NHL News

After gaining five of the 10 available points (2-2-1 record), Boston will head back across the country to start a five-game homestand when the Calgary Flames visit for a Thursday night matchup.

"There's no excuse to be tired. We had plenty of days and rest," forward David Pastrnak said, referring to the fact that the Bruins had two days of rest before each of their last two games while Seattle was on a back-to-back.

"We should've been the fresher team, at times we were, but we made a lot of mistakes. Waste of an opportunity to close out the trip."

The Bruins' recent trip included a Dec. 29 stop in Calgary, with the Flames earning a 2-1 overtime victory on Connor Zary's deciding goal. The Bruins' latest wins were against two other Pacific Division teams in the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

In Seattle, Pastrnak led Boston with his second multi-goal game of the trip and has scored six goals across his last seven outings.

The Bruins piled up 36 shots -- their highest total since Dec. 20 -- but chasing the game from the first period and the strength of Seattle's power play (3-for-4) were too much to overcome. The latter mark highlights a trend for Boston, which has gone shorthanded at least four times for the ninth time in 10 contests.

"We just totally got away (from our game)," Boston coach Marco Sturm said of the finish in Seattle. "We made the mistakes, and ... they played the right way and led us to the mistakes. Unfortunately, it cost us two big points. Hopefully, we learn from that one."

The Flames, meanwhile, will look to shake a three-game skid that has dropped them below .500, a mark they reached for the first time since the opening week of the season following a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on New Year's Eve.

Calgary will arrive in Boston after starting an Atlantic Division back-to-back and a five-game road trip with a 4-1 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

"When we get back to .500, I don't know if we all took a breath and got complacent," Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said earlier this week. "I'm not sure what it is, but in this league there's no time to take breaks."

Montreal's three goals in a span of 5:02 in the second period did the Flames in on Wednesday. It was their second blowout period in as many games after the Seattle Kraken broke a 1-1 tie with four goals in the third en route to a 5-1 Monday win at Calgary.

Joel Farabee scored his 10th goal of the season against Montreal, with defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz notching an assist for his first career NHL point. Weegar had a three-game point streak snapped.

The Flames were 0-for-4 on the power play, failing to convert with the man advantage for the third straight game.

"You always take something out of the games you play and then you use that and move on for your next one," Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. "We've got a quick turnaround ... but it's another opportunity to get back at it."

Wednesday featured the NHL debut of 22-year-old winger William Stromgren, a former second-round draft pick who drew two penalties in just 8:04 of ice time. He skated on a line with Ryan Lomberg and Morgan Frost.

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman has started Boston's last four games and nine of 11.

The Calgary net has belonged to Dustin Wolf in seven straight games. He stopped 31 shots in Wednesday's loss to Montreal.

Celebrini had a goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games (nine goals, 15 assists) and Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for San Jose, which has won five of six.

Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist, Joel Edmundson had two assists and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, who were trying to win three in a row for the first time since mid-November.

Alex Laferriere tipped in a shot by Edmundson to give Los Angeles its first lead of the game at 3-2 with 2:10 left in the third period. Celebrini drove the net with Askarov pulled for the extra skater and scored with a wrist shot from the right hash marks to tie it 3-3 with 1:07 remaining.

Canadiens 4, Flames 1

Alexandre Texier scored once in his first career three-point game and Cole Caufield tallied one goal and one assist to lead host Montreal to a decisive victory over Calgary.

Goaltender Jacob Fowler made 28 saves as Montreal opened a four-game homestand on a positive note. Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen also found the net for the Canadiens, who are on a 7-1-2 run.

Joel Farabee tallied for the Flames, who kicked off a five-game road trip with a third consecutive loss. Goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 31 shots.

Blackhawks 7, Blues 3

Louis Crevier, Oliver Moore, Connor Murphy and Landon Slaggert each had a goal and assist while Spencer Knight made 27 saves in Chicago's victory against visiting St. Louis.

The Blackhawks went 3-for-4 on the power play to stretch their winning streak to a season-high four games. Chicago seized control in the second period, scoring four goals on 17 shots, which included a sequence of three goals over a 4:46 span.

Blues rookie Otto Stenberg interrupted the barrage with his first career goal at 8:22 of the second. St. Louis struggled in the opener of a three-game road trip and has lost three of five.

Mammoth 3, Senators 1

Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka had a 32-save night as his team battled for a win against visiting Ottawa.

Lawson Crouse, John Marino and Daniil But all scored, and Clayton Keller tallied two assists for the Mammoth, who have won three of their last four games. Utah was outshot 33-21 in the win.

Ridly Greig scored for the Senators, who have lost two straight games. Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves after being pulled in his previous start for allowing three goals on nine shots.

Stars 4, Capitals 1

Sam Steel had a goal with an assist, and Matt Duchene notched an assist for his 900th career point, as visiting Dallas snapped its season-high six-game losing streak with a victory over Washington.

Radek Faksa recorded an early short-handed goal, Wyatt Johnston scored late and Roope Hintz added an empty-netter for Dallas. Casey DeSmith stopped 23 of 24 shots for the Stars, who had allowed at least four goals in each game of their previous 0-3-3 rut.

DeSmith, Dallas' backup goaltender, was stout most of the evening, yielding only Alex Ovechkin's 915th career goal with 2:19 left in the third period, while Capitals netminder Logan Thompson (32 saves) was pulled for the extra skater.

Celebrini had a goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games (nine goals, 15 assists) and Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for San Jose, which has won five of six.

Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist, Joel Edmundson had two assists and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, who were trying to win three in a row for the first time since mid-November.

Alex Laferriere tipped in a shot by Edmundson to give Los Angeles its first lead of the game at 3-2 with 2:10 left in the third period.

Celebrini drove the net with Askarov pulled for the extra skater and scored with a wrist shot from the right hash marks to tie it 3-3 with 1:07 remaining.

After a scoreless first period, the Sharks were on a power play when Celebrini took a shot from just inside the blue line that Alex Wennberg knocked down with his stick. Wennberg then backhanded a pass to Tyler Toffoli, who scored into the open side of the net for a 1-0 lead at 4:10 of the second.

The Kings tied it 1-1 at 11:34 of the second.

A clearing attempt in front of the San Jose crease by Ryan Reaves hit Fiala in the chest, and the puck went to Turcotte at the side of the net. He spun toward the goal line and scored from a sharp angle.

San Jose was on another power play when Adam Gaudette tipped in a shot by Timothy Liljegren to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead at 5:38 of the third.

