For 59 minutes and 58 seconds on Tuesday, it looked like a Pittsburgh Penguins' resounding victory over the Anaheim Ducks was a given. 

But, hockey is a weird game. And these Penguins are a confounding team. 

With 0.1 seconds left in regulation and the Penguins on the power play, the Ducks tied the game at 3-3 and went on to defeat the Penguins in a shootout, 4-3. Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 25 of 28 Anaheim shots, and he - once again - failed to make a save in the shootout. 

This one was a dominant effort from the Penguins, which made what happened even more baffling. 

The Penguins opened the scoring midway through the first period when Noel Acciari shot a puck toward the net and behind Ville Husso right off the faceoff from the left circle. The score remained 1-0 heading into the second period.

And, in the middle frame, the chances were a bit more split. Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe scored a little more than five minutes int the middle frame, as he walked down the left side and put one top-shelf above Silovs and into the back of the net. Troy Terry did a similar thing on the right side with a little more than five minutes remaining in the period, beating Silovs short-side high. 

Then, in the waning seconds of the period, Tommy Novak - who came into this one with two goals and six points in his last five games - got his own rebound around the net, went below the goal line, and banked a puck off the back of Husso to tie the game at 2-2 with 19 seconds left in the second period. 

And the score remained that way until late in regulation. The Penguins were pressuring in the offensive zone, and Sidney Crosby found Anthony Mantha on the doorstep with a cross-ice pass to put Pittsburgh up 3-2 on the power play with 3:55 remaining in regulation. And, to make matters even better, they got another power play at the end of the game when Chris Kreider took a tripping penalty with 18 seconds left, pretty much guaranteeing a win, right?

Final. pic.twitter.com/zRadZ8g1Tr

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 10, 2025

Well, not so fast. 

In the last seconds of regulation, Anaheim's Beckett Sennecke gained the offensive zone shorthanded, walking around Penguins' forward Bryan Rust and defenseman Kris Letang. The puck ended up in the goal crease, and so did Erik Karlsson, who fell and slid in toward Silovs and the puck. The puck hit Karlsson's hand, and somehow, it crossed the goal line with 0.1 seconds remaining on the clock. 

It was a good goal. All tied up, 3-3. Overtime didn't prove to be enough, and the Penguins went on to lose their fifth shootout in as many attempts this season. 

Shock was prevalent in the locker room following the game. The Penguins outplayed the Ducks for the vast majority of regulation, and shots ended up 47-28 in favor of Pittsburgh. 

But the Penguins blew their seventh lead in 14 games, and those precious points lost are starting to become a problem - as is their ability to hold leads, something that has haunted them the past couple of non-playoff seasons. 

“It’s obviously a very frustrating feeling right now,” Karlsson said. “That was a game that we all thought we had in the bag. Scoring a late power-play goal, putting all the pressure on them. They still created a fair amount of chances. [Silovs] played great for us and bailed us out when we needed to.

“Being up a goal like we were with 18 seconds left, that’s a game that we should win 99.9% of the time. This was a game that shouldn’t have happened the way that it did.”

Penguins Provide Injury Update On Key PlayerInjured reserve has been an all-too-popular place for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> this season.&nbsp;

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Here are some notes and takeaways from this one:

- Let's just get the elephant in the room over with right off the bat. 

The Penguins have blown too many leads lately. They've been sloppy and/or outplayed in most of those efforts.

But to lose this way? Absolutely unacceptable. No two ways about it. 

That play just can't happen. Not only were the Penguins 18 seconds away from a win, they were on the power play, and they were, once again, the better team. Rust blew coverage. Letang blew coverage. Karlsson needs to be more careful there. Crosby can't pinch on that play. 

Those are four of your best, most veteran players. Oftentimes, it is the veterans making these kinds of mistakes. 

If the Penguins are going to make the playoffs, that has to stop. They are outplaying legitimately good hockey teams and are a legitimately good hockey team themselves. So they need to find a way to close out games like they were in October.

Penguins Call Up 2 Forwards As Injury Bug BitesThe Penguins have called up two forwards from the AHL.

- That aside, this game was a very sloppy one in a general sense for both sides. There were a lot of mishandled pucks, misfired passes, misfired shots, big rebounds, neutral zone play, and puck/stick battles.

I suspect the ice wasn't great, but this could also just be the result of two tired teams playing against each other. The Penguins travelled back from Dallas Sunday and cancelled practice Monday, and it showed that they just looked a little off, even if they outplayed the Ducks. 

- It would be malpractice not to mention Novak, who has been on a tear lately and has three goals and seven points in his last six games. 

His goal at the end of the second was huge. He's crashing the net more and using the middle of the ice more. He's getting pucks to the net and led the Penguins - along with Rust - in shots on goal Tuesday with six. He's a good complementary player to Crosby's line or the second line. 

He has been legitimately good lately, and his lineup versatility makes him even more valuable. 

"Tommy's playing well," head coach Dan Muse said. "You can see he's attacking the game with the puck. He's making plays. I think he's playing well at both ends of the ice. I think he's a guy that, if you go out throughout the course of the year, he's gotten a lot of chances. He's been pretty consistent in terms of getting those areas. I think he's getting to the inside even more. He's getting a lot more looks from right around the net. And so, we're happy with this play.

If he keeps this up, it should make for some interesting decisions as far as lineups when Rakell and Malkin return. 

- The "kid line" of Rutger McGroarty, Ben Kindel, and Ville Koivunen were - once again - good from the jump in this game. They were the Penguins' best line in the first period, and they continued to generate scoring chances throughout the game.

Penguins Head Coach Dan Muse Needs To Play The "Kid" Line MoreThe third line of McGroarty-Kindel-Koivunen has been great, but they need more minutes.

The one issue with this line - if you even want to call it that up to this point - has been that none of the three have really taken charge as a "trigger man." All three players have a playmaking-first mentality, and they could benefit from getting more pucks to the net.

Well, McGroarty changed that Tuesday. He had five shots on goal - including four in the first period - and was getting the puck to the net anytime he could. 

Once again, this could be a dangerous third line for the Penguins. They're already responsible in their own zone, so once they start producing with regularity - it's bound to happen - look out.

- The Penguins' power play didn't look bad Tuesday by any stretch. They held zone time for the most part and didn't give up any chances against. 

But there just doesn't seem to be as much movement and quick passing as there was before. The Penguins are best as a power play unit when they're moving with expediency and getting penalty kills out of structure. And they are able to get more pucks to the net that way, too.

The power play has been a huge threat all season long. It needs to stay that way. 

Penguins' Top Defensive Prospect Named To Team Canada's Preliminary World Junior RosterIt appears that at least two prospects from the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> could be headed to the World Junior Championship (WJC).&nbsp;

- This was a really good effort from the Penguins against a young, fast team. They were getting their way as far as possession, scoring chances, and shots, including outshooting the Ducks 16-8 in the first period. 

