Former Buffalo Sabres goalie James Reimer has officially landed a contract for the 2025-26 season.
The Ottawa Senators have announced that they have signed Reimer to a one-year, $850,000 contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Senators signed Reimer to an American Hockey League (AHL) professional tryout (PTO) last week, and the expectation was that he would end up getting an NHL contract from the Atlantic Division club. Now, that has officially come to fruition with this latest news, and the 37-year-old veteran goaltender is set to continue his NHL career as a member of the Senators because of it.
Reimer played in one AHL game for the Belleville Senators during his PTO. During it, he allowed six goals on 28 shots in an overtime loss to the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Reimer will now be looking to provide the Senators' goaltending with a bit of a boost. Fellow former Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark is currently on a leave of absence, while Leevi Meralainen has struggled. As a result, it is understandable that the Senators have brought in Reimer for more insurance.
In 22 games this past season with the Sabres, Reimer had a 10-8-2 record, a 2.90 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage, and one shutout.
The NHL has celebrated the remarkable career of Sergei Fedorov, highlighting his dazzling dekes, acrobatic goals, and jaw-dropping no-look passes that left fans and defenders alike in awe. As Hockeytown prepares to honor Fedorov by retiring his iconic No. 91, we take a closer look back at some of the greatest moments that defined his storied career. Moments that showcased not only his incredible skill, but also his intelligence, versatility, and sheer impact on the game of hockey.
Through‑the‑Legs Assist to Kozlov vs. Sharks
One of Fedorov’s most memorable highlight‑reel plays came early in his career against the San Jose Sharks when he made an improvised through‑the‑legs pass to teammate Vyacheslav Kozlov on the rush. Instead of shooting, Fedorov manipulated the puck between his own skates and threaded it to Kozlov for a goal, a play that instantly made highlight reels and showed off his elite puck control and vision that helped redefine offensive creativity in the NHL.
Game‑Winning Playoff Goal vs. Rangers (Capitals)
After leaving Detroit and joining the Washington Capitals, Fedorov delivered one of his most dramatic clutch goals in a playoff series against the New York Rangers. In Game 7, with the series on the line, Fedorov fired a quick wrister over Henrik Lundqvist’s shoulder late in the third period to give Washington a decisive lead. This goal became one of the defining moments of his later career, demonstrating that even after leaving Detroit he could still produce at the highest level in critical playoff situations.
Bardown Goal vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
In a classic Original Six rivalry, Fedorov put on a show against the Toronto Maple Leafs when he executed a sharp deke that left a Leafs defenseman on the ice, then cut to the net and fired a bardown shot. The goal stood out not only for the finish itself but for the confidence and skill he displayed in tight traffic against a tough divisional rival, adding to his legacy as one of the most skilled forwards of his era.
Fake Slap Shot, Clever Goal vs. Phoenix Coyotes
Fedorov’s hockey IQ shone in a matchup with the Phoenix Coyotes when he faked a slap shot from the point, causing the goalie and defenders to react prematurely, then pulled the puck back and slid a low shot along the ice and into the net. This kind of deception and precision was a hallmark of Fedorov’s game, blending patience with execution.
Fedorov turned transition hockey into highlight material when he stole the puck from a Dallas Stars defender and went in alone on net. As goalie Artūrs Irbe charged to disrupt the play, Fedorov deftly pulled the puck across and slid it into the open net. This goal captured his elite speed and breakaway knack, often turning defensive plays into instant offense.
Ice‑Slide Goal vs. Colorado Avalanche
During the Red Wings’ 70th anniversary season, Fedorov delivered a memorable goal against the Colorado Avalanche. After receiving a pass in the low slot, he was tripped up mid‑play but still managed to finish the scoring attempt while sliding on the ice, batting the puck in despite the awkward angle. The goal captured his relentlessness, competitive fire, and ability to finish even when plays broke down.
