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NHL News

Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.

Sunday, January 11

Will Smith (Upper Body) Joins Sharks for Road Trip, Return Imminent

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Will Smith (upper body) will travel with the San Jose Sharks for their upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Thursday in Washington and runs through Jan. 20. Sidelined since mid-December and designated week-to-week on Dec. 22, the forward is reportedly drawing closer to a return, though a specific date is not yet clear. In 33 appearances this season, Smith has recorded 12 goals, 17 assists, 12 PIM, seven hits, and seven blocked shots, averaging 17:55 of ice time.

Sharks' Askarov Starts Sunday vs. Golden Knights After 12-Game Skid

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Yaroslav Askarov will be the starting goaltender for the San Jose Sharks on Sunday against the Golden Knights. Since a strong November, Askarov has allowed at least three goals in 12 consecutive starts, impacting his season numbers. The 23-year-old currently holds a 16-10-1 record with a 3.44 GAA and an .893 save percentage. He faces a challenging matchup against the Golden Knights, who have won their last three games, scoring at least four goals in each contest.

Tanner Pearson Scores Game-Winner as Jets Beat Devils 4-3

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Winnipeg Jets forward Tanner Pearson scored the tie-breaking goal at 6:17 of the third period, leading his team to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Pearson converted a pass from Josh Morrissey past Jake Allen. This win marks the Jets' first back-to-back victories since mid-November, following a Friday win that ended an 11-game losing streak. It also snapped an NHL record of 13 consecutive losses in one-goal games, securing their first such win since November 15th.

Lindholm Returns to Top Line, Expected to Play Sunday

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Elias Lindholm (lower body) is expected to play against Pittsburgh on Sunday, returning to a top-line role for the Boston Bruins. He was limited to 12:05 of ice time in Saturday's 10-2 win over the Rangers. This season, Lindholm has recorded 8 goals, 30 points, 59 shots on net, 32 blocked shots, and 28 hits across 35 appearances. His return is a significant boost for Boston's offense.

Korpisalo Starts Sunday Against Pittsburgh

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Joonas Korpisalo will protect the home crease for the Boston Bruins on Sunday against Pittsburgh, taking the second half of the team's back-to-back after Jeremy Swayman played Saturday. The 31-year-old goaltender holds a 7-8-0 record this season, with a 3.42 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage through 16 appearances. He faces a Penguins team ranked 11th in the league for goals per game.

Geekie Out Sunday Due to Personal Matter

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Morgan Geekie (personal) will miss Sunday's game against the Penguins for the Boston Bruins. He left Saturday's game against the Rangers early to attend to a family matter. This marks the 27-year-old's first missed game of the season, during which he has impressively potted 25 goals in 45 appearances. His next opportunity to return to the lineup will be Tuesday against the Red Wings.

Konecny Exits Practice with Knee Injury; Upper-Body Issue Also Noted

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Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers left Sunday's practice early after taking a puck to his knee, as reported by Jordan Hall. He had been wearing a regular jersey, suggesting a potential return for Monday's game against Tampa Bay. This new injury follows his absence from Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Lightning due to an upper-body injury. The Flyers plan to assess his availability after Monday's pregame session.

Skinner Confirmed as Sunday Starter vs. Bruins After Hot Streak

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Stuart Skinner will start Sunday's game against the Bruins for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as reported by Josh Getzoff. The 27-year-old goaltender has been in excellent form, winning his last three starts while allowing only one goal in total. In his Penguins tenure, Skinner holds a 3-3-0 record with a 2.56 GAA and an .893 save percentage. He aims to continue his strong play against the Bruins, who are on the second night of a back-to-back but recently scored 10 goals against the Rangers.

Rust Out Sunday vs. Bruins with Lower-Body Injury; Day-to-Day

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Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins will miss Sunday's game against Boston due to a lower-body injury, as reported by Josh Getzoff. Rust remains day-to-day and this marks his second consecutive game out of the lineup, with his availability for Tuesday's matchup against Tampa Bay currently uncertain. This season, Rust has accumulated 16 goals, 36 points, 104 shots on net, and 44 blocked shots over 40 appearances. Kevin Hayes will continue to play in his absence against the Bruins.

Wild Forward Ben Jones Scores First Career NHL Goal in 49th Game

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Minnesota Wild forward Ben Jones, 26, finally broke his NHL scoring silence, netting his first career goal and point in his 49th game. The milestone came via a tip-in off a Brock Faber point shot, assisted by childhood teammate Quinn Hughes, during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders. Jones had previously gone 48 games without a point and had three goals waived off due to goalie interference. Coach John Hynes praised Jones for his hard play and contribution, noting it was "a long time coming." This season, Jones has one goal and 51 hits in 21 games.

