After 34 career games, Rangers' Brennan Othmann finally recorded his first career NHL goal on Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 23-year-old forward was able to blast a shot on the fastbreak past Flyers goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to make it a 3-1 game in the first period.
While it's his first NHL goal, Othmann has scored six times in the AHL this season with the Hartford Wolf Pack over 23 games. He has 39 career goals in the AHL across three seasons.
Each of the previous three meetings went beyond regulation, with the Penguins winning the last two in overtime.
The two teams most recently met on Jan. 4 in Columbus. The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 4-1 lead and had everything under control late in the second period until the Penguins stormed back to tie it late in the third. Rickard Rakell tied the game with 12.8 seconds left in the game before Sidney Crosby won it in overtime.
That loss for the Blue Jackets paved the way for a coaching change, as they fired Dean Evason this week and replaced him with Rick Bowness. Bowness is 2-0-0 as the Blue Jackets' head coach, and the team as a whole has won three in a row coming into Saturday's game.
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has been tremendous once again this season, compiling 18 goals and 51 points in 43 games. He does it all as the Jackets' top defenseman and will play a big role for Team USA at the Olympics next month.
Kirill Marchenko is second on the team in goals with 17 and also has 40 points in 43 games. He can strike from anywhere and scored against the Penguins in the game on Jan. 4.
Dmitri Voronkov has 16 goals and 30 points in 47 games, while Adam Fantilli has 12 goals and 30 points in 47 games.
Elvis Merzlikins will start in goal for the Blue Jackets after he made 30 saves in a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
The Penguins are set to go with the same lineup that they had against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defense
Kulak-Letang
Wotherspoon-St. Ivany
Shea-Clifton
Arturs Silovs will start in goal after having the night off on Thursday.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The Montreal Canadiens make the short trek to the Canadian Tire Centre to face the Ottawa Senators tonight.
This marks the third meeting between these two Atlantic Division rivals after they split the first two games.
My Canadiens vs. Senators predictions point to continued struggles for the middling Senators, with Habs defenseman Noah Dobson remaining a force on the blue line.
Read more in my NHL picks for Saturday, January 17.
Canadiens vs Senators prediction
Canadiens vs Senators best bet: Noah Dobson Over 2.5 blocked shots (+135 at Bet99)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson leads the NHL in blocked shots (122) and is in the midst of a particularly hot stretch.
The 26-year-old has blocked 26 shots over his last eight games, cashing the Over in seven of them.
Given the reliability of this player prop, it offers serious value at plus odds. The Ottawa Senators also rank 13th in the league in shots on goal.
Habs rookie Oliver Kapanen paces all first-year players with 16 goals and is enjoying a particularly trigger-happy stretch. The Finn has matched Alexander Ovechkin in shots on goal over the past two weeks, cashing the Over in six of his last seven games.
Kapanen is the primary shooter on the Canadiens’ second line, with Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky showing no hesitation in feeding the 22-year-old. He’s firmly established himself as a shoot-first option.
The Habs have scored the fourth-most goals away from home, own an impressive 13-5-6 road record, and sit tied for third in points percentage. Meanwhile, Ottawa has recently spiraled to the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
Montreal has prevailed in four of the last six head-to-head meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Senators.
How to watch Canadiens vs Senators
Location
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Date
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
CITY
Canadiens vs Senators latest injuries
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely to be without William Nylander for the next couple of games.
Toronto had an optional morning skate on Saturday in Winnipeg ahead of their matchup against the Jets. The Athletic's Joshua Kloke reported that Calle Jarnkrok will draw into the lineup for Nylander, who reaggravated a lower-body injury on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said, via Kloke, that Nylander is also unlikely to play against the Minnesota Wild at home on Monday.
Maple Leafs lineup news tonight against the Jets: Dennis Hildeby starts. Calle Jarnkrok in the lineup. No Simon Benoit.
Craig Berube said William Nylander is not only out of the lineup tonight but also unlikely for Monday’s game against the Wild.