Coast‑to‑Coast Goal vs. Ottawa Senators
One of Fedorov’s most electrifying solo efforts came versus the Ottawa Senators when he took the puck in his own zone and skated it coast to coast, beating multiple defenders with quick dekes before sliding the puck through the goalie’s five‑hole. Plays like this demonstrated not just speed but an uncanny ability to judge timing and space, making him a constant threat the moment he touched the puck.
One‑Handed Bat‑In vs. Vancouver Canucks
Fedorov’s hand‑eye coordination was on full display in a game against the Vancouver Canucks when he batted a puck out of mid‑air with one hand while in the slot and directed it past the goalie. While specific archived box scores for this moment are sparse, fan recollections and highlight reels have kept this play alive as one of Fedorov’s most technically impressive finishes, a goal that seemed to defy normal scoring mechanics.
Top‑Shelf Breakthrough vs. St. Louis Blues
In a dynamic attack against the St. Louis Blues, Fedorov quickly shed a defenseman, even slipping the puck through his legs, to turn a rush into a fast break. He then elevated a precise shot top shelf over the goalie’s glove, highlighting his combination of speed, stickhandling, and shot accuracy. Goals of this type were common from Fedorov during his prime, which helped him become one of the league’s most feared scoring threats.
Five‑Goal Night and Overtime Winner vs. Washington Capitals (December 26, 1996)
Fedorov’s defining moment came on December 26, 1996, when he scored all five goals for the Detroit Red Wings in a 5‑4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals at Joe Louis Arena. He became the first player in NHL history to score every goal for his team in a game in which at least five goals were scored, a feat that stood as one of the most remarkable individual performances in league history.
After tallying four goals in regulation, he capped the night by scoring the overtime winner at 2:39 of OT on a wrist shot from between the circles, assisted by Vladimir Konstantinov. The performance was the second‑highest individual goal total in a game by a Red Wing and remains one of the franchise’s most iconic single‑game efforts.
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Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer is officially an Ottawa Senator after playing just one game with the AHL's Belleville Senators on a professional tryout.
The veteran goaltender signed a one-year, $850,000 deal (which'll end after this season) with the Senators on Monday morning. It comes one day after his game with Belleville, where he allowed six goals on 28 shots in a loss to the Rochester Americans.
Reimer joins the Senators as they're without their number-one goaltender, Linus Ullmark, who's been on a personal leave of absence from the team since Dec. 28.
Before joining AHL Belleville, Reimer played for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup. He finished the tournament with a 1-1 record and a .906 save percentage in two games, with Canada being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Sparta Prague.
"I haven't had that much fun in a long time. It's been a special experience to be back here," Reimer said one day after signing his PTO with the Maple Leafs. "A lot of memories and a lot of good emotions. And really enjoying the moment and just enjoying being back. It's a lot of fun."
The Maple Leafs claimed Cayden Primeau off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens, meaning they didn't need Reimer's services anymore.
We all know the history of Reimer with Toronto, though: A 2006 fourth-round pick, who played 207 games, and finished with an 85-76-23 record, and a stellar .914 save percentage, from 2010 to 2016.
The Vancouver Canucks will be without their leading goal scorer on Monday. As reported by Thomas Drance of The Athletic, Kiefer Sherwood has sustained an injury and won't play against the Montréal Canadiens. Drance also reported that, as per Head Coach Adam Foote, Sherwood is listed as day-to-day, but "could miss as much as a week."
Sherwood is not just Vancouver's goal leader, but also ranks second in the NHL with hits. His absence will be significant as he plays both on the penalty kill and the power play. Sherwood has not missed a game this season and is one of five players who have skated in all 44 games this year.
The added layer to this injury is that Sherwood's name continually comes up regarding trade rumours. The 30-year-old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and is projected to be traded before the March 6 deadline. Based on Foote's comments, this injury appears minor, which is a positive for the team.
Jan 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (44) reacts to the loss against the Boston Bruins in overtime at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Jones, who has been injured since the end of October, was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday for a conditioning assignment, which can last for up to two weeks. He'll get to play in some games for the Penguins' AHL affiliate since he's been out for over two months.
