Category: NHL

In a nationally-televised matchup, the Ducks look to sweep the season series against the Golden Knights.

The first two games of the three-game series have gone the way of the mallards, with both results coming in overtime. Jacob Trouba beat Akira Schmid through the five hole on Nov. 8 and Cutter Gauthier replicated the extra frame outcome on Nov. 22 after taking advantage of a Mitch Marner turnover.

Anaheim is coming off a 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 29, while the Golden Knights are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

Both teams are currently navigating injuries, especially in the center category. The Ducks have been without Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish while the Golden Knights are missing Brett Howden and William Karlsson. Karlsson suffered injury in that Nov. 8 game against the Ducks and has not played since. He is unlikely to return for the remainder of the regular season.

Anaheim is expected to have one, if not two of their players return from injury on Sunday. Troy Terry is expected to be in the lineup after missing the last 11 games with an upper-body injury. Terry has tried to return from the injury several times already, but ultimately felt unfit to play.

“It’s been frustrating,” Terry said. “Just annoying and frustrating, I would say. But it’s been a process and I feel confident going into (Sunday), so I’m excited.”

McTavish has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury, but participated fully in team practice on Saturday, centering Jeff Viel and Cutter Gauthier.

When asked if he would be ready to play in Sunday’s game, McTavish responded with “I feel good. It’s up to (the training staff).”

With Terry and potentially McTavish back in the fold, Anaheim would return two of their top offensive talents. With Carlsson still weeks away from returning after undergoing a procedure to treat a Morel-Lavallée lesion, the team has been a bit short of offensive creativity with the trio of Terry, McTavish and Carlsson out of the lineup.

Simplicity on defense and a streamlined approach on offense helped spur the Ducks to a seven-game winning streak, but a winnable game in Edmonton that was lost during a four-minute stretch and an offensively-devoid performance against the Canucks has been the latest wobble. They’ll look to get back in the saddle against Vegas, who is 1-2-2 in their last five games.

“They have some high-end forwards, and they’re just a good team,” Terry said. “(Can’t give) them rush chances. I think we’ve had success in their end. Establish the forecheck and just trying to do whatever we can to establish a ground game going down there.”

“They’re a really experienced team,” McTavish said. “Really big. You’ve got to really get to the inside, and put an emphasis on that. That’s something we can do. We can get to the inside really quick, too, so we can catch them off guard sometimes, but they’ll be ready to go. It’ll be a good one.”

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Ducks Projected Lines

Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Chris Kreider - Ryan Poehling - Troy Terry
Jeff Viel - Mason McTavish - Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Jansen Harkins

Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba
Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov - Ian Moore

Lukáš Dostál (projected)

Golden Knights Lines

Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev - Mitch Marner - Braeden Bowman
Jonas Røndbjerg - Tomáš Hertl - Keegan Kolesar
Cole Reinhardt - Reilly Smith - Alexander Holtz

Jérémy Lauzon - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton - Kaedan Korczak

Adin Hill (projected)

There are just three games on the NHL schedule for Sunday, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of valuable player props. Today's slate features the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium as part of the Stadium Series.

Read more below in my NHL picks for Sunday, February 1.

Best NHL player prop bets today

Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL.
(not available in Ontario)

Our best NHL player props for Sunday, February 1

Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.

Prop #1: Corey Perry Over 0.5 points

+115 at BET99

Los Angeles Kings forward and ageless wonder Corey Perry is still finding his way onto score sheets in 2026.

He's registered at least a point in six of the last seven games and in 10 of the last 12. Perry's averaging over a point-per-game since the New Year, and books are notably undervaluing him.

The vet posted two assists against the Philadelphia Flyers last night, and he's playing at his best point pace in a decade.

• Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN+

Prop #2: Darren Raddysh Over 2.5 shots on goal

+100 at BET99

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh has undoubtedly been the most improved player in the NHL this season. He has 47 points in 46 games (already a career-high), hitting the Over for shots in four straight and in seven of the last nine.

The D-man had a sizeable uptick in shot volume around mid-December, and he's tied for fifth among defensemen in shots since December 13. Raddysh faces a Bruins team that ranks 27th in shots allowed.

• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

Prop #3: Cutter Gauthier Over 2.5 shots on goal

-170 at BET99

Taking one player prop from each game may appear to be a spiny task, but there's value in each one of them.

Anaheim Ducks leading scorer Cutter Gauthier has been a shooting machine this season, as his 202 shots trail only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

He's hit the Over in eight of the last nine games, and despite Vegas ranking third in the league in shot suppression, Gautier has eight shots in two games played against them in 2025-26. The forward also has 18 shots in his last four games.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

These props are available now at BET99, one of our best betting sites.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

ELMONT, NY -- For a second straight game, New York Islanders rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer found the back of the net.

His goal at 5:57 of the first period, which gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead in an eventual 4-3 regulation loss to the Nashville Predators, was his 15th of the season:

15th goal of the season for the 18-year old, Matthew Schaefer.

Simply incredible! #Islespic.twitter.com/QPaRft0yiV

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) February 1, 2026

With that goal, Schaefer passed Vladimir Malakhov (14 goals in 1992-93) for the second-most in a season by an Islanders rookie defenseman. Only Denis Potvin (17 in 1973-74) has more. 

Islanders Rookie Matthew Schaefer Passes Bobby Orr For Second-Most Goals By An 18-Year-Old Defenseman In NHL History After Scoring vs. RangersSchaefer's late-game heroics against the Rangers rewrite Islanders history, surpassing Bobby Orr with a franchise-defining goal.

Schaefer sits two goals shy of tying Phil Housley for the most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history.

Easton Cowan has lost his mojo a little bit.

The 20-year-old was a healthy scratch for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks, with William Nylander returning to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 15.

It was the 12th time this season that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has benched Cowan.

"(Cowan) just needs a little reset here," Toronto's coach said Saturday afternoon, ahead of Toronto's matchup against Vancouver.

The rookie's game has dipped since having five points in eight games, from Jan. 6 to 19. In his last five games since Jan. 21, Cowan has registered only one assist and is sporting a minus-four rating.

"To me, I think he's lost a little bit of his swagger. That's a big part of his game, and I'm not seeing that right now from his game," Berube continued.

