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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stats and Facts:

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

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

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

- Kiefer Sherwood leads all players with nine hits. 

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

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

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

3rd Period:

No Scoring

Overtime:

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

Up Next: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Period

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second Period

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

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

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

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

Comeback Complete

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

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

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

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

Next Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Up next

Maple Leafs: Host Florida on Tuesday night.

Islanders: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/8yCAqBEQ7f

— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2026

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

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

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 3, 2026

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

Here are some other takeaways from this win: 

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

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

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

— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) January 3, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Data via Natural Stat Trick). 

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Zeev Buium has been with the Vancouver Canucks for less than a month, but he is already showing why he was the centrepiece of the Quinn Hughes trade. The 20-year-old defenceman has three points in nine games since being acquired and is already averaging over 20 minutes a night. The future is bright for Buium, which is good news for both the Canucks as an organization and the fan base. 

While Buium is coming from a passionate hockey market in Minnesota, playing in a Canadian market like Vancouver is a new experience. Fans live and breathe Canucks hockey, which leads to a level of passion that few other markets can replicate. While he has only been with the organization for a few months, Buium is already learning how different it is to play in a Canadian market. 

"It's awesome," said Buium. "I think the first thing that stands out is the fans and how passionate they are. How much they care. It's the best atmosphere to play in."

Over his first nine games, Buium has spent the majority of his minutes on a pair with Tyler Myers. Outside of age, the two share some similarities, including both being high draft picks who made their NHL debuts as teenagers. Buium was asked about his partnership with Myers and some of the early lessons he has learned from a defenceman who has played over 1,100 NHL games. 

"Just being a sponge and taking everything I can for a moment, squeezing every ounce of information I can out of them. He's obviously been around a really long time, so I think for me, it's just listening to him, trying to learn from him. I'd be dumb not to try to take everything I can from him."

After a tough start to the season, it appears that Vancouver's management group has decided to focus on adding younger players rather than once again pushing for a playoff spot. The Canucks have one of the youngest rosters in the league and currently feature four players under the age of 22. While it will take some time before Vancouver is  once again a contender, Buium is excited for the future and the opportunity to grow with the group. 

"I think I've said this before, but you've got to be ready for every opportunity. And I think it's cool to come here and be a little bit of a younger team. Try to get to the point where we're winning again. And I think it's really cool to be a part of that. And hopefully, starting this year, but obviously, over the next couple of years, really start to win and push the playoffs."

On top of team success, Buium is focused on being the best player he can be. He has already taken significant steps in his development and has the potential to be a number one defenceman at the NHL level. As Buium explained, he is focused on getting better every day, which includes putting in as much extra work both on and off the ice. 

"I just want to get better. I think every year I have the same mentality of never focusing on the outside noise or the points or anything. Just working and getting better. I feel like I know it's the NHL, but I've been through so many different situations in my hockey career, whether I was at Shattuck or NTDP or Denver. I feel like I can use those experiences to help me now. And I think for me, the focus is just to become the best player I can be and do everything I can. I think that's, that's the biggest thing. It's focusing on the gym and trying to get everything I can out of there. Being the last guy on the ice. Working on my craft and trying to become the best player I can be. When you're young, you can do that. You can work out more. You can skate more. You have so much more to develop. So I think it's just really exciting that every day, every game, is an opportunity to get better. And you know, I look forward to that every day."

While Buium has only played a handful of games with the Canucks, he is already living up to expectations. His skating and puck-handling ability have been on full display as the 20-year-old is averaging just over 2.5 shot attempts per game. If Buium can keep developing at his current pace, it won't be long before he is playing full-time on Vancouver's top pair. 

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On June 29, 2024, Paul Cotter was traded to the New Jersey Devils with a 3rd-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid.

As a season and a half has passed, it is time to revisit the trade and evaluate what each side received.

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The Devils received Paul Cotter and a 3rd-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Golden Knights received Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid.

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​Paul Cotter​

Cotter has played in 149 games for the Devils in the last two seasons. In total, he has earned 32 points, 11 assists, and 21 goals. The left winger has struggled since joining the Devils, reaching his peak in 2023-24 with the Vegas Golden Knights. ​

Third round pick in the 2025 draft

​With the third round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Devils selected Mason Moe. The 6’1” center was selected 90th overall. He currently plays for the Madison Capitols in the USHL.

​Akira Schmid

Schmid has played 25 games with the Golden Knights, recording 13 wins and a .944 save percentage in his first season and a .895 save percentage this season. ​The 25-year-old has taken on a bigger role with the Golden Knights this season, earning 17 starts compared to the three he had last season.​

Alexander Holtz

​Holtz has played in 65 games for the Golden Knights since being traded from the Devils. He has 14 points, with five goals and nine assists. This season alone, Holtz has only played in 12 games.

