The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night. This was the first of three meetings between the clubs in 2025-26. 

Vegas has the roster of a Stanley Cup contender, but with a few injuries and inconsistencies, they have been slightly above average so far this season. That trend continued for them against the Blackhawks on Wednesday. 

Vegas opened the scoring just 0:27 into the game. The puck was thrown into the net by Ivan Barbashev off a skate of Wyatt Kaiser. Not even a minute later, 1:23 to be exact, Oliver Moore scored to tie it right back up. 

Although it seemed like each team had 10 goals on their minds, the pace slowed dramatically. The next goal didn't come until Tyler Bertuzzi put one home at 11:22 of the second period. Bertuzzi took advantage of a lucky bounce and made a skilled (and high effort) play to take advantage.

It was then on Vegas to respond, and Ben Hutton did that for them at 17:19 of the second period. Just like the first Golden Knights goal, this one went in off a Blackhawks defenseman (Matt Grzelcyk). The two teams traded goals in each of the first two periods, entering the third with a 2-2 tie. 

At 4:45, Connor Bedard scored one of the more incredible goals that you'll ever see him score. Ryan Greene made a brilliant defensive play, which landed on the stick of Andre Burakovsky, who stretched Connor Bedard. 

Defending him on the play was Shea Theodore, a likely 2026 Olympian on Team Canada and Stanley Cup champion. Bedard dangled right around him and roofed a shot to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead. Speed, skill, and creativity made this happen for Bedard. 

Rookie Braeden Bowman tied the game for the Golden Knights later in the period to complete the trifecta of both teams getting one goal per period. 

Overtime was filled with incredible chances, but both goalies stood their ground. In the shootout, Connor Bedard scored another incredibly skilled goal, but Vegas took it in extra frames. The final score was 4-3 in favor of the Golden Knights. 

Spencer Knight was a shining star in this game, which has become normal for him as an NHL goalie. Knight allowed 3 goals on 28 shots (25 saves), which doesn't seem to be the best set of numbers, but he made some grade-A saves in timely moments throughout. 

Although this game was a loss on the scoreboard, and in the shootout no less, the Blackhawks can feel good about how they played. It's about getting points, and one was left on the table, but they had a great game against a truly formidable team. 

In addition to Connor Bedard and Spencer Knight, who were the two best Blackhawks, Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar were flying in this one. If they can bring that level of speed and intensity every game, the Blackhawks will be as hard to beat as they were earlier in the year. 

Watch Every Blackhawks Goal

early equalizer✅ pic.twitter.com/2U5MKr3LRg

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 3, 2025

ope just gonna sneak past ya there pic.twitter.com/ckFaolbPRn

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 3, 2025

ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh my goodness🫨 pic.twitter.com/jwIzJUJtF1

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 3, 2025

What's Next For Chicago?

Next up for the Chicago Blackhawks is a trip to Souther California and a date with the Los Angeles Kings. This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams, LA won the first at United Center 3-1. 

Faced with one of their toughest tasks of the season, the Vancouver Canucks put up a decent effort but fell short in a 3–1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Linus Karlsson scored the lone goal of the game, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 28 of 32 shots faced. 

Lankinen was the key to a good start tonight, as throughout the first half of the first period, it was all Avalanche. Colorado lobbed anything and everything at Lankinen and continued their siege even after coming off a two-minute power play. They reached the 12-shot mark by the halfway point of the period, though were unable to get the puck past Lankinen until the final minute of the frame.  

With Conor Garland still unavailable for Vancouver, Jonathan Lekkerimäki received a promotion, filling in the empty spot on Elias Pettersson’s line alongside Evander Kane. The trio performed excellently defensively, holding the Avalanche to only one 5-on-5 scoring chance. Even so, the Canucks’ lines ended up being shaken up during the third period, with Lekkerimäki ending up alongside Brock Boeser and David Kämpf and Karlsson taking his place.  

Today’s game solidified another point — if you put any iteration of last year’s Abbotsford Canucks together on one line, chances are, they’re going to find the back of the net. Most often, it’s been the trio of Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Karlsson who end up scoring. Today, it was Karlsson who deked Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood out and opened the scoring for Vancouver, doing-so while on a line with Bains and Aatu Räty. 

