The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens at the United Center on Friday night. Outside of Connor Bedard’s first-period goal that gave Chicago a 1-0 lead, the game was an overall disaster for Chicago.
Whether it was zone entries, breaking the puck out of the defensive zone, or refraining from giving up short-handed chances, the Blackhawks were as lousy as they’ve been at any point in the young season.
At 3-7-0, they don’t have any answers, but they're looking to figure it out. It won’t happen overnight, but talent must meet the work ethic and commitment to consistently getting better. Sometimes, veteran leadership must lead the way for that to happen.
Connor Bedard is a wonderful young captain, and Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and others will make great leaders over time. However, veteran players with big-game experience can go a long way in these situations.
One player in Chicago’s locker room who can speak to that is defenseman Ian Cole. On Friday night, Cole played in the 1000th game of his accomplished NHL career.
Cole has now suited up for 10 games with the Blackhawks, but he's spent most of his career moving around the league. Cole has also played for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Utah Mammoth.
There have been many deep playoff runs, and two of them ended with a Stanley Cup. He has also been on a few losing teams, including his current situation in Chicago. Understanding both ends of the spectrum makes him a valuable piece on the current team.
"I've been very fortunate to be on good teams," Cole said after his 1000th game. "There are many things that make them good, but consistency is number one. We were consistently doing the right things, completing plays, continuing to push the pace both as a team and individually. We need to find that. In the first 10 minutes, we'll look really good, and then it doesn't carry through the full 60. We need to find a level of consistency in our game to win hockey games. If we don't find that, it's going to be tough."
Cole talked about having those conversations with the team ahead of the next practice. He hasn't been with the organization for very long, but his 1000 games of NHL experience plus many playoff/Stanley Cup Final games should allow his voice to speak loudly.
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ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues held a team-only meeting a couple days ago and decided that their style of play would encapsulate one way:
“Just want to be relentless,” Blues forward Dylan Holloway said.
The disclosure came on the heels of an impressive 6-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, the first of two straight games for the Blues (5-4-1) on their current five-game homestand against the past two Stanley Cup finalists with the Carolina Hurricanes (8-2-2), the defending champs in town for a Saturday game (6 p.m.; Blue Note+, ESPN 101.1-FM).
“We just stuck to the way we were playing and it paid off,” Holloway said of Thursday’s win. “Just a lot of communication from our bench. We had some good team meetings (Wednesday), so I think they paid off. Just going over our identity, how we want to play as a team and what kind of identity we want to establish. It kind of just got everybody on the same page.”
Now the question is, can they maintain that same kind of identity? Can they maintain a level of play that’s demanding on a daily basis?
“What it takes is commitment, right,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “If anybody watches who we play (tonight), they watch them play, they would say they’re relentless and it’s every game, it’s every night, it’s every practice. So, what it takes is a commitment. It’s a simple thing to say, ‘I’m going to be relentless,’ but it takes a lot of hard work, and that’s where the commitment comes in.
“… This is a great opportunity. We’re really happy with the way we played. Can we do it again against the team that plays relentless, the most competitive team in the NHL? There’s no surprises. They’re coming hard to your net every chance. Any turnover off of O-zone, off the forecheck, off the neutral zone, are you going to beat them back at your net? Offensively, they’re in your face everywhere. You’ll have defensemen down at the goal line, so if you make a good decision with the puck, are you going to beat that guy to their net? One-on-one loose puck battles, are you going to be first on it? This is a real good test for us about being able to rinse-repeat with that same kind of effort and determination and also do it against the Stanley Cup champs. We did it last game against Vegas, Stanley Cup finalists. I just really like where the schedule just happened to be this time of year for the way we’re playing.”
How Montgomery and the coaching staff deliver that message will also play a big role in this.
“There’s been books written about it, so you’re always trying to find different ways to sell being relentless,” Montgomery said. “Whether it’s different words within your structure, but what I love is the word relentless came from them. It’s not us saying that we need to be like that, it’s them wanting to be like that and they took the action. Now, can we repeat it? It’s rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat. You’re not going to win every game just because you’re relentless because other teams are trying to win hockey games too, but you’re going to give yourself an opportunity and people are going to know when they play the St. Louis Blues, they’re in for a hockey game. They better be ready. We’ve got to get to that level.”
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Defenseman Quinton Burns, recalled on Friday night from Springfield of the American Hockey League, not only played on Friday for the Thunderbirds in their 3-2 loss at Charlotte, but then got the word that he was coming to the NHL for the first time.
The third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft was on a 6:30 a.m. (CT) flight out of Charlotte Saturday morning early and in St. Louis in time to get on the ice this morning to take in the optional morning skate.
Adrenaline was high, to say the least despite the whirlwind of the past 12 hours or so.
“It’s been busy, not a lot of sleep,” Burns said. “I got done with my game in Charlotte yesterday and then got the news. It was really exciting, was on a flight early this morning here, so it was pretty cool.
“Just pure excitement, right? Just so many people to thank. It takes so many people to help me get here and yeah, it’s just pure excitement. There wasn’t a lot of words when I got told. Just really happy to be here and looking forward to getting to work.”
Burns started off his first pro season last year with Florida of the ECHL, playing 16 games there (one goal, five assists, plus-10) before getting summoned up to Springfield, where he finished the season playing 31 regular-season games (five assists, 92 penalty minutes), then playing seven games there this season (one assist) before getting the call up.
It’s been a culmination of hard work and determination to get here, and the Blues recognized it. It is also a chance for Theo Lindstein, who was assigned to the Thunderbirds late Thursday, to play rather than sit here in St. Louis.
“What do we got, like four games in the next week? We only have six healthy defensemen right now,” Montgomery said. “Good opportunity for Lindstein to go down and get good ice time during those 3-4 games, and Burns is getting rewarded for all his hard work.
“Last year, his first year in pro went down to the East Coast League, worked his way back up to Springfield. Springfield just kept getting better and better. Great team guy, will fight for his teammates, will do anything to help his team win, block shots, smart defenseman. We believe if he continues to progress has a real good chance of being a real good defenseman in the league for a long time. That’s the organization again rewarding someone for how they’ve really made a commitment to their development.
