PITTSBURGH — There is something perversely ironic about the current state of the Rangers and Penguins, after the two clubs swapped coaches this past summer.

Serving as an assistant under Peter Laviolette in New York the previous two seasons, Dan Muse was charged with getting an older Penguins team back on track while general manager Kyle Dubas retools a roster that is bracing for life after the Big Three of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Muse and the Penguins were sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division entering Saturday’s matchup with the Rangers.

The end of Pittsburgh’s three-season playoff drought is well within reach.

What a way to begin an NHL head coaching career.

Mike Sullivan, who won two Stanley Cups and spent the past decade with the Penguins, was brought to New York to salvage the championship window.

A disagreement on the timeline back to success reportedly led to Sullivan’s departure from Pittsburgh, so joining a Rangers team that expected to be competitive was a preferable landing spot.

On the day the Penguins were celebrating the 10th anniversary of their 2016 Stanley Cup win, however, Sullivan came into PPG Paints Arena with the Rangers sitting in dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Just two weeks prior, the club announced its intentions to retool and decided not to extend star wing Artemi Panarin.

The start of his Rangers tenure certainly hasn’t gone the way he imagined, but the progress his former team has made hasn’t come as a shock.

“It doesn’t surprise me, because I think the core guys that have been here as long as they have, they’re a unique group,” Sullivan said Saturday, before the Rangers lost, 6-5, to the Penguins. “And although they are aging, there’s still elite-level play in their game. It’s driven by Sid, their captain. Does it surprise me? No, it doesn’t. I think they’ve done a great job as far as becoming a team, and some of the young guys they added, and some of the pieces they added along the way.

“When you look at the top line, they drive, they’re the heartbeat of the team and have been for a number of years. All the elements are in play. Their special teams have been really good. They’re getting saves. It’s a good recipe.”

The Rangers job now looks a lot different than it did just under four months ago.

It could be some time before the team starts experiencing consistent success again, and that’s not exactly what Sullivan signed up for.

He has already made it clear he is still coaching to win.

Sullivan is not a development coach, but he is a player’s coach.

Perhaps it could be beneficial for Sullivan to have this time to not only shape the organization’s youngsters into his system, but also foster the types of relationships that he has built his reputation on.

Considering the switch-up, there is understandably some doubt surrounding Sullivan’s fit for what’s ahead.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

But he is the coach that president and general manager Chris Drury has wanted at the helm of his team.

One of the loudest criticisms of Sullivan’s tenure in Pittsburgh was his management of youth.

Though there really wasn’t much for him to work with back then.

An abundance of rookies have already infiltrated the Rangers lineup, some of whom Sullivan has entrusted more and more.

There is belief that Sullivan’s preexisting relationships with the Wilkes-Barre players who were promoted to the Penguins in 2016 played a major factor in the team’s ascension to Stanley Cup champions.

“We’ll explore our lineup for sure, and we’ll move people around,” Sullivan said when asked if he can experiment in ways he maybe wouldn’t have if the Rangers weren’t in their current situation. “We already have, and we’ll continue to do so based on what we see, and where we think we can put players in positions to be successful and give an opportunity to play to their strengths. That’s what we’re trying to do. Gabe Perreault is a perfect example right now, and the opportunity he’s getting in the position that he’s in. But he’s not the only one. There’s a number of them.

“We’re going to continue to try to get to know this group even more so than we know them now. We’ll continue to assess and we’ll continue to learn and grow together as a group, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Sullivan later added: “I’m going to do my best to meet those challenges to try to help this organization move forward.”

The New York Rangers’ 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon was emotional for Mike Sullivan.

As part of the ten-year anniversary celebration of the Penguins' 2016 Stanley Cup team, Sullivan attended an event with all of his former players on Friday night. 

Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s matchup, the entire team was honored, including Sullivan, who received a standing ovation from the Pittsburgh fans.

“It's a proud moment for me, I was really happy to get a chance to see some of those guys that I was fortunate enough to win a Stanley Cup with,” Sullivan said. “That group of players deserves to be celebrated. They were a great team. We were certainly proud of them. It was a privilege to coach them, and so it was a bit of an emotional moment.”

Sullivan coached the Penguins for 10 seasons, winning two Stanley Cups in the process. 

However, over Sullivan’s final three seasons in Pittsburgh, the team failed to reach the playoffs. After the 2024-25 campaign, Sullivan and the Penguins parted ways with a fresh start clearly needed from both sides. 

