There was hockey being played on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, although one might not even know it for how low-event it was.

Nevertheless, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby found a way to, yet again, come through for his team.

Crosby one-timed the overtime game-winner on a power play, and that lone goal gave the Penguins a tight 1-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. The goal extended Crosby's point streak to nine games, which is the longest active streak in the NHL.

But as big as Crosby was - as well as Tristan Jarry, who earned his first shutout of the season in a 31-save effort - that wasn't the story of the night.

Forward prospects Rutger McGroarty - who turned 21 Sunday - and Ville Koivunen were deployed in the Penguins' top-six against the Senators, and they did not disappoint. It was McGroarty's fourth NHL game and Koivunen's NHL debut, and both rookies made an impression.

"I thought they both had great games," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I thought they played hard, they brought us some energy, you can see that their hockey-IQ is high, their compete level is high... I'm sure they were playing on adrenaline for obvious reasons. When you get called up and have an opportunity to play in the NHL, it's a dream come true for these guys.

"So, I'm sure they were playing on adrenaline, but I thought they had a huge impact. I thought they played really well, and I thought they fit in on the lines."

The captain agrees. And he had some great things to say about McGroarty, who flanked his left.

"I thought he played well," Crosby said. "He was in on the puck, in on the forecheck, creating turnovers, had a couple chances in and around the net. I thought he competed really hard."

Koivunen also felt really good about his NHL debut, 

"Felt very good," Koivunen said. "Of course, it was fun to win. Really exciting game, and I was pretty happy."

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Here are some thoughts and observations from Sunday's win:

- Something that stood out right away about Koivunen is his puck pursuit game. During his very first shift with Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar, he came in hard on the forecheck and won a few puck battles, also forcing a turnover later in the shift. Later, he also performed a nice stick lift on Ottawa forward Drake Batherson to shut down a play.

I also like Koivunen's game at the net front. He has a lot of smarts in the danger areas, and it's easy to see why the 21-year-old has seen so much success at the AHL level this season. He doesn't shy away from contact and he excels in the hard areas of the ice, too.

"I was curious to see how Ville would do with the pace and the size of the NHL, and I thought he handled it extremely well," Sullivan said. "I look forward to watching him here more."

Once Malkin is healthy, I'm looking forward to seeing a line of Koivunen, Malkin, and Rakell. They saw the ice together quite a bit during training camp, and I'm curious to see how Koivunen responds to a full-time center who also happens to be a future hall-of-famer. More on that "full-time center" thing later.

McGroarty also pointed out that Koivunen scored on his first shot during his "rookie lap." Props there, too.

"Luckily, I didn't fall, so I was happy with that," Koivunen joked.

- Much of what applies to Koivunen also applies to McGroarty.

I didn't think he stood out quite as much as Koivunen on Sunday, but the details and subtleties in McGroarty's game are what impress me. He's rarely out of position, he has great offensive instincts, and he made a few tough passes in the offensive zone, and he even had a two-on-one with Kevin Hayes that he simply fumbled.

Overall, he felt great about his game Sunday, and he felt pretty natural next to 87.

"I feel like my first couple of shifts, [I was] just adjusting to the speed - I'd say my first two to three shifts - and just how fast he plays and the tempo he plays at," McGroarty said. "And then, just kind of reading off of him as well. I mean, he's such an easy player to read off of, and his communication is great. And he's just a very good hockey player. Just getting used to that tempo just the first two to three shifts, then after that, I felt really good."

'Sid and the Kids': McGroarty, Koivunen Skate With Crosby, Top-Six In PracticeSid the Kid may have broken a major Wayne Gretzky record in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

His skating is certainly better than it was back in October, but I do think there's still room for improvement in his first step. I know this is something he has been working on.

However, McGroarty said he was wearing two different skates at the end of the game because one of the ones he was wearing malfunctioned.

When asked how awkward it felt, he quipped that they were "brand new" and that it did feel pretty awkward.

