Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 44 points to help the Boston Celtics snap a two-game losing streak with a 142-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Brown shot 16 of 24 from the field, including 6 of 11 from three-point range, and made all six of his free throws. He also grabbed five rebounds, recorded three assists, and had four steals.
Jayson Tatum added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who made 23 of 57 three-pointers. Payton Pritchard contributed 18 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds off the bench.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 19 points and nine assists, but Indiana never held the lead in the game. Bennedict Mathurin scored 18 points, and Pascal Siakam added 14. Off the bench, Jarace Walker had 15 points and five assists, and Thomas Bryant contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.
Boston’s 142 points marked their highest total of the season.
The game was tied 11-11 midway through the first quarter, but Boston then pulled away, finishing the first quarter with a 39-22 lead. Brown scored 15 points in the first 12 minutes, making all six of his field goals.
Jaylen Brown takes the ball forward
The Celtics extended their lead to 57-37 after a Tatum three-pointer with 3:38 left in the second quarter. Al Horford capped a 13-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers, giving Boston a 65-37 lead. They led 67-45 at halftime.
Brown finished the first half with 23 points, while Tatum had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Another Tatum three-pointer increased Boston’s lead to 95-63 with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Celtics led 103-78 entering the final quarter, and their advantage reached 38 points at its peak.
Both teams were missing key players. The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain), while the Pacers were without Obi Toppin (left ankle sprain) and Andrew Nembhard (left knee injury management).
The two teams will play again on Sunday in Boston.
LeBron James has led the Los Angeles Lakers to a strong run ahead of Saturday’s game against the struggling Sacramento Kings, a team dealing with changes after head coach Mike Brown was fired on Friday.
James, who is playing his final game before turning 40, has helped the Lakers win four of their last five games, including a thrilling 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. In that game, he scored 31 points and added 10 assists.
Although James will celebrate his 40th birthday on Monday, he is still playing at a high level, averaging 23.5 points per game, along with 7.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists this season. The four-time MVP has only averaged nine or more assists per game twice in his 21 seasons.
James also led the Lakers to a win over the Warriors on Wednesday despite Anthony Davis leaving the game early with an ankle injury. Austin Reaves stepped up, recording 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season and third of his career. Reaves scored the game-winning layup with 1.7 seconds left.
“It’s always difficult to play without A.D., so I guess our job is even more heightened,” James said. “We have to do a little bit more. Everyone has to chip in, especially on the defensive end because A.D. is our anchor.”
Davis’ status for Saturday’s game is uncertain, which means the Lakers may be without his 25.7 points and 11.4 rebounds. Guard D’Angelo Russell is expected to return after missing the Christmas Day game due to a sprained left thumb.
While Davis is listed as questionable, both James and Rui Hachimura missed Friday’s practice due to illness.
Sacramento Kings (NBA)
In Doug Christie’s first game as interim head coach, the Kings are facing their own availability issues. Domantas Sabonis missed Thursday’s 114-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons because of illness and didn’t practice on Friday.
The Kings also have to deal with the absence of Brown, who was fired after just over two seasons in Sacramento, with the team sitting 12th in the Western Conference with a 13-18 record.
Without Sabonis on Thursday, the Kings seemed to be on track for a win but lost after Detroit’s Jaden Ivey made a go-ahead four-point play with 3.1 seconds left. De’Aaron Fox, who fouled Ivey on the decisive 3-pointer, led the Kings with 26 points.
The Kings allowed 37 points in the fourth quarter and were outscored by 15 in the period. Their struggles on both ends of the floor were too much for Brown to overcome, leading to his firing.
Brown, who conducted Friday’s practice, was dismissed just before the team was set to fly to Los Angeles. Last season, he led the Kings to the playoffs, ending a 16-year postseason drought.
Sacramento’s issues were clear when they led by 19 points in the third quarter on Thursday but allowed Detroit to make 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) from 3-point range in the final period.
“We knew this was a game that was winnable,” Fox said. “We gave ourselves a chance to win going into the fourth quarter and we didn’t do a good job. We gotta be able to finish games better.”
The Kings are currently on a five-game losing streak, which includes two losses to the Lakers last week. The most recent of those losses was a 103-99 defeat on Dec. 21.
This losing streak is the longest for Sacramento since a seven-game slide in January 2022.
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to keep up their recent strong play when they visit the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Philadelphia has had a few days of rest since earning a solid 118-114 victory over the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. That win was their eighth in the last 11 games, bringing back optimism for the season.
