Braylon Mullins’ breakout performance lifts No. 5 UConn over No. 21 Kansas 61-56 at Allen Fieldhouse

UConn fans had been eagerly anticipating the day Braylon Mullins could truly step onto the court for them. The five-star freshman rewarded their patience when the Huskies needed it most. Mullins hit a trio of 3-pointers and scored 17 points, blocked a layup by Kansas guard Jamari McDowell in the closing seconds, then sealed fifth-ranked UConn's 61-56 win over the No. 21 Jayhawks with a pair of clutch free throws Tuesday night.

Canucks Crushed By MacKinnon’s Two Goals In 3–1 Loss To The Colorado Avalanche

Faced with one of their toughest tasks of the season, the Vancouver Canucks put up a decent effort but fell short in a 3–1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Linus Karlsson scored the lone goal of the game, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 28 of 32 shots faced. 

Lankinen was the key to a good start tonight, as throughout the first half of the first period, it was all Avalanche. Colorado lobbed anything and everything at Lankinen and continued their siege even after coming off a two-minute power play. They reached the 12-shot mark by the halfway point of the period, though were unable to get the puck past Lankinen until the final minute of the frame.  

With Conor Garland still unavailable for Vancouver, Jonathan Lekkerimäki received a promotion, filling in the empty spot on Elias Pettersson’s line alongside Evander Kane. The trio performed excellently defensively, holding the Avalanche to only one 5-on-5 scoring chance. Even so, the Canucks’ lines ended up being shaken up during the third period, with Lekkerimäki ending up alongside Brock Boeser and David Kämpf and Karlsson taking his place.  

Today’s game solidified another point — if you put any iteration of last year’s Abbotsford Canucks together on one line, chances are, they’re going to find the back of the net. Most often, it’s been the trio of Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Karlsson who end up scoring. Today, it was Karlsson who deked Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood out and opened the scoring for Vancouver, doing-so while on a line with Bains and Aatu Räty. 

Beating an Avalanche team that sits comfortably at the top of the NHL was a tall task, so it’s not a surprise that the Canucks were unable to close this one out. With that being said, Vancouver did a surprisingly decent job of matching the pace of play that Colorado generates, specifically during the first period. While it was clear that the Avalanche were the better team tonight, Vancouver put up a solid effort during certain occasions. In particular, their attempts to generate offence stood out much more in the third period after the pace of the game started to slow down a bit more. 

One recurring theme from tonight’s game was the Canucks allowing goals within the final minute of each of the first two periods from Nathan MacKinnon. The first came after a shot from Devon Toews rebounded over to MacKinnon, who’d been left relatively open after some messiness in Vancouver’s zone. In his second last-minute tally of the night, the Avalanche forward was left open yet again and only needed to fire it past Lankinen to find the back of the net. In both instances, Vancouver was unable to properly stay in position, allowing Colorado to capitalize and set the Canucks back when exiting the period.  

As of the end of the third period, the Canucks are still awaiting a verdict on Kane, who left the game while clutching his wrist with around four minutes left in the third period. The forward immediately went down the tunnel and did not rejoin his team. 

Dec 2, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) battle for the puck in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Stats and Facts: 

  • Linus Karlsson scores the game-opening goal for the second time during the Canucks’ current road trip 
  • Vancouver surrenders 30+ shots for the 14th time this season 
  • Canucks score only one goal for the second consecutive game 
  • Kiefer Sherwood finishes the game with six shots on goal 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

2:55 - VAN: Linus Karlsson (5) from Arshdeep Bains and Aatu Räty 

19:23 - COL: Nathan MacKinnon (21) from Devon Toews and Sam Malinski 

2nd Period: 

13:52 - COL: Brock Nelson (9) from Gabriel Landeskog and Ross Colton 

19:26 - VAN: Nathan MacKinnon (22) from Gabriel Landeskog and Josh Manson 

3rd Period: 

No scoring. 

