Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar has been quite the find for the fourth line.
His acquisition flew under the radar at the end of last season, but after a few games, you could easily tell why Kyle Dubas and the rest of the front office really liked him. Dewar is one of their top forecheckers, excels at winning battles along the boards, is defensively sound, and can chip in offensively.
Dewar did all of those things well during Thursday's 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. His two goals helped propel the Penguins to their fifth-straight win overall, keeping them in second place heading into Saturday's game against the New York Rangers.
Dewar's two goals give him 13 for the season, setting a new career high. Whenever the Penguins have needed a big goal from their bottom six, Dewar has been there to answer the call.
His first goal tied the game in the first period, and the Penguins really needed that one since they were sluggish out of the gate. His second goal made it a 6-1 game late in the third period after the Penguins exploded for four goals in the second period.
Jan 29, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns have themselves quite the Villain. It was the Dillon Brooks show tonight in the Valley.
They are 29-19 and improve to 16-6 at home, and have taken down the top team in each conference now on their home floor, this time without Devin Booker. It was a tough, physical game against a hard-nosed Pistons squad that went on a furious third-quarter run to make it a game, but the Suns prevailed.
Dillon Brooks poured in a career-high 40 points on just 22 shots on his “Dillon the Villain” t-shirt night. Collin Gillespie video-bombed the postgame interview of Brooks to say, “We have two All-Stars on this team. Get your phones out and vote.”
Grayson Allen had 24 points and went a perfect 10 of 10 from the charity stripe. Collin Gillespie had 16 points and 5 rebounds on 5-11 shooting from three.
Game Flow
First Half
It was all Dillon Brooks early, as he poured in the Suns’ first 7 points of the game.
Collin Gillespie followed that up with a triple on his first shot attempt of the game to make it an early 10-9 Suns lead. It was raining threes early, with Gillespie knocking down a pair, followed by a Grasyon Allen snipe, leading to a Pistons timeout with Phoenix leading 18-13.
It was an uptempo start, with both teams pushing the pace early and often. Phoenix had a tough time containing Jalen Duren early, as he scored 10 points in the opening 7 minutes of action.
The fast-paced, physical quarter came to an end with Phoenix leading 35-31. Grayson Allen led the Suns with 12 points, and Dillon Brooks chipped in 9.
Grayson already with THREE 3-pointers midway through the first!
The Suns were winning all of the hustle plays early, and it didn’t hurt that the threes were falling. Phoenix pushed their lead to thirteen — 46-33 — with 9:23 left in the quarter, leading a Pistons timeout.
Dillon Brooks started to take over offensively and made sure to let everyone know about it afterward in true Dillon Brooks fashion.
The Suns continued to feed him as he got his total up to 24 points after a pair of free throws to push the Suns’ lead to 19.
Phoenix took a 72-56 lead into the half, backed by 24 first-half points from Dillon Brooks. Grayson Allen had 16, and Collin Gillespie had 10. The Suns shot 9 of 19 (47%) from deep, a sight for sore eyes after their recent shooting slump.
Second Half
The Pistons responded with a punch of their own early in the third, cutting the Suns lead down to 8 early in the third quarter after a Tobias Harris three.
A Cade Cunningham transition slam to make it a 77-70 ballgame led to a Jordan Ott timeout. The Pistons were on a furious 20-5 run over the opening five minutes. It’s safe to say the Pistons woke up after the Suns had their number in the first half.
Grayson Allen drilled a much-needed three off a Dillon Brooks offensive rebound and kickout to give the Suns a cushion. Phoenix started to answer back with another run of their own to push it back to a 10-point advantage.
Dillon Brooks continued his masterclass, drilling another triple to extend the Suns’ lead to 14, 91-77. He was knocking everything down, getting to the line, and chirping at the Pistons bench and anyone who would listen as he cooked multiple defenders.
Phoenix led 93-81 after three. Brooks had a career-high 38 points after the third to lead the Suns.
CAREER-HIGH 38 POINTS & COUNTING FOR THE VILLAIN 🔥🔥🔥
A pair of lazy turnovers to open the 4th quarter, followed up by a Collin Gillespie triple. The Pistons pushed the Suns back, but the Suns answered. It was another physical, scrappy contest, just as we saw in the first meeting between these teams in Detroit.
The Suns continued to pour it on and hit some daggers by Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie to put the finishing touches on a great night.
We are now 10 games above .500, folks!
Up Next
Right back at it tomorrow against the Cavs. Same time, same place.
DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket as Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets plays defense during the game on January 29, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After pouring in 49 points on Thursday to will the Dallas Mavericks (19-29) back against the Charlotte Hornets (21-28), Cooper Flagg’s pass on Dallas’ final possession of the game was deflected by his former roommate at Duke, Kon Knueppel. Knueppel’s two free throws as Flagg hustled back to defend the ensuing fast break were the two decisive points in the Hornets’ 123-121 win over the Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Knueppel led the Hornets with 34 points and hit 8-of-12 from 3-point range in the win, but was somehow, some way outshined by the Mavericks’ magic man in Flagg’s performance for the record books: 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting and 10 rebounds in the heart-sinking loss for Dallas.