The Kings tied it 2-2 at 6:40 when Turcotte kept the puck alive in front of the San Jose crease and got it back to Fiala, who scored his team-leading 16th goal of the season.

Edmundson appeared to give the Kings the lead at 12:09 of the third when the puck went off his glove as he was pushed into Askarov by Zack Ostapchuk. The goal was initially disallowed because Edmundson batted the puck in with his glove, and the call was confirmed after a video review.

The Blackhawks went 3-for-4 on the power play to stretch their winning streak to a season-high four games.

St. Louis struggled in the opener of a three-game road trip and has lost three of five.

Chicago seized control in the second period, scoring four goals on 17 shots which included a sequence of three goals over a 4:46 span.

Blues rookie Otto Stenberg interrupted the barrage with his first career goal at 8:22 of the second, gathering a loose puck in the Chicago zone and sneaking a snap shot past Knight from the low left circle.

Otherwise, the Blackhawks bamboozled the Blues and goaltender Jordan Binnington with an ability to guide shots through traffic, setting Chicago up for deflections in front.

Chicago struck for two of its second-period tallies in that manner, with Slaggert redirecting a Colton Dach shot and Jason Dickinson tipping Crevier's drive from the point.

Murphy registered his first goal of the season at 8:57 of the second, beating Binnington on a slap shot after an Oskar Sundqvist turnover to give the hosts a 3-2 lead.

Moore gave Chicago its first advantage just 76 seconds earlier, scoring on a long wrist shot on the power play.

St. Louis grabbed a 1-0 lead 27 seconds into the game. The Blues knocked the Blackhawks off the puck below the goal line and Tyler Tucker capitalized off a feed from Brayden Schenn.

Special teams steadied the Blackhawks, who killed three Blues penalties in the first period and five in the game. Chicago's Nick Lardis scored the tying goal on the power play at 9:26 of the first period.

Andre Burakovsky continued the scoring at 5:11 of the third as Chicago capitalized on a 5-on-3 advantage.

Tyler Bertuzzi appeared to score earlier in the power play, but referees disallowed the goal due to a quick whistle. Bertuzzi later received a 10-minute misconduct penalty for arguing the play.

Nathan Walker's goal at 13:19 of the third brought the Blues within the final margin.

Matt Grzelcyk earned two assists for the Blackhawks.

Binnington stopped 28 shots. He has yielded at least five goals seven times this season.

Lawson Crouse, John Marino and Daniil But all scored, and Clayton Keller tallied two assists for the Mammoth, who have won three of their last four games. Utah was outshot 33-21 in the win.

Ridly Greig scored for the Senators, who have lost two straight games. Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves after being pulled in his previous start for allowing three goals on nine shots.

Crouse put Utah on the board 1-0 at 3:59 of the first period. Keller set up the play as he skated around Ottawa's net and set Crouse up in front of the net for a backhanded shot.

Marino increased the lead to 2-0 at 7:20 when Keller set him up for a slap shot. Utah scored its first two goals on four shots, while Ottawa was held without a shot on goal for the first 5:16 of the opening frame.

Jake Sanderson attempted to put the Senators on the board with 7:14 in the first, but his snap shot rang off the crossbar. He later tallied the secondary assist when Grieg scored on a rebound to get Ottawa on the board 2-1 at 17:41.

Both teams drew three penalties in the second period, but neither scored a goal over the six power-play opportunities. Ottawa outshot Utah 14-5 in the second.

But made it 3-1 at 5:42 of the third period. Brandon Tanev's wraparound attempt was denied by Merilainen, but the puck was never frozen, and the Mammoth worked away until But wristed the loose puck into the net. The Senators challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood.

Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen also found the net for the Canadiens, who are on a 7-1-2 run.

Goaltender Jacob Fowler made 28 saves as Montreal opened a four-game homestand on a positive note.

Joel Farabee replied for the Flames, who kicked off a five-game road trip with a third consecutive loss. Goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 31 shots.

The Canadiens controlled the first period and were finally rewarded when Texier opened the scoring three minutes into the second period by lifting a sharp-angled offering from near the goal line for his first goal in 10 games.

Hutson doubled the lead four minutes later when he buried a one-timer from the slot during a delayed penalty for his second goal in as many outings and third in four games.

Kapanen made it a three-goal edge 67 seconds later by pouncing on a rebound chance for his second goal in as many games and 14th of the season, which ties him with Anaheim's Beckett Sennecke for the most among rookies.

Farabee finally gave the Flames a much-needed spark when he converted a screened shot from the top of the left circle with 2:21 remaining in the second period. Rookie defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz posted an assist, his first NHL point.

Caufield emphatically quashed any comeback hope with a top-corner, short-side effort from the right faceoff dot at 3:56 of the third period to round out the scoring.

Radek Faksa recorded an early short-handed goal, Wyatt Johnston scored late and Roope Hintz added an empty-netter for Dallas. Casey DeSmith stopped 23 of 24 shots for the Stars, who had allowed four goals apiece in each game of their previous 0-3-3 rut.

Playing the second of a back-to-back scenario, Dallas posted its first victory since Dec. 21. The Stars also snapped a three-game road skid in the process.

DeSmith, Dallas' backup goaltender, was stout most of the evening, yielding only Alex Ovechkin's 915th career goal with 2:19 left in the third period, while Capitals netminder Logan Thompson (32 saves) was pulled for the extra skater. Washington, mired in a 5-7-4 stretch, was outscored 5-1 in losing both meetings with the Stars this season.

Dallas opened the scoring 3:06 into the contest. Despite Washington on the power play, Faksa got the puck at the blue line, broke into the zone with relative ease, took a shot on Thompson, then out-skated three Capitals to push in the rebound for a short-handed tally.

The Stars made it 2-0 at 2:37 into the second period, this time via a 4-on-4 situation that began with Duchene in position to record his milestone point. He then sent the puck to Thomas Harley (two assists), who delivered a nifty pass for Steel, camped at the side of the net, to bury.

Steel then set up Johnston for an insurance goal with 6:29 remaining in regulation. On the forecheck off a Washington own-zone turnover, Steel gained control of the puck, then from beyond the end line, sent it into the slot for a crashing Johnston to beat Thompson.

Washington once again played without injured key performers Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas, who are both dealing with lower-body issues.

The Golden Knights have lost three in a row at T-Mobile Arena and four of their last five (1-2-2), including two by shootouts, and have just eight wins (8-6-6) in 20 home games. Despite the poor home record, Vegas enters the contest tied with Edmonton atop a tightly bunched Pacific Division with 48 points and two games in hand.

