Ottawa Senators -22-19-7 - 51 Points - 4-4-2 in the last 10 - Lost last 2 in OT- 8th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 22-19-7 - 51 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Won 4 Straight - 6th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.0% - 20th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 74.8% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 143 - 20th in the NHL
Goals Against - 159 - 25th in the NHL
SenatorsStats
Power Play - 24.4% - 7th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 71.5% - 31st in the NHL
Goals For - 156 - 11th in the NHL
Goals Against - 163 - 28th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheSenators
Columbus is 20-21-2-3 all-time, and 12-8-1-2 at home vs. Ottawa.
The Blue Jackets are 8-2-2 in the last 12 games against the Sens at home.
The CBJ are 1-1-0 against the Senators this season.
Who To Watch For TheSenators
Tim Stützle leads the Sens with 21 goals and 49 points.
Jake Sanderson leads Ottawa with 29 assists.
Goalie Leevi Meriläinen is 8-10-1 with a SV% of .860.
James Reimer 0-0-1 with an .882 SV%.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Senators
Zach Werenski has 21 points in 20 games against the Sens.
Charlie Coyle has 19 points in 33 games. All of his points are assists.
Sean Monahan has 19 points in 32 games vs. Ottawa.
Injuries
Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 12 Games - IR - Week to week. Has been skating, but the timeline is unknown.
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 10 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 9 Games - Week to week.
Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 7 Games - Week to week.
Denton Mateychuk - Lower Body - Missed 3 Games - Day to day.
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 93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders.
The Canucks were the better team in this game from an analytics perspective. Vancouver held a 31-23 even-strength scoring chances advantage while winning the even-strength high-danger scoring chances battle 19-11. In the end, though, the Islanders were able to take advantage of their opportunities, which led to their victory.
As for the heatmap, the Canucks did a good job of crashing the crease. The issue was that New York also had no problems getting into Kevin Lankinen's crease. While there were positives offensively, Vancouver's defensive play was a problem on Monday.
Vancouver Canucks vs. New York Islanders, January 19, 2026, Natural Stat Trick
To wrap things up, the line of Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser had a strong night. In 10:55 together, they won the shots battle 8-4 while holding a high-danger scoring chances advantage of 8-1. If the team is going to snap their losing streak, they need these three to get going and not just have strong analytical nights, but also contribute on the scoresheet.
Jan 19, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin (30) defends against Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The Canucks continue their road trip on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals. This could be the last time Alex Ovechkin plays at Rogers Arena, as he is a free agent at the end of the season. Game time is set for 7:00 pm PT.
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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Sidney Crosby climbed a couple of all-time NHL leaderboards while skating in his 1,400th career game Monday afternoon in Seattle.
Crosby recorded his second assist of Monday night on Rickard Rakell’s third-period goal to help lead the Penguins to a 6-3 road win over the Kraken with his 1,742nd career point.
The ranks third only behind Wayne Gretzky (2,772 points) and Marcel Dionne (1,771) for the most points at the milestone in NHL history, according to NHL Stats.
Including the playoffs, those two assists moved Crosby past Ron Francis for fifth place on the NHL’s all-time points leaderboard (1,943 regular-season and postseason points). Only Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jaromir Jagr and Gordie Howe have more.
Those aren’t the only milestones Crosby cleared in Monday night’s win. Per NHL Stats:
Monday night’s win marked the 512 multi-point game of Crosby’s career. That moved him past Gordie Howe (511 career multi-point games) for the fifth-most in NHL history. Two more multi-point games this season would allow him to leapfrog Messier and Dionne for third on the all-time leaderboard.
The outing also brought Crosby’s career points total on the road to 784 points in 700 away games, tying Mario Lemieux (784 points in 443 road games) for the eighth-most in NHL history. That will leave the Penguins captain 25 road points back of Alex Ovechkin for seventh on the list.
Crosby’s set-up on Rakell’s third-period goal also marked the 580th third-period point of his career (he’s scored 213 goals and 367 assists in the final 20 minutes of regulation, per NHL Stats). That moved him past Dionne and Francis for seventh among all third-period scorers in NHL history.
This might not be the last time Pens fans get to watch Crosby climb the NHL’s all-time leaderboards this season. After Monday’s victory, he’s just 12 points back of tying Steve Yzerman (1,755 career points) for the seventh-most career points in NHL history.
