RALEIGH, N.C. — The Pittsburgh Penguins got a little help in their quest for a 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs berth, but no help where it counted most as the Columbus Blue Jackets continue to buzz saw their way through the remainder of their schedule. The Penguins also got some bad news on the injury front with center Blake Lizotte.

Elsewhere in the Daily, there are four coaches on the hot seat as teams race down the stretch. Jack Hughes wants the Golden Puck, but a hockey institution has already claimed it. And the Ottawa Senators might clean house if they don’t make the playoffs.

Oh, it’s been a trip. After a long day of sitting on airplanes, I checked into the hotel, dumped my luggage, and went for a quick dinner. After I returned from my four-course meal at Wendy’s, perfectly complemented by a lovely 2025 Chateau de Coke Vanilla Zero, I realized … I had no memory of my room number. So, after I tried a couple of wrong doors, I had to head down to the front desk and sheepishly ask, uh, what room am I in?

The look I got in return was just about what you’d expect. Yep.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Bad news. Blake Lizotte is out for four weeks–here’s the news and some inside info on the Penguins injury news.

In case you missed the full story, Evgeni Malkin updated the story of his contract talks but this time did so with some optimism. He also had something to say about the subjective nature of the NHL issuing suspensions. He was in good form in the Penguins locker room.

I had a column or two planned for Tuesday, but the travel fun kept me off balance. We’ll get after it today.

NHL News, Trade Talk, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Give me back the puck! Golden goal scorer Jack Hughes wants the puck he planted into the net to send most of the US sports world into a tizzy. However, the Hockey Hall of Fame called dibs. Hughes called BS.

The HHoF has Sidney Crosby’s puck and stick, as well as Jim Craig’s pads. Who owns the puck? I think the HHoF.

NHLtraderumors.me: Four coaches on the hot seat. From Utah and LA, there are coaches whose seats are warm, but there are some hot seats in Edmonton and New Jersey.

Carolina Hockey Now: No help from the division leaders. The Columbus Blue Jackets won again and haven’t lost in regulation since Feb. 26. They got some good fortune on a no-call goaltender interference and pulled away from Carolina. How’s this for a headline from Rachel Barkey–Bad Calls and Blood Everywhere: Hurricanes Lose to Blue Jackets.

Rachel is one of our young writers who has been working their chops this season. She’s really doing well. The Penguins could have used a loss by CBJ, but they’re 6-0-4 in their last 10.

Daily Faceoff: Claude Giroux. Nick Jensen. Lars Eller. There could be a mass exodus of veterans via trade and free agency as the Ottawa Senators need to retool.

Sportsnet Edmonton: I’ve been watching Edmonton closely. It’s a mess, and it just got worse. Now, Leon Draisaitl is out for the rest of the regular season. Mark Spector writes–now we’ll see what the Oilers are made of.

Boston Hockey Now: Wild card results. The Islanders beat Toronto. Buffalo won in Las Vegas. And the Boston Bruins earned a loser point in the rivalry battle with the Montreal Canadiens. Jack Studley has a breakdown of the game and what’s happening with the Bruins.

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