Once again, there is a lot to be said about the way the Penguins have been playing so far in the month of December, especially against some of the league's best teams. They deserved two points in Dallas even though they came away with the shootout loss. They beat the Tampa Bay Lightning by the skin of their teeth, but they got it done. They dominated the Phildelphia Flyers in a 5-1 win on Dec. 1. And they outmatched a Ducks team that they should have beat in regulation.

They're playing well-structured, opportunistic, and sound hockey against good opponents. That's what good teams in this league normally do. 

But they also lapse at the worst times and in the most critical moments of the game. They shouldn't have lost Tuesday. They know it. The fans know it. Muse knows it. Everyone knows it.

To say the game Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens is a must-win feels like an understatement. The Penguins need a response - and a good one.

NHL Rumors: 2 Potential Trade Fits For Penguins' Tristan JarryThese two teams should be watched when it comes to Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry.

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Ville Husso’s inclusion on the Ducks’ opening night roster was a short one. He was placed on waivers just one day after the Ducks’ opening night roster announcement.

After clearing waivers, Husso was reassigned to the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. The Finnish netminder picked right back up where he left off from last season, when he was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last February.

 A late-season injury to John Gibson last year provided an opportunity for Husso to return to the NHL. He had been playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL prior to his acquisition by Anaheim after struggling to perform at the NHL level for the Red Wings.

Husso’s tenure with the Red Wings was a forgettable one, but his strong play with the Gulls upon arriving in the Ducks’ organization (7-2-0 record and .907 SV%) carried over to his NHL spot starts at the end of 2024-25. In four appearances (three starts), he had a .925 SV% and 2.99 goals against average.

An unrestricted free agent this past offseason, Husso had the chance to pursue a job elsewhere. Ultimately, he chose to re-sign with Anaheim, penning a two-year deal with a $2.2 million AAV.

“I really enjoyed my time last year, couple months here,” Husso said. “There is good people around the team, both (in Anaheim) and in San Diego. I saw it as a good spot for myself to just get better and get my game in a good spot.”

Due to injuries for both Lukáš Dostál and Petr Mrázek, Husso has been thrust into the starting role. Dostál’s injury came during the final week of November and after Husso was recalled and got his first start of season on Black Friday, Mrázek suffered an injury of his own on the last day of November.

In six appearances (five starts) since being recalled, Husso has a 4-2-0 record. One of those losses came when Husso relieved the injured Mrázek during a tie game with the Chicago Blackhawks. The only logged shot that Husso faced in that game was a partial breakaway against Connor Bedard, who used his magic hands to beat the Finnish goaltender in close. The cruel nature of the game reared its head on that one.

Husso’s only other loss was the Ducks’ shambolic performance against the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 3, when they lost 7-0. Aside from that, he has held down the fort. The latest masterpiece was a 45-save performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. A late holding the stick penalty and subsequent power play goal against could have been the mark on an otherwise stellar night, but the Ducks tied the game with 0.1 seconds remaining in the third. The result was decided in the shootout, where Husso stopped all three Penguins shooters.

“Team effort. Probably not our best, but good teams get those two points even when it’s an okay game,” Husso said to media after the game. “It’s been so much fun to be around these guys. Every day, it’s like learning something new. Fun group to be a part of and shows that we never give up.”

Vyacheslav Buteyets has been the backup goaltender with both Dostál and Mrázek on the shelf. The 2022 sixth-round pick made his debut during the 7-0 defeat to Utah, relieving Husso after the first two periods. Dostál traveled with the team for their five-game road trip and participated in Tuesday’s morning skate. He is on track with the initial two to three-week timeline that was given by head coach Joel Quenneville.

When Dostál returns, Buteyets will be reassigned to the AHL and Husso will serve as the backup. A set of understandable moves. But Mrázek’s return, whenever that may be, could create a conundrum.

Husso has demonstrated thus far that he can be an NHL-quality goaltender again. Mrázek had some early inconsistencies to start the season, but rebounded with a strong performance against the Vegas Golden Knights before suffering a trio of hard-luck losses in his next three starts.

It wouldn’t be out of the question for the Ducks to carry three goaltenders when everyone is healthy, but a currently full 23-man roster means that a move (like waiving Nikita Nesterenko or Jansen Harkins or sending Ian Moore down) will have to be made. Would the Ducks be able to sneak Husso through waivers because of his comparatively high salary and the extra year on his deal? They’ve already done it once, but that was before teams like the Winnipeg Jets lost their bonafide No. 1 goaltender to injury.

A scenario like this is something that Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek likely won’t have to think about for at least another couple of weeks, until Mrázek begins skating again. For now, it’s Husso’s net.

“Just got to keep working, keep grinding and be ready whenever,” Husso said.

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The former Minnesota Wild defenseman just achieved a rare milestone in a game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Brent Burns recorded an assist on Brock Nelson's goal in the first period of the game that the Preds ended up winning in a shootout.

Burns, 40, picked up his 11th assist of the year and his 15th point in his 30th game of the season.

He became the second 40-year-old defenseman in NHL history with at least 15 points through his first 30 games of a season (age based at start of season).

Nicklas Lidstrom had 26 points in 2010-11 and 21 points in 2011-12. No other defenseman has reached this feat.

Burns was the 20th overall pick by the Wild in the 2003 NHL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Wild before he was traded to the San Jose Sharks.

In his seven seasons with Minnesota, Burns recorded 55 goals, 128 assists and 183 points in 453 games.

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Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

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- 'That One's Not Going Anywhere': Inside Jesper Wallstedt's Signature Win Celebration.

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The Vancouver Canucks are 30 games into the 2025–26 season. Vancouver’s record has not looked bleaker than it has as of right now (so far), as the team has officially taken sole possession of last overall in the entire NHL. Here’s how they’re performing compared to the rest of the league.  

Team Stats 

For the majority of their team stats, the Canucks sit either last in the NHL or 30th and below. These include their league-worst overall record (11–16–3), points-percentage (.417), and goals-against (108). Their penalty kill also drops within the bottom-three, clicking at a 30th-best rate of 72%. Vancouver’s only semi-redeeming team stat on this list is their power play, which is currently tied for 17th in the NHL with a success rate of 18.8% — though it has not found much success as of late. 

Individual Skaters

Since the 25-game mark of the 2025–26 season, the Canucks have not had any change in all but one of their individual skater stats. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes both still lead the team in points, though neither has registered one within the past five games (Pettersson has missed two due to injury). Their 22 points each tie both Pettersson and Hughes for the 81st-most in the NHL; for reference, the league’s leading points-getter, Nathan MacKinnon, currently has more than double this amount (51). The only stat that has seen a change in the player leading it is TOI on the penalty kill, which now belongs to Tyler Myers (101:57). Intriguingly, his PK TOI currently places fourth among all NHLers.  