Crosby’s meanwhile still ranking among the best in the league this season. His 55 points (26 goals, 29 assists) currently ranks 13th in the NHL, and his 26 goals are tied for fifth.
The Penguins will hope Crosby is able to extend his streak of three straight multi-point games when the road trip continues Wednesday in Calgary.
What a start to the western road trip for the Pittsburgh Penguins who put up a half dozen goals on the Seattle Kraken for a 6-3 victory on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Emerald City. The Penguins jumped out to an 2-0 lead less than eight minutes into the game but the Kraken battled back and were able to tie it in the second period. That tie lasted less than a minute as the Penguins posted a quick response to jump back in front then held on from there for the win and to extend their points streak to four straight. [Pensburgh]
Next up for the Penguins, they head across the border into Canada for the first of a back-to-back set against the Alberta teams with the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
Pens Points…
It’s all road games for the Penguins this week as they undertake their annual trip to Western Canada with a quick stop in Seattle. Back-to-back late nights will see the Penguins take on Calgary and Edmonton midweek before wrapping up the trip with an early evening tilt in Vancouver on Sunday. [Pensburgh]
Next month, the Penguins will team up with Sportsnet Pittsburgh to host their annual Charity Game on February 26th when they take on the New Jersey Devils in the first game following the Winter Olympics. The ever popular charity bags will be up for sale and feature special items included in each. [Penguins]
NHL News and Notes…
A big week from Tage Thompson saw him post three points per game in a three game week with three goals and six assists to take home First Star of the Week honors. Also grabbing the weekly awards were defenseman Roman Josi and goaltender Karel Vejmelka. [NHL]
Kiefer Sherwood is on the move in what is sure to be the first of many moves involving the Vancouver Canucks in the coming weeks. Sherwood is off to San Jose to join the Sharks in exchange for a pair of second round picks and defenseman Cole Clayton. [Sharks]
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild after Juraj Slafkovsky's two-goal game against the Ottawa Senators in the Canadiens' 6-5 overtime win.
Montreal has a 27-15-7 record overall and a 13-10-1 record in home games. The Canadiens rank fourth in the league with 216 total penalties (averaging 4.4 per game).
Minnesota has a 28-13-9 record overall and a 15-7-3 record in road games. The Wild have a +18 scoring differential, with 158 total goals scored and 140 given up.
Tuesday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Oliver Kapanen has scored 16 goals with 11 assists for the Canadiens. Slafkovsky has six goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
Quinn Hughes has four goals and 39 assists for the Wild. Marcus Foligno has scored six goals and added two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.2 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
Wild: 4-3-3, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.8 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canadiens: None listed.
Wild: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to keep a four-game home win streak alive when they take on the San Jose Sharks.
Tampa Bay has a 30-13-4 record overall and a 12-9-0 record on its home ice. The Lightning serve 13.8 penalty minutes per game to rank second in NHL play.
San Jose has a 25-20-3 record overall and a 12-11-0 record in road games. The Sharks have given up 168 goals while scoring 150 for a -18 scoring differential.
Tuesday's game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Lightning won the last matchup 7-3. Darren Raddysh scored three goals in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Guentzel has 21 goals and 28 assists for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov has nine goals and 14 assists over the past 10 games.
Tyler Toffoli has 13 goals and 19 assists for the Sharks. Will Smith has six goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 9-0-1, averaging 4.3 goals, 8.1 assists, 4.9 penalties and 14.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Sharks: 7-3-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.8 assists, four penalties and 9.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Lightning: None listed.
Sharks: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Alex Killorn broke a second-period tie, rugged newcomer Jeffrey Viel scored his first goal of the season and the Anaheim Ducks beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Monday night.
Cutter Gauthier scored twice on his 22nd birthday — the second into an empty net in the final minute — to push his season total to 22. Mason McTavish also scored to help Anaheim to its fourth victory in a row following a nine-game losing streak.
Lukas Dostal made 19 saves, surviving a wild scramble on a late 21-second two-man advantage.
Matthew Robertson, Artemi Panarin and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for New York, and Spencer Martin stopped 21 shots in his fourth NHL game of the season.
Seeing time with Igor Shesterkin sidelined by a lower-body injury, Martin was back in goal after stopping 25 shots Saturday in a 6-3 victory in Philadelphia that ended a five-game losing streak.