“I think (the physicality has) always been there. He’s as old school as it gets. The Plagers would love him, (Barret) Jackman loves him.”
There are no promises Burns will play in this stint here, so the 6-foot-2, 198-pound left-handed shot will soak up as much as he can and absorb as much information as possible, and if the opportunity presents itself, he will be ready.
“Just taking it day by day; obviously I’d love to play a game,” Burns said. “But yeah, I’m just here to work and if my name gets called upon, I’ll be ready to go and looking forward to it.
“I feel like my game feels pretty good right now. I just try to play simple. I try to be relentless and be really hard to play against. That’s my identity, move the puck quick and be really hard to play against defensively and physical and that’s just what I’m looking to bring here. I’ve got to be myself.
“It’s been a journey. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, getting sent down to Florida. Obviously you don’t want to get sent down, but I just went to work and tried to get better and eventually when I got my chance up in Springfield, I thought I took it and I thought I played good. I had a really good summer and now I’m here. It just shows if you work hard and don’t get discouraged, good things will happen, so I’m just really happy.”
- - -
At Saturday’s optional morning skate, injured skaters Logan Mailloux (hand), Ross Johnston (lower body) and Alexey Toropchenko (upper body) all were participants on the ice.
Toropchenko has been skating all week and was putting in a full workload minus the contact and is closest to returning.
“’Torpo’s really close,” Montgomery said. “I believe by Tuesday I would think he’s ready. That’s where he’s at, very close. Way ahead of schedule. We didn’t expect to have him back for a minimum four weeks and four weeks isn’t until like next Friday.”
Now will Toropchenko, injured in the season-opener against the Dallas Stars, jump right back in? That all depends since Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg have looked strong in their two games with Pius Suter on the fourth line.
“It does afford you the time to be patient, and if you want to see if those young men can consistently deliver the same thing they’ve given us for two games,” Montgomery said. “I thought their first game was good, I thought they raised their level the second game, and that’s what you want to see is guys not only be excited to play that first game but to be full-time NHLers and show the grit, the pace and the mental aptitude to get better.”
- - -
Don’t look now, but the Blues’ power-play suddenly is eighth in the league after scoring in five straight games (6-for-17), including 2-for-2 against Vegas Thursday.
What’s changed from the start of the season with new assistant coach Vinny Prospal running the show?
“I think changing habits takes a while, and Vinny talks a lot about shooting and shot volume and converging at the net and have numbers at the net and to the goals, and I think our power play last year was slow, and it wasn’t about converging, it was about moving the puck around and waiting for the right opportunity,” Montgomery said. “So he’s changed the mindset and they understood it right away, but to change your own habits, that takes a couple of weeks anyways.”
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Connor McMichael-Mason McTavish-Jonatan Berggren
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich
Aleksanteri Kaskimaki-Pius Suter-Otto Stenberg
Philip Broberg-Justin Barron
Adam Jiricek-Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler-Brandon Carlo
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
The healthy scratch includes Quinton Burns. Logan Mailloux (hand), Tyler Tucker (knee), Alexey Toropchenko (upper body), Dillon Dube (neck) and Ross Johnston (lower body) are out.
- - -
Hurricanes Projected Lineup:
William Carrier-Sebastian Aho-Andrei Svechnikov
Nikolaj Ehlers-Logan Stankoven-Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Seth Jarvis
Eric Robinson-Skyler Brind'Amour-Nicolas Deslauriers
Jacob Slavin-Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller-Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere-Juuso Valimaki
Pyotr Kochetkov is projected to start in goal; Brandon Bussi would be the backup.
Healthy scratches could include Felix Unger Sorum and Mike Reilly. Taylor Hall (upper body), Mark Jankowski (lower body) and Jordan Staal (calf) are out.
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When the Winnipeg Jets finally traded Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, the reaction to the return was mixed. A debate has since taken hold on would the Jets have been better off with the deal that reportedly sat on the table at the NHL Draft?
Winnipeg sent Hellebuyck to New Jersey for forward Dawson Mercer, recent 12th overall pick Alexander Command, veteran center Nick Bjugstad, who is currently on the injured reserve, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
Reports after the draft said the Jets had a Hellebuyck deal available from the Buffalo Sabres. According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, the package would have included the fourth overall pick, which Buffalo used on Daxon Rudolph, plus starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a player believed to be Jack Quinn and at least one more asset.
The Sabres also reportedly wanted Winnipeg's eighth overall pick as part of the deal. Comparing the two packages piece by piece, the Devils' offer comes out ahead, if only slightly in some areas.
In goal, Luukkonen is the more established NHL name, while Daws is two years younger and earlier in his development. Daws went 9-11-0 with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage in his first NHL season, then returned to the minors and improved.
Over the next two seasons, he went 5-2-0 with a 2.02 GAA and a .925 save percentage, all team-leading marks for the Devils over that span. This season, he allowed six goals on 32 shots in his season opener against the New York Islanders, but quickly rebounded, allowing five goals on 54 shots over his next three starts, nabbing two wins. Luukkonen has shown he can be a fringe NHL starter, while the jury is still out on Daws.
Among forwards, Mercer and Quinn are very close as the Sabres winger has ten points in as many games this season and a career high of 51 points, while mostly being a 40-to-50-point player.
Mercer, a year younger at 24, has a slighly higher career best of 56 points and so far has four assists but no goal in ten games this season. Quinn is listed mainly as a winger, while Mercer can play right wing and center, giving Winnipeg added flexibility that matters in today's NHL. Both are pending restricted free agents, so neither has an edge in financial flexibility but Mercer appears to be the slightly better option.
The draft picks may be the clearest difference as Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said at his press conference that Winnipeg was going to select Viggo Björck wherever it was picking if he was available. A trade with Buffalo would therefore have meant moving up to fourth overall for a player the Jets landed at eighth overall anyway.
Under the Devils deal, Winnipeg kept the pick, got Björck and added Command, an 18-year-old center who is unlikely to reach the NHL for several years. Both prospects are from Sweden and have already been in touch, and the pair could give the Jets a long-term one-two punch down the middle.
