Category: NHL

How do the St. Louis Blues recover?

That has to be the looming question as the Blues (20-27-9) conclude their pre-Olympic schedule and latter end of their dad's/mentor's trip when face the Dallas Stars (33-14-9) with a puck drop at 8:52 p.m. on TNT.

The Blues, who have lost nine straight away from Enterprise Center and have been outscored 42-17, are coming off a shocking 6-5 loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday, a game in which they led 5-1 less that four minutes into the second period in a game they had complete control in.

Instead, it was their second loss this season -- and in franchise history -- that the Blues lost a game in which they led by four goals in (also on Oct. 25 against the Detroit Red Wings, led 4-0 before falling 6-4).

A silver lining to come out of the game at Nashville was the line featuring Pavel Buchnevich between Jake Neighbours and Jordan Kyrou. Each contributed three points (Buchnevich two goals, one assist; Neighbours one goal, two assists and Kyrou three assists) and it's been a line that's gained traction since Blues coach Jim Montgomery assembled them together.

In the last six games, Buchnevich has eight points (three goals, five assists); in the past 11 games, Kyrou has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and Neighbours has four points (two goals, two assists) and is a plus-3 the pat two games.

- - -

It'll be the third time in 13 days these Central Division foes will meet and fourth time this season. After the Blues took the opener 3-1 in one of their most complete games of the season on Oct. 18, the Stars took each of the last two matchups, 3-2 on Jan. 23 when Jason Robertson scored the game-winner with 1:00 remaining in regulation, and again, 4-3 on Jan. 27 when Thomas Harley's goal with 1:07 to play was the difference.

The lineup changes the team announced for Wednesday are that there will be game time decisions and that the club could use 11 forwards and seven defensemen, so pregame warmups will determine who's in and who's out. But Jordan Binnington will make the start, the 10th straight game he and Joel Hofer will have alternated starts.

So the best guess at a lineup below as news broke moments after posting the Blues traded Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils for an AHL forward, conditional pick:

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Brayden Schenn-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jimmy Snuggerud

Jake Neighbours-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou

Jonatan Berggren-Pius Suter-Robby Fabbri

Alexey Toropchenko-Oskar Sundqvist-Nathan Walker

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup. 

Healthy scratches could include Mathieu Joseph and Matthew Kessel. Robert Thomas (lower body) and Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain) are out.

- - -

Stars Projected Lineup:

Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Mavrik Bourque

Justin Hryckowian-Wyatt Johnston-Mikko Rantanen

Sam Steel-Matt Duchene-Jamie Benn

Oskar Back-Radek Faksa-Adam Erne

Esa Lindell-Miro Heiskanen

Thomas Harley-Nils Lundkvist

Kyle Capobianco-Ilya Lyubushkin

Jake Oettinger will start in goal; Casey DeSmith will be the backup. 

Healthy scratches include Nathan Bastian, Colin Blackwell and Alexander Petrovic. Tyler Seguin (ACL) and Lian Bichsel (lower body) are out.

T.J. Oshie: 'For Me Personally, I Didn't Want Out. I Wanted To Retire A Blue'St. Louis Blues 2005 first-round pick, traded by St. Louis to the Washington Capitals in 2015 for Troy Brouwer, reveals he never wanted to leave St. Louis

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An impending trade freeze across the NHL ahead of the Olympic break is approaching, but a move could still be made before the deadline.

The Detroit Red Wings have positioned themselves as legitimate buyers for the first time in years. In fact, it's been over 10 years since the Red Wings made meaningful acquisitions at the Trade Deadline.

Currently, the Red Wings occupy the second overall position in the Atlantic Division behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, with several other clubs uncomfortably close in their rear-view mirror. 

While the Red Wings had been linked to Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, he was ultimately traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

NHL insider Darren Dreger of TSN recently appeared on the Barn Burner podcast with Dean “Boomer” Molberg and Ryan Pinder, where he hinted at the possibility of a major move involving the Calgary Flames.

He said the Red Wings would prefer to acquire players with term remaining on their contracts and specifically mentioned defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and forward Nazem Kadri as potential targets.