Goaltenders

Nikita Tolopilo’s solid stretch of play throughout the past few games has earned him the current lead in a good chunk of the Canucks’ goaltending stats. While Thatcher Demko still holds sole possession of the most wins by a Canucks goaltender (5, tied for 40th in the NHL), Tolopilo now has the highest SV% (.911), goals-against average (2.74), and high-danger SV % (.862) despite playing in the least amount of games. 

The Canucks look like they may gain a massive boost in their next game, on December 11, as Demko could make his return to the lineup then. After, Vancouver will embark on a five-game road trip that will take them across the east coast until the holiday break. They’ll take on the New Jersey Devils (December 14), New York Rangers (December 16), New York Islanders (December 19), and the Boston Bruins (December 20), before their last stop against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 22. 

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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Tuesday night’s humiliating defeat was the final drop in the bucket; this latest debacle might just have been the Montreal Canadiens sending out an SOS, much like The Police sang in 1975, and GM Kent Hughes heard it loud and clear. Minutes after the final buzzer, the team announced it had recalled three players from the Laval Rocket: defenseman Adam Engstrom, who was with the Habs in their latest road trip, forward Owen Beck, and, for the first time, goaltender Jacob Fowler.

Plenty has been written about the Canadiens’ goaltending struggles in the last month, but on Tuesday night, the situation reached a breaking point. The Tampa Bay Lightning took only 27 shots on goal, but they still scored six goals. Jakub Dobes, who started the game, gave up three goals on 14 shots.

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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, he wasn’t bad; the first two goals came on breakaways and the third one on a Nikita Kucherov one-timer as the sniper was left all alone on the wing. On the last one, the Czech netminder was without his stick, which he had dropped trying to freeze the puck, and that can be held against him, but even with his stick, it’s doubtful that he could have made the save.

Samuel Montembeault, who played the last 40 minutes, once again gave up a goal on a long-range shot that didn’t look particularly threatening, on top of being beaten near side on a shot from the wing. It was yet another tough outing for him.

The fact that the Canadiens are willing to recall 21-year-old Fowler, who’s playing his first professional season right now, shows just how desperate they are. Turning to him as the team struggles to put together a suitable defensive game is far from ideal. Unless Martin St-Louis’ men clean up their act, the youngster could be thrown to the wolves.

Not that he isn’t a quality goaltender, he has a 10-5-0 record in 15 games with the Rocket this season, including three shutouts. His goals-against average stands at 2.09, and his save percentage at.919. Those are excellent numbers, but there’s a massive jump between the AHL and the NHL level. Dominating in the AHL doesn’t always guarantee success in the big league; we’ve seen it with Cayden Primeau just last season. The Farmington Hills native had a .927 SV in 26 games with the Rocket last year, but a .836 SV in 11 games with the Canadiens.

Usually, with goaltenders, slow and steady wins the race; that’s a position where you do not want to rush things, but given the current situation in Montreal, something had to give. However, the organization will need to be careful in managing expectations; Fowler cannot come in and be heralded as the team’s saviour right now. He should not be put under that much pressure. Montreal is already a pressure cooker without that label.

The team’s leadership will have to stand up and get this team to take a long, hard look in the mirror to stop allowing so many premium opportunities game after game after game. Leading by example is one thing, but there are times when more is needed, and judging by the organization’s reaction to Tuesday night’s debacle, that time is now.

After Wednesday morning's practice in Brossard, the Canadiens will board a plane and head to Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. Will Fowler make his NHL debut there? If he were, he wouldn’t be the first Canadiens’ goaltender to get his baptism of fire against the Pens. Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy (he came in relief in a game against the Winnipeg Jets, but his first start was against the Pens), and Carey Price all started their career against Thursday night’s hosts. Chances are, St-Louis will be asked who will get the start Thursday after practice, but he’ll probably say he doesn’t know yet...

WHAT A SAVE BY JACOB FOWLER‼️ pic.twitter.com/9P2y2SoBUC

— NHL (@NHL) September 23, 2025

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New York Islanders' forward Bo Horvat scored twice in their 5-4 shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights. That earned him a postgame interview with the TNT panel. 

Paul Bissonnette asked Horvat about Matthew Schaefer, A.K.A Schaef Daddy, and how he's impacted the team so far:

"Yeah, Schaef Daddy has been great," Horvat said with a chuckle. "Trust me, I listened to the podcast, and I heard that. I don't know if it's stuck as much as he wanted to, but he's been phenomenal for us. He's a hell of a kid, hell of a hockey player, and he's completely changed our team in the best way. He's so dynamic. He's such a good hockey player. And we're definitely lucky to have him."

Bo Horvat talks to the boys about the Isles solid start and "Schaef Daddy" as Biz calls him 😂 pic.twitter.com/POZSU524tF

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) December 9, 2025

Five months ago, Schaefer joined Spittin Chiclets where the Schaef Daddy nickname came to the service:

In the Islanders' shootout win, Schaefer recorded the secondary assist on Horvat's first goal of the night, giving him 22 points in 31 games with eight goals and 13 assists. 

His 22 points passed Petr Svoboda (3-18—21 in 1984-85 w/ MTL) for the 10th most by an 18-year-old defenseman in a single season.

Like Horvat said, Schaefer has completely changed the dynamic of the Islanders. He's impacted every facet of their game has changed the club's timeline when it comes to how far they are away from competing for a Stanley Cup. 

December is a hectic month for everyone with the Holidays coming up, but it’s going to be one crazy month for the Montreal Canadiens players as well, since their schedule is jam-packed. Last night, they played their third game in four nights when they hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning, and they did it with Jakub Dobes in net once again.

The visitors were winless in their last four games and had been shut out in their previous two tilts, on top of being without all-star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Furthermore, Jon Cooper’s men were playing the second game of a back-to-back after taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.

Interestingly, four teams had two scouts at the Bell Centre for this game, and three of them had a goalie scout present, as Dobes was playing his third game in four nights. If they were there to have a closer look at him, he wouldn’t have made a particularly good impression.

An Awful First Frame

The Bolts wasted no time in showing they meant business. Twenty-nine seconds in, Charles-Edouard D’Astous levelled Brendan Gallagher, and it turned out to be a perfect metaphor for the first frame.

The visitors dominated play in the first frame, outshouting the Canadiens 15-6. Tampa scored its first goal on its second shot on net as Brayden Point easily got past Jayden Struble to get in all alone on the Canadiens’ netminder.

