PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 30: Jalen Chatfield #5 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck under pressure from Tommy Novak #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Tuesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins begin a difficult stretch of games on Tuesday, with a five-game road trip against several likely playoff teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Mammoth. Pittsburgh recently earned some important points despite Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s absences. Is it too dramatic to call this a season-defining swing? [PensBurgh]
There are about 20 games left on the regular season schedule for most teams, and for those teams in the Eastern Conference, many of whom are fighting alongside Pittsburgh for a playoff berth, like the Columbus Blue Jackets or New York Islanders, the playoff race is tightening by the day. These points are worth their weight in gold. [PensBurgh]
The Pittsburgh Penguins loaned defenseman Jack St. Ivany to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a conditioning assignment on Monday. St. Ivany has not played since Jan. 25 after suffering a left-hand injury that required surgery. [Trib Live]
News and updates from around the NHL…
The Florida Panthers’ playoff odds remain questionable at best, and one of their heart-and-soul players, Brad Marchand, continues to deal with a lower-body injury, which may end his season altogether. [Sportsnet]
Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens is playing an important role in his team’s push for the playoffs, providing scoring and physical play on the second line as the team battles for a postseason spot. [NHL]
It has been anything but a positive year for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are on life support, trying to find any way to save what rapidly appears to be a lost season. However, some within the locker room are hoping this was just a down year, a blip on the radar. [TSN]
“Whatever dude, one day you’ll work for ME.” | Getty Images
The Islanders’ final out-of-time-zone road trip comes to a conclusion tonight in St. Louis, with a golden chance to go .500 on a four-game trip that began with a couple of stinkers in Southern California.
The Blues are in the middle of a cratering season that has brought Brayden Schenn to Long Island. However, they are now on a 4-0 post-Olympic run — including a 4-0 win over the Ducks, with a Jonathan Drouin slumpbuster — that has lifted them a few points above the not-Vancouver line, sending the fanbase into panic over the potential spoiling of their lottery odds. Their youth movement is underway, with Jake Neighbors (who praised Schenn’s influence on his way out) a young power forward now getting a letter, and 2023 first-rounders Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein getting called up before this game.
Ilya Sorokin will get the start for the Isles. This one is a TNT/HBO broadcast.
This week in Islanders Anxiety features our own Jenny, daughter of a Drouin-loather and fresh off a globe-spanning, time zone-disorienting flight from the other side of our planet, discussing the moves, games and watching the Islanders over breakfast. [LHH]
Brayden Schenn’s old teammates will miss him and the impact he had on their (the youngers’) careers. He’s ready to get an “emotional” return out of the way. In the Year of Our Bossy, 2026, a player has wiaved his NTC to come to the Islanders so he could join a “competitive” team on the rise. [Newsday | Athletic]
His new teammates were immediately pleased to see him in action. [Post+]
Bo Horvat gives his side of his $2,500 for unsportsmanslike conduct against Eklund’s brother: the dude took his stick and threw it down the hall, so he asked for it back and popped his visor up. [Newsday]
The Tri-State Hockey podcast with Arthur Staple welcomes its first-ever guest: Mathieu Darche, fresh off the trade deadline, being up front about what he’s thinking and doing, leaning into the current core’s age while waiting for the next wave of prospects. On the Schenn trade, he admits it’s “fairly aggressive for where we are.” On the Pageau extension, he says he even reached out to the other UFAs like Anders Lee to let them know why he was negotiating with this one mid-season. [YouTube]
No surprise, Matthew Schaefer is your Calder favorite. [NHL]
Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores included the Senators picking up another win and the Blue Jackets picking up an OTL point.
Bylsma: At the trade deadline, communication between coach and GM on needs is critical. [NHL]
How Matthew Knies went from being The Future to a possible Future Trade Bait in Toronto. [Sportsnet]
There’s a good chance Brad Marchand won’t play again this season. [Sportsnet]
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings visit the Boston Bruins after Adrian Kempe's two-goal game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Kings' 5-4 overtime win.
Boston has a 35-22-6 record overall and a 24-8-1 record on its home ice. The Bruins have committed 306 total penalties (4.9 per game) to rank third in the league.
Los Angeles has gone 16-8-7 in road games and 26-23-14 overall. The Kings have gone 20-3-7 in games they score three or more goals.