Jones has played in seven games this season, compiling one point. He was signed by the Penguins as a free agent over the summer.
Senators GM Steve Staios announced on Monday that the team has signed goaltender James Reimer to a one-way deal for the rest of this season with an average annual value of $850,000.
The 37-year-old veteran made his debut for the organization on Sunday. He gave up six goals on 28 shots for the AHL's Belleville Senators who came away with a 6-5 overtime loss to Rochester. The hope is that Reimer can help stabilize shaky goaltending and keep the Senators from falling completely out of the race even before the Olympic break happens.
He joined the Senators for practice on Monday morning in Ottawa as they prepare for a home game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
James Reimer is on the ice in Ottawa this morning after signing an NHL contract. pic.twitter.com/k8G55qxwBx
Reimer has had a solid NHL career, playing in 525 regular season games, with a record of 225-187-65, a goals-against average of 2.89 and a save percentage of .910. He's played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Buffalo Sabres. In 22 games with the Sabres last season, he went 10-8-2 with a goals-against average of 2.90 and a save percentage of .901.
Over the holidays, he got into two games for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. Canada fell to HC Sparta Prague 5-1 in the quarterfinals, though it was former Carleton Place Canadians goalie Connor Hughes who was chosen to play in that elimination game.
Reimer signed a PTO with the Leafs ahead of the 2025-26 season, but was released by the team in October.
With the Senators recently dealing with controversy over a false social media rumour about one of their goalies, Reimer is a goalie who arrives with some past controversy of his own. In 2023 with the San Jose Sharks, he chose not to wear a pregame warmup jersey in support of the team’s week-long “Pride Night” festivities.
With Linus Ullmark away from the team on a personal leave of absence, backup Leevi Merilainen has not shown the form he displayed last season. It's quite likely that Merilainen is sent to Belleville to get his confidence back at some point when Ullmark returns, though much will depend on how much Reimer has left in the tank.
Goaltending has been a large part of why the Senators have lost four straight and seven of their last nine games.
Listed as a two-year extension, Gamzin's current deal runs through 2027.
The 22-year-old fourth-round pick by the Islanders in the 2024 NHL Draft has been phenomenal this season. In 26 appearances this season, he owns a 14-6-4 record, leads the KHL with a 1.71 GAA as well as a .933 SV%, and has three shutouts.
Could we see Gamzin come over following the 2028-29 season?
Two of the NHL’s most exciting rookies will face off when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Montréal Canadiens later today. The Canucks and up-and-comer Zeev Buium are coming off an uninspired 5–0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, with this being their sixth-straight defeat. Montréal and the NHL’s rookie points leader, Ivan Demidov, were also shut out in their last game, facing a 4–0 defeat to the Detroit Red Wings.
When it comes to points leaders on the season, Montréal and Vancouver both rely on a couple of defencemen to collect points for the team. Lane Hutson ranks second on the Canadiens in points with eight goals and 36 assists, while Noah Dobson ranks sixth with eight goals and 20 assists. For Vancouver, Filip Hronek is tied with Elias Pettersson for first on the team with 26 points. Their next highest-scoring defenceman is Buium, who ranks eighth on the Canucks with four goals and 14 assists.
Tonight will be an interesting matchup between two teams that were shut out in their last game. Montréal has been shut out twice within the past five games, as they also lost 2–0 to the St. Louis Blues on January 3. Between these two shutouts, however, Montréal had no issues finding the back of the net, as they scored 14 goals over the span of their three previous games. Somehow, despite being tied with the New York Rangers in shots per game with 25.9 (26th in the NHL), the Canadiens still rank within the NHL’s top-10 in overall goals-for with 149 in 45 games.
While Montréal’s lack of shots is an issue the Canucks can try to combat, it will be hard considering that Vancouver hasn’t quite been able to generate the type of quality shots that would get them more goals. Vancouver’s goal-scoring stats have slowly started to depreciate, going from three goals scored against the Buffalo Sabres, to one against the Detroit Red Wings, to none against Toronto. In all three of these games, the Canucks surrendered five goals against. To bump their current six-game slump, Vancouver will want to take advantage of Montréal’s low-shot hockey and generate good chances of their own.
