The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins meet for the first time since swapping goalies last week, and the two teams are also trending in opposite directions ahead of this showdown at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday, December 16.

My top Oilers vs. Penguins predictions and NHL picks are calling for Edmonton and superstar Connor McDavid to take over this matchup tonight.

Oilers vs Penguins prediction

Oilers vs Penguins best bet: Oilers moneyline (-140)

The Edmonton Oilers have begun flipping the script with a 6-3-1 run, ranking sixth in goals percentage and seventh in expected goals percentage at 5-on-5, and owning the third-highest power-play percentage during the stretch.

Edmonton is also in a ripe rebound spot after losing 4-1 on the second leg of a back-to-back road game to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have played a leading role in the turnaround with a combined 12 goals and 36 points during the 10-game stretch, and McDavid’s 20 points pace the NHL during the stretch.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have also dropped five straight, and after a solid start to the season, the recent slump aligns with the injury to star center Evgeni Malkin (upper body).

Depth isn’t the Pens' calling card, and I expect the McDavid-Draisaitl combo will give Pittsburgh matchup nightmares throughout tonight's bout.

I also have more confidence in the Edmonton lineup capitalizing on the familiarity of facing former goalie Stuart Skinner than I do in Pittsburgh bullying Tristan Jarry in the blue paint. Plus, Jarry backstopped the Oilers to a convincing 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in his Edmonton debut.

Oilers vs Penguins same-game parlay

McDavid’s heater actually dates back further than the highlighted 10-game surge, with the superstar posting multiple points in 13 of his past 21 games. His 38 points during the run are tied for the NHL lead, and the Penguins have also allowed a healthy 4.0 goals per game and the seventh-most expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five since Malkin went down.

It’s been a similar story with McDavid’s shot volume throughout the season. He’s recorded three or more shots in 21 of 33 games to rank in the 97th percentile of NHL forwards in shots on goal. 

Oilers vs Penguins SGP

• Oilers -1.5 puck line
• Connor McDavid Over 1.5 points
• Connor McDavid Over 2.5 shots on goal

Oilers vs Penguins odds

• Moneyline: Oilers -140 | Penguins +120
• Puck Line: Oilers -1.5 (+165) | Penguins +1.5 (-200)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115)

Oilers vs Penguins trend

The Pittsburgh Penguins have only won 35 of their last 81 games (-7.00 Units / -8% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Penguins.

How to watch Oilers vs Penguins

Oilers vs Penguins latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Jon Cooper’s ‘tired’ admission after crushing Panthers loss appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Tampa Bay Lightning took a step back in ClutchPoints’ most recent power rankings. But the Atlantic Division leaders are still in the thick of the playoff race. That made Monday night’s game against the Florida Panthers a rather important one before the calendar flips to 2026. Unfortunately, Jon Cooper could not coach his team to a victory.

Sam Reinhart scored twice on Monday night, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves. These performances helped propel the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers to a 5-2 victory over their intrastate rival on Monday night. This loss marked Tampa’s sixth defeat over its last eight games.

After the game, Cooper had a rather interesting view on this contest. He pointed out how both teams had played a lot of hockey heading into this matchup. Fatigue was evident on both sides, but only one was able to battle through it.

“You’ve got one team in Florida on their fourth game of a road trip in a couple of different time zones, so they’re tired,” Cooper said, via NHL.com. “You’ve got us, basically … this is our fifth game in five different cities. I thought they looked like two tired hockey teams. They got the lead and hung on to it. With tired hockey teams mistakes are made. They capitalized on theirs and we didn’t.”

Tampa dropped to 18-12-3 with this defeat to the Panthers. They remain first in the Atlantic Division. However, their lead is not secure in any way, shape, or form. In fact, they are only ahead of the second-place Detroit Red Wings by virtue of a tiebreaker. Furthermore, they are only three points clear of Florida, which is fifth in the Atlantic.

The Lightning need to get their act together, and quickly. If they don’t, they could lose their slim grip on the division lead. Tampa hits the ice once again on Thursday night when they take on the Los Angeles Kings.

Related: ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 11: Are the Wild contenders with Quinn Hughes?

Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner Darren Raddysh is on pace to shatter previous career highs.

My Panthers vs. Lightning predictions see Raddysh remaining productive with Victor Hedman still on the sideline.

Find out more in my NHL picks for Monday, December 15.

