Young Sharks defenseman finally putting together impressive NHL tape 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 X at @Sheng_Peng.

It’s hard to learn how to play defense in the NHL.

Shakir Mukhamadullin, who played a career-high 24:15 in the Sharks’ 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday at SAP Center, is a prime example of that.

The 23-year-old, the 2020 New Jersey Devils’ first-round pick, finally is putting together consistently strong NHL tape after a long and non-linear development in the KHL and AHL.

Notably, he’s killing or influencing plays defensively on a fairly regular basis in the best league in the world.

But he still is going to have his rough patches … and that’s okay.

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The Florida Panthers can go ahead and file Saturday’s loss to the Washington Capitals away in deep, dark drawer.

No need to keep tabs on much of what happened during Florida’s 6-3 loss to the Caps.

Not after this post, anyway.

The defeat was a tough pill to swallow at the end of a frustrating road trip, but that’s all that it was.

Fortunately, the Panthers have endured bumps in the road like this before and come out on the other side just fine.

No reason to suspect that won’t be the case this time around.

Let’s get to Saturday’s takeaways.

UNPREPARED FOR THE RUSH

It’s no secret that the Capitals are a fast team that likes to create opportunities in transition and keep their opponents on their heels.

Florida has faced teams who play similar styles and shown that they can clog the neutral zone, limit time and space and keep the game on a more level plane.

That did not happen on Saturday.

It was clear from early on that the Capitals were dictating the style of play, and while Florida can keep up thanks to their very skilled players, playing the rush game generally isn’t a recipe for success when it comes to the Panthers.

As we saw, Florida’s usually rock-solid defending can get a little leaky when the game opens up.

“We had a really hard time with some of our rush reads, and then the creation of the rush as well, how we let them develop,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “A fast team, they made us pay pretty quick and tough to come back on. We had some tough reads, and that's the coach's job to make sure that everybody knows who they've got, so we'll work on it.”

NOT OVERLY CONCERNED

Looking over Florida’s recent collection of games, there isn’t much to feel great about with 12 games left until the playoffs.

Fortunately for the Cats, their current group is far from what will suit up when the postseason arrives.

Between missing players and their recent travel schedule, the Panthers have valid reasons for being a bit off their game lately.

The effort level remains high, as is the confidence that things will snap back into place.

“I'm not concerned about it,” Maurice said. “We've had some challenges, like in the first 50 games, finding that level. We’ve had a couple of tough nights here on this road trip. It's been six games, and we'd like to be .500 or better when you're on the road. We failed to do that, but we won't fold the season.”

MACKIE MOVED UP

When the game reached the third period, with Florida down 6-3, Maurice tried something with his forward lines.

Rookie Mackie Samoskevich was moved up to the Panthers top line, with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart.

There is no denying the chemistry that has grown between Samoskevich and second line center Sam Bennett, and it’s a big part of why the youngster has seen his play elevated to another level in recent weeks.

Seeing how the electric youngster does when paired up with Florida’s most dynamic scorers seems like the logical next step in his freshman season progression.

“It’s something I've been playing with in my head, and at that point, it was something that I wanted to see,” Maurice said. “He's just been a really good player for us, and he's very creative with what he does. We were down by a whole bunch, so I wanted to just take a look at it.”

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ST. LOUIS – The tears and emotions started running early for Pat Maroon, and only the ‘Hometown Hero’ knew why before anyone else.

The 36-year-old and Oakville, Mo. native was set to play against the St. Louis Blues for the final time this season with the hated Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues are in a playoff race, and the Blackhawks are just playing out the string.

But was it just the final game against the Blues this season? Well, take a look. It was more than that.

Maroon spoke to former Blues and current Blackhawks color analyst Darren Pang during pregame of the Blues’ 4-1 win at Enterprise Center on Saturday and confirmed that this, his 14th NHL season, will be his last.

More than 840 regular-season games (125 goals, 195 assists), 163 playoff games (23 goals, 30 assists), a three-time – and three straight – Stanley Cup champion, including the first with the Blues in 2018-19, a career that began with the St. Louis Amateur Blues U18 midget squad in 2004-05 and playing for Jon Cooper with the St. Louis Bandits of the North American Hockey League in 2006-07 before being a sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft, Maroon, who signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Blackhawks last summer, said this is it.

