Ottawa 6 Chicago 4: Senators Overcome Strange Officiating To Win Third In A Row

Make it three straight victories for the Ottawa Senators.

David Perron scored twice early in the third period, including the game-winner, as the Senators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6–4 at Canadian Tire Centre before 18,254 fans.

Tim Stützle continued his hot streak with a goal and two assists and now has 13 points in his last six games. Brady Tkachuk, Fabian Zetterlund, and Tyler Kleven scored the Senators’ other goals, helping to send Chicago to its fifth straight loss.

Kleven, however, logged just nine shifts before leaving the game with an injury and did not return. His exit was unfortunate, as the Senators were finally back at full strength on the blue line with the return of Thomas Chabot. Chabot had a strong performance, logging 26:37 of ice time while easing some of the workload on Jake Sanderson.

Levi Marilainen earned the win, stopping 20 of 24 shots. At the other end, the Senators fired 40 shots at Chicago goaltender Arvid Söderblom.

Until Perron’s two goals early in the third period, Chicago simply would not go away, as the Senators blew three separate leads in the game.

Officiating was a major storyline in this one.

Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk received only a double minor for an intentional cross-checking to Stützle's face, a play that routinely results in a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Even more memorable was a bizarre sequence in the second period following one of three Ottawa goals that were challenged for goaltender interference. 

After review, referee Beau Halikidis announced there was no interference and that Dylan Cozens' goal would stand. Fans at Canadian Tire Centre went crazy as Senators players mobbed Cozens. who appeared to have given the Sens a 2-1 lead.

Moments later, Halkidis suddenly became the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, taking the goal away and leaving plenty of frustration in the building.

Perhaps his heart was two sizes too small.

With the win, the Senators improved to 17-13-4 on the season, good for 38 points. They now sit just two points back of the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division.

It's A Green Christmas

Whether it’s an early Christmas present or a birthday gift for head coach Travis Green, who turned 55 on Saturday, the Senators winning four of their last five games is exactly what Green was hoping for under the tree.

Ottawa has two games remaining before the Christmas break, visiting the Boston Bruins on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in a huge Atlantic matchup before returning home Tuesday to host the Buffalo Sabres.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

Sabres Place Defenseman On Injured Reserve

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have placed defenseman Conor Timmins on injured reserve.

Seeing the Sabres place Timmins on injured reserve is not surprising. This is because Timmins suffered a broken leg during the Sabres' Dec. 18 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Head coach Lindy Ruff also shared that the 27-year-old defenseman is expected to be out for the next six to eight weeks because of it. Due to this, it is easy to understand why the Sabres have placed him on injured reserve. 

Timmins is currently in his first season with the Sabres. In 33 games so far this campaign with the Sabres, the 2017 second-round pick has recorded zero goals, six assists, and 16 penalty minutes. 

 

With Timmins sidelined, the Sabres will now need to adjust to not having him in the lineup. He is a defenseman who the Sabres have been relying on this season. 

In 192 career games over seven NHL seasons split between the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Sabres, Timmins has posted six goals, 46 assists, 52 points, 80 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 rating. 

Jeff Blashill Provides Brutal Injury Update On Frank Nazar

The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Ottawa Senators 6-4 on Saturday afternoon. They scored some goals without Connor Bedard in the lineup, but they weren't good enough in the other areas of the game to get the win. 

They lost a lot more than the hockey game on Saturday, however, as Frank Nazar's injury is not good. He left the game after taking a puck to the face in the first period and did not return. 

Blackhawks Lose Frank Nazar To Injury In 6-4 Loss To SenatorsBlackhawks Lose Frank Nazar To Injury In 6-4 Loss To SenatorsThe Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, and they lost Frank Nazar in the process.

Once the game was over, head coach Jeff Blashill provided a less-than-ideal update on the young center. He is expected to miss approximately four weeks with the injury. 

