With a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sabres would have overtaken the Canadiens in second place in the Atlantic Division. Still, Lindy Ruff’s men were unable to pull it off against Sidney Crosby and company. The Pens won 5-2, which meant Buffalo stayed at 70 points in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens have a two-point lead on them and must manage to maintain a lead over the Buffalo outfit, since the Sabres would, in all likelihood, have the first tie-breaker at the end of the year; they have 26 regulation wins, while the Habs only have 21.
As for the Senators, they currently trail the Bruins, who hold the second wildcard spot, by six points, thanks to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. While the Senators are not mathematically out of the playoff picture, a six-point deficit will be hard to make up with 25 games to go, given how strong the Atlantic Division has been this season.
Meanwhile, the two-time champions Panthers are trailing Boston by eight points after taking a 6-1 beating at the hands of the Lightning on Thursday night. The Cats’ frustration was evident as 147 penalty minutes were handed out to the Florida rivals. Matthew Tkachuk got a two-minute minor for abuse of officials and was looking for trouble all night, especially when he interfered with Nikita Kucherov, which led to a full-blown brawl in the third frame, when the Bolts were already up 4-0.
With the win, the Lightning now have a six-point lead over the Canadiens and have two games in hand. The Detroit Red Wings also have 72 points, like the Canadiens, but they have played one more game, which is why they find themselves in third place in the Atlantic.
If the Canadiens can keep the same pace, making the playoffs shouldn’t be a worry, but they’ll likely be jockeying for position right up till the end, and the first-round matchups won’t be clear until everyone has played 82 games. For now, though, the Habs can enjoy the break sitting in second place in the division and won’t have to worry about scoreboard watching until the end of February.
In the third period of the game, McCarron whacked van Riemsdyk on the forearm way after the play. There was no penalty on the play but the NHL's Player Safety program has fined McCarron for the slash.
Nashville is four points outside of a Wild Card spot and will head into the break 3-4-3 in its last ten games.
The Predators first game after the break will be against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 26 at Bridgestone Arena.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned rookie forwards Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Both players will get to play in AHL games during the next few weeks since the NHL is on its Olympic break.
Hayes made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, and it was one to remember. He scored two goals, one of which came on his first shot in the first period. He utilized his speed to blow right past two Sabres defenders before blowing the puck past goaltender Alex Lyon.
His second goal came off a great feed from Anthony Mantha, and he roofed it past Lyon. He's the 12th undrafted player to score multiple goals in his NHL debut in NHL history. He's also only the seventh player in NHL history to score multiple goals in the first period of his debut.
McGroarty finished Thursday's game with an assist and played really well during this recent stint in the NHL. His skating continues to look even better, and he's constantly in position to make plays.
Both players will be full-time NHLers pretty soon.
The WBS Penguins are currently in second place behind the Providence Bruins in the Atlantic Division and will try to make a run at first to end the season.
Horvat recorded two goals and an assist in the Islanders' 5-4 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, which included the game-winning tally at the 52-second mark of the extra frame:
Then, late in the third against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Horvat scored the go-ahead goal for the Islanders to make it a 2-1 game at x before earning the primary assist on Mathew Barzal's empty-net goal at x.
Gimme some Italian Ice! Bo Horvat scores his 24th goal of the season and puts the #Isles up 2-1 late.🚨 pic.twitter.com/PsP0Ruzp0P
Seven members of the Vancouver Canucks will be heading to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, with the first day of games beginning on February 11. Despite the NHL being on break during the Olympics, many storylines will follow these players as they prepare to compete on the biggest stage in the world. Here are five Canucks storylines that will take place at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Will A Solid Showing At The Olympics Increase Trade Interest In Teddy Blueger Or David Kämpf?
Two of the Canucks’ pending UFAs will take part in the 2026 Olympics for their respective teams — Teddy Blueger for Latvia and David Kämpf for Czechia. This is especially intriguing as both players will likely be put in more-expanded roles than the ones they currently play in with Vancouver, with Blueger in particular potentially ending up in a more offensively-inclined role. With the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6 looming, there’s no doubt that management teams will be eyeing players at the Olympics as some to target as pick-ups for playoff runs, and Blueger in particular could be a strong piece for contending teams to add. Vancouver is one of those teams that looks like they’ll be making moves up until the deadline; if Blueger or Kämpf put on a show at the Olympics, it wouldn’t be surprising to see one of the league’s top teams make a move to acquire them as a depth piece.
