LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jesper Bratt scored the winning goal in a shootout and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, 2-1, on Tuesday night.

Pavel Dorofeyev, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner missed opportunities in the shootout for Vegas. Marner’s attempt appeared to go in, but it was deemed a no-goal because the puck went off his skate after the initial shot.

Connor Brown scored in regulation for New Jersey. Jake Allen made 37 saves.

Dorofeyev scored for Vegas, and Carter Hart made 32 saves.

Vegas went to overtime for the 14th time in its 32 games.

The Knights finished 1 of 4 on the power play, including a failed opportunity in overtime, while the Devils continued to struggle on with a man advantage. New Jersey was 0 for 2 on the power play and is now 1 of 18 with the man advantage in the past eight games.

The Golden Knights earned a point and moved into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks.

The Devils, who are missing a significant portion of their lineup including Jack Hughes, got on the board first when they took advantage of a Vegas turnover in New Jersey’s zone.

Brown gathered the loose puck, skated through the crease and wrapped his shot around a sprawled-out Hart to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

Barbashev tied the game when his one-timer from the right circle found its way in the upper right corner with 4:11 left in regulation.

The Golden Knights, playing without leading scorer and star center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore, tied the game when Dorofeyev notched his second power-play goal in as many games and ninth of the season on a man advantage.

Up Next

New Jersey: Play at Utah on Friday

Vegas: Plays at Calgary on Saturday

When the Pittsburgh Penguins traded star winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes in the spring of 2024, the top line of Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, and Bryan Rust was operating at a very high level. Many were worried about how the Penguins were going to offset the loss of Guentzel on that top line.

Well, Rickard Rakell fit in quite nicely as a replacement. And Rakell, Crosby, and Rust thrived the rest of that season and all of last season. 

However, this season has been a bit of a different story. 

From a production standpoint, things don't look all that bleak. But, when diving into the deeper picture - and, especially, ever since Rakell returned from injured reserve on Dec. 13 in a 6-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks - it tells a much different story. 

Overall, Rakell, Crosby, and Rust have combined for 34 goals and 73 points in 74 total games played, with 12 of those goals and 32 of those points coming on the power play. Crosby alone is on pace for 21 goals and 38 points on the power play - which would be his highest power play point total since 2017-18 and the highest power play goal total of his career by a margin of five, and those 16 power play goals came in his rookie season. 

So, not only is the even-strength production (they only have one six-on-five point) nothing spectacular, but they are more reliant on the power play this season than they have been in the past. And that's not even accounting for their defensive play. 

In Tuesday's 6-4 loss against the Edmonton Oilers, the line's expected goal share was a pedestrian 44.1 percent, with a glaring .928 on-ice expected goals against. The expected goals share for the Utah Mammoth loss on Sunday was 47 percent, while it was 51.3 percent against the Sharks. Those metrics simply aren't good enough for a team's top line. 

Takeaways: Penguins Drop Sixth Straight On Milestone Night For Oilers' DraisaitlThe biggest story going into the Tuesday matchup between the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/">Edmonton Oilers</a> was the goaltending battle, which featured two netminders in Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner who were <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/we-re-ripping-off-the-band-aid-right-away-skinner-jarry-to-square-off-against-former-teams">swapped in a trade between the teams on Friday</a>.&nbsp;

And, according to HockeyStatcards, Rust (minus-2.5) and Crosby (minus-1.9) have the two worst defensive ratings on the Penguins. Rakell is right in the middle of the pack as far as Penguins' players are concerned and is one of their better defensive forwards. But even in the three games since Rakell's return, Crosby and Rust together are almost becoming a liability, and this dates back to last season. 

Prior to last season, Rust only had a plus-minus in the negatives twice in his career, with the lowest ranking at a minus-4. He finished the season at a minus-21.

As for Crosby? Same thing, with the previous worst being a minus-8. Last season, he finished at minus-20, and he has a minus-6 already this season. 

Normally, looking into plus-minus as a means to measure defensive and offensive performance is a futile exercise. But those numbers are so drastic that they're hard to ignore, and they match both the analytics and the eye test. 

Simply put, those two probably should not be seeing the ice together right now, even if they're producing above or near a point-per-game clip. Rust is versatile enough to slot elsewhere in the lineup and remain productive, and Crosby is skilled enough to keep one player near point-per-game (Rakell) on his line and develop chemistry with a younger, more defensively responsible forward.

Opinion: The Penguins Need To Right The Ship - And It Starts With Their LeadersThe Pittsburgh Penguins are mired in their worst stretch of the season, and it's up to Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang to pull them out of it.

So, if this top line is split up, how should the Penguins handle their lineup?

Well, the truth is that without Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte for the time being, it is difficult to do too much tinkering. The Penguins have a shortage of centers as-is, so they are limited on who they can bump up in the lineup. 

But there are still some viable options. 

For one, both Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty saw time with Crosby last season and excelled. McGroarty registered a goal and three points in five games, while Koivunen put up seven points in eight games split between Crosby's and Malkin's line. Koivunen (plus-1.2) and McGroarty (minus-0.3) are within the top-10 as far as defense rating among Penguins' forwards, and they both have a skillset that, in theory, should be complementary to an elite playmaker in Crosby and a goal-scoring, physical forward in Rakell. 