The teams meet Tuesday for the second time this season. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime in the last meeting. Morgan Geekie led the Bruins with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: David Pastrnak has scored 23 goals with 51 assists for the Bruins. Charlie McAvoy has two goals and nine assists over the past 10 games.
Brandt Clarke has eight goals and 26 assists for the Kings. Kempe has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 5-2-3, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.1 assists, 4.9 penalties and 10.7 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.
Kings: 3-6-1, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.8 assists, 3.3 penalties and 8.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Bruins: None listed.
Kings: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Washington Capitals (32-26-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (29-23-11, in the Metropolitan Division)
Philadelphia; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals visit the Philadelphia Flyers after Connor McMichael's two-goal game against the Calgary Flames in the Capitals' 7-3 win.
Philadelphia has an 8-7-4 record in Metropolitan Division games and a 29-23-11 record overall. The Flyers are sixth in the league serving 10.0 penalty minutes per game.
Washington has a 12-4-2 record in Metropolitan Division games and a 32-26-7 record overall. The Capitals have committed 249 total penalties (3.8 per game) to rank eighth in league play.
Wednesday's game is the third time these teams meet this season. The Capitals won 3-1 in the last meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Owen Tippett has scored 20 goals with 17 assists for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has three goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
Tom Wilson has 24 goals and 26 assists for the Capitals. Pierre-Luc Dubois has four goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flyers: 5-3-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.8 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
Capitals: 6-4-0, averaging 3.2 goals, five assists, three penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flyers: None listed.
Capitals: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
After a few weeks of bad injury news, the Pittsburgh Penguins were due for something positive in that department.
And they finally got some good news on Monday.
The Penguins announced that defenseman Jack St. Ivany was loaned on conditioning to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL. The 26-year-old right-side blueliner was injured in Pittsburgh's Jan. 25 matchup against the Vancouver Canucks when he broke his hand blocking a shot, which required surgery.
St. Ivany's initial timetable was supposed to be eight weeks, and according to the NHL's media site, he is no longer listed on injured reserve for the Penguins.
St. Ivany, 26, has played in only 17 NHL games this season due to injury. He missed the first few months of the season with a lower-body injury after getting going down during training camp in addition to the broken hand sustained in January.
He has seven assists in 17 games with Pittsburgh this season as well as a goal and five points in five games with WBS. He has nine total points in his 50-game NHL career and has yet to score a goal at the highest level.
It's unclear at this point where St. Ivany will report after his conditioning stint, as the Penguins already have eight defensemen on their NHL roster. Since he is technically on the NHL roster, he would have to pass through waivers in order to be re-assigned to WBS after his conditioning stint.
After their 2-0 loss on Monday night, Vancouver Canucks Head Coach provided an injury update on Evander Kane. The 34-year-old did not play after being listed as a game-time decision after morning skate. Kane was not on the ice at either morning skate or during pre-game warmups.
"He's been fighting through an injury," said Foote. "A discomfort, upper-body. Just see if we can settle it down."
Kane has played 61 of Vancouver's 64 games this season. He has 11 goals and 27 points along with 78 penalty minutes. Kane is in the final year of his contract and is schedule to become a free agent on July 1.
Jan 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) during a stop in play against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their eight-game home stand with a 2-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Kevin Lankinen was solid on Monday night, as he allowed just one goal 23 shots. As for Ottawa goaltender James Reimer, he stopped all 16 shots for his first shutout of the season.
Overall, the Canucks put forth a strong effort on Monday. They arguably should have left the ice with at least one goal as they were unlucky at times in the game. While the game was not the most entertaining, it was a step in the right direction from a process perspective as Vancouver fought until the final whistle.
All the focus from this game will be on the Senators first goal. The Canucks felt the play should have been blown dead as the puck hit Shane Pinto's glove before Ridly Greig scored. Vancouver did challenge the play, but it was unsuccesful as " The Situation Room supported the Referee’s on-ice decision that the puck deflected off Shane Pinto’s glove, and was therefore not deemed a hand pass prior to Ridly Greig’s goal."
As for the Canucks best player in this game, that was Lankinen. He made some big saves down the stretch, which included stopping all six shots he faced in the third period. Ultimately, Lankinen did his job and was a big reason why Vancouver had a chance to push for the tying goal late.
