Boston Bruins (9-3-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (5-6-1, in the Central Division)

St. Louis; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins hit the ice in a non-conference matchup.

St. Louis is 5-6-1 overall and 3-1-1 at home. The Blues have gone 2-1-0 in games their opponents serve more penalty minutes.

Boston is 4-1-1 on the road and 9-3-1 overall. The Bruins have scored 49 total goals (3.8 per game) to rank fifth in NHL play.

Thursday's game is the first time these teams match up this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Neighbours has scored three goals with three assists for the Blues. Jimmy Snuggerud has five goals and one assist over the last 10 games.

David Pastrnak has seven goals and 11 assists for the Bruins. Matthew Poitras has scored four goals and added three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Blues: 4-5-1, averaging three goals, 5.3 assists, 2.7 penalties and six penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.7 assists, 5.2 penalties and 14.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Blues: Adam Jecho: out (personal), Torey Krug: out (ankle), Ross Johnston: out (lower body), Tyler Tucker: out (knee), Dillon Dube: out (neck), Logan Mailloux: out (hand).

Bruins: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Las Vegas, N.V.– When a team is on a three-game losing streak, they often need a big moment to swing momentum and turn things around. It could be anything: a fight, a herculean individual effort that leads to a goal, or even a big blocked shot.

For the Vegas Golden Knights, it was when starting goaltender Adin Hill left the net to play the puck to prevent a shorthanded breakaway and bowled over Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig in the process. Twelve seconds later, Braeden Bowman finally broke through and scored the first goal of the game on the power play.

“It wasn’t the best power play for us,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig following the 4-1 win. “[Hill’s play] probably gave us a little bit of juice. Our bench got going after the goal ended up going in, they were all pointing down at him. Those kinds of things can get you going. It was a real grind of a victory.”

The Golden Knights started well and recorded the first two shots of the game before the Senators tilted the ice. There was a stretch of nearly 10 minutes between their second and third shot. And halfway through the second, shots were 14-4 in favor of Ottawa.

Being outplayed and outshot by such a thorough margin usually isn’t a winning recipe. But tonight, the Golden Knights managed to make it work, and that was due in no small part to Adin Hill’s spectacular play in net.

“We had to stay with it and grind,” Ryan Craig said. “In the second half [of the game], we got better. Some things bounced our way, but Hilly’s play… was one of those things that energized us, for sure.”

“He was unreal,” added forward Raphael Lavoie. “You know he’s got a hit, too, tonight? Hillsy played amazing. It’s really nice to see.”

1. So… Who Gets the Puck?

Although the Golden Knights scored the game’s first goal, they didn’t have the lead for very long. The Senators responded with their own power-play goal just 34 seconds into the third, tying the game at one. A tying goal that early in the period could have deflated a team on a three-game losing streak. Instead, the Golden Knights did what they do best: they kept rolling four lines and trusted their depth.

That decision paid off at 8:01 in the third when the fourth line scored a big go-ahead goal. 

Marc Gatcomb started the play in the defensive zone with a big hit on Senators forward Andre Burakovsky, and Raphael Lavoie ended up with the puck. Lavoie carried it through center ice and dropped a pass for Nic Dowd, who slapped it ahead to Ville Heinola. Jonas Johansson made the save on Heinola’s wrister, but after Dowd crashed the net, the puck came loose, and Lavoie slammed it home.

That go-ahead goal was a milestone triple threat. It was Raphael Lavoie’s first NHL goal, Nic Dowd’s 200th NHL point, and Ville Heinola’s first point as a Golden Knight.

“It means a lot,” Lavoie smiled postgame. “It’s been a long time coming, I think, and it feels really good.”

2. Them’s The Breaks!

Here’s a fun fact: Raphael Lavoie, who scored his first NHL goal and recorded the game-winner tonight, wasn’t originally supposed to play. In this morning’s line rushes, Jonas Røndbjerg skated in Lavoie’s spot on the fourth line. 

However, Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart left morning skate early with an apparent injury, forcing the Golden Knights to recall a goaltender from AHL Henderson. In a corresponding transaction, they had to send Røndbjerg down to become cap compliant.

“I wasn’t thinking of playing tonight,” Lavoie said after the 4-1 win. “I wasn’t in the lineup, and then suddenly, just before I left the rink, they told me I was playing. That’s how it was supposed to happen, I guess.

“We’re always ready to play,” Lavoie finished. “I did a lot of extra work in the morning because I didn’t think I was playing, but I just had to nap a little longer.”

3. King of the Hill

Adin Hill made headlines tonight for his quick decision to play the puck, and it’s for good reason. That could’ve gone south very easily. It takes quite a bit of confidence for a goaltender to venture that far from their crease and brave that kind of contact.

“I think I’ve maybe been further from my net,” joked Hill following the 4-1 win, “But that’s the first flying butterfly I’ve done.”

However, the best part of Hill’s game tonight wasn’t the extreme “flying butterfly”; it was his steady play between the pipes. He kept the Golden Knights in a game that they had no business being in. He made 25 saves in total, none better than the one he made on Tim Stützle early in the second period.

“Kind of a little breakdown there,” Hill said postgame. “They had a mini 3-on-2. They made a double back-door play, and at that point, it’s just desperation to do whatever you can and try and keep the puck out of the net.”

LAS VEGAS — Raphael Lavoie arrived at the rink expecting to sit out. He left with his first NHL goal and a game-winner.

Lavoie broke a third-period tie, and Adin Hill stopped 25 shots as the Golden Knights defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, snapping a three-game losing streak.

“Just before I left the rink, they told me I was playing,” Lavoie said. “So yeah, guess that’s how it was supposed to happen, I guess.”

We love this for Raph 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FrlECL9O4L

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 28, 2026

Braeden Bowman scored on the power play, while William Karlsson and Jack Eichel added empty-net goals for Vegas, which improved to 9-4-1. Shane Pinto scored Ottawa’s lone goal, and Jonas Johansson finished with 25 saves.

