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After punches were thrown, Suns' Mark Williams, Pelicans' Jose Alvarado were ejected

Que the suspensions from the league office.

New Orleans' Jose Alvarado and Phoenix's Mark Williams were ejected in the third quarter Saturday night. Everything started with the 6'0" Alvarado trying to get around a screen from the 7'1" Williams, which led to a little pushing, then quickly escalated into punches being thrown. After review both players were ejected.

Alvarado was called for the initial foul for pushing Williams, but the Suns' big man shoved Alvarado in the back, and things escalated from there. There were legitimate punches thrown and both men were ejected. The punches mean there will be suspensions for the players.

This was the second night of a back-to-back between the two teams, and the familiarity may have escalated the situation. Phoenix went on to get the win 123-114, sweeping the two games.

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Power play comes up short for Panthers in 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay

The Florida Panthers came out of the holiday break looking to pick up where they left off when the league hit the pause button earlier this week.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, their cross-state rivals from the north had other plans for Friday’s matchup.

For the second time in three meetings this season, Florida was defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning, this time being dropped by a final score of 4-2.

The Panthers actually got off on the right foot, cashing in on the game’s opening game thanks to a flurry of offense by Florida’s middle six.

After the puck was sent toward Tampa’s net by Aaron Ekblad from the blue line, Evan Rodrigues and Mackie Samoskevich tried jamming the puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy on both sides of the net.

After a couple of attempts, the puck tricked back toward the slot where Eetu Luostarinen sent a backhand toward the net that fluttered past Vasilevskiy 5:37 into the game.

A pair of goals by the Lightning, including a shorthanded tally off the stick of Jake Guentzel, sent Tampa into the first intermission holding a 2-1 lead.

Nikita Kucherov gave the visitors a two-goal advantage at the 2:31 mark of the middle frame, finishing off a 2-on-1 with Braydin Point.

Florida began fighting back later in the period, with Brad Marchand picking up a power play goal off a gorgeous passing play at the 7:05 mark.

After that, there was no shortage of opportunities for the Panthers to tie the score, but they couldn’t find a way to convert on the plethora of power plays bestowed upon them.

When all was said and done, the Panthers finished just 1-for-10 while on the man advantage in a game where Tampa was called for 87 penalty minutes.

Florida did hold the Lightning to 0-for-6 on the power play, but the three goals picked up by the Bolts would prove to be all they needed.

Kucherov added an empty-net tally during the final minute to cement the victory for Tampa.

On to the Capitals.

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Photo caption: Dec 27, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) shoots the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jeff Romance-Imagn Images)

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Blake Lizotte's Impending Return Can't Be Understated Enough

The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to get forward Blake Lizotte back very soon, perhaps as early as Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Lizotte returned to practice for the Penguins on Saturday and was a full participant. Head coach Dan Muse confirmed to reporters after the session ended that Lizotte has been cleared for contact, and his final clearance for Sunday's game is still pending. 

Lizotte was back in his usual spot on the fourth line with Connor Dewar and Noel Acciari. He has missed the last nine games with an undisclosed injury and hasn't played since Dec. 7 when the Penguins lost 3-2 to the Dallas Stars in a shootout.

The Penguins have won only one of the nine games Lizotte has missed. No, Lizotte isn't a cure-all to the Penguins' problems, but he has still been really missed in the lineup, especially on the penalty kill. 

Before getting hurt, this was a Penguins kill that ranked in the top 10 of the entire NHL. Heck, it was top five back in mid-November. Fast forward to now (Dec. 27), and it ranks 14th in the league at 81.1%. Part of that slide in the rankings is due to the Penguins going through a stretch from Dec. 14-18 when they killed only 7 of 12 penalties against the Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, and Utah Mammoth. All three games resulted in losses and contributed to the Penguins' eight-game losing streak. 

Lizotte is a puck hound on the PK, and the rest of the players on the top unit feed off it. He consistently applies pressure and doesn't give opposing players any time in the offensive zone. He's always in position and can also block a ton of shots. 

Since going down with his injury, the PK has been much more passive, allowing opposing PP units to do whatever they want in the offensive zone. The PK has also been giving up free zone entries and isn't boxing players out effectively at the front of the net. 

