The strong start to the season by the Florida Panthers suddenly seems like a long time ago.

Florida dropped their third straight game on Thursday night, losing 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center in Newark.

For the first time since they left South Florida, the Panthers were able to score the game’s first goal and simultaneously take their first lead of the road trip.

Coming out of Florida’s zone, Seth Jones made a nice lead pass to Brad Marchand, who made a nice move in the Devils end after crossing the blue line, cutting to the middle of the ice and firing a shot on Jake Allen.

The rebound tricked out to Allen’s right where Evan Rodrigues was there to slam the puck home and give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 1:59 mark of the first period.

It’s a lead that would stick for more than a period, until Rodrigues was called for tripping Jack Hughes five minutes into the second.

Hughes would score on the ensuing power play, ripping a shot over Daniil Tarasov after the goaltender dropped down as Hughes made his way to the bottom of the left faceoff circle.

With the goaltender suddenly down, Hughes found an opening under the crossbar and tied the game at one.

The tie score held until the 6:23 mark of the third period, when a deflection by Timo Meier squeaked past Tarasov, who was having an amazing game by the way, to give the Devils their first lead of the game.

Nico Hischier made it 3-1 Devils when he took advantage of a failed clear by Florida.

With both defenseman moving in the wrong direction after the broken play, the puck found its way to Hischier in the slot, and he beat Tarasov over the glove to double New Jersey’s lead.

Tarasov finished with 31 saves, including stops on all eight of the high danger shots sent his way by the Devils.

The Panthers have now scored a total of four goals over their three-game losing streak.

Florida’s road trip has two stops remaining, with games against the Sabes on Saturday and the Bruins on Tuesday.

On to Buffalo.

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Photo caption: Oct 16, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Ondrej Palat (18) hits Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) during the first period at Prudential Center. (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)

The Buffalo Sabres have dealt with numerous injuries to their blueline, and currently have veterans Mattias Samuelsson and Michael Kesselring unavailable. In their 8-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, head coach Lindy Ruff leaned heavily on his top four blueliners, as Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, Owen Power, and Connor Timmins played in excess of 23 minutes. 

Jacob Bryson and Ryan Johnson were both used sparingly, with Bryson playing just under 13 minutes and Johnson only 5:12. On Thursday, the club announced that they have sent down Johnson to the AHL and recalled defenseman Zach Metsa from the Rochester Americans. The 26-year-old played five seasons at Quinnipiac and won an NCAA Championship before signing a two-year AHL deal with Rochester. 

Other Sabres Stories

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Metsa played a significant role for current Sabres assistant coach Seth Appert as Amerks hea coach in their run to a Calder Cup Final Four appearance, and earned an NHL contract leading Rochester in defensive scoring with 46 points (7 goals, 39 assists) last season. Ruff said that both Samuelsson and Kesselring were getting better, but Samuelsson has not practice all week and Kesselring is stil on injured reserve, so the chances are likely that Metsa will make his NHL debut on Saturday afternoon against the Florida Panthers. 

Over the summer, one player that Buffalo potentially might be interested in pursuing was Columbus winger Yegor Chinakhov, a former first round pick of Sabres senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen who requested a trade from the Blue Jackets. On Wednesday, Chinakhov played his first game of the season and 20 NHL clubs (including Buffalo) had scouts at the game. 

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

While it’s always dangerous to make conclusions on any NHL team this early in the season, we do know some teams have not started their seasons as well as expected.

Three teams in particular have had bad starts but can turn things around in short order:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 1-2-0

Why They Can Turn Things Around: The Blue Jackets dropped their first game of the season to the Nashville Predators 2-1 before beating the Minnesota Wild 7-4. But Columbus dropped its second game of the year 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils.

Having their two losses decided by one goal is a sign that the Jackets aren’t that far off from reeling off a string of victories.

Columbus’ next stretch of games is highly challenging, facing the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals – but after that, in their next six games, they have ‘gimme’ games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and Calgary Flames.

So long as the Blue Jackets put up a strong fight against the Avs, Stars, Bolts and Caps, they’ve got the potential to surge up the Metropolitan Division standings. 

Columbus’ explosion of seven goals in the Minnesota game is an indication of how powerful the Jackets’ offense can be. But scoring only three goals in the other two games indicates that consistency with the puck has been a problem for this team. They’ll need to be better from game to game to get into a playoff position in the Metro, but we gave the Blue Jackets a vote of confidence as a playoff team this summer, and we’re sticking by that prediction.

