DENVER — One of the biggest challenges for any NHL coach is figuring out how to get the most out of every player. Some need help finding their confidence, others need to round out their game, and some simply need a coach to show them there's another level they haven't reached yet.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has made a career out of doing exactly that.

As he prepares to coach his 800th game with the Avalanche on Saturday at Ball Arena, Parker Kelly and Martin Necas spoke with The Hockey News about the ways Bednar has helped them grow as players. Their experiences are different, but both point to the same strength: Bednar knows what he wants each player to improve and how to help them get there.

For Kelly, that meant discovering an offensive side to his game he didn't know existed. For Necas, it meant becoming more aggressive as a goal scorer and getting into the tougher areas of the ice.

Kelly joined Colorado from the Ottawa Senators and has steadily earned a bigger role with the team. Last season, he scored a career-high 21 goals, showing just how much his offensive game has developed.

He credits Bednar with playing a significant role in that progress.

"When I came over from Ottawa, I remember thinking how dialed in he is. He's very much a players' coach, his door is always open, and he's a great teacher of the game," Kelly said. "He has no problem showing you clips and helping you understand things so you can grow as a player.

"He's done a really good job of unlocking an offensive style of game in me that I didn't know I had."

Bednar's work with Necas offers another example. Last season, he saw an opportunity to make the forward more of a goal-scoring threat. Necas has an explosive shot, but Bednar wanted him to use it more instead of looking to pass. He also wanted to see more commitment to the defensive side of the game.

Martin Necas: pic.twitter.com/HJSeBFUFfr

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) November 7, 2026

Necas responded with the best offensive season of his NHL career, finishing with 38 goals and 62 assists for 100 points. It was his first time reaching the 100-point mark.

Asked where Bednar has helped him improve the most, Necas pointed to his willingness to get into the dirty areas and become a more complete player.

"Going more into the dirty areas (of the ice) and scoring goals there," Necas said. "Just my all-around game, playing D, there's always space for improvement."

Bednar has spent 24 years coaching hockey, including 11 seasons in the NHL. His résumé includes championships at the ECHL, AHL and NHL levels, with titles alongside the South Carolina Stingrays and Lake Erie Monsters before leading Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2022.

His approach to developing players has certainly evolved over that time, but Bednar doesn't believe the underlying philosophy has changed much.

The Hockey News asked him what, if anything, has changed in the way he works with players to help them reach their full potential.

"I'm sure there's lots of changes. I don't feel like it's that different, though," Bednar said.

He used Kelly as an example of how a player's needs change throughout his career. For someone just breaking into the NHL, the priority is earning the trust of the coaching staff and establishing a role.

"In a case of a guy like Parker Kelly, when you first break into the league, for a lot of guys, it's about survival," Bednar explained. "It's doing the things that your coach is real specific about to help you make sure you're a solid, trustworthy player, so you can stay in the league and then help the team."

Once a player has established himself, the expectations can expand beyond that initial role.

"As you get a little bit of experience, then it becomes a little bit more about, okay, you've established yourself as that type of player, like a defensive player, checker, penalty killer," Bednar said. "Then, as his next coach, it's about trying to help him grow into a more dangerous offensive player and become even more well-rounded."

The same applies to players who already bring plenty of offense. Bednar said those players need to find ways to become more reliable across the ice rather than focusing exclusively on their scoring.

"Some of our guys are really good offensive players, and we have to help shape and mold them into trustworthy 200-foot guys who just help them get more out of their game in any area," Bednar said.

For Bednar, it ultimately comes down to understanding the player and having conversations about where they want to improve.

"Just studying it and communicating with the players to where they think they can grow and finding a mutual ground on that, and just trying to help them out," he said.

That philosophy has helped Kelly uncover a new part of his game and pushed Necas toward becoming an even more dangerous offensive player. With 800 games behind Colorado's bench approaching, Bednar's ability to get players to buy into their own development remains one of his biggest strengths.

The Bruins will be without James Hagens for at least a few games, as the team announced on Saturday morning that the rookie forward has been placed on injured reserve.

The B’s didn’t get into specifics about the injury itself, though we know when it occurred:

James Hagens exited tonight's game after taking this cross-check from Samuel Girard… pic.twitter.com/Bo5w3E5lc8

— NESN (@NESN) November 6, 2026

Given the area in which he was crosschecked, you can speculate on ribs, a bruised kidney, a back injury, etc., but the main takeaway is that Hagens will now be out for at least seven days.

Marco Sturm, however, seems to think Hagens may miss a bit more time, telling the media today that he expects Hagens will be out “a few weeks.”

With Hagens on the shelf, the Bruins recalled forward Mikey Eyssimont, who has been on quite a heater down in the AHL.

