While there won’t be an All-Star Game in the NHL this season because of the Olympics break, and there wasn’t one last year because of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the traditional game still takes place in the AHL, and the Montreal Canadiens farm team, the Laval Rocket, will be well represented.
Laval will have three players on the ice and a coach behind the bench. Pascal Vincent will be one of the four bench bosses on duty, while Jacob Fowler, Adam Engstrom, and Laurent Dauphin will be playing.
The All-Star Classic will take place on February 10 and 11 in Rockford, Illinois, and if one could have wondered if Fowler would be making it since he’s currently in the NHL, there’s no doubt this year because the NHL will be put on hold from February 5th for the Olympics. Given how little action the 21-year-old has seen with the goalie carousel in Montreal, there is no doubt that he will be back in Laval for the break, which will allow him to see as much action as possible.
In 15 games with the Rocket this season, the netminder has a 10-5-0 record, three shutouts, with a 2.09 GAA and a .919 save percentage. The masked man’s performance was so good that when goaltending wasn’t up to par in the NHL, the Habs brass did not hesitate to call upon him even though the initial plan, as admitted by GM Kent Hughes, was to keep him in the AHL for the season.
As for defenseman Adam Engstrom, he has 20 points in 23 games with 10 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating with the Rocket this season. Despite being called up by the Canadiens for 11 games, he’s the 10th-highest-scoring defenseman in the AHL, and he leads all Rocket blueliners. William Trudeau is second amongst the farm team’s blueliners with 13 points in 27 games, followed by Marc Del Gaizo with 12 points in 27 games and prospect David Reinbacher, who also has 12 points, but in 28 games.
As for Laurent Dauphin, he is second in scoring in the league with 40 points in 32 games, second only to the Belleville Senators’ Arthur Kaliyev, who has 42 points but in 37 games. Furthermore, Dauphin has a plus-22 rating, while Kaliyev’s is minus-7. At 30 years old, the centerman has accepted the fact that his NHL dream won’t come true when he came back to the Canadiens’ organization on an AHL contract, after trying his luck with the defunct Arizona Coyotes’ organization and in Switzerland.
Finally, Vincent has the Rocket atop the North Division with a 22-12-1-1 record, good for 46 points in 36 games, four points ahead of the Rochester Americans. This is quite a feat, given how many of his players have been called up by the Habs. He had to make do without Engstrom, Fowler, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Jared Davidson, and Joshua Roy at times. The bench boss and his coaching staff have been praised by Martin St-Louis a few times for how ready the players he has called up are to perform in the NHL. Vincent has been an excellent hire for the organization. Last season, he got the Rocket to the Conference Final and will no doubt be aiming to top that this time around.
LAS VEGAS — William Nylander had a goal and an assist in the first 5:03 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, but he departed the game two shifts after his last offensive contribution.
In 38 games this season, Nylander leads the Leafs with 48 points (17 goals and 31 assists). Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, perhaps frustrated by his team’s inability to hold a two-goal lead in the third period, admitted after the game that Nylander sustained an aggravation to a lower-body injury that previously kept the skilled winger out for six games.
Craig Berube confirms William Nylander had an aggravation of his previous lower-body injury. Doesn’t know how long he’ll be out. @BodogCA
“Willy's a very important player for us. So it's not ideal, but, you know, he leaves early and he still impacted the game pretty well,” John Tavares said of Nylander. “Obviously tough to see him leave. But injuries have been part of our group the whole year and the way we've had to kind of come around it and guys step up and the way the lineup unfolds”.
The good news for the Leafs is that they went 4-0-2 in that six-game stretch when Nylander first sustained the injury, so the club has shown an ability to push past injuries to key players this season.
After the game, Nylander was seen walking around, catching up with players on the opposing team and was all smiles. From that standpoint, it could be good news. However, because this could be something that lingers, the Leafs must be mindful since the first six games he missed clearly didn’t eradicate the ailment.
Even though they only had Nylander for 2:17 of ice time on Thursday, the inability to hold onto the third-period lead was the most visible annoyance for Berube.
“It's frustrating to lose this game tonight,” Berube said. “We got off to a great start. I thought we played really well tonight for the most part of the game. You know, we've just got to be smarter in certain situations. That's what it boils down to tonight. I think we played a pretty solid game tonight, but we made some mistakes that we don't need to make in the third period and probably win the game”.
Injuries can affect you in fantasy hockey at any time. Your roster may be completely healthy one week before immediately getting hit with a wave of casualties the next week. And then there are those constantly trying to fill multiple absences.
I've been fortunate in the RotoWire Staff Hockey League, having only lost Connor Bedard for a few weeks while recent acquisition Brayden Point is projected to not miss as much time as originally feared. Thanks to that, a couple overachievers, some excellent goaltending and way more luck than anyone should have, I sit in first by two games at 13-1 having won the last 13 matchups.
No matter whether you're a frontrunner or lagging behind the pack, there's plenty of ways to enhance your lineups. Here are a few widely available players who might help you do that.
(Rostered rates as of Jan. 16)
Forwards
Jordan Kyrou, STL (Yahoo: 44%): Kyrou has only produced 19 points through 37 games after four straight seasons with at least 67. Part of this dropoff can be attributed to him playing on a team ranked last in average goals at 2.49 or the 8.9 shooting percentage that's well below his usual double-digit mark. Kyrou returned from injury three weeks ago and has since posted three assists over nine outings — including two PPAs from each of his last two — with none of the 21 pucks directed on net going in. With that kind of volume while in the top-six and part of a talented top power play, he's bound to start scoring again.
