Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, on Thursday night for a date with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Tristan Jarry, and the Edmonton Oilers. However, a three-goal outburst in 37 seconds set the tone for the night, as the Penguins were en route to a 6-2 win, getting their first win in Oil Country since December 2019. [Recap]
General manager Kyle Dubas has quietly assembled a 2025-26 Penguins team that may be more than good enough for a playoff spot in what most thought would be another down year. His hot streak, however, dates back to the start of the 2024-25 campaign, and it’s put the Penguins on a path for success in the short- and long-term. [PensBurgh]
Eleven-year-old Katherine Haskey, who has Down syndrome, has found a sense of belonging in hockey through her close bond with Penguins rookie Ben Kindel, who treats her as a fellow player, not simply as a fan with a medical condition. Kindel’s consistent kindness has helped Katherine feel safe, valued, and confident both at the rink and in her own hockey journey. [Sportsnet]
Before Thursday night’s game, the Penguins activated defenseman Erik Karlsson from injured reserve, while subsequently placing defenseman Ryan Graves on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury. [Trib Live]
Acquired in the trade that sent Tristan Jarry to the Oilers, defender Brett Kulak has given the Penguins a reliable, steady presence on the back end who has jelled nicely alongside Kris Letang. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Toronto Maple Leafs were scheduled to practice outdoors this weekend, but due to extreme weather conditions in the forecast, the special practice session, originally slated from Saturday to Monday, has been canceled. Weather forecasts predict that the temperature in Toronto will drop as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 degrees Celsius) throughout the weekend. [Sportsnet]
The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Josh Doan to a seven-year, $48.65 million extension. [TSN]
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin underwent surgery for a lingering lower-body injury that will prevent him from playing for Sweden in the Olympics next month. [Associated Press via Sportsnet]
Buffalo Sabres (28-17-5, in the Atlantic Division) vs. New York Islanders (27-18-5, in the Metropolitan Division)
Elmont, New York; Saturday, 1 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres face off in Eastern Conference play.
New York is 14-8-2 at home and 27-18-5 overall. The Islanders have a 19-2-3 record when scoring three or more goals.
Buffalo has gone 12-11-2 in road games and 28-17-5 overall. The Sabres have a 26-4-4 record when scoring at least three goals.
The matchup Saturday is the second time these teams square off this season. The Sabres won 3-2 in a shootout in the previous meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matthew Schaefer has scored 13 goals with 21 assists for the Islanders. Anthony Duclair has eight goals and two assists over the last 10 games.
Rasmus Dahlin has seven goals and 29 assists for the Sabres. Tage Thompson has scored six goals with nine assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 5-4-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Sabres: 7-2-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 6.9 assists, four penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Islanders: None listed.
Sabres: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights meet in a non-conference matchup.
Toronto is 24-17-9 overall and 16-6-6 in home games. The Maple Leafs are 20-9-4 in games they score three or more goals.
Vegas has gone 12-6-6 in road games and 24-13-12 overall. The Golden Knights have a +17 scoring differential, with 163 total goals scored and 146 conceded.
The teams meet Friday for the second time this season. The Golden Knights won 6-5 in overtime in the previous matchup. Pavel Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: John Tavares has 18 goals and 25 assists for the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews has seven goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
Mitchell Marner has 12 goals and 40 assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has six goals and 12 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Maple Leafs: 5-2-3, averaging 3.2 goals, 4.7 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
Golden Knights: 7-2-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.4 assists, 2.5 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Maple Leafs: None listed.
Golden Knights: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Fantasy hockey is a constant process that loops through the following four phases: monitoring, realizing, adjusting and complaining. And just when we think we've figured it out, various situations or surprises will pop up to remind us that we, in fact, know nothing.
But don't worry. This column can help, no matter your league standing. Check out the following upward-trending NHLers who should be able to work on any lineup.
(Rostered rates as of Jan. 23)
Forwards
Elias Lindholm, BOS (Yahoo: 31%): Lindholm missed most of November and didn't get on the scoresheet during his first two games back but has since reeled off 26 points from the last 26 in addition to 41 shots and 228 faceoff wins. He's well-positioned centering the Bruins' first line and power play (17 PPPs overall), averaging 17:35 of ice time over that stretch. David Pastrnak may be Boston's primary play driver, though Lindholm regularly skates with him and is obviously more available for fantasy purposes on a club that's scored 46 times across 11 matchups.
Mats Zuccarello, MIN (Yahoo: 22%): While Zuccarello's return to action was more recent than Lindholm's, he's also been able to consistently produce by way of six goals, 11 assists, seven PPPs and 34 shots through 17 contests. He's also a regular on Minnesota's lead attacking units, sharing the ice with Kirill Kaprizov. Expect Zuccarello to continue racking up the offense on a Wild team that's even more dangerous with Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson now back from injury.
Jason Zucker, BUF (Yahoo: 11%): Zucker also encountered a couple of physical issues this season but has been lethal when healthy with 25 points over 31 outings — 11 coming on the man-advantage. His scoring hasn't been as eye-popping as the last two entries, yet a goal, four assists, 10 shots and seven hits during the past week and a place on Buffalo's top PP/top-six works just fine. As long as Zucker can stay in the lineup, you can put him down for enough counting stats to boost any fantasy roster.
Anthony Duclair, NYI (Yahoo: 7%): Duclair's goal on Wednesday now has him at eight across eight appearances — three of those PPGs. Throw in 15 shots on 16:06 of ice time a night and a place alongside Mathew Barzal for both even-strength and the power play to make for a favorable scoring situation. With these numbers, it's amazing Duclair is still only covered in the single-digits. Click on his name to help fix that oversight.
Jonathan Toews, WPG (Yahoo: 4%): Toews going back to his hometown for his first NHL action since 2022-23 has to be the feel-good story of the season. And while only nine points came during the first 35 games, he's turned it around by recording 10 from the last 15 — including two PPGs, joining the big guns on the lead group. Toews has also benefited from Gabriel Vilardi switching over to his wing at five-on-five and sits second in the league for faceoff success rate at 61.6% (from a total of 651). There have been rumors about Edmonton being interested in Toews, but his going there would probably decrease his value, as he'd likely fit somewhere in the bottom half of their depth chart. Regardless if that happens, don't expect Toews to provide much outside of scoring.
