Heading into Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Pittsburgh Penguins had won two consecutive games and appeared to be crawling out of the November slump they found themselves in. 

Unfortunately, all of that quickly went down the drain. 

The Penguins fell to the Leafs, 7-2, to secure their eighth loss in the last 11 games to Toronto. Although the score suggests otherwise, the Penguins actually didn't play a terrible game in terms of generating chances and creating offensive opportunity. 

Unfortunately, their goaltending and their defense completely let them down in this one. 

Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs was pulled after allowing four goals on nine Toronto shots, with the final dagger being Dakota Joshua's second-period goal just two and a half minutes after Bobby McMann put the Leafs up, 3-1.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson opened the scoring just under seven minutes into the first period with his fourth of the season, and a minute and a half later, Penguins' rookie Ben Kindel responded on the power play with his sixth goal of the season, batting a puck out of mid-air and knuckling it behind Toronto goaltender Dennis Hildeby to tie it. But Leafs' rookie Easton Cowan seized the lead back on a wide-open one-timer from the right circle a few minutes later to make it 2-1.

After Silovs was pulled in favor of Tristan Jarry during the second period with a 4-1 score, Nicolas Roy was left wide open in the slot during the power play, and the Leafs made it 5-1 in the back half of the middle frame. 

The Penguins began to get some momentum back early in the third period, as Sidney Crosby scored his 16th of the season - and 641st of his career, putting him in sole possession of 15th on the NHL's all-time goal-scoring list - at the net front to give the team some life. 

Final. pic.twitter.com/opGXNq7OgW

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 30, 2025

Unfortunately, Auston Matthews responded with the Penguins pushing pretty hard less than three minutes later, and Nick Robertson added a seventh goal later in the period to seal, sign, and deliver the 7-2 win for the Leafs. 

Although goaltending was certainly a huge culprit in this game, the Penguins' defensive zone play did them no favors. On several occasions, the Penguins either turned the puck over or left a man wide-open for an opportunity, and those mistakes piled up.

Parker Wotherspoon was a minus-3, Erik Karlsson was a minus-3, Ryan Graves was a minus-2, and Matt Dumba was on the ice for two goals against - including Robertson's, in which a defensive zone turnover by him led directly to the goal. 

And Joshua was left wide open in the slot on his goal because Kris Letang and Blake Lizotte lost track of him and allowed him to walk right in.

This is one of those nights where it probably wouldn't have mattered how many goals the Penguins scored. The defensive mistakes were that glaring, and a team like the Leafs is going to capitalize on those mistakes - even as a struggling team - because they have so many dangerous players.

"I think the quality of the chances we gave up were just too good," Crosby said. "I thought we had the puck for a good chunk of it, but when we did have breakdowns, they were big ones and quality chances. So, we just got to tighten up."

Takeaways: First Line Powers Penguins' Comeback OT Victory Over Blue JacketsFor most of the first 40 minutes against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets">Columbus Blue Jackets</a> on Friday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> looked like a team fighting itself.&nbsp;

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Here are a few takeaways from this one:

- What a rotten game from the Penguins' defensive corps. 

Team defense has been a bit of an issue all season long, but - for the most part - the top pairing of Wotherspoon and Karlsson has actually been pretty solid. That was not the case Saturday. 

Karlsson was credited with four giveaways, Wotherspoon with one. Karlsson was on the ice for four goals against. For how great he has been for the vast majority of this season, he was not good in this game until it was too little, too late. He generated some on offense, but his poor defense outweighed his offensive contributions in this one. 

Wotherspoon wasn't good, either. He's so defensively sound and so rarely out of position, and he was not sound and was out of position a whole lot Saturday. 

As far as the rest? Shea and Letang were the best pairing but were not good by a stretch, either. And Graves and Dumba were almost as rough as Karlsson and Wotherspoon. 

There was breakdown after breakdown, and the Penguins just couldn't stop the bleeding.

Sidney Crosby Climbs NHL All-Time Goals List<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' captain Sidney Crosby has been known throughout his career as one of the NHL's all-time great playmakers.

- Speaking of that bottom pairing, boy, has it been a glaring issue for the Penguins this season. 

On the left side, Caleb Jones wasn't playing particularly inspiring hockey before his injury. Graves - beyond his first couple of games - has not been good. Owen Pickering was a mess in a small sample. Dumba and Connor Clifton largely haven't worked on that side. 

And the right side has been a disaster, too. Between Dumba and Clifton, they've had tiny moments here and there where they've played well enough. But the bad has largely outweighed the good, and they don't bring much other than physicality and - on Dumba's part - the occasional offensive contribution. The youngster in Harrison Brunicke started off strong in his first few games but began to struggle in the games after, turning the puck over with frequency and lacking in net-front defense.

I'm not sure what the solution is for the bottom pairing, but they have to address it if they hope to make the playoffs. And I'm not so sure that deploying the 19-year-old Brunicke out there pretty regularly when he returns from his conditioning stint - barring what happens with World Juniors - could possibly be any worse than what they're icing now. 

At least with Brunicke, you know what you're getting. You know this is a young player who is learning to adjust to NHL speed and NHL reads, and you expect mistakes.