Players To Watch:
Zeev Buium
Buium made his Canucks debut in electric fashion, scoring the eventual game-winner and adding an assist against the New Jersey Devils on December 14. The defenceman’s offence has cooled, as he has only registered two points since then. As a rookie, it’s not a surprise that Buium is still figuring out the NHL, especially as a defender on a team that’s been at the bottom of the standings. Regardless of whether Vancouver has been winning or not, these games will provide good experience for Buium as his NHL career progresses. With that being said, Buium’s last point came against the Boston Bruins on January 3. Tonight’s game would be a good occasion for him to provide a little more offence, especially against one of his fellow NHL rookies.
Ivan Demidov
The NHL’s rookie scoring race has been a close battle between players like Matthew Schaefer, Beckett Sennecke, and Demidov. However, Demidov managed to pull away from the group after putting together a five-game point streak that saw him put up two points in four of these five matches. Interestingly enough, since then, he has only recorded one assist in his past five games. Like with Buium, tonight feels like the night that two of the NHL’s most prolific rookies could find the scoresheet after minor dry spells.
Jan 6, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) plays the puck and Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (44) defends during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (16–23–5):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 11–15–26
Filip Hronek: 3–23–26
Kiefer Sherwood: 17–6–23
Jake DeBrusk: 12–10–22
Conor Garland: 7–15–22
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 6–11–4
Nikita Tolopilo: 2–1–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Montréal Canadiens (25–14–6):
Points:
Nick Suzuki: 14–34–48
Lane Hutson: 8–36–44
Cole Caufield: 21–21–42
Ivan Demidov: 10–26–36
Juraj Slafkovský: 16–19–35
Goaltenders:
Jakub Dobeš: 13–5–3
Samuel Montembault: 8–6–1
Jacob Fowler: 4–3–2
Game Information:
Start time: 4:30 pm PT
Venue: Centre Bell
Television: Amazon Prime
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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After a disappointing outing against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens will attempt to get back to their winning ways when they take on the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre on Monday night. It’s been a tough season for tonight’s visitors, who are currently dead last in the standings with just 37 points. In its previous 10 games, the British Columbia outfit has a 2-6-2 record and has lost its previous three.
The Canucks have struggled all season, as evidenced by their abysmal goal differential of minus-37, second-to-last to the St. Louis Blues’ minus-47. They have often been without starting netminder Thatcher Demko, who landed back on injured reserve on Sunday because of a lower-body injury. Since trading away captain Quinn Hughes on December 13, Vancouver has a 5-6-2 record despite going on a four-game winning streak right after the deal.
Monday night’s tilt will be the last duel between the two sides this season, Montreal having won the first in Vancouver by a score of 4-3 with Jakub Dobes in net for the Habs and Kevin Lankinen handling the Canucks’ net. The two teams have split their last 10 meetings, but the Canadiens have won the previous three.
Neither coach has confirmed their starting netminder yet, and all three of the Canadiens' netminders were on the ice with goalie coach Eric Raymond on Sunday, even though the practice was optional. Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler have split the last five starts, with the former playing two games while the latter got three. As for Dobes, he hasn’t played since January 1.
Montembeault has a 3-3-1 record against the Canucks with a 4.13 GAA and a .862 save percentage, while Dobes has won his only start against them and has a 3.00 GAA and a .903. As for Fowler, he has never taken them on.
At the other end of the ice, Lankinen has a 0-2-1 record against Montreal with a 4.08 GAA and a .838 SV. As for Nikita Tolopilo, who was recalled on an emergency basis, he has never faced Montreal and has only played six games in the NHL. He’s 3-2-0 with a 2.57 GAA and a .906 SV.
Up front, captain Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against Vancouver with 19 points in 20 games, followed by Phillip Danault with 15 points in 32 meetings and Brendan Gallagher with 14 points in 31 duels. As for sniper Cole Caufield, he has just eight points, but he got them in just nine games, while Lane Hutson has four points in just three games.
