The Montreal Canadiens were taking on the Minnesota Wild on Monday night in what promised to be a tough task. Both teams were 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and had won their previous three matches. Montreal was seventh in the league while Minnesota was fourth prior to puck drop, but the Wild had been the Canadiens’ pet peeve for a long time, before the Habs finally managed to beat them less than two weeks ago in Montreal.

For a fourth game in a row, Martin St-Louis gave the net to Jakub Dobes, who had won his last six games and was undefeated in regulation in his last nine games. The Czech netminder had played a massive role in the Canadiens’ last three wins, being named the second star of the game in each one.

Former Canadiens First-Rounder Is Heating Up
Goalie Fight A Rare Feat In Montreal Canadiens History
How The Canadiens Chose Their Game Prize

Good Old Gallagher

While some are eager to point out that Brendan Gallagher doesn’t produce as much as he once did and that he gets hunched over on his stick much faster than he did in the past, there’s one thing that has never changed throughout the right wing’s career: his level of effort and dedication. On Monday night, the Alberta native was playing in the 890th game of his career with the Habs, and he decided to celebrate in style.

After the Wild had taken a 2-0 lead in the first frame, Gallagher found himself with the puck high up in the Wild’s zone, and John Hynes’ men didn’t try to close him down. The veteran took the space he was given and used it to beat both Quinn Hughes and Jonas Gustavsson, scoring a beautiful backhand goal, much like Jake Evans’ game-winning goal against the Vegas Golden Knights.

If you don’t respect Gallagher, he will hurt you. That goal gave the Canadiens a much-needed spark and was the first of three unanswered goals by the Habs. The 33-year-old doesn’t panic when his team is down; he keeps on working, grinding away. His combativity is second to none, and that’s the main reason why the coaching staff will hesitate to scratch him. He might have been a fifth-round pick, but his work ethic, effort, and dedication have always been first-class. The goal was point number 480 for Gallagher, who now trails Bobby Smith by two points for the 26th highest scorer in franchise history.

Timely Goals

The Canadiens’ first two goals were scored with less than a minute to go in the first two frames, the kind of goals that are an absolute gut-punch to the opposition. Too often this season, the Habs have given up an early goal that has taken their legs right from under them, and when the Wild scored 38 seconds in, some wondered if the early goal would send them down to the mat, but they got back up.

Chaud devant

Took the scenic route#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Y89jayZ7Ry

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 3, 2026

Better yet, after the Wild dominated the second frame, Montreal scored another late-period goal through Ivan Demidov on an exquisite Lane Hutson cross-zone pass and then followed it up with its own early goal to take its first lead of the game. It took Kirby Dach 12 seconds from the start of the period to get the puck past Gustavsson.

Du tac au dach

Last minute goal ✅
First minute goal ✅#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/B8voBTDv33

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 3, 2026

In the end, though, it was the Wild who scored the ultimate timely goal, with the overtime game-winner. While the Canadiens would have liked to see a penalty called on the play, Joel Eriksson-Ek was just standing his ground, and Nick Suzuki collided with him because he didn’t see him, so that wasn’t interference.

With this 4-3 overtime defeat, the Canadiens leave Minnesota with one point and remain in third place in the Atlantic division, one point ahead of the Buffalo Sabres, who beat the Florida Panthers on Monday night to keep the pressure on the Habs. It also means that the Panthers are now nine points out of a playoff spot, just like the Toronto Maple Leafs. As for the Ottawa Senators, they are now trailing the Boston Bruins by seven points, but they have a game in hand. Montreal now has roughly an 80% chance of making the spring dance and finds itself in a much more comfortable position than it was last season when the league entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

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Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (28-15-11, 67 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ New York Islanders (30-21-5, 65 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7:30 p.m. ET

How to Watch: National broadcast on TNT, streaming on HBO Max

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have just one game left after tonight, a Thursday road matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, before the Olympic break. The team will hope to give everyone, especially Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, some time to rest up before NHL play resumes on Feb. 26 with a home game against the New Jersey Devils.

Opponent Track: Like the Penguins, the Isles are coming into this game on the second part of a back-to-back. While the Penguins were losing to the Ottawa Senators, the Islanders were also looking flat in a Monday night 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Season Series: The Penguins won the season opener thanks to a third-period goal from Justin Brazeau back during the second game of the season in Pittsburgh on October. 9. The Pens will meet up with the Isles one more time in Elmont on March 30.

Getting to know the Islanders

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Ondrej Palat – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal

Emil Heineman – Jonathan Drouin – Simon Holmstrom

Anders Lee – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Anthony Duclair

Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb

DEFENSEMEN

Mathew Schaefer / Ryan Pulock

Adam Pelech / Tony DeAngelo

Carson Soucy / Scott Mayfield

Goalies: Ilya Sorokin (starter), David Rittich

Potential scratches: Adam Boqvist, Max Shabanov, Calum Ritchie

Injured Reserve: Kyle Palmieri

• Jonathan Drouin has spent most of his career as a winger, although the Islanders are currently running him as a center. He has just three goals in 49 games since he signed with the Islanders last summer, and he’s been struggling on the face-off dot as of late (he had a 36.4 percent success rate on the draw last night against the Washington Capitals).
• The Islanders suffered a second-period collapse last night against the Capitals, blowing a 1-0 lead by allowing two goals in 32 seconds and never recovering.
• David Rittich started last night (he made 20 saves on 23 shots in the 4-1 loss), putting Ilya Sorokin on track to start against the Pens.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• The Islanders’ power play is running at 16 percent this season, ranking them down at for 26th in the NHL.
• Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has been a driving force behind the Isles’ climb back into the playoff picture this season. He has 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 56 games of his first NHL season, the third-most points among rookies and sixth-most goals among all defensemen.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Brett Kulak / Ryan Shea

