SUNRISE – (Wire Service Report) – Florida goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves to lead the host Panthers to a 2-1 win over the Bruins on Thursday night in South Florida. Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett scored for Florida (37-35-3, 77 points). Samoskevich has a career-high three-game goal streak.

The Panthers, the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions, started the day next-to-last in the Eastern Conference, although they have not yet been officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Boston (43-25-8, 94 points) is the top wild-card team in the East. The Bruins had a four-game win streak snapped and fell to 15-15-7 on the road.

Fraser Minten scored for Boston, while Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves.

The Panthers are missing 11 injured players. That includes defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov, who went down this week.

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SUNRISE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Last season, the Boston Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015-2016. They also traded away long-time star Brad Marchand to Florida and watched him win a Stanley Cup title with the Panthers.

That was rough.

This season, however, the Bruins (43-24-8, 94 points) are currently the top wild-card team in the Eastern Conference, and they are closing in on a return to the playoffs.

On Thursday night, the Bruins will visit — ironically — the Panthers in South Florida and it’s amazing how the proverbial tables have turned.

The Panthers, the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions, are 36-35-3 (75 points), which puts them in next-to-last place in the East. In fact, they are on the verge of being officially eliminated from playoff contention, possibly this week.

Marchand, meanwhile, hasn’t played since March 6 due to a lower-body injury, and his Panthers have lost six of their past nine games.

Even so, the Panthers won’t go down without a fight, and they proved that on Tuesday with a 6-3 home win over Ottawa. The Panthers led that game,  5-0, after the first period.

“We got a couple of goals, and, all of a sudden, we had juice and energy,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “We haven’t had a lot of fun nights in the past month so this ignited our bench. We’re playing for that good feeling.”

But the problem for the Panthers all season has been injuries, and that issue came up again on Tuesday as defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov went down. Ekblad took a puck to the hand, and Kulikov was hit by a puck in the face.

Counting those two, there are now a dozen players on Florida’s injured list as compared to just one for Boston.

Maurice, with gallows humor, joked that there was “a line at the X-ray machine” in order to check for broken bones.

Ironically, Ekblad on Thursday would’ve broken Aleksander Barkov’s record for most games played in a Panthers uniform with 805. But Maurice admitted on Tuesday when asked about Ekblad’s injury, “I don’t think it looks great.”

As for the Bruins, they won their fourth straight game on Tuesday, defeating visiting Dallas 6-3.

Boston’s Viktor Arvidsson recorded his fifth NHL hat trick and his first since March 4, 2022.

“It was three easy ones,” Arvidsson said. “One was two inches from the goal, and the other two were empty-netters.”

David Pastrnak leads Boston in assists (66) and points (95). His previous career high for assists was 63, and he is closing in on what would be his fourth straight 100-point season.

Morgan Geekie leads Boston with 34 goals and ranks second in points (63). And Pavel Zacha ranks third on the Bruins with a career-high 60 points.

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s David Pastrnak opened the scoring, then recorded his second assist on Pavel Zacha’s overtime goal as the visiting Boston Bruins rallied to cool off the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday.

On the rush, Pastrnak pulled back then sent a pass to Zacha, who beat Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (27 saves) 38 seconds into overtime for his ninth goal in March.

Boston (40-24-8, 88 points) trailed 3-2 when with six minutes remaining in regulation, former Sabre Casey Mittelstadt converted via a friendly carom from the end board of teammate Jonathan Aspirot’s shot and off the skate of Luukkonen.

Trying to better its playoff position in the Eastern Conference, Boston pushed its road point streak to six games (3-0-3).

Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo (44-20-8, 96 points), 33-7-4 since Dec. 9, trailed 2-1 after two periods and found itself killing a penalty early in the third.
Just after that Boston power play ended, Zach Benson took the puck from the Bruins’ Mason Lohrei, broke into the zone and got it past Joonas Korpisalo (22 saves) while crashing the net to tie the game 5:54 into the third.

Lohrei was whistled for cross-checking at the end of the play and the Sabres made him and the Bruins pay. Just 33 seconds later, Tage Thompson sent a pass from behind the net for Jason Zucker to chip in for his second goal of the night.

Boston opened the scoring with 8:53 remaining in the first period. Camped out at the bottom of the circle, Pastrnak successfully one-timed Fraser Minten pinpoint pass from behind the Buffalo net.

Buffalo equalized with 4:42 left before the initial intermission. On the power play, Thompson sent the puck between the legs of Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm and onto the stick of Zucker to beat Korpisalo.

After tripping himself up on a potential breakaway earlier in the second period, Pastrnak had a hand in giving Boston the lead back with near the midway point of the frame.

Luukkonen was able to poke-check the puck away from a net-front Pastrnak, but it was backhanded in by a trailing Viktor Arvidsson.