Meanwhile, Evander Kane, who has just 20 points in 43 games since the start of the season, leads the Canucks in points against the Habs with 23 points in 36 games. Tyler Myers comes in second place with 20 points in 56 games, and Jake DeBrusk wraps up the top three with 18 points in 24 games.
The game is set for 7:30 PM, and you can catch it on Amazon Prime and on RDS. Dan O’Rourke and Pierre Lambert are set to officiate, with Steve Barton and Dan Kelly acting as linesmen. Tonight’s tilt will be the first of a back-to-back for the Canadiens, who’ll be travelling to Washington after the game as they take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
Things are going incredibly well for the Buffalo Sabres right now. At the time of this writing, they have a 24-15-4 record and are fourth in the Atlantic Division standings. They have also won 13 out of their last 14 games.
With the Sabres' excellent play getting them right back into the playoff race, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they looked to add to their roster by the 2026 NHL trade deadline. This is especially so when noting that they are looking to snap their 14-year playoff drought.
One area that the Sabres could look to improve by the deadline is their defensive depth. Adding another right-shot defenseman, in particular, is a need for Buffalo. Because of this, they should consider targeting Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn.
With the Jets struggling in a big way this season, Schenn's name has emerged in the rumor mill. The right-shot defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and would be a nice addition for a Sabres club that needs more depth and experience on their blueline.
If the Sabres acquired Schenn from the Jets, he could slot nicely on their bottom pairing. He would also give them another option for their penalty kill if brought in.
In 30 games so far this season with the Jets, Schenn has posted one goal, five points, 35 blocks, and 88 hits. While he does not produce the most offense, he certainly would make the Sabres a tougher team to face up against due to his extremely physical style of play.
The Florida Panthers will look to build off a strong win on Saturday in Ottawa as their season-long road trip continues against one of the hottest teams in the league.
Florida is trying to make up ground in the playoff race, and one of the teams they are currently chasing are the surprising Buffalo Sabres.
After losing three straight games in early December, Buffalo has been on a tear.
They won 10 straight games through the end of the calendar year and are still riding an impressing 13-1-0 stretch.
On Dec. 8, Buffalo was last in the conference and four points south of the next-worst team (which at the time was a tie between Ottawa and Florida).
Since then, the Sabres have shot up the standings.
Entering play Monday, Buffalo holds the top Wild Card spot with 52 points through 43 games.
As for Florida, the Panthers are still anxiously waiting to bring a couple elite offensive players back into their lineup.
Injured forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand are both on the brink of returning. Marchand has missed two straight games with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day while Tkachuk has been working his way back from offseason adductor and sports hernia surgery.
The Panthers will be off for a few days after Monday’s game in Buffalo, so it might make sense to hold both out one more game and give them a nice long stretch to heal and prepare, but we’ll see how things shake out when the Cats hit the ice.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Monday’s matchup in Buffalo:
Photo caption: Oct 18, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) looks to take a shot on goal as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) defends during the first period at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
It doesn’t take an NHL general manager to figure out that the Sharks need to improve their defense to get to the next level.
That’s no disrespect, truly, to their current blueliners, who have done admirable work to help San Jose to a surprising 23-19-3 record.
But if the Sharks are going to be a Cup contender, like their counterparts on Sunday night, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, they’re going to need some internal and external growth on the blueline in the coming years.
This isn’t an overreaction to a 7-2 loss on Sunday to Vegas.
Here’s what a league source, not with the San Jose Sharks or Knights, texted San Jose Hockey Now during the game.
DENVER — Trent Miner stopped all 29 shots he faced to earn his first NHL victory, becoming the 17th goaltender in league history to record a shutout in his inaugural win, as the Colorado Avalanche blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–0 at Ball Arena on Saturday.
The victory extended Colorado’s home point streak to 21 games. The outing marked Miner’s fifth NHL appearance and his third game of the season.
