Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Kings went into a rare Saturday morning game coming off a gutsy 6-5 shootout victory over a division rival in the Vegas Golden Knights. 

They entered Saturday's game trying to win back-to-back games to give themselves some momentum after a brutal season opener against the Avalanche. 

However, LA got off to a slow start on Saturday as the Jets controlled the play in the first period. The Kings came alive in the second period and continued their strong effort into the final frame. However, Mark Scheifele and the Jets proved to be too much to handle.

Final from Winnipeg. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/qq4pNvGl02

— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 11, 2025

First Period: Inability to Stay out of the Penalty Box 

The Kings got off to a nightmare-ish start as Quinton Byfield was called for hooking just 3:25 into the opening frame. Alex Iafallo made his former team pay, scoring on the ensuing power play, which gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead just 4:48 into the game.

Jeff Malott continues to make the most with the ice time he's been given. After Jets blue-liner Logan Stanley laid a massive hit on Alex Turcotte, Malott stepped to avenge his teammate. Stanley wasn't interested in squaring off with LA's enforcer, so Luke Schenn stepped in and the two squared off in a short bout.

The penalty trouble didn't end after Byfield's minor earlier in the first. Brian Dumoulin and Alex Laferriere were each sent to the box with two-minute minors in the last half of the period. Luckily, the Kings' penalty-kill stepped up to keep it a one-score game after 20 minutes.

Discipline is essential if you want to succeed in this league. Giving your opponent the man advantage for six minutes a period is a recipe for disaster, especially against the reigning Presidents'  Trophy winners.

Darcy Kuemper stayed strong in the crease, stopping 13 of Winnipeg's 14 first-period shots.

Logan Stanley drills Alex Turcotte, leading to a Luke Schenn–Jeff Malott scrap 🥊 pic.twitter.com/VGKOM41ao5

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 11, 2025

Second Period: Strong Effort is Rewarded

Los Angeles came out firing in the second period, and they were rewarded almost instantly. Mikey Anderson beat Connor Hellebuyck with a blistering shot from the point to get the Kings on the board just 50 seconds into the middle frame.

The Kings continued to push, which led to Adrian Kempe scoring his first goal of the season. Kempe buried a tap-in after a beautiful passing play by Andrei Kuzmenko and Anze Kopitar. The Kings had the lead for the first time. 

That lead was short-lived however, as Mark Scheifele beat Darcy Kuemper with just over a minute remaining to tie the game at 2-2.

Although they no longer had the lead, the Kings second-period effort was very promising.

Third Period: Lack of Execution

After a terrific middle period, the Kings carried that effort over into the final frame. This time, they weren't rewarded for several reasons.

LA was awarded three different man advantages throughout the third period, and five in the game overall. They scored on zero of said power plays. It is extremely difficult to win in the NHL when you fail to execute on crucial chances. It wasn't for a lack of effort. Los Angeles outshot Winnipeg 11-5 in the final 20 minutes, but last season's MVP, Connor Hellebuyck was on his A-game.

With just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, Scheifle scored his second of the game, which would end up being the decider. 

The Jets deserve a ton of credit as well as they blocked 28 shots to the Kings 11. 

Los Angeles falls to 1-2-0 while Winnipeg improves to 1-1-0. Despite the loss, the Kings should use this game as a building block moving forward. They played well and should use that as a way to improve their execution moving forward. 

The Kings will look to bounce back once again as they travel to Minnesota to take on the Wild (1-1-0) on Monday, October 13th at 8:00 PM ET / 11:00 PM PT.

Carter Yakemchuk, the Ottawa Senators' seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, made his professional hockey debut on Saturday night, playing his first regular-season game with the American Hockey League's Belleville Senators. Yakemchuk quarterbacked the power play, didn't get on the scoreboard, had one shot, and was a minus-3 in a 5-2 loss to Lehigh Valley.

In some ways, the game resembled the parent club's 6-2 loss Saturday to the Florida Panthers. The B-Sens fell behind early and certainly didn't get much of a goaltending performance. Mads Sogaard allowed 4 goals on the Phantoms' first 9 shots. At least Sogaard stopped the bleeding after that, but too much damage had already been done.

