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Senators Game Day: Jensen Sits Out, Pinto May Return, And Merilainen Grabs The Starter's Reins

The Ottawa Senators will begin a four-game homestand on Monday night as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. After a win over the Islanders on Sunday, Columbus is on a back-to-back with travel that was complicated by a cancelled flight on Sunday night.  They were supposed to leave on Monday morning instead, but that flight was delayed as well.

As a result of their later-than-usual arrival, the NHL has switched the start time of Monday night's game from 7 pm to 7:30 pm.

This is an important game for both teams as they try to stay within shouting distance of the division and conference leaders. The Jackets may be in last place in the East, but they're just 3 points behind the Senators and four out of a playoff spot.

While the Senators didn’t play on Sunday, they did get a shock to the system when starting goaltender Linus Ullmark shared that he will be taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. The team said in a prepared statement on Sunday that Ullmark has the organization's full support but won't comment further on the matter. The veteran was yanked from a 7-5 loss in Toronto on Saturday night after allowing four goals on 14 shots.

So that leaves 23-year-old Levi Meriläinen to man the net for the foreseeable future.

Meriläinen posted excellent numbers in an emergency role last season, appearing in 12 games, but hasn’t yet been able to replicate that form this year. In 10 games, he has a goals-against average of 3.40 and a save percentage of .874. He entered Saturday night’s game in relief of Ullmark, whose numbers this season haven't been a whole lot better.

Ottawa Senators: 'Linus Ullmark Will Be Taking A Leave Of Absence From The Team'Ottawa Senators: 'Linus Ullmark Will Be Taking A Leave Of Absence From The Team'The club announced on Sunday afternoon that 'Ullmark has the full support of our organization during this time.'

30-year-old Hunter Shepard has been recalled from the Belleville Senators to serve as Ottawa's new backup. Between them, Shepard (5) and Meriläinen (24) have appeared in a grand total of 29 career NHL games.

Ottawa has also sent down Dennis Gilbert and Xavier Bourgault, who made his NHL debut on Saturday. That signalled that Shane Pinto and Tyler Kleven, who both practiced on Monday for a second straight day, may be ready to return to the lineup.

Pinto has been sidelined since December 4, while Kleven has been out since December 20. Both players were injured on similar falls near the boards. 

After practice, the Sens confirmed that Kleven would be in while Nick Jensen comes out. They're not sure yet on Pinto.

As for the Blue Jackets, they placed star defenseman Zach Werenski on the IR yesterday, retroactive to Dec. 20. He's day-to-day with a lower-body injury and can return whenever he's ready. Werenski leads his team in goals, assists and points, so the Senators probably wouldn't mind if he needs another game off.

Yesterday's roster move allowed the Jackets to activate tough guy Mathieu Olivier off the injured list. 

Projected Rosters from NHL.com (subject to change)

Senators

David Perron -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund

Brady Tkachuk -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson

Michael Amadio -- Ridly Greig -- Claude Giroux

Kurtis MacDermid -- Stephen Halliday -- Nick Cousins

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot -- Jordan Spence

Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo

Leevi Merilainen

Hunter Shepard

Scratched: Nick Jensen

Injured: Shane Pinto (lower body), Lars Eller (broken foot)

Blue Jackets

Mason Marchment -- Adam Fantilli -- Kirill Marchenko

Dimitri Voronkov -- Sean Monahan -- Kent Johnson

Boone Jenner -- Charlie Coyle -- Mathieu Olivier

Miles Wood -- Brendan Gaunce -- Cole Sillinger

Ivan Provorov -- Dante Fabbro

Denton Mateychuk -- Damon Severson

Jake Christiansen -- Brendan Smith

Elvis Merzlikins

Jet Greaves

Scratched: Zach Aston-Reese, Yegor Chinakhov

Injured: Zach Werenski (lower body), Erik Gudbranson (hip), Isac Lundestrom (lower body)

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

Read more Ottawa Senators news and features at The Hockey News:

Top Ottawa Senators Prospect Suits Up Again At World Juniors
Josh Norris: 'I Really Felt Like (Ottawa Fans) Had My Back, Even When I Was Injured'
NHL Player Fined For Cross-Checking Senators Star Tim Stutzle In The Face
Ottawa Senators Have A Soft Spot For Their Tough Guy
Senators Announce Their Latest Addition To Ring Of Honour

Steve Warne is the Ottawa Senators site editor at The Hockey News. Steve has covered the Senators since day one, first as Sports Director for Rogers Radio in Ottawa on AM 1310 and FM 105, then as the long-time host of the morning show at TSN 1200 radio, the Sens' flagship station. Steve is also the owner and host of The Sens Nation Podcast.

