Category: NHL

As the scouting cycle for the upcoming NHL draft progresses, the gaps between the top talent in the 2026 class are closing at a rapid rate.

Headlined by Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff, this group features a ton of players making second-half surges, such as Chase Reid and Caleb Malhotra, proving the rankings of these prospects are far from decided.

The NHL standings are far from decided as well. The Vancouver Canucks are still in last place, but the St. Louis Blues slid, while the Winnipeg Jets climbed up three spots in the past two weeks.

Considering the standings and the needs of the teams positioned to select in the top 16 of the first round, let's take a crack at what those picks could look like in June.

(Draft order determined by standings, sorted by points percentage, before games on Jan. 29, 2026)

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

Forwards Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakhov scored in a 31-second span in what was a dominant second period, as the Pittsburgh Penguins breezed by the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. [Recap]

As seen during the game, the Penguins officially recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday morning. [PensBurgh]

With Bryan Rust out for the next three games (including the game against the Blackhawks on Thursday), forward Justin Brazeau is expected to perform top-line duties in his absence. [Trib Live]

Updates from around the NHL…

The Colorado Avalanche donned Quebec Nordiques jerseys on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre, ceremoniously reigniting the Battle of Quebec that took place decades prior. [Sportsnet]

The Dallas Stars will host the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, in a Stadium Series game next season. The game will take place on Feb. 20, 2027. [Sportsnet]

New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin is not expected to play again before the Olympic break, according to NHL insiders, for what is being called “roster management purposes.” [TSN]

Kane owns the record: Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane became the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history in the Red Wings’ 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. [Associated Press]

How do Sharks bounce back, stay present after crushing OT loss to Oilers? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

EDMONTON — It’s been a while since the Sharks have lost a game like this.

Up 3-0 going into the third period, the Sharks looked well on their way to closing out the Edmonton Oilers. With minutes left and the Oilers up an extra man, the Sharks gave up two goals in 2:06, to send the game into overtime. There, a couple of Timothy Liljegren mishaps led to a crushing San Jose OT loss.

So how do the Sharks bounce back?

That’s going to be the question for the rest of this road trip, especially with two of the three remaining games against opponents behind them in the standings, the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky and star Macklin Celebrini both repeated the apparent theme of this road trip, “Be where our feet are,” on separate occasions over the last few days.

Read the full article at San Jose Hockey Now

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Montreal Canadiens (30-17-7, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (31-17-5, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres after Nicholas Suzuki's two-goal game against the Colorado Avalanche in the Canadiens' 7-3 win.

Buffalo is 31-17-5 overall with a 10-3-2 record against the Atlantic Division. The Sabres have a 4-2-5 record in games decided by a goal.

Montreal is 30-17-7 overall with a 9-8-1 record against the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have a 13-5-3 record in one-goal games.

Saturday's game is the fourth time these teams meet this season. The Sabres won 4-2 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson has 28 goals and 27 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has eight goals and two assists over the last 10 games.

Lane Hutson has nine goals and 46 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has scored nine goals and added three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 7-2-1, averaging 4.3 goals, 6.9 assists, four penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

Canadiens: 5-4-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.3 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: None listed.

Canadiens: None listed.

___

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

Winnipeg Jets (21-25-7, in the Central Division) vs. Florida Panthers (28-22-3, in the Atlantic Division)

Sunrise, Florida; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers host the Winnipeg Jets after Matthew Tkachuk's two-goal game against the St. Louis Blues in the Panthers' 5-4 loss.

Florida has gone 14-11-3 in home games and 28-22-3 overall. The Panthers have committed 252 total penalties (4.8 per game) to rank second in NHL play.

Winnipeg has gone 9-15-2 on the road and 21-25-7 overall. The Jets have a 6-11-5 record in one-goal games.

Saturday's game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Panthers won 2-1 in a shootout in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Sam Bennett has scored 19 goals with 23 assists for the Panthers. A.J. Greer has four goals and one assist over the past 10 games.

Mark Scheifele has 26 goals and 38 assists for the Jets. Gabriel Vilardi has scored three goals and added four assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 6-4-0, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.1 assists, 5.6 penalties and 13.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.

Jets: 5-3-2, averaging 2.8 goals, five assists, 2.4 penalties and five penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Panthers: None listed.

Jets: None listed.

___

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

Seattle Kraken (25-19-9, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (25-14-14, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights take on the Seattle Kraken after losing three in a row.

Vegas is 7-2-4 against the Pacific Division and 25-14-14 overall. The Golden Knights are 5-4-4 when they commit more penalties than their opponent.

Seattle is 25-19-9 overall with a 10-5-1 record in Pacific Division play. The Kraken are 24-6-3 when scoring at least three goals.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. The Kraken won 2-1 in overtime in the last matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 24 goals and 16 assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has five goals and 10 assists over the past 10 games.

