Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said this season will be his last in the NHL.
He announced the news in a locker room address and a Capitals social media post on Monday morning.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” he said on X.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin told his teammates. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
“It seems like yesterday I was here my first year, and right now it’s my 22nd year. It just goes like this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
His teammates rose to their feet, hugged him and gave him a standing ovation.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
Ovechkin entered his 22nd season with 929 goals. He’s scored at least 24 goals in every season of his career, and more than 30 goals in 21 of 22 seasons.
Ovechkin has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in scoring nine times. He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said this season will be his last in the NHL.
He announced the news in a locker room address and a Capitals social media post on Monday morning.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” he said on X.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin told his teammates. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
“It seems like yesterday I was here my first year, and right now it’s my 22nd year. It just goes like this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
His teammates rose to their feet, hugged him and gave him a standing ovation.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
Ovechkin entered his 22nd season with 929 goals. He’s scored at least 24 goals in every season of his career, and more than 30 goals in 21 of 22 seasons.
Ovechkin has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in scoring nine times. He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said this season will be his last in the NHL.
He announced the news in a locker room address and a Capitals social media post on Monday morning.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” he said on X.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin told his teammates. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
“It seems like yesterday I was here my first year, and right now it’s my 22nd year. It just goes like this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
His teammates rose to their feet, hugged him and gave him a standing ovation.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
Ovechkin entered his 22nd season with 929 goals. He’s scored at least 24 goals in every season of his career, and more than 30 goals in 21 of 22 seasons.
Ovechkin has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in scoring nine times. He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
Paul Cotter is off to the best start of his NHL career.
The former Vegas Golden Knights forward scored against his old team Sunday night, giving the Vancouver Canucks an early lead. It didn't last, though, as Vegas came back for a 3-2 win at Rogers Arena.
Cotter's goal came on the power play late in the first period. With Jake DeBrusk out with an illness, Cotter moved onto Vancouver's top power-play unit and tipped a Filip Hronek pass past Adin Hill.
It was Cotter's third goal of the season. He also has two assists, giving him five points through Vancouver's first three games.
That's new territory for him.
In six NHL seasons, Cotter has never had five points through his first three games of a season. He scored twice in Vancouver's opener against Edmonton, including the overtime winner, then added an assist in the Canucks' second game before finding the net against Vegas.
The 26-year-old has clearly found something early on.
Vegas, however, had the better answer Sunday.
Mitch Marner tied the game in the second period, and Victor Olofsson gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the night on the power play. Jonathan Lekkerimaki tied it again late in the period, but Marc Gatcomb put Vegas right back in front only 34 seconds later.
That goal stood up.
Hill stopped 18 shots in his first start of the season, and Vegas managed to keep Vancouver off the board in the third period. It was a nice bounce-back win for the Golden Knights after Friday's 4-3 loss to Anaheim.
Cotter's night was still a memorable one, especially considering his history with Vegas.
He spent three seasons with the Golden Knights, from 2021-22 through 2023-24, and played 138 games for the club. He had 22 goals and 23 assists during that stretch before Vegas traded him to the New Jersey Devils in June 2024 for Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid.
Cotter spent two seasons in New Jersey and had his most productive NHL season in 2024-25, scoring 16 goals in 79 games.
He signed a one-year, $2.15 million deal with Vancouver this summer.
So far, it's looking like a pretty good decision.
Cotter is producing at a level we've never seen from him before. He just couldn't quite finish off his old team when he had the chance.
Victor Olofsson left Vegas looking for a fresh start.
A little more than a year later, he's back with the Golden Knights and off to a pretty good start.
Olofsson scored on the power play in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. That gave him two goals and an assist through three games, putting him at a point per game to open the season. He's also fired seven shots on net.
It's not a huge sample, but it's certainly an encouraging one for a player who has bounced around a bit since leaving Vegas after the 2024-25 season.
Olofsson spent most of last season with the Colorado Avalanche. He played 60 games, scored 11 goals and finished with 25 points. One of those goals was the first hat trick of his NHL career, which came against the Blackhawks on Oct. 28.
His time in Colorado ended when he was sent to Calgary as part of the trade that brought Nazem Kadri back to the Avalanche. Olofsson didn't spend long with the Flames, playing 18 games and picking up six points before free agency came around.