"First time ever putting them on," McGroarty said. "I baked 'em, and that was my first time ever putting them on. So, yeah, they [felt] different."

#LetsGoPens forward Rutger McGroarty said he was playing with two different skates on at the end of the game. Equipment manager Andrew Taglianetti had to act fast, and he got a backup skate 😂

"I baked 'em, and that was my first time ever putting them on. They felt different."

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) March 31, 2025

Well, having two different skates on certainly doesn't help a player's skating. Haha.

 - Re: Full-time center: I commend Rakell's effort at center, and all things considered, he doesn't look too shabby out there. He's going to the right areas of the ice, he's making good decisions, he's shooting the puck (tied for the team lead with 10 shot attempts Sunday), and he looks like he's been there before.

However, faceoffs are certainly a problem. Rakell hadn't won a single faceoff heading into the third period - he did win a few in the third - and Crosby was taking some strong-side offensive zone draws for that line throughout the night.

3 Takeaways From Penguins Thrilling Overtime Win Over SenatorsThe Pittsburgh Penguins (30-34-11) ended a miserable three-game losing streak with a 1-0 overtime win over the playoff-bound Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening at PPG Paints Arena. 

This isn't a role Rakell will be expected to play moving forward, so it's not a big deal. But it's certainly a tell that he hasn't played the position in a while when faceoffs are a struggle to that extreme.

- Noel Acciari gets his fair share of ire on social media and in fan circles. Sure, he doesn't provide much of anything offensively, and he is 33 years old in a bottom-six role.

But teams - even good ones - need this kind of player on an NHL roster.

Acciari laid out seven hits and had yet another blocked shot on Sunday. He now has 168 hits on the season - the next-closest player is Rickard Rakell with 109 - and he is tied with Kris Letang for the team lead in blocked shots at 96, which is typically not a forward-leading stat.

This low-event, low-scoring, tight-checking, defense-first game is the exact kind of game where a team needs someone like him in the lineup. He takes hard minutes away from the top players and plays a fearless game. 

"He's an important player for us," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think a lot of his contributions don't always show up on the highlight reel or they don't show up on the scoresheet. Those are the 'thankless jobs' that we're talking about.

"He pays a price. There's a cost to winning, and he's willing to pay it. I think Noel's been an invaluable player for us throughout the course of the year."

He won't be around for the rebuild, but he has more value than given credit for.

Wheeling Nailers Clinch ECHL Playoff SpotThe Wheeling Nailers, the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are headed back to the Kelly Cup playoffs, clinching a playoff spot with a 3-2 victory over the Bloomington Bison on Sunday. 

- The Penguins have seven games remaining. McGroarty and Koivunen were truly impressive on Sunday, and I imagine they'll be around until the end of the regular season. 

It was easy to tell that simply having those two around injected some energy into a dejected group of players. If Penguins' fans are going to take solace in anything this season, take it in watching these guys get a nice run of NHL hockey to close out the season. 

If they play anything like they did against the Senators, I'm sure they'll have something to show for it, too.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored twice, Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 6-4 on Sunday.

Dmitry Orlov, Mark Jankowski and Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina, which has won two straight. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 27 shots.

Pierre Engvall scored twice, Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist, and Anders Lee also scored for the Islanders, who have lost five straight (0-3-2). Bo Horvat had two assists and Marcus Hogberg finished with 24 saves.

Lee tied the score 4-4 at 4:05 of the third period. After Orlov put the Hurricanes in front midway through the third, Jarvis got his second of the night and 29th of the season with 2:46 remaining to cap the scoring.

Engvall’s second of the game at 1:37 of the second gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead. However, Aho had a power-play goal for his 28th of the season to tie it at 8:35 and Jarvis scored short-handed with 2:31 to go in the middle period to put the Hurricanes up 4-3.

Jankowski and Stankoven scored 13 seconds apart in the first period to put Carolina up 2-0 less than 5 minutes into the game. Engvall and Palmieri scored to tie it with 8:33 left in the opening period.