Matty Beniers, SEA (Yahoo: 32%): It's often been a tough fantasy sell for Beniers, as his contributions have been fairly one-dimensional and not exceptional (unless you count faceoff wins). But when someone goes off for 11 points across 13 appearances — four of those while up a man — more people will notice. Beniers should be able to continue this run as Seattle's lead center in all attacking situations. And if the numbers dip again, you can always cut him.
Beckett Sennecke, ANA (Yahoo: 32%): Kudos to Sennecke for being this season's first repeat forward entry. Since first being featured on Nov. 28 when he already had notched seven goals and 10 assists in 23 contests, he's accumulated another eight and 10 alongside 52 shots on a 17:04 ice time average. Sennecke has worked well with any linemate and in various situations. The sky's the limit for the soon-to-be 20-year-old, so you should pick him up right away.
Connor McMichael, WSH (Yahoo: 23%): I don't know how I had thought I previously discussed McMichael during 2025-26. Anyways, now's a good time to talk about him. Like the nine points over the last nine matchups – highlighted by a four-assist performance versus Anaheim – to go with 22 shots, nine hits and eight blocks, while he's logged 19-plus minutes a night. And that's totally sustainable for McMichael, as he managed 26 goals, 31 assists and 177 shots last year.
Jack McBain, UTA (Yahoo: 12%): McBain is generally overlooked due to a large percentage of his stats coming in the physical department, but every once in a while he'll go on a short scoring streak. That's happened the last week or so, as he's tallied two goals and three assists over five games in addition to 14 shots, 11 PIM and 19 hits, including three points, seven shots, three hits and a plus-4 on Tuesday with Dylan Guenther on his wing. McBain is valuable enough for laying out opponents, so the offense is a nice bonus.
Charlie Coyle, CBJ (Yahoo: 8%): Betcha can't name any forward who's at least 33 with no fewer than 30 points and is available in more than 90% of Yahoo! leagues. I'm guessing by now you've figured out we're talking about Coyle. There's been a few gaps on his scoring log, yet he's still registered seven goals on 41 shots with eight assists and 163 faceoff wins since the start of December while being a regular on the Blue Jackets' lead man-advantage that boasts the likes of Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli. Do your part by adding Coyle.
Ridly Greig, OTT (Yahoo: 4%): Greig was on the right line at the right time Wednesday as he posted three assists while joining forces during five-on-five with Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Cozens. And even with other teammates, he's supplied 10 points from 14 outings while throwing in 29 shots, 26 PIM and 15 hits. Even if Greig slips back down the depth chart, he'll net you enough fantasy output.
James van Riemsdyk, DET (Yahoo: 4%): It's always nice when a low-risk, low-salary offseason move turns out much better than expected, especially when it's a veteran who came into the season with 327 career goals. The veteran forward initially struggled with Detroit before finding the back of the net in six of seven appearances – three of those PPGs. Despite not many minutes, he's recently benefited with an even-strength spot next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond in addition to their existing man-advantage arrangement. JVR may not be an MVP, yet can still provide you a decent ROI.
Defensemen
Brandt Clarke, LA (Yahoo: 50%): Clarke gets a second mention after originally appearing during the opening week. He's taken over for Drew Doughty as L.A.'s top power-play quarterback and has produced five PPAs since Dec. 17 to go with another three helpers, a goal, 32 shots and 36 blocks. This is the type of offense that's been expected of Clarke since he was drafted eighth overall in 2021. He's also on pace to significantly surpass a career-high in points (currently at 23, peaked last season at 33) as he should keep receiving advanced attacking placement.
K'Andre Miller, CAR (Yahoo: 24%): Miller makes it consecutive repeat defenders in this waiver wire piece as he's been on fire the last 10 games, recording eight points, 14 shots, 10 hits and six blocks on 22:28 of ice time per game. He may no longer hold a man-advantage role like earlier in the year, but is heavily involved while shorthanded while retaining a steady five-on-five partnership alongside Sean Walker. Miller's scoring may not be as plentiful the rest of the way, though he'll deliver consistent cross-category production.
J.J. Moser, TB (Yahoo: 13%): Long-term injuries to Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh have allowed others to take on more responsibility. Moser was already getting enough opportunities while Hedman was available, as the two sometimes skated together, yet his minutes have seen a major boost the last month at nearly a 23:00 average consisting of four goals, four assists, 27 shots, 16 hits and 20 blocks. As an added bonus for those in formats that count plus-minus, Moser ranks third in the NHL with a plus-37.
Uvis Balinskis, FLA (Yahoo: 0%): Seth Jones recently suffered an upper-body injury that's set to sideline him for a couple more weeks. Aaron Ekblad was first offered the chance to fill the vacancy on PP1 before Balinskis started appearing there Saturday. And while nothing came from that contest, he earned a PPA on Tuesday when his shot was tipped in by Sam Reinhart. A lot of poolies would be hesitant to add Balinskis due to his overall lack of output and ice time. There's definite value as long as he sticks on the lead man-advantage, so be sure to check the latest line alignments heading into Florida's next matchup Friday at Carolina.
Goaltenders
Sam Montembeault, MTL (Yahoo: 41%): The Habs continue to carry three netminders on their roster where Montembeault has made as many starts as Jacob Fowler since Dec. 30 with four compared to two for Jakub Dobes. He significantly struggled before being demoted by posting a 3.65 GAA and .857 save percentage in 15 outings. Fowler should be Montreal's lead as he's already done decently (2.62/.902 across 10 appearances) and needs the volume to prove he can be the No. 1, though Montembeault will earn enough work based on recent results (three wins from four) and to showcase him for a potential trade.
