It’s no longer preseason but the Colorado Avalanche had another date with the Winnipeg Jets in Manitoba. What looked like fun early on settled into a battle in which the Avalanche lost in the final minute as the Jets secured a 3-2 victory on a second Kyle Connor goal on the evening.

The Game

It was a quiet start to the game with a scoreless first period with each team trading fruitless power plays. Colorado found some momentum in the second half of the frame, though, as they ended up with a 17-6 shot advantage at the first intermission. We had a Cale Makar moment early on as well. He recorded the hardest shot of the season thus far of 101.9 mph in the period.

101.9 mph 🤯

Cale Makar has recorded the hardest shot of the 2026-27 season so far, setting a personal best in the process. #NHLStatspic.twitter.com/9frieuYTDt

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) October 8, 2026

Scoring would emerge in the second frame as each team found the back of the net. To start, Jaden Schwartz netted his first in an Avalanche sweater as Fedor Svechkov picked up his first point with the club as well. But Winnipeg answered back just over a minute later with Kyle Connor getting a puck through traffic on Mackenzie Blackwood, which has been one area of weakness thus far this season.

That hot start the Avalanche enjoyed lost steam as by the end of the second period as Winnipeg gained a lead when a puck deflected off Cole Perfetti and into the net. Suddenly the Avalanche were looking at their first deficit of the year heading into the third period down 2-1.

The third period was another tight contest with Winnipeg limiting Colorado’s chances. The Jets got a power play and couldn’t cash it which gave the Avalanche a little jolt. It was the third line who evened the score, this time Svechkov the beneficiary of a pass from Schwartz and the Russian was found alone at the net front and chipped the puck past Jets netminder Stuart Skinner. It looked like this game was headed to overtime but Kyle Connor had other ideas and buried a rush chance for his second score of the contest with just a minute left on the clock and Winnipeg secured a 3-2 win to keep them unbeaten in regulation.

Takeaways

Zach L’Heureux made his Avalanche debut and his game was as advertised through some hard-nosed and energetic play though he played some modest minutes. With just 8:22 time on ice the 23-year-old forward provided three shots on goal and five hits, setting the stage for more to come.

It was also great to see newcomers Jaden Schwartz and Fedor Svechkov find some chemistry and convert on a couple of goals, which would be the entirety of Colorado’s production this evening. The first two lines were jumbled as they weren’t clicking, however. Brock Nelson had a tough night defensively but so did Gabe Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen as they were shuffled around.

Upcoming

This first back-to-back of the season sends the Avalanche to Calgary to finish out their brief two-game road trip. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. MT on Thursday, October 8th.

All Times EDT

Thursday, Oct. 8

NFL

Tampa Bay at Dallas, 8:15 p.m.

MLB - Playoffs

American League Division Series - Game 4

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 5:04 p.m.

NBA - Preseason

Boston at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Washington at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta at San Antonio, 8 p.m.

Sacramento at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL

Dallas at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Nashville at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Utah at Boston, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Chicago at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

San Jose at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Colorado at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Toronto at Vegas, 10 p.m.

_____

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Wilson had a goal and two assists, and the Washington Capitals held on for a win in Alex Ovechkin’s final home opener, 5-3 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

Anthony Beauvillier, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex Tuch and Ryan Leonard also scored for the Capitals, who introduced their roster one by one before the game, saving Ovechkin for last. The Russian star’s two kids handled that announcement, and the crowd gave a standing ovation.

Ovechkin announced earlier in the week that this season would be the last in the NHL for the league’s career leader in goals.

Bryan Rust, Tommy Novak and Nick Robertson scored for the Penguins, who nearly rallied from a 4-1 second-period deficit.

This is the 22nd straight season Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby have played against each other at some point. Only one forward duo in NHL history has clashed in more consecutive seasons: Mark Messier and Ron Francis, who played each other in 23.

JETS 3, AVALANCHE 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor broke a tie with a minute left with his second goal of game, Stuart Skinner made 32 saves and Winnipeg beat Colorado for their third straight victory.

Mark Scheifele sent a pass from near the boards across to Connor charging the net and he fired a shot that beat goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. Connor has five goals in four games to tie for the NHL lead.

