Tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-13-3), Los Angeles (15-10-9) leaned on its defense, physical play, strong goaltending from Anton Forsberg, and Adrian Kempe's pair of goals to snap the Kings' four-game losing streak. 

Tampa Bay struck first on their only power play on the night after a cross-checking penalty called on Kempe, giving Tampa the early 1-0 lead in the first period. But, Kempe made up for his early play by scoring two second-period goals, which proved to be the difference tonight in Tampa, shutting down the Lightning's top 10 offense, despite the Kings being outshot 32-20. 

TWO POINTS IN TAMPA! pic.twitter.com/dWH2Nd7qkg

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 19, 2025

Lightning Strike First 

The opening period was fast, physical, and chaotic, with both teams trading hits and giveaways, especially the Kings, who ended the night with 20 giveaways. Tampa Bay scored its only goal of the game midway through the first period after the Kings were called for a penalty. 

Oliver Bjorkstrand was able to convert for the Lightning in the power play, finding his own rebound in front and slipping the puck through the net. Despite the goal from Tampa Bay, Forsberg did a terrific job anchoring the defense, saving 31 shots and giving up just one goal. 

The Lightning also had a chance to extend their lead 2-0 to end the first period, but the goal was shut down by Forsberg after Dominic James came very close to expanding Tampa's lead. 

Kempe Takes Over In the Second

Los Angeles flipped the script to begin the second period with Kempe leading the charge. 

The Kings tied the game five minutes into the period with Kempe scoring on the rush, beating Andrei Vasilevskiy from the high slot through traffic with Tampa Bay unable to close the shooting lane. 

Tie game thanks to the Juiceman! pic.twitter.com/YBDufpiqb5

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 19, 2025

Off the goal from Kempe, Anze Kopitar assisted it, marking his 200th career point in the month of December, only the second skater to record 200 or more career points in multiple calendar months, joining Marcel Dionne. 

Anze Kopitar's assist tonight is his 200th career point (66-134=200) in the month of December, marking his third different calendar month with 200 points (235 in March; 200 in February). He is joined by Marcel Dionne has the only two skaters in @LAKings history with 200+ career… pic.twitter.com/zEP7hUp9O7

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) December 19, 2025

Over 10 minutes later, Kempe delivered the decisive moment. A turnover by Pontus Holmberg helped Kempe break through the ice on a clean breakaway. The Kings winger surged past Tampa Bay's defenders, stayed patient, and snapped the shot past Vasilevskiy to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. 

Kings Clamp Down Late

The third period belonged to Forsberg and the defense he played on the Lightning. Tampa Bay wasn't giving up at all, pushing hard and putting pressure on Forsberg, but he stood tall and stopped every shot that came at him. 

It was a crucial game for Los Angeles because of everything they've gone through during their four-game losing streak, including players getting frustrated, coaching problems, and ongoing discussions about roster changes. 

But the Kings can play like this on any given night, so it's not a surprise; it's just a question of whether Los Angeles can stay consistent, rather than be a roller coaster ride as they've been throughout this season. 

The Kings will head home for a three-game home stand, starting on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-6) at 10 p.m. EST. It'll be a good test for the Kings to see if they can start playing well at home, as they're 4-6-4 at the Crypto.com Arena this season. 

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

The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Thursday night. They were not beaten by a slim margin, either. The final score was 4-1, but the game wasn't even that close based on how each team played. 

Chicago was outshot 35-15. One of Montreal's goals was an empty netter, so Spencer Knight made 31 saves on 34 shots. He was excellent, but even he couldn't overcome the lackluster performance that the team put forth in front of him. 

This game was tied 1-1 after two, despite how badly they were outperformed. The third period got away from them on the scoreboard, and that's now four straight regulation losses for Chicago. 

After the game, Jeff Blashill was not quick to torch his team. He said that they had a chance to win after two but blamed the bad third period for the loss. In a vacuum, he is correct because of the scoreboard, but the team had not played well and was bailed out by the goalie through the first 40 minutes. 

There were three goals waved off in this one, so the score could have been even worse for the Blackhawks if the video replay coaches had a bad night. One was a Chicago goal canceled for goalie interference, and two for Montreal due to off-sides. 

Despite the bad loss, Knight isn't the only Blackhawks player who is going to walk away with something positive about their game. Frank Nazar scored Chicago's only goal, and it was a big one for him personally. 

