Worldwide Sports News

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Dallas Stars at the United Center on Thursday night. This New Year's Day matchup was the second between these two teams in less than a week. 

Last Saturday, the Blackhawks defeated the Stars in Dallas via the shootout. Despite having the second-best record in the NHL entering play on Thursday, the Stars haven't won a game since December 21st, when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs at home 5-1. 

In Chicago's most recent game, a shootout loss to the New York Islanders, Artyom Levshunov was brilliant. He defended well, used his speed to create chances, hit a couple of posts, and had an assist. He followed that up with a strong game against the Stars on Thursday. 

Levshunov opened the scoring. After a net-mouth scramble in front of Jake Oettinger, the puck made it to Levshunov a bit farther away from the net, and he picked a corner. 

Just under three minutes later, Mikko Rantanen made a great move to beat Spencer Knight and tie the game. From there, the Blackhawks started to take over. 

At the end of the first period, Nils Lundkvist took a two minute minor penalty for cross checking Oliver Moore. This promised the Hawks a power play with a clean sheet of ice to open the second. 

Just 13 seconds into the middle frame, the Blackhawks took advantage of this man-advantage. A nice play by Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky allowed Teuvo Teravainen to find the puck wide open in front of the net. He didn't miss with his shot. 

With 9:14 gone in the second, Ilya Mikheyev scored as nice a goal as you'll see in the NHL this season. This put the Blackhawks up 3-1, which is a score that held into the third.

At the 3:58 mark of the third, Mikheyev scored his second of the game to make it 4-1. It wasn't as impressive as the first goal he scored, but it counts just the same. When Jake Oettinger watches the replay of that one, he won't love it. 

Later in the period, with under five minutes remaining in regulation time, the Stars scored one with Oettinger on the bench for the extra attacker. Jason Robertson scored to cut the deficit to two. 

With the goalie pulled again, Ilya Mikheyev attempted to have his first career hat trick and seal the game from his own blue line, but it hit the inside of the post. The Stars then came down the ice and scored again to make it 4-3 with 17 seconds remaining. Matt Duchene took a perfect pass from Wyatt Johnston and beat Spencer Knight. 

The Blackhawks were able to hang on and win 4-3 from there. The game ended up being much closer in the end, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this was Chicago's best game since Connor Bedard went down with an injury. 

Chicago is now 2-1-1 since the holiday break. Both of the wins are against Dallas, who is one of the best teams that they will play all year long. Whether it's Artyom Levshunov's emergence, Ilya Mikheyev getting hot, or the other young players making a difference, things seem to be turning back in the right direction again as they were earlier in the season. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

Levshunov on the power play🔥 pic.twitter.com/LM2JH4UYcx

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 2, 2026

turbo timeeeeeee⏰ pic.twitter.com/Jk1UX1cR0l

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 2, 2026

are you kidding me🤯 pic.twitter.com/YqjOCk6EW4

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 2, 2026

a sneaky goal from 95👀 pic.twitter.com/hLQPKpazJb

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 2, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday night. They will hit the road for one game as they will face the Washington Capitals in the nation's capital. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

While the good news for the Detroit Red Wings picked up a point in the standings to maintain their lead in the Atlantic Division, the bad news is that they only scored twice on seven power-play opportunities in what was ultimately a 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday evening. 

Rematch Saturday afternoon in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/NPBEPa1pwg

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 2, 2026

Kris Letang blasted a one-timer past the blocker of goaltender Cam Talbot in the extra session after receiving a feed from Sidney Crosby, who scored twice in the first period in short order. 

The Red Wings, who came into the contest with the NHL's fourth-best power-play, were given multiple chances thanks to the undisciplined play of the host Penguins, but only converted twice.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

It was Crosby who gave the Penguins a quick 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of play, as he scored twice in less than two minutes. 

Detroit got back into the contest thanks to the 10th goal of the season from James van Riemsdyk, who scored while Tommy Novak was in the box with a double-minor for high sticking. 

Andrew Copp then knotted the score early in the second period, taking advantage of a friendly bounce off the boards and beating goaltender Arturs Silovs for his fifth tally of the season.

