Category: Ice Hockey

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jake Guentzel scored with 14 seconds remaining in overtime after teammate Darren Raddysh forced the extra session by scoring with 26 seconds left in regulation as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Guentzel took a long pass from Nikita Kucherov just outside the blue line of the Sabres' zone, skated in and beat Colten Ellis with a low shot to extend the Lightning's winning streak to four games.

Kucherov had a four-point game with a goal and three assists. Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored and Raddysh finished with a goal and an assist. Guentzel also assisted on Kucherov's goal in the first period. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves.

Mattias Samuelsson scored twice and Josh Doan added a goal for Buffalo, which was coming off a win over Florida on Monday night and has won six of its last eight games. Ellis made 31 saves.

The teams traded goals in the first period and, after a scoreless second, each scored twice in the third.

After goals by Samuelsson and Bjorkstrand early in the third, Doan appeared to give Buffalo the edge, scoring a power-play goal with just over five minutes remaining. But, Tampa Bay took advantage of an extra skater and struck in the final seconds as Raddysh scored with 26 seconds remaining to force the extra session.

The Atlantic Division-leading Lightning were coming off a 6-5 win over Boston in an NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. Tampa Bay rallied from a four-goal deficit and won that game in a shootout.

Tampa Bay was without centers Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) and Brayden Point (lower body) and winger Nick Paul (undisclosed). Lightning coach Jon Cooper said before the game that Cirelli and Paul would also miss Thursday’s game against Florida. Cirelli was replaced on Canada’s Olympic roster.

Buffalo was without Zach Benson (upper body), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) and Jordan Greenway (abdomen). Luukkonen’s injury will keep him off Finland’s roster for the upcoming Milan Cortina Games.

Up next

Sabres: Host Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Lightning: Host Florida on Thursday.

___

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

Pregame

The Penguins happily welcome the return of Bryan Rust from his suspension and get Stuart Skinner in net.

Hockey 🔜 pic.twitter.com/3kBCJWSHXh

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2026

First period

Good start for the Penguins, they get an early power play after Scott Mayfield hooks Egor Chinakhov. Smart penalty to take being as Chinakhov was in a similar position to his goal last night, catching a centering feed from Tommy Novak this time and about ready to fire before getting impeded. The Islanders kill the penalty, though Sidney Crosby almost has a highlight reel goal skating by Matthew Schaefer and getting a nice shot away.

Game goes back and forth for a little, the big guys come through. Justin Brazeau dishes to Anthony Mantha who uses his reach to manipulate just how he can lift the puck to the far-side of Ilya Sorokin. 1-0 Pittsburgh.

That's 20 goals on the season for Anthony Mantha 💪 pic.twitter.com/pVInf4p0sP

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2026

The period turns sour for the Penguins as the Islanders score two goals in the final 1:19.

The first goal is mostly bad luck compounding, Skinner leaves a rebound off his glove, then Ryan Shea can’t clear the puck out of danger. The opposite happens with it ricocheting off bodies and right back to Bo Horvat. Horvat reaches to it before Shea can recover. 1-1.

LET'S BO! pic.twitter.com/LcC0LgvzH1

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 4, 2026

As the period nears its end, a delayed penalty call is coming up on Pittsburgh. It never gets called, a long stretch of puck control tires the Pens out and Schaefer is there to hammer one from deep. 2-1 NYI.

What a goal from Schaef! pic.twitter.com/LYEtGIIwH4

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 4, 2026

Not a good last minute or so for the visitors to see their lead turn into a 2-1 deficit after 20.

Second period

The Pens find a goal to tie the game. Slick setup from Tommy Novak coming from behind the net. Who else but Egor Chinakhov is there to somehow get just far enough away from the reach of Ryan Pulock and still stay in a prime scoring position. Then again, with his release speed and shot velo, almost everywhere in a prime scoring position. 2-2.

ELECTRIC EGOR.

Since he made his Penguins debut on January 1, no one has scored more goals than Egor Chinakhov (8). pic.twitter.com/l6Pnzw3hQJ

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2026

Rust gets back on the scoreboard in his first game back from suspension, sneaking a bad angle shot off Sorokin and in. Fittingly the sequence starts with Rust out-working Schaefer to keep a puck alive in the zone, a few seconds later it comes back around behind the net and Rust puts some mustard on a Crosby-esque bank shot that leaks through. 3-2.

