After a long winter’s nap the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Nashville Predators in their ongoing seven-game home stand. It was the fourth and final meeting between these teams this season and by far the ugliest as Colorado dropped their first regulation game at home in a 7-3 defeat.
A Ryan O’Reilly hat trick punctuated the loss. Brock Nelson scored two goals and Martin Nečas added one for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves in defeat.
The Game
It took all of 30 seconds for the game’s first score, unfortunately it was from the visitors. Ryan O’Reilly got free in front of the net and swiftly put a backhand past Mackenzie Blackwood in his return to the crease. That lead didn’t last long as Nashville immediately gave it back a minute later when Brock Nelson deposited his own puck at the net front past Juuse Saros.
Action calmed down a bit after the early scoring barrage but déjà vu struck as Nashville got on the board again from O’Reilly as he was awarded a goal after Samuel Girard placed a perfect tip on the puck right through Blackwood’s five-hole. The Avalanche responded back with another Nelson goal as he deflected a Josh Manson shot. And that’s how the first period would end, a 2-2 tie.
To start the second period the Avalanche had their chances but after a failed Avalanche power play, O’Reilly completed the hat trick with his own tipped shot to give Nashville the lead again. Your move, Brock Nelson. But the equalizer never came as Nashville scored their fourth goal on a rush from Michael Bunting to end the period 4-2 in Nashville’s favor.
There were quick signs of life to start the third period as Martin Nečas received a slap pass from Nathan MacKinnon in the slot to bring Colorado within one just a minute into the frame.
It would be Nashville who scored the next goal, though, as the Colorado comeback attempt was thwarted. Zakhar Bardakov was assessed a questionable interference penalty which was reviewed and the Predators converted on the subsequent power play. Filip Forsberg got a shot past Blackwood in traffic to restore the two-goal lead with five minutes to go.
From there it was desperation mode for the Avalanche as they pulled the goalie and gave up two shorthanded goals to Steven Stamkos and Michael McCarron for a 7-3 Nashville final. An ugly loss for Colorado’s first regulation defeat at Ball Arena this season.
Takeaways
This was Mackenzie Blackwood’s first start this month and it’s fair to wonder if he was shaking off the rust but giving up five goals on 28 shots really isn’t a great performance. With Scott Wedgewood allegedly healthy now too it will be interesting to see how Jared Bednar chooses to split starts as the schedule picks up moving forward.
Quietly the Avalanche are in a 2-3-1 stretch which coincides with the loss of Gabe Landeskog and Devon Toews. This step back is understandable with the key players missing but assuming full health down the stretch and in the playoffs is faulty especially as it’s a war of attrition to go deep into the summer. The squad can’t just dominate with a full roster.
Jared Bednar said there were no positives tonight. “We didn’t do enough to win the hockey game.”
DETROIT (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the surging Detroit Red Wings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 on Friday night.
Marco Kasper scored his first goal in 37 games and added an assist to help Detroit win for the fifth time in six games. Alex DeBrincat scored his team-high 25th goal and J.T. Compher had the other goal for the Red Wings.
Lucas Raymond had three assists and James van Riemsdyk added two. John Gibson made 20 saves.
Will Smith scored for San Jose in his return from an upper-body injury that cost him 13 games. Collin Graf had the other Sharks goal and Macklin Celebrini, the NHL’s third-leading scorer with 72 points, added an assist. Celebrini has 32 points in his last 18 games.
Yaroslav Askarov stopped 21 shots for the Sharks, who had won seven of nine.
Detroit converted on its first power play when Raymond set up DeBrincat, who ripped a one-timer from the left circle into the net.
Smith tied it midway through the first period after Celebrini’s shot from the high slot tumbled over Gibson and rolled toward the goal line. Smith tucked the puck into the net.
Graf tipped in a pass from Nick Leddy at 1:58 of the second to give the Sharks the lead. Kasper’s pass through the legs of a defender set up Compher’s goal five minutes later, tying it 2-all.
Larkin jammed the puck between the post and Askarov’s pad at 4:41 of the third to give the Red Wings a 3-2 advantage. Kasper ended his scoring drought on an empty-netter with 1:32 remaining.
HURRICANES 9, PANTHERS 1
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had three goals for his sixth career hat trick and first with Carolina, and the Hurricanes scored six times in the third period to cruise past Florida.
Ehlers, who signed with Carolina in the offseason after playing 10 years with Winnipeg, also had an assist. Taylor Hall had two goals and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists. Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Eric Robinson also scored.
Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for the Hurricanes, who had four power-play goals and improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games.
