The Los Angeles Kings (23-19-14) barely had time to breathe tonight at T-Mobile Arena before the Vegas Golden Knights (27-16-14) had already put the game out of reach.
Vegas already had four goals scored in the first period by the 5-minute mark of this game, riding their explosive start to a 4-1 victory over the Kings. Adin Hill made 32 saves, while Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel, and Pavel Dorofoyev each notched a goal, which powered the Kings' offense.
Back-to-back losses for the Kings before entering the break are up there with their ugliest performances all season long after playing two crucial Western Conference opponents for a chance to move up in the Pacific Division.
The game turned quickly and painfully for Los Angeles.
Eichel opened the scoring at the 11:38 mark, followed by three other Golden Knights forwards scoring in a span of five minutes, extending their lead 4-0 just like that, with still more than 6 minutes remaining in the first period.
By the time, the Trevor Moore scored the lone goal for Los Angeles, the damage was already done and very difficult to dig out of.
Vegas was the more engaged team tonight and looked more focused on the ice, holding the Kings at bay in all three zones during a sloppy opening period that set the tone for the night.
More bad news for the Kings, Andre Kuzmenko exited the game in the first period after taking a shot to the side of the head after going to the front of the net, but was able to skate to the locker room with assistance.
Despite returning in the second period, Kuzmenko remained on the bench and didn't return for the rest of the night.
Forward Andrei Kuzmenko will not return to tonight's game due to an upper-body injury.
Despite the loss, the Kings had something to celebrate tonight after Anze Kopitar reached a major milestone, recording the 1,300th point of his NHL career with his assist to Moore's goal. Kopitar became the 39th skater in league history, and just the eighth born outside North America to hit the mark.
Captain Anze Kopitar recorded his 1,300th career point (446-854=1,300) with his assist on Trevor Moore’s goal in the first period tonight in Vegas. Kopitar is the 39th skater in NHL history to record 1,300 points and the eighth player born outside of North America to reach this… pic.twitter.com/FhBSUhK8h3
From that point on, both teams remained scoreless after that hot start from the Golden Knights in the first period, which seemed to demoralize the Kings early on. Despite outshooting Vegas 33-22, the Kings once again were awful on the power play, going 0/5, had turnover problems again, and, for the second straight game, the defense allowed four goals.
Tonight's loss puts the Kings 10 games under .500, and with 60 points in 56 games, Los Angeles has little room for nights like this moving forward, as chasing a wild-card spot is becoming increasingly unlikely with each loss.
Slow starts and clawing back just to lose in overtime or a shootout has become an ongoing trend for Los Angeles, and Thursday's first period may have been the most damaging example yet.
The Kings' next game will be on Wednesday, Feb. 25, against the Vegas Golden at 7:00 P.M. PT in Crypto.com Arena, which will start their six-game home stand after coming out of the Winter Olympics. We will most likely see Artemi Panarin make his Los Angeles Kings debut in this game, and the Kings will need to get as many reinforcements back as possible if they want a chance to at least make the playoffs at this point.
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Mike Sullivan and the Rangers are starting a new chapter after the Artemi Panarin trade.
With the Artemi Panarin saga finally reaching a conclusion with his trade Wednesday to the Kings, the Rangers entered their final game before the NHL break for the Winter Olympics — and the corresponding league-wide roster freeze — with the knowledge that their devolving season eventually will resume with more work to do for general manager Chris Drury to retool the roster for 2026-27 and beyond.
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Panarin, who inked a two-year contract extension worth $22 million with Los Angeles to bypass unrestricted free agency this summer, was dealt for junior forward prospect Liam Greentree and at least one conditional third-round draft pick, depending on Los Angeles’ postseason success.
The last-place Rangers already had played the previous three games without Panarin, who had been held out of the lineup in losses to the Islanders and the Penguins ahead of Thursday’s pre-Olympic finale against the Hurricanes at the Garden.
“Well, I just think the finality of it is finally here,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said when asked about Panarin’s official departure following an optional morning skate Thursday in Tarrytown, before the Rangers lost, 2-0, to the Hurricanes. “Sometimes just the anxiety of the uncertainty is more difficult to deal with than the finality of it. Everybody can move on.”
Artemi Panarin is pictured during the Rangers’ Jan. 14 game. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
Sullivan said he wished the 34-year-old Panarin “the very best” in a conversation after the trade was announced Wednesday afternoon.
He added that he “already has addressed the circumstances” with the team, which began play Thursday night in a 3-12-2 tailspin to sink to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
“It’s not [easy] because obviously we’re all in this thing to win,” Sullivan said. “We’re all wired to try to win. It’s a competitive league, it’s a competitive environment, and we’re all competitive and we want to win. So when you don’t have the ability to put one of your very best players in the lineup, it doesn’t help your chances. But I also understand that it’s just the reality of the circumstance, and it’s part of where we’re at right now. It’s my job to coach the guys that I have available each and every night, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
With the 20-year-old Greentree slated to finish out his current season with OHL Windsor, the Rangers will continue to plug the gaping hole left by Panarin, their leading scorer, from within.
Will Cuylle mostly has skated in his spot the past several games alongside center Vincent Trocheck.
Mike Sullivan reacts during the Rangers’ Jan. 29 game. Charles Wenzelberg
“You know that we’re not going to plug a player in, and he’s going to replace what Artemi does for this team,” Sullivan said. “I think what we’re trying to do is build a team game where we can replace it by committee, so to speak. I think we can do a better job at being harder to play against, giving up less opportunities on the defensive side, which should allow us an opportunity to create some offense off of that. But I don’t know that. We’re not plugging anybody in and saying, ‘Hey, you’re gonna go replace what our Artemi’s brought to this group.’ That would be unfair.”
In the meantime, Greentree — a 6-foot-2 scoring winger and the No. 26 overall pick by the Kings in the 2024 NHL Draft — will be afforded an opportunity to develop within the organization.
