The Buffalo Sabres have six games remaining after a 6-3 comeback victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday, and in spite of playing much better over the last few weeks, the players’ pursuit of personal goals has taken precedence over the club’s near-impossible chances of making the postseason.

Sabres leading scorer Tage Thompson reached the 40-goal mark for the second time in his career on Saturday with a tally against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and on Sunday, the big forward notched his second hat trick of the season and moved within range of his career-high 47 goals and possibly with a chance of his first 50-goal campaign.

"He's 6'7", with the poise of a Norris candidate and the hands of a little skill guy, and it's awesome to see, and obviously the shot is like none other I've ever seen." Sabres winger Alex Tuch said after the game. "It's been awesome to see how far he's come and how much of a complete game he's been playing. The goals are happening right now, but I think he's been playing really well all season, and his production is jumping."

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Thompson played most of the season up the middle, but after the Four Nations break, he has primarily played on the wing. Head coach Lindy Ruff believes playing the right side and gelling with linemates Zach Benson and rookie Jiri Kulich has freed him up.

"I really think he's skating well right now. I think that line has had some good chemistry. I think that Kulich's game is really back toward where needs to be. It's freed (Tage) up to take off." Ruff said. "You don't get a breakaway like that if you're playing center on your own end. There's a lot of pluses to being on the wing, and (Jiri's) done a really nice job, and I thought the other part is Benson had a heck of a night with the puck down low."

The Sabres finish up their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes before heading out for three straight on the road in Columbus on Thursday, and back-to-back weekend games in Florida against the Panthers on Saturday and Tampa Bay on Sunday.

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The Chicago Blackhawks won a big game on Sunday night over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a strong performance by the young Blackhawks, who have had trouble holding a lead late in games.

The Penguins played a night prior, which had them fatiguing a bit but they did beat an elite Dallas Stars team on the road. Stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson bring it every night, but they were outskated hard by the Hawks on the second half of a back-to-back. 

The context of the situation is important to keep in mind when evaluating, but it is becoming more clear every day that the young players on the Blackhawks are taking charge now. 

Connor Bedard, the most important player in the organization, earned his 60th point, which made some NHL history. He became just the 11th player to ever have two 60+ point years as a teenager. 

On the same goal that Bedard earned the assist on, Sam Rinzel earned his first career NHL point. To say he’s been playing well would be an understatement. He finally has his first of many career points, which will go well with his great defensive play. 

"He’s mature," Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said of Rinzel after the game. "We really like the fact that he wants to have the puck."

Sorenensen went on to talk about how Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov both "take control in shifts". He compared it to what Karlsson and Letang (two future Hall of Famers) do with the Penguins. 

That's just what you want from these young defensemen as they develop. Their ice time is going to increase as the season winds down and their level of play seems to be rising to the occasion. 

Rinzel spoke about feeling "snakebitten" when talking about finally getting his first career point despite having a ton of good chances. He's a guy that likes to stick with it knowing that good habits will lead to production on the ice. 

The first goal of the game was a short handed goal scored by Frank Nazar. This was the first shorty of his career and his speed/motor allowed it to happen. He seems to be a player who will play a big role on the team going forward. 

Spencer Knight, although he is a Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Florida Panthers, is still just 23 years old. He fits in with all of the young guys that are starting to make up Chicago’s core. 

"You just have to stick with it and bring your good attitude and good work ethic every time." Knight said of his play. For being 23, he has a winning attitude, which is incredibly important to see from the young guys. 

"I really look at every game as an individual set". Knight said when asked about feeling relief getting the win. "For me, each game is different. You're going through stretches of good and bad throughout the season. It doesn't matter if you're in first place or last place. That's just the way it is." 

This is a guy who knows what it takes to win despite his young age. He will be one of the players relied on to be a leader.

Against Pittsburgh, Knight made 28 saves on 29 shots to win the game. He would have had a shutout if it weren’t for a bad penalty taken late in the game that led to a Penguins power play goal. 