Penguins Loan Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke To AHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins are giving teenage top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke a chance to reset at the AHL level with a conditioning loan.

You can stomach those mistakes with a teenager finding his game at the NHL level. But you can't stomach them with veterans. 

After Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's (WBS) slate next weekend, get Brunicke back up here. Get Jack St. Ivany back from his conditioning stint. Either option is preferable to what they have going now. 

- I thought Kindel and Koivunen played a nice game together on the third line. Danton Heinen and Kevin Hayes rotated in and out of that other spot, but the two youngsters were generating a lot of chances and were able to get the cycle going on several occasions. 

Koivunen is so close, and if he keeps playing the way he did Saturday, the production will come. And Kindel was much-improved over what we've been seeing from him lately.

- Heinen and Joona Koppanen are simply not doing enough to justify remaining in the lineup on a consistent basis. 

Koppanen is good on the penalty kill, but he doesn't provide much outside of that. Heinen has largely been a passenger on every line he's been on, and that hasn't changed. 

5 Things The Penguins Should Be Thankful ForAmerican Thanksgiving is upon us, and that means <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-have-passed-the-thanksgiving-benchmark">folks start talking benchmarks</a>, playoffs, and trade deadline storylines around the NHL.&nbsp;

Tristan Broz was called up prior to Wednesday's game, played, and then was a healthy scratch for the back-to-back this weekend. Quite frankly, I'm a bit baffled by that decision. One game is not nearly enough of a sample size for a player, and I don't feel that Broz was egregiously bad enough in that game to warrant not being iced for the next two.

The Penguins need help scoring, and they need defensively responsible players. Broz can do both. He needs to play Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

- Another player who should be suiting up Monday is Rutger McGroarty, who has four goals and seven points in five games for WBS. He is an immediate upgrade over pretty much anyone the Penguins have been deploying on the left side of their forward unit for the last month.

I would love to see McGroarty, Kindel, and Koivunen play together. But he might not be the worst thing for Crosby right now, either.

Former Penguins Star Is Dominating Right NowFormer Penguins star Jake Guentzel is continuing to impress with the Lightning.

- Silovs was pulled for the second straight game. He was also yanked after allowing four goals to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 21. 

I'm not ready to pull the plug on him. Prior to that game against Minnesota, Silovs had been pretty outstanding to the point that he was appearing in early Calder Trophy polling. But he needs to right his ship quickly, especially knowing who is knocking at the door in WBS.

- I expect a much better effort Monday from the Penguins, even though the Flyers have given them fits as of late. They need to figure out a way to get ahead and get ahead early, And they have to keep their foot on the gas in the aftermath.

Let's see how they respond. 

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The Winnipeg Jets responded exactly the way they needed to on Saturday night. 

Less than 24 hours after a deflating 5–1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes that left rookie goaltender Thomas Milic exposed on several goals, the Jets ended their four game losing streak with a 5–2 victory over the Nashville Predators. The win came against the league’s last place team, but it offered a timely reset for a club that had been searching for answers.

Eric Comrie, who had started four straight games and dropped three of them, delivered an important bounce back performance. He stopped 20 of 22 shots to earn his win. 

Up front, Gabe Vilardi continued his hot streak with points in three straight games. He has recorded five goals and two assists for seven points over his last five outings. Nino Niederreiter also broke through with two goals after a four game point drought. Defenseman Dylan Samberg contributed a stellar night with three assists.

Mixed Bag in NHL Debut For Jets' Thomas MilicJets rookie goaltender Thomas Milic faced intense pressure, delivering crucial saves amid defensive struggles and glimpses of NHL-ready talent.

For Nashville, Luke Evangelista stood out with a goal and an assist. His efforts briefly pulled the Predators within one, but the visitors could not complete the comeback.

The Jets opened the scoring just 47 seconds into the game. Gabe Vilardi carried the puck into the zone with Mark Scheifele. Vilardi dropped the puck low to Scheifele, who fired a shot that produced a rebound directly back to Vilardi for a quick finish and a 1–0 lead.

Takeoff initiated 🛫 pic.twitter.com/k05zqogUz0

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 30, 2025

Late in the opening frame, Nino Niederreiter doubled the advantage. He entered the Predators zone with speed and snapped a shot over the blocker of goaltender Justus Annunen to make it 2–0 Winnipeg.

The Jets extended the lead midway through the second period with a crisp passing play deep in the Nashville end. Jonathan Toews fed a puck down low to Vladislav Namestnikov, who found Cole Perfetti alone in the slot. Perfetti converted easily for a 3–0 cushion.

Nashville responded on the power play with a point shot from Nick Blankenburg for his third goal of the season. The Predators cut the deficit to one less than three minutes into the third period when Evangelista lifted a backhand from a sharp angle over Comrie’s shoulder.

SILKY MITTS VANGE ALERT! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/pFrsuonqh9

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 30, 2025

Winnipeg pushed back and restored their multi goal lead midway through the final frame. Kyle Connor redirected a point shot from Samberg past Annunen to halt the Nashville momentum.

Niederreiter sealed the result with an empty netter for his second goal of the night and sixth of the season as Winnipeg closed out the 5–2 win.