“Obviously, I had a conversation with [Drury] about it, and I know our hockey operations department is very excited about this player, and the possibility of him becoming an impact player in the NHL,” Sullivan said. “He’s certainly shown at the level he’s been at that he’s every bit that player. So we’re certainly excited to add him to our group, and we’ll see what happens moving forward. I think at the appropriate time, I will try to familiarize myself with him and his game, for sure.
“Obviously, Chris and I have had a lot of conversations around this and what the game plan is moving forward to try to reshape the organization and be as competitive as we can be in the most expeditious fashion. So this is part of the process. It’s not a new thing that has caught me by surprise. I understand it, and we’re working together to do our very best to try to accomplish what has been articulated to everyone.”
Cal Ritchie of the Islanders skates during warm up prior to the game against the Devils on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at Prudential Center.
As recently as Saturday, the Islanders thought Cal Ritchie would be out through the Olympic break.
“I guess that’s why we should say day-to-day [instead of a specific timeline], isn’t it?” coach Patrick Roy joked Thursday morning, acknowledging that Ritchie would be in the Islanders’ lineup later that night against the Devils in the team’s last game before the three-week layoff. “But yeah, he felt great. So when a player feels ready to go, why not?”
Ritchie returned to the lineup to center Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman in the 3-1 Islanders win as Anthony Duclair — who played just 3:04 of Tuesday’s win over the Penguins after failing to track Justin Brazeau on Pittsburgh’s opening goal — drew out as a healthy scratch.
Cal Ritchie of the Islanders skates during warm up before the Islanders’ 3-1 road win over the Devils on Feb. 5, 2026 at Prudential Center. NHLI via Getty Images
“He’s been perfect and he’ll be fine,” Roy said of Duclair, who has been benched midgame twice in the span of a couple weeks. “I have zero worries, concern about him. He’ll be fine.”
The 21-year-old Ritchie did not look at all hindered by the injury, giving a spark throughout 13:54 of ice time in which he looked right at home as a second-line center — a notable development should it hold when the season resumes.
“He was good,” Roy said. “Oh my god he was good. He made some great plays with the puck, defended well. I was very happy with his play.”
Ritchie, who attempted to skate in the morning before the Islanders faced the Flyers on Jan. 26 but “tweaked something,” said he progressed quickly after that.
“Had to take a bit of time off,” Ritchie told The Post. “Each day was, just see how it felt, get on the ice and do a lot of rehab. So I feel good.”
There was no thought of taking the cautious route and giving himself three extra weeks to rehab. Ritchie felt he was ready to play, so he played.
“For me, I just want to help the team,” the 21-year-old said. “Every game is so big right now coming down the stretch. I just want to play and try to help the team.”
Ondrej Palat appeared emotional following a tribute video from the Devils in his first game back at Prudential Center.
Palat was in his fourth season with New Jersey when the Devils traded him to the Islanders just over a week ago.
“It’s been a good four years here,” Palat said. “Have good memories of this rink for sure.”“Have good memories of this rink for sure.”
With the Penguins set to be three forwards short in their final tilt - and a critical one - before the Olympic break, the 23-year-old forward found out around noon on Thursday that he would be heading from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) to Buffalo to join the NHL squad. And he didn't find out until he was already on his way, around 3:00 p.m. ET, that he would be making his NHL debut because Noel Acciari would miss the game due to illness, joining Blake Lizotte (personal) and Rickard Rakell (day-to-day).
Hayes arrived at the rink just after 5:00 p.m. Then, by 7:00 p.m., he was taking the ice for his first game in the NHL.
And, by the end of the first period - around 7:45 p.m. - he already had himself two NHL goals.
The Penguins beat the Sabres, 5-2, off the backs of Hayes and fellow rookie Ben Kindel, who also scored two goals en route to the win. Their latest victory - which closed out a 14-3-3 stretch since the holiday break - guaranteed them sole possession of second place in the Metropolitan Division heading into the Olympic hiatus, as the New York Islanders remain one point behind them in the standings having played two more games than Pittsburgh.
They own the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL at .625, and they have have found success against formidable opponents all season long - including a Buffalo team that has been the hottest in the NHL for nearly two months. And they, once again, got contributions from sources other than 87 and 71 Thursday.
The Sabres got the first tally early in this one, as ex-Penguin Jason Zucker scored on Buffalo's first shot of the game - an unobstructed shot that Arturs Silovs, between the pipes for Pittsburgh, would probably want back. But, midway through the period, the Avery Hayes show began.
Rutger McGroarty - playing on a fouth line with Avery Hayes and Kevin Hayes - had to take a defensive zone draw, and he won it back to defenseman Ilya Solovyov. The Belarusian blueliner lobbed the puck Larry Murphy-style to the opposite blue line, where Avery Hayes split the Buffalo defense to beat them to the puck. With body positioning and on a breakaway, Hayes put his first NHL shot on goal past Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon, earning his first career tally and tying the game at 1-1.
First game. First shot. First goal.
Avery Hayes is the 24th player in @penguins history - and first since Kasper Bjorkqvist in 2021-22 - to score in his NHL debut 👏
And Hayes wasn't done in the first period. With a little more than a minute remaining, he got the puck deep into the offensive zone and pressured along the wall. The puck eventually found its way to the point, where Parker Wotherspoon dumped it back deep. It banked off the boards to Anthony Mantha below the goal line, and Mantha put a perfect between-the-legs backhand pass on the tape of Hayes, who was breaking toward the net-front to finish the play for his second goal on his second shot.
The score remained 2-1 into the second period until Kindel and Justin Brazeau had a two-on-one opportunity. Kindel made it 3-1 on a no-look snipe down the left side for his 13th of the season.