Uvis Balinskis had the lone goal for the Panthers, who gave up eight unanswered goals and had their two-game winning streak stopped. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed all nine of Carolina’s goals while stopping just 26 shots.
Ehlers gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first period. Balinskis tied it at 1:19 of the second — but it was all Carolina after that.
Jankowski put the Hurricanes up 2-1 at 13:10 of the second and Nikishin made it 3-1 with a power-play goal three minutes later.
Svechnikov, Ehlers and Hall also scored power-play goals in the third as Carolina pulled away.
BLUES 3, LIGHTNING 2
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Kyrou scored the only goal in a shootout and St. Louis beat Tampa Bay to snap its franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak.
Kyrou’s backhand shot beat Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov had a chance to extend the shootout but was stopped by Joel Hofer, who made 34 saves in regulation and overtime before delivering three more in the tiebreaker.
It was the Blues’ first win in overtime or a shootout this season. They had been 0-8.
The Blues took 2-0 lead late in the first period with goals just 30 seconds apart.
Jake Neighbors got the first with 2:57 to play in the period and Nick Bjugstad scored when he was left alone in the slot with 2:27 left.
Tampa Bay tied it with a pair of power-play goals 62 seconds apart in the second.
Kucherov scored at 9:59 when the Lightning had a two-man advantage. He then assisted on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s goal 1:02 later. Darren Raddysh assisted on both goals.
Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.
PREDATORS 7, AVALANCHE 3
DENVER (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly scored three goals for his seventh career hat trick and added an assist as Nashville beat Colorado, handing the Avalanche their first home loss in regulation this season.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists for Nashville. Juuse Saros made 39 saves.
It was O’Reilly’s first hat trick since Jan. 4, 2025, versus Calgary, and second against his former team. O’Reilly spent his first six seasons with the Avalanche before being traded to Buffalo before the 2015-16 campaign.
Brock Nelson had two goals, Martin Necas also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots in his return to the lineup for Colorado. Blackwood had not played since Dec. 31 due to a lower-body injury.
He couldn’t prevent the Avalanche (33-5-8) from losing a second consecutive game at home, where they are 19-1-3.
O’Reilly scored his first goal 30 seconds into the game and got his second when he sent the puck from the goal line to the front of the net, where it deflected in off the stick of Colorado defenseman Sam Girard at 7:32.
Nelson answered those goals with two of his own, one when he cleaned up a rebound 54 seconds after O’Reilly’s first and later in the first period when he deflected Josh Manson’s shot.
It's no secret that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has struggled quite a bit at times this season.
There have been games when he looks completely lost, and others when he shows everyone that Father Time hasn't caught up yet.
The latter games have been more prevalent as of late, especially on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, a game the Penguins won 6-3. He was methodical with his decisions, including one on the power play where he had an outrageous keep at the blue line.
It looked like the Flyers were about to clear the puck when Letang jumped up with his hand to knock the puck down and settled it. The puck stayed in the offensive zone, eventually leading to Sidney Crosby's goal that made it 5-1. The Flyers left Crosby wide open at the side of the net, which was obviously a major mistake. This was Crosby's 60th career goal against the Flyers, a team he loves to torment.
The athleticism was on full display, and the power play hasn't missed a beat since he replaced Erik Karlsson on the top unit earlier this week. Speaking of that, Karlsson will be out for at least the next two weeks, which is tough because of how great he's been this year, especially offensively.
Before going down, Karlsson was on the top pair with Parker Wotherspoon, while Letang was on the second pair with Brett Kulak. Letang's pair is now the top pair, and he led all Penguins' defensemen in ice-time on Thursday with 23:25 at all situations.
Kulak and Letang have been paired for 15 games this season and have gotten more comfortable together in each one. Kulak isn't flashy, but he's steady in his own zone, which Letang needs.
The two have played 215:10 at 5v5 this season, and the underlyings have continued to improve. Are they perfect? No, but as a pair, they've been on the ice for 50.4% of the expected goals, 50% of the high danger chances, 49% of the scoring chances, and 48.4% of the shot attempts. With more minutes, I think you'll see the scoring chances and shot attempts rates get above 50%.
They've also been on the ice for only five goals against this season, which speaks to how well they're playing together in their own zone.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) skates with the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Letang was also tremendous against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, despite the Penguins falling 2-1 in a shootout. He was a major reason why the Penguins tied the game late in the third period when he helped win a battle along the boards against former Penguin Jake Guentzel before Malkin fired a perfect shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy. Letang got the primary assist on the goal.
