The Montreal Canadiens should clinch final playoff spot in the East and present a Must-Bet opportunity
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here and we are starting to formulate a solid playoff picture. Most spots are already claimed with only the wild card spots left available.
We outlined how the Blues were going to lay claim to the final wild card spot in the West and barring any major setbacks, it appears they are on track to do so. We are looking to make the same bold claim about the East with the Montreal Canadiens being the final playoff team.
It is still a very tight race as they are just two points ahead of the Blue Jackets and Rangers after a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over the Panthers on Tuesday, where they tied the game in the last eight seconds.
More NHL:Leafs Blow Past Panthers in Atlantic Division Title Race
Montreal proceeded to win the game in overtime and completed the season sweep of the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
This Habs team is legit as their young talent is finally starting to click with a reliable stay-at-home goaltender in Sam Montembeault. They are red hot with a 10-4-4 record over their last 18 games.
Their rebuild looks complete as they are on the precipice of their first playoff berth since their loss in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final and will have more talent coming in the future with youngsters like Ivan Demidov on their way.
More NHL:Blues Enter Stanley Cup Playoffs As Dark Horse Contender
The race for the final playoff spots is over as far as we know with the Rangers heading into a gauntlet of a remaining schedule with matchups versus the Panthers, Hurricanes, Wild, Devils and a pair of games versus the Lightning.
Things are just as hard for the Blue Jackets, who will have to square off against the likes of the Maple Leafs and Avalanche as well as two matchups versus the Capitals and Senators.
More NHL:The GR8 Chase: Predicting When Alex Ovechkin Breaks Wayne Gretzky's All-Time Goal Record
Montreal on the other hand, finishes the season with the second-easiest remaining schedule with matchups against bottom tier teams like the Blackhawks, Bruins, Flyers and Predators.
The Habs to secure a playoff spot at +106 is the biggest must-bet of the season and this bet absolutely has to be taken as soon as possible. It's only a matter of time before Montreal claims the spot or continue their hot streak to the point where we no longer see a value.
The Pittsburgh Penguins took to the ice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. on Wednesday with yet another face from WBS.
Forward Joona Koppanen - recalled on an emergency basis Wednesday morning from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - joined practice rotating in on the fourth line.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward had a recent five-game stint with the NHL club - potting his first NHL goal in that span - but he was optioned back to WBS when Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen were recalled Friday. The 27-year-old forward has registered seven goals and 22 points in 55 AHL games this season to go along with a strong defensive conscience.
He's glad to be back, and he wants to make the most of any opportunity he's given.
Penguins Recall Koppanen On An Emergency BasisThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a little over 24 hours away from facing the red-hot St. Louis Blues, winners of ten straight games on Thursday night.
"It's awesome," Koppanen said. "It's always nice to be here and get the chance to show my game here and try to be here as long as possible."
Koppanen also mentioned that it's nice to be sharing the opportunity with McGroarty and Koivunen - a fellow Finnish player - especially since they've worked to build a winning culture in WBS, where the team is vying for its first-ever Calder Cup.
And he is appreciative of the organization rewarding both players for the work they've put in all season long.
"To see what work they put in there and see that they get rewarded for their work... it's awesome to see," Koppanen said. "It's fun to have a couple of guys - I know a few people - but, of course, I know them better because we've been playing [in WBS] almost a whole year together. So, it's nice to have them here."
Crosby Earns OT Winner For 1-0 Win Over Senators On Koivunen's DebutThere 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.
McGroarty - Crosby - Rust
Dewar - Rakell - Koivunen
Kevin Hayes - Noel Acciari - Philip Tomasino
Danton Heinen - Blake Lizotte/Koppanen - Emil Bemstrom
Matt Grzelcyk - Kris Letang
Conor Timmins - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves/Vladislav Kolyachonok - Ryan Shea
5 NCAA Free Agents The Penguins Should TargetWith the NCAA regular season in the rearview, NHL teams have begun signing college players as part of the annual Spring free agent frenzy.
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.