The Jets continue their road trip on Monday when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.

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The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that they picked up a point in the standings and stopped their three-game regulation losing skid on Saturday evening against the Boston Bruins.

The bad news is that it was their fourth straight game without a victory, as they were beaten by a 4-3 final score in a shootout at TD Garden. 

Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt scored the only goal in the shootout after neither team was able to find the back of the net during overtime, while Jeremy Swayman stopped attempts from Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat. 

Final in the shootout. pic.twitter.com/Y5WpnQpSBA

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 30, 2025

Connor Geekie scored both goals in regulation for the Bruins, who were playing without both top forward David Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy. 

Meanwhile, the Red Wings will lament that they were unsuccessful on all five power-play opportunities they had during the contest, including one in overtime. 

Geekie's two goals put him into a first place tie with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead with 20. He tallied in the second period after a scoreless opening 20 minutes of play, deflecting a shot past Cam Talbot following a turnover by Ben Chiarot.

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Lucas Raymond scored a similar goal in the early goings of the third period, deflecting home a shot-pass from Dylan Larkin to knot the score at one. But following a Chiarot high-sticking penalty, Geekie restored the Boston lead with a one-timed shot from the face-off circle past the glove of Talbot. 

The Red Wings drew even late in regulation with Talbot on the bench after a nifty feed from Kane to Michael Rasmussen, who had a tap-in for his second goal in as many games. 

Talbot stopped 17 of 19 shots, while Swayman countered with 24 saves. Both teams will meet again on Tuesday evening at Little Caesars Arena. 

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DENVER —  Brock Nelson orchestrated a masterclass on Saturday at Ball Arena, assembling a two-goal, two-assist performance as the Avalanche dispatched the Montreal Canadiens in a commanding 7–2 triumph. Gabriel Landeskog contributed a pair of goals of his own, while Brent Burns, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devon Toews each added singular tallies to the ledger. Between the pipes, Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 17 of 19 shots to keep his impressive run alive.

Nelson now has 11 points in his last nine games.

Brock Nelson has 11 points in his last nine games.#goavsgo#avs@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) November 29, 2025

The supporting cast was no less fantastic: Martin Nečas posted three assists, and Artturi Lehkonen furnished two more. 

DOUBLE TROUBLE ✌️

Brock Nelson scores his second of the game to make it 4-0! pic.twitter.com/M3m5zwmmzM

— NHL (@NHL) November 29, 2025

With the win, Colorado advanced to an imposing and league-best 18-1-6 record. 

Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal. Jakub Dobeš made 29 saves in defeat. 

First Period 

The afternoon belonged, unmistakably, to Nelson. After serving a high-sticking minor at 16:10—killed off with crucial, composed stops from Blackwood, Nelson reemerged not chastened but focused Lehkonen’s diagonal feed from the right flank found Nelson slicing through the neutral zone, where he promptly dispatched a wrist shot past Dobeš’ glove. With that strike, Nelson reached his 600th career point and did it in style. 

Moments later, Nelson appeared to strike once more at least at first glance. As he released his shot, Gabriel Landeskog was sent careening into the crease after a forceful shove from Josh Anderson. Montreal promptly challenged the play for goaltender interference, yet the initial review affirmed that Anderson’s contact was the catalyst for Landeskog’s collision with the net, allowing the goal to stand. 

Josh Anderson and Gabriel Landeskog crash hard into the net, and Brock Nelson buries his second of the night!

After review, the goal was upheld. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/AnYHnq9yWS

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 29, 2025

However, a subsequent and more granular league review revealed a subtle but decisive detail. Landeskog had grazed the puck after Nelson’s release, and the NHL accordingly reassigned credit, awarding the goal to Landeskog. 

Second Period 

Off a clean draw won by Nelson, Burns uncorked a shot through a screen by Landeskog. The goal—Burns’ 264th—vaulted him into a tie with Nicklas Lidström for ninth all-time among defensemen, an accomplishment befitting his longevity and command of the blue line. 

Nelson, however, was far from finished. After getting turned away on the initial breakaway attempt, he watched Nečas recover a rebound before threading the puck back to him at the doorstep for his second goal of the night. In a hilarious scene, fans who couldn’t hear the scoring correction believed Nelson had scored a hat trick and littered the rink with hats. Although it wasn’t a hat trick, it was still a four-point night for Nelson. 

Montreal briefly countered with Juraj Slafkovský’s artful spin-o-rama feed to Matvei Demidov, who deposited a wide-open look to cut the deficit to 4–1. But the Avalanche quickly returned to their dominant wins.  

A chaotic 4-on-4 sequence—both from roughing and holding minors to Oliver Kapanen and Nečas respectively—preceded Colorado’s next brilliant maneuver. With Landeskog lingering near the blue line, Cale Makar lofted a calculated touch pass to allow his captain to exit and reenter onside. Landeskog then drove a low shot off Dobeš’ pads, where MacKinnon buried the rebound for a 5–1 lead.  