Eyssimont leads the AHL in goals with 13 in eight games, including three hat tricks on the season.

His latest hat trick came just last night in Hamilton, as Eyssimont helped the P-Bruins erase a two-goal deficit with a natural hat trick in the last three minutes of the third period.

Eyssimont scored with 2:08, 1:08, and 25 seconds left to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win.

MIKEY EYSSIMONT CAPS OFF THE HAT TRICK AND THE @AHLBruins BEAT THE DEFICIT🧢 pic.twitter.com/sHVT6JcIV9

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 7, 2026

You can certainly see why the B’s would turn to the hot hand to potentially fill Hagens’s spot.

Based on how he has played at the AHL level this season, Eyssimont certainly deserves some NHL ice time, even if it’s on a short-term basis.

Eyssimont put up 8G-10A-18PTS in 56 games with the NHL Bruins last season.

He appeared in two postseason games as well, recording no points.

With the Bruins off on Saturday and Providence playing relatively nearby in Hamilton, ON, on Friday, Eyssimont should be available for Sunday afternoon’s matinée game against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden.

The Florida Panthers will take on the Washington Capitals today, but they'll do so with center Anton Lundell.

The 25-year-old was said to be out by coach Paul Maurice shortly before game time with an undisclosed injury. Lundell has played in every Panthers game up to this point, scoring four goals and six points in 16 games.

Lundell had a tough start offensively to his 2026-27 NHL season, but he has begun to turn things around. On Oct. 30, Lundell recorded a hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

With Lundell out of today's lineup, Cole Reinhardt will rejoin the squad. Reinhardt has been in the press box for quite some time now, most recently playing on Oct. 22. He's played just one NHL game this season, failing to register a point but recorded 10:03 of ice time.

Reinhardt will skate on the third line with Lars Eller and Eetu Luostarinen. Reinhardt will play on the right wing with Eller shifting back to the middle of the ice in Lundell's absence.

Following this afternoon's fixture, the Panthers are back in action on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. Lundell's availability for tomorrow's matchup is undetermined.

---

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Buffalo Sabres are reportedly on the outside looking in of the Dylan Larkin sweepstakes, as a variety of NHL insiders have indicated that the Detroit Red Wings former captain will not expand his list of preferred teams from the 10 clubs his agent provided, but that fact may not be stopping the Wings from doing their due diligence and scouting teams outside Larkin’s preferred destinations. 

At Buffalo’s 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, Red Wings Assistant GM Kris Draper was in attendance. Draper was reportedly in Toronto on Tuesday for the Utah - Leafs game, and has been piling up the frequent flyer miles with both Larkin and RFA Simon Edvinsson on the block. 

Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been rumored to be seeking to add a scorer since the departure of Alex Tuch last summer, and there have been reports he approached Detroit with a significant offer for Larkin. TSN’s Darren Dreger, Chris Johnston, and Pierre LeBrun, David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman have all indicated that there are teams outside of the 10 clubs who have expressed interest.    

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

The impasse between the Wings and Larkin may be taking a back seat to the ticking clock involving Edvinsson, the top pairing blueliner who has to sign a contract by December 1 to play in the NHL this season. There has been no hint that the 23-year-old will sign a deal with Detroit, which could mean that completing a trade for him is their top priority.    

The Sabres broke out offensively on Friday, scoring five goals on Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves, but other than blips such as their 7-6 win over Anaheim, and their 5-4 overtime win in Toronto last month, Buffalo has struggled to generate consistent offense this season at even strength and on the man advantage. 

Kekalainen has a dilemma, since most teams are not looking to shake up their rosters until after US Thanksgiving, and teams out of the playoff race are not ready to sell off their rentals until the New Year or closer to the trade deadline. Detroit may be playing the long game with Larkin, hoping that he will become frustrated with the Wings dragging their feet and become willing to expand his list.    

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

While the Montreal Canadiens will be in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs on Saturday, at least one friendly face will be involved in the likely ceremonial faceoff. It’s induction weekend at the Hockey Hall of Fame, and former Habs netminder Carey Price is in this year’s class alongside Patrice Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk, Brian Burke, and Cindy Curley.

While Price has yet to make his official retirement announcement, he did have a retirement party this summer, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will never wear goalie pads in the NHL ever again.

Game 17 – Canadiens vs. Leafs: A Second In A Row In Toronto?
Canadiens Sniper Makes History
Canadiens Coach St-Louis’ Aware Of The Big Decisions He’ll Have To Make

The netminder spent his whole 15-year NHL career with the Canadiens and became the winningest goaltender in team history. In 712 NHL game in put together a 361-261-79 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. In 10 of those 15 years, he led the Canadiens to the playoffs and posted a 43-45 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .919 SV. He made it once to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2021 when both he and captain Shea Weber were playing through significant injuries and ended up losing 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

We’ll never know whether he could have made it there in 2014, when he had a tremendous postseason that was cut short in the first game of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers, thanks to that now-famous collision with now-Hab Chris Kreider.

