The Chicago Blackhawks are going to play the Dallas Stars for the second time in a week. Last Saturday night, they defeated them in a shootout. That is also Chicago’s only win since Connor Bedard went down with an injury early in December.

The Stars are one of the best teams in the NHL, which makes that win even more shocking. At 25-8-7, the Stars are second in the overall league standings. Anything but winning the Stanley Cup would be a bust for them.

Scouting Dallas

The Dallas Stars have a great mix of super young players, guys in their legitimate prime, and aging veterans who have been around the block. They also have one of the league’s best goaltenders.

Steel - Johnston - Rantanen

Robertson - Hintz - Bourque

Hryckowian - Duchene - Benn

Bäck - Faksa - Blackwell

Lindell - Heiskanen

Harley - Lundkvist

Lyubushkin - Petrovic

Oettinger

The Dallas Stars come to Chicago in the second half of a back-to-back. Casey DeSmith was in goal for that game, so Team USA goalie Jake Oettinger will get the nod against the Blackhawks.

Despite losing to the Buffalo Sabres (10 in a row for Buffalo), the Sabres will make no lineup changes from that game other than the goalie.

Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Mikko Rantanen are their top four forwards, but Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, and others are also incredibly productive. This is not an easy group to defend.

Add in all-world defensemen like Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, and it’s a group that moves the puck well, grinds you down, and has a ton of skill. After last week’s loss to the Hawks back in Dallas, along with losing last night to the Sabres, expect them to have their legs early.

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off a tough home loss (in a shootout) to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. They are still missing Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, but Jason Dickinson appears good to go.

Bertuzzi-Greene-Burakovsky

Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Teravainen-Moore-Lardis

Foligno-Dach-Slaggert

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Knight

The line of Oliver Moore, centering Nick Lardis and Teuvo Teravainen, is the one to keep an eye on in this game. They produced a lot of offensive chances for Chicago last game, including their only two goals.

Spencer Knight will get the nod in goal to start for the third game in a row. His last game against the Islanders didn’t have the best start, but overall, it was a nice bounce back from the horrific game against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Sunday.

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 7:30 PM CT.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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 Pittsburgh Penguins will try to start 2026 on a high note on Thursday.

They will welcome the red-hot Detroit Red Wings, who defeated the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Wednesday night and have won seven of their last nine games. They're in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 24-14-3 record and are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Lucas Raymond is leading the way for the Red Wings this season, compiling 11 goals and 43 points in 39 games. He's a playmaking machine and can make anyone pay in an instant. 

Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin have also been tremendous this season, compiling 20 and 21 goals respectively. Larkin is set to be on the U.S. Olympic Team when it gets announced on Friday after playing well at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year. 

DeBrincat has been in the running for a spot on Team USA's roster, but will likely fall a little bit short. Despite that, he has an outstanding release and can score from anywhere. 

Defenseman Moritz Seider has been tremendous on the Red Wings' top defensive pair, compiling seven goals and 31 points in 41 games. He's been driving a lot of the offense from the blue line and has also been great in transition. 

Goaltender Cam Talbot is the expected starter after John Gibson started on Wednesday. 

The Penguins will start Arturs Silovs in net as head coach Dan Muse continues his goalie rotation. Stuart Skinner started against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and will likely start against the Red Wings on Saturday. 

Forward Yegor Chinakhov is set to make his Penguins' debut after they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. He's going to play on the third line with Ben Kindel and Rutger McGroarty, replacing Ville Koivunen.

Here are the expected lines:

Forwards

Rakell-Crosby-Rust

Mantha-Novak-Brazeau

Chinakhov-Kindel-McGroarty

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Kulak-Letang

Shea-St. Ivany

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

---

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

The greatest goal scorer who has ever lived makes an appearance in Ottawa on Thursday afternoon. The Senators will host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (1 p.m.) in what will likely be one of his final appearances at Canadian Tire Centre, at least in theory.

He is 40 years old, after all.

But on New Year’s Day, there doesn’t seem to be much regard for “out with the old and in with the new.” Ovechkin has played in all 40 games this season and sits second in Capitals scoring with 34 points.

Leevi Merilainen, the Senators’ new starting goaltender for the foreseeable future, and also the man Ovechkin will be shooting on today, was still a toddler when Ovechkin was putting up 106 points in his rookie season 20 years ago.

As for the Senators, they’ll be looking to start the new year on a winning note. All of the goodwill generated by their recent four-game winning streak was undone by a three-game holiday skid against teams that were behind them in the standings.

Now, only the Columbus Blue Jackets trail Ottawa in the East, and the Senators are in danger of drifting too far away from the teams currently holding playoff positions. It seems like just five minutes ago Senators fans were chuckling at the state of the poor old Buffalo Sabres, but Buffalo has now won 10 straight games and holds the second wild-card spot, five points ahead of Ottawa.

The Senators are also seven points back of the top three teams in the Atlantic Division. Needless to say, with so many teams ahead of them, Ottawa needs to go on a run, and soon.

Ottawa had its way with Washington back on October 25, defeating the Capitals 7–1. Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each recorded two goals and two assists in that game. The Senators will also be getting Washington on short rest, although that didn’t seem to matter a lick against Columbus earlier this week.