Could A Strong Olympic Campaign Play Lukas Reichel Back Into An NHL Role?
The Lukas Reichel experiment in Vancouver hasn’t quite gone the way management has planned. Not happy with his defensive play, the organization sent Reichel down to the AHL to play while seeking out trade fits for the young forward. Similar to Blueger and Kämpf’s situations, Reichel will likely end up with a bigger role when skating with Germany at the Olympics — the potential of playing with stars like Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stützle will only add to that. If Reichel can put together a solid Olympic campaign, one that shows he’s paying more attention to the defensive side of the game, he may be able to play himself back into an NHL role.
Will Elias Pettersson Experience An Explosion In Offensive Output With Sweden’s Roster?
Last year, many believed playing with a stacked Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Faceoff would greatly help Elias Pettersson’s offensive efforts. That clearly didn’t happen, as the forward was unable to register a point in Sweden’s three games during the tournament. A similar belief follows Pettersson into the Olympics nearly a year later, especially now that he seems to slowly be making a comeback on the defensive size of the game. While the 2025–26 season still has yet to see Pettersson return to his 100-point form, there have been some small flashes of the creativity he showed in the early years of his NHL career. If he brings out this creativity while skating with some of Sweden’s top talents, Pettersson could find himself enjoying a strong offensive effort during his first career Olympics.
Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden forward Elias Pettersson (40) looks on in warm-up before the game against Team Canada during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Could An Extended Role With Czechia Add To Speculation About Filip Hronek Becoming The Canucks’ Next Captain?
Since the departure of former Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek has been the main player many have watched step-up into a leadership role. The defenceman now wears an ‘A’ for Vancouver and has been more present from a more public perspective. Hronek, who is the most-tenured Canuck when it comes to international play, has also taken on leadership roles for Czechia at times, wearing an ‘A’ in two different World Championships. With an extended role likely coming his way throughout Czechia’s Olympic campaign, Hronek’s position as a leader on Team Czechia may cause many to consider whether he could be the Canucks’ next captain or not.
Will Fatigue Play A Role In Kevin Lankinen’s Olympic And Post-Olympic Play?
Throughout the past two seasons, Kevin Lankinen has played in what feels like the most hockey of his career. Not only did he play in a career-high 51 games in 2024–25, he also took part in two games for Finland at the 4 Nations Faceoff. This season, he’s already up to 32 games played throughout Vancouver’s 57. With Thatcher Demko now shut down for the rest of the 2025–26 season, Lankinen will be taking on even more of a share of goaltending duties on top of what he may end up doing at the Olympics. Lankinen already showed signs of tiredness towards the end of last season; having him play even more in the final few months of the year may result in even more fatigue later on.
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 Olympic break is here for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they have made some roster moves because of it.
The Penguins have announced that they have assigned forwards Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Hayes was called up to Pittsburgh's roster ahead of their Thursday night contest against the Buffalo Sabres. The 23-year-old forward undoubtedly thrived in his NHL debut for the Penguins, as he scored two goals in the club's 5-2 victory over Buffalo.
Now, with the Olympic break here, Hayes will be looking to build on his momentum down in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In 31 games this season with the AHL club, he has recorded 13 goals, 10 assists, and 23 points.
McGroarty, on the other hand, has recorded two goals, three assists, and five points in 20 games so far this season with Pittsburgh. The 2022 first-round pick has also posted four goals, eight assists, and 12 points in nine games this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Seth Jones and a fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and Spencer Knight.
Florida was able to retain the 2026 first-round pick by giving the Calgary Flames their 2025 pick to complete the Matthew Tkachuk trade. If they didn't, this pick would slide to 2027 for Chicago. That condition was met, and no other conditions were reportedly placed on the pick.
However, 11 months later, it is now confirmed that there were actually stipulations on this first-round pick. It is top-ten protected. Shockingly, the two-time defending champions are having a down year, and this pick falling into the top-ten is possible.
If the Panthers do retain this pick, their 2027 first will transfer to Chicago. That 2027 pick is already set to go to the Boston Bruins from the Brad Marchand trade, but it will slide to 2028 for Boston if the Panthers are forced to give it to the Blackhawks.