–Field Level Media

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NASHVILLE – (Wire Service Report) – Less than 24 hours before the NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins take their playoff-chasing show on the road to close out the season series with the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

Boston is on an 11-game home win streak, but treks to Nashville having won only two road games this calendar year and need to break a five-game road skid (0-2-3). Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins gave the Bruins a three-point lead for the final Eastern Conference wild-card playoff spot.

The Bruins’ latest victory came in come-from-behind fashion, as Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored within a 50-second span in the first period to erase an early deficit.

Jeremy Swayman continued standing tall, making 34 saves.

“We’ve got to be comfortable in these kinds of tight games, especially down this playoff push,” Swayman said.

Coach Marco Sturm hopes that his Bruins can carry that type of effort and attitude to the road, where they will play 13 of their final 22 regular-season games.

“We feel very comfortable, very confident at home. Even down a goal, no problem,” Sturm said. “Sometimes, it feels a little different on the road. When the other team scores, the crowd gets into it and now we have to react. … We have to get better on the road.”

Thursday marks the Predators’ third  game in four nights, their first since dropping both ends of a back-to-back. Their most recent game was a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, who are currently the first team outside the playoff cutoff in the East.

Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly lit the lamp to give Nashville a 2-1 lead after two periods before Columbus used a two-goal final frame to gain the upper hand.

Tuesday was difficult on more than just the scoreboard, though, as two Predators forwards were traded. Michael McCarron — an “amazing teammate” and “one of those glue guys,” as captain Roman Josi described him — was dealt to the Minnesota Wild during the game, while Cole Smith went to the Vegas Golden Knights after the game concluded.

“We’re going to miss two great people, two big parts of our culture in what they bring every day,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “… Sad to see them go, but at the same time, hoping for the best. They’re going to go to places that have a good opportunity to have a long run, further their career, but we’re going to miss them.”

In the midst of a playoff race, the Predators have little time to dwell.

Now five points back of the West’s final playoff spot, Nashville is 1-2-1 since returning from the Olympic break and has scored more than two goals in only one of its last five games.

“We’ve got to move on,” Josi said. “Obviously, it’s not an easy time for a lot of guys, but all we can control is our play. You have to accept the business side. It’s part of it and it’s not fun, but all we can do as players is to play and hopefully get some wins.”

O’Reilly left Tuesday’s game after taking a stick to the eye during a faceoff, but there has been no update on his status.

The Bruins won 3-2 in overtime when the teams played Jan. 27 in Boston. David Pastrnak scored the game-winning goal.

–Field Level Media

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk and PGA Tour Brunch

BOSTON – There have been “big goals” in ice hockey games of the past, but just where does Megan Keller’s gold medal winning overtime goal for Team USA vs. Canada stand in the pantheon of greatness?

First, let us state the obvious.

There are big goals and then there are “BIG GOALS.”

Keller’s goal was a “BIG GOAL,” as it resulted with a game-winning gold medal clinching moment for the United States women’s Olympic ice hockey team. It came in overtime after an amazing come-from-behind, late third period comeback by the USA to tie Team Canada which had out-played the Americans throughout the final game of competition.

Keller’s goal, which won the game in 3-on-3 wide-open overtime, also prompted a While We’re Young (Ideas) core question. Where does the goal fit if a list of the “BIGGEST” goals were to be compiled. That is a very difficult task of you consider the complete work of art that is ice hockey, meaning men’s and women’s Olympics, NHL regular season and Stanley Cup playoffs.

Here’s a quick list, off top of head and no in-depth research from yesteryears of NHL, International  and Olympics ice hockey competitions.

1. Mike Eruzioni’s game-winning goal against the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the 1980 Men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament.
2. Mark Johnson’s game-tying goal in the third period of the USA vs. USSR game at Lake Placid that same tournament.
3. Mark Johnson’s first goal, a game-tying (2-2) last second goal in the first period of the gold medal game.
4. Megan Keller’s goal in the 2026 Olympics, described above.
5. (Considering my lifetime) – Bobby Nystrom’s Stanley Cup-winning goal (May 24, 1980) to clinch the Cup for the New York Islanders in a hard-fought seven-game series against the Broad Street Bullies – the Philadelphia Flyers.
6. New York Islanders’ J.P. Parise’s overtime and series-clinching goal, coming 11 seconds into overtime against the New York Rangers (at Madison Square Garden) in 1975. That goal marked the Islanders arrival from expansion team to contender.
7. Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr’s iconic 1970 Stanley Cup winning goal against the St. Louis Blues when Orr soared through the air after depositing the gmae/series winner.
8. The 1976 Canada Cup final was a best-of-three series which was played between Czechoslovakia and Canada, as the vaunted Soviet Union sent a young, less experienced club to the tournament. After the Canadiens won game one 5-0, Czechoslovakia led, 4–3 in game two, with four minutes remaining in the third period. Canada’s Bill Barber scored the game-tying goal, and in overtime, Toronto’s Darryl Sittler received a pass from Marcel Dionne, faked and scored the series winner.
9. Alex Ovechkin (Washington) beat G Ilya Sorokin (NY Islanders) on April 6, 2025 to score the 895th goal of his NHL career, passing “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. Coincidentally, the Islanders were the team Gretzky was playing against when he scored his final NHL career goal (No. 894) in 1999, setting the mark for Ovechkin to chase.
10. And, then, there was “The Goal” in the 1972 Summit Series between NHL greats from Canada and the Soviet Union national club.

“Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here’s a shot. Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here’s another shot. Right in front, they score! Henderson has scored for Canada!”

— Foster Hewitt, calling the play-by-play description of Henderson’s goal.

The play was captured on film and by still photo (Frank Lennon/Toronto Star) in the days long, long before digital photography. In fact, it was a time stuck in a decades old Cold War that seemed more insurmountable than the great Russian goalkeeperVladimir Tretiak.

To set up “The Goal,” Team Canada had eventual Hall of Famers and their top goal scorers – Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins), Yvan Cournoyer (Montreal Canadiens) and Peter Mahovlich (Montreal Canadiens) – on the ice, but Toronto’s Paul Hendersoncalled off Mahovlich in a line change. Henderson bolted from the bench to the action in front of the Russian goal, as Cournoyer attempted to pass the puck along the boards. Henderson fell behind the net, then returned to his skates and sought position in front as Esposito took a shot that Tretiak went down to stop. with only :34 seconds remaining, Henderson spotted the rebound and slid the puck under Tretiak for the series winner, with Canada taking a 4-3-1 final game lead with the 6-5 victory.

After the ‘72 Summit Series there would be other competitions, including the Canada Cup in 1976. At the time of the ‘72 series, Team Canada had been boycotting the Olympics and the World Championships in protest of NHL professionals being banned from participating by the International Ice Hockey Federation.

It would take until 1998 at the Nagano Winter Olympic Games for NHL players to be made eligible to play in the Olympic Games.

Canada’s Paul Henderson celebrated the series winning goal with Russian goalkeeper Vladimir Tretiak sprawled down in his crease. (photo by Frank Lennon)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The NHL (National Hockey League) and the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) could not have asked for more in these 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Although the time change will always be an issue with many an international event (Reminder: The men’s gold medal game starts at 8:00am Sunday morning, February 22), the NHL and PWHL will both look to capitalize on the success of the teams supplying the most talent to their respective leagues. The age-old question: Will the 2026 Winter Olympics provide a boost to the NHL’s and PWHL’s bottom line – via ticket sales, merchandise, international TV deals and better USA and Canadien TV ratings?

In the sport of soccer, the World Cup will be staged in North America and the powers-that-be within MLS (Major League Soccer) and NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) are hoping for a major boost in awareness and attendance.

But, time and time again, USA success in soccer has not ignited a firestorm of interest in the professional soccer ranks. Yes, there’s been a few nice blips on the screen – name recognition for the likes of Alexi Lalas or Landon Donovan but the huge increase in affinity has never surfaced in the United States.

In the past, the 1992 USA Basketball “Dream Team” set the standard for increased global awareness for the NBA, but other Olympic sports have enjoyed significant boosts.

• In 1972, Russian pixie Olga Korbut did her back flip off the uneven bars and ignited a huge increase in American young women joining gymnastics programs thought the 1970s.
• In 1996, Kerri Strug, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller and the Magnificent Seven sent another lightning rod of attention for women’s gymnastics.
• That was backed up by Carly Patterson who took the all-around title and fueled more interest in women’s gymnastics throughout the 2000s.
• Then came the Simone Biles era, and Biles was supported by Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney and a period of USA dominance in world gymnastics, fueled by Biles.
• The 1996 USA Basketball women’s national team was the main attraction at the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Among many others, UConn’s Rebecca Lobo started a new era for young women playing basketball. Counting her UConn record (35-0) and then ‘just’ the official USA Basketball exhibition games, and her first 15 WNBA games, Lobo went 60-0 during that time period and that doesn’t count another 40+ games played as scrimmages against American college teams. That promotion helped launch the WNBA in 1997.

Can ice hockey, and then later this year, soccer (Futbol) enjoy an extended boost of interest throughout the USA?

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The Boston Bruins will hold their first post-Olympics practice at the Warrior Rink at 11:30am Sunday, just hours after the completion of the gold medal game in Milan. … On Saturday, CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz reminded viewers we’re inside seven weeks until The Masters. … Every Major League Baseball team was in action for Grapefruit or Cactus League games. … The 2026 Chairman’s Cup between the Red Sox and Minnesota Twins began Saturday with their first of eight Grapefruit League matchups, with four at Hammond Stadium and four at JetBlue Park. (Little Fenway). The clubs split the Cup in both 2024 and 2025. … The Chairman’s Cup is named in honor of the ownership chairmen of the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins, recognizing the friendly rivalry between the two clubs that share spring training facilities in Fort Myers, Florida. It’s meant as a symbolic gesture celebrating the teams’ leadership and spring training connections.