With fewer than 10 games to go, the playoff picture doesn’t look that much clearer.
While the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals remain first and second in the NHL standings, the Dallas Stars have now joined the century club thanks to a six-game winning streak.
Speaking of winning streaks, there is no team hotter right now than the St. Louis Blues. With Cam Fowler’s overtime-winner Tuesday, the Blues have now won 10 straight games. Much credit goes to Jobu, the mysterious voodoo doll bobblehead from Major League that’s suddenly brough all the good vibes to their dressing room.
Upcoming key matchups with major playoff implications include Lightning at Senators on Thursday; Oilers at Kings, Blue Jackets at Maple Leafs on Saturday; Panthers at Red Wings on Sunday; and also the Golden Knights’ back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday against the Flames and Canucks, respectively.
The great chase – for playoff positioning and also Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record – is at full attention.
1. Winnipeg Jets (51-20-4, +80. Previous: 1)
A 4-1 loss to the Kings was the only blemish for the NHL’s only 50-win team (so far). Winning the Presidents’ Trophy will mean a lot to this organization despite its history of not being a good indicator of future playoff success.
2. Dallas Stars (49-21-4, +65. Previous: 5)
The Stars’ six-game winning streak – even if the matchups were pretty easy – finally knocks the Jets and Capitals off the top two spots. The Robertson-Hintz-Rantanen line looks like it might be the best in the NHL, amassing 24 points over their past six games.
3. Washington Capitals (48-17-9, +71. Previous: 2)
A tough stretch for the Capitals allowing 12 goals in two games following an overtime loss to the Jets, and narrowly beating the horrific Bruins after blowing a 2-0 first-period lead. However, the good vibes keep coming; Alex Ovechkin is on the verge of tying Gretzky’s record and top prospect Ryan Leonard has joined the club.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (45-24-4, +42. Previous: 4)
The Hurricanes finished March with the best record in the East (11-3-0) despite having the seventh-worst power play. They’re an excellent team nonetheless and seemed locked into a first-round matchup against the Devils, which they will likely win. Maybe they'll advance one more round before it all falls apart, right?
5. Colorado Avalanche (45-26-4, +40. Previous: 3)
A big 4-0 win over the Kings followed a 2-1 loss to the Blues and then a 3-2 shootout loss to the Flames where they blew a 2-0 lead. It’s not often you see the Avs score so few goals. Good thing, though, the Hawks and Jackets are coming up, which are allowing the second-most and sixth-most goals per game, respectively.
6. Edmonton Oilers (43-26-5, +22. Previous: 8)
Leon Draisaitl’s spectacular performance against the Flames and being a virtual lock to win the Rocket Richard is just more resume padding to be the league MVP. The Oilers will be the only team to have two different winners of the Rocket Richard since the award was introduced, following Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos for the Lightning.
Is Oilers' Leon Draisaitl A Better Goal-Scorer Than Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews? Not QuiteAt the moment, there are only two active NHL players with three or more 50-plus-goal seasons: Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin and…wait, you were expecting us to say Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, weren’t you?
7. Vegas Golden Knights (45-21-8, +54. Previous: 7)
Despite the loss to the Oilers, the Knights become the first team in the Pacific to clinch a playoff spot. They’ll likely be able to decide who gets the final wild-card spot, too, with two games each against the Flames and Canucks to finish the season.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (45-25-4, +23. Previous: 11)
I don’t think the Maple Leafs are getting enough credit for grinding out games. They have the best points percentage (.692) in one-goal games, the second-best winning percentage (.885) when leading after one period, the sixth-best (.939) when leading after two and the most wins (eight) when trailing after two. They’ve improved in each of these categories significantly from last season.
9. Los Angeles Kings (42-23-9, +32. Previous: 6)
Despite losing to the Avalanche and Leafs, wins over San Jose and Winnipeg keep the Kings second in the Pacific. They currently hold home-ice advantage against the Oilers in the first round if the playoffs started today. That said, L.A. is 2-6 against Edmonton at home in the last three playoff series, compared to 4-6 on the road.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning (44-25-5, +72. Previous: 9)
The Lightning could have as many as five (!) 30-goal scorers this season – Anthony Cirelli is four away from 30 – which has not been done since the 1992-93 season. Their lineup feels deeper and like a legit contender for the first time in three seasons.
