The Buffalo Sabres lost yet again Monday night in Calgary, falling in a 7-4 blowout to the Flames – one of the worst teams in the NHL The loss cemented Buffalo’s place as the worst team in the Eastern Conference with an 11-14-4 record. The Sabres are now four standings points behind the 14th and 15th-place teams in the East (the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators) – and those two teams have a game in hand on Buffalo.
The future is looking bleak for this Sabres team, and by the time their current road trip ends on Sunday, Buffalo could have its Stanley Cup aspirations all but buried for the 15th straight season. So, the question becomes -- what’s next?
To wit: Is Sabres ownership going to fire GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff, and start over for the umpteenth time? Will whomever is running things take a scalpel to the roster, or will they blow things and look at moving heretofore untouchables?
We’ve already gone on record stating that the Sabres should be ready to trade starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as soon as possible, but what about stars Tage Thompso, Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch, does anyone have the right to feel like they deserve to be untouchable? We’re not here to lay Buffalo’s struggles at the feet of any one player, but we’re also not here to absolve anyone of anything, either.
What do you think? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section. The commenters with the most intriguing trade proposals and thoughts on who is to blame for where Buffalo is in the standings could be used in a future THN.com Sabres column.
But for now, it’s safe to say that Buffalo fans are enraged to the gills. Once again, the Sabres are proving that they don’t know how to win. And because of that fact, it’s time to take away the keys from Adams, and it’s time to make major roster moves to this Buffalo group. There can be no more excuses, only consequence
It was a play you don’t see very often in the National Hockey League.
In the first period of the Senators’ 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Canadian Tire Centre Tuesday night, winger Drake Batherson was down below the goal line, behind the Devils’ net, when the puck squirted toward him.
Instinctively, he tried to control the puck with his right skate. The puck then caromed off his blade toward the front of the net. However, because of where Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom was set up, the puck deflected off him and into the net.
Batherson and the Senators celebrated, but when the goal went to review, it was ruled that he had kicked the puck into New Jersey's net, or by letter of the law, he had "made a distinct kicking motion."
Drake Batherson went over to plead his case with Jamie McLennan after his goal was called off for kicking the puck 😂 pic.twitter.com/NqxAFnZpAS
First, and this is the most obvious point, they believed there was no distinct kicking motion at all. Batherson had only turned his skate and redirected the puck, which players are allowed to do, even when scoring goals.
Second, they argued it wasn’t an attempt to score. So even if there was a distinct kicking motion, those are allowed all over the ice, as long as you're not trying to score. It happens all the time, whether a player is passing to a teammate, or trying to clear the zone when they've lost their stick.
Batherson was down below the goal line, and it would have been an incredible display of mental processing and skill for him to be able to read the puck coming, know exactly where the goalie is, then intentionally punt a one timer in off Markstrom.
And every kicking motion has to have a follow through, right? Batherson somehow managed to pull this off without his skate ever moving in the goalie's direction. It only ever moved toward the area behind the net.
"If they see my soccer game off the ice, that would definitely have counted," Batherson told the media. "Because I couldn't try to do that if I wanted to, but it's the way it goes.
What do you think? Should Batherson’s goal have counted or not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
With Jason Zucker set to miss time due to injury, the Buffalo Sabres have now called up one of their promising forward prospects.
The Sabres have announced that they have recalled winger Isak Rosen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In addition Rosen was immediately put into the lineup for the Sabres against the Edmonton Oilers.
Seeing Rosen get another chance on the Sabres' roster is not surprising in the slightest. The 2021 first-round pick has been playing excellently down in the AHL with the Amerks this season, as he has posted nine goals, 10 assists, and 19 points in 13 games.
Rosen has also made an impact with the Sabres when called up to their NHL roster this season. In 10 games with the Sabres so far this season, he has recorded three goals, four assists, and seven points. Now, he will be looking to make an impact with the Sabres during his latest call-up to the NHL roster.
In 25 career NHL games over three seasons, Rosen has posted three goals, five assists, and eight points.
Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Bobby McMann will miss Thursday's game after being suspended.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety handed McMann a one-game suspension for high-sticking Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand on Monday. He'll forfeit $7,031.25 of salary, which goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
McMann originally received a match penalty with 17 minutes left in regulation. A match penalty goes to a player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent in any manner, according to the NHL rulebook. The player is automatically suspended until the league rules on the issue.