THIS JEST IN: The selection committee for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament issued their first look at potential seedings for the March Madness college basketball tourney. The top four seeds in each region were revealed on Saturday. Michigan was ranked as the No. 1 overall seed while Duke and Arizona rounded-out what the committee chair called a consensus top three. After extensive discussion, the committee settled on Iowa State to fill the fourth top seed.

UConn, Houston, Illinois and Purdue were the consensus No. 2 seeds.

*Please keep in mind, Michigan and Duke play each other (after WWYI’s deadline on Saturday night).

Gotta hope you know your college logos to decipher the rest. One hint, the two V’s are Virginia and Vanderbilt.

THINGS I WONDER ABOUT: These are things I think about now and then, and no one seems to have any answers:

• Every now and then, our two pups cry and it’s a sound that goes right through me to the point where I’d do anything to come to their aid. My question is this: If dogs can cry, and it is so damn effective, why can’t they laugh?
• Speaking of which, our dog Penny (Lane) can say one word in the English language, and it is “out.” Somehow, she changes her bark a bit and the sound is clear – and in the King’s English.

On another topic:

• Who was the guy who invented the traffic circle or “Roundabout?” I’d like to get him.
• Lastly, to decompress from watching the Winter Olympics and every ice hockey game, I plan to loop NBC hockey play-by-play man Kenny Albert’s voice forcefully stating the name – Mika Zibanejad – 45 times for each 60-minute interval for at least 10 days. “Zibanejad this, Zibanejad that. Poke check, Zibanejad. Wrist shot,Zibanejad. Everything Zibanejad and anything Zibanejad.”

EDDIE: There’s an old NBA scouting story that would relate directly to Kenny Albert’s calls on Mika Zibanejad, but you’d need to change the basketball to ice hockey. Famed New York Knickerbockers GM Eddie Donovan used to drive to many a college basketball game to scout pro prospects. Since there were no stats, no game notes (to speak of), no internet, rare TV coverage, Donovan would spend the first quarter of the games he was scouting by staying in his car and tuning into the game on radio. He would keep count of the number of times the radio announcer would mention a player’s name. Donovan would then enter the building with the tally sheet and know which players to pay the most attention to as he watched the final three quarters of the game.

As it relates to this year’s men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament, undoubtedly, the great Eddie Donovan would’ve recommended to his Madison Square Garden/New York Rangers counterpart, “You better scout this guy, Zibanejad!”

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Last weekend, as reported in Digital Sports Desk, there was quite a brawl between St. John’s and Providence after a Flagrant Foul take down of (former Friar) St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins. In the postgame WPRO-Radio report by Providence College, color man Joey Hassett (he of Providence basketball – 1973-to-1977 – and later a three-point FG specialist with the Seattle SuperSonics where he won an NBA championship ring in 1979) actually said, referring to St. John’s transfer Hopkins, “he’s the one who started the fight.”

Said Hassett, “The (Providence) Friars had momentum at that point. They were up 41-40. That situation (brawl that saw two ejections, and a two game suspension to Providence forward Duncan Powell for his flagrant 2 take-down of Hopkins). They get four free throws,” added Hassett. “He gets the flagrant foul, and could’a just got up, but — he started the fight.”

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SUNRISE – (Wire Service Report) – Anton Lundell came off the injured list and provided one goal and two assists in regulation and also scored in the shootout as the host Florida Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins, 5-4, on Wednesday night in South Florida.

Brad Marchand also scored in the four-round shootout. Victor Arvidsson scored for Boston.

The Panthers, who snapped a season-high-tying four-game losing streak, also got two other players back from the injured list: Marchand and Sam Bennett.

Other prominent Panthers still injured are center Aleksander Barkov and defensemen Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.

The Panthers also got goals from Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis and Matthew Tkachuk. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves for his first win since Jan. 24.

Boston, playing its final game before its Olympic break, got two goals from Michael Eyssimont. Prior to Wednesday, he had scored just once since Nov. 17. The Bruins also got one goal each from Mark Kastelic and Casey Mittelstadt.

Joonas Korpisalo added 22 saves as the Bruins lost consecutive games for the first time this calendar year.

Bennett appeared to open the scoring just 84 seconds in, but the goal was wiped out on review due to offsides.

The Panthers made it 1-0 — for real this time — as Boston’s Morgan Geekie fanned on a clearing attempt, and that led directly to Luostarinen scoring from the right circle.

However, Boston closed the first period with a 2-1 lead as Eyssimont scored with 12:42 left and again with 7:17 remaining.