Third Period 

2:51 into the third period, Nečas delivered a perfect pass at the doorstep for Devon Toews, who scored his first of the season to make it a 6-1 game. Nearly three minutes later, Montreal responded with a goal when Lane Hutson blistered a one-timer by Blackwood on the power play to inch a little closer. However, the Avalanche responded once again with a power play goal of their own. With Montreal’s Jake Evans in the box for high-sticking Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog tipped in a rebound for the 7-2 finish. 

Next Game 

The Avalanche take on the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena on Wednesday, December 2. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.  

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It was a special Saturday matinee at Ball Arena in Denver, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Quebec Nordiques’ move to the Rockies, the Colorado Avalanche was wearing its alternate jersey, which is pretty much the Quebec Nordiques’ uniform. For those who grew up watching the Battle of Quebec, it was special to see the Montreal Canadiens taking on their old rivals.

After three consecutive wins, the Habs turned up for the game oozing confidence. They started in promising fashion, taking control early on thanks to a high-sticking penalty to Brock Nelson less than four minutes in. Both of the Canadiens’ man-advantage units produced good looks, but Mackenzie Blackwood stopped every shot he faced during the penalty kill, and even though the Habs led 8-3 in shots, the score remained 0-0.

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The Tide Turned

If Nelson didn’t look good when he took a penalty early on, he more than made up for it by scoring the first two goals of the game for the Avs. Until the second was given to Gabriel Landeskog in the end. The first came on an awkward play. The back of Arber Xhekaj’s blade collided with Alexandre Carrier’s skate, which made the former fall in front of Jakub Dobes, who barely moved as the shot came in in the commotion.

Colorado does deserve some praise, however, as all five players touched the puck before Nelson got it by Dobes—a fantastic buildup. Just under six minutes later, Nelson struck again, but this time he did it while Josh Anderson and Gabriel Landeskog crashed into the net. The goal was awarded, and the Canadiens decided to challenge the decision, to no avail.

After losing that challenge, the Habs looked shellshocked and couldn’t find their rhythm back before the end of the first frame, or before the end of the game, really.

A Well-Oiled Machine

If the Canadiens learned a lot from the Washington Capitals' rugged play in the playoffs last season, they were given a master class in offensive play on Saturday night. Jared Bednar’s men played with such poise and fluidity that at times it looked like they were alone on the ice.

They never had any trouble getting out of their zone; their passes were sharp and accurate, and there was so much chemistry on their play that it made you wonder if they all grew up together playing on the local ice rink.

Nelson might have been the catalyst, but nobody played a bad game for Colorado. The Canadiens’ man-on-man defensive system couldn’t keep up with all the permutations.

By the time the puck dropped on the third frame, the Canadiens were already out of the game and looked ready to head back home. So much so that on Devon Toews’ goal, the Habs were down to four men on the ice because someone forgot to come on as Josh Anderson got back on the bench.

Another Elite Duo?

The rare bright spot for the Canadiens during this game was seeing Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky start to connect on the ice. Not only did the pair produce the Canadiens’ first goal, but they also created other scoring chances, which is no small task against a defence as efficient as Colorado’s.

Élite #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/DrfoeqhH0e

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 29, 2025

It looks like Slafkovsky feels more important on that line than he did riding shotgun with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. While he was the complement to the first-line duo with Demidov, he is now part of a duo; he’s a headliner, and he plays as such.

The sample is still too small to know for sure, but there are some sparks between the two, and one could think that the more they get to know each other on the ice, the better they’ll become.

The Habs’ power play produced another goal in a lost cause when Lane Hutson took a shot from up high, one that he wouldn’t have taken a year ago. I don’t know what was said or done to the sophomore blueliner to make him shoot more, but it’s great that he does it more. It makes the Canadiens’ power play much harder to defend, as he is a viable shooting option. It stops opponents from leaning towards other players who shoot more, like Caufield, for instance.

Cette rondelle avait des yeux 🚀

Laner unleashes#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/uhBgbgWF8e

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 29, 2025

Speaking of the diminutive winger, he registered an assist on that power play goal, which allowed him to keep his point streak alive with a point in a seventh consecutive game.

While getting outperformed like this is never good for any team, the truth of the matter is that four out of six points on this tough road trip is a result anyone would have been happy with before taking off from Montreal. As weird as it may seem to say when the final score was 7-2, Dobes didn’t play a bad game. He finishes his night with an .805 save percentage, but he didn’t really give up bad goals.

The Canadiens will now have a day off on Sunday, and they’ll get back on the ice in Brossard on Monday morning to get ready to take on their divisional rival, the Ottawa Senators.

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The Hockey News released the top 20 players for their Top 100 Players 21-And-Under list, and without much surprise, Chicago Blackhawks youngsters Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, and Artyom Levshunov all made the cut.

Bedard was given the No. 2 spot on this list, with San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini being the only player ranked ahead of him. Seeing Bedard make the top two is understandable, as the 20-year-old center is already a legitimate star in the NHL. He is also taking a massive step forward this season, as he has already recorded 14 goals and 33 points in 24 games. 

Frondell was given the No. 13 spot on THN's list. The 2025 third-overall pick has all the tools to become an impactful NHL player, so it makes sense that he is being ranked as one of the best young players in hockey. The 6-foot-1 forward is having a solid start to the 2025-26 season with Djurgardens IF, recording nine goals and 14 points in 23 games thus far. 

