Category: Ice Hockey

The Vancouver Canucks (18–32–6) take part in their final game before the 2026 Winter Olympic break when they face the Vegas Golden Knights (25–16–14) later tonight. This marks the final game of the Canucks’ mom’s trip, with the team’s first game resulting in a 6–2 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Monday. Vegas’ last game took place on Sunday, during which they lost by a score of 4–3 to the Anaheim Ducks. Tonight’s match is not the Golden Knights’ last before the break, however, as they will also face the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow night. 

This is the first time the Canucks and Golden Knights will face each other this season, as the two teams’ other matchups aren’t until March 30 and April 7. By the time they face each other again, Vancouver and Vegas will likely have their respective post-season fates locked-down. 

Vegas will be a desperate team heading into tonight’s game, as the Golden Knights’ last win came against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 23. Throughout their current five-game losing streak, Vegas has dropped all but one of their games by a single goal. Two of these losses were against Pacific Division teams. 

For the Canucks, a win tonight would be a good morale booster as the team prepares to enter the 2026 Winter Olympic break. After a long stretch of losses as well as injury after injury, Vancouver will benefit from a break to re-set and rest during what has undoubtedly been a difficult season.   

Players To Watch: 

Teddy Blueger

Since returning to the Canucks’ lineup on January 21 against the Washington Capitals, Teddy Blueger has scored four goals and tallied one assist. The centre’s presence in Vancouver’s lineup has been greatly missed from both a defensive and depth perspective, though the fact that he’s been contributing offensively definitely helps. As a pending UFA and soon-to-be Olympian for Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Blueger will be a player to watch as the Canucks take part in their final game before the break.  

Pavel Dorofeyev

Dorofeyev has gotten off to an impressive start for Vegas this season, putting together a team-leading 24 goals as well as 17 assists. He’s already 12 points away from setting a new career-high with 27 games remaining in the Golden Knights’ season. Throughout his past 10 games, the forward has scored seven goals and potted one assist, though his point totals have been limited to three throughout his team’s five-game losing streak.  

Vancouver Canucks (18–32–6): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 13–21–34

Filip Hronek: 5–27–32

Jake DeBrusk: 13–15–28

Brock Boeser: 12–13–25

Evander Kane: 9–16–25

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 7–18–4

Nikita Tolopilo: 3–3–1

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Vegas Golden Knights (25–16–14): 

Points: 

Jack Eichel: 19–45–64

Mitch Marner: 15–41–56

Mark Stone: 20–35–55

Tomáš Hertl: 22–26–48

Pavel Dorofeyev: 24–17–41 

Goaltenders: 

Akira Schmid: 15–6–6

Carter Hart: 5–3–3

Adin Hill: 3–3–3

Carl Lindbom: 2–4–2

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: T-Mobile Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are at home to take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at 7 PM.  

Chicago Blackhawks - 21-24-9 - 51 Points - 3-5-2 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 6th in the Central

Columbus Blue Jackets - 25-20-7 - 57 Points - 7-3-0 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 5th in the Metro.

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• Columbus has won a season-high six-straight games, as well as 10 of its past 11 games overall, while outscoring opponents 42-26 since Jan. 11 following its 3-0 victory at New Jersey last night.

• CBJ lead the NHL in wins, points pct. (.909) and team save percentage (.916) and rank second in goals-against/game(2.36), sixth-T in goals for/game (3.82) and seventh in power play pct. (29.6) over that stretch.

• The club has scored the opening goal in nine of the past 11 games and has scored the first goal in 33 contests, tied for fourth-most in the NHL in 2025-26.

• Columbus leads the NHL in goals by defensemen and ranks fourth in points with 42-98-140 in 55 contests.

• CBJ conclude their 11th of 16 back-to-back sets of the season (13-5-3 .690 pts. pct;) vs. Chicago tonight.

• The Jackets have allowed two power play goals over the last eight contests and lead the league in penalty kill pct. since Jan. 17 (91.7 pct., 1st in NHL; 22-of-24).

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Charlie Coyle has notched 9-6-15 in the last 11 contests and ranks second-T in the NHL in goals since Jan. 11.

• Jet Greaves (5-0-0, 2.47 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO) and G Elvis Merzlikins (5-1-0, 2.03 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO) have each won five games for the Blue Jackets since Jan. 11.