"McMann lifts his stick over his head to move it away from an approaching linesperson," said NHL Player Safety's video explanation. "After being shoved by Bjorkstrand, McMann brings the raised stick downward toward Bjorkstrand from a dangerous height, striking him in the head with sufficient force to merit supplemental discipline."
The 29-year-old McMann was in full control of his stick and body at all times during the play, and he must show more control to ensure he doesn't strike the opponent's head when he brings down his stick, the department said.
"That's a tough one. It really is," Leafs coach Craig Berube told reporters post-game. "I mean, I got to look at it more closely, which I didn't."
Bobby McMann has been suspended for one game for high-sticking Oliver Bjorkstrand. pic.twitter.com/85puwPxd6g
Bjorkstrand played three shifts after the incident in Tampa Bay's 2-0 loss to Toronto and was back in action on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.
This was the first instance of supplemental discipline for McMann in his 169-game NHL career. He has 43 career goals and 73 points, as well as three points in 13 playoff games.
This season, the undrafted right winger has eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 29 games.
His 30th game will have to wait until after Thursday's matchup against the San Jose Sharks. The Leafs are 18th in the NHL standings heading into Tuesday's action with 32 points, while the Sharks aren't far behind, with 31.
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Penguins' top-line forward Rickard Rakell was cleared for contact and participated in Tuesday's morning skate. Although he is not in the lineup for the Penguins' matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, it's a good sign that he's not far off of a return.
Rakell was injured when a shot hit his left hand during an Oct. 25 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The broken hand required surgery, and he was expected to miss eight weeks. Right now, it has been six weeks since his initial injury, and there's a chance he might return before that two-month marker.
And the Penguins would certainly welcome his return right now. Not only does Rakell have three goals and eight points in nine games, the Penguins also placed Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte on IR Tuesday with week-to-week undisclosed injuries and recalled Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin from the AHL to take their place on the roster.
When he's ready, Rakell's ability to play center might prove valuable without Malkin, as will the ability of others on the team - like Heinen - to switch between center and wing.
"It happens. It's part of the season," Muse said. "You deal with injuries, we've been dealing with it, and I think the entire league has. It's 'next guy up.' So, it was mentioned before, but we have a lot of guys there in [Wilkes-Barre/Scranton] that have been doing a great job, and there becomes opportunity. I think we also have it right now where there's different options in regards to guys that can play both center and wing. Some guys that have maybe been on the wing at different times will move over to center."
There is no exact timetable on a potential return for Rakell as of now.
Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils (16-12-1) will travel to the Canadian Tire Centre to face off against the Ottawa Senators (13-11-4) for the first time this season.
Paul Cotter -- Luke Glendening -- Angus Crookshank
Jonas Siegenthaler -- Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon -- Luke Hughes
Dennis Cholowski -- Simon Nemec
Jacob Markstrom
Jake Allen
The Devils had an optional skate this morning. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt, who were both absent from Monday’s practice, are “good to go,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.
With that in mind, here is the full injury report for both teams:
Devils
Jack Hughes (finger), Zack MacEwen (lower body), Brett Pesche (hand), Jonathan Kovacevic (knee), Evgenii Dadonov (upper body)
Senators
Thomas Chabot (upper body), Shane Pinto (lower body)
Storyline to Watch
Angus Crookshank returns to Ottawa for his third game with the Devils, the city where his NHL career started. The 26-year-old signed with New Jersey as a free agent on July 2, 2025, after spending his first two NHL seasons with the Senators, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2018.
Player to Watch
Nico Hischier is the player to watch tonight. He ranks sixth all-time in franchise history for career points against the Senators, recording 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) in 20 games versus Ottawa.
The puck will drop at 7 PM as both teams look to secure another win.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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The Buffalo Sabres continue their trek through Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday with the second of back-to-back games in the province of Alberta against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The Sabres poor performances on the road continued on Monday in Calgary, as they fell behind in the first and every time they scored a goal to narrow the gap, Calgary responded in short order.
Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Owen Power tallied in the second period, but Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and Yan Kuznetsov replied to maintain a two-goal Flames lead into the third. Alex Tuch scored late in the third to cut the Calgary lead to one, but two empty-netters sealed the Sabres fate in the 7-4 loss, which handed Buffalo their 11th road defeat in 13 games (2-9-2).
