A former Buffalo Sabres goalie is a free agent again.

This is because former Sabres netminder James Reimer has mutually terminated his contract with the New York Rangers.

Reimer was just placed on waivers by the Rangers earlier this week with Joonas Korpisalo returning from injury for New York. Now, instead of heading to the AHL, Reimer will be a free agent instead. 

Reimer's time with the Rangers certainly did not go the way that he had hoped it would.  He made just one appearance for the Rangers on Oct. 26 against the Los Angeles Kings, where he allowed three goals on just eight shots. He was also pulled during the first period of the matchup.

Now, Reimer is a free agent again less than two weeks after signing with the Rangers. It will be interesting to see if the 38-year-old netminder can find another opportunity or if this could be the end of his NHL career.

Reimer spent one season with the Sabres in 2024-25. In 22 games with Buffalo during that campaign, he posted a 10-8-2 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.90 goals-against average.

The Chicago Blackhawks were blown out by the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in Raleigh. It wasn’t a typical blowout, either. They were down early, had no chance of coming back at any point, and eventually fell 9-2. 

The defending Stanley Cup champions are a well-oiled machine, but they don’t drop 9 on just anyone. The Blackhawks were truly lousy, and the Hurricanes took advantage. 

Now, the Blackhawks have a handful of days off before their next game, which will come on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres at the United Center. Before the puck drops for that one, some sort of change must be made. 

The Blackhawks already made one moderately big move by placing Arvid Soderblom on waivers. He is likely going to be replaced as the backup goalie in the coming days. That can't be it for Chicago. There have to be more changes made if they want to stop being blown out in every game.

The first option, which is the easiest and the path of least resistance, is to fire someone. Whether that’s head coach Jeff Blashill or GM Kyle Davidson is a decision in its own right, but these things happen when NHL teams underachieve. 

The second option is to make a roster move. Is there a trade out there that makes the team better? Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Greenway are on the block, but could more players be sent packing? You can’t fire players, but you can move them for a different look in the locker room. There aren’t many players out there who could fix this, but a change could help get the room back in a better place. 

The third option, and perhaps the most difficult, is to try making a change to their defensive systems. Right now, the Hawks defend with a 2-1-2 strategy, and opposing teams expose it on a nightly basis. The Blackhawks clearly don’t have the personnel to play this style. 

It is incredibly hard to change styles in the same season, but anything is better than what they are doing. You can’t give up 2-on-1s the way the Blackhawks do and keep running out there with the same system night after night, loss after loss. 

All a new coach would do is implement his systems anyway, so Jeff Blashill may as well try it before he gets let go. That’s his most logical move forward if he isn’t let go sometime during the week. Is there a clear system that would make the most sense for this group? No. That would be for the powers that be to figure out before this season really goes off the rails more than it already has, and it impacts the development of young players. 

Whether it's the systems or personnel, some form of a wake-up call is needed. The organization must make one of these moves to try to stop the bleeding. At 4-13-1, all options are being considered. 

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

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New York Islanders defenseman Logan Stanley has been fined $3,586.98 for his slash against New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier in the second period of Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss:

Gets a fine. No suspension. #Isleshttps://t.co/K6wgIGMSqA

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 8, 2026

Here's the video of the play:

Here’s the sequence by Logan Stanley that should have been a major penalty.

After the scrum, the #NJDevils netted one (1) penalty — a minor. Stanley was assessed a two-minute minor for the slash and two for roughing in the scrum itself. pic.twitter.com/1mIzHv7YdD

— JP Gambatese (@jp_gambatese) November 8, 2026

This is the second time in Stanley's career where he's received supplementary discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety. 

He was suspended for one game for roughing Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk on Jan. 3.

Stanley signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with the Islanders on Sept. 27 and has played primarily alongside 2025-26 Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer on the top pair while playing key minutes on the penalty kill. 

