Category: NHL

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro: Sabres come back to defeat Bruins 3-1 to take 2-1 series lead; Canes can sweep Sens in four games this Saturday; Kings with backs to wall down 0-3 to Aves

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Buffalo Sabre right wing Alex Tuch (89) celebrates his goal with teammates as the Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) skates by in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Boston Garden on Thu Apr 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 Bowen Byram scored just after the Boston Bruins missed a penalty shot and the Buffalo Sabres Alex Tuch helped the Sabres erase a deficit and beat the Bruins 3-1 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 series lead in round one of the NHL Playoffs.

#2 Alex Lyon stopped 24 shots for the Sabres and it’s Lyon’s first start in post season. The Sabres also ended a NHL 14 year drought by making post season and winning the Atlantic Division and the Sabres got home ice advantage in this best of seven series.

#3 Jackson Blake broke a 1-1 deadlock in the second period with a goal that helped the Carolina Hurricane edge the Ottawa Senators 2-1 and take a 3-0 series lead in the first round. The Hurricane also got goaltending help from Frederik Andersen who stopped 21 shots.

#4 Len, the Hurricane can finish off the Senators with a four game sweep and advance to the second round of the playoffs this Saturday in Ottawa.

#5 The Colorado Avalanche scored two key goals in the second period to beat the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena for a 4-2 win and take a 3-0 series lead over the Kings.

#6 The Avalanche earlier had a one goal lead over the Kings the Kings pulled within a goal of the Avalanche 3-2 but the Avalanche got an insurance goal and it was a keeper for the 4-2 win.

Len Shapiro does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Mammoth Master Golden Knights 3-2 To Even Western Conference First-Round Series 1-1

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Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (99) and center Logan Center (92) celebrate after Cooley’s goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in third period in game two of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T Mobile Center in Las Vegas on Wed Apr 22, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

Logan Cooley became the youngest American-born player to score goals in each of his first two playoff appearances in Utah win over Vegas 3-2.

The Utah Mammoth squared off against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday for the second game of the Western Conference First-Round Series hoping to tie up the series following Sunday night’s Game 1 loss.

Vegas received a golden opportunity eleven minutes into the first period when Utah forward Logan Cooley was whistled for interference against Mitch Marner. On the ensuing power play, Mark Stone scored his 2nd goal of the playoffs on a shot which deflected off the skate of Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.

Jack Eichel and Marner assisted on the play. With 3:01 remaining in the frame, Vegas defenseman Rasmus Andersson reciprocated by kicking the puck into his own net, with the tying goal being credited to MacKenzie Weegar who was the last Mammoth to touch the puck.

At 14:56 of the second period, Dylan Guenther one-timed a slap shot from the top of the faceoff circle for his first goal of the post-season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto who had gloved down a clearing attempt by Vegas and sent a cross-ice pass to the waiting stick of Guenther to give Utah its first lead of the night. That lead was short-lived, as Ivan Barbashev split two Mammoth defenders 62 seconds later and put the puck past Karel Vejmelka for his second goal of the playoffs, assisted by Eichel.

Exactly 14 minutes into the third period, Logan Cooley banged in a rebound off a shot by Guenther for his second goal of the playoffs to give Utah a 3-2 lead with six minutes remaining, with Yamamoto picking up the second assist. With the goal, Cooley made NHL history as the youngest American-born player to score goals in each of his first two career playoff games, edging out his captain Clayton Keller who had previously held that record at the age of 22 while with the Arizona Coyotes.

Earlier in the playoffs, 19-year-old Philadelphia Flyers forward Porter Martone, born in Peterborough, ON, became the youngest player overall to achieve the feat while also becoming the third rookie in NHL history to score game-winning goals in consecutive games to start a postseason, joining Brett Hull (1988) and Cooney Weiland (1929). Vejmelka shut the door on the Golden Knights the rest of the way as the Mammoth split the two games in Vegas and return to Delta Center on Friday where they currently enjoy home ice advantage in the series.

Yamamoto, who assisted on the goals by Guenther and Cooley, said of those teammates in the locker room after the game, “Those two are unbelievable. Everything they do, very easy to play with, they just use their speed. They’re so quick, and heavy on pucks. They may not be the biggest guys, but very heavy on their sticks and win a lot of battles.”

