It took more than half a game for either team to score in Game 2 between the Vegas Golden Knights (1-1) and Anaheim Ducks (1-1). There were no such problems in Game 3, as the Golden Knights scored early and often, including a hat trick from Mitch Marner, to win Game 3, 6–2, and take a 2–1 series lead.

The Golden Knights scored on five-on-five, short-handed and power plays in the first period. It was his third, three-goal period of the playoffs. Just 1:06 into the game, Jack Eichel, stationed near the bottom left wall, delivered a perfect cross-ice pass to defenseman Shea Theodore (3), who beat Anaheim goalie Lucas Dostal from the crease. Anaheim forward Ryan Poehling appeared to screen Dostel and never saw the shot, which was Vegas’ first shot of the game.

The Golden Knights’ top playoff penalty kill unit continued their stellar play and scored their third short-handed goal of the postseason to give Vegas a 2-0 lead. Mitch Marner moved the puck into the Anaheim zone against a tired Anaheim group. Once over the blue line, he dropped the puck to oncoming Braden McNabb (1), who skated down the left wing and flicked a wrist shot from the faceoff dot inside the left circle that went under Dostal’s glove at 12:13 of the first.

Just as the Golden Knights scored early, they also scored late. On his first power play opportunity of the game, and with just 4.6 seconds remaining in the period, Marner (4) got a loose rebound that Dostal could not stop and stuffed it just inside the left post to give the Golden Knights a 3–0 lead. However, the news was not good for the Golden Knights in the first start, as they lost their captain Mark Stone to injury after only 4:24 of play.

It was a disappointing first period for Anaheim, as they had more shots (11 to 8), more power play chances (2 to 1), more hits (15–11), and eight fewer assists than the Golden Knights (11 to 3), yet found themselves in a 3–0 deficit. He also made a goal change to start the second period, pulling Dostal and calling on Ville Husso.

While Husso made some early saves, Marner and the Golden Knights quickly addressed that as well. A tic-tac-toe passing sequence between Brett Howden, Theodore and Marner followed, which ended with Marner (5) taking a stick tackle around Husso and slicing the puck inside the empty net on his backhand at 9:19 of the second to put the Golden Knights up 4–0.

Marner, who moved into the top line in Stone’s absence, continued his dominance and completed a natural hat trick at 17:56 of the second. The combination of William Carlson and Marner wore Anaheim down a lot. Karlsson won a puck battle below the goal line and got the puck to Marner, who then stepped out from behind the net and fired a harmless shot toward Husso that bounced under his right pad to increase the Golden Knights’ lead to five. The goal completed the first postseason career hat trick for Marner and also set a new career high for points in a playoff game with four.

Anaheim finally got a chance to get past Vegas netminder Carter Hart at 6:30 of the third. Alex Killorn took a poorly angled slap shot from just below the right circle that hit Hart under his right armpit and rolled into the net. Both of the Golden Knights’ defensemen struggled to clear the puck, but Anaheim rookie forward Beckett Seneca (3) dived on the loose puck and was able to knock it over the goal line to ruin Hart’s shutout bid and make the score 5–1.

Chris Kreider (2) pulled Anaheim to within three when he found himself alone in the crease with the puck on his stick and fired a shot past Hart’s glove at 15:09 of the third. The goal was Kreider’s 50th career playoff goal. However, that was as close as Anaheim got, with Howden (6) scoring into an empty net at 18:04 of the third minute to give the Golden Knights a 6–2 lead.

notes

• The Golden Knights’ penalty kill has killed 27 of 28 penalties so far in the postseason.
• The loss was Anaheim’s first at home in the playoffs. They were ahead 3-0 at Honda Center.

figures

• The shots on goal gave Anaheim a 33–28 victory.
• Hits were 53–23 in favor of Anaheim.
• Power play chances were three for Vegas and two for Anaheim.
• Faceoff winning percentage favored Vegas 56.9% to 43.1%.
• Blocked shots heavily favored Vegas 20-6.
• Vegas had double the gift, 16-8, but the takeaway was also double, 8-4.

Juraj Slachowski showed why Montreal selected him No. 1 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, completing his first playoff hat-trick by scoring a power-play goal 1:22 into overtime, leading the Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opener of their Eastern Conference First Round series on Sunday at Benchmark International Arena.

Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel took a high-sticking penalty with 21 seconds remaining in regulation, and Slafkowski made him pay with his third power-play goal of the game. Lane Huston played a pass to Slafkovsky as he went to the left circle and the 22-year-old beat goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy to wrap up the win.

It wasn’t a great night for Vasilevskiy, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Bolts. He allowed four goals on 19 shots and rarely looked like the goaltender who excelled when the Bolts won Cup in 2020 and 2021. Montreal rookie Jacob Dobbs made 20 saves.

The Canadiens lead the series 1-0, with Game 2 being played on Tuesday night in Tampa.

Slafkowski’s first power-play goal tied the game at the end of the second period, and his second goal gave the Canadiens a brief 3–2 lead in the third. Josh Anderson opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period.

Brandon Hagel scored twice for Tampa Bay after defenseman Darren Radish tied the game at 1–1 early in the second period.

The Lightning had their first good scoring chance of the game when Eric Cernak found himself alone in the slot, but Dobbs came well out of his net to narrow the angle and make the save.

The Canadiens missed a pair of 2-on-1 opportunities after the Lightning called too many people at 10:37 and failed to capitalize on their first power play. But thanks to some good work from their fourth line they went 1–0 up at 13:24.

Alexandre Carrier worked the puck free behind the net and inserted a pass into the slot, where Anderson quickly put it into the net at 13:24 to put the Canadiens ahead. Vasilevskiy appeared to lose track of the puck and the Lightning defense did the same to Andersen, one of the few Montreal players left in the Canadiens’ five-game loss to the Bolts in the 2021 finals.

Montreal spent most of the remaining period killing penalties. Tampa Bay played 4:13 of the final 5:23 with an extra man in the opening period, but did not get much offense. Despite falling behind 10-4, the Canadiens took the lead with a one-goal lead.

Neither team led much in the first half of the second period, but at 10:43 the Canadiens were looking to double their lead when Anderson stepped up and drilled a point shot into the net. However, a video review showed that Anderson’s stick was slightly above the crossbar, and the goal was disallowed.

Anderson was called for charging 12 seconds later, and the Lightning took advantage of their fifth power play to tie the score. Radish evened it up at 12:15 when he took an accurate feed from Nikita Kucherov and one-timed it past Dobbs from inside the left circle at 12:15 to tie the game at 1–1.

This match lasted only 29 seconds. The Canadiens misplayed the puck behind their own net, and Guentzel slipped a pass off a defender’s stick that came straight to Hegel, whose quick backhander from out of the blue beat Dobbs at 12:49. In just over two minutes, the Canadiens went from an apparent 2-0 lead to an actual 2-1 deficit.

It seemed as if this period might end just like this. Montreal managed only one shot on goal until Tampa Bay’s Connor Geikie took an unnecessary high-stick penalty with 1:28 remaining. Vasilevskiy made some great saves, but had no chance on Slafkovsky’s one-timer from inside the right circle, tying the game 2–2 at 19:36.

Each team scored another power-play goal before reaching the midpoint of the third period. Slafkowski found some space in bumper situations and converted a perfect pass from Cole Caufield at 5:56 to give Montreal a 3–2 lead. But Hagel tied it at 8:58 when he extended his shot in front of the net and redirected Guentzel’s pass past Dobbs.

The game was tied 3–3 in overtime – but not before Guentzel took a high-sticking penalty at 19:39 when he tried to put an airborne puck into the net but missed and hit Canadiens defenseman Caden Guhle in the face, leading to Slafkowski’s OT winner.

Key takeaways after Canadiens outlast Lightning in OT to win Game 1

Slafkowski’s next step

When the Canadiens made Slafkowski the first player taken in 2022, a lot of eyes were raised. He is quick to erase any questions about choice.

Slafkowski became the first Montreal player to score a power-play goal in overtime since PK Subban did so in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Boston Bruins in 2014. It is the first playoff hat trick by a Canadian since Rene Bourque scored a goal against the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.

The hat trick followed a regular season in which he set career highs with 30 goals and 73 points. He led the Canadiens with 15 power-play goals and when he scored one the Canadiens’ score was 22–3–1.

Unsettled night for Vasilevsky

When he calls it a career, “Vesey” becomes a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame. He has won the Stanley Cup twice, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (2021), and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender (2018–19). He has started 113 consecutive playoff games for the Lightning, and his 67 playoff wins are 12th all-time.

But Vasilevskiy wasn’t sharp on Sunday. The TNT studio crew noted this after Anderson’s first-period goal, and he was not sharp for most of the night, failing to make big saves when the Lightning needed it most.