In a conversation with David Foot from the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network, Yakemchuk – always a young man of few words – says overall, he felt pretty comfortable in his first game.

Yakemchuk is regarded as the Senators' top prospect and hopes to get his scoring swagger back in the AHL this season. He was drafted as an offensive defenceman, scoring 30 goals and 71 points in his draft year, but since then, the organization has been asking him to focus more on the defensive side of the game.

He is a defenseman after all, so it's not an unreasonable request. But it's impossible to ignore that his big numbers – the ones that made him such a high NHL Draft pick to begin with – have tailed off.

The Senators aren't concerned about it, though. And why would they be? It's way too early for that.

"Carter's continued to grow and develop," Sens GM Steve Staios said on the first day of training camp. "I think you can look at his season last year in the WHL and be a little bit misled by the point totals, but there are certain areas of his games that he started to round out and pay more attention to.

"It's always difficult for an offensive guy, that talented of an offensive player at that level, because that's really what you gravitate to, because you can dominate the game at that level. But we were pleased with his progression."

For the second straight season, Yakemchuk was caught up in last week's final wave of NHL roster cuts. But unlike last year's camp, when he led all Senators in preseason scoring with 7 points in 4 games, he failed to get on the scoreboard in 4 games this season.

The Sens seem to be using the 'better to be overripe than underdeveloped' tactic they decided on with Tyler Kleven. Staios admitted that Kleven could have played in the NHL before last season when he became a full-time player. But the Sens had Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Jakob Chychrun, so there was absolutely no rush.

The same is true now for Yakemchuk, who's blocked by the new blue line surplus on the right side. At the moment, through two games, Jordan Spence can't even get into the lineup – and that's a young guy with 180 NHL games under his belt. He was a regular on the LA Kings the past two years, a team that finished last season with the second-best goals against in the NHL. So there's zero need to rush Yakemchuk either.

Spence and Nick Jensen are both free agents next summer, and so the kid's path could clear up quickly if the Sens decide he's ready.

In the meantime, with Yakemchuk's pro career officially nunderway, he'll be a fascinating player to monitor as he continues to try to assimilate the defensive level required at the NHL level without fully sacrificing the swashbuckler offensive style that got Sens amateur scouts so excited in the first place.

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:

Ottawa Senators Mauled By Florida 6-2, Penalty Killing Struggles Continue
Pinto Scores Twice As Ottawa Senators Win Season Opener 5-4 in Tampa Bay
Jordan Spence: A Healthy Scratch For Ottawa Senators Season Opener
Travis Green Says Senators Are 'Headed In the Right Direction'
Senators Send Yakemchuk To The Minors, Place Batherson And Kleven On IR
More Senators Broadcast Changes: Marc Methot Out At TSN

An injury to Steven Lorentz has opened the door wide open for Easton Cowan to make his NHL debut on Monday afternoon when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings.

The Maple Leafs resumed practice on Saturday following a 6-3 loss to the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Steven Lorentz missed the session after sustaining an upper-body injury. The player appeared to be caught up high by Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot in the first period and left the game. 

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said there was no update on the severity of Lorentz' injury other than he would not play on Monday.

Given both Lorentz out and some of the underpeformance on Saturday, Berube shuffled up his lines and have Cowan the top assignment on the top line with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthes.

Steven Lorentz Exits Maple Leafs Game Against Red Wings With Upper-Body InjuryDETROIT — The Toronto Maple Leafs may be without the services of another one of their depth forwards in the near future.

Here are the new line combinations observed at practice:

• First Line: Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews and Easton Cowan.
• Second Line: Matias Maccelli (who moved down), John Tavares, William Nylander.
• Third Line: Nick Robertson, Max Domi, and Bobby McMann, who moved up to skate with them.
• Fourth Line: Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy and Calle Jarnkrok.

