Red Wings Gain Point But Lose Multiple Leads In 4-3 OT Loss To Wild

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The Detroit Red Wings got a firsthand look at why Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov is going to be the highest-paid player in NHL history. 

Kaprizov scored twice on Thursday evening, including the overtime game-winning goal, as part of Minnesota's 4-3 overtime victory at Grand Casino Arena. 

Kaprizov's recent eight-year, $136 million contract extension, which will kick in at the start of next season, carries a $17 million cap hit, the largest of any player to have suited up in the NHL. 

The Red Wings, who picked up a point in the standings, now sit atop the Atlantic Division with 67 points, moving past the idle Tampa Bay Lightning. However, they won't like the fact that they weren't able to protect the three separate leads they had during the contest. 

Lucas Raymond opened the scoring in the first period of play, sniping home a power-play goal past goaltender Filip Gustafsson. But late in the frame, it would be Kaprizov scoring what was the first of his two goals on the evening, knotting the score at 1-1. 

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Raymond once again found the back of the net late in the second period, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce that sent the puck right onto his stick alone in the slot before beating Gustafsson with a low shot through the pads, helping Detroit take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. 

The third period was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams traded goals in short order. Mats Zuccarello scored less than a minute into the period, which was his first of what would be two goals of his own, knotting the score. 

James van Riemsdyk continued his impressive season, tipping home a pass from rookie Emmitt Finnie at the side of the net to give Detroit a 3-2 lead; it was van Riemsdyk's 14th goal of the season, while Finnie picked up his first point since Dec. 23. 

Just seconds later, Zuccarello scored again, picking up a rebound and beating Talbot during a goal-mouth scramble to knot the score yet again. 

Late in regulation, the Red Wings had a prime opportunity to seize the lead after Alex DeBrincat moved in alone on a breakaway, but his top-shelf attempt sailed over the net. 

Not long after Larkin had the chance to score his second overtime game-winner in 24 hours, Kaprizov sealed the victory for the Wild. 

Talbot, who played multiple seasons with Minnesota earlier in his career, made 35 saves, while Gustafsson stopped 30 of 33 shots that he faced.

Travis Hamonic was in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 21, as Simon Edvinsson wasn’t available because of a lower-body ailment.

The Red Wings will wrap up their three-game road swing with a matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday evening. 

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Bruins hold off Golden Knights 4-3 after three-goal flurry

BOSTON (AP) — Charlie McAvoy started a three-goal flurry in a 54-second span in the first period, David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and the Boston Bruins held off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Thursday night.

Boston won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Elias Lindholm and Tanner Jeannot also scored for the Bruins, who made the Golden Knights pay after a double minor for high-sticking was assessed to forward Tomas Hertl at the nine-minute mark of the opening period. Appearing in his second straight game, Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves.

Vegas cut a 4-0 deficit in half during the opening minutes in the third period behind goals from Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertle. The Golden Knights made it three straight when Pavel Dorofeyev scored with 2:35 left with goalie Akira Schmid off for an extra skater,

Schmid remained in net after a shaky sequence that began when McAvoy blasted one from just inside the blue line for his fourth goal of the season. The goal came 10 seconds into the four-minute power play.

Boston kept charging and made it two power-play goals in 30 seconds when Lindholm scored between the circles for ninth goal of the season. Pastrnak assisted on both power-play goals.

Jeannot capped the spree off a feed from Sean Kuraly with 9:54 left.

SABRES 4, CANADIENS 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves, Jason Zucker, Beck Malenstyn and Zach Benson gave Buffalo an early lead and the Sabres beat Montreal for their 17th victory in 21 games.

Peyton Krebs added an empty-netter in the third. The Sabres improved to 28-17-5, beating Montreal for the second time in eight days.

Cole Caufield scored for the fourth straight game for Montreal, and Nick Suzuki also connected, The Canadiens dropped to 28-16-7. They had won two in a row.

Samuel Montembeault stopped 13 shots in his first regulation loss since being called up from a conditioning assignment with Laval of the AHL on Dec. 27.

Buffalo is two points behind Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division.

BLACKHAWKS 4, HURRICANES 3, SO

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —Oliver Moore scored in the shootout on his 21st birthday and Spencer Knight stopped five of six shots by Carolina to give Chicago a shootout win.

Connor Murphy, Ilya Mikheyev and Nick Lardis scored in regulation for the Blackhawks. Knight, who shut out Winnipeg on Monday night, made 28 saves in regulation and overtime for his second straight win.

Joel Nystrom, Jordan Staal and Jackson Blake scored for the Hurricanes, whose five-game home winning streak ended. Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots and four more in the shootout.

The win capped an eventful night for Moore, who celebrated a milestone birthday. He was on the wrong side of a fight with Alexander Nikishin in the second period and then nearly won the game in overtime but was robbed by Andersen.

Chicago led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, but couldn’t put the Hurricanes away in regulation. Carolina has yet to lose in regulation with top defenseman Jaccob Slavin in the lineup (8-0-3).

BLUE JACKETS 1, STARS 0

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jet Greaves had 28 saves for his third career shutout, Zach Werenski scored his 19th goal of the season, and Columbus beat Dallas.

