15.12.2024
New Jersey Devils 4 - 1 Chicago Blackhawks
The New Jersey Devils rallied to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 by scoring four straight third-period goals at the Prudential Center. Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier each contributed a goal and an assist, overcoming a 1-0 deficit after Chicago's Jason Dickinson capitalized on a rare goal that involved a ricochet off Luke Hughes' face. Jack Hughes, tying Zach Parise for the franchise's most career game-winning goals before turning 24, gave the Devils a lead with his 13th of the season. Following Hughes, Nico Hischier and Meier scored within 18 seconds to secure the game just over two minutes later. Chicago's rookie goalie Drew Commesso, in his first NHL start, made 20 saves, while standout rookie Connor Bedard narrowly missed extending Chicago's lead with a shot off the crossbar. Brett Pesce, who helped orchestrate goals with two assists, finished an impressive plus-4. The Devils' win highlighted their determination, with coach Sheldon Keefe praising the team's third-period competitiveness, which marked the first time since February they scored four in the final frame.
New York Rangers 1 - 5 Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings secured a commanding 5-1 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, marking their seventh win in eight games. Adrian Kempe, Alex Turcotte, Quinton Byfield, and Warren Foegele each contributed a goal and an assist, while Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves for the Kings, rebounding from a previous loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers, struggling with consistency, had Igor Shesterkin replaced by Jonathan Quick after allowing five goals early in the second period. Filip Chytil scored the lone goal for the Rangers, who have gone 3-9-0 since late November. Notably, Byfield reached his 100th career point with an assist, and the Kings achieved their fastest three-goal span on the road since 2019. The Rangers' defense, affected by K'Andre Miller's absence due to injury, failed to contain the Kings' aggressive play, which was especially evident in the first period and early second.
Minnesota Wild 4 - 1 Philadelphia Flyers
The Minnesota Wild triumphed over the Philadelphia Flyers with a 4-1 victory at the Xcel Energy Center, highlighted by Kirill Kaprizov's two-goal performance. Kaprizov opened the scoring and sealed the win with an empty-net goal, while Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi also found the net for the Wild. Notably, Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin returned from injury, each contributing with an assist, energizing the team after their recent 7-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Marc-Andre Fleury's impressive 21 saves, including a remarkable glove stop against Travis Konecny, were pivotal. The Flyers, who snapped their two-game winning streak, managed a lone tally from Travis Sanheim. Despite high-quality chances, Philadelphia couldn't capitalize, as highlighted by coach John Tortorella. This win marked the Wild's fastest path to 20 victories in a season since 2011-12, though team injuries remain a concern with Yakov Trenin day-to-day and Jakob Lauko doubtful for the next game.
Edmonton Oilers 6 - 3 Vegas Golden Knights
In a thrilling matchup, the Edmonton Oilers triumphed over the Vegas Golden Knights with a 6-3 victory, marking their fifth consecutive win. Leon Draisaitl led the charge for the Oilers, extending his impressive multipoint streak to five games with a goal and two assists, bringing his streak total to five goals and eight assists. This performance places Draisaitl in an elite group, surpassing stars like Sidney Crosby and Nikita Kucherov for the second-most five-game multipoint streaks among active players. Edmonton's Stuart Skinner was pivotal, making 38 saves despite the Golden Knights' attempted comeback, highlighted by Brett Howden’s shorthanded goal. Meanwhile, Jack Eichel made his mark for Vegas by matching a franchise record for the fewest games to reach 40 points in a season.
Ottawa Senators 3 - 2 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Ottawa Senators secured a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Brady Tkachuk scoring just 1:46 into the extra period. Tkachuk maneuvered past Erik Karlsson and fired a wrist shot past goalie Tristan Jarry, sealing Ottawa’s third consecutive win. Thomas Chabot contributed a goal and an assist, while Linus Ullmark stepped in unexpectedly as the starting goalie, making 25 saves and extending his personal unbeaten streak to seven games. Ottawa's disciplined play was evident as they did not take any penalties throughout the game. The Penguins, who have recently been in good form with six wins in eight games, saw goals from Blake Lizotte and Kris Letang, but Jarry's 28 saves weren't enough to prevent the loss. Notably, it's Tkachuk’s ninth career overtime goal, setting a franchise record for the Senators.
Detroit Red Wings 4 - 2 Toronto Maple Leafs
In a thrilling matchup, the Detroit Red Wings secured a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Jeff Petry emerging as a key player by scoring his first two goals of the season. The Red Wings, who had been struggling with losses, received a much-needed boost from their defense, including goals from Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Notably, Auston Matthews scored his 50th goal of 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year he has achieved this feat, joining the ranks of legends like Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy. Seider also hit a milestone, becoming the first defenseman from the 2019 draft to reach 150 NHL points. While Mitch Marner contributed two assists and had a goal overturned due to an offside call, Toronto's efforts were thwarted by Detroit's solid defenses and Ville Husso's crucial saves. Knies commented on the quick turnaround for the Maple Leafs, who were set to play the Buffalo Sabres with less than a day to recover.
Washington Capitals 4 - 2 Buffalo Sabres
The Washington Capitals secured a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, extending their point streak to nine games. A crucial performance came from Dylan Strome, who scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and aided by John Carlson's three-assist game. Tom Wilson shone with two goals, including a dramatic rebound goal during a power play, helping the Capitals seal their ninth consecutive game without a regulation loss. Despite a strong start from the Sabres with Jason Zucker's early goal, they couldn't capitalize on their chances, failing on both power play opportunities, while the Capitals converted two of three. The Sabres extended their losing streak to nine, with struggles evident in their special teams' performance. Washington proved especially resilient, dominating the third period to maintain their minimal allowance of goals during this time across the NHL.