While he never won the Stanley Cup, he did win a Hart Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Trophy, a Vezina Trophy, a William M. Jennings Trophy and a Bill Masterton Trophy. He also won a Calder Cup when he joined the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, in the 2007 playoffs.

Injuries forced him to sit out the last four years of his eight-year contract which was eventually moved to the San Jose Sharks to give the Habs more financial flexibility, but he never played with them, despite former teammate with the Habs Tyler Toffoli playing a practical joke on his younger teammates, making them believe that Price would be donning the pads again with the Sharks.

Speaking to NHL.com, Maple Leafs center John Tavares had only good things to say about the former masked man:

It was quite a challenge to play against him. I remember the year he won the Hart Trophy, he was pretty much unbeatable that season. He was unbelievable at the Sochi Olympics.

When you played on his team, he allowed you to play with so much confidence. And when you played against him, he was taking it away. He made it look like everything was easy in front of his net.

Clearly, Tavares wasn’t the only one who thought highly of Price, as players voted him best goaltender in the league in the NHPA player poll for three straight seasons, from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Price fully deserved induction into the Hall, and I expect debate for years to come over whether his number should be raised in the Bell Centre rafters. Had he won a Cup, there would be no debate, and one has to wonder what he could have done if he had played with the kind of firepower the Canadiens now have.

---

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

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

The Calgary Flames returned home looking to get back into the win column, but a strong start wasn’t enough as the Anaheim Ducks scored four unanswered goals to earn a 5-3 win at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Calgary came out with some early jump and opened the scoring just 2:23 into the first period. Yan Kuznetsov got the puck to Zayne Parekh, whose one-timer was stopped by Lukas Dostal. The rebound kicked out to William Stromgren, who made no mistake, backhanding his second goal of the season into the net to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

The advantage didn’t last long.

On the following shift, Simon Nemec turned the puck over in the corner, allowing Jeff Mallot to walk out in front and slip a shot past Dustin Wolf to even things up at 2:50.

Calgary responded late in the opening frame. Morgan Frost put a shot on goal that produced another rebound, and Joel Hanley stepped into a slap shot that beat Dostal to restore the Flames’ lead.

The Flames added some insurance in the final minute of the period on the powerplay. Parekh found Joel Farabee with a cross-seam pass, and with Dostal caught well out of position, Farabee fired the puck into the open net to make it 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Anaheim started chipping away in the second period.

At 12:02, Tristan Luneau ripped a shot past Wolf to bring the Ducks within one. It was a much-needed response for Anaheim, who had spent much of the opening period chasing the game.

The comeback continued early in the third.

Just 55 seconds into the period, with the Ducks on the power play, Leo Carlsson took a pass from Beckett Sennecke and blasted a shot past Wolf to tie the game at three.

Anaheim continued to push, and with just 1:34 remaining, Cutter Gauthier finished a one-timer to give the Ducks their first lead of the night.

Nikita Nesterenko added an empty-net goal to seal the 5-3 victory, completing the comeback and leaving Calgary with another difficult result.

Three Takeaways

1. Zayne Parekh continues to show his offensive instincts

Parekh looked engaged early, moving the puck well and creating opportunities from the blueline. His cross-seam pass to Farabee on the power play was a great example of the offensive instincts that make him such an intriguing young player. He’s continuing to show what he can bring to Calgary’s lineup.

2. William Stromgren finds the scoresheet again

Stromgren continues to make the most of his opportunity since being recalled. The forward picked up his second career NHL goal in his third game since returning to the Flames, getting himself into the right spot to capitalize on the rebound.

3. Morgan Frost continues to produce

Frost picked up two assists on the night, adding to his recent offensive contributions. He reached the 200-point mark in his previous outing, and continues to provide the Flames with an important offensive presence through the middle of the ice.

Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (5-9-2, 12 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Los Angeles Kings (5-7-2, 12 points, 7th place Pacific Division)

When: 9:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally televised game on ABTV and Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming for out of market at ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have less than 24 hours from tonight’s puck drop before the team’s next game starts at 8 p.m. ET Sunday in Anaheim. The Pens will then stick around on the West Coast for a Wednesday game against the San Jose Sharks before returning to Pittsburgh to play the Ottawa Senators next Saturday.

Opponent Track: The Kings opened the season on a six-game losing streak but have since gone 5-3, most recently claiming a 7-2 win Wednesday over the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Season Series: The Penguins will see the Kings again Dec. 17 in Pittsburgh.