Beating an Avalanche team that sits comfortably at the top of the NHL was a tall task, so it’s not a surprise that the Canucks were unable to close this one out. With that being said, Vancouver did a surprisingly decent job of matching the pace of play that Colorado generates, specifically during the first period. While it was clear that the Avalanche were the better team tonight, Vancouver put up a solid effort during certain occasions. In particular, their attempts to generate offence stood out much more in the third period after the pace of the game started to slow down a bit more. 

One recurring theme from tonight’s game was the Canucks allowing goals within the final minute of each of the first two periods from Nathan MacKinnon. The first came after a shot from Devon Toews rebounded over to MacKinnon, who’d been left relatively open after some messiness in Vancouver’s zone. In his second last-minute tally of the night, the Avalanche forward was left open yet again and only needed to fire it past Lankinen to find the back of the net. In both instances, Vancouver was unable to properly stay in position, allowing Colorado to capitalize and set the Canucks back when exiting the period.  

As of the end of the third period, the Canucks are still awaiting a verdict on Kane, who left the game while clutching his wrist with around four minutes left in the third period. The forward immediately went down the tunnel and did not rejoin his team. 

Stats and Facts: 

• Linus Karlsson scores the game-opening goal for the second time during the Canucks’ current road trip 
• Vancouver surrenders 30+ shots for the 14th time this season 
• Canucks score only one goal for the second consecutive game 
• Kiefer Sherwood finishes the game with six shots on goal 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

2:55 - VAN: Linus Karlsson (5) from Arshdeep Bains and Aatu Räty 

19:23 - COL: Nathan MacKinnon (21) from Devon Toews and Sam Malinski 

2nd Period: 

13:52 - COL: Brock Nelson (9) from Gabriel Landeskog and Ross Colton 

19:26 - VAN: Nathan MacKinnon (22) from Gabriel Landeskog and Josh Manson 

3rd Period: 

No scoring. 

Up Next: 

The Canucks will now return to Vancouver for a four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres. The first of these two matches will occur as part of a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, with the Mammoth being Vancouver’s first opponent. Puck drop for Friday’s game is slated for 6:00 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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Evander Kane Injured In Canucks Loss To The Avalanche

New Interview Gives Reminder That Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes Could Have Played For Team Canada

Keeping Up With The Abbotsford Canucks: November 2025

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It's been a while since the Pittsburgh Penguins had a group of legitimate youth talent infiltrate the NHL roster.

But with the recall of top prospect Rutger McGroarty on Monday, it's yet another sign that the youth movement is on its way in full swing.

With his season debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday - which ended up a resounding 5-1 win for the Penguins - McGroarty became the 10th rookie to dress for the Penguins this season, which leads the NHL. He joined Ben Kindel, Joona Koppanen, Ville Koivunen, and Harrison Brunicke as the other rookies on the Penguins' active 23-man roster.

And the Penguins wasted no time giving three of those kids the chance to develop some chemistry. 

McGroarty, Kindel, and Koivunen were put together on the third line against the Flyers, and it was a great start for them. According to Moneypuck, McGroarty had the fourth-highest expected goals total (0.48) behind only Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Tommy Novak. 

And the line? They contributed a 68.1 percent expected goals share in their very first game together as a line.

Takeaways: Penguins Put Forth Dominant Effort In 5-1 Win Over FlyersFor the first time in weeks, it felt like a winning result for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> was never really in doubt throughout the game.&nbsp;

"I think, overall - from my perspective - they're just two really smart players who know where to put themselves on the ice," McGroarty said after Monday's game. "And, for me, just finding areas... if I find an open area, I know that they're going to find me. So, I had a couple in the first there that they found me, and I just gotta put 'em in the back of the net.

"But, it's good. We got some opportunities. Especially in the d-zone, I thought we did really well. I feel like, overall, it was a pretty good game from us." 

In theory, this line could be lethal. McGroarty has the finishing ability, the two-way acumen, the size, and the smarts to be a consistent producer. Kindel has the hockey IQ, the playmaking ability, the forechecking prowess, and the top-notch passing skills to drive play for the line. And Koivunen has the vision, creativity, deceptiveness, and puck skills to be a complementary scorer and distributor.