Tomas Hertl scored the game-winner on a 4-on-3 power play with 12.8 seconds remaining in overtime against the Jets with a deflection of Mitch Marner's one-timer. The puck hit the right post and trickled along the goal line before Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck reached back and nudged it over the line with his glove.

It wasn't the prettiest of goals but was much needed for the struggling Golden Knights, who are 2-5-3 in the past 10 games.

"Obviously, it's been a tough stretch lately," defenseman Noah Hanifin said. "I think it's something that we can build off. We've had some tough bounces lately in some of these games, and that can be demoralizing at times, and you just have to stick with it and fight and eventually it will tilt the other way.

"It's nice just to come in after a game and get back on the train and get two points. Go home and it's something to feel good about and build off of. Just feels good to walk away with a win."

Columbus, last in the Eastern Conference with 43 points, comes in with a two-game losing streak. The Blue Jackets opened a four-game western road trip that also includes stops at Colorado and Utah with a 5-2 loss at San Jose on Tuesday.

The game was closer than the final score indicated. The Blue Jackets trailed 3-2 late in the third period after a Sean Monahan goal but the Sharks sealed the win with a pair of empty-net goals.

"We obviously wanted to start the road trip a little better," center Boone Jenner said. "Resilient group in there, and we've got another game on the road to show that. It's up to us to find the next gear."

The Blue Jackets said they got a spark in the second period from forward Mathieu Olivier, who got the better of Ryan Reaves during a heavyweight fight that featured a flurry of blows by both players.

"He's our guy and he brings so much to this team and in this room," defenseman Zach Werenski said. "For him to stand up for our group like that and get us going, it's incredible. Wish we could have responded better in the third period by getting a win for him in that situation."

This is the second of two regular-season meetings between the teams. Vegas won 3-2 in Columbus on Dec. 13 with Brayden McNabb scoring the game-winner in the third period.

Evgeni Malkin returned to practice with the team on Tuesday after missing more than a month with an upper-body injury. The 39-year-old, a two-time league scoring champion, last played on Dec. 4, and the team has experienced its share of ups and downs without one of its cornerstone players.

Actually, it has been down and then up. The Penguins went 0-4-4 in their first eight games without Malkin, but they have won six of their last seven since.

Coach Dan Muse told reporters after Wednesday's practice that the current streak is the result of improved consistency coming out of the holiday break.

"I think we've done a better job of controlling a little bit (more of) the feel of the game, flow of the game, momentum of the game," he said.

Despite missing 15 of the team's 41 games, Malkin remains a top-five scorer for the Penguins. He is tied with Anthony Mantha for fourth with 29 points, and Malkin's 21 assists are third on the team.

Sidney Crosby, Malkin's longtime teammate, leads the team with 24 goals and 47 points. Crosby is currently on a season-high seven-game points streak, during which he has scored five goals and seven assists. Three goals and four assists have come in his last three games, including the game-winning goal in Sunday's 5-4 overtime victory at Columbus.

The Penguins are not the only team that may welcome a key player back on Thursday. New Jersey saw Simon Nemec return to practice on Wednesday. The defenseman, 21, last played on Dec. 11 and has been out because of a lower-body injury.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Wednesday that as long as Nemec does not suffer a setback when he wakes up Thursday morning, then he'll suit up against the Penguins.

The Devils will be glad Nemec is back, especially on offense, as the team has lost six of its last eight games. New Jersey has scored a total of six goals in the losses and has been shut out twice. That includes Tuesday's 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders, the Devils' worst defeat in nearly 40 years.

Keefe called the loss, where the Devils outshot the Islanders 44-24, "embarrassing and unacceptable," but he liked the way the team responded on the ice Wednesday.

"We've been in these situations before, maybe not as bad as last night, but it shouldn't take a wake-up call like this. We've had too many of them, but this is where we're at," Keefe said.

Jesper Bratt leads the team with 24 assists and 33 points, but the forward, 27, has just four points (three goals, one assist) in his last eight games. Nico Hischier is tied for the team lead in goals with 12 and trails only Bratt with 32 points. However, the center also has just four points (two goals, two assists) over the eight games.

Center Jack Hughes, who has played in just 25 games due to a hand injury, has 11 goals and 24 points, but since returning to action on Dec. 21, he's only scored a goal and assisted on three others.

That was definitely the case for Seattle's Berkly Catton.

Catton, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, was goalless in his first 27 games for the Kraken before beating Boston's Jeremy Swayman early in the second period Tuesday night.

Catton enjoyed it so much he scored again in the third as the Kraken won 7-4 to extend their point streak to nine consecutive games (8-0-1).

The Kraken will try to push the streak to double-digits when they play host to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

"A lot of weight off the shoulders for sure," Catton said of his first goal. "I dreamed of that for a long time, so that was awesome. ... I kind of just blacked out there."

Catton, who will turn 20 on Jan. 14, said he wasn't even sure how his first goal ended up in the net. He took a pass from Jared McCann low in the right faceoff circle and fired a slap shot that seemingly surprised Swayman, going in off the inside of the goalie's blocker.

Compared to the first, the second was a work of art, a mini-breakaway during the power play with just over five minutes remaining. Catton's backhand shot deflected off the right post and went under the crossbar.

"I thought it was awesome," Kraken coach Lane Lambert said of Catton's performance. "I've said a few times ... that once he scores, I think he'll score a few. Obviously, he scored another one tonight as well, beautiful goal, by the way, and it's huge. He's a well-liked teammate, he works, he's learning, he's growing. And I've said it many, many times, I love the way he wants the puck."

Kaapo Kakko added two goals and an assist and McCann had one of each for the Kraken. Goaltender Joey Daccord made 32 saves.

"It was kind of a run-and-gun type of game, not something we're used to," McCann said. "We showed that we could score goals, but we know we can be a bit better defensively."

The Wild, displaced by the World Junior Championships in St. Paul, Minn., are wrapping up a seven-game trip on which they're 3-1-2.

The lone regulation defeat came Monday in Los Angeles, 4-2. Jared Spurgeon had a goal and an assist for Minnesota and Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves.

"The guys, they're going to rally around the fact that we're all going to be excited to go home," Wild forward Nico Sturm said. "So, I think we're just going to go pedal to the metal the next game and just leave it all out there."

The Wild embarked on their trip Dec. 27 and had six games in 10 days.

