On Tuesday night at the Bell Center in Montreal, not long before 10 pm local time, whatever remained of the Detroit Red Wings' playoff aspirations shriveled in upon itself in a 4–1 loss to the Canadiens. 

A game the Red Wings dominated for long stretches, a game contested much closer than the final score suggested, but ultimately a game from which one possible outcome—regulation victory—could provide any reasonable foundation from which Detroit could built to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The mathematical probability of securing that berth hasn't yet sunk to zero, but the Red Wings trail Montreal by eight points with five games to play, and at the end of a playoff push that's felt more like a slow death, Detroit appears to have at last squandered its last opportunity to pull within striking distance of the cut line.

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From a Red Wings perspective, there is no shortage of reasons for Tuesday's loss to sting.  To begin with, there is the macro: (all but certainly) a ninth straight season without qualifying for the playoffs, extending the longest such streak in franchise history and second longest active streak around the NHL.  Then there is the opponent and the biting frustration at being leap-frogged in the Atlantic Division queue by a Canadiens team in the bottoming out stage of rebuilding than Detroit was.

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Then, considering just the game itself, the Red Wings could rightly return to their locker room at the end of the night with an agonizing sense that the evening's game was there to be won, theirs to win.

In the first, Detroit outshot the Habs 23–4 in one of its most dominant periods of the season.  Thanks to a canny Patrick Kane set up for Dylan Larkin at the back door, the Red Wings had a lead, but they managed just the one goal despite the offensive volume.

Montreal evened the score with three and a half minutes to play in the second.  At the end of an extended Canadiens stay in the Detroit end of the rink, Habs defenseman Mike Matheson fired a puck to the net, where Cam Talbot was unable to squeeze it and Cole Caufield won the battle for the rebound, which he tucked home.

Moments later, the Red Wings had a glorious chance to re-take their lead, when an aggressive carom off the end boards left J.T. Compher with a wide open net.  With Montreal defenseman Guhle bearing down, attempting to swat the puck to safety, Compher sailed his shot over the cage, leaving the score tied.

After Detroit had dominated the first and controlled most of the second, the Habs—who'd managed to hold level at 1–1 through two—prevailed in the decisive third period.  That period saw some of Talbot's best saves as a Red Wing, including a brilliant technical stop with his glove to deny Josh Anderson at point blank range, but Montreal outshot its guests 10–4 and scored once to take the lead then twice into an empty net to run away with a 4–1 win.

Not long after Talbot's excellent denial, Anderson scored what would prove the game-winner.  First Brenden Gallagher beat out an icing to win the Canadiens possession deep in the offensive zone and initiating the cycle.  In the battle for the puck behind Talbot's net, Albert Johansson lost his helmet.  By rule, because he was not directly involved in the play (or at least he judged himself not to be, such that he feared playing on would draw a penalty), Johansson had to gather the helmet and return it to his head before playing on.  As he did so, Anderson found himself wide open a pocket ice of just beyond Talbot's crease, and this time he left the goaltender no choice.

The two empty net goals made the final result more lopsided than the game played out, but in truth, Detroit's season was over as soon as it had to chase the game at six-on-five in the first place.  To make up meaningful ground in the wild card race, the Red Wings really needed not just a victory but a regulation victory.

But that distinction proved moot.  Montreal claimed regulation victory, and the Red Wings are left to stare into the precipice of a ninth straight playoff miss after losing what was undeniably the biggest game of the year.  Detroit has five games left.  It can win those and hope.

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Despite a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, the Ottawa Senators' eight-year playoff drought—the third longest in the NHL—has finally come to an end.

The Senators backed into the postseason, earning their "X" in the standings after the Detroit Red Wings lost 4-1 to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. The Wings outshot the Habs 23-4 in the first period.

That result means the Senators clinch at least the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Until tonight, the Red Wings were the only current non-playoff team in the East still capable (barely) of catching Ottawa.

While the Senators' three-game win streak was halted, there was one bright spot in Columbus: Fabian Zetterlund scored his first goal as a Senator. Since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline, Zetterlund had no goals and two assists in 15 games.

