The Ottawa Senators are back in action on Sunday, January 18, to take on the Detroit Red Wings.

This Atlantic Division matchup marks the second meeting between these teams in 2025-26 after they met just over a week ago.

My Senators vs. Red Wings predictions and NHL picks suggest that the Sens' usual shooters. including Brady Tkachuk, will continue their trigger-happy ways against Detroit after a tough loss to the Canadiens last night.

Senators vs Red Wings prediction

Senators vs Red Wings best bet: Brady Tkachuk Over 3.5 shots on goal (+120 at BET99)

Despite missing 20 games this season, Brady Tkachuk is one shot off the Ottawa Senators team lead, and will inevitably take it over. 

Tkachuk is averaging 4.3 shots per game and has 28 shots in his last five games, hitting the Over in four of them.

The Detroit Red Wings rank in the middle of the pack in terms of shots allowed.

Tkachuk should be primed to pelt the opposing goaltender with a slew of pucks tonight.

Senators vs Red Wings same-game parlay

Dylan Cozens has at least two shots in 16 of his last 18 games.

He's only been held shotless twice since November 15 and has hit the Over in nine of his last 10. He's riding a hot stretch with four points in his last two games.

Jake Sanderson has established himself as the Sens' clear-cut number one defenseman, ranking third among blueliners in assists over the last week with six in his last five games. He's tied for seventh among defensemen in helpers with 29 on the season, and he racked up three in the loss to the Canadiens last night.

The 23-year-old has 10 assists in his last nine games.

Senators vs Red Wings SGP

• Brady Tkachuk Over 3.5 shots on goal
• Dylan Cozens Over 1.5 shots on goal
• Jake Sanderson 1+ assists

Senators vs Red Wings odds

• Moneyline: Senators +105 | Red Wings -125
• Puck Line: Senators +1.5 (-225) | Red Wings -1.5 (+185)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-110) | Under 6.5 (-110)

Senators vs Red Wings trend

Ottawa has won two of the last three meetings and six of the last eight against Detroit. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Red Wings.

How to watch Senators vs Red Wings

Senators vs Red Wings latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Los Angeles Kings are fading away from the playoffs, and that is largely because of the team's lack of offense and ability to score goals.

Los Angeles is the second-worst team in the NHL when it comes to putting the puck in the back of the net in two key categories. They've scored 121 goals and a goals-per-game average of 2.57.

Overall, the Kings' top players haven't been producing as expected. Right winger Adrian Kempe has 15 goals and 36 points in 47 games, and center Quinton Byfield has nine goals and 28 points in 46 contests.

Whether it's the defensive-heavy system that head coach Jim Hiller imposes on the team, or their stars have lacked consistency, it's not good enough for the Kings to latch onto a spot in the post-season.

It's been reported before that Los Angeles and GM Ken Holland are searching for a scoring winger, and one of the best in the league may have just become available.

On Friday, the New York Rangers sent a letter to its fans regarding the club's status for the rest of the season, saying they are looking to retool. That means they'll be open to moving off some veterans.

Furthermore, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman provided a report that with this transition in the Rangers' organization, they won't be offering a contract extension to star left winger and pending UFA Artemi Panarin.

Panarin does have a full no-move clause on his current deal. However, with the transparency from his team that they won't be contending for the playoffs, nor offering him an extension, maybe he'd like to explore a change of scenery.

Are The Los Angeles Kings a Good Fit For Jesperi Kotkaniemi?The Carolina Hurricanes appear to be shopping Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Should the Los Angeles Kings be interested in acquiring the Finnish center, and would they be a good fit for him?

Despite the Rangers hanging around the basement of the Eastern Conference, the Russian veteran has been having a solid year.

In 48 games, Panarin has scored 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points. He leads the team in scoring, and would lead the Kings in scoring by nearly 20 points if he were to join them right now

He comes at an $11.6-million cap hit for this seventh and final campaign of his contract. The Kings currently have $11.3 million in salary cap space, but that includes the salaries of Anze Kopitar, Trevor Moore and Corey Perry, who are omitted as they're on injured reserve or labelled as non-roster in Perry's situation.

Perry Steps Away From Kings For Family Matter, Out IndefinitelyThe Los Angeles Kings will be without right winger Corey Perry in the immediate future as he goes back home to tend to a family matter for the second time this month. Meanwhile, defenseman Jacob Moverare will fill in against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

That means the Kings will likely need the Rangers to either retain some of Panarin's salary or trade away some salary in a deal with New York or a separate deal.

Nonetheless, if Holland and the rest of the Kings' front office want to make a deal work with the Rangers, it certainly can be done.

If Los Angeles is interested in Panarin enough, they have plenty of assets to share. Top prospects such as Liam Greentree, Carter George, Jared Woolley, Jimmy Lombardi,

Henry Brzustewicz, and more. Not to mention the Kings have three first-round picks and four second-rounders over the next three seasons.

Recap: Multiple Kings Prospects Traded At CHL Trade DeadlineThe trade deadline has just passed in the CHL, and a few Los Angeles Kings prospects have been on the move as a result. Here is where three players have ended up.

Although, the Kings brass must be careful with what they give up as Panarin is 34 years old and there's no guarantee he stays in Los Angeles beyond the rest of the campaign.

Furthermore, Panarin may not be traded as he holds all the cards with his no-move clause. He could remain a member of the Blueshirts for the rest of the season if he'd like.

But if Holland wants to make a deal, surely Rangers GM Chris Drury will listen.

---

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Saturday’s crushing 6-5 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens finally revealed what felt inevitable with each passing game: The league's worst goaltending is finally starting to break the Ottawa Senators. 

Jake Sanderson led a 2nd period offensive outburst, assisting on 3 of the Senators’ 4 goals, and added his own goal to make it a 5-3 game midway through the 3rd period, tying a career high for points in a game with 4.

It was probably the best game of his career. He completely put the team on his back at both ends of the ice.

But instead of sheepishly answering questions from the media about his remarkable performance, the Senators’ star defenseman had to talk about how yet another game that his team deserved to win didn’t go their way.

Goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, making his 10th consecutive start and 11th consecutive appearance for the Senators in just three weeks, was dreadful.

It was his worst performance in the 11-straight games, in which he’s rocking a .847 save percentage. He cost the Senators another game as the team tries to claw back into the playoff race.

And Sanderson is making headlines for finally showing a glimpse into the mindset of the dressing room through this stretch.

Postgame, he said “Leevi made some good saves, but you know, I think at the end of the day, you gotta make more than 10 saves to win a game.”

It’s the type of quote that makes you want to see the video to see if the player misspoke.

Boiling point for the players. pic.twitter.com/9KqkzJbeXt

— Jack Richardson (@jackrichrdson) January 18, 2026

He certainly didn’t. Sanderson was fuming. The silence after that bomb of a quote couldn’t be more telling.

