Tag: Chicago Blackhawks

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Chicago Steals Season Sweep Against Utah In 3-2 Overtime Win

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Utah Mammoth Logan Cooley (92) take control of the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks Ryan Greene (20) at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thu Mar 12, 2026 (Utah Mammoth X photo)

March 12, 2026

by Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Nick Schmaltz was cheered following his 8-year contract extension, as was MacKenzie Weegar in his Utah Mammoth home debut, but the Chicago Blackhawks completed the 4-0 season sweep in overtime with a 3-2 win Thursday night.

The Mammoth (34-26-5) returned to action at Delta Center on Thursday following a successful 3-1-1 road trip.  The team made headlines a day earlier when it was announced on Wednesday that forward Nick Schmaltz had signed an 8-year $64 million contract extension, locking up one of the final key pieces of the team’s core for the long term.  

At the conclusion of Utah’s inaugural season, several players remarked during exit interviews how much they enjoyed moving to Salt Lake City, particularly the players with young families who had integrated with their neighborhoods and had found so many activities for their children.  A short recap of some of their remarks at the time:

Defenseman Sean Durzi (signed through 2028): “One thing I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about is how well the organization has handled things and treats us, and then you look at the group and the direction we’re heading in, it’s gotta be a destination. I can’t say enough good things, from top to bottom, what this organization has done for myself and for the guys.”

Forward Liam O’Brien (signed through 2027): “It’s such a great city to have a family. My wife and my daughter really enjoy it. … It’s been great and I think there’s so much to do, too, with the kids in this area as well, so we really appreciate that. … We’ve got four or five guys with kids all within maybe six months of each other.”

Forward Logan Cooley (signed through 2034): “Right when we got here in the summer last year, the whole ceremony of welcoming us and the whole place is sold out and you could feel the excitement right away, and the first game was just unbelievable. … Neighbors have been great.”  

Forward Dylan Guenther (signed through 2033): “I think the ownership group is unbelievable, everything’s first class, our new practice facility is crazy nice, and the players they want to be here and they want to play here and they want to win in Utah.”  

Goalie Karel Vejmelka (signed through 2030): “I love the nature here, I love Utah. … It’s really easy to live here and I really like to spend some time outside when I have a day off. … The community and the hockey fans are great. We couldn’t ask for a better organization as a brand new team, so it’s just fun to play here and to live.”

Defenseman Ian Cole (UFA at end of 2026): “I feel like [Utah] is very family oriented.  There’s trampoline parks and play places, and a ton of fun stuff.” A teammate’s daughter was having a birthday party at a trampoline park later that day, to which Cole added, “that’ll be a ton of fun and I think that it’s something that kids love and there’s so many options, … so it’s a great place to raise a family for sure.”

Forward Lawson Crouse (signed through 2027): “I think when you take a look at our team, where we’re headed, the abilities and the skills that we have, that this is going to be a top place to play in the league. … I love waking up to the mountains every day. I find a sense of calming in that. Obviously we get a lot of sun here which is huge outside of the rink, and it’s just so beautiful when you drive around here, it’s a beautiful place. People are so friendly, and I couldn’t think of a better spot to raise my daughter here.”

Forward Alexander Kerfoot (UFA at end of 2026): “We’re building a lot of good things here. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this team and a part of this organization … we’re excited for the future. … I think that the trajectory that this team is on right now is something that we want to be a part of. I want to be on a team that’s trending in the right direction, and I think that the future here is really bright, and we want to be a part of that.”

Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (signed through 2030): “Utah is my home now. I could live here after I’m retired. I love this place.  People are very nice. It’s great. … Especially the guys who have families, I think this is the place to be. I haven‘t seen anything better yet.” 

Head Coach André Tourigny (signed through 2027): “What impressed me most are the people. Everywhere I go, from the restaurant, from everywhere in the crowd, even when I was coming in the Jazz game, it’s not necessarily the same fans, but people were talking about how much they embrace hockey, they didn’t know hockey and now they love the game, they love the team, and they love to come to the game. You never know, you’re going in a new city, people were talking about the culture of hockey, it’s not the same – we didn’t feel that at all. We didn’t feel we were kind of unknown or whatever, we really feel the people embrace our team and how excited they were. When you go somewhere and you feel people want you, that makes you feel really damn good. It’s tough to not get up, get out of your bed and not be excited, you’re excited, let’s get better today, let’s get at it, and I think that’s a credit to the people I just mentioned before, from our players to our ownership, but especially the fans.” 

General Manager Bill Armstrong: “The experience for myself, my family, my wife, it’s been incredible in Utah. Our neighborhood, the kids.  We went to the grocery store the other day, and a lady was petting our dogs and we were walking and she found out that we were with the hockey club, and she couldn’t thank us enough, ‘Thank you for coming!’ I can’t express the gratitude we have for our fans and the people of Utah.” 