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

"What about the Detroit Red Wings? We've talked about and wondered why they'd not have an interest in (Rasmus) Andersson, because we know they need a right-shot defenseman, or want one," he said.

"Detroit is specifically looking for non-rentals; they want guys with term, both as a right-shot defenseman and a scoring forward," he continued. "They'd like - maybe they can make a heck of a deal with Calgary, because they want definition at center ice. They want a top-two center." 

In terms of contract term, both players have several years remaining on their current deals.

Kadri, who signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Flames in 2022, is signed through 2029. Meanwhile, Weegar, one of the key pieces acquired by Calgary in the blockbuster 2022 offseason trade involving Matthew Tkachuk and Jonathan Huberdeau, signed an eight-year, $50 million extension shortly after his arrival.

At 35, Kadri's prime is behind him. However, he's coming off a career-high 35 goals with the Flames last season, and played a key role in the Stanley Cup victory by the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. 

Weegar, a right-shot defenseman, plays in all situations and is the Flames' current ice-time leader at just over 23 minutes per game. 

The Red Wings boast a deep pool of prospects they could dangle as trade bait and also have nearly $13 million in available salary cap space.

The NHL Trade Freeze begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday and continues through 11:59 p.m. ET on February 22. 

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The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets go head-to-head at Canada Life Centre in their final game before the Olympic break.

The Habs are on a solid run, and I’ll break down why I’m picking the visitors to stay hot in my Canadiens vs. Jets predictions and NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4.

Canadiens vs Jets prediction

Canadiens vs Jets best bet: Canadiens moneyline (-110)

The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens come into tonight’s meeting at dead-even -110 odds, a surprise given how these teams have trended in opposite directions this season.

The Habs are within striking distance of an Atlantic Division title, while the Jets sit fifth-last in the NHL standings.

Montreal has a 4-0-1 record over its last five games and has been excellent on the road this season, going 15-6-7. The Habs own a .661 points percentage as the visitor, the fourth-best mark in the league.

While Connor Hellebuyck would normally give the Jets an edge in net, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner has been a shell of himself this season. Hellebuyck is carrying a .901 SV% and has allowed 3+ goals in four straight starts.

The Canadiens are the much better team, and we’re getting a great price on the moneyline tonight.

Canadiens vs Jets same-game parlay

Cole Caufield is in the midst of a career year, with 32 goals in 56 games, putting him on pace for 47 tallies. The Habs sharpshooter has scored in seven of his last nine games.

Josh Morrissey is one of Winnipeg's few bright spots, and he continues to get pucks to the net, logging Over 1.5 shots on goal in nine of his last 11 outings.

Canadiens vs Jets SGP

• Canadiens moneyline
• Cole Caufield anytime goal
• Josh Morrissey Over 1.5 shots on goal

Canadiens vs Jets odds

• Moneyline: Canadiens -110 | Jets -110
• Puck Line: Canadiens -1.5 (+210) | Jets +1.5 (-260)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)

Canadiens vs Jets trend

The Canadiens have covered the Puck Line in 19 of their last 25 games (+15.30 Units / 36% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Jets.

How to watch Canadiens vs Jets

Canadiens vs Jets latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Florida Panthers were hoping to have some reinforcements this week.

Florida will play a back-to-back set against the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning before the NHL pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Desperate for every point they can get in the standings, the Panthers have been playing without Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell, and then on Monday Sam Bennett missed the final two periods of Florida’s loss to Buffalo.

All three of the injured Cats were on the ice for Wednesday’s morning skate at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.

Afterwards, Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice said that Bennett would be able to play against the Bruins and that Lundell was probable.

Marchand will remain out of the lineup, Maurice said.

#FlaPanthers injury updates for tonight against Boston, per Paul Maurice: Sam Bennett is playing. Anton Lundell is probable. Brad Marchand is out.

— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) February 4, 2026

Here are how the forward lines could look against Boston based off the available Panthers players:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Sandis Vilmanis – Cole Schwindt – Jesper Boqvist

The puck drops from Amerant Bank Arena at 7 p.m.