Their second goal came on a Pontus Holmberg breakaway as Ivan Demidov made an errant pass on the power play, right on cue for Holmberg to collect it. Dobes gave up a third goal on a Nikita Kucherov one-timer after losing his stick in a desperate attempt to freeze the puck.

It’s not that the Canadiens didn’t try to shoot, but most of their shots ended up in the netting behind the goal rather than on the net they actually needed to score on. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki really struggled to hit the net, which is never good news for the Habs.

Martin St-Louis allowed Dobes to finish the period, but elected to start the second frame with Samuel Montembeault in the net. The change made little difference: Dobes finished the game with a .786 save percentage, allowing three goals on 14 shots, while Montembeault gave up three goals on 13 shots, for a .769 SV%.

Power Play Changes

In the first frame, Zachary Bolduc was back on the first power, even though he remains on the fourth line. Meanwhile, both Caufield and Suzuki were double-shifted on the second unit, meaning that Demidov still had the benefit of playing with them.

It was the second unit that produced the Canadiens' first and only goal as Demidov entered the zone crossing with Oliver Kapanen before making a cross-zone pass to Suzuki, who rang his shot off the post. Still, Kapanen showed excellent hand-eye coordination to bat it in mid-air. It was his ninth goal, which allowed him to tie Beckett Senecky for the lead in rookie goal scoring. The Finn now has the same number of goals as Juraj Slafkovsky, meaning they share second place on the team behind Cole Caufield, who has 16.

C'est avec un but qu'on fait quatre buts

Can't score 4 if you don't start with 1, right?#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/DAIi7Rc11b

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 10, 2025

The goal must have come as a relief for Kapanen, who had missed a couple of chances off Demidov's setups in the first frame. The late-period goal should have been a boost to start the third frame, but it wasn’t. On the contrary, Tampa scored 1:22 into the final frame, and that was one goal too many. For the rest of the game, the Canadiens lacked jump, confidence and even the will to compete; they actually looked like they were “sleepskating” out there. Tampa earned the two points with a decisive 6-1 win.

Home Sweet Home?

After 29 games, the Canadiens have an 8-3-2 record on the road but a 7-8-1 record at home. To have a chance of making the playoffs, they need to improve their home performance. You cannot be outplayed and manhandled when you control the matchups. On that topic, the bench boss explained:

We’ve got to be better at home. My press conferences at home are starting to be boring. […] I think we give up too many early goals. At the start of periods, I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but it’s becoming a trend. I’ve got to correct that trend.

-

Asked if it was due to the Habs struggling to shake off the disappointment of giving up a goal, St-Louis said:

There’s a mental element to it, you’ve mental strength has got to be stronger than your emotions. We’re being testing mentally right now.

-

In the dressing room, Alexandre Carrier discussed stopping the hemorrhage, which brought me back to last season, when the team kept getting blown out and couldn’t stop the bleeding after giving up a couple of goals at home. The start of the season might have made us think that was now a thing of the past, but the last month says otherwise.

Calling In Some Reinforcements

After the game, the Canadiens announced that they had called up goaltender Jacob Fowler, defenseman Adam Engstrom, and forward Owen Beck from the Laval Rocket. Regardless of how you look at it, this should send a message to the players. Of course, they always call up players to go on the road, but they never call up a goaltender to go on the road. They only called up Kaapo Kahkonen because of Montembeault’s illness last weekend.

The Canadiens will practice at 11:00 in Brossard this morning before taking off for Pittsburgh in the afternoon. It will be interesting to see how St-Louis addresses the trend he has finally acknowledged is his biggest concern.

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It was a battle between David and Goliath at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday. 

The last-place Nashville Predators hosted the top-ranked Colorado Avalanche. Nashville was coming off a blowout loss to Carolina, while Colorado had won 14 of its last 16. 

In a back-and-forth battle that saw the Avalanche force overtime in the final minute, it was a lone shootout goal by Ryan O'Reilly that gave the Predators the 4-3 upset victory. 

Jonathan Marchessault had the game-tying goal on the power play, which was quickly followed by Reid Schaefer's second career goal for a 2-1 Predators lead. In the third, Brady Skjei scored his first goal of the season to give Nashville a late 3-2 lead. 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators win over the Avalanche. 

Keeping pace early 

Similar to the first meeting, the Predators went down in the first two minutes of the game. In the Nov. 22 game, Nashville gave up a goal 15 seconds into the game. Tuesday, it was 72 seconds into the game, off a goal from Brock Nelson. 

However, unlike the previous meeting, the Predators' offense got going. Less than two minutes late, Jonathan Marchessault scored on the power play to tie the game up. It didn't stop there, as 1:25 later, Reid Schaefer scored his second goal of the season to give the Predators the lead.

Nashville kept the pressure on in the first period and kept pace with the best team in the league. Colorado tied the game to end the period, but Nashville looked like the better team throughout. 

The Predators managed to stay out of the penalty box in the first period and even had two power plays. It's a significant change from Nashville's past two games, where it has had 12 penalties over that stretch. 

Saros stands on his head 

The Predators had a significant fall off in the second period, getting outshot 13-5, but it was Juuse Saros who kept the game deadlocked at two. After a slow start to the game, Saros locked down and had one of his best performances of the season.

He made 39 saves on 42 shots and stonewalled the Avalanche in the shootout. Saros faced Martin Necas, Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog, and kept all three from finding the back of the net. 

Saros also made four saves in the overtime period, extending the Predators' game into the shootout. 

Nashville also had a hairy stretch in the second period where it struggled to stay out of the box. The Predators committed three penalties in the final five minutes of the second, but were able to kill off all three. 

Tuesday's victory was the most saves Saros has made in a game this season and the most he's swatted away since April 10, when he made the same amount of saves and faced the same amount of shots in a 4-3 shootout win over the Utah Mammoth. 

Penalties still in issue 

8 WITH 8 SECONDS TO GO🥬 pic.twitter.com/iiKIgWeFQ2

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 10, 2025

The Predators had a chance to close the game out in regulation, which would've been just Colorado's third regulation loss of the season. However, they were stung by penalties yet again. 

With Colorado pulling goalie Scott Wedgewood for an extra attacker and Nashville holding a one-goal lead in the final two minutes of the game, Erik Haula was called for tripping.

That put Colorado on a 6-on-4 power play for the rest of regulation. With eight seconds left, Cale Makar got Michael McCarron to bite on a backhand to forehand move, giving him an open lane. Makar fired it through traffic and it went in to tie things up. 

The Predators' penalty killers have been elite, but have been worked to the bone over the last three games. Nashville has committed 16 penalties in three games, but has only given up two power-play goals. 

It's a positive that Nashville's penalty kill has been so good, but the unit's goal is not to be on the ice as much. Tuesday's late call on Haula was the difference in ending a game that started at 8:50 p.m. CST early. 