It’s notable because players are usually quick to defend their goaltenders. 

Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle had Meriläinen’s back after the loss. Tkachuk said the team needs to do more to help him. Stützle voiced his displeasure that the goaltending would even be brought into question.

But watch their reactions on the Canadiens’ tying goal.

"Just when I think you couldn't possibly have a worse night, you go ahead and do this... and completely redeem yourself!"

Carrier ties it. 5-5. pic.twitter.com/3mr8bP6hO5

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 18, 2026

Those are not players who feel like they need to be better for their goalie. They deserve credit for sticking by their guy, but it’s obviously for show. 

It doesn’t mean Sanderson should catch heat for being transparent either.

He doesn’t strike me as the kind of star player who is out of touch with his locker room. He was being as blunt as he could without directly saying it.

Saturday’s loss was just a punctuation mark on an issue that has been simmering all season, and has come to a boil in the new year. The goaltending has been breaking this team’s spirit for weeks. 

And it falls on the front office.

Their negligence to address the most glaring issue on their otherwise impressive roster is making this a lost season in Ottawa. 

Despite his putrid numbers, Meriläinen has been overplayed by the Senators. 11 appearances in 21 days is unheard of in today’s NHL, let alone for a developing goaltender who is struggling mightily.

Linus Ullmark’s status is the elephant in the room for this discussion, even though he wasn’t exactly having a Vezina-calibre season before taking personal leave from the team. And his reported attendance at games as early as a week into his leave, coupled with what we’ve watched in the crease in his absence, is strange. 

James Reimer has been dressing as the back-up for 2 games now. If he isn’t ready now, when will he be? 

Meriläinen feels like a pitcher who just keeps giving up home runs, so there are relievers warming up in the bullpen, but he gets left in the game because the analytics say to do so.

It’s dinger, after dinger, after dinger. The other team just keeps rounding the bases while Meriläinen withers away on the mound.

Last week, I wrote about how the pressure is rising on President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios.

Pressure Begins To Rise On Ottawa Senators GM Steve StaiosAs the Senators continue to sink to the bottom of the standings, the pressure rises on GM Steve Staios.

So why does one OT loss after back-to-back wins make the situation feel more dire?

Because it happened against Montreal, at home, in a game celebrating 30 years of the Canadian Tire Centre, while the building was flooded with Canadiens fans.

Tkachuk, Stützle, Dylan Cozens and Sanderson each had emphatic celebrations for their goals. The Senators get fired up for these games. They hate that their building gets taken over.

Sanderson was also candid when he was asked about the crowd.

This quote is the one that should be making the headlines. 

Also dropped this one.

We're going to see more of this if things don't turn around. Can only push moral victories for so long before missing the playoffs becomes a reality. pic.twitter.com/kXtCkzJBfw

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) January 18, 2026

The way this game unfolded, with such a strong presence of the opposing team’s fans in the crowd, is a boiling point for this team’s star players. 

You can’t embrace that atmosphere if you can’t buy a save.

Enough is enough. Someone needs to relieve Meriläinen. 

Jack Richardson
The Hockey News Ottawa

Patrick Kane’s best days are behind him, but he remains very productive at age 37, having gathered 28 points through 34 games.

He has been especially efficient against teams that bleed goals, and he has a matchup with one this afternoon. That’s why he headlines my three NHL player props for Sunday, January 18.

Best NHL player prop bets today

Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL.
(not available in Ontario)

Our best NHL player props for Sunday, January 18

Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.

Prop #1: Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots on goal

-145 at BET99

Miro Heiskanen has generated strong volume in Dallas all season long, averaging 2.6 shots on target per night and clearing this line at a whopping 81% clip.

He has consistently gotten the job done regardless of the level of competition. Facing stout defenses or low-event teams has made zero impact on his volume or success.

Isolating teams ranking Top-10 in shot suppression vs. defensemen, Heiskanen has recorded multiple shots in seven of eight home games.

The only Under was a one shot performance against the Kings in which Heiskanen still generated five attempts, which is more than enough volume to clear. He was just inaccurate in that one game.

Heiskanen will play a ton of minutes while matched up against the Lightning’s best players at 5-on-5. He also continues to quarterback the top power play over Thomas Harley.

There should be plenty of chances for him to test Andrei Vasilevskiy.

• Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NHL Network

Prop #2: Brandon Hagel Over 2.5 shots on goal

-170 at BET99

The biggest beneficiary of the Brayden Point injury is undoubtedly Brandon Hagel. More falls on his plate at 5-on-5 and he also takes on Point’s role playing on the No. 1 power play unit.

To say it’s made a difference in his shot volume would be an understatement.

Hagel has averaged 2.7 shots and 6.1 attempts per game with Point in the lineup while clearing his line at a 57% clip. Very solid but unspectacular numbers.

Those outputs go up several levels without Point. Hagel has produced a whopping 3.9 shots on 8.2 attempts per game, going Over 2.5 shots in eight of nine.

Hagel attempted 6+ shots in every single one of those games. For reference, his hit rate sits at 80% this season — with or without Point — when generating 6+ attempts, which has been the floor thus far.

Expect Hagel to continue firing away Sunday afternoon.

• Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NHL Network

Prop #3: Patrick Kane Over 0.5 points

-115 at BET99

The Ottawa Senators can’t keep the puck out of their net. They just can’t. It doesn’t seem to matter how many shots or chances they give up — whoever is between the pipes continues bleeding goals.

That’s why they rank 29th in goals against per game despite sitting third in expected goals allowed, behind only the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.

As you’d expect from a team giving up goals in bulk, the Senators allow a lot of production to opposing right wingers. The fourth-most, in fact.

Patrick Kane has produced at a high clip in similar matchups this season. He has points in eight of 11 games against teams ranking Bottom-10 in points allowed to right wingers, including seven of eight on home soil.

Ottawa is in a road back-to-back with 37-year-old journeyman James Reimer expected to get his first taste of action this season. This is not a spot where the goals should stop flowing.

• Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: RDS2, FDSN DET

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Florida Panthers ended their season-long road trip with a strong effort on Saturday night in Washington D.C.

Both the Panthers and Washington Capitals are in need of every point they can get, each sitting on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Despite falling behind and trailing at the game’s halfway point, Florida dug in and scored four straight goals to conquer the Capitals 5-2 and head home with an even 3-3-0 record on the roadie.

The Cats got off to a good start on Saturday, as the only goal of the opening period came off the stick of a Panther.

Holding the puck behind Logan Thompson’s net, Sam Bennett attempted a wrap-around that was stopped, but the rebound tricked out to the top of the crease, where A.J. Greer was waiting to slam it home with 6:37 to go in the first period.