This weekend, six new individuals will be inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame for 2026. This year’s class includes former Vancouver Canucks General Manager Brian Burke, as well as former pro hockey players Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk. 

Four of these six individuals played against the Canucks at various times throughout their NHL careers — this is how they fared. 

A 20-year NHL veteran, Bergeron skated in a grand total of 1294 NHL games throughout his career, all with the Boston Bruins. During this span, he amassed 427 goals and 613 assists, good for a points per game pace of around 0.8. This falls in line with his career averages against the Canucks, as the skilled centre posted seven goals and 13 assists in 25 games against Vancouver. Most notably, Bergeron was part of the 2011 Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup against the Canucks. 

Tkachuk, father of current NHLers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers, spent his 1201-game NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers, and the St. Louis Blues. His 538 goals ranks 36th in NHL history, while his 2219 penalty minutes sits at 41st throughout the league’s history. Tkachuk found decent offensive success against the Canucks throughout his career, scoring 27 goals and adding 36 assists in 65 games.  

BC local and career Montréal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price played some of his best hockey against the Canucks. The 15-year NHL veteran played in a total of 712 games for the Canadiens, winning 361 and registering 49 shutouts. His career numbers also include a 2.51 GAA and .917 SV%. Compared to the rest of the NHL, Price has one of his biggest win-to-loss differentials against Vancouver, having won 17 of 24 matches against the Canucks and lost only two in regulation. He also had a .929 SV% and 2.26 GAA against Vancouver, as well as three shutouts.   

Like Price, Pekka Rinne spent the entirety of his NHL career with only one team. For him, that was the Nashville Predators. He played in 683 total games for Nashville from 2005 to 2021, posting 369 wins and 60 shutouts. 14 of these 369 wins came against Vancouver, while one of his 60 shutouts were against the Canucks. Rinne’s record against the Canucks is split very evenly, as he also recorded 14 regulation losses and two in overtime. Statistcially, he logged a .905 SV% and 2.81 GAA against Vancouver — both higher than his career-averages of .917 SV% and 2.43 GAA. 

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 Montreal Canadiens have a clear trade candidate with goaltender Samuel Montembeault.

With the Canadiens having Jacob Fowler and Jakob Dobes, it would make sense if Montreal moved on from a pending UFA netminder like Montembeault. 

When looking at potential trade destinations for Montembeault, the New York Rangers are only continuing to stand out more. 

On Saturday, the Rangers placed goalie James Reimer on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination. While New York recently got back Joonas Korpisalo from injury, it would not hurt for them to add another experienced goalie with Reimer's contract being terminated. Thus, Montembeault could make a lot of sense for New York as they aim to make the playoffs. 

If the Rangers acquired Montembeault, he would give them another proven NHL goalie to work with. This would especially be the case if he bounced back in New York after his tough 2025-26 season with the Canadiens. 

Montembeault is also continuing to make progress with his injury recovery, as he skated on Saturday. 

Ultimately, Montembeault could be a solid pickup for a team like the Rangers. The Canadiens could also benefit by trading the 30-year-old, as they would move on from his $3.15 million cap hit.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens and Rangers link up to make a Montembeault trade from here. 

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The Detroit Red Wings are a team that isn't going to be known for a high-powered offense. That, combined with a subpar penalty killing percentage, made for an unfortunate result against a club that boasts multiple dangerous offensive threats. 

The Colorado Avalanche got two goals and an assist from Martin Necas, while Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar also scored as part of their 4-0 win over the Red Wings at Ball Arena on Saturday evening.

Three of Colorado's goals were with the man advantage.

The setback was Detroit's fourth in their last five regulation games, and knocked them back below the .500 mark. 

It was an especially disappointing result considering how well they played in the first period, getting multiple high-danger scoring chances and outshooting Colorado by a comfortable margin. 

But once they started getting into penalty trouble in the second period, they were made to regret it. 

