Category: Sports News

The Pittsburgh Penguins took to the ice for practice in Dallas on Saturday, and it appears that two players may be poised for a return to the lineup when they face the Stars on Sunday.

Forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari - who missed all of November with upper-body injuries - took line rushes with the team at practice. In addition, the Penguins re-assigned forward Joona Koppanen to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS).

It's safe to say that the Penguins have been missing both players in their everyday lineup, so getting either player back for Sunday's game would be a welcome sight. With the return of Brazeau, the Penguins would be getting back one of their two injured top-six players - which should help matters with scoring, as Brazeau has six goals and 12 points in 12 games this season. 

Brazeau reunited with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha on the "mutant line," while Acciari slotted back in on the fourth line.

Here were the lines and pairings at Saturday's practice, which shifted around a bit with Brazeau and Acciari back in the mix:

Forwards
Novak-Crosby-Rust
Mantha-Hayes-Brazeau
McGroarty-Kindel-Koivunen
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensemen
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Shea-Letang
Graves-Dumba
(Imama-Clifton)

Penguins Place Big Forward On WaiversThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have made another move to clear up some space on their roster.&nbsp;

- It is worth noting that even with Koppanen re-assigned to WBS, the Penguins will still have to make a roster move in order to activate both Brazeau and Acciari from injured reserve. 

Boko Imama is the most obvious candidate, as he won't need to pass through waivers since he has been with the team for less than 14 days. But another thing to keep in mind is that rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke's conditioning loan will come to a close after he plays his fifth game with WBS on Saturday against the Hershey Bears, and he currently occupies a roster spot with the NHL roster. 

Obviously, the easiest thing would be to option Imama, especially as the Penguins will likely lend Brunicke to Team Canada for the World Junior Championship, assuming he is named to the preliminary roster. But it's still something to keep in mind. 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Earns Big Win Over Lehigh Valley On FridayWilkes-Barre/Scranton got a big win over Lehigh Valley on Friday night.

- Arturs Silovs has only started one of the Penguins' last five games, in which he gave up four goals on 16 shots in a 7-2 loss to  the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 29 and was pulled after the fourth. 

It stands to reason that Silovs will, likely, get one of the Penguins' next two starts, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the Penguins have - at least, temporarily - decided on Tristan Jarry as their primary goaltender. 

The Penguins have won the four games that Jarry has started since he returned from IR, and they lost the sole game Silovs started. Silovs has given up eight goals in his last two starts after a very promising start to the season - and he was pulled in both appearances. 

Revisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeOn Thursday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will take on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead.&nbsp;

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

By Jared Clinton, Features Writer

Usually, Anniversaries are met with a little flourish. Maybe a card. Maybe some cake. Flowers, at the very least. If nothing else, though, you expect a modicum of acknowledgement that you’ve reached a milestone, especially when it’s one of those big, round numbers.

But when it comes to the 20th anniversary of the shootout in the NHL, the whole thing came and went without much fuss. So, if not the NHL, let us be the ones to take a moment to recognize it has been two decades since the league adopted the shootout. In fact, when the puck dropped on the 2025-26 season, it had been almost 20 years to the day since the first time fans got to see a shootout in NHL action.

The very first NHL shootout came in the ‘Battle of Ontario’ Oct. 5, 2005, the opening night of 2005-06. The shooter-goalie matchup? It was one with Hall of Fame proportions: the Ottawa Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson had the puck on his stick, with Ed Belfour guarding the crease for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The result? A simple but effective attempt by Alfredsson. His tally, combined with the goaltending of Dominik Hasek, helped the Senators etch their name in the record book as winners of the NHL’s first official shootout.

Since then – and prior to the start of this season – an additional 2,485 games have been decided by way of shootout. That’s a hair more than 10 percent of all regular-season games the past 20 years. And those shootouts have taken on all shapes and sizes, from two-round sweeps and back-and-forth affairs to out-and-out marathons. The longest shootout, which took place Dec. 16, 2014, went 20 rounds, with Florida eventually defeating Washington when Nick Bjugstad netted the winner.

