After resuming training on Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens will play their first post-Christmas game when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena this afternoon. While the Habs eased themselves back in yesterday, the Bolts were taking on the Florida Panthers in a battle of Florida. It turned out to be a spirited tilt, with 136 penalty minutes handed out. Jon Cooper’s men still prevailed 4-2, but it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens provided an update on Jake Evans, who will be missing four to six weeks because of a lower-body injury. Evans had left the previous game just minutes in after a knee-on-knee collision. In a way, the worst has been averted since he’s not going under the knife, but knee injuries (if it is a knee injury) are tricky to recover from, and it does happen that a conventional approach turns out not to be enough. Fingers crossed this is not the case here.

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As for Alexandre Texier, who also left the last game after being shaken up in a hard collision, he was practicing and wearing a regular jersey, which means he will be available this afternoon. In Evans’ absence, the lines at practice were as follows:

Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki - Zach Bolduc

Ivan Demidov – Oliver Kapanen – Juraj Slafkovsky

Texier – Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson

Owen Beck/Samuel Blais – Joe Veleno – Brandon Gallagher

On the backend, the pairings were the same as they were before the break:

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson

Lane Hutson – Alexandre Carrier

Arber Xhekaj/Jayden Struble – Adam Engstrom

With Samuel Montembeault being officially recalled, Martin St-Louis wasted no time in announcing that Jacob Fowler would be getting the start against the Lightning. The Florida native posted a 6-2 win against the Boston Bruins on the eve of the Christmas break and had shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins in his previous start, so the coach has decided to ride the hot hand for now. Still, he did mention that the plan was to get Montembeault some game action soon.

It’s the second year in a row that the traditional road trip over the holidays includes some uncertainty in net. Last year, Jakub Dobes made his debut in this road trip after Cayden Primeau was assigned to the Laval Rocket. The Czech goalie never went back down; it remains to be seen if the result will be the same for Fowler.

Fowler has never taken on the Lightning, while Montembeault has a 3-3-1 record against Tampa Bay with a 2.99 goal-against-average and a .898 save percentage. As for Dobes, he has a 0-1-0 record with an 8.80 GAA and a .727 SV against the hosts.

At the other end of the ice, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was in the net on Saturday against the Panthers, has a 16-3-2 record against the Habs with a 2.08 GAA and a .931 SV. As for backup Jonas Johansson, he’s 3-2-0 with a 3.81 GAA and a .872 SV and was in the net for the only game between the two sides so far this season.

Up front, the Canadiens will need to keep a close eye on the usual suspects. Nikita Kucherov has 46 points in just 39 games against the Sainte-Flanelle, while Brayden Point has 26 points in 30 games, and Jake Guentzel has 23 points in 19 duels.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens have only three players who have reached double digits in points against the Florida outfit: Gallagher with 19 points in 38 games, Danault with 14 points in 27 games, and Suzuki with 13 points in 19 games.

Today’s game will be the second of four duels planned this season, with the other two taking place on March 31 and April 9. Tampa has won seven of the last 10 tilts between the divisional rivals, but it hasn’t been that long since the Habs grabbed a win at Amalie Arena. Montreal won there on December 29 by a score of 5-2 with Montembeault in the net.

The game is set for 5:00 PM, and you can catch it on The Spot, TSN2, and RDS. After the tilt, the Canadiens will take a short flight to Fort Lauderdale in readiness for their next game, a battle with the Panthers on December 30.

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If things don't shake out the way the Philadelphia Flyers might hope, they could find themselves a little lighter on their salary cap hit with a contract termination.

Though they started the season without him, the Flyers have turned to Emil Andrae on defense and haven't really looked back.

That decision, of course, has had consequences, leading both Egor Zamula and Adam Ginning, who made the NHL roster to start the season, back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Zamula, unlike Ginning, had become an established NHL player over the last few seasons, but strings of poor performances has seen him play himself off the Flyers... perhaps for good.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Zamula's camp has offered the Flyers an opportunity for a mutual contract termination, though the Flyers would prefer to trade the struggling 25-year-old defender for an asset.

"One player who I think is trying to work out something. . . is Egor Zamula. He was sent on waivers earlier this year, he's at $1.7 million for this year and next [sic]. He's represented by Alex Texier's agent who terminated his deal so he could sign as a free agent in Montreal," Friedman reported in his most recent "Saturday Headlines" segment for Sportsnet.

Flyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamJust two games into the season, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> defenseman Egor Zamula has already been benched for his continued struggles.