This was Nazar's first goal in 21 games. It was on October 28th when Nazar last scored for the Blackhawks. When he skated to the Blackhawks bench after claiming the goal, he made the gesture of getting the monkey off his back. 

Now that Nazar has this goal drought behind him, especially without Connor Bedard for a little while longer, he is going to be relied on to step up. The Blackhawks are sliding, and someone must take control offensively. Nazar is the most likely to do that due to his skill. 

When asked about Nazar after the game, Blashill said that he continued to discuss the process with his young forward. He said that playing the right way would eventually lead to his offense coming back. He was right. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

28 ➡️ 48 ➡️ 91 ➡️ 🚨 pic.twitter.com/sTKoEI6vcW

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 19, 2025

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

Next for Chicago is the final game of this eastern Canadian road trip. They will finish off on Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators. This matinee matchup will be at 2 PM CT. 

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

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

With the Buffalo Sabres struggling again this season, they should be open to the idea of shaking up their roster. When looking at their current group, it is fair to argue that they could use another skilled forward. 

Yet, with the Sabres being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings right now, they should not be looking to bring in rentals. Instead, their targets should be players who have multiple years left on their deals and can make a long-term impact for them. 

When looking at trade candidates with term, one player who stands out as a potential fit for the Sabres is Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett. 

Tippett would be far more than just a rental for the Sabres if acquires, as he has a $6.2 million cap hit until the end of the 2031-32. With this, he would have the potential to be a big part of the Sabres' roster for a long time if acquired.

If the Sabres landed Tippett from the Flyers, they would be getting a 26-year-old forward who would slot nicely in their top nine and on their power play. The 2017 first-round pick has appeared in 32 games so far this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded nine goals, 11 assists, and 20 points. He also scored at least 20 goals in each of his previous three seasons, including a career-high 28 goals in 2023-24. 

With all of this, Tippett could be a very interesting player for the Sabres to add if the Flyers make him available near the trade deadline. 

Former Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella isn't close to throwing in the towel on his coaching career, but the veteran bench boss was well prepared to say any talk of an NHL return right now is premature.

Tortorella, 67, is without a job at the start of a season for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when he was between jobs after spending six seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

With the Blue Jackets, of course, Tortorella worked closely with GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who just took over the Buffalo Sabres in the wake of Kevyn Adams's firing.

Longtime NHL head coach Lindy Ruff is back with the Sabres for his second stint, but there are no guarantees that arrangement remains in place with the Sabres sitting last in the Eastern Conference with a 14-14-2 record and just 32 points while playing the Flyers at the time of this writing.

As such, Tortorella, now an analyst with ESPN for the time being, was asked by reporter Emily Kaplan if he had gotten any calls from his old friend Kekalainen, which he vehemently denied in classic Tortorella fashion.

Ex-Flyers Coach John Tortorella Recounts Golden Matvei Michkov StoryTortorella dished on Michkov's surprising but enthusiastic penalty box strategy, which goes to show how well the two understood each other while they were together on the Flyers.

"No, I have not, Emily," Tortorella was quoted as saying to Kaplan by Mike Harrington of Buffalo News. "Don't even start."

Tortorella is live in-studio covering the Flyers-Sabres game on Thursday night and offered commentary, in his own way, on some things the Sabres players are doing, what they aren't doing, and how they can respond to their GM's dismissal.

One thing is for sure, though: the connection to Kekalainen and the success those two men had in Columbus with talents like Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Zach Werenski, and even Seth Jones, is an obvious link.

Plus, Tortorella kicked off his NHL coaching career with the Sabres, serving as an assistant coach for the franchise from 1989-90 to 1994-95 before taking over as the head coach of the AHL Rochester Americans for two seasons.

Matvei Michkov Says He Was 'Very Upset' When Flyers Fired John TortorellaThe relationship between star <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> rookie Matvei Michkov and fired head coach John Tortorella was much better than many have made it out to be.

Tortorella, of course, has been out of work since being fired by the Flyers on March 27, though he is on the United States' staff for the 2026 Winter Olympics - a team that could feature Flyers star Trevor Zegras.

A return to an NHL bench doesn't appear to be imminent just yet, but don't be surprised to see Tortorella back coaching at some point this season.

Calgary, AB — The Calgary Flames announced a series of roster moves on Thursday, including a reassignment, a recall, and a medical update.

