In the second file in a new, season-long series here on TheHockeyNews.com, we’re analyzing each Buffalo Sabres game in the 2026-27 season. In each file, we’re focusing on three diferent things: first, the Best Thing: the statistic, player, or other elements that Sabres fans will like. Then, we’ll pick out the Worst Thing from every game from a Buffalo perspective. Finally, we’ll wrap up our thoughts on the game, and prepare readers for the next Sabres game (in this case, a home-ice showdown against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.)

With that out of the way, let’s turn our attention to the Sabres’ win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday:

The Score: Sabres 4, Blackhawks 3

Best Thing: Tage Thompson

Thompson was held off the scoresheet in Buffalo’s season-opening loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, and it’s no coincidence the Sabres won their first game of the year while Thompson led all Buffalo point-producers with a goal and two points. 

The Sabres also got an emotional boost when youngster Jiri Kulich helped Buffalo come back from one of multiple deficits by scoring the game-winning goal late in the third period; Kulich was sidelined for all but 12 games of the 2025-26 season after being diagnosed with a blood clot, so seeing the 21-year-old stepping up with a huge goal clearly delivered an excellent sentiment in the Sabres’ dressing room.

But make no mistake – while many Buffalo players have to meet or exceed expectations for this Sabres team to do at least as much as they did last season, the Sabres are only going to go as far as Thompson carries them. He’s their most talented forward and most dangerous offensive player, and his two-point night Saturday was a good harbinger of what’s likely to come from Thompson this season.

Worst Thing

The worst thing might’ve been former Sabres star defenseman Bowen Byram pulling out of the game due to a family issue. But it wasn’t as if Buffalo fans were going to give Byram a slew of boos. The team moved on from Byram, not the other way around. But it would’ve been great for the Sabres to compete against him.

Otherwise, we’re going to focus again here on goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. 

Give him credit – he came away with the victory, which is more than we can say for him in the loss to the Jackets. But allowing three goals on only 15 Blackhawks shots does not inspire confidence in Luukkonen., who now has a save percentage of .784 this season. And if that particular stat doesn’t improve – and improve in a hurry – the Sabres are going to have to have some uncomfortable conversations about their netminding.

The Wrap-Up:

Losing to both Columbus and Chicago – two of the league’s worst teams in ‘25-26 – wouldn’t have been a good way for Buffalo to start the season, so eking out a victory over the Hawks at the very least brushes away cynical Sabres fans for the time being. But the Sabres now have to take on a Minnesota team that has won its first two games, beating the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins and limiting them to a combined two goals.

Thus, the Sabres will have their toughest test of the season when they face the Wild. Minnesota has stars at every position, and Buffalo has the chance to send a strong message to the rest of the league by beating the Wild. Or, Minnesota can beat the Sabres and show Buffalo brass what flaws this Sabres team really has.

Getting their first win of the season is a relief for Buffalo, but the Blackhawks game was more or less a must-win. If the Sabres are to win the Atlantic Division for the second straight season, they’re going to have to take care of business against lesser-light teams like Chicago. And against the Wild, Buffalo will either rise to the occasion, or wilt and underscore the notion that this Sabres team is very much a work-in-progress. 

After picking up a win on Saturday, the Vancouver Canuck are back in action at Rogers Arena on Sunday night. For the first time this season, Vancouver will play a non-Alberta team as they battle the Vegas Golden Knights. Here are the lineup notes for October 4, 2026. 

The only projected change in Sunday's lineup is in net as Kevin Lankinen returns to the crease. The 31-year-old has had a tough start to the campaign, allowing 13 goals on 57 shots. During his career, Lankinen is 3-5-2 versus the Golden Knights with a save percentage of .899. 

Prior to the game, Manny Malhotra also provided an update on Jake DeBrusk. The winger missed Saturday's game due to illness and is not expected to play Sunday night. According to Malhotra, DeBrusk will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. 

