NHL Atlantic Division Auston Matthews Steven Stamkos Patrice Bergeron

Boston Bruins

How the Bruins Can Address the Third Line Center Role
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Until the NHL roster freeze ends on Dec. 28, no moves can be made and players can’t be called up. For now, Boston Bruins head coach Joe Sacco has managed to shuffle his lines, and one line has started to click, and it has created a ripple effect down the lineup. Bruins’ New-Look Second Line  It is all about fine-tuning and finding the right spark. Right now, that spark is the second line of Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand, and Elias Lindholm, the perfect blend of defense that can translate to offense. They were a large part of the Bruins’ victory…

Bruins’ Marchand Extends Point Streak in 4-1 Win Over Capitals
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In the final game before the Christmas break, the Boston Bruins (19-13-4) extended their winning streak at TD Garden to five games with a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals (23-9-2). Bruins captain Brad Marchand kept his point streak alive, putting up a goal and two assists in the third period to have points in 10 straight games. The first period was a tightly contested one, with both teams recording fewer than 10 shots combined, but the action was non-stop. Bruins defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Charlie McAvoy had some massive hits, while Capitals forward Tom Wilson had his fair share…

Projected Lineups for the Capitals vs Bruins – 12/23/24
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The Washington Capitals take on the Boston Bruins at TD Garden tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. CAPITALS (23-8-2) at BRUINS (18-13-4) 7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NESN, TVAS Capitals projected lineup Andrew Mangiapane — Dylan Strome — Tom WilsonConnor McMichael — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Aliaksei ProtasJakub Vrana — Hendrix Lapierre — Taylor RaddyshBrandon Duhaime — Nic Dowd — Ivan Miroshnichenko Rasmus Sandin — John CarlsonMartin Fehervary — Matt RoyJakob Chychrun — Trevor van Riemsdyk Charlie LindgrenLogan Thompson Scratched: Alexander Alexeyev, Dylan McIlrath, Henrik Rybinski Injured: Alex Ovechkin (leg), Lars Eller (illness) Status report: Lindgren is expected…

Buffalo Sabres 

NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Blue Jackets, Sabres, Lightning, Panthers
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Zach Werenski responds to the comments made by Patrik Laine on his trade request from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres finally ended their winless streak after 13 games with a great performance from the whole team. Finally, Nikita Kucherov was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk. Werenski Responds to Laine’s Comments As was written in the Dec. 23rd edition of this column, Laine was very candid about what led to his trade request from the Blue Jackets, stating that he felt the team was too comfortable losing…

Projected Lineups for the Sabres vs Islanders – 12/23/24
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The Buffalo Sabres take on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. SABRES (11-19-4) at ISLANDERS (13-14-7) 7:30 p.m. ET, MSGSN, MSG-B Sabres projected lineup Jason Zucker — Tage Thompson — Alex TuchJJ Peterka — Dylan Cozens — Jack QuinnPeyton Krebs — Jiri Kulich — Zach BensonBeck Malenstyn — Ryan McLeod — Sam Lafferty Rasmus Dahlin — Bowen ByramMattias Samuelsson — Owen PowerJacob Bryson — Connor Clifton Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenJames Reimer Scratched: Henri Jokiharju, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Dennis Gilbert Injured: Jordan Greenway (middle body) Status report: Dahlin will return after missing a…

5 Players the Sabres Should Trade For
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Heading into the season, the Buffalo Sabres faced a clear expectation: make the playoffs. Their young and ascending team is loaded with talent and potential, led by a promising core that includes Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Owen Power. With a solid foundation, the Sabres are steadily moving closer to becoming legitimate contenders. However, breaking their playoff drought will require some key roster improvements. To take the next step, the Sabres may need to add veteran leadership, reinforce their defensive corps, or acquire a game-changing forward. The trade market presents a prime opportunity to address these areas and accelerate the…

Detroit Red Wings

Today in Hockey History: Dec. 24 & 25
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It has been nearly 50 years since the National Hockey League has played on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. With that in mind, we have combined all the great events from Dec. 24 and 25 into one column for the next two days. All of us at The Hockey Writers wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and thank you for all your loyal readership. Christmas Eve Memories Two of the earliest stars and pioneers in the NHL made history on Dec. 24, 1921. Future Hockey Hall of Famer King Clancy scored his first career goal in the…