Back-to-back goals by Caps blueliner Jakob Chychrun, his 16th and 17th of the year, would energize the crowd and propel the home team into the lead, but it wouldn’t last very long.

Just 96 seconds later, with Florida cycling in the Washington end of the ice, Carter Verhaeghe threw the puck toward the net and it hit Bennett, who was causing a screen in front. He controlled the puck and, while falling down, fired a shot past Thompson to knot the score at two.

Later in the period, with Florida on the game’s first power play, Uvis Balinskis played catch at the blue line with Anton Lundell, with the defenseman eventually taking a one-timer that found its way past a screened Thompson to send Florida into the third period with a 3-2 lead.

Florida clamped down during the final frame, holding the Capitals to a single shot on goal during the first half of the period, and six total shots during the third despite Washington trying to come from behind.

A pair of empty net goals by Lundell and Verhaeghe cemented the gritty victory for the Panthers.

On to the Sharks.

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Photo caption: Jan 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) celebrates wth Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) after their game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

Bruins in mix for Flames' Rasmus Andersson as trade rumors swirl: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have interest in acquiring Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, per multiple reports, but they aren’t the only team pursuing him.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported an update on the situation during Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. He noted that the Bruins have been given permission to talk to Andersson about a potential contract extension.

“The Flames have called around to a bunch of teams that were interested, or other teams that maybe they hadn’t heard as much from yet, I heard today, and they said we want to decide if we’re going to proceed with this so we want everybody’s most serious offer. That is happening,” Friedman said.

“The team that appears to be in the driver’s seat, although nothing is done until it’s done, is Boston. Boston is very serious about its offer, and no one is confirming or denying this, but I believe they are the only team that has been given permission to talk to Andersson, and I do believe they’ve done some pretty significant extension talks. Nothing is done until it’s done. Both things have to work out. The Bruins are not believed to be interested in this without an extension.

“Vegas is there. It’s not believed their offer is as strong as Boston’s, but that’s for now, that can always change.”

A #HockeyDay edition of Saturday Headlines with @FriedgeHNIC 🍁 pic.twitter.com/GxNFr47wup

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 18, 2026

Trading for Andersson would make no sense for the Bruins if he was a rental. The B’s are not in a position to be dealing assets for players who could walk in the summer. Andersson is in the final year of his contract and would become an unrestricted free agent in July without an extension.

The 29-year-old veteran would be a good fit for the Bruins, at least on paper. They need a top-four d-man who can play the right side, log a ton of minutes and add some offensive punch. He fits that description.

Andersson has tallied 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 48 games for the Flames this season. He has scored nine or more goals in four consecutive seasons. He’s on pace to break the 40-point mark for the third time in his career.

The Bruins have won six straight games after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on the road Saturday night. They entered Sunday in the first wild card spot with a 28-19-2 record.

Washington Capitals (24-19-6, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (33-5-8, in the Central Division)

Denver; Monday, 4 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals visit the Colorado Avalanche after Jakob Chychrun's two-goal game against the Florida Panthers in the Capitals' 5-2 loss.

Colorado has a 19-1-3 record in home games and a 33-5-8 record overall. The Avalanche have gone 19-3-5 in games they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponents.

Washington is 24-19-6 overall and 10-9-3 in road games. The Capitals are 8-3-0 when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent.

Monday's game is the first time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Martin Necas has 22 goals and 35 assists for the Avalanche. Brock Nelson has 10 goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Alexander Ovechkin has 20 goals and 21 assists for the Capitals. Ethen Frank has four goals and one assist over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 6-3-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.6 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

Capitals: 4-5-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.9 assists, 4.2 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Avalanche: None listed.

Capitals: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

At a critical juncture of the 2025-26 season for both teams, the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings participated in a Friday-Saturday home-and-home series this weekend.

The Ducks just saw their nine-game winless streak mercifully come to an end on Tuesday, with a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. They once sat atop the Pacific Division, but had fallen four games out of the playoff picture heading into Friday’s game.

Appreciating Anze Kopitar, His Contributions to Ducks vs. Kings Rivalry

Game #48: Ducks vs. Kings Gameday Preview (01/17/26)

The Kings weren’t in quite as severe a tailspin, but their recent play had dropped them out of the playoffs picture as well, as they had only won five of their prior 17 games heading into this series.

Before Friday’s game, the Ducks had traded for forward Jeff Viel from the Boston Bruins, Troy Terry was placed on IR, and Leo Carlsson underwent a procedure to treat a rare thigh lesion that will cost him the next 3-5 weeks. Sam Colangelo was recalled from the San Diego Gulls and played on Friday night. Viel made his Ducks debut on Saturday. Chris Kreider missed both games with an illness.

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks on Friday and stopped 26 of 28 shots in a 3-2 shootout win for the Ducks. Ville Husso got the nod on Saturday and saved 17 of 18.

The Kings turned to Darcey Kuemper on Friday to oppose Dostal, and he mirrored Dostal by saving 26 of 28 shots. Anton Forsberg was given the cage for the Kings on Saturday, stopping 31 of 33.

Notes

Desperate and without a trio of top-six forwards, the Ducks basically iced two second lines and two fourth lines for these two games. The Kings are notoriously one of the stingiest, defensively diligent, and low-event teams in the NHL, but Anaheim managed to tweak their game plan, focusing more on chipping pucks below the goal line if clean entries were denied.

Defensively, Anaheim went back to quick, aggressive second pressures, which burned them in the first half of Friday’s game, but played a much more contained brand of hockey, akin to Tuesday’s game against Dallas, through the latter 90 minutes of the weekend.

Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke was the star of the weekend for Anaheim, notching three assists, positively impacting every shift, creating, and rendering himself dangerous not only every time he touched the puck (which was a lot), but every time he stepped foot on the ice. He filled in a significant percentage of the offensive vacancy left behind by Carlsson, Terry, and Kreider (and Cutter Gauthier, who didn’t play much as he was recovering from an illness of his own).

His most impressive quality, especially for a 19-year-old winger, is his anticipation skill. Either he has the puck, or he’s going to very soon. He has a “nose for the puck” and can sniff out how pucks are going to exit a battle, where opponents are trying to go with it, and how to get into positions to receive outlets or chips that he can pick up at full speed. The dynamism, puck skills, and tenacity in small areas speak for themselves.

Defensive Zone Coverage: In Friday’s game, LA forwards were able to spin off low defenders, find soft ice, and pop out for dangerous one-timers that Dostal was thankfully able to read and eliminate angles. All six Ducks defenders and all four centers made concerted efforts on Saturday to box out and pounce on rebound opportunities, protecting the low slot and not allowing LA forwards to occupy dangerous ice.

