One of many extra intriguing storylines all season was the well being of Colorado Avalanche winer Gabriel Landeskog. He has slowly been making his method again from a knee cartilage transplant surgical procedure, and at occasions it appeared as if his profession could also be over. There was some excellent information from him and the workforce on Monday as he was skating at Colorado’s apply and collaborating in line drills:
On prime of that, Landeskog is becoming a member of the workforce on their three-game Japanese Convention highway journey to proceed skating with the roster. In fact, there is no such thing as a assure if/when he’ll formally return, however that he is touring with the workforce to apply with them is clearly an excellent signal. Extra updates as we get them, however extra excellent news for a participant that has little or no of that over the past 20 months or so.
*
Buffalo was on the highway in Boston on Monday evening, and the Sabres have been with out a number of key gamers as every of JJ Peterka, Jiri Kulich, and Josh Norris weren’t within the lineup. For a bit of fine information, although, it appears as if Peterka could return for Thursday’s sport in Utah:
Once more, we are going to cross alongside updates as they arrive, however Buffalo could also be getting no less than one vital offensive participant again quickly.
Regardless of all these accidents, the Sabres fought again from a 2-1 first-period deficit to take the sport 3-2 within the waning seconds of time beyond regulation. Owen Energy fired a shot from the highest of the circle to Joonas Korpisalo‘s proper and it was redirected in by Alex Tuch:
That was Energy’s third level of the evening, scoring his personal objective within the second interval and aiding on a Peyton Krebs power-play objective within the first interval. He had two complete photographs and three blocks for some good peripheral contributions, too. These three factors push Energy to 35 on the season, tying his career-high as a rookie in 2022-23 in 13 fewer video games performed. He has a professional shot at reaching 40 factors.
Tuch’s objective was his 26th of the season, and his 50th level of the 12 months. Going again to the Christmas break, Tuch has 17 objectives, 25 factors, 85 photographs, 39 blocks, and 27 hits in 31 video games. That could be a fairly stable second half to date.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen confronted simply 19 photographs and turned apart 17 for his 23rd win in his 50th begin.
Morgan Geekie had a objective and an help for the Bruins and Pavel Zacha additionally obtained on the scoreboard. These two factors transfer Geekie to 37 this season, two factors shy of tying his career-high set final season.
Joonas Korpisalo took the loss, permitting three objectives on 30 photographs.
*
Columbus had some new line mixtures, or no less than their top-6 forwards did, on Monday evening of their dwelling sport in opposition to New Jersey. They reunited the road of Dmitri Voronkov, Yegor Chinakhov, and Kirill Marchenko that was so good for them final season and put Adam Fantilli with Boone Jenner and Kent Johnson. Contemplating the Blue Jackets had been shut out in back-to-back video games, it is arduous to not perceive the adjustments.
It helped a bit, however not a lot, as Columbus went almost 54 minutes with out scoring a objective earlier than Mathieu Olivier registered his 16th objective of the season with beneath seven minutes left to chop New Jersey’s result in 2-1. That was as shut as they obtained, although, as Columbus misplaced that sport in regulation, their fourth in a row and sixth of their final seven video games. They’re 5-9-1 since February 1st, and that’s the form of stretch a workforce clawing for a playoff spot cannot afford presently of 12 months.
Each Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt scored their 20th objectives of the season to steer the Devils to the win. Meier completed the sport with three photographs, a block, and successful, and he has 5 objectives, 7 factors, 30 photographs, and 22 hits in 9 video games for the month of March. It appears as if the patented Meier late-season heater is underway.
All of that mentioned, Jake Allen was the story of the sport. Columbus solely scored the one objective, however that was as a result of Allen was distinctive in internet, stopping 45 of the 46 photographs he confronted. The final time he made no less than 45 saves in an everyday season sport was December of 2022, so really certainly one of his most elite video games in fairly a while. That brings him to a .914 save proportion on the season with 4 shutouts in 25 begins.