Leevi Merilainen, OTT (Yahoo: 8%): Since Linus Ullmark went on personal leave, Merilainen has started all nine games for the Sens that included two back-to-back sets. The numbers during this stretch haven't been the greatest (3.29 GAA/.859 SV%), but the experience will help and he fared well last season in an abbreviated run (8-3-1, 1.99, .925). James Reimer was signed and will eventually make his Ottawa debut, yet it's been nine months since his last NHL involvement. Even behind a weak defense, Merilainen deserves a chance on a club boasting a solid offense.
After losing eight of their first nine games that extended past regulation, the Golden Knights have now won six of their last 10.
The nationally televised audience and a sold-out crowd of 17,975 were treated with what might have been the most exciting game of the season, in what was undoubtedly the most anticipated.
It marked Mitch Marner's first career game against the team that drafted him in the same draft Eichel was chosen second overall by the Buffalo Sabres.
"Obviously, they knew this one meant a little more to me," said Marner, who finished with two assists. "So, grateful to get the win. A lot of guys putting in the effort, and, you know, it's a team game out there.
"Once the puck dropped, it just felt like another hockey game out there. Obviously, I know a lot of those guys very well and trying to read off some of the plays and do some of the things I think they might do. But it's a competitive game, you want to always try to beat your buddies. That was a competitive game, both sides."
To say the least, as the Maple Leafs opened the game by taking a 2-0 lead just five minutes in on goals from Morgan Rielly and William Nylander.
Vegas would cut the lead in half when Pavel Dorofeyev scored his 18th of the season on a power play.
But in a sign of things to come, the back-and-forth affair saw Auston Matthews push Toronto's lead back to two goals to send the Leafs into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.
The teams exchanged goals in the second - Keegan Kolesar for Vegas and John Tavares for Toronto - as the Leafs brought a 4-2 lead to the ice for the third period.
Dorofeyev scored his second of the game with another power-play goal just two minutes into the third period, but again, Toronto would answer to give Toronto another two-goal lead when Scott Laughton made it 5-3 with a little more than 11 minutes left.
Then things became interesting, as the Knights entered familiar territory, looking to wage another third-period comeback.
Wednesday night's overtime hero Mark Stone cut Toronto's lead to one with 9:46 left, when he was on the doorstep to punch home his 17th goal of the season.
Dorofeyev appeared to tie the game with a little more than four minutes left in the game, but all the hats that flew on the ice became meaningless when it was ruled he was offsides and the goal was called off.
Hertl's game-tying goal and Eichel's game-winner sent the building into a frenzy as the Knights continued their best run of the season.
KEY MOMENT
Pick one. It could have very well been Stone's third-period goal, or Dorofeyev's goal that was called off, as both fueled the Golden Knights differently. But undoubtedly, Hertl's gem with seven seconds left was the key, as it seemingly deflated the Maple Leafs, who were previously trounced by the Utah Mammoth, 6-1, on Tuesday.
"We got a lot of vets on the team, and obviously, guys played in the Stanley Cup, guys played in some big moments. And then we just so strong mentally and we just never quit. ... Every time we've been down, we knew we have chance to come back."
KEY STAT
8 - Thursday's win marked Vegas' eighth comeback win in the third period, most in the NHL.
"I use the word resilient because they have been," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said, when asked to identify his team 46 games into the season. "As the stakes go up, they get more competitive. ... They don't like losing. And you're going to lose some games and tonight it looked like it was going that direction for us, but we kept pushing back. It would have been easy to probably say we're down a few people, it's not our night, especially after the offside goal comes back. ... But they kept pushing because they want to win. The group wants to win."
WHAT A KNIGHT
Eichel finished with four points to extend his point streak to seven games. Eichel registered three assists for the second straight night after having a hand in every goal in Los Angeles. During his seven-game run, Eichel has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists). Eichel is tied for 11th in the league with 55 points, while his 38 assists rank tied for ninth along with Marner.
It also marked the second straight night the Eichel and Stone connected on the overtime winner, after the roles were reversed against the Kings.
"Just finding a way, I guess," Eichel said. "You know, competing when we don't have the puck in overtime, I think that's a big thing. And then capitalizing our chances. I mean, Stoney hits the post there right before we score, and thought we had a few chances. But yeah, credit to the whole group. It was a come-from-behind, win, find a way to get a goal late there. The resiliency in our group has been great all year, and it was there again tonight."
UP NEXT: The Golden Knights continue their three-game homestand against the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) scores a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an overtime period to give the Golden Knights a 6-5 victory at T-Mobile Arena.
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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves for his NHL-leading fifth shutout of the season, Anthony Duclair scored the game’s only goal in the third period on the power play and the New York Islanders edged the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 on Thursday night.
Duclair broke the deadlock with 6:18 remaining in the third period after Calum Ritchie sent a backhand pass to him. Mathew Barzal also assisted on the goal, giving him 500 career points in his 576th game over 10 NHL seasons.
Leon Draisaitl — whose tripping penalty put the Islanders on the power play for their goal — nearly tied it with just over 30 seconds left, but his shot in close hit off the far post to the right of Sorokin.
Connor McDavid, who would’ve had an assist if Draisaitl’s shot went in, had his 20-game points streak end. He joined Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey as the only three players in Oilers franchise history to have a points streak of at least 20 games.
It was the 27th career shutout for Sorokin, extending his franchise record. It was the Islanders’ first shutout in Edmonton since Billy Smith also stopped 35 shots in New York’s 2-0 victory in Game 1 of the 1983 Stanley Cup Final.
