The Chicago Blackhawks are set to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. This is the second half of a back-to-back for Chicago. In these situations (second half of back-to-backs), the Blackhawks have been beaten both times badly. 

Now, the Blackhawks have a chance to make that issue right. They lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Blues on Friday night, and now they need to find a way to play well one night later. 

Scouting Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings employ Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane. He plays there with Alex DeBrincat, and the two are very solid together. Kane is not a superstar producer anymore, but he's still very good and a threat to create offense on every shift. 

Finnie - Larkin - Raymond

DeBrincat - Copp - Kane

Rasmussen - Compher - Berggren

Soderblom - Kasper - Danielson

Edvinsson - Seider

Chiarot - Sandin Pellikka

Johansson - Hamonic

Gibson

The Detroit Red Wings have a lot of young talent in addition to Kane and DeBrincat, who are solid veterans who help them calm the waters. 

Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are the youthful players on the team, while captain Dylan Larkin drives play. All-in-all, this is a solid group that can win any game. 

Cam Talbot started in their last game, so you can expect to see John Gibson in the net for the Wings. As long as everyone plays their game in front of him, he should give his team a chance. 

Patrick Kane is sitting on 497 career goals. A hat trick against his old team would put him in the exclusive 500 goals club. In the event that this doesn't happen, Kane will reach the milestone shortly after. 

Patrick Kane on Verge of Major Milestone as He Faces BlackhawksPatrick Kane was one of the core pieces and superstars for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks">Chicago Blackhawks</a> during their dynasty that hoisted three Stanley Cups, but the team went into a rebuild and he was traded in 2022-23.

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks will not have Connor Bedard in this game. He injured himself on Friday night, and an update will be provided on Monday. 

Jeff Blashill Provides Tough Update On Connor Bedard's Injury StatusAfter their loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill provided a tough update on Connor Bedard.

In his place, the Blackhawks are going to have Nick Lardis called up from the Rockford IceHogs. He will make his NHL debut against the Red Wings. 

There was no morning skate for the Blackhawks, so there is no way of knowing exactly how things will line up. Warmups will indicate the lines, defense pairs, and goalie decision for Chicago. It is hard to even project the lineup because of Bedard's absence and Lardis' addition. 

Arvid Soderblom is likely going to start in the net as Spencer Knight went against the Blues on Friday night. That will be confirmed or denied during the warmups as well. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game locally, it can be found on CHSN. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 7:00 PM. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Winnipeg Jets could be on the verge of handing rookie goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis his NHL debut Saturday night when they host the Washington Capitals, a possibility that has sparked widespread speculation among fans and media alike.

Questions around the Jets’ starting goaltender emerged earlier Saturday after the team released its projected lineup on X, formerly known as Twitter, accompanied by the caption: “No indication has been made on tonight’s starting goalie.” The vague wording immediately fueled speculation that Winnipeg may be preparing to give DiVincentiis his first NHL start.

The uncertainty comes as veteran backup Eric Comrie continues to shoulder a heavy workload in the absence of regular starter Connor Hellebuyck, who remains sidelined. Comrie has started seven consecutive games for the Jets, a demanding stretch that could prompt the coaching staff to give him a much-needed night off.

While Comrie has battled through the stretch, results have been mixed. He has won just one of his last six starts, and with Winnipeg looking to stabilize its play and manage workloads, the idea of a fresh look in goal has gained traction.

Dom with a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIG STRETCH pic.twitter.com/DJqHCMT8JU

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) November 15, 2025

DiVincentiis’ recall has been widely anticipated within the organization and among fans. The 20-year-old netminder impressed during training camp and the preseason, positioning himself as a legitimate option should the Jets need depth in goal.

With the AHL’s Manitoba Moose this season, DiVincentiis has been among the league’s more consistent goaltenders. Despite a 6-7-1 record that reflects the challenges faced by the Moose, he has posted a respectable 2.49 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage, numbers that underscore his individual performance and poise beyond his years.

Jets Aim to Snap Lengthy Losing Streak Against Scorching Hot CapitalsThe Winnipeg Jets aim to snap their losing streak against a red-hot Capitals team led by Olympic hopefuls in Tom Wilson, Logan Thompson.

Head coach Scott Arniel has not confirmed a starter for Saturday’s matchup, leaving open the possibility that Winnipeg could turn to Comrie once again or the rookie against a flaming hot Capitals team led by Alex Ovechkin.

If DiVincentiis does get the nod, it would mark a significant milestone in his development and offer the Jets a glimpse of a potential future piece between the pipes. For now, the team remains noncommittal, but all signs point to a decision that could come right up until puck drop.