Up Next: 

The Canucks will now return to Vancouver for a four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres. The first of these two matches will occur as part of a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, with the Mammoth being Vancouver’s first opponent. Puck drop for Friday’s game is slated for 6:00 pm PT. 

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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The Hockey News

New 'Kid Line' Might Be Just What Penguins Need

It's been a while since the Pittsburgh Penguins had a group of legitimate youth talent infiltrate the NHL roster.

But with the recall of top prospect Rutger McGroarty on Monday, it's yet another sign that the youth movement is on its way in full swing.

With his season debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday - which ended up a resounding 5-1 win for the Penguins - McGroarty became the 10th rookie to dress for the Penguins this season, which leads the NHL. He joined Ben Kindel, Joona Koppanen, Ville Koivunen, and Harrison Brunicke as the other rookies on the Penguins' active 23-man roster.

And the Penguins wasted no time giving three of those kids the chance to develop some chemistry. 

McGroarty, Kindel, and Koivunen were put together on the third line against the Flyers, and it was a great start for them. According to Moneypuck, McGroarty had the fourth-highest expected goals total (0.48) behind only Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Tommy Novak. 

And the line? They contributed a 68.1 percent expected goals share in their very first game together as a line.

Takeaways: Penguins Put Forth Dominant Effort In 5-1 Win Over FlyersTakeaways: Penguins Put Forth Dominant Effort In 5-1 Win Over FlyersFor the first time in weeks, it felt like a winning result for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> was never really in doubt throughout the game.&nbsp;

"I think, overall - from my perspective - they're just two really smart players who know where to put themselves on the ice," McGroarty said after Monday's game. "And, for me, just finding areas... if I find an open area, I know that they're going to find me. So, I had a couple in the first there that they found me, and I just gotta put 'em in the back of the net.

"But, it's good. We got some opportunities. Especially in the d-zone, I thought we did really well. I feel like, overall, it was a pretty good game from us." 

In theory, this line could be lethal. McGroarty has the finishing ability, the two-way acumen, the size, and the smarts to be a consistent producer. Kindel has the hockey IQ, the playmaking ability, the forechecking prowess, and the top-notch passing skills to drive play for the line. And Koivunen has the vision, creativity, deceptiveness, and puck skills to be a complementary scorer and distributor.

Dec 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Ville Koivunen (41) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

It seems that, so far, the theory has come to practice, too.

"You never know how the game's gonna go," Penguins' head coach Dan Muse said after Monday's game. "I think it was five or six shifts there at five-on-five before special teams started to get in there. They didn't look like it was their first time playing together."

It's worth noting that it has only been one game, and jumping to any sort of conclusion about the kind of impact this line could have would be premature.

Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Closing In On More Penguins HistoryPenguins Captain Sidney Crosby Closing In On More Penguins HistoryPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is very close to breaking another franchise record.

But the entire concept of a "kid line" - especially a third line - is intriguing all on its own.

Historically, the Penguins have been at their very best as a team with a functioning and formidable third line. That has included the likes of Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke, and Tyler Kennedy as well as the famous "HBK" line during the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017, which featured Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel.

And the Penguins really haven't had a dangerous third line since those Cup runs. They had spurts of good play spread throughout the last seven or eight years, but not a line that gave opponents fits and operated at a very high level night-in and night-out.

Dec 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) shoots the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

If all goes well, this "kid line" could be just what the Penguins need. They're a better team when they're able to roll four lines, and having that threat on the third line makes matchups for the opposition a nightmare. 

McGroarty is only 21. Koivunen is 22, and Kindel is still a teenager at 18. A lot can happen over the course of an NHL season and over the course of the next few years with youth continuing to populate the roster and mix in with veterans like Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin, should he re-sign. 

But at the end of the day, this third line has potential. And if Monday's game was any indication of future performance, it might be the engine that helps drive the Penguins to the playoffs this season. 

Penguins' Prospect Earns Two Honors In Same WeekPenguins' Prospect Earns Two Honors In Same WeekThere are a lot of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospects making noise in the pipeline this season, and the organization's prospect pool is looking deeper than it has in quite a long time.