Vegas was interested again.
The Golden Knights signed Olofsson to a one-year deal on July 1, giving him another shot with the team he had left the previous summer.
There was some history there. Olofsson scored three goals in his first four games during his first stint with Vegas, only to suffer a lower-body injury that kept him out for nearly two months.
Now he's back, healthy and getting opportunities on the power play.
His third-line role at even strength isn't anything particularly notable, but that's not necessarily where Olofsson needs to make his living. He's always been more interesting as an offensive player, and Vegas has given him chances to use that skill with the man advantage.
So far, he's taken them.
For the Avalanche, Olofsson's start is worth keeping an eye on. He wasn't a major piece in Colorado, but he was productive enough to finish with 25 points in 60 games and gave the team some offense in a depth role.
Now he's three games into his return to Vegas and already has three points.
Maybe a fresh start was exactly what Olofsson needed.
Utah made Columbus pay every time they went to the penalty box.
The Mammoth scored three power-play goals Saturday night and beat the Blue Jackets 4-1, moving to 2-0 to start the season.
Nick Schmaltz scored twice for Utah, including the final goal that gave him 500 career NHL points. Mikhail Sergachev and Dylan Guenther also scored with the man advantage.
Sergachev got Utah on the board at 11:55 of the first period. He found some room near the blue line and fired a shot through traffic and past Jet Greaves.
Schmaltz made it 2-0 less than five minutes later.
Columbus finally answered early in the second period. Kent Johnson broke away and beat Sebastian Cossa just 90 seconds into the period, cutting Utah's lead to one.
That was all Columbus could get.
Cossa, making his Utah debut, settled down after the goal and stopped the rest of the shots he faced. He finished with 15 saves.
The Mammoth pulled away in the third.
Guenther scored on the power play at 5:59, giving him three power-play goals through Utah's first two games.
Schmaltz added another with the extra skater at 14:13. The goal put Utah up 4-1 and gave Schmaltz his 500th NHL point.
The Mammoth got contributions from several of their top players. Sergachev finished with a goal and an assist, while Guenther and Logan Cooley each had two assists.
Clayton Keller also picked up two assists, reaching 600 career NHL points in the process.
It was a strong opening night for Cossa as well. The goaltender stopped 15 of 16 shots in his first appearance for Utah.
The win opened a five-game road trip for the Mammoth and came in the first half of a back-to-back.
Utah heads into the next game with a perfect 2-0 record and a power play that has already scored five times through the first two games.
Mikey Eyssimont was placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins on Sunday, giving the 28-year-old forward a few different possibilities for what comes next.
Another NHL team could claim him. If nobody does, Boston can send him to AHL Providence.
Mackenzie Blackwood speaks after Saturday's win.
Eyssimont, who was born in Littleton, has never played for the Colorado Avalanche. Still, his Colorado ties make the move worth keeping an eye on from around the state.
The Bruins kept him on the roster coming out of camp, but he hasn't played yet this season. Eyssimont was a healthy scratch for Boston's first three games.
He did enough in the preseason to earn a spot, scoring twice on five shots and throwing four hits in two games.
The bigger reason he made the team, though, was due to an injury
Matt Poitras went down with a lower-body injury late in the preseason and started the year on injured reserve. That opened up a spot for Eyssimont that probably wouldn't have been there otherwise.
Now, with Poitras getting closer to returning to the main roster, there's not much of a need for Eyssimont. But there's other areas where the Bruins are desperate for help.
Boston could certainly use another option after losing 4-1 to Minnesota. The Bruins gave up two power-play goals in that game, while Sean Kuraly was on the ice for three goals against.
Poitras could also slide back into the center role Boston has talked about keeping him in. His three NHL games last season came between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic, Kuraly's usual spot.
Eyssimont is coming off a season in which he had eight goals and 18 points in 56 games. He also had 54 hits and 21 blocks.
He carries a $1.45 million cap hit, and now he'll have to wait to see what happens.
If a team claims him, he's off to a new NHL club. If not, he'll have the option of heading to Providence.
For now, the former Littleton player is just waiting on Monday's waiver results.
Marc Gatcomb scored late in the second period to break a tie, and the Vegas Golden Knights held on for a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at Rogers Arena.