Other key players under contract for several years to come include Captain Clayton Keller (2029), forwards JJ Peterka and Jack McBain (2030), newly acquired defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (2031), and now Nick Schmaltz, Keller’s longtime linemate, signed through 2034 when the Winter Olympics come to Salt Lake City. “Getting guys locked in long-term just shows the commitment to winning here,” Schmaltz said to the assembled media at the new Mammoth practice facility in Sandy. “I think we’re right on the edge of being a really great team.” Of linemate Keller, Schmaltz said, “We’ve got a special bond. I think me and Keller have a special chemistry that you can’t really find around the league. He’s definitely a guy that I want to play with for the rest of my career. He makes my job a lot easier and we read off each other super well.” 

“There was never a doubt that Utah is where I want to play the rest of my career, and I’m thrilled to sign an eight-year extension,” Schmaltz said.  “We have a great core of players, and I know we can do some special things together here in Utah. We have a very bright future, and I am thankful to Ryan and Ashley Smith for wanting me to be a part of the group that will one day bring a Stanley Cup to Utah.” Of the Mammoth ownership, Schmaltz added, “Ryan and Ashley, they’ve given us every single tool to get better every single day. They built this amazing practice facility, they’ve done stuff at the Delta Center, renovations to make the building better. It just seems like they’re all-in on us. They do whatever it takes to win and they make our job easy, just to go out and perform.”  Schmaltz recalled his first impression of Utah when the players first arrived after the announcement of Smith Entertainment Group’s acquisition of the franchise. “Seeing hundreds of kids lined up, excited to have an NHL team, then going to the Delta Center that night with a sold-out crowd just to see us walk on the stage. It was eye-opening.”

With the new contract, which includes a full no-movement clause for the next two seasons, a no-trade clause for the following two seasons, and conditional no-movement clauses beyond that, Schmaltz can safely put down permanent roots.  “My fiancée and I love it here, so we’re super excited to get settled down and hope we can find some real estate here.” He shouldn’t have any difficulty doing that.

General Manager Bill Armstrong admitted that he had lost sleep over Schmaltz’s pending unrestricted free agent status. “The thought of losing Nick left me sleepless night after night after night, thinking about what he would get in free agency,” Armstrong said. “We didn’t want to lose him.” Armstrong joked about the text messages he would receive from Schmaltz’s agent when he had a hat trick or other noteworthy performances, and how at one point during a game he caught the glare of Schmaltz’s fiancée, telepathically messaging to him to get the contract done.

“We are thrilled that Nick chose Utah and wants to remain with the team for the next eight years,” Armstrong said. “Nick is a tremendous player and person who is very deserving of this contract. We expect him to continue producing on the ice and leading our young, skilled forwards for years to come.  This is another great day for Mammoth fans and our organization.”

“There’s a lot of momentum building around our team, and extending Nick Schmaltz is an important part of continuing that,” SEG Chairman and CEO Ryan Smith said at the press conference.  “Utah is becoming a true destination in the NHL, and Nick’s long-term commitment reflects the excitement around what we’re building here.”  Smith continued, “I think people are starting to see, ‘Utah’s actually a place I want to live. You leave this facility, you’ve got that beautiful mountain range right in the back. You can get anywhere around here. You can fly anywhere. Utah’s pretty special and I think everyone is starting to see that.”

Getting back to Thursday night’s hockey game between the Mammoth and the visiting Chicago Blackhawks (24-29-11), Utah had gone 0-2-1 against them in their three prior encounters this season, two of them having taking place just this month.  In the starting lineup for the Mammoth was MacKenzie Weegar, acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames during the road trip.

The opening period was a scoreless draw, with Spencer Knight stopping all 6 Utah shots on goal, and Karel Vejmelka turning away all 4 shots from Chicago.

Dylan Guenther opened the scoring in the second period, netting his team-leading 31st goal of the season on a snap shot at close range over the right shoulder of Knight into the top corner of the net, assisted by Logan Cooley and Mikhail Sergachev, who returned to the lineup after a four game absence with a lower body injury. Guenther becomes the first player in franchise history to score 31 or more goals, surpassing Clayton Keller’s inaugural season tally of 30.  The remainder of the frame remained scoreless, with Knight stopping 6 of 7 Mammoth shots and Vejmelka turning away all 8 attempts by Chicago.

19 seconds into the third period, Jack McBain and Ilya Mikheyev got into a tussle and went to the penalty box for roughing against one another. During the 4-on-4, Chicago’s Sam Rinzel used his arm to raise Clayton Keller’s stick into his own face, and was miraculously awarded the benefit of a high sticking penalty against Keller.  Replays showed just how blatant Rinzel’s self-harm was, but the Blackhawks cashed in on the 4-on-3 advantage to tie the score when Tyler Bertuzzi put the puck past Vejmelka for his 28th of the season, assisted by Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, as the booing fans made clear their contempt for the officiating. Near the midpoint of the third, Chicago pulled ahead 2-1 when Frank Nazar scored his 10th og the season, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi. With just over six minutes remaining in regulation, JJ Peterka tied things up again at 2-2 with his 22nd of the year, assisted by Michael Carcone, which ultimately sent the game into overtime.  

The Mammoth and Blackhawks traded chances for nearly four minutes of the bonus frame, but with just over a minute remaining, Nick Schmaltz went hard at the Chicago net and crashed into the boards as the Blackhawks recovered the puck and drove the length of the ice with a 3-on-2 where Connor Bedard completed Chicago’s season sweep over Utah with 63 seconds left on his 27th goal of the season, assisted by Alex Vlasic and Nick Lardis. 

