Patience was preached at the start of the season while the power play worked through its growing pains. Nearly four months later, January has arrived, and the unit still looks stuck in the same place.

Although the Avalanche remain atop the NHL at 34-6-9 through 49 games, they are just 4-4-2 over their past 10—a stretch that hints at a slight dip in form. Injuries have played a significant role. Captain Gabriel Landeskog has been sidelined since Jan. 4 after suffering broken ribs against the Florida Panthers, while Devon Toews has missed much of the month with an upper-body injury.

Given the circumstances, some patience is warranted when evaluating recent results. The power play, however, falls into a different category. It has been a persistent issue for much of the season. While Colorado continues to control play at five-on-five, its man advantage has consistently lagged behind.

Has The Power Play Improved at All Since Meeting?

Colorado is currently tied for 21st in the NHL, converting on just 16.1 percent of its power play opportunities. Prior to the Jan. 8 home game against the Ottawa Senators, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed the team held a significant meeting focused on the man advantage, aimed at aligning strategies and ensuring a unified approach to addressing what has been a season-long issue. Bednar also encouraged open dialogue during the meeting, emphasizing the importance of player input and collective problem-solving.

Have those efforts translated into tangible progress? Not exactly. Entering Colorado’s 8–2 win over Ottawa, the power play conversion rate remained unchanged at 16.1 percent. On the surface, the numbers suggest stagnation—but a deeper look, game by game, provides additional context worth examining.

Brock Nelson and Martin Nečas each scored power play goals against the Senators, reaching the 20-goal mark on the season. Colorado finished the night 2-for-6 with the man advantage, a rare bright spot in an otherwise inconsistent stretch for the unit.

Colorado goal!

Scored by Valeri Nichushkin with 13:52 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Brock Nelson and Sam Malinski.

Colorado: 2
Toronto: 1#TORvsCOL#GoAvsGo#LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/1woDkQwYtn

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 9, 2025

On Jan. 10, Trent Miner recorded the first shutout and first win of his NHL career in a 4–0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. While the result was a positive, the power play failed to contribute, finishing 0-for-2.

Two days later, Colorado’s 17-game home winning streak came to an end in a 4–3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Avalanche went 1-for-3 on the power play, with Nelson once again providing the lone goal on the man advantage—his 22nd of the season.

After three days of rest, Colorado struggled in a 7–3 loss to the Nashville Predators, where the power play again came up empty, finishing 0-for-2. The Avalanche responded with a 5–2 win days later against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. While the power play remained far from sharp, it did produce a goal, going 1-for-6, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring his 37th of the season.

Colorado now enters its latest stretch coming off back-to-back losses—a 2–1 shootout defeat to the Anaheim Ducks followed by a 7–3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Across those two games, the power play went a combined 0-for-6.

Math Shows...

Since the power play meeting, the Avalanche have had 25 opportunities with the man advantage and scored just four goals, a conversion rate of 16 percent—slightly below their season average. On paper, the unit has technically declined, though in reality it has largely remained the same.

That stagnation is beginning to wear on the fan base, with some suggesting that if the issue isn’t resolved before the postseason, the consequences could be significant when the margin for error shrinks. In a conversation with The Hockey News, Bednar addressed the power play, outlining where he believes the unit is struggling most and identifying the areas that need improvement.

"We want to be as dangerous as possible," Bednar said on January 19. "We've had some power plays in that stretch that haven't looked great, and we've had some that have looked fantastic, but it's definitely getting more consistent and guys are continuing to work on it and share ideas and get on the same page and then just work on the execution part of it. I still think it's going to (improve) yet again."

Next Game

The Avalanche are on the road to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday morning. Coverage begins at 11:30 local time. 

Brock Boeser is heating up. His shot volume has increased noticeably over the past 10 games, and he has hit the scoresheet in back-to-back outings.

My Penguins vs. Canucks predictions expect Boeser to have another quality offensive showing with Filip Chytil back by his side.

Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Sunday, January 25.

Penguins vs Canucks prediction

Penguins vs Canucks best bet: Brock Boeser Over 0.5 points (-120)

Filip Chytil returned from injury last time out and regained a slot in the Top-6 centering Brock Boeser. That proved to be very beneficial for Boeser.

He put forth a productive offensive performance, scoring a goal while finishing tied for the team lead with six shot attempts. That matched his highest attempt output on home soil all season long.

That Boeser had such a strong showing with Chytil was no coincidence. He has now played three games with Chytil as his center this season, and Boeser scored in two of them while averaging five shot attempts.