Switching gears to 5v5 play, Lizotte is a big part of the fourth line. I still maintain that Dewar is the straw that stirs the drink on that line, but Lizotte's speed, tenacity, and forechecking ability open up a lot of things for his line. He helps the line cycle down low in the offensive zone and is a handful along the boards when trying to win puck battles. 

Penguins Notebook: Lizotte Full Participant In First Practice After Holiday BreakPenguins Notebook: Lizotte Full Participant In First Practice After Holiday BreakThe three-day holiday break was a much-needed hiatus and reset for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, who had won just one of their previous 10 games and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/5-things-the-penguins-should-ask-for-this-holiday-season">are 3-5-4 in the month of December</a>.

Even if those plays aren't resulting in goals, they help to sustain momentum, something that Penguins head coach Dan Muse likes a lot. He's super excited to get Lizotte back soon. 

"I think it starts with just that energy he plays with," Muse said after Saturday's practice. "I mean, it's contagious. And I think he's able to, because of the way he plays, a lot of times, he's creating momentum for our team. Whether it's the way he tracks and strips, or just stays on pucks, blocks shots, he does a lot of little things there that go a long way and that are greatly appreciated in the locker room."

This is Lizotte's second season with the Penguins after signing a two-year deal with them during free agency in 2024. He finished the 2024-25 season with 11 goals and 20 points in 59 games and has three goals and five points in 27 games so far this season. 

Digging a bit deeper, Lizotte has played 294:54 at 5v5 this season and has been on the ice for 53.5% of the shot attempts, 53.8% of the expected goals, 54.8% of the scoring chances, and 54.3% of the high-danger chances. 

He drives play in the bottom six, and the Penguins are hoping that he can pick up from where he left off before getting hurt. This is a Penguins team that has lost nine of their last 10 games and finds themselves three points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

They can cut the deficit down to one point with a win over the Blackhawks on Sunday evening.

(Data via Natural Stat Trick). 

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Alex Laferriere's hat trick powers Kings to blowout victory over Ducks

Kings forward Alex Laferriere (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring his third goal against the Ducks.
Kings forward Alex Laferriere (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring his third goal of the game during a 6-1 win over the Ducks at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. (Juan Ocampo / NHLI via Getty Images)

The Kings and Ducks backed into Saturday’s rivalry game at Crypto.com Arena.

The Kings came out of the NHL’s three-day holiday break having lost six of their last seven, scoring just 11 goals over that span. Only two teams in the Western Conference have been worst in December.

The Ducks hadn’t been much better, though, having won just two of their last seven to give up their lead in the Pacific Division. But the league rules said somebody had to win Saturday and that proved to be the Kings, who rode a four-goal first period and Alex Laferriere’s first career hat trick to a dominant 6-1 victory that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated.

Read more:Adrian Kempe explains why he chose the Kings over a bigger payday in free agency

Drew Doughty put the Kings in front to stay just three minutes after the opening faceoff, finding open ice on the edge of the crease, where he took a pass from Quinton Byfield and deflected it past Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal. The second assist on the goal went to former Duck Corey Perry.

Trevor Moore doubled the lead less than a minute later, redirecting in a feed from Brian Dumoulin in the left circle. Ducks coach Joel Quenneville responded by calling a 30-second timeout in an effort to settle his team.

That didn’t work, with Laferriere blasting a one-timer by Dostal from just outside the crease to make it 3-0 with  9:39 left in the first period. When Byfield scored on a power play in the final minute, the Kings had their first four-goal period of the season and their first four-goal game in nearly three weeks.

After being booed off the ice at the end of their last game, a 3-2 loss to Seattle on Wednesday, the Kings left to cheers for the first intermission.

The Ducks finally got on the board when Mason McTavish scored on the power play midway through the second period. They worked hard for that goal, outshooting the Kings 12-1 in the period, yet coming away with just the one score.

Laferriere wound up matching that less than five minutes into the third period, scoring on a breakaway to give him the third multi-goal game of his career and his first this season. Dumoulin and Anze Kopitar both got their second assists on the goal.

