Pittsburgh Penguins (25-14-11, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Vancouver Canucks (17-29-5, in the Pacific Division)

Vancouver, British Columbia; Sunday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Vancouver Canucks seeking to continue a three-game win streak.

Vancouver has a 5-15-3 record in home games and a 17-29-5 record overall. The Canucks have a 7-7-4 record in games decided by one goal.

Pittsburgh has a 14-7-4 record on the road and a 25-14-11 record overall. The Penguins have scored 165 total goals (3.3 per game) to rank 10th in NHL play.

Sunday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Penguins won the last meeting 5-1.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brock Boeser has scored 12 goals with 13 assists for the Canucks. Evander Kane has three goals over the past 10 games.

Bryan Rust has 18 goals and 21 assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby has four goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Canucks: 1-9-0, averaging two goals, 3.3 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.3 penalty minutes while giving up 4.3 goals per game.

Penguins: 6-2-2, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Canucks: None listed.

Penguins: None listed.

___

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

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had two goals to end his longest drought of the season, pacing the San Jose Sharks to a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Celebrini’s 25th and 26th goals of the season were his first since Jan. 7, a six-game stretch.

The No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Celebrini had a chance for his third hat trick of the season but his shot in the third period was stopped by Rangers goalie Martin Spencer and the puck rolled slowly to the side of the net.

Pavol Regenda added his eighth goal for the Sharks while Will Smith and Collin Graf each had two assists. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves.

Sam Carrick had his second goal in six games for New York, which lost its third straight and is now 2-8-1 over its last 11 games.

Celebrini got the Sharks on the board quickly with a power-play goal 1:09 into the first period. Celebrini got positioned in front of the Islanders net and scored off a quick pass from Tyler Toffoli.

San Jose added a second power-play goal less than two minutes later when Regenda flipped a backhand shot that went over Martin’s left shoulder. Michael Misa and Graf assisted.

Celebrini scored his second goal of the night at the 7:37 mark in the first period. Chants of “MVP MVP” for the 19-year-old broke out moments later.

Carrick’s goal was his third of the season for the Rangers. Taylor Raddysh and Anton Blidh assisted. Martin finished with 28 saves.

Up next

Ranger: Play the Canucks on Tuesday night.

Sharks: Host the Bruins on Monday night.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche have spent much of the season leaning on strong third periods to close out games. 

On Thursday night, that formula was contaminated. 

After a tightly played first 40 minutes, the Philadelphia Flyers pulled away in the third period, scoring three goals in 10 minutes and skating to a 7–3 win at Ball Arena. 

Owen Tippett recorded a hat trick as Philadelphia turned a one-goal game into a runaway finish. The Flyers scored six times on 19 shots against Mackenzie Blackwood and Colorado closed its season-long seven-game homestand with a 3-2-2 record.  

Matvei Michkov also scored twice for Philadelphia and goaltender Samuel Ersson made 32 saves to earn his eighth win of the season. 

Colorado goals came from Parker Kelly, Victor Olofsson, and Cale Makar. Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon each finished with two assists, but the Avalanche couldn’t recover from a difficult final frame. 

Colorado controlled play early but once again struggled to get the puck in the net. And the power play? It was non-existent once again. 

First Period 

The Avalanche generated momentum immediately, drawing a penalty just 45 seconds in when Travis Konecny was called for hooking MacKinnon. Despite several quality looks on the power play, Colorado failed to capitalize. 

Konecny exited the box shortly after and helped initiate a Flyers rush, carrying the puck through the neutral zone before dropping it back to defenseman Emil Andrae, who attempted to set up Michkov for a backdoor chance. The pass missed its target. 

Nearly five minutes into the period, Noah Cates was called for interference after knocking down Necas on the backcheck. The Avalanche again generated pressure but came away empty-handed. Even after the power play expired, Colorado maintained possession, only for Ersson to deny Gavin Brindley with a strong glove save, as he was falling down in the crease. 

Colorado avoided further damage with just under six minutes remaining when Christian Dvorak rang a shot off the post on a wide-open net. 

Despite outshooting Philadelphia 13–1 early, the Avalanche went into the intermission trailing 2–0. Tippett opened the scoring with a wrist shot past Blackwood with 4:58 left, and with under a minute remaining, Philadelphia worked the puck around the zone before Michkov found Denver Barkey, who beat Blackwood from the right circle. 

Second Period 

Colorado got on the board 7:17 into the second period. Jack Ahcan fired a shot from the point that produced a rebound, and Kelly finished it off with a backhand to make it a 2–1 game. 

Midway through the period, Brock Nelson nearly tied the game with a one-timer that sailed just wide of the net. 

Olofsson tied the game 3:12 later, taking a drop pass from MacKinnon and snapping a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot over Ersson’s glove for his 10th goal of the season. 

