Dylan Larkin has piled up the shots of late, averaging 3.8 per game over his last 10.
My Capitals vs. Red Wings predictions and NHL picks expect the volume to remain strong in an advantageous matchup against Washington.
Capitals vs Red Wings prediction
Capitals vs Red Wings best bet: Dylan Larkin Over 2.5 shots (-150)
Dylan Larkin has posted impressive shot outputs all season. He's gone Over this total in 63% of his appearances while averaging 3.0 shots on 6.1 attempts.
We’ve seen a further spike in recent weeks. Larkin’s averages have soared to 3.8 shots on 7.2 attempts over his past 10 games.
He should have a ton of shooting opportunities in this one. The Washington Capitals are a below-average shot suppression team, and Larkin has faced them twice. He cleared 2.5 shots in both games while generating 6+ attempts in each.
Larkin has already shown he can make noise against the Capitals. That should remain the case, given they've allowed more shots to centers than anybody over the last 10 games.
The Capitals also rank Bottom 10 in shot suppression vs. forwards this season. Larkin has played nine home games against such opponents, averaging 3.9 shots on target and going Over in eight of those games.
Five of them came following a day of rest. Larkin’s numbers increased even further, jumping to 4.2 shots per contest.
Capitals vs Red Wings same-game parlay
Larkin has scored in 41% of his games this season and 48% after a day of rest. His hit rate jumps to 56% when recording 3+ shots, which we’re banking on in this game.
Lucas Raymond leads the Detroit Red Wings in helpers by a country mile and skates with Larkin at 5-on-5 as well as on the power play. He's most likely to help facilitate a goal.
Going the other way, Jakob Chychrun is poised to make noise. He's recorded 12 shots on 22 attempts over two games against Detroit and attempted 8+ shots in three of his past four overall.
Capitals vs Red Wings SGP
Dylan Larkin Over 2.5 shots
Dylan Larkin anytime goalscorer
Lucas Raymond Over 0.5 assists
Jakob Chychrun Over 2.5 shots
Capitals vs Red Wings odds
Moneyline: Capitals -105 | Red Wings -133
Puck Line: Capitals +1.5 (-230) | Red Wings -1.5 (+190)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5
Capitals vs Red Wings trend
Dylan Larkin has recorded 3+ shots in six of his past seven games against the Capitals. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Red Wings.
How to watch Capitals vs Red Wings
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN Unlimited
Capitals vs Red Wings latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Mathew Barzal is one of the more dynamic playmakers in the NHL.
He’s on pace to lead his team in assists, and my Islanders vs. Rangers predictions expect Barzal to create some magic against a team unable to keep the puck out.
Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Thursday, January 29.
Islanders vs Rangers prediction
Islanders vs Rangers best bet: Mathew Barzal Over 0.5 assists (+110)
Mathew Barzal is an assist machine in good matchups. He has picked up an apple in 13 of 21 games and seven of his past 10 against teams that rank Bottom-12 in goals against.
The New York Rangers certainly fit the criteria. They have allowed 50 goals — yes, 50 goals! — over 10 games since Igor Shesterkin went down with an injury.
The opposing team scored at least three in each of the 10, so it’s not as if they’re going through peaks and valleys. Every night is a steady dose of goals against.
Now playing without Artemi Panarin, who will remain on the sidelines until a trade is found, the Rangers have even less starpower in their lineup and are likely to spend more time on their heels.
We saw that Wednesday night, with the Islanders outshooting the Rangers 36-16 despite playing with a lead for 45 of the 60 minutes.
The New York Islanders are likely to have a ton of the puck again in this one. It’ll often be on the stick of Barzal, who is the team’s leader in assists and their best facilitator.
With Jonathan Quick struggling to stop pucks, one of the opportunities Barzal creates should lead to a goal.
Islanders vs Rangers same-game parlay
Anthony Duclair played 16:40 against the Rangers last night. Just under 15 minutes came attached to the hip of Barzal, whom Duclair is skating with at 5-on-5 and on the power play.
He has 12 points over his last 11 and correlates greatly with Barzal, so I like his chances of getting involved in this plus-matchup.
Without Panarin in the lineup, Alexis Lafreniere jumped up to the top power play. He had a pair of shots on goal and two of the team’s three scoring chances on the man advantage.
An increased role should improve his shooting floor and ceiling each night.
Islanders vs Rangers SGP
Mathew Barzal Over 0.5 assists
Anthony Duclair Over 0.5 points
Alexis Lafreniere Over 1.5 shots on goal
Islanders vs Rangers odds
Moneyline: New York -125 | New York +105
Puck line: New York -1.5 (+190) | New York +1.5 (-230)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)
Islanders vs Rangers trend
Mathew Barzal has assists in seven of his past nine road games. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Rangers.
How to watch Islanders vs Rangers
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSGSN2, MSG
Islanders vs Rangers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The teams went goal for goal in the first period to end the 1st tied at 1. Winnipeg would score 3 goals in a row in the 2nd period, before Jesper Bratt scored his 12th of the season to bring the Devils to within 2 heading into the final period. The Captain scored his 17th goal of the season late in the 3rd period, but by that point, it was too little too late.
Jake Allen did another one of his spot on Markstrom impressions, letting up 4 goals on 26 shots, and the Devils showed yet again, that they are really not a good team.
