Who: Columbus Blue Jackets (21-19-7, 49 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (22-14-10, 54 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh and FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: This is the last game the Penguins will be playing in Pittsburgh for almost two weeks. The Pens are about to take off on a West Coast road swing through Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver over the next eight days, starting with a 5 p.m. ET Monday game against the Kraken.

Opponent Track: The Jackets are heading into the weekend on a three-game win streak. Elvis Merzlikins had a succinct answer when asked Thursday what’s changed for the Jackets:

3 wins in a row what’s different for the Blue Jackets?

“New coach.” – Elvis Merzlikins pic.twitter.com/vKvUdIOkK1

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 16, 2026

Season Series: This marks the last time the Jackets and Pens will meet this season. All three prior games in this season series have gone to overtime, with the Penguins losing in a shootout in October but winning in overtime in November and earlier this month.

Hidden Stat: The Penguins are in a playoff spot in no small part thanks to their success against division opponents this season. Including their 2-0-1 record against the Blue Jackets, the Pens have gone 9-1-3 against teams in the Metropolitan Division so far this season. (Last season, Pittsburgh missed the playoffs after going 9-13-4 against division opponents).

Getting to know the Blue Jackets

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Cole Sillinger – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko

Boone Jenner – Sean Monahan – Kent Johnson

Dmitri Voronkov – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier

Danton Heinen – Brendan Gaunce – Mikael Pyyhtia

DEFENSEMEN

Zach Werenski / Dante Fabbro

Ivan Provorov / Damon Severson

Jake Christiansen / Erik Gudbranson

Goalies: Elvis Merzlikins, Jet Greaves

Potential scratches: Denton Mateychuk (day-to-day), Egor Zamula, Zach Aston-Reese

Injured Reserve: Brendan Smith, Isac Lundestrom, Miles Wood, Mason Marchment

• Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk is day-to-day after taking a hard hit from Brandon Tanev during the Jackets’ Sunday win over the Utah Mammoth. Columbus general manager Don Waddell said the team doesn’t expect the injury to be long-term.

Coaching change in Columbus: The Blue Jackets fired former coach Dean Evason last week after one and a half seasons and a 19-19-7 start to the 2025-26 campaign. Evason told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline he was “blindsided” by his dismissal.

The switch allowed the Jackets to bring in Rick Bowness, 70, who had most recently coached the Winnipeg Jets for two seasons from 2022 to 2024. He hasn’t been with the team for very long— he got the job offer Monday afternoon and joined the team Tuesday morning, per ESPN— but he’s since led the Jackets to wins over the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Bones got the boys ready to go 👊

CBJ x @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/tJ0gjt6C8V

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 14, 2026

Season stats
via hockeydb

• Kent Johnson played a season-high 20:55 during his first game with Bowness. The Jackets could be hoping to see some more production from the second-line winger if he keeps getting more playing time going forward.
• Like the Penguins, the Blue Jackets have at times had a problems with holding on to late leads through the first half of the season. They blew third-period leads 15 times in their first 47 games, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. When asked about that habit after the Jackets held on to a comfortable lead in Thursday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks, Bowness said, per Portzline: “I don’t even worry about it. It was before I got here. I’m just not worried about it… That’s in the past. I know how I want us to play, so that’s the bottom line. And we’re building on that.”

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Brett Kulak / Kris Letang

Parker Wotherspoon / Jack St. Ivany

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Ryan Graves, Kevin Hayes

IR: Erik Karlsson, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones, Rutger McGroarty

• The Penguins had an off day Friday after Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Flyers.
• Sidney Crosby has 69 points (24 goals, 45 assists) in 48 career games against the Blue Jackets, which ranked behind only Patrick Kane for the most among any active NHL player. Kris Letang meanwhile leads all NHL defensemen with 14 goals against the Blue Jackets, his highest total against any single team, per Penguins PR.
• The Penguins are 14-1-4 in their last 19 games against the Blue Jackets, and they’re 16-0-2 in their last 18 games against the Jackets at home, per Penguins PR.
• The Pens’ special teams have been thriving lately. They’re heading into Saturday’s matchup having gone 16-for-16 on the PK over their last four games, and they’re currently ranked second in the NHL with a 29.4 percent power-play success rate.

The Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5) have the chance to tie a franchise record tonight against the Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8). With a loss tonight, Vancouver will tie the record for the longest losing streak in club history. This comes after the Canucks have lost their past nine straight, with the most recent being a 4–1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Edmonton, who is still currently in a playoff spot, dropped their most recent match against the New York Islanders by a score of 1–0. 

Things have not been fun for the Canucks and their fans as of late, as despite some spirited efforts throughout their previous six-game road trip, they have yet to record their first win of 2026. Things may get even more negative in the coming days, as the Canucks will spend their next eight games on home-ice, where their record on the season is a poor 4–12–3. For fans who are pro-rebuild, this string of losses is pretty much their ideal scenario, as the Canucks have put themselves in a solid position to remain 32nd overall in the entire league. 

On the ice, the penalty kill will be something to watch for the Canucks. Vancouver allowed two goals during Columbus’ two power plays on Thursday. Since the start of the calendar year, the Canucks have surrendered nine power play goals-against while also allowing multiple power play goals in three different games during this span. They’ll face a daunting task tonight as Edmonton currently holds the top power play unit in the NHL with a success rate of 33.3%.  

