MONTREAL (AP) — Jake Evans scored at 3:58 of overtime, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Cole Caufield, with his 30th goal of the season, and Phillip Danault also scored for Montreal, as the Habs halted a two-game losing skid.
Mike Matheson ran his point streak to a season-long five games with an assist on Caufield’s goal.
Jakub Dobes made 32 saves in his first career start against Vegas. The 24-year-old boasts a 6-0-1 record over his past seven games, with his last regulation loss coming against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 9.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored both goals for the Golden Knights, who lost their third straight game against Montreal, dating back to last season.
Akira Schmid stopped 23 shots in the losing effort. The Swiss netminder lost for the second time in as many starts against Montreal this season.
Caufield, who had a hat trick in his team’s 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, has scored in six straight games, the longest streak of his career. Caufield has nine goals over that six-game stretch.
Noah Hanifin skated in his 800th career NHL game for the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old Boston native became the first player of the 2015 draft class to reach the milestone.
Up next
Golden Knights: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
Canadiens: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
The performance wasn't among the Detroit Red Wings' best, but there was still a milestone to celebrate as Patrick Kane tied metro Detroit native (and former Red Wing) Mike Modano for most points in NHL history by a U.S.-born player.
The Los Angeles Kings, who are fighting for a playoff spot, had the better start and middle in their only appearance of the season at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 27. It wasn't until the third period that the Wings looked like they had some pop to them and got on the scoreboard, but they couldn't undo the slow start and lost, 3-1.
Red Wings playoff picture
That kept the Wings at 69 points, with a 32-17-5 record. The Tampa Bay Lightning (70 points) were idle, and still have three games in hand on the Wings atop the Atlantic Division. Kane's next chance to pass Modano will come with a notable record-holder in the building: Alex Ovechkin, who holds the NHL's all-time goals record, with 918, and the Washington Capitals visit Little Caesars Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/HULU). After that, the Wings will host Colorado at 1 p.m. ET Saturday in their last home game until March 4.
The Kings, whose scheduled game on Monday against the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio, was postponed because of snow, looked like they had the fresher legs, even though both teams had been off since Saturday. They scored their second goal while defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker was in the penalty box early in the third period, with Andrei Kusmenko scoring on a low shot. Goalie Anton Forsberg, who had a good night, denied Alex DeBrincat in the final minutes.
The Wings pulled goalie John Gibson with about 3½ minutes to play for an extra attacker, and during that stretch, DeBrincat did succeed, edging the Wings within a goal with 2:15 on the clock. Kane's assist gave him 1,374 career points.
MIKE MODANO HAS COMPANY 🇺🇸
Patrick Kane is now tied for the most all-time points by a U.S.-Born player in NHL history 👏 pic.twitter.com/GG0gYoiuI4
Gibson was tested right away, by Warren Foegele. Midway through the first period, the Wings were assessed back-to-back penalties, to Albert Johansson and Dylan Larkin. It was while killing off the Larkin penalty that Moritz Seider was tripped, sending the Wings on a power play, as Larkin was released 6 seconds later. But the Wings got nothing out of the man advantage, running around chasing pucks and failing to generate a good chance against Forsberg. It was reflective of the Wings' first period overall: Sloppy.
That didn't improve much when the second period began, and sure enough, midway through, the Kings scored. Jeff Malott was in a forecheck when he got his stick on the puck and fired a backhand pass out to Samuel Helenius in the slot for a 1-0 lead.
A second power play wasn't enough to generate momentum for the Wings, who squandered the last 1:39 of the second period again running around accomplishing little. The Wings had 10 shots on goal after 40 minutes.
Both teams play on Jan. 27 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The last time these two played each other was when the Sharks won 6-3 on Dec. 27. Sharks had goals from Macklin Celebrini, Igor Chernyshov, William Eklund, Collin Graf, John Klingberg and Ryan Reaves.
That game for the Canucks, Sherwood had five shots on goal and a missed shot in 16:22 on the ice.
Sherwood is expected to miss this reunion with his former team as it's been reported that he will not play tonight, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
Sherwood, 30, has scored 23 points (17 goals, six assists) in 44 games in the 2025-26 regular-season for the Canucks. He led the team in goals, was third in points, and ranks second in the NHL in hits with 210.