“(It was) a s**t game. Horrible game. That’s all I can say. The result. How the game ended. A lot of errors,” Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “(We have to) regroup, game tomorrow, and we have to win.”
To make matters worse, Sabres winger Jason Zucker suffered a lower-body injury in the second period. He returned and fought through the rest of the game, but on his Tuesday morning radio spot on WGR-550 radio, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that the veteran will miss some time.
The Sabres have only 12 forwards on the roster with Zucker out, which likely means a recall from Rochester is imminent. Recently demoted center Noah Ostlund impressed Ruff during his recent stint and the 21-year-old is the likely call-up prior to their next contest in Vancouver on Thursday.
Josh Dunne will replace Zucker in the lineup against the Oilers, and with the Sabres not holding a morning skate on Tuesday, it is likely that Alex Lyon – who replaced Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the third period – will get the start.
It might still be a bit early to deem the Florida Panthers' upcoming four-game road trip "a make-or-break trip," but there is no denying the importance and the challenge they'll face.
The wins helped the Panthers move into sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but more importantly, they are now just four points back of third place in the division and five from the division lead. The Panthers have some things they need to tidy up, and they need to do so on this road trip.
Three of the four teams are in the playoffs, with the Mammoth sitting just outside a wild card spot due to points percentage. The Panthers are in tough on this trip, but finding results is a must.
Sergei Bobrovsky, whose play has continued to trend in the wrong direction, will start against the Mammoth, according to Panthers coach Paul Maurice. His .881 save percentage ranks 60th in the NHL. The Panthers will continue to drop points if he can't find his game.
Daniil Tarasov will be in the crease on Thursday against the Avalanche, and despite his excellent play as of late, the Avalanche poses a threat that no team in the NHL does. The Avalanche lead the Presidents' Trophy race and leads the NHL in goals per game, averaging 3.97. They also rank first in shots on goal, averaging 34, and rank first in goals allowed, allowing just 2.17 goals per game. The Avalanche are a well-oiled machine led by Hart Trophy favorite and Art Ross Trophy leader Nathan MacKinnon, and Norris Trophy favorite Cale Makar.
The trip doesn't get much easier. Just two days later, they'll take on the Stars, who sit in second place in the NHL. Their metrics might not be as impressive as the Avalanche's, but they have top-end offensive producers who commit to the defensive side of the puck. They rank fourth in goals scored per game and first in shooting percentage. They also ranked fourth in goals allowed per game.
The final game of the road trip is an opponent the Panthers know all too well. The Lightning are currently on a four-game losing streak, but prior to that, they had found their stride. Defensively, the Lightning have been consistent, ranking fifth in goals allowed per game, and their offense is beginning to come around. After slow starts, Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel are all around a point per game, and Brayden Point has returned from his injury.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is out with an undisclosed injury, but the Lightning hope he can return soon.
It's not to be understated how talented the teams they'll be facing are on this road trip. But the Panthers would be the first to tell you, to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Panthers don't want to fall any farther from the playoffs than they already are.
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The Western Conference this season is looking like a gauntlet that is no joke and is going to be very tough for Los Angeles to compete against in the postseason.
Dallas, Vegas, Edmonton, Colorado, and even Anaheim have established themselves as the top contenders in the Western Conference, with elite scoring, a strong power play, and balanced defense.
The Kings, meanwhile, even though they sit in third place in the Pacific Division, just two points back of Anaheim for the first seed, you get the feeling that doesn’t matter. Fans saw the Kings finish second in the division last season with home-ice advantage and still couldn’t get past the first round against the Oilers for the fourth consecutive season.
With the season already in the second half, questions about general manager Ken Holland and coach Jim Hiller's plans for roster changes should leave fans curious and eager to see what's next for the team.
Los Angeles’s window isn’t closed, but it’s not wide open either.
The Weakness Holding the Kings Back
This is where the separation from the true West contenders becomes clear.
1. A Poor Home Record (4-6-3)
Crypto.com Arena has been a frustration this season. After possessing the best home record last season, the Kings are now the third-worst team at home behind Vancouver and the Rangers.
LA plays tight at home with struggles to generate any offense, and can’t dictate tempo or rhythm the way top teams are supposed to do at home. Now, the flip side is they're very good on the road with a 10-2-4 record, proving they can compete with any team in the playoffs, but they also have to be consistent at home, not just on the road.