Players To Watch: 

Brock Boeser 

Brock Boeser has been one of the players who has struggled most during Vancouver’s nine-game losing streak, though he managed to score the lone goal in the Canucks’ most recent loss, with this being his first since November 28. Tonight’s game marks a milestone for Boeser, as the forward is expected to skate in his 600th career NHL game. Boeser has consistently had the Oilers’ number, as he’s currently riding a four-game point streak against Edmonton that has seen him score three goals and four assists. With his goal-scoring skid seemingly over, tonight would be a great occasion for Boeser to experience more of an offensive output. 

Vasily Podkolzin

The former Canucks forward is in his second season with the Oilers and has seemed to fit in well as an Evander Kane-esque replacement. His 10 goals and 10 assists are tied for the sixth-most points on his team, which is a pretty good production rate considering what Vancouver received in return for him. If he’s able to stay consistent in his scoring, Podkolzin will smash his previous career-high of 26, which he recorded in his first NHL season with the Canucks. Also of note is the fact that Podkolzin has registered a point in each of the two games Vancouver and Edmonton have played against one-another so far this season. 

Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 13–16–29

Filip Hronek: 3–24–27

Kiefer Sherwood: 17–6–23

Jake DeBrusk: 12–10–22

Brock Boeser: 10–12–22

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 6–13–4

Nikita Tolopilo: 2–2–0

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8): 

Points: 

Connor McDavid: 30–52–82

Leon Draisaitl: 25–42–67

Evan Bouchard: 11–35–46

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 11–26–37

Zach Hyman: 16–11–27

Goaltenders: 

Tristan Jarry: 12–3–2

Calvin Pickard: 5–6–2

Connor Ingram: 4–3–1

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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I am still reeling from that Ilya Sorokin performance on Thursday in Edmonton. Ye gods, that was a masterpiece.

But anyway, on to the next one. The Islanders are in Calgary for an afternoon meeting, and David Rittich will start against his former team (though as he noted, there aren’t a lot of former teammates in the other room).

The Flames are a couple steps above the Western basement and seven points below the final wild card spot. They’ve been better-ish of late (5-5 in their last 10) but are still expected to basically tread water for the lottery.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• With no Bo Horvat, the Isles are getting by on great goaltending. [Newsday]
• Some timely improvement from Anthony Duclair has also helped. [Post]
• Takeaways, Barzal on Sorokin: “There’s not enough words to describe how good that guy is.” [Isles]
• More discussion of Sorokin on the Tri-State podcast with Arthur Staple. [YouTube]
• Confirmed now, Horvat will not be joining them on this trip. [Post]

Here’s a selection of practice media availabilities from yesterday, including Tony DeAngelo noting that Adam Pelech “may look like a stay-at-home defenseman, but he breaks out like an offensive defenseman,” and Andrew Gross asking Czech David Rittich if he’s “a sentimental guy” as he returns to Calgary:

Today’s opponent: Presented without comment, other than to be rude earworm for your afternoon:

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores included Carolina thumping Florida NINE to one and Tampa Bay finally losing, but still getting a regulation point.

• Another letter! Chris Drury signed a letter to fans about the Smurfs disaster, and I believe he actually wrote it because it was worded weirdly and included em dashes and en dashes within the same sentence. It’s weird how J.T. Miller did not save them. [NHL]
• Dean Evason was blindsided by his firing in Columbus. [Sportsnet]
• Supposedly trade talks are heating up for Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson. [TSN]
• This is an old story resurrected, but: How Moncton got Ted Nolan back into coaching, and eventually a call from the Isles. [Sportsnet]
• The Sabres are feeling the magic. [AP]
• Bourne: Why the Leafs have trouble holding leads. [Sportsnet]

Nashville Predators (23-20-4, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (23-11-12, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -267, Predators +216; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Nashville Predators after Pavel Dorofeyev's two-goal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Golden Knights' 6-5 overtime win.

Vegas has an 11-6-6 record at home and a 23-11-12 record overall. The Golden Knights have allowed 138 goals while scoring 152 for a +14 scoring differential.

Nashville has a 10-10-2 record in road games and a 23-20-4 record overall. The Predators are 11-3-4 in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Saturday is the second time these teams meet this season. The Predators won 4-2 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has nine goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

Steven Stamkos has 21 goals and 12 assists for the Predators. Ryan O'Reilly has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.5 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Predators: 7-3-0, averaging three goals, five assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Predators: None listed.

___

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

Florida Panthers (24-19-3, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Washington Capitals (24-18-6, in the Metropolitan Division)

Washington; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Capitals -141, Panthers +118; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers hit the ice in Eastern Conference play.

Washington has gone 14-9-3 in home games and 24-18-6 overall. The Capitals have a 10-11-6 record in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.

Florida has gone 10-10-0 in road games and 24-19-3 overall. The Panthers have a -15 scoring differential, with 138 total goals scored and 153 given up.

The teams play Saturday for the third time this season. The Panthers won the last meeting 5-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Strome has 11 goals and 25 assists for the Capitals. Justin Sourdif has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

Reinhart has 24 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Capitals: 4-5-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 6.1 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Panthers: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.5 assists, 6.3 penalties and 16.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Capitals: None listed.

Panthers: None listed.

___

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

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues looked forward to the opportunity to slay the dragon on Friday night, the hottest team in the NHL going in the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning had bolted their way through 11 straight opponents with a hot knife, and the Blues were next on the agenda and with another win, the Lightning would establish a franchise record.

The Blues would have none of that, and it took every ounce of energy and they did it in a fashion they had trouble with all season: doing it in overtime and/or a shootout.

But when Jordan Kyrou scored in the second round of the shootout and Joel Hofer was 3-for-3 in saves, including the final one on Nikita Kucherov in the third round, the Blues put an end to the Lightning’s winning streak at 11 with a 3-2 win at Enterprise Center on Friday.