And though the central conceit of the shootout has always been to produce clear-cut winners and losers, it has also delivered iconic moments. Within months of the shootout’s introduction, in a Nov. 26, 2005 outing that saw the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers deadlocked after regulation and overtime, Blueshirts defenseman Marek Malik stepped up to take his turn in the then-record 15th round of the shootout. Staring down Washington’s Olie Kolzig, Malik wound down the ice, tucked the puck back between his own legs and found twine, sending the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy.

While NHL Shootouts Remain Polarizing, Penalty Shots Are Still ExcitingAn NHL insider made an interesting point about encouraging the referees to call more penalty shots, and he's right. Even though the very similar shootout has lost its shine, the penalty shot remains thrilling.

Moments like those – or Pavel Datsyuk’s chip shot, Patrick Kane’s deft dekes or more obscure efforts such as Linus Omark’s spinning start – are seared into the minds of hockey fans. The shootout, in its own way, has shone a brighter spotlight on the dazzling displays of high-end skill that elite-level talents possess. “As a fan, I love the shootout,” said Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger. “Whenever I went to Wild games (as a kid) and it went to a shootout, it was like winning the lottery.”

Not everyone is as enamored by the shootout, however. Among those who make their living on big-league ice, the perception of the shootout is somewhat mixed.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle is one of the most frequent participants in the player-goalie tete-a-tete. He entered 2025-26 with 87 career shootout attempts, 18th-most in league history. Even before he arrived in the big leagues, Eberle had carved out a reputation as a smooth operator in the skills competition, notably for his heroics in the World Junior Championship. Most remember his game-tying goal against Russia in the 2009 WJC semifinal but forget he also scored the shootout-winner.

Much like one of his breakaway attempts, though, Eberle zigs where you expect him to zag. “I’m not a huge fan of the shootout,” he said.

In part, his dislike stems from changes made over the past two decades. Before the NHL removed the mandate ahead of the 2014-15 season, the ice would be dry-scraped before each shootout. The fresh surface, he said, provided for the slick puckhandling that once made the shootout a must-see event. But when that went away, so did much of Eberle’s enjoyment.

He also feels the conditions surrounding the shootout have changed. “When the shootout came, OT was 4-on-4, and I don’t know the percentage on those games ending, but it was a lot lower than it is now,” he said.

It’s true. There has been a marked change in the number of games ending in extra time since the shift to 3-on-3 overtime. In the first 10 seasons of the shootout’s NHL existence, during which overtime was four-a-side, nearly 57 percent of all contests that went past regulation needed a shootout to find a winner. But the move to 3-on-3 in 2015-16 resulted in an almost immediate uptick in sudden-death outcomes. Prior to this season, exactly two thirds of all games that have gone to overtime since 2015-16 have ended in the extra frame.

And in the eyes of some, the success of 3-on-3 is cause to embrace longer overtimes and even further reduce the likelihood that games are decided by shootout. “There should be a change,” said Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. “We’ve already changed the offensive game a lot in general, with 3-on-3 and overtime. My two cents, we should add five more minutes of overtime, like at the 4 Nations. Because it comes down more to play.”

4 Nations Face-Off: The NHL Finally Gave The Players What They Wanted, And The Players DeliveredAlmost 15 years to the day from when Sidney Crosby scored the Golden Goal for Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Connor McDavid grabbed the torch and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/game-day/oilers-connor-mcdavid-shines-in-the-spotlight">scored the decisive overtime goal</a> to win the 4 Nations Face-Off.

There’s another reason, though, why Eberle, Ullmark and several others throughout the league would like to see overtime extended: being on the wrong side of the result can be tough on the psyche. “It’s funny how you can play a really good game – and I’ve been in this spot – and you’re the last guy to shoot and you miss, how crappy you feel,” Eberle said.

That’s a sentiment that Ullmark echoes. “From the perspective of a goaltender, you can go out and play the best game of your life and have a shutout – and the other goalie can play phenomenal as well – then you go out there and let in three (shootout goals), and you feel like the worst goalie ever,” Ullmark said. “That’s just how it is, plain and simple. And I think a lot of other goalies feel the same way.”

