NHL News

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.

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 two 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.

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy saw his first action since requiring surgery to repair a facial fracture from being hit in the jaw by a slap shot on Nov. 15. He had an assist in 24:16 of ice time. However, fellow blueliner Jonathan Aspirot (upper-body injury) and forward Viktor Arvidsson (lower-body injury) were both lost during the game.

Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead 5:59 into the first period. Korpisalo made a pair of initial saves, including one on Josh Morrissey's drive from the point to start the play, but Barron tucked the rebound through traffic from the right crease.

Boston needed a little time to take control, opening a three-goal spurt with two man-up tallies in a 2:04 span. At 8:24, Pastrnak wired home a game-tying wrister from the top of the right circle.

Mittelstadt gave the Bruins their first lead at 10:28, ripping Mason Lohrei's cross-ice pass into the top of the net while stationed low in the right dot.

Just 40 seconds later, Kuraly extended the Boston lead to 3-1. Tanner Jeannot chopped down a puck at the offensive blue line, which led Kuraly down the slot to bury a backhand shot past an outstretched Comrie.

Iafallo brought the Jets back within 3-2 at 13:37 of the first. He drove along the wall and down toward the right post, where he lifted a close-range wrister over Korpisalo.

Hampus Lindholm gave Boston a 4-2 cushion when he teed up a slapper off a Pastrnak feed at 14:36 of the second period.

Winnipeg needed just 10 seconds of a power play late in the second period to make it a 4-3 game. With 2:14 left in the frame, Vilardi banged in a goal from atop the crease following Korpisalo's initial save on Cole Perfetti.

Elias Lindholm upped Boston's lead to 5-3 with 5:17 left in a low-event third period to that point. He slotted home Pastrnak's one-time pass after Geekie beat out an icing call to start the sequence.

Pastrnak added an empty-net goal with 1:56 to go, giving him seven points across the past two games.

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.

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).

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang partially whiffed on a clearing attempt and Texier took possession, skating to the top of the right circle before scoring with a wrist shot over Jarry's glove for a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the first period.

Fowler, the NHL's first-ever Florida-born goalie, didn't make his first save until 9:48 of the first period, when the Penguins were on a power play.

Gallagher made it 2-0 at 4:37 of the second with a snap shot from the left circle off the rush.

The Canadiens were on their second power play when Caufield banked the puck off Jarry's skates from below the goal line to extend the lead to 3-0 at 10:18.

Owen Beck appeared to score his first NHL goal for the Canadiens with 3:39 left in the second period, but Pittsburgh challenged for offside and the goal was waived off following a video review.

The Penguins prevented Fowler from becoming the first NHL goalie since Montreal's current starter, Jakub Dobes, to notch a shutout in his NHL debut when Rust scored 44 seconds into the third off a short feed from Sidney Crosby to cut it to 3-1.

Montreal answered 15 seconds later when Kapanen finished a centering pass from Slafkovsky to push the lead to 4-1.

Entering with the league's top power play (32.4 percent), Pittsburgh could not take advantage of a 5-on-3 that lasted 25 seconds, but Karlsson cut it to 4-2 at 15:07 when the Penguins went on their sixth power play and pulled Jarry for a 6-on-4 advantage.

Wennberg knocked in the rebound after a 2-on-1 with William Eklund.

John Klingberg's goal tied the game for San Jose 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.

Alex Nedeljkovic, making his third straight start, stopped 28 shots.

Dakota Joshua and Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs, William Nylander added two assists and Dennis Hildeby made 29 saves.

Toronto's Morgan Rielly hit the goal post with a shot at 11:17 of the first period. Rielly then hooked Ty Dellandrea, who had a breakaway 36 seconds later and a penalty shot was called. Hildeby made the save on Dellandrea's penalty shot.

Toronto took the lead at 14:33 of the first when Joshua tipped Jake McCabe's shot from the left circle after Nylander passed from behind the goal. The puck deflected off Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren's knee before entering the net.

Toronto pressed through the first 10 minutes of the second period with Nedeljkovic rising to the occasion.

Matthews scored on a one-timer after a diagonal pass from Nylander at 14:32 of the second. Macklin Celebrini was serving a hooking penalty.

San Jose answered 59 seconds later when Orlov scored on a quick-release, short-side shot from the left circle.

Hildeby preserved the lead with a lunging save on Philipp Kurashev at the end of the period.

San Jose put the puck in the net at 8:54 of the third period but it was disallowed after a review that determined the play was offside.

Hildeby reached behind him to make a spectacular save at 16:37 of the third.

Klingberg tied the game on a shot from the point at 18:35 of the third.

