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Surprising Samuelsson Leads Sabres To Eighth Straight Win


The Buffalo Sabres seemed a big sluggish after the first period of their first game after the Christmas holiday break, but in a second period in which they took control of the game, the unlikely Sabres scoring star was blueliner Mattias Samuelsson, who assisted on goals from Ryan McLeod and Peyton Krebs before scoring a career-high sixth goal of the season in a 4-1 victory at KeyBank Center on Saturday night. 

Samuelsson, who had seven career goals in 212 regular season games going into the campaign, is tied with Bowen Byram in defensive scoring with 18 points and has more goals than regular defense partner Rasmus Dahlin, but unlike his teammates, he has been stout at the defensive end of the ice, which is reflected in his team leading +15 plus/minus rating. 

 

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"His physicality has been really good this year. I think he ends a lot of plays. He's really on top of his game,"Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "From what he's done, chipping in offensively and the work he just done on the PK, then playing against every top line and big minutes every night, he's really playing a good brand of hockey for us."

Samuelsson’s contribution was necessary with Dahlin still not back from Sweden. The Sabres eighth win in a row has them back to within range of an Eastern Conference playoff spot, as they are tied with the Florida Panthers for the last wildcard spot, but they need to keep winning, as they are only three points from second-last in the conference. 

Dahlin is expected to meet the Sabres in St. Louis, where they will take on the Blues in the first of a three-game road trip on Monday. 

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Hugh Morris, former England cricketer and ECB chief, dies aged 62

  • Morris was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022

  • Glamorgan lead tributes to ‘fine human being’

Hugh Morris, the former England and Glamorgan batter who went on to hold senior positions with country and county, has died at the age of 62.

Born in Cardiff in 1963, Morris became Glamorgan’s youngest ever captain at the age of 22 before returning to the role later in his career, leading them to the Sunday League title in 1993, their first trophy in 24 years.

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Serie A roundup: Christopher Nkunku at the double to send Milan to summit

  • Forward scores twice in 3-0 win over Verona

  • Højlund on target again as Napoli beat Cremonese

Milan beat Hellas Verona 3-0 on Sunday to leapfrog leaders Inter and provisionally move top of the Serie A standings thanks to a brace from Christopher Nkunku.

Milan struggled to break down a disciplined Verona side in the first half but made the breakthrough from a corner in added time when Christian Pulisic volleyed home near the far post.

This story will be updated

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Giannis Antetokounmpo: 'I'm here… As long as I'm here, I'm going to give everything I have'

Giannis Antetokounmpo was exactly what Milwaukee needed on the court Saturday night, returning from missing eight games with a strained calf to score 29 points and lift the Bucks to a much-needed win over the Bulls. He even ended the game with a controversial windmill dunk that led to words with some of the Bulls players after the buzzer.

After the game, however, Antetokounmpo shot down any talk of controversy about him and his future in Milwaukee — he was not going to discuss it.

During his post-game media session, he was asked, "Do you want to be here if you guys are not going to be able to…" but Antetokounmpo cut the question off.

"I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here. It's disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. It's disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself and all the people that work hard for me to come out here and say I don't want to be here. Don't ask me that question. I'm here. I'm putting on the jersey. And as long as I'm here, I'm gonna give everything I have even in the last second of the game."

This echoes what Antetokounmpo has said going back to media day before the team's first practice: Antetokounmpo is all in on these Bucks and is fully committed, then will reassess the situation in the offseason. As he says he does every offseason (last offseason he pushed the Bucks to have conversations with the Knicks, but at a point late in the summer, after Mikal Bridges had been extended, when finding a trade was next to impossible).

The Bucks continue to shoot down teams checking in on Antetokounmpo's trade availability at the deadline, instead saying they are looking to add to the roster and want to build something that can better compete in an open Eastern Conference.