Canucks' Demko Hits IR with Lower-Body Injury, Out Minimum Four Games

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Thatcher Demko (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday by the Vancouver Canucks, sidelining him for at least the next four games. The goaltender sustained the injury during Saturday's 5-0 loss to Toronto, and his exact return timeline is currently unclear. To fill his spot, the Canucks recalled Nikita Tolopilo from AHL Abbotsford under emergency conditions to serve as Kevin Lankinen's backup during Demko's absence.

Hellebuyck to start Sunday vs. Devils despite recent struggles

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Connor Hellebuyck will be in net for Sunday's battle with the Devils. The 32-year-old goaltender has faced a tough stretch, allowing four goals in three consecutive games and failing to win a start in his last 11 outings, dating back to December 13. His season record stands at 9-12-4 with a 2.69 GAA and a .901 save percentage. He will face a Devils team that has lost three straight games, scoring only two goals collectively in those contests.

Markstrom tabbed to start Monday against Minnesota

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Jacob Markstrom is expected to guard the road goal against Minnesota on Monday, getting the second half of New Jersey's back-to-back. The 35-year-old netminder surrendered nine goals on only 24 shots in Tuesday's 9-0 loss to the Islanders. He currently holds a 10-10-1 record with a 3.48 GAA and an .878 save percentage through 22 appearances this season. Minnesota is tied for 16th in the league with 3.11 goals per game.

Toffoli scores two, including OT winner, in Sharks' comeback victory

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Tyler Toffoli scored two goals, including the overtime winner, and added an assist—all on the power play—in Saturday's 5-4 victory over Dallas. After setting up an Alexander Wennberg tally, Toffoli sparked the Sharks' comeback from a 4-2 deficit in the third period with a rebound goal, then sealed the win with a one-timer in overtime. He has nine power-play points (five goals, four assists) this season and has been on a roll since mid-December, racking up six goals and 13 points in his last 12 games.

Celebrini extends point streak to 13 games with three power-play assists

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Macklin Celebrini pocketed three power-play assists in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the Stars. He had a hand in an Alexander Wennberg goal and a pair of Tyler Toffoli tallies, including the OT winner. This performance extended Celebrini's point streak to 13 games, during which the teenage phenom has amassed nine goals and 27 points. He is now just the third player in the NHL this season to reach the 70-point plateau, joining Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid.

Lindgren to start Sunday vs. Predators, seeks third straight win

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Charlie Lindgren will get the start Sunday against the Predators, marking just his second start of the month. As the number two goaltender in Washington behind Logan Thompson, Lindgren enters play with a 7-4-2 record, 3.13 GAA, and an .890 save percentage. He has won back-to-back starts and will aim for a third consecutive victory against a Predators team that has been held to two goals or fewer in three straight games.

Allen to start Sunday against Winnipeg on the road

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Jake Allen will defend the road net against Winnipeg on Sunday. He is coming off a 25-save effort in Thursday's 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh. This season, Allen has gone 11-10-1 with one shutout, a 2.61 GAA, and a .909 save percentage through 23 appearances. He will face a Winnipeg team that is tied for 21st in the league with 2.91 goals per game during the 2025-26 campaign.

Burns scores two goals, including winner, in Avs' 4-0 shutout

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Brent Burns scored two goals, one the game-winner, on four shots with a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Blue Jackets. The 40-year-old blueliner potted the first and last goals of the afternoon, providing ample offensive support. Burns has found the back of the net three times in the last two games. On the season, he has delivered eight goals and 23 points in 44 contests with 97 shots, 53 blocked shots, 18 PIM, and a plus-26 rating, which would tie his career high.

McDavid's OT Winner Waved Off, Oilers Fall to Kings in Shootout

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Connor McDavid's apparent overtime winner for the Edmonton Oilers was controversially waved off due to goaltender interference after he was pushed into Anton Forsberg by Drew Doughty. The negated goal led to a 4-3 shootout loss against the Los Angeles Kings, extending the Oilers' struggle to secure a third consecutive win. Despite the frustration, McDavid had earlier tied the game on a power play, extending his career-long point streak to 18 games, accumulating 42 points during the impressive run. Coach Kris Knoblauch also believed the goal should have counted.

Panthers Prospect Sandis Vilmanis Impresses in NHL Debut

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Florida Panthers' 21-year-old prospect Sandis Vilmanis, a 2022 fifth-round pick, made a strong impression in his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators. Though he didn't register on the scoresheet, Vilmanis played 14 solid shifts, logging 11:48 of even-strength ice time, a shot attempt, and a takeaway. Head Coach Paul Maurice praised Vilmanis for his poise and hard play, stating he "earned some fans in the coach's room" by playing the game aggressively rather than cautiously.