Three days into the new year, as the Ottawa Senators approach the midway point of the season, GM Steve Staios held a state-of-the-union address with the local media on Saturday morning.  

As the team got ready to host the Winnipeg Jets later in the day, Staios began with a prepared statement that described expectations being different this year, the incredible parity in the league, and that there is a lot to like about the "process-driven" way the club is playing this year.

But as former NFL head coach Bill Parcells once said, "You are what your record says you are." Silver linings and moral victories will only go so far with this hungry Ottawa fan base, which was hoping the club would take a step forward after making the playoffs last spring. Instead, the Senators will have to take some major steps forward in the second half just to replicate last season's success.

The Senators opened play on January 3rd near the bottom of the Eastern standings. Three points out of a wild card spot doesn't sound all that bad, but when you have seven teams ahead of you, someone is always going to be winning games to keep you stuck in the logjam. 

It's not unreasonable to suggest that it will take a five or six-game winning streak to break on through to the other side of this wild-card jungle. And if they manage to do it, they'll have to keep playing well consistently.

When asked about the team's lack of consistency this season, goaltending was the first thing Staios brought up.

"I don't know if it's been consistency in player effort," Staios told the media. "We live in reality, and there are a couple of areas of our game that aren't up to expectations. We can talk about goaltending, and if the goaltenders were in here right now, they would be honest that they haven't played up to expectations.

"I think the optimism comes from, over the last month or so, they have played to expectations. It wasn't the best of starts for them, but it had stabilized, and I would I would feel comfortable saying that it's going to continue to not only stabilize, but move in the right direction."

That's all well and good to say, but between having the worst save percentage in the NHL, combined with Linus Ullmark on indefinite personal leave, and their current two goalies with just 31 games of NHL experience between them, this all seems like the complete opposite of stability.

Staios was asked if he knew roughly when Ullmark might return.

"Well, Linus knows he's got our full support, and we're going to respect him by not having a comment on that situation. We have full belief in Linus, along with Leevi, who's a good young goaltender who continues to develop, along with our depth with Mads Sogaard and Hunter Shepard.

"We know what Linus is as a goaltender, and he knows what he is as a goaltender. But at this point in time, he has our full support, and we'll respect his privacy until we have him back.

"We'll give him the time afforded to make sure that things are in order."

When asked about the possibility of pulling the trigger on a deal to get more goaltending depth, Staios shoehorned Mads Sogaard into the discussion.

"Mads is continuing to develop and in the right spot right now where he's got the net in Belleville and getting getting that time. But he's always been a top prospect goaltender turning into a top pro prospect, on the cusp of getting an opportunity."

For now, though, Merilainen is the emergency plan A and has been since last summer. Staios is now executing what he believed was the very best plan available to him if something happened to Ullmark.

He believed it, knowing that Merilainen is the sixth-youngest goalie in the league; he believed it the day he let Anton Forsberg walk into free agency; and he believed it, knowing that Ullmark had never played more than 50 games in a season.

Now we're about to find out if he was right or not. 

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa

Read more Ottawa Senators news and features at The Hockey News:

Senators Announce That Linus Ullmark Is Taking Leave Of Absence
Top Ottawa Senators Prospect Suits Up Again At World Juniors
Josh Norris: 'I Really Felt Like (Ottawa Fans) Had My Back, Even When I Was Injured
'NHL Player Fined For Cross-Checking Senators Star Tim Stutzle In The Face
Ottawa Senators Have A Soft Spot For Their Tough Guy
Senators Announce Their Latest Addition To Ring Of Honour

An extremely difficult task awaits the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Sunrise.

Florida will look to avoid a third straight defeat when they host the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche at Amerant Bank Arena.

After marching through a strong stretch in December that saw the Panthers reel off wins in seven of eight, Florida has struggled of late.

Following the NHL’s annual holiday break around Christmas, the Panthers have lost three of four, including Friday’s Winter Classic at loanDepot Park.

Now they’ll try to right the ship against the top team in the league.

The Panthers were in Colorado a little less than a month ago, playing the second night of a back-to-back after winning in Utah the previous evening.

Several Panthers players said that was one of the toughest back-to-back sets they’d played due to the sudden changes in both time zone and elevation.

We’ll see if they can come up with a better effort on Sunday, after having a day off and being able to sleep in their own beds beforehand.

Florida defenseman Seth Jones left Friday’s Winter Classic with an upper-body injury and did not return, and his status for Sunday’s game remains unknown.

