VANCOUVER — Elias Pettersson scored his first goals in 21 games, Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser had three-point nights, and 10 Canucks made it onto the scoresheet as Vancouver beat the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 5-2 on St. Patrick’s Day.
For the Canucks, this season, Tuesday’s win is about as fun as it has been at Rogers Arena, where the home team has won just eight times but led wire-to-wire (almost) against the depleted Panthers.
“It was nice to get off to a good start and play with the lead,” winger Drew O’Connor said. “We haven’t had that for a while, so it’s fun. You see Marco’s line going and Petey had a couple of goals, so it was a big night for a lot of guys.”
“It’s different when you’re not chasing and you can kind of control the play,” centre Aatu Raty said after ending his own goal drought at 24 games. “And obviously, winning is fun. I really liked the way the building was going today. I think our bench has been great for, like, the last five games. We’re having some fun.”
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Since the stifling tension and uncertainty surrounding the team and its players was eased by the March 6 passing of the National Hockey League trade deadline, the last-overall Canucks are 3-2-1 and been noticeably more competitive. They’ve allowed 24 or fewer shots in four of the six games and are getting goalie Kevin Lankinen’s best form this season.
How they finish this disaster of a campaign can help them start building a more stable foundation for next year.
“I think it’s really important,” Boeser said. “We’ve talked about holding each other accountable and setting kind of new culture with the new guys and the young guys, and making sure everyone’s putting in the work. And that starts now, and kind of setting the example so they know. . . what you have to do over the summer and how we need to be when we come back.”
Pettersson opened the scoring with his first of two power-play goals just 3:49 into the first period, and Vancouver led for all but two of the final 56 minutes as Lankinen stopped 21 of 23 Florida shots and outplayed Panther goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
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Seeing the way Pettersson one-timed the puck Tuesday like it was 2023, it’s almost inconceivable that the Canucks’ $92.8-million enigma could go 20 games without scoring. His previous goal was Jan. 13, more than two months ago.
His vintage blast from the right-wing circle on the Canucks’ first power play ended the longest goal slump of Pettersson’s career, and the centre made it two goals in 10 minutes when his double-doink off Panther defenders made it 2-1 at 13:40 of the opening period.
Here’s a thought: maybe he should shoot more often.
During his 20-game sabbatical from scoring, Pettersson put only 24 shots on target and in seven of those games did not test the opposition goalie. During his 39-goal, 102-point season three years ago, Pettersson led the Canucks with 257 shots – 3.2 per game.
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“I’ve been trying to simplify and shoot more,” Pettersson told reporters. “I’m glad two went in tonight.”
Boeser said he saw “a confident Petey.”
So far, the Canucks have kept their bets on Pettersson, doubling down a couple of times when they could have tried trading him, in the belief that the 27-year-old can become elite again. He demonstrated Tuesday that his shot, at least, is still world class. When he uses it.
Of course, O’Connor had to score on St. Paddy’s Day. O’Connor scored the only goal of the third period on a nice pass from Linus Karlsson, who found his linemate alone in front of Bobrovsky. It was the winger’s 16th goal of the season, tying him with Boeser for the lead among Canucks — but still one goal behind Kiefer Sherwood, who was traded by Vancouver in January.
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“I’m like 75 per cent Irish,” O’Connor, who is from Chatham, N.J., told Sportsnet. “My mom’s half Italian, but my dad’s full Irish. I mean, my dad’s got five brothers and a sister so they’re a true Irish family.
“It’s a special day. I got some texts today like, you know, hopefully luck’s on my side tonight. I had a green sweater on today. I had to represent.”
After collecting just two goals and five points in his first 15 games for the Canucks after his December trade from Minnesota, centre Marco Rossi suddenly has three goals and seven points in three games while playing with wingers Boeser and Liam Ohgren, who was also part of the blockbuster that sent Quinn Hughes to the Wild.