Sullivan left a Penguins team that was seemingly retooling and looking to get younger around its core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, while he joined a Rangers team still hoping to remain competitive following a disappointing season. 

Ironically, it’s the Penguins, coached by former Rangers assistant coach Dan Muse, that find themselves in a playoff spot with an impressive 28-14-11 record, as they’ve managed to flip the script upon the departure of Sullivan. 

“It doesn't surprise me because I think those core guys that have been here as long as they have, they're a unique group,” Sullivan said of the Penguins' success. “Although they are aging, they're still elite-level play in their game. It's driven by Sid, their captain. 

“And so does it surprise me? No, it doesn't. I think they've done a great job as far as becoming a team, and some of the young guys they added, and some of the pieces they added along the way. When you look at the top line, they are the heartbeat of the team, and have been for a number of years. All the elements are in play. Their special teams have been really good. They're getting saves. It's a good recipe.”

On the other side of the coin, the Rangers currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 22-28-6 record. Instead of competing, Sullivan is now forced to navigate through yet another retooling situation with little to no hope of making the playoffs.

An Artemi Panarin Trade Involving Shane Wright Floated As Possibility As Artemi Panarin continues to be held out of the lineup due to roster management with the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> seeking a trade, multiple teams have been linked to be interested in Artemi Panarin’s services, including the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and New York Islanders.&nbsp;

“I’m fine, it's a different challenge,” Sullivan said about how he is navigating through the Rangers’ struggles. “We're going to keep digging in here. We're going to try to rally around one another and control what we can, and we're going to try to win the game right in front of us. It's a different situation. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you otherwise, but I think our guys have done a good job in just trying to compartmentalize their emotions. When the puck drops, they try to do their best to compete and play the game the right way.”

The contrast between the two teams was on full display on Saturday afternoon. 

The Rangers dug themselves into a 2-0 deficit less than 10 minutes into the game and were down 5-1 heading into the final period. 

Through the first 40 minutes of the contest, the game was controlled by the Penguins, specifically indicative of their 10-2 edge in shots in the second period. 

Despite a strong and valiant push by the Rangers in the final frame that saw them cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 6-5, it was simply too little too late, and the Blueshirts were unable to overcome their early woes.

This loss was yet another reality check for Sullivan, watching the Penguins thrive in his absence, as it certainly couldn’t have been easy for him.

The San Jose Sharks are enduring a tough five-game road swing, finishing the Tour de Canada with back-to-back losses.

After falling to the Edmonton Oilers in overtime on Thursday, San Jose jumped out to two early leads against the Calgary Flames, only to have a late shorthanded goal by Joel Farabee swing the game in Calgary’s favor, giving the Flames a 3–2 victory at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

San Jose’s road trip continues with stops in Chicago and Colorado before the NHL takes an extended break for the Winter Olympics in Italy, marking the first time NHL players will participate since 2014.

Will Smith gets things going early for San Jose 🦈

Watch Sharks vs. Flames on SNW, SNP, or stream on Sportsnet+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/rOxxgXa6wj

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 31, 2026

The Sharks struck first when Will Smith converted a power-play tap-in at 3:11 of the first period, finishing a precise backdoor pass from Alexander Wennberg. Calgary responded later in the period when Morgan Frost jammed a loose puck past a scrambling San Jose defense while the Sharks were down two men.

San Jose regained the equalizer shortly after a power play that carried over from the first period expired. William Eklund drove to the net and poked a loose puck into the crease, where Adam Gaudette was waiting for a simple tap-in on the right side.

Calgary countered when Matvei Gridin, set up by a slick cross-ice feed from Frost, executed a fluid one-timer, beating Alex Nedeljkovic to his left.

The decisive moment came at 6:53 of the third period, when Farabee, shorthanded, swiped a backhand past Nedeljkovic to give the Flames their first lead and ultimately the win.

Nedeljkovic, who played very well and finished the night with 39 saves, briefly left the game with 3:15 remaining after taking a hard lower-body shot but returned following the injury scare. Despite his efforts between the pipes, the Sharks were a bit short. 

Next Game

The Sharks have two games left on this road trip with the next one taking place on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. local time. 

The New York Rangers claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers on Sunday. 

Iorio was placed on waivers by the San Jose Sharks on Friday, which cleared the path for the Rangers to add him to the roster. 