Up next: St. Louis Blues (11-13-7) at Nashville Predators (11-14-4) on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. CST 

ST. LOUIS – A three-game winning streak on the line, a chance to gain a measure of revenge against the Boston Bruins. It was all on the line for the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

But an all-too-familiar script played itself out despite an early lead and a fight back, but in the end, it was the Bruins who scored three unanswered goals in the third period of a 5-2 win at Enterprise Center.

Robert Thomas scored twice, Pavel Buchnevich had two assists to extend his point streak to four games, and Joel Hofer made 26 saves but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Blues (11-13-7) from gaining that elusive three-game winning streak.

“I thought we were a little too loose after the first 10 minutes,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “I liked our first 10 minutes of the game, and I didn’t mind our first whatever it was when we tied it up (in the third period). I don’t know if it was eight minutes into the third. That wasn’t too bad, but besides that, we were very loose not stopping in the house. Defensively, not sprinting to loose pucks enough.”

Let’s take a look at the game observations:

* Blues had a chance to grab game after tying it in third and failed – The Blues were down a goal heading into the third period against a team that had been spotless in that situation (13-0-0) heading into this game.

But when Thomas tied the game at 4:51, it leveled the score at 2-2, and on home ice, one would think the home side would step up the intensity and take control of the momentum.

That was hardly the case because the Bruins, now 14-0-0 when leading after two, found another gear and scored the next three.

The third goal, and ultimately the game-winner scored by Mark Kastelic, his second of the night, was a perfect example of the struggles the Blues have faced far too often.

First off, the Bruins chip a puck into the Blues’ zone, and Tyler Tucker gets beat to the goal line by Sean Kuraly. Now the scramble is on, even as Dalibor Dvorsky gets to the puck, having to make a quick decision, he softly banks it off the boards where Nikita Zadorov is waiting to pick it off. Off the wall, the Bruins defenseman throws it towards the goal, and the puck hits Kuraly, falls into the crease where Kastelic beats Justin Faulk to the loose puck and swat it in at 8:01:

KASTY AND KURLS DOIN' WORK 💪 pic.twitter.com/nLcDDfJWlv

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 10, 2025

One, you’d like to see Tucker win that race to the puck, and two, you want Dvorsky to protect it a little better or make a better decision instead of just loosely throwing a puck away knowing the point man is there waiting to intercept it, and then you need to see bodies in and around the net for better protection. All failed attempts.

“We've got to win the goal line race,” Montgomery said of Tucker. “Puck's dumped in, they've got one forechecker, our second-quick should have been there to be able to get that puck and get out of our zone. They were changing, and they got out there and they got five guys established and we never got possession again. They out-muscled us at the net.”

Defenseman Justin Faulk said, “the third goal changed momentum quite a bit. Felt like a little bit of a drop after that and then they were able to kind of take the momentum a little bit and add another one with the fourth.”

* Another struggling second period – The Blues had a lead by doing a lot of decent things.

But the second period for the most part outside of a good one Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens, the Blues are a minus-14 in the middle frame.

Make it minus-16 after getting outscored 2-0 and a 1-0 lead turned into a 2-1 deficit thanks to the Bruins (18-13-0) maintaining possession in the O-zone, the Blues scrambling and chasing for much of the period and generating little to nothing in the offensive zone. They were outshot 13-3.

“We just couldn't get it by their trap in the neutral zone, couldn't set up our forecheck and kind of get in with possession, chip it to a guy with speed to kind of set it up,” Thomas said.

“We turned the puck over too much in the last 10 minutes of the first and we talked about putting it to the goal line, needing to play a little more in their end,” Montgomery said. “I think we were loose with the puck and our angling of the puck was not where it needed to be, so it gave them a lot of momentum going towards their net.”

* Losing too many loose pucks, wall battles – It was one of those games where if a puck was along the wall, the Bruins were coming away with it. If there was a loose puck, the Bruins were coming away with it. If there was a battle for it in the open ice, the Bruins were coming away with it.

That comes with working harder to get it and maintain possession, and in a lot of cases, sustaining offensive zone time, and Boston was scoring not the pretty goals but the greasy ones with traffic at the net and even getting bounces to go their way.

It happened on Fraser Minten's first of two goals that tied the game 1-1 at 12:48 of the second:

9️⃣3️⃣ KNOTS IT UP! pic.twitter.com/2Fpq6nr45o

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 10, 2025

It happened on Monten's second of the game at 11:33 of the third that made it 4-2 and for all intents and purposes, put the game away:

DOUBLE MINT GOAL ‼️ pic.twitter.com/SMCuMCcIwm

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 10, 2025

“In both zones, to be honest, right,” Montgomery said. “Their second-quick, which is the term we use, was quicker than ours.”

Why is that the case in the 31st game of the season? Yes, off nights do happen, but this team has little margin for error, and needing to put a winning streak together. That’s not a way to get it done, because a lot of the little things, including these, are what wins and loses hockey games.

* Bottom forwards struggled mightily – It’s tough to blame and point fingers at some of the guys in the lineup, but let’s face it, the Blues are a battered and bruised group right now, and when guys like Fraser Minten and Kastelic are each scoring two goals as some of the Bruins’ bottom six forwards who are also used in their top six when needed, it left some of the bottom-tiered guys open and vulnerable.

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, playing in just his fourth NHL game, played 10:35 and was a minus-2; Dvorsky was a minus-1 in 12:13; Matt Luff, playing in just his second NHL game in two years, was a minus-1 in just 7:44 of ice time and he had a great chance to score early on an errant play that could have gone well for St. Louis; Logan Mailloux was a minus-2 in 9:49; even veterans like Oskar Sundqvist was a minus-3, so was Dylan Holloway; Brayden Schenn and Pius Suter each was a minus-2. But the guys playing fewer minutes and lesser roles were taken advantage of on this night and they had to be counted on even more when Nick Bjugstad went down with an upper-body injury early in the second period becoming the fifth forward in the last week-plus to be sidelined:

Bjugstad takes this arm/elbow to the head and gets ridden into the boards by Zadorov at 5:24 of the second and didn't play another shift. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/JJrloY9HrY

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 10, 2025

“Obviously it’s a team game as a whole,” Faulk said. “It’s not easy to take guys in and out of the lineup that are kind of every day guys, impact guys when we’re still trying to find our game a lot more consistently. It’s tough, but for sure the guys that are coming in, we’ve had to call up in our lineup are hungry and they’re going to give their best effort and try and help the team as much as they can. There’s definitely no lack of energy from the new guys, which is always a good thing. We just have to find a way to keep it going and find some continuity.”

