The Vegas Golden Knights will turn to Adin Hill between the pipes Friday night as they look to protect home ice against a Nashville Predators team that has opened the 2026-27 season with an impressive 10-4-5 record.
Hill was the first goaltender off the ice during Friday’s morning skate, a strong indication that he will get the start at T-Mobile Arena. The 30-year-old netminder has given Vegas plenty of reason for confidence early in the campaign, posting a 7-2-0 record through his first nine appearances, along with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
His early-season form marks a welcome turnaround from a difficult 2025-26 campaign. Hill finished last season with a 10-9-6 record, a 3.04 goals-against average and a .871 save percentage. However, sources told The Hockey News that injuries played a significant role in his struggles, offering important context behind his disappointing numbers.
Now looking much sharper to open the new season, Hill will have an opportunity to continue building momentum against a Nashville club that has been one of the stronger teams in the early standings.
Here is how both teams are expected to line up Friday night.
Nashville Predators (10-4-5) – Projected Lineup
Forwards
Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Mavrik Bourque
Filip Forsberg – Shane Wright – Nils Hoglander
Reid Schaefer – Alexander Kerfoot – Vitali Pinchuk
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Adam Edstrom
Defensemen
Roman Josi – Adam Wilsby
Brady Skjei – Nick Perbix
Daemon Hunt – Jayden Struble
Goaltenders
Juuse Saros
Justus Annunen
Scratched: Nicolas Hague, Ilya Lyubushkin
Injured: Jonathan Marchessault (lower body), William Trudeau (upper body)
Vegas Golden Knights (13-5-2) – Projected Lineup
Forwards
Trevor Connelly – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Ivan Barbashev – Tomas Hertl – Victor Olofsson
Braeden Bowman – Nic Dowd – Marc Gatcomb
Defensemen
Shea Theodore – Brayden McNabb
Jeremy Lauzon – Rasmus Andersson
Parker Wotherspoon – Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders
Adin Hill
Carter Hart
Scratched: Raphael Lavoie
Injured: Noah Hanifin (undisclosed)
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where the Golden Knights will look to make the most of home ice against a Predators squad that has made a strong start to the season.
While Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield made history Thursday night by becoming the first Hab to score in eight consecutive games against the Boston Bruins, the team also achieved an impressive feat. The 5-2 win over the divisional rival meant that the Sainte-Flanelle got at least a point in its last 12 games. That hasn’t happened since the 1992-93 season, when the team won the last of its 24 Stanley Cups, which was an unexpected one as well.
What’s even more impressive, though, is that all those games were played without Russian sophomore Ivan Demidov, a key part of the Canadiens’ core. Furthermore, six of those games were played without team captain Nick Suzuki, while defenseman Mike Matheson also missed a sizeable chunk of matches. While some will say the results were skewed by great goaltending, mainly from Jacob Fowler, the fact is that the goaltender is an integral part of the team; it’s not a cheat code.
How many games can the Canadiens take that sequence to? Time will tell, but getting Demidov back would certainly help. While the Habs haven’t spelled out a new target date for his return, they announced this week that he would take part in a public signing session on November 22. That signing session was meant to happen earlier this season, but it was postponed because of his injury. Therefore, logic dictates that he should be back in the lineup by then; otherwise, he wouldn’t have committed to a signing session.
Montreal has five games left until then: the Avalanche and the Flyers at home, and a three-game road trip in three days against the Rangers, the Devils, and the Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. That’s bound to be a challenge, especially with the back-to-back games against the Devils and the Canes. When will Jakub Dobes come back in net? Will he be able to keep the streak intact? The next few games promise to be very interesting.
CNBC has released its valuations for all 32 NHL teams. As per the report, all valuation figures are in U.S. dollars, with multiple teams surpassing the $4 billion mark for the first time. The Toronto Maple Leafs lead the league at $5.4 billion, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are the lowest-valued team at $1.65 billion.
As for the Vancouver Canucks, they sit 15th at $2.5 billion. According to CNBC, that is up from the $ 2.2 billion reported in 2025. The Canucks did fall in overall position, as they were ranked 12th last year.