The addition of Iorio fills a spot vacated by Carson Soucy, who was traded to the New York Islanders on Monday night.

Iorio was selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals.

After playing nine games over a two-season span with the Capitals, he was placed on waivers, and the Sharks quickly claimed him on Oct. 16, 2015.

The 23-year-old defenseman has recorded four assists in 30 career NHL games.

The Calgary Flames snapped their five-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon, edging the San Jose Sharks 3–2 in a tightly contested matinee at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Special teams, timely scoring, and a heavy shot advantage powered Calgary to the victory as they controlled long stretches of play and capitalized when it mattered most.

San Jose struck first on the power play, as Will Smith finished off a cross-seam feed from Alexander Wennberg, snapping the puck past Dustin Wolf to open the scoring.

Calgary answered with a man-advantage goal of their own. Matt Coronato’s shot produced a rebound, and Morgan Frost wasted no time ripping it past Alex Nedeljkovic to tie the game. After twenty minutes, the teams headed to the room deadlocked 1–1.

The Sharks came out strong in the middle frame, applying sustained pressure. Wolf made a pair of stops, but a loose rebound bounced into traffic and Adam Gaudette pounced, burying his 13th of the season to restore San Jose’s lead.

Calgary pushed back and found the equalizer thanks to Matvei Gridin. Set up by Frost at the top of the circle, Gridin blasted a one-timer past Nedeljkovic for his second career NHL goal, pulling the Flames even at 2–2 heading into the third.

The deciding moment came courtesy of a fortunate bounce shorthanded. A puck caromed off the end boards and landed on Joel Farabee’s stick, and the Flames winger made no mistake, finishing it off to give Calgary its first lead of the game.

From there, the Flames leaned on their shot volume and defensive structure to close it out, securing the 3–2 win.

Three Takeaways

1. Farabee Makes an Impact Shorthanded

Joel Farabee’s game-winner marked his third shorthanded goal of the season, moving him into a tie for second-most in the NHL. Calgary now sits tied for the league lead with seven shorthanded goals as a team.

2. Special Teams Tilt the Ice

Both clubs scored on the power play, but Calgary’s shorthanded strike proved to be the difference. Winning the special-teams battle ultimately decided a one-goal game.

3. Shot Volume Tells the Story

The Flames poured 42 shots on goal compared to San Jose’s 25, consistently generating pressure and wearing down the Sharks over sixty minutes.

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The Detroit Red Wings wanted to give the sellout crowd at Little Caesars Arena something to cheer for in what would be their final home game until early March, thanks to the upcoming Olympic break. 

Their opponent on Saturday afternoon was the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche, who clearly had other plans.

The Avalanche looked every bit the top-ranked club in the League, handing the Red Wings a frustrating 5-0 setback in the first of a two-game home-and-home series that concludes on Monday evening in Denver. 

It wasn't the way the Red Wings wanted to close out their three-game home stand, which yielded only a single point out of a possible six up for grabs. 
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

However, team captain Dylan Larkin explained that Monday evening will be an opportunity for his team to prove that Saturday's loss was an anomaly. 

"We've got two really big games (left before the break)," Larkin explained afterward. "Every team is going through it, playing the same schedule. We've played a lot of hockey, and you get bumps and bruises, illnesses, you're going through it." 

"It (the break) is coming at a good time, and I think it'll be huge for our team, but the beauty of this is that we get to play these guys again."

The Avalanche had experienced a few setbacks of their own in recent games, dropping contests to both the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, both of whom are chasing Detroit in the tightly-packed Atlantic Division standings. 

"They're the number one team in the League, but they're not the best team ever," Larkin said of the Avalanche. "It's not like we're playing against guys that can't be beat, so we have to go into their building with something to prove and start a big two-game swing for us." 

While the Red Wings maintained their second-place status in the Atlantic, the teams behind them have crept even closer in their rear-view mirror.

Slumping Red Wings Buried 5-0 By Avalanche On Home Ice The Detroit Red Wings dropped their third straight game, losing a 5-0 final to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon.

As of Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres each have 67 points, just three behind Detroit's 70 points, and they play one another later that evening, meaning one of them will be within a point of Detroit by night’s end.

Following Monday's rematch against the Avalanche, the Red Wings will face the Utah Mammoth in their second-ever trip to Delta Center in Salt Lake City, which will then be followed by the Olympic break. 

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PITTSBURGH — The Rangers continue to slide into the Olympic break.