With Connor Bedard already out with a bad shoulder, this is bad news for the Blackhawks, who are doing everything they can to stay afloat. 

Connor Bedard won't be back for a couple of weeks himself, so Chicago is without their top two centers for the foreseeable future. 

All of a sudden, a young team that had an incredibly positive start is reeling. Other players are going to have to step up for things not to completely go off the rails.

Nick Lardis is going to remain with the team in all likelihood, especially after scoring his first career NHL goal on Saturday. Now, the Blackhawks will be relying on him for offense with both of their top centers out of the lineup. 

BREAKING NEWS: Nick Lardis Scores First Career NHL Goal In His Home ProvinceBREAKING NEWS: Nick Lardis Scores First Career NHL Goal In His Home ProvinceChicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis scored his first career NHL goal. Image

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Sabres Call Up First-Round Pick From AHL

The Buffalo Sabres have made a roster move, as they have announced that they have recalled forward Isak Rosen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Rosen was just sent down to the AHL by the Sabres earlier this week. Now, with this latest news, the young forward is getting another opportunity to play for the NHL club. 

Rosen's getting called up comes after the skilled forward put together a two-goal performance against the Belleville Senators in Rochester's most recent contest on Dec. 19. With this latest strong game with Rochester, he has now recorded 12 goals, 10 assists, and 22 points in just 15 games this season with the AHL club. 

In 12 games so far this season with the Sabres, Rosen has set new career highs with three goals, four assists, and seven points. Now, he will be looking to make a big impact with the Sabres after landing this latest call-up from here. 

Rosen was selected by the Sabres in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft with the 14th overall pick. In 27 career NHL games with the Sabres, Rosen has recorded three goals, five assists, and eight points. 

Blackhawks Lose Frank Nazar To Injury In 6-4 Loss To Senators

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon. This matinee featured two teams trying to find their way closer to the playoff line in their respective conferences. For Chicago, this was an attempt to end a four-game losing streak. 

This was the third and final game of Chicago’s swing through eastern Canada. The first two against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens didn’t go well for the Blackhawks, and this Senators match followed suit. 

Despite finding ways to score four goals with Connor Bedard out of the lineup, they allowed six and were defeated 6-4. The team's defense and penalty killing were not good enough to win this game. 

Whether it's been goals waved off for both sides, bad defense in this one, or poor offensive play in the first two, this trip ending is great news for the Blackhawks coaches and players. 

Over the three games played on this trip, the Blackhawks saw there be seven goal challenges. These reviews have both helped them and hurt them, but it is a strange stat for a team begging for more offense. 

Now, they are losers of five straight games. They are closer to being at the bottom of the league standings than a playoff spot. They now only have one more chance to turn the ship back in the other direction before the break. 

Frank Nazar's Injury

The Chicago Blackhawks lost Frank Nazar in the first period of this game. He took a puck to the face and had a cut that looked pretty bad. 

Nazar skated off on his own but did not return. Will this keep him out for even a game? That remains to be seen, but they could have used him in multiple ways in the final two periods. 

Nick Lardis' First Career NHL Goal

One positive from the game is the fact that Nick Lardis scored his first career NHL goal. He took a pass from Alex Vlasic and put it into the net on the backhand. To score his first in his home province of Ontario will be something that he remembers forever. 

BREAKING NEWS: Nick Lardis Scores First Career NHL Goal In His Home ProvinceBREAKING NEWS: Nick Lardis Scores First Career NHL Goal In His Home ProvinceChicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis scored his first career NHL goal.

Ilya Mikheyev's Impact

Ilya Mikheyev scored two goals in this game. Each of them played a role in the Blackhawks having a chance to win, despite the team ultimately coming up short. Mikheyev now has 11 goals in 18 career games against the Senators. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

Next up for the Blackhawks is a return to Chicago to play the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center. This is their final match before the holiday break. This will be a late-start nationally televised (TNT) game. 

