It was another overtime heartbreaker for the New York Rangers on Sunday night in their 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Going into this matchup, the Rangers were coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche, where they were happy with how they played and competed against the NHL’s best team. 

That same effort level and momentum did not translate into the first period against Vegas, as the Blueshirts came out lackadaisical, giving up a goal less than one minute into the contest, while being bombarded with pressure from the Golden Knights. 

“We clearly didn't have our legs or energy in the first,” Mike Sullivan said. 

The Rangers flipped the script in the second period. The offensive charge was led by the line of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafrenière. 

While J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, and Conor Sheary have taken the shutdown-defensive role, it has been Panarin, Zibanejad, and Lafrenière who have transformed into the Rangers’ most dangerous offensive trio. 

Goals from Zibanejad and Lafrenière in the middle frame gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead and newfound momentum. 

Lafrenière had two points on the night and his play caught the eye of Sullivan. 

“I thought it was one of his better games that he had all season for us, and that is what he’s capable of,” Sullivan said of Lafrenière. “I thought he was strong on pucks. He was hanging on pucks in the offensive zone. The goal he got was a goal scorer's goal. It was more than just that. 

“I thought he was around the net. He was winning puck battles. He was in the battle areas. He was challenging people by hanging on pucks, and that's what he's capable of. He's a real good 1-on-1 player, and we've been trying to encourage him to challenge people  down under the hash marks, and force people to have to take the puck away from him, because he's big and strong, and he's got a lot of really good puck skills. I thought tonight was one of his better nights.” 

The Rangers did a good job of maintaining their narrow lead up until disaster struck in the third period when offsetting roughing penalties to Will Borgen and Brett Howden gave the Golden Knights a 5-on-4 advantage once they pulled their goalie, ultimately leading a Tmomas Hertl goal with 51.3 seconds remaining. 

“There's a big difference between a 6-on-5 and 5-on-4 and trying to defend it. It had a huge implication,” Sullivan emphasized. “We got to do a better job, obviously, in that situation, and kill it off.”

Vegas scored another last-second goal in overtime with about eight seconds remaining from Jack Eichel, as the Rangers came away with just one point instead of two. 

“I'm disappointed for the players, for the guys because I thought we competed hard,” Sullivan said. “I thought we've had a pretty hard week against some of the best teams in the league, and these guys are competing. They're competing extremely hard. I think we put a game on the ice that I think the guys should be proud of. I'm disappointed for them.”

Rangers Remain Upbeat After Encouraging Performance Against Avalanche In Losing Effort While the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> didn’t come away with two points in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon, there’s a lot to be encouraged about from a Blueshirts perspective.

Sullivan is right, the Rangers have had a tough stretch of games this week, playing the Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Avalanche, and Golden Knights.

In that stretch, the Blueshirts came away with 6 out of 8 points, which Sullivan believes is a sign of the growth this team has continued to show. 

"We're moving towards the identity that we're trying to build and the game that we're trying to play,” Sullivan said. “We've just got to continue to stay hungry and continue to work at it. I think, once again, when you play some of the better teams in the league like we have most recently and the guys perform the way they have, I think it provides a lot of evidence, and I think that reinforces belief in what we're doing and how we're going about it, so I think that should help us moving forward.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Heading into their matchup against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had won five of their last six games and were riding the high of getting two regular players back into their lineup. 

Well, even if forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari rejoined the mix, the Penguins were down another, as Evgeni Malkin missed the tilt due to a day-to-day upper-body injury. But, despite that, the Penguins put out a respectable effort and deserved the two points. 

And it ultimately wasn't enough. 

The Penguins surrendered a game-tying goal during six-on-five play with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, and they lost to the Stars in the shootout, 3-2. Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry stood on his head during the overtime period and against a few high-danger opportunities by the Stars in the first 60 minutes, but unfortunately, the Penguins simply haven't found a way to exercise their demons in the shootout. 

So far this season, the Penguins have yet to win a game in the shootout and have five shootout losses. While those squandered points continue to be a problem - and may or may not catch up to them by season's end - it's hard not to feel good about the Penguins getting five out of six points on this road trip.

That, however, isn't good enough for head coach Dan Muse and the Penguins, who have set high expectations for themselves. 

"I thought with the overall game we played, you want to come out with two points," Muse said. 

Penguins Activate Brazeau & Acciari Off Injured Reserve, Re-Assign Imama To WBSThe Pittsburgh Penguins made a bunch of roster moves on Sunday.

The first period saw a lot of back-and-forth action with chances at both ends, and the Penguins' fourth line finally broke through within the last two minutes. Acciari made a play to get the puck to Blake Lizotte at the left offensive blue line, and Lizotte fed it to Connor Dewar, who was breaking into the slot. Dewar put it past Jake Oettinger to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. 

Dallas's Jamie Benn tied it at 1-1 within the first two minutes of the second period, but, from then on, the Penguins - even if they gave up the occasional high-danger chance - were largely the better team. Tommy Novak - who played to the left of Sidney Crosby on the top line - tipped a Kris Letang one-timer from the point in the back half of the middle frame to put the Penguins back up, 2-1, with his sixth point in five games. 

That score held until Dallas decided to pull Oettinger with more than three minutes remaining in regulation - and after an icing call that left a tired Penguins' fourth line on the ice. With just 1:49 remaining, Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen took advantage of that tired unit for his sixth of the season to force overtime. 