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Photo caption: Dec 23, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) comes off the ice after the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

Things are going well for the Buffalo Sabres right now. They currently have a 32-18-6 record and are third in the Atlantic Division standings.  With the Sabres being in a good spot in the standings, there is an expectation that they will be buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Matthew Fairburn argued that the biggest trade need the Sabres should look to address is their defensive depth. 

"Adding another depth defenseman capable of playing a physical style would help them in their push for the playoffs," Fairburn wrote. 

It is easy to understand why the Sabres are being urged to strengthen their defensive depth. When looking at their current roster, it is clear that they could use another solid defenseman. Adding another right-shot defenseman, specifically, would be beneficial for the Sabres. 

When looking at trade candidates around the league, a few names that could make sense for the Sabres to pursue include Connor Murphy (Chicago Blackhawks), Luke Schenn (Winnipeg Jets), Zach Whitecloud (Calgary Flames), and Braden Schneider (New York Rangers). 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Sabres look to bring in at least one defenseman ahead of the deadline. 

The Montreal Canadiens will play their last game before the Olympic break on Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. It will be the second duel between the two sides this season. Montreal won the first one in a shootout in early December and will be keen to sweep the season series. Winnipeg is currently nine points out of a playoff position in the Western Conference and has a 4-3-3 record in its last 10 games, having lost its previous match 4-3 in overtime to the Dallas Stars.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens are now back in the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference after the Buffalo Sabres claimed a point on Tuesday night in their 4-3 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal and Buffalo have now played the same number of games and have the same number of points, but the Sabres have the edge in regulation wins with 26. In contrast, the Canadiens only have 20. Since that’s the first tie-breaker, it gives Buffalo third place in the division.

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Canadiens Escape Minnesota With A Point

Montreal put Samuel Blais on waivers yesterday. If he clears, that will allow him to see some action in the AHL with the Laval Rocket over the Olympic break, meaning that it shouldn’t be seen as an indication that Patrik Laine is about to re-enter the lineup to play against his former team. Jayden Struble will, however, come in for Arber Xhekaj, who played less than six minutes in the last game. 

The Habs and Jets have split their last 10 duels equally, with each team claiming the victory five times. When Montreal beat the Jets in early December, Jakub Dobes faced Eric Comrie in net. Neither team has confirmed its goaltender yet, but Dobes started the Canadiens’ last game, so Samuel Montembeault has not played since January 24 against the Boston Bruins. While Dobes couldn’t get the Canadiens the win against the Minnesota Wild, he still had a very good game, which allowed them to walk away with a point. Still, Martin St-Louis has decided to go back to Montembeault.

Dobes has a 1-0-0 record against the Jets with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. Meanwhile, Montembeault has a 1-4-1 record with a 3.47 GAA and a .881 SV. 

Dobes dit NON

Heat Czech 🔥#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/93zoexhrw6

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 30, 2026

At the other end of the ice, reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck has seen the lion’s share of the work this season, playing in 35 games while Comrie has featured in 19. The latter has a 0-2-2 record against the Habs with a 2.68 GAA and a .917 SV, while the former is 13-6-2 with a 2.82 GAA and a .912 SV against Montreal. Hellebuyck was also in the net for the Jets’ last game on Monday night, but he will still get the net on Wednesday night. 

Up front, Phillip Danault is the only Canadiens player to have scored over 20 points against the host; he has 23 points in 30 games, while Brendan Gallagher has 19 points in 29 games. Captain Nick Suzuki is in third place with 17 points in 20 games. Interestingly, the Jets are one of the few teams that Cole Caufield has never scored a goal against, but he still has seven points in 10 duels with the Manitoba outfit. As for Noah Dobson, who is currently on a four-game point streak, he only has two points in eight duels with them.

TRENTE DEUX ⋅ THIRTY TWO** https://t.co/xrXMc8VJ7Bpic.twitter.com/ZpKO2DXEqD

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 1, 2026

Meanwhile, Kyle Connor has always been a thorn in the Canadiens’ side with 28 points in just 23 games against the Habs. He’s also on a four-game point streak right now, just like Mark Scheifele, who has 25 points in 31 games. Gustav Nyquist completes the top three with 21 points in 35 games against Montreal.