“I think he’s just getting more comfortable with our systems,” Boeser said. “I think kind of sticking with the same linemates, I think that’s helping. I thought our first few games together — me, him and Liam — weren’t great. And then the last few, I thought we’ve been a lot better and creating chances and reading off each other. So I think the chemistry is coming.”
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So has Rossi’s health. He injured his foot blocking a shot for Minnesota on Nov. 11, and was still hurt when he was traded a month later and, initially, tried to play for the Canucks. After taking a month off, plus the Olympic break, Rossi said he was finally fit when the NHL resumed on Feb. 25. He has nine points in 10 games since.
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When a veteran-heavy team that has been as dominant as the Panthers has a season like this one, there is a breezy tendency to declare that their championship days may be over. That would be a mistake with these Florida men.
After three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and two epic series wins against the Edmonton Oilers, injuries to the Panthers reached a critical mass earlier this season. With seven players currently hurt, they’ve lost 11 of their last 16 games to fall so far down the Eastern Conference standings that they’re even behind the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But while the Panthers’ fuel talk may be empty now, their motor and chassis are still formidable.
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Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe are still just 30 years old, and Sam Bennett, Gustav Forsling and Niko Mikkola are 29. Matthew Tkachuk is only 28, Anton Lundell 24, and Paul Maurice is still their coach. Sure, they’ve accumulated some hard mileage, but there’s still lots there for the Panthers.
Re-signing 37-year-old Brad Marchand may have been a sentimental mistake, and Florida will have to find a goalie to replace Bobrovsky. But we’re predicting the Panthers will be back challenging for the Stanley Cup next season.
In the meantime — and because this is the NHL — they’ll probably win the draft lottery.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley says it is time to move past her Final Four skirmish with UConn coach Geno Auriemma that became the talk of the tournament.
Staley released a statement on South Carolina’s X account on Tuesday in which she expressed her respect for Auriemma and said the two have spoken since South Carolina’s 62-48 victory on Friday night. The season ended with UCLA’s runaway 79-51 win over South Carolina in Sunday’s national championship game.
“With the college women’s basketball season behind us, it’s time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with UConn ended,” Staley wrote in her statement. “I spoke with Geno and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he’s meant to the game. One moment doesn’t define a career and it doesn’t change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball.
“The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from. So I’m asking everyone to turn the page. Let’s refocus on what matters most, continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward. That’s always been my mission, and it’s not changing.”
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Staley’s statement followed Auriemma’s apology on Saturday after he went over to Staley in the final seconds of Friday night’s game and appeared to chastise her. Coaches from both teams had to separate them. When the game finally ended, Auriemma walked off the court to the locker room without going back to shake hands with anyone from South Carolina.
“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” Auriemma said in his statement on Saturday.
“It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”
The Edmonton Oilers forward will play Tuesday against the Utah Mammoth (9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. MT, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet+), coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters.
Dach has been out since March 10 following a hit from Colorado Avalanche defenceman Josh Manson.
Dach was acquired by the Oilers alongside Jason Dickinson from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline.
The native of St. Albert, Alta. has one assist in three games for the Oilers and had three goals and six assists in 53 games with the Blackhawks this season.
Four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. has doubled down on his prediction ahead of David Benavidez’s intriguing cruiserweight title challenge against reigning and unified 200lb champion, Gilberto Ramirez.
Jones became the second fighter to have claimed a middleweight world title and a heavyweight crown, after Bob Fitzsimmons, with James Toney repeating the feat in 2005 but being removed from that elite club after a failed drug test.
Now, David Benavidez is looking to accelerate through the divisions in similar fashion. Having held belts at both super-middleweight and light-heavyweight, he is now challenging ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for the cruiserweight crown.
“He [Benavidez] going to beat Zurdo. He wanted Zurdo a long time ago, and I think he going to beat Zurdo.”
With fight week approaching fast, Jones further explained why he thinks Benavidez will dethrone the cruiserweight poster boy, with the fact that the pair have sparred leading Jones to believe that Benavidez has seen a weakness to exploit, he told FightHype.
“He sparred with Zurdo, so he knows what he is dealing with. I think that he would deal with him anyway, but he knows what he is dealing with. If I knew what I was dealing with, I would go get it too, if I knew him!”
Zurdo-Benavidez takes place on Saturday May 2, and will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime Video PPV, with Jaime Munguia challenging for the WBA super-middleweight world title in the co-main event.
Another new UFC champion will be introduced this weekend.
UFC 327 takes place this Saturday, April 11, at Miami’s Kaseya Center with fan favourite Jiri Prochazka and streaking contender Carlos Ulberg set to compete for the vacant light-heavyweight championship in a five-round main event.
A second title fight was expected for this card, however, an injury to one of the fighters has postponed the contest.
This weekend’s 12-bout card marks the fourth consecutive year the UFC has held an event in Miami and the ninth year in a row the UFC has gone to Florida.
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Here’s everything else you need to know for UFC 327 fight week:
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Alex Pereira is on a quest to become the UFC’s first three-weight champion when he faces Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title matchup at the White House in June. In order to take on that challenge, “Poatan” vacated his title in the 205-pound division.
That belt will be up for grabs this weekend when Prochazka and Ulberg step into the cage.
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Prochazka, 33, is a one-time champion whose only two losses in the UFC have been to Pereira. The popular Czech star holds wins over fellow former titleholders Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill.
Ulberg, 35 from New Zealand, has won nine in a row and is coming off a first-round knockout over two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes.
Watch UFC 327 on Sportsnet+
A new era at 205 pounds begins when Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg compete for the vacant light-heavyweight title. Watch UFC 327 on Saturday, April 11 with prelim coverage beginning 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, and pay-per-view main card starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
A key three-rounder in the 205-pound division between undefeated Azamat Murzakanov and former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa will serve as Saturday’s penultimate bout, but that wasn’t the original plan.
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What does the rest of the card look like?
Saturday has a third 205-pound bout when finish-or-be-finished fighters Dominick Reyes and Johnny Walker clash. Reyes hasn’t gone the distance since his razor-thin 2020 loss to Jon Jones, and Walker has only seen the scorecards once in the past five years and is coming off a big win in his lone 2025 appearance.
No. 5 heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes will look to hold his spot in the rankings when he faces unranked upstart Josh Hokit, who has stormed out to an 8-0 pro record with eight finishes in only a couple of years after beginning mixed martial arts following a brief stint in the NFL as a tight end and fullback.
The main card kicks off with a farewell to a featherweight legend when 44-fight veteran Cub Swanson competes one last time. The 42-year-old’s final opponent is Nate Landwehr, a fellow respected 145-pounder always willing to throw down.
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The preliminary card is headlined by a fight fans expected to see under the Bellator MMA banner a few years ago. A Patricio Pitbull versus Aaron Pico matchup never materialized, and the Bellator brand was absorbed by the Professional Fighters League, so now the pair of featherweights with 46 combined Bellator bouts get to settle the score in the UFC.
Also on the prelims, Mexican-Canadian strawweight contender Loopy Godinez faces No. 2 contender Tatiana Suarez. Godinez is ranked No. 6 at 115 pounds and is seeking her third consecutive win.
Below is the projected bout order for UFC 327 (subject to change):
— Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg
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— Azamat Murzakanov vs. Paulo Costa
— Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit
— Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker
— Cub Swanson vs. Nate Landwehr
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— Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico
— Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics
— Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown
— Tatiana Suarez vs. Loopy Godinez
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— MarQuel Mederos vs. Chris Padilla
— Kelvin Gastelum vs. Vicente Luque
— Charles Radtke vs. Francisco Prado
What else is happening during fight week?
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Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter and former UFC fighter Diana Belbita are on site in Miami providing coverage throughout the week, so stay tuned to Sportsnet.ca for one-on-one fighter interviews and other content.
Media Day, April 8: Official media events begin Wednesday when participating athletes speak with gathered reporters in downtown Miami.
Pre-fight press conference, April 9: All 10 athletes from the UFC 327 main card are scheduled to participate on Thursday at the Kaseya Center. The event is open to the public and will be available to stream live on Sportsnet+ beginning at approximately 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
Official weigh-in, April 10: Fighters will hit the scale Friday morning as they attempt to make weight. Prochazka and Ulberg must weigh no more than 205 pounds for their title fight to be made official. All non-title competitors will be afforded a one-pound allowance, so the other light-heavyweight fighters on the card can weigh up to 206 pounds.
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Ceremonial weigh-in, April 10: Later in the day Friday, after the official weights have been recorded and the athletes have begun rehydrating, all participating fighters will square off with their respective opponents at the Kaseya Center on the eve of UFC 327. This will be available to stream live on Sportsnet+ beginning at approximately 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
The fights, April 11: Live preliminary card coverage will begin on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT with the pay-per-view main card set to start at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT available to order through Sportsnet+.
Post-fight press conferences, April 11: Once the event has concluded, fans can stay tuned to Sportsnet+ to watch a selection of winning fighters and UFC president Dana White answer questions from gathered media.
Manchester United have been dealt a massive blow as Manchester City believe they are in pole position to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, according to the Daily Mirror. The Cityzens are confident in signing Anderson for £65 million and allegedly plan on finalizing the deal before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Forest signed Anderson from Newcastle United in the summer of 2024 for a reported transfer fee of £35 million. The 23-year-old has impressed this season in the middle of the pitch and has even established himself as a first-team regular in the England national team.
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With Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte expected to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, the Red Devils had reportedly selected Elliot Anderson as their top-priority summer signing. However, the England international has allegedly chosen Manchester City as his preferred destination, with the Cityzens increasingly confident in getting the deal over the line.
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Anderson has made 41 appearances across all competitions for Forest this season, registering two goals and three assists.
“He’s not going to start being a Jose Mourinho” – Nicky Butt predicts Manchester United’s next permanent manager
Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has backed Michael Carrick to be appointed as the club’s next permanent manager. Butt believes Carrick’s personality is well-suited for the Red Devils, and that there are no other standout options available, even claiming he wouldn’t be as controversial as Jose Mourinho.
Since replacing Ruben Amorim in January as interim manager, Carrick has impressed, guiding Manchester United to seven wins out of his 10 games in charge across all competitions. While he is contracted with the club until the summer, United’s hierarchy are yet to make a decision on the Red Devils’ next permanent head coach.
“The thing with the Michael scenario is that it’s all well and good people saying that he’s not quite ready for the job, and I get that side of the argument as well. But for me, if you’re asking me the question, if you don’t give it to Michael then who are you giving it to? There’s nobody I can think of that is jumping out, going: that’s the man.”
He added:
“So that’s why I think Michael will get it. He’s doing a good job, he knows the football club. Even more importantly, I think the people above him will like working with Michael, he’s not going to cause them too much of a headache, he’s not going to start being a Jose Mourinho. He’s the easy choice. Also, their get out if was to go wrong… I don’t know anyone who is jumping out and they’re speaking to.”
Under Carrick’s tutelage, Manchester United are currently third in the Premier League standings and are likely to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two years.
Aaron Ramsey has announced his retirement from professional football with immediate effect, bringing an end to a successful career for both club and country.
The 35-year-old, who has been without a club since leaving Pumas UNAM last year, is now expected to move into coaching as the next step in his career.
Ramsey retires as one of Wales’ finest players, scoring 21 goals in 86 appearances for the national team. He represented Wales national football team at three major tournaments and played a key role in their historic run to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016, where he was named in the team of the tournament.
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He also featured at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which marked Wales’ first appearance at the World Cup finals in 64 years.
At club level, Ramsey began his career with Cardiff City before joining Arsenal in 2008. During his 11 years in London, he won three FA Cups and scored the winning goal in two finals, becoming a key figure for the club.
He later had spells with Juventus, Nice, and returned to Cardiff City, where he also served briefly as interim head coach at the end of last season.
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Ramsey joined Pumas in a bid to stay fit for a possible World Cup appearance this summer, but Wales failed to qualify, and he has been without a club since leaving Mexico.
Having been unable to secure a new team, the experienced midfielder has now decided to bring his playing career to a close and turn his focus to coaching.
As the Ontario retirees who flock south for the winter to Orlando and Miami start to make their way back north, they might realize they’ve come back a little too soon.
One day, it’s a picturesque spring day in Toronto, people are biking down the Martin Goodman Trail and waiting for the cherry blossoms to bloom in High Park. The next, a sharp wind pierces through your puffer jacket and the wind tunnels of the downtown core make it feel like January once more.
It’s an up-and-down, back-and-forth life in Canada’s biggest city, one best personified by the consistent inconsistency of the Toronto Raptors.
Once a shoo-in for a top-six seed in the East, the Raptors are far from a sure thing with four games left in the regular season. They’ll put together dominant wins over fellow play-in competitors like the Orlando Magic, then drop gimmes against the Sacramento Kings. At least you can always count on them losing to teams like the Pistons and Celtics.
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But who they choose to be in this final week of the season will define the season as a whole: Can they claim the battle of the snowbirds and subject the Miami Heat to a play-in spot? Or will a promising season turn into a fight for their lives in the win-and-you’re-in play-in tourney?
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In the final four games, the Raptors are set to host the Heat twice — on Tuesday and Thursday — then visit the Knicks on Friday in the second half of a back-to-back, and lastly lighten their load with a showdown against the Brooklyn Nets at Scotiabank Arena.
Against their compatriots in the battle for the play-in (those in the 5-10 range: The Hawks, Heat, 76ers and Magic), the Raptors have a 10-3 record this year, so the signs are pointing in the right direction for the two-game set against Miami. But as we learned when Bam Adebayo (of all players!) scored 83 points earlier this season, there’s no such thing as a sure thing in the NBA — except for a Raptors loss to the Celtics. All the more reason to avoid the play-in!
So with just a week to go until the end of the regular season, here’s what you need to keep an eye on in the 401-esque congested road to the playoffs.
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There’s this meme template online of a guy sitting in a little bodega-style restaurant, listening to music without a care in the world, while a group of people are in the background throwing hands. The guy sitting down represents you, the audience, listening to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, while the people fighting represent Fleetwood Mac.
Hope that those top four seeds in the East like The Chain.
It’s easy living if you’re the Pistons or Celtics, in particular, as both appear set in their spots as the first and second seeds, respectively. While there’s still a possibility that New York takes over the second seed, Boston needs to win only one game to secure its spot.
While the cortisol might spike a little more if you’re the Cleveland Cavaliers, who close the season with two games against the Atlanta Hawks and one against the Washington Wizards, there’s a sense of safety sitting outside of the play-in picture looking in. It could also benefit them to not show too much of their hand as they gear up for a potential 4-5 series against Atlanta in the first round.
But, like Dante’s Inferno, it gets scarier the further down you go.
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The battle for the Nos. 5-10 seeds is coming down to the wire.
Only two games separate the Hawks in fifth from the Magic in ninth, and the same goes for the Raptors in sixth and the Heat in 10th. Meaning that a bad two-game set for the Hawks against Cleveland can ruin an otherwise incredible turn of fortune, or the Raptors getting swept at the hands of the Heat can turn a season of growth into a fight for relevancy once again.
The Charlotte Hornets, meanwhile, have a tough road ahead with games against the top three seeds in the East. However, they’ve managed to nab wins against the Celtics and Knicks already this season, and behind the fourth-ranked offence in the NBA, it’s anyone’s game when players like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel can get microwave hot.
On the other hand, the 76ers look to have the easiest remaining schedule, taking on tanking squads like the Pacers and Bucks — who they’re a combined 6-0 against this season — but a game against a Houston squad hoping to secure homecourt in the first round can still be a tough test for a 76ers team only just returning to health.
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Crossing T’s and dotting I’s out West
Though the playoff picture is much clearer out West, with the top five seeds on their way to the playoffs and the No. 6 Timberwolves sitting pretty with a magic number of two, there are finer details that still need sorting out in the final week.
Permanently the centre of attention in the NBA, the most intriguing storyline out west could be the Lakers’ final stretch as they look to hold onto a top-three seed in the conference.
While the star backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves could both be in Europe to seek medical advice, the onus of keeping the Lakers’ head above water rests on the shoulders of 41-year-old LeBron James and (checks notes) triple-double-threat Luke Kennard.
Heading into Tuesday’s action, the Lakers have lost two straight and are set to host the Thunder, who are sure to give it their all as they look to lock up the top seed and prevent the Spurs’ late-season push.
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Past that, the Lakers square off against the Warriors, Suns and Jazz, which should be simpler matchups on paper, but James’ 30-point, 15-assist double-double on Sunday wasn’t enough to get the Lakers past the Mavericks, so chalking anything up is a mistake. Factor in the pride-on-the-line showdowns against Steph Curry and Dillon Brooks, and it’s clear the Lakers aren’t securing homecourt without a fight.
April 10 vs. Timberwolves
However, should the Lakers succeed in the final stretch, a tough schedule for the Denver Nuggets could be just what they need to steal the third seed. Though Denver is on a nine-game win streak heading into Tuesday, it’ll close the regular season against the Spurs and Thunder, with the pairing of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama hoping to put the finishing touches on their MVP cases.
The Lakers will also have to contend with a surging Rockets team carrying the momentum of a six-game win streak, while the Suns and 76ers are sure to put their best foot forward on Tuesday and Thursday, games against the T-Wolves — whose seeding could be decided by Friday — and Grizzlies, that will give them some reprieve to close the year as they gun for homecourt.
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The other battle to watch in the West is between the Clippers and Blazers, who are within half games of one another. Should both teams keep pace, a showdown between the two sides on Friday could be the deciding factor that determines the final play-in picture.
Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Greybull High School, Greybull, Wyoming.
The list includes only those players who have played in a regular-season NFL game. Consequently, players taken in the upcoming draft will not be included until they have seen the field.
The League does not officially recognize players who appeared only in preseason exhibition games.
Greybull High School is ranked as the No. 2 pro football player-producing high school in the state.
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Wyoming has produced a total of 31 NFL players from 21 schools, with 4 pros currently active.
See where all the other schools in the Cowboy state rank here, with links to their respective players.
Fernando Mendoza participates in Indiana University’s Pro Day at Mellencamp Pavilion on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Fernando Mendoza, the projected No. 1 overall pick, informed the league that he is not planning to attend the NFL draft in Pittsburgh later this month, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Per the report, the Indiana quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami.
The Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the top pick in the draft on April 23-25, will be hosting Mendoza on Tuesday, per NFL Network.
The last time a No. 1 overall pick — that was a quarterback — did not attend the NFL draft was in 2021, when Trevor Lawrence was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Clemson.
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Mendoza, 22, provided the signature moment to his epic season with a dive across the goal line on fourth down in the No. 1 Hoosiers’ 27-21 victory over No. 10 Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Jan. 19.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Mendoza completed 72.0 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns this past season. He also rushed for 276 yards and seven scores in his lone season with Indiana after transferring from Cal (2023-24).
Even at the top of the table, there’s no such thing as a flawless team. At the other end of the spectrum, every squad that qualifies for the Stanley Cup Playoffs has a punch or two they can throw at an opponent.
With less than two weeks to go before the puck drops on the post-season, the goal here is to highlight the good and bad — or, at least, slightly worrisome — elements of every club that still has a reasonable shot to qualify for the big dance.
It’s a plus/minus of sorts, as we pat some backs while raising some flags.
We’ll start in the Western Conference — with teams ordered by their points percentage — before heading to the East.
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Colorado Avalanche (.724) Colorado scores the most goals per game (3.74) and gives up the fewest (2.50). You can’t ask for much more than that. That said, with all those weapons, the Avs power play ranks 26th in the NHL (17.6 per cent).
Dallas Stars (.662) The Stars are a high-end, balanced team. It’s worth noting, though, that Dallas has played a lot of hard hockey while skating in three consecutive Western Conference finals. Also, this would be just the second post-season appearance as the head man for coach Glen Gulutzan. In his first, Gulutzan’s Calgary Flames were swept by the Anaheim Ducks in 2017.
Minnesota Wild (.649) Every trade rumour surrounding the Wild involves the team’s need for a top centre. In a conference where you have to go through the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Wyatt Johnston, Minny is lacking down the middle. On the plus side, how many teams can lean on a defence pair like Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber?
Utah Mammoth (.566) Utah’s PP has been humming since play resumed after the Olympics, clipping along at 31.4 per cent (second-best in the NHL). You have to think the atmosphere in Salt Lake City will be outrageous when this club plays Games 3 and 4 at home as part of the first playoff action in Mammoth history. Finally, Utah is likely to face the Pacific Division winner in Round 1, meaning the Mammoth — despite being a wild-card club — could well face an opponent with a worse record than their own. Of course, beyond the blueline trio of Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole and Nate Schmidt, there’s not much in the way of playoff experience on this roster.
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Edmonton Oilers (.565) Connor McDavid has the third-best playoff points-per-game mark in the history of the league (1.56) and Leon Draisaitl has the fourth (1.47). Of course, Draisaitl’s status for Game 1 is up in the air at this point, and that’s a monster concern for Edmonton. As always, questions about the Oilers crease are one crappy goal away.
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Anaheim Ducks (.565) The Ducks, on the whole, might be inexperienced, but first-year Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville has 121 playoff wins and will pass Al Arbour for second place on the all-time list if Anaheim can win three second-season contests this year. (Nobody is catching Scotty Bowman at 223 career playoff victories). The problem for the Ducks is they allow more goals per game (3.52) than every team currently holding down a post-season slot.
Vegas Golden Knights (.558) The Knights have Cup pedigree and the potential for some new-coach bump, under John Tortorella, that spills into April and May. The problem all year has been goaltending, with Vegas sporting an .876 team save percentage that ranks 29th in the league.
Los Angeles Kings (.539) As always, the Kings have good underlying numbers, with an expected goals mark on the site Moneypuck that ranks fourth in the West and seventh in the NHL (51.89 per cent). Also, as always, the Kings struggle to score. Los Angeles ranks 29th on the season in goals per game 2.68, though the club has pushed that up to 3.17 since March 1 (11th-best in the NHL during that span).
San Jose Sharks (.533) Ever heard of a young fella named Macklin Celebrini? He just might win the Hart Trophy if the Sharks squeeze into the playoffs. The issue in San Jose is keeping the puck out of their net; only the lowly Vancouver Canucks allow more goals per game than the 3.53 the Sharks surrender.
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Nashville Predators (.532) The Preds boast strong special teams, with a league-best penalty-kill since the Olympics (86.4 per cent) and a PP that ranks seventh during that timeframe (25.9 per cent). The issue, as you might guess, is Nashville’s five-on-five goal-differential is minus-29 on the season. The six teams worse than that are all lottery-bound.
Winnipeg Jets (.519) Kyle Connor has 36 goals, Mark Scheifele has 34 and Gabe Vilardi is on 28. After that, the next-highest total among Jets forwards is Cole Perfetti with 12. This team’s high-end players can kill you, but there hasn’t been enough support behind them.
St. Louis Blues (.513) The Blues have the best points percentage in the league since the Olympic break (.763), so they’re clearly on a roll. St. Louis is managing to rip off all these wins with a power play that ranks 27th in the NHL (16.7 per cent) during that time.
Carolina Hurricanes (.675) The Canes power play is on fire since the break, converting at an NHL-best rate of 34.5 per cent. Saves, though, are hard to come by, with a team save percentage of just .855 — worse than everybody except the Canucks — in that span.
Tampa Bay Lightning (.662) Tampa has been a little loose down the stretch, allowing 3.41 goals per game (23rd in the league) since the Olympics. And, overall, the Bolts are a fairly flat 10-9-2 in their past 21 outings. Of course, they’ve got an absolute killer in Nikita Kucherov, all kinds of playoff know-how and a hunger to go deep again after failing to make it out of the first round in three straight springs.
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Buffalo Sabres (.654) It’s hard to believe the vibes will be better anywhere in the NHL come playoff time than in Buffalo, where the local team will be seeing its first post-season action since 2011. The Sabres are the story of the second half, with a league-best .718 points percentage in 2026. Buffalo is only average by advanced metrics like expected goals for, and this will obviously be the first playoff action for a number of very prominent Sabres.
Montreal Canadiens (.649) The Canadiens have a deadly first line, with Nick Suzuki playing between Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. The drop off to the second unit is precipitous, though, and Montreal will need offence from more than just its top three dudes to do post-season damage.
Pittsburgh Penguins (.615) Only two teams — the powerhouse Avs and Bolts — have a better five-on-five goal-differential than the wildly surprising Penguins (plus-28). The goaltending could be an issue, however, with neither Arturs Silovs nor Stuart Skinner seizing the net. Pittsburgh called up promising youngster Sergei Murashov on Tuesday, with Skinner listed as day-to-day.
Boston Bruins (.609) The Bruins are the best home team in the NHL, posting a .731 points percentage in Boston this season. They’re also surrendering a league-best 2.62 goals per game in the second half and goalie Jeremy Swayman has the most goals saved above expected (28.5) in the entire league.
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Strange as it is to say about a team we still associate with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, the B’s are a little weak down the middle. Rookie Fraser Minten has been great and Pavel Zacha is on a heater, but they definitely don’t stack up with what some of the better teams in the conference have at centre.
Ottawa Senators (.584) The Senators have had strong underlying numbers all year and hold the third-best expected goals mark (55.82 per cent) in the NHL behind only Carolina and Colorado. The bugaboo has been goaltending and — in related news — a penalty-kill that ranks 30th in the league (74.7 per cent). That said, the PK has been better since the Olympic break.
Philadelphia Flyers (.584) This team seemed dead and buried coming out of the February hiatus, but Philly has gone 14-5-1 in its past 20 outings to vault back into a playoff spot. The Flyers really struggle to score (2.71 goals per game since the Olympics, 27th in the NHL), but have become one of the best teams at keeping pucks out of their own net down the stretch (2.38 goals against per game, 2nd in the league).
New York Islanders (.571) The Isles have a new coach in Pete DeBoer, who’ll debut with the team when it hosts the Leafs on Thursday. New York is among the worst clubs in the NHL in terms of expected goals (47.01 per cent, 28th in the league), but has a goalie — in Ilya Sorokin — who gives them a chance to hang with anybody.
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Detroit Red Wings (.571) Detroit has been trending the wrong way for some time, posting a .423 points percentage since Jan. 22 that’s worse than all but five teams in the league and every squad on this list. The Wings are decent defensively, but have scored just 2.54 goals per game in 26 contests since that Jan. 22 date. Only Chicago (2.28) is worse in that timespan.
Columbus Blue Jackets (.571) Columbus has gone into a tailspin at the wrong time, losing six straight games. The Jackets have been stingy in the second half (2.79 goals against per game, 3rd in the NHL), but the offence can be lacking in stretches. Case in point: Columbus is scoring just 1.60 goals per game in its past eight showings.
Washington Capitals (.558) The Capitals have a strong foundation with Logan Thompson in goal, but even as they’ve picked up points down the stretch, the offence and power play have only been OK. Washington is also the worst road team on this list, ranking 27th in the NHL with a .447 points percentage away from home.
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