Olivier completed the sport with a objective on 5 photographs for Columbus, including a pair of hits. Not solely is he inside attain of the 20-goal mark now with 16 objectives in 67 video games, however these two hits give him 250 on the 12 months.
Jet Greaves obtained the beginning for Columbus and gave up two objectives on 20 photographs.
*
A little bit of an replace on the injured Minnesota Wild skaters of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jonas Brodin:
That Brodin appears shut is sweet information, however that Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov appear to be in a holding sample is not supreme. There’s lower than a month left within the season, so there actually is not a number of time to ramp up rehab and get again into sport form.
*
After a pair tough begins in a row, Andrei Vasilevskiy held down the fort for Tampa Bay as they shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. That’s Vasilevskiy’s fifth shutout of the season, his highest mark of the final 4 seasons. It additionally pushes him to a .920 save proportion for the primary time in 4 seasons as nicely. We have not heard his identify a lot within the Vezina Trophy dialogue, and I am undoubtedly not saying he ought to win it over Connor Hellebuyck (as of now, he should not), however he deserves consideration to complete top-3.
Nikita Kucherov had a objective and an help within the sport, scoring the sport winner within the first interval and including a helper on Jake Guentzel‘s empty-net tally. The objective leaves Kucherov one shy of the 30-goal mark for the third straight 12 months and 5 factors shy of the 100-point mark.
Ivan Fedotov was in internet for the Flyers and had a stable sport, permitting only one objective on 22 photographs, however took the loss.
Philadelphia has scored 12 objectives in 9 video games this month, going 2-7-0 in that span. They’re now eight factors again of the ultimate Wild Card spot with 13 video games remaining, fewer than some other workforce. This loss all however places the ultimate nail within the coffin of their season.
*
After a string of video games that noticed Toronto lose 5 of six outings, the Maple Leafs put a correct beatdown on the Calgary Flames at dwelling on Monday evening by a 6-2 margin. Auston Matthews had an enormous offensive sport with a pair of power-play objectives, a power-play help on a tally from William Nylander, 5 complete photographs, three blocks, and successful. For all of the consternation about Matthews’ manufacturing, he now has 6 objectives and 16 assists in his final 16 video games. That appears fairly alright to me.
Nylander additionally assisted on each of Matthews’ objectives, totaling 4 photographs and a block alongside the way in which. These three factors pushed Nylander to 71 factors on the 12 months, his third straight season of no less than 70 factors. He wants two objectives for his third straight 40-goal season and 9 factors for his fourth straight 80-point marketing campaign.
Max Domi had a objective and an help of his personal whereas Bobby McMann and Nicholas Robertson additionally registered tallies of their very own. That objective from McMann broke a 12-game goalless drought from him as he appears to regain that scoring contact he confirmed final 12 months and earlier this season.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a pair of helpers and a block within the win. That provides him 24 assists on the 12 months, and he wants another to submit his highest complete for the reason that 2018-19 season.
Joseph Woll stopped 24 of 26 photographs within the win.
Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl had the objectives for Calgary. Andersson completed with three photographs, three blocks, and a pair of hits for a terrific multi-cat evening.
Dustin Wolf obtained the beginning however was pulled after the second interval, permitting 5 objectives on 26 photographs.
*
Minnesota received their dwelling sport on Monday evening, taking a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Ryan Hartman had a objective and an help (each on the PP) as Mats Zuccarello (PP) and Marcus Johansson (PP) additionally tallied. That was simply the second multi-point sport for Hartman since American Thanksgiving.
Matt Boldy had a power-play help and a shot within the win. Boldy has now gone 11 straight video games with out a objective and has simply 11 objectives in his final 51 video games performed.
Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 of 29 photographs for his 26th win of the season.
Adrian Kempe (PP) scored the lone objective for the Kings. That makes 4 power-play objectives for Los Angeles in six video games since including Andrei Kuzmenko to the lineup (and to the highest PP unit). The Kings had simply 4 PP objectives within the 17 video games previous to Kuzmenko’s arrival.
Darcy Kuemper allowed two objectives on 21 photographs in defeat.