Conditions on a pick are rarely misunderstood like this, but it can happen from time to time. Chicago's front office was always aware of it, but it was never reported properly.
Frank Seravalli was the first one to put it out there that this was a top-ten protected pick for Florida on Friday morning.
Some news: I'm in the process of launching a new site, Hockey 24/7, so consider today a soft launch.
A clarification that seemed to catch #TimeToHunt and #Blackhawks fans offguard - yes, Florida's 2026 pick is Top 10 protected.
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With the
NHL activities being on a hiatus during the Olympics, Montreal Canadiens
players who were not lucky enough to be selected to represent their country in
Milano-Cortina, or whose country cannot participate, have some much-deserved time
off. Even hockey-obsessed players like Ivan Demidov can enjoy a bit of a break.
The Russian
rookie who delighted Habs fans over the Christmas break by taking to a Bleu,
Blanc, Bouge outdoor rink with teammate Lane Hutson was spotted on a flight to
Florida yesterday. Where is he headed? Well, according to his significant other’s
Instagram account, Demidov is headed to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
While the
winger was playing in the Canadiens’ last game before the break, Katya
Yakovleva was posting pictures in front of the iconic Magic Kingdom’s Castle
and of all the wonders she spotted in Disney.
Katya Yakovleva Instagram account
Demidov’s
rookie season is going just as planned, with the 20-year-old leading the rookie
scoring race at the break with 46 points in 57 games, on pace for a 66-point
season. Which is the same amount of points Hutson put up in his Calder Trophy-winning
rookie season last year. Before Hutson, the last Calder winner to put up 66
points was Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.
That doesn’t
necessarily mean that Demidov’s name should be pencilled in as the Calder
Trophy winner just yet; he does have some great competition in Anaheim Ducks
Beckett Sennecke, who only trails him by two points, and New York Islanders
stand-out defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
The
18-year-old has taken the league by storm and is the odds-on favourite. Graduating
to the NHL straight out of junior and taking over the Isles’ number one
defenseman spot left vacant by Noah Dobson’s departure. The youngster has 39
points in 56 games, a plus-nine rating and averages over 24 minutes of ice time
per game and has scored four game-winning goals, including two in overtime. He
skates on Patrick Roy’s first pairing and quarterbacks the first power play
unit.
While
Demidov also plays a big role for the Canadiens and leads the rookie scoring
race, he faces an uphill battle for the Calder Trophy. With 25 games left on
the Habs’ calendar, the youngster still has time to make up some ground, but it
won’t be easy to overtake the young defenseman. When NHL action resumes, Canadiens and Islanders' fans will be treated to a first duel between the two young players as the Habs will take on the Isles on February 26 at the Bell Centre.
Along with “Thrill of Defeat” host and Pittsburgh guy Dan Hopper, we remember Dick Tarnstrom, who turned getting waived by the Islanders into a starring role on some bad transitional Penguins teams.
While the Penguins have had some all time great players in their history, the periods between those players were pretty dire. Bankruptcies, empty buildings and lots of losses were not uncommon for one of the NHL’s now-marquee teams. Into one of these eras stepped Dick Tarnstrom, a very late round pick of the Islanders who found himself squeezed out of Long Island during one of their rare fertile periods of the early 2000’s and onto a Penguins team desperate for anyone who could put the puck into a net. Tarnstrom was competent on a bereft squad, which means he got comparisons to Hall of Famers, and Hart and Norris Trophy votes from the win-starved writers covering it. The Penguins’ “X-Generation” might have featured a lot of weird players, but thanks to cheap tickets and EXTREME marketing, it actually succeeded in creating a new wave of fans. To those kids, guys like Dick Tarnstrom felt like superstars of tomorrow.
Dan takes us through the Full Tarnstrom Experience and tells us what it was like watching the Penguins between the Lemieux/Jagr and Crosby/Malkin eras. We learn about the “Ric and Dick Show,” attending Ryan Malone’s hockey camp as a kid, the Woodstock 99 flavor of the “X-Generation” ads and how Tarnstrom was able to capture hearts in the Steel City. We also wonder how we forgot he played for the Oilers during their 2006 Cup final run and why he was put on waivers in the first place (it probably had something to do with being Swedish and having Mike Milbury as a general manager). It’s the deepest dive you’ll find on the man who is surely the last “Dick” in NHL history.