2026 CNBC NHL Team Valuations:
Toronto Maple Leafs: $5.4B
New York Rangers: $4.7B
Montréal Canadiens: $4.1B
Los Angeles Kings: $3.9B
Edmonton Oilers: $3.7B
Philadelphia Flyers: $3.6B
Boston Bruins: $3.5B
Chicago Blackhawks: $3.35B
Washington Capitals: $3.2B
New Jersey Devils: $3.1B
Detroit Red Wings: $3.05B
New York Islanders: $3B
Tampa Bay Lightning: $2.7B
Carolina Hurricanes: $2.66B
Vancouver Canucks: $2.5B
Vegas Golden Knights: $2.45B
Minnesota Wild: $2.33B
Colorado Avalanche: $2.27B
Dallas Stars: $2.26B
Calgary Flames: $2.25B
Seattle Kraken: $2.2B
Florida Panthers: $2.15B
Anaheim Ducks: $2.1B
Pittsburgh Penguins: $2B
Nashville Predators: $1.95B
St. Louis Blues: $1.9B
Utah Mammoth: $1.85B
San Jose Sharks: $1.8B
Winnipeg Jets: $1.75B
Ottawa Senators: $1.72B
Buffalo Sabres: $1.7B
Columbus Blue Jackets: $1.65B
Nov 9, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (88) celebrates his goal with forward Brock Boeser (6) against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Avalanche may have to navigate the coming stretch without their biggest superstar.
Following Nathan MacKinnon’s lower-body injury in Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre, the Avalanche have recalled forward Gavin Brindley from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
MacKinnon kicking off the rush against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Credit: Nick Turchiaro - Imagn Images
MacKinnon exited Thursday night's game against Ottawa after appearing to injure his right side while attempting a reverse hit on Senators defenseman Artem Zub. His final shift came at the 8:15 mark of the second period. MacKinnon initially remained on the bench before heading down the tunnel and did not return for the remainder of the game.
Nathan MacKinnon in a previous interview.
Brindley, known for his speed and offensive ability, has been called up several times this season. He previously spent time with the Avalanche while forward Logan O’Connor recovered from a lower-body injury and during O’Connor’s absence following the death of his father, Myles Connor.
Brindley has made the most of his opportunities with the Eagles this season, recording 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 10 games. His point-per-game production has helped keep him in the conversation as an option whenever Colorado needs reinforcements up front.
He has yet to find the back of the net in five NHL appearances this season, recording one assist while averaging 8:54 of ice time per game.
Brindley has already come close to delivering a memorable moment at the NHL level this season. In Colorado’s Oct. 14 matchup against the Dallas Stars, he appeared to score a beautiful wrist-shot goal, prompting the goal horn to sound and the arena to erupt in celebration. However, the excitement was short-lived. A replay revealed that the puck had struck both posts without crossing the goal line, leaving Brindley heartbreakingly close to his first NHL goal of the season.
The Avalanche ultimately fell 3-2 in a shootout, but Brindley’s near-miss provided one of the night’s most memorable moments.
Now, with MacKinnon potentially sidelined for an undetermined period of time, Brindley gets another opportunity to make an impact at the NHL level. His speed and offensive upside could give Colorado another option as the team looks to navigate the absence of one of the most important players in its lineup.
On this day in 1999, Detroit Red Wings star winger Brendan Shanahan scored the 400th goal of his NHL career in a 1-1 tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a landmark moment for one of the league's premier power forwards, who was in the middle of a Hall of Fame career in Detroit.
Shanahan was far from finished as he would go on to retire with 656 goals and 698 assists for 1,354 points in 1,524 games, along with 2,489 penalty minutes and was one of the rare players in all of NHL history to finish with more than 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.
After being the second overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in 1987, Shanahan would also play for the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers, and returned to the Devils to close out his career.
His ten seasons in Detroit were the defining stretch of his career as over a decade in a Red Wings sweater, he won three Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998 and 2002, and added an Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Winter Games. His historic career would earn him a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and was named one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players in 2017.
Shanahan's influence continued after he hung up his skates as he served as the NHL's senior vice president of player safety, then became president of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014, a role he held through 2025.