Vince Dunn has seven goals and 24 assists for the Kraken. Jared McCann has scored seven goals with six assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 5-3-2, averaging four goals, 6.6 assists, 2.5 penalties and 5.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

Kraken: 5-4-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Kraken: None listed.

___

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

San Jose Sharks (27-21-4, in the Pacific Division) vs. Calgary Flames (21-26-6, in the Pacific Division)

Calgary, Alberta; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST

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

Calgary is 21-26-6 overall with a 7-6-1 record in Pacific Division play. The Flames serve 12.3 penalty minutes per game to rank third in NHL play.

San Jose has gone 27-21-4 overall with an 8-7-3 record in Pacific Division play. The Sharks have conceded 179 goals while scoring 162 for a -17 scoring differential.

The teams meet Saturday for the third time this season. The Sharks won 6-3 in the previous matchup. Macklin Celebrini led the Sharks with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Morgan Frost has scored 11 goals with 14 assists for the Flames. Matthew Coronato has three goals and one assist over the last 10 games.

Will Smith has 15 goals and 22 assists for the Sharks. Celebrini has four goals and 11 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Flames: 3-5-2, averaging two goals, 3.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

Sharks: 6-3-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.2 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Flames: None listed.

Sharks: None listed.

___

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

By Evan Berofsky, RotoWire.com

We're getting down to crunch time in fantasy hockey. Your league trade deadlines probably will be coming up at some point during the next few weeks (with the NHL's version on March 6).

If you're in contention to cash and carry enough resources, be bold. Target players you want now, even if it means giving up future talent. But be careful not to dump too many assets or you could end up being short for the stretch drive.

For those looking ahead, stock up on prospects. Acquiring the right cheap keepers in auction leagues can prove to be wise options. Try to get as much as you can for elite performers.

If deals aren't your thing, there's always the free agent route. And by some coincidence, we've listed 14 of them below.

(Rostered rates as of Jan. 30)

Forwards

ST. LOUIS – Special teams hasn’t been kind to the St. Louis Blues as of late, and quite frankly for that matter, all season long.

A chance to make amends was on the table against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions for the Blues, who were in search of some good vibes for a chance.

Those good vibes came off the stick of Jimmy Snuggerud, who scored a power-play goal with nine seconds remaining to give the Blues a dramatic 5-4 win against the Florida Panthers at Enterprise Center on Thursday.

Snuggerud took a quick one-touch cross-seam pass from Pavel Buchnevich in the left circle and rifled a one-timer into the top of the net past Panthers goalie Daniil Tarasov to help the Blues (20-25-9) end a five-game losing skid (0-4-1).

“I think we were wearing them down in the zone for a bit, so some tired guys on the ice,” Snuggerud said. “‘Rouzy’ [Jordan Kyrou] and ‘Buchy’ made some great passes throughout the whole power play, but the last seam play there, I thought, 'Just get it on the left side of the net,’ and fortunately enough it went in. It was a great play.”

Kyrou had a goal and two assists, and Justin Faulk and Buchnevich each had two assists for the Blues. Jake Neighbours, Oskar Sundqvist and Jonatan Berggren also scored for the Blues, who got 17 saves from Joel Hofer.

“It’s great to be on this side of it,” Faulk said. “Tonight was a tough one. It was challenging, that’s for sure, down one, even and then giving up 4-2 and let them tie it up. So it was a push.

“We knew going into the third it wasn’t going to be any different; it was going to be a tough third period against these guys. They play a tough game. To get rewarded at the end is great, because we obviously had it go the other way here a couple times recently, but I think more importantly to get rewarded, we think we’re putting in a lot of work. We think guys are working hard. We don’t think we’re rolling over like the Dallas game, right, down three at the end of the second period, come back out, put in a good third and a good effort and not get the reward there. No one’s feeling sorry for us, but it obviously feels better when that does happen. You just know you’ve got to keep going and that stuff comes with that.”

Let’s look at the game observations:

* Special teams make a difference in the end – Here’s the bad: the Blues were really not good on the penalty kill early. It’s the fifth time the past seven games they had allowed multiple power-play goals when Sam Reinhart got one in the first period to tie the game 2-2 and Blues killer Matthew Tkachuk scored one late in the second period to erase a 4-2 Blues lead that tied it 4-4.

It was time for that moment.

It arrived in the third period when Nick Bjugstad was whistled for a double-minor for high-sticking Evan Rodrigues, who was playing in his 600th NHL game.

Were the Blues going to buckle again or would the kill finally get a job done.

Not only did they kill the entirety of the four minutes but the Panthers, who are 22nd with the man advantage, didn’t get a single shot off.

