Category: NHL

The Buffalo Sabres are hoping to keep their red-hot pace to start a very busy homestand of five games in eight days against the Anaheim Ducks at KeyBank Center on Saturday night. The Sabres have won 12 of the last 13 games, but are still on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference playoff race, trailing the Washington Capitals by two points and the Pittsburgh Penguins by one point for the two wildcard spots. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get the start for the Sabres. 

Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media after the club’s morning skate:

What is the status of defenseman Michael Kesselring?

(He's) progressing? I think (Sunday is) an off day for him. Monday, we'll get him involved in some physical stuff and see how he reacts to that. Midweek will hopefully have a decision on whether he can play or not…….There's only one person (when it) gets to a point with anybody's situation, that only they know how they feel. So he'll let us know when he feels well enough. I think once he's cleared, seeing him on the ice today means he's cleared to probably 90%. We get Monday, Tuesday and it's how he reacts to more physical stuff, where you have to push off more, you have to grind more, you have to battle more, than just skating around shooting pucks.

How will injured players get their work in to get back into the lineup?

Let's be realistic. There's not a lot of practice time for us, with the way the schedule is going to unfold. It's more about playing and getting rest with the number of games we've got in the short period of time coming up…….They'll be ready. Those guys get their work in. They're putting a lot of work on the ice, put a lot of work off the ice. I think you've seen where guys have stepped in and played well. Look what our boys have done when they've stepped in. Our job is to have these guys ready when they're called and a guy like (Tyson Kozak), if you stuck him in tonight, he's ready to go.

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 What do you attribute the offensive spike from Mattias Samuelsson to?

I don't know. I've said in the past, he should talk really well. I think you saw an example that on that shorthanded(goal in New York), he's got a real hard shot, and he's put himself in a lot of good situations. Look at the the first goal we scored, he ripped the wrist shot that broke the guy's stick, recovered the puck, and then set Doan in. He's been able to put the puck past the goaltender when he's got himself in good position.

What has been the secret to the improved penalty killing this season?

It's a lot of things. We've had big saves at big times. We have a lot of pucks to go through us. We've stayed away from the seem plays where teams can expose you and go back door. We're a lot better at getting the puck down the ice. Last year, we got burned a lot of times where failed clears would hurt us. So it really isn't just one thing. I think it's a combination of three or four things that have improved from day one at camp, and those are probably the major things.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

Forward Maxim Tsyplakov will return to the New York Islanders' lineup on Saturday night when they battle the Minnesota Wild. 

Tsyplakov, in his second NHL season, has played in only 23 of the Islanders' 44 games, with 1 goal in an average of 9:49 per game. 

He last played on Jan. 3, a 3-2 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

But, despite finding himself out of the lineup more often than not after signing a two-year extension this past summer worth $2.25 million annually. 

Where Things Stand Between Tsyplakov & Islanders Tsyplakov filed for player-elected salary arbitration on July 7.

“We have a lot of players that are playing well," Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said on Thursday morning. "He had a tougher start to the year, and now if you look at our record, a lot of guys are playing well. Are we perfect? By no means. Is everybody playing outstanding every game? No.

"It’s not that he forced us to take him out — it’s just that the other guys have been a bit better. But I still believe in Tsyplakov. He still has the ability. When he gets the opportunity, he has to take it and force us to keep him in the lineup. Right now, it’s not that he forced us to take him out — the other guys have forced us to keep them in.”

It is worth mentioning that Tsyplakov sustained an injury during training camp, which forced him to miss all but one of the preseason games, playing in the finale against the New York Rangers. 

The notion that Tsyplakov isn't an NHL-caliber player is false. Does he fit the Islanders' system to a tee? No. Would he likely be better suited in a different system, one that allows for more East-West work than just going North, like head coach Patrick Roy wants? Yes.

But the reality of the situation is that he is with the Islanders, and with forward Kyle Palmieri out for the season with a torn ACL and no one having yet won that job, there's still an opportunity for Tsyplakov to leave his mark.

Is there any bigger momentum booster than your general manager having your back?