Hidden Stat: The Kings were the last team in the NHL to record their first win this season after their 0-4-2 opening to the campaign, per The Athletic’s Eric Stephens.

Getting to know the Kings

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe

Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Corey Perry

Andre Lee – Scott Laughton – Martin Chromiak

Erik Haula – Kenny Connors – Joel Armia

DEFENSEMEN

Erik Gustafsson / Brandt Clarke

Joel Edmundson / Drew Doughty

Mikey Anderson / Brian Dumoulin

Goalies: Darcy Kuemper, Anton Forsberg

Potential scratches: Alex Turcotte (day to day), Cody Ceci, Samuel Helenius

Injured Reserve: Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Fiala (LTIR)

• The most dangerous part of the Kings’ lineup is the first line, which has combined for more than a third of the team’s total production so far this season. Adrian Kempe, in his first game back from an absence due to illness, scored his first hat trick of the season in Wednesday’s win against the Sharks.

THAT'S A HAT TRICK FOR ADRIAN KEMPE 🧢🚨 pic.twitter.com/rtKEcq57XJ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 5, 2026

• Kenny Connors, who was recently called up from the AHL, made his season debut and recorded his first NHL point during the Kings’ Wednesday win over the Sharks.
• There are a few ex-Penguins playing in Los Angeles. Brian Dumoulin, who is in his second season with the Kings, recently skated in his 800th career game. Cody Ceci has appeared in seven games but has become a regular healthy scratch from the roster.

Special teams notes

• The Kings have struggled with one of the NHL’s least effective power plays early this season, but the unit might be bouncing back now that Kempe has returned to the lineup. Los Angeles went 3-for-5 on the man advantage Wednesday against the Sharks.

Q-TIP! pic.twitter.com/DUKmaagplp

— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 5, 2026

• Penalty killing is still a problem for this team. The Kings allowed two power-play goals from the Sharks and currently rank last in the NHL with a 62.2 percent success rate on the man disadvantage. The Penguins will hope that sparks some life in their own power play, which has fired at just a 16 percent success rate over this 2-7-1 stretch.

Season stats
via hockeydb

There are a lot of similarities between the Kings and Penguin rosters at first glance. The Kings are one of the oldest teams in the NHL. They’re not getting much production outside of their veteran players. And they’re stuck in the awkward spot between a retool and a rebuild after getting eliminated from the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The Kings might still be hoping this team is one superstar away from contention. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this week the Kings have “already talked about” a potential trade for Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov and “would be all over it if possible.”

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell

Egor Chinakhov – Ben Kindel – Evgeni Malkin

Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson

DEFENSEMEN

Sam Girard / Erik Karlsson

Spencer Stastney / Kaeden Korczak

Declan Carlile / Kris Letang

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov

Potential Scratches: Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Solovyov

IR: Ryan Graves, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Elmer Soderblom, Bryan Rust

• Jake Livanavage didn’t see any action before he rejoined the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins for their Friday night game.
• Both Penguins goaltenders will likely be in action this weekend given the upcoming back-to-back coming against the Anaheim Ducks.
• Despite the Penguins’ struggles, Nick Robertson has proved to be one of the most effective offseason additions in the NHL. Per Pens PR, he ranks fifth in goalscoring among players that joined a new team ahead of the season.
• The Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks are the only two teams in the NHL heading into Saturday with fewer standings points than the Penguins.
• The Penguins are on their second four-game losing streak of the season. The Pens last lost more than four games in a row last December, when the team went 0-4-4 from Dec. 7 to Dec. 20 before rallying to win seven of their next eight games.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie with 1:34 left to extend his goals streak to five games and help the Anaheim Ducks beat the Calgary Flames 5-3 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

The Ducks are the first team since the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins to score at least five goals in seven consecutive games.

Gauthier one-timed a pass from Mikael Granlund. He has scored 10 of his 12 goals this season during the five-game streak.

Jeff Malott, Tristan Luneau, Leo Carlsson and Nikita Nesterenko, into an empty net, also scored for Anaheim. Granlund and Beckett Sennecke each had two assists.

William Stromgren, Joel Hanley and Joel Farabee scored for Calgary. Morgan Frost and Zayne Parekh each had a pair of assists as the Flames’ five-game home winning streak ended.

Lukas Dostal got the start for Anaheim, but was chased after giving up three goals on 11 shots in the first period. Ville Husso, who gave up seven goals in his last appearance, came on in relief and stopped all 10 shots he faced. He improved to 2-3-0.

Dustin Wolf, making his third straight start, had 24 stops for Calgary.

SABRES 5, BLUE JACKETS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Norris scored twice, defenseman Owen Power had three assists and Buffalo beat Columbus.