Early in the third period, Evgeni Malkin took a tripping penalty, and Tage Thompson took advantage on the ensuing power play with his 30th of the season to pull Buffalo to within one. The Penguins locked down, playing a strong third period and limiting high-danger chances against, and they were able to keep Buffalo at bay.
Then, with less than five minutes left in regulation, Buffalo tried to break out of the defensive zone, but Egor Chinakhov picked off an errant pass just above the right circle. He skated the puck across the offensive blue line and protected it, and he managed to get a shot off. Tommy Novak was right there to pick up the loose change, and he gave the Penguins a crucial late insurance goal.
To cap off the 5-2 win, Kindel scored a shorthanded empty-net goal after a nice effort by him and Connor Dewar on the penalty kill.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from the Penguins' last game in almost three weeks:
- What a debut for Hayes. It truly doesn't get more storybook than that.
This is a guy who had no idea he'd be playing in the NHL eight hours earlier, had to pack up quickly and drive up to Buffalo with his parents and his brother, Eli, changed into a suit during his car ride, and arrived at the rink a smidgen late but in time to get ready and participate in warm-ups.
And by the end of the night, he has his first two NHL goals and played a critical role in helping the team secure an important win.
Hayes played the kind of game that earns players an extended look at the NHL level. Of course, it's never a good idea to overreact to one game, but it wasn't just the scoring that stood out. His speed, his two-way game, his forechecking ability, his work ethic, his release, his defensive acumen, and his play along the walls was all on display during this game, and he appeared to fit right in with this team.
In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Bryan Rust - who, by the way, had an himself an extraordinary defensive game Thursday, especially on the penalty kill - because of his attributes and because of the path he is taking to the NHL level. Hayes went undrafted but simply continues to earn himself higher and higher opportunities, a grind much like the one Rust experienced in both getting to the NHL level and upon arrival.
Unfortunately, there's simply no room for Hayes or McGroarty in this lineup when it's healthy. No one in the lineup should be coming out of it. But Hayes is just another example of the impressive depth the Penguins have, and I imagine he earned himself a pretty high spot on the list if the Penguins need to call upon someone should another injury occur after the break.
- I've said it before, but Kindel's emergence changes so many things for the Penguins. This guy has not only been on an offensive heater - he has six goals and seven points in his last six games - he just plays all facets of the game at such a high level.
Like Rust, he was outstanding on the penalty kill Thursday. He was, once again, generating for his line all night long. He has a keen awareness in all three zones. He plays the game fearlessly. His shot sure is something else, too.
Kindel's game is so advanced for such a young player, and he continues to blow me away. I'm not sure I've ever seen an 18-year-old center play at such a high level in every facet of the game. And now that the production is starting to catch up, we're seeing how dangerous and outstanding of a player he will be a few years from now.
Heck, he's kind of already that player now. It's so impressive.
- I've liked what I've seen from Solovyov's game so far. He doesn't do anything flashy, but he's steady, reliable, and competent offensively, which is just what the Penguins need out of the defensemen on their bottom pairing.
He doesn't make too many mistakes. This could end up being another sneaky good add by Kyle Dubas.
- I thought Crosby looked much better Thursday. He tied Hayes for the team lead with six shots on goal, and he was shot out of a cannon on a few shifts. He just looked generally more like himself.
Sidney Crosby has no goals and two points in his last six games.
The #LetsGoPens are 4-1-1 and have scored 26 goals in those six games.
That speaks to how much depth this team has. Its best player is in his worst stretch of the season, and they're still winning hockey games.
He has only two points in his last six games, yet the Penguins scored 26 goals in those six games and were 4-1-1. This team is rolling without Crosby producing much, so just wait until he starts producing at his customary rate again.
And, given Crosby's track record of production after suiting up for Team Canada, I don't think folks have to worry about him getting back on track.
- After allowing that first goal on the first shot, Silovs bounced back in a big way. He made a lot of big saves, but his biggest was a huge save on Thompson midway through the third that would have tied the game had it gone in.
While Stuart Skinner has struggled in his past two appearances, Silovs is only getting better later in the season. Since the turn of the calendar year, he has a .910 save percentage, and six out of his last seven appearances have come in at .900 or above.
He will represent Team Latvia in the Olympics, and he has experienced success at the international level. If Silovs can continue to play at this level the rest of the way - and Skinner can get back to where he was prior to this two-game stretch - the Penguins are in good hands between the pipes.
- Another nice play to stymie a third-period scoring chance was made by Wotherspoon, who won a one-on-one with a breaking Thompson.
It's been remarkable to watch this guy become a legitimate top-four shutdown defenseman alongside, probably, the most volatile partner in hockey. What a player he is, and what a find by Kyle Dubas, as he is signed through next season at just $1 million AAV.
- Connor Clifton destroyed Peyton Krebs in a fight after Krebs ran into Silovs for no reason in the blue paint and cross-checked him to the ice.
Clifton may not be an everyday player in the lineup, but he is a good seventh defenseman to have around. And he tends to spark something with his physicality every time he's in the lineup.
- Well, given where the Penguins find themselves heading into the break, I think it's safe to say this is a good hockey team.
They're not winning games by accident, and they're not beating good teams by accident. They have legitimate four-line depth, they're getting good goaltending, they're playing better defensively, they have good special teams, and they're controlling five-on-five play at a high rate.
I think this team is clearly a playoff contender at this point. When play resumes, I think the conversation needs to shift to whether or not this is a team that can contend for a Stanley Cup.
If they make the playoffs, they might actually have a pretty good shot at winning at least a round. But given their record against the best in the East, is it really inconceivable for them to be capable of more?
Perhaps it's best not to count this team out. They continue to defy expectations, and we'll see if they can continue to be one of the best teams in hockey in the home stretch of the season post-Olympics.