Tsyplakov will skate alongside Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb against the Wild. 

#Isles HC Patrick Roy had a convo with Maxim Tsyplakov:

"We want him to be physical & we think that he has the game to play against these guys. Foligno & Tarasenko, they're very physical, so we think that'd be a good time for him to play."

(H/t @NYIslanders)

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) January 10, 2026

The Florida Panthers will have their work cut out for them on Saturday night in Ottawa.

Star forwards Brad Marchand and Matthew Takchuk will not play against the Senators, and young forward Sandis Vilmanis will make his NHL debut for Florida.

Marchand missed Thursday’s loss in Montreal after being held out of the third period on Tuesday in Toronto, also a loss, with an undisclosed injury.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said it was not a major injury, but something Marchand has been battling for much of the season, and that he wanted to give it time to heal.

That time has stretched into Saturday.

Tkachuk, meanwhile, has been getting closer and closer to making his regular season debut, participating in the past few Panthers practices without wearing a non-contact jersey.

He’s expected to play sometime during Florida’s six-game road trip, which will have three games left after they play the Sens on Saturday: Monday in Buffalo, Friday in Carolina and Saturday in Washington.

"They will not play tonight," Maurice said regarding Tkachuk and Marchand. "That's about it. Nothing has changed."

As for Vilmanis, the 21-year-old will crack an NHL roster for the first time on the heels of a strong season in Charlotte.

Vilmanis co-leads the team in points with 19 in 31 games (also with 19 points on the Checkers are Wilmer Skoog, who leads the team with 11 goals, and Gracyn Sawchyn, who has logged a team-leading 13 assists).

A fifth round selected of the Panthers back at the 2022 NHL Draft, Vilmanis was also named as a member of Team Latvia for the 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this week, so it’s been quite a few days for the youngster.

"I'm super excited," he said after the morning skate. "A lot of mixed emotions, to be honest. With the Olympics and this, it's just crazy. I'm super excited to be here, super excited to start (my NHL career)."

He skated on a line with Luke Kunin and Jack Studnicka during Florida’s morning skate in Ottawa, which is likely where he lines up for the game.

While Marchand and Tkachuk were on the ice for the skate, they will both remain out of the lineup as the Cats hope to get in the win column for the first time on the road trip.

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Photo caption: Forward Sandis Vilmanis skates in a game with the Charlotte Checkers against the Toronto Marlies on Nov. 19, 2025 at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. (Source: Charlotte Checkers)

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have recalled forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Harvey-Pinard has yet to make his Pittsburgh regular-season debut, but now that has the potential to change with this call-up. The 27-year-old has appeared in 32 games so far this season with Wilkes/Barre Scranton, where he has posted seven goals, six assists, 13 points, and a plus-8 rating. 

Harvey-Pinard also spent most of this past season in the AHL, but with the Laval Rocket. In 40 games with Laval in 2024-25, he had five goals and 19 points. He also played in one game for the Montreal Canadiens this past campaign, where he has was held off the scoresheet. 

In 84 career NHL games over four seasons, Harvey-Pinard has posted 17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points, and a plus-3 rating. Most of his offensive numbers came during the 2022-23 season with the Canadiens, though, as he posted 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games.

Overall, there is no harm in the Penguins giving Harvey-Pinard a look on their NHL roster. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make from here. 

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have recalled defenseman Zac Jones from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Jones getting called up to the Sabres' roster comes just one day after he was sent down to the AHL. Now, after recording a goal and an assist in the Amerks' Jan. 9 contest against the Laval Rocket, Jones is right back on the Sabres' NHL roster with this latest roster move. 

While Jones has been called up multiple times to the Sabres' roster this season, he has still yet to make his debut for the club. The left-shot defenseman will be hoping that this changes after landing today's call-up to Buffalo's roster. 

In 28 games this season with the Amerks, Jones has posted three goals and 32 points. He also leads the entire AHL with 29 assists, so there is no question that he is impressing in a big way with Rochester. 

Jones appeared in a career-high 46 games this past season with the New York Rangers, where he posted one goal, 10 assists, 11 points, and an even plus/minus rating. 

The Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens will renew one of hockey’s most storied rivalries Saturday night at the Bell Centre, meeting for the first time since Detroit opened the season with a stunning 5–1 rout on home ice. This time, the Wings head to Quebec to face one of the most intense atmospheres in the sport, with both clubs entering the matchup tied atop the Atlantic Division with 56 points.

Detroit holds a slight edge with a 26–15–4 record, while Montreal sits at 25–13–6 after pushing more games into extra time. Both teams are red hot, as the Red Wings have gone 12–4–1 over their last 17 games for the second-best record in the league during that span, while the Canadiens are 8–1–2 in their last 11 games, also ranking second in the NHL over that stretch.

The matchup also highlights contrasting styles and a compelling battle in goal. Montreal’s offense has leaned on star power, with four players averaging more than a point per game during their recent surge, while Detroit has thrived on depth, getting multiple goals from 13 different players during its 17-game hot streak. The Canadiens have won four of the last five meetings between the teams, though Detroit had taken seven of the previous nine before that run.

In net, the Red Wings are expected to turn to veteran John Gibson, who has won 11 of his last 13 starts with a 2.17 goals-against average and .927 save percentage, while Montreal counters with rising American standout Jacob Fowler. The 21-year-old has helped the Canadiens earn points in all but two of his eight NHL starts, posting a 4–2–2 record, a 2.37 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage, setting the stage for an elite showdown between two rivals battling for divisional supremacy.

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

Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs. Montreal (Saturday):

Finnie – Larkin – Kasper

DeBrincat – Copp – Kane

van Riemsdyk – Compher – Raymond

Soderblom – Rasmussen – Appleton

Edvinsson – Seider

Chiarot – Sandin-Pellikka

Johansson – Benard-Docker

Gibson

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have won six in a row heading into Saturday's showdown against the Calgary Flames. 

The Penguins currently sit in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will try to make it seven wins in a row against a struggling Flames team. The Flames have lost four in a row heading into this game and have given up four or more goals in all of those losses. 

Nazem Kadri leads the Flames in points with 32, but only has eight goals this season. He's been much more of a playmaker when he has the puck on his stick. 

Rasmus Andersson has been great for the Flames as their top defenseman, compiling nine goals and 27 points in 44 games. They've also gotten contributions from Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman, Jonathan Huberdeau, Matt Coronato, Joel Farabee, and Morgan Frost.

Goaltender Dustin Wolf is an absolute stud, even though his numbers are down this year. He has played in 35 games, compiling a .898 save percentage and a 2.97 goals-against average.

Wolf finished last season with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average. He was the biggest reason why the Flames were in the playoff race all year and will be a good goaltender in the league for plenty more seasons to come. 

The Penguins will have a different top line since Bryan Rust is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Rafael Harvey-Pinard was recalled from WBS before the game. 

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Based on the goalie rotation, Arturs Silovs is in line to start against the Flames after Stuart Skinner played on Thursday. 

Saturday's game is set to start at 3:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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Craziest stats from Bruins' historic 10-2 win over Rangers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s going to be an exciting sports weekend in Boston, and the Bruins started it off with a bang.

The B’s hosted the rival New York Rangers for a Saturday afternoon showdown at TD Garden. The Rangers scored 84 seconds into the game, but it was all Bruins after that.

The Bruins scored six unanswered goals and ultimately won 10-2, improving their record to 24-19-2, which puts them just one point out of a wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Here are some of the wildest stats from the Bruins’ historic victory.

Double hat trick

Marat Khusnutdinov (four goals, one assist) and Pavel Zacha (three goals) became the first pair of Bruins teammates to tally a hat trick in the same game since 1964.

Khusnutdinov had just five goals entering Saturday and nearly matched that total in this game.

Marat Khusnutdinov becomes the second player this game to earn their first career hat trick! 🧢🧢🧢

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/mr8tJfVn4G

— NHL (@NHL) January 10, 2026

Khusnutdinov’s four goals ties a team record for a single game. The last B’s player to score four goals in a game was Patrice Bergeron versus the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 4, 2021.