In 2018, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks as an undrafted free agent after playing three years of college hockey at Miami University.
His first career point and win was against the Sharks in 2018. Now, Sherwood looks forward to joining to franchise he began his hockey career facing.
"It's great. I know the facility is pretty new, so I'm coming at a good time," Sherwood told reporters. "It's been great. I'm really excited to join this group. And just love the energy so far, and looking forward to get going."
Sherwood, a 6-foot, 194-pound native of Columbus, Ohio, joins a Sharks team that is young, but aims to make strides towards the NHL Playoffs.
Sherwood leaves a Canucks team that is 17-30-5 and scored 39 points for a Sharks organization with a 26-21-3 record and 55 points scored that is also on the cusp of a wild-card playoff spot.
"I'm just excited. I looked at the standings right away. And, you know, obviously you just want to be able to compete and be in the hunt," Sherwood said. "So that's something that, you know, I'm really looking forward to helping this team and pushing forward in the second half."
Sherwood has an upper body injury that has sidelined him from Sharks games, but when he comes back players know that they are getting an impact player added to their squad.
"I mean, he's a dog, just the way he competes, the way he battles," Celebrini said. "He's hard to play against, and that's something that I respected, playing against them, just anytime you match up against them, you know, it's not going to be easy. And, I mean, I'm happy to have that on our team."
"I think it's great. I think it's great. That's what we want in this locker room, is to add pieces that will hopefully help us win," Celebrini added. "He's an awesome guy, and I think we're all just excited for him to get into the lineup and start playing."
Some standout moments from Sherwood early on in the 2025-26 regular-season has been recording two hat tricks this season. Once on Oct. 30 at the St. Louis Blues and later on Dec. 19 at the New York Islanders.
Over the course of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and Canucks, Sherwood has appeared in 309 NHL games, scoring 121 points (60 goals, 61 assists).
In a seven-game stretch from Nov. 8 to Nov. 20, Sherwood tallied three goals and four assists. He has scored three consecutive 10-goal seasons. He currently has 17 goals on the season, his career-high for a season in 19.
Known for his physical play, Sherwood is excited to bring his tenacity and talents to Northern California and the Bay Area.
"Yeah, that's I want to make us hard to play against and do whatever I can to do that, whether that's being physical or being verbal or emotional or mental, whatever it is, you know, kind of the game within the game, I want to make it hard to play against us, and try to add different and complement some of the identity that I know that the team is building," Sherwood said.
Sherwood said he looks to help bring the team energy by occasionally "stir things up" but also being a "glue guy."
He's eager to get out there.
"I know the Shark Tank is a special place when it gets buzzing," Sherwood said. "There's so many things about Northern Cali and what San Jose has to offer. And obviously, the players are, there's some special players brewing. And, you know, I think it's an exciting time to be part of that. And you know, they're building a great culture moving forward. And I'm just getting, you know, excited to get to know everyone and kind of ruffle some feathers when I can, you know, and and whatnot."
He is excited to join them and their fight for playoffs. Both, literally and figuratively.
He took notice of the Sharks' since-viral goalie fight between Sharks' goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on the night of the trade.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored his 26th goal of the season, reigning MVP Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 of the 29 shots he faced and the Winnipeg Jets ended their two-game skid by beating the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Tuesday night.
The Devils have lost back-to-back games after winning three in a row at the start of their Western Conference road trip. They traded veteran winger Ondrej Palat to the New York Islanders in a deal that was consummated before he left the arena prior to warmups and finalized during the first period.
Winnipeg, which entered the night eight points back of the second and final wild-card spot in the West, won for just the second time in five games. Scheifele got the Jets on the board 1:33 in, then Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Koepke and Nino Niederreiter scored in the second.
Hellebuyck, who is in line to be the U.S. starter at the upcoming Olympics, was sharp in bouncing back from allowing four goals in a 5-1 home loss to Detroit on Saturday.
New Jersey got goals from rookie Lenni Hameenaho and Swedish Olympian Jesper Bratt, and captain Nico Hischier scored with 1:46 left to make things interesting, but the offense couldn’t quite make up for a series of mistakes. Hours after coach Sheldon Keefe credited defensive commitment and “giving up way less on the rush” for his team’s recent success, all four goals against came on odd-man rushes.