Werenski scored at 8:48 of the first period with a wrist shot from the right circle that went through traffic and inside the far post with assists from Damon Severson and Isac Lundestrom, who had missed 12 games with a lower-body injury suffered in practice on Dec. 27.

The Blue Jackets have now won five of their last six.

Casey DeSmith stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced but could not prevent the Stars from losing for the fourth time in their last five games. The Stars outshot the Blue Jackets 28-22.

Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle played in his 1,000th career game, the fifth player to reach the mark in a Columbus uniform. He scored into an empty net late in the game but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Murphy and Blake traded goals 82 seconds apart near in the back half of the third period to send it to overtime.

Andersen came up with a pair saves — on Moore and Frank Nazar — in the third period to keep the game tied at 2 . He made two bigger saves — on Wyatt Kaiser and Moore — in overtime.

PREDATORS 5, SENATORS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos broke a tie with 2:13 left with his third goal of the game and Nashville overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Ottawa.

After Stamkos tied it at 3 with 9:53 left with his second power-play goal of the game, Ryan O’Reilly beat the Senators to the puck behind the goal line and popped it out front to Stamkos, who batted it out of the air past goalie James Reimer.

O’Reilly set up the tying goal, too, firing a cross-crease feed to Stamkos with the man advantage. Nashville got the power play when Tim Stutzle cross-checked Stamkos.

Predators captain Roman Josi, playing his 1,000th NHL game, also assisted on the tying goal. The defenseman is the 84th player in NHL history to play his first 1,000 regular-season games with one franchise.

Stamkos had his second hat trick of the season and 16th overall to push his season goals total to 24. Jonathan Marchessault also scored, and Cole Smith had an empty-netter. Juuse Saros made 23 saves to help Nashville end a three-game losing streak.

PANTHERS 2, JETS 1, SO

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart beat Connor Hellebuyck in a shootout to help give Florida a victory over Winnipeg.

Winnipeg shooters Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele came up empty against Daniil Tarasov in the tiebreaker.

Sam Bennett scored in regulation, and Tarasov stopped 17 shots for two-time defending champion Florida. Matthew Tkachuk had an assist for his first point of the season in his second game back from adductor muscle surgery.

The Panthers are 4-2-0 in their last six to improve to 26-20-3.

Cole Perfetti scored for Winnipeg, and Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots. The Jets are 5-1-2 in their last eight to get to 20-23-7.

PENGUINS 6, OILERS 2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Anthony Mantha scored twice, Sidney Crosby made it three in an early 37-second span and Pittsburgh beat Edmonton.

The 37-second spree was the fastest three goals in Penguins history and the fastest three allowed by the Oilers.

The Penguins scored on three of their first four shots. Just 2:20 in, Justin Brazeau made a nifty pass through a defender’s legs to Mantha, who deflected it in. Twenty-two seconds later, Mantha scored on a breakaway. Crosby struck 15 seconds after that, deflecting a pass from the slot into the net.

Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist, Rickard Rakell, and Egor Chinakhov also scored and Arturs Silovs made 30 saves. The Penguins have won three straight and are 10-2-2 in their last 14 to get to 25-14-11.

Jake Walman and Matthew Savoie scored for Edmonton, and Tristan Jarry made 16 saves against his former team. The Oilers have lost two in a row and four of six to fall to 25-19-8.

WILD 4, RED WINGS 3, OT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game 45 seconds into overtime to give Minnesota a victory over Detroit.

Kaprizov came down the middle and beat goalie Cam Talbot with a wrist shot from between the circles.

Mats Zuccarello also scored twice, and Filip Gustavsson made 31 saves.

Quinn Hughes had three assists, giving him 43 on the season, tied for the most among NHL defensemen. Hughes has seven assists in his last four games and has had at least three assists in a game four times since joining the Wild in a trade with Vancouver on December 12.

Lucas Raymond had two goals and James van Riemsdyk also scored for Detroit. Talbot made 35 saves.

The point for getting past regulation moved the Red Wings into tie with Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 67 points. Detroit had won eight of its last nine.

The Red Wings took three one-goal leads, but the Wild answered each time.

Penguins/Oilers Recap: Pens explode, light up Jarry, win 6-2

Pregame

There’s nothing better than an unexpected return to the lineup, each team has a good one tonight. Nine days ago, Erik Karlsson wasn’t to be re-evaluated for two weeks. He’s back tonight. Arturs Silovs starts in goal.

Edmonton gets a welcome return of their own, Leon Draisaitl is back from Germany on a family business in time for the game. Former Penguin goalie Tristan Jarry faces his old team for the second time.

First period

The Penguins strike early, Anthony Mantha gets behind the defense and Justin Brazeau gets the puck to Mantha with a really nice pass that Mantha steers over Tristan Jarry. But wait – Mantha might have been off-side on the rush. Edmonton takes their timeout to give it an extra long look, they ultimately decide to not challenge it, goal stands.

It only takes 22 seconds for another Mantha goal. He again gets behind the defense, this time in the neutral zone. Again Brazeau feeds Mantha the puck, this time for a breakaway. Jarry’s defense was to fall belly first to the ice, didn’t work as he still gets beat low. 2-0 goal.