Zacha came into this game with 10 goals on the season. He now has 13, which is one shy of the 14 he scored in 82 games last season. He has a good chance to hit the 20-goal mark for the third time in his Bruins career.

Saturday’s hat trick was the first of his career.

Pavel Zacha nets his first career hat trick! 🎩 pic.twitter.com/7bHW1nDq6M

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 10, 2026

The last time any team had two players record their first career hat tricks in the same game was the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008-09 campaign. They won the Stanley Cup that season.

Marat Khusnutdinov and Pavel Zacha had seven combined goals for the @NHLBruins, who tallied 10 in a game for the first time since Oct. 16, 1988 (10-3 W at CHI).#NHLStats: https://t.co/hOnC2XU5L2pic.twitter.com/OdjAaTE7k5

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) January 10, 2026

10 Goals

The last time the Bruins scored 10-plus goals in a game was Oct. 16, 1988 when they beat the Chicago Blackhawks 10-3 on the road.

MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV HAS A FOUR-GOAL GAME ‼️

He came into today’s game with five goals on the season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ARU70ClFUv

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 10, 2026

Saturday was not the first time the Bruins have scored a ton of goals on the Rangers. In fact, the Bruins’ team record for goals scored in one game is 14 against the Rangers on Jan. 21, 1945.

David Pastrnak makes history

Pastrnak didn’t score a goal in this game, but he set up plenty of them for teammates.

He finished with a career-high six assists. He’s the first Bruins player with a six-assist game since Bobby Orr in 1973. He also joins Orr and Ken Hodge as the only Bruins players ever to have six assists in a single game.

Pastrnak’s six points Saturday give him 888 for his career, tying Orr for the seventh-most in team history.

With Konecny out vs. Lightning, shorthanded Flyers give Michkov intriguing look originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers have a tall test Saturday night against a red-hot Lightning team.

They’ll be without Travis Konecny, Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale as they host Tampa Bay (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). All three players are recovering from upper-body injuries. That’s on top of missing Tyson Foerster, who the Flyers won’t have for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, the pedigree-laden Lightning have won eight straight, a stretch in which they’ve scored 4.75 goals per game.

“It’s next man up,” Sean Couturier said after morning skate. “We’re down a couple of guys now, but we’ve had guys all throughout the year come in and out of the lineup and have an impact and help us in good ways. We’re counting on that. It’s going to be a collective effort to kind of step it up.”

The good news on Konecny is that he’s considered day to day after missing the third period and overtime of the Flyers’ 2-1 loss Thursday night to the Maple Leafs. Konecny, who was not on the ice at morning skate, will miss his first game since March 4, 2024. He had played in 143 straight.

Brink is also considered day to day after missing Thursday night’s game. He was on the ice at morning skate in non-contact fashion.

Drysdale was placed on injured reserve, a stint retroactive to Tuesday, so the earliest he can return is Wednesday next week. He was also at morning skate in non-contact fashion.

Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale at morning skate in non-contact fashion. Both are recovering from upper-body injuries. pic.twitter.com/Fex1dtoSWk

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) January 10, 2026

“You want to be prepared for opportunity,” Rick Tocchet said of his banged-up team. “We have guys that are going to play in different roles.”

Without Konecny, the Flyers will have Matvei Michkov on their top line alongside Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras. Michkov and Zegras combine for all kinds of playmaking ability, but one would think the Flyers will keep a close eye on their matchups against Tampa Bay.

Here’s how the Flyers looked at morning skate.

Forwards

Matvei Michkov-Christian Dvorak-Trevor Zegras
Denver Barkey-Sean Couturier-Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin-Noah Cates-Carl Grundstrom
Nicolas Deslauriers-Rodrigo Abols-Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen

Cam York-Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler-Rasmus Ristolainen
Emil Andrae-Noah Juulsen

Goalies

Samuel Ersson (starter)
Dan Vladar

The Lightning’s first line features Nikita Kucherov, who has an MVP on his résumé (2018-19) and put up 144 points (44 goals, 100 assists) just two seasons ago. His center is Brayden Point, who has scored over 40 goals four times.