“We needed to kind of turn the corner there and come away with a win tonight,” Hill said. “So that was big for our guys. It’s a good hockey team over there, the Senators. So yeah, we found a way to get it done.”

Lavoie was projected as a healthy scratch before the Golden Knights adjusted their roster after Carter Hart’s morning-skate injury. Given his opportunity, he delivered the decisive finish at 8:01 of the third period, putting Vegas ahead 2-1.

It was his first goal in 27 NHL appearances and his 10th game this season.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Lavoie said.

Ville Heinola and Nic Dowd assisted, with Dowd reaching 200 career points. Heinola earned a point in his Golden Knights debut.

Coach Ryan Craig credited Marc Gatcomb’s defensive work at the start of the sequence and Heinola’s willingness to join the rush, helping create an opportunity that Lavoie finished around the net.

“Pretty much everybody on the ice touched the puck,” Lavoie said.

For Craig, Lavoie and Hill provided examples of players responding when circumstances changed.

“Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking advantage of your opportunity,” Craig said. “Those are two guys that did tonight.”

Hill supplied the foundation long before Lavoie’s breakthrough.

Ottawa held an 11-4 shot advantage in a scoreless first period. Early in the second, Hill denied Tim Stützle with a sprawling save, moving across the crease to stop a dangerous back-post opportunity.

“At that point it’s just desperation, doing everything you can to try and keep the puck out of the net,” Hill said.

His most consequential intervention came late in the middle period while Vegas was on the power play.

With Ridly Greig threatening on a shorthanded breakaway, Hill charged out toward the right faceoff circle and poked the puck away. The Golden Knights turned the play back toward Ottawa’s net, where Bowman finished a rebound from Ivan Barbashev’s shot with 11 seconds remaining.

WHAT. A. SEQUENCE. 🤯

¡QUÉ. SECUENCIA! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WPmY2TJy1c

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 28, 2026

Hill said the puck slowed more quickly than he expected on the worn ice, forcing him to adjust as he raced toward Greig.

“At the end of it, just did a butterfly, kind of aimed to make sure he didn’t get the puck through me,” Hill said. “And yeah, we had a little collision there.”

The sequence transformed a potential Ottawa lead into a 1-0 Vegas advantage entering the second intermission.

“I thought our bench got going after the goal ended up going in,” Craig said. “They’re all pointing down at him. So, you know, those kind of things can get you going.”

That lead lasted just 34 seconds into the third.

Drake Batherson found Pinto for a power-play goal that evened the score, extending Vegas’ streak of games allowing a power-play goal to six.

Vegas gradually improved its puck management and work away from the puck, two areas Craig identified as central to the turnaround after the opening period. The Knights generated more sustained offensive-zone time by playing off shots and recovering pucks.

“It was a grind of a victory,” Craig said. “Ottawa’s a very good team. You can see the skill they have, very structured. They do a good job. They can capitalize on opportunities. For us, we had to stay with it and grind, and in the second half we got better.”

Lavoie restored the lead, and Vegas protected it until Karlsson scored into an empty net with two minutes remaining. Eichel added another with seven seconds left.

Hart’s availability remained uncertain, leaving Hill focused on preparing for the next game.

“We don’t have an update on Carter at all yet,” Hill said. “So yeah, I mean, we’re on to the next game and just get ready, approach every game like I would normally.”

KEY MOMENT: The save

Hill’s aggressive challenge on Greig prevented a shorthanded chance from becoming a potential deficit. Bowman’s goal at the other end gave Vegas the lead seconds later and energized the bench.

KEY STAT: Hill's save percentage

Hill stopped 25 of 26 shots for a .962 save percentage, earning his fifth victory of the season.

“He looked solid back there,” Craig said. “He looked like he was prepared and ready to play, and good on him.”

WHAT A KNIGHT: Lavoie's first

Initially expecting to sit out, he scored his first NHL goal midway through the third period. It held up as the game-winner.

A Knight to Remember 🤩❣️ pic.twitter.com/svZc42cpId

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 28, 2026

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights conclude their two-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Friday at 3 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena for Nevada Day.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights center Raphael Lavoie (36) scores his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators in the third period at T-Mobile Arena.

The Senators did a lot of things right to open their five-game Western road trip on Tuesday night, but like so many others before them, they're leaving Las Vegas empty-handed.

Raphael Lavoie scored his first career NHL goal midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie, leading the Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Senators.

Shane Pinto scored the lone goal for the Sens, who now have to deal with yet another injury in a season that's already been full of them.

Warren Foegele went down on a knee-on-knee hit from Jeremy Lauzon. Foegele left the game with assistance, not putting any weight on his right leg.

The Senators were, by far, the better team in a scoreless opening period, outshooting Vegas 11-4 but failing to capitalize on several great chances.

Fabian Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens each provided a couple of elite scoring chances, but in both cases, they couldn't get their stick blade on the puck to punch it into a wide open net.

Despite the lack of scoring, you wouldn't describe the opening two periods a defensive struggle. Both goaltenders were busy, with dangerous chances at either end.

Tim Stutzle had another fantastic chance in the second, but Adin Hill made an amazing glove save on his one-timer, similar to the one that Yaroslav Askarov made on Drake Batherson in the game against San Jose last week.

Vegas pushed back hard in the second, outshooting the Sens 15-7 and finally broke through late in the second period following a wild sequence on a Knights power play.

After a sprint up ice, Ridly Greig dove for a loose puck, attempting to chip it past Hill but crashed hard into the Knights goaltender, leaving him caught up ice as Vegas quickly transitioned the other way.

As Greig headed to the Sens bench for a change, that gave Knights a brief two-man advantage and seconds later, after a shot trickled through Jonas Johansson, Braeden Bowman stuffed the puck into the open net to give Vegas a 1-0 lead.