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BREAKING NEWS: Nick Lardis Scores First Career NHL Goal In His Home Province

While trailing 5-3 against the Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis scored his first career NHL goal to bring his team back within one. 

Lardis was called up last week when Connor Bedard went down with an injury. He earned that opportunity based on the way he's played over the last two years. After a 71-goal season in the OHL last year and a point per game start to his AHL career this year, it was time. 

Alex Vlasic made a nice play to keep the puck in the zone before throwing it back the other way. Lardis caught the puck and used a backhand to score the first of his NHL career. It was only a matter of time before Lardis reached this milestone, as he has been a great sniper at every level. 

Lardis' ice-time probably isn't what it needs to be for him to be successful long-term, but he made the most of it in this one.

Not only did he increase his team's chances of coming back in the hockey game, but he also did something that will allow him to focus solely on the game going forward. Now, he can concentrate on being the best player possible. Goals will come in bunches because of his talent.  

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Red Wings Roll Past Capitals 5-2 With Moms in Attendance

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The Detroit Red Wings have improved to 7-2-1 in their last 10 games thanks to their 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena. 

The win was especially special for the players, many of whom brought their moms along for the trip to the nation's capital. 

As of Saturday afternoon, the Red Wings further built upon their lead in the Atlantic Division, moving ahead of the Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins by three points each. 

The scoring was opened just 65 seconds after the opening face-off thanks to forward John Leonard, who was playing in his third game with the Red Wings since being called up from the Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Leonard's goal was his first with the Red Wings, as he signed with the club during the offseason and was the AHL's leading goal scorer at the time of his call-up earlier in the week. 

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The Red Wings then increased their lead to 4-0 by the midway point of the second period thanks to tallies from James van Riemsdyk, Elmer Soderblom, and Moritz Seider.

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While the Capitals managed to cut Detroit's lead in half after goals from Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary, a would-be goal that would have cut the deficit to just one was waived off because of goaltender interference. 

Dylan Larkin then scored into the vacated Washington net late in regulation, sealing the victory. 

Goaltender John Gibson picked up his seventh straight win by making 24 saves, while his counterpart, Logan Thompson, made 36 saves.

Both teams will reconvene on Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena. 

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GAME DAY: Senators Go For Third Straight Win Saturday, Hosting Bedard-less Blackhawks

The Ottawa Senators hope to continue climbing their way back toward playoff contention on Saturday afternoon as they host the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sens are coming off nice victories over the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-0) and Winnipeg Jets (3-2 OT).

The Hawks have lost four games in a row and will, again, be without centre Connor Bedard, who reportedly has a separated shoulder. The last time Bedard faced the Sens in October, he scored his first career NHL hat trick.

The injury news is better on the Senators' side as defenseman Thomas Chabot returns from an upper-body injury. 

Chabot was injured on November 11 in a game against the Dallas Stars, attempted a return 11 days later, and re-injured himself against the San Jose Sharks. His return will allow the Sens' blue line some relief, giving Jake Sanderson a little more time to catch his breath, slotting players in appropriate spots, and with Nikolas Matinpalo a healthy scratch, no defender has to play his wrong side.

Here are the Senators' projected line combinations on Saturday.

Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund

David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson

Michael Amadio -- Ridly Greig -- Claude Giroux

Olle Lycksell -- Stephen Halliday -- Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence

Leevi Merilainen

Injured: Shane Pinto (lower body), Lars Eller (broken foot)

What The Danault Trade Means For Alex Turcotte's Future In Los Angeles

For a few years now, Alex Turcotte has never been close enough to see opportunity, never close enough to grab it with significant playing time on ice. Buried on the fourth line and seeing pretty inconsistent playing time on ice for years, the former No. 5 overall pick hasn't gotten what he expected. 

But that will all change now with Phillip Danault's departure. It's no longer about patience with Turcotte; it's now about whether all the waiting was worth it and whether he will now be a great player with an elevated role. 