Thanks again to Dan for coming on. His podcast, “Thrill of Defeat” is outstanding and if you’re a fan of Weird Islanders, it will be right up your alley. He’s on a bit of a hiatus now, but there are plenty of episodes to get started on.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL
Tarnstrom didn’t score a ton of goals for the Islanders but one of them helped them forge a 6-6 tie (!) with the Panthers in February of 2002.
Most people probably didn’t notice Tarnstrom getting picked up off waivers by the Penguins in August of 2002. But he started turning heads early that season (playing with Mario Lemieux might have helped). After a 41-point campaign, he would re-up with them in the summer of 2003 because, basically, they had to sign someone on defense. That investment would pay off in spades for them.
Here’s Tarnstrom scoring for the Penguins (includes a couple of classic Mike Lange calls)
This incredible article detailed the impact Tarnstrom had on the Penguins in the early rebuild stages. It would read like a satire if it didn’t really happen. Includes a cheap shot at the Islanders for good measure.
After playing for the Oilers, on their 2006 Stanley Cup final team, and the Blue Jackets to disappointing results, Tarnstrom returned to his native Sweden and his original club, the Stockholm-based AIK in 2008. The team had been relegated to the SEL’s second division. But with Tarnstrom as captain, they made it back to the top tier in 2010 and went on a couple of long playoff runs.
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins scored one of their most impressive wins of the 2025-26 season on Thursday night when they beat a Buffalo Sabres team that has been one of the hottest in the NHL by an 5-2 margin. It was an impressive win not only because they mostly outplayed the Sabres, but also because they did it without Kris Letang, Rickard Rakell, Blake Lizotte and Noel Acciari. They did it with another mostly off night from the Sidney Crosby line. They did it with a couple of rookies (Ben Kindel and Avery Hayes) providing most of the offense.
It has the Penguins in second place in the Metropolitan Division going into the Olympic break, while also having a pretty nice cushion over the non-playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.
It is impressive. It is also far better than anybody anticipated for this season when it began.
It also leads to a question that needs to be asked. Are the Penguins contenders this season? Right now? The knee-jerk reaction instinct is to simply say, no, they are not, because that is not what anybody anticipated at the start and certainly not what the expectations were. But as I wrote on Tuesday, your play changes expectations, and based on the Penguins play and results I am having a hard time arguing why they can not contend for the Eastern Conference this season.
Follow me here.
1. Can the Pittsburgh Penguins be Eastern Conference contenders right now?
Let me just give you some numbers on where the Penguins rank across the board in both the standings and some other major categories.
NHL Points Percentage: .625 (7th)
Eastern Conference Points Percentage: .625 (4th)
NHL Goal Differential: plus-23 (7th)
5-on-5 Goal Share: plus-15 (8th)
5-on-5 Expected Goals Share: 52.2 (7th)
5-on-5 Expected Goals For Per 60 Minutes: 2.92 (4th)
5-on-5 Expected Goals Against Per 60 Minutes: 2.67 (17th)
In just about every standings metric, possession metric, and scoring chance metric they are a top-10 team. In most of them, they are a top-eight team. They are an outstanding 5-on-5 team. Their special teams in both areas are among the best in the NHL. They have four capable forward lines with some depth beyond them (as we have seen with Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen and now Avery Hayes able to make the move from the AHL and contribute). The goaltending has run hot-and-cold at times, but overall it has been good enough.
The only metric where they are not in the top-10 is when it comes to preventing expected goals defensively. They are middle-of-the-pack in that area. But even then they jump up to 12th in the NHL over the past 25 games, indicating some significant improvement in their defensive play.
Against teams currently in a playoff position they are 13-5-6 this season. Against the other top-10 teams in the standings this season they are 8-4-2.
We all know what the preseason expectations were. We all know what the roster looks like on paper and where the perceived shortcomings are.
We also know that we have a 56-game sampling where they have consistently outplayed teams, won games, and won games against other top contenders in the Eastern Conference and the NHL as a whole.
Right now the Tampa Bay Lightning are separating themselves from everybody else in the Eastern Conference and are starting to get healthy. They look like the class of the conference right now and are suddenly giving the Colorado Avalanche a run for their money league wide. They look impressive. Even dominant. Even then, the Penguins have traditionally matched up well with them and played them very well. Including this season. Including recently.