The Senators responded early in the third period on the power play, thanks to some great work by Pinto. After making a strong defensive play, Pinto turned on the jets, outskated Mitch Marner, took a nice feed from Drake Batherson, and fired a shot past Hill to tie the game at 1.

But the Senators couldn't build on that.

Midway through the period, Lavoie pounced on a juicy rebound and buried it for his first NHL goal, putting Vegas back in front.

It was a memorable moment for him, but a frustrating turn of events for a Sens team that had generated more than enough chances to be leading at that point.

The Sens continued to push for the equalizer, but Vegas put the game away with a pair of empty-net goals.

William Karlsson scored the first before Jack Eichel added another, just minutes into his 30th birthday.

For the Senators, it was a tough to come away with no points to start to a lengthy road trip. They did plenty of things well, particularly in the opening period, but their inability to finish was their undoing.  

They'll try to get back on track on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

More Headlines at The Hockey News Ottawa:

- How Brady Tkachuk's In-Game Chirp Motivated The Senators Last Week
- Senators Assign Veteran Forward To Belleville After Recovering From Injury
- Michael Andlauer Provides Update On Senators' LeBreton Flats Arena Plans
- Burakovsky And Ersson Address Their Very Slow Starts In Ottawa

The San Jose Sharks hosted the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. Much like in their game against Edmonton, this game seemed like it should be a barn-burner on paper, but oddly we ended up with one of the most unexpected goaltending duels of the season.

Colten Ellis saved all 24 of the Sharks' shots in route to a 2-0 shutout victory. At the other end of the ice, Yaroslav Askarov saved 38 of 39 shots. He likely deserved a better result, but a lack of goal scoring, and a considerable number of shots missing the net, caused the Sharks to drop a game they could've won.

Recap:

In an odd turn of events, both teams opted to start their fourth line. Nothing really came of it, but Collin Graf and Olen Zellweger had a bit of a shoving match in the opening minute. Louis Crevier gave the Sharks their first power play chance of the night after taking a delay of game penalty, but Josh Norris earned a breakaway and forced Mason Marchment to take a penalty of his own just 11 seconds later.

Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini had back-to-back scoring chances in the ensuing 4-on-4, but bother were denied by Buffalo netminder Colten Ellis. Early on, the Sabres were getting the majority of the chances, but it felt like the few that San Jose got were of higher quality. The Sabres did force Yaroslav Askarov to make some big saves though as the period progressed.

The Sharks got another power play opportunity later in the first when Ty Dellandrea was run over by Crevier, who looked like a freight train on the play, but again, nothing came of it.

Just 50 seconds into the second period, former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger was able to slot the puck past Askarov and into the net, giving the Sabres a 1-0 lead. 

Askarov was forced to make a couple more big saves near the middle of the period, keeping his team within a goal. 

The Sharks had a massive scramble in front of the net, but despite multiple attempts on the rush, they were unable to get it past the prone goaltender before Buffalo's defensemen piled into the crease. Less than a minute later, Ellis broke out the splits to make another massive save. 

Ty Dellandrea was called for high-sticking with 8:51 remaining in the middle frame, giving Buffalo their first full power play of the night. On the power play, Buffalo nearly scored and a review was initiated by the official to see if the puck crossed the line at one point, but there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the ice. 

Luca Cagoni was taken down in the corner after taking a swinging high-stick to the face, but no penalty was called by the officials despite a clear dangerous play.

With just over 26 seconds remaining in the period though, Zach Benson was sent to the penalty box for holding, giving the Sharks an opportunity to tie things up.

The Sabres not only killed off that penalty, but earned a power play of their own shortly afterwards, as Adam Gaudette was called for holding Tage Thompson. 

Ellis once again robbed the Sharks, this time Kiefer Sherwood, with just over four minutes remaining in regulation.

Zach Benson then scored his first goal of the year with just under a minute left in the game, scoring on the empty net to double Buffalo's lead.

The Sharks will be back in action on Thursday night as they'll host the Vancouver Canucks.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Filip Hronek scored a power-play goal with 11 seconds to go in overtime to cap a run of four consecutive goals by the Vancouver Canucks, who snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 6-5 comeback win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

The Canucks, who won for just the third time all season, trailed 5-2 after Anaheim's A.J. Greer scored his second goal of the game with 7:37 to play in regulation.

But Jamie Oleksiak pulled Vancouver within 5-3 just 31 seconds later.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki then scored twice less than a minute apart — the second with 1:57 left in regulation — to send the game into overtime.

In addition to his winning goal, Hronek also had an assist. Liam Ohgren and Brock Boeser also had goals for Vancouver, while Elias Pettersson added a pair of assists. Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves.

The Ducks jumped to a 4-1 lead after two periods. Greer scored in the first period, then Jeff Malott, Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson added second-period goals. Sennecke's came on the power play.

Jackson LaCombe had three assists for the Ducks and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves.

Up next

Canucks: Visit the Sharks on Thursday night.

Ducks: Host the Sabres on Thursday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

ST. LOUIS -- Let's just call Tuesday night what it was: a goalie win for Jacob Fowler.

The Montreal Canadiens goalie was in the St. Louis Blues' kitchen the entire night, particularly the second- and third-periods of the Canadiens' 2-0 win at Enterprise Center.

Fowler made a career-high 46 saves, including 24 in the third period when the Blues (5-6-1) outshot the Canadiens (7-3-2) 24-3.

"There was definitely a lot of good looks and sometimes you've got to tip your cap to their goalie," Blues forward Robert Thomas said. 'He made a lot of good saves; we've go to find a way to bear down a little bit more and put those in the net. There's a lot of things to like about tonight."

That was a hard thing to do even on a night where the Blues had shot volume (80-49), plenty of net front traffic and tons of O-zone time.

But in the end, it's the second straight shutout loss after a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, extending their shutout streak to 123:55.