During that time, he oversaw a major rebuild of the franchise, including the hiring several general managers and the drafting of core players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Toronto made the playoffs every year of his tenure, though it struggled to break through in the postseason.
With his time in Toronto over, Shanahan's next move is one of the more intriguing storylines around the league. Detroit remains the team most closely tied to his legacy, and a return to the organization where he won his Cups would carry obvious appeal.
The Red Wings, who are chasing their first playoff berth in more than a decade could benefit from bringing back the franchise icon. Any reunion is speculation for now, and neither side has publicly said a deal is in the works.
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With Marcus Smart set to begin a three-game suspension on Friday, Reed Sheppard should be considered the priority streaming option for this weekend. That won’t bump Sheppard into the starting lineup, but he has been excellent this season when the minutes are there.
When Sheppard has played at least 20 minutes this season, he is averaging 13.2 points, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.8 triples per game. Houston has more depth this season, which has limited Sheppard's role in his third season, but when he has gotten the opportunity, he hasn't disappointed. This is also a great opportunity for him to prove that he deserves a larger spot in the rotation for the rest of the season. For now, we'll just take baby steps and hopefully enjoy a strong three-game stretch of production.
The Hawks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Knicks, Thunder, Kings and Spurs all play two games this weekend, so prioritize those teams if you’re looking to stream this weekend.
Here are nine other players I’d be comfortable streaming this weekend:
Kingston Flemings, G, Atlanta Hawks
Flemings is questionable for Friday’s game against the Bulls, but he has value for the rest of the season and is still available in far too many leagues. He has started four games for Atlanta and averaged 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The steals haven’t been there yet as a starter, but he is a high-level defender that had two steals in their last game and four swipes in his last game as a reserve. It doesn’t seem like he’ll be giving this starting job up, and he should only get better as the season continues.
Meleek Thomas, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Thomas has been fantastic this season as one of the best rookies in fantasy basketball. With Evan Mobley out on Friday with a toe injury and Sam Merrill out with an elbow issue, Thomas should see a nice boost in usage. He is averaging 13.1 points, 1.3 steals and 2.9 triples per game over the past two weeks, which includes a career-best 18 points earlier this week. He has been one of the best rookies in the league this season and is certainly looking like the best value pick of this past summer.
Aaron Wiggins, G/F, Atlanta Hawks
Wiggins is finding himself to be a regular on the list, mostly because he’s been awesome this season, but also because the Hawks continue to have a favorable schedule. Wiggins set season-highs earlier this week with five triples and six assists in a game, and he’ll continue to play a significant role off the bench for Atlanta. He has been an excellent addition for them and is a key piece to this team, giving him value beyond this weekend.
Larsson replaced Andrew Wiggins as a starter two games ago, and the results thus far have been solid. He is averaging 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 triples across his two starts, though he was limited by foul trouble in the first one. Larsson was considered a late-round target for fantasy managers, with the idea he may eventually start in place of Klay Thompson. Well, Klay has played well, but Larsson has still gotten the opportunity to play an expanded role, and he may not relinquish it.
Patrick Williams, F, Chicago Bulls
With Caleb Wilson set to miss four-to-six weeks after fracturing his right hand, Williams has a chance to step into a starting role. Now, Williams has been disappointing since the Bulls took him with the 4th pick in 2020, but the opportunity is enough to stream him in. With how long Wilson will be sidelined, Williams could end up being worth the roster spot for a few weeks. Let’s hope Williams can take advantage of the opportunity before him.
Jaylon Tyson, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
As I mentioned earlier, Evan Mobley is set to miss a game for the first time this season. While we don’t know exactly what Kenny Atkinson will do, Tyson makes sense as a replacement in the starting lineup. Tyson returned from a six-game absence on Wednesday, and while he didn’t provide much value, he did play 23 minutes, which bumped Mario Hezonja out of the rotation. Tyson has also proven in the past that he is worth rostering when the minutes are there.
Julian Champagnie, F, San Antonio Spurs
Champagnie has been starting for San Antonio recently in place of Devin Vassell, who has missed the last two games with a groin injury. He’s questionable to play on Friday, as is De’Aaron Fox (hip), and if either were to miss the game, Champagnie would remain a starter. He ranks inside the top 100 this season and has scored in double figures in three straight games and has hit 10 three-pointers during that stretch.
