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A night that seemed like it would end in disaster, turned into a momentous 5-4 overtime victory for the New York Rangers over the Montreal Canadiens.

Going into this game, the Rangers were coming off a demoralizing 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, where their overall effort and urgency were in serious question. 

The Blueshirts came out of the gate with intensity, dominating possession, generating multiple scoring chances, and not even allowing a shot for over 10 minutes. 

However, the Canadiens are a dynamic offensive bunch, and they showed that, scoring three quick goals within the span of less than five minutes, which put the Rangers in a 3-0 hole. 

Mike Sullivan was tasked with an early decision whether or not to pull Igor Shesterkin after giving up three goals in a very short time frame.

Ultimately, Sullivan opted to keep Shesterkin in the net, showing confidence in his superstar goalie. 

“I didn’t feel like any of the goals scored were bad goals,” Sullivan said. “I never got the feeling behind the bench that, geez, it just wasn't Shesty’s night… I never got the feeling that he wasn't on his game. I thought he was locked in. He takes a lot of pride in keeping the puck out of the net when they go in like that. Sometimes, your emotions can get the best of you, but he did a terrific job of just staying focused and being ready to make that next save for us.”

The Rangers came alive late in the first frame with a power-play goal from Noah Laba, who has emerged as a real impactful player for the Rangers.

Seconds later, Artemi Panarin drew a slashing penalty and was rewarded with a penalty shot. He cashed it in, beating the rookie goalie Jacob Fowler. 

“I was panicked, to be honest,” Panarin said of his penalty shot. “Everyone in the rink too excited, too. Ice was not the best in the last minute. I’m glad I scored.” 

It wasn’t just Panarin’s goal that was noticeable about his game. All night long Panarin was controlling the pace of play in the offensive zone with his shifty puck skills, and the Canadiens had a difficult time containing his bursts of exposition. 

The 34-year-old forward led all players by a wide margin with a total of eight shots on net, proving how dominant he truly was from an offensive standpoint. 

Despite going down 4-2 in the second period, the Rangers’ confidence never wavered, and they responded in a big way. 

A strong forecheck from Brett Berard and Laba helped lead to a goal from Will Cuylle. The Berard-Laba-Cuylle trio continues to provide the Blueshirts with an element of physicality and speed, which finally translated into a goal on Saturday night. 

J.T. Miller found the back of the net less than one minute later to tie the game 4-4, putting Madison Square Garden into a frenzy. 

The game made its way into overtime where the puck found Miller’s stick for the game-winning goal. 

Miller had two goals on the night, and his contributions certainly did not go unnoticed. 

“I'm thrilled for him,” Sullivan said of Miller. “I know what it means for this team to have success, and he takes a lot of ownership for it. I feel like he's had moments when he's played extremely well for us, and the puck hasn't gone on the net for him. I thought he had a really strong game tonight… He's such an important player for us.”

To come back from a three-goal deficit takes heart, resilience and, determination. Those three traits shone bright in the Rangers’ game.

Jaroslav Chmelar's Rise To The NHL Serves A Valuable Lesson Jaroslav Chmelar earned his position with the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> through hard work and exceptional play in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

“There was a lot of hockey left,” Sullivan said. “That’s what we talked about on the bench. That’s what we talked about in between periods, ‘Let’s not get overwhelmed here. Let’s just keep playing, keep playing the game. Let’s work for the next goal.’ And that’s what they did. Those moments, I think, they’re great opportunities for a group to grow and become a team. 

“You face those types of adversities and you overcome them. I think that helps to galvanize a group and it also provides evidence for our team, that if we get in those situations again, what we’re capable of.”

There’s a confidence brewing within this Rangers team that no matter who the opponent is or what the score may be, they can always find a way to come away with a victory. 

It’s inconsistent, and we are yet to truly see the Rangers tap into this mentality for a long stretch of games, but the Blueshirts are building an identity and confident swagger, which is an encouraging sign.

“I think we did a good job of staying mentally tough and in the moment,” Miller said. “Present, worried about the next shift and really turned the tide on them. They defended a lot of the night, I felt like. When we play like that, it’s the same speech every game, I think we’re a lot to handle.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Monday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

On Saturday, when the Pittsburgh Penguins went up 5-1 against the San Jose Sharks with less than 15 minutes to go in regulation, it felt like the kind of game in which the Penguins would continue to pile on. They were dominating in pretty much every facet, had three power play goals, and were outshooting the Sharks by a very hefty margin. 

Of course, holding third-period leads has been a problem for the Penguins since the beginning of November. Their most recent blunder came Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, when they had a 3-2 lead going into the final second of the game and somehow lost 4-3 in overtime.

That loss was the kind of loss that could kill a season. But if one thing has rung true about these Penguins this season, they have had the ability to bounce back after tough losses.