“Obviously that top line is pretty dangerous, Kucherov especially, so you’ve got to be careful when they’re out there,” Couturier said. “They play a pretty well-structured game and they have a good goalie (Andrei Vasilevskiy). It’s going to be a good challenge for us, but we’re up to those challenges.”

Saturday night is the Flyers’ first of consecutive games against Tampa Bay, both at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Flyers host the Lightning again Monday to kick off next week (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

“It’s hard to shut them down, but you’ve got to pay attention,” Tocchet said. … “To me, it’s awareness when you play teams like this. It’s almost like chess, you’ve got to read the play two moves ahead because that’s what they do, they put you in those situations where if three guys press forward, they hit the backdoor. They’re one of the better weak-side teams in the league.”

With their 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers, the Montreal Canadiens leapfrogged the Detroit Red Wings in the standings and landed atop the Atlantic Division. This means that on Saturday night, at the Bell Centre, the duel between the Habs and the Wings will be for the divisional lead.

Both teams are in excellent form: the Canadiens have won their last three games and are 7-1-2 in their previous 10, while the visitors are 7-2-1 in their last 10 and have won their previous two games. The two teams have won five of their last 10 duels, but Montreal has won the previous two.

The Habs had a day off yesterday, and Martin St-Louis has yet to reveal who will be in the net tonight. Jakub Dobes is the only goaltender who hasn’t seen any action this week, and he hasn’t played since January 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Canadiens: Hughes Made The Right Move
Canadiens: Xhekaj Making Big Impact Lately
Canadiens: The Curious Case Of Kirby Dach

The Czech netminder was in the net for the previous duel with the Wings in October, a 5-1 win. That was his only game against them, meaning he has a 1-0-0 record, a 1.00 goal-against average, and a 968 save percentage. Meanwhile, Samuel Montembeault has a 4-1-2 record, with a 2.67 GAA and a .914 SV. As for Jacob Fowler, he has never faced Detroit.

Meanwhile, Todd McLellan has already said that John Gibson would get the nod tonight. The American netminder has a 7-3-1 record against the Habs with a 2.63 GAA and a .915 SV. Meanwhile, Cam Talbot, who will act as backup, is 9-4-1 with a 1.60 GAA and a .939 SV. The Wings are splitting the workload between their two goaltenders pretty evenly, with Gibson having featured in 26 games while Talbot has appeared in 21.

Unlike the Canadiens, the Wings are fully healthy; none of their player is unavailable, while the Habs are still without Alex Newhook, Patrik Kane, Kirby Dach, and Jake Evans. Kaiden Guhle could return tonight, but we’ll have confirmation after the morning skate around 11:00 AM when Martin St-Louis speaks to the media. As for Josh Anderson, he’s still not on the injured reserve list, but he hasn’t played since the duel with the Hurricanes on New Year’s Day. Since then, all we’ve heard is that he’s dealing with an upper-body injury.

Brendan Gallagher is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the Wings with 34 points in 38 games, followed by captain Nick Suzuki with 18 points in 20 games and newcomer Phillip Danault, who also has 18 points but in 26 games. Lane Hutson, Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Alexandre Carrier are all on a three-game point streak. At the same time, Alexandre Texier has six points in his last two games, with four goals and two assists.

James Van Riemsdyk leads the Wings in points against Montreal with 34 points in 49 games, followed by Patrick Kane, who scored the 500th goal of his career in the Wings’ last game, with 24 points in 28 games. “Showtime” has been left off the Team USA roster for the Olympics and is no doubt playing with a chip on his shoulder right now. Captain Dylan Larkin wraps up the top three with 23 points against the Canadiens in 35 games.

The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on FDSNDET, Sportsnet East, City TV and TVA Sports. Tom Chmielewski and Kelly Sutherland will be officiating, while David Brisebois and Dan Kelly will act as linesmen. The Canadiens’ next game is Monday night against the Vancouver Canucks at 7:30 PM.