"I mean, right now, I don't expect him to be in today for sure. Monday, probably not," Berube told reporters on Saturday morning. "I don't know how long it's going to be."
Nylander missed six straight games with the lower-body injury before returning to Toronto's lineup on Jan. 10 against the Vancouver Canucks. He's appeared in the Maple Leafs' last four games, registering three goals and seven points in that span.
Two of those points — a goal and an assist — came in the first period against the Golden Knights before leaving the game with the injury.
Jarnkrok last appeared in Toronto's lineup against the Utah Mammoth (and scored), with Nick Robertson out after blocking a shot one night earlier vs. the Colorado Avalanche. The veteran forward has six goals in 28 games this season.
Dennis Hildeby is set to start for Toronto in Winnipeg, his first appearance since the 6-1 loss to the Mammoth on Jan. 13. The 24-year-old stopped 35 of 41 shots against in that game.
"That was more on us as a team than him," Berube said Saturday morning. "I think he was under siege pretty good there, and I thought he made a lot of really good saves. But for me, like I talked about, his game has really grown.
"I think he's building more and more confidence and understanding the league a lot better. I really like a lot of what he's done."
Also not in the lineup tonight is Simon Benoit, Kloke reports. Benoit was a late scratch on Thursday against the Golden Knights due to an upper-body injury, despite attending Toronto's skate earlier that morning.
With Benoit set to miss his second straight game, Philippe Myers likely will remain in Toronto's lineup. Myers was paired alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson against Vegas and had 16:48 of ice time in the overtime loss.
With Nylander out for what's likely the next two games, it's expected that Jacob Quillan will join the Maple Leafs in Winnipeg later today. He'll be the extra forward whilst Nylander is injured.
Quillan has played three games with the Maple Leafs this season — two in November and one in December — and is yet to register a point. The 23-year-old has been strong with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, scoring eight goals and 27 points in 28 games.
The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-born forward has played four career NHL games, averaging 7:25 of ice time.
The Buffalo Sabres recent surge into the postseason conversation presents an interesting dilemma for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. The Sabres have won 15 of their last 17 games and are currently in a wildcard spot in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, but based on Kekalainen’s comments when he took over from Kevyn Adams over a month ago, he is not willing to make moves just to snap the league-record 14-year playoff drought.
“We're not going to sacrifice the ultimate goal for the sake of making the playoffs and then not having any sustainability for our goal as a team to take the next step and having the opportunity and chance to compete for the Stanley Cup." Kekalainen said. "We're going to have a plan, and the plan is going to be to win the Stanley Cup, and we're not going to take any shortcuts to try to just make the playoffs, to end the drought.
Similar to his situation in Columbus, Kekalainen has the issue of a franchise that has difficulty attracting and retaining free agents, which could be a factor before the Olympic trade freeze or before the March 6th trade deadline. An article in the Athletic on Friday pondered whether the Sabres GM would repeat history and keep a pending unrestricted free agent like Alex Tuch as an own-rental for a playoff run, with the prospect of losing him for nothing in July, or trade him before the deadline for a potential package of draft picks, prospects, and/or young NHL players.
Kekalainen did keep pending UFA’s Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky for a playoff run in 2019, but the Sabres are in a different place in their development with Tuch and cannot afford to lose a valuable asset for the cost of one playoff run. There has been little indication of any progress between the club and the 29-year-old winger on an extension, as reportedly, Tuch is looking for an eight-year deal in the same neighborhood as LA’s Adrian Kempe’s eight-year, $85 million deal ($10.625 million AAV).
Ironically, Panarin is potentially the top rental on the trade market, but the veteran winger has a no-movement clause that will limit the teams he could go to. Tuch has no trade protection, which could put Kekalainen in an advantageous position before March 6.
The NHL posted an interesting anecdote on their NHL Edge website recently, promoting Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson’s skating ability.
According to their data, during the Senators’ game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night, Sanderson reached the top skating speed by an NHL defenceman this season at 24.37 miles per hour (MPH).
NHL Edge has captured data on the league since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, and over the five years it has recorded data, Sanderson’s skating speed is the second-highest ever by a defenceman. His mark trails Quinn Hughes’ 24.56 MPH.
