The New Jersey Devils announced on Friday that they have recalled forward Angus Crookshank from the Utica Comets.
The 26-year-old center has played 17 games so far this season with the Devils' AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. In those games, Crookshank has scored five goals and tallied two assists for a total of seven points.
In the past two seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Crookshank has played 21 NHL games, recording 2 goals and 4 assists.
The 2018 fifth-round draft pick signed his current contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 1, 2025, securing his place on the roster through the 2026-27 season.
He is on a two-year, $1,550,000 contract with a $775,000 cap hit per season.
Crookshank joined the Devils at their morning skate ahead of the team's matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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The Detroit Red Wings have become the center of NHL trade speculation as reports continue to link the team to superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks.
Credible sources suggest the Red Wings are highly interested in acquiring Hughes. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added fuel to the rumors, saying Detroit is "very high on my list" when it comes to teams capable of pulling off a deal.
Friedman also discussed what a potential trade package could include if Vancouver were to strike a deal. According to him, the Canucks are reportedly looking for a center, saying, "I'm looking at teams that have like a #2 center that can play with Elias Pettersson, and Detroit has one of those guys," and later expanding, "Detroit does have centers that I think could interest Vancouver."
Friedman clarified that he was not referring to Dylan Larkin, implying that rookie Nate Danielson is the likely candidate. Danielson, a former top-ten draft pick, has already demonstrated his potential, notably in a recent breakout game against the Seattle Kraken where he scored his first NHL goal, had a second goal called off, and recorded the game-winning assist. Danielson could serve as a cornerstone for Vancouver’s potential retool while Hughes would provide Detroit with a key piece to strengthen their defense.
Although such a trade could benefit both teams, there are risks involved as many believe Hughes may not re-sign with Detroit and could join the New Jersey Devils in free agency to play with his brothers Jack and Luke. However, the Red Wings have several connections that could make a transition smoother.
Hughes played at the University of Michigan with current Red Wings players, including Dylan Larkin, and previously competed for the Plymouth-based U.S. National Development Program. Detroit also had the opportunity to select Hughes in the 2018 NHL Draft but instead chose Filip Zadina, who is now playing overseas.
At just 26 years old, Hughes is already labeled the greatest defenseman in Canucks history. In 455 regular-season games with the Vancouver Canucks, he has recorded 61 goals and 370 assists for a total of 431 points, while posting a plus-minus rating of plus 25.
Hughes holds the franchise records for career points and assists by a defenseman, surpassing previous marks set by Alex Edler. He reached a career-high 92 points in the 2023–24 season, which won him the James Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman and the lable of the highest-scoring defenseman in Canucks history.
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There are a number of former Buffalo Sabres players scattered throughout the NHL, having a varied level of success this season. Periodically, we will check in to see how their players are faring. Today, we start with ex-Sabres playing for the eight teams in the Central Division. The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues do not have any former Buffalo players currently on their roster, but here are those on the other six clubs.
Colorado
Victor Olofsson - F: After one season in Vegas, the three-time 20-goal scorer signed a one-year deal with the Avalanche and has been providing a solid amount of secondary scoring (6 goals, 11 assists in 27 games).
Dallas
Ilya Lyubushkin - D: The righty blueliner started his career in Arizona, was traded to Toronto, played 68 games for Buffalo in 2022-23, and is now on their fifth NHL club, after stops in Anaheim and a return to the Leafs, before signing with the Stars. In 20 games, Lyubushkin has five assists.
Minnesota
Marcus Johansson, Marcus Foligno - F, Zach Bogosian - D: Johansson has played for seven NHL clubs and is with the Wild for the second time, but at age 35 is on pace to have his best season (8 goals, 12 assists in 27 games) since 2017. Foligno, a Sabres 2009 draft pick, has only two assists in 23 games, while Bogosian, who terminated his contract after six seasons in Buffalo, has one assist in 12 games.