The Oilers look stunned, they’ll take another big shot only 15 seconds after that goal. Ryan Shea throws a puck on net, Sidney Crosby curls out of no where into the middle of the ice to deflect the puck. It’s another goal, three of them coming 37 seconds across. Jarry doesn’t know whether to cry or wind his watch.

Luck may have turned, Connor Dewar hits the post and the puck stays out. Silovs makes a nice save at the other end. The Pens get the first power play, Bryan Rust takes a nice shot but Jarry stops it. Connor McDavid rockets up the ice, Crosby tries to stay with him, he also gets his stick into McDavid’s hands a few times and the refs even up the penalties by sending Crosby off. The Pens kill the penalty.

The fireworks continue, Evgeni Malkin sets up Egor Chinakhov in front, a sprawled out Jarry keeps the puck out the net with 20 seconds left. The play goes right back down the other end, Zach Hyman beats Silovs but not the post. The puck falls right to the goal-line however it miraculously stays out in a scramble.

Connor Clifton heats tempers up by slamming Mattias Janmark into the boards from behind.

An exciting, shocking and thrilling period. Three goals in a 37 second span ripped it open early, not much settled from there. Pittsburgh’s up 3-0 on the scoreboard, Edmonton out-shot them 13-9, yet somehow did not score.

Second period

McDavid takes a penalty for slashing Erik Karlsson’s stick. It’s the Oilers who score, Jake Walman takes off on the rush. 3-1 game.

On a delayed penalty call against the Oilers the Penguins worked their 6v5 group. Malkin makes a beautiful pass from behind the net through about three sticks to get to Rickard Rakell. Rakell measures his shot and wires an equally nice wrister past Jarry. 4-1 game, no penalty on the Oilers after all since the Penguins scored. That’s one way to shield the struggling Pittsburgh power play.

Bouchard kisses a shot off the crossbar, it stays out. A little later in the sequence Malkin pokes the puck away from McDavid and even though he’s at the end of a 1:21 long shift the big guy races down the ice on a breakaway. Malkin moves to his backhand, it looks like he runs out of room but he pulled so much lateral movement out of Jarry that there was enough room for the puck to slide in. 5-1 game.

Ben Kindel hurries and accidentally shoots the puck over the glass with 3:03 to go, giving Edmonton a power play. The Oilers take a ton of offensive zone time, the Pens PK holds strong with Silovs standing tall on a few big stops.

Say it in your best Doc Emerick voice: “what action!”. Another incredible period of hockey, highlighted by two insanely skilled plays by Malkin. The Pens head into the third period up by four goals.

Third period

The Pens keep pourin’ it on. Novak gains a zone entry and dishes a routine looking pass over for Egor Chinakhov. There’s nothing routine about Chinakhov’s release that scorches in and out of the net so fast Malkin shoots the rebound. 6-1 lead.

Edmonton gets one in garbage time, Matt Savoie unleashes a top shelf snipe from the right faceoff circle with about six minutes left making the score 6-2.

The rest of the game plays out quietly, Pittsburgh gets out with a convincing win and another strong effort.

Some thoughts

  • If we’re in the trust tree, I’m pretty sure Mantha was offside on that first goal. The Edmonton video team no doubt had a better look and more technology to stop and pause it and look at all the angles, so maybe he wasn’t or was just too close to call with the on-ice decision saying it was good. Kinda looked like he was off from what I could see with his back leg getting into the offensive zone just a little bit before the puck did. A little too close for comfort though all is well that ends well.
  • Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak got a nice ‘welcome back’ video and a big standing ovation during the first TV timeout. At 3-0 at that point, you know a lot of people were thinking in that moment and over the course of the night about just why that trade had to be made for the Oilers, if only for one night.
  • 3 goals in 37 seconds? You don’t see that type of goal explosion every day.
  • The competitiveness in Crosby was on display turning on the jets to not let McDavid skate away from him. Crosby even started in a trail position, not too many are going to go the full length of the ice with McNasty in that situation. The competitiveness went over the line for the refs with the series of little slashes along the way but in that moment there was just no way Crosby was going to allow McDavid gain separation.
  • Jack St. Ivany took the full brunt of a ‘Bouch bomb’ slapshot from Evan Bouchard, he can really bring it. St. Ivany was hobbled to the the extreme. Naturally, he was back for the start of second period and able to shake it off like it was nothing.
  • A lot was made, here included, about the goalie usage decisions. At the end of the day, no choice is a bad one when both goalies are playing extremely well. Silovs’ performance might not draw a lot of attention, which is a shame because it deserves it. 29 stops on 31 shots and anytime a goalie holds McDavid (and Draisaitl) off the scoresheet they probably had a great night. Silovs certainly qualified for that praise.
  • The final score said blowout, the way it ended up there was anything but one-sided. As mentioned above, the first goal was a whisper away from being overturned which could have butterfly effected the whole night. It truly is a wonder that Wotherspoon helped keep the puck out of the net when the puck was laying literally on the goal-line and no less than Draisaitl right there to jam it in with Silovs out of commission seconds after it hit the post and stayed out by the narrowest of margins in the first place. Then, at 4-1, Bouchard narrowly misses scoring only to almost immediately have Malkin create and convert a breakaway in a turn of fortune that salted the game away. It’s not to say the Penguins were necessarily lucky because a team still has to make their luck through their own efforts, more like it was very close to swinging in a different direction. A blowout game can still have its precarious moments.
  • To that end the final score wasn’t completely indicative of how the Pens played, which wasn’t perfect. They were a bit reckless up 3-0 when it came to some decisions with the puck and when it came to pinching up, willing to trade chances with Edmonton when they didn’t have to. They gave up a goal while on the power play. They didn’t have an even strength shot for well over 10 minutes in the second period. Obviously when you get a huge goal outburst it doesn’t have to be a flawless 60 minutes, the Pens were very good and certainly flexed enough offensive muscles to deserve a big win; there just was more to the story than simply the score at the end of the night.
  • How about the 39-year old Malkin A) having the burst to stay ahead of Ekholm chasing him at the end of a 1:21 shift, B) keeping a rolling puck on old ice in his possession and C) converting a very wide deke. Outstanding effort, everyone in this matchup obviously hones in on Crosby and McDavid, Malkin gave what should be a needless reminder that those two aren’t the only special, special players involved.
  • This was the Pens first win in Edmonton since December of 2019. Back then Dan Muse was an assistant coach in Nashville working with Nick Bonino as a player, Justin Brazeau was in the ECHL, Yegor Chinakhov was playing in a lower-tier Russian league having gone undrafted in the NHL a few months earlier. Ben Kindel was 12 years old! It had been a while.