Easton Cowan is in top-six blue, Bobby McMann in bottom-six white as Maple Leafs practice begins. pic.twitter.com/SebiD2v13n

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) October 12, 2025

'We Beats Ourselves': Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Details Brutal Second Period In Loss Against Red WingsDETROIT — The Toronto Maple Leafs fell to the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 at Little Caesar's Arena on Saturday night.

Joshua and Roy are reunited; the two skated on a line together for most of camp until a lower-body injury to Scott Laughton changed things.

Maple Leafs lines in practice:

Knies - Matthews - Cowan
Maccelli - Tavares - Nylander
Robertson - Domi - McMann
Joshua - Roy - Jarnkrok
Blais

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson
Myers

Stolarz (on another rink)
Primeau pic.twitter.com/ZUaBPWSEll

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) October 12, 2025

There's been a lot of anticipation about when Cowan, Toronto's first-round pick (28th overall) in 2023, will make his NHL debut. That time has finally come.

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Just three days after signing a multi-year contract to return to Avangard Omsk, Michael McLeod suited up for the KHL club’s road game on Sunday against Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

In 15:53 of ice time, McLeod didn’t register any points, but had a shot on goal, three hits, and was 18-for-36 in the faceoff circle as Omsk won 5-1.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, playing in just his second game of the season for Magnitogorsk after signing with the team on Oct. 1, assisted on his team’s only goal – his second point in two games.

The game was a match-up between the top two teams in the KHL’s Eastern Conference. It was just Magnitogorsk’s third defeat in 14 games.

On Thursday, the Omsk club announced the signing of McLeod to a three-year contract. According to Avangard GM Alexei Sopin, the Canadian center was already in Omsk at the time and travelled with the team to start the road trip but was unable to play on Friday in Yekaterinburg due to unfinished paperwork. It was unclear whether he’d play on Sunday until the lineups were announced.

Ex-NHLers Swap Teams In KHL Trade In a trade announced Tuesday between KHL Eastern Conference teams Salavat Yulaev Ufa and Ak Bars Kazan, two ex-NHL players are changing addresses. American center Alexander Chmelevski, 26, is heading to Kazan and Canadian defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk, 28, is heading the other way.

It was not mentioned in the club’s announcement whether McLeod’s contract contains an escape clause in the event he receives an NHL offer, but such clauses are common. As per the terms of his NHL suspension, McLeod will become eligible to sign an NHL contract on Oct. 15, although he was allowed to negotiate with teams and agree to terms as early as Oct. 1.

McLeod and four teammates from the 2018 Canadian national junior team – Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Carter Hart – were acquitted in July of sexual assault charges that stemmed from an incident that took place at a team event in 2018 in London, Ont.

McLeod is the second of the five players to sign with a European club since the acquittals. In September, Fomenton signed with HC Ambri-Piotta of Switzerland’s National League.

McLeod played in the KHL last season, first for Barys Astana and then for Omsk, recording 19 points in 35 regular-season games. He also had eight points in nine playoff games for Omsk before leaving the team in April to return to Canada for the start of the trial.

Michael McLeod Finds New KHL TeamCanadian center Michael McLeod, 26, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.

Born in Mississauga, Ont., McLeod played junior hockey for his hometown Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL and was chosen in the first round, 12th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Between 2018 and 2024, McLeod played 287 regular-season NHL games for the Devils, registering 29 goals, 56 assists, 85 points and 187 penalty minutes. His only NHL playoff action came in 2023, recording six points in 12 games as the Devils advanced to the second round.

In addition to McLeod, the Avangard roster includes ex-NHLers Nail Yakupov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Maxime Lajoie and Alexander Volkov. The team’s coach is former NHL head coach Guy Boucher.

Former Sen, Cane, Leaf Signs In KHLCanadian defenseman Maxime Lajoie, 27, has signed a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday.

On Saturday afternoon, Winnipeg Jets defenceman Haydn Fleury suffered a lower body injury after blocking a shot from Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe.

Fleury left the ice in the second period and did not return to the game, eventually taking a twirl on the ice following the second intermission, but did not come back out on the ice with his teammates  for the third period.

Head coach Scott Arniel spoke after the game, indicating that Kempe's shot hit Fleury in the knee.

