The Calgary Flames found their footing again on Saturday in Pittsburgh, edging the Penguins 2–1 to put an end to their recent losing streak.

Devin Cooley got the nod between the pipes for Calgary and delivered a steady performance as the Flames leaned on timely scoring and disciplined defending to secure the win.

Calgary struck first in the opening period thanks to Connor Zary, who continues to heat up offensively. Zary jumped on an early breakaway and calmly beat Arturs Šilovs to open the scoring, marking his eighth goal of the season. The Flames carried a 1–0 lead into the first intermission.

Pittsburgh pushed back in the second. Sidney Crosby intercepted a puck in the neutral zone and quickly transitioned the Penguins into a 2-on-1 rush. Evgeni Malkin fed Egor Chinakhov, who wired a one-timer past Cooley to knot the game at one. The teams remained deadlocked after 40 minutes with shots even at 15 apiece.

The decisive moment came early in the third. Just 42 seconds in, Matt Coronato walked the puck into the offensive zone, froze the defender with a fake, cut into the slot, and snapped a quick release past Šilovs to restore Calgary’s lead. Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson earned the assists on what would stand as the game-winning goal.

The Penguins thought they had tied the game midway through the period, but a successful goalie interference challenge wiped the goal off the board, preserving Calgary’s one-goal advantage the rest of the way.

Three Takeaways

1. Zary finding his rhythm

Connor Zary is starting to look like himself again. With four goals and one assist over his last seven games, he is making sharper reads, attacking the net with purpose, and skating with noticeable confidence — a positive trend for Calgary’s offence.

2. Stromgren seizes his opportunity

With Blake Coleman sidelined after exiting the previous game, William Strömgren re-entered the lineup for just his second NHL appearance. The young forward showed poise, flashed skill, and generated chances with his skating, making the most of his opportunity.

3. Fast starts made the difference

Both Flames goals came quickly — one early in the first period and the game-winner less than a minute into the third. Those quick strikes set the tone and proved crucial for a team looking to halt a skid. Strong starts were exactly what Calgary needed, and they delivered when it mattered

DENVER —  In his 28th career NHL game, Ilya Solovyov scored his first career NHL goal as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, a milestone moment years in the making.

The play developed moments after Columbus was turned aside by Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner. Veteran defenseman Brent Burns jump-started the transition by moving the puck to Victor Olofsson, who carried it cleanly through the neutral zone before dropping it back to Parker Kelly. Kelly lifted his head and spotted Solovyov streaking down the left wing. Solovyov took the pass in stride, walked it in, and snapped a wrist shot past Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzļikins to open his NHL scoring account.

The emotion was immediate and unmistakable. Seconds after the puck hit the back of the net, Solovyov thrust his fist into the air, kicked his right skate upward, and let out a jubilant scream before leaping into Burns’ arms. Teammates quickly surrounded him, with Jack Drury, Cale Makar, and others joining the celebration to congratulate their teammate on the long-awaited moment.

FIRST NHL GOAL FOR ILYA SOLOVYOV 🚨 pic.twitter.com/2D7QAxsNvA

— NHL (@NHL) January 10, 2026

Even as we entered the locker room for the postgame session, Solovyov remained all smiles, still soaking in what was undoubtedly the greatest night of his professional career to that point.

Solovyov Overcomes Struggles

Solovyov’s journey to his first NHL goal has been anything but easy. The 25-year-old defenseman was claimed off waivers by the Avalanche from the Calgary Flames on October 3, but initially struggled to carve out a consistent role in Colorado’s lineup. He appeared in nine games before enduring a stretch of 18 consecutive games as a healthy scratch, eventually earning a conditioning stint with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

What stood out during that challenging stretch was Solovyov’s persistence. He remained committed to his development, frequently staying late after practices to work with Avalanche skills coach Mark Popovic. While he wasn’t drawing headlines or spotlight attention like some of the team’s star players, his dedication and work ethic never wavered.

Before joining the Avalanche, Solovyov spent the majority of the past four seasons in the AHL with Stockton and Calgary in the Flames’ system. Selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-3 left-shot defenseman established himself as a reliable, two-way depth option. He recorded 69 points and a plus-33 rating in 229 AHL games and also gained NHL experience, appearing in 15 games with Calgary over the previous two seasons.