* Undermanned organizational depth showing – The Blues are really being tested right now, both at the NHL level and even at Springfield of the American Hockey League. Maybe some of these call-ups aren’t ready for this kind of competition yet outside of Luff, who’s been here often before, but now it looks like Hugh McGing will be the latest to get into the lineup pending Bjugstad’s status, and it didn’t look like his equipment was going out to Centene Community Ice Center for Wednesday practice ahead of a road game Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

* Thomas, Buchnevich heating up, finding chemistry – The bear in the room for a lot of the Blues’ struggles has been the inability of the top-end guys to produce offensively.

Tuesday was another example of if the Blues are to get out of the doldrums, guys like Thomas and Buchnevich being on the same page and the consistency of playing together produces the benefits will go a long way.

Buchnevich not has five points (two goals, three assists) in a four-game point streak and Thomas has seven points (three goals, four assists) the past eight games, including three points the past two games all playing with Buchnevich.

The two combined for the opening goal at 5:27 on the power play when Thomas whipped a one-timer from the high slot past Jeremy Swayman on a high-low play to make it 1-0:

If you picked Robert Thomas in your First Goal Vote, you're a winner! pic.twitter.com/S6zSfpeHjF

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 10, 2025

And Buchnevich made a heads-up play by intercepting Andrew Peeke behind the net and feeding Thomas in the slot for the 2-2 goal at 4:51 of the third:

What has two thumbs and two goals in this game?

THIS GUY 👇 pic.twitter.com/oQYGhXHSO7

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 10, 2025

“He’s been playing great lately making everyone around him better,” Thomas said of Buchnevich. “It’s not just one or two games. It’s been five or 10 games he’s been playing real well. He’s picked a lot of us up lately. He made two great plays and I was just able to bury it, but he’s playing real well.”

* Blues can’t string together three straight wins – Three tries, three failed attempts for the Blues to win another game beyond two.

It was Feb. 23-March 1 when the Blues won four in a row last year, their first three-game winning streak that fueled their second-half run. But that’s not something they can try and bank on all the time.

“It’s a hard league and that’s what we strive for is that consistency so you put yourself in that situation where the opportunity is there,” Faulk said. “It didn’t go our way tonight and we’ve got to come back and bounce back and try to put ourselves in that position again. It starts with one and just keep it rolling. Obviously consistency’s been a real big issue for us this year. I think overall our game’s been getting better. We just got to keep pushing and keep grinding and hope for the next one.”

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The first time the Colorado Avalanche are facing off against the Nashville Predators, this time on the road.  Outside of a hectic first period the Avalanche weren't able to get anything past Juuse Saros until just eight seconds left in the third to send it to extra time, though loosing in the shoot-outs 4-3.

Period 1:

Just over one minute into the period, Brock Nelson dekes around Roman Josi and beats Juuse Saros five-hole with a nifty backhand shot, making it 1-0 early. Joel Kiviranta is called for tripping, giving the Predators their first power play of the game. It's Jonathan Marchessault driving to the net, and his shot is denied, but he quickly recovers his own rebound and buries it to tie the game 1-1 on the power play. Just one minute later, Reid Schaefer scoops up the loose puck coming out of a puck battle in the corner and powers his way, stretching around Wedgewood and burying the shot to make it 2-1.

2 goals in 6 games for Schaef 🤯 pic.twitter.com/g3vuGin69A

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 10, 2025

Nathan MacKinnon powers through the offensive zones and rifles a shot that forces Saros to kick out, and Artturi Lehkonen is waiting in front of the net and can bury the loose puck rebound to tie it 2-2. MacKinnon earns an assist on that play, and it's his 50th point of the season, and is the first skater in the NHL to reach the 50-point milestone, and is back-to-back, reaching it first last season as well. Cale Makar is called for tripping, but the Avalanche kills it off, ending the first period.

Period 2:

The Predators did a great job really limiting the chances the Avalanche created, deflecting or blocking multiple shot attempts within the period. A stretch of penalties comes the Predators' way as the period ends. Spencer Stastney is called for tripping 10 minutes into the period, the Avalanche's first power play, but they can’t convert.

Nicolas Hague is called for cross-checking, and the Avalanche can’t convert on the opportunity. However, Fedor Svechkov is called for delay of game right before the power play ends, giving the Avalanche a little time on the 5-on-3 before the period ends and the third starts on the power play.

Period 3:

The Avalanche started the period unable to convert on the power play with the remaining time. Almost six straight minutes on the power play without capitalizing is a bit concerning, even against an elite goaltender like Saros. Toews has a great opportunity created by MacKinnon, but Saros gets the right pad to stop his shot. Brady Skjeis shot on the blue line just beats everyone and through traffic to make it 3-2 with just under 6 minutes left in the period. 

Wedgewood is pulled with under three minutes left in the period. Eric Haula is called for tripping, so the Avalanche gets the remaining game on the power play. Cale Makar sends a wrister through traffic to beat Saros with eight seconds left to tie the game 3-3 and force overtime. That is Makar’s fourth game-tying goal with 15 seconds or fewer left on the clock.

8 WITH 8 SECONDS TO GO🥬 pic.twitter.com/iiKIgWeFQ2

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 10, 2025

Overtime/Shootout.

The overtime heads to the shootout as both teams get some opportunities but can’t convert. Ryan O’Rielly on the first shot just top shelf roofs it past Wedgewood, which would be the game winner as the rest of both teams' shooters would miss and the Avalanche lose 4-3.

Though one thing to note is that Filip Forsberg's shot is denied, but he hits an edge and crashes hard into Wedgewood. He also slams into the post, and the trainers check on him. The refs and concussion spotter signal to remove Wedgewood for Blackwood despite not seeing a shot, as the Avalanche couldn't go further into the shootouts.

The Avalanche are back in action against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, on Thursday, December 11, at home.

---

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NHL Approves Avalanche's Request to Wear Nordiques Jersey Against CanadiensIt's being reported that the Colorado Avalanche requested to wear the Quebec Nordiques jersey against the Montreal Canadiens, and the NHL approved it

As a tired Buffalo Sabres came into Edmonton off a back-to-back, the red-hot Oilers understood they needed to strike early. "It's very important we do come out like we did the other night against Winnipeg," said head coach Kris Knoblauch ahead of the optional morning skate. He noted,"... we pounced on that opportunity the other night. We're in that same situation, and we want to make it easier for us. "

While clawing out a single point in an overtime loss, the Oilers did anything but.

Waiting until the third period to bring out their A-game, the Oilers took away their own momentum with untimely penalties and some questionable decision-making. Edmonton didn't play a terrible first 40 minutes, but it wasn't the same kind of 40 minutes that allowed them to walk through Winnipeg. Disjointed and lacking a shoot-first mentality, Edmonton changed its game in the final frame, falling just short and losing coverage in extra time to gift the Sabres the win.

