30.12.2024
Chicago Blackhawks 1 - 5 Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars staged an impressive comeback to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 at the United Center. Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn each scored a goal and contributed two assists, while Jason Robertson, Evgenii Dadonov, and Wyatt Johnston also added goals for the Stars. Dallas capitalized on power play opportunities, with Robertson scoring during a five-minute major penalty against the Blackhawks. Jake Oettinger secured the win with 24 saves. For the slumping Blackhawks, who have now lost four consecutive games, Connor Bedard opened the scoring with a power-play goal. Despite Bedard's efforts, the Blackhawks were overwhelmed by the Stars' relentless offense. Notably, Jamie Benn moved closer to tying Neal Broten for the second-most career multi-point games in Stars history. Meanwhile, Bedard became the third Blackhawks teenager to achieve 60+ regular-season points in a single calendar year, joining legends Bobby Hull and Eddie Olczyk.
Anaheim Ducks 5 - 3 Edmonton Oilers
In a thrilling comeback, the Anaheim Ducks scored four consecutive goals to overcome a 3-1 deficit and secure a 5-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers. Ryan Strome netted the decisive goal with just 2:36 left in the game, confirmed after a video review, and Mason McTavish sealed the win with an empty-netter. Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, and Robby Fabbri each contributed a goal and an assist, while goaltender Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for Anaheim, capitalizing on their solid third-period performance. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid extended their point streaks for Edmonton, with Draisaitl scoring twice, but the Oilers, who have now lost two games in a row, were unable to maintain their early two-goal lead. Connor McDavid also reached a milestone by tying Mark Messier for third place on Edmonton’s all-time points list. Ducks' goalie John Gibson was absent due to illness, giving Dostal back-to-back starts.
Detroit Red Wings 4 - 2 Washington Capitals
In a game marked by milestones and momentum shifts, Alex Ovechkin scored his 870th NHL goal, inching closer to Wayne Gretzky's all-time record, as the Washington Capitals fell 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings. Ovechkin's goal, his second in as many days following a lengthy injury absence, was among the highlights of the game. Despite Ovechkin's efforts, Washington struggled defensively early on, allowing four goals on Detroit's first 12 shots. Alex DeBrincat led Detroit with two goals, helping new coach Todd McLellan secure his first win with the team. Patrick Kane also made headlines, reaching 1,300 career points with a goal and an assist. Nic Dowd scored for the Capitals, but the team couldn't overcome Detroit’s early dominance. Kane became the fourth active player to reach this milestone, joining Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin.
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 - 5 Montreal Canadiens
Jake Evans scored for the fifth consecutive game, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Joel Armia contributed a goal and an assist, while Alexandre Carrier added two assists, helping Montreal secure their fifth win in six games. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves, and Nick Suzuki praised the team's smart play, especially under the fatigue of back-to-back games. Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning, who had won their previous two games. Despite recent successes, Lightning coach Jon Cooper and captain Victor Hedman acknowledged setbacks in their team's play, pointing to turnovers and defensive lapses. Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, and Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal, while Tampa Bay goalie Jonas Johansson stopped 32 shots. Notably, Jake Guentzel was a late scratch for the Lightning due to an upper-body injury. The victory marked Montreal's first win at Amalie Arena since April 2022.
Pittsburgh Penguins 3 - 2 New York Islanders
In a thrilling game, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 at PPG Paints Arena, with Sidney Crosby setting a new franchise record for assists. Passing Penguins legend Mario Lemieux, Crosby achieved his 1,034th NHL assist and now ranks fourth in league history for assists with a single team. Michael Bunting contributed a goal and an assist, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves for the Penguins, who have now won four of their last six games. On the Islanders' side, Marcus Hogberg made 39 saves in his first NHL start since 2021, and Anders Lee scored twice. Despite a late push by the Islanders, including a goal by Bo Horvat to bring the score to 3-2, the Penguins secured the victory. Notably, Penguins defenseman Nate Clurman made his NHL debut, while teammate Kris Letang was out with an injury.