Killorn gave Anaheim a 3-2 lead with 1:58 left in the second period. He scored off a rebound of Jacob Trouba’s long shot after a prolonged scramble behind the goal.
Gauthier padded the lead at 1:01 of the third, and Gavrikov countered for New York at 7:11 with a long shot on a power play.
Viel tied it at 2 at 8:29 of the second with his first goal for the Ducks and the first in 12 NHL games this season. Acquired from Boston on Friday for a 2026 fourth-round pick, Viel controlled Ryan Poehling’s feed from the blue line and beat Martin from close range.
Viel had no points and 30 penalty minutes in 10 games this season for Boston, and added another fighting major in his Ducks debut Saturday night in a 2-1 overtime victory over Los Angeles. In 66 career NHL games, he has four goals, two assists and 188 penalty minutes.
LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights closed their three-game homestand winners of another mid-season trade, but on the losing end of a 2-1 decision at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers.
One day after acquiring defenseman Rasmsus Andersson from the Calgary Flames in a blockbuster trade, the Knights were silenced by a hungry Flyers team that ended a six-game slide.
Travis Konecny scored twice while goaltender Samuel Ersson made 23 saves.
Tomas Hertl scored Vegas' lone goal and goalie made 15 saves Adin Hill
Vegas had its seven-game win streak brought to an abrupt halt.
The Golden Knights had won three straight and six of the previous seven meetings with Philadelphia.
KEY MOMENT
Konecny's second goal of the night, in the third period, was the epitome of how the night was going for the Knights. On the penalty kill, Konecny broke free with the puck and skated in untouched for a short-handed breakaway goal to put Philadelphia ahead 2-1.
KEY STAT
7 - Vegas had a season-high seven power play opportunities but capitalized just on time with a man advantage. During its previous seven-game win streak, the Golden Knights were 8 of 17 on the power play.
WHAT A KNIGHT
Hertl scored his fourth goal while registering his ninth point in five games. Hertl ranks fourth on the team with 43 points, with a co-team high 20 goals and 23 assists.
UP NEXT
The Golden Knights open a four-game road trip in Boston on Thursday.
PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at T-Mobile Arena.
The New York Rangers were unable to build off of their 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, as they kicked off the west coast road trip with a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Rangers put on a strong push to open up the first period, which seemed like a continuation of their impressive performance in the City of Brotherly Love.
Matthew Roberston opened up the scoring, and after a relatively evenly played period, the score was tied 1-1.
Artemi Panarin’s goal toward the beginning of the second frame extended his point streak to 10 games.
Since it was reported that the Rangers don’t plan to give Panarin a contract extension and will look to trade him before the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline, the veteran forward has recorded three goals, two assists, and five points in just two games.
In fact, since Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury sent out what is being called the “Letter 2.0” making clear of the team’s intentions to retool the roster, the Blueshirts have actually played notably better, and specifically more loosely.
“I think there's things that I think we're improving on, as far as the systems go, and being in the right spots and doing the right things, like having the right intentions, but it's just cleaning up the execution is still something we gotta get better at,” Vincent Trocheck said.
In the latter stages of the contest, the Rangers reverted to some of their sloppy tendencies, struggling to move the puck out of their defensive zone, while turnovers also proved to be an issue, which allowed the Ducks to take a 4-2 lead and run away with the victory.
“It’s tough when you turn the puck over the way we turned it over,” Mike Sullivan said. “And when you’re careless with the puck, and you give them those kinds of opportunities, they're going to end up in your net.”
Now that the Rangers have accepted the harsh reality that the playoffs are a long shot, the primary focus must be on making sure the younger players on the roster continue to grow and develop.
Gabe Perreault is starting to find his footing in the NHL and is showing flashes of his offensive potential playing in a top-six role alongside Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller.
His steady strides have not gone unnoticed.
“Gabe had a hell of a game today. I think maybe did a lot of things that people watching don't see,” Miller said. “Obviously, he's a really gifted player with the puck. It's how he's made a name for himself at this point. That being sad, he was in such good spots all over the rink today. You can tell he's learning a lot as he goes.
“He's trying to be a sponge and it's fun to play with. He's just going to get better as he gets going, but I think today, his play without the puck was better. He was good with the puck, but I'm saying his play without the puck really stood out to me.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Reality, however, doesn’t usually cater to idealism.