In an effort to counter, the Kings released their F3 high to the blueline so they could attempt to pull the Anaheim center high and cause confusion. However, the Ducks were solely focused on protecting the lower slot and underneath seams, succeeding in the process.

Cycle: Ducks' defensemen were far more involved in the offensive zone on Saturday, actively attempting to disrupt the Kings’ man coverage and pull defenders out of position. It allowed them to play the puck possession game they prefer and keep it out of their end for extended sequences. They were able to conduct cohesive weaves and switches at the top of the zone to create downhill ice and cross-ice seams to exploit.

Tim Washe: Washe’s five games into his NHL call-up and is becoming more impactful with each passing shift. He’s done well to adjust to the speed and details of the NHL game. Though he’s a serviceable puck transporter, he does his best work on the forecheck, influencing opposing retrievers and disrupting outlet attempts as an F1. He’s tenacious and effective when protecting pucks below the goal line and extending cycles. His first career goal on Friday was much-earned and an exemplification of what he can bring to the lineup. He’s becoming a reliable and versatile forward, winning seven of ten draws on Saturday after winning five of 11 on Friday.

The Ducks have seemingly gotten their season back on track a bit, but remain outside of the playoff picture. They’ll look to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the New York Rangers on Monday.

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Ducks Acquire Jeffrey Viel From Bruins

Takeaways from the Ducks 3-1 Win over the Stars

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights used a five-goal third period to break things open and turn a close game into a 7-2 rout of the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Vegas won its seventh straight game while earning a point for the ninth time in 11 games.

Nashville held a 1-0 lead after one period thanks to Luke Evangelista's goal and the stellar play of goaltender Justus Annunen, who stopped all 15 shots he faced in the opening stanza.

But Vegas, which is averaging 5.14 goals per game during its seven-game win streak, got goals from seven different skaters and at least one point from 14 players.

Alexander Holtz, Shea Theodore, Pavel Dorofeyev, Mark Stone, Cole Reinhardt, Mitch Marner and Keegan Kolesar all scored for the Knights.

"We got guys in the room (who) historically have scored, so we figure at some point they'll get closer to their numbers," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "The team has scored. It's a lot of the same guys, so the analytics dictate that.

"We figured sooner or later, generally, that would follow suit, the pucks would go in. And now they are. And I hope it continues, where that evens out a little bit of where we feel we are, and with the numbers-crunching game, so to speak."

Goaltender Akira Schmid stopped 27 shots and improved to 15-4-5 on the year. The 15 wins are a career high.

KEY MOMENT

A 65-second moment was the highlight Saturday night, beginning with Holt's goal 17:17 into the second period and then with Theodore's goal 65 seconds later.

peep Holtzy making sure it went through 👀 pic.twitter.com/DYBmnqUI62

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 18, 2026

It appeared to steal the competitive edge Nashville held, especially after the Predators beat the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in Denver the night before, while somewhat deflating Annunen's mojo and sending the Knights into the locker room with all the momentum they'd need for a huge third period.

"We realized, I guess, as a team, that when we get pucks and bodies to the net, good things are gonna happen," Kolesar said. "And that just clicked in our mind going into third period. And you saw it, I don't think anyone was really passing up opportunities to get the puck to the net and get to the net. We get chance after chance after chance, and that can just wear them down."

BAR ⬇️ THEO

IN HIS 600TH CAREER GAME 🚨 pic.twitter.com/IMR04IqT60

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 18, 2026

KEY STAT

600 - Theodore not only skated in the 36th game of the season, but it was the 600th of his career. The 30-year-old defenseman, one of the original members of the league's 31st franchise, finished with a goal and an assist, and now has 25 points - tied for 30th among all blue liners in the league. His seven goals rank 24th among all defensemen.

Theodore's 371 points with Vegas rank third all-time with the franchise, while is 291 assists rank No. 1 with the Knights.

WHAT A KNIGHT

After allowing the Predators' first goal to sneak by off a deflection, Schmid was brilliant between the pipes for Vegas. The 25-year-old netminder, who will represent the Swiss Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team that will compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Games next month, stopped 27 consecutive shots before Nashville's final shot of the game slipped by to provide the final margin.

Schmid's 15 wins are tied for the 14th most in the NHL, while his 2.45 goals-against average ranks fourth in the NHL among goaltenders with at least 25 games played.

"Just getting into a rhythm playing a lot of games, you know, you don't think as much," Schmid said about adding to his career-high numbers. "You don't have much time to practice, but you kind of get into a flow and feel good about yourself."

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights conclude their three-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.

PHOTO CAPTION: Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) attempts to slow Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) as goaltender Justus Annunen (29) makes a save during the second period at T-Mobile Arena.

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 freeway faceoff delivered another movie Saturday night, as the Anaheim Ducks (24-21-3) defeated the Los Angeles Kings (19-16-13) in back-to-back games this time at Crypto.com Arena 2-1 in overtime, marking the third time in four meetings that this rivalry has gone beyond regulation. 

Mikael Granlund scored the game-winner with less than a minute remaining in overtime, snapping the wrist shot past Anton Forsberg after Anaheim generated a good look in the extra frame. 

The win gives the Ducks a 3-1 edge in the season series after sweeping back-to-back games at home last night and tonight in the Kings' arena, and it improves their strong overtime record as well. 

Final from Overtime in Anaheim. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/mHZAzeAcRW

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 18, 2026

McTavish Opens Scoring

The Ducks struck first blood in the opening period, with Mason McTavish finishing a rush chance to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead. Olen Zellweger and Ryan Strome picked up assists on the play after the Ducks got a good possession of controlling the puck early on. 

Los Angeles struggled to generate offense in the first period, managing to get off just three shots on goal. The physical tone was set early between these two rivalries, highlighted by a first-period fight between Jeffrey Viel and Samuel Helenius, who traded multiple big hits. 

Kempe Responds on the Power Play

The Kings found life in the second period, thanks to their power play, which finally converted. Adrian Kempe tied the game 1-1 after ripping a one-timer past Ville Husso, scoring on the only power play of the night, with Los Angeles finishing 1/6 on the night. 

The middle frame featured a party at the penalty box, particularly for Anaheim's defense, creating multiple man-advantage opportunities for Los Angeles. Despitethe extended 5-on-3 time, the Kings were unable to take the lead, which later came back to haunt them. 

Forsberg and Husso Steal the Show

Both goaltenders were clutch as the game tightened in the third period. Anton Forsberg turned aside several great danger looks from Anaheim, including back-to-back saves on Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier, which could've ended the game there. 

Husso kept the Kings at bay with timely stops on Kevin Fiala, Kempe, and Quinton Byfield. Forsberg finished the night with 31 saves with a .939 save percentage, playing outstanding in place of Darcy Kuemper on the crease. 