The game is scheduled for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on RDS and Sportsnet. Stephen Hiff and Trevor Hanson will be the referees, while Travis Toomey and Travis Gawryletz will be the linemen. After the game, the Canadiens will be off until February 17, when they’ll resume training at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, but their next game will only take place on February 26 against the New York Islanders. While most players will use the break as a holiday opportunity, four Habs will be heading to Milano-Cortina: Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Alexandre Texier (health permitting).

---

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

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The Vancouver Canucks continue their road swing this evening as they head to Sin City to face the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena tonight.

Teddy Blueger has come alive as a goalscorer lately, and my Canucks vs. Golden Knights predictions and NHL picks are eyeing him to score against his former team. 

Canucks vs Golden Knights prediction

Canucks vs Golden Knights best bet: Teddy Blueger anytime goalscorer (+450)

Teddy Blueger isn’t exactly a household name in the NHL, but he’s been impressive for the Vancouver Canucks lately. After missing a lot of the campaign due to injury, the Latvian returned last month on January 21, and he’s scored in four of seven appearances since then. 

Blueger scored one of Vancouver’s two goals in a loss to the Mammoth on Monday, and he also found the back of the net last Thursday against the Ducks. The 31-year-old has two goals in three road games this season. 

He did play for the Vegas Golden Knights for part of the 2022-23 campaign, and he scored in one of the four meetings against them last season.

Canucks vs Golden Knights same-game parlay

Jake DeBrusk is averaging 2.80 shots on goal per game this season, and he’s cashed the Over in three of his last five appearances. In fact, he has 10 shots on target across his previous three games alone. 

Evander Kane hasn’t exactly been living up to expectations for the Canucks, compiling just 25 points. However, his shot total sits at just 1.5 tonight, and he’s hit the Over in three straight contests. 

He put five pucks on net against the Mammoth, and he had another two SOG against the Leafs on Saturday.

Canucks vs Golden Knights SGP

• Teddy Blueger anytime goalscorer
• Jake DeBrusk Over 2.5 shots
• Evander Kane Over 1.5 shots

Canucks vs Golden Knights odds

• Moneyline: Canucks +240 | Golden Knights -300
• Puck Line: Canucks +1.5 (+100) | Golden Knights -1.5 (-115)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5

Canucks vs Golden Knights trend

The Canucks have cashed the Under in 10 of their last 15 road games for +4.45 units and a 26% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Canucks vs. Golden Knights.

How to watch Canucks vs Golden Knights

Canucks vs Golden Knights latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The NHL's Olympic Roster Freeze will begin on February 4 at 3 pm ET and last through February 22 at 11:59 ET.

According to PuckPedia, during the freeze:

• No Trades are permitted
• Players can be sent down if they are waiver exempt, except for players that played in 16 of the team's 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21

🚨PuckPedia Breaking News

During the Olympic Freeze from Feb 4 to Feb 22, no trades are permitted.

There are also restrictions on which players can be sent down during the freeze.

Details:https://t.co/mZax9oh2IGpic.twitter.com/JaS2oDHK3s

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) January 26, 2026

• Players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if the player was waived after their NHL team's final game before the freeze, they do not have to report to their new team until February 17.
• There are no restrictions on sending players down prior to the freeze.

For the New York Islanders, this means Calum Ritchie -- who has missed the past five games with a lower-body injury -- is unable to be sent down to Bridgeport in the American Hockey League since he has been on the NHL roster since October 31st, 2025, 82 days before Jan 21. 

The only two other waiver-exempt players currently on the NHL roster are Matthew Schaefer and Maxim Shabanov, who have each been on the NHL roster for the entire season.

With the Islanders having just one game left before the 19-day break and sitting just four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for a playoff spot, the front office will have plenty of time to evaluate the future ahead of the final stretch of the season and the March 6 trade deadline.

The Edmonton Oilers head south to face the Calgary Flames for the Battle of Alberta at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight.

My Oilers vs. Flames predictions and top NHL picks are calling for Edmonton to win the rivalry’s final installment of the season tonight.

