys who have only gotten better and shown that they're the best of their generation, if not two of the best players of all time.

"Seeing them on the ice tonight after two huge milestones for each of them this year... I think it's really cool, and the hockey geek in me was really excited to be a part of that."

The game got off to a good start for Washington, as forward Connor McMichael potted his 26th goal of the season just four minutes into the game. But Rust responded with this 30th goal just 46 seconds later off a feed from Ville Koivunen, and the 1-1 tie was taken into first intermission.

Pittsburgh received a power play a little more than six minutes into the second period, when Capitals forward Andrew Mangiapane went off for holding the stick. Rust struck again, this time on a ridiculous no-look backhand feed from Crosby cross-crease. That point secured the sixth 90-point season of Crosby's career.

A few minutes later, Crosby added a goal of his own, going to one knee in his office just below the right circle to snipe home a feed from Philip Tomasino to make it 3-1 Penguins.

Then, just as Crosby scored a signature goal, Ovechkin followed it up with one of his own on the power play, which came in the form of a heavy one-timer from the top of the left circle to cut the Penguins' lead to 3-2.

But Pittsburgh completely took over in the third period, getting tallies from Danton Heinen - his first this season as a Penguin - just as shorthanded time expired and from Tomasino just 15 seconds later. 

It was a great team effort from top to bottom, but - although they will end the season on a high note - it doesn't make it any less disappointing that they won't be suiting up for the playoffs along with the Capitals.

"We kind of know that we should have won a lot more games earlier in the year," Rust said. "Which is, kind of, a tougher pill to swallow that if we would've played a little but more like this through the first large part of the year, maybe we'd be playing on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, whatever it is. But, unfortunately, we didn't."

Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” -

Here are some notes and observations from the final game of 2024-25:

- It's really a great thing to see Rust hit the 30-goal mark, Rickard Rakell hit the 70-point mark (a new career-high), Crosby hit the 90-point mark, and Matt Grzelcyk hit the 40-point mark. Aside from Crosby, all of those were career-firsts.

The Penguins are one of only five teams with three 30-goal-scorers this season (Rust, Crosby, and Rakell), and Crosby is the only player in NHL history to record three 90-point seasons over the age of 35. 

Just really incredible stuff from some the veterans on this Penguins team this season.

- It was easy to tell that Tomasino had a lot to play for in this game.

A pending restricted free agent, Tomasino, 23, was trying to make something happen on just about every shift. He was getting creative in the offensive zone, trying to skate and deke around guys to get to the danger areas of the ice, shooting the puck at every given opportunity... and he made a nice play to set up Crosby's goal.

It's hard to say what the Penguins are going to do with each of their pending-RFAs. They only have so many open roster spots, and with young prospects knocking on the door, development is the priority. They won't want to block any players from being where they should be, but they also can't rely entirely on prospects to fill out the depth of their 2025-26 roster.

If I was Dubas, I would bring back Tomasino on a one-year "prove-it" deal. I suspect something like that will happen. But you never know, and these guys certainly can't take anything for granted. 

Tomasino certainly didn't. He left it all out there Thursday.

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

- I liked what I saw from the fourth line of Sam Poulin, Vasily Ponomarev, and Valtteri Puustinen on Thursday. I thought they served their function as an energy line and generated some good opportunities on the forecheck.

I don't expect Poulin or Puustinen to factor in heavily regarding the Penguins' future at this point. But, that's not to say they couldn't be somewhat effective fourth-line players when needed. 

- Erik Karlsson has been a polarizing figure among Penguins' fans since his arrival in the summer of 2023.

There is no question that Karlsson is in a complete league of his own in terms of the type of player he is. Few players in the game can impact a game as strongly as he does on both sides of the coin.

And, man, was this a vintage Karlsson performance against the Capitals.

He made a gorgeous play leading up to a prime scoring opportunity for Rickard Rakell during the first period, pirhouetting around a defender, smoothly carrying the puck into the left circle, and feeding Rakell across the ice with an open net that he simply missed. His skating was on full display, and he kept skating down low in the offensive zone and taking the reins, just as he does when he's at his best.

This is the version of Karlsson the Penguins need - and have needed - far more often. And, depending on what happens this summer, this may have been the final game for Karlsson in a Penguins' uniform. 

We'll see what happens. But if he does remain in Pittsburgh next season, the coaching staff and Karlsson need to figure out a happy medium that allows him to do this kind of stuff more often. Whether that's coach or player... the jury is out on.