Sanderson was aware that he had set the record, and he could recall the exact moment when it happened in Tuesday’s game. It occurred during a shift in the third period when he carried the puck down and around the Vancouver net.
“I knew I was going fast,” Sanderson recalled. “But, I didn’t know I was going that fast.”
Thanks to the NHL’s player-monitoring and tracking sensors, that information is readily available to players.
The speed data is something that Sanderson talks about all the time with David Perron.
“The speed stuff we like to be aware of,” the defenceman admitted. "We joked about it a month ago and started talking about (skating speeds). It's really nothing, but it is kind of cool to look back at your history. For me, it kind of makes me want to get my legs going and make sure I'm sprinting out there.”
Jake’s father, Geoff, played 1,104 games across 17 seasons in the NHL, where the two-time All-Star was renowned for his speed.
X.com/BuffaloSabres, Empire
Credit genetics or the work habits of Jake, but his father played a large role in his development as a child.
“At a young age, I did a lot of power skating,” Sanderson said. “At the time, it was very boring. Obviously, when you're younger, you want to be able to shoot pucks and play games.
“My dad always taught me and my brothers that skating is the number one thing. My older brother Ben was probably faster than I was. He just flew around, and in my teen years, he was a big role model for me because of how he trained. I look up to him a lot.”
In terms of all skaters this season, Sanderson’s recorded speed is the third-highest in the league behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (24.61 MPH) and Utah’s Logan Cooley (24.38 MPH).
Being mentioned in the same breath as McDavid when discussing skating is an impressive accomplishment in the sport.
“It's cool,” Sanderson acknowledged. “With guys like McDavid and (Nathan) MacKinnon, those top speeds are more natural to them, and they're hitting it probably every game. They're also handling the puck just as fast, which makes it even more impressive.
“But yeah, it's pretty cool to see (my name and metrics approach theirs).
Senators fans and observers are unlikely to be surprised by Sanderson’s placement.
The blueliner often draws comparisons to Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer for his efficient and smooth skating. Sanderson ranks in the 99th percentile in max skating speed, 22-plus MPH bursts, 20 to 22 MPH bursts, and 18 to 20 MPH bursts. The 23-year-old leads all NHL defencemen in 22-plus mph speed bursts (24) and is second among blueliners in 20-plus mph speed bursts (153), trailing only the Islanders’ rookie phenom, Matthew Schaefer (169).
It is that skating ability that helps Sanderson get back quickly to retrieve and break pucks out of the defensive zone. Clean zone exits and entries have quickly become hallmarks of the defenceman’s game.
“(Skating) can be a huge advantage,” Sanderson described. “It goes back to the saying, ‘If you can’t skate, you can’t play.’ It's also not just the exits, it's being able to get open for (Artem Zub) or sprinting to a spot on retrievals and making it easier on him to make plays.”
Sanderson’s skating has also allowed him to expand his offensive game.
Successful entries lead to more opportunities for sustained possession in the offensive zone. His speed and skating also afford him chances to join the attack and create odd-man rushes.
Sanderson established career highs in goals (11) and points (57) last season, but through 46 regular season games, he appears poised to smash those totals as he is on pace for 16 goals and 62 points.
In the past, Sanderson has downplayed his offensive game relative to defencemen like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, whose offensive production has dominated the Norris Trophy conversation. In saying that, there is no mistaking the growth in Sanderson’s offensive game over the past few years.
It still feels like there is room for development, because using his speed to make plays and create separation in the offensive zone is something he wants to do more frequently. It is also a point of emphasis that the Senators’ coaching staff has encouraged as well.
“I have to continue to do more of it and use my speed in the offensive zone,” Sanderson said. “That is something I’ve got to work on. Obviously, you don't want to force things, and you need to read the situation and the play. But if you have legs, you have the gas, and you can make it an odd-man rush, go ahead.”
Sanderson finished top-10 in Norris Trophy balloting last season, but if his offensive production can continue to evolve, he will only continue to garner more attention and votes in future candidacies.