As forward Andrew Copp would say afterward, he and his teammates have to show more tenacity around the net while also spending less time in their own zone, which would lead to less penalties against. 

"Those second-chance opportunities feel like we’re a little one-and-done around the net right now," Copp said afterward. "And whether that’s the forwards not getting there or pucks not getting through to the net, whatever the combination is, we just got to get a little hungrier around that net."

The Red Wings have now dropped regulation contests against the Blues, Lightning, Golden Knights, and Avalanche. In two of those contests, they had a third period lead, but couldn't finish things out. 

Right now, they have no choice but to find more offense. 

"We’re playing some really good teams right now, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. We've got to find a way to just concentrate on the positives of the good things we’ve done, a lot of good 5-on-5 defense today and in the Vegas game, and then we just got to find a way to get some offense going," Copp said. "But the quicker we end plays in our D zone, the more time we'll spend in the offensive zone."

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

For head coach Todd McLellan, he felt that the club losing control of their emotions, which led to multiple penalties against, ultimately did them in. 

"We were called for five penalties in 10 minutes, and that really changed the game, obviously," said McLellan. "We had to overuse guys. Other guys sat there cold. Their star players got a lot of touches, and they moved the puck around well. Obviously, scored.

So, it was it was frustrating that way, and we didn't deal real well with our emotions, I didn't think. So, we're going to get nights where the other team is better, sometimes the officials won't go in our favor, but we're gonna have to deal with it." 

The Red Wings are back in action on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues, looking to avenge their loss on Halloween in Detroit. 

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NEWS & NOTES 

Columbus Blue Jackets Injury Report: November 2, 2026The Columbus Blue Jackets were hit by preseason injuries but have remained healthy through the first month of the season.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 12 Games Missed

Columbus Blue Jackets And Fanatics Announce New Controversial Alternate JerseysWhenever NHL teams get a new jersey, fans are usually split 50/50. Some traditionalists hate the idea of jersey colors that differ from the norm, while others love that the NHL, jersey makers, and teams come up with all kinds of styles. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Fanatics have announced the 2026-27 "Hometown Remix" jerseys for this season, and this one is sure to be controversial. A lot of people think the gray contradicts the entire meaning of the Blue Jackets.   

Zach Werenski Pushing His Way Up To The Top Of Another Blue Jackets Stat Category<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets">Columbus Blue Jackets</a> defenseman Zach Werenski continues to work his way up in just about every stat category the franchise has. This time it's shots. 

Werenski has 36 shots so far through 13 games this season. At this pace, he'd hit 233 shots at the end of the season. Many people think he's not shooting because he's not scoring, but that's simply not true. He currently sits second in shots behind Adam Fantilli, who has 40. 

2 Blue Jackets Placed On Waivers After Big Win Over AvalancheTwo Blue Jackets have been placed on waivers.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Blue Jackets have placed defenseman Emil Andrae and forward Danton Heinen on waivers.   

Blue Jackets Recall Two Forwards After Win Against Dallas Stars The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets">Columbus Blue Jackets</a> have recalled a pair of Cleveland Monsters after tonight's game against the Dallas Stars.

Steven Lorentz, who was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Kirill Marchenko deal, will be joining the Blue Jackets. In 9 games this season for Cleveland, he has 7 goals and 9 total points. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 218 lbs, he adds more size to an already heavy forward group. Lorentz has played 381 NHL games and has 80 total points. 

Is Kent Johnson One Of The Best Ever At The Shootout? He's Getting There!Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson is having a bounce-back year, and it was desperately needed. He's on pace for 42 goals and 84 points. Will he finish with those numbers? It's possible. 

With last night's shootout winner against the Stars, Kent Johnson is now third all time in shootout %. He now sits at 63.2%, which is 1.1% behind Blues forward Mason McTavish. Another former CBJ, Petteri Nummelin, sits #1 all time, scoring on 8 of 10 tries.   

