NHL News

Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists, Kailer Yamamoto scored against his former team and JJ Peterka and Lawson Crouse added empty-netters as the Mammoth snapped a three-game losing streak. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 32 saves.

Mason Marchment tallied twice and Ben Meyers also scored for Seattle, which lost for the seventh time in its past eight games (1-6-1). Goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 of 29 shots.

With Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren in the box for tripping, the Mammoth took advantage of Seattle's league-worst penalty kill to take the lead. Mikhail Sergachev kept the puck in the offensive zone at the right point and sent the puck ahead to Schmaltz, who found Guenther with a cross-ice pass. Guenther, who played junior hockey in Seattle, scored on a one-timer from just inside the left faceoff dot.

It was Guenther's 14th goal of the season, tying for the team lead and producing his fourth tally in a three-game goal streak.

Peterka and Crouse scored into an empty net at 17:49 and 18:58, respectively, to make it 5-2 before Meyers tallied for the Kraken at 19:17.

The Kraken opened the scoring at 3:35 of the second period. Chandler Stephenson got the puck out of Seattle's own zone and found Freddy Gaudreau along the right-wing boards at center ice. Gaudreau fed Marchment, who split two Utah defenders at the blue line and skated in alone on Vejmelka. Marchment lifted a backhander over the goalie's blocker and into the upper right corner of the net.

The Mammoth tied it at 8:09 as Schmaltz stole the puck from Marchment just inside Seattle's offensive zone and raced the length of the ice, beating Grubauer with a forehand shot over the catching glove and into the upper right corner.

Yamamoto gave Utah a 2-1 lead at 13:24 after an odd-man rush. Liam O' Brien's shot went wide left of the net, but Yamamoto tracked down the rebound at the bottom of the right faceoff circle, spun and fired the puck into the net before Grubauer could get from post to post. Officials originally disallowed the score because of goalie interference, but Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny challenged the call and a video review determined Grubauer wasn't obstructed.

The Kraken tied it at 7:50 of the third, seconds after Utah had killed off a 5-on-3 disadvantage. Lindgren sent a cross-ice pass to Marchment for a one-timer from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat Vejmelka just inside the near post.

Logan Mailloux and Matt Luff each scored their first goals in a Blues' uniform. Justin Faulk also scored for St. Louis and Robert Thomas recorded two assists.

St. Louis had lost their previous two games by a combined 12-4 score.

Andre Burakovsky had a goal and an assist and Wyatt Kaiser also scored for the Blackhawks, who are 3-7-2 in their last 12 games.

Connor Bedard earned two assists, but he appeared to suffer a shoulder injury during a last-second faceoff.

Spencer Knight made 23 saves in defeat.

The Blues struck first by scoring 3:41 into the game. With a penalty pending against the Blackhawks, Mailloux took a pass from Thomas, moved in on left wing and snapped a shot from the faceoff dot past Knight.

After Chicago killed off a penalty, Luff put the Blues up 2-0 at even strength. He joined the rush coming down the middle, took Robby Fabbri's pass and scored from the slot.

The Blackhawks cut their deficit to 2-1 with 4:10 left in the first period with their own rush goal. Kaiser came down the middle, accepted a pass from Burakovsky and scored coming through the slot.

St. Louis increased their lead to 3-1 midway through the second period. Faulk took a pass from Tyler Tucker in the right circle, attacked the net and slipped a shot past Knight on the short side.

Bedard stole the puck on the forecheck and set up Burakovsky's tap-in at the right post as Chicago cut its deficit to 3-2 with 5:54 left in the game.

Dylan Holloway had an opportunity to finish off the Blackhawks, but he hit the post and crossbar on a breakaway. That gave Chicago an opportunity to remove Knight for an extra attacker and apply pressure until the final horn.

The Blackhawks outshot the Blues, 23-15, over the final two periods.

The rivals have split a pair of meetings in St. Louis and have two more in Chicago when the calendar turns to 2026.

The Kings have scored a half-dozen times while down a skater or two, but their 3-2 overtime road loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday put front and center the need to stop reaching the penalty box.

The Kraken scored all three goals while on the power play, including one in the final minute of regulation and another 81 seconds into extra time, leaving the Kings lamenting a lost point in the standings.

"We cleaned that up and then that's crept back in," coach Jim Hiller said. "You just obviously can't do it. You can argue with some of the calls but the calls are made. That's what I say, when you get those types of penalties, they're 50/50 calls a lot of times, they can go either way, but if you put yourself in that position, then you've got to live with the results."

Los Angeles had its two-game winning streak snapped, but has posted a 4-2-4 mark in its last 10 outings.

As the Kings return home for one game in the middle of five road clashes, the focus will be on cleaning up their discipline, which will make closing out a one-goal game that much easier.

"I feel like every game kind of comes down with this situation and we're very comfortable in that situation," defenseman Joel Edmundson said. "At the end of the day, when you take seven minors, it's tough to win a hockey game."

The Flames are on a quest to return to the win column after a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday to close out a strong homestand in which they opened with a trio of victories.

Calgary may sit second from the bottom in the league standings, but it has compiled a 7-4-1 record in the past dozen outings, and nearly completed a wild comeback against Detroit.

After staking the Red Wings a four-goal lead, the Flames scored three times in the final 12 minutes only to fall just short. Not falling behind so early and by so much is obviously the focal point going forward, but the Flames can take solace in their effort to pull close.

"From an offensive-zone, possession game, guys were making plays, moving their feet," forward Blake Coleman said after Friday's practice. "We can build on that third period, carry on the momentum."

Adding an extra element to this two-game trip, which also includes a stop in San Jose, the Flames will have their fathers (or a similar role model) with them on the road.

"I love this trip. I think it's a really important one for the players," coach Ryan Huska said. "You see a different side of the players when their dads are around, too. I like it when it comes game time, they want to give their best. They want to play well in front of their dads."

The last time the club had a fathers' trip, midway through the 2023-24 campaign, the Flames skated away with a pair of wins.

"We had a great trip. We ran the table," Coleman said. "Hopefully they can keep tradition going here. It injects a bit of energy and keeps the room light."

In return for the coveted defenseman, Vancouver will receive center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, forward prospect Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.

"We would like to thank Quinn for his time with the Vancouver Canucks," Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said in a statement announcing the deal. "Quinn is a great person, a great player and one of the greatest Canucks of all time. With the circumstances surrounding JT (Miller) and now Quinn, we are fortunate to acquire these very good young players from Minnesota. They will be a key part of the rebuild we are currently in, giving us a bright future moving forward."