Cooley said of Yamamoto, “He’s such a smart player. He reads off of me and Gunner really good. It seems like he’s always in the right position, really poised with the puck. Positive guy too. Keeps us loose and I feel, like Gunner, we just have a lot of speed, we read off each other really well, and it’s clicking right now.” On Utah’s performance in the game, Cooley added, “There’s a lot of emotions in these playoff games. A lot of ups and downs. I think you have to just find a way to stay level-headed. Different things happen. Good calls, bad calls, different momentum swings. We did a good job of staying level-headed, and that’s what we need to do moving forward.” Guenther, who was seated next to Cooley for the interview, said, “I think it’s contagious too. When everyone’s lifting each other up, it’s a good feeling. I think it feels like we ‘re always in it no matter what.” Cooley continued, “It’s nice to get the win, and to have a big goal in a big moment, and it’s nice that we could get the series tied up heading back home. … It’s so exciting playing in these games. You’re playing for the Cup. It’s what you dream of since you’re a little kid, and you just want to leave everything out there. The games are so intense, physical, fast, and I think that kind of fits my game. Just trying to add those attributes into these games and it’s clicking right now. Just gotta keep moving.”

“That was a hard game,” said Head Coach André Tourigny to begin his post-game remarks. “Not a lot of space out there. I like the way our guys responded. … You need to have the right balance, need to have poise, you need to be patient, you need to be aggressive, and you need to be intense. … You need to be 10 out of 10 in your drive, but at the same time you need to be calm. You need to be urgent, but you need to be patient. You need to be disciplined.” Asked about how impressive Cooley’s play has been, Bear responded, “I don’t know if it’s impressive when you see him every day. We know how competitive, how good he is, for us it’s just stay in the moment I think Cools has been really good for us since he’s with us – 3 years now – and right now his head is at the right place, he’s in the moment, and I think everybody in our room right now is focused and in the right place and we need to keep it there.”

On Friday night the State of Utah will host its first-ever NHL playoff match as the Mammoth and Golden Knights square off for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series.

Stanley Cup Playoffs/Utah Mammoth:Mammoth Blow Third Period Lead, Falling 4-2 To Golden Knights In Game 1 Of Western Conference First-Round Series

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Vegas Golden Knights center Colton Sissons (10) scores against the Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during game 1 of first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the T Mobile Center in Las Vegas (AP News photo)

Stanley Cup Playoffs/Utah Mammoth:

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah was positioned to steal home ice advantage in Game 1 of the opening playoff series, but Vegas launched third period comeback for the win 4-2.

The Utah Mammoth played Game 83 for the first time in franchise history on Sunday night, squaring off against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas for Game 1 of the Western Conference First-Round Series. The last time Mammoth predecessors, the Arizona Coyotes, played in the postseason was August 19, 2020 during the strange COVID-shortened season, losing 7-1 in Game 5 of the first round to the Colorado Avalanche.

The lone Coyotes goal-scorer in that game was current Mammoth captain Clayton Keller, assisted by Jason Demers and Derek Stepan. The only other remaining Coyotes player in that game’s box score who also participated in Utah’s Sunday night post-season debut was forward Lawson Crouse. Barrett Hayton, who has been out of the lineup since March 24 with an upper-body injury, also played that final 2020 playoff game for Arizona.

The first period seemed destined to be a scoreless affair, but with 11 ticks left on the clock, Logan Cooley found the back of the net to put Utah up 1-0 on his first career playoff goal. Cooley had initially taken the puck into the offensive zone, and after some keep-away with Vegas defenders passed the puck to Crouse, who sent it to inaugural season Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt, who zipped it back to Cooley who one-timed a slap shot into the net.

At 3:44 of the second period, Colton Sissons knocked in a loose puck at the crease to tie the game, assisted by Cole Smith and Brayden McNabb. The Mammoth regained the lead 83 seconds later on a fluke goal where Kevin Stenlund shot the puck from the dasher boards near the top of the faceoff circle, the puck being slapped away by Vegas netminder Carter Hart but off the body of defenseman Kaedan Korczak and into the net, with Sean Durzi and Ian Cole picking up the assists.

Utah took their 2-1 lead into the third period, but could not hold on. At 3:45 of the frame, Alexander Kerfoot went to the penalty box for hooking against Ivan Barbashev. With 12 seconds remaining in the penalty kill, Mark Stone knocked in a rebound from Karel Vejmelka to even the score at 2-2, assisted by Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner.