Certainly one of the more thrilling, satisfying and biggest wins of the season for the Pens to shake off what had been a house of horrors for them, win a third game on this road trip on a back-to-back effort. The Penguins have definitely had much lower high water marks of their whole seasons the past few years then this, even though at this point they still have high hopes to keep the momentum going to finish the trip strong on the last leg coming up in Vancouver.

Steven Stamkos' Hat Trick Powers Predators To A Comeback Win Over Senators

When the Nashville Predators were staring at a 3-0 hole, the game needed a spark. Steven Stamkos didn’t just provide one, he flipped the entire night on its head.

Stamkos, 35, scored twice on the power play and added another at even strength to fuel a 5-3 Predators comeback win, erasing a three-goal deficit with authority.

His first power-play goal put the Predators on the board towards the end of the second period and marked the 234th of his career.

That goal pulled him even with Marcel Dionne for ninth all-time in NHL history. Halfway through the third period, Stamkos struck again with the man advantage to move into sole possession of that spot.

He wasn't done though.

Stamkos recorded his third of the night and gave the Predators a 4-3 lead with 1:13 left in the third period. On a game that looked like it was heading to overtime.

The veteran sniper blew the roof off Bridgestone Arena.

His hat trick was the 16th of his career which puts him in rare company among active players, trailing only Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak.

It also came against the 14th different franchise he’s torched for three goals, second-most among active skaters.

By night’s end, Stamkos had logged his 104th career multi-goal game and reminded everyone exactly why he’s still one of the league’s most dangerous finishers, especially when the moment demands it.

Up Next: The Nashville Predators (24-22-4) will wrap up the homestand with a meeting against the Utah Mammoth (26-20-4) on Saturday at 2:30.

Panthers earn gritty 2-1 shootout win over Jets

The Florida Panthers kicked off their three-game road trip in chilly Manitoba on Thursday night.

Florida dug deep and picked up a crucial 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets.

The game remained scoreless until late in the second period thanks to some excellent defensive hockey from both teams.

For Florida, their play in their own end of the ice was inspiring, taking away the middle of the ice from the Jets and frustrating them over and over.

A faceoff in the Winnipeg zone with just over a minute to go led to the game’s opening goal.

Playing in just his second game of the season, Matthew Tkachuk picked up the puck along the half wall and sent a nice, flat pass to the slot.

That’s where Sam Bennett was waiting, and he blasted a one-timer past Connor Hellebuyck to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 18:49 mark.

Winnipeg tied the game 5:24 into the third period, and after playing such a sound defensive game, it was a turnover in their own zone that cost the Cats their lead.

As Uvis Balinskis tried to skate with the puck toward his own blue line, he had his pocket picked from behind by Jonathan Toews.

Toews then fed Cole Perfetti across the zone and his quick forehand-backhand move was enough to fool Daniil Tarasov and knot the score at one.

That’s how the game would remain though regulation and the three-on-three overtime, which meant it was destined to end in a shootout.

Goals by Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart, as well as a pair of stops by Tarasov, earned the Panthers two big points.

The win was also the first for Paul Maurice back in Winnipeg since he was coaching the Jets.

On to Minnesota, where it may actually be colder than it was in Winnipeg.

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Photo caption: Jan 22, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) in the second period at Canada Life Centre. (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)

Senators Blow Another Big Lead, Fall 5-3 In Nashville On Stamkos Hat Trick

For the third time in four games, the Ottawa Senators squandered a multi-goal lead, only this time, they didn’t even manage to earn a regulation point. Steven Stamkos scored three goals, including the game-winner with just over a minute remaining, to lead the Nashville Predators to a 5-3 victory over the Senators on Thursday night.

Ottawa had grabbed an early 3-0 lead and looked strong for 40 minutes, fueled by Steven Halliday’s first NHL goal and some excellent goaltending from James Reimer, who made 22 saves in the loss.

