With every passing game, folks are waiting to see the Pittsburgh Penguins snap out of whatever malaise they find themselves in. 

With yet another loss - this one against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday in the first of a home-and-home back-to-back - they clearly have not found a way out of it. And it doesn't seem like any solution is in sight, either. 

Going into the month of December, the Penguins were 12-7-5, and they won their first two games of the month against the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Since then, they have dropped seven straight games, with four of those in regulation and four in overtime. 

They still have games in hand on almost every team above them in the standings, but so does everyone else around them in the standings. And, with the way they are playing, those one to three games in hand mean less and less with each loss. They end Saturday just three points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for last place in the Eastern Conference, and they are now four points out of the final wild card spot - a place they found themselves in just a week ago.

At this juncture, it seems pointless to keep asking what the Penguins can do to fix their situation. This hasn't been a gradual downward spiral. No, this has been an utter freefall, and it's almost unreal when considering that 33 of the 34 teams - like the Penguins - who have finished the month of October 8-2-2 have made the playoffs.

There were early warning signs that the start may have been a bit of a mirage. Team goaltending and shooting percentage (PDO) were high to begin with, and they have since fallen off. But even as those numbers began to balance out, the Penguins were still middle-of-the-pack from a five-on-five analytical standpoint, and their special teams were the best in the league.

Dan Muse: "You go through a stretch like we've been going through, sometimes you start to grip the stick too tight... It's not easy on anybody. But we got to turn the page."

More from tonight ⬇️ https://t.co/VnAUT1i9zO

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) December 21, 2025

All in all - even if they were never going to be the team they were in October - there is still a lot to indicate that this team should not be losing or performing the way that it is right now. They're better than this. And they know they're better than this. 

But, results are results. And the Penguins aren't getting them right now. They're at a juncture in their season where their performance in the immediacy is going to dictate what direction the team is going to take for the rest of this season and beyond. 

So, what now? Where do the Penguins go from here?

Well, there are some things in the "now" that need addressed. The NHL holiday roster freeze took effect Friday and runs through Dec. 28, so the Penguins can only have roster movement in the form of IR transactions and emergency recalls during that time. They play three more games in that time. 

And there are also more long-term things, too, that intersect with the short-term focus. 

Pittsburgh Penguins To Have New Majority OwnershipThe Hoffmann Family of Companies, which is acquiring a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins, said its goal is to support Kyle Dubas with everything he needs to bring the team back to the top.

Special teams are becoming less special

A week ago, the Penguins had a top-five penalty kill unit. After the 4-0 shutout loss to Montreal?

They're ranked 18th. 

The unit has surrendered eight goals in the last six games, and that almost directly correlates with the loss of Blake Lizotte to injured reserve seven games ago. Lizotte is, without a doubt, the Penguins' best penalty-killer, and he has arguably been their best bottom-six forward this season. They are sorely missing him on the PK, in defensive zone situations, and in six-on-five situations, which have also been a disaster lately. But he is not expected back until after the holiday, so the Penguins need to get back to the aggressive approach they were taking with him in the lineup.

As for the power play? Even that has slid in recent games - again, almost directly correlated with the loss of Evgeni Malkin eight games ago. The unit has dipped below 30 percent for the first time this season, and it is now ranked third in the league after spending almost the entirety of the season at the top of the league. It is just six for its last 31 (19.4 percent), and it has surrendered two shorthanded goals in that time. 

The Penguins need to get back to basics on both units, and they need to get there fast. They are clearly more than capable, but injuries have killed them on both units.

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

No trades right now... but what if this continues past roster freeze?

Obviously, the Penguins already made a big trade when they sent forward Sam Poulin and Tristan Jarry - their best-performing goaltender of the season - to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 12 in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. Clearly, the Penguins have struggled mightily since then. 

But there are still other prominent names on the board. And with each loss, their time in Pittsburgh becomes less secure. 

Erik Karlsson has been one of the few players still performing relatively well through this stretch, and he is outpacing both of his previous seasons with the Penguins point-wise. He is also - generally speaking - playing better defensive hockey this season. With just one year remaining on his contract that the Penguins owe $10 million on - and with all three of their retention slots open - he is a clear candidate to be moved well in advance of the deadline if things continue to go south. 