Isaiah Stewart, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Edey (ankle) and Quinten Post (concussion) have both been ruled out for Friday’s game, so Stewart should get the starting nod. Edey should be back on Saturday, but Post’s chances of playing in that game are smaller. Stewart should see a sizable role in both of the Grizzlies’ games this weekend while also getting at least one start.
Dylan Cardwell, C, Sacramento Kings
Things have been weird in Sacramento recently, specifically surrounding Domantas Sabonis and his role. That resulted in Cardwell seeing a big bump in minutes in their last game. Factor in that Precious Achiuwa is also questionable with an ankle injury, which is another path for Cardwell to take on more minutes, which could mean plenty of rebounds and defensive stats.
‘Japan have a distinct way of playing,’ says captain
Steve Borthwick hails ‘weird and wonderful’ Jones
Maro Itoje has insisted England will be ready for any curveballs Eddie Jones may throw on Saturday, warning his side they cannot “sleepwalk” into battle against Japan.
Jones, England’s longest-serving head coach after his stint between 2015 and 2022, has strongly hinted he will set his side up to unsettle his former charges at Twickenham, warning that they do not like “unorthodox” rugby. The hosts are heavy favourites to back up last week’s record win over Australia with another emphatic victory and have never lost to Japan but Steve Borthwick has made 10 personnel and two positional changes, fielding an inexperienced side against that of his predecessor.
The Buffalo Sabres were hoping that their success this season on the road would provide a magic tonic after regulation losses to Ottawa, Vegas, and Tampa Bay on their four-game homestand, but in spite of playing a more disciplined game against the club with league’s second worst record and worst goal differential, the Sabres lost 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime at the United Center on Thursday.
The loss is the Sabres third in a row and fourth in the last five games, and in those defeats, they are averaging less than two goals a game.
Owen Power and Tage Thompson scored for Buffalo, but Frank Nazar scored his second of the game midway through the third period to tie the game and should have been penalized in overtime after what Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff considered an obvious interference penalty. Ryan Donato scored at 3:12 of overtime to snap the Hawks six-game losing skid.
“It’s a penalty in any league. It’s a call you’ve got to get. It’s a call that has to be made. The guy turns and sticks his ass out and dumps our guy. Make the call.” Ruff said. “You can’t interfere with the guy, just basic interference, the call’s right there in front of them.”
Do the Sabres need to consider trading for a scorer?
Buffalo has earned points in eight of their nine road games (4-1-4), but their under .500 record at KeyBank Center has them falling behind in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Currently, the Sabres are eight points behind Tampa Bay and Montreal, and seven points in back of Boston for the top three spots in the Atlantic, and six points in back of Ottawa and four points behind both Florida in the race for the two wildcard spots.
“We’ve got to start winning games for sure.” Ruff said. ”Getting a point is OK, but we have to start winning games.”
GM Jarmo Kekalainen reportedly is looking to add some offensive help, but only a few clubs are expected to be willing to make trades at the quarter poll of the season. The club’s current struggles are symptomatic of Kekalainen’s inability or unwillingness to bring in offensive help after the departure of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram last summer, and an overreliance on the club’s youngsters being able to step up.
The New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals are at an uncanny halfway point in their matchups. Both teams are in the middle of a home-and-home matchup and have played two of the four games in the season series. The Capitals took the first meeting on their home ice 4-2, and the Devils evened up the score with a 5-2 win on Thursday night on their home ice.
The Capitals and Devils are also shaping up to be in the playoffs and Cup conversation by the end of the season. The Devils are 14-6, and after acquiring Connor Hellebuyck, they look like a team moving full steam ahead to the top of the Eastern Conference. The Capitals, at 10-7, haven’t looked like a juggernaut but have the talent to be a top team by the end of the season.
Both teams will likely buy at the trade deadline, or even beforehand. They are in a position to make a move or two and possibly a splash that changes their outlook by the end of the season. It wouldn’t shock anyone if the Capitals or Devils make the big trade, and the question is which team is more likely.