Oilers vs Flames prediction

Oilers vs Flames best bet: Oilers moneyline (-130)

The Edmonton Oilers allowing a pair of power-play tallies and an empty-net goal in the third period to lose 5-2 to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday has provided an excellent price on Edmonton against the Calgary Flames tonight.

Calgary is 1-4-2 since trading defenseman Rasmus Andersson, and the Flames have scored the fewest goals per game (1.72) during the stretch.

This is also a bounce-back spot for Edmonton, and I think the Oilers playing for the second consecutive night is more than priced in, given the proximity of the two cities.

Oilers vs Flames same-game parlay

In addition to the highlighted offensive shortcomings in Calgary, the Flames have also only hit the Over in two of their past 13 games. The Oilers are sporting the lowest team save percentage at 5-on-5 during the same stretch, too, so I’m anticipating improvement in net for Edmonton tonight to help keep this total Under the number.

Turning to Edmonton winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, he’s marked the scoresheet in 11 of 16 games since the calendar flipped to January. Skating with superstar Connor McDavid at 5-on-5 and with the No. 1 power-play is a huge help, with Nugent-Hopkins and No. 97 being on the ice for an elite 6.77 goals per 60 minutes this season.

Oilers vs Flames SGP

• Oilers moneyline
• Under 6.5
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Over 0.5 points

Oilers vs Flames odds

• Moneyline: Oilers -130 | Flames +110
• Puck Line: Oilers -1.5 (+175) | Flames +1.5 (-215)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-115) | Under 6.5 (-105)

Oilers vs Flames trend

The Flames have only cashed the Over in two of their last 13 games for -7.75 units and a -55% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Flames.

How to watch Oilers vs Flames

Oilers vs Flames latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Vancouver Canucks (18–32–6) take part in their final game before the 2026 Winter Olympic break when they face the Vegas Golden Knights (25–16–14) later tonight. This marks the final game of the Canucks’ mom’s trip, with the team’s first game resulting in a 6–2 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Monday. Vegas’ last game took place on Sunday, during which they lost by a score of 4–3 to the Anaheim Ducks. Tonight’s match is not the Golden Knights’ last before the break, however, as they will also face the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow night. 

This is the first time the Canucks and Golden Knights will face each other this season, as the two teams’ other matchups aren’t until March 30 and April 7. By the time they face each other again, Vancouver and Vegas will likely have their respective post-season fates locked-down. 

Vegas will be a desperate team heading into tonight’s game, as the Golden Knights’ last win came against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 23. Throughout their current five-game losing streak, Vegas has dropped all but one of their games by a single goal. Two of these losses were against Pacific Division teams. 

For the Canucks, a win tonight would be a good morale booster as the team prepares to enter the 2026 Winter Olympic break. After a long stretch of losses as well as injury after injury, Vancouver will benefit from a break to re-set and rest during what has undoubtedly been a difficult season.   

Players To Watch: 

Teddy Blueger

Since returning to the Canucks’ lineup on January 21 against the Washington Capitals, Teddy Blueger has scored four goals and tallied one assist. The centre’s presence in Vancouver’s lineup has been greatly missed from both a defensive and depth perspective, though the fact that he’s been contributing offensively definitely helps. As a pending UFA and soon-to-be Olympian for Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Blueger will be a player to watch as the Canucks take part in their final game before the break.  

Pavel Dorofeyev

Dorofeyev has gotten off to an impressive start for Vegas this season, putting together a team-leading 24 goals as well as 17 assists. He’s already 12 points away from setting a new career-high with 27 games remaining in the Golden Knights’ season. Throughout his past 10 games, the forward has scored seven goals and potted one assist, though his point totals have been limited to three throughout his team’s five-game losing streak.  