“It feels great,” Kyrou said. “Obviously we haven’t done that all year. It feels good to get that one.”

Jake Neighbours and Nick Bjugstad scored, and Hofer made 34 saves as the Blues (19-21-8) completed a mini two-game homestand winning both against two of the Eastern Conference’s best.

“We knew it would be a good test, a quick little homestand before a road trip,” Neighbours said. “It was a big point of emphasis for us. Carolina was coming off a back to back, so that game was important and Tampa was on an 11-game win streak coming into tonight. Two big games and guys rose up for the challenge, played a stingy, hard defensive game. Don’t think we had our best tonight by any means, but guys dug in and got it done.”

Let’s look at Friday’s game observations:

* Quick strike first period after not much happening – The ice was tilted for much of the first period toward’s Hofer’s end of the ice.

The Lightning had much of the territorial edge in the first period, and for the Blues, there was a lot of one-and-done. The few times they’d get pucks in and try to attack offensively on the forecheck, it was coming right back out.

But when Neighbours and Bjugstad struck 30 seconds apart to turn a 0-0 game into a 2-0 lead, it allowed them to dictate things for a stretch of the game.

When Neighbours made it 1-0 at 17:03, it was a fortuitous bounce when Kyrou’s shot from the high slot deflected to Neighbours at the bottom of the right circle, but the Blues were finally able to get to the middle of the ice when Cam Fowler dropped it to Kyrou for the shot and Neighbours finish:

JAKE NEIGHBOURS GRABS THE LEAD! #stlbluespic.twitter.com/XJfWyk3828

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 17, 2026

And when the Bjugstad line with Pavel Buchnevich and Jonatan Berggren put a puck in deep and had an effective forecheck, effectively turning it over from Charlie-Edouard D’Astous behind the net and Buchnevich feeding Bjugstad for a high-slot wrister that made it 2-0 at 17:33:

We didn't even get the highlight from the last goal done before this happened. pic.twitter.com/T1CtKZcfg8

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 17, 2026

“Part of the way our defense and our systems are built is if teams are keeping the puck that we can keep them to the outside and not allow a lot of high-danger chances,” Neighbours said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of that, especially early in the first period, kind of allowed us to get our legs under us a little bit. Obviously getting a couple goals at the end of the first was big for confidence and mojo going into the second.”

* Blues were managing game well ... until penalties struck, including one bad one – The Blues had gotten close to the midway point of the game holding a two-goal lead against a potent and balanced offense, but when Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker each took a tripping minor, that’s asking for trouble.

Especially Walker, whose careless trip could have been prevented, especially when the Blues were doing an excellent job at killing off the initial minor. Walker had the puck along the wall near the Blues bench, and with the final seconds ticking down on Toropchenko’s penalty, all Walker had to do was dump the puck down below the goal line and the Lightning almost surely would not have had time to score. But instead, he tried to pull the puck around Oliver Bjorkstrand and ended up tripping him, giving the Lightning, which was sixth in the league at 28.6 percent during its 11-game win streak, the chance to get right back in the game.

It wasn’t much time, but the Lightning had 12 seconds of a two-man advantage and needed only eight ticks when Kucherov one-timed a Brandon Hagel no-look pass by Hofer at 9:59 to make it 2-1.

Not only did it put the Lightning back in the game, but it gave Tampa Bay 1:52 of another full man advantage and the Lightning took advantage when Bjorkstrand tied the game 2-2 at 11:01, so feeling like they had firm control of the game, the Blues lost their grip.

All due to one mishap that could have been avoided.

“Nathan Walker’s an incredible team-first guy who would do anything to win a game,” Montgomery said. “I know he knows that. We don’t have to talk to him about that. He was trying to do a positive thing and it wasn’t the right game management at the time in the second period.”

The Blues didn’t feel like it was time to panic.

“After they tied it, it’s just … that’s Kucherov,” Neighbours said. “That’s that power play. It’s hard to stop even when you know what’s coming. That’s what elite players do, that’s what good power plays do. We knew 5-on-5, we didn’t mind our game. We thought we had a chance and if we could get it back to that and stay with that, we had a good chance.”

Walker led all skaters with six hits in the game, and he does play with a big heart, but that miscue could have cost the Blues two points. Consider it a lesson learned.

* Hofer being Hofer – Right now, the Blues goalie is playing with a lot of confidence in his game.

The Lightning, like the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, were throwing a lot of rubber at Hofer, and getting bodies to the net.

He made two really good saves on Jake Guentzel in the first period and was able to snap a shot from the point by Max Crozier looking one way and catching it in another with Anthony Cirelli right in his grill.

“I saw the release,” Hofer said. “It definitely makes it easier.

“I feel good. Just trying to keep building. Even during the good games, trying to take a thing or two and keep working on them and keep building my game. It’s been going good.”

Since Nov. 29, Hofer is 9-4-0 with a league-best 2.06 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.

“He’s playing big in the nets,” Montgomery said. “He’s making tough saves look easy. That gives you a lot of confidence on the bench, especially the players in front of him.”

* More directness in OT – There was a reason why the Blues were 0-6 (0-8 if you count shootouts) in overtime this season. There was no direct play towards the oppositions goal.

Whether it be passing up shots, not playing north-south, not attacking the net with a purpose, you name it, the Blues were all over it.

They did outshoot Tampa Bay 4-2 in the extra session and had a couple different chances to win it but came up just a little short before Kyrou would strike in the shootout to preserve the win.