Projected Lineup: 

Rossi-Pettersson-Karlsson 
Öhgren-Cotter-Boeser
Bains-Sasson-Lekkerimäki 
O'Connor-Räty-Gallagher

Buium-Hronek 
Oleksiak-Willander
Pettersson-Schenn

Lankinen
Meriläinen

Game Information: 

Start Time: 76:00 pm PT

Venue: Rogers Arena

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast

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Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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The anticipated return of former Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram to Buffalo with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday did not come to pass, as the blueliner had to attend to a family matter, but ex-Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway did receive a nice round of applause from the sold out KeyBank Center.

After the first week of the NHL season where Alex Tuch scored twice in his first game with the Washington Capitals, and JJ Peterka has scored two goals for the Boston Bruins, the latest former Sabre to make his mark for another team was goalie Devon Levi.

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

The 24-year-old was shipped off the Edmonton Oilers during the offseason for a draft pick, and started the season as the backup to starter Tristan Jarry, but after the Oilers surprising loss to Vancouver in their season opener, head coach Mike Babcock starter Levi in the rematch on Thursday. The two-time Mike Richter Award winner allowed seven goals on 22 shots in a 9-7 win, but fared much better in his second straight start against Seattle.

Levi made 19 saves in a 3-1 win over the Kraken, and may in the short term have won the Oilers starting job, until veteran Frederik Andersen is healthy enough to get into the Edmonton goaltending mix. 

Tuch and Peterka were both held off the scoreboard on Saturday, but former Sabre Connor Clifton registered an assist in a 4-1 Minnesota win over Boston.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo 

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While the Detroit Red Wings finally found the back of the net, it was their penalty kill that let them down Sunday afternoon.

The Winnipeg Jets jumped out to a 3-0 lead, with all three goals coming on the power play, before holding off a late rally attempt to secure a 3-2 regulation win at Little Caesars Arena.

With the loss, the shorthanded Red Wings are now 0-2 to begin the 2026-27 campaign after being shut out by the New York Rangers on Friday. 

Final pic.twitter.com/xd5Ho710w0

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 4, 2026

They've played both games without Dylan Larkin, who could potentially return on Tuesday, and Simon Edvinsson, who is in his native Sweden admist his contract stalemate. 

The Red Wings were also without Marco Kasper, who suffered an upper-body injury during Friday's game. 

Winnipeg struck first on the power play, with Cole Perfetti credited with the goal after the puck deflected into the air and past goaltender John Gibson.

Michigan native Kyle Connor extended Winnipeg's lead to 2-0 shortly afterward, maneuvering through Detroit's defense before beating Gibson with a backhand shot that found the glove side.

Connor then scored his second power-play goal of the game at 5:41 of the second period, burying a rebound of Josh Morrissey's shot past Gibson.

At that point, the crowd at Little Caesars Arena was growing restless.

The Red Wings finally gave them something to cheer about late in the period when newcomer Viktor Arvidsson deflected a centering pass from Andrew Copp off his skate and past Jets goaltender Stuart Skinner.

Viktor Arvidsson scores his first goal with the Red Wings, and the club’s first goal of the season. 🚨 #LGRW#RedWingspic.twitter.com/JOptlIBO2Q

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) October 4, 2026

The goal was Arvidsson's first as a Red Wing and Detroit's first of the season.

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

At the 4:56 mark of the third period, Detroit pulled within one after Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who nearly scored his first NHL tally a moment earlier, fed Emmitt Finnie from behind the net. Finnie tapped the puck over the line, picking up his first goal of the season. 

Emmitt Finnie converts a centering pass from MBN; one goal game. 🚨 #LGRW#RedWingspic.twitter.com/AuDiPlaB6G

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) October 4, 2026

The Red Wings then began pressing for the tying goal, generating multiple prime scoring chances with Gibson on the bench for an extra attacker as time wound down in regulation.

Unfortunately for Detroit, the Jets withstood the late rally, sending the Red Wings to their second straight regulation loss.

Simon Edvinsson's Reported Trade Preference Adds to Red Wings' Growing Predicament According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, unsigned Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson would "prefer" to be traded, adding yet another layer of complication to their growing problems.

Gibson made several key saves, including a breakaway stop on former Red Wings forward Vladislav Namestnikov, and finished with 24 saves.