Hughes, 26, leaves the Canucks as one of the most accomplished players in franchise history, amassing 432 points in 459 games since being drafted seventh overall in 2018. The two-time All-Star has 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 26 games this season and is under contract through 2026-27 with a $7.85 million cap hit.

Minnesota adds Hughes to a blue line built for a push in the top-heavy Central Division, looking to find some long-awaited playoff success. The Wild have not won a playoff series in 10 years and haven't advanced past the second round since 2003.

The Wild can open extension talks with Hughes on July 1 and, under current rules, offer an eight-year deal before the maximum term drops to seven in September.

For Vancouver, the move signals a full reset after an 11-17-3 start. The Canucks targeted premium young assets and landed three recent first-rounders.

"Quinn played hard, lead by example and did a lot of very good things for the Canucks," general manager Patrick Allvin said. "Trading away a player of this caliber is never an easy decision to make, but it was one we had to do to make our team better. We are so excited to add a solid center in Marco, a good young blueliner in Zeev and a versatile forward in Liam."

Rossi, 24, was the ninth overall pick in 2020 and is coming off a 24-goal, 60-point campaign. He signed a three-year, $15 million deal in the offseason and has 13 points in 17 games this season.

Buium, 20, was the No. 12 pick in 2024 and has quickly transitioned to the NHL with 14 points in 31 games this season as a rookie. The 21-year-old Ohgren, the 19th pick in 2022, has 46 NHL games under his belt and projects as a middle-six winger. He hasn't recorded a point in 18 NHL games this season.

The 2026 first-round pick gives Vancouver additional flexibility as it reshapes its roster around a younger core. For Minnesota, the calculus is clear: add an elite, puck-driving No. 1 defenseman for two playoff runs and try to convert a sustained surge into spring success.

Colorado tied the game with eight seconds left in the third period, but then lost in a shootout to the Predators. The Avalanche get a chance to avenge that rare loss when they host Nashville on Saturday night in Denver.

It is the third of four meetings between the teams this season. Colorado won the first game 3-0 in Nashville on Nov. 22, during its 10-game winning streak, which was snapped at Minnesota on Nov. 28.

The Avalanche stole a point against the Wild and have earned at least one in 29 of their 31 games. They have won 10 straight at home, where they are 12-0-2 overall, after a 6-2 victory over Florida on Thursday.

It was the seventh time this season that Colorado has scored six or more goals, which has made things easier for its goaltenders.

"You still have to make a couple saves, but the quantity and volume are a lot lower than a lot of other places that ask a lot of you," Mackenzie Blackwood said after stopping 23 shots against the Panthers. "They make my life pretty darn easy."

The Avalanche lead the NHL in goals scored (124) and allowed (68), which has led to a league-best 51 points. Colorado has the NHL's scoring leader in Nathan MacKinnon, who has 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists), and the leader among defensemen in Cale Makar, who has 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists).

MacKinnon scored his 392nd career goal Thursday night, passing Joe Sakic for the most by an Avalanche player. Sakic holds the franchise record with 625, which includes his goals with the Quebec Nordiques.

Gavin Brindley returned from a 10-game absence with a goal and an assist Thursday night, but forward Joel Kiviranta didn't play the last two periods due to an upper-body injury.

Head coach Jared Bednar said after Friday's optional practice that Kiviranta, who missed 17 games earlier this season with a lower-body injury, is feeling better and could be back in the lineup Saturday night.

Colorado isn't the only team on a heater right now. The last-place Predators have won six of their last eight games and closed the gap on seventh-place St. Louis in the Central Division with a 7-2 win over the Blues on Thursday.

Steven Stamkos recorded his second career four-goal game in the win.

"It's one of those nights," said Stamkos, who finished with nine shots on goal. "You can never expect to come in and score four goals. Just great to be part of that win, where we put together some quality games after some quality games. That's been something we've been trying to accomplish."

Stamkos now has 594 career goals, 22nd on the all-time list, and his 12 goals this season lead Nashville. Ryan O'Reilly (10 goals, 13 assists) and Luke Evangelista (four goals, 19 assists) lead the team with 23 points and Filip Forsberg has 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists).

The Predators are averaging 4.1 goals during this eight-game stretch.

Dallas wrapped up a brief two-game road trip with a 5-2 loss in Minnesota on Thursday, two nights after squeezing out a 4-3 win in Winnipeg.

"That was a little bit in the making," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said of the defeat in Minnesota. "You don't play great in Winnipeg. Your specialty teams win you the game. Specialty teams were in effect (Thursday); you get a shorty and a power-play goal. But when you're taking on that much water 5-on-5, you're just not playing well."

Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist, and Jason Robertson also found the back of the net against the Wild as the Stars had their 13-game road point streak (9-0-4) end. Jake Oettinger made 27 saves for Dallas, which had won four straight.

"We probably got what we deserved," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "I thought Jake was great and made a lot of big saves, but it wasn't a good enough 60-minute effort."

Robertson paces the Stars with 20 goals through 32 games, while Mikko Rantanen has a team-leading 29 assists and 42 points in 31 contests.

Oettinger, Saturday's likely starter, is 14-5-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 21 games this season. In nine career games against Florida, Oettinger owns a 1-6-1 record.

Saturday is the second and final meeting of the season between the Panthers and the Stars. Brad Marchand scored in regulation and added the shootout winner as Florida edged Dallas 4-3 in the previous meeting Nov. 1.

Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart had the other goals that day for Florida, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves. Rantanen had a goal and an assist, while Justin Hryckowian and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars. Sam Steel added three helpers in the loss.

Florida travels to Dallas as part of a four-game, six-day road trip, looking to bounce back from a 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

Noah Gregor and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers, who had their three-game win streak and four-game point streak come to a halt.

Daniil Tarasov made 36 saves for Florida, which is 5-7-0 on the road this season.

Thursday's loss was the second game of a back-to-back for the Panthers. Florida edged the Utah Mammoth 4-3 on Wednesday night.

"We were in it for a period, and that was really it," Gregor said about the loss to the Avs. "It is tough coming to a building like this on a back-to-back. They're obviously first place in the league for a reason. They're really hard to play against, but obviously not a great result."

Marchand has a team-leading 16 goals and 31 points through 29 games this season.

Bobrovsky, expected to start Saturday, is 12-8-1 with a 2.98 GAA and an .882 save percentage this season.

Despite absorbing a 3-2 shootout loss to the visiting Hurricanes on Thursday night, the Capitals have earned points in nine straight games (7-0-2) to tie Carolina for points at the top of the Metropolitan Division.

