The St. Louis Blues enter their penultimate game of the 2024-25 season still unclear yet whether their season will extend beyond Tuesday or not.

Things became quite clear on Saturday after the Calgary Flames once again decided they aren't going any where in this Western Conference wild card race after a 4-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

So the scenario is that the Blues (43-30-7), who face the Seattle Kraken (34-40-6) in their final road game of the season, the place where they opened the season Oct. 8 and won 3-2, are tied with the Wild with identical records and identical points (93). Each has played 80 games and each plays on Saturday.

The Wild currently hold the tiebreaker edge on the Blues with regulation wins (33-31) and if the season were to end on Saturday, would hold the first wild card while the Blues hold the second.

Meanwhile, the Flames (38-27-14) have three games remaining, a game in hand on each the Blues and Wild, could play spoiler in this if they continue to win their games.

While the Blues are playing the Kraken, the Wild will be facing the Vancouver Canucks at the same time; the Flames host the San Jose Sharks on Sunday and finish their season Thursday, two days after the Blues and Wild conclude theirs.

If the Blues win out, and the Wild slip up anywhere, they could get the first wild card and face the Vegas Golden Knights. Whoever finishes in the second wild card will get the Winnipeg Jets, who ended the Blues' franchise-record 12-game winning streak on Monday.

The Blues have followed up that 12-game winning streak with two straight losses, including Wednesday's 4-3 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers when Edmonton scored with 20.7 seconds remaining in regulation to steal what could be at least one precious point for St. Louis, which has to regroup and forge on trying to secure that first playoff spot since 2021-22.

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One bit of good news on the injury front for the Blues is defenseman Colton Parayko, who has been out since March 5 after injuring his left knee and needing a scope.

Hearing that Tuesday's season finale, at home against Utah Hockey Club, if all goes well and there aren't any sudden setbacks, is when Parayko will get back into the lineup.

However, the Blues announced that defenseman Philip Broberg returned to St. Louis due to a personal matter and will be unavailable for this game, and Matthew Kessel will jump into the lineup.

Aan updated lineup will be available in pregame warmups.

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Blues Projected Lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou

Jake Neighbours-Brayden Schenn-Jimmy Snuggerud

Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Zack Bolduc

Alexey Toropchenko-Radek Faksa-Nathan Walker

Cam Fowler-Nick Leddy

Ryan Suter-Justin Faulk

Tyler Tucker-Matthew Kessel

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Philip Broberg (personal) and Dalibor Dvorsky. Colton Parayko (knee), Dylan Holloway (lower body) and Alexandre Texier (upper body) are out. Torey Krug (ankle) is out for the season.

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Kraken Projected Lineup:

Jaden Schwartz-Chandler Stephenson-Jordan Eberle

Jared McCann-Shane Wright-Andre Burakovsky

Eeli Tolvanen-Matty Beniers-Kaapo Kakko

Michael Eyssimont-John Hayden-Ryan Winterton

Vince Dunn-Adam Larsson

Ryker Evans-Brandon Montour

Josh Mahura-Jamie Oleksiak

Philipp Grubauer will start in goal; Joey Daccord will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Cale Fleury and Tye Kartye. The Kraken report no injuries.

With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs just around the corner and five Canadian teams currently holding postseason positions, the Leafs could be in line to match up against another team north of the border.

But for Steven Lorentz and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the bigger picture doesn’t matter. Their focus remains strictly in-house on winning the Atlantic Division and setting themselves up for success.

"I know people want to see another Canadian team in the playoffs, but we don't care about another Canadian team in the playoffs,” Lorentz said following Saturday’s optional skate at Scotiabank Arena. “We care about our team, and that's it... It's our job to not let that happen."

Steven Lorentz, beauty: "I know people want to see another Canadian team in the playoffs, but we don't care about another Canadian team in the playoffs. We care about our team, and that's it.... It's our job to not let that happen."

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 12, 2025

The Leafs are set to host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, with both teams looking to earn points in a tight race in the Eastern Conference. As it stands, the Ottawa Senators, who defeated the Canadiens on Friday night, 5-2, are slotted into the first wild-card spot as the Canadiens trail by five points sitting in WC2. The Canadiens, however, can clinch a playoff spot with a regulation win on Saturday in Toronto.

