Sharks secure best odds for No. 1 pick in 2025 NHL Draft Lottery originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

The Sharks are No. 1! The Sharks are No. 1!

In 2025 NHL Draft Lottery odds, that is.

By virtue of the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-4 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night, San Jose, as the worst team in the NHL, now have guaranteed themselves the top draft lottery odds.

According to Tankathon, the Sharks will have a 25.5-percent chance of securing the No. 1-overall pick again. At the moment, the second-worst team in the league, the Blackhawks, have a 13.5 percent chance, while the third-worst Nashville Predators have an 11.5-percent chance

The Sharks can pick no worse than No. 3 in the 2025 Draft.

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The big day is finally here. After landing in Canada last week, tonight, Ivan Demidov should be making his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at the Bell Centre. The Illinois outfit is having another tough season and is currently 31st in the league with no hope of moving up or down.

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The Canadiens, who failed to clinch a playoff berth on their road trip last week, have another opportunity to do so, but they’ll have to avoid a trap they often fall into: playing down to the competition. In the only meeting between the two sides this season, Chicago got a 4-2 win, led by Nick Foligno and Tyler Bertuzzi.

The Hawks lost their last game and have a 3-5-2 record in their previous ten games, while the Canadiens have lost their last two but are 6-3-1 in their previous ten matches. Montreal had a day off on Sunday, so there’s been no official indication of a possible lineup change, but it seems logical that Michael Pezzetta will make way for Demidov and that Samuel Montembeault will be back in net, even though Jakub Dobes was excellent on Saturday night. While the Habs were off, Demidov, Lane Hutson and Arber Xhekaj were still on the ice in Brossard. 

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

The Canadiens' number one netminder has a 2-1-1 record against the visitors, a 2.71 goals-against average, and a .908 save percentage. Dobes has never faced them and doesn’t have the greatest record at home.

Arvid Soderblom was on duty when Chicago beat Montreal in January, but the Hawks have since acquired a new number one goaltender in Spencer Knight. Still, the backup has a 1-0-1 record against the Habs with a 1.92 GAA and a .937 SP. Meanwhile, Knight has a 1-1-0 record with a 3.52 GAA and a .875 SP and was in the net for Saturday night’s 5-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

Bel arrêt!!
Nice save 🚀 pic.twitter.com/bHxhxlkliD

— xy - Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) April 13, 2025

Up front, Patrik Laine is by far the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the visitors; he has 27 points in 29 games, and he’s followed by Christian Dvorak, who has nine points in 16 games, and David Savard, who has nine points in 30 games.

Meanwhile, Nick Foligno leads the Hawks with 24 points in 54 games, followed by Teuvo Teravainen with 21 points in 23 games and Tyler Bertuzzi with 14 points in 21 games.

Monday night’s tilt will be the 576th between the two sides, and they have each won five of the last ten games. The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and fans should get to their seats early if they want to witness Demidov’s rookie lap. The Canadiens could have qualified for the Spring dance on Sunday, but the Columbus Blue Jackets stayed alive thanks to a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals. If they want to make it, the Canadiens will have to book their playoff spot themselves. 

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Toffoli makes NHL history with 30th goal in Sharks' loss to Flames originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

Tyler Toffoli will need one more stop to match an NHL record.

Toffoli scored his 30th goal of the season on Sunday night, in the Sharks’ 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.

It was the fourth different team where the veteran sniper has reached that milestone: The Los Angeles Kings in 2015-16, the Flames in 2022-23, the Winnipeg Jets last year, and now, the Sharks.

When we sing Toffoli’s praises, of course, it’s not just about the scoring.

“He’s been outstanding for our group. The goal-scoring is one thing, but what he does for our dressing room as a leader, helping these young players,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Toffoli. “As much as Toff wants to score, he wants to win, and that’s what we need around here. We need guys that want to win and love to win more than they hate to lose. And that’s what Toff is all about.”

An alternate captain and a 2014 Stanley Cup champion, Toffoli has been a big brother to teen Sharks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, a guy who connects everybody in the locker room, and a good example of winning.

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Lysell scoring first Bruins goal is encouraging sign for future originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Fabian Lysell has played much better of late for the Boston Bruins, and his hard work was finally rewarded Sunday afternoon when he scored his first career NHL goal in a 4-1 road win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Bruins right wing found himself all alone in front of the net during a second-period power play when he took a pass from Pavel Zacha and beat Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry to give Boston a 2-0 lead.

Lysell made his NHL debut back on Dec. 28 but didn’t play another game for the Bruins until he was called up in March. He’s now played 11 games for the Bruins this season and has two points in his last three games, in addition to seven shots on net over the last two matchups.

“I think it means a lot for a guy like him,” interim head coach Joe Sacco told reporters in Pittsburgh on Sunday. “He sees himself as a little bit more of an offensive player, and when you’re in that position, you want to produce offensively.