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"When this team wants to turn it on and play well, most times they can play amongst the best. To be one of the best, you've got to be able to consistently to do that," said Knoblauch following the 4-3 loss. "I can think of probably, up to ten times we had the puck in the slot, and we didn't take a shot.... anytime you get in the dangerous ice, you should be looking to shoot." He added, "Very rarely should you be passing it up if you get the puck in the middle of the ice. We did that way too many times, at least half a dozen times."

Evan Bouchard had a rough game, too. A costly turnover in front of his goalie and losing his positioning in overtime, this was one of those games that frustrate fans, as it would a coach. Knoblauch said he would talk to Bouchard about it the next day, but didn't believe it would be productive to tear a strip off him during the action. 

As annoyed as Knoblauch seemed to be with the lost coverage and the questionable decision-making, he didn't think the game was a total disaster. 

"Overall, I thought we did a pretty good job. I don't like the fact that we took six penalties and that took away a lot of our game."

------

This was the same Sabres team that embarrassed the Oilers a few weeks ago. One of Edmonton's most disheartening performances, this game was supposed to be a chance to earn a bit more respect against a Buffalo team that had been leaking goals in the past three games. Before the game, Knoblauch noted, "They're a very dangerous team. They've got a lot of speed, whether that's their forwards or their defensemen. If you're caught sleeping or out of position, they're going to take advantage of that." After the game, both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman shot down the notion that this was a team the Oilers were supposed to cake walk through. 

"That's just not the case in this league anymore," said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "Especially, they lost three in a row. They were in a back-to-back and gave up seven to Calgary. You know they're going to want to defend hard and play hard in front of their goalie." Zach Hyman didn't like the idea this was meant to be an easy win either. "You'd like to play a full 60, especially with the way we've been trending." He said the Oilers didn't fold when down 3-0, and they clawed a point out of a game they put themselve in a hole in. "Every team in the league now is a good team, you look at the standings and they're probably closer than they've ever been, maybe ever. No team is really out of it... There are no bad teams anymore, that's jus the way it is."

---

Game Results

The first did not start the way the previous game did. Edmonton created only one shot in the first six minutes. The team started to find their rhythm as the halfway mark of the first approached. Mattias Ekholm got a good look with a slap shot, and Mattias Janmark broke in with Adam Henrique on a two-on-one. 

The Sabres struck first with just under a minute remaining in the first period. David Tomasek took a goaltender interference penalty. Rasmus Dhalin took the shot, and Josh Doan tipped it for a goal. Colten Ellis was pulled for concussion protocol after the Tomasek incident. The head-to-head contact on the play meant Ellis needed to come out. 

The Oilers got their first power play at 5:27 of the second period. The Oilers failed to capitalize. The Sabres scored again at 9:47. The Oilers challenged for a missed stoppage in play, meaning the official missed a play that was to be blown down. It appears Tuch punched the puck forward, and Thompson touched it first, which would have been a hand pass. The goal didn't count. 

Evan Bouchard coughed up the puck when he tried to walk it out from behind the net. Thompson took advantage and put it past Skinner. Zach Hyman then took an interference penalty, and it seemed clear the game was slipping away from Edmonton. Josh Doan scored his second of the game on the power play. Went between the legs on a beauty. 3-0 for the Sabres. 

McDavid scored in the first 10 seconds, on a play that Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was furious wasn't called for icing. At the 1:56 mark, Vasily Podkolzin potted a rebound and found the puck in a net-front traffic jam. 

With seven minutes left, Zach Hyman took a hooking penalty, which was certainly untimely considering the Oilers had all the momentum. Adam Henrique took another penalty for tripping, putting the Oilers down two men. The Oilers killed one, and the Sabres took one. 4-on-4 for 48 seconds. 

With one second on the clock, McDavid scored to tie the game at 3-3. Alex Tuch scored in overtime to give the Sabres the win. 

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If one game can be taken for anything concrete, the Philadelphia Flyers may have found themselves a useful new piece on defense with prospect Ty Murchison.

Murchison, 22, played 14:56 in a successful NHL debut that ended in a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, and he earned every minute, including the one he played on the penalty kill.

This decision from the Flyers was less a pat on the back for hard work and strong performances in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and more of a belief that one of their young players who was playing well earned an NHL opportunity and a chance to stick.

Egor Zamula sat in the press box as Murchison, freshly called up from the AHL, took his place in the lineup.

Emil Andrae, Adam Ginning, and now Murchison have all gotten in over Zamula at different points this season, and the latter's extremely poor skating and lack of mobility may have been the difference-maker in favor of Murchison.

'My Heart Was Beating About a Hundred Beats Per Minute': Ty Murchison on His Flyers Call UpOn Sunday, Ty Murchison sat in Lehigh Valley’s facility thinking it would be a normal morning—practice, meetings, the routine that has been both comfort and crucible for a 22-year-old defenseman trying to force his way into the conversation.

"He can skate really well. That's what I like about him, and he's competitive," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet remarked after the win. "I thought he did a great job for us tonight. I think he backed in a couple of times, but that's normal and we'll work with him on that."

"He's a good skater, and he's got some stiffness to him. That's what I like. When you have defense that can skate and have stiffness to 'em - I think he went into the corner one time, not scared, and took a hit from [Ryan Reaves], kind of went at it with him. That's a good luxury to have."

As Tocchet mentioned, Murchison was a little tentative at times, but it was normal for him to do that in his first NHL game.

One such instance was when Macklin Celebrini was driving down the wing on the rush with Murchison in defense, and the former Arizona State rearguard backed off and showed respect to the Sharks star instead of facing up.

That allowed Celebrini and the Sharks the space to create a dangerous scoring chance, but Flyers goalie Dan Vladar was well equipped to handle the task without much fanfare.

Flyers Acquire New Prospect Defender From LightningThe Flyers have made a small trade with the Lightning.

As for a better play, Murchison lost ground defending against Sharks winger William Eklund in the first period, and, while inches away from being whistled for a hooking penalty, Murchison stopped reaching with his stick and instead used his body to finish the Swedish winger into the wall, recording one of his defense-leading three hits.

No penalty was called, of course, and the Flyers managed to kill that play then and there.

Diving into some advanced analytics, Murchison's NHL debut was ultimately an even performance. The 22-year-old was outshot 10-7 at 5-on-5 and out-chanced 4-3, according to Natural Stat Trick, but that's hardly a bad showing from a first-timer.

"Just the speed. The speed is definitely a step up," Murchison said, reflecting on his NHL debut. "Coach Reirden has been amazing with helping me out with video and subtle stuff on the bench, and I'm asking a ton of questions and he's always got great answers."