The Blueshirts could not match the Ducks — and several of their ex-teammates — in an empty-net-abetted 5-3 loss Monday night, marking their ninth defeat in the past 12 games. While the Rangers came out swinging in their first game after Chris Drury’s retooling announcement, the energy and execution wasn’t as formidable this time around.
On the heels of the organization’s statement, coach Mike Sullivan accurately pointed out how the Rangers have been engulfed in outside noise since last season.
The hope is that some organizational transparency ahead of the Olympic break would alleviate some of the pressure.
Between poor puck management and a slow start to the third period Monday, any buoyancy the Rangers may have had was weighed down.
Anaheim Ducks left wing Jeffrey Viel (28) scores a goal against New York Rangers goaltender Spencer Martin (41) during the second period at Honda Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“One of the simplest, easiest ways to beat yourself is to not manage the puck appropriately,” Sullivan said after the loss. “If you do, you give teams opportunities to create easy offense And I think in a few of the events of tonight, we beat ourselves because we didn’t take care of the puck.”
Exactly four minutes into the game, the Rangers were able to capitalize on some extended zone time.
Mika Zibanejad tipped the puck back to Matthew Robertson, whose slap shot from the top of the zone went five-hole on Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal. It counted as the rookie defenseman’s third goal of the season and his first since the last time the Rangers faced Anaheim on Dec. 15.
The Ducks swarmed below the hash marks later in the period, creating some traffic in front of Rangers goalie Spencer Martin. A puck deflected off Robertson’s skate and right to Mason McTavish for the 1-1 score.
Alex Killorn #17 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the New York Rangers at Honda Center on January 19, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Scoring on the power play in a third straight game, the Rangers retook the lead on Artemi Panarin’s 19th goal of the season. Despite some prime chances to even the score later in the game, the power play converted on two of its four opportunities.
Anaheim applied significant pressure on a goalie who was making just his second start of the season.
Jeffrey Viel scored his first goal as a Duck to even the score at two-all, cleaning up a rebound after the Rangers were hemmed in their zone.
Anaheim later made it a 3-2 game on their second power-play opportunity of the period. Alex Killorn buried a puck that had already trickled past Martin off Jacob Trouba’s shot.
Matthew Robertson, center, celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. AP
Just over a minute into the third period, Drew Helleson’s keep-in at the blue line allowed Cutter Gauthier to give the Ducks a two-goal lead. While Vladislav Gavrikov’s power-play goal cut the Rangers deficit to one, the visitors weren’t able to find the equalizer.
“I think the guys are doing their very best to take a professional approach through this process,” Sullivan said Monday morning. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks here, most recently. I do think that these guys take a lot of pride in what they do, and they and they care a lot. I’ve had this conversation with you guys on so many different occasions, and it’s not just coach speak, it’s my honest assessment of this group of players. … Does it change the mindset? It may, in some strange way. There’s clarity of direction and people understand where we’re all at right now. I think there’s no speculation.
“There’s clarity in the direction. And maybe clarity might bring a little bit of a freer spirit with that clarity. I’m not sure, to answer your question. I think time will tell.”
Islanders' Anthony Duclair, back right, Mathew Barzal (13) and Calum Ritchie (64) celebrate during the second period after Duclair's second goal against the Vancouver Canucks in an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Call it an inkblot test of a win.
On one hand, the Islanders overcame a horrid start to take two points from the Canucks on Monday with a 4-3 final, and six games into a seven-game road trip without their leading scorer, it is something to still be getting points.
And on the other, well, this looked like a mess at various points, and the Islanders have been playing with fire the entire trip. Are we really going to laud the Islanders for gritting out two points against the 32nd-ranked team in a 32-team league, which lost its 11th in a row Monday after trading their own leading scorer, Kiefer Sherwood, the same morning?
The Islanders would point out, and rightly so, that they all count the same in the standings, that there’s no such thing as an easy night in this league and that after nearly two weeks on the road, they are in desperate need of some rest and recovery.
“That was a found-a-way-to-win game,” Anders Lee told The Post. “… We’re walking outta here with two points. You gotta win games when you’re not at your best.”
All fair. And still, it’s hard not to feel uneasy about how this one went.
