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Red Wings Overcome Early Deficit, Beat Senators 4-3 In Overtime

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Despite not getting off to the start that they wanted, the Detroit Red Wings finished strong on Sunday evening. 

Alex DeBrincat's goal at 0:36 of overtime gave the Red Wings a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators, who scored twice to take a 2-0 lead by the time the first period was barely five minutes in the books. 

With the victory, the Red Wings are back in a first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who beat the Dallas Stars earlier in the afternoon, for the top spot in the Atlantic Division at 30-16-4.

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

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Ottawa's Drake Batherson struck first for the Senators at 4:26, banging home a rebound past goaltender John Gibson, who initially made two straight saves. Not even a minute later, Dylan Cozens doubled the lead while on the power-play.

However, the Red Wings would strike with a man-advantage of their own, as rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka's shot beat former Detroit goaltender James Reimer through a screen.

Shortly before the midway point of the second period, Lucas Raymond sniped a shot past Reimer's glove, knotting the score with his 15th goal of the season. 

Eventually, the Red Wings would grab their first lead of the evening while on the power-play thanks to a beautiful net-front goal from James van Riemsdyk.

But before the period came to a close, the Senators responded with the tying marker while Elmer Soderblom was in the penalty box for interference. 

Neither team found the back of the net in the third period, setting up overtime in which they ultimately emerged victorious. 

Gibson stopped 19 of the 22 shots fired his way, while Reimer, who was signed by the Senators to a one-year contract earlier this week, made 30 saves in his Ottawa debut. 

The Red Wings will next hit the road to play their fourth and final game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the regular season. 

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Wilbur Wood: 1941-2026

American baseball pitcher Wilbur Wood, of the Chicago White Sox, demonstrates his 'knuckle ball' at the club's Comiskey Park stadium in Chicago, Illinois, 30th July 1973.

White Sox legend and chronically-underrated starting pitcher in the 1970s, Wilbur Wood, died on Saturday at age 84.

The 17-year veteran came into his own after arriving on the South Side in 1966, first as a bullpen specialist and later as a throwback innings-eater. In the process, he was named to three All-Star Games and finished among the Top 5 in Cy Young voting in three consecutive years.

The key to Wood’s excellence was the knuckleball, which allowed him to throw an extraordinary 1,070 innings over his three Cy Young-contention seasons. Those seasons yielded a 70-50 record, 2.64 ERA/2.94 FIP, 142 games, 63 complete games, 19 shutouts and even a save — all adding up to a 30.0 WAR. To put that value in perspective, only nine other pitchers in White Sox history have more than 30.0 career WAR.

Wood’s 376 2/3 innings in 1972 rank 274th all-time (all but a handful of bigger workloads were from the 1800s, however) and most since Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1917. Wood started 49 games that year, which works out to more than 30% of the club’s starts, and his innings pitched added up to more than 27% of the team’s total innings load.

Legend has it that Hall-of-Famer Hoyt Wilhelm and fellow pitching star Eddie Fisher welcomed Wood to the White Sox in 1966 with a career-changing gift — teaching the lefty the knuckleball. But while Wood struggled over parts of four seasons in Boston and Pittsburgh (1-8, 4.13 ERA) and suddenly became a bullpen force in Chicago due to the pitch, the two veterans were more mentors who guided Wood than teachers who made him.

“I just decided to junk my curve and everything else and go 100% with the knuckleball,” Wood told our Mark Liptak back in 2005. “I had actually thrown that pitch for a long time; I started using it back in high school and semipro ball.”

After a “modest” 51-game debut (41 in relief) in 1967 that yielded a 2.45 ERA, the “new knuckleballer” led the AL in appearances in each of the next three seasons. In two of those years (1968 and 1970) Wood led the AL in games finished, and compiled 52 saves from 1968-70.

In 1971, new White Sox manager Chuck Tanner and pitching coach Johnny Sain opted to shift Wood to the starting rotation, and the southpaw thrived, with an MLB-best 11.7 WAR and 1.91 ERA.

In Wood’s five starring years as a starter (1971-75), he averaged 336 1/3 innings per season. He led the majors in starts in four seasons and the AL in starts in all five. Amazingly, nearly 30% of his starts during that stretch came on two days’ or less rest. The southpaw shrugged that off, however, with 99 complete games in that stretch.

