Despite 12 teams having the day off on Dec. 9, an NHL record four game-tying goals were scored in the final 15 seconds of regulation. Prior to that, there had never been more than three in a single day.
Goal #1: Beckett Sennecke, RW, ANA
The historic night began with a goal from Anaheim Ducks right winger Beckett Sennecke, who beat Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Artūrs Šilovs with one second left on the clock. The Ducks went on to win 4-3 in a shootout.
Goal #2: Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, VGK
Vegas Golden Knights left winger Pavel Dorofeyev joined Sennecke later in the night when he jumped on a rebound and put it past New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin with 12 seconds left in their game. However, the Islanders wound up coming out on top, defeating the Golden Knights 5-4 in a shootout.
Goal #3: Connor McDavid, C, EDM
But, that wasn't all. Soon after, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid found a loose puck and put it past Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon with two seconds remaining on the clock. The Sabres however, got it done in overtime, and defeated the Oilers by a final score of 4-3.
Goal #4: Cale Makar, D, COL
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar capped off the unforgettable night with a point shot that beat a screened Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros glove side. The Avalanche, surprisingly, couldn't build off their momentum and fell to the Predators in a shootout by a final score of 4-3.
What an unforgettable night of buzzer beaters.8mo 
The Hockey NewsAfter signing a team friendly two-year, $25 million extension with the Edmonton Oilers in October, fans can finally take a deep breath knowing the three time Hart Trophy winner isn't going anywhere.
However, McDavid is set to hit free agency in the 2028 offseason, which has already began to generate discussion amongst fans and other players on where he'll end up.
In The Athletic's 2025 anonymous NHL player poll, 110 skaters were asked where they think McDavid will be playing in three years.
To Oilers' fans relief, Edmonton led the poll by far, racking up 56.4% of votes. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers also received over 8% of votes.
The Chicago Blackhawks, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings and Utah Mammoth also received multiple votes.
The Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Montréal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken received one vote.
Where do you think McDavid will be playing once his contract is up?8mo The Hockey News The Hockey News Just over a quarter through the season, the Metropolitan Division is looking like the most competitive one in the league, with all eight teams holding their ground. Entering the season, it was expected to be a three team race between the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils, who all made playoff appearances last season.
The New York Rangers were also expected to be in mix, even after a disappointing year where they only finished with 85 points.
However, all eight teams are looking like they could make a run at the division.
The Capitals currently sit alone at the top with 36 points, largely in part to their current six game win streak, led by captain Alex Ovechkin, who's recorded 12 goals in his last sixteen games. Their well-rounded play on both sides of the puck led to a division win last year and with the team looking similar this season, they're looking like the favorites to finish on top.
The Hurricanes and Devils, who also made the playoffs last year, aren't far behind. Carolina sits just two points behind the Capitals, with three less games played. However, New Jersey, is in a bit of a tough spot. After losing star forward Jack Hughes for roughly eight weeks, the team has taken a hit. Prior to his injury, they were 12-4-1, looking like legitimate contenders. However, since then, they're 4-6. With Hughes, expected to be sidelined until at least January, the Devils could easily fall behind.
The Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets have also stayed in the mix, who none emerging as a clear bottom feeder. The Flyers, who finished last in the division in 2024, have emerged as a surprise team. They sit third in the division with 33 points and recently surpassed the Devils.
The Blue Jackets, who sit at the bottom are far and away the strongest last place team. Despite being at the bottom, they still hold a winning record at 12-9-5, and have three less games played than the first place Capitals.
It's fair to say the division is wide open, but who do you think will come out on top?8mo The Hockey News The Hockey News There's no doubt the Avalanche have been the best team in hockey just over a month into the season. With an unbelievable 18-1-6 record, they sit at 42 points, and have a commanding lead over the Dallas Stars, who hold the second most points.
They're looking like the clear front runner's for the President's Trophy.
However, don't count out the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Like Colorado, they've been elite offensively, defensively and in net.
The Lightning, who got off to a rough start, are on a seven game win streak and now sit alone at the top of the Atlantic Division. They rank eighth in average goals per game with 3.36 and third in average goals allowed per game with 2.60.
On top of that, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy holds a a .917 save percentage. They also hold the best penalty kill percentage in the league at 88.8%.
With plenty of talented veteran playmakers like Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman, expect the Lightning to stay near the top of the standings for the rest of the season, and slowly creep in on the Avalanche's lead.8mo The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News Moments before New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes cut his hand on a broken glass in what's being called a "fluke accident," the team posed for a photo. In the photo, a few players, including Hughes, can be seen holding a jersey with "Chicago Cut" written on the back.
How ironic.
But, it doesn't stop there. This wasn't an ordinary team dinner, it was a birthday dinner for Barstool personality and diehard Devils fan, Frank Fleming.
Fleming, who is also a passionate fan of the Miami Dolphins and New York Mets has extremely high expectations for his teams. According to Barstool Sports, anything below a championship is basically a disappointing season in Fleming's eyes. It doesn't help that the Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since 2000 and the Super Bowl since 1974.
The Mets haven't been much better. While they last made the playoffs in 2024, they haven't won the World Series since 1986.
This has led to the infamous "Fleming curse," and it appears it's struck again. The irony of the Devils star forward hurting himself at not only a team outing, but Frank's birthday dinner is off the charts.
Hughes is without an exact timeline to return, which will likely have an impact on the Devils' play for the time being.
Poor Frank.9mo The Hockey News Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin recently won the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year after posting an excellent season both offensively and defensively.
But, he wasn't always just a one sport athlete.
In high school, Baldwin was a hockey star.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Baldwin played both AAA and high school hockey as a teenager. He began playing rep hockey in 2014, where he recorded three points in five games as a forward with the Madison Capitols 13U AAA.
The following year, he entered high school and dropped 38 points in 24 regular season games for Madison West High. In the playoffs, he scored four goals and had one assist across two games.
In his sophomore year, Baldwin split time between his high school and Team Wisconsin 15U AAA. But, he excelled for both teams. He notched 18 points in twelve regular season high school games and two points in two playoff games. For Team Wisconsin, he scored 13 points in five games.
In his final two high school seasons, Baldwin stepped up his game and combined for 139 points in 48 games.
Regardless, it's safe to say Baldwin chose the right sport to pursue a career in.9mo The Hockey News The Hockey News The Atlantic Division was expected to be a race between the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning once again this year, with the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators also expecting to contend.
However, just a month through the season, the division is looking like a complete toss-up.
The Canadiens sit on top with a 9-3-1 record, with the Red Wings and Maple Leafs just behind. Montreal looks like a much more complete and competitive team than last year, but with the Maple Leafs and Lightning heating up, it'll be difficult for the Canadiens to hold their spot.
As for the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, they sit at the bottom of the division with a miserable 6-6-1 record. After losing star forwards Aleksander Barkov for the year and Matthew Tkachuk until at least January, a regression was expected. But, once Tkachuk returns, it'd be difficult to imagine the Panthers remain near the bottom.
The Bruins, Red Wings, Senators and Sabres have also looked competitive thus far, and while the strength of their rosters might not be at the same level as the teams previously mentioned, it doesn't look like anyone is a clear bottomfeeder.
It's still early in the season, but the Atlantic Division is looking wide open. Who do you think will come out on top?9mo The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News The Hockey News 