The Golden Knights scored three times in the second period and won their first road game of the season while bouncing back from Friday’s 4-3 loss to Anaheim.
Vancouver struck first when former Golden Knight Paul Cotter scored on the power play with 1:08 remaining in the opening period.
Vegas answered in the second.
Mitch Marner tied it at 9:01, and Victor Olofsson gave the Golden Knights their first lead with a power-play goal at 14:30.
“I liked our line for the last couple games. I really have,” Marner said. “I thought we made some good plays. We played the direct game as well when we needed to, and when the play’s there, we made them.”
Jonathan Lekkerimäki pulled Vancouver even at 17:54, but the tie lasted just 34 seconds.
Gatcomb responded at 18:28, scoring off assists from Braeden Bowman and Nic Dowd to put Vegas back in front, 3-2.
“You know, it’s always tough when the other team scores to tie it up, but next shift we did a great job getting that one back and then ultimately coming out with the game-winner there,” Gatcomb said.
The Golden Knights made the lead stand through a scoreless third period, with Adin Hill answering when Vancouver made its push.
“I loved our commitment to our game,” Golden Knights coach Ryan Craig said. “There were some spurts where we had to stay committed. They’re a good team over there. They work. They make things hard on you. But we stayed committed to the game and the game plan.”
Craig was particularly pleased with how Vegas handled the third.
“I think what we saw was us dig in, and then when we needed a save, Hilly was there to make it,” Craig said.
KEY MOMENT: Gatcomb Goal
Just 34 seconds after Lekkerimäki tied the game, Gatcomb answered at 18:28 of the second period.
Rather than allowing Vancouver to build momentum off the tying goal, Vegas’ fourth line immediately wrestled it back.
“You want to try to tilt the ice back in your favor for sure and do anything you can,” Gatcomb said of the first shift following an opponent’s goal. “A goal is always great, but that’s not always going to happen, but I think you just got to try to get the momentum back into your hands, and that’s what we did tonight.”
Craig saw something bigger developing from the group.
“I thought our fourth line was really good today,” Craig said. “They’re starting to form a bit of an identity with that line, knocking down pucks. There’s some trust being built there with each other, and I think with our team.”
KEY STAT: 3 in 1
Three goals in one period.
After being held scoreless in the first, the Golden Knights struck three times in the second, getting goals from three different lines — Marner, Olofsson and Gatcomb — to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Then they made it stand, holding Vancouver scoreless in the third period.
WHAT A KNIGHT: Gatcomb
In just his third game with Vegas, Gatcomb delivered his first goal as a Golden Knight — and it became the game-winner.
The goal was a snapshot of what Craig wants from Gatcomb: win battles, create offense off the forecheck and use his physicality without sacrificing puck pressure.
“He’s a physical guy,” Craig said. “Now can he separate the body and his stick on the puck? We saw that on the goal. They get it on the forecheck, they attack, he wins a race to the back post to the net.”
For Gatcomb, getting his first with Vegas was satisfying, but secondary to establishing what his line can become.
“You always want to get your first one with a new team out of the way, but ultimately the goal is to win hockey games and to do anything you can to contribute,” Gatcomb said. “We’re trying to build an identity here.”
UP NEXT
The Golden Knights continue their road trip Tuesday when they visit the Seattle Kraken.
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights forward Marc Gatcomb (17) handles the puck against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Rogers Arena.
In sports, a trap game is a game in which a team that is generally deemed easy to defeat gets the upper hand on a seemingly superior opponent. Trap games are very real, and they are very, very lethal. Even bad teams want to win, and being overlooked can be a hell of a drug.
There were times tonight when it looked like the Vegas Golden Knights might fall victim to the ever-dangerous trap game. The Vancouver Canucks, viewed more as a contender for the best odds in the Draft Lottery than the Stanley Cup, didn’t go quietly. But after surrendering the first goal, the Golden Knights looked every bit the mature, veteran team and gutted out a 3-2 win.
After a four-goal second period, this game could have devolved into a goal fest. It didn’t. Instead, the Golden Knights hunkered down in the third; they were outshot 9-2, but held the Canucks to just one high-danger scoring chance.