“Yeah, he got hit with that shot. He’s pretty sore," Arniel said. "It caught him on the side of the knee cap. He’ll wake up (Sunday) and we’ll see how he is, see how he’s doing.” 

Unfortunately, Sunday did not seem to bring much relief, as Fleury was absent from the Jets' skate. In a corresponding move, Winnipeg recalled fellow blueliner Kale Clague from the Manitoba Moose. 

This move will likely serve as a precautionary one for the sake of the team's seventh defender - to which Clague will surely slot in. 

Colin Miller - who sat out the first two games as the No. 7 defenceman - is expected to pair with fellow veteran blueliner Luke Schenn on the team's third grouping.

Clague, the former Brandon Wheat Kings star, has bounced between the NHL and AHL over the past five years since being drafted in the second round by the Kings in 2016. He signed a one-year deal for the league minimum with Winnipeg this offseason.

Currently down second pair defenceman Dylan Samberg, Winnipeg will now miss Fleury's smooth skating abilities as he recovers from the knee injury, but will have Clague as an option to fill in on the two game road trip through New York and Philadelphia, should Fleury miss time.  

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 1 day until opening night at Nationwide Arena. 

Let's take a look at who wore 1 and where they are now.

Jean-François Labbé - 2002 - Undrafted out of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Jean-François Labbé played in 14 games with the Blue Jackets over the course of two seasons. He went 3-5 with an .890 SV%. He spent the bulk of his time playing in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch. 

He left North America in 2003 for Russia. He then played in Germany and Poland before returning to Canada in 2009. After playing a season for Sherbrooke Saint-François in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, he would retire. 

Labbé was primarily an AHL goalie, playing in a total of 261 games. He had a record of 131-97-25 and had 13 shutouts. He has won numerous awards in the AHL, including Best Goaltender and Most Valuable Player. For his efforts, Labbé was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016.

After retiring, he moved into coaching, where he was either a head coach or a goaltending coach at different stops. 

Tomáš Pöpperle - 2007 - Drafted by Columbus in 2005. 

Pöpperle played two games for Columbus in 06-07, which were the only two NHL games of his career, both of which were in relief. His SV% was .929% and he had a GAA of 1.35.

He played 66 AHL games for the Syracuse Crunch before returning to Europe. He last played in 23-24 in Germany's second tier. 

Steve Mason - 2009-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2006. 

Mason won 96 games for Columbus in his career. His win total is second to only Sergei Bobrovsky. His 19 shutouts are also second, while he played 13,138:02 of TOI, which is third. His GAA is fourth in team history, while his save % is fifth. 

After he was traded to Philadelphia, he played four years for the Flyers before spending a season with the Winnipeg organization. After suffering two concussions and a serious knee injury, Mason wouldn't play again and would retire. 

Mason started his career with a bang, winning the 08-09 Calder Trophy and being named to the NHL's all-rookie team. He was also named an NHL all-star during his rookie year, to go along with his NHL second-team honors. 

Mason was traded to the Flyers on April 3, 2013, in exchange for goaltender Michael Leighton and a 2015 third-round draft pick. In Philly, he would finish with a record of 104-78-36.

Mason, while playing for Canada at the U20 World Junior Championships, went 5-0 with a SV% of .951 and won tournament MVP, best goaltender, and was an all-star. 

Oh, what could have been. 

There is one day left until opening day at Nationwide Arena. 

The Jackets go into the home opener having split their first two games on the road against Nashville and Minnesota. Kirill Marchenko and Elvis Merzļikins were the stars for Columbus on Saturday night to beat the Wild in what felt like a must-win, just two days into the season. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks had a party at the United Center to kick off their year-long centennial celebration. It started with a red carpet entrance into the building for over 50 alumni and the entire Chicago Blackhawks roster. 