- I feel like a broken record at this point, but I can't say enough how impressed I am by Koivunen. 

His instincts are just so far beyond his age. He looks like a natural out there with Crosby and Rust, and he just knows where to go and what play to make. He makes the right decision almost every time.

He appeared to finally have his first NHL goal in the third period, as he crashed into the net-front and took a few swats. However, he put the puck in the net with his hand, so it was called back.

Regardless, he recorded two points on the evening and had seven points in eight NHL games.

What this kid has shown in a small sample size should give the Penguins a strong dose of encouragement heading into next season. There is absolutely no way this guy should be left off of the NHL roster from the get-go. He and Rutger McGroarty have earned their spots.

- There was a really nice video tribute and a great ovation for Ovechkin during the first commercial break in the first period. And it was well-deserved.

This rivalry between the Caps and Pens - and between Ovechkin and Crosby - has been one of the very best in sports. Maybe ever. What they both accomplished this season by beating Gretzky in their own signature way won't soon be forgotten.

I said it after the last game, and I'll say it again: Enjoy this, folks. It has truly been a remarkable 20 years so far.

Ovechkin Proud Of What He & Crosby Have Done For NHL, Reiterates He's Not Retiring YetWhen Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby came into the league, they didn't exactly take kindly to one another, having been pitted against one another right from the get-go while the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins remained intertwined in a heated rivalry.

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

NEW YORK (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves as the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 on Thursday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers, who missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s best team.

The Lightning host the defending-champion Florida Panthers in the first game of a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Tuesday.

Trocheck scored his 26th goal this season — his sixth short-handed — at 1:02 of the middle period. The Rangers lead the NHL with 18 short-handed goals this season.

Kreider scored at 4:02 of the third to make it 2-0, then Zibanejad scored at 12:50 and 16:24.

The shutout was the sixth this season for Shesterkin, who finished with a career-worst 27-29-5 mark.

The playoff-bound Lightning finished with 47 wins and 102 points.

Lightning netminder Jonas Johansson made 19 saves.

Takeaways

Rangers: New York ended with a 19-19-3 home record. Last season, they were 30-11-0 at Madison Square Garden.

Lightning: Jake Guentzel played his 600th career game. The 30-year-old forward had 41 goals and 39 assists in his first season with the Lightning.

Key moment

Every Ranger wore a blue No. 40 jersey with “Rosen” on the back during warmups to honor Hall of Fame broadcaster Sam Rosen, who called his final game after 40 years as the team’s television play-by-play voice. The jerseys also included a patch on the front with Rosen’s famous call: “It’s a Power Play Goal!”

Key stat

Tampa Bay has made the postseason eight straight seasons and since 2014-15 they lead the league with 146 postseason games and 87 playoff wins. The Lightning won back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021 and lost to Colorado in the 2022 Final.

The Los Angeles Kings (48-24-9) will host the Calgary Flames (40-27-14) at Crypto.com Arena to close out the regular season for both teams. The Pacific Division rivals find themselves going in direct directions: Los Angeles is set to host Edmonton in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 21st, while Calgary failed to make the playoff cut.

Last Ten

Los Angeles 8-2-0

Calgary 6-1-3

Top Scorers

LA- Adrian Kempe 35 G 38 A 73 PTS

CAL-Nazeem Kadri 35 G 32 A 65 PTS

Notable

Forward Taylor Ward will make his NHL debut for the Kings tonight.

With at least one point tonight, LA would set the franchise record for most points in a season.

Last regular season starters! @SimonLawGroup | #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/A99zXQryTZ

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 18, 2025

1st Period

We are underway at Crypto!

Byfield and Fiala go in a 2-on-1 but can't covert.

Calgary gets some o-zone time and Kadri gets off a wrister that is eaten up by Rittich.

Taylor Ward can't handle the pass on what could have been a Grade-A scoring chance.

Mikey Andersson enters the zone with and finds Trevor Moore in deep but Vladar makes the save.

BIG SAVE from Vladar on a walk-in by Taylor Ward who was looking for his first NHL goal.

PENALTY Samuel Helenius goes off two minutes for hooking.

Coleman gets offs a hard wrist shot but Big Save Dave makes the pad save.

LA is back to even-strength.

Calgary outshooting LA 9-4 with about 7 minutes left in the 1st.