“I thought we were more direct offensively, yes,” Montgomery said. ‘I still think we were passing up too many shots, too many turnovers going east-west. When you’re playing these elite teams, they cover the middle of the ice really well, and that led to not as much O-zone time as we would have liked.”

The Blues practiced both 3-on-3 and shootout attempts Thursday in practice and it seemed to pay off, despite the futility amongst themselves on the pracrice ice.

“Yesterday we worked on it and I thought today, we were attacking,” Kyrou said, who had two terrific chances, one blocked by JJ Moser and missing the net in the final second off a face-off win. “We were not staying back. We were being aggressive shooting the puck more. I thought we looked a lot better in overtime.”

* Making the shootout count for a change – This was only the Blues’ third shootout of the season, and they were 0-for-6 combined in shootout attempts in losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks.

But Kyrou changed all that in the second round when he scored just his fifth career shootout goal (on 22 attempts) in his career, when he stickhandled to Vasilevskiy and flipped a backhand home for his fourth game-winner:

JORDAN KYROU SAYS THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT pic.twitter.com/aN1i7u11YP

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 17, 2026

“He’s a big goalie, hard to score on,” Kyrou said of Vasilevskiy. “I just tried to move him as much as I can and raise the puck.”

Kyrou, who hasn’t scored in 12 games (including 10 since returning from a lower-body injury but does have four assists), finished tied with Jimmy Snuggerud and Justin Faulk with four shots on goal.

“I think this has been four consecutive games where Jordan Kyrou has played his four best consecutive games in a row,” Montgomery said. “His shot-first mentality and the assist on the (No.) 63 goal. He’s trying to shoot pucks, he’s being very aggressive offensively, and I like the way he’s tracking and stripping people from behind right now.”

* Bjugstad’s draws – When Montgomery sent Bjugstad over the boards to start the overtime and take the opening draw, there was a purpose.

The big center won 13 of 19 from the dot (68 percent for the night), at one point being 10 of 12. But Montgomery didn’t care that he lost a few down the stretch.

The Blues were wanting the puck to begin OT, and they got it off Bjugstad’s face-off win and possession to do what they’d like.

“Based off be was 10-3 after two periods on face-offs,” Montgomery said. “Some nights, you just win all the draws. It’s just the timing’s on. He had one of those nights and he came up with three big wins in overtime.”

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 Los Angeles Kings  (19-16-12) earned a point tonight against the Anaheim Ducks (23-21-3) at home, but missed another chance of closing out the game when it got tight, falling 3-2 to Anaheim after leading 2-0 late in the second period. 

Despite Los Angeles controlling large stretches of the game and the numbers on the stat sheet looking similar, the Kings once again proved they can't be trusted when the game gets close, as Mason McTavish sealed the win in the shootout. 

Final from the Shootout in LA. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/wZpCkYYtWk

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 17, 2026

Byfield and Armia Power the Kings to an Early 2-0 Lead

Los Angeles opened the scoring just over a minute into the first period when Quinton Byfield buried a wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season. Joel Armia, who returned from injury tonight after missing the last five games, quickly made his presence felt on the ice for the Kings, burying his 10th goal of the season in the second period, keeping the Kings in firm control of the game. 

At this point, it looked like the Kings had a firm grip on the game, generating great looks and consistent pressure off the rush and in the offensive zone. But, it wouldn't be a Kings game if it didn't go down to the wire. 

WELCOME BACK ARMY pic.twitter.com/RblN5j7ehb

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 17, 2026

Late-Second Period Collapse Continues Troubling Trend

The game turned quickly late in the second period, a period that continues to haunt the Kings all season. 

Ryan Strome and Tim Washe (who scored his first NHL goal) found the net against Darcy Kuemper, tying the game 2-2 just like that, putting the pressure on Los Angeles after having a commanding 2-0 lead. 

Los Angeles has now surrendered 50 goals in the second period this season and owns a minus -10 goal differential in the frame, an awful stat to resurface at such a critical moment. 

Not the best couple of minutes in late 2nd for Darcy Kuemper, Strome and Washe (1st NHL goal) on low danger chances.
2 in 2:44 for Anaheim in a frame that Kings have been subpar all season (50 GA -10 goal differential). LA have lost 11 of 16 when tied after 2.
2 2 after 40

— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) January 17, 2026

Kings Again Struggle When Games Are Tied After 40

The collapse after building a two-goal lead carried into another frustrating reality. The Kings have now lost 12 of 17 games that are tied after two periods, a big issue that keeps recurring when games are close and momentum swings to the opposition. 

After 40 minutes, the game was tied 2-2. Despite Los Angeles controlling large stretches of possession and generating more quality looks, the game was tied. 

Scoreless Third Leads to OT

Neither team scored in the third period or overtime, despite Kevin Fiala having a breakaway fast-break opportunity, but he lost control of the puck under the Ducks' defensive pressure. 

LA and Anaheim had good luck in overtime, but give credit to both goaltenders for saving the game and sending it to a shootout. 

Anaheim ultimately would prevail when McTavish beat Kuemper to secure a 3-2 Ducks win. 

Both the Kings and Ducks finished with identical numbers at the end of the game: 28 shots and 50% on faceoffs, but neither team scored a power-play goal tonight. 

Despite strong efforts from Fiala and Armia, the Kings once again walked away with just one point after failing to close out a winnable game. This loss becomes very concerning for the Kings because it's the same away Los Angeles keeps losing, strong starts are no longer enough if they can't execute late-game situations.

 

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The Carolina Hurricanes played one of their most entertaining games of the season as they thoroughly dominated the Stanley Cup Champion, Florida Panthers, 9-1 on Friday night at the Lenovo Center.