As Lorentz, a native of Waterloo, Ont., native mentioned, it’s the Leafs’ job to not let that happen. Ahead of the game, Lorentz, who grew up a Maple Leafs fan, said there is an added “flair” to these types of games.

“Well, I mean, I've lived it my whole life, but now that I've been able to partake in it a little bit, it's special,” he said. “I think it's a privilege every time we get to play against these guys. There's always that extra flair. There's a little bit more to those games. You can obviously tell. There's just a little bit more intensity and a little bit more of that – you take things a little bit more personally against guys or teams like this. Ottawa, the same thing when it's nice and close to home like this. There's always a little bit more at stake.”

As of Saturday morning, five Canadian teams – the Leafs, Canadiens, Senators, Jets, and Oilers – sit in playoff spots with a maximum of four games left in the regular season. It’s a Canadian storyline at the moment, particularly given that no team from the country has hoisted the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens did it in 1993. But for a Leafs team chasing the Atlantic Division title and in search of a deep postseason run of their own, they are paying attention – yet keeping everything internal – as Lorentz attested to Wednesday.

“Yeah, we're paying attention,” Lorentz admitted. “I didn't really watch a whole lot of it. I saw the start that Ottawa got off to. I think I watched a bit in the first period. But after that, I don't even know what happened or how it really finished,” he added, referring to Ottawa vs. Montreal on Friday. 

“Again, I've said it once, I've said it before, we're focused on what's going on in this locker room. It's definitely huge being able to clinch a top spot. But wherever we finish, we need to be able to be at the top of our game for a round of playoffs.”

‘I Want To Keep Everything Internal’: Why Maple Leafs' Steven Lorentz Didn’t Visit His Former Panthers Teammates In Return To FloridaToronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is drawing the line in the sand ahead of the club’s clash with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. 

Toronto, already locked into the postseason for a ninth consecutive year, is aiming to finish strong and secure the best possible matchup. 

The only team they're concerned about is their own.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have their final home game of the season on Saturday night. They will take on the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets to close things out for the year. The Jets, who have the inside track on the NHL's Presidents' Trophy, are always a tough challenge. 

This is more than just the last home game for the Blackhawks. It will be the final game in the wonderful career of Patrick Maroon. 

Maroon will skate in his 848th career game and 68th with the Blackhawks. He also spent time with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, and Boston Bruins. 

The man known as "The Big Rig" made an impact on all of those teams in different ways. For Chicago, it was about being a great leader for a group of young kids. 

During the 2024-25 season, Maroon was wonderful for everyone. There are countless ways he helped the less experienced players, but one memory will always stick out.

That is when he took Lukas Reichel with him to St. Louis to be with his family for the holidays, when Reichel had nowhere else to go. Gestures like that are what made Maroon as special a person off the ice as he was on the ice. 

Maroon was named as the Blackhawks' nominee for the Masterton Trophy for his work this year. This award is presented annually to the player who most demonstrates perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. 

Throughout his NHL career, Maroon was a scrappy fighter who made the bottom-six forward group of his team better. He also scored over 100 goals and had over 300 points. This included a 27-goal season when he was a member of the Oilers in 2016-17. 

When Maroon was with his hometown St. Louis Blues, he scored an overtime winning goal in game seven of the second round against the Dallas Stars. Eventually, they won the Stanley Cup. 

Maroon followed that up by winning the Stanley Cup in each of the next two years to make it three in a row. These came as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning as they went back-to-back. 

Maroon won't travel with the Blackhawks as they close out the year in Montreal and Ottawa. He is going to end his career right where he made his NHL debut, the United Center. Where it started as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, it will end as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Chicago is sure to send Maroon out feeling good about himself. He's been a good warrior at every stop, which made him a fan favorite in just about every city he's played. 

From being drafted in the 2007 NHL Draft to not being a full-time NHL player until the 2013-14 season, tons of AHL time in between, and eventually becoming a three-time Stanley Cup champion, there is no doubting Maroon's love for the game. He is proof that a little bit of dedication and hard work can get you to where you want to go.

This won't be the last we see of Maroon in the coming years. Whether it is in media or as a part of an organization in hockey ops, he will be around. For now, he will be celebrated in his final game of a memorable career. 

