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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Oliver Moore celebrated his 21st birthday by scoring the shootout winner, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Moore also made a nifty play to set up Nick Lardis for a goal and stood up for his linemate in a fight. Despite being robbed of an overtime winner, his decisive shootout goal capped a memorable birthday performance for the Blackhawks.
Nick Lardis scored his sixth goal of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks in their 4-3 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, capitalizing on a nifty play from Oliver Moore and Ryan Donato. Lardis also endured a significant hit from Hurricanes defenseman Alex Nikishin, which saw his linemate Oliver Moore step in to defend him.
Connor Murphy scored his second goal of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks in their 4-3 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Receiving a beautiful pass from Tyler Bertuzzi, Murphy put on the moves to find the back of the net. His goal contributed to the Blackhawks' regulation scoring alongside Ilya Mikheyev and Nick Lardis in an eventful game.
Ilya Mikheyev scored a short-handed goal, his first of the season, to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in their 4-3 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. He swatted in his own rebound at 11:12 in the first period. Mikheyev's goal contributed to the Blackhawks' regulation scoring alongside Connor Murphy and Nick Lardis.
Spencer Knight started in goal for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes, stopping five of six shots in the shootout to secure a 4-3 victory. He made 28 saves in regulation and overtime for his second straight win, following a shutout victory over the Jets on Monday. This marked his fourth start in the Blackhawks' last five games, indicating increased usage, and he faced a Hurricanes team ranked fourth in the NHL for goals per game.
Isac Lundestrom returned to the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury, recording an assist on Zach Werenski's game-winning goal in their 1-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. His return provided an immediate impact, contributing to the Blue Jackets' fifth win in their last six games.
Damon Severson recorded an assist on Zach Werenski's game-winning goal, contributing to the Columbus Blue Jackets' 1-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. His contribution helped the Blue Jackets secure their fifth win in their last six games.
Zach Werenski scored his 19th goal of the season, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 1-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. His wrist shot from the right circle at 8:48 of the first period proved to be the game-winner. Werenski leads NHL blueliners in goals (tied) and multi-point efforts, having recorded 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in his last 29 games.
Jet Greaves started in goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday against Dallas, recording 28 saves for his third career shutout in a 1-0 victory. The 24-year-old netminder has now won his last three starts, improving his season record to 15-12-6 with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage. Since December 22nd, Greaves ranks second in the NHL in saves and ninth-T in save percentage, with a 6-3-1 record, 2.54 GAA, and .915 SV% over 11 games in that span. Elvis Merzlikins (illness) served as backup.
Winger Josh Doan, 23, has signed a lucrative seven-year, $48.65 million contract extension ($6.95 million AAV) with the Buffalo Sabres. This deal, which includes significant signing bonuses, represents a new approach for the team. Doan has recorded 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games this season and is seen as a cost-certain asset with potential to become a 30-goal scorer. This signing could also signal a potential Alex Tuch trade.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (upper body) was unavailable for Thursday's matchup against the Oilers and remains day-to-day, with his next chance to play on Sunday in Vancouver. Erik Karlsson returned to the lineup while Letang was sidelined. Letang has contributed three goals, 25 points, 77 shots, 65 hits, 60 blocks, and a plus-5 rating through 48 games this 2025-26 season.
Alex Tuch's status as an unrestricted free agent at season's end has become a key concern for the Buffalo Sabres, particularly following Josh Doan's recent extension. Tuch is reportedly seeking an eight-year contract exceeding $10 million. If the Sabres cannot meet his demands at a lower figure, the 29-year-old winger could be traded before the March 6th deadline, impacting the team's playoff aspirations.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Andre Burakovsky (illness) is expected to return to action Thursday against Carolina, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Burakovsky missed Monday's game but is projected to play on the top line alongside Ryan Greene and Connor Bedard. So far this 2025-26 season, he has recorded 10 goals and 30 points across 43 appearances.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is slated to start Thursday's road game against the Montreal Canadiens, as reported by Heather Engel of NHL.com. Luukkonen enters the contest having lost his last two starts, during which he allowed a combined seven goals on 64 shots for an .891 save percentage. Historically, Luukkonen has struggled against Montreal, holding a career record of 1-2-0 with a 4.54 GAA and .847 save percentage across four appearances.
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) has been activated from injured reserve Thursday and is set to suit up for the team's game against Detroit. He was previously listed as a game-time decision and had been sidelined for the past six games due to his lower-body injury. Through 45 appearances this season, the veteran forward has recorded 11 goals, 21 assists, a plus-13 rating, 133 shots on goal, 68 hits, 20 PIM, and 19 blocked shots while averaging 19:34 of ice time.
Detroit Red Wings' 6'6" blueliner Simon Edvinsson has established himself as one of the NHL's most intriguing young defensemen, projected to remain a top-six pick in a 2021 re-draft. Edvinsson offers a valuable combination of size, reach, and defensive reliability, contributing offensively with only 13 fewer points than Luke Hughes last season despite a different role. His physical presence and durability make him an attractive long-term option for any team.
LA Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been cleared to play and will be an option for Saturday's game against the St. Louis Blues. He suffered an upper body/neck injury after a collision with Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski during Tuesday's game, causing him to lose feeling in his arm. Kuemper, named to Team Canada's Olympic roster, is now 'good to go' for the upcoming road trip. The 14-year NHL veteran and 2022 Stanley Cup winner holds a 12-9-9 record with a 2.52 GAA and .904 save percentage in 32 games this season.
New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski was involved in a collision with LA Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper during Tuesday's game. The incident resulted in Kuemper suffering an upper body/neck injury, causing him to temporarily lose feeling in his arm. Kuemper has since been cleared to return to play.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin underwent surgery for a lingering lower body injury. This procedure will unfortunately prevent him from playing for Sweden in the upcoming Olympics next month.
Frederik Andersen is expected to start at home against Chicago on Thursday, per Chip Alexander. In his last outing Saturday, Andersen stopped 29 of 30 shots, securing a 4-1 victory over the Devils. For the 2025-26 season, he holds a 7-10-3 record with a 3.26 GAA and an .869 save percentage across 20 appearances. The Blackhawks, who recently ended a three-game losing streak, have struggled offensively, scoring two or fewer goals in their past four games.