“I feel like we were good from start to finish on that one,” Sundqvist said playing in his first game since Jan. 18 against the Edmonton Oilers. ‘I don’t think we gave them a lot. After we kill it off, you hear the crowd and it definitely gives you an extra boost. It was a good momentum swing for us.”

The Blues wound up 5-for-7 on the penalty kill.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery said, “We had already given up two power-play goals, so the effort by our penalty killers was awesome. The response by our fans was awesome, and it gave us life.”

It carried forward, and the Blues, who are 29th on the PK, used it to their advantage with their 25th-ranked power play, which was initially a 4-on-3 for 40 seconds of coincidental minors when Hofer and Tkachuk got into a scrum behind the net, and former Blues defenseman Niko Mikkola was called for goalie interference with 1:54 to play.

It looked like the Blues were going to run out of time, and they didn’t throw pucks at the net as the fans were imploring them to do so. They patiently worked it around and that patience paid off this time when Kyrou, who had a one-timer blocked initially, seamed a pass to Buchnevich, who one-touched a cross seam pass to Snuggerud in the left circle and he did the rest:

SNUGGY!!! 🎶

Jimmy Snuggerud secures the win for the @StLouisBlues with just 8.4 seconds left in regulation! pic.twitter.com/KGY8ksNzMs

— NHL (@NHL) January 30, 2026

It was a game filled with penalties with whistle-happy referees Liam Maaskant and Jake Brenk working the whistles into oblivion with 18 penalties totaling 44 minutes.

“We haven’t had many like that,” Faulk said. “Most of our games are pretty low in the penalty department. We don’t get a ton of power plays, I don’t think we take a ton of penalties either. It’s definitely weird, not much flow to it there for a while, even down there to the end with the four-minute and then the penalty there on them. Good to come out with it, the last-minute goal on our end feels a lot better than on the other side. It was a good feeling here after that.

“… Even within the game tonight, we were frustrated with our special teams again, not getting it done on either side of it. We knew we had a chance to step up there in the third and mainly start with the penalty kill. Just get the kill, be aggressive, try and get some momentum off it, don’t let them take over the game right there. That was huge. I think we did get momentum and came up big at the right time.”

With 12 combined power plays, it was a hard game to get into any kind of rhythm.

“It’s crazy. We all felt like you were either on the power play or the penalty kill the whole game,” Sundqvist said. ‘Especially for guys that don’t play either power play or penalty kill, it’s hard. You’re sitting there and you can sit there for a 10-minute stretch. It’s super-hard for those guys. I think we did a great job at coming back and really playing well 5-on-5. I think was thinking on the bench there at the end of the second period, ‘I don’t think I’ve had a lot of shifts with my linemates 5-on-5.’ Definitely a crazy game but happy to pull out a win.”

* First period turnaround – The Panthers, who had won three in a row on the road, are a team that when they get you pinned in the D-zone with success, it’s hard to get out. It was trending that way when Florida gained the territorial edge early on, and when A.J. Greer made it 1-0 3:12 into the game on a coverage mistake, it was a trend the Blues needed to get out of.

But then there were odd-man rushes, and with the ability to break out of the D-zone with pucks allowed the Blues to beat the aggressiveness of not only Florida’s forecheckers but their pinching defensemen.

That’s how Neighbours tied the game 1-1 at 4:46 on a puck from below the D-zone goal line to Kyrou, who one-touched a puck up that caromed off defenseman Gustav Forsling to Buchnevich, who hit Neighbours through the neutral zone for a breakaway, and he beat Tarasov high to the glove side:

Jake Neighbours wasn't even born when these jerseys were used... and now he's lighting the lamp in 'em. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/vUIbWd92bz

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 30, 2026

And when Kyrou made it 2-1 at 7:51, it came off a sharp read by Philip Broberg, who intercepted Carter Verhaeghe’s cross-ice stretch pass in the neutral zone, worked his way down the left hand side before finding Kyrou in the left circle. His quick shot also the glove side found its way in:

Jordan Kyrou, everybody! #stlbluespic.twitter.com/a1LVLOUMM4

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 30, 2026

And even at 4-on-4, Faulk used his strength to fend off a couple would-be Panthers players before shoveling a backhand pass to Berggren for a one-timer from the right circle at 14:27 to reclaim a lead at 3-2 in a wild opening 20 minutes:

Beautiful effort, perfect finish. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/bZbYsF6cx1

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 30, 2026

“I thought that our wall play in the first period was really good,” Montgomery said. “When you play against Florida, they’re going to hem you in. If you win those wall battles and you’re off the wall, you can have odd-man rushes and we had a couple odd-man rushes that led to goals and we almost had another one at the end of the period. We had a 2-on-1 that was another play that if you can make them against them. It’s not easy because they’re the best in the league at doing it. You get odd-man rushes and then you’ve got to take advantage of those.”