Johnny Gaudreau's Mother Jane Discloses What Team He Wanted To End His Career WithOn November 5th, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets">Columbus Blue Jackets</a> superstar Johnny Gaudreau was posthumously inducted into the <a href="https://philadelphiasportshalloffame.org/athlete/johnny-gaudreau/">Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame</a> as part of the Class of 2026.

"His goal was always to end his career, somehow, playing for the Philadelphia Flyers. He would say to Guy, Kristen, Katie, and I, that even if he had to go and sign one day, he was going to end his career as a Philadelphia Flyer. Because he thought that every young person growing up should be able to play for his home team."

Former Blue Jackets Goalie Is Impressing With New TeamThis former Blue Jackets goalie is playing some strong hockey with the Red Wings.

While Tarasov has a 2-2-2 record, his stats show that he is playing very well for the Red Wings right now. His .929 save percentage is currently the second-best in the NHL for goalies who have played at least five games. He also has an impressive 1.79 goals-against average, which is the third-best in the NHL.

GAME PREVIEWS & RECAPS

Columbus Blue Jackets (10pts) vs. Colorado Avalanche (19 pts) Game PreviewThe Blue Jackets are 24-41-1-5 overall, and 12-19-1-3 at home vs. Colorado.

Series History vs.Avalanche           

• The Blue Jackets are 24-41-1-5 overall, and 12-19-1-3 at home vs. Colorado.  
• Columbus went 0-2-0 in 2025-26. 
• Columbus has earned points in 11 of the last 20 games of the series overall (10-9-1).

Blue Jackets Blast Avalanche Led by Charlie Coyle's Four PointsThe Jackets are now 6-7-0 on the season

Mathieu Olivier(3), Ivan Provorov(1-PPG), Jake Christiansen(2-GWG), Cole Sillinger(4), Charlie Coyle(2-PPG, 3), and Val Nichushkin(2) powered the Blue Jackets past the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.   

Columbus Blue Jackets (12 pts) vs. Dallas Stars (19 pts) Game PreviewThe Blue Jackets are 35-36-7 overall, and 19-16-5 at home vs. Dallas.

Series History vs.Stars           

• The Blue Jackets are 35-36-7 overall, and 19-16-5 at home vs. Dallas. 
• Columbus lost to Dallas on 10-31.
• Columbus has won three of the last four games in the series, outscoring Dallas 13-8 since Feb. 25, 2025.

Werenski Scores First Goal, Cam Talbot Is Spectacular In Shootout Win Against DallasThe Blue Jackets' record now sits at 7-7.

Zach Werenski(1) scored the only goal in regulation to help the Blue Jackets upset the visiting Dallas Stars on Thursday night. Val Nichushkin and Kent Johnson scored on Casey DeSmith in the shootout to give the Jackets a 2-1.   

Columbus Blue Jackets (14 pts) vs. Buffalo Sabres (17 pts) Game PreviewThe Blue Jackets are 15-9-0-3 at Buffalo and 30-17-1-3 overall vs. Buffalo.

Series History vs.Sabres            

• The Blue Jackets are 15-9-0-3 in Buffalo and 30-17-1-3 overall vs. Buffalo.
• Columbus beat Buffalo 6-3 on 10-1. 
• The Blue Jackets have won 5 of their 7 meetings with the Sabres over the past two seasons (5-2-0).

Blue Jackets Beat By Buffalo, Lose Monahan, Voronkov To InjuryThe Blue Jackets are now 7-8-0 this season.

Kent Johnson(8) and Zach Werenski(2-PPG) scored the goals for the Blue Jackets, and Jet Greaves gave up 5 goals in what seemed like a scheduled loss for Columbus.   

Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets are back at home on Tuesday to face the Florida Panthers.

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If you watched Saturday night’s game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs and paid attention, you might have noticed something weird in the first period. After a stoppage in play, it looked like one of the referees was offering Jacob Fowler a green apple, but that wasn’t the case.