The only way that dynamic changes is if Antetokounmpo demands a trade, and as his statement above shows, that is unlikely. Antetokounmpo does not want to play the bad guy, he does not want to disrespect his teammates like that. Now, next summer, entering what can be the final year of his contract (he has a player option for 2027-28), he can tell the Bucks he is not going to sign an extension, and that will force Milwaukee to trade him or risk losing him for nothing.

But that is next summer. Until then, Antetokounmpo is all-in on trying to win with these Bucks, who are 10-8 when he suits up this season (but 3-11 when he is out). Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level, averaging 28.9 points on 64.1% shooting, with 10 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

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Canadiens: Back At It In Tampa

After resuming training on Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens will play their first post-Christmas game when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena this afternoon. While the Habs eased themselves back in yesterday, the Bolts were taking on the Florida Panthers in a battle of Florida. It turned out to be a spirited tilt, with 136 penalty minutes handed out. Jon Cooper’s men still prevailed 4-2, but it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens provided an update on Jake Evans, who will be missing four to six weeks because of a lower-body injury. Evans had left the previous game just minutes in after a knee-on-knee collision. In a way, the worst has been averted since he’s not going under the knife, but knee injuries (if it is a knee injury) are tricky to recover from, and it does happen that a conventional approach turns out not to be enough. Fingers crossed this is not the case here.

Canadiens Provide Rough Jake Evans Injury Update
Canadiens Recall Montembeault
Canadiens: Koivu Scores In Finland’s Win

As for Alexandre Texier, who also left the last game after being shaken up in a hard collision, he was practicing and wearing a regular jersey, which means he will be available this afternoon. In Evans’ absence, the lines at practice were as follows:

Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki - Zach Bolduc

Ivan Demidov – Oliver Kapanen – Juraj Slafkovsky

Texier – Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson

Owen Beck/Samuel Blais – Joe Veleno – Brandon Gallagher

On the backend, the pairings were the same as they were before the break:

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson

Lane Hutson – Alexandre Carrier

Arber Xhekaj/Jayden Struble – Adam Engstrom

With Samuel Montembeault being officially recalled, Martin St-Louis wasted no time in announcing that Jacob Fowler would be getting the start against the Lightning. The Florida native posted a 6-2 win against the Boston Bruins on the eve of the Christmas break and had shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins in his previous start, so the coach has decided to ride the hot hand for now. Still, he did mention that the plan was to get Montembeault some game action soon.

It’s the second year in a row that the traditional road trip over the holidays includes some uncertainty in net. Last year, Jakub Dobes made his debut in this road trip after Cayden Primeau was assigned to the Laval Rocket. The Czech goalie never went back down; it remains to be seen if the result will be the same for Fowler.

Fowler has never taken on the Lightning, while Montembeault has a 3-3-1 record against Tampa Bay with a 2.99 goal-against-average and a .898 save percentage. As for Dobes, he has a 0-1-0 record with an 8.80 GAA and a .727 SV against the hosts.

At the other end of the ice, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was in the net on Saturday against the Panthers, has a 16-3-2 record against the Habs with a 2.08 GAA and a .931 SV. As for backup Jonas Johansson, he’s 3-2-0 with a 3.81 GAA and a .872 SV and was in the net for the only game between the two sides so far this season.

Up front, the Canadiens will need to keep a close eye on the usual suspects. Nikita Kucherov has 46 points in just 39 games against the Sainte-Flanelle, while Brayden Point has 26 points in 30 games, and Jake Guentzel has 23 points in 19 duels.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens have only three players who have reached double digits in points against the Florida outfit: Gallagher with 19 points in 38 games, Danault with 14 points in 27 games, and Suzuki with 13 points in 19 games.

Today’s game will be the second of four duels planned this season, with the other two taking place on March 31 and April 9. Tampa has won seven of the last 10 tilts between the divisional rivals, but it hasn’t been that long since the Habs grabbed a win at Amalie Arena. Montreal won there on December 29 by a score of 5-2 with Montembeault in the net.