The Islanders, who have won four of six, had lost their last six games in Edmonton, dating to 2017. They were 1-12-0 against the Oilers in Edmonton since the 2007-08 season.
Connor Ingram made 17 saves for the Oilers, who have dropped three of their last four.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, only to turn around and play the other team from Alberta, the Calgary Flames, on Thursday.
The Blackhawks came out with a lot more juice in this one. At 2:38 of the first period, Nick Foligno sniped one after receiving a nice pass from Colton Dach to make it 1-0.
Just under a minute later, Yegor Sharangovich scored a power-play goal to tie it up. This was the first power play goal that the Hawks have allowed since December 30th. The penalty kill was 16 for 16 in the last seven games before allowing this Sharangovich goal.
Chicago's power play, much like its penalty kill, is ranked in the NHL's top ten. However, it failed them at 6:05 of the first period, but not because they didn't score.
While Chicago was on the man-advantage, Mikael Backlund took the puck away from Andre Burakovsky in the neutral zone, skated it in for a breakaway, and beat Spencer Knight to give the Flames a 2-1 lead with a short-handed goal.
That would be the end of scoring in the first period. There was also no more scoring in the second period, but there were lots of other extracurricular activities. Just like the first two matches between these two clubs, there was a lot of hitting and fighting.
In the third period, both goalies stood strong, but the Flames hit an empty net goal with 1:01 remaining in the third period. The 3-1 score would hold as the final.
In the NHL, you can't allow a power play goal and a short-handed goal too often and expect to win.
The Blackhawks have been excellent in both departments this season (power play and penalty kill), so they can use that to help them bounce back next time out, but it wasn't good enough in this game.
"We were minus-2 on special teams," said head coach Jeff Blashill. "It's hard to win games in this league without a great amount a firepower when you lose the special teams battle by 2 like that."
Spencer Knight was great in this one. He allowed the two special teams goals to the Flames, but he didn't allow a single goal at even strength. With goaltending like that, you can expect to win more often than not. The team in front of him just let him down.
The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday night at the United Center against the Boston Bruins. "The Banner Years" chapter of their centennial season will come to a close in that game, as over 25 alumni who won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2010, 2013, and/or 2015 will be in attendance for the celebration. This will be one of the marquee games of the 2025-26 season.
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After struggling to score in all of their past three hockey games, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally erupted on Thursday.
And who better to do it against than their archrival?
After scoring just two goals in their past three games, the Penguins tallied six against the Philadelphia Flyers and won by a final score of 6-3 to snap their three-game losing streak and move into third place in the Metropolitan Division. They got contributions from up and down their lineup and from their power play, which ended the game with three goals.
Justin Brazeau, Bryan Rust, Egor Chinakhov, Blake Lizotte, Sidney Crosby, and Connor Dewar were the goal-scorers for the Penguins, and Stuart Skinner was really solid throughout, stopping 30 of the 33 Flyers' shots he faced.
The offensive eruption was a nice change of pace for the Penguins, who combined for just two goals in their last three games. But, aside from a few lapses later in the game on the Flyers' last two goals against, they still brought the strong defensive process that has been part of their game since the holiday break.
And, on Thursday, they just had the finishing to go along with it.
"I think it's been coming across the last few games," Lizotte said. "Inside the room, you could feel it building. We were getting chances, and I think throughout the season you just get stretches sometimes where they don't fall. Once one goes, they seem to all go. So, hopefully, we can keep finding the back of the net."
The entire game was a special teams battle, and the Penguins certainly came out on top. They took advantage of two of their first-period power plays, first, courtesy of Brazeau off a nice feed from Ben Kindel on the second unit a little more than two minutes into the game. Rust scored later in the period on the man advantage to put the Penguins up, 2-0.
And they also wasted no time in building their lead when they came out for the second period. Chinakhov - playing in his eighth game with the Penguins - took a feed from Evgeni Malkin off the rush and buried it at close range past Flyers' goaltender Sam Ersson to give Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead.
However, Philadelphia responded just a minute later with a goal of their own from fourth-line center Rodrigo Abols, and they did seize quite a bit of momentum from that tally. They controlled play for most of the period up until Lizotte - with his sixth of the season and third in his last eight games - batted home a Noel Acciari chip opportunity around the net-front at the last second to put the Penguins back up by three.
Then, early in the third, Lizotte laid a huge hit on Flyers' forward Denver Barkey near the red line, and his teammate, Matvei Michkov, stood up for him and challenged Lizotte in a fight. Michkov ended up getting an extra minor penalty for roughing, and Crosby - as he always does - made the Flyers pay on the ensuing power play to make it 5-1.
Dewar capitalized off a defensive zone turnover by the Flyers on a pass from Tommy Novak just over a minute later to put the Penguins up, 6-1, but the Flyers started pushing back a bit again afterward. Nick Seeler picked his spot from the left circle to make it 6-2 with just under 11 minutes to go in regulation, then Michkov scored with two and a half minutes left in the game to cut the Penguins' lead to 6-3.
But, after that, the Penguins were able to shut it down. And responding to momentum swings has been something that the Penguins have done well since the break, too.
"I think if you look back at the history of our season, we've let some leads go that we shouldn't have," Lizotte said. "And I think it just shows the learning curve that we've made. In games like this, you have to control emotion, especially when momentum's really not in your favor at the moment.
"When you're protecting a lead - those moments within the game where it could go sour quickly - you have to find a way to change momentum. And I think we did a really good job of that tonight."
Here are some thoughts and observations from the Penguins' big win Thursday:
- Everyone has been talking about the newly extended Lizotte, and for good reason.
But I don't think there are enough words to express how important he has been to the Penguins this season.