Ilya Solovyov / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Rutger McGroarty

IR: Kris Letang (broken foot, out at least four weeks), Ryan Graves, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones, Jack St. Ivany

• Bryan Rust should be back in the lineup tonight after serving out the final game of his three-game suspension on Monday. That could bump Rutger McGroarty back out of the lineup.
• The Pens are looking to bounce back from a flat loss to the Senators on Monday night. Head coach Dan Muse called the Penguins’ performance last night “far off the mark” from where the team has been lately:

• Especially notable last night was continued struggles by Evgeni Malkin, who is seemingly playing hurt and who committed three official giveaways, and the Penguins’ top line. The Justin Brazeau/Sidney Crosby/Rickard Rakell trio earned the fewest expected goals for of any line the Penguins iced last night, per MoneyPuck. The Pens will hope the return of Bryan Rust can spark something there by re-shuffling the lines.
• Arturs Silovs played in the defeat, so Stuart Skinner will likely be expected to get the nod against the Isles.
• Last night was the first time the Pens have finished a game without a point since a Jan. 11 shutout loss to the Boston Bruins.
• The Penguins currently have two points and two games in hand on the Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division, so a win tonight could be key down the stretch of the playoff race.

Carlo trade has been a home run for Bruins, and it could get even better originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Toronto Maple Leafs should probably stop trading with the Boston Bruins. Many of these deals have backfired tremendously for Toronto, especially over the last 20 years.

The Andrew Raycroft-for-Tuukka Rask swap in 2006 was a disaster for Toronto. The Phil Kessel trade in 2009 that gave the Bruins two top-10 picks (Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton) was a bad one for the Leafs. Even the Tomas Kaberle trade in 2011 ended up being a swing-and-a-miss for the Leafs despite the veteran defenseman being mostly underwhelming during his short time with the Bruins. The B’s did win the Stanley Cup a few months after that deal.

The latest example is the Brandon Carlo deal that was made just before the NHL trade deadline on March 7 of last year. Carlo has largely been a disappointment for the Leafs with five points in 33 games this season.

In case you forgot, here are the details of the 2025 trade:

• Leafs receive: Brandon Carlo
• Bruins receive: Fraser Minten, 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected), 2025 fourth-round pick

Let’s start with Minten.

He has blossomed into a productive two-way center after getting a chance to play regular NHL minutes. Minten was Toronto’s second-round pick (No. 38 overall) in 2022, and he played in just 21 games for the Leafs over the last two seasons before being dealt to Boston. Not only did Minten make the Opening Night roster, he has cemented himself as a key part of the Bruins lineup.

Minten has tallied 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 56 games. He has a very realistic chance to score 20-plus goals. One of the reasons why the Bruins had the league’s second-best record in January was Minten’s improved offensive production. He posted 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 14 games, including a three-point performance in a win over the Philadelphia Flyers last Thursday. He was also named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for January.

“(Minten) was a steal for us,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm told reporters on Jan. 30. “He just has that quality, I would say, to be up and down the lineup right away at his early age.”

Minten is improving as a scorer, he’s responsible defensively, he kills penalties, he’s played on the power play of late, and he plays with a high hockey IQ. Could he become a top-six center long term? It’s definitely possible, but at the very least he should be a strong No. 3 center for quite a while.

The Bruins desperately needed a boost at center following the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Minten and 2025 first-round pick James Hagens have given the B’s some hope at that position going forward.

Another important aspect of the Carlo trade that has been great for the Bruins is the 2026 first-round pick they acquired.

The Leafs have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in nine consecutive seasons, but that streak is in serious jeopardy of ending this year. Toronto entered Tuesday with the 12th-worst record in the league based on points percentage. The Leafs are seven points behind the Bruins for the second and final wild card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

If the Leafs miss the playoffs, the Bruins could get a lottery pick to close out this trade. The 2026 selection sent from Toronto is top-five protected, so it would need to fall outside of that range to go to the Bruins in 2026, but the odds are in Boston’s favor. And that would be a huge coup for the Bruins when you look at all of the high-end defenseman prospects who could be available in the No. 6 to No. 12 pick range in the upcoming draft.

In summary, the Bruins got a 21-year-old center who could tally 50-plus points in his first full NHL season, plus a potential lottery pick from one of their biggest rivals (inside the division, too) for an aging defenseman who has not lived up to expectations on his new team.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeeny has his faults. His draft record isn’t sparkling (although it’s improved lately) and he’s missed on plenty of free agents. But his trade record is phenomenal, and this deal with the Maple Leafs has been a massive home run for Boston so far.

And depending on where that 2026 Leafs first-round pick lands, the trade could get even sweeter for the Bruins. Get ready for “Leafs pick watch” in March and April.

Coming off six straight victories, the Pittsburgh Penguins were due for a dud performance and that is exactly what they delivered in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators in their final home game before the Olympic break. Despite being badly outplayed most of the night, the Penguins did lead 1-0 in the first period and had the game tied at 2-2 with about five minutes left before old nemesis Claude Giroux scored the eventual game winner to halt the Penguins winning run. [Pensburgh]

It’s a quick turnaround for the Penguins who head to Long Island for a contest later this evening against the New York Islanders. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM and will be broadcast on TNT.