The Mavericks were lifeless against Knueppel and the visiting Hornets in the first quarter. Knueppel hit his first three attempts from long range before his Duke counterpart Flagg found any rhythm for the Mavs. All three of those 3-pointers came before the game was five minutes old. Knueppel was briefly outscoring the Mavericks on his own, as his fourth 3-ball of the game gave the Hornets a 14-8 lead midway through the first. Dallas shot just 7-of-20 from the field and Flagg scored just two points as the Mavs fell behind 33-20 after one.
Flagg picked up the slack with four points to open the second quarter, though, as part of a quick 8-0 Mavs run to start the frame. Then he slammed home a high-flying dunk over Moussa Diabate, before earning a three-point play on another drive through Brandon Miller to bring Dallas to within 37-31 with 9:40 left before the break. Flagg was on a mission in the second quarter, scoring 14 points in less than five minutes after Knueppel’s hot start to the first quarter.
Ryan Nembhard forced the tempo for the Mavs in the second quarter as well, finding both P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford on beautiful lob passes in transition in the first six minutes of the second quarter. The pretty lob to Gafford brought the Mavericks to within 44-38 of the lead with 6:35 left in the second.
Brandon Williams milked the clock on the Mavs’ final possession of the first half, then drove past Miller for a circus shot and a 3-point play with 11 seconds left on the clock to bring Dallas to within 59-58 at the interval. The Mavs shot 14-of-27 in the second and held Charlotte to 8-of-21 shooting at the same time, cutting a 13-point lead after one to just one point at halftime.
After a longer-than-normal halftime break for the jersey retirement ceremony honoring Mavericks franchise legend Mark Aguirre, Flagg scored his second 3-point play of the game on the other end after a missed transition dunk by Hornets forward Miles Bridges to keep Dallas within one possession of the lead. He pulled up for a jumper after slipping with the ball the next time down, but Knueppel nailed his sixth and seventh 3-balls of the game in the next minute to put Charlotte up 73-67 with 8:30 left in the third.
After Flagg poured in 15 more points in the third, Klay Thompson and Caleb Martin each knocked in crucial 3-pointers late in the third to tie the game, 93-93, heading to the fourth. The Mavs wrestled control of the game away from the Hornets early in the fourth, but a timely little 9-2 Charlotte run with Flagg resting moved them back in front, 105-102, with seven minutes to play.
Knueppel and Flagg traded driving buckets with four minutes left to play as the lead saw-sawed back and forth late in the game. Flagg’s drive gave him 44 points and a new Mavericks’ record for single-game scoring by a rookie — moving past, you guessed it, Aguirre, who was honored earlier in the evening.
Rookies battle for bragging rights
Knueppel won the first quarter by a mile in the Battle of Blue Devils over Flagg, but Flagg got the better of the second quarter. These two are the only two NBA rookies with a chance at Rookie of the Year honors this season, and coming into Thursday’s game, even the staunchest Mavs fans would have to admit that Knueppel was a hair in front of Flagg statistically through 48 games.
Whoever ends up winning the postseason award, these two rookies are both capable of taking a game over and putting on a show. You put them on opposite ends of things, and you can tell, it’s a little personal, but they’re both so cool and collected at the same time.
Knueppel hit his fifth 3-pointer of the game with just under five minutes left in the first half, then Flagg stepped back for his first of the game on the other end of the floor, with Knueppel defending him. The rookie studs had piled up 19 points apiece to that point. Flagg hit his second jumper over Knueppel with two minutes left in the first half, this time from just outside the elbow after a pump fake, a shot that looked eerily similar to Dirk Nowitzki’s patented one-legged fadeaway.
Flagg made mincemeat of the Hornets’ defense in the second quarter on his way to 23 points, the highest scoring quarter of his rookie campaign. It came within one point of Aguirre’s best quarter as a Maverick — he scored 24 in one quarter in 1983. Flagg’s 25 points in the first half was also a new season- and career-best output. While Knueppel shot 6-of-7 from the field in the first half on his way to 19 points to lead the Hornets, Flagg shot 8-of-9 from the field in the second quarter on his way to a game-high 25.
This little Coop-vs.-Kon in-game side quest was captivating. Flagg dove down the lane in transition for a leaning lay-in with five minutes left in the third to bring the Mavs to within 88-80 and give Flagg a game-high 36 points. He skied for a blocked shot inside while defending Diabate two possessions later. He scored a leaner in the lane over two Charlotte defenders with 2:55 left in the third to put him at 38, then scored the next time down over three defenders to get to 40 before the third quarter was out. The kid was a machine.
Flagg became just the fourth rookie since 2000 to score 40 points in two or more games, joining Blake Griffin, Donovan Mitchell and Anthony Edwards. He joined just Edwards (2) and LeBron James (3) to have more than one 40-point game before turning 20 years old.
Flagg tied his career-high scoring mark on a jumper over Miller with nine minutes left in the game that gave Dallas a 102-98 edge. After Flagg got to 44 late in the fourth, Knueppel scored four more points to put him at 32 for the night and pull the Hornets back in front, 113-110, with 3:18 left.