Forward Dryden Hunt has been placed on waivers  and will be assigned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, pending clearance. Hunt appeared in two games with the Flames this season. At the AHL level, he has been productive, recording five goals and 18 points in 16 games with the Wranglers.

The Flames have also recalled forward Justin Kirkland from the Wranglers. Kirkland has suited up for nine NHL games this season, registering one assist. With the Wranglers, he has tallied five goals and two assists in 14 contests.

Additionally, the club announced that defenceman Jake Bean will undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely. The 27-year-old has appeared in 16 games with the Flames this season, posting one goal and two points during the 2025–26 campaign.

Pittsburgh Penguins (14-9-9) at Ottawa Senators (15-13-4)

7 pm at Canadian Tire Centre
TV: RDS2, TSN5
Radio: TSN 1200 AM, TSN1200.ca

After a 2-1-0 road trip and a couple of days off, the Ottawa Senators get back to work on Thursday night with a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite being in different divisions, the two clubs have had a pretty good rivalry over the years. No team has faced the Senators in the playoffs more often than the Penguins, who own a 1-4 record in those series.

After a decade under head coach Mike Sullivan, there's a new sheriff in Steeltown. Sullivan and the Penguins agreed to part company after missing the playoffs last season for a third straight year. So he signed on to replace Peter Laviolette as head coach of the New York Rangers, while the Penguins hired Rangers assistant coach Dan Muse to replace Sullivan.

Muse isn't exactly one of those recycled coaching stories. The 43-year-old is a longtime assistant at different levels but has never been a head coach in the pros until now. So far, he has the Penguins in a playoff position (based on points percentage), and they're also one of the best road teams in the league (8-3-4).

Despite Linus Ullmark leaving practice early on Wednesday, head coach Travis Green said on Thursday that he will start in goal. Arturs Silovs will go for the Penguins.

Thomas Chabot, who has missed 11 games because of an upper-body injury, finally got in a full practice on Wednesday but he's not ready to return just yet. Shane Pinto skated on Wednesday. He's been out for the past two weeks since taking an awkward hit from New York Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad. There's no official word when he'll return.

Evgeni Malkin is the big injury for the Penguins (upper body). At 39, Malkin is still rolling with 29 points in 26 games, but won't play on Thursday.

Erik Karlsson returns to the city where he broke into the NHL. He's off to a flying start with 25 points in 32 games, good for 10th among NHL defenseman, one point behind Ottawa's Jake Sanderson. Tim Stutzle has 33 points for the Sens, including nine in his past four games.

Senators projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk - Tim Stutzle - Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron - Dylan Cozens - Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio - Ridly Greig - Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid - Stephen Halliday - Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen

Linus Ullmark
Leevi Merilainen

Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Olle Lycksell
Injured: Thomas Chabot (upper body), Shane Pinto (lower body), Lars Eller (broken foot)

Penguins projected lineup

Rickard Rakell - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha - Tommy Novak - Justin Brazeau
Kevin Hayes - Ben Kindel - Rutger McGroarty
Danton Heinen - Connor Dewar - Noel Acciari

Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea - Kris Letang
Brett Kulak - Jack St. Ivany

Arturs Silovs
Stuart Skinner

Injured: Evgeni Malkin (upper body), Caleb Jones (lower body), Filip Hallander (blood clot), Blake Lizotte (undisclosed)

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

The Colorado Avalanche have opened the season in dominant fashion, racing out to a 24-2-7 record that stands as the best in the NHL. Despite that impressive start, the margin for error remains slimmer than it might appear. 

Colorado’s nearest challenger is a familiar one. Central Division rival Dallas trails by just two points, and that gap exists even though the Stars have endured a wave of injuries to key contributors, including Lian Bichsel and Tyler Seguin. The fact that Dallas remains within striking distance under those circumstances only sharpens the competitive pressure. 

Still, sitting atop the standings puts the Avalanche in an enviable position. With flexibility and momentum on their side, Colorado is well positioned to explore roster upgrades as the season unfolds — perhaps even one that blends elite talent with a touch of nostalgia. 

Ryan O’Reilly? 

It is no secret that head coach Jared Bednar would like another center. One name that continues to surface is Nashville Predators veteran Ryan O’Reilly. 

Jack Drury has handled third-line center duties for much of the season, but recent lineup adjustments have pushed him to the fourth line, with Ross Colton — far more effective on the wing — filling in at 3C. While Drury has been serviceable, Colorado will likely need a more proven option down the middle when the postseason arrives. 