Jones took a deflected puck to the shoulder/collarbone area, but after the game Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said he didn’t think it was anything too serious.

Hopefully, for Florida’s sake, that means Jones will be good to go against Colorado.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Sunday’s meeting with the Avalanche:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicks

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Jan 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice looks on during the second period in the 2026 Winter Classic ice hockey game against the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park. (Rhona Wise-Imagn Images)

No team has beaten the Montreal Canadiens like the Dallas Stars did this season. On November 13, at the Bell Centre, Glen Gulutzan’s men put seven goals past the Canadiens’ goaltenders, five past Jakub Dobes in 40 minutes and two past Samuel Montembeault in the remaining 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Habs could get a single puck past backup goalie Casey De Smith. Yes, the Washington Capitals scored eight on the Tricolore a week later, but in that loss, the Habs at least managed to score four goals. On Sunday afternoon at the American Airlines Center, the Sainte-Flanelle will have a chance at redemption.

After being blanked by Jordan Bennington and the St. Louis Blues, Montreal will try to end its seven-game road trip on a high note with a win in Dallas. That’s no small task; however, the Stars have 57 points and are third in the standings, but they have lost their last two games and are 4-4-2 in their previous 10 games. The hosts have beaten the visitors seven times in the last 10 duels between the two sides, but the Canadiens won the earlier meeting in Dallas last January, 3-1, with Jakub Dobes in net.

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Martin St-Louis has yet to confirm who will start in net, but since the Canadiens returned from their Christmas break, he’s been alternating his goalies, and if he keeps it up, it would be Samuel Montembeault’s turn to step between the posts. The Becancour native has a good record against the Texans; in six games, he’s 2-2-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes is 1-1-0 with a 3.61 GAA and a .870 SV, and Jacob Fowler has never taken them on.

At the other end of the ice, the starting goaltender hasn’t been confirmed yet, but Jake Oettinger has seen the lion’s share of the work this season, and since the Stars haven’t played in two days, he’ll be rested and ready if called upon. The American has a 5-2-0 record against the Habs with a 2.48 GAA and a .907 SV.

Meanwhile, DeSmith is 4-2-2 with a 2.07 GAA and a .930 SV%, but the Stars announced on Saturday that he was taking a personal leave of absence to address a family matter. As a result, they’ve recalled Farnham, Quebec native Remi Poirier from their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Drafted by Dallas in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, the 24-year-old has yet to play in the NHL, but he has an 8-10-5 record in the AHL with a 2.77 GAA and a .903 SV.

Up front, Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the Stars with 14 points in just 11 games. Phillip Danault comes in second place with 13 points in 24 games, and Brendan Gallagher is third with seven points in 18 games. It’s worth noting that blueliner Noah Dobson has six points in just nine games and Cole Caufield five points in eight games. When the Habs lost 2-0 to the Blues, Ivan Demidov's five-game point streak ended; he had nine points over that span and will be looking to start another streak on Sunday.

As for the Stars, Matt Duchene has 22 points in 27 duels with the Habs, closely followed by Jamie Benn with 21 points in 23 duels and Mikko Rantanen, who’s a point-per-game player against Montreal with 16 points in as many games. A couple of top point producers for the Stars have been ignored for the Olympic rosters and will likely play with a chip on their shoulders as a result. Team Canada has decided to do without Wyatt Johnson, who has 46 points this season in 41 games, while Team USA has no room for Jason Robertson, the highest-scoring American in the league with 48 points in 41 games (including 24 goals).

To win, the Canadiens will need to play a disciplined game, since the Stars have the second-best power play in the league at 29.8% and the sixth-best penalty kill at 82.2%. Montreal also can’t afford to underperform in the second frame (the Habs have a minus-12 differential in the middle stanza), since Dallas is plus-nine in that period. Furthermore, the Stars are the third-highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 3.41 goals per game, so whoever is in net for the visitors will need to play well.

The game is set for 2:00 PM on Sunday, and you can catch it on Victory+, TSN2, and RDS. Jordan Samuels-Thomas and the always-entertaining Wes McCauley will be officiating, while Ben O’Quinn and CJ Murray will be the linemen. After the game, the Canadiens will fly back home and enjoy a much-deserved day off on Monday, before hitting the ice again in Brossard on Tuesday to start preparing for their Wednesday night tilt against the Calgary Flames.

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Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. 

Despite the loss, the Canucks were the better team at even strength. Vancouver held a 27-22 scoring chances advantage and won the even-strength high-danger scoring chances 12-8. In the end, it was special teams that made the difference as the Bruins scored twice on the man advantage compared to one goal on six opportunities for the Canucks. 