The unnamed additional asset in the Buffalo offer makes it hard to judge that package in full. But whatever it was would have had to outweigh a return that also includes Bjugstad, a depth center and pending free agent, and two picks, including the second-rounder. Cheveldayoff said he can use the added assets at the trade deadline to help further bolster the roster.
Bjugstad is recovering from surgery last month on a torn muscle and is expected to be out four to six months, though Cheveldayoff said some issues remain under a doctor's care. He is on IR in Winnipeg and will not need to be placed on long-term injured reserve.
Mercer could make his Jets debut as early as Sunday, when Winnipeg hosts the Montreal Canadiens in the 2026 Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium. If he plays well, it could leave a positive impression early on that Cheveldayoff made the right move by sticking to his guns.
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Through the first 10 games of their 84-game season, the Devils rank second among all NHL teams in expected goal differential (+11.36, or +1.136 per game), but rank third worst in goal differential above expected (-9.36, or -0.936 per game).
Both of the goalies that have manned the net for the Devils this season - veteran Jake Allen and Winnipeg-bound Nico Daws - have struggled, combining to allow a whopping 6.0 total goals above expected thus far.
For reference, Hellebuyck was viewed to have had a very poor season by his standards in 2025-26, but still recorded 5.5 total goals saved above expected across 57 games played.
Within this context, New Jersey's solid 6-4-0 start to the year can be viewed as an underperformance, one which Mehta has reasonably diagnosed as a goaltending issue.
However, the other NHL players sent by the Devils to Winnipeg in exchange for Hellebuyck were forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad.
In solving one key issue (goaltending), Mehta may have created another (forward depth).
Mercer's versatility and complementary style could be greatly missed by the Devils moving forward. In 2025-26, he partnered center Nico Hischier and winger Timo Meier on what was, by far, the team's most productive and reliable forward line. Together, the trio played a team-high 476 minutes across 54 games, generating a total expected goal differential of +8.2.
Mercer scored 20 goals and added 22 assists in 2025-26, and at time of writing, he has an ongoing ironman streak, having suited up in 420 straight contests dating back to his NHL debut in 2021.
Apr 2, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer (91) celebrates his goal against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Prudential Center. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
This season, Mercer was supplanted by newcomer Luke Evangelista on that forward line alongside Hischier and Meier. Mercer was instead mostly deployed alongside center Evan Rodrigues and winger Anthony Mantha on the Devils' third line.
Mercer is yet to open his scoring account this season, tallying four assists in the last 10 games he's played as a Devil.
Bjugstad, meanwhile, is a bottom-six veteran center who averaged just 10:00 minutes of ice time per game in the 26 games he played last season with New Jersey after he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in early February of 2026. He underwent surgery for a torn left pec in September and is currently on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) with an expected return sometime in early 2027.
With a productive first two forward lines - top line of Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Bratt centered by Jack Hughes, second line of Evangelista and Meier centered by Hischier - head coach Sheldon Keefe will be tasked with finding the right combination of players to anchor the Devils' bottom-six forward lines.
Bottom-six forwards are often overlooked, but are crucial gears within a winning machine. These two forward lines provide short bursts of energetic, physical, defensively sound play, mucking up possession and trying to generate scoring opportunities through aggressive forechecking rather than end-to-end skill. As such, bottom-six forwards are also relied upon for penalty-killing duties.
The aforementioned Rodrigues won two Stanley Cups as a versatile bottom-six forward with the Florida Panthers. Mantha set career highs in both goals (33) and assists (31) with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, but at 6'5" and 240 pounds, he's also an intimidating presence on the ice who is a prototypical third-line spark plug.
Wingers Connor Brown and Stefan Noesen are grit-and-sandpaper types, willing and able to serve limited roles on the fourth line and as penalty-kill specialists. With the Devils' forward depth suddenly looking mighty thin, the top priority for these aging veterans is to stay healthy and productive.
With Mercer and Bjugstad now out of the picture, center Cody Glass and 23-year-old rookie Amadeus Lombardi have a chance to nail down expanded roles as bottom-six stalwarts.
Glass played pretty sparingly in his 70 games last season, but recorded career-best figures in goals (19) and faceoff win percentage (57.9 percent).
Lombardi, meanwhile, is yet to score his first NHL goal through eight games this season, but has three assists to his name, two of which came in the Devils' 7-1 rout of the Rangers in their home opener.
On Friday, former Florida Panthers assistant GM and current New Jersey Devils GM pulled off a blockbuster deal, landing Connor Hellebuyck in a five-team trade.
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner and one-time Hart Trophy winner formally and publicly requested a trade this off-season and chose to sit out training camp, pre-season, and the start of the 2026-27 NHL regular season. He was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets without pay.
Nothing changed until yesterday, when the Devils sent five players in a package, led by forward Dawson Mercer and the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, Alexander Command, to the Jets to land Hellebuyck.
Trade discussions involving Hellebuyck date back to the start of the off-season, and among the several teams interested, like the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes, the Panthers tried to land the gold-medal-winning goaltender from the Jets.
Speculation has circulated about what the Panthers may have offered for Hellebuyck, and yesterday evening NHL insider Elliotte Friedman joined the Kyper and Bourne show to outline the Panthers' offer.
"I think it was Rodrigues, I think it was Luostarinen, and a chunk of the picks they gave to Ottawa for Tkachuk," said Friedman. "Maybe not all of them, but a couple of them. And I heard that Winnipeg asked for Lundell, and that would have gotten the deal done. And Florida was like, 'We’re not doing that. We are not putting him in there.''
It's been long reported that the Jets were fairly insistent on acquiring Anton Lundell in a deal for Hellebuyck. The Jets believe they can compete whether Hellebuyck is with the team or not, so adding Lundell would have significantly improved their center depth.
As for the pieces they tried to trade, they eventually sent Evan Rodrigues to the Devils to acquire Jacob Markstrom. Eetu Luostarinen remains with the Panthers, and as Friedman mentioned, the picks they attempted to get involved in were used to acquire Brady Tkachuk.
Time will tell whether the Panthers made the right move by keeping Lundell rather than dealing him away for Hellebuyck. Lundell is off to a slow offensive start, posting just one goal and three points in 11 games.