It seems that, so far, the theory has come to practice, too.

"You never know how the game's gonna go," Penguins' head coach Dan Muse said after Monday's game. "I think it was five or six shifts there at five-on-five before special teams started to get in there. They didn't look like it was their first time playing together."

It's worth noting that it has only been one game, and jumping to any sort of conclusion about the kind of impact this line could have would be premature.

Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Closing In On More Penguins HistoryPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is very close to breaking another franchise record.

But the entire concept of a "kid line" - especially a third line - is intriguing all on its own.

Historically, the Penguins have been at their very best as a team with a functioning and formidable third line. That has included the likes of Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke, and Tyler Kennedy as well as the famous "HBK" line during the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017, which featured Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel.

And the Penguins really haven't had a dangerous third line since those Cup runs. They had spurts of good play spread throughout the last seven or eight years, but not a line that gave opponents fits and operated at a very high level night-in and night-out.

If all goes well, this "kid line" could be just what the Penguins need. They're a better team when they're able to roll four lines, and having that threat on the third line makes matchups for the opposition a nightmare. 

McGroarty is only 21. Koivunen is 22, and Kindel is still a teenager at 18. A lot can happen over the course of an NHL season and over the course of the next few years with youth continuing to populate the roster and mix in with veterans like Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin, should he re-sign. 

But at the end of the day, this third line has potential. And if Monday's game was any indication of future performance, it might be the engine that helps drive the Penguins to the playoffs this season. 

Penguins' Prospect Earns Two Honors In Same WeekThere are a lot of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospects making noise in the pipeline this season, and the organization's prospect pool is looking deeper than it has in quite a long time.

"Overall, it was great just playing with Ville again," McGroarty said. "Getting to play with Kindy... I mean, I've been watching him, and I was excited to maybe have the opportunity to play with him at one point, and [Monday] was the night. So, that was a lot of fun."

And these kids could sure be a lot of fun, too. 

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Brady Tkachuk waited a long time for his first goal of the 2025-26 NHL season, but it was worth waiting for.

The captain's third-period marker turned out to be the dagger, as the Senators defeated the rival Montreal Canadiens 5–2 at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. Tkachuk has only played in six of Ottawa's 26 games this season, thanks to an October thumb surgery. It was a crucial victory, nipping a two-game losing slide in the bud.

After sluggish performances in St. Louis and Dallas, the Senators looked a lot better on Tuesday, led by Tkachuk, Fabian Zetterlund, and Tyler Kleven. They each had two-point efforts to help the Senators improve to 13–9–4, snap a two-game losing skid, and leapfrog the Canadiens in the jammed-up Atlantic Division standings. It was the perfect response and finally brought an end to the club’s seven-game road trip.

Zetterlund now has five points in his last six games, and played this one with a heavy heart.

“To get that one was nice; it’s for my grandma,” Zetterlund told the media. “She passed away a couple of days ago. So yeah, it was nice. It was for her.”

Zetterlund’s first-period goal was huge, ringing one in off the post from distance after a smooth low-to-high pass from Tyler Kleven. Montreal fans barely had time to settle back into their seats after Juraj Slafkovský had opened the scoring for the Canadiens on the power play just four minutes into the game. Zetterlund rained on their parade, scoring 24 seconds later while the Habs' goal was still being announced.

Then the Senators’ defensemen went to work, as both Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson looked like slick power forwards driving to the net and getting rewarded for it.

Zub beat Sam Montembeault with a nice shot after being left all alone in front of Montreal’s net, and taking a nice pass from Tkachuk. Sanderson’s goal came just under six minutes into the second. After taking a pass from Michael Amadio, Sanderson cut hard to the net and beat Montembeault with a low backhand to make it 3–1.

Just over a minute later, Kleven, who had one of his best games as a Senator, spotted Drake Batherson going to the net and hit him with a hard pass. Batherson redirected it on goal, then toe-dragged the rebound away from Montembeault and slipped it past him to make it 4–1.

Nick Suzuki’s eighth goal of the year on the power play, less than two minutes later, brought the Canadiens back within two.

But then Tkachuk put it away in the third. With Canadiens fans screaming for a tripping call on Nick Jensen behind the play on Brendan Gallagher, Tkachuk took a nice pass from Tim Stützle and ripped one past Montembeault to make it 5–2, proving there's no issue with that thumb.