Zeev Buium was also a standout from Monday night. He logged over 20 minutes and finished with two shots on goal. Buium was also able to showcase his speed and skating ability throughout the night as he helped the Canucks with controlled entries into the offensive zone.
"I think we competed really hard," said Buium post-game. "I think we fought till the end, which is good to see. I don't think we gave them much either. Kinda had a weird goal obviously there but I thought we played really hard."
Mar 9, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) watches as goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) makes a save on Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk (7) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
While the result did not go Vancouver's way, fans should at least be happy with Monday's effort. Yes, there were mistakes, but more importantly, the Canucks fought until the end and showed grit throughout the night. In the end, Monday was another successful tank game as Vancouver put forth a strong effort while still falling in regulation.
Stats and Facts:
- Canucks are shutout for the fifth time this season
- Curtis Douglas threw four hits in 6:52 of ice time during his Vancouver debut
- Aatu Räty's 67% in the faceoff dot led the team
- Filip Hronek led all players in ice time at 26:01
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
No Scoring
2nd Period:
10:11- OTT: Ridly Greig (10) from Shane Pinto and Artem Zub
3rd Period:
18:40- OTT: Brady Tkachuk (17) from Tim Stützle and Artem Zub (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their home stand on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. This will be the third meeting between Vancouver and Nashville, with each team having picked up a win so far. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Utah Mammoth at the United Center on Monday night. Coming off a tough overtime loss to the Dallas Stars one night prior, they didn't have much time to dwell on it before getting a chance to bounce back.
Before the game started, the Blackhawks honored Troy Murray, who passed away over the weekend after a long, courageous battle with cancer. These tributes to an all-time great Blackhawks alumnus continued throughout the game during stoppages.
Drew Commesso was called into battle in place of the ill Spencer Knight. Arvid Soderblom started each of Chicago's last two games, and he was dressed as the backup for this one.
In the first period, Andre Burakovsky had an opportunity to score a goal and end his slump, but he tucked it just wide. Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel made nice moves to set it up, but it wouldn't go.
This is notable for the Blackhawks because Burakovsky is getting chances to make an impact offensively. It isn't necessarily a bad process keeping him off the scoresheet, which suggests that one goal could get him back on track.
At 9:43 of the first, Barrett Hayton scored to make it 1-0 Utah. It was a neat redirect of a Nick DeSimone shot that beat Commesso.
Just a few minutes later, at 13:46, Andrew Mangiapane scored his first goal as a member of the Blackhawks, which was his 8th of the season overall. Since coming into the lineup, he's been a sparkplug, and now he has his first tally.
The momentum didn't last long for Chicago, however, as Dylan Guenther gave Utah the lead back at 16:26. Clayton Keller, one of Team USA's Gold Medal-winning Olympians, made an incredible pass to set up the play for Guenther. That 2-1 score made its way through the first intermission.
In the second period, after a long while with a lot of chances but no scoring, the Blackhawks finally broke through and tied it. It was Andre Burakovsky making up for that mishap in the first period. His goal at 15:35 of the middle frame was his 11th of the season.
Connor Bedard assisted on Burakovksy's goal, giving him the most career assists by a player under 21 in Chicago Blackhawks history. For a century-old franchise that has had a lot of incredible players come through at a young age, this mark proves how special Bedard is and will be.
The 2-2 tie held through the second intermission, setting up an incredibly exciting end to the game. The Blackhawks were presented with another chance to earn a win when the game was close late.
Although each team had chances to score and win the game in the third period, both Vitek Vanecek and Drew Commesso stood tall. Overtime was required.
In the extra frame, the Blackhawks were awarded a power play. With the man-advantage, Frank Nazar scored to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 win. Over the last couple of games, he's been one of Chicago's best forwards, and now he has an overtime game-winning goal.
The Blackhawks emerged victorious in a game in which they faced some adversity and needed a clutch moment at the end. This is one to build on as they begin to close out the season.
The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Thursday. They will once again face the Utah Mammoth, wrapping up their season series with their newest division rival. This is not the next game for the Mammoth, however, as they will face the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night in between.
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 Ottawa Senators wrapped up their five-game road trip in impressive fashion Monday night, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 2–0 and finishing the trip with a strong 4-0-1 record.
James Reimer made 16 saves for the shutout, while Ridly Greig scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second period. The victory moved Ottawa to within three points of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
It wasn’t an easy night, though. Despite sitting in last place overall, ten points behind everyone else, the Canucks made the Senators work for everything. And they tried to make life particularly miserable for Tim Stutzle, knocking him around physically in an attempt to slow him down.