Tkachuk has bounced back from a slow start, scoring seven goals and 11 points in 11 games, while Luostarinen has just two goals in 11. As for Markstrom, he's dealing with injury issues but has posted a respectable .897 save percentage over six games.
The Devils now become Stanley Cup contenders. With a strong roster headlined by Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Luke Hughes, the Devils have few weak spots and are a true threat to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference.
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The Senators and the New York Rangers have plenty in common heading into Saturday night's matchup at Canadian Tire Centre.
Both teams have enjoyed reasonably strong starts to the season, both are coming off disappointing losses on Thursday night, and both are dealing with injuries to their starting goaltenders.
The difference is that the Senators expect to have Linus Ullmark back in a couple of weeks, while the Rangers have lost Igor Shesterkin for the rest of the season.
Ullmark suffered his injury during Wednesday night's incredibly emotional 5-1 victory over Brady Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers.
Ullmark has been playing out of his mind, posting a 7-1-0 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage.
Without him, the Senators will have to rely on Samuel Ersson and Jonas Johansson to hold down the fort. Ersson was signed as the main backup in the offseason after two below average seasons in Philadelphia.
The Sens goalie coaches saw something beyond the statistics and the fan base would like to see it too.
Ersson has struggled badly in the early stages of his first season with the club. In five appearances, he has an 0-3-0 record, a 4.59 goals-against average, and an .835 save percentage.
Johansson also had some pretty mediocre stats the past couple of seasons in Tampa, and was presumably brought in under the same circumstances: with the hope that he's better than his numbers indicate. He has yet to make an NHL appearance this season.
Now that the echoes of Trash Brady Night have cleared out of the CTC, this is the final game at home for the Sens, who begin a five game Western road trip on Tuesday in Vegas. It's a trip that might reveal whether the Sens truly belong in the top three in the Atlantic or back to battling a swarm of bubble teams for a Wild Card.
The Rangers are facing a similar goaltending challenge. But their guy isn't coming back this season.
Shesterkin's season-ending injury has forced the Blueshirts k to turn to 24-year-old Dylan Garand, who's been everything they could ask out of their backup. Garand has appeared in eight games, posting a 4-3-1 record, a 2.30 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Those are impressive numbers for a young goaltender who's suddenly a number one.
Both Teams Looking to Bounce Back
The Senators enter Saturday's game with a 7-4-0 record after Thursday night's 6-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
The Rangers are coming off a disappointing result of their own, falling 5-4 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
New York enters the game with a 7-4-1 record, one point ahead of the Senators in the overall standings.
One interesting aspect of the Rangers' early-season performance has been the enormous difference between their home and road records.
New York is a perfect 6-0-0 at Madison Square Garden but has struggled away from home, winning just once in six games.
The Senators, meanwhile, are 4-2-0 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Stützle Off to the Best October of His Career
While injuries have been a major storyline for the Senators, Tim Stützle's outstanding start has been one of the biggest positives.
The 24-year-old centre, who has a chef at home, has been cooking in October with seven goals and 15 points in 11 games. He's recorded at least one point in nine of those games and has already established career highs for goals and points in October, with four games still remaining in the month.
Stützle has also scored in each of his last two games and carries a three-game point streak into Saturday's matchup. He's been the driving force behind the Senators' offence, and has almost lapped every other teammate in scoring.
Drake Batherson is second in team scoring with eight points, followed by Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux with seven apiece.
One player the Senators desperately need to get going is Dylan Cozens.
After a promising finish to last season, Cozens has managed just three assists in 11 games and has yet to score his first goal. But he's been playing a lot better this week and the stats will surely follow. He's certainly getting opportunities, having registered 25 shots on goal, tied for the team lead with Batherson and Fabian Zetterlund.
With Ullmark sidelined, the Senators will need a lot more offence from players not named Tim to compensate for the probable drop-off in goaltending. In Thursday's loss to San Jose, which was way closer than 6-2 might suggest, the Sens couldn't buy a goal.
Lafrenière Leading the Rangers' Offence
The Rangers have received some great early-season production from Alexis Lafrenière, who hasn't delivered yet in his career the way Stutzle has.
The 2020 first-overall draft pick, chosen two picks ahead of Stutzle, leads New York with eight goals and is tied with defenceman Adam Fox for the team lead with 14 points.
Fox has yet to score a goal but has already collected 14 assists in 12 games.
Former Senator Mika Zibanejad is also off to a strong start, recording three goals and eight assists for 11 points.
The Rangers have averaged 3.08 goals per game, compared with 2.64 for the Senators.
Special Teams Could Be a Deciding Factor
If there's one area where the Rangers hold a significant statistical advantage, it's special teams.
The Senators' power play has been a major disappointment through the first 11 games. Despite having plenty of offensive talent, the club has converted on just six of its 49 opportunities, a success rate of 12.2 per cent.
That ranks 30th in the NHL.
Making matters worse, the Senators have already surrendered three shorthanded goals.
The Rangers haven't exactly been spectacular with the man advantage, converting at 20 per cent, but their penalty killing has been outstanding. New York has killed off 91.7 per cent of its penalties, the second-best mark in the league.
The Senators' penalty kill, meanwhile, is operating at just 78 per cent.
Discipline could also be a factor. The Senators are averaging 12.5 penalty minutes per game, among the highest totals in the NHL.
For the Senators, the challenge is straightforward.
They need to tighten things up again defensively, find more production beyond Stützle, and get better goaltending from whoever gets the call.
Game time: 7 p.m. Saturday at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Devon Levi on injured reserve (IR) and called up goaltender Matt Tomkins from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors under emergency conditions. In a pinch, with Frederik Andersen still on LTIR, Tomkins could get his first taste of NHL action with the Oilers next week.
But who is Matt Tomkins?
Tomkins has played a handful of Oilers preseason games and six NHL regular-season games. The latter were all for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's also a veteran goaltender who spent years working his way up to the NHL. He was born June 19, 1994, in Sherwood Park, Alberta, and stands 6'4". The Chicago Blackhawks drafted him in the seventh round (199th overall) in 2012.
After a few seasons on minor-league contracts in the AHL and ECHL, he continued his career in Sweden. That stretch put him back on the radar, and he represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, posting a 2-1 record with a .963 save percentage. He also played a single game for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup.