THE RETURN OF THE RUSTY RAZOR!@MShakeFactory, get those half-off Rustys shakes ready for tomorrow 😤 pic.twitter.com/bXlNrENZAu

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2026

Chinakhov and Novak nearly combine for another highlight-reel goal but toss around one too many passes (gahh). Chinakhov does draw his second power play of the game, again for getting impeded as he slipped behind the defense and cut into the net. The power play doesn’t score and the second period wraps up.

Great response period for the Pens, who outshoot NYI 12-5 in the second period and outscore them 2-1 to regain the lead.

Third period

More good work in the early going, it takes until the 13:59 to go mark before NYI gets their first shot of the period, an outside shot that Skinner easily corrals. By then the Pens had four shots, including Malkin nearly scoring from just in front of the net.

Which makes it more frustrating when the Islanders find a tying goal with 11:23 to go. Crosby and Ilya Solovyov bump into each other in front of Skinner with no Islanders around them. Mat Barzal shoots from long range, there’s no one in the lanes to block it. Not sure if that puck deflected off Rakell or Solovyov there, it hits the back of the net. 3-3 game.

BARZAL BEAUTY FROM THE BLUE LINE 🤌

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3Tpic.twitter.com/goC9StcJkn

— NHL (@NHL) February 4, 2026

The crowd comes to life with something to cheer about and the Pens quiet them with a big answer. Brett Kulak does well to win a puck off the wall and quickly fire it to the net. Justin Brazeau makes a brilliant deflection back across where Sorokin thinks it’s going. 4-3 game, Pittsburgh back in front with 9:20 to go.

BIG BOY BRAZ PUTS US BACK 🆙 pic.twitter.com/qfewZVu3Tu

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2026

Crosby gets the gate for a tripping call and the NYI power play gets a crack at it, they’re unable to generate a shot.

Crosby gets high-sticked, no penalty since it was Karlsson’s stick. The Islanders get back to work, Barzal’s pass clicks off Malkin and right to Pulock. Pulock measures up and beats Skinner cleanly. 4-4 game, 4:36 to go.

TIED UP AT 4. pic.twitter.com/Rqf17T7Ian

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 4, 2026

The Pens get a close call for a goal, which would have been controversial on Ben Kindel’s part by sticking his leg into Sorokin as Brazeau followed up on a chance.

Pittsburgh takes their timeout, the plans they draw up don’t work out.

Frantic third period leads to extra time.

Overtime

Crosby-Rust-Karlsson start things out, Crosby wins the draw and the Pens get the all-important possession though only for the first 20 seconds. The Pens get it back but Kulak mis-hits the puck and Horvat goes the other way on a breakaway. He makes no mistakes beating Skinner and ending the game.

Some thoughts

• It seemed like the Islanders were either lazy/fatigued in their gap control or perhaps surprised by how fast the Penguins looked when they allowed them to slip behind them and then play catch up on rushes up the wall. These teams haven’t seen each other since the early days of the season. These Pens with players like Chinakhov, Novak and even the deceptively fast Mantha aren’t really the Pittsburgh teams of the past few years. Not that these Penguins are excessively fast across the board but it probably caught their opponent off guard that this team isn’t quite as familiar as they might have remembered.
• Speaking of growth and changes from the beginning of the season, how amazing is that Schaefer huh? Hard to believe the last time he played the Penguins it was his first night in the NHL. He’s had plenty of highlight moments since then, just seeing how comfortable and much more in control he is out there from where he was in Game 1 in October to now is really remarkable. Schaefer’s already one of the best and most dynamic players out there, scary to think what he’s going to look like in another 1-2-3 years as he gains even more experience.
• There’s an old trope that when the second line wingers get too productive they soon find themselves playing on Crosby’s line. That turned out to finally benefit Evgeni Malkin now that *he* has become the productive second line winger. The Pens tried a Chinakhov-Crosby-Malkin line for an o-zone draw. They got too cute with the passing and then someone took a penalty (negated by the Schaefer goal). Humble beginnings, maybe it’ll work out next time.
• Sorokin’s been arguably the best goalie in the league by far this season, which might make it all the more surprising he just looked average tonight. Everyone has their off days (see also, the Penguins last night), how she goes sometimes. Probably aren’t too many times when he’s just straight up getting beat (Mantha, Chinakhov shots) or giving up a weak, leaky goal from no angle that he definitely would want back (Rust). It wasn’t like it was bad luck on bounces or instances where traffic was making his life difficult, just maybe a “C” type of game for what’s been an A goalie.
• Then again, Skinner had a few he would want back too. That fourth goal, by Pulock, is one that has to be a save. The earlier goal in the third period was a team breakdown, it was also the type of stop Skinner was making when he was in a groove a few weeks ago. Now, not so much. Olympic break suddenly is coming at a good time for him.
• Chinakhov has scored a goal in five of his last seven games. Sometimes you see a guy pop a high shooting percentage or maybe string a couple of two-goal games together or hit an empty net or two and can see the inevitable fall coming a mile away. In this case it looks like Chinakhov is still getting started, he’s just scratching the surface of what he could lie ahead. If he (and, to be fair, his linemates) didn’t over-pass the puck so much, there would be even more. They’re generating so many potential looks and his shot is so good that it’s going to find success as long as they keep it going.
• The Bob Grove stat of the night is a good one: Pittsburgh recorded their 15,000th regular season goal tonight as a franchise. Only the Original 6 teams have more.
• Getting one point on the road is something, based on the first 40 minutes it was a night where the Pens were the better team for the majority of the night, so not getting that second point hurts in that regard.