What stopped Wood’s career was not the wear-and-tear of the heavy workload, but a line drive off the bat of Ron LeFlore in Detroit on May 9, 1976. The smash shattered Wood’s kneecap and ended his season. True to form, though, Wood had completed five of his six starts to that point, with a 2.24 ERA.

Wood returned in 1977 and 1978, starting 45 games total — but his ERA ballooned to 5.11 in the two seasons. He was granted free agency after the 1978 season, and when no teams called on him to eat some innings in 1979, Wood’s career was over, at 37.

After his baseball career, Wood worked in various sales positions. At the turn of the century, he was named to the White Sox’s All-Century Team.

By JAWS calculations measuring peak value, Wood stands as the 106th-best starting pitcher in baseball history. His 51.7 career WAR with the White Sox places him as the fourth-best pitcher and seventh-best player in team history. His 50.0 career WAR overall ranks 320th in baseball history, tied with Roy Oswalt. Yet Wood never received more than 7% support for Hall of Fame election.

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Detroit 4 Ottawa 3 (OT): James Reimer Stops 30 Shots In Senators Debut

For the second time in as many days, the Ottawa Senators blew a two-goal lead and lost in overtime. Alex DeBrincat scored just 36 seconds into the extra frame to give the Detroit Red Wings a 4–3 home victory.

As was the case in Saturday's overtime versus Montreal, the Senators had a prime chance at one end, couldn’t capitalize, then surrendered an odd-man rush the other way. DeBrincat led the charge and ripped a shot high glove-side past newcomer James Reimer, who had a solid debut despite the loss.

Ottawa was outshot 34–22 in the game.

The Senators got things going early in the first period, scoring twice in just 39 seconds.

Just over four minutes in, Drake Batherson had a wide-open net and made no mistake after Red Wings goaltender John Gibson stopped initial shots from Thomas Chabot and Fabian Zetterlund. For number 19, it was goal number 19 on the season.

Ottawa kept pressing and earned a power-play opportunity soon after. Batherson chipped a puck down low to Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk passed it out front to Dylan Cozens, who finished with a smooth forehand-backhand deke to beat Gibson and give the Senators a 2–0 advantage.

Detroit cut into the lead just over two minutes later. Following an elbowing call on Nick Cousins that didn't look like much, the Red Wings’ power play went to work. Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored his sixth of the season, firing a long wrist shot through traffic that Reimer never picked up through the screen.

Six minutes into the second period, Lucas Raymond tied the game with his 15th goal of the year. In a one-on-one with Jake Sanderson, Raymond ripped the puck past him, and beat Reimer cleanly up high. Senators goaltending continues to struggle with shots from distance, ranking among the league leaders in goals allowed from long range.

Late in the second, with David Perron off for holding, James van Riemsdyk buried a rebound on the power play to give Detroit a 3–2 lead. It was similar to the between the legs shot that Tim Stutzle had scored versus Montreal on Saturday.

But the Senators answered before the end of the period. With Elmer Söderblom in the box for interfering Ridly Greig, Shane Pinto redirected a crisp pass from Claude Giroux into a vacant net. The goal sent both teams to the locker room tied 3–3 after 40 minutes.

Early in the third period, the Senators continued their recent trend of taking offensive-zone penalties. Brady Tkachuk was called for tripping 190 feet from Ottawa’s net. James Reimer made a couple of big saves on the ensuing sequence, forcing him to move laterally and keep the game tied.

Dylan Cozens had a prime opportunity to give the Senators the lead five minutes into the third. Off a hard forecheck by Greig, the puck was jarred loose and slid out to Cozens alone in front with no one around him, but Gibson made a nice glove save.

With nine minutes left to play, Reimer made another fine save to keep the score tied at three. Elmer Soderblom was all alone in front and redirected a shot from the point, but Rhymer got his right pad on it.

The Shane Pinto line had a great look in the final minute of regulation, but never quite got a clean shot off.

That set the scene for DeBrincat's OT heroics against his former team.

Reimer was solid in his first NHL regular-season start in nine months. At 37, Reimer is the third oldest goalie to play this season in the NHL. Jonathan Quick is the oldest followed by former Senator Cam Talbot.