And Laferriere wasn’t done, scoring his 10th goal on a one-timer from the high slot at 13:15 of the final period. The six goals for the Kings matched their season high and was one short of what they had scored in their last four games combined.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Kevin McCullar Jr. latest Knicks youngster to shine with extended opportunity

The Knicks were playing shorthanded again on Saturday. 

Landry Shamet and Miles McBride are progressing well but remain out, and now Josh Hart has joined them after suffering an ankle injury during the Christmas win over the Cavs.  

Hart is still being evaluated, but he's expected to be out for New York’s entire road trip. 

So with the dynamic forward missing, Mike Brown had an opportunity to dip even further into the Knicks’ depth. 

We’ve seen unexpected contributors step up this season, and now it was Kevin McCullar Jr’s time to shine. 

McCullar came into the night with just seven appearances in his pro career, but he was more than ready to go when Brown called on him as his first reserve off the bench.

“You just have to stay ready at all times,” he said. “Coach Brown trusts in one through 17 on the bench, and you just have to try to be ready when your number is called.”

McCullar picking up four rebounds (three offensive) and dished an assist in an active first five minutes. 

The 24-year-old carried that into the second quarter, contributing one of the plays of the season, in which he dove after a loose ball he poked free then found some space and knocked down a corner three on the return pass. 

It was those type of hustle plays that gave New York the energy they needed to end the first half strong.

McCullar kept the momentum going coming out of the locker room, knocking down his third triple of the night as part of a seven-point quarter, helping the Knicks barely weather Atlanta’s early second-half surge. 

Then with the Hawks refusing to go away, Brown trusted him enough to give him minutes down the stretch. 

The youngster ended up being named New York's Defensive Player of the Game, and he finished his most impressive NBA showing with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a career-high 23 minutes. 

“I just wanted to give him a chance,” Brown said. “Threw him out there for a few minutes and he was fantastic, he earned even more minutes -- I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned them.”

With Hart sidelined, perhaps McCullar will be able to earn even more minutes over the next few games. 

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Nets extend winning streak to three with 123-107 win over Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cam Thomas scored 30 points in his return after missing 20 games with a left hamstring strain, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-107 on Saturday night.

Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who had six players score in double figures. Brooklyn (10-19) has won four of five and five of seven.

The Nets, who improved to 7-3 in December, are allowing an NBA-low 103.1 points per game this month.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota (20-12) with 28 points, but the Timberwolves dropped back-to-back games for the third time this season. Minnesota lost 142-138 in overtime Thursday at Denver.

Five players scored in double digits for Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels had 16 points, while Naz Reid and Julius Randle each added 13.

Thomas, who played just under 20 minutes, scored 12 straight Brooklyn points in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, for an 89-82 lead. The Brooklyn guard is averaging 22.3 points on 42.2% shooting in nine games this season.

Day’Ron Sharpe scored six of the Nets’ final eight points of the quarter for a 98-86 advantage. A pull-up jumper by Thomas, followed by four points from Danny Wolf, made it 104-86 early in the fourth.

Porter’s 3 gave the Nets a 120-102 lead with 1:57 to play. In eight games this month, he is averaging 28.4 points on 51.1% shooting, including 46.7% from outside the arc. He’s also grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game.

An MRI on Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who exited Thursday’s loss to Denver, showed a left foot strain. Shannon will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Up next

Nets: Host the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

Timberwolves: Start a four-game trip Monday in Chicago.

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Columbus Blue Jackets (36 pts) vs. New York Islanders (46 pts) Game Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home after the Christmas break to take on the New York Islanders at 5 PM. 

New York Islanders - 21-13-4 - 46 Points - 6-3-1 in the last 10 - 2nd in the Metro

Columbus Blue Jackets - 15-15-6 - 36 Points - 3-6-1 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro  

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 20.7% - 12th in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 74.3% - 30th in the NHL
  • Goals For - 104- 23rd in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 124 - 25th in the NHL

Islanders Stats

  • Power Play - 15.7% - 27th in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 82.1% - 11th in the NHL
  • Goals For - 106 - 20th in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 100 - 6th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheIslanders

  • Columbus is 27-23-1-7 all-time, and 18-7-1-4 at home vs. New York.
  • The home team is 10-3-1 in the last 14 games of the series.
  • The Blue Jackets have won 3 of the last 5 overall against the Isles.
  • The CBJ have not had a power play against the Islanders since 2023.