Nikolaj Ehlers had a hattrick, goaltender Brandon Bussi picked up another win, (17-3-1) and every Carolina forward had at least one point in the shellacking.

The Panthers were missing some key players due to injuries but this win has to help the Hurricanes get over the mental block which they seemed to have when they played this team.

The home team dominated the first period but skated into the dressing room with a slim 1-0 lead.

Ehlers scored the first goal off an absolutely beautiful no-look pass by Jordan Staal.

The Panthers tied the score early in the second period off an odd play but that would be it for the visitors.

Later in the period, Mark Jankowski knocked in a rebound off of a blast by Alexander Nikishin to make it 2-1.

A couple minutes later, Nikishin rocketed another shot during a powerplay that got by Bobrovsky to make it 3-1 and the Canes never looked back. The shot was clocked at 92 MPH.

Speaking of the powerplay, the team officially went 4 of 5 for the night and the penalty kill was perfect, 0-5.

In the previous two meetings against the Panthers, the Canes gave up multi-goal leads in the third period and ended up losing, but that was not happening on this night.

Andrei Svechnikov sniped another PP goal to start things off in the third. A bit later, Ehlers scored another powerplay tally, his second of the night.

Just 21 seconds later, Taylor Hall scored yet another powerplay goal to make it 6-1, but the Canes were not done yet.

Next up, Ehlers scored his third and the hats rained down upon the Lenovo Center ice.

Hall then scored again and 10 seconds later, Eric Robinson made it 9-1 and the celebrations started.

There were several heroes in this game and the team was physical throughout.

The Canes outshot the Panthers, 33-16. They outhit them 30-19 and were dominant in the faceoff circle winning 66% for the game.

Jordan Staal was finishing his checks from start to finish and was awarded six hits. Sean Walker was very physical in this one as well and also had a team high six hits.

Panther, Donovan Sebrango took exception to one heavy hit and went after Walker. The defenseman answered the bell as the two dropped the gloves until Walker took him down. According Cory Lavalette, it was Walker’s first career NHL fight.

Bit surprised by this, but that's the first career NHL fight for Sean Walker

— Cory Lavalette (@CoryLavalette) January 17, 2026

It was the first game that Ehlers played on the same line with Staal and Martinook. After the game when asked about it, he said he was looking forward to it.

“The way they play, the way they battle and get pucks out, I knew I would get more space out there. And that is something I was looking for.”

Nikishin had one of his best games in the NHL with a goal and an assist.

Alexander Nikishin passed Chris Pronger (5 in 1993-94) for the third-most goals in a season by a rookie defenseman in @Canes/Whalers history, trailing Justin Faulk (8 in 2011-12) and Jamie McBain (7 in 2010-11). #NHLStats

Tune in 🌎: https://t.co/dT34F4MhkCpic.twitter.com/LvuB1atnTb

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) January 17, 2026

I could on and on about this game but there is another one coming up soon enough as the Hurricanes traveled after this game to New Jersey, where they will play yet another back-to-back scenario.

Highlights –

Game Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/GS020750.HTM

Event Summary – https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20252026/ES020750.HTM

Interviews – https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r35274bouvc0q27f31mj5/AKobUUxYC-vDTaBijkYSa6c?rlkey=fcw0dlqydmy9j1s7meiynccw7&e=1&st=zwc2w0jn&dl=0

DENVER — After winning 17 consecutive games at Ball Arena, the Colorado Avalanche have now dropped back-to-back contests on home ice.

Colorado suffered a 7–3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday night, marking the second time this season the Predators have defeated the Avalanche—more than any other NHL opponent.

Ryan O’Reilly led Nashville with a hat trick and four-point performance. Filip Forsberg added a goal and two assists, Roman Josi recorded three helpers, and Michael Bunting also found the back of the net. Juuse Saros was sharp throughout, stopping 39 shots.

For Colorado, Brock Nelson scored twice, while Martin Nečas tallied his 22nd goal of the season. Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves in his return from injured reserve.

Bednar Displeased with Effort

Head coach Jared Bednar typically finds something to build on following a loss. Friday night was not one of those occasions.

“There were no positives about this game,” Bednar said with a subtle chuckle. “I hated that game from start to finish, pretty much.

“We got slightly better in the second period and okay at the start of the third, but it wasn’t enough to win the hockey game, so there’s nothing I liked.”

Given the trade rumors surrounding O'Reilly, The Hockey News put Bednar on the spot and asked him if he or anyone else has put any thought into acquiring him. Bednar was succinct in his response.

"I have no idea," he said flatly. "That's not my department. If they keep playing like that, they won't be trading anybody."

First Period

O’Reilly opened the scoring just 30 seconds into the game, winning a faceoff against Nathan MacKinnon before taking a feed from Forsberg and beating Blackwood with a quick backhand.

Nearly a minute later, Nelson answered for Colorado, tying the game at 1–1 after hammering home a rebound off a Brent Burns point shot. The goal was his team-leading seventh of the month and 23rd of the season.

At the 7:32 mark, O’Reilly struck again. His sharp-angle attempt from the side of the net deflected off Sam Girard’s stick and past Blackwood, restoring Nashville’s one-goal advantage.

Colorado responded just over four minutes later when Nelson buried his second of the night, redirecting Josh Manson’s wrist shot from the point past Saros to even the score at 2–2.

Despite the deadlock after 20 minutes, the Avalanche dictated much of the play, outshooting Nashville 17–10 in the opening frame.

Second Period

Jack Drury nearly gave Colorado the lead midway through the period, setting up Victor Olofsson for a blistering one-timer from the right circle, but Saros came up with a timely save.