Graeme Nichols The Hockey News - Ottawa
This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:
The Flyers saw their season-worst losing streak balloon to six games with an embarrassing performance on home ice.
The club was thumped by the Rangers, 6-3, Saturday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Flyers were down 6-1 at one point in the second period.
“When you’re a little bit tired, some guys have lost a little bit of confidence, you’ve got to stay with structure,” Rick Tocchet said. … “It’s on me to get these guys back on the rails. But we just have to play a certain way to be able to compete.”
For a third straight game, Tocchet had to use both of his goalies. Aleksei Kolosov was pulled after New York ripped off three first-period goals in a span of 1:20 minutes. Samuel Ersson took over just 8:25 minutes into the action.
“We sucked, plain and simple,” Sean Couturier said. “We can’t show up down 3-1 five minutes in, 10 minutes in, whatever it was. We’ve got to be better.
“It’s important to stick together. There’s a lot of pressure, outside noise, but it’s on us to figure it out and stick together. We’ll come out stronger.”
Travis Konecny gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead, which lasted for 43 seconds. Travis Sanheim and Trevor Zegras provided the team’s other two goals.
The Flyers (22-17-8) have been outscored a staggering 31-12 over this 0-5-1 skid.
“We’ve kind of just been shooting ourselves in the foot, making silly mistakes I think,” Cam York said. “It’s correctable stuff, stuff that we haven’t done all year up to this point, so obviously it’s really frustrating. But we’re going to continue to work at it and we’ll clean it up.”
The Rangers (21-22-6), who are now openly retooling, snapped their five-game slide (0-4-1), a stretch in which they were outscored 30-12.
• Kolosov couldn’t answer the bell in his second start of the season.
He didn’t record a save on three shots before Tocchet summoned Ersson. The Flyers gave up a 3-on-1 rush when New York scored its third goal in that early onslaught.
“You can tell some guys are tired because they’re making mental mistakes,” Tocchet said. “My job is to get these guys to feel good about themselves, that’s my job right now. Because, right now, obviously guys are frustrated.”
In the defensive zone, the Flyers have not been protecting the middle or weak side, which hasn’t helped their goaltenders.
“When you start getting goals side to side, what are the goalies doing now?” Tocchet said. “They’re just playing on their heels.”
The Flyers have sorely missed Dan Vladar, who was out for a second straight game with an undisclosed injury. The good news for the Flyers is that he’s being considered day to day.
Tocchet was unsure if Vladar would be joining the Flyers on their three-game road trip.
“Still got to talk to the doctors on that because if he’s not going to play any of the games, why [have him travel]?” the head coach said pregame. “Is there a possibility for the third game? Maybe, that’s what we’ll decide.”
Ersson made 22 saves on 25 shots in relief.
Mika Zibanejad had a hat trick for the Rangers before second intermission. One of his goals was on the power play. The Flyers have given up eight power play goals over their last four games.
New York netminder Spencer Martin was making his first start of the season and stopped 25 of the Flyers’ 28 shots.
• York and Jamie Drysdale were each a minus-3.
“You’ve got to build Cam’s game back, Drysy, guys like that who have really played well for us this year,” Tocchet said. “But they’ve kind of hit the skids a little bit and they’re kind of doing stuff that they usually don’t do.”
• Rodrigo Abols exited with a lower-body injury in the first period and didn’t return. More on him here.
Bobby Brink missed a sixth straight game with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old winger skated Saturday morning and Tocchet called him a “possibility” for the team’s game against the Golden Knights.
Rasmus Ristolainen was placed on injured reserve and won’t join the Flyers for the trip. He has been considered day to day with an upper-body injury.
Without Ristolainen, the Flyers made a call-up for some insurance on the back end. After the loss, they officially brought up Hunter McDonald from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
• The Flyers open their trip Monday when they visit Vegas (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).
Yegor Sharangovich has enjoyed a lot of success on home soil of late, recording six points and 29 shots on goal over his last 10 in Calgary.