Stuart Skinner, who is Winnipeg's starter amid Michigan native Connor Hellebuyck's contract holdout, picked up his first win as a Jet with 33 saves.

Forward Keegan Kolesar dropped the gloves for the first time as a Red Wing, though he took several punches to the face from Tyrel Bauer and briefly left the game before eventually returning. 

The Red Wings will continue their homestand Tuesday evening when they host the divisional rival Ottawa Senators in search of their first win of the season.

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Alexey Toropchenko is the latest St. Louis Blues players to join the list of the wounded.

The Blues announced on Sunday that the forward will be re-evaluated in six weeks after suffering an upper-body injury in the Blues’ 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night. 

Toropchenko was injured when he was pushed from behind by Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel and sandwiched between Bichsel and Tyler Seguin behind the Blues net in the first period before skating off and leaving the game.

Toropchenko, 27, joins defensemen Tyler Tucker (knee) and Logan Mailloux (hand) on the injured list. Tucker is also on a six-week re-evaluation timeline, Mailloux was given an eight-week re-evaluation timeline.

As of Sunday afternoon, the Blues (1-1-0) have not recalled a forward from Springfield of the American Hockey League. Dillon Dube and Zach Dean were the extra forwards on the roster when the season opened and each played on Saturday in a 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Blues play Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks to conclude a season-opening three-game road trip before the home opener Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

The Montreal Canadiens are already without one regular defenseman in Kaiden Guhle, but on Saturday night, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they might have lost right-shot blueliner Alexandre Carrier. Early in the second frame, the diminutive defenseman fell awkwardly into the boards, back and neck first, after battling with Egor Chinakhov. The defenseman tried to keep playing, but he eventually left the game.

Alexandre Carrier blessé au cou rentre au vestiaire... pic.twitter.com/X8JNk28YIO

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) October 4, 2026

The Canadiens have a day off on Sunday, so we likely won’t have an update on Carrier, but if he misses time, Adam Engstrom should integrate into the lineup. While the Swede isn’t a right-shot defenseman, he played on his off-side last season in the AHL and made the team out of camp, so it wouldn’t make sense to recall David Reinbacher because he’s a righty and keep Engstrom as a healthy scratch.

Canadiens Take A Big Nap, Storm Back But Get Burned In The End
Canadiens’ Hutson Leads The League In Unenviable Category
Canadiens Prospect Shines In Season Opener

That doesn't mean the Austrian blueliner won’t be called up; the Canadiens do need an extra defenseman. However, since they are entering a four-game homestand and Laval is so close to Montreal, they may not need to call anyone up yet. However, the Laval Rocket’s next game is on Saturday, October 10, meaning Reinbacher could conceivably join the Canadiens in practice this week without missing a game in the AHL.

The Canadiens’ defense corps also didn’t look great on Saturday. Mike Matheson had an awful game; Arber Xhekaj made a soft backhand pass in the neutral zone that directly led to one of the Pens’ goals; Jayden Struble’s coverage was awful, which led to another goal that was mercifully taken away by a coach's challenge for offside.

That said, Matheson plays too big a role to be scratched, and St-Louis wouldn’t even consider it. Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson are just as solid in the chairs. The question then becomes: did either Xhekaj or Struble play badly enough to deserve to be scratched in the home opener? I don’t believe so.

If Carrier cannot play, it stands to reason that Engstrom would be dressed, having watched the last two games from the press gallery. If Reinbacher is called up, he’ll have to wait his turn.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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Pete DeBoer is a veteran coach so he’ll surely temper enthusiasm after two games, but he’s got to feel at least a fraction of the joy Islanders fans experienced from a proper home opener romp over a rival.

The Islanders’ 6-0 win over the Devils Saturday night had a little of everything: Ilya Sorokin’s 30th shutout, goal and assist contributions from all over the roster, first NHL point and first NHL goal by Victor Eklund in front of his mom, special teams contributions, and another Matthew Schaefer highlight to set up the 3-0 goal that set the night on course for a homecoming party.

Whatever directions this season takes, nights like that are essential, and the perfect tonic after the bland opener in Toronto.