Letang played 16:19 at 5v5 during that game and was on the ice for 51.5% of the shot attempts, 56.6% of the expected goals, and 58.8% of the scoring chances.
Back on Jan. 1, Letang scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Detroit Red Wingswith an absolute rocket of a shot. It was a goal he really needed, and it also gave the Penguins their third-straight win at the time. The goal also came in his 1,200th game, and Letang now has the second-most overtime goals by a defenseman in NHL history (13).
He played 18:22 at 5v5 in that game and was on the ice for 67.6% of the shot attempts, 91.7% of the expected goals, 81.8% of the scoring chances, and 100% of the high danger chances. He was an absolute menace in all three zones in that game.
The Penguins come into Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in third place in the Metro with 54 points. They're in the thick of the playoff race and are trying to end their three-season playoff drought since they haven't made the postseason since the 2021-22 season, when they lost to the New York Rangers in seven games.
In order to do that, they'll need Kris Letang to keep playing the way he has been for the last few weeks.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Kyrou scored the only goal in a shootout and the St. Louis Blues beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Friday night to snap the Lightning's franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak.
Kyrou’s backhand shot beat Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov had a chance to extend the shootout but was stopped by Joel Hofer, who made 34 saves in regulation and overtime before delivering three more in the tiebreaker.
It was the Blues' first win in overtime or a shootout this season. They had been 0-8.
The Blues took 2-0 lead late in the first period with goals just 30 seconds apart.
Jake Neighbors got the first with 2:57 to play in the period and Nick Bjugstad scored when he was left alone in the slot with 2:27 left.
Tampa Bay tied it with a pair of power-play goals 62 seconds apart in the second.
Kucherov scored at 9:59 when the Lightning had a two-man advantage. He then assisted on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s goal 1:02 later. Darren Raddysh assisted on both goals.
Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.
Tampa Bay was trying for a team-record 12th consecutive win. The Lightning had not lost since a 2-1 setback to Los Angeles on Dec. 18. The last time they won 11 in a row was from Jan. 29 to Feb. 17, 2020. They went on to win the Stanley Cup that season.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had three goals for his sixth career hat trick and first with Carolina, and the Hurricanes scored six times in the third period to cruise past the Florida Panthers 9-1 on Friday night.
Ehlers, who signed with Carolina in the offseason after playing 10 years with Winnipeg, also had an assist. Taylor Hall had two goals and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists. Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Eric Robinson also scored.
Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for the Hurricanes, who had four power-play goals and improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games.
Uvis Balinskis had the lone goal for the Panthers, who gave up eight unanswered goals and had their two-game winning streak stopped. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed all nine of Carolina's goals while stopping just 26 shots.
Ehlers gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first period. Balinskis tied it at 1:19 of the second — but it was all Carolina after that.
Jankowski put the Hurricanes up 2-1 at 13:10 of the second and Nikishin made it 3-1 with a power-play goal three minutes later.
Svechnikov, Ehlers and Hall also scored power-play goals in the third as Carolina pulled away.
Ehlers completed his hat trick on a one-timer off a pass from Logan Stankoven to make it 7-1. Hall and Robinson capped the scoring.
Up next
Panthers: Play at Washington against the Capitals on Saturday night.
Hurricanes: Take on the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday night.
There was plenty made about young San Jose Sharks phenom forward Macklin Celebrini making an appearance at Little Caesars Arena to face the Detroit Red Wings on Friday evening.
Instead, the game’s main storyline would ultimately focus on another young forward who had been struggling to produce offensively.
Red Wings forward Marco Kasper, playing in his second NHL season, arguably delivered his best performance of the campaign and scored for the first time since late October as part of a 4-2 Detroit victory at Little Caesars Arena.
Kasper's empty-net goal late in regulation with Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov on the bench for a sixth attacker gave him his first tally in 37 games.
He also registered a highlight-reel assist on teammate J.T. Compher's goal in the second period.
He picked up the puck in the neutral zone, dangled around defenseman John Klingberg, and sent a pass through the legs of Dmitry Orlov right onto the tape of Compher, who made no mistake to knot the score at 2-2.
It was the Red Wings who struck first in the game's opening 20 minutes of play, as Alex DeBrincat one-timed a pass from Lucas Raymond past Akarov on the power-play for his 25th goal of the season.
However, San Jose tied the game when a shot from Celebrini slipped in and out of goaltender John Gibson’s glove and landed behind him. Sharks forward Will Smith poked the puck home, giving Celebrini the 72nd point of his sophomore NHL campaign, which ranks third among all NHL scorers.
The Sharks then grabbed their first and only lead early in the second period, as Collin Graf redirected a pass from former Red Wings defenseman Nick Leddy past Gibson.