This has been a crazy stretch of games (five in eight nights) and it’s nearly over. One more to go on Thursday night in Buffalo and then the NHL takes an Olympic pause.

The Senators' four game winning streak is over.

Jordan Staal's breakaway goal with under five minutes to play gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory, squandering the Sens comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The effect of playing back to back games probably played a role as Staal took advantage of a brutal Sens line change for a free pass to the Ottawa net.

Seth Jarvis scored twice while Sebastian Aho had three points. Jake Sanderson and Dylan Cozens each had two points.

The Senators started fast in this one, with Stephen Halliday scoring the fourth goal of his season and career less than three minutes into the first. Jordan Spence took a shot from the left point that Halliday tipped past Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi to give Ottawa a 1–0 lead.

That lead held until under three minutes remaining in the opening period, when Aho tied the game. Carolina won the draw back to the point, and James Reimer stopped both the initial shot and the rebound, but Aho knocked in a bouncing puck to make it 1–1.

It certainly looked like a play that could have been challenged for goalie interference. Jarvis clearly made contact with Reimer (see banner photo) before he reached back to try and grab the puck as it trickled toward the goal line.

Jarvis wasn't done making life miserable for Reimer, scoring twice in a span of just over three minutes in the second period.

The first came immediately after a rare “playing with a broken stick” call on Halliday. The Senators’ penalty kill has been solid lately, but Jarvis was left completely unaccounted for, walking in and picking his spot over Reimer’s left shoulder to make it 2–1 Carolina.

Jarvis struck again shortly after, beating Jake Sanderson wide, cutting to the net, and backhanding it past Reimer for a 3–1 Hurricanes lead.

Ottawa responded late in the period. With just over three minutes left, William Carrier was called for interference on Claude Giroux. On the ensuing power play, Tim Stützle blasted a one-timer from the top of the circle to cut the deficit to 3–2 after 40 minutes.

The Sens power play went to work again early in the third when Sanderson blasted a point shot home, with Stutzle serving as a perfect screen. That tied the game at 3 before the Sens got their foot-shooting guns out.

With just over five minutes to play, with the puck innocently tied up on the boards at centre ice, the Sens made a wholesale line change. The far side D always has to be conservative on a full line change, but Jordan Spence went off with everyone else.

The puck squirted out to Nikolaj Ehlers who quickly hit Staal and there was no Senator right defenseman there to oppose him. He walked in for an easy breakaway and ripped one home, high glove side on Reimer to give the Canes the lead. That stood up as the winner.

The Sens outshot the Canes 25-18 and did a good job of limiting Carolina's chances, but Reimer allowed four goals on those 18 shots.

The Senators will be back at it on Thursday at Philadelphia, their final game before the Olympic break.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

On Monday, Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season. The 63-year-old has been the GM in Nashville since 2023 and also served as the Predators' first-ever coach when they entered the league in 1998. Trotz has an impressive NHL resume that includes a Stanley Cup, two Jack Adams Awards and a Calder Cup.

While the news is still fresh, lists are already being created and debated around who could be the next GM in Nashville. On the most recent 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman threw out a bunch of options who could be potential candidates. One of the names listed will be familiar to Vancouver Canucks fans should sound familar, as he currently works for the team. 

After mentioning some experienced options, Friedman listed off what he called "the next generation". These are executives who are on the way up and are projected to be NHL GMs in the future. The list Friedman included Ryan Martin, Evan Gold, Jamie Langenbrunner, Sunny Mehta, Ryan Bowness, Scott White and Canuks assistant GM Ryan Johnson. 