Prior to the game, the Red Wings held a ceremony honoring forward Patrick Kane, celebrating his recent entry into the NHL’s 500-goal club.

The Senators will be in Columbus on Tuesday night.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:

Goaltending Woes Are Breaking The Ottawa Senators
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Cavaliers' Darius Garland out at least a week with sprained toe

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will be sidelined for at least one week due to a sprained right great toe.

Garland suffered the injury on Jan. 14 at Philadelphia and missed Friday's game against the 76ers. The Cavaliers said further evaluation and imaging on Saturday revealed a Grade 1 sprain. The seventh-year guard will be reevaluated in seven to 10 days as he undergoes treatment.

The two-time All-Star has missed 16 games this season due to a nagging injury to his left great toe, which he struggled with during the closing month of last season and the playoffs. Garland had surgery on the toe during the offseason.

Garland is averaging 20.2 points and 7.4 assists over this last 16 games. He was shooting 50.4% from the floor and made 42 of 100 3-pointers.

The Cavaliers have been plagued by injuries all season. After having the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, they are 24-19 and fifth in the East going into Monday afternoon's game against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

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Tsyplakov To Return To Islanders Lineup vs. Canucks: 'I Want Him To Play His Game'

VANCOUVER -- The New York Islanders hit the ice against on Sunday afternoon ahead of their Monday showdown against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Mathew Barzal is from Coquitlam, British Columbia, which is about a half hour from Vancouver, so he'll have family and friends in the stands for this one. 

After backing up David Rittich in their 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Ilya Sorokin will return to the crease. He stopped all 26 shots that came his way in a 1-0 shutout win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. 

Sorokin, Islanders Snap McDavid's 20-Game Point Streak In 1-0 Shutout Win Over OilersSorokin, Islanders Snap McDavid's 20-Game Point Streak In 1-0 Shutout Win Over OilersSorokin blanks McDavid's Oilers with a masterful shutout. Duclair's timely power-play goal seals a crucial 1-0 victory for the Islanders.

Maxim Tsyplakov, who hasn't played since the Islanders' 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild, will draw back in for Maxim Shabanov. He'll skate alongside Calum Ritchie and Emil Heineman. 

"There's nothing personal," head coach Patrick Roy said. "I mean, sometimes you've got to try different things. And Tsyppy hasn't played since the Minnesota game, and so we thought this was a good time for it."

Tsyplakov has just one goal in 24 games this season. Roy wants to see the player he saw in the KHL footage before the forward signed with the Islanders ahead of the 2024-25 season. 

"I want him to play his game," Roy said. "When I was watching him two years ago, before he came to the Islanders, I thought that, the way I was watching him, he was a power forward. He's a guy that will bring pucks to the net, a guy that plays really well defensively...to me, that's his DNA, and I want him to play that game. I don't need him to be fancy with the puck -- I know he will, which is fine with me at times. But what I really want to see is his net presence, his ability to do a great job in the defensive zone, and stuff like that. And I know he could do it."

Here's the rest of the lines: 

Puck drop between the Islanders and Canucks comes your way at 10 PM ET. 

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Frank Nazar practices with the Blackhawks, could return this week

CHICAGO (AP) — Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar practiced with the team on Sunday and could return as soon as Thursday at Carolina.

Nazar, who turned 22 on Wednesday, was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20.

“It feels great to be back with the guys and skating and had a lot of fun out there today,” Nazar said.

The Blackhawks have lost three in a row going into Monday night's home game against Winnipeg. They visit the Hurricanes on Thursday before hosting Tampa Bay on Friday night.

“As far as I know, he won't play tomorrow. Unless something drastically changed, I don't think he will,” coach Jeff Blashill said of Nazar. “So that would allow him another full practice at least and then see where we go from there.”

Blashill also said Teuvo Teravainen won't play against the Jets because of an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old forward got hurt in the first period of last week's 4-1 loss to Edmonton.

Nazar, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, has six goals and 15 assists in 33 games this season. He agreed to a $46.2 million, seven-year extension with the Blackhawks in August.

“Just really itching to get back and give what I can to help the team win,” Nazar said.