Linus Ullmark made 19 saves for the Senators, who played well and earned a convincing win despite getting little help from their special teams. The penalty kill surrendered two goals on three attempts, and the power play went 0-for-2.

"A real good team effort," head coach Travis Green told the media after the game. "Our five-on-five game was excellent tonight. I like how we played away from the puck. I like how we hounded the puck. It was a good game."

David Perron played in his 1,200th NHL game and picked up an assist. Senators tough guy Kurtis MacDermid dressed, but for the second straight game, Montreal's tough guy, Arber Xhekaj, showed no interest. With McDermid policing things, the evening remained shenanigan-free.

The Senators are back at it on Thursday night, finally with a chance to enjoy some home cooking after a solid 4–3 road trip. They’ll open a three-game homestand against the New York Rangers at Canadian Tire Centre.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa

The Colorado Avalanche face the Vancouver Canucks for the second time this season since their last matchup on Nov. 9, which saw the Avalanche come up on top in a 5-4 win in overtime. This time was much different, as despite the Canucks gaining an early lead, the Avalanche controlled the rest of the game and secured a 3-1 win thanks to a two-goal night from Nathan MacKinnon.

Period 1:

A slow start for the Avalanche, and the Canucks capitalize on it as Arshdeep Bains sends a great pass to Linus Karlsson, who, with a nice forehand-backhand move, can beat Scott Wedgewood to open the scoring at 1-0. Marcus Pettersson is called for high-sticking and sending the Avalanche to their first power play of the night, but they aren't able to convert on the opportunity. The Avalanche slowly start to break out of their slow start, and by the halfway point of the period, the shots are 10-3 in favour of the Avalanche.

MacKinnon cleans up in front 🚮 pic.twitter.com/U2UqMHKZcg

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 3, 2025

Despite the shots favoring the Avalanche, Wedgewood has needed to make some big saves, especially when Brent Burns blows a skate, and Kiefer Sherwood gets a breakaway opportunity, but Wedgewood denies it. With one minute left, Valeri Nichushkin, now back in the lineup, sends a shot on which forces Kevin Lankinen to make a great save on Devon Toews's rebound shot, but not on Nathan MacKinnon as he buries Toews’s rebound to tie the game 1-1 and end the period.

Period 2:

The first half of the second period wasn’t as eventful as the last ten minutes of the first period, but MacKinnon makes up for it as he rocks Sherwood. Though one important moment of the period was the announcement that Mackenzie Blackwood would replace Wedgewood in net, as of the second period, there was no official announcement of any injury, but something to be aware of.

Like a MacK truck 🚛 pic.twitter.com/lMtxzmQIO5

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 3, 2025

Similar to the first period, the Avalanche really turns it up in the second half of the period. It's Gabriel Landeskog who receives the puck from the boards and outmuscles Max Sasson to feed Brock Nelson on a breakaway and beat Lankinen to make it 2-1. Landeskog continues his hot streak as he sets up MacKinnon for a one-timer and blasts it to make it 3-1. He now has 10 points in his last 10 games, all while posting a +11 rating. The Avalanche outshoots the Canucks 12-4 in the period and sends it to the third 3-1.

Period 3:

Early in the third period, it was announced that Wedgewood had suffered an upper-body injury, and we now await further confirmation from Jared Bednar on its severity.

Scott Wedgewood has an upper body injury and will not return to tonight's game.#goavsgo#avs@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) December 3, 2025

The Avalanche do a good job this period maintaining their 3-1 lead, but also making sure they don’t lift their foot off the gas. It’s shown when Landeskog makes a great pass to Ross Colton to try and get his third point of the night, but Lankinen makes a good read and stops Colton's shot from going in. The Canucks pull Lankinen with just over three minutes left in the period, but can't convert on the extra man to try and get some life back into the game, and the Avalanche win 3-1.

The Avalanche are back in action on Thursday, December 4, against the New York Islanders.

Nathan Mackinnon Leads 3-Stars of the Month of NovemberThe NHL announced that Nathan MacKinnon is the first star of November for his play during the month

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Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is getting close to making more Penguins history.