2. Power-Play Problems
This has been the biggest weakness:
Slow puck movement
Predictable
Struggles entering the zone
Lacks a true scoring threat
3. Slow Starts
The Kings often take too long to be aggressive and get going offensively and defensively early in games. In almost all of their games this season, LA has gone down early, clawed its way back, then forced overtime just to lose in a shootout.
It gets tiring, and the Kings go cold when overtime hits for trying so hard in the end, when they need to focus on playing that way early in regulation.
How the Kings Stack Up Against the West’s Best
1. Colorado Avalanche - Top-End Talent and should be the favorites to win the Stanley Cup right now with their strong start. The Avs will be too dominant on offense and defense, both areas where LA struggles.
2. Dallas Stars - The Stars have won a great many of their games this season; they are second in the NHL standings behind the juggernaut Avs. This will be another team that the Kings won’t be able to beat in a seven-game series.
3. Vegas Golden Knights - Vegas has been a strong contender in the Western Conference for years now, winning its first cup in 2023 and sweeping the Kings the last time they faced in the postseason back in 2018, but it is still considered a better team with its defense and strong center depth.
4. Edmonton Oilers - Despite the slow start, the Oilers are always a team that can’t be judged for its results in the early part of the regular season. Especially against the Kings, the Oilers have dominated LA time and time again, serving as their biggest roadblock over the last few years.
5. Anaheim Ducks - The Ducks might be a team that the Kings could beat because they’re a young team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018, but they’re big, fast, young, and have the hunger to go deep in the playoffs.
While probably the easiest team for the Kings to match up with in the postseason, it will still be a tough series for Los Angeles to win.
So… Are the Kings Built to Beat the Western Elite?
Right now? No, they’re not better than several of those teams mentioned above in the Western Conference. At Best, the Kings are the fifth- or sixth-best team in the West, which makes them a bottom wild-card team.
They remain in the middle, but near the bottom against the top contenders in the west if they go head-to-head against them. If the Kings make changes to their roster during the trade deadline that fill their holes and weaknesses, then we can have a conversation about them being a true contender, but now they remain a good team, not a great team in the West.
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Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who fell off this month's ranking, still has a strong case of winning the Hart Trophy, with 35 points in 29 games as a defenseman. But his teammate his playing so well right now that it's tough to justify picking Makar as the most valuable player to his team.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association will have the final say after the regular season on who is "the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team," but this would be my ballot if voting happened now.
5. Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals
Logan Thompson is likely the best goaltender in the NHL today. In 21 games this season, the 28-year-old has a 1.96 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
Among all goalies who have made at least 10 appearances, only the Minnesota Wild's Jesper Wallstedt has a better save percentage and goals-against average, but he's played in 10 fewer contests than Thompson.
Thompson has been especially hot in his last six starts. He has five wins and one overtime loss and averaged a .955 SP and 1.32 GAA.
It's not like the Capitals' netminder hasn't faced plenty of shots either. On Friday, Dec. 5, he faced 38 shots, and in his last game on Sunday, Dec. 7, he recorded a 39-save shutout.
McDavid had a slow start to the season by his standards, but he's still third in league scoring with 42 points in 29 games.
At the end of October, McDavid was tied for 19th in league scoring. But since then, he's averaged 1.65 points per game, nearly half a point more than his scoring rate in October.
Not only does McDavid lead the Oilers in points with five more than Leon Draisaitl, but his 28 assists are tied for the most in the NHL as well.
Edmonton finds itself back in the playoff picture after being on the outside of the mix from Nov. 16 to Dec. 5. As they hold on to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and continue to lack consistent goaltending, McDavid will be a significant factor in his team making the post-season as usual.
Connor Bedard has been a consistent performer for the Chicago Blackhawks, and he's pushed his team into a playoff spot at times this season.
Now, the Blackhawks are just one point out of a playoff spot, with a game in hand on the San Jose Sharks, which sit in the West's second wild-card spot.
Chicago's playoff hopes are in the hands of 20-year-old Bedard, who's carried the weight of the team's offense, recording 15 more points than second-place Tyler Bertuzzi.
Bedard leads the team in goals, assists, points, plus-minus, game-winning goals and more. He's truly been a valuable piece to the Blackhawks, recording 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points this year. He's factored into about 47 percent of the team's 86 goals.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 21.00/+2000
2. Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks
Like Bedard, Macklin Celebrini has been able to maintain his excellent scoring pace from the start of the season. In 30 contests, the 19-year-old has 15 goals and 43 points, which has him second in league scoring.