Jacob Fowler confirms that a fan threw a green apple at him in the 2nd period.

He said he joked with the official to see if he would have called back a goal on said play.

Fowler thought it was hilarious after the fact,but not so much during the play.

— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) November 8, 2026

After the game, the Canadiens’ netminder was  asked what that moment was about, and it turned out to be something else altogether. During play, a fan threw an apple at the Habs’ goaltender. According to Marco D'Amico, the interaction caught on camera was Fowler joking with the ref about whether he would have allowed a goal scored when the goalie was hit by the apple.

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While the Montreal goaltender thought it was funny in the post-game scrum, he didn’t have the same opinion during the game, and that’s understandable. The question he asked the ref was valid: what would have happened if a goal had been scored when he was hit by the apple? If the goal was allowed to stand, Canadiens fans would have screamed bloody murder; if it was taken away, Leafs fans would have done the same. It would have been enough to launch a full-blown scandal; I can already see the headlines: Habs vs. Leafs game rocked by Applegate.

Can I offer you an apple in this trying time? 🍏

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/qAjIlD26Mnpic.twitter.com/UFu7ltqXq8

— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2026

Referees should not be put in a position to make that call, and the incident will be reported to the League. Don’t be surprised if security checks are heightened when you attend a game. One fan’s foolish decision could affect the integrity of the game, and that’s something that must be taken seriously. Bags are searched when you enter an arena for a reason. If worst comes to worst, the NHL could ask fans to bring only what fits through a small, see-through plastic bag, as the NFL has done in the past. Furthermore, if that fan was identified, they should be banned from attending the game. It’s one thing to throw an octopus on the ice in Detroit during a stoppage of play (those were the good old days), but it’s quite another to try and disrupt the game.

---

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The Bruins are back in action this afternoon as they begin a four-game homestand against the Florida Panthers with puck drop at 1 p.m.

The B’s are looking to keep their streak alive tonight as the Panthers look to bounce back from a loss yesterday.

The Bruins are 55% on the face-off, the 3rd best percentage in the league. A big part of that has been Elias Lindholm who individually is 60.2%, leading the NHL with 195 face-off wins, according to the Bruins.

Discuss!

The Vegas Golden Knights have won two in a row and picked up five out of a possible six points on their Eastern Conference road trip. They’ll look to close it out on a high note today against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. 

Puck drop is scheduled for 12:38 p.m. PST. 

The Golden Knights last played on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. They struggled to score, but stuck with it when Detroit pulled ahead. Two young stars struck in the third period, and the Golden Knights won 2-1.

The Sabres last played on Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They scored early, and rode a strong second period to a 5-2 victory. 

Carter Hart is projected to start in net for the Golden Knights. Hart has a 5-3-2 record and an average save percentage of .900 in 10 games played this season. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is projected to start in net for the Sabres. Luukkonen has a 5-3-3 record and an average save percentage of .878 in 11 games played this season.

Golden Knights Lines

Brett Howden — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone

Ivan Barbashev — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner

Trevor Connelly — Tomáš Hertl — Victor Olofsson

Marc Gatcomb — Nic Dowd — Braeden Bowman

Defense

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Jeremy Lauzon — Rasmus Andersson

Noah Hanifin — Dylan Coghlan

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Projected Sabres Lines

Zach Benson — Peyton Krebs — Tage Thompson 

Josh Doan — Noah Ostlund — Jack Quinn

Jiri Kulich — Josh Norris — Jason Zucker

Beck Malenstyn — Tyson Kozak — Sam Carrick

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson — Rasmus Dahlin

Olen Zellweger — Owen Power

Conor Timmins — Zach Metsa

Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen / Colten Ellis

Special Teams

VGK power play: 27.8%, 7th

VGK penalty kill: 75.0%, T21st

Sabres power play: 15.1%, 29th

Sabres penalty kill: 69.6%, T25th

Game Notes

Last year, the Golden Knights lost both games against the Sabres for an 0-2-0 record. They are 7-8-1 against Buffalo all time.