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

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to take on the Colorado Avalanche today at 4 PM Eastern. 

Colorado Avalanche - 32-4-7 - 71 Points - 8-2-0 in the last 10 - 1st in the Central

Columbus Blue Jackets - 18-18-7 - 43 Points - 4-5-1 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro  

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• Columbus plays in its ninth of 15 back-to-back sets of the season on Saturday (at Colorado) and Sunday (at Utah) to complete a four-game road trip. The club is 9-4-3 in back-to-back sets in 2025-26 (5-1-2 in 1st game; 4-3-1 in 2nd game) with the .656 points percentage in the setting the fifth highest in the NHL.
• The Jackets have scored the first goal in nine of the last 12 contests and 12 of the past 17.
• Columbus defensemen have combined for 3-12-15 in the past four games and lead the NHL in goals by defensemen and rank fourth in points with 34-77-111 in 43 contests.
• CBJ rank second in the league in faceoff percentage since Dec. 13 (54.5 pct. in 12 GP) and have won 60.2 percent of their draws in the first two games of the road trip (77-of-128).

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 17.8% - 21st in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 75.6% - 29th in the NHL
• Goals For - 128 - 20th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 141 - 25th in the NHL

Avalanche Stats

• Power Play - 16.8% - 24th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 85.4% - 1st in the NHL
• Goals For - 174 - 1st in the NHL
• Goals Against - 95 - 1st in the NHL

Series History vs. TheAvalanche

• Columbus is 24-40-1-5 all-time, and 12-21-0-2 on the road in Colorado.
• The Blue Jackets are 9-6-0 in the last 15 at Ball Arena, and 10-8-1 in the last 19 overall.
• The CBJ lost to the Avs on October 14th by a score of 4-1.

Who To Watch For TheAvalanche

• Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs with 36 goals, 42 assists, and 78 points.
• Cale Makar has 13 goals, 38 points, and 51 points. He also has 17 points in 9 career games vs. Columbus.
• Scott Wedgewood is 19-3-4 with a SV% of .917.
• Goalie Trent Minor is 0-0-2 with a SV% of .909.

CBJ Player Notes vs.Avalanche

• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 17 games vs. the Avs.
• Boone Jenner has 15 points in 19 games.
• Sean Monahan has 28 points in 28 games against Colorado.

Injuries 

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 35 Games - IR - Expected to practice with the team when the current road trip concludes. But there is no timeline for a return to the lineup.
• Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 7 Games - IR
• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 5 Game IR - Out 3-4 months after having knee surgery.
• Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 4 Games - IR - Week-to-week.
• Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 2 Games - Week to week.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 105

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. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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The Los Angeles Kings (18-15-10) continued their three-game road trip into Manitoba in a Western Conference clash with the Winnipeg Jets (16-22-5). No matchup is easy in the National Hockey League but the Kings were given a chance to bounce back with a victory over the Jets who entered Friday night having lost their last 11 games, which has them sitting at 32nd place in the league. After falling behind early, the Kings never had enough to juice to make a game out of this one. 

The dog days of the season seem to be hitting the Kings in full force this year as they have now lost 10 of their last 14 contests.

Kings Fall Behind Early

It didn't take long for this game to turn ugly as the Jets came out flying while it looked like the Kings were still taking their pre-game nap. Before the broadcast could even finish showing the starting lineups Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov scored his 7th goal of the season by redirecting a Logan Stanley shot from the point past Darcy Kuemper.

After falling behind just a minute and a half into the contest, the Kings weathered the storm but that was it. The time of possession battle was fairly even but it was clearly the Jets game to lose.

To add insult to injury, Cole Koepke doubled the Winnipeg lead with less than two minutes remaining in the opening frame. Kopeke blistered his third of the year past Kuemper off of a nice feed by Dylan Samberg.

Another Early Period Blunder

Just like the first period, the Kings were caught lacking and it cost them. Just over two minutes into the second period the Jets stretched their early game lead to 3-0. After a 26-game goaless drought, Jets forward Jonathan Toews found the back of the net for his fourth of the season after finding the loose puck in the crease where was then able to jam it into the L.A. net.