Vasilevskiy’s career goals-against average in the playoffs is 2.46 — but it has been 3.22 or worse in each of the past three seasons, a big reason the Bolts have not advanced beyond the first round since reaching the final in 2022. If the Lightning hope to avoid a fourth consecutive early departure, they need to be much better.

No home-ice advantage in OT for the Lightning

The Lightning sell out East Amaali Arena every night and have done so for every game since COVID restrictions ended. But playing at home doesn’t help when it comes to overtime in the playoffs.

Slafkowski’s game-winner handed the Lightning their seventh consecutive overtime loss in the playoffs. Overall, they are 9-13 in their own building, while they are 14-8 when they have visitors. Tampa Bay has not won a playoff game in home OT since defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 on May 12, 2022.

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

The Montreal Canadiens were in Florida on Sunday facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game One of their first-round series.

Juraj Slafkowski played hero for the Habs, scoring three goals to win 4–3 and take a 1–0 series lead.

Let’s look at the highlights!

veteran presence

Even though the Canadiens have one of the youngest teams in the league, it was a veteran player who carried the ball. 31-year-old Josh Anderson scored after great work on the forecheck by defenseman Alexandre Carrier to force a turnover.

Josh Anderson made the score 1-0 #GoHabsGo!

Great work by Alexandre Carrier on the forecheck. pic.twitter.com/fawCq7DZE9

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 19 April 2026

To add to Anderson’s praise, he was one of the few players who started the game with a lot of energy and consistently offered an honest effort in every innings.

Referee Charles-Edouard d’Estous is reviewing this hit by Josh Anderson. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/5M9UbxK2jD

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 19 April 2026

lost focus

The Canadiens appeared to take a 2–0 lead, but Anderson’s second goal of the game was disallowed when he was found to have bounced the shot high off the stick.

This shifted the momentum to Tampa Bay’s corner, with the home team taking a 2–1 lead on goals by Darren Raddish and Brandon Hagel less than a minute into the second period.

2 goals in 29 seconds and Hagel gives Tampa the lead 🤯🫨 pic.twitter.com/IfUKMGlfPT

– Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) 19 April 2026

power in sports

One of the few advantages heading into the series was Montreal’s ability to generate a lot of powerplay goals with very few opportunities, making Juraj Slafkowski’s powerplay goal in the second period more important than most late-period markers. Rookie Ivan Demidov provided excellent assists in the game.

Not only did the Habs tie the game in the final minutes of that period, but they also installed one of their most important team-wide offensive weapons in the process.

What a goal from Schlaff, what a pass from Demidov! 💎 pic.twitter.com/ok817KtmAM

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 19 April 2026

Second

Slafkowski thought the scoring was so good that he scored it twice, his second goal of the game also coming on the power play. This gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead with a little more than 15 minutes remaining in the third period.

It was a good reminder that the Canadiens will need their veteran and young players running in the same direction if they are to have success in the NHL playoffs.

Juraj Slafkowski delivers another powerplay #GoHabsGo 3-2 lead!! pic.twitter.com/yWdTRfoXOZ

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 20 April 2026

first overall hat trick

The Lightning tied the game in the third period, forcing overtime, a situation that would normally favor the Habs as they are dominant in 3v3 scenarios.

However, this is the playoffs, and overtime is played at 5v5, reducing Montreal’s advantage.

Luckily for head coach Martin Saint-Louis, who used the perfect timeout moments beforehand, Slafkowski completed his hat trick, securing a 1–0 series lead for the Habs in the process.

Hat trick hero!

Juraj Slafkowski won the game #GoHabsGo With his third goal.

Great job by MSL with the timeouts! pic.twitter.com/ZT5fYUwmDE

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 20 April 2026

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Tuesday facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their first-round series. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

A new report suggests that the New York Jets’ alleged interest in quarterback prospect Ty Simpson may be part of a plan to trick a rival team into trading additional draft picks.

There is no doubt that the Jets need help at the quarterback position. This has been a problem for a long time, and nothing has changed in 2026. They spent a big chunk of money last year when they signed Justin Fields in free agency. He ultimately ended up being a disaster and was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs last month.

This offseason, they are hoping Geno Smith can fix the problem in the short term. But taking a QB prospect in next week’s NFL Draft would seem to be a better option. That’s why, despite a weak quarterback class this year, the Jets have been linked to Alabama’s Ty Simpson with their second pick in Round 1, or their selection in Round 2.