After the red carpet event was over, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that former TV play-by-play announcer Pat Foley and former NHL forward Jeremy Roenick have been named team ambassadors. They join Chris Chelios, Troy Murray, and Denis Savard in this role. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xjoin us in welcoming Jeremy Roenick and Pat Foley as Blackhawks Ambassadors, alongside Chris Chelios, Troy Murray and Denis Savard! we’re thrilled to have them be part of our Ambassador program to help celebrate 100 years of Blackhawks hockey and grow the game in Chicago👏

After warmups, a ceremony to celebrate 100 years of hockey in Chicago was led by Foley. All of the alumni and the current team were on the ice to take in the ceremony. 

"100 years ago, the best game in the world came to the greatest city in the world," Pat Foley said during his speech. 

The Blackhawks then unveiled their Centennial season banner, which now hangs in the rafters alongside the six Stanley Cup banners. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xa special banner for 100 years of Blackhawks hockey🥲 p.s. we miss you @muzz19❤️Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on X100 years of Windy City hockey🏙️

Jim Cornelison followed the ceremony with his rendition of "O Canada" and "The Star Spangled Banner" alongside organist Carrie Marcotte. By the end of that, the United Center was incredibly loud and ready for hockey. 

The game didn't go as planned for the Blackhawks, as they allowed the Montreal Canadiens to score the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left in regulation.

Blackhawks Allow Game-Winning Goal With 15 Seconds Left, Lose 3-2 To CanadiensThe Chicago Blackhawks made it home for their home opener on Saturday night. They took on the Montreal Canadiens in what was the first game of their centennial celebration. 

It was a hard game that ended in heartbreak, but the celebration was everything a fan could have asked for. Now, they will begin moving through the different eras of Blackhawks hockey, which will take them all the way through the season. Attending games at the United Center is a must in 2025-26. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Heading into the 2025-26 season, goaltending was perceived to be the biggest weakness of the Philadelphia Flyers, but so far, it's actually been their greatest strength.

Prized free agent signing Dan Vladar kept the Flyers in the game all night in their first game of the year against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, racking up an impressive 32 saves on 34 shots (.941) after, somewhat surprisingly, starting ahead of Sam Ersson.

Ersson got his chance on Saturday night, though, and while his 35 saves on 39 shots and .897 save percentage weren't quite as impressive, he did more than enough to give the Flyers a chance to win the game against the Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes.

At the time of this writing, according to Moneypuck, Ersson (1.87) and Vladar (1.00) are 11th and 14th in the NHL in goals saved above expected.

Sure, it's only been two games, and one for each goalie, but the Flyers were handily outplayed in both while icing a more than depleted defense.

Ex-Flyers Goalie Pitches Shutout in AHL DebutIn his first ever AHL game, this recently traded former Philadelphia Flyers goalie earned an impressive shutout.

So, despite that, the Flyers are actually tied with the Hurricanes for 12th in the NHL with a team GAA of 2.89, and they've faced 28 more shots on goal.

This is all to say that the Flyers' goalies came to play to start the season, and it's on them to continue these types of performances. The onus is on the Flyers, too, to protect them with a better defense and some goal support.

Ersson and Vladar have always been capable, but it's been a matter of consistency for both players in their NHL careers.

It's fair to say that both Ersson and Vladar were the Flyers' best players in their respective first starts of the season, and that's not something anybody expected to say after matchups with Florida and Carolina.

ELMONT, NY -- After becoming the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a point in his NHL debut on Thursday, New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer made history again on Saturday night.

Islanders No. 1 Pick Matthew Schaefer Becomes Youngest Defenseman To Record Point In NHL DebutPITTSBURGH, PA -- During the New York Islanders’ season opener on Thursday, 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer scored his first NHL point, marking an early milestone for the young defenseman. 

At 4:28 of the third period, Schaefer came diving into the low slot like New York Giants running back Cam Skataboo, using one hand to jam the puck over Logan Thompson's right pad to send UBS Arena into an absolute frenzy:

Schaefer has done it. What a moment. #Islespic.twitter.com/esAuoAzd10

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) October 12, 2025

Schaefer became the youngest player, at 18 years and 36 days, to play over 25 minutes in a game, logging 26:04.

The record was previously held by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, who played 25:39 at 18 years and 118 days, per Stathead.com. 

Not only did he lead the Islanders, but he played the most minutes of anyone else in the game. 