- Best of luck to Crosby, Silovs, Erik Karlsson, and Rakell, assuming he's good to go for the Olympics. It should be a fun tournament to watch.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots to improve to 16-0-1 in his past 17 games, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 6-1 on Thursday night in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
Brandon Hagel, Oliver Bjporkstrand, Jake Guentzel, Erik Cernak, Pontus Holmberg and Zemgus Girgensons — who will all participate in the Olympic Games — scored for Tampa Bay. The Lightning are 19-1-1 in their last 21 games.
Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov extended his scoring streak to 10 games, his 13th career scoring streak of at least 10 games — which is tied for fifth in NHL history.
Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers. Danil Tarasov finished with 20 saves for Florida before leaving due to injury in the third period. Sergei Bobrovsky finished the game for the Panthers, who played without regulars Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues. They all sat out after playing Wednesday against Boston.
CAPITALS 4, PREDATORS 2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in his first game since Halloween, Jakob Chychrun added a pair of goals and Washington beat Nashville.
Logan Thompson returned in goal from an injury of his own and made several sparkling saves, and the Capitals won for the fourth time in five games entering the Olympic break. Tom Wilson, who is on Canada’s roster for those Olympics, also scored for the Caps.
Jonathan Marchessault and Michael McCarron scored for Nashville, which had its five-game points streak snapped.
Dubois had no points in his first six games this season and underwent surgery on injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He hadn’t played since Oct. 31.
Wilson opened the scoring for Washington, and then Dubois made it 2-0. The flashiest goal belonged to Chychrun, however. The defenseman left Nashville’s Tyson Jost behind with a 360-degree spin near the boards, then entered the offensive zone and scored.
HURRICANES 2, RANGERS 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for his second shutout, Andrei Svechnikov gave Carolina an early lead in the first period and Carolina topped New York to extend its points streak to 10 games.
Jordan Staal scored into an empty net with 54 seconds left to seal it for the Hurricanes in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
The Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes are 8-0-2 since Jan. 16 and 12-1-3 since Jan. 4.
Jonathan Quick made a season-high 41 saves for the Rangers, who were shut out for the ninth time this season and the seventh at home. New York has lost four in a row.
Svechnikov made it 1-0 game 6:26 into the first period on a wrist shot off an assist from Mark Jankowski. And Bussi, who has won his last seven starts, made that goal hold up.
PENGUINS 5, SABRES 2
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Avery Hayes scored twice in his NHL debut, Arturs Silovs made 26 saves and Pittsburgh beat Buffalo in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
Called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League with the Penguins hit by a series of injuries, Hayes tied at 1 at 9:18 of the period on his first shot on goal. He raced to beat defenseman Jacob Bryson to the puck and put a wrister past goalie Alex Lyon.
Hayes made it 2-1 with 1:13 left in the period, taking Anthony Mantha’s short, backward pass and knocking it in. He’s the third Penguins player to score twice in his NHL debut, joining Rob Brown (two goals on Oct. 21, 1987) and Jake Guentzel (two goals on Nov. 21, 2016).
Hayes has 13 goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season in the AHL. He made his NHL debut with Blake Lizotte out for the birth of his first child, Rickard Rakell nursing a lower-body injury and Noel Acciari sidelined by an illness.
ISLANDERS 3, DEVILS 1
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Bo Horvat broke a tie late in the third period and New York went into the Olympic break with a win over New Jersey.
Horvat went to his backhand off the draw, slipping the puck past goalie Jake Allen, with only 3:27 left to play. Casey Cizikas scored in the second period for the Islanders and Mathew Barzal scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for New York.
Cizikas put the Islanders up 1-0 at 6:30 in the second period, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net. From behind the net, Allen sent the puck around the boards right to Marc Gatcomb while the Devils were in a line change. Gatcomb fired the puck to the slot, where Kyle MacLean got a stick on it, tipping it to Cizikas. Allen made the save on the first tip by Cizikas, but couldn’t control the rebound.
Allen stopped 11 shots.
SENATORS 2, FLYERS 1, OT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tim Stutzle charged past Philadelphia defenseman Travis Sanheim and scored on a back-hand shot 47 seconds into overtime, giving Ottawa the win.
It was Stutzle’s 28th goal of the season. The Senators won their fifth game in six outings heading into the Olympic break.
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale scored on a wrist shot from the left circle with 1:14 remaining in regulation.
That came on only the 14th Philadelphia shot of the game against unexpected Ottawa starting goalie James Reimer.
Reimer, 37, was playing in his seventh game since signing with the Senators last month. Would-be Ottawa starter Linus Ullmark recently returned from a personal leave of absence, but he was a late scratch Thursday, reportedly due to illness.
Former Flyer Nick Cousins scored a second-period goal and Reimer made 15 saves for the Senators.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, KINGS 1
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and Vegas took control early by scoring four times on its first six shots for a victory over Los Angeles.
Vegas heads into the Olympic break with back-to-back victories after losing seven of eight games. The Kings have lost four of five.
Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Mitch Marner scored a goal for his 799th career point and Ivan Barbashev extended his points streak to five games with two assists.
Barbashev’s four-game goal streak, however, ended. Eichel extended his points streak to four games and now has 200 assists in a Golden Knights uniform.
Vegas’ Adin Hill made 32 saves for his 100th career victory, his most stops since having 34 on March 15, 2025, against Buffalo.
Trevor Moore scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg stopped 18 shots. Adrian Kempe’s eight-game points streak ended.
The Florida Panthers took the ice on Thursday night for the final time until after the 2026 Winter Olympic hockey tournament ends later this month.
Playing their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, for the fourth and final time this season, Florida came up empty despite out-shooting and out-possessing their hosts, losing 6-1.
Tampa Bay got things started early when Brandon Hagel deflected home a shot by Victor Hedman just 2:08 into the game, then the Lightning took a 2-0 lead on a shot by Zemgus Girgensons with 5:52 to go in the period.
