Recap of NHL from 21 Movember 2025

Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson teamed up and propelled the Sabres to a nine-goal showing on home ice against the Blackhawks – an outing that featured the club scoring three goals in every period.

* Nikolaj Ehlers (Team Denmark) made his first return to Winnipeg as a member of the Hurricanes, found the score sheet and moved within one assist of tying the most by a Danish player in NHL history.

* A four-pack on the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast includes plenty of intrigue, notably the first matchup between the Oilers and two-time reigning champion Panthers since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

SABRES SCORE THREE IN EVERY PERIOD EN ROUTE TO HIGH-SCORING HOME WIN

Alex Tuch (0-4—4) assisted on four of his team’s nine goals and Tage Thompson (1-1—2) was one of nine Buffalo skaters with multiple points as the Sabres spoiled an evening Connor Bedard collected his 100th career assist. Buffalo, which tied Colorado for the most goals in a game this season, accounts for four of the past 10 instances of a team scoring three or more goals in every period of a game since 2006-07.

* Tuch, the only Sabres skater with multiple four-assist outings since joining the team in 2021-22 (also Dec. 21, 2023), joined Zach Benson (0-4—4 on Oct. 15) as the second player with four assists in a game for Buffalo this season. The last time the club had multiple players with a four-assist outing in one campaign was 2007-08 (Toni Lydman on Feb 27, 2008 & Brian Campbell on Oct. 13, 2007).

* Thompson extended his goal streak to five games and matched the longest of his career (also 5 GP in 2024-25). He became the first Sabres player with multiple five-game goal streaks with the franchise since Miroslav Satan (8 GP & 6 GP in 1998-99).

* The Sabres scored two of their nine goals in an eight-second span – a first for the franchise since the 2012-13 season. It also marked the fastest two goals scored by any team this season, ahead of the Stars (0:14 on Nov. 1) and Rangers (0:14 on Oct. 9).
AROUND THE RINKS

* Jordan Staal opened the scoring 16 seconds into the contest and Nikolaj Ehlers (0-1—1) assisted on the game-winning goal in his first game back in Winnipeg as the Hurricanes (14-5-2, 30 points) improved to 2-0-1 on their four-game road trip. Ehlers (Team Denmark), has a team-leading six assists since Nov. 1 (tied) and now sits only two from passing Frans Nielsen (306) for the most assists by a Danish player in NHL history. Ehlers (229-305—534) already holds the benchmark for goals and points.

* Morgan Geekie and Joel Armia – who became the third player in Kings history to score a shorthanded goal on consecutive days – traded goals in regulation before the former found the back of the net again in the extra frame to lift the Bruins to their fourth overtime win of the season. Geekie (16-6—22 in 23 GP) moved into a tie with Nathan MacKinnon (16 in 20 GP) for the NHL’s goal lead and his 12 even-strength goals also moved into a tie with Cole Caufield for the most among all players in 2025-26.

* Matt Boldy (2-1—3) factored on three of five Wild goals as Minnesota extended its point streak to seven games (6-0-1 since Nov. 7) and posted its NHL-best fourth shutout of the season. Boldy boosted his career totals to 115-154—269 (307 GP) and passed Pierre-Marc Bouchard (77-190—267 in 425 GP) for the second-most points in franchise history before age 25, behind only Marian Gaborik (150-149—299 in 383 GP).

QUICK CLICKS

* Bernie Parent remembered as ‘champion of life’ at Flyers ceremony

* NHL Status Report: Roman Josi could return for Predators this weekend

* Connor Hellebuyck out 4-6 weeks for Jets, to have knee surgery

* State Your Case: Panthers or Oilers to get game together, go on deep run

* Mikko Rantanen of Stars fined for embellishment

STANLEY CUP FINAL REMATCH HEADLINES HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA

A four-pack on the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast includes plenty of intrigue, notably the first matchup between the Oilers and two-time reigning champion Panthers since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final when they face off at Amerant Bank Arena. The quartet of games on Sportsnet also includes a historic Original Six matchup between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens, Tim Stützle (age 23) and the Senators visiting Macklin Celebrini (age 19) and the Sharks as well as Nazem Kadri and the Flames hosting Wyatt Johnston and the Stars.