In their second-to-last contest before the NHL pauses for 19 days, the Blueshirts didn’t show up until the third period of what turned out to be their 14th loss — 6-5 at the hands of the Penguins — in their last 18 games Saturday evening.

A reprieve can’t come soon enough for this Rangers team, which looked like it wanted to be anywhere but the PPG Paints Arena ice for 40 of 60 minutes.

“You score five goals and lose the game,” captain J.T. Miller said. “I guess the only positive today is that we didn’t quit, kept pushing, came down to the wire. When you have to score six times, it’s pretty hard to win the game. I like that we didn’t quit. That’s about it.”

Getting up for games has clearly been a struggle amid the organization’s public plans to retool the roster, but the lack of focus, execution and motivation early on in games has been a recurring issue since last season.

The fact that it’s only worsened amid a lost campaign paints a disconcerting picture for the foreseeable future.

Their current situation should not preclude the Rangers from skating with pride.

And yet opponents have feasted on their insecurities, costly mistakes and slow starts on a game-to-game basis.

The Penguins have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL since the end of December.

After members of the 2016 Stanley Cup-winning team were honored in a pregame ceremony, which included Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan and the currently injured Conor Sheary, the energy in the building was palpable from puck drop to the final whistle.

Entering the matinee matchup on a five-game win streak, Pittsburgh picked up where it left off and scored on two of its first four shots.

The multigoal lead was built just over six minutes into the contest, leaving the Rangers in what has been a familiar position this season: chasing from behind.

At a time when attention has shifted to the Rangers youth, the first period was concerning in more ways than one.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

Noah Laba, who missed three games earlier this month with an upper-body injury, absorbed a hit in the corner and was slow to the bench.

After trying to skate it off during the TV timeout, Laba reached for his shoulder and headed to the locker room.

Despite returning for one shift in the second period, Laba was ruled out for the remainder of the game with an upper-body injury.

There was no immediate update on the 22-year-old after the game.

Injury aside, it was a particularly tough opening frame for Scott Morrow.

The Rangers rookie defenseman committed a costly turnover that led to the Penguins first of two goals from Anthony Mantha before getting called for a late penalty.

Matt Rempe was also on the ice for the first two Penguins goals.

On the second one, Penguins forward Blake Lizotte took the puck right off Rempe’s stick. After that, Sullivan only deployed Rempe for one more shift in the first period.

“Some of it is just the way the flow of the game goes and we’re looking for certain matchups,” Sullivan said. “I try to utilize him in the situations where I think sets him up for success. Those are some of the plays I’m talking about, about execution and decision making. Sometimes, you just got to gain a zone or gain a line. I thought we had opportunities — that was one of them — where we could have got the puck out.”

The Rangers didn’t get on the board until there were just over 1:30 remaining in the second period, but it came on the first of their two total shots in the middle frame.

Pittsburgh, however, scored twice in the span of 20 seconds less than two minutes into the third period.

Not even a four-goal showing over the final 20 minutes was enough for the Rangers to climb out of the hole they dug.

“You can’t. You just can’t. You can’t let up two goals in 20 seconds,” said Vincent Trocheck, who — along with Alexis Lafrenière — led the Rangers with three points (one goal and two assists). “We have to be paying more attention to detail. We were in the right spots a lot of times too, like we’re where we’re supposed to be. We’re just not executing our job. We just have to be better at that. It’s the same giving up six goals, giving up two in 20, you just can’t do it.”

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored the go-ahead goal with 4:14 remaining, lifting the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 win over the sliding and short-handed Florida Panthers on Saturday.

Winnipeg was 1-18-2 in games where it trailed entering the third period going into the game, and was down 1-0 with 20 minutes left against the Panthers. But the Jets scored twice in a span of just over seven minutes to take command.

Cole Perfetti scored with 11:26 left to tie the game, then Scheifele got his 27th of the season for what became the game-winner.

Eric Comrie stopped 27 shots for the Jets, including one with 37.1 seconds left on a shot by Matthew Tkachuk. Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett got shots to the net after that as well for the Panthers, but neither got by Comrie and the Jets prevailed for just the third time in their last nine games.

Eetu Luostarinen got the goal for Florida, which has dropped three straight and ended the game eight points back of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers — who have been without Aleksander Barkov all season — played Saturday without Brad Marchand, who is day to day, along with Anton Lundell and Seth Jones, among others.