Jack Eichel leads the Golden Knights in scoring this season with 23 points in 18 games. Eichel has six goals and nine points in seven career games against his former team.

Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in scoring this season with 19 points in 16 games. Thompson has four goals and six points in 13 career games against the Golden Knights.

Carter Hart, who is projected to start in goal for the Golden Knights, has a 4-2-0 record and an average save percentage of .906 in nine career games against the Sabres. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who is projected to start in goal for the Sabres, has a perfect 4-0-0 record and an average save percentage of .939 in four career games against the Golden Knights.

We’re on Milestone Watch! Brayden McNabb is one point away from 200 career points.

We’re on Milestone Watch! Mitch Marner is two points away from 100 as a Golden Knight. 

The Golden Knights are 5-2-2 on the road this season; the Sabres are 4-4-0 at home.

Jacob Fowler has faced plenty of oddities in his young NHL career, but tracking a green apple sailing toward his crease mid-play was a first.

During the second period of Saturday’s Original Six matchup at Scotiabank Arena, a fan launched a small green apple, later confirmed to be fake, from the stands, sending it skidding onto the ice right in front of the Montreal Canadiens goaltender while play was live. Referee T.J. Luxmore collected the object, pocketed it, and later produced it during a stoppage, holding it up near Fowler in a moment that left the broadcast booth and viewers doing double-takes.

“I was pretty dialled in but I saw an apple come on the ice right in front of me. I’m used to tracking a black puck not a green apple,” Fowler told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas afterward, laughing. “I saw that one and (Luxmore) told me he would have blown the play dead if they had gotten in the zone so thankfully they didn’t get one there.”

The 21-year-old American, who stopped 26 shots in Montreal’s 4-2 victory, confirmed to reporters that a fan had thrown it directly at him. 

I hoped this was referee JT Luxmore's own apple from his pocket, but, unfortunately, that's not true.

Was thrown on the ice https://t.co/p9gjiAESZx

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 8, 2026

“It’s the first time that’s happened to me. It was thrown right at me,” he told reporters in the visiting locker room.

Fowler, still relatively new to the league’s quirks, handled the moment with the same poise he’s shown throughout a strong start (8-1-1). He joked with the official about the hypothetical.

"It's so surreal. I still feel like a little kid every time I get to put on the gear. It's so special to play in this organization."

Jacob Fowler joined @sportsnetkyle after a 26-save performance in the Canadiens' win over the Maple Leafs. pic.twitter.com/JVmDYENkbS

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 8, 2026

“As a young player, I try to stay in the good graces of the referees. I always ask them how it’s going. He showed me what it was. I asked him if the goal would have counted if they scored. He said, ‘We’ll see!’” Fowler recounted.

The incident occurred amid a game in which the Canadiens extended their point streak to 10 games. Alex Newhook scored twice, Chris Kreider and Zachary Bolduc added goals, and Fowler held firm after Toronto cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 early in the third. William Nylander and Gavin McKenna scored for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped four of five.

The incident didn’t help Toronto in any manner as they continue to struggle to find a way to play their game for a full 60 minutes.

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For the second time this season, the Montreal Canadiens visited the Toronto Maple Leafs, but this time the Habs wore their Hometown Remix jersey, and they were without Josh Anderson (out for personal reasons). Owen Beck deservedly moved up in the lineup to replace the alternate captain, and Jacob Fowler returned to net, facing Toronto for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, the Leafs went back to Sergei Bobrovsky, who had three losses in his last three starts.

Beck slotted right along Jake Evans and Chris Kreider, taking over from Anderson while Alex Newhook remained on the fourth line with Kirby Dach and Oliver Kapanen. Toronto was getting John Tavares back after the center had missed nine games with a lower-body injury, and with Kirill Marchenko also injured, his comeback was more than welcome for the hosts.