Blues Ride Holloway’s Hat Trick in 4-0 Shutout Over Red Wings
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The Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues squared off for their last games before Christmas, and both teams were looking to get on track. By night’s end, the Blues pulled off a 4-0 shutout victory. With the win, the Blues move to 16-16-4, while the Red Wings’ losing streak moves to three games as they fall to 13-17-4. Game Recap The first 20 minutes of the game saw the Blues keep the Red Wings’ defense and goaltender Cam Talbot busy. They controlled the pace of play and offensive zone time for most of the period. They were finally rewarded…

Projected Lineups for the Blues vs Red Wings – 12/23/24
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The St. Louis Blues take on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. BLUES (15-16-4) at RED WINGS (13-16-4) 7 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNDET Blues projected lineup Alexandre Texier — Robert Thomas — Pavel BuchnevichDylan Holloway — Brayden Schenn — Jordan KyrouJake Neighbours — Oskar Sundqvist — Zack BolducAlexey Toropchenko — Mathieu Joseph – Nathan Walker Cam Fowler — Colton ParaykoPhilip Broberg — Justin FaulkRyan Suter — Tyler Tucker Jordan BinningtonJoel Hofer Scratched: Brandon Saad, Scott Perunovich Injured: Nick Leddy (lower body), Radek Faksa (lower body) Status report: Texier…

Florida Panthers

NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Blue Jackets, Sabres, Lightning, Panthers
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Zach Werenski responds to the comments made by Patrik Laine on his trade request from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres finally ended their winless streak after 13 games with a great performance from the whole team. Finally, Nikita Kucherov was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk. Werenski Responds to Laine’s Comments As was written in the Dec. 23rd edition of this column, Laine was very candid about what led to his trade request from the Blue Jackets, stating that he felt the team was too comfortable losing…

Oilers & Panthers Are Still the Teams to Beat in the NHL
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The 2024-25 NHL season has reached the holiday break, which isn’t the halfway point, but it’s close to it. Every team has played 35 games, give or take a few, and the good teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack. There are a few unknowns but the season is starting to take shape and soon, the articles about buyers and sellers will flood all the hockey sites. Related: Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl Should Be Hart Trophy Favourite One thing that is clear, even if it wasn’t a few weeks back is that the teams to beat are still the…

Jonas Johansson Stands Tall in Lightning’s Shutout Over Panthers
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Following a frustrating loss on home ice Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded with a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers on the road at Amerant Bank Arena. While the power play was the kryptonite of the Lightning in the first half of the back-to-back rivalry games, the Bolts rebounded with a solid performance at even strength and on special teams. The Lightning and Panthers have split the season series at one game apiece and will meet again in March. Lightning Defeat Defending Stanley Cup Champions The Lightning came out flying in the first period with a beautiful top-shelf backhander…

Montreal Canadiens

3 Takeaways From the Canadiens’ Narrow 5-4 Loss to the Blue Jackets
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The Montreal Canadiens came painstakingly close to entering the Christmas break riding a four-game winning streak. Alas, a stunning winning goal by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the dying minutes of regulation on Monday (Dec. 23) spoiled the plan. Nevertheless, there was a lot to like about the performance despite leaving Nationwide Arena empty-handed.  Savard, Evans, Armia Shine We made a similar point when extracting positives from Montreal’s weekend series versus the Detroit Red Wings, but the club’s less popular players are putting on a show these days.  The pleasant surprises began in the middle frame when Montreal stared at…

Today in Hockey History: Dec. 24 & 25
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It has been nearly 50 years since the National Hockey League has played on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. With that in mind, we have combined all the great events from Dec. 24 and 25 into one column for the next two days. All of us at The Hockey Writers wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and thank you for all your loyal readership. Christmas Eve Memories Two of the earliest stars and pioneers in the NHL made history on Dec. 24, 1921. Future Hockey Hall of Famer King Clancy scored his first career goal in the…

Ottawa Senators

Revisiting the Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat Trade
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The Chicago Blackhawks signaled they were going scorched-earth rebuild hours before last year’s NHL Draft on July 7, 2022. They dealt fan favorite Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators, landing 2022’s seventh (Kevin Korchinski) and 39th (Paul Ludwinski) overall picks in return, along with a 2023 fourth-rounder. Because of DeBrincat’s age and the fact he was coming off a career season, this move was naturally unpopular among Blackhawks fans. Related: Blackhawks 2023 NHL Draft Targets: Oliver Moore Two years later, the Blackhawks look better off with this trade than they did when it first went down. DeBrincat is no longer…