Connor and Cole Perfetti had second-period goal to give the Jets a 2-1 lead.

Fedor Svechkov tied it for Colorado with 7:25 left in the third.

Jaden Schwartz opened the scoring in the first for the Avalanche. Blackwood stopped 16 shots.

____

Pregame

Bryan Rust is able to make his season debut and the Penguins flip Hendrix Lapierre and Nick Robertson between lines for some new looks. Arturs Silovs in net for this one.

Welcome back to the lineup, Rusty! #LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/DRgIoBPrqS

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 7, 2026

The Capitals celebrate their home opener with this lineup.

Lineys!#CapsPenspic.twitter.com/peNwMACEiO

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 7, 2026

First period

Fireworks aplenty early on. On the very first shift, Trevor van Riemsdyk gets in trouble with a bouncing puck and turns it over to Dylan Strome. Strome springs Anthony Beauvillier on a breakaway. 1-0 Washington just 23 seconds into the game on the first shot.

Beauvi in a blink pic.twitter.com/XEdVXnerZE

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 7, 2026

The Penguins get in on the action and score on their first shot at the 1:19 mark. Ben Kindel gets in the zone and feeds Rust, it doesn’t take the veteran long to make his classic power move to the net. Puck goes off Logan Thompson and trickles in to tie the game at 1-1.

TRUSTY RUSTY IN HIS FIRST SHIFT OF THE SEASON! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xiSpk76lq6

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 7, 2026

Pittsburgh gets into penalty trouble, Ville Koivunen goes to the box first on a tripping call. Nick Robertson soon joins him for clearing the puck over the glass to give the Caps 44 seconds of a 5v3 advantage. van Riemsdyk steps up with some nice shot blocks and the Pens escape the danger.

Not for long, though. Kris Letang collects a puck in his zone and reverses it back behind the net. Turns out to be a bad decision since only Pierre-Luc Dubois is back there. Dubois feeds the puck out front and it’s a 2-1 game.

Willy's first of the season is a beaut across the board pic.twitter.com/mVzL7Jq4sO

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 8, 2026

The Penguins get the next power play, doesn’t go very well. The Caps get two rushes up the ice, the Pens don’t really get much out of it for themselves.

Period comes to an end, shots are 14-4 WSH, though it’s a bit more respectable for 9-4 at even strength. Shot attempts are even uglier at 34-11. Pittsburgh getting mostly outworked and bit by defensive breakdowns in the early going.

Second period

Silovs decides he wants to get in on the costly turnover gambit and his stray behind the net goes straight to the Caps. Declan Carlile doesn’t help the cause by spectating and blocking the goalie’s path back to the crease. Good grief. Tom Wilson returns the favor from the last goal and sets up Dubois to make it a 3-1 game.

Willy returns the favor to PLD on this one pic.twitter.com/5XKNImYu8X

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 8, 2026

The Pens got a strong shift of possession and chances out of their first line, wiped away by a brutal cross-ice pass by Carlile that was easily picked off and turned into a 2-on-0 rush. Wilson set up Alex Tuch and there’s not much a goalie can do about that. 4-1 Washington.

Alex Tuch'd one in for his third of the season! 🤭

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @streamonmax ➡️ https://t.co/3FhOPUDkbapic.twitter.com/1vow0h4R2s

— NHL (@NHL) October 8, 2026

Pittsburgh’s second line comes through to stem the tide of the developing blowout. Egor Chinakhov made a nice pass to Evgeni Malkin. Malkin hits the post, Thompson and the Caps’ defense are all out of sorts. Tommy Novak pounces on the rebound and puts it in the net. 4-2.

A TOMMY TALLY 👏 pic.twitter.com/Ctp9wpPlTk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 8, 2026

The fourth line gets in the act next. Kaeden Korczak puts a shot towards the net that Robertson make a beautiful tip on. Robertson had to eat a cross-check in the back for his troubles, which worked out nicely. 4-3 game all of a sudden.

ROBERTSON MAKES IT A ONE-GOAL GAME 🚨

His 3rd goal of the season in just 4 games 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/XebQHXn3zW

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) October 8, 2026

Robertson draws a penalty to really open the door, a goal doesn’t come before intermission stops the play.