The tie lasted just 32 seconds. Bobby Brink capitalized on a defensive-zone turnover and poked the puck past Blackwood to restore Philadelphia’s lead. 

Colorado answered again just over a minute later. Makar took a pass from MacKinnon, skated past the defense, and fired a shot from the right circle into the upper-left corner to tie the game at three. 

Third Period 

Colorado was sloppy from the opening faceoff of the third period, and it quickly came back to bite them. Repeated puck mismanagement handed the Flyers momentum, and Philadelphia made the Avalanche pay. Owen Tippett scored his second of the night, followed by a Matvei Michkov tally, giving the Flyers a 5–3 cushion. 

The shots themselves weren’t overwhelming, but they beat Blackwood cleanly. Blackwood has now surrendered 11 goals over two games since returning from injured reserve. 

Colorado had chances to push back, starting with a power play after Emil Andrae tripped Zakhar Bardakov into the boards, but the Avalanche came up empty. Another man advantage followed when Barkey slashed Josh Manson, yet a costly offensive-zone turnover sprung Tippett on a breakaway. 

Tippett finished the play shorthanded to complete the hat trick, the second of his NHL career. 

Michkov added an empty-netter with 3:07 remaining to put the game away and seal the 7–3 final. 

Next Game

The Avalanche (34-6-9) are on the road for the next three games. They will the ice on Sunday to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (24-18-9) at Scotiabank Arena. It's an early one. Coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. local time. 

CHICAGO (AP) — Dominic James scored in the fifth round of a shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning made it 15 straight games without a regulation loss, outlasting the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Friday night.

Tampa Bay is on a 14-0-1 tear, winning three straight after a shootout loss a week ago in St. Louis. The Lighting are 32-13-4 overall.

Nikita Kucherov tied it at 1 late in the second period with his 25th goal of the season and also scored in the shootout. Gage Goncalves scored in the fourth round of the tiebreaker to keep Tampa Bay alive and, after Oliver Moore failed for Chicago, James slipped the winner past Arvid Soderblom.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay.

Ryan Greene scored for Chicago, and Soderblom made 30 saves. Chicago had won two straight, beating Carolina 4-3 in shootout Friday night in Raleigh.

Andre Burakovsky nearly ended it for Chicago in overtime, but couldn’t get the puck in at the side of that net as it slid across the crease.

Tampa Bay outshot Chicago 13-2 in the second period and had a 21-6 overall advantage through 40 minutes. Both teams were 0 for 3 on the power play.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6, MAPLE LEAFS 3

TORONTO (AP) — Mark Stone had two goals and an assist and Vegas beat the Maple Leafs in Mitch Marner’s emotional return to Toronto.

Jack Eichel Pavel Dorofeyev, Braeden Bowman and Keegan Kolesar also scored for Vegas. Adin Hill made 18 saves, and Ivan Barbashev had three assists.

Marner, who played nine seasons with the Maple Leafs before his long march out the door ended last summer, was booed every time he touched the puck.

John Tavares, Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 25 shots in his return from an upper-body injury.

Playing in the second of a back-to-back, Vegas won for the first time in three contests following a seven-game winning streak, including a 6-5 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs last week.

Toronto has dropped three in a row and five of six.

STARS 3, BLUES 2

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored his 30th goal of the season with one minute to play to lift Dallas to a victory over St. Louis.

Robertson lifted the puck in from the right circle four seconds after Roope Hintz won a faceoff for the Stars, who have won two of their last three games following a three-game losing streak.

Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals for the Stars, and Johnston also had an assist. Jake Oettinger made 20 saves.

Robertson is tied with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for second in the NHL in goals scored.

Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist and rookie Dalibor Dvorsky also scored for the Blues, who have lost eight consecutive road games, all in regulation, and are a league worst 7-15-3 away from home. Jordan Binnington stopped 16 shots, his record at Dallas dropping to 1-5-3.

FLYERS 7, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — Owen Tippett had his second career hat trick and Philadelphia handed NHL-leading Colorado its fourth loss in five games.

Tippett opened the scoring in the first and struck twice in the third. He also had an assist. Matvei Michkov had two goals and an assist, Denver Barkey and Bobby Brink also scored and Samuel Ersson made 32 saves.

Philadelphia finished 2-0-1 on a three-game trip and spoiled the 25th reunion of Colorado’s 2001 Stanley Cup championship squad.

The Avalanche had 15 players from the title team on hand, including team president Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque, Peter Forsberg and Rob Blake. They watched Colorado suffer just its second home regulation loss of the season and finish 3-3-1 on its longest homestand of the season.