And Jarry really shined in the extra frame. He made several ten-bell saves in the overtime period - including one on Jason Robertson during a Dallas two-on-one - and he also stopped the first two shooters in overtime. 

A SPECTACULAR STOP‼️ pic.twitter.com/474IJ9Tebl

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 8, 2025

However, Bryan Rust, Crosby, and Kris Letang failed to score in the shootout, and Mikko Rantanen gave the Stars the win on their third shot. 

---

Here are a few takeaways from this one:

- Let's talk about some of the positives first because there were actually quite a lot from this game. 

I want to start with Novak. He has been playing some really good hockey for a few weeks now, and his lineup versatility makes him valuable to this team. He was effective on the third line with Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen before playing a few games alongside Malkin and Anthony Mantha - not missing a beat there - and in this one with Crosby and Rust. 

He's going to the danger areas a lot more. He's playing with some energy and helping generate a fair amount of offense on the forecheck. And he's also defensively responsible. 

I was a bit down on him for the first month and a half of the season. I talked to Novak a few weeks ago regarding how he felt about his season so far, and he hesitated to say he was happy with it.

But it's safe to say that he's been one of their best players for the last six games. He's put in the work, and it's paying off.

Penguins Have Answered The Bell After Dan Muse’s First Big ChallengeEver since Dan Muse called out his team, the Penguins have responded in a big way.

- They didn't register a point again, but I really like the makeup of this kid third line. They had some good shifts in the offensive zone and were generally successful at bailing themselves out of trouble in the defensive zone. 

I do think Rutger McGroarty still does have some rust to shake off. But Ben Kindel continues to exceed expectations in a full-time third-line center role regarding faceoffs, generating offense, and handling defensive responsbilities. And Ville Koivunen played another solid game and was very, very close to putting the Penguins up 3-1 on a whiffed chance in the third period. 

But I want to see them keep building on their chemistry. And, with Kindel apparently not headed to the World Junior Classic after all, they should have some runway to do just that. 

Contrary to what you may have seen today, Ben Kindel won’t be playing in World Junior tourney. He’s in Pittsburgh to stay. I would expect Harrison Brunicke to play for Team Canada.

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) December 8, 2025

- I can't say enough about how spectacular Jarry was again Sunday. Although the Penguins played a good game, they still gave up a few good looks, and Jarry shut all but two of them down. 

He's certainly been a revelation during this stretch, and he has played in six of the last seven games. He has a .913 save percentage on the season. 

I know Arturs Silovs has only played in one of the last seven - with the last being Nov. 29, when he was pulled after surrendering four goals on 16 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs - but it feels like Jarry should get the net again on Tuesday against a good Anaheim Ducks team. Besides, the Penguins have a back-to-back coming up next weekend, and Silovs is probably guaranteed one of those starts. 

Jarry has been that good recently. He's winning the Penguins hockey games, or - at the very least - securing points for them.

- Although everyone on the team played generally well, I didn't think this was one of Sidney Crosby's better games. He seemed a bit off all night with his passing and his reads, and he had a terrible line change in overtime that resulted in the two-on-one with Robertson and Roope Hintz.

Even the best of the best have occasional - very occasional - off-nights. And this was one of them for 87.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Earns Big Win Over Lehigh Valley On FridayWilkes-Barre/Scranton got a big win over Lehigh Valley on Friday night.

- Shootouts are a very real problem for the Penguins.

Again, five of six on this tough road trip is commendable. But it really felt like they should have come away with six of six. 

Yes, blown leads have been a problem for the Penguins since the onset of November. But this one was almost a bit more understandable given the circumstances of Dallas pulling their goaltender advantageously against a tired line.

At some point, they need to win a shootout. They're 0-4 this season. They've lost their last eight.

And I'm looking right at the shootout lineup. 

Has goaltending been a problem, too? Absolutely. Arturs Silovs has lost three of the shootouts this season, and he's only stopped one shot in them. But goaltending is almost a moot point when your shooters can't score, either.

HOW’S A LITTLE SHOOTOUT FOR YOUR SUNDAY??? pic.twitter.com/wb8nG6X6HR

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) December 8, 2025

Crosby is one out of three, which isn't bad. But he dealt with shootout woes last season and converted on just 16.7 percent of attempts. Letang is three for his last 24. Rust is one of four. 

They have to try something - rather, someone - else. Even if you don't take Crosby out of the mix, that's fine. Slow roll it by having Rust, Crosby, and a young player like Koivunen, who is known for his craftiness in shootouts. And if that still doesn't work, you tweak it again. 

The Penguins have practiced shootouts this season. Kindel has won a few. Kevin Hayes is pretty decent. McGroarty - like Koivunen - has also shown a tendency to be nasty in the shootout at the AHL level as well.

If it were me - with Malkin out - I'd roll Rust, Koivunen, and Crosby as the first three and Kindel, McGroarty, and Brazeau as the next. Give the kids a chance. And just keep tweaking it until you find a hot hand. 

At the end of the day, the Penguins can't be married to underperforming veterans in these situations. It could be costing them precious points, so it's something they need to address the very next time a shootout is in the cards.

Evgeni Malkin Out Day-To-DayEven though the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> got a few players back in their lineup for Sunday's game against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/">Dallas Stars</a>, they lost a pretty prominent one.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

The New York Rangers were dealt a significant setback this week as top defenseman Adam Fox was placed on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The loss leaves a major hole in the lineup, and the team is now exploring ways to reinforce its blue line, particularly on the power play.