Los Angeles Kings

Record: 1-2-1

Why They Can Turn Things Around:The Kings haven’t performed well in their challenging schedule, losing to the Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Wild so far. In their 6-5 shootout win over Vegas, they blew a lead and then had to come back to tie it.

While the Kings did have moments where they looked like a guaranteed Stanley Cup playoff team – narrowly losing to the Jets and Wild in one-goal contests – Los Angeles has struggled to close things out and rise in the ranks of the relatively soft Pacific Division. But there’s good news on the horizon, and that’s coming in the form of the soft-touches they’re going to get in their next seven games.

While there are strong teams in the Kings’ way in their next seven games – the Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues and Stars – there are more teams that L.A. absolutely should be beating, including the Penguins, Predators, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. If the Kings can win a couple games against the Canes, Blues and Stars, they’ll be in a great position to go on a winning tear and knock off the others.

The Kings have had problems on defense, with 3.75 goals against per game. But their 2.75 goals-for per game aren't enough, either. Thus, there’s lots of room for improvement for this L.A. team, and we see the Kings getting back on track with a strong stretch of hockey from now until the end of this month.

The Hockey News Big Show: Is Something Big Wrong With The New York Rangers?Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy discuss Easton Cowan’s start, surprises, turnarounds, the struggling Sabres and Rangers and more

Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 1-2-1

Why They Can Turn Things Around: It’s been mostly misery for the Lightning this season, with Tampa Bay getting outscored by a combined score of 13-9 in season-opening losses to the Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils and Capitals.

Tampa Bay did beat the Boston Bruins for its only win thus far, and the team didn't lose by more than two goals to the others. The loss to the Capitals came in overtime as well.

That said, Tampa’s upcoming schedule is going to get challenging very soon. In five of their next six games, the Lightning could well turn things around with winnable games against the Detroit Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Predators. After that, the road ahead gets considerably more difficult for the Bolts, as they’ll be taking on the Stars, Utah Mammoth, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Capitals, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. 

Only three teams have a worse goals-against average than Tampa Bay’s 4.00, so the key area of improvement is clear for this Bolts team. Andrei Vasilevskiy must play like an elite netminder again, and his teammates have got to stop allowing 31.5 shots per game.

By mid-November, the Lightning could either be at or near the top of the highly competitive Atlantic Division – or they could be mired in the mushy middle of the Eastern Conference. But if they put their foot on the gas and make the most of their opportunities against the league’s lesser lights, the harder part of the schedule will be easier for Lightning fans and players to handle. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Vancouver Canucks begin their first big test of the season on Thursday.

The team has had a middling start to its season, putting up a 1-2-0 record so far. Vancouver got off to a winning start by thoroughly beating the Calgary Flames in Game 1 before losing to the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues in regulation.

But if the Canucks were hoping to get a break from the NHL schedule-maker, they were sorely disappointed.

Between this Thursday and Sunday, the Canucks will play three times on the road. They get a true litmus test in the form of the Dallas Stars on Thursday before a must-win game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. On Sunday, they take on the Washington Capitals.

The even crazier part of the Canucks’ schedule is that Vancouver doesn’t have a full two days off between Friday and Sunday’s games. The Blackhawks game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET, and the Capitals game is at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday. That means the Canucks will play three games in about 64-and-a-half hours.

This is what NHLers mean when they talk about young players learning to prepare their bodies for the grind of the schedule. This is why keeping a level head and a strong focus is so important – you have to navigate through a schedule that never feels particularly fair to you, and that probably means you’re not at 100 percent much of the time.

Now, you might look at the Canucks’ schedule and say, “Hey, Vancouver does get a break here by playing a ‘gimme’ game against the sad-sack Blackhawks.” And that is true, considering the Canucks won each meeting in the last three seasons – but you also have to acknowledge that the Stars are one of the best teams in the league, and last season, the Capitals were the best team in the Eastern Conference. 

The Stars and Capitals have gotten off to strong starts to the year, with Dallas going 3-0-0 and Washington going 3-1-0. And the Hawks are 2-2-1 so far.