Tippett gave the Flyers a 4-3 lead 56 seconds into the third period. Just 1:04 later, Michkov deflected Emile Andrae’s shot over Mackenzie Blackwood’s shoulder. Tippett scored on a short-handed breakaway with 9:36 left to push his season goals total to 18.

Cale Makar, Parker Kelly and Victor Olofsson scored for Colorado, and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to retake the NHL scoring lead with 87 points.

CAPITALS 3, FLAMES 1

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Hendrix Lapierre ended a 90-game goal drought, Alex Ovechkin had an empty-netter and Washington beat Calgary to end a four-game losing streak.

Aliaksei Protas also scored and Logan Thompson made 25 saves against his hometown town.

Morgan Frost scored for Calgary, and Devin Cooley stopped 35 shots. In the third, Cooley denied defenseman Jacob Chychrun’s lacrosse-style wraparound attempt on a power play.

Protas broke a tie at 7:35 of the third. When Cooley slid to his left to defend against Tom Wilson, a rebound squirted out to the Belarusian, who fired the puck into an open net.

Lapierre tied it at 1 at 6:33 of the second. John Carlson’s shot deflected off the leg of Yan Kuznetsov and onto Lapierre’s stick for the 23-year-old’s first goal since March 18, 2024, which also happened to be against Calgary. He has 10 career goals,

Calgary countered a Washington short-handed, odd-man rush with a power-play goal on the Flames’ next trip down the ice. Frost bear Thompson with a wrist shot below the goalie’s outstretched stick at 6:09 of the first.

DUCKS 4, KRAKEN 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Lukas Dostal made 21 saves and Anaheim beat Seattle for its sixth straight victory following a nine-game losing streak.

Ryan Poehling scored short-handed, Chris Kreider added a power-play goal and Pavel Mintyukov banked in a long empty-netter. The Ducks have three games left on a five-game trip they opened with a 2-1 shootout victory at NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night.

Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle in the third game of a six-game homestand. Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots, highlighted by a successful poke-check on Jansen Harkins’ penalty shot midway through the second.

Gauthier and Poehling gave Anaheim a 2-0 lead in the first period, with the Ducks outshooting the Kraken 13-2 in the opening 20 minutes.

SHARKS 3, RANGERS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had two goals to end his longest drought of the season, pacing San Jose to a win over New York.

Celebrini’s 25th and 26th goals of the season were his first since Jan. 7, a six-game stretch.

The No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Celebrini had a chance for his third hat trick of the season but his shot in the third period was stopped by Rangers goalie Martin Spencer and the puck rolled slowly to the side of the net.

Pavol Regenda added his eighth goal for the Sharks while Will Smith and Collin Graf each had two assists. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves.

Sam Carrick had his second goal in six games for New York, which lost its third straight and is now 2-8-1 over its last 11 games.

DEVILS 5, CANUCKS 4

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Cody Glass had two goals and an assist, Lenni Hameenaho scored his first NHL goal and New Jersey beat Vancouver to extend its Western Canada winning streak to three.

Nico Hischier and Connor Brown also scored for New Jersey. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.

Linus Karlsson, Teddy Blueger, Zeev Buium and Brock Boeser scored for Vancouver, and Kevin Lankinen stopped 19 shots.

New Jersey went 2 for 3 on the power play. The Canucks were 0 for 2 and have gone four games without a power-play goal.

Hameenaho scored on a goalmouth tap-in at 1:41 of the first.

In the second, Hischier and Glass made it 3-0 with goals 40 seconds apart. Six minutes later, Karlsson put the Canucks on the board.

Then with Conor Garland serving a double-minor for high-sticking Hischier, Blueger scored short-handed before Brown replied.

With 1:48 left in the second, Buium pulled the puck out of a crowd and found the net to cut it to 4-3.

In the third, Glass added his second of the night. Boeser scored with 1:12 remaining and Lankinen off for an extra attacker.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three in a row on their Western road trip. 

They started out by beating the Seattle Kraken 6-3 on Monday, then the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Wednesday, and the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on Thursday. They were by far the better team in each game and won all three in different ways. 

On Monday, the depth really shone through with Connor Dewar scoring two goals, one of which was shorthanded. Brett Kulak, Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, and Rickard Rakell also scored.

Wednesday's game against the Flames was a defensive clinic for the Penguins, limiting the Flames to only 19 shots and five high-danger chances at 5v5. Thursday saw the Penguins blitz former teammate Tristan Jarry with three goals in 37 seconds in the first period, and he could never recover. They also held Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to a combined zero points, which shows how well this team is humming right now. 

They have six games left before the Olympic break, and I can't stress enough how important they are for the Penguins. They're a chance for them to really solidify themselves in the top three of the Metropolitan Division, and four of them will be against teams not currently in playoff position. 