After a successful NHL career, Johnson joined Vancouver during the 2013-14 season. He has worked his way up in the organization and is currently listed as one of the Canucks Assistant General Managers, as well as General Manager of the Abbotsford Canucks. Johnson has been the only GM in Abbotsford's history and also served as the Utica Comets' GM from 2017-2021. 

Under Johnston's guidance, the AHL Canucks won the Calder Cup in 2025. Abbotsford has made the playoffs in each of its four seasons and has helped produce NHL talent such as Artūrs Šilovs, Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson and Noah Juulsen. Not only has Johnson helped develop young players, but also signed key players like Chase Wouters and Jujhar Khaira, who helped the Canucks win the Calder Cup last summer. 

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

New York Rangers’ president and general manager Chris Drury’s Jan. 16 letter to fans outlining the team’s plan to retool may have been detrimental to the veteran players, but it provides and opportunity for some young prospects. 

That includes Brennan Othmann, who sees this shift in philosophy from the Rangers organization as a chance to prove himself.

“I guess in a sense, yeah, a little bit,” Othmann said about whether he sees Drury’s letter as an opportunity. “You're still trying to earn, and you're still trying to build a little bit of trust from the coaching staff. I'm still trying to build trust. I'm still trying to learn.”

After getting sent up and down a couple of times to kick off the 2025-26 campaign, Othmann has been able to carve out a more permanent role in the lineup, playing in 10 consecutive games since his most recent call-up.

Going into training camp, Othmann proclaimed that he felt more confident after a frustrating 2024-25 season, during which he failed to score a goal in 22 games for the Rangers. 

That newfound confidence took a tumble, as Othmann didn’t make the Rangers’ opening night roster and struggled in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack out of the gate. 

Following a stretch where the 23-year-old forward went on a five-game point streak down in Hartford, the Rangers brought him back up on Jan. 11, and he’s been with the team ever since. 

“Confidence comes and goes, I think, but I'm just happy to be playing,” Othmann said. “I'm happy to be in the lineup. I'm happy to be with the organization, with these guys on the team, and learn every day.”

The thing weighing on Othmann’s mind and hindering his confidence was the fact that he hadn’t scored in the NHL. 

That changed on Jan. 17 when Othmann recorded his first NHL goal during the Rangers’ 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Artemi Panarin Continues To Skate On His Own And Remains In Good Spirts As He Waits For TradeEverybody is still waiting for Artemi Panarin to be traded, as a deal appears to be imminent. 

“It took a decent amount of games to get that one, so it feels good to kind of get that one off my chest,” Othmann said of his first NHL goal. “It's kind of a weight lifted off your shoulders a little bit in a sense. I was happy to get that one out of the way and move on now and hopefully get a few more by the end of the year.”

Othmann has mostly been playing in a third-line role over these past ten games while also slotting onto the second power-play unit. 

Given the Rangers’ current last-place spot in the Eastern Conference standings and intentions to retool the roster with their sights set on the future, Othmann should continue to see more opportunity through the latter half of this season, as it’s truly his time to prove himself at the NHL level.

Based strictly on their record and the standings, the Ottawa Senators continue to be a long shot to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But their underlying numbers, not to mention their current four-game winning streak, continue to suggest that if any team is capable of making a late, crazy run, it's the Senators.

But GM Steve Staios is almost out of time to decide what his strategy will be at the trade deadline. Yes, March 6th is still over a month away, but thanks to the Olympic break, the Sens have only six games remaining before the deadline.

"I think they are trying to do something there in Ottawa," Sportsnet analyst Elliotte Friedman declared on Tuesday on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. 

"I have a theory on what they've been trying to do, but it's something I have to check because I have a meter of, okay, they were mad at me a couple of weeks ago. I'll just let them calm down before I make them mad at me again."

The word theory generally suggests little more than speculation. But as one of hockey's top insiders, Friedman's theories are generally borne out of good information extracted from his sources around the league.

But the Senators may not be inclined to agree, at least not at the moment. 

When Friedman says the Sens were mad at him a couple of weeks ago, he's almost certainly referring to a podcast comment he made during the Linus Ullmark social media controversy that erupted during the goaltender's personal leave of absence.

Shortly after news of the controversy broke last month, Friedman commented on the situation, imagining what he would do if he were a player in Ottawa named in a rumour like that.

"I am walking into the organization, and I'm saying, 'Get me out of here. I did not sign up for this.' And especially if my family was involved, I would say, Get me out of here right now. That is too much. I did not sign up for that."

Naturally, that was an easy clip to grab, and even his employer's social media team ran hard with it.

"If I'm a player on the Senators, and I'm named there, I am saying get me out of here."