That made life much more difficult for goaltender Jake Allen, who made some big saves among his 22 to keep the deficit from getting out of hand. There was little he could do when his teammates were repeatedly outnumbered skating back down the ice into their defensive zone by the opportunistic Jets.
Devils forward Cody Glass left with an undisclosed injury early in the second.
The Florida Panthers returned to home ice looking to build on their recent road success.
Unfortunately for the Carts, they came up short on home ice for the third time in four tries this month, falling 4-3 to the visiting Utah Mammoth.
It was the visitors who struck first on this night, and they did it while down a man.
With Brandon Tanev in the penalty box for tripping A.J. Greer, a turnover by Uvis Balinskis at the Utah blue line led to a breakaway for Nick Schmaltz.
A couple quick forehand-backhand dekes later, Schmaltz sent his 19th goal of the season past the blocker of a sprawling Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Mammoth a 1-0 lead with 4:14 to go in the first period.
Florida tied the game early in the second on the first NHL goal scored by Sandis Vilmanis in just his ninth National League game.
Less than a minute later, the combination of a tough line change and a turnover by Florida led to the Mammoth moving quickly into the Florida zone.
Sean Durzi scored into a yawning cage after a couple quick cross-zone passes by Utah, giving them a 2-1 lead 3:46 into the period.
Florida again tied the game, and again it was the hard-working fourth line.
After Jeff Petry forced a turnover at the Utah blue line, A.J. Greer pushed the puck along to Vilmanis, who drove to the net. The puck came off his stick and went right to Cole Schwindt, and he beat Vanecek to tie the game once again.
A point shot by Sean Durzi was deflected by fellow defenseman Mikhail Sergachev with 8:55 left in the third period to give Utah their third lead of the night.
Two embellishment penalties called on the Panthers, one on Evan Rodrigues and another on Matthew Tkachuk, greatly hindered Florida’s ability to mount a comeback in the final minutes.
An empty-net goal by Barrett Hayton would seal the deal for the Mammoth, and it was a needed goal due to a tally by Carter Verhaeghe with 14.6 on the clock.
Photo caption: Jan 27, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) attempts to deflect the puck against Utah Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings has tied Dallas' Mike Modano as the highest-scoring U.S.-born players in NHL history.
Kane matched Mike Modano by recording his 1,374th point on an assist on a goal by Alex DeBrincat late in Detroit's 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. He got there a couple of months after turning 37, while Modano was 40 when he scored a goal to register point No. 1,374.
“Nothing really went right for us tonight, so it’s tough to really think about (the record) right now, but hopefully next game’s a better result and (I) can move past Mike next game," Kane said after the game. "That’d be nice, to do that and do it with a win.”
He will have a chance to move ahead of Modano when the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Kane has been one of the faces of American hockey since getting taken with the first pick in the 2007 draft by Chicago. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup three times from 2010-15 as a co-headliner of one of the most successful runs since the league’s salary cap era began in ’05.
Earlier this month, Kane became the 50th player and fifth American to score 500 goals, following Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Joe Mullen. Brett Hull, a dual citizen who was born in Canada and played internationally for the U.S., had 741 goals and 1,391 points.
Kane won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in ’07-08, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013 and the Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP in 2015-16, when he also led the league in scoring.
Kane has 1,374 points on 500 goals and 874 assists in 1,341 career NHL regular-season games.
Modano retired in 2011 with 561 goals and 813 assists in 1,499 games.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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 press box at Rogers Arena on Tuesday will be full as plenty of scouts have made the trip to watch the Vancouver Canucks take on the San Jose Sharks. With Vancouver having already announced a rebuild, teams from across the league have sent representatives to watch and evaluate Canucks players. Vancouver currently sits 32nd in the NHL and is projected to finish last in the league this season.
While there are usually a healthy number of scouts in the building, Tuesday will feature 17 in total. Teams with more than one representative at the game include the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Anaheim Ducks. Below is a look at which teams will have at least one scout at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.
Anaheim Ducks (x2)
Chicago Blackhawks
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs (x2)
Utah Mammoth
Vegas Golden Knights
Winnipeg Jets
The Canucks continue their eight-game homestand on Tuesday against the Sharks. So far, Vancouver is 1-4 through their first five games at home. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Evander Kane (91) and defenseman Tyler Myers (57) during a stop in play against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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.