Former Ranger Erik Gustafsson has emerged as a leading candidate with multiple reports having the Red Wings defender linked to New York, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted that the Rangers are searching for a power play quarterback who can step in while Fox recovers. Gustafsson fits the description as a cheap, short-term option who already knows the Rangers system.

Gustafsson played 76 games for New York during the 2023-24 season, finishing with six goals and 25 assists for 31 points. This year, he has been with the Detroit Red Wings AHL affiliate in the Grand Rapids Griffins and has produced 12 assists in 13 games. His absence from the Griffins game on Sunday against the Toronto Marlies has fueled speculation that a trade could be close. The night before, he was the best player on the ice for Grand Rapids and recorded assists on all three of the team’s goals in a 3-2 victory.

The veteran defenseman has 516 NHL games on his résumé across ten seasons. His most productive year came with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018 to 19 when he posted 60 points and established himself as one of the league’s more dynamic offensive defensemen. His recent play suggests he still has the tools to contribute at the NHL level.

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

It is not yet clear what the cost would be to acquire him, although a mid-round draft pick is viewed as a reasonable expectation. For the Rangers, who suddenly find themselves without their top defenseman, Gustafsson could provide a timely and familiar solution as the Rangers try to maintain momentum while the Red Wings can finally get some assets for a player losing his value the longer he sits in the minors.

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Another set of back-to-backs for the St. Louis Blues, and another set of wins.

The road trip started with a thud Thursday against the Boston Bruins, but the Blues followed up a Joel Hofer masterpiece 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday with another tough one on Sunday.

And it was Brayden Schenn and Dylan Holloway that hoisted the team on their shoulders, each collecting three points, with Schenn scoring twice with an assist – including the game-winner in the third period – and Holloway adding a goal and two assists as the Blues took down the Montreal Canadiens, 4-3, at Bell Centre in Montreal.

Pavel Buchnevich also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves for the Blues (11-12–7), who now play five of the next six on home ice after taking four of six points on this three-game road trip through the Eastern Conference and scoring more than two goals for just the second time the past 12 games.

It's the second straight weekend that the Blues have taken both ends of back-to-back games, winning 4-3 against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 28 and 1-0 against the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 29.

Let’s get to the game observations:

* Schenn, Holloway delivered with major components out of lineup – The Blues have already been down three players (Jimmy Snuggerud, wrist; Alexey Toropchenko, leg burns; and Nathan Walker, upper-body) and and they’ll have to do without Jordan Kyrou, who departed early in the first period Saturday with a lower-body injury.

Who was going to step up for a team already challenged on the offensive side of the puck?

Each was instrumental and worked well as a unit with Mathieu Joseph on their line, combining for seven points.

Schenn opened the scoring with a power-play goal when old friend Zack Bolduc was in the box for slashing at 7:59, and Schenn made it count when he was in the right spot inside the right circle when Holloway worked the puck off the lefthand boards to the point, and Cam Fowler’s wrister caromed off Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson right to Schenn, who made no mistake beating Jakub Dobes at 8:57:

Brayden Schenn - St. Louis Blues (5)
Power Play Goal pic.twitter.com/x5kV705cq5

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) December 8, 2025

And the winner by Schenn was crucial, because with the Blues holding a 3-2 lead in the third period, and they were maintaining it well through the first half of the period, his insurance goal at the time made it 4-2 with all three linemates having a hand in it.

With a puck in the neutral zone, Joseph’s hustle play disrupted Canadiens forward Joe Veleno from getting to the puck, allowing Holloway to race in, scoop it up and essentially turn it into a mini 2-on-1, feeding Schenn for a one-timer to the near post past Dobes:

That's Brayden Schenn's second of the night! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/DwtdNfQ32J

— NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2025

It was critical because the Canadiens would pull to within one late on Noah Dobson’s goal at 16:15 but the Blues were able to thwart any chance by the Canadiens to tie, although Cole Caufield had a chance at the buzzer that was denied by Binnington:

Jordan Binnington and the Blues hang on for the 4-3 win over the Habs 🎺 pic.twitter.com/jCAnLBVMis

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 8, 2025

But with Kyrou down, Schenn and Holloway stepped up big time for an offense that has obviously been scuffling.

The entire line worked well together and was a threat on multiple occasions for the few scoring chances the Blues created, finishing with only 18 shots on goal.

Schenn, who has 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 32 career games against Montreal, had his first three-point game since also scoring twice and adding an assist Nov. 30, 2023 against the Buffalo Sabres in a 6-4 win.

But that trio led the way.

Not only did Holloway have a three-point night, but he also helped save a goal in the second period when Binnington was without a stick, on another old friend, Alexandre Texier:

Dylan 👏 Holloway 👏 does 👏 it 👏 all 👏#stlbluespic.twitter.com/XRrBtTRLpy

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 8, 2025

* Quick strike second – The Blues had to be feeling down a bit after surrendering the lead late in the first on Caufield’s quick strike with 57 seconds remaining in the period, the sixth time the Blues have allowed a goal this season in the final minute of a period to fall behind 2-1:

GOAL CAUFIELD STAYS RED HOT!! 🔥

His 11th straight game with a point! pic.twitter.com/t2ug213lWa

— NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2025

It's the sixth time this season the Blues have allowed a goal in the final minute of a period, even getting the attention of Blues great Chris Pronger:

But they didn’t allow it to affect them, scoring twice in 39 seconds to take the lead for good.