O’Reilly, now 34, was selected 34th overall by the Avalanche in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and spent the first six seasons of his career in Colorado. During the 2015 offseason, he was traded alongside Jamie McGinn to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Nikita Zadorov, forward Mikhail Grigorenko, prospect J.T. Compher and the 31st overall pick in the 2015 draft. 

Since leaving Colorado, O’Reilly has played for three other organizations. His most notable stop came in St. Louis, where he helped the Blues capture the Stanley Cup in 2019. He later spent time with the Toronto Maple Leafs before landing in Nashville. 

Through 33 games this season, O’Reilly leads the Predators in scoring with 27 points on 10 goals and 17 assists. Over the past month, however, frustration has become increasingly evident. 

Following a loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last month, O’Reilly delivered a strikingly candid assessment of his own performance, openly questioning his effectiveness as Nashville’s No. 1 center. 

“If I’m playing pathetic like that,” O’Reilly said, “as a No. 1 center.” 

“[I] turn the puck over everywhere. Can’t make a six-foot pass to save my life,” he added in a video clip that quickly went viral. “It’s stupid. I’ve had one good year in my career. I don’t have an answer, that’s for sure.” 

Even with that self-criticism, O’Reilly would represent a clear upgrade over Drury in a playoff environment. 

Colorado’s Cup Window Remains Open 

The Avalanche remain firmly within their window to contend for another Stanley Cup. O’Reilly carries a $4.5 million cap hit this season and next, and — importantly for Colorado — he does not have a formal no-trade clause. It is widely believed, however, that Predators general manager Barry Trotz would consult O’Reilly before finalizing any potential deal, given the rapport between the two. 

A return to Colorado would be difficult to overlook. The chance to finish a career where it began while chasing another championship with a legitimate contender is a scenario that carries obvious appeal. And if that happens, expect O'Reilly to look better than he has in years. That tends to happen to players who make their way to Colorado as of late.

Any deal would not come without cost. A move would be disappointing for Drury, though Nashville would offer a familiar landing spot, with his sister, Lilly, an up-and-coming singer, residing in the area. 

The larger question is what else Colorado would need to include to complete the deal. Recent history between the two clubs includes a notable deal that sent former Avalanche backup goaltender Justus Annunen to Nashville in exchange for Scott Wedgewood. Goaltending depth remains an area of need for the Predators, making a prospect such as Trent Miner a plausible addition. Defenseman Sam Malinski could also draw interest, though parting with him would be a far more difficult decision for Colorado. 

Miner heading to Nashville would represent a tremendous opportunity, simply because there isn’t enough room for him to truly establish himself in Colorado. With Mackenzie Blackwood entrenched, Scott Wedgewood in the mix, and Ilya Nabokov continuing his development in the KHL, the path to meaningful NHL time is narrow at best. In Nashville, however, Miner would likely step into the backup role vacated by Annunen and see far more action supporting Juuse Saros, giving him a clearer runway to carve out a role at the NHL level.

The 24-year-old Miner is 4-2 this season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, boasting a 2.30 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

As the trade deadline approaches, the Avalanche’s position atop the standings allows them to be selective — but the right opportunity, particularly one involving a familiar face, may be too intriguing to ignore. 

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

Macklin Celebrini is on a mission to drag the Sharks into the fight, win or lose originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN JOSE – The Sharks no longer are a surprise to anyone in the NHL. Even on nights when they lose, the boys in Teal find a way to keep things interesting and entertaining.

Macklin Celebrini isn’t the only reason that San Jose is having fun these days, but he’s definitely a big reason why the 2025-2026 season has played out the way that it has so far.

Against a faster, more talented Dallas Stars team, Celebrini had a pretty quiet night in terms of scoring but dished out a pair of assists and helped make the game close at the end before the Sharks ultimately fell short 5-3 at SAP Center.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft basically keeps adding new chapters to his resume every time he skates onto the ice. Through 35 games, Celebrini leads the Sharks in goals (18), assists (35) and points (53), remarkable for a kid who isn’t yet eligible to legally drink in the city that fawns over his every move on the ice.

“He’s on a mission,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s been on a mission since training camp, and it just seems like when you’re as competitive as he is, he wants to just get better and better and better. That’s what great players do.