“They had a good push in the third,” said defenseman Brayden McNabb following the 3-2 win. “That’s usually how it goes if you’re down; you’re going to push. We did a good job for the most part; there’s some stuff we’ll probably want to clean up, but, good overall game for us.”
1. Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?
The Golden Knights trotted out a five-forward power play last season, and for most of the year, it was their deadliest weapon. Mitch Marner quarterbacked the top unit in place of a defenseman, and the power play ran through Jack Eichel at the half-wall. His options were Mark Stone below the goal line, Hertl in the bumper, or Pavel Dorofeyev as a one-time option in the right circle.
The Golden Knights signed old friend Victor Olofsson after trading Dorofeyev in the offseason. However, despite Olofsson being a perfect replacement for the left-shot sniper, he started the season on the second power play unit. On the top unit, Marner moved down to the right circle, and Shea Theodore returned to his spot at the point.
It took only nine power-play opportunities before the Golden Knights shifted back to the five-forward power play. And, wouldn’t you know it, Olofsson scored 30 seconds into the tenth.
“I just thought we’d switch something up, try to give us some different energy on the power play,” said head coach Ryan Craig following the 3-2 win. “It worked. Olofsson went to that spot. We attacked, and were able to get it done.”
2. Building an Identity
In the NHL, a good fourth line can be hard to come by. By nature, fourth liners don’t score many goals. Instead, they contribute in other ways: a sound defensive game and, of course, physicality. But sometimes, when all of that clicks, it translates to offense.
That’s exactly what happened tonight. After the Canucks found the equalizer, the Golden Knights sent out their ol’ reliable fourth line, and they were rewarded.
“As a 4th line, you like to have an identity and a role as to how you want to play each night, and try not to get away from it,” said Marc Gatcomb. “Ultimately, the goal is to win hockey games and to do anything you can to contribute, and that’s not always going to be a [goal], but anytime you can chip in on the score sheet, it’s great. We’re trying to build an identity here. And as we continue playing, and playing how we want, I think the chances are going to come in our favor.”
Just 34 seconds after Vancouver scored the equalizer, Gatcomb restored the Golden Knights’ lead. He and Nic Dowd pressured Paul Cotter into a turnover, then worked the puck deeper into the zone. Braeden Bowman found Gatcomb streaking toward the net, and the latter snapped it home for his first goal in a gold sweater.
The fourth line with a nice response shirt and Marc Gatcomb snaps home his first as a Golden Knight.
“You want to try to tilt the ice back in your favor for sure, and do anything you can,” said Gatcomb following the game. “A goal’s always great, but that’s not always going to happen. But I think you just gotta try to get the momentum back in your hands. And that’s what we did tonight.”
3. Back Between the Pipes
In their first three games of the season, the Canucks averaged 5.7 goals and 23.7 shots per game. Tonight, the Golden Knights held them to just two goals and 20 shots. This team is committed to a defense-first mentality, and they like to make life easy on their goaltenders. For the most part, their goaltender returned the favor.
Adin Hill wasn’t perfect in his first NHL start since April 9th. His rebound control looked a bit shaky at the start of the game, and the second goal he allowed wasn’t a good one to give up. But when the Golden Knights needed him most, he answered the bell.
“It should give him some confidence; it should give our team some confidence in him,” head coach Ryan Craig said postgame. “I think Hilly would be the first to tell you that he didn’t like the second goal. I think what I liked was that our team picked him up and scored right after that. And then I liked that in the 3rd period, when we needed Hilly to make the saves, he was there. Good win by our team, and good win by Hilly.”
Hill saved 18 of 20 shots and earned his first win since March 30th. That win, too, came against the Vancouver Canucks.
“Obviously, the second goal, I’ve gotta have that one back,” said Hill following the 3-2 win. “But the guys responded well and scored the next shift, which was huge. They got us the lead back right away, and then we closed it out from there.”
The past two St. Louis Blues first-round picks are off and running, looking to care out each respective path to one day in the near future playing on the NHL surface at Enterprise Center.
Forwards Justin Carbonneau and Tynan Lawrence have each scored in their first two games for the respective squads to open the new season in 2026-27.