As for Levshunov, he has picked up the No. 15 spot on THN's rankings. The 20-year-old defenseman has been breaking out for the Blackhawks this season, as he has recorded one goal and 12 points in 23 games. 

The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks faced off for the first time this season on Friday. They see each other for a total of four times in the regular season.

However, that may not be the last of the Freeway Face-Off as there is potential to see a first-round playoff matchup between the two Californian teams.

After Anaheim’s 5-4 overtime win against Los Angeles, the Ducks lead the Pacific Division, with the Kings right behind them with a two-point difference.

Ducks Stun Kings in Shootout After L.A. Blows Two-Goal Third-Period LeadThe Kings had the game in their hands — and let it slip through their gloves. Up two goals in the third period, Los Angeles unraveled stunningly, watching a sure win dissolve into a demoralizing loss.

As of right now, the standings wouldn’t set up a first-round matchup, but with how close each team is to each other in the division, and the rest of the league for that matter, it wouldn’t take much to see teams get moved around after a few outings.

The circumstances that would allow the Ducks and Kings to face off in the first round of this year’s post-season aren’t all that complicated, nor far-fetched.

To match up in the playoffs’ preliminary stages, Anaheim and Los Angeles must control the second and third spots in their division, or one team finishes first in the division and the opposing team in either the first or second wild-card spot, depending on the makeup of the other division in the Western Conference, the Central Division.

As mentioned, it wouldn’t be surprising if the stars aligned for a Freeway Face-Off first-round series since the difference between the Pacific’s leaders and fifth place is just four points.

The last time Los Angeles and Anaheim played against each other in the playoffs was in 2014. They met in the second round, which saw the Kings take the series in seven games. Los Angeles went on to win its second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

In terms of meeting in the first round, that has never happened in the history of these two franchises’ existence. Specifically for the Ducks, they haven't seen playoff hockey since 2018, when they were swept by the San Jose Sharks.

The Freeway Face-Off rivalry would reach heights never before seen.

Not to mention, there’s a great dynamic in terms of the contrast between the two organizations. While the Kings have some youngsters like Brandt Clarke and Quinton Byfield, the roster is filled with veterans, including captain Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty.

For the Ducks, they’re scattered with veterans like Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba. But the main driving factor with this Ducks team is their youth, including Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Beckett Sennecke, and more.

It would make for a great playoff series, and fans may not have to wait many more seasons to witness it.

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The Montreal Canadiens are enjoying a renaissance season, putting together a 13-7-3 record to sit in second place in the competitive Atlantic Division. And things got even better on Friday when the Canadiens signed veteran defenseman Mike Matheson to a five-year contract extension with an average annual salary of $6 million. 

Matheson’s extension solidifies Montreal’s defense corps for the foreseeable future, as their top-four blueliners – Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle are all under contract at least through the 2030-31 season, at a total combined annual cost of $29.9 million. With the rising salary cap ceiling, this quartet could be one of the better-bargain groups of D-men in the league.

But what is equally compelling is the potential to add more pieces to the competitive puzzle for the Habs. As it stands, Montreal currently has $3.61 million in cap space – a number that rises to $11.97 million by this season’s March 6 trade deadline. As of next season, the Canadiens project to have $20.1 million in space. Some of that will have to go to RFAs Zack Bolduc, Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj, but that still leaves more than enough space to bring some veteran help aboard.

And with Matheson now locked up, there’s only one place Montreal needs help with: at forward. It’s unlikely the Canadiens re-sign often-injured winger Patrik Laine – at least, if he doesn’t take a major hometown discount to stay a Hab. So Montreal is going to need a bona fide point-producing forward – most likely, a second-line center to take some of the heat off of top-line center Nick Suzuki. 

Those types of players don’t grow on trees, but the great thing about where the Canadiens are in their competitive cycle is that above-average free-agent centers will be encouraged by the team’s ascent in the Atlantic standings and happily sign up to play in Montreal. Or if they are already a part of another team, they could waive any no-trade or no-move clause to be a Canadien. 

Who could that be? It’s difficult to pinpoint one single NHLer who would be ideal for the Habs, but a player similar to Nashville Predators pivot Ryan O’Reilly would be the kind of player Montreal GM Kent Hughes is looking for. Of course, O’Reilly probably wouldn’t want to play in the high-pressure environment of Montreal, as a short stretch as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs a couple of seasons ago didn’t end with O’Reilly choosing to stay in Toronto when he became a UFA. 

That said, a player like O’Reilly – someone with Stanley Cup-winning experience, and someone who can play hard-nosed defense while chipping in with some secondary scoring, would fit the bill rather well in Habs Land. Montreal’s strong start to the current season gives Habs management the leverage to not overpay on the trade or free-agent front to acquire that kind of veteran.

Regardless of what the Canadiens do with their cap space, it’s clear with every passing game that Montreal is turning a corner in their development. Keeping Matheson is an endorsement of the Habs’ current core, and as the Canadiens grow as a group, it will become much easier to be a destination for veterans seeking a legitimate shot at winning a championship. So while things look great right now, even better days are ahead for this organization. 