Gavrikov turns the puck over and Rittich bails him out with a nice save. Rittich looks dialed in tonight.

Akil Thomas bid is denied by Vladar. 

So far, LA looks like a team that is thinking about the playoffs. Not a lot of engagement.

Excellent save from Rittich on a hard one-timer from Hunt.

First shift from LA where they have had some sustained zone time. Hard shot from the point by Doughty.

LA waking up a little before the final horn on the 1st. Hard shot from Gavrikov gets through to Vladar. 

END OF ONE

Shots on goal

CAL 12

LA 10

A very lethargic start from the Kings tonight. Could easily be down a few goals in this one but Rittich has come through with some big saves. LA will need to be much better in the second period.

2nd Period

The puck is down in the second frame in LA.

GOAL  Kadri walks out from behind the goal line and roofs one over Rittich's pads. 1-0 CAL. Kadri sets a career season high with this 34th goal of the year.

Who else but HIM 😤 pic.twitter.com/jUtHTuCcrg

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 18, 2025

Good shift from the Kings, generating a few shots and some traffic in front of Vladar.

Byfield makes a nice move and then fires off a missile that draws iron. Fiala recovers the puck and is tripped up. LA to the power play.

Good pressure and puck movement from the Kings but Vladar keeps them off the board.

Bahl wraps up Akil Thomas after the whistle and Helenius comes in to stick up for Akil

Parekh trips Mikey Andersson and the Kings are back on the power play. Fiala fires a rocket over the net. 

Good pressure from LA, feels like they are close to converting.

Backhand chance from Lewis but Vladar gloves it down.

END OF TWO

Shot on goal

CAL  12   6

LA     10   5

LA looked much in the second period and had more sustained o-zone time. LA had some good looks on the powerplay but couldn't find the back of the net. A lot of work to do in the 3rd if they want to win for the 32nd time at home this year. 

3rd Period

Taylor Ward wide open in front of Vladar but can't beat the Calgary netminder over the glove. 

Laferriere walks in but can't beat Vladar.

Turcotte hits the post. Good jump from the Kings at the start of this period.

Byfield to the penalty box for a high-stick on Parekh.

Byfield and Fiala on a 2-on-1 but Vladar robs Fiala.

GOAL Counter by Calgary and Morton drives to the net and flips the puck past Rittich. 2-0 CAL. This is Sam Morton's first NHL goal.

WELCOME TO THE NHL MORTY! pic.twitter.com/Wfqdhvuexf

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 18, 2025

GOAL Kadri connects for his 35th of year and the Flames are starting to blow this one open.

GOAL Zane Parekh joins in on the fun and scores his 1st NHL goal. You can put this one in the fridge. The jello is jigglin' and the butter is getting hard. 

INZAYNITY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tXaY0DxqJV

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 18, 2025

GOAL Mikael Backland top shelf wrister from the left circle.  His 15th of the year. This Calgary team doesn't look like a non-playoff team tonight. As the for the Kings, head coach Jim Hiller cannot be happy this effort from his team tonight. 

THANK YOU SWEDEN FOR MIKAEL BACKLUND! pic.twitter.com/GWKHb4TiFA

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 18, 2025

LA to the power play.

GOAL Taylor Ward knocks in a rebound from in front to score his 1st NHL goal, breaking up Vladar's shutout.

TAYLOR WARD FIRST NHL GOAL!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/8BvYVwHEW1

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 18, 2025

The New York Islanders will enter the NHL draft lottery with the 10th-best odds of moving into a top-two pick.

They will have a 3.5% chance of landing the first overall pick and a 3.7% chance of landing second overall.

There is a 73.3% chance the team remains at the 10th-overall slot, while an 18.4% chance of moving to 11th and a 0.9% chance of falling to 12th.

The Islanders have not made a top-10 selection since 2014 when they selected Michael Dal Colle at No. 5.

The draft lottery is set to take place on either May 5 or May 6.

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In a season of ups, downs, and playoff disappointments, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ opponent for their final game of the 2024-25 season on Thursday is quite fitting.

The Penguins will take on the Washington Capitals in Pittsburgh, and it was confirmed that Caps winger Alex Ovechkin - who recently broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record - will be in the lineup despite the opportunity to rest him.

It will mark yet another chapter in the Ovechkin v. Sidney Crosby rivalry, which is one that, likely, doesn’t have all that many chapters left.