Last Predators Game
On Tuesday night, the Predators lost to the Boston Bruins, 3-2. Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals in the first and second periods, before Nashville scored late in the 2nd period to make it 2-1. Nashville scored again, midway through the 3rd period to send the game to OT, where David Pastrnak won the game in OT for the Bruins.
Like the Devils, (and Winnipeg) the Predators are another team that is struggling this season, playing basically .500 level hockey. Or, as I like to call it, not good enough. Like the Devils, Nashville has also lost their last 2 games in a row. One of these teams will break their losing streak tonight.
Considering he has started 11 of the last 13 games for Nashville, I would expect Juuse Saros to play tonight. Though, if there is any team in the NHL to get your backup goalie a win against, it’s the Devils. Maybe Justus Annunen will get some ice time tonight in a rare start. It doesn’t get any easier for a goalie than facing the Devils offense!
Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.
Ondrej Palat won’t be playing ever again for the Devils, so at least we can stop talking about whether the Devils should bench him or not.
Luke Hughes is not due to be back any time soon. Cody Glass left the game in the 2nd period on Tuesday and did not return. Hopefully he is back in action tonight against Nashville. However, based on a post from Amanda Stein from Tuesday, it doesn’t look promising for his return tonight.
Glass wanted to try to play at the end of the second; but being so close to the end of the period Keefe elected not to play him.
Wanted to give it a go, but ultimately in the second intermission did not feel well enough to play.
Considering Jake Allen has only started back to back games 3 times, going back to November, I would expect Jacob “I’m not an NHL goalie any longer” Markstrom to get the start tonight.
Grimace’s Prediction and 2025-2026 Record Tracker
Grimace dipped his toes back in the water recently in making another prediction and like the Devils, came up short. Like them, he is a .500 level predictor. Not. Good. Enough.
Grimace’s 2025-2026 Season Prediction record currently stands at 12-11-0.
Your Take
The big news in Devils land is the Palat trade. He may be a winner, and a great teammate, but his time here had run its course. Honestly, other than the game 7 assist against the Rangers, I can’t think of any other memorable plays involving him in his time here. The way this season is going, he has a better chance with the Islanders anyway, and I wish him good luck. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and thanks for reading!
In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my brand new podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. 🙂
Isn’t it funny how much things can change in a relatively short amount of time?
It wasn’t that long ago when the Florida Panthers were struggling to come up with any kind of consistent success when playing away from home.
Lately, it’s been quite the opposite.
Over the past several weeks, all but two of the Panthers most recent 11 games have come outside of South Florida.
Not to worry, though, as the Cats enter play on Thursday having won six of their past seven games on the road, including all three on last week’s trip that featured stops in Winnipeg, Minnesota and Chicago.
Now the Panthers will look to make it four straight road wins when they visit the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues started the month with a pair of wins and were just one game below .500 when the wheels started falling off.
Since Jan. 7, St. Louis has lost eight of their 10 games, including each of the past five.
Entering play Thursday, there is only one team in the NHL that has fewer points in the standings than the Blues’ 47, and that’s the Vancouver Canucks with 39.
Florida, meanwhile, still has a bit of work to do if they want to climb back into a playoff spot.
Currently, the Cats are six points behind the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, who hold the two Eastern Conference Wild Card spots, and the Buffalo Sabres, who sits third in the Atlantic Division, all with 65 points.
Florida has two games in hand on Boston, one on Montreal and the same amount of games played as Buffalo.
One thing that may help the Panthers pick up two points on Thursday would be a big night from star forward Matthew Tkachuk.
It’s been ten days since Tkachuk made his season debut last Monday against San Jose. During that time he’s racked up three assists, 11 shots on goal, eight penalty minutes and a minus-3 on-ice rating while averaging 18:37 of playing time.
Perhaps returning to his hometown will provide a nice boost for the gritty forward.
It's certainly worked in the past.
During his career, Tkachuk has played 15 games back in St. Louis.
He’s accumulated an impressive nine goals and 26 points when playing in the Blues’ barn, but he’s really taken it up a notch in the three visits since joining the Panthers.
Before he was traded to Florida, Tkachuk had four goals and 17 points in 12 games in St. Louis.
Not bad at all.
In the three games he’s played in St. Louis while wearing a Panthers sweater, Tkachuk has an eye-popping five goals and nine points.
Needless to say, if you’re into hockey props, it may be a good night to lean on ol’ Chucky.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s matchup with the Blues:
Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Photo caption: Feb 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) looks on during the first period against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
Who:Chicago Blackhawks (21-23-9, 51 points, 6th place Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (26-14-11, 63 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and CHSN in the local markets, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: It’s a week-long sprint to the Olympic break finish line for the Pens. They’ll stay at home on Saturday to see the Rangers in a 3:30pm game, then Ottawa comes to the ‘Burgh on Monday night. After that, the Pens quickly jet over to a game against the Islanders on Tuesday night and stay in the Empire State for a tilt with Buffao on Thursday heading into the three-week break.
Opponent Track: Chicago fell 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night in their last game, extending their current losing streak to three games (0-1-2). Their last five games have been very tight ones: a 2-0 win over Winnipeg last Monday (sealed with an ENG), then a pair of shootout games (winning against Carolina followed by losing to Tampa). On Sunday they did suffer a 5-1 loss to Florida (but even that was 3-1 late until an ENG and last minute goal) and the last shootout game against Minnesota. Down to the wire types of games decided very late for the most part, Chicago has been able to manage a 2-1-2 record to show for it.