• Boone Jenner (203 career assists) is one assist from tying RW David Vyborny for the third-most all-time in CBJ history.

• Kirill Marchenko, who missed last night's game due to illness, has points in his past four games (1-4-5) and in 15 of his last 19 contests since Dec. 22 (9-11-20).

• Mathieu Olivier (two goals at New Jersey) has notched multiple points in three of the past four games (4-2-6).

• Zach Werenski has recorded assists in five-straight games (8 assists) and points in six consecutive (1-8-9). He leads NHL blueliners in goals (tied, 19), points (61), multi-point efforts (20), points-per-game (1.20), even strength goals (16), even strength points (45) and shots on goal (181) this season.

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.9% - 18th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.9% - 28th in the NHL
• Goals For - 170 - 18th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 176 - 21st in the NHL 

Blackhawks Stats

• Power Play - 19.5% - 19th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 85.6% - 1st in the NHL
• Goals For - 151 - 26th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 176 - 20th in the NHL

Series History vs. The Blackhawks

• Columbus is 43-46-2-13 all-time, and 22-21-1-8 at home vs. Chicago.
• The Blue Jackets are 7-0-1 in the last 8 games of the series and have won 6-straight overall.
• The winning team has scored four or more goals in 11-straight meetings and 13 of the last 15 in the series overall since Feb. 11, 2021.
• The CBJ beat the Blackhawks 4-2 on January 30th
• The winning team has won by multiple goals in each of the past nine meetings, including seven instances of by at least three goals.
• The teams have combined for six-plus goals in 12 of the past 15 contests, including nine with seven or more goals.
• The Blue Jackets have recorded a power play goal in six of the past eight meetings (6-of-21; 28.6 pct.).

Who To Watch For The Blackhawks

• Tyler Bertuzzi leads the Blackhawks with 25 goals.
• Connor Bedard leads Chicago with 30 assists and 53 points.
• Goalie Spencer Knight is 16-17-7 with a SV% of .909.
• Arvid Soderblom is 5-9-2 with a SV% of .874.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Blackhawks

• Zach Werenski has 21 points in 19 career games vs. the Blackhawks.
• Boone Jenner has 12 points in 23 games.
• Charlie Coyle has 15 points in 39 games against Chicago.

Injured Reserve

• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 17 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 153

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.  

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The Florida Panthers enter play in a four-game losing skid and are desperate for points to hang around in the playoff race.

My Bruins vs. Panthers predictions expect them to get a much-needed win in a big divisional clash on home ice.

Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4.

Bruins vs Panthers prediction

Bruins vs Panthers best bet: Panthers moneyline (-140)

While the Florida Panthers haven’t gotten the results they’ve wanted, they have largely played good hockey since Matthew Tkachuk returned to the lineup.

In the eight games with Tkachuk healthy and available, the Panthers have controlled a 57.43% share of the scoring chances. That is the second-highest mark in the league, trailing only the Lightning, who won seven of their eight games.

They are spending a lot of time on the front foot and getting significantly more chances than they’re giving up.

That can’t be said of the Boston Bruins, who sit 26th with a 45.21% scoring chance share over the same period of time.

Part of that is the penalty trouble they’ve run into, but I’m not sure that can be dismissed. They lead the league in PIMs per game and sit 26th in PK% this season. It’s nothing new; it’s the norm.

Including special teams, the Panthers will likely earn an edge in the shot/chance department this evening. They might also get reinforcements as the returns of Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell are looming.

Look for the back-to-back Stanley Cup winners to give Boston their best shot in an attempt to get some crucial points before the break.

Bruins vs Panthers same-game parlay

Tkachuk leads the Panthers in high-danger chances and expected goals over the past eight games. He’s creating a lot of looks, and that should continue tonight. He always seems to save his best for the Bruins, averaging 3.7 shots on goal over the past 23 meetings.

The Bruins have had a couple of days off since the Stadium Series game, which should benefit Hampus Lindholm. He has been very productive in similar situations, recording multiple shots in six straight following two days of rest.

Bruins vs Panthers SGP

• Panthers moneyline
• Matthew Tkachuk anytime goal
• Hampus Lindholm Over 1.5 shots on goal

Bruins vs Panthers odds

• Moneyline: Bruins +120 | Panthers -140
• Puck Line: Bruins +1.5 (-200) | Panthers -1.5 (+165)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)

Bruins vs Panthers trend

Florida has won seven of the past 10 matchups with Boston. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Panthers.