Despite Florida outshooting the Lightning 19-7 with a shot attempt edge of 34-14, they went into the middle frame trailing by two.
Things got worse for the Cats early in the second period.
Killing their first penalty of the night, the Panthers couldn’t complete the kill as Jake Guentzel banged home a Darren Raddysh rebound that hit Daniil Tarasov right in the glove, making it 3-0 Lightning at the 74 second mark.
A goal by Erik Cernak with just over two minutes left sent the Lightning into the third period with a four-goal advantage, all but sealing the deal for the Bolts.
Pontus Holmberg and Mackie Samoskevich traded power play goals during the final frame, and Oliver Bjorkstrand popped in a sixth Tampa goal for good measure.
Photo caption: Feb 5, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons (28) is congratulated by center Yanni Gourde (37) after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the first period at Benchmark International Arena. (Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)
The Nashville Predators' penalty struggles and another early deficit prove costly in their final game before the Olympic break, as they fall to the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Thursday in D.C.
The Predators logged 12 minutes in penalties, putting the Capitals on the power play six times. Washington scored twice on the man advantage, which proved the difference in a two-goal game.
Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored twice for Washington and recorded an assist for three total points. Dylan Strome (2A) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (1G, 1A) had two points each.
For the 39th time this season, the Predators gave up the first goal of the game, coming 4:15 minutes off the stick of Tom Wilson. Dubois scored on the power play to put Nashville in a 2-0 hole for a third straight game.
Chychrun made it 3-0 early in the second period. Jonathan Marchessault got the Predators on the board with an Adam Wilsby shot; Erik Haula deflected it on net, which went off Marchessault's skate.
In the first two minutes of the third period, Michael McCarron drove to the net and scored off a third rebound attempt to make it a one-goal game. Nashville was eyeing its 18th comeback victory of the season.
However, a Marchessault slashing penalty put the Capitals on the power play for the sixth time on the night, and Chychrun scored to restore the two-goal edge.
Justus Annunen allowed four goals on 30 shots and made 26 saves. This was the fifth straight game that the Predators allowed their opponent to register 30-plus shots on net.
The Predators head into the two-week Olympic break with a 26-24-7 record with 59 points. Dropping games to Minnesota and Washington, Nashville is four points outside of a Wild Card spot.
Their first game after the break will be against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 26 at Bridgestone Arena.
NEWARK, NJ -- After scoring the overtime winner in a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, Bo Horvat played hero yet again, helping the New York Islanders to a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
With the game deadlocked at 1-1 with not a lot of space out there, Horvat came through, scoring the eventual game-winning goal at 16:33 of the third:
Gimme some Italian Ice! Bo Horvat scores his 24th goal of the season and puts the #Isles up 2-1 late.🚨 pic.twitter.com/PsP0Ruzp0P
Mathew Barzal added an empty-net tally at 19:36 of the third for the 3-1 final.
Here's what happened prior:
Casey Cizikas gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 6:30 of the second period. After Allen turned the puck over to Marc Gatcom along the right half-wall, he shot the puck toward goal. Kyle MacLean redirected the puck on goal before Cizikas buried the rebound for his seventh of the season:
After Ryan Pulock swiped a loose puck stationed behind Sorokin out of danger, the Devils got posession before Jesper Bratt fed Nico Hsicher, who roofed one glove side at 18:26 of the second:
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 05: Bo Horvat #14 of the New York Islanders celebrates after scoring during the third period of the game against the New Jersey Devils on February 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Up until a little over 16 minutes into the third, this recap had a very different vibe. The Islanders did only register 14 shots on goal, apparently tying their lowest ever against the New Jersey Devils, last done in 2004. Ilya Sorokin needed to put in a Vezina-level (and frankly, Hart-level) performance to keep the Islanders in the game. The fourth line was really the only consistent line tonight, which is never great. And Jonathan Drouin made a terrible turnover that created a clean breakaway that only luckily wasn’t in the back of our net, yet for some reason didn’t get stapled to the bench like Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair.
But then, Bo Horvat.
For the second game in a row, Horvat came up clutch, picking up the game-winning goal out of nowhere. And Mat Barzal will be taking a four game goal streak into the Olympic break, putting him just six goals away from tying his career high of 23 in a season.
The Islanders sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division and they’ll stay there at least until the season resumes on February 26th, after the Olympic break.
Early on, Emil Heineman had a great chance, putting the puck behind Jake Allen, but across the crease rather than in the net.
Timo Meier took a high sticking penalty, but the Devils killed an inept Islanders power play.
Dawson Mercer had a breakaway after a bad Jonathan Drouin turnover, and his backhand shot went off the post.
The fourth line played well all night and got rewarded when Casey Cizikas got the Islanders on the board 6:30 into the second period, with both Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb picking up the assists.
But then, MacLean took a high sticking penalty, which the Islanders killed largely thanks to Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin was incredible this period, although he got a little bit of help when Adam Pelech made a huge block with his right skate to save a sure goal. Following that, Sorokin made a big save on Dougie Hamilton to keep the Isles’ one goal lead.
Evgenii Dadanov couldn’t get a chance across the goal line for the Devils, but the Islanders got caught in a change after clearing the puck, and Nico Hischier tied the game.
With just a few seconds left in the second, Anders Lee got hit by a Simon Holmstrom shot, and Lee skated off the ice slowly and had to be helped by the training staff down the tunnel at the end of the period. He did return at the start of the third, though.
Sorokin made a save on Connor Brown after a bad pass from Carson Soucy, MacLean had a shot saved by Allen, and Tony DeAngelo had a solid shift where he made a great pass to Heineman in the slot who hit the glass with his shot, and a great pass to Gatcomb who had his shot saved by Allen.
The Islanders had some solid looks, with Ondrej Palat having a shot saved against his former team, and Lee setting up Holmstrom only to have that chance saved by Allen, too.