11. St. Louis Blues (41-28-7, +18. Previous: 12)
There are the NHL’s hottest team with shades of 2019, but instead of "Gloria!" it’s the mysterious Jobu and his voodoo magic. The Blues are doing this without a bona fide superstar, which is perhaps the most amazing thing about their run.
Five First-Year Coaches Having Strong Impacts On Their NHL TeamsIf we’re going to talk about new NHL coaches doing good things this season, we probably shouldn’t look past our newest candidate.
12. Montreal Canadiens (35-30-9, -25. Previous: 13)
We need playoff games at the Bell Centre. The hockey gods demand it.
13. Florida Panthers (44-26-4, +34. Previous: 10)
Consecutive losses to the Canadiens and zero regulations wins (!) over the past two weeks drop the Panthers into the worst slump of their season since mid-November when they went 1-6-0. There’s no panic with this club, but having home ice in Game 7 in the opening round of the Atlantic Division matchup – there’s no way it doesn’t go seven – would be huge.
14. New Jersey Devils (40-29-7, +26. Previous: 17)
The Devils are limping into the post-season, virtually a lock for the third seed in the Metro with a first-round matchup against the Canes. Since the season-ending injury to Jack Hughes, the Devils are barely over .500 at 7-6-1.
15. Minnesota Wild (41-28-6, -10. Previous: 15)
The good news is Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov are getting closer to returning. The bad news is, if the Wild slip any more, they could slip out of a playoff spot. The Flames and Canucks each have one game in hand, and the Wild face both of them on the road in a back-to-back next Friday and Saturday.
16. Ottawa Senators (39-29-6, -1. Previous: 14)
They secured a key win against the Jackets but somehow scored zero – zero! – goals against the Pens and lost to the Sabres for the fourth straight time. While the Sens’ playoff hopes have likely been sealed, they do have tough matchups coming up, including a home-and-home series against the suddenly red-hot Jackets.
Almost There: Ottawa Senators Set To End Playoff Drought Before Red Wings, SabresThe Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings all had the same goal this season.
17. Columbus Blue Jackets (34-30-9, -4. Previous: 21)
How wonderful to see the Jackets’ offense get back on track following a stretch where they scored just one goal in four games. The returns of Sean Monahan and Boone Jenner have provided a huge boost, and despite some close shaves, the Jackets have now won three of their past four with 21 goals scored.
18. Utah Hockey Club (34-29-12, -17. Previous: 18)
It’s likely too little, too late for Utah, whose win against the Flames on Tuesday moved them two points closer. The losing streaks in December and January ultimately did them in, and despite playing the Preds twice in their final seven games, they have a tough schedule to finish the season.
19. Calgary Flames (35-27-12, -25. Previous: 16)
An impressive four-game winning streak but then only three points out of eight possible points against conference foes. The Flames are really close, but they’ll need to win – good thing they face the Ducks and Sharks in three of their next four – and the Wild to keep stumbling.
20. Vancouver Canucks (34-27-13, -16. Previous: 20)
That the Canucks managed to stay in the playoff race despite battling so many injuries and internal strife is a testament to this team’s potential. But it’s been just one thing after another, and now contract talks with coach Rick Tocchet further threaten the continuity of this team.
21. Anaheim Ducks (33-33-8, -28. Previous: 27)
It’s not talked about enough how the Ducks have really improved from last season, though they’re likely next to be eliminated from the playoff race in the West. The Ducks have had plenty of losing streaks over the past few seasons but since Jan. 21 have not lost more than two games in a row.
22. New York Rangers (35-32-7, +2. Previous: 19)
The sea change that Chris Drury is probably still in process because not a whole lot has changed with the Rangers. They have only three regulation wins since March 5 and face a gauntlet of Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay to finish the season.
