The Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly close to sending winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. Forward Michael Bunting is believed to be part of the trade package going to Pittsburgh as he’s a healthy scratch tonight for “trade-related reasons.” The Penguins and Hurricanes are still sorting out the details.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m not sitting up all night waiting for this deal to be consummated. If it happens later tonight, check out the details at the NHL Trade Tracker.
San Jose Sharks trade winger Anthony Duclair to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Jack Thompson and a 2024 third-round pick.
Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder.
Chicago Blackhawks traded winger Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators for a 2024 fifth-round pick.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second time Beauvillier has been traded during this season. He was acquired by the Blackhawks from the Vancouver Canucks in November.
Colorado Avalanche acquired winger Brandon Duhaime from the Minnesota Wild for a 2026 third-round pick.
Arizona Coyotes trade defenseman Troy Stecher and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-rounder.
Nashville Predators acquired defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 third-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Yakov Trenin and defenseman Graham Sward.
With the trade deadline only a day away, check out the latest on the Panthers, Senators, Oilers, Rangers, Islanders, and more in Part Two of today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards reports Panthers general manager Bill Zito might not be done dealing after acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko yesterday from the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers have around $3 million in cap space available and could look to add a defenseman. Richards suggested options such as the Arizona Coyotes’ Matt Dumba or the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Andrew Peeke.
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are believed to have “kicked tires” on Jakob Chychrun. However, that doesn’t mean the Senators are hurrying to trade him. General manager Steve Staios said they’re not actively shopping Chychrun. They want to move winger Dominik Kubulik, defenseman Erik Brannstrom and center Mark Kastelic.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports the Oilers still have about $1.88 million remaining in cap space to add a depth defenseman if the other team retains half of his contract. He suggested Washington’s Joel Edmundson as one option.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Post’s Larry Brooks doesn’t want to see the Rangers trade away a promising young player such as Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle, Gabe Perreault or Brennan Othmann. That’s what it might take, however, to land that elusive second-line right winger.
Staple also noted the New York Islanders have $3.5 million in salary-cap flexibility with Scott Mayfield on long-term injury reserve. He wondered if they might consider adding a forward such as Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano or San Jose’s Alexander Barabanov.
As for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Aaron Portzline believes it will be a quiet deadline. Pending unrestricted free-agent forward Jack Roslovic seems the most likely trade candidate. Defenseman Ivan Provorov isn’t off-limits but the Jackets aren’t shopping him. Any bold moves might have to wait until the offseason.
Michael Russo and Joe Smith reportMinnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is working the phones as the trade deadline approaches. Brandon Duhaime, Connor Dewar and sidelined forward Pat Maroon are garnering some attention in the trade market.
Turning to the Chicago Blackhawks, Scott Powers noted that forward Colin Blackwell could be the only player they’re likely to move on deadline day. They’re also open to the idea of being a third-party broker
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Geoff Baker looked at other pending UFAs the Kraken could move by the trade deadline after shipping Alex Wennberg to the Rangers on Wednesday. Winger Tomas Tatar and defenseman Justin Schultz might garner some interest in the trade market.
Recaps of Tuesday’s games feature a five-point performance by the Stars’ Wyatt Johnston, the Golden Knights acquire Anthony Mantha, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
**UPDATE**
The Ottawa Senators trade Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers for a 2025 third-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder that becomes a third-round pick if the Panthers win the 2024 Stanley Cup. The Senators also retain 50 percent of Tarasenko’s $5 million cap hit.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators reportedly sought a first or second-round pick plus another asset. It appears Tarasenko’s trade value wasn’t as high as rumored.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston tallied his first career NHL hat trick and collected two assists in a 7-6 win over the San Jose Sharks. Roope Hintz scored in overtime as the Stars overcame a 6-3 deficit on three unanswered third-period goals with Johnston scoring two of them. Jamie Benn and rookie Logan Stankovan each had four points for the Stars (38-17-5) as they moved ahead of the Winnipeg Jets into first place in the Central Division with 85 points. Anthony Duclair scored twice and had two assists for the 15-39-7 Sharks.
Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stankovan now has five goals and eight points in six games for the Stars. Meanwhile, Duclair’s improved performance of late could bolster his trade value.
The Jets, meanwhile, dropped a 4-3 decision to the Seattle Kraken as Andre Burakovsky broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period. Jared McCann had a goal and two assists while Joey Daccord stopped 30 shots for the 28-23-11 Kraken. Adam Lowry had a goal and an assist for the Jets (39-17-5) as they sit two points back of the Stars in the Central Division.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken held center Alex Wennberg out of the lineup for the second straight game. I’ll have more about Wennberg in today’s Rumors update.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored the tying and winning goals in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins. Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists for the Oilers (38-20-2), who’ve won five straight games and sit in second place with 78 points in the Pacific Division. Pavel Zacha replied for the 36-13-15 Bruins, who slipped into third place in the overall standings with 87 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid (99 points) sits six points behind league leaders Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche in the scoring race. Meanwhile, Bruins winger James van Riemsdyk played his 1,000th career NHL game.
The league-leading Florida Panthers (90 points) picked up their sixth straight win (43-16-4) by beating the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Sam Reinhart tallied his 45th goal of the season, Nick Cousins scored twice and Aaron Ekblad collected an assist to become the all-time assist leader (230) among Panthers defensemen. Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist for the 30-28-4 Devils, who were playing their first game under interim head coach Travis Green.
An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Elias Pettersson scored the tying goal while Quinn Hughes collected two assists for the 40-17-7 Canucks, who moved into second place in the overall standings with 87 points. Trevor Moore replied for the Kings (31-19-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 73 points.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored in overtime to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-3, snapping the latter’s eight-game win streak. Suzuki and linemate Cole Caufield each had two points for the 24-28-10 Canadiens. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists for the Predators (35-25-3) as they hold the final Western Conference wildcard berth with 73 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens placed forward Colin White (upper body) on injured reserve.
The New York Islanders picked up their fourth straight by doubling up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist while Brock Nelson and Adam Pelech each collected two assists for the Islanders (27-20-14) as they sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 68 points. Joel Hofer made 29 saves for the 32-27-3 Blues.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Islanders placed defenseman Scott Mayfield (lower body) on long-term injury reserve as he’s expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. Meanwhile, Isles general manager Lou Lamoriello said his club won’t be a seller at the upcoming trade deadline.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith had a goal and two assists in a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist for the 28-24-8 Penguins. Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke each had a goal and an assist for the 21-31-10 Blue Jackets.
The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Seth Jones scored twice as the Blackhawks (16-42-5) ended their 22-game road losing skid. Connor Ingram made 27 saves for the 25-32-5 Coyotes, who held winger Jason Zucker out of this game for trade-related reasons.
HEADLINES
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights acquired winger Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder. The Capitals also retained half of Mantha’s $5.7 million cap hit.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mantha reached the 20-goal plateau this season for the first time since 2018-19. He should be a good rental scorer for the Golden Knights. They might not be done adding to their roster as they still carry over $4.4 million in salary cap flexibility.
STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Zach Bogosian to a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension. Bogosian, 33, averages over 17 minutes of ice time per game, blocking 51 shots and sitting second among the Wild with 80 hits.
THE ATHLETIC’s Kevin Kurz reports Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Nick Seeler could miss a bit of time with an undisclosed injury but isn’t expected to be sidelined for long.
CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames plucked defenseman Joel Hanley off waivers yesterday from the Dallas Stars.
CALGARY SUN: Meanwhile, Flames forward Martin Pospisil faces a disciplinary hearing with the league on Wednesday for a dangerous hit on Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn on Monday.
TSN: The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Sam Gagner on waivers.
Red Wings forward Patrick Kane makes a triumphant return to Chicago, the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov reaches 100 points, Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins over the Flyers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Patrick Kane set up the tying goal and scored the winner in overtime as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. It was Kane’s first game against his former club in Chicago since he was traded to the New York Rangers last February. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the surging Red Wings (32-20-6) as they’ve won five straight games and hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 70 points. MacKenzie Entwistle and Nick Foligno scored for the 15-39-5 Blackhawks.
Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane spent 16 seasons with the Blackhawks and is among the greatest players in franchise history, helping them win three Stanley Cups. He received a lengthy standing ovation as the Blackhawks honored him with a video tribute during a TV timeout and another after scoring the winning goal.
Kane’s return coincided with the Blackhawks honoring another great as they retired Hall-of-Famer Chris Chelios’ No. 7 in a pregame ceremony. Chelios spent nine seasons in Chicago from 1990-91 to 1998-99, winning two of his three Norris Trophies there.
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov became the first player this season to reach 100 points in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Kucherov had a goal and three assists as he sits atop the scoring race with 102 points. With a record of 32-23-5, the Lightning hold the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 69 points. Tyler Toffoli netted his 25th goal of the season for the Devils (29-25-4) as they’ve lost three of their last four games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 38 goals, Kucherov is poised to eclipse his career-best of 41 and is 26 points away from his career high of 128 points set in 2018-19.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff took full responsibility for his club’s struggles this season but it’s not solely his fault. The Devils have been walloped by injuries while their goaltending is among the league’s worst.
The Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 7-6. Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists while Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist before leaving the game in the third period with an upper-body injury as the Penguins improved to 26-21-8. Scott Laughton and Tyson Foerster each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers (30-22-7) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale left the game in the second period favoring his left arm following a hard hit from Penguins forward Jansen Harkins. There was no update regarding his status following the game.
An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes, handing the latter their 12th straight loss. Connor finished with two goals, Mark Scheifele had a goal and three assists while Josh Morrissey collected three assists for the 36-15-5 Jets (77 points) as they’ve won three straight and sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars. Nick Schmaltz tallied twice for the 23-29-5 Coyotes.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes winger Clayton Keller left the game early in the second period with an undisclosed injury. He leads the club with 52 points in 57 games.
The Nashville Predators strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by doubling up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist while goaltender Kevin Lankinen stopped 29 shots for the 32-25-2 Predators (66 points) as they’ve won five straight and sit four points up on the St. Louis Blues. Brett Leason had a goal and an assist for the 20-35-3 Ducks.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made 38 saves as his club upset the New York Rangers 4-2, snapping the latter’s 10-game win streak. Dmitri Voronkov, Kirill Marchenko and Jack Roslovic each had a goal and an assist for the 19-28-10 Blue Jackets. Artemi Panarin netted his 33rd goal of the season for the Rangers (39-17-3) as they remain in second place in the overall standings.
The Buffalo Sabres have won three straight games for the first time this season with a 3-2 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Casey Mittelstadt tallied the winning goal in the shootout while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 27-27-4 Sabres. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (34-18-6) as they remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game the NHL department of player safety fined Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi $5,000.00 for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Joel Hanley on Saturday.
The Devils defeat the Flyers in their Stadium Series matchup, Auston Matthews tallies another hat trick, and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 in front of 70, 328 fans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey in their NHL Stadium Series. Nico Hischier led the way with two goals and an assist, Nathan Bastian scored twice and Nico Daws made 45 saves for the 28-22-4 Devils (60 points), who sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Owen Tippett tallied two goals for the Flyers (29-20-7) as they hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 65 points.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews netted his second straight hat trick and his sixth of the season in a 9-2 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Matthews also collected two assists, Bobby McMann scored twice and added an assist and Timothy Liljegren picked up three assists as the Leafs (29-16-8) vaulted over the Tampa Bay Lightning into third place in the Atlantic Division with 66 points. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist for the 19-33-2 Ducks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews now has a league-leading 48 goals, nine more than second-place Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers. Leafs captain John Tavares missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day while defenseman William Lagesson left the game with an upper-body injury. The Ducks, meanwhile, activated Alex Killorn (knee surgery) off injured reserve for this game and placed winger Brock McGinn (upper body) on IR retroactive to Feb. 10.
Speaking of the Lightning, they were crushed 9-2 by the Florida Panthers as they picked up their fifth straight win. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett each had two goals and two assists while Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and picked up an assist for the 36-15-4 Panthers as they lead the Eastern Conference with 76 points. Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point scored for the Lightning (30-21-5) as they slipped into the first Eastern wild-card spot with 65 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot also didn’t play as he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Los Angeles Kings rookie defenseman Brandt Clarke scored his first NHL goal in overtime to lift his club over the Boston Bruins 5-4. Anze Kopitar scored the tying goal late in the third period while Pierre-Luc Dubois picked up two assists for the 26-16-10 Kings, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 62 points. James van Riemsdyk scored twice and collected an assist for the 32-12-11 Bruins, who had a 3-1 lead at one point in this contest. With 75 points, they sit second overall in the Eastern Conference.
A four-point performance by Mark Schiefele (one goal, three assists) carried the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals and picked up an assist while Connor Hellebucyk stopped 35 shots for the Jets (33-14-5) as they moved past the Colorado Avalanche into second place in the Central Division with 71 points. Noah Juulsen and Tyler Myers replied for the 37-13-6 Canucks as they remain in first place in the overall standings with 80 points.
The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Dallas Stars 4-3 on an overtime tally by Evan Bouchard, who finished the game with two goals. Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry each had two points for the Oilers (32-18-1) as they’re perched in third place in the Pacific Division with 65 points. Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists for the Stars (34-14-7) as they hold first place in the Central Division with 75 points and sit second overall in the Western Conference.
Third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Seth Martin turned aside 29 shots for the 32-17-5 Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points. Jonathan Marchessault replied for the Golden Knights (31-17-6), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer turned in a 38-save shutout to blank the Calgary Flames 5-0. Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (28-20-6) as they hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 62 points. Jacob Markstrom got the hook after giving up four goals on 12 shots as the 25-25-5 Flames (55 points) have lost three straight and sit five points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A rough outing for Markstrom but he didn’t get much help from his teammates in this game. I’ll have more about the Flames in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
Speaking of the Predators, they rolled to a 5-2 win over the Blues. Juuse Saros kicked out 35 shots while Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly each had a goal and an assist for the 28-25-2 Predators (58 points) as they picked up their first regulation win in seven games. They sit two points behind the 29-23-2 Blues (60 points), who got goals from Jordan Kyrou and Nathan Walker.
The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive by downing the Montreal Canadiens 4-3. Aliaksei Protas snapped a 3-3 tie while Anthony Mantha had a goal and an assist for the 24-21-8 Capitals (56 points) as they sit six points behind the Red Wings. Nick Suzuki scored to extend his points streak to 10 games while linemate Juraj Slafkovsky collected an assist as his points streak reached eight games for the Canadiens, who dropped to 22-25-8 on the season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary left this game with a lower-body injury.
An overtime goal by Henri Jokiharju lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Sabres (24-26-4) while Joel Eriksson Ek and Declan Chisholm replied for the 25-23-6 Wild (56 points) as they moved to within four points of the Blues for that final Western wild-card berth.
Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist as his team downed the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Petr Mrazek made 40 saves for the 15-37-3 Blackhawks while Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist for the 22-27-5 Senators.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard has picked up from where he left off when he was sidelined on Jan. 5 with a fractured jaw. He now has three points in two games since his return to action and has regained the rookie scoring lead with 36 points.
A late goal by Boone Jenner gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Johnny Gaudreau, Yegor Chinakhov and Erik Gudbranson each had two assists for the 17-26-10 Blue Jackets while Anthony Duclair tallied twice for the 15-34-5 Sharks.
The Golden Knights snap the Oilers’ 16-game win streak, Elias Lindholm and Andrei Kuzmenko scored in their first games with their new teams, the Blackhawks will host another Winter Classic game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights ended the Edmonton Oilers’ win streak at 16 games by defeating the latter 3-1. Chandler Stephenson snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period, William Karlsson scored an empty-netter and Adin Hill made 30 saves for the 30-15-6 Golden Knights as they hold second place in the Pacific Division with 66 points. Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers (29-16-1) as they sit seven points behind Vegas in the Pacific Division with 59 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will add fodder to the growing rivalry between these two clubs. The Golden Knights also eliminated the Oilers from the second round of the 2023 playoffs during their march to the Stanley Cup.
Vancouver Canucks center Elias Lindholm (NHL Images).
Elias Lindholm had a memorable debut with the Vancouver Canucks, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. J.T. Miller netted the game-winner in the third period while Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser each collected two assists for the league-leading Canucks (34-11-5, 73 points) as they extended their points streak to 12 games (10-0-2). Jordan Martinook and Sebastian Aho replied for the 28-16-5 Hurricanes as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm was acquired from the Calgary Flames by the Canucks on Jan. 31.
Speaking of the Flames and memorable debuts, Andrei Kuzmenko scored in their 4-1 upset of the Boston Bruins. Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each collected three points for the 23-22-5 Flames (51 points) as they moved within three points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Pavel Zacha scored for the Bruins (31-10-9) as they lead the Eastern Conference with 71 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kuzmenko was part of the return to the Flames in last week’s Lindholm trade with the Canucks. he had good chemistry skating alongside Huberdeau in this game. It’ll be interesting to see if the duo can maintain it over the rest of the regular season. Meanwhile, Flames forward Martin Pospisil received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for cross-checking Bruins captain Brad Marchand in the face during the first period.
The New Jersey Devils downed the Colorado Avalanche 5-3, ending Avs center Nathan MacKinnon’s points streak at 14 games. Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Erik Haula each had two points for the 25-20-3 Devils (53 points) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Jonathan Drouin collected two assists for the Avalanche (32-15-4) as they sit in second place in the Central Division with 68 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils activated forward Tomas Nosek off injured reserve for this game. He’d been sidelined for three months with an injured foot.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped 23 shots for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season to blank the Winnipeg Jets 3-0, spoiling Sean Monahan’s debut with the latter following his trade last Friday from the Montreal Canadiens. Kris Letang, Jeff Carter and Bryan Rust were the goal-scorers for the Penguins (23-17-7) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 53 points. The Jets are now winless in their last four (0-3-1) and sit third in the Central Division with 65 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for an illegal hit to the head of Penguins forward Noel Acciari in the second period. Acciari left the game with help from his teammates and was undergoing evaluation following the game.
The Dallas Stars got a 47-save performance from Jake Oettinger to nip the Buffalo Sabres 2-1, picking up their fourth straight win. Sam Steel broke a 1-1 tie in the third period for the 31-13-6 Stars as they hold first place in the Central Division with 68 points due to a game in hand over the Avalanche. Tage Thompson scored for the Sabres (22-24-4), who got 28 saves from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed defenseman Mattias Samuelsson on injured reserve and activated blueliner Erik Johnson off IR.
A third-period goal by Noah Cates lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Travis Konecny also scored and Samuel Ersson stopped 20 shots for the 26-19-6 Flyers as they snapped a five-game losing skid and hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 58 points. Carter Verhaeghe scored for the 31-15-4 Panthers, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 66 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Reinhart was held scoreless as his 13-game points streak came to an end. The Panthers activated forward Nick Cousins off injured reserve while the Flyers activated winger Owen Tippett off IR for this game.
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky each scored twice, Cole Caufield picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games, and Sam Montembault kicked out 37 shots for the 21-21-8 Canadiens. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 10th goal of the season for the 22-19-7 Capitals.
HEADLINES
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks will host the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field where they’ll face the St. Louis Blues. It will be the seventh time the Blackhawks have taken part in the Winter Classic.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Call it the Connor Bedard effect. The Blackhawks are the worst team in the league but the presence of their talented young rookie resulted in an 18.9 percent increase in home attendance through their first two months of the season, drawing an average of 3,005 more fans per game compared to the same period last season. The league is banking on a promising young Blackhawks team led by a healthy Bedard drawing a huge crowd at Wrigley and big TV ratings as a result.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of only three NHL teams not to participate in an outdoor game. However, that could change as it’s believed they will host a 2025 NHL Stadium Series game against the Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium on or around March 1, 2025.
TSN: The New York Rangers placed center Nick Bonino on unconditional waivers yesterday for the purpose of contract termination. He’s currently on a one-year, $800K deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chris Johnston reported Bonino might not have to wait long to land with a new NHL team as there have been inquiries. He must sign before the March 8 trade deadline to be eligible to play in the postseason.
NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Rangers, captain Jacob Trouba returns to action on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He served a two-game suspension for elbowing Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev on Jan. 26.
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