Carbonneau, a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft who is in his first season playing at Springfield of the American Hockey League, has scored in each of the Thunderbirds' two games to kick off the new season that has included two wins, and Lawrence, a first-round pick in 2026, also scored twice for Boston University in the Terriers' first two games as we kick off a new year of prospect reports for the new season.
It's been a hot start for Russians Matvei Korotkey and Dmitry Buchelnikov, as well as Maddox Dagenais, another first-round pick in 2026, as well as Carter Stevens and Colin Fitzgerald.
Let's get right into them:
* Justin Carbonneau -- The Blues believe they have their next sharpshooter, sort of in the mold of what Vladimir Tarasenko was not too long ago, and the goal scorer, who scored 128 goals -- 97 the past two seasons, including 51 last year -- the past three seasons for Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League the past three seasons, is off to a good start with Springfield with three points (two goals, one assist) in back-to-back games to kick off the season for the Thunderbirds.
He would get a goal and an assist, including his first AHL goal here on Saturday in a 3-2 overtime win over Wilkes-Barre Scranton:
— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) October 4, 2026
The goals for Carbonneau, who played in three Calder Cup playoff games for Springfield last season, came on five shots on goal playing on a line with Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and T.J. Tynan.
All smiles 😀
The first of many! Congratulations to Justin Carbonneau on his first professional goal! pic.twitter.com/eG8u1Ui4cm
— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) October 4, 2026
* Tynan Lawrence -- Lawrence would also get off to a ripping start, accounting for each goal on Friday with a goal and an assist, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 2-1 win over Alaska-Fairbanks, doing so on six shots on goal:
she says baby it's 3 am in boston i must be watching another clip of tynan's overtime goal pic.twitter.com/FPqiVxd8Iq
The 18-year-old would add an empty-netter on Saturday in BU's 4-0 win over the Nanooks, which is Blues defenseman Colton Parayko's alma mater, to extend his goal streak to three games dating to last season.
* Dmitry Buchelnikov -- In the KHL, they've been playing for a month in Russia already, and the second-round pick in the 2022 draft, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings on March 6 as part of a package that sent Justin Faulk to Motown, is off to a really nice start for CSKA Moscow with seven points, including five goals, in 12 games.
He began the season with a three-game goal-scoring streak, then tailed off going without a point in five straight before ripping off two goals and two assists in the past four games, including a goal and an assist on Saturday in a 4-3 shootout win over Dinamo Minsk, which included this absolute beauty of a goal:
* Matvei Korotky -- As for the 20-year-old, selected by the Blues in the seventh round of the 2024 draft, it's also been a really positive start to his KHL season with two goals and five assists in nine games that includes a five-game point streak (one goal, five assists) for SKA St. Petersburg.
He scored the overtime winner of a 4-3 victory over Laga Togliatti on Sept. 5:
* Maddox Dagenais -- The first-round pick this past summer and son of former NHLer Pierre Dagenais feels like he has NHL material in him and going to Quebec this season looking to play for a championship is his greatest motivation, along with making it to the NHL one day.
With five points (two goals, three assists) his first four games for the Remparts, including a season-opener for the ages with two goals and two assists, the forward is off to a flying start.
He opened the scoring on Sept. 25 against Shawinigan:
Dagenais was a point-per-game player last season (62 points; 30 goals, 32 assists) in 62 games and wants to follow up on it or even be better.
* Kaskimaki, Romanov, Cranley connection in Springfield -- Let's not forget about this trio that's helped the Thunderbirds off to a 2-0-0-0 start to their season.
Kaskimaki, who Blues general manager Alex Steen had a lot of great admiration for what he was able to accomplish in training camp last week, had three assists in Springfield's two games, and Romanov likely helped the Thunderbirds steal a point Saturday against the Penguins with a 43-save effort including this beauty in the third period of a 2-2 game:
— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) October 4, 2026
Cranley was a perfect 24-for-24 in the win over the Bruins Saturday for his first AHL shutout.
* Colin Fitzgerald -- After being held without a point in Soo's opener, the 2026 seventh-round pick is on a five-game point streak that includes three goals, three assists.
Fitzgerald, who has committed to playing for Providence next season, scored twice in a 4-3 overtime win over Sarnia on Friday.