His career began with the Anaheim Ducks with stops with the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins and Blackhawks.

“It’s been in the back of my head all year,” said Maroon, who ended the game in style with his 96th career fight in the third period with Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker. “I’ve given everything I have, and I want to go out on my own terms. I don’t want to be scratching and clawing for a contract, and them telling you you’re out. I wanted to leave on my own terms and when I was ready. I’m excited for my new chapter in life. Just going to finish hard. You guys know I play between the whistles and as hard as I can. Every time I get over the boards, it’s like my last shift ever. I’m going to continue to do that.

“My wife [Francesca] doesn’t want me to hang them up. She wants me to keep playing. It’s just the choice I had. I have no regrets in this game. I’ve given it everything. I’ve done everything. I achieved everything I could. St. Louis kid, growing up here, I was 352 games in the minors, and 840 games in the NHL right now. Who would’ve thought that? I’m just happy I got to win in my hometown, and go on to win two more. I’ve achieved everything I thought (I could). I probably overachieved sometimes. I was against all odds, and I beat the odds. I was always a person, I was self-motivated. I wanted to do it all on my own because (everyone) had doubt in me. Everyone doubted me, and I wanted to put that doubt in everyone else’s face.”

Word spread quickly that Maroon made his announcement on the Blackhawks broadcast. The Blues went into immediate production and threw together a video tribute showing the famous double-overtime goal against the Dallas Stars in the second round and a standing and loud ovation from a crowd appreciative of one of their own who helped bring the title to the Gateway City for the first time.

“I was shocked what the Blues did for me tonight,” Maroon said. “They didn’t have to do that. Obviously, I’ve been talking about it with my wife and my family. I’ve done everything I could in this league. I have no regrets. Just having a conversation with ‘Panger’, it kind of blew up. First, I wanted to thank the St. Louis Blues organization for really making this night really special for me and my family.

“Thank God they told me before the period started, so I was ready for it. The Blues didn’t have to do anything tonight. I was just playing a hockey game. Obviously, people got wind of it right away after I talked to ‘Panger’, and they really made it a special night for me. I can’t thank the Blues organization for doing that for me and my family tonight. Everyone was here tonight, so that made it really special.”

In front of his wife, parents and other family members on hand, Maroon took a stroll onto the ice, acknowledged the crowd and then again at game’s end when he was announced as the First Star of the game, taking a look around to soak it all in.

“A lot,” he said. “I looked a lot, especially during the national anthem and especially on the bench, TV timeouts. This city means a lot to me. The fanbase means a lot. The organization means a lot to me. Some of those guys that I won with mean a lot to me. I can’t thank them enough for helping me make tonight successful.”

That included Blues captain Brayden Schenn, a teammate and forever friend.

“He’s an incredible human, an incredible guy,” Schenn said. “A guy that really came in here and really helped embrace the locker room and become a huge piece on and off the ice of what this team is all about. Rightfully so, the crowd did him right, a guy that’s just grinded for everything that he’s got in his whole career. He’s a guy that plays hard minutes, he’s fought tough guys throughout his whole career playing at 36, 37 doing it the way he does. It’s definitely hat’s off to him.

“I don’t love seeing him in that jersey, I’m not going to lie, but being his last game here in St. Louis, obviously very emotional, talked to him after. When you win with guys, you care about guys quite a bit. Nice to see him and get a good salute tonight by the crowd and nice tribute by the Blues PR team.”

Maroon broke the heart of Blues coach Jim Montgomery, who was the coach of the Stars on that Game 7 on May 7, 2019 day in St. Louis but also had Maroon last season as coach of the Boston Bruins.

“I had the good fortune of coaching Pat Maroon in Boston last year and in the playoffs,” he said. “He is an exemplary and great teammate and he’s an incredibly intelligent hockey mind and player. He’s very underrated about how well he understands the game. He’s one of the best players at making plays off walls and breakouts at leading to 2-on-1s, and everybody knows how he sacrifices for the team. And on the bench, he made a huge impact for us in Boston because he brings energy, he lifts people up, he coaches people that he’s playing with. Sorry to see him retire, but what a career. A champion.”