Pens Points…

Three games stand between the Penguins and the Olympic break, a number that will be down to just two following last night’s game against the Senators. They may be hot coming into the week, but it’s imperative they keep that momentum rolling heading into the hiatus. [Pensburgh]

While the Penguins understood why Bryan Rust was suspended, they were quietly fuming at the length of the suspension for a first time offender. That anger was multiplied over the weekend when franchise villain Tom Wilson was let off with nothing for a violent hit. [The Athletic $$]

In victories over the Blackhawks and Rangers, it was the Penguins depth scoring that did most of the damage when it came to putting the puck in the net. After seasons of weak depth that held the team back, it’s turning into a strength for the 2025-26 Penguins. [The Hockey News]

There were no splashy free agent signings for the Penguins last summer, but those players they did bring in have played like superstars this season. Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Parker Wotherspoon have all outplayed their contracts and boosting the Penguins playoff push. [The Hockey News]

NHL News and Notes…

Jared McCann had a massive week for the Seattle Kraken and takes home First Star of the Week honors from the NHL. Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy went unbeaten last week and capped it off with a goalie fights in the Stadium Series to nab Second Star. [NHL]

Following a career in hockey that has spanned over two and a half decades, Barry Trotz will step back and retire from his role as general manager of the Nashville Predators. Trotz will remain in the job until his replacement is named and will then transition into an adviser role. [NHL]

WASHINGTON — The lethargic effort by the Islanders on Saturday night prompted a drastic change in their forward lines for Monday’s 4-1 loss against the Capitals.

Not only was Mathew Barzal shifted back to the wing and reunited with Bo Horvat for just the fourth time this season, but the second line featured Jonathan Drouin starting at center for the first time all year.

Drouin skated between Emil Heineman and Simon Holmstrom, another combination the Islanders had never deployed together.

The only forward line that stayed untouched was the fourth line of Kyle MacLean, Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb.

Anthony Duclair moved down to the third line with Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, while Ondrej Palat skated with Barzal and Horvat.

“I was pretty happy the way things went with the Horvat line [and] Drouin line,” Roy said after the game. “Even the Pageau and Cizikas [lines]. I thought we did a lot of good things, but unfortunately maybe not enough offensively to score more than one goal.”

The Islanders have been keeping the idea of Drouin playing in the middle in their back pockets for a while, having occasionally skated with him there when others missed practices.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

Drouin has also frequently taken faceoffs, and took a 50.9 percent rate at the dots into Monday, when he went 4-for-11 on faceoffs.

Trying Heineman and Holmstrom, two Swedes who are close off the ice, together, could also help to spark Heineman, who has hit a bit of a wall lately.

“I like playing center,” Drouin, who has occasionally played the position in both the NHL and in juniors, said pregame. “You’re more free a little bit up the ice, you’re not stuck on the wall as a winger watching your defensemen. More free, a little more instinct.”

The revamped power-play units, with Matthew Schaefer, Barzal, Horvat, Holmstrom and Palat together on the top unit, produced an 0-for-2 night.

David Rittich stopped 20 of 23 shots in nets on the front end of the back-to-back, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled to play Tuesday against the Penguins at UBS Arena.

Roy said goalie coach Sergei Naumovs made the decision.

“That was a tough one because Ilya was so good here in Washington at the beginning of the season,” Roy said. “Probably one of his better games. They’re both good teams, Washington and Pittsburgh. Sometimes you just go with what the goalie coach’s feeling is.”

Scott Mayfield fought Tom Wilson 1:47 into the third after Wilson hit Holmstrom near center ice.

Though the hit was legal, Mayfield called it “a little awkward, kind of high.”

The Calgary Flames delivered a spirited effort Monday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, but an early three-goal deficit proved too much to overcome as they fell 4–2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Calgary welcomed back rookie defenceman Zayne Parekh, who returned to the lineup after completing his AHL conditioning stint with the Calgary Wranglers. The game marked Parekh’s first NHL appearance since Nov. 7.

Toronto wasted no time opening the scoring. On the Maple Leafs’ first shot of the night, William Nylander broke in alone just over a minute into the game and snapped a glove-side shot past Dustin Wolf to give the visitors a 1–0 lead. The goal extended Nylander’s point streak against Calgary to 12 straight games.

Nylander continued to drive Toronto’s offence in the second period. After collecting the puck behind the net, he spotted Mattias Maccelli in the slot, who one-timed a shot past Wolf to make it 2–0. The Maple Leafs then sustained heavy pressure in the Flames’ zone, and Nylander struck again—this time finding former Flame Troy Stecher, who chipped the puck by Wolf to stretch the lead to three.

With the assist, Nylander recorded his 46th career three-point game, tying Doug Gilmour for eighth in franchise history.

Calgary finally found life midway through the period. Joel Farabee slipped a pass to Nazem Kadri at the side of the net, and Kadri picked his spot, roofing a shot over Joseph Woll to cut the deficit to 3–1. The goal was Kadri’s 10th of the season, continuing his strong production against his former club.

Kadri and Farabee teamed up again shortly after, this time with Kadri sending a hard saucer pass across the crease that Farabee redirected past Woll to pull the Flames within one.

