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No. 7 Michigan routs No. 12 Gonzaga 101-61

HOUSTON 66, NOTRE DAME 56 LAS VEGAS (AP) — Emanuel Sharp scored 17 points to lead Houston to a victory over Notre Dame in the consolation game of the Players Era Championship. Houston (7-1), which had its season-opening six-game win streak halted in the tournament's second round against No. Tennessee 76-73, opened with a 26-4 run against Notre Dame (5-3) and withstood a late comeback try by the Irish.

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Blackhawks Let Another Lead Slip Away As Red-Hot Wild Make Multi-Goal Comeback

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated at the United Center by the red-hot Minnesota Wild. This win came after holding a 2-0 lead with one minute remaining in the second period. 

Goals scored by Jason Dickinson and Connor Bedard gave Chicago the 2-0 lead, but they eventually let it slip away as the game went along. 

With under 14 seconds remaining in the middle frame, a Brock Faber shot found its way through traffic to beat Spencer Knight. That 2-1 lead for the Blackhawks went to the intermission, but the Wild tied it just 2:17 into the third period. Nico Sturm's first of the season knotted things up at one. 

At 5:31, Artyom Levshunov scored his first career NHL goal to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead. He put a beautiful move on Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson after receiving a perfect pass from Connor Bedard. 

The lead, once again, couldn't hold. Matt Boldy tied the game at 10:35, which would eventually lead to overtime. The 3-on-3 didn't last very long as Ilya Mikheyev took a controversial penalty to give the Wild a power play. 

Connor Bedard was flattened by Joel Eriksson Ek, who was then hit hard by Mikheyev. The officials gave Mikheyev an interference penalty. 

After the game, Bedard didn't have a problem with the hit or the call. He said the hit on him was "super clean". He also admitted that he didn't believe there was an issue with the officials, saying that their job is not always easy. 

Jeff Blashill, on the other hand, didn't have the same mindset. Despite Mikheyev making the hit because he hit Bedard, Blashill believes that it was the wrong call. 

"Right before Eriksson Ek got hit, he had the puck," said Blashill. "It's not a penalty." Chicago's new head coach has no problem critiquing the officiating if he feels it was a wrong call. 

The Blackhawks had no answers when asked about lead protection, and that's just something that they are going to have to keep working on if they want to earn more points in the standings. Although Blashill may be right with the penalty, it wasn't the officials who blew a 2-0 lead. 

Watch Every Blackhawks Goal

What's Next For Chicago?

The Chicago Blackhawks will have a home game on the evening of Black Friday. The Nashville Predators will be in town as Chicago debuts their newly remodeled black sweaters. All fans in attendance are encouraged to dress in all black in order to create a blackout environment. 

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Jets Drop Third Straight in Road Loss To Capitals

The Winnipeg Jets opened their five-game road trip with a 4–3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to three games. Goaltender Eric Comrie made his third consecutive start and continued to struggle, allowing four goals on a night that raised his total to 11 against in his last three appearances.

Forward Gabe Vilardi provided the bulk of Winnipeg’s offense with two goals, bringing his season total to ten while center Mark Scheifele added a late marker that closed the gap, but the Jets were unable to complete the comeback in the final minutes.

Washington struck first seven minutes into the game, when they entered the Winnipeg zone on a quick transition play that ended with defenseman John Carlson taking a pass in the high slot and firing a one-timer past Comrie. The Capitals doubled their lead later in the period when defenseman Jakob Chychrun continued his strong campaign with a wrist shot from the blue line that went bar down through heavy traffic.

Winnipeg answered in the final seconds of the opening frame as Kyle Connor intercepted a pass and quickly moved the puck to Vilardi, who was open at the back post and beat goaltender Logan Thompson to cut the deficit to 2–1 entering the intermission.

Vilardi tied the game early in the second period by tipping a point shot past Thompson on a power play chance. The goal marked his second of the night as well as the 100th of his NHL career. The celebration didn't last long however as Capitals longtime captain Alex Ovechkin regained the lead for Washington when he located a loose puck near the top of the zone and released a wrist shot that slipped through traffic.