So each of the Canucks’ next three games could be losses that send them sliding down the Pacific Division standings – or they could be three wins that give them the foundation to climb to the top of the Pacific and stay there. So Vancouver needs to make an early statement.

How The Vancouver Canucks Performed During 4+ Game Road Trips In 2024–25With the Canucks now embarking on their first five-game road trip of the 2025–26 season, let’s take a look at how they performed in their five 4+ road game road trips during 2024–25.

It’s not going to be a cakewalk for the Canucks to reverse their slow start, and they will need both goalies – Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen – to get them through this brutal stretch of the schedule.

Demko's played better so far, with a 1.54 goals-against average and .944 save percentage. Maintaining those types of impressive performances throughout the season will be a massive boost for the Canucks, which ranked sixth-last for save percentage in 2024-25, according to naturalstattrick.com. 

In any case, the Canucks need better performances than they’ve got thus far – especially on offense, where their average of 2.67 goals-for per game is tied for 25th in the NHL – and they need those improved performances right away. Vancouver has the talent to be a Stanley Cup playoff team this season. Still, they need to be consistently good in all sorts of situations, including this upcoming punishing stretch of games, if they’re going to get back into the post-season this year. 

The Canucks’ next few games could prove to be a positive harbinger of what’s to come – or they could add to a losing stretch that puts them behind the eight-ball and pushes them lower in the standings. It’s potentially a rollercoaster situation for Vancouver, and how the Canucks respond to this challenge will begin to shape the organization's identity this year.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Mistakes hurt Flyers, who get outclassed by Jets in 5-2 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers didn’t play a good game against a top team and the result showed it.

They fell to the Jets, 5-2, Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Owen Tippett drew the Flyers within 2-1 in the middle stanza. But Winnipeg responded just 1:21 minutes later with a goal off a whacky bounce to send the Flyers into second intermission trailing by two.

About midway through the third period, Mark Scheifele put a dagger in the Flyers with his second goal of the night, this one on the power play.

“I think it just comes down to execution,” Tippett said. “I don’t think they did anything special. It just comes down to execution and they buried on their chances and we didn’t.”

Matvei Michkov picked up a late goal before the Jets tacked on an empty-netter.

“We made some mistakes, for sure,” Travis Konecny said. “There was definitely opportunity there. I think they came out flat and so did we. It was not how we wanted to start the game. Regroup, put it aside.”

The Flyers (1-2-1) have dropped three of their first four games. The schedule hasn’t been easy. The Flyers have faced the two-time defending champion Panthers twice, a Hurricanes team that has made the playoffs in seven straight seasons and a Jets club that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season.

“It’s a tough stretch,” Rick Tocchet said Tuesday. “You’ve got to play them eventually. We’ve got some quality opponents right away. There’s no easy game in the NHL.

“We go from the Stanley Cup champs to the Presidents’ Trophy champs. It is a tall order, but even in practice today, I see guys want these moments. … We’re looking for big moments from players. But in the meantime, you have to have the small moments to add up to the big ones.”

The Flyers don’t see the Jets (3-1-0) again until April 11 when the clubs meet at Canada Life Centre.

• At morning skate, Tocchet said the Flyers would be in trouble if they committed turnovers against a team like Winnipeg.

The Flyers had a bad one lead directly to a Jets goal in the second period. Nikita Grebenkin couldn’t handle a pretty low-key pass from Travis Sanheim. Winnipeg pounced on the mishap as Scheifele blasted a shot past Samuel Ersson to put the Flyers down 2-0.

It was a critical momentum swing because the Flyers had just come up empty on a power play.

• Ersson was not particularly sharp and the Flyers weren’t, either.

The netminder surrendered four goals on 14 shots.

The Jets opened the scoring 5:45 minutes into the action when Vladislav Namestnikov buried a rebound at the doorstep. Before Winnipeg got the puck in deep, it looked like Jett Luchanko had an opportunity to clear the defensive zone, but he was quickly pressured and lost the puck.

“They made a good play, I’ve just got to be able to advance the puck,” Luchanko said. “They were able to pounce on us from there.”

In the second period, the Jets countered that Tippett goal when a shot ricocheted off Adam Ginning’s stick and then clanged off Noah Cates’ backside to make it 3-1. On the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast, Ginning could be seen saying “no way” after the puck went into the net.

“Ginning makes a good block and then it takes a bad bounce,” Ersson said. “It’s a little sh–ty goal.”

Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s Hart Trophy winner as the league’s MVP, stopped 15 of the Flyers’ 17 shots.

• Michkov recorded his first point with his goal late in the third period. That could be a silver lining for the Flyers, who would love to see him get going offensively.

• Cam York made his season debut after missing the first three games with a lower-body injury.

The 24-year-old played on the top defensive pair alongside Travis Sanheim and finished with 22:32 minutes.

With York’s return, Emil Andrae was sent back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

The Flyers play their third of four straight home games Saturday when they welcome the Wild (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

First, it was Harrison Brunicke in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

And, on Thursday, it will be Ben Kindel in the second game of a three-game Western road trip against the Los Angeles Kings.

After Thursday's morning skate, Pittsburgh Penguins' head coach Dan Muse announced that Kindel - like Brunicke on Tuesday - would be held out of the lineup for reasons related to his "development plan."

“He’s going to follow a similar plan as Harrison Brunicke," Muse said. "This is what we feel is best for him now and in the future.”

And as far as that "development plan"? This is what Muse had to say Tuesday ahead of Brunicke's scratch from the lineup:

"I think with Brunicke - and the same thing could be said and will be said for Kindel - these are young players," he said. "We're looking at what's best for them now, but also, for them to continue to grow throughout the course of the season. So, there will be times throughout the start there, where they're coming out of the lineup, and this is all part of a plan for them. 
"[Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas], along with [Penguins' Director of Performance] Rich Rotenberg... they have experience with this coming from their time in Toronto. There's been a lot of discussions with them and with the rest of the staff in terms of what's going to be best for these younger players, guys that are in their teens coming into this league.
"And, so, there's a plan in place for them that we have, and the purpose for this plan is to ensure that they continue to get strong, that they continue to grow, and we're putting them in the best position for them. They're in a different situation just because of their age. It's something I strongly agree with, and I've learned some lessons myself just with my time wokring with younger players. And, so, there is a reasoning behind this."

- - Penguins' head coach Dan MuseTop Prospect Will Be Out Of Lineup In Anaheim For 'Development Plan'It appears that one of the top prospects for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will see his first game as a healthy scratch Tuesday.

Yes, the kids may be getting healthy-scratched despite their relatively high level of play so far in the young season. But - if we're reading into this at all - this could be a good thing for both of the Penguins' top teenage prospects. 

Right now, both Brunicke, 19, and Kindel, 18, are in the midst of what is commonly referred to as their "nine-game trials." Essentially, both players can play in nine NHL games before the first year of their respective three-year entry-level contracts kick in at 10 games. If they are optioned back to their junior teams - in Kindel's case, the Calgary Hitmen, and in Brunicke's case, the Kamloops Blazers, both of the Western Hockey League (WHL) - prior to the 10th game, their contracts do not kick in this season.

They can be optioned back to juniors at any point this season, but once they are optioned, they are not eligible to return until the conclusion of their respective junior seasons - which makes for some tough decisions by management, as both players are playing well.

It's Only Been Three Games. But Kindel And Brunicke Should Be In Pittsburgh To Stay.Going into <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' training camp this season, it's safe to say that most folks did not have 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel making the NHL roster out of the gate.

But the fact that the young defenseman and the even younger forward are being put on season-long development plans may actually be an indication that the Penguins do not intend on sending them back to juniors before the 10-game mark, barring any major regression in play from either of them. If the team just let them burn through the nine games, it would be a different story. 

The fact that they're trying to manage their minutes and workload this early on - Kindel (11th overall in 2025) has never played in more than 65 games in one season, while Brunicke (44th overall in 2024) has not played in more than 59 games due to injury - shows that the organization cares about making sure the young players are not burdened with the gruel and grind of a full 82-game NHL season against grown men right from the jump.

Of course, only time will tell whether or not this is the case, and it's safe to say that the coming days and weeks will be crucial for Brunicke and Kindel as far as performance and continuing to prove they belong. But, in the immediacy, this appears to be a good sign that the kids may just be here to stay.

Penguins At Kings Preview: Penguins Looking To Snap Two-Game Losing StreakThe Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to snap their two-game losing streak on Thursday night.

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After an impressive preseason and cracking the Nashville Predators roster to open the 2025-26 season, forward Joakim Kemell has been assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals. 