Schaefer only played 17 games last season with the OHL's Erie Otters due to mono and a broken clavicle. So, how does head coach Patrick Roy balance playing Schaefer big minutes for someone hasn't played much hockey over the last year?

"Sorry, I don't look at what happened last year. I'm focusing on what I see right now and what I see right now is a guy that's capable of handling those minutes," Roy said. "We're going to be there for him. Whatever he needs, we'll take care of him. I'm not balancing anything right now. He forced me to play him. We're going to give it to him."

While the Detroit Red Wings found themselves trailing by a 2-0 score in the opening 20 minutes of play of Saturday evening's game against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, they put in the work to make sure they didn't suffer the same fate as their disappointing 5-1 setback on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. 

The Red Wings roared back to life in the second period, scoring three times to take the lead, followed by another go-ahead goal in the third period shortly after Toronto re-tied the score en route to a 6-3 victory, their first of their centennial campaign. 

The fingerprints of Lucas Raymond were all over the win, as he scored not only the game-tying goal in the second period, but also the third period go-ahead marker that ultimately stood up as the game-winner. 

Raymond's second goal was also a milestone tally, as it was the 100th of his NHL career - not a bad way to start a season in which he was named one of two alternate team captains. 

Raymond gets career goal 100! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/YtyA71ofpe

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 12, 2025

Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who scored Detroit's initial go-ahead goal in the second period, had no shortage of praise for Raymond in the dressing room following the game.

"I think he's just progressing every day, every game. Each year I've been here, he just gets better and better," Kane said of Raymond. "The thing you love about him is that he wants to be the best. He puts the work in, whether its during practice or off the ice. He's always finding ways to better himself, so he's been really impressive since I've been here." 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Raymond said that while he wasn't initially aware that his second goal was his 100th career tally, it's always fun to light the lamp and he has no intention of slowing down. 

"It's fun, obviously. I didn't know about it, but it's cool, you know. You don't take that stuff for granted, and it's always fun to score. I'd like to keep that going." 

When asked what he thinks of such high praise from a bonafide Hall of Fame player like Kane, Raymond instead talked about what Kane's presence and leadership means to the club as a whole.

"It's fun, Kaner is huge for us, not just the stuff everyone sees on the ice but off the ice with his leadership," he said. "It's fun to see the work he puts in every day, and it's great for young guys to come in and just be able to watch a guy like that. I remember when he came in, that was what stood out for me right away." 

Last season, Raymond established a new career-high in points with 80, a number he could very well blow past this campaign. 

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In Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens winger Zack Bolduc scored another goal, giving him three goals in as many games since he started playing for the Tricolore. He won’t keep up that torrid pace all season long, but he nonetheless became just the 6th player to score in his first three games with the Habs in the NHL. Who were the other five? Joe Malone (1917), Leo Gravel (1946), Brian Bellows (1992), Pierre Turgeon (1995), and Yannic Perreault (2001) (TSN’s Statscenter).

If we go back to the last season, he scored 16 goals in 29 games. Projected over the course of 82 games, that’s a 45-goal-per-season pace. That’s hardly likely to remain the case, but it nevertheless shows great scoring instinct. What’s even better is the fact that he scored his goal from the front of the net in a spot where players usually are covered closely. The 22-year-old has a knack for getting his stick free.

Canadiens Get Big Power Play Practice In Saturday Night Feisty Game
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According to the NHL Stats account on X, Bolduc is also climbing up the longest goal road streak to start a season with the Canadiens. Since 1967-68, the longest such streak belongs to Cole Caufield and Steve Shutt, who both had four, with his third on Saturday. Bolduc joined Tomas Plekanec (who had done it twice), Lucien Deblois, Guy Lafleur (who had done it three times), and Yvan Cournoyer. Will he join Caufield and Shutt? We’ll know when the Canadiens get back on the road with a game against the Calgary Flames on October 22.