Yegor Sharangovich, CGY (Yahoo: 3%): Even though the Flames are technically still alive for a wild-card berth, they've started selling by trading Rasmus Andersson to Vegas with more moves projected leading up to the March 6 deadline. The club also ranks 31st with an average of 2.52 goals, but there have been a couple notable fantasy performers of late. Sharangovich had been inconsistent early on, and he was eventually scratched for two contests. That eventually led to him posting three goals, three assists, three PPPs and 11 shots across five appearances while frequently logging 17-plus minutes. Sharangovich will be asked to keep scoring for Calgary, though a move away could hurt his fantasy outlook.
Ethen Frank, WSH (Yahoo: 2%): Frank went undrafted and then starred over five NCAA seasons before earning his first pro contract and winning back-to-back Calder Cups. After a brief stint in the AHL and on IR, he immediately contributed for the Caps, tallying assists during each of his first two outings and a four-point effort two weeks later. Frank was eventually rewarded with a place on Washington's lead man-advantage where he's picked up two PPGs. Even though that spot has been reclaimed by the now-healthy Tom Wilson, Frank remains with Alex Ovechkin at even-strength while accumulating four goals, an assist, 18 shots and 12 hits from the last seven. The organization has put its trust in him. Maybe you should, too.
Kaapo Kakko, SEA (Yahoo: 2%): Kakko suffered a broken hand during preseason and then quickly went back on IR due to another injury. He finally reemerged at the end of November, but it wasn't until mid-December where he took off via 15 points, 29 shots and 14 hits over 19 matchups. Kakko has bounced around Seattle's first three lines while doing well at each stop, so there shouldn't be any concern regarding his placement. Monitor his progress to see if he can maintain this type of output before adding him.
Defensemen
Jake Walman, EDM (Yahoo: 34%): Walman missed nearly two months before returning last week and producing a shorthanded goal, three assists, 16 shots and 10 blocks over six games. He also filled in for Leon Draisaitl on Edmonton's elite power play and provided a PPA there Sunday, but lost that prime placement when the star reappeared on Thursday. Walman should keep contributing within a top-five attack coming off a 40-point campaign while collecting sufficient stats in other areas.
John Klingberg, SJ (Yahoo: 9%): Klingberg has frequently endured injuries throughout his career yet remains reliable when available. After another short spell on the sidelines, he regained the quarterbacking duties on the Sharks' top man-advantage while pairing with Dmitry Orlov at even-strength. Since returning, Klingberg has managed a goal (PPG), two assists, nine shots, seven hits and nine blocks on 21:23 of ice time a night. Those stats may not be outstanding, though they're solid when combined with his responsibilities and track record.
Alexandre Carrier, MTL (Yahoo: 6%): Carrier will get overlooked in fantasy due to having become more of a defense-first player on an offensively loaded Montreal blueline. Let's not forget he once notched 30 points with 20 and 25 the previous two seasons, and is currently riding a 10-game run that's seen him go off for four goals and three assists in addition to 14 shots and 27 blocks. Even after Carrier was moved off a five-on-five duo with Lane Hutson, he still potted a pair. Take a chance on him while he's hot and part of one of the league's best scoring sides.
John Marino, UTA (Yahoo: 5%): This column previously discussed Mammoth defenders Sean Durzi and Nate Schmidt based on their secondary scoring skills, but I bet you didn't realize Marino was significantly outperforming both of them, having already registered 24 points (tying him with the likes of Seth Jones and Brandt Clarke) — including seven from the last eight outings. The offense will inevitably drop off, but he's got plenty of cross-category output and is averaging around a shot, hit and block over that stretch alongside a plus-30 overall.
Goaltenders
Anton Forsberg, LA (Yahoo: 8%): Darcy Kuemper left Tuesday with an upper-body injury but has reported himself as ready to go. While he was sidelined during the second half of December, Forsberg covered almost all of the netminding and has remained hot by posting a 2.12 GAA and .926 save percentage in eight appearances. So there's no guarantee Kuemper will automatically slide back into the lead role, considering his 3.43/.867 line since New Year's Day. The Kings have been anemic on offense, but their defense remains excellent at minimizing shots against to allow either goalie more opportunities to pick up wins.
Alex Nedeljkovic, SJ (Yahoo: 4%): You may have seen Nedeljkovic throw punches with Sergei Bobrovsky on Monday. And even though that's earned him attention, his recent play should be the thing that gets him on more fantasy rosters. Nedeljkovic has won his last four — the last two at Washington and Florida — during which he's only allowed a combined nine goals on 115 shots. Yaroslav Askarov has struggled the last month with a 4.32 GAA and .852 save percentage. The duo has been splitting starts of late, which will probably continue, so Nedeljkovic can at least be used as a decent daily streamer.
The Detroit Red Wings got a firsthand look at why Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov is going to be the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Kaprizov scored twice on Thursday evening, including the overtime game-winning goal, as part of Minnesota's 4-3 overtime victory at Grand Casino Arena.
Kaprizov's recent eight-year, $136 million contract extension, which will kick in at the start of next season, carries a $17 million cap hit, the largest of any player to have suited up in the NHL.
The Red Wings, who picked up a point in the standings, now sit atop the Atlantic Division with 67 points, moving past the idle Tampa Bay Lightning. However, they won't like the fact that they weren't able to protect the three separate leads they had during the contest.
Lucas Raymond opened the scoring in the first period of play, sniping home a power-play goal past goaltender Filip Gustafsson. But late in the frame, it would be Kaprizov scoring what was the first of his two goals on the evening, knotting the score at 1-1.