Ken Holland's Latest Move May Force Him Into AnotherKen Holland's Latest Move May Force Him Into AnotherAfter Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland sent Phillip Danault back to the Montreal Canadiens, there will be a gaping hole down the middle when next season rolls around

The Door was never open

Even though people will say that Turcotte should have gotten more minutes and a bigger role because he was a top 5 draft pick back in 2019, the Kings still went with consistency and reliability over potential and projection. 

The Kings were deep down the middle for a few years now since before even drafting Turcotte and that's what they went with for the most part. Danault just had to be patient and ready for when his time will come and now the Kings are trusting him in this new role. 

Fourth-line minutes that only had him playing about 10 to 11 minutes a game on ice, and even this season saw a decrease in his minutes, with nine on the ice. Danault averaged the best numbers of his career last season with nine goals, 16 assists, and 25 points, but this year he's off to a slow start with a diminished role to start the season.

Breaching the Surface: Alex Turcotte and the Phillip Danault DilemmaBreaching the Surface: Alex Turcotte and the Phillip Danault DilemmaTAMPA BAY, FL – In a place that has been a house of horrors for the Los Angeles Kings, the team was able to squeeze out a 2-1 win in sixty minutes of play, no more, no less, at Amalie Arena. For anyone following closely, that was the 23rd game this season for the Kings in which the game was decided by just one goal. Scaling down, it was also the fourth consecutive game the Kings were without defensive linchpin Phillip Danault, who has been battling the flu. In those four games, the Kings have been outscored at even strength 8-4.

Playing about nine minutes on ice this season, Turcotte only has two goals and six points in 30 games. Now, to be fair to Turcotte, he obviously hasn't given a fair shot at a big role on the ice, so it's hard to expect someone to be an elite player when they're playing just under 10 minutes a game on ice. 

But now the question is: will his numbers and play jump with a bigger role all of a sudden, coming in the middle of the season when the Kings are fighting for a playoff spot? Those questions can't be postponed anymore; they have to be answered, and they will when we see Turcotte playing on the third line with Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar. 

Alex Turcotte gave his thoughts on now moving up to the third line,

"Great opportunity for me.....I'll be ready for it. I'm confident in myself," Turcotte said. "Just going to go out there, work as hard as I can, do the best that I can, hopefully produce more and show them what I've got."
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The Uncomfortable truth, he still might not be ready

Despite everything said, with Turcotte having solid numbers playing limited minutes, it's still unknown whether he will truly live up to playing significant minutes for a team looking to compete for the Stanley Cup. 

By moving Danault, the Kings are now also thin at center, and if Turcotte doesn't play up to his potential, that will become a problem. If that happens, the Kings will have to make another deal before the deadline to strengthen their depth at the center position for a player who can help them right away.

Now, this doesn't mean the Kings shouldn't give Turcotte a try; he should still be given this opportunity before any significant moves are made. The biggest gamble the Kings are making right now is betting that Turcotte's development can replace veteran dependability. Still, if that bet doesn't pay off quickly, they may be forced back into the market. 

A team that's looking to contend in the playoffs, especially this being Kopitar's final season in Los Angeles, they can't afford any weakness down the middle, particularly in a tough Western Conference where depth and matchups often decide playoff series. 

No more waiting

The 24-year-old has spent long enough playing in the shadows with a limited role; this is the moment every top prospect dreams of, works towards, and fears. And now, Turcotte has to decide what he's going to do with it in a big market playing for a franchise that's starving for a Stanley Cup on the biggest stage. 

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Canucks Forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki Has Been On A Heater In The AHL

Jonathan Lekkerimäki is on a heater down in the AHL. The Vancouver Canucks forward has goals in five straight and has multi-point efforts in each of his last two outings. Overall, this year, Lekkerimäki has points in seven of his eight games, totalling 10 on the season. 