The game is set for 5:00 PM, and you can catch it on The Spot, TSN2, and RDS. After the tilt, the Canadiens will take a short flight to Fort Lauderdale in readiness for their next game, a battle with the Panthers on December 30.

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Flyers Could Terminate Struggling Young Defender

If things don't shake out the way the Philadelphia Flyers might hope, they could find themselves a little lighter on their salary cap hit with a contract termination.

Though they started the season without him, the Flyers have turned to Emil Andrae on defense and haven't really looked back.

That decision, of course, has had consequences, leading both Egor Zamula and Adam Ginning, who made the NHL roster to start the season, back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Zamula, unlike Ginning, had become an established NHL player over the last few seasons, but strings of poor performances has seen him play himself off the Flyers... perhaps for good.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Zamula's camp has offered the Flyers an opportunity for a mutual contract termination, though the Flyers would prefer to trade the struggling 25-year-old defender for an asset.

"One player who I think is trying to work out something. . . is Egor Zamula. He was sent on waivers earlier this year, he's at $1.7 million for this year and next [sic]. He's represented by Alex Texier's agent who terminated his deal so he could sign as a free agent in Montreal," Friedman reported in his most recent "Saturday Headlines" segment for Sportsnet.

Flyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamFlyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamJust two games into the season, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> defenseman Egor Zamula has already been benched for his continued struggles.

"I believe the offer is there to do this too. I think there'd be interest at a lower number. Philly prefers a trade for a player who can help them at the AHL level or later this year in the NHL, but Zamula's going to be a name to watch because he cleared waivers and he is an NHL defenseman, just not at the number right now for Philadelphia."

Zamula is a pending restricted free agent at the end of this season and, as Friedman noted, carries a $1.7 million cap hit this season. That's a bit rich for a team that would like to add a depth defender on waivers, especially if that team is a contender of some sort.

As of now, the Flyers are saving $1.15 million by stowing the 6-foot-3 Russian in the AHL, but can move his full $1.7 million off their books via trade or the aforementioned contract termination offer from Zamula's camp.

The end of Zamula's tenure with the Flyers has felt almost inevitable since head coach Rick Tocchet called for him to pick up the pace in the preseason and the results, of course, never followed.

Previously, it was reported that the Calgary Flames had trade interest in Zamula.

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Antetokounmpo returns to lead Bucks past Bulls

Antetokounmpo shoots for the Milkaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo had missed the previous eight games through injury [Getty Images]

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 29 points on his return from injury as the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 112-103 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Antetokounmpo had missed eight games with a right calf strain, with the Bucks losing six of those matches.

The defeat for Chicago ended their five-game winning streak, but they still sit ninth and two places above Bucks in the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama also made his return from injury, but his San Antonio Spurs fell to a 127-114 defeat by the Utah Jazz.

Wembanyama scored 32 points in his first start since 14 November, but 29 points from Lauri Markkanen and 28 from Keyonte George were enough for the Jazz to end Spurs' eight-game winning streak.

Anthony Black scored a career-high 38 points as the Orlando Magic beat the Denver Nuggets 127-126 despite another triple-double by Nikola Jokic.

With 21 rebounds and 12 assists, Jokic earned the 180th triple-double of his career, putting him just one behind Oscar Robertson for the second most in history.

The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-125, while the Sacramento Kings secured just their second win in eight games with a 113-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

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Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Schedule Primer: Giannis Antetokounmpo is back!

With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the next major holiday on the calendar is New Year's Day. The good news for fantasy managers is that the five-game slate does not have a game that begins before 6 pm Eastern, so those who may have had a little too much fun the night prior will have time to set their rosters. However, there is a 1 pm Eastern game on New Year's Eve as part of a nine-game schedule, with the Warriors visiting the Hornets. That qualifies as the lone scheduling quirk for Week 11, so let's take a look at the schedule and some key storylines.