Holloway and Schenn combined on the tying goal at 2-2 on a heads-up play by Colton Parayko springing the two forwards loose with a pass through the neutral zone after Jayden Struble got caught pinching high, leaving Lane Hutson to fend the 2-on-1. Schenn fed Holloway, who pulled it to his backhand and lift it over Dobes 26 seconds into the period. Holloway got behind Texier on the play.

And Buchnevich made it 3-2 at 1:05 when the Blues had a good forecheck and cycle of the puck along the righthand side and wall, with Justin Faulk getting the puck to Robert Thomas below the goal line and he found Buchnevich at the top of the crease for the finish:

Two goals in 39 seconds, and the @StLouisBlues are back on top! 😯 pic.twitter.com/JCs5VvQmeg

— NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2025

The Blues (minus-16) and Canadiens (minus-13) each came into the game with two of the worst goal differentials in the second period but winning it 2-0 on those two quick strikes served St. Louis well and enabled them to take the lead into the third period.

* Binnington follows Hofer’s exceptional outing with a strong one of his own – He didn’t nearly see as much rubber as Hofer did on Saturday (42 shots), but Binnington was looking to build off what the Blues have for the most part been getting from their goaltending position.

Not only did he have to be on the spot to deny a Caufield chance at the horn, but Binnington’s best save was when he kicked out the left pad to deny Canadiens Russian phenom Ivan Demidov, not once but twice:

Demidov Deniedov pic.twitter.com/a3sRzXMkmF

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 8, 2025

Should the Blues be able to get their goaltending back in a groove, and it’s been trending in that direction, they will undoubtedly win more hockey games.

* Mailloux, Bolduc meet for first time – Since the 1-for-1 trade on July 1, Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux and Canadiens forward Zack Bolduc had been waiting for this game from the moment the deal was made.

Mailloux was on the ice when Hutson got behind him for the tying goal at 12:20 of the first when it tied the game 1-1, and Bolduc was in the box when Schenn’s goal initially gave the Blues the lead:

OH MY, LANE HUTSON!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/Wgrq2u4FhV

— NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2025

But Mailloux finished the game an even on the plus-minus, playing 15:35 with two hits and two blocked shots, and Bolduc had an assist on Huston’s goal and was a plus-1 in 13:21.

Neither 22-year-old hurt their teams on this night, and each had a decent game. Now, can we put the trade comparisons in the rear view mirror once and for all?

* Things got a little hairy late – The Blues were doing a good job protecting that two-goal lead until the final 3:45 got dicey when Dobson’s shot from distance made it 4-3.

You could see Binnington wasn’t thrilled when Faulk skated right through his line of vision and he lost sight of the shot off the left hand wall. I don’t get why D-men do that to their goalies in those situations unless you’re 100 percent certain you’re blocking the shot. Otherwise, you’re taking away the line of vision of the goalie, like Faulk did there:

Ce n'est pas fini tant que ce n'est pas fini

We are not done yet...#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/2JsY8tPWM5

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 8, 2025

But the Blues only surrendered three shots and blocked two (Faulk and Broberg) down the stretch to finish the job.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Eichel scored at 4:52 of overtime and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday night for their fourth straight win.

Brett Howden and Tomas Hertl also scored, and Mark Stone had two assists for the Golden Knights, who improved to 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. Carter Hart finished with 21 saves.

Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers, who lost in overtime at home for the second straight day to fall to 3-8-3 at Madison Square Garden. Jonathan Quick had 26 saves.

After Hart denied Zibanejad to force a whistle in the Vegas end late in overtime, Eichel raced the other way following the ensuing faceoff and beat Quick for his 12th goal and the win.

Hertl forced overtime with a tying goal with 52 seconds remaining in regulation.

Lafreniere gave New York a 2-1 lead at 13:01 of the second, firing a shot past Hart for his seventh goal.

Howden, a former Ranger, scored his fifth goal just 36 seconds into the game.

Zibanejad tied it at 9:08 of the second, tapping a loose puck past Hart for his team-leading 11th. Zibanejad has 261 goals as a Ranger, one behind Vic Hadfield for sixth place on the franchise list.

Stone has 20 points in 12 games this season.

Hart was playing his second game since returning to the NHL. The 27-year-old goalie was one of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault in July. He made his first appearance for Vegas last Tuesday at home, a 4-3 shootout win over Chicago.

Up next

Golden Knights: Visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Rangers: Visit Chicago on Wednesday night.

There are a number of former Buffalo Sabres players scattered throughout the NHL, having a varied level of success this season. Periodically, we will check in to see how their players are faring. Today, we look at ex-Sabres playing for the seven other teams in the Atlantic Division. The Montreal Canadiens do not have any former Buffalo players currently on their roster, but here are those on the other six clubs.

Boston 

Casey Mittelstadt - F, Henri Jokiharju, Nikita Zadorov - D: The Bruins have surprised many by bouncing back from a horrible season to tie for the division lead with 34 points. Mittelstadt, acquired in the deal that sent Charlie Coyle to Colorado, has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in 20 games. Jokiharju was dealt by the Sabres for a draft pick and re-signed with Boston instead of testing free agency. He has six assists in 25 games. Zadorov continues to be a physically punishing blueliner and has nine points, and leads the Bruins with 25 penalty minutes. 