After Compher's tying goal in the second, it would be Dylan Larkin who scored what ultimately proved to be the game-winning goal early in the third period, slipping the puck past Askarov on the goal line.
Despite not initially being called a goal on the ice, video replay confirmed that the puck fully crossed the goal line, and was soon announced by the on-ice officials.
Kasper then scored late in regulation on an assist from Raymond, his third of the game.
John Gibson remained hot for the Red Wings, making 20 saves. Askarov countered with 21 saves.
The Red Wings return to the ice on late Sunday afternoon, as they host the Ottawa Senators.
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The Florida Panthers couldn’t keep their brief winning streak alive as they continued a long road trip Friday night in Raleigh.
Florida ran into a buzzsaw as the Carolina Hurricanes dominated much of the contest, taking down the Panthers 9-1 at Lenovo Center.
Carolina controlled the majority of the opening period and were eventually rewarded for their strong start.
Jordan Staal made a perfect cross-zone pass to a streaking Nicolaj Ehlers, who quickly went to his forehand and wired the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky to send the Hurricanes into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
They outshot Florida 13-3 in the opening frame.
Florida bounced back quickly though, knotting the score less than 90 seconds into the second period.
Rookie Sandis Vilmanis carried the puck into Carolina’s zone, dropping it for Mackie Samoskevich who was quickly checked off the puck by Sean Walker.
The puck kept sliding across the zone, and Uvis Balinskis walked into a one-timer that beat Brandon Bussi to tie the game at one.
For the Panthers, it was all downhill from there.
A pair of goals about three minutes apart by Mark Jankowski and Alexander Nikishin gave Carolina a comfortable two-goal edge heading into the third period.
Early in the final frame, Andrei Svechnikov make it 4-1 Hurricanes on a power play goal that came just after a 5-on-3 advantage came to an end.
That wasn’t an issue for Carolina because a few minutes later they had another two-man advantage, and this time Ehlers picked up his second goal of the game, extending the Canes’ lead to four.
Just 21 seconds later, Taylor Hall scored a fourth straight power play goal for the Hurricanes to give them a 6-1 lead.
Ehlers completed his hat trick less than 90 seconds after Hall’s goal, causing headgear to litter the ice and creating a delay that the Panthers were surely salty about, as it meant they had to wait that much longer before getting the hell out of there.
Eventually, the game did come to an end, but not before Hall scored another one to give the Hurricanes an eighth goal, and Eric Robinson scored moments later to make it 9-1 because why not.
Photo caption: Jan 16, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) is stopped on his breakaway attempt by Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
With team president and general manager Chris Drury waving the white flag on the Rangers season with a letter talking of a retooling of the roster, here’s a look at who could be on the move before the Olympic break and March 6 trade deadline:
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In a meeting with Drury on Friday, Panarin was informed that the Rangers would not be extending him. As one of the last remaining big names on the impending free agent board, Panarin naturally has been in the middle of trade chatter all season. He is also one of the highest-valued assets the Rangers have in their lineup and should be able to fetch a mini haul. His full no-move clause, however, puts Panarin in the driver’s seat. Drury will have to work closely with Panarin and his camp to arrange a deal that the star Russian wing is on board with.
2. Brennan Othmann
Another player who has been in the rumor mill nearly all season, Othmann has been tabbed as needing a fresh start. The No. 16 overall pick in 2021 has struggled to translate his game to the NHL level over 33 career games. It simply has not been a fit in New York.
Rangers Rookie Brennan Othmann (78) when the New York Rangers held their training camp Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at Madison Square Garden Training Center in Greenburgh, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
3. Carson Soucy
In the final year of his deal, Soucy, and his $3.25 million cap, hit is easily moveable. There are plenty of teams that could use a stay-at-home defenseman who can play on either side.
Compared to last season, Soucy has been much more effective in his role for the Rangers through his 41 games. The Rangers, who gave up the 2025 third-round pick they received from the Golden Knights for Reilly Smith to acquire Soucy, should be able to find a team in need of defensive depth for the playoffs.
4. Alexis Lafrenière
If the Rangers wanted to make a splash and partially change up the team’s DNA, dealing Lafrenière before his modified no-trade clause — with an eight-team no-trade list — kicks in for the 2027-28 season would be a way. Nights like his three-assist effort in the Winter Classic are too few and far between.
The 2020 first overall pick was the consensus top selection at the time the Rangers won the draft lottery, but he never has been able to produce or lead like one. Lafreniere’s track record in the NHL hasn’t done much for his trade value, which means Drury should want to pounce on the first legitimate offer.
Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière juggles the puck in the first period at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York, Monday, January 5, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
5. Vincent Trocheck
The market for centers right now is one the Rangers will want to explore. There is a high demand for quality centers, which makes Trocheck another valuable trade chip for the Rangers. Since J.T. Miller was just named captain and Mika Zibanejad has a no-move clause until it becomes modified in 2029-30, Trocheck’s 12-team no-trade list that kicked in this season makes him one of the Rangers’ easiest centers to trade. The Rangers are already thin down the middle, but Trocheck may be the player who could fetch the kind of deal that Drury is looking for.
6. Braden Schneider
Primarily a third-pair defenseman over his five seasons in New York, Schneider hasn’t had the strongest season as he’s taken on a bigger role in the absence of Adam Fox. The Rangers never quite gave him an extended top-four opportunity unless it came on the heels of an injury, but the 24-year-old also hasn’t seized the role either. The Rangers would likely be willing to move on from Schneider as he heads toward restricted free agency — with arbitration rights — at the end of this season. Schneider would be a beneficial addition to any contender’s defensive depth.
The Philadelphia Flyers went from rebuilder to playoff dark horse... or so they thought, and now the team and its loyal but increasingly impatient fans are paying the price.
The Flyers, in the midst of a five-game losing streak (0-4-1), still very much look like a young, directionless team that has some future pieces, but a far cry from a finished product.
Having now fallen out of a playoff spot in what is shaping up to be yet another midseason collapse, the Flyers have also allowed no fewer than five goals in each of their last four losses, all in regulation.
Backup goalie Sam Ersson, after falling well behind Dan Vladar in the eyes of Rick Tocchet and Co., has descended into unplayable territory and owns an unfathomably bad .853 save percentage on the season.
Continuing to put Ersson in the line of fire when he very clearly has no confidence is harmful to both the player and his teammates, and the Flyers need to move on and move forward for the benefit of both parties.
That puts the Flyers back at what can be considered square one relative to the past few seasons; one goalie who can steal a few games, and another goalie behind him who is a complete enigma.
Time will tell if Aleksei Kolosov's resurgence is legitimate and can be relied upon, or if the Flyers again gravely miscalculated their situation.
Since signing a five-year, $25.75 million ($5.15 million AAV) contract extension with the Flyers on Jan. 5, veteran center Christian Dvorak has been out-shot 75-60 at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, while being out-scored 5-2.
Linemates Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny, who have gone equally cold, have struggled in lockstep, though Zegras, who earns favorable deployment when the team trails, has out-shot opponents 80-65 in the same timeframe.
By re-signing Dvorak, in addition to retaining other grey hairs like Nick Seeler, Konecny, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Garnet Hathaway, the Flyers have called it quits on a rebuild and have no intentions on racing with other cellar dwellers to the bottom.
But, if the Flyers are all-in on being a competitive team looking to reach the playoffs--they've already lost their playoff spot--they cannot be bad and boring. They are both.
The San Jose Sharks, who are still an objectively bad team hindered most by their island of misfit toys defense core, have given Macklin Celebrini the keys to the car, and it's made them one of the NHL's most entertaining teams.
Celebrini, still just 19, has 24 goals and 71 points in 47 games this season after recording 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games last season.
He also has his Sharks in a playoff spot.
Flyers starlet Matvei Michkov, as you'll recall, finished his rookie campaign with more goals than Celebrini did, more games played notwithstanding.
That same Michkov has seen his average ice time drop two full minutes from 16:41 to 14:41 under Tocchet, who has demanded the Russian sensation adapt his style to the system and not vice versa.
Everyone knew when Michkov was drafted seventh overall in 2023 that he was not a plus skater but was an exceptional proprietor of offense attacking angles from his favored right wing and creating plays out of thin air.
The difference now is that the 21-year-old is playing left wing, right wing, with bit-part bottom-sixers, with top-sixers, on the top power play unit, or on no power play unit at all.
He's being thrown around and utilized with extreme indifference, but for some, it is a big shock and concern that Michkov has just 24 points in 45 games because of that.
But, hey, when you don't score, maybe you can contribute in other ways, right?
How about Michkov dropping the gloves and fighting Blake Lizotte on behalf of Denver Barkey, someone he's known for maybe a few weeks, in that 6-3 blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
In the last week, Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin, who have a combined 166 NHL games between them, got into fights standing up for and trying to inspire their teammates. But where are the leaders?
Hathaway, Seeler, Konecny, and Sean Couturier have seen this movie--the midseason collapse--before, and it is happening again.