Columbus Blue Jackets 3 - 4 Anaheim Ducks
In an exciting overtime win, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 with Alex Killorn scoring two goals, including the game-winner at 1:43 of overtime. Killorn, not initially expected to be an OT scorer, capitalized on a breakaway pass from Robby Fabbri. Jackson LaCombe also impressed with a goal and an assist, while John Gibson's 39 saves were crucial for Anaheim, who ended their road trip with a win after a tough series of losses. The game marked Mason McTavish's 100th NHL point with a first-period goal, followed by alternating leads between the teams before LaCombe scored the tying goal. Alex Killorn finished the game with three points, while Troy Terry continued his streak with two assists. Despite their loss, the Blue Jackets extended their penalty kill streak against Anaheim, highlighting their consistent defensive effort, even as they struggle to secure wins late in games. The game also came after the Ducks traded their long-standing player Cam Fowler, marking a significant roster change for Anaheim.
Winnipeg Jets 4 - 2 Montreal Canadiens
In a thrilling match, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi both recorded a goal and an assist, propelling the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Canada Life Centre. Highlighting the Jets' impressive special teams performance, Winnipeg successfully executed a perfect penalty kill and went 2-for-6 on the power play. Connor Hellebuyck, praised as a "generational goalie" by teammate Josh Morrissey, contributed with 26 saves to secure the win. The game featured Lane Hutson scoring his first NHL goal for the Canadiens, who have struggled with three losses in their last four games. Despite a resilient third-period effort from Montreal, a late empty-net goal by Vladislav Namestnikov sealed the Jets' victory. Notably, Morrissey extended his point streak to four games, while Hellebuyck's consistently outstanding performances were pivotal in maintaining the Jets' momentum.
Dallas Stars 2 - 1 St Louis Blues
Matt Duchene scored 2:31 into overtime to secure a 2-1 victory for the Dallas Stars over the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center. Despite struggling with scoring lately, the Stars, under coach Pete DeBoer, managed to hold strong defensively and create quality chances, eventually finding the net through goals from Jason Robertson and Duchene, who capitalized on a gap and beat Justin Faulk and Jordan Binnington. Robertson's power-play goal tied the game after Jordan Kyrou gave the Blues an initial lead. Binnington kept the Blues in the game with 35 saves, making his performance a standout despite the team's third loss in four games. The game marked the St. Louis debut for defenseman Cam Fowler following his trade from the Anaheim Ducks. Notably, Robert Thomas extended his point streak to 11 games, and both Casey DeSmith and Nils Lundkvist missed the game for the Stars due to the flu.
Colorado Avalanche 5 - 2 Nashville Predators
In a commanding performance, Nathan MacKinnon led the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, netting two goals and providing an assist at Ball Arena. With this performance, MacKinnon, who tops the NHL with 50 points, surpassed Michel Goulet for third place on the Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques all-time scoring list with 949 career points. Remarkably, MacKinnon has amassed nine points in his last three games. Artturi Lehkonen added two goals, and Mikko Rantanen contributed three assists, as the Avalanche improved their record to 18-14-0, winning four out of their last five games. Mackenzie Blackwood impressed in his debut for Colorado, making 38 saves following his trade from the San Jose Sharks. However, the Predators, with Juuse Saros making 29 saves, continued their struggles, having lost nine of their last ten games. Despite goals from Steven Stamkos and Luke Evangelista narrowing the score, empty-net goals from MacKinnon and Lehkonen sealed the win for Colorado.
Calgary Flames 3 - 0 Florida Panthers
Wolf makes 32 saves, Flames shut out Panthers
CALGARY --
Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist, and Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman scored for the Flames (15-11-5), who have won two of three after one victory in their previous seven.
Spencer Knight made 24 saves for the Panthers (18-11-2), who have been shut out in consecutive games after winning three straight.
Kadri put Calgary up 1-0 at 8:57 of the first period when he stripped Dmitry Kulikov of the puck, deked backhand to forehand and slid the puck by Knight's right pad.
Backlund scored at 11:34, but the goal was disallowed after video review confirmed he directed the puck into the net with a distinct kicking motion.
Coleman made it 2-0 at 19:05 of the second period when he shot five-hole off the rush, and Backlund extended the lead to 3-0 at 6:17 of the third period when he beat Knight glove side from just inside the left face-off circle.
Backlund's goal, his first in 15 games, came after Wolf made a blocker save on Sam Bennett's breakaway at 4:55.
Florida captain Aleksander Barkov did not play because of illness.
Vancouver Canucks - - - Boston Bruins
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San Jose Sharks - - - Utah Hockey Club
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Seattle Kraken 1 - 5 Tampa Bay Lightning
In a decisive 5-1 victory for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Seattle Kraken, Brandon Hagel emerged as a key player by scoring twice at Climate Pledge Arena. The Lightning, who have been in strong form with wins in four of their last five games, saw contributions from Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel—both notching a goal and an assist—and Nikita Kucherov, who provided two assists. Jonas Johansson made 21 saves for Tampa Bay. The Kraken struggled with their second loss in three games despite an early power-play goal by Brandon Montour. Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves for Seattle. Highlights included Hagel's game-tying goal and a significant power-play goal by Guentzel, his fourth in two games following a recent hat trick against the Calgary Flames. Declan Carlile capped the game with his first NHL goal, sealing the 5-1 result.