How to watch Bruins vs Panthers

Bruins vs Panthers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Olympics are approaching and there’s a housekeeping note to be aware of starting this afternoon. From PuckPedia:

During the Olympics, there are restrictions on teams making player transactions. The Olympic Roster freeze goes from February 4 at 3pm ET to February 22 at 11:59 ET.

During the freeze:

-No Trades are permitted
-Players can be sent down if they are waiver exempt, except for players that played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21
-Players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if the player was waived after their NHL team’s final game before the freeze, they do not have to report to their new team until February 17.

There are no restrictions on sending players down prior to the freeze. 

The biggest bullets for the Penguins are likely the first two listed. Kyle Dubas will be unable to make any trades during this period – and the regular NHL trade deadline will be fast approaching on Friday March 6th soon after the Olympic freeze is lifted.

The second point handles players being moved from the NHL to AHL roster. Currently only Rutger McGroarty and Ryan Graves can be sent by Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre without needing waivers. Graves, who was removed from the IR on Monday, is eligible for this since he cleared waivers on 12/31 and has only played two NHL games since that point and has not been on the NHL roster for 30 days since clearing waivers due to his stint on IR. Graves has been on the AHL roster within the last 80 days to satisfy that wrinkle of the rule.

Big takeaway might be that based on the rules the Pens can keep both of these players on the NHL roster for tomorrow night’s game against Buffalo and still look to send them down to the AHL if they wish to keep them playing games over the coming weeks, it doesn’t have to be before today’s official freeze at 3pm today.

Then again, Wilkes-Barre also has a game tonight, so the Penguins could always opt to send McGroarty down before the freeze today for participation in that game. Being as McGroarty didn’t play in last night’s NHL game that would be more about strategic management to get him playing again in the AHL more than it would have anything to do with the freeze rules impacting timing, but so it goes to know that the Pens could keep McGroarty with the NHL team for tomorrow if they so wanted.

The third bullet could apply to someone like Caleb Jones, who would need to be waived today and clear tomorrow and be assigned prior to Pittsburgh’s final game before the break. Jones would also have to be healthy enough to be removed from IR, to which the Pens don’t have a spot for him currently on the 23-man roster. Those extra machinations it would take in order to re-assign Jones fully to the AHL before the freeze could go to leave him where he is for a while longer yet as he works back from a second injury this season.

Otherwise, it should be straight-forward for the team at this point going into the break. Besides the four players going to play in Italy for their respective countries (Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Arturs Silovs) the rest of the team can enjoy their well-earned break without having to worry about getting traded in the next few weeks as the league takes a pause.

The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues tend to play low-event games against one another.

With both teams playing at a snail’s pace, my Blues vs. Stars predictions expect more of the same tonight.

Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4.

Blues vs Stars prediction

Blues vs Stars best bet: Under 5.5 (+110)

The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues have played each other three times this season, and 16 total goals were scored in those games (5.33 per), and two stayed Under the number.

It’s not just the lack of goals that stands out, but the process that has led to it. Their games featured an average — yes, average — of 44 total shots on goal. The highest output we’ve seen was 50, and the Blues won the battle 26-24.

A lack of shots is not a coincidence. The Blues rank 27th in 5-on-5 pace this season, while the Stars come in at 31st. Both teams play painfully slowly and are methodical with and without the puck.

The Stars rank fourth in goals against per game and control matchups on home ice, making it difficult for the Blues, who sit 30th in scoring, to find the net.

While the Blues have struggled to keep the puck out, they actually rank Top 6 in 5-on-5 shot suppression and expected goals against over their last 10 games.

It won’t be easy for the Stars, who sit 28th in 5-on-5 scoring rate during that span, to create looks.

Expect another low-event matchup between these Central Division foes.

Blues vs Stars same-game parlay

Miro Heiskanen has averaged 2.4 shots on goal and cleared this line in 76% of his home games. That includes a multi-shot performance against the Blues in the only meeting in Dallas thus far.

Going the other way, Jimmy Snuggerud has ramped up his shot volume, averaging 2.7 shots on 5.9 attempts over his last 10, well above season averages of 2.1 shots and 4.7 attempts. He’s taking on a bigger role with so many key players sidelined.