But Flagg saved his best move for the game’s final minute. After Miller canned an open 3-ball with :39 left on the clock to put the Hornets ahead 121-118, Flagg calmly brought the ball down, sized up the defender in front of him, and drilled his third on the other end with :34 left.
The supporting cast
Knueppel’s supporting cast was better around their rookie stud than Flagg’s Mavericks were for most of the game. Lamelo Ball made five of his first eight 3-point attempts in the game and scored 12 points in the third quarter in support of Knueppel to help Charlotte stay in front, despite Flagg’s scoring onslaught. Miller had his moments, too, in a 23-point performance.
Then, late in the third, a switch got flipped for the Mavs. Klay Thompson hit a big 3-pointer from five feet behind the top of the key with just under a minute left in the third to pull the Mavs to within 93-90, then Caleb Martin knocked in his first 3-ball of the game with 20 seconds left in the period to tied the game, 93-93, headed to the fourth.
Thompson knocked in another 3-pointer on the Mavs’ first possession of the fourth quarter, giving the Mavericks a brief 96-93 lead and adding to a 23-9 Dallas run that started late in the third. He made a nice back-cut a minute later to put the Mavs ahead 98-96, then Williams leaked out in transition and scored over Diabate to give the Mavericks a four-point edge and force a Hornets’ timeout with 9:54 left to play.
Max Christie’s runner in the lane brought Dallas to within 113-112 with 2:50 left in the game. The next time down, Christie missed on a tough driving attempt, but Gafford gathered in the offensive board and got fouled going up. His 1-of-2 trip to the line tied the game, 113-113. After Ball’s 3-pointer from the left wing and a goaltend on Flagg’s next driving attempt, the Hornets held a 116-115 lead with less than two minutes on the clock.
Christie came alive down the stretch after an off game for the first three quarters. Washington found him on a good ball reversal for his first 3-point make of the game to tie the game, 118-118, with 1:01 left.
Aguirre honored
The night on the floor belonged to Flagg and Knueppel, but at halftime, the Mavericks retired Mark Aguirre’s No. 24 jersey in a ceremony featuring teammates Derek Harper and Rolondo Blackman as well as words from Magic Johnson, whom Aguirre battled in the 1986-87 Western Conference Finals, and Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki. Longtime friend and teammate with the Detroit Pistons after Aguirre’s eight seasons in Dallas, Isaiah Thomas was interviewed during the game broadcast, giving Aguirre credit for getting those Pistons’ teams over the hump on their way to two NBA Championships in the late 1980s.
“Mark and I grew up literally three or four blocks from each other, never ever thinking or dreaming that we would be professional NBA basketball players,” Thomas said during the ceremony. “We just liked playing basketball together. Without Mark Aguirre coming to the Pistons, we never win an NBA Championship. So, Rolondo, Harp, thank you for my Hall-of-Fame friend.”
Aguirre was helped to the podium by Harper and Blackman, who stood by his side as Aguirre delivered his halftime address to the crowd at AAC. It was nice to see an infusion of goodwill into that building after the year the franchise has had since … well, never mind. It was just good to see the franchise’s first No. 1 overall draft pick have his legacy as a Mavericks hero cemented with his jersey number being pulled up into the rafters.
“In 1980, these two guys right here went to bat for me,” Aguirre said of Harper and Blackman. “Thank you for letting us represent you. Dallas is an incredible NBA city.”
After having three days off between games, it may have been reasonable to expect a little bit of rust from the Pittsburgh Penguins when they took on the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday.
Well, that was somewhat true in this one. The Penguins had a slow, lethargic start to the first period, which is something that hasn’t happened much lately. But - as they have since the holiday break - they kept the game close and showed up big-time in the second period.
And they absolutely took over from there.
After surrendering the first one to Blackhawks’ defenseman Connor Murphy, the Penguins scored six consecutive goals - including four in the second period - to chase the Blackhawks out of their barn with a 6-2 victory. Pittsburgh was outshot 9-8 in the first period and outshot Chicago 36-11 for the rest of the game, putting forth a dominant effort to earn their league-best fifth-straight win.
With the win, the Penguins kept pace with the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders - who sandwich them at first and third in the Metropolitan Division - since both teams also emerged victorious Thursday.
“I see it every day in practice. I believe in these guys and what they're capable of doing," head coach Dan Muse said. "And I've seen the work that they've put in... you feel good coming off a road trip like we just had, you feel good coming off this game, so it's not surprising that I believe in them.
"But, with all this being said, too, we have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of work ahead of us. We've got to keep pushing and keep getting better"
Pittsburgh came out of the gate slow, and Murphy got on the board approaching the midway point of the first when Penguins’ goaltender Arturs Silovs was screened and impeded by his own blueliner in Kris Letang at the net front. However, they had a pretty quick response, as Connor Dewar registered his 11th of the season when he picked up the loose change and shot the puck from the low-slot area to tie the game.