Panthers vs Lightning prediction

Panthers vs Lightning best bet: Darren Raddysh Over 0.5 points (-115)

The Tampa Bay Lightning are dealing with a cluster of injuries on defense. Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak, and, most notably, Victor Hedman are sidelined, leaving a lot of extra responsibility on Darren Raddysh's plate.

He has played on the top pairing at even-strength and taken over as the quarterback of the No. 1 power play in place of Hedman. He’s made the most of the opportunity.

Raddysh produced at least one point in 10 of the last 13 without Hedman. He has piled up 18 points in that span and put forth more multi-point efforts (five) than pointless performances (three) along the way. He is playing incredible hockey.

Over the last 10 games, the Lightning rank Top-7 in generating shots and expected goals at 5-on-5 as well as on the power play.

All of the star forwards are back healthy and Raddysh is most responsible for getting them the puck. Clearly, he’s doing a good job.

With the Panthers playing a very high-event brand of hockey, struggling to defend at 5-on-5, and taking a healthy chunk of penalties, this is a good matchup for Raddysh to build on his recent success.

Panthers vs Lightning same-game parlay

Jon Cooper has stacked the top line and reunited Jake Guentzel with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Guentzel couldn’t ask for better linemates and has piled up the assists when rested, picking up at least one helper in five of his last seven following an off day.

Anton Lundell has averaged 3.1 shots on goal per game over his last 10 after a rest day. With the Lightning missing half of their regular defense core, the volume should continue to be there for Lundell on Monday night.

Panthers vs Lightning SGP

• Darren Raddysh Over 0.5 points
• Jake Guentzel Over 0.5 assists
• Anton Lundell Over 1.5 shots on goal

Panthers vs Lightning odds

• Moneyline: Panthers +125| Lightning -145
• Puck Line: Panthers +1.5 (-200) | Lightning -1.5 (+165)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)

Panthers vs Lightning trend

Darren Raddysh has 11 points over his last six games without Victor Hedman dressed. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Lightning.

How to watch Panthers vs Lightning

Panthers vs Lightning latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (14-8-8) set a low-water mark Saturday when they squandered a 5-1 third-period lead and lost in overtime to the rebuilding San Jose Sharks, 6-5. The loss mystified coach Dan Muse and players alike, and Muse stepped forward to point the first finger of blame at himself. The Penguins get another crack at victory this weekend when they host the Utah Mammoth at PPG Paints Arena.

Saturday was a jaw-dropping spectacle of lost leads befitting a spot in a Ripley’s museum. The Penguins led 5-1 with 13 minutes remaining. They led 5-2 with six minutes remaining, yet their extraordinary struggle against the extra attacker was their undoing, and San Jose scored a pair of goals with an empty net to tie the game.

Emergency call-up Sergei Murashov is expected to start Sunday if newly acquired Stuart Skinner is not yet available due to immigration visa issues.

Defenseman Brett Kulak is also awaiting his visa after being acquired with Skinner from Edmonton on Friday.

Click here to read more from PGHHockeyNOW.com.

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PEORIA — Jean-Guy Trudel spelled out a clear message to his Peoria Rivermen team Saturday, and he didn't need any letters to do it.

The four-time SPHL Coach of the Year stripped the leadership letters off his players' jerseys before a rematch against Knoxville.

The Rivermen responded with a 5-0 victory that gave them a split in the weekend series before 3,989 who braved a winter storm to watch inside Carver Arena.

The Rivermen did it, technically, without a captain or two assistants.

Trudel's decision to remove the "C" from veteran captain Alec Baer's jersey and the "A" off Garrett Devine's and Josh Martin's jerseys came overnight, after the Rivermen lost to Knoxville on Friday and slipped into sixth place. But it was something Trudel had been thinking about all week as he assessed his team amid four losses in six outings.

"Leadership has to be above and beyond, it has to be special," Trudel said. "If you don't lead, you don't stay with the Peoria Rivermen. This is who we are, it's how we win, it's our culture to play fast, play heavy and play like this team means everything in the world to us.

"Leaders have to earn it every day. We're going to wait before we put any letters back on any uniforms. We're going to see who responds. We're going to see who steps up. It's a simple message: The Rivermen Way, or the highway."

Devine responded with a two-goal, +4 game in which he imposed his will on the Ice Bears with a high-motor outing from start to finish.