Detroit 

Jacob Bernard-Docker - D: Bernard-Docker was acquired from Ottawa in the Dylan Cozens / Josh Norris deal and was not given a qualifying offer by the Sabres last summer. Signed to a one-year deal by Detroit, he has played part-time and has one assist in 16 games. 

Florida

Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues - F, Dmitri Kulikov - D: Reinhart continues to thrive in Florida and is second only to Brad Marchand in scoring with 15 goals in 28 games. Rodrigues has been elevated in the lineup due to the injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, and has 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) in 28 games. Kulikov suffered a torn labrum in the second game of the season and is expected to be out until after the Olympics. 

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Guerin Gathering Info On Possible Olympic Options 

 

Ottawa

Dylan Cozens - F, Dennis Gilbert - D: Cozens has settled into a third-line center role behind Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto and has 17 points (9 goals, 8 assists) in 28 games, but his glaring -12 plus/minus is worst on the club. Gilbert signed with Philadelphia in the summer and was dealt back to the Sens last month for Maxence Guenette. Since the deal, the Buffalo native has played one game. 

Tampa Bay

Zemgus Girgensons - F, Jonas Johansson - G: The long-time Sabre has settled into a fourth-line role with the Lightning, and has five goals in 21 games. The workload being the backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy is usually light, but this season, the former Vezina winner struggled with back issues early on and forced Jon Cooper to use Johansson more than normal. In nine starts, he is 5-4-0, with a 2.85 GAA and .896 save percentage. 

Toronto

Jake McCabe - D: McCabe has settled into being a minutes-eating matchup defenseman who averages close to 22 minutes a night for the Leafs. In 28 games, he has 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) and leads the club with a +13 plus/minus. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe stayed red-hot with his sixth goal in his last six games, Seth Jones scored for the second consecutive game and the Florida Panthers closed a homestand by topping the New York Islanders 4-1 on Sunday.

Uvis Balinskis got a rare goal for the Panthers, who finished off a three-game, four-day stint with five points — going 2-0-1. Florida wrapped up a stretch where it played 11 out of 12 games at home, going 5-5-1 in those home contests.

Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter for Florida.

Mathew Barzal got his ninth goal for the Islanders, who had won three straight and were 7-1-0 in games when he had scored this season. No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer had an assist on that goal, giving him 21 points through 30 games of his rookie season.

Balinskis sent the puck toward the net from the left point and it sailed past screened Islanders goalie David Rittich for a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal of the season for Balinskis and just the seventh of his career — including playoffs — in 126 NHL games.

Verhaeghe made it 2-0 at 7:05 of the second period off an assist from Jeff Petry. Verhaeghe — who got his 146th goal as a member of the Panthers, breaking a tie with Stephen Weiss for seventh on the team’s all-time list — has six goals and five assists in his last six games, by far his most productive stretch of the season.

Jones made it 3-1 with 6 minutes left, scoring for the second straight game — the first time he’s done that as a Panther.

The Islanders fell to 3-10-0 in games where they score two goals or fewer this season.

Up next

Islanders: Host Vegas on Tuesday.

Panthers: Visit Utah on Wednesday.

Macklin Celebrini recorded a goal and two assists as the San Jose Sharks snapped their two-game skid with a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Sunday night at the Lenovo Center. 

Alex Wennberg also contributed a goal and an assist, while John Klingberg added a goal. Collin Graf chipped in a goal, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves to secure the victory. 

For Carolina, Jordan Staal scored their lone goal, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 17 saves in the losing effort. 

First Period 

The Sharks struck almost instantly, taking a 1-0 lead just 33 seconds into the game. Celebrini set up Graff for a backdoor tap-in, giving San Jose an early jolt. The play originated when Jordan Martinook turned the puck over in his own zone, allowing Will Smith to seize possession and feed Celebrini, who wasted no time finding Graff for the finish. 

Carolina’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi was sent to the penalty box at 6:15 for hooking Dmitry Orlov, putting San Jose on the power play, but the Sharks were unable to capitalize. 

Later, with less than seven minutes remaining in the period, Celebrini was penalized for holding. The Canes took full advantage, tying the game when Eric Staal redirected a shot from Nedeljkovic past the Sharks’ netminder on the power play. 

That didn't take long! 🦈

Macklin Celebrini finds Collin Graf just 33 seconds in! pic.twitter.com/GVrQt5njRL

— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2025

Second Period 

Nearly eight minutes into the second, Celebrini dazzled again, threading a perfect feed to Klingberg for a one-timer in the slot. The former Edmonton Oiler buried it, restoring San Jose’s lead. 

Carolina’s Jackson Blake went to the box with 5:09 left for tripping Celebrini as he approached Kochetkov with a scoring chance. The Sharks made him pay: Wennberg slammed home a rebound from a William Eklund one-timer, extending the Sharks’ advantage to two goals. 

Third Period

Just over five minutes into the third, Jeff Skinner received a two-minute minor for cross-checking Alexander Nikishin into the boards. Despite the man advantage, Carolina failed to convert as the Sharks killed the penalty. 

Later, Eklund carried the puck into the right circle on a 2-on-1 rush. He faked a pass and fired a shot, but Kochetkov wasn’t fooled, making the stop. 

With 1:53 remaining, Kochetkov was pulled for the extra attacker. Jarvis tried to shovel a shot from the doorstep, but Nedeljkovic held firm amid a crowd of players. 