Detroit appeared to take a 3-2 lead with less than 10 minutes left in regulation, but what would have been Lucas Raymond's first goal in five games was taken away after Dylan Larkin was ruled to have been offside by an inch.

Pittsburgh then took advantage of an advantageous bounce of their own, as Blake Lizotte's shot deflected off the chest of defenseman Simon Edvinsson and past Talbot. However, they put the Red Wings right back on the power-play soon afterward, thanks to a delay of game penalty for flipping the puck over the glass in their defensive zone.

"They're Helping Us Along": Red Wings Praise Fans For Energizing Little Caesars Arena The Detroit Red Wings have won six of their last seven games on home ice at Little Caesars Arena, an important aspect of their winning record so far in their centennial campaign.

Alex DeBrincat scored his 21st goal of the campaign on the ensuing man-advantage, backhanding the puck past a sprawling Silovs after collecting the rebound off the boards of a shot from Raymond. 

Talbot finished with 24 saves, while Silovs countered with 27 saves.

Both teams will once again face off on Saturday afternoon, this time at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

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.

The Los Angeles Kings (16-14-9) played host to the Tampa Bay Lightning (24-13-3) in what proved to be a riveting New Year's Day clash. It seemed as if the Kings were going to manage to fend off one the Eastern conferences best. Until a late third period nightmare led to two points being squandered. 

There aren't too many positive takeaways from a game that ends as poorly as tonight's game did, but there were a few standout moments. Corey Perry picked up three assists, Darcy Kuemper played a very solid 90% of this game, and most importantly, the LA power play managed to score not one, but two goals with the man advantage.

Fast Start

Things got off to a blistering start in Los Angeles with both the Kings and Lightning firing on all cylinders out of the gate. Both teams were given a power play opportunity early which factored heavily into the eventful beginning to the game.

Just under four minutes into the opening frame, the Lighting took the lead thanks to a Brayden Point goal on the man advantage. Kings captain Anze Kopitar was assessed a tripping penalty which led to Point's eighth goal of the season. 

However, the Kings did not squander after falling behind quickly. Jeff Malott scored his third goal of the season to knot things up at 1-1. Thanks to an effective forecheck, Malott was able capitalize off of a Lightning giveaway caused by Corey Perry.

Shortly after evening the score, the Kings would take the lead on the power play after Lighting defender Max Crozier was sent to the box for holding. On the ensuing power play, Andrei Kuzmenko buried a loose puck off of a rebound past Jonas Johansson to give the Kings a 2-1 lead, which they would bring into the second period.

Kings' Doughty and Kuemper Named To Canada's Olympic RosterAfter months of speculation, Team Canada's Olympic roster was finally announced on Wednesday afternoon. Los Angeles Kings veterans Darcy Kuemper and Drew Doughty were given the honour to represent their country.

Ugly Period Leads To Tie Game

After a positive opening two minutes the Kings failed to duplicate their effort in the middle frame. Tampa Bay outshot Los Angeles 7-1 in the second period, if not for Darcy Kuemper, the score could've looked a lot different heading into the third period.

Despite the ugly effort, it looked like the Kings were going to get out of the second period with the lead. That was until Point scored his second of the game to tie things up at 2-2.

On The Board Early In The Third

After a second period to forget, the Kings got back on track early in the third. Tampa Bay blue liner Darren Raddysh was sent to the box for cross checking just under a minute into the final frame. 

It didn't take long for LA to capitalize on the man advantage as Kevin Fiala scored his 14th of the season off of a beautiful feed from Corey Perry who found Fiala off of the rush. Perry picked up his third assist of the game on the Kings 3-2 goal.

An Epic Collapse

It seemed as if Fiala's goal might be enough to fend off a dynamic Lighting squad as the Kings were outshooting their opponent 8-3 until the collapse began to take shape.

All the Kings had to do was hold on for dear life as they prepared for the inevitable Lightning storm coming their way. Unfortunately, it seemed to be too much for the Kings to handle. With just over 3 minutes remaining, Olympian Anthony Cirelli tied the game at 3-3 after winning a puck battle out front and beating Kuemper with a backhand shot.