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.

Power of friendship helps spark Sharks' historic comeback victory over Penguins originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When impossible odds were stacked agains them, the Sharks turned to the most powerful tool there is.

Love.

San Jose’s historic 6-5 comeback OT win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at PGG Paints Arena will be one Sharks fans talk about for generations to come. But when we reflect on the miracle that occurred on that ice, it must be remembered what propelled the inconceivable scenario that played out before us.

The power of friendship.

With San Jose facing a seemingly insurmountable 4-1 third-period deficit, Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon delivered what easily could’ve been a knockout blow to the Sharks’ morale by laying vicious hit on Will Smith.

Instead, it lit a burning fire under San Jose as William Eklund and Macklin Celebrini immediately came to their teammate’s defense, with the latter earning a 4:00 penalty for roughing in the process.

“You hate to see one of your teammates go down,” Celebrini told reporters after the game. “Anyone would have done that if it happened to any guy on our team. That’s the kind of group we have and how close we are … I don’t think any of us like to see our teammates go down and take a hit like that. I think [Eklund] did a good job kind of jumping in there and I felt like I had to have his back.”

While the Penguins quickly added another power-play goal — their third of the afternoon — it would be the last time the home crowd had anything resembling something to cheer for on Saturday.

With 12:27 remaining in the third period, John Klingberg continued his recent hot streak by launching a screamer of a wrist-shot past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs.

While it might have seemed like too little, too late in the moment with San Jose still sitting in a 5-2 hole, Klingberg’s power-play goal did just enough to breathe life into a Sharks team that didn’t realize it just took the first step toward a generational victory.

Eklund, Alex Wennberg and Adam Gaudette;s gritty effort with 5:41 remaining pulled the Sharks even closer.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust appeared poised to eviscerate any hopes of an incredible comeback when he squared up to shoot on San Jose’s empty net after the Sharks pulled goalie Yaroslav Askarov in favor of throwing an extra attacker on the ice.

But as any true miracle entails, there would be some form of divine intervention as Rust’s shot narrowly missed the net and instead ricocheted off the post.

Just 22 seconds after Rust’s shocking miss, Celebrini did what franchise players do. He rose to the occasion and sent a rocket slap shot into the back of the net to pull San Jose within one goal of what seemed like an impossible lead to overcome just mere minutes before.

Before anyone watching could register what was unfolding before them, Tyler Toffoli found the back of the net with 1:38 remaining in the game to bring the Sharks and Penguins level, leaving Pittsburgh fans in attendance frozen in a solemn silence of disbelief.

Entering overtime, the Sharks placed themselves in a position where it would seem like they committed a heist to come away with the bare-minimum point they would be entitled to after storming back in epic fashion.

Surely that would be an acceptable result given where they stood down 5-1 midway through the third period, right?

Not for these Sharks, who were determined to deliver the Hollywood ending that even the most talented scriptwriters would struggle to conjure up.

With just over two minutes remaining in overtime, Klingberg dangled one of the NHL’s all-time greats in Sidney Crosby to set up a two-on-one against Penguins defenseman Kris Letang as Celebrini him to his right.

Klingberg passed the puck to Celebrini, who quicky returned it to set up a finish that will be etched into the memories of Sharks fans forever.

Klingberg being the one to put the final exclamation mark on a mind-boggling comeback victory was poetic in more ways than one.

The veteran blueliner has dealt with his fair share of adversity as he struggled to begin his first season with the Sharks. But while the outside noise echoed, Klingberg’s teammates maintained their belief in him and the body of work he has put together during his 13-year NHL career.

Klingberg now has seven points in his last four games, including three goals that played a crucial role in back-to-back comeback wins on the road for the Sharks.

The Swedish defenseman has seen it all on the ice after playing in 668 regular-season NHL games, but Saturday’s win simply resonated on a different level even for the most seasoned of veterans.

“Unbelievable comeback,” Klingberg said on “Sharks Postgame Live.” “We didn’t like our game, obviously they out shot us bad for two periods, but we felt like we were kind of hanging in there even if the scoreboard didn’t show it. Resilient group, that’s one of the craziest comebacks I’ve been a part of for sure.”

With the Sharks currently holding the Western Conference’s second and final wild card spot, this could end up being the type of victory that plays a critical role in a tightly packed playoff race.

San Jose will face more deficits this season. And not all of them will have the storybook ending that Saturday’s win in Pittsburgh did. But you can be assured this team will always fight until that final horn blares.

“We’re a team that’s grinding for sure. We’re right in it, we don’t give up,” Klingberg said. “Credit to all the guys, that’s a big thing to do stuff like that, it builds a lot of confidence.”

