Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov made his NHL debut, potentially the most highly anticipated debut in 2024-25, on Monday in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored a goal and notched an assist in his first period of NHL hockey, causing many to question how he slipped to the Habs at five, similar to questions many had in June of 2024.

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Demidov (19) was selected fifth overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft despite consensus suggesting he was the number two prospect behind San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini. Demidov scored 60 points (23-37=60) in 30 MHL (Russia’s top junior league) regular season games in the 2023-24 season and added 28 points (11-17=28) in 17 playoff games.

Demidov’s draft profile radiated talent but came with significant question marks, as did every draft-eligible player outside of Celebrini. He had creativity dripping from his pores while displaying elite puck skills, manipulation skills, and hockey IQ.

The downside was the perceived questionable translatability of his skating and production, as he had only ever played before Russian eyes, in Russia, and had played all but six games in the MHL, a league he was clearly too advanced for.

Following Celebrini’s selection at first overall and ahead of Demidov’s fifth, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Artyom Levshunov second, the Ducks selected Beckett Sennecke third, and the Blue Jackets selected Cayden Lindstrom fourth.

In 2024-25, Demidov played 65 regular season games for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, scoring 49 points (19-30=49) in limited minutes. He added five points (3-2=5) in six playoff games. His season quelled practically all concerns regarding his translatability as he was now producing and positively impacting games in one of the world’s top professional leagues.

Demidov’s NHL debut on Monday captured the attention of the hockey world. He instantly met and exceeded expectations, electrifying fans with a couple of highlight-reel plays, resulting in his two-point night.

He made one critical error on Chicago’s game-tying goal in the third period with a pitiful backchecking effort that ended up costing Montreal the extra point.

The good far outweighed the bad and the conversation within the Ducks sphere centered again around why and how the Ducks passed on who most considered the second-best prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Ducks director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager Martin Madden met with local media ahead of the 2024 Draft to discuss his team’s approach.

“It’s not about what they look like today, it’s what they’re going to look like five years from now and the impact they’re going to have on our team five years from now,” Madden said when asked about his approach at the draft.

“We’re going to go with the old boring way and say that we’re going to go with the best player available according to our opinion and projection,” he continued.

It’s clear that translatability is a considerable factor for Madden and the Ducks at the draft. There’s also always the perceived “Russian Factor” when it comes to players under contract with KHL clubs. Teams don’t have access to the development of those players as they do with prospects in other leagues around the world.

Madden stated the Ducks did meet with Demidov at the Gold Star pre-draft combine, a camp put on by Demidov’s agency.

“Five years ago, I would have said not at all,” Madden said when asked if he was comfortable drafting a Russian player at the top of the draft. “By now, we are comfortable with the process (of assessing players strictly on video). We’ve had enough live viewings of these players through Konstantin Krylov, our Russian scout.

“For me, it’s nice to have been able to get a live look in terms of Ivan Demidov. He’s still hurt, so he didn’t get on the ice. But to talk to him and so on and so forth. To answer your question, we are comfortable. It’s not a big deal.”

The Ducks ended up selecting exceptionally skilled winger Beckett Sennecke with the third overall pick. He was the draft’s “late riser,” solidifying his draft profile with a spectacular final string of regular season and playoff games.

If Madden is to be taken at his word, at the time of the draft, the Ducks viewed Sennecke as the highest projectable player available to them with the number three pick.

Sennecke (19) has dazzled in the 2024-25 season, scoring 86 points (36-50=86) in 56 regular season games for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, and has added 10 points (4-6=10) in six playoff games.

Sennecke remains a justifiable selection by Anaheim regardless of how Demidov arrived in the NHL. Like Madden had said nearly a year ago, “It’s not about what they look like today, it’s about what they’re going to look like five years from now.”

The Ducks' decisions at the 2024 draft shouldn’t be evaluated less than a year from conclusion, but several years down the road.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are going to win their games. Their locker room is galvanized and their goalie Jet Greaves is playing as well as any goalie in the NHL currently. This is something the Montreal Canadiens have to worry about IF they continue to lose. They still hold control their playoff destiny.