But then, our hero, the Olympian, the rally bird man himself, Bo Horvat, scored with 3:27 left off the faceoff, picking up the puck behind Hischier and driving to the net to make it 2-1. That goal was Horvat’s 600th NHL point and 24th goal of the season.
The Devils pulled Allen a minute later, and Sorokin had to make a big save as the Islanders essentially defended 6 on 4 when Cizikas broke his stick. But Mat Barzal would extend his goal streak to 4 games, shooting the puck into the empty net as the Isles picked up a massive win heading into the Olympic break.
Next, it’ll be a while before we see more Islanders hockey, when the season resumes for the Isles in Montreal on February 26th. Hopefully everyone will be back well-rested and healthy, especially the latter for our Olympians!
Alternate captain Bo Horvat celebrates with teammates after scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period of the Islanders' 3-1 win over the Devils on Feb. 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center.
The Islanders haven’t looked like the best versions of themselves in a while, and they didn’t break that streak Thursday.
What they did do was drag themselves over the line and into the NHL’s Olympic pause, as Bo Horvat gave his team a late winner and a 3-1 victory over the Devils at the Prudential Center in his last game before flying to Italy to represent Team Canada.
The break, to put it mildly, is badly needed, with the Islanders feeling the effects of a condensed schedule over the last month through which they barely managed to tread water.
“It wasn’t pretty at times, for sure. We know that. We weren’t as good as we can be,” Ryan Pulock told The Post. “But I think the important part when you know that is just about finding a way. You have to be a good team to find ways when maybe you’re tired, maybe whatever it is, you dig deep. And I feel like this team has done that a lot throughout the year.”
There were points Thursday when it looked like they would finally succumb.
Alternate captain Bo Horvat celebrates with teammates after scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period of the Islanders’ 3-1 win over the Devils on Feb. 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center. John Jones-Imagn Images
The Islanders took on pressure, especially during the second period.
They struggled to hit the net, putting just 14 of 45 attempts on goal.
They ceded chances off the rush and managed the puck poorly against a Devils side without Jack Hughes and with far more reason to have their minds on the beach than the Islanders.
Thanks to Ilya Sorokin and Adam Pelech, whose kick-save block on Lenni Hameenaho’s one-timer at 11:07 of the second stopped a no-doubt goal, the Islanders still went into the third tied at one, with every chance at redeeming themselves.
That was when they picked their game up and started to haul their way back into it.
Ondrej Palat, Marc Gatcomb and Simon Holmstrom piled up chances and though the flow was still missing from both teams, the momentum seemed back with the visitors.
Ilya Sorokin makes one of his 23 saves during the Islanders’ road win over the Devils. John Jones-Imagn Images
Like much of the night, the Islanders were not doing much with what they were given.
Finally, with 3:27 to go, Bo Horvat mugged Nico Hischier off a faceoff in the Islanders’ zone and backhanded the puck past Jake Allen for a 2-1 lead.
“It wasn’t a clean draw win and I saw it laying there and tried to battle as hard as I could to get it,” said Horvat, who has five points in his last two games before making his Olympic debut next Thursday with Team Canada. “Saw it had landed near the net. Allen tried to poke check. Thankfully I got around it, slipped it five-hole.”
Mat Barzal added an empty-netter for good measure, but it was only fitting that the game was won by Horvat.
It was fitting, too, that just like for much of the last month, the Islanders gutted out two points with their meter looking dangerously close to empty for much of the 60 minutes.
Casey Cizikas celebrates with teammates after scoring a second-period goal during the Islanders’ road win over the Devils. AP
Though Cal Ritchie provided a jolt of energy in his return from a lower-body injury, the Islanders played a perimeter game, at best, Thursday.
Less generously, they managed the puck poorly, with Jonathan Drouin guilty of one of the season’s most heinous turnovers toward the end of the first period.
The fourth line, though, was terrific, with Casey Cizikas scoring the opener from his own rebound before Hischier’s goal tied it at one for New Jersey.
JG Pageau had a great night at the dots and his line with Anders Lee and Holmstrom was up ice regularly.
The top line, quiet through two periods, woke up in the third in a big way.
It was enough.
Just enough.
“A lot of these games [last year] we just kinda found a way to lose,” Pulock said. “And this year, we’re finding a way to win.
“… When it goes right for you a couple times, you build some confidence in that and you feed off that and you remember being in those situations. You don’t freeze under pressure, you take it head on. I feel like that’s been a lot of big moments throughout this year where we’ve gone at it head on and not sat back and hoped.”
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Bo Horvat broke a tie late in the third period and the New York Islanders went into the Olympic break with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Horvat went to his backhand off the draw, slipping the puck past goalie Jake Allen, with only 3:27 left to play. Casey Cizikas scored in the second period for the Islanders and Mathew Barzal scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for New York.
Cizikas put the Islanders up 1-0 at 6:30 in the second period, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net. From behind the net, Allen sent the puck around the boards right to Marc Gatcomb while the Devils were in a line change. Gatcomb fired the puck to the slot, where Kyle MacLean got a stick on it, tipping it to Cizikas. Allen made the save on the first tip by Cizikas, but couldn’t control the rebound.
Allen stopped 11 shots.
Two nights after coach Sheldon Keefe lamented his team’s lack of mental toughness, the Devils showed some fight, but the Islanders showed more of it.
Star New Jersey center Jack Hughes remained out for the third straight game with a lower-body injury. Still, New Jersey pummeled New York goalie Ilya Sorokin, outshooting the Islanders 24-14.
Late in the second period, Allen sent an outlet pass up to Jesper Bratt in the neutral zone. Once in the offensive zone, Bratt slid a cross-ice feed to Nico Hischier at the edge of the right circle and his wrist shot beat Sorokin high on his glove side.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Avery Hayes scored twice in his NHL debut, Arturs Silovs made 26 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Thursday night in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
Called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League with the Penguins hit by a series of injuries, Hayes tied at 1 at 9:18 of the period on his first shot on goal. He raced to beat defenseman Jacob Bryson to the puck and put a wrister past goalie Alex Lyon.