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​In summary, by the numbers, the Devils received more production from Cotter than the Golden Knights received from Holtz. However, it is important to note that Schmid has become a strong netminder for Vegas, and it is unfair to evaluate Moe before he has played a single NHL game.   

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A rumor that the 2027 NHL Winter Classic will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) between the Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes has been debunked. 

On Saturday, a Reddit post shared a screenshot from NHL.com advertising the Discover NHL Winter Classic in Bristol, Tennessee. The photo illustration on the right of the announcement shows the BMS finish line with the Predators and Hurricanes logos on the wall.

Fox Sports motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass posted on X/Twitter that BMS President Jerry Caldwell has denied the claim that the Winter Classic will be held at the speedway. 

“BMS is always interested in unique large-scale events. The reports of a scheduled event with the NHL at BMS are inaccurate, but we do look forward to welcoming fans back to The Last Great Colosseum for the Food City 500 on Sun., April 12.”

The news comes a day after the NHL hosted the 2026 NHL Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. The Rangers won 5-1. 

The rumor isn't too far-fetched. Back in August, when the MLB hosted a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at BMS, it was reported that NHL officials were in attendance, and the speedway had expressed interest in hosting NHL games and WWE events. 

The speedway has hosted multiple sporting events, including an NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in 1961, and two college football games between Tennessee and Virginia Tech, and East Tennessee State and Western Carolina in 2013. 

If a hockey game were hosted at the speedway, it could set a record for the most-attended match in league history, as the venue holds nearly 150,000. 

Bristol is located four hours east of Nashville.  

The Predators have played in two outdoor games: the 2022 Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. 

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Following their 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday evening, the Detroit Red Wings wanted to come out with a stronger and more determined effort in the rematch on home ice at Little Caesars Arena. 

Instead, Detroit sleepwalked for most of the matinee game, registering only 12 shots on goal and ultimately losing by a 4-`1 final score in what was one of their most listless performances of their centennial campaign. 

Final from Detroit pic.twitter.com/wt2r2lsrBs

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 3, 2026

The Red Wings, who didn't get their first official shot until the first period was well past the halfway point, dropped both contests against the Penguins by a combined 8-4 score and earned only one of a possible four points. 

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Longtime Red Wings nemesis Sidney Crosby picked up his fourth point in two games against Detroit, setting up Pontiac, Mich. native Bryan Rust for the game's opening goal at the 3:44 mark of the opening 20 minutes of play.

Distracted by a line change, the Red Wings didn't pick up Penguins forward Yegor Chinakhov, who took a pass from Ben Kindel and broke in alone on John Gibson, beating him to increase the lead to 2-0. His tally would also ultimately stand up as the game-winner. 

Alex DeBrincat brought the Red Wings back to within a goal with his 21st tally of the season, as he beat Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner on a two-on-one rush at the 15:06 mark of the second period.

Detroit had a brief spell of life, and came within an inch of knotting the score after hitting the post on a subsequent power-play chance. 

However, it's as close as they'd get. Detroit managed only three total shots in the third period and got no sustained zone pressure when Gibson was pulled for an extra attacker; the Penguins sealed the win with empty-net goals from Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar. 

Gibson finished with 27 saves, while Skinner stopped 11 of the 12 shots he faced. 

The Red Wings will next head out on the road for their first matchup of the season against the Ottawa Senators on Monday evening. 

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It was a fun and festive atmosphere at loanDepot park in Miami for the 2026 Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

The vibes were immaculate, and the players and fans all seemed to be enjoying themselves leading up to the big game.

Unfortunately for the home fans, the game didn’t go very well for the Panthers as they were taken down by the Rangers 5-1.

While much of the attention and conversation afterwards was about the event itself, there were some elements of the game that needed to be addressed.

Let’s get to our Winter Classic takeaways:

UNDERLYING STATS LEANED PANTHERS

From shots to shot attempts to puck possession to opportunities from the slot, Florida did more than enough correctly on Friday to come away with two points.

But the amount of times they either missed the net, turned the puck over or failed to convert a rebound or rush into a high danger chance cost them dearly.

Even though Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin finished the game with 36 saves, only seven of those shots were considered high danger.

Florida’s expected goals for the game was 3.86, so it’s not like they weren’t generating scoring chances, but the quality has got to be better.