"Overall, it was great just playing with Ville again," McGroarty said. "Getting to play with Kindy... I mean, I've been watching him, and I was excited to maybe have the opportunity to play with him at one point, and [Monday] was the night. So, that was a lot of fun."

And these kids could sure be a lot of fun, too. 


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With Jalen Brunson struggling, Mikal Bridges almost willed Knicks' comeback vs. Celtics

Jalen Brunson didn't have it on Tuesday night against the Celtics.

The Knicks guard scored a season-low 15 points on 6-for-21 shooting (1-of-8 from three) in New York's 123-117 loss in Boston.

Brunson's performance was indicative of the team's overall poor performance against the rival Celtics. 

After getting out to a fast start, going up by 11 points after the first quarter, the Celtics outscored the Knicks 73-44 in the second and third quarters. And although the Knicks had a furious comeback in the fourth, it wasn't enough as Brunson scored just four points on 2-of-7 shooting in the final frame.

Despite the poor performance, Knicks coach Mike Brown wasn't discouraged by what he saw from the team's captain.

"I felt he got the normal looks that he normally takes," he said after the game. "He’s gotta keep shooting 'em and he’s gotta keep getting to his spots. I thought he got to his spots and I thought he took good threes too, they just didn’t go in. And that happens sometimes. So, a guy like him, he's got to keep letting it fly if he's open. Or if he gets to the spots."

With Brunson struggling, the Knicks leaned on Mikal Bridges for the offensive scoring. 

The forward scored 17 of his season-high 35 points (12-of-17 shooting) in the fourth quarter, hitting four of his eight threes to help cut the Celtics' lead to as low as three points in the final minutes of the game.

Brown was impressed with Bridges' performance and credited him for almost completing the comeback.

"He was feeling it and he was aggressive and I thought our guys did a good job trying to find him, and he hit some big shots for us," Brown said of Bridges. "He was one of the guys trying to will us back into the game offensively."

Bridges' Knicks tenure has been a rocky one. After the team traded five first-round picks for him ahead of last season, the forward didn't necessarily live up to that package. He averaged 17.6 points a game in his first season with New York, a far cry from the 20 points per game he put up in his two years with the Nets. 

And while Bridges entered Tuesday averaging 16.1 points per game, there have been sparks of offensive explosions from the Villanova product among his all-world defense this season. Perhaps Tuesday's performance will carry over 24 hours later when the Knicks take on the Hornets at home in the second of a back-to-back.

Ottawa 5 Montreal 2: Zetterlund Dedicates Victory To His Grandmother As Senators Score Convincing Win To End Road Trip

Brady Tkachuk waited a long time for his first goal of the 2025-26 NHL season, but it was worth waiting for.

The captain's third-period marker turned out to be the dagger, as the Senators defeated the rival Montreal Canadiens 5–2 at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. Tkachuk has only played in six of Ottawa's 26 games this season, thanks to an October thumb surgery. It was a crucial victory, nipping a two-game losing slide in the bud.

After sluggish performances in St. Louis and Dallas, the Senators looked a lot better on Tuesday, led by Tkachuk, Fabian Zetterlund, and Tyler Kleven. They each had two-point efforts to help the Senators improve to 13–9–4, snap a two-game losing skid, and leapfrog the Canadiens in the jammed-up Atlantic Division standings. It was the perfect response and finally brought an end to the club’s seven-game road trip.

Zetterlund now has five points in his last six games, and played this one with a heavy heart.

“To get that one was nice; it’s for my grandma,” Zetterlund told the media. “She passed away a couple of days ago. So yeah, it was nice. It was for her.”

Zetterlund’s first-period goal was huge, ringing one in off the post from distance after a smooth low-to-high pass from Tyler Kleven. Montreal fans barely had time to settle back into their seats after Juraj Slafkovský had opened the scoring for the Canadiens on the power play just four minutes into the game. Zetterlund rained on their parade, scoring 24 seconds later while the Habs' goal was still being announced.