That didn't happen. They followed it up with a loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, which was an underwhelming effort until the final five minutes of the game, when it was too late.

Then came Saturday's tilt against the Sharks. And - despite having a four-goal lead in the third - they somehow managed to upstage arguably their worst loss of the season against Anaheim with an even more gut-wrenching, shocking ending.

Beginning with a John Klingberg power play goal seven and a half minutes into the final frame, the Sharks scored four unanswered goals within 11 minutes and sent the game to overtime, where Klingberg scored the game-winner to hand the Penguins their worst defeat of the season and their fourth straight loss. 

Final. pic.twitter.com/uopzhvP5ci

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 13, 2025

The air in the locker room was dead in the aftermath. A few veteran players lingered in their stalls and stared into the abyss. Head coach Dan Muse could barely find the words to field questions during his press conference. 

Normally after losses where the Penguins control play for most of the game, there is discussion about some positives to take away from the performances despite the undesirable outcome. 

Saturday, there was no such thing. When asked if it was getting tougher and tougher to pull positives after losses like this, a couple players were candid:

"Yeah," Rust said. "Not much after that."

"For sure," goaltender Arturs Silovs said. "Like, you're winning the game, and then you just manage to somehow lose it. Yeah, it's not the best feeling. And you just have to keep going." 

'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.

And, make no mistake: This one was about as ugly and back-breaking a loss as it can get. 

The Sharks did open the scoring in this one, as Tyler Toffoli threw a shot at the net from the blue line that floated past Silovs to make it 1-0 midway through the first. But, a few minutes later on the power play, Sidney Crosby pounced on a rebound in the low slot and put it past Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to tie the game. 

Then, the second period was all Pittsburgh. Rutger McGroarty - who has been putting pucks on net with frequency - finally broke through with a snipe from the slot to put the Penguins ahead, 2-1, just 19 seconds into the middle frame. Approaching the midway point, Kevin Hayes added his third of the season, then Rust - again, on the power play - scored with seven seconds left in the period to extend the Penguins' lead to 4-1. Sidney Crosby's assist on the play marked his second point of the afternoon, putting him just three shy of breaking Mario Lemieux's franchise points record. 

What a shot from Rutger McGroarty for his first of the season 🙌 pic.twitter.com/c0JJONxXOL

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 13, 2025

For the first part of the third, the Penguins did carry over momentum. Anthony Mantha scored his second goal in as many games - and his 10th of the season - on the man advantage for the Penguins' third power play goal of the game to make it 5-1. 

And it all unraveled from there in epic fashion. 

First, it was Klingberg at 7:33. Then, it was William Eklund at 14:19. Then Macklin Celebrini at 17:33. Then Toffoli again at 18:22. 5-5. 

Then, overtime, where the Penguins have struggled. Klingberg. 6-5 final.

What has been happening to the Penguins is inexplicable. And Muse knows that his team is capable of better, even if there is, really, one common thread with all these tough losses piling up. 

"It's clearly - and you can go back not just this recent stretch, but to other games earlier in the year - like, obviously, we have to be better about closing out games. That doesn't need to be stated," Muse said. "I think it's something different every time. I don't think it's always the exact same thing. 

"The common thread is we play one way for the great majority of the game, and then sometimes, it's a one-goal lead, two-goal lead, it's been different situations - but the common thread is we get away from what works. Sometimes, structurally, we get away from what works. Sometimes, we just put ourselves in bad positions. Sometimes, we've taken poor penalties at inopportune times, giving them momentum. And we haven't done nearly a good enough job of gaining that momentum back. And, we then look like a different team.

"I'll take responsibility on this, too... believe me, it's all of us. We have to be better with it on the ice. I have to clearly be better because it's happened a number of times now, and we'll find a way to. It's just cost us too many points already. So, obviously, it has to stop. And there's not one thing other than we fall away from what works in those critical moments."

What a shot from Rutger McGroarty for his first of the season 🙌 pic.twitter.com/c0JJONxXOL

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 13, 2025

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Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this one:

- Hate to keep saying it over and over, but it really is a shame that the game had this turnout. Especially since the Penguins almost put it away with the empty net. 

Rust got the puck in the neutral zone, and he shot it toward the empty cage. Unfortunately, it hit the post and went back the other way, resulting in Celebrini's goal. And the tying goal felt inevitable after that. 

I've ever seen a player hit so many posts on an empty net as Rust. And had he potted that one, the game may well have had a much different result. 

- I don't even know what else to say about this team and its inability to hold leads. The crazy thing is that - after the first month - I went on and on about how the Penguins DID manage to shut down the opposition when they were playing ahead.

What Brett Kulak Brings To The Penguins After Trade From EdmontonThe Pittsburgh Penguins got Brett Kulak back in the Tristan Jarry deal, and he has the tools to help this team.