Norris ended a six-game goals drought to help Buffalo win for the fourth time in five games.

Jack Quinn, Rasmus Dahlin and Josh Doan also scored, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves.

Kent Johnson and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus, and Jet Greaves made 32 saves. The Blue Jackets have lost three straight road games.

Quinn opened the scoring at 6:50 of the first period with his ninth of the season, and Johnson tied it with 4:00 left in the period with his eighth. Norris made it 2-1 with 1:50 to go in the first with his first goal since Oct. 17.

Dahlin made it 3-1 with a one-timer 4:30 into the second period. Norris’ second goal at 9:46 made it 4-1. Doan made it 5-1 1:07 later.

Werenski’s power-play goal with 1:39 left in the third made it 5-2.

WILD 4, SHARKS 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and added three assists in Minnesota's victory over San Jose.

Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists, and Maxim Shabanov and Zach Bogosian also scored for the Wild. They are 6-0-1 in their last seven games and have 27 points, tops in the Western Conference.

Jesper Wallstedt stopped 23 shots for his 11th victory in 16 starts, both tops among NHL goalies.

Macklin Celebrini scored and Yaroslav Askarov made 25 saves for the Sharks. They are 1-6-0 in their last seven games

Shabanov broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal with 5:45 left in the second period. Kaprizov zipped a cross-ice pass through the slot that Shabanov redirected past Askarov at the far post.

Hughes made it 3-1 when he skated across the high slot before sending a wrist shot over Askarov’s shoulder at 6:55 of the third period.

Bogosian later added his first goal of the season to seal the win for Minnesota.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a hard-fought 5-4 overtime win against the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 5. 

Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom had a big moment in the contest. This is because he scored his first career NHL goal at the 14:54 mark of the third period, which forced overtime. 

Engstrom's goal was a good one, too, as he showed patience with the puck before beating Mammoth goaie Sebastian Cossa with a nice snap shot. 

Engstrom scoring an important goal like this is certainly big for him. The 22-year-old defenseman is trying to prove that he is ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman. Having a clutch moment like that will certainly help his chances of becoming just that. 

Engstrom is a promising prospect in the Canadiens' system and has the tools to become a good NHL blueliner. Thus, the 2022 third-round pick is certainly a defenseman who the Habs are hoping continues to trend in the right direction with his development. 

Engstrom took a nice step forward last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, as he posted 10 goals, 34 points, and a plus-14 rating in 45 games. Now, he is beginning to show off his skill at the NHL level, and he will be a big player to watch as this campaign rolls on because of it. 

The Chicago Blackhawks are as lousy as any team in the National Hockey League. At 4-12-1, their playoff hopes are over, and it is still multiple weeks before American Thanksgiving. At some point, changes are going to be made, as they always are with underperforming NHL teams. 

However, no team lacks silver linings. For the Chicago Blackhawks, one of those is rookie forward Roman Kantserov. Sometimes he plays center, and other times (especially recently) he plays on the wing. 

In Kantserov's last 7 games, all on the top line with Connor Bedard, he has a point in all of them. He is the first Blackhawks rookie to have a 7-game point streak since Jonathan Toews did so in 2007-08. Toews's went all the way up to 10. 

Only Toews and Jeremy Roenick have had such a point streak as a rookie over the last 40 years. That is some elite company to find your name next to. 

Entering action on Friday, while the Blackhawks are idle, Kantserov leads all NHL rookies with 8 goals. His 10 points are only 2 off the rookie scoring lead, which he is tied for 4th. If this type of goal-scoring and point-producing production continues, his name will start to be involved in the inevitable Calder Trophy conversations. 

Anton Frondell is the other high-end rookie on the Blackhawks. He is the better all-around player, but offensive statistics are usually what catch the eyes of voters. Frondell is great defensively for a first-year player, and he is a top-ten rookie scorer with 8 points, but Kantserov's offensive totals are slightly more impressive at this time. 

Chicago is unlikely to climb out of the hole that they have dug themselves into. However, there is room for the team to improve and not let this season go totally to waste. Seeing where Kantserov can take his goal (and point) totals is important for the future of the team.

Last season, Kantserov led the KHL in goal scoring at such a young age. During that time, he caught the attention of the hockey world and made it clear that he had what it takes to produce in the NHL. When they made him a 2nd-round pick (44th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, there was a lot of faith that he'd be a good player. So far, he's exceeded expectations. 

Right now, Kantserov is on pace for 40 goals. That would be an impressive goal total for Connor Bedard or Patrick Kane in his prime. For Kantserov to reach a number like that would be as impressive a total as any rookie goal scorer has had in Blackhawks history. 

Is it likely he gets that many? No. But if he can finish in the 20s and perhaps flirt with 30, he will make it clear that he is a long-term piece for their top-nine forward group as an above-average sniper in the NHL. 