Hayes made it 2-1 with 1:13 left in the period, taking Anthony Mantha’s short, backward pass and knocking it in. He's the third Penguins player to score twice in his NHL debut, joining Rob Brown (two goals on Oct. 21, 1987) and Jake Guentzel (two goals on Nov. 21, 2016).
Hayes has 13 goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season in the AHL. He made his NHL debut with Blake Lizotte out for the birth of his first child, Rickard Rakell nursing a lower-body injury and Noel Acciari sidelined by an illness.
Fellow rookie Ben Kindel gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead at 7:44 of the second, Tommy Novak made it 4-2 with 4:29 to go in the third, and Kindel had a short-handed empty-netter with 14 seconds to go for his 14th of the season. The Penguins rebounded from a 5-4 overtime loss at the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Tage Thompson scored his 30th goal of the season for Buffalo. Jason Zucker also scored, and Lyon stopped 27 shots. The Sabres have lost two in a row.
Zucker opened the scoring for Buffalo at 1:46 of the first period. Thompson scored on a power play to cut it to 3-2 at 1:55 of the third.
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for his second shutout, Andrei Svechnikov gave Carolina an early lead in the first period and the Hurricanes topped the New York Rangers 2-0 on Thursday night to extend their points streak to 10 games.
Jordan Staal scored into an empty net with 54 seconds left to seal it for the Hurricanes in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
The Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes are 8-0-2 since Jan. 16 and 12-1-3 since Jan. 4.
Jonathan Quick made a season-high 41 saves for the Rangers, who were shut out for the ninth time this season and the seventh at home. New York has lost four in a row.
Svechnikov made it 1-0 game 6:26 into the first period on a wrist shot off an assist from Mark Jankowski. And Bussi, who has won his last seven starts, made that goal hold up.
Bussi’s first career shutout came on Nov. 30, 2025, when he stopped 15 shots against Calgary.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 5: Avery Hayes #85 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring his first career goal during the first period of an NHL against the Buffalo Sabres game at KeyBank Center on February 5, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pregame
A trio of forward changes to the lineup tonight, Blake Lizotte is unavailable for tonight due to an impending birth which opens the door for Kevin Hayes to play for the first time since January 11th. Noel Acciari is too sick to play and Rickard Rakell has picked up an injury, opening the door for Avery Hayes to make his NHL debut.
Buffalo gets on the board early, the Penguins turn the puck over in the middle of the ice and the Sabres jump on it. Jason Zucker shoots from outside, Arturs Silovs lunges for it with his glove and he comes up empty. The shot hits the inside edge of the post and goes into the net. 1-0 Buffalo 1:46 into the game.
Hayes has his welcome to the NHL moment, using a burst of speed to sneak past defender Jacob Bryson and create a mini-breakaway out of no where. Hayes finishes is strong on Alex Lyon for his first NHL goal on his first shot (but not first shift). What a moment, 1-1 game.
Evgeni Malkin takes a two-minute high-sticking penalty, the Pens kill it off. Then Hayes goes to set the career goal-to-period ratio. This time it’s a great bump pass from Anthony Mantha and a quick shot from Hayes nets his second of the night. 2-1 Pens.
Ryan Shea takes a penalty 12 seconds later, best timing ever, who would ever notice or remember that?
First 20 minutes is up, Avery Hayes and his family in the stands are on Cloud 9. A dream two-goal first ever period in the NHL has the Penguins up 2-1 on Buffalo.
Second period
Pittsburgh kills off the carryover time from the penalty and continues on.
Bryson’s bad night continues when he blows a tire and goes down, sending Ben Kindel on a 2-on-1. The replay is impressive, Kindel looks hard to his right for the pass the whole way, then suddenly snipes Lyon to the short-side with a perfect shot. 3-1 Pens, thanks to their rookies.
Sidney Crosby is the next in line for a penalty, the Sabres get some looks but can’t score.
The Penguins finally get their first power play of the night when Alex Tuch trips Silovs behind the net. Zone time doesn’t lead to a goal.
Pittsburgh extends their lead and is up by two with 20 to go.
Third period
Evgeni Malkin takes an offensive zone tripping penalty and Buffalo gets their first power play goal on their fourth time. Tage Thompson isn’t pressured down low, he’s got enough time to see that Silovs has left some room at the top of the net. A goal-scorer like Thompson easily finds it, notching his 30th of the season to bring the score to 3-2.
Later a couple of close calls, Egor Chinakhov nearly scores in front of the net, play goes the other way. Thompson bulls through Ilya Solovyov but Silovs makes his best stop of the night to throw out the leg and stop the puck.
Then some mayhem. Peyton Krebs crashes into Silovs, Connor Clifton doesn’t take kindly to that and drops the gloves with Krebs. Clifton gets the better of his former teammate by feeding him a bunch of knuckle sandwiches.
Pittsburgh still gets the power play out of it for Krebs completely barreling into the goalie. No goal, it does drain two more minutes off the clock.
The Pens get some insurance with 4:27 to go. Tommy Novak negates an icing call, the puck finds its way to Chinakhov near the blueline thanks to Malkin getting a piece of the attempted outlet. Chinakhov’s deep shot is stopped, rebound pops to Novak who calmly dekes to the backhand and deposits the trash into the net. 4-2 game.
Buffalo pulls the goalie with over two minutes to go. Mantha goes to the penalty box for hooking with 1:29 to go, the Sabres utilize their timeout to get their plan together. Doesn’t work, Kindel scores the shorthanded empty net goal to make it 5-2.