The Islanders struggled badly to handle Vancouver’s physicality, lost too many battles and — it feels like a broken record by now — were poor in front of both nets. They were discombobulated throughout the game’s early stages, and the newly put together second line of Max Tsyplakov, Cal Ritchie and Emil Heineman lasted all of one period, with two goals against, before Tsyplakov was unceremoniously benched.
Islanders’ Anthony Duclair, back right, Mathew Barzal (13) and Calum Ritchie (64) celebrate during the second period after Duclair’s second goal against the Vancouver Canucks in an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. AP
Nevertheless, Vancouver couldn’t put them away early, and the Islanders worked their way back into this one. They took a 3-2 lead on a Ryan Pulock snipe at 15:58 of the second, less than two minutes after Anthony Duclair’s second goal of the night had tied the game on the power play.
The Islanders gave Vancouver a window of opportunity by wasting a 1:39-long 5-on-3 at the start of the third, but instead of seizing momentum, the Canucks fumbled it themselves.
They failed to convert their own power play shortly afterward, then the Islanders dutifully made it 4-2, with Tony DeAngelo slamming in Lee’s rebound.
Skating at 6-on-5, the Canucks got back within one on Drew O’Connor’s tip-in from Filip Hronek to throw a scare into the Islanders. That was all they could do though.
Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders blocks a shot during the third period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 19, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia. NHLI via Getty Images
“We started to be better in our one-on-one battles,” coach Patrick Roy said. “That was the big difference. I think we gave nine chances after the first, it was way too many. So we had to refocus on our defense and play better defensively.”
Duclair, who loosed a right-circle wrister for the Islanders’ first goal of the night, has been one of few unambiguous positives for the club’s struggling offense on this trip. Since his hat trick two weeks ago against New Jersey, he’s looked like a wholly different player, confident and decisive.
“I’m using [Casey] Cizikas’ stick, made the switch,” Duclair said, revealing that his first game with the different stick was the five-point night against the Devils. “Think that’s why it’s going in.”
Islanders’ Ryan Pulock (6), Matthew Schaefer (48) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (44) celebrate Pulock’s goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. AP
His chemistry with Mat Barzal, who is always engaged when returning home to Vancouver, was on display Monday as the top line put together a strong night. So too was the offensive prowess of the Matthew Schaefer-Pulock pair, with the rookie dynamic as ever, and saving a goal by clearing Evander Kane’s shot off the line after it trickled through Sorokin in the third.
On the other side of the ledger, start with Tsyplakov, whose confidence looks plainly shot. He looked lost on Monday, was unceremoniously benched after the first period and it’s getting hard to see how this situation gets fixed.
“It’s on me,” Roy said of that situation, adding that Tsyplakov will likely stay in the lineup against the Kraken. “He didn’t play a bad game. Just, he hasn’t played a lot and sometimes when that happens, you just want to go with the guys that you think you got the best chance to win [with].”
Cal Ritchie saved his night by notching an assist in his third straight game but otherwise looked stuck in the same funk he’s been in lately.
The Islanders lack of physicality, as a team, was on stark display here too. The Canucks bum-rushed them in the first, the visitors looked bewildered and a better opponent would have surged to an easy win.
Getting two points isn’t enough reason to ignore the wake-up call.
While it wasn't pretty early against Vancouver, the Islanders got the win, a 4-3 victory to improve to 3-2-1 on their seven-game road trip with one game to go.
Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for the Islanders. Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver.
Here's how the game unfolded:
The Islanders couldn't have been more off defensively to start the game.
Their defensive-zone coverage was lackluster, leading to Vancouver striking first at 2:49 of the first courtesy of fourth-line center Max Sasson.
Fortunately for the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin was able to keep the Canucks from adding to their slim 1-0 lead before Anthony Duclair wired home the 1-1 equalizer at 10:11 of the first after a tremendous feed from Tony DeAngelo:
That was Duclair's 10th goal of the season, with Matthew Schaefer notching his 20th assist of the season.
The Canucks did get back on top, with Evander Kane deflecting an Elias Pettersson wrist shot at 14:48 after Maxim Tsyplakov turned the puck over on the breakout.
Matthew Schaefer appeared to tie the game at 2-2 on a glorious effort, but Vancouver won a challenge for offside.
The Islanders scored two unanswered goals in the second period to enter the third period up 3-2.