A lot? Perhaps that’s the case – and you can be sure no netminder enjoys feeling like the goat in a losing effort – but the league’s masked men are not a monolith. Ask avowed shootout fan Oettinger, and he’ll tell you there’s a thrill to the all-or-nothing dynamic. “Some people think it’s stupid, but I think it’s fun,” he said. “As a goalie, you’re in the spotlight and get to decide the game.”

Cold Water Poured On Report Oilers Have Acquired Goalie From PenguinsWild goalie rumors swirled, but sources confirm no trade has been finalized between the Oilers and the Penguins.

And while the shootout has its detractors, step into any arena or tune into any game in which a shootout is taking place and you can feel the building living and dying with every attempt. In some respects, it is the game distilled down to its purest form: shooter versus goaltender, head-to-head, with victory or defeat hanging in the balance. “It’s why we play the game,” said Detroit Red Wings right winger Alex DeBrincat. “You get that pressure of the game on your stick, just you and the goalie. It’s a different experience than you get anywhere else.”

This is an excerpt of a feature that appeared in The Hockey News' Prospects Unlimited issue. We profile plenty of top prospects such as Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Zeev Buium and Marco Kasper. 

Elsewhere in the issue, we take a look at each NHL team's prospect pool, and we explore several PWHL teams, as well as features on the AHL, ECHL and the NCAA. 

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

The Florida Panthers welcomed the Columbus Blue Jackets to Sunrise for a fun Saturday afternoon matinee.

Florida never led the game, until it was over, falling behind 4-1 and 6-4 before coming back and earning a thrilling 7-6 victory in overtime.

It was Columbus who got on the scoring started, finding the back of the net early and often.

Just under eight minutes into the game, Damon Severson picked up a power play goal to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead.

Florida responded quickly, as Evan Rodrigues jumped all over a Columbus turnover in their own end and waited out goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to knot the score at one 2:07 later.

When the second period arrived, Columbus suddently couldn’t stop scoring.

They picked up a trio of goals less than five minutes apart, suddenly taking a 4-1 lead just past the game’s midway point.

Finally, Florida slowly began to chip away at the deficit.

Carter Verhaeghe scored a pair of goals less than two minutes apart to bring the Panthers back within one of Columbus, first defelcting a point shot by Seth Jones past Merzlikins, then picking up a power play goal off a cross-ice pass from Brad Marchand.

It took less than three minutes after that for Jones to game, wiring home a perfectly placed wrist shot in the top corner of the net with Florida once again on the power play.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, a bad bounce led to Columbus re-taking the lead late in the second period as Cole Sillinger took advantage of a loose puck after it bounced over the stick of Gus Forsling.

The Blue Jackets scored a sixth goal early in third, converting on a 2-on-1 and taking a 6-4 lead 2:27 into the third period.

A gorgeous goal by Brad Marchand less than two minutes later, making a move to his backhand and beating Merzlikins under his pad to cut the Jackets’ lead back to one.

With 5:42 to go, Anton Lundell took advantage of a bad turnover by Columbus after Merzlikins tried clearing the puck, but it deflected off hoard of players and ended up on Lundell’s stick with nothing but an empty net to shoot at.

The game would end up going to overtime, and Florida had to come up with a huge 4-on-3 penalty kill to avoid a fifth straight defeat before they could come up with a game-winner.

As time was running out, Brad Marchand found a streaking Sam Bennett, and his goal with 3.2 seconds left sealed the victory for Florida.

Wow.

On to the Islanders.

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Three takeaways: Penalties killed Panthers momentum, Florida needs to start building on positives

Photo caption: Dec 6, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) celebrates a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second period with center Sam Bennett (9) at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

Since Nov. 9, the Vancouver Canucks have won two out of 12 games (2-7-3), the least amount of wins in the NHL in that span. Now, they've hit rock bottom – literally, as they're the NHL's worst team with a 10-15-3 record.

Vancouver has indeed had some injuries to key players, including injuries to starting goalie Thatcher Demko and forwards Conor Garland and Filip Chytil. But all the losing is starting to wear on Canucks players – most notably, on star defenseman Quinn Hughes.

As one of the NHL’s premier blueliners, Hughes logs more ice time than any other skater in the league at an average of 27:30 per game. However, Hughes made it clear this week he can’t pull off his civilian clothes and turn into a superhero who can carry Vancouver to wins all by himself.