Despite playing the second half of a back-to-back and enduring brutal travel conditions, the Blue Jackets embarrassed the Senators at home, 4–1, leading to Ottawa being booed off the ice. Head coach Travis Green called it one of the worst performances of the season. With a game set for 1 pm, just 13 hours after the new year clock struck midnight, the players who indulged should be easy to spot.

Tim Stützle has 17 points during his 10 game point streak and will look to continue that momentum. Tyler Kleven returns from injury and will skate in the bottom pairing with Jordan Spence.

The Capitals received good news on Wednesday when both Tom Wilson, their leading scorer, and goaltender Logan Thompson were named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster.

Washington is coming off a 6–3 victory over the New York Rangers on New Year's Eve, and Wilson showed exactly why he earned that selection. With the score tied 1–1, Wilson delivered a massive hit, scored the go-ahead goal on the same shift, and on the next shift got into a fight. Wilson finished the night with two goals, the third Gordie Howe hat trick of his career, and the 200th goal of his NHL career.

It’s easy to envision Wilson and Brady Tkachuk butting heads on Thursday afternoon in Ottawa, and potentially doing it again next month in Italy. 

Here are the projected lineups (subject to change) from NHL.com.

CAPITALS (21-14-5) at SENATORS (18-15-5), 1 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5

Capitals projected lineup

Connor McMichael -- Justin Sourdif -- Alex Ovechkin

Aliaksei Protas -- Dylan Strome -- Tom Wilson

Justin Leonard -- Nic Dowd -- Ethen Frank

Brandon Duhaime -- Hendrix Lapierre -- Anthony Beauvillier

Martin Fehervary -- John Carlson

Jakob Chychrun -- Matt Roy

Rasmus Sandin -- Dylan McIlrath

Logan Thompson

Charlie Lindgren

Injured: Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body)

Senators projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund

David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson

Michael Amadio -- Shane Pinto -- Claude Giroux

Ridly Greig -- Stephen Halliday -- Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence

Leevi Merilainen

Hunter Shepard

Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo

Injured: Lars Eller (broken foot)

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

The NHL spotlight will be shining brightly on the Florida Panthers again this week.

It’s something the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions are probably getting used to.

On Friday, the Panthers will host the New York Rangers for the 2026 Winter Classic at loanDepot park in Miami.

It will be the southernmost outdoor game the NHL has hosted yet, featuring the league’s budding dynasty against one of its Original Six franchises celebrating its centennial.

It’s a big deal for the Panthers, who will be playing the first outdoor game in franchise history, while the Rangers will be playing in their sixth outdoor game and third Winter Classic.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering the majority of Florida’s current roster has been acquired over the past several years, there are quite a few Panthers players who have previously participated in an NHL outdoor game.

Let’s go down the list and see how they all did, shall we?

We’ll start with Sergei Bobrovsky, who played in the 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park with the Philadelphia Flyers. He made 30 saves on 33 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers.

In 2017, Jeff Petry and the Montreal Canadiens faced off against the Ottawa Senators in the NHL100 Classic in 2017. Petry finished with two shots, two blocks, three hits, two giveaways, and a minus-2 on-ice rating in Montreal’s 3-0 loss to Ottawa at Lansdowne Park.

A pair of current Panthers were on the ice at Citi Field for the 2018 Winter Classic with the Buffalo Sabres.

Sam Reinhart scored a power play goal on two shots, adding a block and two hits, while Evan Rodrigues logged a pair of shots in Buffalo’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers.

The following year, a trio of Cats played in the 2019 Heritage Classic between the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets at Mosiac Park in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Suiting up for Calgary were Matthew Tkachuk (six shots) and Sam Benentt (one shot, two penalty minutes) while Dmitry Kulikov played for the Jets, finishing with a shot, two blocks five hits and a giveaway in Winnipeg’s 2-1 win.

Brad Marchand played in his first of three outdoor games during the 2019 Winter Classic when the Boston Bruins took down the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at Notre Dame Stadium. He had a goal on five shots and two hits in the win.

Marchand also played at the 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe, a 7-3 Boston win over the Flyers, and at the 2023 Winter Classic when Boston took down the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 at Fenway Park.

In those two games, Marchand combined for three assists, four shots, two blocks and three hits.

Luke Kunin skated in the 2022 Stadium Series with the Nashville Predators, logging three hits in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nissan Stadium.

Also in 2022, Niko Mikkola picked up a pair of penalty minutes, three blocks and two hits for the St. Louis Blues in their 6-4 Winter Classic victory over the Minnesota Wild at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Skating with Marchand and the Bruins at the 2023 Winter Classic was Tomas Nosek, who recorded a shot and two hits. Nosek also played in the 2024 Stadium Series with the New Jersey Devils, logging a shot and two hits again, this time in a 6-3 win over the Flyers.

A.J Greer took part in the 2023 Heritage Classic between the Flames and Edmonton Oilers, picking up a goal, two blocks and three hits in a 5-2 Calgary defeat at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

The following year, Seth Jones and the Blackhawks hosted St. Louis for the second Winter Classic played at Wrigley Field. Jones logged an assist, four shots, a block and two hits as Chicago lost 6-2 to the Blues.