And then on Saturday, Fitzgerald would score this snipe from the top of the right circle that broke a 1-all tie of a 3-2 win at Flint giving him three goals in 24 hours:
* Carter Stevens -- The 2026 fifth-round pick is also scoring these days with two goals, four assists over his past four games.
He's got a trio of two-point games for Guelph, including a goal and assist on Sunday in a 6-0 over Kitchener on Sunday, including this net front tip-in goal that made it 4-0:
* Antoine Dorion -- A teammate of Dagenais last season in Quebec, Dorion is playing his hockey these days in Missouri and for Maryville University.
He would get two goals and assist on the overtime winner, 3-2 over St. Lawrence, then add another goal and assist in a 3-1 win over the same team in Saturday.
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To open their 2026-27 home schedule, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Florida Panthers on Sunday evening at Honda Center, with their sights set on an NHL-record 11th straight home-opening win.
The Ducks began their campaign with a 4-3 victory over the defending Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights. That game saw five Ducks debuts (Jeff Malott, AJ Greer, Judd Caulfield, Travis Mitchell, and Noah Warren), including two NHL debuts (Caulfield and Warren.
For Florida, this was the second leg of a three-game California road trip after opening their season against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers entered this game 1-0-1, and both games were decided in overtime: a 1-0 win in Carolina and a 4-3 loss against the San Jose Sharks.
Florida lost captain Aleksander Barkov during their game against the Sharks on Thursday, and he was placed on IR. In this game, they were without defenseman Aaron Ekblad (personal) but saw the returns of defenseman Gustav Forsling (upper body) and forward Brad Marchand (lower body), both making their season debuts in this game.
The only change Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville made to his lineup from the one that opened the season was to insert Sam Colangelo in place of Frank Vatrano on the third line.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:
Greer-Carlsson-Gauthier
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Nesternko-Poehling-Colangelo
Malott-Washe-Caulfield
LaCombe-Luneau
Mintyukov-Mitchell
Hinds-Warren
Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks in this game and saved 29 of the 31 shots he faced. He was opposed by Jacob Markstrom, who stopped 18 of 21.
“We played a man’s team tonight, and a man’s game,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “I thought we did against Vegas the other night, and that’s what happens when you got experienced teams, and they know how to win.
“They know it doesn’t stop, and it’s 60 minutes of pushing and shoving. You don’t have to be fancy sometimes. Just a little protecting of the puck and they’re getting it out of the zone or in deep or blocking a shot. All the little things add up, and they know how to win, and that was why it was such a big win.”
Game Notes
This game was not as pretty as Friday’s from an underlying perspective. Florida controlled 5v5 possession with 56.2% of the shots on goal, 61% of the shot attempts, and 62.5% of the expected goals.
For the Ducks, this game was won on special teams, where they scored all three of their goals, going 3-for-4, and killing all four penalties they took as a team. They were just sound enough in their end for Dostal to see as many shots as possible, and though he didn’t wow with any of his 29 saves, he made several difficult ones and gave his team a chance to come away with another two points.
Power Play: This season, Anaheim moved away from attempting to ice two equal power play units and elected to deploy one unit of all their top offensive players. So far, so good. Not only is the personnel consistent, but the five players (Mikael Granlund, Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe) have developed chemistry, rapport, and intuition, feeding and reading off one another.
They’re showing levels of deception along with equal parts urgency and poise as they move pucks up ice and throughout the zone. They are executing give-and-gos off the wall and to the bottom of the circle as well as displaying a willingness to interchange positions with added fluidity in their structure.
Penalty Kill/D-Zone Coverage: Though much of this game was spent in the Ducks’ defensive end, they, for the most part, did well to limit how dangerous Florida was with that extended time. As they were in Vegas, the defensemen and low forwards were difficult to gain ice against in front of Dostal, allowing him to see distance shots and doing well to box out rebound attempts.
The most significant aspect of what made them successful was how they addressed open lanes. Either active sticks or quick retreats and recoveries to dangerous ice prevented crucial, high-danger situations.
Leo Carlsson: When he was drafted, Carlsson was compared to some of the best 200-foot, Selke-winning players of their generations: Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Aleksander Barkov. Those reports were miscast, as he entered the NHL with a more offensive inclination, attacking downhill, and struggling to grasp defensive concepts.
