The Nashville Predators (29-42-8, 66 points) visit the Vegas Golden Knights (48-22-9, 105 points) for their final road game of the season Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

The Predators are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games and coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday. The Golden Knights, who are in first place in the Pacific Division, are 7-2-1 in their last 10 and coming off a 2-1 defeat of the Seattle Kraken.

How the Predators Lined Up vs. Vegas

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

Skjei-Blankenburg
Oesterle-Barron
Englund-Del Gaizo

Annunen
Saros

Extra: Sissons (week-to-week, lower-body)
IR: Lauzon, Wilsby, Josi

Predators at Golden Knights: Live Game Thread

First Period (NSH 0, VGK 0)

Another home game, another victory for the Florida Panthers.

On Saturday, Florida welcomed the Buffalo Sabres to Sunrise and came away with an exciting 3-2 shootout victory.

The two Atlantic Division rivals played a scoreless opening period, until a tripping penalty by Evan Rodrigues gave the Sabres their first power play of the game.

Rasmus Dahlin rushed the puck up the ice and made a nice give-and-go play with Jason Zucker, ending up with a wide-open net and giving Buffalo a 1-0 lead with 19 seconds left in the first period.

A nice play by Carter Verhaeghe would tie the game early in the second period.

After Seth Jones missed the net with a long wrist shot, Verhaeghe picked up the carrum off the back boards and drove to the net, making a nice move to his backhand and beating a sprawling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Almost exactly 10 minutes later, Jesse Puljujarvi picked up his first goal as a member of the Panthers, deflecting a shot by Uvis Balinskis to give Florida their first lead of the game.

It would then be Buffalo’s turn to tie the game, and once again they would score while on the power play.

This time it was JJ Peterka scoring from a sharp angle off a nice feed from Dahlin just as a 5-on-3 advantage was expiring for Buffalo.

The knotted score would hold throughout the remainder of regulation and the five-minute overtime session, so the game headed to a shootout.

An opening goal by Anton Lundell would be all Florida needed as Vitek Vanecek stopped Jack Quinn, Peterka and Alex Tuch to seal the deal for the Cats.

On to the Rangers.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Balinskis played in his 100th NHL game, notching his 14th assist of the season and third over his past two outings.

Verhaeghe has now scored in consecutive games for just the third time this season and the first time since Feb. 1 and 2.

He also logged an assist, giving Verhaeghe four points over a three-game point streak.

Seth Jones has logged four assists over his past seven games.

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Owen Power will miss the remainder of the team's April 12 matchup against the Florida Panthers. 

Power recorded one shot in 13:27 of ice time before exiting the contest. The Sabres have not yet announced what injury Power has suffered. 

Power, 22, has appeared in 79 games this season for the Sabres, where he has set new career highs with seven goals, 33 assists, and 40 points. The 2021 first-overall pick is an incredibly important part of the Sabres' blueline, so this is certainly concerning news. 

In 241 career NHL games over four seasons with the Sabres, Power has 19 goals, 92 assists, 111 points, and a plus-8 rating. 

Recent Sabres News 

Sabres Star Finishing The Season Red-HotThe end of the season is just about here for the Buffalo Sabres, as the Atlantic Division club will not be in the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year. While this is the case, the Sabres have been playing some of their best hockey of the season, winning eight out of their last 10 games. Sabres Breakout Forward Closing In On Nice MilestoneThe Buffalo Sabres are almost at the end of their season, as they have just five games remaining. Overall, it has been another tough season for the Sabres, but off-season addition Ryan McLeod has undoubtedly been one of their bright spots.

Former Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez will retire from professional hockey after his season with the Chicago Blackhawks concludes.

The 37-year-old played 861 NHL games, scoring 88 goals and 289 points. 221 of those games were with the Golden Knights, scoring 21 goals and 79 points. Martinez won three Stanley Cups throughout his career, two with the Los Angeles Kings and one with the Golden Knights. 

During his pregame interview prior to the Blackhawks matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, Martinez told Darren Pang that tonight's game will be the last one of his career. 

"Obviously a lot of different emotions today...just very thankful, very appreciative," said Martinez.

