NHL roundup: Penguins blitz the Islanders 8-3 to win big game in East playoff race

By Canadian Press on March 31, 2026.

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Mantha had two goals and an assist, Rickard Rakell scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to defeat the New York Islanders 8-3 on Monday night in a crucial game in the competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Penguins trailed 3-1 midway through the second period before scoring four times in less than 6 1/2 minutes to take over. Their seventh goal on their 28th shot eight minutes into the third chased Ilya Sorokin, who was done in by porous defence in front of him and relieved by backup David Rittich.

Pittsburgh with the regulation victory leapfrogged New York into second place in the Metropolitan Division, 90 points to 89. The Penguins have eight games left in the regular season compared to seven for the Islanders, who could find themselves outside a post-season spot as early as Tuesday depending on results of their next game and others in contention in the East.

Returning from a one-game injury absence, Sidney Crosby was one of 15 skaters on his team to register a point in a significant bounce back from losing at home to Dallas without him on Saturday. Longtime running mate Evgeni Malkin missed a fourth consecutive game and is considered day to day.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:

AVALANCHE 9 FLAMES 2

DENVER (AP) — Nazem Kadri scored twice on the power play against his former team as part of a 26-shot, five-goal first period and Colorado cruised to a win over Calgary.

The 26 shots is tied for second-most in a period in franchise history. The Avalanche finished with 49 shots — tied for their season high — as they increased their lead to eight points over Dallas in the race for the NHL’s top record.

Jack Drury kicked off the scoring spree 2:31 into the game, followed by back-to-back power-play goals from Kadri over a 66-second span. Captain Gabriel Landeskog and Parker Kelly also added goals before the first-period horn sounded.

Nathan MacKinnon added his 49th goal in the second period, along with two assists in the third. Martin Necas, Sam Malinski and Artturi Lehkonen each scored in the final period. The nine goals tied a season high.

Cale Makar notched three assists before leaving the game with an upper-body injury.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 CANUCKS 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Adin Hill made 22 stops and Vegas opened the John Tortorella era with a win over Vancouver.

One day after the Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy, who led the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2023, they treated Tortorella to a come-from-behind victory.

Rasmus Andersson, Shea Theodore, Reilly Smith and Cole Smith each scored for Vegas.

Evander Kane and Brock Boeser scored for the Canucks, while Kevin Lankinen made 30 saves.

MAPLE LEAFS 5 DUCKS 4 (OT)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — John Tavares redirected a shot from Morgan Rielly into the net with five seconds left in overtime to lift Toronto to a come-from-behind victory over Anaheim.

The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.

But Leo Carlsson, who hobbled to the locker room after taking a hard hit and falling to the ice in the first minute of the third, gathered a loose puck near the left circle and flicked a shot past Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz to make it 4-4 with 1:39 left.

Tavares added a first-period goal, and Stolarz stopped 28 of 32 shots for Toronto, which took the ice about 1 1/2 hours after general manager Brad Treliving was fired near the end of his third season, with the Maple Leafs on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier scored in the first 10 minutes, and John Carlson scored his first goal for the Ducks. Gauthier, who leads the Pacific Division-leading Ducks with 38 goals and 65 points, suffered an upper-body injury on a cross-check late in the first and did not return. Husso had 22 saves.

SHARKS 5 BLUES 4

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Adam Gaudette scored with 21 seconds left, Alexander Wennberg and Macklin Celebrini each had two goals and an assist, and San Jose beat St. Louis to snap the Blues’ three-game winning streak.

On the rush, Gaudette flicked a wrist shot from near the left faceoff spot that trickled between the legs of goalie Joel Hofer.

Yaroslav Askarov made 22 saves for the Sharks (34-31-7), who have 75 points — tied with Seattle and two behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Los Angeles has 76 points, while St. Louis (31-31-11) has 73.

Theo Lindstein, Pavel Buchnevich, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler scored for the Blues, and Jake Neighbours had two assists. Hofer finished with 24 saves.

The Associated Press

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