Season Series: The Penguins put a 7-3 beating on the Blackhawks in Chicago on December 28th in the first game back from the break to get their current strong run of play going, tonight will be the final PIT/CHI game of the season.
Hidden Stat: Good luck to the power plays tonight. Since Christmas, Chicago is second in the NHL with a 90.5% success rate on their PK. The Penguins are just behind them at 90.0%. A key to success has been staying out of the penalty box in the first place, Chicago has only been shorthanded 2.47 times per game in this stretch (6th best in NHL) which has helped them to allow only four goals in their last 17 games playing shorthanded.
Hidden Stat 2.0: The Penguins have points in 17 of their 23 games against Western Conference Opponents this season (11-6-6), courtesy of Pens PR.
Getting to know the Blackhawks
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Frank Nazar – Connor Bedard – Teuvo Teravainen
Ryan Greene – Oliver Moore – Andre Burakovsky
Tyler Bertuzzi – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato – Nick Foligno – Landon Slaggert
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Vlasic / Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser / Artyom Levshunov
Matt Grzelcyk / Connor Murphy
Goalies: Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom
Potential scratches: Sam Lafferty, Colton Dach
Injured Reserve: Shea Weber, Ryan Ellis
Chicago plays again tomorrow night at home against Columbus, they might have a decision to make in net accordingly. Knight has started six of their last eight games.
The Blackhawks certainly qualify as one of the youngest teams, 11 of the 22 players on the active roster are under 25 years old, including the majority of their current top-six forwards, the entirety of their top-4 defenders and a budding starting goalie. Foligno and Murphy are the only 31+ players around, and they don’t have huge on ice roles.
Always a chuckle to see an actual Hall of Famer still on a team’s payroll as the contract winds out. This is the final season of Weber’s massive 14-year contract that Philadelphia tried to sign him to in 2012 but was matched by Nashville.
Bertuzzi is having an interesting season. It stands out in memory how much he was goal hanging and playing behind the defense looking for breakaways against the Penguins last month. His defensive impact is among the worst in the league, his finishing and scoring is near the very top. It might not be his intention but he looked like a guy just trying to pad his own personal stats. Might be something to keep an eye on tonight, at the very least Bertuzzi is cheating a lot to generate offense, which I guess you get some leeway with when a lot of goals are going in.
Is Kevin Korchinski the next Ty Smith? Both made the NHL super early, then didn’t stick. In a perfect world and for Chicago’s development they would need former first round picks like Korchinski and Sam Rinzel to start becoming NHL regulars now in their draft+4 seasons. A rebuild will struggle to launch without pieces like that growing. On the plus side, 2024 second overall pick Artyom Levshunov has lived up to his draft placement so far.
The trade of Seth Jones for Knight and a 2026 first rounder looks mighty good for the Blackhawks these days (didn’t work out so poorly for Florida, either) with the Panthers dabbling around the middle of the standings so far this season. The best part for Chicago is Knight running with the opportunity to be a quality option in net, the Blackhawks will eat a $2.5 million penalty for retaining a piece of Jones’s cap hit but that looks well worth it at this point.
Key to the game: Pittsburgh taking advantage of Chicago’s 5v5 struggles
Chicago has managed to paper over some bad results lately to the tun of a decent 7-5-2 record in calendar 2026 despite a horrible process ranking them at the bottom of the NHL in the new year. That record was boosted winning five of six games towards the beginning of January, including impressive wins over Dallas and Vegas and later some results with a victory over Carolina (shootout) and a shootout loss to Tampa. Chicago is living proof that in today’s NHL a team can truly get any result on any given night, illustrated by the Hawks also losing to Calgary this month.
The stingy PK mentioned above is a big factor in how Chicago has been able to string together some results despite a terrible 5v5 goal share and process behind it since the turn of the year. This should play into the Pens’ hands, Pittsburgh is out-scoring the opposition by a combined 50-26 at even strength since Christmas. The table should be set for them to keep that train rolling around against an opponent that is exceptionally weak in that area.
One other positive takeaway from that graphic about the Penguins is that their recent play doesn’t feature an unsustainable PDO-aided turn (which fellow 2026 standouts like Buffalo, Utah, Boston and Detroit can’t say as easily).
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Anthony Mantha – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Kevin Hayes – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Brett Kulak / Kris Letang
Ilya Solovyov / Ryan Shea
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Bryan Rust (serving the first game of his three-game suspension), Connor Clifton
IR: Ryan Graves, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones, Jack St. Ivany
We’ll take a stab at the lines, the league-mandated absence of Rust will be one the Pens have to navigate over the next few games. Unlike going on the IR, Rust must still be kept on the 23-player roster during his suspension. That shouldn’t handcuff the team thanks to St. Ivany going on IR to open up a spot for a call-up, if they wanted to make one. Unless that news comes out today, it looks like Hayes will be back in the lineup as the only other available forward on the NHL roster currently, unless the team looks to go with 11 forwards and seven defenseman, because..
Penguins presumably will get their first look at their most recent trade addition of Solovyov tonight, based on practice indications from Tuesday. So they could use Rust’s open spot in the lineup to dress Clifton and roll with 11 forwards if they so choose, we’ll have to see at morning skate today if Hayes or Clifton’s late participation suggests which one will be scratched. (Or, potentially both could be if the team does make that call-up from the AHL). Lots of potential scenarios to play out there.
