Hockey headlines for April 2, 2023

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Captain Jonathan Toews earns assist and ovations in return, but Blackhawks lose to Devils (Chicago Sun-Times)
Lightning clinch berth in NHL playoffs with win over Islanders (Tampa Bay Times)
Carter Verhaeghe’s 4-goal night puts the Panthers back in a playoff spot with 5 games left (Miami Herald)
Oilers overwhelm Anaheim Ducks in pursuit of first place (Edmonton Sun)
David Pastrnak’s hat trick lifts B’s to 4-3 win in Pittsburgh (Boston Herald)
Geoff Molson took a leap of faith when he bought the Canadiens (Montreal Gazette)
Oilers evolve into a dangerous blend of skill and muscle (Edmonton Sun)
Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen lead Avalanche to crucial 5-2 win over Dallas Stars, reclaiming destiny in Central division (Denver Post)
Ilya Samsonov frustrates Senators as Maple Leafs win 3-0 in Ottawa (Toronto Sun)
Nashville Predators, Juuse Saros shut down St. Louis Blues to move closer to wild-card spot (The Tennessean)
In stark reversal from last outing, Kings beat Kraken in low-scoring affair (Seattle Times)
Gregor scores first NHL hat-trick as Sharks enjoy rare feel-good night (San Jose Mercury News)
Flyers eliminated from playoff contention with a 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Lightning are too hot to handle for Islanders (New York Newsday)
Wild's chance to clinch playoff berth put on ice with 4-1 loss in Vegas (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Penguins lose to Bruins, fall out of playoff position (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Blue Jackets overwhelmed by Florida Panthers (Columbus Dispatch)
Blues' blowout loss to Predators includes 'a little heated argument' (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
'No emotion, no life': Coyotes routed in loss to Sharks (Arizona Republic)
Flyers’ Travis Konecny set to return against the Buffalo Sabres after 16-game absence (Philadelphia Inquirer)
'It’s going to take a lot to drag me out': Inside Kris Letang’s arduous journey to 1,000 career games (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
For veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, no matter what, Las Vegas will feel like home (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
How Nashville Predators, fans showed support for Covenant School after shooting (The Tennessean)
Gerard Gallant may switch around top lines to rejuvenate Rangers offense (New York Post)
Barzal to begin skating this weekend, Lamoriello says (New York Newsday)
Blue Jackets' Justin Danforth close to fully recovered (Columbus Dispatch)
Flyers center Sean Couturier will not return to game action this season: ‘It’s been a long, long ride.’ (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Islanders’ Oliver Wahlstrom out for season with knee injury (New York Post)
NHL playoffs veteran Ian Cole eyes another deep run with Lightning (Tampa Bay Times)
Caps’ Darcy Kuemper navigates move from Cup winner to out of the playoffs (Washington Post)
Blue Jackets send wake-up call to Fix-Wolansky (Columbus Dispatch)