The young guns are showing as much fight as possible in their limited opportunities, while the details, fight, and overall basic fundamentals for much of the rest of the team have completely fallen to the wayside.
Just play a 1-1-3 neutral zone and keep three to four bodies above the puck like the Tampa Bay Lightning did on Monday night and the Flyers have been completely stifled offensively.
The Flyers are not fun to watch, not hard to play against, and not disciplined. They are not committed to making the playoffs or rebuilding, and they are not bad enough to secure a top draft pick as they had last season.
Instead, the Flyers are very much a team adrift, going through the motions until the 2026 Winter Olympics come along.
Only the team can dig itself out of this relentless cycle of greyness and mediocrity, but if they fail to do so, there would be enough sample size to deduce that the heart of the team, the core, as currently constructed, is simply incapable without further changes.
The Flyers' next opponents--the New York Rangers--just openly penned a letter to their fans admitting they have been terrible all season and will make a bunch of trades in order to try and course-correct, and that same Rangers team still has more regulation and overtime wins (18) than the Flyers do (17) this season.
If the Flyers can't take down New York in their own building on Saturday afternoon, the organization will be forced to double back and reconsider their blueprint for success for this season, the offseason, and beyond.
While the Detroit Red Wings have put themsevles into an extremely advantageous position with their current second overall ranking in the Atlantic Division standings, they're going to be in for a dogfight the rest of the way.
The Atlantic Division is perhaps the most competitive in the NHL right now, and multiple teams are on complete heaters - including one that has to be seen to be believed.
With just how tight things are, the Red Wings are keenly aware of not only their own position but how their closest competition is faring.
"We look at the standings, there's a lot of information that comes from that stat pack, not just on the front page, but we look through it, and then analytics gives us information," head coach Todd McLellan explained. "But if your nose is stuck in it and you're trying to do a bunch of math and figure out stuff now, you're probably wasting your time. There are too many games left, and it's just too tight."
After the termination of general manager Kevyn Adams, the Buffalo Sabres have rattled off 15 of their last 17 games.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning have won 11 straight games, while the Toronto Maple Leafs have won eight of 12.
"It’s incredible," McLellan said of the pace of their Atlantic competition. "I don’t know who’s losing. Everybody seems to be winning."
To begin their centennial campain, the Red Wings were put through the gauntlet with several divisional matchups, including twice against the Maple Leafs, along with matchups against the Lightning and Florida Panthers.
Despite their Opening Night loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 9, the Red Wings earned victories in back-to-back contests against the Maple Leafs, followed by wins over both the Panthers and Lightning.
Late last month, the Red Wings picked up their third win of the season against the Maple Leafs, the first time they'd won three straight against their longtime Original Six rival in 30 years.
"As far as banking points against teams, you get teams when they're hot, and they're cold, and it can go for or against you," McLellan said. "Specifically against Toronto, we were able to get those points, and there are still some left on the table."
"We needed to explain to the players that points in games two, three, and four are just as valuable as in (games) 80, 81, and 82," he continued. "Hopefully, our players have grasped that, but we're past the beginning. Now, we're over the hump and coming downhill. Points will remain important every night."
The Red Wings well remember what has befallen them in each of the last few seasons when the month of March rolls around, and it will be incumbent upon them to avoid a similar outcome this year if they are to bring Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time this spring.
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On Saturday night, with the Boston Bruins in town, the Chicago Blackhawks will celebrate "The Banner Years." This is the third of four chapters throughout their Centennial Season that will honor the franchise's long history.
This chapter is designed to recognize the teams that won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. It was the greatest run of success in franchise history, and it brought the game of hockey back to the front burner in a sports-crazed town like Chicago.
Over 20 of the players who appeared on one or more of those three teams will be in the house for the celebration, adding to the intrigue of the night.
Of every player that suited up during that stretch, ten players stick out above the rest. Seven of these players won all 3 championships in the new millennium, and the other three won two.
Won Two Championships With Chicago
10. Bryan Bickell
Bryan Bickell might not have been quite as productive during the regular season as other depth forwards on the team through the years, but his importance to two of the three championships can't be overstated.
He was always a moderately productive bottom-six forward during the regular season, but his game reached a new level in the postseason. He always found a way to score big goals and make amazing plays when the stakes increased.
In 2013 and 2015, Bickell was in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy as a playoff MVP at times. In the playoffs, he usually found himself playing in the top six because of what he brought to the table.
His style of play, a strong physical forward who dominates in front of the net, was incredibly suited for playoff hockey. The Blackhawks were even more dangerous because of his playoff scoring elevation alongside the stars on the team.