Less than two minutes later, Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar turned over the puck in Utah’s defensive zone, and Noah Hanifin sent it across to Nic Dowd who deflected it perfectly into the net to give the Golden Knights their first lead of the game 3-2. At 18:21, with Vejmelka pulled for an extra attacker, Barbashev put the game away with an empty net goal to give Vegas the victory and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Interviewed in the locker room after the game, Cooley said, “Right from the start I knew it was going to be physical. A super fast game. Not a lot of room out there. I think early on we did a good job of playing our game, playing our style. We let off a little bit towards the third and it cost us, but it’s a long series and we just gotta regroup and clean up a few things.” Asked about his goal and getting into the pace of his first playoff game, Cooley responded, “It’s always nice to get on the board early, but I think after the first shift you get into it, maybe get a few bumps, and now it’s just another game.” On his own physicality, he commented, “It’s the playoffs, you’re playing for the Cup, you’re doing whatever you can to help your team win – whether that is physical, or scoring, playing good defensively – whatever the team needs, and I think that’s our mindset in this locker room too. It’s all about the team focus and trying to win games.” Wrapping up the interview, Cooley said, “A lot of us, it’s our first playoff game – to get that nerve out, get settled in … obviously we’d like to get the win, but just to get your feet wet a little bit and know how it is and what we need to do to beat them in Game 2.”

Lawson Crouse, one of two Mammoth players on the ice to have participated in the final Arizona Coyotes playoff game in 2020, said, “They played a heck of a game. It was a physical affair. There wasn’t much open ice out there, that’s kind of what we expected, but you know they played a great game. We feel we got a little bit better, but you know we get a day now to learn and make some adjustments. … It’s a different style of hockey in the playoffs, we knew that. I feel like we can be better. We’re competitive guys, we want to do whatever we can to help this team win, just like everyone in our locker room. We’re going to try to step up.” Of teammate Logan Cooley, Crouse said, “Cools is one of the biggest competitors I know. He’s done that all season long, ever since I’ve known him and played with him. He’s a battler and definitely a guy that you want to follow.” Brogan Houston of the Deseret News asked Crouse, “This is the first playoff game for yourself and a lot of the guys with fans in the stands, how does it compare to the COVID bubble?” He responded, “Obviously an incredible atmosphere out there. Their fans do a great job cheering, and to be honest I like that energy. I think we’re able to harness it and use it to our advantage as well. Obviously they’re very into the game. They’re loud. It’s a fun environment to play in.”

Former Golden Knight Nate Schmidt told the media, “This is a long series. That’s what we planned on at the beginning. There’s a lot of lessons to be had tonight. Our effort was there. There were some momentum swings. That’s the playoffs. They score a power play goal to get it even there early in the third and I think it tilted the ice a little bit for ’em, and I liked our response to that in the last little part of the game. There are things to build on for Game 2. I think some of our guys tonight got a taste for what it’s like, and all the emotional parts of it, the [excitement] that is playoff hockey. I’m excited for it to be a long series and for Game 2.” Asked about Cooley, Schmidt added, “I think he is a player that’s ready to take that step on the center stage here in the playoffs and be a guy that commands a lot of space out there and he really makes a lot of plays for guys and creates space for people. I love his game, I love that he’s nasty around the puck. He’s not a someone that’s going to shy away from it, and that’s what I love about him. I think as we go on here, he’s gonna show more and more, and there’s some young legs that are willing to do that dirty work which is something that is really important at this time of year, guys are willing to stand over the puck and be willing to take the abuse and I think he will.”

Head Coach André Tourigny opened his post-game comments, saying, “That was a great game, I think we know Vegas is a really good team. It was a hard fought game – was physical, was intense. Every inch was contested, so I’m proud of our prep – like the way we came out and I think the guys were pretty composed, they were in control – like I said it was a hard fought game. We know when we exploit our speed, that was a good factor for us, we need to keep focusing on that. … I really like the way the guys stayed in control. You just want to get better. From now on it’s a race of improvement. I think we have stuff we can be better, and we’ll make some adjustments and stuff, but I’m really proud of the way we performed.” Of Cooley’s performance, Bear was effusive with praise, “He was on a mission. He was really good. I think him and his line played a solid game. You guys know Cools – how competitive he is – and I think he just put it on display.” Of the team overall, Tourigny added, “I’m proud of the way where our guys were mentally. I think at this point as a coach what you need to do is make sure your team is in the right mindset, the right approach, they’re in control, and they control their performance, and I’m proud of the way they played in that sense. … I think as a first game, would have loved to win the game, no doubt about it, but I think we pushed back after they took the lead, we stayed in control, the guys were calm on the bench, were even-keeled, we didn’t act like we were a young team or a team with a lack of experience – the reverse I felt we were in control.”