The Vancouver Canucks have out-played their opponents with that duo on the ice, winning the shot attempt battle 46-39 and controlling nearly 61% of the expected goals at 5-on-5.

They are the line best equipped to make noise in that game state, which is important as the Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the least penalized teams in the league.

Penguins vs Canucks same-game parlay

Zeev Buium is another Canucks weapon coming off a whale of a game. Buium had a goal, three shots, six attempts, and logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time while also playing on the top power play.

He is a dynamic blueliner getting a lot of opportunities to put his skillset to use.

Marcus Pettersson has blocked multiple shots in seven of the past nine games. He’s one of the team’s more reliable defenders and is not shy about putting his body on the line.

Penguins vs Canucks SGP

• Brock Boeser Over 0.5 points
• Zeev Buium Over 0.5 points
• Marcus Pettersson Over 1.5 blocked shots

Penguins vs Canucks odds

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh -145 | Vancouver +125
• Puck line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+160) | Vancouver +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)

Penguins vs Canucks trend

Brock Boeser has six points over his last five games against Vancouver. Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Canucks.

How to watch Penguins vs Canucks

Penguins vs Canucks latest injuries

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

The NHL has a six-game offering today with some of the league’s top talent taking the ice.

Below, I’ll dish out my top three NHL player props and NHL picks, featuring Mark Stone, Sidney Crosby, and Cutter Gauthier.

Best NHL player prop bets today

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

Our best NHL player props for Sunday, January 25

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

Prop #1: Mark Stone Over 1.5 points

+145 at BET99

Mark Stone has been one of the NHL’s most consistent producers this season, finding the score sheet in 31 of his 34 appearances, while currently riding a 14-game point streak.

The Vegas Golden Knights captain has collected multiple points in five of his last nine contests, and I suspect he’ll pick up a few more points against his former team, the Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa has been one of the league’s worst defensive squads this year, allowing 3.39 gpg (28th) while also owning the 32nd-ranked team save percentage (.870).

Meanwhile, Vegas has been on a heater with eight wins in its last 10 games while scoring a league-best 4.60 gpg over that span. The Golden Knights will score in bunches tonight, and Stone will be in the middle of the action as usual.

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SCRIPPS, RDS2

Prop #2: Sidney Crosby Over 0.5 assists

+100 at BET99

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain enters Sunday on a five-game point streak with at least one assist in four of those contests, and he’ll add another helper tonight vs. the lowly Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver is in full-on tank mode after trading captain Quinn Hughes back in December. Since Dec. 22, the Canucks have lost 14 of their 16 games while allowing a massive 4.38 gap — the worst mark in the NHL.

The Pens are heating up with a 4-0-1 record in their last five contests, scoring 5.0 gpg through that stretch. Sidney Crosby should factor in at least one tally tonight in what projects as a high-scoring game for Pittsburgh.

• Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, Sportsnet-Pittsburgh

Prop #3: Cutter Gauthier Over 3.5 shots

+100 at BET99

The Anaheim Ducks remain without star center Leo Carlsson following a thigh injury, which means other players have had to step up.

Fortunately for Anaheim, they’ve got another breakout forward in Cutter Gauthier, who leads the team with 23 goals and 45 points.

At just 22 years of age, Gauthier has already emerged as one of the NHL’s best shot creators. The Ducks winger has 191 shots on net this season, the third most in the league behind only Nathan MacKinnon (226) and Connor McDavid (200).

Gauthier has logged Over 3.5 shots in five of his last six outings and looks poised for another high-volume effort against the Calgary Flames, who have surrendered nearly 32 shots per game over their last nine contests.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet

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

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

Drake Batherson has 44 points through 48 games and is pacing to clear 70 for the first time in his career.

My Golden Knights vs. Senators predictions expect him to find the scoresheet once again in what should be a high-event affair.

Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Sunday, January 25.

Golden Knights vs Senators prediction

Golden Knights vs Senators best bet: Drake Batherson Over 0.5 points (-135)

Drake Batherson sits second on the Ottawa Senators in points, trailing only Tim Stutzle. He's recorded at least one in 60% of his games, and 67% when excluding matchups against Top-10 teams in goals against — which the Vegas Golden Knights are not.

They've given up 2.98 goals per game and not gotten many saves. Starter Adin Hill has missed a lot of time with injury and struggled when healthy, sporting an .871 SV% through eight appearances. Akira Schmid (.896 SV%) hasn’t fared a whole lot better.

Point being, the Senators' offense — which has averaged 3.4 goals over the past 20 games — should cause problems for the Knights, and Batherson is likely to be at the forefront of that.