Islanders News

• A special, meaningful birthday night for Eklund and fam. [Newsday]
• Takeaways: DeBoer liked the depth and balance. Includes video of fans singing “Happy Birthday” to Eklund after his interview with Shannon Hogan. [Isles]
• Score one for the line re-blend. [Post]
• Sorokin got the new post-game hero award, a canoe paddle, while Casey Cizikas got the orange hard hat. [Isles]
• Matthew Schaefer continues to enjoy life at the Martins as uncle and babysitter. Piece from Compton includes some Barzal-with-Seidenberg and Tavares-with-the-Weights tales, too. [NHL]

Elsewhere

• With some injuries up front, the Oilers are shopping for some forward depth. [Sportsnet] We’ve got a couple with cup-winning pedigree…
• It’s somehow getting even uglier in Detroit, where unsigned former first-round pick Simon Edvinsson now reportedly prefers a trade. Feels like that franchise needs another Jimmy Devellano to come to the rescue them from another Dead Wings era. [Sportsnet]
• Aleksander Barkov’s latest injury looks long term, but they hope not season-ending. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• R.I.P. Lyle Odelein, former Canadien and Devil, among others, including the Blue Jackets’ first captain. [Sportsnet]
• The Blackhawks big-ticket acquisition Bowen Byram will miss his team’s return to Buffalo. [TSN]
• Mario Lemieux was part of the Penguins’ 60th anniversary celebration, which is maybe news since he’s supposedly been in and out and in and out with the ownership and management. [NHL]
• The Sharsk arrived to their home opener in old cars. [NHL]

DENVER — Artturi Lehkonen is giving the Avalanche plenty to think about in a contract year.

Three goals in the first two games of his 10th NHL season certainly don't hurt.

Lehkonen is in the final year of the five-year, $22.5 million contract he signed with Colorado in July 2022, just after helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. He doesn't have a deal for next season, but this is hardly the first time Lehkonen has given Colorado a reason to want him around.

He scored the overtime winner against Edmonton in Game 4 of the 2022 Western Conference Final to send the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Final. Two weeks later, he scored again in Game 6 against Tampa Bay, this time to clinch the Stanley Cup. A year earlier, while with Montreal, he scored the overtime winner against Vegas that sent the Canadiens to the Final.

LEHKONEN DOES IT ALL pic.twitter.com/qXmCkvgdKy

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 4, 2026

That's been Lehkonen's thing for a long time. Put him in an important game and, more often than not, he finds a way to matter.

Now he's started this season with three goals in two games, the best two-game start of his career.

So is there something different about him?

Colorado's soon-to-be $20.4 million defenseman doesn't see a huge change.

“I don’t know if he’s playing with a different edge,” Cale Makar told The Hockey News. “I think that’s always just Art.

“The puck’s found his stick the last few games, and he’s doing a great job of knocking it down. But little intangibles in his game are the things that make him special, and when he does those super well, he’s getting rewarded right now.”

Those are the parts of Lehkonen's game that can get lost when the goals start piling up. He's not going to cheat for offense. He's going to the net. He's going to battle for pucks. He'll take the hit to make the play. And when he gets a chance, he's usually willing to put himself in a place where the play might hurt a little.

Jared Bednar used a different word for it.

“Relentless.”

“The things that we liked in the first game, they were multiplied in this one.”

Hear more from Head Coach Bednar on https://t.co/BvMUg5vHSg 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/anWogC1n4r

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) October 4, 2026

The Avalanche coach said Lehkonen’s work ethic and competitiveness are about as consistent as anything he sees from a player in the league. The difference early this season is that Lehkonen looks sharp all over the ice.

“He looks sharp early (on) both sides of the puck,” Bednar said. “He’s getting great touches on the puck to put it in areas for his teammates.

He’s getting to the net, something he has always done well. And two games in, Bednar thinks Lehkonen already looks like he’s been playing for much longer.

“He’s always gone to the net hard,” he continued. “He just looks like he’s in midseason form already.”

That’s probably the most interesting part of Lehkonen’s start. The scoring rate is new. The way he’s getting those goals isn’t.

And that’s where the contract situation becomes interesting.