The first will be on Sunday against a Vancouver Canucks team that is simply going through it. They've only won five games at home this season and have the worst record in the NHL at 17-29-5. They've already traded Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, and more moves should be on the way as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Next week, the Penguins will return home for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. The Blackhawks had a nice start to the season, but are 21-22-8 through 51 games. They've also given up the sixth-most scoring chances against and the most high-danger chances against at 5v5 this season. 

The Rangers are once again a mess after releasing another letter to their fans, explaining that they will be doing a retool since they're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers have lost eight of their last nine games, including Friday's game against the San Jose Sharks, and are still without star goaltender Igor Shesterkin and star defenseman Adam Fox. 

The Penguins' final three games before the break will come against the Ottawa Senators, who have taken a really big step back this season, the New York Islanders, who are trying to catch them for second place in the Metropolitan Division, and the Buffalo Sabres, who have been on fire for the last month and a half. 

For whatever reason, the Senators have been a matchup nightmare for the Penguins over the past few seasons, with the Penguins losing eight of their last 10 against them. That said, the Senators have lost seven of their last 10 games and face an uphill climb for the rest of the season. 

That Islanders game on Long Island is a four-point game that could go a long way in the standings. This will be the second of three meetings between the Penguins and the Islanders this season, following the Penguins' 4-3 win in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9. It could also be a potential first-round preview, since the two teams are neck and neck in the standings. 

Takeaways: Penguins Make Statement With 6-2 Stomping Of OilersThe Pittsburgh Penguins won their third straight game when they ousted the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in commanding fashion - showing that there may just be something special about this team.

Finally, the Sabres have been a wagon as of late and have been a ton of fun to watch. Tage Thompson is especially doing his thing this year with 26 goals and 52 points in 50 games, and they've also gotten contributions from a lot of other players throughout their lineup, including Josh Doan, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn, and their goaltenders.

They're trying to end their long playoff drought since they haven't made the postseason since the 2010-11 season. 

A big run during these six games would give the Penguins even more breathing room in the standings since their March schedule is especially difficult. They'll be playing virtually every other day in that month, and against some of the top teams in the league. Let's see how these next couple of weeks go.

(Data via Natural Stat Trick). 

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has quite the track record of taking chances on players who fall out of favor or aren't given greater roles with other organizations. 

Last season, he took a chance on former Nashville Predators forward Philip Tomasino, surrendering only a fourth-round pick. Although that one didn't quite pan out for Pittsburgh - he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in December - others have, including the signings of Parker Wotherspoon, Justin Brazeau, and Anthony Mantha. So far, too, has the trade for Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak. 

And the latest example of a chance acquisition looking like a steal for Dubas is winger Egor Chinakhov, who the Penguins acquired for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and forward Danton Heinen from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29. The 24-year-old Russian winger had not seen eye-to-eye with then-head coach Dean Evason, but Dubas decided to take a chance on him.

Well, it looks like that gamble may very well pan out. And then some. 

Before joining the Penguins, Chinakhov had three goals and six points in 29 games for Columbus, largely playing fourth-line minutes and even finding himself a healthy scratch. Despite the potential of the 2020 first-round pick (21st overall), injuries and inconsistency threatened to derail what was supposed to be a pretty promising young player. Pittsburgh was a second-chance opportunity for Chinakhov to play to his strengths and skate in a role that could, potentially, help him rediscover his game. 

Since joining the Penguins? That's exactly what has happened.

In 12 games with Pittsburgh, Chinakhov already has five goals and six points, which amounts to a 34-goal, 41-point pace for an entire season. He's also seen an uptick in ice time, averaging 2:37 more than he did in Columbus, he's been seeing time on the Penguins' second power play unit, and he's held down a regular spot on the second line next to Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak. 

Chinakhov Trade Shows Penguins Are Starting To Shift GearsKyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and it could be a sign of things to come over the next several months.

Of course, there are many players who enjoy a post-trade boost. It happened last season with Tomasino, who registered three goals and four points in his first five games with the Penguins post-arrival. Given Chinakhov's issues with inconsistency, things could go sideways at any moment, and it shouldn't be all that surprising if they do.

But things feel different with Chinakhov. For one - unlike Tomasino and others who have been in a similar situation with the Penguins - he isn't a one-dimensional player.

His speed is just on the periphery of the top-10 in the league, according to NHL Edge data, and his max skating speed this season of 23.6 mph is in the league's 98th percentile. In addition, Chinakhov plays a 200-foot game, showing a conscientiousness in the defensive zone and an ability and willingness to backcheck. He is also lethal in the shootout - something the Penguins, 1-7 in shootouts this season, desperately need - as a career 57.1 percent finisher in them.

And then, there's his shot.

Chinakhov’s shot is absolutely lethal.