The team announced the forward would be joining the AHL team on Thursday after Kemell was scratched from the lineup in the Predators 7-4 loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. 

Kemell has seen action in just two games this season against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 and the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 13. He took 14 shifts in each game, logging 12:22 minutes of ice time against the Blue Jackets and 9:46 minutes against the Senators. 

Kemell played 65 games in Milwaukee last season, scoring 40 points. He attracted the attention of fans in the Predators' 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes, where he laid a big hit on  Andrei Svechnikov, drew a penalty and scored the game-winner on a slap shot later. 

He is the second player to be assigned to Milwaukee in the early season, as Matthew Wood was assigned to the Admirals on Oct. 10 after returning to Predators practice for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in the preseason. 

Nashville takes on Montreal Thursday at 6 p.m. CST at the Bell Centre. 

The season-ticket holders who were interviewed for this story had no restrictions on using their full names. Due to the overwhelming angry vitriol online, the author chose to only use their first name and last initial to protect them and their families' identity.

LAS VEGAS -- With the Golden Knights signing goaltender Carter Hart, the response on social media came from every direction as he became the first of the five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players to sign an NHL contract since being acquitted of sexual assault in a high-profile case.

Fans voiced their anger about the signing, believing the Knights downplayed serious allegations despite the legal resolution, fueling debates on their accountability versus the need for a goaltender.

Hart, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers until taking an indefinite leave in 2022 amid the investigation, along with Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton faced charges in 2024, but were acquitted after the complainant's unwillingness to proceed and evidentiary issues.

"you know, carter hart won’t see you cheering him on online but your friends who have been sexually assaulted will," @cemeteryfIowers also wrote on X.

Added @chefbriere, who wrote on X: "feels like a real slap in the face to women that an nhl team would go out of their way to sign a rapist when he wasn’t even that great of a player to begin with. he was already losing his starting role to (Samuel Ersson) before he left.

"congratulations to the vegas golden knights for throwing away the shred of reputation they had left by signing a mediocre rapist who literally (expletive) himself out of anxiety."

Captain Mark Stone said players were approached before Hart was signed, adding that management "put a lot of time and effort into" the signing and that the players are "looking forward to having him here."

"When you speak to people who know Carter, they have a lot of good things to say about his character and who he is as a person," Jack Eichel said. "We’re really looking forward to having him and moving forward."

And while much of the debate on social media came from nameless or faceless X account holders, two female season ticket holders - both mothers of seven daughters combined - said they don't see an issue with the signing, considering the players were acquitted.

"I’m good with it," said Ronnie H., who has three daughters. "We are a second-chance team. We started with throwaway players that no one thought would go far, and yet here we are.

"And he was acquitted, so he should be able to live his life without all the noise. I kind of feel bad for him. He was a kid and was in with the wrong crowd, making bad, bad decisions. He’s a good goalie, and we really need another one. Everyone hates Vegas, so it’s one more thing to hate, I guess."

Terri L., who like Ronnie H., has been a season-ticket holder since the team's inception in 2017 and said other players have been surrounded by criticism, and after arriving in the Golden Knights' locker room and proving their character, were eventually embraced by the community.

She expects nothing less with Hart.

"What I love about the Knights is they don’t care about the scandal as much as they care about building a competitive roster," Terri L. said. "They evaluate the player based on the person and their skills versus the baggage they have."

Hart spoke to reporters after a morning workout at the team facility on Thursday morning.

"I'm beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights," said Hart, who made 25 starts in what was his sixth season for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023-24, when he recorded a 2.80 goals-against average, .906 save percentage, one shutout and 12-9-3 record before stepping away from the team. "It's been a long road to get back to this point, getting back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. Just excited to move forward.

"I've heard nothing but great things about the city, the community, the fanbase, the organization and I got to meet a lot of people today. And I'm so excited to get the chance to play in front of them, and for them. And just get to show the community my true character and who I am and what I'm about.

"I got to meet some guys here today. Everybody's been very welcoming. I'm just looking forward to getting things rolling here, getting to work alongside all these guys, getting to know them all, and continuing to build on the championship culture that's been established here in Las Vegas."

The Kings look to improve to 2-2-1 as they welcome Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

After losing 4-3 in a shootout on Sunday against Minnesota, the Kings look to snap their two-game losing streak tonight against the Penguins. The Penguins are also looking to snap their 2 game losing streak tonight as they continue their California road trip. 