Mammoth forward Jack McBain, who recorded a career-high 10 hits in the game (Liam O’Brien owns the franchise record with 11), faced the media in the locker room after the game.  “I thought our group had a really good effort, we were really physical,” McBain began.  “It’s a team that’s gotten the best of us so far this year, and again tonight, but I thought we played a good game.” Of teammate Michael Carcone, who registered 8 hits of his own, McBain said, “[Carcone] is a good player, he’s feisty, he gets into battles, he’s really good on the forecheck, he’s obviously really fast, and he’s a fun guy to play with. I thought he had a strong game tonight. He made a great play on the backcheck there. It’s a huge point for us, obviously, two would’ve been better, but we’re going to be proud of the effort and carry on.”

JJ Peterka, who initially tied the game in the third period, spoke on the challenge of playing the Blackhawks this season. “They play with a lot of speed, they’re obviously a highly skilled team. They make a lot of good plays. I think they had very good chances. I think that’s what we’ve been struggling with.”

Head Coach André Tourigny began his post-game comments by saying, “Not the result we wanted, but we played a hell of a game. We hit, we were physical, we’re fast. We generated a lot of offense. We actually had 33 shot attempts from the slot, probably our highest of the season. Jack McBain was a force out there, physical. It was huge for us. I think there’s a lot of positives, a lot of stuff I like about that game. Carcs, hell of an effort on the tying goal, tracks, trip. Timely goal from JJ, but we’re in that stage where we need to find a way to get two points, no doubt. But as well, we got a big point, and we played a hell of a game. I liked the way we played, and if we play like that, the result will follow. Proud of the guys, proud of the effort. The attitude on the bench, chatting in the room, four lines going, four lines buying pressure and being tough to play against. Other than the score, there’s not much I didn’t like.” Speaking of Chicago, who rank 30th out of 32 teams this season, Bear said, “Yeah, they’re a better team than people think. Look at their game, before they played us last game, they had just lost in overtime against Dallas. They’re in the game every night. Before the break, they had a hell of a stretch where they were in the game all the time. They can skate, they have size, and their goaltending is really good, so they’re in the game every night, so you need to be as close as possible to perfection. It’s a good team. We’ve been there where we were the younger team, where we were in the probably 60 games during the season, where we were in the mix, but we had a stretch of games where we lost too many games and that got us out of the race. That’s exactly what has happened to Chicago. They had a stretch where they could not win games. They won something like two or three games on a stretch of 15 and 16 games that pushed them out of the race. Other than that, if you look at their record, every other stretch of the season, they are as good as any team who are in the mix to make the playoffs. So they’re a good team. There’s no excuses. We are capable of beating that team. I don’t want to use excuses. I want to give them credit, and I know tonight, we played well enough to win. It was not like that during all the games against them, but tonight, I liked our effort.” Tourigny skillfully declined comment about Rinzel’s lifting of Keller’s stick into his own face.

Utah (34-27-5) wraps up a brief two-game homestand on Saturday with an evening tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-18-15), after which they’ll hit the road for a pair in Dallas and Las Vegas.  The Penguins are tied with the Los Angeles Kings for the most overtime losses this season.

Kiefer Sherwood’s first goal as a Shark is a game-winner in San Jose’s 7-5 Tuesday night thriller

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Referees try and separate Montreal Canadiens right winger Josh Anderson (middle left), center Phillip Denault (24) from left wing Kiefer Sherwood (middle right) in the third period Tue Mar 4, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Lincoln Juarez

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Sharks picked up their 30th win of the year for the first time since the 2021-22 season. Kiefer Sherwood’s presence was felt on the ice and the score sheet, tallying five hits, an assist, and the game-winning goal(his first two points as a Shark). Macklin Celebrini scored his 30th goal of the season while earning three assists in a big four-point night that pushed the Sharks past the Canadiens, 7-5

A sea of red invaded the Shark Tank Tuesday night with reason to cheer early on as Oliver Kapanen wristed a shot that beat Yaroslav Askarov above the blocker to put the Canadiens ahead at 6:18 of the first period.

It took about 10 minutes for the Sharks to get their legs under them as San Jose’s first shot on goal came nine minutes and 34 seconds into the game. A grade-A scoring chance by Collin Graf from Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini was denied by Montreal netminder Jakub Dobes.

The Sharks’ first line kept applying the pressure resulting in Montreal’s Nick Suzuki being sent to the penalty box for interference. On the ensuing power-play, the Sharks only managed to get two pucks to the net in a scoreless man-advantage.

Yaroslav Askarov stood strong in the net while the Canadiens continued to attack, giving the Sharks a chance to tie the game. San Jose’s top line took advantage, on another great passing play where this time Graf found the back of the net.

Graf(16), from Smith and Celebrini at 15:32 of the first to even the score.

Play picked up in the second period from both sides with the score still tied at one. The fast pace brought chances in both ends, testing the goaltenders who both held their ground through the first five minutes. However, the Sharks got caught chasing the puck which broke down their defensive structure. A shot from the point was tipped through traffic by Phillip Danault and snuck by Askarov to give the Canadiens their lead back.