Current Panthers backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov had a great seat for last year’s Stadium Series matchup between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium, serving as the backup for Elvis Merzlikins in the Jackets’ 5-3 win.

As for former Florida first round pick Mackie Samoskevich, while this will be the 23-year-old’s first NHL outdoor game, he did play in the 2024 Queen City Outdoor Classic with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He had a fun time at Truist Field in Charlotte, picking up the game-winning goal on two shots.

Now we can’t forget about Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice.

He’s been a part of two Heritage Classic games, both with Winnipeg. He coached the Jets in their 3-0 loss to Edmonton in 2016 and then again when they defeated Calgary 2-1 in 2019.

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Photo caption: Jan 2, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) walks onto the ice before a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2023 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Fenway Park. (Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images)

DENVER — It does not seem to matter which milestone he reaches or which summit he climbs—Nathan MacKinnon carries himself with a quiet, almost disarming humility.

He is a player who never assumed he would reach these heights, and on Monday night’s 6–1 win over the St. Louis Blues at Ball Arena, he added his name to one of the NHL’s most exclusive lists, becoming just the 114th player in league history to score 400 career goals.

In more than a century of hockey at its highest level, fewer than 9,000 individuals have ever appeared in an NHL game. Of them, only 114 have reached the 400-goal mark—a distinction that places MacKinnon in a group representing just over one percent of all players in league history.

MacKinnon’s Rise to Superstardom 

MacKinnon was selected first overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, just weeks after helping lead the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads to their first Memorial Cup championship. Despite missing time during the tournament, he finished as its leading scorer, recording seven goals and six assists in four games.

Despite entering the league amid tremendous fanfare, MacKinnon’s first four NHL seasons were far from earth-shattering. He wasn’t bad—he was solid—but he averaged roughly 52 points per season, a performance that was respectable yet unremarkable for a first overall pick. But MacKinnon grew restless with being average. He didn’t want to be good—he wanted to be super human.

And MacKinnon has done exactly that. Over the past nine seasons, he has risen to the upper echelon of NHL stardom, transforming from a player who struggled to reach a point-per-game pace into one of the league’s most consistent and prolific scorers, averaging over a point per game since the 2017–18 season.

He is a Stanley Cup champion, having hoisted hockey’s ultimate prize with the Avalanche in 2022, and he has been recognized individually as well: the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s most valuable player, and the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by his fellow players as the NHL’s most outstanding performer.

And yet, even with a championship, league-wide honors, and a resume most players can only dream of, MacKinnon remains insatiable—hungry for more, driven by a desire to push past every milestone, every expectation, and redefine what is possible on the ice.

The Brains Behind the Resurgence

Marcin Goszczynski has been a key force behind MacKinnon’s relentless drive, guiding, challenging, and pushing him to elevate both his game—and his body—to new heights.

The 43-year-old is a performance and rehabilitation specialist who uses a blend of techniques to mobilize soft tissue, accelerate recovery, and help elite athletes perform at their peak.

His roster of clients reads like a who’s who of professional sport. Alongside MacKinnon and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Goszczynski helped a five-time major singles tennis champion overcome chronic shoulder issues in 2019, enabling her to mount one final competitive run before retirement. He has also worked with Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, who would go on to claim two Olympic gold medals.

By now, it’s clear that MacKinnon is the kind of player who prefers the spotlight to shine anywhere but on him. So when The Hockey News asked him—given that he never expected to reach this level of production early in his career—to name some of the inspirational figures who have helped him get to this point, he seemed momentarily taken aback. After a pause, Goszczynski was the first person to come to mind.

“There’s been a few people who have inspired me. The guy who’s with me every day, Marcin (Goszczynski), who gets my body going,” MacKinnon stated. “We do a lot of different, weird things together. I think he’s been the biggest thing for my career.”

“Obviously, there’s a lot of people—my parents, my sports psychologist, my wife (Charlotte), a lot of people. Like you said, I really didn’t ever expect to be here, but it’s fun, and obviously, I’m just trying to be the best player I can for this team. We got a Cup three years ago, and it’d be nice to get another one.”

Another Stanley Cup Run?!

With the Avalanche became the first NHL team to reach 30 wins this season, marking the third time in the past six campaigns that the Avalanche were the fastest team to hit the milestone (also in 2020–21 and 2021–22).

Historically, the fastest teams to reach 30 wins in NHL history are:

• 35 games — 1929–30 Boston Bruins
• 38 games — 2022–23 Boston Bruins
• 38 games — 1944–45 Montreal Canadiens
• 39 games — 2025–26 Colorado Avalanche
• 39 games — 2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks
• 39 games — 2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning

Statistically speaking, the Avalanche we’ve had the privilege of covering this season are one of the most dominant teams in the last century of the NHL. And considering how much faster the game has become, and how more skilled and versatile players are in every facet of play, their performance is all the more astounding—especially given the caliber of every player who steps onto the ice.