A lack of rest isn’t a concern either. Batherson has produced at a very high rate in back-to-backs this season, piling up nine points through seven games while working on zero days of rest.

The 27-year-old played VGK earlier this season and picked up a point while generating six shot attempts. I’d expect similar outputs this time around.

Golden Knights vs Senators same-game parlay

Tim Stutzle is thought of as a playmaker more than a finisher, but he leads the Senators in goals and has found the back of the net in four of the past five games he’s played when skating on the same line as Batherson.

Ottawa (3.40) and Vegas (3.85) have both averaged a ton of goals over their last 20 games. With the two sides struggling to get stops, the offenses should win out.

Golden Knights vs Senators SGP

• Drake Batherson Over 0.5 points
• Tim Stutzle anytime goalscorer
• Over 6.5

Golden Knights vs Senators odds

• Moneyline: Golden Knights -140 | Senators +120
• Puck Line: Golden Knights -1.5 (+165) | Senators +1.5 (-200)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115)

Golden Knights vs Senators trend

The Vegas Golden Knights have hit the game total Over in 14 of their last 20 games (+8.80 Units / 39% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Senators.

How to watch Golden Knights vs Senators

Golden Knights vs Senators latest injuries

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

In an entertaining, back-and-forth game at TD Garden, one that featured a Montreal hat trick and about 493 power play goals, the game-winning goal almost didn’t happen at all.

Morgan Geekie’s second goal of the game with just under six minutes to go in the third period gave the Bruins lead they wouldn’t relinquish, with the B’s skating off TD Garden ice with a 4-3 win.

Geekie’s mystery goal was originally thought to be a puck out of play, with the officials unsure of where the puck went.

It wasn’t until David Pastrnak started hopping up and down, pointing at the net, that everyone realized Geekie’s shot had beaten Samuel Montembeault and gotten lodged in the sash at the back of the net.

MYSTERY GOAL!

Geekie’s goal gave the Bruins their first lead of the night, as they had to overcome deficits of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 to earn the win.

Cole Caufield carried the Canadiens on the evening, with the American forward recording the second hat trick of his NHL career, but it wasn’t enough for Montreal.

Along with Geekie, the B’s got multi-point nights from Fraser Minten (an assist and the game-tying goal in the third) and Charlie McAvoy (three assists).

Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves.

The highlights:

Game notes

• The win moved the Bruins to within a point of Montreal in the Atlantic Division, with the Habs actually falling out of the top three and into a wild card spot with the loss. Buffalo (?!?!?) is currently third in the Atlantic.
• This game was not exactly a penalty killing master class, with the teams combining for five power play goals. On the night, the B’s and Habs went a combined 5-for-7 on the man advantage, which won’t help those team PK percentages.
• The Bruins got some good fortune in the third period with Nikita Zadorov returning from what looked like a potentially ugly lower-body injury. Marco Sturm noted after the game that Zadorov wasn’t 100% after returning, but hopefully the fact that he was able to continue means he avoided serious injury.
• The Geekie Mystery Goal has overtaken the “Bring the Rangers Back from the Locker Room” goal as the weirdest of the season thus far, but there’s still plenty of time for more.

The Bruins will face those same Rangers in Manhattan on Monday night.

I believe they actually traveled to New York either late Saturday night or early this morning to avoid the coming snowfall, with the team scheduled to practice at Madison Square Garden at 2 PM.

That practice time is likely not a coincidence, with the B’s getting a skate in just in time to watch the AFC Championship.

Stay safe in the snow!

ELMONT, NY -- On Saturday, the New York Islanders recalled defenseman Isaiah George from Bridgeport.

Islanders Recall Defenseman Isaiah George; Will Play With Ryan Pulock OutA promising prospect returns! Isaiah George rejoins the Islanders, eager to prove his talent and fill a defensive void after overcoming injuries.

The 21-year-old defenseman played 33 games with the big club last season, but when opportunities presented themselves this season, injuries got in the way. 

In the Islanders' 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, George played 13:56 minutes alongside Adam Boqvist on the third pairing, keeping things simple. 

He had a turnover on his first shift, but then really settled in. 

"I was pleased with his game," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "I thought he was playing with confidence, skating well, and breaking the puck out pretty well. I felt like he had a good game."

We spoke with George following his return:

Q: What’s it been like getting re-acclimated and being back with the group?

A: “It’s really just about getting re-acclimated. That’s the biggest thing. It was nice to be reunited with the guys up here. They’ve been great to me — last year at camp and this year too. It was all smiles when I came back. It’s great to see everyone again.”

Q: How tough was it being hurt and feeling like there were opportunities slipping away while you were sidelined?

