Canadiens Fall to Penguins in shootout Despite Slafkovský’s Two Assists, Crosby Reaches Historic Milestone
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The Montreal canadiens suffered a 3-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in an NHL match decided by a shootout on Sunday night. Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovský was a key contributor for Montreal, recording two assists in the game. This marks his third multi-point performance in December, having previously registered two assists against Pittsburgh in their earlier encounter. Rickard Rakell ultimately scored the decisive shootout goal for the Penguins.
The game also saw Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby achieve a historic feat, scoring a goal and adding an assist to surpass Mario Lemieux as the Canadian team’s all-time leading scorer with 1724 points.
“He and Mario are the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’re both at the top right now and you can tell it means a lot to him.Also to the whole club, the city and the competition,” said Penguins forward Bryan Rust, according to nhl.com. “It’s great for us that we were able to win the game while celebrating this milestone with him.”
VIDEO: Sidney Crosby and his 1724th point in the Pittsburgh Penguins jersey
Three Poles in Extension
Montreal initially took the lead, but Pittsburgh began to rally midway through the first period. Noah Dobson tied the game for the Penguins in the 45th minute, sending the match into overtime.
Slafkovský earned primary assists on goals from Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. He initiated a breakaway in the attacking zone,leading to a pass to Kapanen in front of an empty net. He then demonstrated his playmaking ability with a goal pass at 2:2, creating a chance for Kapanen who was initially stopped by goaltender Arturs Šilovs.
Slafkovský recovered the rebound and delivered a cross-pass through the attack zone to a free Demidov, who capitalized on the opportunity.
In overtime,Slafkovský had a chance to win the game,winning a one-on-one battle with Rakell just over 40 seconds before the end,but his shot hit the post. Teammate Mike matheson also struck the post in overtime, and Cole Caufield hit the structure in the dying seconds.
VIDEO: Clip from the match Pittsburgh Penguins – Montreal Canadiens
NHL Roundup: Senators Dominate Bruins, Stars Cruise Past Maple Leafs, Predators Edge Rangers
Boston Bruins – Ottawa Senators 2:6 (1:3, 1:3, 0:0)
The Ottawa Senators delivered a resounding victory over the Boston Bruins with a final score of 6-2. Goals for the Senators came from Batherson (2nd minute), Giroux (14th minute), Zetterlund (17th & 38th minutes), stützle (27th minute), and Cozens (28th minute). Pastrňák (20th minute) and Eyssimont (35th minute) scored for the Bruins. Swayman faced 20 shots, while Meriläinen stopped 28.
Dallas Stars – Toronto Maple Leafs 5:1 (1:0, 0:0, 4:1)
The dallas Stars dominated the toronto Maple Leafs, winning 5-1. J. Robertson (19th minute),steel (46th minute),Benn (53rd minute),Bourque (58th minute),and Hryckowian (60th minute) found the back of the net for Dallas. Laughton (49th minute) scored the lone goal for Toronto. Oettinger made 22 saves, while Hildeby faced 28 shots.
nashville Predators – New York Rangers 2:1 (0:0, 1:0, 1:1)
The Nashville Predators narrowly defeated the New York Rangers 2-1. F. Forsberg (31st minute) and Stamkos (60th minute) scored for Nashville, while Brodzinski (60th minute) responded for the Rangers.Annunen recorded 32 saves,and Quick stopped 17 shots.
NHL Roundup: Mammoth Edge Jets,Oilers triumph Over Golden Knights – December 21,2024
Here’s a recap of the NHL action on December 21,2024,featuring a close contest between the Utah mammoth and Winnipeg Jets,and an exciting victory for the Edmonton Oilers against the Vegas Golden Knights. Additionally, a look at the current NHL standings is provided.
Utah Mammoth – Winnipeg Jets 4:3 PP (2:0, 1:1, 0:2 – 1:0)
The Utah mammoth secured a 4-3 power play victory over the Winnipeg Jets in a tightly contested game. The Mammoth took an early lead with two goals in the first period and maintained pressure throughout the match.
Goals:
* Utah Mammoth: 6. Crouse (Guenther, Hayton), 10. Peterka (Keller, Schmaltz), 24. Kerfoot (durzi, Sergačov), 61. Keller (Guenther, Sergačov)
* Winnipeg Jets: 32. Connor (Scheifele, Vilardi), 56. Connor (Morrissey, Scheifele), 56. M. barron (pearson)
Goalkeepers: Vejmelka (Utah Mammoth) and Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) faced 22 and 26 shots on goal, respectively. https://www.nhl.com/scores
Edmonton Oilers – Vegas golden Knights 4:3 (2:0, 2:1, 0:2)
The Edmonton Oilers defeated the vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in a high-scoring affair. Edmonton established a strong lead in the first two periods,with Vegas attempting a comeback in the third.
Goals:
* Edmonton Oilers: 10. McDavid (Draisaitl, Regula), 15. Nugent-Hopkins (Draisaitl, McDavid), 23. Nugent-Hopkins (McDavid, Hyman), 28. Hyman (Nurse, Nugent-Hopkins)
* Vegas Golden Knights: 33. Hertl (Marner, Hanifin), 44. Dorofeev (Hertl, Hanifin), 46. Marner (Hertl, Hanifin)
Goalkeepers: Ingram (Edmonton Oilers) stopped 21 shots, while Hart (Vegas Golden Knights) faced 29. https://www.nhl.com/scores
NHL Standings (Western Conference – as of December 21, 2024)
(Please note: As of December 22, 2024, official NHL standings are dynamic and change frequently. The following is a general representation based on available data and may not be fully extensive.)
Detailed and up-to-date NHL standings can be found on the official NHL website: https://www.nhl.com/standings
The Western Conference is currently competitive, with several teams vying for playoff positions. Key contenders include (but are not limited to):
* Pacific Division: (Standings fluctuate daily – check NHL.com for current rankings)
* Central Division: (Standings fluctuate daily – check NHL.com for current rankings)
Disclaimer: NHL standings are constantly updated. Please refer to the official NHL website (https://www.nhl.com/standings) for the most current details.
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