The Capitals Have The Pieces To Make The Next Big Swing
The fascinating aspect of the Capitals is that they have a great roster but also prospects on top of prospects. Specifically, they have young NHL-caliber players who can’t crack the lineup. Ivan Miroshnichenko is a healthy scratch on most nights, while Bogdan Trineyev is a 24-year-old power forward that teams look for come playoff time, yet is stuck in Hershey.
Speaking of the Hershey Bears, the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, they have prospects who will make an impact soon enough. Those same prospects can also be a big part of a blockbuster trade.
Andrew Cristall, for example, is a 21-year-old winger with the skill to play on an NHL team’s middle six. However, the Capitals have a surplus of wingers, with many of them locked in long-term, including Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, who were both acquired in the offseason.
Eventually, the Capitals must make a decision on these prospects and young NHLers. They can flip them for another elite talent who helps them win now and still have enough in the system not to worry about mortgaging the future.
Mehta Operates Differently & Won’t Stop Making Big Moves
The Devils' general manager Sunny Mehta has proven he’s a unique executive. His aggressive moves in the offseason, the Hellebuyck blockbuster, and the decision to sit Hellebuyck after his much-anticipated return to Winnipeg prove that he’s not a traditional GM and is willing to make bold moves, even if they are questioned.
During Hellebuyck’s 22-minute press conference on Tuesday before the game against the Winnipeg Jets, the goaltender spoke about his decision to ask for a trade. He also mentioned something fascinating about the Devils' front office when asked about the decision to start the backup, Jake Allen, instead.
“They handle business differently than I’m used to,” Hellebuyck stated in his presser. While he was talking about the goaltending decision, it also applies to how the front office, specifically Mehta, operates.
He’s willing to be aggressive and make a big trade. He’s also shown creativity in making big trades, whether it’s moving depth players or adding players through minor moves to create flexibility. It’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Devils make another big move at some point.
“We’re never done. We’re never done,” Mehta stated ahead of Hellebuyck’s introductory press conference with the Devils. If the Devils are one of the best teams in the league by the trade deadline and they are trending in that direction, Mehta can make a small, under-the-radar deal or take another swing.
The Capitals Are All-In This Season
This isn’t a typical season for the Capitals. It’s Alexander Ovechkin’s last season in the NHL. The all-time leader in goals and one of the game’s greats announced that he’s retiring after this season.
The Capitals want him to retire on a high note. Ideally, that’s another Stanley Cup title, something Ovechkin and the team experienced in 2018, yet haven’t come close to since. This is the year for them to have that success.
The offseason moves set them up for a successful season. Plus, the Capitals already have a strong roster in place and young, emerging stars, including Cole Hutson and Ryan Leonard. It puts them in a position to become buyers at the trade deadline and make an all-in push for a deep playoff run.
What Move Will The Capitals Or Devils Make Next?
Dylan Larkin has both the Capitals and the Devils on his trade list. He also checks off a few boxes for both teams as a top-six center who can move to the wing and impact the game in multiple ways. While the Capitals and Devils have their top-six centers at the moment, they can use more versatility in their lineup, especially come playoff time.
Zach Werenski is a fascinating name to keep tabs on. The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman who won the Norris Trophy last season is a free agent after next season and might look to sign elsewhere if the team continues to struggle (so a trade is possible). The catch is that the Capitals have two scoring defensemen already on their roster, while the Devils have Luke Hughes emerging as an elite two-way defenseman (plus, there’s another Hughes the Devils might have their eyes on).
For the Capitals specifically, Nikita Kucherov would be an intriguing addition. The Tampa Bay Lightning have no interest in trading the reigning Hart Trophy winner, and Kucherov’s style of play doesn’t fit in the Capitals' top six. That said, he’d take them to another level, and from a sentimental perspective, he’ll play alongside his fellow countryman Ovechkin.
The Capitals and the Devils are in positions to make a move or two. It will be intriguing to see which team ends up putting the next blockbuster together.
After eight years of serving in the U.S. Army, James King received some news that made a difference for his family: medical debt tied to his wife’s hospitalization had been erased.