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

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Canucks Make Four Roster Moves Including Calling Up Pettersson From The AHL

The Vancouver Canucks have announced four roster moves ahead of their matchup on Monday against the New York Islanders. Vancouver has recalled defenceman Elias Pettersson while assigning defenceman Victor Mancini and Nikita Tolopilo to the AHL. The Canucks have also called up goaltender Jiri Patera under emergency conditions.

Pettersson was sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks on January 11 and skated in two AHL games. He did not record a point but did have two penalty minutes and two shots on goal. This season, Pettersson has played in 38 NHL games, where he has recorded six points. 

As for Mancini, he skated in four games for the Canucks since his call-up on January 11. In those four games, he recorded two shots and averaged 16:33 of ice time. Mancini has spent the majority of his season in the AHL, posting six points in 20 games. 

Moving to the goaltenders, Tolopilo played two games on his recent call-up. In those two games, he posted a 6.01 goals against average and a save percentage of .842. Tolopilo is 4-4-3 in the AHL this season with a save percentage of .900.

Lastly, Patera is projected to serve as the backup on Monday against the Islanders as Thatcher Demko remains out with an injury. He has played one NHL game this year, where he allowed seven goals on 40 shots against the Florida Panthers. This season, Patera is 7-6-4 in the AHL and has a save percentage of .915. 

Dec 27, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) handles the puck against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Dec 27, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) handles the puck against the San Jose Sharks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

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Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Canucks' Teddy Blueger And Filip Chytil Nearing Return, Demko And Sherwood Being Evaluated

Canucks Defenceman’s Agent Breaks Silence On Trade Rumours

'I Want To Get This Team Back To The Playoffs': Conor Garland Addresses Canucks Current Rebuild & Desire To Remain With The Organization

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Braves’ Ha-seong Kim to miss at least four months after falling on ice in offseason injury crusher

Atlanta Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim reacts during a baseball game.
Ha-Seong Kim.

The Braves will be without a key infielder for a significant portion of the 2026 season.

Ha-seong Kim, who was expected to be Atlanta’s starting shortstop, will miss four to five months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger, the team announced Sunday.

Kim sustained the injury in his native Korea after slipping and falling on ice, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

Ha-Seong Kim re-signed with the Braves in December for one-year, $20 million. AP

The 30-year-old joined the Braves last September as a waiver pickup from the Rays following another injury-plagued season.

After recovering from shoulder surgery to open 2025, Kim appeared in just 24 games with Tampa Bay before landing on the injured list again with a back issue.

Atlanta claimed him in early September with plans for him to man shortstop down the stretch.

“I think if I had stayed healthy, I would’ve played more games every day,” Kim said through an interpreter after joining Atlanta, per MLB.com. “Obviously, the season didn’t really pan out to how I had planned it.

“I’m obviously excited to play alongside a talented group of players, and I’m obviously very excited to finish the season on a high note, in a healthy way.”

After hitting .253/.316/.368 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in September, Kim opted out of the second year of the two-year, $29 million deal he signed the previous offseason.

Kim re-signed with the Braves on a one-year, $20 million contract to serve as the team’s full-time shortstop in 2026.

“I can tell you it helped on our end, just from a comfort standpoint,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said of having Kim for the last month of 2025. “I feel like even though he wasn’t here that long, a month was pretty significant. He fit in quickly.”

Ha-Seong Kim reacts after scoring on a RBI double by Michael Harris II #23 in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on September 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images

A former Gold Glove winner as a utility player, Kim has flashed a dynamic blend of speed, power and defense across five MLB seasons, though injuries have followed him.

He underwent shoulder surgery in October 2024 for a “small tear” in the labrum in his right shoulder, an injury he suffered in late August of that season.

Both the Rays and Braves have hoped to recapture Kim’s 2023 form, when he slashed .260/.351/.398 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs and 38 stolen bases for the Padres.

A three-time Gold Glove winner in the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim joined the majors after signing a four-year, $28 million deal with the Padres for the 2021 campaign.

Fellow Gold Glove winner Mauricio Dubón, acquired by Atlanta this offseason, figures to see significant time at shortstop to open 2026.

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Are LeBron James, Luka Doncic playing tonight? Latest on Lakers injuries

A decimated Los Angeles Lakers squad was blown out by the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Jan. 17. It was an uphill battle from the beginning as L.A. was without Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Austin Reaves and Adou Thiero. The Lakers also took some hits to Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in-game, throwing their statuses for the second half of a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Jan. 18 in doubt – at least initially.