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

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

When Cole Caufield scored the overtime game-winning goal on Thursday night, it was more than just the goal that helped the Montreal Canadiens beat the Utah Mammoth; it also helped him set a new NHL record.

With that lamplighter, the 15th of his career in overtime, he became the fastest player in league history to score 15 overtime goals. The American winger took just 384 games to reach that milestone. In the process, he overtook some elite players in the 15-overtime-goals club. Connor McDavid held the record until Thursday night, having needed 559 games to reach the milestone. Sebastian Aho is now in third place; he needed 645 games to reach the 15-OT-goal club, while Alexander Ovechkin did it in 653 games.

Canadiens Coach St-Louis’ Aware Of The Big Decisions He’ll Have To Make
Canadiens Win Thriller In Overtime
Canadiens: Tough Choices Had To Be Made And Will Be Made Again

In other words, it took Caufield 175 games less than it took McDavid to score 15 OT goals. The mark needs context; the young Canadiens haven’t always been good at closing out a game in regulation or protecting a lead, which gave Caufield plenty of opportunities to score overtime goals. Not trying to take anything away from the sniper, but Montreal has struggled to win in regulation for quite a while.

GOAL CAUFIELD MAKES HISTORY 🔵⚪️🔴 pic.twitter.com/IylhNf7bgZ

— NHL (@NHL) November 6, 2026

In 2020-21, the Habs only had 17 wins in 60 minutes; in 2021-22, the Canadiens were dead last in regulation wins with just 16. The year after, in 2022-23, they were 27th in the league with 21 regulation wins. In 2023-24, they were 28th with just 20 victories before extra time. In 2024-25, they climbed to 21st place with 30 regulation wins; last season, they were ninth in the league with 34.

In 2020-21, despite playing only 10 regular-season games, the sniper scored two overtime goals; in 2021-22, Caufield added two more. In 2022-23, he played only 46 games and scored no overtime goals. In 2023-24, he had 3, followed by 1 the following year, five last season, and two in just 16 games this year.

Whichever way you slice it, Caufield remains an incredibly clutch player, and the Canadiens can thank their lucky star that he fell all the way to 15 in the 2019 draft. Given how many goals he can score, it shouldn’t surprise anyone when other players try to get him off his game, just like MacKenzie Weegar did on Thursday night.

Embarrassing stuff by Utah’s Mackenzie Weegar pic.twitter.com/QiU5oDUCIy

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 6, 2026

---

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

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

The Buffalo Sabres wasted an excellent performance from Colten Ellis in the opener of their four-game homestand against Ottawa on Wednesday, as Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio scored in the final 10 minutes of regulation to hand the Atlantic rival Senators a 2-1 victory. 

After the game, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated he was not pleased with his club’s effort, stating that they were outskated and outworked, and because of that, the Sabres have scratched two players who have been in the lineup for every one of their 15 games. 

Center Ryan McLeod, whose lost defensive zone draw and failed coverage led to Pinto’s tying goal, did not take line rushes at the club’s morning skate on Friday in preparation for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Defenseman Louis Crevier, who played a team-low 8:05 on Wednesday is also expected to be a healthy scratch. 

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Ruff said that both forward Jiri Kulich and defenseman Conor Timmins were ready to return to the lineup. Kulich took McLeod’s spot on the wing with Josh Norris and Jason Zucker, while Timmins is expected to pair with Zach Metsa. 

"(McLeod) knows he needs to be better,” Ruff said. “He’s taken full responsibility (for the miscue) and understands. It's not about not playing tonight; it's really about what the next game is going to look like. When you meet with a player and you go through details of the game, there’s a lot more to the game than just that faceoff." 

Crevier, who signed a four-year, $16 million extension before the season, has just one assist in 15 games after scoring 25 points with Chicago last season, but Timmins, who was injured in the preseason after an excellent showing in the playoffs, is ready to make his first start of the campaign.  

The Sabres will start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal, The Blue Jackets are coming off a 2-1 shootout victory over Dallas on Thursday and will go with Jet Greaves in goal in the second of back-to-back games. Buffalo announced that they have placed defenseman Jack Rathbone on waivers. Rathbone was injured during training camp and needs to clear to be demoted to the AHL Rochester Americans.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The New Jersey Devils begin a three-game road trip with a mission. It’s a get-right stretch, one where they hope to return to the brand of hockey that made them a juggernaut. This is particularly the message after the recent game against the St. Louis Blues, where they blew a 4-1 lead in the third period yet recovered and won 5-4 in overtime. 