Blue Jackets defenseman, Dante Fabrro talked about this scenario.

“We have to do what we can do. Just win hockey games and put pressure on them. I’ve felt we’ve been doing a pretty good job of that so far and again it’s coming down to the last game for each of us now. We were all watching last night in the hotel room and the third period, overtime and the shootout. Coming into today we knew this was a big game and we came out the winner.”

It’s about playing desperate hockey and Adam Fantilli spoke to that.

“It’s awesome. We dropped a couple of games we weren’t happy about and knew we had to win games. We are trying to do our part and doing a great job of it. Jet (Greaves) has been playing great. We’ve been in desperation mode for however many games.”

It’s simple, yet complex. The Canadiens just have to take care of business. At the very least, get the game into overtime. Sometimes that’s easier said than done and the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going to roll over but they might sit some of their starters. There is an opportunity here. 

No team ever wants to back in. You want to go into the playoffs hot. So far, the Canadiens aren’t doing it right but they’ll get another crack at it.

The Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL draft lotterry odds are offically set. Regardless of what happens on Wednesday versus the Vegas Golden Knights, the Canucks will finish the campaign with a 97.9% chances of drafting 15th overall. As for their other odds, according to NHL Tankathon, Vancouver has a 1.1% chance of getting fifth overall, and a 1.1% chance of landing the 16th overall pick.

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If the Canucks do end up with the 15th overall pick, it will be the second time in franchise history they select from this slot. The only other time was in 2022, when they selected Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The Swedish winger made his NHL debut this season, recording three goals and six points in 24 games with Vancouver.

The San Jose Sharks have the best odds of winning first overall this year, at 25.5%. The second-best odds are the Chicago Blackhawks at 13.5%, followed by the Nashville Predators in third at 11.5%. Teams can only move up ten spots in the draft lottery, which means even if the Canucks win the lottery, they will not move up to first overall.

Vancouver concludes their season on Wednesday against the Golden Knights. This game will be emotional for players and fans, as it could be the final Canucks game for players like Brock Boeser and Pius Suter, who are pending unresticted free agents. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 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.

Teams are built through the draft.

Like it or not, that has been Steve Yzerman’s approach since his arrival.

Since his arrival prior to the 2019 NHL entry draft, the Detroit Red Wings GM has made eight first-round selections. Yzerman has drafted Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson,Sebastian Cossa, Marco Kasper, Nate Danielson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Every one of those players, minus the most recent three, has played NHL games. Most of them have been key contributors for the Red Wings this season (Seider, Raymond, Edvinsson, Kasper).

And now, two of them are closer to playing in the NHL.

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On Tuesday, the Red Wings announced they reassigned Brandsegg-Nygard and Sandin-Pellikka to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. This will be an excellent opportunity for Red Wings fans to get a first-hand look at these prospects.

Red Wings Prospects Have Golden Opportunity Ahead Of Them

The Griffins have three regular season games remaining before they enter the Calder Cup Playoffs. They play Wednesday night against the Rockford Icehogs and again on Friday. The Griffins wrap up their season on Saturday against the Iowa Wild.

Sandin-Pellikka has had a phenomenal season. Between his World Juniors performance to his milestone-setting season in the SHL, he’s proving to be an excellent prospect for the Red Wings.

Top Red Wings Prospect Surging Ahead“I love it when a plan comes together.”

The same can be said for Brandsegg-Nygard. While he didn’t set records like his teammate Sandin-Pellikka, he is one year younger, and their developments shouldn’t be compared in the same context. He recorded 11 points in 42 games while playing 14:34 per game.

One way or another, these two players can show the organization (and its fans) what they are capable of before they get a taste of the NHL.

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In their last game of the 2024–25 regular season, the Vancouver Canucks (38–29–14) will be taking on the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights (49–22–10). This is the last game of the season for both teams involved, though Vegas has already qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs and will be taking on whichever team clinches the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. 

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Since being eliminated from playoff contention, the Canucks have had their eyes on two things only — the performances of their young guns from Abbotsford, and Quinn Hughes’ chase for Alex Edler’s record for career points by a defenseman. On Monday night against the San Jose Sharks, Hughes tied the record by grabbing an assist of Jake DeBrusk’s overtime goal. Tonight, Hughes will be looking to break that record by grabbing at least one point. 