Under head coach Jared Bednar, Colorado has been nearly unbeatable at Ball Arena, improving to 19-0-2 on home ice this season while extending its home winning streak to 17 games — the second-longest in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history and just one shy of matching the record set during the 2021–22 campaign.
"It's impressive what the guys have been doing, especially at home, no question," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "It's the same as what goes into winning on a nightly basis, but then it just becomes consistency in order to win that much in a row and not take nights off or have bad nights. Like some games are better than others, but I feel like our guys are always there to compete, and their heart and minds are in the right place."
Miner Earns His Stripes
Selected 202nd overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, Miner can feel like a long-tenured member of the Avalanche organization because, in many ways, he is. It wasn’t until last season — his fourth as a professional — that he was finally entrusted with an extended opportunity as the starting goaltender for the Colorado Eagles. Miner made the most of it, posting a 22-10-9 record with a .918 save percentage and firmly putting himself on the Avalanche’s radar.
While it may have appeared at times that Bednar was slow to lean on Miner due to his limited number of starts, that situation speaks more to the Avalanche’s depth in goal than a lack of confidence. With a strong, established goaltending group in place, opportunities can be difficult to come by for a lesser-known and less-experienced netminder trying to find his footing at the NHL level.
Miner made the most of his opportunity, but at the end of the night, the only thing that truly mattered for him is that they got the win.
“In all honesty, I’m just glad we were able to get the win,” he said. “For sure, it’s exciting to get my first win, but I think for us to get a win at home is just as exciting.”
Everyone appreciates a humble player, but this is likely a day Miner will never forget.
From the start, Pittsburgh's game against the Boston Bruins on Sunday felt like one of those games where the Penguins just weren't going to generate much of anything.
And that's exactly how everything unfolded.
The Penguins were shut out by Boston, 1-0, courtesy of a 27-save effort by Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Viktor Arvidsson scored the game's lone goal in the first period, and the Bs shut the door the rest of the way, putting on a defensive clinic to stymie every offensive opportunity - even if few and far between - that the Penguins generated.
However, it was a tight-checking game all around, and the Penguins put forth quite the effort defensively, too. They blocked 17 shots in comparison to Boston's 18, goaltender Stuart Skinner turned in another strong effort with 17 saves on 18 Boston shots, and they killed all six power plays that the Bruins had throughout the game.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh just could not put the puck in the back of the net, and Korpisalo shut the door on every high-danger opportunity that the Bruins actually allowed.
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this game:
- Quite honestly, the Penguins did not play a bad hockey game. Yes, they couldn't generate much offensively - and I'll get to that in a minute - but, for the most part, they did a fantastic job of limiting opportunites for the Bruins.
They simply couldn't score, which hadn't been a problem for them during their six-game win streak. Bounces weren't going their way. Calls weren't going their way. And even if they did generate some good opportunities, there weren't really too many longer periods of sustained pressure because the Bruins didn't give them any space to work with.
This is one of those games where you have to give credit to the opponent. They played about as well a defensive game as you could ask for, and they got the goaltending when they needed it.
- Speaking of not scoring, I'm not exactly sure what the idea behind the Penguins' lineup was Sunday.
Yes, they suffered their first loss in seven games against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, but they could have won that game, too, had a few more bounces gone their way - even if they didn't particularly play very well. It was also their first game without Bryan Rust, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and his absence in the lineup is very, very noticeable.
However, some things were still working for them. The second line of Ben Kindel, Evgeni Malkin, and Egor Chinakhov - with Kindel centering - seemed to develop a bit of chemistry and were definitely the best line in that game. The first line of Sidney Crosby, Tommy Novak, and Rickard Rakell had some chances, too, even if the third line was quiet and the fourth line had an off-night.
I understand tinkering a little bit in order to maximize what players provide in certain roles, especially with a top-line forward missing. Heading into this one, I wouldn't have been opposed to bumping Anthony Mantha or Justin Brazeau up to the top line and putting Tommy Novak in the third-line center position, which would have bumped either Kevin Hayes or the newly recalled Rafael Harvey-Pinard to the wing.