“Especially getting your first one in the National Hockey League, it’s always a weight lifted off your shoulders. I think it’s been 11 games. Good on him. He’s doing some good things with the puck at times offensively. He’s attacking through the neutral zone, he’s attacking in the offensive zone. There are some things to like in his game, that’s for sure.”

Sometimes it takes time for young players to acclimate to the speed and physicality of the NHL game. Lysell failed to make much of an impact early in this recent call up, but he has looked much more comfortable of late and has really been using his speed to put pressure on opposing defensemen, draw penalties and create good looks at the net for himself and teammates.

Since making his return to the Bruins lineup on March 22 against the San Jose Sharks, Lysell ranks second on the Bruins at 5-on-5 in shots (20), third in shot attempts (35) and fifth in scoring chances (16), per Natural Stat Trick. He has been credited with just two turnovers during that span at 5-on-5, too, a sign that he’s improved his puck protection and is consistently making the right reads.

Even though the Bruins’ season ends Tuesday with a matchup versus the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden, Lysell will get more reps with the Providence Bruins in the AHL playoffs later this month. It’s a great opportunity for him to play in some high-pressure situations.

Lysell is arguably the Bruins’ top prospect right now. He was a 2021 first-round pick, and he has an impressive offensive skill set including an excellent shot, great speed and above-average playmaking ability. It hasn’t been easy for Lysell to crack the lineup since he was drafted, but more opportunity was created for him as a result of the Bruins dismantling their roster at the trade deadline in early March.

The Bruins are about to embark on a summer retool, and they need young players such as Lysell, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, Matt Poitras and Mason Lohrei, among others, to play a meaningful role in that process. It’s time for the B’s to start building the next generation.

Lysell still needs to be a little more consistent, but the last few games have no doubt been encouraging. It’s something to build on for the 22-year-old forward as he enters an important offseason. One of the best-case scenarios for the Bruins going into 2025-26 would be Lysell showing he belongs in Boston on a permanent basis.

On Sunday, the Anaheim Ducks played their final home game of the 2024-25 season when they hosted the Colorado Avalanche. The Ducks were coming off a 6-1 beatdown at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday after back-to-back victories over the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.

Game #80: Ducks vs. Avalanche Gameday Preview

This was the Avs’ season finale, and as they were locked into the third spot in the Central Division standings, they rested several of their impact players, including Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews.

The Ducks signed defenseman Ian Moore to an ELC on Saturday, and he made his NHL debut in this game. He was paired alongside Jacob Trouba, and Olen Zellweger served as a healthy scratch.

Ducks head coach Greg Cronin shuffled the lineup for this game, switching Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras on their respective lines.

Lukas Dostal got the start in this game for the Ducks and saved 20 of 23 shots.

Scott Wedgewood was in the Colorado crease and stopped 18 of 20.

“We started out poorly and we ended poorly,” Cronin said after the game. “To me, it’s extremely disappointing. I’ll leave it at that.”

Here are my notes from this game:

Rush Defense-Typically, when the Ducks have given up rush opportunities this season, it’s been a failure to pick up assignments despite getting back on the backcheck and beating trailers up ice.

That wasn’t the case in this game. They allowed two goals off rush chances and were beaten back up ice both times.

“Everything went off of turnovers,” Cronin said of what went wrong in the last ten minutes of the game. “It wasn’t like they stripped us. We had full possession of pucks.

“I don’t care what game it is during the season; you either play the right way, or you play the wrong way. We played the wrong way, and they took advantage of the turnovers and put them in the back of the net.”

On Colorado’s first, Pavel Mintyukov tried to make a backhand pass from the top of the zone to a low forward in the corner and was picked off, igniting a 4-on-3 that turned into a 4-on-2 the other way.

On Colorado’s third, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish were caught below the offensive goal line without possession. McTavish was the weak side forward who should have tracked back when the puck was sent up the opposite wall.

Ian Moore-Moore was able to showcase what could potentially evolve him into a quality modern defensive defenseman, specifically his skating. He has an explosive stride and elite four-way mobility that allow him to eliminate time and space as well as recover from broken plays.

His willingness to take control of the play in the offensive zone and walk the blueline confidently in search of a shooting or passing lane was on display and has been something missing from that aspect of the Ducks’ attack this season.

“I can’t really put it into words this quick,” Moore said after his first career NHL game. “It hasn’t sunk in. I was just trying to play simple out there, just trying to stick to the basics. It would have been nice to get the win, but it’s still a dream come true for me to play tonight.”

Trevor Zegras-For as long as Zegras is a member of the Ducks’ organization, it would appear he’s destined to be a winger. He is most effective when leading rushes and with the entire ice in front of him, so it’s imperative to manufacture ways to put himself in those positions.

Mitch Marner, Artemi Panarin, and Kirill Kaprizov have no issue getting to the middle of the ice in the defensive or neutral zones to build speed and drive play into the offensive zone. As an outlet, Zegras is too stationary and could stand to start his movements to open ice before outlet passes are made so he can make the next play with speed.