As usual, no PIT-WSH game is ever truly completely safe for either team. In the ‘two things can be true category’, the Penguins are playing damaging hockey in a self-inflicted way, and yet they find themselves only down by one shot on the road in a game that they have not been very sharp in.

Third period

The Pens can’t score on the carryover power play, then van Riemsdyk goes to the box for a blatant hooking call to prevent a scoring chance. Pittsburgh almost kills it off but Ryan Leonard fires a wrist shot by Silovs at the end of penalty time. Washington’s lead is 5-3.

SOUND THE SIRENS! 🚨

Ryan Leonard gives the @Capitals a two-goal lead with a SNIPE!

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @streamonmax ➡️ https://t.co/3FhOPUDkbapic.twitter.com/7vMCR99hsS

— NHL (@NHL) October 8, 2026

Blake Lizotte is the next to head to the penalty box, it’s killed and Lizotte steps back onto the ice sprung on a breakaway that Thompson stops.

The game takes an ugly turn, Dubois puts Carlile into the boards head first, opening up Carlile with some blood. The Pens get a power play and come up empty on it.

Silovs is lifted for the extra skater with plenty of time since the team needs to find two goals. They’re kept mostly to the perimeter and the clock runs out.

Some thoughts

• Kindel has replaced Chinakhov on the top power play. Might be for the best, Chinakhov was looking a little lost in space as a left handed shot setting up mostly on the left side.
• Rough first period for Letang, 10+ years ago he might have had a chance to cut off Beauvillier on the first goal, tough ask either way for an opponent hitting the seam in full stride when the defenseman positions so wide in the first place. The play on the second goal was even worse, basically deserving an assist on that one.
• Easy to beat up on Letang though, each of the first four Washington goals was started or aided by a major miscue of puck management by the Penguins from players all over the lineup. Carlile’s activity on the third and fourth goals against were just as egregious. They’re their own worst enemy right now and most teams are going to accept the gift and make you pay. That’s pretty much the long and short of it right now. These Penguin games are just a race to see whether or not they can out-score the issues they directly create for themselves.
• Rust was the only Penguin forward to register a shot in the first period. At least he scored. By midway in the second period the Pens got an offensive zone faceoff and had Rust back on the top line with Crosby and Rakell. Can’t say that was surprising or unwarranted.
• As Bob Grove pointed out, Crosby went 6-1 in the faceoff circle in the first period, everyone else on the team was 3-11. Pittsburgh entered the night 27th in the young season in faceoffs (45.5%). Without Crosby (55.7% entering the night), they’d be even further down the list.
• Robertson was all over the place. Now a fourth liner, he might be killing more penalties but he’ll need to avoid putting the puck over the glass. Then he scores a goal and draws a penalty late in the second period. Good stuff from a player who got demoted in lines to make an impact.
• Another positive so far: Malkin’s passing in this one. He’s mostly a playmaker and chance creator for others at this point of his career and is starting to stand out with that generation.
• Mostly though, just negative right now. The mistakes are too numerous and too glaring to expect a positive result at the end of the night. The Pens had a shot with a couple of breakaways and power plays late yet they couldn’t make it happen.

This one is out of the way, the team moves on with a meeting in Columbus on Friday night.

The Colorado Avalanche did just about everything but finish on Tuesday night.

Colorado outshot Winnipeg 34-19, generated sustained pressure throughout the game and erased two separate deficits, but Kyle Connor’s second goal of the night with one minute remaining lifted the Jets to a 3-2 victory at Canada Life Centre.

Jaden Schwartz and Fedor Svechkov each recorded a goal and an assist for Colorado, while Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 16 of 19 shots. Stuart Skinner was the difference for Winnipeg, turning aside 32 of 34 shots in an outstanding performance.

The loss drops Colorado to 1-5 in its last six road games against the Jets at Canada Life Centre.

First Period

Colorado pressed on the gas early—and when we say gas, we mean literally. Cale Makar tattooed a slap shot from the point at 101.9 mph, but Skinner came up with a big save to keep the game scoreless.

More than six minutes into the period, Colorado started creating quality chances. Brock Nelson, a finalist for the Selke Trophy last season as the NHL’s best two-way forward, stripped the puck from Winnipeg forward Cole Perfetti, dangled around a defender and fed Nazem Kadri for a one-timer from the right circle. Skinner, however, made the save in the breadbasket.