My Islanders vs. Flames predictions expect Sharangovich to be heavily involved in the offense once again in an out-of-conference matinee.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Saturday, January 17.
Islanders vs Flames prediction
Islanders vs Flames best bet:Yegor Sharangovich Over 1.5 shots (-145 at Bet99)
Yegor Sharangovich has some of the most drastic home/road splits you will find. He has averaged 2.6 shots on 4.6 attempts for the Calgary Flames this season, going Over his 1.5 line at a 76% clip.
Those outputs are night and day from what he’s accomplished on the road. Sharangovich has generated just 1.3 shots on 3.2 attempts in away games, going Over 35% of the time.
There’s a lot of reason to believe Sharangovich will continue finding success at home against the Islanders.
With Blake Coleman banged up, Sharangovich is sliding into his spot alongside Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato. That line is going to get plenty of ice time.
The New York Islanders also rank 22nd in 5-on-5 shot suppression and 25th while undermanned over the last 10 games. They are giving up plenty of volume, which should lead to ample opportunity for Sharangovich to throw pucks on net.
New York is particularly vulnerable, where Sharangovich likes to pepper goaltenders with pucks. A ton of his volume comes from the slot, and the Isles sit 28th in shots allowed from that area over their last 10.
Rasmus Andersson has shot the puck a lot more frequently this season, especially on home ice. He is averaging 2.6 shots on 6.0 attempts and has cleared this line in 67% of his games in Calgary.
Lastly, we’re going with the Under. The Islanders rank dead last in expected goals generated over the past 10 games. They should struggle to generate offense against a Flames team that has conceded just 2.25 goals per night on home ice.
Yegor Sharangovich has recorded multiple shots on goal in eight of his last 10 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Flames.
How to watch Islanders vs Flames
Location
Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Date
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Puck drop
4:00 p.m. ET
TV
CBC
Islanders vs Flames latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
CALGARY, AB -- New York Islanders goaltender David Rittich will get the start against the Calgary Flames on Saturday afternoon, the team that gave him his first opportunity to play in the NHL.
Rittich in the starter’s net at #Isles practice here in Calgary.
Back in 2016, a 24-year-old undrafted Rittich, who had been playing professionally in his native Czechia, signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Flames.
After playing the majority of the 2016-17 season in the AHL -- he made his NHL debut on Apr. 8, 2017, in relief of Brian Elliott -- he served as the club's backup from 2017-2021 before he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline for a 2022 third-round pick.
Rittich played in 130 regular-season games for the Flames over that five-year span, owning a 63-39-15 record with a 2.83 GAA and a .908 SV%. He did make one postseason appearance, allowing three goals on nine shots against the Dallas Stars, who won 7-3 to advance to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Since leaving Calgary, he's played for Toronto (2021), Nashville (2021-22), Winnipeg (2022-23), Los Angeles (2023-2025) before signing with the Islanders this summer.
At 33, he's in the midst of a major bounce-back season, sporting an electric 2.39 GAA with a .910 SV% in 19 appearances.
Saturday will be Rittich's second start on this seven-game road trip, with this game being No. 5 of the trek. He stopped 26 of 27 in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 8.
Rittich is 0-3-2 in five career starts against Calgary, with a 3.89 GAA and an. 861 SV%.
Pittsburgh Penguins -22-14-10 - 54 Points - 7-2-1 in the last 10 - Won 1 - 3rd in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 21-19-7 - 49 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Won 3 Straight - 7th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.3% - 15th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 74.2% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 140 - 19th in the NHL
Goals Against - 156 - 29th in the NHL
PenguinsStats
Power Play - 29.4% - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 83.2% - 7th in the NHL
Goals For - 146 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 134 - 10th in the NHL
Series History vs. ThePenguins
Columbus is 19-30-0-11 all-time, and 6-19-0-5 at home vs. Pittsburgh.
The Blue Jackets are 4-1-2 in the last 7, and 5-4-3 in the last 12 against the Pens.
The CBJ are 1-0-2 against Pittsburgh this season, and 1-0-0 at PPG Paints Arena.