The Mammoth look to even the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night, 7:30pm MDT.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Mary Lisa: Puck drops this weekend on the post season; A review of each matchup

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Ottawa Senators Warren Foegele (37) takes a victory lap in front of the Sens bench after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Wed Apr 15, 2026. The Senators visit the Carolina Hurricane for game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Sat Apr 18, 2026 in Carolina (Canadian Press via AP photo)

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Mary Lisa:

Mary were going to run down each match up for Saturday and Sunday’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game and go ahead and analyze each one all games are game 1.

Saturday’s games

#1 Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricane

#2 Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars

#3 Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins

Sunday’s games

#1 Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning

#2 Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres

#3 Utah Mammoth @ Vegas Golden Knights

Mary Lisa analyzes the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks/NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro: It’s Macklin again in laying out offense as Sharks close out season against Jets 6-1

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San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini broke the Sharks all time points record with 115 passing Shark great Joe Thornton against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canadian Life Centre in Winnipeg on Thu Apr 16, 2026 (San Jose Sharks X photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini scored a goal and got a pair of assists and broke former Shark Joe Thornton’s points record with 115 as the Sharks demolish the Winnipeg Jets in the last regular season game 6-1.

#2 For the season Celbrini scored 45 goals, had 70 assists in 82 game and became the team’s all time points leader passing Thornton doing it in just in 82 games. Celbrini was also impressive in his rookie year with 63 point and 25 goals in 70 games.

#3 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff matchup upcoming.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Utah Wraps Regular Season On Blue Note, Losing 5-3 To St Louis

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Utah Mammoth John Marino takes in the warm up before their game against the St Louis Blues Thu Apr 3, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City (Utah Mammoth X photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–The Utah Mammoth (43-32-6) suited up early Thursday afternoon for their nationally televised regular season finale against the St. Louis Blues (36-33-12). Regardless of the outcome, head coach André Tourigny entered the contest riding a streak of five consecutive seasons of continuous improvement beginning with a 25-50-7 record in his Arizona Coyotes debut in 2021-22. The Mammoth dropped a 5-3 decision to the Blues.on Thursday.

St. Louis took an early lead in the first period when Pavel Buchnevich picked up a loose puck to the side of the Utah net and knocked it in for his 20th of the season at 3:45 assisted by Jordan Kyrou and Pius Suter. With just over three minutes remaining in the frame, Michael Carcone evened things up with a snap shot into the top shelf corner over the right shoulder of netminder Joel Hofer for his 16th of the season, assisted by JJ Peterka and John Marino.

Carcone is enjoying a bounce back season in Utah after having initially anticipated to be playing elsewhere following a disappointing seven-goal campaign last year. He won’t be looking for a new home this coming offseason, having signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract extension last month. The two squads headed to the locker room knotted up at one apiece, with Hofer having stopped 8 of 9 shots and Karel Vejmelka turning away 10 of 11.

Lawson Crouse gave Utah their first lead of the game at the drop of the puck in the second period, banging in a rebound off a shot by MacKenzie Weegar 45 seconds into the frame. Clayton Keller picked up the second assist on Crouse’s 24th goal of the season. The goal matched Crouse’s previous career high of 24 from the 2022-23 season in Arizona, and Keller’s assist extends his franchise assist and point streak record to 10 games. Keller joins Quinn Hughes (MIN) and Artemi Panarin (NYR) as the only players in the NHL to register 10-game assist streaks this season.

At 8:14, Robert Thomas tied it up again with his 23rd goal of the season, one-timing a nifty backwards pass from Dylan Holloway who was battling two defenders at the side of the net. Three minutes later Thomas struck again, putting the Blues up 3-2 with his 24th goal, assisted by Cam Fowler and Holloway. With 68 seconds remaining in the frame, Kailer Yamamoto came through with his 13th of the season to even the score once again, assisted by Weegar and Keller.