Near the halfway point of the period, the Avalanche earned their first power play of the night after Dylan Samberg was called for hooking Artturi Lehkonen. Colorado failed to convert, but spent much of the man advantage in the offensive zone as Skinner continued to impress between the pipes.

With about eight minutes remaining, Colorado continued to press. After Nathan MacKinnon won an offensive-zone faceoff, Kadri wasted no time firing a quick shot on net, but Skinner came up with another sharp blocker save to keep the game scoreless.

Colorado went on its first penalty kill with just under three minutes remaining after Fedor Svechkov was called for delay of game after shooting the puck out of play. Svechkov was acquired in the offseason trade that sent Jack Drury to the Nashville Predators.

The Avalanche killed the penalty, and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie.

Second Period

Jaden Schwartz broke the tie 2:51 into the period when he pounced on a puck the Jets mishandled in front of their net. He stepped into the loose puck and fired it past Skinner to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.

Colorado goal!

Scored by Jaden Schwartz with 17:09 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Fedor Svechkov and Brent Burns.

WPG: 0 | COL: 1#COLvsWPG#GoJetsGo#GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/4ScWtZpOKl

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 8, 2026

The advantage didn’t last long, as Kyle Connor scored off a deflection to tie the game at one. It was his fourth goal of the season and the 14th of his career against the Avalanche.

FOUR GOALS in FOUR GAMES for KYLE CONNOR 🍗🍗🍗🍗 pic.twitter.com/uWx8EPwsXf

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 8, 2026

With just under six minutes remaining in the period, Devon Toews stepped into a one-timer, but Skinner came up with the pad save. At that point, Colorado had outshot Winnipeg 27-12.

The Jets regained the lead with 1:44 remaining when Cole Perfetti redirected a shot with his left skate, sending the puck through Blackwood’s five-hole to make it 2-1. It was Perfetti’s third goal of the season, extending his goal streak to three games, and the fourth of his career against Colorado.

Third straight game with a GOAL PERFETTI 🚨 pic.twitter.com/DVMvLBwxdk

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 8, 2026

Despite trailing after 40 minutes, the Avalanche held a commanding 27-17 edge in shots.

Jets star Josh Morrissey also suffered an upper-body injury, possibly to his wrist, late in the period and did not return.

Third Period

Colorado found itself shorthanded during another critical stretch when Brock Nelson was assessed a cross-checking penalty at 8:19 after sending Jets defenseman Jack St. Ivany into the end boards.

The Avalanche killed off the penalty and eventually found their equalizer with 7:25 remaining.

Svechkov jumped on a loose puck in front of the net following a shot from Brett Kulak and poked it past Skinner for his first goal as an Avalanche and the 13th of his NHL career. Schwartz picked up an assist on the play.

Schwartz returns the favor to Svechkov!

TWO first time Avalanche goals today 🚨 pic.twitter.com/K3MDH99lRL

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 8, 2026

Unfortunately for Colorado, the tie didn’t last.

KYLE CONNOR SCORED THE GAME WINNER WITH A MINUTE LEFT ON THE CLOCK! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/3F6c43u0Fb

— NHL (@NHL) October 8, 2026

With one minute remaining, Connor struck again on an odd-man rush. Mark Scheifele fed him a perfect pass in the low slot, and Connor fired it past Blackwood’s left pad to put Winnipeg back in front 3-2.

The Avalanche pushed for another equalizer but couldn’t find one, falling by a 3-2 final despite holding a 34-19 advantage in shots.

Back at it tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Ly3WMth3ml

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 8, 2026

Colorado will look to bounce back Thursday against the Calgary Flames at the legendary Saddledome. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. local time, with Scott Wedgewood slated to make his first start of the season.

While Nils Hoglander had a career year with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2023-24 season, he has yet to duplicate that performance. Now a member of the Nashville Predators, the 25-year-old winger is off to a hot start and is showing signs of the player we saw three years ago.

In the aforementioned 2023-24 season, Hoglander set career highs in both goals and points. He lit the lamp 24 times for the Canucks, which remains the only time he's surpassed the 20-goal threshold in his NHL career. In total, he had 36 points that season as well, another number he hasn't even come close to reaching a second time. 