Who To Watch For ThePenguins
Sidney Crosby leads the team with 25 goals and 51 points.
Erik Karlsson leads the Pens with 29 assists, but he's on IR.
Goalie Arturs Silovs is 8-6-7 with a SV% .892%.
Stuart Skinner is a combined 15-12-4 with a SV% of 2.62 with Pittsburgh and Edmonton.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Penguins
Zach Werenski has 17 points in 24 games vs. the Penguins.
Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 37 games.
Sean Monahan has 15 points in 26 career games against Pittsburgh.
Injuries
Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 11 Games - IR
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 9 Games IR - Out 3-4 months after having knee surgery.
Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 8 Games - IR - Week to week.
Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 6 Games - Week to week.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 127
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
* Simulcasted on CW Columbus, WUAB in Cleveland, WXIX in Cincinnati, WZCDin Dayton, WQCW in Charleston/Huntington, WV, WKYT in Lexington, KY and WAVE in Louisville, KY
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are not sure how long they will be without William Nylander as they navigate the second occurrence of a lower-body injury for their star forward.
“He’s being evaluated still (to see) where he's at. He's doubtful for tomorrow,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following the club’s practice in Las Vegas on Friday.
Nylander left early in the first period of the club’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday with what the coach confirmed was an aggravation of the previous lower-body injury that kept the Swede out of the lineup for six games. Despite being limited to just 2:17 of ice time in the game, he scored a goal and added an assist.
Berube was cautious to put any sort of timeline on how long he expected Nylander might be out, given that he thought the Swede’s previous injury was minor.
“Right now I can't answer that because with the last one, I thought it would be quicker, and it obviously wasn't,” Berube admitted. “We'll just see how he feels here going forward. I mean, can't really answer that question”.
The Leafs enter Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets sitting two points out of a playoff position. The Leafs were resilient without Nylander during his previous injury, going 4-0-2 in that stretch.
However, Nylander isn’t the only player battling something right now. Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Joseph Woll stayed off the ice for what Berube described as maintenance. Knies dealt with a nagging lower-body injury earlier this season and stayed off the ice for the full morning skate ahead of the club’s game against the Golden Knights on Thursday.
Joseph Woll isn’t taking part in a rare Leafs practice today, which means Anthony Stolarz gets his own net as he continues to recover from injury.
There is still no public timeline on Stolarz’ return.
(Also absent today: Nylander, Tavares, Knies, and Ekman-Larsson.)
Ekman-Larsson briefly departed the game in the first period shortly after what looked like a possible knee-on-knee collision with Golden Knights forward Cole Reinhardt, but managed to come back in the second period and finish out the game.
With Nylander out, expect Calle Jarnkrok to draw back into the Leafs lineup. He has six goals in 28 games this season. Nylander leads all Leafs in scoring with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 37 games.
In the midst of what has easily been their worst stretch of games all season, the Philadelphia Flyers have gotten at least some positive news in the form of the latest injury update regarding goalie Dan Vladar.
Panic seeped through the Flyers fanbase when the 28-year-old suffered an unknown injury early in the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, and understandably so: the Flyers don't have anything close to a replacement for Vladar.
Backup goalie Sam Ersson has a porous .853 save percentage on the season, which includes his relief appearance for Vladar in the aforementioned game against Buffalo.
Top prospect Aleksei Kolosov, while revitalizing his career in the AHL with a renewed sense of belonging, is still unproven.
The good news for the Flyers, and perhaps for the two understudy goalkeepers, is that Vladar is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to multiple reports.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall was able to confirm that Vladar won't play for the Flyers at home on Saturday afternoon when the free-falling New York Rangers come to town.
So, while Ersson and/or Kolosov will need to handle business against a division rival and attempt to snap a five-game losing streak, it goes without saying that things could have gone significantly worse.
As in, season-crippling worse.
Kolosov, 24, allowed three goals on 16 shots in relief of Ersson against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 6-3 loss on Thursday night, seeing his first NHL action since making a spot start for the Flyers against the Calgary Flames back on Nov. 2.