Raymond once again found the back of the net late in the second period, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce that sent the puck right onto his stick alone in the slot before beating Gustafsson with a low shot through the pads, helping Detroit take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
The third period was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams traded goals in short order. Mats Zuccarello scored less than a minute into the period, which was his first of what would be two goals of his own, knotting the score.
James van Riemsdyk continued his impressive season, tipping home a pass from rookie Emmitt Finnie at the side of the net to give Detroit a 3-2 lead; it was van Riemsdyk's 14th goal of the season, while Finnie picked up his first point since Dec. 23.
Just seconds later, Zuccarello scored again, picking up a rebound and beating Talbot during a goal-mouth scramble to knot the score yet again.
Late in regulation, the Red Wings had a prime opportunity to seize the lead after Alex DeBrincat moved in alone on a breakaway, but his top-shelf attempt sailed over the net.
Not long after Larkin had the chance to score his second overtime game-winner in 24 hours, Kaprizov sealed the victory for the Wild.
Talbot, who played multiple seasons with Minnesota earlier in his career, made 35 saves, while Gustafsson stopped 30 of 33 shots that he faced.
Travis Hamonic was in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 21, as Simon Edvinsson wasn’t available because of a lower-body ailment.
The Red Wings will wrap up their three-game road swing with a matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday evening.
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BOSTON (AP) — Charlie McAvoy started a three-goal flurry in a 54-second span in the first period, David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and the Boston Bruins held off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Thursday night.
Boston won for the ninth time in 11 games.
Elias Lindholm and Tanner Jeannot also scored for the Bruins, who made the Golden Knights pay after a double minor for high-sticking was assessed to forward Tomas Hertl at the nine-minute mark of the opening period. Appearing in his second straight game, Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves.
Vegas cut a 4-0 deficit in half during the opening minutes in the third period behind goals from Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertle. The Golden Knights made it three straight when Pavel Dorofeyev scored with 2:35 left with goalie Akira Schmid off for an extra skater,
Schmid remained in net after a shaky sequence that began when McAvoy blasted one from just inside the blue line for his fourth goal of the season. The goal came 10 seconds into the four-minute power play.
Boston kept charging and made it two power-play goals in 30 seconds when Lindholm scored between the circles for ninth goal of the season. Pastrnak assisted on both power-play goals.
Jeannot capped the spree off a feed from Sean Kuraly with 9:54 left.
SABRES 4, CANADIENS 2
MONTREAL (AP) — Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves, Jason Zucker, Beck Malenstyn and Zach Benson gave Buffalo an early lead and the Sabres beat Montreal for their 17th victory in 21 games.
Peyton Krebs added an empty-netter in the third. The Sabres improved to 28-17-5, beating Montreal for the second time in eight days.
Cole Caufield scored for the fourth straight game for Montreal, and Nick Suzuki also connected, The Canadiens dropped to 28-16-7. They had won two in a row.
Samuel Montembeault stopped 13 shots in his first regulation loss since being called up from a conditioning assignment with Laval of the AHL on Dec. 27.
Buffalo is two points behind Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division.
BLACKHAWKS 4, HURRICANES 3, SO
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —Oliver Moore scored in the shootout on his 21st birthday and Spencer Knight stopped five of six shots by Carolina to give Chicago a shootout win.
Connor Murphy, Ilya Mikheyev and Nick Lardis scored in regulation for the Blackhawks. Knight, who shut out Winnipeg on Monday night, made 28 saves in regulation and overtime for his second straight win.
Joel Nystrom, Jordan Staal and Jackson Blake scored for the Hurricanes, whose five-game home winning streak ended. Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots and four more in the shootout.
The win capped an eventful night for Moore, who celebrated a milestone birthday. He was on the wrong side of a fight with Alexander Nikishin in the second period and then nearly won the game in overtime but was robbed by Andersen.
Chicago led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, but couldn’t put the Hurricanes away in regulation. Carolina has yet to lose in regulation with top defenseman Jaccob Slavin in the lineup (8-0-3).
BLUE JACKETS 1, STARS 0
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jet Greaves had 28 saves for his third career shutout, Zach Werenski scored his 19th goal of the season, and Columbus beat Dallas.
Werenski scored at 8:48 of the first period with a wrist shot from the right circle that went through traffic and inside the far post with assists from Damon Severson and Isac Lundestrom, who had missed 12 games with a lower-body injury suffered in practice on Dec. 27.
The Blue Jackets have now won five of their last six.
Casey DeSmith stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced but could not prevent the Stars from losing for the fourth time in their last five games. The Stars outshot the Blue Jackets 28-22.
Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle played in his 1,000th career game, the fifth player to reach the mark in a Columbus uniform. He scored into an empty net late in the game but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Murphy and Blake traded goals 82 seconds apart near in the back half of the third period to send it to overtime.
Andersen came up with a pair saves — on Moore and Frank Nazar — in the third period to keep the game tied at 2 . He made two bigger saves — on Wyatt Kaiser and Moore — in overtime.
PREDATORS 5, SENATORS 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos broke a tie with 2:13 left with his third goal of the game and Nashville overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Ottawa.
After Stamkos tied it at 3 with 9:53 left with his second power-play goal of the game, Ryan O’Reilly beat the Senators to the puck behind the goal line and popped it out front to Stamkos, who batted it out of the air past goalie James Reimer.
O’Reilly set up the tying goal, too, firing a cross-crease feed to Stamkos with the man advantage. Nashville got the power play when Tim Stutzle cross-checked Stamkos.
Predators captain Roman Josi, playing his 1,000th NHL game, also assisted on the tying goal. The defenseman is the 84th player in NHL history to play his first 1,000 regular-season games with one franchise.
Stamkos had his second hat trick of the season and 16th overall to push his season goals total to 24. Jonathan Marchessault also scored, and Cole Smith had an empty-netter. Juuse Saros made 23 saves to help Nashville end a three-game losing streak.
PANTHERS 2, JETS 1, SO
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart beat Connor Hellebuyck in a shootout to help give Florida a victory over Winnipeg.
Winnipeg shooters Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele came up empty against Daniil Tarasov in the tiebreaker.