Jets defense prospect Elias Salomonsson made his NHL debut and had his moments, but one he'd like to forget came on the Caps fourth goal. A puck skipped past him at the blue line, allowing Connor McMichael to race free for a breakaway that he converted to make it 4–2 for Washington.

Scheifele scored with under five minutes to play after scooping up a loose puck and lifting it over Thompson. Winnipeg pressed for the tying goal but failed to capitalize on several late chances. 

The Jets now find themselves with a 12-10-0 record that now leaves them three points out of a wild card spot. They continue their road trip on Friday in Carolina, where they will attempt to halt their skid against a Hurricanes team that started their losing streak last week.

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Before Turducken, College Football Used to Eat Up Thanksgiving

Before John Madden and a certain gastronomic Matryoshka doll helped establish the NFL as the main course of America’s Thanksgiving celebrations, the holiday was dominated by simpler eats … and college football. As much as the Detroit Lions have clocked in for 85 of these feast-day games since suiting up for their very first in 1934, …

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Avalanche Post Third Consecutive Shutout in 6-0 Win Over Sharks

The last time the Avalanche played the Sharks was on November 1, and the Sharks, with a 37-save performance from Yaroslav Askarov and a two-goal game, including the overtime winner from Philip Kurashev, won 3-2. This time was certainly different, as the Avalanche jumped on Askarov early and powered through, earning a 6-0 win. 

Period 1:

Ross Colton opens the scoring as he picks his corner and rifles a shot past Askarov’s right shoulder, making it 1-0. The Avalanche gets the first chance at the power play when Adam Gaudette is called for high-sticking, but fails to capitalize on it. MacKenzie Blackwood hasn't been forced to make many saves in the first, but stops the Sharks' best attempt as William Eklund’s breakaway attempt is denied. 

Eklund is called for interference, and the Avalanche gets another power play chance. This time, they capitalize on it as Nathan MacKinnon blasts a one-timer from Cale Makar to make it 2-0 and end the period.

Period 2:

Sam Malinski shows off his best Makar impersonation as he rifles a wrister right past Askarov, almost stunning him, to make it 3-0. Josh Manson, inspired by Malinski, shows off his offensive prowess, and he sends his own wrister past Askarov to make it 4-0. Then, just five seconds after the faceoff from the Manson goal, Ivan Ivan receives the puck from his skate and sends a behind-the-back pass to Joel Kiviranta to open the floodgates and make it 5-0. That goal marks the end for Askarov as he pulled, letting in five goals on 15 shots on goal.

The rest of the period has been a good push for the Sharks, but it's on the Avalanche's fault, who took three penalties. Devon Toews is called for holding, Gabriel Landeskog is called for hooking, and Kiviranta is called for tripping, but the Avalanche penalty kill continues to stand strong. They would get a power-play opportunity when Ty Dellandrea is called for holding, but they can't capitalize on it.

Period 3:

The third period was much slower than the previous two. Brock Nelson is called for tripping, and Vincent Desharnais is called for interference, but neither team could capitalize on the power play. Artturi Lehkonen and MacKinnon convert on a 2-on-3 with Lehkonen burying his own rebound to make it 6-0. MacKinnon’s assist on that goal pushes him ahead of Peter Stastny for the second-most assists in franchise history.

The Avalanche are back in action tomorrow in a back-to-back game against the Minnesota Wild in Minnesota. The Wild are coming off a 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Scott Wedgewood Joins Team Canada’s Expanding Long ListScott Wedgewood Joins Team Canada’s Expanding Long ListTeam Canada has added Scott Wedgewood to their list of possible participants for the roster in the upcoming Olympics
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Kings Defense Quarter Review: Clarke is becoming a Positive Surprise

After a quarter review of the Kings' forwards, it is now time to see how the Kings' defence has been doing. 

With the Kings still a true contender through a quarter of the NHL season, let's take a look at how good the defence has been thus far. 

Best Kings Defence

Starting with Drew Doughty, who was playing some great hockey until his unfortunate injury put him on injured reserve. In 19 games this season, Doughty has had 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points. Doughty, so far this season, has a +7 in plus-minus and averages 22 minutes per game. While he did not put up the most points when Doughty was playing, his leadership and strong defensive skill set not only benefited his team but also gave the other defensemen confidence.  

