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Islanders Tie Game Late in Third, Lose 3-2 In Shootout To Buffalo

BUFFALO, NY -- After falling 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, the New York Islanders earned a point against the Buffalo Sabres, ultimately losing 3-2 in a shootout. 

Emil Heineman tied the game at 2-2 with 29 seconds to play in regulation on a 6-on-4 advantage.

After a back-and-forth overtime, Josh Norris scored in the fifth round of the shootout as Buffalo secured the second point.  

Here's how we got there. 

After Mathew Barzal took a tripping penalty in the neutral zone, Sabres star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin skated past Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Heineman, and then Ryan Pulock before deking to his backhand to give the home team a 1-0 lead at 1:47 of the first period:

Josh Norris beat Rittich glove side with a one-timer at X, but the goal was waved off due to goaltender interference. 

Tage Thompson doubled the Sabres' lead to 2-0 at 8:55 of the second period after he tucked one past Rittich off the rush:

Late in the second period, the Islanders got a great look to crack the scoreboard, but Alex Lyon slid over to deny Emil Heineman with the right pad at  18:06 of the second: 

However, the Islanders built on that momentum and found the scoresheet at 19:37 of the second. Anders Lee found Mathew Barzal alone in the slot. His first shot was stopped but he was able to roof the rebound to extend his point streak to seven games (two goals, five assists):

The Islanders found themselves on the penalty kill at 4:24 of the third period. Buffalo spent the entire power playi n the Islanders' zone but credit to the penalty killers and Rittich for battling to get back to even strength. 

With 1:27 to play in regulation, the Islanders found themselves on the power play after Michael Kesselring slashed Lee.  

The Islanders went to work, with Barzal finding Heineman for the tying tally:

The Islanders had plenty of chances in overtime, but couldn't score. Barzal scored in the shootout, with Jack Quinn answering him before Norris's eventual game winner. 

The Islanders battle the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena on Tuesday night, with puck drop at 7 PM ET. 

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Oilers’ Mistakes Against Minnesota Won’t Be Sustainable With Ingram In Goal

Calvin Pickard played well against the Minnesota Wild, but gave up four goals. That's not a positive sign for Connor Ingram, who will get the start on Sunday as the Edmonton Oilers head home to take on the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The Oilers had their chances offensively, but will have to play much better defensively to give Ingram some confidence as he tries to prove he's still got game left in the NHL. Because his AHL numbers have not been good, he'll need all the help he can get.

Edmonton's attention to detail on Saturday isn't going to cut it with a huge question mark between the pipes. In November (see video above), I discussed the likelihood that the Oilers would give Ingram a look and whether there was a clear path to the NHL for him. I was partially right, but my timing was off.

At that time, Edmonton was still figuring out the situation with Stuart Skinner and Pickard. I assumed the Oilers would make an external change before going to Ingram. They did. Unfortunately, no one expected the change they made to be out of the lineup with an injury in his third start. 

Now, Ingram is the guy, ready or not. The Oilers have no choice but to find out. 

Trending Stories:

Oilers Provide Several Injury Updates: Pickard Starts vs. Wild

Oilers Beat Bruins, But Potentially Lose Jarry In The Process

Despite a .889 save percentage, Pickard wasn’t the problem Saturday afternoon. If anything, he was the reason the game stayed competitive as long as it did. The real issues sat higher up the food chain — in how the Oilers managed the game, handled pressure, and responded when a dagger goal at the end of the first period changed the energy level. 

The Oilers weren’t outplayed for long stretches. In fact, there were plenty of opportunities in the third period to even the game. After clawing back in the first, they pushed, created chances, and tried again late in the game. It wasn't enough, as Filip Gustavsson was great for the Wild, and when the opportunity arose, Minnesota capitalized on Edmonton's mistakes. 

Unfortunately, the Oilers can't afford to make those mistakes when Ingram takes the net on Sunday.

Report: Oilers Had Interest In Sabres Goalie Before Jarry TradeReport: Oilers Had Interest In Sabres Goalie Before Jarry TradeThe Oilers reportedly had another goalie on their radar before they acquired Tristan Jarry from the Penguins.