Then the Senators’ defensemen went to work, as both Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson looked like slick power forwards driving to the net and getting rewarded for it.

Zub beat Sam Montembeault with a nice shot after being left all alone in front of Montreal’s net, and taking a nice pass from Tkachuk. Sanderson’s goal came just under six minutes into the second. After taking a pass from Michael Amadio, Sanderson cut hard to the net and beat Montembeault with a low backhand to make it 3–1.

Just over a minute later, Kleven, who had one of his best games as a Senator, spotted Drake Batherson going to the net and hit him with a hard pass. Batherson redirected it on goal, then toe-dragged the rebound away from Montembeault and slipped it past him to make it 4–1.

Nick Suzuki’s eighth goal of the year on the power play, less than two minutes later, brought the Canadiens back within two.

But then Tkachuk put it away in the third. With Canadiens fans screaming for a tripping call on Nick Jensen behind the play on Brendan Gallagher, Tkachuk took a nice pass from Tim Stützle and ripped one past Montembeault to make it 5–2, proving there's no issue with that thumb.

Linus Ullmark made 19 saves for the Senators, who played well and earned a convincing win despite getting little help from their special teams. The penalty kill surrendered two goals on three attempts, and the power play went 0-for-2.

"A real good team effort," head coach Travis Green told the media after the game. "Our five-on-five game was excellent tonight. I like how we played away from the puck. I like how we hounded the puck. It was a good game."

David Perron played in his 1,200th NHL game and picked up an assist. Senators tough guy Kurtis MacDermid dressed, but for the second straight game, Montreal's tough guy, Arber Xhekaj, showed no interest. With McDermid policing things, the evening remained shenanigan-free.

The Senators are back at it on Thursday night, finally with a chance to enjoy some home cooking after a solid 4–3 road trip. They’ll open a three-game homestand against the New York Rangers at Canadian Tire Centre.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa

Mackinnon’s Two-Goal Night Sends Avalanche Past Canucks 3-1

The Colorado Avalanche face the Vancouver Canucks for the second time this season since their last matchup on Nov. 9, which saw the Avalanche come up on top in a 5-4 win in overtime. This time was much different, as despite the Canucks gaining an early lead, the Avalanche controlled the rest of the game and secured a 3-1 win thanks to a two-goal night from Nathan MacKinnon.

Period 1:

A slow start for the Avalanche, and the Canucks capitalize on it as Arshdeep Bains sends a great pass to Linus Karlsson, who, with a nice forehand-backhand move, can beat Scott Wedgewood to open the scoring at 1-0. Marcus Pettersson is called for high-sticking and sending the Avalanche to their first power play of the night, but they aren't able to convert on the opportunity. The Avalanche slowly start to break out of their slow start, and by the halfway point of the period, the shots are 10-3 in favour of the Avalanche.

Despite the shots favoring the Avalanche, Wedgewood has needed to make some big saves, especially when Brent Burns blows a skate, and Kiefer Sherwood gets a breakaway opportunity, but Wedgewood denies it. With one minute left, Valeri Nichushkin, now back in the lineup, sends a shot on which forces Kevin Lankinen to make a great save on Devon Toews's rebound shot, but not on Nathan MacKinnon as he buries Toews’s rebound to tie the game 1-1 and end the period.

Period 2:

The first half of the second period wasn’t as eventful as the last ten minutes of the first period, but MacKinnon makes up for it as he rocks Sherwood. Though one important moment of the period was the announcement that Mackenzie Blackwood would replace Wedgewood in net, as of the second period, there was no official announcement of any injury, but something to be aware of.

Similar to the first period, the Avalanche really turns it up in the second half of the period. It's Gabriel Landeskog who receives the puck from the boards and outmuscles Max Sasson to feed Brock Nelson on a breakaway and beat Lankinen to make it 2-1. Landeskog continues his hot streak as he sets up MacKinnon for a one-timer and blasts it to make it 3-1. He now has 10 points in his last 10 games, all while posting a +11 rating. The Avalanche outshoots the Canucks 12-4 in the period and sends it to the third 3-1.