As for the heatmap, Vancouver did a good job of protecting the front of the net, but still allowed two goals from in front of the crease. At the other end, the Canucks crashed the net all game, generating 11 high-danger shots on goal. Overall, it was a positive performance, but one that still resulted in a loss. 

To wrap things up, the Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson line were virtually unstoppable. During their 6:57 together, Vancouver held a 10-0 shots advantage and won the scoring chances battle 12-0. The trio also found the back of the net as Pettersson scored early in the second period. 

The Canucks start their Eastern road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. These two teams met earlier this season, with Buffalo picking up a 3-2 victory. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT. 

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

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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are at home to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Nationwide Arena.    

Pittsburgh Penguins - 19-12-9 - 46 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - 5th in the Metro

Columbus Blue Jackets - 18-16-6 - 42 Points - 5-5-0 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro  

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 18.4% - 21st in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 28th in the NHL
• Goals For - 119 - 21st in the NHL
• Goals Against - 131 - 22nd in the NHL

Penguins Stats

• Power Play - 29.6% - 3rd in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 81.5% - 10th in the NHL
• Goals For - 129 - 11th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 122 - 16th in the NHL

Series History vs. ThePenguins

• Columbus is 19-31-9 all-time, and 13-12-4 at home vs. Pittsburgh.
• The Jackets are 5-5-1 in the last 11 against the Pens overall, and 4-6 in the last 10 at home.
• The Blue Jackets are 1-1 vs. Pittsburgh this season.

Who To Watch For ThePenguins

• Sidney Crosby leads the Pens with 23 goals and 45 points.
• Erik Karlsson leads Pittsburgh with 27 assists.
• Yegor Chinakhov is making his return to NWA after being traded to the Pens.
• Goalie Arturs Silovs is 7-5-6 with a SV% of .884. His last start was on January 1st.

CBJ Player Notes vs.Penguins

• Zach Werenski has a stat line of 5-10-14 in 23 career games against Pittsburgh.
• Boone Jenner has 14 points in 25 games.
• Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 36 games.
• Elvis Merzlikins has a career record of 2-2-0, with a SV% of .864 vs. Buffalo.

Injuries 

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 34 Games - IR - No timeline for a return.
• Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 2 Games - IR
• Miles Wood - Lower Body - IR - Week-to-week.
• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 1 Game IR - Week to week.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 90

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan has found a new gig.

The 56-year-old is set to join Hockey Canada and lead a review of men's junior hockey within Ontario. Shanahan will look at developing the skills and character traits of hockey players, plus ensuring junior hockey in Ontario is athlete-centred and development-focused, before sharing his findings with a six-person committee.

Shanahan will also produce two public documents: "an interim paper that includes a framework for consulting with stakeholders in the coming weeks, and a final report with his recommendations later in 2026."

The committee Shanahan will report to consists of Craig Halpenny (Hockey Eastern Ontario president), Dean Filane (Hockey Northwestern Ontario president), Jeffrey Turner (chair of the Ontario Hockey Federation Board of Directors),  Jonathan Goldbloom (chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors), John Kastner (Hockey Canada board member), and Katherine Henderson (president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada).

"Playing hockey for Team Canada was one of the greatest honours of my career, so to work on this project with Hockey Canada and its three Ontario Members to help give back to the game in my home province is an opportunity that I am very grateful for," said Shanahan in the press release.

"Throughout this review, I’m looking forward to learning from those involved in junior hockey in Ontario and better understanding their visions for how we can build a stronger system for everyone participating in our great game."

Shanahan was the president of hockey operations for the Maple Leafs from 2014 to 2025. In that time, he contributed to getting the Maple Leafs back on track, with the team making the playoffs in all but two seasons (2015 and 2016).

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The Mimico, Ontario native also helped develop the relationship between the team and the alumni to what it is now. That included converting all honored numbers into retired numbers, plus the creation of Legends Row

Toronto parted ways with Shanahan following the 2024-25 season, which was his final season under contract as president of the Maple Leafs.

Before joining the Maple Leafs, Shanahan worked for five years within the NHL, which included three years as senior vice president of player safety. After departing Toronto, Shanahan reportedly took a job to join the NHL's hockey operations department.

Report: Ex-Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan Joins NHL Hockey OpsShanahan is returning to work for the NHL in his first gig since his contract was not renewed by the Maple Leafs last summer.