Now, Solovyov has reached a personal pinnacle: scoring a goal in the National Hockey League. It’s a moment that validates years of perseverance, patience, and hard work—and perhaps the first step toward turning this breakthrough into a long and productive NHL career.

The Philadelphia Flyers still have one of the worst, most ineffective power plays in the NHL, but they can get the boost they've been looking for by taking advantage of another team's plight.

Among the Flyers' most consistent issues on the man advantage has been the quarterback, or lack thereof; players like Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Egor Zamula, Jamie Drysdale, and Rasmus Ristolainen have all run units to varying degrees of success.

But, that position has been a revolving door for a reason. Inconsistency and a lack of results just perpetuate the issue, and the Flyers have no defense prospects in the system capable of alleviating it.

So, if there are no youngsters or in-house solutions available, what's the next step? That's going to be a trade.

On Saturday, the New Jersey Devils and head coach Sheldon Keefe made the move to bench star defenseman Dougie Hamilton in favor of the now-healthy Johnathan Kovacevic, who is expected to make his season debut after successfully recovering from knee surgery.

Surging Flyers Prospect Ends Dominant World Juniors with Gold MedalThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> have a new gold medalist in their ranks, and he happens to be their hottest prospect at the moment.

Hamilton, 32, has now, evidently, fallen behind Kovacevic, Brett Pesce, and Simon Nemec in the pecking order, but his agent, J.P. Barry, has fired back at the Devils for this.

Barry told TSN's Pierre LeBrun that the Devils are making this decision based on business and not Hamilton's performance, and even went as far to say that he and the player will be flexible to facilitate a trade outside the 10-team trade list.

Hamilton and his $9 million cap hit can only be traded to a third of the NHL for the remaining three seasons, including this one, on his contract, which makes things prohibitive for both sides.

It's unclear if the Flyers are on or off Hamilton's trade list, but there should be some interest coming from Philadelphia regardless.

At the time of this writing, the Flyers find themselves sitting pretty at ninth in the NHL standings.

Rasmus Ristolainen just returned from injury, Trevor Zegras and Dan Vladar look like studs, and Matvei Michkov is due for some positive scoring regression at some point.

If the Flyers want to make a move that should benefit them now and in the near future, why not move for Hamilton?

The 6-foot-6 defenseman has 28 power play points in his last 124 games despite losing his featured role to Devils teammate Luke Hughes, and Hamilton is just two injury-marred seasons removed from a career year that saw him explode for 22 goals, 74 points, and 28 power play points in 82 games.

The Flyers, who already have Ristolainen, York, and Sanheim, will not need to force-feed the offensively-oriented Hamilton minutes at 5-on-5, but they can give him as much ice time as he wants on the power play.

At 32, Hamilton wouldn't have to move himself too far away by going from Newark to Philadelphia, and he would still have the opportunity to lead and play on a competitive young team.

NHL Rumors: Flyers Skilled Winger On New Trade Board This Flyers forward has been featured on a new trade board.

The Flyers' $13.6 million in cap space is more than plenty to facilitate such a trade, and they'd have to give up little assets to pull it off considering that the Devils, in their financial situation, are at the mercy of the Flyers and other inquiring teams.

Through 42 games, the Flyers have scored just 18 power play goals, which ranks 31st in the NHL. Their overall conversion rate of 15% is equally bad and seats them 30th in the league, and that cannot remain if the Flyers are to truly push for the playoffs and then compete in the playoffs.

Buying low on Hamilton allows them to address a general need for depth on defense while giving a player with the firepower they need some motivation and a fresh start.

After an 8-2 beatdown at the hands of the league-best Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, the Ottawa Senators are falling behind in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

But is the season lost? 

There are very few things to like about the Senators’ game as of late, specifically since the holiday break.

League ranks during that stretch: 

- 2-5-0 (30th)
- 11.5% PP (24th)
- 79.3% PK (17th)
- .825 team sv% (31st)
- 32 goals against (31st)
- 31.3 shots per game (4th)
- 26.1 shots against per game (10th)

Forgive me for beating a dead horse, but the glaring issue all season has been amplified in these seven games since Christmas. The league’s worst goaltending has somehow gotten even worse.