He played six games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24, going 3-2-1 with an .892 save percentage. In 2024-25 with AHL Syracuse, he posted a 12-10-5 record, 2.55 GAA and .907 save percentage in 26 games. Not bad numbers.
His hometown Oilers signed him in July 2025. It was a two-year, two-way deal paying $775K in the NHL and $400K in the AHL. He spent all of last season with the Bakersfield Condors (42 games) and has played three games so far this season. The Oilers actually recalled him to back up Calvin Pickard when Stuart Skinner was ill. He didn't play.
Tomkins has 136 AHL games on his resume, and he's the closest thing the Oilers have to NHL-ready in their system. He's been working hard and waiting for his shot, which it looks like he'll finally get, depending on how serious the Levi situation is.
At 32 years old, he's been waiting for a shot.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal writes, "Tomkins had some big games for Bakersfield last season, but there was no other NHL franchise that invested such heavy AHL playing time in an old, non-prospect goalie. Edmonton has prospect goalies in its system in Connor Ungar, Samuel Jonsson, and Nathaniel Day, but they’re all in line behind Tomkins." He adds, "Perhaps Tomkins will provide steady goaltending for a game or two if he’s called on in Edmonton...".
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Vegas Golden Knights- 8-4-0 - 16 Points - Lost 2 - 2nd in the Pacific
Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-5-0 - 6 Points - Lost 2 - 8th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Teams have split the season series in five out of the eight seasonal matchups since the 2017-18 campaign (DNP in 2020-21).
Kent Johnson scored in three straight games from Oct. 10-17 (3-0-3), tying his single-season career-long (3-0-3 from Oct. 22-25, 2022). He leads the team in goals, while also ranking third in shots on goal (20) and fourth in points with 4-1-5 in eight games. During the 2025-26campaign, he had not scored his fourth goal of the season until Jan. 8, 2026 (42nd game).
Cole Sillinger, ranks second-T on the team in points (3-3-6 in 8 GP), had his three- game point streak snapped on Oct. 17 after scoring in each of his previous two games and posting his first multi-assist outing of the season on Oct. 9 vs. Pittsburgh (0-2-2). He set single-season career highs in assists, points (tied), and games played in 2025-26 with 8-25-33 in 81 GP.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Valeri Nichushkin has posted 4-2-6 in his past 7 games against Vegas while notching 6-4-10 in 24 career matchups.
Charlie Coyle has registered 5-7-12 in 17 career games against Vegas, with 1-3-4 in his last five matchups against the club, as well as posting 2-6-8 in 10 career games when playing on home ice.
Conor Garland has tallied 7-12-19 with four multi-point performances in 28 career matchups against the Golden Knights, including assists in back-to-back games (0-2-2).
Matthew Knies has notched all career points in the form of multi- assist outings (0-2-2) in his last two games against the club (six career GP).
Cole Sillinger has collected 4-2-6 in nine career games against Vegas, with points in two of his past three contests overall (1-1-2).
Zach Werenski has 1-9-10 in 14 career GP against Vegas, including assists in seven of his past eight matchups overall (0-8-8). He has tallied 1-3-4 in seven home contests when playing at Nationwide Arena.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 8.7% - 32nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 67.9% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 19 - 32nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 29 - 11th in the NHL
Golden KnightsStats
Power Play - 25.0% - 9th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 96.4% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 45 - 3rd in the NHL
Goals Against - 36 - 26th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheGolden Knights
The Blue Jackets are 7-6-1 overall, and 4-3-1 at home vs. Vegas.
Columbus went 0-2-0 in 2025-26.
The home team has recorded points in eight of the past 10 meetings (6-2-2).
Who To Watch For TheGolden Knights
Mark Stone leads the VGK with 8 goals.
Jack Eichel leads the team with 13 assist and 19 points.
Goalie Carter Hart is 4-3-0 with a SV% of .888%. His last start was on 10-20.
Adin Hill is 4-1-0 with a SV% of .882%. His last start was on 10-22.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 8 Games Missed - Skating and could return next week.
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 8 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 8 Games Missed - Lightly skating.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 28
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 7:00 PM.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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The New York Islanders had the day off on Friday, following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night inside UBS Arena.
The Islanders have a practice Saturday, one of just eight teams to have Saturday off before hitting the road for a week-long road trip.
However, their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Hammers, played a game Friday night against the Laval Rocket.
Laval entered winning six straight games, and extended that to seven straight with a 4-2 win over Hamilton on Saturday, with final goal coming with Hamilton's net empty.
Hamilton showed some guts Friday, erasing a 2-0 deficit in the second period.
Veteran forward Matt Luff stuffed one in on a rebound.
Later in the period, rookie forward Quinn Finley finished off a 3-on-2 rush with a slick feed across looking for Matthew Highmore, but it banked off a defender and in.
That goal marked Finley's first career goal at the professional level.
Finley, who the Islanders drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft, turned pro following the end of his collegiate season last year.
However, Finley missed the last slice of that season, and was not ready for contact at any of training camp this past fall.
As a result, Finley worked his up to game shape a little slower than everyone else before making his debut last week on October 16, posting one assist in a loss to the Rochester Americans.
The Islanders have belief Finley can become a top-nine forward in the NHL with an elite scoring touch.
Friday night shows just how good he can be in an attacking situation. The way he opened his body up for the pass, turned, and gave the goalie the eyes of a shot before wiring a pass fooled everyone.
It won't hold up as the prettiest goal of his career, but it's an excellent first-career goal.
Finley has one goal and one assist through his first four AHL games.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to face the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 7:00 PM.
Vegas Golden Knights- 8-4-0 - 16 Points - Lost 2 - 2nd in the Pacific
Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-5-0 - 6 Points - Lost 2 - 8th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Teams have split the season series in five out of the eight seasonal matchups since the 2017-18 campaign (DNP in 2020-21).
Kent Johnson scored in three straight games from Oct. 10-17 (3-0-3), tying his single-season career-long (3-0-3 from Oct. 22-25, 2022). He leads the team in goals, while also ranking third in shots on goal (20) and fourth in points with 4-1-5 in eight games. During the 2025-26campaign, he had not scored his fourth goal of the season until Jan. 8, 2026 (42nd game).