While Lekkerimäki's point totals are impressive, so is the number of shots he is getting on goal per game with the Abbotsford Canucks. Over his eight games, he has 38 shots, which averages out to 4.75 per game. Lekkerimäki has at least six shots in four games this year and recorded nine on December 14 against the Calgary Wranglers

One positive to note about Lekkerimäki is that his goals are not restricted to just the power play. He has only two power play goals so far this season, which shows that he can generate chances at even strength. At this point, it appears that Lekkerimäki is rounding out his game and looks more confident when the puck is on his stick than he did last year. 

Lekkerimäki is projected to play a significant role for Vancouver in the near future. The 21-year-old has a dynamic shot and has shown he can be a goal-scoring machine at the AHL level. The question now is whether Lekkerimäki can translate his success to the NHL, where he has just eight points in 32 games. 

One factor that could help Lekkerimäki once he is called up again is reuniting with Liam Öhgren. The duo played together both in Djurgårdens IF youth program and for Sweden internationally. If the two can continue to build their chemistry in the NHL, they could become a dynamic duo for the foreseeable future. 

Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) skates against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

As for Lekkerimäki's immediate future, he will most likely spend more time in the AHL. This is not a reflection of his recent play, but more due to the current construction of Vancouver's roster. If the Canucks start moving some unrestricted free agents and get picks and prospects back instead of roster players, it may open up a spot for Lekkerimäki to finish the year in the NHL. 

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.

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Los Angles Kings trade center Phillip Danault to Montreal Canadiens for second-round pick

Phil Danault’s decreasing role with the Los Angeles Kings led to the veteran two-way center getting an opportunity for a fresh start in a familiar setting after being traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.

The Kings acquired a second-round draft pick while also freeing up salary cap space and ice time for other players in the trade reached just before the NHL holiday roster freeze began on Saturday. The draft pick the Kings landed is the one Montreal previously acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Prompting the move for the Kings was the development of Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere, and the offseason additions of Joel Armia and Corey Perry. General manager Ken Holland also expressed a desire to provide more playing time for Alex Turcotte and second-year center Samuel Helenius.

“Phil’s role changed here, got reduced on the penalty killing and on the power play. It’s been a bit of a struggle here offensively for Phil since the start of the year,” Holland said on a Zoom call.

“So I found a trading partner, and I think it’s going to be good for Phil,” he added. “He gets to go back to a city where he had a lot of success. And we get a second-round pick and obviously we see some cap space to use going forward.”

Danault was in the fifth season of a six-year, $33 million contract he signed with Los Angeles in the summer of 2021.

The 32-year-old Danault, who topped 40 points in each of his first four seasons with the Kings, has been limited to just five assists in 30 games this year, while missing the past four with an illness. Holland said he consulted with Danault and his agent in opening trade discussions before landing what he believed was the best offer.

Danault, who is from Victoriaville, Quebec, returns to Montreal where he spent six seasons and established himself as one of the league’s better defensive-minded forwards.

He had 54 goals and 194 points in 360 games with Montreal over a stretch that ended with the Canadiens reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, which they lost in five games to Tampa Bay.

Danault was selected in the first round of the 2011 draft by Chicago, and spent his first two seasons with the Blackhawks before being traded to Montreal.

The Canadiens add a 12-year veteran to a young, up-and-coming team that reached the playoffs last year for the first time since 2021, and is in the thick of a tightly packed race this year. At 18-12-4, Montreal enters Saturday sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings with eight points separating the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets and second-place Washington Capitals.

The Kings, meantime, are in a similar situation in the West. At 15-10-9, they’re seventh in the standings, with eight points separating the 10th-place St. Louis Blues and fourth-place Vegas Golden Knights.

The trade comes after the Kings ended an 0-2-2 skid with a 2-1 win at Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

Holland acknowledged the Kings need more offensive production in currently ranking 28th in the NHL in averaging 2.56 goals per outing. But he’s pleased with the team’s defensive play and goaltending, with Los Angeles ranking third in allowing 2.5 goals per outing.