The man is blazing fast and just feels like he can score at any time. pic.twitter.com/HyLyDaH60E

— Penguins Jesus (@PenguinsJesus) January 22, 2026

No, this isn't just your above average shot in the National Hockey League. Chinakhov has a devastating wrister and quick, deceptive release that defies logic and seemingly breaks the sound barrier, as it has clocked as high as 99.03 mph this season and as high as 101.56 in his career - both of which are in the 99th percentile of the league. He has clocked the fourth-hardest shot by a forward this season and is right in the mix with the hardest-shooting defensemen in the league, who largely populate the hardest shot list. 

But the thing that's so impressive is that this is primarily Chinakhov's wrist shot. The vast majority of the league's hardest shots are slap shots, and that's not the case with his. In fact, every other shot in the league harder than his this season in the top-10 - and each shot by the three forwards ahead of him on the list - have been slap shots.

CHINNY MAKES IT A BLOWOUT 🚨

"That shot... it's just DIFFERENT." - @pbourque29pic.twitter.com/U6ZmLOLnh2

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 23, 2026

Chinakhov's lethal wrist shot is a rare gift, and it's not something that has been commonplace at all in this league. Many compare his wrist shot to Joe Sakic's, whose 625 career goals rank 17th all-time, and there have also been comparisons to former Penguin Alexei Kovalev, who also had a devastating, heavy wrister.

I have seen so many comparisons of Egor Chinakhov’s shot and release to Alexei Kovalev.

And I think I agree. pic.twitter.com/zonLMIbfKr

— Penguins Jesus (@PenguinsJesus) January 23, 2026

So why might Chinakhov be the real deal?

Well, it's quite simple. He a multifaceted player, he has already developed some very real chemistry with Malkin and Novak, and he has a finishing touch that simply cannot be taught. He could stand to work on his shot accuracy, but as long as he keeps firing pucks at the net, more than enough are bound to go in because of his shot.

And it helps to play with two guys who can distribute the puck the way that Malkin and Novak are capable of. All of his goals with the Penguins have been a result of his shot, and if anything, it might benefit him to venture to the danger areas and the net-front more in order to maximize his production.

In any case, there's a chance that Chinakhov may end up being a very, very good find for Dubas and for the Penguins. Obviously, there's no guarantee that he ends up a 30-plus goal-scorer, or even that he ends up being an impact top-six player for the Penguins.

But with the talent and the gift that Chinakhov possesses, it's really not hard to imagine him thriving in Pittsburgh and being an integral part of their stretch run to the playoffs.

Takeaways: Penguins Make Statement With 6-2 Stomping Of OilersThe Pittsburgh Penguins won their third straight game when they ousted the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in commanding fashion - showing that there may just be something special about this team.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

The Calgary Flames couldn’t turn a strong start into two points, falling 3–1 to the Washington Capitals on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Jonathan Huberdeau returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with a day-to-day injury, while Brayden Pachal drew in on the blue line and Hunter Brzustewicz watched from the press box. Devin Cooley got the nod in goal, entering the night riding a 3-0-1 stretch over his last four starts.

Calgary opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play. Morgan Frost carried the puck over the blue line, drifted into the slot, and snapped a wrist shot past Logan Thompson for his 10th goal of the season. The Flames controlled much of the opening frame, outshooting Washington 16–8 and setting the pace early.

The Capitals answered in the second period, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce. John Carlson’s point shot deflected off traffic in front and landed on the stick of Hendrix Lapierre, who shoveled the puck past Cooley for his first goal in 91 NHL games, tying the contest 1–1.

The deadlock held into the third period before another bounce swung the game. A rebound found Aliaksei Protas in front, and he made no mistake, scoring his 17th of the season to give Washington a 2–1 lead midway through the final frame.

Tempers flared late in the third when Adam Klapka, while seated on the Flames bench, tapped Tom Wilson on the shoulder with his stick, sparking a heated exchange along the boards. Klapka was assessed a game misconduct, and Wilson later received one of his own after drawing the attention of the officials with continued antics.

Alex Ovechkin sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal in the final minutes as the Capitals skated away with a 3–1 victory.

Three Takeaways

1. Cooley continues to give Calgary a chance

Despite the loss, Devin Cooley was steady once again, making 35 saves. Coming in hot at 3-0-1, he faced several high-quality looks and kept the Flames within striking distance. The goaltending has been there consistently, but offensive support remains an issue.

2. Scoring woes persist

Calgary’s offence stalled yet again, marking the sixth loss in January in which the Flames were limited to a single goal. It was also their third straight one-goal performance that ended in defeat, underscoring an ongoing struggle to generate timely scoring.