That all went out the window on Nov. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sure, they have had some pretty bad ones since then, but that game was the point in which the Penguins started playing like a bit of a different team. I still think that loss largely derailed everything because, all of a sudden, the Penguins were losing games they should have won and not the opposite. 

Something in them broke that night. This is a good hockey team - the team has outplayed enough higher-level opponents to suggest they are. But they are fragile, and the only way to go about fixing that is by sending some kind of message.

- This one was a tough one to assess goaltending in. Silovs made some spectacular saves on two breakaways and a couple of high-danger chances around the net-front. 

But the end was shaky for him, as it was for everyone else. He has now lost six decisions in a row.

- Rakell was activated from IR on Friday, and it was definitely noticeable that he was back in the fold. There were a few instances of him just shaking off some rust, but for the most part, he fit right in. 

He didn't register a point, but his presence on the power play was especially noticeable. I think having Rakell on tha unit helps a lot because teams are aware of his lethal shot, and it makes them more wary about making sure he's covered and that the Penguins can't get the puck to him for a one-timer. It also opens up a little bit more space for Crosby.

The Penguins really needed Rakell back. And he made an impact Saturday.

- Speaking of the power play, that is the one undeniable positive from this game. 

The Penguins' man advantage hadn't looked this lethal in a couple of weeks, and it showed three times why it is still the league's very best unit at a 32.9 percent conversion rate. The puck movement was insane. The player movement was there. The scoring chances were piling up. Their passing was throwing the Sharks' PK out of structure. 

It was clicking on all cylinders Saturday, and it's a huge reason the Penguins are where they are in the playoff race. 

Another PPG for PGH 💪

...AND WE GET 1/2 OFF RUSTY’S SHAKE AT THE @MShakeFactory TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/phbQCZRhen

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 13, 2025

- Now, let's talk about that playoff race. 

With the OT loss, the Penguins fell out of a playoff spot by one point. There is plenty of season left for this team to pull itself out of the funk it's mired in and compete for the postseason. 

But that is going to start with the team's veterans, who need to be a whole lot better late in games and are largely responsible for what has happened. Crosby was on the ice for five goals against on Saturday, including the overtime winner that was a not-so-great defensive effort against Klingberg. Letang has been guilty of far too many costly mistakes this season, and especially as of late. 

Rust is in a similar boat to Crosby. Karlsson hasn't been terrible, but he's still not playing good enough defense at five-on-five late in games to help his team. 

The Penguins have lost all four games since Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte went down with injuries. But they need to find a way to close out games late, and it starts with their best players showing out when the stakes are highest and when it matters most. 

Penguins Waive Veteran Defenseman After Jarry TradeWhen the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> traded goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/">Edmonton Oilers</a> on Friday morning, the deal caused a ripple effect for the rest of the roster.&nbsp;

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CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on Saturday night. Ahead of this game, the Blackhawks honored their centennial season’s second chapter: “The Madhouse”. 

A ceremony that included alumni, Wayne Mesmer and Frank Pellico doing the Star Spangled Banner, and Pat Foley leading the charge, took place as part of the honor. A retro theme on the scoreboard that mimics the old stadium was featured for the whole game as well. 

Despite the success of the pregame festivities, things did not start well for Chicago once the puck was dropped. With less than a minute expired in the hockey game, the Red Wings made it 1-0. It was former Blackhawk Alex DeBrincat. 

Speaking of former Blackhawks, Patrick Kane made it 2-0 before five minutes were gone in the opening period. Kane and DeBrincat each assisted on each other's goals. That 2-0 score would hold through the first intermission. 

In the second, Detroit made it 3-0 on a goal scored by Emmitt Finnie. The Blackhawks, up through the second intermission, were unable to execute on any of their chances, and they trailed by three going into the final frame. 

In the third, DeBrincat scored his second of the game into the empty net to seal the victory for the Red Wings. 4-0 stood as the final, and the Blackhawks were shut out at home by goaltender John Gibson. 

This was the first game following the injury to Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. You saw how much he was missed, especially in the offensive zone, as the Blackhawks were able to muster up 0 goals without him. 

Between assisting on both Chicago goals scored in St. Louis on Friday and them scoring 0 with him out of the lineup on Saturday, you can see just how important he is to the totality of the team. If the Blackhawks want to tread water without Bedard, everyone needs to do more in his absence.

"It's just time for guys to step up and create more," Ryan Donato said of the team needing to adjust without Bedard in the lineup. "Obviously, he's been phenomenal for us this year. It's going to be a huge piece missing, but I think it's about the next guy stepping up. Teams go through injury problems, that happens."

Bedard Update:

"I don't anticipate him on this trip," Said Jeff Blashill on Connor Bedard's current status. He advised once again that they will know more on Monday. 

Connor Bedard Will Not Travel On Chicago's Upcoming Road TripThe Chicago Blackhawks are about to embark on another road trip. This one will be for three games on the east side of Canada, and they will be missing Connor Bedard.

