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BREAKING: Sidney Crosby Breaks Mario Lemieux's Franchise Record To Become Penguins' All-Time Leader In Points

It may have taken him 472 more games to do it. But Sidney Crosby finally sits alone at the top of Pittsburgh Penguins' history. 

With a first-period power play assist against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday - his second point of the game - Crosby earned his 1,724th career point, which means he officially surpassed franchise and NHL legend Mario Lemieux on the Penguins' all-time points list. The goal also put him in sole possession of eighth on the NHL's all-time points list. 

Crosby, 38, is in the midst of yet another impressive NHL campaign, as he has 20 goals and 37 points in 35 games this season. He is currently on pace for 47 goals - which would be the second-highest total of his career - and he is on track to record his 21st consecutive season at point-per-game or higher, which would put him one season beyond his own NHL record at 20. 

The future Hall-of-Fame center needs 32 more points to surpass Steve Yzerman for seventh all-time in points, and he is just 11 goals shy of surpassing Brendan Shanahan to take sole possession of 14th on the all-time goals list. 

'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry Trade'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry TradeIt's safe to say that <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/breaking-penguins-deal-tristan-jarry-to-edmonton-oilers">the trade sending Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday</a> - which returned goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick - surprised a whole lot of people, fans and players alike.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

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Canadiens Soaring Rookie Has Been Big Surprise

The Montreal Canadiens have had a solid start to the 2025-26 season. At the time of this writing, they have a 19-12-4 record and are in the second place in the Atlantic Division. With this, the Habs are currently in a good spot. 

One of the many reasons for the Canadiens' solid start to the season has been forward Oliver Kapanen's breakout. The 22-year-old forward has emerged as a nice part of the Canadiens' roster and is showing that he is already capable of providing solid offense at the NHL level. 

After recording just two assists in his first 18 NHL games this past season, Kapanen has undoubtedly taken a big step in the right direction this season. In 35 games so far this season with the Canadiens, Kapanen has recorded 10 goals, seven assists, and 17 points. These are certainly solid numbers from the 2021 second-round pick. 

Due to his strong offensive numbers, Kapanen currently ranks second among all rookies with his 10 goals and fifth with his 17 points. With this, it is clear that he has been one of the NHL's top rookies this season, which has undoubtedly benefited the Canadiens.

It will now be very interesting to see how Kapanen builds on his strong season with the Canadiens. Right now, it is hard not to be impressed with the young forward.

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Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen reshapes front office by hiring Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Newly hired Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has wasted little time reshaping the team’s front office by hiring former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn to his staff.

The hirings, announced by the team on Sunday, come in Kekalainen’s first week on the job, and a day after he fired assistant GM Jason Karmanos. Kekalainen took over on Monday in replacing Kevyn Adams, who was fired with the Sabres already in jeopardy of extending their NHL-record playoff drought to a 15th consecutive season.

”(They) bring a wealth of unique experience and perspective,” said Kekalainen, the former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager, who spent the previous six-plus months as a senior advisor in Buffalo. “Adding both to an already strong group adds versatility and helps us continue to build a well-rounded hockey operations staff.”

Bergevin fills the associate GM position, and will serve as Kekalainen’s top adviser. He joins the Sabres after spending parts of the past five seasons as a senior adviser with the Los Angeles Kings.

The 60-year-old Bergevin most notably oversaw the Canadiens from 2012-21, over which Montreal made six playoff appearances, including a five-game series loss to Tampa Bay in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. He previously worked in player personnel and scouting roles with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Marc has firsthand experience as an NHL general manager and a track record as a strong talent evaluator,” Kekalainen said. “His insight will be invaluable as we continue to identify and develop talent throughout the organization.”

Flynn was named assistant GM and previously worked under Kekalainen with the Blue Jackets specializing in salary cap management, statistical research and strategic planning. Flynn’s role will be similar in Buffalo.

“I know that his attention to detail and nuanced understanding of league processes will help to enhance how we support our broader organization,” Kekalainen said.

Flynn’s responsibilities are similar to that of Buffalo’s current assistant GM Mark Jakubowski. With Karmanos’ departure, Jakubowski’s duties will likely shift more to overseeing the Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester, New York.

Kekalainen has also retained Sabres assistant GM Jerry Forton, who serves as the team’s chief amateur scout.