Anaheim finished the night with 33 shots to the Kings' 18, clearly doing a good job of defending the Kings' offense. 

Granlund Ends it in Overtime

Overtime opened the same way the third period ended, with multiple chances from the Kings to score, but they couldn't generate good looks to get the puck in the goal. The door was left wide open for Granlund to score the game-winner off a fast possession generated by Anaheim, where they found space, and Granlund buried the game-winner. 

small: LAK unquestioned 1 point Kings of NHL. Can't find a way once again with the game on their sticks. 13L when tied after 2.

Medium: In nutshell, playoff level defense/goaltending, AHL level offense.

BIG: 19-16-13. NHL record for OTL 18, will easily shatter w 34 games left.

— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) January 18, 2026

The overtime losses have the Kings with the most games played (20) and losses (13) this season, a trend of close games that just won't go the Kings' way. 

The Kings keep on losing the same way every night, their inability to close out tight games, particularly against division rivals. With playoff position tightening already in the second half of the season, Los Angeles sits out of the postseason picture and will be tough to climb up, considering how the team has performed as of late, losing six of their last seven games.

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A third-period onslaught by the Vegas Golden Knights proved to be too much for the Nashville Predators, snapping their three-game win streak in a 7-2 loss on Sunday in Las Vegas. 

It was the Golden Knights' seventh straight win. 

Vegas scored five goals in the third period and seven unanswered after the Predators took a 1-0 lead in the first period. 

Luke Evangelista tipped in a Roman Josi shot 14 minutes into the period to put Nashville up early. It was the third straight game that the Predators have scored the first goal of the game and Josi's ninth point in four games. 

Nashville held the lead throughout the majority of the second period until Alexander Holtz and Shea Theodore scored 1:05 apart to swing the lead in favor of Vegas. 

On the board thanks to Luke Evangelista 🤝 pic.twitter.com/svubI7uBRm

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 18, 2026

In the third, five different Golden Knights players scored, eventually turning a 2-1 lead into 7-1. Five different players had at least two points. 

In the final minute of the game, Filip Forsberg scored on the power play to cut Vegas' lead down to five. It was Forsberg's fourth point in two games and Josi's, who had the secondary assist, 10th point in four games. 

Ryan O'Reilly had the primary assist, which was his seventh point in four games. 

Justus Annuen played the entire game, allowing seven goals on 36 shots and making 29 saves. The loss snaps a three-game win streak for the Predators' netminder. 

Nashville was outshot 36-29. Despite the wide loss, the Predators logged just 4 minutes in penalties and killed both penalties. 

The Predators fall to 23-21-4 on the season and are still a point outside of a Wild Card spot. Their next game is against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. CST. 

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Alexander Holtz and Shea Theodore scored in a 1:05 span late in the second period and the Vegas Golden Knights had two more two-goal sprees to rout the Nashville Predators 7-1 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory.

Pavel Dorofeyev and captain Mark Stone added goals in a three-minute span in the third, with Dorofeyev scoring his 20th of the season and Stone getting his 10th goal in 11 games and 18th of the season. Stone has a career-best 11-game points streak.

Cole Reinhardt and Mitch Marner scored two more goals in quick succession, striking in a 50-second span, and Keegan Kolesar capped the five-goal third. Akira Schmid made 26 saves.

Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg scored for Nashville, and Justus Annunen stopped 29 shots. The Predators had won three straight, the last a 7-3 victory at Colorado on Friday night

Holtz tied it at 1 with 2:43 left in the second period. Off Theodore's feed, Holtz one-timed a slap shot that deflected off Nashville’s Fedor Svechkov. Theodore — playing his 600th NHL game — scored on Vegas’ next shot, firing a snapper through a crowd with 1:38 to go.

Dorofeyev scored on a break off a pass from Mitch Marner at 5:52. Stone scored on another break at 8:52, with Eichel setting it up. Reinhardt struck with 7:34 to go, Marner with 6:44 left, and Kolesar with 4:48 remaining.

Forsberg scored on a power play for Nashville in the final minute. Evangelista opened the scoring with 5:50 left in the first period.

Jonathan Marchessault, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoff MVP in Vegas’ 2023 championship, was activated by Nashville on Saturday after missing 14 games because of a lower-body injury. He’s in his second season with the Predators after seven with Vegas.

Up next

Predators: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

Golden Knights: Host Philadelphia on Monday night.

___

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

For the fourth game in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets required play beyond regulation to determine a winner. 

And, unfortunately, the Penguins’ shootout demons got the best of them once again.

Columbus defeated Pittsburgh in a four-round shootout, 4-3, after the Penguins tied the game late in regulation to force overtime. Penguins’ goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 22 of 25 shots by the Jackets - and stopped two of four in the shootout - while Jackets’ goaltender Elvis Merzlikens was outstanding, stopping 29 of 32 and making some huge saves in overtime to force the shootout for Columbus.

The Blue Jackets did get on the board first, as ex-Penguin Zach Aston-Reese scored his first goal of the season by beating Penguins’ defenseman Kris Letang to the puck with his stick and firing it in at the net-front to make it 1-0. 

But, after that goal, the Penguins took over the rest of the period, outshooting Columbus, 11-4, and outscoring them, too. It started when Connor Clifton got the puck in the right circle and snapped one toward the net, which beat Jackets’ goaltender Elvis Merzlikens glove-side to give the blueliner his first goal and point of the season - both firsts as a Penguin.

Cliffy nets his first as a 🐧 pic.twitter.com/Uyz5ke23GE

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 18, 2026

Then, nearing the end of the period, there was a fast-developing play down low where the puck was roped around the boards, and Sidney Crosby was waiting for it in the left corner. He immediately slapped a pass to the low-slot area, where Rickard Rakell put it home to give the Penguins the 2-1 lead.

BRB WATCHING THIS ON REPEAT 🤩 pic.twitter.com/vel3tKI3JM

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 18, 2026

But the Blue Jackets made a push in the second period. Kirill Marchenko registered his 18th of the season on a shot from the right circle to tie the game at 2-2, and then, the Penguins began to get into some penalty trouble, which seemed to disrupt their flow. Within the last two and half minutes of the middle frame, another former Penguin, Danton Heinen, tipped an Erik Gudbranson shot from the right point and past Silovs to make it 3-2 in favor of the Jackets.

And the score remained that way until late in regulation. With the goaltender pulled and exactly one minute remaining in regulation, Kris Letang directed a shot-pass right to the tape of Crosby, who was perched to the right of Merzlikens. As he's done a thousand times, Crosby redirected it into the net, and the Penguins tied things at 3-3 to force overtime. 

SIDNEY. CROSBY. pic.twitter.com/08THs500bC

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 18, 2026

As has been the case in most overtime periods this season, the Penguins controlled play, dominating possession and getting several high-danger scoring chances. However, they could not finish, and the shootout was forced - which has been a large area of weakness for Pittsburgh this season. 