It was the first time this season that Florida took a lead into the third period and failed to get at least one point out of a game. The Panthers were 17-0-1 in such situations entering Saturday, the fifth-best record in the league.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 shots in the Florida net.

Jets: Visit Dallas on Monday.

Panthers: Host Buffalo on Monday.

___

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

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari scored two goals apiece, and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins held off the New York Rangers 6-5 on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.

Mantha and Acciari beat Jonathan Quick twice in a span of just over three minutes early in the first period to give the Penguins an early cushion. Mantha made it 3-0 with an easy tap-in in the second period. Acciari and Rickard Rakell scored 20 seconds apart early in the third to push Pittsburgh’s advantage to 5-1 on a night the franchise celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 2016 club that won the Stanley Cup.

Erik Karlsson became the 12th defenseman in NHL history to reach 700 career assists when he picked up the secondary helper on Rakell’s 10th goal of the season 1:20 into the final period. The other 11 defensemen to reach the 700-assist plateau are in the Hall of Fame.

Stuart Skinner improved to 8-1 in his last nine starts but nearly let a four-goal third period get away.

Alex Lafreniere scored twice for the Rangers. Vincent Trocheck, Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Cuylle all scored during a late rally, but it wasn’t enough for the Rangers to fall to 2-10 since goaltender Igor Shesterkin was lost indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

Until the late surge, New York coach Mike Sullivan — who guided the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 during a decade-long run as head coach before trading Pittsburgh for New York last summer — watched his team spend most of the afternoon putting up little fight against the surprising Penguins.

Pittsburgh moved into second place by itself in the Metropolitan Division with the victory despite being without veteran defenseman Kris Letang, who will miss at least a month with a fractured left foot sustained in a win over Chicago on Thursday. The 20-year veteran was wearing a protective boot on the foot during a pregame ceremony honoring the 2016 club.

Up next

Rangers: Off until Thursday night, when they host Carolina in the final game before the Olympic break.

Penguins: Host Ottawa on Monday night.

It’s going to be a while before the Islanders next see Cal Ritchie. 

Ritchie’s lower-body injury will keep him out through the Olympic break, coach Patrick Roy said Saturday before the Islanders faced the Predators at UBS Arena. 

Including Saturday’s match, the Islanders have just four games left before the three-week break, which will see them return to practice a little over a week before resuming the season in Montreal on Feb. 26. 

Roy said that Ritchie “tried” to skate on his own Friday but it did not go well, so for the time being, he will stay off the ice. 

It’s not clear when exactly Ritchie suffered the injury, as he played his last shift with under three minutes to go in last Saturday’s loss to the Sabres. 

For the time being, however, the injury is allowing the Islanders to punt on what will be a tough lineup decision once the rookie centerman returns. 

After adding Ondrej Palat via trade, and with Bo Horvat back healthy, it’s not entirely clear how the Islanders can make room for Ritchie in their lineup.

Max Shabanov, who had a spot for most of the season, has sat two of three games since the Isles traded for Palat, with his only playing time coming Thursday night when Casey Cizikas was out sick. 

Ritchie, who has generally centered the second or third line, would need to either shift to the wing or the Islanders would need to shift someone else to the wing in order to accommodate him. 

It’s not at all obvious which winger would sit either, at least as long as the fourth line of Marc Gatcomb, Cizikas and Kyle MacLean continues to play well.

Jonathan Drouin has gone a long period without scoring, but the Islanders clearly value the other aspects of his game enough that they are reluctant to make him a healthy scratch. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

Depending how circumstances shake out when Ritchie is ready to come back, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Islanders ended up sending him back to AHL Bridgeport to avoid a situation where the 21-year-old is not getting playing time. 

Cizikas was back in the lineup after missing Thursday’s win at the Rangers with illness.

Jonathan Drouin was a late scratch with illness.

That allowed Max Shabanov to stay in the lineup after skating as an extra in the morning.

Since Carson Soucy was traded to the Islanders, he’s taken the bulk of Matthew Schaefer’s penalty kill minutes.

Though the Islanders don’t have a hard target for Schaefer’s minutes, which average 24:02 per night, and Roy certainly has not hesitated to use him extensively, the head coach acknowledged that it would be a positive to lighten his workload on the PK. 

“He’s 18 years old, playing over 25, 27 minutes. At some point it might affect his play,” Roy said. “It’s nice for him to come straight to his five-on-five, the power play.” 