King and his family attended the Vegas Golden Knights’ Military Appreciation Night on Wednesday, Nov. 11, where the team recognized veterans who benefited from a new NHL debt relief initiative.
The Golden Knights, Buffalo Sabres and NHL teamed up to erase $1.5 million in debt for more than 600 U.S. veterans and their families in recognition of Veterans Day. The relief came through Operation Line Shift, the league’s partnership with ForgiveCo.
Veterans in the Las Vegas area received $500,000 in debt relief. Another $400,000 went to veterans and families in Western New York.
The Golden Knights hosted the Utah Mammoth at T-Mobile Arena, while the Sabres welcomed the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both teams used the games to recognize members of their military communities as part of the NHL’s 2026 Veterans Appreciation Night, which was also featured on TNT Sports platforms and presented by Navy Federal Credit Union.
The broadcast included an interview with Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin, whose family has several members with military service. Hanifin was listed as week-to-week after suffering an injury during Sunday’s 4-1 win over Buffalo.
The support wasn’t limited to Las Vegas and Buffalo. All 32 NHL teams took part in military appreciation events throughout the season, with special games and in-arena recognition for active service members, veterans and their families.
Through Operation Line Shift, the NHL and its teams had erased a total of $3.75 million in debt for more than 2,100 veterans and their families.
For families like the Kings, that help meant one less financial burden to carry. And that’s a lot more meaningful than any pregame ceremony.
Steve Borthwick has picked a team to excite fans – let’s see them beat the Brave Blossoms at their own game on Saturday
Based on England’s performance last week, there was part of me that thought about writing a piece that would light another fire under the squad. As predicted a week ago, England were galvanised by events leading up to the game against Australia and I cannot remember the last time when I came away from Twickenham so impressed by both the result and the performance.
Pretty much every box was ticked. It was a complete showing. Discipline was on point, the set piece went well and England scored all manner of tries. The question is, how does a much-changed team take a step up, continue to build momentum through the Nations Championship and drive things forward? It can be a challenge against a side like Japan – we only have to look back at England v Japan in 2018, it was like a cemetery for some players’ international careers.
While most of the Montreal Canadiens’ offense came from depth players in Thursday night's 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins, one member of the first line got on the boards: Cole Caufield. The American sniper, picked 15th overall in the 2019 draft, found the back of the net for the eighth straight game against the Habs’ divisional rival. That’s an impressive feat on its own, but he’s the first player in Sainte-Flanelle history to do it.
That’s right, no Canadiens player had ever scored in eight consecutive duels against the Bruins before Caufield on November 12, 2026. That’s a first in nearly 102 years. The Habs may be nearly 117 years old, but the Bruins will “only” turn 102 years old on December 1, 2026.
Caufield now has 14 points in 15 games against Boston, including 12 goals. The sharpshooter is at his best against the Bruins; the only teams he’s scored more goals against are the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres, with 13 lamplighters against both. However, he’s faced the Senators 17 times and the Sabres 20 times, giving him more opportunities to find the back of the net.
His least frequent victims? The Los Angeles Kings (a single goal in eight games), the Winnipeg Jets (two goals in 13 games, both in the same game 10 days ago), and Saturday’s visitors at the Bell Centre: the Colorado Avalanche (two goals in eight games). It’s interesting to see he has so few goals against the Jets, even though he played them so many times in 2020-21, when the league realigned its divisions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given his knack for finding the back of the net on Saturday night, Mr. Saturday night, as many call him, may add to his total against Colorado. Although the Habs' next visitors are only 11th in the league with 25 points in 20 games, the Canadiens have only won four of their last 10 games against Jared Bednar’s team. They could definitely use some goals from their scoring ace Saturday night, even if the Avs are without Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, who both exited the game against the Senators on Thursday night.
The Detroit Red Wings have now lost five straight regulation games, with the latest setback the toughest to swallow.
The Red Wings held a 4-1 lead over their divisional rival Florida Panthers midway through the second period Thursday evening, only to watch the host Panthers score four unanswered goals and seize victory from the jaws of defeat.