"We just kind of stuck with it. No one pouted. Everyone just kind of stuck to the script and battled. You got the nice empty-netter and a nice win." Knight continued when talking about letting up that late goal and still holding the lead. That mentality will go a long way with this group going forward. 

The Blackhawks are not going to be a contender or anything next season but they should see a significant climb in the standings if these young players continue to evolve. They need more depth at forward but from the goalie out, something special is brewing. You can feel the youth changing the vibes around the room. 

Chicago will battle Pittsburgh again on Tuesday in the second half of a home-and-home. Each team will be on equal rest, so it will be interesting to see if the Hawks can outskate the Penguins again the way they did in Chicago. With all of those young players, they should be able to. 

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

Victor Olofsson possesses one of the better shots in the NHL but finding ways to utilize it has been something he's struggled to consistently do. Over the past two games, the Vegas Golden Knights have found ways to make him as effective as possible. 

The 29-year-old scored the game-winner late on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks, recording his 14th goal and 27th point in 53 games. He began the season on the first power play unit, playing on his off-wing and opening up for one-timers, but an early injury threw him in the rear-view mirror.

Pavel Dorofeyev was elevated to the first unit and hasn't looked back. His size and heavy shot have complimented Jack Eichel's shot and playmaking, making him a perfect match on the top unit. 

Despite the demotion, Olofsson has found ways to be an effective depth scorer. He's doubled his goal output from his previous season with the Buffalo Sabres and is firing the puck at the net more frequently, averaging 1.9 shots per game. The 1.9 shots he's averaging are still the second-lowest total of his career.

The previous two games against the Canucks and the Calgary Flames could serve as a sign that he is changing his approach. In the pair of games, he fired 14 shots on goal, nine came against the Flames, and five came against the Canucks. Some of his success is self-driven, but some credit should be given to his fellow countryman and linemate William Karlsson.

“It was nice to get it finally. I think I had about 15 chances these last couple games, and it was a perfect play by [Karlsson] skating in up the ice and found me right in front of the net,” Olofsson said. “I know he's a great playmaker, and he will definitely find me in the slot, so I just tried to find some open ice, and a perfect pass by [Karlsson] and that one I fortunately didn't miss.”

In the playoffs, the stars need to shine the brightest in order to succeed, but depth scoring is critical late in games and series. Olofsson has shown throughout the regular season that he can come up with decisive goals and if he can enter the playoffs with his confidence high, the Golden Knights can be increasingly dangerous. 

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

The Ducks look to bounce back from a tough two-game Canadian road trip with a matchup against the shorthanded Edmonton Oilers. The Ducks are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday while the Oilers are coming off a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

"We were terrible against Calgary," Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. "We had an off-night, those happen. We hadn't had one, I think, since the St. Louis game (last month). Vancouver, believe it or not, I liked the way we played. There were five or six minutes there where the game got away. I think three of those were just kind of seeing-eye shots that found their way through to the net.

Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-1 Loss to the FlamesWith the number of games remaining in the 2024-25 season down to single digits, the Anaheim Ducks took to the road for a two-game trip to Western Canada, starting on Thursday with a matchup against the Calgary Flames.

"I think we hit four or five posts that game, and four were direct post shots. That game could have gone either way if the posts that we hit in the first period had gone in and their deflections hadn't gone in. But, would have, could have, should have. I liked the way we played."

"(Those games) were tough," Trevor Zegras said. "Calgary, we weren't very sharp. Them scoring on the first shift was a good precursor for the rest of the game. Vancouver, I thought we actually played pretty well. They just scored five quick ones and then it was pretty much over. But I thought our effort was pretty good and I thought we played better that day than Calgary."

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-2 Loss to the CanucksThe Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their brief two-game Western Canada road trip with a Saturday matinee against the Vancouver Canucks. The Ducks were coming off of a decisive 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Calgary Flames on Thursday and fared even worse on Saturday, as they dropped their third game of their last four by a score of 6-2.