A: “Obviously, you’d rather not be hurt. You want to be playing and playing well, so that was a tough situation. But I’m happy with the way I stuck with it and kept working. Over the last couple of weeks, things have started to go my way more, and that’s been encouraging.”

Q: How much has Rocky Thompson helped you during that stretch?

A: “He’s been great. He does a really good job putting us in positions to win games, which is super valuable. He’s also big on the details — little stick details, positioning details — and I feel like that’s definitely helped my game. Those things really matter at this level.”

Q: How did you feel about your game today and adjusting back to NHL speed?

A: "I felt good. I thought I had some moments. Obviously, you always wish you had better shifts here and there, but I felt comfortable out there. I was getting back into the groove, handling the puck well, and seeing the ice.”

George is expected to get a good look, as he could be the best answer to fill Alexander Romanov's spot in the lineup for the rest of the season. 

The Islanders battle the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday at 7 PM ET, weather permitting.  

The San Jose Sharks recently added to their roster, as they acquired forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. With this, the Sharks made it clear that they are willing to be buyers. 

If the Sharks want to keep making moves, one area that they could look to boost is the right side of their defense. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, the St. Louis Blues have an interesting potential option in veteran blueliner Justin Faulk. 

If the Sharks landed Faulk, he would undoubtedly give their top four a nice boost. This is because he is an impactful defenseman who contributes well offensively from the point and works on both the power play and penalty kill. 

Faulk would also be more than a rental for the Sharks, which adds to his appeal. This is because the right-shot defenseman is signed until the end of the 2026-27 season, where he has a $6.5 million cap hit. With this, he would benefit the Sharks for more than just the remainder of this season if acquired.

On a struggling Blues team, Faulk has been in the middle of a solid year. In 52 games so far this season, the 33-year-old blueliner has posted 11 goals, 13 assists, and 24 points. His 11 goals also have him tied for seventh among all NHL defensemen this season. 

Anthony Stolarz is healthy again. And for the first time all season, the Toronto Maple Leafs had their ideal tandem in the lineup for a game.

The 32-year-old Stolarz made 25 saves on 30 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and head coach Craig Berube admitted that Stolarz is still getting adjusted after a long layoff due to injury.

"We still got to get him going," Berube said on Saturday.  "He hasn't had a lot of work yet, right? And, again, it's hard because we don't practice a whole lot. But it's great to have the two guys back playing again."

Stolarz was sent down to the Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint earlier in the week, but it appears there was never any intent to have the goaltender play some games at the AHL level. 

"A  few days ago I started to feel really good and obviously having the opportunity to go down with the Marlies and get those full practices kind of a little longer than our practices are," Stolarz said on Fridaty. "So just being able to go down there and work and get some reps, I think I felt really good after that. So I thought it was time to get activated and come back."

Stolarz previously played on Nov. 11 against the Boston Bruins and left in the first period with an upper-body injury. What appeared to be nothing serious at first turned into a 73-day layoff between NHL starts. Stolarz explained that he was suffering from a nerve issue, which led to the prolonged layoff. In the meantime, Joseph Woll has been leaned on heavily with Dennis Hildeby serving as his backup.

Hildeby was sent down to the Marlies upon the activation of Stolarz.

With Stolarz back, the hope was that he and Woll could act as a true tandem like they did in 2024-25 when they helped the Leafs finish with the fourth-best team save percentage in the NHL (.905).

But it sounds like the Leafs want to get some more practice reps with Stolarz before giving him another start, opting to go back to Woll when the club hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon.

'We still got to see where he is, it's just one game," Berube said.

Berube also added that it wasn't his call on if there was any thought to getting Stolarz into an AHL game before coming back.

There was a lot of debate among fans if putting the goaltender up against Mitch Marner and the Knights was the right call. While the stats weren't flattering, Stolarz wasn't the main reason for the team's lack of jump or urgency in the game.

It was a little less than a year ago when the Toronto Maple Leafs traded away a first-round draft pick and popular Russian prospect forward Nikita Grebenkin to acquire veteran forward Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Although his tenure got off to a slow start following his acquisition on Mar. 7 of 2025, and a pair of injuries slowed his start to this season, he has since become a reliable bottom-six forward for the Leafs and a quickly become a favourite for his understanding of what the fans' expectations are for the team.

So when his team got off to a slow start and had a worse third period in their game against Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights, he didn't mince words following the 6-3 loss.

He said the lack of speed and urgency wasn't enough before adding other elements.

"It's simplicity, too. I mean, you're D are tired. You don't need to come back with the puck and make it harder," He said. "You chip pucks in, you fill lanes, you make it easy on your D, and you make it hard. That's how you win at this time of year, and that's how you win in the playoffs."