3. Paying the price defensively

The Flames defence absorbed plenty of punishment. Mackenzie Weegar blocked a shot off the knee, while Zach Whitecloud took a hard shot to the body that sent him briefly to the locker room before returning. Calgary’s willingness to block shots remains commendable, but the physical toll continues to mount.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks came home after a quick one-game trip to play the Carolina Hurricanes. Down in Raleigh, they took down one of the best teams in the NHL in a shootout. It is better known as "The Oliver Moore birthday game". 

On Friday night, they returned to the United Center for a match against another top NHL team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa came in on a 14-game point streak, even with all of the injuries that they have been dealing with. 

Despite mostly being outplayed by the Lightning in the first period, Ryan Greene found a lane to the net and made it 1-0 with a beautiful move and shot. It isn't easy to beat Andre Vasilevskiy clean like that, but Greene made it happen. The dynamic duo of Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis collected the assists on the play. 

The Blackhawks weren't much better in the second period. Arvid Soderblom was able to keep them in the game, but Nikita Kucherov did tie it up late with a nifty backhand after receiving a neat pass from Brandon Hagel.

In the middle frame as a whole, the Blackhawks were outshot 13-2. In the game overall up to that point, Tampa led 21-6 in shots. Chicago came into the third knowing they needed a much better effort if they were going to escape with one point, let alone two. 

The play was much more even in the third period. Tampa and Chicago exchanged chances, but both Vasilevskiy and Soderblom warmed to the task. Bonus hockey was required for the second night in a row. 

In overtime, the Blackhawks had their one stretch of dominance. They had multiple grade-A chances, but Vasilevskiy stood tall as he always does.  

A shootout was required in consecutive games as well. Like the one on Thursday, it went to extra frames. Frank Nazar and Louis Crevier scored for Chicago, but Tampa scored just one extra goal and took the second point. 

Arvid Soderblom, despite taking the tough loss, was excellent. He was the only reason that the Blackhawks had a chance to win in the first place. 

“We owe a lot of credit to [Soderblom]," Ryan Greene said of his goalie. "I thought he was unbelievable. I don't think that game goes overtime without him playing the way he did.”

Soderblom made 31 saves on 30 shots during regulation and overtime. Playing in place of Spencer Knight once every few games isn't the easiest role in the world of hockey, but he has done it with class and respect for the game. 

Although they don't want to keep taking penalties, their kill continues to be excellent. Add another 3/3 performance in this one, moving their NHL lead up to 85.4 percent. Again, Soderblom played a key role in that success, along with some of the young defenders. 

That's three points out of four against two top teams for the Blackhawks. It wasn't perfect at times, but they continue to battle hard and find ways to collect points. 

Chicago, however, must clean up their play if it is going to keep getting these aforementioned points. Being outchanced 72-40 is not the way, but their goalie and some luck allowed them to nearly win. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

the Greene machine👊 pic.twitter.com/E1Jfbahuxr

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 24, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Sunday night when the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will be at the United Center. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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.

TORONTO (AP) — Mark Stone had two goals and an assist and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Maple Leafs 6-3 on Friday night in Mitch Marner’s emotional return to Toronto.

Jack Eichel Pavel Dorofeyev, Braeden Bowman and Keegan Kolesar also scored for Vegas. Adin Hill made 18 saves, and Ivan Barbashev had three assists.

Marner, who played nine seasons with the Maple Leafs before his long march out the door ended last summer, was booed every time he touched the puck.

John Tavares, Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 25 shots in his return from an upper-body injury.

Playing in the second of a back-to-back, Vegas won for the first time in three contests following a seven-game winning streak, including a 6-5 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs last week.

Toronto has dropped three in a row and five of six.

Rasmus Andersson made his debut for Vegas after the blueliner was acquired from Calgary on Sunday.

Up next

Golden Knights: At Ottawa on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: Host Colorado on Sunday.

___

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

CHICAGO (AP) — Dominic James scored in the fifth round of a shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning made it 15 straight games without a regulation loss, outlasting the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Friday night.

Tampa Bay is on a 14-0-1 tear, winning three straight after a shootout loss a week ago in St. Louis. The Lighting are 32-13-4 overall.

Nikita Kucherov tied it at 1 late in the second period with his 25th goal of the season and also scored in the shootout. Gage Goncalves scored in the fourth round of the tiebreaker to keep Tampa Bay alive and, after Oliver Moore failed for Chicago, James slipped the winner past Arvid Soderblom.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay.

Ryan Greene scored for Chicago, and Soderblom made 30 saves. Chicago had won two straight, beating Carolina 4-3 in shootout Friday night in Raleigh.

Andre Burakovsky nearly ended it for Chicago in overtime, but couldn’t get the puck in at the side of that net as it slid across the crease.

Tampa Bay outshot Chicago 13-2 in the second period and had a 21-6 overall advantage through 40 minutes. Both teams were 0 for 3 on the power play.