"He may be worried about making mistakes and just little things like that that probably are affecting him and getting in the way of him being successful right now."

It's not just the points and plus-minus that you notice about Cowan, though.

The young forward hasn't stood out much compared to the first half of the year, when he scored seven goals, with the last coming on Jan. 12 in a huge overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche.

At the time, he was showing glimpses of being the "big time" player, like he was with the OHL's London Knights. But his game has tapered off, likely in part due to the difficult schedule and Toronto's overall play.

'We're In A Different Position Than The Past': Is GM Brad Treliving Ready For Maple Leafs To Be Sellers At Trade Deadline?The Maple Leafs fell 5-2 to the Kraken on Thursday night, falling further down the standings.

Entering Saturday's game against the Canucks, the Maple Leafs had lost six consecutive games. (The last time Cowan was a healthy scratch was Dec. 27 against the Ottawa Senators.) Cowan has 17 points in 43 games this season.

"I think a young player like that, when a team is not at its best and winning and playing good hockey, it's going to affect those guys a little more," said Berube.

Whenever Cowan returns to the lineup, he should play more than 10 minutes per game.

The forward has gotten time on every line for Toronto throughout his first season in the NHL, which is a positive. However, in the same breath, Cowan hasn't played more than 13 minutes since Jan. 10 against the Canucks — 11 games ago.

'The Slant Is Incorrect' Brad Treliving Pushed Back On Criticism That The Maple Leafs Have Scaled Back How It Deals With InjuriesTreliving pushed back against an article in The Athletic questioning the elimination of a position within the sports sciences department.

If Toronto ends up becoming a seller at the trade deadline — which it sounds like they will be — Cowan should take on a larger role whenever Toronto ships out its players.

Playing in the NHL, of course, is an incredible experience for a young forward like him. He needs to play more than the ice time he's gotten recently, though.

And maybe Cowan gets a brief stint with the AHL's Toronto Marlies during the Olympic break. But whenever he's playing at the NHL level, he should be playing more than bottom-six minutes.

It's crucial for his development.

Vegas Golden Knights (25-15-14, in the Pacific Division) vs. Anaheim Ducks (28-23-3, in the Pacific Division)

Anaheim, California; Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -123, Ducks +103; over/under is 6.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights, on a four-game losing streak, play the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim has an 8-7-0 record in Pacific Division play and a 28-23-3 record overall. The Ducks have a 24-9-2 record in games they score at least three goals.

Vegas is 25-15-14 overall with a 7-3-4 record against the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have conceded 166 goals while scoring 178 for a +12 scoring differential.

The teams square off Sunday for the third time this season. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime in the previous matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Leo Carlsson has 18 goals and 25 assists for the Ducks. Mikael Granlund has four goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

Jack Eichel has 19 goals and 44 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has scored seven goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Ducks: 7-3-0, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.3 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 4-4-2, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 2.2 penalties and 4.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Ducks: None listed.

Golden Knights: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

San Jose Sharks (27-22-4, in the Pacific Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (21-25-9, in the Central Division)

Chicago; Monday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Blackhawks play the San Jose Sharks as losers of five straight games.

Chicago has a 21-25-9 record overall and an 11-14-5 record on its home ice. The Blackhawks are 6-7-4 in one-goal games.

San Jose has a 27-22-4 record overall and a 13-13-1 record on the road. The Sharks have a -18 scoring differential, with 164 total goals scored and 182 given up.

Monday's game is the first time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Donato has scored 11 goals with 10 assists for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has three goals and three assists over the last 10 games.

Alexander Wennberg has 10 goals and 26 assists for the Sharks. Tyler Toffoli has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Blackhawks: 2-6-2, averaging 1.8 goals, 2.9 assists, three penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.

Sharks: 5-4-1, averaging three goals, 5.4 assists, 3.7 penalties and 8.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Blackhawks: None listed.

Sharks: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ST. LOUIS – A chance to take five of a possible eight points on a four-game homestand with the Olympic break on the horizon was on the table for the St. Louis Blues.

A team that has no margin for error was, in the words of coach Jim Montgomery, “we wanted it to come easy,” in the first two periods, and it proved costly.

The Columbus Blue Jackets won their season-high fifth straight and seventh in eight games since Rick Bowness took over as coach on Jan. 13, winning on the second of back-to-back games, 5-3 against the Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday.

The Blues (20-26-9), who were coming off an entertaining 5-4 win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday, fell into some bad habits in a game that closed out a four-game homestand seeing them go 1-2-1.

Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to four games, Jonatan Berggren also had a goal and an assist and Brayden Schenn had two assists. Jordan Binnington fell to 2-11-1 in his past 14 starts after making 18 saves.

“I think in the first two periods, we wanted it to come easy,” Montgomery said. “We were not skating, working, hitting like we have the last handful of games. And then in the third, we did. We pushed and it ended up being too little, too late.”

Here are the game observations:

* Fourth straight loss facing opponent playing second of back-to-back – The Blues have had the good fortune, or so it should wind up being that way, of facing a team that should be lower on energy.

The Blue Jackets played on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, a 7:38 p.m. puck drop mind you. They didn’t land in St. Louis until shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, probably didn’t get into their hotel until around 2 a.m., then turn around to play less than 24 hours later in a 6:08 p.m. puck drop.

The Blues got the start they wanted, grabbing the early lead when Snuggerud scored in his second straight game, working a nice give-and-go with Schenn before beating Jet Greaves in alone at 7:11 for a 1-0 lead:

Jimmy Snuggerud is heating up. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/lmqXLc8OQt

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 1, 2026

But then their play slipped. It lagged. Why?

“I just think we're hoping for things to go right and when they don't, we wait for a push and the reality in this league, that's not good enough,” Schenn said. “We have to find ways to dig in for one another. Realistically, you can't come back every third period. If you actually play the right way for the first 20-30 minutes of the game when you've got a team on a back-to-back, you will eventually tilt the ice and hem them in, like we did (in the third), but we're always chasing games. We just don't have enough drive to come out and push teams out early on.”

They held the lead for a whole 37 seconds before Isac Lundestrom tied it 1-1 off a fortuitous bounce initially that led to a blown coverage after a good stick lift by Boone Jenner on Pavel Buchnevich.

