The Boston Bruins can clinch the Atlantic Division title on Thursday with a win over the Montreal Canadiens and a Toronto Maple Leafs’ loss in regulation against the Florida Panthers.
The Bruins, playing their 71st game, can become the fastest team to clinch a division since the league went back to a four-division format in 2013-14.
The Bruins also could become the first team in 12 years to clinch a division title before any other team wraps up a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are making a couple lineup changes — inserting forward A.J. Greer and defenceman Jakub Zboril in place of Jakub Lauko and Brendan Carlo.
Calgary Flames
Flames defenceman Christopher Tanev did not take part in morning skate prior to Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights after missing Tuesday’s game versus Anaheim with an upper-body injury.
The Flames say Tanev is day to day.
Dennis Gilbert took Tanev’s spot versus Anaheim.
Tanev has one goal and 12 assists in 61 games this year.
Jakob Markstrom was in the starter’s net.
Watch the Flames-Golden Knights game on Sportsnet West or Sportsnet NOW Premium at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights all-star goalie Logan Thompson will make his first start since Feb. 9 on Thursday in Calgary.
Thompson suffered a lower-body injury against the Minnesota Wild. The rookie netminder scrambled to make a save on Minnesota forward Frederick Gaudreau. After pushing off on his right leg, Thompson turned over and stayed face down on the ice before the referees stopped the play.
Thompson, a rookie, was named to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. He has a .914 save percentage in 36 games this season.
Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens forward Jake Evans will return from a lower-body injury to face the Bruins.
Coach Martin St. Louis will be a healthy scratch.
Evans was been out since Jan. 14 when Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders fell on his leg on a faceoff.
Evans has two goals and nine assists in 43 games this season.
Jake Allen will start in net for Montreal.
Washington Capitals
Capitals defenceman John Carlson is expected to return to the lineup after a 36-game absence on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Carlson hasn’t played since he was struck in the head by a slapshot from Brenden Dillon of the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23.
The Athletic reported Carlson was diagnosed with a small skull fracture above his right ear and a severed temporal artery.
Carlson has eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 30 games this season.
The two-time All-Star has played 917 career NHL games, all with Washington.
Florida Panthers
Forward Anthony Duclair will return to the Panthers’ lineup on Thursday against the Maple Leafs.
Duclair missed Tuesday’s game with a non-COVID illness.
Duclair has one goal and three assists in nine games this season after missing the first half of the season with an Achilles injury.
The Panthers say Sergei Bobrovsky will start in net.
Forward Sam Bennett remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Watch the Panthers-Leafs game on Sportsnet Ontario or Sportsnet NOW Premium at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions.
Nedelkovic is 2-4-2 with a 4.09 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage for the Red Wings this season. He is 13-9-3 with a 2.71 GAA and .912 save percentage for Grand Rapids.
Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told reporters goalie Ville Husso is out with a lower-body injury.
The Red Wings host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon is set to return to the Wild lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers after missing Tuesday’s game with an illness, The Athletic‘s Michael Russo reports.
The defenceman has 10 goals and 20 assists in 70 games this season.
The Wild are on a nine-game point streak and are tied with Dallas for top spot in the Central Division.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who has won seven in a row, starts for Minnesota.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are sending 2021 first-round pick (12th overall) Cole Sillinger to Lake Erie of the AHL.
The centre has three goals and eight assists in 64 games with Columbus this season.
The 19-year-old Sillinger had 16 goals and 15 assists in 79 games last season.
“This is a great opportunity for Cole to join the Monsters as they continue to push for a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs,” said general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. “Taking on additional responsibilities and playing games with playoff implications, and hopefully games in the playoffs, is hugely important to the development of a young player like Cole.”
Meanwhile, forward Hunter McKown, signed to an entry-level contract this week, will make his NHL debut Friday against the New York Islanders, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have recalled goaltender Dustin Tokarski and forward Filip Hallander from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead of Pittsburgh’s game in Dallas on Thursday.
Tokarski is 1-2 with a 3.44 GAA and .897 save percentage in four games with Pittsburgh this season. He is 12-11-5 with a 2.47 GAA and .917 save percentage in the AHL.
Hallander is pointless in two games with Pittsburgh this season and has 11 goals and 22 assists in 40 AHL games.