Winnipeg, meanwhile, has lost three straight and nine of 11 (2-8-1) to fall out of the Western Conference playoff picture, at least for now.

The Jets' latest defeat came at the hands of the visiting Boston Bruins 6-3 on Thursday night. After Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead, Boston scored three straight and held off a Jets rally.

Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the Jets. Eric Comrie made 18 saves.

"I think there's been times where we've kind of started to feel like our game is going in the right direction, but it hasn't been consistent enough," Barron said. "And, obviously, it's a results-based league, so you've got to find a way to kind of start winning these games."

Barron ended a 19-game run without a goal, and Winnipeg's Kyle Connor (assist) extended his point streak to seven games (four goals, six assists).

Special teams continue to be a problem for Winnipeg, which has given up power-play goals in seven straight games.

"I mean, tonight, special teams (was) a big part of it. I think, especially on the PK, we got to be better," Barron said. "And then, you give up a few grade As."

The Washington Capitals are dealing with a different problem. They are 17-9 in games decided in regulation, 1-0 in games that end in overtime, but 0-4 in shootouts, including Thursday's loss to Carolina.

Washington went 0-for-3 in the shootout on Thursday, with Anthony Beauvillier, Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano unable to convert. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson stopped one of two shots.

For the season, the Capitals have converted just two of 15 shots (Strome and Beauvillier are each 1 for 4). Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael are 0-for-2, and several skaters have missed their only attempt.

"We're probably going to try and utilize different guys, to be honest with you," coach Spencer Carbery said after the game Thursday. "This is probably the last straw with the guys that we have. We'll look at some different guys who'll get some consideration."

Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist for the Capitals versus Carolina. Thompson made 37 saves, and Nic Dowd energized the crowd twice in the third period with a fight and a goal that made it 2-1.

"He got the fans into it, he got all of us into it," McMichael said of Dowd. "He made a few big plays after (the fight). He really carried us on his back in the third period."

Washington defenseman John Carlson returned after missing three games with an upper-body injury, and the Capitals got more good news on the injury front Friday. Goalie Charlie Lindgren (upper-body injury) practiced and will travel with the team to Winnipeg and Minnesota.

One day after he returned to injured reserve, the team announced Friday that Hedman will undergo a procedure on his elbow Monday. His goal is to be ready to represent Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan; the men's hockey tournament begins Feb. 11.

"Hedman, he's our captain -- he's a huge part of our team," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. "But if it's going to happen -- which you don't want it to -- but if it is, it's better it happens now than in April."

Cooper confirmed Thursday that Hedman had aggravated a previously unspecified injury that caused him to miss 12 games earlier this season. Hedman returned Dec. 6 and played three games in four days before being placed back on IR.

Hedman, who turns 35 next week, has 12 points (all assists) in 18 appearances this season. He was the 2017-18 Norris Trophy winner for best defenseman in the league.

He has tallied 806 career points (171 goals, 635 assists), a plus-193 rating and 778 penalty minutes in 1,149 games with the Lightning, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

McDavid had four assists and Zach Hyman scored three goals Thursday when the Oilers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 to complete a 3-1-1 homestand. Over his past four games, McDavid has five goals and seven assists.

McDavid's four-game point streak gives him 16 goals and an NHL-best 32 assists on the season.

"It's my job to be an impact player in the game and help move the needle for us to generate chances," McDavid said.

On Friday, the Oilers traded goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin.

"We've watched (Jarry) very closely, and we've been impressed with his performance over the course of his career," Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said.

In his career against Toronto, Jarry is 6-4-0 with an .897 save percentage.

Edmonton also obtained defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 third-round draft pick and recalled defenseman Riley Stillman from AHL affiliate Bakersfield.

The Oilers begin a five-game road trip against the Maple Leafs, who are 1-0-2 to open a five-game homestand after a 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

The nature of the defeat stung, however. Toronto led 2-0 in the second period and 2-1 going into the third before the Sharks tied it with 1:25 left in regulation with their goaltender removed for an extra attacker.

"Third period, we didn't come out and dictate how to play the game," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. "We turned pucks over, we were passive, we didn't finish them off, in my opinion.

"I still think we're not where we need to be. We can be better. Third period, goalie out, we have an opportunity to get the puck out a couple times, we don't do it. It's things like that that cost us."

The Maple Leafs lost defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson early in the third period with a lower-body injury. It may not be as serious as first thought, and he will try to skate Saturday.

Toronto's power play scored a goal for the first time in five games when William Nylander set up Auston Matthews.

Nylander, dropped to the third line, had two assists.

"It's the best game I've seen him play in a while," Berube said. "He was engaged."

As for McDavid, he likes being reunited on a line with Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

"It's a trio, a line, that I feel really comfortable with," he said. "It's nice to be back with those two."

"Of late, he's attacking," said Hyman, who has five goals in his past six games. "He just takes over games. He creates for himself, he creates for others. He's the best player in the world for a reason, because when he's on, and he's driving like he is, he is very, very hard to stop."

Even Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch feels McDavid, one of the best players in the world, has found another gear.

"I know he's been very dialed in and taking it to another level these last couple of weeks -- wanting to watch video, wanting to watch what the other team does, watching past shifts from previous games," Knoblauch said.

The Hurricanes and Flyers have a home-and-home series over the weekend, beginning with Saturday's matchup in Philadelphia.

Carolina enters with five wins in its last seven games, including an exciting 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday. The Hurricanes trailed with under three minutes remaining before Logan Stankoven tied it, paving the way for a shootout win.

"We were kind of on our heels the whole (third) period," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "But give the guys a lot of credit -- they found a way to tie it up, and then our goaltending was great tonight again. So, that allowed us to pull it out."

The goaltender that Brind'Amour referred to was dynamic rookie Brandon Bussi, who made 23 saves and then three more stops in the shootout to improve to 10-1-0 with a 2.07 goals-against average. The 27-year-old has allowed just seven goals over his last five games.

"We're playing good hockey," Bussi said. "So, it's nice to be a small part of it, coming up when I need to, but ultimately, we're playing really good hockey. It makes my life easy."

Philadelphia is coming off an exciting contest, as well, although the Flyers were on the wrong end of the final result. The team went to overtime against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday before Travis Konecny's defensive-zone turnover led to a 3-2 defeat.

"It's a little disappointing how it ended," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "Sour taste. The play at the end, and the power play, but other than that ... we had some guys have some tough nights, but we hung in there."

Philadelphia's power play is 4-for-32 over the last 13 games. The team went 0-for-3 with the man advantage in the loss to Vegas.