Celebrini's factored into just over half of the San Jose Sharks' 85 goals. He leads his team in goals, assists, points, plus-minus, overtime goals, power-play goals and more.
The sophomore center has 15 more points than second-place Will Smith, who has 28. Celebrini equals Smith's point total in assists alone. He's tied with McDavid for the league lead in that category.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 23.00/+2200
1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Nathan MacKinnon sits at the top of this list.
The Avalanche superstar center is the front-runner for the Rocket Richard Trophy as he leads the league in goals with 24. He also leads the way in the Art Ross Trophy race, sitting on top of the NHL with 49 points, six more than Celebrini.
While the Avalanche have several stars, such as defenseman Cale Makar and right winger Martin Necas, there's no doubt that MacKinnon is the driving force of the team's incredible 21-2-6 record.
MacKinnon also dominates the NHL in the plus-minus department with a plus-35 rating. The closest player to him outside of the Avalanche's roster is Capitals D-man Jakob Chychrun at plus-24.
He's proven to be an extremely valuable piece to the Avs, being on the right side of the puck almost all the time. He's a big reason why the Avalanche are undisputedly the best team in the NHL.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 1.48/-210
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The Montreal Canadiens should be looking to improve at the center position this season.
When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn stands out as an interesting potential option for the Canadiens.
With the Blues struggling this season, Schenn has found himself right back into the rumor mill. It is understandable, as he would have the potential to be a very solid addition to a playoff team's roster. This is because he is a solid two-way center who chips in offensively when playing at his best, kills penalties, and is not afraid to throw the body.
Schenn is also known for being a good leader, which is why he is currently the Blues' captain. With the Canadiens being a young team on the rise, adding a player like Schenn as a mentor would have the potential to benefit them.
After a slow start to the season, Schenn is also starting to heat back up for the Blues. In 30 games so far this season with the Central Division club, he has recorded six goals, seven assists, 13 points, and 67 hits. He also recorded four points in his last three games alone, which included him scoring twice and recording an assist against the Canadiens on Dec. 7.
With all Schenn provides, he would have the potential to be a solid addition to the Canadiens' middle six and penalty kill if acquired.
However, there would also be some clear risk in a potential Schenn trade. For starters, he would not come cheap, as he has a $6.5 million cap hit. He would also be more than a rental for Montreal if acquired, as he is signed until the end of the 2027-28 season. The 34-year-old forward has also struggled at times this season.
Ultimately, Schenn would have the potential to be a nice addition to the Canadiens' roster, but his contract is where things could get complicated. Yet, if the Blues were open to retaining some of Schenn's salary, that could make the veteran center a more realistic target for Montreal.
The Flyers once again bounced back from a regulation loss, this time beating the Sharks, 4-1, Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Christian Dvorak, Carl Grundstrom, Noah Cates and Travis Konecny scored goals for the Flyers (16-9-3), who improved to 2-2-0 on their season-long six-game homestand.
For Grundstrom, it was his first goal as a Flyer and it came against his old club. The Flyers acquired the 28-year-old winger from San Jose before the season in the Ryan Ellis trade.
“You always want to beat your old team, that’s for sure,” Grundstrom said. “It feels really good.”
Konecny’s goal was an empty-netter. He also finished with an assist to record his 500th career NHL point.
“For me, where I’m at in my career, those are good, but I just want to be in the playoffs,” Konecny said. “It’s more about winning the game and keep building as a team.”
“We talked about squashing plays and not duplicating mistakes, and I thought for the most part, we were pretty good in that aspect of the game,” Tocchet said. “They do take the information and they’re applying it, so I’ve got to give them credit. That’s why, hopefully, we keep avoiding any kind of long losing streaks.”
The Flyers see the Sharks (14-14-3) again March 21 when they visit SAP Center.
• Dan Vladar was back in net for the first time in a little over a week.
The 28-year-old made 17 saves on 18 shots to pick up his 11th win with the Flyers through 17 starts.
“He was dialed in tonight,” Tocchet said. “He looked really big.”
The Flyers killed off a Matvei Michkov high-sticking penalty in the third period to help nail down the win.
San Jose scored on its first shot of the game after the Flyers had pretty much carried the play for the opening 11-plus minutes. Dvorak responded a little over seven minutes later as the Flyers outshot the Sharks 16-3 in the first period.