After notching his 17th and 18th goals of the season on Monday, Crosby is now only seven points away from tying Mario Lemieux for the most regular season points in franchise history. He's also eight points away from breaking the record.

Lemieux finished his career with 1,723 and Crosby is at 1,716. 

Crosby has been really heating up over the last few games. He scored two goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Friday before potting another against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

He has five goals and six points in his last three games, and is second in the NHL in goals behind only Morgan Geekie and Nathan MacKinnon. 

The Penguins have two more road games on this three-game trip before returning to Pittsburgh for five-straight games at PPG Paints Arena. If you haven't gotten tickets for any of those games, I suggest you do so. 

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It was a memorable night for a trio of Nashville Predators in their 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena. 

Reid Schaefer, who was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, scored his first NHL goal and recorded his first career fight against Brayden Pachal.

Steven Stamkos netted his 1200th career point and Ozzy Wiesblatt scored his first career NHL goal. Jonathan Marchessault added a goal in the second period, his fifth of the season. Michael Bunting also scored in the third period. 

Juuse Saros picked up his eighth win of the season, making 27 saves on 28 shots. His shutout bid was spoiled in the third period by a power-play goal from Morgan Frost. 

It was a heavily penalized game as the Predators were in the box 20 minutes to the Flames 18. 

"There were a lot of special moments for a bunch of different people," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "That's what makes the game great and to cap it off with a win makes it even better." 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators victory over the Flames. 

Reid Schaefer records 1st NHL goal, fight 

The Predators have a deep prospect pool and one of the players leading the charge into the future is Schaefer. He earned his first career call-up on Friday after recording 14 points in 15 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

In the first period, Fedor Svechkov made a toe-drag move to open up the slot and get a shot on net. His original attempt was saved, but Schaefer was in front to put the puck in via the right post.

"I kind of blacked out. It went into the net and I was like 'oh, what did I do here,' Schaefer said. "It's a pretty cool moment." 

He wasn't done there as he'd square off with Calgary's Brayden Pachal in the second period. Pachal got the better end of the fight, but that did not stop Schaefer from hyping up the crowd after the tilt. 

"I just laid a hit and he (Pachal) said let's go. I got up and dropped the gloves," Schaefer said. "I didn't really think too much of it." 

In a year full of struggles, the Predators have looked to their youth, and it's paid off throughout the season. Schaefer's first career goal was the third time a Nashville rookie has found the back of the net alongside Ozzy Weisblatt and Matthew Wood. 

Schaefer's family was also in attendance for Tuesday's game. 

Stamkos adds to decorated career 

PUT IT ON THE RESUME! 🤯

1,200 @NHL POINTS FOR STAMMER! pic.twitter.com/zbrN0eXIkP

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 3, 2025

Stamkos' tenure in Nashville has been rough to say the least. In 25 games, he has just 10 points, but he's had moments throughout these two seasons that serve as reminders of how decorated his career is. 

In the second period, Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Evangelista sparked a 2-on-1 rush. Instead of shooting the puck, Evangelista took it behind the net, causing goalie Devin Cooley to start sliding. Stamkos caught the pass from Evangelista and had a wide-open net to shoot into.

It was Stamkos' 1200th career point in his 1190th career game. Doing some quick math, that is around a point a game over his 18-year career.  

"It's cool and special. You can enjoy it more in a win, and you get to celebrate a little bit," Stamkos said. "It's more of a thing that you kind of look back on when your career's over. When you're in it, you're just trying to do what you kind of help." 

Playing with Stamkos has left an impression on a few of the younger Predators players and seeing him reach another impressive milestone makes the moment more surreal. 

"They're video game numbers," Weisblatt said on Stamkos' scoring his 1200th career point. "It's cool to be playing on his team. I remember not too far back, I'm playing (EA Sports) NHL, and I'm (playing as) Steven Samkos." 

Weisblatt scores long-awaited 1st goal 

GOING OFF THE RAILS ON THE OZZY TRAIN 🤯 pic.twitter.com/KZepMfZyw0

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 3, 2025

Patience paid off for Weisblatt in the second period as the Predators' rookie netted his first career NHL goal after 23 games played this season. He has done just about everything over the last two months, from enforcing, penalty killing and contributing to three other goals. 