The shootout went four rounds, as ex-Jacket Egor Chinakhov rifled his second shootout goal for the Penguins to force another shot after Kent Johnson had already beaten Silovs earlier. Silovs stopped Marchenko, but then Bryan Rust failed to score, and Charlie Coyle came through for the Jackets after that to give Columbus the 4-3 win. 

"We're just going to keep working on it," Silovs said. "I think we're getting better, but I think, still, there's another level."

And as for shootouts being more of a mental thing for the team, given the Penguins' 1-7 record in them??

"For sure," Silovs said. "You want to win in the shootout. I think we played a really good overtime. And whether that means scoring a late goal in the third to tie the game, get a big point... I mean, yeah, for sure, after that, you want to win the game. But things happen the way they happen, and [you] just get ready for the next one."

Penguins' Chinakhov Responds To Firing Of Blue Jackets Coach Dean EvasonFormer Columbus Blue Jacket Egor Chinakhov - now with the Pittsburgh Penguins after requesting a trade - responded to the firing of his former coach Dean Evason, who he had a rift with during his time in Columbus.

---

Here are some thoughts and notes from this one:

- It feels like there is just one thing off in this lineup right now, despite everything largely going right for the Penguins. And I think it's the configuration of their second and third lines. 

I do think Evgeni Malkin and Chinakhov should continue to be iced together. They have developed chemistry, and Chinakhov is the type of player you want paired with an elite playmaker because of his world-class shot.

But I think Ben Kindel should get another shot centering that line. I liked the dynamic of Tommy Novak better with Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau, and - for whatever reason, injury-related or not - the Penguins seem reluctant to put Malkin back at center, even between the big boys.

It's just a small tweak. But I think both players would benefit from that switch. 

The Penguins Need This Version Of Kris Letang For The Playoff Push Kris Letang has been rock solid for the Penguins lately, and that's a big deal.

- This was a huge, huge point for the Penguins, regardless of whether or not they got the two.

They are about to embark on a four-game Western road swing, which is always kind of a toss-up for them. With losses by the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals Saturday, they are also only two points out of second place in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand on the Isles. 

They need to keep banking points however they can, even if I'm going to circle back to this point in a minute. 

- The Penguins might not have been able to pull this one out, but good for Chinakhov getting that goal in the shootout against his old team. And, to cap it off, he plowed into Merzlikens - one of his good friends - after ripping it past him.

I keep saying it, but his shot is so impressive.

Didn't win, but this move by Chinny in the shootout with the game on the line...

Against his old team & good friend in net 😮 pic.twitter.com/p9SJaHlgp9

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 18, 2026

- Kindel and Malkin came so, so close to closing out the game in overtime. Kindel made a strong puck play behind the net, and - from his stomach - shoveled the puck to a wide-open Malkin at the net-front. Malkin didn't bury it. Then, he and Kindel each got two more opportunities to put it in, and they didn't.

Credit to Merzlikens. He was very good late in this game, and he was good again in the overtime. It's just unfortunate for Kindel, who is generating offense regularly but has gone 16 games without a goal.

- Malkin was on another planet Saturday. He had his gallop, and he looked to be in vintage form. The first line was dangerous on every shift, too. 

If the big guys can drive play and continue to keep it going on offense, I think this team will be fine. 

- Despite strong defensive efforts in most games since the holiday break, I did not think the Penguins were quite as sharp Saturday. 

They were credited with 14 giveaways - I counted more - and they gave up far more odd-man breaks than we've grown used to seeing lately, especially in the second period. Even if they didn't have their best throughout the 60 minutes, however, they still did enough in the goaltending department and when it counted to earn a point. 

"I thought in the second, they got some momentum," Crosby said. "Arty made some big saves. There were some chances on both sides, but I thought, for the most part, we've been defending pretty hard. There's always things that we can clean up, but I think our mindset's in the right place."

Penguins' Injured Forward Cleared For ContactPittsburgh Penguins' Young Forward Prospect Rutger McGroarty was cleared for contact Saturday after going on injured reserve Jan. 7 with a concussion.

- Alright. Yes, they got a huge point. This isn’t news, but overtime and shootouts are a legitimate problem for the Penguins, and - at the end of the day - it is costing them points in the standings. 

The Penguins are 4-11 in overtime and shootouts, including a 1-7 record in the shootout, While shootouts are a very obvious problem, so is the Penguins’ inability to close out games in overtime. 

For the vast majority of overtime this season, the Penguins have dominated possession and generated a lot of scoring chances. They simply haven't finished enough.

Far too many games are being decided by the shootout to begin with, especially given the way the Penguins play in overtime. There was only one NHL team that had more than seven shootouts for the entire 2024-25 season, and that was the Philadelphia Flyers with nine. 

The Penguins have already played in eight, and it's January. 

As for the overtime period, the Penguins need to be using Chinakhov. He has speed, puck skills, and that shot, which check some boxes for a player who should be out during that time. They need to finish more, and he should, theoretically, help them do that. The Penguins have also missed Erik Karlsson in overtime in two of the last three games, and there is no replacement for him. 

As for the shootouts, Rakell and Chinakhov should, in fact, be regulars. But Crosby has just one shootout goal in eight attempts this season, and I'm not so sure the Penguins shouldn't give someone else a go right now.

And, sorry folks: You cannot bring a cold goaltender into a shootout. So, unfortunately, they're at the mercy of whoever happens to be in net. And, well, it's mostly been Silovs. It goes both ways for the Penguins in terms of goaltending and lack of finishing ability, and the Penguins do practice shootouts.

So, they simply need to find a way to close out games before the shootout because these losses cannot continue to happen.

A Sitdown With 'Stu': Skinner Talks Hockey, Transition To PittsburghNew Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner is adjusting to life in Pittsburgh after spending his first five-plus NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers

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

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mika Zibanejad became the Rangers’ all-time leader in power-play goals and his three-goal performance tied the team record for most career hat tricks in New York’s 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Swede scored with a man advantage at 5:38 of the second period, giving him 117 power-play goals and moving him past Camille Henry and Chris Kreider, who each had 116 for New York.

Zibanejad’s first-period goal at 7:26 put the Rangers ahead to stay at 2-1 and he completed his scoring at 8:25 of the second, matching Bill Cook with nine career hat tricks with the Rangers.

Artemi Panarin added two goals and an assist, and Brennan Othmann also scored for the Rangers, who snapped a five-game skid. The Rangers, whose last victory came January 2 against Florida, had lost eight of their last nine games. J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck each had two assists. Spencer Martin made 25 saves and earned his first win of the season.