Cole Sillinger, ranks second-T on the team in points (3-3-6 in 8 GP), had his three- game point streak snapped on Oct. 17 after scoring in each of his previous two games and posting his first multi-assist outing of the season on Oct. 9 vs. Pittsburgh (0-2-2). He set single-season career highs in assists, points (tied), and games played in 2025-26 with 8-25-33 in 81 GP.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Valeri Nichushkin has posted 4-2-6 in his past 7 games against Vegas while notching 6-4-10 in 24 career matchups.
Charlie Coyle has registered 5-7-12 in 17 career games against Vegas, with 1-3-4 in his last five matchups against the club, as well as posting 2-6-8 in 10 career games when playing on home ice.
Conor Garland has tallied 7-12-19 with four multi-point performances in 28 career matchups against the Golden Knights, including assists in back-to-back games (0-2-2).
Matthew Knies has notched all career points in the form of multi- assist outings (0-2-2) in his last two games against the club (six career GP).
Cole Sillinger has collected 4-2-6 in nine career games against Vegas, with points in two of his past three contests overall (1-1-2).
Zach Werenski has 1-9-10 in 14 career GP against Vegas, including assists in seven of his past eight matchups overall (0-8-8). He has tallied 1-3-4 in seven home contests when playing at Nationwide Arena.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 8.7% - 32nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 67.9% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 19 - 32nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 29 - 11th in the NHL
Golden KnightsStats
Power Play - 25.0% - 9th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 96.4% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 45 - 3rd in the NHL
Goals Against - 36 - 26th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheGolden Knights
The Blue Jackets are 7-6-1 overall, and 4-3-1 at home vs. Vegas.
Columbus went 0-2-0 in 2025-26.
The home team has recorded points in eight of the past 10 meetings (6-2-2).
Who To Watch For TheGolden Knights
Mark Stone leads the VGK with 8 goals.
Jack Eichel leads the team with 13 assist and 19 points.
Goalie Carter Hart is 4-3-0 with a SV% of .888%. His last start was on 10-20.
Adin Hill is 4-1-0 with a SV% of .882%. His last start was on 10-22.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 8 Games Missed - Skating and could return next week.
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 8 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 8 Games Missed - Lightly skating.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 28
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 7:00 PM.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks Mailbag. In this series, we answer your questions about what is going on with the Canucks. In this article, we answer questions about the rough start to the season, which players might eventually be on the move and more.
Is There Some Deal With The Canucks And Ticket Brokers Like Vegas Used To Do So That Attendance Stays High? It Makes No Sense That We Are Outdrawing The Oilers.
The way NHL attendance is tracked can be misleading. Teams can say a game is sold out, yet there are plenty of open seats. This is because NHL teams track tickets distributed rather than counting how many people walk through the doors.
In Vancouver's case, the Canucks are averaging 17,454 in attendance this season, which is 92.3%. That number includes tickets sold plus any given away through promotional means or charitable donations. As for your second question, I don't have a good answer for the reason, but I can tell you that the Edmonton Oilers have a smaller arena, and their average capacity percentage is 93.8%.
Will the Canucks Make A Trade Before American Thanksgiving/Who Do You Think We Lose At The Deadline And What Do You Think We Get?
I am going to combine these two because they cover a similar point. The first part is no, I do not believe Ryan Johnson will make another trade before November 26. In fact, I would not be surprised if another trade happens before the calendar flips to 2027.
As for potential trades, players who could be on the move include Paul Cotter, Drew O'Connor and Filip Chytil. If Vancouver can move at least two of these pending unrestricted free agents and walk away with two top-64 picks in the next few drafts, plus two additional picks, this trade deadline should be considered a success.
How Do The Canucks Meaningfully Improve? Feels Like A .200 Is A Little Low When The Next Worst Teams Are In The .300 Range?
Vancouver's .208 points percentage through 12 games is much lower than anyone expected. Unfortunately, that is what happens when a team picks up just one point over nine games. That being said, it is way too early in the campaign to be looking at points percentage, for the simple fact that the percentage can swing drastically if the Canucks pick up two wins in a row.
As for the improvement, that is going to take time. The players are still learning Manny Malhotra's system and will face uphill battles every night. Vancouver will need their goaltenders to steal some games, but if they keep the effort level high, which has been the case most nights, they should be able to get their points percentage up before the 25-game mark.
Which Elias Pettersson Is The Team MVP So Far This Season?
The battle between the Petterssons for Team MVP has been intriguing to watch this year. Elias Pettersson, the forward, is on the way to "being back", while Pettersson, the defenceman, has stepped his game up to another level. 12 games in, it is safe to say that the MVP battle looks like a three-player race between the Petterssons and goaltender Leevi Meriläinen.
Out of the two Petterssons, I would lean more toward the forward as Team MVP. He is at a point-per-game rate, is playing physically, and has taken the most faceoffs in the entire NHL. That being said, the real MVP this year has been the fans who continue not just to tune in or attend games, but passionately discuss this team daily.
Do You See Meriläinen As A Goalie Of The Future For The Team, Or Is He More Of A Stopgap Measure While Demko Is Out?
Meriläinen has been sensational this year so far. He has kept the Canucks in games and is showing why he was considered the top-drafted goaltending prospect a few years ago. Based on his play, he deserves to be Vancouver's starter, as he is currently giving the team the best chance to end this losing streak.
As for the future, it is very hard to project what will happen after this season. There are a ton of questions surrounding Thatcher Demko's future, as well as Kevin Lankinen's. That being said, Meriläinen could very well be the goaltender of the future, especially as the team waits for goaltenders Ty Young and Alexei Medvedev to develop.
Good, Bad Or Both, What’s Been Most Surprising About The Canucks So Far This Season?
Let's start with the bad and get it out of the way. The most surprising thing has been the regression in Filip Hronek's game. He has become so reliable over the last few years that his current level of play should be considered concerning.