Ottawa controlled much of the early play and outshot Vancouver 24–16, but Kevin Lankinen kept the game scoreless through the first period with several solid stops.
The game’s turning point came midway through the second period on a play that came with a lengthy review.
After a shot came toward Shane Pinto, the Ottawa forward instinctively raised his arms to protect his face. The puck deflected off arm and landed on Ridly Greig’s stick, leaving the young forward with a mostly open net.
Vancouver challenged for a hand pass, but after review, the officials allowed the goal to stand.
The Canucks nearly found an equalizer in the third period on what looked like a sure tap-in, but Jordan Spence made a terrific defensive play, reaching his stick in at the last moment to knock the puck out of harm’s way.
From there, Ottawa did what good teams do late in games; they locked it down. Reimer didn't face a ton of shots, but there were a number of tricky, well timed saves, the kind that the Senators haven't always gotten in tight games this season.
Brady Tkachuk eventually iced the win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds. Stutzle drew an assist on it to extend his point streak to 13 games as the Senators completed a successful road trip, collecting nine of a possible ten points.
Ottawa returns home Wednesday night to face the Montreal Canadiens to kick off a stretch where they'll play five of their next six games at home..
The New York Rangers’ dominant 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night was led by the impressive play of some of the team’s young talent.
Given the Rangers’ retooling direction, at this point of the season, the growth of the young players is most critical, even more so than wins.
Sullivan has already admitted to a shift in his philosophy in terms of his utilization of players, which centers around giving the youth more of an opportunity to thrive and put them in an abundance of situations they aren’t necessarily accustomed to at the NHL level.
“That’s part of it; putting these guys in certain situations and seeing what they're capable of, Sullivan said. “That was part of that process.”
There is no one player who has benefited from this shift in philosophy more than Gabe Perreault.
Perreault has flourished since returning from the Olympic break, and it’s been evident that he’s beginning to not only adapt to the NHL, but the game is slowing down for him at a rate where he’s able to dictate plays through his impressive vision and hockey IQ.
With J.T. Miller landing on injured reserve, Sullivan has given Perreault an opportunity to operate with the Rangers’ first power-play unit.
On Monday night in Philadelphia, the 20-year-old forward showcased his skills on the man advantage, recording one goal and one assist, headlined by a no-look pass to Mika Zibanejad for a goal.
“Game by game, I think I get more and more confident,” Perreault said. “That kind of helps with getting other players’ trust, the coaching staff, and believing and being confident in myself as well.”
While the play of Noah Laba has always been a bright spot for the Rangers, he’s quietly emerging as one of the team’s most impactful forwards as of late.
Outside of Laba’s two points on the night (one goal, one assist), he played the game with a ferocious physical edge, specifically on the defensive side of the puck.
Sullivan continues to make it a priority to give Laba an increased role on the penalty kill, and so far, he’s liked what he’s seen.
“We're trying to give him a more prominent role here on the penalty kill in particular, and just give him more reps, and giving him more of an opportunity to continue to grow in that area,” Sullivan said of Laba. “We're trying to put him in a more prominent role there.”
When the Rangers claimed Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken last week, it was relatively unknown what he would provide for the Rangers and the exact role Sullivan planned on inserting him into.
Through five games with the Blueshirts, Kartye has found his place, playing in a third-line role and slotting in on the penalty kill.
He had arguably his best performance against the Flyers.
The 24-year-old forward recorded his first goal as a Ranger, while also assisting on Laba’s goal in the first period.
Kartye’s reliable two-way game is what stands out most about his overall game, as he’s turning out to be a sneaky addition for the Rangers.
“I really like Tye’s game,” Sullivan emphasized. “He's got a simple game. He plays north, south, he checks well. There's a physical dimension to his game. He finishes checks, he's abrasive, he's willing to take hits to make plays. We've really liked how he's fit in.”
The Rangers’ fate this season likely remains the same, with the playoffs far out of reach.
However, it's certainly encouraging to see this sort of contribution from New York’s younger talent.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his second goal of the game with 1:26 left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
With the victory, Los Angeles moved within a point of Seattle in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Columbus tied the score late for the second straight home game. Kirill Marchenko scored on the power play at 18:04 to force the extra period.