Laughton scored Toronto's second goal that cut Vegas' lead to 4-2 midway through the second period, but logged a low 9:28 of ice time in the loss. 

"Well, he's been playing 14 minutes a night for the most part. Last night we were down in the game. I went with two lines in that second period for a little bit to get caught up," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Laughton's usage. "That's what happened there."

When injuries have hit the forward group, Laughton has been called to move up the lineup from time to time, but he's been primarily used on the fourth line, which can be hard to digest given what the Leafs gave up to get the popular forward.

Laughton has eight goals and two assists in 33 games. He is in unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

We're in for a matinee affair between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche. 

We’ve got two offensively driven teams that are struggling to defend, which is why my Avalanche vs. Maple Leafs predictions are all in on the Over.

Read all about it in my free NHL picks for January 25.

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs prediction

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs best bet: Over 6.5 (-125)

The Toronto Maple Leafs rank eighth in NHL scoring, while the Colorado Avalanche lead the league with an average of 3.94 goals per game. 

Conversely, both sides have struggled defending lately, with the Avs losing four of their last five outings — surrendering 23 goals in that span.

As for Toronto, it's allowed 29 over its last six games, going 1-3-2 in that stretch while going Over the total five times.

The Over has been an extremely profitable play for Leafs bettors this season, going 30-20-2, and I anticipate yet another high-scoring affair tonight with the high-flying Avalanche in town. 

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs same-game parlay

Auston Matthews has 11 goals in his last 14 games, and he'll need to step up with William Nylander sidelined.  

Max Domi is starting to gain momentum again alongside Matthews with four points in his last four games — three of which are assists. 

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs SGP

• Over 6.5
• Auston Matthews anytime goalscorer
• Max Domi Over 0.5 assists

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs odds

• Moneyline: Avalanche -180 | Maple Leafs +155
• Puck Line: Avalanche -1.5 (+130) | Maple Leafs +1.5 (-150)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-125) | Under 6.5 (+105)

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs trend

The Leafs are 3-1 on the moneyline in the last four meetings between these two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs. Maple Leafs.

How to watch Avalanche vs Maple Leafs

Avalanche vs Maple Leafs latest injuries

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

Cole Sillinger(6), Mason Marchment(10,11,12-ENG), Adam Fantilli(13), Dmitri Voronkov(17), Charlie Coyle(11-PPG), and Sean Monahan(8-ENG) torched the Lightning for eight goals, and Jet Greaves stopped 25 of 30 Tampa Bay shots to beat the Bolts 8-5 on Saturday night. 

This one wasn't pretty, and there was no better example than when Jet Greaves tried to clear a puck in front of his net and accidentally sent it into Isac Lundestrom's skate and into his own net. 

That play could have been a back breaker, and if we're being honest, a month ago, it probably would have been. But less than a minute later, Mason Marchment would score his first goal of the night to take the lead right back. From there, the game turned into a shootout, with Marchment and the CBJ getting the better of Tampa on this night. 

With the win, Columbus will win the three-game season series against the Lightning since 16-17. 

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

• Columbus (2-0-0) has won the season series over Tampa Bay (0-2-0) with one game left on the schedule (Mar. 10 at Tampa Bay).  It’s the third time in club history CBJ have won the season series over the Lightning (multiple games) after going 3-0-0 in 2016-17 and 2-1-0 in 2013-14.
• The eight goals scored by the Jackets tonight were the most tallied in the all-time series against the Lightning, besting the previous seven scored on Nov. 21, 2024 (7-6 OTW).
• The Blue Jackets snapped the Lightning’s 15-game points streak, the second time the club broke an opposing team’s double-digit points streak this season (Jan. 3 vs. Buffalo, ended 10-game win streak).  According to NHL Stats, it’s the second time in CBJ history in which the club has snapped multiple opponents double-digits points streaks.  The other campaign was 2016-17 (Minnesota’s 13-game points streak; Montreal’s 10-game points-streak and Pittsburgh’s 10-game points streak).
• Columbus has won six of its past seven games overall since Jan. 11 (6-1-0) as well as collected points in six of its last seven played at Nationwide Arena dating back to Jan. 3 (5-1-1).
• The four goals scored by the Blue Jackets in the first period was tied for the most tallied by the club in a single period this season (2x before – MR: 2nd period on Dec. 6 at FLA).
• The club scored the first goal of the game for the 30th time this season and for the 15th time in the past 20 outings.  The Jackets are 20-6-4 when scoring first overall and 12-4-1 when doing so at Nationwide Arena.
• The Jackets scored in the opening 10 minutes of the game for the fourth-straight game with Sillinger’s goal 5:47 into the first period.  The team has scored in the first 10 minutes in seven of the last nine outings.