Who To Watch For TheIslanders

  • Bo Horvat leads the Islanders in goals(19) and points(31).
  • Mathew Barzal leads the team with 19 assists.
  • Goalie Marcus Hogberg is 2-6-3 with a SV% of .878.
  • David Rittich is 9-3-2 with a SV% of .919. He started last night and shut out the New York Rangers.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Islanders

  • Mason Marchment has 4 points in 9 games vs. the Islanders.
  • Boone Jenner has 16 points in 33 games.
  • Charlie Coyle has 15 points in 25 career games against NYI.

Injuries 

  • Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 28 Games - IR - No timeline for a return
  • Zach Werenski - Lower Body - Missed 1 Game
  • Isac Lundeström - Lower Body

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 73

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Bob Wischusen will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 THE FAN, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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OG Anunoby delivers late to help Knicks hang on for 128-125 win over Hawks

The Knicks hung on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 128-125 on Saturday night at State Farm Arena. 

Here are the takeaways...

- The Knicks were without Josh Hart in this one, and he's expected miss the three-game road trip with the ankle sprain he suffered in the Christmas Day win, so rookie Mohamed Diawara received the second start of his NBA career. 

- Mike Brown dipped even further into his bench early on, turning to Kevin McCullar Jr. as his first reserve, and the youngster made an immediate impact with four rebounds (three offensive) and an assist over his first five minutes of action. 

- New York dominated the boards as a team in the opening quarter, bringing in 20 rebounds to Atlanta's nine. The Knicks' offense found their footing after a bit of a slow start and they were able to open a five-point advantage on Jalen Brunson's three with two seconds left in a back-and-forth first. 

- The Hawks evened things up early in the second, but a 12-4 Knicks run helped them push the lead back up to eight. The orange and blue faithful in attendance went crazy as Tyler Kolek completed a pretty and-one, then Karl-Anthony Towns connected with Mikal Bridges on a behind-the-head pass. 

Towns picked up where he left off in the last meeting with Atlanta, with 16 points and seven boards in his first 13 minutes.

- McCullar took advantage of extended minutes off the bench with the lead pushed to double-digits. The 24-year-old knocked down a pair of threes and provided a spark with his hustle plays on both ends of the court, finishing a terrific first half with six points and six rebounds. 

- Jalen Brunson started out 1-of-4 from three but knocked down his first two coming out of the third. The captain connected with a driving Mikal Bridges for a fastbreak slam to help extend the lead out to 16 minutes into the second half. New York was mad at the rims on Saturday, throwing down some monstrous jams. 

Atlanta refused to go away, and they were able to close the gap all the way back down to nine in the dying minutes of the third. Brunson contributed 10 points in the frame and McCullar chipped in seven more, helping New York weather the storm.

- Towns appeared to settle the Knicks back into a groove with eight consecutive points (and a Kolek three celebration) early in the fourth, but the Hawks continued battling. Nickeil Alexander-Walker's fifth three of the night made it a one possession ballgame with just under five minutes remaining in regulation.  

Atlanta jumped back in front on Onyeka Okongwu's three minutes later, but Brunson responded as he always does with a pair of clutch buckets. The captain committed a costly turnover just one possession later, though, allowing the Hawks to break the other way and regain the lead. 

After a Brunson miss on the other end, OG Anunoby grabbed a huge board and knocked down a pair of free throws. Anunoby then made the defensive play of the game, coming up with a huge steal and drilling two more free throw to help the Knicks hang on for the thrilling victory. 

- Anunoby finished with 15 points, including 7-for-7 from the line, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

- Towns led the way with 36 points and 16 boards, Brunson had 34 points, Bridges 14 and eight assists, and McCullar chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds in arguably the most impressive performance of his young NBA career. 

Game MVP: Kevin McCullar Jr. 