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 season series against the Islanders so far has been a microcosm of much of the regular season for the Rangers.
That is to say a low-scoring, unwatchable disaster.
After getting shut out twice by their Long Island rivals in each of the first two head-to-head meetings earlier this season, Mike Sullivan’s last-place team will look to get onto the scoreboard and perhaps into the win column with a home-and-home set against the Islanders beginning Wednesday night at UBS Arena.
Ilya Sorokin had blanked them in a 5-0 rout at the Garden in November.
“I don’t know if there’s a common thread,” Sullivan said after practice Tuesday in Tarrytown. “We played them early in the season, and I feel like we went through a stretch of games where we were producing offense, we just weren’t scoring. I don’t think it was just against the Islanders.”
Indeed, the Rangers (22-25-6 overall) had been zipped a league-high eight times over the first 41 games of the season through their most recent loss to the Islanders, which put them on pace at the time to equal the NHL record of 16 shutouts in one season by the 2006-07 Blue Jackets.
Ilya Sorokin defends the net against Artemi Panarin during the Rangers’ 5-0 loss to the Islanders on Nov. 8, 2025. Robert Sabo for New York POst
Despite winning just three of their next 14 games, the Rangers at least haven’t added to the shutout skein thereafter, including a 4-3 overtime win against the Bruins on Monday night at the Garden.
“I think our team has done a better job scoring goals at 5-on-5 and on the power play,” Sullivan added. “I think we’ve got to continue to work at getting better on the defensive side of the puck, and being stingier defensively.
“I think that’s an aspect of our game, where for a long stretch of the season, we were pretty good and we valued it, and we were committed to it. I think that’s something that we’ve gotta continue to work at.”
David Rittich makes a save during the Islanders’ 2-0 win over the Rangers on Dec. 27, 2025. Robert Sabo for New York Post
One defenseman no longer with the Rangers is veteran Carson Soucy, who was dealt to the Islanders for a 2026 third-round pick after sitting out Monday’s game against Boston.
“Those aren’t situations you draw up, but I think we have a job to do and have to stay focused and these are really gonna be two fun games to play in,” captain J.T. Miller said. “Obviously we’ll worry about [Wednesday’s game first, and we’re gonna try to keep it going with some of this good energy from last game.”
Still, barring a dramatic turnaround on either side of the upcoming Olympic break, the Soucy trade figures to be the first of many moves made by general manager Chris Drury ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, with big names such as leading scorer and pending free agent Artemi Panarin potentially on the move.
“It’s not what our standards are here. We want to win. We want to be competing in the playoffs every year, so it’s tough,” winger Will Cuylle said. “We just have to try to come to the rink and worry about the things you can control and make sure you’re bringing the best version of yourself.
“I try to focus on the present. Try to stay focused; not look too far ahead. I try to concentrate on one game at a time.”
ST.
LOUIS – Otto
Stenberg came to the St. Louis Blues with an open mind.
A
first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, when Stenberg was called up
by the Blues and made his NHL debut on Dec. 17 against the Winnipeg
Jets, there were no real expectations at the time.
But
the 20-year-old made such a good and lasting impression on the Blues
and the organization, he lasted 18 games, and would have lasted
longer had he not been assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey
League on Monday in order to remain eligible to play games there
while the Olympic break is in play.
But
through all the firsts of not being a pro but being an NHL pro, the
trials and tribulations that go with that, including an 82-game
schedule, travel, time zone changes, etc. etc, Stenberg, who had
eight points (one goal, seven assists) and was a team-leading plus-4,
but there’s one lasting impression the young forward made.
“He
doesn’t cheat the game,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said.
Enough
said.
Stenberg
has been so defensively sound, so fundamentally sound, it was as if
he knew what he was coming into at the highest level without being
overwhelmed by what he was to face.
Sure,
there were nerves. That’s only natural. But this is a kid that has
played in the Swedish Hockey League as a teenager for two years with
grown men, and it was instilled upon him at an early age that seems
to have him at a great advantage.
“When
I played on the U-20 team, it was like close to the SHL team. That
was one of the things that the coach told me,” Stenberg
said.
“‘I need to be able to trust you in the D-zone if you want to
play.’ I think that made me think about it more. I think I just got
better and better every game there.