Columbus led 2-1 after the first and outshot the Blues 10-7 after initially being outshot 6-2.

* Blues didn’t protect the front of the net – It’s an area that had seen some improvement of late, but the net front coverage and allowance of ice between the hash marks was off the mark, if you will.

All three of the remaining Columbus goals either came off missed plays that ultimately led to goals with net front traffic.

Denton Mateychuk gave Columbus their first lead 2-1 at 12:54 of the first when the Blue Jackets cycled the puck cleanup up high, then the defenseman’s shot from the top of the left circle made it through with Dmitri Voronkov providing the net front coverage in front of Binnington and getting through the Blues goalie when Colton Parayko tipped the puck through:

DENTS FOUND A LANE! 💥

CBJ x @FanaticsBookpic.twitter.com/ELA02koLwP

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 1, 2026

Kent Johnson’s goal at 8:30 of the second period made it 3-2 when Ivan Provorov’s clean wrister from the left point found its way towards Binnington and Johnson was there without any resistance to tip it home:

KJ PUTS US BACK ON TOP 💥

CBJ x @FanaticsBookpic.twitter.com/NA5zfbfJBx

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 1, 2026

And what turned out to be the game-winner, Damon Severson’s high slot blast that made it 4-3 at 16:01 of the second came off a Dalibor Dvorsky giveaway just inside the O-zone blue line, and when Parayko tried pushing the puck up the lefthand boards, it was picked off by Zach Werenski, who fed his partner, and Severson’s shot came with traffic in front again:

SEVO WITH A BLAST FROM THE POINT 💥

CBJ x @FanaticsBookpic.twitter.com/CLWTfu9WbS

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 1, 2026

“That Columbus team, by good friend Rick Bowness is doing a really good job, they’re really big and they play a heavy game; they go to the net front,” Montgomery said. “We’ve played them twice and they’ve scored three goals in both games, rebound tips, just mucking it up. Something that we’ve been trying to preach to do a little more of ourselves, and I think we’ve gotten slightly better at it but not at their level.”

* Berggren finding his niche – Yes, Berggren went through a nine-game stretch without putting up a point, but he now has three in two games, including goals in back-to-back games, and it’s not for a lack of creating.

he Swede, claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 16, tied the game 2-2 with a power-play goal at 3:15 of the second, a nice shot from the inner portion of the right circle:

ALL TIED UP! #stlbluespic.twitter.com/h1ggd1TBfc

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 1, 2026

Berggren is being given top-six minutes, but in the past two games has played on the third line, so he’s a regular in the top nine. He’s been creating plenty of opportunities, and there’s been a lack of finish by his teammates by his creativity, but there’s something about this kid I like.

“The guys have done an easy job for me to come in and play my game,” Berggren said. “I feel like even if I haven’t produced these couple games, I’ve created a lot, and that’s all I can do. Lucky now, the puck goes in. Hopefully it keeps going like that.”

* Blues didn’t build on momentum of scoring – All three times the Blues scored on Saturday, they had the opportunity to build and add to the fatigue of an opponent that played the night before.

But each time that the Blues scored, Columbus found an answer.

They tied it 37 seconds after Snuggerud gave them the lead; Johnson’s goal came 4:45 after Berggren tied it in the second, and when Tyler Tucker’s goal tied the game 3-3 at 13:35 of the second, Severson put Columbus ahead 2:26 later.

Tyler Tucker ties the game once again! #stlbluespic.twitter.com/KRDhhBbflk

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 1, 2026

“I feel like this is a game we probably should have won,” Berggren said. “… We lacked execution. We didn’t move our feet and stuff like that. I think the last 10 games, we’ve done a really good job doing.”

* Blues had a good push in the third period, needed more close-in range attempts – Down a goal, the Blues were going to have to get on the hunt, and they did. The shot clock read 15-4, and at one point it was 14-1, but it seemed that many of the chances that were heading towards Jet Greaves, the Columbus goalie was seeing well or shots dented the logo in the middle.

“Good comeback in the third and we probably should have scored,” Berggren said.

“There were some good looks,” Montgomery said. “I would like them to be closer to the net. I didn’t like, especially on the power play, they were shooting from the top of the circles instead of the hash marks. We’re not attacking the goal line, having someone on the back door trying to bang it home, or we’re not executing the play when it’s there. I thought we had good looks, but I would have liked them to be a little more dangerous.”

* Schenn, Snuggerud with Dvorsky line has been humming well – The trio combined for a nice first goal, and the trip has combined for 16 points the past five games.

It’s a situation with the older vet and the two young pups linking up well.

“Just enjoying playing with them,” Schenn said. “For me personally, I remember in a situation, I had Danny Briere on my line and guys like Wayne Simmonds and Vinny Lecavalier (with the Philadelphia Flyers). If I asked them questions, they were always giving me an answer, be hard on me sometimes, and that’s how you learn. They’re both playing really well right now, they both have a bright future, they’re both very receptive to getting better and that’s what you want.

“Lots of chatter on the bench and what we can do better rather than I’m not the yeller and screamer at my linemates, never have been. I think it’s more dialogue of finding ways to be better as a three-man group whoever you’re playing with that night. Both of – I don’t want to call them kids – but both young guys are playing well right now.”

Robert Thomas Undergoes Leg Procedure, Expected To Return After OlympicsBlues top center has missed nine games, last played Jan. 10 at Vegas

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Prior to their game on Saturday against the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated their 2016 Stanley Cup champion team, as 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the championship run.

Many of the members of that 2016 team were in attendance for the ceremony, including former GM Jim Rutherford, former head coach Mike Sullivan, Conor Sheary, Patric Hornqvist, Carl Hagelin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley, Eric Fehr, Tom Kuhnhackl, Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz, Jeff Zatkoff, and Ben Lovejoy, in addition to current Penguins' players that were part of the squad in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust.

After the ceremony concluded - it was moving and emotional enough to make Crosby and others tear up - the Penguins capped off their sixth-straight win by defeating the Rangers, 6-5, sending everyone but New York home happy. They held down their spot at second in the Metropolitan Division, and they have the sixth-best points percentage in the NHL.

As special as this year's Penguins feel, that 2016 group had a lot of special moments to offer during their quest for the Stanley Cup. Here are the top-five moments from that 2016 Cup run.