"We had a good game, so I don't want to get negative, but the power play, we're not getting middle shots," Tocchet said. "We've got to get a middle shot. Other than Trevor (Zegras), our flanks are having a tough time making a play. We're not using the middle of the ice. Coaches are a little frustrated. It's a broken record because we practice it, and for some reason, when the pressure hits, we kind of lose our bearings. It's not just one guy; it's everybody. But we've got to keep grinding away."

This weekend will mark the second and third meetings of a four-game season series between the Flyers and Hurricanes. The teams met back on Oct. 11 with Carolina's Seth Jarvis scoring the decisive goal in overtime, shortly after Philadelphia's apparent OT winner was overturned due to goalie interference.

Carolina has won six straight matchups against the Flyers.

Coming off one of their more lackluster showings of a middling season, the Rangers will attempt to avoid a fourth straight loss Saturday night when they host the Montreal Canadiens.

New York is on its fourth three-game losing streak through its first 32 games. The Rangers' lone four-game skid occurred with four regulation losses from Nov. 16-22.

New York won five of six after the previous four-game skid before allowing overtime goals to stars Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Eichel last weekend. On Wednesday, the Rangers were blanked for the sixth time when they mustered 21 shots on goal in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, who returned home after being outscored 13-1 in their previous two games.

"All of the stuff that we've done and that we've talked about, none of that happened today," New York's Mika Zibanejad said. "It's just disappointing. I could waste your time trying to make it sound good or kind of -- it's just bad. It's a bad game."

Zibanejad's harsh criticism occurred after the Rangers were held to 25 shots on goal or less for the 15th time. New York also was 0-for-3 on the power play and is scoreless in 13 straight man advantages since Zibanejad scored twice in a span of 45 seconds in the second period of a 6-2 win at Boston on Nov. 28.

Eleven of those power plays have occurred since Adam Fox was placed on long-term injured reserve with a left shoulder injury. To compensate for the top defenseman's absence, the Rangers have used five forwards on power plays, and on Wednesday, they gave up a short-handed goal after Zibanejad whiffed on a pass.

"It's disappointing because we just go through a stretch where we play some of the -- what we would deem some of the best teams in the league, and we put a game on the ice that's pretty damn competitive," New York coach Mike Sullivan said. "And we've got to be able to do that consistently, night in and night out. And that's our challenge. We took a step back tonight. We didn't bring that game."

Montreal is 6-8-1 in its past 15 games since starting 10-3-2. However, the Canadiens are 6-4-0 in their past 10 since dropping five straight from Nov. 11-20 and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

Montreal is 6-1-2 in its past nine road games after Brendan Gallagher and Cole Caufield scored in the second period versus Pittsburgh to support a 36-save performance from Jacob Fowler in his NHL debut. Although Fowler allowed a power-play goal, he made 15 saves during six Pittsburgh man advantages. Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault combined to allow six goals on 27 shots in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Caufield has scored in three of his past four games after getting two goals in his previous 11 games, while Gallagher scored his second goal of the season.

"It's always nice to contribute," Gallagher said. "But just nice to win a hockey game here. I thought a lot of guys put in a good effort tonight. If it continues, we'll be in a good spot."

New York is 9-2-2 in the teams' past 13 meetings and scored three goals in the first 5:51 of the third period in its 4-3 comeback win in Montreal on Oct. 18.

Vegas has picked up seven of a possible eight points following a 3-2 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. It was the team's fifth win in six games.

The hot streak has moved the Golden Knights into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks at 39 points.

"It's a good trip already (and) we've got an opportunity to make it a great one," Vegas captain Mark Stone said. "To get nine out of 10 points would be a helluva trip."

Stone, who has recorded at least one point in all 14 games he's played this season (24 points total), scored two goals in the victory over the Flyers, including the game-winner in overtime.

Jack Eichel stole the puck from Travis Konecny in the left corner of the Philadelphia zone and then fed Stone with a backdoor pass by the right post.

"Honestly, I was back checking my guy and then I heard the crowd kind of ooh and ahh," Stone said. "Wasn't sure really what happened. Jack obviously forced a turnover, had great poise with it, kind of made their guys flat-footed, and I just came down the gut there and he made an incredible pass backdoor. Great play by the best player, and that's kind of what we need in OT."

Eichel finished with two assists.

"It was great to get one in overtime," Eichel said. "A big two points for the group."

Columbus brings a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) into the contest following a 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators in the opener of a four-game homestand on Thursday.

The Blue Jackets have dropped into the cellar in the Metropolitan Division with the skid.

The good news is that despite the rough stretch, Columbus was just three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild-card spot at the start of NHL play Friday. A clogged Eastern Conference has eight teams separated by just three points for the final wild card.

Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist in his first contest back after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury.

Columbus fell behind 3-0 in the first 15 minutes to the Senators and trailed 4-1 at the end of the first period but clawed back to within 4-3 on a Dmitri Voronkov power-play goal midway through the second period. However, Ottawa regained a two-goal lead just before the end of the period on Tim Stutzle's second goal of the game.

"I thought that second period we were climbing back," Jenner said. "We had some momentum going, a couple of quick goals. So, it's just that late goal. I mean, late goal in the first period and a late goal in the second. That hurt us. We weren't able to come back after that."

The loss snapped an eight-game home point streak for the Blue Jackets (5-0-3), who talked about playing with more desperation in Saturday's game with Vegas.

"We have to win hockey games," said defenseman Zach Werenski, who had two assists Thursday. "It's as simple as that. We're letting it slip. We're falling behind, and it's on us as players in this room to correct it."

They will continue their fight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday afternoon when the Islanders host the Lightning in Elmont, N.Y.

Both teams were off Friday after earning lopsided victories Thursday night, when the Islanders beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 and the visiting Lightning defeated the New Jersey Devils 8-4.

The Islanders' fifth win in their last six games was marred by the loss of leading scorer Bo Horvat, who didn't return after he received a lower-body injury while tangled up with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson in the second period.

Head coach Patrick Roy said following practice Friday that Horvat, who has 19 goals and 31 points, is day-to-day.

The Islanders lost defenseman Alexander Romanov (shoulder) and right winger Kyle Palmieri (torn ACL) to season-ending injuries last month. But New York is 7-4-1 since Romanov was injured and is 5-2-0 without Palmieri. The latter stretch includes two wins over the Lightning.

The Islanders, who finished 12th in the Eastern Conference last year, have 39 points -- one fewer than the East co-leading Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, each of whom also play Saturday.