Another defenseman who has been playing well for the Kings is Joel Edmundson, who has 1 goal and 9 assists for 10 points in 23 games this season. Edmundson took a big step for the Kings after Doughty was put on Injured Reserve, as he filled the top defence role alongside Mikey Anderson. Edmundson has been averaging 17 minutes a game, but his ability to play on any line has provided the Kings with much-needed support, especially with Doughty gone.

Next is one of the Kings' young guys, and that's Brandt Clarke, the 22-year-old with 3 goals, 7 assists for 10 points in 23 games. The former 8th overall pick has finally emerged as a solid, reliable defenseman for the Kings, playing on the second line. He has shown both his offensive and defensive capabilities and is making a charge to be on the Kings' power play in the future, indicating that the team trusts him. 

Lastly, the Kings' top left-handed defenseman, Mikey Anderson, has been one of the most reliable players this season. Anderson has registered 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 23 games played, and he is averaging nearly 20 minutes a game. Anderson has been paired with Doughty, Ceci, Edmundson, and Dumoulin, and he has been able to adapt his style of play and play a solid game no matter who his linemate is, and the Kings have been able to use that to their advantage, especially with the injuries. 

Disappointing Kings Defence 

While the majority of the Kings' defensemen have been good, there have been some who are disappointing, and they are Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, 2 guys who signed in the offseason. According to MoneyPuck, Ceci and Dumoulin, when paired together, have 9 goals against, which is tied with Edmundson and Clarke for the most as a pairing. The only difference is that the Clarke and Edmundson line have 11 goals for, and Ceci and Dumoulin have 1 goal for. Ceci is averaging 17 minutes a game, and Dumoulin is averaging nearly 20 minutes a game. While I wouldn't say they have been the worst defensive pairing in the NHL, they haven't been super good either, and fans weren't the happiest when the Kings signed both of them. 

Even with these two defensemen being disappointing thus far, they are not playing super bad hockey; it's just that, compared to the other Kings defence, their negative play stands out more. 

As the NHL season progresses, the Kings' defence, if it remains as it has been thus far, will be a big factor for them, possibly making the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

 

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Conwell excels for No. 6 Louisville in 104-47 rout against NJIT

Ryan Conwell scored 32 points and No. 6 Louisville hit 20 shots from 3-point distance, its most in 18 years, while overpowering NJIT in a 104-47 victory Wednesday night. Conwell did more than just score, too, as he finished with nine rebounds and six assists to go with 9-of-17 shooting. The Cardinals never trailed as they topped the century mark for the fourth time this season and enjoyed dominant stretches on both sides of the court.

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Rangers Show Signs Of Poise In Gutsy Win Over Hurricanes

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Heading into Thanksgiving, the New York Rangers secured a gutsy 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. 

In their previous three-game road trip, the Rangers looked outskilled and outmatched against the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Utah Mammoth, three highly skilled teams. 

The Hurricanes were another big test for the Rangers to truly see where this team stood among the league’s best. 

Despite getting outshot 13-4 in the first period, the Blueshirts actually were pleased with their performance through the first frame. 

They played an aggressive offensive game, and while it didn’t translate into many shots, the Rangers were able to control the pace of play.

Rod Brind'Amour’s offensive system in Carolina is predicated on attempting as many shots as possible, which is why the Rangers did not get discouraged by their barrage of shots on net. 

“It’s not a big deal,” J.T. Miller said of the Rangers getting heavily outshot in the first period. “Sometimes it is, but this team is notorious for shooting everything. They are a team that are going to outshoot you most nights because they go low to high and shoot every single puck. I thought the first 5-8 minutes of the game, we played really well.”

Noah Laba’s goal 16:53 minutes into the opening frame put the Rangers up 1-0. The line of Laba, Brett Berard, and Jonny Brodzinski brought a spark, as they were generating chances all night long due to their speed and physical presence. 