Carolina’s efforts ultimately fell short. Nikolai Ehlers turned the puck over, which Celebrini recovered and quickly moved up the ice to Wennberg, who was tripped by Jarvis. While the officials initially raised their hands for a penalty, play continued, and Wennberg managed to pass to Celebrini while still on the ice. Celebrini calmly deposited the empty-netter with 1:20 left, sealing a 4-1 victory for the Sharks. 

Notables

With a three-point night, Celebrini now has 43 points on the seasonm which is 2nd best in the NHL behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, who has 49 points. With his two assists on the day, Celebrini is now in a first-place tie with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid with 28 assists on the year. 

It's safe to say, the 19-year-old is making a name for himself. Take a look at these stats.

100 games in to his NHL career, Macklin Celebrini is up there with some of the greats 🦈 pic.twitter.com/nWYBm1z2O0

— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2025

Celebrini isn't of legal drinking age in the United States and he's already a legend in the making. 

With a three-point night, Macklin Celebrini now has 43 points on the season, ranking second in the NHL behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, who leads with 49 points. His two assists on Sunday also put him in a first-place tie with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, each recording 28…

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) December 8, 2025

Next Game 

The Sharks (14-13-3) continue their road trip on Tuesday when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers (15-9-3) at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. local time.  

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.

SUNRISE -- After shutting out the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Saturday, the New York Islanders failed to sweep the back-to-back, falling 4-1 to the Florida Panthers on Sunday evening. 

The Islanders were 4-0-0 on the second leg of back-to-backs prior to this game.

Here's how it happened: 

Goaltender David Rittich did a phenomenal job tracking pucks early, but a seeing-eye shot from Uvis Balinskis at 12:14 of the first gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead:

grinding. pic.twitter.com/tsycuPUusN

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) December 7, 2025

That snapped the Islanders' three-game streak of scoring first.

The Islanders' fourth line started to shift momentum, ever so slightly, garnering some chances. 

Kyle MacLean got a glorious feed from Casey Cizikas but he rang the left post at 19:16 of the first. 

The Panthers took a 2-0 lead at 7:05 of the second period after Maxim Shabanov committed his second turnover of the shift and third mistake. After making a great read in the offensive zone, he waited too long to shoot, leading to a blocked shot. 

Then, as he tried to get a cycle going down low, he didn't get enough on the pass, turning the puck over. He made a strong effort to get back -- which he did --, but then he turned the puck over to Carter Verhaeghe, who ripped the rubber glove side:

Dad mode ENGAGED.

That’s Verhaeghe’s FOURTH goal as a dad 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4zKS00rKkU

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 7, 2025

Head coach Patrick Roy swapped Shabanov with Simon Holmstrom for the remainder of the game. 

Mathew Barzal got the Islanders on the board at 9:03 of the second. He received a quick feed from Matthew Schaefer stationed at the point, before his backhander went off of Florida defenseman Gustav Forsling's behind and in:

Mathew Barzal backhander gets #Isles on the board…and, oh yeah, another point for Mathew Schaefer: pic.twitter.com/GO64SsiXzU

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) December 7, 2025

 The Islanders couldn't get the equalizer before the second period came to a close. 

In the third period, the Islanders struggled to create much, with just three shots on goal. 

During 4-on-4 play, Seth Jones scored off the rush at 13:57 of the third after Tony DeAngelo and Matthew Schaefer got crossed up:

holy highlight reel, mr. jones pic.twitter.com/4IY9lmrQKs

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) December 8, 2025

Sam Reinhart added an empty-net goal at 17:05 of the third for the 4-1 final. 

The Florida Panthers wrapped up an extended homestand when they hosted the New York Islanders on Sunday night in Sunrise.

For just the third time this season, the Panthers have picked points in three straight games after taking down the Islanders 4-1.

Florida picked up the game’s opening goal, and it came off the stick of one of their defensemen.

Cats youngster Mackie Samoskevich carried the puck from behind New York’s net and into the corner, sliding it to a waiting Balinskis at the point.

He fired a wrist shot that traveled through a screen and past Islanders goalie David Rittich to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 12:14 mark.

The Cats doubled their lead just past the seven-minute mark of the middle frame thanks to a great steal by Sam Bennett.

With the puck in the corner to Rittich’s right, Bennett dug the puck out from between two Islanders and backhanded a pass to the high slot, where Jeff Petry poked the puck to Carter Verhaeghe at the side of the net.

Verhaeghe’s quick shot snuck between Rittich and the near post to give Florida a 2-0 lead with 12:55 to go in the second period.

Almost exactly two minutes later, Matthew Barzal fired a shot that went off the backside of Gustav Forsling before awkwardly bouncing underneath Tarasov to cut Florida’s lead in half.

It took a while before we saw the game’s next goal.

This time it was Anton Lundell finding Seth Jones moving into the Islanders zone, and Jones cut to the middle of the ice before wiring a nasty wrist shot over Rittich’s glove to put Florida back in front by two with 6:03 to go.

A Sam Reinhart empty-net goal would seal the deal for the Cats.

The win was Florida’ second straight, improving their record to 14-12-2 on the season.

On to Utah.

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Photo caption: Dec 7, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates with defenseman Jeff Petry (2) after scoring against the New York Islanders during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Montreal Canadiens have made a roster move ahead of their Dec. 7 matchup against the St. Louis Blues, as they have called up goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. 

The Canadiens announced that goaltender Samuel Montembeault is sick. As a result, the Canadiens have called up Kahkonen, and he will be backing up Jakub Dobes against the Blues. 

Kahkonen has played in nine games this season for Laval, where he has posted a 6-2-0 record, a .895 save percentage, and a 2.81 goals-against average. This is after the Canadiens signed the 29-year-old goaltender to a one-year, $1.15 million contract during this off-season. 

Kahkonen has appeared in 140 career NHL games over six seasons split between the Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche, where he has recorded a 49-68-15 record, a 3.34 goals-against average, and a 3.34 goals-against average. 

The Buffalo Sabres once again are in the midst of a letdown of a season. They’re currently in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 11-13-4 record, and they’ve lost four of their past six games. Buffalo is now about to play Game 2 of a five-game west coast road trip, and if they can’t make any headway in the standings when they take on the lowly Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken, the Sabres’ Stanley Cup playoff hopes are going to be all but snuffed out.

But there could be some help on the horizon if Sabres GM Kevyn Adams plays his trade cards right. Because if there’s one thing Buffalo has more than enough of right now, it’s something that’s highly-prized in other NHL markets – and that’s goaltending.

As it stands right now, the Sabres have three NHL-capable netminders: starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, veteran Alex Lyon and youngster Colten Ellis. At a time when some NHL teams don’t have even a single reliable goaltending option, Adams should be able to not only find a taker for one of his goalies, but also to drum up a healthy return for them on the trade market. 

From this writer’s perspective, Buffalo’s best trade chip is Luukkonen. The 26-year-old’s individual numbers – while not indicative of an above-average performance at a .895 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average – aren’t horrendous on an otherwise terrible Sabres team. And he’s signed to reasonable money ($4.75-million per season). The real stumbling point is that Luukkonen is signed through the 2028-29 season. But Adams has to get something for Luukkonen, and that probably means making a move well in advance of the March 6 trade deadline.

We say that because if he waits too long to cash in on Luukkonen, Adams risks the trade market drying up. So, from our perspective, if Buffalo finishes the season with these same three goalies, it will be an opportunity lost. The Sabres have some solid depth at the most crucial position there is, and they need to convert one of their assets to help them in other areas.

Adams has to recognize a trade partner or two for Luukkonen sometime soon and see if he can’t stir up a robust market for him. Because this is not a player Adams absolutely has to trade. Luukkonen is a valuable, younger player who is cost-controlled for the foreseeable future, and for better or worse, you can’t say that about many goalies in the league. Luukkonen may indeed benefit from playing in front of a defensively-sound set of forwards and defensemen, so giving him away would be a fireable offense.

Grading The Sabres At The One-Third Mark Of The Season: The ForwardsWe're handing out grades to the Sabres at the one-third point of the season, and in this file, we're grading Buffalo's forwards. And as reflects the Sabres' season, Buffalo's grade for its forwards is disappointing one.

A Luukkonen trade isn’t imminent, and who knows – maybe there’s a road to him staying in Buffalo. But in a season where the Sabres are once again playing their way out of Stanley Cup playoff contention, significant trades are going to be coming. And a Luukkonen trade would signify that Adams is open for business, so long as the price is right.

With Ellis and AHLer Devon Levi, the Sabres project to have a solid tandem for the next decade or so. And let’s be real here – Buffalo isn’t where they are in the standings right now because Luukkonen goaltended them there. He’s put in decent enough work, and in the right situation, he could challenge his career-best full-season SP average of .910. 

Grading The Sabres At The One-Third Mark Of The Season: The GoaliesIn our ongoing series, we're grading the Sabres' season at each position. And in this file, we're grading Buffalo's netminders.

Thus, Adams has to find a way to convert Luukkonen into some sort of notable asset. When NHL-capable goalies are hard to come by, having many of them should be a benefit to you by trading them for help in other areas. And for us, that goalie trade should be one that sends Luukkonen out of Western New York to a team that’s in need of him.

 

The New York Rangers are set to play the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 7:00 PM EST at Madison Square Garden.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of this matchup: 

Projected Lineup:

Forwards:

Artemi Panarin - Mika Zibanejad -  Alexis Lafrenière

Conor Sheary - Vincent Trocheck - J.T. Miller

Will Cuylle - Noah Laba - Brett Berard

Jonny Brodzinski - Sam Carrick - Taylor Raddysh

Defensemen:

Vladislav Gavrikov - Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy - Will Borgen

Matthew Roberston - Scott Morrow 

Goaltenders: 

Jonathan Quick

Igor Shesterkin 

Notable Storylines: 

• Jonathan Quick is set to start for the Rangers. 
• The Rangers are coming off of a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. 
• The Rangers currently hold a 15-12-3 record. 
• The Golden Knights are coming off of a 3-0 win over the Devils.

The Ottawa Senators currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-11-4 record, but they’re only three points behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens, and four points behind the second-place Boston Bruins.

In addition, Ottawa has two games in hand on Boston. So it’s rather remarkable the Senators remain a strong team in the playoff hunt while their goaltending is not getting the job done.

In their past four losses, Ottawa has given up 16 goals and been outscored 16-7. Their 3.29 goals-against average this season speaks to their struggles in their own zone as a team.