In the latest 32 Thoughts, @FriedgeHNIC and @sportsnetkyle react to the controversy in Ottawa following an anonymous tweet, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and more.

🎧: https://t.co/TZgY9VDeJ8pic.twitter.com/huLrSsg95W

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 9, 2026

However, if you listen to the full conversation on the podcast, Friedman actually appears to be trying to support the Senators and the manner in which they chose to react to the rumour. He was trying to outline how important it was for the organization to let the players know they had their backs, and he provided an example of what he believed would happen if they didn't come out with their fiery statement to reject the rumour.

But even in full context, the Senators surely didn't appreciate the remarks for a couple of reasons.

For one, the last thing the Senators needed after years of mismanagement under the former regime is a top NHL insider putting such a vivid, negative image out into the NHL universe. Getting people to imagine star players marching into Staios' office and barking, 'Get me out of here,' isn't great for business.

Secondly, no NHL player in any city would ever hold their team or their market responsible for an anonymous social media post. Pro athletes aren't always rocket scientists, but they all understand how the internet works.

Meanwhile, Friedman's theory on the Senators' current trade deadline strategy apparently threatens to make the team mad at him again, which is intriguing.

While he's not saying exactly what his theory is, he does think the Sens' goal differential, as opposed to those of other non-playoff teams in the East, might make them a more credible comeback threat and thus, possible buyers.

"You look at the teams that are out of the playoffs right now, as we wake up on Tuesday morning in the Eastern conference, the third best team, Columbus, who's made a great run of it under Rick Bowness, they're minus five. Washington is plus 12, and they're right there, Ottawa is plus seven.

"Everybody else, Florida, Toronto, Philly, Devils, Rangers, they're in the double digits minuses. I think they are trying to do something there in Ottawa."

We won't have to wait long to see if Friedman's theory is right or whether he's annoyed the Senators again.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

teve WarneThe Hockey News 

This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:

Linus Ullmark Makes 26 Saves In Senators Return
Two-Time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning Attends Senators-Devils Game In Ottawa
Why The Ottawa Senators Should Call Up Top Prospect Carter Yakemchuk
Senators' Difficult Path To The Playoffs: What's It Going To Take?

More information is now available about why Vancouver Canucks winger Filip Chytil did not finish Monday night's game. According to Head Coach Adam Foote, the 26-year-old left after the second period due to "migraines he has dealt with in the past that flared up the last couple of games". Foote also said that Chytil is unlikely to play in Vancouver's final game before the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday. 

Post-game on Monday, there was some confusion about what exactly happened to Chytil. Foote said he "tweaked something", but followed it up with "I hope not" when asked if the injury was to the head. Chytil only played 7:36 in the game, with his last shift ending with 3:55 left in the second period. 

Chytil only recently returned after missing three months with a head injury. He has played six games, which included Monday's loss to the Utah Mammoth. In the six games since he returned, Chytil has zero points and nine shots on goal while averaging 14:23 per night.

The Canucks wrap up their pre-Olympic schedule on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vancouver has yet to play Vegas this season. 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: 

Pair Of Canucks Wingers Out Until After The 2026 Winter Olympics

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Why Tom Willander Deserves More Ice Time With The Vancouver Canucks

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

After Briere addresses Michkov situation, Flyers answer slump with win over Caps originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers showed some resolve Tuesday night after relinquishing a 2-0 lead.

They didn’t unravel and went on to beat the Capitals, 4-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Owen Tippett, Carl Grundstrom, Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen provided the Flyers’ goals. Drysdale’s marker came on the power play and was the game-winner with 5:23 minutes left in the third period.

Ristolainen iced the game with an empty-netter.

The Flyers (25-20-10) snapped a four-game losing streak and stopped the bleeding from a stretch in which they had dropped 11 of 13 games (2-8-3).

Rick Tocchet said the Flyers had a “really good practice” Monday. He was hoping it would translate to Tuesday night. Prior to that practice, the Flyers closed out January with 10 games — seven on the road — in 18 days.

“A lot of young guys, when they don’t get practice time, it’s tough,” Tocchet said at morning skate. “Veteran teams, you don’t have to practice as much. But I always felt with the younger guys, they need the touches, they need to actually touch it and feel it. Video can only do so much.”

It looks like the practice paid off for the Flyers, who were in dire need of a win.

This was the first of four matchups this season between the Flyers and Capitals (28-23-7).

• About 25 minutes before puck drop, Danny Briere threw some cold water on the smoke surrounding his head coach and prized youngster.