Oct 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) and defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) and defenseman Filip Hronek (17) wrestle with Calgary Flames forward Morgan Frost (16) and forward Matt Coronato (27) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
As for the good, it has to be the play of Pettersson, the defenceman. After what was a tough year under Adam Foote, D-Petey has emerged this season as one of, if not the Canucks best players. So far, Pettersson has shown he can be a reliable player in his own zone and could be setting himself up for a massive contract extension this off-season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 1: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck against Colton Sissons #10 of the Nashville Predators in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 1, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Nashville Predators (3-3-3, 9 points, 7th Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (4-6-1, 9 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally televised game on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and Scripps, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have a rare stretch of four days off before returning Thursday for another home game, this time against the Utah Mammoth.
Opponent Track: The Predators have lost four of their last five games in a 1-2-2 stretch that included two shootout defeats. The Preds most recently conceded a 6-0 shootout at the Boston Bruins.
Season Series: The Penguins and Predators will meet again next month during a November 21 game in Nashville.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins are heading into tonight’s matchup on a nine-game point streak against the Predators, having gone 7-0-2 against Nashville in a stretch dating back to April 2022.
Getting to know the Predators
Projected lines (based on Friday’s practice)
FORWARDS
Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Matthew Wood
Filip Forsberg – Mavrik Bourque – Jonathan Marchessault
Ross Colton – Alex Kerfoot – Nils Hoglander
Reid Schaefer – Jack Drury – Adam Edstrom
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi / Adam Wilsby
Nicolas Hague / Jayden Struble
Brady Skjei / Nick Perbix
Goalies: Juuse Saros, Justus Annunen
Potential scratches: Jack Ahcan, Nick Perbix, Vitali Pinchuk, Ilya Lyubushkin
Injured Reserve: William Trudeau (upper body, week-to-week)
Juuse Saros sat out his second game of the season in the shutout loss to the Bruins, so he might be getting the call against the Penguins. He is 4-6-1 with a .914 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average in 13 career games against the Pens.
The Predators are coming out of what coach Andrew Brunette called his team’s “worst effort of the year by far” in their 6-0 loss to the Bruins. He had some harsh words for his players after Thursday’s loss, per NHL.com’s Joe McDonald:
“We need a few more guys playing hockey. We had too many passengers tonight and probably almost all of them. It’s disappointing. We knew coming in this is a big stretch of hockey, a big month for our group. We knew that, but we forgot to play hockey tonight.”
It’s early, but Nashville’s 3-3-3 start is underwhelming for a team that had the goal of retooling into a contender this summer after Chris MacFarland was hired to succeed Barry Trotz as the team’s general manager in June. Longtime Predator Filip Forsberg called MacFarland’s hiring “a breath of fresh air” after the GM started off his tenure by making nine trades in five months, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
A few key aspects of the Predators remained the same this offseason, however. Brunette, who has led the Predators to a 118-111-26 record across parts of four seasons, is still in place as head coach. And the team’s veteran core of Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly is back for another run together.
Whether these four players, who currently sit atop the Predators production leaderboard, remain in Nashville this season looks like a similar situation to that of players like Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh— should the team drop out of postseason contention entirely, they could potentially be on the trade block this winter.
O’Reilly is a pending UFA next season. Incumbent 42-goal scorer Stamkos has two years remaining on his deal, although he said last season there was “zero” chance he would waive his full no-movement clause for a trade. The Predators may need to prove they can compete for a higher spot in the Central Division in order to keep either from becoming the subject of trade rumors down the stretch of the season.
Stamkos, who is 29 goals behind Sidney Crosby for the second-most among active players, is two power play goals shy of tying Phil Esposito’s career mark of 246 for the sixth most in NHL history. He has tied for the team lead with four goals in nine games, including a 6-on-5 buzzer-beater in what was ultimately a shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks last week.
Speaking of the power play, the Penguins will have plenty of motivation not to take any unnecessary penalties tonight. The Predators rank fourth in the NHL with a 28.6 scoring rate on the man advantage. The penalty kill is also humming along at an 83.3 success rate, which ties with the Penguins for seventh-best in the league.
That hasn’t been enough to cover for the team’s struggles at even strength. The Preds have tallied an NHL-low 10 goals at 5v5 through their first nine games of the season.
The Predators could prevent a good test for a Penguins defense that is coming off one of the unit’s stronger performances of the season against the Panthers. The Pens are looking to improve at even strength after having allowed the fifth-most 5v5 goals against in the NHL with 26 through 11 games.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Evgeni Malkin (?)
Andrei Kuzmenko – Blake Lizotte – Rutger McGroarty
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Nick Robertson
DEFENSEMEN
Spencer Stastney / Erik Karlsson
Declan Carlile / Kaeden Korczak
Ilya Solovyov / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Sam Girard (day to day), Egor Chinakhov (day to day, lower body), Chase Pietila, Avery Hayes (?)
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Bryan Rust (lower body), Ben Kindel
Neither Egor Chinakhov (lower body) nor Evgeni Malkin (illness) participated in Friday’s practice. It looks like Rutger McGroarty saw some power play time in Malkin’s absence:
With Evgeni Malkin out sick today and Egor Chinakhov missing practice with a lower-body injury, the second power play group looks a little different.
After shuffling the lines ahead of Thursday’s shoutout of the Florida Panthers, the Penguins might be forced to make some more changes should Malkin need more time to recover despite seeing some early chemistry between him and Hendrix Lapierre on the second line.
On that note, Avery Hayes was scratched from the Wilkes-Barre/Penguins’ Friday lineup. Coach Kirk MacDonald said after the game Hayes had been called up to Pittsburgh, per Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis. Hayes has yet to make his season debut after appearing in 16 games of the Penguins’ 2025-26 campaign.
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 23: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche scores a goal during the first period of the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ball Arena on October 23, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
As the Colorado Avalanche returned home in search of a win, they hosted the always formidable opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was the hosts who got the scoring started early and often in a 6-3 Avalanche win.
The Game
Opening the game the Lightning had a few dangerous shots in the Avalanche zone but it was the home team who got on the board first. On their first shot on goal, Devon Toews converted for Colorado on a back door feed from Martin Nečas. Jaden Schwartz appeared to get Colorado’s second goal on a deflected rebound he apparently kicked in but it was waived off. Not to worry, the Avalanche got it back minutes later on the power play. TJ Hughes found Nazem Kadri in the slot for the 2-0 lead, and that’s how the first period would end.