Just over a minute later, the Avalanche came within inches again as Burns fired a point shot that kicked off Saros and trickled toward the goal line. Neither Nelson nor Ross Colton could reach the loose puck before Saros sprawled to cover, aided by a collapsing defense.

With under seven minutes remaining, O’Reilly completed the hat trick against his former club, deftly deflecting a Luke Evangelista shot past Blackwood to give Nashville a 3–2 lead.

Moments later, a costly offensive-zone turnover by Valeri Nichushkin sprung a Nashville 2-on-1 rush. Bunting capitalized, snapping a top-shelf wrist shot to extend the Predators’ advantage to 4–2.

Colorado entered the third period trailing by two despite holding a commanding 32–21 edge in shots on goal.

Third Period

The Avalanche wasted little time pushing back. Just 65 seconds into the period, MacKinnon found Nečas in the slot, and the Czech winger ripped a wrist shot that Saros couldn’t track, pulling Colorado within one.

Colorado unraveled late in the period. Zakhar Bardakov was whistled for interference on a questionable call, and Nashville capitalized on the ensuing power play when Forsberg snapped a top-shelf shot from the right circle off a feed from O’Reilly to make it 5–3.

Steven Stamkos added an empty-net goal moments later to extend the lead. After Cole Smith was called for slashing Bardakov, Colorado went back to the power play and elected to pull the goaltender again.

That decision backfired. Cale Makar turned the puck over at the blue line, allowing Michael McCarron to break free and score a rare shorthanded empty-net goal, sealing a 7–3 Nashville victory.

Next Game

The Avalanche (33-5-8) have now lost four of their last six games and will look to rebound Monday against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (24-18-6). Coverage begins at 2 p.m. local time.

After a long winter’s nap the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Nashville Predators in their ongoing seven-game home stand. It was the fourth and final meeting between these teams this season and by far the ugliest as Colorado dropped their first regulation game at home in a 7-3 defeat.

A Ryan O’Reilly hat trick punctuated the loss. Brock Nelson scored two goals and Martin Nečas added one for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves in defeat.

The Game

It took all of 30 seconds for the game’s first score, unfortunately it was from the visitors. Ryan O’Reilly got free in front of the net and swiftly put a backhand past Mackenzie Blackwood in his return to the crease. That lead didn’t last long as Nashville immediately gave it back a minute later when Brock Nelson deposited his own puck at the net front past Juuse Saros.

Action calmed down a bit after the early scoring barrage but déjà vu struck as Nashville got on the board again from O’Reilly as he was awarded a goal after Samuel Girard placed a perfect tip on the puck right through Blackwood’s five-hole. The Avalanche responded back with another Nelson goal as he deflected a Josh Manson shot. And that’s how the first period would end, a 2-2 tie.

To start the second period the Avalanche had their chances but after a failed Avalanche power play, O’Reilly completed the hat trick with his own tipped shot to give Nashville the lead again. Your move, Brock Nelson. But the equalizer never came as Nashville scored their fourth goal on a rush from Michael Bunting to end the period 4-2 in Nashville’s favor.

There were quick signs of life to start the third period as Martin Nečas received a slap pass from Nathan MacKinnon in the slot to bring Colorado within one just a minute into the frame.

It would be Nashville who scored the next goal, though, as the Colorado comeback attempt was thwarted. Zakhar Bardakov was assessed a questionable interference penalty which was reviewed and the Predators converted on the subsequent power play. Filip Forsberg got a shot past Blackwood in traffic to restore the two-goal lead with five minutes to go.

From there it was desperation mode for the Avalanche as they pulled the goalie and gave up two shorthanded goals to Steven Stamkos and Michael McCarron for a 7-3 Nashville final. An ugly loss for Colorado’s first regulation defeat at Ball Arena this season.

Takeaways

This was Mackenzie Blackwood’s first start this month and it’s fair to wonder if he was shaking off the rust but giving up five goals on 28 shots really isn’t a great performance. With Scott Wedgewood allegedly healthy now too it will be interesting to see how Jared Bednar chooses to split starts as the schedule picks up moving forward.

Quietly the Avalanche are in a 2-3-1 stretch which coincides with the loss of Gabe Landeskog and Devon Toews. This step back is understandable with the key players missing but assuming full health down the stretch and in the playoffs is faulty especially as it’s a war of attrition to go deep into the summer. The squad can’t just dominate with a full roster.

Jared Bednar said there were no positives tonight. “We didn’t do enough to win the hockey game.”

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) January 17, 2026

Upcoming

A weekend off and then the Washington Capitals come to town for a Monday matinee at 2 p.m. MT on the Martin Luther King holiday.

DETROIT (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the surging Detroit Red Wings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 on Friday night.

Marco Kasper scored his first goal in 37 games and added an assist to help Detroit win for the fifth time in six games. Alex DeBrincat scored his team-high 25th goal and J.T. Compher had the other goal for the Red Wings.

Lucas Raymond had three assists and James van Riemsdyk added two. John Gibson made 20 saves.

Will Smith scored for San Jose in his return from an upper-body injury that cost him 13 games. Collin Graf had the other Sharks goal and Macklin Celebrini, the NHL’s third-leading scorer with 72 points, added an assist. Celebrini has 32 points in his last 18 games.

Yaroslav Askarov stopped 21 shots for the Sharks, who had won seven of nine.

Detroit converted on its first power play when Raymond set up DeBrincat, who ripped a one-timer from the left circle into the net.

Smith tied it midway through the first period after Celebrini’s shot from the high slot tumbled over Gibson and rolled toward the goal line. Smith tucked the puck into the net.