9. Johnny Oduya
When Johnny Oduya is the fourth-best defenseman and the ninth most important player during a modern-day dynasty, it speaks volumes about those higher on the list.
Oduya never made flashy plays or dominated offensively at any point, but he provided a steady, calm defender every time he was on the ice.
He did find a clutch goal now and again, but shutting down stars like Pavel Datsyuk, Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Ryan Getzlaf, amongst many others, along the way was a huge key to the team's overall success.
8. Corey Crawford
Antti Niemi was the main starter for the Blackhawks during the 2010 run to the Stanley Cup, but Corey Crawford took over after that. He was never a top-three goalie in the NHL, but he had times where he was 5-10.
He was the starting goalie for Chicago in 2013 and 2015, along with many other deep playoff runs around those two incredible years. Whether it was the regular season or the playoffs, Crawford was always there when his team needed him most.
You can't win in the NHL without above-average goaltending, especially in the playoffs. Crawford was as reliable as they come for many years.
Won Three Championships With Chicago
7. Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp was one of the best pure goal scorers that the team had during the run. In fact, he's one of the best in franchise history. When his career was in trouble during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, he found his way to Chicago, where he became a star.
Sharp knew how to find the back of the net from range. He could score from in tight as well, but nothing like his ability to snipe. He wasn't dancing out there making finess plays, but the playmakers on the team knew that if they found him with some open ice, he was going to get it on net. It went in more often than not.
6. Niklas Hjalmarsson
It's hard to beat a team that has two goalies on the ice. Hjalmarsson didn't wear all of the pads and responsibility that actual goalies do, but he never wavered if he had to block a big shot.
No matter what, he'd throw his body in front of pucks coming off the sticks of the hardest shooters the game had to offer. Whether it was Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, or Zdeno Chara, Hjalmarsson was not afraid.
Hjalmarsson never failed to have his sticks in the right spot either. He didn't provide very much offense, but teams didn't find much scoring success when he was on the ice as a deterrent to their game.
5. Brent Seabrook
Brent Seabrook was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round (14th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft. He lived up to everything they needed from him and more.
Seabrook dominated the game in all three zones. He had a big shot that played well on a power play, he could make a great breakout pass, and nobody could get anything going against him with much regularity.
He also had a certain clutch gene to his game, which allowed him to come up with some of the biggest goals in franchise history. Seabrook was so good that Team Canada had him on Olympic rosters throughout his career, which speaks to his overall game. On most NHL teams, he would have been a number one, but the Blackhawks had so much depth.
4. Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa is the greatest free agency signing in the history of Chicago sports. He came to the Blackhawks, and they were a completely different team.
Think of a high-end offensive producer and a Selke Trophy caliber player, and combine that into one. That gives you Marian Hossa. He also came to Chicago incredibly motivated after finishing each of his two previous years as a Stanley Cup runner-up.
Hossa was the perfect complement to the young core that the team had put together. His line was always able to defend and score, no matter who the opponent was. Of every player on this list, Hossa was the first to make it into the Hockey Hall of Fame and have his number retired by the team.
3. Patrick Kane
If this list were based on talent and overall career production, Patrick Kane would be number one. The truth is, however, that most of his super elite offensive years came after winning Stanley Cups.
Kane was still the third most important player to the three teams that did win. As a winger, Kane drove offense like a center during these times, and everyone on his line was more likely to score due to his presence.
Kane was one of the three players to win a Conn Smythe Trophy during this run. His playoff MVP came during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
His most shiny moment of them all? Ending a 49-year drought for Chicago with his overtime winner in Game 6 of the 2010 Final. Few forwards in the league were as clutch as the man known as "Showtime".
2. Duncan Keith
Duncan Keith was a robot on the ice. He could play anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes per game, depending on how long it went with multiple overtimes. He didn't score goals as much as Seabrook from the back-end, but he did make plays as well as any other two-way defenseman in the league.
Keith won two Norris Trophies and was one of the three Conn Smythe Winners. Keith's playoff MVP came in 2015, as he willed the remnants of the previous two Chicago Cup winners to a third with his play.
Keith joined Hossa in the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class, but his number has not yet been retired. That will happen eventually, as he was the second most important player (and number one defenseman) on a team that won multiple championships.
1. Jonathan Toews
Was Jonathan Toews as flashy as Patrick Kane (or even Marian Hossa)? No. That wasn't his game. His talent was being a great offensive player, but also an elite two-way forward. His play in all three zones was so good that many considered him to be a top-five NHL forward during these Stanley Cup runs.