There is still a lot of hockey to be played, obviously, but not THAT much. The March schedule is brutally difficult and I suspect we will learn a lot about the Penguins during that stretch. We have also been saying that quite often this season and each time they keep passing the test. There is a lot to be said for that.
They are an objectively good hockey team right now. It is just a matter of how good and what their potential ceiling might be. My suspicion is it might be higher than even Pittsburgh thinks it is.
2. Sidney Crosby is in a funk and it has not really mattered
The one Penguins line that is not really clicking right now is, oddly enough, the Sidney Crosby line. Part of that was the absence of Bryan Rust for a few games while he served his suspension, and Justin Brazeau not really being a great fit in his place. Part of it has been Crosby going through a rare funk. Both things are contributing.
Crosby especially has been struggling with zero goals, only two assists and a minus-3 rating over his past seven games.
The Penguins record in those six games: 4-1-1
That is a testament to the Penguins forward depth.
That is also another box checked in the “why are they not considered contenders right now?” list.
3. Ben Kindel just keeps getting better
Of all the changes the Penguins made to their roster for this season, the selection of Ben Kindel and his unexpected presence in the lineup has been one of the most significant. An 18-year-old, non-top-five pick, playing at center, and just stepping right into the NHL and being one of the best players on his team (and a good team!) is just outrageously impressive and unexpected work.
He is not only impressive.
He keeps getting better.
Especially now that he has snapped out of the goal-scoring funk that he was stuck in for a few weeks.
He is now up to 14 goals in 53 games (a 22-goal pace over 82 games) and still one of their best all-around players. He had a game this past week where the Penguins expected goal share when he was on the ice was 98 percent. It is the second game this season he was over 94 percent in a game. He is arguably their best possession-driving forward this season. He is finding his scoring touch. He is a relentless puck-hound. He plays with an insane level of confidence for an 18-year-old. He has helped make their lineup significantly deeper in terms of quality. It can not be overstated how significant his presence in the organization has become.
He is not only a big reason why they are a potential playoff team this season, he is setting up to be a significant long-term building block. He is a huge part of the reason why this season has become so exciting for both the short-term and the long-term.
4. Anthony Mantha is having a career year
Kyle Dubas has been on some kind of a run over the past season-and-a-half and the Anthony Mantha signing this past offseason has been one of the more surprisingly productive moves. The plan with him at the time seemed obvious. Sign a guy coming off a down, injury-shortened season the prior year to a low-risk contract, hope to build his value up a little, then flip him at the trade deadline for a second-round pick. He seemed to be this season’s Anthony Beauvilier.
It has worked out significantly better than expected.
Going into the Olympic break Mantha is already up to 20 goals and 42 total points in 56 games, is on pace to set career highs in goals and total points. Prior to this season his high goal-mark was 25 (in only 67 games) during the 2018-19 season with the Detroit Red Wings. He is currently on pace for 29 goals. His career high in total points is 48 in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. He is currently on pace for 61 points.
The Penguins could easily trade him for a second-round pick in March. Probably more. But I also do not know how they do that given the way the season is right now. It is not like the Penguins have a pressing need for more draft picks. They already have more of them over the next four years than any team in the NHL, including several picks in the first three rounds.
Should the Penguins re-sign him? That might be going a little too far with it. He has been a great addition and a great story this season. Whether or not he can continue that next season at age 32 on a significantly higher contract is an entirely different question. For now, though, you might just have to ride with it and see where it can take you.
Expectations change. Sometimes when expectations change your plans also have to change.
On the TNT Sports broadcast ahead of Los Angeles' tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Kings GM Ken Holland was asked if he has any more moves up his sleeves.
The Kings' surplus in forwards has been evident as left winger Warren Foegele has been the odd man out. The 29-year-old has spent the last three games sitting in the press box and hasn't been able to find a rhythm in this lineup all season.
"Warren Foegele had a great year last year," the Kings GM said. "He's been out of the lineup for the last couple of games… got to work the phones here."
Indeed, Foegele had a solid campaign last year for the Kings. In fact, it was the best season he's had in his NHL career.
He scored 24 goals and 46 points in all 82 games, as well as a team-high plus-36 rating in what was his first year as a member of the Kings.
Warren Foegele (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
This season hasn't been the same for Foegele, production-wise. In 43 contests, the Markham, Ont., native has six goals and eight points, which is nowhere near what he registered last year.