That score didn’t last long after the puck dropped on the second period as Fedor Svechkov finished off a rush chance just 24 seconds in to give Colorado a three goal lead. Near the halfway mark of the period, the Lightning finally answered back on a power play goal from Jake Guentzel who found the puck on the backdoor after it bounced off of Brock Nelson. Soon after, Artturi Lehkonen got in on the fun and restored the three goal lead once again. By this point Colorado got into a bit of penalty trouble and Jake Guentzel scored right as the power play expired. Jared Bednar challenged for a high stick but lost and the goal stood as did the 4-2 score at the end of 40 minutes of play.
To start the third period Nathan MacKinnon got his moment to celebrate as his goal put Colorado up 5-2. The Lightning tried to make it interesting on a goal from former Colorado Eagles and Utah Grizzlies defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous who was found uncovered in the slot but shortly after Martin Nečas scored into the empty net to get Colorado back on top 6-3. Despite getting outshot 34-24, it was a good bounce back win for the Avalanche who enjoyed the comforts of home to come out on top.
Takeaways
Logan O’Connor entered the lineup and played in first game of the 2026-27 season and played just under 15 minutes. He brought the physicality while getting his game up to speed. Taylor Makar also made his sesson debut for the Avalanche after getting called up this morning. He played eight minutes and took a minor penalty, one of which gave the Lightning five power plays this evening.
While it seemed the top line would take charge on leading in this game, especially after crafting the game’s opening score, but it was the third line of Svechkov, Schwartz and Hughes who left an impression in this much-needed win. They contributed to the goals which broke the game open and have settled in together as a line.
Upcoming
A quick trip to meet with Chris MacFarland’s new-look Nashville Predators on Sunday, October 25th. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. MT.
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists, Nazem Kadri scored his first goal of the season and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 on Friday night.
Devon Toews, Fedor Svechkov, Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas also scored as Colorado rebounded from back-to-back road losses. Mackenzie Blackwood made 31 saves.
Jake Guentzel scored twice and Charle-Edouard D’Astous added another for the Lightning, who saw their three-game winning streak halted. Nikita Kucherov was held in check and remains a goal or assist away from becoming the franchise’s career points leader. He has 1,137 points and is tied with Steven Stamkos.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 18 of 23 shots, including one off the mask on MacKinnon’s liner.
Guentzel’s goal with 42.7 seconds left in the second period made it 4-2. The Avalanche unsuccessfully challenged the play for a missed stoppage. The Lightning went on the power play but couldn’t score. They struggled on the power play all evening.
MacKinnon’s goal with 15:42 remaining gave Colorado a 5-2 cushion. Necas sealed it with a late empty-net tally.
Logan O’Connor returned to the lineup after missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury. He recently lost his father, Myles, a former NHL defenseman, at age 59.
The game featured the league’s currently longest-tenured coaches in Jon Cooper and Jared Bednar. Cooper took over the Lightning in March 2013 and has won two Stanley Cups. Bednar was hired by Colorado in August 2016 and captured one Cup — in 2022 over the Lightning.
CANADIENS 4, BLACKHAWKS 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Evans scored twice and assisted on Kaiden Guhle’s goal and Montreal beat Chicago.
Evans’ third point, a feed to Guhle with 1:34 left in the second period, matched his career high. Montreal is 4-1-1 in its last six games, while Chicago has dropped two straight and four of its last six.
A wide-open game tightened up late in the first period, which worked to Montreal’s advantage. Chicago opened the scoring on Connor Bedard’s second goal of the season 4:23 in, but the Canadiens began to control the play, and by mid-period were limiting Chicago’s chances.
Jacob Fowler, who made 20 saves, was lightly tested the rest of the game despite five Chicago power plays, and needed to make only three saves in the final period.
Evans’ first goal of the game and season tied it with 2:31 left in the first. His second, a wrist shot over goalie Spencer Knight’s stick side with the Canadiens skating short-handed, gave Montreal a 2-1 lead 7:51 into the second period.
Guhle also beat Knight on the stick side, his shot from the left point screened by Josh Anderson.
Mike Matheson added an empty-net goal with 2:38 remaining.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks returned to the ice for game action on Friday night for the first time in 6 days. This long time spent idle gave the Blackhawks time to practice and rest in preparation for the rest of the long season.
In their black alternate sweaters for the first time in 2026-27, the Hawks played host to the Montreal Canadiens. Right off the bat, the Blackhawks looked like the team that had lots of rest going in. After getting through the first shift of the game, where Montreal controlled the puck, the Blackhawks started to take control for a while.
At 4:23 of the first period, Connor Bedard scored to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. Patrick Kane made a heads-up play in the neutral zone to feed Bedard for a rush. The Blackhawks' captain didn't miss with a snipe.
Between the Hawks being off for 6 days and them being shut out by the Dallas Stars in their most recent game, that was the first goal they scored in over a week of real time.
Later in the first period, Jake Evans scored to tie the game at 1. Former Blackhawks 3rd overall pick Kirby Dach made the play to set up the tying goal, Evans' first of the season. That 1-1 tie made its way into the first intermission.
In the second period, the Blackhawks had a couple of power-play chances early. They've been using 5 forwards with the man advantage with Bowen Byram out, and it hasn't been working. Without a defenseman out there, they are prone to giving up shorthanded opportunities.
One of those short-handed chances came back to bite them, as Jake Evans scored his second of the game after the Hawks allowed another odd-man rush. This goal gave the Habs a 2-1 lead - their first of the game.
In the third period, there were chances for both sides, but the only goal scored was an empty-netter for Montreal. The 4-1 score held as the final, as the Blackhawks skated off with another lackluster loss to a better team.
Spencer Knight made 24 saves on 27 shots. He would always say that he should have every save, but that is far from true. Between short-handed chances galore and lackluster effort at even strength in the second half of the game, it would be hard for any goalie to win. If the Blackhawks want to keep this two-game losing streak from getting ugly, they must be better at protecting the house.
The Chicago Blackhawks will welcome the Florida Panthers on Sunday for their 11th game of the season. This will be Chicago's 5th game out of 7 straight at home.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