Not only does he kill penalties, block shots, and drill down all of the defensive details, there is just an energy and a tenaciousness about him that isn't matched by anyone else on this team. He has the ability to shift momentum in the game with his speed, work ethic, physicality, and forechecking, and he always seems to be part of the game's turning points and most clutch moments.
Both his goal and his hit-then-fight were important moments in the game, and that all-around ability to be a game-changer has not gone unnoticed by his teammates - not even his newest ones.
"I mean, not just tonight, but ever since I've been here, you see a guy that just works hard in both areas of the ice," Skinner said. "A guy that will do absolutely anything for the team to get us two points. He's a fast skater, he goes into the dirty areas, he fights, scores goals.
"Honestly, a player that shows a lot of heart, and all the success that goes to him... he's one of those guys that are very much deserving of it."
He was huge for the Penguins Thursday, and he has been for them all season long.
- That was Chinakhov's third goal in eight games with the Penguins. None of them have been cheapies, and two of them have come off the rush with Malkin.
It's safe to say that Chinakhov is fitting in nicely with the Penguins, and he is certainly building some chemistry with Malkin. But head coach Dan Muse is very impressed with the other areas of Chinakhov's game, too - which isn't something he necessarily knew about him as a player before coming over from Columbus.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for the way he works away from the puck," Muse said. "He’s done a really good job there in terms of the tracking, the getting back. He’s got some detail to his game. You watch, and he’s changing at the right time, he’s driving wide, he’s drawing a number of penalties.
"So, I think the scoring’s obvious with him, but there’s some things that I’ve learned about him since he’s been here that, maybe, I didn’t know as much but really like.”
I've said it in a lot of post-game coverage, and I'll say it again: I think this is a really good addition for the Penguins. Chinakhov is a nasty goal-scorer, and he simply needed an elite distributor to help him unleash that. But it's not the only thing he does well.
This is a multidimensional player, and Pittsburgh could really, really have something here.
- The Penguins' special teams were very good Thursday, and the power play got a lot of recognition for its three goals.
But the penalty kill has been a huge strength for this team ever since Lizotte re-entered the lineup, and they were 4-for-4 on Thursday. Since the holiday break, the Penguins have only allowed three power play goals, and they have killed 12 straight and allowed just one goal in the last 16 opportunities.
This team has been a pretty good five-on-five team when at full health. But special teams have been an x-factor in their success this season, and there's a good chance they could spell the difference between a playoff berth and a near miss for the Penguins this season.
- As mentioned before, the Penguins have played very, very well defensively since the break. Save from a few lapses here, this is the team from October that was shutting teams down late in games when holding a lead and not giving the opposition much to work with when closing things out.
In fact, the Penguins have blown just two third-period leads - each by just one goal, and each that they ended up winning beyond regulation - since their disastrous blown four-goal lead against the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 14.
They're shutting opponents down late in games, and they're responding so much better when the opposing team does score a goal or grab some momentum.
Jan 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) over the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Brett Kulak has settled in next to Kris Letang, and that pairing has been pretty solid for a few weeks now. They are being asked to play top-pairing minutes in the absence of Karlsson, and they've handled it well in those two games. Jack St. Ivany has stepped up to the plate since Karlsson went down, too, next to Karlsson's regular partner in Parker Wotherspoon, who has been unbelievably solid for the Penguins the entire season.
But even that bottom pairing of Ryan Shea and Connor Clifton have gelled in the past couple of games. Shea looks a bit more himself, and Clifton is throwing the body around and clearing the net-front like nodoby's business right now.
They're not giving up much in terms of high-danger opportunities and odd-man rushes, and it has certainly helped their goaltenders, too. If they keep playing with this defensive detail - and they can couple that with the scoring that this lineup is capable of - this is a legitimately good hockey team.
- Ben Kindel has no goals in his last 15 games. He did register that assist on Brazeau's goal, but the production hasn't been coming for him.
But he was outstanding on Thursday. In fact, I thought he was one of the best - if not the best - player on the ice.
I've talked at length about Kindel, so I won't spend a ton of time on it. But he was everywhere. He was effective on the power play. Killing penalties. Taking key faceoffs. Driving five-on-five play for his line. Making defensive plays and using his smarts and his stick to disrupt.
The details he has nailed down at his age just don't come this easily for 18-year-olds. His all-around game is so, so advanced for his age, and it was on full display Thursday.
The production is going to come. When it does, this kid is going to be a star. He plays like a veteran already.
- This is five straight games for the Penguins where Skinner has been excellent. He looks poised, settled in, comfortable, and confident in the crease, and he's making some big saves for his team whenever they do happen to give up a good opportunity.
He and Silovs have done an excellent job keeping this team in every game. If they can get this level of goaltending down the stretch, this isn't just a legitimately good team. It's a borderline division-contender.
There is still a lot of season left. But if the Penguins can overcome another major injury and string together some wins before the Olympic break, they surely won't be sellers at the trade deadline this season.
The Montreal Canadiens were facing a tall task on Thursday night, taking on a Buffalo Sabres team that had won 14 of its last 16 games and that was hungry to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Despite Samuel Montembeault having played a fantastic game against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, Martin St-Louis elected to give the net to Jacob Fowler. The fact that it was a divisional clash against a red-hot team says a lot about how the Canadiens feel about the young netminder.
While the Habs had a night off on Wednesday night, the Sabres were busy hosting the Philadelphia Flyers, and if the Canadiens were hoping the hosts would be tired to start the game, they had another thing coming. Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, who were both riding five-game point streaks, were in top form and giving headaches to the Habs’ blueliners. All through the game, Buffalo was the most energetic side.