“Just get back to our game and keep playing a good brand of hockey,” Luke Hughes stated after the game as the team turns the page. The Devils were overconfident against the Blues and tried making highlight plays that almost cost them in the end. “That has been the furthest thing from our mind when we've been playing here of late. So that's the lesson,” head coach Sheldon Keefe added. 

Anthony Mantha’s Versatility Is A Devils Secret Weapon In The Forward UnitThe Devils' power forward has played in multiple spots in the lineup and gives the forward unit a little bit of everything. It gives a deep forward group another layer of talent.

Keefe wants the Devils to play a disciplined and structured brand of hockey, especially when they have a late-game lead. A road trip is a good time to focus on that brand and for the Devils to win the way they have been doing so all season. 

This road trip is a unique one. The Devils face the New York Islanders on Saturday night and then play the second of a back-to-back against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Then they wrap it up on Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. It’s three different opponents that will test the Devils and dare them to win in multiple ways. 

Is Hellebuyck Ready To Outduel An Elite Goaltender? 

Hellebuyck reinvigorated the Devils, the fanbase, and the energy around the team. However, he hasn’t had any lights-out starts yet despite a 4-0 record. He has a .891 save percentage and a 2.44 goals-against average on 92 shots, with 0.1 goals saved above average. 

It’s understandable for Hellebuyck to have a shaky start to the season considering he missed training camp and is adjusting to a new team. With each start, he’s slowly acclimating to the action and the workload, and the recent game was his toughest test as the Blues generated 32 shots. 

Devils Surviving Blues Comeback Attempt Proves There’s More To This Team“We're just a group that continues to learn. The recipe for us to win games is right there for us. I think there are no shortcuts,” Jesper Bratt

Hellebuyck has faced some great offenses but has yet to face an elite goaltender on the other end. Ilya Sorokin was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2022-23 and 2025-26. He’s one of the few goaltenders in the NHL who can take over games with a dominant start. 

The Devils might end up in a low-scoring game with the Islanders, especially if Sorokin is sharp from the opening puck drop. It will challenge Hellebuyck to outduel Sorokin, something he’ll want to prove he can do. 

The Devils Offense Looks To Go Toe-To-Toe With The Maple Leafs Firepower

After a disappointing 2025-26 season, the Maple Leafs have bounced back, at least offensively. They average 3.65 goals per game, the fifth-most in the NHL. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are the star players leading the way, while Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna have injected youth and an exciting flair into the offense. 

The Devils have already been tested by high-octane offenses. They faced the Colorado Avalanche twice and the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The Devils not only handled both offenses but outdueled them. 

Luke Hughes & Philip Broberg Show The Reward Of Paying Defensemen With UpsideBoth the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues paid their young defensemen recently, betting on their upside and development into elite defensemen. It’s a risk, but part of the new age of thinking for contracts.

The Maple Leafs are led by a great offense but have also struggled on defense, allowing 3.24 goals per game. It sets them up to make games high-scoring and match them goal for goal. The Devils have the offense to do that and hope their high-end skill can once again deliver. 

The Jets Will Provide The Devils & Hellebuyck With A Test Unlike Any They’ve Seen

The atmosphere in Winnipeg on Nov. 10 will be one of a kind. Hellebuyck makes his much-anticipated return, and the Jets fans will be ready with boos, chants, jeers, and everything in between. 

What will make it unique is that Hellebuyck is a goaltender. The Islanders fans booed John Tavares in his return game every time he took the ice. Likewise, Brady Tkachuk was met with booing and chirping with every shift in his return game against the Ottawa Senators. A skater allows fans to stop and go, but what about a goaltender? 

Needless to say, the fans will come prepared. They will likely boo Hellebuyck the moment he takes the ice for warmups, and if the Jets score, the fans will erupt much like they would for a goal in the playoffs. 

This is a challenge for Hellebuyck and something the Devils must handle as well. The players must handle the intensity. Likewise, the Jets will feed off the energy from the crowd and give the Devils all they can handle. Even in a rough season for the Jets, this is one game they certainly won’t want to lose. It’s not a playoff game, but the players handling this environment will speak volumes about their ability to play under pressure. 

Just under a quarter of the way through the 2026-27 season, the Philadelphia Flyers have won only four of their first 18 games, and the way they continue to find ways to lose games is impressively bad.

Overall, the Flyers actually played a solid game against the Metropolitan Division rival New York Rangers on Thursday night. The Rangers held a narrow 28-25 advantage in shots on goal, while 5-on-5 shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick, were an even 48-48.

In the expected goals battle, the Flyers eked out a 2.67 to 2.65 advantage.

By the numbers, it was an extremely even game, but one the Flyers should have won.

Thanks to unlikely goal contributions from Simon Benoit, who scored his first goal since March 10, 2025, and Noel Acciari, the Flyers went into the third period on Thursday night nursing a 2-1 lead. And they played like it.