“Certainly we need more goals,” he said, noting the Kings are a combined 5-9 in overtime and shootout results. “I’m hoping that some of the people that have scored in the past will start to score here going forward.”

Holland also backed third-year coach Jim Hiller by noting how the Kings are no different than a number of NHL teams approaching the midway point of the season.

“If we’re in a malaise, then 25 teams are in a malaise. Like, the whole league’s packed together,” Holland said. “Jim’s done a good a good job, and our team is playing very structured and competes every night.”

Pittsburgh Penguins At Montreal Canadiens Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins will finish their two-game trip in Montreal against the Canadiens on Saturday night, hoping to snap their seven-game losing streak.

The losing streak reached seven after the Penguins got blanked by the Ottawa Senators 4-0 on Thursday night. The Penguins were lethargic all game and didn't really threaten the Senators with many prime scoring chances. They did have one goal called back for goaltender interference, but other than that, there wasn't much in the form of offensive creation.

They'll face a Canadiens team that is 18-12-4 and is coming off a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. The Canadiens beat the Penguins 4-2 back on Dec. 11 in Pittsburgh and will try to win the season series at home on Saturday before the two teams play again on Sunday in Pittsburgh. 

Penguins head coach Dan Muse is making some lineup changes after Thursday's 4-0 loss. Tommy Novak will be back on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust, while Rickard Rakell will center the second line. Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau will be Rakell's linemates.

The "kid" line will also be back, and Brett Kulak will be paired with Kris Letang on the second pair. Stuart Skinner is set to start in goal for the Penguins.

Sidney Crosby is also looking to make history since he's one point away from tying Mario Lemieux for the most points in the Penguins' franchise history and two away from breaking the record. 

Here are the full expected lines and pairs:

Forwards:

Novak-Crosby-Rust

Brazeau-Rakell-Mantha

Koivunen-Kindel-McGroarty

Dewar-Hayes-Acciari

Defensive pairs:

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Kulak-Letang

Shea-Clifton


Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'


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Kirill Kaprizov And Matt Boldy Eye History As Wild Face Oilers

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild's (21-9-5) is back in action today against the Edmonton Oilers (17-12-6) for a day game.

Here are today's news and notes for the game.

Minnesota is 64-33-10 all-time against the Oilers and 33-17-3 on home ice. The Wild’s 64 wins and 31 road wins all-time against the Oilers are its most against any team and the Wild’s 33 victories at home are the second-most against any franchise (COL, 35).

Connections:

President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin recorded 79 goals, 82 assists, 161 points and 354 PIM in 211 games with Edmonton in parts of four seasons.

Defenseman Jared Spurgeon is from Edmonton.

Forward Tyler Pitlick was selected by Edmonton in the second round (No. 31 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft and collected 11 goals, three assists and 14 points in 58 games across parts of three seasons (2013-15, 2016-17) with the club.

Stats:

Mats Zuccarello leads Minnesota with 28 points in 25 career contests vs. Edmonton. Newly acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes owns 27 points in 29 games against the Oilers and RW Vladimir Tarasenko leads the Wild in goals with 13. He has 23 points as well in 31 career games.

Filip Gustavsson starts for the Wild. He is 2-2-0 with a 4.41 GAA and a .880 SV% in four career starts vs. Edmonton.

Forward Connor McDavid (26 GP) is tied with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (40 GP) with 32 points against the Wild. Leon Draisaitl leads the team in goals with 16 and also has 31 points in 27 games against the Wild.

Calvin Pickard will start for Edmonton. He is 4-4-0 with a 2.58 GAA, a .917 SV% and one shutout in eight games (seven starts) against Minnesota.

Milestones:

Gustavsson posted his third shutout of the season against the Washington Capitals for his 14th of his career. He is one shy of tying Dwayne Roloson (15) for third most shutouts in franchise history.