Takeaways: Penguins Survive Late Push By Rangers To Earn Sixth Straight Win On 2016 Cup Anniversary CelebrationFor the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, Saturday was a special night for a plethora of reasons.&nbsp;

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Honorable mention: Bonino! Bonino! Bonino!

🗣️ BONINO BONINO BONINO

What a call from @IceSinghHNIC on this day in 2016. 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/n0tpc0PizN

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 30, 2024

Perhaps the most memorable moment from the 2016 run was not even necessarily the the most memorable goal from the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it was certainly the most memorable goal call.

Of course, Nick Bonino's game-winning goal against the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final wasn't the first time that Hockey Night Punjabi play-by-play announcer Harnarayan Singh gave the iconic "BONINO BONINO BONINO!" call, as he also did so during Bonino's overtime game-winner in Game 6 against the Washington Capitals (which, we'll get to later). 

But this particular call was the one that went viral and is the most memorable of the bunch, and Singh recreated the call during the Victory Parade, as the Penguins fully embraced it. 

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5. Zatkoff's W, Patric's hat trick

The intrigue of the 2016 run started right from the jump in Game 1 of the first round against the Rangers. With both Fleury and Matt Murray unavailable to start Game 1, the Penguins turned to Zatkoff, who had never before appeared in a playoff game and had only 14 regular season appearances for them that season. 

Well, Zatkoff shined, allowing just two goals on 37 shots and beating Henrik Lundqvist in his playoff debut. He did start Game 2 as well but dropped that contest, allowing four goals on 27 shots.

And the other story in Game 1? That was Hornqvist, who recorded a hat trick and added an assist on a second-period Crosby goal to give the Penguins the 5-2 win and go up 1-0 in the opening-round series. 

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4. Set-up for Sheary

Sheary's big overtime goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Sharks put the Penguins up 2-0 in the series and helped set the stage for them eventually going on to win the series in six games. 

Speaking of set, it was revealed afterward that it was a set play devised by the captain just before the drop of the puck in the faceoff dot. Crosby instructed defensemen Letang and Brian Dumoulin to switch spots so he could win the faceoff back to Letang, who would find Sheary with a pass near the slot area.

And, well, the play transpired exactly how Crosby had drawn it up. 

This guy isn't one of the five best players of all time by accident.

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3. Crosby strikes Lightning

Crosby's overtime winner | vs LightningSidney Crosby fires a one-timer from the left circle over Andrei Vasilevskiy's blocker to give the Penguins a 3-2 overtime win.- via nhl.com

Crosby had a few moments of his own on the way to his first Conn Smythe trophy. And the most memorable was his overtime game-winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. 

With the Penguins trailing in the series, 1-0, a loss would have put them in a precarious position. But Crosby wasted no time when the game shifted to the extra frame, as he took a pass from Bryan Rust in the low slot area and wristed a "curveball" top-shelf over Andrei Vasilevskiy's shoulder, tying the series.

The Penguins went on to win in seven games and go to their first Cup final since 2009, when they beat the Detroit Red Wings. 

---

2. HBK Line sends Washington packing

Happy retirement, and welcome to the #LetsGoPens coaching staff, Nick Bonino. pic.twitter.com/F8vYMy3or0

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) June 19, 2025

Perhaps the biggest story of the 2016 playoffs was the HBK Line, which consisted of Hagelin, Bonino, and Phil Kessel. The trio combined for 20 goals and 56 points in 24 games, and there was no one play bigger than Bonino's overtime goal in Game 6 against the Capitals.

The third line gained the zone, and Bonino got the puck to Hagelin in the right corner. Hagelin then got it to Kessel in the left corner, who fed Hagelin in the low slot area. Bonino was there to pick up the loose change in front, and the Penguins celebrated a second-round win.

This was also one of the more legendary calls by Doc Emrick.

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1. Letang's goal clinches Cup for Penguins

Letang's Cup-Clinching Goal Against the Sharks | Biggest Goals in Penguins HistoryThe highly-skilled Kris Letang spun along the boards to keep possession of the puck, attempted a pass, got the puck back, and then found an opening to score ...

Well, we'll cheat a little bit here and make this a bit of a double moment, as one does not happen without the other.

Near the midway point of the second period in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final - and with the Penguins up in the series on the Sharks, 3-2 - Letang took a feed from Crosby, who was behind the net, low in the right circle. He found the gap between Sharks' goalie Martin Jones and the post, putting the Penguins up, 2-1, and providing the eventual Cup-clinching goal for the Penguins.

They went on to win, 3-1, after an empty-net goal by Hornqvist, taking home the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history and capping off a dominant run.

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For the Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday was a special night for a plethora of reasons. 

Prior to their late afternoon tilt against the New York Rangers, the Penguins honored the members of their 2016 Stanley Cup champion team, as this year marks its 10th anniversary. Many of the players on that team returned, too, including Pascal Dupuis, Carl Hagelin, Patric Hornqvist, Ben Lovejoy, and others. Even the Rangers brought two returnees in forward Conor Sheary and former Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan, now bench boss of the Rangers.

The ceremony was special enough to make captain Sidney Crosby shed tears. But, to top it all off, the Penguins came away with yet another victory at the end of it. 

Sidney Crosby has all the feels looking back at the 2016 @penguins team that won the #StanleyCup 🏆

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/5yxrRLf64p

— NHL (@NHL) January 31, 2026

Despite a late push by the Rangers, the Penguins emerged victorious by a score of 6-5 to earn their league-best sixth consecutive win. Once again, Pittsburgh got contributions from up and down their lineup, with Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari reach registering two goals en route to the win. 

Mantha kicked off the scoring two and a half minutes into the game when he tipped a shot by linemate Rutger McGroarty from near the left point. Acciari one-timed his first on a feed from Blake Lizotte less than four minutes later after a hard-working shift by the fourth line, as Lizotte forced a turnover and made a nice play to keep the puck in the zone, Connor Dewar made a diving play to get the puck deep, and Connor Clifton had another zone keep prior to the goal. 

The Penguins controlled most of play in the second period as well. At the very end of a power play, Rickard Rakell failed to put the puck in the net on a shot from the low slot, but he pounced on his own rebound and fed a perfect, behind-the-back backhand pass to a waiting Mantha at the net-front, who put it in right after the man advantage expired to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead. 