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Fourth Line Rolling

Newhook might have been demoted to the fourth line on Nick Suzuki’s return, but this fourth line doesn’t play like a fourth line. The Newfoundlander scored two goals in the first frame, allowing the Habs to go back to the room with the lead after 20 minutes, and Montreal never surrendered the lead.

As for Dach, he played with a lot of energy, and in a third-frame scrum, he helped Arber Xhekaj when he was surrounded by three Leafs. On that play, Xhekaj got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for face-washing Teddy Blueger, who had taken a few shots at a tied-up Dach. The Canadiens’ defenseman was the only player sent to the box on that sequence, which even puzzled Leafs fans. After the game, Martin St-Louis said:

I feel bad for Jacko; I don’t think that was a penalty.

As for Kapanen, he had an assist on the night, but he also won the four faceoffs he took. As Dach rightfully pointed out after the game, all three players on that line have played center over their careers, and it certainly helps them play on the defensive side of the puck.

Absolutely insane that they're only taking Xhekaj out of this. Ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/VbWnIxL7Ye

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 8, 2026

The Longest Shift Ever

One of the key moments of the game tonight came in the second period, when the Leafs pinned the Canadiens down in their own zone for over two minutes. Phillip Danault, Zachary Bolduc, Alexandre Texier, Alexandre Carrier and Kaiden Guhle were all on the ice for 2:17 or more on that sequence. Normally, when a shift lasts that long, it ends in one of two ways: with a penalty or with a goal. Full marks to those five players for keeping it clean and not falling in the trap.

They finally got off the ice after Fowler made a save with the butt of his stick, which deflected off the crossbar and out of play. Some may say that was a stroke of luck, but as they say, you’ve got to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky.

Fantastic Fowler

If some were worried about Fowler being shaken up after the 5-4 OT loss on Tuesday night, he quickly put their minds at ease. In the first frame, he made a tremendous save on Auston Matthews, who was all alone in front of the net, and he even made it look easy. Once again tonight, the young netminder looked “Pricessque” out there; he’s calm, he’s collected, and he seems to embrace the pressure. He stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced, and when your netminder plays that well and is that calm, it certainly gives you some confidence.

Jacob Fowler with the great blocker save in the 1st period pic.twitter.com/YkpWPU8T7O

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 8, 2026

In the post-game scrum, it was mentioned to St-Louis that when the Canadiens were up 3-2 in the third, and there was a TV timeout, Fowler was at the bench telling his teammates they were fine and there was no need to worry. That’s a 21-year-old. It’s rare to see such a young player take it upon himself to do that. It says a lot about how confident he is and how much of a leader he is.

Stopping The Bleeding

The Leafs got a power-play goal to come back into the game off a William Nylander one-timer, and less than a minute later, Gavin McKenna scored a second goal on a rebound. At that point, most people wondered if the Leafs were about to do what the Winnipeg Jets did to the Habs on Tuesday night, but they didn’t. Not only did the Canadiens stop the bleeding, but they also cauterized the wound, scoring a power-play goal five minutes later through Zachary Bolduc and ending the game with a big double-minor penalty kill on a Juraj Slafkovsky high-stick. The Canadiens have eight power-play goals this season, and three of them are Bolduc’s.

BOLDUC BLAST 💥 pic.twitter.com/MmXDscwNMC

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 8, 2026

In that sequence, two of the four penalty killers broke their sticks, including Kaiden Guhle (the new Mike Matheson, broken-stick-wise), but they still came out unscathed. That’s two wins in Toronto so far this season and two big points, which tie them with the Boston Bruins atop the Atlantic Division at 25. The Hometown Remix jerseys are not cursed, and the Habs can protect a lead.

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Pierre-Luc Dubois had the finishing touch Washington needed on Saturday night.