Adding to the laundry list of question marks, LeBron James is expected to be a game-time decision, as is to be the case with every back-to-back going forward.

The Lakers are getting some much-needed relief on Sunday, with both Ayton and Hayes expected to back on the court. It also appears as though they've dodged a bullet as neither Smart or LaRavia were listed on the injury report.

That leaves the two biggest questions that likely won't be definitively answered until we get closer to tip-off: Will Dončić and James take the court vs. the Raptors?

Here's everything you need to know about the status of the two Lakers stars:

CLIPPERS: Kawhi Leonard out at least two more games with knee issue

Is Luka Doncic playing tonight vs. Raptors?

Dončić is questionable to play with left groin soreness, according to the latest NBA injury report released at 5:30 p.m. ET. He originally told reporters on Jan. 12 he "felt something" in his groin/inner thigh area during pregame warmups, but he ended up playing through both games of the Lakers' back-to-back early last week.

Dončić also played in Thursday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 39 points before sitting out on Saturday.

Is LeBron James playing tonight?

James is also listed as questionable for Sunday night's games, which is to be expected after the 41-year-old said as much to reporters a week ago.

James did play in the Lakers' most recent back-to-back on January 12 and 13, logging 33 minutes in each and coming up just one rebound shy of a 31-point triple-double in a 141-116 blowout win over the Hawks.

In Saturday night's loss to the Trail Blazers, James scored 20 points and led the team in assists and rebounds with nine and eight, respectively.

Lakers injuries

Ayton and Hayes both did not play on Saturday, leaving the door open for Drew Timme to see extended minutes at center. Smart limped off the court following a collision midway through the fourth quarter, but he was not listed on Sunday's injury report. Both Ayton and Hayes are also expected to return against Toronto.

The only other names on the Lakers injury report ahead of the game are Reaves (left calf strain) and Thiero (right MCL sprain), who have both missed extended time and are expected to be re-evaluated towards the end of the month.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James, Luka Doncic injury update for Lakers vs Raptors tonight

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LIVE Discussion: Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls, 7:00 PM ET

It’s the second half of a home-and-home. The Nets (12-27) are looking for a rare road win to sweep the mini-series, but the tanking crowd is eyeing those lottery balls. Chicago (19-22) is desperate to get back to .500 and stop a four-game slide.

🏀 Game Info

  • Tip: 7:00 PM ET
  • TV: YES Network | Gotham Sports App
  • Radio: 101.9 FM / 660 AM WFAN

⚠️ Injury Report

Nets:

  • Michael Porter Jr. (OUT – Rest)
  • Drake Powell (OUT – Left Knee Injury Management)
  • Ziaire Williams (OUT – Return to Competition Reconditioning)
  • Haywood Highsmith (OUT – Right Knee Surgery Recovery)
  • Ben Saraf (OUT – G League Assignment)
  • Tyson Etienne / Chaney Johnson / E.J. Liddell (OUT – Two-Way)

Bulls:

  • Josh Giddey (Doubtful)
  • Patrick Williams (Questionable),
  • Zach Collins (Out)

💬 Discussion

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

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Phil Goyette, former NHL forward and Islanders' first coach, dies at 92

MONTREAL (AP) — Phil Goyette, the former NHL forward who helped the Montreal Canadiens win Stanley Cup titles in his first four seasons and was the New York Islanders' first coach, has died. He was 92.

The Canadiens said in a statement Sunday that Goyette died Saturday, saying Goyette's “family would like to thank the public for their wishes of sympathy.” The team didn't provide a cause of death.

Goyette, from Lachine, Quebec, made his debut with the Canadiens in 1956-57. He also played for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and St. Louis Blues, winning the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in 1969-70 with St. Louis.

In 940 regular-season games, Goyette had 207 goals and 467 assists. The center added 17 goals and 29 assists in 94 playoff games. He wrapped up his playing career in 1971-72, falling short of a fifth Stanley Cup title when the Rangers fell to Boston in six games in the final.

“We join the hockey world in sending our condolences to Phil’s loved ones, friends, and former teammates,” the Rangers said in a statement.