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Ipswich stun leaders Coventry to breathe life into Championship promotion race

Ipswich narrowed the gap on the Championship’s top two with an impressive 2-0 win at Coventry, ending the leaders’ unbeaten home record this season. Jack Clarke opened the scoring after 72 minutes and Wes Burns’ first goal since April 2024 doubled the visitors’ lead 11 minutes later.

The Tractor Boys had started the day 13 points behind Frank Lampard’s team and five behind second-placed Middlesbrough after a run of four away matches without a win.

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Where Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler rank in first return of NBA All-Star fan voting

Where Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler rank in first return of NBA All-Star fan voting originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Two Warriors players landed in the Top 20 in the Western Conference for the first returns of NBA All-Star fan votes. 

Steph Curry received 1,031,455 votes, the third-most in the Western Conference, while Jimmy Butler received 111,411 fan votes, good for 17th-most in the West. 

Curry landed behind Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, who received the most and second-most votes in the Western Conference, respectively. 

The 37-year-old Curry seeks his 12th All-Star selection. Golden State’s star is averaging 28.8 points in 24 games played this season after scoring 27 in the Warriors’ win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at Barclays Center. 

Butler, 36, has six All-Star nods in his career, but he has not been selected for the midseason showcase since his 2021-22 NBA season with the Miami Heat. 

Butler, Golden State’s second-leading scorer, is averaging 19.7 points in 29 games played this season. 

Responding to the Warriors’ social media campaign for his All-Star candidacy, Butler jokingly asked fans to direct their energy elsewhere. 

Fan voting for the 2026 All-Star Game began on Dec. 17 and will conclude on Jan. 14. It will account for 50 percent of the final vote, while current NBA players and a media panel will each account for 25 percent to make up the other half. 

This season, All-Stars will be selected without regard to position. The new United States vs. The World format will include 24 players split into three teams, with five players earning honors as starters from the two conferences.

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Game Preview: Avs Look to Dominate Kings Again

Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche take on the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena, having won four of their last five games against them. Colorado will look to secure its eighth straight victory in a matchup that carries added significance, as it could be Anze Kopitar’s final visit to Denver as an NHL player.

Avalanche Stats

Nathan MacKinnon has tallied nine points in his last five games against the Kings, recording one goal and eight assists over that span.

Martin Nečas has posted seven points in his last five games against Los Angeles, scoring four goals and adding three assists.

Artturi Lehkonen has put up five points in his last five contests against the Kings, with two goals and three assists in that time.

Brock Nelson has also produced five points in his last five games against Los Angeles, registering three goals and two assists over that stretch.

The Avalanche are coming off an electrifying 6-5 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. It was their first shootout win of the year. Nečas had two goals and both MacKinnon and Sam Malinski had three-point games.

Los Angeles Stats

A trio of Kings have posted four points in their last five against the Avs, including Alex Laferriere, Kevin Fiala, and the aforementioned Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles also played Saturday and are fresh off a 6-1 smackdown of the Anaheim Ducks.

Avalanche Projected Lineup

Forwards

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas

Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin

Victor Olofsson — Ross Colton — Gavin Brindley

Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Joel Kiviranta

Defensemen

Devon Toews — Cale Makar

Josh Manson — Brent Burns

Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski

Goaltenders

Mackenzie Blackwood

Scott Wedgewood

Kings Projected Lineup

Forwards

Alex Laferriere — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe

Warren Foegele — Quinton Byfield — Trevor Moore

Kevin Fiala — Alex Turcotte — Andrei Kuzmenko

Joel Armia — Samuel Helenius — Corey Perry

Defensemen

Mikey Anderson — Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson — Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin — Cody Ceci

Goaltenders

Anton Forsberg

Phoenix Copley

Game Time

Coverage of tonight's game kicks off at 7 p.m. local time and stay tuned to The Hockey News for all of the action. 

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Panthers Named As Possible Match For Blackhawks Defenseman

The Florida Panthers have been named as a possible match for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. 

There have been several reports throughout the season that the Panthers could be interested in adding a third-pairing defenseman. Since Dmitry Kulikov went down with an injury, the Panthers have struggled to find a third pairing that they feel comfortable with. 

They signed Jeff Petry in the off-season to a one-year, $775,000 contract, but the move hasn't paid off quite as well as the Panthers would have hoped. They've attempted to play both Uvis Balinskis and Donovan Sebrango alongside him, but haven't always liked the results.

Murphy, whom The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun selected as a match for the Panthers, is a right-handed defenseman and would likely replace Petry in the lineup. As they are both right-handed, the Panthers' third pair could be Kulikov-Murphy. Murphy, 32, has played in 38 games this season, notching five assists.

Throughout his NHL career, Murphy has played 783 games, scoring 43 goals and 165 points. He's only been to the post-season once, playing in nine games. 