Hoglander's offensive production fell off a cliff during the 2024-25 season, but he wasn't the only one in Vancouver to do so. The team as a whole underperformed to the point where management decided to fire then head coach Rick Tocchet at the end of the season. Injuries then hampered Hoglander's only season under new coach Adam Foote and he was traded earlier this summer.

The Predators gave up a 2029 third-round pick that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche to bring Hoglander into the mix, and it's looking like a major bargain so far.

After being kept off the scoresheet in the Predators' season opener against the Minnesota Wild, Hoglander scored the game-winning goal against the Dallas Stars to help Nashville pick up their first, and to date, only win of the 2026-27 season. 

Then, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was impossible not to notice Hoglander. Even though the Predators were ultimately defeated after taking a 3-0 lead, the Swedish winger scored twice and helped Nashville pick up a point as the game went to overtime. 

Sometimes it's the small additions that make a major impact for an organization, and so far, that's been the case for Nils Hoglander and the Nashville Predators. Now the only question remaining is whether or not he can keep the momentum rolling.

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

A former Chicago Blackhawks forward is available for the taking.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers have placed former Blackhawks forward MacKenzie Entwistle on waivers.

Entwistle was injured during the pre-season, but this waiver placement indicates that the 27-year-old is now ready to return to action. However, before he can be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, he must clear waivers. 

Entwistle is entering his third season with the Panthers organization. Since then, he has played exclusively at the AHL level with the Checkers. In 49 games last season with Charlotte, the former Blackhawks forward posted five goals, 11 points, 41 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 rating. 

Entwistle played four NHL seasons with the Blackhawks from 2020-21 to 2023-24. In 193 games with the Original Six club over that span, he posted 15 goals, 20 assists, 35 points, 86 penalty minutes, and 404 hits. Overall, he was a bottom-six, energy forward for the Blackhawks during his time with the team.

Entwistle has not played in an NHL regular-season game since his time with the Blackhawks came to a close.

As part of a new, season-long series on TheHockeyNews.com, we’re analyzing every Buffalo Sabres game in the 2026-27 season. 

In each file, we’re spotlighting three different things: the Best Thing: the top statistic, player, or narrative Sabres fans will enjoy. Secondly, we’ll pick out the worst thing from every game from a Sabres perspective. And we’ll finish by wrapping up our thoughts on the game, and preparing readers for Buffalo’s game – a tough showdown on Thursday when the Sabres host the Dallas Stars. 

With that said, here’s this writer’s thoughts on the Sabres’ 3-2 comeback overtime win over the Minnesota Wild:

The Score: Sabres 3, Wild 2

Best Thing: The comeback

The Sabres dug themselves a two-goal hole in this game, but in an approximately six-minute span early in the third frame, they evened things up on goals from Noah Ostlund (with his first of the season) and Tage Thompson (with his second of the year). And with goalie Colten Ellis stopping 18 of 20 Minnesota shots to give his team a chance to win the game, Buffalo got the overtime victory on Owen Power’s first marker of the year.

The goal gave Power his fifth point of the season, while Thompson now has four points on the season. But it was the Sabres bending, but not breaking that was the biggest positive takeaway from this game. There are going to be nights where Buffalo just doesn’t have it on offense, and there are going to be nights where they trail for most of the game. 

But hanging in there and keeping the deficit to two goals was a big reason why the Sabres’ comeback ended in victory. And they’re now 2-1-0 to start the season at a time they could’ve been 1-2-0 and negative Nancys would’ve ruled the day. Winning makes you forget a lot of negatives, but Buffalo needs to remember their fighting spirit, because that’s what delivered the ‘W’ against a Wild team many are predicting big things from this year.

Worst Thing

The Sabres’ power play has yet to generate a single goal in 10 opportunities this season, and that includes two man-advantages against the Wild. Buffalo had the NHL’s 21st-best power play in 2025-26, but they’ve started the 2026-27 campaign unable to do any damage at all with the extra man. 

Is that partly because of the departure of star winger Alex Tuch? Not really. Tuch produced seven power-play goals and nine power-play-points last season – decent numbers, but nothing that would’ve created a gaping hole on the power play that the team hasn’t been able to adequately fill.