St Louis Blues 2 - 4 Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2 at Enterprise Center, marking their third consecutive victory. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was instrumental in the win, making 35 saves. Notably, the Sabres excelled on special teams, going 2-for-3 on the power play, while the Blues struggled, going 0-for-4. Jason Zucker and Tage Thompson each contributed a goal and an assist, with Zucker's power-play goal breaking a 2-2 tie in the third period. Despite solid 5-on-5 play, the Blues were hindered by poor game management and special teams performance. Nathan Walker and Brayden Schenn scored for St. Louis, which failed to extend their winning streak to three games. Noteworthy stats include Jack Quinn's continued point streak, with six points in three games, and the Sabres outscoring their opponents 17-5 during their current winning streak.
Minnesota Wild 1 - 3 Ottawa Senators
In an exciting match at the Xcel Energy Center, the Ottawa Senators overcame the Minnesota Wild 3-1, with Josh Norris scoring the decisive goal in the third period on a power play. Norris’s pivotal one-timer put Ottawa ahead, and Claude Giroux later secured the win with an empty-net goal. This victory halted Ottawa's two-game losing streak, a contrast to Minnesota's recent struggles, losing five out of their last seven. Despite an early lead by Minnesota via Frederick Gaudreau's deflection in the first period, Ridly Greig's rebound goal in the second and Leevi Merilainen's solid 30-save performance propelled Ottawa to triumph. The game highlighted Ottawa’s resilience and effective use of power plays, while Joel Eriksson Ek made his return to the Wild lineup after missing 11 games.
Vegas Golden Knights 3 - 0 Calgary Flames
Golden Knights shut out Flames for 6th straight win
LAS VEGAS --
“I want to say thank you to the team, guys blocked a lot of shots," Samsonov said. "We played a simple game with less mistakes. Sometimes we get a shutout. It's good, but I don't think about this too much.”
“Both teams were sloppy at times executing a good first pass. Is that the forecheck pressure? Probably a little bit of both, right? Who knows, maybe the ice was off or the pucks were bouncing,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We're a lot closer (to where we want to be defensively) than we were six weeks ago, and it's one of the reasons we've had a terrific month."
“[Vladar] was our best player today. He made some saves and he gave us a chance to win,” Flames coach Ryan Huska said. “He showed some real compete early on to give that group the boost that you would hope they need.
“It was a hard game. Now you turn the page and get ready for another hard game against Vancouver (on Tuesday)." The Flames had a chance to take the lead late the first period after Tanner Laczynski was assessed a minor penalty for tripping at 15:57 and Howden a double minor for high-sticking at 16:50.
However, Samsonov stopped the only shot he faced during the 5-on-3 and four more during the remainder of Flames’ power play to keep the game scoreless.
“That was huge,” Howden said. “Obviously, we don't like being on that side of it. ... I thought they did a great job of keeping them to the outside and not really allowing much.”
Howden then gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 15:59 of the second period by tipping in Alex Pietrangelo's wrist shot from the high slot. It was Howden's 15th goal of the season, which is tied with Ivan Barbashev for the most on the Golden Knights. His previous NHL career high was nine goals.
“I'm getting some bounces going my way a little bit more than from previous years,” Howden said. “I'm finding more confidence as I play here.”
Olofsson pushed the lead to 2-0 at 14:41 of the third period, one-timing a pass from Shea Theodore in the right circle on the power play.
Pearson added an empty-net goal at 19:53 for the 3-0 final.
“It was a good effort by us,” Calgary forward Connor Zary said. “There's little details, little things that weren't fully perfect that ended up costing us.”
Los Angeles Kings 5 - 4 Philadelphia Flyers
In a thrilling back-and-forth game, Anze Kopitar led the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-4 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Crypto.com Arena by scoring two crucial goals in the third period. The Kings, enjoying a strong winning streak on home ice, clinched their seventh consecutive home win. Both teams were on the second night of back-to-back games, having secured victories the previous night. Kopitar's pivotal contributions came late in the third period: he first equalized by deflecting a rebound into the net and then scored the game-winner on a power play shortly after. Adrian Kempe also had a strong performance with a goal and an assist, while Matvei Michkov and Scott Laughton stood out for the Flyers, each contributing a goal and an assist. Despite a strong showing by the Flyers, the Kings’ resilience and Kopitar's heroics sealed the win in an electrifying encounter.