Sam Bennett scored in regulation, and Tarasov stopped 17 shots for two-time defending champion Florida. Matthew Tkachuk had an assist for his first point of the season in his second game back from adductor muscle surgery.
The Panthers are 4-2-0 in their last six to improve to 26-20-3.
Cole Perfetti scored for Winnipeg, and Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots. The Jets are 5-1-2 in their last eight to get to 20-23-7.
PENGUINS 6, OILERS 2
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Anthony Mantha scored twice, Sidney Crosby made it three in an early 37-second span and Pittsburgh beat Edmonton.
The 37-second spree was the fastest three goals in Penguins history and the fastest three allowed by the Oilers.
The Penguins scored on three of their first four shots. Just 2:20 in, Justin Brazeau made a nifty pass through a defender’s legs to Mantha, who deflected it in. Twenty-two seconds later, Mantha scored on a breakaway. Crosby struck 15 seconds after that, deflecting a pass from the slot into the net.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist, Rickard Rakell, and Egor Chinakhov also scored and Arturs Silovs made 30 saves. The Penguins have won three straight and are 10-2-2 in their last 14 to get to 25-14-11.
Jake Walman and Matthew Savoie scored for Edmonton, and Tristan Jarry made 16 saves against his former team. The Oilers have lost two in a row and four of six to fall to 25-19-8.
WILD 4, RED WINGS 3, OT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game 45 seconds into overtime to give Minnesota a victory over Detroit.
Kaprizov came down the middle and beat goalie Cam Talbot with a wrist shot from between the circles.
Mats Zuccarello also scored twice, and Filip Gustavsson made 31 saves.
Quinn Hughes had three assists, giving him 43 on the season, tied for the most among NHL defensemen. Hughes has seven assists in his last four games and has had at least three assists in a game four times since joining the Wild in a trade with Vancouver on December 12.
Lucas Raymond had two goals and James van Riemsdyk also scored for Detroit. Talbot made 35 saves.
The point for getting past regulation moved the Red Wings into tie with Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 67 points. Detroit had won eight of its last nine.
The Red Wings took three one-goal leads, but the Wild answered each time.
Because after yet another win on Thursday, I think it's safe to say that this is a pretty good hockey team.
On the second leg of a back-to-back, the Penguins earned their third straight win when they beat the Edmonton Oilers, 6-2, to continue what has been a perfect Western road trip so far. They got two goals from Anthony Mantha as well as tallies from captain Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Evgeni Malkin, and Egor Chinakhov.
Goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 30 of 32 Edmonton shots on the night, while Oilers' netminder - and ex-Penguin - Tristan Jarry stopped just 16 of 22 shots.
This was an impressive win for the Penguins, who have largely struggled against the Oilers. In fact, they were 2-8 in their last 10 games against Edmonton coming into Thursday's matchup.
But they came to play. And they set the tone from the start.
Just 2:20 into the game, Justin Brazeau found Mantha crashing the net off the rush, feeding him a pass that he put home to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Then, just 22 seconds later, Mantha - again - was sprung by Brazeau, this time on a breakaway. Mantha beat Jarry backhand and put the Penguins up by two early.
And they weren't done. Only 15 seconds after that goal, Ryan Shea threw a shot-pass toward the slot area, where Crosby was waiting to redirect it. Crosby successfully found the back of the net on the deflection, and within 35 seconds, the Penguins had scored three on the Oilers and had a commanding early lead.
The @penguins tallied three goals in a span of 37 seconds.
There have only been two other instances in franchise history where Pittsburgh scored three goals in a shorter span:
The Oilers did respond early in the second period, as Jake Walman capitalized on a shorthanded odd-man break from the slot to cut the lead to 3-1. But the Penguins never really let up, even if the Oilers were getting a few chances. Later in the period, the Penguins put on the extra attacker on a delayed penalty call, and Rakell sniped a shot from the left circle past Jarry after a gorgeous feed from Malkin to restore the three-goal lead.
Then, just under two minutes later, Malkin had a breakaway opportunity, and he beat Jarry five-hole on the backhand to put Pittsburgh up, 5-1.
The Penguins still had more in the tank, too. Early in the final frame, Tommy Novak carried the puck from the neutral zone into offensive zone traffic, and he managed to forward the puck to a breaking Chinakhov down the left side. The 24-year-old Russian winger placed a bullet of a shot top-shelf for his fifth goal in 12 games as a Penguin to make it 6-1.
Matt Savoie did add a late tally for the Oilers, but it wasn't nearly enough, as the Penguins were able to shut down Edmonton late and not give them anything to work with. They also managed to blank both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who was playing in his first game since Jan. 15 after attending to family matter in Germany.
Sure, the Oilers had a few chances, and some puck luck didn't go their way. But there was never really a point in the game, aside from a late power play in the first period, where it felt like they were in control. The Penguins were frustrating the heck out of them. They were disrupting plays and getting their sticks on everything. Their goaltender was making big saves, and their defensemen were blocking shots.
The Penguins' stick detail around their own net and in the defensive zone as a whole has been wildly impressive since the holiday break, and that continued into Thursday. They didn't give the Oilers much in terms of high-danger chances - save for a five-on-one opportunity that Edmonton managed to botch entirely - and they largely controlled possession.
The all-around game from the Penguins right now is something to marvel at. In October, they were scoring at a ridiculous rate while still displaying some warts on defense. Now, those warts are all but gone, and the Penguins are all of a sudden a pretty dangerous hockey team.
- Anytime the Penguins have a bit of an onslaught, it seems like Crosby doesn't show up on the scoresheet much. The same thing happened on Thursday, as the captain only recorded one point.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The Penguins are getting contributions from up and down their lineup, and it seems to be a different line every single night. The fourth line has had their flowers. On Thursday, it was the third line. Wednesday against the Calgary Flames, it was the second line.
The Penguins not needing to rely on their first line for production - which has been a consistent theme for the previous three seasons - is a very big deal. And it's simply a bonus when Crosby, Rakell, and Bryan Rust are clicking, too.