Toronto defenseman Oliver Eckman-Larsson left the game at 3:22 of the third period with an apparent left ankle injury. He became tangled with San Jose's Adam Gaudette along the end boards in the Toronto zone.

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.

Giroux, who now has 1,135 career points, passed Marian Hossa to move into 62nd place in NHL history.

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.

Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins allowed three goals on five shots before being pulled in favor of Jet Greaves, who stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.

Ottawa led 4-1 after the first period.

The Senators scored on two of their first three shots as Perron and Batherson lit the lamp 1:13 apart. Perron one-handed in a loose puck from Merzlikins' left at 6:58, and Batherson soon connected from the high slot off a rush.

Batherson has three goals in his past two games and five in his past five.

Ottawa ended a three-game run in which its only goals came on the power play.

The Senators then did tally on a man advantage when Stutzle scored at 14:55 of the first. Ottawa's fifth power-play goal in the team's past five chances and sent Merzlikins to the showers.

Jenner, back after sitting out 14 games due to an upper-body injury, put Columbus on the board with 1:56 remaining in the opening period.

However, Amadio quickly solved Greaves, restoring the three-goal lead with 34 seconds left in the frame.

Second-period goals by Fabbro at 3:02 and Voronkov on a power play at 8:10 pulled the Blue Jackets within 4-3. However, Stutzle's second goal of the night, off a goalmouth scramble with 2:01 left in the second, made it 5-3.

Giroux added an empty-net goal with 1:23 left in the third period.

Ottawa's Lars Eller left during the second period because of a lower-body injury.

The victory moved the Canes into first place in the Eastern Conference. Carolina and Washington each have 40 points, but the Hurricanes hold the tiebreaker advantage with fewer games played.

Carolina is 5-2-0 in its last seven games, and 6-2 in games decided beyond regulation time.

Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes.

Rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi stopped 23 of 25 shots, including two huge saves in overtime on Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Bussi has been a sensation for Carolina, posting a 10-1 record in his first 11 NHL starts.

Despite the overtime loss, Washington is still on a nine-game (7-0-2) point streak. The Capitals haven't trailed at any time during regulation over the last six games.

Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist, while Rasmus Sandin had two assists. Nic Dowd scored Washington's other goal.

Logan Thompson had another stellar game in the Capitals' net, stopping 37 of 39 shots.

An aggressive forecheck and two power-play chances led the Hurricanes to a 29-9 shots advantage over the first two periods. Despite this pressure, Carolina was largely neutralized by Thompson's strong play and some bad luck, as both Stankoven and Jackson Blake rang shots off the post.

McMichael put Washington ahead five minutes into the second period. Ovechkin collected the puck off the boards and passed to a streaking McMichael, who flew into Carolina's zone and made a nice backhand finish to beat Bussi.

Carolina's relentless attack finally paid off with Ehlers' equalizer at 13:43 of the second period. Alexander Nikishin's initial shot hit traffic in front of the net, but Ehlers was in position to deposit the rebound.

Dowd restored Washington's lead 11:32 into the third frame. Sandin sent a beautiful pass to the side of Carolina's net that Dowd tapped in for the go-ahead goal.

Stankoven drew the Hurricanes level again by converting a deflected puck 17:45 into the third period.

Horvat, who leads the Islanders with 31 points (19 goals and 12 assists), twisted his ankle after getting tied up with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson and the Islanders ahead 3-1. The 30-year-old immediately exited the ice. The Islanders announced he was done for the night just before the third period.

The Islanders, who won five of their last six and entered Thursday in third place in the Metropolitan Division, lost defenseman Alexander Romanov (right shoulder) and right winger Kyle Palmieri (torn left ACL) to season-ending injuries last month.

Travis Mitchell opened the scoring for the Islanders while Simon Holmstrom and Ryan Pulock added goals in the third period. Goalie David Rittich made 31 saves.

Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Goalie Ville Husso recorded 31 saves.

The Islanders scored three times on just nine shots during an 11-minute span in the first.

Mitchell collected his first career goal at the 8:18 mark. Scott Mayfield's shot glanced off the boards to the right of Husso but caromed around the Ducks' net and to Mitchell, who buried the rebound past a sprawling Husso.

Lee scored on the power play just 1:58 later, when he redirected Tony DeAngelo's shot from the high slot.

Lee and DeAngelo hooked up again on the power play with 54 seconds left in the period. Another shot from the slot by DeAngelo glanced off Husso before Lee tucked home the rebound past Husso's glove.

The Ducks answered with a power play goal 5:34 into the second. Terry fed a drop pass to Carlsson, who moved into the left faceoff circle before firing a shot that sailed past Rittich into the far corner of the net.