NHL Rumors: 3 Penguins Featured On New Trade BoardThese three Penguins have made a new trade board.

And then, there is Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Rust's production - 12 goals and 28 points in 32 games - may still be enough to entice a team to give up a pretty good package for him. But his defensive play has been abysmal this season, and that won't go entirely unnoticed by potential suitors. 

As for Rakell? His month and a half on injured reserve didn't do him or his trade value any favors, as he has three goals and 10 points in 14 games but no goals in his five games since returning to the lineup. There is still time for Rakell to gain traction, but it's unclear where he'll be deployed in the lineup going forward, even with Malkin back in the picture. 

A month ago, folks were talking about all three players still being in Pittsburgh by season's end. Now, the conversation has shifted back to the one being had prior to the start of the season: Will any of them remain by season's end?

If the Penguins can't turn things around in quick fashion, there's a good chance at least two of the three won't. And GM/POHO Kyle Dubas has stressed that, while expectations for this season have been elevated because of what the team showed early on, the long-term plan cannot be compromised.

'It Just Made Sense For Us To Do It At This Time': Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Gives Insight On Jarry TradeIt's safe to say that <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/breaking-penguins-deal-tristan-jarry-to-edmonton-oilers">the trade sending Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday</a> - which returned goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick - surprised a whole lot of people, fans and players alike.

Is going young or sticking with underperforming vets more conducive to losing?

Truthfully, there really isn't an easy answer for this question. And if the Penguins continue to fall, it will be interesting to see how they handle this dilemma. 

There is a widely held assumption that trimming underperforming veterans off the roster - names such as Kevin Hayes, Danton Heinen, Connor Clifton, and Ryan Graves - in favor of younger players like Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, Harrison Brunicke, and Owen Pickering would suddenly give the Penguins a jolt and, potentially, return better results. 

While this is a nice idea in theory, that's not necessarily going to play out in practice. 

For one, getting whatever value the team can out of said veterans is always the preferred route to waivers or losing them for nothing by season's end. And, if the team isn't winning, it doesn't necessarily hurt a tanking strategy to simply keep throwing them back out there. 

World Juniors: Canada Makes Cuts, Penguins' Brunicke Included In Final 25It appears that Canada's roster for the World Junior Championship (WJC) is coming into focus, and one <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospect will be part of the tournament.&nbsp;

However, giving the kids some runway could - realistically - end in the same result. The truth about youth movements is that they're often messy. There are going to be players - such as Ben Kindel - who outperform expectations and can help more immediately than others. 

But, more often than not, that youth needs adjustment time. Rutger McGroarty could use some top-six minutes to see how his game develops. Ville Koivunen could, perhaps, use the same thing. Broz has played in one NHL game and would need time to marinate in a bottom-six role. Avery Hayes - although registering six goals and 11 points in his last 11 AHL games - will need much of the same. 

And Brunicke and Pickering? Brunicke is probably a bit further along than Pickering at this point, despite being a teenager - and he was loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championship by the Penguins. But there is still a lot of defensive work for him to do. And Pickering is reaching a point where he probably has to begin showing signs of progress at the NHL level, even if they are small steps. 

Then, there is the goaltending situation, as Arturs Silovs - still just 24 years old - has lost seven straight games while Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist continue to light up the AHL with save percentages of .941 and .935, respectively. However, as good as they've been, they're both unproven in their NHL minutes up to this point. 

The thing to remember with icing the "kids" is that there are going to be mistakes and growing pains. And not every prospect is going to pan out. The Penguins could, quite possibly, be a lesser team with all the kids replacing those vets in the lineup. 

But that's the thing: There comes a point when watching the kids make the mistakes and plummet the season is much more palatable than watching those veterans do similar kinds of things.

The Penguins will have some roster decisions to make on the horizon - namely the Jan. 3 40-game deadline for Kindel and Brunicke, where the Penguins lose a year of restricted free agency should they remain on the NHL roster - and it should say a lot about where they believe they're at in terms of their season and their longer-term outlook with the rebuild. If they believe some of these prospects can help more immediately, they should be on the roster.

But, if not, they may just ride it out with their veterans until at least the trade deadline - for better or for worse.

Rick Westhead Spotlights Canada's Troubled Hockey Culture: 'I Need People Who Are In This Game To Read This Book'Rick Westhead explores the dark side of hockey in Canada with his newest book, "We Breed Lions." He shares stories of wrongdoings at all levels of the sport, including youth hockey.