Kucherov tied it with 1:18 left in the second. He cut through the slot, taking Brandon Hagel's pass on his forehand and lifting in a backhander.

Greene opened the scoring on a power play with 2:18 left in the first period with a goal that withstood a lengthy review after the Lightning challenged for offsides. Greene cut across the front and beat Vasilevskiy with a forehand shot.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno fought Jack Finley early in the first, with Finley getting an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Up next

Lightning: At Columbus on Saturday night.

Blackhawks: Host Florida on Sunday.

___

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

TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner stepped on the ice for warmups and heard some boos during an initial lap around a rink he knows well.

The Vegas Golden Knights winger experienced more jeers on his first shift. That noise only got louder when Marner finally touched the puck, followed by an unexpected ovation after heading to the bench.

In his first game back at Scotiabank Arena since a drawn-out divorce with the Toronto Maple Leafs was finalized last summer, Marner felt a range of emotions Friday night.

And left with a 6-3 victory.

“Passionate fan base,” Marner said. “They love their team. It was interesting the whole night. When warmups hit, it really just felt odd and weird.”

The Maple Leafs honored Marner, who spent nine seasons in Toronto playing for the team he cheered for as a kid, during the first television timeout. There was a mixture of boos and cheers throughout the 40-second video tribute as many fans rose to their feet. Marner raised his right arm and tapped his chest in acknowledgment with Vegas already up 2-0.

“I was trying to just take it in and not get emotional,” he said. “Still got a lot of love for these fans.”

Asked if there was a sense of relief the homecoming was finally over, Marner replied with a smile: “Completely, definitely, honestly.”

Vegas captain Mark Stone thought the atmosphere hit the right notes all night.

“You’re expecting boos, right?” Stone said. ”(Marner) doesn’t play for the Maple Leafs anymore, but they tip their cap to what he did for this organization.”

Drafted fourth overall in 2015, Marner enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with the Maple Leafs, but was a lightning rod of criticism in hockey’s biggest media market for Toronto’s inability to break through in the playoffs.

A slow march out the door from his de facto hometown last season as unrestricted free agency loomed finally ended when he was shipped to Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal that netted Marner an eight-year, $96 million extension.

“That (booing) was fine,” he said. “I knew was it going to come … the cheering when I was going off was pretty funny. I didn’t see that one coming.”

Marner, who picked up two assists in a 6-5 overtime victory against his old team on the Las Vegas Strip last week, has 12 goals and 40 assists in 50 games this season.

“Our guys were going to try to bring their best for Mitch,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “And they did.’

Marner’s new club sits comfortably in a playoff position atop the Pacific Division standings, while Toronto is on the outside in the Eastern Conference post-season race.

“The booing I had, it was what I expected,” he said. “Tried to play through it, play with the puck, play my game. And do my thing.”

___

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

Flyers shock NHL-best Avalanche, handing them their second regulation home loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Talk about a signature win.

The Flyers sure delivered one Friday night with a 7-3 stunner over the juggernaut Avalanche at Ball Arena.

Owen Tippett led the Flyers’ charge with a hat trick. His second goal snapped a 3-3 tie just 56 seconds into the third period before Matvei Michkov added insurance only 1:04 minutes later.

Tippett then punctuated his night on a shorthanded breakaway. Michkov sealed the game with an empty-netter.

The Flyers took the final stanza, 4-0, from a Colorado team that entered with an NHL-best plus-37 goal differential in the third period.

Denver Barkey and Bobby Brink also found the back of the net for the Flyers.

Samuel Ersson had a commendable effort in net.

The Flyers (24-17-9) went 2-0-1 on their road trip against teams all in Western Conference playoff position. If they didn’t have a collapse against the Mammoth two nights ago, they would have swept the trip.

Rick Tocchet’s club handed the league-leading Avalanche (34-6-9) just their second regulation loss on home ice. Colorado dropped to 20-2-4 at Ball Arena.

Before this loss, the Avalanche were 19-2 in games decided by three or more goals.

• Ersson denied 32 of 35 shots.

The 26-year-old was making his third consecutive start and sixth straight appearance. The Flyers didn’t help him early with a couple of penalties in the game’s opening five minutes. Ersson was outstanding, though, converting 17 first-period saves.

The Flyers took a surprising 2-0 lead into first intermission. But Colorado turned it on like it typically does, making it a 3-3 game 12:12 minutes into the second period.

Parker Kelly put the Avalanche on the board after Christian Dvorak committed a turnover that kept Colorado in the offensive zone. Victor Olofsson tied it up at 2-2 off a great pass from Nathan MacKinnon.

Brink responded 32 seconds later to regain the Flyers’ lead, but Cale Makar quickly countered for the Avalanche.

Colorado netminder Mackenzie Blackwood stopped just 13 of the Flyers’ 19 shots.