The Flames pushed hard in the third period, generating several quality chances and ringing a shot off the post, but Woll held firm in the Toronto crease. With Wolf pulled for the extra attacker in the final minute, Bobby McMann sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal, securing the 4–2 win for the Maple Leafs.

Three Takeaways

1. Effort Was There, Finish Wasn’t

Calgary outshot and outhit Toronto, firing 30 shots on goal and generating enough looks to erase the deficit, but puck luck and timely saves never swung in their favour.

2. Coronato Continues to Impress

Matt Coronato was one of Calgary’s most dangerous forwards, leading all players with seven shots on goal while logging 19:27 of ice time.

3. Encouraging Return for Parekh

Zayne Parekh was trusted in late-game situations in his first NHL contest since early November. While there were moments of adjustment, his confidence with the puck, clean passing, and overall presence were noticeable signs in his return.

The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their road trip with a 6-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth. Vancouver's goal scorers on the night were Liam Öhgren and Teddy Blueger. As for Kevin Lankinen, he did not have a strong night as he stopped 14 of the 20 shots he faced in the game. 

Monday's game was the definition of lower energy from the Canucks. Outside of a few moments, Vancouver struggled to generate any form of offence, as they finished the night with 23 shots. Overall, it was a disappointing effort made worse by the fact that this game occurred during the annual moms' trip. 

Defensive issues were once again the story for the Canucks. Whether it was missed assignments or lost stick battles, Vancouver struggled in their own zone all night. The game also featured a hat trick as Nick Schmaltz buried his third of the night in the third period.

"I think defensively, we just weren't good enough," said Blueger post-game. "We weren't tight enough. We knew they liked the cross-seam plays, and then we gave up a bunch of chances early in the first period. Lanks made some big saves and then just kept doing that throughout the second, and they made us pay for it."

As for a storyline from this game, that would be the departure of Filip Chytil. He played 7:36 through two periods and was absent from the bench at the start of the third. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote said Chytil "tweaked something" while responding to being asked if it was a head injury with "I hope not".

Lastly, ice time will once again be a discussion point after Monday's game. Jonathan Lekkerimäki played just 12:03 and was the only player outside of Chytil to play under nine minutes at even strength. With the game out of hand after the second and the team in a rebuild, there is no reason why a player like Lekkerimäki should be stapled to the bench in the third period. 

Ultimately, there were not a lot of positive takeaways from Monday's loss. Outside of the Öhgren, Blueger and Conor Garland line, the Canucks looked flat all night and were making simple mistakes that should not be happening this late in the season. In the end, though, Monday was another victory for the tank as Vancouver once again added some separation from the rest of the league at the bottom of the standings.

Stats and Facts:

- Vancouver has given up 198 hat tricks in franchise history 

- Teddy Blueger scores his fifth goal in nine games this season

- The Canucks are now 0-4-1 all-time against the Mammoth

- Vancouver has given up 72 second-period goals this season

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

3:35- UTA: Nick Schmaltz (20) from John Marino and Barrett Hayton
7:04- VAN: Liam Öhgren (4) from Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger
7:37- UTA: Nick Schmaltz (21) from Sean Durzi

2nd Period:

8:45- UTA: Mikhail Sergachev (9) from Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther
12:16- UTA: John Marino (5) from Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz
16:05- UTA: JJ Peterka (20) from Kailer Yamamoto and John Marino
18:48- VAN: Teddy Blueger (5) from Conor Garland and Marcus Pettersson

3rd Period:

12:22- UTA: Nick Schmaltz (22) from Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse

Up Next:

The Canucks play their final game before the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Last season, Vancouver failed to pick up a victory over Vegas in their four meetings. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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For the first time all season, the Ottawa Senators have put together four regulation victories in a row.

Claude Giroux’s disputed goal with under five minutes to play snapped a 2–2 draw and gave the Senators a 3–2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Monday night.

Tim Stützle and Michael Amadio had the other Senators goals, while Drake Batherson had two points on the night, along with Stützle. Linus Ullmark made 14 saves for Ottawa, which outshot the Penguins 31–16.

But it will be the Giroux goal that everyone will be talking about around water coolers on Tuesday.

Giroux started the play deep in Ottawa’s end, causing a turnover and slipping the puck to Nick Jensen, who fed Batherson in stride. As Giroux sprinted up the middle, Batherson tried to feed Stützle with a saucer pass that got deflected into the air. Stützle swatted it down with a baseball swing and it ended up right on the tape of Giroux for a clean break to the net.

Former Senator Erik Karlsson got caught flat-footed on the play and hacked at Giroux in desperation a couple of times, sending the veteran sliding into goaltender Arturs Šilovs and the goalpost. Because of the contact with Šilovs, the puck slid across the goal line.

Officials initially ruled no goal and gave Karlsson a tripping penalty. But while Giroux was down on the ice, shaken up, officials reviewed the play and determined it was a good goal.

The only reason for officials to allow the goal was because it was Karlsson who caused the collision and was penalized for it. But for some reason, the Penguins still wanted to challenge for goalie interference, which everyone knew would would fail.

Egor Chinakhov led Pittsburgh with a goal and an assist and gave the Penguins a 1–0 lead midway through the first period. When Michael Amadio tied the game early in the second period, the celebration seemed uncommonly big. His linemates were fully aware that it was his first goal in 24 games, going back to mid-December.