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GAME DAY PREVIEW: Senators Begin Three-Game Atlantic Stretch On Sunday At Boston

As the Ottawa Senators enjoy a three-game winning streak, they're about to begin an important three-game stretch against some key Atlantic Division rivals.

Their holiday voyage through the Atlantic schedule starts Sunday night in Boston against the Bruins. They’ll then face the surging Buffalo Sabres at the CTC on Tuesday night, before wrapping things up right after the break with a Saturday night matchup in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

The Senators have won four of their last five games, but the room for error in the tight division and conference remains virtually non-existent. Ottawa enters play three points back of both the Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are currently tied at 41 points. Tampa Bay holds third place in the division thanks to a better points percentage (.586).

In an interesting quirk of the schedule, Sunday’s game will wrap up Ottawa’s four-game season series with Boston. The Senators won the opener, 7-2, in October. On November 6, the Bruins got revenge with a 3-2 overtime victory, before Ottawa took the third meeting, 5-3, a week later.

After winning four straight games, the Bruins have cooled off a bit, losing three of their last four, including a shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. The Senators are also on a back-to-back after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4, on Saturday afternoon.

A win on Sunday night would give Ottawa its first four-game winning streak of the season.

The Senators are expected to make one lineup change. Tyler Kleven was injured in Saturday’s game against Chicago and has already been ruled out for Sunday. So Nikolas Matinpalo is the likely choice to re-enter the fray on his wrong side on the third pairing, as he did for most of the time Thomas Chabot was out.

Chabot was excellent in his return on Saturday, posting an assist and logging heavy minutes due to Kleven's exit.

For Boston, David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie have been leading the charge. Geekie leads Boston with 25 goals and 39 points, while Pastrnak sits one point back with 38. There’s a significant drop-off after that, though the Bruins still boast plenty of firepower.

With both teams playing Saturday, neither squad held a morning skate. After Leevi Merilainen started against Chicago, the Senators are expected to turn back to Linus Ullmark. Jeremy Swayman played on Saturday for Boston, so it's likely Joonas Korpisalo will get the call for the Bruins in a battle of two goalies starting against their former clubs.

Senators projected lineup (subject to change)

Brady Tkachuk-Tim Stützle-Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron-Dylan Cozens-Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio-Ridly Greig-Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid-Stephen Halliday-Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson-Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot-Nick Jensen
Nikolas Matinpalo-Jordan Spence

Linus Ullmark
Leevi Merilainen

Bruins projected lineup (NHL.com)

Marat Khusnutdinov-Elias Lindholm-David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt-Pavel Zacha-Morgan Geekie
Tanner Jeannot-Fraser Minten-Mark Kastelic
Jeffrey Viel-Sean Kuraly-Michael Eyssimont

Nikita Zadorov-Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm-Andrew Peeke
Mason Lohrei-Victor Söderström

Joonas Korpisalo
Jeremy Swayman

By Steve Warne
Site Editor, The Hockey News Ottawa

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European football: Lamine Yamal on target as Barcelona battle past 10-man Villarreal

  • Barcelona head into new year on top of La Liga

  • Kane scores again in Bayern’s 4-0 rout of Heidenheim

Barcelona enjoyed a composed 2-0 La Liga victory at Villarreal on Sunday thanks to goals from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in a match that tilted firmly in the visitors’ favour when the hosts were reduced to 10 men just before the break.

It took only 12 minutes for Barcelona to take the lead from the penalty spot after Santi Comesana blocked Raphinha with his back as the winger tried to break through and the Brazilian calmly converted the spot-kick.

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How The Vancouver Canucks Stack Up To The Rest Of The NHL: 35 Games In

The Vancouver Canucks are 35 games into the 2025–26 season. Vancouver is coming off one of their biggest trades in franchise history, moving Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren, and a first-round pick. Since this trade, the Canucks have not lost a single game — and the results have shown in the improvement of their season records. 

Team Stats 

Vancouver Canucks Team Stats 35 Games In.

While they’re not at the best that they’ve been all season, the Canucks have improved from where they sat at the 30-game mark. In fact, for the first time since the 15-game mark, they do not rank last in any of the listed stats. Even more impressive is the fact that they do not rank 30th or lower in any of their team stats, which is something they have done throughout the entire season after the five-game mark. Their most noticeable stat of all included is their power play percentage, which sits at an unexpected 13th in the NHL with a success rate of 20.5%. 