Some noise had heightened recently about Tocchet’s handling of Matvei Michkov’s development, as well as the 21-year-old winger’s conditioning coming into training camp. Michkov’s scoring and minutes are down from last season, when he had a dynamic rookie year.

“One thing I can tell you, first of all, is Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere,” Briere said. “Let’s make that clear. Matvei is going to be here for a long time, he’s going to be a good player here for the Flyers. What he’s going through right now is all part of the learning process.”

The Flyers’ general manager expressed confidence in this all working long term.

“I talk to Rick Tocchet on a daily basis, he wants Matvei to succeed,” Briere said. “He wants to develop him to be the best player he can be. Along the way, there are tough lessons that come with that.

“Him and Matvei, they have a good relationship. Sometimes they’re fiery, sometimes when you’re not winning, things are done and said, but they always come back to the table and they want the best for this team, and Rick wants the best for Matvei.”

Not even six minutes into the game, Michkov executed an excellent read and pass to notch a secondary assist on Tippett’s goal, which opened the scoring.

Michkov finished with 15:54 minutes after playing a season-low 10:21 three days ago.

• With just one game left before the Olympic break, the Flyers now have a little bit of momentum.

They came into Tuesday with a 11.1 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to Hockey-Reference.com’s probabilities report. They’re seven points back of the third-place Islanders in a tight Metropolitan Division.

Tocchet’s club has played fewer games than New York and Washington, two of the teams it’s chasing.

• Dan Vladar spoke like a leader after the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss last Saturday afternoon to the Kings.

And he played like a leader Tuesday night. He converted 26 saves on 28 shots and carried the Flyers through some dicey moments with a number of key stops.

Just 2:40 minutes into the third period, the Capitals tied the game at 2-2. The Flyers got stuck in their own end and Anthony Beauvillier scored off a rebound right in front. The initial shot was sent through traffic.

Clay Stevenson, playing both games of Washington’s back-to-back set, stopped 18 of the Flyers’ 21 shots.

Grundstrom’s goal came on a funky bounce and handed the Flyers a 2-0 lead 4:45 minutes into the second period.

Not long after that, the Flyers had a golden opportunity to take total control on their power play. Instead, though, they surrendered a shorthanded goal as a deflected shot whipped around the boards and turned into a 2-on-1 rush for the Capitals.

• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they host the Senators (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The club then goes 19 days without a game because of the NHL’s participation in the Winter Olympics.

Though everything seems to be going wrong for the Philadelphia Flyers at the moment, one of their most recent trade acquisitions has quietly been a bright spot who continues to shine.

On Tuesday afternoon, the AHL announced that Lehigh Valley Phantoms defenseman Christian Kyrou, acquired by the Flyers in an Oct. 30 trade that sent winger Samu Tuomaala to the Dallas Stars, has been added to the 2026 AHL All-Star roster.

Because he is remaining with the Flyers at the NHL level through the Olympic break, forward Denver Barkey will be unable to participate, so Kyrou will be representing the organization instead.

Kyrou, 22, already has seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points in just 34 games with the Phantoms this season, surpassing his previous career-high of 23 points in 57 games with the AHL Texas Stars in 2023-24 with more than enough room to spare.

Although a bit streaky, the 5-foot-11 defenseman has been a pleasant surprise for the Flyers, having gotten him in exchange for a winger in Tuomaala who very clearly had no path to NHL time with the organization.

Porter Martone Dominates in Blockbuster Matchups with Gavin McKennaThe top Flyers prospect racked up six points across two consecutive victories over McKenna and Co.

Kyrou is still relatively inexperienced and just played his 100th AHL game earlier this season, but his production has probably warranted an NHL opportunity at some point, even if only to serve as a power play specialist.

Fans have been clamoring for the former second-round pick to get a chance, and while it may be a bit early, it is probably refreshing to see Kyrou get recognized by the AHL for his efforts.

Kyrou, who is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, has three goals, seven assists, and 10 points in his last 10 appearances for the Phantoms.

The trade rumors surrounding Rangers star Artemi Panarin are narrowing down ahead of Wednesday's Olympic roster freeze at 3:00 p.m.

Panarin has been sitting out for "roster management" since Jan. 28 so New York can protect his trade value while the team continues its "retool" process. He last played this season on Jan. 26., and had recorded 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) over 52 games up to that point.

With the 34-year-old having a no-movement clause in his contract (which he's in the last year of), he has full control of where the Rangers and general manager Chris Drury can trade him. 