First, it was Duclair scoring his second goal of the game, this time on the power play from the bumper spot off a nice feed from Ritchie at 14:34 of the second:
Schaefer notched his second straight multi-point game and seventh multi-point game of the season.
Tsyplakov sat for 11:15 in that second period.
The Islanders had a chance to double their lead with a 5-on-3 power play early in the third, but the Canucks killed it off.
DeAngelo got the Islanders that critical two-goal lead. After Anders Lee peeled to the front of the net, his shot banked off Lankinen and went right toward DeAngelo, who buried the rebound at 10:15 of the third:
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets squared off on Monday night at the United Center for a Central Division battle. This game had some extra juice, however, as Jonathan Toews returned to Chicago for the first time as a road player.
At the first TV timeout, the Blackhawks and their fans honored Toews with a tribute video and a long standing ovation. He took multiple laps to loud cheers from the crowd that adores him so much.
one of the best to wear a Blackhawks sweater... welcome back Jonathan Toews‼️ pic.twitter.com/L2VvLyEOuY
It wasn't for a lack of chances on both sides, but there was no scoring until after the midway point of the second period. At 13:21, Jason Dickinson scored his 6th of the season to make it 1-0 Blackhawks. That lead would hold through the second intermission and into the third period.
That was the end of scoring on a goalie in the contest. Connor Bedard added an empty net goal late in the third, and the Blackhawks skated away with a 2-0 victory over the Jets.
Spencer Knight helped spoil Toews' return, as he earned his third shutout of the season. Knight made 32 saves on 32 shots, outdueling the reigning Hart Trophy winner in Connor Hellebuyck.
Although the fanbase was so engaged with the idea of celebrating Toews, the modern-day Blackhawks came out with a winning mentality, and they earned two big standings points. When they play to their capabilities, they have proven that they can beat anyone.
Bedard's empty net goal was big for him and the team. He hadn't scored since coming back from injury, but now he has that stress off his shoulder again.
"It matters," Jeff Blashill said after the game on Bedard finding the empty net to get back on track. "He certainly had a number of chances since he's been back. I thought he set up a number of people. He could have more points. Hopefully, that starts a waterfall of production."
Bedard has 20 goals through 36 games played. He is on a 38-goal pace if he plays every game for the rest of the season, which is much more than his career high of 23.
Earning a good home win in front of an incredible crowd was what this team was looking for to end a three-game skid. Knight captured a shutout, Bedard broke out, and they were able to hold onto a lead.
The Blackhawks are back in action on Thursday night. They will pay a quick visit to the Carolina Hurricanes before playing the Tampa Bay Lightning at home on Friday night.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins got off on the right foot to begin their four-game Western road swing on Monday.
And they did it in statement fashion.
Despite several pushes from the other side, the Penguins defeated the Seattle Kraken, 6-3, giving them 57 points on the season and putting them in a tie with the New York Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division standings. The Penguins also created some separation between themselves and the Washington Capitals, who have played two more games than the Penguins and are three points behind them.
Connor Dewar scored two goals for the Penguins, Sidney Crosby registered two points in his 1,400th NHL game, and Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of 23 Seattle shots to earn his fifth win in the last six games.
The Penguins needed this win. And they earned it, too, even if it got a bit hairy at times.
Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon opened the scoring a little less than six minutes into the game with a snipe from the left point for his second of the season. A few minutes later, Brett Kulak took a hooking penalty, and the Penguins headed to the penalty kill. Dewar ended up with a breakaway opportunity on the kill, and he buried the shorthanded goal to give the Penguins the 2-0 lead.
But, then, Seattle began to respond a bit. Ben Meyers cut the Kraken deficit to 2-1 with a goal from the net-front late in the first, and Ryan Lindgren capitalized on a loose rebound given up by Skinner to tie the game at 2-2.
Yet, the Penguins didn't fold. Instead, they responded immediately. Kulak got the puck on his stick after an offensive zone faceoff win by Crosby, walked the blue line, and fired a bullet past Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord to restore the lead for the Penguins.
Justin Brazeau scored off the rush for the Penguins early in the third period to give the Penguins an insurance goal, and - once again - Seattle pushed. Eeli Tolvanen scored a power play goal for Seattle five minutes later to make it 4-3.