On the first goal, Alex Steeves earned the primary assist as he won a puck battle and made a blind pass to Eyssimont, who was in alone on Bobrovsky. On the second one, Eyssimont scored on another breakaway, faking out Bobrovsky before stuffing the puck just inside the right post.

Florida took a 4-2 lead in the second period, scoring twice on its power play and once short-handed.

First, Tkachuk, operating from behind the goal line, tossed a pass to Balinskis, who scored from the slot. Then, less than three minutes later, Florida struck again as Tkachuk made two more great passes before scoring himself, banking the puck in off the back of Korpisalo.

Both times, the Panthers scored within the first 30 seconds with the man advantage.

Florida then added a short-handed goal as Sam Reinhart came up with a steal and then put the puck on Lundell’s stick for a tap-in tally.

However, Boston tied the score 4-4 with third-period goals by Kastelic and then Mittelstadt. First, Kastelic scored on a deflection off a pass from Charlie McAvoy. Then, with 9:30 left in the third, Mittelstadt scored on a rebound, just nine seconds into Boston’s sixth power play of the night.

–Field Level Media

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Zdeno Chara’s No. 33 is retired to the TD Garden rafters on Thursday night, the Boston Bruins will look to complete a five-game sweep of their homestand when they host the Seattle Kraken. Bruins’ goalkeepers have pitched back-to-back shutouts — one behind both Joonas Korpisalo and Jeremy Swayman — and allowed just three total goals in the four games since losing 7-4 in Seattle on Jan. 6.

“Best stat ever,” Swayman said of the defensive performance that has highlighted the recent unbeaten leg of the team’s 6-1-0 run.

Boston’s latest win on Tuesday was a big one. Pavel Zacha scored the deciding goal and Swayman made 24 saves in a 3-0 shutout of the Detroit Red Wings, who entered the week leading the Atlantic Division.

“I think it was one of the most complete games we’ve played all year long, 5-on-5,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “Those are the games we have to take advantage of a little bit (against a team on a back-to-back). We’ve had a couple recently. I think (Thursday) will be another one.”

While Zacha’s second-period goal stood tall, the Bruins dominated in the third, outshooting Detroit 16-2 and getting scoring from Fraser Minten and Mark Kastelic.

Zacha has points in four of his last five games, including a hat trick with the game-winner in Boston’s 10-2 Saturday win over the New York Rangers. Viktor Arvidsson, who has played on Zacha’s wing of late, is on a five-game point streak.

But focusing on the back end has been key to the stretch.

“I think that’s one of the things from the start of the season we really pride ourselves on — being good defensively, playing these close games and being able to win them,” Zacha said.

Tuesday also marked Boston’s fourth straight game committing just two penalties after a whopping 30 calls in the prior six.

Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm inched closer to returning from injured reserve as he skated in a non-contact jersey on Wednesday.

Seattle visits Boston for the fourth contest of a five-game road trip (1-1-1), heading north following its 3-2 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.

The Kraken’s win over Boston last week also came in the second game of a back-to-back and was part of a 10-game point streak (8-0-2). They are just 1-1-2 since that game.

Jordan McCann had a goal and an assist, former Devils defenseman Adam Larsson also scored, and Vince Dunn helped on both goals against New Jersey.

“I thought we played slow hockey. Prior to the game, we said we were gonna have to play fast,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “I didn’t think we were sharp, and part of being sharp is you play with some speed.”

The effort improved despite a scoreless third period, but New Jersey dominated possession in the extra session.

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SEATTLE – Seattle’s Berkly Catton scored the first two goals of his NHL career as the Seattle Kraken torched the visiting Boston Bruins 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Kaapo Kakko had two goals and an assist, Jared McCann had one of each, Jordan Eberle and Ben Meyers also scored, and Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn and Freddy Gaudreau had two assists apiece for the Kraken, who extended their point streak to nine games (8-0-1). Goaltender Joey Daccord made 32 saves.

David Pastrnak tallied twice, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist, and Mason Lohrei also scored for the Bruins, who wrapped up a five-game trip in which they went 2-2-1. Jeremy Swayman stopped 20 of 26 shots as Boston saw a two-game winning streak and a three-game point streak snapped.

The 19-year-old Catton was the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and was playing in his 28th game, broke a 1-all tie at 2:48 of the second period. Catton carried the puck over the blue line on the right wing and sent a drop pass to McCann, who immediately passed back to the rookie. Catton’s slap shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle deflected off the heel of Swayman’s blocker and into the net.

Catton scored his second on the power play at 14:20 of the third to make it 6-2. He took a pass from Gaudreau, broke in alone on Swayman and lifted a backhander off the right post and just under the crossbar.

The teams traded goals in the first period.

Seattle struck first at 8:50 as Eberle tallied on a 5-on-3 power play.

Pastrnak tied it at 12:47, faking a slap shot and putting a wrister into the upper-right corner of the net.