The youngster provided the spark off the bench in arguably his most impressive NBA action. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks continue their road trip with a meeting with the Pelicans on Monday at 8:00 p.m.

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Devils drop third straight game after 4-3 loss to Capitals in OT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored in overtime and Logan Thompson made 35 saves as the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Saturday night.

Chychrun beat Devils netminder Jake Allen with his 15th goal 4:06 into the extra session to lift Washington to only its second win in its last eight games. New Jersey lost its third straight.

Aliaksei Protas also scored and added two assists for Washington. Anthony Beauvillier and Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals, who are 11-1-0 in their last 12 visits to Prudential Center.

The visitors led 2-1 entering the third period before the Devils scored twice in a 32-second span to move ahead. Ovechkin then tied the game at 3 with his 15th goal, the NHL-record 912th of his career at 9:17.

Jesper Bratt — who had just one goal since Nov. 6 — scored twice for New Jersey. Cody Glass also scored for the Devils, who have lost 13 of their last 20 games.

Protas opened the scoring with less than a second left in the first, tapping in a pass from Ovechkin for his 14th goal.

Bratt tied the contest 1-1 at 4:56 of the second on the power play.

Beauvillier snapped the puck past Allen for his seventh goal at 17:33 of the middle period to put Washington ahead 2-1.

Bratt tied the contest again at the seven-minute mark of the third with his second goal of the game and eighth of the season. Glass then put New Jersey ahead at 7:32 with his seventh before Ovechkin tied the game for a third time.

Washington rebounded from Tuesday’s 7-3 home loss to the Rangers.

The Devils were coming off Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Islanders at UBS Arena and last Sunday’s 3-1 home loss to Buffalo.

Allen made 29 saves in defeat.

Up next

Devils: Visit Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Capitals: Visit Florida Panthers on Monday.

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Former Flyers Star Claude Giroux Hits Big Milestone

Former Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux has hit a new career milestone, as he played in his 1,300th career NHL game during the Ottawa Senators' matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 27.

While Giroux is now 37 years old and in his 19th NHL season, there is no question that the former Flyer is still a very impactful player. In 37 games so far this campaign with the Senators, he has posted seven goals and 26 points. These are solid offensive numbers from Giroux, and he is a key part of the Senators' forward group because of it. 

Giroux is now just the 76th player in NHL history to play in 1,300 career regular-season games. That is certainly a big accomplishment for the former Flyer. 

Giroux was selected by the Flyers with the 22nd overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The Hearst, Ontario native played 1,000 of his career NHL games with the Flyers, where he recorded 291 goals, 609 assists, 900 points, and a plus-27 rating. The seven-time All-Star also served as the Flyers' captain from 2012-13 until he was traded to the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 season. 

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Rangers shut out by Islanders for second time this season after 2-0 loss

NEW YORK (AP) — David Rittich made 27 saves for his ninth career shutout, Anders Lee scored less than a minute into the game, and the New York Islanders blanked the New York Rangers 2-0 on Saturday night.

Lee’s unassisted goal 58 seconds in extended his point streak to five games as the Islanders won their second straight. Simon Holmstrom added an empty-netter with 16 seconds left in the game.

The Islanders’ Bo Horvat returned to the lineup after missing the previous five games with a lower-body injury.

Igor Shesterkin finished with 24 saves, but the Rangers were shut out for the seventh time this season.

Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy turned the puck over behind Shesterkin, allowing Lee to capitalize for his 10th goal of the season.

Rittich denied Will Cuylle on a two-on-one opportunity midway through the first period to preserve the one-goal advantage. He also stopped Artemi Panarin on a breakaway in the second to keep the Rangers off the scoreboard.

Soucy was awarded a penalty shot after Cal Ritchie slashed him on a breakaway, but Rittich turned aside the attempt in the third period.

The Islanders went 0 for 5 on the power play.

The Islanders placed starting goaltender Ilya Sorokin on injured reserve before the game, but the Russian netminder is expected to travel with the team on the upcoming two-game road trip to close out the calendar year.

Up next

Rangers: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.

Islanders: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday to open a two-game road trip.