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Game info 

Who: Nashville Predators (12-14-4, 8th Central) at Colorado Avalanche (22-2-7, 1st in Central) 

When: 8 p.m. CST 

Where:  Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado 

TV: WTVF Channel 5 

Radio: 102.5 The Game 

Line (via BetMGM): Predators +1.5, Avalanche -1.5. Over/under 6.5 (+100/-120). 

First line flourishing 

The Nashville Predators' first line has been massive to the team's success over the last eight games. 

Steven Stamkos has 10 points in eight games, which included a four-goal game in Thursday's 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Luke Evangelista now has 13 points in nine games, which include four multi-point games. Ryan O'Reilly, who has been the Predators' top player all season, has five points in five games. 

The trio has been the driving force behind the Predators' winning six of their last eight games, including a 4-3 shootout victory over the Avalanche on Tuesday. O'Reilly had the lone shootout goal in that game. 

Saros locked in 

Outside of the 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, where Saros was pulled for Justus Annunen, Saros has been playing some of his best hockey of the season. 

In December, in five games started, he has a 4-1-0 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. It's a massive jump from the .873 save percentage and 3.35 goals against average from November. 

In the win over the Avalanche, he had a season-best 39 saves on 42 shots. Two nights later, he made 24 saves on 26 shots in the win over the Blues. In the five games played in December, Saros had three 30+ save performances. 

Preds playing short 

With Cole Smith still out and the Predators trading Spencer Stastney to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, Nashville will be playing with 11 forwards and six defensemen on this two-game road trip. 

General manager Barry Trotz said that the roster should be filling up soon, with Justin Barron nearing a return and the Stastney trade allowing the team to work younger forwards into the system. 

However, ahead of their game against the Avalanche, the Predators' only roster transaction was sending an injured Zach L'Heureux down to Milwaukee. The Predators have been playing short over the last few games and have seemed to thrive with lower numbers. 

Facing top-ranked Avs 

Despite handing the Avalanche a loss on Tuesday, that has not dethroned them from the top spot in the NHL. Following the loss in Nashville, the Avalanche ripped off a 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday, seeing six different Colorado players score. 

Nathan Mackinnon leads the league in points (53 points) and goals (25 goals). Martin Necas is third in the league in assists with 29 and Avalanche players own four of the top five best plus/minuses in the NHL (MacKinnon 37, Necas 30, Cale Makar 29, Lehkonen 37).

In net, Scott Wedgewood, a former Predators player, has the second most wins in the league with 13, the fourth best goals-against average (2.11) and sixth best save percentage (.919).

Backup Mackenzie Blackwood is also ranked as one of the top goaltenders in the league with a 2.19 goals against average (sixth) and a .920 save percentage (tied-fourth). 

As a team, the Avalanche have only lost at home twice this season, once in regulation to the New Jersey Devils, 8-4, on Oct. 26 and the other to the Dallas Stars, 5-4, in a shootout on Oct. 11. 

After snapping a three-game losing slide on Thursday night in Columbus, the Ottawa Senators hope they’ve entered the start of better days. Prior to their 6–3 victory over the Blue Jackets, the Senators had lost five of their previous six games and, as a result, slipped badly in the Eastern Conference standings.

On Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.), the Senators will face the Minnesota Wild, who will surely be forgiven if their heads are still spinning from the blockbuster news of the past 24 hours.

On Friday, the Wild acquired star defenceman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenceman Zeev Buium, and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

The timing is perfect for the Senators, because not only is this probably a major shock to the Minnesota dressing room, pulling well-liked teammates away from the team, but Hughes – the crown jewel in the deal – won't be ready to make his debut with the Wild until Sunday against the Boston Bruins.

The Senators should come into this game feeling good about themselves offensively. Tim Stützle had two goals against Columbus, Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists, Dylan Cozens had three helpers, and Claude Giroux, Michael Amadio, and David Perron each had a goal and an assist.

But at 17-9-5, the Wild will be a much tougher out than the Blue Jackets. 

The Senators will make at least one change to their lineup. With the injury to Lars Eller in Columbus, he won’t be available for at least the next two games and probably longer, so it’s a good bet that Stephen Halliday will take his spot as the fourth-line centre. Olle Lycksell was called up from Belleville on Saturday morning, but Kurtis MacDermid is expected to dress as a 12th forward.

And why not? He doesn't play much, but the Sens are 7-1-2 when MacDermid suits up.

The official line combinations won’t be known until closer to game time, but here are the projections from NHL.com.