The Oilers will be without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who both missed the Kings' matchup due to injury. McDavid has been out of the lineup since Mar. 20 with a lower-body injury, while Draisaitl's ailment is undisclosed. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch will have to dress a shorthanded lineup of 11 forwards and six defensemen due to injuries.

This game marks Max Jones' return to Anaheim for the first time since he departed the team last summer in free agency. After signing with the Boston Bruins, Jones spent most of the season in AHL Providence before being acquired by the Oilers via trade on Mar. 4.

"It's nostalgic," Jones said about coming back to Honda Center. "A lot of memories, a lot of lifetime relationships that I've built––me and my wife––in this city, so definitely nostalgic coming back. It's a cool feeling and it was really nice to see all the guys yesterday and this morning.

"It was a really tough situation in Boston. (The) team struggled all year, a lot of moving parts there. It was part of the road you've got to travel that takes you somewhere like Edmonton (with) a great hockey team and trying to win a Stanley Cup. It's definitely a weird year. Still trying to come to the realization that I'm in Edmonton now and play for these guys. It's very cool."

This will be Adam Henrique's second time back to Honda Center since being traded to the Oilers just before the trade deadline last season. Henrique was honored with a video tribute in his first time back earlier this season.

"It's always nice (coming back)," Henrique said. "So many great memories here, so many great people, too, that meant a lot to me during my time (in Anaheim) and still (do). It's nice to come back and see some familiar faces and say hi, catch up, those sorts of things. But, when it comes to game time, it's all business. But, certainly nice to (catch up)."

Jacob Trouba and John Gibson, who both missed the Ducks' game on Saturday with lower-body injuries, were not present at morning skate and will not play against the Oilers. Cronin did not have an update on either player.

Ducks Projected Lines

Cutter Gauthier - Leo Carlsson - Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Troy Terry
Trevor Zegras - Mason McTavish - Sam Colangelo
Nikita Nesterenko - Isac Lundeström - Brett Leason

Jackson LaCombe - Radko Gudas
Oliver Kylington - Olen Zellweger
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson

Lukáš Dostál (projected)

Oilers Projected Lines

Vasily Podkolzin - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Viktor Arvidsson
Zach Hyman - Adam Henrique - Corey Perry
Jeff Skinner - Mattias Janmark - Connor Bornw
Max Jones - Kasperi Kapanen

Darnell Nurse - Jake Walman
Brett Kulak - Evan Bouchard
Troy Stecher - Ty Emberson

Olivier Rodrigue (confirmed)

After eight long years, the magic number is down to one for the Ottawa Senators.

As of Monday morning, any combination of one point gained by the Senators or single points lost by the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings will officially clinch Ottawa’s ticket to the postseason for the first time in eight years.

Even the most pessimistic of fans and pundits can finally breathe a sigh of relief after a three-game stretch where the Senators took down both Florida teams and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 9-1. Thanks to some hot goaltending, a few bounces, and commitment to defence, the Senators are not only virtually assured of a playoff spot, but they’re only 2 points behind the defending Cup champion Florida Panthers for 3rd place. Even Tampa in second place isn’t unreachable as the schedule winds up.

This means that there’s still plenty for the Senators to play for in the last five games, but there are also key decisions to make and scenarios to hope for. It’s been a long time since this town has had the chance to look beyond game 82.

Many pundits and fans seem to think that the Toronto Maple Leafs would provide the most favorable matchup for the Senators. I’m sure the NHL itself wants this matchup which would draw millions of eyeballs. The Leafs would have the edge on offense, but Ottawa has the superior defensive numbers and a Vezina winner compared to the Leafs’ platoon that has played well all season long but next to zero playoff experience.

All the pressure would be on the Leafs to avoid the rock-bottom scenario of losing to their smaller brother in the province. Of course, Ottawa swept the season series with the Leafs 3-0-0, which makes the Senators a pretty daunting first-round matchup for a historically fragile group at playoff time.