"We've lost some extremely key players and we continue to just push through," said Islanders captain Anders Lee, who had two goals and two assists Thursday. "There's a reason why it's so tough to get in (the playoffs). Things like this happen and adversity happens. It's almost a little bit of a war of attrition in way right now. We're plugging the holes."

Figuring out a way to win at less than full strength is nothing new for the Lightning, who rolled to victory Thursday hours after placing defenseman and captain Victor Hedman on injured reserve. Hedman went down with an undisclosed injury in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. He also missed 12 games from Nov. 12-Dec. 4 with an undisclosed injury.

Hedman is joined on injured reserve by defensemen Erik Cernak and Ryan McDonagh as well as goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. All four were part of the Lightning's back-to-back Stanley Cup winners in 2020 and 2021, when Tampa Bay survived six- and seven-game series, respectively, against the Islanders to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

The Lightning are 10-6-0 without McDonagh, who last played Nov. 8, and 6-4-0 without Cernak, who hasn't suited up since Nov. 22. Tampa Bay is 2-3-0 without Vasilevskiy in net, but has won its last two games.

This week's road wins over the Canadiens and Devils followed a four-game losing streak for the Lightning, who are tied with the Boston Bruins atop the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

"Just happy that we were able to stop that skid," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "Because it's tough -- you lose four in a row, whatever small little lead you had is gone. So to jump on the road here and pick a couple up is good."

Rakell, 32, is expected to rejoin the first line, alongside Sidney Crosby, when the Penguins face the San Jose Sharks at home Saturday.

In just nine games this season, Rakell had eight points (three goals). He last was on the ice Oct. 25 when he played 15 minutes against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The roster move comes just a week after Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas said that Rakell could be as many as four weeks away from a return.

In 14 NHL seasons, Rakell has accumulated 527 points (239 goals) over 811 games wit the Anaheim Ducks (2012-22) and Penguins. He was the 30th overall draft pick by the Ducks in 2011.

The pair will meet Saturday afternoon when Celebrini's San Jose Sharks visit Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins won the previous meeting this season 3-0 on Oct. 18 in San Jose.

Crosby, one of the greatest players in NHL history, was the first overall pick in 2005, while Celebrini was the top selection in 2024.

The Pittsburgh captain is 38 and in his 21st season but is still thriving with 18 goals and 32 points in 29 games this season.

Crosby has 1,719 career points (643 goals, 1,076 assists), four behind Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh's all-time leader.

Celebrini, 19, meanwhile, is having a spectacular sophomore campaign with 44 points (15 goals and 29 assists) in 32 games. That after tallying 25 goals and 63 points in 70 contests as a rookie in 2024-25.

Crosby recently praised Celebrini.

"He's definitely proved he's one of the best in the league," Crosby said when asked about the teenager's chances of being selected for the Canadian Olympic Team.

In a previous interview Crosby was more specific.

"He's an incredible player. Just his all-around game at his age is pretty impressive," the veteran superstar said. "He's committed defensively. He competes hard. He's got a pretty mature game for his age."

Celebrini showcased that game when the Sharks beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in Raleigh last Sunday.

Celebrini had the primary assists on San Jose's first two goals, drew a tripping penalty as he drove to the net to set up a power-play goal 23 seconds later, and clinched the win with an empty-net goal late in the third period.

The Penguins made some news on Friday morning when they pulled the trigger on a long-rumored trade involving goaltender Tristan Jarry.

Pittsburgh sent Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers for goalie Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.

Skinner, 11-8-4 with a 2.83 goals-against average and .891 save percentage this season, backstopped the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final the past two campaigns. Kulak has two assists in 31 games. He is in the final season of a four-year, $11 million contract.

The Penguins lost their third straight game (0-2-1) on Thursday, 4-2 to the visiting Montreal Canadiens.

Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist. Defenseman Erik Karlsson also scored, Crosby had an assist and Jarry made 25 saves.

The Sharks rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the host Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night.

Celebrini set up defenseman John Klingberg for the tying goal with 1:25 left in regulation and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic pulled for the extra attacker. Alexander Wennberg scored the winner 2:49 into OT.

"Sometimes you get the result, sometimes you don't," San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "... I'm happy for the group to get the feeling of winning because it's a pretty addictive feeling and we have to continue that and get better each and every day."

"We have belief, and we know what we're capable of," Wild forward Matt Boldy said. "There's never been a doubt in that."

Minnesota will look to keep its forward momentum going against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn. It is the opener of a back-to-back set of home games this weekend for the Wild, who are looking for their third straight win.

In their most recent game, the Wild pulled away for a 5-2 win Thursday over the Dallas Stars. Minnesota won despite recent injuries that have sidelined four veteran forwards: Mats Zuccarello, Marco Rossi, Marcus Foligno and Vinnie Hinostroza.

The Wild also are missing defenseman Jake Middleton, who went on injured reserve this week after he was hurt in Monday's 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken.

Minnesota coach John Hynes praised the rest of his team for keeping its composure despite all the recent line changes caused by injuries. He offered special recognition to Marcus Johansson, who has 11 goals and already has matched his total from each of the past two years.

"'Jojo' is having a great year," Hynes said. "He's always been a player that we valued, whether he was scoring or whether he wasn't scoring. This year, he's getting rewarded more than in my experiences with him the last couple years, but I don't think his game has changed.

"He's a smart player. He's got some good offensive instincts."

The Senators are coming off a 6-3 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. Before that victory, the Senators had lost five of their previous six contests.

Senators forward Lars Eller sustained an upper-body injury in the win over Columbus and did not return. Ottawa also has been without Thomas Chabot because of an upper-body injury and Shane Pinto because of a lower-body injury.

Ottawa will look for another strong performance from its scoring line consisting of Dylan Cozens, Drake Batherson and David Perron. The group accounted for two goals in the first nine minutes against Columbus.

"We needed them," Senators coach Travis Green said. "I thought that line was fantastic. It was good to see 'DP' back up there, and they had a real strong game."

Green emphasized that Ottawa needed to maintain pressure on offense from all 12 forwards.

"It's no secret that we need to be a four-line team and get scoring throughout our lineup," he said.

The Wild will turn to either Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt in net. Gustavsson is 9-8-3 with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage, and Wallstedt is 8-1-2 with a 1.95 GAA and a .936 save percentage.

Gustavsson has faced Ottawa four times and is 1-2-1 with a 2.71 GAA and a .925 save percentage in those contests. Wallstedt has never faced Ottawa.

The Senators likely will return to Linus Ullmark in net after he earned the victory at Columbus. He is 11-8-4 with a 3.05 GAA and an .877 save percentage on the season, and he is 5-2-1 with a 2.83 GAA and a .912 save percentage in eight career games against Minnesota.