Koivunen was scratched Sunday against Utah, but it may be worth giving him another look in the top-six, especially since the Penguins are starting to shake up their lineup, anyway. 18-year-old Ben Kindel has been excellent as the team's third-line center this season, and although he has developed chemistry with both McGroarty and Koivunen, the top-six has to become a priority, especially with other capable players who can slot in on the third line. 

3 Injured Penguins' Forwards Skate Before Team Practice WednesdayThe struggling Pittsburgh Penguins could be getting some help soon on the injury front

Why not give McGroarty or Koivunen a few games alongside Crosby and Rakell? Then, you can have Tommy Novak center a second line with Bryan Rust and Anthony Mantha, while Justin Brazeau, Kindel, and Koivunen or McGroarty comprise the third line. 

Not only does this distribute scoring more evenly throughout the lineup, it also ensures that there is a stronger defensive presence on each of the top-three lines. And - at the end of the day - the Penguins are on a six-game losing streak, so trying something new certainly won't hurt, and they can always go back to the familiar if all else fails. 

Regardless, one thing is for certain: The Penguins can't tread water much longer with Crosby and Rust on the same line putting up the defensive numbers that they are. And it's probably best for the Penguins if they start exploring other options for what is supposed to be their best line right now. 

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

The Nashville Predators had issues weathering the storm that was the Carolina Hurricanes from puck drop. The Predators' struggle to get anything going saw them fall to Carolina, 4-1, on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena. 

Filip Forsberg spoiled Pyotr Kochetkov's shutout bid in the third period, scoring his ninth point in six games and his fourth goal in two games. On the assists, it was Ryan O'Reilly's 14th point in 10 games and Steven Stamkos' sixth point in four games. 

The Predators had a little bit of a push in the third period, but it wasn't enough. 

Despite the loss, Saros made 33 saves on 36 shots and allowed three goals. It was his ninth 30+ save performance of the season. Nashville was outshot, 37-26, on the night. 

Here are three takeaways from Predators' loss to the Hurricanes. 

Stalled offense 

Saros did all the heavy work in the first period as the Predators' offense struggled immensely. Despite being down just 1-0, Nashville was outshot, 19-5, in the first period and saw Jackson Blake score his ninth of the season off a rebound in front of the net.

Carolina is the top puck possession team in the league, spending 46.2% of their total possession time this season in the offensive zone. On the flip side, they are not in their own zone for long, with just 35.6% of their total possession time spent in the defensive zone. 

Nashville struggled to not only get their offense going, but get the puck off Hurricanes sticks. 

"They're fast, and I thought we played slow for the first part of the game," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "It took a little while to kind of get into the game for us and then a little bit of the game plan wasn't executed. 
We turned over pucks at the blue line and credit to them, they got great sticks and back pressure." 

Following the 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday, Filip Forsberg credited the teams breakout effort and was one of the reasons why the Predators had been playing so well as of late. 

On Wednesday, the Predators' breakout struggled consistently, whether it was making a pass to get it going or turning the puck over. Nashville gave away the puck 18 times on the night. 

"It's a little bit of both. 
We need our D back faster and our forwards need to come back and support better," Forsberg said. "Whether it's getting puck battles higher up on the walls, trying to get the pucks out that way or coming lower, try to create some separation."

Penalties sting Preds again 

While Nashville was able to keep its PIM below 10 minutes, penalties were still an issue in the final result.

It was a one-goal game for the majority until Nick Perbix took a delay of game penalty in the third period. On the power play, Sebastian Aho scored off a one-time feed into the slot by Jackson Blake to put the Hurricanes up by two. 

Less than two minutes later, Seth Jarvis scored off a one-timer on Saros' glove side to bump the lead to three goals. One penalty derailed any chance that Nashville had to get back into the game. 

"We knew it was gonna be a muddy game. One goal game, and then we'd take a kind of a senseless penalty, and two goals is gonna be really hard against this team (Carolina), especially the way they're playing right now," Brunette said. 

Penalties have been a continuous issue for the Predators all season. In their last meeting against the Hurricanes, Nashville put Carolina on the power play six times and they'd score twice. On Wednesday, the Hurricanes had four opportunities, scoring on one. 

Carolina also has one of the worst power plays in the league, sitting at 15.5%. 

Saros keeps Nashville in it 

This could've been a 10-0 game if Saros had not been in net. 

In addition to making nearly 20 saves in the first period alone, Saros recorded his ninth 30+ save performance of the season, making 33 saves on 36 shots. He continues to prove that he is crucial to the Predators' nightly success. 

Even after the loss, Saros is still flirting with a .900 save percentage, now a .897 and is now below 3.00 goals against average at 2.95. On the month, his save percentage is sitting at .920. 

"Juice (Saros) kept us in the game for the first period, then we actually started taking over," Forsberg said. "We keep working through the whole thing, and didn't get the result that we wanted in a third, but we certainly created enough chances for it." 