And from the jump in the second period, the Penguins asserted themselves. Nearly six minutes in, Anthony Mantha found Ben Kindel breaking to the left circle in the offensive zone, and Kindel snapped the puck past goaltender Arvid Soderblom for his third goal in two games to make it 2-1. Then, later in the period, Penguins’ defenseman Parker Wotherspoon laid a big-time hit on Blackhawks’ forward Tyler Bertuzzi in the neutral zone, which freed up the puck for Evgeni Malkin. He skated it into the offensive zone and put a perfect spin-o-rama backhand pass on the tape of a breaking Egor Chinakhov, who deked his way to the net and beat Soderblom for Pittsburgh’s third goal.
And the Penguins weren’t done. Just 31 seconds later, Kindel threaded a pass to Mantha, who came through the middle on a breakaway and finished it off for his 17th of the season to put the Penguins up, 4-1. Ryan Shea added a one-time tally with just 30 seconds left in the middle frame - assisted by defenseman Ilya Solovyov, playing in his first game with the Penguins - to make it 5-1.
Fourteen minutes into the third, Dewar notched his second of the game in a scrappy net-front scramble that resulted in a post-goal scrum. Blackhawks star Connor Bedard fired a laser less than a minute later to cut into the Penguins’ lead, but it didn’t amount to anything, and the Penguins secured the 6-2 win.
“Everyone's working hard. It's hard to win in this league, and everyone understands that," Silovs said. "And I think that guys have been clicking really well on [their] lines to each other, so it's great to see that."
Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this one:
- I’m just going to put this out into the universe, even if it’s a bold statement. You know who Chinakhov very much reminds me of?
The last guy who donned No. 59 before him.
Look, I’m not saying he will produce to the level that Guentzel does. Chinakhov is a finisher, not so much a playmaker. But, like Guentzel, he has a quick, deceptive release, his puck skills are high-level, and he just always seems to be in the right spot. He knows how to expose the right areas of the ice and put himself in the right place at the right time, every time, in the offensive zone. And - unlike Guentzel - there is a defensive element and a speed element to his game.
That’s six goals and eight points in 14 games with the Penguins, and he had three goals and six points in 29 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Well, thanks Columbus, and thank you, Kyle Dubas. I have no idea what was so amiss in Columbus - and I have no idea what Chinakhov’s Penguins’ career has in store for him - but this guy is a legitimate goal-scorer in the National Hockey League. I think, if paired with an elite playmaker - which the Penguins sure have - he can be a perennial 30-goal scorer, perhaps more.
- The third line produced three Penguins’ goals tonight and is really starting to hit its stride.
Kindel and Mantha are developing some legitimate chemistry, and Rutger McGroarty had himself a nice game after being recalled from the AHL as a complement to those guys, too. I love how you can always find McGroarty around the net.
But Kindel and Mantha’s connection is starting to produce results, and Muse was complimentary of Mantha, as he had three points and once again showed some playmaking ability in tight areas.
“He's absolutely got the ability to do that," Muse said. "You see the shot, but he sees things well offensively, he can make those tight-area plays. Sometimes, because he's so big, you don't always see that kind of playmaking from players his size, but I think he's shown that over the course of the year. It doesn't come as a surprise there."
That line was humming all night long, and hopefully, they can continue to just keep climbing.
- I’ve said it a million times in the past few weeks, but the forward depth on this roster, when healthy, is a force to be reckoned with. There are few teams in the NHL with the four-line depth that the Penguins have. And so much of it has to do with the emergence of Kindel.
"He's learning quick," Mantha said. "If you compare his first couple of games to right now, I don't think it's the same player out there. And you see the confidence level on the ice right now that, maybe earlier in the season, you didn't quite see. And he's making plays, he's running the puck up, and, yeah... he's a smart kid, so he'll keep learning."
With the second and third lines rolling the way they are, it’s crazy that Sidney Crosby’s line almost feels like a secondary source of scoring at this point. And that’s quite the development, especially since they were, pretty much, the only source of scoring for two seasons prior.
This team’s forward group is legitimate. And it’s dangerous.
- It was nice to see Solovyov register his first point with the Penguins. He isn’t the fleetest of foot out there, but I thought he played a pretty steady game alongside Shea. And he doesn’t shy away from physicality.
I’m not sure what the defensive rotation is going to look like with Jack St. Ivany on the shelf for the next two months. But I think he may have earned a few more looks with his play on Thursday.
- That Wotherspoon hit was something else. He has been a revelation for the Penguins this season - and continues to be - but his physicality is such an underrated and underappreciated part of his repertoire.
Chinakhov is proving why people need to stop overvaluing draft picks.
Pens got clowned by many for giving up a 2nd and a 3rd. Those aren't even guaranteed to be NHL players, and even if they are, it could be 3-5 years.
This was a prime example of physicality directly translating to offense in transition. The Penguins have been missing this kind of physicality for many a year, and now, they have a couple of players who provide that. Solovyov had quite the hit on a first-period penalty kill, too, and Connor Clifton and Noel Acciari aren’t afraid to throw the body, either.