Graf tipped in a pass from Nick Leddy at 1:58 of the second to give the Sharks the lead. Kasper’s pass through the legs of a defender set up Compher’s goal five minutes later, tying it 2-all.

Larkin jammed the puck between the post and Askarov’s pad at 4:41 of the third to give the Red Wings a 3-2 advantage. Kasper ended his scoring drought on an empty-netter with 1:32 remaining.

HURRICANES 9, PANTHERS 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had three goals for his sixth career hat trick and first with Carolina, and the Hurricanes scored six times in the third period to cruise past Florida.

Ehlers, who signed with Carolina in the offseason after playing 10 years with Winnipeg, also had an assist. Taylor Hall had two goals and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists. Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Eric Robinson also scored.

Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for the Hurricanes, who had four power-play goals and improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Uvis Balinskis had the lone goal for the Panthers, who gave up eight unanswered goals and had their two-game winning streak stopped. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed all nine of Carolina’s goals while stopping just 26 shots.

Ehlers gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first period. Balinskis tied it at 1:19 of the second — but it was all Carolina after that.

Jankowski put the Hurricanes up 2-1 at 13:10 of the second and Nikishin made it 3-1 with a power-play goal three minutes later.

Svechnikov, Ehlers and Hall also scored power-play goals in the third as Carolina pulled away.

BLUES 3, LIGHTNING 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Kyrou scored the only goal in a shootout and St. Louis beat Tampa Bay to snap its franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak.

Kyrou’s backhand shot beat Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov had a chance to extend the shootout but was stopped by Joel Hofer, who made 34 saves in regulation and overtime before delivering three more in the tiebreaker.

It was the Blues’ first win in overtime or a shootout this season. They had been 0-8.

The Blues took 2-0 lead late in the first period with goals just 30 seconds apart.

Jake Neighbors got the first with 2:57 to play in the period and Nick Bjugstad scored when he was left alone in the slot with 2:27 left.

Tampa Bay tied it with a pair of power-play goals 62 seconds apart in the second.

Kucherov scored at 9:59 when the Lightning had a two-man advantage. He then assisted on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s goal 1:02 later. Darren Raddysh assisted on both goals.

Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.

PREDATORS 7, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly scored three goals for his seventh career hat trick and added an assist as Nashville beat Colorado, handing the Avalanche their first home loss in regulation this season.

Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists for Nashville. Juuse Saros made 39 saves.

It was O’Reilly’s first hat trick since Jan. 4, 2025, versus Calgary, and second against his former team. O’Reilly spent his first six seasons with the Avalanche before being traded to Buffalo before the 2015-16 campaign.

Brock Nelson had two goals, Martin Necas also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots in his return to the lineup for Colorado. Blackwood had not played since Dec. 31 due to a lower-body injury.

He couldn’t prevent the Avalanche (33-5-8) from losing a second consecutive game at home, where they are 19-1-3.

O’Reilly scored his first goal 30 seconds into the game and got his second when he sent the puck from the goal line to the front of the net, where it deflected in off the stick of Colorado defenseman Sam Girard at 7:32.

Nelson answered those goals with two of his own, one when he cleaned up a rebound 54 seconds after O’Reilly’s first and later in the first period when he deflected Josh Manson’s shot.

It's no secret that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has struggled quite a bit at times this season. 

There have been games when he looks completely lost, and others when he shows everyone that Father Time hasn't caught up yet. 

The latter games have been more prevalent as of late, especially on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, a game the Penguins won 6-3. He was methodical with his decisions, including one on the power play where he had an outrageous keep at the blue line. 

It looked like the Flyers were about to clear the puck when Letang jumped up with his hand to knock the puck down and settled it. The puck stayed in the offensive zone, eventually leading to Sidney Crosby's goal that made it 5-1. The Flyers left Crosby wide open at the side of the net, which was obviously a major mistake. This was Crosby's 60th career goal against the Flyers, a team he loves to torment. 

Sid scores his 25th of the season 🎯 pic.twitter.com/5syPqfyolC

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 16, 2026

The athleticism was on full display, and the power play hasn't missed a beat since he replaced Erik Karlsson on the top unit earlier this week. Speaking of that, Karlsson will be out for at least the next two weeks, which is tough because of how great he's been this year, especially offensively. 

Before going down, Karlsson was on the top pair with Parker Wotherspoon, while Letang was on the second pair with Brett Kulak. Letang's pair is now the top pair, and he led all Penguins' defensemen in ice-time on Thursday with 23:25 at all situations. 

Kulak and Letang have been paired for 15 games this season and have gotten more comfortable together in each one. Kulak isn't flashy, but he's steady in his own zone, which Letang needs.

The two have played 215:10 at 5v5 this season, and the underlyings have continued to improve. Are they perfect? No, but as a pair, they've been on the ice for 50.4% of the expected goals, 50% of the high danger chances, 49% of the scoring chances, and 48.4% of the shot attempts. With more minutes, I think you'll see the scoring chances and shot attempts rates get above 50%. 

They've also been on the ice for only five goals against this season, which speaks to how well they're playing together in their own zone. 

Letang was also tremendous against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, despite the Penguins falling 2-1 in a shootout. He was a major reason why the Penguins tied the game late in the third period when he helped win a battle along the boards against former Penguin Jake Guentzel before Malkin fired a perfect shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy. Letang got the primary assist on the goal.

WELCOME TO MALKAMANIA 💪 pic.twitter.com/JCq00hEYgt

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 14, 2026

Letang played 16:19 at 5v5 during that game and was on the ice for 51.5% of the shot attempts, 56.6% of the expected goals, and 58.8% of the scoring chances.