Goyette coached the expansion Islanders in 1972-73, going 6-40-4 before he was replaced by Earl Ingarfield.

“The Islanders are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Phil Goyette, the organization’s original head coach,” the team said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

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

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Vegas Lands Rasmus Andersson, Adding Another Obstacle For Winnipeg's Playoff Hopes

According to TSN insider Darren Dreger, the Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, a move that further strengthens an already loaded Western Conference and adds another obstacle in the Winnipeg Jets path should they qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The return to Calgary includes defenseman Zach Whitecloud, Vegas 2027 first round pick, a conditional 2027 second round pick that escalates to a 2026 first rounder if the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, and the rights to unsigned defenseman Abram Wiebe. The Flames are also retaining 50 per cent of Andersson salary for the remainder of the season.

While Winnipeg was not directly linked to Andersson, his landing spot is significant. Rather than a top defenseman leaving the Western Conference or landing in the Eastern Conference, Andersson joins a Vegas team that the Jets could realistically face in a postseason matchup. The deal removes one of the best defensemen from the trade market while simultaneously reinforcing a direct conference rival.

The timing only adds to the challenge for Winnipeg. Central Division heavyweights Dallas, Colorado, and Minnesota have all made notable moves and increasingly resemble legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Now Vegas, already among the league’s deepest and most battle tested teams, adds a proven top four blueliner with offensive upside and playoff experience.

Despite playing on a middle to bottom tier Flames team, Andersson has quietly put together a strong season. The 27 year old has recorded 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 47 games, along with a plus one rating.

A former 46 point defenseman, Andersson has consistently produced between 30 and 40 points per season while logging heavy minutes against top competition. He brings a reliable two way game, physicality, and puck moving ability that translate well to playoff hockey.

For Vegas, the move signals an all in approach as they gear up for another deep postseason run. For the Jets, it is another reminder of how narrow the margin is in the West. Any potential Winnipeg dark horse Stanley Cup push now looks even more complicated with yet another conference rival getting stronger at the deadline.

If the Jets are to navigate a brutal Western Conference playoff picture, they will likely need to rely on internal growth, elite goaltending, and timely performances, because the arms race around them shows no signs of slowing down.

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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.

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Kyren Wilson holds off John Higgins to secure his first Masters title

  • World No 2 defeats ‘legend and idol’ 10-6 in final

  • ‘I’m trying not to cry because it means so much’

Kyren Wilson collected his first Masters title to thwart John Higgins’s hopes of making more history after a cagey final replete with uncharacteristic errors from both players.

Higgins was seeking a third Masters title at Alexandra Palace – 20 years after he last lifted the trophy – and, at 50, the Scot had become the oldest player to reach the final of a triple crown event.

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Rockets hoping to roll on versus Pelicans

Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans

January 18, 2026

Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Time: 6pm CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey, Zion Williamson, Derik Queen

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Joel Embiid, Paul George questionable for Sixers-Pacers, McCain doubtful after G-League assignment

Unlike their last back-to-back, this one could actually have matchups factored into decisions here.

The Sixers released their injury report ahead of their home contest against the Indiana Pacers Monday. Nothing on it is too shocking with Joel Embiid and Paul George both listed as questionable with left knee injury management.

Despite it being a downgrade, both have been listed as probable for the past several games, this just boils down to this Pacers matchup being the front end of a back-to-back as they’re set to take on the Phoenix Suns Tuesday at home as well.

The two of them have both played in nine of Philly’s last 10 games, the only one missed also being a back-to-back last week in Toronto. Both of those legs were against the Raptors, so it didn’t really matter which one of the two they sat out. With the Suns being a notably tougher matchup than the 10-win Pacers, there’s actually a decision to make there if George and Embiid can only be available for one of those games.

Neither of the two have played both games of a back-to-back this season, but it’s worth noting that George was a very late scratch in that first game against the Raptors. Perhaps playing in both legs may be something he’s looking to do soon.

After being assigned to the G-League over the weekend, Jared McCain is listed as doubtful. Funnily enough, it was the Pacers G-League affiliate, the Noblesville Bloom, McCain played against in his first game with the Blue Coats since being sent down again. He didn’t exactly light the world on fire either, going for 15 points on 18 shots in six turnovers playing 30 minutes in a Coats loss.