“He’ll come out Saturday, he’ll want to get right after it again and he’ll be flying, things happen and being competitive and dragging guys into this fight.”

That type of attitude has been infectious for San Jose this season. Several of Celebrini’s teammates have expressed their fondness for the Kid King, whose mere presence has the rest of the Sharks playing at a level not seen in these parts for quite some time.

A few days ago, it was a historic and memorable comeback to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Against the Stars, the Sharks nearly staged another iconic rally and made the game close at the end.

“We had our chances, but fortunately, we come up short,” said Alex Wennberg. “A lot of good things from the game. I feel like we’re building on something really good right here. Today, even though we lose this game, I feel like we’re taking a step in the right direction. We’re in this game, we’re fighting and we’re really giving them a hard time.”

That was the feeling when the Sharks rallied to stun the Penguins a few days ago and one that continues to marinate in the San Jose locker room.

“We have a good thing going as far as how we want to play,” Warsofsky said. “I thought that was one of our really better games of the year. Unfortunately, we came up with a loss but we’ll get better. There’s some real big positives that we can take from this.”

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Flyers lose control late in second period, suffer bad loss to Sabres originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers had a poor finish spoil a good start Thursday night as they lost to the Sabres, 5-3, at KeyBank Center.

Rick Tocchet’s club was outscored 4-1 in the final 23-plus minutes of the game.

Noah Cates, Cam York and Travis Konecny provided the Flyers’ goals. Konecny drew the Flyers to within 4-3 with 5:32 minutes left, but the team’s beleaguered power play couldn’t deliver the game-tying goal.

With 2:19 minutes to go, the Flyers had a two-man advantage when they emptied their net after a Buffalo penalty. They ended up having three shots blocked before the Sabres finished them off on a late empty-netter.

The Flyers (17-10-6) have lost four of their last six games, but have gone 2-1-3 in that stretch. They’re 1-1-1 on this four-game road trip.

The Flyers dropped to 1-1-0 in their regular-season series with the Sabres (15-14-4). The clubs meet once more Jan. 14 back at KeyBank Center.

• The Flyers’ power play went 0 for 3 and is just 5 for 48 (10.4 percent) over the last 20 games.

And now it won’t have Tyson Foerster for the rest of the season as the 23-year-old winger recovers from surgery on his arm.

The power play is still a major concern for this team.

• Samuel Ersson made 23 saves on 27 shots.

The Flyers were playing a strong game before they let things slip away in the final three-plus minutes of the second period. Tage Thompson tied it at 2-2 six seconds after a Travis Sanheim turnover. With better support, Sean Couturier could have given Sanheim an easier pass.

Then, with 30 seconds left in the middle stanza, Buffalo took the lead on a Noah Ostlund shot that Ersson struggled to track.

Midway through the third period, Josh Norris added important insurance on a Sabres power play.

The Flyers fell behind 1-0 for the 23rd time this season. But it took just 58 seconds for them to erase that first-period deficit when Bobby Brink found Cates around the slot area.

It felt like a promising start for the Flyers, who really outplayed Buffalo through the midway mark of the game.

Alex Lyon, who spent five seasons in the Flyers’ organization, mostly with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, stopped 24 of 27 shots for the Sabres.

The Flyers were outshot 24-15 over the second and third periods.

• The Flyers are now 15-4-5 when Trevor Zegras records a point.

The difference-making trade acquisition set up York’s go-ahead 2-1 goal in the second period.

But the Flyers failed to build on it.

• The Flyers wrap up their road trip Saturday when they visit the Rangers (12:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

It’s no secret that the New York Rangers are in need of more scoring depth. 

After losing two consecutive games at home while only scoring one goal in the process, Mike Sullivan called the team’s scoring woes “concerning” as they’ve struggled to find consistent offense all season long, specifically while playing at home.

In response to their dreadful two-game stretch, the Rangers called up Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. 

Perreault is a prospect who’s highly touted for his offensive skill set. 

The 2023 first-round pick is ranked as the 28th-best prospect on ESPN’s Top NHL Prospect Rankings.

To kick off the season in Hartford, Perreault has proven to be a lethal offensive threat, recording 10 goals, seven assists, and 17 points in 20 games. 

While the 20-year-old forward spent three games with the Rangers earlier in the season and even was given a top-six role, Perreault still dealt with a steep learning curve adapting to NHL play and Sullivan was uncomfortable putting him in difficult situations, especially defensively matched up against opposing teams’ top players. 