The Avalanche know what Lehkonen is. They know what he has meant to them in the biggest games, and they know what he brings on the nights when he doesn't score. They also know there have been stretches when injuries have kept him out, including the shoulder surgery he underwent in 2024.

Lehkonen, meanwhile, doesn't seem particularly interested in turning any of that into a personal campaign.

During training camp, The Hockey News asked how he manages to get himself ready for those moments when the game is on the line.

His answer was about as Lehkonen as it gets.

“I don’t know, it’s... Just trying to find that being in the right place at the right time, I guess.”

That's it.

No talk about having another gear. No explanation for why he seems to find himself around the puck when the game is on the line. Just being in the right place at the right time.

It's also a pretty good reflection of how Lehkonen approaches the rest of his game. He doesn't seem overly concerned with whether his name is the one getting talked about. He just wants to do his job, and that happens to fit pretty well with the way the Avalanche want to play.

There's a lot of talent in Colorado's lineup, but the team has always put a premium on players who are willing to do the less glamorous work, too. Lehkonen has never needed to be the star of the show to have an impact on it.

Maybe that's why Makar doesn't see a different edge from him now.

Maybe it's why Bednar already thinks he's in midseason form.

And maybe it's why, with a contract decision looming, the Avalanche have plenty to think about.

Because Lehkonen isn't trying to convince anyone he's a different player.

He's just being Art.

After two lower-body injuries in quick succession during the preseason, Philadelphia Flyers forward Denver Barkey is finally on the mend and trending towards a return on the team's upcoming three-game road trip.

Barkey, 21, first suffered a lower-body injury during the preseason against the Washington Capitals, and after missing a few days, returned to practice. While getting in a session wearing a no-contact jersey, Barkey tweaked his injury again, restarting the timer and putting him back on the shelf.

The young Flyers forward had been skating wearing the yellow no-contact jersey in recent days, but on Sunday afternoon's practice, Barkey traded in the yellow sweater for a regular orange one, signaling the next step in his recovery and road back to the lineup.

After Sunday's practice, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged that Barkey could be an option for the road trip ahead, which starts on Monday night against Tampa Bay.

"Yeah, I think he'd be an option," Tocchet said of Barkey. "Like, I don't know if it's next game or whatever, but I think he's coming in a situation where he's an option."

Flyers' Denver Barkey 'Looking To Run Away' with New NHL RoleThe Philadelphia Flyers are exploring moving Denver Barkey to a new position on the heels of some impressive NHL and training camp showings.

With Barkey starting the season on injured reserve, the Flyers allocated the roster spot created by that designation to veteran enforcer Garrett Wilson, who signed a one-year contract with the Flyers last week, making him an available to dress and play for the NHL club if and when needed.

Carl Grundstrom, who cleared waivers at the end of training camp, went unclaimed and has remained with the team, bouncing up and down the lineup as a complementary checking winger.

It is currently too early to tell which player comes out of the lineup, and what roster moves are made, to activate Barkey and get him back on the ice, though the Flyers have flexibility when the time comes.

Barkey scored five goals, 12 assists, and 17 points in 43 regular season games for the Flyers last year in his first season of professional hockey, averaging 13:24 for the eventual playoff team.

The Buffalo Sabres unveiled their 2025-26 Atlantic Division banner before their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks, something that young forward Jiri Kulich did not contribute a lot towards. In the second game of the season, the youngster made his first mark by scoring the game-winner in the Sabres 4-3 comeback win over the Hawks at KeyBank Center. 

The 22-year-old Czech was filling in for the injured Josh Norris after he suffered an injury on opening night, but that opportunity lasted until November, when his season ended due to blood clot issues. 

"I'm so happy for him. He was so frustrated late last year and watching us  in  the  playoffs, and  not  being  able  to  be  part  of  it,  and  he  was getting his career underway in the   last   20  games of  the  year  before." Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said "(It was) a  huge  setback.  He  spent  a  lot  of  time  this  summer  trying  to  get  his  body  and  just  his  hockey  back  in  the  right  place.....  I  think  he  embraces  the  fact  that  he's  playing  right  now.  That  i t  could  have  gone  any  direction."