Throughout his career, Martinez was known for his defensive game, consistently performing as one of the best shot blockers in the NHL. Martinez also scored multiple clutch goals in the playoffs, including the winner in double overtime in Game 5 when the Kings defeated the New York Rangers. 

Known as a great defensive defenseman, Martinez was a beloved teammate throughout his Vegas tenure and was highly recognized for his leadership.

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.

Saturday night marks the final time that Marc-André Fleury will feature on an NHL roster for a game in Vancouver. The Minnesota Wild goaltender and future Hockey Hall of Famer is retiring at the end of the season, ending a historic 21-year career. While Fluery isn't projected to play, do not be surpised if the Vancouver Canucks find a way to honour one of the best goaltenders of the 21st Century.

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Over the last two decades, Fluery has experienced plenty of success in and against Vancouver. He is 16-2 all time against the Canucks and was part of Team Canada's 2010 Winter Olympics team which captured Gold. Fluery has even had success against Vancouver in the playoffs, winning his only start while playing for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020.

Fluery has had many teammates and coaches, including Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet. The two spent three seasons together with the Pittsburgh Penguins, which resulted in two Stanley Cups. When asked about working with Fluery, Tocchet pointed out just how special a person he is on and off the ice.

"One of my favorite guys, said Tocchet. "I'm not a goalie coach, but one of my favorite guys to be part of a coaching team, to actually be on the same team as a coach. Phenomenal guy. When you talk about a team guy, he's the ultimate team guy. You look it up in the dictionary. I can name a bunch of players, but he's up there. Thinks about the team. Always thinks that every goal is his fault. Never blames his defense. I don't think he's ever looked at a defenseman. I know some guys will look at the D after goals like, What are you doing? He never does that. Like, he's a gem. Love the kid.

As for a special memory, Tocchet pointed to May 10, 2017. The Penguins were playing the Washington Capitals in the second round, with the series needing seven games. In the end, Pittsburgh was victorious by a score of 2-0, with Fleury securing the shutout win.

"He's a winner. Some of the games he's played. I remember Game 7 against Washington. He was playing, and Washington was all over us. I don't know what the shot total was, but they could have been five, nothing, and he kept us in. And I remember talking to Mike Sullivan after the first. I said, we're gonna win this game now. And we took over the game in the second, and we beat a great Washington team in Game 7. But, if it wasn't for Fleury, we wouldn't advance. So that was one of the memories I had for how good he is."

Fans in Vancouver can see Fleury hit the ice one more time at Rogers Arena on Saturday when the Canucks take on the Wild. The NHL's second-most-winning goaltender of all time will also be on Sportsnet's "After Hours" following the game, answering questions from Scott Oake about a career that has spanned over 1,000 regular-season games. Puck drop of Saturday is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.

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

Ahead of the Saturday night game between the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks, defenseman Alec Martinez told Darren Pang that he would be retiring at the end of this season while talking to him live on CHSN. 

Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) on XAlec Martinez officially tells @Panger40 that he will be retiring at the end of the season. This will be his final NHL game. #Blackhawks

This game was already a send-off for Patrick Maroon, who announced his retirement earlier this season. Both Martinez and Maroon will finish their careers in this game as neither will go against the Montreal Canadiens or Ottawa Senators next week. Both players were in the starting lineup for Chicago. 

Martinez is a three-time Stanley Cup champion. Two of them came with the Los Angeles Kings and one with the Vegas Golden Knights. Throughout his 862-game NHL career, Martinez scored 88 goals and had 101 assists for 289 points. 

For having a fair amount of offensive production, Martinez was primarily a stay-at-home defenseman who played his role well. Being a shut-down guy on an elite team was his forte back in the day. 

Before joining the Blackhawks this season, Chicago had a bad taste in their mouth about Martinez due to his success against them. One of his many battles against Chicago in the playoffs with Los Angeles ended with him scoring in overtime of a Western Conference Finals game seven. 

Two weeks later, Martinez scored an overtime series winner against the New York Rangers to capture his second of three cups. Again, not bad for a defensive-minded guy. There is no doubting his clutch gene. 