With the Sens down 2-0 in the second period, the big Swede finally caught a bit of luck. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins couldn’t control the rebound after a point shot from Claude Giroux, and Zetterlund was able to tuck the puck into an empty net.

That gave the Senators some hope with under four minutes left in the second period, but it was quickly extinguished with just 22 seconds remaining in the middle frame when Mathieu Olivier deflected a shot in off his skate. That seemed to be the backbreaker. 

Olivier, Kent Johnson, and Justin Danforth each registered two points for the Blue Jackets. The shot count was dead even at 35, but Merzlikins outperformed Anton Forsberg on this night.

Thomas Chabot led the Ottawa offence with a goal and an assist in his 509th game with the club. He debuted with the Sens in the 2016-17 season – the year the Sens last went to the playoffs. So Chabot has been through every bit of the losing and frustration of the past eight years. The 28-year-old said you'll rarely ever catch him smiling after a loss, but Tuesday night felt great.

"It definitely does," Chabot told TSN 1200's Gord Wilson. "From top to bottom, I think everybody just took a huge step this year. Everybody did whatever they could every single night to get into the playoffs. And obviously, now that it's confirmed, we've still got some games to play, but I think the entire group is just freaking fired up. We're just excited to get in. We can't wait to go at it."

The Canadiens’ sixth consecutive win had major playoff implications for the Senators, both good and bad. On the one hand, as mentioned, it vaulted the Sens officially into the playoffs, but that wasn't really in doubt – it was almost certainly going to happen shortly, one way or the other.

But the victory also left Montreal just three points behind Ottawa for the top wild-card spot. Things could still change, but based on the current standings, the top wild card team would get the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one. The second wild card team will almost certainly face the Washington Capitals.

The Senators and Canadiens each have only four games remaining in the regular season, and they'll go head-to-head at the Canadian Tire Centre this Friday night.

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On Sunday night, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 at the United Center. They put together a strong 60 minute in order to secure the victory. It included holding onto a one goal third period lead and throwing one into the empty net.

On Tuesday night, the Blackhawks looked to sweep the home & home with the Penguins as they took their annual trip to the PPG Paints Arena. Unfortunately, things did not go Chicago’s way this time. 

Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Kevin Hayes were the goal scorers (Hayes had two) en route to a 5-0 victory. Tristan Jarry blanked the Blackhawks for his second shutout of the season. 

Spencer Knight has had some up and down moments in his Blackhawks tenure. This was more of a down as he allowed 5 goals on 27 shots, but the team didn’t do him any favors defensively. 

Early in the game, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to be able to outskate the Penguins for the second game in a row, but things got out of hand quickly. That happens with young teams like the Blackhawks. 

This is only the second time in 2024-25, if you can believe it, that the Blackhawks were shut out. They are not a winning team, but they haven't had much of a problem finding the net at least once per game. Jarry, who has had a trying year for Pittsburgh, found a way to shut the door in this one. 

Over their last four games, the Hawks faced all-time great superstars like Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin. They didn't do a ton of winning throughout that stretch but the young guys were able to see first-hand how those guys play. 

Now, the East Coast road swing will continue with a game against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Boston isn't a great team anymore but they will still present a solid challenge for this Blackhawks group trying to develop over the final four games. 

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On a night that could have ended in celebration and securing a playoff spot, the New Jersey Devils skated off the ice frustrated and on the losing end of a 7-2 score. The team remains one point shy of punching their ticket to the postseason. 

The Boston Bruins dominated New Jersey, earning two points after 60 minutes. Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier were New Jersey's lone goal scorers. Their goals were 19 seconds apart. 

The Bruins capitalized on a Jesper Bratt turnover at the Devils blue line at the 9:38 mark of the first period. David Pastrnak scored his 41st goal of the season to open the scoring. The 28-year-old has factored in 12 straight Bruins goals (six goals, six assists) dating to Apr. 1 for the most in Boston history.