The Blackhawks have added several young defenseman to their lineup this year, which is why the 6-foot-4, 212-pound defenseman's ice time has gone down. He's averaging just 15:26 of ice time, over five minutes fewer than last season. 

Connor Murphy (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

"The hurdle for Florida would be finding the cap space," said LeBrun. "Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit is rich, but obviously it would require Chicago retaining some, plus the Panthers have $3.8 million in long-term-injured-reserve money at their disposal with captain Aleksander Barkov out. The Panthers and Blackhawks made a trade a year ago involving Seth Jones. Obviously, this wouldn’t be at the same level, but it could be beneficial."

"I also think the Blackhawks will want to do right by Murphy, who has long been respected in that room," LeBrun continued. "He’s only played nine career playoff games and they were in the Edmonton pandemic bubble in 2020, so he hasn’t experienced a traditional playoff run with fans. Joining the Cup champs would be perfect."

Murphy is in the final season of a four-year, $ 4.4 million contract he signed with the Blackhawks. With the rising cap, the Panthers could re-sign him in the off-season when his contract expires. 

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Connor Bedard Skated Before Blackhawks' Monday Practice

The Chicago Blackhawks went 1-1-0 over the weekend. At the Dallas Stars, the Blackhawks pulled off a shootout victory against one of the best teams in the NHL. On Sunday, at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the second half of back-to-back woes continued with a 7-3 loss. 

Things are difficult right now without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. They were already a young, growing team with those guys in the lineup, and now they are missing an exponential amount of offensive talent. 

Blackhawks Snap Losing Streak With Quality Win Over Stars Blackhawks Snap Losing Streak With Quality Win Over Stars The Chicago Blackhawks picked up a quality win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Penguins Skate Out Of Chicago With 7-3 Victory Over BlackhawksPenguins Skate Out Of Chicago With 7-3 Victory Over BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks were run out of their own building by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.

Ahead of Monday's practice at Fifth Third Arena, Connor Bedard was seen skating. He was stick handling and using some speed while skating, but he did not take any shots. Jeff Blashill said after practice that this is a part of his rehab plan. 

Blashill also gave an update on Nazar, saying that he has been upgraded to eating solid foods again. Now it is even more obvious that it is a broken jaw keeping him out of the lineup. 

Ilya Mikheyev returned to practice following the birth of his child, and the lines/defense pairs looked as such with him back: 

Bertuzzi-Greene-Burakovsky

Teravainen-Moore-Lardis

Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Foligno-Dach-Slaggert

Extras: Lafferty, Toninato

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Extra: Del Mastro

Knight

Söderblom

There is a lot to unpack with these lines. For one, Nick Lardis is on the same line as Teuvo Teravainen. This is a chance for Lardis to play alongside a forward whose sole goal is going to be feeding him. Oliver Moore and his speed are getting an opportunity to play center on that line, which could lead to good things for Chicago's offensive chances. 

Ilya Mikheyev was on the third line with Ryan Donato and Jason Dickinson. This line, no matter what, is going to play hard, be sound defensively, and may chip in some offense here and there. 

Landon Slaggert goes down the lineup with Colton Dach and Nick Foligno on the fourth line. Slaggert, who was recently recalled by Chicago from Rockford, deserves to be in the lineup more than the extras based on how he's played since coming back. 

With Bedard and Nazar out at the same time, Ryan Greene is getting another chance at the top-line center position. Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky are good wingers for Greene in this experiment. 

On defense, Ethan Del Mastro was the extra. They haven't been dressing seven since Sam Rinzel was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs. For now, it is status quo for this group.  

Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom each played in the 7-3 loss to the Penguins on Sunday. Both of them are going to be needed with a lot of hockey coming up in a short period of time. We won't know until Tuesday who is going to start against the New York Islanders on the same evening. 

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What we learned as Steph Curry drops 27 in Warriors' bounce-back win over Nets

What we learned as Steph Curry drops 27 in Warriors' bounce-back win over Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

An ugly overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, where the Warriors blew another fourth-quarter lead, had to be quickly flushed with a game the next night in Brooklyn against the Nets. 

The response from the Warriors was a 120-107 win over the Nets at Barclays Center, beating one of the NBA’s hottest teams this month. The Warriors, now 17-16, have just one more game in 2025 when Steph Curry gets to enjoy a Charlotte homecoming against the Hornets on New Year’s Eve. 

Curry (27 points) and Jimmy Butler (21 points) combined to score 48 points as the rest of the Warriors’ starting five scored 14.

Here’s what coach Steve Kerr will be happiest about: The Warriors won the turnover battle, outrebounded the Nets, went 28 of 34 on free throws and received contributions throughout the roster. 