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

Kulich has been used in a limited role during training camp, but the Sabres are depending on him and a number of their young players to take a step this season with Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram elsewhere, and Jason Zucker out injured. The Sabres, through two games, have received some contributions from rookie Konsta Helenius (1 goal) and Noah Ostlund (2 assists) against Columbus, but most of the scoring has come from members of the veteran core group.

Welcome back, Jiri Kulich! 💙#LetsGoBuffalopic.twitter.com/ggXw81Vhfs

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 4, 2026

Jack Quinn scored for the second time in as many games, while Tage Thompson, Mattas Samuelsson, and Rasmus Dahlin have each scored. For the Sabres to be able to continue on the positive track laid out last season by snapping their 15-year playoff drought, they will need to have their young forwards to provide enough secondary offense to take some of the burden off their core players. 

Buffalo continues their five-game homestand on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo 

The NHL trade market has another notable name to keep an eye on. 

On Saturday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent defenseman "prefers" to be traded from the Original Six club. However, Friedman also noted that the Red Wings have told teams that they are still looking to re-sign Edvinsson despite the young blueliner wanting a move. 

With Edvinsson being a young defenseman with good upside, it is fair to wonder if the Canadiens could consider kicking tires on him. It would not hurt for them to add a top-four young defenseman like Edvinsson, and he could be a perfect fit on their roster as they look to be top contenders this season. 

Edvinsson appeared in 72 games last season with the Red Wings, where he posted nine goals, 25 points, 94 hits, 148 blocks, and a plus-12 rating. This was after he had seven goals, 31 points, 86 hits, and 144 blocks in 78 games for Detroit in 2024-25. With numbers like these, he has shown promise early on in his NHL career and would be an intriguing player for Montreal to add to their roster.

Edvinsson's size also adds to his appeal, as he is 6-foot-6. It is a never bad thing to have a big blueliner who is good at moving the puck.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Montreal kicks tires on Edvinsson. 

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned away all 37 shots the New Jersey Devils sent his way on Saturday night in a 6-0 home win.

That shutout was the 30th of No. 30's NHL career, making him the first goaltender from the 2014 NHL Draft to accomplish that feat.

The first goalie from the 2014 NHL Draft to hit 30 career NHL shutouts – congrats to Ilya Sorokin 🙅🚨 pic.twitter.com/IGtymBhPTj

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) October 4, 2026

There were 21 goaltenders selected in the 2014 NHL Draft, including Sorokin's good pal, New York Rangers backstop Igor Shesterkin (No. 118), who sits with 22 shutouts. 

Former Columbus Blue Jackets and now Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (No. 76) ran ks third with 12 while Islanders third-string netminder Vitek Vanecek (No. 39) with 11. 

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (No. 36) sits with 10 to round out the top-five. 

Sorokin, the Vezina Trophy runner-up to Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy last season, led the NHL with seven shutouts.  He also led the NHL in 2022-23 with six shutouts. 

He came close to leading the league in 2021-22, with seven, but then Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom led the way with nine. 

Last season, Sorokin passed Islanders great Chico Resch (25 shutouts) to sit atop the franchise leader board. 

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour found himself in the spotlight after winning the Stanley Cup in 2026 and going shirtless during the championship celebrations. Through that, he found a fan in “Wake Up Later, Carolina” host Judith Retana in what was an awkward moment on the show this week.

During the weekday morning show on CBS 17, Retana was asked about the physically fit coach and gave a response that raised eyebrows and awkward laughs from her coworkers.

“Have I seen the coach Rachel? You know I’ve seen the coach. You know I have my little crush on Rod Brind’Amour,” Retana said. “I respect his wife. I’m sure they have a good thing going there but I’ll be waiting in the wings in case anything goes awry. I’m no stranger to dating married men.”

A disclaimer popped up on the screen after that statement, reading “Clarification: *previously* married men as in divorced or separated.”

On Sunday afternoon, the video was taken down from Retana’s Facebook account, which has since been made priavte or deleted. Her personal Instagram account has also been turned private.

“Or men with children. I don’t mind any of that baggage. It’s not really baggage for me, it’s a built-in family,” Retana went on.

CBS 17 meteorologist Rachel Duensing responded: “Judith….girl.”