There may have been a buzzer to mark the end of the period, but it might as well have been a trip gong of a boxing match as fists began to fly between the players on the ice. When the scrum concluded, Logan Cooley and Philip Broberg were each assessed two-minute roughing penalties to carry over into the third period. Hofer stopped 9 of 11 Mammoth shots in the period, while Vejmelka turned away 5 of 7.

With the score still tied 3-3 and less than three minutes remaining in the third, the possibility of an overtime match and even the first shootout of the season for the Mammoth seemed in play, but when Utah defenseman Nate Schmidt attempted to clear the puck from behind the net, St. Louis defenseman Logan Mailloux snagged it off the dasher boards and wristed a backhand shot past Vítek Vaněček who had entered the game in the third to spell Vejmelka.

Mailloux’s unassisted goal was his fifth of the season, giving the Blues a 4-3 lead. With Vaněček pulled for an extra attacker, Robert Thomas completed his hat trick into an empty net with 38 seconds remaining to put the game away 5-3. Utah completes the regular season with new franchise records in wins (43), points (92), and points percentage (.561).

Following the game, the Mammoth remained on the ice for the team’s regular season awards as follows: All-In Award: Lawson Crouse Community Obsessed Award: Michael Carcone Three-Stars Award: Dylan Guenther Leading Scorer: Clayton Keller (26g, 62a, 88pts) Team MVP: Clayton Keller

Mammoth Governor Ryan Smith concluded the award presentations telling the home fans, “This is your team. Tusks up! Let’s Go!”

In the locker room, Crouse commented on receiving the “All In” team award, “I think I just try and do my best each and every night out there. Obviously, a lot of guys on our team do so too. I think if you look around the room, there’s a lot of guys that come out for that award, and I am obviously very grateful to get that recognition.” On bringing the playoffs to Utah for the first time and what he’s expecting from the home crowd, Crouse added, “Feeling that energy and that atmosphere out there each and every night, I find it hard to believe that there is another level. Considering how loud they have been, they’ve continued to blow us away. So I’m sure they have something in the bag for us for the playoffs.”

On winning the MVP award, captain Clayton Keller said, “It means a lot, for sure. There’s lots of other guys in this room that could have received it. It’s very special, and it means a lot for sure.” As the Mammoth prepare to travel to Las Vegas for Game 83, Keller continued, “It’s super exciting. We’re so excited to be in the playoffs. This is where we wanted to go, and now the real fun starts. Regular season’s over. It doesn’t matter at all, really. It’s focus on Vegas.” Asked what makes Utah dangerous in the first round of the playoffs, Keller said, “I think we’re a very confident team right now. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, lots of excitement, and great for our group to get into the playoffs and feel that. So I think we’re, like I said, super confident and can’t wait.”

Forward Michael Carcone, asked about receiving the Community Obsessed Award, said, “It’s exciting. Like I said from day one, this community has been special and done so much for my family and myself, so obviously getting recognized for this award is special to me.” With regard to the playoffs, Carcone added, “We did our job getting there, and now it’s on to the next milestone here – getting some wins, getting some experience, and doing what we came here to do.” When the Mammoth return to Delta Center, Carcone is expecting the volume to increase even further. “I mean, you’ve seen it the last few games, right? It’s been pretty electric in here. I think the fans are excited, just as excited as us, so it’s going to be special.”

Utah Mammoth Head Coach André Tourigny has frequently spoken of his team’s resilience in post-game interviews, and Thursday was no different. “The resilience of the guys, the way they fought during the season, through certain moments of adversity, showed a lot of growth in our ability to have urgency when it was important. We stayed away from long periods of adversity. We were capable of having good consistency and strung a few winning streaks together that pushed us over the edge. Happy about the maturity our team had and how much they gel. Even if we have always been the team who is really tight to each other, you can’t take that for granted. Same thing with your family, my family, and all of our families. You don’t take relationships for granted. So, as much as we were tight, we’re even tighter now. So proud of the guys for that. I think they earned everything. They earned the right to play game 83. We talked about it all season long. Proud of the guys for that and excited to get going.” When asked if “brotherhood” is a superpower of the team, Tourigny said, “Yep, it is. I think there’s the excitement for wanting each other, the love they have for each other, and how much they care. I think that goes a long way. We said that we had so many examples this year when we were in adversity. Some guy had the opportunity to sign a long-term deal, and so on and so forth. I think all of that showed how much our team likes each other.”