Individual Skaters

Vancouver Canucks Individual Skater Stats 35 Games In.&nbsp;

With Hughes no longer on the team, Vancouver’s leaders for individual skater stats start to look very different. While stats such as goals (16) and hits (153) already belonged to Kiefer Sherwood outright, Filip Hronek ends up stepping in as the Canucks’ leader in assists (18). The biggest shift is on the power play, where Hughes previously led Vancouver in all of their power play points and power play TOI. In his stead, Jake DeBrusk takes the lead with nine points on the man-advantage (tied for 60th in the NHL) and 129:11 minutes spent on it (19th in NHL). 

Goaltenders

Vancouver Canucks Goaltender Stats 35 Games In.&nbsp;

In making his return from injury on December 11, Thatcher Demko stormed back to put up more impressive numbers to lead his team in the majority of their individual goaltending stats. While the goaltender has consistently held the team lead for wins, he has since added three onto his previous tally. His .912 SV% is tied for 16th in the NHL, while his 2.34 GAA sits at 11th. In terms of high-danger stats, Demko’s SV% on high-danger shots faced is .858% — good for ninth in the league. 

Vancouver will look to continue their winning streak when they visit former Head Coach Rick Tocchet in a match against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. After a few days off for the holidays, the Canucks will reconvene for a match against the San Jose Sharks at home on Friday. They’ll take a quick trip south to face the Seattle Kraken on the 29th before returning to Rogers Arena to take on both the Flyers and Kraken again — this time on home-ice. 

Dec 20, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson (94) celebrates his goal with left wing Evander Kane (91) and left wing Kiefer Sherwood (44) during the second period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Canadiens Call Up Gritty Forward From AHL

The Montreal Canadiens have made a roster move, as they have announced that they have recalled forward Sammy Blais from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. 

The Canadiens claimed Blais back off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs back in late November. This was after Blais posted one goal, two assists, three points, and 28 hits in eight games for the Maple Leafs this season. 

Since being claimed off waivers by the Canadiens, Blais has recorded three goals, six assists, nine points, and a plus-2 rating in nine games with Laval. Now, after landing this call-up to the Canadiens' roster, he will be aiming to impress. 

With Blais being called up, the Canadiens now have another gritty forward with plenty of experience to work with for their bottom six. 

In 265 career NHL games over eight seasons split between the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and Maple Leafs, Blais has posted 28 goals, 46 assists, 74 points, 126 penalty minutes, and 863 hits. 

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Moritz Seider Scores in OT, Red Wings Sweep Home-and-Home Series vs. Capitals

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While the second game of a back-to-back has traditionally been unkind to the Detroit Red Wings this season, defenseman Moritz Seider made sure that it was a happier ending this time around.

Seider blasted home the overtime game-winning goal Sunday afternoon against the Washington Capitals, securing a 3–2 victory for the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena and their second win over Washington in 24 hours.

It was Seider's second goal in as many games, as he also scored on Saturday afternoon as part of Detroit's 5-2 win in Washington D.C.

With the victory, the Red Wings improved their standing atop the Atlantic Division with a 21-13-3 record, three points ahead of the second-place Montreal Canadiens (who have two games in hand). 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The Capitals began the scoring in the opening 20 minutes of play, as fourth line forward Ethen Frank took advantage of Detroit defenseman Albert Johansson blowing a tire and beat goaltender Cam Talbot five-hole. 

The Capitals largely controlled the play in the first period as Detroit did on Saturday, outshooting the Red Wings 14-5. 

Image

However, the Red Wings responded in the game's middle frame thanks to a power-play tally from Lucas Raymond, followed by the second goal in as many games for John Leonard. 

The AHL's leading goal scorer, who was called up following the injury to Patrick Kane, deflected Alex DeBrincat's shot past goaltender Charlie Lindgren for his second goal with Detroit and eighth NHL goal overall. 

But the Capitals would draw even midway through the third period after another goal from Frank, who once again slipped a shot through the pads of Talbot. 

After an unsuccessful power-play chance in overtime by the Red Wings, both teams appeared destined for a shootout until some late-game heroics from Seider, who one-timed a feed from Andrew Copp past Lindgren with 23 seconds left in the extra session.

Talbot stopped 31 shots, picking up his first victory in his last seven outings. Lindgren countered with 24 saves in a losing effort. 

The Red Wings have one game remaining before the Christmas break, as they'll host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening. 

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