• Tippett now has a team-leading two shorthanded goals after coming into the season with none in his career.

Last season, it was really intriguing early on when the Flyers tried Tippett on the penalty kill. They didn’t continue with it, but he’s starting to show why he can be a threat at shorthanded.

His power and speed can put pressure on the opposing power play. Tippett played 2:24 minutes on the penalty kill against the Avalanche. We’ll see if the Flyers keep giving him the opportunities.

• For a fourth straight game, the Flyers scored first. Tippett promptly regathered the puck and fired again after having his initial shot blocked, putting the Flyers ahead with a little under five minutes left in the opening frame.

Not even four minutes later, Barkey made it 2-0 with a power play goal off a feed from Michkov.

Michkov was very good, finishing with his first three-point game of the season.

• Dan Vladar missed a fifth straight game. He has been considered day to day with a lower-body injury. The Flyers’ next game against the Islanders feels like a possibility for his return.

• The Flyers come home for a matchup Monday against New York (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Two teams have repeatedly emerged as favourites to land Vancouver Canucks winger Evander Kane in a trade this year. According to Kevin Weekes, there are two teams from the Central Division to keep an eye on. On Friday, Weekes wrote via "X", "Per multiple sources, I’m told the @DallasStars and @Avalanche are among the likely destinations for @Canucks F Kane via potential trade."

Both the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are preparing for long playoff runs. While Colorado currently is the best team in the NHL with 77 points in 48 games, Dallas ranks sixth with 65 points in 51 games. As of writing, the Stars would take on the Minnesota Wild in the first round, while the Avalanche would face the second Wild Card team. 

While Kane's season with Vancouver has not gone as planned, he still has tools that contenders would like to add to their roster. He went to the Stanley Cup Final each of the last two years and has 84 hits in 49 games. Kane is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and will be looking to show teams that he can be an impactful player moving forward. 

On top of the trade deadline, which is scheduled for March 6, there is a trade freeze that kicks in on February 4. This freeze will last until the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics, with teams able to start making moves on February 22. The Canucks have already made two significant moves this year, as they traded both Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood. 

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

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

How The Vancouver Canucks Stack Up To The Rest Of The NHL: 50 Games In

Canucks Elias Pettersson Could See Expanded Role For Team Sweden At The 2026 Winter Olympics

Why Now Is Not The Time For The Canucks To Trade Elias Pettersson

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.

One of the Montreal Canadiens' top objectives at the 2026 NHL trade deadline should be to add another top-six forward. Adding a second-line center, in particular, would be significant for a Canadiens club looking to prove that they can be true contenders. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly is standing out as a prime potential option for the Canadiens to consider.

O'Reilly is showing this season that he is still capable of being a major difference-maker. In 50 games so far this season with the Predators, he has recorded 18 goals, 32 assists, 50 points, and a plus-8 rating. With numbers like these, the 34-year-old would be a huge pickup for the Canadiens if acquired. 

O'Reilly is only getting better as the season carries on, too. The star center is currently on a six-game point streak, where he has recorded five goals and 13 points over that span. This includes him putting together back-to-back three-point games against the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 20 and the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 22. 

Yet, besides being red-hot right now, O'Reilly could also be an appealing target for the Canadiens because he plays a strong two-way game and is well-known for his leadership. With this, he would have the potential to benefit the Canadiens in multiple ways.

O'Reilly would also be more than a rental for the Canadiens. This is because he is signed until the end of the 2026-27 season, where he has a bargain $4.5 million cap hit. 

The Chicago Blackhawks have multiple players who are pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Among them is forward Ilya Mikheyev, as the 31-year-old is in the final season of his four-year, $19 million contract.

Mikheyev was traded to the Blackhawks during this past off-season in a cap dump move for the Vancouver Canucks. The change of scenery did him good, as he posted 20 goals and a career-high 34 points in 80 games during his first year with the Blackhawks in 2024-25. 

Now, in his second season with the Blackhawks, Mikheyev has recorded nine goals and 17 points in his first 45 games. While his pace of production is lower so far than it was last season, he has still been giving the Blackhawks some secondary scoring. He is also being used on the Blackhawks' penalty kill again. 

With Mikheyev being a pending UFA, he is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Blackhawks. When noting that he is a solid part of their top nine and a key penalty killer, should the Blackhawks try to keep him around beyond this season? It is fair to wonder if they could.

For a Mikheyev contract extension to make sense with the Blackhawks, he would likely make less than his current $4.75 million AAV. Furthermore, with the Blackhawks having several young players in their system and Mikheyev being older than 30, a short-term extension would make more sense for them. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what the Blackhawks decide to do with Mikheyev from here.

Share your thoughts in the comments what you think the Blackhawks should do with Mikheyev.