Stützle made it 2–1 Ottawa less than seven minutes into the third period, finishing what his linemate started. After Penguins defenceman Ryan Shea turned the puck over at Ottawa’s blueline, Jordan Spence chipped it to Batherson for a breakaway. He didn’t score, but Stützle was right there behind him to tuck in his 26th goal of the season.

Two minutes later, Thomas Chabot lost position on Tommy Novak and, when a shot came from Shea at the right point, Novak jammed home the rebound. After Chabot left Saturday night’s game early and arrived at Monday’s practice late, he was described as a game-time decision, apparently dealing with a right hand or wrist issue.

That set the scene for Giroux’s big goal, greasy as it was, late in the third period.

Few players have ever been a bigger thorn in the side of the Penguins than Giroux. According to the NHL’s website, he now has 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists) in 33 games in Pittsburgh. That’s the most points and assists by any visiting player.

The victory was another crucial one because the rest of the East can’t stop picking up points. Buffalo got two more on Monday, despite being outshot 41-20, handing Florida its fourth straight loss, 5-3.

So while the Sens are now two points clear of the two-time champs, they remain eight points behind the Sabres. Montreal lost in overtime to Minnesota, so the Canadiens’ lead on the Sens is cut to nine. The Leafs and Red Wings both got two points on Tuesday as well.

The Boston Bruins are now the target, the second wild card, seven points up on the Sens. The Bruins imploded in the Stadium Series game in Tampa on Sunday night, blowing a 5–1 lead and losing in overtime. 

To extend their streak, the Senators will have to find a way to win in Carolina on Tuesday, a place where they haven’t had much historical success at all, let alone in part two of a back-to-back situation.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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Following their dismal 5–0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin said he and his teammates intended to come to Denver for the rematch with something to prove.

The result on Monday evening was one of Detroit's gutsiest victories of the season, as they returned the favor against the Avalanche, shutting them out by a 2-0 final score at Ball Arena. 

#REDWINGS WIN IN COLORADO!!! pic.twitter.com/De9oXriKpL

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 3, 2026

It also marks Detroit's first regulation victory over the Avalanche since 2017 at Joe Louis Arena. 

The Red Wings found the back of the net right from the get-go, as Marco Kasper scored his sixth goal of the season just 33 seconds into the game after successfully converting a two-on-one rush with Lucas Raymond.

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

With Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood pulled for an extra attacker late in the third period, Lucas Raymond sealed the victory by scoring into the vacated net for his 19th goal of the season. 

Kasper's early first-period goal was all the offense Red Wings goaltender John Gibson, who was pulled after 40 minutes on Saturday, needed to work with. He stopped all 21 shots the Avalanche fired his way, picking up his fourth shutout of the season. 

It's the most shutouts Gibson has posted in a season since he had four during the 2017-18 campaign, while still with the Anaheim Ducks. 

Detroit’s victory earned two crucial points in the standings, keeping them in second place in the Atlantic Division.

They trail the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning by just two points, while the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres remain uncomfortably close in the rearview mirror.

Detroit has just one game remaining on Wednesday evening before the schedule takes a multi-week break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Red Wings will make just their second-ever appearance at Delta Center in Salt Lake City to face the Utah Mammoth; they won't play again until Feb. 26 against the Ottawa Senators. 

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CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks ended the pre-Olympic break portion of their home schedule on Monday night with a match against the San Jose Sharks at the United Center. 

Coming into the game, the San Jose Sharks were the only NHL team that the Blackhawks had yet to play. For the next decade, Macklin Celebrini vs Connor Bedard will highlight this matchup, but there is a lot of talent on both sides. 

In the first period, Bedard kicked off the scoring with his 23rd of the season. This goal ended a 0-26 stretch on the power play that spanned multiple weeks. Bedard now has goals in three straight games. He is heating up after a slow return from his injury.

By the end of the period, the Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead and only allowed the San Jose Sharks one shot on goal. 

The second period was significantly more eventful. Connor Murphy, Ryan Donato, and Sam Rinzel scored three unanswered goals to make it 4-1. 

The Sharks eventually got one when Celebrini set up Will Smith with a beautiful pass through the goal crease. Less than one minute after, however, Ilya Mikheyev took the momentum right back when he made it 5-1. 

San Jose wouldn't go quietly into the night, however, as Celebrini scored a goal of his own to get the Sharks back within three. That 5-2 score held through the second intermission. 

In the third period, Shakir Mukhamadullin was set up for a nice backhand goal by former Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev. San Jose getting within two made them believe that they could get it tied. They tilted the ice in a big way during the third period. 

Despite their pure domination during the final frame, the Sharks had one bad play that led to Ryan Donato's second goal of the game (fourth point). The 6-3 score stood as the final in favor of the Blackhawks. 

A key role in the victory, despite all the goals and breaking through on the power play, was the penalty kill. 

San Jose went 0-4 with the man-advantage. They made some nice plays, but good sticks, solid positioning, top-notch instincts, and a few good saves by Spencer Knight allowed the Hawks to kill four straight penalties. They are up to 85.6%, which leads the league by over one full percent. 