* Neighbours, Kyrou, Sundqvist were all game time decisions and scored – When Sundqvist scored 41 seconds into the second period, a goal Tarasov would certainly like back, to make it 4-2, it gave a goal to three players that Montgomery labeled game time decisions after the morning skate.

All three had skated, and it was a case of who would feel fine after it.

Well, Sundqvist said he knew on Wednesday he would be playing, to which Montgomery quipped, “’Sunny’ found his Guy Lafleur dipsy-doodle right through the middle and twisted wrister right into the corner, eh? How many times have you seen that from him.

That's a hat trick for game-time decisions! pic.twitter.com/mmtko2GEvb

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 30, 2026

“First of all, ‘Sunny’ should have told me (he knew he was playing Wednesday). That would have been nice. Glad he’s telling you guys that.

“The other two, it was going to be how they felt this morning because it was very positive about how they responded the day after the game. We were very happy with how they were both feeling. I put it at 50/50 for both of them. It was great. As soon as they took the morning skate and I had already met with you guys, they came in and (said), ‘We’re playing. We’re players.’”

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

The Vancouver Canucks snapped their three-game losing streak on Thursday as they shut out the Anaheim Ducks 2-0. Drew O'Connor scored the game-winning goal while Teddy Blueger picked up an empty-netter in the win. As for goaltending, Nikita Tolopilo stopped all 32 shots he faced, while Kevin Lankinen made one save during his 2:11 of ice time. 

Unfortunately, Tolopilo will not be credited with the shutout as he did not play the entire game. After the first period, the 25-year-old was pulled by the concussion spotter and did not make it out of testing before the start of the season. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote spoke about what happened and if the team considered keeping Lankinen in for the rest of the period. 

"Oh, he was coming back in," said Foote. "I'm just going to myself. I hope he's warmed up somehow, because with his tests, he had to take all his gear off, for some reason, compared to an actual player. So that's why it took so long. You know, when they do that test, it's usually about a 15-minute test, but he had to take his gear off. So we're trying to stall it, but we didn't have the time.

Ultimately, Tolopilo was the story of the night. The Ducks crashed the net all night, yet were unable to beat the 6'6" tender. Post-game, Tolopilo was asked about not getting the shutout, but responded with, "It's more important to get the win. So yeah, I'm happy that we got a win."

As for the Canucks best line, that was easily the trio of Jake DeBrusk, Aatu Räty and Drew O'Connor. DeBrusk led the team with six shots, Räty went six for 10 in the faceoff dot, while O'Connor scored the game-winning goal. Post-game, O'Connor spoke about the win and how nice it was to pick up another victory on the homestand.

"It's great," said O'Connor. "It's obviously been a struggle for us, and it's been frustrating for everyone. I think nobody likes losing, and it hasn't been fun, so we're trying to dig ourselves out of it, but it's nice to get one."

In the end, the bigger winners from Thursday's game were the fans at Rogers Arena. They got to witness a rare home win and even started not one, but two "We Want The Cup" chants. While the game itself wasn't the most exciting, the atmosphere was fantastic, which is a testament to the fans who spent money and made the trip downtown to Rogers Arena. 

Stats and Facts:

- Drew O'Connor picks up his second game-winning goal of the season

- Jake DeBrusk skates in career regular-season game number 600

- Teddy Blueger's fourth career empty net goal ties Zemgus Girgensons for the most empty net goals scored by a Latvian player in NHL history

- Vancouver picks up it's second win of 2026

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

No scoring

2nd Period:

No scoring

3rd Period:

10:18- VAN: Drew O'Connor (13) from Jake DeBrusk 
19:32- VAN: Teddy Blueger (4) from FilipHronek (ENG) (SHG)

Up Next: 

The Canucks wrap up their homestand on Saturday as they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to Rogers Arena. Toronto picked up the win the last time these two teams met by a 5-0 score. Game time is set for 4:00 pm PT.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Canucks’ Rogers Arena Ranks 29th In The NHL In Fan Survey

History Indicates The Canucks Could Make A Trade This Week

Canucks Jake DeBrusk Reflects On His Career Ahead Of 600th Regular-Season Game

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.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Nikita Tolopilo made 32 saves, Drew O’Connor opened the scoring with 9:42 left and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 2-0 on Thursday night.

Tolopilo was denied his first NHL shutout after missing the first 2:11 of the second period because of concussion protocol after he was run over by Ryan Poehling late in the first period.

Kevin Lankinen made one save before Tolopilo returned.

O’Connor scored on a one-timer off Jake DeBrusk's pass. DeBrusk was playing his 600th NHL game.