This is just a very different kind of energy and toolset that the Penguins have needed.
- Like Malkin, I think it’s safe to say Dewar has earned an extension.
A fifth-round pick was all it took to acquire him last season. What a fourth-line player.
Every game counts in this part of the NHL season, especially for the Islanders, who are looking to strengthen their postseason positioning before the Winter Olympics break.
So when they went to MSG to take on the rival Rangers on Thursday night, it was a bit disconcerting that the last-place team was outplaying them. Yes, the score was in a scoreless tie deep into the second period, but the Rangers were up on shots and the Islanders' offense could not get going. However, the Islanders found a spark in an unlikely place.
Carson Soucy, in his second game with the Islanders and having just three goals entering play after being traded from the Rangers earlier this week, scored at 17:18 of the second period, throwing up a prayer and squeaking it past Jonathan Quick stick side to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.
"We had a message going into the second, want to get a little more pucks on net," Soucy said of his goal. "Start creating off the shot, whether it was rebound or whatever. Just got a fortunate bounce and it went in."
Soucy spent parts of two seasons with the Rangers after stops in Minnesota, Seattle and Vancouver, so he's used to joining new teams and facing old ones, so Thursday's game against the Blueshirts, while he admits was weird at first, was just like any other game.
"Like I’ve been saying, I just want to help this team win, no matter who it’s against," Soucy said. "Just happy to contribute. Want to help this team get two points, especially before the break here."
While Soucy downplays his goal, the score infused the team with new vigor. A little over a minute later, rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer scored his 14th goal of the season to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead, the difference in their 2-1 win.
"It gets us pretty fired up," Schaefer said of Soucy's goal. "Soucy just getting traded from the Rangers, being a great guy off and on the ice...for him to get that goal, just a payback in a way. He gets traded and gets a goal against his old team. It’s pretty cool."
“Was happy for Carson. He’s been playing so well," Roy said of his new player.
The acquisition of Soucy was just one of two deals made by Islanders GM Mathieu Darche this week, the other being Ondrej Palat from the Devils. Palat posted two points (one goal, one assist) in his debut with the Islanders on Wednesday, and now Soucy's goal kickstarted the victory on Thursday. In the first two games, both players have contributed to wins and Roy isn't surprised by it.
“That’s what you want, isn’t it?" Roy said with a smirk. "They both play a role that we needed. Both guys are experienced and gives us that depth."
“They’ve done a great job welcoming both of us in," Soucy said of how the Islanders have treated him and Palat. "Obviously, it's been a lot of fun. It's always interesting meeting a bunch of new teammates all at once. But yeah, they welcomed us in really well.”
Things appeared bleak for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday evening, trailing 3-1 to the Washington Capitals with under two minutes remaining in regulation.
The good news is that, thanks to a pair of goals from Alex DeBrincat, including a wild bounce off the glass to knot the score at 3–3, the Red Wings secured a valuable point in the standings.
The bad news is that the Capitals converted on all three shootout attempts, while Detroit went 2-for-3, resulting in a 4–3 loss.
Patrick Kane did become the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, recording the 1,375th point of his NHL career with an assist on Ben Chiarot’s second-period goal.
Kane initially appeared to reach the milestone in the opening 20 minutes, picking up an assist on what would have been a power-play goal by Lucas Raymond. However, replays showed that Kane entered the offensive zone a fraction too early, and the goal was disallowed for offside.
Not long after Raymond's disallowed goal, the Capitals scored first thanks to the third goal of the season from Nic Dowd, who beat John Gibson with a low glove-side shot.
Chiarot's goal midway through the second period knotted the score at 1-1, and was his first tally since signing a three-year contract extension earlier in the week.
The Capitals took a 2-1 lead in the third period after Dylan Strome poked the puck away from Gibson's glove and wrapped it around into the net; the tally withstood a coach's challenge for goaltender interference.
Washington then padded their lead after a deflection goal from Declan Chisholm, who was credited for his first goal of the season.
DeBrincat scored the first of what would be two goals on the night at 18:20 of the third period with Gibson pulled. Then, at the 19:07 mark, his dump-in attempt deflected off the glass and somehow bounced into the net past a bewildered Charlie Lindgren.
Improbably, the Red Wings tied the game and secured at least one point on a night when the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres, and Montreal Canadiens all won their respective games.
Following a scoreless overtime, Lucas Raymond and Patrick Kane converted in the shootout for Detroit, though Dylan Larkin rang a shot off the crossbar. The Capitals scored on all three of their shootout attempts, including the game-deciding tally from Dowd.
The Red Wings will face the Colorado Avalanche at home on Saturday afternoon.
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Dallas Mavericks rookie sensation Cooper Flagg went off Thursday night, setting a new career high with 49 points in a 123-121 loss against the Charlotte Hornets.
Those 49 points also represent a new NBA record for points in a game by a teenager, per the league.
The top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft just turned 19 on Dec. 21.
Flagg started slowly, with just two points in the first quarter. But he exploded in the second for 23 points. Per ESPN Insights, Flagg is the youngest player in the play-by-play era to score more than 20 points in a quarter.