First Period

After being called up earlier in the day to replace injured forward David Perron, Halliday got the Senators on the board just over six minutes into the game. Nick Cousins did some strong work behind the Nashville net before feeding Lars Eller, whose wraparound attempt was stopped. The puck then trickled out to Halliday, who chipped a backhand past Juuse Saros to open the scoring.

Just over eight minutes later, Ridly Greig made it 2–0 with his eighth goal of the season. Michael Amadio made a slick move at his own blue line to create a long passing lane to Greig at the far blue line. Greig sprinted in alone and beat Saros between the legs to double the lead.

It appeared Greig had added another goal in the dying moments of the first period after crashing the net, but the goal was disallowed. Greig entered the blue paint on his own, and it appeared he may have directed the puck in with his arm.

A notable moment in the opening period came when tensions flared between Shane Pinto and Steven Stamkos. After Stamkos rubbed Pinto out along the boards, Pinto responded with a chop to the back of the legs. Stamkos angrily returned fire with a slash and a cross-check.

Also worth a mention was the incredible skate save by James Reimer on Cole Smith. In a scramble in front, Reimer was already stretched out but still managed to extend his left leg to prevent a sure goal.

Second Period

Midway through the second period, Dylan Cozens made it 3–0 Ottawa, deflecting Artem Zub’s point shot. It was Cozens’ 16th goal of the season, matching his total from all of last year in just his 50th game.

Reimer made another elite save with just under two minutes left in the second. He appeared completely down and out but reached back behind him with his blocker and stick to absolutely rob Jonathan Marchessault.

However, Jordan Spence was called for hooking on the play, and on the ensuing power play, Nashville finally got on the board. Luke Evangelista hit Stamkos with a perfect pass in the slot, and he skated into a full slap shot like it was the skills competition at the All-Star Game. Reimer had zero chance and that cut the lead to 3–1.

Third Period

Still up by 3-1 just over four minutes into the third period, Fabian Zetterlund took a two-minute minor for high-sticking. They killed off the penalty thanks to some strong PK work, particularly from Tim Stützle. As the penalty expired, Stützle had a bit of misfortune, breaking in alone on goal and appearing to be the victim of an uncalled holding penalty. 

As that happened, two Nashville players jumped off off the ice at the Nashville blue line, replaced by two Predators who jumped on at the red line, behind the Sens D, leading to a 2 on 0, finished off by Marchessault to cut the lead to 3-2. 

It could easily have been called too many men on Nashville.

The momentum seemed to swing with the Zetterlund penalty with Nashville's offensive guns getting loads of touches in the offensive zone.

Two minutes later, with Nashville pressing, Stutzle got called for crosschecking Stamkos in a wild goalmouth scramble. Stamkos made him pay by one timing a cross ice pass through the slot to tie the game.

Stamkos wasn't done there. He completed his hat trick with just over one minute to play. Ryan O'Reilly beat Nick Jensen badly on a forecheck, won the puck cleanly, and centred it to Stamkos who flicked home a puck out of the air.

As the Preds celebrated their comeback, Brady Tkachuk broke his stick on the Sens goal post in frustration.

Nashville added an empty netter to seal the win, the latest in a string of emotional setbacks for the Senators in 2026.

The Sens are back at it on Saturday at home versus the Carolina Hurricanes. The next three games are against Carolina (2nd overall), Vegas (9th overall), and Colorado (1st overall).

Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

Oiver Moore's Big Birthday Performance Powers Blackhawks Past Hurricanes In Shootout

After a long, emotional stretch of games celebrating the past, the Chicago Blackhawks are now back to being focused solely on the future. On Thursday night, they hit the road for one game to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Carolina, known for playing a suffocating style defensively, is a hard team to play against, especially in their own building. The Blackhawks needed a big effort to even think about beating them. 

Frank Nazar returned to the lineup for Chicago in this game. That means that Nazar, Connor Bedard, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, and Artyom Levshunov skated in the same lineup for the first time together. The future brightens for the organization every day. There are more great prospects on the way. 

The Blackhawks weren't playing at their best early in this game, but that didn't stop them from going up 1-0. Ilya Mikheyev scored a short-handed goal to make it 1-0 at 11:12 of the first period. 

The lead didn't last long, however, as Joel Nystrom scored his first career NHL goal to tie the game up at one. 

In the second period, Oliver Moore and Ryan Donato made a nifty play to find Nick Lardis, who scored his 6th of the season to make it 2-1 Blackhawks. 

Before long, at 9:16 of the middle frame, Jordan Staal tied the game back up. He created a two-on-one by taking advantage of a tough Artyom Levshunov pinch. That put Connor Bedard in a bad position, and Staal took full advantage.  

Later in the period, Lardis took a big hit from Hurricanes defenseman Alex Nikishin. Oliver Moore, who was celebrating his 21st birthday on Thursday, came to the defense of his linemate.

Although the fight decisively went to Nikishin (three punches), it was a great move by Moore as he stood up for his fellow rookie. After connecting on a goal earlier in the period, you can expect more big moments for Moore and Lardis together. 

The 2-2 tie held through the second intermission. In the final frame, the two teams exchanged goals once more.