"We got to stick to it here," Wild coach John Hynes said. "We've got a lot of points on this trip so far. But, to me, it's the staying power now, making sure that we reset, refocus and be ready for Seattle. I'm confident we will be."

The Wild have nine wins in 13 meetings against the Kraken since Seattle entered the league in 2021. That includes a 4-1 victory Dec. 8 at Climate Pledge Arena, where the Wild are 6-1.

The outdoor game's date and start time have yet to be released. All but one of the previous Winter Classics were played on New Year's Day or Jan. 2.

Neither franchise has participated in a Winter Classic before, and next season's matchup will be the Mammoth's first outdoor game. The Avalanche are 1-2-0 in past outdoor appearances.

Rice-Eccles Stadium can seat over 54,000 people for University of Utah college football games. The stadium opened in 1998 and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics, a role it is expected to reprise when Utah hosts the 2034 Winter Games.

The Avalanche and Mammoth are Central Division rivals. Colorado entered Wednesday with 69 points, the most in the NHL by a wide margin, and Utah ranked 10th in the Western Conference with 43.

Staged annually since 2008, with limited exceptions, the Winter Classic was not held in 2013 due to an ongoing lockout and in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New York Rangers walloped the host Florida Panthers 5-1 last Friday in the 2026 Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park, home of baseball's Miami Marlins.

This season's remaining outdoor game -- the 2026 Stadium Series matchup -- pits the Boston Bruins against the host Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1.

Next season on Oct. 25, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Princess Auto Stadium for the Heritage Classic, a showcase traditionally reserved for Canadian teams.

Winnipeg is winless in its last 10 games (0-6-4), the franchise's longest skid since relocating from Atlanta in 2011. The Jets sit last in the NHL, 10 points out of a Western Conference wild-card spot after Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

That defeat followed a familiar pattern. The Jets, who have lost five straight overtime games and 12 consecutive one-goal decisions, squandered a two-goal lead and twice surrendered third-period advantages against Vegas before losing late on the penalty kill in the extra frame.

"There is definitely anxiety creeping when we have these leads," Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi said during the postgame show on 680 CJOB radio. "You can kind of sense it and feel it and we got to find a way to be comfortable in these uncomfortable situations. We've got to win. We can't sit back. We can't play anxious hockey or laid-back hockey because we've got a lead. ... We're kind of vulnerable right now with the lead and it's not good."

Special teams remain a major issue, as Winnipeg went 0-for-2 on the power play while allowing two power-play goals for the second straight game.

"This is just Groundhog Day," Jets head coach Scott Arniel said. "These things seem to be happening a lot recently, so just got to stay with it. I know it's hard to say, and hard to hear, but we got to find a way. We're (13) seconds away from getting out of (overtime)."

Thursday's matchup offers Edmonton a chance to improve on the road, where the Oilers are 10-11-3 this season compared to an 11-5-3 mark at home. They've already beaten the Jets twice, earning 6-2 and 3-1 wins in December.

Edmonton enters the game off a dominant 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, led by Connor McDavid's hat trick on 10 shots.

"Is anybody surprised here that this guy is doing this stuff?" said Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen, who returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing 36 games due to injury. "I've been watching it because I've been hurt and it's remarkable what he can do with his speed and his hands. He just sees everything out there. I'm just happy to be on his side."

McDavid, the NHL's leading scorer, has 75 points and carries a 16-game point streak, one shy of his career high.

"I'm playing well," McDavid said. "I feel good, doing a lot of things good. But it's a credit to ever since (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman) got back and put that line back together. It's gone well. It's so fun to play with those two, fun to talk about the game, grow our game, work on our game together."

On the injury front, Oilers forward Adam Henrique left Tuesday's game and is expected to be out for a while. Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a hard collision with the boards against Vegas and was released from hospital with a broken nose and bruised back.

New York's 9-0 rout of the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday matched the largest margin of victory in franchise history and marked the Islanders' highest-scoring game since the 2010-11 season. Anthony Duclair led the way with five points, including a natural hat trick spanning the first and second periods.

Despite the offensive explosion, goaltender Ilya Sorokin's return to the ice was perhaps Tuesday's biggest story. Sorokin missed seven games due to a lower-body injury but looked in prime form against the Devils, recording 44 saves for his team-record 26th career shutout.

"(Sorokin is) just so solid. ... Late in the game, New Jersey obviously trying to break the shutout, (but) he doesn't take a second off, that guy," Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said. "Honestly, he works as hard as anybody I've ever seen. Day in, day out, off-days, practice, whatever it is. He's the last guy at the rink. He's inspiring."

A healthy Sorokin could be a difference maker for New York within the crowded Eastern Conference standings. In the short term, however, the Islanders may deploy backup goalie David Rittich against Nashville if the plan is to ease Sorokin back into action.

Both goaltenders figure to see ice time during a grueling trip that will see New York play seven games in 14 days. The Islanders have posted a respectable 10-7-2 road record this season, while the Predators are a modest 10-9-2 in Nashville.

As the Islanders hit the road, the Predators will be playing on home ice for the first time since Dec. 21. The Predators were 4-3-0 on the road, though the trip ended with the thud of a 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

The Predators allowed a season-high 43 shots, but trailed just 1-0 with four minutes left in the second period. Connor McDavid then scored on a penalty shot to kick off a string of three Oilers goals before the second intermission, essentially ending Nashville's chances.

"We kind of gift-wrapped them three goals there. .... We knew we had (to do) better. Unfortunately, we made some poor decisions and paid the price," Predators coach Andrew Brunette said.

Juuse Saros held his own against Edmonton's pressure, stopping 37 of 43 shots. The workhorse goalie will likely be between the pipes again for Nashville on Thursday.

Ryan O'Reilly leads the Predators with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists). Steven Stamkos leads the team with 18 goals and Luke Evangelista ranks first with 25 assists.

Barzal leads the Islanders in assists (24) and points (35). Bo Horvat leads New York with 21 goals, and will join the team on the road trip after missing two games due to a lower-body injury.

Jonathan Marchessault has missed Nashville's last nine games due to a lower-body injury, and it remains unclear when the forward will be able to play.

The Predators have won the last six home matchups against the Islanders and are 11-2-0 in their last 13 games against them.

Examples like Tuesday's win over the Vancouver Canucks have been helpful, and the Sabres aim to keep their hot stretch Thursday night with a visit to the banged-up New York Rangers.

The Sabres won 10 straight from Dec. 9-31 before allowing three goals in the first period of a 5-1 road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. Buffalo bounced back by scoring the first four goals and playing a mostly flawless first 50 minutes in its 5-3 home win over the Vancouver Canucks.