It coincides with starting goalie Linus Ullmark taking a personal leave of absence from the team on December 28th, putting the burden of steadying the ship on Leevi Meriläinen’s shoulders, and the 23-year-old has not been up to the task at all.

He’s been pulled twice in his last three starts, rocking a .857 sv% and 3.67 goals against average since the holiday break. In the two games Meriläinen was pulled, the Senators were forced to rely on their goaltending depth, which President and General Manager Steve Staios claimed he was comfortable with just a few weeks ago.

Hunter Shepard put up a .833 sv% in relief against the Detroit Red Wings and earned the loss.

Mads Søgaard was lit up for 5 goals on 16 shots in relief against the Avalanche and did not finish the game. He was sent to the minors on Saturday with Shepard returning to Ottawa.

Every single goal was from distance tonight. pic.twitter.com/vdrUP7Zi0D

— Jack Richardson (@jackrichrdson) January 9, 2026

In the aftermath of these performances, the Senators signed 37-year-old goaltender James Reimer to a PTO contract with the club’s affiliate in Belleville. Without a timeline on Ullmark’s return and Meriläinen’s consistent struggles, there is reason to believe Reimer will have an opportunity to seize control of the crease in Ottawa. 

If Reimer can step in and provide numbers even slightly below his last two seasons in Detroit and Buffalo, the Senators will win a lot more games.

James Reimer over the past two seasons:

2024-25 | BUF
• 22 GP
• 10-8-2 Record
• .899 SV%
• 7.34 GSAx
• 1 Shutout

2023-24 | DET
• 25 GP
• 11-8-2 Record
• .904 SV%
• 7.06 GSAx
• 2 Shutouts

His numbers are quite solid. Just a matter of whether he can step in mid-season… https://t.co/DHdH9N2cM8pic.twitter.com/Xe5fOT4EGQ

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) January 9, 2026

But has the putrid goaltending done too much damage already?

As of January 10th, the Senators are 6 points back of the second wild card spot in the East, and there are six other teams to jump. It’s not an impossible mountain to climb, but they need to get hot, and they need some help in the standings.

Next 7 games:

Jan. 10 vs Florida Panthers

Jan. 13 vs Vancouver Canucks

Jan. 14 @ New York Rangers

Jan. 17 vs Montreal Canadiens

Jan. 18 @ Detroit Red Wings

Jan. 20 @ Columbus Blue Jackets 

Jan. 22 @ Nashville Predators

This stretch will define the season. Three key divisional matchups and four other games the Senators should have no problem with if they are on their game. Maybe Reimer joins the team for some of these, or Ullmark comes back and finds his game.

But if the goaltending woes continue, the Senators have no chance. 

They just need some saves.

Jack Richardson
The Hockey News - Ottawa

Read more Ottawa Senators news and features at The Hockey News:

Senators Sign Former Leafs Goalie James Reimer To Professional Tryout
Senators GM Steve Staios Condemns 'Fabricated And False Stories' Circulating On Social Media
Batherson Aims To Continue Hot December Into New Year
The Senators' Problems Are Simple And Obvious... The Solution Is Not
There's No Getting Around It: The Senators Need a Goalie
Senators Outshoot Wings But Fall 5-3 To Red Wings on Monday Night

The St. Louis Blues have locked up former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg with a six-year extension carrying an $8 million AAV.

It's a deal that may have Oilers fans frustrated, but it makes sense for both the Blues and Broberg to get this done.

6 MORE YEARS OF PHILIP BROBERG!

DETAILS ➡️ https://t.co/N92LUvyIaypic.twitter.com/iInVIe2EMM

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 10, 2026

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St. Louis secures a core piece long term and avoids revisiting the contract if Broberg continues to trend upward, while the 24-year-old positions himself to hit unrestricted free agency at 31 after earning significant money.