Blues vs Stars SGP

• Under 5.5
• Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots on goal
• Jimmy Snuggerud Over 1.5 shots on goal

Blues vs Stars odds

• Moneyline: Blues +185 | Stars -225
• Puck Line: Blues +1.5 (-130) | Stars -1.5 (+110)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under Under 5.5 (+110)

Blues vs Stars trend

Seven of the past 10 head-to-head meetings have gone Under the total. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Stars.

How to watch Blues vs Stars

Blues vs Stars latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Florida Panthers are running out of time if they want to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins.

With only 27 games remaining on their schedule, the Panthers know they have quite a bit of work to do in order to catch up to the teams currently holding Stanley Cup Playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Entering play Wednesday, Florida has racked up 59 points in their 55 games played.

That total has the Cats sitting nine points behind Wednesday’s opponent, the Boston Bruins, who hold the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Florida holds one game in hand on the Bruins, which may or may not come in handy, depending how the next 10 to 15 games go for the Panthers.

Having the healthiest lineup possible for the next two games will go a long way toward Florida procuring all four possible points.

That means we’ll be closely monitoring the status of Panthers forwards Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell.

All three are considered day-to-day and we could all or none of them in the Cats’ lineup on Wednesday night.

“There’s a chance they all play tomorrow, there’s a chance none of them play tomorrow,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said after Tuesday’s practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.

Florida is scheduled to hold an optional morning skate ahead of the Bruins game, so there’s a chance Maurice could have an update at that time.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Wednesday’s clash with the Bruins:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Sandis Vilmanis – Luke Kunin – Jesper Boqvist

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis

Tobias Bjornfot – Jeff Petry

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

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Photo caption: Jan 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) moves the puck against the Boston Bruins during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Jack remains out:

"He's trying to do everything that he can to get to that point but it's really up to the medical team at this point. They're not confident with where he's at but we'll just see what tomorrow brings." – #NJDevils HC Sheldon Keefe on Jack Hughes https://t.co/8Hg0AYHZrU

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 3, 2026

It’s over. As with every time the Devils have tried to build some momentum as of late, the team fell flat on Tuesday night. The Blue Jackets took a 3-0 win. [Devils NHL]

“To recap, Fitzgerald either wouldn’t part with the pieces necessary to land the league’s 2nd best defenseman, couldn’t move money to make room, or couldn’t best a package built around players he passed on with higher selections. I don’t know which is worse. Whatever the case, Hughes is excelling in Minnesota and it seems possible – perhaps even likely – he decides to stay long-term. Meanwhile, the Devils sit 15th in the Eastern Conference and very much lack a true No. 1 defenseman.” [Infernal Access ($)]

Hockey Links

“(Barry) Trotz announced his plans to step down as the Predators’ GM in a news conference on Monday, confirming earlier reports that he’ll remain in place until his successor is found. The 63-year-old was adamant the decision wasn’t due to health reasons or because he was (pursuing) another opportunity in coaching — something Trotz did for more than 1,800 NHL games prior to joining Nashville’s front office as former GM David Poile’s replacement in 2023.” [ESPN]

Strong viewership for the Stadium Series game:

This past weekend's '26 NHL #StadiumSeries DELIVERED!

🏒 Most-viewed #NHL reg. season game EVER on cable
🏒 Most-viewed Stadium Series on cable
🏒 ESPN's most-viewed NHL reg. season game on record

More: https://t.co/bs6qcloQVapic.twitter.com/iRPxuk6KB1

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 3, 2026

With Olympic hockey starting soon, a look at the schedules for both the men’s and women’s tournaments: [The Hockey News]

Some bold Olympic hockey predictions: [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

It was a perfect weekend for the WBS Penguins, two games and two big wins. Nick Hart from WBSPenguins.com gives the quick glance of the action.

Saturday, Jan. 31 – PENGUINS 4 vs. Syracuse 1
On Crosscheck Cancer Night, the Penguins delivered a feel-good win for their fans. Avery Hayes and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored in short order in the first period, and Matt Dumba tallied the emotional apex of the season so far in the second. When it appeared as if Syracuse was building momentum, Gabe Klassen shut it down with a shorthanded goal.