It was the sixth time in this run that Buffalo scored at least four goals, and it was their most dominant start in any game during this stretch.

Tage Thompson scored the first goal 2:01 into the opening contest and has nine goals over his past 13 games. Alex Tuch, Ryan McLeod and Zach Metsa also scored before Buffalo allowed three goals in a span of 5:38 in the third, and the brief meltdown made Metsa's goal the game-winner.

"All I said is, ‘We've been in this position a lot of times already and we're going to be in it a lot more times. Just play our game,'" Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought the execution after that was pretty good, and they were putting some heat on."

Before this run, Buffalo showed massive inconsistencies.

After splitting the first eight games this season, the Sabres went 1-4-4 from Oct. 25-Nov. 13. They won four of five after that skid but then lost five of seven before starting this hot streak with a 4-3 overtime win at Edmonton on Dec. 9.

The Rangers earned a 4-0 win in Buffalo on Oct. 9 but will be without two of their bigger names after Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox landed on injured reserve with lower-body injuries and have unknown timelines for their returns.

"We can't really fill Foxy's shoes, can't really fill Shesty's shoes, so it's going to have to be all of us coming together trying to boost the team, 20 guys as one," New York's Vincent Trocheck said at practice Wednesday.

Shesterkin was injured with seven minutes left in the first period during Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to the visiting Utah Mammoth. Shesterkin got hurt when Utah's JJ Peterka made minimal contact with him in the crease and the former All-Star netminder fell backward.

The Rangers appeared to avoid the worst-case scenario and will hope Jonathan Quick can help them stay afloat and start winning consistently at home, where they are 5-10-4 and have been outscored 60-36.

Fox was not on the ice during overtime when the Rangers allowed the game-winning goal to Sean Durzi and appeared to get hurt on his final shift of the third period. Fox was placed on long-term injured reserve for the second time after playing three games following a shoulder injury that cost him 14 games.

The Rangers went 6-5-3 in Fox's first absence and were 6-for-39 on the power play in his absence.

New York also played the past seven games without captain J.T. Miller, who was injured in the third period of a 5-4 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 20. Miller practiced on a line with Trocheck and Jonny Brodzinski on Wednesday, an indication he will likely play Thursday.

During Fox's first absence, the Rangers often used five forwards on their first power-play unit. In Wednesday's practice, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov replaced Fox on the top power-play group with Mika Zibanejad, Miller, Artemi Panarin and Trocheck.

Matthews has enjoyed a pleasant start to 2026, scoring six times in three games since the calendar turned to January. He tallied twice Saturday against the host New York Islanders to become the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer, then added another goal in Tuesday's 4-1 home win over the Florida Panthers.

Before the game against Florida, the team honored Matthews for passing Mats Sundin (420) on Toronto's all-time goal-scoring list.

"All of it means a lot. It's special to wear this jersey. It's an absolute honor," Matthews said. "To have Mats come in, to have so many players before us that have paved the way and worn this jersey. I'm very appreciative."

Matthews has 21 goals this season, putting him on pace for a 10th straight 30-goal campaign to begin his career. He has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 22 career games against the Flyers.

Joseph Woll made 31 saves against the Panthers to lift the team to its fifth win in seven games (5-0-2).

"I thought our goaltending was great. Those are the kinds of efforts we need on nights like this, against opponents like this," Matthews said.

It helps to have defenseman Brandon Carlo (foot) back in the lineup for the first time in nearly two months.

"Carlo, great having him back tonight," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. "I thought he played well. He's been out for a long time, but I thought he did a really good job tonight."

Woll and Carlo must be up to the task against a Philadelphia team that also comes in having won five of seven (5-2-0). The Flyers have 24 goals in those five victories.

Coach Rick Tocchet's team is coming off an emotional 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday in which Trevor Zegras scored twice against his former squad.

"The crowd was outstanding," Tocchet said. "I just remembered the days when I played, that's a loud building tonight. They were awesome. ... That's playoff hockey and we feel like we're a playoff team."

Nikita Grebenkin and Cam York each added a goal and an assist for Philadelphia, which sits at 22-12-7 at the midway point, third in the Metropolitan Division entering Wednesday. The Flyers have missed the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.

"We don't want to be satisfied here," captain Sean Couturier said. "We've got to keep pushing, take it to another level."

This is the second of three meetings. The Maple Leafs won 5-2 in Philadelphia on Nov. 1 as Matthews scored a goal, giving him at least one point in 12 consecutive games against the Flyers.

"I thought just a really consistent effort right from the drop of the puck," Matthews said after that matchup, adding, "I thought we played the way that we need to play to be successful over 60 minutes, and thought that's what showed tonight."

Detroit will look to build off that performance when it hosts Vancouver on Thursday.

The Red Wings' first line had two changes, with only center and team captain Dylan Larkin remaining in place. He was joined by Marco Kasper and Emmitt Finnie. Lucas Raymond, who had been on the first line, moved to the third line, joining center J.T. Compher and wing James van Riemsdyk. The fourth line also had some alterations.

Raymond scored only his second goal in the last 16 games, while van Riemsdyk had a three-point night. Larkin scored on a power play.

"Part of the task we gave them was when we broke that Larkin line, it was simply because they hadn't scored in a while 5-on-5," McLellan said. "Razor (Raymond) was one of them. For him to get that one, he used that shot, and he had one later I wish he would have shot it, he has such a good shot. But it has to make him feel a little better that he finally broke through."

The Red Wings took a 3-0 lead during the first period, then held off the Senators' rally.

"Anytime the coach kind of shuffles up lines like that, he's trying to get the team's attention, and he definitely did that," van Riemsdyk said. "We came in with the right mindset as a team, and we had guys contributing all over the place. That's what it takes to win these types of games."

The Red Wings won their first matchup with Vancouver, a 4-0 road triumph Dec. 8 as John Gibson made 39 saves. Larkin and van Riemsdyk were among their goal scorers.

The Canucks have lost four straight. They fell behind by four goals to Buffalo on Tuesday, rallied to pull within a goal but ultimately fell 5-3.

"We weren't ready to play and that's on us," said Jake DeBrusk, who scored one of the goals. "Demmer (goaltender Thatcher Demko) kept us in it and I like the fight we had in the third period, but there's a fine line between winning and losing. Little plays can make the difference. We have to take the positives out of the third and just keep going."

The Sabres built their lead on three even-strength goals and a short-handed tally by Ryan McLeod.

