ELMONT, NY -- When the New York Islanders returned to UBS Arena for a seven-game homestand on Nov. 22 following a dominant 6-1-0 road trip, the hope was that they could continue their strong play.

Despite playing well enough to do just that, Patrick Roy's squad struggled to score, going 1-3-1 while being outscored 13-7. 

And things certainly weren't going to get any easier once the calendar flipped to December. The final two games of the homestand were against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche, before hitting the road for a Florida back-to-back against Tampa, again, and the Florida Panthers.

After that? 

The Islanders would then return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Tampa Bay.

Sheesh.

They'd need home ice to turn into an advantage pretty quickly.

Credit to the Islanders for not changing how they were playing at all, and finally, the results came. 

The Islanders held on to defeat Tampa 2-1. They exploded against Colorado, beating them 6-3 before shutting out Tampa 2-0 in Florida. They struggled against the Panthers, falling 4-1, but they didn't let that take the wind out of their sails.

In a back-and-forth game, they overcame a late blown lead, defeating Vegas 5-4 in a shootout in their home return, before dominating the Ducks on Thursday night, en route to a 5-2 victory.

With their latest win, the Islanders have now won four straight home games for the first time since a six-game win streak before the Four Nations break last season, and they sit a point back of first place in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference.

They've outscored their opponents 18-10 over their last four home games and now sit at 9-6-2 on home ice, to go along with an 8-4-1 record. 

To fully appreciate what the Islanders just did in Elmont. Tampa leads the Atlantic Division. Colorado leads the Central Division. Vegas leads the Pacific Division, with the Ducks tied in points with Vegas. 

Can the Islanders keep the home win-streak going when they host the Lightning for a Saturday matinee on Saturday, the day when Pat LaFontaine heads into the Islanders' Hall of Fame?

The Islanders are now 18-11-3, a season-high seven games over NHL .500. If the Islanders beat Tampa on Saturday to sweep the season series, their potential 41 points would lead the Eastern Conference. 

DENVER — Whether you’re a casual observer or a devoted hockey aficionado, keeping pace with Nathan MacKinnon’s ever-expanding list of milestones can feel like a daunting task. But take heart — even Coach Jared Bednar admits he finds it difficult to track them all. 

The Avalanche scored a 6-2 victory over the reigning back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. MacKinnon pushed the Avalanche ahead 4–1 at 7:18 of the second period, ripping a wrist shot through a quartet of bodies for his 25th goal of the season. The tally — the 392nd of his career — lifted him past Joe Sakic for the most goals in franchise history since the team’s move to Colorado in 1995–96. 

Bednar Unaware of Milestone

The Hockey News asked Bednar for his thoughts on MacKinnon’s historic night — assuming he was aware of the record — and invited him to reflect on what it has meant to watch MacKinnon evolve into one of the NHL’s premier players. 

His reaction said it all. 

“It’s awesome. I mean whenever you have a guy with that type of determination and leadership style, you want him to have success, and you want him to be firing on all cylinders,” Bednar said of MacKinnon. “And he was a horse on the puck tonight. 

“I can’t keep track of his milestones because it seems like he’s getting one every game, so I don’t even know which one you’re talking about, but he was really good tonight, highly competitive at the point of the puck and patient with the puck and still making plays, making dangerous plays and difficult plays all night.” 

Milestone City 

Bednar isn’t wrong. Since early November, MacKinnon has been amassing milestones at a remarkable pace. On November 10, he surpassed franchise icon Peter Stastny with his 381st career goal, moving into sole possession of third place on the Avalanche’s all-time list. 

Just 10 days later, a goal against the New York Rangers propelled him past Stastny once more — this time for second place in franchise history in points. And on Thursday, MacKinnon reached yet another pinnacle: first place on the Avalanche’s all-time goals list since the franchise relocated to Colorado. 

Of course, this should not be conflated with combined Nordiques–Avalanche history. Joe Sakic still maintains a commanding lead in that broader category, having scored 625 goals over his illustrious career. Yet, considering the Avalanche have existed in Colorado for just over 25 years and MacKinnon has been in the league for only 12, the fact that he now stands alone atop any franchise leaderboard is a testament to his extraordinary talent and sustained excellence. 

And perhaps, by season’s end, MacKinnon will continue to raise the standard even higher. His 25 goals and 53 points currently lead the NHL, while his 28 assists place him tied for fifth, just behind three players who sit at 29. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid holds the league lead with 32 assists. 