And MacKinnon isn’t just on pace for the best season of his career—he’s on pace for one of the most remarkable seasons in modern NHL history. The 30-year-old center projects to finish with 72 goals and 76 assists for 147 points.

No player has scored 70 or more goals in a season in more than three decades. The last to do it were Hockey Hall of Famers Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selänne, who each scored 76 goals for the Buffalo Sabres and the original Winnipeg Jets, respectively, during the 1992–93 season.

Nathan MacKinnon is delivering once-in-a-generation hockey, and even amid historic dominance, his eyes are fixed on one goal: winning another championship for the Avalanche.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a big 3-2 overtime against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 30. It was a hard-fought victory for the Canadiens, as they were down 2-0 with five minutes left in the third before tying it up and winning the contest in overtime.

Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was undoubtedly a massive reason for the Habs' comeback win. The 26-year-old center tied the game up at the 18:38 mark of the third period to force overtime. Then, Suzuki followed that up by scoring the overtime winner on the power play to get Montreal two points. 

Now, due to his huge game, Suzuki has set a new Canadiens franchise record.

Suzuki picked up his 19th career overtime point as a member of the Canadiens with his game-winning goal against the Panthers. Due to this, he has now passed Howie Morenz with the most overtime points in Canadiens franchise history.

Suzuki setting this incredible franchise record shows just how clutch of a player he has been for the Canadiens. There is no question that the Habs are lucky to have him, and he is only continuing to get better as his career carries on. 

In 39 games so far this season with the Canadiens, Suzuki has posted 13 goals, 31 assists, 44 points, and a plus-13 rating. 

To kick off the 2026 portion of the season, the New York Islanders host the Utah Mammoth at 3 PM ET.  Here's three questions ahead of the game:

Is Ilya Sorokin ready to return?

After backing up the second leg of a back-to-back in Buffalo, Ilya Sorokin hasn’t been able to play, missing the last four games due to a lower-body injury. He is on Injured Reserve but is eligible to be activated whenever he’s ready to go. Initially, we were told this was a minor issue and that he was expected back after the Christmas break, but that wasn’t the case. Backup David Rittich has been dominant in his absence, going 3-1-0 over these last four games, but it seemed like fatigue was starting to set in over the last two outings — Rittich is a warrior and fought through it. It’s clear that the Islanders don’t trust third-string goaltender Marcus Hogberg, or they would have gone to him last weekend. Sorokin had been playing at a Vezina-caliber pace. The Islanders are clearly being very cautious with their star netminder.

Does Roy keep Barzal with Horvat?

With the Islanders wanting to get Calum Ritchie back at center, head coach Patrick Roy placed Mathew Barzal back with Horvat in their 3-2 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Their line wasn’t great, with just four shots on goal and four shots against in 15:01 minutes. The two looked dynamic at times, but they didn’t provide the spark Roy was probably looking for. After the game, Roy said they were okay and that he was going to have to watch film to determine if he was going to stick with the two. We know how good Barzal and Horvat can be together, and allowing Ritchie back at center paid off, with him scoring the opening goal and looking pretty good the entire night after sitting in the press box against Columbus on Sunday.

Does Marshall Warren remain in?

Rookie defenseman Marshall Warren has won the third-pairing, left-side defense role for now, but he’ll need to start earning Roy’s trust more if he wants to play more. On Tuesday, he sat out the final 14:34 of regulation and didn’t get any shifts in overtime. The lack of minutes at this position in the lineup has forced Adam Pelech and Matthew Schaefer to play heavier minutes — they’ve played them well — but it’s not an ideal situation by any means. Warren seems reliable out there, but if he’s not going to play a ton of minutes, does it make sense to get someone in there who can? He’s played under 10 minutes in two of his last three games. The only other option the Islanders have right now is Adam Boqvist, who has had a hard time playing the left side, his offside.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Greene is one of the club's many promising young players. The Blackhawks are hoping that the 22-year-old forward will be a very important part of their roster for many seasons. 

After appearing in his first two NHL games at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Greene is now in his first full season with the Blackhawks. Overall, it is fair to say that the 2022 second-round pick has been doing a solid job in his rookie year, as he has posted four goals, 10 assists, and 14 points in 39 games thus far with the Blackhawks. 

Yet, what's encouraging is that Greene is showing clear signs of improvement as the 2025-26 season rolls on. 

Greene has been heating up as of late for the Blackhawks, as he has recorded four assists over his last five games alone for Chicago. This included him having two assists in the Blackhawks' Dec. 20 matchup against the Ottawa Senators. 

The Blackhawks will now be hoping that Greene can continue to make an impact with his playmaking as the season rolls on. There is no question that the 6-foot-1 forward has the potential to become a very impactful player, and it will be fascinating to see what he can do from here. 

As the calendar turns to 2026, it’s the time of the year when we all take stock and decide to better ourselves by making resolutions. Granted, more often than not, those are out the window before January is even over, but if the Montreal Canadiens decided to make some resolutions, I believe these should be the ones.

Canadiens: Mission Accomplished For Montembeault
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Play For 60 Minutes

I know that should go without saying, but for some reason, the Canadiens are struggling to do that. Their goal differential in the second period currently stands at minus-13, and all too often, a great effort in the first frame is wasted because of a second-period collapse.