And what started out as a bitter rivalry between the two players has blossomed into a friendship over the years.

“We’ve seen a lot of each other on the ice,” Crosby said. “But off it, whether it’s All-Star games or events or whatever it may be, just having the opportunity to get to know him a little bit more… I think that’s helped. You develop a friendship through those experiences and things like that.”

Ovechkin also pointed out the impact that both of them have had on hockey for the past two decades on the Pat McAfee show last week.

Ovechkin Proud Of What He & Crosby Have Done For NHL, Reiterates He's Not Retiring YetWhen Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby came into the league, they didn't exactly take kindly to one another, having been pitted against one another right from the get-go while the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins remained intertwined in a heated rivalry.

"What we did to the NHL, it's a tremendous thing,” Ovechkin said. “Me and him, what we do all those years, it's great for us. People [are going to] talk about Crosby-Ovechkin, Pittsburgh and Washington, for maybe 20 or 50 more years." 

With first-place Washington destined for a first-round matchup with the Montreal Canadiens, the Penguins will not be in the postseason. However, on fan appreciation night, they’ll still give it all they can.

Alex Nedeljkovic gets the nod in goal for the Penguins. Here is the rest of the lineup:

How we're lining up for 82/82. pic.twitter.com/OXN1baylN0

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 17, 2025

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Flyers know their draft lottery odds after dropping season finale originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers lost their 2024-25 season finale with a 5-4 decision Thursday night to the Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

Matvei Michkov scored two of the Flyers’ goals, while Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink had the other ones.

The club’s draft lottery odds were set with the loss (more on that below).

The Flyers finished the season 33-39-10. The 76 points marked an 11-point drop-off from 2023-24, when the Flyers were knocked out of the playoff race on the final day of the season. They’ve now gone five straight seasons without a postseason berth, matching the franchise’s longest drought.

This season, the Flyers had undeniable regression, which led to their rebuild going into another gear down the stretch. They fired John Tortorella with nine games to go and went 5-3-1 under interim head coach Brad Shaw. They lost 15 of their last 21 games (6-13-2) to end the season tied with the Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s worst record.

“That’s the toughest part of the rebuild, is going through this,” general manager Danny Briere said after firing Tortorella. “I really hope that this is the bottom, this is rock bottom for us, today, and this is the turnaround.”

Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones now have a pivotal offseason, which will start with their first head coaching hire.

• Thursday night’s finale went the Flyers’ way for the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

The regulation loss gave the club the fourth-best lottery odds. A regulation win would have put the Flyers at No. 7.

The Flyers will have a 9.5 percent chance at the top overall pick, according to Tankathon.com. They can pick no lower than sixth. The lottery will be held in May on a date yet to be announced.

• Michkov closed the season as the NHL’s rookie goals leader with 26, one ahead of Sharks center Macklin Celebrini.

He also finished as the Flyers’ team leader in goals, one ahead of Foerster and two ahead of Travis Konecny.

The Flyers’ prized 20-year-old winger put up 62 points, the most by a Flyers rookie since Mikael Renberg had 82 in 1993-94. Renberg’s mark is a franchise record for most points by a rookie in a season. Michkov climbed to eighth on the Flyers’ all-time rookie single-season scoring list.

More: How Michkov embraced a ‘boring process’ to become an even greater scorer

• One of the biggest concerns staring down the Flyers this offseason is their goaltending picture.

The Flyers had an .872 save percentage entering Thursday, the lowest in the NHL this season. Last season, they were tied with the Senators for the league’s worst mark at .884.

The team used three goalies this season: Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov.

“I think with Sam, as we move forward, we’re hoping it’s going to be a tandem,” Tortorella said in mid-March. “We’re not going to ask Sam to play 55, 60 games if he’s the guy. I think it’s going to be a tandem. We’re still evaluating. He has been inconsistent. Sometimes you watch him play and you think he has got it but then he falls off.”

The drama surrounding Kolosov’s future in Philadelphia never really settled. The 23-year-old rookie made 13 starts for the Flyers and appeared in only 12 games with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. Where he fit was a constant question.

Kolosov recorded 26 saves on 30 shots Thursday night. The Sabres scored three goals in the first period. Their fifth marker was an empty-netter.

Buffalo netminder James Reimer stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 25 shots.

• Wearing No. 12, Devin Kaplan made his NHL debut after signing his entry-level contract Tuesday.