Vancouver Canucks (18–32–6): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 13–21–34

Filip Hronek: 5–27–32

Jake DeBrusk: 13–15–28

Brock Boeser: 12–13–25

Evander Kane: 9–16–25

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 7–18–4

Nikita Tolopilo: 3–3–1

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Vegas Golden Knights (25–16–14): 

Points: 

Jack Eichel: 19–45–64

Mitch Marner: 15–41–56

Mark Stone: 20–35–55

Tomáš Hertl: 22–26–48

Pavel Dorofeyev: 24–17–41 

Goaltenders: 

Akira Schmid: 15–6–6

Carter Hart: 5–3–3

Adin Hill: 3–3–3

Carl Lindbom: 2–4–2

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: T-Mobile Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650

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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The Columbus Blue Jackets are at home to take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at 7 PM.  

Chicago Blackhawks - 21-24-9 - 51 Points - 3-5-2 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 6th in the Central

Columbus Blue Jackets - 25-20-7 - 57 Points - 7-3-0 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 5th in the Metro.

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• Columbus has won a season-high six-straight games, as well as 10 of its past 11 games overall, while outscoring opponents 42-26 since Jan. 11 following its 3-0 victory at New Jersey last night.

• CBJ lead the NHL in wins, points pct. (.909) and team save percentage (.916) and rank second in goals-against/game(2.36), sixth-T in goals for/game (3.82) and seventh in power play pct. (29.6) over that stretch.

• The club has scored the opening goal in nine of the past 11 games and has scored the first goal in 33 contests, tied for fourth-most in the NHL in 2025-26.

• Columbus leads the NHL in goals by defensemen and ranks fourth in points with 42-98-140 in 55 contests.

• CBJ conclude their 11th of 16 back-to-back sets of the season (13-5-3 .690 pts. pct;) vs. Chicago tonight.

• The Jackets have allowed two power play goals over the last eight contests and lead the league in penalty kill pct. since Jan. 17 (91.7 pct., 1st in NHL; 22-of-24).

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Charlie Coyle has notched 9-6-15 in the last 11 contests and ranks second-T in the NHL in goals since Jan. 11.

• Jet Greaves (5-0-0, 2.47 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO) and G Elvis Merzlikins (5-1-0, 2.03 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO) have each won five games for the Blue Jackets since Jan. 11.

• Boone Jenner (203 career assists) is one assist from tying RW David Vyborny for the third-most all-time in CBJ history.

• Kirill Marchenko, who missed last night's game due to illness, has points in his past four games (1-4-5) and in 15 of his last 19 contests since Dec. 22 (9-11-20).

• Mathieu Olivier (two goals at New Jersey) has notched multiple points in three of the past four games (4-2-6).

• Zach Werenski has recorded assists in five-straight games (8 assists) and points in six consecutive (1-8-9). He leads NHL blueliners in goals (tied, 19), points (61), multi-point efforts (20), points-per-game (1.20), even strength goals (16), even strength points (45) and shots on goal (181) this season.

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.9% - 18th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.9% - 28th in the NHL
• Goals For - 170 - 18th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 176 - 21st in the NHL 

Blackhawks Stats

• Power Play - 19.5% - 19th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 85.6% - 1st in the NHL
• Goals For - 151 - 26th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 176 - 20th in the NHL

Series History vs. The Blackhawks

• Columbus is 43-46-2-13 all-time, and 22-21-1-8 at home vs. Chicago.
• The Blue Jackets are 7-0-1 in the last 8 games of the series and have won 6-straight overall.
• The winning team has scored four or more goals in 11-straight meetings and 13 of the last 15 in the series overall since Feb. 11, 2021.
• The CBJ beat the Blackhawks 4-2 on January 30th
• The winning team has won by multiple goals in each of the past nine meetings, including seven instances of by at least three goals.
• The teams have combined for six-plus goals in 12 of the past 15 contests, including nine with seven or more goals.
• The Blue Jackets have recorded a power play goal in six of the past eight meetings (6-of-21; 28.6 pct.).

Who To Watch For The Blackhawks

• Tyler Bertuzzi leads the Blackhawks with 25 goals.
• Connor Bedard leads Chicago with 30 assists and 53 points.
• Goalie Spencer Knight is 16-17-7 with a SV% of .909.
• Arvid Soderblom is 5-9-2 with a SV% of .874.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Blackhawks

• Zach Werenski has 21 points in 19 career games vs. the Blackhawks.
• Boone Jenner has 12 points in 23 games.
• Charlie Coyle has 15 points in 39 games against Chicago.