That wound up as the last Montreal goal of the period as Yaroslav Askarov made a few spectacular cross-crease saves to rob the Canadiens of any more. Five minutes and 19 seconds later, the Sharks finally had an answer. Michael Misa darted for a loose puck in front of the net and beat goaltender Jakub Dobes on his glove side. It was Misa’s third goal in as many games, Eklund and Toffoli tallied the assists.

With time winding down in the second period, a bouncing puck along the boards was tipped to Macklin Celebrini by Collin Graf. Macklin made a sweet toe-drag move past two Montreal defenders and rushed up the wing firing a wicked wrister through the pads of Dobes to put the Sharks ahead. The SAP Center crowd erupted for Celebrini’s 30th goal of the season, his first 30-goal campaign in year two of his career.

Riding that momentum just 25 seconds later, Kiefer Sherwood won a battle for the puck on the forecheck and fed a pass to the front of the net where Alex Wennberg roofed one to put the Sharks ahead by two. Sherwood’s first point as a Shark was just the beginning of what turned out to be a Kiefer Sherwood style game that he was right in the middle of.

Physicality ruled the third period which saw the Sharks obtain a three-goal lead just for it to vanish. Will Smith was the recipient of a Macklin Celebrini shot pass that he tapped in for a power-play goal, the first of two for the team teal.

Not even two minutes later, Ivan Demidov netted his 13th of the year and 18 seconds after that Alex Newhook found the back of the net to make it a one goal game, 5-4.

Montreal’s third goal in under six minutes came from Newhook again, as the Canadiens rallied all the way back to tie the game at five.

Scrum after scrum didn’t result in any late-game penalties, although a too many men call against the Habs put San Jose on their third power play of the night. It felt like a 3-on-3 overtime period in a playoff game with how many high percentage chances, odd man rushes, and scrambles around the net there were in the third, and this power play was no different.

A loose puck found Philipp Kurashev in front of the net with the whole arena thinking he was going to shoot. Instead, he passed through flying bodies to Kiefer Sherwood who banked it into a wide open net for his first goal as a Shark and the game-winner.

There never seemed to be a doubt in anyone’s mind in the building that the Sharks would come out on top, it was only a matter of time. It seemed as though general manager Mike Grier brought Sherwood in just for games like this… one of the most physical, back and forth matches of the season.

Adam Gaudette, who was also in the mix of a few scrums, capped off the night with an empty netter adding a third line contributing to the Sharks scoring. After a five game skid, the Sharks have bounced back with three thrilling wins in a row to set them three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the last Wild Card spot in the West.

Game five of the six game homestand takes place Friday night at SAP Center with a 7pm puck drop against the St. Louis Blues.

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Blackhawks Blank Fossilized Mammoth 4-0 at the Delta Center

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 Arvid Soderblom #40 and Tyler Bertuzzi #59 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrate after a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on March 1, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah was never really engaged in sluggish Sunday matinee performance to wrap up Olympics-interrupted homestand which began in January.

The Utah Mammoth (31-21-4) took to the ice early Sunday afternoon for the first of three games against the Blackhawks (22-28-9) in a 12 day span, the next one taking place in Chicago on March 9 following three days later when Utah returns to Delta Center on March 12 from a five-game road trip. The Blackhawks behind the goaltending of Arvid Soderblom shutout the Mammoth 4-0 on Sunday.

The first period seemed destined to end in a scoreless draw, until Utah defenseman Nate Schmidt was whistled for tripping against Frank Nazar to give Chicago their fourth power play opportunity of the opening frame. Teuvo Teravainen was able to convert the man advantage for the Blackhawks with his 11th goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi, to give Chicago a 1-0 lead heading into the locker room. Blackhawks Soderblom went 8-for-8 in turning away Mammoth shots on goal, while Karel Vejmelka stopped 11 of 12.

Utah has often struggled in second periods of play this season, but in this game the lack of potency was even more evident than usual. At 11:38, Mammoth defenseman Ian Cole attempted to clear the puck in a battle behind the net with Chicago forward Landon Slaggert, but sent it right up the middle and straight to the stick of Blackhawk forward Nick Foligno who easily beat Vejmelka for his third goal of the season, unassisted, to double the lead at 2-0.

89 seconds later, Slaggert would lob a shot at the net which bounced off of Vejmelka’s glove and over his shoulder into the back of the net for Slaggert’s third goal of the season, assisted by Oliver Moore and Artyom Levshunov, to make it 3-0 Chicago against the listless Utah defense. Soderblom finished the period a perfect 10-for-10 in saves, while Vejmelka stopped seven of nine.

A minute into the third period, the Blackhawks opened the door for the Mammoth when Louis Crevier went to the sin bin for tripping against Clayton Keller. But continuing the defensive meltdown of the second period, Utah promptly coughed up a shorthanded goal to Teravainen, his second goal of the game, to put Chicago up 4-0, which is where things ended up at the end of 60 minutes. Throughout the game, the Mammoth skated as if chained to anvils on both legs.