Projected Kings Lines: 

Projected lines for the Kings: 

A. Kuzmenko - A. Kopitar - A. Kempe

K. Fiala - Q. Byfield - J. Armia

W. Foegele - P. Danault - T. Moore

J. Malott - A. Turcotte - A. Laferriere

B. Dumoulin - D. Doughty

J. Edmundson - B. Clarke

M. Anderson - C. Ceci

A. Forsberg

P. Copley

Projected Penguins Lines:

Projected lines for the Penguins: 

R. Rakell - S. Crosby - B. Rust

A. Mantha - E. Malkin - J. Brazeau

F. Hallander - T. Novak - P. Tomasino

C. Dewar - B. Lizotte - N. Acciari

P. Wotherspoon - E. Karlsson

R. Shea - K. Letang

C. Jones - H. Brunicke

A. Silovs

T. Jarry

Important Factors

Before the important factors, some news regarding the Kings' lineup is that Anze Kopitar is a game-time decision due to a lower-body injury. Earlier this week, the Kings acquired G Phoenix Copley from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Future Considerations because Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper is out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. 

The Kings will have to limit the Penguins' chances, as their depth has provided them with numerous scoring opportunities. They will also have to limit not only Sidney Crosby but also Evgeni Malkin and Justin Brazeau, as both of them are off to hot starts this season. 

If the Kings get on the power play, that is where they can do the most damage, as they are ranked 9th in the NHL in power play percentage, and the Penguins' penalty kill is ranked 23rd, allowing the Kings to capitalize on that.

Another key defensive aspect the Kings need to address is allowing G Anton Forsberg to see the puck. The Penguins often crash the net for tips and rebounds, and if the Kings give Forsberg enough room to see the puck, they will be able to capitalize. 

Overall, if the Kings limit the Penguins' scoring chances, in that case, their counterattack will be able to capitalize on the Penguins' defensemen, as they often pinch and are aggressive offensively, which the Kings can use to their advantage. 

LAS VEGAS -- Carter Hart spoke to reporters after his workout as a member of the Golden Knights.

Hart, who cannot play in the NHL before Dec. 1, was one of the five members of Canada’s 2018 world juniors team who were found not guilty of sexual assault in a trial that took place earlier this year in London, Ont.

"I'm beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights," Hart said. "Got a great skate today with (goalie coach Sean) Burke and a few guys.

"It's been a long road to get back to this point, getting back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love. I've been out of the game for a year and a half now. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. Just excited to move forward."

The other players are Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote.

Hart, and the other four players who sign contracts, won’t be able to begin conditioning with their teams until Nov. 15 or play in the NHL until Dec. 1.

Hart hasn’t played an NHL game since Jan. 20, 2024. He made 25 starts in what was his sixth season for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023-24, when he recorded a 2.80 goals-against average, .906 save percentage, one shutout and 12-9-3 record before stepping away from the team.

Vegas starting goalie Adin Hill suffered a lower-body injury during its game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. He didn’t return after the first period, and after participating in morning skate on Thursday, will serve as backup to Akira Schmid, who subbed in to play the final two periods against the Flames.

Hart can officially make his Golden Knights debut as early as Dec. 2 when Vegas hosts the Chicago Blackhawks.

"I've heard nothing but great things about the city, the community, the fanbase, the organization and I got to meet a lot of people today, and I'm so excited to get the chance to play in front of them, and for them," Hart said. "And, just get to show the community my true character and who I am and what I'm about.

"I got to meet some guys here today. Everybody's been very welcoming. I'm just looking forward to getting things rolling here, getting to work alongside all these guys, getting to know them all, and continuing to build on the championship culture that's been established here in Las Vegas."

The Wraparound is back to discuss NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire segments.

Should The NHL Be Concerned About The Ice For The Olympics? by The Wraparound

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Jim Parsons discussed in this episode:

0:00: With Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton extended, what’s the next step in the Montreal Canadiens’ organizational journey?

4:37: Can the New Jersey Devils stay competitive without Jacob Markstrom in their lineup for the next few weeks?

7:43: Will the Florida Panthers' injury struggles begin to catch up to them?

11:35: Could Zeev Buium help the Minnesota Wild become an elite offensive team?