Interesting week for the Penguins. They flew home from Vancouver on Monday, had one of the season’s longest practices of well over an hour on Tuesday (plus the annual charity gala at night), an off day yesterday and now will try to hit the ground running with five games over the next eight nights.
Now that Skinner has started in three of the last four games, does the team go back to him tonight? It would make sense based on the scheduling. Play Skinner tonight and then Silovs on Saturday afternoon and Skinner would have plenty of time to get ready to play again for two out of the final three games next week.
Then again, Silovs hasn’t played in a full week now since his last action of a strong game against Edmonton, so it wouldn’t be a bad choice to get him back in there either. Any decision by the coaches looks like a good one when both goalies are playing well.
Skinner, by the way, is a 5-0-0 lifetime against the Blackhawks with a 1.98 goals against and a .925 save percentage.
The whole second line have active three-game point streaks; Malkin (3G+2A) Novak (1G+3A) and Chinakhov (2G+1A). Ryan Shea (3A) also has points in three-straight games.
Three days off gave the Pittsburgh Penguins plenty of time to shake off the jet lag from traveling out West and will now look to extend their four game winning streak by welcoming the Chicago Blackhawks to PPG Paints Arena later this evening. This is the second meeting between the sides in just about a months time, with the Penguins defeating the Blackhawks in their first game back from the Christmas break on December 28th. That victory helped spark the Penguins current run of form which has them at 11-2-2 since the holiday.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
Injuries have hit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in force over the last two weeks as the team has seen its center depth depleted with Tristan Broz and Joona Koppanen out of the lineup. Still though, the Baby Penguins put together a 4-2-1 stretch over the last seven games. [Pensburgh]
Celebrating 20 years as teammates, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are joining forces with the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and local born artist Burton Morris to craft a special tribute artwork that will be sold to help raise money for local charities. [Penguins]
Blake Lizotte is not big by any means, but his impact on the Penguins this season has been unmistakably large. It’s not coincidence that when he was out of the lineup, the Penguins struggled mightily, winning just one of the nine games he was out with injury. [PPG]
Just two days until the 2016 Stanley Cup reunion and it’s time to look back on the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Trailing 3-2 in the series, the Penguins forced a Game 7 back in Pittsburgh where Bryan Rust played hero with a pair of goals. [Penguins]
NHL News and Notes…
In another inter-division Metro trade, the New York Islanders acquired Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov. To sweeten the deal, the Devils also sent over two draft picks to compensate the Islanders for taking on the Palat contract. [NHL]
It’s been 12 years since NHL players took part in the Winter Olympics, but that will change here very soon. For the first time, many NHL superstars will be lacing them up for their countries at the biggest tournament that international hockey has to offer and they will be looking to make a statement. [Yardbarker]
Adam Fox was back on the ice Wednesday morning with a handful of Rangers while wearing a red noncontact jersey during an optional morning skate ahead of their game at UBS Arena.
Head coach Mike Sullivan said before a 5-2 loss to the Islanders that it was “very” encouraging that Fox has taken this “next step” in his latest rehab and “it just suggests that he’s getting closer.”
Still, the 27-year-old Long Island native might run out of time to make it back to game action before the NHL shuts down next week for the Winter Olympics in Milan.
The Blueshirts only have three games remaining before the break — Thursday against the Isles at the Garden, Saturday in Pittsburgh and next Thursday at home against the Hurricanes.
“I don’t have an answer for you, but the fact that he’s joining the team obviously suggests that he’s in the last stages before his return to play,” Sullivan added.
Adam Fox, shooting a shot earlier this season, participated in practice with a non-contact injury for the first time since he’s been out of the lineup with a lower-body issue. NHLI via Getty Images
Fox only has appeared in three games since Nov. 29 due to two separate stints on long-term injured reserve with an early shoulder injury and the lower-body issue the former Norris Trophy winner sustained on Jan. 5 against the Mammoth.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin, who suffered a lower-body injury in the same Jan. 5 game as Fox, worked out on the ice with goalie coach Jeff Malcolm Wednesday morning at the team’s Tarrytown training facility.
Sullivan said it’s “a fair statement” to say Fox is ahead of Shesterkin in their respective rehabs.
Forward Conor Sheary (lower-body) also took part in the optional skate wearing a noncontact jersey.
Spencer Martin got the start in net and allowed all five goals on 36 shots.
It marked his fourth start since Shesterkin was injured.
Sullivan has gone to more of a rotation lately between Martin and veteran Jonathan Quick.
“I think the biggest thing is just trying to set them both up for success,” Sullivan said. “We weren’t sure how the workload would be for a guy like Quickie and where he’s at in his career. So I think we get better versions of both guys when we share the work a little bit. That’s been my observation.”
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Colorado Avalanche after the Canadiens defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime.
Montreal has a 15-11-1 record in home games and a 29-17-7 record overall. The Canadiens are third in NHL play with 178 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).
Colorado has a 15-5-5 record in road games and a 35-7-9 record overall. The Avalanche are 20-4-6 in games they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponents.
Thursday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Avalanche won 7-2 in the last matchup. Brock Nelson led the Avalanche with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nicholas Suzuki has scored 16 goals with 43 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has nine goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Martin Necas has 22 goals and 39 assists for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon has three goals and 11 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 5-4-1, averaging 3.5 goals, six assists, 4.7 penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
Avalanche: 4-4-2, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.3 assists, 2.8 penalties and 6.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canadiens: None listed.