That champion almost never materialized in St. Louis when the Blues nearly placed Maroon on waivers in what was amounting to an underachieving season that obviously quickly turned around, and Maroon became one of those galvanizing voices in a locker room that came together at the right time and stood above all else in June.

“I think he just does it with kind of understanding people, understanding the ebbs and flows of a season, and a guy that really knows has the way with words helping people along the way,” Schenn said of Maroon. “That team was just so tight, he’s just obviously another piece to everyone that being so close and he was definitely a ring leader with lots of laughs when you combine him with [Ryan] O’Reilly and [Tyler] Bozak, [Jaden] Schwartz, [Robert] Bortuzzo, the list goes on and on, right? A special person and obviously a friend for life.

“Without that (Game 7 goal), just a legendary goal, legendary celebration by the hometown kid. It’s obviously one of those memories you look back on, as that team, as life goes on, you have a lot of beers over, talk about memories and stuff like that with how everything went.”

Maroon’s playoff career is over. Depending on how many of the Blackhawks’ final 12 games he plays, will be it. So that last lap around Enterprise Center was one to store in the memory bank.

“It sucks. When I’m done here, I’m going to be a Blues fan,” Maroon said. “I’ll be coming to games, just like all the other alumni. It’s going to be fun coming back here and watching the Blues play. St. Louis kid get the opportunity to end on a high note, get the opportunity to actually play in St. Louis to end the year. It’s pretty remarkable. I couldn’t write a better script on how all this transpired today. I’m really happy, like I said, with the St. Louis Blues. I’m happy where I’m at. I’m content. Whatever happens in the next chapter, I’m just going to have to go do it again.”

The hometown hero ... #stlbluespic.twitter.com/g0VyducCvY

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) March 22, 2025

NASHVILLE — The Toronto Maple Leafs arrived in Nashville with momentum, carrying a three-game winning streak as they prepared to face the struggling Nashville Predators. The Leafs looked like a team that had overcome their struggles from just a couple of weeks ago, and in the first 20 minutes of action at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, they appeared unstoppable.

However, the game completely flipped in the second period, with Nashville scoring five unanswered goals for a 5-2 victory.

"It was a total flip," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said after the game. "What we did to them in the first what they did to us in the second and we had breakdowns that cost goals. There was no reason for it."

Maple Leafs forward John Tavares said his team "should be pissed off" by the inability to finish off the two-game road trip. Ironically, the Leafs had a 2-0 lead as out-of-town games with their opponents had concluded. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers lost in regulation. A single point would have given the Leafs sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. Instead they are second place, holding the same 42-25-3 record as Florida, but losing out on the first tiebreaker (regulation wins) However, they couldn't stop a team ranked 30th out of 32 in the NHL, playing for nothing but pride.

"It's a huge opportunity missed for us," Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev said. "We're trying to win every game. So 12 games left, try to go 12-0. Start of the year, you try to go 82-0. Our mindset's the same. We want to win every game and we want to win our division."

With 12 games remaining, Berube sounded the alarm on some mental mistakes he was seeing from the Leafs on Saturday. The odd-man rushes allowed have been a problem, but is he surprised to be seeing this so late in the season as the club gears up for the postseason?

Berube said, "I'm not sure if I'm surprised. These kinds of mental mistakes can happen throughout the year. However, I haven't seen mistakes like we made tonight in a while."

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Not quite five minutes into Saturday night's game from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Lucas Raymond benefitted from a fortuitous deflection off a Golden Knight stick in the slot to put his Red Wings up 1–0 with a power play goal.  Detroit, loser of eight of its last 10 games entering the night, had energy and a reward for a strong start.  By the end of the first period, that momentum ran dry, and the Red Wings trailed by two on the way to a 6–3 loss, their distant playoff hopes fading just a bit farther into horizon.

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Vegas would've scored for in the first had coach Todd McLellan not successfully overturned a goal for offside, but before two minutes were played in the second, Patrick Kane buried the rebound from a Moritz Seider shot, and Detroit cut the score to 3–2 with another power play goal.