Thankfully, it wasn’t the case in the Habs’ last game against the Florida Panthers, but it happens so often that it’s almost a surprise when it doesn’t. Their minus-13 differential is the second worst in the league, quite a way away from the St. Louis Blues' minus-21, but still, it makes no sense for a team that’s plus-six in the first, plus-four in the third, plus-four in overtime, and plus-one overall to be minus-13 in the second frame.

The Canadiens have grown up a lot over the last few years, and the time for the mid-day nap is long gone. It’s time to be fully awake all game long and to compete like a team that’s after the Stanley Cup.

Shoot More

The year’s edition of the Canadiens is oozing with talent, and while that’s definitely a blessing, there are times when it can look like a curse. The Habs often seem to be looking for the perfect play rather than for the goal.

Someone like Demidov, who’s a pass-first kind of guy, needs to recognize a golden opportunity when it presents itself, and, in all fairness, he has been better at it of late, but collectively, there needs to be a conscious effort to do so.

The power play currently has a 25% success rate and is in fifth place in the league, but if the Habs were just a little more trigger-happy, it could be even higher.

Work On Breakaways

The number of times the Canadiens fail to score on the breakaway is staggering, so much so that when a player takes off on his own, there’s no sense of excitement anymore; some fans barely dare to look.

Josh Anderson has a lot of speed, and he has a knack for finding a way to evade coverage and show up all alone in front of the goaltender, but it’s the finishing that’s missing, and that’s the most crucial part.

Josh Anderson hits the post on a breakaway.

The curse is alive and well.

It should be noted Joshua Roy made a great play in the NZ which led to the great chance.

Roy's NZ play is top-notch. pic.twitter.com/c8sqwxWD3N

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 24, 2024

It may be hard to recreate in-game situations in practice. Still, it’s worth a try. Giving the shooter a head start and launching a couple of defensemen in pursuit shortly after would serve two purposes: improving both sides of the breakaway plays.

I hope you’ve had a great 2025 and wish you all the best in the year ahead. Thank you for reading along this year, and I look forward to reporting on more Canadiens’ happenings in 2026.

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Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Regardless of the final result of Wednesday's New Year's Eve clash between the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers, the Oilers were sitting atop the Pacific Division standings as 2025 was set to cross over into 2026. The Vegas Golden Knights lost to Nashville, and Anaheim's overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning meant the Oilers will ring in the new year in first place.

That was the good news. The bad news? After a 6-2 loss, the Oilers didn't exactly look like a first-place team. 

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"Just not hard enough, not hard enough to play against, just not detailed enough, certainly can be a lot better," said a frustrated Leon Draisaitl after the loss. In the very short post-game scrum, he wasn't asked much and didn't have a lot to offer. He talked about a 0-6 power play and noted, "I didn't think we had any looks really, not good enough." 

Draisaitl was a bit more unhappy with the game than head coach Kris Knoblauch, who commented, "I thought our game was better than the score indicated." He didn't mind the team's first period, but a strong performance by Jeremy Swayman and some missed opportunities led to the game slipping away. When asked whether the game did more than slip away -- a different description might have been spun out of control -- Knoblauch noted that it wasn't clear whether it was a result of poor play or if the chances just ended up in the back of their net. 

It could have been a little of both. Connor Ingram struggled. It was not the same performance that he'd been putting in his last three starts, where the feeling was, if he could see the puck, he'd stop it. That didn't happen Wednesday, as a couple of bad goals got past him. 

The good?

Connor McDavid had eight shots and was driving hard to the net most of the night. Jack Roslovic also looked solid, scoring a goal and getting promoted off the third line and up to the top six. "Looks like we need him playing in the top six," Knoblauch said.

That third-line situation is teetering on the verge of becoming a genuine concern. Knoblauch felt like he needed to make a switch mid-game and wanted Draisaitl to have a bit more support, which he wasn't getting from the attempt to spark Andrew Mangiapane. As much as the Oilers want to get a third line going, it's now clear the team can't afford to sacrifice the strength of the top two lines.

Knoblauch all but confirmed the Draisaitl, Roslovic, and Vasily Podkolzin trio is the way the Oilers will go moving forward. 

As for Mangiapane, he had a good opportunity but didn't do much with it. Knoblauch didn't hate his game, but he played only 7:31. "We made that switch putting Roslovic there. Obviously, we feel that Roslovic is a better player, but I thought Andrew did some things that helped us."

What happens with Mangiapane as the calendar flips over to 2026 will be a storyline worth watching. 

Injury Updates:

Knoblauch offered a bit of information on some key injuries. Tristan Jarry is likely mid-January. "I don't think it will be any sooner than that." Jake Walman is out for at least another week, if not two. Kasperi Kapanen could play on the weekend, but he hasn't had the practice time, which the Oilers might want to give him more reps before throwing him into game action. 

The Game Results:

The Bruins took the first penalty of the game when Elias Lindholm slashed Bouchard's stick. That leantly was canceled out when Hyman got called for holding. Then in a weird play, Ingram played the puck about an inch outside the trapezoid and got called for it. By then, the Bruins were on a two-man advantage, with David Pastrnak making it 1-0 and scoring. The good news for Edmonton was that the goal came on the second of the two power plays, meaning it was back to 5-on-5. 