After Catton gave Seattle the lead, Pastrnak tied it a second time off a nifty backhanded cross-ice pass from Charlie McAvoy.

The Kraken regained the lead at 18:23 as Tye Kartye, back in the lineup with Eeli Tolvanen a late scratch because of illness, stole the puck behind the Boston net and sent a backhanded pass to Meyers for a one-timer from the slot.

The Kraken extended their lead to 4-2 on a buzzer-beating slap shot from the right point by McCann on the power play. A video review determined the puck entered the net with 0.5 seconds left in the second period.

The teams combined for five goals in the final half of the third period.

Kakko tallied at 10:21, followed by Catton.

Lohrei scored off a scramble in front of the net at 14:50 and Arvidsson on a power play at 17:38 to pull the Bruins within 6-4.

Kakko fired the puck into an empty net at 19:48 to cap the scoring.

–Field Level Media

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Fenway Sports Group unloaded the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins franchise this weekend at a hefty $1.7-to-$1.8 billion, an increase over the $900m the Boston-based agency paid for the ice hockey franchise in 2021.

Crosstown from Fenway and up at North Station, financier and entrepreneur Bill Chisholm, a lifelong Boston Celtics NBA basketball fan, dropped a cool $6.1 billion in order to purchase a controlling chunk of the C’s.

Is it possible that an NBA franchise is worth $4.3 billion more than an iconic NHL team? Or, if you count the exorbitant $10 billion valuation of the Los Angeles Lakers – recently purchased by Mark Waller (from the family of Dr. Jerry Buss), you’ve got a ridiculous 8.3 billion difference.

To level the playing field, hardwood and ice, you must consider the fact the Celtics and the Lakers, respectively, are the two most decorated franchises in the NBA and only the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors can be held in the lofty rare-air of value. In the NHL, the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks can be compared. Pittsburgh would be in the second tier of NHL franchise valuations. The global allure and the recent TV/media deal struck by the NBA make it a very steady investment for the ultra-rich who might be seeking a vehicle to balance their bank books.

Fenway has been seeking a buyer for the ice hockey franchise for a while. The Penguins were never a good fit for the agency, as its Boston-based sister clubs (Boston Red Sox and NHL Bruins) co-own cash cow regional sports network NESN. FSG also owns Liverpool of the English Premier League, and the (Worcester, Mass) Woo-Sox and the minor league teams which support the Red Sox. Fenway also has its investments in, RFK (Roush Racing venture with driver Brad Keselowski), the PGA Tour, and TGL Golf via the Boston Common GC of indoor golf.

Fenway Sports Group and Hoffmann Family of Companies announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for the Hoffmanns to acquire a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Headquartered in Chicago, the Hoffmann family have built a diverse portfolio of operating businesses and commercial real estate holdings and are also owners of the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. The close of the transaction is subject to approval by the National Hockey League Board of Governors.

“During a formal process to explore investor interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins, we were approached by the Hoffmann family with an offer that warranted serious consideration,” said Sam Kennedy, CEO of Fenway Sports Group. “From our earliest conversations, their love of the sport and their commitment to doing things the right way made it clear they would be thoughtful stewards of the franchise, which is why we chose to seriously consider their interest. We plan to work closely with them to ensure a smooth transition and to carry forward the momentum that’s been built. It has been an honor to be part of the Penguins’ story, working alongside a world-class leadership team, passionate fans, and a dedicated community.”

Hoffmann Family of Companies is a rapidly expanding, family-owned private equity enterprise of over 125 global brands led by brothers Geoff and Greg Hoffmann. Geoff oversees the family’s private equity investments with Greg managing its real estate holdings. In addition to their business ventures, the Hoffmann’s acquired the Florida Everblades of the ECHL in 2019 and are deeply committed to community impact, contributing millions annually to nonprofits across the country.

Their philanthropic efforts include the creation of Type 1 Timer Hockey in 2022 by Geoff Hoffmann and his wife, the only nonprofit hockey camp in North America dedicated to supporting young athletes with type 1 diabetes.

“Hockey has always been a meaningful part of our family’s story, which makes this an incredibly special opportunity,” said Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies. “We’ve long admired the Pittsburgh Penguins – not just for their championship legacy and history, but for the culture, passion, and loyalty that define the organization. From our earliest conversations, we saw how deeply the Penguins are woven into the fabric of Pittsburgh. We are honored to join that tradition and excited to become an active part of the community.

“Our goal is to support Kyle Dubas with everything he needs to bring the Penguins back to the pinnacle of the NHL. We look forward to working alongside the exceptional leadership team already in place, strengthening our connection with Penguins fans, and ensuring the franchise remains a source of pride for the city for generations to come.”

That all equates to a press announcement filled with back-patting along with a stated commitment to the city of Pittsburgh, the home to the Penguins since the NHL expansion of 1967.