He kept the scoring up in the second half, adding another 24 points.
CHICAGO (AP) — Norman Powell scored 21 points, Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Miami Heat held on for a 116-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
Ayo Dosunmu had 23 points to lead the Bulls, who trailed by 13 in the fourth quarter and were down 104-92 with 8:02 remaining before outscoring the Heat 21-12 the rest of the way to make it close.
With Chicago trailing 110-100, Dosunmu made two layups and a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 3 with 2:05 left. After a layup by Powell, Nikola Vucevic's turnaround hook shot made it 112-109 with 54 seconds remaining.
Dosunmu and Powell each made two free throws and after being fouled by Pelle Larsson, Coby White hit both of his foul shots to make it a one-point game with 7 seconds left. Larsson dunked 2 seconds later to give Miami a three-point lead and White missed a 3-point attempt to seal the win for the Heat.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Chicago. Larsson had 15 points.
Vucevic had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Matas Buzelis finished with 16 points, Kevin Huerter had 15 and White 14 for the Bulls.
Up next
The teams play the second of three straight matchups, next in Miami on Saturday night.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 30, 2025 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow. Let’s preview this.
Game info
When: Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (back), Tristan Vukcevic (hamstring), Marvin Bagley (back), Trae Young (knee, quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) are out. Tre Johnson is day-to-day.
For the Lakers, Austin Reaves (calf) and Adou Thiero (knee) are out. Luka Doncic is day-to-day due to an ankle injury.
What to watch for
So, this winter storm has forced many to miss school for an entire week here in the DMV. Kids are happy. Teachers are happier. Parents who aren’t teachers are wondering when the temperatures hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit again. Either way, I hope you are all enjoying the days off if you had the chance to do that.
Anyway, let’s talk about the Lakers, who are in the middle of a long road trip, and are coming off a 129-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James’ previous team … twice over. Still, LA is 28-18 and will be the overwhelming favorites tomorrow whether James and Doncic play together or not. That said, didn’t the Wizards beat the Milwaukee Bucks just under a couple hours ago as of the time this post got published? You never know guys!
Twenty-four hours after the Islanders handed their honorary player of the game award, an Iron Man mask, to Ondrej Palat, it went to their other new acquisition, Carson Soucy.
For the defenseman who became the first player to cross the Rangers-Islanders divide via trade since Jyri Niemi did so in 2010, that capped what had to have been a pretty good 48 hours.
Soucy went from a team circling the drain to one in the midst of a playoff race, beat his old club twice and scored a goal against them at Madison Square Garden. Plus, he didn’t even need to find new living arrangements.
“Obviously, when you’re going against someone in your division, let alone your in-state rival, it’s nice to be on the winning side for the last two,” Soucy said after the Islanders capped a season-series sweep of the Rangers with a 2-1 victory. “Losing to these guys those first couple games kind of hurt.”
New York Islanders defenseman Carson Soucy is greeted by his teammates on the bench after he scores a goal during the second period on Jan. 29, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Soucy said Wednesday morning he didn’t know any players on the Islanders roster, just a couple of the athletic trainers who were in Vancouver and Minnesota with him. No matter, by Thursday night, the rest of the Islanders were talking about him as if he’d been with them the whole season.
“Soucy got us pretty fired up — just him getting traded from the Rangers, coming in, being a great guy on and off the ice,” Matthew Schaefer said. “So fun to meet him and ‘Latter. For him to get a goal, I think it’s kind of payback in a way: Once he gets traded and then he gets to score against this team, so it’s pretty cool.”
The Iron Man mask, which mostly functions as a good bit for social media, worked over the last two days as a good way for the Islanders to make their newest players feel like part of the team as well.
Will Cuylle of the New York Rangers skates against Carson Soucy of the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden on January 29, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
“It’s great,” Soucy said. “Obviously, we just want to keep this going, but they’ve done a great job welcoming both of us in. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s always interesting meeting a bunch of new teammates all at once, but they’ve welcomed us in really well.”
Max Shabanov drew back into the lineup with Casey Cizikas out due to illness. Kyle MacLean centered the fourth line in Cizikas’ absence, with Shabanov playing on the left wing.
The absence ended a streak of 161 consecutive games played for Cizikas, making Anders Lee the team’s current iron man with 136 in a row.
Cal Ritchie remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Ilya Sorokin started in net 24 hours after David Rittich took the front end of the back-to-back, finishing the night with 20 saves.
The Florida Panthers lost a frustrating game on Thursday night in St Louis.
A late power play goal by the Blues after a questionable call on Niko Mikkola sent the home team to a last-second 5-4 victory over the Panthers.
Florida actually got things started early in the Blues Barn, and it was the Cats’ fourth line that once again provided a spark.
Sandis Vilmanis and Luke Kunin dug the puck free below the goal line and found A.J. Greer in front of the net.
Greer’s 11th tally of the season gave Florida a 1-0 lead at the 3:12 mark of the opening frame.
It didn’t take long for the Blues to take their first lead of the game, as Jake Neighbours and Jordan Kyrou scoring a pair of quick goals just 3:05 apart.