Earlier this week, we mentioned that the Canadiens had spent the most time league-wide on a double man-advantage for over 10 minutes, yet they had only two goals to show for it. While it was obvious that St-Louis wanted to use Noah Dobson’s slap shot to create goal-scoring opportunities at five-on-three, it just wasn’t happening.
On Thursday night, St-Louis decided to go another way. He kept his first power-play unit intact for the double-man-advantage, with Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson joining Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky. It took 44 seconds for the blueliner to feed a perfect pass to the Russian rookie, who buried a lethal one-timer.
Speaking to RDS’ Marc Denis after the first frame, Hutson explained that it was the way the Canadiens were able to make the Sabres’ triangle move so much that allowed them to get a goal at five-on-three finally. It’s hard to argue with him. With the passing talent this team has, it should be betting on that weapon to create space and opportunities.
The Second Fastest Defenseman To 100 Assists
With an assist on the double-man-advantage goal, Hutson became the second-fastest defenseman to reach 100 career assists. He only needed 132 games to reach the milestone, which Sergei Zubov did in 127 games. Who did Hutson beat to the mark? Mark Howe (he needed 135 games), Stefan Persson (he needed 135 games), and Cale Makar (who needed 140 games).
Unfortunately for Hutson, though, he had a bit of an off night, fanning on the puck twice in key moments offensively and being guilty of three giveaways.
Fantastic Performance
The best team won the game on Thursday night. The Sabres were quicker both on and off the puck. Even though the Canadiens led twice, that advantage lasted for less than seven minutes, and it felt like the result was never in doubt for the host.
Lindy Ruff’s men beat the Canadiens at their own game; great forecheck and sustained pressure had the Habs panicking more than once. Buffalo’s top line, featuring Tage Thompson, Zach Benson, and Alex Tuch, was a constant threat. Thompson recorded five points with three goals and two assists and just seemed to be everywhere on the ice.
Amazingly, even though four of the Sabres’ six defensemen spent over 20 minutes on the ice in a second game in as many nights, they never looked tired. Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power were all over the Canadiens.
In net, Colten Ellis didn’t look very solid, but the Canadiens were unable to take advantage of his mistakes. At one stage in the third, he turned the puck over and was some way away from his net, but Oliver Kapanen was unable to put the puck in the net, just like Suzuki. Perhaps there was a bit of killer instinct lacking there, but those are the kind of opportunities that you cannot miss.
As for Fowler, his .846 save percentage is not what we are used to, but the loss cannot be placed on his shoulders, even if he would probably want back the goal he allowed. It was announced on Thursday that Fowler was voted to the AHL All-Star Game, and with the Olympic break looming, sending him back to Laval might not be a bad idea. As good as he’s been in the 10 games, he has played with the Habs, he would be best served by seeing more action. Montembeault has found his game again. Jakub Dobes isn't losing, even though his stats aren’t brilliant; perhaps the timing is right to send Fowler back to Laval to play a truckload of matches.
The Canadiens will now head back to Canada as they’ll take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 7:00 PM.
If Thursday night was any indication of what Mitch Marner's return to Toronto might be like next week, then it's going to be a spicy homecoming.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were facing Marner (for the first time) and the Vegas Golden Knights. And even in his own building, the 28-year-old was getting booed by travelling Maple Leafs fans every time he touched the puck.
Not sure if I've ever seen that.
Marner, no doubt, was the story entering the evening. Unfortunately for Maple Leafs fans, he was also a part of the story in the end, as Vegas defeated Toronto 6-5 in overtime. Marner finished the game with two assists.
The Maple Leafs had a two-goal lead four times on Thursday, but the Golden Knights continued to push, scoring three goals in the third period, including one with seven seconds left, to force overtime.
Jack Eichel deked out Joseph Woll (who finished the game, stopping 27 of 33 shots), allowing Toronto only one point from the game. Below are a few takeaways from the game.
Nice offensive/defensive game for Rielly
Morgan Rielly was the first to get the Maple Leafs on the board against the Golden Knights.
William Nylander did what he does best on the goal: protecting the puck before making a great pass, eventually leading to a goal. Nylander fought off Keegan Kolesar before patiently locating Rielly walking in from the blue line.
The defenseman rifled a shot by Adin Hill for his sixth goal of the year.
Rielly was, however, on the ice for Kolesar's goal early in the second period. Despite boxing the Vegas forward out, Rielly didn't track the puck, and Kolesar was able to get a stick on it to put it by Joseph Woll.
Rielly did make up for it, though.
Later in the period, Rielly made a great defensive play on a 2-on-1 while Toronto was on the man advantage. Moments later, John Tavares tipped in a shot from Matias Maccelli for his 17th of the season, and first power play goal since Nov. 8.
(Tavares got the bump to Toronto's top unit after Nylander — who also scored in the first period — left the game due to a lower-body injury.)
One thing you could question was Rielly's decision-making in overtime. With two forwards deep, the defenseman elected to shoot rather than hold onto the puck. Vegas came the other way, and despite Rielly making a strong defensive play on the 2-on-1, Eichel was still able to score and win it for the Golden Knights.
Matias Maccelli is finding his stride
All Maccelli could do was laugh after Tavares tipped his shot — already on its way to the net — into the goal.
Part of the reason why Maccelli could smile was because of the recent stretch he's had with the Maple Leafs. It was a difficult start for the 25-year-old at the beginning of the season, only tallying nine points in his first 22 games.
After multiple healthy scratches, Maccelli returned to the lineup and hasn't looked back.
Entering Thursday, the forward had three goals and eight points in his last 13 games. While Maccelli has seen an uptick in production, what has stood out most is his confidence with the puck.