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan earned his 500th coaching win. Sullivan was a two-time Stanley Cup winner in his 10-year tenure with the Penguins. He parted ways with Pittsburgh after missing the playoffs for a third straight season and was hired by New York in May, after Peter Laviolette was fired.

Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim and Trevor Zegras each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who lost their sixth straight game. Samuel Ersson made 22 stops.

WILD 5, SABRES 4, OT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Mats Zuccarello scored 1:47 into overtime to lead Minnesota Wild to a win over Buffalo.

Zuccarello’s winning goal came on the power play after a pass from Kirill Kaprizov, who finished with three assists to help end the Wild’s three-game winless streak.

Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Vladimir Tarasenko and Quinn Hughes also scored, and Filip Gustavsson made 20 saves for the Wild.

Ryan McLeod, Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres, who lost for only the third time in 18 games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves.

Foligno gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 9:19 of the first period but McLeod tied it 46 seconds later.

Hartman made it 2-1 with eight seconds left in the first when he tapped home a cross-crease pass from Hughes. Tarasenko gave the Wild a 3-1 lead at 1:08 of the second period.

Krebs cut the lead to 3-2 when he tipped a pass from Mattias Samuelsson past Gustavsson with 9:53 left and Quinn tied it up 1:27 later. Tuch’s power-play goal with 3:53 to go gave them a 4-3 lead.

Hughes’ slap shot goal with 2:56 to go in the second made it 4-4.

FLAMES 4, ISLANDERS 2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Adam Klapka had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season as Calgary beat New York.

Yegor Sharangovich, Justin Kirkland and Yan Kuznetsov also scored for Calgary, which has won three of its last four. Kevin Bahl had his first multi-point game since Dec. 5, 2023, finishing with two assists. Dustin Wolf had 28 stops and snapped his five-game losing streak.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee scored for New York, which is 2-2-1 with two games left in its seven-game trip, it’s longest of the season. David Rittich made 15 saves in the loss and slipped to 11-6-3.

Up 2-0 midway through the second period, the Flames doubled their lead when Kirkland and Kuznetsov scored two minutes apart.

In four games since sliding into Blake Coleman’s spot on a line with Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato, Sharangovich has five points (two goals, three assists) for the Flames. Coleman (upper body) remains on injured reserve. While Backlund had his three-game point streak (2-3-5) snapped, Connor Zary extended his to a career-high five games.

Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson had an assist and became the seventh defenseman in Flames history to record five straight 20-assist seasons. He joins Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie, Derek Morris, and Randy Manery.

MAMMOTH 6, KRAKEN 3

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nate Schmidt scored two goals and assisted on two others to lead Utah to a victory over Seattle.

Lawson Crouse added a goal and two assists to help Utah win its third straight and for the sixth time in seven games. Kevin Stenlund, Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton also scored for the Mammoth and Karel Vejmelka made 18 stops.

Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, and Chandler Stephenson scored goals for the Kraken, who lost their third straight and are 1-3-2 over their last six. Philipp Grubauer had 24 saves.

Schmidt snapped the puck past Ryker Evans’ stick and Grubauer’s glove with 5:30 left in the third after the Kraken had erased a two-goal deficit late in the second period to tie it at 3.

Eberle boosted his season tally to 17 goals only 69 seconds into the game, squeezing a backhand shot over Vejmelka’s shoulder to put Seattle up 1-0.

HURRICANES 4, DEVILS 1

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov had a hat trick and Frederik Andersen made 28 saves as Carolina beat New Jersey.

Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes, who improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Sebastian Aho had three assists as Carolina won a night after routing the defending champion Florida Panthers 9-1 at home.

Timo Meier scored for New Jersey, which had its two-game winning streak snapped. The Devils are 4-8-1 since Dec. 19 when they won 2-1 at Utah.

Svechnikov broke a scoreless tie at 13:12 of the second, whipping a shot past Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who had 29 saves. The 25-year-old Russian forward scored again 57 seconds later to make it 2-0 after two.

Aho leads the Hurricanes with 50 points, including 17 goals. Svechnikov is second on the team with 40 points. The 36-year-old Andersen improved 7-10-3 this season.

PANTHERS 5, CAPITALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists, and Florida rebounded from a lopsided loss at Carolina with a victory over Washington.

A.J. Greer, Uvis Balinskis, Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for two-time defending champion Florida, which lost 9-1 to the Hurricanes before traveling to Washington for the second game of a back-to-back. Jacob Chychrun scored twice to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead in the second, but Florida went back ahead before the period was over.

Washington is 6-10-3 in its last 19 games, and now the Capitals head west for a six-game trip.

Sergei Bobrovsky, who allowed all nine goals against Carolina, had the night off in favor of Daniil Tarasov in net. The Capitals had a goal overturned on an offside review in the first period, and then Florida quickly opened the scoring when Bennett tried to stuff the puck past goalie Logan Thompson and Greer put in the rebound.

Chychrun scored twice in the second, once from the left circle and once from just inside the blue line. Bennett tied it at 2, and after a penalty to Alex Ovechkin for putting the puck over the glass, Balinskis’ shot from just beyond the right circle found its way through.

Lundell and Verhaeghe had empty-netters in the third.

BLUE JACKETS 4, PENGUINS 3

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Charlie Coyle scored the deciding goal in the shootout and Columbus beat Pittsburgh.

Kent Johnson also scored in the shootout for the Blue Jackets, who won their fourth straight game. It was the third consecutive win under new coach Rick Bowness. Bowness is the third coach in team history to win his first three games with the team.

Kirill Marchenko scored to continue a four-game point. Danton Heinen scored his first goal with Columbus since he was traded from Pittsburgh last month, and Zach Aston-Reese, another former Penguin, also scored.

Zach Werenski continued his four-game point streak with an assist.

Elvis Merzlikins made 29 saves for the Blue Jackets, who matched their longest winning streak of the season.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for the Penguins. He recorded his 511th multipoint game, tying Gordie Howe for fifth place in NHL history.

Connor Clifton and Rickard Rakell also scored for the Penguins.

Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots for the Penguins, who have lost four of their last five.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, JETS 3, OT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Max Domi scored at 3:08 of overtime on a 2-on-1 with Auston Matthews to lift Toronto past Winnipeg.

Domi also had an assist, Matthews scored his 24th goal of the season and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a goal and two assists. Bobby McMann tied it in the third, and Morgan Rielly added two assists.

Dennis Hildeby stopped 27 shots as Toronto closed a four-game trip 2-1-1.

Alex Iafallo, Kyle Connor and Nino Niederreiter scored Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves. The Jets had won four in a row.

The Jets led 3-1early in the third period. Ekman-Larsson scored at 5:58, and McMann’ tied it with 4:27 remaining.

