Barkov’s Brace, Bobrovsky’s 28 Saves End Lightning’s Streak
Final Score: Florida Panthers 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 1
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s eight-game winning streak came to an end as Aleksander Barkov scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves to lead the Panthers to a hard-fought victory in Sunrise, Fla.
Key moments:
- Barkov capitalized on a J.J. Moser turnover to open the scoring in the second period.
- Later in the period, Barkov struck again on the power play after Moser took a penalty.
- Florida’s penalty kill went a perfect 7-for-7, a major factor in the victory.
- Seth Jones made his Panthers debut, logging 22:56 with three shots, two blocks, and one hit.
Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point netted his team-leading 32nd goal, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves in his 11th straight start (9-1-1 in that span).
Strome’s Shootout Winner Helps Capitals Edge Senators
Final Score: Washington Capitals 5, Ottawa Senators 4 (SO)
Dylan Strome buried the shootout winner, and Pierre-Luc Dubois tallied a goal and two assists, helping Washington snap a season-worst three-game skid.
Other Capitals standouts:
- Connor McMichael, Tom Wilson, and Martin Fehervary (each with a goal and an assist)
- Logan Thompson (33 saves, perfect in the shootout)
Ottawa rallied from a 3-0 deficit, forcing overtime with Brady Tkachuk’s six-on-four power-play goal with 1:08 remaining.
Senators’ key stats:
- Shane Pinto (two goals)
- Claude Giroux (goal, assist)
- Jake Sanderson (three assists)
- Tim Stützle (two assists)
- Linus Ullmark (37 saves, two shootout stops)
Suzuki Shines as Canadiens Edge Sabres in OT
Final Score: Montreal Canadiens 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 (OT)
Nick Suzuki had a monster night with a goal and three assists, including an overtime helper on Mike Matheson’s game-winning goal.
Canadiens’ key performances:
- Juraj Slafkovsky (goal, assist, set up OT winner)
- Cole Caufield (goal)
- Sam Montembeault (33 saves, solid late-game performance)
Buffalo dropped its third straight (0-2-1) despite goals from Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, and Rasmus Dahlin.
James Reimer made 16 saves in defeat.
Zetterlund Lifts Sharks Past Maple Leafs in Shootout
Final Score: San Jose Sharks 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2 (SO)
Fabian Zetterlund buried the decisive shootout goal, capping a third-period comeback that snapped San Jose’s eight-game losing streak.
Sharks’ highlights:
- Jack Thompson and Tyler Toffoli scored in the third period to erase a 2-0 deficit
- Alexander Wennberg (two assists)
- Alexandar Georgiev (25 saves, stopped three shootout attempts)
Toronto saw its five-game winning streak end despite goals from John Tavares (goal, assist) and Matthew Knies. Anthony Stolarz made 20 saves in the loss.
Rangers Shut Out Islanders for Third Time This Season
Final Score: New York Rangers 4, New York Islanders 0
Will Cuylle had a goal and an assist, and Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves as the Rangers blanked their cross-town rivals for the third straight meeting.
Rangers’ top performances:
- J.T. Miller (goal, assist)
- Will Borgen (first career shorthanded goal)
- Artemi Panarin (empty-net goal)
The Islanders were shut out for the seventh time this season, falling to 3-6-0 since their seven-game win streak. Igor Sorokin stopped 22 shots but got no offensive support.
Blackhawks Dominate Kings Behind Knight’s 41-Save Debut
Final Score: Chicago Blackhawks 5, Los Angeles Kings 1
Spencer Knight dazzled with 41 saves in his Blackhawks debut, and Ilya Mikheyev and Ryan Donato each had a goal and an assist to lift Chicago to back-to-back wins for the first time since December.
Blackhawks’ key performers:
- Alec Martinez, Ethan Del Mastro, and Andreas Athanasiou (each scored a goal)
Los Angeles was outscored 15-4 on its winless three-game road trip. Anze Kopitar netted the Kings’ only goal, while Darcy Kuemper (14 saves) struggled against Chicago’s offense.
Looking Ahead
- Can the Panthers continue their hot streak after a big win over Tampa Bay?
- Will the Rangers maintain their defensive dominance?
- Can Spencer Knight build on his impressive Blackhawks debut?
Stay tuned for more NHL action and analysis as the playoff race heats up!