"We were alright for a bit and lost coverage on the first goal, and on the power play, you can't give up a 2-on-1 like that," Canucks coach Adam Foote said. "It seemed like it rattled us for longer than it usually does as a group. Usually, we bounce back quicker. We seemed to find a way to get some jump later in the game but just a little too late."

Vancouver's lone victory in the last seven games came in a shootout at Seattle on Dec. 29. The Canucks' last regulation win occurred 10 nights earlier against the New York Islanders.

Winners of two in a row, the Hurricanes look to build off a season high-tying scoring output when they host the reeling Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.

Defenseman K'Andre Miller collected two goals and an assist, lifting Carolina to a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.

"I think your chances come and go as the season progresses," Miller said. "I think just sticking with it, knowing that playing good hockey, the bounces are going to come."

Andrei Svechnikov notched a career-best four assists, Nikolaj Ehlers had three and leading goal-scorer Seth Jarvis scored and set up a goal in his return from an eight-game absence due to an upper-body injury.

"Huge. He didn't look like he had missed even a beat, right?" Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said of Jarvis.

"He'd been out a long time. I think he had only a couple of practices with us, but he's a special player. When he's out there, you notice him, and that's good for us. He does so many things. That was a huge hole when he was gone."

Jarvis, who reached the 20-goal plateau for the third straight season, tallied twice in the Hurricanes' 4-1 victory over the Ducks in Anaheim on Oct. 16.

Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere matched his career high with three assists in the previous encounter versus the Ducks.

Rookie Brandon Bussi, who made 21 saves on Tuesday, secured his 15th career victory in just 18 contests, setting an NHL record for the fewest games to reach that win total.

While Carolina once again is trending upward, Anaheim is heading into the opposite direction. The Ducks dropped their seventh straight decision (0-6-1) with a 5-2 setback to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

Cutter Gauthier scored his 20th goal of the season against the team that was forced to trade him after he opted against signing, training or even communicating with the club. Gauthier was selected by the Flyers with the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Gauthier became the second Ducks player with multiple 20-goal seasons before the age of 22. The other was Trevor Zegras, who scored two goals for Philadelphia against his former team on Tuesday.

A promising start to the season for Anaheim has been undone by its 2-9-2 stretch.

"First and foremost, our compete just has to be better," said Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who matched Troy Terry with two assists on Tuesday. "That's just a key that we have to figure out and come together and do. ... There's always areas you can clean up, but I think for us that's kind of our biggest thing."

Anaheim also has issues to address in net, as Petr Mrazek sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday's loss to the Washington Capitals. The Ducks summoned fellow goaltender Ville Husso from San Diego of the American Hockey League to back up Lukas Dostal.

The Kings also recalled forwards Andre Lee and Taylor Ward from Ontario of the AHL on an emergency basis after captain Anze Kopitar (lower body) and fellow forward Joel Armia (upper body) were ruled out of Wednesday's home game against the San Jose Sharks. Both were injured on Monday in a 4-2 home win over the Minnesota Wild.

A four-time All-Star, Perry has 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 35 games this season. The 40-year-old signed a one-year, $2 million deal in the offseason with an additional $2 million in performance bonuses.

Kopitar, 38, has 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 37 games, while the 32-year-old Armia has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 41 games.

Lee, 25, made his NHL debut last season and posted three points (one goal, two assists) in 19 games with the Kings. Ward, 27, also debuted last season with Los Angeles, scoring his first goal in his only game.

"He's got a broken nose, a bruised back," Jets head coach Scott Arniel said. "Obviously, it's not at first what we thought. It's not as serious as when we're seeing him go off on a stretcher. He was banged up pretty good, he felt it. But it's great to see him here today and see him around the room."

Fleury, 29, had a collision with Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar before the goal line and slid back-first hard into the boards during the first period on Tuesday. He rolled over on his side on the ice and there was a pool of blood where his face was positioned.

Fleury was surrounded by teammates as he was treated by EMS and was eventually taken off on a stretcher. Kolesar, a native of nearby Brandon, Manitoba, gave Fleury a pat as he went by the bench. No penalty was called on the play.

Fleury has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Tuesday, and forward Danil Zhilkin was recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League.

Arniel told reporters that the team still is determining whether Fleury sustained a concussion.

"You've got to kind of wait and see on it," Arniel said. "You bang your head that hard ... I'm not saying it's a concussion yet, but he still has to go through the next few days here and see how he feels. He may wake up three days from now and feel great (or) he may wake up three days from now and have some issues."

Fleury has yet to record a point in 17 games this season for the Jets, who have dropped 10 in a row (0-6-4).

In his first full season with Florida, Marchand, 37, is tied for the team lead in goals (23) with Sam Reinhart and has a team-high 46 points.

"He's been dealing with something," Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters. "It just got the point we didn't want to make it worse. We're a little sensitive about injuries here now, and do our best to keep guys healthy. So that was a coach's decision."

Last Wednesday, Marchand was named to Hockey Canada's 25-man roster for next month's Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. It will mark his first Olympic experience, but he has won gold medals with Canada at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers return to the ice on Thursday at the Montreal Canadiens.

Hryckowian, 24, could have become a restricted free agent after the season.

He has six goals and seven assists in 42 games this season with a minus-4 rating, 21 penalty minutes, 19 blocks and 66 hits in 12:04 average ice time. He also appeared in five games last season and recorded one assist with a plus-1 rating.

"Justin has been a valuable asset to our team this year and has proven this season that he belongs in the NHL," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "His ability to operate in all facets of our lineup has been crucial to our team maintaining its pace this year despite various injuries. We look forward to watching Justin continue to develop on the ice and as a member of our organization."

Hryckowian ranks second among NHL rookies with a minimum of 50 draws in faceoff wins at 56% (56 of 100), according to the team.

"He's getting accustomed to the league and he's getting better and better," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said last month. "You can see his growth from Day 1 to now, and most of that growth is in his puck play. He's a little more confident in his play, and that's just going to help us."

Hryckowian was selected the American Hockey League's most outstanding rookie and was named to the all-rookie team in 2024-25 when he played for Dallas' affiliate, the Texas Stars, and recorded 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 67 games.

He signed with the Stars organization in 2024 as an undrafted free agent out of Northeastern University.

The Kings have won more than two in a row just once this season, a four-game run in mid-November, but back-to-back wins over the visiting Minnesota Wild has Los Angeles feeling good about its current state.

"I think we started playing a little bit more together," Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper said. "That's what it takes to be successful in this league. The way our team is built, we need everyone going every night, playing for each other. We addressed it a few days ago, and I think the last two games were great examples of us doing that."