Possibly the most serious, competitive athlete in Utah’s lineup, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, was dispatched to face the media in the locker room. “Obviously, it’s a tough, tough performance, and our fans deserve better, a lot better than that,” Sergachev began. “But, you know, it just happens to everyone. We’ve been playing really good hockey lately, and we just got to get back to that, and through hard work. And we’re gonna do it.” What was the difference between Sunday afternoon and Thursday night’s dominant victory over the Minnesota Wild? “We just felt connected against Minnesota, Sergachev said. “We were trying to get open for each other, we were working for each other in the D-zone, when our guy got beat, the second guy would always be there to help. Today just didn’t feel like that, and throughout the whole game.” Of course, it is difficult to get an offense going when taking so many penalties, albeit the only Utah penalty the remainder of the game was a 10-minute misconduct awarded to Sean Durzi with 58 seconds left in regulation, and did not result in a shorthanded situation. Sergachev addressed that, saying, “when you’re disconnected, you’re chasing the game, and when you’re chasing the game, you’re taking penalties. Then just one goes over the other, and you’re losing the game that way. And we’ll let it slip, obviously, and in the second period, we just can’t do that. Obviously, we didn’t play well throughout the whole game, but that moment in the second period, I think we could have helped a little better, maybe score a goal. But it doesn’t really matter. Give Chicago credit, they played a hell of a game. They’re a good, fast team.”

Head Coach André Tourigny stated to open his post-game remarks, “I am obviously extremely disappointed about all of us: coaches and players. I think we have to be much better. There is no reason that (game) should ever happen. That kind of effort in front of fans… I am really disappointed in us, and it is on all of us, starting with me. That cannot happen again.” Tourigny agreed with the sentiment that the team just didn’t have their head in the game. “I don’t know how you play like that. I do not have much explanation for why our head was in that space. I don’t know. … Other than JJ’s line, I don’t think we did one good thing tonight. … I don’t think anyone was good. JJ’s line was alright. I don’t think about the goaltender or power d, power forward, forecheck, our back check, our d-zone, our power play, our PK.. I cannot find you a bright spot.”

Utah (31-22-4) plays its first road game since January 29 on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals (31-24-7), followed by games in Philadelphia, Columbus, Chicago, and Minnesota before returning home on March 12 where they hope to give the fans a better performance against the Blackhawks than they experienced on Sunday.

Sharks Fall 6-3 to Blackhawks, Just One Shot in First; Slumping San Jose drops their third in a row

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Ryan Donato erupted in the Blackhawks’ 6-3 win over the Sharks on Monday (Michael Reaves/Getty Images file photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 6-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. Connor

Bedard, Connor Murphy, Ryan Donato, Sam Rinzel and Ilya Mikheyev scored for Chicago. Spencer Knight made 24 saves for the win. Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini and Shakir Mukhamadullin scored for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov made six saves on ten shots and Alex Nedeljkovic made five saves in relief.

This was the most lopsided loss for the Sharks since January 11, when they lost 7-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the game, Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini said: “After that first period, I thought we did a really good job of staying on top of them. Just a couple mistakes, a couple of chances we give up and they just put it away. When it’s going like that it’s tough to … bounce back.”

Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais said: “Our D-zone is clearly not good enough. Our forecheck too, I think that’s one of our biggest strengths, when our forecheck is going I feel like all three zones are going well. And it’s been a couple games now that our forecheck is not going or it’s going ten minutes out of sixty. So you gotta play a full game.”

The first goal of the game came at the seven minute mark of the first. Connor Bedard scored with a snap shot on the power play. Assists went to Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi. That was the only goal of the first period. The Sharks had only one shot on goal but the Blackhawks only had four. To the Sharks’ credit, they killed two of three penalties.

The Blackhawks doubled it up at 2:14 of the second period. Connor Murphy scored with a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle. Assists went to Matt Grzelcyk and Ryan Donato.

Donato scored his first of the night at 9:35 with a wrist shot. Assists went to Ilya Mikheyev and Jason Dickinson.

Sam Rinzel scored a minute later with a slap shot high in the slot. The assist went to Mikheyev.

The Sharks pulled Askarov after that goal and sent in Nedeljkovic.

Will Smith got the Sharks on the board at 12:05. His snap shot came from low in the faceoff circle. Assists went to Macklin Celebrini and Collin Graf.

Ilya Mikheyev scored less than a minute later, tipping a shot from Dickinson. Ryan Donato also got an assist.

Macklin Celebrini scored at 15:11 with a wrist shot from inside the faceoff circle. Tyler Toffoli got the assist.

The Sharks outshot the Blackhawks 12-9 in the second. There was a single penalty against each team in the middle frame.

Shakir Mukhamadullin scored with a backhand at 2:13 of the third period. Assists went to Philipp Kurashev and Vincent Desharnais.

Ryan Donato scored his second of the night at 14:41 of the third. Assists went to Mikheyev and Murphy. In all, Donato had four points on the night.

The only penalties called in the third went against the Blackhawks. The shots were 14-4 Sharks.

The Sharks next play in Colorado against the Avalanche on Wednesday at 6:00 PM PT.