The Flyers really controlled the game from there.
“I thought it was a good step tonight,” Dvorak said. “I thought we had a great first period even though we were down for a decent part of it. I thought we tilted the ice and had a bunch of looks.”
Sharks netminder Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 of the Flyers’ 29 shots.
• The fourth line produced the Flyers’ go-ahead 2-1 goal early in the second period. It came a day after the fourth line became a hot-button topic, and not to the joy of Tocchet.
The head coach shouldn’t hear any criticism for using his fourth line, at least in this game. Grundstrom, Rodrigo Abols and Garnet Hathaway had an effective night. Grundstrom just joined the group Tuesday and gave it a much-needed lift by redirecting a Nick Seeler shot for his goal.
“I thought playing that fourth line, getting them minutes, it really helps for an 82-game schedule,” Tocchet said.
Cates scored a huge goal with just 12 seconds left in the middle stanza to cushion the Flyers’ lead.
• The Flyers held Macklin Celebrini scoreless. The 2024 first overall pick came in with the NHL’s second-most points at 43 (15 goals, 28 assists), behind only the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon, who entered Tuesday with 49.
Tocchet might be coaching the 19-year-old Celebrini in February as an assistant for Team Canada at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
“He’s a hockey nerd, the guy comes in great shape, plays a 200-foot game,” Tocchet said at morning skate. “He’s just a hell of a player. It’s not just an offensive guy.”
• Ty Murchison made his NHL debut on the Flyers’ third defensive pair.
“He played well, he didn’t look out of place at all,” Konecny said. “He did his job tonight.”
The 22-year-old prospect was solid alongside Noah Juulsen, helping protect the Flyers’ lead in the third period.
“It was a surreal experience,” Murchison said. “The guys made it extremely easy, talking to me a ton, giving me a bunch of feedback. It was a great team win and I’m very happy to be here.”
He worked his way to the Flyers as a 2021 fifth-round pick.
“Extremely emotional,” Murchison said Monday after practice. “There have been a lot of periods throughout the last 48 hours where I’ve been getting a bit choked up just thinking about it because I’ve been thinking about this every day of my life.”
• Cam York was out for a second straight game because of an upper-body injury.
But after missing the last three practices, the 24-year-old defenseman took part in the Flyers’ optional morning skate. York has been considered day to day.
“I think they’re giving him a little bit more, see where he’s at, a little more pace in his practice,” Tocchet said at morning skate. “As of now, it’s still day to day, so we’ll see how it goes.”
At practice Monday, Rasmus Ristolainen was no longer in a non-contact jersey, a good sign that he could be inching closer to making his season debut at some point this month.
The Santagiulia Arena, picture in late November, remains under construction [Getty Images]
NHL players will not take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy if the quality of the ice is not good enough, says deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
But he remains "cautiously optimistic" issues will be resolved in time.
Stars from North America's National Hockey League, the biggest in the world, are set to compete at the Milan-Cortina Olympics next year - their first appearance at a Winter Games since 2014.
But there are doubts around the size and quality of the ice at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, where construction is still not finished, despite the Games starting on 6 February. Matches will also be held at Milano Rho Arena.
"If the ice is unplayable, the ice is unplayable," Daly said.
"I don't want to be flip about it. We probably will know that in advance of the official start of the Games. What you do at that point becomes a different issue.
"Obviously, if the players feel that the ice is unsafe, we're not going to play.
"It's as simple as that."
The rink in Milan, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is shorter than the minimum requirement in the NHL, leading to suggestions there could be an increase in high-speed collisions.
The NHL players' association said on Saturday the concerns were more around the quality of the ice than the size.
Daly, though, said he did not think the issues were insurmountable.
"We have offered and they're utilising our ice experts and technicians and outside providers," he added.
"We're basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that's acceptable for NHL athletes. And I'm cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful."
The Nashville Predators will once again have the opportunity to showcase their players in front of a European audience this season. This time, they won’t have to leave home to do it.
The National Hockey League announced on Tuesday that the start time for the Predators’ home game against the Detroit Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena on Monday, March 2, presented by Regions Bank, has been changed to 1 Pm CT.