Michael Callahan extended the Bruins lead to 2-0 in the final seconds of the opening frame. It was the 25-year-old's first career NHL goal. Pastrnak collected an assist and his second point of the night. 

Jakub Lauko gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead early in the second period. It was his fourth goal of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Noesen beat opposing goaltender Jeremy Swayman on a delayed penalty at the 13:51 mark of the middle frame. Daniel Sprong picked up his first point as a Devil, earning the primary assist. Nico Hischier extended his point streak to four games with his secondary assist.  

Seconds later, Meier scored his 25th goal of the season, bringing New Jersey within one. Erik Haula picked up the lone helper. It was the perfect example of good things happening when you get pucks on net. 

The Devils gave up a goal with 52.9 seconds remaining. Casey Mittelstadt fired the puck toward Markstrom near the Devils' blue line. The puck hit Seamus Casey's stick and deflected past New Jersey's goaltender. 

The Bruins held a 4-2 lead over the Devils going into the second intermission. 

Morgan Geekie's 30th goal of the season gave the Bruins a 5-2 lead. The Devils had an inexcusable defensive zone breakdown, leaving the 26-year-old alone in front of Markstrom. Two minutes later, Fraser Minten gave Boston a 6-2 lead. 

After Cole Koepke scored for a 7-2 score, Keefe replaced Markstrom with Jake Allen. The former faced 23 shots and made 16 saves. The latter saved both shots faced. 

The Devils will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at Prudential Center. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — David Pastrnak scored and added two assists to reach the 100-point mark and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves as the Boston Bruins routed the New Jersey Devils 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Michael Callahan, Jakub Lauko, Casey Mittelstadt, Morgan Geekie, Fraser Minten and Cole Koepke also scored for the Bruins, who won for only the second time in their last 13 games.

Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier scored for New Jersey, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Pastrnak opened the scoring at 9:38 of the first, beating Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom for his team-leading 41st goal.

Callahan made it 2-0 with his first NHL goal at 19:24 of the first. Lauko increased the lead at 1:45 of the second.

Noesen broke through for the Devils at 13:51 with his 21st goal. Meier scored his 25th just 19 seconds later.

Geekie added his 30th at 4:58 of the third, followed by Minten’s third at 6:55 and Koepke’s 10th at 10:50.

The seven goals were the most scored by Boston in a game this season.

Markstrom allowed seven goals on 23 shots before he was replaced by Jake Allen midway through the third.

Takeaways

Devils: Still need one point to clinch a postseason spot for the second time in three seasons.

Bruins: Won on the road for the first time since March 8. Boston is 12-25-3 in away games this season.

Key moment

Mittelstadt’s goal with 53 seconds left in the second gave Boston a two-goal cushion heading into the third period. Boston would score three more times in the final period.

Key stat

By scoring Boston’s first goal and assisting on the second, the 28-year-old Pastrnak factored in 13 straight Bruins goals dating to April 1 with six goals and seven assists during the streak. He reached the 100-point mark for the third straight season.

Up next

Devils: Hosting Pittsburgh on Friday.

Bruins: Hosting Chicago on Thursday.

New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom has his first 20-goal season of his career.

The 23-year-old recorded his 19th and 20th goals of the season Tuesday night in Nashville.

His first goal opened the game's scoring when he received a slick feed from Ryan Pulock before beating Juuse Saros at 4:16 of the first period:

Simon says 1-0 #Islespic.twitter.com/3IexyFqRAs

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 9, 2025

With the game tied at 2-2 following the opening frame, Holmstrom beat Saros' blocker with a shot from above the crease at 4:36 of the second period:

Holmstrom a 20-goal scorer for the first time in his #NHL career.

3-2 #Islespic.twitter.com/jSGFYfRFDO

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) April 9, 2025

Holmstrom also extended his career high in points (42).

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It has been a season full of milestones for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and one of their future hall-of-famers racked up yet another.

With a second-period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Erik Karlsson became just the second Swedish-born defenseman in NHL history - the other being Detroit Red Wings all-time great Nicklas Lidstrom - to score 200 goals.