The Ducks and Devils will try to get back to their winning ways when they meet on Saturday afternoon in Newark, N.J.

Anaheim brought a three-game winning streak into its matchup on Thursday night against the New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y. The Ducks, however, surrendered three early goals and dropped a 5-2 decision.

The Ducks used a seven-game winning streak earlier this season to surge to the top of the Pacific Division standings, where they remained for more than a month until the loss to the Islanders dropped them behind the Vegas Golden Knights. Anaheim and Vegas have the same point total but the Golden Knights own a game in hand.

"We had a decent start to the year, and now we're in a different stretch here," Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We try to get points every day, every game. Our team game had signs (against the Islanders), but when you get down 3-0, it gets a little bit wide open. We're trying to be so creative that it sometimes could be hazardous."

Ville Husso has played the past eight games in net for the Ducks, who have been without their top two goalies because of injuries during that span.

Anaheim's No. 1 goalie, Lukas Dostal, is on the road trip and appears close to returning. He was initially ruled out for two to three weeks with an upper-body injury, and last Wednesday marked two weeks since he was placed in injured reserve.

The Devils are coming off a disappointing 8-4 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, their sixth loss in the past seven games.

New Jersey won eight in a row back in October to give it a nice start in the Metropolitan Division, but the Devils find themselves staring up at five teams in the standings.

"We can't just flush this," New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We got our (butts) kicked (Thursday). We were outworked, outcompeted, outclassed in lots of ways. This is one not to push past. There's some real lessons in this one."

The Devils held a loud team meeting after the loss.

"We had to be vocal. Most of the things that we talked about, I'm going to let that stay here," New Jersey forward Jesper Bratt. "We had that talk in the locker room and it's going to stay there. ... It had to be an honest conversation, man-to-man, and I think we did a good job."

Bratt ended a 16-game goalless streak by scoring against the Lightning, but that brought little satisfaction.

"It's always nice to score, but it's hard to talk about that now after a game like that," Bratt said. "I would have hoped that goal would have come at a little bit better time for the team."

Jacob Markstrom surrendered three goals on seven shots in the latest loss before he was swapped out for Jake Allen.

"It is a step back," Markstrom said. "We've got to be honest with ourselves. ... Got to look yourself in the mirror and got to be better. What did I play? Five minutes today? That's not what I want to do."

Edmonton also received minor-league forward Samuel Poulin in the deal from Pittsburgh, which picked up defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round selection in the 2029 NHL Draft.

The Oilers also made another trade Friday, acquiring defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Edmonton has been plagued by inconsistent goaltending during its respective runs to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last two seasons. This season, the Oilers own the second-worst team save percentage (.873) in the NHL.

Jarry, 30, is 9-3-1 with one shutout, a 2.66 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 14 games (13 starts) this season. He is playing in the third season of a five-year, $26.875 million contract.

Jarry is 161-100-32 with 22 shutouts, a 2.74 GAA and .909 save percentage in 307 career games (294 starts) since being selected by the Penguins in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft.

Skinner, 27, is 11-8-4 with two shutouts, a 2.83 GAA and .891 save percentage in 23 games (all starts) this season. The Edmonton native is playing in the final campaign of a three-year, $7.8 million contract and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Skinner owns a 109-62-18 record with nine shutouts with a 2.74 GAA and .904 save percentage in 197 career games (191 starts) since being selected by the Oilers in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft.

Poulin, 24, has been held off the scoresheet in two games with Pittsburgh this season.

He has two assists in 15 career games with the Penguins since being selected by the club with the 21st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.

Kulak, 31, has two assists in 31 games this season.

The Edmonton native has 127 points (28 goals, 99 assists) in 611 career games with the Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Oilers. He was selected by Calgary in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Stastney, 25, has recorded nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 30 games this season.

He has 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 81 career games with the Predators.

The Blues endured a 7-2 beating from the host Nashville Predators on Thursday night, and then they faced a quick turnaround to travel and face the Blackhawks.

St. Louis has lost four of its past six games. After winning 2-1 at Ottawa and 4-3 at Montreal last weekend, the Blues dropped their past two contests by the combined score of 12-4.

"The last two games we've been not hard enough at either net front," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "We don't get there on the inside. That's where good teams in the NHL score goals, screening the goalie and having two guys whacking away at rebounds."

Both St. Louis goaltenders, Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer, took a loss this week. Hofer was in net for a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, and then the Blues started Binnington in Nashville.

Binnington allowed six goals on 25 shots in two periods Thursday. Hofer relieved him for the third period and turned aside six of the seven shots he faced.

"Last couple of games our goalies have had no chance, with the way we're playing in front of them," Montgomery said. "We're not boxing out at our net front. The physicality in our D-zone coverage in our last two games has really dissipated."

On positive for the Blues on Thursday was Robby Fabbri's season debut. With St. Louis missing five forwards due to injury, Fabbri signed as a free agent and earned an assist in his first game back in the NHL.

"I thought Robby Fabbri was our best forward," Montgomery said. "I loved his habits and details."

Fabbri, 29, began his career with the Blues, playing for them in four seasons from 2015-16 to 2019-20.

Hofer allowed seven goals on 22 shots in an 8-3 home loss to the Blackhawks on Oct. 15. Chicago center Connor Bedard earned three assists in that game, and Lukas Reichel had two goals and an assist, and Frank Nazar also was among the goal-scorers.

Nazar hasn't scored since Oct. 28, but he has earned nine assists since then and has stepped up his overall play.

"Honestly, I thought Frank Nazar was as good as he's played probably all season," Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said after the Blackhawks blanked the visiting New York Rangers 3-0 on Wednesday. "I look at process, I look at things like being over the puck and being strong on the puck and having those opportunities to make plays and using his speed. Yes, there have been nights where maybe ... St. Louis, in St. Louis he was flashier.

"But I thought for the things it's going to take for Frank to be a really, really big-time difference-maker, he was excellent tonight. Is it frustrating when you're not scoring? Yes. Our job as a coaching staff is to keep him focused on the process, because points come and go. I've seen it all the time. He'll get his points if he plays like that on a consistent basis."

The Blackhawks lost back-to-back West Coast games to the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks by the combined score of 13-1 last weekend. Then they returned home, regrouped and shut out the Rangers to steady themselves.

"I thought we did a really good job through the 60 minutes," Blashill said. "It was the type of hockey that leads to success, so we'll just keep building off it."

Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Oilers, who are on a 5-2-2 run. Stuart Skinner made 27 saves, and Leon Draisaitl collected two assists.