Off a shot from Michael Bunting, Weisblatt tipped the puck just enough to deflect it past Cooley. In an exasperated celebration, Weisblatt pointed to the sky when skating back to the bench, honoring his late brother, Orca Weisblatt. 

"It's about time," Weisblatt said on scoring his first goal. "I feel like I've been all over it lately, and I've had so many chances this year to score and been robbed a ton. It's just, just relief for me. I've thought about pointing to the sky for my brother for a while now, and it's cool feeling.

"That was for him (Orca) and just huge relief for me." 

Orca died in September in a car accident, while Ozzy and brother Oasiz were at Predators training camp. 

With Weisblatt working toward netting his first of his career and playing for his brother, both Stamkos and Brunette said that celebration on the bench was the most explosive of the season. 

"It makes you emotional in a lot of different ways," Brunette said. "You're involved in a pretty special thing. Just being on the bench and seeing the emotion that just not just from Ozzy (Weisblatt) and seeing what he did speaks volumes of the group of guys we have and how close they are." 

Similar to Schaefer, Weisblatt didn't stop at his first NHL goal. He tried to drop the gloves against Calgary's Joel Farabee, but instead, both were called for roughing in the first period. 

Weisblatt's night ended early as he'd fight Blake Coleman and head back to the locker room after the tilt. 

Up next: Nashville Predators (9-13-4) at Florida Panthers (12-12-1) on Thursday at 6 p.m. CST 

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Things got a bit uncomfortable as time ticked away, but the Detroit Red Wings managed to hold on against the Boston Bruins for a much-needed two points.

The Red Wings ended their four-game losing streak, defeating the Bruins by a 5-4 final score in the second of their consecutive matchups against Boston and chased goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the process. 

#REDWINGS WIN! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/PxDZXfQw5i

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 3, 2025

The @DetroitRedWings hold on for a 5-4 win, halting their losing skid. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/m8k6lQGsDu

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) December 3, 2025

Detroit built up a 5-2 lead by the midway point of the third period, only to have the Bruins make things dicy by scoring twice in a furious comeback effort that ultimately fell short. 

With the win, the Red Wings improved their record to 14-11-2, while the Bruins fell to 15-13.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Former Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk opened the scoring in the first period, ripping a wrist shot past the glove of Swayman into the corner of the net. Detroit then increased their lead thanks to a goal from Moritz Seider, as his shot from the point got past a screened Swayman with Andrew Copp in front. 

Alex DeBrincat tallied early in the second period, giving the Red Wings a three-goal bulge. But the Bruins would cut the lead to one thanks to tallies from Jonathan Aspirot and Alex Steeves. For Aspirot, it was his first NHL goal. 

But Ben Chiarot would give Detroit some breathing room with his fourth goal of the season near the end of the frame; it was his third goal in the last six games. 

In the third period, Lucas Raymond capped off a pretty passing play during Detroit's first and only power-play opportunity of the game. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo relieved Swayman from that point on, and gave Boston a chance to come back by robbing rookie Nate Danielson right on the doorstep soon after he was called upon.

The Bruins refused to go away, getting a tally from Marat Khusnutdinov at 14:57, followed by the second goal of the night from Steeves with just over 10 seconds remaining and with Korpisalo on the bench. 

Detroit managed to stave off any further attempts by the Bruins, sending the fans home happy on the verge of a six-game road swing. 

Red Wings goaltender John Gibson picked up his first win since Nov. 13, making 34 saves. Swayman was pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots, while Korpisalo stopped all nine shots he faced. 

The Red Wings now take their show on the road for the next six outings, beginning on Thursday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. 

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NEW YORK (AP) — Vladislav Gavrikov scored just over a minute into overtime and the New York Rangers beat Dallas 3-2 on Tuesday night, ending the Stars’ four-game winning streak.

Gavrikov scored for the Rangers 1:09 into overtime on a backhand shot.

Carson Soucy and Will Cuylle also scored for the Rangers, who have won four of their last five games. Artemi Panarin added two assists and Mika Zibanejad’s assist on the overtime goal gave him two goals and three assists in his last four games.

Cuylle’s third-period wrist shot tied the game with 2:13 left. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves in the win for the Rangers.