"We had a lot of opportunities tonight, a lot of shots," Blues forward Dylan Holloway said. "... I thought we deserved a couple there, but credit to Fowler there in net. He was on fire tonight."

As a result, the Blues were shut out in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 17-19, 2019 (4-0 in a loss to the San Jose Sharks and 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings) in what turned out to be Mike Yeo's final game as Blues coach before they hired Craig Berube in the Stanley Cup-winning season.

It's the second-most shots on goal in a shutout loss since Jan. 25, 1986 in a 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers:

#stlblues lost that game 1-0 to the #flyers on Jan. 25, 1986; were shut out by Darren Jensen's 48 saves. https://t.co/BXmG7KYs4h

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 28, 2026

As for the game ... 

* Lots of shots, lots of chances, lots of traffic ... too much Fowler -- As was mentioned, sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other guy tending the net.

Fowler was exceptional. 

I think if the Blues play this game 10 times, they win nine of them.

They did everything but score. Pucks were loose in the crease and they had several bodies there, they got to several rebounds and Fowler was there on every one.

Jake Neighbours hit the post from the slot in the opening period, and Cam Fowler (no relation) hit the post on a seeing-eye shot from the left point.

When things are going well, even good fortune can be your best friend.

But make no mistake, the Blues just got goalie-d, and those nights happen.

"Fowler was too hard to beat tonight,“ Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "… Fowler, he was incredible tonight. Several spectacular second saves. I didn’t think we shot it in him. I thought he made the saves.

"We had plenty of both (volume and net front chances). Are we still a little too perimeter? Yeah, maybe at times, and that's something we can improve upon, but if we keep getting that many looks, there's going to be nights where you get seven, eight (goals)."

Jacob FOWLER (21) 🇺🇸 chytil 46 střel St. Louis 👀

Nejvíc zásahů nováčka u čistého konta v historii Montrealu.

Šestá výhra v řadě, čímž se také řadí ve svém věku k legendám.

Těžký test pro Kubu DOBEŠE 🇨🇿, hrdinu letošního play off.

Hokejový život 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/j1cuIE7Ry4

— Patrik Czepiec (@CzepiecPatrik) October 28, 2026

Fowler was simply masterful, and his team relied on him heavily, and I mean heavily in that third period. 

* Bolduc bites former mates -- Let's not forget Jordan Binnington, who didn't see the shot volume (20 shots) that Fowler did, but the Blues goalie also made some really good saves when the Canadiens had the jump in the early going, but in a 0-0 stalemate, there weren't going to be many opportunities to beat these goalies.

Former Blue Zack Bolduc did the honors three seconds after a Canadiens power play had expired with a rifle of a snipe from the bottom of the right circle, and it was going to take a shot like that to beat either one of these guys tonight:

Montreal goal!

Scored by Zachary Bolduc with 11:23 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Mike Matheson and Alexandre Texier.

STL: 0 | MTL: 1#MTLvsSTL#StlBlues#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/2wqFAiMpGw

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 28, 2026

I thought the call on Thomas for holding at the time was soft, and the Blues' kill, which technically was 3-for-3 in the game, suffered off it when Montreal was able to hold the zone and keep this play alive for the icebreaker at 8:37 of the second period.

Blues fans should know all too well about these types of shots from Bolduc having seen them in the past.

* Questionable second goal -- It came early in the third with Florian Xhekaj getting his first NHL goal on a tip, what appeared to be his second tip of a Mike Matheson wrister to the net.

It appeared Xhekaj directed the puck downward on the initial shot, it deflected off Binnington and behind him, and Xhekaj was able to poke it in for a 2-0 lead at 2:17 of the third period.

The play was reviewed and upheld, with the league's response being:

Here is the league explanation. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/CcyOkQzHNA

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 28, 2026

"It did look like it, but I don't know if he touched it there or not," Montgomery said. "But they get really good looks at it from Toronto. If they didn't think it was, we're not going to double down on it on a challenge. It's a hard thing to see but he does cross-check our defenseman down to the ice. If that doesn't happen, the defection never happens."

Florian Xhekaj score his first NHL goal 🥳 pic.twitter.com/gKZzDOjMP2

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 28, 2026

From there on, the Canadiens were able to sit back and defend and rely on their goalie, which they did, holding a two-goal advanatge despite the Blues throwing the kitchen sink at the Montreal goal.

* Puck movement was sloppy early -- The Blues were able to absorb the Canadiens' forecheck more times than not early, but their puck transition was not clean, and opportunities for odd-man rushes were thwarted because of it either with a bad puck touch or bad pass. 

A lot of it stemmed from puck movement through the neutral zone where things didn't look clean for this group.

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 14th goal of the season and added an assist, Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Utah Mammoth 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Maxim Shabanov also had goals while Quinn Hughes had two assists for the Wild, who have won three straight and went 3-1-1 on a five-game road trip.

Utah's Logan Cooley scored with 1:21 to play to spoil Wallstedt's shutout bid.

Kaprizov scored on the power-play just 48 seconds into the second period to give the Wild a 2-0 lead. He has multiple points in three consecutive games and has scored a goal in eight of his last nine games.

Kaprizov is also tied with Alexander Ovechkin for the fifth-most goals scored in October in NHL history.

Eriksson Ek also scored on the power play with less than five minutes to play in the first period and has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in his last seven games.

Karel Vejmelka made 27 stops for the Mammoth, who have lost three of their last five games.

Up next

Wild: Return home to face the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Mammoth: Open a six-game road trip at Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

DALLAS (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced to win his New Jersey debut, Nico Hischier scored two goals, and the Devils beat the Dallas Stars 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Hellebuyck, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner, started four days after being traded by the Winnipeg Jets following his suspension for failing to report to training camp. It was his first win since April 9 at St. Louis, 3-2.

The Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke, and Jesper Boqvist, also scored for the Devils, who have won four consecutive games.

Justin Hryckowian scored for the Stars, who had a five-game winning streak snapped. Casey DeSmith, making his third start of the season, made 22 saves after allowing only two goals in each of his previous outings.