Regardless of the stats, do Ottawa fans really want their first playoff game on Canadian Tire Centre ice in eight years to be taken over by the fans of the blue team? Team president Cyril Leeder and his team are doing what they can to mitigate the big blue wave, but they still tend to find a way. The city and fanbase deserve a packed house, cheering loudly for the home team, a simple goal made much more complicated if the Leafs are the matchup.

The other possible opponents in Florida, Tampa Bay, and (unlikely) Washington all come with both significant challenges and championship pedigree. However, the Senators have played all of these opponents well this season and have avenues to victory against any of them.

Florida has faded down the stretch with a 3-6-1 record in their last ten games, including a shutout loss to Ottawa, and has been bitten hard by the injury bug. The Senators have played the Capitals tough all season as well, and perhaps there’s a letdown in energy now that Alex Ovechkin is the all-time NHL goals leader. The Lightning are always an intimidating opponent, but one that Ottawa has managed a 2-2 record against this season.

In other words, the playoffs are about proving you’re the best team, so it’s not in the team’s interest to get selective about which opponent the Senators will play. These teams could be just as eager to avoid the Senators as the Senators are to avoid them.

The best strategy is going into the playoffs hot, and letting the standings take care of themselves. No opponent will be an easy out, and while fans may be thrilled just by making it, it’s clear the organization has no interest in being first-round cannon fodder.

This is where Ottawa has decisions to make. Their decision to rest captain Brady Tkachuk seems to have been the wise choice as he deals with multiple injuries. Tkachuk is the team’s most terrifying weapon in the playoffs, so ensuring he’s fresh and gambling on the rest of the roster to get the necessary points has paid off. There should be no rush for Tkachuk now, and he'll likely bank even more rest and recovery time before getting back up to game speed.

What about the goaltending? Both Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg have been excellent over the last few games. Do you rest Ullmark up over the last few games, or do you keep him at his usual workload to keep his routine going? Given Ullmark’s injury history, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give Forsberg two or three starts in the final five games.

Ottawa also has a much better veteran presence than in years past, but those players have significant miles on their bodies. Would it be the worst thing to rest Claude Giroux and David Perron as well? Some players, like the snakebitten Fabian Zetterlund, could use some extra ice time to try and pad their stats and confidence heading into the big dance while the older or injured players lick their wounds.

Coach Travis Green has some interesting roster decisions to make, and going into the playoffs hot while avoiding injuries is paramount. It will be fascinating to see what he does with the lineup. The panic button has been safely put away for the rest of the season, but it would be very tempting to break that "in case of emergency” glass if the Senators went into the playoffs on a losing streak.

This team has proven all season long that they approach every game one shift at a time, and there’s a composure, calmness, and professional competitiveness that’s been missing for years. Now, as they venture further into uncharted territory, it's time to see how they approach the next level.

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The 52-21-4 Winnipeg Jets have returned home for a one-off home game vs. the red-hot St. Louis Blues (43-28-7). 

St. Louis has won 12 games in a row and are 19-2-2 in their last 23 outings.

It will most definitely be a challenge for Winnipeg, which currently holds down first place across the league, as well as the Central Division. 

But with Dallas, Colorado and St. Louis all coming in hot over the past month, the Jets' edge has slipped to just a point here and there. And those points are making a huge different as the season wanes out and becomes postseason play. 

Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal for Winnipeg, while local product Joel Hofer will backstop the Blues on Monday.

Colin Miller will miss Monday's game due to illness, while Nikolaj Ehlers is considered a game-time decision due to the lower body injury he sustained two games back that forced him to miss the contest against Utah on Saturday. 

Jaret Anderson-Dolan remains in the lineup, while Logan Stanley and Haydn Fleury are expected to work together as the third defensive pair in Miller and Neal Pionk's absence.

