The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Rangers At St.Louis.

THE GOOD: 

1. J.T. IN OVERTIME: Commodore Miller delivers again in the extra session and that's good for two points. His shot was a laser, proving there's something left in his arsenal.

2. LUCKY GABE: Because the rookie Perreault went to the net, he was lucky to have a Will Cuylle billiard shot bound off his skate and in for the Blueshirts only regulation goal.

3. OUT OF THE FOXHOLE: Key injured veteran defenseman Adam The Fox skated in a non-contact sweater which indicates that he could be ready for action in time for the December 27th tilt with the Islanders.

4. SHESTY IN TIME: After misplaying the lone St.Louis goal, Iggy got his act together and saved the two-pointer with a solid third period.

THE BAD: 

1. DOPEY ROPE: For two periods, St.Louis played rope-a-dope – whatever that is – which displeased some critics who wanted firewagon hockey.

THE UGLY:

1. STICK BLUNDERING IGOR: Shesty's pass to Comrade Vlad Gavrikov was right out of a four-year-old's game. Gavvy got handcuffed and the Blues scored on an angle shot that a five-year-old would have stopped with a yawn.

Who's Singing The Blues In St.Louis? Not The BlueshirtsQuick Quiz: What happens when the team picked fourth in the Metro (<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a>) meets the team picked sixth in the Central Division, alias the St.Louis Blues?

2. RIDDLED IN THE THIRD: The Rangers escaped the third period tied 1-1 despite being outshot 11-4.

CONCLUSION: Weakly and meekly, the Blueshirts escaped St. Louis in almost-orderly retreat and very content with the two points. Hey, they all count!

Flyers call up exciting prospect who ‘plays like he's 6-4' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Denver Barkey took another step in proving the skeptics wrong.

The 5-foot-9 winger, often doubted for being undersized, was called up Friday by the Flyers.

With 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 26 games for AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, Barkey has used his relentless forecheck and advanced smarts to impress the Flyers. We’ll see if the 20-year-old will make his NHL debut Saturday when the Flyers face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden (12:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

“The biggest thing about him is that he’s just so competitive,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden said in September. “He’s a smaller guy, but he plays like he’s 6-4.”

Not many had Barkey jumping to the Flyers this early into his first season of pro hockey. But he was coming off an excellent junior career. Last season, he captained London to a Memorial Cup title. In four seasons with the Knights, he made the OHL championship series three times and won the last two.

“He’s a guy that the players seem to gravitate to in the locker room,” Patrick Sharp, a special advisor to the Flyers’ hockey operations department, said in July. “Has a lot of tools to his game. Obviously people talk about his size, but his hockey IQ is exceptional, he has got great skating ability, he’s ultra competitive and he has won a lot already.”

Sharp and Barkey have something pretty cool in common. They both were selected by the Flyers in the third round at 95th overall. Identical pick, just different years.

“We’ve kind of had a tighter bond ever since,” Barkey said in September 2023 after being drafted that summer. “He’s obviously a knowledgeable guy and someone that I listen to.

“He’s got a really cool story. Leaning on him when it comes to advice, and I know he had his struggles in his early years, so leaning on him for advice and things like that has been huge.”

Barkey, who weighs around 170 to 175 pounds, was cut by Team Canada twice for world juniors. He has used that as fuel. The Flyers like his motor so much that he has drawn some comparisons to Travis Konecny.

“I call him, like, a little, mini T.K. — he’s all over the puck, he’s grinding,” Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong said in September. “When he doesn’t have the puck, he’s always working to get the puck back.”

In his first game back with the New York Rangers, Gabe Perreault made a noticeable impact. 

The Rangers called up Perreault with the hopes of turning around their offensive woes, and it seems as if the team made the right decision.

In the second period of the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, Will Cuylle’s shot deflected off of Perreault’s skate, marking his first career NHL goal. 

It may have been an unorthodox kind of goal, but it was still a moment that Perreault will never forget. 

“I kind of blacked out,” Perreault said about his goal. “Pretty lucky one, but feels good to get the first one.”

The 20-year-old forward played on a line alongside Noah Laba and Taylor Raddysh. He was also slotted into a power-play role on the team’s second unit. 

Throughout the night, Perreault flashed off some impressive passes, as he’s always been highly touted for his high hockey IQ and strong facilitating abilities. 