The 4-2 win against the Wild on Monday night was even more impressive considering the Kings were down to 10 forwards after captain Anze Kopitar (lower body) and Joel Armia (upper body) sustained injuries in the first period.

Both are day-to-day.

"Starting to get a little traction, I think," Kings coach Jim Hiller said.

Kuemper has been at the forefront of the recent success, going start to finish in both wins against Minnesota.

"Darce, when stuff is in front of him, as long as they don't have to go lateral, 2-on-1's and cross-ice passes, he's as good as there is," Hiller said. "He's just so big and so square."

Warren Foegele scored against the Wild on Monday to end a 12-game goal drought. Hiller liked the way he used his speed through the neutral zone and drove hard to the net.

"We haven't seen a lot of that out of him this year, as far as speed through the rush attack, through the neutral zone," Hiller said. "For me, I really enjoyed that moment for him, that felt like Foegs, so hopefully it's a springboard for him."

The Sharks are arriving in Los Angeles with confidence following a 5-2 victory against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, their fourth win in five games.

The victory gave them 21 victories in 42 games, surpassing last season's win total.

Macklin Celebrini scored into the empty net against the Blue Jackets to extend his point streak to a career-high 11 games.

"I think we can do a little bit better in front of our net, kind of clean up the garbage, Mighty Ducks style," Sharks forward Ryan Reaves said, referencing the timeless movie. "Other than that, I thought it was a pretty good effort. We can limit the shots a little bit too, but I thought it was a good game."

San Jose scored on just one of five power plays against Columbus, but the goal by former Blue Jackets forward Alexander Wennberg gave the Sharks a 2-0 cushion early in the second period.

"Our power play has had some big moments this year, and I think that was a big one," Reaves said. "It kind of got us going and got the building a little energized."

Yaroslav Askarov should start in goal for San Jose after Alex Nedeljkovic made 34 saves on Tuesday night.

Askarov has faced the Kings twice this season, both times in San Jose. He made 10 saves in a 4-3 loss on Oct. 28, and turned aside 31 shots in a 4-3 shootout win on Nov. 20.

Meanwhile, it only seems that long since the Dallas Stars won a single contest.

Looking to build on a decisive victory, the Capitals try to extend the visiting Stars' season-high losing streak to seven games when they meet Wednesday night.

Though Washington entered play Tuesday in playoff position within the Eastern Conference, the team is 5-6-4 since a season-high six-game winning streak from Nov. 24-Dec. 3. None of those wins since that unbeaten run came in back-to-back fashion, but the Capitals are coming off a 7-4 home victory over Anaheim from Monday, their first win in three 2026 contests.

"We needed two points," Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. "At the end of the day, it was a huge game for our hockey team."

The Capitals have struggled to consistently win of late, notably while trying to overcome injuries to key figures such as Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas -- two of the club's top five scorers who are both day-to-day.

"I don't care how many injuries or who is out of the lineup, we need to find a way to win a hockey game," Carbery added.

Superstar Alex Ovechkin, owner of 914 career goals, snapped a four-game goal drought with two on Monday, and rookie Justin Sourdif recorded his first hat trick along with two assists versus Anaheim. Sourdif, who added two assists on Monday, has nine of his 18 points on the season over the past four games.

However, Ovechkin, Sourdif and the other Capitals failed to come through during a 1-0 loss at Dallas on Oct. 28. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves and Tyler Seguin scored the game's lone goal after the puck deflected in off the stick of Washington's Martin Fehervary during the second period.

Oettinger is 6-0-0 with a stellar 1.25 goals-against average and .958 save percentage against Washington in his career. However, he was pulled Tuesday after allowing five goals on Carolina's first 15 shots during Dallas' 6-3 road defeat.

It's uncertain if Oettinger, who has yielded 16 goals in his last four starts, will be in the Dallas net Wednesday. Backup Casey DeSmith stopped 16 of 17 shots in relief at Carolina.

Dallas is among the top three teams in the Central Division but has allowed at least four goals in every game of its current 0-3-3 rut. Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston scored Wednesday for the Stars, who trailed 5-1 after two periods and will again search for their first victory since winning four straight from Dec. 15-21.

"We have to be harder on the D zone," Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said. "We have to be more disciplined. ... We have to be a lot better to get back on track and find our game again."

Despite the Stars' current struggles, Johnston has tallied three of his 23 goals in the last two games. Robertson, meanwhile, has two goals with five assists in his last four contests.

Washington's Logan Thompson (2.37 goals-against average) made 18 saves in the October loss at Dallas. Though he's lost three consecutive starts, Thompson stopped 31 of 33 shots in the Capitals' 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago in his most recent start Saturday. Teammate Charlie Lindgren (3.13 GAA) has won his last two outings after making 41 saves on Monday.

The win was tied for the most lopsided shutout in Islanders history, matching a mark set most recently against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 9, 1986. Duclair, a healthy scratch the previous two games, entered Tuesday with just four goals in 39 contests this season.

The hat trick was the fourth for Duclair but his first since Dec. 14, 2019, when he was a member of the Ottawa Senators. He also had two assists to complete a five-point game. Sorokin stopped 44 shots as he broke a tie with Glenn "Chico" Resch atop New York's all-time shutout list.

The Islanders have won five of their last seven (5-2-0). Casey Cizikas posted two goals and an assist, Mathew Barzal and Tony DeAngelo each notched a goal and an assist, Calum Ritchie and Simon Holmstrom also scored and Ryan Pulock added two assists. Jacob Markstrom recorded 15 saves for the Devils, who have lost six of eight (2-5-1).

Golden Knights 4, Jets 3 (OT)

Tomas Hertl scored a power-play goal with 12.8 seconds left in overtime as Vegas rallied to defeat host Winnipeg and snap its season-long five-game losing streak.

Mark Stone, Brett Howden and Reilly Smith also scored goals, Hertl finished with a goal and an assist and Marner had two assists for the Golden Knights. Carter Hart finished with 17 saves.

Cole Perfetti, Luke Schenn and Kyle Connor scored goals and Gabriel Vilardi had two assists for Winnipeg, which lost its 10th straight game (0-6-4). Hellebuyck made 27 saves as his personal winless streak reached nine games (0-5-4).

Lightning 4, Avalanche 2

Brandon Hagel netted the tiebreaking goal in the third period and Tampa Bay recorded its NHL-high eighth straight win to deal visiting Colorado just its second losing streak of the season.