The Penguins lifted the Stanley Cup five times, in 1991,1992, 2009, 2016, and 2017, a tremendous run with much of it due to the talents of the great Mario Lemieux. The success noted, it was Lemieux who bailed the franchise out after they were forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 1998.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: St. John’s University basketball entered the 2025-26 season with a lofty No. 5 ranking, the highest since the Chris Mullin era in the mid-1980s. Coming off the (31-5) 2024-25 season, a BIG EAST Championship and the magic of Rick Pitino’s off-season recruiting efforts, St. John’s was destined for greatness this season … Not so fast, as Saturday’s 78-66 loss to Kentucky set the Johnnies back to (7-4) on the season, including losses to Alabama, Iowa State, Auburn, and the Wildcats – not to mention an exhibition loss at the hands of Michigan at Madison Square Garden. While St. John’s improved defensively over the first three weeks of the young season, and won three games during that timespan, their half-court offense was non-existent in the loss to the (8-4) Wildcats. St. John’s is (0-3) against ranked teams. After one last non-conference game (home vs Harvard), for St. John’s, the tough, full BIG EAST schedule awaits. … A one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring a gold logo patch commemorating Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 NL MVP Award fetched $3 million during an auction this week. The card was autographed by Ohtani. … Long before the advent of breaking news “Woj Bombs” and “Shams Scoops” on Twitter/X, Peter Vecsey, was writing NBA basketball only sports columns in New York and he fast became an influential NBA insider who helped define modern sports journalism. Author Pete Croatto profiled Vecsey for Poynter.

PGA SCHEDULE: The PGA TOUR usually begins its season with a Tournament of Champions on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. Each year, roughly 30 pro golfers, who won on the circuit last season, get a one week head start on the rest of the tour. The SONY Open – which was the second event on the tour in year’s past – will now act as the No. 1 tournament for 2026, playing in Honolulu from January 15-18.

A SHAMELESS PGA TOUR BRUNCH PLUG: Say Happy New Year to your favorite golf fan with PGA Tour Brunch. Posted to in-boxes six days a week (not Tuesdays) for lunch or brunch-time reading, PGA Tour Brunch provides fans of the PGA Tour (and its growing list of Fantasy, gambling and DFS players, too) with a one-stop, mobile friendly e-news to help navigate the hundreds of golf news sites available. PGA Tour Brunch is short and sweet, a couple mobile page scrolls and it provides all the basic information, like tee times, the field, odds, player notes, leaderboards, and even some breaking news. It’s designed by @terrylyons with a blessing from the popular @SoxLunch creators.

What Was Written by WWYI in the First Half of ‘25

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As the Year of 2025 comes to a close, your favorite column does a customary look-back at the stories we looked at each week of the year. It works best when split into two parts. One part this week, then Part 2 next weekend. Here’s January to June 2025:

Part One – January 2025 to June ‘25 (Tune in Next Week for July to December)

Jan. 5:

Bold Predications – Actually chalk – Ohio State will win the College Football Playoffs

I made 10 predictions. Plain text = Incorrect but Bold Text = Correct

Ohio State will win the College Football National Championship.

Free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Canada will win the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Detroit Lions will win the Super Bowl. Jared Goff will be MVP.

Kansas will win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship with Tennessee, Duke and Florida falling short in the 2025 Final Four. (2 of 4, and Florida won)

Citizen Bull will win the Kentucky Derby but not the Triple Crown. (Sovereignty won and Citizen Bull came in a lowly 15th).

The Vegas Golden Knights will win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Washington Capitals. (Florida Panthers won, but Vegas was 1st in Pacific but lost to Edmonton in the Second Round).

The Oklahoma City Thunder will win the NBA title, defeating the Boston Celtics with OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning a double MVP for the regular season and NBA Finals.

Scottie Scheffler will repeat as the winner of the TOUR Championship, the FedEx Cup and the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year. He will not get arrested this season. (Scheffler fell short and Tommy Fleetwood won)

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be World Series champions once again.

*****I went five for 10 (.500) with partials at the NCAA Final 4 (Duke and Florida). Roki Sasaki signed with the LA Dodgers in March but was oft-injured and placed on the 60-day IL with right shoulder impingement.

Jan. 12:

• What happened to the Boston “Title Town” teams?
• LA Wild Fires
• Venu is Kaput (ESPN changes direction, never launches site/channel)

Jan. 19:

• CFP 2025 – Good Job
• MSG photographer George Kalinsky – RIP
• FIBA ‘25 – Hall of Fame Inductees

Jan. 26:

• AFC/NFC Championship – Great Day

Feb 2:

• Ground Hog Day Meets Red Sox Truck Day
• MLB Spring Training on the Horizon

Feb. 9:

• The Doncic Trade
• All-Time Fictional Character Hoops Team

Feb. 16:

• Ups & Downs of NBA All-Star
• Jeff Twiss Named BHofF Bunn Award Winner

Feb. 23:

• 4 Nations Ice Hockey Scores!