As the franchise center and highest-paid player in the NHL, Carlsson has no choice but to quickly and completely round out his game and live up to the pressures that are attached to his new status. In this game, he was that high IQ, 200-foot, two-way battle-winner down the middle. He was backtracking in proper lanes, sealing attackers, and breaking up countless opportunities. This was one of the more complete games of Carlsson’s blossoming career.
The Ducks will face their third-straight Stanley Cup-contending opponent on Wednesday, when they’ll host the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center at 7 pm PST.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Marc Gatcomb scored the go-ahead goal late on the second period and the Vegas Golden Knights downed the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Sunday night.
Mitch Marner scored his first goal of the season and Victor Olofsson added a power-play score for the Golden Knights. Adin Hill stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced, including a key save midway through the third when he slid well out of his crease to deny Liam Ohgren on a short-handed breakaway.
Canucks winger Paul Cotter opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period, extending his season-opening point streak to four games with four goals and two assists across that stretch.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki also scored for Vancouver while Kevin Lankinen made 25 saves in a bounceback performance from Thursday night when he gave up eight goals on 20 shots in the Canucks’ 9-7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
After putting up 17 goals over their first three games of the season, Vancouver struggled to generate offense against Vegas, with just 19 shots in the game.
The Golden Knights had ample scoring opportunities with five power plays and found success with the extra man with a five-forward unit.
The Golden Knights took the 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at the 14:30 mark of the second after Lankinen stopped a shot from Jack Eichel. The rebound popped out to Mark Stone at the goal line and he sent a pass to Olofsson, who fired a shot into the top of the net to make it 2-1 for Vegas.
Vegas has now won eight straight games against Vancouver dating to Dec. 19, 2024.
Up next
Canucks: Begin a six-game road trip on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Golden Knights: Visit the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.
Former NHL defenseman Lyle Odelein, who spent the final season of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005-06, died overnight Friday. He was 58.
No official cause of death has been shared at this point, although sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he died of a heart attack. Odelein lived outside of Pittsburgh in Fox Chapel, Pa. with his wife, Laura, and he owned several Supercuts locations in addition to being a community fixture at several local businesses.
A seventh-round pick (141st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in 1986, Odelein hailed from Quill Lake, Saskatchewan in Canada. The 6-foot, 212-pound blueliner won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1993 and spent 16 seasons in the NHL across eight different teams.
During his final season in Pittsburgh - the first season post-lockout and Sidney Crosby's rookie season - Odelein played in only 27 games, registering one point. Over the course of his NHL career, he amassed 50 goals and 252 in 1,056 games.
According to the Post-Gazette, it is believed that a blood infection caused by the prick of a cactus in 2018 while golfing in Arizona caused a blood infection that led to further health complications. The Penguins and several other NHL teams that Odelein suited up for acknowledged his passing with social media posts.
In addition, the Penguins held a moment of celebration for Odelein during their home opener against the Canadiens on Saturday.
The Vancouver Canucks battled, but they didn’t quite get their desired result, as they suffered a 3–2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second-half of their weekend back-to-back. Paul Cotter and Jonathan Lekkerimäki were the two Canucks that found the back of the net, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 25 of 28 shots faced.
The first period was all about special teams. Vancouver made a slight change to their first-unit power play personnel tonight, subbing Cotter into the spot previously occupied by Drew O’Connor.
While Vancouver established some early momentum on the power play after Elias Pettersson drew a slashing call on Vegas captain Mark Stone, two back-to-back penalties taken by Jamie Oleksiak and Aatu Räty gave the Golden Knights an early offensive advantage, allowing them to establish a stronger presence in Vancouver’s zone by the time both penalties were over.
This continuous O-zone presence nearly gave Vegas the game-opening goal after the puck bounced around Lankinen before landing on top of Vancouver’s net. Though it was close, Zeev Buium managed to bat the puck away before Vegas could capitalize on the chance, allowing his team to re-set in their own zone.
When Vancouver did exit their zone, however, they made it count. Lekkerimäki and Arshdeep Bains, sent up-ice by Max Sasson, put together a strong rush-chance that ultimately drew a hooking call on Tomáš Hertl, sending the Canucks to the power play for the second time this period. It was none-other than Mr. 300th-Game himself that scored on the man-advantage, tapping-in a shot from Filip Hronek.