Takeaways

Islanders: New York remained tied with Detroit three points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with two other teams ahead of them as well.

Hurricanes: Carolina has won 11 of 13 and has a strong hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division and home-ice in the first round of the playoffs. The Hurricanes trail first-place Washington by nine points, and lead third-place New Jersey by nine.

Key moment

Orlov got the puck on the left side, skated toward the middle and fired a slap shot from center point through traffic and under Hogberg’s blocker for the go-ahead goal at 9:19 of the third to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 lead.

Key stat

Jarvis’ short-handed goal gave Carolina 10 on the season, tied with Tampa Bay for third in the NHL. They trail only the New York Rangers (15) and Florida (12).

Up next

Islanders host Tampa Bay on Tuesday, and Hurricanes host Washington on Wednesday.

The Vancouver Canucks quest for a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs got a little harder thanks to their regulation loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Vancouver fell 3-1, finishing their six-game road trip with a 2-2-2 record. The loss had a massive impact on the Canucks playoff odds, as Vancouver finally dipped below a 10% chances of qualifying for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

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According to MoneyPuck.com, Vancouver's odds to secure a playoff spot have dropped to 9.7%. The Canucks are projected to finish with around 90 points, which would be five points below the playoff bar. As of 3:55 pm PT on Sunday, the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild are projected to secure Wild Card spots, while the Pacific Division will be made up of the Vegas Golden Knights, L.A. Kings and Edmonton Oilers. 

While the regulation loss to Winnipeg did not eliminate the Canucks, it means Vancouver will need to go on a long run to end the season. The Canucks have eight games remaining, and may need to win at least seven to qualify for the playoffs. This is in large part due to the recent play of the Blues, who have won nine straight and currently have a six-point advantage over Vancouver. 

The Canucks return home from their road trip on Wednesday to face the Seattle Kraken. Seattle has already been eliminated from playoff contention and will be looking to put another massive dent in Vancouver's 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs hopes. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 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. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins (30-34-11) ended a miserable three-game losing streak with a 1-0 overtime win over the playoff-bound Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening at PPG Paints Arena. 

In one of the least expected outcomes in recent memory, the Penguins, led by Tristan Jarry, kept the pesky Senators off the board just 24 hours after their 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Like last week, the Penguins will depart their hometown victorious as they embark on a grueling three-game swing in the Western Conference. 

Let's discuss their latest overtime triumph. 

Will the Real Tristan Jarry Please Stand Up

Social media collectively sighed when Mike Sullivan announced that Jarry would start his third consecutive game despite giving up eight goals on 19 shots and getting the hook in each contest.

Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to 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 of the regular season. 

However, Jarry silenced the critics on Sunday with a 31-save shutout, his first of the 2024-25 season and 20th in his career. He is now the third Penguins goalie to earn 20 shutouts behind Marc-Andre Fleury and Tom Barrasso.

Jarry didn't stand on his head or bail Pittsburgh out. He just played solid and made the necessary saves when called upon. It was quite a rebound performance from his previous two outings on the road.

Crosby Does It Again

Captain Sidney Crosby, fresh off securing his 20th season with a point-per-game average, tallied Sunday's only goal, his 24th overtime lamplighter. He remains second in the NHL record book behind Alex Ovechkin, who is still ahead by three overtime winners. 

After receiving a standing ovation for his latest achievement, Crosby played a passionate game. With less than five minutes left, he took a late penalty after getting into a tussle with Artem Zub.

BREAKING: Sidney Crosby Breaks Wayne Gretzky's Point-Per-Game Seasons RecordAfter 20 years in the making, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has made NHL history.

Crosby led the Penguins with six shots on goal and was 69.2% in the face-off circle. Meanwhile, he was out skating with rookie Rutger McGroarty and Ville Kouivnen, who are now sitting next to the future Hall of Famer in the dressing room. 

Even though the season is winding down, and there's no chance at the playoffs, Crosby continues to dazzle and lead the Penguins.