Special teams success isn’t going to bail you out each night if you’re not doing good things at even strength. But failing to generate a single PP goal in four games is something that will soon be an issue for Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

The Wrap-Up:

Winning three straight games after losing Game 1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets is an impressive achievement, and one that should infuse Sabres fans with confidence. The Wild were hurting without injured  star defenseman Brock Faber, but that’s still a well-constructed Minnesota squad, and Buffalo deserves full credit for absorbing a couple body blows and punching back just as hard, if not harder.

Now attention turns to the Sabres’ Thursday game against the Stars. Dallas has a 1-2-0 record thus far this season, losing to the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators before beating the San Jose Sharks on Monday for their first win of the season. Dallas has produced only six goals this season, and five of them were against San Jose. So if the Sabres can clamp down on the Stars in Buffalo’s defensive zone, and if Buffalo’s offense can get more volume of goals, the Sabres have a chance to stake out a very strong start to the year.

Like every team, Buffalo has its flaws. But the Sabres have to be opportunistic, and finding a way to eke out a win over the Wild now gives Buffalo a chance to make people forget about their stumble out of the gate in 2025-26. And that has to be a big win for Ruff and GM Jarmo Kekalainen.

Much to the chagrin of an increasingly impatient fanbase amid an 0-2-2 start, the Philadelphia Flyers have not gotten very far in their attempts to acquire a No. 1 center, or otherwise any kind of game-changer to help right the ship.

Throughout the offseason, and even into training camp, the Flyers have been reported to be seriously interested in Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, a center who submitted a trade request and was stripped of his captaincy heading into the season.

Larkin, 30, made his season debut for the Red Wings on Tuesday night, turning boos from loyal fans every time he touched the puck into cheers with a one-goal, two-point performance in Detroit's first win of the season.

That win by the Red Wings left the Flyers as the only team in the Eastern Conference, and one of three teams in the NHL, without a win, and Larkin is reportedly still giving the Flyers the cold shoulder with his trade request still pending.

"Philly's checked in. They've repeatedly checked in, but my understanding is, the answer is still no to Philly," NHL insider David Pagnotta reported on Daily Faceoff's most recent episode of "DFO Insider". "For now. Buddies with [Trevor Zegras], the longer this goes, maybe he changes his mind in another month and adds to [the trade list]. Going into this week, Philly was still a no."

Will the Flyers ever find a No. 1 center?

That's discouraging for the Flyers, to say the least, having already struck out on Leo Carlsson on an aggressive offer sheet at the top of the offseason, and with someone like Noah Cates seemingly taking a step back with the team struggling early this season.

The Flyers' center depth was already average at best, but with pretty much the whole team struggling to do anything at either end of the ice, the issue is exacerbated even further.

Pagnotta was adamant that Flyers general manager Danny Briere was not going to "sit on his hands" and stand idle, but despite the organization's insistence on improving the defense, taking a big swing, and finding a No. 1 center, none of those things have materialized.

As Pagnotta mentioned, the longer the saga between Larkin and the Red Wings drags out, the better a chance the Flyers will have at getting themselves involved.

Larkin still has five years remaining on his contract, including this one, at an $8.7 million cap hit, so finding a destination he's happy with will be important for the player, and he'll utilize the penultimate year of his full no-trade clause to make that happen.

Until something changes, the Flyers are fully at the mercy of Larkin, the Red Wings, and likely any other player or team they want to trade for or with, especially given how dire their current situation is.

The Vancouver Canucks will skate in Game 1 of their first road trip of the 2026–27 season on Thursday. This upcoming slate of games will be the second-longest stretch Vancouver takes part in throughout this season as they’ll also take part in a seven-game road trip in mid-January. 

Last year, Vancouver’s road numbers got off to a stronger start than their time on home-ice, but as how the rest of the season went, things slid downhill pretty quickly. They finished the season with a road record of 16–22–3, good for 28th in the league ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Calgary Flames. 

The 2025–26 Canucks finished tied with the Florida Panthers for 29th in points on the road with 35, ahead of only Toronto and Calgary. They also finished 29th in the NHL in save-percentage on the road with .8774%. The Panthers (.8624%), Ottawa Senators (.8632%), and San Jose Sharks (.8755%) were the only three teams to register lower numbers. 