Period 3:

Early in the third period, it was announced that Wedgewood had suffered an upper-body injury, and we now await further confirmation from Jared Bednar on its severity.

The Avalanche do a good job this period maintaining their 3-1 lead, but also making sure they don’t lift their foot off the gas. It’s shown when Landeskog makes a great pass to Ross Colton to try and get his third point of the night, but Lankinen makes a good read and stops Colton's shot from going in. The Canucks pull Lankinen with just over three minutes left in the period, but can't convert on the extra man to try and get some life back into the game, and the Avalanche win 3-1.

The Avalanche are back in action on Thursday, December 4, against the New York Islanders.

Nathan Mackinnon Leads 3-Stars of the Month of NovemberNathan Mackinnon Leads 3-Stars of the Month of NovemberThe NHL announced that Nathan MacKinnon is the first star of November for his play during the month

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Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Closing In On More Penguins History

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is getting close to making more Penguins history.

After notching his 17th and 18th goals of the season on Monday, Crosby is now only seven points away from tying Mario Lemieux for the most regular season points in franchise history. He's also eight points away from breaking the record.

Lemieux finished his career with 1,723 and Crosby is at 1,716. 

Crosby has been really heating up over the last few games. He scored two goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Friday before potting another against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

He has five goals and six points in his last three games, and is second in the NHL in goals behind only Morgan Geekie and Nathan MacKinnon. 

The Penguins have two more road games on this three-game trip before returning to Pittsburgh for five-straight games at PPG Paints Arena. If you haven't gotten tickets for any of those games, I suggest you do so. 


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Takeaways: Schaefer, Stamkos, Wiesblatt score milestone goals in Nashville Predators win over Flames

It was a memorable night for a trio of Nashville Predators in their 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena. 

Reid Schaefer, who was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, scored his first NHL goal and recorded his first career fight against Brayden Pachal.

Steven Stamkos netted his 1200th career point and Ozzy Wiesblatt scored his first career NHL goal. Jonathan Marchessault added a goal in the second period, his fifth of the season. Michael Bunting also scored in the third period. 

Juuse Saros picked up his eighth win of the season, making 27 saves on 28 shots. His shutout bid was spoiled in the third period by a power-play goal from Morgan Frost. 

It was a heavily penalized game as the Predators were in the box 20 minutes to the Flames 18. 

"There were a lot of special moments for a bunch of different people," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "That's what makes the game great and to cap it off with a win makes it even better." 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators victory over the Flames. 

Reid Schaefer records 1st NHL goal, fight 

The Predators have a deep prospect pool and one of the players leading the charge into the future is Schaefer. He earned his first career call-up on Friday after recording 14 points in 15 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

In the first period, Fedor Svechkov made a toe-drag move to open up the slot and get a shot on net. His original attempt was saved, but Schaefer was in front to put the puck in via the right post.

"I kind of blacked out. It went into the net and I was like 'oh, what did I do here,' Schaefer said. "It's a pretty cool moment." 

He wasn't done there as he'd square off with Calgary's Brayden Pachal in the second period. Pachal got the better end of the fight, but that did not stop Schaefer from hyping up the crowd after the tilt. 

"I just laid a hit and he (Pachal) said let's go. I got up and dropped the gloves," Schaefer said. "I didn't really think too much of it." 

In a year full of struggles, the Predators have looked to their youth, and it's paid off throughout the season. Schaefer's first career goal was the third time a Nashville rookie has found the back of the net alongside Ozzy Weisblatt and Matthew Wood. 

Schaefer's family was also in attendance for Tuesday's game. 

Stamkos adds to decorated career 

Stamkos' tenure in Nashville has been rough to say the least. In 25 games, he has just 10 points, but he's had moments throughout these two seasons that serve as reminders of how decorated his career is. 