This team can roll four lines, and they're all a threat to deliver on offense. That's a massive development.
- I think I've mentioned Chinakhov in just about every takeaways piece.
But, wow, was that shot something else.
Chinakhov sniped that one top-shelf, and it was in and out so fast that no one - including Jarry himself - even realized it went in other than Chinakhov and Ryan Shea.
I have no idea what was going on in Columbus or why things didn't work out for Chinakhov there. But between his unrivaled shot, his speed, his defensive conscience, and awareness in all three zones, this guy is legitimate.
What a get by Dubas. A guy with a shot like that isn't good by accident.
- Malkin was, once again, flying on Thursday. He now has 39 points in 35 games this season, and he, Chinakhov, and Novak are operating from the stratosphere right now.
He's hit another level. And he deserves another contract next season if that's what he wants.
- Jack St. Ivany deserves a lot of credit for how he's played in these last couple of games. Not only is that two multi-point games in a row, he also blocked a shot with his left foot on that late first-period power play by the Oilers, and he was in substantial pain afterward. He wasn't putting weight on his leg and was forced to continue his shift.
Well, he finished his shift by contributing to a zone clear then finally making his way to the bench, when he went down the runway. He returned for the second period and played the rest of the game.
That was a pivotal block in this game, and he's been much, much better in the last couple. Hopefully, that can continue.
One of the gutsiest shifts you'll see all season in the @NHL
- Much has been made about Stuart Skinner's run with the Penguins as of late, and deservedly so.
But Silovs deserves his flowers, too.
Walman's goal is probably one he'd want to have back. But, otherwise, this was one of the best games he has played as a Penguin. There was a sequence just before the end of the first period when Zach Hyman crashed the net on a breakaway and nearly tucked the puck in. Silovs stopped it with his right pad against the post, but the puck was laying on the goal line.
Instead of panicking, Silovs maneuvered carefully and allowed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to aid him with his stick, and he managed to not let the puck cross the goal line.
Silovs has been much better as of late, as three of his last four appearances have seen save percentages of .920 or above. But he has a knack for coming up big in the game's biggest moments, and he did that again Thursday.
If the Penguins can continue to get this goaltending from their tandem, they'll be fine the rest of the way - and they may just have a run in them.
Jan 22, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs (37) makes a save on on Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman (18) during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
- So, let's talk about these Penguins.
They're playing well defensively. They're getting scoring from up and down their lineup. They're getting good goaltending. They're top-five in both special teams categories.
At this point, it might be okay to say that this is, simply, a good hockey team.
Nothing they're doing is by accident anymore. They're not on a PDO bender. They're not getting lucky. They're not just opportunistic.
No. They're legitimately outplaying some of the best hockey teams in the league at five-on-five, and they're not only outplaying them, they're outworking them and controlling the vast majority of the 60 minutes per game.
The process is there for this hockey team. The underlying metrics support that, too, and I'll have a piece on that Friday. They are playing a sustainable brand of hockey, and it happens to be a winning brand of hockey.
Now, we shouldn't just be talking playoffs. This team could very much compete for the division. They're two points ahead of the New York Islanders for second place in the Metro, six points in front of the next divisional team in the Philadelphia Flyers, and just six points back of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand.
This isn't a mirage. This is real. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a competitive hockey team, and if they can keep this up, it may be okay to set sights even higher by the end of the regular season.
There’s nothing better than an unexpected return to the lineup, each team has a good one tonight. Nine days ago, Erik Karlsson wasn’t to be re-evaluated for two weeks. He’s back tonight. Arturs Silovs starts in goal.
Edmonton gets a welcome return of their own, Leon Draisaitl is back from Germany on a family business in time for the game. Former Penguin goalie Tristan Jarry faces his old team for the second time.
The Penguins strike early, Anthony Mantha gets behind the defense and Justin Brazeau gets the puck to Mantha with a really nice pass that Mantha steers over Tristan Jarry. But wait – Mantha might have been off-side on the rush. Edmonton takes their timeout to give it an extra long look, they ultimately decide to not challenge it, goal stands.
It only takes 22 seconds for another Mantha goal. He again gets behind the defense, this time in the neutral zone. Again Brazeau feeds Mantha the puck, this time for a breakaway. Jarry’s defense was to fall belly first to the ice, didn’t work as he still gets beat low. 2-0 goal.
The Oilers look stunned, they’ll take another big shot only 15 seconds after that goal. Ryan Shea throws a puck on net, Sidney Crosby curls out of no where into the middle of the ice to deflect the puck. It’s another goal, three of them coming 37 seconds across. Jarry doesn’t know whether to cry or wind his watch.
Luck may have turned, Connor Dewar hits the post and the puck stays out. Silovs makes a nice save at the other end. The Pens get the first power play, Bryan Rust takes a nice shot but Jarry stops it. Connor McDavid rockets up the ice, Crosby tries to stay with him, he also gets his stick into McDavid’s hands a few times and the refs even up the penalties by sending Crosby off. The Pens kill the penalty.
The fireworks continue, Evgeni Malkin sets up Egor Chinakhov in front, a sprawled out Jarry keeps the puck out the net with 20 seconds left. The play goes right back down the other end, Zach Hyman beats Silovs but not the post. The puck falls right to the goal-line however it miraculously stays out in a scramble.
Connor Clifton heats tempers up by slamming Mattias Janmark into the boards from behind.
An exciting, shocking and thrilling period. Three goals in a 37 second span ripped it open early, not much settled from there. Pittsburgh’s up 3-0 on the scoreboard, Edmonton out-shot them 13-9, yet somehow did not score.
Second period
McDavid takes a penalty for slashing Erik Karlsson’s stick. It’s the Oilers who score, Jake Walman takes off on the rush. 3-1 game.
On a delayed penalty call against the Oilers the Penguins worked their 6v5 group. Malkin makes a beautiful pass from behind the net through about three sticks to get to Rickard Rakell. Rakell measures his shot and wires an equally nice wrister past Jarry. 4-1 game, no penalty on the Oilers after all since the Penguins scored. That’s one way to shield the struggling Pittsburgh power play.