Injured Reserve

• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 17 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 153

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

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The Florida Panthers enter tonight's matchup with the Boston Bruins riding a four-game losing streak, and are desperate for points to hang around in the playoff race.

My Bruins vs. Panthers predictions expect them to get a much-needed win in a big divisional clash on home ice.

Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

Bruins vs Panthers prediction

Bruins vs Panthers best bet: Panthers moneyline (-140)

While the Florida Panthers haven’t gotten the results they’ve wanted, they have largely played good hockey since Matthew Tkachuk returned to the lineup.

In the eight games with Tkachuk healthy and available, the Panthers have controlled a 57.43% share of the scoring chances. That is the second-highest mark in the league, trailing only the Lightning, who won seven of their eight games.

They are spending a lot of time on the front foot and getting significantly more chances than they’re giving up.

That can’t be said of the Boston Bruins, who sit 26th with a 45.21% scoring chance share over the same period of time.

Part of that is the penalty trouble they’ve run into, but I’m not sure that can be dismissed. They lead the league in PIMs per game and sit 26th in PK% this season. It’s nothing new; it’s the norm.

Including special teams, the Panthers will likely earn an edge in the shot/chance department this evening. They might also get reinforcements as the returns of Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell are looming.

Look for the back-to-back Stanley Cup winners to give Boston their best shot in an attempt to get some crucial points before the break.

Bruins vs Panthers same-game parlay

Tkachuk leads the Panthers in high-danger chances and expected goals over the past eight games. He’s creating a lot of looks, and that should continue tonight. He always seems to save his best for the Bruins, averaging 3.7 shots on goal over the past 23 meetings.

The Bruins have had a couple of days off since the Stadium Series game, which should benefit Hampus Lindholm. He has been very productive in similar situations, recording multiple shots in six straight following two days of rest.

Bruins vs Panthers SGP

• Panthers moneyline
• Matthew Tkachuk anytime goal
• Hampus Lindholm Over 1.5 shots on goal

Bruins vs Panthers odds

• Moneyline: Bruins +130 | Panthers -160
• Puck Line: Bruins +1.5 (-180) | Panthers -1.5 (+150)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-110) | Under 6.5 (-110)

Bruins vs Panthers trend

Florida has won seven of the past 10 matchups with Boston. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Panthers.

How to watch Bruins vs Panthers

Bruins vs Panthers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Olympics are approaching and there’s a housekeeping note to be aware of starting this afternoon. From PuckPedia:

During the Olympics, there are restrictions on teams making player transactions. The Olympic Roster freeze goes from February 4 at 3pm ET to February 22 at 11:59 ET.

During the freeze:

-No Trades are permitted
-Players can be sent down if they are waiver exempt, except for players that played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21
-Players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if the player was waived after their NHL team’s final game before the freeze, they do not have to report to their new team until February 17.

There are no restrictions on sending players down prior to the freeze. 

The biggest bullets for the Penguins are likely the first two listed. Kyle Dubas will be unable to make any trades during this period – and the regular NHL trade deadline will be fast approaching on Friday March 6th soon after the Olympic freeze is lifted.

The second point handles players being moved from the NHL to AHL roster. Currently only Rutger McGroarty and Ryan Graves can be sent by Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre without needing waivers. Graves, who was removed from the IR on Monday, is eligible for this since he cleared waivers on 12/31 and has only played two NHL games since that point and has not been on the NHL roster for 30 days since clearing waivers due to his stint on IR. Graves has been on the AHL roster within the last 80 days to satisfy that wrinkle of the rule.

Big takeaway might be that based on the rules the Pens can keep both of these players on the NHL roster for tomorrow night’s game against Buffalo and still look to send them down to the AHL if they wish to keep them playing games over the coming weeks, it doesn’t have to be before today’s official freeze at 3pm today.

Then again, Wilkes-Barre also has a game tonight, so the Penguins could always opt to send McGroarty down before the freeze today for participation in that game. Being as McGroarty didn’t play in last night’s NHL game that would be more about strategic management to get him playing again in the AHL more than it would have anything to do with the freeze rules impacting timing, but so it goes to know that the Pens could keep McGroarty with the NHL team for tomorrow if they so wanted.