Connor Murphy received a beautiful pass from Tyler Bertuzzi before putting on the moves to score his second goal of the season, less than a minute before Jackson Blake scored a tap-in goal on a neat pass by Logan Stankoven. 

Nothing more came in regulation time or overtime, so the match went to a shootout. There, Connor Bedard and Andrei Svechnikov each scored in the second round, but that was all of the scoring until they got all the way to the sixth round. 

In that sixth round, after Spencer Knight kept Mark Jankowski from scoring, Oliver Moore completed his big birthday game with the shootout winner. 

This won't count as an official Gordie Howe Hat Trick for Moore on his birthday, but for all intents and purposes, he scored one. His team won in large part because of the way he played. 

It must also be noted that the Blackhawks went 5/5 on the penalty kill in this game. They are now up to 85.1 percent on the PK, officially jumping the Colorado Avalanche for first in the NHL.

The Blackhawks are not likely going to jump enough teams to be a playoff team, but wins like this prove that they deserve to be in the conversation as a bubble team. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Friday night. They will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at the United Center on a cold night in Chicago. 

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Sabres Defender Exits Canadiens Matchup Injured

The injury bug is continuing to bite the Buffalo Sabres. 

Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson was forced to leave the team's Jan. 22 matchup against the Montreal Canadiens early after suffering an upper-body injury. 

Bryson was limited to only 6:17 of ice time during the Sabres' contest against the Canadiens due to his injury. During the matchup, he recorded two blocks and a plus-1 rating. 

Bryson has appeared in 33 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded two goals, three assists, and five points. This is after he had seven assists and a minus-9 rating in 48 games with the Sabres during this past season. 

In 287 career NHL games over six seasons with the Sabres, Bryson has recorded six goals, 42 assists, 48 points, and 58 penalty minutes. 

Sabres' Lucrative Deal For Youngster Doan Is A Gamble – But A Good One

Josh Doan (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images)
Josh Doan (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images)

Let’s be clear – the Buffalo Sabres’ signing of young winger Josh Doan is very much a gamble.

Indeed, when you commit a seven-year, $$48.65-million contract to a 23-year-old who came into the current season with exactly 62 games of NHL experience, you’re gambling. But as we’ll explain below, the Sabres can afford to take this type of gamble.

"The Big Show"

As it stands, the Sabres will still have approximately $13.2 million in salary cap space when Doan’s new contract kicks in beginning next season. Doan’s average annual value of $6.95-million may seem pricey, but if he develops into a 30-goal-scorer either this year or soon thereafter, Doan’s salary could come to be regarded as a serious bargain.

With Doan’s contract done, there will be nobody wondering whether Doan could follow the guy he was traded for – sniper J.J. Peterka – and orchestrate an exit out of town a few years from now. Now, you have him for a full seven years, and he’s a cost-certain asset. But there’s no question Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has gambled on Doan.

Steep Price Sharks Paid For Sherwood Should Be Price Sabres Are Willing To Pay To Make Their Own Major MoveSteep Price Sharks Paid For Sherwood Should Be Price Sabres Are Willing To Pay To Make Their Own Major MoveThe San Jose Sharks made a big move, acquiring Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. But the price the Sharks paid to improve should be the same type of price the Buffalo Sabres should be willing to pay to make their own major move. Because standing pat isn't an option for this Sabres squad.

The reality, though, is that these are the type of deals teams make all the time. They project on players, and sometimes, they project wrongly. But the bottom line is this – Buffalo has to make these projections if they want to keep players on the rise in town.

Now, the Sabres know they’ve got Doan to stay in the top-six of the team. Now, they can now worry about players pushing their way out of town the way Peterka did. It’s about committing more now for the Sabres in hope of the contract looking like it was worthwhile.

Sabres Facing Crucial Stretch That Could Define Their SeasonSabres Facing Crucial Stretch That Could Define Their SeasonThe Buffalo Sabres' playoff hopes could hinge on a grueling 10-game stretch. Can they rise to the challenge and end their 14-year playoff drought?

Doan could be a terrific winger for a long time in this league. And the Sabres believe he’s worth the investment. Time will tell whether they were right to do so. 

Hurricanes Rookie Nets First Career NHL Goal

What a season it's been for Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom.

The 23-year-old blueliner made his NHL debut on Oct. 23, registered his first NHL point on Nov. 8, signed a four-year contract on Dec. 12 and now, 36 games into his career, he has his first NHL goal as well.

Joel Nystrom talks about scoring first career NHL goal

In the first period of the Canes' Thursday night game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Nystrom wristed one from the left circle that found its way past Hawks netminder Spencer Knight to tie the game up for his team.

It was a little bit of a full-circle moment for Nystrom too as he picked up as Jesperi Kotkaniemi was the one who teed him up for his first goal, and Nystrom's first career point came by setting up a Kotkaniemi goal.

"I'm happy to get my first goal," Nystrom said after the game. "I've been waiting for it. It was a great pass by KK and I had a lot of space there, so I tried to shoot it. Happy to see it went in."

The Swede has really made his way into the league in a big way, after injuries opened the door for him. 

He's been a reliable presence on the blueline and he hasn't been afraid to shoot the puck, with 115 shot attempts and 40 shots on goal already under his belt, so it's good to see him finally get one.