He'll be up against Carter Hart -- Vegas' backup -- so both netminders have a lot to prove. It will be a storyline of two goalies, many of whom will wonder how much is left in the tank. To make life easier for Ingram, the Oilers need to help him get settled. An early lead and nearly mistake-free hockey will be key -- almost the opposite storyline from Saturday's matinee game. 

This game came down to the smaller details. 

Leon Draisaitl got frustrated after a soft cross-checking call. On the ensuing two penalties, the Wild's Matt Boldy made one of those minors count. Later in the game, Evan Bouchard stuttered when he thought a penalty should have been called and an offside was missed. Finally, when Edmonton thought they were close on the game-tying goal in a scrum in front of Gustavsson, the Wild turned, went the other way, and scored.

Mistakes happened, and Minnesota struck when they did. The Oilers' awareness slipped at exactly the wrong time.

The late breakdowns will be a problem if Ingram isn't up to snuff. And, there's absolutely no way to know if he will be until he takes the goal and faces a few shots. 

That’s where the bigger questions start to form. How confident can the Oilers possibly be in a goalie who has bad numbers in the minors and hasn't shown anything of note since the 2023-24 season? 

A Lengthy Injury for Tristan Jarry Is a Problem

There is no update on Tristan Jarry's status. A long-term injury leaves Edmonton in a very tricky situation -- one where they'll need to decide whether making a play for someone like Alex Lyon is the right move and whether they can pull it off, with the Buffalo Sabres well aware they have all the leverage. 

The road trip was still productive, that's the good news. Despite the setbacks, the Oilers aren’t broken. But games like this linger because there are too many unanswered questions, Ingram being the biggest of them. 

The Oilers will need to play a more mature game against the Golden Knights. It should be more in line with the way they played against the Boston Bruins if they want a shot to win. The Golden Knights are beat up and coming in with key guys out of the lineup. Jumping on them early will be key. 

From there, the Oilers can only hope the news on Jarry isn't terrible. 

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Game Preview: Golden Knights at Flames

The Calgary Flames are looking to continue their strong play at home as they host the Vegas Golden Knights at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday night. 

Calgary is coming off a 4–2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday and has gone 8-2-1 in its last 11 home games. Saturday’s matchup is the third of four regular-season meetings between the two clubs in 2025–26, with Vegas holding a 2-0-0 advantage in the series.

Rasmus Andersson reached a milestone in Thursday’s win, recording his 200th career NHL assist as part of a three-assist performance.

Devin Cooley is expected to start in goal for Calgary. He enters the game with a 3-4-2 record, a .914 save percentage, and a 2.35 goals-against average.

© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Here is the projected line combinations for tonight’s tilt. 

FORWARDS

Yegor Sharangovich – Nazem Kadri – Joel Farabee

Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Matt Coronato

Connor Zary – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman

Ryan Lomberg – Jonathan Beecher – Adam Klapka

DEFENCE

Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson

Yan Kuznetsov – MacKenzie Weegar

Joel Hanley – Hunter Brzustewicz

STARTING GOALTENDER

Devin Cooley

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"Really Cool": John Leonard Happy To Score First Goal With Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings began their home-and-home series against the Washington Capitals on the right foot, enjoying a 5-2 victory at Capital One Arena with the special added element of multiple players bringing their moms along the way. 

Detroit built up a 4-0 lead by the midway point of the second period thanks to tallies from John Leonard, James van Riemsdyk, Elmer Soderblom, and Moritz Seider.

While the Capitals eventually managed to halve Detroit's lead, Dylan Larkin iced the matinee affair with an empty-net goal late in regulation. 

For Leonard, it was his first goal with the Red Wings in his third game since being called up from the Grand Rapids Griffins to substitute for the injured Patrick Kane. 

Just 65 seconds into the contest, Leonard banged home the rebound of defenseman Simon Edvinsson's shot from the slot past goaltender Logan Thompson for the opening goal. 

It was Leonard’s seventh NHL goal and his first since the 2023–24 season, when he was a member of the Arizona Coyotes.

Before this season, Leonard, a 2018 Draft pick (182nd overall) of the San Jose Sharks, had appeared in 70 NHL games with the Sharks, Nashville Predators, and Coyotes before signing a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings during the offseason.

"It's really cool to be a part of. From the first day I got here, everyone has been awesome to me, whether it was just saying hi or talking about hockey, different situations, and systems," he said of his experience with Detroit so far. "It's been a lot of fun, and a lot of credit to those guys. It's been easy." 