With six minutes left in the first, McDavid got a break after an icing left him on the ice far longer than his shift should have been. Jeremy Swayman made the stop. 

Oilers draw another call. McCavoy took the penalty for holding. The Bruins killed it off. 

Casey Mittelstadt came in on the wing and put one past Ingram to make it 2-0 with 1:42 left in the first. It was a good shot, but one Ingram might have wanted back. 

The Oilers got on the board with 40 seconds left as McDavid dangled through three Bruins' players and set up Hyman with an easy tap in that Swayman had no chance on. Edmonton had been getting looks but couldn't captialize. They finally did. Draisaitl got another good look to end the period. 

The Oilers got a quick power play to start the second period. 

A shot Ingram never saw got passed him at the 7:05 mark of the second period. He had two bodies in front of him and could find the puck that went up high. 

The Oilers power play troubles have been the story of the game so far. Typically on fire, to this points in the game, it has gone 0-for-4.

The Bruins made it 4-1 when Jonathan Aspirot banged home a rebound on a bit of a broken down 2-on-1. McDavid has been trying to spark the offense, driving to the net and skating hard. He's been the only player to drive hard north, versus pulling up and trying the extra pass. 

The Oilers looked to push to start the third, but they continued to look out of sync. Ingram let a stinker in on one he tried to stop with his glove, popped up in the air, and went in. At 5-1, it wasn't looking like the Oilers night. 

Jack Roslovic did score as another Oilers power play came and went with no goal. It was a 5-on-5 marker to make it 5-2. 

Pastrnak made it 6-2 on big on-timer that snuck through Ingram's five-hole. 

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DENVER —  Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to become the 114th player in NHL history to reach 400 career goals, and the Colorado Avalanche closed out 2025 with a dominant 6–1 victory over the St. Louis Blues at Ball Arena. 

MacKinnon also became the first player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to record 70 points in fewer than 40 games into a season.

But that wasn’t all. 

Valeri Nichushkin recorded his second career regular season hat trick, Brock Nelson added a goal, and the night quickly turned into what could only be described as an Olympic-style beatdown. Colorado scored four times in the opening 4:39, seizing control early against St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington, who was selected to represent Team Canada at the Milan Olympics despite entering the night with a sub-.900 save percentage. 

Nathan MacKinnon scores his 400th career goal and adds a classic celly! #GoAvsGo

pic.twitter.com/P6fiNIz7EH

— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) January 1, 2026

At the other end, Mackenzie Blackwood—left off the Olympic roster in favor of Binnington—turned aside 12 shots. 

Dalibor Dvorsky scored the lone goal for the Blues and Binnington, a former Stanley Cup champion, allowed six goals on 43 shots, including four on the first nine he faced. 

With the win, the Avalanche (30-2-7) extended their winning streak to nine games and their home winning streak to 15 games. 

First Period 

Nichushkin opened the scoring just 60 seconds into the game, taking a pass from Artturi Lehkonen in the slot before firing a shot that caromed off Binnington and was tucked home on the rebound to give Colorado a 1–0 lead. The goal came on the first shot Binnington faced, hours after he had been named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster. 

Jordan Binnington, selected to Team Canada's Olympic roster with a save percentage of .870, allows a goal 60 seconds into the game.@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) January 1, 2026

Cale Makar appeared to double the advantage moments later, snapping a shot past the St. Louis netminder, but the goal was overturned following a review that determined MacKinnon had made incidental contact with the goaltender just prior to the shot, which was deflected off a Blues defenseman. 

The reversal proved inconsequential. On Colorado’s next shot, Nichushkin struck again, beating Binnington to restore a two-goal cushion. The Avalanche maintained the pressure, and on the ensuing attempt, MacKinnon converted a rebound for his 400th career NHL goal, becoming the 114th player in league history to reach the milestone. 

MacKinnon wasn’t finished. On the very next shot, he scored again, notching his 401st career goal and extending the lead to 4–0. By that point, Binnington—whose Olympic selection had been widely criticized earlier in the day—had surrendered four goals on nine shots, as Colorado overwhelmed St. Louis in a relentless opening surge. 

4-0 Avalanche.

Nathan MacKinnon scores again and it's career goal #401.

Jordan Binnington, selected to Team Canada's Olympic roster with a save percentage of .870, has allowed four goals on nine shots.

Impressive stuff. #goavsgo@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) January 1, 2026

With under nine minutes remaining in the period, Blackwood robbed Jimmy Snuggerud on a highlight-reel cross-crease save, deflecting the puck off his blocker just moments after the forward slipped around Devon Toews. 

At the end of the first, the Avalanche led 4–0, and the shots told the same story, with Colorado holding a commanding 20–4 advantage. 

Second Period 

The second period began at a noticeably slower pace, but the Avalanche continued to control play. Colorado generated five shots on goal in the first eight minutes, while St. Louis managed just one. 