Rivermen linemate and newcomer Khaden Henry? He merely notched a hat trick in his second game with the team, one of them a spectacular skill display. He produced 3 goals on 13 shots and a +4 rating in two games.

"We didn't really have any choice but to receive Jean-Guy Trudel's message," Devine said. "It was a big game for us. A big inflection point. Early in a year you can reach a point where your season goes one of two ways, and I'm really proud of the way the guys responded and did a lot of the right things. The letter stuff is what it is. Guys know who the leaders are and it's everyone's job to lead.

"Everyone stepped up and played as a team effort, on the ice, off the ice, locker room, bench, everywhere. It's a matter of doing this every single night, every single guy.

"That's the biggest thing with our team, the way we're composed right now. Every single guy has to bring it, every single guy has to be a leader, every single guy has to do everything."

This story will be updated with more interviews and information.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: A challenge: Rivermen team responded with win after coach removed leadership letters

CHICAGO — The Detroit Red Wings were in on Quinn Hughes, but ultimately balked for one major reason.

That the 2024 Norris Trophy winner and former Michigan star would have looked good in red and white – "He  is one of the special players in the league that can, you know, take over a game individually," fellow American Patrick Kane said - is indisputable. The Wings just saw the defenseman earlier on this trip, on Dec. 8 while Hughes was still with the Vancouver Canucks. But on Friday, Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a big return: Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren – all recent first-round draft picks – and a 2026 first-round pick.

That's a high price, but the Wings might have paid it had Hughes been willing to commit to re-signing – his current contract runs through 2026-27, so he's eligible to be extended starting July 1, 2026 – but Hughes did not agree to that.

ON A BUDGET? Steve Yzerman's best Red Wings signing might come from bargain bin

So, no Hughes for the Wings – still. They famously passed on him in the 2018 draft, taking Filip Zadina at No. 6 while the Canucks grabbed Hughes at No. 7. He has been a thorn in their side ever since.

"We saw firsthand how tough he is to defend the other night at the blue line, the way he moves, the way he kind of buys time, shakes and bakes up there," Kane said.

"You hear a lot of rumors and Red Wings were part of that too, so I was definitely following to see what was going to happen."

Wings coach Todd McLellan said he and general manager Steve Yzerman talk daily about various aspects of the team.

"Steve and I talk every day multiple times throughout the days and a lot of it spent talking about our team," McLellan said. "Our jobs as a coaching staff is to get the most out of the players that we have. It's working for some. Others, we haven't got enough out of it.

"The one thing I've learned in this league, especially around Christmas, everybody's like Santa Claus. They all have a wish list, but it doesn't exist."

The Wings haven't had a Norris Trophy winner in their lineup since seven-time winner Nicklas Lidström retired in 2012.

"How much impact did Nick Lidstrom have on the Red Wings?" McLellan said. "He won multiple Norris trophies. But you don't have to win [a Norris trophy] to have an impact on the team. I think [Moritz] Seider and Simon [Edvinsson] and Benny [Chiarot] and even Axe [Axel Sandin-Pellikka] in the now and in the future are going to have an impact on our team without winning the trophy. There's a lot of good defensemen in the league."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings were in on Quinn Hughes. Here's why they balked

Is Quinn Hughes playing today? When new Wild star from Canucks trade will debut originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Minnesota Wild stunned the NHL world with a blockbuster trade for superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes on Friday night.

Hughes had the potential to come right into the spotlight on Saturday. The Wild are taking on the Ottawa Senators in an afternoon clash.

It's actually a busy stretch. The Wild then play again on Sunday against the Boston Bruins.

So when will Hughes play? Here's what we know.

Is Quinn Hughes playing today?

No, Quinn Hughes isn't playing in the Saturday, Dec. 13 afternoon game for the Wild against the Senators.

The Athletic's Michael Russo has reported that Hughes will make his Wild debut on Sunday against the Bruins.

Hughes has 23 points in 26 games so far this season.

He was acquired for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick.

Hughes is under contract through the end of the 2026-27 season.

And on Sunday, he'll get to start proving why the Wild wanted him so badly.

MORE: Connor Bedard with a bad injury for the Blackhawks

The Florida Panthers have played a whopping 68 games over the last three playoffs while advancing to three straight Stanley Cups. It seems to have taken a toll.

The Colorado Avalanche ran roughshod over Florida Thursday night, and on Saturday the Panthers play their seventh game in twelve nights when they face the Dallas Stars.