The former Los Angeles Kings forward scored the eventual game-winning goal in the third period, helping the Washington Capitals erase an early deficit and defeat the Florida Panthers 4-3 at Capital One Arena.

Dubois, who spent the 2023-24 season with Los Angeles, finished with a goal and an assist as Washington rallied from a 2-1 hole. His goal came at 4:42 of the third period, giving the Capitals some much-needed breathing room at 4-2.

The play featured a little chemistry with teammate Aliaksei Protas. After Protas found him with a pass, Dubois reached around Florida goaltender Akira Schmid and managed to slide the puck across the goal line.

It was a timely contribution from a player who knows what it takes to produce in big moments. Dubois finished his lone season with the Kings in 2023-24 with 16 goals and 24 assists across 82 regular-season games, adding one goal in five playoff appearances.

Washington needed the production, too. The Capitals had dropped their previous two games, both at home, before Saturday's matchup.

The afternoon didn't begin smoothly for them. Jack St. Ivany opened the scoring with his first NHL goal, but Florida's Brady Tkachuk answered with two first-period goals to put the Panthers ahead 2-1. Matthew Tkachuk assisted on both, giving the brothers four combined points in the opening period.

Alex Tuch pulled Washington even in the second period before Protas put the Capitals ahead 3-2 with a goal assisted by Dubois.

Dubois then delivered the decisive blow in the third.

Sam Bennett brought Florida within one with 47 seconds remaining, but Washington held on to secure the 4-3 victory. Logan Thompson finished with 27 saves for the Capitals.

For Dubois, it was a productive night against a Panthers team that had no shortage of offensive firepower. His goal ultimately proved to be the difference, giving Washington a much-needed win and adding another contribution to his first season with the Capitals.

The surprise Saturday morning wasn’t so much that Ben Hutton was making his Islanders debut, with the defenseman’s inclusion in the lineup having been telegraphed since he was signed off his PTO on Thursday.

Rather, it was that Hutton was skating on the left side of Matt Kessel against the Devils and not Scott Mayfield, who was a healthy scratch.

While Mayfield has been fighting what looks more and more like an uphill battle for his spot on the depth chart since training camp, it would be hard to argue he hasn’t outplayed Kessel lately and harder still to argue that his importance to the penalty kill doesn’t justify keeping him in the lineup until Ryan Pulock returns from an upper-body injury.

In the first three games since Pulock’s injury, Mayfield has been the Islanders ice-time leader at 4-on-5, as the penalty kill had gone 10-for-11.

That felt extra prescient as the Islanders skated on the penalty kill four times in a 5-4 overtime defeat, using just three defensemen at 4-on-5 while leaning heavily on Logan Stanley and Adam Pelech — both of whom took penalties themselves.

“He’s a part of [the penalty kill],” coach Pete DeBoer said of Mayfield before the game. “When you make those decisions, guys come out and we’re well aware of some of the strengths of the guys coming out. Also some of the strengths of guys going in. I think if we take five or six penalties tonight we’re in trouble anyway. We gotta stay out of the box.”

Afterward, he praised the job the PK did and said, “All penalty killers get fatigued,” when there are that many opportunities.

Though Mayfield and general manager Mathieu Darche have both dismissed trade rumors surrounding him, this does come against the backdrop of those rumors as well — as well as a looming roster crunch once the Islanders, currently one player short of the roster limit, activate all three of Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Calum Ritchie.

Barzal and Maccelli were both full participants at Saturday’s optional morning skate and could be back soon, but the Islanders could stave off waiving someone once that happens by moving Ryan Pulock to injured reserve.

Mayfield can’t be traded without his consent, but he could be waived, and the Islanders could wield that weapon to get him to agree to a trade, a move the Rangers controversially employed to get Jacob Trouba to waive his no-trade clause a couple of years ago.

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DeBoer did not have an answer following the game on whether Barzal or Maccelli would travel with the team to San Jose on Sunday, saying he needed to meet with the medical staff.