Avalanche: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Senators’ Stanley Cup playoff hopes remain a long shot, but if you’re going to begin a miracle charge back into contention, beating the best team in the NHL is a good place to start.
On the heels of Sunday's beatdown of Vegas, the Senators played one of their most complete games of the season on Wednesday at Canadian Tire Centre (17,007), defeating the #1 Colorado Avalanche, 5-2.
Tim Stützle and Artem Zub each recorded two points for Ottawa, while James Reimer stopped 15 of 18 shots behind a fantastic defensive effort from start to finish.
As good teams do, Colorado wouldn't away. Down 3–2 late in the third, the Avs pulled goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, only to see the Senators respond with not one but two empty-net goals.
Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Nick Cousins, Ridly Greig, and Claude Giroux all found the scoresheet for Ottawa. Parker Kelly and Valeri Nichushkin scored for Colorado, a team that has looked surprisingly mortal of late. The Avalanche have now lost five of their last seven games, though two of those defeats came in overtime.
This was the kind of complete performance Senators fans have long believed this team is capable of. The problem, of course, has been sustaining that level of play. What Ottawa must prove now is that they can deliver these types of efforts consistently, rather than following them up with another three or four-game losing streak.
Ottawa completely shut Colorado down over the first two periods, allowing just four shots in each. After a scoreless opening frame, Nick Cousins opened the scoring and had one of his best games as a Senator. Artem Zub sprung Cousins with a stretch pass for a breakaway down the right wing, and Cousins drove to the net before tucking a backhand past Blackwood.
But with the home side in full control of the game, former Senator Parker Kelly tied the game at 1–1 with just under six minutes remaining in the second period, scoring his 11th of the season. But their Avs potential for momentum was snuffed out just 17 seconds later.
Tyler Kleven fired the puck the length of the ice, and after it glanced off a Colorado player to negate icing, Greig pounced on the bounce off the end boards and ripped a shot upstairs to restore the one goal lead.
Just over two minutes into the third period, the Sens made it 3-1. Claude Giroux picked up the puck at the Colorado blue line as Tim Stützle turned on the jets to create a two-on-one. Stützle acted as a decoy, allowing Giroux to wire a wrist shot past Blackwood.
Unfortunately, Giroux helped to give that one back less than two minutes later.
Attempting to lift the puck out of Ottawa’s zone, he fanned on it, sending the puck directly to Jack Drury, who fed Nichushkin alone in front. Nichushkin beat Reimer with a backhander, making it 3–2 and threatening to turn the night into a familiar script for Senators fans.
This time, the ending was different. Unexpected.
Ottawa locked things down defensively, sealed the win with two late empty-netters from Tkachuk and Stutzle, and skated away with a 5–2 victory.
The win improves Ottawa’s record to 25-21-7 for 57 points. Boston still holds the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with an eight-point cushion on Ottawa.
The Senators now get a couple of days off before hosting the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
It may still be a long road back into the playoff picture, but if the Sens are going to make the impossible interesting, Wednesday's performance is exactly what it has to look like.
There are a lot of things to like about the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, as the team is exceeding expectations with a diverse cast of characters.
They just completed a perfect Western road trip that saw them take four out of four games. They're sitting pretty at second in the Metropolitan Division and are just six points behind the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand. And the only team with fewer regulation losses than their 14 is the Colorado Avalanche, who are indisputably the league's best team.
While there are some long-tenured roster mainstays like Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, and Bryan Rust, the vast majority of this cast of characters is pretty new to the scene, and they're all contributing to what has been a better-than-expected season.
And many of those players have something to prove. That mindset has been a driver for this team on both an individual and a team basis, and it has - to an extent - become part of the team's identity.
"I think it's important," Kulak said. "Everyone's been around here long enough to know that there's so many good players out there nowadays, and everyone's competing and working on their game to get better. And guys are always looking and ready to take your job. So, if you want to be out there and you want to be contributing and things like that, you've got to stay committed to it every day and just keep working on your game and getting better.
"There's that hunger and desire throughout the locker room, and I think a lot of credit goes to the leadership group that we've got here."
The leadership group certainly sets the tone in Pittsburgh and it's been that way for a long time. They, especially, feel the weight of three straight lost seasons and want to prove that this team is still a legitimate playoff contender.
But that "prove-it" mindset extends to the rest of the roster, as so many players are in that kind of situation individually. Guys like Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon were signed last summer with the expectation and opportunity to secure larger roles in Pittsburgh. Guys like Anthony Mantha came off of major injury last season and were looking to re-assert their importance to an NHL lineup.
Then, there are young guys like the Ben Kindels and Rutger McGroartys, who want to prove to the organization that they belong with the big club on a regular basis. Then, the Stuart Skinners and Egor Chinakhovs, whose change-of-scenery situations have afforded them a fresh opportunity to prove their value to a new team. There are also the Erik Karlssons and Rickard Rakells, who proved their worth to play in the Olympics and have continued to build on the last few seasons in Pittsburgh. Even the Malkins and Connor Dewars, who want to prove they are worth another contract with the Penguins beyond this season.
There are so many situations like this in the Penguins' locker room, and pretty much all of them have, indeed, proven themselves on an individual basis. And it's a mindset that they need to continuously keep front-of-mind if they want to be able to help the team achieve collective success.