Week 11 Games Played

4 Games: ATL, BNK, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS

3 Games: BOS, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, PHI, TOR, UTA

Week 11 Back-to-backs

Sunday (Week 10)-Monday: GSW, OKC, POR, TOR, WAS

Monday-Tuesday: None

Tuesday-Wednesday: None

Wednesday-Thursday: None

Thursday-Friday: BKN, SAC

Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, GSW, NYK, POR

Saturday-Sunday: MIA, MIN, SAS

Sunday-Monday (Week 12): DEN, DET, OKC, PHX

Week 11 Storylines of Note

- Tuesday and Thursday are the light game days.

Unlike Week 10, which included a Christmas Eve without games, there will be action on all seven days of Week 11. Tuesday and Thursday are the light days, with four games on the slate for Tuesday and five on Thursday. The Celtics, Pistons, Clippers, 76ers and Kings are among the teams that will be active on both days, with Sacramento being the only one that will have to navigate a back-to-back (Thursday/Friday).

In addition to the Kings, Brooklyn also has a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday, which will likely impact how Cam Thomas is used as he returns from a hamstring injury. Thomas made his return to action in Saturday's game against the Timberwolves, his first appearance since November 5. In the case of the 76ers, back-to-backs have not been the only determining factor regarding Joel Embiid's availability. Philadelphia plays three games without a back-to-back in Week 11, starting with the Grizzlies on Tuesday.

- Miami and Minnesota finish Week 11 with Saturday/Sunday back-to-backs.

The Heat and Timberwolves are the only teams that will have to deal with a back-to-back to end Week 11, with the former playing three games over the final four days of Week 11. With Tyler Herro recently being joined on the injury report by Bam Adebayo, who's dealing with a lower back injury, the Heat have been left to rely on some low-rostered options. Pelle Larsson started Friday's win over the Hawks and scored 21 points, a reminder of what he's capable of when allowed to start. The absences also affect Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović, who boast higher fantasy ceilings.

Regarding the Timberwolves, Mike Conley may be the only rotation player affected by the back-to-back. However, his fantasy value this season has been relatively low, so there isn't much to be concerned about there. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have dealt with injuries recently and would be the players of note as Week 11 draws to a close.

- Golden State, Oklahoma City and Portland have two back-to-backs to navigate.

Interestingly, the Trail Blazers are the only one of these three teams that will play both games of one of its back-to-backs during Week 11 (Friday/Saturday). The Warriors and Thunder have two wraparound back-to-backs, with the first beginning on the final day of Week 10 and the second ending with the opening day of Week 12. Golden State's Stephen Curry was not available for either game of the Warriors' most recent back-to-back (December 6-7), and he sat out the second game of the team's November 18-19 back-to-back.

Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein have also sat out games recently due to back-to-backs, but that hasn't been an issue for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams. Portland is an interesting case because the team is awaiting the returns of Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, while Robert Williams III has not yet reached the point where he can play both games of back-to-backs. However, the Time Lord has not been particularly impactful as a fantasy option when healthy, since Donovan Clingan is locked in as the starting center.

- How many games will fantasy managers get out of Giannis Antetokounmpo?

After a little over three weeks out with a strained calf, Antetokounmpo returned to action on Saturday against the Bulls. He played 25 minutes, finishing with 29 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. The good news for fantasy managers and Bucks fans is that Milwaukee's four-game Week 11 schedule does not include a back-to-back. And if Giannis can play all four games, this could be a massive week for him, even if he isn't allowed to go past 30 minutes.

The Bucks play two games against the Hornets and one apiece against the Wizards and Kings. While Charlotte ranks 24th in defensive rating, the Kings (28th) and Wizards (30th) have been even worse. Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma are the players most impacted by the availability of Milwaukee's best player, but the usage rates of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins will also be affected. In the case of Rollins, Antetokounmpo's return meant that he was back in the starting lineup, raising his fantasy ceiling.

- Will Mark Williams managers have to account for a suspension?