Vancouver’s goal differential on the road (tracked by actual goals scored, not by final game scores) wasn’t the worst in the league (-46), though they did have the highest goals-against with 156 allowed. The Flames had the league’s worst road goal differential with -59. Where Vancouver made up ground in the goal differential department was in goals-for, with their 110 goals-for on the road ranking 27th. 

Part of what helped Vancouver make up the difference in goal differential was their power play, which heated up after the 2026 Olympic Break and finished with an effectiveness rate of 24% on the road. By the end of the 2025–26 season, only seven other teams had a higher road power-play percentage than the Canucks: the Boston Bruins (24.5%), Vegas Golden Knights (26.6%), New York Rangers (27.9%), Dallas Stars (28.1%), Minnesota Wild (28.2%), Montréal Canadiens (28.2%), and Edmonton Oilers (34.7%). 

Individually, two Canucks led their team in goals scored on the road in 2025–26 — Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk, each of whom scored 13 away from Rogers Arena. Boeser was also tied for the team lead in points with Elias Pettersson, with both players recording 25. Filip Hronek led Vancouver in two different categories on the road — assists (22) and time on ice (1015:55 minutes). 

Vancouver’s first long road trip of the 2026–27 season starts tomorrow, when the Canucks face the Carolina Hurricanes on October 8 at 4:00 pm PT. They then go on to play the New Jersey Devils on October 10, the New York Rangers on the 11th, New York Islanders on the 13th, Florida Panthers on the 15th, and the Tampa Bay Lightning on the 17th. 

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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The Buffalo Sabres stayed unbeaten in the second game of their five-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild, a 3-2 overtime victory at Key Bank Center on Tuesday. The game played out similarly to the 4-3 win over Chicago last weekend, as the Sabres trailed entering the third period, but tied the game on goals by Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson, before Owen Power scored the game-winner with 38 second left in overtime.  

Power, who scored a career-low 29 points last season, leads the Sabres with five points in three games, making up for some of the offensive gap created by the departure of Bowen Byram to Chicago. 

"He's  really  got  himself  off  to  a  good  start.  Really  skating  well,  moving  the  puck  well.  He's  finding  people." Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game.  "He's breaking  the  puck  out  really  well.  I  really  like  where  he's  got  his  game.  He's  stronger.  He's  faster.  He's  really  moving  up  there."

Colten Ellis made 18 saves for his first win of the season, but at practice on Wednesday, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was playing at the home end of the ice, providing the first indicator that he will be the starter against the Dallas Stars on Thursday. 

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One change implemented by Ruff on Tuesday was shaking up his line combos in the third, moving Peyton Krebs and Jiri Kulich up to the top line with Tage Thompson. That combo combined for Thompson’s tying goal midway through the third, a point-blank scoring chance that Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt robbed Thompson on late in the third, and Power’s game-winner. 

That unit remained intact at practice on Wednesday, with Josh Norris moving back with Ryan McLeod, and Konsta Helenius, and a fourth line unit of Beck Malenstyn, Justin Danforth, and Josh Doan. Ruff indicated after the game that Doan, who had 25 goals last season, has been struggling with a lower-body issue lately. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo 

Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexander Romanov is going to be out of action for a long time.

The New York Islanders announced on Wednesday that Romanov needs to undergo surgery for an ACL tear and will be out for the next six to eight months because of it.

With this news, Romanov is set to miss a significant chunk of the season, at a minimum. If his recovery takes six months, he could return in April during the final stretch of the regular-season. Yet, if he ends up needing eight months to recover, that would likely be the end of his year unless the Islanders go on a long playoff run. 

This is terrible news for Romanov. The former Canadiens defenseman was limited to only 15 games last season due to injury. Now, he is missing a significant amount of time again for the Islanders.

Romanov was selected by the Canadiens in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 133 games over two seasons with the Habs, he posted four goals, 15 assists, 19 points, and 365 hits. His time with the Canadiens ended when he was traded to the Islanders following the 2021-22 season. 

The latest meeting between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby has taken on even more of a special meaning.