Final Stats

Player Stats

• Cole Sillinger scored his 6th goal and had 2 shots. He scored the 200th goal of his NHL career (200-316-516, 1,001 GP) alongside collecting two assists for his fifth performance of at least three points this season (1-2-3). Tonight marked the second three-point game in his last six contests (Jan. 13 vs. CGY, 2-1-3) and he has tallied 5-3-8 in his past seven overall.
• Mason Marchment scored three goals, an assist, and was a plus-2. He registered the third hat trick in his NHL career and first since Dec. 31, 2023 at Chicago (3-1-4) with his three goals and assist tonight against Tampa Bay (3-1-4). Marchment has picked up points in seven of his nine games as a Blue Jacket since making his debut on Dec. 20 (8-3-11, 3 multi-point efforts) to tie Zach Werenski (9 GP) and Artemi Panarin (9 GP) for the second-fewest games to 10 points with the franchise. He also became the third player in Blue Jackets history to record a hat trick prior to their 10th game (Nylander, 5 GP and Filatov, 6 GP). He has now tallied 7-5-12 in 15 career contests against Tampa Bay, with goals in back-to-back matchups and has posted points in six of his last seven home contests against the club (6-4-10).
• Adam Fantilli scored his 13th goal and had 2 assists. He has points in four-straight games against Tampa Bay (2-4-6) and has 2-5-7 in six career games overall.
• Dmitri Voronkov scored his 17th goal. Voronkov scored his first goal since Jan. 11 and has now collected 2-4-6 in eight career matchups against the Lightning, with points in four of his last five contests overall (2-3-5). With 58-54-112 in 199 career games played, he has tied Kristian Huselius for the eight-most goals score by a Blue Jacket prior to their 200th game with the franchise.
• Charlie Coyle scored his 11th goal, had 2 assists and was a plus-3.
• Sean Monahan scored his 8th goal. He also has posted 9-7-16 in 21 career games, with points in six of his last eight home games (4-5-9).
• Kirill Marchenko had two assists. He recorded his third multi-assist – and seventh multi-point – game of the season with two helpers (0-2-2) and has picked up 2-6-8 in his last seven games. He now has points in nine of his 10 career matchups against Tampa Bay (6-7-13) and points in all five career games at Nationwide Arena (2-5-7).
• Zach Werenski had two assists. He recorded two helpers for his 18th multi-point (8th multi-assist) game of the season and has picked up points in six of his past seven contests (3-6-9) as well as 15 of his past 17 (10-15-25). With 0-2-2 in the second period, he posted his 15th career multi-assist period to tie Rick Nash for the most in franchise history. Werenski improved to 8-15-23 in 26 career contests against Tampa Bay, including posting points in 13 of his last 15 games overall (7-13-20) and points in eight of his last nine played at Nationwide Arena (4-9-13).

Team Stats

• The Jackets power play went 1/2.
• The Columbus PK allowed one goal on two Tampa power plays.
• Columbus only won 39% of the faceoffs - 23/59
• The Blue Jackets had 27 hits and 15 blocks.

Up Next: Columbus is back at home on Monday to take on the Los Angeles Kings. 

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The Florida Panthers are continuing their chilly road trip in another place they have struggled in recent years.

On Thursday, the Panthers picked up a gritty 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets. It was Florida’s first win in Winnipeg under Head Coach Paul Maurice, who is in his fourth season behind the Cats’ bench.

Florida has had similar results when visiting the Chicago Blackhawks.

Under Maurice, Florida has lost three straight games in the Windy City by a combined score of 12-5.

We’ll see if the Cats can exorcise their recent demons in Chi-town and continue a recent run of strong play.

Overall, Florida arrives in Chicago with wins in five of their past seven

The interesting thing about those five wins is that they all came on the road.

It’s also worth noting that the Panthers are as healthy at forward as they’ve been all season.

Both Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand have joined Florida’s lineup over the past week, each having an instant impact on Florida’s ability to earn victories.

Tkachuk has picked up three points over his past two games, including a pair of primary helpers, while Marchand logged two goals and an assist, including the overtime winner, Saturday night in Minnesota.

Now Florida will try to wrap up a perfect road trip and pick up a third win in four nights when they face the Blackhawks.

Similarly to the Panthers, Chicago is scratching for every point they can get in order to keep pace in a busy playoff race.