According to The Athletic's Vince Z. Mercogliano, Panarin's list of potential trade destinations is at six teams. His top choices, if the two sides can agree to a contract extension, are the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Mercogliano notes that it may be hard for either the Panthers or Lightning to meet his financial ask on the extension, but the Lightning may be trying to make something work.

The two teams with more salary cap flexibility that would be able to offer Panarin an extension are the Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings. Meanwhile, both the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals are said to have the "most appealing assets to offer in return" to the Rangers.

Drury announced on Jan. 16 that the team plans to be very active ahead of the trade deadline amid their disappointing season. New York was 20-22-6 at the time of the letter to fans and is currently 22-28-6 (50 points) and in last place in the Metropolitan Division. 

The "retool" already started last week with the team sending defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, and it appears that Panarin will be next, ending his seven-year tenure with the franchise.

The Detroit Red Wings have emerged as a leading candidate to acquire New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin as the NHL trade deadline approaches, sources say.

The Russian forward, an over point-per-game scorer for much of his career, is reportedly looking to move before the March 6 deadline, potentially with an extension included. Multiple outlets, including TSN’s Chris Johnston, suggest a deal could be completed as early as Wednesday, ahead of the Olympic trade freeze.

Panarin has captured significant attention this season after Rangers management announced they would not be looking to re-sign him. Rumors swirled for weeks about potential landing spots, but Johnston noted that speculation has begun to simmer as New York decides its next move. 

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently listed the top teams in the mix: the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and the Detroit Red Wings.

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

Friedman highlighted that Panarin’s desired contract could range around $50 million, with some teams considering short-term, high-cap deals while others may emulate the structure of Brad Marchand’s six-year, $31.5 million deal with Florida. The Panthers remain in the mix, partly due to Panarin’s close friendship with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Detroit stands out among the contenders for several reasons as they possess significant cap flexibility, a deep prospect pool, and draft capital appealing to the Rangers.

Panarin could slot immediately onto Detroit’s top line alongside stars Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, providing a major boost to a team looking to accelerate its rebuild. The Red Wings also have relatively few long-term contract commitments outside of key re-signings like Simon Edvinsson, making a sizable contract for Panarin feasible.

However, the decision is not without risk. Panarin, 34, is enjoying another productive season with 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 52 games, but a lengthy extension could be a gamble if his performance declines in the coming years.

For the Red Wings, the question is no longer whether they could acquire Panarin, it’s whether they want to make a bold move now to potentially shorten the timeline toward contention. With a deal potentially coming as early as Wednesday, fans could see the superstar in a winged wheel jersey very soon.

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The Los Angeles Kings are one overtime loss away from putting their names into the NHL record book for most overtime losses in history, and it's not the kind of milestone that a team wants to celebrate over. 

With 14 overtime losses on the season, the most in the NHL, with only the Vegas Golden Knights having the same amount, who sit in first place right now in the Pacific Division, the Kings have turned close games into costly missed opportunities, losing out on critical points in a Western Conference playoff race that has no margin for error.

The LA Kings and Vegas Golden Knights both have FOURTEEN OT losses which is on pace to shatter the NHL record 😳

Those extra points have Vegas leading their division and LA tied for a Wild Card spot 👀 pic.twitter.com/EuqJVoGQDq

— BarDown (@BarDown) February 2, 2026

A Record That Hurts More Than It Helps

This has been a recurring rollercoaster for the Kings this season; it's been the one issue they haven't been able to escape. The inability to close out close games and dig themselves out of a win in overtime or regulation when it becomes a one-possession game. 

Los Angeles also has the most overtime games played, with 23, and a below-average record: 9-14, tying for the most goals against (67) in the NHL with the Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild.

But with all this going on, Los Angeles is still very much alive in the West playoff picture. Despite all the struggles and heartbreaking losses they've gone through, it's still a very tight race. 

The Pacific Division has been very inconsistent this season, with no team you can look at and say is running away with the conference or a clear contender. Only three teams are either exactly .500 or above .500 in the conference: the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks. Not even the number one seed, the Golden Knights, are above .500, with a record of 25-16-14. 

Three-on-Three Is Exposing the Kings' Weaknesses

Three-on-three is designed to reward speed, skill, shot-making, and execution. While the Kings have had solid shot-making and speed, they have struggled this season to score in the 3-on-3 format. 

Whether it's the lazy defense that gets tired in overtime or turnovers that the Kings give up a lot late in games, LA, for most of this season, always loses the same way in every game. 