"I believe the offer is there to do this too. I think there'd be interest at a lower number. Philly prefers a trade for a player who can help them at the AHL level or later this year in the NHL, but Zamula's going to be a name to watch because he cleared waivers and he is an NHL defenseman, just not at the number right now for Philadelphia."

Zamula is a pending restricted free agent at the end of this season and, as Friedman noted, carries a $1.7 million cap hit this season. That's a bit rich for a team that would like to add a depth defender on waivers, especially if that team is a contender of some sort.

As of now, the Flyers are saving $1.15 million by stowing the 6-foot-3 Russian in the AHL, but can move his full $1.7 million off their books via trade or the aforementioned contract termination offer from Zamula's camp.

The end of Zamula's tenure with the Flyers has felt almost inevitable since head coach Rick Tocchet called for him to pick up the pace in the preseason and the results, of course, never followed.

Previously, it was reported that the Calgary Flames had trade interest in Zamula.

The Chicago Blackhawks snapped their six-game losing streak on Saturday night. After traveling to Texas earlier in the day, the Blackhawks took on the Dallas Stars. Coming off a bad run entering the holiday break, playing against this elite Stars team on the same day as traveling was a tough break. 

It doesn’t make it easier that it’s another game without both Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. Ilya Mikheyev also missed the game due to the birth of his child, so the Blackhawks called up Landon Slaggert. Everything was stacked against the Blackhawks entering the contest. 

However, the Blackhawks found a way to overcome that adversity by defeating the Stars in a shootout. Rookie forward Nick Lardis was the hero as he scored the shootout-winning goal. Ryan Donato also scored in the shootout.

During regulation, Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice and Jason Dickinson once to contribute to the 3-3 tie that went past regulation. Alex Vlasic, who was very strong in all three zones, assisted on both Bertuzzi goals. 

In goal, Arvid Soderblom was given the unexpected start following the break. He played very well as he made 28 saves on 31 shots. Some of those stops were of the high-danger variety, which allowed the Hawks to stay in it.

With a back-to-back situation looming, this was a big performance by Arvid Soderblom, which rewards Jeff Blashill’s decision-making. 

If you had to pick apart one thing about the Blackhawks game, it is that they let Mikko Rantanen run wild out there. He finished with one goal and two assists, contributing to all three Stars goals, but it could have been much worse than that if it weren't for Soderblom and the goalposts. 

Still, now the Blackhawks can let the memory of the losing streak evade them as they focus on what's ahead on the schedule. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

making it look easy🔥 pic.twitter.com/dleGlznCEl

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 28, 2025

ooooohhhh my goodness🤩 pic.twitter.com/qsGxHyVNcy

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 28, 2025

Tyler Bertuzzi leads the NHL in goals on the road with 14 goals this season🔥 pic.twitter.com/c00K9rzyxE

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 28, 2025

NICK LARDIS FOR THE WIN‼️ pic.twitter.com/b9Bc4mwCFP

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 28, 2025

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Sunday night, where they will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. This match at the United Center will see a legend like Sidney Crosby battle against this young Hawks team. 

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

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From an entertainment standpoint, Saturday night's Oilers-Flames game in Calgary was kind of disappointing.

Edmonton lost 3-2 in regulation. Connor McDavid extended his point streak to 12 games. Evan Bouchard scored on the power play. Blake Coleman, Yegor Sharangovich, and Ryan Lomberg scored for Calgary. Connor Ingram made 29 saves. It was a perfectly fine hockey game.

But where was the spice? Where was the chaos? Where was the intensity we saw from the Edmonton Oilers four days ago?

No real fighting. Sure, guys were getting shoved around—Ryan Lomberg chopped up a conversation with Darnell Nurse in warmups, Adam Klapka tried making statements with a few deep skates over the red line—but it's still the NHL. Players talk in warmups. They skate around. That's not exactly entertainment.

No Trent Frederic doing what Trent Frederic was brought to the Oilers to do. Tuesday he fought Kevin Bahl after a blindside hit on Zach Hyman. Saturday? Nothing. He dressed. He played 7:15. He wasn't a factor.

Four days after a 5-1 beatdown that featured Leon Draisaitl's hat trick, Connor McDavid's five assists, and Mackenzie Weegar getting kicked out for bashing his stick against the glass in protest, you might expect a little more from the visiting team.

Cole Hutson (Quinn Hutson’s Brother) Rejoins Team USA After Scary InjuryAfter a scary puck incident, Cole Hutson (brother of Oilers' Quinn Hutson) is out of the hospital and back with Team USA, bringing welcome relief and good news.

Now don't get me wrong, this was far from a boring game. But it wasn't quite what we were hoping for.