The good news for the Suns center on Saturday was that he played both games of a back-to-back for the first time this season. Williams was used in a reserve role to help with the minutes restriction. Unfortunately, what also kept his minutes down was a third-quarter ejection after getting into a fight with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado. Phoenix begins a four-game Week 11 in the nation's capital on Monday, and they end it with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Thunder and Rockets. If Williams has to miss time due to a suspension, the door opens for Oso Ighodaro (who started on Saturday) and Nick Richards.

- The Lakers will navigate a three-game week without Austin Reaves.

Reaves aggravated a prior calf injury during Thursday's loss to the Rockets and will be out for at least four weeks. Does that make Marcus Smart a player worth rolling the dice on, or should Reaves managers look elsewhere? Based on his production, Smart isn't a lock to provide reliable fantasy value during the Lakers' three-game Week 11. However, with the Lakers being among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, he'll be on the floor a lot.

Two other players to watch due to those defensive issues are Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt. Rui Hachimura does not offer much value as a rebounder, which may open the door for LaRavia or Vanderbilt to play more out of necessity.

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‘Everyone is still human’: Travis Head sends message of support to Ben Duckett

  • Australian backs Ashes rival over video controversy

  • ‘I reached out to Ducky to see if he was going alright’

Travis Head has revealed he sent a message of support to his Ashes rival Ben Duckett after the England batter found himself on the end of a social media backlash.

Unverified footage appearing to show an intoxicated Duckett in a tetchy late-night conversation with a fan during the team’s mid-series break in Noosa placed an unwanted spotlight on the opener.

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Blackhawks Snap Losing Streak With Quality Win Over Stars

The Chicago Blackhawks snapped their six-game losing streak on Saturday night. After traveling to Texas earlier in the day, the Blackhawks took on the Dallas Stars. Coming off a bad run entering the holiday break, playing against this elite Stars team on the same day as traveling was a tough break. 

It doesn’t make it easier that it’s another game without both Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. Ilya Mikheyev also missed the game due to the birth of his child, so the Blackhawks called up Landon Slaggert. Everything was stacked against the Blackhawks entering the contest. 

However, the Blackhawks found a way to overcome that adversity by defeating the Stars in a shootout. Rookie forward Nick Lardis was the hero as he scored the shootout-winning goal. Ryan Donato also scored in the shootout.

During regulation, Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice and Jason Dickinson once to contribute to the 3-3 tie that went past regulation. Alex Vlasic, who was very strong in all three zones, assisted on both Bertuzzi goals. 

In goal, Arvid Soderblom was given the unexpected start following the break. He played very well as he made 28 saves on 31 shots. Some of those stops were of the high-danger variety, which allowed the Hawks to stay in it.

With a back-to-back situation looming, this was a big performance by Arvid Soderblom, which rewards Jeff Blashill’s decision-making. 

If you had to pick apart one thing about the Blackhawks game, it is that they let Mikko Rantanen run wild out there. He finished with one goal and two assists, contributing to all three Stars goals, but it could have been much worse than that if it weren't for Soderblom and the goalposts. 

Still, now the Blackhawks can let the memory of the losing streak evade them as they focus on what's ahead on the schedule. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Sunday night, where they will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. This match at the United Center will see a legend like Sidney Crosby battle against this young Hawks team. 

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Where'd All Edmonton's Excitement Go?

From an entertainment standpoint, Saturday night's Oilers-Flames game in Calgary was kind of disappointing.

Edmonton lost 3-2 in regulation. Connor McDavid extended his point streak to 12 games. Evan Bouchard scored on the power play. Blake Coleman, Yegor Sharangovich, and Ryan Lomberg scored for Calgary. Connor Ingram made 29 saves. It was a perfectly fine hockey game.

But where was the spice? Where was the chaos? Where was the intensity we saw from the Edmonton Oilers four days ago?