But with a little more than three minutes remaining in regulation, Crosby took control of the puck behind Daccord's net, and he found Rickard Rakell - who was waiting on the doorstep - with a connecting pass. Rakell shot from the goal line and banked the puck off of Daccord's pad to give the Penguins another insurance goal.
Dewar added an empty-netter with 30 seconds left to give the Penguins the 6-3 win.
Even if the Penguins weren't at their best throughout the 60 minutes and saw some momentum go the other way, they still found ways to respond, and they shut things down at the end of the game, too.
Here are some takeaways from this huge win in Seattle:
- Even when Seattle was pushing in the second and third periods - and they did have a few periods of sustained momentum - the Penguins always seemed to have a response.
After Lindgren scored to tie the game at 2-2 - and erase the 2-0 lead the Penguins had built - they did not crumble like they had during their December losing streak. Instead, they went right back to work, and Kulak scored his goal just 51 seconds after to give the Penguins back the lead.
Again, after Seattle came out strong to start the third, the third line and Brazeau answered that momentum swing with an insurance goal. And, again, after Tolvanen scored on the power play to make it 4-3, the Penguins and Skinner responded, and Rakell earned his insurance goal later in the period.
This version - the healthier version - of this Penguins' team is relentless. They don't crater when momentum swings the other way, even if they do get burned. Instead, they respond, and it's making a great deal of difference for them.
There's something to all of that.
- Speaking of the third line, I thought this was a much stronger game for them. They were generating chances in the offensive zone all night long, and Brazeau's goal was simply a fruit of those labors finally paying off.
Ben Kindel and Anthony Mantha were doing their part as well. If they can play at the level they did Monday, the third line will, once again, become a formidable threat for Pittsburgh and give them a triple punch as far as scoring depth.
- What an addition Dewar has been for the Penguins.
When they acquired the 26-year-old forward and defenseman Conor Timmins last season from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the last minute on deadline day, they only gave up a 2025 fifth-round pick to get both. They ended up flipping Timmins for Connor Clifton and a second-rounder, and Dewar - in the month of January - tied his career-highs of 11 goals and 19 points with his empty-net goal.
It's not an exaggeration to say that the Penguins may very well have the best fourth line in hockey. I've sung Blake Lizotte's praises, and Noel Acciari has been very, very good this season in his role on that line and on the penalty kill.
But Dewar - not unlike Brazeau, except in a bottom-six role - has been a revelation. And the Penguins, if they make the playoffs, should consider extending the pending-RFA just like they extended Lizotte.
- One of the only negatives to come out of Monday was the power play. It was 0-for-3, and it had trouble generating much of anything, even if the second unit had a few looks.
I think this unit really misses Erik Karlsson. They're struggling with zone entries right now, and he really helps in that regard. Karlsson made the trip, so hopefully, he'll be back sooner rather than later to aid the first unit.
And as for the second unit, Egor Chinakhov is playing the left flank, but I'm not so sure this is the best use of his deployment. He gets a lot of touches on the power play, and his shot is his greatest weapon. Yet, when he receives the puck, he has to reset in order to set himself up for a shot, and oftentimes, it gives the opposition an opportunity to obstruct.
If he's going to get a lot of touches, the Penguins should put him in the best position to use that weapon of a shot. He should either be on the left wall or in the slot. I feel like this is, kind of, a no-brainer at this point.
- This is the second straight game in which the first line was very effective for the Penguins. And it's nice to see Rakell getting on the board again, as this was his second straight game with a goal directly set up by Crosby.
The Crosby-Rakell connection has always been special, and Rakell has looked much more himself in the last several games. Once Rakell gets his goal-scoring traction back, it will only make the top line - and the Penguins - that much more dangerous.
So, hopefully, he can continue what he's doing and continue to make any trade talk moot.
- Kulak really deserves a lot of credit for the way he's been playing lately. It took him a couple of weeks to settle in, but now that he has, the Penguins - and Kris Letang - all of a sudden look a whole lot better on the blue line.
Once Karlsson comes back - and if Kulak and Letang can sustain their level of play - the Penguins should have a pretty good top-four. There are still a lot of questions that remain on their bottom pairing, but if they're still in the playoff picture come the trade deadline, that's an area they can look to add to without spending too much.