Players to Watch: 

 Brock Boeser: 

Tonight may be the final time fans get to watch Brock Boeser as a member of the Canucks, as reports have circulated that the team’s longest-tenured skater may not return to the team that drafted him in 2015. Boeser has 25 goals and 25 assists in 74 games played this season. In Vancouver’s three matches against the Golden Knights in 2024–25, he has one assist. He has had a slow stretch of four points in the past 10 games, so expect him to bounce back tonight against Vegas for what may be his final time playing for the Canucks in front of their fans. 

Ivan Barbashev: 

Most of Barbashev’s success against the Canucks has come in the 2024–25 season, as he has scored a goal in every game he has played against Vancouver. In his past four outings against the Canucks, he has two goals and two assists. Right now, he has three goals in his past five games played leading up to the playoffs. He is tied for fifth in points on the Golden Knights with 23 goals and 28 assists. 

Vancouver Canucks (38–29–14): 

Last 10: (5–3–2) 

Quinn Hughes: 16–60–76

Brock Boeser: 25–25–50

Conor Garland: 19–30–49Jake DeBrusk: 28–20–48

Pius Suter: 24–21–45

Vegas Golden Knights (49–22–10): 

Last 10: (6-2-2)

Jack Eichel: 27–66–93

Mark Stone: 19–48–67 

Tomáš Hertl: 32–29–61

Shea Theodore: 7–48–55Pavel Dorofeyev: 34–17–51 

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650

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.

ST. LOUIS – Not much was made of the St. Louis Blues making the playoffs at the start of the season, and coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, it was even a bleaker look being eight points out of a wild card berth.

But 26 games and a 19-4-3 record later, the Blues have knocked down the playoff door and claimed the second wild card from the Western Conference.

It took all 82 games of the regular-season, but the Blues clinched in resounding fashion with a thorough 6-1 win of Utah Hockey Club at Enterprise Center on Tuesday.

The Blues (44-30-8) closed the season on a strong note and needed a franchise-record 12-game winning streak to put themselves in a position to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2022.

Jordan Kyrou scored twice, Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists (all in the first period), Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first NHL goal and had an assist, and Brayden Schenn and Zack Bolduc each had a goal and an assist. Robert Thomas had two assists to finish the season with a 12-game point streak (four goals, 21 assists) before departing with a lower-body injury that coach Jim Montgomery called precautionary, and Jordan Binnington made 22 saves to emphatically give the Blues a regulation win that put them in no matter the results of the games involving the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames.

And in turn, the Blues will now face the Presidents’ Trophy winners and Central Division champion Winnipeg Jets (55-22-4), with the series likely to start on Saturday in Winnipeg.

“It feels really good, and I loved the way we did it,” Montgomery said of Tuesday’s win. “We got back to who we are for 60 minutes, and the first eight minutes, I knew we were going to win just by the way we were committed to playing north and playing to the goal line. I thought our forecheck was excellent and we made them defend.”

Added Schenn, “A lot goes into it. This is what you train for in the summer, and this is what you play for all year -- to have a chance at the Stanley Cup. You just have to get in and anything can happen. We saw that years ago. We've been on a good run here and, at the same time, we just can't be happy that we're in. Playing Winnipeg, Winnipeg is obviously a good team and they're going to present a good challenge for us. But I don't think anyone gave us a chance really, where we were. I'm glad we came kept it together. They're too many good pieces in this locker room to not get in the playoffs. We felt if we played hard for one another, we can get the job done and it just took 82 games.”

Let’s five into the Three Takeaways one final time in the regular season:

* Started like a buzz saw – The Blues walked the walk and talked the talk.

They talked of coming out with a good start, needing to put the hammer down on the game early.

Boy, did they ever.

The forecheck was relentless, the intensity was high, the commitment to playing north hockey was evident from the moment the puck was dropped with the ‘WTF’ Line on the ice.

For every time Utah, which finished 38-31-13, tried to put pucks into the Blues’ zone, it was out quicker than the blink of an eye, and then the Blues would spent shift after shift in Utah’s zone buzzing and recovering.