Sunday, Feb. 1 – PENGUINS 6 at Lehigh Valley 2
Six different skaters lit the lamp as the Penguins continued their season-long dominance of the Phantoms. Aidan McDonough got things started, followed by Nolan Renwick midway through regulation. Boko Imama buried a breakaway early in the third period. Then, Hayes and Owen Pickering scored back-to-back power-play goals. Harvey-Pinard rounded out the afternoon’s offense, while Dumba posted a pro-career high four assists.

The story of the week in the AHL was Matt Dumba. The veteran recorded six points (1G+5A) in just two games en route to being named the AHL player of the week. The story gets even deeper and better than that individual honor.

Dumba had a touching moment with a young fan as part of the team’s “Crosscheck Cancer Night” and played an inspired game.

Prior to tonight’s game, Matt Dumba chatted with one of our puckdroppers, Sophia, who just finished her final round of chemo this month.

He told her he’d try his best to score, and when he did, it’d be for her pic.twitter.com/qn4etK4fa4

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 1, 2026

She was certainly on his mind with the pointing celebration immediately after scoring a goal.

That one’s for Sophia! 💜 pic.twitter.com/h4buy24dWz

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 1, 2026

It hasn’t been an easy turn or season for Dumba, clearing waivers and being assigned back to the AHL. His game didn’t receive the universal praise that players like Tristan Jarry, Danton Heinen, Ryan Graves and Philip Tomasino got over the last year or so for being incredible players at the AHL level, so it’s nice to see Dumba create at least one really fantastic week.

Beware of the Penguin.@WBSPenguins | @penguins | @hockeytape

📝: https://t.co/fTpe7B1C7Jpic.twitter.com/1GrcupaKKU

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) February 2, 2026

The other note, at the other end of the spectrum from a veteran like Dumba, is two rookies earning their first career AHL points. 2024 second round pick Tanner Howe made his AHL debut this week after working his way back from an ACL injury suffered last year and picked up an assist in his very first game. 2023 third round pick Emil Pieniniemi, after going through some drama about delaying accepting an ECHL assignment, also finds himself in the AHL these days, and a point-scorer in his second game.

As we mentioned last week, the WBS lineup has been filling up with AHL contracts out of necessity lately and not exactly a bevy of players with bright NHL futures, it’s nice to see former recent somewhat high draftees start gaining a little traction in the AHL as they get to work with careers that could have some NHL potential one day down the line.

There hasn’t been much change in the standings, Wilkes-Barre remains second in the division and likely won’t be leaving that spot for a while in either direction.

The upcoming NHL roster freeze might be worth watching. Pittsburgh could presumably send Rutger McGroarty and maybe even Ryan Graves down to the AHL for the break. One player who won’t be with the AHL Pens much longer is third string goalie Filip Larsson. Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist have been taking up all the ice time, Larsson hasn’t started a game since December 14th so he’s opted to get his contract terminated and move onto the next chapter.

Given the games played column above, WBS isn’t going to be that busy in the upcoming weeks considering they have a division-high 45 games in the books. The AHL Pens only have seven games in the three-week stretch from Feb 5-26 that makes up the NHL roster freeze.

In the Montreal Canadiens’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Habs had a goal called back for offside nearly a minute after the contested zone entry happened. In the post-game conference, we suggested to Martin St-Louis that there should be a cutoff time for raising an offside challenge, and the bench boss replied that, since the league has the technology to make the right calls, they should be made. He did, however, mention he felt his team was losing more goals to offside challenges than others, adding that someone could come back to him at the next presser on that topic.

Thanks to the NHL media stats website, it wasn’t difficult to verify. As of February 3 at 10:00 AM, there have been 163 coach challenges in the NHL this season, 74 of which were for offside (representing 45% of all challenges). Six of those 74 challenges for offside were against the Canadiens (representing 8% of all challenges for offside), and all six challenges were successful in getting the goal annulled.

What about the other teams, though? How many goals have they lost? No other team has had more goals annulled for offside than the Canadiens. The Colorado Avalanche are second in that department with five goals annulled on five offside challenges (7% of all offside challenges). The San Jose Sharks and the Washington Capitals are in third place, having lost four goals to offside challenges (5% of all offside challenges).