The 21-year-old winger went scoreless with a hit and a minus-1 mark in 12:12 minutes.

• A critical and telling offseason begins for the Flyers.

The club has three first-round picks in the June 27-28 NHL entry draft and four second-rounders. They’re slotted to make six first-round selections over these next three drafts, so they definitely have assets to potentially be creative.

Free agency opens July 1 at noon ET. The Flyers will have some cap flexibility this summer. Could they tap into the spending period?

“It’s too early to tell if it’s the right time to be aggressive or if the right player will be there,” Briere said after the March 7 trade deadline. “Realistically, down the road, it’s going to open up even more when some of the dead money is able to come off the books. But there’s going to be a little opening this year and it’s possible we’re able to do some things with it, but I don’t know to what degree yet.”

Restricted free agents Foerster, Cam York, Noah Cates and Jakob Pelletier will be due new contracts.

Who's in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery? These 11 teams can win the No. 1 pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Which NHL club will hit the lottery in 2025?

The order for the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery was set on the final night of the 2024-25 regular season Thursday. And the two teams with the best odds to land the No. 1 pick are the same as last year.

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks finished 32nd and 31st in the league standings, respectively, for the second straight season. San Jose has a 25.5% chance of winning the lottery, while Chicago boasts 13.5% odds of leapfrogging the Sharks for the top pick.

San Jose last year won the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes for the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 pick. And the Sharks can now become the first team since the Edmonton Oilers from 2010-12 to pick first overall in consecutive drafts.

Chicago, meanwhile, could be selecting in the top two for a third straight year. The Blackhawks jumped from third to first in the 2023 lottery to secure Connor Bedard and they retained last year’s No. 2 pick before selecting Artyom Levshunov.

So, which other teams are in the running for this year’s top pick? And when will the lottery be held? Here’s what to know:

What is the NHL draft lottery?

The draft lottery is used to award the top two picks in the draft and set the order of the first 16 selections, which includes all of the non-playoff teams. But not all teams in the draft lottery are eligible to win the No. 1 pick.

How does the NHL draft lottery work?

That’s because the most spots a team can move up in the lottery is 10, giving 11 clubs a chance to land the first pick and 12 teams a shot at the second pick.

For the lottery, 1,001 different four-number combinations are distributed among the teams, with the worst team having the most combinations, the second-worst team having the second-most combinations, and so on.

Fourteen ping pong balls numbered 1 to 14 are placed into a lottery machine and four are randomly drawn. The team that owns that four-digit combination gets the top pick, and the process is then repeated to award the second pick. Once the top two picks are awarded, the rest of the top 16 is set in inverse order of the regular-season standings.

If, for instance, the Detroit Red Wings, who enter the lottery sitting in the 12th draft slot, win the first drawing, they would move up 10 spots to No. 2 and the league-worst Sharks would get the No. 1 pick.

A rule introduced starting with the 2022 lottery bars a team from improving its draft position via the lottery more than twice over any five-year span. But, since the 2022 lottery, no team has moved up in the order more than once.

What are the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery odds?

Here are the 11 teams with a chance to win the No. 1 pick, along with their odds:

1. San Jose Sharks: 25.5%
2. Chicago Blackhawks: 13.5%
3. Nashville Predators: 11.5%
4. Philadelphia Flyers: 9.5%
5. Boston Bruins: 8.5%
6. Seattle Kraken: 7.5%
7. Buffalo Sabres: 6.5%
8. Anaheim Ducks: 6%
9. Pittsburgh Penguins: 5%
10. New York Islanders: 3.5%
11. New York Rangers: 3%

The teams slotted from 12th to 16th are, in order, the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Utah Hockey Club, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Detroit has a 5.1% chance of jumping up to second, Columbus has a 4.2% chance of jumping up to third, Utah has a 3.2% chance of jumping up to fourth, Vancouver has a 1.1% chance of jumping up to fifth and Calgary has a 1.1% chance of jumping up to sixth, according to Tankathon.

Calgary’s pick is currently set to convey to the Montreal Canadiens.

You can check out a full odds breakdown from Tankathon here.

When is the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery?

The NHL hasn’t announced a date for the draft lottery yet. Last year’s event was on May 7.

When and where is the 2025 NHL Draft?

The draft will be held at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles from Friday, June 27, to Saturday, June 28.

How many rounds are in the NHL draft?

The NHL draft features seven rounds. The first round is set for June 27 followed by Rounds 2-7 on June 28.

Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft?

OHL defenseman Matthew Schaefer is expected to be the first player taken in this year’s draft. Schaefer, 17, had seven goals and 15 assists with a plus-21 rating over 17 games this season with the Erie Otters before suffering a broken collarbone while playing for Canada at the world junior championship in December.

The last time a defenseman went No. 1 overall was in 2022 when the Sabres took Owen Power.

Who's in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery? These 11 teams can win the No. 1 pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Which NHL club will hit the lottery in 2025?

The order for the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery was set on the final night of the 2024-25 regular season Thursday. And the two teams with the best odds to land the No. 1 pick are the same as last year.

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks finished 32nd and 31st in the league standings, respectively, for the second straight season. San Jose has a 25.5% chance of winning the lottery, while Chicago boasts 13.5% odds of leapfrogging the Sharks for the top pick.

San Jose last year won the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes for the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 pick. And the Sharks can now become the first team since the Edmonton Oilers from 2010-12 to pick first overall in consecutive drafts.

Chicago, meanwhile, could be selecting in the top two for a third straight year. The Blackhawks jumped from third to first in the 2023 lottery to secure Connor Bedard and they retained last year’s No. 2 pick before selecting Artyom Levshunov.

So, which other teams are in the running for this year’s top pick? And when will the lottery be held? Here’s what to know:

What is the NHL draft lottery?

The draft lottery is used to award the top two picks in the draft and set the order of the first 16 selections, which includes all of the non-playoff teams. But not all teams in the draft lottery are eligible to win the No. 1 pick.

How does the NHL draft lottery work?

That’s because the most spots a team can move up in the lottery is 10, giving 11 clubs a chance to land the first pick and 12 teams a shot at the second pick.

For the lottery, 1,001 different four-number combinations are distributed among the teams, with the worst team having the most combinations, the second-worst team having the second-most combinations, and so on.

Fourteen ping pong balls numbered 1 to 14 are placed into a lottery machine and four are randomly drawn. The team that owns that four-digit combination gets the top pick, and the process is then repeated to award the second pick. Once the top two picks are awarded, the rest of the top 16 is set in inverse order of the regular-season standings.

If, for instance, the Detroit Red Wings, who enter the lottery sitting in the 12th draft slot, win the first drawing, they would move up 10 spots to No. 2 and the league-worst Sharks would get the No. 1 pick.

A rule introduced starting with the 2022 lottery bars a team from improving its draft position via the lottery more than twice over any five-year span. But, since the 2022 lottery, no team has moved up in the order more than once.

What are the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery odds?

Here are the 11 teams with a chance to win the No. 1 pick, along with their odds:

1. San Jose Sharks: 25.5%
2. Chicago Blackhawks: 13.5%
3. Nashville Predators: 11.5%
4. Philadelphia Flyers: 9.5%
5. Boston Bruins: 8.5%
6. Seattle Kraken: 7.5%
7. Buffalo Sabres: 6.5%
8. Anaheim Ducks: 6%
9. Pittsburgh Penguins: 5%
10. New York Islanders: 3.5%
11. New York Rangers: 3%

The teams slotted from 12th to 16th are, in order, the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Utah Hockey Club, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Detroit has a 5.1% chance of jumping up to second, Columbus has a 4.2% chance of jumping up to third, Utah has a 3.2% chance of jumping up to fourth, Vancouver has a 1.1% chance of jumping up to fifth and Calgary has a 1.1% chance of jumping up to sixth, according to Tankathon.

Calgary’s pick is currently set to convey to the Montreal Canadiens.

You can check out a full odds breakdown from Tankathon here.

When is the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery?

The NHL hasn’t announced a date for the draft lottery yet. Last year’s event was on May 7.

When and where is the 2025 NHL Draft?

The draft will be held at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles from Friday, June 27, to Saturday, June 28.

How many rounds are in the NHL draft?

The NHL draft features seven rounds. The first round is set for June 27 followed by Rounds 2-7 on June 28.

Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft?

OHL defenseman Matthew Schaefer is expected to be the first player taken in this year’s draft. Schaefer, 17, had seven goals and 15 assists with a plus-21 rating over 17 games this season with the Erie Otters before suffering a broken collarbone while playing for Canada at the world junior championship in December.

The last time a defenseman went No. 1 overall was in 2022 when the Sabres took Owen Power.