“We had 50 pucks that never got to the net,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “We got 30 blocked and we missed the net 20 times. I think we were just squeezing and pushing to come from behind, a little late getting the puck off our stick.”

FINDING POSITIVES

Between the unorthodox conditions, the Winter Classic ice, the distance they had to travel to get from place to place in their gear, the longer pregame and intermissions…there were several elements of Friday night that made things a bit more challenging for both teams.

The task now for Maurice and his staff will be dissecting the positive things Florida did against the Rangers and highlighting the areas they need to be better.

There isn’t much time to dwell though, as the Cats are right back at it on Sunday afternoon when they face the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche.

“There's a couple things I'll take out of this game that I like to show, and I won't share that with you…It's kind of part of our technical package,” said Maurice. “There were a couple things I thought we were a little late on, and then some good things we just didn't connect on. I don’t want us to lose our focus with that. We had 21 shot attempts from the slot, that would be our biggest number this year. So there's some things I didn't like, and then the rest of it will be Colorado, because they handled us was pretty well the last time they played us.”

AN AMAZING EVENT

At the end of the day, despite the final score, the Winter Classic in Miami was a resounding success.

The week of festivities and events at the ballpark for the players, coaches and staff members created memories that will last a lifetime for many of those who were fortunate enough to participate.

Even though many of the players and coaches had previously participated an NHL outdoor game, the sights, sounds and overall experience of hosting something like this in South Florida is something incredibly unique that will not soon be forgotten.

“I feel a real sense of gratitude to the National Hockey League,” said Maurice. “This was an incredible event. I can't believe how many people worked on this thing, and then they got it all right, for me anyway. This is the losing coach, right? So, incredible memories. I've been to Europe three times with the Global Series and this is my third outdoor game. We had a pretty good run here over the last three years in the playoffs, so I've got to see some pretty exciting nights in the National Hockey League, and I'm just grateful to be a part of it.”

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Panthers set to host Rangers for 2026 Winter Classic at loanDepot park looking to resume recent winning ways

Photo caption: Jan 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; The Florida Panthers play against the New York Rangers during the first period in the 2026 Winter Classic ice hockey game at loanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off their best win since Connor Bedard’s injury. They have been playing better since the holiday break ended, but this defeat over Dallas was a game to be truly proud of. Now, they are on the road for a match against the Washington Capitals. 

This is the first meeting for Chicago against Washington, who comes in with a record of 21-15-5 and 47 points. They have had a solid year, but so has every team in the Eastern Conference up to this point. 

Scouting Washington

The Washington Capitals, even after all of these years, have a ton of talent. Everything starts and ends with Alexander Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals in NHL history last season. Now, at the age of 40, Ovechkin has 15 goals this season and 912 in his career. Ovechkin tied the record with two goals last time the Blackhawks were in town. 

Protas-Strome-Ovechkin    

McMichael-Sourdif-Wilson     

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Thompson

The Capitals have some good young players and other great veterans besides Ovechkin. For one, Tom Wilson has developed into one of the best power forwards in the NHL. He is no longer the guy running around creating controversy with big hits. He still has an incredible physical presence to his game, but he doesn’t toe the line as much and is an elite offense producer. So much so that he was named to Team Canada for the Olympics.

A young player to watch out for is Ryan Leonard. The Team USA World Juniors hero (back-to-back Golds in 2023-24/2024-25) is still learning his way in the NHL, but he has star potential. 

On the back end, John Carlson has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL for years. As an aging player, he isn’t the producer that he once was, but he’s still someone to game plan for. So is the excellent Jakob Chychrun, who has 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 41 games. 

Logan Thompson will start in goal for Washington. Like Tom Wilson, Thompson will be an Olympian with Canada in Milan, Italy. He has become an outstanding goaltender in this league. To beat him, the Blackhawks will have an interesting time. It can be done, but all of the little things need to happen, like traffic in front, good shot selection, and being hard on the forecheck. 

Washington is a flawed team, but they are heavy and skilled, so win or lose, they are hard to play against. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are coming in feeling good about their games. Now, they have a chance to take that momentum and use it in a situation that's been tough for them this season: back-to-back situations. 

Spencer Knight will start in goal for Chicago, meaning that they will likely use Arvid Soderblom against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. 

Bertuzzi-Greene-Burakovsky 

Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Teravainen-Moore-Lardis

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Knight

Why change a winning lineup? This exact lineup beat the Dallas Stars at the United Center on Thursday night. 

Keep an eye on two young centers in this game. Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore have started to take their games to another level with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out of the lineup. For Moore, the points have started to come. Greene is still working on his finish, but he looks like a guy who belongs in the top nine of a winning group. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. 

