December 5, 2025
Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm showed off his creative side in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues, logging three assists. He already had two helpers after the opening period and ended up setting up three different teammates for goals. Lindholm's final assists came on the power play late in the second period. It was Lindholm's third multi-assist game in four contests. He has begun to make up for lost time, having missed 10 games with a lower-body injury in November. Lindholm is close to averaging a point per game for the first time since 2021-22. After 19 appearances, he boasts four goals and 12 assists. Last season, Lindholm had only 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 82 outings, so it's looking like a really nice bounce-back campaign for him.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl contributed a goal and three assists during Thursday's high-scoring 9-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. The German superstar finished with three power-play points, scoring Edmonton's third goal. Draisaitl had his 28th career four-point game, surpassing Mark Messier on Edmonton's all-time list to take the fourth spot. Connor McDavid also had four points (three goals, one assist) on Thursday, so the Oilers' leaders really stepped up in this game. The challenge is now to produce a similar effort on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. Draisaitl will head into the weekend with 16 goals and 35 points through 28 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid finished Thursday's 9-4 win over the Seattle Kraken with four points, including his 13th career hat trick. McDavid lit the lamp in each period and had two power-play goals to tie Mark Messier for the fourth most hat tricks in franchise history. Overall, McDavid had three power-play points in the contest. The Oilers captain became the third player in the league this season to reach 40 points. He has recorded 14 goals and 26 assists in 28 appearances. After a slow start by his standards, McDavid is firmly on track for his sixth consecutive 100-point campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 5, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen (face) is not expected to miss time. The Finnish forward took a puck to the face in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings and left the action with 56.4 seconds remaining. Fortunately, Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters postgame that Teravainen would be fine. Teravainen is among Chicago's leaders with eight power-play points and has amassed 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in total across 27 outings. In recent games, Teravainen has been quiet, finishing scoreless in two contests and recording only one shot on goal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 5, 2025
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (lower body) didn't finish Thursday's 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. He had to exit the game in the first period due to a lower-body injury, logging only 5:07 of action. Pinto has had a great campaign with the Senators, scoring a team-high 12 goals and amassing 18 points. Ottawa lost Lars Eller (undisclosed) before Thursday's game, and the team's center depth will be tested if Pinto were to miss time. The Senators will return to action on Saturday at home against the St. Louis Blues.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 5, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (lower body) left Thursday's 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes after two periods. The team announced Woll suffered a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old made his eighth start of the season and stopped 21 of 22 shots before his premature exit. Dennis Hildeby, who took over the crease, saved all nine shots he faced. The Maple Leafs are already without Anthony Stolarz (upper body), and a serious injury to Woll would put the team in a tough spot. Woll holds a 4-3-1 record for the season and has allowed 2.44 goals with a .927 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 4, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (knee) has been cleared for action and will return from a four-game absence on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. He will return to the top six and work on the first power-play unit. After putting together a 12-game point streak, Marchenko has gone scoreless in each of his last three appearances. Nonetheless, he continues to be Columbus' highest-scoring forward, boasting 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) through 22 appearances. Marchenko has finished four straight outings without a point only twice in 2025.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 4, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (personal) has rejoined the team and will play on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. He missed Tuesday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs due to the birth of his son. Verhaeghe is close to becoming the fourth Panther this season with 20-plus points. He has managed four goals and 12 assists in 24 outings. Recently, Verhaeghe has been red-hot, notching six points (two goals, four assists) during a three-game point streak. On Thursday, Verhaeghe will skate on the second line with Sam Bennett and A.J. Greer. He will also rejoin the first power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 4, 2025
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (back) will not dress for Thursday's tilt against the New York Islanders. The veteran netminder exited Tuesday's win over the Vancouver Canucks early due to a back issue, and while Wedgewood is not expected to miss much time, he will have the night off on Thursday. Wedgewood's emergence has been one of the stories of the season in the NHL, as he currently holds a league-best 13-1-3 record. He has allowed 2.07 goals with a .920 save percentage and one shutout. Mackenzie Blackwood, who is 6-0-1 for the campaign, will get the start on Thursday, with Trent Miner providing backup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 4, 2025
Minnesota Wild center Danila Yurov (undisclosed) will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. The 21-year-old was filling in as the first-line center when he suffered an undisclosed injury. He has notched seven points (three goals, four assists) in 21 games during his rookie campaign, including five points (one goal, four assists) in his last seven outings. Marco Rossi (lower body) is expected to miss at least three more games, putting pressure on Ryan Hartman to perform well. He took over the top-line center role on Tuesday night against the Edmonton Oilers.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 4, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) won't play on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonas Johansson will guard the crease, while Brandon Halverson has been called up from the minors to serve as the backup. Fortunately, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that Vasilevskiy isn't dealing with anything serious and is expected to return to action on Saturday against the New York Islanders. The Islanders ended the former Vezina Trophy winner's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. Vasilevskiy holds an 11-6-2 record with a 2.31 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and one shutout. Five of his eight losses came in his first five starts of the campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 4, 2025
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (undisclosed) is not ready to return to action on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The Czechia star exited the lineup last week and will miss a fourth consecutive game. Pastrnak remains day-to-day. Following three successive 100-point campaigns, Pastrnak's scoring rate has dropped in 2025-26, and he likely won't be able to extend the streak this season. However, Pastrnak has still been among Boston's leading scorers, producing 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games. Alex Steeves, who scored twice in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, is filling in for Pastrnak on the first line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 4, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension on Thursday. The veteran rearguard was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. McDonagh has made close to 400 appearances with the Lightning over two stints at the club, including 15 this season. He has missed nearly a month of action due to an undisclosed injury. After posting back-to-back 30-point campaigns, McDonagh is unlikely to extend the streak. He currently sits on six points (three goals, three assists), and it's unclear when McDonagh can return to action.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 4, 2025
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka finished Wednesday's 7-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks with a 27-save shutout. He became only the second goaltender in the league this season to shut out the Ducks, who average the third-most goals (3.48). Vejmelka, who registered his first shutout of the season, rebounded superbly after a rough outing against the San Jose Sharks on Monday, where he was pulled in the first period. The Mammoth's No. 1 now holds an 11-7-2 record for the season. Vejmelka boasts a solid 2.73 goals-against average, but he has managed only a .891 save percentage, which is one of the worst marks among regular starters in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 4, 2025
Utah Mammoth winger JJ Peterka led the demolition job in Wednesday's 7-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, notching two goals and two assists. Peterka became the fourth Utah player with a four-point effort this season. Only the league-leading Colorado Avalanche (6) have more. After managing only six points in November, Peterka already has five points in two games this month. On Friday, the exciting winger gets a perfect matchup to maintain his hot form, as the Mammoth visit the Vancouver Canucks, who allow a league-worst 3.63 goals per game. After 28 outings, Peterka has posted 12 goals and 21 points for the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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