The Rangers, of course, pushed, out-shooting the Flyers 10-8, and out-attempting the Flyers 17-11 at 5-on-5.

Midway through the third period, a chintzy slashing penalty on Denver Barkey put the Flyers on the penalty kill, and Pavel Dorofeyev cashed in to tie the game at 2-2.

The Flyers continued to sit back and play conservatively, and a routine offensive zone dump-and-chase was quickly thrown back the other way, with Rangers forward Ty Kartye finding an inexplicable amount of open space for a breakaway, which he scored on to give the Blueshirts an insurmountable 3-2 lead.

Flyers Heavy Contingent Watches Canadiens Game as NHL Trade Season ApproachesAt an important crossroads, the Philadelphia Flyers continue their scouting around the NHL, with an apparent focus on the Montreal Canadiens as NHL trade season approaches.

On Kartye's goal, Travis Sanheim was pinched up in the neutral zone on his man, Jamie Drysdale was far off to the left of the ice, and Sean Couturier was at the red line. In the end, nobody cut off the middle and right side of the ice, and regardless of whose mistake it was in coverage, it was made by someone who should know better.

"I'm not sure. I was up on my check in the neutral zone, and I haven't watched it yet, so I'm not sure what happened," Sanheim said bluntly of the goal after the game.

In the end, nobody on the Flyers knows, or wants to say, what the issue is that's causing this team to turtle and throw games away.

"I think we were trying to defend a lead rather than just play the game and kind of do what made us successful during the other period," Acciari offered. "I don't know what it was, but needed to keep the foot on the gas and keep doing what got us there."

Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet, who bears the responsibility for this fairly or unfairly, is out of answers, too.

"I don't know the answer. When the pressure hits, you want to embrace it. You want the puck. You want to be in situations that, 'I want to be the difference.' Whether it's a wall play, a blocked shot, a good back check. Those are the moments that we need people to consistently give," Tocchet said.

Flyers Lament Lack of Finishing Touch After Disappointing Loss to Wild Rick Tocchet and Trevor Zegras sounded off on the Philadelphia Flyers inability to score goals in crucial moments.

As for players who weren't as involved in the collapse, Matvei Michkov played just three shifts inside the final 10 minutes of the third period, including the 6-on-5 with the extra attacker at the very end of the game.

For Porter Martone, he played just two, was left off the 6-on-5 entirely, and finished the night with just 11:51 of ice time.

First-year pro Cole Knuble played just two shifts in the final 10 minutes, too: once immediately before the Barkey penalty, and once for the faceoff after the Kartye goal. That was it.

It's become abundantly clear that the Flyers are trying to grasp at wins, playing not to lose instead of playing to win at a point in the season where every point in the standings matters. That's what happens when you light the first nine games of an 84-game season on fire.

Now, the Flyers are 0-4-3 against divisional opponents this season and cruising along in their race to the bottom of the NHL.

Two of the Vancouver Canucks’ most intriguing prospects will now be playing on the same OHL team.  

After speculation that he would be traded by his former team, the London Knights, Canucks prospect Aleksei Medvedev has been dealt to the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. This move will unite him with fellow Canucks prospect Adam Novotný, who has been with Petersborough since the 2025–26 season. 

2026–27 is Medvedev’s third season in the OHL and was his third with the Knights. After putting together a strong 22–8–2 record with London in 2024–25, as well as a 2.79 GAA and .912 SV%, the goaltender was selected 47th-overall by the Canucks in the 2025 NHL Draft. His play has faltered since being drafted, with his numbers dropping to a 3.26 GAA and .891 SV% in 2025–26. Medvedev was traded to the Petes for a 2028 second-round pick, 2027 third-round pick, and 2030 fifth-round pick. 

Novotný has been a star for the Petes since the start of the 2026–27 season. After putting up 34 goals and 31 assists in 58 games in his first OHL season, the forward was selected 24th-overall by the Canucks in 2026. He put together a strong Development Camp and Training Camp effort but was sent back down to the OHL, where he has since scored 10 goals and 12 assists in 16 games. Novotný currently leads the Petes in points with 22. 

Despite Novotný’s strong individual play, the Petes are currently at the bottom of the East Division with eight wins and 10 losses. That said, they currently sit at sixth in the Eastern Conference and have won five of their last eight games. 

Peterborough will play their next game on November 8 at 11:05 am PCT, hosting the Niagara IceDogs. 

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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Why Manny Malhotra’s Comments After The Canucks’ Loss To The Jets Are Concerning 

3 Standouts From Game #18: Jets 6, Canucks 2

Canucks Fall 6-2 To The Jets, Losing Streak Hits Four Games

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.