Some thoughts
Great first goal for Hayes. It’s so fitting that the goal came on a play looked like nothing at the beginning, then only turned into something due completely to the effort that Hayes put into it. Not to get poetic (well, too late for that I suppose) but that’s practically the story of his career in a nutshell as an undersized, undrafted player that could only muster an AHL contract upon turning pro. He proved himself in Wilkes-Barre, got an NHL deal for this season. Impressed in camp and prospect tournaments along the way, still took a while to get his first game in the show now at age 23 and fairly deep into this season. It didn’t take very long for Hayes to show what’s been his “long-term overnight success story” due to the skating burst, extra desire and find the ability to finish and standout, making a real name for himself.
The only thing that could make it even better is a second goal. It was more of a right place at the right time, courtesy of the sweet setup by Mantha, but hey, there’s something to be said about showing up at the right place at the right time.
Along those lines for timing and circumstance working out, you gotta think and remember that had Acciari not been sick OR Rakell been able to play OR Lizotte not need to leave the team for an impending birth, A. Hayes wouldn’t have been called up and played tonight. A lot of stars had to align to get his NHL debut to happen on this night. Wild how it all worked out, which always makes a great story that much more special and fun when so many factors come together in just the perfect way.
Hayes told Hailey Hunter during the first intermission interview on TV that he was changing into his suit while the car service was driving him to Buffalo, having only learned he would be needed and playing late this morning. I mean you just can’t make this stuff up, guy wakes up in Wilkes this morning having scored a goal against the Hershey Bears last night, the next thing he knows he’s scrambling to get to Buffalo in time to make his NHL debut.
Bob Grove Stat of the night: Hayes joins Jake Guentzel and Robbie Brown. Not bad company there.
Per HockeyFights, this was the seventh Penguin fight of the season, coming in Game No. 56. Doesn’t even seem that weird any more with its absence. Probably the most entertaining one of the year too, Clifton hit Krebs with lefts and rights with some pretty good shots.
Silovs didn’t have to be remarkable but his stop on Thompson in the third period when it was a 3-2 game was a complete difference-maker in how this game played out. Pittsburgh was up 3-1, and as you might have heard, have had some struggles with keeping leads late into games this season. (And, as noted in the preview, Buffalo is extremely strong with scoring in the third period). If the game goes to 3-3 on that play – and it well could have – it very well was trending towards being another tough night for the Pens. Get a key stop at a key time and a lot of good things can happen. The Pens got that tonight.
Rust didn’t get on the scoreboard but he did a great job on the PK blocking all kinds of shots, passes, marking up on Josh Doan when he drove to the net for backside plays.
With the Panarin saga finally reaching a conclusion with his trade to the Kings, the Rangers played their final game before the NHL break for the Winter Olympics — and the corresponding league-wide roster freeze — with the knowledge that their devolving season eventually will resume with more work to do for general manager Chris Drury to retool the roster for 2026-27 and beyond.
That pre-Olympic finale Thursday night only represented more of the same for the crashing Blueshirts, however, as they fell for the fourth straight game without Panarin with a sleepy 2-0 loss to the Hurricanes at the Garden.
It marked the ninth time they have been shut out this season — and inexplicably, the seventh time on home ice — and head coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t pleased with the effort.
Jonathan Quick makes a save during the Rangers’ Feb. 5 loss to the Hurricanes. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
“I thought they outplayed us. … The first two periods weren’t nearly good enough,” Sullivan said afterward. “My message to the group was, I will acknowledge that we’re in a little bit of a difficult circumstance and none of us really want to be in this position. … But the reality is we are where we are.
“I thought tonight that we lacked a certain competitive spirit. It’s simply unacceptable on our part.”
Panarin, who inked a two-year contract extension worth $22 million with Los Angeles to bypass unrestricted free agency this summer, was dealt for junior forward prospect Liam Greentree and at least one conditional third-round draft pick, depending on Los Angeles’ postseason success.
The last-place Rangers previously had played without Panarin while their leading scorer was held out of the lineup in two defeats to the Islanders last week and another against the Penguins before Wednesday’s trade.
Before the game, Sullivan had said he wished the 34-year-old winger “the very best” in a conversation after the trade was announced.
The Hurricanes celebrate a goal during the Rangers’ Feb. 5 loss. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
He added that he “already had addressed the circumstances” of potential additional trades with his squad, which is now mired in a 3-13-2 tailspin to sink to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings at 22-29-6.
“From the drop of the puck, we got outplayed all night,” said captain J.T. Miller, who will join Sullivan as part of Team USA in Italy. “It wasn’t good enough. We wanted to go into the break feeling good about ourselves, and it’s quite the opposite right now. So it sucks.”
With the 20-year-old Greentree slated to finish out his current season with OHL Windsor, the Rangers will continue to plug the gaping hole left by Panarin from within.
Will Cuylle mostly has skated in his spot the past several games alongside center Vincent Trocheck.
“You know that we’re not going to plug a player in, and he’s going to replace what Artemi does for this team,” Sullivan said. “I think what we’re trying to do is build a team game where we can replace it by committee, so to speak. I think we can do a better job at being harder to play against, giving up less opportunities on the defensive side, which should allow us an opportunity to create some offense off of that. But we’re not plugging anybody in and saying, ‘Hey, you’re gonna go replace what Artemi’s brought to this group.’ That would be unfair.”
Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov gathered in a failed clearance attempt by Vladislav Gavrikov and opened the scoring with a wrister from the slot past Quick for a 1-0 lead 6:26 into the game.
Mika Zibanejad had a strong chance on the power play later in the period, but he rang the puck off the crossbar and the Rangers generated little else against Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi (16 saves).
Quick made 41 stops to keep the Rangers within one despite a lopsided shot disparity before Jordan Staal added an empty-netter in the final minute.
“[Quick played] extremely well,” Sullivan said. “I think he did his very best to drag us into the fight. But we needed more guys to do that for us.”