Rookies Defy the Odds

Head coach Sullivan is famously known for playing his veterans and never letting the young kids get a fair shot. On Sunday, in a scoreless game through regulation, both McGroarty and Koivunen played over 16 minutes, each logging more than 25 shifts.

Koivunen made his NHL debut and had two shots, while McGroarty suited up for his fourth NHL contest and had three shots with a blocked shot and four hits. 

Penguins Call Up Star Prospects Koivunen & McGroartyAfter a disastrous road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins are calling up some reinforcements from the AHL. On Friday morning, they announced that prospects Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty are bound for Pittsburgh.

At the AHL level, Koivunen is the league's second-best scorer and didn't get to find the back of the night in Pittsburgh. But he should be up for the remainder of the season and could become the 30th Penguins player to score this season on the upcoming road trip. 

Meanwhile, McGroarty is also looking for his first NHL point, and departed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has one of the team's hottest players with 18 points in 19 games. 

It will be fun to watch the duo down the stretch and the impact they can have given top-six minutes and a chance to utilize the skills that have earned them a call-up in the first place. 

The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Utah Hockey Club 5-2 on Sunday afternoon, but that is far from the main story. This rebuilding team hasn't been in the playoff race once this season, and that's not what they are thinking about now. 

All they care about is the development of the organization from top to bottom. Right now, more than half of the roster is 25 years old or younger. The NHL team is a developmental team at this point. 

Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel are the latest additions to the group. After losing with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the NCAA Tournament last week, they decided to turn pro. On Sunday, they made their debuts together as a pair. 

"It's unbelievable, having to do it with a buddy." Sam Rinzel said about making his debut alongside his college teammate in Moore. "It means the world. It brings a level of [comfort] to you, it adds to your confidence, I think for sure." 

Rinzel was incredibly noticeable in his first NHL game. He had a handful of grade-A scoring chances that will eventually go in as his timing and awareness improve. After the game, he admitted that "scoring is hard". 

"I felt good. Honorable." Rinzel said when asked how he felt about his debut as an individual. "It was so fun, guys are great."

The Blackhawks have a young room with a lot of players within the same age bracket. They are all there to grow and learn together. 

"It was obviously really fun," Oliver Moore said of his NHL debut. "Definitely something I'll never forget. Right from the national anthem and on, something I'll never forget." 

Moore knows that winning is the most important thing, but he was also clearly over the moon about making his NHL debut. 

"At the end of the day, I just want to play hockey. That's what I'm here to do." Moore continued. "I think trying to play your game, trying to help the team win in any way you can out there." 

It is not going to be easy for these guys every single night once they get going in their NHL careers. It is hard to recreate the jubilation of your first NHL game, so now they need to adjust to playing hockey at the highest level night in and night out. 

"I felt good. I think Fliggy and Veleno did a really good job of helping me, just talking to me. You know, it's a different game than college. It's a lot bigger." Moore said when asked about what he learned from his first game that he can improve on going forward. 

The Blackhawks put him on a good line with two other forwards at different stages of their careers who can help him along the way. They did something right, as Moore praised them the first opportunity he got. 

Neither of them collected their first career NHL goal or point in the loss, but they both made an impact. Rinzel had a handful of high-quality scoring chances that will go in if he continues to go at that pace. Moore created a breakout for Artyom Levshunov and Nick Foligno that resulted in a Joe Veleno goal as well. His speed was noticeable as well. 

There are eight more games for the Chicago Blackhawks. These two will likely skate in all eight of them as they prepare for a summer of NHL prep. If all goes right, they have as good of a chance as anyone to make the opening night roster. Like their NHL debut, they'd like to do that together too. 

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

Barring some drastic change in the remaining weeks of the NHL's 2024-25 regular season, the Colorado Avalanche are more or less locked into third place in the highly-competitive Central Division. However, the two teams currently above them in the Central -- the first-place Winnipeg Jets and second-place Dallas Stars -- aren't nearly as secure in where they are at the moment. 