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Winnipeg Jets rookie goaltender Thomas Milic experienced a true mixed bag in his NHL debut on Saturday, turning aside 30 of 34 shots in a 4–1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 21-year-old delivered several impressive moments and helped stabilize the Jets during extended stretches of pressure, but also showed areas that will need sharpening at the NHL level.

Milic was tested immediately as Carolina controlled the early pace and outshot Winnipeg heavily in the opening minutes. The rookie responded with eight saves in the first 11 minutes, including key stops on two Hurricanes power plays that prevented the game from slipping away. Winnipeg briefly gained momentum, but Carolina struck first when defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere carried the puck deep before feeding Winnipeg-born forward Seth Jarvis in the high slot. Jarvis released a low wrist shot that slipped just past Milic for the opening goal.

Milic continued to impress in the second period with ten more saves while helping kill off three additional Hurricanes power plays. One of those penalties came from a rookie mistake when Milic played the puck outside the crease behind the net. After discussing the call with the officials, he returned to the crease and delivered several calm, composed stops to erase the mistake.

Despite Milic’s efforts, defensive breakdowns around the crease created ongoing challenges. Winnipeg struggled to clear traffic from the front of the net and Milic was often forced to make stops through heavy screens. Midway through the second, Carolina capitalized when Logan Stanley and William Carrier battled for position in front and Jordan Martinook snapped a shot through the crowd that beat Milic for the Hurricanes’ second goal.

Marty with the quick release 💪 pic.twitter.com/VUVZFwdrtf

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 29, 2025

The defensive issues resurfaced minutes later. Jarvis found space in the high slot and fired another quick shot over Milic’s glove for his second of the night against his hometown team. Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey drifted across Milic’s line of sight, making the save even more difficult. All three goals to that point beat Milic on the glove side, a weakness Carolina appeared to identify early as they repeatedly targeted that area.

Milic’s most concerning moment came in the final seconds of the game when Alexander Nikishin launched a point shot from the boards that beat him clean on the blocker side. It was a stoppable shot from distance and marked the lone goal of the night that did not involve traffic or a defensive lapse.

Alexander Nikishin - Carolina Hurricanes (3) pic.twitter.com/wSscbt2Opl

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 29, 2025

Milic’s debut showcased both promise and growing pains. He was composed, competitive and strong on the penalty kill, yet the Hurricanes exposed technical areas that will need refinement. With 30 saves behind a defense that struggled throughout the night, the young netminder showed he may have the tools to build on this first NHL appearance as he gains more experience.

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 (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored twice and Jonas Johansson made 11 saves as the Tampa Bay Lighting beat the New York Rangers 4-1 Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel also scored and Nikita Kucherov had three assists as the Lightning ended New York’s three-game winning streak. Tampa Bay is 7-0-0 since Nov. 18 and has outscored opponents 30-10 in that span.

The Rangers heard boos from the Madison Square Garden crowd as they fell to 2-8-1 at home where they have been shut out five times and scored once on three other occasions. New York is 11-4-1 on the road.

Hagel scored at 10:53 of the opening period as his shot deflected off Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy’s skate. He made it 2-0 with his team-best 15th goal at 8:57 of the second when he slid his own rebound past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

Defenseman Darren Raddysh and Kucherov assisted on both goals.

Kucherov has a nine-game points streak of four goals and 14 assists. He leads the Lightning with 32 points. Raddysh has 11 points in his last seven games.

J.T. Miller ruined Johansson’s shutout bid with his seventh goal at 17:31 of the second. Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad assisted.

Paul scored at 2:02 of the third to make it 3-1. Rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous also assisted.

Guentzel added an empty-netter at 19:41.

Fox left the game at 7:03 of the third after he was checked hard into the boards by Hagel. Fox’s left arm appeared to absorb the brunt of the hit.

Shesterkin made 31 saves.

The Lightning outshot the Rangers 11-2 in the first. New York didn’t register its first shot on goal until the 9:29 mark.

The Lightning were missing injured defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak, as well as forward Brayden Point, out for a fourth-straight game.

Up next

Rangers: Hosting the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.

Lightning: At the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Flyers show guts in back-to-back spot, go 3-1-0 on road trip originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEWARK, N.J. — The Flyers played a commendable game on the second night of a back-to-back set to beat the Devils, 5-3, Saturday at the Prudential Center.

Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov had multi-goal games for the Flyers. Tippett was awarded his second because of a tripping call when the Devils’ net was emptied and finished with three points on the night.

Trevor Zegras also had a goal and an assist, while Travis Konecny had two helpers.

Dan Vladar made huge saves for the Flyers (14-7-3), who are 8-2-2 in their last 12 games and went 3-1-0 on their road trip, which spanned only six days. They’re now in third place of a crowded Metropolitan Division.

“I don’t want to say it’s a measuring stick for us because I think we deserve to be talked about with the teams that we’re playing right now,” Konecny said of the road trip. “I think it just shows that we have some depth, we’re all contributing in different ways. If it’s your turn to be on the score sheet, that’s what you do. If it’s your turn to have a big block or big save from the goalies, everyone’s just stepping up. We love this group.”