The five goals are the season high against Dallas, which went into play leading the NHL with a 1.68 goals-against average.

Hischier, the team captain in his 10th season with New Jersey, provided a 2-0 lead at 2:41 of the first period and 38 seconds into the second. Dallas’ challenge for goaltender interference against Timo Meier on the first goal was denied. Hischier has a team-high seven goals and two two-goal games.

Boqvist made it 3-0 midway through the second. After Hryckowian’s deflection pulled Dallas back within two goals at 16:08 of the second, Luke Hughes answered 28 seconds later.

BLUE JACKETS 4, FLYERS 3, OT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kent Johnson scored his second goal of the game 2:22 into overtime and Columbus beat Philadelphia after coughing up a three-goal lead.

Columbus scored three goals in a 2:46 span of the first period to lead 3-0 after one.

Johnson set up Adam Fantilli for the first goal at 10:58 of the first period, and then deflected Zach Werenski’s shot past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar at 12:54. Denton Mateychuk scored for Columbus 50 seconds later. Cam Talbot made 28 saves for his third win this season.

Johnson scored the overtime winner on a two-on-none breakaway, following a give-and-go with Fantilli. It was Johnson’s sixth goal of the season.

Philadelphia forced overtime by outshooting Columbus 28-6 over the final two periods.

Noah Cates scored his first goal of the season by poking a loose puck past Talbot, while Trevor Zegras cut the deficit to 3-2 with just under five minutes left in regulation. Zegras slid a pass to Tyson Foerster, who fired a shot on Talbot that Jamie Drysdale tipped into the net with 11 seconds remaining.

Vladar made 11 saves.

BLACKHAWKS 2, KINGS 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Wyatt Kaiser snapped a third-period tie, Spencer Knight made 25 saves and Chicago beat Los Angeles.

Chicago stopped a three-game slide while improving to 3-4-0 on a seven-game homestand. Roman Kantserov scored in the second, and the Blackhawks killed off a double-minor penalty on defenseman Sam Rinzel for high-sticking.

Kaiser picked up his first goal of the season at 7:17, beating Anton Forsberg through the goaltender’s legs with a well-placed shot from the left circle. It was the 11th goal for the defenseman in 187 career games.

Samuel Helenius scored for Los Angeles in the finale of a 3-2-0 trip. Forsberg stopped 25 shots.

Kings captain Drew Doughty and forward Corey Perry were scratched after they played in Monday night’s 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers.

The Blackhawks played without defenseman Bowen Byram, who missed his fifth consecutive game with an upper-body injury.

CANADIENS 2, BLUES 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jacob Fowler made a career-high 46 saves for his second shutout of the season, and Zachary Bolduc and Florian Xhekaj scored as Montreal defeated St. Louis.

Mike Matheson had two assists as the Canadiens (7-3-2) improved to 4-1-1 on the road this season with their third straight away victory. Fowler’s shutout was his third in 24 career starts.

The Blues (5-6-1) fell to 3-2-1 at home as they were shut out for the second straight game. They lost 4-0 to visiting Carolina on Saturday.

Bolduc put the Canadiens ahead with 11:23 left in the second period, slapping a one-timer from the right circle for his fifth goal of the season. Bolduc’s first goal against his former team was assisted by Matheson and Alexandre Texier.

A first-round draft pick in 2021 by St. Louis, Bolduc scored 19 goals for the Blues during the 2024-25 season before being traded to the Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux. The 23-year-old right winger had 12 goals and 30 points for Montreal in 78 games last season.

HURRICANES 2, BRUINS 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho’s third-period goal gave Carolina a win over Boston in a matchup of early leaders in the Eastern Conference.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 14 saves to improve his record to 8-0-0, matching the longest season-opening winning streak by a goalie in franchise history. He tied former teammate Frederik Andersen, who set the mark five years ago.

Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes, who were in their first home game in two weeks following a 3-1-1 road trip.

Carolina killed two power plays in the final five minutes, helping it halt Boston’s eight-game points streak.

Pavel Zacha scored for the Bruins, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves.

Aho’s eighth goal of the season came with 9:41 remaining shortly after Boston’s Matthew Poitras hit the post with a backhanded attempt on an open net. Aho has a team-high 19 points for the team with the best record in the league.

Zacha scored 1:31 into the game on a power play, but the Bruins failed to convert the rest of the game.

ISLANDERS 4, PREDATORS 3, SO

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat scored in a shootout to lead New York to a victory over Nashville.

Horvat, Anthony Duclair and Brayden Schenn scored in regulation for New York. Semyon Varlamov made 20 saves and denied both Nashville attempts in the shootout to record his first win since Nov. 14, 2024.

Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist, Alexander Kerfoot and Ryan O’Reilly scored and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville, which fell to 0-5 in games that have extended beyond regulation this season.

The Islanders led 3-0 early in the second before the Predators drew even.

Duclair scored at 3:07 of the opening period and Schenn followed at 8:07 of the first. The goal was the 300th of Schenn’s career.

Horvat’s goal at 1:08 of the second came on a one-timer off of a cross-ice pass from Matthew Schaefer, who has points in five straight games.

The Islanders had lost their previous seven games at Nashville, with their last victory coming on Oct. 28, 2017.

PANTHERS 5, JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored twice, Matthew Tkachuk had four assists and Florida extended Winnipeg's slide to six games.

Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists, Niko Mikkola had a goal and assist, and Sam Reinhart rounded out the scoring for Florida, which scored three times on the power play. The Panthers salvaged their four-game trip with a pair of wins after opening with back-to-back defeats. Seth Jones had three assists.

Akira Schmid made 24 saves for his fourth victory in five starts.

Adam Lowry scored for Winnipeg, his second of the season and first short-handed. The Jets haven’t won since opening the season 4-1-1.

Clay Stevenson stopped 19 shots.