It is the 43rd time McDavid has recorded a four-point game. The Oilers captain has netted five goals and seven assists in a four-game point spree. Hyman recorded his sixth career hat trick.

Simon Edvinsson scored for the Red Wings, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped and lost in regulation for the first time in seven games. Cam Talbot stopped 25 shots.

Sharks 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

Alexander Wennberg scored at 2:49 of overtime as visiting San Jose came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Toronto. Wennberg knocked in the rebound after a 2-on-1 with William Eklund.

San Jose's John Klingberg tied the game late in the third period to force overtime. Wennberg added two assists and Klingberg also had an assist. Dmitry Orlov scored the other goal for the Sharks, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 28 shots.

Dakota Joshua and Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs, who fell to 4-0-2 in the past six games. William Nylander added two assists and Dennis Hildeby made 29 saves.

Hurricanes 3, Capitals 2 (SO)

Seth Jarvis scored the only tally in the shootout to give Carolina a road win over Washington.

Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who are on a 5-2-0 run. Brandon Bussi stopped 23 of 25 shots, improving to 10-1-0 record in his first 11 NHL starts.

Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who are on a 7-0-2 surge. Rasmus Sandin had two assists, Nic Dowd scored and Logan Thompson stopped 37 of 39 shots.

Wild 5, Stars 2

Marcus Johansson netted a pair of goals and Matt Boldy scored once in a three-point outing as Minnesota erased a pair of deficits to beat Dallas in Saint Paul, Minn.

Joel Eriksson Ek collected one goal and one assist while Zach Bogosian added a goal for the Wild, who have won two consecutive games. Minnesota's Vladimir Tarasenko netted two assists and goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 16 saves.

Miro Heiskanen produced a goal and an assist for the Stars, who saw their four-game winning streak end. Jason Robertson also tallied, and Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots.

Bruins 6, Jets 3

David Pastrnak recorded two goals and two assists in his second game back from injury, leading Boston past host Winnipeg for its fourth consecutive win.

Following a three-goal first period for the Bruins, Hampus Lindholm (one goal, one assist) netted the eventual game-winner in the second. Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Kuraly and Elias Lindholm each scored a goal, Morgan Geekie had three assists and Joonas Korpisalo made 26 saves en route to the victory.

Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi were the goal scorers for Winnipeg, which has lost three straight and ninth of the past 11 games (2-8-1). Eric Comrie stopped 18 shots.

Avalanche 6, Panthers 2

Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup, Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Malinski also had a goal and an assist apiece, and Colorado beat Florida in Denver.

Brock Nelson, Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen scored goals, Josh Manson and Martin Necas added two assists apiece and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 23 shots for the Avalanche, who improved to 3-0-1 in their past four games.

Mackie Samoskevich and Noah Gregor scored goals and Daniil Tarasov made 36 saves for the Panthers, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Senators 6, Blue Jackets 3

Tim Stutzle scored twice to lead the Ottawa Senators to a win over host Columbus.

Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio each had a goal and two assists while David Perron and Claude Giroux added a goal and an assist apiece for the Senators, who had lost five of their previous six games. Dylan Cozens logged three assists, and Linus Ullmark made 23 saves.

Boone Jenner posted a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who lost their fourth consecutive contest (0-3-1). Dmitri Voronkov and defenseman Dante Fabbro also scored, and defenseman Zach Werenski had two assists.

Islanders 5, Ducks 2

Despite losing Bo Horvat to a lower-body injury in the second period, New York secured a win over Anaheim in Elmont, N.Y., led by Anders Lee's two goals and two assists.

Horvat, the Islanders' leader in points, became tangled up with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson before limping off the ice. Travis Mitchell, Simon Holmstrom and Ryan Pulock added goals and David Rittich made 31 saves in the win.

Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry responded with goals and Ville Husso recorded 32 saves in the Ducks' first loss in four games.

Predators 7, Blues 2

Steven Stamkos scored four goals to lead Nashville past visiting St. Louis.

Ryan O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg and Michael Bunting also scored for the Predators, who won for the sixth time in eight games. Luke Evangelista earned three assists for Nashville, while Fedor Svechkov, Matthew Wood, Nick Blankenberg and Roman Josi had two assists each and Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

Hugh McGing and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues, who lost for the fourth time in six games. Jordan Binnington allowed six goals on 25 shots in two periods before Joel Hofer relieved him.

Sabres 3, Canucks 2

Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo in a win at Vancouver.

Zach Benson scored and Alex Lyon made 30 saves for the Sabres, who have won two straight and picked up their first regulation road win. Buffalo played without winger Alex Tuch, who was scratched because of illness.

Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks, who have lost nine of their past 11 games (2-8-1). Thatcher Demko made 12 saves in his return after missing 12 games with an injury.

Canadiens 4, Penguins 2

Jacob Fowler made 35 saves in his NHL debut, leading Montreal over host Pittsburgh.

Alexandre Texier, Brendan Gallagher, Cole Caufield and Oliver Kapanen scored, while Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two assists for the Canadiens, who ended a two-game skid. Fowler became the first goalie born in Florida to start an NHL game.

Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist, Erik Karlsson also scored and Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who have lost three in a row (0-1-2).

Lightning 8, Devils 4

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored two goals and set up another and Nikita Kucherov notched four assists, fueling Tampa Bay to a victory at Newark, N.J.

Jake Guentzel collected one goal and two assists and Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point and Darren Raddysh had one of each. Nick Paul and Pontus Holmberg also tallied to propel the Lightning to their second straight win. Jonas Johansson made 33 saves.

Paul Cotter and Luke Hughes each had a goal and an assist while Jesper Bratt and Angus Crookshank also scored for the Devils. Simon Nemec registered two assists. Jake Allen turned aside 23 shots in relief of Jacob Markstrom, who yielded three goals on seven shots before exiting.

Zach Benson scored, and Alex Lyon made 30 saves for the Sabres, who have won two straight and picked up their first regulation road win. Buffalo played without winger Alex Tuch, who was scratched because of illness.

Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks, who have lost nine of their past 11 games (2-8-1). Thatcher Demko made 12 saves in his return after missing 12 games with an injury.

Dahlin gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 7:36 of the first period. Ryan McLeod backhanded the puck behind himself off the end boards, retrieved it near the left corner, and sent a pass to a wide-open Dahlin in the high slot for a one-timer that beat Demko glove side.

Sherwood tied it 1-1 on the power play with 11 seconds left in the frame. Conor Garland collected a rebound in front for an attempt that was blocked, and Sherwood then backhanded the loose puck off the skate of Buffalo defenseman Conor Timmins and under Lyon's pads to tie it 1-1.