No real fighting. Sure, guys were getting shoved around—Ryan Lomberg chopped up a conversation with Darnell Nurse in warmups, Adam Klapka tried making statements with a few deep skates over the red line—but it's still the NHL. Players talk in warmups. They skate around. That's not exactly entertainment.

No Trent Frederic doing what Trent Frederic was brought to the Oilers to do. Tuesday he fought Kevin Bahl after a blindside hit on Zach Hyman. Saturday? Nothing. He dressed. He played 7:15. He wasn't a factor.

Four days after a 5-1 beatdown that featured Leon Draisaitl's hat trick, Connor McDavid's five assists, and Mackenzie Weegar getting kicked out for bashing his stick against the glass in protest, you might expect a little more from the visiting team.

Cole Hutson (Quinn Hutson’s Brother) Rejoins Team USA After Scary InjuryCole Hutson (Quinn Hutson’s Brother) Rejoins Team USA After Scary InjuryAfter a scary puck incident, Cole Hutson (brother of Oilers' Quinn Hutson) is out of the hospital and back with Team USA, bringing welcome relief and good news.

Now don't get me wrong, this was far from a boring game. But it wasn't quite what we were hoping for.

The moral of the story is that had we had nothing to compare this to, it'd actually be a really good game. Calgary came out fast and energetic. They scored first through Sharangovich at 7:00 of the first period. Edmonton responded with Bouchard's power play goal at 8:36. The game stayed tight. Calgary took the lead on Lomberg's steal and breakaway goal at 3:28 of the second. Blake Coleman made it 3-1 at 12:31 of the third. McDavid cut it to 3-2 with 4:32 left, but that was as close as Edmonton got.

From Calgary's perspective, this is exactly the kind of game the Flames need to play. They were fast. They were physical without taking stupid penalties. They defended well. Dustin Wolf made 29 saves. They protected a lead against one of the league's best offences and walked away with two points.

It's The Best Time Of Year For Hockey FansIt's The Best Time Of Year For Hockey FansIf you're a hockey fan, this is the best time of year. Period.

If they play like they did Saturday night every night, then we should all be worried. The Flames looked structured, committed, and dangerous. They scored timely goals. They didn't collapse when McDavid started pushing late. They earned the win.

But good news is they don't play like that every night. Calgary is 16-18-4 and outside the playoff picture for a reason. Saturday was them at their best, responding after getting embarrassed at Rogers Place four days earlier.

"Coming out of three days off, we wanted to have a little better start than we did," Bouchard said afterward. "But I thought as the game went on, we got better."

Isaac Howard's Ideal TimelineIsaac Howard's Ideal TimelineThe question hovering over Isaac Howard isn’t whether he’s good enough for the NHL. It’s whether there’s actually room for him, and whether six weeks in Bakersfield is enough time to understand just how fast the show really moves.

Andrew Mangiapane, a former Flame, had basically the same thing to say.

"I think their intensity was kind of up there today. I think it also falls on us that our start was a little slow and sluggish. It's a couple of days off, and all that you don't want to use as an excuse because they're going through the same thing."

That's the problem. Both teams were coming off the holiday break. Both had three days off. Calgary came out with energy. Edmonton didn't match it until the third period when it was too late.

"We did get off to a slow start. We had a push in the third period," summed up Kris Knoblauch. "They were hanging on, and we just couldn't find that tying goal. Some goal posts and chances, but we weren't as sharp as we were before the break."

Oilers Officially Announce Plans to Terminate David Tomasek's ContractOilers Officially Announce Plans to Terminate David Tomasek's ContractDavid Tomasek's NHL tenure ends as the Edmonton Oilers will terminate his contract, clearing cap space for his return to Europe.

So there you go; not as sharp. Tuesday's game spoiled us. Five goals. A hat trick. Five assists from one player. Fights. Misconducts. Players getting kicked out. Complete domination from start to finish.

Saturday was just hockey. Good hockey, even. But after Tuesday's circus, good hockey felt a little flat.