Teddy Blueger put it away with a short-handed empty-netter with 28 seconds left.

Lukas Dostal made 24 saves for Anaheim.

Both teams were 0 for 3 on the power play.

Ducks: Host Vegas on Sunday night.

Canucks: Host Toronto on Saturday to close an eight-game homestand.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Zach Hyman scored 1:06 into overtime after Evan Bouchard tied it with 59 seconds left in regulation as the Edmonton Oilers stormed back from a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Thursday night.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists and Connor McDavid also scored and assisted on Hyman's winner for the Oilers, who trailed 3-0 after one period. Connor Ingram stopped 17 shots after a rough start.

Collin Graf, Adam Gaudette and Michael Misa had first-period goals for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves.

Edmonton began its comeback with Draisaitl's 26th goal 1:34 into the third period. McDavid's 34th goal with 3:05 left in the third made it 3-2.

Bouchard, who also had two assists, tied it at 3 when he blasted a shot from inside the blue line for his 15th goal.

The Sharks took an early lead on their first two shots of the game when Graf scored just 26 seconds into the game and Gaudette made it 2-0 1:09 later.

Macklin Celebrini's assist on Graf’s goal was the 90th of his young career. At 19 years, 230 days old, he became the second-youngest player in NHL history to achieve the feat, behind only Sidney Crosby (19 years, 126 days in 2006).

Misa gave San Jose what appeared to be a commanding 3-0 lead with his second goal of the season 11:40 into the opening period.

The Sharks briefly appeared to go up 4-0 midway through the second when Barclay Goodrow slammed a rebound in past Ingram, but the goal was waived off for goalie interference.

Sharks: Visit the Flames in Calgary on Saturday.

Oilers: Host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

—

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

For the first time in nearly eight years, the Rangers lost every game to the Islanders in a single campaign. 

The regular-season series sweep is one thing, but the nature of each Rangers defeat signaled a turning point in the long-standing rivalry.

While the 2-1 loss Thursday night at Madison Square Garden was the closest contest between the teams this season, the Blueshirts were outscored by an eye-catching 14-3 over the four games against the Islanders. 

“We’re talking to the guys a lot, whether it’s 5-on-5 or 4-on-4, on trying to create more off the shot,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers fell to 6-14-4 on home ice this season. “Simplify the game. Get inside, create more off the shot. Nothing breaks coverage down better than a shot on goal. A rebound goes somewhere and decisions have to be made. Therein lies opportunity. If we get inside with people, we’ve got an opportunity to compete on pucks and we force the Islanders to have to defend the scoring area. 

“I just think we have to do a better job at recognizing when to put pucks in play, but we also have to have a willingness to get inside with people more consistently. When we do it, we do it at times and I think we create when we do. There’s an element of consistency I think we can bring more to that. 

“I think if we do, I think we’ll score more goals, we’ll generate more scoring chances, we may draw more penalties, because we’re forcing teams to have to defend the scoring area and that’s the hardest area in the rink to defend.” 

The Rangers were also shut out in two of their four games against the Islanders, including a 5-0 drubbing in their first meeting of the season. 

The 2025-26 Rangers season has been handed over to the youth. 

Brett Berard skated in his 13th NHL game of the season Thursday night against the Islanders, bringing the lineup’s youngster count — along with Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson — to five. 

Learning of his latest recall after the Wolf Pack’s 7-1 loss in Hartford, in which he sustained a cut that required four stitches on his left eyelid, Berard packed up and headed for Manhattan. 

“I feel like the last few weeks down in Hartford I’ve really started to feel like myself,” he said after morning skate. “Playing to my identity, quick, fast, hard, using my weight as much as I can. It’s been good to see a few go in the net. Definitely helps with the confidence. But, yeah, I feel like I’m in a good spot.” 

Berard was last recalled for the Winter Classic earlier this month in Miami, but was promptly returned. It was just his second call-up of the season after the 23-year-old got a run of 11 games at the end of November into mid-December. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

Over those 11 games, Berard registered zero points and just 10 shots on goal. 

“The first few games, I thought I was good, but the last couple I thought maybe it dipped for whatever reason,” Berard said when asked to evaluate his first stint of the season. “I wasn’t getting as many pucks on net. So yeah, I think it was good to go back down to Hartford and get my confidence back. I think this time around, I’m really ready. I’m ready to go and super excited to hopefully be in the lineup tonight.” 

Slotting onto the left wing of the fourth line next to Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe, Berard appeared in his 48th career NHL contest. The 134th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has only skated in the bottom six this season. 

Goalie Jonathan Quick stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced in his 17th start of the season. 

The Rangers are scheduled to be off Friday before they venture to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins on Saturday.

DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane became the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history in the Detroit Red Wings’ 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals, who got the decisive goal from Nic Dowd in a shootout on Thursday night.

Alex DeBrincat scored with 1:40 left and again with 51.1 seconds remaining, pulling the Red Wings into a 3-all tie after goaltender Josh Gibson went to the bench to add an extra skater. DeBrincat had some good fortune on the tying goal, dumping the puck and having it carom off the end boards and toward the crease, where it went off Charlie Lindgren and into the net.

After a scoreless overtime, Detroit’s Lucas Raymond started the shootout with a goal and Washington’s Dylan Strome matched it. Kane converted on Detroit’s second chance and Ryan Leonard scored for the Capitals.

After Dylan Larkin was denied, Dowd took advantage with the game-ending goal.

Strome scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and Declan Chisholm made it a two-goal lead with 5:16 left, but the cushion wasn’t comfortable for the Capitals.

Dowd made it 1-0 early in the first period and Lindgren finished regulation with 17 saves. Gibson also stopped 17 shots.

Kane surpassed Mike Modano with an assist for his 1,375th point. He passed the puck from the boards to DeBrincat in the left circle, and DeBrincat set up Ben Chiarot for a tying goal from the point midway through the second period.

PENGUINS 6, BLACKHAWKS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Egor Chinakhov and Anthony Mantha scored on rushes in a 31-second span in Pittsburgh’s four-goal second period, helping the Penguins beat Chicago for their fifth straight victory.

Connor Dewar scored twice, Ben Kindel and Ryan Shea added goals, and Arturs Silovs made 17 saves. Mantha, Shea and Noel Acciari each had two assists.

The Penguins had been off since sweeping a four-game trip with a victory over Vancouver on Sunday, with forward Bryan Rust starting a three-game suspension for a check to Canucks forward Brock Boeser’s head.

Connor Murphy and Connor Bedard scored for Chicago, and Soderblom stopped 38 shots in the first game of a back-to-back. The Blackhawks have lost four straight, falling 4-3 in a shootout in Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Kindel gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead at 5:54 of the second period. He came down the left side and beat Soderblom to the far side with a wrister.

Chinakhov slipped a shots between Arvid Soderblom’s leg pads with 4:30 left in the period, and Mantha also beat Soderblom through the legs with 3:59 to go. Shea capped the spree with 30 seconds left in the period, and Dewar added his second of the night with 6:01 left in the third.

ISLANDERS 2, RANGERS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Carson Soucy scored against the team that traded him 72 hours earlier, Matthew Schaefer got the 14th goal of his stellar rookie year and the New York Islanders defeated the Rangers.

Soucy became the first player to score for the Rangers and the Islanders at Madison Square Garden in the same season. The Islanders swept the back-to-back set between the crosstown rivals after winning 5-2 at home on Wednesday night.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 20 of 21 shots to pick up his 18th victory in 32 starts this season. Schaefer, the first pick in the draft last June, broke a tie with Hall of Famer Bobby Orr for the second-most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history.

Schaefer’s goal came 1 minute, 35 seconds after Soucy beat former teammate Jonathan Quick short side from a tight angle. Soucy was playing just his second game with the Islanders since they gave up a third-round pick to get him in just the fourth trade between the New York teams and first since 2010.

Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play and Quick allowed two goals on 21 shots in his eighth appearance in 12 games since Igor Shesterkin was sidelined because of a lower-body injury. The long-term absences of Shesterkin and top defenseman Adam Fox exacerbated what was already a rough season for the Rangers, who recently signaled they are beginning a retooling process.

SABRES 4, KINGS 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex Tuch had his fourth career hat trick to push his season goals total to 22, leading surging Buffalo to a victory over Los Angeles.

Alex Lyon made a season-high 37 saves for his 10th consecutive victory to break the franchise record set by Gerry Desjardins in December 1976.

Tuch reached 20-goal mark for the fourth straight season and fifth overall. Mattias Samuelsson also scored to help the Sabres win for the 20 time in 24 games.

Adrian Kempe scored for Los Angeles, and Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves. The Kings had won three straight and earned points in a six in a row.

Tuch opened the scoring on a power play on a shot that went off Cody Ceci’s skate and past Kuemper at 7:14 of the first period. Samuelsson made it 2-0 with 8:43 left in the period.

Tuch’s second of the game made it 3-0. He deflected Bowen Byram’s shot at 6:29 of the second.

LIGHTNING 4, JETS 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Darren Raddysh and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and two assists to lead Tampa Bay to a victory over Winnipeg.

Nikita Kucherov scored his 27th goal on an empty-netter and added his 55th assist. Dominic James also scored for Tampa Bay, which improved to 16-1-1 in its past 18 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots to extend his streak without a regulation loss to 14 games (13-0-1).