“I’m
just trusting my reads. ‘Monty’ told me early that he trusts my
reads so he wants me to play when I see and read the game. Of course
we have some things that we do as a team, but I would say most of the
time, it’s playing on what I see and trust my reads.”
Montgomery
gave Stenberg immediate confidence by putting him in situations that
would merit much detail in close games, and Stenberg said, “Yeah,
of course. In the beginning when he told me that, it gave me
confidence. It’s easy to play when you don’t have to think that
much about what the coaches are saying. Of course it gives you
confidence and it’s easier to play.”
Stenberg
was given many roles, including a top six role, a role on the penalty
kill, a role in 5-on-6 situations when it would merit the Blues
closing leads out.
The
kid didn’t disappoint.
“Obviously
a smart hockey player, detailed, trusts his game, knows the system
and I think he was very good in his first couple games defensively
and making the right reads and I think how you’re just kind of
seeing a little bit more confidence and with the puck,” Blues
captain Brayden Schenn said. “He’s a good, solid two-way player.
He’s going to be good for a long time in this league. One, because
he wants to learn and two, he’s willing to get better.”
Montgomery
added, “His defensive instincts are really high-end for a young
player in the league. He said that where he was in Sweden, they
really harped on D-zone details. Now, his offensive side of the game,
I think that’s going to shine more through him being more confident
that he’s an NHL player. And then that’s up to us to encourage
him to have more risk because we trust his instincts. When you trust
someone’s instincts, you can have a little more risk because we
know you’re going to go everything you can to get back on the right
side of pucks.”
As
for that offense, it will come.
And
the opportunity now to go to Springfield and play in all situations
should serve new Thunderbirds coach Steve Ott, who had Stenberg in
St. Louis as an associate coach, well. Ott wasn’t surprised what
Stenberg was able to do.
“I
wouldn’t say it surprised me at all,” Ott said. “I thought in
training camp, you could see his hockey IQ. It’s extremely high
even for an NHL guy. His play without the puck is extremely smart. As
his game progressed here in the last month or so, you could see even
the more skill coming out where he’s making the strong puck play.
His forecheck and pressure continues to improve and you’re watching
a young player gain his confidence in the NHL, which isn’t easy to
do. I think he’s got a great engine on him. He’s going to come
down here and play in all situations and continue to develop so that
when he does go back, he’ll be a player that sticks and has a great
future in the NHL.”
The
fact Stenberg is willing to check and go to those hard areas should
bode well. He needs time and reps in those areas. There was a
situation in a game in which he was on a backdoor play with Robert
Thomas, who made a high-end play getting the puck there from the slot
that Stenberg just missed on, and you could see the disappointment on
his face as he got to the bench. Again, time and reps will rectify
that. The fact he’s going there is something that one has to
instill in themselves.
“I
think it’s getting better and better,” Stenberg
said.
“I feel like I have more time with the puck. That’s something I
want to get better at and keep developing at this level. I’ve
always been an offensive player when I was young. I know I have it in
me. I just need to get more and more comfortable at this level and I
think it will come more and more.
“It
makes it easy to play when the coach trusts you.”
And
the players quickly, not only adapted, but also trusted the kid.
“I
think it’s real important, whether it’s Otto or ‘Dvo’, the
next guy that gets drafted by the St. Louis Blues,” Schenn said.
“The faster you make people feel comfortable in the environment and
the surroundings, the better off and more confident they’re going
to get with their own games and the better they’re going to play
for the organization. Guys did it to me when I was young, guys did it
to me when I came to St. Louis, so my job is to help guys and pass
things along, make them feel as comfortable as possible. Whatever
help they need, I’ll try and do my best to be there for the next
up-and-coming guy because someone did that for me when I was
younger.”
St. Louis Blues forward Otto Stenberg (28) scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Matt Marton-Imagn Images)
To
which Stenberg said, “He’s been so good to me, since I started in
training camp and in the summer. He texted me before I came here.
He’s a great guy outside of the rink and in the locker room. He’s
helped me a lot with the game in the beginning. It was so easy to
ask him. He talked to be about things because sometimes it’s hard
to understand when (coaches) are writing stuff on the board. He just
showed me and everything was clear. He’s helped me a lot. He’s
been so good. To everybody in this locker room.