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Andrew Mangiapane hasn't been scoring goals. That much is obvious. His last one came November 3 against Nashville, and when he finally ended the drought Saturday afternoon in Minnesota—tipping an Evan Bouchard shot past Filip Gustavsson at 13:35 of the first period—it had been 21 games and 47 days since he'd seen one cross the line.

But something else has been happening while the goals dried up. Mangiapane has been everywhere. Forechecking relentlessly. Showing up on pucks. Never really stopping. It's been a slow development and albeit, extremely subtle.

But when Edmonton signed Mangiapane as a free agent this past summer, they weren't chasing the guy who scored 35 goals and 55 points for Calgary in 2021-22. Everyone knew that season was a fluke—a career year fueled by perfect linemates and power play minutes that would never be replicated. The Flames knew it too, which is why they eventually traded him to Washington for a second-round pick.

Edmonton didn't sign him to score goals. They signed him to be annoying. To forecheck in waves. To always be there when opponents try to break out cleanly. To be the guy who never gives defenders a clean look, never lets them settle into their game, never stops coming at them shift after shift.

For the first month or two, it looked like another depth signing that might not work. Mangiapane was fine but not particularly noticeable. He wasn't hurting the team, but he wasn't helping much either. Five goals through 36 games isn't moving any needles. Twelve points doesn't inspire confidence in the acquisition.

Then, in Montreal's road game, Mangiapane started showing up more consistently. He started being that constant presence that makes defensemen uncomfortable. He started being there on every loose puck. Every time the whistle blew and players went at it—he was there. He did it again Saturday against Minnesota—not just scoring the goal, but being everywhere all game long.

Oilers’ Mistakes Against Minnesota Won’t Be Sustainable With Ingram In GoalConnor Ingram faces Vegas Sunday, and the Oilers' lack of attention to detail and defensive lapses against the Wild offer little confidence for his starting debut.

"I think I'm a tenacious, hard-working forward," Mangiapane said when Washington acquired him. "I feel when I'm playing my best is when I'm forechecking their 'D', making them turn pucks over and then I can use my ability kind of in tight and finish, make plays from there."

He's been doing that lately. Actually doing it, not just talking about it. 

He's bounced around the lineup, but let's be real, everyone has. Kris Knoblauch shuffles lines constantly, trying to find combinations that work. Mangiapane has played with just about every center on this club, with various fourth-line combinations. He's been scratched. He's been elevated. He's averaged 11:37 of ice time per game, significantly less than the 14-15 minutes he saw in Calgary and Washington.

None of that seems to bother him. Or if it does, he's kept it to himself and just kept working.

Oilers Provide Several Injury Updates: Pickard Starts vs. WildCalvin Pickard starts versus the Wild on Saturday as multiple Oilers face uncertain recovery timelines, with Roslovic close and Jarry's condition raising significant concern.

The 21-game scoreless drought was a problem, though. Going from November 3 to December 21 without scoring while watching teammates celebrate goals every night tests anyone. But Mangiapane didn't shrink. He changed his game, or found it again, or however you want to look at it, but it worked.

Saturday in Minnesota, the puck finally cooperated. Draisaitl moved it up to Bouchard at the point, and Mangiapane was already in the slot, ready to redirect whatever came his way. Bouchard's shot arrived low, Mangiapane got his stick on it, and the puck lifted over Gustavsson's pad to make it 2-1.

His fifth goal of the season. His first since November 3. It cut Minnesota's lead in half and gave Edmonton life before McDavid tied it 2-2 later in the period. The Oilers eventually lost 5-2, so the goal didn't matter much in the standings, but it validated what Mangiapane has been doing for weeks now.

NHL Rumors: Oilers Urged To Address This Trade Need Should the Oilers be looking to improve their blueline at the deadline?

Being there. Always being there. Never stopping. Never giving opponents a clean look or an easy shift or a moment to breathe.

The development has been slow. The adjustment period was real. But somewhere between a very slow start to the season, a road trip to Montreal and Saturday afternoon in Minnesota, Mangiapane found his place on this team. He's the third-line winger who forechecks in waves, shows up on every loose puck, and occasionally tips one in when the opportunity comes. He doesn't complain about ice time. He doesn't sulk when the goals don't come. He just keeps working.