The significance of this cannot be overstated: it has been nearly three decades since a player led the NHL in goals, assists, and points at the conclusion of a season. Mario Lemieux was the last to accomplish the feat, back in 1996. In an era where elite talent is separated by the narrowest of margins, Nathan MacKinnon may well be the player capable of achieving such a rare and extraordinary milestone. 

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William Nylander picked up a pair of assists in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks.

“It was the best game I've seen him play in a while,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Nylander. “He was engaged. When I see him skating and handling the puck and keeping the puck and doing things he did tonight with the puck, I know he was ready to go.”

Nylander’s line was Toronto’s best at 5-on-5, with Dakota Joshua scoring Toronto’s only even-strength goal of the game. The unit had an expected goals share of 85 percent in the 11:15 of ice time they logged together, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

“I thought they played great. But we had a lot of chances tonight. So it's a positive thing,” Nylander said. “I mean, if we would have scored a couple more, we would have won. But, yeah, I thought we played a good game.”

Nylander slid into the role while Bobby McMann served a one-game suspension for high-sticking Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand. With McMann set to return, does it make sense for Nylander to move back up, or should he remain on the third line?

It’s a question the Leafs will have to mull over before taking on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

While Nylander lamented not scoring enough, Berube chose to focus on the Leafs' inability to hold the lead in the third period—particularly during a late 6-on-5 sequence where Nylander was one of several players unable to clear the puck from harm's way.

“I still think we're not where we need to be. We could be better. And it's the third period for me showing that,” Berube said. “Goalie out, we have an opportunity to get the puck out a couple times. We don't do it. It's things like that that cost us tonight in the game.”

John Klingberg ties it late pic.twitter.com/h6aypB9Fkc

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 12, 2025

The difference in emphasis between Berube and Nylander speaks to how differently they view things at times. Nylander leads the Leafs in points with 34, four more than the next player (John Tavares with 30).

It is difficult for the head coach to be too critical, especially when Nylander provided all the offense. However, the mistakes Berube highlighted didn’t occur while Nylander was skating with his third-line unit.

That success builds a case to keep him there, but it creates a roster puzzle regarding McMann. The solution might be as simple as scratching Nick Robertson, but Berube has a decision to make.

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All eyes were on the Montreal Canadiens’ crease on Thursday night as Jacob Fowler was making his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The rookie was attempting to follow in some sizeable footsteps as three goaltending greats of the Habs’ past had had their first start there as well: Ken Dryden (a 5-1 win in March 1971), Patrick Roy (a 5-3 win in October 1985) and Carey Price (a 3-2 win in October 2007). The latter reached out to Fowler after hearing he had been called up and told him to go out there and have fun.

The collective effort was also under the microscope after the Tricolore had given a few questionable performances over the last few weeks, prompting GM Kent Hughes to recall not only Fowler, but also Adam Engstrom and Owen Beck.

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The Blueprint Of A Perfect Frame

The Sainte-Flanelle came ready to play and was firing on all cylinders in the first frame, not only offensively speaking, but on the other side of the puck as well. As soon as they lost the puck, Martin St-Louis’ men flipped their internal switch to defence, and their forecheck allowed Alexandre Texier to score the first goal of the game, but also his first as a member of the Canadiens.

On paper, it was an unassisted goal because it came from a Kris Letang turnover, but the Canadiens had done such a good job of trapping the Pens in their zone that the quintet had been on the ice for almost two minutes, and a tired player is prone to mistakes.

After 20 minutes, Montreal had a 1-0 lead and was leading 9-4 in shots on net.

The Man Of The Hour

If Fowler was nervous about making his NHL debut, it didn’t show, not even for a second. The youngster had to wait a long time to receive his first shot as the Habs were playing such a good defensive game, but he was ready when it came. He looked calm and collected in net, wasn’t overplaying the puck and was not wasting any energy with unnecessary movement.

If the first frame was like dipping his toe in the water, the second was like diving in the deep end. After playing a fantastic first, the Canadiens’ collective effort dipped in the second stanza, but Fowler welcomed the challenge with open arms. He faced 16 shots in those 20 minutes, and he saved them all, not once looking panicked or out of his depth.

Even when a hard shot from the blueline was deflected right in front of him, he picked it up like a ripe apple from a tree, effortlessly and calmly. His rebound control, when he gave rebounds, was also impressive. On one play, he made a pad save and sent the puck right to Juraj Slafkovsky, who launched the attack which led to Brendan Gallagher’s goal.