At the other end of the spectrum, there are a few teams that have not lost a single goal to an offside challenge: the Carolina Hurricanes, the Florida Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, the Seattle Kraken, the St. Louis Blues, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As for who challenged for offside the most, the Golden Knights are at the top of the list with six challenges, five of which were successful. The Leafs are second, with five challenges, all successful. The Wild, Utah Mammoth, Edmonton Oilers, and Chicago Blackhawks have all made four challenges. How many challenges for offside have the Canadiens made? Just one, and it was successful.

Turns out St-Louis was right, the Canadiens have lost more goals than any other team to offside challenges this season, perhaps there’s some work to be done on zone entries…

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…

New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat scored twice on Tuesday night, including his game-winning goal 52 seconds into overtime, as the Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 and Pittsburgh dropped its second straight game. [Recap]

The Penguins placed goaltender Filip Larsson on unconditional waivers for a contract termination on Tuesday. [Trib Live]

It appears life in Oil Country isn’t going too well for former Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry. And recent postgame comments will likely do him no favors to endear him to teammates or the Edmonton faithful. [Trib Live]

Updates from around the NHL…

The NHL is rightfully getting flamed on social media for reducing its donation amount to cancer research following a moment during Sunday’s Stadium Series game where a cancer survivor was brought onto the ice to make a shot at a small opening in the net from center ice. [Sporting News]

The main ice hockey arena for the Winter Olympics is finally ready. However, some NHL players might feel as if they’re skating on a lake. [Associated Press]

The Columbus Blue Jackets reshuffled some of their front office personnel on Tuesday, giving promotions to former players Chris Clark and Rick Nash. [TSN]

Young Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov has had his troubles in what would be generously described as a sophomore slump campaign. His head coach, Rick Tocchet, even offered some blunt criticism of the 21-year-old on a podcast on Sunday, saying he came into training camp out of shape. However, it appears the organization has not lost faith in the former seventh overall pick. [Sportsnet]

New York Islanders (31-21-5, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. New Jersey Devils (28-26-2, in the Metropolitan Division)

Newark, New Jersey; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Islanders visit the New Jersey Devils after Bo Horvat's two-goal game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Islanders' 5-4 overtime win.

New Jersey is 4-10-2 against the Metropolitan Division and 28-26-2 overall. The Devils have given up 172 goals while scoring 142 for a -30 scoring differential.

New York is 11-6-2 against the Metropolitan Division and 31-21-5 overall. The Islanders have gone 15-5-0 in one-goal games.

Thursday's game is the fourth time these teams meet this season. The Islanders won 9-0 in the previous meeting. Anthony Duclair led the Islanders with three goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jesper Bratt has scored 13 goals with 28 assists for the Devils. Jack Hughes has one goal and seven assists over the last 10 games.

Horvat has 23 goals and 15 assists for the Islanders. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has scored five goals with two assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Devils: 5-5-0, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.9 assists, three penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Islanders: 5-5-0, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.9 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Devils: None listed.

Islanders: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Ottawa Senators (27-22-7, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (25-20-10, in the Metropolitan Division)

Philadelphia; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers and the Ottawa Senators face off in Eastern Conference play.

Philadelphia has gone 13-9-6 at home and 25-20-10 overall. The Flyers serve 10.3 penalty minutes per game to rank sixth in NHL play.

Ottawa is 27-22-7 overall and 13-12-3 on the road. The Senators have gone 25-9-3 when scoring at least three goals.

Thursday's game is the third time these teams meet this season. The Senators won the previous meeting 3-2 in overtime. Tim Stutzle scored two goals in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Owen Tippett has 19 goals and 16 assists for the Flyers. Travis Konecny has eight goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.

Jake Sanderson has 11 goals and 36 assists for the Senators. Stutzle has scored seven goals with six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 3-5-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.8 assists, 3.8 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.9 goals per game.

Senators: 5-3-2, averaging 3.8 goals, 7.1 assists, 3.7 penalties and 7.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Flyers: None listed.

Senators: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Pittsburgh Penguins (28-15-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (32-18-6, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins after Mattias Samuelsson scored two goals in the Sabres' 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Buffalo has gone 17-7-3 at home and 32-18-6 overall. The Sabres have scored 190 total goals (3.4 per game) to rank fifth in the league.