The first ever playoff hunt for the Mammoth begins Sunday in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights.

André Tourigny’s career coaching record, seasons 1-3 in Arizona and 4-5 in Utah: 2021-22: 25-50-7 (57pts) 2022-23: 28-40-14 (70pts) 2023-24: 36-41-5 (77pts) 2024-25: 38-31-13 (89pts) 2025-26: 43-33-6 (94pts)

Sharks End Season With 6-1 Win, Celebrini Breaks Thornton Record

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San Jose Sharks Dimitry Orlov (9) congratulates goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) after defeating the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Thu Apr 16, 2026 (San Jose Sharks X photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks ended the 2025-26 season with a 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Sharks goals came from Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, Will Smith, Igor Chernyshov, Collin Graf and Michael Misa. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves for the win. Cole Koepke scored for the Jets and Eric Comrie made 27 saves in the loss.

Celebrini earned three points in the game, giving him 115 points for the season. That was enough to surpass the Sharks all-time single season record. Joe Thornton held the previous record with 114 points in the 2006-07 season. Celebrini also tied Thornton’s record for three-point games in a season with 18. Eklund and John Klingberg also had three-point nights and Will Smith had two points in the game.

The Jets scored first after a puck slipped by Mario Ferraro and out of the zone. Koepke had the jump on everyone and skated into the zone unimpeded for a snap shot into the top corner. That was at 3:28.

Igor Chernyshov tied the game with a power play goal at 6:26. Chernyshov got his stick on the rebound from Eklund’s shot, then he got his own rebound and put the puck behind the goaltender. Assists went to Eklund and Celebrini.

Will Smith gave the Sharks the lead at 16:54. Celebrini made a pass across the ice and Smith snapped it home from just inside the faceoff circle. Assists went to Celebrini and Klingberg.

The Jets outshot the Sharks 12-7 in the first period. Each took had a single penalty.

Collin Graf made it 3-1 at 5:51 of the second period. He knocked the puck free in the d-zone and carried it all the way to the Jets net to score.

The next goal did not come until late in the period, at 18:01. Michael Misa skated end-to end with the puck, entering the Jets zone two-on-one with Kiefer Sherwood. Misa took the shot from the face-off circle, then caught his own reboudn as he skated by the net and tapped it in. Assists went to Eklund and Klingberg.

William Eklund’s goal came even later, at 19:55. Eklund was one of several Sharks around the net, taking shots. Eklund found the puck as it trickled clear of the goaltender and, while dropping to his knees, Eklund pushed the puck over the line. Assists went to Mario Ferraro and Kiefer Sherwood.

The Sharks outshot the Jets 16-7 in the middle frame. The only penalty called went against the Sharks for too many men on the ice.

Macklin Celebrini scored the final goal of the game at 1:14 of the third. After passing the puck to his teammates several times, Celebrini finally took the shot from the slot to set a new single-season scoring record for the Sharks. Assists went to Klingberg and Smith.

Celebrini finished the season in fourth place for points and tied for fourth place in goals. The Sharks finished the season in 24th place in the league.

Sharks Fall 5-2 to Blackhawks, Crevier with 2 Goals

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Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) tries to make a move as San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais (5) defends in the first period of a game at the United Center in Chicago on April 15, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost 5-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday. Sam Rinzel, Louis Crevier, Ryan Greene and Nick Lardis scored for the Blackhawks. Spencer Knight made 15 saves for the win. Mario Ferraro and Michael Misa scored for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 19 saves in the loss.

Mario Ferraro scored the first goal of the game at 8:09 of the first period. Kiefer Sherwood set Ferraro up with a cross-ice pass for the shot.

The Sharks outshot the Blackhawks 7-3 in the period. The Sharks took two penalties and the Blackhawks took one.

Michael Misa scored on the power play at 5:17 of the second period to make it 2-0 Sharks. In what looking like a centering attempt, Misa sent the puck into Del Mastro’s skates and it ended up going under the goaltender. Assists went to Dmitry Orlov and Kiefer Sherwood.

Sam Rinzel started the Blackhawks comeback at 19:30. Rinzel took his shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle off a drop pass from Ryan Donato.

Chicago outshot San Jose 10-6 in the second period. Each team took two penalties in the middle frame.