“I’m not perfect, not Superman,” Hughes told the media earlier in the week. “Yeah, I get tired, for sure…there’s definitely moments in games where, you know, I’m breaking out pucks, I’m transporting pucks to the neutral zone, I’m doing my thing in the O-zone…(and) trying to create scoring chances for our team. And that’s hard to do for half the game.”

Indeed, when you’re on the ice as much as Hughes is, you’re going to see the good and bad in your team, and fatigue is bound to play a factor.

But as the Canucks have slid down to the bottom of the standings, there is increasing speculation about trades that are likely to be made by Canucks GM Patrik Allvin and Vancouver president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford. 

Red Wings Should Pursue Sherwood To Solve Lack Of Depth ScoringThe Detroit Red Wings' top scorers are shining, but the dropoff in points-production is steep after that. Could a trade with the Vancouver Canucks give Detroit the offensive boost it needs before the trade deadline arrives?

As one of the longest-serving management figures in the game, Rutherford is famous for making moves well in advance of the season’s trade deadline.

That’s what we saw from him last season when the Canucks dealt center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31 of this year, amid a rift with Vancouver center Elias Pettersson.

In any case, the Canucks have two wins in their past 10 games, and their upcoming schedule is a killer. They'll be facing teams such as the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks – all teams that are either in a playoff position right now, or that are close to a playoff spot.

By the time the calendar year ends, Vancouver’s playoff aspirations could be all but completely snuffed out. And at that point, there may not be any Canucks players who are untouchables when it comes to trades.

Aside from the Canucks stating they are willing to get younger in the trade market, only the team's front office knows who could potentially be out the door next.

The Canucks look like they’re in dire need of a major makeover, and while the moves Rutherford and Allvin make may be shocking, the truth is that hanging onto the status quo would be even more of a shock.

When you’re as much of a disappointment as Vancouver has been, there should be few, if any, sacred players on the roster. With a rebound that is less likely by the day, the only question now is who gets moved out of Vancouver, and how deep the cuts to the Canucks are going to be.

Vancouver has made its bed with this brutal start to the year. And the rest of the way this season, they’re going to have to lie in that bed and change the makeup of the roster for years to come.

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.

While the New York Rangers didn’t come away with two points in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon, there’s a lot to be encouraged about from a Blueshirts perspective.

The Avalanche currently hold the best record in the NHL, so the Rangers’ players and coaches knew the challenge that was ahead of them. 

Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen arguably make up one of the most explosive lines in the NHL, and Mike Sullivan tasked his newly formed shutdown trio of J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, and Conor Sheary to contain them. 

Led by the effort and hard-nosed play of Miller, the Rangers not only contained MacKinnon’s line, they also neutralized Colorado's potent offense. 

Seeing the Avalanche’s 42 shots on net doesn't paint the full picture. Colorado had stretches of pressure, but the Rangers played a defensively sound game, staying in their structure, while limiting the amount of high-quality scoring chances and dangerous odd-man rushes. 

Mike Sullivan was specifically impressed with how Miller’s line played from a defensive standpoint. 

“J.T. and Troch in particular, those two guys, they have a 200 foot game. MacKinnon is a handful, he's big and he's strong and he's powerful. J.T. is big and strong and powerful also,” Sullivan said. “We just felt, it gives us the best chance to try to neutralize one of the more dynamic players in the league… I think those guys, they take those challenges, they embrace those. I think they're competitive guys, so when you give them a challenge like that, they tend to elevate their games. J.T. is one of those guys.”

Going into the third period, the Rangers found themselves in a 1-0 hole, but it was Conor Sheary who tied the game with his first goal as a Ranger and first NHL goal since April 11, 2024. 

The Rangers signed Sheary to a professional tryout contract during the offseason, and he earned a roster spot out of training camp. 

Sheary has been in the lineup for a large part of the season, even playing a top-six role for a portion of the year. He just couldn’t find the back of the net, and now, he’s finally back on the scoresheet, which he describes as a relieving feeling. 