Hagel hit the 20-goal mark with a goal at 8:31 to put the Lightning ahead for good and he assisted on Anthony Cirelli's marker into an empty net with 1:25 left to lock down another victory. Nikita Kucherov's two assists moved his point streak to eight games (seven goals, 12 assists) while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves.

Colorado's Parker Kelly and Brock Nelson scored, with the latter running his point streak to six games (five goals, four assists). Goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots, but the club went 1-2-0 on its three-game road trip and lost consecutive matches in regulation for the first time this season.

Oilers 6, Predators 2

Connor McDavid had a hat trick to lead host Edmonton to a win over Nashville.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists, Kasperi Kapanen a goal and an assist and Curtis Lazar also scored for the Oilers, who had lost three of their previous four. Vasily Podkolzin had two assists and Connor Ingram made 24 saves. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recorded his 500th assist.

Ryan O'Reilly and defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored for the Predators, who had won six of the last eight games. Juuse Saros stopped 37 shots. It was the finale of a seven-game road trip for Nashville.

Sabres 5, Canucks 3

Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 of 35 shots as host Buffalo held on to beat Vancouver after the Canucks trimmed a four-goal deficit in the third to one with three straight goals.

Ryan McLeod, Zach Metsa, Josh Doan and Tage Thompson also scored for the Sabres, who have won 11 of their last 12 overall and five straight on home ice. Their 10-game win streak ended Saturday at Columbus.

Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Liam Ohgren scored goals and Thatcher Demko made 15 saves for the Canucks, who suffered their fourth consecutive loss. It was not the way the Canucks wanted to start this six-game road trip, their longest of the season.

Hurricanes 6, Stars 3

K'Andre Miller scored two goals and added an assist while Seth Jarvis, in his first game back from an injury, provided a goal and an assist as Carolina blew past visiting Dallas for a victory at Raleigh, N.C.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Logan Stankoven and William Carrier netted Carolina's other goals, while Andrei Svechnikov supplied four assists and Nikolaj Ehlers had three assists. Brandon Bussi made 20 saves to improve his record to 15-2-1.

Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, who played briefly for the Hurricanes last season, and Wyatt Johnston scored the Stars' goals, but Dallas' slump extended to a season-worst six consecutive losses. Robertson added two assists for a three-point night and Rantanen contributed an assist.

Flyers 5, Ducks 2

Trevor Zegras scored twice against his former team, lifting host Philadelphia over slumping Anaheim, which has lost seven straight.

Cam York and Nikita Grebenkin each added a goal and an assist for Philadelphia, which has won five of its last seven games. Travis Sanheim also scored for the Flyers, while Dan Vladar made 16 saves.

Former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier scored his team-leading 20th goal for the Ducks while Lukas Dostal made 34 stops.

Maple Leafs 4, Panthers 1

Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist in his 200th career game and Toronto defeated visiting Florida.

Easton Cowan, Auston Matthews and Bobby McMann (empty net) also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won three of four. Matthews has six goals in his past three games. Joseph Woll made 31 saves. Toronto opened the scoring with 24 seconds left in the first period and made it 2-0 just 42 seconds into the second.

Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers, who have lost three of four. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 shots.

Kraken 7, Bruins 4

Berkly Catton scored the first two goals of his NHL career as Seattle torched visiting Boston.

Kaapo Kakko had two goals and an assist, Jared McCann had one of each, Jordan Eberle and Ben Meyers also scored, and Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn and Freddy Gaudreau had two assists apiece for the Kraken, who extended their point streak to nine games (8-0-1). Joey Daccord made 32 saves.

David Pastrnak tallied twice, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist, and Mason Lohrei also scored for the Bruins, who wrapped up a five-game trip in which they went 2-2-1. Jeremy Swayman stopped 20 of 26 shots as Boston saw a two-game winning streak and a three-game point streak snapped.

Sharks 5, Blue Jackets 2

Alexander Wennberg had a goal and two assists to help San Jose top visiting Columbus.

Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist while Pavol Regenda, Zack Ostapchuk and Macklin Celebrini also scored. Alex Nedeljkovic made 34 saves for San Jose, which improved to 4-1-0 in its past five games.

Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan scored and Jet Greaves made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets, who came in 4-1-1 in their past six. Regenda, who notched his first NHL hat trick in a 7-3 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, opened the scoring with 49 seconds left in the first period and the Sharks maintained their lead the rest of the way.

Kaapo Kakko had two goals and an assist, Jared McCann had one of each, Jordan Eberle and Ben Meyers also scored, and Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn and Freddy Gaudreau had two assists apiece for the Kraken, who extended their point streak to nine games (8-0-1). Goaltender Joey Daccord made 32 saves.

David Pastrnak tallied twice, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist, and Mason Lohrei also scored for the Bruins, who wrapped up a five-game trip in which they went 2-2-1. Jeremy Swayman stopped 20 of 26 shots as Boston saw a two-game winning streak and a three-game point streak snapped.

The 19-year-old Catton, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft who was playing in his 28th game, broke a 1-all tie at 2:48 of the second period. Catton carried the puck over the blue line on the right wing and sent a drop pass to McCann, who immediately passed back to the rookie. Catton's slap shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle deflected off the heel of Swayman's blocker and into the net.

Catton scored his second on the power play at 14:20 of the third to make it 6-2. He took a pass from Gaudreau, broke in alone on Swayman and lifted a backhander off the right post and just under the crossbar.

The teams traded goals in the first period.

Seattle struck first at 8:50 as Eberle tallied on a 5-on-3 power play.

Pastrnak tied it at 12:47, faking a slap shot and putting a wrister into the upper-right corner of the net.

After Catton gave Seattle the lead, Pastrnak tied it a second time off a nifty backhanded cross-ice pass from Charlie McAvoy.

The Kraken regained the lead at 18:23 as Tye Kartye, back in the lineup with Eeli Tolvanen a late scratch because of illness, stole the puck behind the Boston net and sent a backhanded pass to Meyers for a one-timer from the slot.

The Kraken extended their lead to 4-2 on a buzzer-beating slap shot from the right point by McCann on the power play. A video review determined the puck entered the net with 0.5 seconds left in the second period.

The teams combined for five goals in the final half of the third period.

Kakko tallied at 10:21, followed by Catton.

Lohrei scored off a scramble in front of the net at 14:50 and Arvidsson on a power play at 17:38 to pull the Bruins within 6-4.

Kakko fired the puck into an empty net at 19:48 to cap the scoring.