Vancouver’s penalty kill deserves some credit in tonight’s game, with some of their units featuring forward pairings of Bains and Cotter, Pettersson and Liam Öhgren, and Sasson and O’Connor, combining for an 80% success rate through around five PKs throughout the game. This included two 2-on-1 chances shorthanded for Sasson and O’Connor, during which they provided dangerous chances but weren’t quite able to score.
Having said that, the fact that Vancouver ended up on the penalty kill so often did ultimately cost Vancouver their initial lead. With Vegas scoring their first goal of the game at 5-on-5 off a play by Mitch Marner, Tom Willander’s tripping penalty gave the Golden Knights their fourth opportunity on the man-advantage.
One potentially worrisome moment saw Willander end up on the receiving end of a big hit by Vegas defenceman Brayden McNabb during the second period. The defenceman was slow to get up after the hit and immediately went to the Canucks’ dressing room, not returning for the remainder of the period. By the time the third period started, however, Willander returned to play.
Much like how they have in the past couple of games, after a couple of periods that resulted in Vancouver trailing, the Canucks switched up a couple of their lines. Öhgren was moved up to Pettersson and Linus Karlsson’s line, with Marco Rossi taking his spot alongside Cotter and Brock Boeser. O’Connor joined Sasson and Bains, while Lekkerimäki skated with Räty and Brendan Gallagher.
Despite their strong numbers in third periods throughout the 2026–27 season thus far, the Canucks were ultimately not able to pull off their same miraculous comebacks. Vegas battled back against the Canucks to retain their 3–2 lead by the end of the game.
At the end of the day, there was a clear skill gap between the Canucks and Golden Knights. That said, Vancouver was still able to put up a fair effort in the second-half of a back-to-back against a team that went to the Stanley Cup Final the year before.
Oct 4, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) tips a shot wide of defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Paul Cotter skates in his 300th NHL game
Two former members of the Canucks organization (Marc Gatcomb, Nic Dowd) record points
Forward Elias Pettersson (20:29) and defencemen Zeev Buium (20:07), Tom Willander (21:02), and Filip Hronek (26:25) all finish with over 20 minutes played
Marco Rossi records a team-high four hits
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
18:52 - VAN: Paul Cotter (4) from Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek (PPG)
2nd Period:
9:01 - VGK: Mitch Marner (1) from Brayden McNabb
14:30 - VGK: Victor Olofsson (2) Mark Stone and Jack Eichel (PPG)
17:54 - VAN: Jonathan Lekkerimäki (2) from Linus Karlsson and Luke Schenn
18:28 - VGK: Marc Gatcomb (1) from Braeden Bowman and Nic Dowd
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The New York Islanders underwent minor changes throughout the 2026 summer. The organization decidedly focused on leaving as much roster flexibility as possible for youth, such as Victor Eklund.
Undergoing that type of decision led to the departure of solid NHL players.
One of those became Marc Gatcomb, one of the hardest-working players on the Islanders in recent years.
Gatcomb signed a two-year, $1.75 million ($875k AAV) contract with the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer.
Gatcomb, 27, played 88 games over the last two seasons with the Islanders, posting 11 goals and 16 assists in that time.
He stepped up in times of injury or when the Islanders needed a spark in their bottom six, with his best success coming on New York's fourth line.
Gatcomb worked his way up from being undrafted, playing four years of college hockey, then parts of four AHL seasons before the Islanders gave him the call to the NHL in his fourth professional season.
The depth forward became a victim of the numbers guy in New York, with an excess of forwards on the team.
However, for a cap-strapped contender like the Golden Knights, it's a perfect fit.
Gatcomb's shown strong ability in semi-limited opportunities, and forced his way into Vegas' opening night roster.
He posted one assist in his Vegas debut on opening night, all while showcasing his strong two-way play.
Sunday night in Vancouver, the first team to give him a professional contract with the Abbotsford Canucks, Gatcomb buried his first goal with Vegas.
The style of goal shouldn't be any surprise to Islanders fans. Gatcomb excelled at finding the soft spots within team's defenses, consistently poaching rebounds and gritty, hard-working goals.
The more Gatcomb plays his way, the more success he will have.