Senators projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk — Tim Stützle — Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron — Dylan Cozens — Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio — Ridly Greig — Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid — Stephen Halliday — Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven — Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo — Nick Jensen

Leevi Merilainen
Linus Ullmark

Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Olle Lycksell
Injured: Thomas Chabot (upper body), Shane Pinto (lower body), Lars Eller (lower body)

Along with Hughes, the Wild have some key players out of the lineup right now, including Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno and former 67s defenseman Jacob Middleton. Former Senator Vladimir Tarasenko is on the top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Danila Yurov, a rare all-Russian line.

Wild projected lineup

Kirill Kaprizov — Danila Yurov — Vladimir Tarasenko
Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy
Yakov Trenin — Ryan Hartman — Nicolas Aubé-Kubel
Ben Jones — Nico Sturm — Tyler Pitlick

Jonas Brodin — Brock Faber
Daemon Hunt — Jared Spurgeon
Zach Bogosian — David Jiříček

Filip Gustavsson
Jesper Wallstedt

Scratched: Quinn Hughes, Matt Kiersted
Injured: Marcus Foligno (lower body), Vinnie Hinostroza (lower body), Mats Zuccarello (upper body), Jacob Middleton (upper body)

Faceoff is 2 pm Eastern.
TV: TSN5, TVAS, 
Audio: TSN 1200 AM, TSN1200.ca

Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:

After A Hot Start, Senators' Veteran Goes Ice Cold And Now Joins Injury List
Popular Former Ottawa Senator Forward Attempting Comeback At Age 38
Four Ottawa Senators Make Annual List Of Most Punchable NHL Players
Should Drake Batherson's 'Kicked In' Goal Have Counted?
Former Senator Now Tearing It Up In Switzerland

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their third-straight game at home on Saturday. 

They lost the previous two games against the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens and are trying to redeem themselves against a young, exciting San Jose Sharks team. The Penguins beat the Sharks 3-0 back on Oct. 18 when the Penguins were on their annual California trip. 

The Sharks were 0-3-2 at the time, but are now 15-14-3 and in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Macklin Celebrini has been on an absolute tear this season, compiling 15 goals and 44 points in 32 games. He's doing everything he can to try to make the Team Canada Olympic roster. 

Will Smith has also been fantastic, racking up 12 goals and 29 points in 32 games. Smith and Celebrini play together on the top line and are one of the top young duos in the NHL. The Penguins will need to be on high alert each time they're on the ice. 

Yaroslav Askarov will start in goal against the Penguins and has been solid this season, compiling a .903 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average. 

The Penguins won't have goaltender Stuart Skinner or defenseman Brett Kulak available for this game since they're still dealing with immigration issues. The Penguins acquired both players in the Tristan Jarry trade on Friday. 

With that in mind, the Penguins recalled young goaltender Sergei Murashov from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis for Saturday's game. The goalie tandem for Saturday will be Arturs Silovs and Murashov, with Silovs starting. 

Rickard Rakell will also be back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 25. He will be a big boost to the lineup since he's one of the Penguins' best scorers. 

Puck drop for this contest will be at 3 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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

The Chicago Blackhawks are starting to slide a bit, but their record of 13-12-6, with 32 points through 31 games played, is better than anyone would have thought coming into the year. They are only 1 point shy of a playoff spot in December, which would have sounded even crazier in September. 

The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are established contenders in the Central Division. Recent play has put the Blackhawks in 5th place, as those two teams are ahead of Chicago, along with the Minnesota Wild and Utah Mammoth. 

Only the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, & Nashville Predators trail. Winnipeg and St. Louis were both highly competitive playoff teams last season, so they are likely to improve as the season progresses. That alone will make the climb in the division that much tougher. 

A transaction took place that will make the climb even worse, as a team ahead of the Blackhawks went from being a playoff contender to a Stanley Cup contender. The Minnesota Wild acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. 

HUGHES news 🗞️

Full details » https://t.co/PpC2JGsH89pic.twitter.com/Q1ACNWUQvG

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 13, 2025

Vancouver received forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick. It’s a large haul for the Canucks, but the Wild are getting the second-best defenseman in the world. 

Now, the Wild are one of the top NHL teams, making it three super-elite teams in the Central Division. That makes it even harder for the Chicago Blackhawks to become one.

Although the Blackhawks are getting better, so is the division. The Wild is adding a defender who is a point-per-game, dynamic superstar. With Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Brock Faber, and two elite goalies, the core of this team is as good as it gets. 

Chicago's next matchup with Minnesota will come on January 27th, with two more that follow that. It's going to be an extra tough matchup as long as Quinn Hughes is there. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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.