Brian Dumoulin had a goal and two assists. Scott Laughton scored for the second straight game since joining the Kings from Toronto and added an assist. Artemi Panarin also scored. Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for Los Angeles in the opener of a five-game trip.
Connor Garland scored twice — his first goals since coming to Columbus from Vancouver — and Denton Mateychuk added a goal and an assist. Jet Greaves made 26 saves for Columbus, which has lost two straight at home.
The Blue Jackets are two points behind Boston in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and three points behind the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division.
RANGERS 6, FLYERS 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, and New York scored on three power plays in a win over the Philadelphia.
Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal an assist. Gabe Perreault and Vladislav Gavrikov also scored for the Rangers, who won for the third time in five games. Igor Shesterkin finished with 32 saves.
Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers. Dan Vladar allowed six goals on 24 shots and was replaced by Samuel Ersson at the start of the third period. Ersson made three saves in relief.
CAPITALS 7, FLAMES 3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Connor McMichael scored twice and the Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 7-3 on Monday night.
Justin Sourdif had a goal and two assists and Hendrix Lapierre added a goal and an assist for Washington. Tom Wilson, Ethen Frank and Ryan Leonard also scored for the Capitals, who ended a three-game slide.
Matvei Gridin, Blake Coleman and Yegor Sharangovich scored for Calgary, which has lost five of its last six.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, and the New York Rangers scored on three power plays in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal an assist. Gabe Perreault and Vladislav Gavrikov also scored for the Rangers, who won for the third time in five games. Igor Shesterkin finished with 32 saves.
Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers. Dan Vladar allowed six goals on 24 shots and was replaced by Samuel Ersson at the start of the third period. Ersson made three saves in relief.
The Rangers pounced early and scored in bunches. Laba converted from close range 1:04 into the game when Vladar failed to control the puck after a glove save. Zibanejad scored his first at 13:07 while charging down the slot, and Lafreniere posted New York's first power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the first.
Michkov got the Flyers on the board at 3:54 of the second, but the Rangers stormed back. Perreault scored with the man advantage less than three minutes later. Zibanejad scored on the power play and Gavrikov added a goal — in a 20-second span — at the end of the period.
Couturier scored at the 15:28 of the third.
New York defenseman Uhro Vaakanainen, in action after being scratched for five games, saw 15 minutes and 18 seconds of ice time. Matt Rempe (upper body), J.T. Miller (upper body) were sidelined for the Rangers, and forward Taylor Raddysh is away from the team for his father’s funeral.
Travis Konecny and Nick Seeler were back in action for the Flyers. Konecny, who leads Philadelphia with 23 goals and 57 points, missed three games with an upper-body injury. Seeler missed 2 games with a lower-body injury sustained in a win over Toronto a week ago Monday.
Up next
Rangers: Host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Flyers: Host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Despite goals from Gridin, Blake Coleman and Yegor Sharangovich, the Flames couldn’t overcome an early deficit and a pair of quick third-period strikes from Washington.
Washington wasted little time opening the scoring. Just 2:46 into the first period, Cooley stopped an initial shot but the rebound bounced straight to Hendrix Lapierre, who quickly snapped it home to make it 1–0.
The Capitals doubled their lead midway through the frame. After sustained pressure in the Calgary zone, a loose puck slid to the side of the net where Tom Wilson gathered it and wired a shot into the top corner at 9:13.
Washington added one more before the intermission. Justin Sourdif won a battle along the boards and fed Connor McMichael alone in the slot. McMichael ripped a shot past Cooley at 17:43, sending the Capitals to the dressing room with a 3–0 advantage.
Calgary mounted an impressive response in the middle period.
Gridin got the Flames on the board after a crisp passing play. Olli Maatta moved the puck to Ryan Strome, who slid a cross-ice feed to Gridin for a one-timer that beat Logan Thompson.
Late in the period, the Flames struck twice while shorthanded.
First, Mikael Backlund intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and sprung Coleman on a breakaway. Coleman made a smooth backhand-to-forehand move before tucking the puck past Thompson at 17:39.
Still killing the same penalty, Calgary tied the game moments later. Joel Farabee chased down a loose puck deep in the Washington end and set up Sharangovich trailing into the slot. Sharangovich buried the chance at 18:55, recording the sixth-fastest shorthanded goal in franchise history and sending the game into the second intermission tied 3–3.