“I feel like I've been getting a lot of good chances throughout this year. It's a relief to get one,” Sheary said. “Hopefully I can build off that, but to contribute to the team and help the team gain a point, I think, is really important. Hopefully I can continue to do that.”

Despite trailing 2-1 in the final stages of the third period, the Rangers found a way to even up the score in the form of an Artemi Panarin goal after an onslaught of pressure with an empty net. 

The Rangers clawed their way back the against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night after being down late in the game, and they were able to do it again against Colorado. 

It seems as if the Blueshirts are beginning to build confidence and a mentality that the team could come back in games. It stems from their success playing with a 6-on-5 advantage. 

“I think they're doing a great job,” Sullivan said of the Rangers’ 6-on-5 play. “They're buying into the structure, they're executing, they're making good plays, they're getting pucks to the net… We were trying to encourage them to put more pucks in play, create those broken plays, let's get numbers around the net, and let's try to win pucks and then create off the shot, so to speak. I think they're buying into that.”

Rangers Secure Win Over Senators With Strong All-Around Performance It was all about the fundamentals in the New York Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

The Rangers ultimately came away with one point instead of two due to MacKinnon’s goal in overtime. 

Even after a loss, the mood around the locker room was positive and upbeat. 

Sullivan has attempted to build a new identity since he arrived. It’s an identity formulated on playing a physical brand of hockey, and driving offense through their defensively sound game and relentless play, whether it’s forechecking hard or creating a strong net-front presence. 

Over this recent three-game stretch, the Rangers have shown they are adapting to Sullivan’s philosophy. 

“We talk about identity. It seems like every time we get some momentum like this, feeling good about our game, we kind of regress and go back to the other version of the game we don't like,” Miller said. “It's really important that we kind of reset every game and have that mindset of we haven't earned anything yet, just we have to keep going. If we want to build a standard and identity, we have to do it every single day, so that's kind of been the mindset lately.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Sunday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The New Jersey Devils hit the road today to take on the Boston Bruins.

The Devils are 16-11-1 while the Bruins are 16-13-0.

What to Know - Devils

The Devils are kicking off their two-game road trip today in Boston, after playing four straight games at home. Not only have the Devils dropped their last four games, but they have also been shut out for two games, having gone 128 minutes and 9 seconds without scoring.

These results have pushed the Devils out of a playoff spot. A win today would put them back in contention.

What to Know - Bruins

The Bruins, on the other hand, are coming off a win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, but have struggled as of late without David Pastrnak.

They have won five of their last 10 games, thanks to strong offensive performances. Specifically, forward Morgan Geekie has had an incredible start to the season. Geekie has 21 goals so far this season, ranking second in the NHL for goals, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon.

The Bruins currently sit atop the Atlantic Division and are heading into the matchup with a strong home record of 10-5-0.

Lineup Changes

The Devils have made several lineup changes. Angus Crookshank made his season debut with the Devils last night. Crookshank had just over ten minutes of ice time during the Devils' 3-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Lineups

Jacob Markstrom started last night, so Jake Allen will likely play for the Devils today. 

Jeremy Swayman starts in the net for the Bruins. He last played on Tuesday, when he saved 18 of 23 shots he faced.

The projected Bruins lineup is:

Steeves-Lindholm-Geekie

Mittelstadt-Zacha-Arvidsson

Jeannot-Minten-Kastelic

Khusnutdinov-Kuraly-Eyssimont

Zadorov-Aspirot

Lindholm-Peeke

Lohrei-Soderstrom

Injuries

Both teams have injury struggles. The Devils lack center Jack Hughes, hampering their offense. The full injury list is below.

Devils: J. Hughes (finger), Pesce (upper body), Dadonov (undisclosed), Kovacevic (knee), MacEwen (undisclosed), McLaughlin (undisclosed)

The Bruins are also missing star players. David Pastrnak has missed time with an unknown injury, as has Charlie McAvoy, who suffered a facial injury.

Bruins: Pastrnak (unknown), Callahan (lower-body), Jokiharju (undisclosed), McAvoy (face), Blumel (lower-body)

Overall

This is the first meeting of the two teams this season. They will meet again on March 16 and again on April 14.

The puck will drop at 7 PM at TD Garden.

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.