The Flyers would probably benefit from giving Ersson a rest and seeing what Kolosov can do with another opportunity against the Rangers, but that has yet to be decided at the time of this writing.
Connor Bedard: 19G-27A-46PTS; Tyler Bertuzzi: 24G-13A-37PTS; Andre Burakovsky: 10G-19A-29PTS
Spencer Knight: 13-13-6, 2.61 GAA, .910 save percentage
Game notes
The Bruins begin a brief two-game road trip with a stop in Chicago to face the Blackhawks, who remain on the fringe of the wild card picture in the Western Conference.
This is the second meeting of the season between these two teams, with the first ending in a 4-3 OT win for the Bruins back on Oct. 9. Fraser Minten scored the winner in that game.
The Blackhawks have lost two games in a row and three of four. Prior to that, however, they had won four in a row (and had points in five straight). The Bruins, as you likely remember, are hitting the road with five consecutive wins in their pocket.
With a bunch of young players, you wouldn’t expect Chicago to be near the top of the league in penalty killing — but that’s where they find themselves, with the second-best PK mark in the league at 85%.
Brief Bruin Tyler Bertuzzi has been great for the Blackhawks this season. With 24 goals, he has already eclipsed his goal output from the past two seasons (23 last year, 21 the year before) and we’re barely halfway through the season.
Matt Grzelcyk is another former Bruin plying his trade in Chicago. The defenseman has appeared in all 47 of Chicago’s games this season, averaging 17 minutes TOI. He also has 11 assists.
David Pastrnak continues his ceaseless production for the B’s, with 1G-8A-9PTS in his last five games. That’s pretty good.
Per the Chicago Sun-Times, many members of the Blackhawks’ 2013 Stanley Cup-winning team may be in attendance tonight as part of their ongoing centennial celebrations. Hey, at least it’s a NESN broadcast for us, so you shouldn’t be subjected to too many horrifying flashbacks.
Who:Columbus Blue Jackets (21-19-7, 49 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (22-14-10, 54 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh and FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: This is the last game the Penguins will be playing in Pittsburgh for almost two weeks. The Pens are about to take off on a West Coast road swing through Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver over the next eight days, starting with a 5 p.m. ET Monday game against the Kraken.
Opponent Track: The Jackets are heading into the weekend on a three-game win streak. Elvis Merzlikins had a succinct answer when asked Thursday what’s changed for the Jackets:
3 wins in a row what’s different for the Blue Jackets?
Season Series: This marks the last time the Jackets and Pens will meet this season. All three prior games in this season series have gone to overtime, with the Penguins losing in a shootout in October but winning in overtime in November and earlier this month.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins are in a playoff spot in no small part thanks to their success against division opponents this season. Including their 2-0-1 record against the Blue Jackets, the Pens have gone 9-1-3 against teams in the Metropolitan Division so far this season. (Last season, Pittsburgh missed the playoffs after going 9-13-4 against division opponents).
Injured Reserve: Brendan Smith, Isac Lundestrom, Miles Wood, Mason Marchment
Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk is day-to-day after taking a hard hit from Brandon Tanev during the Jackets’ Sunday win over the Utah Mammoth. Columbus general manager Don Waddell said the team doesn’t expect the injury to be long-term.
Coaching change in Columbus: The Blue Jackets fired former coach Dean Evason last week after one and a half seasons and a 19-19-7 start to the 2025-26 campaign. Evason told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline he was “blindsided” by his dismissal.
The switch allowed the Jackets to bring in Rick Bowness, 70, who had most recently coached the Winnipeg Jets for two seasons from 2022 to 2024. He hasn’t been with the team for very long— he got the job offer Monday afternoon and joined the team Tuesday morning, per ESPN— but he’s since led the Jackets to wins over the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
Kent Johnson played a season-high 20:55 during his first game with Bowness. The Jackets could be hoping to see some more production from the second-line winger if he keeps getting more playing time going forward.