And when Schenn made it 1-0 at 8:08 of the first period, it was the culmination of good play all around.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Brayden Schenn with 11:52 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Jimmy Snuggerud and Pavel Buchnevich.

St. Louis: 1
Utah: 0#UTAvsSTL#stlblues#UtahHCpic.twitter.com/H3Wrm1G6Ni

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2025

“All guys were contributing,” said Blues defenseman Cam Fowler, who had two assists to finish with 36 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 51 games since being acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 14. “We were playing the brand and style of hockey that we wanted. But our start was a big reason why we were able to get that win tonight.”

And it didn’t stop.

Buchnevich, who has been on a tear since the 4 Nations break, made it 2-0 at 11:17 on what amounted to be one of the prettier passing plays you’ll see.

After Colton Parayko won a wall battle pinching in and getting it back around and behind the net, the puck went from Fowler to Thomas to Buchnevich in the bumper to Jake Neighbours in the left corner. Neighbours took a the puck off his skate, took a couple strides before finding Buchnevich at the bottom of the right circle for the one-timer.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Pavel Buchnevich with 08:43 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas.

St. Louis: 2
Utah: 0#UTAvsSTL#stlblues#UtahHCpic.twitter.com/V1sB5YoNMO

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2025

“We got a quick pregame speech from ‘Monty’ and everybody pumped up and we got a good 10 minutes, score a couple goals and kind of control the game, which is what we want,” Buchnevich said.

* Power play was icing on cake – On top of what the Blues were able to do from the get-go, their power play added the layers for an overwhelming four-goal first period.

Snuggerud’s first NHL goal needed some time before officials decided there was no distinct kicking motion and it gave the Blues a 3-0 lead at 14:45.

It came off another solid passing play, led by Fowler playing it low for Thomas, who found Buchnevich, who in turn put the puck to the net with Snuggerud there, and ultimately, he got a fortuitous carom into the net off his skate for his first NHL goal.

Power play goal for St. Louis!

Scored by Jimmy Snuggerud with 05:15 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Zack Bolduc and Pavel Buchnevich.

St. Louis: 3
Utah: 0#UTAvsSTL#stlblues#UtahHCpic.twitter.com/kzZ2AxETCm

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2025

“I mean, I can't score with my stick, so I might as well just score with my skate,” Snuggerud joked. “… It's nice that they called it a good goal.”

And the capper was Bolduc’s power-play goal to make it 4-0 at 19:13, not long after the Blues had 1:06 of a two-man advantage, and it was vintage Thomas again, in the left corner, finding Bolduc in the quiet area of the bumper just inside the top of the left circle and he whipped the shot by Karel Vejmelka.

Power play goal for St. Louis!

Scored by Zack Bolduc with 00:47 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Robert Thomas and Cam Fowler.

St. Louis: 4
Utah: 0#UTAvsSTL#stlblues#UtahHCpic.twitter.com/ijwkAXux1D

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2025

Not even Montgomery could have scripted a better start.

“No, but this is the way we were starting games when we were playing really well,” he said. “There was a purpose, there was an intent. We got to our ‘A’ game right away.”

Kyrou’s one-timer from the low slot at 6:59 of the third period was the Blues’ third man-advantage goal of the game, leaving them with a 3-for-6 night.

Power play goal for St. Louis!

Scored by Jordan Kyrou with 13:01 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Brayden Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist.

St. Louis: 5
Utah: 1#UTAvsSTL#stlblues#UtahHCpic.twitter.com/iaR6QwNFdY

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2025

* Binnington did Binnington things – Utah, which played Monday in a 7-3 win at the Nashville Predators, was playing its third game in four nights to conclude the season.

Utah found its legs in the second period and the Blues took some undisciplined penalties as a result.

When Blues killer Clayton Keller wired a one-timer past Binnington to make it 4-1 early in the second period, it set off a set of circumstances that required the Blues’ goaltender to be on his toes.

‘Big Game Binnington’ was at it again. He faced 14 of his 23 shots against and was only beaten by Keller’s precision shot into the top half of the netting and did his best to preserve a three-goal lead at the time.