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong: Oilers have an offense that could make them #1 in West; Will the Bruins blue line help them make a push towards the post season; plus more news

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Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers has control of the puck at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Tue Dec 9, 2025 (Canadian Press via AP News)

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong:

#1 Can the Edmonton Oilers’ red-hot offense carry them to the top of the Western Conference?

#2 Will the Boston Bruins’ revamped blue line hold up through the playoff push?

#3 Is Connor Bedard poised to break franchise rookie records for the Chicago Blackhawks?

#4 Can the Vancouver Canucks maintain their surprising early-season dominance?

#5 Will the New York Rangers’ new coaching changes spark a deeper postseason run?

Jessica Kwong does the NHL podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast Len Shapiro Fri Apr 11, 2025: Blackhawks score 3 third period goals in 1:33; Panthers closing in on Lightning; plus more news

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Apr 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno (17) shoots and scores a goal while Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (52) defends during the second period at TD Garden. Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

NHL podcast Len Shapiro Fri Apr 11, 2025:

#1 The Chicago Blackhawks shot a barrage of four goals in the third period and scored three of those goals in a span of 1:33 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday for a 5-2 win. The Hawks Nick Foligno scored twice and Ryan Donato picked up his 30th goal for the first time in his NHL career. It was a sweet win for the struggling Blackhawks who had lost six of their last seven games.

#2 Brad Marchand scored his first goal as a Florida Panthers as the Panthers upended the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise Florida. The Panthers Evan Rodrigues, Mackie Samoskevich, and Alexsander Barkov all scored. The Panthers are now just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

#3 Columbus Blue Jackets Jet Greaves saved 39 shots and the Jackets came back from behind to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Thursday night. Greaves got called up from AHL Cleveland after Elvis Merzlikins had to leave morning skate due to a undisclosed injury.

#4  The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin was honored before the Capitals game Thursday night for setting an NHL record for most goals with his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders on Sunday. Ovechkin picked up an assist to extend his six game point streak in Thursday’s game as well.

#5 The Capitals in the game defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 at the Capital Center in DC. The Caps win clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tom Wilson also picked up his 33rd goal of the year and the Caps are now 8-1-0 in their last nine games.

#6 The Winnipeg Jets one of the hottest teams in the NHL and the number one seed for the Presidents Cup. The Jets 54-21-4 and they pass the audition.

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

Cooley and Kerfoot Strike Lightning Twice In 6-4 Utah HC Win Over Tampa Bay

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Utah Hockey Club’s Logan Cooley (92) scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sat Mar 22, 2025 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Here is Cooley getting congratulated by teammates after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Sun Mar 16, 2025. (Canadian Press via AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah forwards explode for six goals while notching the team’s seventh home win over the past 9 games in hard fought victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Utah Hockey Club played a rare early afternoon game at Delta Center on Saturday, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning who have outscored every other team in the league except the Washington Capitals and boasts the highest plus/minus differential in the NHL.

Josh Doan struck first for the home team at 6:42 of the opening frame connecting at the goal crease on a perfect pass from Jack McBain from behind the net for his fifth goal of the season, with the second assist to Lawson Crouse.

With a little more than two minutes remaining in the period, Utah forward Nick Schmaltz fed Michael Kesselring the puck on a breakaway which was stopped by Lightning netminder Brandon Halverson, but Logan Cooley followed the play and punched the rebound into the back of the net for his 20th goal of the season and a 2-0 lead.

Shortly after the ensuing faceoff, Ian Cole was whistled for tripping against Nikita Kucherov, resulting in a power play goal for Brayden Point, his 33rd on the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand.

At 5:22 of the second period, Tampa Bay forward Anthony Cirelli evened the score on a slap shot for his 24th goal of the season, assisted by Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov. 36 seconds later Utah would regain the lead when forward Kevin Stenlund one-timed a cross ice pass from John Marino to find Alexander Kerfoot in front of the net who knocked it in for his 9th goal of the season.

With 2:37 remaining in the period, Lightning forward Jake Guentzel tied things up once again, tipping in a pass from Nick Perbix for his 34th goal of the season, but 30 seconds later John Marino launched a shot from the blue line which Logan Cooley deflected into the net for his 21st of the season, putting Utah back on top 4-3 as the period closed.

Barely a minute into the third period, Clayton Keller was stopped at close range by Brandon Halverson, who immediately turned away a rebound attempt by Logan Cooley but was unable to stop Nick Schmaltz on a second rebound backhand shot for his 17th goal of the season and a 5-3 lead.

Less than two minutes later Brayen Point could cut the lead to one again with his second goal of the game, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Jake Guentzel. Earlier in the season Utah struggled to maintain third period leads, but Karel Vejmelka, playing in his career high 13th consecutive game, held the Lightning offense scoreless the rest of the way, fending off a Tampa Bay power play with 2:09 remaining due to a too many men on the ice penalty.

With 57 seconds remaining, Alexander Kerfoot fired the puck into an empty net for his 2nd goal of the night and 10th of the season, giving Utah the 6-4 victory, their seventh at home over their past 9 contests.