In the second period, Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Evangelista sparked a 2-on-1 rush. Instead of shooting the puck, Evangelista took it behind the net, causing goalie Devin Cooley to start sliding. Stamkos caught the pass from Evangelista and had a wide-open net to shoot into.

It was Stamkos' 1200th career point in his 1190th career game. Doing some quick math, that is around a point a game over his 18-year career.  

"It's cool and special. You can enjoy it more in a win, and you get to celebrate a little bit," Stamkos said. "It's more of a thing that you kind of look back on when your career's over. When you're in it, you're just trying to do what you kind of help." 

Playing with Stamkos has left an impression on a few of the younger Predators players and seeing him reach another impressive milestone makes the moment more surreal. 

"They're video game numbers," Weisblatt said on Stamkos' scoring his 1200th career point. "It's cool to be playing on his team. I remember not too far back, I'm playing (EA Sports) NHL, and I'm (playing as) Steven Samkos." 

Weisblatt scores long-awaited 1st goal 

Patience paid off for Weisblatt in the second period as the Predators' rookie netted his first career NHL goal after 23 games played this season. He has done just about everything over the last two months, from enforcing, penalty killing and contributing to three other goals. 

Off a shot from Michael Bunting, Weisblatt tipped the puck just enough to deflect it past Cooley. In an exasperated celebration, Weisblatt pointed to the sky when skating back to the bench, honoring his late brother, Orca Weisblatt. 

"It's about time," Weisblatt said on scoring his first goal. "I feel like I've been all over it lately, and I've had so many chances this year to score and been robbed a ton. It's just, just relief for me. I've thought about pointing to the sky for my brother for a while now, and it's cool feeling.

"That was for him (Orca) and just huge relief for me." 

Orca died in September in a car accident, while Ozzy and brother Oasiz were at Predators training camp. 

With Weisblatt working toward netting his first of his career and playing for his brother, both Stamkos and Brunette said that celebration on the bench was the most explosive of the season. 

"It makes you emotional in a lot of different ways," Brunette said. "You're involved in a pretty special thing. Just being on the bench and seeing the emotion that just not just from Ozzy (Weisblatt) and seeing what he did speaks volumes of the group of guys we have and how close they are." 

Similar to Schaefer, Weisblatt didn't stop at his first NHL goal. He tried to drop the gloves against Calgary's Joel Farabee, but instead, both were called for roughing in the first period. 

Weisblatt's night ended early as he'd fight Blake Coleman and head back to the locker room after the tilt. 

Up next: Nashville Predators (9-13-4) at Florida Panthers (12-12-1) on Thursday at 6 p.m. CST 

Knicks show late fight, but can’t overcome disastrous middle quarters in 123-117 loss to Celtics

The Knicks were defeated by the Boston Celtics 123-117 on Tuesday night at TD Garden.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks have been up-and-down on the road this season, but they got off to about as good a start as you could ask for in this one. Josh Hart continued his strong play, dropping 11 points in the first seven minutes, and New York knocked down four of their first seven attempts from downtown to quickly open a double-digit advantage. 

- The Celtics' offense finally found their footing after an early timeout, but New York's hot shooting continued. Boston turned to the 'Hack-A-Mitch' strategy on Mitchell Robinson in an effort to slow down the momentum in down the stretch in the first, but they still found themselves trailing by 11 after 12 minutes. 

- The second quarter was a much different story. The Knicks put together one of their worst quarters of the season, losing their composure after some foul calls didn't go their way, and Boston was able to take advantage. The Celtics used a long run to cut into the deficit, and eventually open an advantage of their own, which they carried into the break (58-52).

- Boston outscored the Knicks 37-20 in the middle frame; their leading scorer, Jaylen Brown, was responsible for 18 of those points, as he finally found his touch after going just 2-for-5 from the field in the opening quarter. 

- The Celtics were able to keep the momentum going coming out of the break. New York eventually found their groove and was able to get the deficit down to six points, but Brown led Boston on another scoring barrage and they carried their largest lead of the game into the final frame (18). 