Shanahan never played for the Maple Leafs, but had major success as a player in hockey. He's part of the IIHF Triple Hold Club and has three Stanley Cups to his name, all with the Detroit Red Wings.

Through 1,524 games spent with the Devils, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, and New York Rangers, Shanahan has 656 goals and 698 assists for 1,354 points.

In the sixth game of a seven-game road trip, the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the St.Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon. Martin St-Louis’ men were attempting to get at least a point in an eight straight game, and they were hoping to bank on the hosts’ fatigue, as the Missouri outfit was playing in the second game of a back-to-back. Still, goaltender Jordan Binnington, who rode the pine on Friday night, was in great form.

On paper, the Habs were the better side with a 10-point lead over the Blues in the standings, but the game is played on the ice and not on paper, unfortunately for the Canadiens. The team that makes the most of its opportunities typically grabs the win, and that’s precisely what happened on Sunday.

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A System Not Suited To Binnington

The Canadiens’ coach often says that it’s essential to play the game that’s in front of you, and often for the Habs, that starts with a well-placed dump-in and effective forecheck, but against Binnington, that’s not a winning strategy.

While St. Louis’ netminder may not be having a great season, with a 7-10-6 record, a 3.56 goals-against average, and a.869 save percentage, he is still one of the best goaltenders in the league to handle the puck outside of his net. This is one of the reasons why Team Canada still picked him for the Olympics, despite his lukewarm performances this season.

If you put the puck deep against the Blues, Binnington comes out and assists his blueliners, effectively assuming the role of a third defenseman.

Furthermore, the masked man was in top form on Saturday, and even though the Canadiens had a lengthy five-on-three power play in the second frame, they couldn’t solve him. Montreal might have had a better chance of doing so had it used Lane Hutson on the two-man advantage instead of Noah Dobson. While the latter has been very productive lately, with more space on the ice, you need Hutson’s mobility and creativity to make the defensive unit move. Dobson’s rocket of a shot is more efficient when there’s a lot of circulation in front of the goalie. Saturday night’s win was Binnington’s first at home since November 28.

Costly Mistakes

While the Blues were 29th in the league before the game, they still have some very talented offensive players, and feeding them odd-man rushes is never a good idea. In the first frame, the hosts had four of those opportunities. They didn’t capitalize on them as Jacob Fowler stood tall, but it certainly helped them build some much-needed momentum.

In the second frame, on the power play, Hutson committed a turnover at center ice, and it led to yet another odd-man rush. The Blues didn’t miss on that one. Robert Thomas gave the host a 2-0 lead, which held through 60 minutes.

A Tough Game For Former Blues

Zachary Bolduc, who was acquired from the Blues last Summer, played a big part in his former team taking the lead in the first frame when he sent a hard pass off target to Jayden Struble; the puck ended up in the net seconds later.

As for Alexandre Texier, he had a golden opportunity in the first frame, alone in space, but he took so long to unleash a shot that the Blues had the time to not only pick his pocket but launch an attack the other way, with numbers.

For some reason, the execution was lacking tonight, and the Habs missed several opportunities with a wide-open net, something that’s always sure to bring its fair share of frustration. In Josh Anderson’s absence, Brendan Gallagher was skating on the third line alongside former linemate Phillip Danault and Bolduc, and he had six shots through 40 minutes. Still, he was unable to get the puck past Binnington, who signed a 2-0 shutout, his first in a year to the day. 

The Habs had no time to lick their wounds after the game as they needed to head straight to Texas, where they’ll take on the Dallas Stars on Sunday. They’ll try to avenge the 7-0 walloping the Stars handed them in November.

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The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Washington Capitals in a shootout on Saturday night. This is their second straight win after playing their best game without Connor Bedard on Thursday night at the United Center. 

The Blackhawks opened the scoring just 1:13 into the game as Ryan Donato made it 1-0. It took just over three minutes, however, for Washington to get it tied up. 

At 4:24 of the second period, the Blackhawks once again took the lead. Teuvo Teravainen made it 2-1 with his 9th goal of the season. From there, the Blackhawks controlled the scoreboard for quite some time.

The Capitals did eventually make the expected push, and Ryan Leonard tied the game at 11:18 of the third period. From there, some good goaltending between Spencer Knight and Logan Thompson led to overtime. 

With nothing doing in the extra frame, despite a Blackhawks power play to end it, the game went to a long shootout. After a lot of back and forth, Nick Foligno won it for his team in the 6th round. 

In addition to Spencer Knight making a couple of nice saves, Nick Lardis and Andre Burskovsky also scored in the shootout to help it get to round six. 