Fowler faced another 15 shots in the final frame and surrendered two goals. One came from in close as Sidney Crosby fed Bryan Rusk with a backhand, and the second was a point shot through heavy traffic on the power play. Lane Hutson came to the rescue in the dying minutes as the Penguins were attacking with an extra skater, but overall, this was as good a debut as Fowler could have hoped. 33 saves on 35 shots for a .943 save percentage.

The American netminder’s family looked on as he claimed his first career win and made what they all had dreamt of for so long a reality. They were initially set to attend a Christmas party tonight, according to the young netminder, but they had to change their plans, something they won’t complain about. As much as the Canadiens tried to downplay his call-up, this performance is sure to excite this fanbase.

Jacob Fowler's mom, Kerri, was emotional seeing her son get his rookie lap ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kwxtp5TfC6

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 12, 2025

As a side note, he faced seven shots from a player who was the best in the world for a long time in Sidney Crosby, and he stopped them all. The youngster wasn’t star-struck or intimidated at all. He has one job to do, and he did it.

After the game, Gallagher said that he thought he was calm in the net, didn’t need to make a lot of movement, and had a good demeanour—three essential qualities for a goaltender that can inspire his teammates.

Secondary Scoring

The Canadiens had struggled to score at even strength of late, but on Thursday night, the bottom-six showed up and had an impact. As previously mentioned, Texier scored the first goal, and Gallagher the second. The veteran has had a tough time this season, and this goal is sure to ease some of the pressure he’s under. Still, the goal was his 241st; he now trails Mats Naslund by only two goals for 14th place in franchise history.

Owen Beck almost had his first career goal, but it was waved off for offside after a coach’s challenge. That would have been some more secondary scoring.

The Right Reaction

If the Canadiens were unable to stop the hemorrhage against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, they didn’t have that problem in Pittsburgh. On the contrary, when the Pens found the back of the net, it took the Canadiens just 15 seconds to regain their three-goal lead when Juraj Slafkovsky set up an Oliver Kapanen goal. That was the rookie’s 10th of the season, meaning he now leads all rookies in goals ex aequo with the Anaheim Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke. Furthermore, he’s now the second-highest goal scorer for the Canadiens; Cole Caufield, with 17 goals, is the only one who has more.

Un 10e but cette saison pour Kapanen!

KAPPY ANSWERS RIGHT BACK#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/AiQtgRjsvF

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 12, 2025

After the game, the Canadiens flew to Newark, where they will enjoy a day off ahead of their Saturday night game against the New York Rangers. Considering the state of the goaltending in Montreal right now, it would make sense to have Fowler in net then as well, but we’ll see what the bench boss decides.

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While the Detroit Red Wings got off to a good start in Thursday evening's game against the Edmonton Oilers by generating multiple offensive chances, they weren't able to convert on them during the opening 20 minutes of play.

Meanwhile, the host Oilers capitalized on their first power-play opportunity of the night and controlled play on the scoreboard en route to a 4-1 win, giving the Red Wings their first regulation loss of their season-high six-game road trip and first since Nov. 28. 

Dylan Larkin, who leads Detroit with 17 goals on the season, said it simply came down to one team capitalizing on their chances and one not going so. 

“I thought it was maybe one of our better games of the trip in O-zone time and generating chances,” Larkin said. “They capitalized on their chances. We didn’t.”

“They started with a power-play goal to get their offense going. That was something we tried to avoid and weren’t able to tonight.”

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Oilers forward Zach Hyman registered a hat trick by scoring once in each period, including an empty-net tally late in regulation to seal the victory. 

The Oilers also got a goal from defenseman Mattias Ekholm, while goaltender Stuart Skinner picked up the win by making 27 saves. 

Detroit's Cam Talbot surrendered three goals while making 25 saves in the venue he once called home earlier in his career during his tenure with the Oilers. 

Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan, who once coached Edmonton, explained that there were still holes in Detroit's game to work on. 

“The wins and points in the bank are great, but obviously we didn’t get them tonight, and sometimes, that can fool you a little bit," he said. "But at the end of the year, it doesn’t really matter how you got them. We still have to work on our game.”

The Red Wings will conclude their road trip on Saturday evening with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center, and will hope to avenge their 5-1 setback at Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 9. 

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