The Blues were then penalized when Jake Neighbours was called for tripping Gabe Landeskog. This time, the Avalanche power play delivered, as Brock Nelson one-timed a feed from MacKinnon from the right circle to extend the lead to 5–0. 

Just over a minute later, Colorado was forced to the penalty kill after Josh Manson tripped Snuggerud off a faceoff in the defensive zone. The Avalanche handled the situation cleanly and returned to even strength with just under seven minutes remaining in the period. 

Parker Kelly was later assessed a high-sticking penalty with under five minutes to play after catching Neighbours in the helmet, but St. Louis’ power play lasted less than a minute. Justin Faulk was then whistled for interference, leading to a brief stretch of 4-on-4 hockey. 

Third Period 

Colorado failed to capitalize on the carryover power play, but the script remained unchanged as the Avalanche continued to dictate the pace. Six minutes into the final frame, Colorado held a commanding 38–7 edge in shots on goal, with St. Louis still searching for its first shot of the period. 

The Blues finally got on the board with 5:28 remaining when Dvorsky executed a perfect redirect on a shot from Matthew Kessel that slipped through traffic. 

The Avalanche, however, had the final word. Nichushkin capped the night with his second career hat trick after breaking free from Oskar Sundqvist, taking a feed from Sam Malinski at the point, and deking around Binnington to seal a 6–1 victory on New Year’s Eve. 

Nathan MacKinnon has previously stated that he never expected to make it to this level.

Tonight, he scored his 400th and 401st career. I asked Nate to tell me who’s been the most inspirational person in his life that has helped him reach this milestone.

Mac mentioned a number… pic.twitter.com/Gw1GbQQ2Vq

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) January 1, 2026

Injuries 

Gavin Brindley tweaked something in his upper-body with roughly 7 minutes to go in the game and is being evaluated. Head Coach Jared Bednar told The Hockey News that hopefully it’s nothing too serious. 

Next Game 

The Avalanche will kick off 2026 from home when they face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Coverage begins at 5 p.m. local time.  

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From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, it was a busy, busy calendar year for the Pittsburgh Penguins and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas. 

With the Penguins in a transitional period, there is a lot happening in terms of movement. The trades started as early as January in 2025 and happened all the way to the last day of the year on Wednesday, when Pittsburgh acquired defenseman Egor Zamurov from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Philip Tomasino.

Between trades and signings, it's been a lot to digest, and there is a lot to look back on. So - as a refresher - here is every trade and signing (training camp transactions aside) that the Penguins made in 2025:

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- Jan. 3, 2025: Penguins acquire defenseman Colton Poolman from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Bennett MacArthur

- Jan. 15, 2025: Penguins place goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers

- Feb. 1, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2025 conditional first-round pick (New York Rangers), forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom, forward Danton Heinen, and defenseman Vincent Desharnais from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor 

- Feb. 9, 2025: Penguins claim defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from Utah. 

- Feb 13, 2025: Penguins acquire center Mathias Laferriere from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for right wing Corey Andonovski

Pittsburgh Penguins' New Year's Resolutions: 2025 EditionThere were some ups and downs for Pittsburgh Penguins' players in 2025. So what can they resolve to accomplish in 2026?

- Feb. 26, 2025: Penguins place forward Matt Nieto on waivers

- Mar. 3, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Finn Harding to three-year entry-level contract

- Mar. 5, 2025: Penguins acquire forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick

- Mar. 7, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Ryan Shea to one-year, $900,000 contract extension

- Mar. 7, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Schenn

- Mar. 7, 2025: Penguins acquire forward prospects Chase Stillman and Max Graham and a 2027 third-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Cody Glass

- Mar. 7, 2025: Penguins acquire defenseman Conor Timmins and forward Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick

- Mar. 9, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Chase Pietila to a three-year entry-level contract

- Mar. 10, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Daniel Laatsch to a two-year entry-level contract

- Mar. 13, 2025: Penguins sign forward Avery Hayes to a two-year entry-level contract

'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry TradeIt's safe to say that <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/breaking-penguins-deal-tristan-jarry-to-edmonton-oilers">the trade sending Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday</a> - which returned goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick - surprised a whole lot of people, fans and players alike.

- Apr. 28, 2025: Penguins sign forward Filip Hallander to a two-year, $1.55 million contract

- May 31, 2025: Penguins sign forward Mikhail Ilyin to a three-year entry-level contract

- Jun. 13, 2025: Penguins sign forward Boko Imama to a one-year, $775,000 contract

- Jun. 13, 2025: Penguins sign forward Melvin Fernstrom to a three-year entry-level contract

- Jun. 17, 2025: Penguins sign forward Joona Koppanen to a one-year, $775,000 contract

- Jun. 27, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2025 first-round pick (#22) and a 2025 first-round pick (#31) from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick (#12)  

- Jun 27, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2025 first-round pick (#24) from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick (#31) and 2025 second-round pick (#59)  

- Jun. 28, 2025: Penguins acquire defenseman Connor Clifton and a 2025 second-round pick (#39) from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau

- Jun. 28, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2025 third-round pick (#91) and a 2025 fifth-round pick (#154) from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2025 3rd round pick (#85)

- Jul. 1, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2028 3rd round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic

Chinakhov Trade Shows Penguins Are Starting To Shift GearsKyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and it could be a sign of things to come over the next several months.