Kyle Capobianco and Mikko Rantanen scored for the Stars. Casey DeSmith had 38 saves for the Stars.

Up next

Rangers: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday evening.

Stars: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday evening.

The two teams with the least amount of points in the Eastern Conference met on Tuesday night in Sunrise.

It’s been surprising starts to the season for both the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, who have met in two of the past three postseasons.

In the first of four meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals, it was Toronto that came away with two points, sending the Panthers to their fourth straight loss on home ice by a final score of 4-1.

Toronto didn’t register a shot on goal until over five minutes into the game, but they made that first one count.

A point shot by Troy Stecher found its way through a maze of bodies and past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead at the 5:24 mark.

A mishandling of the puck by Panthers defenseman Jeff Petry led to a second Toronto goal exactly two and a half minutes later.

Petry’s bobble gave the puck to Joshua, who left it for Bobby McMann as Joshua cut to the net. A quick return pass by McMann to a wide-open Joshua at the doorstep and just like that it was 2-0 Toronto.

That’s how the score would remain until late in the second period, when Florida finally got themselves on the scoreboard despite playing down a man.

With Aaron Ekblad in the penalty box for hooking, Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell pushed up the ice for a shorthanded opportunity.

Initially, the puck ended up in the corner to the right of Joseph Woll, but Lundell won it back and fed Reinhart all alone in front of the net. Reinhart patiently outwaited Woll and deposited the puck into a yawning cage with 5:17 left in the period.

Florida continued to push for an equalizing goal, Scott Laughton jumped on a loose puck in front of Bobrovsky after it jumped over the stick of Aaron Ekblad and popped it in the net to make it 3-1 Leafs with 7:42 to go.

A John Tavares empty-net goal with 18.6 on the clock was the final notable moment of the night.

On to the Predators.

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Photo caption: Dec 2, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) shoots the puck but cannot score against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Horvat and Anthony Duclair scored to lead the New York Islanders past Tampa Bay 2-1 on Tuesday night, ending the Lightning’s seven-game winning streak.

Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves for his eighth win of the season as the Islanders snapped a three-game skid.

Dominic James scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 21 shots for the Lightning, who lead the Atlantic Division.

The Islanders opened the scoring 55 seconds into the second period when Horvat corralled his own rebound and buried it. Horvat, who leads New York with 16 goals, is making a strong case to represent Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics in Milan.

Duclair doubled the lead at 5:30 of the third. Callum Ritchie, the 20-year-old forward acquired as the headline piece in last season’s Brock Nelson trade, picked up an assist.

James spoiled Sorokin’s shutout bid with a sharp-angled shot with 4:34 remaining in the third.

Up next

Lightning: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

Islanders: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, concluding a seven-game homestand.

 

The Los Angeles King and St. Louis Blues have completed an AHL-level trade with the Kings sending forward Akil Thomas to the Blues in exchange for forward Nikita Alexandrov.

Thomas has four goals and 13 points in 19 games for the Ontario Reign this season. He has 50 goals and 106 points in 176 career AHL games. 

The 25-year-old missed parts of last season with injury but spent the whole year in the NHL, notching three points in 25 games with the Kings.

A second round selection of the Kings in 2018, Thomas has seven points in 32 career NHL games. He scored the game winning goal for Team Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championship. 

Alexandrov has three goals and 14 points in 18 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds this season. He has 61 goals and 143 points in 188 career AHL games. 

We’ve acquired F Nikita Alexandrov from the St Louis Blues in exchange for F Akil Thomas.

Read More 📲 https://t.co/PACmlkWg7R@Enterprise | #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/rJgGG2LD2H

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 2, 2025

A second round selection of the Blues in 2019, Alexandrov finished second on the Thunderbirds in scoring with 49 points in 48 games last season.

The 25-year-old has three goals and nine points in 51 career NHL games, all with St. Louis. 

Both players have shown talent in the AHL and have the capability of playing NHL games, a change of scenery should help both. 

Former New Jersey Devils defenseman Callan Foote has signed a new professional contract with the AHL Chicago Wolves, the team announced.

Foote is signed to a standard AHL contract.