Originally scheduled as a 7 Pm CT start, the new start time will allow the NHL’s top stars to be showcased in primetime – 8 p.m. CET – to passionate hockey fans across Europe, continuing the excitement from the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden and NHL player participation in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
“We are thrilled that our March 2 game against Detroit is shifting to this unique weekday matinee setting,” Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena CEO Sean Henry said in a statement. “The Preds will take this opportunity to celebrate hockey over multiple days, recognizing local hockey groups, rewarding students and thanking our military members for their service to our country, all while the NHL and its broadcast partners showcase our team and our city internationally. We are confident that the fans of SMASHVILLE will shine one more time on this international stage!”
As part of their commitment to the armed forces community, the Predators will donate 1,000 game tickets to military members and their families from the U.S. Army Fort Campbell base, located near Clarksville, Tenn.
This will also be the fourth Smashville Sports Series game of the season – themed games that blend Predators hockey with other sports – with March 2 centered on baseball. The originally announced giveaway of 5,000 Nashville Predators baseball jerseys presented by Regions has been increased; now, the first 10,000 fans in the building will receive a jersey.
In addition to 50 percent off Michelob ULTRA that fans get at every Smashville Sports Series game, attendees can also enjoy $1 hot dogs throughout the game.
The weekday afternoon game gives fans, corporations and downtown businesses a unique opportunity to bring their companies to Bridgestone Arena for a workplace outing, long lunch break and fun afternoon in Smashville.
The Predators competed in last month’s NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal, where they played in two regular-season games versus the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of sold-out crowds at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
The Preds feature some of the game’s biggest international talents, including Swedish star and franchise goals leader Filip Forsberg and fellow countryman Adam Wilsby, as well as captain Roman Josi (Switzerland), Juuse Saros and Erik Haula (Finland) and Steven Stamkos (Canada).
In addition to last month’s NHL Global Series, the Predators have played abroad on two other occasions: the 2022 NHL Global Series Czechia and GAME ONe Japan 2000.
The Red Wings counter with a global roster of their own that includes defenseman Moritz Seider (Germany), captain Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (United States), forward Marco Kasper (Austria), and six Swedish-born players: forwards Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, and Elmer Soderblom, and defensemen Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Detroit has played in regular-season games abroad two times, both in Stockholm: the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal and NHL Premiere 2009.
In their last meeting with the Red Wings the day before Thanksgiving in Detroit, the Preds exploded for five goals in the third period for a come-from-behind 6-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena. Nick Blankenburg, Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, Erik Haula and Steven Stamkos tallied goals for Nashville in the final frame.
Sportsnet’s Eric Engels has reported that the Colorado Avalanche have requested they wear the Quebec Nordiques jersey against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan 29, and that request has been accepted. With the Nordiques jerseys on, the Canadiens will wear their red jerseys in the matchup.
Sounds like the NHL might permit the Avs to wear the blue Quebec Nordiques jersey Jan 29 vs. Canadiens red. Geoff Molson said he hasn’t been asked yet by the NHL, but that he’d happily approve if they asked.
For the franchise's 30th anniversary, the Avalanche have returned to the organization's roots and are wearing the Quebec Nordiques jerseys in seven games this season. However, they can now include one more game this season against their “rival,” the Montreal Canadiens. They still face the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights in their retro jerseys.
So far this season, the Avalanche, or the Nordiques in this case, are 1-1 while wearing the jerseys. They lost their debut in the jerseys, 5-4 in a shootout against the Carolina Hurricanes, but bounced back with a 7-2 win against the Canadiens.
Engels also reported that the Canadiens' CEO, Geoff Molson, responded to the initial report that the Avalanche wanted to make this matchup happen, saying he would happily approve.
One of the biggest moments these two teams faced off was dubbed the “Good Friday Massacre,” in which, on Good Friday, April 20, in the second round of the 1984 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Quebec Nordiques lost game three to the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 and the series. Most notably, the game ended with an all-out brawl, one of, if not the biggest, fights in NHL/AHA history.
There were multiple fights during the game, but the biggest moment took place at the end of the second period, including another one before the third period started. By the end of everything, there was a total of 11 ejections and 252 penalty minutes handed out.
While I doubt we'll see this happen again, it's encouraging to see the NHL approve the Avalanche’s request to wear the retro jerseys again, and I hope they continue to accommodate similar requests if other teams bring back their own retro jerseys.
Slumping Sabres Should Be Trading This Goaltender As Soon As PossibleThe Buffalo Sabres are at the bottom of the standings yet again, and they need to start making trades. And there's one goalie in particular who they need to deal -- and they need to deal them now.