Kyle Connor scored for Winnipeg, while Connor Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves.

The Lightning won their seventh consecutive home game.

BRUINS 6, FLYERS 3

BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten and Casey Mittelstadt each had a goal and two assists and Boston beat Philadelphia.

Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot and Marat Khusnutdinov also scored for the Bruins, while Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves to win his seventh game in nine starts this month.

Travis Konecny netted his 21st goal for the Flyers. He nearly had another goal late in the second period but was credited with an assist after Nikita Grebenkin scored off the rebound. Matvei Michkov also scored on the power play for Philadelphia.

Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson was slow to leave the ice as the second period concluded and was ruled out with a lower-body injury. He made 15 saves while Dan Vladar made six saves in relief.

The Flyers fell behind by two goals after one period after Zacha and Arvidsson scored 42 seconds apart. After Minten went five-hole on Ersson to make it 3-0, Philadelphia scored at 2:27 of the second period when Konecny took advantage of a giveaway in front of Swayman and scored his fourth goal in two games.

CANADIENS 7, AVALANCHE 3

MONTREAL (AP) — Nick Suzuki scored power-play and short-handed goals and added an assist to help Montreal beat struggling Colorado.

The NHL-leading Avalanche have lost six of eight to fall to 35-8-9.

Noah Dobson opened the scoring just 56 seconds into the game. Jake Evans and Kirby Dach scored in a 40-second span late in the second period. Dach had his first first goal and point since returning from a 31-game absence Jan. 20.

Alexandre Carrier and Juraj Slafkovsky scored in the third period, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves to improved to 7-0-1 in his last eight starts.

Brock Nelson, Joel Kiviranta and Ross Colton scored for Colorado. Scott Wedgewood stopped 21 shots.

HURRICANES 5, MAMMOTH 4

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Staal’s goal with 29.4 seconds left gave Carolina three goals in the final two minutes for a victory over Utah.

Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two goals and an assist for the Hurricanes, who stretched their points streak to six games. Brandon Bussi stopped 21 shots to become the first NHL goalie with 20 wins in his first 24 games.

Utah’s Kailer Yamamoto scored two goals for the first time in more than two years and added an assist. JJ Peterka and Michael Carcone also scored for the Mammoth, who concluded a 2-2-0 trip in their last road game until March. Jack McBain had two assists and Karel Vejmelka made 27 saves.

Svechnikov scored on a power play with the goalie pulled with 1:59 left, giving him eight goals in a six-game stretch. Just 32 seconds later, Gostisbehere, who had missed the previous five games with an injury, got the Hurricanes even.

The Mammoth lost for the second time in eight games.

DEVILS 3, PREDATORS 2, OT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored 42 seconds into overtime to give the Devils a win over the Nashville after New Jersey’s Jack Hughes left the game in the first period and didn’t return.

Hischier’s slap shot from just beyond the left faceoff circle beat Nashville’s Justus Annunen high to the glove side for the winner. Dawson Mercer picked up the assist on Hischier’s eighth career overtime goal. Hischier leads the Devils with 18 goals and 23 assists in 54 games.

New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt tied the game at 2 midway through the third. Dougie Hamilton also scored for the Devils, who snapped a two-game skid. Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves.

Hughes left the game after three shifts in the first period. The team did not announce any injury status for the 24-year-old center.

Hughes’ latest absence comes two weeks before the U.S. is set to play its first game at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Hughes, along with brother Quinn, is a first-time Olympian. The U.S. has two sets of brothers, with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk also on the team.

Michael McCarron and Filip Forsberg scored for Nashville, which lost its third straight. Annunen made 32 saves.

WILD 4, FLAMES 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Danila Yurov and Vinnie Hinostroza scored in the first period and Minnesota went on to beat Calgary.

Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov scored late in the third period, and Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves for the Wild, who are 5-1-1 in their past seven games.

Minnesota is tied with Tampa Bay for the second-most points in the NHL at 72. Colorado has 79 points.

Playing the only road game of their final nine contests before the Olympic break, the Flames got a third-period goal from Morgan Frost. Calgary dropped to 0-3-2 in its past five games. Devin Cooley stopped 20 shots.

Down by a pair of goals, Frost took a long outlet pass from Jonathan Huberdeau and beat Gustavsson with a low shot 5:49 into the final period.

Moments after Minnesota killed off a Quinn Hughes penalty less than three minutes later, Hughes nearly restored the Wild’s two-goal lead, but he was stopped by Cooley on a breakaway.

Boldy redirected a Kaprizov pass for a power-play goal with 2:43 left to secure the win. Kaprizov added an empty-net goal.