“We got a high ceiling,” said 76ers star Joel Embiid after scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds against the Celtics. “It’s all about us putting it together. I don’t think that was close to our best basketball, but we got a pretty good chance. So it’s all about looking for some luck, and staying healthy.”
After a tough 3-14 start, the Sixers have been on a roll, winning two in a row and four of their last five games.
The game against the Celtics was only the sixth time this season that Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey were all available to play together. Since they’re just 1 1/2 games out of play-in contention as of Friday, they’re confident in their chances if they can keep their key players healthy.
Maxey had 33 points and 12 assists against Boston, and Caleb Martin added seven 3-pointers and 23 points.
Maxey said the 76ers are “a lot different” from a month ago when they were near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
“But I said it back then, just give us some time. It was difficult because guys were in and out and we finally thought that we were going to have everybody playing. I got hurt. That sucks. You know what I mean?” Maxey said.
Utah Jazz (NBA)
“I had a little rhythm going a little bit and then I get hurt and then we got to restart, figure it all out. I come back, Joel gets hurt. We got to figure it all out again.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve really done is we’ve come together a lot more,” Maxey added. “I feel like we had a lot of new guys. I don’t know how many new people we have, like seven or something like that, and it’s difficult. You don’t know how you want to play. You don’t know what combinations go with each other. I think we’re finally figuring that out.”
The Jazz have only won three of their last 13 games, the same stretch in which Philadelphia has turned things around, but they see progress in their rebuilding efforts.
After winning back-to-back games for the first time this season, they ended a five-game road trip with tough losses to Cleveland and Portland. They were competitive in both games. Utah was tied with Portland late in Thursday’s game after Lauri Markkanen hit a late 3-pointer, but Portland’s Scoot Henderson made a game-winning shot with just a tenth of a second left.
Jazz coach Will Hardy had positive words about Markkanen, who scored 25 points against Portland, and the contributions from the team’s three rookies: Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski.
“The most important thing for me is building those foundational habits of competitiveness every night,” Hardy said. “I’m happy with all their progress.”
The Chicago Bulls, currently on a three-game losing streak, will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday for their second meeting in six days.
Milwaukee returns to Chicago after beating the Bulls 112-91 on Monday, even without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton stepped up, each scoring 21 points in place of the injured Antetokounmpo.
Once again, Antetokounmpo and Lillard were absent in Thursday’s 111-105 loss to Brooklyn. Lillard has missed the last four games with a calf injury and an illness.
“Ain’t no excuses,” Bobby Portis said after Thursday’s game. “We lost, they won, we move on Saturday. Get a win, feel good, go into Indiana (and) the new year. That’s it.”
The Bucks have two games left in 2024: Saturday in Chicago and Tuesday in Indiana. Their season has had ups and downs, including a seven-game win streak from Nov. 18 to Dec. 3, after a rough 2-8 start.
Antetokounmpo leads the league with 32.7 points per game, and Lillard averages 25.7 points and 7.5 assists. But the Bucks are only three games above .500 and rank mid-to-lower in various team stats. Their scoring is down, averaging 112.5 points per game, which is 16th in the league and 6.5 points less than last season.
Milwaukee’s scoring defense has improved, allowing 111.2 points per game, down from 116.4 last year.
Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards
In Monday’s win over Chicago, the Bucks had one of their best defensive games, holding the Bulls to 91 points on 36-of-90 shooting (40%) and 10-of-48 (20.8%) from three, while forcing 15 turnovers.
Chicago, despite Monday’s loss, averages 117.7 points per game, sixth in the NBA. Their top scorers are Zach LaVine (22.3 ppg), Nikola Vucevic (20.7), and Coby White (17.7). But the Bulls have struggled defensively, sitting five games under .500. They’ve allowed the second-most points in the league at 121.8 per game.
Chicago had a tough fourth quarter in their 141-133 loss to Atlanta on Thursday, giving up 50 points and losing a 17-point lead.
“We’re going to have to look at that and figure out what we need to do to weather the storm,” said LaVine, who scored a season-high 37 points in the loss. “That just can’t happen. It’s unacceptable.”
A possible boost for the Bulls could be the return of Josh Giddey, who has missed the last four games due to an ankle injury. He’s averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and a team-high 6.9 assists.
“A lot is going to depend on how he responds (after a workout Thursday) and then probably get another one in (on Friday),” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said about Giddey’s potential return.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Charlotte Hornets look very different going into their game on Saturday night.
The Thunder have won four straight games since losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup final.