Ryan O’Reilly, Tyson Jost - F: The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner signed with the Predators after being a deadline acquisition by Toronto in 2023, and is currently leading a bad Nashville club in scoring with 21 points ( 9 goals, 12 assists) in 27 games. Jost played two seasons with Buffalo and made a stop in Carolina before joining the Preds this season, where he has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 20 games.
Utah
JJ Peterka - F: The Sabres second-leading scorer last season, Peterka is second only to Logan Cooley in goals with 12 and has 21 points for the Mammoth this season. The trade with Buffalo has been salvaged by the success of Josh Doan, but the injured Michael Kesselring was supposed to be the centerpiece of the deal.
Winnipeg
Colin Miller - F, Eric Comrie - G: Miller is in his third season with Winnipeg and is a depth defenseman with no points in 10 games. Comrie has been pressed into a starting role with the Jets due to Connor Hellebuyck’s knee surgery, and he is 5-5-1 with a 2.99 GAA and .897 save %.
After getting back from a seven-game road trip, Thursday night’s game against the New York Rangers wasn’t exactly the homecoming the Ottawa Senators had in mind. J.T. Miller had three assists as the Rangers defeated the Senators 4–2 at Canadian Tire Centre.
But the bigger loss for Ottawa might be centre Shane Pinto, who suffered a lower-body injury, joining the club’s expanding list of walking wounded. Pinto, Ottawa's top goal scorer (12), was injured in the first period on what appeared to be an innocuous body check from former Senator Mika Zibanejad.
Down near the end boards in Ottawa's end, Pinto tried to jump on a loose puck, but as he looked up ice, he took his eye off the puck and missed it, and it slipped off his stick blade. As he opened up to regroup and try to get his stick back on the puck, that’s when Zibanejad made contact. That left Pinto briefly off balance, and his skate appeared to get jammed into the base of the boards.
Before leaving, Pinto went for a brief skate, trying to test out his lower body injury during a stoppage before deciding he couldn't continue.
Senators head coach Travis Green, as is customary, said he hoped to know more about Pinto's prognosis on Friday. When Friday came, all Green would say was that Pinto wouldn't be available for the next game, scheduled for Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues.
“He’s a big loss,” Green told TSN during their Thursday broadcast.
After getting Brady Tkachuk back in the lineup last week, after he had missed 20 games with a thumb injury, the Senators were hoping for a run of good luck in the injury department. Instead, Thomas Chabot was re-injured, and Artem Zub and Lars Eller also missed Thursday’s game. All are now listed as day-to-day, though Zub is expected back on Saturday night.
And now Pinto is banged up as well.
As for Thursday's game, the 4-2 loss to the Blueshirts, Artemi Panarin hit the 900-point mark for his career with a goal and an assist. Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens had the Senators’ goals, and Leevi Meriläinen stopped 23 of 27 shots. Igor Shesterkin was excellent and always seems to have the Senators' number.
Brady Tkachuk had an assist in the game and moved past Wade Redden on the Senators’ all-time scoring list. He is now in fifth place with 411 points.
The Senators are back at it on Saturday at home against the St. Louis Blues at 7:00 p.m.
During the off-season, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram was a very popular name in the rumor mill. However, he ended up staying put in Buffalo after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension.
Yet, with the Sabres struggling and Byram having the potential to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2027, questions about his long-term future in Buffalo are still there. Due to this, he could be a player to watch this season.
If the Sabres end up shopping Byram closer to the deadline, these three teams could be good fits for him.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have been a nice surprise this season and could look to add to their roster because of it. When looking at their group, it is clear that they could use another impactful left-shot defenseman. Because of this, they would make a lot of sense as a suitor for Byram. This is especially so when noting that Byram is still just 24 years old and would fit in nicely on a team on the rise like Philly.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins could be an intriguing landing spot for Byram. The Metropolitan Division club has had a strong start to the 2025-26 season, and bringing in a young defenseman like Byram could help them maintain this kind of momentum. The Penguins' left side could also use improvement, so Byram could be a great pickup for them.