But, in any case, good for Kulak. He was in the midst of one of the worst stretches of hockey in his career when he left the Edmonton Oilers, and it's nice to see him looking like his reliable-with-some-offensive-upside self lately.
- The Penguins will travel to Alberta to take on the Calgary Flames on Wednesday before facing the Oilers on Thursday in the second half of the back-to-back. Then, they will conclude their Western trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
Two wins on this road trip feels like a must, but it sure would be nice to take three of these four games. No other team in the Metro - other than the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes - are playing particularly great hockey right now, so it's a great opportunity for the Penguins to beat two non-playoff teams in Calgary and Vancouver and create some separation.
But, beyond that, this is when you also start looking at the regulation wins column. Regulation wins is the first tiebreaker when it comes to the standings, and right now, the Penguins have 19. While that's more than the 17 the Islanders have, it's not more than Washington's 21, Florida's 22, Boston's 21, or Buffalo's 20. And those are all teams in the wild card picture.
Look: The best path to the playoffs is always being one of the three best teams in your division. That much is clear. But the East is so tight, and teams have been so inconsistent this season that it's critical for the Penguins to check as many of the "tiebreaker" boxes as possible.
We're approaching the end of January as well as the Olympic break, when many teams will determine their trade deadline strategy. These things really matter.
So, it can't be stressed enough how important this road trip is for the Penguins. They need to collect as many points as possible - and they need to do it in regulation.
DENVER — Alex Barré-Boulet didn’t just answer the call — he made it count.
The 28-year-old forward, the Colorado Eagles’ leading point producer and a key contributor for the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, was summoned on short notice to replace Valeri Nichushkin, who was ruled out of Monday afternoon’s game against the Washington Capitals. Nichushkin was scratched after sustaining minor injuries in a multi-car accident while en route to the arena, forcing the Avalanche into a last-minute lineup adjustment.
Barré-Boulet Serves as Late Call-Up for Nichushkin
Barré-Boulet, who has recorded 12 goals and 25 assists for a team-leading 37 points in 36 games with the Eagles, received the call roughly two hours before puck drop. Unlike in boxing, where late replacements can decline a fight, hockey doesn’t afford that luxury. When the call comes, you go.
And Barré-Boulet made the most of his opportunity.
He recorded an assist in Colorado’s 5–2 victory, earning his first NHL point in more than two years. Just under six minutes into the opening period, Barré-Boulet left a pass for Parker Kelly at the top of the zone. Kelly carried the puck in, slammed on the brakes, and fed Cale Makar for a point shot that Kelly deflected past Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren to give Colorado a 1–0 lead.
The goal marked Kelly’s ninth of the season — a career high for the 26-year-old — but it carried added significance for Barré-Boulet. It was his first NHL point since December 21, 2023, when he scored for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 5–4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Credit: Jonathan Dyer. Barré-Boulet's last NHL goal to date.
Perhaps even more notable, Barré-Boulet hadn’t dressed for an NHL game in well over a year.
Barré-Boulet Makes an Impact
Making an impact on such short notice did not go unnoticed by head coach Jared Bednar.
“I liked him. That line did some good things for us. They drew a few icings, had a good forecheck, drew a penalty,” he stated. “They were able to sustain some o-zone time in the second period. We were able to jump out our top guys and get a favorable matchup a couple times.
“Short notice for sure and he came in and did a nice job. (Washington) shortened their bench a little bit, so did we. So they didn’t see a lot of ice time in the second half of the game.”
Prior to Monday night, Barré-Boulet had not appeared in an NHL game in more than 15 months. His last outing came on October 10, 2024, when he suited up for the Montreal Canadiens against the Boston Bruins in the final game of a brief two-game stint. He recorded no points and picked up two penalty minutes during that stretch.
Since then, Barré-Boulet has spent the bulk of his time with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, where he enjoyed a strong 2024–25 campaign. In 64 regular-season games, he posted 22 goals and 41 assists for 63 points, then added three goals and 11 points in 13 playoff appearances.
Barré-Boulet was reassigned to the Eagles following the game, but he returned to the AHL having reinforced what the Avalanche saw during the preseason. His two-way play is no fluke. He has shown he is more than just a scorer — he is committed to rounding out every aspect of his game, a standard he has set throughout his professional career.
That approach will likely be rewarded with another call-up down the line when the Avalanche need him again.