A Sam Reinhart power play goal tied the game about 90 seconds later, but goals by Jonatan Berggen and Oskar Sundqvist late in the first and early in the second gave St. Louis a two-goal edge.
Hometown boy Matthew Tkachuk then took it upon himself to bring the Panthers back into the game, scoring his first two goals of the season less than two minutes apart to send the game to the third period tied at four.
That’s how the score would remain until the game’s final seconds.
With the teams already playing at 4-on-4, Mikkola was called for goalie interference on a play where he appeared to be pushed into Blue goalie Joel Hofer by Berggen.
Florida held strong as long as they could, but Jimmy Snuggerud scored on a one-timer with just 8.4 seconds on the clock.
Photo caption: Jan 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) defends the net against St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk (72) and left wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) during the second period at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA - JANUARY 29: Ivan Demidov #93 of the Montréal Canadiens defends against Valeri Nichushkin #13 of the Colorado Avalanche during the first period at the Bell Centre. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a disappointing showing last night against the Ottawa Senators, in which Colorado lost by a final score of 5-2, the Avs came out flat once again on the second leg of a back-to-back. A 7-3 loss against the Montreal Canadiens was tonight’s result. This was the third time in the month of January in which Colorado has lost by a final score of 7-3.
Let’s take a look at the action from tonight.
First Period
The Canadiens would get on the board first not even a minute into the game, as the Avs had a miscommunication on defense off a face-off, and Noah Dobson was left all alone to rip it past Scott Wedgewood on a sharp angle.
Fortunately for Colorado, Brock Nelson would tie it up for Colorado after that, though, as he made a great move to stick-handle into the offensive zone, and put a great shot past Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes.
Nick Suzuki would quickly give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead after that on the power play, as he wasn’t picked up in front of the Colorado net, and managed to bury a rebound past Wedgewood.
Colorado would then allow a short-handed goal while on the power play, as Suzuki managed to get into the Avs’ zone all alone behind the defense, and made no mistake. The Avalanche now lead the NHL with nine shorthanded goals against. It really punctuates how futile this power play truly is for Colorado.
Second Period
It was a fairly quiet second period until Jake Evans would make it 4-1 Montreal, as Wedgewood would misplay a puck behind his own net, resulting in essentially an empty net goal for Evans.
Kirby Dach would then get maybe a bit of a lucky one, as he tries to go for a wrap-around attempt, and the puck would bang off of Josh Manson’s skate, and into the back of the net. It really wasn’t Scott Wedgewood’s night.
Joel Kiviranta would manage to stop the bleeding for a moment after that, as he managed to get one back and make it 5-2. Were there signs of live for Colorado at this point with a period left to go?
Third Period
Ross Colton would make things interesting early on in the third period, as Val Nichushkin was able to find him right in front of the Montreal net, and Colton was able to put the puck past Dobes. It was Colton’s first goal scored since November.
Almost immediately after that, the Avs would give that goal right back, as Alexandre Carrier would finish a 2-on-1 play to make it 6-3 for Montreal. This goal was really the back breaker as it ended any sort of come back momentum Colorado had.
Another defensive breakdown would lead to Juraj Slafkovsky being left alone in front of the Avs’ net once again, and he deposited the puck into the back of an empty net, for your final score of 7-3.
Takeaways
It’s very clear that this team is ready for the break and just trying not to get hurt leading up to the Olympics, but that doesn’t mean this brand of hockey is any fun to watch, still. Similar to last night, nothing went right for Colorado. Passes weren’t connecting, you had a handful of bad defensive breakdowns that resulted in goals, you lost the special teams battle, and you lost it badly at that by giving up a shorthanded goal. On top of that, when you got even the slightest bit of life in the third period, you almost immediately gave it back, as I said, not a fun brand of hockey to watch whatsoever, especially when you know how good this team is. Hopefully, they can find something against Detroit and San Jose in their last three games before the NHL Olympic break.
Upcoming
Colorado wraps up their road trip against the Detroit Red Wings to begin a home-and-home on Saturday, January 31. Puck drop will be at 11 a.m. MT nationally televised on ABC.
Kane became the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history, passing Mike Modano with an assist for his 1,375th point on an assist Thursday night for the Detroit Red Wings against the Washington Capitals.
“It’s nice to have it over with in some ways and worry about the rest of the season,” Kane said after Washington’s 4-3 shootout win.
Patrick Kane salutes the fans after his 1,375 career point, most by an American born player, on an assist on Ben Chiarot during the second period of the Red Wings’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Capitals at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 29, 2026 in Detroit. NHLI via Getty Images
Kane passed the puck from the boards to Alex DeBrincat in the left circle, and DeBrincat set up Ben Chiarot for a tying goal from the point midway through the second period.
Kane flashed a grin and hugged Chiarot.
He was surrounded by teammates, including those who emptied the bench to join a brief celebration. As Kane skated away, the spotlight was put on him and he raised his stick to acknowledge the crowd while appearing to be on the verge of tears.
His likeness was shown on the videoboards at Little Caesars Arena with an American flag in the background and the number 1,375.