“It’s the extra plays that put you over the edge,” said Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “We know that. We have a bunch of players that are hungry to do that.”
The Thunder had a big second half to beat Indiana 120-114 on Thursday, led by Gilgeous-Alexander’s career-high-tying 45 points. Nine of those points came in the final minute, including a key 3-pointer.
“That’s what the work is about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It went in because I took the shot. I’d like to think I’ve grown a bit. Trusting my work. It’s about continuing to push forward.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has been the top scorer for the Thunder in seven of the last eight games, including back-to-back 40-plus-point games. His latest performance was one of his best.
“That was a masterpiece,” said Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault. “He just had total control.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring average is now 31.1 points per game, ranking second in the league. Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball is fourth at 30.1.
The Hornets have lost six straight games and 14 of their last 15. Their latest loss came on Thursday, a 113-110 defeat at Washington, a team with fewer wins than Charlotte’s seven.
“We’re going through a little bit of adversity right now, and I think this group is banding together,” said Hornets coach Charles Lee. “They’re competing harder and learning how to get through it. I have total faith that we will continue to push through and keep getting better every day.”
Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets
Miles Bridges or Ball have been the Hornets’ top scorer in four of the last five games. Ball has scored more than 30 points twice since returning from an injury.
The Hornets are starting to get back some of their post players with Mark Williams and Nick Richards both playing. However, Bridges has been leading the team in rebounding, grabbing the most boards in three of the last five games.
Williams has played in eight games— all losses— since missing October and November while recovering from an injury. His 16-point performance on 8-for-11 shooting in 26 minutes at Washington is a sign of hope.
Richards’ role has been reduced, as he has played no more than 17 minutes in five of his last six games.
Brandon Miller appears to be back in the regular rotation for the Hornets. He scored 18 points in 36 minutes at Washington, although he was just 6-for-21 shooting.
“Defensively, he’ll give us a boost,” Lee said. “Offensively, with his ability to shoot… I think he’s one of the better catch-and-shoot players on our team and he’s always able to create and play-make for other guys.”
Miller has only played three games in the past two and a half weeks, shooting 9-for-34 on 3-pointers in those games.
Four of Oklahoma City’s last six opponents have scored fewer than 100 points. The Hornets have scored more than 110 points only once in their last six games.
The Miami Heat and Hawks are both coming off wins as they meet for the first of four games this season on Saturday in Atlanta.
The Heat defeated the Orlando Magic 89-88 on Thursday, while the Hawks made a dramatic comeback to beat the Chicago Bulls 141-133 after scoring 50 points in the final quarter.
Both teams won on Thursday after facing big deficits. Miami was down 14-0 at the start of its game, and Atlanta trailed by 21 points late in the third quarter.
“That’s why you have to develop grit,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You have to develop mental toughness, and it has to be collective toughness. Hopefully that’s a lesson, not only for the young guys but for the team in general that the ultimate deal is just find a way to win — and sometimes that gets lost.”
Atlanta’s Trae Young said, “That just shows the resilience we have on our team and how we’re not going to quit and continue to fight. This shows how good our team is when we play the right way.”
Last season, the Heat won three out of four meetings with the Hawks, sweeping both games in Atlanta.
Miami’s Tyler Herro has been a consistent problem for Atlanta. Herro is averaging a career-high 23.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season. He averages 18.0 points in 16 career games against the Hawks, and in three games last season, he scored 30, 25, and 33 points.
Herro hit the game-winning jumper with 0.5 seconds left to beat the Magic on Thursday.
Trae Young and Gary Trent Jr. in the 1st half
“That just shows how mentally tough he is,” Spoelstra said. “(Orlando) really game-planned to wear on him and get him out of his comfort stuff and you have to give them credit for that. But the shot making was important.”
Miami’s Bam Adebayo has also been a tough matchup for Atlanta. Adebayo averages 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in 23 career games against the Hawks. He will face an Atlanta team that has been missing key players, including Onyeka Okongwu, who has missed the last four games due to left knee soreness and will not play on Saturday.
Young, who passed 11,000 career points on Thursday, leads the Hawks in scoring (22.0 points) and is No. 1 in the NBA with 12.1 assists. In 19 career games against the Heat, Young averages 22.2 points and 8.7 assists. He missed two of the four games against Miami last season due to injury but scored 27 and 30 in the games he played.
De’Andre Hunter averages 20.3 points, and Jalen Johnson contributes 19.8 points and 10.3 rebounds for Atlanta.