In the locker room, Kerfoot talked about Utah’s recent success at home. “I think the crowd’s been unreal. I mean, third period there towards the end of the game—that’s a loud building that’s fun to play in. We’ve obviously placed an emphasis on being at home, I don’t think that our mindset has really changed, but we’ve just dug in here down the stretch and it’s a fun place to play. It feels like we’ve got momentum when we come home and when we’re playing in front of our fans. … I think that this was a great atmosphere for kids to come and watch the game and this is a new market, we’re trying to grow hockey here. SEG’s done an awesome job of growing the game in this community and to have a night like this where we get to bring in some youth hockey players and some kids during an early game on the weekend, it’s really fun and I hope that we can do that again in the future.”

In a game full of momentum swings, Logan Cooley talked about managing emotions. “It was kind of a crazy game, honestly. We were up two but then a goal gets called back, but you know, we just kept going at it and I thought we were playing the right way the whole third [period] there and then we got the outcome with a big two points.” With regard to his personal compete level, Cooley remarked, “I think just for me, I try to be the best version of myself each and every day and just try to get as good as I can to become the player I want to be. Obviously, it comes back to the team and trying to get into the playoffs. Eventually, I want to get a Cup and I think that’s the biggest drive for me right now. Being in Utah, it’s special in front of these fans. There’s no better feeling than coming to the rink every day and working together towards one goal here.”

Head coach André Tourigny was all smiles in the media room. “Really happy about the offense we created tonight, but even more proud of the way we defended the rush and the way we closed the middle of the ice. That was a really tough challenge, tough team to do that against them. Obviously for individual performance, I think Sergey [Mikhail Sergachev] was really good. Cooley and his line, they were something else. They were really, really good. I think it’s a huge character win. … Right from the start of the game, the focus, the execution, the urgency was elite. I think everybody was engaged. Everybody was connected. We’re really disciplined, and in the way we had to play against those guys. Great effort from the boys.” Comparing his club’s protecting the lead in the third period with difficulties earlier in the season, Tourigny said, “It’s day and night. I think that the mindset, the composure, the assertiveness, you cannot even compare. I think our team grew a lot, and I think we have way more maturity now.”

Utah will square off on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings before embarking upon a three game road trip to Tampa Bay, Florida, and Chicago. They will then return for one final homestand of five games before finishing out the regular season on the road.

San Jose Sharks podcast Charanbir Mahal Sat Mar 15, 2025: Graf big help in last Sharks win over Blackhawks; Capitals Ovechkin nine away from becoming goal king

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Alexander Ovechkin is nine goals short of the all time goals record held by Wayne Gretzkey here is Ovechkin skating against the Los Angeles Kings on Thu Mar 13, 2025. Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals face off with the San Jose Sharks Sat Mar 15, 2025 at SAP Center in San Jose (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast with Charinbir Mahal (INDTVUSA):

#1  Colin Graf made headlines on Thursday night for the San Jose Sharks. Graf an undrafted rookie showed his handy work scoring twice. Will Smith scored a goal and an assist as the Sharks defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

#2 Talk about the job that Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev did between the pipe stopping 24 shots and allowing two goals and holding Chicago just enough for the Sharks to come away with a two goal win.

#3 The Sharks Tyler Toffoli added the scoring with an empty netter for insurance in the win. Toffoli was fired up needless to say after scoring. It’s goals like these that can get a team motivated?

#4 Smith opened up the game in the first period with a goal at 3:48 getting a pass from Macklin Celebrini. Smith now has seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points in his last 19 games.

#5 The Sharks in a Saturday matinee will host the Washington Capitals at SAP Center for a 2:00pm faceoff. Needless to say the all the attention will be on the Capitals Alexander Ovechkin who needs nine more goals to pass all time NHL scoring leader Wayne Gretzky to achieve his 895th goal.

#6 Big day today it’s the celebration of the South Asian Culture, celebrating diversity in the South Bay. On had local color artist Suhita Shirodkar. The celebration included a Bollywood dance, drama, and entertainment company based in Milpitas. Free henna tattoo art.

Charinbir Mahal is a reporter for INDTVUSA and podcasts San Jose Sharks hockey at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa: Capitals-Sharks face off on Saturday at SAP; All eyes on Ovechkin nine goals away from goal scoring record

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San Jose Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli (73) is seen here after scoring a goal in a Mon Mar 3, 2025 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Thu Mar 13, 2025 Toffoli scored an unassisted empty net goal at 19:27 in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Canadian Press via AP)

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1  Colin Graf made headlines on Thursday night for the San Jose Sharks. Graf an undrafted rookie showed his handy work scoring twice. Will Smith scored a goal and an assist as the Sharks defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

#2 Mary, talk about the job that Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev did between the pipe stopping 24 shots and allowing two goals and holding Chicago just enough for the Sharks to come away with a two goal win.

#3 The Sharks Tyler Toffoli added the scoring with an empty netter for insurance in the win. Toffoli was fired up needless to say after scoring. It’s goals like these that can get a team motivated?

#4 Smith opened up the game in the first period with a goal at 3:48 getting a pass from Macklin Celebrini. Smith now has seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points in his last 19 games.

#5 The Sharks in a Saturday matinee will host the Washington Capitals at SAP Center for a 2:00pm faceoff. Needless to say the all the attention will be on the Capitals Alexander Ovechkin who needs nine more goals to pass all time NHL scoring leader Wayne Gretzky to achieve his 895th goal.