Capitals Regain Control
The third period swung back in Washington’s favour.
On a power play at 10:52, a scramble in front of the Calgary net led to McMichael collecting a loose puck and roofing his second goal of the night to restore the Capitals’ lead.
Just 23 seconds later, Washington struck again. Sourdif forced a turnover and fired a shot that deflected off traffic in front and into the net, giving the Capitals a two-goal cushion.
Ethan Frank added an empty-net goal at 17:14 and then a breakaway goal from Ryan Leonard (19:44) sealed the 7–3 win for Washington.
Calgary’s two quick shorthanded goals completely shifted the momentum in the second period, but Washington responded with two goals just 23 seconds apart in the third — a sequence that ultimately proved to be the difference.
With a record of 7-1-2 in their last ten games, Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green probably isn't thrilled about having to mess with his lineup.
But the injury bug has forced his hand.
Green announced on Monday that his best defenseman, Jake Sanderson, is listed as week-to-week with a probable shoulder injury suffered on Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken. So, that means one lineup change, but it also knocks over several dominoes.
Nikolas Matinpalo, who's only played two NHL games in 2026, will dress on Monday night for the Senators' game in Vancouver, and Sanderson's absence also means that other defensemen are forced to move higher up in the blue line batting order.
But don't talk to the Canucks and their fan base about the challenges of adjusting to lineup changes. Quite frankly, they don't want to hear it.
Since December, through various trades, the Canucks have said goodbye to team captain Quinn Hughes, along with Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, Lukas Reichel, and David Kampf.
As a sidebar, it's quite remarkable that the Canucks held on to veterans Teddy Blueger and Evander Kane at the deadline when both are UFAs this summer. They're not in the team's rebuilding plans and probably don't want to be.
Get something for them.
After winning 50 games and finishing first in the Pacific Division two seasons ago, Vancouver is now the worst team in the NHL, and it isn't particularly close. The Canucks are 10 points behind the second-worst team, the New York Rangers.
James Reimer is expected to start for the Senators against Kevin Lankinen for Vancouver. Stephen Halliday is sitting for a third straight game, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 23-year-old back in Belleville soon to get some playing time.
Here's how the Sens and Canucks will line it up on Monday night (9 pm, Prime, RDS)
Senators projected lineup
Drake Batherson - Tim Stutzle - Claude Giroux Brady Tkachuk - Dylan Cozens - Ridly Greig Nick Cousins - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio Warren Foegele - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund
Thomas Chabot - Artem Zub Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence
James Reimer Linus Ullmark
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk - Elias Pettersson - Nils Hoglander Liam Ohgren - Marco Rossi - Brock Boeser Evander Kane - Aatu Raty - Drew O’Connor Max Sasson - Teddy Blueger - Linus Karlsson
Elias Nils Pettersson - Filip Hronek Marcus Pettersson - Tom Willander Zeev Buium - Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen Nikita Tolopilo
According to NHL.com, Kane missed game-day practice, and Brock Boeser left early, but both are expected to play. If one of them can't go, 6-foot-9 Curtis Douglas will draw into the lineup. The former Belleville Senator was picked up off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.
Salary cap inflation is always something to monitor. The cap is currently set at $95.5 million, but is expected to raise signifcantly over the next few seasons. Next year, the cap is projected to be $104 million while the 2027-28 ceiling is projected at $113.5 million.
Recently, NHL player agent Allan Walsh provided an update via social media on what the 2028-29 salary cap could look like. Walsh wrote via "X", "Analyzing NHL HRR projections and the current revenue slack that exists in the system, hearing the NHL is projecting a Salary Cap Upper Limit of approx $123M in 2028-29. We are currently at $95.5M. (That’s an almost $30M rise of the Cap within 3 years)."
At the time of writing, the Vancouver Canucks only have seven players signed for the 2028-29 season. Those players are Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko. The Canucks will also have a $2,126,667 penalty that season as the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout will not be complete.
According to PuckPedia, Vancouver currently has $52,226,667 commited for the 2028-29 season. If no players are moved, that would count for just over 40% of the projected $123 million. The Canucks are projected to still be in a rebuild in 2028-29, meaning some contracts already signed could be on the move before the season starts.
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) and defenseman Tom Willander (5) and defenseman Zeev Buium (24) celebrate their victory against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