Martinez should be incredibly proud of what he accomplished in the National Hockey League. For his style of play and the skills he brought to the table, he got the most out of his career. 

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

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated New York from playoff contention, beating the Rangers 7-3 on Saturday.

Jalen Chatfield, Jackson Blake, Mark Jankowski, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Hurricanes. Pytor Kochetkov made 28 saves.

Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller and Will Cuylle scored for New York, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 shots. The Rangers have lost four of their last five.

Chatfield and Jarvis gave Carolina 2-0 lead in the first period. Jarvis scored his 25th goal at home this season to match the most since the franchise moved to North Carolina in 1997.

Takeaways

Rangers: New York was swept (0-4-0) in the season series for the first time since 1987-88, when the Hurricanes were the Hartford Whalers.

Hurricanes: New York knocked the Hurricanes out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2022 and ’24, so there was a small measure of payback for Carolina on Saturday. The Hurricanes’ first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs with the New Jersey Devils is already set.

Key moment

Artemi Panarin had a wide- open net with 7:27 left in the second period and the Rangers trailing 3-0. Instead of cutting into Carolina’s lead, he hit the right post and Jankowski made 4-0 just 26 seconds later.

Key stat

Kochetkov had lost four of his previous five starts and given up 21 goals in the process.

Up next

The Rangers are at Florida on Monday night. The Hurricanes host Toronto on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were down to their final three games. Despite no opportunities to play spoil in the season's final week, they showed they are still a prideful bunch as they rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to emerge victorious 4-2 against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

The Penguins must win their final two games to finish with a .500 record while several players chase individual milestones. Some of them inched closer on Friday. Let's discuss. 

Crosby is a Certified Legend

Only five players in NHL history scored 90 points after their 37th birthday. With a goal and an assist against New Jersey, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is now just one point shy of becoming the sixth player and two points short of Mario Lemieux's team record of 91 points at age 37 in 2002-03.

Penguins' Crosby On Pace To Become Sixth Player To Score 90 Points At 37 Or OlderPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on the cusp of NHL history (again). With 87 points in 77 games, he's just three points shy of 90 for the season, possibly three consecutive seasons of reaching the plateau.

In a classic down-on-one-knee goal, Crosby gave Pittsburgh their first lead in the third period, the only lead they'd need after falling behind 2-0. As many people have pointed out, no one can ask a group of 20 professional hockey players to "tank," and with Crosby continuing to pile up the points at 37, he's too prideful to give up opportunities to further cement his legacy as one of the game's greatest.  

Rust's Career Year Overshadowed by Missed Playoffs

Fans outside of Pittsburgh may not know that Bryan Rust set a career-high with 29 goals and, with two games left on the schedule, could become a 30-goal scorer for the first time. 

Rust Sets New Career-High As Penguins Defeat Devils, 4-2In a season full of lows for the Pittsburgh Penguins, there have been some bright spots.

Until 2022, Rust never missed the playoffs, but 2024-25 will mark the third consecutive year he'll miss the postseason, which is a shame considering he's on the cusp of 30 goals and surpassed 60 points for the first time. 

The 2010 Penguins draft pick scored his 200th goal this year and now has over 400 points, ranking in the top 15 in franchise history. However, with no shot to win another Stanley Cup, Rust will have to settle for a career year during a season ending with a potential sub-.500 record for the first time since 2005-06.

Jarry Rebounds After Horrific Start

Tristan Jarry has been one of the Penguins' strongest players in the past month, but there are still a few wrinkles in his game that need ironing out—like giving up a goal on the first shot.

Penguins' fans must have buried their heads in their hands when Jarry gave up a goal 15 seconds into the game, then surrendered another six minutes later to put his team in a deep hole. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks.

However, Jarry responded to guide Pittsburgh to a win, making 26 saves after giving up those two goals early. Since returning in early March, the 29-year-old is quietly 8-3-2dsexW with a .904 SV%. No one would believe it, especially after recent back-to-back pulls, but he's proven that he's still capable of being a top goalie when the system in front of him is also working.