Nick Lardis NHL Debut

Nick Lardis made his NHL debut in the loss. Despite the team looking a bit off in the offensive zone without Connor Bedard in the mix, Lardis looked like he belonged on NHL ice. He led the team with 8 shot attempts. A couple of golden chances, including a post, showed just how dangerous he and his shot can be. His final year in the OHL didn't end with 71 goals by accident. 

With Connor Bedard out, Lardis is someone who can help replace some of the offense that Bedard brings. He won't completely replace him, but he has the tools to be a high-end producer. While he's a rookie, it may take some time, but you can tell just by watching this game that he's going to be a good player. 

After the game, Jeff Blashill said that the line Lardis was on with other rookies in Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore "had a lot of juice". He acknowledged that the game might have been different if some of the Lardis' chances went in, but the fact that they played well and looked fast together is a good sign of things to come. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

The Chicago Blackhawks did not score any goals against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, so there are no highlights to share in that regard. 

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

On Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks are going to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs north of the border. This will be the third Original Six opponent for Chicago in the last week. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The Florida Panthers responded to one of their worst games of the season with one of their best.

Florida was throttled on Thursday night in Colorado against the NHL-best Avalanche, but he Cats bounced back in a big way against the Dallas Stars, who are second-best in the league behind the Avs.

A stingy Panthers squad held Dallas to just 15 shots on goal, skating away with a 4-0 victory.

The game started out with a playoff-like feel, as both teams were on their toes and tightly checking the other.

Ten minutes in, the Panthers had the game’s only shot on goal and Dallas had blocked all six of Florida’s other attempts.

The Stars, meanwhile, picked up their first shot on their sixth attempt at the 10:08 mark, coming off the stick of veteran Matt Duchene.

After a first period in which the Cats and Stars logged only two shots apiece, Florida broke the ice with a goal on the first shift of the middle frame.

Anton Lundell cut through the middle of the ice with the puck and to Jake Oettinger’s net, keeping the puck on his stick just long enough to outwait the goaltender and sneak in a shot as he crossed over the goal line at the 19 second mark of period two.

Florida picked up a second goal after an extended shift in Dallas’ zone when Sam Bennett used his skate to deflect a rebound of a Carter Verhaeghe shot into the net at the 5:45 mark.

A late period power play for the Panthers would yield goal number three.

Sam Reinhart made a gorgeous, no-look backhand pass to the right circle, where Brad Marchand one-timed the puck past Oettinger to send Florida into the intermission with a commanding 3-0 lead.

Marchand added an empty-net goal with 2:48 to go, after Dallas had pulled Oettinger with just under six minutes on the clock in a final act of desperation.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 15 saves, including the Stars’ six high danger shots, for his third shutout of the season and second straight impressive win on this road trip.

Florida has now taken two of three on their four-game roadie and another point or two on Monday will go a long way toward the Panthers starting to feel pretty good about the on-ice product they’ve been putting out lately.

As it stands, the Cats have won four of their past five and have points in five of six.

On to Tampa.

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Photo caption: Dec 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) and center Sam Bennett (9) and left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates a goal scored by Bennett against the Dallas Stars during the second period at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — J.T. Miller scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 2:56 of overtime as the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Saturday night.

Will Cuylle, Noah Laba and Artemi Panarin also scored to help the Rangers snap a three-game skid (0-1-2). Mathew Robertson and Conor Sheary each had two assists, and Igor Shesterkin had 12 saves.

Zach Bolduc, Arber Xhekaj, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson scored for Montreal in its third loss in four games (1-2-1). Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson each had two assists, and Jacob Fowler had 21 saves.

In the extra period, Miller beat Fowler for his ninth goal to give the Rangers the win after they trailed 3-0 and 4-2.

The teams combined for eight goals in the opening 28 minutes, then none until overtime.

Cuylle and Miller scored in a 36-second span early in the second period to tie the score 4-4. Cuylle got his ninth at 7:22 and Miller tied it at 7:58.

Bolduc opened the scoring with 7:19 left in the first period with his seventh. Xhekej made it 2-0 with his first wit 5:50 left in the period, and Evans made it a three-goal lead 2:08 later with his fifth.

Laba then beat Fowler on the power play with 1:11 left in the opening period to get the Rangers on the board.

Panarin scored on a penalty shot 19 seconds later to make it 3-2.

Anderson restored the two-goal margin at 3:17 of the second, whipping a one-timer past Shesterkin.

The Rangers honored players from the 1970s and 80s. Attendees included Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park, Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson plus family members of Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield. Herb Brooks, who coached the Rangers from 1981-85, was represented by his son Dan.

Up next

Canadiens: Host Edmonton on Sunday night.

Rangers: Host Anaheim on Monday night.