A Warning Sign

There's also a psychological factor to this repeated outcome for the Kings. With Los Angeles constantly losing the same way, especially in overtime games, that chips away at their confidence, especially when the same mistakes keep surfacing.

A team that expects to compete in the Western Conference shouldn't be learning how to close games in February; it should already have it figured out, as we are well into the second half of the season and almost into the postseason.   

Now, none of this means the Kings are a bad team; in fact, it means the opposite: Los Angeles can compete with anyone on any given night and is competitive almost every night against the best teams in the league.

But being competitive without execution or clutch is how good teams become average or mediocre, and how playoff teams become first-round exits. 

Overtime Change 

Now, fans have argued that much of this inconsistency, not only in the Pacific Division but also in other divisions, has been due to overtime games. Fans have even argued that, from a competitive standpoint, ties would be preferable to the constant drift into 3-on-3 overtime matches, especially for several teams that haven't shown any ability to win in that format.  

The NHL used to have ties; the last season was 2004-05, before the controversial change in 2005-06 eliminated them and adopted 3-on-3 overtime and a shootout. But there have been no discussions in the NHL about changing the overtime rules again or going back to ties, as other professional leagues do in the NFL. 

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The Los Angeles Kings have made multiple roster moves ahead of their Tuesday morning practice, the final practice before the Olympic break. 

The Kings recalled defenseman Joe Hicketts from the AHL's Ontario Reign. In the same transaction, center Kenny Connors is headed back to Ontario.

These roster moves are likely due to the injury that defenseman Mikey Anderson suffered in Los Angeles' last outing against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. He left the game with an upper-body injury after playing just 2:50 of ice time.

While Anderson has been listed as "day-to-day," Hicketts comes in as a depth defenseman on an emergency basis.

Hicketts, 29, has spent the past six seasons exclusively in the American League, the past three campaigns with the Reign. 

He hasn't made an NHL appearance since 2019-20, and that was with the Detroit Red Wings, where he played six games. Hicketts has a total of 22 NHL contests under his belt, all for the Red Wings.

The undrafted blueliner has a small 5-foot-8 frame and a left-handed shot. He's featured in 41 games this season with the Reign, recording three goals and 14 points. With that, Hicketts has accumulated 41 penalty minutes and a minus-nine plus-minus rating.

As mentioned, Connors gets sent back down to the minors after a brief period with the Kings. The 22-year-old didn't get a chance to set foot on the ice and make an appearance for coach Jim Hiller's squad.

In what is his AHL rookie campaign and first year in professional hockey following three seasons at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Connors has scored nine goals and 24 points in 41 games.

Connors is sixth in Reign scoring and second in plus-minus with a plus-13 rating. 

The Kings' next game is on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken. These roster moves suggest that Anderson may not be back in time for that affair, and maybe not until after the Olympic break.

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Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice spoke to the media today following an optional practice, providing updates on three recently injured players.

Those players are Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell. All three players are considered day-to-day and possible game-time decisions for tomorrow’s contest against the Boston Bruins. 

“There’s a chance they all play tomorrow; there’s a chance none of them play tomorrow,” said Maurice.

Bennett is the most recent Panthers player to sustain an injury, leaving Monday’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury. He exited the game in the first period after logging just 5:11 of ice time and did not return.

The 29-year-old has scored 19 goals and 42 points in 55 games this season and was recently named an injury replacement for Team Canada.

Marchand had returned for four games before suffering another injury. He’s missed the previous two games with an undisclosed injury and is hoping to get back into the lineup before departing for the Olympics. The 37-year-old ranks second in both goals and points on the Panthers.

Marchand was on the ice today, skating in a regular practice jersey. 

Panthers' Brad Marchand Sustains An Undisclosed Injury Against Blues; Set To Re-EvaluatedBrad Marchand was forced to exit Thursday's game against the St. Louis Blues with an undisclosed injury. The Florida Panthers winger will be re-evaluated to grasp the severity of the injury.

Lundell is the final Panthers forward now dealing with an injury, as his is also to the upper body. He’s missed the previous three games, but like Bennett and Marchand, he hopes to return to the lineup before joining Team Finland for the Olympics. 

The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 52 games this season. 

Panthers' Anton Lundell Returns To Practice In A Non-Contact JerseyAnton Lundell will be out of the Florida Panthers lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, but he did skate in practice today with a non-contact jersey.

The Panthers are now nine points back of the Bruins for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and if they are without all three forwards, they run a real risk of falling even farther behind in the playoff race. Their chances of making the playoffs are already slim, and a pair of losses before the Olympic break would begin to shut the door on their three-peat hopes. 

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