The third bullet could apply to someone like Caleb Jones, who would need to be waived today and clear tomorrow and be assigned prior to Pittsburgh’s final game before the break. Jones would also have to be healthy enough to be removed from IR, to which the Pens don’t have a spot for him currently on the 23-man roster. Those extra machinations it would take in order to re-assign Jones fully to the AHL before the freeze could go to leave him where he is for a while longer yet as he works back from a second injury this season.

Otherwise, it should be straight-forward for the team at this point going into the break. Besides the four players going to play in Italy for their respective countries (Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Arturs Silovs) the rest of the team can enjoy their well-earned break without having to worry about getting traded in the next few weeks as the league takes a pause.

The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues tend to play low-event games against one another.

With both teams playing at a snail’s pace, my Blues vs. Stars predictions expect more of the same tonight.

Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4.

Blues vs Stars prediction

Blues vs Stars best bet: Under 5.5 (+110)

The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues have played each other three times this season, and 16 total goals were scored in those games (5.33 per), and two stayed Under the number.

It’s not just the lack of goals that stands out, but the process that has led to it. Their games featured an average — yes, average — of 44 total shots on goal. The highest output we’ve seen was 50, and the Blues won the battle 26-24.

A lack of shots is not a coincidence. The Blues rank 27th in 5-on-5 pace this season, while the Stars come in at 31st. Both teams play painfully slowly and are methodical with and without the puck.

The Stars rank fourth in goals against per game and control matchups on home ice, making it difficult for the Blues, who sit 30th in scoring, to find the net.

While the Blues have struggled to keep the puck out, they actually rank Top 6 in 5-on-5 shot suppression and expected goals against over their last 10 games.

It won’t be easy for the Stars, who sit 28th in 5-on-5 scoring rate during that span, to create looks.

Expect another low-event matchup between these Central Division foes.

Blues vs Stars same-game parlay

Miro Heiskanen has averaged 2.4 shots on goal and cleared this line in 76% of his home games. That includes a multi-shot performance against the Blues in the only meeting in Dallas thus far.

Going the other way, Jimmy Snuggerud has ramped up his shot volume, averaging 2.7 shots on 5.9 attempts over his last 10, well above season averages of 2.1 shots and 4.7 attempts. He’s taking on a bigger role with so many key players sidelined.

Blues vs Stars SGP

• Under 5.5
• Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots on goal
• Jimmy Snuggerud Over 1.5 shots on goal

Blues vs Stars odds

• Moneyline: Blues +185 | Stars -225
• Puck Line: Blues +1.5 (-130) | Stars -1.5 (+110)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under Under 5.5 (+110)

Blues vs Stars trend

Seven of the past 10 head-to-head meetings have gone Under the total. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Stars.

How to watch Blues vs Stars

Blues vs Stars latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Florida Panthers are running out of time if they want to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins.

With only 27 games remaining on their schedule, the Panthers know they have quite a bit of work to do in order to catch up to the teams currently holding Stanley Cup Playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Entering play Wednesday, Florida has racked up 59 points in their 55 games played.

That total has the Cats sitting nine points behind Wednesday’s opponent, the Boston Bruins, who hold the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Florida holds one game in hand on the Bruins, which may or may not come in handy, depending how the next 10 to 15 games go for the Panthers.

Having the healthiest lineup possible for the next two games will go a long way toward Florida procuring all four possible points.

That means we’ll be closely monitoring the status of Panthers forwards Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell.

All three are considered day-to-day and we could all or none of them in the Cats’ lineup on Wednesday night.

“There’s a chance they all play tomorrow, there’s a chance none of them play tomorrow,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said after Tuesday’s practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.

Florida is scheduled to hold an optional morning skate ahead of the Bruins game, so there’s a chance Maurice could have an update at that time.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Wednesday’s clash with the Bruins:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Sandis Vilmanis – Luke Kunin – Jesper Boqvist

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis

Tobias Bjornfot – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Jan 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) moves the puck against the Boston Bruins during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)