“It’s
been great. I’m pretty sure he helps ‘Dvo’ and all the other
young guys too. It’s been great.”
Stenberg
is in Springfield to play today but this is only temporary. He will
be back wearing No. 28 again, and soon.
“He’s
had a real good stint with us,” Montgomery
said. “Consistently reliable, someone that is very smart
offensively and defensively, and then offensively, he needs to expand
his game. Right now, he gets a lot of opportunities. I think working
on his shot and mindset of being more aggressive getting to the blue
paint offensively is something that’s going to let him when he
comes back to be an even better Blue for us. But he’s had a really,
really good tenure with us in his first go-around in the NHL.”
In
other words, don’t get too comfortable in Massachusetts because
Missouri will be home again, and for quite a bit.
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 Buffalo Sabres were in the final game of their five-game road swing in Toronto on Tuesday, and instead of starting Alex Lyon in pursuit of a club-record 10th straight victory, head coach Lindy Ruff opted to go with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The Sabres netminder allowed a pair of goals to Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, and on Matthews go-ahead goal, Luukkonen appeared to injury his left leg.
The Sabres netminder left the game and was replaced by Colten Ellis. During the first intermission, it was revealed that Luukkonen would not return.
The 26-year-old was selected as one of the three goalies for Team Finland for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, and after a slow start, has gone 4-1-1 in his last six starts. Luukkonen was 11-7-2, with a 2.66 GAA, and a .905 save % in 19 starts.
The Sabres have carried three goalies on their NHL roster since the start of the season, when they claimed Ellis off waivers from St. Louis. All three goalies have spent time on the injured list this season, which has made carrying an extra netminder necessary.
And, like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Darche is now reunited with Ondrej Palat.
Less than a day after trading with one crosstown rival for Carson Soucy, the Islanders completed a deal with their other crosstown rival to bring in Palat. The full deal saw Palat, New Jersey’s third-round pick in 2026 and its 2027 sixth-round pick go to the Islanders in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov.
Ondrej Palat of the New Jersey Devils takes a shot during the second period of the game against the Edmonton Oilers. NHLI via Getty Images
The third-round pick essentially gives the Islanders back the pick they gave to the Rangers for Soucy, and came as the cost of taking on Palat’s $6 million annual cap hit, with the Czech winger’s contract expiring in 2027. Tsyplakov, who looked in need of a fresh start having struggled to crack the Islanders lineup, will get just that in New Jersey.
Tsyplakov also has another season left on his deal at a $2.25 million annual cap hit, so the net add to the Islanders books is $3.75 million. If they max out their long-term injured reserve space, the Islanders still have a hair over $6 million available, so by no means does this trade indicate they are done adding.
Palat, who has 10 points in 51 games this season, struggled for much of his 3¹/₂- year stint in New Jersey, but looks likely to slot into the Islanders lineup as a middle-six winger.
Whether the acquisition works out or not will likely depend on whether the Czech winger can recover the form that saw him be a key contributor for the Lightning as part of an extended run that included two Stanley Cup wins and two more appearances in the Cup Final.
It’s been believed for some time that Palat could be on the move, and Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald’s inability to accommodate the winger’s 10-team no-move clause came to the fore when the Wild beat New Jersey to the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes.
If Palat is the same player for the Islanders he was for the Devils, then his cap hit will become the same weight on Long Island as it was on New Jersey.
Darche, however, knows the player well from his days in Tampa, and presumably believes he can help him find what’s been missing from his game.
New Jersey Devils winger Ondrej Palat hurriedly walked towards the exit of Prudential Center in the clothes that he had worn into the arena mere hours ago, only minutes before his teammates would take the ice for their pregame warmups.
The organization soon announced that Palat would be held out tonight for roster-related reasons.
In the first period of the Devils game against the Winnipeg Jets, the two-time Stanley Cup champion was traded to the New York Islanders along with a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and the club’s sixth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft in exchange for 27-year-old forward Maxim Tsyplakov. He has a $2,250,000 cap hit and is in the first year of a two-year contract.
The 6′3″, 203 lb winger has two points (one goal, one assist) in 27 games. Per the press release, Tsyplakov has recorded 37 career points (11 goals, 26 assists) and 45 penalty minutes in 104 career regular-season games. He made his NHL debut and scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 10, 2024, against the Utah Mammoth.