St. Louis Blues
It has been a nightmare season for the Blues, and it would not be surprising if they looked to switch up their roster because of it. They could use another left-shot defenseman, so it would make sense for them to try to bring in Byram. This is especially so when noting that they were heavily linked to him during the off-season as well.
It's also made UFA-eligible left winger
Kiefer Sherwood a popular target in an otherwise thin trade market
thus far.
Quinn Hughes was
not considered to be among the Canucks' trade candidates. However,
the uncertainty over whether he'll sign a contract extension has
raised questions about the 26-year-old superstar defenseman's future
in Vancouver. That's generating conjecture about potential trade
destinations for the 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner.
The Hockey News' Adam Kierszenblat doesn't think the Canucks should be in a win-now mode this season. That means he thinks the Canucks' brass should sit down with Hughes to discuss his future and whether he would want to play through a retool or rebuild.
If the Canucks
peddle Hughes, Kierszenblat believes the Canucks should focus on acquiring prospects and picks over established NHL players.
Ben Kuzma of The Province, meanwhile, believes they'll seek
a multi-player return that helps them get younger and eventually
better.
Kuzma felt that
interested clubs would want assurances that Hughes wouldn't be a
one-year rental. He suggested ties to certain teams could determine
where he lands, proposing the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers as destinations.
Hughes spent his
formative hockey years in Michigan with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and the NCAA
Wolverines. His brothers, Jack and Luke, play for the Devils.
Meanwhile, former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet is now the Flyers'
bench boss.
Kuzma speculated
that the Canucks could seek a return of winger Lucas Raymond, rookies
Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson, and a 2026 first-round pick
from the Red Wings.
Daily Faceoff's
Anthony Di Marco thinks the Canucks would want winger Tyson Foerster
and prospect Porter Martone as part of the return from the Flyers.
However, they might prefer sending a package to Vancouver centered
around a defenseman such as Jamie Drysdale or Cam York.
The asking price
from the Devils could include promising defenseman Simon Nemec.
Center Dawson Mercer or rookie winger Arseny Gritsyuk could also be
part of the deal.
The Red Wings,
Devils and Flyers could be reluctant to gut their rosters for
Hughes, but interested clubs should be prepared to pay a high price
for a superstar of his caliber.
Earlier this week, NHL.com's Dan Rosen was asked what level of interest the Oilers had
in Jarry. He pointed out that they know what they have with
inconsistent starter Stuart Skinner, who has backstopped them to
consecutive Stanley Cup finals.
Rosen didn't rule
out the possibility of the Oilers seeking a replacement, but he noted
that Jarry has his own inconsistency issues, plus an injury history.
He felt that the only way they would make a move for Jarry is if they
believe he can carry them to the Stanley Cup.
Given Jarry's
career and his post-season record thus far, it's unlikely he'll
replace Skinner in Edmonton.
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The Anaheim Ducks are at a surprisingly critical time in their season, a season in which they’re on track to end their seven-season playoff drought, as they sit atop the Pacific Division standings in early December and 27 games into the 2025-26 season.
However, their position remains a bit precarious, as they have just a one-point lead on the Vegas Golden Knights (32 points), who’ve played one less game than Anaheim (33 points). Also, just five points separate them from being on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in.
After jumping out to a hot start, under a new coaching staff and surprising opponents, teams seem to have adjusted and are better prepared to counter what the Ducks are trying to accomplish on a night-to-night, shift-by-shift basis. As the Ducks have undergone a systemic facelift and dealt with the pitfalls of that adjustment, the backbone of the team to this point in the season has been Lukas Dostal.
Dostal is one week into a 2-3 week timeframe to return from an upper-body injury and has been sidelined for the Ducks’ last five games, where the Ducks have gone 2-3-0. He carried an 11-5-1 record, a .904 SV%, and had saved 10.1 goals above expected (T-12th in the NHL). He, along with the Ducks' early-season ability to outscore their problems, had papered over much of the Ducks’ defensive deficiencies.