Mary Lisa does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah HC Posts Third Consecutive Home Win With 2-1 Victory Over Chicago

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Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) takes the puck up ice against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Feb 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse each found the back of the net, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 21 of 22 shots, as Utah nails down third consecutive home win.

Coming off of a 2-1 home victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, Utah HC returned to the ice on Tuesday to square off against the Chicago Blackhawks, whom they defeated 5-2 on opening night in October.

Prior to the puck drop, local recording artist Yahosh Bonner, fresh off of starring in the lead role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the musical “Ragtime!,” the inaugural production at The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater in Pleasant Grove, set the tone for the game with his powerful performance of the national anthem.

At 12:47 of the first period, Utah forward Kevin Stenlund went to the penalty box for holding against Connor Bedard to give Chicago its first power play of the evening. Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones converted the man advantage on a snap shot for his 7th goal of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Teuvo Teravainen, as Chicago took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.

Chicago goaltender Arvid Soderblom was stingy in net for the first two periods, but with 44 seconds remaining in the second, Utah captain Clayton Keller found the back of the net to tie things up with his 21st goal of the season, assisted by Michael Kesselring and Logan Cooley.

Kesselring’s assist was his 17th of the season establishing his new single-season high. Last season he registered 16 assists in 65 games for the Phoenix Coyotes. Cooley’s assist gave him at least one point in each of Utah’s last 8 home games.

Utah forward Lawson Crouse gave his squad the lead at 12:12 of the third period with a backhand shot, his 9th goal of the season, assisted by Josh Doan and Olli Määttä. The goal turned out to be the game-winner, Crouse’s second of the season, matching his 2023-2024 total. Crouse also scored against the Blackhawks on opening night.

Chicago put heavy pressure on Utah in the closing minutes of the game with their goaltender pulled, but Karel Vejmelka stood tall to protect the victory. Vejmelka has now won 3 games in a row, allowing just 4 goals during that span for a 1.40 GAA and .942 save percentage.

In the locker room, Lawson Crouse talked about how his team has been handling pressure recently. “As our identity progresses forward, we keep taking steps in the right direction. It’s a lot of fun when we play this way. Everyone is on board.

Everyone that’s contributing and creating team success pushes everyone to be the best they can possibly be.” Describing his game-winning goal, Lawson added, “We attacked as a unit, and Doaner made a great play to find me in the middle. There was a lot of open ice, and I think the key player on that play was McBain just being at the net, and that allowed me to have that extra second to get the shot off.”

Captain Clayton Keller, Tuesday night’s other scorer, talked about his squad’s perseverance. “It’s huge. We didn’t have our best stuff to start the game, but we stuck with it. They played hard. They made us work for everything. It’s good to get the win there.

It was a tight game all the way through, so a huge win for us.” Talking about Crouse’s goal, Keller said, “It’s huge. He’s such a great teammate. He’s scoring, not scoring, and has been through the ups and downs. He’s a guy that you love being around at the rink.

Just a great teammate. Anytime another guy has success, it’s awesome.” When asked about holding onto the lead for the final eight minutes, Keller added, “Just keep playing our game. Keep going. I think we’ve taken strides in learning from previous mistakes when we’ve had the lead. Playing a little bit more loose. That’s part of the way that we kind of stuck with it. We had a lot of possession and chances in the third there.”

Head coach André Tourigny was happy with his team’s consecutive home win and offered particular praise for the play of Crouse. “He’s playing with more conviction. He has less doubt in his head, he plays a little bit more free-minded. He shoots quickly and you can see he doesn’t overthink the game. So, I like the way he played, the pace he played with, and I think that line was excellent again tonight. Obviously, they got the big goal as well, but the pace and the key moments were really good.” With regard to the whole team, he said, “They want it. There’s a good feel on the bench right now. There’s a feel of competitiveness, there’s a feel of care, and there’s a feel of passion. I like the way it feels and the guys are all in on winning. They don’t give a damn about who, but us.”

Speaking about Vejmelka, who also won Sunday’s 2-1 contest against the Canucks, Bear noted, “He stopped the puck and that’s a good quality for a goalie. He did a really good job in both games and found a way to make the last stop. Even during 6-on-5, they had two good looks, and [Vejmelka] came up big. I like the way he plays…He was really solid [against Vancouver] and looking at this body of work since he got hurt, I think he really stepped up and has allowed us to be in the hunt.”

Summarizing the game, he concluded, “It was huge. I think we’re at the point as a team where we’re in the zone and it’s like next man up. We need to find a way to win games and I think tonight, we did a lot of good stuff, offensively and defensively. The puck was not going in and we had a little bit of a tough time to make the next play offensively in terms of execution, but we stayed with it, and I think the guys were focused. Even if the execution was not at our best, we stayed with it, and we played with confidence. We had confidence in our play without the puck and confidence if we kept pegging away and putting the puck behind and putting pucks at the net. Something will go in and it did.”

Utah will go for its fourth consecutive home win on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. They have won five of their past seven games and trail the Calgary Flames by three points in the Western Conference Wild Card chase.