But if the Sens want to take a competitive step forward and contend for home-ice advantage, they’re going to have to tighten things up defensively, specifically in the crease.

For instance, starter Linus Ullmark has posted an .877 save percentage and 3.00 GAA in 21 starts this season. He’s been better of late, with an SP of .900 or higher in his last couple of games.

However, Ullmark’s career averages of a .915 SP and a 2.58 GAA suggest the 32-year-old is going to put it all together and atone for his subpar start to the season. But Ullmark can't do it all himself, and that’s where his understudy – backup Leevi Merilainen – comes in.

In seven appearances this year, Merilainen has an .876 SP and a 3.36 GAA. The 23-year-old still has only 21 games of NHL experience under his belt, but there’s no sense the Sens have given up on him.

Who Can Be The Senators' Trade Partner As They Look To Take A Big Swing?As the Ottawa Senators look to make a big swing in the trade market this season, what other team in the NHL can be a trade partner?

That said, Merilainen has to give Ottawa coach Travis Green a reason to challenge Ullmark for playing time. That means being more consistent, and given that he’s lost his past three games, Merilainen has to show he can work his way out of adversity. 

Aside from the goaltending, there’s plenty to like about the Sens as a team. Sure, the team has to be better in front of Ullmark and Merilainen, and the blame for Ottawa’s so-so start shouldn't fall on their netminders alone.

Prospect Check-In: A Glance At The Ottawa Senators Goaltending PipelineOttawa's future goalies are battling across various leagues. See how these five prospects are shaping up early this season.

But the truth is, if the Senators' tandem can find a bit more consistency and challenge each other, there's an opportunity for Ottawa to not only be a playoff team again, but possibly a club that can claim home-ice advantage for the post-season.

If the Sens are to get to the next level, they’re going to need their goalies to be better than they’ve been thus far this season. 

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The state of the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending is such that trade rumors connecting potential trade acquisitions should be believed.

Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire, and the smoking ruins of the Oilers’ many defeats this season give Edmonton GM Stan Bowman good reason to shake the trees in the trade market and see what goalies could be available to change things up between the pipes for his team.

On Sportsnet's 'Saturday Headlines,' Elliotte Friedman indicated there’s interest from Edmonton in Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. But what’s likely an obstacle to this trade being consummated is Pittsburgh’s unwillingness to retain salary on Jarry’s current contract.

The 30-year-old’s salary of $5.375 million runs for an additional two seasons after this one, and acquiring him would be a huge commitment given his roller-coaster performances in previous seasons. 

Jarry’s individual numbers this season, including a .913 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average in 12 appearances, are significantly better than current Oilers starter Stuart Skinner’s .889 SP and 2.86 GAA in 21 starts.

Based on goaltending statistics today, Jarry would be an upgrade on Skinner. But the real question is – are the Oilers really in a position to take on Jarry’s full contract, or is that a dealbreaker for Bowman?

To answer, Edmonton should not take on Jarry's full contract, and it should be a dealbreaker for Bowman and the Oilers that the Penguins don't want to retain his salary.

The Oilers presently have only $159,167 in salary cap space. That means they’re going to have to move out money to make space for Jarry’s salary.

If Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas was willing to retain some salary, it would be far easier for Bowman to clear out a retained amount of cap space to gamble on Jarry, rather than taking on his full cap hit.

Bowman would have to move out roster players and weaken their offensive or defensive depth, or both. All that for a goaltender who has been inconsistent in the past.

Edmonton’s recent history of making bad investments in net – Jack Campbell as one example – makes the Oilers gun-shy to risk Jarry falling flat and being stuck with him for another two seasons.

They’ve already brought in Connor Ingram, and he’s struggling at the AHL level. So the thought of trading for Jarry, then shortly thereafter regretting it and being stuck with another potential buyout situation for years to come, could haunt Edmonton's front office.   

Indeed, rather than pursuing Jarry and being responsible for his full contract, it’s probably better to stay with Skinner. He’s in the final season of his contract that pays him $2.6 million, which gives the Oilers some freedom in how they'd like to handle Skinner.

Not to mention, he has been between the pipes in both of Edmonton's runs to the Stanley Cup final in the last two years.

NHL Hot Seat Radar: Oilers' Stuart Skinner Steps UpThe NHL Hot Seat Radar series highlights which NHL figures are under serious pressure to improve. The Edmonton Oilers had much better goaltending this past week, while the Flames and Kings still have scoring issues.

Besides, even if Skinner continues to struggle this season, it’s not as if Jarry is going to be the only goalie available via trade. As the year unfolds and there’s some separation in the standings, there’s likely to be other options for the Oilers in net. 

Regardless of what other options are out there, it makes sense for Bowman to be more patient and see what trade opportunities bubble up between now and the March 6 trade deadline.

If the Penguins are dead-set against salary retention for Jarry, the Oilers should move on and take their chances either with Skinner or someone else who isn’t as big a risk of failing.

Edmonton is on the clock when it comes to superstar Connor McDavid, so there should be a sense of urgency when it comes to the Oilers’ goaltending. But Jarry’s rebound season is still in its infancy, and the last thing Edmonton should want is a reclamation project that’s still in its early stages.

Bowman has to balance the needs of the moment with Edmonton's long-term needs, and that means either finding a veteran goalie who isn’t as much of a long-term risk or sticking with Skinner and letting the chips fall where they may, then possibly moving on from Skinner when he becomes a UFA in the summer.

---

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.