Sasson put the Canucks ahead 2-1 at 6:15 of the second period on their first shot of the middle frame. With open space between the Sabres' two defensemen, Sasson carried the puck up the middle into the zone with speed and fired a snap shot under Lyon's right pad.

Thompson scored for a third straight game to tie it 2-2. Dahlin intercepted a Canucks clearing attempt along the right wall and sent a centering feed to Thompson above the slot, where we waited for a brief second before putting a wrist shot inside the left post at 9:12.

Benson's first goal of the season put Buffalo ahead 3-2 on the power play at 14:46. Josh Doan received a pass from Thompson at the goal line and quickly dished it to Benson, who one-timed it from the inner side of the left circle.

Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen scored goals, Josh Manson added two assists and MacKenzie Blackwood turned away 23 shots for Colorado, which played the last two periods without Joel Kiviranta.

Mackie Samoskevich and Noah Gregor scored goals and Daniil Tarasov had 36 saves for Florida. The Panthers had their three-game winning streak snapped.

One of Tarasov's saves came on a penalty shot by MacKinnon at 14:58 of the third period.

Malinski gave the Avalanche the early lead when he took a pass from Martin Necas as he skated into the zone and beat Tarasov just 1:14 into the game.

Gregor tied it later in the first on a backhander over Blackwood's shoulder at 7:21, but Nelson's fourth goal in the last six games at 18:30 of the first period gave Colorado a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.

Brindley, who missed the previous 10 games with a lower-body injury, made it 3-1 at 5:05 of the second when he knocked in a Brent Burns rebound. MacKinnon's wrister from the point 2:13 later gave the Avalanche a three-goal advantage.

It was MacKinnon's NHL-leading 25th goal this season and pushed his league-best point total to 53. Lehkonen continued the second-period onslaught when Brindley found the winger skating up the middle of the ice, Lehkonen skated in alone on Tarasov and beat him with a low shot inside the left post.

Both teams had goals taken away after a review. Necas had a power-play goal erased when Florida successfully challenged for offsides late in the second period, and early in the third Eetu Luostarinen had a goal overturned when a league-initiated review determined he used a distinct kicking motion.

Soon after the Panthers' goal was disallowed, Landeskog scored on a rebound at 6:18. Samoskevich answered with a goal at 13:08.

Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Oilers, who are on a 5-2-2 run after struggling to find momentum through the first two months of the season.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner made 27 saves. Edmonton jumped into the Western Conference's first wild-card spot and now heads out on a five-game road trip.

Leon Draisaitl collected two assists.

It is the 43rd time McDavid has recorded a four-point game. The Oilers captain has netted five goals and seven assists in a four-game point spree.

Simon Edvinsson scored for the Red Wings, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped and lost in regulation for the first time in seven games.

Goalie Cam Talbot stopped 25 shots.

Hyman's power-play goal opened the scoring at 14:25 of the clash. McDavid was in a position to shoot, but waited for an opening to slip a short pass to Hyman at the edge of the crease for the easy re-direct.

Ekholm doubled the lead by unloading a rocket of a point shot set up by a drop pass at 2:46 of the second period.

Edvinsson provided a much-needed jolt for the Red Wings three minutes later by finishing an odd-man rush with a tally that put them on the board.

However, Hyman restored Edmonton's two-goal edge before the second intermission. He was parked in the low slot when McDavid from deep in the zone back-handed a pass between his own legs to Hyman, who quickly battled a one-timer at 17:48 of the middle frame.

Hyman recorded his sixth career hat trick by hitting the empty net with 77 seconds remaining on the clock.

Detroit has one more game remaining on its six-game road swing, Saturday in Chicago.

Joel Eriksson Ek collected one goal and one assist, while Zach Bogosian added a goal for the Wild, who have won two consecutive games.

Vladimir Tarasenko netted two assists and goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 16 saves.

Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen replied for the Stars, who saw their four-game winning streak snapped and lost in regulation for the first time in 12 games.

Goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots.

With the score knotted at 2-2, Johansson gave the Wild their first lead of the game at 8:40 of the final frame. Boldy fired a pass across the slot and Johansson buried a one-timer for his second game-winning goal in as many games.

Boldy and Johansson added empty-net goals in the final minutes.

Despite Minnesota holding the early edge and holding a 9-0 edge in shots, Robertson opened the scoring on the power play with his team's first shot at 9:32 of the game. Upon being fed the puck at the point, Robertson fired a shot at the top of the left circle that ricocheted off a defender and into the net for his 20th goal of the campaign.

Eriksson Ek responded at 16:10 when he pounced on a loose puck in the crease after Boldy's sharp-angled offering was denied.

Heiskanen put Dallas ahead a second time with a blast from the point off a won faceoff for a short-handed tally at 10:19 of the second period.

However, Bogosian pulled Minnesota even again at 17:30 of the middle frame with a point-shot rocket of his own.

Dallas forward Roope Hintz needed help off the ice late in the game after he was hit in the foot by a teammate's shot during his team's push for the equalizer.

Ryan O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg and Michael Bunting also scored for the Predators, who won for the sixth time in eight games.

Luke Evangelista earned three assists for Nashville, while Fedor Svechkov, Matthew Wood, Nick Blankenberg and Roman Josi had two assists each and Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

Hugh McGing and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues, who lost for the fourth time in six games.

Jordan Binnington allowed six goals on 25 shots in two periods before Joel Hofer relieved him.

Stamkos converted a 2-on-1 rush at 8:22 of the first period to put the Predators up 1-0. He shot from the left wing, then batted in the rebound.

Nashville increased its lead to 2-0 with another rebound conversion by Stamkos at 11:19, this time from the slot off Josi's shot.

McGing, called up from the AHL as an injury replacement, cut the Nashville lead to 2-1 at the 4:17 mark of the second frame with his first NHL goal. Robby Fabbri set him up with a one-touch pass.

Nashville pushed its margin to 3-1 with some tic-tac-toe passing that led to Evangelista setting up O'Reilly's shot from the left circle.

Forsberg made it 4-1 on a clean break in set up by Evangelista at 11:43. Thirteen seconds later, Stamkos' passing attempt caromed off Blues defenseman Justin Faulk into the net to put Nashville up 5-1.

Thomas got one goal back for the Blues less than two minutes later, scoring with a turnaround shot from the right faceoff circle.

But the Predators pinned the Blues in their own zone, making it 6-2 with Stamkos punching in a loose puck with 4:27 remaining in the period.

Bunting's power-play goal off another excellent Evangelista pass extended the lead to 7-2 in the final frame.