For the second time on the evening, an early period Red Wings goal inspired a Vegas volley in return.  Mark Stone made it 4–2 Knights just over five minutes later, then Tomas Hertl (who'd scored twice in the first, both goals exploiting open ice around the Detroit crease, while the Red Wings failed to tie up his stick) added another a minute after Stone.

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In the third, Alex DeBrincat got Detroit the first goal again, a wrist shot rifled in and back out of the net before Adin Hill could react in the Vegas crease.  DeBrincat's goal made it 5–3 Knights with just over half the final period still to play.  This time, Vegas only answered once, but it was all the Knights would need: Jack Eichel fighting through three Red Wings to tuck a backhanded empty net goal home with the clock showing 2:01 to play.

The loss, coupled with the results on the out-of-town scoreboard, leaves Detroit five points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (the Montreal Canadiens, who overturned a late 4–1 deficit to salvage a point in a 5–4 OT loss to Colorado Saturday night).

The Red Wings have 13 games with which to make up that gap, beginning Monday night in Utah.  They entered their present trip with their postseason aspirations potentially hanging in the balance.  Now, the back-to-back in Salt Lake City and Denver will be their last chance to salvage any points from the road.  It's not quite do-or-die yet, not mathematically anyway, but Detroit desperately needs positive results.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — David Perron scored a power-play goal to cap Ottawa’s three-goal second period, and the Senators held on to beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday night.

Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson also scored to help the Senators win for the seventh time in their last nine games. Linus Ullmark finished with 25 saves.

Nico Hischier and Erik Haula scored for the Devils, who have lost three of four. Jake Allen had 16 saves.

Tkachuk gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead with his 28th at 4:05 of the second, and Batherson doubled the lead with his 20th at 4:38.

Hischier’s power play goal at 7:13 got the Devils on the scoreboard. It was his 30th and extended his point streak to six games.

However, Perron extended the lead to 3-1 with his sixth 1:31 later.

Haula pulled the Devils back within one with his eighth with 23 seconds left in the third.

New Jersey had several prime chances in the final 20 seconds, looking to tie it, but Ullmark made several stops and Jake Sanderson clearing the puck near the goalmouth.

Takeaways

Ottawa: The Senators hold the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and pulled one point behind the Devils for third place in the Metropolitan Division. Ottawa has played two fewer games.

New Jersey: The Devils have lost six of their last 10 games, and are in danger of falling into a wild card spot.

Key moment

Tim Stutzle and Sanderson scored 33 seconds apart early in the second period to give the Senators a 2-0 lead.

Key stat

Jesper Bratt got his 61st assist of the season on Hischier’s goal, passing Scott Stevens (60 in 1993-94) for the franchise record.

Up next

Ottawa visits Buffalo on Tuesday, while the Devils host Vancouver on Monday to finish a three-game homestand.

Twenty-four hours after getting pummelled by the Providence Bruins, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins bounced back with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win on Saturday over the AHL's second-best team, the Hershey Bears.

Moreover, the Penguins were backed by rookie phenom Sergei Murashov, who improved to 10-0-0 in his first season in the AHL. Saturday's third star of the game made 24 saves on 26 shots, earning a .923 SV%, his fifth-best total of the season.

As the overtime hero, Avery Hayes was named the game's first star. He scored the winner, his 19th of the year, at 2:09 of the extra period. Meanwhile, the contest's second star was Atley Calvert, who scored the Penguins' two other goals, one in the second and one in the third period.

Penguins: Sidney Crosby's Chase Of Wayne Gretzky's NHL Point-Per-Game RecordPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on pace to break a Wayne Gretzky record many people thought would never fall; most seasons (19) averaging a point-per-game average. 

The Bears (38-16-6-1) opened the scoring when Mike Vecchione scored at 18:36 of the first period. Calvert tied things at 3:49 of the middle frame and scored again at 6:52 of the third. At 18:29, Vecchione tallied his second of the night to force the overtime.  

Hershey's Hunter Shepard was on the hook for a loss with 28 saves on 31 shots. However, the story of the night belonged to Murashov, who has yet to lose in the AHL this season.

The 21-year-old from Russia is 10-0-0 with a .916 SV% and 2.58 GAA. He now owns the Penguins record for longest win streak by a rookie goalie. 