23. Buffalo Sabres (32-36-6, -19. Previous: 24)
Trust the Sabres to win games when it no long really matters. They’re 7-3-0 in their last 10, the best record outside of the East’s top six teams, including wins over the Jets and Caps. They’re doing this with James friggin’ Reimer in net. The Sabres have the talent but only ever seem to win when it doesn’t really matter.
24. Detroit Red Wings (34-33-7, -23. Previous: 23)
Since March 1, the Wings have the second-worst record in the league (4-10-1) and lost key points to the Sens. Now, they face the daunting task of facing teams that are higher in the standings for the rest of the season. At this point, I’m not sure if this is a sabotage of the Yzerplan or another massive miss.
25. New York Islanders (32-32-10, -26. Previous: 22)
Patrick Roy had some choice words for Anthony Duclair, and he’s probably the most entertaining soundbite since the Flyers fired John Tortorella. They’ve lost six in a row and now fall five points back of a wild-card spot. The Isles can’t score, but this is inevitably what happens when you fill your roster with a few top six players and a bunch of bottom six ones.
26. Pittsburgh Penguins (30-34-11, -56. Previous: 25)
Tristan Jarry looked so promising – as did the Pens’ playoff hopes, however slim – but then they imploded once again, and now find themselves basically on the outside looking in again. While Sidney Crosby’s Pens had much more success earlier in his career, the contrast between them and Alex Ovechkin’s Caps has been really stark.
27. Seattle Kraken (31-38-6, -21. Previous: 26)
With one win in their past six games and no playoffs yet again, you wonder how the Kraken can pull themselves out of mediocrity. Will they take some big swings again, as they did this off-season, or patiently wait until Matty Beniers and Shane Wright are top-tier NHL players?
28. Philadelphia Flyers (31-36-9, -46. Previous: 32)
The coaching bump under Brad Shaw seems to be real, and at least the Flyers are scoring again. Let’s face it, though – no coach could’ve coaxed much out of this lineup, and John Tortorella’s patience finally ran out, not that he had a wealth of it to begin with.
29. Nashville Predators (27-40-8, -55. Previous: 28)
Juuse Saros was pulled Tuesday against the Jackets in an 8-4 loss. Never mind the disappointing offense; when their best player isn’t their best player, they have zero chance. The key question is if Barry Trotz makes big moves again in the summer or steps back and hopes this team can resolve its problems itself.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Trade Stamkos? Go Young? What's Next For The Predators?A season that began with high expectations for the Nashville Predators after a summer of notable free-agent signings will end in disappointment.
30. San Jose Sharks (20-44-10, -89. Previous: 29)
Even when Macklin Celebrini’s car gets hit by the opposition’s team bus – intentional or not, who knows – and despite sitting last in the standings, the Sharks have this aura about them that good things really going to come. They’re a really entertaining team. They’re dynamic on offense, while their defense and goaltending is worth watching for all the wrong reasons.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (21-44-9, -68. Previous: 31)
Yes, the Hawks have won consecutive games just once since Dec. 19, but things keep getting better, if only slightly. We’ll overlook Spencer Knight’s numbers because the team in front of him isn’t very good, but he’s shown flashes of a potential future No. 1, and top prospects Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel recently signed. The question for them, and the NHL’s marketing team, is when we can see Connor Bedard in the playoffs.
32. Boston Bruins (30-36-9, -52. Previous: 30)
Ranking the Bruins third-last last week felt a little strange and somewhat insulting for a team that had been dominant for nearly two decades, but that crash you hear with that nine-game winless streak is the sound of this Bruins era catastrophically collapsing.
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Jimmy Snuggerud picked a great time to make his NHL debut.
The 20-year-old USHL alum, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (23rd overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, joined the club Tuesday and logged 10:43 of ice time in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Snuggerud had two shots on goal in the win, which extended the Blues’ winning streak to 10. He logged 15 shifts, including less than two minutes on a power-play chance.
While he had been to St. Louis in the past for prospect camps, the 6-foot-2, 187-pound right winger had never played in Enterprise Center until Tuesday.