BLUES 5, PANTHERS 4

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud scored on a power play with 7.6 seconds left to give St. Louis a victory over Florida, spoiling Matthew Tkachuk’s best game in his return from adductor muscle surgery.

Tkachuk, who grew up in St. Louis, scored his first two goals of the season and picked up his 400th career assist.

Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists to help St. Louis end a five-game losing streak. Jake Neighbours, Jonatan Berggren and Oskar Sundqvist also scored, and Joel Hofer made 17 saves.

Sam Reinhart added goal and an assist for two-time defending champion Florida. A.J. Greer also scored, and Daniil Tarasov made 26 saves as the Panthers lost their second straight.

OILERS 4, SHARKS 3, OT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Zach Hyman scored 1:06 into overtime after Evan Bouchard tied it with 59 seconds left in regulation as Edmonton stormed back from a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat San Jose.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists and Connor McDavid also scored and assisted on Hyman’s winner for the Oilers, who trailed 3-0 after one period. Connor Ingram stopped 17 shots after a rough start.

Collin Graf, Adam Gaudette and Michael Misa had first-period goals for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves.

Edmonton began its comeback with Draisaitl’s 26th goal 1:34 into the third period. McDavid’s 34th goal with 3:05 left in the third made it 3-2.

Bouchard, who also had two assists, tied it at 3 when he blasted a shot from inside the blue line for his 15th goal.

KRAKEN 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Shane Wright scored two goals and Seattle extended its winning streak to three games with a win over Toronto.

Brandon Montour and Matty Beniers also scored for the Kraken, who scored at least five goals in back-to-back games for the first time. Seattle, which beat Washington 5-1 on Tuesday, has won four of its last five games. Joey Daccord stopped 29 shots.

Nicholas Robertson and Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto, which slipped to 0-5-1 over its past six games.

Anthony Stolarz, making his second straight start in goal after missing two months with an upper body injury, allowed a goal on the opening shot for the second consecutive game and finished with 17 saves.

Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, had the second multi-goal game of his career. He hadn’t scored in his last 13 games before netting his eighth and ninth of the season.

STARS 5, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, SO

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen scored in the shootout and Dallas escaped with a victory over Las Vegas after it blew a three-goal lead in the third period.

Vegas’ Mitch Marner forced overtime when he used his stick to keep the puck from leaving the offensive zone and then blasted a shot from the left point with 48.7 seconds left.

Mavrik Bourque scored twice for the Stars, who have won of their past five games. It was the first multigoal game for Bourque, whom the Stars drafted 30th overall in 2020.

The Stars also got goals from Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston, and Jamie Benn and Sam Steel each had two assists. Jake Oettinger finished with 17 saves.

Marner and Keegan Kolesar each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, Ivan Barbashev scored and Reilly Smith had a short-handed goal. Smith has 13 career short-handed goals for the Golden Knights, two off the franchise record set by William Karlsson.

CANUCKS 2, DUCKS 0

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Nikita Tolopilo made 32 saves, Drew O’Connor opened the scoring with 9:42 left and Vancouver beat Anaheim.

Tolopilo was denied his first NHL shutout after missing the first 2:11 of the second period because of concussion protocol after he was run over by Ryan Poehling late in the first period.

Kevin Lankinen made one save before Tolopilo returned.

O’Connor scored on a one-timer off Jake DeBrusk’s pass. DeBrusk was playing his 600th NHL game.

Teddy Blueger put it away with a short-handed empty-netter with 28 seconds left.

Lukas Dostal made 24 saves for Anaheim.

Both teams were 0 for 3 on the power play.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar has been quite the find for the fourth line. 

His acquisition flew under the radar at the end of last season, but after a few games, you could easily tell why Kyle Dubas and the rest of the front office really liked him. Dewar is one of their top forecheckers, excels at winning battles along the boards, is defensively sound, and can chip in offensively. 

Dewar did all of those things well during Thursday's 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. His two goals helped propel the Penguins to their fifth-straight win overall, keeping them in second place heading into Saturday's game against the New York Rangers. 

Dewar's two goals give him 13 for the season, setting a new career high. Whenever the Penguins have needed a big goal from their bottom six, Dewar has been there to answer the call. 

His first goal tied the game in the first period, and the Penguins really needed that one since they were sluggish out of the gate. His second goal made it a 6-1 game late in the third period after the Penguins exploded for four goals in the second period. 

Connor Dewar scores AGAIN‼️

The Chicago Blackhawks seem to be handling their 6-1 deficit well 🤣 pic.twitter.com/qeOdpUkxfM

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 30, 2026

Dewar now has 21 points in 52 games and is one of 12 Penguins players who have 20+ points this season. 

He will try to add to his goal and point totals when the Penguins play the Rangers on Saturday.

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