Rangers Call Up Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault From AHL The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> have recalled Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League while sending Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar back down.&nbsp;

He also didn’t appear to be overwhelmed by the pace of play. In fact, his poise with the puck on his stick and the ability to play off of the puck were impressive for a rookie. 

Perreault logged in a total of 13:09 minutes. 

To kick off the season in the AHL, Perreault has recorded 10 goals, seven assists, and 17 points in 20 games. 

“We just want to see where his game is at, and we're trying to put him in a position to succeed,” Mike Sullivan said of Perreault. We're excited about Gabe's game and where it can go… I think he's had a pretty good stretch of games in Hartford, and we like potentially what he could bring to our lineup.”

When the puck is dropped tonight, it'll mark Eetu Luostarinen's 400th career NHL game, 392 of which came with the Florida Panthers.

The Carolina Hurricanes, the Panthers' opponent tonight, selected Luostarinen in the second round (42nd overall) in the 2017 NHL draft, but he would go on to play just eight games with the Hurricanes. On Feb. 24, 2020, the Hurricanes sent  Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark, Chase Priskie, and Luostarinen to the Panthers in exchange for Vincent Trocheck. Luostarinen is the only player to still play for the team that acquired him in the deal. 

Being traded to the Panthers was the best possible scenario for Luostarinen. He's developed into one of the better third-line wingers, and now that the Panthers are dealing with injuries to key players, they feel comfortable moving him up in the lineup.

In 25 games this season, he's notched three goals and 13 points, but the Panthers are defensively sharp with him on the ice. 

"He's in the Barkov category of prototypical in the way that we want to play the game," said coach Paul Maurice. "Now, we kind of honor the guys that put up a lot of points. We understand that. But in quality of role, he's as good a player as we have."

Now 400 games into his career, Luostarinen is respected among his peers and one of the league's best penalty killers. He embodies the mentality and play style of the Panthers to a tee, and it's why he's earned two contract extensions during his Panthers tenure, and will likely earn another one when his contract expires in 2027. Luostarinen is also expected to be a key figure for Finland at the 2026 Olympics in February.

"Time flies when you're having fun," said the 6-foot-3, 191-pound. 

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After a five-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks will return home to Orange County to host the Dallas Stars on Friday evening. The Ducks went 2-2-1 on the trip and did not play their best hockey; lucky to come away from some of their games with points in the standings. However, as the trip wore on and in their last two games, they were able to tighten up their end, protect the high-danger areas of the ice, and keep opposing chances to a minimum.

To date, and though they’ve shown great improvement over previous seasons (especially from an offensive perspective), the Ducks remain one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. They are surrendering 3.29 goals against per game (24th in the NHL), 29.2 shots against per game (25th in the NHL), and at 5v5, they’re allowing 2.95 expected goals against per 60 minutes (31st in the NHL).

Somewhat similar to the early stages of 2024-25, a young defenseman has unexpectedly impressed spectators along with the Ducks' coaching staff, playing his way into more consistent ice time. A year ago, it was Jackson LaCombe, who is now the team’s top blueliner and one of the NHL’s top minute-eaters on the backend (25:15 TOI/G).

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report (12/18/25)

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Win over the Rangers, 4-3 OT Loss to the Blue Jackets

This season, after starting the year with the San Diego Gulls and being inserted in the lineup when captain Radko Gudas sustained a lower-body injury that caused him to miss 11 games, rookie Ian Moore has played 20 games for the Ducks, averaging 14:00 TOI/G, scoring five points (2-3=5), and playing a dynamic yet fundamentally sound brand of defense for Anaheim in his career’s infancy.

Moore’s emergence, along with the Ducks' questionable defensive efforts night-to-night, has caused a bit of a logjam on the team’s blueline for the second straight season. Of late, Pavel Mintyukov served as a healthy scratch, followed by Moore, followed most recently by Drew Helleson.

“Everybody wants to play in the worst way, and everybody expects to play. At the same time, we’re in a fortunate situation where we have to make hard decisions, and we let them know that this is part of the position we’re in right now," Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after morning skate on Friday. "And hey, you’re not out for a long time, just be ready when you’re not playing. Keep yourself prepared for when you come back in, and play like it’s not going to happen again. We’re in a fortunate position to be able to do that, but nobody wants to be that guy. Right now, there are four of them that are in that position, so it’s not punishment either.”