Joel Eriksson Ek owns an active six-game point streak (4 goals & six assists), which is tied for the third longest of his career. He was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week for the period ending 12/14 after collecting three goals and seven points to help the team to a 4-0-0 record.

Kirill Kaprizov is currently tied for second in franchise history with 145 power-play points (70-75=145).

Per NHL Stats, Kaprizov is the only player among all 32 NHL clubs to hold the franchise record (outright or tied) for all three scoring milestones: goal streak, assist streak and point streak.

Kaprizov and Matt Boldy can each extend their goal streaks to four games. There’s been one instance in Wild history of teammates with a simultaneous four-game goal streak: Pavol Demitraand Marian Gaborik from Feb. 10-18, 2007.  

Both Boldy and Kaprizov have 20 goals this season. They are the only team in the NHL to have multiple players hit that mark.

Records:

Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Minnesota is 20-5-0 in 25 games at Edmonton, including an eight-game win streak (2/21/13-1/31/17) – the longest road win streak in team history.

Minnesota has won six of its last eight games against Edmonton at Grand Casino Arena dating back to 10/22/19.

The Wild won 17 straight games against the Oilers in Saint Paul (2/25/07-10/13/11) - the longest home win streak against an opponent in franchise history.

Minnesota is 21-9-5 which is third in the Central Division and fourth in the NHL.

Minnesota is 7-2-1 in its last ten games and 18-3-2 since Nov 1. ranking first in the NHL in wins, points (38), team GAA (1.75) and team SV% (.940) while ranking second with a plus-34 goal differential in that span.

Minnesota has won six consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NHL, the team’s second-longest of the season.

Edmonton is 17-12-6 which is third in the Pacific Division and 15th in the NHL.

Edmonton is 7-2-1 in its last ten games and 12-8-3 since Nov 1. Ranks 12th in the NHL in that span. They have a 32.8 percent power play since then which ranks second in the NHL. Minnesota's PK (87.9) ranks second in the NHL since Nov 1.

Since Dec 1, the Oilers lead the NHL in goals scored with 38. The Wild are first in fewest Goals Allowed per game in that span.

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Winners of 4 straight, Panthers to complete back-to-back set against visiting Blues

The Florida Panthers will look to run their season-long winning streak to five games when they complete the second leg of a back-to-back set on Saturday in Sunrise.

Fresh off Friday night’s exhilarating comeback victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida will welcome the St. Louis Blues for their only visit to Amerant Bank Arena this season.

The Panthers have been playing some solid hockey over the past several weeks, and the results are showing in the standings.

Entering play Saturday, Florida had risen all the way to second place in the Atlantic Division, their 19-13-2 record good for 40 points.

There are actually three teams with 40 points in the division, but Florida has more regulation wins (16) than both Montreal (11) and Boston (14), and the Carts have also played one less game than the Bruins and the same amount as the Canadiens.

That’s what happens when you win four straight games and seven of eight in an extremely tightly packed Eastern Conference.

Now they’ll try to keep the good times rolling when they face former Bruins coach Jim Montgomery and the Blues.

To this point, the season has been a struggle for St. Louis.

The Blues have yet to recover from a 3-7-2 start, currently holding a 13-15-8 mark that has them three points back of San Jose for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

St. Louis arrives in South Florida with points in two straight (1-0-1) but only two wins over their past six games overall.

In goal, the expected matchup will be Joel Hofer for the Blues and Daniil Tarasov for Florida.

Hofer has received the bulk of the work for St. Louis of late, including each of their past two wins, while on the Florida side, starter Sergei Bobrovsky was in goal for the Cats’ epic comeback on Friday so it makes sense that Tarasov would get the nod on the second night of a back-to-back.

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

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Jesper Boqvist – Noah Gregor – Luke Kunin

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Dec 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Noah Gregor (18) celebrates with goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) after the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)