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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Logan Thompson will start in goal for the Washington Capitals on Thursday against Ottawa. The netminder has been struggling recently, allowing four or more goals in three of his last four outings, resulting in a 1-3-0 record and a 4.25 GAA. Despite this slump, the 28-year-old is still on pace to achieve 25 wins for the third consecutive year.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki set a new franchise record with his 19th career overtime point, surpassing Howie Morenz. This milestone was achieved on December 30 when he scored both the tying goal in the third period and the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory against the Florida Panthers. Suzuki has recorded 13 goals, 31 assists, 44 points, and a plus-13 rating in 39 games this season.
Arturs Silovs is slated to defend the home net for the Pittsburgh Penguins against Detroit on Thursday, having been the first goaltender off the ice at morning practice. Silovs has won his last two starts, improving his record to 6-5-6 with a 3.21 GAA and an .886 save percentage. He will face a challenging opponent in the red-hot Red Wings, who are currently tied with Carolina for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings with 51 points.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis (upper body) returned to practice Thursday in a non-contact jersey. He has missed five games since suffering the injury on Dec. 19 and will miss his sixth straight game Thursday. Jarvis, who has 19 goals and 10 assists in 34 games this season, could return to action as early as next week, potentially Tuesday against Dallas.
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel notched three assists, including one on the power play, in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime victory over the Ducks. This performance came in his second game back from an upper-body injury. Hagel contributed to goals by J.J. Moser, Nikita Kucherov, and Darren Raddysh's overtime winner. The 27-year-old now has 18 goals and 34 points in 34 games this season.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Greene, 22, is showing clear signs of improvement in his first full NHL season. The 2022 second-round pick has recorded four goals, 10 assists, and 14 points in 39 games. He's been heating up recently, tallying four assists over his last five games, including a two-assist performance against the Ottawa Senators on December 20. The Blackhawks hope Greene continues to make an impact with his playmaking.
Steven Stamkos achieved a significant milestone, scoring his 600th career goal with a power-play tally in Wednesday's 4-2 victory against the Golden Knights. This marked his 18th goal of the season, tying the game at 2-2. Stamkos now ranks third among active skaters in career goals, behind Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. He is just nine goals shy of breaking into the NHL's all-time top 20, aiming to surpass Dino Ciccarelli's 608 goals this 2025-26 season for the Nashville Predators.
Justin Sourdif broke a 16-game goal drought, scoring two goals, including a power-play marker, on his only two shots in Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Rangers. The 23-year-old center also contributed three hits, a blocked shot, and a plus-3 rating. His performance included a net-front goal and an empty-netter. Despite this multi-point effort, these are his only points since December 7th, highlighting his struggle for consistent impact in a top-six role for the Washington Capitals.
Tom Wilson delivered a Gordie Howe hat trick in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Rangers, recording two goals, an assist, and a fighting major. He also added four hits, five PIM, and a plus-3 rating. Wilson scored in the second and third periods, assisted Justin Sourdif's empty-netter, and fought Sam Carrick. This impressive outing came after he secured a spot on Canada's Olympic roster. He is currently on pace for a career-best season with the Washington Capitals, tallying 21 goals and 40 points in 39 contests.
Adam Fox made an immediate impact in his return from IR, scoring a power-play goal and adding an an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Capitals. Activated prior to the game, Fox helped set up a Vincent Trocheck goal and blasted a one-timer past Charlie Lindgren. He had missed nearly the entire month of December due to an upper-body injury. Through 28 games this season, the New York Rangers defenseman has accumulated four goals and 28 points, including nine points on the man advantage.
David Pastrnak led the Boston Bruins' offense with a three-point performance in Wednesday's 6-2 victory over the Oilers. Pastrnak scored twice on six shots, including opening and closing the scoring, and dished an assist, also setting up a Jonathan Aspirot tally. This marked his first multi-point effort in seven games. He now has 17 goals and 44 points (18 on the power play) through 36 appearances, along with 124 shots, 45 hits, and 30 PIM. Despite missing five games due to an undisclosed injury, Pastrnak remains a highly productive winger.
Nathan MacKinnon delivered a historic performance, scoring his 400th and 401st career NHL goals and adding two assists for a four-point night in the Avalanche's 6-1 rout of the Blues. This effort made him the 114th player in NHL history to reach 400 goals and the first Avalanche/Nordiques player to hit 70 points in under 40 games this season (34 goals, 36 assists in 39 appearances). He also recorded seven shots, a plus-3 rating, 180 shots on net, a plus-51 rating, 32 hits, and 22 blocked shots. Earlier, MacKinnon was named to the preliminary Team Canada roster for the 2026 Olympic hockey tournament, joining Connor McDavid.
Valeri Nichushkin erupted for a hat trick, scoring three goals on six shots in the Avalanche's 6-1 win over the Blues, ending a six-game goal drought. The winger now has 11 goals and 26 points through 31 appearances this season, including 14 points in December. He has also contributed 84 shots on net, 26 hits, and a plus-9 rating.
Steven Stamkos made history by scoring his 600th career NHL goal, helping the Nashville Predators secure a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. The milestone goal, his 18th of the season, was the game-tying marker during a three-goal spurt. The win improved the Predators' record to 18-17-4, putting them above .500 for the first time since October 16th, and marked their 12th win in 17 games.
Tage Thompson scored two goals within 2½ minutes in the third period and added an assist, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-1 victory over the Stars. This performance extended Buffalo's winning streak to 10 games, tying a franchise record. This strong showing follows his recent selection to the U.S. Olympic hockey roster, confirming his standing among the nation's top players and his representation in the upcoming Olympic games.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson is set to protect the road goal against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. This start marks the second half of a back-to-back for the Flyers, following Dan Vladar's 6-3 victory over the Canucks. Ersson's December performance includes a 2-2-2 record with an .889 save percentage across six appearances. The Flames, their opponents, have been offensively active, scoring 19 goals and winning four of their last six games.
New York Rangers forward Sam Carrick was involved in a fight with Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson during Wednesday's 6-3 loss. Wilson's fight with Carrick was part of a Gordie Howe hat trick performance. This interaction was a notable moment in the game where the Rangers fell to the Capitals.
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson delivered a monumental performance, securing a Gordie Howe hat trick with two goals, an assist, and a fight against Sam Carrick in a 6-3 win over the Rangers. He became the first Capital to hit 20 goals this season and reached his 200th career goal. The 28-year-old was also officially named to Team Canada's Olympic roster, recognizing his impactful play and physical presence. This caps off a significant day for Wilson.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel (lower body) missed his seventh consecutive game Wednesday against Nashville, having been out since December 13. Despite being a game-time decision, he remained sidelined. However, Eichel will join the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, starting Friday in St. Louis. While his return to play is not yet confirmed, traveling with the team is a positive development. He has recorded 12 goals and 41 points in 31 appearances this 2025-26 season.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is slated to start in net Wednesday on the road against the Detroit Red Wings. He aims to break a challenging six-game skid, during which he has posted an 0-3-3 record with an .882 save percentage. The Red Wings present a formidable challenge, having scored 18 goals and achieved a 4-2-0 record in their last six outings, with three of those wins coming in overtime.