The Blackhawks tied the game at 3:51 of the third with a goal from Louis Crevier. Crevier and Connor Bedard skated into the zone two-on-three. Bedard made a cross-ice pass and Crevier took the shot from right at the edge of the blue paint.

Ryan Greene gave Chicago the lead at 8:35 with a snap shot from right in front of the net. Assists went to Ethan Del Mastro and Andre Burakovsky.

Louis Crevier scored his second of the night at 10:32. He scored with a slap shot from the blue line off a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi.

Nick Lardis made it 5-2 at 14:44. Lardis caught a pass from Bedard in the slot and scored with a wrist shot. An assist also went to Wyatt Kaiser.

The Sharks next play on Thursday at 5:00 PM PT in Winnipeg against the Jets.

Mammoth Sweep Season Series Against Jets In 5-3 Victory

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Utah Mammoth teammates celebrate a third period goal by center Nick Schmaltz (8) against the Winnipeg Jets at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Apr 14, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

April 14, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY–Winnipeg Jets fought back from 4-1 in the third to within striking distance, but Kerfoot’s empty netter sealed Utah Mammoth’s 5-3 win, securing the top Western Conference Wild Card berth. The Mammoth (42-32-6) began the final homestand of the 2025-2026 regular season Tuesday night against the visiting Jets (35-33-12).

Ironically, despite the legal technicality of being designated a new franchise when the Arizona Coyotes were sold to Smith Entertainment Group following the 2023-2024 season, the Mammoth DNA nevertheless traces to Winnipeg, whereas the Jets which currently play in the city began their existence in 1999 as the Atlanta Thrashers before becoming the Jets 2.0 beginning with the 2011-2012 season.

Logan Cooley kicked off the Mammoth scoring at 8:05 of the first period with his 24th goal of the campaign on a backhand, assisted by Nate Schmidt. Schmidt was at the top of his defensive faceoff circle when he launched a stretch pass up the middle of the ice where Cooley was positioned at the offensive blue line and drove straight to the net uncontested where he slipped the puck through the five-hole of Jets netminder Eric Comrie to give Utah a 1-0 lead.

16 of Cooley’s goals have come in the first period, fourth-most in the NHL despite having missed 28 games with a lower body injury. Courtesy of the Mammoth stat crew, he is also one of only four active American players to score 20 or more goals in each of his first three NHL seasons, joining an elite club consisting of Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews, and Jack Eichel, and he ranks third with Adam Fantili for most goals of any NHL player 21 or younger. The Mammoth more than doubled up the Jets in shots on goal in the frame, outshooting Winnipeg 14-6.

At 4:13 of the second period, Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo was whistled for high-sticking against JJ Peterka, giving the hot Utah power play an opportunity to double up on their lead. Prior to the 4-1 road loss to Calgary on Sunday, the Mammoth set a new franchise record with power play goals in eight consecutive games.

31 seconds into Tuesday’s man-advantage, Nick Schmaltz gave Utah a 2-0 lead with his 32nd goal of the season, knocking in a rebound off the pads of Comrie who had stopped a blast by Mikhail Sergachev, with the additional assist by Dylan Guenther.

With under four minutes remaining in the period, Lawson Crouse went to the sin bin for holding against Josh Morrissey, enabling Kyle Connor on the power play to bring the Jets back to within one with his 39th goal, assisted by Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele. The period ended with the Mammoth leading 2-1. Shots on goal in the period were nearly identical to the first, with Utah putting up 15 and Winnipeg adding another six.

Six minutes into the third, the Mammoth power play was given another shot at extending Utah’s lead when Jonathan Toews was whistled for slashing against Brandon Tanev. Schmaltz, who already tallied a goal on the man advantage in the second period, came through again for his 33rd goal of the season, assisted by Cooley and Clayton Keller.

Keller’s assist gives him points in nine consecutive games, a new franchise record. 40 seconds later JJ Peterka picked up a loose puck near the Winnipeg net and put a wrist shot past Comrie, unassisted, for his 25th goal of the season, padding the Utah lead at 4-1.

In the final eight minutes the Jets made a push to get back in the game, with Scheifele halving the deficit with his 36th of the year, assisted by Kyle Connor and Vilardi. 13 seconds later Winnipeg went on the power play when Michael Carcone went to the box for high-sticking against DeMelo, which Isak Rosen was able to cash in for his sixth of the season, unassisted, suddenly narrowing the gap to 4-3 with 5:37 to play.