They did move Mantha to Crosby's line in place of Novak. What I did not understand was the decision to bump Kindel back down to the third line, have Novak play wing on that line, and place Hayes in the second-line center position instead of, simply, putting Malkin back in that spot.
I didn't love the idea of bumping Kindel back down to begin with, as I thought he played a pretty strong game on Saturday. But, if that was going to happen, there's no reason not to have either Malkin or Novak center the second line - and, probably, Malkin.
This is not a knock on Hayes. He isn't the reason the Penguins have lost the last two hockey games. But he's not a viable substitute as a top-six center given the other options the Penguins have at their disposal, and - at the end of the day - swapping in Hayes for Rust is obviously not going to produce similar results, given the fact that Rust is second on the team in scoring.
Even without Rust in the top-six picture, that second line seemed to be building toward something with Kindel on it. And Novak has performed as a center this season. I think Dan Muse has largely done an excellent job this season, but I believe he may have overthought this one. I don't think he put out a lineup Sunday that was maximized to give the Penguins the highest shot at success, especially in generating offense.
Hayes is fine in a bottom-six role. But, even if he was going to bump up to the second line, Malkin was probably better off centering it.
- After a rocky start to his Penguins' tenure, Skinner has really settled in during his last four appearances.
The 27-year-old netminder has had consecutive save percentages of .964, .917, .966, and .944 in those last four games. He has made big saves when the Penguins have needed him to, and he looks very comfortable in net right now.
Arturs Silovs has been better of late as well, but I do think Skinner has separated himself, even if just a tiny little bit. The biggest knock on him throughout the years has been his consistency, and he is known for going through hot and cold stretches. He has an .899 save percentage in seven appearances with the Penguins, and the first few starts were pretty rough.
I'd continue the rotation for now. Skinner tends to perform a bit better with a lighter workload. And, honestly, this could be a perfect situation for both Skinner and Silovs. We'll see how it continues to play out.
- Parker Wotherspoon blocked a shot with his knee near the end of the second period, and he collapsed to the ice in a ton of pain. He did come back out for the third period, but it initially looked very concerning.
Quite frankly, the Penguins cannot afford to lose Wotherspoon, who has been their best defensive defenseman this season and a revelation beside Erik Karlsson. Hopefully, he's good to go. If there is a short list of players whose injuries would be detrimental to this team, he's on it.
Parker Wotherspoon blocked a shot and was down for a short while talking to head athletic trainer Kevin Elliott. He appears to be staying on the bench for now.
- The power play has looked very uninspiring for several games now, and it went 0-for-2 on Sunday. In fact, it is just three for its last 16 and zero for its last six.
Even when the Penguins have been converting on it, it's usually later on in the man advantage after a few clears. I haven't liked the lack of player movement and puck movement as well as the general tendency to defer shots, which are all typical signs of the Penguins' power play going through a cold spell.
They're still third in the league at 28.6 percent. And, when they have hit small dry pockets, they've found ways to rebound this season. I expect the same in this case, but they need to be quicker with their decision-making and create more chaos to get opposing penalty kills out of structure.
Oh, and the shot-pass? It works to perfection sometimes. But that doesn't mean they should be trying it almost every time they throw a puck in the vicinity of the net. They need to just shoot more.
- Next up for the Penguins will be a tough matchup on Tuesday against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning, who have won nine straight games.
The Penguins won by the skin of their teeth when they played Tampa on Dec. 4 - all because of a goal that was called back on what was ruled a hand pass - which immediately preceded their eight-game losing streak. They did not play particularly well in that game, and they have had a bit of trouble with the Bolts recently, as they are 2-3-1 in their last five games against them.
Starting Tuesday, the Penguins play six games in 10 days. Things tend to pile on one way or another when a schedule is that condensed.
They haven't played poorly in the last two losses, even if they came away with no points and didn't have their A-game. That needs to change on Tuesday, as they are now a point out of a wild card spot.