Defenseman Cal Foote has signed a standard AHL contract. @MidwestMovingpic.twitter.com/GyMOywIWob

— Chicago Wolves (@Chicago_Wolves) December 1, 2025

The 26-year-old has not played a game since the 2023-24 season. He took a leave from the New Jersey Devils after he was charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident from June 2018. He was charged alongside Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, and Dillon Dube, all members of the Canada 2018 World Hockey Junior team.

All of the players were acquitted of the charges in July of this year.

They were all eligible to be re-signed by NHL teams, allowed to sign on October 15, and play on December 1st.

Of the five players, only Carter Hart signed with an NHL team, and he is expected to make his debut with the Vegas Golden Knights as soon as Tuesday.

Michael McLeod signed with Avangard Omsk in the KHL.

Foote will now join the AHL with the Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliate.

The former first-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft played with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, and New Jersey Devils.

He will now continue his career with the Chicago Wolves. 

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The New Jersey Devils drew attention Monday by warming up without helmets, leading to a league warning.

The team hit the ice to honor Brenden Dillon’s 1,000th NHL game, wearing No. 5 Jerseys, hats, and special numbers on their sleeves. ​

While their support was evident, the NHL noted that warming up without helmets violated league rules.

​In 2023-24, the NHL mandated that all players who joined the league after the 2019-20 season wear helmets during warmups. ​The rule is officially NHL rule 9.6, which states that “it is mandatory for all players who entered the NHL beginning with the 2019-2020 season or later to wear their helmet during pre-game warm-up. To be clear, all players who entered the League before the 2019-2020 season and who are currently playing are exempt from this mandate.”​

As a result, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly issued the Devils a warning. ​Daly’s warning comes amid a continuing trend of teams deciding not to wear helmets during warmups. ​

Last Wednesday, the Ottawa Senators decided as a team not to wear helmets in hopes of shifting their luck. The Senators won that game.

​The San Jose Sharks also aimed to turn their season around by removing helmets in warmups; however, the team ultimately lost that game.

​Unlike the other teams, the Devils did not forgo helmets in hopes of turning their season around.

The team chose to wear hats to honor their teammate, who became the only active undrafted player to reach 1,000 games. ​

The night didn’t go as hoped. Dillon left the game after Dmitri Voronkov dropped the gloves and knocked the Devils defenseman to the ice. Dillon returned for the second period before exiting the game again. He did not play in the third period.

​Not only that, but the Devils also lost their second straight home game, after starting the season without a regulation home loss for the first 10 games. ​

The team was only issued a warning for violating the NHL rule–a fortunate result. ​

The Devils face the Dallas Stars next. 

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The New Jersey Devils have had a tough week. The team lost two consecutive home games after going unbeaten at home in regulation up until that point.

The Devils first lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3, allowing three goals in the second period. Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov each scored twice.

Following their loss to the Flyers, the Devils aimed to rebound and get back in the win column against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

A milestone night honoring Brenden Dillon’s 1,000th game quickly soured.

The Devils took a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period; however, one minute into the second, a brawl broke out.

Dmitri Voronkov fought Dillon, quickly sending him to the ice.

Dillon needed help off the ice. He later returned for three shifts before leaving again, not playing at all in the third period.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe addressed the situation postgame with NJD.tv.

“[Dillon] would never do something like that to another player. That I know for certain,” Keefe said. “I don’t like it. I don’t think Dillon knows he’s in a fight, and he’s tackled from behind. Before he knows it, his helmet’s off, his jersey is over his head, and we saw what happened from there.”

Dillon would skate for just over ten minutes in his milestone game.

Despite leading early, the Devils failed to close out the game and lost 5-3, missing chances to regroup.

These back-to-back home losses marked the first time all season the Devils dropped two straight games on home ice.

Looking ahead, the Devils face a challenging schedule, with games against the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and Boston Bruins in the coming week.

The Devils play 14 games in 29 days—a heavy load before the Winter Olympic break.

Losing to the Blue Jackets and Flyers is not ideal for this team. With every team in the NHL either holding a playoff spot or within three points of one, there is little margin for error. The Devils, currently second in the Metropolitan Division with 33 points, trail the Flyers by two and the Blue Jackets by 4 in the race for a postseason berth.

Despite injuries, the Devils must find a way to win to remain atop the division, especially with the tough schedule.

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