Hockey headlines for April 3, 2026

Friday, April 3, 2026

Wild clinch playoff spot with 5-2 victory over Canucks (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Carolina Hurricanes rookie achieves franchise first in NHL playoff-clinching win (Raleigh News & Observer)
Ottawa Senators move into playoff spot with victory over Buffalo Sabres as Tyler Kleven joins lengthy injury list (Ottawa Sun)
Sharks take care of business against Maple Leafs, now hold playoff spot (San Jose Mercury News)
Red Wings keep playoff hopes alive with win: 'Awesome, all night' (Detroit News)
Not done yet: Panthers again keep thin playoff chances alive with win over Bruins (Miami Herald)
Loss officially eliminates Toronto from playoff contention (Toronto Star)
Blackhawks' loss to Oilers officially eliminates them from playoff contention (Chicago Sun-Times)
Ignore the Noise: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk not happy his father's words were twisted on social media (Ottawa Sun)
Key Maple Leafs show support for any plan that aims for a re-tool, not a rebuild (Toronto Sun)
Make it five in a row as Edmonton Oilers survive Chicago Blackhawks scare (Edmonton Sun)
Marner’s hat trick leads Golden Knights to win over Flames (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Anthony Cirelli’s hat trick leads way in Lightning’s home win vs. Pens (Tampa Bay Times)
Kings erase 3-goal deficit before falling to Predators in shootout (Los Angeles Daily News)
Jason Robertson starts it, Jamie Benn finishes as Stars' physicality leads to win over Jets (Dallas Morning News)
A loss of Mammoth proportion: Kraken's dim playoff hopes take a big hit (Seattle Times)
Jets lose ground in the playoff chase, lose 3-0 to the Stars (Winnipeg Sun)
Nashville Predators beat Los Angeles Kings 5-4 on Luke Evangelista's shootout goal (The Tennessean)
Columbus Blue Jackets drilled by Carolina Hurricanes (Columbus Dispatch)
Flyers miss opportunity to gain ground in playoff chase with 4-2 loss to the Red Wings (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Penguins smothered by Lightning in letdown loss (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Sabres don't generate much offense, come up small in Ottawa with big chance to clinch (Buffalo News)
Bruins run out of chances in frenzied finish of road loss against depleted Panthers (Boston Globe)
Rangers lose to Canadiens as three-game win streak gets snapped (New York Post)
Rangers' center depth hinders Laba's development (New York Newsday)
Rangers’ fluid play plan for Noah Laba is paying off for development (New York Post)
‘I feel great on the ice’: Barron back as Jets face off against Dallas (Winnipeg Free Press)
Flyers’ Tyson Foerster to play Thursday after missing the last 49 games with an upper-body injury (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Ryan Winterton returns to Kraken after bereavement leave (Seattle Times)
Rain and recollections as Wild meet Canucks for first time since blockbuster trade (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Isles can only control one thing in playoff push: Winning (New York Newsday)
Devils’ star rookie shut down for season (NJ.com)
Week-to-week loss of Sam Carrick is a blow to Sabres' fourth line (Buffalo News)
After ‘watching for way too long,’ Seth Jones aims to end Panthers season strong (Miami Herald)
Ethan Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski eager to prove their worth as Chicago Blackhawks season nears an end (Chicago Tribune)
Penguins assign forwards Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Luke Mittelstadt makes whirlwind jump to Laval Rocket blue line (Montreal Gazette)
Sharks prospect named top three finalist for NCAA’s top individual honor (San Jose Mercury News)
Defencemen Hayes Hundley, Vinny Borgesi thrilled to join Maple Leafs prospect pool (Toronto Sun)
Kings sign Western Michigan’s Slukynsky brothers (Los Angeles Daily News)
‘Lenovo Center 2.0’ enhancements to include Beer Hall, new fan experiences (Raleigh News & Observer)