Like the Penguins, the Blue Jackets have at times had a problems with holding on to late leads through the first half of the season. They blew third-period leads 15 times in their first 47 games, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. When asked about that habit after the Jackets held on to a comfortable lead in Thursday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks, Bowness said, per Portzline: “I don’t even worry about it. It was before I got here. I’m just not worried about it… That’s in the past. I know how I want us to play, so that’s the bottom line. And we’re building on that.”
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Brett Kulak / Kris Letang
Parker Wotherspoon / Jack St. Ivany
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Ryan Graves, Kevin Hayes
IR: Erik Karlsson, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones, Rutger McGroarty
The Penguins had an off day Friday after Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Flyers.
Sidney Crosby has 69 points (24 goals, 45 assists) in 48 career games against the Blue Jackets, which ranked behind only Patrick Kane for the most among any active NHL player. Kris Letang meanwhile leads all NHL defensemen with 14 goals against the Blue Jackets, his highest total against any single team, per Penguins PR.
The Penguins are 14-1-4 in their last 19 games against the Blue Jackets, and they’re 16-0-2 in their last 18 games against the Jackets at home, per Penguins PR.
The Pens’ special teams have been thriving lately. They’re heading into Saturday’s matchup having gone 16-for-16 on the PK over their last four games, and they’re currently ranked second in the NHL with a 29.4 percent power-play success rate.
The Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5) have the chance to tie a franchise record tonight against the Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8). With a loss tonight, Vancouver will tie the record for the longest losing streak in club history. This comes after the Canucks have lost their past nine straight, with the most recent being a 4–1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Edmonton, who is still currently in a playoff spot, dropped their most recent match against the New York Islanders by a score of 1–0.
Things have not been fun for the Canucks and their fans as of late, as despite some spirited efforts throughout their previous six-game road trip, they have yet to record their first win of 2026. Things may get even more negative in the coming days, as the Canucks will spend their next eight games on home-ice, where their record on the season is a poor 4–12–3. For fans who are pro-rebuild, this string of losses is pretty much their ideal scenario, as the Canucks have put themselves in a solid position to remain 32nd overall in the entire league.
On the ice, the penalty kill will be something to watch for the Canucks. Vancouver allowed two goals during Columbus’ two power plays on Thursday. Since the start of the calendar year, the Canucks have surrendered nine power play goals-against while also allowing multiple power play goals in three different games during this span. They’ll face a daunting task tonight as Edmonton currently holds the top power play unit in the NHL with a success rate of 33.3%.
Players To Watch:
Brock Boeser
Brock Boeser has been one of the players who has struggled most during Vancouver’s nine-game losing streak, though he managed to score the lone goal in the Canucks’ most recent loss, with this being his first since November 28. Tonight’s game marks a milestone for Boeser, as the forward is expected to skate in his 600th career NHL game. Boeser has consistently had the Oilers’ number, as he’s currently riding a four-game point streak against Edmonton that has seen him score three goals and four assists. With his goal-scoring skid seemingly over, tonight would be a great occasion for Boeser to experience more of an offensive output.
Vasily Podkolzin
The former Canucks forward is in his second season with the Oilers and has seemed to fit in well as an Evander Kane-esque replacement. His 10 goals and 10 assists are tied for the sixth-most points on his team, which is a pretty good production rate considering what Vancouver received in return for him. If he’s able to stay consistent in his scoring, Podkolzin will smash his previous career-high of 26, which he recorded in his first NHL season with the Canucks. Also of note is the fact that Podkolzin has registered a point in each of the two games Vancouver and Edmonton have played against one-another so far this season.
Oct 26, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (8) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–16–29
Filip Hronek: 3–24–27
Kiefer Sherwood: 17–6–23
Jake DeBrusk: 12–10–22
Brock Boeser: 10–12–22
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 6–13–4
Nikita Tolopilo: 2–2–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8):
Points:
Connor McDavid: 30–52–82
Leon Draisaitl: 25–42–67
Evan Bouchard: 11–35–46
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 11–26–37
Zach Hyman: 16–11–27
Goaltenders:
Tristan Jarry: 12–3–2
Calvin Pickard: 5–6–2
Connor Ingram: 4–3–1
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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