This is a solid 3-2 victory for the Blackhawks. They were unable to hold Washington off in the third period, but they found a way to win in the end. For young teams like that, it’s important to claim victory at all costs. 

Knight didn't only make good saves in the shootout, either. Throughout regulation and overtime, he made 32 saves on 34 shots. That is a signature win for him this season, as he helped defeat a great team on the road to extend a nice streak of play. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

wasting no time getting down to business💼 pic.twitter.com/CIexbjRTnE

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026

turbo on the power play🙌 pic.twitter.com/saHNm3tqn4

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026

a twirl of the stick for the rookie🫡 pic.twitter.com/7GWCW0voev

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026

a shootout win by the cap😃 pic.twitter.com/JWixHIyzoy

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 4, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Sunday night. The second half of back-to-back situations has been a struggle for them, home or away. This one will take place at the United Center with the Vegas Golden Knights in town.

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

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Vancouver Canucks picked up a point but still fell 3-2 in overtime to the Boston Bruins. Elias Pettersson scored his 10th of the season while Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist in the loss. As for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped 18 of the 21 shots he faced in the loss. 

Saturday's game was another example of the Canucks falling despite outplaying the opposition. Vancouver finished the night with a 33-21 shots advantage and also won the overall puck possession battle. In the end, though, it wasn't enough as Jeremy Swayman showed why he was selected to the USA's 2026 Winter Olympics team. 

One of the reason's the game went to overtime was the Canucks special teams. While Vancouver has been strong as of late while shorthanded, Boston found a way to go two for three with the man advantage. On the flip side, the Canucks were unable to capitalize on their own power plays, going one for six on Saturday. 

As for a positive from the game, that would be the play of the Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson line. According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio had a 12-0 scoring chances advantage and outshot their opposition 10-0. Post-game, Pettersson spoke about his line and why they were able to generate chances all game. 

"Yeah, trying to come connected, like all three of us come with speed through the neutral zone," said Pettersson. "So it's not one guy comes with speed and two guys standing still on the far blue line. But yeah, it's easy to play with them, just trying to do my part."

Saturday also saw some changes on the blue line as head coach Adam Foote elected to play younger players with experienced defenders. Tyler Myers played with Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson was matched up with Tom Willander while Filip Hronek was on a pair with Zeev Buium. Post-game, Hronek was asked about playing with his new partner and what he has seen from Buium since he arrived in Vancouver. 

"He's a pretty skilled guy, said Hronek. "He can move the puck, and it was a lot of fun to play with him."

In the end, Saturday's game was a step in the right direction. The Canucks outplayed their opponent while giving the Rogers Arena something to cheer about. Even though Vancouver lost, their effort level can not be questioned as they controlled play against a bigger and more physical Bruins team. 

Stats and Facts:

- Filip Hronek records his 24th multi-point with the Canucks 

- Vancouver picks up points in back-to-back home games for the first time since November 8 and 9

- Filip Hronek logs over 30 minutes for the first time this season

- Kiefer Sherwood leads all players with nine hits. 

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

16:24- BOS: Fraser Minten (7) from Alex Steeves and Hampus Lindholm (PPG)

2nd Period:
00:48- VAN: Elias Pettersson (10) from Filip Hronek and Linus Karlsson
7:25- BOS: Elias Lindholm (7) from David Pastrňák and Charlie McAvoy (PPG)
18:44- VAN: Filip Hronek (3) from Zeev Buium (PPG)

3rd Period:

No Scoring

Overtime:

4:41- BOS: Fraser Minten (8) from David Pastrňák and Mason Lohrei 

Up Next: 

The Canucks start their Eastern road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. These two teams met earlier this season, with Buffalo picking up a 3-2 victory. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT. 

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

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

If fans have been paying attention to the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, this one might sound a bit familiar. 

On Saturday, the Penguins suspended newly acquired defenseman Egor Zamula after the 6-foot-3, 200-pound blueliner failed to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate. Zamula, 25, was acquired Dec. 31 from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Philip Tomasino.

Zamula appeared in 13 games for the Flyers this season and registered one assist as well as a plus-4. He also spent three games playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, where he had two assists and was a minus-3.

In 168 games with Philadelphia across six seasons, he has eight goals and 41 points and is a minus-12. The Chelyabinsk, Russia native is a pending restricted free agent this season, and he is in the second year of a two-year deal that pays him $1.7 million annually. 