Leonard was the AHL's leading goal scorer with 19 goals in 20 games played before he received the call that he was on his way for his debut in the Winged Wheel earlier this week. 

An injury to his brother Ryan Leonard, a forward with the Capitals, prevented what would have been the first head-to-head matchup between the two brothers with their Mom watching. 

"He was able to swing by the hotel, obviously we had the Moms' trip, and we had dinner last night," John said of his brother Ryan. "He swung by the hotel about 45 minutes before dinner, and I got to catch up with him, which was great." 

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"Yeah, it would have been really cool (to play against him)," Leonard said. "He's six years younger, so we've never had the chance to play with each other or against. But it was still really cool to play against the team and have a bunch of family (in attendance)." 

Image

Detroit's victory helped them improve to 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and 2-1 since Leonard entered the lineup. 

"It was a good team win, obviously it was good to get the lead early and tack on a couple more," he said of the win. "You know they were going to have that push, which they did, but for the most part overall, we did a good job of weathering it." 

Leonard and the Red Wings will once again face the Capitals on Sunday afternoon, this time at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Face-off is scheduled for just after 1:00 p.m. ET. 

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Ottawa 6 Chicago 4: Senators Overcome Strange Officiating To Win Third In A Row

Make it three straight victories for the Ottawa Senators.

David Perron scored twice early in the third period, including the game-winner, as the Senators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6–4 at Canadian Tire Centre before 18,254 fans.

Tim Stützle continued his hot streak with a goal and two assists and now has 13 points in his last six games. Brady Tkachuk, Fabian Zetterlund, and Tyler Kleven scored the Senators’ other goals, helping to send Chicago to its fifth straight loss.

Kleven, however, logged just nine shifts before leaving the game with an injury and did not return. His exit was unfortunate, as the Senators were finally back at full strength on the blue line with the return of Thomas Chabot. Chabot had a strong performance, logging 26:37 of ice time while easing some of the workload on Jake Sanderson.

Levi Marilainen earned the win, stopping 20 of 24 shots. At the other end, the Senators fired 40 shots at Chicago goaltender Arvid Söderblom.

Until Perron’s two goals early in the third period, Chicago simply would not go away, as the Senators blew three separate leads in the game.

Officiating was a major storyline in this one.

Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk received only a double minor for an intentional cross-checking to Stützle's face, a play that routinely results in a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Even more memorable was a bizarre sequence in the second period following one of three Ottawa goals that were challenged for goaltender interference. 

After review, referee Beau Halikidis announced there was no interference and that Dylan Cozens' goal would stand. Fans at Canadian Tire Centre went crazy as Senators players mobbed Cozens. who appeared to have given the Sens a 2-1 lead.

Moments later, Halkidis suddenly became the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, taking the goal away and leaving plenty of frustration in the building.

Perhaps his heart was two sizes too small.

With the win, the Senators improved to 17-13-4 on the season, good for 38 points. They now sit just two points back of the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division.

It's A Green Christmas

Whether it’s an early Christmas present or a birthday gift for head coach Travis Green, who turned 55 on Saturday, the Senators winning four of their last five games is exactly what Green was hoping for under the tree.

Ottawa has two games remaining before the Christmas break, visiting the Boston Bruins on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in a huge Atlantic matchup before returning home Tuesday to host the Buffalo Sabres.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

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Sabres Place Defenseman On Injured Reserve

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have placed defenseman Conor Timmins on injured reserve.

Seeing the Sabres place Timmins on injured reserve is not surprising. This is because Timmins suffered a broken leg during the Sabres' Dec. 18 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Head coach Lindy Ruff also shared that the 27-year-old defenseman is expected to be out for the next six to eight weeks because of it. Due to this, it is easy to understand why the Sabres have placed him on injured reserve. 

Timmins is currently in his first season with the Sabres. In 33 games so far this campaign with the Sabres, the 2017 second-round pick has recorded zero goals, six assists, and 16 penalty minutes. 

 

With Timmins sidelined, the Sabres will now need to adjust to not having him in the lineup. He is a defenseman who the Sabres have been relying on this season. 

In 192 career games over seven NHL seasons split between the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Sabres, Timmins has posted six goals, 46 assists, 52 points, 80 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 rating.