The Stars rank second in the league in points and are coming off a loss.

Read on to see why I think Dallas takes care of business in my Panthers vs. Stars predictions and NHL picks for Saturday, December 13.

Panthers vs Stars prediction

Panthers vs Stars best bet: Stars moneyline (-145)

Can the Dallas Stars exit their zone cleanly and with speed against the Florida Panthers’ forecheck? Tonight’s game hinges on this question.

The Panthers are predictable. They are going to dump it in, seal the walls, and try to force the Stars to pass through the middle of the ice and make the extra pass. When the Panthers’ defensemen pinch, expect the Stars’ wings to try to stretch the zone as is their wont.

The way to neutralize the Panthers’ stellar forecheck is with speed. If the Stars can use their speed in transition, they know how to find the seams and use center drive to open up prime looks off the rush.

Losing Roope Hintz to injury is a big blow for the Stars. But coach Glen Gulutzan should find a workable solution, as demonstrated by his use of depth player Sam Steel. Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Steel are +16 in high-danger chances differential in 124:58 minutes together at 5-on-5.

One final reason to believe in the Stars is their goaltending. Perhaps surprisingly, the delta between these teams’ netminders is large.

Dallas’ Jake Oettinger ranks on the fringe of the top ten in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) while Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky has the third worst GSAx among goaltenders with 20 or more games played.

Panthers vs Stars same-game parlay

Wyatt Johnston hit the ground running to start his NHL career, but he hasn’t yet produced a season where he’s averaged a point per game or notched 35 or more goals. Folks, the wait is over.

Playing alongside Mikko Rantanen and operating out of the bumper on the power play, Johnston has chances galore. He ranks 17th in the NHL in individual expected goals and ninth in high-danger chances at all strengths.

Entering Saturday, Johnston will have gone six games without a goal, which for him rarely happens. I expect Johnston to find the back of the net at least once.

Not long ago, Jason Robertson’s name was bandied about in trade rumors. How things have changed. Now, Robertson ranks third in the NHL in goals and second in the NHL in shots on goal.

Even if the Hintz injury saps Robertson’s potency off the rush, he should still get looks off faceoff wins. Dallas ranks in the top half of the league in goals off faceoff wins, and the Panthers are a bottom-five team in faceoffs.

Florida ranks sixth in the NHL in penalties taken per 60 minutes. If Dallas gets several man-advantage looks, I expect Robertson to be featured coming down hill off the flank.

Robertson has put four or more shots on net in six of the Stars’ last eleven games. I think he does it again tonight.

Panthers vs Stars SGP

• Stars moneyline
• Wyatt Johnston anytime goalscorer
• Jason Robertson 4.5 shots on goal

Panthers vs Stars odds

• Moneyline: Florida +120 | Dallas -145
• Puck Line: Florida +1.5 (-210) | Dallas -1.5 (+175)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125) | Under 5.5 (+105)

Panthers vs Stars trend

The Dallas Stars have hit the Moneyline in 63 of their last 104 games. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Stars.

How to watch Panthers vs Stars

Panthers vs Stars latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The New York Rangers are taking on the Montreal Canadiens inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Here's how to watch the Rangers game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

What channel is New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens game on today? Time, TV schedule

Cable/Network TV: MSG (for fans in the Rangers local broadcast area)

Start time: 7 p.m.

Where to watch Rangers vs Canadiens on livestream

You can stream the game on The Gotham Sports App.

Gotham Sports App is available with a cable or satellite login and also has options for non-cable subscribers and for individual games.

You can also stream if you have subscriptions to Spectrum, Optimum, Verizon Fios, DirecTV Stream or fuboTV. Nationally televised games may be available on ESPN+ (if broadcast on ABC, ESPN or carried by ESPN+), Hulu (ESPN+ broadcasts) or MAX (TNT/TBS/TruTV broadcasts).

NY Rangers 2025-26 schedule: See full slate of regular-season games here

New York Rangers remaining December 2025 schedule

• Saturday, Dec. 13 vs Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 15 vs Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 16 vs Vancouver Canucks, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 18 at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 20 vs Philadelphia Flyers, 12:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 21 at Nashville Predators, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 27 at New York Islanders, 6 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 29 at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 31 at Washington Capitals, 12:30 p.m.

Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Watch Rangers vs Canadiens game today: Channel, time, streaming