Besides Okongwu, the Hawks have been without key reserve Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is dealing with a left lower leg contusion. Miami is missing Pelle Larsson (right ankle sprain), and Jimmy Butler’s status is uncertain after missing the last two games due to a stomach illness.
This will be the last game of Atlanta’s four-game homestand before they begin a six-game road trip through the Western Conference.
Mitch Marner scored three goals in a row within the first two periods, recording his third career hat trick, and helped the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat Todd McLellan’s Red Wings 5-2 in Detroit on Friday night. Marner scored twice in the first period and added another goal in the second, giving the Maple Leafs a 5-0 lead. He had scored a career-high four goals against Detroit on February 26, 2022.
David Kampf scored his first goal of the season in his 500th career game. Nicholas Robertson also scored for Toronto, and John Tavares added two assists. Joseph Woll made 23 saves for the win.
McLellan, the former head coach of San Jose, Edmonton, and Los Angeles, was hired on Thursday to replace Derek Lalonde. Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson scored for Detroit, which has now lost four straight games. Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon combined for 18 saves.
Avalanche 4, Utah Hockey Club 1
Artturi Lehkonen scored his first career hat trick, and Nathan MacKinnon had three assists to lead Colorado to a victory over Utah in Salt Lake City.
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension with Colorado, made 34 saves, marking his fourth win in five starts with the team. Mikko Rantanen also scored for the Avalanche, who have won four consecutive games and eight of their last 10.
Nick Schmaltz scored Utah’s only goal. Utah is winless in its last three games (0-2-1) and now has a record of 5-7-4 at home this season. Goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots.
Colorado Avalanche and Utah Hockey Club
Golden Knights 6, Sharks 3
Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel scored short-handed goals just 23 seconds apart in the third period, leading visiting Vegas to a comeback victory over San Jose.
Vegas recorded its league-leading 14th comeback win of the season and extended its winning streak to five games. Eichel, McNabb, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden each finished with a goal and an assist. Noah Hanifin and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored goals for Vegas.
Will Smith had a goal and an assist, and Shakir Mukhamadullin and Tyler Toffoli also scored for San Jose, which lost its sixth straight game (0-5-1). Fabian Zetterlund added two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev made 30 saves.
Sabres 6, Blackhawks 2
Alex Tuch’s third career hat trick led Buffalo to a win over Chicago.
Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist, Rasmus Dahlin had two assists, and Zach Benson also scored for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 15 of 17 shots for his 10th win in 25 starts this season.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Seth Jones scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost their last three games. Chicago is 1-10-1 in its last 12 away games. Blackhawks starting goalie Petr Mrazek allowed four goals on 11 shots before being replaced at the first intermission. Arvid Soderblom stopped 22 of 24 shots in the remaining two periods.
Wild 3, Stars 2 (OT)
Brock Faber scored on a wraparound just 35 seconds into overtime, lifting visiting Minnesota to a comeback win over Dallas.
Jonas Brodin and Marcus Foligno scored in the third period, and Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves for the Wild, who had lost four of five games before the Christmas break.
Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov each had a goal and an assist, and Jake Oettinger made 15 saves for Dallas, which lost a 2-0 third-period lead. The Stars extended their point streak against Minnesota to 12 games (8-0-4).
Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars
Devils 4, Hurricanes 2
Jacob Markstrom’s two-game shutout streak ended, but he made 29 saves in New Jersey’s win over Carolina in Newark, N.J.
Markstrom extended his personal win streak to six games and improved to 9-0-1 in his last 10 starts. Luke Hughes had a goal and an assist for his third two-point game in the last four. Ondrej Palat, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer also scored. Hughes was one of five defensemen who recorded an assist for the Devils, who have won three straight games and six of their last seven.
Brent Burns had a goal and an assist for Carolina, and Eric Robinson also scored. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who have lost three of their last four games.
Blue Jackets 6, Bruins 2
Columbus used a four-goal second period and went 3-for-3 on the power play to cruise past Boston in the first half of their home-and-home series.
Dmitri Voronkov had two goals and an assist in the second period, while Sean Monahan also scored twice for Columbus. The Blue Jackets scored three times in a 2:47 span to break open what was a 1-1 game after the first period. Columbus also got a goal and two assists from Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli scored, and Zach Werenski tied a career high with four assists.
Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves as Columbus improved to 3-0-1 in their last four games before the Saturday rematch in Boston. Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle scored for the Bruins, and Joonas Korpisalo (27 saves) took the loss. Boston had a five-game point streak (4-0-1) snapped.
Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins
Blues 7, Predators 4
Robert Thomas and Zack Bolduc scored on St. Louis’ first two shots, and Thomas added another goal in a 7-4 win over visiting Nashville.
The quick goals helped St. Louis, which never trailed but didn’t break away from Nashville until late. They earned their second straight win after a 1-3-2 stretch. Cam Fowler added a goal and two assists, Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist, and Philip Broberg and Colton Parayko also scored. Dylan Holloway had two assists. Joel Hofer made 26 saves.
Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos each had a goal and an assist for Nashville, and Nick Blankenburg and Mark Jankowski also scored. Juuse Saros was pulled late in the second period after allowing five goals on 15 shots. Justus Annunen stopped 12 of 13 shots in relief.
Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel scored short-handed goals just 23 seconds apart to lead a four-goal third-period surge, helping the Vegas Golden Knights come from behind to beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Friday night.
Vegas earned its league-leading 14th comeback win of the season and extended its winning streak to five games.
Eichel, McNabb, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden each had a goal and an assist, while Noah Hanifin and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored. Alex Pietrangelo recorded three assists, Victor Olofsson added two assists, and Adin Hill made 22 saves. The Golden Knights won their ninth game in the last 10 and improved to 13-0-3 all-time in the regular season at San Jose.
Will Smith had a goal and an assist, and Shakir Mukhamadullin and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Sharks, who lost their sixth straight game. Fabian Zetterlund added two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev made 30 saves.
Vegas took a 1-0 lead at 6:58 of the first period when Hanifin scored a wrist shot from the slot. San Jose tied it at 14:40 on Mukhamadullin’s first career NHL goal, a slap shot from the left point.
Vegas Golden Knights (NHL)
The Golden Knights regained the lead at 3:27 of the second period when Stone scored a backhand rebound. However, San Jose answered with two goals, including Smith’s goal at 5:53 and Toffoli’s at 15:57, to take a 3-2 lead.
In the third period, Vegas scored three goals in the first 5:46. McNabb tied the game at 3-3 with a wrist shot from the left circle, and Eichel gave the Knights the lead with another short-handed goal just 23 seconds later. Dorofeyev extended the lead to 5-3 with a backhand shot.
The Sharks pulled Georgiev for an extra attacker with 2:45 left, but Howden sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 31.5 seconds remaining.
Artturi Lehkonen scored his first career hat trick, and Nathan MacKinnon added three assists to help the Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-1 on Friday in Salt Lake City.
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension with Colorado that same day, made 34 saves to secure his fourth win in five starts since joining the team.
Mikko Rantanen also scored for the Avalanche, who have won four straight games and eight of their last 10.
Nick Schmaltz scored the only goal for Utah, which has now gone winless in its last three games (0-2-1) and dropped to 5-7-4 at home. Goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots.
With just over five minutes remaining in regulation, Lehkonen broke a 1-1 tie by scoring his second goal of the night. After Valeri Nichushkin’s shot was saved, Lehkonen was there to score on the rebound and put Colorado ahead.
Nichushkin’s assist extended his point streak to five games, during which he has tallied four goals and two assists.
Rantanen sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 1:50 left, his 20th of the season. Rantanen is also on a 10-game point streak, recording five goals and 13 assists during that time.
Mackenzie Blackwood- Colorado Avalanche
Lehkonen finished the scoring with another empty-net goal in the final minute, bringing his total to 13 goals for the season.
Despite the final 3-goal margin, the Avalanche had to recover from giving up a third-period lead.
Lehkonen opened the scoring at 11:52 of the second period. Sam Malinski passed to MacKinnon, who then found Lehkonen in the slot for the goal.
Schmaltz tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal at 3:42 of the third period. He tipped Mikhail Sergachev’s point shot past Blackwood.
The game saw some heated moments, especially in the second period when MacKinnon and Barrett Hayton fought, which is rare for both players.
Robert Thomas and Zack Bolduc scored on St. Louis’ first two shots, and Thomas added another goal as the Blues defeated the Nashville Predators 7-4 on Friday.
The quick goals in the first three minutes helped St. Louis, who never trailed, get off to a strong start and win their second straight game after a 1-3-2 slump.
Cam Fowler scored a goal and added two assists for the Blues, while Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist. Philip Broberg and Colton Parayko also found the net, and Dylan Holloway registered two assists.
Nashville came close several times, pulling within one goal on four occasions, including Jonathan Marchessault’s power-play goal with nine minutes left in the game.