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

After arriving in Toronto on Thursday night, Ivan Demidov was given a day to rest on Friday. He waited for his Montreal Canadiens teammates to join him after their game against the Ottawa Senators. While the Habs were in Ottawa, Demidov and his girlfriend did what every hockey-obsessed person does in their first time in Maple Leafs’ land: they visited the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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On Saturday morning, though, it was time to get to work for the Russian wonder. The Canadiens didn’t have a proper morning skate, which made sense since they will be playing the second part of a back-to-back tonight, but there was an optional skate, which is when Demidov skated for the first time in full Canadiens gear.

He got on the ice with Joshua Roy, Arber Xhekaj, and Emil Heineman, which likely means that none of them will be inserted in the lineup for the duel with the Maple Leafs, despite the 5-2 loss in Ottawa.

Demidov as he enters the ice as a member of the Montreal Canadiens for the first time, welcomed by Arber Xhekaj #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/eyQ2Q8M26g

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) April 12, 2025

As for Demidov, Martin St-Louis already confirmed on Friday that he wouldn’t be making his debut in Toronto. This means that he’ll likely get to play on Monday night as the Canadiens welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to the Bell Centre.

Giving him a bit of action before the playoffs start, which the Canadiens now have a 98% chance of making, according to Moneypuck. I win in regulation against the Toronto Maple Leafs would make that a certainty and would be a welcome development, which could allow the coach to rest some of his older or injured players before entering the Spring dance.

Demidov in his first practice with the Canadiens, it was only an optional so there weren’t many players there #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/mxhtRqrjPM

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) April 12, 2025

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has not decided if he will use a forward on defense as the club dresses an undermanned lineup against the Montreal Canadiens and Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. However, he did say it was a possibility.

"I don't have a lot of guys with experience that have played back there other than Mitch (Marner)," Berube said following the club's optional morning skate.

The Maple Leafs will be forced to dress only five defensemen due to a combination of injuries and a lack of salary cap space. With a long-term injured reserve exception not possible due to how late injuries to Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson occurred and with no salary cap space, Toronto has to play one game short before they are allowed a call-up exception under article 50.10 of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement.

Why The Maple Leafs Will Dress 5 Defensemen Against The Canadiens On SaturdayThe Toronto Maple Leafs will likely dress one player short when they host the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

Marner is the obviously choice to play some minutes on defense given, that the player occupies the role on the club's top power-play unit.

 "I heard he's played it a couple of times throughout and looked pretty good. So, yeah, I think he would be the pick," Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton said.

During the club's pre-game meeting there appears to be no shortage of volunteers that would move up to play on the back end.

"It seems like they want to play D," Steven Lorentz revealed. " I've played some D in my career too over the years, just trying to, again, fill in at times. And I think I've been exposed a few times, so hopefully I'm not back there for too long. But, no, if that were to come up, then I'd feel comfortable doing that. But there are a few guys that are more incapable of filling in for a few shifts, I think."

Marner is the only player who played in NHL games on defense via a true experiment.

Following the training camp discussions ahead of the 2022-23 NHL season, then-head coach Sheldon Keefe he had indeed used Marner on defense late in games when the team was chasing a lead.

While Marner did help on the offensive end of things, there was one instance when Marner lost a one-on-one battle with New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier, resulting in a quality scoring chance against.

He stated that Marner "delivered as good of a scoring chance and puck delivery to the net as we had all period" and that his puck touches were crucial in breaking out of the defensive zone. Keefe explicitly noted, "He's not out there to defend; he's out there to spark our offense". While acknowledging a defensive breakdown occurred on Marner's shift (a one-on-one against Nico Hischier). Keefe attributed it mistake more to a lack of backchecking support from the other forwards rather than Marner's individual defending. 

On Feb. 29, 2024, veteran defenseman Mark Giordano suffered an injury, leaving the Maple Leafs with only five defensemen. To manage the workload, Marner was called upon to take shifts on the blueline. Keefe revealed post-game that the possibility of using Marner on defense had been discussed before Giordano's injury. The Leafs had dressed a lineup with six left-shot defensemen due to Timothy Liljegren being out, creating an imbalance. The pre-game consideration involved using Marner, a right shot, to provide a different look on the back end even before the injury forced their hand.

The Leafs quickly rectified this by acquiring right-handed defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ahead of the trade deadline.

Report: Maple Leafs to Re-Acquire Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin From Ducks For Draft PicksAccording to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs are acquiring the Russian defenseman with 75 percent of his salary cap hit retained in exchange for third and sixth-round draft picks.

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