The Oilers went 1-for-3 on the power play after going 3-for-6 on Tuesday. McDavid had one goal instead of five assists. Draisaitl was held off the scoresheet. No fights broke out. No one got kicked out. Calgary didn't fall apart. Edmonton didn't dominate.

Can The Money Saved On Tomasek Be Used On a Game-Changer in Goal?Can The Money Saved On Tomasek Be Used On a Game-Changer in Goal?The Oilers' placing Tomasek on waivers frees up $1.2 million. Could this cap space lure Marc-André Fleury to the team if he comes out of retirement?

It was a 3-2 game that stayed competitive until the final five minutes. That should be entertaining enough. But context matters, and the context is that four days ago we watched these two teams produce one of the most lopsided Battle of Alberta games in recent memory.

Saturday was fine. It was respectable. It was a game both teams could take positives from.

But where'd all the excitement go? Because it wasn't around in that 3-2 loss in regulation to the Flames.

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Golden Knights Squander Pair Of Two-Goal Leads, Lose To Colorado, 6-5, In Shootout

LAS VEGAS -- Another overtime. Another loss for the Golden Knights.

Vegas blew a pair of two-goal leads against the league's top team Saturday night, and the Colorado Avalanche made the Knights pay with a 6-5 shootout win.

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas scored in the shootout, while Mitch Marner was the only one to score for Vegas, which lost for the fourth time in five games.

It marked Vegas' 15th time it played past regulation, while it dropped to 4-11 in overtime and shootout games. The Golden Knights are now 1-5 in shootouts this season.

Five different skaters scored for the Knights, while 12 collected points.

Alexander Holtz, Ivan Barbashev, Ben Hutton, Brett Howden and Colton Sissons scored in regulation for Vegas. Carter Hart made 33 saves and dropped to 4-1-3 since making his debut on Dec. 2.

"We should have been able to close the game out, recognizing, okay, now it's 5-4 (and) the goalie is out," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're usually pretty good in those scenarios. There's a simple breakdown. They got the puck in the middle. That should never happen. So we'll address that.

"After that, overtime, we never got control. We try to challenge people one-on-one in overtime, and unless you're flying, that's a tough way to go, because if you lose possession, now you're chasing it again. So I think a bit of our overtime mentality has to change a little too, when to attack, when not to.

"The shootout is the shootout. I don't know what to say there. We just haven't been able to finish in that."

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KEY MOMENT

MacKinnon's game-tying goal at the 8:21 mark of the third period was Colorado's first that didn't deflect off a Golden Knight, and a statement that the Avalanche weren't going away that easily. After Hart stopped Sam Malinski's shot from the blue line, the puck squirted free and MacKinnon was there to punch it home and tie the game, giving Colorado life in the third period with the game tied at 4-all.

KEY STAT

5 - All five of the Golden Knights' goals were at even strength. While Vegas had its six-game streak with at least one power-play goal come to an end, Cassidy was pleased with the fact his troops were able to put five in the net during 5-on-5 against the league's top team, which arrived in Vegas leading the league in goals against per game (2.11).

"They're clearly a better team than we are right now, you can see that with their record and their push," Cassidy said. "But I also feel like we're walking out of here tonight, and couple of things change, and where we get the two points, right?"

"No one feels good when you lose, I don't. We'll take the positives. We got to fix some things."

WHAT A KNIGHT

Holtz scored his first goal of the season and also had an assist. Playing in just his ninth game this season, Holtz made his presence felt early with the game's first goal 2:43 into the opening period. Holtz had two shots and also blocked two shots, in what was arguably his best performance of the season.

"Yeah, he was feeling it, I think," Hutton said about Holtz. "He scored early, he got his confidence and he was flying out there. Confidence goes a long way, especially with a guy like that. And I was happy for him tonight."

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights continue their four-game homestand by hosting the Minnesota Wild on Monday night.

PHOTO CAPTION: Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) collides with Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) after scoring a goal during a shoot out at T-Mobile Arena.

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