Rick Tocchet’s club was coming off a 4-3 shootout win Friday over the Islanders. Entering this one, the Flyers were just 1-12-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets since last season.

Make that 2-12-2 now.

“I’m really proud of the group, how they played the second night of the back-to-back,” Vladar said.

New Jersey also played Friday, rolling the Sabres on the road, 5-0.

“From my experience, on the back-to-backs, I call it a professional game — good angling, short shifts, don’t put yourself in bad positions, use the bench,” Tocchet said before the game. … “They’re playing a back-to-back, too, so there’s no advantage tonight, there’s no excuse for tired teams. They played in Buffalo last night, so it’s an even game when it comes to energy.”

The Flyers are 2-0-0 in their three-game regular-season series with the Devils (16-8-1). They beat New Jersey a week ago when they scored three goals in 26 seconds en route to a 6-3 decision at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Devils have been without star forward Jack Hughes, who’s recovering from finger surgery.

Matvei Michkov with a stick for a fan who was holding up a sign. pic.twitter.com/et5iJDCpcF

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) November 29, 2025

• Vladar was really good with 29 saves on 32 shots.

The 28-year-old had a brilliant stop with 16 seconds left in the first period to keep the game tied at 1-1. The Flyers were on the penalty kill and Vladar denied Nico Hischier’s backdoor tip-in attempt.

The Flyers rewarded Vladar with a fast start after intermission. Michkov popped out of the penalty box and scored off a 2-on-1 with Konecny just 53 seconds into the second period.

Michkov then cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 a little under two and a half minutes later. Cam York made a nifty move at the blue line to set up Konecny for a shot, which Michkov got a piece of in front.

Vladar also delivered a big-time save with 2:33 minutes left in the second period when the Flyers were up 4-1 and New Jersey had a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance.

“He’s ridiculous, he’s unbelievable,” Zegras said. “I feel like he’s unbelievable every single time he’s in there.”

The Devils trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 4-2 with a power play goal in the final minute of the middle stanza. Dawson Mercer then made it very interesting when he dangled around the Flyers’ defense in the third period to draw New Jersey within 4-3.

But Vladar and the Flyers held on.

“In times where maybe they came at us a little bit, Vladdy kind of kept us rolling,” Tippett said. “It’s easy for us to kind of get a jump and get playing in front of him when you see him on his head like that behind us.”

Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of the Flyers’ 31 shots.

• After being shut out by the Lightning, 3-0, to open the road trip, the Flyers scored 12 goals over the final three games.

“That Tampa game was tough, we did not play great,” Zegras said. “We had a big meeting on things that we wanted to do to get better, to play tighter, to play more connected. And I think the last three, we did that.”

Tippett opened the scoring against New Jersey just 5:18 minutes into the action with his 100th career goal and 200th career point. He made a nice move at the doorstep off a feed from Christian Dvorak, who finished November with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 14 games.

Zegras also recorded an assist on the play and then added his goal in the second period to make it 4-1. After Jesper Bratt hit iron on a breakaway, the Flyers immediately countered with a 3-on-1 rush and Zegras capitalized.

The Flyers improved to 12-2-2 when the 24-year-old trade acquisition records a point.

• Tyson Foerster and Nick Seeler had tough blocked shots on the same shift in the second period as the Flyers were protecting a 3-1 lead.

The Flyers also had two key penalty kills in the third period as the Devils were pushing for the game-tying goal.

“The one thing I love about this group is they always want to learn,” Tocchet said. “Whether we win or lose or it’s a bad period or it’s a good period, they’re asking questions, they’re trying to learn. That’s what we’re doing every day and we’re trying to build some blocks here.”

• The Flyers return home for a matchup Monday against the Penguins (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The Vancouver Canucks are 20 games into the 2025–26 season. After their chaotic 3–2 loss to the San Jose Sharks last night, they currently sport a record of 10–13–2 throughout the season. Here’s how they’re performing compared to the rest of the NHL. 

Team Stats 

Vancouver’s team numbers don’t look fantastic at this particular moment. They’re within the bottom-five in the NHL in four categories: their overall record (10–13–2), points-percentage (0.44), goals-against (93), and penalty kill (70.5%). In three of these categories, they fall within the bottom-three in the league. With that being said, they currently rank 12th in goals-for with 76 and 14th in power play percentage with 21.6% — the only two stats in which they place within the top-15. 

Individual Skaters

The Canucks’ numbers produced by individual skaters are kind of all-over the place. Vancouver’s TOI stats say a lot about how the team has deployed their players throughout the year, as they have placed within the top-10 in overall (Filip Hronek, 609:48), power play (Quinn Hughes, 102:24), and penalty killing (Marcus Pettersson, 89:22) TOI. As well, Kiefer Sherwood still remains within the top-three in the NHL in hits with 103, only 11 away from Yakov Trenin’s league-leading 114. 

Goaltenders

Despite Kevin Lankinen taking the bulk of the games throughout the season, Thatcher Demko still ranks first on the team in the majority of categories such as SV% (.903), goals against average (2.80), wins (5), and high-danger SV% (.837). With that being said, the Canucks’ goaltending group does not crack the top-10 in the NHL in any of these stats. Their highest-ranked goaltending stat is the amount of high-danger shots-faced by Lankinen, who ranks 15th in the NHL in that category.  