And when it got to the third period, Kyrou helped put the game away with his power-play goal, then add another to finish with a team-high 36 at 17:24 following up Alexey Toropchenko’s slot shot.

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Jordan Kyrou with 02:36 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Alexey Toropchenko and Cam Fowler.

St. Louis: 6
Utah: 1#UTAvsSTL#stlblues#UtahHCpic.twitter.com/rXrkFOTcvU

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2025

“It's a good feeling and we're looking forward to getting into the playoffs,” Schenn said. “It's important for guys like Jake and Bolduc and ‘Snuggy’ and the list goes on and on to feel what the NHL playoffs are all about. That's how you build a culture and that's how you build a winning mentality. It's an exciting time to be a hockey player playing in the playoffs.”

The regular season is over for the Florida Panthers.

For the sixth straight season, that only means its time for the real fun to begin.

Florida closed out their regular season schedule on Tuesday night, dropping Game 82 to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a final score of 5-1.

While yes, it was a preview of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Cats and Bolts, the game was far from an example of what those games will look like.

The Panthers knew they were locked into third place in the Atlantic Division and had nothing to play for in terms of playoff positioning, so Florida rested several of their regular players, including Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Gus Forsling.

They’ll look much different when they line up for Game 1 at Amalie Arena.

Let’s get to Tuesday’s takeaways:

NO MORE CRAZY SCHEDULE

With the end of the regular season comes Florida never having to deal with that insane schedule ever again.

Well, hopefully not.

Now that it’s playoff time, schedules will calm down into a much more traditional and predictable layout.

Sure, there will be the random extra day off or back-to-back, but for the most part, it’ll be at least one day between games, sometimes two, due to travel, elimination games or scheduling conflicts.

While the Panthers didn’t look particularly good during Tuesday’s game in Tampa, their schedule and depleted roster had a hand in that.

At least for the start of the playoffs, neither of those should be an issue.

“That’s an example of what nine games in 15 days does,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I’m learning for the first time. I’ve gone about 27 seasons and I’ve never seen that schedule before.”

SOME THINGS TO LIKE

The game may have been an overall stinker, but that’ll happen when you fall behind 3-0 in the first period and never trim the deficit smaller.

Nobody was making excuses after the game, but this was one of those nights where Tampa was sharp, they were aggressive and they were getting many of the bounces, which often happens to the team deserving of such grace from the hockey gods.

Still, leaving it to Maurice to pull some positives from the effort.

‘Carter Verhaeghe looks like he's back, I loved Roddy’s (Evan Rodrigues) game tonight, I thought he was going,” Maurice said. “I thought the (penalty) kill was good when it had to be at times. We got out and I don't think we lost any more players, which is a nice change for us.”

PUMPED FOR THE POSTSEASON

Now it’s time to shift the mentality to a seven-game series. Win four before they do.

Over the past several seasons, the Panthers have earned their stripes and learned the ins and outs of how to win during the playoffs.

As has been the case in each of the past two years, Florida’s postseason roster looks quite different than it did a year ago.

The Panthers feel they’ve never had a deeper roster, and if they can get everyone healthy sometime during round one, it will be fun to see just what this group is capable of.

You better believe they’re all chomping at the bit to get going.

“I think they're excited about the start,” Maurice said. “I think we had a real learning experience this year, going through the grind of a regular season after last year, and lost some guys for big chunks of time, so it was a grinder for us, but there was lots to learn, and they stuck together and were cheering for each other, and now we're at the part of the year that everybody's really excited about.”

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The Calgary Flames beat the Vegas Golden Knight 5-4 after a shootout, but if you’ve been following the news, you know that is not the bigger news.

Despite the win, Calgary was eliminated from playoff contention thanks to a win by St. Louis in their final game against Utah, and Minnesota forcing overtime against Anaheim and getting one point to qualify for the post-season.

But its only fair to critique this game, as the team put on a fight (and won) despite knowing in the second intermission they had been knocked out of the playoff race.