- Jul. 1, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, two million contract

- Jul. 1, 2025: Penguins sign forward Philip Tomasino to a one-year, $1.75 million contract

- Jul. 1, 2025: Penguins sign forward Connor Dewar to a one-year, $1.1 million contract

- Jul. 1, 2025: Penguins sign forward Justin Brazeau to a two-year, $3 million contract

- Jul. 1, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Caleb Jones to a two-year, $1.8 million contract

- Jul. 2, 2025: Penguins sign forward Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $2.5 million contract

- Jul. 2, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Phil Kemp to a two-year, $1.55 million contract

- Jul. 2, 2025: Penguins sign forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard to a one-year, $775,000 contract

- Jul. 2, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Alexander Alexeyev to a one-year, $775,000 contract

- Jul. 9, 2025: Penguins sign forward Benjamin Kindel to a three-year entry-level contract

The Five Best On-Ice Moments For The Penguins In 20252025 is about to end, so let's look at the five best on-ice moments for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

- Jul. 10, 2025:  Penguins acquire defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok

- Jul. 13, 2025: Penguins acquire goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick

- Nov. 24, 2025: Penguins sign defenseman Peyton Kettles to a three-year entry-level contract

- Dec. 12, 2025: Penguins acquire goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin

- Dec. 29, 2025: Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick

- Dec. 31, 2025:  Penguins acquire defenseman Yegor Zamula from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Philip Tomasino

Penguins Trade Tomasino To Flyers For ZamulaThe Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers made a trade on Wednesday.

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When Jim Montgomery was asked about why sometimes fear brings out the best in players.

“Because like even fear of losing brings out the best in you, because you pay more attention to detail, you think about … you’re preparing to stay in the moment because you’re afraid of fear of losing or fear of being embarrassed creates the same thing,” the St. Louis Blues coach said. “There’s urgency in everything you do and we haven’t had enough urgency as a group and I understand everything I’m saying points directly at me. I lead this team and I take full ownership of my part in us not having hit the standard that I believe we should be at.”

Well, the Blues forgot the memo of being embarrassed. Because on New Year’s Eve, they were embarrassed, bludgeoned, bamboozled, whatever one wants to call it.

Tony Duke said it best when he was vehemently looking at Rocky Balboa in the film Rocky III to “Throw the Damn Towel.” The Blues didn’t even have to drop the puck, because it would have been better to ‘Throw the Damn Towel’ before the puck was even dropped because the Blues were overwhelmed in the game’s first five minutes, and the Colorado Avalanche played true to form with their team name, putting up an avalanche of goals early and blitzed the Blues, 6-1, on Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver.

It was literally over before it started, as the Blues (15-18-8) once again failed to start a game, and against the team that is far and beyond the best team in the NHL right now (30-2-7) and they made the Blues look like mince meat.

Dalibor Dvorsky did score for the Blues in the third period, which was all the offense the Blues got.

Let’s look at tonight’s game observations (and this will be brief, I can promise you):

* It was over before it started (almost) – The Avalanche are a well-oiled machine, and if you’re not ready to play against them, you can look like a fool.

Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin made sure of it, as far as the Blues were concerned.

Each player scored twice in the game’s first 4:39.

Whether it was poor coverage, a lack of protecting their own net, a neutral zone turnover and then not making up for it by covering your ground on the other end, five guys backing into the zone and allowing the Avalanche to dangle the puck on a string. That pretty much encapsulated each of the Colorado goals.

And that was that.

All I can say is poor Jordan Binnington, who once again had a team in front of him fail him miserably on the day he got named to Canada’s Winter Olympic squad.

It was so bad that at one point, the Avalanche were up 4-0 and outshooting the Blues 14-0 before the Blues even got their first shot – SHOT – on goal, and it was a Jimmy Snuggerud one-timer that needed a terrific Mackenzie Blackwood save.

It took the Blues more than 35 minutes(!) into the game to have more shots than the Avalanche had goals. That’s surreal even to type in, but it was true. The final shot clock total finished 43-13 and shot attempts finished 79-28. Ouch.

Jordan Kyrou’s quick one-timer at the back post off a Robert Thomas pass was the Blues’ sixth shot of the game more than 35 minutes into the game. Colorado led 5-0 at the time.

This is the kind of game that shows you that the Blues are closer to the bottom of the standings than they are to the playoffs, even though they end the calendar year just three points out of a wild card in the Western Conference.

But let’s be serious here. Do you want to finish as the second wild card and face this squad and get absolutely obliterated in four games? I think not.

So the Blues end the calendar year in 2025 with a 41-31-12 record.

That’s all I’ve got, because from a Blues standpoint, aside from Binnington actually making some great stops and a goal actually being waved off for goalie interference that actually upset MacKinnon because he was the culprit, they did nothing else.

To make matters worse, Thomas was on the ice in the last three minutes and appeared to have his leg rolled up on and was having trouble getting off the ice after the game.

Happy New Year.

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.