Both teams are five points behind the second Wild Card spot in their respective conference, but while Florida has two games in hand and only one team to climb over, the Blackhawks have played one more game than San Jose and have three other teams they’d need to leapfrog.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s battle with the Blackhawks:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

A.J. Greer – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart

Sandis Vilmanis – Luke Kunin – Mackie Samoskevich

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis

Tobias Bjornfot – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Jan 22, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Florida Panthers players celebrate their victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)

If the Montreal Canadiens lost an important game against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, they lost an even more important one on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins. After the Sabres had leapfrogged over them thanks to a Saturday afternoon matinee win, the Canadiens almost played a perfect road game but came up just short.

While playing on the road and without the last change, the Canadiens looked surgical on the ice for most of the game. After 40 minutes of play, the Bruins had only been able to take 13 shots on net, including only two in the first frame. Six of their 13 shots had come on the power play as well.

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Mr. Saturday Night

Not so long ago, that nickname belonged to Carey Price in Montreal, but nowadays, it refers to sniper Cole Caufield. With a hat trick against the Bruins, the sniper has now taken the lead in goals scored on Saturday night with 11, two ahead of Nathan MacKinnon and three ahead of Connor McDavid.

What’s even more impressive is that he also leads the league in most game-tying and go-ahead goals with 20, that’s 69% of his goals that have been determinant. Caufield doesn’t score the seventh goal in a 7-2 blowout; he’s in the trenches early on and scores when his team needs him the most.

Since being left off the Team USA roster, Caufield has 10 goals and 14 points in 13 games. I think it’s fair to say that the snub has motivated him. In the end, Bill Guerin and co. might have given both the Canadiens and the Canadians a hand there. Caufield is playing insanely well for his team and won’t hurt Team Canada at the Olympics, the best of both worlds.

TOUR DU CHAPEAU, COLE CAUFIELD

IT'S A COLE CAUFIELD HAT TRICK#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/M86nPjhJtM

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 25, 2026

A Big Scare

For a minute, it looked like we may not get any fights in this traditional rivalry matchup, until Kirby Dach and Jonathan Aspirot dropped the gloves 15:33 into the first frame. Yes, you read that right, Dach dropped the gloves.

After the tilt, he skated right to the rook and needed some repairs on a lacerated finger. The 25-year-old was lucky in his misfortune, as his first punch got nothing but a helmet; he could have broken a hand or a thumb on that play. Skating away with just a cut was a blessing.

Dach and Aspirot fight. #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/LtDYWZSX2d

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 25, 2026

Don’t tell the coach that’s not something Dach should be doing, though; he didn’t want to hear it after the game.

Lack Of A Killer Instinct

For much of the third period, the Bruins couldn’t get near the net. With less than seven minutes to go in the game, Boston only had 15 shots, but when you only have a one-goal lead, you’re playing with fire.

The Habs had the perfect opportunity to put the game away when Brendan Gallagher drew a penalty, but Montreal was unable to put the final nail in the Bruins’ coffin; they could only muster one shot on goal on that power play.

With just over 6 minutes left in the game, Fraser Minten scored with a backhand shot to tie the score. Seconds later, Alexandre Carrier took a holding penalty, and on the ensuing draw, which Phillip Danault lost, the Bruins set up Morgan Geekie for a slap shot, and he didn’t miss. The puck flew by Montembeault so quickly that nobody but Geekie knew that it was in the back of the net. Two goals in 15 seconds and the game flipped on its head. After the match, Martin St-Louis said that Geekie’s shot deflected off Evans’ leg, and that’s why it got past the goalie.

It’s another four goals on just 21 shots, which gives Montembeault an .810 save percentage on the night, but given the fact that three goals were scored on the power play, it’s hard to blame the goaltender. Still, the masked man is paid to do a tough job and to win games, you need your goaltender to make the big save.

With that loss, the Canadiens are now in the first wildcard spot, a single point ahead of the Bruins. Meanwhile, the Sabres are now third in the Atlantic, and while they have the same number of points as the Canadiens, they have a game in hand. With just five games to go before the Olympic break, the Habs find themselves in some troubled waters, and they must find a way to win some games in a hurry. Next Saturday, they will once again be playing against the Sabres in what will truly be a do-or-die affair.

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Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (25-14-11, 61 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Vancouver Canucks (17-29-5, 39 points, 8th place Pacific Division)

When: 6:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, SN and TVAS in Canada, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: There’s another extended break after this one for the Pens, who don’t play again until a home game next Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. After that there are only two home games (against the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators) and two road games (at the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres) before the Olympic break.