The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins stars are playing on Wednesday, Oct. 7 in Washington's home opener, two days after Ovechkin announced that 2026-27 would be his final season in the NHL.

The two have been the best players of their generation. Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's record for career regular season goals and Crosby broke Gretzky's mark for seasons averaging at least a point per game.

Both No. 1 overall picks (Ovechkin in 2004 and Crosby in 2005) entered the league in 2005-06 and are the top two in the league in points during that time. Barring a playoff meeting or injury, they will meet four times this season.

USA TODAY will provide live coverage of the first of four regular-season meetings between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Follow along:

Where to watch Capitals vs. Penguins: Channel, live stream

The Capitals vs. Penguins game at Capital One Arena is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
• Streaming:Sling

Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby head to head

06:15 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

The two have met 100 previous times between the regular season and the playoffs. Crosby leads in regular season points 97-71 during their meetings and Ovechkin leads 33-30 in the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin stats vs Arturs Silovs

06:00 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

Ovechkin holds the NHL record of most goalies scored against with 189. But he has never scored against the Penguins' scheduled starter, Arturs Silovs, in two games. He has never faced Penguins backup Sergei Murashov.

Alex Ovechkin can break another Wayne Gretzky record

05:45 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

Ovechkin passed Gretzky's 894 goals during the 2024-25 season. This season, he can pass Gretzky's record of 1,016 combined regular season and playoff goals. Ovechkin is just 10 behind entering Wednesday's game.

Alex Ovechkin records

05:30 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

• Total goals: 929
• Power play: 331
• Empty net: 72
• Game winners: 141
• Overtime goals: 27
• Goalies scored on: 189
• 30-goal seasons: 20
• 40-goal seasons: 14
• 50-goal seasons: 9, tied for first

Protest planned outside Capitals arena

05:15 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

A Washington-area group said it plans to protest outside Capital One Arena from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. ET after Alex Ovechkin appeared in a political video for the United Russia Party, which supports President Vladimir Putin.

Ovechkin had addressed that appearance in a news conference as training camp began.

"They asked me to do this, and I said yes," Ovechkin said, adding, "I'm Russian and I support my country."

Alex Ovechkin farewell tour

05:00 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

Ovechkin realizes that Monday's announcement will set up a farewell tour for him. He says he won't let that be a distraction.

"I'm going to focus on my game," he said. "I'm going to focus on helping my team to win. Obviously, if some different teams want to do something, yeah, why not?"

Why is Alex Ovechkin retiring after this season?

04:45 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

He cited his two sons as a reason.

"I have to heal my body," he told reporters on Monday, Oct. 5. "I'm not 20 years old. I want to play with my kids when they're growing up, play hockey, play soccer, play basketball. I want to be healthy to do that kind of stuff."

Penguins make trade before game

04:40 PM ET, October 7 2026, Mike Brehm

The Penguins and Oilers pulled off a small trade earlier Wednesday. Pittsburgh sent forward Filip Hallander to Edmonton for defenseman Spencer Stastney. Hallander had three points in two games this season. Stastney hasn't suited up this season. He had one goal in 36 games last season with Edmonton.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Capitals vs Penguins LIVE updates, how to watch Alex Ovechkin vs Sidney Crosby

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Nick Foligno played just 3:29 against the Buffalo Sabres in a 3-2 overtime loss and left the game with an upper-body injury. 

“Just something that’s bothering Nick, and he just couldn’t handle it anymore,” Marcus Foligno said. “So, yeah, it’s unfortunate. You go down — now you’re playing a little bit short-handed, right?”

The 38-year-old is considered day-to-day at the moment, but while he nurses his injury, the Wild have made a roster change, recalling forward Tyler Pitlick.

The 34-year-old skated in two pre-season games before being sent down to the Iowa Wild, notching one goal. 

In two AHL games, Pitlick has recorded a goal and three points, tying for the team lead in points. Pitlick stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 199 pounds. 

Throughout his long hockey career, Pitlick has played 452 NHL games, scoring 58 goals and 111 points. In his career, he has played for the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, and most recently, the Minnesota Wild. 

If Foligno is held out of the lineup on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nico Sturm is expected to step in for Foligno, and Pitlick will serve as the 13th forward. 

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