Winnipeg Jets' expected line combinations for Monday, April 7 vs. St. Louis:

Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo

Ehlers-Namestnikov-Perfetti

Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton

Tanev-Barron-Anderson Dolan

Morrissey-DeMelo

Samberg-Schenn

Stanley-Fleury

Injured: Pionk, Vilardi, Kupari, Miller

Healthy Scratches: Gustafsson, Heinola, 

It's the latest episode of the Sens Nation Podcast, now up on all podcast apps. Hosted by our site editor, Steve Warne, the boys discuss the Senators' 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. They can officially clinch their first playoff spot in eight years on Tuesday with a win or regulation loss back in Columbus.

Sunday's win was their third straight, and they allowed just one goal in the process. With the potential to catch the Florida Panthers for third place, we explore what that would mean for the Sens' playoff hopes. The Panthers lead Ottawa by two points, and each team has five games left to play.

Other topics include:

- Three Senators snapped long goal-scoring slumps in the past two games. That includes Nik Matinpalo who's never scored in the league until now.

- Jake Sanderson has emerged as one of the NHL’s top offensive defencemen.

- We dive into the latest injury updates on Brady Tkachuk and Nick Cousins—will they be ready before the playoffs? Who will come out of the lineup when they return?

- And we look back at Alex Ovechkin’s milestone weekend as he breaks the NHL career goal-scoring record. Hit the YouTube version of the show at the link below or listen on your favourite podcast app.

Ottawa Senators Win Three Straight, Can Clinch Playoff Spot This Week, Ovechkin Makes HistoryBrought to you by https://celebright.ca/, https://www.capitalpodcast.ca/, and https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senatorsHelp us create more content by sup...

One On One: GM Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa Senators

What's Going On With The Injury To Brady Tkachuk?

Battle of Ontario: Debating Who Would Win A Senators-Leafs Playoff Series

Top 10: Jake Sanderson Takes His Offensive Production To A New Level

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas was named the NHL's third star of the week for the ween ending April 6.

Thomas had two goals and seven assists in three games, each a game-winning goal helping the Blues (43-28-7), who are on a franchise-record 12-game winning streak, go 3-0-0 last week with wins over the Detroit Red Wings (2-1 in overtime), Pittsburgh Penguins (5-4 in overtime) and Colorado Avalanche (5-4).

"I can't say enough good things about Robert Thomas's game since 4 Nations," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after the win against the Avalanche. "He must be one of the top three scorers in the NHL in that time. 

"I think what people aren't recognizing is how good he's been defensively. We're using him against [Nathan] MacKinnon's line all night [Saturday] and he just does a good job. His brain is high-end offensively and defensively."

Since Feb. 1, Thomas is No. 1 in the league with 39 points (nine goals, 30 assists) in 26 games, two points ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and three ahead of MacKinnon and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak.

Thomas follows in the footsteps of goalie Jordan Binnington, who was named the NHL's third star of the month for March after going 8-2-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky's record for goals in NHL history with 895, was the first star and Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (four goals, three assists in four games) was named second star.

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas was named the NHL's third star of the week for the ween ending April 6.

Thomas had two goals and seven assists in three games, each a game-winning goal helping the Blues (43-28-7), who are on a franchise-record 12-game winning streak, go 3-0-0 last week with wins over the Detroit Red Wings (2-1 in overtime), Pittsburgh Penguins (5-4 in overtime) and Colorado Avalanche (5-4).

"I can't say enough good things about Robert Thomas's game since 4 Nations," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after the win against the Avalanche. "He must be one of the top three scorers in the NHL in that time. 

"I think what people aren't recognizing is how good he's been defensively. We're using him against [Nathan] MacKinnon's line all night [Saturday] and he just does a good job. His brain is high-end offensively and defensively."

Since Feb. 1, Thomas is No. 1 in the league with 39 points (nine goals, 30 assists) in 26 games, two points ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and three ahead of MacKinnon and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak.

Thomas follows in the footsteps of goalie Jordan Binnington, who was named the NHL's third star of the month for March after going 8-2-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky's record for goals in NHL history with 895, was the first star and Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (four goals, three assists in four games) was named second star.