They have scouted him closely, and some football evaluators believe he is better than the player expected to be the No. 1 overall pick, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. However, according to NFL Draft expert Todd McShay, the Jets’ attraction to Simpson may not be legitimate.

The New York Jets playing a draft game with the Arizona Cardinals?

In Friday’s post, he claimed the “whole plan” for the Jets is to get a young QB in the 2027 draft. And while he thinks they could select Simpson with their pick at 33, he said, “I honestly think the Jets may put it there because they want Arizona to move up and take him.”

McShay speculated and speculated that the Cardinals might be willing to give up a fourth-rounder to move up from 34th to 33rd to ensure they get Simpson. Arizona also has a messy situation at QB, especially after cutting longtime starter Kyler Murray this offseason.

If the Jets are only willing to use the Day 3 pick on Simpson, this is a very smart play by the front office to make it seem like they could use the Day 1 or 2 selection on him so they can move down a spot in Round 2 and get an additional fourth round pick.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

据报道，WWE创意会议正在考虑一个罕见的摔跤时刻，计划下周末在摔跤狂热42上特里克·威廉姆斯和萨米·扎恩之间的对决。

在过去的几周里，为期两晚的大型活动的卡片已经成型，它被设置为该公司最好的摔跤人才展示之一，可能是有史以来的。第二天晚上举行的一场有趣的比赛是冠军 Zayn 和 NXT 传奇人物 Williams 之间的洲际冠军对决。

由于最近几周粉丝们对两位球星的反应，这场比赛已经成为了一场引人注目的比赛。尽管威廉姆斯是个反派，但他的主题曲和魅力使他自去年年底首次亮相以来成为名单上最受欢迎的表演者之一。至于扎恩，粉丝们似乎已经厌倦了他的弱者性格，并且最近对他变得冷漠了。

此外，在最近几集的 SmackDown 中，Zayn 做了一些不符合他性格的可疑事情。好吧，看来这些可能是他在摔角狂热 42 中角色发生重大转变的面包屑。然而，他可能不是唯一在比赛中换边的人。

摔角狂热 42 中罕见的双回合计划？

BodySlam+ 报道称，WWE 创意团队已与 Zayn 和 Williams 在 WrestleMania 上讨论了双回合的想法。由于最近观众对他们的角色的反应。

同时调换两名表演者在业内实属罕见。 WWE 上一次发生这种情况是在第 13 届摔跤狂热大赛上。布雷特·哈特 (Bret Hart) 和“冷石”史蒂夫·奥斯汀 (Steve Austin) 之间的传奇比赛为两人带来了转折。这一刻为后者成为 WWE 历史上最受欢迎的明星之一奠定了基础。

该公司的决策者可能会通过让威廉姆斯成为一个赚钱的机器来吸引粉丝的关注。

Jason Burgos 于 2017 年获得新闻学学位后，担任多个网站的撰稿人，其中包括 MMA Sucka … 关于 Jason Burgos 的更多信息

A rare wrestling moment is reportedly being considered in WWE creative meetings when it comes to the planned matchup between Trick Williams and Sami Zayn next weekend at WrestleMania 42.

Over the past few weeks, the card for the two-night mega event has taken shape, and it’s being tipped to be possibly one of the best showcases of the company’s wrestling talent to date. One of the interesting matches on Night 2 is the Intercontinental Title clash between champion Zayn and NXT legend Williams.

This bout has emerged as one of the standout fights on the card due to the reaction both stars have received from fans in recent weeks. Despite Williams being a heel, her theme songs and charisma have made her one of the most popular artists on the roster since her debut late last year. As far as Zayn is concerned, it seems like fans are tired of his underdog personality and have become indifferent to him lately.

Additionally, Zayn has done some questionable things that are out of character for him in recent episodes of SmackDown. Well, it looks like these could be breadcrumbs towards a major change in his character at WrestleMania 42. However, he may not be the only one to switch sides in his match.

Rare double-turn planned for WrestleMania 42?

BodySlam+ is reporting that the WWE creative team has discussed the idea of ​​a double turn with Zayn and Williams at WrestleMania. Due to recent crowd reactions to their characters.

It is rare in the industry to have two artists together. The last time this happened in WWE was in WrestleMania 13. There was a turning point for both of them due to the great match between Bret Hart and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. This moment paved the way for him to become one of the most popular stars in WWE history.