This is a big win for the young Blackhawks. They are still pretty far below the playoff line, but after a handful of losses in a row, they needed a win for morale. There is a long break coming up, and they'd like to enter it feeling good about themselves. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

make that 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 with a goal for Bedsy 🚨 pic.twitter.com/SUnfMjldl0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 3, 2026

#𝟱 was right on time⏰ pic.twitter.com/RkllDP2Jz8

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 3, 2026

signed, sealed, 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙🫡 pic.twitter.com/CN8IQ5wVM9

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 3, 2026

Sam said '𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙒𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀'🤩 pic.twitter.com/px8OkdOizx

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 3, 2026

it's a party🥳 pic.twitter.com/jg9BXePvfV

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 3, 2026

Ryan's 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 goal of the night,
makes it 𝗦𝗜𝗫 for the team👏 pic.twitter.com/Wq0CwH2Gos

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 3, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Wednesday night when they pay a visit to Ohio to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. This will be Chicago's last game before they break for the Olympics. 

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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With only two more games left before the Olympic break, the Colorado Avalanche hoped to spark a win streak to end this first half of the season, with the 4-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings as a catalyst. Well, the exact opposite happened, and with the power play continuing to get worse each game, the Avalanche got a taste of their own medicine, being shut out at home, with a 2-0 loss.

Period 1:

The Red Wings don’t waste any time as they come out early with a 2-on-1 opportunity, and it's Lucas Raymond from Marco Kasper to open the scoring, 1-0. Mason Appleton gets called for delay of game as he sends the puck over the glass, and the Avalanche gets their first power play of the night.

Though their power-play struggles continue, this unit looks nowhere near as good as it did back in Detroit. The first period did not look great for the Avalanche, as they were outshot 8-5, with Detroit getting a lot of offensive zone time and the Avalanche not generating much.

Period 2:

The second period wasn’t any better for both teams as a whole. Sam Malinski is called for tripping, and Taylor Makar is called for hooking, but the Avalanche continue to do a good job on the penalty kill and negate both penalties.

The Red Wings were able to adjust as the period went on, the Avalanche werent able to, and it showed. Missed passes, shots going wide on the net, and MacKenzie Blackwood having to come up with big saves to keep it within a one-goal game. Come the end of the period, the Avalanche were outshot 15-4 in the period, matching a season low in shots in the second period.

Period 3:

Albert Johansson called for tripping, but the Avalanche just can’t get anything going on the man-advantage. Blackwood is doing everything he can to keep the Avalanche in the game, including robbing Andrew Copp on the doorstep, as it was set up with Alex DeBrincat getting away from Clae Makar across the boards.

Mackenzie Blackwood...highway robbery on Andrew Copp. What a save.#avs@thehockeynews#lgrw#goavsgo

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) February 3, 2026

Blackwood is pulled with 2:30 remaining in the period, and Reymond finds the empty net to close the game off at 2-0. With this loss, this is the first time the Avalanche have been shut out this season. For the Red Wings, this is their first regulation win against the Avalanche since March 18, 2017.

The Avalanche face the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Feb 4, in their final game before the Olympic break.

Nathan MacKinnon Sparks Fury Among Red Wings FansHow dare Nathan MacKinnon defend a teammate.

Lately, it's been pretty easy to write serenades about the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have had their way with most of the teams they have played.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case on Monday.

The Ottawa Senators came to Pittsburgh and defeated the Penguins, 3-2, to snap the team's six-game win streak. Pittsburgh has now won just two of their last 11 games against the Senators, who didn't give them much to work with the entire game. 

Through two periods, the Penguins had just 10 shots on goal to the Senators' 23, and they never really found a way to get to the hard-forechecking and possession game that has made them so successful lately. Ottawa was shutting them down in the neutral zone, and the Penguins had a hard time breaking out of their own zone. 

"They jammed it up in the middle," forward Noel Acciari said. "We struggled getting out of our zone and getting in their zone. And the simple play was, tonight, just get it behind them and try and forecheck. But, it wasn't our best tonight.

"Ten shots over two periods is not going to win games, but we know we've got better, and it's a quick turnaround for tomorrow."

Out of the gate, the Penguins were pretty lethargic, and they were outworked from the jump. However, that didn't stop Evgeni Malkin from, once again, connecting with fellow Russian Egor Chinakhov, who was breaking through the slot. Chinakhov finished the play for his 10th of the season and seventh goal as a Penguin to put Pittsburgh in front, 1-0, early on. 

Egor Chinakhov strikes AGAIN 😮

He now has seven goals since joining the @penguins! pic.twitter.com/GCU6JeEHN3

— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2026

But, from there, the Penguins ran into some penalty trouble - which threw off their game - and the Senators pretty muc controlled all the momentum despite the goal. Michael Amadio tied the game from the slot just a minute and a half into the second period, and - miraculously - the score remained that way until the third because of the work of Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs, who was outstanding throughout this game. 

With a little more than 13 minutes to go in regulation, a bad change by defenseman Erik Karlsson led to a breakaway opportunity for Tim Stutzle, who capitalized for his 26th of the season to put Ottawa on top, 2-1. Two minutes later, Tommy Novak tied things up with a garbage goal at the net front, and the Penguins were still hanging on.

However - with just over five to go - Claude Giroux received a pass from Stutzle and crashed into the Silovs as Silovs stopped the initial shot attempt. However, the puck trickled into the net in the aftermath, and it was called a good goal on the ice. The Penguins challenged for goaltender interference on the play, but they lost the challenge and ultimately lost the game, 3-2. 

G💰 leaving it all out on the ice for the good guys tonight 💪#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/cIJSoCd9La

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) February 3, 2026

Silovs - who stopped 28 of 31 shots on the evening - did not agree with the ruling.