WE WANT SOME MO.

Anthony Mantha records his fourth multi-point game in the last six 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WuTfO6TjDN

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

However, the Penguins took a late penalty for too many men near the end of the second, and Alexis Lafreniere made them pay with his 11th of the season to cut the Penguins' lead to 3-1. 

But the Penguins responded early in the third on a power play of their own, as Rakell put one in at the net-front to give Pittsburgh back the three-goal lead, with Erik Karlsson registering his 700th assist on the play. Acciari scored his second of the game and sixth of the season - surpassing his goal total from last seaosn - just 20 seconds later to make it 5-1. 

A PPG FOR PGH!

And Karl tallies his 700th @NHL assist 👏 pic.twitter.com/4ITyx3SZsj

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

Things got a bit hairy after that, though. Approaching the midway point of the period, the Penguins got another power play, but Vincent Trocheck capitalized on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity to bring the score to 5-2. Then, with less than five minutes to go, Vladislav Gavrikov scored to cut the Rangers' deficit to only two.

With goaltender Jonathan Quick pulled, Ben Kindel did put the puck into the empty net to make it 6-3 with two and a half minutes remaining, scoring his fourth goal in the last three games. But with more than a minute remaining, Lafreniere scored another one, and then Will Cuylle scored with 10 seconds left to bring the game to within one. 

The Penguins iced the puck after the center draw with a little more than three seconds left on the clock, but Acciari won the defensive zone draw to give the Penguins the narrow 6-5 victory.

Playoffs May Change Sentiment Around Penguins' 2026 First-Round PickIf the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to win hockey games and worsen their first-round draft positioning, the team could possibly look to move their 2026 first-rounder for an impact player

---

Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this one:

- Let's start with the 2016 ceremony because this was a really cool moment. 

Sullivan got a nice ovation from the crowd. So did Hornqvist and Hagelin. But, of course, none other than Marc-Andre Fleury got the biggest ovation, as he usually does when he steps foot in the city of Pittsburgh these days. 

But the tribute video itself was moving and emotional, so much so that it brought Crosby to tears. And Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Fleury. And others. Even Penguins' head coach Dan Muse admitted he got chills during the video.

The Penguins always do these things right, and in front of a sellout crowd, boy, they got it right. The 2016 squad joined the team in the locker room after the game and went to dinner afterward. Just a really nice evening that was made better with a win.

Time passes, but the feeling still lives here 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KqKPC6pMQp

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

- Now, about the game. 

Even if the Penguins came away with the win, it wasn’t a perfect game. A few defensive lapses led to goals against late in this one, and their first power play unit was, once again, largely struggling. 

Most things have been going right for this team in the month of January. But they're still surrendering a lot of third-period goals, and their power play is a bit dysfunctional right now, as it only has one goal in its last 15 opportunities. 

Those are both things they need to clean up if they expect to keep winning hockey games in the stretch run of the season - especially during their gauntlet in the month of March.

Erik Karlsson Hits Career Milestone On SaturdayErik Karlsson notched his 700th assist during Saturday's game.

- Mantha is on quite the tear right now. And, coincidentally, so is Kindel. 

Mantha has five goals and eight points in his last four games and 10 points in his last six. Kindel has four goals and five points in his last three games. That third line has been the Penguins' best for the past three games, and it's largely because these two have developed some legitimate chemistry - even if they didn't directly connect on a goal Saturday. 

With 19 goals and 40 points, Mantha is well on his way to a career-best season, and Kindel is on his way to more production in what has already been a wildly impressive rookie season. These guys give them so much depth in their lineup, and the Penguins need them to continue putting up numbers for them.

MAN O-MANTHA.

Anthony Mantha is riding a four-game point streak 💪 pic.twitter.com/zcjzsXzb8q

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

- Let's not forget the third guy on that line right now, either.

McGroarty has had himself two really nice games since being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). He's been good defensively, he's been forcing turnovers, hanging around the net front, and - quite simply - working his behind off. 

He looks like a much different player than he was a few weeks ago. I asked McGroarty if he'd be going back to WBS over the break, and he confirmed he would be to get more games in because he's missed so much time to injury this season. This will definitely benefit him.

But it really is a shame that there is not room for McGroarty in the NHL lineup when Bryan Rust returns from his suspension. This is a guy that probably belongs in the NHL, but there is no one that can be pried from their current lineup.

Without a doubt, he'll be the first player they call on when they need a player. But he's earning himself a bigger look with his play right now. 

'Prove-It' Mindset Big Part Of Penguins' Success, IdentityThe Pittsburgh Penguins - individually and collectively - are forging an identity, in part, because of a "prove-it" mindset that has contributed to their success this season

- As great as Stuart Skinner has been for the Penguins lately, this was not his best outing. 

He surrendered five goals on 20 shots, and he was very shaky late in this one, even if the Penguins' defense wasn't doing him any favors. He did look good early on, when the Rangers pressed early in the game, and he made a few nice saves. But he also didn't really get much of a workload until the end of the game, either. 

Skinner himself admitted that he didn't like his warm-up, and he wasn't happy with what transpired late in the game. However, if there was a game for Skinner to be off his game, it was this one, as the Penguins' offense gave him that cushion.

STUUUUU!!! pic.twitter.com/Hn2Wvcs3Sg

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

- Acciari deserves flowers for his play this season. Not only has he shown some legitimate offensive prowess akin to his 20-goal campaign with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20, he has continued to be a key part of that fourth line's ability to both drive play and be reliable on defense. 

It's not an exaggeration to say this fourth line is hockey's best. As good as Lizotte and Dewar have been, Acciari has been equally as good. And he deserves credit for that. 

- The Penguins will play the Ottawa Senators at home Monday before facing the New York Islanders Tuesday and the Buffalo Sabres Thursday to close out their pre-Olympic schedule. 

These are important games, particularly the one against the Isles. The Penguins would be wise to take at least two out of three here in order to give themselves some cushion, once again, for their gauntlet in March.

Penguins Forward Sets Career High In Goals On Thursday Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar set a new career high in goals on Thursday.

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Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari scored two goals apiece, and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins held off the New York Rangers 6-5 on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.

Mantha and Acciari beat Jonathan Quick twice in a span of just over three minutes early in the first period to give the Penguins an early cushion. Mantha made it 3-0 with an easy tap-in in the second period. Acciari and Rickard Rakell scored 20 seconds apart early in the third to push Pittsburgh’s advantage to 5-1 on a night the franchise celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 2016 club that won the Stanley Cup.

Erik Karlsson became the 12th defenseman in NHL history to reach 700 career assists when he picked up the secondary helper on Rakell’s 10th goal of the season 1:20 into the final period. The other 11 defensemen to reach the 700-assist plateau are in the Hall of Fame.

Stuart Skinner improved to 8-1 in his last nine starts but nearly let a four-goal third period get away.

Alex Lafreniere scored twice for the Rangers. Vincent Trocheck, Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Cuylle all scored during a late rally, but it wasn’t enough for the Rangers to fall to 2-10 since goaltender Igor Shesterkin was lost indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

AVALANCHE 5, RED WINGS 0

DETROIT (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to become the league’s first 40-goal scorer this season and the Colorado Avalanche continued their dominance of Detroit with a victory.

MacKinnon also had an assist, giving him 699 for his career. He failed to score in the previous five games, his longest drought of the season. MacKinnon increased his season point total to 91, trailing only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid.

Mackenzie Blackwood secured his third shutout this season by making 28 saves. Colorado is 14-0-1 in its last 15 meetings with Detroit.

Brent Burns, Ross Colton and Parker Kelly also scored for the Avalanche, while Artturi Lehkonen added two assists.

KINGS 3, FLYERS 2, OT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored twice in regulation and assisted on a goal by Quinton Byfield in overtime to help the Los Angeles Kings beat the Philadelphia Flyers.

Kempe scored twice in a span of 3:38 in the first period to give the Kings a 2-0 lead. After a Philadelphia rally, Kempe fed Byfield for his 10th goal of the season, a snap shot from the right circle that beat Flyers goalie Dan Vladar over his right shoulder.

Andrei Kuzmenko, who the Kings acquired from the Flyers at last season’s trade deadline, appeared to score a goal that would have extended the Los Angeles lead to 3-0 in the first period, but the Flyers challenged that the play was offside, and after review the goal came off the board.

Philadelphia rallied behind goals from Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny to force overtime.

Konecny has scored in three straight games for Philadelphia, and has registered at least one point in seven of his last eight.

JETS 2, PANTHERS 1

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored the go-ahead goal with 4:14 remaining, lifting Winnipeg to a win over sliding and short-handed Florida.

Winnipeg was 1-18-2 in games where it trailed entering the third period going into the game, and was down 1-0 with 20 minutes left against the Panthers. But the Jets scored twice in a span of just over seven minutes to take command.

Cole Perfetti scored with 11:26 left to tie the game, then Scheifele got his 27th of the season for what became the game-winner.

Eric Comrie stopped 27 shots for the Jets, including one with 37.1 seconds left on a shot by Matthew Tkachuk. Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett got shots to the net after that as well for the Panthers, but neither got by Comrie and the Jets prevailed for just the third time in their last nine games.

Eetu Luostarinen got the goal for Florida, which has dropped three straight and ended the game eight points back of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers — who have been without Aleksander Barkov all season — played Saturday without Brad Marchand, who is day to day, along with Anton Lundell and Seth Jones, among others.

FLAMES 3, SHARKS 2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Joel Farabee’s short-handed goal at 6:53 of the third period broke a tie and sent Calgary to a victory over San Jose.

Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin each scored his 12th goal of the season for the Flames (22-26-6), who overcame a pair of one-goal deficits and snapped a five-game losing streak.

Will Smith and Adam Gaudette scored for the Sharks (27-22-4), who have lost two in a row and four of seven.

Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 39 shots for the Sharks, while Dustin Wolf made 23 saves for the Flames.

Wolf’s best stop came against Macklin Celebrini with 21 seconds remaining when he stuck out a pad to deny the star forward after he was set up all by himself in front of the net.

CAPITALS 4, HURRICANES, 3, OT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justin Sourdif scored off a rebound at 1:42 of overtime and Washington overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Carolina.

Down 3-0 early in second period, the Capitals tied it on defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s goal with 6:42 left in regulation — his 19th of the season.

Hendrix Lapierre and Dylan Strome scored in the second period to start the rally and help give Clay Stevenson his first NHL victory. Stevenson won in his second career start and first of the season, stopping 19 shots.

Washington has won two in a row. It beat beat Detroit 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night to end a six-game trip.

Mark Jankowski, Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for Carolina, and Frederik Andersen made 38 saves. The Hurricanes had won two in a row and five of six.

BLUE JACKETS 5, BLUES 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kent Johnson had a goal and assist and Columbus beat St. Louis for its season-best fifth straight victory.

The Blue Jackets have won nine of 10, outscoring opponents 38-27 since Jan. 11.

Damon Severson, Isac Lundestrom, Denton Mateychuk and Mason Marchment also scored for Columbus. Jet Greaves made 28 saves.

Tyler Tucker, Jonatan Berggren and Jimmy Snuggerud scored for St. Louis.

Jordan Binnington stopped 18 shots. He has lost has lost six consecutive starts and 10 of the last 11.

Severson broke a 3-3 tie on a power play with 3:59 left in the second period with his fourth goal of the season.

PREDATORS 4, ISLANDERS 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Roman Josi scored with 1:14 remaining in the game to lift Nashville past New York.

Filip Forsberg scored twice for Nashville, while Matthew Wood added a goal and an assist as the Predators snapped a three-game losing streak. Juuse Saros finished with 27 saves including a point-blank stop on Emil Heineman in the closing seconds.

On his winner, Josi skated into the Islanders zone, circled back and fired a shot over the glove of Ilya Sorokin that made him the first defenseman in franchise history with 200 career NHL goals.

Mathew Barzal finished with a goal and an assist for the Islanders. Matthew Schaefer and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored but the Islanders’ three-game winning streak came to an end. Sorokin made 38 saves.

CANADIENS 4, SABRES 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Cole Caufield scored twice to help give Montreal a win over Buffalo at KeyBank Center.

Caufield scored his 31st and 32nd goals of the season in the third period to help Montreal overcome a 2-1 deficit for their third straight win.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Oliver Kapanen also scored for the Canadiens and Jakub Dobes made 36 saves.

Owen Power and Noah Ostlund scored for the Sabres who had a five-game win streak snapped. Alex Lyon made 27 saves.

MAPLE LEAFS 3, CANUCKS 2, SO

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Auston Matthews and William Nylander scored in a shootout and Toronto beat Vancouver to end a six-game losing streak.

Matthews had a chance to win it in overtime when he was awarded a penalty shot after Conor Garland was called for hooking, but goaltender Nikita Tolopilo made the save.

Nicolas Roy and Max Domi scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll made 28 saves.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander scored for Vancouver. The Canucks have two wins in their last 17 games.

Domi tied it early in the third with a shot that hit Tolopilo’s shoulder then rolled over his back into the net.

Tolopilo stopped 39 shots.

SENATORS 4, DEVILS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in his first start for Ottawa since taking a leave of absence Dec. 28, Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists and the Senators beat New Jersey.

Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens scored his 100th NHL goal for Ottawa. The Senators have won three in a row.

Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 30 saves for New Jersey. The Devils have lost three of four.

The Devils were without Jack Hughes. He’s out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

_____

The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their eight-game homestand on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both goals were scored by rookies as Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Tom Willander found the back of the net. As for Nikita Tolopilo, he had a strong game in net, stopping 39 of the 41 shots he faced. 

In the end, Vancouver was lucky that this game made it to overtime and eventually a shootout. The Canucks were outshot 18-5 in the third, with Tolopilo being the main reason the game finished regulation 2-2. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote was asked about what happened in the third period and why his club was unable to generate shots on goal. 

"Well, we played against a desperate team," said Foote. "They're going for it. They were pinching on us. It seemed like a few board battles, we didn't get pucks out that we should have gotten out. That's what happens when you play a team as desperate as they are."

As for Tolopilo, he was the story of the night. He came up clutch for the team in regulation and even stopped Auston Matthews in overtime on a penalty shot. Post-game, center Elias Pettersson said, "Yeah, he's really good for us. Keeping us in the game, all game long.

Another storyline from this game was the ice time of Lekkerimäki. Despite scoring, the 21-year-old did not play the final nine minutes of regulation or overtime. Post-game, Foote explained why the coaching staff decided to sit Lekkerimäki with the game tied late. 

"It's more of the defensive side," said Foote. "He's getting there for sure. The more time he's with us, the more he will know certain things, and the trust will be there. It's just slight movements defensively. It's just being young. It's not even a mistake. The longer he is here. He's a smart guy. He'll get that pretty quick. 

Lastly, one skater who had a strong game overall was Willander. He scored his sixth of the season and played 16 minutes. Post-game, Willander spoke about the performance and what has changed over the past few games. 

"I think actually over the last two games, starting last game, our defensive play has been a lot more solid," said Willander. "And I think we're finding our system a little bit better. We kind of talked through that a lot, and we're starting to find exactly what we're supposed to do in different situations. And I feel like we go better together defending as a five instead of more of man-to-man, so I think it's going the right way."

Ultimately, this was not a great performance, but thanks to Tolopilo, it resulted in Vancouver picking up a point. As for the atmosphere, it was great as Canucks and Maple Leafs fans launched duelling chants throughout the game. In the end, though, this homestand can be considered a success from a tank perspective as the team only picked up five of a possible 16 points. 

Stats and Facts:

- Elias Pettersson records his 80th blocked shot of the season

- Vancouver ends its eight-game homestand with a record of 2-5-1

- David Kämpf went 15 for 21 in the faceoff dot

- Nikita Tolopilo is the sixth rookie in franchise history to stop a penalty shot

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

No Scoring

2nd Period:

1:55- VAN: Jonathan Lekkerimäki (2) from Liam Öhgren and Pierre-Olivier Joseph
13:34- TOR: Nicolas Roy (5) from Nicholas Robertson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson
14:45- VAN: Tom Willander (4) from Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson

3rd Period:

2:26- TOR: Max Domi (9) from Auston Matthews

Overtime:

No Scoring

Shootout:

TOR: William Nylander

Up Next:

The Canucks hit the road for two straight, starting on Monday against the Utah Mammoth. Vancouver has already faced Utah once this season, which resulted in a 4-1 loss to the Mammoth. Game time is set for 6:30 pm PT. 

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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in his first start for Ottawa since taking a leave of absence Dec. 28, Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists and the Senators beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Saturday night.

Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens scored his 100th NHL goal for Ottawa. The Senators have won three in a row.

Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 30 saves for New Jersey. The Devils have lost three of four.

The Devils were without Jack Hughes. He’s out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Devils: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Senators: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.

The Florida Panthers came up short on Saturday in the first of a three-game homestand.

Playing just their third game in Sunrise over the past several weeks, Florida took a lead into the third period only to lose 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets at Amerant Bank Arena.

Despite skating without key forwards Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper-body), Florida played a strong game during the opening periods and took an earned lead into the late stages of the contest.

That lead was off a snipe by young forward Eetu Luostarien that came moments after Florida came off the power play.

As Jets’ defenseman Logan Stanley was sprinting out of the penalty box after serving a two-minute minor for cross-checking Florida forward Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues corralled the puck at the blue line and fed an open Eetu in the right circle.

It didn’t take long for Luostarinen to wind up and fire a laser of a wrist shot past a screened Jets’ goalie Eric Comrie’s glove and into the net at the 14:40 mark of the first period.

Florida held onto that lead into the third period, and it wasn’t until nearly the halfway point of that final frame that Winnipeg finally was able to light the lamp.

After Gabe Vilardi made a couple nice moves to get to the Cats’ net, a streaking Cole Perfetti found a rebound and beat Sergei Borbovsky to knot the score at one at the 8:34 mark of the third period.

That’s how the score would remain until there was just 4:14 on the clock.

On what appeared to be a harmless zone entry, Winnipeg made a couple quick passes to completely bewilder the Panthers and take a 2-1 lead in the game’s final minutes.

It was a great passing sequence, with Gus Nyquist finding Kyle Connor entering the zone and then Connor going to the back of the crease where Mark Scheifele was waiting to slam home what proved to be the game-winning goal.