Broberg has played all 45 games this season, posting 14 points, and is coming off a strong 2023–24 campaign in which he led Blues defensemen with a plus-21 rating. The former eighth-overall pick has appeared in 194 career NHL games and was recently named to Sweden’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

After joining the Blues via an offer sheet from Edmonton, Broberg quickly established himself in St. Louis’ top four. The move clearly paid off, as it’s unlikely he would have landed a contract of this magnitude had he remained with the Oilers.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.   Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

Banged-up Flyers get trounced by red-hot Lightning originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The undermanned Flyers were no match for the scorching Lightning in a 7-2 drubbing Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The seven goals allowed marked a season worst for the Flyers.

“It’s one of those games,” Rick Tocchet said. “When you play the game long enough, you’re going to have those type of games. But we do need some better efforts. A couple of our guys that we count on to score are turning the puck over too much. You can’t play that way. Too slow, east-west.”

With two goals and two assists, superstar Nikita Kucherov did the most damage for Tampa Bay.

On the Flyers’ side, Garnet Hathaway and Owen Tippett provided the goals. Hathaway recorded his first point of the season with a redirection just 4:15 minutes into the action.

The Flyers (22-13-8) had a three-game point streak halted (2-0-1). Tocchet called the loss a “learning lesson.”

“You learn and then you apply it and then you get better,” the head coach said, “which our team has done.”

Tocchet’s club was without Travis Konecny, Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale and Tyson Foerster. More on the team’s injuries here.

“We had to play, not a perfect game, but a smart game,” Tocchet said. “There were chunks of the game that we didn’t. The effort was there, I have no problem with the effort, especially the first 30 [minutes].”

The Lightning (27-13-3) have ripped off nine straight wins, a stretch in which they’ve scored five goals per game.

The Flyers are 0-2-0 in their three-game regular-season series against Tampa Bay. The clubs will wrap things up in two days.

• Samuel Ersson, making his first appearance in January, surrendered the seven goals on 23 shots.

He has given up four or more goals seven times in 16 starts.

“He’s struggling a little bit, you can tell,” Tocchet said. “You’re going to have tough nights. It’s a tough night. To have an NHL career, sometimes you’re going to be in the mud and you’ve got to get yourself out of it, you’ve got to work harder, you’ve got to analyze things. Not just him, anybody.”

Kucherov got Ersson twice in the opening 6:05 minutes of the game. The 2018-19 MVP was left all alone in front for the game-opening marker. Not even two minutes after Hathaway tied it up, Kucherov struck again.

Thirty-five seconds later, Ersson received a Bronx cheer when he made a save. He heard it some more in the third period.

“We’ve got to be better in front of him,” Tippett said. “Those are tough games to play. Obviously I think he deserved better. I don’t know if the sarcastic cheers are really appreciated, but we’ve got to do a better job in front of him and not put him in some of those situations.”

The 26-year-old entered the game with the worst save percentage of his career at .868.

“We’ve got to work with him, we’ve got to help him out, too,” Tocchet said. “Whatever we have to do to help him with the mental or physical. Got to show up the next day, we’ve got practice tomorrow and just be ready to go. That’s the only way you get out of these things.”

Ersson found his footing a bit after the early goals, but Nick Paul extended the Lightning’s lead to 3-1 in the second period. After Ersson made the initial stop, Paul rolled in unimpeded for the rebound opportunity.

Tampa Bay then went off for four goals in the third period to make it a total rout. The Flyers definitely opened up defensively as they pushed for offense, which didn’t help Ersson’s chances.

“In the third, when we’re chasing, we’re trying to create offense and we’re trying to keep our gas on the pedal, that’s when they counterattack, that’s when they’re good,” Hathaway said. “Regardless of the score, we lost.”

Andrei Vasilevskiy, who came in with consecutive shutouts over the Flyers, stopped 18 shots for the Lightning.

“Just an awful third period,” Sean Couturier said. “We’ll just move on. It’s one of those games you’ve got to forget quick.”

• The Flyers began Saturday tied with the Capitals for the NHL’s second-worst power play at 15 percent.

The woes on the man advantage were costly in the club’s 2-1 overtime loss Thursday night to the Maple Leafs.

On Saturday night, the Flyers went 1 for 2. Tippett’s power play goal stopped the third-period bleeding temporarily for the Flyers.

• The Flyers and Tampa Bay meet again Monday back here at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).