As for why this might sound familiar? Zamura is the second defenseman in the Penguins' organization this season to be suspended for failing to report to an affiliate club, as prospect Emil Pieniniemi did the same following training camp. Pieniniemi was supposed to report to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, but he never showed and went back to Finland instead. 

Pieniniemi, 20, was selected in the third round (91st overall) by the Penguins in 2023, and he has since reported to Wheeling, where he has played in two games. 

Takeaways: Penguins Put Up Defensive Clinic Against Red Wings, Sweep Home-And-HomeThe Pittsburgh Penguins put together arguably their best performance of the season on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

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Brock Nelson scored twice on the power play and Nathan MacKinnon recorded four points (one goal, three assists) as the Colorado Avalanche erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5–3 on Saturday night at Lenovo Center.

The comeback victory extended Colorado’s winning streak to 10 games and improved the Avalanche to an NHL-best 31-2-7 on the season. MacKinnon was at the center of the rally, driving the offense as Colorado flipped the game with sustained pressure and special teams execution, while Nelson capitalized twice with the man advantage to swing the momentum decisively in the Avalanche’s favor.

Scott Wedgewood earned the win for the Avalanche, stopping 25 of 28 shots in the victory.

Carolina saw goals from Sebastian Aho, Nikolai Ehlers, and Andrei Svechnikov, while Frederik Andersen made 30 saves on 34 shots in a solid effort despite the loss.

First Period

Victor Olofsson, who had been held without a point in his previous seven games, generated several chances in the final 10 minutes of the first period but was unable to convert, getting a shot away under pressure that Andersen turned aside. Overall, it was his best game in weeks. 

12 minutes into the period, the Avalanche had eight shots on goal and the Canes had seven.

With 8:02 remaining in the period, Josh Manson leveled Jordan Staal as he went after a loose puck, but the hit came just late enough to result in an interference penalty against Manson.

Carolina forward William Carrier was sent to the penalty box with 3:28 remaining in the period for interference.

The Avalanche power play generated several quality looks, including a pair of rebound chances for Artturi Lehkonen, but Andersen’s outstretched pads kept the puck from crossing the goal line.

The final seconds of the man advantage proved costly. Cale Makar turned the puck over at the blue line, springing Aho on a shorthanded breakaway, and Aho beat Scott Wedgewood five-hole to give Carolina a 1–0 lead.

Second Period

Gabriel Landeskog pulled the Avalanche even at 1:47 of the second period, scoring his seventh goal of the season on a smooth wraparound.

Ehlers restored Carolina’s lead at 4:47 of the period, converting on the power play with a quick shot from the slot to make it 2–1.

The Hurricanes extended their advantage at 7:50 when Andrei Svechnikov finished a rush play with a backhand from the top of the crease, pushing the lead to two.

Colorado answered early in the third period, as Nelson cut the deficit to 3–2 at 1:09 with his 17th goal of the season, redirecting a power play feed at the top of the blue paint off a shot from MacKinnon. 

Comeback Complete

Like Avalanche teammates Martin Nečas and Brent Burns, Saturday marked Jack Drury’s first game in Carolina since being acquired by Colorado last season. Burns joined the Avalanche as a free-agent signing in the offseason, while Drury and Nečas were part of the trade that originally sent Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes.

Drury delivered a timely response in his return, tying the game at 1:42 of the third period with his seventh goal of the season, snapping a left circle shot past Andersen off a crisp feed from linemate Ross Colton.

Nelson put Colorado in front for good at 7:30 of the third, burying his second power play goal of the night and 18th of the season on a right-circle one-timer set up by MacKinnon to cap a brilliant passing sequence.

MacKinnon sealed the victory at 19:42 with an empty-net goal, his 35th of the season, doubling Colorado’s lead. The tally also marked MacKinnon’s 33rd career game with at least four points, moving him past Joe Sakic for the second-most such performances in franchise history.

Next Game

The Avalanche face the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers tomorrow at 3 p.m local time in their latest back-to-back game.

NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Schaefer scored twice, including at 4:11 of overtime, and the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Saturday night.

Adam Pelech and Emil Heineman also scored, and Jonathan Drouin and Mathew Barzal each had two assists for the Islanders, who won for the second time in three games. David Rittich had 18 saves in his seventh straight start, with Ilya Sorokin dressing as the backup for the first time since Dec. 19.

Auston Matthews had two goals for the Maple Leafs, setting the franchise career record with 421. Nicholas Robertson also scored and Joseph Woll finished with 21 saves.

In the extra period, Barzal found Schaefer all alone in the high slot and the 18-year-old rookie defenseman wired a shot past Woll for the win.