The Seattle Kraken will take on the Vegas Golden Knights on the road as they begin a road trip.

The Kraken have three games before the Olympic break, all of which are on the road. 

The Kraken enter tonight’s game as winners of three straight, defeating the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tonight, they’ll put their 11-10-4 road record to the test against a Golden Knights team with a 12-7-7 home record. 

The Golden Knights enter tonight’s game as losers of three straight, suffering a 7-1 defeat to the Ottawa Senators, before an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and a 5-4 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars. 

The Golden Knights currently hold the lead in the Pacific Division based on points percentage, as they are tied with the Edmonton Oilers at 64 points. The Kraken own third place in the Division based on points percentage, tied with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings with 59 points and one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks.

Kraken Rookie To Miss Final Three Games Before Olympic BreakThe Seattle Kraken will be without Berkly Catton for their final three games before the Olympic break.

Kraken's projected lines:

McCann-Beniers-Eberle
Schwartz-Stephenson-Tolvanen
Kakko-Wright-Winterton
Kartye-Gaudreau-Melanson

Dunn-Larsson
Oleksiak-Montour
Evans-Lindgren

Grubauer
Daccord

Extras: Mahura, Fleury,
Injured: Catton

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Saturday night’s matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the visiting New Jersey Devils is a game that neither team can afford to lose.

New Jersey enters the game nine points back of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, while the Senators sit 10 points out. It’s not where either club expected to be on the final day of January, and Saturday's loser will almost lose sight of the playoff leaders completely.

Ottawa comes in riding momentum after two of its most complete performances of the season, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche by a combined score of 12–3.

Linus Ullmark was the backup goalie, so he wasn't a direct factor in either win. But the team was pleased to see him return from his month-long personal leave of absence. Six days after returning to the lineup, Ullmark is expected to play his first game since December 27, when he was pulled during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Senators will also welcome back forward Stephen Halliday after he missed Wednesday’s win over Colorado with an upper-body injury. Halliday was in the midst of his strongest NHL performance to date last Sunday against Vegas, recording two goals and an assist, before suffering the injury. To make room for Halliday’s return, Ottawa has reassigned Xavier Bourgault to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

Ridly Greig, who missed Friday’s practice, is expected to be available for Saturday’s game.

Senators projected lineup (Subject to change)

Drake Batherson — Tim Stützle — Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk — Dylan Cozens — Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio
Stephen Halliday — Lars Eller — Fabian Zetterlund

Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Jordan Spence
Tyler Kleven — Nick Jensen

Linus Ullmark
James Reimer

Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo Injured: David Perron (sports hernia)

Status report

While the Senators are close to full health, the Devils may be without at least one, and possibly both, of their top two centres. Jack Hughes will miss the game with a lower-body injury, though head coach Sheldon Keefe described the issue as “not serious.”

Fellow centre Nico Hischier is under the weather and will be a game-time decision. Forward Cody Glass is expected to return after missing Thursday’s game against Nashville.

Devils projected lineup (Subject to change)

Timo Meier — Dawson Mercer — Jesper Bratt
Lenni Hämeenaho — Cody Glass — Arseny Gritsyuk
Evgenii Dadonov — Paul Cotter — Conor Brown
Maxim Tsyplakov — Luke Glendening — Juho Lammikko

Brett Pesce — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Simon Nemec
onas Siegenthaler — Jonathan Kovacevic

Jake Allen
Jacob Markstrom

Scratched: Colton White Injured: Luke Hughes (shoulder), Zack MacEwen (ACL), Stefan Noesen (knee), Jack Hughes (lower body), Nico Hischier (illness)

Seattle Kraken rookie Berkly Catton will miss the final three games before the Olympic break. 

The 20-year-old was on the receiving end of a head-to-hip collision on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He left the game after skating in just 3:12 of ice time.

Earlier today, via the Kraken’s PR on X, the team announced that he will miss the final three games with what has been deemed an upper-body injury. The Kraken have not clarified whether the injury he sustained was to the head or neck. 

Either way, Catton won’t see game action until at least Feb. 25 when the Kraken return from the break to take on the Dallas Stars.

The former 2024 eighth overall pick has notched five goals and 11 points in 40 games this season. 

The Kraken have three vital games before the Olympics begin. The Kraken will be on the road for all three games, taking on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight before important playoff seeding battles against the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings. 

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