Here are my three takeaways from the game:

1)     A whole lot of scrappiness in the third despite bad news

For a team that had just realized they were no longer in the running for the Stanley Cup, this Calgary bunch looked quite feisty. After entering the third period down 3-1 with the man-advantage, Nazem Kadri scored 32 seconds in, before Mikael Backlund put the puck back in the net after another 32 seconds, tying the game. This team may have not made it into the playoffs, but they have a lot of fight in them.

2)        Special Teams

Calgary was 2-for-2 on the man-advantage. Now, this was a welcome surprise to see. This was the first time the Flames had scored two power play goals since their Feb 5 home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With their penalty kill being 2-for-2, they are now 19-for-20 (95%), since March 26, the best in the league since then.

3)      Shot-blockers

In regulation, despite sitting out some of their top offensive weapons, Vegas outshot Calgary 42-28. That put goalie Dustin Wolf in for a long night, and that’s not even taking the overtime shootout into account.

But it would’ve been made worst had the Flames players not blocked 19 of the Knights’ shots. Defenseman Joel Hanley came out on top with four blocks.  Fellow defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and forward Blake Coleman had three each.

Calgary’s final regular season game will be against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at 7:30 MT/9:30 ET.

All things come to an end.

Sometimes it isn't pretty, like Utah HC’s 6-1 season-ending loss to the St. Louis Blues, who clinched a playoff spot with the win.

x marks the (playoff) spot pic.twitter.com/oLAqgrCuzJ

— x - St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 16, 2025

But for Utah, the end of this season is only the beginning of many more to come. Instead of lingering on the disappointment of missing the playoffs, Utah is in a position where it can look ahead with optimism.

There’s just something about Utah defensemen’s homecomings that result in Utah losses.

This time, it was Robert Bortuzzo’s turn to fall short in his return to the St. Louis Blues—a team he was a part of for over 10 seasons, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 2019. Rumors that this might have been the final game of his 14-year NHL career only made his appearance more sentimental.

But it was the playoff implications for the Blues that ultimately overshadowed Bortuzzo’s return, leading to a dominant win.

It wasn’t as if the Blues didn’t celebrate Bortuzzo, as he did receive a standing ovation from the St. Louis faithful.

Robert Bortuzzo gets standing ovation at Enterprise Center. pic.twitter.com/PPSg5SO2qE

— Belle Fraser (@bellefraser1) April 16, 2025

But the Blues looked incredibly hungry and motivated to control their own fate and clinch a playoff spot.

Early on, they capitalized on poor positioning during an odd-man rush, as both defensemen—Ian Cole and Michael Kesselring—were caught playing high in the offensive zone.

SCHENN FROM SNUGGERUD... HOW'S THAT????!! pic.twitter.com/OiQt4eONVX

— x - St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 16, 2025

With only Logan Cooley back on defense, a simple swipe at the puck was all Jimmy Snuggerud needed to kick off the breakaway. Ultimately, Brayden Schenn would score on the rebound of Snuggerud's shot.

The Blues once again showed plenty of energy and focus, scoring their next goal after a series of decisive passes led to a wide-open chance for Pavel Buchnevich.

THIS PLACE IS FIRED UP!!! pic.twitter.com/r4ldBwgbwH

— x - St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 16, 2025

But that wouldn’t be the end of the Blues’ success in the first period, as they scored two more power-play goals to take a 4–0 lead to end the period. 

With strong defense stifling Utah’s offense, the deficit proved far too much to overcome. Utah’s only goal came from Clayton Keller on its first power play of the second period, briefly cutting into the lead.

🔥 Keller gets Utah on the board.

That's goal #30 this season for Kells! pic.twitter.com/AKhkjAhQAv

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) April 16, 2025

Despite a much better second period from Utah, the Blues entered the third having made the proper adjustments to get back to their game plan. They limited the power-play opportunities Utah had in the second and recreated both the offensive and defensive success they showed in the first, scoring two more goals to secure the win.

It is an unfortunate trend: Utah has now lost its last three games when a defenseman returned to face his former team on the road.

In Mikhail Sergachev’s return to Tampa for the first time since being traded, the Lightning handed Utah its worst loss in franchise history, winning 8–0.