The next talented young Ducks blueliner seemingly in line for a healthy scratch in tonight’s game against the Stars is Olen Zellweger, who will be in the press box for the first time this season.

Quenneville didn't fully commit to the decision when talking to media, but strongly hinted that was where this situation was likely trending.

“He could be, yeah. We’ve been moving around with our defense," Quenneville said. "Part of the decision is performance, but at the same time, we want to make sure that everybody gets a turn.”

This comes as a surprise, as Zellweger has arguably been the Ducks' best defenseman in 2025-26. He’s tallied 14 points (5-9=14) in 34 games, averaged 18:11 TOI/G, and when he’s on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks hold 53.53% of the shot attempt share (leads Ducks defensemen), 50.19% of the shots on goal share, and 50.48% of the expected goals share.

His modest point total is disappointing, and Zellweger was recently taken off the Ducks’ second power play unit, replaced by Jacob Trouba. He has a game-breaking offensive skillset, with unmatched puck skills and flawless skating technique, which he’s flashed on occasion in his young NHL career, but has been unable to consistently translate it to the NHL level and become a true threat that opponents have to gameplan for.

The Ducks have struggled mightily to defend the net front this season, and judging by his (listed) 5-foot-10 and 193-pound frame, one would guess Zellweger had been a significant culprit of poor defense in that area of the ice. One would have guessed wrong, however.

Zellweger has worked tirelessly to improve the defensive habits in his game, maximizing his frame, and simply doesn’t get beat often on the defensive side of the puck. His size does limit him to a degree, and he’s been walked on rare occasions this year, but when it comes to engagement, he’s been one of the Ducks' most diligent net-front defenders.

Unless an injury to a roster player is sustained, Quenneville doesn’t elect to alter a winning lineup for the following game. It will be curious to monitor this logjam situation on the Ducks' blueline and compare it to a year ago, where it seemed detrimental to the development of Zellweger and Mintyukov.

When Mintyukov served three consecutive healthy scratches earlier this season, reports were leaked suggesting that if his ice time didn’t increase, he’d prefer a trade. Though he’s been a healthy scratch on one other occasion, his on-ice response and play has been spectacular. Moore didn’t miss a beat either when he returned to the lineup most recently. Helleson will return to the lineup against the Stars, so his response will be scrutinized and evaluated as well.

“I think at that moment, they probably all have the same bitterness or whatever you want to call it," Quenneville said when asked about how the conversations go with players and their responses to scratches. "But at the same time, I think as a team, we look at that as part of what it’s all about. Make sure you contribute in a meaningful way when you get back in and have a positive outlook on what the process is all about.”

Though not entirely ideal, on the surface, having too many quality, young, NHL-caliber defenseman on the Ducks blueline is a good problem to have. The key will be messaging and communication so as not to limit their potential impact down the road for the organization.

Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba On Returning To New York City

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Loss to the Devils

Report: Ducks Ryan Strome 'Could be Out There' for Teams Looking for a Center

The Philadelphia Flyers’ 5–3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres was frustrating less because of the final score and more because of how the game slipped away.

Philadelphia showed enough early to suggest control was within reach, but defensive breakdowns and a fading push in the second half of the game allowed Buffalo to seize momentum and keep it. The result evens the season series at one game apiece and serves as a reminder of how quickly structure can erode when execution dips.

---

1. A Strong Start Didn’t Translate Into Sustained Control.

Philadelphia fell behind 1–0 early but responded with stretches of play that suggested the game was tilting back in their favor. The Flyers were organized through the neutral zone, managed Buffalo’s speed reasonably well, and generated offense without needing extended zone time.

Goals from Noah Cates, Cam York, and Travis Konecny reflected their efforts, and, for a time, looked like it could be enough to give them the two points.

That balance, however, didn’t last. As the game progressed into the latter stages of the second period and into the third, Buffalo began to dictate tempo, outshooting the Flyers 24–15 across the final two periods.

---

2. Defensive Breakdowns Defined the Difference.

Buffalo capitalized on mistakes rather than overpowering the Flyers. Missed assignments in the defensive zone and slow rotations allowed the Sabres to generate high-quality looks, particularly as Philadelphia’s structure loosened. The Flyers were often caught between pressuring the puck and protecting the middle of the ice, creating seams Buffalo was quick to attack.