"It's a big thing where guys are showing up not satisfied with what's going on," Brazeau said. "People have a lot to prove, and that doesn't happen in a one- or two-game stretch. To prove yourself in this league, in order to be able to say that you're a player in this league, is doing it season after season, game after game.
"So, I think for guys, it's just showing up to the rink, wanting to keep proving people wrong and keep getting better every game."
Crosby said that this mindset could be a contributing factor to the team's identity and a reason the Penguins have been able to find success this season - especially since the reward of hockey games is good for everyone collectively and on an individual basis.
"I think everyone's obviously motivated to win, but then, individually, maybe for different reasons," Crosby said. "That may be a part of it, that may play a part of it for certain guys. And whatever that is, it's a team game. We all have to contribute what's best for the team, but ultimately, that's good for everyone individually, too, if the team wins.
"So, yeah, I think that's probably a factor for some [guys]."
Of course, even if players have taken that mindset and applied it up to this point in the season, there is still a lot of work to do. There is a lot of season left, and the Penguins have five games remaining before the three-week hiatus for the Olympics.
Then, the gauntlet starts. The Penguins play 17 games in the month of March, with 14 of those being against teams currently in the playoff picture. While Pittsburgh has proven they can skate with some of the league's best teams - and, in several cases, carry play five-on-five - they will have to continue to prove for the remainder of the season that they can not only keep pace with those teams, but that they can distinguish themselves from those teams as legitimate contenders.
Every player in the room wants the same thing: to be competing for a Stanley Cup at season's end. And that "prove-it" mindset could just help elevate them from playoff contenders to Cup contenders.
"I don't think it's a bad thing," head coach Dan Muse said. "For each person, every day, you've got to re-establish yourself, especially in this league, when games come so quick and turn so quick. As a team, it's the same thing.
"You quickly turn the page, you're onto the next one, and you've got to do it all over again. And you've got to prove it again."
The Colorado Avalanche are facing off against the Ottawa Senators for the second time this season, though it wasn't as pretty as their last matchup's 8-2 victory. It was not a good game from the Avalanche one bit. Outshot, out-chanced, and it shows with a 5-2 loss.
Period 1
Just under two minutes into the first period, Sam Malinski tries to clear the puck but sends it over the glass and is called for a delay of game penalty. The Avalanche would easily kill the penalty. Though 10 minutes into the first period, the shots on goal are 6-2 Senators, which is a great sign for how the Senators came out, but a telling sign of a slow and sluggish start for the Avalanche.
It also shows just how poor their puck control has been, too many mistakes leading to turnovers, and how they have helped the Senators set up in the offensive zone. Taylor Makar is called for hooking, but the Avalanche penalty kill stands strong and kills it off, ending the first period tied.
Period 2
Nick Cousins is able to sneak behind the defense and receives a great pass from Artem Zub, and beats MacKenzie Blackwood with a nifty backhand shot. Scary moment when Martin Necas tries to check Zub on the boards but misses, and he leads awkwardly with his elbow and is down on the ice for a bit.
He can get up and skate down the tunnel on his own, but thankfully, he is back just a couple of minutes later. Artturi Lehkonen is called for hooking, but the Senators fail to capitalize on the power play for the third time.
Blackwood robs Brady Tkatchuck with a shot from the slot. It’s really been him, and the Avalanche penalty kill that's kept this game a one-goal game for so long. It's Parker Kelly who finds a loose puck and rips a shot past Reimer to tie it up, 1-1. His 11th goal sets a career high in points (20).
Just 15 seconds later, Ridly Greig beats Keaton Middleton as he receives a great stretch pass from Tyler Kleven and rifles it top shelf, 2-1. Blackwood was in a weird place between playing it and not playing it, and Greig’s shot really beat him to the punch, not making a decision quickly enough.
Just eight shots on goal for the Avalanche after two periods, which is a season low through 40 minutes. The last season low was 16 SOG against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 9 and the Nashville Predators on Nov.22
Period 3
Claude Giroux on the 2-on-1 picks his corner, this time top left, and rips it past Blackwood to make it 3-1. Valeri Nichushkin makes it 3-2 with a slick positional play from Jack Drury, allowing him to find Nichushkin all alone in front with a nice backhand shot.
The Avalanche would look much better controlling the puck and getting shots on net, but just can’t get anything else to go. Blackwood would be pulled twice, but Tkatchuk and Tim Stutzle would make it 4-2 and 5-2 to end the game.
The Avalanche are back in action tomorrow (Jan. 29) in a back-to-back game against the Montreal Canadiens, wearing the Quebec Nordiques jersey.
Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Emil Pieniniemi has been called up from the ECHL to the AHL.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced on Tuesday that Pieniniemi has been promoted to them from the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers. He had compiled two goals and four points in 10 games with the Nailers prior to being called up.
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) January 27, 2026
Pieniniemi was suspended by the Penguins' organization after he failed to report to Wheeling at the start of the season. He even returned to Finland during his suspension before agreeing to report to Wheeling in December. Once he reported to Wheeling, his suspension was lifted.
After playing well for the Nailers, he'll now get his shot in the AHL with a team that is second in the Atlantic Division.
Pieniniemi was drafted by the Penguins in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He spent the 2024-25 season with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs, finishing with 10 goals and 60 points in 60 games.
Another decision-making moment is coming up for the Nashville Predators.