A Franchise at an Impasse, a Pipeline with LeverageLOS ANGELES, CA — Whether you look at each pipeline asset or a current roster piece, there isn't a whole lot for the Los Angeles Kings to work with. There's an ongoing predicament with this franchise: where it's headed and what it has accomplished. Its current state is one of decay and ambivalence on whether a maligned focus and direction of schema and construction can break through when it matters most.

Not long after, the Lighting found the back of the net once again, this time giving them their first lead since way back in the first period. After entering the LA zone with speed, Tampa Bay forward Gage Concalves carried the puck towards the net, which didn't amount to a high danger chance. However, he did stay with the play and found the loose puck after some lucky bounces and tucked it into the open Kings net as Kuemper couldn't get over in time.

To add insult to injury, Nikita Kucherov scored an empty net goal with 45 seconds remaining, confirming the Kings shocking demise.

Final from LA.#GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/wUGPTsTx6e

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 2, 2026

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.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Rutger McGroarty in the summer of 2024 - sending their top forward prospect in Brayden Yager the other way - they knew they were getting a talented, cerebral player that could help the NHL team both in the short-term and the long-term. 

Well, 22 games into his NHL career, the 14th overall pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2022 has shown some flashes - and he's only going to keep getting better.

Injured to begin the 2025-26 season, the 21-year-old forward from Lincoln, Neb. took a while to get back into game action. He missed all of training camp and the first month and a half of the season before a five-game AHL stint in which he recorded four goals and seven points in five games. 

Now, he has played 14 NHL games this season, with two goals and three points in those 14 games, and he likes where his game is beginning to trend, especially since he is developing more comfortability at the highest level of hockey. 

"I think I'm continuing to get more comfortable," McGroarty said. "Overall, I think my game is going up, and I'm getting better and better. I still think that there's a lot more to give as well.

"You can never be satisfied in this league. Just continuing to have that day-by-day mindset and just kind of stack the positives and learn from the negatives."

And his 22 NHL games have taught him a lot so far. He's not only learning the game at NHL speed, he's also learning to take every day in stride and steadily keep improving. 

Pittsburgh Penguins' New Year's Resolutions: 2025 EditionThere were some ups and downs for Pittsburgh Penguins' players in 2025. So what can they resolve to accomplish in 2026?

For McGroarty, developing consistency is the biggest thing. It's something he's continuously working to achieve, and he's learned to be able to take a step back both when things aren't going his way and when it's going really well for him. 

"I think the main thing is just consistency," McGroarty said. "Game in, game out, shift by shift, I mean, you're not going to win the game on every shift. But you can definitely do your job and be attentive, and just kind of be in the moment on every shift - just not trying to win the game in one shift.

"It's the best league in the world. There's going to be ups, there's going to be downs, but kind of just staying in the middle, staying even, not getting too high, and not getting too low."

And McGroarty is beginning to find consistency in all three zones. His all-around toolset is one of the biggest reasons the Penguins acquired him in the first place, and it's something that separates him from a lot of other young players.

RUTGER'S GOT HIS FIRST OF THE YEAR!

PENS UP, BABY 🐧 🆙 pic.twitter.com/95EbvYZXQe

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) December 13, 2025

His ability to help create in the offensive zone and finish plays as well as his capability in the defensive zone - which, also, extends to the third line he's been playing on with Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen, and a few others sprinkled in - has not gone unnoticed by his head coach, either. 

"I think he's playing well," coach Dan Muse said. "I think you see a lot of time in the o-zone as a line. I still think that they're continuing to work to just generate more of those chances from the inside, and I think that's going to come. Good work away from the puck as well, though. I think he's shown the responsibility there on the defensive side."

The Penguins' third line has certainly helped them in a lot of hockey games this season, even if they haven't quite found the scoresheet with the frequency that they'd, ideally, like to. But they're doing a lot of good things on both sides of the puck, even being counted on for some defensive zone starts in key situations.

And the trust that the coaching staff has in the line - especially as a line of what's mostly been three rookies - is something that McGroarty said they take a lot of pride in. 

"I mean, we want to be out there for those situations," McGroarty said. "I feel like those d-zone faceoffs are just as important, if not more important, than o-zone draws or whatever it is. Just managing the puck in your own end, getting the puck out of your own end, and setting up the next line for an o-zone shift - whatever it is - I think that we've done a good job of that.

"My mom always says you lose trust in buckets and gain it in drops. So, just continuing to stack good shifts, continuing to stack good d-zone shifts, and just continuing to gain trust."

McGroarty believes that if he, Kindel, and Koivunen - or, even, Yegor Chinakhov, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29 and was iced with Kindel and McGroarty against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday - keep sticking to the process, the points will come, too. They are learning how to read each other in each zone, and it has contributed to a chemistry that has been palpable early on.

Chinakhov Trade Shows Penguins Are Starting To Shift GearsKyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and it could be a sign of things to come over the next several months.

"I think we're learning what we like to do in the o-zone," McGroarty said. "And then, d-zone routes, filling space for each other... I think the more you play with a player, obviously, you're going to learn their routes more, and you're going to gain more chemistry no matter what. But I think that we've really done a good job of adapting to each other's games and not changing who we are, either, for anybody.

"I think we've really had some really good o-zone shifts, some really good o-zone looks, and we've really been good defensively as well. There's been a couple of bad bounces, a couple ones I definitely want back. But I think, overall, we've done really well in the d-zone for three rookies. And then in the o-zone, I think changing sides, protecting the puck, the little slip passes, have been great. And they're only going to continue to get better."

And so, too, will McGroarty, as he continues to gain NHL experience. He hasn't nearly scratched the surface of what he is capable of as a regular NHL player, and if he can reach his potential, the Penguins will be counting on him to be a key piece of their future core.

The Five Best On-Ice Moments For The Penguins In 20252025 is about to end, so let's look at the five best on-ice moments for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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

The Chicago Blackhawks have been going through some major struggles as the season rolls on. After winning just two out of their last 10 games, the Blackhawks now have a 14-18-7 record and are seventh in the Central Division. The Winnipeg Jets are also the only team in the NHL that has fewer points than the Blackhawks at the time of this writing, so things are not going well for Chicago right now. 

If the Blackhawks do not turn things around quickly and find themselves out of the playoff race near the deadline, they will likely be sellers. If this ends up coming to fruition, defenseman Connor Murphy should be a very popular trade target around the NHL. 

Murphy is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so he will certainly be a player to keep an eye on near the deadline. This is especially so when noting that the Blackhawks have multiple promising young defensemen in their system. With this, the Blackhawks certainly could end up shopping Murphy.

With Murphy being a big right-shot defenseman who can play plenty of minutes and has a ton of experience, there should be several playoff clubs in the mix for his services near the deadline. He is the kind of steady stay-at-home defenseman that contenders love to add for the post-season. 

In 39 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded five assists, 40 hits, and 55 blocks. 

The San Jose Sharks have been one of the NHL's top surprises this season. After finishing with just 20 wins this past season, the Sharks have a 20-17-3 record in just 40 games so far this campaign. With this, they are currently fourth in the Pacific Division and have the top wild card spot in the Western Conference.

With the Sharks being in a good position with the new year here, it is fair to wonder if they could look to add to their roster at the 2026 NHL trade. According to a new report, the Sharks have their eye on one of the NHL's top trade candidates. 

During a recent episode of The Fan Hockey Show for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks are interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. 

"I've actually kind of wondered a little bit about San Jose in the Western Conference," Friedman said. "They've gone from being nowhere at the beginning of the year to being very much in the race. They got a lot of UFAs. I think they've had some interest in Sherwood from Vancouver."

The Sharks reportedly having interest in Sherwood is understandable, as they certainly could use another top-nine winger who not only can score but also plays a heavy game. Sherwood would give the Sharks a player who is built for intense playoff hockey, which would have the potential to benefit a young team on the rise like the Sharks tremendously. 

Sherwood has appeared in 39 games so far this season with the Canucks, where he has recorded 16 goals, four assists, 20 points, and 184 hits. With numbers like these, he undoubtedly would give the Sharks more scoring and bite if acquired. 

With Sherwood in the middle of a strong year and having a bargain $1.5 million cap hit, there is no question that the Canucks want a good return for him in any potential trade. The Sharks have trading assets to work with, so it will be interesting to see if they end up being the club that lands Sherwood from here.