This wasn’t a case of being overwhelmed physically or outmatched in pace. Instead, it was a game where details slipped—poor reads on zone exits, delayed reactions to second chances, and breakdowns that turned manageable situations into goals against.

Cam York’s goal and Jamie Drysdale’s assist highlighted positive moments from the blue line offensively, but defensively the group couldn’t consistently close gaps once Buffalo found its rhythm.

---

3. Special Teams Failed to Provide a Counterpunch.

The Flyers’ power play finished 0-for-3, and none of those opportunities shifted momentum back in Philadelphia’s favor.

At a point in the game where Buffalo was starting to push, a power-play goal could have slowed things down or forced the Sabres to recalibrate. Instead, the Flyers struggled to establish clean entries and generate sustained pressure.

Buffalo was aggressive on the kill, and the Flyers didn’t adjust quickly enough. Pucks were forced into traffic rather than worked to open ice, leading to quick clears and shortened possessions. When five-on-five play started to tilt, special teams didn’t offer relief.

(Attempting To) Fix The Flyers’ Power Play: Who Should Be Trusted With The Man Advantage?In the NHL, power plays are make-or-break. They swing momentum, pad leads, and save games that might otherwise slip away. And if you watched the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> last season, you don’t need a stats sheet to know their man-advantage was broken.

---

4. Individual Production Remained Steady.

Despite the loss, several Flyers continued strong individual stretches.

Travis Konecny scored his 10th goal of the season and extended his point streak to four games. Trevor Zegras recorded his team-high 20th assist, extending his point streak to six games and becoming the fastest Flyer to reach 20 assists since Danny Briere (also a former Sabre) in 2007–08. Bobby Brink added two assists, while Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale both contributed from the back end.

---

The Bottom Line

Philadelphia has shown this season that it can control games early, but sustaining that control for a full 60 minutes can still be inconsistent. When pressure increases, the margin for error narrows, and against Buffalo, the Flyers didn’t manage that stretch well.

It was a gut-wrenching gradual unraveling—one that left little room to recover once Buffalo took the lead for good. For a team aiming to stabilize its play, the lesson from this game is less about effort and more about execution when momentum shifts.

The Flyers leave Buffalo knowing they had enough early to shape the outcome, but not enough late to preserve it.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

The Detroit Red Wings are set to embark on a trip to Washington D.C. for the first of what will be two straight tilts against the Washington Capitals, beginning on Saturday afternoon, with the second taking place at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon. 

Prior to departing town for the nation's capital city, the Red Wings gathered for practice at the BELFOR Training Center inside of Little Caesars Arena, where both Patrick Kane and Moritz Seider skated and shot a few pucks before the rest of their teammates took the ice. 

Kane did not play in either of Detroit's two most recent games against the New York Islanders and the Utah Mammoth. According to McLellan, he will not be available for Saturday's game but will accompany the club on the trip. 

However, McLellan's update on Seider was more encouraging. His ironman streak isn't expected to be in danger, as Detroit's coach indicated that their top defenseman will be able to suit up and that Friday was just a maintenance day. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

In Kane's most recent game against his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, he scored the 498th goal of his NHL career. However, he was banged up when his skates accidentally collided with the post during the second period of play, resulting in him falling into the boards in the corner. 

He was able to remain in the game through the final horn, but didn't play in either of Detroit's subsequent two matchups and will miss at least his third straight. 

Kane had already missed multiple games this season thanks to an upper-body injury suffered in late October, and has scored six goals with 17 assists in the 24 games he's appeared in. 

The Red Wings are slated to drop the puck against the Capitals at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday from Capital One Arena, followed by another matinee affair on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. 

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had a good start to the 2025-26 season, as evidenced by their 17-10-6 record.

With the Flyers taking a nice step in the right direction so far this season, it appears that they are now looking to add to their roster. 

According to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch, the Flyers are among the teams interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. Garrioch also shared that the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars are among the clubs with interest in Sherwood. 

If the Flyers brought in Sherwood, he would give them another solid option to work with in their top nine. This is especially so when noting that the hard-nosed forward can play both left wing and right wing. Due to this, he could fit in multiple spots for the Flyers if acquired. 