However, the Blueshirts’ lack of offensive firepower brought Perreault back into the fold, and now he has a golden opportunity to carve out a top-six role and a permanent spot in the lineup.

“We just want to see where his game is at, and we're trying to put him in a position to succeed,” Sullivan said of Perreault. “The last time that we called him up, we put him in the top six with our top players. The challenge with that is, is you're playing against opponent's top players also. You're getting the top defense pair, you're playing against some of the harder players to play against when you're in that situation. It's a little bit of a double edged sword from that standpoint. We're excited about Gabe's game and where it can go. We also recognize that this is a process in allowing a young player to get there...We don't want young players like Gabe to get overwhelmed.”

“Part of our job is to make sure that we protect him in that regard. We're excited about his game. Obviously, he has good offensive instincts, he's a good player. This is just part of the development process, and my experience of coaching players like Gabe along the way over the years is sometimes it takes a little bit of time for guys to figure it out, and he's going through that process. When they ultimately figure it out, everybody's different from that regard, we'll watch the games and see how he does, and hopefully make what we think are the best decisions for him and for our team. I think he's had a pretty good stretch of games in Hartford, and we like potentially what he could bring to our lineup.”

Othmann is a player who has been attempting to earn a spot with the Rangers for a couple of years, and it almost feels as if the clock is ticking on his future in New York. 

During the 2024-25 campaign, Othmann played in 22 games for the Rangers, but he failed to score a goal, and once he didn’t make New York’s opening-night roster out of training camp, trade rumors began to swirl involving him. 

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Oct. 16 that the Rangers are open to the idea of trading Othmann. 

A slow start to the season with the Wolf Pack didn’t make matters any better. However, he’s been able to flip the switch recently, scoring three goals in his past four AHL games, which led to him being called up to the NHL.

Expected to play on a line alongside Matt Rempe and Sam Carrick, Othmann is being given a chance to prove his worth to the Rangers organization. 

“I think he's playing more to his identity,” Sullivan said of Othmann. “He's playing more of a north-south game. He's getting in on the forecheck. He plays with an edge, and that's what he's capable of doing. He's getting to the net. 

“I think in my short time here in New York, and trying to get to know his game and become more familiar with him, that's what we think his game looks like when he's at his best. That's part of it. The other aspect of it is just reliable, conscientious play, attention to detail defensively, when he doesn't have the puck, knowing what your job is, and doing your job. That's an important element of it also, so I think he's making progress in all of those areas.”

On the other side of the coin, Brett Berard was sent down to the Wolf Pack after playing in 11 games for the Rangers. 

Rangers Call Up Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault From AHL The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> have recalled Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League while sending Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar back down.&nbsp;

While Sullivan liked what he saw out of Berard, there’s still an element of consistency that Sullivan feels Berard still needs to unlock. 

“I thought Brett played well for us,” Sullivan said. “He brings a lot of energy, he can skate, he gets in on the forecheck. I think there's opportunities for him to continue to improve in just the details of his game away from the puck, tracking back into coverage, knowing what his job is, understanding situations, rush, coverage, responsibilities, things like that. By no means are we discouraged with his game. I think we have a good understanding of what he is and what he can do, what he can bring to the team. He's a great kid. He brings a ton of energy and enthusiasm when he's here…

“The challenge is, when you make the jump from, you know, the American League to the NHL, is to be able to bring it consistently, night in and night out. It's always one of the biggest challenges that young players face.”

Perreault and Othmann are both expected to play on Thursday night when the Rangers face off against the St. Louis Blues.

There have been multiple reports at this point in the season that the Los Angeles Kings have been scouring the trade market for a scoring winger.

Los Angeles is among the worst teams when it comes to offense. In 33 games, the Kings have scored just 85 goals, which is tied for the second-fewest in the NHL. 

An additional scoring touch would certainly be welcomed, and it seems that the Kings are doing their homework to find the best fit.

According to the latest reports by The Fourth Period, the Kings have had three professional scouts attending Tuesday's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks.

There are several players of those two teams who fit the "scoring winger" description.

Wingers who may be available from the Blackhawks are Tyler Bertuzzi, Andre Burakovsky, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato.

As for the Maple Leafs, there may be fewer to choose from, given the status of the team and their aspirations to continue to be a perennial playoff team.