Matthews scored twice in the second period to move past Hall-of-Famer Mats Sundin for the franchise mark. His first tied Sundin at 420 when he beat Rittich at 9:30. He broke the record with his 20th of the season with 2:41 left in the period on a one-timer to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.

After Schaefer tied the score with 8:50 left in the third, Nicholas Roy set up Robertson for a go-ahead goal 1:02 later after a turnover by Heineman in the Islanders’ defensive zone.

The Swedish forward redeemed himself with the tying goal on a power play with 2:45 remaining in regulation, scoring on a one-timer off a feed from Barzal.

Pelech opened the scoring for the Islanders at 1:10 of the second period.

With the milestone, Matthews became the first United States-born player to lead a Canadian franchise in career goals and joined Mike Modano as one of the only U.S.-born players to hold a franchise goal-scoring record with a minimum of 50 goals.

Up next

Maple Leafs: Host Florida on Tuesday night.

Islanders: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.

Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula has been suspended by the Pittsburgh Penguins organization before spending a single second on the ice for his new club.

On Saturday, the AHL transactions log reflected a new entry showing that Zamula, 25, had been suspended by the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The ex-Flyers defender has yet to appear in a single game since being traded by Philadelphia on Dec. 31 and is currently believed to be refusing to report to the Penguins.

Zamula was officially registered as a Wilkes-Barre player the same day of the trade, per the transactions log.

Update: according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Zamula was suspended for failure to report.

It is worth noting that the formerly undrafted Russian recently switched agents and began being represented by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, which occurred shortly after the Flyers assigned Zamula to the AHL.

The goal, we can only assume, was to find Zamula an opportunity to play in the NHL, but that is clearly something that was not being afforded by the Penguins right away.

Flyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamJust two games into the season, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> defenseman Egor Zamula has already been benched for his continued struggles.

Previously, it was reported that Zamula's camp offered a mutual contract termination to the Flyers as a potential solution to the situation, but that the Flyers had preferred a trade for a player to help the organization.

They got that in Phil Tomasino, but it would appear that Zamula and/or Milstein aren't happy with the final outcome of the trade.

Earlier in the season, Penguins prospect Emil Pieniniemi had also been suspended after refusing to report to the ECHL Wheeling Nailers, though that suspension has been since lifted.

The 25-year-old Zamula has one year remaining on his contract at a $1.7 million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.

We knew a loss for the Buffalo Sabres was coming – the Sabres weren’t going to win their final 53 games of the NHL’s current regular-season, and they fell to the last-place-in-the-Eastern-Conference Columbus Blue Jackets by a 5-1 score on Saturday. But Buffalo’s 10-game winning streak has only gotten them back in the Stanley Cup playoff conversation, as their 11-14-4 start to the season dug them a considerable hole to claw their way out from. 

And even now, after winning ten straight, the Sabres (a) are not in a playoff position, and (b) they’re only four standings points ahead of the Blue Jackets. This tells you all you need to know about the overall parity/mediocrity in the league, but it also tells you that the ultimate judgement on the Sabres’ season will be in how they respond to their loss in their latest game. 

If the Sabres suddenly swing the other way on a five-or-six-game losing streak, they’ll almost assuredly be back in the Eastern basement again, and all this goodwill they’ve built up between the start of the 10-game win streak back on Dec. 9 will melt away in the heat of fan resentment. However, if they bounce back, not only could they catch the third-place Montreal Canadiens (who are only four points ahead of Buffalo), but the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning (five points ahead of the Sabres) and first-place Detroit Red Wings (six points ahead of Buffalo) are also realistic targets for the Sabres.

So it’s not how the streak ended that’s the issue. It’s the response Buffalo has in their final 42 games that will dictate whether 14 years of fan anger will extend another year, or whether the Sabres can finally get over the hump and give their paying customers the satisfaction they’ve deserved by getting into the playoffs.

In 2026, The Goal For The Sabres Couldn't Be Clearer: It's Playoffs-Or-Bust For BuffaloThe Buffalo Sabres ended the calendar year 2025 on a high. But in 2026, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has to do everything in his power to get his team into the Stanley Cup playoffs and end Buffalo's 14-year playoff drought. And that means going all-in by or before the trade deadline.

As we’ve argued, Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen should be going all-in on a playoff spot this season. And the good news is that the slate is now clean after this 10-game win streak. There’s no more deficit to worry about. The opportunity is there for the taking for the Sabres, and their next game – on Tuesday, against the lowly Vancouver Canucks – is one they absolutely have to win, less the worrywarts in Buffalo’s fan base have more material to dwell on.