“You know I didn’t become a fan until kind of the playoff season,” Retana continued.

“I don’t know if you should be airing that out,” Duensing added.

Fellow “Wake Up Later” host Bill Young went on to say “A fan from here down” while motioning from his neck down.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” he quickly said. “I mean that’s where he got all the attention.”

“This is where Rachel gets uncomfortable,” Retana said.

“I’m just listening. I’m just listening,” Duensing concluded.

During celebrations in the locker room, the 55-year-old coach stepped into the middle of the room and a player partially opened his shirt. He went on to take off his shirt and toss it away to reveal the physique that earned him the nickname “Rod the Bod.”

Brind’Amour is currently in his second marriage after divorcing Kelle Sullivan Gardner, who he shares three children with — daughter Briley and sons Skyler and Reece.

After his divorce in 2004, he later married Amy Biedenbach in July 2010. The two had son Brooks in 2011.

The Hurricanes clinched their victory in a 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6, earning the franchise’s second championship and first since 2006.

Brind’Amour captained the 2006 team and with the win, he became the seventh person in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup with the same franchise as both a player and a head coach. 

“It’s just as awesome, but as a player it was a little different because I worked and dreamt of winning the Cup my whole life, so that was like a piano came off my back,” Brind’Amour after the win. “This time around, I wanted — it was for the group. I wanted them to feel what it’s like.”

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin has rightfully been ranked among the best players in the NHL. 

The Hockey News' Adam Proteau ranked Shesterkin as the 51st player in the NHL in his top 80 NHL player rankings list for The Hockey News' main site. 

"As a Vezina Trophy winner, the 30-year-old Shesterkin doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone – although he might have something to prove in the playoffs. But if you examine Shesterkin’s career numbers, you’ll see his consistency is outstanding," Proteau wrote.

Seeing Shesterkin be ranked among the best players in the NHL is not difficult to understand in the slightest. He is easily one of the NHL's best goaltenders, after all. 

Shesterkin has had a strong start to the 2026-27 season, as he has a .935 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average in two games. With this, the 30-year-old is certainly playing well right now. 

It will now be interesting to see how Shesterkin performs as the 2026-27 season rolls on. If the Rangers hope to get back into the playoffs this season, they are going to need Shesterkin to be on his A-game. He is their biggest X-factor. 

The Chicago Blackhawks' loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night was a sad ending to what is now an 0-3-0 road trip to begin the season. Before they even hit the United Center ice for the first time, they are in a hole that will be incredibly hard to dig out of. 

Is it time to panic? Absolutely not. It also sounds like the team as a whole is not even close to panicking yet, either, but they do acknowledge that things have to get cleaned up sooner rather than later. You can't make the playoffs in October, but you can certainly miss them. 

"I don't think we're worried about the record," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's all about process. I've talked about that from the start with our group. That process is way better. Let's build on the process. You can't take one step forward and two steps back. That's not always going to show in wins and losses. Over the long period of time, if the process is good, the wins will follow."

One part of that process must be doing a better job of protecting the goaltenders. The Blackhawks have hung out their guy in the crease to dry in all three games so far. 

In game one, Spencer Knight faced 36 shots. In game two, Arvid Soderblom faced 32. In game three, back to Knight, he faced 32 as well. In the first game, the Blackhawks had 26 of their own shots, but a lowly 15 in each of the next two. That's not even close to an even distribution. There has been significantly more pressure on their goaltenders than on the opponent's. 

With that kind of workload, it is impossible for any goalie to win consistently in today's NHL. Both Blackhawks netminders, especially Knight, can steal a game here and there, but it can't be expected every game. 

Let's use the Buffalo game as an example. The Blackhawks went up 2-0 early, but they allowed the Sabres to dominate possession, offensive zone time, and shots on goal in the process of gaining that lead. It was only a matter of time before the Sabres evened things up. Spencer Knight was only able to do so much before they finally got one past him.

Shot suppression and backchecking are the hardest things for a young team to master, but they have to step up and be better in that regard as early as their next game. If there isn't an improvement, they will continue to lose in the fashion that they have. 

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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