NHL Rumors: Rangers, Maple Leafs, Senators, Canadiens
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Chris Kreider is a healthy scratch for the New York Rangers. Is that a sign that something might be in the works for when the roster freeze ends? Meanwhile, Auston Matthews has been ruled out again with his injury issues. What is the latest on Linus Ullmarks’ injury? He left the game versus the Edmonton Oilers, but is it serious? Finally, Patrik Laine explains why he wanted a trade out of Columbus. Chris Kreider a Surprise Healthy Scratch as Rangers Shake Up Lineup Chris Kreider has been the subject of recent trade rumors and was…

Oilers Snap Senators’ 6-Game Winning Streak, Win 3-1
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Two of the hottest teams in the NHL played each other on Sunday evening (Dec. 22) when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Ottawa Senators. Coming into this contest, the Senators were 8-1-1 in their last 10 games while the Oilers were 8-2-0 in their last 10. Despite that, this was a sloppy game for large stretches. Players were losing edges, and there were a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone by both teams. At the end of the day, the Oilers came out on top with a 3-1 victory, snapping the Senators’ six-game winning streak. Here’s your game recap….

Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Blue Jackets, Sabres, Lightning, Panthers
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Zach Werenski responds to the comments made by Patrik Laine on his trade request from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres finally ended their winless streak after 13 games with a great performance from the whole team. Finally, Nikita Kucherov was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Matthew Tkachuk. Werenski Responds to Laine’s Comments As was written in the Dec. 23rd edition of this column, Laine was very candid about what led to his trade request from the Blue Jackets, stating that he felt the team was too comfortable losing…

Jonas Johansson Stands Tall in Lightning’s Shutout Over Panthers
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Following a frustrating loss on home ice Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded with a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers on the road at Amerant Bank Arena. While the power play was the kryptonite of the Lightning in the first half of the back-to-back rivalry games, the Bolts rebounded with a solid performance at even strength and on special teams. The Lightning and Panthers have split the season series at one game apiece and will meet again in March. Lightning Defeat Defending Stanley Cup Champions The Lightning came out flying in the first period with a beautiful top-shelf backhander…

An In-Depth Look at the Lightning’s Top Defensive Pairing
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When general manager Julien BriseBois decided to trade Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club over the offseason, Tampa Bay Lightning fans knew the blue line was in for a massive change. In return for the star defenseman, Tamp Bay acquired 24-year-old J.J. Moser, an overaged 2021 draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes with plenty of NHL experience against elite competition. Despite being left-handed, Moser plays on the right side. Due to Moser’s historical ability to defend the rush, the vision was to pair him with aging Lightning captain Victor Hedman. This pairing allows the 34-year-old to take more risks…

Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Continue to Struggle Without Matthews
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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar centre Auston Matthews has missed the last two games due to a reaggravation of the undisclosed injury that has been plaguing him since training camp and kept him out of nine matches as recently as last month. He had only appeared in 11 games before going down again with the same injury, compiling six goals and six assists in that timeframe. Of course, this means that the Maple Leafs have had to alter their game plan for the 11 games (so far) that they have had to play while down their captain. Considering the holiday break,…

Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Matthews, Tanev, Tavares & Woll
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The Toronto Maple Leafs fell to the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena, marking their second straight loss. Despite the absence of captain Auston Matthews (upper-body injury), the team showed some bright spots in a primarily challenging game. William Nylander extended his point streak to seven games with assists on both John Tavares’ goals. Both players continue to cement their consistency as key contributors for the Maple Leafs this season. Item One: Auston Matthews Sidelined with Upper-Body Injury Matthews missed his second straight game on Monday due to a re-aggravated upper-body injury. The Maple Leafs’ star center,…

Today in Hockey History: Dec. 24 & 25
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It has been nearly 50 years since the National Hockey League has played on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. With that in mind, we have combined all the great events from Dec. 24 and 25 into one column for the next two days. All of us at The Hockey Writers wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and thank you for all your loyal readership. Christmas Eve Memories Two of the earliest stars and pioneers in the NHL made history on Dec. 24, 1921. Future Hockey Hall of Famer King Clancy scored his first career goal in the…