Part of that is because of a couple of injuries he has suffered this season, and constantly being in and out of the lineup. And when Foegele can get in the lineup, he's seeing fourth-line minutes, which is a role he hasn't endured last year.
With the idea of looking to move Foegele ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 6, Holland shared his perspective on how he thinks the trade market will pan out with the Olympic break.
"I think it's going to go quiet now for the next 10, 12 days, and then as we get near the end of the Olympic break, the phones will start humming again, so we'll see if there's a fit," Holland said.
Friedman reported that the Kings were trying to add New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck in addition to Panarin, but it appears Trocheck would like to remain in the Eastern Conference.
Nonetheless, that proves that Los Angeles is still interested in getting a center, as they'll be even thinner down the middle once Anze Kopitar retires at the end of the season. For that, Foegele, among other assets, could be a trade piece to dangle in front of other teams.
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For a league that has long prided itself on parity, the "loser-point" system, in place since 2001, has never made more of a mess than it has this season. With over a third of the schedule played as the NHL pauses for the break, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves six points out of a playoff spot with a 27-21-9 record. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights hold a 27-16-14 record. Both teams have 27 wins in 57 games, but because the Golden Knights' have five more losses occurring in overtime or a shootout, they earn extra points. Coupled with the fact that they play in a weak division, these two teams find themselves in very different situations despite identical win totals.
Now, I'm not arguing that the Leafs and Golden Knights are on perfectly equal footing. The Leafs have not played well and deserve their current standing. However, the Golden Knights' 27 wins are tied for 20th overall in the NHL. They are currently tied for third in wins within their own division, yet they still enjoy the privilege of holding the No. 1 seed in their divisional playoff bracket. At the current pace, there will be teams with enough wins to feel they should have advanced to the postseason, but they will fall short because they played in the wrong division or didn't accumulate enough "loser points" from overtime losses.
Simply put, the NHL has made reaching overtime a skill in itself, and it's hard to argue otherwise. The league is currently on pace to award the highest number of overtime "loser points" in a single season. Many observers have noted that third periods have become boring, particularly in the late stages of a tied game, as teams play more conservatively to guarantee themselves that single point.
Despite ranking 12th overall in points, the Vegas Golden Knights, Photo courtesy of NHL.com
Of the four major sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL), the NHL is the only one that insists on a divisional format for the playoffs. It's also the only league that awards different point values depending on whether a team loses in regulation or extra time. For comparison, the NFL does not award a "loser point" if a game isn't settled after overtime; it simply ends in a tie. While rare, ties have been happening more frequently there over the years.
The NHL's logic: the standings look closer when a team is only six points away from a spot. However, it is nearly impossible for trailing teams to make up ground when "three-point games" are constantly being awarded on out-of-town scoreboards. Interestingly, the NHL actually adopted the international three-point system (three for a regulation win, two for an overtime/shootout win, and one for an overtime loss) during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Many players have stated they prefer that format. Wouldn't you rather see your team play for more points in the third period instead of protecting the one they already have? While there may be little appetite for change in the near term, the league should certainly look at returning to the 1-8 conference seeding system that most players and fans prefer. At the very least, that would prevent situations seen in recent years where two of the top five overall teams are forced to meet in the first round.
I asked Gary Bettman whether he envisioned talking to the NHLPA about changing the playoff format in upcoming CBA talks, going back to the old 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 etc format. An empathic No from the commissioner. He likes the format the way it is now.
The reality is that the league seems hesitant to change, likely because they haven't been truly embarrassed into it yet. But if a team finishes in the top 10 in wins this season and still misses the playoffs, that might finally spur the change we need.
Not even 24 hours after the Toronto Maple Leafs broke for the Olympic break, Cowan was in London, Ontario, at the Canada Life Place watching his former team, the London Knights, face the Kitchener Rangers.
Former Knight — and teammate to Cowan for a couple of seasons — Sam O'Reilly had two goals, including the game-winner, as the Rangers defeated the Knights on Wednesday night in overtime.
Cowan spent parts of four seasons with the Knights, from 2022 to 2025. While with the club, London won back-to-back OHL Championships, plus a Memorial Cup last spring, in which Cowan was the MVP.