"Nys' been great all season long," said captain Jordan Staal. "He's stepped up and played a lot of minutes, especially early there and has played really well. He's fit in nicely with the group and he's gotten a ton of chances and a ton of shots on net. Kept telling him it was math and one was bound to go in for him if he kept shooting the puck, so it nice to see him get one. He acted like he's done it before and I'm sure he will again."

The 2021 seventh-round pick has become a key contributor to the Hurricanes and it's safe to say we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future.

Congrats, Joel!


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Doan Signing Could Be A Sign Of An Alex Tuch Trade

The Buffalo Sabres signing of winger Josh Doan is the first major move made by Jarmo Kekalainen, but could be an indicator of what the newly-hired Sabres GM will do before the NHL Trade Deadline in early March.  Doan has 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games in his first season with the Sabres, and agreed to a seven-year, $48.65 million contract ($6.95 million AAV). 

The 23-year-old winger was in the final year of his entry-level contract. The new deal represents a departure from all of the long-term extensions under former GM Kevyn Adams. Deals for Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen all had signing bonuses only in the first year, while Doan’s extension includes a $3.5 million signing bonus in both the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.    

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Discussing the Josh Doan contract extension with the Sabres.

Doan, along with forward Zach Benson and defenseman Michael Kesselring, were to be restricted free agents at the end of this season, a complicating factor to the Sabres salary structure with the potential signing of Alex Tuch before the winger becomes an unrestricted free agent in July. With the dead money on Jeff Skinner’s buyout increasing to $6.44 million next season, the Sabres (according to Puckpedia) have $90.783 million allocated for 2026-27. 

Tuch is reportedly asking for in excess of $10 million on an eight-year deal, similar to the contract signed by LA forward Adrian Kempe earlier this season. If Kekalainen is not able to get Tuch at a lower number, it increases the possibility of the 29-year-old winger being dealt before the March 6th trade deadline. The Sabres can ill afford to keep a player who will likely leave this summer and get nothing in return, but trading Tuch could hamper their chances at ending their 14-year playoff drought.  

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Sabres Have Good Potential Trade Target In Blue Jackets Star

The Buffalo Sabres are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division standings with a 27-17-5 record. With this, the Sabres have a real shot of finally breaking their 14-year playoff drought.

However, with the Eastern Conference playoff race being so tight, it would be wise for the Sabres to add to their roster to help their odds of making the post-season. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL who could be good fits, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner stands out in a big way. 

Jenner has been creating chatter in the rumor mill as a trade candidate, as he is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and the Blue Jackets currently do not hold a playoff spot. If he is officially made available ahead of the deadline, the Sabres would be wise to make a big push for him. 

If the Sabres brought in Jenner, they would be adding an impactful forward who plays both down the middle and on the wing. Furthermore, he would give the Sabres another good leader in their room, which could be excellent for a Buffalo club that is looking to take the next step. 

Jenner is also in the middle of a strong season with the Blue Jackets. In 35 games on the year, the 2011 first-round pick has recorded eight goals, 17 assists, 25 points, and 79 hits. With numbers like these, he would be a solid addition to the Sabres' top nine if acquired.

Jenner would also give the Sabres another player who works on both the power play and penalty kill, as he plays a solid two-way game.

Revisiting The 2021 NHL Draft: How High Would Simon Edvinsson Go Today?

The 2021 NHL Draft is beginning to look like one of the stronger classes in recent memory, producing several impact players across the league. For the Detroit Red Wings, that success now includes towering defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a six-foot-six Swedish blueliner who has quickly established himself as one of the most intriguing young defensemen in the sport. His emergence raises a natural question in if the draft were held again today, would Edvinsson go higher, lower, or remain at sixth overall?

At the very top of a redraft, there appears to be little debate. Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston has developed into a legitimate top-six NHL scorer and is on pace to finish just shy of 90 points this season.

Johnston leads all players from the 2021 class in total points and holds a 53-point advantage over the next closest skater, Seattle’s Matty Beniers. Based on current production and trajectory, Johnston would almost certainly be the first overall pick in a redraft.

From there, the picture becomes more complicated as Beniers remains a cornerstone player in Seattle, while Utah’s Dylan Guenther, Toronto’s Matthew Knies, and Anaheim’s Mason McTavish have all emerged as impactful forwards.

Each brings a combination of scoring, physicality, and top-line upside that would likely push them ahead of Detroit’s original sixth selection. In a redraft scenario, it is reasonable to expect those five forwards to come off the board before the Red Wings are on the clock.

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That is where Edvinsson re-enters the conversation. While teams generally preach drafting best player available over positional need, a redraft inevitably accounts for organizational context and proven NHL performance. Detroit’s defensive depth is thinner than its forward group, and Edvinsson’s skill set would fill a clear need. Among remaining options, he stands out as one of the best all-around talents available.

New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes presents the closest competition as the fellow 22-year-old is more offensively inclined and has already posted multiple 40-point NHL seasons, but recent injury concerns and defensive inconsistencies could give teams pause.

Edvinsson, by contrast, offers size, reach, and defensive reliability while still contributing offensively, finishing with only 13 fewer points than Hughes last season despite a different role. His physical presence and durability make him an attractive long-term option for a team seeking stability on the back end.