- The Knicks' second unit helped them regain some momentum in the opening minutes of the fourth. The starters then returned to the court, and behind Mikal Bridges' hot shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns' three-point play, they were able to cut the deficit all the way back down to three points. 

- Clutch buckets from Towns, Hart, and Bridges helped New York hang around down the stretch. The Celtics received big plays of their own from Jordan Walsh and Brown in the closing minutes, though, and they were able to just barely hang on for the victory. Brown finished with a game-high 42 points on 16-of-24 from the field.

- Derrick White knocked down four threes, Walsh had eight points on a perfect night from the field and six rebounds. 

- Jalen Brunson tied his season-high with 11 assists, but shot an inefficient 6-of-21 from the field (15 points). With the captain struggling it was Bridges who led the way for the Knicks' offense, finishing with 35 points on 12-of-17 from the field and 8-of-12 from three-point land. 

- Towns had 29 points and brought in seven boards, Hart ended with 19 and seven boards of his own. 

Game MVP: Jaylen Brown

Brown took things over after a quiet first quarter, finishing with a game-high 42 points. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks return to MSG to host the Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Red Wings Snap Winless Skid By Holding On For 5-4 Win Over Bruins

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Things got a bit uncomfortable as time ticked away, but the Detroit Red Wings managed to hold on against the Boston Bruins for a much-needed two points.

The Red Wings ended their four-game losing streak, defeating the Bruins by a 5-4 final score in the second of their consecutive matchups against Boston and chased goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the process. 

Detroit built up a 5-2 lead by the midway point of the third period, only to have the Bruins make things dicy by scoring twice in a furious comeback effort that ultimately fell short. 

With the win, the Red Wings improved their record to 14-11-2, while the Bruins fell to 15-13.

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Former Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk opened the scoring in the first period, ripping a wrist shot past the glove of Swayman into the corner of the net. Detroit then increased their lead thanks to a goal from Moritz Seider, as his shot from the point got past a screened Swayman with Andrew Copp in front. 

Alex DeBrincat tallied early in the second period, giving the Red Wings a three-goal bulge. But the Bruins would cut the lead to one thanks to tallies from Jonathan Aspirot and Alex Steeves. For Aspirot, it was his first NHL goal. 

But Ben Chiarot would give Detroit some breathing room with his fourth goal of the season near the end of the frame; it was his third goal in the last six games. 

In the third period, Lucas Raymond capped off a pretty passing play during Detroit's first and only power-play opportunity of the game. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo relieved Swayman from that point on, and gave Boston a chance to come back by robbing rookie Nate Danielson right on the doorstep soon after he was called upon.

The Bruins refused to go away, getting a tally from Marat Khusnutdinov at 14:57, followed by the second goal of the night from Steeves with just over 10 seconds remaining and with Korpisalo on the bench. 

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Detroit managed to stave off any further attempts by the Bruins, sending the fans home happy on the verge of a six-game road swing. 

Red Wings goaltender John Gibson picked up his first win since Nov. 13, making 34 saves. Swayman was pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots, while Korpisalo stopped all nine shots he faced. 

The Red Wings now take their show on the road for the next six outings, beginning on Thursday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. 

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Vladislav Gavrikov's OT winner lifts Rangers to 3-2 win over Stars

NEW YORK (AP) — Vladislav Gavrikov scored just over a minute into overtime and the New York Rangers beat Dallas 3-2 on Tuesday night, ending the Stars’ four-game winning streak.

Gavrikov scored for the Rangers 1:09 into overtime on a backhand shot.

Carson Soucy and Will Cuylle also scored for the Rangers, who have won four of their last five games. Artemi Panarin added two assists and Mika Zibanejad’s assist on the overtime goal gave him two goals and three assists in his last four games.

Cuylle’s third-period wrist shot tied the game with 2:13 left. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves in the win for the Rangers.

Kyle Capobianco and Mikko Rantanen scored for the Stars. Casey DeSmith had 38 saves for the Stars.

Up next

Rangers: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday evening.

Stars: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday evening.