NHL On Tap: Panthers, Hurricanes face off with new additions
Flyers seek to extend run at home against Maple Leafs; Eichel goes for 3rd straight 3-point game
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Panthers, Hurricanes test new additions
The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes will meet for the first time since loading up before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline when they play at PNC Arena (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSFL). The Panthers added forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo, while the Hurricanes added forwards Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Of the four players, only one has had a noteworthy performance with his new team so far: Tarasenko had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. But they’re just getting started, and they could make an impact down the stretch in the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Panthers (45-17-4) lead the NHL standings. They have lost only twice in their past 10 games. One of those losses was 1-0 at Carolina on Feb. 22. The Hurricanes (39-20-6) are second in the Metropolitan Division, six points behind the New York Rangers. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Flyers ready to keep rolling at home against Leafs
Trading away a top-four defenseman. Injuries to other top-four defensemen. A suspended coach. None of it seems to matter to the resilient Philadelphia Flyers. They won Tuesday, 3-2 against the San Jose Sharks, improving to 4-2-1 in their past seven games to stay in third place in the Metropolitan Division. It doesn't get any easier Thursday, when the Flyers play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Wells Fargo Center (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, TSN4). It's not supposed to be easy and it hasn't been all season for the Flyers, but somehow they're still churning out wins, enough for a four-point cushion on the New York Islanders for third place. The Flyers (34-24-8) are 6-1-1 in their past eight home games. And on top of that they'll likely catch a break with Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner unlikely to play because of a lower-body injury. Toronto (37-19-8) will have Ilya Samsonov in net, and his game has been growing. Samsonov made 29 saves in a 3-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, Toronto's last game. He is 12-2-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 14 games since Jan. 21. In 16 games prior he was 5-3-6 with a 3.88 GAA and .863 save percentage. The Islanders are also playing Thursday, so the Flyers better find a way to beat Samsonov to avoid looking over their shoulder. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
BUF@TOR: Samsonov with a phenomenal catch denying Thompson in OT
Eichel rolling since return
Jack Eichel has an opportunity for a third consecutive three-point game when the Vegas Golden Knights travel to face the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome (9 p.m. ET; SNW, SCRIPPS). Eichel scored the overtime winner and had two assists in a 5-4 victory at the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. The Golden Knights forward had three assists in a 5-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Eichel has played four games since returning from a knee injury sustained in a 2-1 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 11. He has six points (one goal, five assists) in the four games since his return and 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 46 games this season. The Golden Knights (35-23-7) hold the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, six points ahead of the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild. It will be a return to Calgary for defenseman Noah Hanifin, who ws traded to Vegas on March 6 after spending six seasons with the Flames (31-29-5). Calgary is 10 points behind Vegas for the second wild card and is on a three-game losing streak, having lost four of five (1-4-0), including 6-2 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer
VGK@SEA: Eichel wins it in OT for Golden Knights with 200th career goal
Thursday games
New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, MSG-B)
The Islanders (29-21-14), who hold the second wild card in the East, had a six-game winning streak end with a 3-0 loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. The Sabres (31-30-5) are five points behind and 7-3-1 in their past 11 games. Defenseman Bowen Byram has four points (three goals, one assists) in three games since Buffalo acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche on March 6.
Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSFL)
Rookie goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is 13-6-2 with a 1.98 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and two shutouts in his past 22 games for the Hurricanes (39-20-6). He made 45 saves in a 1-0 win against the Panthers on Feb. 22. Forward Sam Reinhart has 46 goals for Florida (45-17-4), tied for second in the NHL with Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman. He has 26 power-play goals, 10 more than anyone else in the League, and five short-handed goals, tied for the League lead with Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom and Flyers forward Travis Konecny.
Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, TSN5, RDS2)
The Senators (26-33-4) ended a seven-game slide (0-6-1) with a 2-1 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets (22-33-10) have lost two straight.
Arizona Coyotes at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSDET)
The Red Wings (33-26-6) have lost six straight in regulation, including 4-0 at the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, and have fallen out of a playoff spot. They’re tied in points with the Islanders, with New York holding a game in hand. The Coyotes (26-35-5) have one win in their past five games: the win against Detroit. They have won six of their past seven games against Detroit.
Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, NESN)
Boston is 12-0-1 in its past 13 games against its old rival. The Bruins (38-14-15) are coming off a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Monday, which ended a four-game point streak (3-0-1). The Canadiens (25-30-10) are coming off a 3-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and are 3-2-2 in their past seven.
San Jose Sharks at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NBCSCA)
The Penguins (28-27-9) are 1-6-1 in their past eight games and seven points behind the Islanders. The Sharks (16-41-7) are 1-8-2 in their past 11 games and last in the NHL standings. Pittsburgh has won four of its past five games against San Jose.
New York Rangers at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; BSSUN, MSG, SNP, SNO, SNE)
The Rangers (43-18-4) have won three in a row and goalie Igor Shesterkin has shutouts in his past two starts (4-0 against the Blues on Saturday, 1-0 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday). Shesterkin is 9-1-1 with a 1.63 GAA, .951 save percentage and three shutouts since Feb. 9. The Lightning (34-25-6) are playing the last of a five-game homestand; they're 2-1-1 so far, including a 7-0 win against the Flyers on Saturday. Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is two goals away from 40 this season. He has at least one assist in eight straight games.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET; Hulu, ESPN+, TSN4)
Auston Matthews, with 54 goals, needs one to become the first player in Maple Leafs history to reach 55 goals multiple times in his career. The only active player with multiple 55-goal seasons is Alex Ovechkin (2007-08, 2008-09). The Maple Leafs power play is 1-for-16 in seven games since Feb. 27. The Flyers have outscored opponents 27-15 in going 6-1-1 at home since Feb. 8.
New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, BSSW)
Jason Robertson has 10 points (four goals, six assists) during a seven-game point streak for the Stars (40-18-9), who had won five straight before blowing a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 loss to the Panthers on Tuesday. The Devils (31-30-4) are 1-5-0 in their past six games.
Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; BSWIX, BSN, BSW)
Kirill Kaprizov has 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in his past five games for the Wild (32-27-7), who are 4-0-1 in that stretch. He has 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in his past 31. Minnesota had won 13 straight games against Anaheim prior to a 3-2 loss at home Jan. 27. The Ducks (23-39-3) have lost three in a row in regulation.
Vegas Golden Knights at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; SNW, SCRIPPS)
Jonathan Marchessault has five goals in his past two games and 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in his past nine. The Golden Knights forward scored twice in a 5-4 overtime win at the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday and a hat trick in a 5-3 win against the Red Wings on Saturday. Flames forward Nazem Kadri has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his past 10 games.
Washington Capitals at Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; MNMT2, ROOT-NW, SNP, SNO, SNE)
Jordan Eberle will play his 1,001st game when the Kraken host the Capitals. The forward played his milestone 1,000th game in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Eberle has 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 60 games. Seattle (28-24-12) is nine points behind Vegas for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Washington (30-25-9) lost its first two games of a five-game road trip. The Capitals lost 7-2 at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and remain three points back of the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.