One example of that came on Nylander's goal: Maccelli decided to hold on to the puck and pull it to his backhand as he entered the Golden Knights' zone before saucing it to Nylander with ease.
As Maccelli continues to get an opportunity in Toronto's top six and the team's number-one power play unit, there should only be positives. He was brought in to help make up for the loss in points after losing Marner.
It was a bump ride in the early going, but it appears Maccelli is finding his game.
You can also tell head coach Craig Berube has trust in the forward, as he was among the second group of players on the ice for Toronto in overtime.
Auston Matthews continues to be back
I officially declared Matthews back two games ago after he whipped his Matthews-esque shot past Colorado Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner.
He's also scoring his goals in different ways, whether it be his patented wrister, a one-timer, or the odd tip, which he pulls off with brilliance. Matthews executed another perfect tip against the Golden Knights.
Matthews deflected Jake McCabe's shot-pass through his own legs and past Adin Hill for his 23rd goal of the year, and eighth goal in as many games.
Don't get me wrong, it was a great deflection. But what was even more impressive was how he shrugged off Shea Theodore before getting to the net for the tip. It's something that often goes unnoticed, and I thought it did again on Thursday night.
When speaking to several Maple Leafs ahead of Matthews breaking Toronto's goal-scoring record, many discussed the forward's strength on and off the puck.
"Since we've been young, playing against him, he's been one of the stronger guys. Whether it be on the puck, just maintaining it, getting it away from him has been very hard," said Brandon Carlo.
"Just his strength with that puck. It's very hard to knock him off of it. If he wants to control it, he's going to control it. If he wants to move it, he's going to move it. So those are players that are very special. He's definitely up there amongst the top on the hardest to play against."
Other takeaways
- Scott Laughton continues to score big goals for the Maple Leafs. The 31-year-old scored Toronto's fifth goal of the game to put them up 5-3 almost midway through the third period. Had Vegas not tied it, Laughton's sixth goal of the year would've been the game-winner.
- Matthew Knies had a quiet but productive night against the Golden Knights. He assisted on Tavares' power play goal as well as Laughton's third-period marker. Knies also had the third-highest ice time among Toronto forwards (20:07) despite missing the morning skate due to maintenance.
- Nylander left during the first period with a lower-body injury. Berube said the forward re-aggravated his previous ailment, which forced him to miss six consecutive games, from Dec. 27 to Jan. 10. Berube is unsure of how long Nylander will be out and how the re-aggravation happened.
- Marner spoke with TSN's Mark Masters following the overtime win and didn't seem at all phased by the boo's from Toronto's travelling fans. "They've got a passionate fan base," he told Masters. It'll be fascinating to see how he's welcomed into Scotiabank Arena one week from now.
The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their six-game road trip on Thursday with a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brock Boeser scored on the power play, which broke a 21-game goalless drought. As for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped 32 of the 36 shots he faced in the loss.
With the loss, the Canucks pushed their winless streak to nine games. Vancouver has only had two other nine-game winless streaks since the turn of the century, with the other two coming during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. The last time Vancouver went winless in 10 straight was during the 1997-98 season, which led to the Canucks finishing 24th out of 26 teams.
Thursday was a high-paced game from the start. Vancouver and Columbus each hit double digits for shots in the first and second, and both finished above 30 shots for the game. In the end, the difference was the Blue Jackets' ability to convert on their chance, while the Canucks could only produce one goal.
While this game featured another loss, there was a positive as Boeser broke his 21-game goalless streak. The 28-year-old's last goal came on November 28, which was 48 days ago. Boeser looked relieved on the play as he finally potted his 10th of the season and 214th goal of his career.
Speaking of Boeser, he showed some chemistry late in the game when put on a line with Elias Pettersson and Liam Öhgren. The trio played 6:10 together as per Natural Stat Trick and finished with a 4-3 shots advantage. Watch for these three to stay together next game, as they were one of the more successful lines over the final 20 minutes.
The penalty kill was a focus in this game as Columbus scored on both of their opportunities. After gaining some momentum, Vancouver's penalty kill has struggled over the past few weeks, and has now given up at least one goal in four of it's last five games. At this point, it is hard to determine what the solution to fixing the penalty kill as pucks are going in regardless of which players are on the ice.
Jan 15, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Christiansen (2) scrums with Vancouver center Aatu Raty (54) and left wing Evander Kane (91) during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Let's just call it as it is; this was the perfect road trip for the Canucks. Vancouver didn't pick up a point over the six games and put some distance between themselves and other teams at the bottom of the standings. While some may view this opinion as negative, it is a positive from a rebuilding perspective as the Canucks main focus the rest of the year should be to finish 32nd in the league.
Stats and Facts:
- Elias Pettersson records his 100th career power play assist
- Brock Boeser's 75th power play goal breaks his tie with Stan Smyl and moves him into sole possession of sixth all-time in franchise history
- Elias Pettersson extends his point streak to three games
- Vancouver has scored one goal or fewer in four of its last five games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
17:25- CBJ: Charlie Coyle (10) from Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli (PPG)
2nd Period:
5:59- CBJ: Kirill Marchenko (17) 10:14- CBJ: Zach Werenski (18) from Kent Johnson (PPG) 14:09- VAN: Brock Boeser (10) from Elias Pettersson and Zeev Buium (PPG)
3rd Period:
10:13- CBJ: Kent Johnson (5) from Boone Jenner and Damon Severson
Up Next:
The Canucks return home from their road trip to start an eight-game homestand. Their first matchup will not be an easy one as the Edmonton Oilers come to town on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
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On Thursday, two Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects were recognized for the strong seasons they are having.