Saturday night’s game was Bolduc’s 100th in the NHL, and he now has 27 goals and 22 assists for a total of 49 points. The Quebecer was picked 17th overall at the 2021 draft, and it’s starting to be rather obvious why. In his first season with the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, he scored 29 points in just 27 games. Then, in his second season with the Quebec Remparts, he recorded 99 points in 65 games, followed by 110 points in 61 games.

That kind of productivity doesn’t always translate to the NHL, but so far, so good for the youngster whom the team named player of the game Saturday night. Giving him the “player of the game sunglasses,” veteran defenseman Mike Matheson called him “the pride of Quebec,” and judging by the activity on social media, that’s quite accurate.

---

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Oct 11, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) celebrates goal with center Brady Martin (44) against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

There’s something to be said for chemistry when it comes to putting a successful line on the ice. It’s an intangible that isn’t automatic and often takes a bit of tinkering with various combinations of players before results are achieved.

Although the Nashville Predators came away disappointed after falling 3-2 to the Utah Mammoth in overtime Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena, the top line has stood out in the first two games of the young regular season.

Throughout training camp, the pre-season and the first two games of the regular season, the Predators’ top line of Filip Forsberg, Brady Martin and Ryan O’Reilly have developed both chemistry and results.

A small sample size, to be sure, but the top line has factored in both of the Predators’ regular-season games.

In Saturday night’s overtime loss, Forsberg scored the goal that tied the game 1-1 after Logan Cooley got Utah on the board first with a shot from the left side at 2:21 of the first period.

Martin earned his first NHL point in his second game with a crafty assist on Forsberg’s tally.

That first @NHL point feeling 🤩

Brady Martin gets his first NHL point with an assist on Fil Forsberg's goal! pic.twitter.com/Z5iwj4YCwe

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 12, 2025

At the 12:37 mark of the first period, Forsberg took advantage of a turnover from the offensive blueline, used Mammoth defenseman John Marino as a screen along the left boards and fired in a wrister past goalie Karel Vejmelka to tie the game.

On the play, Martin poke-checked the puck off Marino’s stick, allowing Forsberg to retrieve it and work his magic.

"Yeah, I've definitely been looking for (that first point)," Martin said after the loss. "To finally get it is great, it feels amazing. Wish we'd gotten the win tonight, but it is what it is."

At 18 years and 209 days, Martin became the second-youngest player in Predators history at the time of his first career NHL point behind Scott Hartnell on Oct. 24, 2000 (18 years, 189 days).

With his goal, Forsberg is just one shy of becoming the first player in Preds history to record 50 multi-point games during his career.

In Nashville’s 2-1 season-opening victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Forsberg assisted on O’Reilly’s game-winning goal. With that helper, Forsberg became only the fifth player in NHL history to register a point in 10 or more consecutive opening games.

Having an uber-talented young player like Martin flanked by two veterans the caliber of Forsberg and O’Reilly has paid major dividends for the Predators’ top line in the first two games. The three have worked together almost since the beginning of camp, and Martin has especially benefited from the combination.

Martin logged 12:44 of ice time against Columbus Thursday in his NHL debut. Most of that time was spent getting comfortable playing at a faster pace than what he experienced in the pre-season.

“It was pretty electric in the building (Thursday night),” Martin said following his debut. “So, to get the first one under my belt, and hopefully many more to come, is a lot of fun.”

Martin had 10:40 of TOI on Saturday. The Predators have seven more games to decide whether to keep him on the roster or send him back to juniors after nine games. The points will come, but it’s his instincts and getting to pucks like the play on Saturday that will make it difficult for the Preds’ brass to take him off the roster.

As for Forsberg and O’Reilly, they have a combined three points between them in the first two games. Martin's presence seems to have injected his linemates with some much-needed energy.

Forsberg led the Preds in scoring with 76 points last season, a 20-point margin over the team's second-leading scorer, Jonathan Marchessault.

O'Reilly had 53 points in 2024-25. Martin may not be an elite center yet, but is showing signs of developing into one. Whether he stays the rest of the season will certainly have a bearing on how the line as a whole will continue to come together.

The Predators (1-0-1) embark on a four-game road trip through Canada that kicks off with a Monday afternoon game in Ottawa against the Senators.