The moral of the story is that had we had nothing to compare this to, it'd actually be a really good game. Calgary came out fast and energetic. They scored first through Sharangovich at 7:00 of the first period. Edmonton responded with Bouchard's power play goal at 8:36. The game stayed tight. Calgary took the lead on Lomberg's steal and breakaway goal at 3:28 of the second. Blake Coleman made it 3-1 at 12:31 of the third. McDavid cut it to 3-2 with 4:32 left, but that was as close as Edmonton got.

From Calgary's perspective, this is exactly the kind of game the Flames need to play. They were fast. They were physical without taking stupid penalties. They defended well. Dustin Wolf made 29 saves. They protected a lead against one of the league's best offences and walked away with two points.

It's The Best Time Of Year For Hockey FansIf you're a hockey fan, this is the best time of year. Period.

If they play like they did Saturday night every night, then we should all be worried. The Flames looked structured, committed, and dangerous. They scored timely goals. They didn't collapse when McDavid started pushing late. They earned the win.

But good news is they don't play like that every night. Calgary is 16-18-4 and outside the playoff picture for a reason. Saturday was them at their best, responding after getting embarrassed at Rogers Place four days earlier.

"Coming out of three days off, we wanted to have a little better start than we did," Bouchard said afterward. "But I thought as the game went on, we got better."

Isaac Howard's Ideal TimelineThe question hovering over Isaac Howard isn’t whether he’s good enough for the NHL. It’s whether there’s actually room for him, and whether six weeks in Bakersfield is enough time to understand just how fast the show really moves.

Andrew Mangiapane, a former Flame, had basically the same thing to say.

"I think their intensity was kind of up there today. I think it also falls on us that our start was a little slow and sluggish. It's a couple of days off, and all that you don't want to use as an excuse because they're going through the same thing."

That's the problem. Both teams were coming off the holiday break. Both had three days off. Calgary came out with energy. Edmonton didn't match it until the third period when it was too late.

"We did get off to a slow start. We had a push in the third period," summed up Kris Knoblauch. "They were hanging on, and we just couldn't find that tying goal. Some goal posts and chances, but we weren't as sharp as we were before the break."

Oilers Officially Announce Plans to Terminate David Tomasek's ContractDavid Tomasek's NHL tenure ends as the Edmonton Oilers will terminate his contract, clearing cap space for his return to Europe.

So there you go; not as sharp. Tuesday's game spoiled us. Five goals. A hat trick. Five assists from one player. Fights. Misconducts. Players getting kicked out. Complete domination from start to finish.

Saturday was just hockey. Good hockey, even. But after Tuesday's circus, good hockey felt a little flat.

The Oilers went 1-for-3 on the power play after going 3-for-6 on Tuesday. McDavid had one goal instead of five assists. Draisaitl was held off the scoresheet. No fights broke out. No one got kicked out. Calgary didn't fall apart. Edmonton didn't dominate.

Can The Money Saved On Tomasek Be Used On a Game-Changer in Goal?The Oilers' placing Tomasek on waivers frees up $1.2 million. Could this cap space lure Marc-André Fleury to the team if he comes out of retirement?

It was a 3-2 game that stayed competitive until the final five minutes. That should be entertaining enough. But context matters, and the context is that four days ago we watched these two teams produce one of the most lopsided Battle of Alberta games in recent memory.

Saturday was fine. It was respectable. It was a game both teams could take positives from.

But where'd all the excitement go? Because it wasn't around in that 3-2 loss in regulation to the Flames.

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LAS VEGAS -- Another overtime. Another loss for the Golden Knights.

Vegas blew a pair of two-goal leads against the league's top team Saturday night, and the Colorado Avalanche made the Knights pay with a 6-5 shootout win.

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas scored in the shootout, while Mitch Marner was the only one to score for Vegas, which lost for the fourth time in five games.

It marked Vegas' 15th time it played past regulation, while it dropped to 4-11 in overtime and shootout games. The Golden Knights are now 1-5 in shootouts this season.

Five different skaters scored for the Knights, while 12 collected points.

Alexander Holtz, Ivan Barbashev, Ben Hutton, Brett Howden and Colton Sissons scored in regulation for Vegas. Carter Hart made 33 saves and dropped to 4-1-3 since making his debut on Dec. 2.

"We should have been able to close the game out, recognizing, okay, now it's 5-4 (and) the goalie is out," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're usually pretty good in those scenarios. There's a simple breakdown. They got the puck in the middle. That should never happen. So we'll address that.

"After that, overtime, we never got control. We try to challenge people one-on-one in overtime, and unless you're flying, that's a tough way to go, because if you lose possession, now you're chasing it again. So I think a bit of our overtime mentality has to change a little too, when to attack, when not to.