Pittsburgh has gone 15-7-5 in road games and 28-15-12 overall. The Penguins have a +26 scoring differential, with 186 total goals scored and 160 conceded.

The matchup Thursday is the second time these teams meet this season. The Penguins won 4-2 in the previous meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Rasmus Dahlin has 11 goals and 36 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has six goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

Evgeni Malkin has 14 goals and 29 assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby has three goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-2-2, averaging four goals, 6.5 assists, 3.7 penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

Penguins: 7-1-2, averaging 4.6 goals, 7.6 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: None listed.

Penguins: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored his 25th goal and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-2 on Tuesday night to win their final game before the Olympic break.

Jacob Trouba, Alex Killorn and Ross Johnston also scored as the resurgent Ducks built a 4-0 cushion before fending off a late Seattle push. They've won nine of 11 following a nine-game losing streak (0-8-1).

Anaheim climbed within one point of the Pacific Division lead and moved two ahead of the Kraken for third place. Seattle, which had won four in a row and five of six, holds a game in hand over the Ducks.

Lukas Dostal was 4 1/2 minutes from Anaheim's first shutout in 137 games when Jordan Eberle redirected Jared McCann's slap shot in front for his team-high 20th goal.

A giveaway by Dostal led to another Kraken goal when a pinballing puck caromed in off Shane Wright to make it 4-2 with 2:31 left.

Dostal was forced to make several more stops and Chandler Stephenson rang a shot off the post for Seattle before time expired. Dostal finished with 26 saves.

Jansen Harkins and defenseman Jackson LaCombe each had two assists for Anaheim, which improved to 17-8-1 at home. Those were the first two assists for Harkins this season to go with his three goals in 31 games.

Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots for the Kraken.

Gauthier opened the scoring at 4:01 of the second period on a snap shot from the top of the right circle just as a Ducks power play expired. Trouba made it 2-0 when the defenseman fired a hard slap shot from the right point with 32.8 seconds left in the period.

Killorn scored from a sharp angle 24 seconds into the third, and Johnston made it 4-0 at 13:54.

Anaheim's streak without a shutout is the longest active drought for any NHL team. The last time the Ducks blanked an opponent came when Dostal made 26 saves in a 2-0 victory at San Jose for their lone shutout last season on Oct. 12, 2024.

Up next

Kraken: Play at Los Angeles on Wednesday night to conclude a three-game trip heading into the Olympic break.

Ducks: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 25 in their first game following the break.

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

The Carolina Hurricanes won a tight battle with the Ottawa Senators, 4-3 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center.

Goaltender, Brandon Bussi earned the win and continued with his magical season by improving his overall record this season to 22-3-1.

While Bussi allowed three goals on the 25 shots he faced, many of his saves were off “high-danger” chances. The goaltender has now won six games in a row and his record is 15-1-0 on home ice.

After falling behind 1-0 early in the first period, Sebastian Aho was credited with his 20th goal of the season when his shot bounced in the net after Seth Jarvis crashed the net. The puck hit a Senator, so Aho got the credit for the score.

Aho now has 10 straight years of 20 goal seasons.

In the second period, Jarvis got on the scoreboard twice within a three minute time frame.

First, he blasted in a one-timer off a nice pass by Andrei Svechnikov during a powerplay chance.

Shortly after, he took a pass from Aho and made a pretty move to beat goalie, James Reimer to give the Canes a 3-1 lead. It was the 25th goal of the season for Jarvis.

The Senators took control of the game for awhile, especially in the third period. They tied the score and were looking to take the lead back, but Jordan Staal had other ideas.

During what looked like a bad line change by Ottawa, the Captain had a couple of steps on the opposition and roofed a perfect shot past Reimer which would eventually be the game-winner.

Nikolaj Ehlers made a beautiful pass to spring him.

The Hurricanes now have earned points in nine straight games. They are 7-1-2 in their last 10 and have an eight point lead over second place Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division, (76-68).

Staal also led the team with six hits. William Carrier was next with five.

The Hurricanes have one more game before the Olympic break which will be in New York against the Rangers on Thursday night.

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS020890.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES020890.HTM

Interviews – https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/xdq1h97o50t99jn5ggadc/AE3Xua01bW77otuxLjYKwNs?rlkey=xqt5z7jiu95pukhuf08g5a065&e=1&st=mi83chc1&dl=0