Smith is averaging 9.6 assists per game and entered Saturday leading all Division I players in that category.
Canucks Battle Hard But Fall 3-2 In Overtime To The Bruins
The Vancouver Canucks picked up a point but still fell 3-2 in overtime to the Boston Bruins. Elias Pettersson scored his 10th of the season while Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist in the loss. As for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped 18 of the 21 shots he faced in the loss.
Saturday's game was another example of the Canucks falling despite outplaying the opposition. Vancouver finished the night with a 33-21 shots advantage and also won the overall puck possession battle. In the end, though, it wasn't enough as Jeremy Swayman showed why he was selected to the USA's 2026 Winter Olympics team.
One of the reason's the game went to overtime was the Canucks special teams. While Vancouver has been strong as of late while shorthanded, Boston found a way to go two for three with the man advantage. On the flip side, the Canucks were unable to capitalize on their own power plays, going one for six on Saturday.
As for a positive from the game, that would be the play of the Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson line. According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio had a 12-0 scoring chances advantage and outshot their opposition 10-0. Post-game, Pettersson spoke about his line and why they were able to generate chances all game.
"Yeah, trying to come connected, like all three of us come with speed through the neutral zone," said Pettersson. "So it's not one guy comes with speed and two guys standing still on the far blue line. But yeah, it's easy to play with them, just trying to do my part."
Saturday also saw some changes on the blue line as head coach Adam Foote elected to play younger players with experienced defenders. Tyler Myers played with Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson was matched up with Tom Willander while Filip Hronek was on a pair with Zeev Buium. Post-game, Hronek was asked about playing with his new partner and what he has seen from Buium since he arrived in Vancouver.
"He's a pretty skilled guy, said Hronek. "He can move the puck, and it was a lot of fun to play with him."
In the end, Saturday's game was a step in the right direction. The Canucks outplayed their opponent while giving the Rogers Arena something to cheer about. Even though Vancouver lost, their effort level can not be questioned as they controlled play against a bigger and more physical Bruins team.
Stats and Facts:
- Filip Hronek records his 24th multi-point with the Canucks
- Vancouver picks up points in back-to-back home games for the first time since November 8 and 9
- Filip Hronek logs over 30 minutes for the first time this season
- Kiefer Sherwood leads all players with nine hits.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
16:24- BOS: Fraser Minten (7) from Alex Steeves and Hampus Lindholm (PPG)
2nd Period:
00:48- VAN: Elias Pettersson (10) from Filip Hronek and Linus Karlsson
7:25- BOS: Elias Lindholm (7) from David Pastrňák and Charlie McAvoy (PPG)
18:44- VAN: Filip Hronek (3) from Zeev Buium (PPG)
3rd Period:
No Scoring
Overtime:
4:41- BOS: Fraser Minten (8) from David Pastrňák and Mason Lohrei
Up Next:
The Canucks start their Eastern road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. These two teams met earlier this season, with Buffalo picking up a 3-2 victory. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Stirtz scores 27 points, No. 25 Iowa holds off a comeback try by UCLA in 2nd half for a 74-61 win
UCLA, in its second season in the Big Ten, was making its first appearance in Iowa City since 1990.
Watch Warriors Draymond Green get ejected for arguing call
For the second time in the last four games he played in the Chase Center, Draymond Green was ejected.
With a couple of minutes left in the first half, Green was frustrated that there was no call (3 seconds or travel) on Utah's Kyle Filipowski — and he let the baseline official know it. That led to the first technical, but Green could not let it go (as has happened before). Eventually, he was handed a second technical and an ejection.
Draymond got two techs and was ejected in this sequence pic.twitter.com/J4PeJXNNIP
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 4, 2026
With this latest ejection, Green has nine technicals this season (in just 29 games), putting him more than halfway to the total of 16 and an automatic one-game suspension.
The Warriors won the game 123-114, behind 31 points from Stephen Curry. Green had eight points and three rebounds prior to his ejection.
Penguins Suspend Newly Acquired Defenseman
If fans have been paying attention to the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, this one might sound a bit familiar.
On Saturday, the Penguins suspended newly acquired defenseman Egor Zamula after the 6-foot-3, 200-pound blueliner failed to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate. Zamula, 25, was acquired Dec. 31 from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Philip Tomasino.
Zamula appeared in 13 games for the Flyers this season and registered one assist as well as a plus-4. He also spent three games playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, where he had two assists and was a minus-3.
In 168 games with Philadelphia across six seasons, he has eight goals and 41 points and is a minus-12. The Chelyabinsk, Russia native is a pending restricted free agent this season, and he is in the second year of a two-year deal that pays him $1.7 million annually.