Vancouver’s next five games consist of a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings tonight and a game against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Then, the Canucks return home for a weekend back-to-back against the Utah Mammoth and Minnesota Wild, as well as a game against the Detroit Red Wings the week after. 

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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Canadian defenseman Calvin de Haan, 34, has signed a two-year contract extension with Rögle BK, the SHL club announced on Friday.

This is de Haan’s first season playing in Europe after a lengthy career in North America, which included over 600 NHL games with six different teams.

De Haan has nine points in 18 games so far for Rögle, who currently sit third in the 14-team SHL with 47 points in 24 games.

“I think Calvin’s game speaks for itself and we obviously want to continue to see in green and white in the future,” said Rögle sports director Hampus Sjöström. “He’s a stable defender and has leadership qualities that are of great benefit to our group. It feels great that Calvin and his family are enjoying themselves so well here in Rögle and Ängelholm and I look forward to continuing our collaboration for another two seasons.”

In addition to de Haan, Rögle’s roster includes ex-NHLers Mark Friedman, Karson Kuhlman and Fredrik Olofsson.

Swedish Club Rögle Signs Another Ex-NHLer American right winger Karson Kuhlman, 29, has signed a one-year contract with Rögle BK, the SHL club announced on Sunday. The signing comes just three days after <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/former-nhl-d-man-signs-two-year-deal-in-sweden">R</a><a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/former-nhl-d-man-signs-two-year-deal-in-sweden">ögle announced the signing of former NHL defenseman Mark Friedman</a>.

Born in Carp. Ont., de Haan played junior hockey for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals and was chosen 12th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Between 2011 and 2025, de Haan played 679 NHL regular-season games for the Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers, recording 149 points and 249 penalty minutes. He also recorded five points in 38 playoff games.

De Haan split last season between the Avalanche and Rangers. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound rearguard was traded to the Rangers along with Juuso Parssinen, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick in 2025. In return, the Avalanche received Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Hank Kempf.

Internationally, de Haan represented Canada at one U-18 IIHF World Championship, two World Juniors and at the 2017 World Championship.

American Ex-NHL D-Man Finds Another Swedish TeamFormer NHLer Luke Witkowski returns to Sweden, joining a stacked Brynäs IF squad aiming for a championship rebound.

Every week in the NHL delivers goals, chaos, and occasionally, absolute gems on the microphone. Our “Say What?” series features some of the strangest, funniest, and most telling quotes from players, coaches, and executives around the league. 

This week, the quotes cover everything from a goaltender responding to being told the fans no longer want him to coaches disliking the use of analytics.

Here are the lines that made us stop scrolling and say… what?

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"They're just looking at numbers from people that could be in Russia in a basement, having cigarettes and cashews, telling them their scoring chances. So we're going to depend on our guys, and really recognize what we believe has to be fixed and what doesn't." - Adam Foote

The Vancouver Canucks' coach doesn't plan to call out a player for having poor analytics, although they've allowed the most high-danger chances against in the NHL, according to naturalstattrick.com.

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"We’re in the business of lifting each other up." - Stuart Skinner

After being told the fans want another goaltender and not him, Stuart Skinner had a classy response to Hall of Fame journalist Jim Matheson when he said he chose to be a goalie, and fan criticism comes with the gig. He knows he can be better, but his teammates don’t share the same opinion as some fans do. 

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“I guess it’s just part of the gig.” - Kiefer Sherwood

The forward is on the trade block after saying he wanted to sign an extension with the Vancouver Canucks. He knows that the team is looking to trade him as they’ve made several veterans and UFAs available. 

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“Since I was a kid, all I wanted was to wear a Habs jersey. Five more years in the best city in the world, a place I’m lucky to call home.” - Mike Matheson

The defenseman signed an extension with the Montreal Canadiens this week, a five-year deal worth $6 million per season. He knows he could have gotten more on the open market, but he’s comfortable where he is. 

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"The coach didn't take a stupid pill last week." - Brian Burke

Brian Burke commented on coach Kris Knoblauch being a good coach despite recent shortcomings and how he believes the Edmonton Oilers simply have to work their way out of their slump.

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“There's always pivots and different times where you have to adjust and make changes,” - GM Craig Conroy

After Don Maloney came out and said the Flames had no desire to trade several assets and were going to try to compete, fans reacted negatively. Things got worse when Maloney wouldn’t comment on a Conroy extension. The deal got done this week, and Conroy set the record straight. 

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“No one's giving up. No one's getting negative. We're going to keep pushing and keep grinding.” - Morgan Rielly

Morgan Rielly tried to stay positive after a loss as the Maple Leafs get set to play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Things have not gone well for Toronto this season, and there's already talk about focusing on next year instead. 

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“I feel like I could take down an NFL running back.” - Brady Tkachuk

When asked by his brother on their podcast if he thought he could tackle Derrick Henry, Brady said he believed it was about mindset, and he thought he could. Matthew responded, “You’re a f*cking idiot.”

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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.