Losing four of their last five, most recently in overtime to the Boston Bruins, 3-2, on Tuesday, the Predators are slowly slipping out of the Western Conference Wild Card race.
With the Olympic break approaching, league play will pause for two weeks, giving general managers time to thoroughly analyze their rosters ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
Nearly every single Predators player has had a rumor about them getting traded. From Ryan O'Reilly to Nick Blakenburg, there been an argument for why every player should go.
A little over a month from the trade deadline, here is a realistic look at the Predators' situation and what could happen.
What we know
Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators incoming general manager Barry Trotz announces the twenty fourth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
According to PuckPedia, the Predators have around $27.8 million to spend at the NHL trade deadline, more than enough to make some big moves.
Six players have no-movement clauses, which means they cannot be traded or sent to the minors unless the Predators have player approval:
Filip Forsberg ($8.85 million AAV), Steven Stamkos ($8 million AAV), Jonathan Marchessault ($5.5 million AAV), Roman Josi ($9.059 AAV), Brady Skjei ($7 million AAV) and Juuse Saros ($7.740 AAV).
Two players are currently being bought out:
Matt Duchene ($6.55 million this year, then $1.55 million AAV from 2026-27 to 2028-29) and Kyle Turris ($2 million AAV until 2027-28).
The Predators have retained salary on two players:
Colton Sissions ($1.428 million for the 2025-26 season) and Mattias Ekholm ($250,000 for the 2025-26 season).
Other notable details include Erik Haula (six-team no-trade list), Matthew Wood and Fedor Svechkov (both on ELCs and two-way contracts). Tyson Jost, Adam Wilsby and Ozzy Weisblatt are all on two-way contracts.
As for free agents, the following players will be UFA's after this season: Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, Tyson Jost, Andreas Englund, and Nick Blakenburg.
Fedor Svechkov and Justin Barron will be restricted free agents.
General Manager Barry Trotz had been candid, saying on 102.5 The Game on Tuesday that "everything has to be on the table."
Trading Ryan O'Reilly or Steven Stamkos
Nov 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal with center Steven Stamkos (91) during the third period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
O'Reilly: 3rd year of a 4-year, $18 million ($4.50 AAV)
Stamkos: 2nd year of 4-year, $32 million ($8 million AAV) with a No-Trade Clause
One of the biggest trade talks around the league has been about O'Reilly and Stamkos, specifically at the beginning of the year, and it's now flaring up again.
O'Reilly carried the Predators through the first quarter of the season and has been their most consistent player all year, recording 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists) in 52 games.
Stamkos had a slow start to the season, sparking up conversation that the future Hall of Famer may want to leave Nashville for a contender in his final few years in the league. Since then, his game has picked up, recording 38 points (25 goals, 13 assists) in 52 games.
O'Reilly has been asked about a trade before, earlier in the year, and he said he has not been open to those conversations, adding that he "wants to be part of the solution" in Nashville.
Trotz also said the Predators would need to get a high-caliber player in return if they were to trade O'Reilly. Seemingly, Nashville doesn't want just draft picks for O'Reilly.
As for Stamkos, it's about whether he wants to go. If he's set on staying in Nashville, any sort of trade talk is done.
Into the next step of who could be potential suitors to take on an AAV of $8 million or $4.50 million?
When talking about the most appealing places for O'Reilly or Stamkos to go, it looks like Detroit or San Jose.
The Sharks have a $8.960 million in deadline cap space, ahead of the Wild Card curve Nashville is chasing and at least 3 steps ahead in the rebuild process, with an extremely bright future.
O'Reilly would be a good fit in adding another veteran leader to a beaming, young Sharks team. However, they are currently projected to be about a million above the cap by the end of the season.
The Red Wings have $59.449 million of deadline cap space and are expected to have $13 million by the end of the season. Detroit is battling Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and is seemingly rounding a corner, ready to be a consistent player contender again.
Who could the Predators get for O'Reilly?
Jan 10, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) skates with the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
So what could the Predators get in return if they were to trade, hypothetically, with the Red Wings or Sharks?
Jeff Skinner's No-Trade Clause expires at the end of January and is currently in a 1-year, $3 million contract.
He has 13 points in 32 games, so he does not have the high impact as O'Reilly, but he is a veteran piece that could fill the role. Skinner also has a eight team no trade list through the end of the season.
Tyler Toffoli would be another option, in the second year of a 4-year, $24 million contract, with 35 points in 51 games, but he has a no-trade clause and seemingly has no interest in leaving San Jose.
The Sharks could package deal it, but Trotz said that they want a 1-for-1 return if O'Reilly is traded.
On the Detroit side of things, the trade the Predators would likely want is O'Reilly for Lucas Raymond. He's a young winger with 58 points in 52 games and has no contract protection until the 2028-29 season, which comes as a 10-team no-trade list.
He has a much pricier contract than O'Reilly's, at 8 years and $64.6 million, with an $8.08 annual hit. Nashville would truly need to bundle to get this done, and it'd be a hard sell to Detroit.
It's unlikely to happen, but these are the kinds of trades Nashville wants for shipping O'Reilly, and likely more if Stamkos leaves.
The Edmonton Oilers are another team that's been rumored to land O'Reilly. They have only $425,000 in deadline space, but as we know, teams aren't afraid to go over that cap.
This isn't as appealing to Nashville as the Oilers have seven forwards tied down by no-movement clauses.