Indeed, with the Jets having another eight games left to play, and with the Stars having another nine games left, there could be a switching of positions beween the two teams. Winnipeg presently has 106 standings points, while Dallas has 100 points with a game in hand on the Jets.

So, with that in mind, which of the Jets or Stars should the Avalanche hope to play in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs? For a few different reasons, we're going to argue that the Avs should be hoping Winnpeg slides to second place and Colorado gets the Jets in the opening round.

Why? Well, for one thing, the Stars are arguably the deepest team in the league after the addition of star winger Mikko Rantanen. And Winnipeg's recent playoff history has been far from ideal -- and not nearly as good as Dallas' recent playoff runs. To that end, last season, the Avalanche beat the Jets in the first round, before Colorado fell to the Stars in Round Two. So you can see why the Avs would probably prefer to take on Winnipeg in the opening round.

Now, the season series between Colorado and Dallas and Winnipeg would suggest the Stars should be the Avalanche's preferred first-round opponent. The Avs went 2-1-0 against Dallas this season, and they only went 1-2-1 against Winnipeg. In addition, the Jets have the best goaltender in the league in Connor Hellebuyck, and Winnipeg has been slightly more dominant than the Stars.

That said, Dallas also has an elite goalie in Jake Oettinger, and the Stars also have the best defeseman (other than Avs superstar Cale Makar and Canucks star Quinn Hughes) in Miro Heiskanen. This is to say it's going to be very difficult for Colorado no matter who they get in the first round, because in the second round, the Avalanche is almost assuredly going to take on either Dallas or Winnipeg.

Still, if we were an Avalanche fan and we had to choose either the Stars or Jets in Round One, we'd pick the Jets without hesitation. Winnipeg simply hasn't proven itself worthy of being a favorite in the post-season, and Dallas has continually proven itself to be a team that can win at least a round or two.

The Avs should want to avoid the Stars until the second round -- or even more ideally, they ought to hope that Dallas is eliminated in the first round -- and that means taking on the Jets in the first round. Time will tell if we're right in that regard, but one way or another, the Avalanche are going to get a tough test right off the hop. And the way they respond in Round One will set the table for their subsequent destiny.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks went into their Sunday afternoon game against the Utah Hockey Club with lots of hype. That is because they had Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore make their NHL debut in front of the United Center crowd. 

These two signed entry-level contracts following their loss with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the NCAA Tournament last week. Rinzel is a defenseman with high-end potential, and Moore is a speedy forward who can make an impact playing up and down the lineup. 

After taking their solo rookie lap during warmups, a real hockey game was to be played. With the season winding down, it is mostly about the development of their players rather than winning. Most of the lineup is 25 years of age or younger now. 

Utah got on the board first as a shot from Nick DeSimone found its way to the back of the net through traffic. This came at 8:21 of the second period to make it 1-0. This was a goal that finally broke the barrier after being scoreless for more than half the game. 

Over the next handful of minutes, the Blackhawks made it interesting. Joe Veleno scored a nice goal thanks to a great play made by Artyom Levshunov, Nick Foligno, and Oliver Moore. Moore didn't get an assist, but the breakout happened because of him. 

Just a few minutes later, Ryan Donato scored his 29th goal of the season to take a 2-1 lead. Donato gave a strong effort to follow up on two Connor Bedard rebounds. 

Before the second period was over, Utah scored two consecutive goals to take a 3-2 lead into the third. They would add two more in the final frame to go home with a 5-2 victory. 

Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel played a strong game. They looked like they fit in, but the team game wasn't good enough defensively. They had enough chances on offense to win, but their defensive structure as a whole didn't allow it. That's exactly how some games are going to go when the team is this young. 

"I thought we created enough, I thought we gave up too much." Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said of the team following the loss. There was high praise for the new guys, but the entire team didn't do a good enough job in their own end. 

Chicago now has a couple of days with no games ahead of them to regroup for the final eight of the season. They will be back in action on Wednesday night when the Colorado Avalanche pay a visit to the United Center for the final time this season. 

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