The Jets’ power play has gone stale at 0 for 14 over their last five games and 2 for 18 at home this season.

Florida scored three times by the 10:18 mark of the first period. The Tkachuk brothers have combined for 35 points in the first 13 games this season.

WILD 3, MAMMOTH 1

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 14th goal of the season and added an assist, Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced, and Minnesota beat Utah.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Maxim Shabanov also had goals while Quinn Hughes had two assists for the Wild, who have won three straight and went 3-1-1 on a five-game road trip.

Utah’s Logan Cooley scored with 1:21 to play to spoil Wallstedt’s shutout bid.

Kaprizov scored on the power-play just 48 seconds into the second period to give the Wild a 2-0 lead. He has multiple points in three consecutive games and has scored a goal in eight of his last nine games.

Kaprizov is also tied with Alexander Ovechkin for the fifth-most goals scored in October in NHL history.

Eriksson Ek also scored on the power play with less than five minutes to play in the first period and has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in his last seven games.

Karel Vejmelka made 27 stops for the Mammoth, who have lost three of their last five games.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, SENATORS 1

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Raphael Lavoie scored his first career goal, a tap-in eight minutes into the third period to put Vegas ahead for good in its victory over Ottawa, ending the Golden Knights’ three-game losing streak.

Braeden Bowman scored a power-play goal for the Golden Knights, and William Karlsson and Jack Eichel each added an empty-netter. Nic Dowd got his 200th career point with a secondary assist on Lavoie’s goal.

Adin Hill stopped 25 shots, including a daring charge out of the net. Fellow goalie Carter Hart did not play after sustaining an undisclosed injury at the morning skate.

Shane Pinto scored on a power play for the Senators, who opened a five-game trip. Jonas Johansson made 25 saves.

CANUCKS 6, DUCKS 5, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Filip Hronek scored a power-play goal with 11 seconds to go in overtime to cap a run of four consecutive goals by Vancouver, who snapped a 10-game losing streak with a comeback win over Anaheim.

The Canucks, who won for just the third time all season, trailed 5-2 after Anaheim’s A.J. Greer scored his second goal of the game with 7:37 to play in regulation.

But Jamie Oleksiak pulled Vancouver within 5-3 just 31 seconds later.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki then scored twice less than a minute apart — the second with 1:57 left in regulation — to send the game into overtime.

In addition to his winning goal, Hronek also had an assist. Liam Ohgren and Brock Boeser also had goals for Vancouver, while Elias Pettersson added a pair of assists. Leevi Merilainen made 18 saves.

The Ducks jumped to a 4-1 lead after two periods. Greer scored in the first period, then Jeff Malott, Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson added second-period goals. Sennecke’s came on the power play.

Jackson LaCombe had three assists for the Ducks and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves.

SABRES 2, SHARKS 0

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Colten Ellis made 23 saves in his first appearance in more than two weeks to lead Buffalo to a victory over San Jose.

Olen Zellweger scored in the second period and Ellis did the rest to earn his second career shutout, robbing Kiefer Sherwood from point-blank range with 4:01 left in the game. Ellis had gotten pulled in the second period of his last start for Buffalo on Oct. 12 against Florida.

Zach Benson added an empty-net goal for the Sabres.

The Sabres beat the Sharks for the eighth time in the last nine meetings between the teams, including a shutout win last March in San Jose.

Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves for San Jose in the first game back from a six-game road trip. The Sharks have only one regulation win in 13 games this season.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored twice, Matthew Tkachuk had four assists and the Florida Panthers extended the Winnipeg Jets' slide to six games with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday night.

Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists, Niko Mikkola had a goal and assist, and Sam Reinhart rounded out the scoring for Florida, which scored three times on the power play. The Panthers salvaged their four-game trip with a pair of wins after opening with back-to-back defeats. Seth Jones had three assists.

Akira Schmid made 24 saves for his fourth victory in five starts.

Adam Lowry scored for Winnipeg, his second of the season and first short-handed. The Jets haven't won since opening the season 4-1-1.

Clay Stevenson stopped 19 shots.

The Jets' power play has gone stale at 0 for 14 over their last five games and 2 for 18 at home this season.

Florida scored three times by the 10:18 mark of the first period. The Tkachuk brothers have combined for 35 points in the first 13 games this season.

Reinhart one-timed a pass by Brady Tkachuk over the shoulder of Stevenson and under the crossbar for Florida's third power-play goal of the night and a 4-1 lead. The Jets have scored more than three goals just once this season — a 5-2 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 13.

The Panthers went 3 for 5 on the power play, giving them 13 goals with the man advantage in their last eight games.

Up next

The Panthers host Winnipeg on Friday in the second of back-to-back games in Florida for the Jets, who visit Tampa Bay on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

NASHVILLE, TX -- For the first time since Oct. 28, 2017, the New York Islanders (6-4-2) won in Nashville, defeating the Predators 4-3 in a shootout to snap a two-game skid. 

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who made his fourth start of the season, made x saves on x shots to earn his first win since Nov. 14, 2024, when he made 24 saves on 26 shots in a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Here's how it happened:

The Islanders got the party started at 3:07 of the first period when Jean-Gabriel Pageau, at 4-on-4, found a crashing Anthony Duclair in the low slot:

What a pass from Pager and the goal from Duke! pic.twitter.com/nSjaYeYktE

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 28, 2026

Exactly five minutes later, Ondrej Palat found Brayden Schenn wide open at the back post to make it a 2-0 game:

3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ GOALS. pic.twitter.com/FdI2b42nPH

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 28, 2026

That was Schenn's 300th goal of his NHL career. 

The Islanders scored their third unanswered goal at 1:08 of the second period after Bo Horvat ripped a Mathew Schaefer one-timer home:

WHAT A PLAY. pic.twitter.com/qOULEkNhKA

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 28, 2026

That goal extended Schaefer's point streak to five games (two goals, three assists) and put him tied with Scott Stevens for the sixth most points by a teenage defenseman in NHL history, with 70:

Filip Forsberg got the Predators on the board at 3:07 of the second period while on the power play after he buried a backdoor feed from Jonathan Marchessault:

"Never back down, never what?"