Bouchard kisses a shot off the crossbar, it stays out. A little later in the sequence Malkin pokes the puck away from McDavid and even though he’s at the end of a 1:21 long shift the big guy races down the ice on a breakaway. Malkin moves to his backhand, it looks like he runs out of room but he pulled so much lateral movement out of Jarry that there was enough room for the puck to slide in. 5-1 game.
Ben Kindel hurries and accidentally shoots the puck over the glass with 3:03 to go, giving Edmonton a power play. The Oilers take a ton of offensive zone time, the Pens PK holds strong with Silovs standing tall on a few big stops.
Say it in your best Doc Emerick voice: “what action!”. Another incredible period of hockey, highlighted by two insanely skilled plays by Malkin. The Pens head into the third period up by four goals.
Third period
The Pens keep pourin’ it on. Novak gains a zone entry and dishes a routine looking pass over for Egor Chinakhov. There’s nothing routine about Chinakhov’s release that scorches in and out of the net so fast Malkin shoots the rebound. 6-1 lead.
Edmonton gets one in garbage time, Matt Savoie unleashes a top shelf snipe from the right faceoff circle with about six minutes left making the score 6-2.
The rest of the game plays out quietly, Pittsburgh gets out with a convincing win and another strong effort.
Some thoughts
If we’re in the trust tree, I’m pretty sure Mantha was offside on that first goal. The Edmonton video team no doubt had a better look and more technology to stop and pause it and look at all the angles, so maybe he wasn’t or was just too close to call with the on-ice decision saying it was good. Kinda looked like he was off from what I could see with his back leg getting into the offensive zone just a little bit before the puck did. A little too close for comfort though all is well that ends well.
Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak got a nice ‘welcome back’ video and a big standing ovation during the first TV timeout. At 3-0 at that point, you know a lot of people were thinking in that moment and over the course of the night about just why that trade had to be made for the Oilers, if only for one night.
3 goals in 37 seconds? You don’t see that type of goal explosion every day.
The competitiveness in Crosby was on display turning on the jets to not let McDavid skate away from him. Crosby even started in a trail position, not too many are going to go the full length of the ice with McNasty in that situation. The competitiveness went over the line for the refs with the series of little slashes along the way but in that moment there was just no way Crosby was going to allow McDavid gain separation.
Jack St. Ivany took the full brunt of a ‘Bouch bomb’ slapshot from Evan Bouchard, he can really bring it. St. Ivany was hobbled to the the extreme. Naturally, he was back for the start of second period and able to shake it off like it was nothing.
A lot was made, here included, about the goalie usage decisions. At the end of the day, no choice is a bad one when both goalies are playing extremely well. Silovs’ performance might not draw a lot of attention, which is a shame because it deserves it. 29 stops on 31 shots and anytime a goalie holds McDavid (and Draisaitl) off the scoresheet they probably had a great night. Silovs certainly qualified for that praise.
The final score said blowout, the way it ended up there was anything but one-sided. As mentioned above, the first goal was a whisper away from being overturned which could have butterfly effected the whole night. It truly is a wonder that Wotherspoon helped keep the puck out of the net when the puck was laying literally on the goal-line and no less than Draisaitl right there to jam it in with Silovs out of commission seconds after it hit the post and stayed out by the narrowest of margins in the first place. Then, at 4-1, Bouchard narrowly misses scoring only to almost immediately have Malkin create and convert a breakaway in a turn of fortune that salted the game away. It’s not to say the Penguins were necessarily lucky because a team still has to make their luck through their own efforts, more like it was very close to swinging in a different direction. A blowout game can still have its precarious moments.
To that end the final score wasn’t completely indicative of how the Pens played, which wasn’t perfect. They were a bit reckless up 3-0 when it came to some decisions with the puck and when it came to pinching up, willing to trade chances with Edmonton when they didn’t have to. They gave up a goal while on the power play. They didn’t have an even strength shot for well over 10 minutes in the second period. Obviously when you get a huge goal outburst it doesn’t have to be a flawless 60 minutes, the Pens were very good and certainly flexed enough offensive muscles to deserve a big win; there just was more to the story than simply the score at the end of the night.
How about the 39-year old Malkin A) having the burst to stay ahead of Ekholm chasing him at the end of a 1:21 shift, B) keeping a rolling puck on old ice in his possession and C) converting a very wide deke. Outstanding effort, everyone in this matchup obviously hones in on Crosby and McDavid, Malkin gave what should be a needless reminder that those two aren’t the only special, special players involved.
This was the Pens first win in Edmonton since December of 2019. Back then Dan Muse was an assistant coach in Nashville working with Nick Bonino as a player, Justin Brazeau was in the ECHL, Yegor Chinakhov was playing in a lower-tier Russian league having gone undrafted in the NHL a few months earlier. Ben Kindel was 12 years old! It had been a while.
Certainly one of the more thrilling, satisfying and biggest wins of the season for the Pens to shake off what had been a house of horrors for them, win a third game on this road trip on a back-to-back effort. The Penguins have definitely had much lower high water marks of their whole seasons the past few years then this, even though at this point they still have high hopes to keep the momentum going to finish the trip strong on the last leg coming up in Vancouver.
When the Nashville Predators were staring at a 3-0 hole, the game needed a spark. Steven Stamkos didn’t just provide one, he flipped the entire night on its head.
Stamkos, 35, scored twice on the power play and added another at even strength to fuel a 5-3 Predators comeback win, erasing a three-goal deficit with authority.
His first power-play goal put the Predators on the board towards the end of the second period and marked the 234th of his career.
That goal pulled him even with Marcel Dionne for ninth all-time in NHL history. Halfway through the third period, Stamkos struck again with the man advantage to move into sole possession of that spot.
He wasn't done though.
Stamkos recorded his third of the night and gave the Predators a 4-3 lead with 1:13 left in the third period. On a game that looked like it was heading to overtime.
The veteran sniper blew the roof off Bridgestone Arena.