There’s been a lot of pressure on the team’s top-six forward unit, with the bottom-six core struggling to generate consistent offense. The trio of Laba, Berard, and Brodzinski posed to be a scoring threat, which could take a weight off of some of the Rangers’ top point producers moving forward if they stay intact. 

In the second period, the Rangers committed three penalties, shifting momentum to Carolina’s side and allowing them to tie the game. 

However, on a set play to close out the second period, Artemi Panarin scored immediately after a faceoff after a pass from Adam Fox. 

Panarin carried the momentum into the final frame, setting up Vincent Trocheck perfectly for a goal, in a way that only a player of Panarin’s calibre can make. 

In two plays, Panarin changed the game, showcasing his incredible and unique talent. 

“That’s what he is capable of, he has game-breaking abilities,” Mike Sullivan said of Panarin. “He doesn't need a lot of opportunities, and when he gets them, for the most part, he can convert. Just his ability to just delay and create time and space, grabs the blue line and that's where he trusts his instincts. I think that's the type of player that he is. He has the ability to change outcomes with those types of plays.”

Taking a 3-1 lead with just under 20 minutes to play, the Rangers stuck to their structure, playing a defensively sound game, but also remained aggressive offensively, helping make for a strong, balanced attack. 

Getting Scratched Out Of The Lineup Unlocked A Version Of Adam Edström We've All Ben Waiting ForGetting Scratched Out Of The Lineup Unlocked A Version Of Adam Edström We've All Ben Waiting ForIt came as a bit of a surprise when Mike Sullivan decided to scratch Adam Edström last week for the New York Rangers’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

“I thought we just did a better job at taking what the game gave us, and if plays weren't there, we were willing to make space plays or we were willing to punt and hunt,” Sullivan said. “I just think that's a part of the modern NHL.”

Igor Shesterkin’s 36-save performance also helped propel the Rangers to a victory, with their superstar goalie bailing the Blueshirts out when defensive breakdowns ensued. 

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Rangers found a way to win on the road against the top team in the Eastern Conference. Both their well-structured and organized offense, and stingy defensive effort contributed to this victory in what was a complete team effort from New York. 

The Rangers will be back in action on Friday afternoon against the Boston Bruins.

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McGroarty Shines Again, Brunicke Makes AHL Season Debut As WBS Penguins Beat Hershey Bears

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins secured a massive win over the Hershey Bears on Wednesday evening.

The WBS Penguins came into Wednesday's game with a 13-4-1 record, good for first place in the Atlantic Division, and kept their top spot after a 6-3 win over the Bears. They're now 14-4-1 and have 29 points in 19 games. 

Boko Imama got things going for the WBS Penguins off a beautiful goal on a penalty shot in the first period. He came in on the right side in the offensive zone and rifled a beautiful backhand shot past the Bears goaltender. 

After that, Rutger McGroarty continued his hot start with his third goal in three games. He fired an absolute snipe top shelf to make it 2-0 later in the first period. He also added two assists, bringing his total to five points.

He continues to look better and better, and it's only a matter of time before he gets called up to the NHL.

Avery Hayes (two goals), Philip Tomasino, and Sam Poulin also scored for the Penguins. This was Tomasino's first game in WBS after he cleared waivers and was reassigned. McGroarty had a great no-look assist on Tomasino's goal, which made it a 4-2 game. 

Harrison Brunicke was also in the lineup for WBS after he was sent down on a conditioning assignment. He had been accumulated at least five scratches in a row in the NHL, paving the way for him to be sent to WBS. 

He was paired with Aleander Alexeyev for his first game on the second pair. 

Next up for WBS is a game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Black Friday (Nov. 28).

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Observations from Blues' 3-2 Overtime Loss Vs. Devils

Stop us if we’ve called this Groundhog Day before.

Once again, as repetitive as it sounds, the St. Louis Blues do lots of good things in a hockey game, only to have it decided in extra time, only to come away with half of the objective goal.

Simon Nemec scored at 2:58 of overtime for the New Jersey Devils, who never led in this game until then and they come away with a 3-2 win against the Blues at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Wednesday.

The Blues (7-10-7) closed out a five-game road trip 1-1-3 – one win (not good) but yet somehow take half of the points at stake (five). That’s because they lost three games on this trip by identical 3-2 scores in OT.