As for why this might sound familiar? Zamura is the second defenseman in the Penguins' organization this season to be suspended for failing to report to an affiliate club, as prospect Emil Pieniniemi did the same following training camp. Pieniniemi was supposed to report to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, but he never showed and went back to Finland instead.
Pieniniemi, 20, was selected in the third round (91st overall) by the Penguins in 2023, and he has since reported to Wheeling, where he has played in two games.
Takeaways: Penguins Put Up Defensive Clinic Against Red Wings, Sweep Home-And-HomeThe Pittsburgh Penguins put together arguably their best performance of the season on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Missouri holds off No. 22 Florida 76-74 in SEC opener
Anthony Robinson II had 19 points and eight rebounds as Missouri held off No. 22 Florida 76-74 on Saturday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Mark Mitchell added 14 points, Jacob Crews had 13 and Trent Pierce scored 10 off the bench in his first game this season for the Tigers (11-3, 1-0). Jayden Stone scored Missouri's first eight points and finished with nine after missing the previous seven games with a hand injury.
Avalanche Storm Back in Third Period to Top Hurricanes 5-3
Brock Nelson scored twice on the power play and Nathan MacKinnon recorded four points (one goal, three assists) as the Colorado Avalanche erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5–3 on Saturday night at Lenovo Center.
The comeback victory extended Colorado’s winning streak to 10 games and improved the Avalanche to an NHL-best 31-2-7 on the season. MacKinnon was at the center of the rally, driving the offense as Colorado flipped the game with sustained pressure and special teams execution, while Nelson capitalized twice with the man advantage to swing the momentum decisively in the Avalanche’s favor.
Scott Wedgewood earned the win for the Avalanche, stopping 25 of 28 shots in the victory.
Carolina saw goals from Sebastian Aho, Nikolai Ehlers, and Andrei Svechnikov, while Frederik Andersen made 30 saves on 34 shots in a solid effort despite the loss.
First Period
Victor Olofsson, who had been held without a point in his previous seven games, generated several chances in the final 10 minutes of the first period but was unable to convert, getting a shot away under pressure that Andersen turned aside. Overall, it was his best game in weeks.
12 minutes into the period, the Avalanche had eight shots on goal and the Canes had seven.
With 8:02 remaining in the period, Josh Manson leveled Jordan Staal as he went after a loose puck, but the hit came just late enough to result in an interference penalty against Manson.
Carolina forward William Carrier was sent to the penalty box with 3:28 remaining in the period for interference.
The Avalanche power play generated several quality looks, including a pair of rebound chances for Artturi Lehkonen, but Andersen’s outstretched pads kept the puck from crossing the goal line.
The final seconds of the man advantage proved costly. Cale Makar turned the puck over at the blue line, springing Aho on a shorthanded breakaway, and Aho beat Scott Wedgewood five-hole to give Carolina a 1–0 lead.
Second Period
Gabriel Landeskog pulled the Avalanche even at 1:47 of the second period, scoring his seventh goal of the season on a smooth wraparound.
Ehlers restored Carolina’s lead at 4:47 of the period, converting on the power play with a quick shot from the slot to make it 2–1.
The Hurricanes extended their advantage at 7:50 when Andrei Svechnikov finished a rush play with a backhand from the top of the crease, pushing the lead to two.
Colorado answered early in the third period, as Nelson cut the deficit to 3–2 at 1:09 with his 17th goal of the season, redirecting a power play feed at the top of the blue paint off a shot from MacKinnon.
Comeback Complete
Like Avalanche teammates Martin Nečas and Brent Burns, Saturday marked Jack Drury’s first game in Carolina since being acquired by Colorado last season. Burns joined the Avalanche as a free-agent signing in the offseason, while Drury and Nečas were part of the trade that originally sent Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes.
Drury delivered a timely response in his return, tying the game at 1:42 of the third period with his seventh goal of the season, snapping a left circle shot past Andersen off a crisp feed from linemate Ross Colton.
Nelson put Colorado in front for good at 7:30 of the third, burying his second power play goal of the night and 18th of the season on a right-circle one-timer set up by MacKinnon to cap a brilliant passing sequence.
MacKinnon sealed the victory at 19:42 with an empty-net goal, his 35th of the season, doubling Colorado’s lead. The tally also marked MacKinnon’s 33rd career game with at least four points, moving him past Joe Sakic for the second-most such performances in franchise history.
Next Game
The Avalanche face the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers tomorrow at 3 p.m local time in their latest back-to-back game.
Matthew Schaefer scores game-winner in OT to give Islanders 4-3 win over Maple Leafs
NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Schaefer scored twice, including at 4:11 of overtime, and the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Saturday night.
Adam Pelech and Emil Heineman also scored, and Jonathan Drouin and Mathew Barzal each had two assists for the Islanders, who won for the second time in three games. David Rittich had 18 saves in his seventh straight start, with Ilya Sorokin dressing as the backup for the first time since Dec. 19.
Auston Matthews had two goals for the Maple Leafs, setting the franchise career record with 421. Nicholas Robertson also scored and Joseph Woll finished with 21 saves.
In the extra period, Barzal found Schaefer all alone in the high slot and the 18-year-old rookie defenseman wired a shot past Woll for the win.
Matthews scored twice in the second period to move past Hall-of-Famer Mats Sundin for the franchise mark. His first tied Sundin at 420 when he beat Rittich at 9:30. He broke the record with his 20th of the season with 2:41 left in the period on a one-timer to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
After Schaefer tied the score with 8:50 left in the third, Nicholas Roy set up Robertson for a go-ahead goal 1:02 later after a turnover by Heineman in the Islanders’ defensive zone.
The Swedish forward redeemed himself with the tying goal on a power play with 2:45 remaining in regulation, scoring on a one-timer off a feed from Barzal.
Pelech opened the scoring for the Islanders at 1:10 of the second period.
With the milestone, Matthews became the first United States-born player to lead a Canadian franchise in career goals and joined Mike Modano as one of the only U.S.-born players to hold a franchise goal-scoring record with a minimum of 50 goals.
Up next
Maple Leafs: Host Florida on Tuesday night.
Islanders: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.
Braden Smith sets Big Ten’s career assists record as No. 5 Purdue defeats Wisconsin 89-73
Braden Smith became the Big Ten’s career assists leader, Fletcher Loyer scored 20 points and No. 5 Purdue defeated Wisconsin 89-73 on Saturday night. Smith had 12 assists to increase his career total to 893 and break the record formerly held by Cassius Winston, who compiled 890 career assists with Michigan State from 2017-20.
Knicks unable to dig out of second-half hole for second straight night in 130-119 loss to 76ers
The Knicks chipped away at a big second-half deficit for the second consecutive game, but ultimately fell to the 76ers at the Garden, 130-119.
New York has now lost three straight games and two straight at home. The 76ers have now defeated the Knicks in both of their games this season, both at MSG.
After not playing in the Knicks' disappointing loss to the Hawks on Friday, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson returned to the lineup, but the size wasn't enough as the combination of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for 62 points.
The last time Maxey was at the Garden (Dec. 19), the point guard posted 30 points with nine assists in the 76ers' win. Maxey one-upped himself on Saturday, scoring 36 points on 14 of 22 shooting with eight rebounds and four assists. He also had a steal and two blocks.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points on 10 of 21 shooting, four rebounds and four assists.
Here are the takeaways...
-It was a physical game early, with the refs swallowing their whistles for both teams -- to the chagrin of the players and coaches. The Knicks took advantage of the physicality, especially Brunson, who scored 12 points on 3-for-7 shooting and 5 of 7 from the free throw line.
However, the 76ers shot 61 percent from the field thanks to their paint points. They only took three three-pointers in the quarter (1-for-3), with Joel Embiid (7 points), Edgecombe (7) and Maxey (6) giving Philadelphia the early 31-30 lead after one.
-Brunson was on the bench to start the second, and the combination of KAT, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride was careless with the ball. The 76ers forced turnovers and frustrated Towns with their physicality, so much so that the big man picked up a technical foul with about eight minutes to go in the quarter. With Brunson on the bench, Towns forced it whenever he touched the ball, leading to turnovers and poor possessions.
The three ball would help the Knicks cut into Philly's lead, but the 76ers used the three themselves to push their lead to double digits. A late flurry from the Knicks helped them cut their deficit to 66-58 at the half.
Brunson scored 21 points at halftime, while the only other Knick to score in double figures was Anunoby (12). Towns had just two points on 1 of 6 shooting. Philadelphia, after shooting just three threes in the first quarter, was 7 of 14 in the second and the Knicks could not adjust. Edgecombe had a team-high 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting (4 of 6 from three) in the first half.
-The Knicks' defense continued to be porous in the third as the 76ers got whatever shot they want, building a game-high 17-point lead midway through the frame. The second group off the bench helped cut a 19-point deficit to 12 with a minute to go in the third, but Maxey's whip-around pass to former Knick Quentin Grimes for a three stopped New York's momentum. McBride made all three free throws when he was fouled taking a three as the Knicks went into the final quarter down 99-87.