On to the Sabres.

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Photo caption: Jan 31, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti (91) scores against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Islanders lost a frustrating game in regulation to the Nashville Predators, one they didn’t really deserve anything from, though the circumstances were still frustrating.

They blew an early 2-0 lead after looking pretty good in the first 10 minutes of the game, then were completely discombobulated the rest of the way, relying on Ilya Sorokin to keep them in it. Even with that, they also lost a 3-2 lead, had a goal overturned (and their coach’s challenge denied) for goalie interference on Anthony Duclair outside the crease, and gave up the game winner with just 1:14 left to play while the teams were at 4-on-4 following another head-scratching official’s ruling.

All that said, they’d have been lucky to get one point from this game and the 4-3 loss was warranted. You could argue they should’ve lost by much more — the Predators had a UBS record 22 shots in the second period alone — if only to make crystal clear they can’t get away with playing like this against non-Rangers-level foes.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

To think, it all started out like it might be a fun night. Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair were buzzing on their first shift and got the Isles on the board at 1:29 as Barzal batted a bouncing puck in at the back door.

Matthew Schaefer double the lead four minutes later when Ryan Pulock handled a difficult pass from Barzal but stumbled with it just long enough to draw the opposite side winger toward him. That left Schaefer wide open for a feed, and the 18-year-0ld drove down the left wing faceoff circle and picked his spot on Juuse Saros for his 15th(!) goal.

But the lead didn’t last, and once again the Isles special teams could not reverse the tide. Nashville got on the board at the midway point just six seconds after Adam Pelech went into the box for tripping, and the Preds added a tying goal three minutes later. As the Predators continued to push, the Isles looked lucky to escape the period tied.

Even moreso in the second, when J-G Pageau got them a brief lead scoring against the flow of play. He drove the slot and made a pass attempt for Anders Lee, who had fed him first. The pass was blocked, but it still sent all of the Predators, including Saros, the wrong way while Pageau picked up the rebound and slid it in.

Filip Forsberg tied it at 3-3 seven minutes later, and miraculously that was how things would stay until Roman Josi’s late dagger.

The Goalie Interference(?)

Patrick Roy, the veteran of 19 NHL sesons and 1,029 games, clearly doesn’t understand what counts a goalie interference in this league…and neither does anyone else. The officials aggressively called this one off rather than waiting for a Nashville challenge (Saros’ dramatic glove toss may have helped), so it was left for the Isles to challenge and note some things that we have heard are important: 1) Duclair wasn’t in the crease, 2) Saros initiated contact, with his teammate helping keep Duclair there, 3) Not even sure if that contact was what prevented Saros — who seemed more intent in coming out to push Duclair — from making a play on a shot from the other side.

New York loses their challenge on this play. Duclair interfered with Saros & prohibited him from making a save. pic.twitter.com/UVK5cJwx9U

— Nick Kieser🏒 (@KieserNick) February 1, 2026

But whatever. I’m kind of glad it happened in a game the Isles seemed intent to lose anyway. You can argue from the scoreboard that it cost them the game, but they still killed the ensuing penalty off and they were sabotaging themselves throughout, they would’ve still found a way to lose.

Roy said Saros deserved an Oscar for throwing blocker on goalie interference

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) February 1, 2026

This and That

• With the Isles under a barrage and unable to connect passes, Roy had his line blender out and was trying all kinds of combos. Nothing seemed to right the ship.
• Casey Cizikas did return to the lineup but Max Shabanov stayed in, replacing Jonathan Drouin who was officially listed as sick.
• Is there any more pure joy on Bossy’s green earth than 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer celebrating a goal?

What a goal from the kid! 🤩

Matthew Schaefer nets his 15th goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/MHae9JoTs6

— NHL (@NHL) February 1, 2026

Up Next

Can’t help thinking this one was a costly loss. Nashville is beatable, while the Penguins, Capitals, Blue Jackets and Canadiens all won tonight.

The Isles’ remaining schedule includes the back-to-back of Monday night in Washington and Tuesday back home vs. the Penguins, before they finish the pre-Olympic stretch Thursday in New Jersey.

It was an emotional day at PPG Paints Arena as a reunion of sorts was held for the Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup team.

A large chunk of the team’s roster from the 2016 Stanley Cup team was back in Pittsburgh to be honored and celebrated before the Penguins’ game against the New York Rangers.

Nothing brings back memories like a team reunion 🥹 pic.twitter.com/kGl9TR0rpm

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 1, 2026

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby spoke at length about how it felt to be reunited with his teammates, saying that as you continue playing in your career, you tend to forget some of the big moments from the winning years, but that it was awesome to see everyone back in Pittsburgh.

As a tribute video to the team was playing in the arena, Crosby was visibly emotional on the ice.

Sidney Crosby has all the feels looking back at the 2016 @penguins team that won the #StanleyCup 🏆

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/5yxrRLf64p

— NHL (@NHL) January 31, 2026

“I just you know, obviously loved that group and it’s pretty special when you have that bond and you win together,” Crosby said to Kevin Weekes during an interview on the ice. “When you see them all here and you see some of those clips, it’s definitely emotional but it’s still awesome to see them.”

Bryan Rust shared a similar sentiment.

The nostalgia is real 🐧 pic.twitter.com/GAl22uyZg5

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

“We were hockey players, and that’s our goal, to win Stanley Cups,” Rust said. “To be able to do this, and do that with the group that we had and all the amazing memories, it brings back so many smiles. It brings back happy tears.”

Patric Hornqvist said he didn’t come back to town just for the ceremony, but to take a little walk down memory lane as well.

Taking a trip down memory lane. pic.twitter.com/dtRtolEPis

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 31, 2026

“We rented a car yesterday to drive around, see our old houses, where my kids went to school, and the grocery stores,” Hornqvist said. “We almost lived our old life for one day, not playing hockey, and then the same night, you meet these guys who are like family. When you win, that’s how close you get to each other.”

As for this year’s Penguins, Pittsburgh defeated the Rangers in a 6-5 barnburner of a game.

Pittsburgh has now won six straight games and are 7-0-2 in their last nine games with their last regulation loss coming on January 11.

The Penguins are back at home on Monday night as they host the Ottawa Senators and then hit the road to face the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres before the NHL’s Olympic break.