Nonetheless, Toronto has Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson as scoring wingers. However, they are considered middle-six forwards rather than difference-making top-six forwards. Even Matias Maccelli, a skillful playmaker, hasn't been able to crack the lineup since his last game on Nov. 28.

This isn't the first time reports have come out regarding the Kings' scouts watching for scoring wingers. 

In early November, Los Angeles had special advisor Marc Bergevin watching the Philadelphia Flyers in search of a top-six winger.

Report: Los Angeles Kings Scouting Philadelphia Flyers For Potential Top-Six WingerThe Los Angeles Kings are keeping tabs on the Philadelphia Flyers. Recent scouting reports suggest a top-six winger acquisition, potentially targeting Tippett, Konecny or Foerster to boost scoring.

The Kings have truly lacked a true scoring forward with efficient finishing in high-danger areas. In their loss to the Florida Panthers, they hit multiple posts and failed to convert on breakaway opportunities that could've led to a better result.

What Is Phillip Danault Realistically Worth On The Trade Market?Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault has been highlighted in the trade market over the last week or so. What could GM Ken Holland receive for the struggling veteran?

Whether GM Ken Holland finds what he's looking for with the Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, or wherever, his team could certainly use some more goals if they want to remain a playoff team.

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Otto Stenberg didn’t light up the scoreboard in his NHL debut, but he impressed the St. Louis Blues coaching staff with other elements of his game. 

Stenberg is listed at just 5-foot-11, 188 pounds, but he shows zero fear in getting into the dirty areas of the ice and doing whatever it takes to win puck battles. Ultimately, the Blues selected him in the first round (25th overall) in the 2023 NHL draft because of his skill, but the intangibles he brings along are a bonus. 

“I thought he was really responsible and had good puck support,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “His intelligence keeps the team connected, and we don’t get too spread apart. He puts the brakes on. He has really good habits, stops, comes right back to the house. He made some really good reads on our penalty-kill and in our D-zone coverage, too. I thought it was a really good start to his career.”

He finished his NHL debut with no points or shots on goal, but he threw a hit and skated in 13:38 of ice time, including a minute on the penalty kill. Stenberg's advanced stats don't look great, as according to Natural Stat Trick, the Blues had just 28.53 of the expected goals and a Corsi For percentage of just 23.08 percent at 5-on-5.

The Blues went on to beat the Winnipeg Jets 1-0. The Jets are a well-structured team with the league's best goaltender. Scoring goals was always going to be a challenge, but the Blues, alongside Stenberg, proved to be up to the challenge. 

“Maybe a little bit of a slow start point-wise, but my game overall, my 200-foot game, has been good lately,” Stenberg said. “I’ve been playing better with the puck and some points, too. Overall, my game’s been good.”

“I can play all over the ice,” he said. “I hope coach can trust me in different situations.”

Stenberg will be back in the lineup tonight and is expected to skate alongside Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn on the second line. 

With the injury pile-up the Blues currently face, there’s runway for Stenberg to snatch a spot on the team and lock down a position. His production will need to follow at some point, but if the 20-year-old can continue to provide two-way versatility on the wing, he could have a role on this Blues team. 

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What we learned as Collin Graf scores twice in Sharks' close home loss to Stars originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN JOSE – The Sharks’ recent mini-surge up through the Pacific Division standings in the NHL’s Western Conference was put on pause when the crisp and efficient Dallas Stars handed the West Coast hosts a 5-3 loss on Thursday at SAP Center.

The loss, coming after three consecutive victories and four in five games, prevented San Jose (17-15-3) from matching its longest winning streak of the season.

One of the few things that went right for the boys in Teal was Collin Graf recording his first two-goal game since March 13, 2025. Shakir Mukhamadullin also had a goal for San Jose.

Other than that, it was a mostly forgettable night at The Tank.

The Stars, who beat the Sharks 4-1 on Dec. 5, got an early jump in the rematch, scoring their first goal with 7:35 remaining in the first period. Dallas center Roope Hintz knocked in his 10th goal of the season off an assist from behind the net by Esa Lindell.

The Sharks missed a chance to tie it when Zack Ostapchuk appeared to score his first goal of the season before the Stars (23-7-5) challenged and the score was negated after review due to a high-stick penalty.

Ostapchuk's game-tying goal is called back after review due to a high stick pic.twitter.com/kKaMbAIfoE

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 19, 2025

Wyatt Johnson’s putback shot after a Miro Heiskanen miss from just inside the blue line with 2:22 left put the Stars ahead 2-0.