The very next game, Kevin Stenlund also came up short on his homecoming night against the Florida Panthers. Utah did play much better as it managed to force overtime in that game, despite struggling to generate offense or create quality scoring chances. Still, the game would end in a 2-1 for Utah. 

But whether or not this marks the end of Bortuzzo’s career, it had to feel good to get a start—his first since Jan. 2 against Calgary—against a team he shares so many memories with. 

And if it truly is his last game, there couldn't be a better way to end his career than in St. Louis. 

Borts back in STL 🩵 pic.twitter.com/ebGw8m7vgo

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) April 16, 2025

Despite ending on a losing note, the inaugural season for Utah was an improvement in every way.

On the ice, the team earned 89 points in the standings, surpassing the performance of last year's squad when they were still playing as the Arizona Coyotes. The development of young stars like Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther also helped team captain Clayton Keller set new career highs in both assists and points. 

Not only that, but the stadium improved, with the Delta Center now serving as its official home, rather than a temporary relocation. The practice facility, once completed, will be considered one of the best in the NHL, as announced with the completion of its construction.

While the team’s move from Arizona to Utah was a significant change, it’s hard to ignore the benefits that the change in scenery under new owners Ryan and Ashley Smith has brought.

Vejmelka Caps Off Strong Season With Goalie Of The Week HonorsThe NHL has announced their top goalies of the week, and to no one’s surprise, Utah Hockey Club’s Karel Vejmelka has been named as one of them.

The season may have ended without a postseason trip for Utah, but it served as a great building block and transition year. The team is sure to improve with more time and talent joining in the future.

Still, Utah surely would have wanted to take home a win against the team that stole its playoff berth.

But with Utah general manager Bill Armstrong having success with both the draft and his recent trades, Utah fans should be excited for what the offseason has to offer and how it will ultimately improve the team ahead of next season.

Utah's Keller & Schmaltz Set Career-Highs Against PredatorsLast night, in Utah Hockey Club's 7-2 win over the Nashville Predators, a few new career-highs were set. Both Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz reached new personal bests in points.

The Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets have finally determined their opponent for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Thanks to a commanding 6-1 win over Utah on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Blues will be travelling to Manitoba's capital for the opening round, best-of-seven series.

With the win, St. Louis eliminated the Calgary Flames from playoff contention and cemented a matchup between the second-place Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild in the process.

Despite their final playoff seed positioning, the Blues (43-30-8) are no pushover, as they have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and only recently had their 12-game winning streak snapped (in Winnipeg last week).

Having clinched the trophy for being first in the league, Winnipeg (55-24-4) has had to wait longer than most clubs to begin its plan of attack against its previously unknown opponent.

The other aspect of the opening round matchup is that of the dates of the seven games.

With a concert scheduled for Canada Life Centre on Saturday, and concerts at Enterprise Center the following Friday and Saturday, the most likely plan of attack will be games on Sunday and Tuesday in Winnipeg, followed by Thursday and Sunday in St. Louis, before the series shifts back to Winnipeg for Game 5, and St. Louis for Game 6 and Winnipeg again for Game 7 - all of which will only occur if needed. 

Unless the concerts featuring Bachman-Turner Overdrive (Winnipeg), Brooks and Dunn (St. Louis) and Katt Williams (St. Louis) are rescheduled, this proposed series schedule would be the most likely scenario.

However, with Winnipeg wrapping up its season on Wednesday, and the Blues now having completed their 2024-25 campaign, the league would be interested in teams done playing before Thursday the option of starting the postseason on Saturday. 

So at this point, all options do remain on the table. 

Head to head this season, Winnipeg holds a 3-1-0 advantage over St. Louis, with a 3.37 goals-for per game up against a 3.01 goals-for from the Blues. Winnipeg allows just 2.33 goals against, while St. Louis gives up on average 2.84 goals a game. The Jets have the best power play, while St. Louis' is ranked No. 18. 

Adding some additional fire to the fold is that of the battle between the Schenn brothers. Blues captain Brayden will take on his older brother Luke, who was added at the trade deadline by Winnipeg. The two have already joked about cutting off all lines of communication should this matchup arise. 

Details on the schedule are expected to come as early as Wednesday.