Byfield Gets On The Board

After a very lifeless first half of the game, the Kings found themselves a sliver of life as they shrank the Winnipeg lead to 3-1. Quinton Byfield tipped-in Warren Foegele's shot from the point for his seventh goal of the season, Taylor Award picks up the other assist fo this second career NHL point.

Byfield now has four points in his last four games after having just four points 19 games prior to this stretch.

Midseason Truth About the Los Angeles KingsAt the midpoint of the NHL season, the numbers show that the Los Angeles Kings are an average team. Sitting in fifth place in the Pacific division, tied with the Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks with 45 points, the stats show familiar flaws that ended their season last spring too early.

Scheifele Ices The Game With A Pair

Byfield's goal to make it 3-1 seemingly gave the Kings an outside chance of coming back in this one. That was until notable Team Canada snub Mark Scheifele scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the season to officially turn this game into a blowout. 

Darcy Kuemper was pulled and Anton Forsberg was given the net for the third period. Forsberg didn't see a ton of action but he did stop all three shots he faced. 

The Kings played a little better in the third period as they did generate a handful of quality chances but to no avail. 

WInnipeg's dreadful streak was bound to come to an end eventually, it's just a shame that the Kings made it so easy for them.

Final from Winnipeg. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/nFbscl3UdD

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 10, 2026

The Los Angeles Kings are back in action on Saturday as they finish off their three game road trip in a battle with Connor McDavid and the dreaded Edmonton Oilers.

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CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Washington Capitals on Friday night at the United Center. Looking for their fifth straight win, the Blackhawks were dealt a tough hand. 

Connor Bedard returned to the lineup, which is always going to be a boost, but the team around him was hit hard by a flu bug. That caused Ilya Mikheyev, Louis Crevier, Spencer Knight, and Arvid Soderblom to miss the game. Even head coach Jeff Blashill, who missed the morning skate himself, battled through it behind the bench. 

Ahead of the game, the Blackhawks called up Drew Commesso and Kevin Korchinski from the Rockford IceHogs so they could play. Both of them woke up this morning thinking they were going to take on the Chicago Wolves, but instead played for the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Before the first period was complete, however, the Capitals had a three-goal lead thanks to goals scored by Anthony Beauvillier, Connor McMichael, and Ethan Frank. 

In the second period, the Blackhawks got themselves on the board with a goal scored by Oliver Moore. This was close to being a power-play goal, but the penalty had just expired. Moore sniped it past Washington/Team Canada goalie Logan Thompson for his fifth of the year. 

This was as beautiful a long-distance shot as Moore is going to score. His speed is his most important skill, but his ability to shoot and make plays has been evident since moving to the center of the ice. 

After Moore scored, however, the Capitals regained their three-goal advantage when Justin Sourdif put one past Commesso. That 4-1 score would hold through the second intermission. 

In the third period, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, made it 5-1 with his 916th career goal. He slipped it through the five-hole of Drew Commesso, who is the 187th goalie that Ovechkin has ever scored against. That 5-1 score stood as the final in favor of the Capitals. 

This loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the Blackhawks. It also puts an end to their undefeated 2026. The future will dictate if it is the end of their run of solid play following the holiday break, now 5-2-1. 

After the game, there was a lot of emphasis on the illness that is going through the Blackhawks' locker room right now. Jeff Blashill called it a "stomach bug". He made it clear that a lot of the lineup is battling right now, even those who played. 

Mikheyev is expected to travel for their next game. According to Blashill, he was close to playing, but they decided to keep him out. He is also unsure what the situation will be for the starting goalie, as it is unclear who will be available. 

Now and again, NHL teams or pro sports teams in general deal with these types of things. This is a game played by humans. It is also not the only reason that they lost. Those who played didn't have the same jump that the team is used to having when they are playing well. A quick turnaround on Saturday night may help them get back on track. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

what a snipe!🎯 pic.twitter.com/XPw0gHOgAp

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 10, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday night. The second half of a back-to-back situation will take place on the road against the Nashville Predators. 

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

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