The Sabres’ 10-game streak gave Sabres fans legitimate hope that this team may at long last be different. Now it’s on Buffalo to demonstrate they can shake off a one-off, keep their eyes on the prize, and put together win streaks on the regular the rest of the way this year.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won their fourth-straight game on Saturday and did it dominantly. 

Like Thursday's game against this very same Detroit Red Wings team (a 4-3 win for the Penguins), they started quickly, thanks to Bryan Rust. Sidney Crosby delivered an outrageous pass to Rust, who sniped the puck past John Gibson for a 1-0 lead. 

Bryan Rust opens the scoring with his eighth point in his last six games! 👏

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/8yCAqBEQ7f

— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2026

Yegor Chinakhov, freshly acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, made it 2-0 on a breakaway later in the period. Ben Kindel delivered an outstanding stretch pass to Chinakhov, who was all alone at the Red Wings' blue line, and he showed off his quick release to record his first goal as a Penguin.

KINDY TO CHINNY! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4GmcIZqFaJ

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 3, 2026

Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar added empty-net goals late in the third period to make it 4-1, sealing the win. Crosby and Parker Wotherspoon led the team with two points (both assists). Stuart Skinner finished with 11 saves and has now won his last two starts. 

Here are some other takeaways from this win: 

- This was an absolute defensive clinic from the Penguins, particularly in the third period. Nursing a 2-1 lead, the Penguins didn't let the Red Wings get any quality looks and suffocated them as they were trying to break out of their own zone. The Red Wings couldn't even complete two passes in a row for most of the period due to how stingy the Penguins were being. 

They held the Red Wings to only 12 shots, which is the fewest ever shots allowed in a road game in franchise history. The previous record was 13 shots. The Penguins also didn't allow a single high-danger chance against at 5v5 for the final two periods of the game. 

Pens have played 2,269 road games in their history, and today did something they had never done before (allow just 12 shots). Wow.

— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) January 3, 2026

The lone Red Wings goal was the result of bad luck after a dominant shift in the offensive zone. Alex DeBrincat got the Red Wings back in it, but it wasn't enough. This defensive performance reminded me a lot of the 2016 Penguins, which is saying something since that group was always lights out in the third period. 

- I know the process hasn't always been there for Bryan Rust this season, but he continues to produce. With his goal on Saturday, he now has 16 goals and 36 points in 38 games. It's also his fourth goal in his last five games. He finished last season with 31 goals and 65 points and is on pace to break both of those numbers this year. 

- Ben Kindel had another great game on Saturday, and his growth continues to be such a big storyline this season. Outside of his great assist on Chinakhov's goal, he was living in the offensive zone and forced a couple of really nice turnovers. He was also great in his own zone and in transition, and continues to display his elite hockey IQ each shift. It's sometimes hard to remember that he's still only 18 because everything looks so comfortable for him. 

Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell Named To Team Sweden Olympic RosterTwo Pittsburgh Penguins players have been called to Team Sweden for the Olympics.

- The second defensive pair of Brett Kulak and Kris Letang was good on Thursday and continued that momentum into Saturday's game. Kulak has helped stabilize Letang a little bit these last two games and has made all the right reads in his own zone. He had a few plays on Saturday when he was so calm, skating the puck out of his own zone under pressure. 

Letang was also good for a second game in a row after scoring Thursday's overtime winner. Yes, he was caught during DeBrincat's goal, but aside from that, he made the right decisions in the offensive zone and was competent defensively. It's nice to see him playing a bit more confidently, given his struggles for a good chunk of the year. 

- The fourth line of Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari continues to be a problem for other teams. I love the way those three work in tandem and wear opposing players down below the dots in the offensive zone. That line finished +2 in scoring chances and +1 in shot attempts at 5v5 on Saturday. As I wrote last week, it can't be understated how much Lizotte's return has meant to the team. 

- Speaking of Lizotte's return, he really helped the penalty kill on Saturday, killing off both Red Wings power plays. He makes such a massive difference to that unit because he's such a puck-hound and wins those battles along the boards, leading to clears. The rest of the penalty killers feed off his presence each time he's out there. 

- Next up for the Penguins is a date with the Blue Jackets on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season and the first since Nov. 28, when the Penguins won 4-3 in overtime. The Blue Jackets won the other game between the two teams 5-4 in a shootout back on Oct. 25. 

(Data via Natural Stat Trick). 

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