Now that he's got a game - and a solid one - under his belt, Murchison is poised to continue playing for the Flyers at the NHL level, at least until Rasmus Ristolainen returns from injury.

That said, it's become clear the Flyers' former fifth-round pick has leapfrogged Ginning and Zamula if and when the Flyers need another left-shot defender.

NEW YORK (AP) — Emil Heineman scored in the fourth round of the shootout after New York allowed a tying goal in the closing seconds of regulation, and the Islanders beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves in regulation and overtime before stopping all four Vegas attempts in the shootout.

Bo Horvat scored twice, while Marc Gatcomb and Simon Holmstrom also scored for the Islanders, who moved to 5-0 against Pacific Division opponents.

Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game for Vegas with 14 seconds remaining in regulation. Just before the end of the third period, New York’s Kyle MacLean was called for a high stick, but the Islanders weathered the penalty.

Heineman scored the winner in the shootout by beating Carter Hart with a shot just under his glove. The Islanders trailed 2-0 in the first period before scoring three straight goals.

Ivan Barbashev, Mitch Marner and Noah Hanifin added goals for the Golden Knights as their four-game win streak was halted.

Hart lost for the first time in three starts since returning to the NHL. The 27-year-old goalie was one of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault in July.

Hart finished with 23 saves.

While Dorofeyev tied the game with 14 seconds left, Beckett Sennecke scored the equalizer for Anaheim with a second remaining at Pittsburgh as the Ducks went on to win 4-3 in a shootout. It marked the 15th day in league history to feature a pair of game-tying goals within the final 15 seconds of regulation, and fourth in the past decade, according to the NHL.

The Islanders finished 2-0 against the Golden Knights this season. They won 4-3 at Vegas on Nov. 13 courtesy of Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s short-handed goal in overtime.

Up next

Golden Knights: At Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Islanders: Host Anaheim on Thursday night.

The Winnipeg Jets have shown that even without all-star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, they can still hang with some of the very best. 

Ultimately losing 4-3 to the visiting Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the Jets twice battled back from multi-goal deficits, thanks to goals from Mark Scheifele and Logan Stanley. 

With NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in attendance from Canada Life Centre, the Jets fell behind 3-0, clawed back in the second period, gave up another in the third, but never stopped fighting in a test against one of the league's very best clubs. 

The loss moves Winnipeg to an even 14-14-1 on the season and 2-7-1 in its last 10 games.

“Yeah, I thought we played great," Scheifele reflected post-game.  

"It was nice to get two days of rest before this one, so, you can look at that one and look what worked, and keep doing that.”

It took all of 44 seconds for the league's second-place team to fire the puck past goaltender Eric Comrie. Esa Lindell put it into the back of the net off a setup play from Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston, drawing an early groan from the 13,675 gathered downtown on a blustery night. 

Other than that first minute of action, Winnipeg actually played a half decent opening frame. Dallas led 1-0 after 20 minutes but trailed heavily on the shot chart (11-6 Winnipeg). 

The second period began much like that of the first. 

But this time it took 1:16 for the visitors to strike. Roope Hintz was the last Star to touch the puck on a nifty passing play between he, Rantanen and Johnston, who each picked up their second helpers of the night. 

Dallas was not done there. 

Then, just 1:15 later, Alex Petrovic got his second of the season, as the Stars beat Comrie for the third time, and twice before three minutes had even ticked off the clock in the middle stanza. 

But it was all Jets after that, or, more accurately, it was all the Jets' top line there onward.

First, on a brutal Stars turnover, Scheifele got the puck to Kyle Connor, who dished it right back to him, for a perfect one-timer from the left circle that beat Casey DeSmith cleanly.

Then, just moments after a Stars penalty expired, Scheifele hammered his second of the game and 16th of the season past DeSmith from nearly the exact same spot, bringing Winnipeg to within one.

The Jets entered the third period down a goal, but facing a difficult statistic, to which they have won just one of 10 games so far this season when trailing after 40 minutes. 

"I think we liked a lot of our game tonight," Stanley said. "I thought that we were the better team, and maybe deserved a little better, but that's kind of the funk we're in right now. We keep battling through it, and, you know, that's a good start and a good kind of game plan for us going forward, we want to play like that. I thought we did a lot of good things."

With Dylan DeMelo in the box for high-sticking Matt Duchene, Dallas struck. This time it was Jason Robertson's 19th of the year on a perfect one-timer. 

Trailing 4-2, Stanley stepped up and potted his fourth of the season with 16 minutes left to play in the period, bringing the Jets to within just one goal for the second time. He collected the rebound on his own shot and put it into the empty net, bringing local fans back up onto their feet once again. 

With 2:30 left to play in the game, Rantanen was sent to the box for tripping, giving the Jets' top unit one more chance at a game-tying play. 

But it was all for naught, as the power play went unsuccessful, even with an additional six-on-four advantage. 

“We got pucks deep, we had a good forecheck," Scheifele added. "We didn’t give them a lot of time and space. Our D were gapping up really well which made it tough for them to make any plays, so, a lot of guys played really good.”

Comrie turned aside 15 of the 19 pucks sent his way, while DeSmith made 30 stops on 33 Jets shots. 

Next up for Winnipeg on its four-game homestand is a Thursday night affair with the Boston Bruins, before the Washington Capitals roll into town on Saturday. Thursday's game can be viewed live on TSN at 7:00 PM central. 

OTTAWA (AP) — Cody Glass scored the tiebreaking goal on a wrist shot with 7:36 remaining, and the New Jersey Devils beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on Tuesday night to snap a five-game skid.

Jakob Markstrom stopped 35 shots, making several saves in the final minutes to secure the victory.

Arseny Gritsyuk had a goal and two assists for the Devils, who also got goals from Simon Nemec and Paul Cotter. New Jersey had scored just once over its previous three games.

The Senators were perfect on the power play. Drake Batherson scored twice with the man advantage and Tim Stutzle also had a power-play goal.

Linus Ullmark made 28 saves for Ottawa. The Senators also went 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.

Both teams found the back of the net twice in the first period after struggling to score recently.

Ottawa struck 96 seconds when Batherson scooped up a rebound and lifted it over Markstrom. New Jersey responded a few minutes later when Nemec stepped into a shot from the high slot and beat Ullmark.

The Senators went ahead when Stutzle snapped home his first in eight games.

Connor Brown found Gritsyuk, who he raised one past Ullmark to make it 2-2 with 2:01 left in the first.

New Jersey took the lead four minutes into the second. A giveaway by Jordan Spence allowed Cotter to break in alone and tuck a backhand shot past Ullmark.

A giveaway by Brenden Dillon allowed Dylan Cozens to feed Batherson at the side of the crease for his second goal and 12th of the season.

Up next

Devils: Host Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

Senators: At Columbus on Thursday night.