If the Flyers are still in the playoff race near the deadline, it could make a lot of sense for them to bring in a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) like Sherwood. He would have the potential to give their forward group a nice boost, as he can score and plays with plenty of toughness. 

Sherwood has recorded 13 goals, four assists, 17 points, and 146 hits in 33 games so far this season with the Canucks. 

If Lane Hutson had a slow start to the season when his contract negotiations with the Montreal Canadiens were making the headlines, he’s now firing on all cylinders. In Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the offensive defenseman put up three assists and became the first Habs defenseman to gather 60 helpers in a calendar year when he took part in Montreal’s first goal of the game.

In four of his last five games, the 21-year-old put up multipoint efforts and in 34 games this season, he has 31 points, including five goals. He’s only one goal short of the final tally of his rookie season, and he’s on pace for 75 points in a full 82-game season. That would represent a ninth-point progression and tie the fourth-highest point total for a defenseman in Canadiens history. Larry Robinson has had the two most prolific campaigns with 85 and 82 points, while Guy Lapointe got the third-highest total with 76. The latter also had the fourth-most productive season.

Canadiens: Bolduc Breaks The Ice At Home
Canadiens' First-Round Pick Impresses For Team Canada
Canadiens' Robidas: They Need Some Reps

The fact that Hutson, in his sophomore season, is already on pace to tie marks established by some of the best Canadiens defensemen in history is an incredible feat. If some believe that he would have a tougher time this season now that the league has had time to study the young defenseman, they’ve been proven wrong. Hutson has a high hockey IQ, and no matter how much you watch him, you can’t predict what he’s going to do in any given situation because he reads the game so well that he adapts to the different situations like a fish takes to water.

He’s been working hard on his shot this season, and it shows. He takes more shots than he did last season, and his shooting percentage has gone up as well (from 6.6% to 8.6%). Last year, he took 91 shots in 82 games, and this season he’s already taken 58 and is on pace for 140. In the 2024-25 campaign, Mike Matheson was the shots leader among Habs defensemen, taking 149.

Whichever way you look at it, the young defenseman is improving, and the Canadiens have yet to discover what his ceiling will be. With Matheson sidelined right now, he’s been playing even more minutes, seeing some action on the penalty kill as well.

When questioned about his use of the PK, coach Martin St-Louis said he always knew the youngster could play down a man but never used him to manage his ice time. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and he’s been doing it in the last two games. For Hutson, it’s just another type of mission, which he admits to loving, because the aim is to frustrate the other team’s power play.

Lane Hutson assisted on the @CanadiensMTL game-tying goal in the first period to reach 60 assists this calendar year. #NHLStats

Tune in 🌎: https://t.co/dT34F4MhkCpic.twitter.com/jlGlR1UnFw

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) December 19, 2025

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  Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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In the Minnesota Wild's (21-9-5) game against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-6), defenseman Carson Lambos made his NHL debut.

After 163 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) and 1,610 days after the Wild selected Lambos with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he finally made his NHL debut.

And he looked great.

According to HockeyStatCards, Lambos led all Wild defensemen in the game in GameScore.

NHL GameScore Impact Card for Minnesota Wild on 2025-12-18: pic.twitter.com/Z7SKxjiOb6

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) December 19, 2025

“Long journey and a lot of ups and downs along the way, not playing for a year, among a lot of other things, too,” said Lambos after the game. “So it’s really exciting to be here and have this chance."

Lambos, 22, received the “Hero of the Game” hat after his debut. He had 17 impressive shifts that included a shot and a blocked shot that may have saved a goal later in the game.

NHL debut ✅
THE HAT ✅ pic.twitter.com/GVPnvcjAFN

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 19, 2025

With Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton back skating in Minnesota following their injuries, and Zach Bogosian waiting in the wings, it isn't certain how many more game Lambos will get in the NHL this year if any but he made it clear on Thursday that he is ready to be a NHL defenseman.

"I thought it was a good first game for him," said Wild head coach John Hynes. "I thought he had strong details to his game. He skated well. Strength wise he looked good. I thought he played a simple, reliable and good first game. The encouraging things where, his skating, he's a pretty good size young kid, good strength on him and it didn't seem like he was overwhelmed by the circumstances. So that was good to see."

a moment worth celebrating #EasyToCelebrate | @budlightpic.twitter.com/pB60Gsq0wa

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 19, 2025

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The Edmonton Oilers may face a difficult decision. After watching Tristan Jarry leave the game on Thursday night with what might be a serious injury, the team has to determine whether the injury is serious or minor, particularly given they have less than 24 hours to make another trade. 

