NHL Player News

Cooley posted two assists in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Predators.

Cooley's point streak is up to six games (six goals, five assists). He helped out on Kailer Yamamoto's first-period tally as well as a Nick Schmaltz power-play goal in the middle frame. Cooley's surge has him up to 41 points, 96 shots on net, 51 hits, 26 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 50 appearances this season.

Back notched an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Wild.

Back snapped a five-game point drought with the helper. He hasn't scored a goal in 15 contests, but his bottom-six assignment won't lead to much offense most of the time. Back has earned 12 points, 39 shots on net, 36 blocked shots, 27 hits and a plus-9 rating over 69 appearances this season.

Hughes scored a goal and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Wild.

Hughes was playing in just his second contest of the season. The 29-year-old forward has been a strong AHL forward for years but hasn't often earned chances to play in the NHL. The goal was the first point of his NHL career. Hughes will likely be with the Stars until the team gets some injured forwards back in the lineup, which could take until the playoffs start.

Blackwell scored a goal on two shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Wild.

Blackwell was limited to four assists, 18 shots on net, 18 PIM and 39 hits over 18 contests between goals. He earned both points Thursday in the second period, scoring to cut the deficit to 3-2 before setting up Cameron Hughes on the 3-3 goal. Blackwell remains a bottom-six regular for the Stars with four goals, 15 points, 61 shots on net, 111 hits, 36 blocked shots and 38 PIM across 68 appearances.

Schmaltz recorded a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Predators.

Schmaltz's two-point performance helped Utah clinch a playoff berth for the first time in franchise history, and the star winger is ending the season on a sizzling note. He's found the back of the net in four of his last five games and is also riding a six-game point streak. Furthermore, Schmaltz has cracked the scoresheet in all but two of his last 11 appearances, tallying 13 points (seven goals, six assists) and 32 shots on goal over that stretch.

Johnston recorded a goal, an assist, four PIM, three shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Wild.

Johnston built off the two-goal performance he had against the Flames on Tuesday with another strong showing here, breaking the deadlock for Dallas and later assisting on Mikko Rantanen's equalizer in the third period. Johnston has recorded two-point performances in three of his last five games and is up to 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 20 outings since the beginning of March.

Cotter scored a goal in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Penguins.

Cotter has been a regular for the Devils for most of the season, but he's been in the bottom six, leaving him prone to long slumps. His goal Thursday ended a 10-game dry spell. He's at nine goals, 15 points, 57 shots on net, 188 hits and a minus-21 rating over 76 appearances. Barring a burst of offense to close out the campaign, it'll be his worst full-length NHL campaign to date.

Hughes scored a goal on five shots and blocked three shots in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Penguins.

Hughes has been dynamic late in the season, earning 14 goals and 32 points over his last 17 contests. While it's too late to help the Devils, it's a good sign that the 24-year-old can perform at this level for an extended stretch. He's up to 26 goals, 73 points, 220 shots on net and a plus-1 rating over 58 appearances, putting him right in the same neighborhood as each of the previous two years.

Novak scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Devils.

Novak ended a 12-game goal drought with his second-period tally. The 28-year-old has four points over his last six games and may be heating up again in a middle-six role. He's been effective there for much of the season, earning 16 goals, 41 points, 124 shots on net, 33 blocked shots, 24 PIM and a plus-5 rating over 79 appearances.

Suzuki notched two assists in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Lightning.

Suzuki set up linemates Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky as the Canadiens' top line won a tight contest in a potential first-round preview. With four goals and eight assists over his last eight games, there's been no slowing down for Suzuki. He's at 98 points, 176 shots on net, 61 hits, 60 blocked shots and a plus-37 rating over 79 appearances. He needs two goals to reach the 30-goal mark for the third year in a row, and two more points over Montreal's last three regular-season games would give him his first 100-point campaign.