As mentioned, the Penguins lost to the Bruins 10-2 on Friday and will finish their three-game weekend with a visit to the Bridgeport Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

Thanks to a 34-18-7-1 record, WBS remains tied with the Charlotte Checkers for third place in the Atlantic Division. So far, the Bears are the only AHL team to clinch a playoff spot. 

Although the Pittsburgh Penguins shipped out most of their unrestricted free agents before the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 7, there are still a few remaining on the roster.

There's really no telling what President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas will do in free agency this summer, but it is possible that he decides to bring back some of the UFA stragglers who are currently on the NHL roster.

So which UFAs should they keep around, and who should they let walk?

Matt Grzelcyk

Keep: Yes

This may or may not be a polarizing response, but Grzelcyk's career has found new life in Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old left defenseman has already smashed previous offensive career-highs - his 32 points so far this season have beaten his previous career-best total of 26 - and he has helped revive a pronounced-dead Penguins' power play.

Given that the Pittsburgh's left defensive corps are a bit thin as far as talent right now, it might not be the worst thing to sign him to another one- or two-year deal to help bridge the gap for the younger guys - like Owen Pickering and Emil Pieniniemi - coming up through the system.

Matt Nieto

Keep: No

Nieto's return to play this season after missing nearly an entire year with knee injuries was certainly inspiring. However, his performance over time did not warrant the Penguins keeping him on their NHL roster, as they waived him on Feb. 26.

There isn't really any reason for the Penguins to keep Nieto beyond this season, especially with some young prospects vying for roster spots in 2025-26.

Emil Bemstrom

Keep: Yes

Prior to his latest Pittsburgh call-up on Feb. 27, Bemstrom was enjoying an impressive season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). He put up 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games and was named to the AHL All-Star Classic.

Although he will be 26 next season, Bemstrom is a good depth option to have. He is a proven AHL player and may have a bit more to offer at the NHL level. He has also been pretty effective in generating chances through a short 10-game sample this season. 

Bring him back cheap, and he's a decent insurance option - especially in the event of injury or if a younger player needs to be sent back for development at some point during the season next year. 

Boko Imama

Keep: Yes 

Imama is not only a high-energy guy on the ice, he's also someone you want to have in a locker room. His teammates love him, and his positive energy is contagious.

He shouldn't be in the lineup on a nightly basis if the Penguins bring him back. There are younger players who are due for NHL opportunities, and for the type of player Imama is - one of the NHL's few true enforcers - he doesn't need to be in the lineup every night, anyway.

Imama would be fine to bring back as a 13th or 14th forward whose roster spot wouldn't really be hindering a younger player's development.

Joona Koppanen

Keep: No

Koppanen, 27, has enjoyed a pretty decent season in WBS. He registered six goals and 21 points in 53 AHL games, and his two-way conscientiousness is definitely something that has value.

But there are dozens of other Koppanens around the league, including many who are younger. If he returns on a cheap AHL-level contract, that's understandable. But he's the kind of player who - at the NHL level - might block prospects like Vasily Ponomarev, Avery Hayes, and Tristan Broz.

Forward depth in the system is never a bad thing. But bringing Koppanen back certainly isn't a "must."

Other UFA predictions:

Keep:

     - C Jimmy Huntington
     - RW Marc Johnstone
     - D Nathan Clurman

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The Ottawa Senators shook off a two-game losing streak on Saturday night, winning a 3-2 nailbiter over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils made a furious push with their goalie pulled at the end of the game but the Sens held on for the win. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves as the Sens were outshot 27-19.

The Senators utilized one of the game's golden rules they probably heard from every coach they've ever had: "Go to the net, get rewarded."

After a scoreless first period, which wasn't for lack of chances, the Senators did all of their scoring in the middle frame in a span of four and a half minutes, all on redirected shots by players stationed in front of the Devils' net.

The first goal came from Brady Tkachuk—his 28th of the season—4:05 into the second period as he redirected a puck from Jake Sanderson.

Just 33 seconds later, Dylan Cozens appeared to be attempting a one-timer but fanned on the shot. Regardless of his intent, it turned into a perfect pass to Batherson, who redirected it past Jake Allen.