"I don't know. For me, it doesn't make sense," Silovs said. "He came in, I stopped the puck, and then the second... he goes like 25 miles [per hour] going down. Like, what do you expect me to do? I don't understand how they think, whether they're protecting players or not, especially for goalies... I don't understand this rule.

"Like, what's the position there? I would understand if it goes straightaway in, then I would agree with the call. But, it's a second effort, so I don't really agree with the call."

'Every Line's Able To Bring Some Offense': Penguins' Quick-Strike Offense Key To Success This SeasonThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winning a lot of hockey games this season - and it starts with the team's ability to keep piling on offense

Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this 3-2 loss:

- Honestly? There's not really much to say about this one. This is a bad matchup for the Penguins, and this team just has their number. They were never, at any point, the better team in this game, and it showed in the end result. 

And, honestly? The end result indicated a closer game than it actually was. 

Look, losing this one isn't the end of the world. Maybe this opinion is unpopular, but when you win a lot of hockey games, a team almost earns the luxury of having a dud here and there. It's been happening frequently lately to the best team in the league in the Colorado Avalanche, as they have lost three of their last eight games by a score of 7-3 against the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens.

This is one that you lock away in a box and leave. The Penguins need their best Tuesday against the New York Islanders - who lost to the Washington Capitals, 4-1, on Monday - and I expect a response, especially after seeing how much head coach Dan Muse was seething after the game. 

How Three Key Free-Agent Additions Are Paying Huge Dividends For The Penguins The Penguins were busy in free agency over the summer, and three of the players they brought in have been fantastic.

- Silovs was truly magnificent in this game, and I think it was one of his best as a Penguin.

He made a ton of key saves early, and throughout the year, the early parts of games is where he has struggled the most. But he was dialed in all night long, and he was the only reason this game was as close as it was. 

His teammates owe him a very fancy steak dinner after this one.

Arturs Silovs stretches across for the acrobatic save! 👏 pic.twitter.com/3VcZYFoitz

— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2026

- Chinakhov continues to make me wonder what the Columbus Blue Jackets were thinking. This guy just has such great instincts on top of having a 99th percentile shot in this league.

And, if I'm the Penguins, he's out there in six-on-five situations and on the first power play unit. There's no sense in not having the guy with the best shot on your team - and some of the best offensive instincts - out there in almost every key offensive situation. 

What a player this guy has been for the Penguins and for Malkin. 

- Speaking of the power play, it was another rough one for them, even if they only got one opportunity in the latter half of the third period. It's just one of its last 16, and there isn't really anything going right on that unit right now. 

A switch-up in personnel may be in order, but honestly? I just think it comes down to more player movement and quicker, more decisive puck movement. The Penguins are also overpassing right now and not getting nearly enough pucks - or bodies - to the net. 

Revisiting The Top-Five Moments Of The 2016 Stanley Cup Championship RunPrior to their game on Saturday against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">New York Rangers</a>, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> celebrated their 2016 Stanley Cup champion team, as 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the championship run.

- This was a disaster of a game for every Penguin not named Silovs in general, but boy, was this a dud from Karlsson.

Karlsson has been one of the Penguins' best players all season long, but he struggles against his former team. He doesn't not have a goal against the Senators in his career, and he is a minus-5 - which doesn't account for that bad change. 

Not a good game from the blue line in general, but he stood out in particular. 

- The top line is not functioning well for the Penguins right now. This four-game stretch for Sidney Crosby has been rough - he has just one point in the last four games - and without Bryan Rust, they haven't been able to generate anything, as Justin Brazeau doesn't look like a fit there. 

If Rust wasn't returning Tuesday, I think a look for Rutger McGroarty with Crosby and Rickard Rakell would be warranted. But, with Rust set to return against the Isles, it's probably a moot point. 

Still, even with Rust in the fold before his suspension, something has been off. It's nice that the Penguins are getting secondary scoring, but at some point, the top line needs to produce at its customary rate again if the Penguins want to continue winning down the stretch run of the season.

Erik Karlsson Hits Career Milestone On SaturdayErik Karlsson notched his 700th assist during Saturday's game.

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

After falling into a 5-1 hole in the second period, the Nashville Predators scored five unanswered goals for a miraculous comeback victory over the St. Louis Blues, 6-5 on Monday at Bridgestone Arena. 

It ties the franchise record for the largest comeback in the game, four goals, set in a 7-5 win over the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 21, 2025, when Nashville also came back after going down 5-1. 

Steven Stamkos scored the game-tying and game-winning goal in the third period. 

The Predators were down by just a goal at the end of the first period, with Ryan O'Reilly recording his first tally of the night on the power play.

However, in the first four minutes of the second period, the Blues scored three unanswered goals, two of which came just 30 seconds apart.

KEEP 'EM COMING BOYS! pic.twitter.com/J61bHMJvx7

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 3, 2026

The early second-period barrage saw the Predators pull Juuse Saros for Justus Annunen after Saros allowed five goals on 21 shots. 

The Predators began to turn things around near the end of the second as Michael McCarron and Filip Forsberg scored to make it a two-goal game. Forsberg now has four goals in three games. 

In the third, O'Reilly netted his second of the night to cut the Blues' lead down to a goal. Stamkos took over, scoring twice to tie the game and give the Predators the lead. The second goal was his ninth game-winning goal of the season. 