Opponent Track: The Canucks have been spiraling down the NHL standings pretty much ever since trading star defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 13. Vancouver won a Wednesday matchup with the Washington Capitals, but that’s the team’s only victory in their last 12 games.

Season Series: Conor Garland was the only player who scored for the Canucks in a 5-1 loss to the Pens back at PPG Paints Arena in October.

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Evander Kane – Elias Pettersson – Jake DeBrusk

Drew O’Connor – Filip Chytil – Brock Boeser

Liam Ohgren – Teddy Blueger – Conor Garland

Nils Hoglander – Max Sasson – Linus Karlsson

DEFENSEMEN

Elias Nils Pettersson / Filip Hronek

Zeev Buium / Tyler Myers

Marcus Pettersson / Tom Willander

Goalies: Kevin Lankinen, Nikita Tolopilo

Potential Scratches: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Aatu Raty

IR: Thatcher Demko, Marco Rossi, Derek Forbor

• Thatcher Demko hasn’t played since Jan. 10, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to return for the Canucks this season, Patrick Johnston reported Saturday for The Province. General manager Patrick Allvin has said Demko is receiving opinions from medical professionals regarding his injury. The Canucks are expecting an update on his status within the next few days, per Johnston.
• The Canucks recalled AHL goaltender Nikita Tolopilo on an emergency basis Saturday while sending down backup Jiri Patera. Tolopilo has made six appearances for the Canucks this season, most recently taking a shelling in a 6-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 17, while Lankinen has made a team-high 27 appearances.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that G Jiri Patera has been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL) and G Nikita Tolopilo has been recalled from Abbotsford under emergency conditions.

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 24, 2026

• The Canucks are a team stacked with former Penguins including Drew O’Connor, Teddy Blueger and Marcus Pettersson. (P.O. Joseph will likely be scratched from the lineup).
• O’Connor has been one of the most productive Canucks as of late. He and his linemate Brock Boeser have contributed for five total goals and seven total points over the Canucks’ last five games.

Always good to catch up with old friends! pic.twitter.com/OkaFZtppJe

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) January 24, 2026

• Elias Pettersson made an impressive empty-net save during Friday’s loss to the New Jersey Devils.

I swear, Elias Pettersson missed his true calling as a goaltender. #Canuckspic.twitter.com/EprxGTOQk5

— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) January 24, 2026

Season stats
via hockeydb

• The Canucks followed up the Hughes trade by sending Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. Given their spot in the standings, it seems likely the team would like to sell off a few more players down the stretch. Per PuckPedia, Evander Kane, Blueger and David Kampf are all pending free agents this season.
• Getting decent return value for that trio could be difficult, for a variety of reasons. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reported earlier this month that Kane’s trade market is “lukewarm.” Blueger has missed almost the entirety of the season amid a three-month absence with a lower-body injury, and Kampf struggled this fall. If they can pick up play heading into the Olympic break, however, the Canucks could look to move them both to get some draft capital and clear roster spaces for young players down the stretch.
• Speaking of young players getting more playing time down the stretch in Vancouver: rookie defenseman Zeev Buium played almost 24 minutes during Friday’s loss to the Devils, one of his highest ice times of the season, and he’s been bumped up to the Canucks top power play unit.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Brett Kulak / Kris Letang (?)

Ryan Shea / Jack St. Ivany

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner

Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ilya Solovyov, Connor Clifton

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones

• The Penguins could potentially have both Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang back for this one after Letang joined Saturday’s practice as a full participant, although coach Dan Muse stopped short Saturday of committing to Letang’s availability.

Dan Muse said Kris Letang "was obviously a full participant today in practice, which was great. Still have to have some conversations (regarding his status for Sunday versus Vancouver)." https://t.co/ALeTF1D8N9

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) January 24, 2026

• If Letang is able to return, it looks like Connor Clifton could be headed back to the bench after a seven-game stretch in the lineup.

Pairings during rushes:

Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Kulak-Letang
Shea-St. Ivany
Solovyov-Clifton

Looks like Letang could make his return tomorrow

— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) January 24, 2026

• This will mark Arturs Silovs’ Vancouver homecoming for the first time since his trade to the Pens last summer. He celebrated Saturday by receiving his Calder Cup Championship ring from his win with the Abbotsford Canucks last June.

Our playoff MVP, Artūrs Šilovs, has officially received his championship ring! pic.twitter.com/rY4MDoyxj3

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 24, 2026

• The Carolina Hurricanes refused to give up ground on their division lead with a Saturday night win over the Ottawa Senators. The Islanders were shut out 5-0 by the Buffalo Sabres, however, keeping them— at least for now— from climbing any closer to the Pens in the standings.