15:20: Should Jimmy Snuggerud be the early favorite for the Calder Trophy?

18:55: Should the NHL be concerned about the untested ice for the upcoming Olympics?

22:40: Does Easton Cowan’s early success with the Toronto Maple Leafs create some urgency for a Nick Robertson trade?

29:10: How will the Edmonton Oilers organize their forward group with Zach Hyman returning?

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their second game of the California road trip on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings. 

The Penguins started the California trip in Anaheim on Tuesday and jumped out to a 2-0 lead before losing by one goal, 4-3. The game was tied with less than two minutes to go in the third period when Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon took a delay of game penalty by sending the puck over the glass. 

It only took seven seconds for the Ducks' power play to cash in, thanks to forward Chris Kreider. He scored from about 15 feet out to give the Ducks the lead before they bled the rest of the clock. It was a brutal break for the Penguins, who were about to get at least a point out of the game. 

They've now lost their last two games after starting the season with a 2-0-0 record. They'll try to snap that losing streak against a Kings' team that has historically been very stingy in their own end, but are off to a slow start this year, losing three of their first four games (1-2-1 record). 

The Penguins conducted a morning skate before Thursday's game, and it didn't take long to notice that first-round pick Benjamin Kindel wasn't participating in line rushes. That's because he will be a healthy scratch for this game, per Penguins head coach Dan Muse. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise after Muse spoke earlier this week about their plans for both Kindel and fellow rookie Harrison Brunicke.

Here are the lines:

Forwards

Rakell-Crosby-Rust

Mantha-Malkin-Brazeau

Hallander-Novak-Tomasino

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensemen

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Shea-Letang

Jones-Brunicke

Goaltenders

Arturs Silovs

Tristan Jarry

---

Muse confirmed after the skate that Silovs will start in goal after Jarry played against the Ducks. Muse has been rotating the goalies between starts thus far. 

Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. 

---

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The Vancouver Canucks were one of the better road teams in the NHL last season, racking up a record of 21–14–6 and 48 points (seventh in NHL). 26 of these 41 road games were spent as part of five of the team’s longer-term road trips, each spanning more than four games. With the Canucks now embarking on their first five-game road trip of the 2025–26 season, let’s take a look at how they performed in their five 4+ road game road trips during 2024–25. 

October 15 to 22: 3–1–0 

Most of Vancouver’s road success came at the start of the 2024–25 season. Against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Chicago Blackhawks, the team collected six of eight potential points during this week-long road trip. They had an overall positive goal differential, scoring 13 against all four teams combined and allowing only nine against. 

As a whole, the Canucks recorded more shots on net (122) than shots against (115), as they only recorded less than 30 shots once and did not have less than 25. Vancouver also converted on three of six power play opportunities provided and killed 12 of 14 penalties taken. 

November 23 to December 3: 5–1–1

Vancouver continued their road success into early December, helping Kevin Lankinen set a new NHL record. Granted, only two of the teams they played ended up making the playoffs in the spring (Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild), though the other teams they played (Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings) put up a fight, with five of these six games being separated by only a one-goal margin. 

In terms of shots on goal versus shots faced, the Canucks allowed more (179) than what they produced (151). Their most productive period was the third, during which they put up a total of 55. The penalty kill remained at around 80%, while their power play capitalized on six of 18 chances. 

January 6 to 14: 1–2–2

The month of January often becomes a make-or-break month for Vancouver. In 2023–24, the team went on a five-game road winning streak to help put them at the top of the Pacific Division by the end of the season. 

2024–25 was a different story. 

In five games against the Montréal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver registered only one win and lost the remaining four (two in overtime). They only recorded 107 shots on net throughout these five games, including a 14-shot game against the Hurricanes, and scored only nine goals total. They went two-for-12 on the power play, but continued their solid shorthanded efforts by killing 12 of 15 penalties. 

February 22 to March 1: 1–4–0

As poor as their January road trip was, it was nowhere near as negative as their first long road trip after the 4 Nations Faceoff break. Vancouver lost four of their five games against the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, Anaheim Ducks, and Seattle Kraken, with their lone win coming in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings. 

Shot-wise, Vancouver had yet another poor performance, registering only 122 in five games. Two of these matches included less than 20 shots throughout the whole game for the Canucks. In contrast, Vancouver allowed 142 shots against. 