The Devils cut the lead to 2-1 at the 7:13 mark when Nico Hischier fired a one-timer for his 30th goal of the season. Jesper Bratt set it up, earning his 61st assist of the year, breaking a Devils franchise record (Scott Stevens 1993-94).

However, the Senators restored their two-goal lead after Claude Giroux’s shot on the power play bounced off David Perron and into the net. It was Perron's sixth goal of the season, making it 3-1 Ottawa and standing up as the winner.

The Senators nursed the lead the rest of the way, but finally bent in the dying moments when Erik Haula scored with 22 seconds left. The Devils made a hard charge to tie it with a loose puck in the blue paint behind Ullmark, but Artem Zub swept it away in the scrum, preserving the win.

Tkachuk continues to push through nagging hip pain that may go back to the 4 Nations tournament in February. Sportsnet cameras caught him wincing in pain during the first period on Saturday night, leaving a shift early, and yelling profanities in frustration. 

The Senators continued to monitor his status, using him sparingly in the third. He played just over 13 minutes, well off his customary 18-19 minutes of work. The team is obviously hoping he and defenceman Nick Jensen can heal up their nagging injuries and be as close to 100% as possible before the playoffs.

Speaking of which, the win Saturday was a nice counter to the New York Rangers 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It keeps the Sens five points above the Eastern playoff cut line. They also expanded their lead on the (WC2) Montreal Canadiens, who lost in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche and slip four points behind the Sens.

The Sens also climbed two points closer to the top three teams in the Atlantic - Florida, Toronto, and Tampa - who all lost. 

The Senators' next game is in Buffalo on Tuesday night.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.

The Ottawa Senators shook off a two-game losing streak on Saturday night, winning a 3-2 nailbiter over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils made a furious push with their goalie pulled at the end of the game but the Sens held on for the win. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves as the Sens were outshot 27-19.

The Senators utilized one of the game's golden rules they probably heard from every coach they've ever had: "Go to the net, get rewarded."

After a scoreless first period, which wasn't for lack of chances, the Senators did all of their scoring in the middle frame in a span of four and a half minutes, all on redirected shots by players stationed in front of the Devils' net.

The first goal came from Brady Tkachuk—his 28th of the season—4:05 into the second period as he redirected a puck from Jake Sanderson.

Just 33 seconds later, Dylan Cozens appeared to be attempting a one-timer but fanned on the shot. Regardless of his intent, it turned into a perfect pass to Batherson, who redirected it past Jake Allen.

The Devils cut the lead to 2-1 at the 7:13 mark when Nico Hischier fired a one-timer for his 30th goal of the season. Jesper Bratt set it up, earning his 61st assist of the year, breaking a Devils franchise record (Scott Stevens 1993-94).

However, the Senators restored their two-goal lead after Claude Giroux’s shot on the power play bounced off David Perron and into the net. It was Perron's sixth goal of the season, making it 3-1 Ottawa and standing up as the winner.

The Senators nursed the lead the rest of the way, but finally bent in the dying moments when Erik Haula scored with 22 seconds left. The Devils made a hard charge to tie it with a loose puck in the blue paint behind Ullmark, but Artem Zub swept it away in the scrum, preserving the win.

Tkachuk continues to push through nagging hip pain that may go back to the 4 Nations tournament in February. Sportsnet cameras caught him wincing in pain during the first period on Saturday night, leaving a shift early, and yelling profanities in frustration. He 

The Senators continued to monitor his status, using him sparingly in the third. He played just over 13 minutes, well off his usual contributions. The team is obviously hoping he and defenceman Nick Jensen can heal up their nagging injuries and be as close to 100% as possible before the playoffs.

Speaking of which, the win Saturday was a nice counter to the New York Rangers 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. That keeps the Sens five points above the Eastern playoff cut line. They also expanded their lead on the (WC2) Montreal Canadiens, who lost in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche and stand four points behind the Sens.

The Sens also climbed two points closer to the top three teams in the Atlantic - Florida, Toronto, and Tampa - who all lost. They're 

The Senators' next game is in Buffalo on Tuesday night.

By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa

Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.