The Warriors’ bench outscored the Nets 58-27, and all eight players who came off their bench had a positive plus/minus.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win over the Nets (10-20):

Gotham City Duo 

As if playing 41 minutes and scoring 39 points the night prior wasn’t enough. There isn’t another road arena where Curry scores at a higher clip than Barclays Center. He came into Monday averaging 30.1 points per game against the Nets on the road, and was ready to do whatever it took to get the Warriors back in the win column.

Butler made sure Curry had his trusted sidekick beside him. That became most evident during the third quarter. Curry in the third quarter scored 10 straight points for the Warriors, and then watched Butler score the Dubs’ last 11 points without him.

Butler was a perfect 4 of 4 from the field and 5 of 6 on free throws for 13 points in the third quarter, and Curry’s 10 points came from making three of his four field goals and both of his free throws.

The two scored 23 of the Warriors’ 30 points in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were able to lean into their strength in numbers.

On a night where the Warriors were cold from 3-point range, Curry’s five total threes were half of the team’s 10. Butler didn’t attempt one 3-pointer. His damage was done at the free-throw line, where he went 11 of 12.

Dipping Into Depth

Since Al Horford played 17 minutes Sunday in the first game of a back-to-back and De’Anthony Melton was inactive to preserve his health, their roles were flipped Monday. Melton was back in and it was time for Horford to take a seat. On the second night of a back-to-back, where the Warriors went to overtime and lost in Toronto the previous night.

Steve Kerr turned to his bench quickly, even bringing some surprises to his rotation. Gui Santos was a healthy DNP (Did Not Play) in each of the last two games, yet was Kerr’s first man off the bench Monday for his size against a bigger Brooklyn team. Kerr used 10 players in the first quarter and 13 by halftime, with Buddy Hield, Pat Spencer and Will Richard joining the party in the second quarter. 

The Warriors had 14 healthy players available Monday. Jonathan Kuminga was the only one who remained on the bench in his warmup gear. But Kerr’s decisions made a big difference. All eight bench players had a positive plus/minus in the first half, and their reserves had outscored the Nets 33-13.

Brandin Podziemski, who played 10 minutes in the first half as a plus-9 with four points and two rebounds, then started the third quarter in place of Quinten Post.

The closing lineup featured the trio of Curry, Butler and Green, plus Melton and Richard. Nobody was better in the fourth quarter than Richard. The rookie played 11 minutes and was a plus-13, scoring 10 points and swiping two steals. Melton was a game-high plus-26, and Richard was second to him at plus-22.

Trade Season Auditions?

With the calendar year near a close, Jan. 15 being a few weeks away and the Feb. 5 trade deadline less than two months from now, scenarios are being created for how the Warriors can improve their roster. Perhaps two players from their opponent on Monday night can help. 

Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton have been connected to the Warriors, and both are being watched closely by the fan base. It didn’t take long to see why. By the time the Warriors had eight points, so did Porter. He scored the first three points of the game from a wide-open corner three and ended the first quarter with 10 points. Porter was the second or third option in Denver with the Nuggets. Against the Warriors, he continued to prove why he can be a top option during the best season of his career. 

Porter was up to 17 points at halftime, seven more than the Warriors’ leading scorer, who was Curry at 10 points. He still was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points through three quarters. Porter’s 27 points were tied for a game-high with Curry, scoring beyond the arc, in the midrange and at the rim.

While Claxton is averaging a career high in points per game, he impacts the game in a handful of other ways. Claxton would have been the Warriors’ third-leading scorer with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and he also would have led them in rebounds (nine), steals (three) and blocked shots (three).

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How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trailblazers: TV/live stream info for tonight's game

Don't miss tonight's Peacock NBA Monday doubleheader. The excitement tips off at 8:00 PM ET when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the San Antonio Spurs, followed by the Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trailblazers game at 10:30 PM.

See below for additional information on how to watch both games and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.

Click here to sign up for Peacock!

Dallas Mavericks:

The Mavs have lost four of their last five games, most recently falling 113-107 to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Cooper Flagg finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and five assists in the loss. P.J. Washington added 17 points and 5 rebounds, while Klay Thompson finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Anthony Davis did not play on Saturday after leaving the team's Christmas Day loss with a groin injury. He is listed as questionable for tonight's game with right abductor soreness.

NBA: Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks
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Portland Trailblazers:

The Trailblazers defeated the Boston Celtics 114-108, ending their three-game losing streak. Shaedon Sharpe led the way for Portland with 26 points and 5 rebounds. Deni Avdija finished with 24 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, while Toumani Camara added 20 points. Donovan Clingan chipped in 18 points and finished with a game-high 18 rebounds.

How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trailblazers:

  • When: Tonight, Monday, December 29
  • Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
  • Time: 10:30 PM ET
  • Live Stream:Peacock
NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls
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What other NBA games are on tonight?

Cleveland Cavaliers vs San Antonio Spurs - 8:00 PM ET on Peacock

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.