Kind of hard to do, but it has to somewhat feel like a waste (again) getting good goaltending by Jordan Binnington (26 saves). Cam Fowler scored his first goal this season and had an assist, and Robert Thomas had a power-play goal.

Let’s get to the game observations:

* You want to know why you’re always on the wrong end in OT? – When you win the opening face-off, like Pius Suter did, to gain possession, it’s a huge advantage.

But the problem, like tonight, for the Blues in these 3-on-3 competitions is they don’t regularly go north-south with the puck and try and attack.

For the fourth time in seven games that have gone beyond regulation, the Blues failed to get a shot on goal. Now granted, they didn’t have the puck too long after Philip Broberg put Thomas in a tough spot with a pass along the left side wall and he got checked off it by Devils captain Nico Hischier, but it’s too many possessions and too many back outs of the zone.

And it seems once the opposition gains control and can look to win the game, the Blues don’t seem to get the puck back. That was the case on Wednesday when the Devils gained the zone, defenseman Dougie Hamilton twice shot pucks, and the Devils were able to get the puck retrievals.

Once the second one happened, Hischier makes a play with it behind the net, curls around left to right and finds Nemec alone at the left post and the defenseman slammed it past Binnington.

Now, who’s responsibility was Nemec? Fowler and Jordan Kyrou were both on the ice. Seemed like Fowler was caught in no man’s land, and it was too late to realize there was a man behind him after Kyrou was there with Nemec but decided to move up to the higher slot to try and pick up Dawson Mercer. It almost seems like communication – if there was none – needed to happen there on who had who. But regardless, it would up as a familiar result:

* Second period was actually really good – Yes, second periods haven’t been kind for the Blues this season, being a period-worst minus-14, and yes, they lost the second period Wednesday 1-0 thanks to a Hischier power-play goal at 8:49, but I liked the Blues’ second much better than I actually did in the first when they scored twice.

They sustained more O-zone time and weren’t under the kind of siege they were in the opening period when Binnington had to make 13 saves, and a number of them between the dots because the Blues didn’t look like they were skating toe to toe with the Devils, who took advantage of some sloppy puck play by the Blues early.

The Devils were able to gain the zone easier in the first, and the Blues took that away in the second period.

They had an extended shift with roughly five minutes left in the period that unfortunately for them yielded a number of blocked shots by the Devils.

But the Hischier goal, that ended a Blues penalty kill streak on the road at 14, came off a tripping call on Justin Faulk, one in which he was indecisive on making a line change and that hesitancy cost him the minor, came when Tyler Tucker was caught out of position trying to get to Timo Meier’s one-time shot that once it got through without it being blocked, Hischier was open for the rebound and he slammed it through Binnington at 8:49 to tie the game 2-2:

* Offense continues to be dry – For the fifth straight game on this trip and sixth straight game overall, the Blues can’t get past two goals in a game.

They started well again when Fowler’s one-time rip on a puck off the boards beat Jacob Markstrom at 2:16 of the first period to make it 1-0:

And after allowing Meier’s tying goal at 11:02, Thomas gave them the lead again at 2-1 when he found some room at the top of the left circle, changed his angle and wired a shot top corner on the short side of Markstrom at 14:37 to make it 2-1:

But there it is again: the Blues score first and don’t won. They are now 5-4-6 when scoring first. The Devils (15-7-1), meanwhile, came in 10-1-1 when scoring first. Good teams get the lead and build on it, then hold it. This is why the Blues are where they are and New Jersey is where it is.

There was Oskar Sundqvist on a rare breakaway with a chance to give the Blues a two-goal lead in the second but couldn’t beat Markstrom 6:11 in. Could have made it 3-1 there.

And in the third, Mathieu Joseph, who I thought had a nice game playing 13:29 with three hits and a shot on goal with a plus-1 rating, took a pass from Broberg and used his speed to get to Markstrom but couldn’t put the Blues up 3-2 with 6:46 remaining.

There were a couple others, but those are the chances that are the difference between a point and two points in a lot of these games.