One of the areas that needed a tweak was the penalty kill, which currently sits 27th in the NHL, killing at a 75% rate. It’s not an area they can afford to be poor in, as through 27 games, they have taken 97 minor penalties (10th in the NHL) and average 10.2 PIM per game (eighth in the NHL).
The Ducks coaching staff, specifically head coach Joel Quenneville and assistant coach Ryan McGill, have begun to make said necessary tweaks. They began by overhauling their personnel deployment while down a man.
Heading into their game on Monday against the St. Louis Blues, three staples of the Ducks’ penalty kill had been Jackson LaCombe (averaging 3:04 shorthanded TOI), Leo Carlsson (1:52), and Troy Terry (1:48). All three star players were taken off the penalty kill entirely.
Pavel Mintyukov was placed on the top PK unit with Jacob Trouba. The second unit now consists of Drew Helleson and Radko Gudas. The first forwards over the boards on the kill are now Ryan Poehling and Alex Killorn, with a combination of Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano, Jansen Harkens, and Cutter Gauthier behind them.
“Our penalty killing, I think, we had a great start to the season. I thought we did some good things,” Joel Quenneville said of his unit when asked about taking his trio of stars off the kill. “Then, I think we were getting probably too many penalties, which they’re (the opposing team) going to start to figure it out.
“So I think we can manage the amount of time we’re putting them on the (penalty kill), and at the same time, our group can be more effective by being together, knowing the pressure points, and taking away shooting lanes. It’s a combination of both. Leo and Terry, getting them resting for more of the 5v5 and the power play. It was a lot of ice time, something we looked at.“
The Ducks are now two games into this experiment, and the results have been there. The Ducks have killed seven of eight penalties over the last two games: a 4-1 win over the Blues and a 7-0 blowout loss against the Utah Mammoth.
Terry and Carlsson are both players who possess quality defensive tools. Terry is disruptive and influences attackers to low-danger areas from the wing, while Carlsson can diagnose breakouts and kill plays in the neutral zone or forecheck. However, when placed on the kill together, they were perhaps too aggressive, quick to jump for secondary pressure, and attempted to manufacture offense while down a player.
LaCombe, while an ace at defending the rush, has had his struggles this season boxing out and eliminating sticks at the net front. Too often was the opposing net front forward able to sustainably screen the Ducks’ netminder, get tips on perimeter shots, and put rebounds in the back of the net.
Though the sample is small, the Ducks have found a better balance of aggressiveness and passiveness while in zone on the kill. Carlsson, Terry, and LaCombe are now theoretically freer to focus on the offensive side of the puck, where they’re truly special, and can conserve needed energy for those 5v5 and power play minutes.
The Ducks will have a tall order on Friday, as they’ll host the white hot Washington Capitals, who have won their last six games and nine of their last ten. Despite now leading the Metropolitan Division, the Caps have only converted 17.3% of their power plays (T-22nd in the NHL) and have only generated 7.66 xGF/60 minutes (24th in the NHL) while on the man-advantage. They’ve gone 4-13 (30.8%) on the power play during their current six-game winning streak. Still, this will be a good chance to see how the PK unit is progressing on the Anaheim side.
Florida dropped their fourth straight game on Thursday night when they gave up a late 1-0 lead to the Nashville Predators before losing 2-1 in overtime.
The defeat was also the fifth in a row on home ice for the Panthers, which is a bit alarming on its own.
Now 26 games into the season, Florida is going to have a lot of work to do if they want to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into playoff contention.
Let’s get to Thursday’s takeaways:
OVERALL TIGHT GAME
Credit to Nashville, who looked like a far better team than the one Florida dominated while skating to an 8-3 victory last Monday in their barn.
This game was far different as the Predators were much more disciplined in their systems and got much better goaltending from Juuse Saros.
That’s about where the discipline stopped for either team, though, as there were a total of 11 power plays on Thursday.
No power play goals, though.
“I think there was offense to have by both teams,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think both teams’ penalty kill was really good, and it was a 1-1 game at the end because the goalies were good.”
PENALTIES SHIFTED MOMENTUM
Florida was riding high through the game’s first 40 minutes.
While they held a slim 1-0 advantage, the Panthers were controlling puck possession and racking up the scoring chances.
That all changed thanks to a pair of penalties called on the Panthers, one in the final seconds of the second period and one almost immediately after the first one expired.
While Nashville didn’t score on either power play, starting the final frame up a man for nearly five minutes was enough to build their confidence and shift the tone of the game.
Florida had also enjoyed three straight power plays during the second period, and when many of your power play guys also go out on the penalty kill, that’s a lot of ice time for a select group of players.
“Well, we come out, we're in the box for four minutes in the first five minutes, and at that point in time, we’ve run that top-end of guys because we've had so many minutes on the power play, there's not much rest for them, so (Nashville) get a little quicker than we did,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Most of their action came in a barrage of shots. It wasn't sustained.”
BUILDING ON SMALL VICTORIES?
It’s not all doom and gloom for the Panthers.
Quite frankly, it can’t be.
There is plenty of hockey left to be played this season, and Florida is a team that still knows its ceiling is much higher than what they’ve shown to this point.
Eventually, things should turn back in a positive direction for the Panthers, but they need to start building toward that immediately.
“You're not going to be confident,” said Maurice. “It's an impossible thing to give. It's got to be earned. You just need to stack up smaller plays, break your game down to incremental things, moving the puck on the tape, finishing checks, just getting pucks on the net instead of picking corners. But, you know, we're cracking posts right now, and at least that part's there. The opportunities are there.”
Photo caption: Dec 4, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save against Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The Detroit Red Wings are only three points from the top spot in the Atlantic Division, but if they had tightened up defensively in recent games, they could have easily been sitting in the first overall position.
For the sixth time in their last eight outings, the Red Wings allowed their opposition to find the back of the net at least four times in what was a 6-5 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday evening at Nationwide Arena.
So far this season, the Red Wings have allowed 97 goals, just one fewer than the league-worst 98 surrendered by the St. Louis Blues. Their collective .46 goals-against average also ranks 27th in the NHL.
The Red Wings fought back from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits to grab a 5-4 lead midway through the third period, only to watch the Blue Jackets knot the score late in regulation with goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on the bench for an extra attacker and then later win in the shootout.
Head coach Todd McLellan has repeatedly emphasized how critical it is to limit opposing scoring chances, but once again, the Red Wings are struggling to find that consistency.
"We've all been talking about this for a long time," McLellan said. "There are moments when we do a real good job of it and we look solid then we get away from it. Trying to find that consistency."
While the Red Wings delivered a strong showing on the power play, converting three of five chances, their penalty killing wasn't as effective, surrendering two goals on three man-advantage chances by the Blue Jackets.
Patrick Kane, who scored the 496th goal of his NHL career in the third period, loved the power-play performance of his club, but knows the difference came down to not shutting down the opportunities by Columbus.
"We got our power-play opportunities and capitalized on the power play....that’s kind of what we expect from that group," Kane said. "We had a good night on the power-play but gave up a couple on the penalty kill and 6-on-5, so it’s kind of what the game comes down to sometimes."
Kane and the Red Wings will continue their road swing by traveling to Seattle for a Saturday night tilt against the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET.
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After taking warmups, forward Jonathan Drouin was a late scratch on Thursday night. The 30-year-old woke up feeling something in his lower back and ultimately couldn't go. He's day-to-day, but the positive news is that he is coming on the trip, and the injury appears to be minor. With the way Maxim Tsyplakov filled in for him on the Mathew Barzal line, there's no reason to rush Drouin if he can't go on Saturday or even Sunday.
Drouin, who signed a two-year deal worth $4 million annually on July 1, has three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 26 games this season.
Forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau will travel with the Islanders, but isn't likely to play. The 33-year-old sustained an upper-body injury in their 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 22. Initially ruled week-to-week, general manager Mathieu Darche shared that the expectation was to have Pageau back before Christmas. He started skating on his own late last week and rejoined team practice on Tuesday, Dec. 2, wearing a non-contact jersey.
Pageau, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, has recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 22 games.
One injury update from Bridgeport: defenseman Isaiah George (upper body) has returned to practice and is considered day-to-day. The 21-year-old, who played 33 games for the Islanders in 2024-25, has not played since Nov. 14 against Wilkes-Barre Scranton. Defenseman Travis Mitchell has played the last four games for the Islanders, trying to navigate the absence of Alexander Romanov. Romanov is out for the season with a right shoulder injury that requires surgery.
George has one goal and three assists in 14 games with Bridgeport this season, owning a +3.
The Islanders did not hold a practice on Friday. They will hold a morning skate in Tampa on Saturday ahead of their 7 PM puck drop against the Lightning. They will not skate on Sunday morning with puck drop against the Panthers at 5 PM.
The Vancouver Canucks (10–14–3) will enter their match against the Utah Mammoth (13–12–3) in a unique position; on the hunt for their first win against the Mammoth. Vancouver lost all three games against Utah during the team’s inaugural NHL season and has yet to collect their first win against them. A win against the Mammoth tonight would snap Vancouver’s current three-game losing streak after the team lost 3–1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Utah is coming off a commanding 7–0 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
In their last game, Vancouver was sorely outmatched and outplayed by a Colorado team who has dominated the NHL this year. All things considered, they managed to hang in there pretty decently, though one thing that was sorely lacking was their ability to generate quality scoring chances. Utah has been one of the better teams in the NHL in limiting overall scoring chances against with 732 total chances allowed throughout 28 games played. They have also allowed 83 goals against average — a whole 15 lower than Vancouver’s 98.
Surprisingly, the Mammoth are currently near the top of the NHL in goals-for with 87 scored in 28 games. They currently have four players who have scored 10 or more goals so far this season — Logan Cooley (14), JJ Peterka (12), Nick Schmaltz (10), and Dylan Guenther (10). They are one of a select group of teams that have four 10+ goal scorers at this point in the season, with the New Jersey Devils being the other. Adding to that, nine of their 87 goals have come from their blueline, with Mikhail Sergachev leading the way with three.
Players To Watch:
Linus Karlsson
Karlsson is coming off a game that saw him score his fifth goal of the 2025–26 season, tying him with Evander Kane and Max Sasson for seventh on the team in goals scored. By the end of the game, Karlsson had ended up on the Canucks’ top line alongside Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane. Vancouver’s lines were mixed up during Thursday’s practice due to players battling the flu and the return of Nils Höglander and Conor Garland in regular practice sweaters, though Karlsson was still playing alongside Pettersson. Now with three goals in his past six games, Karlsson will be a player to keep an eye on tonight — especially if he keeps his new spot in the lineup.
Daniil But
The 12th-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, But made his NHL debut in Utah’s last game after being called-up to the Mammoth. Despite not yet grabbing his first NHL point, But played well against the Ducks on Wednesday and was put on a line with Cooley and Guenther. With two talented young players skating alongside him, But will be a player to watch tonight.