The NHL's holiday roster freeze takes effect at 11:59 p.m. local time tonight and runs until Dec. 28. The Oilers have a couple of games during that time. More than that, if Jarry is out long-term, Edmonton needs a replacement. 

Related: Oilers Beat Bruins, But Potentially Lose Jarry In The Process

Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast, "I actually wrote last week, Edmonton did a lot of research around Alex Lyon. I heard last summer they did too. He was one of the guys they did a kind of deep dive on." That's interesting. Even while the organization made a bet on Jarry, they were doing their homework on another netminder. 

That is either suggests the Oilers could go either way, or they were looking at completely overhauling the crease. 

Friedman added that new Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has said the three-goalie experiment is coming to an end in Buffalo. He added that the Sabres like Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, so he doesn’t believe either is going anywhere. If the Sabres are determined to move one of their netminders, it's Lyon. 

That suggests Buffalo is open for business. 

Friedman added, “I have great respect for Lyon, I think he’s a guy who has saved how many teams with good 10 to 15 game stretches. Like I said, Edmonton has spoken about him, they’ve done their research on him. They looked into him again this season. They called the Sabres a couple of times in recent weeks…. It comes down to, is Buffalo ready to do this? And, it also comes down to how seriously Jarry might be hurt. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they didn’t make a call to Buffalo on Friday if they hadn’t already.”

The only downside for the Oilers here is that Buffalo now holds all the leverage. If the word is Jarry is hurt and the Oilers like Lyon, Edmonton may be forced to overpay given that there aren't many other options available. Kekalainen will know this and if he's doing his job, work that angle with the Oilers backed into a corner. 

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Last season, no NHL team had more shutouts than the Ottawa Senators, who tied for the league lead with 10. This season, they've been a little harder to come by.

But on Thursday night, Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 saves he faced, including some absolute beauties as the Senators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 at Canadian Tire Centre. Not only was it Ottawa's first shutout of the season, but it was also only the fourth time all season that they've allowed one goal or less.

Brady Tkachuk scored twice to help extend the Penguins winless skid to seven (0-3-4). David Perron and Claude Giroux also scored for the Senators, while Drake Batherson had two assists.

The Senators have been saying for a while that they like their game, and had hoped the breaks would start to come their way. They got a lucky break to tie the game late in Winnipeg on Monday.

And as another sign that the clouds may be lifting, they got some more breaks on the Perron and Giroux goals against Pittsburgh.

Perron's goal seemed to bounce in off his skate or shin pad following a bad-angle shot from Jordan Spence. Giroux's goal came after Michael Amadio got the puck caught up in his skates, and as he tried to find it, it clicked around from blade to blade, and as it did, he unknowingly made a great move to beat his man and get it to Giroux. G then blindly spun and swept it at the net and beat Arturs Silovs between the legs.

That said, the Senators were fully deserving of the victory with one of their best games of the season. They improved their record to 16-13-4, and despite their 3-1 mark in the past four games, they're still three points out of a playoff spot.

Whether they're targeting the top three in the Atlantic or a Wild Card spot, there are a lot of teams ahead of them. The Sens' mediocre start has put them in a difficult but not insurmountable spot.

The Senators will catch another break in their next game on Saturday afternoon at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. They won't have to face Connor Bedard, who's out with a reported separated shoulder. Bedard torched the Senators with his first NHL hat trick in Chicago's 7-3 victory back in October.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Conor Timmins has suffered a broken leg. In addition, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff shared that Timmins is expected to be out of action for the next six to eight weeks.

Timmins suffered his injury during the Sabres' Dec. matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. During the contest, he recorded two shots in 16:00 of ice time.

This is certainly tough news for the Sabres, as Timmins is one of their regular defensemen. Now, they will need to adjust to not having him in the lineup while he is sidelined with his broken leg.

Timmins has appeared in 33 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded zero goals, six assists, 25 hits, and 70 blocks. This is after the 6-foot-3 defenseman had two goals and 15 points in 68 games this past season split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.