He was tied with London teammate Denver Barkey for the tournament lead in points, with seven in five games. Not only that, but Cowan also holds the Knights' record for most playoff points, scoring 96 points in 60 postseason games.
The 20-year-old is currently in his first NHL season with the Maple Leafs. It's gone just as you'd expect it would for a rookie; Cowan's gone through a lot of ups and downs.
The forward has played on every line and has spent time on both of the Maple Leafs' power play units throughout this season. Thus far, Cowan has tallied seven goals and 17 points in 43 games, while averaging 13:31 in ice time over that stretch.
Recently, however, the rookie has been a healthy scratch for Toronto, as head coach Craig Berube opts for other players in the lineup. He's been on the outside looking in since William Nylander returned to the lineup three games ago.
"As we talked about, he needed a little bit of a reset. I think the break will do him well. Nothing changes there," said Berube on Tuesday ahead of Toronto's game against the Edmonton Oilers.
"There are young guys in the league who don't play all the time. There are times they do, but there are times when they don't, and they have little breaks here and there. They benefit from it."
The Maple Leafs will be off for a few weeks before getting into practices again and playing in their first game post-Olympic break on Feb. 25 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
We'll see if Cowan, who's eligible to be sent to the AHL's Toronto Marlies, will get into some games there before the Maple Leafs reconvene later this month.
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 05: Simon Nemec #17 of the New Jersey Devils during the second period of the game against the New York Islanders on February 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
The Devils dropped Thursday night’s game against the Islanders by a 3-1 score. The Devils head into the Olympic break on a three-game losing streak, having scored a total of two goals in those games. [Devils NHL]
A trade:
#NEWS: We’ve acquired forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick.
“On the surface, it is a little odd for a team well outside of a playoff spot – and a GM who may not be around much longer – to be trading futures, however minor they are, for a 33-year-old player. However, this deal does make some sense.” [Infernal Access ($)]
Jack Hughes does not return to the lineup ahead of the Olympics:
“Jack is just not improved enough to the point that our medical team will let him out there. He’s not going to be available tomorrow. They say he’s in the day to day category and we don’t have a lot of days left here.” – #NJDevils HC Sheldon Keefe https://t.co/zkOuaOd6UO
“However, with a week still before the United States’ first game, league sources say Hughes will travel to Milan and should be available at the start or near the beginning of the Olympics.” [The Athletic ($)]
“So what do players want owners to spend more on? As part of our player poll this year, The Athletic asked 118 NHLers that question and left it open-ended. The majority of the answers fell under the umbrella of health, recovery and training. Here’s a sampling of the answers we received, split into general categories.” [The Athletic ($)]
Which teams will benefit most from the Olympic break? [NHL.com]
A 20-game suspension for Caleb Jones:
In other news, @penguins defenseman Caleb Jones has been suspended for 20 games, without pay, for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
“Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, the consensus first overall pick in this June’s NHL draft, has been charged with felony aggravated assault and other counts, according to Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court documents.” [ESPN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 5: Avery Hayes #85 of the Pittsburgh Penguins reacts after scoring his first career goal during the first period of an NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on February 5, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Avery Hayes made his NHL debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night and it’s safe to say it was a memorable start for the 23-year-old rookie.
Hayes, who was called up from the AHL earlier in the day ahead of the team’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, scored two goals in the first period of his first NHL game.
“Honestly, I can’t say much right now,” Hayes said after the first period ended during an interview with SportsnNet Pittsburgh’s Hailey Hunter. “I kind of blacked out, but it was a big goal for the team which is most important and yeah, I just gotta keep this thing going.”
Hayes said that the process of being called up and making his debut in Buffalo was a quick turnaround, but said that was probably a good thing because it didn’t give him time to get stressed about the situation.
“We drove in and I was ready to go and it was fun,” Hayes said.
With two or more goals in his NHL debut, Hayes joins Jake Guentzel and Rob Brown as the only other Pittsburgh Penguins players to match that achievement.
Prior to being called up, Hayes had scored 13 goals with 10 assists in 31 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL this season.
Time will tell if Hayes will end up sticking around on the Penguins’ roster when the team returns from the NHL’s Olympic break.
![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden forward Elias Pettersson (40) looks on in warm-up before the game against Team Canada during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_hockey_news_vancouver_canucks_articles_867/fe658f7175e0273fea7ea844808e28f2)