Vancouver Canucks (10–14–3):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 8–14-22
Quinn Hughes: 2–20–22
Kiefer Sherwood: 12–4–16
Brock Boeser: 9–7–16
Filip Hronek: 2–14–16
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 5–4–0
Kevin Lankinen: 4–8–3
Nikita Tolopilo: 1–1–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Utah Mammoth (13–12–3):
Points:
Clayton Keller: 9–16–25
Nick Schmaltz: 10–14–24
Logan Cooley: 14–9–23
JJ Peterka: 12–9–21
Dylan Guenther: 10–11–21
Goaltenders:
Karel Vejmelka: 11–7–2
Vitek Vanecek: 2–5–1
Game Information:
Start time: 6:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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Ivan Provorov(4), Kirill Marchenko(9-PPG), Kent Johnson(3), and Adam Fantilli(10-PPG, 11) poured in the goals for Columbus, while Elvis Merzlikins was good at times in a 5-4 shootout win against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Blue Jackets have been in some wild games of late. Not like the New Jersey game wild, but this one had its own wild identity.
The two teams combined for six goals in the second period, five of which were power-play goals. Dmitri Voronkov took a double minor for high-sticking 7:52 into the second and then took a two-minute minor for high-sticking with 25 seconds left in the period. The Wings scored on all three penalties to put the score at 4-3 going into the third period.
The Blue Jackets were up 3-1 in this game, and wouldn't you know it, they lost the lead. Adam Fantilli scored 13:50 in the period to give the Jackets another lead at the end of the second.
When Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat scored two minutes apart with just over eight minutes left in the game, CBJ fans inside NWA could do nothing but sit back and watch them lose another game in which they had a two-goal lead.
Adam Fantilli, however, was bound and determined not to let that happen, though. Fantilli scored his 11th goal of the season, and second of the night with 1:31 left to tie the game at 5. All the Jackets had to do was hold on for another 1:31 to send the game to overtime.
With every point being important, even making it to overtime is a win. On Thursday night, the Rangers, Penguins, and Islanders all won, so getting two points was extremely important.
The Blue Jackets would win in overtime with two stellar shots from Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko, who are basically automatic in the shootout nowadays. Elvis Merzlikins stopped both shootout tries to earn his 6th win of the season, and 100th of his career.
Final Stats
Player Stats
Ivan Provorov scored his 4th goal.
Kirill Marchenko scored his 9th goal of the season.
Kent Johnson scored his 3rd goal of the season.
Adam Fantilli scored his 10th and 11th goals. He now has 100 career points.
Zach Werenski had 3 assists and was a plus-2.
Sean Monahan recorded 3 assists.
Cole Sillinger had 1 assist.
Denton Mateychuk tallied an assist.
Brendan Gaunce had an assist.
Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves on 33 Red Wings shots.
Team Stats
The Jackets power play went2/3.
The Columbus PK gave up three power play goals to Detroit.
Columbus won 54.8% of the faceoffs - 34/62
The Blue Jackets had 24 hits.
Up Next: The Jackets travel to Florida to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Panthers.
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Sweden has unveiled its roster for the 2026 World Juniors. Below is the star-studded lineup, filled with intriguing prospects and draft-eligible talent.
Sweden enters the tournament with a roster that includes 16 drafted players, three of whom were selected in the first round. The lineup is also interesting from a draft perspective, as it features four first-time draft-eligible players and five who went undrafted in previous years.
Swedish head coach Magnus Hävelid has high expectations heading into the tournament. A major focus this year has been scheduling two exhibition games against Canada to measure themselves against the favorites early on.
“We dream of winning gold and aim to challenge the United States and Canada, who have to be considered the favorites in the tournament. We need to grow together as a really strong team and group, and that’s the goal for this training camp. If we succeed with that, we know we have several game-breakers on this team, and that can take us a long way,” said Magnus Hävelid, head coach of the Junior Crowns.
“We were invited by Canada to hold our training camp there. We felt it was appealing because we have many players who weren’t at the World Juniors last year, so it will be a good experience for us to play on the smaller rink and get a sense of what’s required against the gold favorites. Switzerland will also be a good benchmark,” says Magnus Hävelid.
Sweden’s World Juniors roster and NHL rights
Goaltenders Love Härenstam (2025 round 6 #179 overall by St.
Louis Blues)
Herman Liv (Undrafted)
Måns Goos (2025 round 5 #158 overall by Dallas Stars)
Defensemen Felix Öhrqvist (Undrafted)
Leo Sahlin Wallenius (2024 round 2 #53 overall by San Jose Sharks)
Sascha Boumedienne (2025 round 1 #28 overall by Winnipeg Jets)
Viggo Gustafsson (2024 round 3 #77 overall by Nashville Predators)
Felix Carell (Undrafted)
Victor Johansson (2024 round 4 #120 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs)
William Håkansson (2026 NHL Draft)
Alfons Freij (2024 round 2 #37 overall by Winnipeg Jets)
Forwards Lucas Pettersson
(2024 round 2 #35 overall by Anaheim Ducks)
Milton Gästrin (2025 round 2 #37 overall by Washington Capitals)
Linus Eriksson (2024 round 2 #58 overall by Florida Panthers)
Ivar Stenberg (2026 NHL Draft)
Anton Frondell (2025 round 1 #3 overall by Chicago Blackhawks)
Valter Lindberg (Undrafted)
Viggo Björck (2026 NHL Draft)
Loke Krantz (2025 round 7 #218 overall by Seattle Kraken)
Liam Danielsson (Undrafted)
Eddie Genborg (2025 round 2 #44 overall by Detroit Red Wings)
Jack Berglund (2024 round 2 #51 overall by Philadelphia Flyers)
Wilson Björck (2025 round 5 #143 overall by Vancouver Canucks)
Eric Nilson (2025 round 2 #45 overall by Anaheim Ducks)
Casper Juustovaara Karlsson (2026 NHL Draft) Victor Eklund (2025 round 1 #16 overall by (New York Islanders)
Notable omissions: D Malte Vass (2025 round 3 #76 overall by Columbus Blue Jackets)
D Gabriel Eliasson (2024 round 2 #39 overall by Ottawa Senators)
F Melvin Fernström (2024 round 3 #93 overall by Vancouver Canucks, rights belong to Pittsburgh Penguins)
It was the healthiest the Kings have been all season, getting Drew Doughty back from injury, but the team chemistry looked disconnected and flat through the first 40 minutes of regulation.
Despite Trevor Moore scoring the only goal of the night for the Kings in the third period, L.A. could never overcome the Blackhawks' defense, which silenced the Kings' offense and crowd, continuing the team's home struggles.
The Kings generated 27 shots and dominated the faceoff circle at 55.9 percent. However, it still wasn’t enough to solve Chicago’s goaltender Spencer Knight or erase the two goals they gave up in the second period.
Chicago broke open the scoreless match in the second period when Connor Bedard won the face-off against Quinton Byfield and ripped the power-play goal, capitalizing on the Kings' weak penalty kill.
The Blackhawaks then added a late-period dagger with just six seconds remaining, as defenseman Wyatt Kaiser beat Darcy Kuemper in the shooting lane to make it 2-0.
The Kings were competitive on the ice but not on the scoreboard for the first 40 minutes. After the game, Warren Foegele commented that the team wasn't in sync early on tonight.
“We weren't really connected in the first 40 minutes, and it bit us, “Warren Foegele.”
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Kings Power-Play Struggles
The Kings had five power-play chances of their own and had a chance to tie it up on the final power-play, but came up empty. The scoreboard and stat sheet were close and even between the two teams, but on the ice, Chicago was clearly the better team tonight, with more focus and a stronger desire to play together.
Los Angeles out-hit the Blackhawks 20-13, but that doesn’t mean anything if you lose the game when the buzzer sounds. Too many mistakes and sequences broke down before they became threats.
A Familiar Frutsration at Home
With another tough loss at home that could’ve gone either way, the offense is still searching for consistency. The Kings are winning face-offs, getting saves, and outshooting their opponents for the most part, but the goals simply aren't coming.
Until that changes, these issues will continue in Los Angeles and may get worse as the season approaches April.
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.