As is often the case with highly-touted prospects, once that debut comes, it’s a whirlwind of activity. Snuggerud signed a three-year entry-level contract last Friday, one day after his University of Minnesota Gophers were eliminated in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Three days later, he practiced with the team before finding himself in a pivotal game during a hotly-contested playoff race on Tuesday.
Snuggerud, however, wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“It was fun. So exciting,” Snuggerud said after the game. “The rink was so energetic. Everything about the game, the comeback at the end, it was an awesome game.”
Jordan Kyrou tied the contest with 30 seconds left in regulation, and Cam Fowler scored the game-winner in overtime, as the Blues continue their hold on the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Snuggerud played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Minnesota, where he recorded 51 points (24-27-51) in 40 games this season. He’s one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which will ironically be announced on Thursday in St. Louis.
During his time with the Gophers, Snuggerud posted 135 points (66-69-135) in 119 games.
In two USHL seasons with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP), Snuggerud appeared in 55 games and totaled 40 points (13-27-40). He also led Team USA to the first of its back-to-back World Junior Championships with five goals in six games.
While his debut was brief, the Blues proved they are not afraid to throw their top prospect into the fire. St. Louis is counting on his offense, but he impressed scouts with his patience on puck and crisp cross-ice passes.
Aside from one giveaway during Tuesday night’s debut, Snuggerud showed he was worthy of the Blues’ confidence.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a little over 24 hours away from facing the red-hot St. Louis Blues, winners of ten straight games on Thursday night.
As the team kicks off a three-game road trip, they invited Joona Koppanen along, recalling the 27-year-old on an emergency basis early Wednesday morning.
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.
In March, Koppanen skated in five games and scored his first NHL goal on March 18 against the New York Islanders.
With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, he's scored seven goals and 22 points in 55 games.
Since moving to North America from Finland in 2018, Koppanen has 52 goals and 134 points in 358 games in the AHL.
For about 59 and a half minutes Tuesday night in St. Louis, the Detroit Red Wings appeared on their way to a well played road hockey game: Moments of absorbing pressure, excellent goaltending from Cam Talbot, and an opportunistic attack to nab a third period lead. However, 29 seconds short of securing two points, Detroit failed to clear, the Blues won battles to keep the puck alive, then Cam Fowler teed up a Jordan Kyrou redirect to tie the game at one, leaving a frustrated Dylan Larkin to rifle the puck off the boards. In overtime, Fowler scored the game-winner to give his team a 2–1 win, robbing the Red Wings of a point they'd thought was theirs moments earlier.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
The result was "brutal," J.T. Compher (who'd scored Detroit's lone goal of the night to take a 1–0 lead five minutes into the third) told reporters after the game. "We played a really good road game for a long time, Talbs played out of his mind, gave us a chance to win, and they were able to squeak one in late and steal that second point from us."
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"That's a really good hockey team playing good hockey at the moment, and we gave ourselves a chance to get two points, and we come up short," Compher added. "No one's beat 'em in eight or nine games, and we gave ourselves a really good chance tonight."
The sting of the loss is compounded by the fact that both the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets won Tuesday night, leaving the Wings four points to the wrong side of the playoff cutline with eight games left in the regular season.
"We know what's at stake, and it's not the fact that we gave up a point to an opponent," said coach Todd McLellan after the game. "It's just we didn't get the point, and I thought after starting slow on the night, Talbs kept us in it, and then we worked our way back in, checked fairly well...put ourselves in a situation to win and with about 3:40 left we iced the puck...and out comes the goalie and we just couldn't find a way to hit the open net at the other end or just finish the night."
Per McLellan, Tuesday's loss leaves Detroit with a choice that isn't really a choice: "We can either feel sorry for ourselves, which I don't think is a great option, or we can get back after it, and we have no choice."
The Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes Friday evening then the Florida Panthers Sunday in two games unlikely to lift them back into a playoff spot on their own, but certainly with the potential to all but eliminate them.
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