"The shootout is the shootout. I don't know what to say there. We just haven't been able to finish in that."

KEY MOMENT

MacKinnon's game-tying goal at the 8:21 mark of the third period was Colorado's first that didn't deflect off a Golden Knight, and a statement that the Avalanche weren't going away that easily. After Hart stopped Sam Malinski's shot from the blue line, the puck squirted free and MacKinnon was there to punch it home and tie the game, giving Colorado life in the third period with the game tied at 4-all.

KEY STAT

5 - All five of the Golden Knights' goals were at even strength. While Vegas had its six-game streak with at least one power-play goal come to an end, Cassidy was pleased with the fact his troops were able to put five in the net during 5-on-5 against the league's top team, which arrived in Vegas leading the league in goals against per game (2.11).

"They're clearly a better team than we are right now, you can see that with their record and their push," Cassidy said. "But I also feel like we're walking out of here tonight, and couple of things change, and where we get the two points, right?"

"No one feels good when you lose, I don't. We'll take the positives. We got to fix some things."

WHAT A KNIGHT

Holtz scored his first goal of the season and also had an assist. Playing in just his ninth game this season, Holtz made his presence felt early with the game's first goal 2:43 into the opening period. Holtz had two shots and also blocked two shots, in what was arguably his best performance of the season.

"Yeah, he was feeling it, I think," Hutton said about Holtz. "He scored early, he got his confidence and he was flying out there. Confidence goes a long way, especially with a guy like that. And I was happy for him tonight."

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights continue their four-game homestand by hosting the Minnesota Wild on Monday night.

PHOTO CAPTION: Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) collides with Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) after scoring a goal during a shoot out at T-Mobile Arena.

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The Colorado Avalanche earned a 6–5 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, overcoming multiple deficits in a high-scoring affair at T-Mobile Arena. 

How It Went Down

Vegas opened the scoring in the first period when Alexander Holtz recorded his first goal of the season to give the Golden Knights a 1–0 lead. No additional goals were scored in the opening frame. Colorado controlled much of the play during the period, finishing with an edge in puck possession and expected goals, but was unable to convert on its opportunities and entered the intermission trailing by one.

The second period featured a rapid exchange of scoring. Colorado tied the game early in the frame when Samuel Girard was credited with a goal following a deflection. Martin Nečas later added a second goal for the Avalanche after the puck redirected off Kaedan Korczak and past goaltender Carter Hart, briefly leveling the score at 2–2.

The best hockey player on Earth lives in Denver. Shares an arena with the best basketball player on Earth. The potential No. 1 seed in the AFC is one mile away.
pic.twitter.com/S0dvbez8bi

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) December 28, 2025

Vegas responded shortly thereafter to regain the lead. Ben Hutton and Brett Howden then scored within roughly thirty seconds of one another, extending the Golden Knights’ advantage to two goals. Vegas carried that lead into the third period.

Martin Nečas opened the third period by scoring his second goal of the night, pulling Colorado within one. Nathan MacKinnon later contributed on the tying goal, ensuring Sam Malinski’s shot crossed the goal line to even the score at 4–4.

Vegas regained the lead with four minutes remaining in regulation when Colton Sissons scored to make it 5–4. Colorado responded late, as Artturi Lehkonen converted with the extra attacker on the ice after goaltender Scott Wedgewood was pulled, sending the game to overtime tied at 5–5.

The Avs Won A Shootout

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, the Avalanche did have some juicy opportunities in overtime, and Brock Nelson one-timed a pass that clanged off the post.

After both teams failed to score in the additional frame, the shootout, the achilles heal of the Avalanche this season, appeared before them once again looking to keep their curse alive.

Colorado ultimately brought its shootout drought to an end. Martin Nečas converted for the Avalanche with a well-placed attempt against Carter Hart, who finished the night with 33 saves. Vegas responded immediately, however, as Mitch Marner scored on the ensuing shot against Scott Wedgewood, who made 20 saves on the night in what could be described as an off night.

While Colorado’s defense was pressured at times—leading to several odd-man rushes—Wedgewood made a number of timely saves that kept the Avalanche within reach throughout the game. He closed the shootout by stopping the final attempt, securing the win and officially snapping Colorado’s shootout skid.

The Avalanche extended their winning streak to seven games and have now earned points in 27 of their last 28 contests, posting a 23-1-4 record over that span. Meanwhile, Vegas has dropped four of its last five games.

Next Game

The Avalanche return home to Ball Arena for the penultimate game of 2025 as they take on Darcy Kuemper and the Los Angeles Kings. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time. 

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.