March 2:

• MLB Spring Training/Little Fenway
• Diana Taurasi

March 9:

• On-site at MIT Sloan Sports Conference

March 16:

• On-site at the BIG EAST Tournament at The Garden
• MLB Opener in Japan

March | Special:

• St. John’s Wins Big East Championship

March Madness | Special – March 20:

• Brackets!

March 22:

• St. John’s Bows-Out Early (On-site in Providence)
• Celtics Sale

March 30:

• Frozen Four
• College Basketball Crown

April 4 | Special | Fenway Home Opener

• Digital Sports Desk Opens MLB Season at Fenway

April 6:

• Boston Red Sox Review of Home Opener | Timeline
• Torpedo Bats

April 13:

• The Masters
• Ch, ch, ch, CHANGES in Sports

April 20:

• Jackie Robinson Day in MLB (April 15)

April 27:

• Relegation in the Premier League/European Futbol
• Relegation: Not So Fast in North American-based Pro Sports
• Relegation in LARGE College Conferences

May 4:

• San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Tribute

May 11:

• The Cooper Flagg NBA Draft Lottery
• Devers Airs his Grievances with Red Sox

May 18:

• Seasons Change and So Does Boston
• PGA Championship | Quail Hollow

May 25:

• The Memorial
• The Ultimate Memorial: Carl Richard “Dick” Gumina

June 1:

• The Belmont at Saratoga

June 8:

• NBA Finals
• NBA Photos
• Look Out for the Florida Panthers

June 15:

• Great Sports Promos – the NHL
• Stanley Cup Final | Game 5

June 22:

• NBA Finals – Game 7s
• On-site for the PGA Tour | The Travelers
• Cal Raleigh | Record-breaking Pace

June 29:

• The “New” Texas Triangle

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: Without pushing it too far or making one of my patented lists, one could easily say the most impactful musical voices of the 20th Century were:

• The Beatles
• Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones
• Elvis
• Frank Sinatra

Here’s a collection of Sinatra Christmas music for your yuletide enjoyment:

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Year End #1 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With injuries leading to often-changing lineups for Boston, one thing has stayed the same: The Bruins have earned to very few easy wins this season. In fact, a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday was just their second by more than two goals.

Now, the Bruins turn the page to a matchup with the visiting New Jersey Devils, with Boston looking to post its first back-to-back triumphs since completing a seven-game winning streak nearly a month ago.

“Maybe we slip a little bit sometimes after one win or a few wins, so we’ve got to keep that consistency better and have a higher low point than we have right now,” said Boston forward Viktor Arvidsson, who recorded his 400th career point on Thursday.

Boston score twice in the first period against St. Louis before breaking open a 2-1 game with a three-goal middle frame in which Pavel Zacha netted the final two tallies. Joonas Korpisalo made a season-high 37 saves.

Boston forward Alex Steeves has stepped up in the absence of star David Pastrnak, who has missed four consecutive games due to an undisclosed injury and remains day-to-day.

Steeves tallied the game-opening goal against the Blues, his fifth goal in five games as he temporarily plays alongside Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie on the top line. The New Hampshire native did not play in his first NHL game until Nov. 8 this season, working on his game with AHL Providence to earn a recall.

“A lot of guys say it. But to Steeves’ credit, a lot of guys don’t do it,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “He didn’t like to go down (after training camp), but I also remember he said, ‘I will be back.’ … The way he said it, I believed him. I knew his time would come.”

Friday also marked Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s second day skating in a non-contact jersey after taking a shot to the face on Nov. 15.

New Jersey hits the road to complete a back-to-back set and looks to change its luck after being swept in a four-game homestand. The Devils took their second straight shutout loss and third this season in a 3-0 setback against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.

Prior to the recent skid that dropped them out of a playoff position in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference, the Devils were 9-0-1 on home ice this season. They are 7-7-0 on the road.

“We need everybody on board,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “We have our foundation, and it starts with just competing. We’ve also got to find a way to score goals. Without scoring goals, you aren’t winning. … We have to simplify our game and get a dirty win.”

New Jersey was right in it on Friday, trailing just 1-0 after two periods before Vegas padded its lead with a pair of power-play tallies late in the third.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe searched for answers in another late-game situation, moving his top line to feature Hischier centering Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt.

Another change to the forward lineup came in the form of Angus Crookshank, who was recalled from AHL Utica and made his Devils debut on Friday. He had an even rating in 10:36 of ice time.

“He skates hard and shoots the puck extremely well,” Keefe said. “We think if he can get a scoring chance, he can shoot it in the net. We’re just trying to give him a chance.”

Crookshank had five goals in 17 AHL games at the time of his call-up. The first 21 games of his NHL career were with the Ottawa Senators over the past two seasons.

–Field Level Media

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