Terry pulled the Ducks within a goal by scoring a short-handed goal 2:37 into the third. Holmstrom extended the lead to two goals again fewer than four minutes later before Pulock scored his first goal of the season with 5:14 left.

Jack Eichel had two assists, setting up the winner with a bullet pass from the left corner to Stone by the right side of the crease, where he chipped a shot over the left pad of Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar.

Zach Whitecloud also scored and Akira Schmid finished with 17 saves for Vegas, which extended its point streak to six games (5-0-1) and moved into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks.

Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen each scored for Philadelphia, while Christian Dvorak had two assists and Vladar made 18 saves.

Vegas took a 1-0 lead at the 6:07 mark of the first period when Whitecloud, breaking down the slot, took a pass from Ivan Barbashev and put a backhand shot past Vladar for his first goal since Feb. 8 at Boston.

Philadelphia tied it near the end of the period when Travis Sanheim fired a crossing pass from above the left circle to Zegras by the right post. Zegras then tapped in a shot for his team-high 11th goal.

The Golden Knights regained the lead, 2-1, midway through the second period with a power-play goal by Stone, who jammed in his own rebound through Vladar's pads to extend his point streak to 14 games.

The Flyers tied it again at the 16:08 mark when Juulsen one-timed a Dvorak pass from the middle of the left circle for his first goal since Feb. 17, 2024, when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

Philadelphia had a chance to take the lead midway through the third period when Sean Couturier went in on a clean breakaway, but his wrist shot caromed off the left post.

Jake Guentzel collected one goal and two assists and Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point and defenseman Darren Raddysh had one of each. Nick Paul scored his 100th career goal and Pontus Holmberg also tallied to propel the Lightning to their second straight win.

Jonas Johansson made 33 saves for Tampa Bay, which handed New Jersey its sixth loss in its last seven games overall and fifth in a row at home.

Paul Cotter scored a goal in his second straight game and added an assist for the Devils, while defenseman Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Angus Crookshank each scored a goal.

Jake Allen turned aside 23 shots in relief of Jacob Markstrom, who yielded three goals on seven shots before exiting the contest.

Prior to the game, both clubs announced that they'd be without the services of a star player. Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, while New Jersey forward Timo Meier had taken a leave of absence.

Paul's wrist shot from the left hash mark opened the scoring 2:57 into the first period before Raddysh doubled the advantage 51 seconds later after unleashing a blast from the point.

Hughes halved his team's deficit exactly seven minutes into the first period. He accepted a feed from fellow defenseman Brenden Dillon and quickly spun away from Lightning forward Scott Sabourin before wiring a shot from the right circle that sailed inside the far post.

The momentum was short-lived as Holmberg's backhand shot slid between the pads of Markstrom at 7:56 of the first period, prompting the goaltender's exit.

Guentzel cleaned up a loose puck on the doorstep with five minutes remaining in the first period before an unmarked Bjorkstrand tallied at 6:19 of the second to give the Lightning a 5-1 lead.

Bratt, Crookshank and Cotter each scored to cut New Jersey's deficit to three goals, but Bjorkstrand converted on the power play to cap the scoring with 4:03 to play in the third period.

Horvat, who leads the team with 19 goals and 31 points, twisted his ankle after getting tangled up with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson and the Islanders near the midpoint of the second period, with the Islanders ahead 3-1. He immediately exited the ice.

The Islanders announced that Horvat was done for the night just before the third period.

The Islanders, who had won four of their previous five games and entered play Thursday in third place in the Metropolitan Division, lost defenseman Alexander Romanov (right shoulder surgery) and right winger Kyle Palmieri (torn left ACL) to season-ending injuries late last month.

The veteran defenseman, who turns 35 next week, recently rejoined the lineup after missing four weeks and 12 games with an undisclosed injury.

Hedman exited during the first period of Tuesday's 6-1 victory at Montreal and did not return.

"It's tough to lose the big guy," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the win against the Canadiens. "He is such an important part of our team, so fingers crossed here."

Hedman has no goals and 12 assists in 18 games this season, the three-time All-Star Game participant is in his 17th campaign with Tampa Bay.

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.

Hedman joins teammates Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak on IR. Out for at least seven days, he will miss the road games against the New Jersey Devils (Thursday) and New York Islanders (Saturday) and Monday's home date with the Florida Panthers.

Leonard was injured by a hit from Anaheim defenseman Jacob Trouba during the Capitals' 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks last Friday. He was placed on injured reserve two days later.

Coach Spencer Carbery elaborated on Leonard's injuries on Thursday, telling reporters that while the forward sustained "some facial injuries," it was not a head injury or concussion.

Leonard, 20, has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 29 games this season. He was selected by the Capitals with the eighth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.