Top 4: Finally a win for Stuart Skinner in Pittsburgh

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Top 4: Finally a win for Stuart Skinner in Pittsburgh
Credit: X

Last night, there were five hockey games on the NHL schedule.

One of them, of course, was the Montreal Canadiens, who found a way to beat the Florida Panthers in a game played in Sunrise.

But who else was in action?

1. Finally a win for Stuart Skinner in Pittsburgh

It's been an intense few weeks for Stuart Skinner. The Edmonton-born goalie finally left the Oilers to join the Penguins.

And after a few defeats (including one against the Oilers after giving Leon Draisaitl the 1000th point of his career), Skinner finally won last night.

In a 5-1 win over Carolina, Skinner gave up just one goal when his club already had a comfortable five-goal lead. So he did well.

In the victory, Sidney Crosby scored his 21st goal of the season… but it's not the captain's goal we'll remember.

2. Maple Leafs win without Auston Matthews

Last night, the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs crossed swords. And even without captain Auston Matthews, the Torontonians blanked the Devils 4-0.

Among the goals was Nicolas Roy's first on home ice in his new colors.

Interestingly, during the game, two players not exactly known for their pugilistic skills threw down the gloves: Matthew Knies versus Nico Hischier.

Wow.

3. Matthew Schaefer, not too affected

In the Islanders' last game, star defenseman (and rookie) Matthew Schaefer was the victim of a dirty hit. He saw teammate Mathew Barzal defend him with a… very dirty hit.

The boys have him in high esteem.

However, both players were in Patrick Roy's line-up last night, helping the Islanders beat the Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout.

His presence undoubtedly made the difference between a win and a loss.

Clearly, Schaefer wasn't overly affected by the beating he took, having played over 26 minutes of his team's game.

In the process, he became the youngest player in NHL history to reach the 25-point mark for a defenseman.

That said, despite his prowess, we shouldn't necessarily expect to see the defender represent Canada at the Olympics. According to Ken Campbell, the youngster has not been selected by Hockey Canada.

However, in the event of injury, he would be an option.

4. Flyers beat Canucks

Clearly, the Western teams didn't want to win yesterday. After the Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks also lost their game the day before.

The Flyers won 6-3 on the heels of the duel between the two teams. It was good old Christian Dvorak who scored the insurance goal in an empty net.

This goal won't necessarily be a major factor in the salary negotiations between his agent and the Flyers (because yes, it is negotiated between the two sides) since it was in an empty net, but the former Habs player continues to stand out positively.

He's clearly on his X in Philly, in any case.


extension

– Last night's results.

(Credit: Sportsnet)

– Top scorers on December 30, 2025. Anthony Mantha and Nick Suzuki are the only players to score twice.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– The Habs remain in the East.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Several games on the schedule on New Year's Eve.

(Credit: Sportsnet)
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