The goal on Saturday ended the drought. But what's more encouraging is how he's been playing the past few weeks. A be everywhere, get in your face kind of depth winger who never stops working, rather than trying to recapture that 55-point season that was never sustainable anyway.

Ex-Oilers Forward Milan Lucic Signs With Overseas ClubFormer Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic is continuing his career overseas.

It took time. It wasn't smooth. But Mangiapane has figured out what Edmonton signed him to do, and he's been doing it. The scoreless streak made it harder to notice, but the work was there. 

He's finding his place. And for a team that needs depth players who can contribute by being everywhere, and annoying, with relentless energy, that's exactly what they need from Andrew Mangiapane.

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The Colorado Avalanche square off against a major Central Division rival tomorrow night—and it isn’t the Dallas Stars.

Instead, it’s the Minnesota Wild, the hottest team in the NHL, riding a seven-game winning streak. On Saturday night in front of a packed Grand Casino Arena, Minnesota continued its surge with a convincing 5–2 victory over Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

How It Unfolded

Matt Boldy set the tone early, burying his 21st goal of the season less than four minutes into the game. Just over seven minutes later, he struck again, finishing a play set up by Quinn Hughes and Mats Zuccarello to give Minnesota an early jolt of energy.

Edmonton pushed back in an eventful first period, answering with two goals of its own. But the Wild had the final say before intermission, as Ryan Hartman tipped in a goal with just eight seconds remaining to restore Minnesota’s lead and send the teams to the locker room with the Wild up 3–2.

THIS GAME IS BANANAS 🤯

Ryan Hartman steals the lead back just before the first period comes to an end pic.twitter.com/R9cZqoLpBA

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 20, 2025

The second period came and went without a goal, but Minnesota regained control in the third. Vladimir Tarasenko extended the lead to 4–2, and Nico Sturm later sealed the outcome, converting on a setup from Tarasenko to cap the scoring.

Filip Gustavsson was steady in net, stopping 28 of 30 shots to earn his fifth consecutive win. He improved to 12-8-3 on the season as the Wild outshot the Oilers 37–30 in another well-rounded performance.

Now 22-9-5, the Wild are playing their best hockey of the season, but a significant challenge awaits Sunday night. Minnesota will be on the second leg of a back-to-back as it faces the league-leading Colorado Avalanche (25-2-7).

Avalanche Hold Off Jets

Last night at Ball Arena, the Avalanche (25-2-7) earned their 12th consecutive home victory with a 3–2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, extending their winning streak to four games.

Brent Burns scored the game-winning goal, his fifth of the season, making him just the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record at least five goals in a season at age 40 or older.

Josh Manson on growing his game with Brent Burns as his D-partner:

"It took me 4 shifts in the first period to start to finally realize that I've just got to pass it over to Brent and then he can make plays from there."

Full Presser ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CjwfZzgLBi

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) December 20, 2025

Martin Nečas and Parker Kelly also scored for Colorado, while Josh Manson added two assists and was named the first star of the game. The Avalanche improved to 14-0-2 at home and extended their point streak to seven games (6-0-1).

Scott Wedgewood made 20 saves to secure the win.

Avalanche-Wild Head-to-Head

The two teams last met on November 28 at the same venue, where the Wild earned a 3–2 shootout victory. Scott Wedgewood made 35 saves for Colorado, while Nathan MacKinnon recorded two points, including a goal. Gabe Landeskog scored a crucial late goal to force overtime.

Kirill Kaprizov scored both regulation goals for Minnesota before the game was decided in the shootout.

The Wild have won three of their last five matchups against the Avalanche—an impressive turnaround after dropping their previous five meetings. Over that span, MacKinnon has three goals and three assists against Minnesota, while Kaprizov has four goals and three assists in his last five games versus Colorado. Prior to the November 28 meeting, Kaprizov had missed three straight games against the Avalanche due to injury.

Start Time

Avalanche vs. Wild coverage begins at 4 p.m. local time on Sunday afternoon. It should be a classic. 

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What was this? An offensive explosion? Against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs, of all people?

That’s why sports of all sorts can be interesting in different sort of ways, but the St. Louis Blues, who came into Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers dead-last in scoring (2.44 goals per game) put up their largest offensive output of the season.