The company’s decision-makers probably see Williams as a money-making machine by bringing him to light with so much fan interest as a heel.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Juventus are keen to move Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker away from the Premier League in the summer.

The Brazil international moved to Europe when AS Roma signed him on an international contract in 2016, a year after his national team debut.

He kept 26 clean sheets and scored 66 goals in 64 matches for Roma between 2016 and 2018. His performances convinced Liverpool to spend €72.5m to bring him to Anfield in July 2018.

Since then, the 33-year-old has been Liverpool’s No. 1. His role did not change following the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer, a year after the Reds reached an agreement with Valencia.

The South American has kept 13 clean sheets and conceded 36 goals in 34 matches for Arne Slott’s side this season. His statistics in the Premier League this season look impressive.

• Shots on goal per season: 84
• Saving Percentage: 66.7%
• Goals conceded per game: 1.2
• Savings per game: 2.2
• Saves from inside the box: 33
• Savings from outer box: 20

Juventus keen on Liverpool star

His performances have convinced Juventus to include him on their target list for the next window. Earlier this month, Sport Witness broadcast news About their plan to secure Alison’s services.

TuttoMercatoWeb Now cover their desire to bring the stopper back to Serie A and why a potential move remains complicated.

Alison’s agent Ze Maria Ness recently revealed winwin he has “Just renewed contract with Liverpool.”

TMW say the Reds have only exercised the option to extend it by one year. This complicates it, but does not ‘rule out’ negotiations for their transfer.

Juve are chasing the player as Luciano Spalletti wants a goalkeeper as Michele Di Gregorio has refused to convince the manager. The latter would leave at the end of the season.

The focus is on Alisson, while Fiorentina’s David De Gea is also on their list. The Old Lady need €15m to lure a player who earns a total of €11m per year away from Liverpool.

These figures are also mentioned all juve. According to the outlet, the Turin club are ‘attempting a coup’ to sign the former Roma man in a bid to appease Spalletti.

Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio Claims Alisson is ‘top choice’ for Juventus in the summer.

The Brazilian could consider leaving Liverpool if there is ‘a serious offer with a concrete plan’. In other words, Juve will have to persuade him with both their sporting project and their financial offer.

Alisson’s contract, value and injuries

Alisson’s contract runs until 2027, with the option of a further year. According to the agent, his contract has been extended until at least 2028.

transfer market He was valued at €17m, and at his peak, in December 2019, it was worth €90m.

The South American player has been injured on three separate occasions this season, causing him to spend 60 days off the field. This gave Mamardashvili the opportunity to play 12 times this season. The Georgians have kept three clean sheets and conceded 18 goals in 12 matches.

🇧🇷 Exclusive: Liverpool eyeing Vinicius Lira

⭐️ The 18-year-old is one of Santos’ top prospects
➡️ #lfc Keeping a close eye on the fullback’s development
📈 Believe he could be a more complete talent than Souza, who recently joined Tottenham
👇 More fines 👇https://t.co/N7g9P4X4iy

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 16 March 2026

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories and content you may have missed on Wednesday.

montreal canadiens news

Given that the Habs have been linked to St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas, we decided to take a deeper look at his potential fit in the lineup as well as the estimated cost of his acquisition. [Evaluating The Trade Rumour Linking Thomas To The Canadiens]

Pierre LeBrun suggested the Canadiens might want to consider a goalie like Jordan Binnington. Honestly, I can’t see the Habs trading for a veteran netminder who has a worse save percentage than Samuel Montembeault. He also mentioned that the Habs are keeping an eye on Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri as well as New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck.

According to Pierre LeBrun:

– If the Habs do trade for a goalie, it won’t be for a rental. He says Jordan Binnington, who is signed for next season, would make sense.