* After meeting in the Stanley Cup Final each of the two previous seasons, both the Panthers (11-8-1, 23 points) and Oilers (9-9-5, 23 points) find themselves with an equal point total while fighting to get inside the playoff line early in the second quarter of the 2025-26 NHL season. The log-jammed standings feature teams that missed the postseason occupying playoff positioning: the Bruins, Red Wings, Islanders and Penguins in the Eastern Conference; the Ducks and Kraken in the Western Conference.

* With Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov out of the Florida lineup due to injury, the Panthers’ production has been led by a pair of players who excelled in last year’s Stanley Cup Final: Brad Marchand (13-10—23 in 19 GP) and Sam Reinhart (11-6—17 in 20 GP). Marchand (age 37), who ranked second in the Final with six goals (including two game winners), is off to his best 20-game start in four seasons (10-15—25 in 20 GP in 2021-22) and is pacing towards his first career 50-goal season.

* Reinhart led all players with seven goals in the Final, including four in the Cup-clinching game, and is on pace to record his second 40-goal season since joining the Panthers (57 in 2023-24). Reinhart enters the contest on a season-high five-game point steak (4-5—9 in 5 GP).

* Connor McDavid (9-23—32 in 23 GP) has led the League in postseason scoring in each of the previous two years (outright or tied) while leading the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances. McDavid enters Saturday with the most assists in the NHL this season and second in League scoring as he chases a sixth career Art Ross Trophy, a number only Wayne Gretzky (10x), Mario Lemieux (6x) and Gordie Howe (6x) have reached. McDavid leads all skaters in 2025-26 with 11 multi-point games.

5 MORE THINGS AHEAD OF SATURDAY’S ACTION

* A Saturday night game between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs is a Hockey Night in Canada tradition. The two Original Six franchises will contest a game on a Saturday for the 265th time, with Toronto (134-95-35) holding an edge in those contests (MTL: 110-123-31).

* Alex Ovechkin has scored in each of his past four games, including a hat trick Thursday, and can match Mario Lemieux (17) for the most five-game goal streaks in NHL history when the Capitals host the Lightning at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin, who can become the first player age 40 or older in NHL history to score in five straight games, can also record a hat trick in consecutive games for the fourth time in his career and match Joe Malone for the most in League history.

* The Avalanche enter Saturday with the NHL’s longest active win streak (7 GP) and will look to become the first team to 15 victories in 2025-26 when they clash with the Predators. Colorado (14-1-5, 33 points) currently sits atop the NHL standings and can reach the 15-win mark in 21 games or fewer for just the third time in franchise history, following 2013-14 (20 GP) and 2023-24 (21 GP).

* The Pacific Division-leading Ducks (13-7-1, 27 points) enter Saturday’s showdown against the Golden Knights (10-4-6, 26 points) one point up on second-place Vegas. The Ducks, who last won a division title during a five-season run of first-place finishes from 2012-13 to 2016-17, have held the Pacific Division’s top spot for 18 of 45 days this season, with only Vegas (20 days) claiming the spot for a longer period in 2025-26.

* Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks will look to secure their most wins in a single month in nearly five years (8 in March 2021) when they battle the Senators. Celebrini (13-18—31 in 21 GP) can match Scott Gomez (22 GP in 1999-00) and Ron Francis (22 GP in 1981-82) for the eighth-fewest games to 20 assists in a season by a teenager behind Wayne Gretzky (18 GP in 1980-81 & 19 GP in 1979-80), Sidney Crosby (19 GP in 2006-07), Mario Lemieux (19 GP in 1984-85), Peter Zezel (21 GP in 1984-85), Pat LaFontaine (21 GP in 1984-85) and Larry Murphy (21 GP in 1980-81).