And it was a little bit of everyone, from Robert Thomas to Pavel Buchnevich to Jake Neighbours to Jonatan Berggren to Otto Stenberg, each with multi-point games.

Thomas (two goals, one assist) and Berggren (one goal, two assists) led the way, and Jake Neighbours (two goals) became the first Blue to reach double-digits in goals this season, and Stenberg had two assists for his first points in the NHL to lead the Blues to a 6-2 win against the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.

Joel Hofer made 27 saves in his fourth start the past five games and Justin Faulk also scored, a buzzer-beater (which we’ll get into below) at the end of the second period to give the Blues (14-15-8) a lead they would never relinquish in the third period.

Let’s go into Saturday’s game observations:

* Have the Blues found themselves a player? – Let’s pump the brakes a little bit and not get too excited about it (yet), but boy, this Berggren kid has fit in like a glove.

Berggren was moved up to the top line with Thomas and Buchnevich, who had two assists, after playing there in the third period on Thursday against the New York Rangers.

That line picked up where it left off and combined for eight points, and Berggren, who now has four points (two goals, two assists) in three games since being claimed off waivers last Tuesday from the Detroit Red Wings.

Not only was he inserted onto the top line, but Blues coach Jim Montgomery put him on the top power play unit and paid dividends immediately when his one-timer from the right circle was actually caught by Florida goalie Daniil Tarasov with a brilliant glove save but it was ruled a goal on the ice and after a look, referee Michael Markovic, who had a really good look live, was right and the puck was caught but across the goal line that gave the Blues a 2-0 lead at 1:55 of the second period:

Tarasov ALMOST got it. pic.twitter.com/DngtBVIqb2

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 21, 2025

But Berggren is making high-end plays, and he’s making himself more comfortable in this lineup. The fact he’s doing it this quickly is quite remarkable, to be honest. But again, he could be playing off a high of proving himself for the new team that took a chance on him. But if the Blues can continue to get this kind of production and effectiveness, they may have something here.

Here's what referee Michael Markovic saw in real time. Pretty sharp eye and he was in a good position to see it. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/dsTziMHLEa

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 21, 2025

When it comes to waiver wire pickups that turned into gems, I look no further than the opponent tonight and Gustav Forsling, who was a waiver wire claim in 2021 by the Panthers from the Carolina Hurricanes, and he’s been a staple to their defense.

* Neighbours the catalyst for hard work – When the Blues work, particularly on the boards and forecheck in the offensive zone, they’re a tough out.

And who better to get the scoring started for the Blues on this night than Neighbours, who was stationed in the slot with a perfect redirect of Cam Fowler’s wrister at 9:59 of the opening period for a 1-0 lead:

Atta boy, Jakey. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/m6GriGSrih

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 20, 2025

The Blues won the opening O-zone face-off that came as a result of an intentional offside by the Panthers, and Stenberg picked up his first NHL point on the play, with Fowler getting his 400th NHL assist.

And it was a Neighbours goal at 12:02 of the third period that essentially sealed the game for the Blues and each member of the line had a solid contribution on it.

It started with a Brayden Schenn effective forecheck behind the net, and the captain wound up checking Seth Jones off the puck, center the puck to Stenberg, who had a nice touch pass to Neighbours and he finished upstairs for a 4-2 lead:

JAKE.
NEIGHBOURS.
DOES.
IT.
AGAIN. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/9lchOXbSaU

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 21, 2025

Neighbours made some nifty plays throughout the game, but his work ethic was infectious and rubbed off on others that also put on their work boots in this one.

* Blues overcome a couple questionable calls – Leading 2-0 in the second period, which hasn’t exactly been a stellar one for the Blues this season.

The first was on a goal scored by A.J. Greer to cut the Blues’ lead to 2-1 at 7:35 of the period, one in which Montgomery challenged for goalie interference, quite simply a rule nobody knows a darn thing about. Seriously.

It’s such a fickle rule, and we all know the effects of it when the Blues were on the bad judgment of a call in what ultimately turned into a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken in November.

On this one, both Jones and Greer made their way into the crease, not forced in, and made contact with Hofer, but again, it was determined that neither affected Hofer’s ability to play his position.