"We didn't do a good enough job of attacking in the third period, and we sat back too much," said forward J.T. Compher, who scored his second goal of the campaign in the first period.
Goals from Compher, Andreas Englund, Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper gave Detroit a 4-1 advantage before Florida began to shift the momentum with a goal in the dying seconds of the second period, giving the Panthers some life heading into the third.
"Momentum is a funny thing in sports," said head coach Todd McLellan. "We had all of it until the goal at the end of the second period, and had a chance to regroup coming out into the third, and then took a penalty 30 seconds in a long way from our net, and they really got rolling."
While McLellan believes the group found their footing in the third period, they didn't sustain it.
"We just couldn’t sustain it enough," he said. "We lost that aggressiveness to go the other way. We were trying to play mistake-free hockey, and they capitalized.”
The Red Wings will lament the fact that Thursday was another game in which they held a multi-goal lead and ultimately ended up with zero points in the standings.
"There’s been games this year where we didn’t have it and we went back and got it, so we got that down," said McLellan. "But today, we gave it back.”
Detroit has no choice but to immediately try and regroup for when they conclude their road swing against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated them by a 4-1 final score earlier this month to begin the current five-game skid, on Saturday evening.
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Simply looking at the Lakers 11-2 record tells you they’ve been playing really well to start the season. Irrespective of the competition, you simply don’t win at this rate — including seven games in a row after Wednesday’s victory in Milwaukee — without doing way more things right than wrong.
That said, one of the benefits of watching a team on a day-to-day basis is that you gain perspective on what you’re watching, are better able to contextualize the results and can speak to the differences between, say, an 11-point win against the Bucks vs. a 10-point win against the Hawks against a six-point win over the Raptors.
The details from any one of those games matter and help provide the arc and narrative of where the team has been and, maybe more importantly, where they could be going. You can also find the themes that help you, even this early in the year, establish what the team actually is.
For example, the numbers tell you the Lakers are the best offense in the league and that Luka Dončić is on the sort of start to the season that forgest MVP campaigns. These things are related and are easily the top data point for why the Lakers have the record that they do.
Again, though, watching this team every day gives you access to more than what a visit to the NBA Stats page or Cleaning the Glass would tell you about the team. Those tools help contextualize what you watch, but they cannot replace what you observe with your own eyes. They also cannot prove the nuance of and aforementioned details that go into the progression — or in some cases, regression — that comprises the march through what is a marathon of an 82-game campaign.
Which leads me back to why I’m here in the first place.
While the Lakers are 11-2, I’d argue they are just now starting to find their way of what they are and who they can as a team. Because their record is what it is, I think it would be easy to conflate their success with them hitting the ground running, but that would be a mistake. It’s not that the team isn’t playing well — of course they are, look at their record! — but it’s more that the version of well they’re playing is just now beginning to become more well-rounded.
For example, when the Lakers’ winning streak started seven games ago, Luka was in full destroyer of worlds mode, scoring 45, 42, 40, and 53 points in consecutive games. If we’re being honest, the Lakers wouldn’t have needed much beyond Luka playing to that level for them to win, but they were still getting complementary performances from Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler — both of whom scored in double digits in all those games too — as well as other role players stepping up on any given night.
LUKA JUST DROPPED 53 POINTS 🚨
🪄 53 PTS 🪄 5 REB 🪄 5 AST 🪄 5 3PM 🪄 @emirates NBA Cup Group Play W
FIRST LAKER SINCE KOBE BRYANT (JAN 10-14, 2012) TO SCORE 40+ PTS IN 4 STRAIGHT GAMES 🤯 pic.twitter.com/auJqrGlwrk
Over the last three games, however, things have started to diversify more, with Luka and Austin taking turns sitting out in the Sunday and Monday back-to-back games in Detroit and Atlanta. Add in Quentin Grimes missing the contests against the Hawks and Bucks, and the rotation has been stress-tested with different players needing to absorb usage while stepping into larger roles.
And, with those opportunities for others to step up, we have seen the Lakers begin to better establish the team they can actually become rather than simply rely on Luka going nuclear while fueling the NBA’s best offense.
Sandro Mamukelashvili’s uptick in production the past two games is a perfect example of this. Mamu was not necessarily playing poorly before these past two games against the Hawks and Bucks, but he was most helping the team by being a connective passer whose ability to drive and attack closeouts was helping grease the wheels of the team’s offense.
Against the Hawks and the Bucks, however, Mamu showed an uptick in offensive aggression, looking for his own shot more often and paying off those attempts with made baskets. After scoring a total of 16 points in wins over the Kings, Blazers, and Pistons, Mamu erupted for 23 points in both Atlanta and Milwaukee, bested by only Luka on both nights.
Following the win in Milwaukee, Mamu spoke about playing with more confidence and how it’s taken time to grow into believing in himself to the same degree the coaches and organization have believed in him by signing and putting him into the role he’s occupied.
Beyond Mamu, we’ve also seen a better play from Collin Sexton, both individually and in reestablishing his connection and chemistry with Walker Kessler. After missing all of training camp, Sexton has been up and down to begin the year, but the recent uptick in touches and playing as the lone lead guard on the court with Luka and Austin both missing games has not only given him more chances to lead the team’s offensive attack, but his placement into more units where he’s gotten to play with his former Jazz teammate, Kessler, has given him a familiar partner who he clearly has a feel for playing with.
In the last three games, the 42 minutes Sexton has played with Kessler is the most he’s been paired with any teammate. While their plus-minus together is only plus-six in those minutes, when you consider Sexton’s season-long plus-minus is a -22, this recent trend upwards is a huge shift from how his year began.
Much of this is fueled by them flashing an understanding of how to play off of each other, with Sexton seeking out and feeding Kessler for easy baskets on one end of the court and Kessler helping to insulate Sexton defensively by patrolling the paint and protecting the back line on the other.
When you add in that on any given night the team is also getting strong performances from Ziaire Williams offensively, well-rounded floor games from Jake LaRavia, defensive playmaking and shot making from Matisse Thybulle, hard-nosed defense and rebounding from Jarred Vanderbilt and mostly mistake-free minutes boosted by elite athleticism from Adou Thiero, the Lakers are looking more and more like a full team that is complementing each other instead of a one- or two-man show of Luka and Reaves that just so happens to be supported by a mostly anonymous group of role players.
To what degree the Lakers’ record can keep up with their great start remains to be seen. I absolutely do not think nor believe they’ll maintain an .800+ winning percentage all season. But that’s sort of the point here.
The Lakers may not ultimately be as good as their record through 13 games, but they’ve also been winning without playing nearly their best basketball. They’ve only very recently started to resemble a group that understands how to play together and what to do in the various scenarios different opponents offer with their specific game plans tailored to their own personnel.
Reaching 500 career starts is a major achievement for any NHL goaltender. Darcy Kuemper hit that mark Thursday night, but the milestone came with a performance he’d probably rather forget.
Kuemper became the 87th goaltender in NHL history to make 500 career starts as the Los Angeles Kings hosted the New York Islanders at Crypto.com Arena. Unfortunately, the night didn’t go as planned. He allowed four goals on 20 shots before being pulled, finishing with a .800 save percentage in a 5-2 loss.
The Islanders struck first when former Kings forward Brayden Schenn capitalized on a rebound. Trevor Moore answered for Los Angeles, briefly bringing the game level, but New York took control from there.
Matthew Schaefer put the Islanders back in front on the power play, and Victor Eklund extended the lead to 3-1 after finishing a rush set up by Schenn.
The Kings had a chance to get back into the game on a five-on-three power play. Artemi Panarin’s shot created a rebound that Quinton Byfield put away, with Kevin Fiala picking up an assist in his first game back in the lineup. The goal cut the deficit to one, but Los Angeles couldn’t build on the momentum.
New York restored its two-goal cushion early in the third period when Simon Holmstrom found the net after the Kings failed to clear a loose puck from the slot. An empty-net goal later sealed the 5-2 result.
For Kuemper, the milestone still stands as a significant career accomplishment. But with the Islanders finding the net four times against him on just 20 shots, it was a tough way for the former Stanley Cup champion to celebrate the honor.
Eric Samulski