– The Habs are also monitoring the status of Nazem Kadri and perhaps Vincent Trocheck as well. https://t.co/NZDEPaqqIq

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 4 March 2026

Speaking of goalie rumors that make no sense, Elliotte Friedman essentially shot down the idea that the Canadiens should take a serious look at Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Elliotte Friedman: I don’t know that I see Montreal as a Bobrovsky team; I know a lot of people are wondering if Montrezl can do Bobrowski; I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it would be different from what they are promoting and saying – Fan Hockey Show (3/4)

– NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumourReport) 4 March 2026

Jimmy Murphy thinks the Habs could take a shot at AJ Greer or Brandon Duhaime. They are good depth options, but I would argue that bottom-six depth is not among Montreal’s most pressing needs as the trade deadline approaches. [Top 5 Canadiens Needs Ahead Of Trade Deadline]

I could see #GoHabsGo Adding one of them. https://t.co/XqewIiiDvG

– Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) 4 March 2026

This is not a rerun! Defenseman Bryce Pickford once again scored his 39th goal of the year. As a reminder, he was forced to miss some games due to injury. Wednesday night was his 49th game of the season. [Canadiens Top 20 Rankings – No. 7 The Extraordinary Bryce Pickford]

Another day, another goal by Habs prospect Bryce Pickford.

He now has 39 goals in 49 games

pic.twitter.com/ukjwj59F8D

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 5 March 2026

Pickford’s work was not completed there. He scored his 40th (!) goal of the year early in the second period.

Bryce Pickford scored 40!!! 🚨🐅@CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/xaKrm2NpRx

– Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) 5 March 2026

He completed a hat trick, his third of the season, leading the Tigers to a 6–3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Bryce Pickford gets his third hat-trick of the year!!! 🧢🧢🧢@CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/mWMfFtwDu4

– Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) 5 March 2026

Sportsknot Network

We’re three days away from the 2026 NHL trade deadline. The New Jersey Devils are in a precarious position, with the possibility of them missing the playoffs after a disappointing 2025-26 season that had a lot of expectations. Heading into Friday’s deadline, it appears defenseman Simon Nemec is generating Devils trade interest. [New Jersey Devils]

The Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to be busy in the NHL news cycle this week, likely with a few names on their blue line. But this announcement was not necessarily expected: the team has confirmed that Chris Tanev has had core muscle surgery and is done for the season. [Toronto Maple Leafs]

The Florida Panthers are on the rise. After the Olympic break, the Panthers have lost three consecutive games and are in last place in the Atlantic Division with 63 points. Florida is 10 points (five games) out of the final wild card spot with 21 games left. Time is ticking, and the Panthers have made a decision on their plans for the 2026 NHL trade deadline. [Florida Panthers]

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

On Sunday evening, the NBA All-Star Game took place from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was unable to attend this contest due to a knee injury that has caused him to miss the last few games for Golden State.

However, Curry was still in attendance in Los Angeles for the festivities, and during a pre-game interview with NBC, he launched a shot into the stands from the network’s set, drilling it, of course, very surprising Of fans in the field.

(Oh no, he didn’t on X, first on Twitter).

Steph Curry is crazy 🤯

Curry hits an unreal trick shot from both NBC commentators 🔥

pic.twitter.com/hqq9Qkyd91

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 15 February 2026

Curry has long been known for his tendency to nail spectacular trick shots before games, often launching shots from the tunnel of both Oracle Arena and Chase Center before games, surprising fans in the process. In fact, fans arrive at Warriors games hours early just to see the spectacle.

While Curry will unfortunately miss the game due to a knee injury, he is still finding ways to entertain fans regardless.

Curry isn’t the only notable player to miss the game due to injury, as Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder will also be sidelined for the festivities.

It will certainly be interesting to see whether the players who are available will be able to provide a higher level of effort than in previous years.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson made a major contribution to Team Canada’s resounding 10-2 victory over France. He finished with the first Gordie Howe hat trick in Olympic history.

Things quickly got going when Wilson scored Canada’s first goal of the game. The 31-year-old came forward and smothered the counterattack for Drew Doughty’s tally.

Later, Wilson added to his point total by assisting Connor McDavid on the third goal. The Capitals returned to the top line with forwards McDavid and Maclin Celebrini.

Wilson made his presence felt with his aggressive play throughout the game. He was once again very physical with his anticipating abilities and two-way play.

Halfway through the third, Pierre Cremon hit Nathan MacKinnon and knocked him to the ice. That’s when Wilson looked up from the bench, returned to the ice and dropped the gloves with Cremon.

As a result, both players received two minutes for scuffling, five minutes for fighting and an automatic game misconduct. As Capitals fans will know, Wilson isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates.

The 31-year-old recorded a goal, an assist and a plus-1 rating on Sunday. He finished with two shots and seven penalty minutes for 11:31 minutes of ice time.

Canada’s victory was so one-sided that it defeated France 46–14. The Canadians now finished 3–0–0 in group play.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman