DETROIT — In a thrilling NHL debut, Carter Yakemchuk wasted no time making his mark, scoring a goal and adding an assist to help the Ottawa Senators defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old defenseman from Alberta, selected seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, was called up earlier in the day from the American Hockey League's Belleville Senators amid a rash of injuries to Ottawa's blue line, including Thomas Chabot, Dennis Gilbert, Nick Jensen, Jake Sanderson, and Lassi Thomson.
Yakemchuk, who had notched 10 goals in 50 games with Belleville this season, slotted seamlessly into the Senators' lineup. His goal came in the second period, contributing to Ottawa's narrow victory as they extended their winning streak to four games and improved to nine victories in their last 11 outings. Brady Tkachuk added his 20th goal of the season, while Lars Eller scored the other tally for the Senators. Goaltender Linus Ullmark was stellar in net, turning aside 32 shots to preserve the win and keep Ottawa in the hunt for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, dropped to 2-4-1 in their last seven games, struggling to find consistency as the season winds down. Detroit's offense managed just two goals, but specifics on their scoring were not immediately detailed in reports from the game. The matchup highlighted Ottawa's resurgence, with the Senators pushing hard for a postseason berth after a middling start to the year.
Elsewhere in the league, the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game skid with a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Matthew Knies led the way with a pair of goals, while Max Domi and William Nylander also lit the lamp for Toronto. Captain John Tavares dished out three assists, and the Maple Leafs dominated shots at 35-20. Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves in net to secure the win, avoiding a season sweep by Boston in their storied Original Six rivalry.
For the Bruins, Elias Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy scored, but it wasn't enough to extend their strong home record. Boston, which entered the game having lost just once in their previous 15 home contests, still clings to the top wild-card position in the East. Jeremy Swayman stopped 31 of 35 shots faced, but Toronto's early pressure proved decisive.
In Montreal, the Canadiens rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2, marking their second straight win. Cole Caufield continued his hot streak, scoring his league-leading 44th goal of the season and adding an assist on an empty-netter by Jake Evans late in the game. Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov each tallied a goal and an assist, with Oliver Kapanen also finding the net. Goaltender Jakub Dobes was the hero between the pipes, making 41 saves to hold off the Hurricanes' late push.
Carolina, the Eastern Conference leaders, got goals from Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal but suffered their first loss in four games. The Hurricanes had controlled much of the early action, but Montreal's comeback underscored their resilience following the Olympic break.
Down in Sunrise, Florida, the Panthers survived a wild third-period collapse to edge the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in a shootout. Florida led 4-1 on Noah Gregor's goal with 7:39 remaining, only for Seattle to storm back with three quick tallies from Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle, and Bobby McMann in a frantic 2:21 span. Eberle and McMann connected just 14 seconds apart to force overtime.
Vinnie Hinostroza sealed the victory for Florida in the shootout, while Nolan Foote, Eetu Luostarinen, and Carter Verhaeghe also scored in regulation. Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for the win. Ryker Evans added a third-period goal for Seattle, who have now lost eight of their last 10 games and haven't won since a 6-2 triumph over Florida on March 15. Joey Daccord stopped 20 shots for the Kraken.
The Chicago Blackhawks provided one of the night's more surprising results, topping the New York Islanders 4-3 in Sunrise, Florida—though reports indicated the game was actually played in Chicago, suggesting a possible venue mix-up in initial dispatches. Anton Frondell earned an assist in his NHL debut, while Nick Lardis and Frank Nazar each recorded a goal and an assist. Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi rounded out the scoring for the Blackhawks, who erupted for four straight goals to end a two-game losing streak. Arvid Soderblom was sharp, making 44 saves.
New York's Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom, and Calum Ritchie scored, but the Islanders fell for the third time in four games. David Rittich allowed three goals on 12 shots before giving way to Ilya Sorokin, who made 11 saves in relief.
In Philadelphia, the Columbus Blue Jackets handed the Flyers a 3-2 defeat, powered by Zach Werenski's goal and assist. Werenski, who now boasts 77 points this season—the second-most among NHL defensemen—continued his scorching pace. Columbus struck twice in 1:44 early in the second period, outshooting Philadelphia 6-0 in the opening three minutes. Mathieu Olivier tied the game at 1-1 just 44 seconds into the frame, roofing a shot over Dan Vladar's glove on a 3-on-2 rush set up by Werenski. Moments later, Werenski himself snapped a shot past Vladar from the high slot after a feed from Damon Severson.
The victory keeps Columbus in the playoff conversation, though details on Philadelphia's goals were sparse in available reports. The Flyers, mired in the basement of the Metropolitan Division, have struggled defensively throughout the year.
Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena was the site of a lopsided 6-2 win for the Colorado Avalanche over the Penguins. Martin Necas scored twice, and Nathan MacKinnon buried his NHL-leading 46th goal of the season. Colorado exploded for three goals in 1:55 late in the first period—Necas, Sam Malinski, and Parker Kelly—to break the game open. This avenged a one-sided loss to Pittsburgh the previous week in Denver. Cale Makar assisted on Necas' first, reaching 499 career points, while Ross Colton added an empty-netter. Scott Wedgewood made 27 saves for the Western Conference-leading Avalanche, who improved to 3-0 on their four-game road trip, with Winnipeg up next on Thursday.
Egor Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, with Kris Letang earning a secondary assist on Chinakhov's career-high 17th goal, becoming the 21st defenseman to reach 800 career points.
The Tampa Bay Lightning staged a comeback of their own, rallying from a two-goal deficit to beat the Minnesota Wild 6-2 in St. Paul. Erik Cernak netted the game-winner with 2:53 left in the third, capitalizing on a misplay by Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who couldn't corral a carom off the end boards from Charle-Edouard D'Astous' pass. The puck trickled between Gustavsson's legs, and Cernak poked it home for his second goal of the season.
Tampa scored three in the second and five unanswered overall to win their fourth in five and fifth in seven. Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, with Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, and Jake Guentzel also scoring; Pontus Holmberg added a late empty-netter. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots for his fourth straight win. Guentzel's tally was his 32nd of the year and 300th career. For Minnesota, Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and assist, with Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber also scoring. The Wild have dropped five of seven, and Gustavsson allowed three goals on 23 shots.
In St. Louis, the Blues defeated the Washington Capitals 3-0 behind goals from Jimmy Snuggerud and Otto Stenberg. Jordan Kyrou sealed it with his team-leading 17th goal into an empty net with 41 seconds left. Joel Hofer earned his sixth shutout of the season—and eighth of his career—with 22 saves. St. Louis has gone 9-2-2 since the Olympic break, winning their second straight. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for Washington, which snapped a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1).
Nashville's Predators steamrolled the San Jose Sharks 6-3 at Bridgestone Arena, extending their season-high five-game winning streak. Filip Forsberg scored once and assisted on two, while Matthew Wood, Roman Josi, Luke Evangelista, Brady Skjei, and Steven Stamkos also tallied. Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots, and Jonathan Marchessault had three assists. The win highlights Nashville's upward trajectory in the Central Division.
San Jose's Will Smith scored twice, with Adam Gaudette adding one, but Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled after allowing six goals on 19 shots—wait, reports clarify he faced only 13 shots in limited time. The Sharks have lost five straight, underscoring their dismal season in the Pacific.
Finally, in Dallas, the New Jersey Devils torched the Stars 4-0 with four first-period goals. Jack Hughes scored twice, Jesper Bratt and Connor Brown added one each, overwhelming Jake Oettinger, who was yanked after the frame, ending his 14-game point streak. The Devils handed Dallas back-to-back regulation losses for the first time since January. Wyatt Johnston scored twice for the Stars to reach a career-high 40 goals, and Jason Robertson added his 39th, but it wasn't enough.
Across the league, these results shake up the standings as the regular season nears its close. Teams like Ottawa and Colorado solidify their positions, while others like Seattle and San Jose fight to avoid the basement. With playoffs looming, every point counts in the tight race for postseason berths.