The Canucks continued their special teams patterns, going two-for-12 on the power play yet again but registering their best penalty-killing percentage of these road trips with a success rate of 93.3%. They scored eight even-strength goals in five games. 

March 20 to 30: 2–2–2

By the time their final 4+ game road trip of the season rolled around, Canucks players were dropping like flies. Vancouver was without both centers Filip Chytil and Elias Pettersson by March 24, though they still remained eligible to qualify for a playoff spot. 

During this road trip, Vancouver put up 171 shots in six games against the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Jets, including a 39-shot game against the Rangers, who only posted 12. This was their first time putting up more shots than shots allowed (159) since their first long road trip at the start of the season. They also recorded their season-high in shots per period during 4+ game road trips with 64 recorded during second periods of this trip. 

Vancouver’s special teams continued their usual run. They recorded a 16.7% power play rate for the third straight 4+ game road trip, but put up a penalty-killing percentage of 86% over 14 opportunities. 

The Canucks begin the first of five 4+ game road trips this season tonight, as they take on the Dallas Stars at 5:00 pm PT. Tomorrow, they’ll face the Blackhawks at 5:30 pm PT. Vancouver will then take on the Capitals, Penguins, and Nashville Predators before returning to Rogers Arena for three games. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, as discussed on Wednesday’s episode of the Daily Faceoff Rundown, the Detroit Red Wings are actively looking to add another center into the lineup and have been for quite some time. 

David Pagnotta: Re Red Wings: This is a team that's been looking for offence, this is a team that's been looking at the center position as well; but there is some talk that the Wings are looking at and open to moving some of their defensemen - DFO Rundown (10/15)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) October 16, 2025

This would make sense as they are likely looking for more options up the middle as J.T. Compher has had a lackluster start to the season with no points and a -1 rating through a heavy 17 minutes per game and is losing more often than not on the face-off dot with a 38.7 winning percentage on draws. He mixes in with forward Andrew Copp, who is having a better start to the season with a goal and an assist through four games but is also suffering on draws with a worse 37.5 success rate. 

Now face-offs aren't the most important aspects of Compher and Copp's game but the two can both switch out to the wing and allow a new third line center to enter the fold. This would also give the team flexibility if top line center Dylan Larkin or second line option Marco Kasper go down with an injury. 

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If we look to contending teams like the Edmonton Oilers, they have soild depth with Trent Frederic or Adam Henrique able to draw into the role or the Vegas Golden Knights, who have a former 43-goal scorer in William Karlsson as their third line center. If the Red Wings want to keep up with the big dogs, they'll need to shift players like Compher or Copp into less meaningful roles like onto the fourth line and add another center in the same tier as a Karlsson or Henrique. 

The Red Wings would have more than enough cap space at $11.8 million to facilitate any sort of deal they'd want to make when it comes to adding a depth center and have plenty of assets like draft capital and high-end prospects they could pick from to bring in an impactful player that will help Detroit in their chase for a playoff spot. 

"Not A Crazy Recipe": Mason Appleton Keeps Things Simple Amidst Goal StreakDetroit Red Wings forward Mason Appleton now has three goals in his last two games, including a pair of goals in Detroit's 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

Potential Options

A sensible target for the Red Wings could be Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund. As he enters the final year of his contract, Backlund represents a potential low-cost rental with plenty to prove. Playing alongside strong linemates like Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher could help him thrive offensively.

Backlund is a reliable center, currently leading the league with 55 faceoff wins and boasting an impressive 59.1% success rate. He’s also a key contributor on the penalty kill which Detroit needs to strengthen after finishing with the league’s worst unit last season. Backlund is an older 36 years old and may not offer significantly more scoring than Copp or Compher. However, his defensive awareness and two-way metrics make him an appealing short-term addition as an affordable rental option for Detroit as they push for a playoff spot.

Another option could be New York's Jean-Gabriel Pageau as a consistent 40-point scorer that is very strong on the face-off dot with a 63.6 winning percentage, which is top ten among centers that have taken 30 or more draws this season.

Pageau, like Backlund, plays meaningful minutes on the penalty kill and even plays for the top unit compared to Backlund, who mans the second. Pageau is also a rental option on the final year of his six-year pact with the Islanders but at 32 years old, he could be brought back for a few more years if the fit is a good one in the Motor City.

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