Forward Tristan Broz and goaltender Sergei Murashov were named to the Atlantic Division's team for the AHL All-Star Classic, which will take place Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. The rosters were chosen by a committee of AHL coaches.
It will be the first AHL All-Star appearance for both players.
Broz, 23, has appeared in just one NHL game for the Penguins this season, but he has continued to build off a strong 2024-25 rookie campaign in the AHL for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins. He has recorded 13 goals and 26 points in 33 games this season to go along with a plus-8, and he leads all WBS skaters in points and goals.
Murashov, 21, saw a pair of brief stints at the NHL leve this season, posting a 1-1-2 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in five appearances. For most of the AHL season, Murashov led the league in both goals-against average and save percentage, but a recent two-game slide dropped him down to third.
He is 13-4-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 18 AHL appearances this season.
Seamus Casey, New Jersey Devils defenseman, was named to his second straight AHL All-Star Game.
This season, the former second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has suited up for the Utica Comets and the New Jersey Devils. He has tallied 17 points (one goal and 16 assists) for the Comets in 26 AHL games.
In addition to his AHL contributions, he has also appeared in two NHL games this season, earning zero points.
During the 2024-25 season, Casey made 14 appearances with the Devils and collected eight points.
Casey is among 30 AHL All-Stars who played in the NHL this season.
Set to represent the North Division in Illinois on February 10th and 11th, the 22-year-old defenseman will take the ice on behalf of the Comets.
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Seeing the Sabres place Dunne on injured reserve is entirely understandable. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff recently announced that the 27-year-old forward would be out for the next four to six weeks due to a mid-body injury. Because of this, it makes sense that Dunne has now been placed on injured reserve as he focuses on his recovery.
Dunne has played in 28 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded one goal, three assists, four points, 34 penalty minutes, 34 hits, and a minus-4 rating.
Dunne has gotten into the most NHL action of his career already this season, as he entered the campaign with just 16 NHL games played over three seasons. Yet, he will now be forced to miss a good amount of time due to his injury.
In 44 career NHL games over four seasons split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres, Dunne has recorded one goal, four points, 49 penalty minutes, 70 hits, and a minus-14 rating.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour is poised to return after missing 14 games with a hand injury, as he’s been activated from the injured reserve.
To free up a roster spot for Montour, winger Jacob Melanson was sent down to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The 22-year-old Melanson played 15 games in this NHL stint, scoring his first career NHL goal and adding three assists. Melanson routinely impressed the coaching staff with his physicality and aggressiveness on the forecheck.
Despite averaging just 9:25 of ice time, Melanson threw 65 hits, blocked six shots, and fired 12 shots on goal. Melanson turned a lot of heads in this call-up stint and could be a contender to make the NHL roster out of training camp and pre-season next year.
He’ll return to the Firebirds, where he’s notched seven goals and 14 points in 23 games.
At the moment, who Montour will enter the lineup for is undetermined. The three possible players to step out of the lineup are Cale Fleury, Jamie Oleksiak and Ryker Evans. Fleury has impressed his teammates and the coaching staff since he entered the lineup in place of Montour.
The answer will be revealed when the Kraken take the ice for warmup prior to their matchup against the Boston Bruins.
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Despite being one of the lowest-ranked teams in the Western Conference in recent years, the San Jose Sharks have given the Detroit Red Wings a tough time in their most recent visits to Little Caesars Arena.
The Sharks have beaten the Red Wings by a combined score of 12-8 in each of their two most recent matchups in Detroit, which included a wild 6-5 overtime setback in December 2023.
The last time the Red Wings defeated the Sharks on home ice was Jan. 24, 2023, a 3-2 overtime victory with Andrew Copp playing the role of hero.
This season, the Sharks are showing that they're no longer pushovers, thanks in large part to forward Macklin Celebrini, a 19-year-old phenom whom San Jose selected first overall in 2024.
With an astounding 24 goals and 46 assists for 70 points, Celebrini is proving that he's every bit worth the hype he came with coming into the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Red Wings, who host the Sharks on Friday evening, know that they must always be aware of when he's on the ice.
"He's obviously the main focus," Patrick Kane said of Celebrini following Thursday's practice. "He's the main guy offensively for that team; he's been carrying them all year."
Not yet of legal drinking age in the United States, Celebrini is not only ranked third overall in total NHL scoring, but also was announced as being included on Team Canada's Olympic roster.
Not bad for a 19-year-old.
"His points compared to the next guy on their team show how valuable he's been, and he's got them in a playoff spot now, too," Kane continued. "He'll definitely be the main focus of our attention defensively, and making sure whoever is on the ice is aware of him."
As Kane noted, Celebrini’s 70 points are 38 more than San Jose’s next-leading scorer, Tyler Toffoli, who has 13 goals and 32 total points.
As of Thursday afternoon, Celebrini and the Sharks occupy the second and final Wild Card playoff berth in the Western Conference.
The Red Wings, who defeated the Sharks by a 3-2 final score in a shootout in San Jose on Nov. 2, will be focusing their game plan on how best to neutralize the former first overall pick.
"It's not an easy task because the book on him isn't real big in the NHL; he's taken it by storm and is an incredible player," head coach Todd McLellan said of Celebrini. "But he is starting to show some tendencies that other teams are looking at."
"He's definitely driving that team and creating lots of confidence, and as he elevates his play, others around him elevate their play, and they're a tough team to play against," McLellan continued. "We'll obviously have to be aware of him when he's on the ice and help the players with any type of pre-scout analysis we can give them."
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