Mukhamadullin’s second goal of the season, off an assist from Ty Dellandrea early in the second period, trimmed the Stars’ lead in half.

Mukhamadullin gets the Sharks on the board 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YKXpTLWJiZ

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 19, 2025

Johnson’s second goal of the night came on a power play, making it 3-1 before Graf scored off an assist from Macklin Celebrini late in the second.

That little bit of momentum was erased about two and a half minutes later when Dallas’ Justin Hryckowian intercepted a pass near the Sharks’ net and scored his fourth goal of the season on a shot that appeared to hit the crossbar then fell in behind San Jose goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

Graf’s second goal, an unassisted score early in the third period, cut the Stars’ lead to 4-3. Jamie Benn added an empty-netter with 1:18 remaining to seal the win.

Igor Chernyshov put this on a platter for Collin Graf's second goal of the night 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bwkdQH2r4h

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 19, 2025

Here are the takeaways from the Sharks’ loss on Thursday:

Slow start hurts again

Early on, the Sharks seemed to be playing in a gear or two lower than the Stars, and Dallas was definitely the grittier of the two teams in the first period, with a pair of steady goals to take command.

Unfortunately for San Jose, that has been one of its biggest drawbacks this season, falling behind early. It hasn’t happened a lot – seven times in the first 34 games of the season before Thursday, when it happened again.

The playbook most of the season against the Sharks has been to try to get an early lead, then hold on. That didn’t work out so well for the Pittsburgh Penguins last Saturday when San Jose rallied for a historic comeback in the third period, but it’s a blueprint that has worked well for most of the Sharks’ opponents, who are now 7-1 when holding the lead after the first period against San Jose.

Ned in goal

With red-hot goalie Yaroslav Askarov getting a rare night off to rest, the Sharks turned to Nedeljkovic in the goal and the veteran net-minder was tested heavily.

The Stars peppered him for 10 shots in each of the three periods. Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, including a pair he was credited with when Dallas’s Mavrik Bourque fired a shot that went through the legs of a San Jose defender and hit off the right sidepost, then deflected off the left one.

Nedeljkovic had won two of his three previous starts but Thursday’s loss dropped his record to 5-7-2 this season.

Mack’s silent night

Even the great ones have an off night every now and then.

The Mack has been one of the best stories in the entire NHL this season, a teenager turning the league into his personal playground while showing the world his potential to be one of the league’s all-time greats.

Against the Stars, though, Celebrini wasn’t able to muster much of an offense and narrowly avoided picking up a goose egg on the stat sheet for the 10th time this season.

The 19-year-old superstar, who had at least one point in each of San Jose’s previous three games and four of the past five, was active early but didn’t handle the puck much until he made a sweet pass to Graf in front of the Stars’ net for San Jose’s second goal. It was Celebrini’s team-leading 34th assist and his 52nd point of the season, second most in the Western Conference.

Collin Graf pulls the Sharks within one 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Bk8qvhRoWZ

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 19, 2025

Celebrini added his 35th assist of the season on Graf’s goal of the game early in the third period. Only the Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid has more assists this season after notching his 38th on Thursday night.

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If the Vancouver Canucks want to make a move before the holiday break, it needs to happen right away. Starting on December 19, 2025, at 11:59 pm, the NHL will start its holiday roster freeze. The freeze prevents teams from conducting trades as well as putting players on waivers and expires at 12:01 am on December 29, 2025. 

Last season, there were some trades that went down before the roster freeze came into effect. Kappo Kakko was traded to the Seattle Kraken from the New York Rangers, while current Canucks defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph was moved from the St. Louis Blues to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Montréal Canadiens and the Nashville Predators also made a trade, with Justin Barron and Alexandre Carrier swapping teams. 

The 2025 roster freeze is significant for Vancouver as there have been countless rumours surrounding the team. The Canucks currently sit in 32nd and could be open for business when it comes to trade. Kiefer Sherwood is a name that keeps popping up as the pending unregistered free agent leads the team with 13 goals in 33 games. 

Vancouver plays three more times before the NHL's holiday break kicks in on December 24, 2025. Their next game is scheduled for Friday at 4:00 pm PT against the New York Islanders. The Canucks next home game will be on December 27, 2025, when Vancouver welcomes the San Jose Sharks to Rogers Arena.  

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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