His hat trick was the 16th of his career which puts him in rare company among active players, trailing only Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak.
It also came against the 14th different franchise he’s torched for three goals, second-most among active skaters.
By night’s end, Stamkos had logged his 104th career multi-goal game and reminded everyone exactly why he’s still one of the league’s most dangerous finishers, especially when the moment demands it.
Up Next: The Nashville Predators (24-22-4) will wrap up the homestand with a meeting against the Utah Mammoth (26-20-4) on Saturday at 2:30.
The Florida Panthers kicked off their three-game road trip in chilly Manitoba on Thursday night.
Florida dug deep and picked up a crucial 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets.
The game remained scoreless until late in the second period thanks to some excellent defensive hockey from both teams.
For Florida, their play in their own end of the ice was inspiring, taking away the middle of the ice from the Jets and frustrating them over and over.
A faceoff in the Winnipeg zone with just over a minute to go led to the game’s opening goal.
Playing in just his second game of the season, Matthew Tkachuk picked up the puck along the half wall and sent a nice, flat pass to the slot.
That’s where Sam Bennett was waiting, and he blasted a one-timer past Connor Hellebuyck to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 18:49 mark.
Winnipeg tied the game 5:24 into the third period, and after playing such a sound defensive game, it was a turnover in their own zone that cost the Cats their lead.
As Uvis Balinskis tried to skate with the puck toward his own blue line, he had his pocket picked from behind by Jonathan Toews.
Toews then fed Cole Perfetti across the zone and his quick forehand-backhand move was enough to fool Daniil Tarasov and knot the score at one.
That’s how the game would remain though regulation and the three-on-three overtime, which meant it was destined to end in a shootout.
Goals by Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart, as well as a pair of stops by Tarasov, earned the Panthers two big points.
The win was also the first for Paul Maurice back in Winnipeg since he was coaching the Jets.
On to Minnesota, where it may actually be colder than it was in Winnipeg.
Photo caption: Jan 22, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) in the second period at Canada Life Centre. (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)
For the third time in four games, the Ottawa Senators squandered a multi-goal lead, only this time, they didn’t even manage to earn a regulation point. Steven Stamkos scored three goals, including the game-winner with just over a minute remaining, to lead the Nashville Predators to a 5-3 victory over the Senators on Thursday night.
Ottawa had grabbed an early 3-0 lead and looked strong for 40 minutes, fueled by Steven Halliday’s first NHL goal and some excellent goaltending from James Reimer, who made 22 saves in the loss.
First Period
After being called up earlier in the day to replace injured forward David Perron, Halliday got the Senators on the board just over six minutes into the game. Nick Cousins did some strong work behind the Nashville net before feeding Lars Eller, whose wraparound attempt was stopped. The puck then trickled out to Halliday, who chipped a backhand past Juuse Saros to open the scoring.
Just over eight minutes later, Ridly Greig made it 2–0 with his eighth goal of the season. Michael Amadio made a slick move at his own blue line to create a long passing lane to Greig at the far blue line. Greig sprinted in alone and beat Saros between the legs to double the lead.
It appeared Greig had added another goal in the dying moments of the first period after crashing the net, but the goal was disallowed. Greig entered the blue paint on his own, and it appeared he may have directed the puck in with his arm.
A notable moment in the opening period came when tensions flared between Shane Pinto and Steven Stamkos. After Stamkos rubbed Pinto out along the boards, Pinto responded with a chop to the back of the legs. Stamkos angrily returned fire with a slash and a cross-check.
Also worth a mention was the incredible skate save by James Reimer on Cole Smith. In a scramble in front, Reimer was already stretched out but still managed to extend his left leg to prevent a sure goal.
Second Period
Midway through the second period, Dylan Cozens made it 3–0 Ottawa, deflecting Artem Zub’s point shot. It was Cozens’ 16th goal of the season, matching his total from all of last year in just his 50th game.
Reimer made another elite save with just under two minutes left in the second. He appeared completely down and out but reached back behind him with his blocker and stick to absolutely rob Jonathan Marchessault.
However, Jordan Spence was called for hooking on the play, and on the ensuing power play, Nashville finally got on the board. Luke Evangelista hit Stamkos with a perfect pass in the slot, and he skated into a full slap shot like it was the skills competition at the All-Star Game. Reimer had zero chance and that cut the lead to 3–1.
Third Period
Still up by 3-1 just over four minutes into the third period, Fabian Zetterlund took a two-minute minor for high-sticking. They killed off the penalty thanks to some strong PK work, particularly from Tim Stützle. As the penalty expired, Stützle had a bit of misfortune, breaking in alone on goal and appearing to be the victim of an uncalled holding penalty.
As that happened, two Nashville players jumped off off the ice at the Nashville blue line, replaced by two Predators who jumped on at the red line, behind the Sens D, leading to a 2 on 0, finished off by Marchessault to cut the lead to 3-2.
It could easily have been called too many men on Nashville.
Here's a good snap of how the 2 on 0 happened. Two Preds jump off at the blue line, the two replacements jump on at the red line. Defense is hard enough to play without new guys jumping on the ice early, 30 feet behind you. https://t.co/7X5e104CPB
The momentum seemed to swing with the Zetterlund penalty with Nashville's offensive guns getting loads of touches in the offensive zone.
Two minutes later, with Nashville pressing, Stutzle got called for crosschecking Stamkos in a wild goalmouth scramble. Stamkos made him pay by one timing a cross ice pass through the slot to tie the game.
Stamkos wasn't done there. He completed his hat trick with just over one minute to play. Ryan O'Reilly beat Nick Jensen badly on a forecheck, won the puck cleanly, and centred it to Stamkos who flicked home a puck out of the air.
As the Preds celebrated their comeback, Brady Tkachuk broke his stick on the Sens goal post in frustration.
Nashville added an empty netter to seal the win, the latest in a string of emotional setbacks for the Senators in 2026.
The Sens are back at it on Saturday at home versus the Carolina Hurricanes. The next three games are against Carolina (2nd overall), Vegas (9th overall), and Colorado (1st overall).