The Ducks will hit the road for their final two games of the season on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets, respectively.

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The Colorado Avalanche found a way to end their regular season in style as they come back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2 against the Anaheim Ducks. They ended the second period without getting on the board until Wyatt Aamodt, Jack Drury, Charlie Coyle, and Erik Johnson put up a four-goal third period to complete the comeback.

Scott Wedgewood made 18 saves on 20 total shots.

A Showing for the Rookie

Wyatt Aamodt received the call-up to join the Avalanche on the road on Friday morning, along with Colorado Eagles' teammates Jack Ahcan and Jere Innala. Of those three players, Aamodt is the only one who hadn't played a single NHL game. He made his NHL debut on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Sunday's game against the Ducks was his second NHL game, and if it isn't one to remember...

Aamodt joined in on the rush with Martin Necas, receiving a drop pass and snapping it at the net. The puck ricochets off of Ducks' defenseman Pavel Mintyukov and past goaltender Lukas Dostal to get the Avalanche on the board. His first NHL point, and it comes in the form of a kickstarting goal for his team.

Wyatt Aamodt with the wrister 🚨#GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/TXlg4C3Ls5

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 14, 2025

In 66 games with the Colorado Eagles this season, the 27-year-old undrafted defenseman has 3 goals and 13 assists.

What an End to the Regular Season

After Sunday's win, Colorado heads into the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 102 points. They are securely cemented into the 3rd place spot in the Central Division. On Saturday night, the playoff matchup for the first round was announced. The Avalanche will play the Dallas Stars.

Our matchup is set. #GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferentpic.twitter.com/soGXWAumsj

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 13, 2025

Per a member of the Avalanche staff, the schedule for round one of the playoffs is set to be announced following the conclusion of the NHL regular season on Thursday, April 17th.

The Stars delivered a devastating exit to the Avalanche in the second round of the 2023-24 playoffs last year, with forward Matt Duchene scoring the game-winning goal in double overtime.

The rivalry seems to be an even bigger deal this year given that long-time forward for the Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen, now wears green on the other side of the ice. The Finland native spent 10 years with the Avalanche organization before he was dealt in a blockbuster trade to the Carolina Hurricanes, who flipped him again at the trade deadline to Dallas.

The Stars still have two games remaining but are firmly in the Central's second-place spot with the Winnipeg Jets having secured the President's Trophy on Sunday. They currently sit at 106 points on the season.

What's Next for the Avalanche?

Per Avalanche Media Relations, the Avalanche will not practice on Monday, April 14th. A schedule has not been released for the remaining week, but seeing as Colorado is the first NHL team to finish their regular season, this week will likely be one for the group to fine-tune skills in practice, but mostly to get the rest they need before playoffs officially begin on April 19th.

The Calgary Flames beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2, winning another do-or-die game and live to fight another day.

Here are my three takeaways from the game:

1)     Sharks’ energy just fizzled out

You remember the last Sharks-Flames post-game takeaway where we talked about how San Jose came alive in the third period after a low-oomph opening two periods?

Well, the opposite happened on Sunday: the Sharks came bursting out of the gate with an Expected Goal value of 1.5, which was even more than Calgary’s 0.7. That doesn’t matter though because the Flames led 2-1 at first intermission.

However, going back to San Jose, the Sharks never reached that level of passion of energy in the game again. They had an Expected Goal value of 1.32 combined for both second and third periods.

2)        Offense has been good in some ways, not in others

The Flames scored five goals on an Expected Goal value of 3.78. That is 1.22 goals above expected.

Third-line wing Yegor Sharangovich’s two goals at an Expected Goal value of 0.88 made him deserving of the First-Star award.

The power play situation has been the same, unfortunately. The Flames went 0-for-2, and could’ve used the second power play opportunity to get the go-ahead goal in the second period.

3)      Dustin Wolf

Wolf had a great game this time. With an Expected Goal Against value of 2.81, he gave up only two. A save percentage of 93.3 looks good on the stat sheet as well.

With the Flames getting two valuable points in regulation, all eyes will be on Minnesota's (95 pts) and St. Louis' (94 pts) final regular season games against Anaheim and Utah respectively on Tuesday.

St. Louis CANNOT get a regulation win. If they do, Calgary is out.

If the Blues lose, get an overtime loss (95 pts), or overtime victory (96 pts), then Calgary has to beat or equal St. Louis in whatever points they’ve put up. If they are equal in points, Calgary has to make sure they have more than 31 regulation wins (most regulation wins is the tie-breaker)

For Minnesota, it’s simple: win and you’re in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If the Wild don't win, Calgary can try and catch up to overtake them in points.

Calgary’s next win-or-go-home contest will be against the Vegas Golden Knights, also on Tuesday at 7 MT/9 ET from Calgary.