CANADIENS 6, SENATORS 5, OT

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal scored three straight goals, including Cole Caufield’s second of the game 33 seconds into overtime, to give the Canadiens a come-from-behind win over Ottawa.

Trailing 5-3 late in the third period, Montreal pulled goaltender Samuel Montembeault and got within one with 4:24 remaining when Juraj Slafkovsky tipped a Lane Hutson shot for his second goal of the game. Alexandre Carrier tied it 65 seconds later when he beat Leevi Merilainen glove side. Josh Anderson also had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.

Jake Sanderson, who also had three assists, had given the Senators what appeared to be insurance when he scored his 10th at 7:55 of the third, beating Montembeault short side to give the Senators a 5-3 lead.

Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens and David Perron also scored for the Senators. Merilainen stopped 13 shots.

BRUINS 5, BLACKHAWKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Mason Lohrei scored two goals and Boston beat Chicago to extend its winning streak to six games.

Charlie McAvoy, Viktor Arvidsson and Marat Khusnutdinov also scored goals while Joonas Korpisalo made 22 saves for the Bruins, who have won eight of their last 11 games.

David Pastrnak and Casey Mittelstadt had two assists each for Boston.

The Bruins rallied from a 2-0 deficit after one period with three second-period goals. McAvoy skated in from the point and beat Arvid Soderblom from 20 feet to cut Chicago’s lead in half at 1:58.

Lohrei converted Hampus Lindholm’s feed into the tying goal from the right circle at 14:51, and Arvidsson beat Soderblom for a 3-2 lead with 46 seconds left in the period.

Lohrei added his second goal 9:01 into the third, with Khusnutdinov redirecting David Pastrnak’s pass into a half-open net 2:01 later.

Soderblom stopped 18 shots.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 7, PREDATORS 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Alexander Holtz and Shea Theodore scored in a 1:05 span late in the second period and Vegas had two more two-goal sprees to rout Nashville for its seventh straight victory.

Pavel Dorofeyev and captain Mark Stone added goals in a three-minute span in the third, with Dorofeyev scoring his 20th of the season and Stone getting his 10th goal in 11 games and 18th of the season. Stone has a career-best 11-game points streak.

Cole Reinhardt and Mitch Marner scored two more goals in quick succession, striking in a 50-second span, and Keegan Kolesar capped the five-goal third. Akira Schmid made 26 saves.

Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg scored for Nashville, and Justus Annunen stopped 29 shots. The Predators had won three straight, the last a 7-3 victory at Colorado on Friday night.

OILERS 6, CANUCKS 0

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Tristan Jarry made 31 saves for his first shutout for Edmonton, Jack Roslovic and Kasperi Kapanen each scored twice and the Oilers routed Vancouver.

Vancouver has lost 10 in a row (0-8-2) to fall to 16-27-5. The Canucks last lost 10 straight in the 1997-98 season.

The Oilers scored all six goals in the second period, four goals on four shots in a 4:52 span. Zach Hyman and Vasily Podkolzin also scored and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists in his 999th regular-season game.

Jarry had his 23rd career shutout and his first since Edmonton acquired him Pittsburgh on Dec. 12 for fellow goalie Stuart Skinner.

Vancouver has lost 10 in a row (0-8-2) to fall to 16-27-5. The Canucks last lost 10 straight in the 1997-98 season.

Nikita Tolopilo made 29 saves.

DUCKS 2, KINGS 2, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mikael Granlund scored at 4:02 of overtime, and Anaheim beat Los Angeles to sweep a two-game weekend set in the Freeway Faceoff rivalry.

Rookie Beckett Sennecke created the winning score by swooping in on a backcheck to take the puck away from Los Angeles’ Kevin Fiala on a breakaway. Sennecke knocked the puck straight to Granlund, who beat Anton Forsberg for his ninth goal of the season.

Mason McTavish scored the first goal and Ville Husso made 17 saves for the Ducks. They have won three straight after a nine-game skid.

Adrian Kempe scored a power-play goal and Forsberg stopped 30 shots in the backup’s strong performance for the Kings, who have lost six of seven.

Sennecke played a major role for the second straight night when the Southern California clubs completed their back-to-back set by going to overtime for the third time in their four meetings this season. Sennecke had two assists and scored in the shootout as the Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Kings in downtown Los Angeles on Friday night.

CHICAGO- The Chicago Blackhawks put on an incredible ceremony on Saturday night at the United Center. This was to celebrate "The Banner Years", which honored the teams that won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. 

Over 25 alumni who won at least one Cup with Chicago were in attendance. The ceremony, hosted by Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk, was a successful way of celebrating the best era the Chicago Blackhawks ever had. 

a picture worth a thousand words🏆 pic.twitter.com/218UTWF9LN

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 18, 2026

let's hear it for Edzo and Pat Foley🤗 pic.twitter.com/j6ffsZQ30Y

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 18, 2026

ladies and gentlemen, the Stanley Cup🏆 pic.twitter.com/5K9qfKucmA

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 18, 2026

The modern-day Blackhawks played poorly for the first 10 minutes of the first period, but Arvid Soderblom made some big saves to keep them in it. Then, they started to play like a team inspired by those who came before them and won championships. 

First, Ryan Greene ended a goal-drought with his 6th of the season at 16:14 of the first period. He scored it with a beautiful shot shortly after their power play expired. Andre Burakovsky made a nice pass to Greene after keeping the play alive in the corner.  

At 18:14 of the first period, Wyatt Kaiser found the puck high in the zone and skated it a bit closer to the net before sniping one home for a 2-0 lead. It looked like the Blackhawks were well on their way to victory at that point. 

It took very little time for the Bruins to get back on track once the second period began. At 1:55 of the middle frame, Elias Linholm made a pass as Charlie McAvoy was walking down the slot, and McAvoy took a great shot to get the Bruins on the board. From there, they were off and running. 

McAvoy's goal was the first of five unanswered for the Bruins. Mason Lohrei (twice), Viktor Arvidson, and Marat Khusnutdinov were the goal scorers for Boston. 

The Blackhawks have now lost three straight at the hands of the Bruins' sixth straight win. This stretch has seen their offense struggle to find the back of the net. 

Connor Bedard has been picking up assists since coming back from his injury, but he hasn't scored yet. The loss is not on him, but the team does have a much better chance to win if he finds ways to score. Expect a goal-scoring breakout from him soon. 

This young Blackhawks team is going to go through stretches like this. They are not a well-seasoned bunch, but they have an incredible amount of talent that should allow them to pull out of it in waves. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

Greener's 6th goal of the year🏒 pic.twitter.com/PTW4Psjlij

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 18, 2026

#⃣4⃣4⃣ that's me! pic.twitter.com/VDX0Hcvg4t

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 18, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Monday night, when Jonathan Toews makes his return to the United Center as a road player for the first time as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. 

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