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

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

ELMONT, NY -- Former New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick and captain John Tavares spoke with us following Toronto Maple Leafs morning skate ahead of their Saturday night showdown at UBS Arena. 

What does he think of Islanders' 2025 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer?

“He’s obviously a stud," Tavares said. "I mean, the way he can play the game has been really special. I think the way he's come in, and he’s just been a game changer throughout the league and obviously for the Islanders. He seems to have tremendous character and a great head on his shoulders. Obviously, his ability to play the game is special, like I said. So we'll have our hands full tonight, even though he’s someone who's only half a season into his career. He’s been really, really impressive.”

Tavares was selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft, going on to play nine seasons (2009-18), he recorded 621 points (272 goals, 349 assists) in 669 games. He was the Islanders' captain from 2013-18.

What does he remember about his rookie season?

"Obviously, coming to the Islanders as a No. 1 pick and him as well, it's easy to kind of relate that," Tavares said. "But I think for me, throughout the course of my career, you always think about the journey and where things started, and how you got there, and where you're at today. You think about it all the time, just the excitement, all the work to get drafted, to earn an opportunity in the NHL, have the expectations that I had, and just how much fun it is to go through the first time, and certainly the ups and downs. There were a lot of them for me throughout my first year. So, it's something I'm very grateful for, very fond of, and I'll never forget. It's a big part of helping me along my way, throughout my career, and where I got started."

Saturday night is the first time the Islanders battle the Maple Leafs this season. 

What does Tavares think of this Islanders' squad?

"Well, certainly they've become a really dynamic team off the rush," Tavares said. "Obviously, with Schaefer and Barzy, their skating ability, their puck play is, is elite. So, you really need to defend that really well. And  like most teams, you try to make them use their energy to have to defend and work to get the puck back. And then that means you have in your hands, and you're able to maintain play and wear the opponent down. But no doubt, two very dynamic players with obviously, a lot of depth, a lot of guys that can make plays, put the puck in the back of the net."

Tavares has never met Schaefer. 

Puck drop comes your way ar 7:30 PM ET. 

Barkey scores first career goal as Flyers start fast and close out Oilers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers impressively nailed down a third-period lead Saturday afternoon to beat the high-powered Oilers, 5-2, at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Denver Barkey, Travis Sanheim, Bobby Brink, Nick Seeler and Owen Tippett all found the back of the net for the Flyers.

Seeler’s marker was his first of the season and it provided some critical third-period insurance.

Tippett sealed the win with an empty-netter.

For Barkey, his goal was the first of his NHL career and it started an early ambush by the Flyers (21-12-7).

Rick Tocchet’s club has dropped consecutive games in regulation only once (Nov. 1-2). It bounced back from a flat performance on New Year’s Eve, when it was rolled by the Flames, 5-1.

The Flyers split their two-game regular-season series with the Oilers (20-16-6). They suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to Edmonton in November at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

• Dan Vladar set a new career high in wins with his 15th.

The 28-year-old denied 22 of 24 shots and played very well with a lead.

Connor McDavid started the Oilers’ comeback attempt on a breakaway goal with 3:52 minutes left in the first period. Sanheim had a turnover just inside the offensive blue line to spring McDavid the other way.

McDavid also had an assist on Edmonton’s second goal.

The three-time MVP has done serious damage to the Flyers whenever they visit. In 10 career home games against the Flyers, McDavid has put up 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists). The Flyers are 3-6-1 in those matchups and had plenty of offense Saturday afternoon to combat him.

The Oilers trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 halfway through the game with an Evan Bouchard power play goal. Matvei Michkov was hit with a high-sticking penalty and Edmonton capitalized 1:07 minutes later.

But the Flyers had an excellent third period.

• The goals from Barkey, Sanheim and Brink came in the first period as the Flyers stormed out to a 3-0 lead.

Prior to the outburst, the Flyers had just two first-period goals over their previous six games.

The Flyers really needed a strong start and got one.

Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard gave up those three first-period goals on nine shots. He finished with 24 saves on 28 shots.

• Emil Andrae was back in the lineup after a surprising healthy scratch Wednesday night.

The 23-year-old defenseman played in place of Noah Juulsen and had a plus-1 rating through 15:52 minutes.

Garnet Hathaway also returned to the lineup after sitting for six straight games. The veteran winger came back in for Nikita Grebenkin and played an active game. He fought Darnell Nurse in the first period and had six hits on the day.

• The Flyers return home for a matchup Tuesday against Cutter Gauthier and the Ducks (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).