-Towns' offensive game finally woke up to start the fourth as the big man went at Embiid down low to help the second unit cut the deficit to nine points. With 9:04, however, the Knicks had a chance to cut into the Philly lead even more, but Edgecombe blocked a Bridges three that led to a fastbreak, and the rookie guard finished it with a dunk to force a Mike Brown timeout.
The Knicks tried to claw back, but Maxey wouldn't allow it. With four minutes to go, Maxey launched a deep three on a broken play in front of the Knicks bench to keep the 76ers lead in double figures. But a pair of McBride threes and some timely defense helped the Knicks cut the lead to seven with two minutes remaining.
A big offensive rebound by Paul George and a steal by Edgecombe in the final minutes sealed the game for Philadelphia.
-Embiid, who missed the last meeting, had 26 points with 10 rebounds and five assists.
-Towns finished 23 points and 14 rebounds while Anunoby (19), Bridges (12) and McBride (20) rounded out the double-digit scoring for New York.
Game MVP: Tyrese Maxey
The young guard willed the 76ers to a win. Whenever the Knicks made their run, Maxey had an answer.
Highlights
What a feed from KAT to OG 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7rzcE4fWgN
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026
The bank is open for Deuce McBride! 😅 pic.twitter.com/Uu8eNoE8Xa
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026
Kevin McCullar Jr. for three 🎯 pic.twitter.com/3XYZczWkMv
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026
Tyler Kolek! 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/QDJwsqcpCr
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026
What's next
The Knicks hit the road after an off day on Sunday. They'll travel to Detroit to take on the No. 1 seed Pistons. Tip is set for Monday at 7 p.m.
Mirkovic’s 13 points, 10 rebounds help No. 20 Illinois top Penn State 73-65 at Philly’s Palestra
David Mirkovic had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Kylan Boswell scored 18 points to lead No. 20 Illinois to a 73-65 win over Penn State on Saturday night at the Palestra. Keaton Wagler scored 16 points and Zvonimir Ivisic added five blocked shots for the Illini (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) in the first of a 12-day stretch in which they play three of four conference opponents on the road. Kayden Mingo scored 16 points for a Penn State, which is trying to end a two-year run of missing the NCAA Tournament.
Onetime NBA draft pick James Nnaji of Baylor gets frequent boos in college debut at TCU
Onetime NBA draft pick James Nnaji drew plenty of boos in his college debut with Baylor at TCU. The 7-foot center from Nigeria finished with five points and four rebounds in the Bears’ 69-63 loss to the Horned Frogs.
Stirtz scores 27 points, No. 25 Iowa holds off a comeback try by UCLA in 2nd half for a 74-61 win
Bennett Stirtz scored 27 points and No. 25 Iowa held off a second-half comeback attempt by UCLA for a 74-61 win on Saturday. The Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten) led by as many as 24 points in the first half and 20 points early in the second half before the Bruins (10-4, 2-1) stormed back. UCLA went on an 18-2 run early in the second half and closed within 61-57 with 3:13 remaining before Iowa pulled away.
UCLA’s second-half surge can’t erase ‘unbelievably soft’ start in loss to No. 25 Iowa
Donovan Dent finishes with 25 points, but UCLA can't complete a comeback from an 18-point halftime deficit in a 74-61 loss to No. 25 Iowa.
Former Flyers Defenseman Dubiously Suspended After Trade
Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula has been suspended by the Pittsburgh Penguins organization before spending a single second on the ice for his new club.
On Saturday, the AHL transactions log reflected a new entry showing that Zamula, 25, had been suspended by the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The ex-Flyers defender has yet to appear in a single game since being traded by Philadelphia on Dec. 31 and is currently believed to be refusing to report to the Penguins.
Zamula was officially registered as a Wilkes-Barre player the same day of the trade, per the transactions log.
Update: according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Zamula was suspended for failure to report.
It is worth noting that the formerly undrafted Russian recently switched agents and began being represented by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, which occurred shortly after the Flyers assigned Zamula to the AHL.
The goal, we can only assume, was to find Zamula an opportunity to play in the NHL, but that is clearly something that was not being afforded by the Penguins right away.
Flyers Defenseman Benched After Struggles, Agent's Criticism of TeamJust two games into the season, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> defenseman Egor Zamula has already been benched for his continued struggles.
Previously, it was reported that Zamula's camp offered a mutual contract termination to the Flyers as a potential solution to the situation, but that the Flyers had preferred a trade for a player to help the organization.
They got that in Phil Tomasino, but it would appear that Zamula and/or Milstein aren't happy with the final outcome of the trade.
Earlier in the season, Penguins prospect Emil Pieniniemi had also been suspended after refusing to report to the ECHL Wheeling Nailers, though that suspension has been since lifted.
The 25-year-old Zamula has one year remaining on his contract at a $1.7 million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.