Probably the biggest difference, and coach Jim Montgomery has harped on it often, is the lack of net front presence and playing between the dots, and when they do get there, it just doesn’t seem like it’s enough of a battle to win those loose pucks or fly by's.

* Four-minute power play wasted – For the second straight game, the Blues wasted a four-minute man advantage.

In a 2-2 game after Logan Mailloux, who got the second assist on the Fowler goal for his first point in 11 games with the Blues, was high-sticked by Ondrej Palat with 18:00 left in the game, it was a chance to grab the game and perhaps pull away. But despite five shots on goal and three Devils blocks, there just never really seemed like a threat of putting New Jersey’s PK under duress there.

Kyrou had the best chance on the second half of the PP when he took a Thomas pass in the slot and changed the angle of his shot but couldn’t beat Markstrom. There’s another chance for one of the Blues’ top players to be a difference maker in a game.

* Blues playing much better defensively, getting the goaltending – Remember earlier in the year when the Blues were scoring five or more but still on the losing end of things?

They only allowed more than two goals once (three to the New York Rangers on Monday) in regulation and despite allowing 14 first-period shots in which Binnington was razor sharp in, the forecheck became much better and didn’t allow the Devils to play their rush game, limiting New Jersey to 15 shots the rest of the way after the first period.

If the Blues can start potting some goals and playing defense/getting this kind of goaltending, maybe wins will follow.

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Blackhawks Defenseman Artyom Levshunov Has His First Career NHL Goal

It's been a long time coming, and there have been plenty of chances, but Artyom Levshunov has finally scored his first career NHL goal. 

Connor Bedard sent one cross-ice pass to Levshunov, who made a brilliant move for his first. Levshunov has created a ton of offense in his young NHL career, and he's hit a couple of posts along the way, but this long-anticipated goal is finally in the books. 

Colton Dach also earned an assist on the goal scored by Levshunov. It was a youthful goal all around, with every player involved being someone who could be around for a long time. 

It was a big goal at the time of the game as well. Levshunov made it 3-2 in favor of the Blackhawks, not long after the Wild evened it up after being down 0-2. 

This is a weight off the shoulders of Levshunov. Although he is a defenseman, he will need to provide some offense to reach his true potential. Now that this one is behind him, he can focus on playing hockey the right way, which will lead to plenty of goals. 

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The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on ESPN+ or Hulu. The puck will drop at 7:30 PM CT. 

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Defensive Miscues Spell Doom For Red Wings Against Lowly Predators

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On paper, the Detroit Red Wings should have had no problem defeating the Nashville Predators, who came into Wednesday's game not only with the NHL's worst record but the NHL's worst goals-per-game average. 

But as the saying goes, that's why the games aren't played on paper.

The Predators struck twice inside of a minute on two separate occasions in the third period alone en route to a 6-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena, handing the Red Wings what was nothing short of a disappointing loss. 

The Red Wings took a 2-1 lead into the game's final frame after power-play goals from Alex DeBrincat and James van Riemsdyk in the second period after the Predators had struck first in the opening 20 minutes of play.

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Nashville knotted the score at 3-3 thanks to a partial breakaway goal from Nick Blankenburg, followed by a goal from Roman Josi just 15 seconds later. Detroit responded 44 seconds after that, as Ben Chiarot scored for the second time in three games. 

But once again, the Predators came up with the answer that Detroit wasn't able to match.

Ryan O'Reilly was left alone at the side of the net and tucked home a wraparound pass from Steven Stamkos at 14:14 of the third, while Erik Haula increased the lead to 5-3 after he was left all alone in front of the net just 38 seconds later.

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Stamkos added an empty net goal with 85 seconds left in regulation. 

Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot lost for the second straight game and has now allowed nine goals in his last two outings combined; he made 23 saves.

Meanwhile, Predators goaltender Justus Annunen, who was 0-3-1 coming into Wednesday's game, picked up his first win of the season by making 28 saves. 

The Red Wings were also playing their third straight game without defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who was unavailable because of an illness. 

These are the kinds of games that the Red Wings simply cannot afford to lose, and it was another rough lesson for a team attempting to take the next step. 

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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum