NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2025

by | Nov 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2025

A 15-game schedule for Friday, evaluations of the 32 teams, the latest on the attempted sale of the Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The return of Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk from injury and the Colorado Avalanche’s pursuit of their 11th straight win highlight Friday’s 15-game schedule.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Tkachuk has been sidelined since Oct. 16 following surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb. He’s making his return in his hometown of St. Louis against the Blues.

The Avalanche sit atop the overall standings with a record of 17-1-5 (39 points). They have an opportunity to win 11 straight games for the second time in franchise history. Center Nathan MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 18 goals and 39 points, while defenseman Cale Makar leads all defensemen with 30 points.

Meanwhile, the “Black Friday” tradition continues as the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings as the two rivals jockey for first place in the Pacific Division.

CNBC: Michael Ozanian made his annual evaluation of all 32 NHL franchises.

The Toronto Maple Leafs once again top the list at $4.30 billion, followed by the New York Rangers ($3.8 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($3.4 billion), Los Angeles Kings ($3.15 billion), and Edmonton Oilers ($3.1 billion).

The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings round out the top 10 franchises.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ranked 32nd ($1.4 billion), with the Buffalo Sabres at 31 ($1.42 billion), the Ottawa Senators at 30 ($1.44 billion), the Winnipeg Jets at 29 ($1.46 billion), and the San Jose Sharks at 28 ($1.55 billion).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being in two of the NHL’s smallest markets partly accounts for the Senators and Jets’ placement. The Blues Jackets and Sharks have been rebuilding in recent years, while the Sabres have missed the playoffs for a league-record 14 years.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: There are conflicting reports regarding the sale of the Penguins.

Pittsburgh sports radio host Mark Madden claimed the attempt by current owner Fenway Sports Group to sell the team to the Hoffman Group was off. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the negotiations remain more difficult than expected, but the Hoffman Group remains within its exclusive negotiating window and is moving forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Friedman said, “We will see.”

TSN: Edmonton Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen appeared to suffer an injury during practice on Thursday. He has been sidelined since Oct. 19 with an undisclosed injury and only recently rejoined his teammates in practice.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Speaking of the Oilers, winger Jack Roslovic is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken after blocking a shot during Tuesday’s loss to the Dallas Stars.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens reclaimed forward Sammy Blais off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs and sent him to their AHL affiliate in Laval.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2025

by | Nov 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2025

Avalanche extends their win streak to 10 games, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scores after a pregame ceremony honoring two career milestones, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reaches 400 career regular-season points, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The league-leading Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5, 39 points) extended their win streak to 10 games by blanking the San Jose Sharks 6-0. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 26-save shutout against his former club, Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Cale Makar collected an assist to lead all NHL defensemen with 30 points. San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov was pulled early in the second period after giving up four goals on 19 shots. The Sharks slipped to 11-10-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 18 goals and 39 points.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 908th career regular-season goal in a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored to extend his goal streak to four games as the Capitals (13-9-2) have won five of their last six games. Gabriel Vilardi tallied twice for the Jets, who’ve lost three in a row and dropped to 12-10-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals honored Ovechkin for reaching 900 career goals and 1,500 regular-season games in a pregame ceremony.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reached the 400-point regular-season milestone with two goals and an assist to nip the Utah Mammoth 4-3. Jakub Dobes stopped 31 shots, Zach Bolduc had a goal and two assists, and Ivan Demidov tallied the winning goal as the Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead but rallied to improve their record to 12-7-3. Barrett Hayton, Kailer Yamamoto, and Michael Carcone replied for the Mammoth (12-9-3), who are 2-2-3 in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw the debut of Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom. Meanwhile, Mammoth blueliner Sean Durzi returned to the lineup after missing 21 games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Simon Nemec lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists for the 15-7-1 Devils, who moved into first place in the Eastern Conference. Cam Fowler had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who dropped to 7-10-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Evgenii Dadonov is expected to be out for a period of time after suffering an undisclosed injury during Monday’s game with the Detroit Red Wings.

Two goals in the opening 90 seconds by Brandon Hagel and Charle-Edouard D’Astous powered the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 31 shots as the Lightning (14-7-2) picked up their fifth straight win to sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 30 points. Joel Farabee scored for the 8-14-3 Flames, whose three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are reportedly poised to extend the contract of general manager Craig Conroy.

Boston Bruins forward Alex Steeves scored twice for his first NHL multi-goal game in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 44 shots as the Bruins improved to 14-11-0. Mathew Barzal scored for the 13-9-2 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Islanders announced that they would not loan rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer to Canada’s World Junior Team. That’s understandable, given Schaefer’s value to the Islanders. Meanwhile, the Isles announced Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to return from an upper-body injury before Christmas.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry made 29 saves in his return to action to double up the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-2. Matt Dumba and Kevin Hayes tallied their first goals of the season for the Penguins (11-6-5), who picked up their third win in their last 10 games. Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who slipped to 9-10-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Penguins returned goaltender Sergei Murashov to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Given his solid performance during his call-up, he might not be down on the farm for long.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 shots in a 4-2 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. The win improved the Rangers to 12-11-2. Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two points for the Hurricanes (14-7-2), who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller picked up an assist as he returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Easton Cowan scored to tie the game for the Maple Leafs (10-10-3), who got their second win in their last nine games. Zach Werenski scored for the 11-9-3 Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last three (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Auston Matthews and Matthews Knies returned to the Maple Leafs lineup after missing several games with injuries. The Leafs also placed forward Sammy Blais on waivers.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson had a goal and two assists as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on a shootout goal by Shane Pinto. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves for the Senators, who improved to 12-7-4. Brett Howden, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone scored as the Golden Knights (10-5-8) overcame a 3-1 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stone returned to the Golden Knights’ lineup after being sidelined since Oct.18 with an injured wrist. Meanwhile, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk confirmed he will return to action on Friday against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been out with an injured thumb since Oct. 13.

The Vancouver Canucks got a 37-save performance by call-up goalie Nikita Tolopilo in his season debut to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Max Sasson, Filip Hronek, and Tom Willander each collected two points for the Canucks (10-12-2), who snapped a three-game losing skid. Jackson LaCombe had a goal and two assists for the 14-8-1 Ducks, who remain in first place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks starting netminder Lukas Dostal missed this contest with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Dallas Stars defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok snapped a 2-2 tie to lift his club over the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars (15-5-4) as they extended their road points streak to 10 games. Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn tallied for the 11-6-6 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jared McCann collected an assist as he returned to the Kraken lineup after being sidelined since Oct. 18 with a lower-body injury.

The Nashville Predators ended a three-game losing skid with a 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists for the 7-12-4 Predators. Alex DeBrincat, James van Riemsdyk, and Ben Chiarot scored for the Red Wings (13-10-1), who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

Four unanswered goals by Emil Andrae, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, and Sean Couturier rallied the Philadelphia Flyers from a 2-0 deficit to upset the Florida Panthers 4-2. The win improved the Flyers’ record to 12-7-3. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers (12-10-1).

The Minnesota Wild collected their sixth straight win by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Filip Gustavsson turned aside 34 shots for the 13-7-4 Wild. Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (10-8-5), who are winless in their last five contests (0-3-1).










NHL Rumor Mill – November 24, 2025

by | Nov 24, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – November 24, 2025

Check out the latest on the Flames, Senators, and Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis recently reported that Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Don Maloney pushed back on the idea that his club should trade Nazem Kadri. The 35-year-old center has been at the top of most pundits’ lists of veterans that the Flames could trade to accelerate a rebuild.

“I think we need more Kadris, not less,” Maloney said. “We need more of that winning.”

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

Maloney also said that the Flames aren’t giving up on his playoff dreams. He also rejected the idea of tanking the season to secure a top-three pick in next year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri has frequently surfaced in the rumor mill since the summer of 2024. The Flames’ struggles this season added fuel to the media speculation, with pundits suggesting trade destinations for the veteran center.

Earlier this month, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Flames ownership wasn’t interested in trading Kadri. Maloney is the first member of the club’s front office to speak against the notion of moving the veteran center.

Maloney’s remarks should put a damper on the Kadri trade rumors for now. If the Flames remain at the bottom of the standings heading into the new year, don’t be surprised if the Kadri rumors rekindle, especially by the March 6 trade deadline.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau examined possible trade partners for the Ottawa Senators as they look to take a big swing in the trade market.

Proteau observed that the Senators need help on the blueline, sitting among this season’s 10 worst defensive clubs. He speculated that the Flames, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues could become sellers. More clubs will join them as the trade deadline approaches.

The Senators have around $1.4 million in current cap space, but that will rise to over $5 million in accrued space by the March 6 trade deadline. They don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but they do possess their first-rounders in 2027 and 2028 to draw on for trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given their limitations in terms of cap space and trade capital, the Senators could have a difficult time winning any bidding wars by the deadline.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski suggested the Penguins draw upon their goaltending depth for trade bait to land some scoring help.

The Penguins will soon have three healthy goaltenders, including promising Sergei Murashov. He pointed out that there are five NHL teams with save percentages below .885, six if you include the Maple Leafs’ .886.

With Murashov playing well in tandem with Arturs Silovs, and veteran Tristan Jarry due to return soon from an injury, the Penguins could have two expendable goalies in Silovs and Jarry.

Kingerski believes Jarry’s desirability is dubious, especially after coming off another lower-body injury. He believes Silovs could fetch a better return like a second-round pick, which could be flipped to acquire a middle-six forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The most likely scenario is the Penguins will return the waiver-exempt Murashov to their AHL affiliate, then gauge the performances of Jarry and Silovs before deciding if they’ll peddle the latter.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2025

by | Nov 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2025

The Flyers set a franchise record against the Devils, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reached a points milestone, Lightning winger Brandon Hagel had a four-point performance, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Philadelphia Flyers scored four first-period goals, including three in 26 seconds, in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Tyson Foerster tallied twice in 17 seconds, and Noah Cates had a goal and two assists for the 11-6-3 Flyers. Nico Hischier scored two goals and set up another as the Devils (13-7-1) dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers set a franchise record for the fastest three goals in one period.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for his 500th career multipoint game in a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Brandon Montour scored in overtime, and Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist as the Kraken improved to 11-5-5. Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins (10-6-5), who have one win in their last six games (1-2-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby is sixth on the all-time multipoint games list. Wayne Gretzky leads with 824 games, followed by Jaromir Jagr (540), Marcel Dionne and Mark Messier (513), and Gordie Howe (511).

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel scored two goals and collected two assists in a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists as the Lightning (12-7-2) extended their winning streak to three games. Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-2 Capitals as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov and teammate Brayden Point left this game with undisclosed injuries. There was no postgame update regarding their statuses. Meanwhile, Capitals forward Nic Dowd missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood made 35 saves to shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0. Nathan MacKinnon scored to extend his points streak to 12 games as the league-leading Avalanche (15-1-5, 35 points) extended its win streak to eight games. Juuse Saros stopped 23 of 24 shots as the Predators (6-11-4) have lost seven of their last eight contests (1-5-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators captain Roman Josi returned to action after being sidelined since late October with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Avalanche announced that forward Gavin Brindley is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

The Detroit Red Wings got an overtime goal from Alex DeBrincat as they overcame a 3-1 deficit to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Cam Talbot stopped 31 shots, and defensemen Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot each had a goal and an assist for the Detroit Red Wings, who improved to 13-8-1 and hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 27 points. Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (11-8-3).

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington made 30 saves as his club held off the New York Islanders by a score of 2-1. Brayden Schenn and Pius Suter scored for the 7-9-6 Blues, who ended a four-game winless skid (0-1-3). Anders Lee replied for the Islanders (12-8-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues placed forward Alexandre Texier on unconditional waivers for contract termination. The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators are believed to be the front-runners, with the Canadiens considered the favorites to sign him. The 26-year-old winger is in his seventh NHL season. He’s a speedy two-way checking-line forward whose best season was a 30-point performance with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24.

Speaking of the Canadiens, they picked up their first win in two weeks with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Noah Dobson and Josh Anderson each tallied twice for the Canadiens, who improved to 11-7-3 after dropping seven of their previous eight games (1-4-3). William Nylander had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who dropped to 9-10-3 and have lost seven of their last eight contests (1-5-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

The Edmonton Oilers got two goals from Jack Roslovic to defeat the Florida Panthers 6-3 in their first game since facing each other in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Stuart Skinner kicked out 35 shots, and blueliners Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each had three points for the 10-9-5 Oilers, ending their three-game losing skid. Anton Lundell and Mackie Samoskevich each had a goal and an assist as the Panthers dropped to 11-9-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to travel with the team on Sunday and play in Monday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle snapped a 2-2 tie to give his club a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. He also collected an assist to finish the game with two points as the Senators (11-6-4) picked up their third win in four games. John Klingberg and Barclay Goodrow replied for the 10-9-3 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot returned to action after missing three games with an upper-body injury. However, he left this contest in the third period after reinjuring himself.

The Utah Mammoth nipped the New York Rangers 3-2 on a third-period goal by Nick DeSimone. JJ Peterka and Clayton Keller also scored for the 11-8-3 Mammoth, ending a four-game winless skid (0-1-3). Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who’ve lost four straight games and dropped to 10-11-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain J.T. Miller missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier scored in overtime in a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Gauthier, Troy Terry, and Jackson LaCombe each had a goal and an assist as the Ducks improved to 14-7-1, sitting in first place in the Pacific Division with 29 points. Jack Eichel had two assists for the Golden Knights (10-4-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mitch Marner was the goat of this game as his turnover in front of his own net led to Gauthier’s game-winner.

The Calgary Flames upset the Dallas Stars 3-2 on a shootout goal by Nazem Kadri. Matt Coronato scored to extend his goal streak to four games for the 7-13-3 Flames. Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the 13-5-4 Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars winger Mikko Rantanen received his second game misconduct in three games for boarding Coronato.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 22, 2025

by | Nov 22, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – November 22, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we have the latest on Canucks forwards Lukas Reichel and Kiefer Sherwood, and an update on the Senators.

THE LATEST ON THE CANUCKS

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports Luke Reichel’s brief tenure with the Vancouver Canucks could be ending. According to CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal, the 23-year-old forward is an option to be moved if another club is interested in him.

Vancouver Canucks forward Lukas Reichel (NHL Images).

Reichel was chosen 17th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Projected to become a scoring winger, he struggled to play up to expectations. The Canucks acquired him from the Blackhawks for a fourth-round pick on Oct. 24.

In 13 games with the Canucks, Reichel has one assist. He was a healthy scratch from Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars. With sidelined Canucks forwards Teddy Blueger and Nils Hoglander returning soon, Reichel will be the odd man out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries are mounting for several teams around the league. Reichel could be a cheap pickup for a club seeking a forward with NHL experience as a stopgap. Maybe he’ll finally blossom with the right club.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there haven’t been any contract talks between the Canucks and forward Kiefer Sherwood. The 30-year-old winger is in the final season of a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $1.5 million.

Sherwood enjoyed a career-best performance last season with 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points in 78 games. He’s currently on pace to exceed those numbers, with 12 goals and 16 points in 22 games.

Dreger believes contract discussions will eventually occur between the two sides. However, the Canucks’ depth on the wings means there’s no guarantee they’ll reach an agreement. He suggested that Sherwood could become a trade candidate, most likely by the March deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are a team in transition right now. If they’re out of playoff contention by the trade deadline, they’ll likely peddle Sherwood while his trade value is high this season.

UPDATE ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch recently reported Senators general manager Steve Staios has been studying the trade market, seeking some help for another playoff push.

Garrioch claimed the Senators have been in the market for a top-six winger since last May, preferably a physical scorer. They’d also like to bolster the right side of their defense corps.

The St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and Calgary Flames are the few clubs believed to be willing to entertain trade offers. It’s believed Flames winger Blake Coleman is one name that is out there in the trade market, prompting Garrioch to ponder if he’d be a good fit with the Senators.

Garrioch noted the Senators don’t have many tradeable assets. They don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and their prospect cupboard isn’t overflowing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The belief is that Staios should make a bold move or two this season while core players such as Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Drake Batherson are still under contract. Tkachuk and Chabot are UFA-eligible in 2028, and Batherson in 2027.

The main problem is that there aren’t many sellers right now, and those that are willing to listen to trade offers are setting high asking prices. Staios might have to wait until the March 6 trade deadline to address his roster needs.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2025

by | Nov 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2025

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin moves up the NHL all-time points list, three-point performances from Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied a hat trick in an 8-4 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Ovechkin finished with four points, as did forward Ethen Frank with two goals and two assists. The Capitals have won three straight and improved to 11-8-2. Canadiens goaltenders Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes gave up seven goals on 35 shots as their club lost for the seventh time in their last eight games (1-4-3) and dropped to 10-7-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin moved past Joe Sakic into 10th place on the all-time points list with 1,643. Meanwhile, Canadiens center Jake Evans left this game in the third period following a high hit from Capitals winger Tom Wilson.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each had two goals and an assist to defeat the New York Rangers 6-3. Martin Necas collected three assists for the first-overall Avalanche (14-1-5, 33 points), who’ve won seven straight games. J.T. Miller tallied twice for the 10-10-2 Rangers, who lost their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is the league leader in goals with 15 and points with 36. He also moved past Peter Stastny into second place among the Avalanche’s all-time points leaders with 1,051. Joe Sakic is the leader with 1,641. Meanwhile, Avalanche rookie Gavin Brindley left this game with a lower-body injury in the first period.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel scored twice and picked up an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Shea Theodore had three assists for the Golden Knights (10-4-6) as they extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2). Nate Schmidt scored for the Mammoth, who are 1-4-3 in their last eight and dropped to 10-8-3.

The Columbus Blue Jackets nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on an overtime tally by Adam Fantilli, who finished the game with two goals and an assist. Zach Werenski picked up three assists for the Blue Jackets (11-8-2). John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the 9-9-3 Maple Leafs, who have one win in their last seven contests (1-4-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube provided an update on the status of goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who’s been sidelined since Nov. 11 with an upper-body injury. Berube said the injury was worse than they originally thought, adding the netminder isn’t ready yet to return to the ice. He remains hopeful that Stolarz will get back to action soon.

An overtime goal by Jack Guentzel gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Lightning Nick Paul scored in his season debut since undergoing surgery for an upper-body injury in mid-September as Tampa Bay improved to 11-7-2. Trent Frederic scored for the 9-9-5 Oilers, who have one win in their last five contests (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Lightning placed defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) on injured reserve. He’s expected to be sidelined for two weeks.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Tye Kartye, Shane Wright, and Jaden Schwartz lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Brandon Montour had two assists as the Kraken improved to 10-5-2. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen scored for the 10-6-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Andre Burakovsky left the game late in the first period following a high hit from Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who received no penalty on the play. Connor Bedard, Burakovsky’s teammate, pulled no punches when asked about the incident following the game. “It’s back-to-back games, guys going right to the head,” Bedard said. “Nothing really happens. I think it sucks. He’s a great player. It’s bullshit.”

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored to extend his goal streak to five games and his points streak to six as his club doubled up the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 4-2. Jake Oettinger kicked out 34 shots for the Stars (13-5-3), who’ve won six of their last seven contests. Forwards Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson replied for the 9-11-2 Canucks, who have one win in their last six games (1-3-2).

The New York Islanders got a 29-save shutout performance from Ilya Sorokin to blank the Detroit Red Wings 5-0. Maxim Shabanov tallied two goals and collected an assist as the Islanders picked up their sixth win in their last seven games and improved to 12-7-2. John Gibson allowed five goals on 21 shots for the 12-8-1 Red Wings.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots to shut out the New Jersey Devils 1-0. Sam Reinhart tallied the only goal for the 11-8-1 Panthers. Jake Allen stopped 23 of 24 shots for the 13-6-1 Devils.

An overtime goal by Travis Sanheim gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Travis Konecny had two assists as the Flyers improved to 10-6-3 on the season. Justin Faulk tallied both goals for the 6-9-6 Blues.

Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson snapped a 2-2 tie with 1:38 remaining in the third period to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Linus Ullmark made 23 saves for the win as the Senators improved to 10-6-4. Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish scored for the 13-7-1 Ducks, who remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 27 points.

A shootout goal by Philipp Kurashev lifted the San Jose Sharks to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Yaroslav Askarov stopped 31 shots for the Sharks as they improved their record to 10-8-3. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist for the 10-6-5 Kings.