- Yoda (probably) pic.twitter.com/4P0HaIEaek

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 28, 2026

The Predators inched closer at 8:07 of the middle frame with Alex Kerfoot burying a loose puck after Varlamov made two strong saves on Nils Hoglander following a Matthew Schaefer turnover. 

The Force is strong with this one 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/CPY9ozUBJz

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 28, 2026

The Predators evened the score at 4:16 of the third period after Ryan O'Reilly buried his own rebound, a loose puck sititng behind Varlamov. 

The game went to overtime where the Islanders found themselves on a power play but couldn't score.

The game would need a shootout where Kyle Palmieri and Horvat scored, with Varlamov denying both shots that came his way for the 4-3 win. 

UP NEXT: Islanders face the Minnesota Wild at 8 PM ET on Thursday to conclude their three-game road trip. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Seven-hundred and twelve long, testing days later, Semyon Varlamov skated off the ice Tuesday evening with an NHL victory in hand.

The last one, all the way back on Nov. 14, 2024 in Vancouver, was under a different coach and a different general manager and with a roster that included current Islanders front office advisor Matt Martin. Varlamov got hurt at the end of that month.

Since then, he’s undergone two partial knee replacements, months of endless rehab and faced the near-universal expectation that his career was over.

So, yes, there’s plenty to unpack about the Islanders’ 4-3 win over the Predators, and all of that is going to need to wait a beat. It’s hard to speak definitively about these things, but Varlamov is almost certainly the first professional athlete to return to play after such serious procedures.

Earning a win — and Varlamov did earn it on Tuesday, making 20 saves and playing the most confident, controlled game of the four he’s started so far this season — is an awesome achievement in the word’s most literal sense.

“A year ago, to be honest with you, I didn’t see this coming,” Varlamov said in the dressing room, after every single one of his teammates spilled off the bench to envelop him in hugs after Bo Horvat’s shootout winner. “It was such a grind the last two years to get to this point where you have an opportunity to play and compete at the highest level in the world.

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity again. And then just wanted to thank everybody who was involved in the rehab and the surgery and everything and just very, very proud of everybody.”

Much as Varlamov would probably like for everyone to stop treating his every start like a big deal, he could admit that this one was special. Even as he’d played well in losses to the Senators and Kings, he’d wondered when the first win would come.

The Islanders had put a lot of faith in him. General manager Mathieu Darche said that after watching Varlamov put everything into his rehab last season, “there’s no way I could not have given him a chance.” The Islanders signed Vitek Vanecek as insurance but after Varlamov made two AHL starts at the end of last season, Darche planned as if he would be the backup. Varlamov wanted to — still wants to — prove him and the rest of the organization right.

“Discussions in the summer, I don’t think anyone was sure [about it],” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It was such an unheard-of comeback, with what he had gone through. That was the reason we signed the goaltending depth we did, because I don’t think anyone was sure until he got to camp and started to play and you talked to him after he scrimmaged or played and had no ill effects and there was no swelling.

“None of us went into camp with an easy feeling that we were gonna have him for the whole season. We really weren’t sure what we were gonna get.”

DeBoer admitted that it took until Varlamov made it through his first regular-season game, and came in the next day reporting no complications, for him to fully believe this would work.

“There’s nothing like live bullets like that,” DeBoer said. “That’s when I started to feel comfortable that he could actually do this.”

It’s only a month in. But so far, Varlamov is holding up his end of the bargain, with admirers across the organization and around the league. Darche, speaking after the game Tuesday, said Avalanche GM Joe Sakic had passed on good wishes to Varlamov on Monday. Barry Trotz, working in Nashville as a senior advisor, had too when he caught up with the Islanders following their morning skate.

“If someone would have scored five goals tonight, the guys would have been happier that Varly got the win,” Darche said. “I’m so happy for him.”

Varlamov, not usually an emotional person, couldn’t help but feel the love.

“Everybody who supported me through the last two years, I know it’s been a long journey to come back and win the first game,” he said. “I’m just very humbled and very thankful.”

New Jersey gave the Stars Hell(ebuyck). 

Connor Hellebuyck made his Devils debut in Dallas on Tuesday, just days after the Devils pulled off the blockbuster trade to acquire the Olympic gold medal-winning goaltender and end a long-running standoff with the Jets, from whom he requested a trade. 

New Jersey easily dispatched the Stars 5-1, as Hellebuyck made 16 saves, only allowing a second-period goal.

Tuesday’s game with the Stars was Hellebuyck’s first start in an NHL game since April 13, 2026 — the final regular-season game for Winnipeg during the 2025-26 season — and kickstarted a new era in the Garden State.

Hellebuyck made six saves in the first period during his Devils debut as his new team jumped out to a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

“It was a lot of fun. I thought the guys in front of me just played a perfect game for me to get acclimated,” Hellebuyck said after the win. “Low amount of shots, blocking everything, keeping everything to the outside. Letting me see things, letting me touch the puck a lot. I have to work through a little bit of the rust, but I just thought it was a perfect gam top to bottom.”

Nico Hischier scored twice, and Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes added a goal and an assist each for the Devils, who won their fourth straight.

Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, but he had not played in an NHL game amid the standoff with the Jets. 

The American netminder made his trade request public in late August, even though he had five seasons left on his contract. He did not report for training last month. 

The Jets suspended him for not appearing at camp. 

Following his first practice with the Devils on Monday, Hellebuyck said that he was “really looking forward to this day for a while now” and that “it felt good getting acclimated with a new group and having some fun out there.”

“I’m just really excited to play hockey again,” Hellebuyck said. “That was the hardest part about all of this, wanting to go back and not being able to.”