While they didn't score, Roman Josi had four assists and Luke Evangelista had three assists. Josi is riding a red-hot scoring streak, with 37 points in 42 games. 

Nashville was able to hang on for the final 10 minutes of the game for its 17th comeback win of the season. The Predators improve to 26-23-6 on the year and steal two points for 58 on the season. 

This story will be updated. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 3:38 of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.

Minnesota got the power play when Phillip Danault hooked Kaprizov in front of the goal. Kaprizov took a feed from Quinn Hughes and fired a shot past Jakub Dobes from the high slot for his 32nd goal of the season.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Brock Faber also scored, and Hughes had three assists to reach 50 for the season. Filip Gustavsson made 17 saves.

Faber tied it at 3 at 7:05 of the third, racing onto the puck down the right side for a quick shot. Quinn assisted on the goal.

Hughes assisted on Kaprizov’s first goal to tie the Russian’s team-record assists streak at nine and push his franchise-record points streak for defenseman to nine. Kaprizov had assists in nine straight games in 2022-23.

Minnesota won its fourth straight, ending Montreal winning streak at three.

Brendan Gallagher, Ivan Demidov and Kirby Dach scored to give Montreal the lead after the Wild raced to a 2-0 advantage.

Dach put Montreal ahead 12 seconds into the third, knocking in Nick Suzuki’s feed. Gallagher started the comeback with 52 seconds left in the first, and Demidov tied it with 17 seconds to go in the second,

Eriksson Ek opened the scoring at 38 seconds of the first, firing a wrist shot from right circle. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 4:12 left in the first, tipping in Quinn's feed.

Wild defenseman Daemon Hunt didn’t return after taking a puck to the throat in the first period.

Canadiens: At Winnipeg on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.

Wild: At Nashville on Wednesday night in their final game before the Olympic break.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

WASHINGTON — The parade of four-point games for the Islanders leading into the Olympic break started with a thud.

The Islanders rolled out new lines and new power-play units, but they produced the same disappearing forecheck and tailed off after the first period just like two nights earlier on Long Island. The result was a 4-1 defeat Monday night to the Capitals, who moved within two points of the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Over 56 games, themes have emerged on nights where the Islanders don’t have it going, and they hit nearly all of them Monday. Too many one-and-done chances off the rush and too little time holding the puck in the offensive zone. Nothing on the power play. A couple of messy plays around the front of the net. It’s familiar by now, though it’s more than a little alarming to see it happen two games in a row.

Afterward, the Islanders went to the refrain that they’d played well and had plenty of chances, and the advanced stats backed them. The stats, though, didn’t quite capture the way the wind went out of their sails once they went 2-1 down early in the second period.

“For some reason it affected us,” coach Patrick Roy said. “Is it because we had a few good chances, didn’t score on those? Maybe that affected us as well. We had a couple breakaways where we could’ve got back in that game and their goalie made some good saves.”

Tuesday’s home match against the Penguins, who sit two points above the Islanders in the standings after losing to Ottawa on Monday, feels particularly important now. The Islanders can only afford so much slippage before Friday, when the three-week Olympic break begins and the NHL gets a chance to take a deep breath.

The Islanders had tossed away a 1-0 lead in the second period of this one, but with the score sitting at 2-1 Washington entering the third, things were far from over.

After the Islanders killed off two consecutive penalties, it looked like they might even have a chance to seize some momentum.

Instead, the Caps made it 3-1 after Nic Dowd threw a puck at the crease, which pinged off Tony DeAngelo before finding the back of the net at 8:48 of the period.

The Islanders did eventually have a semblance of a push, but it didn’t come until Roy emptied his net with over five minutes to go. By then, it was too little and too late — and John Carlson’s empty-netter extended Washington’s lead to 4-1 before the Isles could make a game of it.

“I thought, honestly, we played pretty well,” Bo Horvat, who had a pair of breakaways and converted neither, told The Post. “I thought we carried the play pretty much the majority of the game. Had a couple breaks. Just unfortunate for us tonight.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

Just like against the Predators on Saturday, the Islanders’ best moments of the game came at the start. That was when they were most active below the hashes, holding pucks in the zone and creating havoc. It paid off at 16:38 of the first when Tom Wilson’s pass from the corner went straight to Mathew Barzal’s stick, and Barzal promptly deposited the gift of a turnover into the Washington net.

The Capitals’ frustration didn’t last long though. Wilson fed Martin Fehérváry for the 1-1 goal 5:29 into the second with Aliaksei Protas screening, and just 31 seconds later, old friend Anthony Beauvillier took advantage of what looked like a complete breakdown around the net to stuff the puck in at the right post for a Washington lead.

In contrast, Roy was lamenting the lack of bodies toward the Capitals net, where Clay Stevenson was making just his third career NHL start.

“It’s on us to be better, get more around their net,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “Try harder to get there.”

Again and again, Roy keeps changing the lines and again and again, the best Islanders trio is the only one staying intact: the fourth line of Marc Gatcomb, Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean.

The revamped top six that featured Barzal and Ondrej Palat on Bo Horvat’s wings with Jonathan Drouin centering Emil Heineman and Simon Holmstrom had its moments — enough of them for Roy to say he was happy with the lines after the game. Self-evidently, though, it wasn’t enough, and the same old problems aren’t going away for the Islanders.

Rather, it is more a question of whether they can work around them than whether they can solve them each night. If that doesn’t change soon, the Islanders won’t like the result.