Other defensemen such as J.J. Moser have also carved out solid NHL careers, but Edvinsson’s five-inch height advantage and two-way impact give him the edge. There are also several forwards including William Eklund, Kent Johnson, Owen Power, Matt Coronato, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake who could reasonably climb in a redraft. Even so, most projections would place Edvinsson firmly in the same range, either remaining with Detroit at sixth overall or sliding only slightly later.

For Red Wings fans, the takeaway is reassuring. Detroit’s scouting staff identified a legitimate top talent, and Edvinsson’s continued development suggests the organization made the right call. In a draft that continues to age well, Detroit’s sixth overall pick looks every bit the part of a franchise cornerstone.

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Roman Josi reflects on career with Nashville Predators ahead of 1,000th career game

It has been 5,171 days since a 21-year-old Roman Josi was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals to join the Nashville Predators. 

He remembers it vividly. On Nov. 26, 2011, Josi played his first NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings. 

"I remember going out there for warmups and thinking that it was the coolest thing," Josi said. "It was at Joe Louis Arena, which was historic and across from me, you had guys like Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom, which was pretty surreal. You never forget your first one." 

Thursday, in the Predators' home matchup against the Ottawa Senators, Josi will play his 1,000th career game and become the first player in franchise history to play all 1,000 games with the Predators. 

"It's a crazy number and a pretty special day," Josi said at Thursday morning's skate. "It's a good time to reflect a little bit and think about the time you've been here. It's pretty special to do it with this organization and the only team I've played for."

Josi's list of accolades, not just in the Predators organization, but in the NHL and internationally, is a long one.

He's established himself as one of the best defensemen of his generation, a four-time NHL All-Star, 2020 Norris Trophy Winner, and just the second defenseman ever to lead an NHL franchise in points, the other being Hall of Famer Ray Bourque (1,506 points) with the Boston Bruins. 

Over 999 career games, Josi has tallied 198 goals and 554 assists for 752 points. 

"To play 1,000 games in one uniform is really hard these days," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "With the CBA and free agency, it's a heck of an accomplishment."  

Josi has been a pioneer in the growth of Switzerland's hockey presence, winning three silver medals at the IIHF World Championships, competing in the 2014 Olympics, and gearing up for another run at the 2026 games next month. 

While he's originally from Switzerland, Nashville has become home to Josi. It's where he met his wife, Ellie Ottaway-Josi, and where his two kids were born and are being raised. 

 Josi's family will be attending the game on Thursday. 

"My kids are at a good age now where they kind of understand what's happening a little bit," Josi said. "I met my wife here. My kids were born here. There are so many things that have happened in this town over the last 15 years. 

"My family is here from back home (Switzerland). They've been here so many times and they love it."

Nov 26, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) takes the puck up ice against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at the Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
Nov 26, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) takes the puck up ice against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at the Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

Reaching 1,000 games means even more, considering Josi's health and the possibility in the 2025 offseason that he may not reach the milestone. 

After missing the final two months of the 2024-25 season, it was revealed that Josi had been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a circulatory disorder that causes a rapid heart rate increase.

With his status in flux throughout the summer, days before training camp, General Manager Barry Trotz announced that Josi would be ready, "100 percent healthy." 

"We were all a little bit scared last year. I'm sure he was," Brunette said. "I think the clarification with what he was dealing with eased a lot of tension in all of us, especially him. To see him back, he's pointed at a really high level this year.

"We played better because Roman's healthy and in his groove, so I'm happy to see him. He's been scoring some goals lately. His game is at a really high level." 

Josi said a lot has to go right health-wise in order to get to 1,000 games, but he credited the people around him in the Predators organization who got him there. 

"There are a lot of people to be thankful for," Josi said. "Our staff does an amazing job to keep you healthy and a lot goes into it. I feel very lucky, health-wise, to make it to 1,000." 

Feb 9, 2011; St. Paul, MN USA; Minnesota Wild forward Andrew Brunette (15) with his wife Laurie Brunette (second left) and father Dan Brunette (left) is presented with a silver hockey stick for his 1000th game played last week before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images
Feb 9, 2011; St. Paul, MN USA; Minnesota Wild forward Andrew Brunette (15) with his wife Laurie Brunette (second left) and father Dan Brunette (left) is presented with a silver hockey stick for his 1000th game played last week before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-Imagn Images

The moment allowed Brunette to reflect on his 1,000th career game, which he eclipsed in 2011, with the Minnesota Wild. He said the moment can be emotionally "tough." 

"When you get to that game, sometimes it feels like an obituary at times," Brunette said. "You see everybody talk about it and you gotta kind of catch yourself that you're, you're not dead. The tributes and the things people say.

"As a hockey player, you're always moving forward. Next game, next shift, the next play. To take a second and reflect, for me, wasn't a great feeling." 

The celebration has already begun ahead of the game, as Josi has received gifts from his teammates, including a limited-edition Norqain watch and VIP tickets to the US Open. 

It'll be a special celebration Thursday night, but Josi is aware of the task at hand of beating the Senators and avoiding a third straight loss. 

"You obviously want to enjoy the moment, but once the game starts, we're trying to win," Josi said. "It's a special game for me, but once the game starts, you focus on that."