The only trade that would be likely for what the Predators want for O'Reilly is if they package him in order to land Evan Bouchard, who has 56 points in 54 games as a defenseman.
That'd also be a massive cap hit at a 4-year, $42 million contract with a $10.5 million annual hit.
This trade situation may seem a bit "out there," but the Predators are asking a lot for O'Reilly. If he's gone, they don't want a production fall off or having to wait to draft a player of his potential caliber.
Likely trade deadline situations
Dec 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (30) defends the net against Nashville Predators left wing Michael Bunting (58) and left wing Erik Haula (56) during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Michael Bunting, F: Final year of 3-year, $13.5 million deal with $4.5 million AAV
Erik Haula, C: Final year of 3-year, $9.45 million deal with $3.15 million AAV, 6 team no-trade list
Nick Blakenburg, D: Final year of a 2-year of $1.55 million deal with $775,000 AAV
Michael McCarron, C: Final year of 2-year, $1.8 million deal with $900,000 AAV
Cole Smith, F: Final year of 2 year, $2 million contract with a $1 million AAV
Nick Perbix, D: First year of 2-year, $5.5 million contract with $2.75 million AAV
The Predators have a handful of guys who are playing well, nearing the end of their contracts, and don't cost a ton that they can use in the market.
The biggest being Michael Bunting, who has had a massive uptick in production this season, recording 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 52 games. He has been a significant boost in Nashville's bottom six and could slide into the same role on any team.
Erik Haula, who had a slow start to the year, is another bottom-six player who could give any team some good depth. He has 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 52 games, nine of which have come on the power play.
Haula's veteran presence and Olympic experience are huge assets for any team's bottom six and would be a massive addition to a second power-play unit. His only limitation is a six-team no-trade list.
Blakenburg has proven to be a valuable asset on the Predators' second and third pairings this season, tallying 21 points in 42 games. Standing at just 5-foot-9-inches, Blakenburg has proven to be a critical depth piece.
Then there's guys the Predators likely want to offload. Michael McCarron and Cole Smith have played a specific role on the fourth line, but haven't added much depth to the lineup.
McCarron has nine points in 51 games and 67 penalty minutes and Smith has eight points in 33 games and 25 penalty minutes. While their role as aggressors is important, Nashville needs scoring depth.
Nick Perbix is another player who has been underperforming and could be on the move. He has eight points in 49 games and a plus/minus of -12. His contract is a little big, but he could find another team.
The Predators are likely not looking to trade too many picks, but this is what they have in stock.
As for who the Predators can bring in or what they'll bring in, it'll likely be a supplimental bottom six player and a few draft picks.
Nashville has needed support down the middle and needs more depth on the blue line. Getting guys who can log solid minutes and create plays will help the Predators make the jump into the playoffs.
Going the other way, bringing in a bunch of draft picks could help Nashville strike big with their 2026 and 2027 classes. Nashville already has 11 picks in this year's and next year's draft classes. The talent pool could easily be much deeper.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ondrej Palat scored the opening goal and added an assist in his debut with the New York Islanders, who defeated their cross-town rival New York Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday night.
Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists, David Rittich made 14 saves, and the Islanders won their second straight game. Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman also scored.
Mika Zibanejad and Taylor Raddysh scored for the Rangers. Spencer Martin stopped 31 shots, but the Rangers lost for the fourth time in their last five games and are 2-8-1 since they won the Winter Classic in Florida on Jan. 2. Star forward Artemi Panarin was held out of the lineup for roster management purposes and will not play again for the Rangers before the Olympic break.
Holmstrom made a slick pass from the half wall to set up Palat in the slot for a power-play goal with 5:01 remaining in the first period.
Tony DeAngelo found Holmstrom for a tap-in goal 1:11 later, giving the Islanders a 2-0 lead.
Zibanejad buried a cross-ice feed from J.T. Miller late in the first period to pull the Rangers within one.
Barzal and Pageau scored 47 seconds apart midway through the second period to extend the Islanders’ lead to 4-1.
The Islanders acquired Palat from the New Jersey Devils, along with a third-round pick in 2026 and a sixth-round pick in 2027, in exchange for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
BLUE JACKETS 5, FLYERS 3
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Charlie Coyle had a goal and an assist and Columbus beat Philadelphia for its third straight win.
Kirill Marchenko, Eric Gudbranson, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets to offset a hat trick by Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny.
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 24 shots for Columbus and Zach Werenski had two assists, giving him 35 points in his last 21 home games.
The Blue Jackets have won seven of their last eight games and are tied at 57 points with the Flyers and Capitals for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.
Konecny’s hat trick was the third of his career and Dan Vladar made 26 saves in his first start after missing six games with a lower-body injury. Rasmus Ristolainen left with a lower-body injury in the first period and did not return in the Flyers’ second straight loss.
SENATORS 5, AVALANCHE 2
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist, Artem Zub added two assists and Ottawa defeated league-leading Colorado.
Nick Cousins, Ridly Greig, Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk also scored for Ottawa and James Reimer made 16 saves.
Parker Kelly and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche, who have now lost three of their last four. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 18 shots.
Trailing for most of the game, Colorado pushed back hard in the third period but the Senators were able to hold on.
The Senators made it 3-1 early in the third with Giroux scoring his 10th of the season beating Blackwood high blocker.
Less than two minutes later, a Giroux giveaway proved costly. Jack Drury found Nichushkin out front and the latter went to his backhand and beat Reimer high glove.