Penguins Crosby Came Within A Game Of Establishing New NHL RecordPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was held pointless in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, ending his 12-game point streak, where he had 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points. 

He is also just the 24th defenseman overall to register 200, and he needs just four more goals to surpass Gary Suter for 23rd on the all-time list.

Karlsson has 11 goals and 53 points in 78 games for the Penguins this season, and his 870 career points are good enough for 15th all-time among blueliners.

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The Nashville Predators (27-42-8, 62 points) look to avoid a seventh straight loss when they host the New York Islanders (36-34-7, 78 points) Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville is coming off a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, while the Islanders' last game was a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals that saw Alexander Ovechkin score his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL record.

How the Predators Lined Up vs. New York

Bunting-O'Reilly-Evangelista
Forsberg-Stamkos-L'Heureux
Vrana-Svechkov-Marchessault
Smith-McCarron-Wood

Skjei-Blankenburg
Del Gaizo-Barron
Englund-Oesterle

Annunen
Saros

Extra: Sissons (WTW)
IR: Lauzon, Wilsby, Josi

Jonathan Marchessault, who missed Nashville's last four games with an upper-body injury, returns to the lineup against the Islanders.

Matthew Wood, the Predators' first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, will appear in his second NHL game after making his debut with Nashville Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Predators announced prior to Tuesday's game that forward Kieffer Bellows and defenseman Spencer Stastney had been reassigned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.

Predators vs. Islanders: Live Updates

First Period (NSH 0, NYI 0)

As has been the case for much of the season, Pittsburgh Penguins players keep dropping like flies.

And yet another injury has forced their hand for a call-up situation.

With forwards Philip Tomasino (concussion) and Blake Lizotte (lower-body injury) both out of the lineup for Tuesday's rematch tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Penguins recalled forward Matt Nieto from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) on an emergency basis.

Nieto - who was waived by Pittsburgh on Feb. 26 and subsequently re-assigned to WBS - has a goal and three points with the Penguins this season. In 15 games with WBS, he has three goals and seven points. He skated with fourth line during the morning skate Tuesday alongside Joona Koppanen and Noel Acciari. 

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"He's a great pro," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "A terrific person, a great pro. He understands that he has a professionalism about him. He's been around the game a long time. He understands that he brings the right intentions, the right effort, the right energy, whether he's here or he's in Wilkes-Barre. He's handled it extremely well."

He will try to help the Penguins get revenge on Chicago from Sunday's 3-1 loss, which officially eliminated Pittsburgh from the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The team knows they need much more energy from the jump if they are going to come out on top in this one.

"We didn't have our best game when we played them last time," forward Rickard Rakell said. "Fortunately, we have the chance to redeem ourselves tonight, and that should just be enough motivation for us to put a better game on the ice."

He also acknowledged the mindset that the group needs to have the rest of the way, given the fact that they are officially out of the race.

"We play for each other," Rakell said. "You're in this organization, and you've got to play with some pride... just do everything you can to play your best game every night."

Tristan Jarry will get the start in goal Tuesday, as Alex Nedeljkovic faced Chicago Sunday and turned in a pretty good effort, stopping 28 of 30 shots faced. In his last start, Jarry stopped 21 of 24 shots in a 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars, and he's 5-3-2 in his last 10 games. 

Crosby's Hat Trick Powers Penguins 5-3 Win Over StarsThere is a certain NHL winger about to break Wayne Gretzky's goal record who is - rightfully - garnering a ton of attention across the league.

Here is the rest of the starting lineup for the Penguins:

Rutger McGroarty - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Rickard Rakell - Evgeni Malkin - Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar - Kevin Hayes - Danton Heinen
Matt Nieto - Joona Koppanen - Noel Acciari

Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Conor Timmins - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves - Ryan Shea

Entering Tuesday's game, Rakell and Rust are both sitting on career-highs in goals, with 34 and 28, respectively. Sidney Crosby is also riding a 13-game home point streak, which is the second-longest active such streak in the NHL.

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