Modano held the mark for 18-plus years. Kane reached the milestone a couple of months after turning 37, while Modano was 40 when he scored a goal to register point No. 1,374, passing Phil Housley.
“I knew at an early age in your career you would be the one chasing this number down and here we are,” Modano said in a prerecorded message played on the videoboards. “Continue on and make this number harder for the next guy.”
Kane has been one of the faces of American hockey since getting taken with the first pick in the 2007 draft by Chicago. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup three times from 2010-15 as a co-headliner of one of the most successful runs since the league’s salary cap era began in ’05.
“When you think of USA Hockey, he’s one of the first players that comes to mind, if not the first player,” fellow American Jack Eichel said. “Such a great representation of USA Hockey and us Americans — something for a lot of the guys that came after him to strive to be, myself included.”
Detroit right wing Patrick Kane (88) is surrounded by teammates after recording his 1,375th point to pass Mike Modano and break the NHL record for points by a player born in the United States. AP
U.S.-born defenseman Charlie McAvoy recalled watching Kane on those long runs “do stuff that at the time people didn’t do.”
“His type of player just transcends now, when back then there wasn’t anybody that was really doing that,” U.S.-born defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “He changed the game of hockey. He’s an absolute legend. And it’s great that he’s an American.”
Earlier this month, Kane became the 50th player and fifth American to score 500 goals, following Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Joe Mullen. Brett Hull, a dual citizen who was born in Canada and played internationally for the U.S., had 741 goals and 1,391 points.
“He’s well on his way to being the best USA player of all time,” countryman Jack Hughes said.
Kane won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in ’07-08, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013 and the Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP in 2015-16, when he also led the league in scoring.
“Such an iconic player, just played with such passion,” said Tage Thompson, who’s a first-time U.S. Olympian this year. “Very enthusiastic, loved scoring goals, loved making plays.”
Kane’s slick hands more than made up for him being on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 and under 180 pounds.
“He’s maybe got the best highlight reel of all time,” Hughes said. “Just as a kid, you watch all of his videos and everything, and you’re like, that’s the guy you want to be just because of how skilled he is.”
Mar 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
It was only a matter of time before the Lakers were linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This week, the Greek Freak kind of, sort of demanded a trade, a perfect punctuation on what has been a mess of a Bucks season. Whatever words he wants to use to describe it is a debate for another day, but the end result is that Milwaukee is now fielding offers for him.
Right now, the Lakers don’t have much of a chance at Giannis. If the Bucks’ goal is to make a deal over the next week before the deadline, the Lakers can’t offer more than one first round pick, one second round pick and salaries. Austin Reaves could be included in the deal, but his ability to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer makes him unappealing to Milwaukee.
However, if things drag out to the summer, then the Lakers can be much more of a factor. And that gets more intriguing with the latest reporting tidbit from The Ringer’s Howard Beck.
“I was told recently that the Lakers were a team to keep an eye from Giannis’ standpoint just as another team of interest. But, again, there’s a difficulty there in terms of trade assets. They’re another team where, once the summer comes, they got more on the draft capital side of things and they got more clarity once they figure out where LeBron is or isn’t and where Austin Reaves is because he’s a free agent.”
Unfortunately, this likely doesn’t change a lot for the Lakers. Unless the Bucks really want to do a solid for Giannis and send him somewhere he wants to go, the Lakers still likely lack the draft picks and young players to make a competitive offer.
Even if Giannis says he won’t sign an extension with a team that trades for him, he still has a whole other season on his contract. The earliest he could be a free agent is the summer of 2027. It would be similar to the situation with Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors, as an example.
The other aspect that needs to happen is Giannis trying to force his way to LA. And given how much he hasn’t wanted to be the bad guy in Milwaukee so far, that feels unlikely to happen either.
The biggest thing the Lakers can offer Milwaukee is tax relief, which other teams might not be able to. With a huge amount of projected cap space, the Lakers could help the Bucks save a lot of money, which is something few other teams making offers will be able to do.
Is a package of lesser picks but more money saved enticing to the Bucks? It depends on what the ownership is looking for in the next deal.
But if Giannis is intrigued by the Lakers, then that at least opens the door.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 23 points, Taina Mair added 18 and No. 20 Duke won on the road 74-58 against Miami for its 12th straight win on Thursday night.
Fournier also had 11 rebounds for her fifth double double of the season. She shot 10 of 16 from the floor, 1 of 2 from 3-point range, and 2 of 8 from the free throw line before fouling out.
Jordan Wood scored 12 points for Duke.
Ra Shaya Kyle led Miami with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and added nine rebounds before fouling out. Gal Raviv added 16 points.
The Blue Devils (15-6, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) went into halftime up 39-23. Miami (12-9, 4-6) clawed back from being down by 19 to only down five, 55-50, starting the final quarter. The Hurricanes came within three with 9:47 to go in the game, before Duke responded with a 12-0 run to cruise the rest of the way. Miami was held scoreless for over seven minutes before a layup by Candace Kpetikou with 2:06 to play ended the drought.