Up next: Toronto Maple Leafs (15-12-5, 6th Atlantic) at Nashville Predators (13-16-4, 8th Central) on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena

The Los Angeles Kings (14-10-9) showed flashes of urgency and physicality in the final period. Still, familiar issues resurfaced as they dropped their fourth consecutive game, falling 3-2 to the Florida Panthers (18-13-2) on  Wednesday afternoon.

Despite a late third-period push to trim the lead down to one, the Kings were once again undone by costly turnovers, missed chances, and an inability to sustain momentum when it mattered most. 

Not only is it their fourth straight loss, but the Kings have also dropped in the Pacific Division to fourth place behind the Edmonton Oilers, slowly falling apart, especially in December, going 2-6 in their eight games so far this month. Changes might be on the way soon, even if they find a slim way to turn it around. 

Final from Sunrise. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/HwTdZbdaZR

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 18, 2025

Kings Strike First, But Can't Build Momentum

LA struck first again early, midway through the first period, capitalizing on several shots blocked by Florida's defense. Brandt Clarke and Alex Laferriere did a good job of rewarding Joel Armia for scoring the goal and giving the Kings a 1-0 lead after one. 

It was a good sign for the Kings that they had a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes because the Panthers were (0-9-0) when trailing after 20 minutes. So, Los Angeles already had the advantage just by scoring the first goal of the game, which they've done plenty of times this season. 

The Kings controlled large stretches early in the game, matching Florida shot-for-shot and winning key faceoffs, but the Panthers didn't quit as the game progressed. Anton Forsberg kept Los Angeles in front with a great night, finishing with 25 saves, including timely stops on Bard Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe during Florida's run. 

Florida's Pressure Turns the Tide

But that pressure from Forsberg didn't last long, as Anton Lundell tied the game 1-1 early in the second period, finishing a quick sequence off a Panthers faceoff win. Florida wasn't finished there, though. Just five minutes later, after scoring their first goal, Verhaeghe gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead, burying the tough shot through traffic after a breakdown from the Kings. 

The dagger came just five seconds into the third period when Sam Bennett extended Florida's lead to 3-1 after Brandt Clarke turned the puck over and converted quickly before Los Angeles could recover defensively. 

To their credit, Los Angeles didn't give up when Kevin Fiala pulled Los Angeles within one, with a circus shot that wasn’t supposed to go in, but deflected off Florida and found its way in the net to make it 3-2. It looked like that goal would give the Kings some sort of momentum or urgency to get back into the game, but that didn't happen. 

Missed chances tell the story. Several of King's attempts sailed just wide right or were blocked in the slot. Give credit to Florida's defense in the clutch, making it challenging for Los Angeles to find clean shooting lanes during its final push. 

Kings once again struggled on the power play, going 1-4 tonight and failing to capitalize on key opportunities to swing momentum. Meanwhile, turnovers were also another issue, particularly late in periods, and continued to haunt them. 

Four straight losses later, the Kings are still searching for answers, collapsing right in front of our eyes every game.  You could point to several issues, including effort, turnovers, blown leads, and execution to close out games. Until Los Angeles can learn how to close games and protect leads, this slide will continue. 

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The Florida Panthers were back on home ice Wednesday night, looking to build on the momentum they gained during their recent road trip.

Florida hosted the Los Angeles Kings for their second and final meeting of the season and completed the two-game sweep, defeating LA by a final of 3-2.

The Kings opened the scoring while on the power play after Sam Bennett was called for a high sticking double minor.

Joel Armia got his stick on a point shot by Brandt Clark, deflecting the puck past Daniil Tarasov to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead with 6:21 left in the opening period.

Florida tied things up in similar fashion, with a power play goal early in the second period.

Parked in front of the net, Anton Lundell got his stick on a point shot by Aaron Ekblad, deflecting the puck perfectly past the glove of Anton Forsberg to knot the score at one 2:14 into the middle frame.

Less than five minutes later, the Panthers took their first lead of the night.

The red-hot Sam Bennett line struck again, as Carter Verhaeghe scored his ninth goal over his past 11 games to give Florida a 2-1 lead at the 7:04 mark of the second period off assists from Jeff Petry and Brad Marchand.

Carrying a one-goal lead into the final 20 minutes, the Panthers quickly added some insurane to their scoring total.

Directly off the third period’s opening faceoff, Marchand made a perfect pass to a cutting Bennett, who deflected the puck right under the crossbar to double the Cats’ lead just 10 seconds into the period.

That goal came in handy after Florida was victimized by a crazy bounce that ended up in the back of their net.

Directly off a faceoff win in the Panthers’ zone, a Gus Forsling pass attempt that was intended for Marchand on a set ‘face-off win’ play went off skate of Kevin Fiala and somehow bounced back toward the net and past Tarasov.

The fluky goal cut Florida’s lead to 3-2 with 15:12 on the clock.

That’s as close as the Kings would get, thanks to some strong defensive hockey and a key penalty kill in the final minutes.

On to the Hurricanes.

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Photo caption: Dec 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates after a goal by center Carter Verhaeghe (not pictured) against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)