The previous two contests between these clubs were each decided by a goal, and this one seemed to trend the same direction, but with Comrie pulled for an extra attacker Alexander Kerfoot scored his seventh of the season into an empty net with 24 seconds remaining to seal the Mammoth season sweep of the Jets. Karel Vejmelka stopped 21 of 24 in the effort while notching his 38th win of the season, second most in the NHL. With one game remaining in the regular season, Utah is still contending to complete the schedule without a single shootout.

In the winning locker room, Nick Schmaltz reflected on the third period. “We had a little adversity there. They made a push, but we stuck with it. A big goal by JJ kind of gave us that extra cushion we needed. We hung on, and we fought to the end. Guys made some big blocks, and Veggie made some big saves at the end.” Of Vejmelka’s performance, Schmaltz added, “Yeah, it’s huge. He’s been good for us all year. You’re gonna need those saves this time of year, and it’s a big momentum shifter for either team. And he did a great job for us.”

JJ Peterka, whose goal was the difference maker in the game, talked about Utah’s pace. “I think you (saw) it today; the way we can play. We all play with speed. I think it’s like day and night, compared to other games we’ve played before. … We’re just trying to play North every time. I think seeing another goal from Cools, that’s the best example. We don’t hold it back there, we just move it up. I think no team can handle us if we play with that pace.”

Head Coach André Tourigny opened his post-game remarks, saying, “I’m really happy about the way we played. When we talk about our identity, we talk about how we want to play, and we talked about that this morning. We talked about the speed we played at, the battle we have, the net-front presence there, and the tempo we have, and I am really happy about that. Obviously, in the third period, we made it tougher than we should have, but it will be good learning for us. All of our guys are pros. We know that. So it is not like we learned something tonight. We knew that, so it just happened. I am glad it happened, though.” Bear continued, “we made it tougher than we should have. But when push came to shove and when it was tight, we played solid. No, we didn’t give much; we were stingy. Even when they had a shift around four minutes, they had the puck in our zone a lot, but nothing other than that. The guys were rock solid.”

The Mammoth (43-32-6) wrap up the 2025-2026 regular season on Thursday at home against the St. Louis Blues. Their opening round playoff schedule remains unknown, but they will open on the road against either the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights.

Sharks Beat Predators 3-2, End Colossal Losing Streak

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Nashville Predators left wing Zachary L’heureux (68) crashes into San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) as defenseman Luca Cagnoni (42) and defenseman Vincent Desharnais (5) defend during the second period at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, April 13, 2026.ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks won 3-2, defeating the Nashville Predators on Monday. The win was the Sharks’ first against the Predators after losing 15 in a row over seven years. Igor Chernyshov and Macklin Celebrini scored for the Sharks. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves for the win. Luke Evangelista scored both Nashville goals and Justus Annunen made 20 saves in the loss.

“We played pretty good tonight from start to finish. We were solid, we were on our toes and I thought we just played a pretty all-around complete game tonight,” said Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.

“I thought we played extremely hard tonight, we tracked pucks, we were more engaged all over the ice. So, I’m proud of the group,” said Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky.

In a penalty-free first period, the Sharks outshot the Predators 11-6. Igor Chernyshov scored the first goal of the game at 9:53 of the second period. The goal came on the power play, a shot from just above the faceoff dot. William Eklund set him up with the pass and Michael Misa got an assist as well.

The second period saw the Predators outshoot the Sharks 9-5. The only penalty went against Steven Stamkos and Nashville.

Macklin Celebrini made it 2-0 at 3:04 of the third period. After an icing call and a draw in the Predators’ Sharks got the puck in the neutral zone and rushed back in. Assists went to Chernyshov and Will Smith.

Nashville scored their first of the game at 15:39. Luke Evangelista skated into the zone with the puck and took his shot from the edge of the faceoff circle. Assists went to Nick Perbix and Ryan Ufko.

Celebrini scored his second of the game at into an empty net. Skating into the zone three-on-one with Collin Graf and Alexander Wennberg, Celebrini took the shot from high in the slot. Assists went to Graf and Wennberg.

Evangelista scored his second at 18:50, deflecting a shot from Ufko. An assist also went to Roman Josi.

The Sharks next play on Wednesday at 5:30 PM PT in Chicago against the Blackhawks.