The Devils ended Tuesday night in second place in the Metropolitan Division.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat scored in a shootout to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Horvat, Anthony Duclair and Brayden Schenn scored in regulation for New York. Semyon Varlamov made 20 saves and denied both Nashville attempts in the shootout to record his first win since Nov. 14, 2024.

Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist, Alexander Kerfoot and Ryan O’Reilly scored and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville, which fell to 0-5 in games that have extended beyond regulation this season.

The Islanders led 3-0 early in the second before the Predators drew even.

Duclair scored at 3:07 of the opening period and Schenn followed at 8:07 of the first. The goal was the 300th of Schenn’s career.

Horvat’s goal at 1:08 of the second came on a one-timer off of a cross-ice pass from Matthew Schaefer, who has points in five straight games.

The Islanders had lost their previous seven games at Nashville, with their last victory coming on Oct. 28, 2017.

Forsberg got Nashville on the scoreboard at 9:42 of the second with a power-play goal.

After scoring just one goal in the first 10 games of the season, Forsberg, the Predators’ career goals leader, has goals in two straight.

Kerfoot drew Nashville within a goal at 13:02 of the second, converting the rebound of a shot by Nils Hoglander.

O'Reilly tied it at 4:16 of the third, tapping in a loose puck sitting in the crease. He has three goals in his last two games.

Up next

Islanders: Visit Minnesota on Thursday.

Predators: Host Washington on Thursday.

Nearly two years since his last official victory and two partial knee replacements later, Semyon Varlamov added regular season win number 290 to his NHL career in the most surprising of places, as the Islanders prevailed in Nashville via shootout after the open play portion of the game finished 3-3.

Not as dramatic but every bit as satisfying, the Islanders hadn’t won in Nashville since well before Varlamov joined them: that was in 2017, when John Tavares (who scored a hat trick) was captain and Doug Weight was coach.

The Islanders blew a 3-0 lead in the latter half of the second period and early part of the third, then hung on with a gutsy defensive and goaltending effort to force OT. Varlamov turned away both shots he faced (well, one was a smart pokecheck on Ryan O’Reilly, the other was a shot wide), while Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat each cashed in theirs.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

It was a nice start for the Islanders in a penalty-heavy first period. Anthony Duclair got them on the board with some smart play at 4-on-4, leading a rush with J-G Pageau and getting inside his man to redirect Pageau’s pass in from just above the crease.

Anthony Duclair opens the scoring! pic.twitter.com/gYr8vfT9NI

— SNY Islanders (@SNY_Islanders) October 28, 2026

That gave the Isles a 1-0 lead at 3:07, and five minutes later they doubled it after some nice if chaotic work around the Predators’ zone, Brayden Schenn ultimately slipping a loose puck in after he fumbled his initial shot. Whatever works.

The Islanders picked up where they left off to start the second period, with a really impressive shift among Simon Holmstrom, Bo Horvat and Anthony Duclair. They cycled and moved to space in an impressive enough display that MSG gave Josh Bailey a whole segment about it during the intermission. Horvat finished with a one-timer off a beautifully threaded cross-slot pass from Matthew Schaefer.

This entire shift leading up to the Horvat goal is outstanding. Wow! #Islespic.twitter.com/FR3NijdSOc

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) October 28, 2026

Just 1:08 into the middle frame with a 3-0 lead, it looked like it might be a cruise of a night for the Islanders. But they let the Predators back in.

A penalty and then careless moves got them in trouble. Nashville scored two goals in a 3:20 span, including one on the power play, and then nearly got an equalizer when Ryan O’Reilly had daylight on a point-blank chance but put his shot off the outside of the post.

The Islanders settled and also slowed things down a bit after that five-minute spiral, and they were able to steer the game to the second intermission without further damage.

Alas, that just delayed the inevitable. The Predators had the better of play to open the third, and even when the Islanders interrupted that with a decent forecheck that drew a penalty committed against a hard-working Victor Eklund, the Islanders power play fizzled.

Ryan O’Reilly came out of the box to create a chance and then soon finished off the garbage on a shot that Varlamov stopped but let squeak behind him, much like the Predators’ second goal, to tie it at 3-3 just 4:16 into the third.

That’s not meant as a critique of Varlamov’s play, at most a sign of rust, or just the bounces. Because overall, Varlamov was alive and making some excellent saves during sustained stretches of Nashville pressure. And that continued as the Predators tasted blood, and scared us all with their fifth power play of the night.

After that power play ended, the Predators kept the pressure up, and nearly took advantage when Casey Cizikas had to flee to the bench after losing his helmet on a desperate defensive play. But Adam Pelech blocked the shot from the slot, and Cizikas’ replacement, the reborn Ondrej Palat, earned himself an outstanding chance with a power move down the left wing that forced a great save from Jussi Saros.

The Isles did not see another great chance as they survived, really just survived, to get to overtime. O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Mavrick Bourque continued to torment them. Simon Holmstrom was part of one decent counterattack sequence to relieve the pressure, but otherwise it was the Islanders Pelech-blocking Nashville shots left and right. What was once a potential 3-0 cruise for the Islanders felt like a relief just to get a regulation point.

Overtime

OT was a little different. The Predators won the opening faceoff, but after the Isles won back possession, Schaefer drew a penalty. With Varlamov off for an extra attacker during the delayed penalty, the Islanders were smart and patient moving the puck around and creating looks for a 1:45 of bonus 4-on-3.

On the actual power play, the Islanders kept possession (as well they should, 4-on-3) but never really mounted an additional threat. At the end, Schaefer had to sprint back to spoil a breakaway for Filip Forsberg as he came out of the box — this after Schaefer had played the entire overtime period.

A shootout seemed the perfectly appropriate way to end this. And after it was done, his teammates mobbed Varlamov, all jumping up and down in a huddle by the Isles goal to celebrate his long road back.

Up Next

The Central tour continues and concludes Thursday in Minnesota.