Back on Jan. 1, Letang scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Detroit Red Wingswith an absolute rocket of a shot. It was a goal he really needed, and it also gave the Penguins their third-straight win at the time. The goal also came in his 1,200th game, and Letang now has the second-most overtime goals by a defenseman in NHL history (13). 

He played 18:22 at 5v5 in that game and was on the ice for 67.6% of the shot attempts, 91.7% of the expected goals, 81.8% of the scoring chances, and 100% of the high danger chances. He was an absolute menace in all three zones in that game.

Takeaways: Penguins Take Down Cross-State Rival Flyers In Commanding 6-3 WinThe Pittsburgh Penguins snapped their three-game losing skid with a big win over their rival Philadelphia Flyers to catapult themselves to third in the Metropolitan Division standings

The Penguins come into Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in third place in the Metro with 54 points. They're in the thick of the playoff race and are trying to end their three-season playoff drought since they haven't made the postseason since the 2021-22 season, when they lost to the New York Rangers in seven games.

In order to do that, they'll need Kris Letang to keep playing the way he has been for the last few weeks. 

(Data via Natural Stat Trick and MoneyPuck). 

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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!   

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Kyrou scored the only goal in a shootout and the St. Louis Blues beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Friday night to snap the Lightning's franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak.

Kyrou’s backhand shot beat Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov had a chance to extend the shootout but was stopped by Joel Hofer, who made 34 saves in regulation and overtime before delivering three more in the tiebreaker.

It was the Blues' first win in overtime or a shootout this season. They had been 0-8.

The Blues took 2-0 lead late in the first period with goals just 30 seconds apart.

Jake Neighbors got the first with 2:57 to play in the period and Nick Bjugstad scored when he was left alone in the slot with 2:27 left.

Tampa Bay tied it with a pair of power-play goals 62 seconds apart in the second.

Kucherov scored at 9:59 when the Lightning had a two-man advantage. He then assisted on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s goal 1:02 later. Darren Raddysh assisted on both goals.

Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.

Tampa Bay was trying for a team-record 12th consecutive win. The Lightning had not lost since a 2-1 setback to Los Angeles on Dec. 18. The last time they won 11 in a row was from Jan. 29 to Feb. 17, 2020. They went on to win the Stanley Cup that season.

Up next

Lightning: Visit the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Blues: At the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.

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

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

CALGARY, Alberta — The Islanders originally planned for Bo Horvat to be with them throughout this seven-game road trip that continues Saturday afternoon in Calgary.

The plan is now for their star centerman to stay in New York for the duration.

That does not constitute a setback in Horvat’s recovery from a lower-body injury, general manager Mathieu Darche told The Post and Newsday after the Islanders practiced Friday.

He is skating on his own in New York. With it unlikely that Horvat would have played in Vancouver or Seattle, it simply didn’t make much sense for him to lose a day on the ice while traveling out west, plus deal with game and practice schedules that would not accommodate him as well as staying at home.

Horvat has been skating for about three days, Darche said, and there is a possibility — though certainly not a guarantee — that he plays when the Islanders are back at home against the Sabres on Jan. 24.

If this was the playoffs, Horvat might be playing, but the Islanders have the luxury of caution right now and intend to use it.

The belief is still that Horvat will return with a fair amount of runway before the Olympic break, and his ability to represent Team Canada at the Milan Games is not in jeopardy.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

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Though some Islanders fans — remembering John Tavares’ knee injury at the Sochi Olympics — are understandably worried about Horvat getting hurt a third time in Italy, there is almost no chance that Horvat, nor any other player for that matter, would opt out of the Olympics over injury worries, even with the ice at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena being a major question mark hanging over the event.

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Tony DeAngelo, who was with the Rangers when they sent out their 2018 Letter announcing a retool, reminisced a bit Friday after Blueshirts general manager Chris Drury sent out a similar missive to fans.

“I was one of the young guys, so it was probably beneficial for me,” DeAngelo said. “There was a lot of good players, we wound up getting a lot of good assets. They went on a five-, six-year run there, it was pretty good. It made sense for the team.

“As players, especially as a young player, kinda was just along for the ride and seeing what they did. Fortunately, I was able to be part of a couple good years there. And I left there, they kept building. Two conference finals. For our sake [now] it’s nice to hear there’s a little retool going on, but I’m sure it’ll all work out there.”

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David Rittich will start in net against the Flames on Saturday.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had three goals for his sixth career hat trick and first with Carolina, and the Hurricanes scored six times in the third period to cruise past the Florida Panthers 9-1 on Friday night.

Ehlers, who signed with Carolina in the offseason after playing 10 years with Winnipeg, also had an assist. Taylor Hall had two goals and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists. Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Eric Robinson also scored.

Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for the Hurricanes, who had four power-play goals and improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Uvis Balinskis had the lone goal for the Panthers, who gave up eight unanswered goals and had their two-game winning streak stopped. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed all nine of Carolina's goals while stopping just 26 shots.

Ehlers gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 1:25 left in the first period. Balinskis tied it at 1:19 of the second — but it was all Carolina after that.

Jankowski put the Hurricanes up 2-1 at 13:10 of the second and Nikishin made it 3-1 with a power-play goal three minutes later.

Svechnikov, Ehlers and Hall also scored power-play goals in the third as Carolina pulled away.

Ehlers completed his hat trick on a one-timer off a pass from Logan Stankoven to make it 7-1. Hall and Robinson capped the scoring.

Up next

Panthers: Play at Washington against the Capitals on Saturday night.

Hurricanes: Take on the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday night.

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