Eventually, Kane became a more notable player than Toews, but nobody can deny him the title of most important player to "The Banner Years". Every Stanley Cup champion in the last 25 years has that number one center leading the way. For Chicago, it was Toews.
There were also a lot of leaders on these teams, but everyone followed the word of Toews more than anything. From a young age, he was the captain of a winning Original Six team, and that turned him into one of the game's all-time greatest leaders.
The third and final Conn Smythe Trophy winner of the three Cups was Toews, who took home the hardware in 2010.
It was pure domination from Toews and every teammate on this list, for a very long time. This core must live in the legacy of Chicago sports forever.
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ST. PAUL, Minn - After a tough homestand that included no wins in three games, the Wild are set to begin a roadtrip against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres, who is 15-2-0 in its last 17 games.
After making his NHL Debut on Thursday, David Spacek will stay with the team. Carson Lambos was recalled before the game but did not play. He has now been sent down.
David Jiricek has been recalled by the Wild.
Jiricek, 22, has played in 18 NHL games this season and has zero points, 11 shots and five hits.
Lambos, 23, has played in one NHL game this season, which was his NHL debut. He has one shot on goal, one blocked shot and is a plus-one in 10 minutes and 16 seconds of ice time.
He will go back down to the American Hockey League (AHL).
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.
Goals, saves, and wins have not altered Justus Annunen's focus this season.
Through the first two months of the season, Annunen had a .859 save percentage, a 3.43 goals against average and a 1-5-1 record, a stat line that was one of the worst in the NHL.
In a similar sense, the Predators weren't playing well, sitting as the worst team in the NHL with a 6-12-4 record in mid-November. Head coach Andrew Brunette has said before that Annunen hadn't been put in "fair" situations earlier in the season.
"We have to be really fair when we evaluate him (Annunen). We put him in some hard places, and we put him when he's a little bit rusty," Brunette said following a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Dec. 21.
Annunen's role in the early season was to relieve Juuse Saros, whether that meant giving the starting goalie a break or coming in after Saros was yanked.
In the early season, the Predators went as far as Saros went. At one point, the Finn was in the top two in the league in shots faced and saves made, not getting much support from the defense in front of him.
In a time where things seemed grim, Annunen didn't change anything. He muted all the noise around him and did the only thing that he could do: work hard.
"You have to focus on what you can do," Annunen said. "There's gonna be goals. That's hockey. Sometimes you've got to look beyond the results. You can't just look at the numbers and be like 'oh I had a bad game' or 'I had a good game.' You have to look at the whole picture."
The confidence in his own game has led to results: Annunen has won his last three starts and posted a .900 save percentage in his previous four.
His latest victories have been against the Vegas Golden Knights (4-2), the Washington Capitals (3-2), and the New York Rangers (2-1). Despite losing to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-2, Annunen made an impressive 37 saves on 40 shots.
"I feel like my game is being the same whole year and that it's hockey sometimes," Annunen said. "I've been putting in the work all summer, all last year and all my life, but sometimes the puck just goes in. Winning games, of course, helps."
Saros's efforts came in clutch in the victory over the Capitals, as he prevented Alexander Ovechkin and company from forcing overtime. He was perfect in 5-on-5 play and made 30 saves on 32 shots, which was his second 30+ save performance of the season.
"You got a little bit of grace for him (Annunen) in the first couple starts, and now he's gotten a little bit better rhythm," Brunette said following the win over the Capitals. "You could tell he's feeling a lot better, especially in his last five starts. He's been exceptional."
The confidence and belief in Annunen's game and that it'd eventually come around were shared by Predators management, as he signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract beginning in the 2026-27 season.
"I like it here a lot. They (management) want me to stay here, and I want to stay here, so that's pretty easy," Annuen said. "It's pretty good for the next couple of years to be able to work with Juice (Saros), Benny (Ben Vanderklok), Mitch (Korn) and just try to improve every day and try to get to the next level."
Drury wrote on Friday that he plans to “retool” by possibly trading established players.
Coming off an underachieving this season and missing the playoffs last year, the Rangers are the only team with a losing record in the Eastern Conference past the midway mark of the NHL season.
New York has lost a season-high five games, entering its next game Saturday at Philadelphia.
The Rangers were booed off the ice at the first intermission of their latest loss, an 8-4 loss to Ottawa that was the team's 17th setback in 22 games at Madison Square Garden.
Winger Artemi Panarin, New York’s leading scorer every season since signing as a free agent in 2019, does not have a contract beyond June 30, turns 35 on Oct. 31 and could be dealt before the March 6 trade deadline.