Palat signed a five-year contract with the Devils worth $30,000,000 with an annual average value of $6,000,000 on July 14, 2022.
The veteran played 248 games as a member of the Devils, finishing his tenure with 38 goals and 92 points.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much 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.
Isaiah George was sent back down to AHL Bridgeport on Tuesday to make room for newly acquired defenseman Carson Soucy on the Islanders roster, per the NHL’s media site.
George played just two games with the Islanders during his stint, notching an assist Monday night when his shot was tipped in by Mathew Barzal as part of the Isles’ 4-0 win in Philadelphia.
The defenseman, who played 33 games with the Islanders last season and seemed like a good bet to carve out a role this year, has gotten some hard luck all year long.
When the Islanders were cycling through call-up options to replace Alexander Romanov, with Marshall Warren, Travis Mitchell and Cole McWard all getting chances to play, George was dealing with a pair of injuries.
New York Islanders defenseman Isaiah George (36) skates up ice during the second period against the St. Louis Blues at UBS Arena on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
And once he was back healthy and playing well enough in Bridgeport to earn a chance of his own, general manager Mathieu Darche finally decided to look outside the organization by bringing in Soucy, who is expected to fill Romanov’s role for the rest of the season.
As George is waivers exempt, sending him down was an easy move unless the Islanders were willing to put Ryan Pulock on injured reserve, which would have guaranteed Pulock — who is day to day with an upper-body injury — will not play Wednesday against the Rangers
Because the NHL has done away with paper transactions, George will need to play at least one game in Bridgeport — which is next in action Friday — before he is eligible to be called back up.
It wouldn’t be surprising if another NHL chance does come soon for George.
His ability to play both sides of the ice makes it highly possible that he’ll be the next man up in case of another injury, or if Pulock misses an extended period.
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (6) skates in front of Washington Capitals right wing Justin Sourdif (34) during the first period at UBS Arena, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Sending George down, though, is an indicator that Pulock should be back pretty soon. If he can’t go Wednesday, the Islanders would be without an extra defenseman against the Rangers.
Though that is not as big a consideration at home as it would be on the road — it’s not impossible to get someone from Bridgeport to Long Island if need be — it will have factored into the decision-making process.
With the NHL's roster freeze a week away, trade talk appears to be ramping up around the league. For the Vancouver Canucks, the player who is involved in most reports is forward Evander Kane. The 34-year-old has 24 points in 51 games and is an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
"I think there's a lot of names that are out there," said Kane. "And all of a sudden, just because a member of the Vancouver media decides to tweet it out, I got a big scrum today. So, yeah, it's part of the process. It's part of the way business is on the NHL level. And just looking forward to tonight's game."
The post that Kane is referring to came from CHEK TV's Rick Dhaliwal. The post reads, "Evander Kane's agent Dan Milstein has been given permission to help facilitate a trade for his client." After it was mentioned in the scrum about Milstein getting permission to talk with other teams, Kane was asked if he thought trade talks would be happening this early based on the team being in 32nd place.
"I don't think anybody anticipated from top to bottom, the season going the way it's gone. So, you know, when that does happen, I think every single year with the team who is in last place, changes happen.... Yeah, I think everybody's disappointed with how the season has gone. Nobody wanted to be in last place. I don't think anybody has that anticipation or that desire to start off a year so, but it is what it is, and you have to be ready to show up to work the next day and be a professional. And I think that's what everybody in the room has done so far, and we'll let the chips fall where they may."
As for a potential trade, the most likely outcome is that Kane is moved to a team heading to the playoffs. He has played in each of the last two Stanley Cup Finals and has plenty of experience both in the regular season and post-season. For Kane, he is also focused on winning a Cup before his time in the league comes to a close.
Jan 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) shoots against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
"I don't know if there's a person in this room that doesn't have a hunger to play playoff hockey. I think that's, you know, when you train all summer and come into training camp, that's what you're training to do. So obviously, that's a desire for anybody, and no different with me."
Overall, moving Kane is not an easy task. He carries a cap hit of $5.125 million and has a 16-team approved trade list. Based on Kane's performance and contract, it is likely the Canucks will need to retain some money if the organization wants to trade him before the deadline and pick up additional pieces that will help the rebuild.
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.
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.