"That's a stocking stuffer right there!" pic.twitter.com/ZpFI3zui02

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) December 21, 2025

Again, I disagree, and I have no qualms with the Blues challenging this. But this confusion goes around all over the league, and if it’s in the judgment of the officials on the ice, then why have any set rules for it in the first place? Just eliminate it and allow the officials to make those calls so teams don’t continually get confused by it.

Here's the reason for #stlblues unsuccessful goalie interference call. You can judge for yourself ... pic.twitter.com/QGNJ0qk7Mc

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 21, 2025

The one that baffled me even more was Jon McIsaac’s holding penalty call on Colton Parayko in the neutral zone on Evan Rodrigues at 11:44 that ultimately led to Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal at 12:45 that tied the game 2-2.

This to me was a nothing call, two guys jostling for position, trying to play the puck, right in front of McIsaac. Swallow your whistle at this point and let them play, but if you’re going to take one there, then both should have been taken. Quite frankly, neither should have been taken, and in my judgment, it was a bad call of a good hockey play.

This is where the Blues could have buckled, despite the Panthers (19-14-2), who had won four straight, including a 4-3 shootout win against the Hurricanes rallying from a 3-0 third-period deficit in the final 10 minutes.

But they didn’t. Patience was a virtue.

* Faulk’s goal massive – The Blues have allowed them, but they had yet to get one themselves … until Saturday.

Not only did they get a goal in the final minute of a period or the first time, but Faulk just beat the horn with 0.8 seconds left at the end of the second to give them a much-needed 3-2 lead, another example of hard work, winning a puck behind the net, and it was Berggren again fighting through what looked like multiple holds and obstructions by Aaron Ekblad, winning the puck, sending it through the seam off the right boards, and Faulk steps into a clapper to beat Tarasov high on the short side:

HOLY FAULK HE JUST SCORED WITH LESS THAN ONE SECOND LEFT! #stlbluespic.twitter.com/z5tNBO5eSy

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 21, 2025

At 2-2 with 20 minutes left, maybe there’s more juice in the Panthers’ tank to win a game, but chasing it, there’s a different emphasis, and the Blues can do some things different themselves.

* Blues kept the foot on the gas in the third – How many times have we seen this particular team sit back and either let the lead get away or hang on for dear life?

Not only did the Blues win, but they won handily. They were smart with pucks, patient with it, and the tone was set with Schenn, Neighbours and Stenberg opening the period, and playing their entire 45-second shift in the Florida zone.

When Neighbours finally gave them the two-goal cushion, Thomas put an exclamation point on the game whipping in his first of the night at 12:53, or 51 seconds after Neighbours made it 4-2, to make it 5-2 on more loose puck work behind the net by Berggren to find Buchnevich, who found Thomas with a slip pass and not much room to shoot:

one heckuva one-timer pic.twitter.com/LIUDAGkWze

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 21, 2025

And Thomas scored a shorthanded empty-netter to put icing on the cake at 16:28 for the 6-2 final.

But the Blues outshot Florida 16-8 in the third and were never overwhelmed by the Panthers’ effective forecheck. Hofer did his part intercepting rims throughout, and puck transition was pretty smooth throughout.

* Does Stenberg belong – Boy, the first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (No. 25 overall) sure doesn’t look overwhelmed, does he?

Not only his first two NHL points came, but he was a plus-2 in 11:39 of ice time, but man, does this kid have an infectious work ethic and he just seems to be in the right areas of the ice.

He had three shot attempts in this game, so he’s trying to get more involved offensively, but when you have a line like Schenn and Neighbours, and complement it with another hard worker like Stenberg, teams are going to hate playing against them.

Stick of the game goes to Otto 🙂‍↕️ #stlbluespic.twitter.com/YMbNkdhBbH

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 21, 2025

The Blues are going to have some tough decisions to make when some of these injured guys return. And I’d be foolish not to mention Robby Fabbri, who had three shots on goal and played 13:40 but had two Grade A scoring chances in the game early on, rebounding well after being a healthy scratch Thursday.

Can you imagine: Fabbri was signed to a one-year, two-way contract a week and a half ago; Berggren was claimed off waivers four days ago and Stenberg was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League four days ago and all are playing effectively for this team right now.

If anything, they’re going to make decisions difficult, and that’s OK.

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.