After a long, emotional stretch of games celebrating the past, the Chicago Blackhawks are now back to being focused solely on the future. On Thursday night, they hit the road for one game to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carolina, known for playing a suffocating style defensively, is a hard team to play against, especially in their own building. The Blackhawks needed a big effort to even think about beating them.
Frank Nazar returned to the lineup for Chicago in this game. That means that Nazar, Connor Bedard, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, and Artyom Levshunov skated in the same lineup for the first time together. The future brightens for the organization every day. There are more great prospects on the way.
The Blackhawks weren't playing at their best early in this game, but that didn't stop them from going up 1-0. Ilya Mikheyev scored a short-handed goal to make it 1-0 at 11:12 of the first period.
The lead didn't last long, however, as Joel Nystrom scored his first career NHL goal to tie the game up at one.
In the second period, Oliver Moore and Ryan Donato made a nifty play to find Nick Lardis, who scored his 6th of the season to make it 2-1 Blackhawks.
Before long, at 9:16 of the middle frame, Jordan Staal tied the game back up. He created a two-on-one by taking advantage of a tough Artyom Levshunov pinch. That put Connor Bedard in a bad position, and Staal took full advantage.
Later in the period, Lardis took a big hit from Hurricanes defenseman Alex Nikishin. Oliver Moore, who was celebrating his 21st birthday on Thursday, came to the defense of his linemate.
Although the fight decisively went to Nikishin (three punches), it was a great move by Moore as he stood up for his fellow rookie. After connecting on a goal earlier in the period, you can expect more big moments for Moore and Lardis together.
The 2-2 tie held through the second intermission. In the final frame, the two teams exchanged goals once more.
Connor Murphy received a beautiful pass from Tyler Bertuzzi before putting on the moves to score his second goal of the season, less than a minute before Jackson Blake scored a tap-in goal on a neat pass by Logan Stankoven.
Nothing more came in regulation time or overtime, so the match went to a shootout. There, Connor Bedard and Andrei Svechnikov each scored in the second round, but that was all of the scoring until they got all the way to the sixth round.
In that sixth round, after Spencer Knight kept Mark Jankowski from scoring, Oliver Moore completed his big birthday game with the shootout winner.
This won't count as an official Gordie Howe Hat Trick for Moore on his birthday, but for all intents and purposes, he scored one. His team won in large part because of the way he played.
It must also be noted that the Blackhawks went 5/5 on the penalty kill in this game. They are now up to 85.1 percent on the PK, officially jumping the Colorado Avalanche for first in the NHL.
The Blackhawks are not likely going to jump enough teams to be a playoff team, but wins like this prove that they deserve to be in the conversation as a bubble team.
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The injury bug is continuing to bite the Buffalo Sabres.
Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson was forced to leave the team's Jan. 22 matchup against the Montreal Canadiens early after suffering an upper-body injury.
Bryson was limited to only 6:17 of ice time during the Sabres' contest against the Canadiens due to his injury. During the matchup, he recorded two blocks and a plus-1 rating.
Bryson has appeared in 33 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded two goals, three assists, and five points. This is after he had seven assists and a minus-9 rating in 48 games with the Sabres during this past season.
In 287 career NHL games over six seasons with the Sabres, Bryson has recorded six goals, 42 assists, 48 points, and 58 penalty minutes.
Let’s be clear – the Buffalo Sabres’ signing of young winger Josh Doan is very much a gamble.
Indeed, when you commit a seven-year, $$48.65-million contract to a 23-year-old who came into the current season with exactly 62 games of NHL experience, you’re gambling. But as we’ll explain below, the Sabres can afford to take this type of gamble.
With Doan’s contract done, there will be nobody wondering whether Doan could follow the guy he was traded for – sniper J.J. Peterka – and orchestrate an exit out of town a few years from now. Now, you have him for a full seven years, and he’s a cost-certain asset. But there’s no question Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has gambled on Doan.
The reality, though, is that these are the type of deals teams make all the time. They project on players, and sometimes, they project wrongly. But the bottom line is this – Buffalo has to make these projections if they want to keep players on the rise in town.
Now, the Sabres know they’ve got Doan to stay in the top-six of the team. Now, they can now worry about players pushing their way out of town the way Peterka did. It’s about committing more now for the Sabres in hope of the contract looking like it was worthwhile.
Doan could be a terrific winger for a long time in this league. And the Sabres believe he’s worth the investment. Time will tell whether they were right to do so.
What a season it's been for Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom.
The 23-year-old blueliner made his NHL debut on Oct. 23, registered his first NHL point on Nov. 8, signed a four-year contract on Dec. 12 and now, 36 games into his career, he has his first NHL goal as well.
Joel Nystrom talks about scoring first career NHL goal
In the first period of the Canes' Thursday night game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Nystrom wristed one from the left circle that found its way past Hawks netminder Spencer Knight to tie the game up for his team.
It was a little bit of a full-circle moment for Nystrom too as he picked up as Jesperi Kotkaniemi was the one who teed him up for his first goal, and Nystrom's first career point came by setting up a Kotkaniemi goal.
"I'm happy to get my first goal," Nystrom said after the game. "I've been waiting for it. It was a great pass by KK and I had a lot of space there, so I tried to shoot it. Happy to see it went in."
The Swede has really made his way into the league in a big way, after injuries opened the door for him.
He's been a reliable presence on the blueline and he hasn't been afraid to shoot the puck, with 115 shot attempts and 40 shots on goal already under his belt, so it's good to see him finally get one.
"Nys' been great all season long," said captain Jordan Staal. "He's stepped up and played a lot of minutes, especially early there and has played really well. He's fit in nicely with the group and he's gotten a ton of chances and a ton of shots on net. Kept telling him it was math and one was bound to go in for him if he kept shooting the puck, so it nice to see him get one. He acted like he's done it before and I'm sure he will again."
The 2021 seventh-round pick has become a key contributor to the Hurricanes and it's safe to say we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future.
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