Marchessault and Steven Stamkos each had a goal and an assist. Nick Blankenburg and Mark Jankowski also scored for the Predators, who came into the game with a 3-0-1 record.
Thomas’ power-play goal with 4:50 remaining sealed the win for St. Louis, and Parayko added a short-handed empty-net goal with 1:15 left.
The Blues scored just 1:20 into the game. After intercepting a pass, Thomas broke through Nashville’s defense and beat goalie Juuse Saros, who was pulled late in the second period after allowing five goals on 15 shots.
Bolduc scored at 2:47 with a powerful wrist shot after receiving a pass from Oskar Sundqvist, which hit the post and went in.
Nashville Predators (NHL)
Nashville responded at 5:42 with a goal from Mark Jankowski, who sent the puck through a crowd in front of goalie Joel Hofer (26 saves).
St. Louis regained a two-goal lead at 9:57 of the first when Kyrou spun in the high slot and fired the puck into the net.
Nashville answered again at 13:17 with a power-play goal from Stamkos, assisted by Marchessault. But Fowler added a blast from the point late in the first period to make it 4-2 for the Blues.
Nashville pulled within one again in the second when Blankenburg weaved through traffic to score at 5:31.
Saros was replaced by Justus Annunen after Broberg intercepted a clearing attempt and scored to make it 5-3 with 4:31 left in the second. Annunen stopped 12 of 13 shots in relief.
Brock Faber scored 35 seconds into overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 comeback win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.
Jonas Brodin and Marcus Foligno scored in the third period, and Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves for the Wild, who had been struggling, losing four of five games before the Christmas break.
Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov each had a goal and an assist, while Jake Oettinger made 15 saves for the Stars. Despite losing the lead, Dallas extended their point streak against Minnesota to 12 games (8-0-4).
Dadonov put the Stars ahead 1-0 at 9:52 of the first period after a pass from Jamie Benn to Johnston, who assisted Dadonov with a wrist shot. The Stars made it 2-0 at 15:08 of the second when Dadonov set up Johnston, who scored from the high slot.
Minnesota responded in the third. Brodin scored at 10:36, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with a wrist shot from the left circle off a 4-on-2 rush. Just 57 seconds later, Foligno tipped in a one-timer from Jared Spurgeon to tie the game at 2-2.
Minnesota Wild (NHL)
The Wild played without star forward Kirill Kaprizov, who stayed home due to a lower-body injury. Kaprizov was tied for fourth in the NHL with 50 points before the game.
Stars forward Mason Marchment was hit in the face with a deflected shot late in the first period and did not return. He had also been hit in the face with a puck earlier this season.
Oettinger entered the game with a strong record against the Wild, with a 6-0-1 record, .917 save percentage, and a 2.30 goals-against average. Dallas outshot Minnesota 14-4 in the first period and led 22-9 after two.
Jacob Markstrom’s two-game shutout streak ended, but he still made 29 saves to help the New Jersey Devils beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday in Newark, N.J. Markstrom, 34, extended his win streak to six games and is now 9-0-1 in his last 10 starts.
Luke Hughes had a goal and an assist for his third two-point game in the past four matches. Ondrej Palat, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer also scored for the Devils.
Hughes was one of five defensemen who recorded an assist in the game. The Devils have now won three straight games and six of their last seven. Brent Burns had a goal and an assist for Carolina, and Eric Robinson also scored. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who have lost three of their last four games.
Although the Devils’ streak of allowing fewer than 20 shots on goal in seven games came to an end, Markstrom remained solid in net. The Devils’ offense continued to perform well, and they have now won three games in a row for the fourth time this season.
New Jersey Devils (NHL)
Carolina took the lead midway through the first period when Robinson pushed a loose puck behind Markstrom after a shot from Jackson Blake. However, the Devils quickly responded with two goals in 42 seconds.
Palat tied the game at 16:12 of the first, deflecting a shot from Johnathan Kovacevic past Kochetkov. Hughes then helped set up New Jersey’s second goal, passing to Stefan Noesen, who set up Hischier for the go-ahead goal with 3:06 left in the period.
Burns scored early in the second period to tie the game, but Hughes put the Devils back in front with a goal at 4:15. He was assisted by Brett Pesce and Jesper Bratt. Mercer added a fourth goal for the Devils with 11:23 remaining in the second period.
The final 8:11 of the game was played without any stoppages. The Devils will aim for their first four-game winning streak since January 2023 when they meet the Hurricanes again in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday.
